Ji Han Liu Zhang

"Xin Yang Ping Pass is lost?"

Zhang Wei, the chief minister of Jitou Jijiu, had a look of disbelief on his face. He took two steps forward and walked up to the soldier who came to report the news. He stretched out his hands to hold the soldier firmly and asked sternly.

The soldier who came to report the news showed a trembling expression because of Zhang Wei's actions and words, and even his tongue trembled: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Xin Yangping Pass has been lost."

After verifying that he had heard correctly, Zhang Wei grabbed the soldier's hands and dropped them weakly. The emotions on his face were constantly changing, ranging from fear to anger, or a mixture of the two, which made his whole face... His face was cloudy and uncertain.

Gong Cao Yan Pu calmed down and asked, "How did Xinyang Ping Pass get lost?"

The soldier who reported the news immediately replied: "It was Yang Bo who was offering wine. He secretly led his troops and kidnapped Li Sima while the army commander Li Xiu was sleeping at night. Then he opened the city gate and surrendered to the Shu soldiers."

"Where is the old Yangping Pass?" Yan Pu looked solemn. If the wine sacrifices were reversed, then the situation in the old Yangping Pass would be very unsatisfactory. You must know that Zhang Wei brought troops from the old Yangping Pass to assist Zhang Lu in attacking Dingjun. Behind the mountain, the guarding of the old Yangping Pass was handed over to Yang Ren, who offered sacrifices to wine.

Both Yang Ren and Jijiu Yang Bo are from the Yang family, and Yang Ren is Yang Bo's elder brother. When Yang Bo rebels, it's hard to say that Yang Ren will also rebel with him. The two Yangping Passes were probably lost now. The Shu soldiers in front of Yangping Pass were no longer hindered. After some repairs, they seemed to be marching towards the hinterland of Hanzhong.

The soldier who reported the news revealed good news at this time: "Jijiu Yang Ren is guarding the old Yangping Pass. Yang Jijiu asked me to report to the master that now the New Yangping Pass has been lost, and the old Yangping Pass has no horns to rely on. In addition, because of the loss of Xin Yangping Pass, all his ghost soldiers were worried... The situation was so corrupted that Yang Jijiu said that he could only guard the old Yangping Pass for one day and live or die with the old Yangping Pass, but his ability was meager. The old Yang Ping Pass will eventually be lost, so I ask you, Master, to make preparations in advance."

"Yang Ren is still holding on?" A moment of surprise flashed across Zhang Wei's face, but it was only for a moment. As Yang Ren said, the dangerous New Yangping Pass on Zuomaling has been lost, and the old Yangping Pass has people's hearts. This kind of surprise If we can't hold it for too long, maybe within three to five days, or within seven or eight days, the old Yangping Pass will be lost.

Zhang Wei glanced at Zhang Lu, who was deep in thought. With an earnest look, he wanted to know what Zhang Lu, both an elder brother and a master, would do when the situation was so dire.

Not only Zhang Wei, Yan Pu is also setting his sights on Zhang Lu. The overall situation is out of control. Now it depends on Zhang Lu's plan.

In the eyes of everyone, Zhang Lu first sighed heavily, shook his head and said: "I thought Yang Bo was straightforward and Yang Ren was subtle, so I thought that if things went wrong in Hanzhong and the storm came, Yang Ren would be He would do something with double intentions, and Yang Bo should die loyally..."

Zhang Lu raised his head, his eyes seemed to be hazy: "I never thought that it was Yang Bo who rebelled, and Yang Ren Bingzhong. People's hearts are so unpredictable."

"Brother." Zhang Wei was so anxious that he called "Brother" instead of calling Master Zhang Lu. He hoped that Zhang Lu would come up with an idea quickly to save the current depressing situation and find a way out for everyone.

Under Zhang Wei's expectant gaze, Zhang Lu smiled sadly and said: "Gongze (Zhang Wei), the current situation is irreversible. The Shu army is powerful and has occupied Dingjun Mountain and Xinyang Ping Pass. Brother There is nothing we can do now.”

"Brother." Zhang Wei shouted sadly, and then he said angrily: "Are you just going to wait for the Shu soldiers to come and take our heads?"

Zhang Lu lowered his head, looking dejected. He shook his head heavily: "There is no other way. Maybe we can take advantage of the fact that we still have soldiers and horses in hand and use them as bargaining chips to lead the troops to surrender to Liu Zhang. In exchange for surviving forever..."

Zhang Wei pursed his lips and didn't say a word. Thinking of his mother Lu being bullied by Liu Yan, he really didn't want to surrender to the people named Liu, let alone live the rest of his life in a mediocre manner, like a mouse in the ditch. .

After Zhang Lu was depressed for a moment, the light in his eyes began to gather. He was also thinking about his mother Lu, and he said boldly: "The man named Liu has bullied us too much. For my brother, I would rather be a ghost under the sword than surrender to Liu Zhang." , to be a person who lives an ignoble existence."

"We should follow our brother!" Zhang Wei's eyes were red, and he echoed Zhang Lu loudly. Even if he was chopped into meat paste, he would advance and retreat together with Zhang Lu, and brothers would work together.

When the situation was irreversible, Zhang Lu had no intention of surrendering. At this time, he made up his mind to fight to the death in Hanzhong. However, this was a personal enmity between him and his brothers Zhang Wei and Liu Zhang, and he did not want to involve others. People suffer for no reason.

Zhang Lu Wenyan said to the silent Gong Cao Yan Pu: "Gong Cao, my two brothers are at odds with the Liu family, and it is really difficult for them to live together under the same roof. But you are different. You have no grudge against Liu Zhang, and you are a wise man... …I heard that Liu Zhang is a man who likes wise men, so you surrender to Liu Zhang to save your life and your clan, and you don’t have to die with my two brothers.”

Zhang Wei also made up his mind, and now that his thoughts were clear, he smiled and said: "Gong Cao, you can go ahead. With your talent and resourcefulness, I think you can make some achievements under Liu Zhang... My brother will come later. The two of them died. I hope you can help tidy up the bodies to prevent them from being eaten by wild dogs. If you have time next year, on the memorial day of my two brothers, sprinkle a glass of wine in front of the graves to commemorate them. Country rice wine will be fine. Of course, it would be better if the wine is rich and clear."

While Zhang Wei was talking, he stretched out his hand to invite Yan Pu to leave. Zhang Lu also made no move to stay. As cultivators, they have a little bit of transparency and will not do anything if it cannot be done. , just don’t involve too many people, otherwise your merits will be wasted.

However, the meritorious Cao Yan Pu stood still and showed no intention of moving. He seemed to have no intention of leaving.

"Gong Cao, why are you doing this?" Zhang Lu saw Yan Pu's thoughts and said with a mixture of helplessness. As his mastermind, Yan Pu knew him well and had a very harmonious relationship. Although he is called the mastermind, he is actually like a good friend. He really does not want to see Yan Pu follow him to death.

"Master, there is still a glimmer of hope now, how could I abandon you so easily." Yan Pu spoke, and after a long silence, he opened his mouth with an astonishing statement.

'vitality? Zhang Lu and Zhang Wei looked at each other, and they both saw the confusion in each other's eyes. Where is there any hope now? Hanzhong is now a dead land, and the Shu soldiers are about to put their blades on their necks. They They all felt the coldness of the sword in the hands of the Shu soldiers, and the door of death had been opened to them.

Zhang Lu was silent for a moment. After thinking about it, there was no way out, but Yan Pu actually said that there was still a glimmer of hope. With his trust in Yan Pu, the mastermind, he asked, "Do you have any merit?" What a good plan."

"It's not a good plan, but it's just a life-saving strategy." Yan Pu said calmly: "There is no chance of saving the situation in Hanzhong. It can be called a dead place..."

Zhang Lu and Zhang Wei nodded. Hanzhong was now a dead place for them, a dead place where lives were taken. "But if we jump out of Hanzhong, we should have a chance of survival." Yan Pu said with cupped hands.

"Jump out of Hanzhong?" Zhang Wei was a little confused. He didn't understand what Yan Pu meant by jumping out of Hanzhong.

Zhang Lu understood somewhat. Yan Pu's words couldn't be more clear. They couldn't stay in Hanzhong anymore, but they could leave Hanzhong and find a way to survive.

If we leave Hanzhong, where should we go? This is a question.

Zhang Lu thought about the four sides of Hanzhong, not to mention Chengdu in the south and Wudu in the west. The Shu army occupied the Xinyang Ping Pass on Zouma Ridge and guarded the road from Hanzhong to Wudu.

There is no need to worry about going to Guanzhong from the north. The three roads from Hanzhong to Guanzhong, namely Baoxie Road, Tangluo Road, and Ziwu Road, are all difficult to pass and have not been repaired in recent years. In addition, Guanzhong has been blocked by Liangzhou thieves such as Li Jue and Guo Si. Occupied, if you go there, you are courting death.

East!

After analyzing it, Zhang Lu focused on the east side of Hanzhong. He slowly said: "The idea of ​​meritorious service is to go down the Han River and go to the land of Shangyong."

Yan Pu nodded: "It's Shangyong. Now we can't live in Hanzhong. We will go down the Han River and go to the land of Shangyong."

After confirming, Yan Pu told Zhang Lu his back-up plan in detail. He had actually had the idea of ​​going to Shangyong for a long time, but the situation ahead was not that bad and there was still a possibility of stabilization, but the situation was not stable now. If you stay, you can only activate this back-up preparation.

"Master, the three counties of Xicheng, Shangyong, and Fangling are the same as those in Hanzhong. They are surrounded by dangerous fortresses on all sides and are difficult to invade. It should be a place for us to live..."

Zhang Wei frowned slightly and retorted: "Thank you, Xicheng, Shangyong, and Fangling counties are all county towns under the rule of Hanzhong County, but Fangling was acquired by Jingzhou, and Liu Biao sent Kuai Qi as the county seat." Order, and Xicheng and Shangyong have always been controlled by the wealthy Shen family. The Shen family has always been independent, but they only obey us in name... Now that we have rushed to Shangyong, I am afraid that the Shen family will not welcome us. Even if the Shen family accepts us, Liu Biao, as an ally of Liu Zhang, will probably send troops to attack us. And after Liu Zhang appeases the heroes, he will definitely send a large army down the Han River. Then we Being attacked from both sides would be even more tragic than the current situation."

For Zhang Wei, who had been patrolling the old Yangping Pass and didn't know much about some things, Yan Pu patiently explained: "I don't know anything about the Grand Sacrifice Wine. Earlier, Duke Shen sent a document asking for help, saying that Liu Biao of Jingzhou sent Cai Mao and Zhang Yun as generals, intending to Annexing Xicheng and the land of Shangyong... Master Shijun has agreed to Duke Shen and said that he will send troops to rescue him. Now it is appropriate for us to go to Shangyong under the banner of rescuing Duke Shen. "

Zhang Lu added: "Secondly, Duke Shen was forced by Jingzhou, and it happened to be the time when reinforcements were needed. If we go at this time, we will definitely get the courtesy of the Shen family. With the help of the Shen family, a local snake, we can be in Shangyong." Keep your feet firmly on the ground."

"Well!" Zhang Lu seemed to have thought of something, and he showed a sad face: "I'm afraid Liu Zhang will not let us go easily. Even if we escape to Shangyong, Liu Zhang will probably send people to Shangyong to hunt us down... Secondly, Fang Fang The mausoleum is in the hands of Jingzhou, and there is a gap in the east of Shangyong's four fortresses, not to mention that Jingzhou's soldiers are currently attacking Shangyong."

"Master, don't worry about these two points." Yan Pu enlightened Zhang Lu: "We are going to Shangyong and will take away every single one of Hanzhong's large and small ships, Louchuan and Mengchong, and burn those that cannot be taken away. ...In this way, if Liu Zhang wants to go down the Han River to hunt us down, he needs to build warships, and it will take time to build usable warships, which will definitely delay the sun and the moon, and he will have to wait until next year at the earliest. He can do it later. Consider dealing with Liu Zhang."

"As for the land of Fangling and the soldiers in Jingzhou, after we arrive at Shangyong, we will join up with Shen's troops. Our strength should reach more than 10,000 people, and then we will see if we can capture Fangling. The soldiers in Jingzhou are no better than those under Liu Zhang. The state soldiers and Qingqiang are definitely weaker in terms of combat strength. I think as long as you plan properly, it shouldn't be difficult to capture Fangling... After capturing Fangling, based on the terrain of Xicheng, Shangyong, and Fangling counties, it will be surrounded by The dangerous fortress is another example of Hanzhong."

"Good, great good." Zhang Wei said in praise, stroking his palms. Yan Pu's words made him feel like he could see the blue sky through the clouds.

Zhang Weiying echoed Yan Pu's words: "Brother, Gong Cao's plan is very good, so we should implement it quickly."

"That's right." Zhang Lu nodded heavily, his eyes glowed, and he was no longer as lonely and distracted as before.

The discussion was settled, and the next step was to implement it. Zhang Lu did not set out during the day, but took advantage of the night and led his trusted followers to board the high-rise boat moored on the Han River and sail down the Han River.

Here Zhang Lu did not forget his loyal subordinates. He sent two envoys. One went to the old Yangping Pass to inform Yang Ren, asking Yang Ren to quickly abandon the old Yangping Pass and go down the Han River to the land of Shangyong. The other went to At the north entrance of Micang Road, he informed Du Yi, the commander-in-chief of Quzhou, who was stubbornly guarding the road, and asked Du Yi to abandon the defense at the north entrance of Micang Road and rush to Shangyong Land to join him.

……

Under the night, Zhang Lu's building boat arrived at Nanzheng City. Zhang Lu, who was standing on the bow of the boat, looked at Nanzheng through the moonlight. There was unspeakable reluctance and sadness in his eyes. He had been running Nanzheng for a long time and regarded Nanzheng as a city. His own foundation, but now he wants to abandon Nanzheng and leave.

However, Zhang Lu didn't feel sad for too long. He had a lot of things to do now, and he needed to finish them before dawn. He needed to bring the family members of the important ministers and ghost soldiers who were going to Shangyong with him, otherwise these people would have followed him. Shangyong, I'm afraid he is still thinking about Hanzhong. In addition, he not only takes people to Shangyong, but also needs to carry food and supplies. Otherwise, if something goes wrong after arriving at Shangyong and he is not received by the Shen family, he will just sit back and wait for death due to lack of food and food. .

"Brother, do you want to kill Zhang Jun, the patriarch of the Zhang family of the Chenggu Hao family?" Zhang Wei reminded Zhang Lu. Zhang Lixiu, the acting head of the Chenggu Hao family, took over Chenggu County and rebelled against him. Zhang Wei was very angry and he wanted to kill him. Zhang Jun vented his anger.

Zhang Lu shook his head: "Forget it, Zhang Jun is just an old man, there's no point in killing him. Besides, you and I are leaving Hanzhong, so why do we need to kill again... Go and supervise the soldiers and ask them to carry everything in the treasury to the ship." , not even a piece of gold or a piece of silk cloth can be left to Liu Zhang."

When it was said that neither a piece of gold nor a piece of silk cloth could be left to Liu Zhang, Zhang Lu's tone was vicious, like a hungry wolf. He planned to leave an empty treasury to Liu Zhang and not let Liu Zhang be even prouder.

"No." Zhang Wei took the order and left. (End of chapter)