Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3140 When current management encounters reality

As the news spread in Youbei, Yecheng was inevitably affected.

Under the gloomy sky, the sharp north wind howled across the earth. The flow of people who came to the city to purchase because of the news from the north and the people who fled from the south formed two distinct lines.

 The official road was crowded with people and carriages, and there were some cries and curses from time to time.

Everyone thinks their own affairs are the most urgent, and everyone else is just a **** just joining in the fun.

Previously, there were rumors that Cao's army had been unable to attack Tongguan for a long time and was probably going to be defeated. Now there is news that Youbei has been invaded by the Hu people, making people panic, as if the Hu people will come to Yecheng soon.

In fact, the Hu people are still far away from Yecheng, but not everyone is so rational, and the robbery of food has once again reached a climax.

The merchants in the market looked sad on the outside, but happy on the inside.

Originally, both food and vegetables were scarce in winter, and even if there was no war, the vendors in the market would be affected by rain, drought, wind, snow, cold weather, etc. He would raise the price due to factors such as the heat, and then lower the price appropriately while the customers were cursing and haggling, saying that they were so shortchanged that they couldn't even afford to wear underpants, and could only do business with their big and small heads exposed.

It's even better now, blatantly raising the price by somersaulting, as if tomorrow he will be intercepted by barbarians on the way, and then no one will have to buy it.

 Raw materials have increased, and the prices of portable cakes, steamed buns, etc. have doubled and doubled again.

Nowadays, in the dark alleys of Yecheng, if you are not careful, you may be robbed of your property. The new crime of holding a bib is to be seen with steamed buns in your arms.

 It’s white and big, who doesn’t like it…

These chaotic messages gradually filled every corner of the Cao Mansion in Yecheng.

Although Cao Pi didn't care about what people were saying most of the time, if he encountered it more or less, he would listen to it more or less.

 The mood among the people and officials is gradually becoming tense, which is not a good sign.

After Chen Qun and Cui Yan left, Cao Pi finished his meal tastelessly, then returned to the main hall and sat down. He looked at the map on the table and remained silent for a long time.

When everyone looks at a map, they will inevitably imagine themselves as a condescending god, and then patrol the cities and creatures, armies and people on the map with a kind of pity. But in fact, most of the time , the data on the map are cold, outdated, and covered with a layer of fog that will never dissipate.

Cao Pi knew that his "grasping with both hands" was actually nonsense, but the problem was that he could only do this. Are materials important? Is spirit important? Is Jizhou important? Is Yuzhou important? Can Cao Pi do it if he discards any one of them? So he could only show his willfulness like a fool, and was laughed at and ridiculed by Cui Yan and Chen Qun.

Although these two foxes didn’t mean anything on the surface...

The longer he stayed in Yecheng, the more Cao Pi realized that his claws were too short. Many times, he didn't know what the situation was like, nor what exactly happened to Cao's army and Fei's army now. Even the local status was unclear.

He can only be careful, cautious, listen, discern, and sometimes need to play dumb.

But overall, even if his father Cao Cao did not specifically explain it, after Cao Chun was defeated in Youbei and the Hu people raided the south, Cao Pi could understand that the battle was not as smooth as he originally imagined.

Most of the information he could find around him and send to him was inaccurate and sometimes contradictory, but one thing he was sure of was that his father was currently encountering a problem.

At least there is a loophole in Youbei now. Cao Chun cannot stop Zhao Yun, and the barbarians are looting people and property along the way to Youzhou.

 As for Xia Houyuan…

Cao Pi felt a little chilly.

I don’t know how long it took, but the sky became dark.

 Cao Pi did not let his servants come near, so no one lit the lamps. Cao Pi sat in the shadows, his eyes dim.

 A light came from far away. Mrs. Bian stood outside the hall and looked at it. Then she took the lantern from the servant on the side and waved her hand.

 The servant stood back with his buttocks raised.

Mrs. Bian walked in slowly, and did not look at Cao Pi who stood up to greet her. Instead, she went to light the candles in the hall and asked, "Why are you so worried?" Is it something about Youbei? 』

Cao Pi was silent for a moment, "Mother...Cui Jigui has something to say...General Miaocai may be trapped in the east of the river..."

Mrs. Bian's hand that lit the candle shook, then she paused for a moment, then lit the candle calmly, turned around and sat down, "Is there a battle report?" 』

Cao Pi shook his head, "But... General Miaocai crossed Zhiguan and attacked Hedong... Hedong is still stable today... My father only launched a large-scale attack on Tongguan on the fifth day of the lunar month... Uncle Zixiao entered Wuguandao on the eighth day of the lunar month... and now Youbei has been lost..."

　　　Youbei was not lost. ” Mrs. Bian corrected, “It was just that the barrier was breached. 』

"yes. ”Cao Pi nodded and repeated, “It was just that the barrier was breached. 』

 When he came to the word "pass", Cao Pi obviously gritted his teeth, and there seemed to be some hissing in his tone.

Mrs. Bian glanced at Cao Pi and said, "Remember those days, when you and your uncle lived together..."

 Cao Pi was stunned, and after a moment he seemed to be defending and said: "His... son and uncle... were defeated..."

　　"In matters of military affairs, how can it be said that a hundred battles will result in a hundred victories?" ” Mrs. Bian said slowly, “Your father has been defeated in battle, is it possible that you also want to be ashamed of defeat? 』

 "This..." Cao Pi lowered his head, "My mother taught me this..."

Mrs. Bian smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeves and said, "Well, what did Cui Jigui say..."

Cao Pi roughly repeated what Cui Yan said before.

Mrs. Bian listened quietly.

After retelling, Cao Pi looked gloomy and whispered in the shadow: "Cui Jigui has a heart that can be killed!" 』

Mrs. Bian was silent for a while. She did not talk about Xia Houyuan's safety in general, but talked about what she had experienced personally, "Did you know that back then, your father was also rumored to have died on the way..."

When Cao Cao was confronting Dong Zhuo, Yuan Erhuan went to Cao Cao's hometown on the highway to spread rumors that Cao Cao was dead. He was so frightened that a group of people screamed and became uneasy.

At that time, Lao Cao was not very powerful, and his subordinates were only three or two big cats. Many officials who were attached to Cao Cao at that time believed the rumors and felt that the situation was over. After all, Yuan Da and Yuan Er were still there, and After all, Yuan is the queen of the Three Dukes, and Cao Cao is just the queen of the eunuch, so the level is different.

So many people wanted to abandon Cao and leave at that time, just like the second senior brother who wanted to unpack his luggage and return to Gaolaozhuang. At that time, Mrs. Bian stood up, condemned this behavior, and reunited people's hearts.

“At that time, I told everyone...” Mrs. Bian said slowly, “We are causing disaster, so why die together...”

Mrs. Bian turned to look at Cao Pi, "Do you...understand?" 』

 Cao Pi said excitedly: "My child understands!" 』

Mrs. Bian looked at Cao Pi quietly, and she saw that Cao Pi was excited, then doubtful, and then hesitant again and said: "My child...this...mother's intention, shouldn't everyone be united and loyal and work together?" 』

Mrs. Bian smiled and said, "When I said that, I was actually scared to death... because I knew that if the Cao family really fell, those vassal officials would be fine... The only ones who would really suffer were you and me... So, you really understand." Already? 』

"I..." Cao Pi wanted to nod, but he paused mid-sentence and fell into deep thought.

Mrs. Bian stood up and said, "Think about it carefully." If you can't even figure this out, you won't be able to sit on your throne for long. 』

 After saying that, Mrs. Bian left. Cao Pi was the only one left, still in the hall.

　No one moved, but the shadow kept shaking...

 …

 …

 Guanzhong, Wuguan.

From Guanzhong to Wuguan, one must first pass through Bashui, pass through Lantian, arrive at Aoguan, then go over the mountains, arrive at Shang County, and enter the Danshui area before arriving at Wuguan.

Generally speaking, Wuguan in a broad sense refers to the section of the mountain road from Yiguan to Wuguan, between Bashui and Danshui, and an area including the villages of Shangluo and other counties in Shang County.

 The reason why the Pass is not famous is because it can be bypassed. Because as long as you leave Yaoguan, there is the fertile land in Guanzhong behind you. As for Wuguan, you can actually go around it, but if you go around, you still have to go back to the line of Danshui and Bashui. Without a water source, it will be a hundred Wan Dajun also has numb claws, so there is no way around it.

In a camp to the west of Wuguan, a group of civilians were queuing up to receive meals, and curiously looked at the defenders on top of Wuguan City. These civilians were recruited from Lantian and Shang counties to help carry stones, bricks, wood, weapons and equipment, and repair city walls for defense. Most of these peasants will return to Lantian one after another after the beginning of spring. Now they are just taking advantage of the frozen soil that has not yet been civilized to make some spare money.

 Liao Hua and Huang Zhong were on the Wuguan Pass, looking east and west.

 The east side of Wuguan is very steep, especially the Suoqiao Ridge.

 Suspension Bridge Ridge, as the name suggests, is the narrowest part of the mountain road, only as wide as a suspension bridge, and only bicycles are allowed to pass. The rest of the mountains are also winding and difficult to navigate.

 But after passing Wuguan and Shang County, it becomes much smoother going west.

"Although the Wuguan Mountain Road is steep and difficult to navigate,..." Huang Zhong pointed to the north, "When I was in Wancheng, I heard that there is a medicinal trail at the northern foot of the pass..."

Liao Hua nodded, "Shangnan Trail... Not only that, there is Baiyang Road to the south. If you take Zhulin Mountain, you can also pass through Manchuan... However, there is Tiezuo Ridge on Manchuan Mountain Road, and there is the danger of Yubei Cliff." …』

Liao Hua has been deeply involved in Wuguan over the past few years and knows the surrounding mountain roads of Wuguan very well. Passes are never settled once and for all. As the surface vegetation changes and the mountains and rivers change, the surrounding environment of the pass will also change accordingly. What was originally an impassable dense forest may become a bare soil plateau after tens or hundreds of years.

In the subsequent feudal dynasties, Wuguan, like Tongguan, became a rather complicated defense system. The mountain roads that were developed one after another were the various passes built accordingly, such as Zhulin Pass and Manchuan Pass. , Iron Lock Pass, etc., just like spears and shields.

However, no matter how many passes or huge armies there are, the focus is still on the people who use weapons...

Pang Shanmin took Huang Wan to Guanzhong, but Jiang Gan stayed in Shang County because of his injured legs and feet.

In the past few days, Liao Hua and Huang Zhong were tracking down the spies in Shang County. With the cooperation of Youwen Division, they captured many hidden Cao Jun spies.

These spies were **** at the top of the Wuguan city and displayed to the public.

 Some are already dead, and the rest are dying.

 The soldiers who were guarding the city passing by turned a blind eye to these Cao Jun spies who were treated inhumanely and in miserable condition.

 No one can understand the humanitarian spirit expressed by Our Lady. After all, this word was originally created to fight against divine authority. It was like a knife slashing at those superiors with divine authority, not really for any "people", or like some simple-minded people who thought it was for ordinary people. Words born from the common people.

Huang Zhong withdrew his gaze from the dying Cao Jun spies, and whispered: "Colonel Liao, there is one more thing... That Jiang Ziyi, although he is a famous scholar in Jiujiang... but his behavior is very strange, I am afraid... Colonel Liao or... You should pay more attention to it. 』

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the image of Jiang Qian is undoubtedly that of a wretched man with an ugly appearance. However, although Jiang Qian is not seen in many historical materials in history, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives a relatively high evaluation to Jiang Qian, saying that he was very capable. He is well-groomed and well-known for his talent. He is unique among Jiang and Huai Rivers and cannot be compared with him."

 Since there is the word "appearance", it can't be said to be in a vulgar manner. Moreover, as a celebrity, he generally belongs to the literati series who cannot wield swords and sticks, but he has the courage to go into the camp alone to meet Zhou Yu among tens of thousands of soldiers. This already has the courage that many ordinary people do not have. . Just to set off Zhou Yu, Jiang Qian can only be written as a stupid and vulgar buffoon who was defeated twice without realizing it.

 Therefore, before Jiang Qian really did anything, Huang Zhong was just instinctively suspicious without any conclusive evidence.

After Liao Hua nodded, the two of them focused their main attention on the current threat to Cao Ren.

Far away from Danshui, the black smoke on the sentry tower was clearly visible, and it was even more depressing under the gray sky.

 Cao Ren's advance scouts have appeared one after another in front of Wuguan.

Liao Hua sent people to intercept, but the surrounding mountains were undulating and the mountain roads were winding. Even if they saw Cao Jun's scouts, most of them would have no time to do anything if they rushed over. They could only drive them away, but they could not get rid of them. However, Wuguan scouts often have advantages in numbers and distance, so once Cao Jun's scouts discovered that Wuguan was counterattacking, most of them left on their own and had no intention of fighting the Wuguan scouts.

However, as the number of Cao's troops increased, the scope of Wuguan's control was also shrinking.

 In view of the methods shown by Fei Qian before, Cao Ren appeared to be very cautious during the march. Only when it is confirmed that there is no danger will it move forward. Although this speed is slow, it is very stable and does not leave any loopholes for Liao Hua, let alone try to lure Liao Hua into a sneak attack.

I have to say that when the army is upright, the surprise troops often don't have much room to display.

Four ridges east of Wuguan, Cao Ren set up a very strong camp, which was mixed with the surrounding mountains and rivers. It was wide in front and narrow on both sides. The two wings protect the mountain line, and the center is entrenched on the side of Danshui. Although it will be more difficult to dig soil and cut trees in winter, Cao Jun has more manpower, so there are not too many problems.

　　　There are many Jingxiang soldiers among Cao’s army. Huang Zhong said with some emotion, "I think Liu Jingsheng was the same back then... alas... now they are all married to the Cao family..."

 After Liu Biao's death, gradually more and more people from Jingxiang and Xiang took refuge with the Cao family.

 After all, the county magistrate is not as good as the current one.

What's more, Cao Cao is still nominally the prime minister of the Han Dynasty.

In addition to the Cai family and the Kuai family, Wenpin also finally accepted Cao Cao's appointment and received Cao's salary.

Under such circumstances, with the guidance of the local gentry, some ordinary people in Jingxiang who did not know what was going on and did not have much knowledge and brains gradually became the source of soldiers for Cao's army.

Are these people guilty?

 From the standpoint of Guanzhong, he is naturally guilty.

Liao Hua glanced at Huang Zhong and somewhat understood what Huang Zhong meant. Liao Hua thought for a while, but in the end he said straightforwardly: "General Han Sheng... This Cao Zixiao will definitely send Jingxiang soldiers as the vanguard..."

Huang Zhong sighed again, nodded, and fell silent.

 Huang Zhong grew up in Jingxiang. He naturally has feelings for Jingxiang, but now it is obvious that a large number of Jingxiang people will die in front of the Wuguan Formation, but he is powerless to do anything about the upcoming tragedy.

 Huang Zhong has extraordinary martial arts, but he doesn't like killing. When he was a hunter before, he never killed for the sake of killing, or challenged wild beasts for reputation. Therefore, Huang Zhong has always been unknown in Jingxiang in history, unlike in some places. Pulling the tail of an ox, or challenging a tiger or leopard.

 Later, as a soldier, Huang Zhong was not bloodthirsty after commanding the troops. Not to mention that he would not show off his prestige when he had nothing to do on weekdays. Many people only knew that Huang Zhong's archery skills were extraordinary, but few people knew that Huang Zhong's sword skills were also powerful.

Oh, except Xia Houyuan...

But now, Huang Zhong had to stand on the other side of the Jingxiang people, raising his sword towards the incoming fellow villagers.

In movies, TV shows and games, it seems that when military commanders are unparalleled, they never hesitate or have any emotions. They cut off heads like grass, and they often scream for blood to flow into rivers, or are hungry or thirsty. But in fact, they still It's people.

 War tears apart, crushes, and ultimately annihilates human nature bit by bit, and does not leave much time for people to adapt.

The two were talking, and then in the howling cold wind, they saw more wolf smoke rising in the mountains. Cao Jun began to dispatch large troops to compete for the Four Ridges area east of Wuguan...

 (End of this chapter)