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

Chapter 238 Meeting Zhuge for the first time and breaking Yuan’s opportunity

After watching Zhou Qi lead his army back to the city, Yuan Shao felt depressed.

He turned the horse's head and returned to the main formation. Looking at the eyes of his soldiers and the faint discussion, he suddenly felt his blood rising and suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood. Then he felt dizzy and fell off the horse.

Fortunately, Gao Gan had quick eyesight and quick hands, and hurriedly stepped forward to hug Yuan Shao, preventing him from falling to the ground.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Call the military doctor!"

"Call the military doctor!"

Yuan Jun's formation suddenly became a mess.

Shouts of exclamation came one after another from Yuan Shao's formation. Yuan's soldiers, who were still whispering, were also shocked by this sudden change.

Zhou Qi had just led the crowd back to the city when he saw Liu Bei and his generals rushing over with excitement on their faces and said loudly: "What a great general." The general's remarks were shocking. , comparable to a hundred thousand soldiers."

"Previously, the officers and soldiers of the four states in Hebei were deceived by Yuan Shao. They really thought that they were loyal to the Han Dynasty and that they were teachers of justice."

"Today I was scolded by the general, and chaos has begun in Yuan's army."

"On the other hand, in Tan County City, all the soldiers are very encouraged and their morale is greatly boosted."

"As the saying goes: Use the Tao to defeat the unprincipled. This is the law of heaven."

"After this incident, we have great righteousness, and the image of the general and the loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty is vividly displayed on the paper. The soldiers dare not die in service?"

As soon as Liu Bei finished speaking, he heard noisy noises coming from outside the city.

When Zhou Qi was confused, he saw Zhao Yun, who was staying on the city wall to observe the enemy's situation, striding over with excitement on his face.

He saluted Liu Bei and Zhou Qi successively, and then said: "Yuan Benchu ​​was scolded by the general. Perhaps because of his anger, he spurted out a mouthful of blood and fell off his horse."

"Now that Yuan's army is in chaos, it is the best time to go out of the city and defeat the enemy. Please give the order to go out of the city and kill the enemy!"

When Guan Yu and Zhang Fei heard this, their eyes lit up and they were eager to try.

Even Dian Wei, Xu Chu, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang and many other Jingzhou generals showed signs of excitement.

Yuan's army is too powerful. If the two armies confront each other at ordinary times, Zhou Qi's chances of winning are slim.

But now, Yuan Shao vomited blood and fell down and fell into a coma. Yuan Jun was leaderless, and Yuan's soldiers were even more panicked.

If we lead the troops to attack at this time, we will definitely defeat Yuan's army and achieve unparalleled feats.

Liu Bei looked at Zhou Qi and said slightly excitedly: "Is it okay to lead the troops out of the city to fight Yuan Jun at this time?"

Zhou Qi frowned slightly, then shook his head and said: "Even if Yuan Shao did vomit blood and fell into a coma, he has countless fierce generals and counselors. Even if there is a moment of chaos, the situation will not be out of control."

"Our army is small, and the Jingzhou army has traveled a long distance to attack. The soldiers are exhausted and cannot bear to fight for a long time."

"If Yuan's army cannot be defeated quickly, it will inevitably be defeated."

At this point, Zhou Qi paused for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice and said, "What's more, I have already promised before the battle that for the sake of our friendship with Yuan Benchu, we will have to rest for three days."

"I guess Mr. Xuande doesn't want to be the only one who breaks his promise!"

Liu Bei heard this and hurriedly apologized: "I didn't think carefully before, and almost ruined the general's reputation. Please forgive me, general!"

Zhou Qi waved his hand and said, "Mr. Xuande did it unintentionally, so how can Gu blame him?"

"However, Yuan Shao is not a trivial matter and should not be underestimated."

"You and I have too few soldiers and horses to withstand the torment, so we should focus on safety first."

Liu Bei agreed, and then sent people to put Zhou Qi and his soldiers to rest. Zhou Ji, who was a hostage in Xuzhou, was overjoyed when he learned that his father had led his army to Tan County, and immediately brought Zhuge Liang to visit him.

After watching Zhou Qi leave, Zhang Fei said with an unhappy face: "That Zhou Qi is too pedantic."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to defeat Yuan Yuan. It is simply unreasonable to give up so easily!"

When Liu Bei heard this, his expression changed slightly, and then he reprimanded: "Yidexiu wants to speak freely, and the general keeps his word. Are we going to force the general to break his promise?"

"What's more, the general came all the way to support Xuzhou and was a great favor to us. How could Yide be so rude and call the general by his name?"

"If the general and his soldiers knew about it, how could they give up so easily?"

In this era, it is very rude to call someone by their first name. Unless there is a grudge between the two parties, few people do this.

Guan Yu gently stroked his beard, but his eyes showed admiration, and said to Zhang Fei: "A gentleman's words are hard to catch up with. The general is a gentleman, how can he break his promise?"

"There is no need to mention this matter again, and please do not call the general by his name."

"The general traveled a long distance to come to our aid. This kindness must not be forgotten."

Zhang Fei was scolded by his two brothers and realized that there was indeed something wrong with his remarks. He immediately promised: "I was too impatient just now and offended the general. I will never do it again in the future."

Liu Bei and Guan Yu looked at each other with helpless expressions on their faces.

They knew that Zhang Fei didn't have any bad intentions, but he was easily impulsive when his temper got the better of him.

Zhang Fei saw that the expressions of the two brothers softened slightly, and immediately continued: "Although the general is unwilling to lead his troops out of the city to pursue Yuan Jun because of his promise, we have no such worries. Why not lead Xuzhou soldiers and horses out of the city to fight with Yuan Jun?" "

Liu Bei and Guan Yu were very moved when they heard this.

At this time, Zhao Yun, who first came to report the news, hoping to go out of the city to fight with Yuan Jun, after listening to Zhou Qi's words, his face showed a pensive look.

He saw that both Liu Bei and Guan Yu were a little moved, and he immediately advised: "Apart from the fact that the general is unwilling to send troops because of his commitment, what he said before is also quite reasonable."

"Even if Yuan Shao vomited blood and fainted, even if Yuan Jun started a riot, and then the generals of Yuan Jun suppressed it, there was no big chaos after all."

"If the general is willing to go out of the city to fight together, we can still give him a try."

"Without the help of the Jingzhou Army, Xuzhou's [-] soldiers and horses alone may not be able to achieve success. Even if they can gain some luck, they will also lose their troops."

"Yuan's army has many soldiers and can afford to lose. Our army has few soldiers, but we can't do this!"

After listening to Zhao Yun's words, Liu Bei gradually calmed down.

The Xuzhou family's financial resources are really too thin. They suffered a lot of losses in previous battles with Yuan's army. Now they only have more than 2 soldiers and horses under their command, and they really can't afford to lose.

However, Liu Bei had now lost half of Xuzhou, and finally said with some reluctance: "Having said that, such a God-given opportunity should not be missed."

"We can send out scouts to inquire about Yuan Shao's situation. If he continues to be unconscious, Yuan's army will definitely be in chaos."

"At that time, we only need to lead the army to rob the camp at night, and we will be able to defeat Yuan's army!"

Zhao Yun thought for a moment and felt that this move was not a bad idea.

But it is said that Zhou Qi entered the temporary general's palace vacated by Liu Bei, and the security work was handled by Dian Wei and Xu Chu.

Not long after, Zhou Ji brought Zhuge Liang to visit him with joy on his face.

"The child pays homage to the father!"

Zhou Ji, who is already eleven or twelve years old, can almost marry and have children in this era. He is not as naive as the junior high school students of later generations, but appears to be quite calm.

Even so, during this period of time away from his parents in the unfamiliar Xuzhou, Zhou Ji still began to miss his parents and family uncontrollably.

Fortunately, Liu Bei took very good care of Zhou Ji and treated him like his own son, but he would not refuse anything he asked for.

The most important thing is that Zhuge Liang, Zhou Ji's assistant, is very interesting. He often comes up with many novel ideas and inventions, which greatly broadens Zhou Ji's horizons.

He could feel that Zhuge Liang, who was several years older than him, was indeed terrifyingly smart.

Even though Zhou Ji did not belittle himself, he still seemed a little ashamed compared to Zhuge Liang.

Fortunately, Zhou Ji is Zhou Qi's son.

As a time traveler, Zhou Qi also has many novel ideas, which unknowingly affects Zhou Ji's growth and thinking.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang, who was originally not very willing to serve as Zhou Ji's assistant, was actually quite inspired after being in contact with Zhou Ji for a long time and began to slowly enjoy it.

The two children studied together, grew up together, and gradually developed some friendship.

I believe that as time goes by and as the two of them spend more and more time together, this friendship will become deeper and deeper.

"Haha, my good son, come and show me to your father!"

Zhou Qi was very happy to see his son. He stepped forward to help him up and began to look closely at him.

"My stepson has grown taller and fatter."

"Logically speaking, you should look thinner as you grow taller, but you have gained weight. Are you not practicing martial arts diligently?"

Zhou Ji said hurriedly: "The child obeyed his father's teachings and asked the three generals Guan, Zhang and Zhao for martial arts lessons in his spare time. General Zhao, in particular, was very patient with the child and his swordsmanship was also very good."

"In the past few months in Xuzhou, my martial arts skills have not fallen behind, but have actually improved."

"If father doesn't believe it, you can give it a try."

"It's just that Mr. Liu was too kind and entertained the child with sumptuous meals every day, so the child gained weight!"

"Hahahaha!"

When Zhou Qi heard this, he couldn't help laughing out loud again, and then said with a hint of ridicule: "So, Mr. Xuande is more concerned about raising his son than I am. It seems that I, as a father, have neglected my duty in the past."

Zhou Ji waved his hands hurriedly and said, "No, how could it be?"

The meeting between father and son was naturally warm and happy, but Zhou Ji did not forget his little friend. After greeting his father, he directly pulled Zhuge Liang to Zhou Qi's side and introduced: "Father, this is Langya Zhuge Liang. He is the younger brother of Zhuge Ziyu."

"In the past few months, thanks to A Liang's company, the child will not feel too lonely."

"Grassmen pay respects to the general!"

Zhuge Liang also took half a step forward in time and saluted Zhou Qi respectfully.

Zhou Qi looked at the man in front of him carefully and found that although he was only fourteen or fifteen years old, he was already over 1.7 meters tall.

What surprised Zhou Qi the most was that Zhuge Liang was not as tall as a growing junior high school student, but his figure was very thin, like a skinny monkey.

On the contrary, Zhuge Liang has a very well-proportioned figure, bright and intelligent eyes, and a very handsome face.If Zhou Qi hadn't already known the other person's age, judging from his face alone, he wouldn't have guessed that Zhuge Liang was only fourteen or fifteen years old.

Zhou Qi didn't know.

The reason why Zhuge Liang is like this is also because of Zhou Ji's blessing.

If according to the original history, Zhuge Liang is now wandering around with his uncle. His life is not good. Although he is tall, he appears to be thin.

Due to Liu Bei's special care for Zhou Ji, Zhuge Liang, as Zhou Ji's assistant and Zhuge Jin's younger brother, will naturally enjoy the delicious food.

Fortunately, both Zhuge Liang and Zhou Ji were not like the fat guys in later generations who were overnourished but too lazy to exercise. Instead, they practiced swordsmanship, riding, and archery, and spent a lot of time exercising every day.

It is for this reason that even though the two of them are growing taller, they still look quite strong.

While Zhou Qi was sizing up Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Liang was also sizing up this legendary general.

To this day, Zhuge Liang still can't figure out where the general heard his name from, so much so that he asked him by name to be the assistant to the prince's successor.

The position of Shuzuo seems not high.

But as smart as Zhuge Liang, he knew what it meant to be the eldest son of a powerful prince since childhood.

If nothing unexpected happens, when the young master inherits the legacy of the general in the future, Zhuge Liang, the assistant, will rise rapidly and may even become the most powerful person since the young master.

This is why, when Zhuge Jin heard that Zhou Qi had named his brother Zhuge Liang as Zhou's successor, he rarely showed his dignity as an elder brother and directly ordered Zhuge Liang to accept the job.

Zhuge Jin doesn't want to put all his eggs in one basket.

It is destined that Zhuge Liang, who is smarter than himself, will definitely not join Xuzhou Mu in the future.

As for the other princes, apart from Yuan Shao, only Zhou Qi was the most powerful.

Most importantly.

Zhou Qi occupies the south of the Han River and the Huai River. Even if Yuan Shao unifies the north in the future, Zhou Qi can at least guarantee that he can separate one side.

Zhuge Jin half forced and half persuaded Zhuge Liang to become Zhou Ji's assistant, which was actually paving the way for Zhuge Liang's future.

It also found another escape route for the Langya Zhuge family.

"You must be Ziyu's brother Zhuge Liang. You are really young, smart and talented!"

Facing Zhuge Liang, who was so wise and almost demonic, Zhou Qi did not treat him as a child, but still had some memories.

Sometimes he also thinks that he has changed Zhuge Liang's life. Can the other person become the same through the ages like he did in history?

Zhou Qi doesn't know the answer to this question.

"The general is overrated."

Even when facing a prince who had been in a high position for a long time, Zhuge Liang still behaved in a measured manner, neither humble nor overbearing.

After the two exchanged pleasantries, Zhuge Liang still couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked: "May I ask, General, where did you learn the name Liang?"

This point puzzled Zhuge Liang for a long time.

Now Zhuge Liang is only a teenager and has not yet begun to raise his children. Even the locals only know that Zhuge Liang is young and smart.

But compared to Zhuge Jin, who has begun to rise to prominence and has gained Liu Bei's trust and respect, what does Zhuge Liang mean now?
He once asked his brother if he recommended him to the general.

The answer is no.

He also asked Zhou Ji, but Zhou Ji said that it was his father who heard Zhuge Jin praising his younger brother that he asked Zhuge Liang to serve as his assistant.

For this reason, Zhuge Liang specifically confirmed it to Zhuge Jin.

The answer is that Zhuge Jin did not mention his brother at first, but the general asked first.

Zhuge Jin followed suit and said a few good words for his brother.

The general seemed to be particularly interested in Zhuge Liang. He asked a lot about Zhuge Liang's deeds, and then asked Zhou Ji to let Zhuge Liang serve as his assistant after he arrived in Xuzhou.

Zhuge Liang knew his brother very well and knew that his brother was more reserved and reserved.

Even if you praise yourself, you won't praise yourself too much.

Logically speaking, with the power and status of the general, it is impossible for him to be too concerned about someone like himself.

The fact is.

The general not only asked Zhuge Jin to agree to this matter, but also wrote letters to his uncle Zhuge Xuan and Xuzhou Mu Liu Bei, hoping to facilitate this matter.

With Zhuge Liang's intelligence, he very keenly noticed that something was wrong.

During this period, Zhuge Liang was puzzled by this question, so he asked like this after meeting Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi looked at Zhuge Liang's wise and curious eyes and knew that it might not be easy to make up lies to deceive him.

He pondered for a long time, then stepped back, looked directly into Zhuge Liang's eyes, and said seriously: "If I say that I saw a corner of the future in my dream, Langya Zhuge Liang will become a famous figure throughout the ages. Do you believe it?"

Zhuge Liang naturally didn't believe such outrageous words.

But other than that, he couldn't understand why the powerful general valued him so much.

Zhou Ji firmly believed in Zhou Qi's remarks.

He finally understood why his father had repeatedly told him to treat Zhuge Liang like a brother and have a good relationship with him.

What a high praise for being famous throughout the ages!

If the other party really has this talent, he is indeed worthy of such treatment.

However, Liu Bei sent scouts to investigate Yuan Shao's condition, and unexpectedly learned from Yuan Jun that Yuan Shao had been unconscious since he fell off his horse, causing everyone in Yuan Jun to panic.

Now two voices appeared in Yuan Shao's army.

Some people believe that King Zhao is now unconscious and leaderless, and even if he wakes up, his body will still need to be nursed back to health.

Moreover, Zhou Qi had already led his troops to help Xuzhou. It would be difficult for Yuan's army to conquer Tan County in a short period of time, so he should withdraw his troops first.

When a good opportunity is found in the future, it will not be too late to attack Xuzhou again.

Another group of people held objections, believing that this time King Zhao used all his strength from Hebei to go south, and they did not know how much food was consumed.

If Liu Bei cannot be eliminated and Xuzhou is captured, the impact on morale will be immeasurable.

King Zhao was just so angry that he fainted, but his body was not seriously injured. He only had to wait for the time being. After King Zhao regained consciousness, he could continue to attack Tan County and capture Xuzhou in one fell swoop.

When the scout reported the news to Liu Bei, Liu Bei couldn't hide his joy.

He hurriedly summoned his subordinate Wenwu and said: "It has been confirmed that Yuan Shao is indeed unconscious. His subordinate Wenwu is divided into two groups. Some hope to withdraw their troops temporarily, while others want to wait until Yuan Shao wakes up to continue attacking Tan County."

"Although it is not yet certain which faction has the upper hand, with Yuan Shao unconscious, Yuan's army must be leaderless."

"I want to lead my troops to rob the camp tonight. What do you think?"

The generals were naturally happy and asked for battle one after another.

Chen Deng frowned and thought for a long time, and then said: "If the general is determined to suspend the army for three days, please proceed with caution."

"I always feel that the information the scouts heard is too detailed."

"These things should not be spread casually."

Liu Bei frowned slightly when he heard this, with a look of vigilance on his face.

Zhang Fei, however, said indifferently: "Yuan Shao's boy vomited blood and fell unconscious in front of the two armies. How could such a big thing be concealed?"

"The two major factions hold their own opinions and are not convinced by each other. Naturally, they quarrel. Without Yuan Shao to take charge of the overall situation, the quarrel spread to the army and was discussed by the soldiers. What is the reason for doubts?"

Zhuge Jin smiled and said: "What the three generals said makes sense."

"However, the matter is serious and Xuzhou has few soldiers and cannot afford to suffer losses. How about sharing this news with the general first and asking the general for his opinion?"

Even Zhang Fei admired Zhou Qi's ability to lead troops and naturally did not object.

Liu Bei also nodded secretly.

Now Zhou Qi is sending a large army to aid Tan County, and both parties should share intelligence.

Even if Liu Bei really planned to go out to rob the camp, he would have to inform Zhou Qi in advance so that the other party could respond in advance.

When Liu Bei and others found Zhou Qi, Zhou Qi was having a lively chat with Zhou Ji and Zhuge Liang.

Seeing Liu Bei coming, the two hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, and then prepared to leave.

Zhou Qi said, "You are not outsiders. Even if Duke Xuande has any important military information, there is no need to hide it from you."

After speaking, Zhou Qi turned to look at Liu Bei and asked with a smile: "What do you think, Mr. Xuande?"

Liu Bei laughed heartily and said, "It should be so."

"Whether it is the prince's successor or Ziyu's younger brother, they are all future pillars of the imperial court. It is not a bad idea to get in touch with national affairs as early as possible."

After leaving the two of them behind, Liu Bei did not show too much politeness and directly recounted the news that the scouts had heard.

Liu Bei said solemnly: "If Yuan Shao is really unconscious, Yuan's army will definitely be in chaos. This is the best time to rob the camp and defeat the enemy."

"I know that the general keeps his promise and is unwilling to break his oath, but Bei has never made such an agreement with Yuan Shao."

"I want to lead Xuzhou soldiers and horses to rob the camp at night, and let the general help defend the city and provide support later. I wonder what the general thinks?"

Liu Bei was able to hand over all his back to Zhou Qi, which was also a sign of great determination.

If Zhou Qi had even the slightest bad intentions, after Liu Bei led his troops out of the city, he would be able to capture Tan County without any bloodshed.

At that time, Liu Bei really became a lost dog.

But Liu Bei firmly believed that both parties now had common interests, and at least until Yuan Shao's threat was completely eliminated, Zhou Qi would never make such a short-sighted move.

What's more, if the two of them cannot fight Yuan Shao together, they will not be able to defend Tan County.

(End of this chapter)