Farmer of Shu Han

"What about Yuan Ming (Qin Lang)?"

Cao Zhao asked again.

He and Qin Lang are a political alliance. If the guard of the county is replaced, Qin Lang leads the army outside, and he serves the king inside. The plan to echo each other is bound to be affected.

Cao Rui smiled when he heard the words, but he misunderstood what Cao Zhao meant, and saw a look of appreciation in his eyes, "I never thought you would be so affectionate, and I can still think of him at this time."

Speaking of this, he sighed again, "After Zhang He died, I realized that many generals in the army today are still left by Emperor Wu at that time."

"These generals are not young now, so we have to plan ahead. Zhang Xi also said that Asu (Qin Lang's nickname) has quite a military strategy, but he is still young and his qualifications are still inexperienced."

"If you practice more, you will surely achieve something, so I thought it would be a good idea to let him stay in the army. What do you think?"

After Cao Zhao heard this, a stone in his heart fell to the ground, and following Cao Rui's back-stroking hand, he moved a little closer to Cao Rui and asked, "Then who does Your Majesty plan to let guard the county? "

Cao Rui smiled confidently, "Although Zhang He didn't say it clearly, I already know who he means."

"who?"

"Wen Pin was originally from Jingzhou. Emperor Wu asked him to station in Jiangxia. It was because of his strengths in employing people to reassure the people. It has been twenty years since he defeated Soochow repeatedly and his reputation shocked the enemy country. Therefore, he should not be moved lightly."

"Not to mention Man Chong, who served as the prefect of Runan several times, and followed Emperor Wu to conquer Jingzhou in the south. When Guan Yu attacked Fancheng, he defended the city vigorously, and finally counterattacked Guan Yu with the generals."

"It doesn't matter whether it's Jingzhou or Yangzhou, Man Chong is no stranger, so if Soochow wants to divide its troops northward to attack Wei, it doesn't matter whether he is transferred to Jingzhou or Yangzhou, he can do it."

When Cao Zhao heard this, a bright light flashed in his eyes, "Your Majesty wants to call Jia Kui here?"

Cao Rui glanced at Cao Zhao and knew what Cao Zhao meant, "Long Si, I know that Da Sima and Jia Kui are at odds, but Jia Kui was praised by Emperor Wu and the late Emperor, and he is indeed a good talent for the country."

"I am close to you, and I believe in Da Sima again. I also hope that you will put state affairs first, and write to persuade Da Sima not to make things difficult for Jia Kui again. When the two of them quarrel, I will also be in a dilemma. "

Cao Zhao was taken aback when he heard that, knowing that the emperor wanted to persuade His Majesty by himself, he nodded quickly, "I have kept your Majesty's words in mind, and tonight I will write a letter to convey His Majesty's meaning to Your Majesty. "

"Don't be so anxious, we have other things tonight, we will write tomorrow."

Seeing that Cao Zhao is so sensible, Cao Rui liked it even more, so he was willing to tell him more things, "Actually, none of these three people are candidates for Zhang Ying. The one he really wants to recommend is Guo Huai."

When Cao Zhao heard this, surprise appeared on his face, "Why?"

"In the Battle of Hanzhong, the main general (Xia Houyuan) died in battle, and there was no leader in the army. Guo Huai took the initiative to recommend Zhang Yun as the interim commander. The personal relationship between the two is extraordinary."

"Now the loss of Longyou must be dealt with according to the national law. Guo Huai, as governor of Yongzhou, is also responsible. Zhang Yun's move is nothing more than pleading for Guo Huai."

When Cao Zhao heard these words, he finally understood, and immediately said with admiration, "Your Majesty has a clear judgment."

When Cao Rui heard Cao Zhao praise him, he was even more happy, "Although Zhang Yun is pleading for Guo Huai, Guo Huai is indeed a good man. He was able to reject Liu Bei in Hanzhong back then, and he won the hearts of Qiang Hu in governing Guanzhong these years. "

"Qianghu in Guanzhong regard Guo Huai as a god. If it weren't for Xia Houmao, the battle in Longyou might not have turned out like this. Guo Huai is familiar with the terrain in Guanzhong, so I followed Zhang Yun's request and asked him to assist the general in defense. Guanzhong is also a good move."

Only then did Cao Zhao suddenly understand, but he thought about it for a while, and then he said worriedly, "What if someone says that His Majesty is unfair?"

"There will be no injustice." Cao Rui's eyes flashed a look of ruthlessness, "In the battle of Longyou, lack of food and grass was the root cause of the defeat, so the former Anxi general Xia Houmao should be the first crime."

"Guo Huai had fewer troops than the thieves, but he was able to last for several months. He did his best. He was not to blame for this matter. Zhang Yun fought hard against the Shu captives. He was also outnumbered by the number of soldiers. In the end, he was injured and died. This should be commended."

How could His Majesty the Emperor be wrong?

Zhang He was transferred back to Luoyang from Jingzhou, and then rushed to help Longyou from Luoyang, and now he was injured and died, how could he be too harsh?

Guo Huai had defended the city for so long with a small force, if he was punished again, wouldn't the hearts of the soldiers be chilled?

Since they are all right, we can only find one who has made a mistake.

Xia Houmao's crime of selling grain privately can be big or small, and his status is neither big nor small, which is just right.

"But Your Majesty, General Anxi is Princess Qinghe's husband-in-law after all..."

Hearing that the emperor planned to take Xia Houmao as a sacrifice, Cao Zhao was surprised: Princess Qinghe is the daughter of Emperor Wu and the eldest sister of Emperor Wen, and her status is very important.

More importantly, after Xia Houshang, the great general who conquered the South, died the year before last, Xia Houmao was a representative figure of the Xiahou family. His Majesty asked Xiahoumao to bear the main responsibility for the defeat in Longyou. Could it be possible...

Thinking of this, Cao Zhao only felt that his back was a little wet, and even felt that the place touched by the emperor's hand was as hot as an iron.

He secretly looked at Cao Rui, only to see the emperor's face suddenly clear and dark, and he murmured, "Xiahou..."

That's right, Xiahou's family and Cao's family were originally one, but as the Cao's family became the emperor's family, this oneness is related to the present, and it seems that subtle changes have taken place.

In Cao Rui's opinion, when he first came to the throne, the Xiahou family should fully support him.

However, Xiahouxuan, the most famous person in Xiahou's family and also the most outstanding figure of the third generation of Xiahou's family, actually followed the noble people of the family who claimed to uphold etiquette, and openly opposed his appointment of Mao as queen.

No, it was even worse than those noble people from aristocratic families. He actually insulted the queen's brother in public.

This is simply Hongguo slapping the emperor in the face.

This point especially annoyed Cao Rui: You must have forgotten how Xiahou's family got up, right? Now that you are dignified, you start to learn from those aristocratic families?

It's just that Cao Rui saw that Xiahou's family and Cao's family were as close as flesh and blood, and he had just ascended the throne not long ago. For the sake of the overall situation, he only demoted Xiahouxuan as a warning.

Unexpectedly, when the Longyou incident started, Xia Houmao, the spokesperson of the Xiahou family, would actually make such a big mess again, and Cao Rui finally felt a feeling of being betrayed.

At this time, Cao Rui finally made up his mind, and said slowly to Cao Zhao, "It is because he is a royal family member that we must be investigated more strictly, and we must not let it go easily, otherwise how can we deter those big rats in the country?"

The rat of the country?

When Cao Zhao heard this comment, his heart was shocked: Xia Houmao is probably doomed this time.

"Changsi, why is your back wet?"

It was only then that Cao Rui noticed that the palms he was stroking on Cao Zhao's back were a little sweaty.

Cao Zhao forced a smile, "Your Majesty, the weather is getting hotter and hotter, that's why I'm sweating."

"Oh, really? Come on, let me help you see..."

Chang'an Palace whispered.

Xiangwu soldiers in Longxi rose up.

The Han army pushed the carts and ladders, and began to rush down the city shouting.

Wei Yanle raised his knife, his eyes fixed on the city.

It took him two full days to fill up the wide and deep moat below the city, and then he destroyed the antlers and flattened the partition wall. During this period, nearly 3,000 people were killed or injured before he could officially rush to the Xiangwu city.

If the prime minister hadn't blocked the cao bandits and horse troops wandering around for him from time to time, so that he could concentrate on attacking the city, I'm afraid the time for the official attack on the city would have to be delayed.

At the beginning of the Northern Expedition, he was the vanguard, and at the same time he was the first to lead the army to Longxi. Unexpectedly, now that the other counties in Longyou have fallen, all the troops in the Northern Expedition have made military achievements, but he, the vanguard, has not gained anything. credit.

Thinking of this, Wei Yan stared at Xiangwu City even more furiously.

Cao Jun, who was leaning against the parapet cover, shot arrows with crossbows, and arrows rained down from the top of the city. Many Han soldiers fell to the ground forever before they even got under the city wall.

For Wei Yan, who has been fighting for many years, this is just a common thing, and it is also a necessary sacrifice for the siege, so he did not look at the fallen soldiers at all.

But to see when the rushing ladder will reach the city.

"boom"!

The first car crashed directly into the city gate.

Then, the ladder began to be erected, and the Han army ants attached to it.

The Wei army occupied a high place and shot and killed the attacking Han army mercilessly.

Many people climbed halfway, screamed and turned over and fell.

Human life is extremely insignificant in this carnage of the same kind.

Just when Wei Jun shot with all his strength, all the ladders had been put on the city wall before he knew it.

Seen from the rear, the densely packed soldiers climbing up the city wall looked like ants.

A smile finally appeared in Wei Yan's eyes. The Liangzhou army has a good reputation. It seems that the horse army is more elite, but the defense of the city is a mess.

A soldier of the Han army had rushed to the edge of the female wall, and was about to turn over, when suddenly a knife came from the side, and the soldier was fierce, grabbing the corner of the wall with one hand, and raising the knife with the other to block it.

As long as the opponent was exhausted, he shouted violently, and even turned somersault onto the top of the wall.

It's just that the joy of ascending first did not last for a few breaths, when Wei Jun's spears stabbed him all at once, stabbing him outside the wall, and smashing him directly down.

The soldiers on the ladder only felt a black shadow fall, and before they could react, they were thrown from the ladder by the corpse.

"General Wei, why didn't this Cao thief release the wood and rolling stone?"

Chen Shi looked at more and more soldiers climbing up the ladder, and asked with some unease in his heart.

"Isn't it just right not to let it go?"

Of course Wei Yan knew that there was something weird about it, but in his opinion, no matter what conspiracy the other party had, there would always be time to use it, and he would know it when he saw it.

You can't stop attacking the city just because the other party is acting weird, right?

Just when the ladder was full of soldiers, there was a sound of clappers on the top of the wall, and Wei Jun at the top of the wall began to pour something on the ladder.

Chen Shi's heart tightened, and he stretched his neck, "What is this thief Cao doing? What does splashing water mean?"

Could it be that the weather is so hot, so splashing water to cool off?

Before he could understand it, he saw that the arrows of Wei Jun at the top of the city turned into rockets at some point, and shot towards the ladder one after another. During the period, some people threw torches from the top of the city, also aiming at the direction of the ladder. .

I saw that the ladder caught fire for some reason, and even some soldiers accidentally touched the torch, and their bodies caught fire all of a sudden.

"fire Fire……"

The soldiers who were climbing the ladder shouted, the people above wanted to retreat, but the people below were pushing up and down without knowing what was going on. Many people did not die under the enemy's swords and arrows, but were killed by their own people instead. Kicked down.

Wei Yan's expression finally changed.

"It's oil! They poured oil on the ladder!"

"Retreat, hurry up and withdraw!"

Wei Yan couldn't react quickly, but unfortunately, those ladders that were splashed with oil were all made of wood, once caught fire, in such dry and hot weather, they would burn quickly.

Not to mention the soldiers, even Wei Yan was the first to encounter such a situation of defending the city with fire oil.

Caught off guard, the soldiers on the ladder had no way of escaping, not only the soldiers who were attached to the ants kept screaming and calling for help, they either became a burning man or were forced to jump down.

With a sound of "crash", one of the ladders was the first to be burned off by the fire, and the remaining wood could not support it, and finally became fragmented and slid down the city wall.

Wei Yan's face suddenly turned livid.

Obviously, the other party deliberately asked him to set up the ladder, pour oil on it when the soldiers were full, and then set it on fire. In this way, not only all the ladders made these days were burned, but even a large number of them were lost. soldiers.

The most important thing is that after this time of defending the city with fire oil, I am afraid that this group of soldiers who attacked the city have already developed fear, and their morale is extremely low.

If you want to attack the city again, you can only come back after a rest, or you have to go to the prime minister to change another batch of soldiers.

"Feng Yong used fire and oil to attack Longguan unscathed. I didn't expect Hao Zhao to burn all the siege equipment with fire and oil today."

Zhuge Liang looked at the burning ladder in the distance, with a gloomy expression on his face. He felt that he needed to get to know Hao Zhao again.

This move was really ruthless, not only caused a great shock to one's own army, but also took the opportunity to burn up the siege equipment built these days.

"Prime Minister..."

Wei Yan returned to the camp with shame on his face, not daring to look up at Zhuge Liang.

"It's nothing, it's not your fault, it's my fault. I knew that Feng Yong had used oil to attack the city, but I didn't expect Cao thief to use oil to defend the city."

Zhuge Liang comforted him.

As soon as this remark came out, Wei Yan was even more ashamed.

In the past few days, he repeatedly asked to lead the army to attack the city, but unexpectedly he was beaten like this, where do you put his face.

"Let the soldiers rest for a few days first, and let me think about something."

Seeing Wei Yan like this, Zhuge Liang's eyes flashed, and then he turned around and told Yang Yi, "Wei Gong, send an order to Jicheng, let Feng Yong lead the catapult battalion and engineering team, and Guan Xing lead the horse army and the Qiang army." Hu Lianjun came to reinforce."

Although the siege suffered unexpected losses, Zhuge Liang never expected to capture Xiangwu immediately.

This time Wei Yan was hit badly, and he didn't insist on pleading for orders to lead the army to attack the city like he did at the beginning, which happened to allow Zhuge Liang to implement the plan without hindrance.