Han Zuo Gaomen

Chapter 1458
At the beginning of the new year, Jie Kingdom broke out a court change. Jie Lord Shi Hu was countered by his subordinates and was imprisoned in the Fawang Temple in Xindu.

Even in the peaceful years, such a change of the highest position will inevitably be violent and turbulent. One mishandling can cause the decline of a huge empire, not to mention the current state of Jie.

The dignitaries of the Jie Kingdom in Xindu City may have their own desires, and the direct consequence of this court change is that the situation outside Xindu City is completely out of control.Originally, the Jie Kingdom had no effective control over the large-scale people outside the city, but although the Six Outer Armies had only a shape, they still had certain constraints and deterrence.

However, with the ferocious power struggle in Xindu City, a considerable number of soldiers from the Sixth Army from outside the city were also brought into the city to strengthen the power of all parties.As for those Jie country troops that were not brought into the city, it was tantamount to saying that they had been excluded from the change of power.

In today's Jie Kingdom, the hearts of the people are already lax, and the coup d'état in the Huguo Temple can be said to be the last carnival, especially when Shi Hu, the only tyrant who is still a threat to the upper and lower, retires, the Jie Kingdom will never again Without someone who can take care of everything, disintegration is inevitable.

The refugees outside the city of Xindu are also divided into many groups.The most tragic is naturally the ordinary civilians who have been driven out of their hometowns, lost their homes and lost their jobs. These people have little organization and no material reserves. If they are driven to Xindu, it is tantamount to embarking on a dead end. Therefore, fleeing cannot be stopped. Escaping is also death, and staying outside Xindu City is also death.Especially after a cold winter, there are dead bodies outside the city of Xindu, most of which are like this.

In addition to these ordinary civilians, the main body of life and democracy is actually those who have powerful backgrounds or powerful clans and their tribes.Even at the beginning, this group of people did not occupy the mainstream, but after more than a year of running-in and mergers, only these people with a basic organizational structure can survive.

The reason why Zhang Jackal dared to kill Ma Qiu and challenge the authority of Shi Hu, the Jie lord before, was not only the power his family possessed, but also the fact that since he moved to Xindu, many tyrants among the refugees had expressed their allegiance to him in exchange for Asylum, this inevitably gave him an illusion that he could control the inside and outside.

And when Shihu launched a counterattack around the New Year, Zhang Jack realized that the Lord was a mountain that he could never overcome in his life, and those living and strong soldiers outside the city who thought they could rely on their backing could not give him a real crisis. Provide timely and effective assistance.Coupled with the fact that due to fate later, Shi Hu, the host of Jie, took the initiative to push Zu Qing, an ambitious man, in front of him, so he naturally made up his mind to continue to attack the highest position in Jie country.

Perhaps Zhang Jackal is still dreaming, as long as he can obtain the highest authority borrowed from the Jie Kingdom, in turn, he can strengthen his control over the refugee groups outside the city.But the facts proved that he still overestimated himself. At least Shihu, the host of the Capricornus, had the reputation of being cruel and could deter those tyrants who took refuge under the wings of Zhang Jackal, in order to avoid the evil spirits from the Capricorn Lord. The destruction of Shihu.

But now that the stone tiger has been dealt with, and Zhang Hao's greatest significance to these tyrants is no longer there, why do these people have any reason to unite around Zhang Jack, to fight against the Nanguo, which has become a great trend and has shown its sharpness?

The reason why they didn't dare to act rashly before was that the tyrant Shihu used swords to persecute him, and the tyranny has accumulated a lot of power for many years.

It is related to their own lives and future, these tyrants are naturally thoughtful, Zhang Jie is nothing more than Mao Li, under the coercion of Jie Lord Shihu, he can temporarily cover him, but with the disappearance of this coercion, Mao Li finally It's a thatch fence, it can't be a mansion that shelters the world, and a large-scale rout outside the city will happen naturally!

Zaoqiang is a very important city between Xindu and Dongwu City, so there are especially many people fleeing here.There are even some powerful fantasies that relying on the strength of their troops, they will seize Zaoqiang first, and use this city to dedicate the city to the Southern King's division. With the merit of dedicating the city, it can be regarded as a kind of capital for survival.

But it's a pity that Dongwu City Wangshi has been closely monitoring the movements around Zaoqiang City, and quickly responded to signs of Shengmin approaching here.Especially after Shen Mu, the general of Tobu City, sent his army ahead to occupy Zaoqiang in time, the dreams of the tyrants who harbored such schemes naturally came to nothing.

However, Zaoqiang is not the only city that exists in this area. Zaoqiang only has bigger goals relatively speaking. Some Northland tyrants who are unwilling to naturalize as refugees begin to cast their sights on other goals. Those who occupy a city, a dock, a mountain, or a river will immediately submit a petition to the king of Dongwu City to surrender.

General Xu Chun of Zaoqiang King's Division is Xu Ning's son from Guanggu Town, Yuanqing Prefecture. He was sent to lead an army to Zaoqiang before, and he already has the determination to fight to the death in his heart.But when he actually came to Zaoqiang, he found that the situation he had to face was much more complicated than he imagined. Although he didn't have the danger and heroism of defending the city, the complexity of the situation was far beyond that of a young striker. Ability to determine the scope of processing.

Because the land is in the center of Jizhong, the city of Zaoqiang is still relatively well preserved. Xu Chun's [-] vanguard infantry entered the city smoothly with the support of scouts from the front. After the city gate was sealed off, it became a stable stronghold.

Although there was no fierce attack from the Jie army after entering the city, even if there were some strong and fierce men who bullied them, after recognizing the banner of Wang Shi, they did not dare to provoke easily, or asked for surrender, or fled far away .

But Xu Chun still didn't dare to let go, especially when he climbed up the tower and looked around, and saw the dense crowd of exiles in the countryside outside the city, Xu Chun's mood was even worse: "How many northern lands have been expelled by these damned dogs?" The villagers left their hometowns to go to danger and flee to the wild!"

The exiles outside the city gathered more and more, especially after Xu Chun entered Zaoqiang City and erected the banner of Master Wang, in just two or three days, exiles from all walks of life flocked here, wailing and weeping in the countryside, begging for the defense of Master Wang to defend the city. It is possible to let go of the city gate and admit them in, in order to survive.

Although the request was not complicated, Xu Chun couldn't easily nod his head.Although Zaoqiang City is quite large, it is a military stronghold that can hold tens of thousands of troops.

However, the number of living people gathered outside the city has reached tens of thousands, which is simply not something that a mere Zaoqiang City can accommodate.The people outside the city are eager to return to safety. Once the city gate is really opened, some people can enter and others cannot. Under the great disappointment, no one knows what kind of turmoil will erupt.

Moreover, the information about Xindu still lacks conclusive and credible channels, and it cannot be ruled out that evil spirits are hidden in these wandering food outside the city.

But it is also a kind of suffering for Xu Chun and his soldiers under the command of the king to stay out of the city.At this point in the Northern Expedition, in addition to the basic demands of the soldiers themselves to make contributions, it is undeniable that there is a sense of justice in the top and bottom of the king's division. It is also a majestic teacher who recreates Zhu Xia's new students!

But now, there are a large number of Xia people who urgently need to be rescued outside the city. They have no clothes and no food to eat. Almost every moment, some people die in the cold field in the winter, with empty eyes and numb expressions. Every begging is almost squeezing and consuming the little bit of strength and potential left in life.

In the face of such a group of people who are suffering from the catastrophe, it is simply a kind of torture for the soldiers of the kings and soldiers in the city to see death without saving them, and it makes people feel deeply the guilt of being powerless.

"General, there is another letter outside the city!"

As soon as Xu Chun returned from the city tower, a guard soldier hurriedly presented a piece of linen.There are scrawled blood books on the sackcloth, wrapped in stones and thrown into the city. This is the most important way of communication inside and outside the city in recent days.

The person who wrote the blood book claimed to be Cao Da of Dongwu City, Qinghe County. He was originally a Lang official in Jie Country. Because of the great changes in Jie Country, he was promoted by the villagers as the leader and led the villagers back to their hometown.This is not the first blood letter that he put into the city. The previous several statements or letters were all changed, or asked the master to let go of the city's ban and allow the villagers to enter the city to avoid disaster.

This new blood book, with the same scrawled handwriting, is asking Master Wang to temporarily open a few places outside the city to distribute food and relief even if he does not open the city to accept the people, so as to comfort the public for the time being, otherwise tens of thousands of people outside the city will be cold. If the crowd cannot see the meaning of life for a long time, they will collapse in despair.

"...The weeping wild people outside the city were taken captive by the thieves. It was really not what they wanted. The genus of mustard ants, although death is not a pity, the poor man only jumped up to the king, and he resolutely abandoned Hu and returned after a long journey...The general is lucky to stand Under the banner of benevolence and righteousness, he lives as a virtuous minister of the king's industry. If he does not save or shelter him, he will take the sage's voice? The suburbs are full of bones, and the righteousness will perish. How can benevolence and righteousness survive? How can the king's industry be attached? Stabbing the heart is an admonition, may the general's name and truth be returned..."

Xu Chun quickly glanced at the blood book, feeling ashamed and angry.The wording of this blood letter is already very impolite, even alluding to Master Wang deceiving the world and stealing his name, and claiming to be benevolent and righteous, but he did not provide shelter to the refugees from the north who came to vote, and left them to fend for themselves.

Even without the reprimand from this bloody letter, Xu Chun would have been ashamed and secretly resentful, but he couldn't defend himself.

Even putting aside other predicaments, the cost of defending troops in Zaoqiang City alone has reached a very dangerous situation. It must be known that in order to enter Zaoqiang City as soon as possible, all their troops abandoned all their luggage, and they only carried a few days of rations. That's all, not to mention helping the refugees outside the city, even the comrades in the headquarters have many people who are sick from cold and cold but suffer from no medical treatment and are sick and waiting to die.

"If there are any other similar transmissions, they will be destroyed and not kept privately!"

What is the situation of the king's army in the city, he can't reveal it to the outside of the city at will, Xu Chun can only make a decision, regardless of these angry demands, he only hopes that the reinforcements from the back will arrive as soon as possible.

He was already in an extremely bad mood, and was about to return to the office to write a letter to urge him to retreat, suddenly several soldiers rushed down from the tower, they carried a fainted soldier and shouted loudly for the doctors accompanying the army to come and treat him.

When Xu Chun saw this, he stood on one side and waited for the diagnosis result. When the doctor reported that the soldier was just fainted from hunger, Xu Chun couldn't help being even more furious. He pointed at several soldiers and was so angry that he couldn't speak.

Those sergeants lowered their heads in shame, and after a while someone whispered: "We are trapped in an isolated city, and we are unable to kill the thief, and we just want to be safe when we go out..."

"The enemy's situation is still unpredictable, and the people's anger is deepening day by day. Whether you can stick to this situation is still unknown. This is the time for you to force your peace of mind?"

Xu Chun stomped his feet and yelled, but soon he also fell silent, and after a while he said in a low voice: "I am a soldier, since Jia Ge is in the body, killing the thief is the only big wish. Relief matters, more national Zhong Xianliang is in charge. Anyone who secretly hides rations and throws them outside the city will be severely punished by military law!"

After speaking, Xu Chun angrily returned to the office, fetched a pen and paper to write on the desk.Right now, he even hopes that it will not be as good as the siege of the city by the Jie army.

Among the refugee groups outside Zaoqiang City, there is an artificially high leeward mound. At this time, many people gathered near the mound, looking inward with anxious expressions: "What happened to Mr. Cao? Why did you commit suicide?" Stupid..."

Under the innermost mound of the crowd, a pale middle-aged man was lying on the straw mat. There was a glaring bloodstain on the front of his robe, and another person who looked like a doctor was nervously diagnosing him around him. There was a lot of voices, the doctor got a little impatient, raised his head and shouted: "You are besieging here because you hate Duke Cao for not dying?"

When the people around heard this scolding, their faces were a little embarrassed, and they all waved their hands and said: "Why do I think so? Mr. Cao is benevolent and righteous. In order to give us and other villagers a chance to survive, he took his own heart and soul to remonstrate with Zaoqiang..."

"All you need to know is that Mr. Cao is benevolent and righteous. Get out of here quickly and let Mr. Cao rest. If it is true that the heavens do not abandon the sages, you may still be able to save your life."

As soon as the doctor's words fell, Cao Gong, the wounded man lying on the straw mat, opened his eyes, and said in a weak tone: "This is a body that survives a catastrophe, and there is no fear of life and death. If you can use this mere life, you can move the princes and officials in the city." To save my villagers, Cao died a worthy death, and I have no regrets..."

People are fragile and sensitive in this miserable state. When Cao Gong said this, many people burst into tears, and some cursed: "What a weird and bizarre world!" ! The ferocious and rebellious thief has a long life, and Mr. Cao's Renze village has no heavenly family..."

The exiles outside the city did not have a clear camp boundary. As the people cried and cried, word of mouth spread, and soon the story of this Cao Gongsi man spread.

After the doctors retreated from the onlookers, there were still a few villagers staying behind. Some people boiled soup and sent it under the mound, and around the mound, there were also a few gift stalls squeezed out of the few remaining rations by the refugees. Let it go, it is nothing more than some black and hard miscellaneous dry food. Although it is shabby and pitiful, it is the most simple and noble expression of the villagers.

The country of Jie will not cherish these poor villagers, and the southern masters who had placed high hopes on them seem to be less amiable than imagined. These poor ant people who have left their homes and have nowhere to go, have a kind of sadness and despair of being abandoned by the world and the world.

But at this time, they learned that there are still people who are willing to give up their lives to fight for a little life for them. Whether it is useful or not, this trace of warmth is enough to make them feel grateful and work hard to repay.

"Duke Cao really doesn't need to be like this. Although the army of the Southern Kingdom prides itself on being a king's teacher, the so-called king's order will never be given to the common people. If the battle is really going wrong for these soldiers from far away countries, they may even feel sorry for the village. Flow, I hope to borrow strength. But now that the Jie thief army is corrupted, and it is helping the southern army to be arrogant and fierce, how can we care about us rural people asking for help. This blood letter will probably be as unresponsive as before..."

One person carefully helped Cao Da and served the medicine carefully, but his tone was pessimistic.

Cao Da drank a few sips of the decoction, and sighed after hearing the words: "How can I not understand these principles? The decline and fall of the Jie Kingdom is a foregone conclusion, and the return of the Jin Kingdom to the north is inevitable. We northerners, no matter where we go What is the wish, in the eyes of those southerners, it is a sinful body, how can they expect to be treated kindly. But one person's voice is small, and everyone's voice is loud. As long as we can all speak together, the southerners must also be cautious and dare not be rash Sadism."

"I don't want to impress the strong generals in the city with this heart-pounding book. The Jin army's victory is already determined, and it will not take the lives of us villagers by force to waste military use. It is nothing more than to tell the villagers. No matter what the general situation is, whether the king is prosperous or not, but those who can deeply think about the life and death of the villagers are those of us folks who are reliable in the end."

"I heard that Liu and Xu's households relied on their hometowns to attack all sides bravely, stealing the city and making sacrifices. However, if you use swords and soldiers, there will be no casualties. If you dare to be brave, you will encounter tougher opponents and consume the township. I really can't bear to lose one's life to the future of a family. What's more, the number of civil wars between the North and the South has come to an end. This time, the turmoil of the village has fallen into the eyes of the arrogant soldiers of the Southern Kingdom. The land is not as good as seizing the heart, and we are not lonely and loyal in the country of Jie, and we are all happy to see the revival of the king's way, and the love of the country is entrusted to me, so I can survive by myself, and guide the villagers to rule, and I can praise the merits in the long run."

When several people around heard Cao Da's explanation, they all nodded their heads in praise.Right now they are full of panic, and they don't have the guts to imitate other tyrannical sacrifices, and Cao Da's more secure way of thinking is naturally recognized by them.

After using the medicine, Cao Da closed his eyes to catch his breath for a while, and then said: "However, my blood letter to the city is inevitably a bit of a sense of morality, and it may arouse the grudges of the city's tyrants. Moreover, the villagers are poor. Jiuji, you also need to vent a little bit. You can organize a group of villagers to make a noise in the city later, and then help me to suppress it. If you do this several times, the city will naturally know where the nostalgia is. If they want to To preserve and collect the tens of thousands of people outside the city, we naturally need to rely on us for a while. We villagers dare not use treachery to block the king's order, but we also need to be flexible and make good friends!"

Cao Da and the others started to make preparations for what to do, but in the afternoon, a cavalry team of thousands of people suddenly appeared in the suburbs to the south of Zaoqiang City.

The organization of the refugees outside the city was chaotic, let alone the concept of scouts and ears, because they didn't realize it until this team rushed to the refugee team, and they were all panicked.

At the front of this team are some rather eye-catching carts. The carts have no sideboards, and the people sitting on them can be clearly seen. Shouted: "It's Qinghe Cui's family, Cui Pingyuan... Zhang Jigong..."

The situation in Xindu collapsed, and Shengmin fled in all directions. Although it seemed aimless, there was actually no lack of rules.When the refugees fled, the first direction they chose was naturally the hometown.And Zaoqiang is just between Qinghe County and Xindu, because most of the refugees gathered outside Zaoqiang City are from Qinghe, and they are no strangers to the famous and famous people in their village.

This team walked a certain distance after entering the refugee group. As the identities of the people in the car were called out, the people under the mound naturally knew about it.Cao Da's face was gloomy and ugly: "Cui Pingyuan and others fled to the south earlier, and they protected the Jin State from being expelled by the Jie State. Why did they appear here again?"

"Brother Cao, our plan..."

"According to the plan! They may have gone to the South safely, but they can't ignore the family relationship and hinder us from seeking peace of mind!"

Cao Da said bitterly, unwilling to give up halfway.But although he made up his mind here, he found that the opportunity was gone.The Qinghe Cui family, Zhang family and others have been famous families in the county for a long time, and their appeal to the villagers is far beyond what he can match, otherwise he would not have committed suicide in order to win the nostalgia.

When these celebrities in the county entered the refugee population, many villagers spontaneously flocked up, clamoring and begging, hoping that these sages would come forward and seek a way out for these poor villagers.

"Rejuvenation of the kingly way, saving the people and relieving suffering, is the righteousness. The folks don't need to ask for anything, just go down from here, there will be alms and relief along the way, and the way back home will be unimpeded. It is not the country's situation that can be resolved by the king's government. .We are here today, declaring the implementation of Taiwan’s benevolent government, and we are also seeking to arrest the thieves of the villagers. Please keep your duties and don’t hinder the king’s affairs.”

Seeing the distressed villagers rushing towards them one after another, these members of the Cui and Zhang clan were also very excited, but soon the ferocious tone of Shen Mu's words "The wishes of the village must be removed" echoed in their ears, The eager mood quickly calmed down, and he didn't dare to pretend to be a petitioner.

Shen Mu's meaning is very simple and clear. Wang Shi's Northern Expedition to kill the Hu and save the people is his duty, but if there are any Hebei townspeople who dare to take advantage of the villagers' appeals to promote Taiwan's government and corruption, then they must be cracked down and eradicated. objects, including them!
(End of this chapter)