0p0 Chapter 249 Tiger Crazy
Chapter 249 Tiger Crazy
Chapter 249 Tiger Crazy
Huangfu Jianchang and Cheng Yu left Jiujiang County and went to Yuzhou and Xiang County.
This is Dong Zhuo's territory. After several years of operation, it is no longer what it used to be.
"Ten cents per person!"
When passing a small bridge, soldiers blocked the road and collected money with basins in their hands.
Huangfu Jian threw out a string without hesitation, and it made a tinkling sound when it fell to the ground.
Then he swaggered across the bridge with seven or eight big men who looked like servants, in an extremely arrogant manner.
Cheng Yu was also dressed as a servant, imitating the posture of the servant behind him, looking like he was bullying others and ready to fight at any time.
"Whose family is this? They gave me more than 70 coins, right?"
"I've never seen him before, but he's so generous, he's probably a playboy who doesn't take money for granted..."
"Looks like he came from Zhuyi. Is he from a noble family there?"
"I don't know. He's so arrogant, he probably has someone behind him. Let's not mess with him."
The soldiers guarding the bridge and collecting taxes whispered to each other and watched Huangfu Jian and his group walk away.
After turning a corner, Cheng Yu turned around and said coldly, "Second Master, Dong Zhuo has collected taxes under such pretexts. It seems that he can't help it anymore."
Huangfu Jianchang disagreed and said, "Didn't you say before that Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shu are like lips and teeth. Once Yuan Shu is defeated, Dong Zhuo will be the next one. How can Dong Zhuo just sit there and wait for death?"
Thinking about the complicated situation in the south, Cheng Yu said with some concern: "Second Master, Dong Zhuo is not only levying heavy taxes, but also building fortresses and checkpoints everywhere. It is obvious that he wants to sit back and watch the world. This man is not Yuan Shu. He knows how to keep a low profile and avoid danger. He is the greatest enemy of the court!"
Huangfu Jian glanced at him, chuckled, and said, "Sir, don't worry too much. The court has recovered for nearly four years, and it is not the time for Your Majesty to ascend the throne. Although the court has no money, if a war really breaks out, a mere Dong Zhuo can be easily destroyed!"
Cheng Yu shook his head, took a step forward, and said solemnly: "Second Master, the northern states seem to be gradually stabilizing, but it will take at least ten years to completely stabilize and eliminate the rebellion. Once the court is in turmoil, the rebellion in the northern states will inevitably surge again! That situation is the most terrifying!"
Huangfu Jianchang said: "Sir, you are overthinking. The court will not allow the northern states to be in chaos again."
Cheng Yu was startled, looking at Huangfu Jianchang, and immediately remembered his identity, and said: "Second Master, is there any plan in the court?"
Huangfu Jianchang knew that he had let the cat out of the bag, so he coughed a few times and said, "No, it's not that. My second father sent me a letter saying that the court is further promoting the separation of 'military and politics'. The governors, county governors and county magistrates will not be able to command the troops. Instead, they will have lieutenants directly under the court, and the civil officials will only be in charge of the soldiers responsible for public security."
Cheng Yu got the hint and knew that it involved the secrets of the imperial court. Huangfu Jianchang could not say more and said thoughtfully: "This is a way to consolidate the foundation. However, the imperial court should not be impatient and should proceed slowly to avoid any more accidents."
Not only will the governors, county governors and county magistrates be unwilling to take away their military power, but the complex network of relationships among local gentry and the current serious bandit problem require that every step must be taken with caution and without any carelessness.
Huangfu Jianchang didn't like these things, so he changed the subject and said, "Sir, the marriage between Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shu has become a reality, what should we do?"
Cheng Yu followed Huangfu Jianchang and saw a group of soldiers from afar forcing some young and strong men to hurry on. He sighed and said, "Dong Zhuo forced young and strong men to join the army and built fortresses everywhere. I wonder how many people have died in the past few years."
Huangfu Jian waited for the group of soldiers to leave before continuing on his way. He asked, "Sir?"
Cheng Yu shook his head and said, "The court is trying to delay time now. What the Second Young Master needs to do is to find out their movements and strengths in order to wait for the Royal Master."
Huangfu Jianchang naturally didn't want to wait around, his eyes flashed with danger, and he said: "The person Dong Zhuo values most is Jia Xu, should we find a way to capture him?"
Cheng Yu's mind moved, and he said, "If the Second Young Master has the means to secretly cut off Dong Zhuo's wings, that would be the best strategy."
"Let's go to Xiang County first." Huangfu Jianchang already had a plan in mind.
On the other side, Zuo Li also knew that Huangfu Jianchang had met Tian Feng first, so he could only go north to Runan.
Runan is now under the supervision of General Cao Cao, the General of Yangwei.
What Cao Cao did most in Runan was to suppress bandits.
Suppressing bandits not only yields money and food, but also allows the bandits to serve as soldiers, which can be said to be killing two birds with one stone.
At this moment, Cao Cao was leading his troops to attack the Gepi bandits outside Chengfu.
The so-called "Gepi bandits" were also a branch of the Yellow Turban Army. Because they were entrenched near Gepi, they were called the Gepi bandits.
When the Gepi bandits were at their peak, they claimed to have "500,000 soldiers", but in fact they had more than 100,000 soldiers, and they were active in many places including Runan, Liangguo, and Peiguo.
As the power of the imperial court gradually infiltrated Runan, especially Gongsun Zan stationed in Runan, attacked the Yellow Turban Army in various places, and the Gepi bandits kept a "low profile" for a while.
But they also attacked various places from time to time, looting money, food, young and strong people, and women, causing great headaches for Runan and the nearby counties.
After Cao Cao arrived in Runan, he formulated a detailed bandit suppression plan. According to the plan, he began to eliminate the banditry in Runan County from north to south.
The Gepi bandits were his first and main target.
On this day, the Gepi bandits were besieged by Cao Cao in a valley twenty miles outside Chengfu.
This place is close to Pei State, Dong Zhuo's territory, and Qiao County in the north is not far away.
Cao Cao rode on his horse, stroked his beard, and laughed with Guo Jia beside him: "Fengxiao, if you force this Gepi bandit to surrender, I can get at least 5,000 young men!"
Cao Cao was transferred to Runan, and most of the imperial guards were returned to the imperial guard camp, and he only brought 5,000 people with him.
He was well aware of the situation he would face next, so he wanted to force the Gepi bandits to surrender in order to increase the number of troops.
Guo Jia drank the wine and shook his head, saying, "General, we must fight quickly and make a quick decision."
Cao Cao paused while stroking his beard, and asked with a puzzled look on his face: "Fengxiao, what do you mean?"
Cao Ren, Le Jin, Cao Hong and others behind them were also puzzled and looked at Guo Jia's profile.
In the past, Guo Jia always advocated forcing the enemy to surrender in order to obtain young and strong people, money and food to expand his strength.
Guo Jia smiled slightly and said, "Ru'nan is not like Qingzhou. Compared to these bandits, doesn't the general care about those people from aristocratic families?"
Cao Cao looked at Guo Jia, his heart moved, and a strange look flashed in his narrow eyes.
Qingzhou was completely destroyed by the Yellow Turban Army, and the gentry had all fled long ago.
But the situation in Runan was different. Many large and small families gathered together, built their own barriers, and gathered thousands or even tens of thousands of clansmen to fight against the bandits.
"kill!"
But after a moment, Cao Cao waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "If you refuse to surrender, you will be killed without mercy!"
"As ordered!"
Cao Ren, Le Jin, Cao Hong and others raised their hands and rushed out, leading the cavalry behind them, rushing out like an arrow from a bow.
The Gepi bandits were no match for Cao Cao. In less than an hour, some surrendered and some died. Not a single one escaped.
"go!"
Cao Cao turned his horse around and said, "Go back. I want to visit those noble families."
Runan and Yingchuan can be said to be the places that produced the most talents in the Han Dynasty. Although Runan has experienced wars many times, its impact on aristocratic families is not as serious as other places.
"General!"
Before Cao Cao had taken a few steps, a cavalryman came galloping over.
The scout landed in front of him, knelt on one knee, and shouted: "General, there is news from Qiao County that Dong Zhuo will not send Guo Si to attack Qiao County, and the Xu family and other noble families have sent people to ask for help."
Cao Cao reined in his horse suddenly and stared at the scout. His face was a little dark and looked gloomy.
Qiao County is located at the junction of Runan, Yingchuan and Pei State. In theory, it is Dong Zhuo's territory, but in reality it is controlled by the various aristocratic families in Qiao County.
The geographical location of Qiao County is very special. Occupying Qiao County, it is a bridgehead to the south, north and west!
Cao Cao keenly realized the specialness of this place and started to think about it quickly.
Guo Jia followed, drank some wine, and said, "General, this place is not easy to take."
Cao Cao looked at him with burning eyes and asked, "What if I want to take it?"
Guo Jia paused for a moment, holding the wine jug in his hand, and began to think carefully.
Dong Zhuo sent troops to attack Qiao County, which was obviously intentional and premeditated, and he had a bigger plan!
With Cao Cao's current military strength, he cannot defeat Dong Zhuo at all.
Moreover, the imperial court is not ready to take action against Dong Zhuo. Once Cao Cao crosses the border to support Qiao County, it may cause unpredictable consequences!
Cao Cao's narrow eyes were as firm as iron, and his long beard seemed to be frozen. He said, "Fengxiao, this place must not fall into Dong Zhuo's hands!"
Guo Jia looked at Cao Cao and slowly brought the wine jug to his lips.
How could he not know that Qiao County must not fall into Dong Zhuo's hands, but if Cao Cao took this place, he would gain an advantage over Dong Zhuo, enough to overlook the entire Yuzhou!
"Quick victory."
Guo Jia did not drink, but put down the wine pot, with an unprecedented serious look, and said in a deep voice: "General, you must be quick!"
Cao Cao was relieved when he saw Guo Jia agreed, and asked, "What's Feng Xiao's plan?"
Guo Jia looked towards Qiao County and said, "Three things. First, send a letter to the Grand Marshal's Mansion and the court immediately, asking the court to put pressure on Dong Zhuo from Yanzhou so that he won't act rashly. Second, make good contact with the noble families in Qiao County, and have them obey the general's orders! Third, and most importantly, prepare enough food and fodder!"
Cao Cao understood immediately and asked, "Feng Xiao, how long do you think the battle will last?"
Guo Jia took a sip of wine this time and said, "It's hard to say. It depends on the development of the situation in the south. If Yuan Shu can hold on, Dong Zhuo probably won't dare to act recklessly. If Yuan Shu is eliminated, Dong Zhuo will make a desperate bet."
Cao Cao frowned and thought to himself.
He didn't care about the development of the situation in the south, nor did he care that Dong Zhuo would go crazy, but he was worried about the court's reaction.
Once he seizes Qiao County, it will inevitably trigger a chain reaction.
The imperial court does not want Dong Zhuo to openly rebel now. Once Dong Zhuo is enraged and rebels, it will completely disrupt the court's established plan.
But the location of Qiao County is too important to be given to Dong Zhuo just like that!
Dong Zhuo narrowed his eyes, his mind was as fast as lightning, he calculated again and again, his expression suddenly settled, he rode his horse and said, "Okay! Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Le Jin!"
"I'm here!" Four men on horseback followed closely behind.
Cao Cao ran wildly into the wind and said, "Call up the troops, prepare food and fodder, we will rush to Qiao County overnight!"
"Yes, sir!" the four responded in unison.
Guo Jia did not move, but continued drinking, muttering to himself: "A great change in the situation..."
Cao Cao's sudden dispatch of troops to Qiao County would inevitably arouse Dong Zhuo's vigilance. Once Dong Zhuo took any action, the entire situation in the south would certainly be implicated!
The changes in the situation in the south will be unpredictable and unpredictable to everyone!
Cao Cao assembled his army overnight, requisitioned food and fodder, and then set off late into the night, marching as fast as possible to conceal his movements from the eyes and ears, heading straight for Qiao County.
At this time, the situation in Qiao County was already the most urgent.
"Zhongkang!"
On the top of the city wall, a middle-aged man with an anxious look on his face said to a burly man, "We have run out of arrows. What should we do?"
The most important weapon for defending a city is probably the arrow.
Zhongkang is the courtesy name of Xu Zhu.
Xu Zhu had a square face, a face full of flesh, and copper-like eyes. Hearing this, he said in a deep voice: "Bring all the stones and logs in the city. If there are none, tear down the house!"
The middle-aged man was shocked and asked, "Zhongkang, are you going to do this? If we tear it down, how can we live there?"
Xu Zhu sneered and said, "Once Guo Si breaks through the city, we won't even have a coffin to sleep in!"
The middle-aged man didn't dare to speak and had to follow Xu Zhu's orders to look around for things to defend the city and resist the enemy.
"Kill!"
At this time, Guo Si, who was standing on the city wall, led the army to attack again.
Qiao County is not a big city. Its walls are not high and its city walls are not thick. Facing the attack of thousands of people, it instantly felt shaky.
But the young and strong men from the noble families, led by the Xu family, fought hard to defend the city without any fear. Even though they had not received any training, they were still fearless and fought to defend the city with all their might.
Arrows rained down from below the city, and people on top of the city could only throw stones and wood, which was a natural disadvantage.
Xu Zhu had immense strength, and he could throw any stone, big or small, into his flying sword, killing countless people.
Guo Si's soldiers still rushed to the top of the city wall, making the situation even more critical.
Seeing this, Xu Zhu picked up a long piece of wood and pushed it across while roaring.
Countless numbers of Guo Si's soldiers who rushed forward were knocked down and pushed away.
"Zhongkang, this is not a solution..." Someone shouted behind Xu Zhu while hacking and killing.
Xu Chu looked gloomy and said, "Hold on, we have more than 10,000 people in the city, it won't be difficult to defend the city!"
The people behind him were anxious and said, "We have no arrows, no weapons. And Dong Zhuo may send troops over at any time. When will it end?"
Xu Zhu waved the long wooden pole and shouted even louder: "General Cao has replied, saying that he is on the way. Let's hold on, we will definitely be able to hold on!"
The middle-aged man rushed over and said with a wry smile, "We have sent out countless letters for help, but no one came even though everyone said they would come! If Cao Cao came, would his five thousand men be able to defeat Dong Zhuo's army of tens of thousands?"
Xu Zhu's eyes widened as he said, "He is General Yang Wei, an imperial envoy. He is not an ordinary person!"
The others didn't believe it. Seeing that Guo Si was attacking the city more and more fiercely, they could only defend the city for the time being.
Guo Si was supervising the battle below, shouting loudly and pacing back and forth, with anxiety written all over his face.
He attacked the small Qiao County for more than ten days and lost countless people.
How is he going to explain himself if he continues to waste time like this?
For two full hours, the small Qiao County remained as stable as a rock.
Guo Si gnashed his teeth in hatred, but he had to withdraw his troops.
After dark, Xu Zhu patrolled the city with an expression as stiff as iron, his eyes looking towards the south - the direction of Runan.
The only one who can save Qiao County now is Cao Cao in Runan.
If Cao Cao was unwilling to send troops, the fall of Qiao County would only be a matter of time.
Xu Zhu fled east and west with his clan, intending to go to Yanzhou, but unexpectedly, they were trapped in Qiao County.
Now is the moment of life and death for their Xu clan!
"Cao Cao..." Xu Zhu's eyes widened, full of hope.