At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 157
"Why, do you still want to do it?"

Seeing Sun Ce tightening his grip on the spear in his hand, Xiang Hong said in a deep voice.

Sun Ce slightly clasped his fists and said, "I have heard that the Chariot and Cavalry Generals have so many fierce generals under their command. I dare not resist arrest. I just want to see the general's martial arts skills."

Hearing this, Xiang Hong stopped talking and walked towards Sun Ce with a knife in both hands.

Before coming here, Zhou Qi once lamented that Sun Ce, the eldest son of Sun Jian, was a good person among people, and he was famous for his bravery at a young age.

Given time, he will become a fierce general.

It was rare for Xiang Hong to see Zhou Qi praise others like this, and he was delighted to see Lie Xin, so he planned to take a shot to measure Sun Ce's martial arts.

"laugh!"

When Sun Ce saw Xiang Hong approaching with a knife, his face was solemn. Without any hesitation, he struck first and stabbed Xiang Hong with his spear.

"clang!"

Xiang Hong's eyes were like lightning and his movements were quick and swift. He struck first and split Sun Ce's spear with his sword, intending to bully him and catch Sun Ce.

Sun Ce felt the tiger's mouth numb, and couldn't help but feel horrified. He hurriedly retreated and distanced himself from Xiang Hong. The spear in his hand was like a poisonous snake spitting a message, and it stabbed Xiang Hong's throat.

Xiang Hong's long knife rotated, causing Sun Ce to shift the direction of the long spear in his hand, and continued to approach two steps forward.

that's it.

The two fought for more than ten times, and Xiang Hong had already bullied Sun Ce, and his powerful knife directly knocked the weapon in Sun Ce's hand into the air.

Sun Ce also raised his gun to block, and his hands were bruised and bloody due to the huge force, and he looked quite miserable.

Xiang Hong put the knife on Sun Ce's neck, and said, "Although he is a young hero, he is too young, his strength has not yet matured, and his martial arts lack the ruthlessness and killing intent that are tempered by fighting on the battlefield."

"If you can grow up safely, in time, you will be a generation of brave generals."

"Little Lord!"

Seeing that Sun Ce was defeated and Xiang Hong put a knife on his neck, the disciples of the Sun family all exclaimed and prepared to go forward to fight desperately.

"Everyone put down their weapons!"

When Sun Ce saw this, he hurriedly shouted to stop.

He fought with Xiang Hong with a gun, not to resist arrest, but to buy time for his younger siblings.

Moreover, as a young man, he challenged Xiang Hong, a veteran on the battlefield, and the other party would definitely not refuse.

If the disciples of the Sun Mansion also came forward to fight with weapons, the nature would be quite different, even if Xiang Hong sent troops to wash the Sun Mansion bloody, it would be possible.

Seeing that the general situation is gone.

For this reason, it is the best choice to put down the weapons and be taken away by the officers and soldiers.

After all, the Sun family was quite famous in Jiangdong. Sun Jian also had a large number of troops and had an old relationship with the chariot and cavalry generals.

Sun Ce did not think that his life would be in danger.

Hearing Sun Ce's stop, although the disciples were unwilling, they could only put down their weapons.

Xiang Hong looked at Sun Ce with admiration, and said, "It's really extraordinary to be so courageous at such a young age. Given time, it will become a great weapon."

"Don't worry, General Cheqi has an old relationship with Sun Wentai, so he will definitely not harm you."

Sun Zhizhi breathed a sigh of relief, and then smiled wryly: "The defeated general, in front of the general, is nothing more than fighting with an ax."

Xiang Hong said seriously: "You don't need to belittle yourself. With my age and experience, I can't beat you if I fight with force."

"At your age, I might as well be far away!"

Xiang Hong is certainly talented, but compared with Sun Ce, there is still some gap.

Although these years, because he often played against Xu Chu, Dian Wei and others and honed his martial arts, Xiang Hong has broken through the bottleneck and reached the ranks of first-class generals.

If converted into later game data, if the full force value is 100, Xiang Hong's force value now is 91.

However, with Xiang Hong's qualifications, being able to break through the bottleneck is almost the limit, and it is basically impossible to improve.

Moreover, with the gradual increase of age, Xiang Hong's physical fitness will continue to decline, and it is not certain whether he can maintain his current state.

In comparison, when Sun Ce grew up, his martial arts skills were at least 95%.

That being said.

However, since ancient times, heroes have been judged by success or failure. Although Xiang Hong said that victory was not possible with force, he still easily defeated Sun Ce.

Xiang Hong ignored Sun Ce, waved his right hand, and said: "Go in and search, and arrest all Sun Jian's family members."

"We pay attention to etiquette first and then soldiers. We should not be too rude and treat each other with courtesy as much as possible."

After Xiang Hong gave the order, the soldiers outside the courtyard immediately swarmed in. As a result, only Mrs. Wu and the servants were captured, but no trace of Sun Jian's other children was found.

Xiang Hong turned his head to look at Sun Ce, and asked in a deep voice, "Where are they hiding?"

Sun Ce said frankly: "My siblings are all going to Wu County to visit relatives, and they are not in the mansion."

When Xiang Hong heard this, the corner of his mouth curved up, and he asked with a half-smile, "Why do you use such an excuse to deal with me?"

Sun Ce lowered his head and closed his eyes, and said nothing.

Xiang Hong frowned slightly and said to the sergeants on his left and right: "There must be a secret passage in the mansion, and we will explore it everywhere, and interrogate the servants of Sun's mansion separately."

The Sun family has settled in Shouchun for nearly six years.

The secret passage in the mansion represents the last hope of the Sun family, so except for a few direct descendants of the Sun family, no one else knows the location of the secret passage. Torturing these servants will ultimately lead to futility.

The sergeants searched the courtyard for more than an hour, almost digging three feet into the ground, but they still could not find the entrance to the secret passage.

Xiang Hong looked at Sun Ce and said in a deep voice: "Everywhere is blocked. They can only hide in the secret passage and cannot escape at all."

"On the orders of General Chariot and Cavalry, I invite Sun Bofu's family to stay temporarily in the Prefecture Mufu. I don't want to embarrass you too much. If you reveal the location of the secret passage at this time, I can explain it to General Chariot and Cavalry, and naturally everything will be over. .”

Speaking of this, a stern look flashed in Xiang Hong's eyes, and the murderous aura he had accumulated over the years of slaughtering pigs and dogs and on the battlefield suddenly exploded.

"If you deliberately make things difficult for me and prevent me from completing the military orders of the General Chariot and Cavalry, then don't blame me for being rude."

Sun Ce stared at Xiang Hong and said, "How can you be so rude to me?"

Murderous intent loomed in Xiang Hong's mind, he waved his right hand directly, and shouted: "Find something to light the fire, and set fire to the Sun Mansion!"

When Sun Ce heard this, he couldn't help but turn pale with shock.

If Sun Mansion is set on fire, even if Sun Quan and others hide in the secret passage, they will be choked to death by the thick smoke.

Sun Ce shouted sternly: "You did this, but did you do so under the orders of the general of chariots and cavalry?"

Xiang Hong shook his head and said: "I have already said that General Chariot and Cavalry ordered me to greet Sun Wentai's family with courtesy. As a general in the army, I should do whatever it takes to complete the military order."

"As the saying goes: Be polite before fighting."

"The gift has been delivered. If you insist on not cooperating, I can only use special means."

When Sun Ce heard this, he couldn't help but show resentment in his eyes, and said, "Don't set fire to it, I'll tell you where the secret passage is."

Under Sun Ce's guidance, Xiang Hong found Sun Jian's sons and daughters who were so frightened that they hugged each other. He immediately accused him of crimes: "The military order has been issued, and I will complete what the general of the chariot and cavalry told me. I was so presumptuous before. , please forgive me."

Sun Ce looked at Xiang Hong and asked, "If I insist on not telling you the location of the secret passage, will the general really set fire to it?"

Xiang Hong remained silent.

When Sun Ce saw this, he couldn't help but sigh, and then comforted Sun Quan and others softly: "You don't need to panic. The chariot general and my father are old friends, and they will not embarrass us."

State Shepherd House.

When Zhou Qi learned that Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Shangxiang and others had all been brought back, he hurriedly put aside his official duties and went to greet them in person.

"I take the liberty of inviting you to come. Please don't blame me if I am negligent."

Sun Ce said hurriedly: "It's too late for us to be happy when the generals of chariots and cavalry invite us, so how can we be surprised?"

Zhou Qi led several people to a courtyard, settled them all down, and then explained: "Wentai killed the governor of Jingzhou and the governor of Nanyang, which made the great Confucians and scholars in the city furious, and he wanted to write a memorial. Brother Tai is guilty of treason."

"Conspiracy is not a trivial matter. If the charges are proven, you will all be implicated."

When Sun Ce and others heard this, their faces were horrified, and some of the younger children were frightened to the point of crying.

Sun Ce immediately turned around and scolded: "How can you cry and cry? Shut up, everyone!"

The so-called elder brother is like a father.

Sun Ce's elder brother had a high prestige. When the children saw him getting angry, they immediately dared not continue crying.

Sun Ce immediately bowed down and said: "My father is loyal and patriotic, there must be something hidden about this matter, please ask General Che Qi to investigate it carefully!"

Zhou Qi stepped forward to help Sun Ce up, and said: "I have never been against Wentai, so I naturally know that he is a man. It must be because he is eager to please Dong and worried about what will be lost in the rear, so he made this bad plan."

"However, the governor of Jingzhou and the governor of Nanyang are both famous people in the world. Their murder for no reason will definitely cause shock in the world. How can the scholars just let it go?"

"I brought you to the State Shepherd's Mansion not for house arrest or punishment, but just to protect you."

"I know that Dong Zhuo is in control of the government, and he acts against the law. He wishes he could lead his troops to conquer. He only hates that he has just arrived in Yangzhou and has not yet established a firm foothold, so he dare not act rashly."

"Mr. Gai, who has been kind to me, is currently in Luoyang as a hostage. If I raise an army to attack Dong, I will definitely die."

"If this is the case, doesn't it mean that I am being unfairly punished?"

"However, I still have the desire to win over Dong, and I don't want Brother Wentai to be distracted by his family, so I ordered Xiang Bode to bring you into the house."

"You guys stay here with peace of mind, even if Dong Zhuo uses the name of the emperor to pin the crime of treason on Brother Wentai, I will protect you and wait for you."

When Sun Ce saw that Zhou Qi was deeply affectionate and didn't seem to be lying, he was immediately a little shaken and didn't know whether what he said was true or false.

At least on the bright side, Sun Ce still respectfully said: "The chariot general is so kind, Sun Ce will never forget it."

Zhou Qi patted Sun Ce on the shoulder and said, "You can live here with peace of mind, but if you are lacking something, feel free to tell me."

After finishing speaking, Zhou Qi did not continue to stay here.

Nowadays, Yangzhou is undecided and government affairs are busy. Moreover, Zhou Qi has already set his sights on Jingzhou and has many things to deal with every day.

He was able to take time to appease Sun Ce and others, but he didn't want to be blamed.

As for Sun Ce and others, Zhou Qi has already given instructions that food, clothing, housing and transportation must not be in short supply. As long as they do not run away with their families, even if Sun Ce and Sun Quan leave the mansion together, no one will meddle in their own affairs.

It was precisely because of Zhou Qi's attitude that Sun Ce gradually believed what the other party said and was not as wary as he had been before.

State Mufu, in the study.

Zhou Qi hung a map of Jingzhou on the wall, pointed to the location of Jiangxia County, and said: "Jiangxia guards the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (hereinafter referred to as the Yangtze River), and has the Dabie Mountains as a natural barrier, so it has a geographical advantage."

"Here, I will take it!"

Having said this, Zhou Qi's right index finger pointed directly at the location of Jiangxia County.

Xi Zhicai pondered for a moment, and then asked: "Does Duke Ming want to take Jiangxia or the whole of Jingzhou?"

Zhou Qi made no secret of his ambition and said: "The governor of Jingzhou and the governor of Nanyang were killed by Sun Jian one after another. Sun Jian, the governor of Changsha, also left Jingzhou and went to attack Dong Zhuo."

"Before going north, Sun Jian forcibly conscripted many soldiers from Jingzhou."

"Now that Jingzhou is empty, it is the best time to seize the entire territory of Jingzhou."

"As the saying goes: if God does not take, you will be blamed instead!"

"Having this opportunity, I will seize the entire territory of Jingzhou!"

never thought.

Xi Zhicai heard Zhou Qi's words, but he didn't agree with him, instead he frowned and hesitated to speak.

Zhou Qi was puzzled and couldn't help but ask: "Does Zhicai have a different opinion?"

Xi Zhicai considered his language for a while, and said: "If the name is not right, the words will not go well, and if the words don't go well, nothing will happen."

"At this time, Dong Zhuo is in chaos and the world is in turmoil. It is the time when heroes gather to eradicate the country's thieves."

"It's okay if Ming Gong doesn't participate in it. If he takes the opportunity to seize the entire territory of Jingzhou, it will definitely attract people from all over the world to criticize him. Even Dong Zhuo will be afraid of Ming Gong."

"Ming Gong once said: When you are born in troubled times, you should build walls high, accumulate food widely, and slowly become king."

"It's a foolish thought that this is even good words."

"If Ming Gong seizes the entire territory of Jingzhou at this time, it would be contrary to what he said, and his sharp edge will be too exposed, and he will become the target of public criticism, which is very inappropriate."

"Besides, when Duke Ming first arrived in Yangzhou, he had only [-] available soldiers under his command. The counties in Yangzhou have not yet fully grasped, and the rear is unstable."

"If Duke Ming wants to raise troops to capture the entire territory of Jingzhou, he will definitely recruit a large number of soldiers and consume a lot of food and grass."

"If things go well, it's easy to say that we can capture the entire Jingzhou area easily."

"Once you are frustrated, the food and grass are not enough, and you return without success, it will definitely damage the prestige of the Duke of Ming. At that time, don't talk about attacking Jingzhou. I am afraid that Yangzhou will no longer be owned by the Duke of Ming!"

Hearing this, Zhou Qi savored Xi Zhicai's words carefully, and then felt cold sweat dripping down his back.

He only thought about the emptiness of Jingzhou at this time, and wanted to take over the entire Jingzhou in one fell swoop, then occupy Jingzhou and Yangzhou, and look down on the world, but he ignored many other things.

Many times, when people see huge benefits and pie things, they are likely to lose themselves.

Zhou Qi is like this.

He only saw the benefits that annexing Jingzhou could bring, but he somewhat ignored the huge danger hidden in it.

Although the governor of Jingzhou and the governor of Nanyang are dead, Sun Jian, the prefect of Changsha, has also left.

However, there are still officials in the remaining counties.

If Zhou Qi rashly attacked the entire territory of Jingzhou, it could be said that it would be a precedent for the princes to annex the territory wantonly, and the image of being loyal to the Han Dynasty that had been painstakingly managed in the past would also collapse.

At this time, the majesty of the Han Dynasty is still there. If Zhou Qi becomes the leader, he will be disappointed even if everyone will not betray his relatives.

Once the reputation is ruined, the soldiers under his command may not be willing to die.

The officials and big families in Jingzhou will definitely do their best to stop Zhou Qi.

If things really got to that point, Zhou Qi would not be far from defeat.

not to mention.

Even if Zhou Qi captures Jingzhou by luck, so what?

At this time, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, the four generations and three lords, have not been able to occupy a state. If Zhou Qi dares to be the first to occupy two wealthy states, he will be regarded as the biggest threat by the princes.

At that time, Zhou Qi will be surrounded by enemies on all sides and will no longer be able to grow up quietly.

Therefore, at this time, Zhou Qi must not be hot-headed and just think about annexing Jingzhou.

After figuring out the key, Zhou Qi bowed deeply to Xi Zhicai and said, "If Zhicai hadn't reminded me, I would have made a big mistake."

Seeing Zhou Qi's performance, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief.

In recent years, although Zhou Qi has had occasional setbacks, it has been generally smooth sailing. Now he has an outstanding reputation and a high position of authority.

Xi Zhicai was originally worried that he might displease the general by advising him not to capture Jingzhou.

never thought.

Instead of blaming someone, Zhou Qi took the initiative to admit his mistake and thanked Xi Zhicai.

With such a broad mind, Xi Zhi couldn't help but secretly praise in his heart: "My true lord!"

He hastily returned the gift and said: "This is a matter of ambition and talent, how can it be worthy of the gift of Minggong?"

But Zhou Qi said with a serious face: "As the saying goes: good medicine is bitter in the mouth and good for the disease, and loyal words are hard on the ears and good for action."

"One person is short of the other."

"I have always made inappropriate considerations, and I will ask Zhicai to correct me in the future. Don't let me misjudge the situation and cause a big mistake."

Xi Zhicai said: "Since I worship Duke Ming as my master, I should do my best to assist you!"

After Zhou Qi woke up, he still said unwillingly: "I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to seize Jingzhou, but I never thought that the time had not come yet."

"If we don't take Jingzhou at this time, the imperial court will re-appoint Jingzhou Mu in the future. With the advantage of Jingzhou's land, it will not be easy to take it again."

Zhou Qi's words are true.

Historically, Huang Zu, a long-defeated general, was stationed in Jiangxia County. Soochow could not attack Dongwu repeatedly, but he lost his troops and generals. Even Sun Jian, Ling Cao, and Xu Kun all died here.

If Sun Quan did not know how to use troops, then Sun Jian and Sun Ce, their father and son, were both brave and good at fighting. As a result, they were unable to attack Jiangxia repeatedly.

From this, we can also see how difficult it is to take Jiangxia County by force, which occupies a favorable location.

never thought.

Xi Zhicai laughed and said, "If you don't take the whole of Jingzhou, you may not be able to take Jiangxia."

"If Duke Ming captures Jiangxia, it won't attract too much attention, and he can take the initiative. It will be easy to capture Jingzhou in the future."

Zhou Qi was overjoyed when he heard this, but then he frowned and said: "To seize Jiangxia, we need to be justified. If we send troops rashly, I'm afraid it will be true?"

Xi Zhicai said with a smile, "Did the Duke of Ming ever hear the allusion of the false way against Guo?"

Zhou Qi was startled for a moment, then his eyes widened and he said, "Zhi is what you want?"

Having said this, he pointed in the direction of Luoyang.

Xi Zhicai nodded and said, "Dong Zhuo went against the law, the world was raging, and all the princes raised their troops to challenge Dong. If all the princes went, but Minggong sent troops to go, it would definitely be true."

"My strategy can not only show Minggong's heart to advance and retreat with the princes, but also highlight righteousness, and can even help Minggong win Jiangxia without bloodshed!"

When Zhou Qi heard this, he couldn't help stroking his hands and laughing, and said: "My ambition and talent are like the great ancestor who has the ovary!"

(End of this chapter)