Three Kingdoms: I don’t want to fall in love in troubled times

Chapter 194: Killing the Assassin on the basis of discipline

While Liu Bei in the hall was tit-for-tat with Jiao He, who was above him, Xu Jiashu, who was close at hand, keenly noticed that his hands were shaking slightly.

Of course it wasn't because of fear, but because he was grabbing the seal around his waist so hard, and the veins on the back of his hand were slightly bulging, that Xu Jiashu suspected that this thing was going to hit Jiao He's face in the next second.

Gaotang Order.

This is not a high-power official position. Compared with the Qingzhou governor, whom Liu Bei is angrily criticizing, he can only bow his head and obey orders. To put it bluntly, even if you work as a dog for the governor, there are always county magistrates who are willing to wait in line.

But Liu Bei did just that.

Speaking uprightly is just to live up to the seal hanging on my waist, and to live up to the people of Gaotang County.

Liu Bei occasionally felt in a trance.

When did you become like this?

Initially, he decided to join the army because a local tycoon wanted to use the opportunity of the Yellow Turban Rebellion to clear his name and become an official. After all, the last official in the Liu family could be traced back to his grandfather Liu Xiong.

And there is no denying this - in the Han Dynasty, serving the country, making a name for oneself in history, and being a wife and a son are the ambitions that a man should have.

But the further you get out of Zhuojun, the more you discover one thing, that is, this world is no longer as simple as turmoil, but is about to be completely and completely turned over, and the old order is exposed in detail. Cracks, creaking, and crumbling.

But those superior meat-eaters turned a blind eye to this and only cared about the wealth in front of them. How could they care about the flood behind them?

Liu Bei has had many identities - the social eldest brother of Zhuojun, the county captain of Anxi, the county magistrate of Xiami, and now the magistrate of Gaotang County, but in essence, he has always been the heroic hero and has never changed.

A gallant man cannot stand by and watch this happen.

When whipping the governor, he could teach the other party a lesson according to his temper. At that time, the Yellow Turbans had just been calmed down, and the big man seemed to have recovered from the most critical moment. At least it was not Liu Bei's turn to worry about the safety of the people of Anxi.

But now, millions of people are running towards destruction, but the leading governor is still sitting back and talking. Besides himself, who else can the tens of thousands of people in Gaotang and Qingzhou rely on?

"It's really ridiculous. Ministers are responsible for handling national affairs. What does it have to do with you, a little Gaotang Ling?" Jiao He couldn't sit still anymore and stood up suddenly, trying to build up his momentum. "Could it be that you think there is Lu?" With the support of the public, you can point fingers and pretend to be crazy about asking for names?"

"If we talk about absurdity, it is better to keep the king away." Thinking of Jiao He's actions, Liu Bei couldn't help but ridiculed: "When the Yellow Turbans massacred the city, the king was still hanging out with Wu Zhu and his followers. Since the war started, Sitting in a prosperous and prosperous state, with countless soldiers and weapons, they ignore the soldiers and police, hoping that the thieves and bandits will disappear as soon as the wind blows, and they have not yet accepted the wind and dust."

To put it simply, this Jiao Cishi holds a state's army supplies, but he never dares to confront the Yellow Turbans. His main idea is to run away. Life is at stake. Once he escapes to a safe place, he will continue to talk to others to pass the time. .

As for the governor's job of protecting the country and the people, it should be said that Jiao He did not fail to work hard.

He invited many wizards to do it.

"Bold! Bold!"

As the saying goes, you don't slap someone in the face, you don't expose someone's shortcomings when you scold someone. Being ridiculed by his subordinates in front of the imperial envoys, Jiao He's gentlemanly demeanor was not left at all. "I think you don't have to look for anything to discuss war and slander Shangguan." Lu Zi did it!”

He looked left and right, about to ask his attendants to come in and take military action against this little county magistrate who had embarrassed himself.

"The world is free and everyone says it, so why talk nonsense?" Liu Bei also let go completely, pointing at Jiao He's nose and scolding, "But you, a rat, have no choice but to sit and talk, it is futile; you cannot defend the enemy. , this is incompetence; running away when seeing a thief is a lack of courage; abandoning a land thousands of miles away is a lack of courage!"

Liu Bei's eyes were fixed on the sullen good-for-nothing above him, and he spoke faster and faster, telling all the grievances he had felt during this period.

As long as this person has some merit, he wouldn't let the Yellow Turban chase Manzhou, right?

it is good!

well said!

Xu Jiashu on the side did not expect to see Emperor Zhaolie display his power with his own eyes. He lamented that his trip was not in vain, and followed his gaze to look at Jiao He - it turned out that Liu Bei had encountered this before going north to defect to Gongsun Zan. Plant Ha Ma Pi Boss.

Follow these insects.jpg

"Where are the left and right!" When Jiao He saw that Liu Bei was still unyielding, Lu Zhi and the court were no longer interested in saving face, so he shouted loudly, "Kill him, kill him for me!"

If word of what happened in Qingzhou spreads, his career will be completely ruined. He must kill the chicken to scare the monkeys!

Hearing this, Xu Jiashu's nerves suddenly became tense.

If it hadn't been for the arrival of the envoy, Liu Bei would not have seen Jiao He until he went north to defect to Gongsun Zan, let alone speak out in his big tent. Don't let this protagonist of the era go offline early because of his own reasons, right?

There was an embarrassing silence, and even Liu Bei looked around, wondering why dozens of swordsmen hadn't rushed out yet.

"Your Majesty," the curtain was opened, and a wizard came in and timidly said: "The guards have all gone to the river to release ice pills, and we are the only ones left in the Chinese army's tent."

call--

Xu Jiashu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took out the talisman given to Sun Zi by the young emperor Liu Xie.

This thing is made of bamboo as a joint, with an eight-foot-long handle, and a yellow thorn tied to it. Its three layers of hair symbolize the emperor's privileges to go to war, guard, supervise, and propagate edicts on behalf of the emperor.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Liu Xuande is a clan member of the Han Dynasty. Seeing that the Yellow Turban is so powerful, he is inevitably a little anxious and all he says are angry words." He stood beside Liu Bei holding a talisman and spoke to intercede with him, "My Lord The king is elegant and generous, and he will be able to accommodate others. Besides, the emperor still needs to use him, so killing him may violate the emperor's order."

Jiao He looked at the striking Huang Yan, and then at the useless Wu Zhu.

It seemed that unless he took action himself, Gaotang Ling should not die. He turned around and sat back in his seat, shouting angrily, "Since the angel is begging for mercy, then take this person away quickly." .”

In order to prevent further complications, Xu Jiashu quickly grabbed Liu Bei's hand and took him out of the tent.

Liu Bei was grateful to the emperor's envoy for standing up to smooth things over, but he was also surprised at how this person knew his clan identity. He glanced at Xu Jiashu with a complicated expression - "You know my story?"

"Ahem." Xu Jiashu took the initiative to explain in a low voice: "I just blurted out this out of desperation in order to save Brother Xuande."

"That's it." Liu Bei nodded, "Thank you to the angel for helping me."

After all, the Fengfei Liu family has been in the country for more than 400 years, and the clan has spread like raising pigs from generation to generation. Anyone with the surname Liu can more or less have some clan identity. It is just a matter of distance, so this explanation is quite reasonable. .

The two of them looked side by side at the vast horizon in the distance. Thinking of Liu Bei's performance just now, Xu Jiashu couldn't help but sigh: "Brother Xuande is really a famous swordsman."

"Oh?" This was the first time Liu Bei heard this metaphor, and he felt it was novel. To put it bluntly, he was too low-ranking and was not very familiar with business exchanges between scholars. "What did the angel say?"

"Brother Xuande doesn't need to see anyone outside. Just call me Zimao."

Always an angel, Xu Jiashu always felt that something was wrong, and then explained: "Things will scream when they are not level. Grass and trees are silent, but they will roar when the wind blows; water is also silent, and the wind will roar. Brother Xuande is like a famous sword in a box. The injustice will be heard, and under the command of mediocre people like Jiao He, we are really humiliated." Hearing this, Liu Bei smiled politely and said, "The angel has given you a reward."

He seemed to have thought of something and quickly returned to silence - Zi Mao's words were heartwarming, but in the end he couldn't accomplish anything, he just expressed his feelings. If you accept this compliment calmly, what's the difference between you and those chatty celebrities?

"However," looking at the vague crowds of people in the distance, Xu Jiashu suddenly thought of something and turned to ask Liu Bei, "What is the ice trap that Wu Zhu mentioned just now? Brother Xuande, can you help me clarify it?"

Well, it sounds like [50 grams or more shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than 15 years, life imprisonment or death, and confiscation of property].

"It is said that it is an ice-melting thing that Jiao He's shamans tinkered with." Liu Bei raised his chin and pointed in the direction where there were many figures. "Throwing it on the ice can thaw the river water, thereby isolating the rebel army and replacing the ice." Come and rest for a while.”

Good guy, I even started studying chemistry for him.

Xu Jiashu even became very interested in the ingredients of this stuff - if I remember correctly, when the company cleared snow and ice every year, as one of the few strong laborers, he had to work as a cow and horse, carrying a whole bag of industrial goods. Salt goes everywhere.

Those ice-falling pills are just big chunks of salt, right?

"If it works, it can be delayed for a while." Seeing Liu Bei suddenly frowning, Xu Jiashu comforted him: "If Brother Xuande is still unwilling, I will find another opportunity to persuade the emperor to replace Jiao He."

In fact, Jiao He's negative policies are not completely without benefits.

For example, until now, the official army and the Yellow Turbans have not fought several serious battles. They have avoided fighting and fled, but their strength has not been greatly reduced. Although the Yellow Turbans have swept across the prefectures and counties, if a top famous general takes over , and may not be without the power to fight.

In any case, the width of the battlefield is always limited. It is impossible for the Yellow Turbans' millions of people to attack the enemy at the same time. As long as a small number of elite backbones are defeated, the remaining people will most likely escape.

The casualty rate in ancient wars was not high, and pure combat attrition accounted for only a very small part of a battle.

In other words, Qingzhou is not completely a dead end.

"It's too late." Liu Bei suddenly raised his hand and pointed into the distance, his face ashen. "It's too late."

Xu Jiashu thought he was disheartened after the conflict with Jiao He. He was just about to continue to encourage Ji Han, when he looked in the direction Liu Bei pointed, but he saw the shadowy figures in the distance gradually becoming clearer. Those soldiers in official uniforms With a distorted face, he ran towards his camp.

"Zimao, there are a lot of pursuers." Lu Lingqi, who had very good eyesight, took a few steps forward and said to Xu Jiashu: "We are chasing them and rushing towards this way!"

Obviously, the trapped ice pills did not melt the ice, but were caught by the yellow scarf people. These people were ordered to scatter the pills on the ice. Naturally, they had no defense and could only flee towards their own position in a panic.

In the distance that no one could see, a layer of viscous blood was floating on the river. The warm blood was constantly steaming with white gas. Countless people strode through it, all targeting the camps of the officers and soldiers without their knowledge.

"Someone needs to delay the enemy army," Xu Jiashu muttered subconsciously, "otherwise when they overwhelm the camp, the entire army will collapse."

But before he finished speaking, he realized why Liu Bei was so desperate.

Who is going?

This is not a total battle. With a click of the mouse, the soldiers rush forward regardless of their own safety. When there are no fortifications on their own side, they must complete the assembly and formation in a short period of time to withstand the powerful enemy charge. Everyone will have panic.

What's more, under the command of Jiao He, the soldiers were accustomed to running away when they saw the Yellow Turbans. They were suddenly ordered to hold on where they were. It was hard to say how much they could carry out the order. I'm afraid that if they wavered even a little, everyone would fall apart out of habit. .

There are only four words mentioned in the history books about Liu Bei's defeat: "Destroyed by thieves", but considering that when he defected to Gongsun Zan, he was able to sneak into other Sima units (similar to the independent regiment), it can be seen that the casualties of Liu Bei's headquarters were not large. , probably following Jiao He's orders and using his escape skills to safely withdraw from the battlefield with his troops.

"Zimao," Liu Bei hurriedly said to Xu Jiashu, "The matter is urgent. Let me gather my troops first and then make a plan!"

At this moment, Liu Bei was not with Guan Zhang because of him. Thinking of his two sworn brothers and the soldiers he had brought from Zhuojun, he couldn't help but feel anxious. After saying this, he wanted to pull the envoys to mount their horses and leave.

"Why are Zimao so hesitant?" Sensing that Xu Jiashu was not moving at all, Liu Bei turned around and urged, "The traitors will be approaching soon, and it will be too late to regret by then!"

"Brother Xuande," Xu Jiashu looked at him and said slowly, "With you and me here, it may not be time to flee in panic."

"what?"

Liu Bei thought he heard wrong - little brother, are you kidding? Even if I pull all my troops over, there will only be 800 people, which can't even fill the battle line. What's more, those friendly troops who are panicking will not pay attention to a small Gaotang. Order, when the enemy didn't see it, they were overwhelmed by friendly forces.

You know, broken friendly forces are often more terrifying than enemy forces.

"Come with me."

After saying these words, Xu Jiashu held the talisman, turned around and strode back to the Chinese army's tent. Lu Lingqi and Sun Zi followed without hesitation. Liu Bei looked at the backs of the three people, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward to catch up.

It was really life-threatening, Gaotang Ling Mr. Liu Xuande commented afterwards.

"Huh?" Jiao He was sipping the fine wine stored in the prefectural and county treasury. Seeing Xu Jiashu and others leaving and returning, he could no longer hold back his anger, "Don't you think you can do whatever you want with just a talisman? You should know that Chang'an is hundreds of miles away!"

You call me an angel to save your face, do you really think you are a thing?

When his guards come back, kill these people, together with Liu Xuande, and throw them into the river to feed the fish!

Unexpectedly, in addition to blocking the bandit army, Icefall Pill also had this unexpected effect.

This was Jiao He's last thought.

[Wushuang] activated, Xu Jiashu pulled out the [sharp short knife] in his arms, and the tip of the blade accurately pierced the part of the trachea above Jiao He's Adam's apple that was not protected by cartilage, and a smooth gap was opened in the epidermis - not even much blood spurted out. Full marks for the pressure water flower.

Without looking at the painful and twisted expression on his face as he clutched his throat, the blade turned and lightly passed through the bone joint of the cervical vertebra. He lifted his left hand and Jiao He's expression was frozen in the moment before death, and he could no longer make a sound. .

The whole process was like the legendary chef undressing the cow, so clean and neat that it almost had a sense of beauty - at least that's what Liu Bei, one of the witnesses, thought.

Too lazy to shout "I'm here to kill the traitors", and not paying attention to Wu Zhu who was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground, Xu Jiashu picked up Jiao He's head, turned around and said to everyone: "Let's use this useless head to scare the defeated troops. , organize a front in front of the camp to block the Yellow Turban vanguard."

After that, he handed the talisman to Liu Bei and said, "Brother Xuande, I want you to carry out the emperor's will and allow the Qingzhou officers and troops to complete their assembly during the time we have to block the enemy's army!"

"It's just as it should be!" Liu Bei's head was dizzy, and he reached out to take the talisman that symbolized the emperor's majesty. His blood surged for a moment, but he couldn't think of any other words to answer, so he just repeated, "It's just as it should be!"

(End of this chapter)