Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3200 I don’t know how fragrant mist wets one’s beard

When Yang Xiu returned, Cao Zhenze, who was in the Shangyong area of ​​Hanzhong, was also in trouble.

The Shangyong area in Hanzhong is very wide, but the economy is not developed. Most of the population is concentrated in the Nanzheng area in Hanzhong. The area around Shangyong is basically hilly and mountainous. Although the Han River leads to it, it is not easy to walk.

  Shangyong’s easy-to-defend but difficult-to-attack location obviously exceeded Cao Jun’s expectations.

For Cao Jun, or for the entire Shandong political system, they are far from aware of it, and have not considered in detail how to operate in such relatively unblocked areas, just like Cao Cao in history After taking Hanzhong, the decision was still to relocate the population and hollow out Hanzhong.

If it’s difficult, just give up.

 After all, as long as you are willing to give up, everything is easy to negotiate.

On the contrary, Li Dian had a deeper understanding of the Shangyong area in Hanzhong than Cao Zhen.

 When stationed in Hanzhong, we cannot just defend Nanzheng, because once Cao Jun enters the Hanzhong Basin, it will naturally be very troublesome.

 Previously, Fei Qian's rule over Shangyong Land was quite weak.

 To defend Hanzhong, we cannot defend it in Nanzheng, nor in Shangyong.

On the one hand, this is because Shangyong Land has a relatively small population base and almost zero local structure. On the other hand, the damage to the political ecology during the Zhang and Lu period was too serious.

 In troubled times, the order that the government should have been responsible for disappeared, giving gray sects in places like Zhanglu room to survive. Perhaps people in later generations cannot understand why there are superstitious thoughts, but in fact, no matter what era people are in, in addition to material needs, they also have spiritual needs. After eating and drinking enough, if you can’t find anything to support your spirit, It is easy to be seduced by certain things and certain people in a certain place...

 Zhang Lu's integration of politics and religion, although to some extent made it very convenient to rule, had many drawbacks, and the effect it brought was a serious obscuration of the people. This is even more cruel than Confucianism. After all, it is hidden under the light of the gods and difficult to look at directly. Just like extreme exploitation hidden under freedom, absolute obedience hidden under collective, etc., having a coat will always confuse some people's perception.

 Hence, Li Dian stationed himself at the junction of Hanzhong and Shangyong.

Not to mention that the Shangyong Mountain Road is difficult to pass, and the cities are relatively scattered, it is better to use the Han River as a defensive line, set up checkpoints layer by layer, and build a strong strategic depth. Even if Cao's army is an elite of hundreds of battles and breaks through the first line of defense, there will be a second line of defense. The second line, the third line of defense. After being repeatedly blocked and weakened layer by layer, by the time Cao Jun could really reach the Hanzhong Basin, he was probably too exhausted to fight anymore.

Cao Zhen felt helpless when he saw Li Dian guarding him so tightly.

As a last resort, Cao Zhen went back to repair the relationship with Liang Diren, saying that all the previous conflicts were caused by Li Dian and that everything was caused by the Hussar spies. But that being said, whether anyone believes it is another matter.

Of course, if Cao Zhen doesn't do this, and if the Liang Di people are angry and defect to Li Dian's side, then the Shangyong Mountains and forests will cause trouble for Cao's army, then Cao Zhen's path will definitely be difficult. Although Liang Diren's combat effectiveness is not high, they are like flies, buzzing and flying around, which is enough to give Cao Zhen a headache.

According to the conventional strategy, Cao Zhen stayed in Jing County to rest and reorganize his soldiers and gather grain, while on the other hand he sent envoys to persuade Li Dian to surrender. Cao Zhen also knew that it was impossible for Li Dian to surrender, but what if? Even if Li Dian does not surrender, if he can create a wedge between one and two, or if some news reaches Sichuan, Shu or Guanzhong, leading to a sudden change of generals, this is a result that Cao Zhen would like to see.

It's just that Li Dian obviously didn't follow Cao Zhen's tactics. Not only did he rush back the envoy at a discount, but he also expressed his readiness to prepare for Cao Zhen's coming to fight.

Cao Zhen saw that Li Dian's attitude was tough, so he could only lead the army to attack Mulansai.

On this day, Cao Zhen secretly brought some people to have a closer look.

 Mulan is located between the Han River and Chongshan Mountain. The terrain is quite dangerous.

In the depths of the winding mountain road, Mulansai stands among the steep mountains, like a beast entrenched in the mountains, showing its ferocious fangs to any enemy who tries to cross.

As we approached the military village along the winding mountain road, the road became more and more rugged.

The stone wall of the military village is tall and made of rough stones. It has obviously been there for some years. It has been eroded by wind and rain and is covered with moss, but it still stands firm.

The wall was built against the cliffs and stone walls, making clever use of the steep terrain to greatly enhance its defensive power.

As Cao Zhen watched, his brows furrowed more and more.

This kind of military stronghold is the most troublesome.

 Below the military stronghold are stone steps dug out of the whole stone. Due to long-term walking and stepping on the stone steps, the edges of the stone steps have long become rounded and smooth. There is no problem in daily walking, but if we attack in formation...

 Cao Zhen seemed to have foreseen that if he really attacked the military stronghold along these stone steps, many of Cao's soldiers might lose their lives at every step, and the stone steps would probably be stained with blood.

Mulansai’s village gate is thick and strong, with iron hoops fastening it tightly, and large iron nails and iron bars, which demonstrate the sturdiness of its structure.

Above the gate of the village, some defenders seemed to have noticed the figure of Cao Jun peeking at the army village on the hillside, and were pointing towards Cao Zhen.

 Cao Zhen estimated the distance from his place to the opposite side and found that it was beyond the range of Cao's trebuchet...

 It would have been nice if Li Dian had fallen into the trap at that time...

 But now, if we really want to fight hard...

Cao Zhen summoned his military sergeants and said: "The mountain road is dangerous and narrow, and the soldiers are often tired when fighting in the face of danger. Now they can only find other ways to bypass this fortress and attack from both front and rear to defeat them in one fell swoop." 』

There is certainly nothing wrong with this strategy, but who will implement it?

Cao Zhen looked around, feeling a little worried.

“General, why don’t you... look for Shen again and see if you can contact any guides in the surrounding areas? 』

 Someone suggested.

Cao Zhen frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded.

 There is no way, now a dead horse has to be treated as a living horse.

 …

 …

 The order was sent back to Shangyong.

Shen Dan was guarding Shangyong. Apart from panic, he was also a little at a loss.

The Shen family is a wealthy family in the Shangyong and Xicheng areas, with unique reputation and influence in the area.

 The success or failure of this kind of regional powerful landowner depends on the place.

 Generally speaking, the smaller the landlord class, the easier it is for them to leave behind the burden of their region, travel lightly, and rebuild a new world, such as Mr. Zhang. But people like Shen can't leave. The Shen family has been rooted in the Xicheng area of ​​Shangyong for thirty years. In history, it is one of the longest-lived princes among the princes in the late Han Dynasty, except for the three families of Wei, Shu and Wu.

 This leads to Shen's weakness.

Whoever touches his territory, he will be in a hurry...

 But he stopped at being "anxious". If he really wanted to make up his mind to kill officials and rebel, he would not dare.

At most he can only kill people with a borrowed knife and think he is smart.

Fei Qian also knew that the Shen family had very little initiative and only wanted to maintain the status quo, which was very unreliable, so he let Wei Yan train troops in Xicheng at that time. Originally, he also followed Liu Bei's method of extracting white-eared soldiers, gradually infiltrating and disintegrating the force of Di Ren and mediocrity. , and then slowly penetrate and control the upper class. But unfortunately, after Wei Yan was transferred, Zhang Ze, who took over, only fought for power and profit and failed to continue Fei Qian's strategy, which gave Shen another chance to breathe.

The Shen family, Shen Dan, and Shen Yi brothers were also quite worried about the East-West conflict. The key was the land policy implemented by Fei Qian, which had done great damage to the powerful nobles like the Shen family who only relied on the land for their livelihood. This led to the Shen family. The rebellion.

From a certain perspective, Fei Qian still has a very high tolerance for the local natives, powerful people, etc. among the big Han people. As long as he does not seek death, he will not die. In most cases, he just slowly implements the strategy, and It will also guide them through transformation.

 Some powerful nobles saw the opportunity early and took advantage of the trend to transform. Either they turned around and invested in factories and mines, or they focused on animal husbandry. When these people raised their heads from the land, they discovered that the world is actually very big, not just the three inches of soil under their feet. The Shen family was quite uneasy when they voted for Cao Cao.

 Cao Zhen was in the vanguard, Cao Ren was in the rear, and the land of Shangyong became a battlefield.

Shen Dan is now sitting in the hall, stroking the seal ribbon of Shangyong Prefect, feeling depressed in his heart. He had been praying for this seal and ribbon for most of his life, but he got it right now. He didn't know why Shen Dan didn't feel much joy in getting his wish.

 Worry about gains and losses.

 Under Fei Qian, Shen Dan and others felt aggrieved. They felt that although Fei Qian did not explicitly want to evacuate them, he was actually eroding their authority in the countryside. Well now, after joining Cao Cao, I didn't feel so happy. Although on the surface Cao Ren represented Cao Cao and said that the Shen family's status in Shangyong remained the same, but what followed was constant recruitment and a large amount of grain and grass flowing out. Walk…

This is not only a common problem of the small landlord class, but also a problem of the petty bourgeoisie, and even the weakness of most of the middle class.

Shen Dan is like this. When danger is close, he will try to hide. He feels that the land that his ancestors have finally accumulated and he has struggled for so many years should finally take a good rest. He cannot lose it so easily. However, he had been guarding the land and felt that his talents were not taken seriously, so he was depressed and frustrated. In addition, Zhang Ze was killed that year, and the Shen family was somewhat implicated. He had never been able to enter the core of Hanzhong, so naturally he was very dissatisfied.

Humans, it’s always easier to blame others.

 But after Shen stepped into the battlefield, he was picky and picky, and he became timid again.

If Cao Zhen's army was unstoppable, Shen Dan would hold his nose and admit it without hesitation, and would expand his territory by the way. But now that Cao Zhen was blocked at Mulan Village, Shen Dan began to mutter in his heart. He spent a lot of money and food, and even his own brother was injured. , this Cao army has not yet been able to capture Hanzhong...

 After thinking about it, Shen Dan called Zhang Zhang.

Chapter Chapter was originally a member of the Zhang Ze clan. Later, Zhang Ze fell and died, and the Zhang clan people scattered like birds and beasts. Zhang Jie changed his name to Zhang Zhang and joined the Shen family to avoid disaster. Shen Dan felt that Zhang Jie was handsome, sharp-tongued, and somewhat knowledgeable. In addition, Shen was also very frightened at the time and always wanted to find another way out, so he kept Zhang Jie.

“Now that Cao’s army is blocked at Mulan Village, what can Brother Zhang do?” ” Shen Dan asked directly without covering up too much.

 Zhang Jie's family was in decline and took refuge with the Shen family. He didn't feel that his family had been on the wrong team before, and that he should be punished after his wishful thinking and failure to fight for power. Instead, he felt that he had been confiscated and deprived of his wealth. He was a completely innocent victim. Naturally, he felt for Fei Qian and Fei Qian in his heart. The political group below is full of resentment, and there are many accusations and insinuations among them. Now that he heard Shen Dan asked about this matter, he naturally tried his best to think and plan for Cao Jun.

"My Lord, this time Prime Minister Cao ordered General Cao Zixiao to march into Hanzhong. It is indeed a golden opportunity and cannot be missed," Zhang Jie said slowly, "Li Thief is guarding Mulan Sai. It looks like he is sticking to the key points, but it is actually a loophole. Lots of possibilities! 』

"oh? ” Shen Dan regained his energy and asked quickly, “What’s the meaning of this statement?” 』

　　　『Mulan Village can stop the army, but it cannot stop the small team! ” A sneer appeared on Zhang Jie’s face, “In the past, if everyone who sold military goods went to Mulan Village, wouldn’t it mean that they wouldn’t be able to reach Shandong at all? 』

Hearing this, Shen Dan immediately clapped his hands and said, "Oh, that's exactly it!" 』

But after a moment, Shen Dan said hesitantly: "But this Cao...Cao Zidan is at odds with the Yaoliang Di people... Most of these mountain roads are under the Yaoliang Di people..."

 Zhang Jie smiled and said, "My benefactor is too worried." The Di people are so stupid that they don't know right from wrong. They only ask for gold and silver... There are many benefits to being straight. Then he said that General Cao Zidan killed the Liang Di people just because he was domineering and rude. He insulted Prime Minister Cao and so on. It was not because of the Di people. , and then you want to choose another king of Liang and Di people, are you afraid that no one will come in a hurry? 』

Shen Dan was overjoyed when he heard this and said, "Sir, you are indeed a wise man. This is a great plan!" 』

As long as Cao Jun gets through Mulan Fortress, he will go to Hanzhong, and the Shen family can follow behind to gain some advantages, without having to endlessly transport food and grass like they are now...

 As for whether it is really "a great idea", it is actually not that important.

 …

 …

 Cao Jun killed many Di people.

 The bones are not yet cold.

 Now in this situation, can we still ask for help?

 Clicking his chest with open arms means that everything is wrapped up in him.

 Because he knows that Di people actually do not have the concept of right and wrong.

Of course, this can be said to be because the Di people do not have much cultural knowledge and do not have the basis to distinguish right from wrong. But in fact, even people in later generations who have gone through the nine righteousness education may not have some concepts of right and wrong.

　　When your own money is stolen, you will naturally jump and scold, but if you steal something from others and use it, it is called "taking" or "borrowing". After all, can what happens to a scholar be called stealing?

Di people do not have much traditional culture. Their world is fragmented and restricted to the mountains and forests. Therefore, for Liang Di people, as long as they can bring money to the village, they are good people.

After Li Dian arrived in Nanzheng, he pulled and beat the Di people. Of course, the ones he pulled were those who were relatively close and willing to cooperate with the Han people. As for those like Yao Liang who hated the Han people, they would naturally be suppressed. of.

 For the Liang Di people, those who are good for their village are good people.

 So Li Dian is a bad person.

Cao Jun wants to attack Li Dian, so he is a good guy, but Cao Jun also kills the king of Liang Di people. Logically speaking, is it equivalent to attacking the enemy of Liang Di people?

But if this requires the death of the king of Liang Di people, will it be beneficial to certain Di people?

 Cao Zhen was not familiar with these Di people, so it was difficult to distinguish them with his eyebrows and beards. However, Zhang Jie was familiar with these Di people.

So when he arrived in front of Cao Zhen's army, he happened to be in sync with each other, and was immediately entrusted with important tasks by Cao Zhen.

 Zhang Jie also immediately took his belongings and found Da Yan, the leader of the nearby Di tribe.

 Zhang Jie knew that there was a road in the mountain, but he didn't know how to go there, but he knew that the Di people knew it.

 The party that leads the way?

  Anyway, it’s all about having a good meal, so don’t be shabby!

 Isn’t it really shabby?

“Chief, how can we say that we have enmity with Cao Jun?” ” Zhang Jieyi said sternly, “This is helping the leader! Leader, think about it, if the domineering King Liang was still alive, what good would it do to you? 』

"oh? ” The leader of the Di people was a little confused.

 What does this have to do with benefits?

Cao Jun killed people, what's the benefit?

“Leader, look, if the King of Liang were to be less arrogant and domineering,” Zhang Jie seemed to have reason to say, “would he be killed by Cao Jun?” No, so the fault lies with King Liang, not Cao Jun! 』

"Um? ” The leader of the Di people felt that something was wrong, but he couldn’t tell what was wrong.

 It’s like buying a defective item online. Whose fault is it? Is it the seller or the buyer? But why when a buyer finds a seller, someone will say, "Who told you not to see clearly?" "Who told you to be cheap?" "Is that thing worth being so serious about for just a few dollars?" Easy", "The customer service lady didn't eat your rice either"...

The key is that these guys don’t even know if the customer service is a real lady...

Yes, these are all reasons, and they are all reasons that can be explained well. Just like Zhang Jie said that he wanted the Liang Di people to be domineering and arrogant, but what does this have to do with Cao Jun killing people?

There are so many domineering people in the world, can Cao Jun kill them all? Or does Cao Jun only kill domineering people and not everyone else?

But the problem is that the leader of the Di people has never read a book and doesn't know a few Chinese characters, so he really doesn't understand what logical relationships are. After listening to Zhang Jie's words, he feels that there seems to be some truth, but he also feels that something is wrong, but he just can't figure it out. The key is where.

 ‘Look, isn’t it great now? The position of King Liang has been vacated! Zhang Jie continued to clamor, "If Cao Jun had not killed King Liang, would you have had a chance, leader?" 』

"ah? ” The leader of the Di people was still confused, “What chance? 』

　　　『Of course it’s an opportunity to be the new King of Di Ren! ” Zhang Jie clapped his hands, very excited, “You see, Cao Jun wants to find a way to bypass Mulan Village now, and who is the most familiar with the mountains and forests around here? It’s just you! What is this if not an opportunity? As long as you seize this opportunity and lead the way for Cao Jun, then Cao Jun will not be able to reward according to merit. Aren't you the new King of Liang? Isn't this the best opportunity? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! 』

"ha? ” The Di Ren leader’s eyes widened, “It’s just, just leading the way? Can you really be the King of Di Ren? 』

 Zhang Jie smiled slightly and said, "Yes, I'm just leading the way." 』

  Lead the way.

 Maybe it is a way of survival, maybe it is a way of death.