Three Kingdoms

Greed can make people forget everything.

Including fear.

Because greedy people can get happiness when they get money and property. This kind of happiness can stimulate the nerves and even become addictive.

Everyone has been on the road to addiction since birth.

Even for the most basic food acquisition, the brain is trying to guide humans to obtain certain substances or avoid certain toxins, such as sugar and fat, which are addictive substances derived from appetite.

Greed is a desire that expands from the desire for survival, because at the beginning you may only need a little something to ensure your survival needs, and you will be happy. However, as you go on to need more and more, your happiness is declining.

This attenuation of happiness will cause addicted people to behave more and more irrationally, which is simply out of control. Becoming more and more crazy, not caring about doing anything, just needing to get that moment of pleasure, ignoring life and everything.

The happiness Xia Houcheng wanted was to defeat his enemies. He knows that his ability is not strong, at least not as strong as he imagined, but he is still eager and greedy to win and want everything to win.

"The soldiers of Xihe County are currently stationed at Da Tao. There is Jiuzhe on the side. The thatch here is dense and the winter is dry but undefeated..." Xia Houcheng tried his best to sound calm, but there was inevitably some trembling, "So a certain person wants to Follow Huangfu's policy of burning Changshe... What do you think? 』

I have to say that Xia Houcheng's idea is indeed a good one.

Jiuze was a large marsh southwest of Jinyang in Taiyuan during the Qin and Han Dynasties. It later disappeared due to soil erosion and climate change, but it is still an area with rich water and grass. Historically, after the Southern Xiongnu surrendered to the Han, it They were separated and placed around Jiuze, and Hun guards were set up to keep an eye on them.

There are many thatches around Jiuze, so it is indeed a suitable place for fire attack.

Xia Houcheng pointed at the mountains and rivers, "We will set out from Jinyang with many flags and drums and a strong momentum. We will arrive at Dadao at dusk. The thieves will not dare to enter. We will be on guard until dawn. Then we will light a fire in Jiuze at night. Fire borrows the power of the wind and invades the south from the north, so it can effortlessly..."

Xia Houcheng waved his arms downwards heavily and uttered two words one by one——

"Conquer it!" 』

…

…

It was dark.

Wind hunting hunting.

Xia Houcheng seemed to see victory waving in front of him.

Just as Xia Houcheng expected, by the time he came into contact with Chen Rui's troop scouts, it was already very late.

Under such circumstances, the troops on both sides were relatively restrained and had no intention of starting a wild war.

Xia Houcheng set up camp fifty miles away from Da Tao.

This value was determined after some consideration by Xia Houcheng.

Generally speaking, the distance between the camps of the two sides is between sixty and eighty miles, so that on the one hand, the battle on the second day will not have to go too far, and on the other hand, it will not be too close to be attacked by the other side.

But what Xia Houcheng wanted in his heart was to prepare for a sneak attack on Chen Rui, but he was also afraid that his actions would be discovered in advance, so he went to a slightly closer Fifty Miles, which was considered to be a cover-up, but in fact it was just to make the distance shorter when attacking at night. , enter the attack range faster.

The night was slowly falling, and Xia Houcheng's heart started to pick up little by little, beating wildly.

In Shandong, as long as you read a book for two days, you will know that you need to remain calm when encountering big things, but how many people can really do it?

Anyway, Xia Houcheng couldn't calm down now.

The night wind blew against Xia Houcheng's face, like a knife cutting him, but Xia Houcheng didn't feel cold at all. He even felt that his heart was beating more and more happily as time went by!

Now, I can save my face!

After this battle, he can raise his head again and become a leader among the second generation of Xiahou family again!

When the time comes that I have greater prestige, I will be able to gain a higher status within the Shandong Cao political group!

The defeat in Yangqu was just a momentary negligence. I also learned from the previous lessons, gained experience, and grew!

It turns out that war is not about two parties agreeing on a battlefield, and then after the agreement is reached, they start a random fight...

Xia Houcheng felt that although Chen Rui had many soldiers and horses, they were actually nothing.

Set fire first, then rush to kill.

In the dark of night, they were suddenly attacked, and the infantry who couldn't line up were simply unable to resist!

Needless to say, in such a small camp, even the regular Hussars army may not be able to survive the fire and black smoke!

Xia Houcheng felt that Chen Rui's most correct choice at that time was to mount his horse and flee under the protection of his personal guards as soon as he encountered the fire attack. Only in this way could he have a way out!

These thoughts swirled in Xia Houcheng's mind, making him more and more excited. If he didn't need to be cautious, Xia Houcheng would want to sing a song now to relieve his depression after Yang Qu!

The fire broke out quickly and began to spread under the cold wind.

The rolling flames, and the Cao Jun soldiers following the flames, at a glance, looked like they had jumped out of hell!

Xia Houcheng, like other soldiers of Cao's army, couldn't help but roar loudly.

The sound of wind and fire were mixed together, and fear and excitement were twisted together.

…

…

Chen Rui was actually at Da Tao Li Camp, and he knew to some extent that he was being used as bait.

It may be that the hussars and horses of Zhang Xiuhuangcheng and others are too strong, and the gap between them and ordinary county soldiers is too big, so Chen Rui guessed very early that he was definitely not the main force in attacking Jinyang, Taiyuan.

Chen Rui has been to Jinyang and knows how much material reserves there are in Jinyang. If we really attack Jinyang, whether it is a frontal attack or a siege, it is not a good idea.

Since it is difficult to fight and encircle, and at the same time, it is not the main force, and it is still setting up camp under Jinyang's nose, what can be done?

Of course, Chen Rui also thought that maybe he could only work around for a long time and not really be able to lure Cao Jun out.

If Cao Jun is really stupid enough to be lured out, then Chen Rui will definitely report back as soon as possible. As long as Zhang Xiu or Huang Cheng leads the cavalry, will he be afraid that he can't deal with these short-legged Cao Jun?

To be honest, the quality of the county soldiers is not very good, even under the hussars.

This kind of "not good" is largely related to personal will. Those who are motivated and willing to endure hardships and work hard to practice martial arts and combat skills are picked out one by one, aren't they?

The rest who come to the county level mostly have this or that problem.

And after arriving at the local level, due to the different responsibilities of counties and counties, some military chiefs are more strict, so the quality of soldiers will be higher. If some military chiefs are weaker or more chaotic, then their subordinates will One can only imagine what the county soldiers will become like.

Xihe County was originally led by Cui Jun...

Chen Rui took over not long ago, and Chen Rui's main focus is on people's livelihood and government affairs. Because the military importance of Xihe County is not very strong, the quality of soldiers has always been worrying, and it cannot be reversed in a day or two. Came here.

Therefore, the county soldiers brought by Chen Rui to station in Datao may not be able to pretend to be elite even if they are asked to do so. Instead, they look more like they are careless and unprepared, which is very real...

But Chen Rui didn't expect that Xia Houcheng was really vicious, and he would actually set fire to it!

When the fire started, the soldiers on duty in Chen Rui's camp discovered it. They roared, awakening the soldiers in the camp, and the explosion caused some chaos.

Anyone who is suddenly awakened from sleep will have some confusion.

Of course, except for those keyboard warriors who claim to be inhuman, not only do they not think that they are human beings, but they are also unwilling to accept the flaws of others, just like the Internet experts say who can live without half a million?

If only Cao's army were to attack, it's hard to say how much these county soldiers could resist, but now facing the raging fire, many people's calves were trembling.

"The cavalry goes to both wings to hold down the position. The rear army turns to the front army and retreats in turn!" 』

Chen Rui almost didn't hesitate and immediately ordered a retreat.

Orderly retreat and disorderly escape are two completely different concepts.

Of course, the soldiers led by Chen Rui were not as good as the elites led by Zhang Xiu and Huang Cheng. If they had just said "withdraw", they would have escaped a disaster. Now Chen Rui said that he led the Chinese army to press the rear, and there were cavalry on both wings to support him. The rest of the soldiers were somewhat calmer even in the face of the increasingly approaching fire line, and retreated in order according to the order.

Two thousand soldiers will pour out of a camp gate in a short period of time. If there is a little chaos, it will be a disaster. If you add the flames rising from behind, it will really be like hell.

However, fortunately, Chen Rui did not panic at this moment. He led the Chinese army, always controlling the situation, and retreated slowly. Not only was it not much slower, but it allowed the chaotic hearts of the entire queue to slowly settle down, and then looked back. With those flames, it doesn't seem so scary anymore.

…

…

The firelight in the distance was projected over, as if half the sky was on fire. Looking from this direction, you could even see sparks flying in the sky.

Fei Qian stood on the hill and Huang Cheng stood aside.

Speaking of which, Huang Cheng, as the first general to follow Fei Qian, has always been in a state of relative obscurity. He has neither a miraculous record like Tai Shici nor the astonishing bravery to turn the tide. Perhaps in the eyes of many people, Huang Cheng is just a confidant general who was deliberately promoted by Fei Qian. Apart from his surname, Huang Cheng has nothing to say, but in fact, whether Huang Cheng is training recruits or reforming the military system, or in In the later period, the guards of Shang County, Ping Yang Shang, were all diligent and conscientious, and they were not arrogant at all.

It was precisely because he knew Huang Cheng's character that Fei Qian specifically gave Huang Cheng this opportunity to deal with Xiahou Dun.

That's right, it's Xiahou Dun, not Xiahou Chang.

Over the years, Fei Qian has been fighting in the north and south, surrounded by some top counselors and generals. Even if he follows the experience pack, he can advance a few levels, so when Fei Qian looks back at Xiahou Dun, who has not moved much in Shandong, , there is an additional advantage similar to level.

Xiahou Dun was in Jinyang, Taiyuan. He couldn't advance, but he didn't retreat. This itself was inconsistent with common sense.

But this is unreasonable, which reflects the value of Xiahou Dun.

Just like Huang Cheng standing next to Fei Qian now.

Three Kingdoms, troubled times.

In such a chaotic and turbulent era, betrayal and deception have become the most common dramas. The sanctimonious nobles on weekdays have turned into kowtowing insects who can change their stance at any time. The two-thousand-stone high-ranking official was drowned in a manure pit...

The old master-like characters are howling about moral distortion and the loss of order, while the careerists are laughing wildly in the feast of flesh and blood.

The only loyalty is like a flame in the darkness that can be extinguished at any time.

That's why Cao Cao was especially tolerant to Guan Yu. Even if Guan Yu rejected him again and again, that was the loyalty that Cao Cao expected most but always lacked. As long as he made a promise, he would live and die together and never leave.

Xiahou Dun was to Cao Cao what Guan Yu was to Liu Bei.

But Xiahou Dun is a little worse than Guan Yu. In addition to force, Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao are related, but there is no blood connection between Guan Yu and Liu Bei. This makes the loyalty between people with different surnames like Liu, Guan, and Zhang , extremely precious in a society that is chaotic and morally corrupt.

From this perspective, it is understandable why Xiahou Dun stayed in Taiyuan...

In Fei Qian's silence, Huang Cheng couldn't help but say, "My lord, you really led the Xiahou family out!" 』

Fei Qian nodded, thought for a moment and then said: "Cao Jun is indeed here...but it may not be Xiahou Yuanrang..."

"My lord, what you mean is..." Huang Cheng looked at the fire in the distance, "Cao Jun guessed that we had an ambush?" 』

Fei Qian smiled and said, "Xiahou Yuanrang is also a battle-hardened man. If he couldn't even guess this, wouldn't he have wasted his time all these years?" I think what we see now is just Xia Hou Yuanrang's forward... Xia Hou Yuanrang is hiding behind him. If the forward can win, he will not come out. If the forward loses, when our formation is scattered, They took advantage of the darkness to attack our flank..."

Huang Cheng took a breath, cupped his hands and said, "I understand!" The team must not be dispersed, the formation must not be disordered, and Xiahou cannot take advantage of him! 』

Fei Qian nodded and patted Huang Cheng's shoulder, "Don't be too formal, and don't be greedy for success." After this battle, Xiahou Yuanrang was unable to fight again. He had only the option of retreating or defending... Then there would still be a chance..."

Huang Cheng accepted the order in a deep voice, and immediately went down the hillside, leading the men and horses toward the fire ahead.

…

…

Not sure whether he was nervous or excited, Xia Houcheng felt that his palms were covered in sweat and so slippery that he could hardly hold the sword tightly.

The fire made the war horses neigh and they were driven by instinct to stay far away from the line of fire. This allowed Xia Houcheng to not worry about being surprised by Chen Rui's Hu cavalry when he attacked. He only needed to deal with Chen Rui's retreating formation. It can be considered done!

The areas around Jiuze are all covered with dead grass and thatch in autumn and winter. They burn really quickly. But the problem is that now that winter has passed and spring has just begun, the number of dead and yellow grass is naturally not as high as that in late autumn. Fires burn quickly. But when it doesn't burn, it goes out quickly.

The cold wind quickly blew away the burning hot ground, leaving only black ash flying everywhere.

Xia Houcheng and his men stepped on the black ashes and attacked Chen Rui's retreating troops.

All victory is right in front of you!

Chen Rui wanted to avoid the fire, so the only way to evacuate was close to the Jiuze Waterfront. The land near the Jiuze Waterfront was dry and wet, making it difficult to walk. So after being caught up, he could only It is to launch defense in place.

At the beginning, Xia Houcheng was really unstoppable.

As the elite of Cao's army fought through a gap, the soldiers from Taiyuan County who surrendered to Cao's army screamed and seemed to be filled with hatred for Chen Rui. They moved forward crazily. Their morale seemed to be even higher than that of the elite of Cao's army!

This made Xia Houcheng a little surprised, but more of a joy.

Some of these Taiyuan soldiers surrendered, like those who surrendered in the late Ming Dynasty. Perhaps they wanted to prove that their choice was correct, or perhaps they had a mentality of breaking the pot and falling. Facing the relatively weaker Xihe County soldiers, they performed better than Cao Jun. The elite must be even more brave.

These surrendering soldiers rushed forward crazily, waving their swords and guns at the soldiers under the same banner before, as if killing Chen Rui's soldiers could cover up or eliminate the shame of their surrender. This phenomenon of bullying compatriots and obtaining self-psychological compensation does not only exist in Jinyang, Taiyuan, nor is it only the Green Camp that surrendered to the Qing army. It can even be seen in many middle- and lower-level people who took refuge in capital in the later generations of the Mi Empire.

The choice to bully one's compatriots and insult one's original camp to win the favor of the invaders and show that one's knees are weak is in line with the needs of the times and in response to the general trend of the world...

With the impact of these crazy troops from Jinyang who wanted to prove that their choice was correct, Chen Rui's defensive line was once in danger. Many Xihe County soldiers failed to survive the first wave of fierce attacks.

The soldiers of Cao's army shouted, trying to force Chen Rui and others deeper into the Jiuze water and suppress the space of Chen Rui and others.

At the moment, Chen Rui felt like he was fighting against the odds. He could only win, but not lose.

Xia Houcheng shouted for a fierce battle, watching Chen Rui's line swaying and about to collapse, but he didn't expect that Chen Rui shouted something else, which made the somewhat collapsed line stabilize again!

As Chen Rui organized the shield bearers in front and the spearmen at the back of the shield, allowing the injured soldiers the opportunity to retreat to the inner circle for treatment and bandaging, the defensive system gradually stabilized. The soldiers no longer panicked, and the originally chaotic situation gradually began to become orderly. However, Xia Houcheng's troops, who were attacking crazily in one breath, seemed a little weak in the follow-up...

"Sima!" ”

"Asshole!" Xia Houcheng yelled angrily, "A man, how can you be afraid of life and death?" ! In today’s battle, we can only live and die! 』

Unfortunately, many times, risking your life may not lead to good results.