Kuangfu Han Dynasty

Chapter 25
"Jun Lin, don't make fun of him." Xiahou Ba was also a little embarrassed, but he was not polite to this person. He asked him to take over the handle for him, and then placed the wine vessel and warmer in the private room on the west side of the hall.

These two simple little rooms were originally a shelter from the wind and rain for county officials waiting to meet the prince outside the hall.Today, the East School is still used for its original purpose, while the West School has become a place where the chief guards sit - the rest of the big soldiers can only stand.

The team leader had noticed Zhang Shao a long time ago, so he squatted in front of him and said with a smile: "Is this Ah Shao? I am your uncle."

Although Zhang Shao calls Xiahou Ba his uncle, he is actually just a "cousin uncle", while his uncle is a step further away.Zhang Shao's "mother" Xia Houjuan never mentioned this relative to him in Zhang Shao's memory... So Zhang Shao had no choice but to look at Xia Houba.

Xiahou said domineeringly: "Ashao, this is Xiahou Junlin, a famous Confucian. Our grandfathers are brothers."

"Ah, it turns out to be Uncle Cong!"

Zhang Shao spoke eagerly, but thought in his heart: "Hmm... so who is this person? I have never heard of his name. He is not even a supporting actor in the novel, right? I only remember Xia Houjie who was scared to death by Zhang Fei, and That Nagasaka Sword Master Xia Houen."

But Zhang Shao still behaved obediently as a junior. Even if the playful and smiling guy in front of him was nothing more than a grasshopper's legs compared to Xia Houyuan's family, he still didn't have too many!
After all, there were walls in the schoolhouse, enough to block the cold wind. Zhang Shao was clumsily banging flints and burning charcoal to prepare for warming wine. This was an ancient essential skill he learned in the food officer genus. Xiahou Ba and Xiahou Ru were nearby. Warm your hands on this stove.

But I heard Xiahou Ba sigh: "It's a pity that Brother Bo Ren is not here."

He told Zhang Shao that the name of "Bo Ren" was Xiahou Shang, who was Xiahou Ru's cousin and the most outstanding of the younger generation of the two Xiahou clans in Qiao County.As early as when Cao Cao conquered Jizhou, Xia Houshang served as a military commander in the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, equivalent to a deputy captain. Later, he was even more useful and was awarded the title of Captain of Cavalry.

Zhang Shao thought to himself: "Xia Houshang? It sounds a bit familiar, but it's not too familiar, and he probably isn't famous either."

In fact, this is because Zhang Shao has only read The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and is ignorant.Xia Houshang, in official history, plays an important role in the "Eight Tiger Cavalry of the Clan" alongside Cao Ren, Xia Houyuan and others.

Xia Houru said with a smile: "Bo Ren stayed in Xiangyang with his son Huan Gong. He lived in Liu Biao's old mansion. Maybe he could go out to the city for banquets and hunting. I don't know how happy it would be."

Zhang Shaozheng was pouring water into the wine-warming stove. He was startled when he heard this. He still knew who Mr. Zihuan was referring to.

"So, Cao Pi is also in Jingzhou!?"

The future Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, actually followed Cao Cao on his southern expedition and was currently staying in Xiangyang. Zhang Shao secretly thought: "If I can successfully establish a communication channel with Mr. Xu, I have to tell him this information. Although it seems useless at the moment, but Who can say for sure about the future?”

Zhang Shao was thoughtful, and Xiahou Ba next to him was hesitant to speak. Although Xiahou Ba believed that there was a colleague in the Wuwei camp who wanted to harm him, it could not be Xia Houru, a close relative. Loss.

However, after all, Xia Houru entered the Wuwei camp earlier than him. Perhaps he could ask Junlin to find out whose hatred he had incurred?

But before Xia Houba could think of how to speak, Xia Houru stood up first, cupped his hands and said, "Ru has seen an army commander!"

When Xiahou Ba heard this, he followed him and said, "Ba has seen the army commander."

When Zhang Shao turned around curiously, he saw an officer in his thirties with a white face and short beard standing outside the East School opposite. Even his armor was made of finely crafted fish scale armor, which was obviously longer than the iron bars of Xiahou Tun. A is more advanced.

He nodded to Xia Houba and Xia Houru and said with a smile: "Zhong Quan, Jun Lin, how many times have I told you, brothers, just call me Brother Wen Lie. Hey, the wind is really cold today. You guys are staying out here." Thank you for your hard work, Wei, remember to put on more clothes."

Even if Xuan didn't say much, he didn't care about the two juniors being lazy. He glanced at the way he came and kept his hand on the handle of the ring-headed knife.

Following the eyes of the army commander, a noble man in his twenties, dressed in brocade and mink fur, was being supported by two Cao soldiers. This man's legs were trembling. Could it be that he was ill?

"Look at how scared you are, you are indeed not worthy of being the leader of a state." Army Sima said with disdain. He supported your young master with one hand, pushed open the door of the hall and walked in. Immediately, the door was closed again from the inside.

Xia Houba and Xia Houru then sat down again and started talking and laughing again. Although they were both immediate superiors, facing the approachable Army Sima, they were not at all as serious and fearful as they were when they met Xu Chu, the captain of the Military Guard.

Zhang Shaofu asked: "Second uncle, uncle, who is this military commander?"

"Cao Xiu and Cao Wenlie, who supervise the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry Honor Guards in the Central Army, are equivalent to Lieutenant Xu's deputies." Xia Houru said.

Xiahou Ba added: "The Prime Minister's family's 'Thousand Mile Horse'!"

It turns out that this person is Cao Xiu, a son of Cao Cao, a leader among the younger generation of the Cao family. He was only a teenager during the Dong Zhuo Rebellion, but he was able to shoulder family responsibilities, bury his dead father in his coffin, and protect his mother's escape to Jiangdong with his retainers.After learning that Cao Cao was raising troops, Cao Xiu traveled all the way from Wu to Yanzhou to seek refuge. Cao Cao personally praised him as a thousand-mile horse.

Cao Cao then placed Cao Xiu in the prince's mansion, and he was treated the same as other princes. In the past few years, when Cao Xiu was a little older, he began to serve as a cavalry officer, leading tigers and leopards to fight. He followed Cao Cao in the north and south, and later entered the Wuwei camp as an army commander. , I’m afraid the next step will be to use external amplification.

This is the person Xia Houyuan repeatedly told Xiahou Ba to make friends with.

By the way, speaking of which, the order to monitor Zhang Shao should have been issued by Cao Xiu, the army commander.This is understandable, but when it comes to implementation, some villains mix selfish motives into official duties.

At this moment, two of Xiahou Ba's men came back and were waiting outside the West School. Xiahou Ba was immediately overjoyed and came out and asked in a low voice: "Can you tell who Zhao Gong went to report to?"

The Wu Guardsman glanced at Xia Houru behind him and hesitated to say anything, but Xia Houba said that it was okay for the Junlin brothers to know about this, so they said: "It is the commander of Zuoqu, Xiahou Zang."

"It's actually him!" Xiahou Ba gritted his teeth: "Xiahou Zang, do you have to make things difficult for your nephew of the same clan?"

That Xiahou Zizang was the third son of General Fubo Xiahou Dun, another big boss of the Xiahou family.Speaking of which, compared to the two close relatives Xia Houshang and Xia Houru, Xia Houyuan and Xia Houdun are actually very distant relatives. They have been in the fifth server for a long time, and they can be considered "same clan" at most.According to seniority, when Xiahou Ba met Xiahou Zizang, who was about the same age as him, he had to call him "uncle"!

However, no matter whether they were in Yecheng or Wuwei camp, Xiahou Ba and Xiahou Zizang just couldn't get along. Xiahou Ba was an upright person, while Xiahou Zizang had a somewhat sinister personality. I heard that he often said bad things about his colleagues...

But Xiahou Ba never imagined that he would even bear a grudge against himself!

Xiahou Ba only sighed and said: "Well, it doesn't matter, I don't know anything about this. If our Xiahou family really fights within the wall, wouldn't it make the generals with foreign surnames a joke?"

"No, brother, this matter must not be settled like this!" Xiahou Ru became angry after hearing what Xiahou Ba described. His relationship with Xiahou Zizang was even worse, and targeting Xiahou Ba's family was not targeting himself. Home!
Under Xia Houru's instigation, Xia Houba did not intend to give up, and the two began to discuss how to deal with the insidious villain Xia Houru.

As for Xiahou Zizang, after receiving the report from Wu Zhang Zhao, they would probably think that Xiahou Ba was causing trouble, deliberately making things difficult for the people he sent to monitor Zhang Shao, and sabotaging his own duties.

At this time, in the kitchen of the county house, the food officer Wang Jie was grilling meat and thinking about how to make the clothes and seats suffer.

Li Dangzhi, the medical officer who had just heard about the shocking gossip next door, was so frightened by the saying that "medical officers are poisonous" that he even dropped his medicine jar.

Li Dangzhi began to reflect on whether it was his incompetence that aroused jealousy, or whether the doctors in Xudu and Yecheng were eyeing the position of the medical officer of the Prime Minister's Mansion, and even planned to frame his master Hua Tuo by slandering him. The purpose is really terrible!

The chain of suspicion has been started and cannot be stopped.

In fact, Zhang Shao's intention was just to mess with the annoying Wu Chang Zhao, and he didn't think so deeply. Who made the relationship between the various factions within the Prime Minister's Mansion and the Xiahou clan so complicated?Unknowingly, Zhang Shao seemed to have used the skills of Jia Xu and Jia Wenhe in a certain Three Kingdoms card board game of later generations.

"Chaos"!
Although it had disturbed the relationships of many people in Cao's camp, Zhang Shao still looked like it had nothing to do with him at this time.After he adjusted the wine-warming stove, he urged Xiahou Ba to come back and warm the wine with his own hands, and then ran to ask Xiahou Ru:
"Uncle Cong, who is the young gentleman who was brought in by Cao Wenlie just now?"

"He." Xia Houru smiled jokingly and beckoned: "Come here, I'll tell you."

Zhang Shaosui stretched his neck and leaned forward, but heard Xia Houru say: "Of course it is Liu Biao's second son, Liu Cong, the predecessor of Jingzhou Mu who surrendered to the Prime Minister."

Then Xia Houru deliberately frightened Zhang Shao, the young prisoner, and said, "A Shao, tell me, will the Prime Minister kill this Liu Cong..."

What about Liu Cong?

Xia Houru suddenly raised his right hand, struck Zhang Shao's nape, and gave it a light chop.

"Kill it directly!"

Zhang Shao was startled, shrunk his head and ran away. After he was far away, he touched the back of his neck and cursed in his heart.

"How dare you tease me! Be careful if I let Zhang Fei chop off your head in the future!"

……

Xia Houru's words were quickly slapped in the face, because not long after Liu Cong entered, he was brought out again by Cao Xiu intact.

But in the hall, Cao Cao was quite pleasant when he received Liu Cong. He praised Liu Cong for his "lofty heart and pure mind, deep and broad intellect, respect for honor and righteousness, small profits but high virtues, and disdain for thousands of miles of work." He compared his surrender behavior to During the Guangwu period, "Bao Yongzhi abandoned Bingzhou, and Dou Rongzhi left the five counties."

But as soon as Liu Cong was taken away, Cao Mengde showed disdain on his face and made merciless comments.

"Liu Jingsheng's son has the ears of a pig or a dog."

Liu Cong's performance just now was really looked down upon by Cao Cao. He actually thought that Cao Cao was going to kill him. When he came in, his legs were weak and he collapsed to the ground, saying that he did not dare to covet his father's old job and just wanted to survive.

Not only did Cao Cao not kill Liu Cong, but he also worshiped him as the nominal governor of Qingzhou and also had the sinecure position of admonishing the officials. Now he can go to live in Yecheng.

The most important thing is that Cao Cao generously named Liu Cong "Gaoping Hou". Gaoping County is in Shanyang County, Yanzhou, which is Liu Biao's hometown!
Although he lost his foundation in Jingzhou, he was able to return the wealth and wealth to his father's homeland, and he enjoyed long-term wealth and honor. This treatment far exceeded Liu Cong's imagination, and he immediately felt guilty.

Xu Shu saw all this in his eyes, and he understood that the reason why Cao Cao treated Liu Cong so favorably was not only to make Liu Biao's former officials return to their hearts, as Du Xi said, so that from then on they could be loyal to their duties and contribute to Jingzhou under Cao Cao's rule. There is an important reason!
"Cao Mengde wants to use Liu Cong as a golden horse bone to show off to Liu Zhang of Yizhou and Sun Quan of Jiangdong who have not yet surrendered!" Xu Shu was quite worried. After all, he didn't know what kind of person Sun Quan was. You know, Jiangdong and Although Cao Cao occasionally had minor conflicts, they always maintained their marriage relationship!Will this change Wu Hou's position of wanting to unite with Liu to fight against Cao?

At the end, Cao Cao picked up the cloth with dried ink on the table and said with love in his eyes: "Huang Meng's majestic eight-point character is even more powerful than before."

Cao Cao said to Liang Hu: "When Cai Degui and I sneaked into your house, we originally planned to burn your study on fire, but when I went in and saw the copybooks you wrote, I couldn't do it..."

"After so many years, there are many officials around me who are good at calligraphy, such as Yingchuan Zhong Yuanchang and Hedong Wei Boqi. Both of them have their own strengths in calligraphy, and they are both among the best in the world."

"But I still love your calligraphy the most! Today I finally saw Meng Huangjia's calligraphy again, which made my ordinary "Biao Liu Cong Ling" become a masterpiece that later generations of calligraphy-loving scholars had to compete to copy. Famous post!"

It turned out that it was Liang Hu, the clerk who had just joined the post, who was holding the pen and turning Cao Cao's dictated orders into black and white letters on paper. The little old man was also very happy and even told the Prime Minister that if he liked it, he could write more calligraphy at any time, please ask the Prime Minister. Tasting.

Cao Cao ordered the dew cloth to be sent out of the government office, and the text was posted at the gate of Jiangling City. He also ordered the clerks to copy hundreds of copies and spread them throughout every county, county and town in Cao's control area of ​​Jingzhou, so that all Jingzhou people would know about Prime Minister Cao. Kindness.

But Cao Cao's mercy was limited to surrenderers like Liu Cong. Facing those who resisted, he always punished those who resisted with thunderous iron palms!

Cao Cao nodded to Fan Qin: "Uncle Huber, please come and copy the Lubu sent to Xiangyang in person, and then write a letter for me and send it to Le Wenqian and Lou Zibo together. Let's say that Liu Cong's matter is over, and the traitor has fled. Have you captured Wang Wei?"

Hearing this person's name, Xu Shu's ears immediately stood up.

Wang Wei was a descendant of the Guan clan in Nanjun County, and he was also a confidant promoted by Liu Biao from the county officials and served as Sima of the Zhennan General's Mansion.In order to repay Liu Biao's kindness, Wang Wei was also quite loyal to Liu Cong. He was a representative of the main war faction. Unfortunately, he was weak compared to Cai Mao and Kuai Yue, so he was unable to prevent Liu Cong from surrendering.

But when Cao Cao led [-] cavalry to pursue Liu Bei, Wang Wei boldly proposed to Liu Cong: "Cao Cao is chasing Liu Bei lightly and marching alone, but the large army is still north of the Han River, and the soldiers left behind in Xiangyang are not General. It is better to send all the state troops to kill Cao's soldiers in the city, and then cut off the Han River ferry to block the main force of Cao's army in the north of Han Dynasty. Then give thousands of strange troops to the south to attack Cao Cao's only way back from the north. Even if Cao Cao defeats Liu Bei , the knight must also be exhausted and must be captured!"

"In this way, we can restore the foundation of the former generals and shock the world. This is not just a victory to preserve today. It is like the people of Chu who sank King Zhao of Zhou in the Han River in the past, and the Zhou family did not dare to go south for several generations. "

Liu Cong refused to accept his words, and Wang Wei actually planned to leave alone. Just when he went to the Xian Mountain military camp in the south of the city to organize his cronies to prepare for action, the timid Liu Cong actually told Kuai Yue about the matter, and Kuai Yue urgently reported that he had just arrived in Xiangyang. Cao Ren, and things failed...

Xu Shu had already known about this in Cao's camp a few days ago. Although Wang Wei's suggestion was not very brilliant, it was clear that he was brave and unyielding. Unfortunately, he only knew the foolish and loyal Liu Cong. It would be better to join forces with General Zuo earlier. .

Xu Shu also heard that Wang Wei fought with Cao's army in Xianshan, and finally escaped with only a few hundred people. From the south of Xianshan to Dangyang Changban, it was the Jingshan Mountains that stretched for hundreds of miles.Wang Wei, who was familiar with the terrain, got into the endless forest and let Xiangyang Cao's army search for ten days, but still found nothing.

Cao Cao hated Wang Wei very much and decided to punish him severely as a warning to others, so he frequently sent letters to urge Xiangyang Civil and Military Affairs.Although the real owner was not captured, Wang Wei's family could not escape.

As far as Xu Shu knew, Wang Wei was a native of Yicheng, Nanjun County. Although the Wang family in Yicheng was small, they produced two generations of great writers, Wang Yi and Wang Yanshou, during the reigns of Emperor Shun and Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty.Wang Yi served as the governor of the Erqianshi County. Not only did he participate in the compilation of "Dongguan Han Ji", but his book "Chapter of Chu" is also world-famous.And his son Wang Yanshou wrote a poem "Ode to Lu Lingguang Palace", which was so brilliant that even Cai Yong felt it was so good after reading it. He felt so ashamed that he burned the unfinished work of the same name overnight. .

It's a pity that Wang Yanshou later went to Lingling to serve as an official, and he drowned in an accident while crossing the Xiang River. He was only 20 years old.And Wang Wei is Wang Yanshou's posthumous son.

Therefore, the Wang family can be called the Wenzong of Nanjun, but Cao Cao, who has always been known to love Ci and Fu, did not have any pity for them.When Cao Jun passed by Yicheng, he threw the entire Wang family into prison and threatened Wang Wei to surrender, otherwise they would be killed.But unexpectedly, Wang Wei's old mother died that night in fear.

"It's quite similar to what happened to me." Xu Shu felt sad. He was undoubtedly lucky because his mother was still alive, but Wang Wei and Cao Cao had a mortal hatred for killing his mother!
Three generations of the Wang family have been passed down alone, and the remaining people in Yicheng are just distant relatives to Wang Wei.Based on Xu Shu's understanding of Wang Wei, he probably would not come out to die, but would swear revenge and fight Cao Jun to the last man.

"This is a disaster for the Yicheng Wang family; but for Asao and I, it is a benefit."

Xu Shu had a calculation in his mind: "Wang Wei and his remnants in Jingshan Mountain should be an ally we can pull into the game in Nanjun!"

……

According to Cao Pi's "Shu Zheng Fu", he accompanied Cao Cao on his southern expedition this time.

PS: In chaos, during the card playing phase, you can choose all other characters. These characters need to use a [Kill] on the nearest character, otherwise they will lose a little physical strength.

(End of this chapter)