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

Chapter 296 Full of favors and generals

Although Cao Cao pacified Liangzhou and expanded his strength again, he was still short of men and horses, and it was difficult to sustain food and grass.

After the class teacher returned to Chang'an, it was already the beginning of spring.

Guo Jia took the opportunity to persuade: "Hanzhong is the northern gateway to Yizhou, and Zhou Ziyi will definitely seek it out sooner or later. If Hanzhong falls into Zhou Ziyi's hands, they can advance to plunder Longxi and Guanzhong, and retreat to occupy the dangerous mountains and rivers to run Bashu." , will definitely be a serious problem for Duke Ming."

"Zhang Lu has occupied Hanzhong for a long time, but he has no intention of making progress. He is a defender of the city. If the Chu army attacks Hanzhong, they will surely surrender."

"Ming Gong can take a step ahead of Zhou Ziyi and form an alliance with Zhang Luxu to fight against the Chu army."

"If the Chu army attacks Hanzhong, Duke Ming can lead troops to rescue it. After the Chu army is defeated, wouldn't it be nice to take Hanzhong as his own?"

In history, Zhang Lu, after surrendering to Cao Cao, he and his five sons were all granted the title of marquis and had thousands of households living in the city. Not only did they get a good death, but their family also passed down the family for a long time. They were the best treated among the princes who surrendered to Cao Cao.

Even the historian Pei Songzhi found it strange. He thought that although Zhang Lu had good intentions, he surrendered after defeat and was favored by ten thousand households and all five sons were made marquises. This was a bit too much.

This is indeed the case. The favor that the Zhang and Lu family received is indeed incredible.

What's more, Zhang Lu didn't surrender to Cao Cao immediately, but after he was defeated and fled Hanzhong, he surrendered after Cao Cao sent people to express condolences because he ordered people to block the warehouse and leave all the money and food to Cao Cao.

Zhang Lu surrendered, and Cao Cao even let his son marry Zhang Lu's daughter as his wife.

Logically speaking, even if Zhang Lu had not burned his money and food before his defeat, he would not have received such favor.

However, many people forget that Zhang Lu was from Peiguofeng County, the same county as Cao Cao.

No matter how treacherous Cao Cao was, he had extraordinary care for his fellow villagers, even to the point of indulgence.

Perhaps Cao Cao cared about this friendship with the same county, and Zhang Lu was a heavenly master of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, so he paid special attention to him.

In fact.

China has attached great importance to the friendship between the township and party since ancient times. Not to mention that Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang relied on the township party to conquer the world, but Chiang Kai-shek in modern history also attached great importance to the friendship between the township and party. His most trusted generals and spy chiefs were all He was a fellow countryman of Chiang Kai-shek.

The friendship between township and party has long been engraved in the bones of the Chinese people.

Perhaps it was for this reason that even though Zhang Lu was cornered by Cao Cao, he still refused to surrender to Liu Bei who was just around the corner. Instead, he said: "I would rather be a slave for Duke Cao than a guest for Liu Bei!"

You know, during Zhang Lu's separatist rule in Hanzhong, he had no major conflicts with Liu Bei. Instead, he was defeated by Cao Cao and forced to retreat to Bazhong.

Guo Jia also wanted to use this friendship between the township and party to form an unbreakable alliance between Cao Cao and Zhang Lu, and then find an opportunity to annex Hanzhong.

If it were the other princes, they might not dare to compete with the powerful Zhou Qi for Hanzhong, but Cao Cao is different.

He pondered for a while and then asked immediately: "Fengxiao, who can be my envoy?"

Guo Jiadao: "Man Boning can be my envoy."

Man Chong was a surname from Changyi in Shanyang County. Shanyang County happened to border Pei State. If calculated based on straight-line distance, Changyi was even closer to Feng County than Qiao County.

Moreover, Man Chong is quite resourceful and fully capable of serving as an envoy.

Cao Cao accepted his words, so he used Man Chong as his envoy and ordered him to bring many specialties of Pei State and generous gifts to Nanzheng to meet Zhang Lu.

Before Man Chong went out as an envoy, he did not know that Zhou Yu was preparing to attack Hanzhong.

It was not until they entered Hanzhong that they learned that Mianyang and Dingjun Mountain had been occupied by the Chu army. Man Chong was immediately frightened and feared that Zhang Lu would be defeated and surrendered, so he rushed to Nanzheng to meet Zhang Lu.

The reason why Zhang Lu asked Li Yan to retreat first was because he learned that Cao Cao had sent Man Chong here and wanted to know the purpose of Man Chong's trip.

"Sir, the Heavenly Master invites you!"

Outside the Tianshi Mansion, Man Chong watched Li Yan leave. They both looked at each other secretly. Only after Li Yan was completely invisible did someone come out to invite Man Chong into the mansion.

"Man Boning, Magistrate of Chang'an County, pays homage to the Heavenly Master!"

Man Chong was eight feet tall. Although he was a famous scholar, he was also quite brave. He also enforced the law with a ruthless face, a bit like a cruel official.

Historically, when Man Chong was interrogating Yang Biao, even though Xun Yu and Kong Rong begged for mercy, Man Chong was unmoved and still tortured Yang Biao according to the procedures.

Cao Hong's relatives and retainers broke the law and were arrested by Man Chong. Cao Hong personally came to plead for mercy, but Man Chong still refused to let him go.

Cao Hong had no choice but to ask Cao Cao to order Man Chong to be released.

However, Man Chong executed all the prisoners before Cao Cao came over. This shows how upright Man Chong was.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this character that Man Chong won the respect of Cao Cao and entrusted him with important responsibilities.

Man Chong is not only honest in law enforcement, but also eight feet tall, brave and resourceful.

During the Battle of Guandu, because Runan was the hometown of Yuan Shao, there were many disciples and former officials of the Yuan family there who were not loyal to Cao Cao.

During the war between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, Yuan's disciples and former officials were distributed in various counties, supporting troops and refusing to defend, and raised troops to rebel.

Cao Cao made Manchu the prefect of Runan.

After Man Chong arrived in Runan, he only recruited [-] soldiers and horses. He successively broke through more than [-] rebel camps. He also designed to kill more than [-] rebel commanders, captured [-] rebel soldiers, and robbed [-] civilians. , completely pacified Runan.

It was also from then on that Man Chong changed his civil service to military service, and successively served as General Fenwei, General Yangwu, General Fubo, Former General, and General Zhengdong. He participated in most battles that could determine Cao Wei's life and death, which can be described as military exploits. Biao Bing, and finally the official title was Taiwei.

Such a fierce man, although he has not yet shown his prowess at this time, his talent cannot be concealed no matter what.

He quickly understood the current situation and knew that his mission was quite difficult because he did not expect that the Chu army would capture Mianyang and Dingjun Mountain so easily before setting off.

Dingjun Mountain is only two or three days away from Nanzheng, and it occupies a very favorable terrain. It can be attacked, retreated or defended. The situation is very unfavorable for Hanzhong.

Zhang Lu's defenders may not have the guts to fight the Chu army when they see the situation collapse at this point, and may very well surrender the city.

If Zhang Lu surrenders, then the purpose of Man Chong's trip will be defeated.

Man Chong had such a resolute character that even when Guan Yu flooded seven armies and besieged Fan City, frightening all the generals to abandon the city and flee, he still persuaded Cao Ren to defend the city and wait for reinforcements.

It was precisely because of Man Chong's persistence that Fan Cheng was not lost, and Guan Yu finally defeated Maicheng.

If Fancheng had overcome it early, the situation might have changed.

Even at an old age, Man Chong could still drink a stone's worth of wine. When Sun Quan led [-] troops to launch the Fifth Battle of Hefei, he personally risked his life and shot Sun Quan's nephew Sun Tai, and finally defended Hefei until Cao Wei's reinforcements arrived.

Now is the first time that Man Chong appears in the sight of the princes, so he naturally does not want to fail the mission.

When Zhang Lu saw Man Chong coming forward to greet him, he immediately asked, "Why is Man Boning here?"

Man Chong originally planned to form an alliance with Zhang Lu on behalf of Cao Cao, but now he changed his mind and said seriously: "I am here to relieve the angels from danger!"

Yan Pu looked slightly calm and asked, "Why did you say this, sir?"

Man Chongyuan pointed out the direction of Junshan and said, "The Chu army has already stationed troops at Junshan. It is only two or three days' journey from Nanzheng. Don't you know?"

Yang Song sneered: "Why do you need to tease us?"

"Zhou Gongjin led his troops to attack Hanzhong, which is what happened in the past few days. Considering the distance between Chang'an and Nanzheng, it must be that Zhou Gongjin had not yet attacked Hanzhong before you sent the envoy."

"In this case, you are only here alone, how dare you make such nonsense?"

Man Chong smiled and said: "Although I am only one person, Cao Gong in Guanzhong has more than [-] troops. Zhou Yu's army in attacking Hanzhong is only [-] or [-]. What's the point?" Yang Song said, "I'm afraid the water from far away can't quench the thirst of the near. .”

Man Chong smiled and said: "Zhou Yu has only twenty to thirty thousand soldiers and horses. Although Hanzhong is only a county, the Heavenly Master has been working here for many years. The Five Pecks of Rice Sect is also deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and has countless followers."

"Even if Zhou Yu can catch someone by surprise and carry out a moment of evil, if everyone in Hanzhong is united, what's the point of fear?"

Zhang Song said: "If Zhou Gongjin only had [-] troops and horses, it would be of no use. However, the king of Chu has the power of the three states, the people are rich and the country is strong, the counselors are like clouds, and the fierce generals are like rain."

"The King of Chu has millions of troops. Even if we can stop Zhou Gongjin's [-] soldiers and horses, if the King of Chu personally leads the army to attack, how can we resist it?"

"Hahaha!"

Faced with Yang Song's aggressive momentum, Man Chong laughed out loud.

Yang Song was unhappy and asked: "Why are you smiling?"

Man Chong stopped laughing, bowed slightly to Yang Song, and then asked: "May I ask who your surname is and what your current position is?"

Yang Song raised his chin slightly and said, "I am the leader of Hanzhong, and so is Yang Song."

Man Chong said sternly: "I laugh at Master Yang for occupying the position of a master but without any strategy in mind. His short-sightedness is really ridiculous!"

Yang Song was furious, pointed at Man Chong and shouted: "How dare you spit on others?"

Man Chong sneered and said, "Even if we use all the strength of Chu State to manage to gather an army of one million, how much money and food will we consume every day?"

"If the King of Chu dares to act like this, there is no need to fight with him. As long as he resists the danger and defends, the Chu army will definitely run out of food and grass and collapse without a fight."

"Your Excellency is a weakling, but you can't even understand such a simple thing. Isn't it ridiculous?"

Yang Song was speechless and ashamed.

When Yan Pu saw this, he stood up and said: "The King of Chu cannot afford a million troops to attack Hanzhong. He only needs to lead an army of [-] people. May I ask, sir, how can we resist?"

Man Chong asked: "Who is your surname, and what is your current position?"

Yan Pu said: "I am in Yan Pu, and now I am serving as a meritorious officer in Hanzhong."

Man Chong smiled and said: "Although you are the leader of the officials in Hanzhong, you don't know the weather and the general trend."

"In today's world, Yuan Benchu ​​dominates the north, and Zhou Ziyi separatizes the south of the Yangtze River. Both of them regard each other as their lifelong enemies."

"If Zhou Ziyi raised an army of [-] to attack Hanzhong and almost exhausted all his strength, and Jing and Yang states were empty at that time, how could Yuan Benchu ​​sit idly by and ignore it?"

"In my opinion, if the Chu army attacks Hanzhong, it will range from [-] to [-] to as many as [-]. They will never use all their strength to attack."

When Zhang Lu heard this, he couldn't help but feel enlightened, but he still said with some worry: "Even so, Hanzhong may not be able to resist."

When Man Chong heard this, he smiled slightly proudly and said: "If the Heavenly Master can trust me and is willing to entrust me with important tasks, I will entrust all military affairs to me."

"I can guarantee here that if they bring [-] troops to invade Hanzhong, I will destroy them for the angels; if they bring [-] troops to invade Hanzhong, I will reject them for the heavenly masters; if they bring [-] troops to invade Hanzhong, I will stop them. In Hanzhong, I can ask for help from Chang'an and defend until reinforcements arrive in Guanzhong, and I will be able to keep Hanzhong safe!"

Hearing Man Chong's arrogant words, although no one in Hanzhong believed it, they couldn't help but feel a little relieved.

Yang Ren, the general of Hanzhong, said: "Your words are too arrogant. Are you deceiving me that there is no one in Hanzhong?"

Man Chong took a look at the other party's attire and knew that Yang Ren was a military general. He immediately sneered and said: "If all the generals in Hanzhong are generals like you and are frightened by Zhou Yu's [-] troops, I will definitely ignore them!"

Yang Ren was furious, drew his sword in his hand, pointed at Man Chong and shouted: "Shu Zian dares to insult me?"

Zhang Lu was trying to dissuade him, but when he saw Man Chong unhurriedly drawing his sword in his hand, he chuckled and said, "Although I am a civil servant, I am also proficient in martial arts. If you want to use force, I just want to test the power of the sword in my hand." !”

Hearing this, Yang Ren couldn't bear it anymore and immediately roared angrily, stabbing Man Chong with a sharp sword.

However, Man Chong was unhurried. He first stepped sideways to avoid Yang Ren's attack, and then suddenly swung the sharp sword in his hand.

"clang!"

Hearing the sound of the jingle clashing, Yang Ren suddenly felt numb.

Man Chong was eight feet tall, which was not considered short even among the generals of the Three Kingdoms.

He had practiced literature and martial arts since he was a child, and his strength was also good. Otherwise, he would not have been able to shoot Sun Quan's nephew personally when he was old and frail.

Man Chong took advantage of Yang Ren's attack to fail and when the tiger's mouth was numb, he quickly turned the sword in his hand and placed it directly on Yang Ren's neck.

When the rabbit was up and the falcon was about to fall, Yang Ren, the so-called Hanzhong general, was subdued by Man Chong, a civil servant, which immediately caused everyone to be extremely shocked.

"Chong!"

Man Chong subdued Yang Ren with one move, but changed his aggressive posture, sheathed his sword and took two steps back. Instead, he raised his hand to Yang Ren and said, "I gave in. How offended!"

Yang Ren felt his face was burning and wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in. However, seeing Man Chong's attitude, he could only sheath his sword and return the favor.

"Clap clap clap!"

Zhang Lu also didn't expect that Man Chong actually had such strength. He immediately clapped heavily and a smile appeared on his face.

He leaned forward and asked, "Can Boning really defeat the Chu army for me?"

Man Chong said: "Even if you don't win, you won't lose."

"However, from my perspective, if Zhou Yu's offensive is blocked, the Chu State will definitely not give up and will continue to send troops. At that time, the strength of a Hanzhong county may not be able to compete with it."

"If the Heavenly Master does not want to lose the foundation of Hanzhong, he can make a blood alliance with Duke Cao and send an envoy to Chang'an to ask for help."

"Once reinforcements from Chang'an arrive, why fear the Chu army?"

Man Chong was naturally very arrogant just now in order to stabilize the morale of the army, but now he is much more humble and dare not speak out.

He did this with the intention of stabilizing Zhang Lu and others first, and then waiting for Chang'an's reinforcements.

Zhang Lu pondered for a long time and said: "I have always known Duke Cao as a man, and we are from the same county as me, so naturally I am willing to form an alliance with him."

"However, the Chu army was cunning and took advantage of my unpreparedness to capture Mianyang and Dingjun Mountains. This caused many people in the county to be afraid and wanted to surrender to Chu."

"I would like to worship Boning as a military advisor and go to the front line to help my brother fight against the Chu army. How about that?"

Man Chong bowed and said, "I have my wish, but I dare not invite you!"

After Man Chong paid homage to the general, his eyes suddenly flashed and he said, "If what I expected is correct, the person who just left the palace is the envoy sent by the Chu State, right?"

Zhang Lu nodded and said, "It's Nanyang Li Yan."

A stern look flashed in Man Chong's eyes, and then he said: "Since the Heavenly Master knows that everyone above and below is afraid and has the intention to surrender to Chu, why not kill the envoys of Chu and sacrifice the flag to show his sincerity?"

"At that time, everyone in Hanzhong knew that the Heavenly Master wanted to resist Chu, so they must work together to defend against the powerful enemy. Isn't it beautiful?"

(End of this chapter)