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

Chapter 265 Design to Capture the Warriors

Hearing Zhou Qi's words, Xu Shu couldn't help but sigh.

He originally had his heart set on the Han Dynasty, but after following Zhou Qi for these years, he saw that the people in Jing and Yang states lived and worked in peace and contentment under the rule of the general, which was much better than when the late emperor was there, and his mind was somewhat shaken.

He sometimes also thought that after 400 years, the Han Dynasty had already become decayed.

If all the world is conquered by the general, will there be another prosperous dynasty comparable to the Han Dynasty?

Once this thought appears in my mind, it is like a dam that has opened up and cannot be stopped.

As time goes by.

As Xu Shu came under Zhou Qi's rule, he saw more and more children from poor families, and they all had the opportunity to become officials.

He couldn't help but think of his past and the great general's kindness to him.

Eventually, Xu Shu's mind changed.

He knew that compared to the already terminally ill Han Dynasty, the one who could save the world must be a great general.

It was the support of this belief that Xu Shu first took the risk to go to Chengdu in person, persuaded Wang Shang and Zhao Wei to defect to Zhou Qi, and then designed to kill Zhao Wei, laying a solid foundation for the pacification of Yizhou.

As expected, the general knows people well and makes good use of them, and will reward those who have merit.

If it were other princes, relying on Xu Shu's background, no matter how great his achievements were, he might not be promoted to a high position such as Military Advisor Zhonglang.

It is not a lie that a poor family can hardly produce a noble son.

However, Zhou Qi was able to reuse Xu Shu and directly promoted him to the second-in-command of the regime, whose status was equivalent to that of Xi Zhicai.

Such kindness strengthened Xu Shu's loyalty to the general.

Therefore, when Xu Shu heard the news of Liu Xie's murder, although he felt heavy in his heart, he did not show too much emotional fluctuations.

He comforted him softly: "His Majesty passed away at the right time and at the right time!"

"General, you are connected with the people of Li, so please take care of yourself."

Seeing Xu Shu's performance, Zhou Qi's eyes gradually brightened, and a subtle smile appeared on his face.

In fact.

Although Zhou Qi valued Xu Shu, he was also worried that Xu Shu would be as loyal to the Han Dynasty as Xun Yu, so he decided to use Liu Xie's death as a test.

never thought.

Xu Shu did not react too violently, but was very concerned about his body.

This also made Zhou Qi feel completely relieved about Xu Shu.

When he promoted Xu Shu to the position of Military Lieutenant General, he indeed intended to treat each other as his mastermind. The reason why he did not choose Jia Xu and Tian Feng was not only because of their character flaws, but also because they both came from wealthy families.

On the contrary, Xu Shu, like Xi Zhicai, was also a scholar from a poor family.

Today is a troubled time, and Zhou Qi has no choice but to compromise with the aristocratic family, but it is hard to say what the future will be like. Promoting a confidant who comes from a poor family will save a lot of trouble in the future.

He looked at Xu Shu with satisfaction, and then said with some confusion: "His Majesty passed away, Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor, and the situation in the Central Plains changed drastically."

"The three groups of soldiers and horses to quell Nanzhong have been ready for a long time. Even the grain and grass have been transported. Gu Zheng is preparing to take advantage of the completion of spring plowing to lead the army south to quell the Nanzhong rebellion in one fell swoop."

"I never thought about it, but my plan was completely disrupted by the great changes in the Central Plains."

"I am now hesitating whether I should continue to go south to quell the Nanzhong rebellion according to the original plan, or send my troops north to attack Yuan Shu."

When Xu Shu heard this, he said without any hesitation: "Of course we will continue to put down the Nanzhong rebellion."

When Zhou Qi heard this, the smile on his face became even stronger.

If it had been the past, Xu Shu would have persuaded Zhou Qi to lead his army north after learning that the emperor had been killed and Yuan Shu had proclaimed himself emperor.

But now, Xu Shu pays more attention to Zhou Qi's interests.

Zhou Qi asked: "Why did Yuan Zhi say this?"

Xu Shu said: "When Yuan Shu becomes emperor, everyone will inevitably betray his relatives and leave, and then all the princes in the world will fight against him. Not only Liu Bei and Cao Cao, but also Yuan Shao will take the opportunity to go south in a large scale."

"My lord leads his army to the north. If he encounters the troops of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, he must be careful and guard against them. There may even be a big battle in the end."

"Yuan Shu's downfall is a foregone conclusion, and the rebellion in Yuzhou and Xuzhou will inevitably begin."

"At that time, my lord will be trapped in the quagmire of war, and I am afraid that I will no longer have the energy to put down the Nanzhong rebellion."

"If the rebellion in Nanzhong is not quelled, Yizhou will not be able to calm down, and sooner or later it will become a serious trouble. This is not in the interests of the lord."

"Isn't it that my lord formed an alliance with Yuan Shu and Liu Bei just to allow them to contain Yuan Shao and Cao Cao so that they could capture the entire territory of Yizhou and then occupy the three southern states?"

"Today, half of the territory of Yizhou has passed into the hands of the lord, leaving only Nanzhong and Hanzhong."

"No matter how bad Yuan Shu is, he has been cultivating in Runan for a long time. Even if Yuan Benchu ​​leads his army south, he may not be able to destroy it in a short time."

"My lord can take advantage of the melee among the princes to completely eliminate the hidden dangers in Yizhou."

"In this way, even if Yuan Shao attacks Yuan Shu and Liu Bei in the future, my lord will still be able to compete with them."

When Zhou Qi heard this, he immediately said, "Yuan Zhi's words are very much in line with my wishes."

But soon, he continued: "Yuan Shu can leave it alone, but my son is being held hostage in Xuzhou, and Xuande is also respected by me, so there is no room for failure."

Xu Shu smiled and said, "This is easy."

"Huang Hansheng, Zhang Wenyuan, and Xu Gongming are all good generals in the world, and they stationed troops in Xiangyang, Lujiang, and Jiujiang respectively."

"My lord can order the three men to recruit and train soldiers and horses on the spot and wait and see the situation in Yuzhou. If Liu Xuande is defeated and Yuan Benchu ​​still wants to get involved in Xuzhou, he can order the three men to lead the army to rescue."

Zhou Qi accepted his words and not only gave orders to Huang Zhong, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang, but also asked Zhou Cheng, who was stationed in Jiangxia, to actively prepare for war and act expediently.

After settling the rear area, Zhou Qi immediately summoned his subordinates and civil servants and said: "The disobedience of the southern barbarians is really a serious problem for the country. I want to lead my own army and go to conquer."

"After Gu left Chengdu, all matters in Yizhou were left to the military advisor."

As soon as Zhou Qi finished speaking, Zhang Song came out and said: "The south is a barren land, a land of plague. It is not appropriate for the general to go on an expedition alone because he is responsible for the most important tasks in the world."

"And Yong Kai, Meng Huo, Zhu Bao, Gao Ding and others are not susceptible to scabies. Since the general has sent out three armies, they will be captured easily. Why risk their lives and go there in person?"

Zhou Qi naturally had high regard for Zhang Song, a prodigy with profound knowledge and strong memorization, but he still said: "The land of the Southern Barbarians is far away from the country. Most of them are not accustomed to kingship, and there are Nanzhong wealthy families who are connected with it. It is easy to rebel, but very difficult to recover, so I have to fight alone."

"Go alone, the size is suitable, and you can decide at a single moment. Whether to kill or surrender, whether to be strong or soft, there is no need to consider it, it must not be left to others."

Zhou Qi's decision to go south personally this time was not motivated by emotion.

Just as he said, although the Southern Barbarians were under the rule of the Han Dynasty, they had long been dissatisfied with the king's rule and had no respect for the imperial court.

As a time traveler, Zhou Qi not only has the ambition to unify the world, but also attaches great importance to the border lands.

In Zhou Qi's view, internal fighting can only show one's temporary prestige. Suppressing border troubles, recovering barbarians, and even opening up territories are major events that will serve the present and benefit the future.

In later generations, China had many regrets, but two of them were related to its outlet to the sea.The first regret is naturally that the northeastern direction was occupied by a certain country, and eventually the outlet to the Sea of ​​Japan was lost.

If China has an outlet in the Sea of ​​Japan, it will not only greatly reduce trade costs with North America, but also pose a great threat to Japan and North America.

The second regret is that there is no outlet in the Indian Ocean, so that such a large Indian Ocean allows things like Asan to dominate, and the maritime trade with the Middle East will also take a long detour.

Just imagine, if China in later generations had an outlet in the Indian Ocean, it would bring about earth-shaking changes to the pattern of the entire world.

The current Nanzhong region even extended to northern Myanmar in later generations.

Zhou Qi not only planned to put down the rebellion in Nanzhong, but also planned to lead the army all the way south to create an outlet for China from the Indian Ocean.

However, that sea area will no longer be called the Indian Ocean in the future.

Zhang Song's remonstrance failed, so he had no choice but to give up.

Zhou Qi immediately took Dian Wei, Chen Shi, Li Jing, Wang Dan, Meng Biao, Huang Quan, Ma Zhong and other generals to the Shujun vassal state to take over Yan Yan's military power.

Zhou Qi also ordered two groups of soldiers and horses led by Huo Jun and Fazheng to divide into three groups and march south with him.

The army marched all the way, hungry and thirsty, staying at night and marching at dawn. Wherever it passed, there was no harm in autumn, and it entered Yuexun County.

The person occupying Yuexun County at this time was none other than the Barbarian King Gaoding, and he was also the only true Barbarian leader among the four rebel armies.

He gathered dozens of barbarian tribes, large and small, and established himself as the barbarian king. He gathered [-] people and occupied Yuexun County. He was also the strongest among the many rebels.

It was precisely for this reason that Zhou Qi chose to lead the troops on the west route and personally came to Yuexun County to quell the rebellion.

However, it is said that the Barbarian King Gao Gaoding learned that the general led his troops into Yuexun County, and urgently ordered E Huan to be the vanguard general to meet the enemy.

E Huan is nine feet long and has an ugly face. He carries a square halberd and possesses the courage of ten thousand people. He can walk as fast as flying in the mountains and forests, and can tear apart tigers and leopards alive. His bravery is unstoppable.

After E Huan received the high order, he immediately led his troops to attack Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi led his army into Yuexun County, with Yan Yan as the vanguard and Ma Zhong and Chen Shi as deputy generals. He led [-] soldiers and horses to clear the way, and happened to encounter the barbarian army led by E Huan.

When Chen Shi saw E Huan coming, he was eager to make a contribution. He immediately clapped his horse and stepped forward, shouting sternly: "The heavenly soldiers have arrived, why don't the traitors surrender early!"

E Huan was furious. He slapped his horse and came forward to take Chen Shi.

Although Chen Shi saw that E Huan was tall and had a ferocious face, he was not afraid at all out of the pride of the Han people and clapped his horse and stepped forward to fight with him.

I never thought that there was a huge difference in strength between Chen Shi and E Huan.

The two clashed, but E Huan killed Chen Shi under his horse.

Yan Yan and Ma Zhong were shocked when they saw this, secretly thinking that this barbarian general's martial arts skills were really great.

E Huan won the first battle, and the morale of his barbarian troops was immediately boosted. They started to scream and kill Yan Yan and others.

Seeing this, Ma Zhong hurriedly said: "The barbarians are good at fighting. Seeing that our army has lost a general, its morale has been greatly boosted. If we force them to fight, we will definitely suffer serious losses."

"Why don't we withdraw our troops first to avoid its sharp edge, and then plan for it slowly!"

This Ma Zhong is not the one who captured Yuan Shu, but is a native of Langzhong, Brazil. He is a historical general of the Shu Kingdom. Although he has just reached the crown, he is famous for his bravery in the provinces and counties.

Zhou Qi learned of his name, so he conquered it.

Where Ma Zhong lives, there are many barbarian tribes, and he is well aware of their habits.

Although the barbarians did not have the discipline of the Han army, they were certainly no match for a large army, but their individual bravery should not be underestimated.

Especially when fighting against the wind, these barbarians are unstoppable and can only temporarily avoid the edge.

When Yan Yan was the governor of Ba County, he often dealt with barbarians and understood their habits. He immediately adopted Ma Zhong's advice and led his troops to retreat.

Unexpectedly, E Huan was chasing after him.

Yan Yan was furious when he saw this, so he took a broadsword and led the army's personal guards to cut off the rear in person, and fought E Huan for fifty rounds without deciding the outcome.

It was not until the soldiers and horses withdrew that Yan Yan fought and left.

E Huan did not expect that there was such a fierce general among the Han army, so he did not dare to push too hard, so he immediately led the troops back with Chen Shi's body.

After losing the first battle, Yan Yan went to Zhou Qi personally to apologize.

Zhou Qi was also shocked, but he did not blame Yan Yan, but said in surprise: "I never thought that this E Huan could actually fight the general for fifty rounds without deciding the outcome."

Yan Yan smiled bitterly and said: "This man has extraordinary arm strength. If it were not for his lack of martial arts, I am afraid that even the final general would not be his match."

Zhou Qi stroked his beard and said: "Such a fierce general should be used by me!"

Zhou Qi immediately walked up to Yan Yan and whispered, "If we do this tomorrow, we will be able to capture E Huan."

Yan Yan was overjoyed when he heard this. He ordered his troops and horses again the next day and went to call for formation.

But E Huan returned victoriously and was praised by the Barbarian King Gaoding, and the fear of the Han army in his heart gradually dissipated.

Therefore, when E Huan learned that Yan Yan had called for formation, he led his troops directly to fight without any hesitation.

E Huan rode his horse out of the battle, pointed at Yan Yan and cursed: "How dare a defeated general come here and bark!"

Yan Yan was furious and cursed: "The fifty rounds of yesterday's battle were indistinguishable, but today it will definitely be a matter of life and death!"

After saying this, the two generals stepped forward and fought together.

The two fought for another fifty rounds. Yan Yan pretended to be out of strength, turned his horse around and ran away, shouting: "I haven't had enough food today so I don't have enough strength. When I go back and have enough to eat and drink, I will fight you again." Win or lose!"

E Huan laughed loudly and said, "You Han people are really making excuses for yourselves!"

At this time, E Huan's fear of Yan Yan had also disappeared. If he was willing to let Yan Yan escape, he would directly lead his troops to pursue him.

However, Yan Yan did not dare to continue fighting with E Huan, and his soldiers abandoned their helmets and armor and fled north.

Seeing this, E Huan became even more arrogant and led his barbarian soldiers to pursue him.

E Huan chased Yan Yan for more than ten miles, and saw that he was getting closer and closer to Yan Yan. Suddenly he heard loud shouts and earthquakes from all around, and saw Ma Zhong and Huang Quan each leading a group of troops to fight out, directly cutting off E Huan's retreat.

Yan Yan, who was fleeing in panic, turned his horse's head, pointed at E Huan, who was looking confused, and laughed: "General Ru Zhong has a plan, why don't you get off your horse and accept the surrender!"

Barbarians are the kind of people who are brave and invincible in battles with a favorable wind, but scatter in a hurry when fighting against a headwind.

It is precisely for this reason that there is a saying that one Han is the Wuhu.

The barbarian army, which had been chasing Yan Yan aggressively, suddenly saw himself and others falling into an ambush, and was immediately frightened and had no fighting spirit.

They didn't even wait for E Huan's order and fled in all directions.

E Huan was also about to run away when he heard a pitiful cry from his horse. He suddenly fell to the ground, but was shot to death by Yan Yan with an arrow.

Yan Yan rushed forward, taking advantage of E Huan being beaten to pieces, and put the big knife in his hand on the opponent's neck.

(End of this chapter)