The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

The person Sun Ce sent to deliver the letter to Xun Zhen was his trusted subordinate general named Chen Bao.

Xun Zhen knew this person. In the past, Sun Ce was in Henan, and during the festivals, he would often travel far and wide to present gifts to Xun Zhen. The person who brought the gifts to Xu was often Chen Bao. Xun Zhen accepted Sun Ce's letter, and did not open it to read it immediately. Instead, she asked Chen Bao's hardships and experiences on the road affectionately, and asked someone to take him down to rest before opening the letter for viewing.

But just after reading the letter for a few lines, Xun Zhen's expression changed slightly, she raised her head to look outside the hall, and instructed the attendants outside, "Please come to Zhicai, Wen Ruo, and others."

Xi Zhicai, Xun Yu, Chen Qun, and others received Xun Zhen's order to summon them, and they all put down their official duties and came to the hall one after another after a while. ——Their offices are all in the state capital, which is very fast.

At this time, Xun Zhen had already read the letter written by Kong De and signed by Sun Jian, and motioned the attendant to pass it on to Xi Zhicai and others for reading.

Xi Zhicai and others took a look.

Xun Zhen said: "The letter said, Lv Fengxian led his troops to attack Yingchuan, Zhang Mengzhuo sent troops to attack Liang, but Lv Bu was nothing. Wentai speculated that Zhang Miao's purpose should be to repair the plank road to protect Chencang, and his intention was really similar to Meng De's. Join forces and plan me to Jiyin and Changyi. In my opinion, Wentai's speculation is good. Zhang Mengzhuo's intention should be here!"

Xun Zhen knew Zhang Miao and Lu Bu better than Sun Jian.

When he was studying in his previous life, he had read the stories of Zhang Miao and Chen Gong who betrayed Cao and welcomed Lü Bu as the master of Yan. Yuan Shu was the same. He looked down on Lu Bu at all, and only regarded him as a "strong man". "Co-owner of Yanzhou" and so on, he just put it nicely, and to put it bluntly, he just regarded Lu Bu as a "thug". Then, it can be inferred from this. Right now, it is absolutely impossible for Zhang Miao to form an alliance with Lu Bu to help Lu Bu attack Yuzhou.

Then, the truth of this matter is very likely: Zhang Miao and Chen Gong did not know what words they used to coax Lv Bu and lied to him that they would form an alliance with him to fight against Sun Jian. In fact, Zhang Miao and Chen Gong did so. The reason is to let Lv Bu contain Sun Jian, so as to cut off the nearby foreign aid in Changyi and Jiyin, so that they can join forces with Cao Cao to attack Jiyin, Changyi and other counties in Yanzhou.

"Cut off the nearby foreign aid of Changyi and Jiyin", which means that Runan, Liang, and Chen, the Yuzhou counties currently controlled by Sun Jian, are all next to Chenliu and Changyi. , once something happened to these two counties, Xun Zhen, who was far away in Xuzhou, could send reinforcements faster.

Xi Zhicai, Xun You, Chen Qun, etc. were all wise men, and they all agreed with Xun Zhen's judgment without Xun Zhen saying more.

Xi Zhicai had a serious face and said, "I originally thought that Cao Cao was newly defeated and Zhang Miao had no far-reaching ambitions, but he expected that he would not and would not be able to launch a counterattack against Jiyin and Changyi in a short period of time. Zhang Miao actually told Lv Bu to contain Sun Yuzhou, and he wanted to plot against me! This is beyond my expectations."

It wasn't that Zhang Miao's actions were beyond Xi Zhicai's expectations. To be precise, it was because of Chen Gong's important role in it that Zhang Miao would do such unexpected things.

Xun Yu thought of this, and said, "Let's join Lv Bu in the south and plot Yanzhou. This strategy should be beyond what Zhang Mengzhuo could have come up with. Hearing that Chen Gongtai is in Chenliu now, it must be Chen Gongtai's strategy."

Xun Zhen nodded, agreeing with Xun Yu's opinion, and said, "Wen Ruo is right, this idea should have come from Chen Gongtai." He sighed and said, "Chen Gongtai is in vain for a famous person in Yan, who has a good reputation, but he For his own interests, regardless of the overall situation, he first helped Meng De and stubbornly resisted our army; then he made suggestions for Zhang Mengzhuo, and then started the war. He kept saying that he was for Yanren to resist violence and humiliation, but I have to Yan so far, although it is not counted For a long time, Ke Gongda and others were in Yanzhou, but they strictly implemented my orders to exterminate bandits, appease the refugees, and be considerate of the people's livelihood. "

Xi Zhicai said with a tone of contempt: "In today's sea, there are many people like Chen Gongtai! They say they are famous people, but in fact they are short-sighted. There's no need to sigh about it."

Xun Zhen knew that the reason why Chen Gong persisted in resisting himself was to protect the interests of Yanzhou scholars. The "Yanren" in Chen Gong's mouth was actually more accurate to be called "Yanshi". Chen Gong has long been a representative of the conservative forces among the scholars in Yanzhou. Of course, Xun Zhen would not be really angry with Chen Gong's actions. What he said just now was just because he felt it.

After a few words of emotion, Xun Zhen returned to the topic and said, "Chen Gongtai doesn't know the whole thing, but if Zhang Miao really joins forces with Meng De, Jiyin and Changyi may be in danger! Soldiers and horses, what do you think about Gongda, Wen Qian, Qing and others?"

Xi Zhicai has no objection.

Xun Zhen called Xi Zhicai and Chen Qun, who were respectively responsible for the deployment of troops and horses, and the preparation and transportation of logistics.

Xun Zhen also wrote an order in his own hand, ordering people to send it to Changyi quickly, to Xun You and Le Jin, and told them to strengthen the alertness of Lihu, Jiyin, and Changyi, especially Lihu and Jiyin. To prevent Cao Cao and Zhang Miao from attacking suddenly.

After Xi Zhicai and Chen Qun also went out to fulfill their tasks, only Xun Yu was left in the hall.

Xun Zhen got up, walked around the room a few times, and said to Xun Yu, "Wen Ruo, I have a concern."

At this time, there were no outsiders in the hall, and Xun Zhen's tone did not seem to be about official business, so Xun Yu no longer called him by his official name.

Instead, Xun Zhen changed her name to brother and asked, "Brother, what are you worried about?"

Xun Zhen touched the short mustache under his chin, and said thoughtfully, "Lü Bu is brutal, and now he is attacking Yingchuan on a large scale. I think that my elders in Yingchuan will be severely harmed by the soldiers. This is one of my worries; Wentai; Although he was good at fighting, Lv Bu was called 'flying general'. It was said in the time that 'Lv Bu is among the people, and the red rabbit is among the horses'. At that time, there were many fights with them, and they were all powerful generals. This Lü Bu's army should not be underestimated. If the Wentai battle is unfavorable and Yingchuan falls, the power of Lü Bu and Yuan Shu will definitely expand. I am in the west of Xu and in the south of Yan, and I cannot be at peace! This is my second worry.”

Xun Yu said in his heart, "Sun Yuzhou is light-handed and Lu Fengxian is fierce. Both of them are today's generals. At the moment, Lu Fengxian took advantage of the gap to enter and stole the half of Runan. After Sun Yuzhou returned from Hanoi, he fought with him many times. In the battle, the two sides both won and lost each other, but it was a draw, and the next battle was in Yingchuan. It was really hard to predict who would win or who would lose.... As for my fathers and elders in Yingchuan County, alas, in the turbulent times, not to mention Yingchuan Chuan, the capital of Luoyang, can’t escape the disaster of the army, but Dong Zhuo set it on fire, and the people were forced to move westward to Chang’an? Unknowingly, he thought again, "Xuzhou under the leadership of my brother, although I don't talk about the way and do not pick up things, but compared with the past Taiping years, it is almost the same, at least the officials are clear and bright, respect the old and love the young. All the people live and work in peace and contentment, without the harm of military disasters, and without the suffering of displacement; given time, the people of Yanzhou will definitely be able to come to Xuzhou like me, and get peace and prosperity! "

While thinking about it, Xun Yu comforted Xun Zhen and said, "Sun Yuzhou is a famous general in the world, although Lv Bu is valiant, but he is unpopular, he must not be supported by my people in Yingchuan, and I think he must not be Sun Yuzhou's enemy. Brother A don't have to worry about this. In today's chaotic world, human life is not as good as grass. Although Yingchuan is my hometown, Brother A is far away in Xuzhou, and I can't reach it. Even if I know that he will be killed by soldiers, there is nothing I can do, and I will wait for Sun Yuzhou to be defeated. After Lu Fengxian came to the village, my brother sent people back to the village and sent some grain and money to the village as a pension."

Xun Zhen sighed and said, "That's the only way!"

People are ruthless. Although most of Xun's children are now under Xun Zhen's tent, when Xun Zhen was in Yingyin, he also had many friends and acquaintances, such as the one near his home in the city. Neighbors, such as the people under his rule in Fanyangting, Xixiang and other places in the past, and so on. Thinking that if Sun Jian and Hongzi could not stop Lü Bu, then they would likely be attacked and looted by Lü Bu's troops. Xun Zhen was used to seeing the pity of the common people during the war, and put those horrific scenes in Ying. In Yin and Yingchuan, the people who were killed and disturbed were replaced by his old acquaintances in Yingyin and Yingchuan. Just thinking about it, Xun Zhen couldn't bear it.

He couldn't bear it and there was nothing he could do.

One sentence came to Xun Zhen's mind: "If you are poor, you will be alone, and if you are successful, you will help the world."

Xun Zhen returned to the seat and sat down.

He put the table in his hand and looked up into the courtyard, where he saw lush trees, smelled the fragrance of flowers and plants, and the spring sun shone into the hall, warming him. He couldn't help thinking: "When will this chaotic world be brought to an end! Return this spring to the earth!"

...

Xun Zhen reminded Xun You and Le Jin of the order to strictly guard the border, and it was too late when they arrived at the Yanzhou prefecture in Changyi.

In fact, not only Xun Zhen's order was late, but also Sun Jian's previous order. Although Xun Zhen's order arrived several days in advance, it was already too late when it was delivered.

The attack on Lihu and Jiyin by Cao Cao and Zhang Miao started abruptly the day after Sun Jian heard that Zhang Miao had sent troops to attack Liang.

Back half a month ago, Cao Cao negotiated with Zhang Miao and Chen Gong and decided to send troops from Dongjun.

There are more than 30,000 Cao Cao troops.

He left behind 10,000 people to suppress Dongjun, and at the same time prepared for support and reinforcements. The remaining 20,000 people were the main combat troops he planned to use to fight in Lihu, Jiyin, Changyi and other counties. More than 20,000 people were mainly composed of Xiahou Dun, Cao Hong, Cao Chun, Liu Ruo, Lu Qian, etc. Xiahou Yuan and Cao Ren were the main generals who stayed behind. The troops and horses of Xiahou Dun and other ministries were originally stationed in various places around Puyang. They were dispatched by Cao Cao and reunited in Puyang County.

In order to boost morale, Cao Cao personally went to the camp to follow him.

Cao Cao's camp outside Puyang County was built by Cao Cao himself. Cao Cao is proficient in the art of war, and building a camp is also an important part of the art of war. Cao Cao is also quite proficient in this way. His camp was built in an orderly manner.

There are ravines and high bases outside, and there is a hopeful building at intervals on the base. It is divided into four districts, which are two infantry districts, one cavalry district, and one baggage district, which are located in the south, east, and northwest. The four districts are separated by main roads; , to divide the barracks in the area. Overall, the entire camp is like a large county town. Wells for water intake, drainage channels, and school grounds for military training, etc. are readily available. On the other hand, the layout is neat and tidy.

The only thing is that although the camp is good, many of the soldiers in the camp are sloppy and not very good.

Even when Cao Cao personally inspected, there were many soldiers in the battalion that he went to, and even the welcome queue was not neatly arranged. It can be said that the spirit and discipline of the soldiers are quite poor.

This is not surprising. Cao Cao has more than 30,000 soldiers.

Ma, originally, most of them were strong men who were recruited from the people temporarily after he was defeated by Xun Zhen. Although in these days in Dongjun, Cao Cao put a lot of effort into the soldiers who had not joined the army for a long time. , teach them to stand up, queue, and military discipline. These soldiers have basically learned a lot, but the time in the army is still short, and the living habits of the people in the past have not been completely corrected. Very lacking in spirit.

After patrolling the camp for a week, Cao Cao came to the commanding tent in the camp and sat down.

Cheng Li, Man Chong, Xue Ti and other officials who followed him on the tour also took their seats.

All the civil servants knew some military affairs, and seeing the state of Cao Ying's soldiers, most of them looked worried.

Man Chong thought for a while, looked at Cao Cao's expression several times, and saw him as if nothing had happened. He just joked with Cheng Li and the others, discussed the issue of sending troops to attack Lihu, and predicted the direction of the battle, but he didn't seem to be at all. He didn't worry about the soldiers under the tent's military discipline and lack of energy, but finally he couldn't bear it anymore and said: "Ming Gong, today our army is joining forces with Zhang Taishou to counterattack Jiyin and Shanyang, although it was unexpected, Moreover, Duke Ming has newly obtained the help of Yuan Benchu's five thousand elites, so he should have a good chance of winning.

"...But Duke Ming, there are many new soldiers in our army, and it's okay for the new soldiers to fight against the wind. I think that Xun Gongda, Le Wenqian, etc. are not mediocre soldiers. If our army encounters a small setback, I am afraid that these new soldiers are. It’s useless! Duke Ming, you must worry about this.”

Cao Cao paused the discussion with Cheng Li and others, looked at Man Chong, smiled and said to Cheng Li and others, "Berning is so worried, why do you think it is like this?"

Cheng Li smiled and said, "It's not enough to worry about your stupid opinion."

Man Chong was stunned and said, "Engong Cheng, how can you say that you are not worried?" He thought to himself, "Engong Cheng is resourceful and resourceful, and he is familiar with military affairs. He said this, didn't he?" Asked Cao Cao, he said, "Could it be that Duke Ming has a way to deal with it?"

Cao Cao laughed and said, "Berning, you are really smart!"

"So, does Duke Minguo have a countermeasure?"

"Of course."

"Chong dare to ask Duke Ming, what is the policy?"

Cao Cao said, "Berning, I asked the magistrate of Puyang to prepare more than ten prisoners for me. Do you know this?"

Man Chong shook his head and said, "I don't know."

Cao Cao ordered the magistrate of Puyang to send him more than a dozen people on death row, and he did it very secretly, not to mention Man Chong did not know, only Cheng Li knew about the people sitting in the hall at the moment, so it was Man Chong. It's normal to have never heard of this.

Cao Cao's question was originally a question of temptation. Hearing Man Chong's answer, he said with satisfaction: "Puyang Ling strictly obeys my order, and has indeed kept this matter a secret. Very good, I can do it in the future. Reward him and reward him for keeping secrets!" The troops are about to be dispatched, and the dozen or so death row prisoners will be used within three or two days at most, but now there is no need to keep secrets from Man Chong and others, Cao Cao then said, "Uncle Ning, my way of coping is on the bodies of these dozens of death row prisoners."

Man Chong was puzzled and said, "I'm ignorant, I don't understand Duke Ming's meaning, I dare to ask Duke Ming to explain in detail."

"Berning, let me ask you, what is the most important thing if you want to improve military discipline and boost morale?"

Man Chong thought for a moment and replied, "The most important thing is to let the soldiers know that military law cannot be violated, and that military orders must be obeyed."

Cao Cao first agreed with Man Chong's point of view, and said with a smile: "Exactly! If you make your soldiers fear me, rather than fear the enemy, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles. This is the teaching of the art of war! Simply use military law to restrain the troops, and use the power to stand above the soldiers. ~www.wuxiaspot.com~ Of course, it will be lost in coolness, and it is not desirable. After all, the so-called coexistence of kindness and power is the king's way, but let the soldiers know that my law cannot be violated, but it is also necessary." Then, still no Directly full of pet questions, he asked him again and said, "...So, Berning, how can I let the soldiers know that I can't break the law?"

Man Chong said, "The best way is to let the soldiers know what will happen if they violate the Duke Ming's law." Having said this, his heart moved, and he vaguely guessed what Cao Cao said, "The way to deal with it is to On these dozens of death row prisoners." The meaning of these words, his eyes lit up, and he said, "Is Duke Ming going to use these dozens of death row prisoners?"

Cao Cao Fuxu smiled and said: "Yes, I plan to use this number of death row prisoners to kill chickens as an example, and make any excuses to say that they violated my military discipline. From tomorrow until the day I send troops, I will kill one or two every day. Beheaded in front of the army! Hang your head and show it to the public."

Man Chong was greatly admired, he left the table and bowed down, saying, "Ming Gong's strategy is a brilliant idea!"

Therefore, Cao Cao used this strategy. From the next day, he randomly selected two or three from the death row prisoners every day. Soldiers see. In this way, for seven or eight days in a row, under the constant threat of **** heads, the military discipline of the new soldiers in Cao Ying greatly improved.

At the same time, Cao Cao tightened his belt and tried his best to give these new soldiers a few days of good food and treatment, and the morale of the whole army was greatly boosted.

On this day, I received a military report sent by Zhang Miao, saying that Lü Bu had led his troops to Yingchuan, Zhang Miao, and had also divided his troops to sack Liang. The next day, he began to attack Bianxian Injustice in Jiyin County, and asked Cao Cao to lead his troops to attack.

Cao Cao assembled his troops that day, left the camp at night, and headed eastward to Lihu.