Three Kingdoms

Zhao Yun sat silently on the grass slope.

The grass is dry and yellow.

The harsh winter is coming.

Not far behind him were soldiers guarding him.

Ever since he became the Protector of the Northern Territory, Zhao Yun has basically had no time alone. Most of the time, he is surrounded by guards, who have witnessed his growth and watched his joys and sorrows.

The influence of the Hussars' Western Expedition is still continuing.

The subsequent changes of Lu Bu, the Protector of the Western Region, have evolved in people's mouths one after another, and then slowly became indifferent. After all, the distance is too far, and the future of Zhao Yun, the Protector of the Northern Region, will naturally It became an immediate problem, and Zhao Yun couldn't help but feel a little worried after thinking about it too much, so he went out to find such a "quieter" place.

There are many places like this in the desert.

The vast land and sparsely populated areas sometimes produce different effects due to different people's moods.

Sometimes it is loneliness, sometimes it is comfort, sometimes it is spaciousness...

But the interesting thing is that this land is still the same land.

In spring, summer, autumn and winter, it stands still.

People in the desert come in waves.

The desert is much larger than Zhao Yun originally imagined, and the people are much more complex. Originally, Zhao Yun thought that the desert was home to the third family, the Xiongnu Xianbei Wuhuan, but in fact the Xiongnu centipede insects were dead but not stiff. The remaining Xiongnu were not only the Southern Xiongnu, but also Jiankun, Rouran and so on. Xianbei has three parts: the middle and the east, and Budugen only represents the part of the Xianbei royal court. Wuhuan also has mountains inside and outside, and Loubannanlou is a Wuhuan native who has walked out of the black mountains and white waters. Even in that corner-like place in Liaodong, which was successively looted and invaded by Gongsun, Wuhuan, Ding Ling, etc., there was still Buyeo, Baekje, and Goguryeo...

Killing and conquest are the enduring themes in the desert, but it seems that in the end, no one can truly own this desert. And these are still very rough divisions. For each name, there are various tribal adults, and sometimes they have dual or multiple identities. They can respond to stage needs at any time. You sing and I come on stage.

Recovering Jiankunpo Shihe is equivalent to recovering all Jiankun?

Will all branches in Rouran listen to the words of the big leader of Rouran?

If the leader of Xianbei in central China dies, does it mean that Xianbei will be destroyed?

The more he understood, the more Zhao Yun felt that he did not understand this desert.

So Zhao Yun is like a poor undercover in Infernal Affairs. It feels like he has to stay in the Northern Territory for three years and three years and then another three years...

Zhao Yun sighed slightly.

Across the armor, Zhao Yun touched the things in his arms, and it seemed that they were still in his armor.

Zhao Yun habitually picked up some dead grass from the ground, and then weaved it into a small grass ring. The withered and yellow grass is easy to break, but in Zhao Yun's hands, it seems to be particularly docile, wrapping around his fingers.

Don't be a human being in troubled times.

Zhao Yun knows better than ordinary noblemen that once people lose their order, they will turn into beasts. Without exception, when there was no order, when Zhao Yun followed the refugees southward, he saw with his own eyes that each and every group of people turned into beasts. This is also the reason why many refugees finally chose to join the Montenegrin Army.

Including Zhao Yun himself.

When there is no normal order, the only order is the best order.

Although it was difficult among the Montenegro Army, it gave people hope again.

Living is like a person's hope.

Zhao Yun believes that the biggest difference between humans and beasts is that humans have a future, they think about the future, and do things for the future, but beasts do not.

Spring plowing and autumn harvest are the most superficial future.

The beast is hungry now, eat now, feel good now, feel good now, the future? What is the future? At most, only the instinct to build a nest is left, and even this instinct may be generated by desire at a certain moment, not by thinking.

Zhao Yun feels that he cannot be a beast, so what about his own future? There are also Zhao Yun's guards. What is the future of these people? And what about the future of the Northern Territory Protectorate and Xinchangshan City under the command of Zhao Yun?

Are these futures what Zhao Yun wants, what they want, or...

Zhao Yun took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

In the Northern Territory Protectorate, he must behave calmly, decisively, resolutely and bravely in front of other people, but are these calmness, decisiveness, determination and bravery really born?

While Zhao Yun was deep in thought, suddenly a messenger came hurriedly on horseback. When they reached the grassy slope, they threw off their saddles and dismounted. When they got to Zhao Yun, they prostrated themselves in front of Zhao Yun and said, "Protector!" General Cao Jun surrenders! 』

…

"Cao Chun is such a thief!" You bullied me too much! 』

When Xia Houshang talked about Cao Chun, he really felt a little emotional, bringing out some real feelings.

This is indeed the case. If Cao Chun were not in the comparison group, would Xia Houshang still be able to do it...

"Why doesn't the general return to Qiao County?" "Xin Pi asked, sitting on one side, "Even if Cao Zihe has a slight dispute..."

Xia Houshang said: "This...to be honest, a certain...this, haha, um, made some money and it was confiscated...even if I want to go back, I can't go back..."

Xin Pi was slightly startled. He didn't expect Xia Houshang's answer to be this. "The general and Prime Minister Cao are somewhat close friends. How could Prime Minister Cao... embarrass the general?" Could it be that the general just obeyed his errand? 』

Xia Houshang waved his hand and said, "This is Cao Chun's evildoer!" In order to monopolize power, this thief deliberately planned to frame someone. Not only did he create difficulties in military affairs, he even sent people around to collect evidence of someone's crime..."

Having said this, Xia Houshang seemed to be a little excited. He waved his hands, and then seemed to be a little scared, a little angry, or some other emotions mixed in, "So... so-and-so is really angry... then Behead...Behead Cao Chun, the thief clan brother..."

"ah? ” Xinpi thought that Xiahou Shang had killed Cao Chun, and was startled. Then he realized, “It’s just a disciple of the same clan, general...why should the general care?” 』

Who doesn’t kill people these days? They are not real brothers, just clan brothers.

It's not that Xinpi is so cold-blooded, but in the history of the Three Kingdoms, well, not just in the Three Kingdoms, there are countless brothers who kill each other, and even more brothers fight against each other. Not really a clan brother...

It's really not a big deal.

"Hey..." Xia Houshang sighed, "This thief, Cao Chun, wants to punish someone for the crime of defeating the army, and then sends someone to serve as a subordinate to his brothers and relatives... This, how can someone bear this?" 』

Xin Pi was stunned, nodded, and then asked: "The defeated army?" Will the general admit this crime? 』

Xia Houshang smacked his lips in embarrassment, "This... this... speaking of it, haha, I have a slight defeat, just a small defeat!" How can it be said that when one is in command of an army, one will be victorious in every battle? ! Just like Bai Qi, there is also a siege under the forest... This is just a small defeat, a small defeat..."

Xin Pi also clicked his tongue and nodded on the surface, seeming to agree with Xia Houshang's words, but in fact he couldn't help but feel amused in his heart. Bai Qi's siege under the forest is true, but Bai Qi fought against three, and even though he was defeated, it was an honor. Xia Houshang was just facing a barbarian who was weaker and worse equipped than himself, so he could not be compared with Bai Qi... …

Forget it, I won’t waste my face on this.

But in this way, the causes and consequences are generally acceptable.

So Xinpi didn't have any other problems for the time being, so he asked Xiahou Shang to go down and rest first.

Xia Houshang stood up to say goodbye. After walking a few steps, he asked casually, "This... so-and-so hasn't paid a visit to the Northern Territory Protector yet... I wonder who the Protector is..."

Xin Pi said, "The guard is out on patrol, not in Changshan City." Just wait until the guard returns and talk to the general. 』

Xia Houshang nodded in agreement and walked out, seemingly behaved, but his eyes kept moving.

After Xia Houshang had gone far, Zhao Yun came out of the back hall and frowned in thought.

Xinpi came back and bowed his hands in greeting.

Zhao Yun nodded and asked Xinpi to sit down, "George, what do you think?" 』

Xinpi thought for a while, and then said: "I heard that among the Cao army in Youbei, there was a little bit of turmoil between the Xiahou family and the Cao family... I didn't expect it to become such a mess now... If you look at it from a certain point of view, there is still some... Weird..."

"Let's talk. ” said Zhao Yun.

"It's very detailed..." Xinpi said while thinking, "If you talk about glorious things, there are many people and I'm afraid it won't be detailed. Without him, I just want to ask for praise... But if you talk about sin, you should avoid talking about it." Others... However, Xiahou spoke frankly without any embarrassment... Of course, he can also take it as a sign of sincerity..."

Zhao Yun nodded.

There are many aspects to one thing, and it is natural to consider carefully how to look at it.

"There is one more thing..." Simpi whispered, "In the face of a war, why not make meritorious deeds?" Or...is this the result of a crime? 』

Zhao Yun pondered for a moment and said: "So...this son is probably a fake surrender?" 』

Xinpi nodded, "I'm afraid so." However, we can also know the arrangements of Cao Jun in Youbei through this person..."

…

Xia Houshang spread himself into a pancake.

Turn over, turn over.

Didn't you say anything wrong?

Of course, Xia Houshang also knew that he was not out of danger now, because in the early days, everyone was still polite. After the news was confirmed, it would be the key to determine whether it was safe or not.

Xia Houshang didn't go anywhere. He just closed the door and stayed in the temporary residence. Not only him, but also his men. It looks very peaceful now, but in fact it is not peaceful at all. Xiahou Shang also knows that there may be countless eyes staring at this place. This silent contest is sometimes more dangerous than a fierce head-on conflict.

Anxiety is natural, and uneasiness is inevitable, but sometimes Xiahou Shang can only comfort himself. After all, everything depends on progress and success. If God bless the man and the prime minister, everything will be unfavorable.

As for God's bad luck...

If God doesn't help, what else can we do?

Therefore, Xia Houshang was able to eat well and sleep soundly. In a certain aspect, it was indeed in line with the state of sincere surrender.

It's called "display" for short.

This may be why Cao Chun feels that Xia Houshang is indeed suitable for such a role.

How Zhao Yun is in the Northern Territory Protectorate and whether he is still a core presence will be important information for Cao Jun's next strategy. However, you should not be too hasty to obtain this information. If you inquire eagerly, you may be exposed. own.

Xia Houshang knew that his reason for pretending to surrender was not very sufficient, but as Cao Chun had discussed with him, even if it was not sufficient, so what?

Anyone who is politically normal will treat Xia Houshang well. At least they won't deliberately make things difficult for him regarding food and drink expenses. Even if they speculate that Xia Houshang is faking surrender, they won't expose it directly. Even if he wants to kill, he still has to wait until the general of the Hussars returns from the Western Regions, or sends an order from the Western Regions. Otherwise, he will deal with the surrendered generals without authorization and kill them at will. Do he really think that he is "Bai Qi" alive?

Xia Houshang deliberately mentioned Bai Qi in front of Xin Pi, and he had a vague meaning.

But soon, things changed.

After two days of boredom, on the evening of the third day, there was suddenly some noise outside the courtyard where Xia Houshang lived. Two groups of soldiers who did not know where they came from were scolding each other, causing a quarrel. Then, you look at what you look at, and they get into a ball with a clanging sound.

Xia Houshang and others were so idle that they all gathered under the wall and listened...

Are you watching the fun? Even if you can't see it, you can still listen to it.

Just like in the pigeon cages of later generations, the male and female pigeons next door were cooing and quarreling, and the pigeons in other pigeon cages immediately became quiet and tilted their necks to listen.

Pancake Man Xia Houshang also walked out of the house, also listening with his neck tilted.

The sounds of scolding and beatings coming from outside the hospital were somewhat distorted due to the mix of people, separated by walls, and some differences in accents. Xia Houshang and others could not hear them very clearly, but there were a few words. But it made Xiahou Shang's heart skip a beat!

"The Protector was demoted? 』

"It will only last a few days..."

"Winter..."

"I can't come back..."

"Debriefing in Chang'an?" 』

"..."

Xia Houshang suddenly felt a little anxious.

At first, I was worried that there was no source of information and I didn’t know where to get the information, but in the end, it was delivered directly to my ears?

The shouting and fighting outside the wall did not last long, and soon attracted the attention of the warlord, who came blowing the whistle and started shouting and swearing again.

Xia Houshang immediately made a gesture to several of his men, and then a group of people tiptoed away from the wall, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Sure enough, a moment later, someone knocked on Xia Houshang's courtyard door.

The visitor pretended to ask Xiahou Shang and others if they needed anything, but Xiahou Shang knew that he was here to check what was going on...

As the man left, Xiahou Shang also fell into deep thought.

Normally, three days is considered a maximum limit. Logically speaking, he should be allowed to meet Zhao Yun, the main person in charge of the Northern Territory Protectorate, unless Zhao Yun is really not in the Northern Territory!

So, are those corners that Xia Houshang heard just now real?

If you think about it carefully, it does seem to make some sense. After all, winter is not conducive to fighting, so taking advantage of this time window to adjust personnel and other things will be less likely to cause problems. If Xiahou Shang were asked to choose by himself, he would probably choose this time, so this is very reasonable.

Secondly, something happened to the Protector of the Western Regions, and the Protector had too much power, which was not conducive to checks and balances. Therefore, at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Protector became a long history. Later, there was no long history at all. In addition to the decline of the Eastern Han Dynasty's own national power, Many of them also have concerns in this regard. The Hussars are currently in rebellion in the Western Region and have to personally conquer the Western Region. It seems reasonable to impose certain restrictions on the Northern Region to make up for the situation.

Again, Xia Houshang judged based on his own experience in Youbei. Zhao Yun will definitely have his heart towards Zhao Yun in the Northern Territory. Of course, there will also be those who are indifferent to Zhao Yun. This is inevitable, so when Zhao Yun appears When faced with certain problems, isn't it also reasonable to let the trees fall and the monkeys scatter, or to take pleasure in others' misfortune?

Based on the above situation, coupled with the cautious look of the person who came to inspect Xiahou Shang's courtyard, Xia Houshang was already convinced of the news...

The question now is how to determine whether those people who just did so accidentally leaked it, or whether they deliberately went outside the wall to fight again. In addition, there is a more important question. Will Cao Chun find an opportunity to deliver the news to Xia Houshang at the agreed time according to the plan...

…

Yuyang City.

Cao Chun stood on the city gate tower with murderous intent, while on the battlements, Xia Houshang's family members who stayed in Yuyang were all pushed to the ground, crying incessantly.

Xin Ping looked at it with some anxiety, "Zi and General, if this happens... these people..."

Xin Ping felt that what Cao Chun did was a bit unfair. This was obviously a negotiation between Cao Chun and Xiahou Shang, who asked Xiahou Shang to surrender. As a result, after Cao Chun returned to Yuyang, and when the news came back that Xiahou Shang had escaped and surrendered to the Northern Territory, he immediately ordered someone to arrest Xiahou Shang in Yuyang. All Yang's family members and servants were arrested.

Just catching it is actually nothing. After all, when it comes to acting, everyone knows how much you need to pretend and do some snacking. Otherwise, just standing there and reciting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is not as good as putting that portrait over there. Yes, it saves trouble.

Therefore, Xin Ping didn't say anything at first, but what happened next made Xin Ping feel somewhat inappropriate. Cao Chun actually wanted to kill these Xiahou Shang's family members and servants!

Of course, most of Xiahou Shang's family members are not in Yuyang. Xia Houshang's hometown is not Yuyang, so the people in Yuyang are just his concubines and some servants who serve him. They are not very important people, but no matter what, people cannot be resurrected after death. If Xia Houshang really defected, then killing these people would not be a big deal.

As for forgiving the family members after surrendering to show benevolence, those are preferential treatment terms only for those who fight hard and survive. Ordinary defectors, like Xia Houshang, did not even fight, but just "defected" "When you arrive in the Northern Territory, it is reasonable to kill your family members as a warning to others.

only……

Reasonable, reasonable, Cao Chun is a bit unkind in doing this!

Although Xin Ping didn't know what Cao Chun and Xia Houshang discussed, he could guess a few things, such as brothers, relatives, righteousness, Sheji, etc., but it was like Cao Chun In this way, we talk about brotherhood, everyone earns merits together, and then turns around and lets brothers and concubines lose their heads. Well, it's not impossible, but it's a bit demeaning.

Cao Chun obviously felt that it was okay for him to do so.

Facing Xin Ping's doubts, Cao Chun just nodded slightly and said softly, "If I don't act like this, how can I make the Northern Territory Protectorate believe it?" Presumably Boren can also understand the difficulty of a certain person... If I don't kill Boren's family members today, Boren may die because of it tomorrow... Such a serious difference means that a certain person can only be such a bad person..."

Xin Ping glanced at Cao Chun for a few times and was silent for a moment, not trying to persuade him.

What Cao Chun said seems to be correct, but it would be better if he could hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.

Xin Ping wondered, could it be that Cao Chun and Xiahou Shang were not dealing with each other in the first place, and now they took advantage of the opportunity to make Xiahou Shang suffer a loss?

However, Cao Chun is not worried about what might happen...

Xin Ping turned to look at the battlements of the city wall, thinking to himself, well, these people are not serious family members, at most they are just concubines...

It is also very reasonable to lose a concubine in exchange for fame.

Xia Houshang should be able to understand?

The drums rumbled, and with the order of the supervisor, the sword flashed, and the head was thrown away, spinning and falling at the foot of Yuyang City. Blood sprayed on the city wall, leaving a large mark, which seemed to indicate something. Ominous sign...

Cao Chun's voice rolled across, "This is the end of the traitor!" Someone come! Put the head in a box and send it to Changshan! 』