The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

The post of "Captain of Cavalry" existed in the pre-Qin period, and it was called "Capital of Cavalry" at that time. In the former Han Dynasty, in order to avoid the taboo of Emperor Gaozu, it was renamed "Capital of Cavalry", with a rank of 2,000 stone. .+?(.+bsp;\s*

In terms of quality and rank, the cavalry captain is the same as the Zhonglang general, but Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun "hold the festival", and they are the main generals and respected, and they do not need to be greeted from afar. The two of them brought everyone in the tent and went to the camp gate with Prefect Wen to greet him.

Night has come, and the camp gate is lit with lights.

Xun Zhen stood at the end of the line, occasionally watching without anyone noticing.

Xi Zhicai was right next to him, and he saw it clearly, and asked curiously, "Zhenzhi, do you know Cao Duwei?"

It was dark in the dark and couldn't see far into the distance. Xun Zhen was struggling to look into the distance, but couldn't hear what he asked. She turned her head and asked, "What?"

"I said: Do you know Cao Duwei?"

"…,do not know."

"Then why are you looking at each other?"

Xun Zhen was stunned for a moment, but fortunately, she had a flexible mind. She found a random reason and replied, "Although I have never met Captain Cao, we have heard his name long ago."

"Oh?"

"Three or four years ago, when I was the head of Fanyang Pavilion, the imperial court ordered the ministers to cite people who can 'enlighten the ancients', and Captain Cao was among those who were recommended. Qianshi is a victim of the people, and the children of the eunuchs are mostly governors and ministers in local prefectures and counties. Because of the bribes taken by the important officials in the court, even though they knew they were corrupt, they did not ask. It was with the old Situ Chen Gong to the court, saying: 'The minister's actions led the party to pursue private interests', and his words were very serious. My brother Zhong praised him very much."

"You're talking about these two things, and I know that too."

Although Xi Zhicai is a cold scholar, he has never had the opportunity to become an official before, but he is arrogant, talented and ambitious. He has always been concerned about the current affairs of the country, and he has heard of these two major events.

The first thing is nothing, the second thing has caused a great sensation in the court and the opposition. The sensation was on the one hand because someone dared to write a letter to denounce the eunuch, and on the other hand, because Situ Chen Dan died because of this. Chen Dan, a native of Donghai, called Zhongzheng, was falsely accused of death in prison because he offended the eunuch. Situ was one of the Three Dukes, and he died just like that, and all the loyal and upright people in the world felt grief and grief for him.

Speaking of this, one thing has to be mentioned. Chen Dan was falsely accused of death for the three Dukes, and Cao Cao was the Minister of State. Although his position was clear and important, he was far less honorable than the Three Dukes. He was able to stay safe and sound. , which may seem bizarre, but is not surprising. Because his backer is too hard.

Even a cold scholar like Xi Zhicai knew about Cao Cao's origin.

Cao Teng, the ancestor of Cao Cao, was a great eunuch. He experienced four emperors and served in the palace for more than 30 years. When the former emperor Xiaohuan was emperor, he was named Marquis of Feiting for his achievements. Although he is dead now, he is still alive. The adopted son, Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, was in his old age, when he was favored, and held the post of Jiuqing for a long time. With such a strong backer, it is not surprising that Chen Dan is dead, but Cao Cao is safe and sound.

Xi Zhicai glanced at the people in front of him and said in a low voice, "I heard that Captain Cao was not originally named Cao, but because his father was adopted as an adopted son by Cao Teng, Marquis of Feiting, he changed his surname to Cao?"

Xun Zhen was a cautious person, and didn't want people to hear him and Xi Zhicai discussing life behind people's backs, and said vaguely, "It should be like this."

Xi Zhicai didn't know what to think, and chuckled lightly.

"why are you laughing?"

"This Duwei Cao is really different. Although he came from a family of eunuchs, he has always opposed the eunuchs since he started his official career. I heard that when he was the captain of northern Luoyang, he killed a servant from Xiaohuangmen Jianshuo. father?"

Cao Cao was promoted to Xiaolian in his twenties, and he was appointed as his lord. "Wei" is the county commander, usually there is one or two commanders in the county, "two in the large county and one in the small county", Luoyang is the capital, and there are four commanders in the east, south, west and north, with a rank of 400 stone. The county lieutenant is in charge of thieves and has the power to enforce the law. Cao Cao's use of a five-colored stick to kill Jian Shuo's uncle also caused a stir in the court and the public, and many people heard about it. Xiaohuangmen is an official in the province. Don't look at the word "small" in the name, and the rank is not too high, only six hundred stone, but because he serves the emperor, he has a lot of power, and Jian Shuo is deeply favored by today's children. It was too late for others to please him. Cao Cao was not afraid of tigers when he was born, but he beat his uncle to death just after he started his official career, which shows how aggressive he was.

After a short wait, I saw thousands of people and horses approaching with torches.

Xun Zhen said in his heart, "It must be Cao Cao's army." He looked up. Too far away to see. After waiting for a while, this military horse approached, and at the very front, a red military flag was fluttering, and under the flag, several knights surrounded one person. This man was not tall, with a yellow-black complexion, short eyebrows and small eyes, and a beard on his lips. Although his appearance was neither ugly nor handsome, he had a middle-aged appearance, and he was about twenty-eighty-nine years old. Although this man was not tall, he was riding on a horse, holding his sword and holding his chest up, with his head held high. Xi Zhicai also saw this man and said, "Is this Cao Cao?"

This man is Cao Cao.

When he was about to reach the camp gate, Cao Cao raised his hand, and the team stopped. When he arrived at the two captains of the Shesheng Battalion and the Infantry Battalion, he had a smile on his face and gave them a wink, but he didn't say hello, and then his eyes turned to Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Prefect Wen who were standing in front of them. Walking up, he gave a military salute and said, "How dare you have two generals to greet you? ... This must be the prefect of this county, Duke Wen?"

Cao Cao grew up in the capital, and speaks pure and standard Luoyang Yayan.

Prefect Wen replied: "It's right here, Du Weiyuan has come to work hard."

"I have seen Wen Gong."

Huangfu Song returned a military salute and said with a smile, "Meng De is here at the right time!"

"What does the general say about this?"

"I'll introduce you to the gentlemen who are here to welcome you!"

The two captains of Shesheng Battalion and Infantry Battalion do not need to be introduced. Cao Cao has been in the capital for a long time and has long known them. Huangfu Song introduced everyone to Cao Cao one by one. Apart from the two captains, many of the Sima in Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun's army also came from the capital, and most of them were old acquaintances with Cao Cao. Cao Cao was very casual. Whenever he saw an acquaintance, he would laugh and say a few words. When he introduced a Sima of another department surnamed Liu, Cao Cao probably knew this person very well. He reached out his hand and touched his belly and smiled: "Lao Liu, how many days have you been out of Beijing? Your belly is already getting smaller! When I was in Luoyang, I told you that riding a horse and running a bow more often is good for your body! You just don’t listen, how about it now? With a small belly, the whole person is much more energetic!”

When everyone heard it, some laughed, while others were unhappy. Many of the people who came out to greet him were Confucian children. Confucianism pays attention to etiquette. Talking like this outside the camp is not only a loss of etiquette, but also a loss of dignity. However, Huangfu Song's face was not very strange. Cao Cao was also a man of influence in the capital. He had known him before and understood his temperament.

Xun Zhen stood at the end. Although her posture was respectful, her eyes did not leave Cao Cao. Seeing that he spoke casually and behaved easily, she couldn't help but glance at Sun Jian, thinking, "Cao Cao has similarities with Wentai in his speech and behavior. Very 'getting off'."

"Tongtuo" is a language of the time, which means to take off lightly, to be easy, and not to pay attention to etiquette. Although Xun Zhen knew from the film and television books of his previous life that Cao Cao was an informal person, in his original imagination, Cao Cao was born in a noble family after all. Cao Cao's informality was beyond his imagination.

But when you think about it, it makes sense.

Those in power today are divided into two categories: one is the scholar-bureaucrat in the outer court, mostly from the nobility who believe in Confucianism, and the other is the **** in the inner court, who comes from the non-Confucian Han family. The two have different backgrounds, and their usual speech and behavior are also different. Although the Cao family is an aristocratic and wealthy family, after all, its foundation is shallow and there is no "family education", so it cannot be compared with families such as the Xun, Zhong, and Chen families. For example, the Xun family, after Xunzi, passed on Confucianism from generation to generation, and the children of the family were influenced by etiquette from their birth. It can be said that etiquette has penetrated into their bones, and even if the Cao family has power, even if Cao Cao himself No matter how "bright and ancient prose", no matter how profound the attainment of Confucianism, "there are no nobles within three generations", in terms of etiquette, it cannot be compared with the nobility who have inherited Confucianism from generation to generation, so it is inevitable that Xun Zhen will feel that he is similar to Sun Jian, who also came from a poor family. There are similarities.

Xun Zhen was thinking about it, and felt that someone was approaching her side.

The ones who approached were Huangfu Song and Cao Cao. Huangfu Song is tall and sturdy. Although his appearance is kind, he was born as a general and has led soldiers for many years. He is very dignified when walking and standing. Cao Cao is short and powerful. Funny.

Huangfu Song pointed at Xun Zhen with a smile, and introduced to Cao Cao: "This son is Cao Ye, a soldier of Yingchuan County. His name is Xun Zhen, and he is a son of the Xun family in Yingyin."

Cao Cao was pleasantly surprised and said, "I just arrived, and I saw that even though I have established a man, I have an extraordinary appearance. I am still wondering who this son is, but it turns out that it is Xun Jun!"

Xun Zhen hurriedly bowed and said, "Xun Zhen, the subordinate official, has seen the captain."

"Hey, you're welcome!" Cao Cao shook his hand, looked Xun Zhen up and down, and said with a smile, "Before I came here, I passed by Xiangcheng, and I was fortunate enough to meet Li Gong. Li Gong said to me: 'Yingchuan is handsome, Zhen For the best', if I see you tonight, it's not a lie."

"Gong Li is praised, and Zhencheng is frightened." Xunzhen said modestly, but his heart was full of emotion.

One sighed about the influence of contemporary celebrities on public opinion. Li Zan's words made Cao Cao look at him with admiration before he saw him.

The second is about Cao Cao's age. Looking at Cao Cao's age, he should be about the same age as Sun Jian, maybe five or six years older than him, and now he is a cavalry captain with more than two thousand stone. Sun Jian was the county Sima at the age of eighteen. More than ten years later, he is still only a military Sima of six hundred stone, not to mention himself. He has been an official for three or four years, and he is only a small official of one hundred stone. . The northern governor of the post and the county soldier Cao Ye are said to be prominent officials in a county, but in terms of the entire empire, a small official the size of a sesame grain is nothing.

Cao Cao laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? Li Gongxiang has a good sense of people. He said that you are Junyan, and you can't be wrong!" He took Xun Zhen's hand so affectionately, and said, "The camp is not a place to talk. When you are free, I will chat with you again.”

Cao Cao and Sun Jian are both light-hearted and not paying attention to etiquette, but in a closer comparison, the two are different. Sun Jian doesn't read much, and his light-heartedness comes from his heroic spirit. Cao Cao's "flying eagles and lackeys" and "Ren Xia debauchery" also have a ranger spirit in him, but he has read a lot of books. Compared with Sun Jian, his heroic spirit is much better. He is much weaker, and his light-heartedness is more of a natural indulgence. Xun Zhen savoured it carefully and felt that in this respect, Cao Cao was similar to his brother Xun Qu, but there were also differences. revealed naturally.

In other words, Cao Cao's light escape is both chivalrous and famous.

After introducing the people, Huangfu Song ordered the troops and horses brought to Cao Cao to temporarily station them, and everyone entered the camp and returned to their tents.

When they got to the tent, Huangfu Song ordered another seat to be placed under the two captains of Shesheng Battalion and Infantry Battalion. Although Cao Cao and Shesheng Battalion and Infantry Battalion had the same rank, the Shesheng Battalion and Infantry Battalion were the garrison troops of the capital Luoyang, so they were above Cao Cao.

After being seated, Huangfu Song asked Cao Cao, "Meng De, how many men and horses did you bring this time?"

"Three thousand foot soldiers, two hundred knights."

The "Captain of Cavalry" is called "Capital of Cavalry", but he is not the commander of the cavalry and can also lead infantry. For example, when Li Ling, a famous general of the Han Dynasty, was the captain of the cavalry, he once took infantry on expeditions and "sent 5,000 infantrymen to live in Yanbei".

"well!"

Cao Cao asked curiously, "What's so good about it?"

"Meng De, you don't know something, just before you came, I was discussing with the monarchs."

"What's the matter?" Cao Cao's mind was very fast, he just asked, he immediately woke up and said, "Yes, it must be talking about Wuyang Bocai!"

"How did Mende know?"

"The general, General Zhu, and Lord Wenfu will besiege Kunyang with more than 40,000 cavalry. Kunyang is just around the corner, and there is nothing to discuss. If we want to discuss, we can only discuss Wuyang's bandit soldiers. General, you are worried about Wuyang. Will the thieves escape alone?"

Xi Zhicai, who was kneeling behind Xun Zhen, was surprised when he heard the words, and whispered to Xun Zhen, "Captain Cao is very wise."

Xun Zhen said in his heart, "If I hadn't put a stick in the middle, you and 'Captain Cao' would have hit it off." Thinking of this, he also admired Cao Cao's insight and responsiveness. host.

Huangfu Song smiled and said, "Exactly."

"Does the general have a good plan?"

"So you came by coincidence!"

"how do I say this?"

"Although I have a strategy, I need to divide my troops into two groups. The troops of General Zhu and I are just enough to besiege Kunyang. If they are divided into two groups, it may not be enough. With more than three thousand cavalry, my plan can be carried out."

Some of the three thousand cavalry Cao Cao brought were given to him by the imperial court, and some were recruited by him, so it wasted time and came too late. Ke Li, suddenly heard Huangfu Song's words, and said with great joy: "Dare to ask what the general's strategy is? What's the use of me? I will do my best!"

Huangfu Song told the plan, and Cao Cao said happily, "This is a wonderful plan!"

"If Meng De has no objection, shall we proceed according to this?"

"Just do it this way!"

The plan was finalized, and Huangfu Song immediately assigned tasks to the generals. First, he called Xun Zhen's name and said, "Your Excellency is a native of the county and is familiar with the terrain. This plan is indispensable. You can join Meng De together."

Xun Zhen agreed.

After Huangfu Song assigned tasks to the rest of the people, the military discussion broke up.

Xun Zhen left the tent, but did not leave, but waited for Sun Jian to come out, took his hand, and said affectionately: "Brother, according to the orders of the two generals, I will leave the camp tonight and go to Wuyang with Captain Cao. The elder brother is brave and fierce, and he often takes arrows and rocks in front of the battle. This may be acceptable in normal times, but now the thieves are fighting to the death, and it should not be underestimated. "

Sun Jian disagreed, laughing and said: "There are tens of thousands of our troops outside Kunyang City, what danger do I have in the tens of thousands of troops? Although the thieves are fighting to the death, in my opinion, they are just a group of sleepy rats, and it is not worth caring about. However, this time, my wise brother was ordered to sneak into Wuyang. I heard that Bocai has more than a thousand soldiers under his command, and they are his direct descendants, that is, dead soldiers. You and Cao Duwei have few soldiers, but you must be careful!"

"promise."

Seeing that Xun Zhen had something to warn him, Sun Jian smiled and said, "You and I are husbands, killing thieves and killing harm is what you and I should do. You don't have to worry about me. The military order is urgent, you go back to the camp and prepare!"

"Yes."

Sun Jian's barracks was just outside the south wall, and Xun Zhen had to go outside the east wall. He saluted and left, turned around and waited to leave, only to raise his face, almost startled, but saw Cao Cao standing not far behind him.

Cao Cao smiled and beckoned him to come forward. Xun Zhen and Xi Zhicai walked in front of them, Cao Cao raised his face to look at them and said with a smile, "Ru Ying is a great man! Runan Yuan Benchu, Wu Yu, my friends are all beautiful, I am in Yangyang. Zhai met Zhong Gongcao, Guo Jili and other gentlemen in Yingchuan, all of them with extraordinary appearance. I saw two more tonight, Xun Jun Yingwu, Xi Jun Mingxiu, and they are also outstanding!"

The Han Dynasty "judged people by their appearance", Cao Cao was low in stature, and his appearance was not impressive.

Xun Zhen said humbly: "The commander was the commander of the northern part of Luoyang in the old days. He was unselfish, and he killed Xiaohuangmen Jianshuo's father. At the age of twenty-three, he moved to the Qiu Ling. Jun, Zhen and Zhong are just ordinary people, how can they be considered outstanding people?"

Speaking of his career, Cao Cao's early years were really smooth sailing. Although he killed Jian Shuo's uncle of Xiaohuangmen as a lieutenant in the northern part of Luoyang, he was also too strong to support him, so Jian Shuo couldn't help him. Under Song's operation, it was a matter of transferring out the capital and changing the position of Dunqiu Ling. Dunqiu is a large county, and the order of Dunqiu is 600 stone officials.

Cao Cao laughed and said: "Your family is famous in the world, with the right surname of the prefecture and county, the elder of Langling Duke Yingchuan, the talented man of the Eight Dragons, I have admired it for a long time, and I often hate that I was born late, and I cannot worship under the gate of Langling. I hate not being able to pay homage to the Eight Dragons. But speaking of it, I have some fate with my brother Xun Yu."

Xun Zhen was stunned and thought, "Is there some fate with Xun Yu?" In the original history, Xun Yu was the mastermind of Cao Cao, and they must have "fate", but in this life, so far, Xun Yu and Cao Cao have never met, so where did the word "destiny" come from?

He asked, "What does the captain mean?"

"Do you know He Boqiu in Nanyang?"

He Boqiu was He Yong, a famous scholar in Nanyang, who came to Yingyin for many years and visited the Xun family. Of course Xun Zhen knew it, nodded and said, "He Bo asked a famous person in Nanyang to be a hero of the world. I met him once when I was young."

"He Boqiu, Yuan Benchu, and I are all good friends. I heard him say that he met the fashionable and young Xun Yu in his early years. When he saw it, he was greatly surprised and praised Xun Yu's 'Wang Zuo's talent'. Is there any such thing?"

"have."

"You know, He Boqiu has also commented on me."

Xun Zhen really didn't know about this, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty is loyal and righteous, and you are harassing the Duke, and Duke He's evaluation of the monarch must be a good reputation."

Cao Cao lifted his beard and laughed, but he did not take Xun Zhen's words, did not say how He Yong rated him, but said with a smile: "He Boqiu both praised Xun Yu and criticized me, so I say that I am with Xun Yu. There is some fate." It's not that Cao Cao refused to tell Xun Zhen what He Yong said, but that He Yong's comments about him should not be shared with outsiders. What He Yong said was: "The Han family is about to die, and the world must be safe!" Such words are not suitable for someone who has just met. It is a taboo for gentlemen to make deep conversations.

Xun Zhen thought to himself: "So there is such a story." Unconsciously, he thought again, "After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Xun Yu abandoned Yuan Shao and joined Cao Cao. There is a reason why Yuan Shao is not the master of the human being, but now I heard Cao Cao say, among them Is it also because he and Cao Cao both have the reputation of He Yong?" He Yong praised Xun Yu for having the weapon of the king when he was young. First, this incident must have had a profound impact on Xun Yu, and second, It can also be seen that this person has the knowledge of people, so his reputation for Cao Cao should be very credible. Therefore, after seeing that Yuan Shaofei is the master, it is also possible for Xun Yu to vote for Cao Cao, who has also been praised by He Yong. of.

But, with Xun Zhen in this life, will Xun Yu still go to Cao Cao?

Xun Zhen thought wildly and said a few words to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao seemed to sense what he was thinking, and thought he was thinking about going out to the army tonight, and said understandingly: "General Huangfu ordered you and me to dive into Wuyang tonight, time is running out, please go back to the camp to prepare, At the third watch, I will wait for you outside Dongcheng. After we arrive at Wuyang, you and I can have a chat while killing the thief."

"Follow the command of the commander."

Xun Zhen and Cao Cao bowed goodbye, took Xi Zhicai and left, took a dozen steps, turned to look back, and saw that Cao Cao was still standing there and did not leave, and then looked behind Cao Cao, Sun Jian also stood there and did not leave.

In the dark, Cao Cao and Sun Jian smiled and waved their hands when they saw him turn back.

Xun Zhen turned around, saluted the two of them again, turned around and walked forward. When he came to the place where the horse was tied, he stopped and looked at the distance. The torches around him were bright, and they were all patrolling with halberds. Lu Lu, I do not know where the sound of the horse's neighing came from the camp, and Kunyang stood silently in the distance. In the vast darkness of the night, in the atmosphere of battle, Cao Cao and Sun Jian were behind him, watching him leave. He suddenly felt a sense of historical dislocation, and said to himself, "Add another Liu Bei, and the Three Kingdoms will be all together." He couldn't help but think of Liu Bei, but he couldn't remember Liu Bei's early experiences even though he racked his brains, and said to himself, "Just remember him He also got his start in suppressing the Yellow Turban Uprising, but where is he now?"

Xi Zhicai said, "Zhenzhi?"

"what?"

"Not leaving yet?"

Xi Zhicai's voice was clear and clear, dispelling this sudden absence.

The night wind was slightly cool, and the head was blowing, Xun Zhen led the horse, looked back at Cao Cao and Sun Jian again, and said, "In a few years, these two people will be famous all over the world, but now, they are watching me leave. ", seems to have an indescribable emotion rising from his chest, "I regard them as heroes, why don't they regard me as Junyan? Are heroes in the world born? I can do it!" Cao Cao and Sun Jian are of course outstanding people, but they are not very young now. They are only in their thirties, not much older than Xun Zhen. They are still in the rising stage, they have not yet established their future achievements, and their personal abilities are not as good as that. In the future, you can be respectful, but you don't have to be ashamed. Looking at the deeds that Cao Cao and Sun Jian had done before, and looking at the things that Xun Zhen had done before, Xun Zhen believed that even if he was inferior, it was not too far behind.

He laughed.

Since arriving at Huangfu Song's camp tonight, Xun Zhen has always followed the usual cautious and cautious manner, and has never laughed, but now she suddenly starts laughing. ?"

"I laugh at General Huangfu's strategy. Bocai is not too far away from conferring the first head! Zhicai, although the Yellow Turban Rebellion is a misfortune for the country, it is the luck of the young and handsome in the world. The heroes of the next 30 years will be We will emerge in this turmoil. You and I are at the right time for the meeting, but we can't stay behind! Go, go back to the camp." The horse was in front, and Xi Zhicai followed, and the two of them strode out of the camp and rode back to the headquarters.

When Xun Zhen said goodbye and left, Cao Cao's personal soldiers surrounded him.

One person asked Cao Cao and said, "Who is this? Did the commander take this seriously?"

"Yingyin Xunzhen."

The soldiers were stunned. UU Reading www.uukanshu.com The person who asked the question said, "It turned out to be a son of the Xun family."

Some of these personal soldiers are followers of Cao Cao's family, and some are Qing Xia that Cao Cao had made friends with before. They are all close friends of Cao Cao. I really wanted to be recognized and praised by the gentry, so I first killed Jianshuo's uncle, and then scolded the eunuch, and "repeated the corporal", in order to communicate with the scholars, not to mention Xun's famous family in the world, it is ordinary He is also very respectful of a county gentry.

Cao Cao knew what the soldiers were thinking, and shook his head. He was about to speak, but he closed his mouth again. He turned around and saw that there were no outsiders left or right. Not only because he is a son of the Xun family, but also because of Duke Li's praise."

"Why did Duke Li praise him?"

"Li Gongzan, he is Yingchuan Junyan."

"What about the captain looking at him?"

Xun Zhen was far away by now, Cao Cao put his toes on his toes, looked at his back as he went to the camp gate, thought for a moment, and said, "Be cautious in words and deeds, and your eyebrows are full of heroism."