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

Chapter 349 Tangled

Guanzhong, Chang'an.

Zhou Ji and Xiahou Min were already married, and Zhou Qi released Xiahou Yuan and the captured Cao soldiers as promised.

Outside Chang'an City, many family members of captured soldiers were waiting on both sides of the road early, eagerly waiting to see their families return safely.

Many people are looking forward to it, hoping that their relatives will be among the prisoners.

Since Cao Cao was on the losing side in the Battle of Yangping Pass, many soldiers were separated, died in battle, and captured. It is impossible to count who was separated, who died in battle, and who was captured.

"Father!"

"Son!"

"Lang Jun!"

As the captured soldiers gradually came into the sight of the people, many people who saw their relatives cried with joy, waved their arms and shouted loudly.

Cao Cao saw this scene in front of his eyes and was somewhat touched in his heart.

It is not the best time to get involved at this time.

Although slightly disappointed, Zhou Qi is not the kind of person who likes to place his hopes on others.

If you want to defeat Yuan Shao, you still have to rely on yourself after all.

Therefore, Zhou Yu was not worried that Pang Tong and Lu Xun would threaten his future status in Chu.

When it comes to commanding troops, although Zhuge Liang has only just emerged, Zhou Yu can't help but be amazed by his rigorous marching formation and scheduling abilities.

Although the release of these prisoners greatly reduced the losses of the Guanzhong Army, which had experienced the defeat at Yangping Pass, it still consumed a lot of Guanzhong's manpower and material resources.

If he only competes with his own talents, Zhou Yu naturally doesn't feel that he is much behind Zhuge Liang.

In terms of resourcefulness, Zhuge Liang was not inferior to Zhou Yu, and even exceeded it.

He turned to look at Cao Ren and said: "Distribute some rewards to the soldiers, let them go back and spend more time with their families this winter, and then recruit them after the spring plowing is completed next year."

If this war wants to continue for a long time, Yuan Shao must also take into account the autumn harvest in Zhao.

This kind of loss was a serious drain on Qin's national power.

He looked at Zhuge Liang, who was standing silently next to him, and knew that this man was highly valued by His Royal Highness the King of Chu, and that he had extraordinary political and military talents. When he first went out with the army, he designed to defeat Yuan's army with a small number and a large number, and killed him. Several Yuan Jun generals.

During the period of contact with Zhuge Liang, the two talked happily and even became close friends.

The other generals also nodded slightly.

But in private, Zhou Yu also sighed secretly: "Since Yu is born, how can Liang be born!"

When the envoy to Chang'an returned with Cao Cao's ambiguous reply, Zhou Qi already knew Cao Cao's plan.

It can be expected that when Zhou Ji takes power in the future, Zhuge Liang will be entrusted with important tasks.

However, Pang Tong preferred to be a counselor. Even if he had excellent intelligence, he could not threaten Zhou Yu's status.

But don't forget that when the crown prince Zhou Ji went to Xuzhou as a hostage, Zhuge Liang served as his assistant beside him. The two of them had been in adversity together for so many years, and they had the kind of relationship that was both a teacher and a friend.

On the surface, he said calmly: "Although I have some speculations, I don't know if my thoughts are the same as Kong Ming's."

Autumn is indeed the harvest season. Yuan Shao sending so many soldiers and horses will definitely affect the harvesting of crops and the cultivation of fields.

As time passed and the weather gradually turned colder, Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, who were commanding at the front, could vaguely feel that Yuan Jun's offensive had weakened a lot.

When it comes to politics, there is really no comparison between the two.

Moreover, Cao Cao also knew that Yuan Shao seemed to have a large number of people and a fierce offensive. However, the Chu army had a geographical advantage and there was no way to determine the outcome of this battle in a short period of time.

Cao Cao was the kind of monarch who never stopped plowing in battle, so he naturally knew the importance of spring plowing.

After learning about this man's record and thinking about Zhuge Liang's political skills in dealing with Kuai, Zhou Yu couldn't help but feel a little pressure.

Zhou Yu's brows relaxed slightly, but he did not agree with this statement. Instead, he had a vague guess.

Cao Cao's choice to suspend his troops first to support his people was definitely a correct decision.

Huang Zhong smiled when he heard this and said, "Is Gong Jin worrying too much?"

Therefore, even though Zhou Qi had sent people to bring the alliance letter and asked Cao Cao to send troops to attack Yuan Shao, Cao Cao still did not agree immediately.

Although Pang Tong and Lu Xun are both outstanding figures in the world.

Although the two are now separated, their friendship remains.

Zhou Yu frowned slightly and said: "For several days in a row, Yuan Jun's offensive has become weaker and weaker. There may be something fishy in it."

Zhou Yu couldn't help but be horrified and thought to himself: "This Zhuge Kongming can really see into people's hearts!"

"Now that the weather is getting colder and it's time to harvest grain in Hebei, why not Yuan Benchu ​​sending some civilians and soldiers back to harvest grain?"

Zhuge Liang is different.

Zhou Yu felt a little crisis in his heart, but he had to admire Zhuge Liang's talent. Seeing that the other party remained silent, he immediately stepped forward and asked, "Did Kong Ming see any clues?"

Although Lu Xun is excellent in all aspects, Lu Xun's skills are not much worse than Zhou Yu's, or even better.

Although Cao Cao was a tycoon of his generation, he was not as cold-blooded in his treatment of his family as Liu Bei and Sun Quan. Instead, he was like Yuan Shao, who still had warmth.

Especially the food, grass and baggage were almost all taken away by Zhou Yu.

Zhuge Liang raised his head and looked at Zhou Yu, with a slight smile in his eyes as bright as the stars, and said: "Since Gong Jin has guessed the reason, why did he come to take the exam with me?"

Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "In that case, why don't you and I write down all our guesses in the palm of our hands, and then see if they are the same?"

Zhou Yu couldn't help stroking his hands and laughing, saying: "This is a wonderful plan!"

Next, Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang had their writing brushes brought in. After soaking in ink, they wrote on their palms.

After they all stopped writing, Zhou Yu took the lead in stretching out his left hand, and saw the word "Liu Bei" appearing in his palm.

"Kong Ming, it's your turn."

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and stretched out his left hand. The word "Xuzhou" appeared in the palm of his hand.

"Hahahaha!"

The outstanding people in the unit looked at each other and laughed.

Huang Zhong and others were a little confused at this time, and they all stepped forward and asked: "What do you mean by the governor and the military advisor?"

Zhou Yu suppressed his smile and said seriously: "This matter is too big to say much. General Huang will lead his men to guard Fancheng. Kong Ming and I have urgent matters and need to return to Xiangyang!"

The two of them did not waste any time. After handing over the military affairs of Fancheng to Huang Zhong, they rushed to the south gate, then crossed the Han River by boat, entered Xiangyang and rushed straight towards the Prince of Chu's Mansion.

In the Chu Palace, Zhou Qi is working.

As the autumn harvest is approaching, in addition to military matters, there are many other trivial matters in Chu State, which Zhou Qi must deal with personally.

"My lord, Gong Jin and Kong Ming would like to see you."

Zhou Qi had just put down a volume of documents when he saw Dian Wei walking in and said softly. Zhou Qi raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Aren't they both guarding Fancheng? Why did they suddenly return to Xiangyang?"

Dian Wei shook his head and said, "I don't know either."

Zhou Qi said: "Take them to the living room."

Zhou Qi entered the living room in advance and asked his servants to bring fruits, tea, and snacks. Not long after, he saw Dian Wei arriving with Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang.

"Greetings, my lord!"

The two of them stepped forward to salute, but Zhou Qi waved his hand and said, "No need to be more polite."

"You two have worked hard guarding Fancheng during this time. Please sit down and drink some of the new tea and taste the fruits and snacks."

"These teas are produced in the Pingchun area and are rare and good teas!"

Pingchun, also known as Xinyang in later generations, is located in the northernmost part of Jiangxia County, Jingzhou.

Of course, there was more than just this part of Xinyang in later generations. It spanned the three counties of Jiangxia, Lujiang and Runan today. Even Anfeng County, where Zhou Qi started, was included in Xinyang in later generations.

Xinyang was the place least like Henan in later generations. The reason why it was assigned to Henan was to facilitate the northern regime to better rule the south.

As long as Xinyang is still in the hands of the northern rulers, the two natural dangers of the Huaihe River and the Dabie Mountains will no longer exist.

Through Xinyang, you can attack Jiangxia County to the south, Jianghan Plain to the west, Lujiang County to the southeast, and Jiujiang County to the east.

If Yuan Shao occupies this place, then Zhou Qi's plan of defending by the river and occupying half of the country south of the Yangtze River will come to nothing.

Xinyang Maojian was quite famous in later generations. While Zhou Qi vigorously developed the business of Lujiang County, the tea culture from the south also gradually became popular.

In order to make money by building a brand of tea, Zhou Qi will not let go of Xinyang, a good place.

Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang tasted it and nodded in praise.

After the two of them had eaten some fruits and snacks, Zhou Qi asked: "You two have been guarding the front line, why did you suddenly return to Xiangyang at this time?"

Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang looked at each other, and it was Zhou Yu who finally said, "Because we found that Yuan Jun's behavior was a bit strange."

Zhou Qi put down the tea cup in his hand, his face became serious, and asked: "What's so strange?"

Zhou Yu said: "Since Ma Mengqi killed Yan Liang in the formation, the morale of Yuan's army has dropped greatly, and the offensive has also slowed down a lot."

"However, during this period, Yuan Jun's offensive has become increasingly weak, which is obviously abnormal."

When Zhou Qi heard this, he remembered the official documents he had just dealt with and said, "Is it possible that Hebei is also about to harvest in autumn, and Yuan Benchu ​​dismissed some sergeants and civilians in order not to delay the farming work?"

Zhou Yu said: "I thought so at first, but after thinking about it, it's obviously not the case."

Speaking of this, Zhou Yu explained: "If Yuan Jun is for the autumn harvest and farming, he can stop his troops first, station his troops and horses in Nanyang County, and then send back some sergeants and civilians back to Hebei."

"In this way, we can not only put pressure on Chu State, but also recuperate during the winter, and we can also save a lot of money and food."

"The Yuan army did not do this. Instead, they continued to attack Fancheng. This would make it impossible to capture Fancheng and would also waste money and food. And with the arrival of winter, Yuan's army would inevitably complain outside the city."

"It is precisely because of this consideration that I feel that this matter is quite strange."

Zhou Qi became interested and asked: "In Gong Jin's opinion, why is Yuan Jun's offensive getting weaker and weaker."

Zhou Yu set his sights on Zhuge Liang, and then said to Zhou Qi: "Next, it will be up to Kong Ming to inform the lord of our speculation."

Zhuge Liang did not delay. He stood up and walked to the map, pointed to the location of Xuzhou, and said: "If what I expected is correct, since Yan Liang died in battle and the morale of Yuan's army dropped sharply, Yuan Benchu ​​felt that Fancheng was difficult to conquer. I'm afraid he wanted to Attack elsewhere."

Zhou Qi looked at where Zhuge Liang's finger was pointing and couldn't help being surprised and said: "When Yuan Benchu ​​attacked Xuzhou, didn't he worry about fighting on both sides?"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Zhou Qi smiled bitterly and said: "It's a shame. Yuan Benchu ​​has many soldiers under his command. Even if he divides his troops to attack Xuzhou, there is no need to worry too much about the Fancheng battlefield."

Zhou Qi is not trying to embolden other people's ambitions and destroy his own prestige.

Yuan Jun is indeed outnumbered. If he really attacks Xuzhou, then the Fancheng battlefield will inevitably turn from offense to defense.

At that time, if Zhou Qi wanted to go north, he had to give up the favorable terrain and send troops to attack the city.

With Zhou Qi's character, he would naturally not do anything to take advantage of his own shortcomings.

What's more, although Zhou Qi had used Liu Bei before, it was a fact that he had helped him a lot.

Nowadays, Liu Bei did not care about the friendship of the past years. When Yuan Shao launched a large-scale attack on Chu, he actually chose to accept Yuan Shao's reward and stay in Xuzhou to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight.

Everyone has a temper, Zhou Qi is like this, and so are the soldiers of Chu State.

If the soldiers of the Chu State learned that Yuan Shao had turned to attack Xuzhou, they would be reluctant to go to his aid.

Looking at Zhou Qi's changing expression, Zhuge Liang continued: "These are just speculations. It is also possible that Yuan Benchu ​​planned to break the siege of Ruyang and open up a new battlefield in Runan."

"But the possibility of this happening is obviously lower than attacking Xuzhou."

Looking at Zhou Qi who was silent, Zhuge Liang said softly: "Master, do you plan to remind Liu Xuande?"

"Da da da!"

"Da da da!"

"Da da da!"

The sound of knuckles tapping on the table came out rhythmically. After a long time, Zhou Qi said: "Since Liu Xuande broke the covenant first, let him taste the pain."

Zhou Qi is not the kind of good-natured person. Instead, he is deeply scheming and must avenge himself.

Liu Bei's previous actions indeed made Zhou Qi very angry.

Zhuge Liang opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end nothing came out.

He was not worried about Zhuge and his brother Zhuge Jin.

As a prominent Langya family, the Zhuge family followed Yuan Shao's attitude towards the aristocratic family. Even if he defeated Liu Bei, as long as his uncle Zhuge Xuan and his brother Zhuge Jin surrendered, the Zhuge family would not be implicated.

Zhuge Liang was just worried that if he didn't remind Liu Bei, Yuan Shao would definitely gain strength after he captured Xuzhou.

At that time, it was even more difficult for Chu State to deal with Zhao State.

Zhuge Liang is a very rational person.

Historically, after Ji Han experienced Soochow's backstabbing and Yiling defeat, Zhuge Liang still did not have the passion to fight Soochow to the death, but chose to continue to form an alliance with Soochow.

It's not that Zhuge Liang has no temper, it's just that he knows what is best for Ji Han.

If you fight Soochow out of anger, Cao Wei will definitely be the one to take advantage in the end.

It's just that he has a special status, but it's hard for him to give advice to Zhou Qi, so he can only swallow his words.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Qi had an exquisite heart. Seeing Zhuge Liang's hesitant expression, he immediately guessed what Zhuge Liang was thinking and asked, "Does Kong Ming want Gu to remind Liu Xuande?"

Zhuge Liang stood up and worshiped: "In my humble opinion, Chu and Qi will benefit from both sides, and separate them from each other. It is best to work together to resist Yuan Shao."

Zhou Qi fell silent, feeling a little tangled in his heart.

(End of this chapter)