Three Kingdoms

"Cai Mao has been consecrated!" 』

"Cai's navy has been defeated!" 』

With the publicity of the good news, Liu Cong was in high spirits.

Everyone has ambitions, even Liu Cong is not lacking.

When Liu Cong climbed up the Xiangyang City Wall to inspect, behind him was a tall Jingzhou soldier holding a tall banner, embroidered with gold characters on a red background, shining with grace and splendor.

It also says "Liu", but with such a golden brilliance, people can tell at a glance that the person under his banner is not an ordinary person, it is the Liu family, the lord of Jingxiang.

There were thirty soldiers beside Liu Cong. They were all following Liu Cong. Their backs were straight, their bodies were fully armored, and they were walking with karaoke and majesty. Jingzhou is rich and prosperous, and the Liu family's soldiers are naturally well-chosen in terms of body shape and equipment. They also have an astonishing posture when marching.

When the ordinary soldiers on duty above and below the city wall saw Liu Cong and his entourage approaching, they naturally gave way and did not dare to come forward and talk to him.

Liu Cong was wearing a military uniform, with a hood on his head, and his lacquered armor was like a bright mirror, making everything around him look smaller and smaller, but he looked somewhat heroic. Seeing that everyone he met on the road was respectful and respectful, Liu Cong felt proud and straightened his body by three points. If he waved to the soldiers and civilians along the way, he shouted a few times, "Thank you for your hard work..."

Of course, if Liu Cong really had this kind of consciousness, he would not be Liu Cong. Liu Cong just walked by with his head held high, defiant.

Wenpin followed Liu Cong. Seeing Liu Cong's proud energy, which seemed to fly off his face and overflow from the pores on his body, he lowered his eyelids and remained silent.

Xiangyang City is big even if it is said to be big, and small even if it is said to be small.

Yesterday, Kuai paid a visit to Liu Biao and then parted unhappy.

Soon the news of Jiangling's fall spread like wildfire.

On behalf of Liu Biao, Liu Cong visited the city to inspect...

Then they spread some news that Cai Mao was defeated, but there was no chance of Cai Mao’s head, even if there was a Dou Mao belonging to Cai Mao...

Does Wenpin need to guess more about the meaning contained in this? For the past few days, the entire Jingzhou has been in a state of imminent storm. The Liu's Building is crumbling and about to fall, but no one knows if it will fall on the unlucky man's head.

Wenpin followed Liu Cong, while Pang Ji was one step behind Wenpin.

Wenpin turned his head slightly and glanced at Pang Ji. His expression remained unchanged, but his eyes moved slightly toward Liu Cong.

Pang Ji saw Wenpin's eyes, but lowered his eyes, still keeping his hands on his sleeves, and followed step by step.

Wenpin frowned, took a step back, and then met Pang Ji's eyes again.

Pang Ji also frowned and shook his head slowly. Are you kidding me? Fu Xun has already been arrested. How many times do you want to do this by yourself?

Wenpin looked at Liu Cong in front of him again, and saw the contentment that could not be hidden in Liu Cong's expression. He sighed and ignored Pang Ji. He took a few steps forward and walked to Liu Cong's side. He reluctantly Putting on a smile, he cupped his hands and said, "Master, how about watching the soldiers?" Is it worthy of use? 』

Liu Cong thought Wenpin was just being polite or asking for credit, so he chuckled and nodded reservedly.

Wenpin felt anxious, but was speechless for a moment.

Now the situation has changed drastically. With the fall of Jiangling, it can be said that half of Jingzhou has been lost. There are strong enemies outside and disputes internally. Wenpin can even think that if the soldiers from either side come to the city one day, it must be internal and external. If fried, it will fall apart in no time!

But even in this situation, when Liu Cong arrived at the city, he still felt that he could defend it cautiously without any danger. It seemed that he only needed to hold on to Xiangyang. Even if other places fell for a while, they would be able to recover. There was no need to specialize at all. care.

As for any harsh situations or tragic battles, they all seem to be very far away for Liu Cong...

Walking on the city is like taking a leisurely stroll. If it is true that even if the Cai family is defeated, why do they need to boost the morale of the soldiers and talk about rewards? The result is that there is none. Seeing that most of the circle has gone down, is it really meant to be eaten after dinner?

It's not that Liu Biao didn't understand this. The problem is that Liu Biao was indeed unwell. Sitting in the hall with a thick layer of powder on his back, it was okay to see from a distance. People can see the flaw in his face. If such a boss walks around in a circle, it may directly kill him!

Therefore, Liu Biao could only ask Liu Cong to act on his behalf, but he told Liu Cong that he must inspire the morale of the army, do you understand? Liu Cong understood.

Liu Biao thought Liu Cong understood. Or maybe they knew that Liu Cong might not understand, but Liu Biao had no choice.

Liu Cong also thought he understood. In his mind, walking around like this would boost morale. As for something more detailed, why do we do it? If he did it himself, why would he need Wenpin and others to do it?

Regarding Wenpin's questioning, Liu Cong just thought that Wenpin was asking for advice, so he smiled and said: "There is a fortified city here. Send out sentries to watch the incoming army. Prepare more rolling wood, stones, arrows and kerosene." , if there are really arrogant people who dare to come, they will be defeated after being unable to attack for a long time. By then, they will go out of the city to pursue them, and they will definitely win a complete victory! 』

"What the Young Master said... is really..." Wen Ping looked at Liu Cong intently, "Young Master thinks... the enemy is really vulnerable to attack?" 』

When Liu Cong heard this, he frowned and looked at Wen Pin, "General Wen, what do you think?" 』

Wenpin shook off the corner of his clothes that Pang Ji was holding secretly behind him, and said in a low voice: "We don't care whether the invading enemy is vulnerable or not, the top priority is the city!" Once it is unfavorable to refuse the war, things will definitely change! The young master will make plans early in the morning! 』

Do you want to say that those in Xiangyang City will coexist and die with Jingzhou or Xiangyang City? When the city is here and people are there, when the city is gone, people are going to perish?

Haha, even if they are beaten to death, they can't do it. If the momentum is not right, these people can just turn in the direction of the chrysanthemum. Why fight to death? Who else would hang himself from a tree like Liu's?

Don't look at the obsequious behavior in front of Liu Biao and Liu Cong now. If Liu Biao and Liu Cong can't hold on any longer, these people will also immediately rush to fall at the feet of others!

Looking at Liu Cong's confused and dazed eyes, Wenpin just sighed in his heart.

This noble son of the Liu family is first-class in appearance and etiquette. Even among all the nobles of the same age in Jingxiang, he stands out from the crowd, making people unable to help but notice, and even dwarfed by him.

But if you put aside appearance and mannerisms...

You must know that in this world, there is not only overt robbery, but also covert humiliation!

But looking at Liu Cong now, he looks very confident. It's no wonder that he has never suffered setbacks and has always had smooth sailing since childhood. How could Liu Cong not be full of confidence in himself and the world?

However, a battle cannot be won by self-confidence alone! What is needed is repeated calculations, and even humiliation and humiliation, like walking on thin ice, subordinates are willing to die, colleagues are united, and decisiveness at critical moments is required!

And how could Liu Cong understand all of this?

Liu Cong asked doubtfully: "But the military resources are insufficient?" Or is there not enough equipment? 』

Wenpin shook his head and just said in a low voice: "It's the military spirit... Young Master!" "The city has no intention of fighting to the death!" I have no intention of sacrificing my life for the Liu family! At this point, no matter how powerful and strategic Wenpin is, he cannot do it for Liu...

Wenpin can fight against external enemies, but Liu can only do it himself against internal enemies!

Liu Cong frowned and slowly turned his head to look around again.

After Pang Ji was shaken off by Wenpin, he lowered his head and huddled aside without saying a word.

The soldiers at the top of the city lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at Liu Cong.

Liu Cong looked around, and then approached Wenpin with some embarrassment, carrying forward the excellent quality of asking questions when you don't understand, "This...General Wen, what is this military spirit...?" 』

……╮(￣▽￣)╭……

Heluo. When the early morning light brightened slightly, Le Jin crawled out from the hole on his hands and knees, and then sat down on the hillside from a distance. The sounds of noisy and quarrels gradually began to sound around him.

When Dong Zhuo invaded Luoyang, most of the people who were originally in Sili were either moved to Chang'an or fled to other places. Therefore, many of the original villages in Heluo were abandoned or in disrepair. Or it was beaten by wind, water, rain, or even burned by wildfires. Basically, apart from some ruins, only those weeds with strong vitality are left.

But in a dilapidated village, I don’t know when it started to become more popular.

Originally, all the habitable houses in the village were occupied by people under the broken eaves and broken walls. However, it was obvious that the dilapidated houses in a semi-collapsed state were actually more dangerous, because no one knew about the trembling houses. Will the earthen wall collapse directly in the middle of the night, directly burying the refugees hiding under it to take shelter from the wind and rain, even without the need for straw mat coffins?

Therefore, Le Jin did not live in those villages, although in comparison, no matter how shabby the broken eaves and broken walls in the deserted villages were, they were more like houses than the underground den where he lived.

You can't just dig a hole casually. It can't be too deep or too shallow. About three feet is just right. And you have to choose a place that's too loose or too damp. A low wall of about two feet was built with adobe around it, a few rafters were placed on the top, and a raft made of branches was set up, and the top was covered with grass leaves and mud.

Even better, they would even dig out a kang in the ground and put it on hay or something...

But no matter what, the earthy smell was indispensable. Every night when he went to bed, Le Jin felt as if he had crawled into a grave and died. Only when he saw the light the next day could he come back to life.

But Diwozi has its advantages.

One is concealment.

As far as the eye can see, there are identical mud monkeys all around. Even if there are hussar scouts coming, most of them will just wander around the deserted villages and basically don't pay much attention to Diwozi.

The other one is convenience.

After all, Le Jin and others are not refugees, and some things still have to be hidden. Most refugees choose to rest in deserted villages. There are too many people after all. After all, it is difficult to see. If someone is accidentally discovered, Le Jin and others will lose their ability to hide. The meaning of whereabouts.

As the sun shone down, the deserted village seemed to be temporarily freed from the hands of death and began to feel a little alive. Some people took advantage of the dawn to explore and collect around to see if they could get ahead of others and get more ingredients. But even so, more people were shaking numbly, wearing ragged clothes. It's like a living corpse, more like a person.

Not long after, someone sat down in front of Le Jin, covering Le Jin, and then secretly handed over a piece of cake.

Le Jin slowly lowered his head, held his head with one hand, and ate the pancake secretly. Looking from a distance, it looks like she is crying silently. There is no conflict with the surrounding situation, but the slightly strong body under the shabby clothes is somewhat inconsistent.

The pancakes are very dry, but they are mixed with bacon in the middle. After eating one piece, you can mix it with some wild vegetable soup and take a few sips later, and you will not be hungry for most of the day...

Ever since he was teased by Qiusi's subordinates, Le Jin had suffered the biggest shame in his life, and he wanted to wash it away. So this time, Le Jin took the initiative to volunteer, mixed with the refugees, and arrived near Heluo .

Although Jizhou and Yuzhou have now entered a stable period and are no longer fighting against each other, the late spring cold at the beginning of the year has also put people in many places into trouble, especially those families whose young people have been taken away from their families. When natural disasters strike, When the time comes, I am even less able to resist...

And these people in Jizhou didn't have a good impression of Cao Cao. After all, after Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao, it was said that he killed tens of thousands of Jizhou's children. Of course, Cao Cao Yue did indeed do this, but most people did not understand the specific situation. They only knew the result, so they would rather flee Jizhou than go to Cao Cao to pray for mercy.

Therefore, from the beginning, most of these people marched towards Heluo Pass. Along the way, these originally disorderly refugees also dispersed and gathered many times, sometimes branching off into two groups to go in different directions. , sometimes we can meet other people who are fleeing.

Sometimes some gentry children and even local soldiers would come to arrest some people or buy some people, but most of them had no interest in the old and the weak, and those who were captured were basically young and strong men and women. , perhaps in the eyes of these people, only young and strong men and women are valuable, while those who are old and weak are better off dead.

Although they have heard that Guanzhong is good, these fleeing refugees have no specific idea of ​​how good Guanzhong is. They more instinctively want to live, no matter how miserable and difficult it is, as long as they can survive. In addition, there are some folk rumors that when Cao Jun was out of food and grass, he would go to the countryside to capture "voles" and make them into dried meat...

As for whether the bacon in the pancakes Le Jin ate was serious meat, Le Jin himself didn't really care.

Knives and guns were buried in the den, and the most they could carry now was a pocket knife. In later generations, knives would be properly controlled, but in the Han Dynasty, a dagger longer than a palm was just an irregular table knife and would not attract much attention.

After Le Jin finished eating the pancake, he patted the man in front of him. The man understood, stood up, gestured slightly to Le Jin, and then walked away.

The sun climbed listlessly to the treetops, and more people got up. A few people not far away got into an argument for some unknown reason, and it quickly turned into a fight, while the people around him were basically indifferent. Ignore, not even a sign of onlookers.

This kind of situation basically happens every once in a while.

When people are in a repressed environment, sometimes a little trivial matter can trigger huge and unknown anger. The thing that triggers the fight is often not the most important, but the process of the fight is often extremely tragic.

But what is different from ordinary life is that no one cares about the fights among refugees, no one watches, and no one boos. There are only two parties fighting, like stray wild dogs, maybe Biting each other for a bit of bone residue.

After a while, one of the fighting parties, with his face covered in blood, stood up unsteadily and staggered away...

After waiting for a while, the other one was still lying on the ground.

Le Jin frowned slightly.

Then after a while, another guy with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks touched him, and then he groped up and down the man on the ground, took something and hid it in his arms, and then started to pull at the man's only belongings. The original color of the robe can no longer be seen clearly...

Le Jin turned his head, originally he didn't want to look anymore, but when the guy with the sharp mouth and monkey cheeks started dragging the naked body towards the bushes far away, Le Jin couldn't help it anymore and stood up. He gestured to one of his own soldiers.

In this situation, who would be kind enough to dig a hole and bury it for someone else? How many refugees have died on the road? Basically, they die right there. Although Le Jin also knew that cannibalism was common among the refugees, he still didn't want to see it right under his nose.

One of the soldiers nodded, then stood up, followed the sharp-billed monkey into the bushes, and came out again not long after.

"..." The soldier walked back to Le Jin, with a slight smell of blood on his body. He muttered something in a low voice. He must have subconsciously wanted to call Le Jin, but then he held back, "Kill it..." 』

Le Jin nodded slightly.

The soldier hesitated for a moment, but did not leave directly.

Le Jin tilted his head slightly.

"...I don't know...how long...this will last..." the soldier hesitated and asked in a low voice.

Le Jin and his people have been hanging around this refugee gathering place for a while, but they have not moved. Although they carried some supplies and some daily consumption, some people dressed up as fishing boats on the river and sent them over, but after all, sleeping in a nest every day was not very comfortable.

"Soon. hold on. Le Jin said. After a moment of pause, he felt that what he said seemed a bit perfunctory, so he added, "Brothers and you alone, it is difficult to overcome the danger... We have to wait for the change of time... Don't worry, it will be soon... 』

Although the soldier didn't know what the specific time was, he could somewhat understand what Le Jin meant, so he nodded, pretended to be nonchalant, and walked away.

Suddenly there was a sharp whistle in the distance, and soon there was the faint sound of horse hooves. Le Jin immediately took a few steps, turned around and hid in the bushes, only revealing half of his head to peek.

In less than a cup of tea, three scout cavalry rushed from a distance. They didn't stop at all and skipped the deserted village. Then after a while, there were three more people, and the speed was much slower, half walking and half stopping. , stayed outside the deserted village for a moment before slowly moving forward, and after a while, five people slowly came over. One of them had sharp eyes, scanning the surroundings like an eagle...

This is the fixed scout detection queue of the Hussars General!

Le Jin couldn't help but feel a jump in his heart...