Three Kingdoms

Tianshui County.

Zhao's Wubao.

The counties with the surname Zhao mainly include Tianshui County, Zhuo County, Nanyang County, Xiapi County, Yingchuan County, etc. Among them, Tianshui County and Zhuo County are the most famous. As for Changshan Zhao, hehe, it is just a branch of the Tianshui Zhao family and is not popular.

After the pre-Qin Dynasty defeated Zhao, the nobles of Zhao State fled to Dai and supported Zhao Jia as the king and called him King of Dai. Later, the Qin army destroyed the dynasty again, and the Zhao state was destroyed. After the death of Zhao, the descendants of the Zhao family were mainly divided into two groups. One was the Tianshui Zhao family in Tianshui County; the other was the Zhao family in Zhuo County.

The leading figure of the contemporary Tianshui Zhao family is Zhao Rong. Zhao Rong, also known as Zhichang, was one of the "Eight Colonels of Xiyuan" together with Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, and was named the "Left Colonel of the Assistant Army". However, with the death of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty and the collapse of Jian Shuo, Dong Zhuo moved to Luoyang. The Eight Captains of Xiyuan fell into pieces and lost their glory.

After Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, he reorganized and adjusted the Luoyang Forbidden Army, and Zhao Rong delegated it to Doctor Guanglu, which was regarded as a complete lack of military power. So when the capital was moved, Zhao Rong simply "moved" back from Luoyang in one go. Tianshui.

It may not sound very nice to say that Zhao Rong was in Luoyang. Although he once served as the assistant captain of the left army, his reputation was not high. In the eyes of many people, he was just a piece of shit. Even if he had some taste, he would be nothing more after a while. It's gone, and it doesn't leave many deep memories.

In Tianshui, the Zhao family is really powerful. There are more than ten large and small Wubao, from Xixian to Xinyang, from Shanggui to Hanyang, from Xianqin to Chengji, there are Zhao family's Wubao. , in each Wubao, there are guests, tenants, disciples, old officials, apprentices, etc. who are vassalized by the Zhao family, or five or seven hundred people, or two or three thousand people, echoing each other from a distance, supporting each other, forming a huge network of people In terms of relationship network, even Jiang Jiong's Tianshui Jiang family, although he is also a county magistrate, is still far behind in terms of strength and cannot be compared.

In addition, the Zhao family originally had some military knowledge in their family education, so they knew some methods of deploying teams and training soldiers, and the private soldiers they organized looked quite similar. Therefore, although Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty came to Xiliang Qiang or Rebellion or surrender, there are constant turmoils, but for the Tianshui Zhao family, the impact is not great. How to live is still the same. Even when Bianzhang Beigong Boyu was at his strongest, the Zhao family was only on the surface. I just obeyed, and I didn't suffer any serious damage.

Attack Zhao's Wubao?

Don't think too much. If the Zhao family is forced into a hurry, they can still gather 20,000 to 30,000 troops. In addition, most of these private soldiers who have been attached to the Zhao family have been there for several generations, whether in terms of loyalty or loyalty. Dependence is extremely strong. If the Zhao family really wants to risk their lives, these private soldiers will definitely bring their families and follow them to fight together. It will not be until all the loyal generations are wiped out in the war that the Zhao family will completely decline. .

And in this way, those who attack the Zhao family will also have to pay a considerable price. Therefore, unless it is absolutely necessary and it is impossible not to fight, most people will not easily provoke the Zhao family.

Situations like the Zhao family were the same in many places in China during the Han Dynasty. As a result, even the emperor of the Han Dynasty had to repeatedly emphasize in his edicts that local powerful men were not allowed to bully officials sent by the imperial court. Emperor Zhi of the Han Dynasty once issued an explicit edict: "...for a moment, states and counties may despise the constitution...or expel officials with joy or anger..." Emperor Heng of the Han Dynasty also issued an edict requiring various places, "...prefectures and counties must not force the officials to be expelled..." ...".

Therefore, after the Jiang family and Yang family's manors in the southern suburbs of Tianshui were attacked, although the Zhao family and Zhao Rong were concerned, they did not regard it as a major threat. They continued to drink and dance...

Of course, it is also possible that he jumped to Jiang Ji on purpose.

"Brother Jiang Xian..." Zhao Rong pointed out the dancing dancers in the hall who were spinning and laughed and said, "Is this 'square dance' acceptable?"

In the Xiliang area, due to the strong influence of the Qiang Hu and the Western Regions, the dance is not like the dancing with cloud sleeves in the hinterland of the Central Plains. In many cases, the Hu Xuan dance is also done, or it is called Hu Teng, or Hu Teng. Also known as extension branches and so on. A dance performed by one person is called a "white dance", and a dance performed by four people is called a "square dance".

Jiang Ji touched his palms and praised: "Skin is like jade, light tung cloth shirt, long and graceful belt, flying in the air, picking up lapels and sleeves, raising eyebrows and moving eyes, circling quickly, with beaded hat tilted, I am a beauty, and I am a leader in dancing. , Brother Zhao is indeed elegant..."

Zhao Rong laughed loudly, obviously a little proud, and pointed casually and said: "If you are interested, dear brother, you might as well choose a warm quilt to sleep in... The girl on the left hand has greasy and smooth skin, with a unique fragrance, and when she sweats, It’s three points thicker…”

Jiang Ji smiled slightly and said: "I have observed that these four women, although their boots are weak, tilting east and west, one after another, are always steadfast and echoing each other. They have been together for a long time and have a tacit understanding for a long time. How can they do it because of selfish desires?" , will it mess up the beauty of these four people’s robes?”

Zhao Rong's smile did not change, but his eyes moved, and with a wave of his hand, all the musicians and dancers in the hall understood. After Yingying bowed, he slowly retreated.

"My dear brother, are you saying that you don't care about the friendship between the four surnames?" Zhao Rong looked at Jiang Jiong, his smile remained the same, but there was a hint of coldness in his brows.

Jiang Ji cupped his hands and said, "How dare you, little brother. Brother Zhao was a talented man at that time. His actions naturally followed the will of God and responded to current affairs. How could a common man like this be able to guess. But... the book says, 'There is nothing like nourishment in a tree, nothing like disease. I wonder if Brother Zhao is doing it to 'cultivate virtue' or to 'remove disease'?"

Zhao Rong smoothed his beard, slowly put away his smile, and said seriously: "Brother, you might as well speak frankly, brother Idiot is all ears."

Jiang Ji said: "In the past, people killed people and poured irrigation, and then they were pregnant, and they gave birth to a young and healthy person. However, all the cities and counties had fields and a large brigade, which could spread their virtues, foreshadow their plans, and finally eliminate the enemy. Today, the small officials in Xiliang are on the same soil as me, cooperating with the people, being ungrateful and plotting revenge, plundering recklessly, resisting the superior's orders, violating God's will, and conspiring to rebel. If they cannot be conquered, they will be invaded and Ji's decline will be imminent. also."

After hearing Jiang Ji's words, Zhao Rong smiled indifferently, and then said: "I heard that the manor in the southern suburbs of Tianshui was robbed by bandits? Could it be... haha..."

Jiang Ji did not deny it, but continued: "My younger brother is stupid. He doesn't understand the meaning of the scriptures and only knows the principles of people. Although most of the gentlemen in Xiliang grew up in the grass, the Jiang family did not neglect the etiquette. They gave gifts in the spring and gave gifts in the autumn. No one was left out. . Now the Jiang family has neither raised any troops to respond, nor funded the expedition to the west. They only transport grain and grass, and do some merchants' things, just to make a difference and make some living money... But the Xiliang officials are acting brazenly, regardless of friendship. , kill my people, burn my crops, dare to ask Brother Zhao, is there any human reason for such behavior? Such a wolf-like look is unethical. If we kill the Yang family and the Jiang family today, if we all swallow our anger, Let them do whatever they want, how could tigers and wolves in the past not kill others?”

"Well..." Zhao Rong frowned in silence. After thinking for a moment, he couldn't help but sigh and said, "The people of Xiliang have gone too far in this matter... My dear brother, are you speaking for Zhengxi?" Guest?"

"Lobbyist, haha..." Jiang Ji smiled and said, "If it is beneficial to us, the four surnames of Tianshui, then why not become a lobbyist? What's more, the Yan family is now dependent on the Han family, traveling across the countryside, and it is likely that the latecomers will take over. Is Brother Zhao willing to give way to Xian?"

The flesh on Zhao Rong's face suddenly twitched, he glanced at Jiang Ji, and then said: "The officials in Xiliang are always old acquaintances. Are you going to conquer the west... How do you know that he has no intention of going to Longyou? If the front door rejects the wolf, the back door So what if I enter the tiger?"

"Haha, haha..." Jiang Ji said with a smile, "Brother Zhao... there are people who want to kill people, and they care about the neighbor's son. Depending on their walking, they are stealing money; their color, they are stealing money; their words, they are stealing money; The action and attitude are to do nothing and not steal the war... Now we are conquering the west, taking the north, collecting the Yinshan Mountains, setting the pass, taking Hanzhong, and sitting on the world's wealth, how can we seize Brother Zhao's war? What's more... Haha, there are tigers and wolves. , why not drive the tiger to devour the wolf?”

Zhao Rong smiled, nodded and said, "This is a prudent statement. If you have any advice, please tell me in detail..."

When Jiang Jiong saw that Zhao Rong finally moved, he leaned forward slightly and said softly: "This... I'm sorry for overstepping my bounds... Brother Zhao, you might as well do this..."

…………………………

"I suddenly thought of a plan... If I lead the army to the west, we might as well do this..." Jia Xu chuckled, came closer, and said to Xu Shu and Pang Tong.

Fei Qian, the general who conquered the West, encountered an encounter and naturally needed to lead his troops there. After all, Xu Shu had been in charge of Zuo Fengyi for a long time, and he was quite familiar with both Tongguan and Wuguan. In addition, these passes were very important, so for the sake of safety, he could not leave without permission.

Pang Tong was relatively young and lacked some experience in commanding soldiers and how to serve the masses, as well as in terms of specific marching experience. Therefore, the most suitable candidate must be Jia Xu.

Before leaving, Xu Shu and Pang Tong sent Jia Xu to Shiliting. Unexpectedly, Jia Xu had only walked a few steps, but he came back chattering like this.

After hearing this, Xu Shu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and said: "This plan is a bit risky... If you are not careful, it will become a prairie fire..."

Pang Tong laughed and said, "This is a great plan!"

Xu Shu looked at Pang Tong and then at Jia Xu. After thinking for a moment, he finally nodded and said, "That's it. It's the time for the Autumn Festival, so we can do it in parallel..."

Jia Xu laughed loudly and did not continue to explain anything, because he knew that since Xu Shu and Pang Tong had understood what he meant, there would definitely be no problem in execution, so he cupped his hands on the horse and patted the horse. forward.

Xu Shu looked at Jia Xu's retreating back and suddenly sighed for a long time and shook his head. Jia Xu's strategy targets the weaknesses of human nature every time, but basically achieves miraculous results. However, people are often like this. Even if they know their own ugliness, they are unwilling to be pointed out by others, and even for those who expose their ugliness. The people hate him extremely. Jia Xu’s plan is indeed very powerful, but if these people find out in the future that it is Jia Xu’s plan, they will inevitably provoke resentment...

…………………………

Naturally, they hate those who dare to uncover their own scars, but if they see some scars on others, most people will often be unable to help but uncover them...

Night has fallen.

The wall of the dock not far away tightly closed the village door, and a circle of butter torches was inserted on the wall. The night wind pulled the flames long, reflecting the shadowy human figures.

Wubao was too small and there were too many people coming, so these ordinary soldiers from various tribes in Xiliang naturally could not enter Wubao to rest. They could only sit on the ground and cover the sky near the water near the village wall, and a large number of them were raised. A campfire, where soup and porridge are cooked, plus some meat and bones, is already great.

The big animals gathered together in the distance, and naturally there were people taking care of them. The rest of the people were sitting around the campfire, and their weapons were within easy reach. The figure of the Sentinel Cruiser was looming in the darkness in the distance.

For these Xiliang men, the bitter cold may have become a habit for them.

A sharp whistle sound suddenly came from the sentry patrolling outside. The Xiliang men beside the campfire were stunned, then they immediately grabbed their weapons and stood up.

"It's from the Ma family!"

After a while, the sentinel passed the news over, and everyone relaxed, thrust their weapons beside themselves, sat down and continued chatting, but this time, most of the conversation turned to Ma Chao and others...

"You said he's the Ma family's eldest son... This guy seems to be pretty decent on weekdays, but he doesn't seem to be able to do it in battle..."

"Isn't it? The Ma family is in trouble. The pillar of the Ma family is gone. If this person is a coward, then..."

"Not necessarily. I went hunting with the Ma family last time. From a distance, it seemed okay?"

"Come on, what you are doing is hunting! Can hunting be the same as fighting? This person is not a rabbit. He has a guy. Have you ever seen that rabbit come up with a knife and a gun to fight you?"

"That's true... The Ma family suffered heavy damage this time. It is said that the Ma family's Saburo was poisoned by fire. Alas..."

Most of the Xiliang men were cooking tonight's meal on the bonfire. They were just idle, and naturally they were just talking nonsense. Regarding what happened to the Ma family, some people regretted it, some were happy about it, and their attitudes varied, but no matter which one they were, they almost opened up the scars in Ma Chao's heart, and then rubbed a handful of salt on them, which was still the worst. That low-grade, low-grade rock salt that contains more sand than salt.

Ma Chao dismounted in front of everyone's eyes and arrived in front of his tent.

The Xiliang men from other surrounding tribes were either talking or laughing. Some of them were more unrestrained and pointed at Ma Chao and others, full of contempt.

When Pang De came out of the tent, he couldn't help but feel angry. He took a step forward, but was pulled back by Ma Chao.

Ma Chao ignored the strange looks from these people and just lowered his head and said: "It's not appropriate to cause trouble, it's more important to take care of your third brother..." After saying that, he turned around and entered the tent.

Pang De stamped his feet angrily and entered the tent.

That day, Ma Tie rushed into the burning camp and rescued Ma Chao, but his shoulders and hair were burned by the flames. Now he was lying on the carpet in a daze due to the poisonous fire.

Ma Chao took a few steps forward, knelt down next to Ma Tie, and then motioned to the guards to crush the newly collected herbs.

"Water..." Ma Tie groaned drowsily.

"Quick! Get water quickly!" Ma Chao said immediately.

Pang De quickly handed the water bag to Ma Chao.

Ma Chao carefully helped Ma Tie up, carefully opened the water bag, and then put it to Ma Tie's lips.

Ma Tiegugu drank a few sips and seemed to wake up a little. He opened his eyelids halfway, glanced at Ma Chao, and said: "Big...brother..."

"Third brother, I went to pick some herbs... You will be fine soon..." Ma Chao comforted Ma Tie.

"Well..." Ma Tie didn't seem to have much energy. After answering in a daze, he closed his eyes again and stopped talking.

"Young Commander, the herbs are ready..." Pang De took the herbs from the guard and said.

Ma Chao stretched out his hand to take it and said, "I'll do it!"

Pang De sat on his knees and watched Ma Chao carefully applying the medicine to Ma Tie. He sighed slightly, stood up and said, "Young Commander, I went to find some food in the surrounding area..." After that, he led the guards out of the tent.

Ma Chao carefully applied the herbal medicine to Ma Tie's burnt wound. It seemed that the coolness of the herbal medicine made Ma Tie's frown relax a little.

Inside the tent, torches flickered, reflecting the figures of Ma Chao and Ma Tie, swaying, sometimes getting bigger and sometimes smaller.

"Third brother..." Ma Chao looked at Ma Tie and was silent for a long time, "...Third brother, why did you save me? You... shouldn't you hope that I die early..."

Ma Tie was in a daze and did not answer.

"Third brother, I owe you my life!" Ma Chao choked and said, holding Ma Tie's hand tightly, "You must get better, you must get better..."

A tear fell on Ma Tie's arm and spread a little, like a small transparent flower. Ma Tie's arm seemed to be burned by this drop of hot tears, and it twitched slightly...