Three Kingdoms

Mobei.

The wind and snow came down, splitting the sky and covering the earth.

In Changshan, Zhao Yun frowned and looked at Tuyu. Although the hussars and horses among the Northern Territory Guards can be said to be relatively powerful now, the constraints around him are still there, preventing him from letting go and utilizing all the resources in the Northern Territory Desert to devote them all to one aspect of the battle. superior.

Since Hussar changed the standards of map maps and sand tables, almost all generals in command have fallen in love with the new map maps and sand tables.

This kind of perspective overlooking the mountains and rivers may provide some feelings similar to "God's perspective", but if you really tell the truth, you think you can become God just by looking at a map...

Zhao Yun is very cautious about everything.

This kind of caution is not only in combat, but also in other aspects.

Even though Xia Houshang expressed his sincerity that he could attack Yuyang, and Pang Tong of Chang'an also gave Zhao Yun instructions to act cheaply, Zhao Yun still thought carefully.

Because in the Northern Territory, the threat is not limited to Yuyang.

There are even some threats that even Zhao Yun can't do anything about...

For example, the weather in the northern region is freezing.

When Zhao Yun and others inspected the outposts and camps in various places, they found that although the outposts and camps that had initially extended into the desert had indeed established a foothold, they encountered invisible bottlenecks if they wanted to continue to develop into the desert.

Continuing to extend into the desert, the conflict between people has turned into a struggle between man and nature. Under such a struggle, human power is undoubtedly insignificant. There are no land restrictions in the desert. It seems that you can find a place to build a military stronghold at will. However, it is easy to establish and difficult to maintain, especially under the severe winter wind and snow. There have been reports of people freezing to death in some military strongholds.

The cold in the northern desert seems to be getting worse every year.

The unknown Hu people have now been basically identified.

He is from Xianbei.

The Jiankun and Rouran people are also fighting against the wind and snow in the desert. They basically have an attitude towards these foreign barbarians. As long as these barbarians do not come to intrude on them, they will not Intentionally targeted.

Although this makes the Northern Territory Protectorate quite passive, it also shows that even if tribes such as Jiankun Rouran are close to the Han Dynasty, they still maintain some of the traditional nomadic habits of the Hu people. This does not mean that they can be changed by changing them. of.

"What has Xiahou done recently?" ” Zhao Yun asked.

Simpi said from the side: "There is nothing abnormal." Xiahou stayed in the courtyard all the time, and even his guards did not go out. 』

"Um. ” Zhao Yun nodded.

Xia Houshang is acting very honestly now, but that doesn't mean he must be trustworthy.

Maybe Xiahou Shang has completed his mission and no longer needs to take risks?

As for what task was accomplished? Wasn't it just that he handed over a defense map around Yuyang?

This may be Xiahou Shang's credit, or it may be the poisonous bait sent by Xiahou Shang.

If you want to break the situation, the best way is not to move the potentially problematic bait, but to start from the surrounding areas.

For example, those Xianbei people suddenly appeared.

No matter how capable Cao Chun was, he couldn't have arranged these barbarians in advance...

It's not that Zhao Yun looks down on Cao Chun, but that Zhao Yun has fought against these Xianbei and Wuhuan people, and Zhao Yun knows the situation of these barbarians deep in the desert very clearly. Unorganized and undisciplined, they will unite together in certain critical situations, but if they are a little more relaxed, they will immediately cause trouble due to uneven interests.

The reason why they have never been conquered by the Han is not that these barbarians are so great, but that the influence of the Han on the Northern Desert still remains at a limited level.

This limitation is a natural limitation.

Since Zhao Yun arrived in the Northern Territory, in addition to himself being a powerful cavalry commander, all of his subordinates can be said to be fierce generals, especially the bellicose Gan Feng, who is even more powerful and dares to fight. His heavy armored cavalry are basically There is no barbarian in the world who can withstand Gan Feng's charge head-on.

Strong iron armor is invincible against the barbarians, but a sudden snowstorm, if not handled properly, can freeze Gan Feng's heavy cavalry into lumps of ice...

Moreover, the desert is too big, and the barbarians also have horses, so once something goes wrong in the battle ahead, these barbarians will flee in all directions, making it extremely difficult to clear them all. The Xiongnu were driven away and the Xianbei were disbanded, but in the Northern Desert, there were still Xiongnu, Xianbei, and even Beidi and Qiangrong from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. This is an unavoidable fact. Even Zhao Yun cannot say that these problems have been completely solved. It is like the Chinese Emperors Yan and Huang won the battle, but Man You still fled to South Vietnam, and his descendants still gave Sun Shiwan a headache.

Therefore, among Xianbei, even if Tuoba was defeated, Bu Dugen was killed, and Kebi was beaten away, there were still Xianbei people, and deep in the desert north of Liaodong, there were Wuhuan people. , Ding Ling people, Gao Che people and so on.

"These are all members of the Souchong tribe, and there are not many of them..." Zhang He reported some information he learned, "But... Kebineng was originally a Souchong Xianbei..."

Zhao Yun nodded.

He understood what Zhang He meant.

Although Kebineng has been defeated now, who can guarantee that there will be no next Kebineng?

At the same time, the Wuhuan tribe that fled into Liaodong seemed to be recovering and developing.

After Lou Ban and Nan Lou died, Wuhuan seemed to have fallen into the hands of a man named Gu Jin. He called himself King Wuhuan. He and other Wuhuan tribes formed a loose alliance headed by him. It is said that there are 270,000 people, and the number is scattered, but it is obviously just a claim, there are still more than a dozen tribes, which also shows that the Wuhuan people There is a tendency for re-aggregation.

"The wind and snow in the Northern Desert are getting stronger..." Zhao Yun stretched out his hand above the map to indicate, "It is to gather these barbarians..."

Dogs will jump over the wall when they are anxious, let alone humans?

Although these Hu people were forced to go south by the snow and wind to find a way to survive, although their equipment was far behind the Han people, their destructive power should not be underestimated. If they were really invaded into the Han area, it would be like locusts passing through. .

"Wuhuan, Xianbei..." Zhao Yun muttered, "If we add..."

Xin Pi said from the side: "What does the general mean...are these barbarians recruited by Cao Jun?" 』

Zhao Yun nodded slowly, "It's unnecessary." 』

"Jun Yi." Zhao Yun looked at Zhang He and said, "I and you, fifteen hundred people, equipped with a two-horse pulley, do you dare to test it?" First, go to the Black Stone Forest area to test Xianbei's strength, and secondly, see Cao Jun's reaction! 』

Zhang He didn't know why, so he paused for a moment before answering, "Don't worry, General!" There's nothing you can't do! 』

Zhao Yun nodded and said, "Be careful of wind and snow, and be careful of Cao Jun's ambush." 』

Zhang He took the order and went.

Zhao Yun looked at Zhang He's figure, then withdrew his gaze, his face calm and motionless.

…

…

It fell in November of the eighth year of Taixing. Although there was no particularly heavy snow in Yuyang, there was a lot of light rain and snow. The streets and alleys in Yuyang County are filled with solid ice made of frozen snow, which is extremely slippery. Businessmen and residents are busy spreading fine sand in front of their homes to prevent them from falling when traveling.

Among Cao's troops.

Cao Chun is very busy.

Zhao Yun's speculation is not unreasonable.

Whether they are Hu people or Cao Jun, in fact, they are almost the same as the ordinary people in Yuyang at the moment. They can only worry about the snow in front of their doors...

Maybe Cao Chun has a long-term plan in mind, but he still has to survive this cold winter.

Cao Chun was wearing a thick leather robe and a fur hat on his head, and his whole body was wrapped tightly, but he still felt unusually cold. In the land of Youbei, when the weather gets cold, the iron armor can no longer be worn, so the only option is to put on a leather robe. Although it is a bit arrogant, it can't be bothered so much. In the freezing cold weather, God doesn't care whether you are a Han or a barbarian. If you don't keep warm enough, you will be freezing.

Cao Chun was followed by some guards, all of whom were a little blue from the cold. After arriving at the government office, he quickened his pace and rushed into the hall, where a fire was burning. A wave of warmth came to my face, and I breathed out a breath of cold air.

Cao Chun has been making preparations these days.

Yuyang is the front line, but the rear cannot relax. If Cao Chun leaves Yuyang to fight, and the backup from Jixian or Yijing cannot keep up, won't there be trouble then?

Therefore, Cao Chun personally went to inventory the baggage warehouse, and also inspected Cao Jun's infantry in Youbei.

Although Youbei's army focused on cavalry, Cao's army was short of horses and needed infantry for support. Therefore, in addition to the cavalry under Cao Chun's personal command, there was also a large number of infantry.

The baggage warehouse was not a big problem, but Cao Chun was somewhat disappointed with the infantry.

Cao Cao was holding on to the hussar's tail all the way, and Cao Chun was no exception.

When Cao Chun heard that Hussar had asked his soldiers to learn how to read and write, he also began to look for some books, and then asked the military officials to copy them into a book, and distributed it to the captain of the team, asking the soldiers to learn to read. As a result, Cao Chun's move immediately caused the soldiers in the army to complain. Not to mention the soldiers, most of the grassroots officers were illiterate. It was really difficult for them to memorize the documents.

So the effect is not ideal...

This made Cao Chun feel somewhat different. Didn't I hear that the soldiers in Guanzhong all like to learn? Why are the soldiers so lazy here in Youbei?

In fact, Cao Chun went in the wrong direction.

The soldiers under the Hussars like to learn because the results of learning can be directly seen and touched by them. To be promoted to a team leader or a military commander, a certain amount of knowledge is required. Even if you are no longer promoted in the army, and you retire and go to the local government, the level of your position will be determined based on the results of your studies. How can you prevent the soldiers under the hussar from treating you like this? Passionate about learning?

And what about Cao Cao?

If you study well, will you get half a copper more when the military pay is issued?

It's not that Cao Chun doesn't have a reward mechanism here, but Cao Chun's reward mechanism is still the same as before. It focuses entirely on force, and rewards are given out based on the bravery level of the soldiers.

Three are superior, three are medium, and three are inferior. Each level has different treatment, rewards and punishments. In addition to the top three, the remaining six are inferior. Those who are inferior or regress in every test will be punished to prevent the sergeants from being lazy and unwilling to make progress.

That's right, the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng System was not the first of its kind created by Chen Qun. It has already taken shape in many places.

Only soldiers and soldiers who have passed the superior assessment are qualified to eat meat every day.

Not much, two taels.

There are still some cattle and sheep in Youzhou.

The soldiers with the highest quality will be given priority in the assessment when there is a shortage of team rate or song length in their own queue. This is undoubtedly a very big advantage.

The middle-class soldiers can only eat meat once every five days, while the low-class soldiers not only have no meat to eat, but also have a limited amount of grain rice...

This kind of assessment measure indeed greatly stimulated the ambition of Cao Jun's soldiers, but because there were no cultural requirements and rewards, many Cao Jun soldiers had no intention to spend on learning knowledge.

If you go in the wrong direction, it is very difficult to correct it...

Cao Chun may be aware of it, or he may not be aware of it yet, but his focus now is to overturn the mountain of the Northern Territory, otherwise Youbei will never be able to develop.

After returning to the hall, Cao Chun raised his eyes and saw Xin Ping, and asked, "Where is the covenant book of the Xianbei people?" 』

After discovering that the new gang in Mobei were Xianbei, Cao Chun had some thoughts.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Zhao Yun in the Northern Territory killed and beat Lord Xianbei to death. Who would believe that these Xianbei people have no hatred against Zhao Yun?

So aren't these Xianbei people here to help?

As for the previous conflict with Xia Houshang, it was all a misunderstanding... a misunderstanding...

Therefore, Cao Chun immediately sent people to contact him, hoping to establish a broad alliance to jointly deal with Zhao Yun.

Seeing Cao Chun like this, Xin Ping asked almost as soon as he stepped into the hall. His eagerness was beyond words, so he sighed softly in his heart, but did not show anything on the surface. He handed Xianbei's covenant letter to Cao Chun.

Of course, the Xianbei people also hoped to get some extra supplies when the cold winter came, so they accepted the branches with few leaves that Cao Chun handed over without much hesitation...

At least that's what it seems on the surface.

Cao Chun looked at the covenant written on the sheepskin and laughed: "Good!" There is hope for breaking through the Northern Territory! ” Now that Xiahou Shang is acting as an internal response in the northern region, and there are Xianbei people acting as a helping hand, there does seem to be some hope.

Xin Ping hesitated for a moment. He felt that he still needed to remind Cao Chun, "General... we are not familiar with this Xianbei man. Although there is a book of covenant... we may not keep his word..."

Cao Chun waved his hand, as if he didn't care, and then asked Xin Ping some other things before letting Xin Ping go.

Cao Chun stared at Xin Ping's leaving figure, was silent for a while, and then waved, "Send someone to watch carefully, don't get too close... to see what he does or who he meets..."

A guard responded and went down.

"General, what are you..." Cao Chun's confidant asked, "Is there something wrong with this Xin Zheng?" 』

"No need to exist. ” Cao Chun said softly, “This is an extraordinary time and we must be absolutely careful. 』

"So here in Xianbei..." the confidant asked again, "Really...I mean, the Xianbei people have no faith at all..."

Cao Chun laughed dumbly, "Why don't you know?" 』

"Then General, your covenant..." His confidants were very confused. Since Cao Chun never believed in the Xianbei people from the beginning to the end, why did he contact the Xianbei people again?

Cao Chun laughed, but after a few laughs, he stopped smiling and pondered, "After two days, if Xin Saji doesn't do anything, then... well, maybe he doesn't need to do anything... How many people are there in Yuyang City who are hussar spies? 』

Cao Chun didn't trust anyone, not just Xin Ping, but also Xia Houshang.

Of course, Cao Chun didn't know Xiahou Shang's feelings for his concubine, nor could he understand it. However, Cao Chun had already thought about it when he asked Xiahou Shang to act as an internal response, and even prepared for Xia Houshang to be exposed. preparation.

It can even be said that Cao Chun did not believe that Xia Houshang could succeed at all. The reason why he persuaded Xia Houshang to go forward as an internal response was because Cao Chun felt that Xia Houshang's stay in Youbei was really useless, and it was better to send him out to cause harm. Others...

Let Xiahou Shang be the vanguard. He can't even defeat a barbarian. Let Xiahou Shang be the rear guard. Cao Chun is afraid that his butt will be on fire. So Cao Chun simply forced Xiahou Shang to join the Northern Territory with inducements. If Xia Houshang really did a good job of internal response and could help Cao Chun, it would be valuable whether he was alive or dead. If Xia Houshang couldn't even do a good job as an internal response, it wouldn't be a big surprise since Cao Chun had arranged it based on the fact that Xia Houshang would be exposed.

Cao Chun stared at Xin Ping and asked Xin Ping to be responsible for contacting Xianbei and signing an alliance with Xianbei, which had a similar meaning.

Cao Cao asked Xin Ping to serve as an envoy to the Northern Territory, with the purpose of disrupting the Northern Territory and destroying the chain of mutual trust between the Northern Territory.

Of course, Cao Chun wanted to implement Cao Cao's strategic thinking, so using Xin Ping to engage Xin Pi, Cao Chun had no hesitation in his heart. How many sons of the Cao family and the Xiahou family are fighting bravely on the battlefield, and then these gentry children from Jizhou and Yuzhou just want to sit back and take advantage? That's such a good thing!

Even if Xin Ping does nothing, Cao Chun still believes that there are still some Hussar spies in Yuyang City...

"Send some people, wear more warm clothes, and monitor the surrounding hills..." Cao Chun said thoughtfully, "If there are spies passing on information, they will probably do it in the name of woodcutter... Forget it, there is no need to send people... 』

Cao Chun quickly changed his mind. On the one hand, the temperature dropped very sharply after nightfall, and camping overnight was very dangerous. On the other hand, Cao Chun had no intention of hiding the news about his alliance with Xianbei.

When the Northern Territory learned that the Xianbei people had made a comeback, got in touch with Cao Jun, and signed an alliance, the Northern Territory's corresponding strategies were nothing more than two, retreat or attack.

Shrinking means that Zhao Yun has really left, so the soldiers in the northern region dare not make any moves without a strong general.

Then Cao Chun can really unite with Xianbei and expand aggressively. He will first attack the barbarian tribes who have taken refuge in the Hussar in the desert, and then use the victorious army to capture Changshan New City!

If Zhao Yun is still in Changshan, then as the Protector of the Northern Territory, he will definitely not sit back and watch this remnant of Xianbei grow stronger. He will definitely send troops to attack. And now in the cold weather, the best soldiers who can be sent out must be the best soldiers. It is naturally the department directly under Zhao Yun.

Cao Chun has no control over how Xianbei dies by then, but he can take the opportunity to sneak attack on Changshan New City. Even if Changshan New City cannot be captured, it can involve the Northern Territory, reduce the pressure on Xiahou Dun's flanks, and at the same time put pressure on Taiyuan County.

"Register directly at the city gate..." Cao Chun said in a deep voice, "From today on, all those who go out of the city to collect firewood or do other things will be recorded... and they will be arrested when the army goes out!" Kill them all! 』