Ji Han Liu Zhang

Chapter 324 Huayin Wind Direction
Hongnong County, Huayin County.

A lively banquet had just ended. Cheng Yu, a scribe in the Yizhou Mu Liu Zhang shogunate, walked with frivolous steps towards the villa prepared for him by General Ning Ji.

I drank a little too much!

Cheng Yuzai raised his eyes and glanced at the bright moon in the sky. He saw that the bright moon seemed to be erratic, with two or three shadows overlapping each other. He shook his head and sighed.

It’s not that he drank too much at the banquet and got a little drunk, but that Duan Yan, the Ningji general stationed in Huayin, was too enthusiastic and frequently tried to persuade him to drink at the banquet. He couldn’t refuse under such hospitality, so he had to give in. After drinking a few glasses and too much, I inevitably felt dizzy. As a result, my eyes were filled with shadows, almost like a dream, and even the bright moon in the sky had trouble settling down.

He always disliked excessive drinking. Although he was dizzy after being drunk by Duan Yan, he didn't feel any displeasure in his heart. Instead, he was very happy with the current situation.

As the envoy sent to Huayin by Liu Zhang, the shepherd of Yizhou, he was tasked with persuading General Duan Xuan of Ningji not to assist Li Jue and Guo Si, a group of rebellious officials and traitors, and to weaken the power of Li Jue and Guo Si. Cheng Yu carried out this mission It was done very well and he got a great achievement, so although he had to drink two more drinks, he was still very happy.

Just speaking of it, it was not his ability that prompted Ningji General Duan Xuan to resist being tempted by Li Jue and Guo Si and lead troops into Guanzhong to help. It was because Ningji General Duan Xuan had no idea to interfere with Li Jue from the beginning to the end. , Guo Si's matter, even if he didn't come, Duan Xuan would not lead troops to Guanzhong to help.

A gust of cool night breeze blew by, and Cheng Yu suddenly felt a little more awake. He was a little confused. He returned to Hanzhong that day and met with Ming Gong Liu Zhang. Should he cover up something and take some credit for himself, or should he speak frankly and tell the truth? The reality of the matter.

After struggling for only a moment or two, Cheng Yu made a decision. He planned to report according to the truth. He could not do such a thing as concealing and deceiving Ming Gong. Moreover, with Ming Gong's character, even if he knew it was Duan Yan, He had no intention of helping Li Jue and Guo Si. If it was not due to his efforts, he would be rewarded to comfort him for his hard work on the journey.

'Huh. Cheng Yu showed a hint of confusion. When he pushed the door open during the day, a rather harsh creaking sound came from the door shaft. At that time, he was still considering whether the servant should oil the door shaft. Later, he thought about it. , it is better to do less than to do more. Moreover, it is only a moment of harsh sound at the door axis, and there is no need to intrude on Duan Yan.

"Who ordered the door shaft to be oiled?" Cheng Yu turned his head and asked the servant Duan Xuan sent to serve him.

When the moon reached its peak, Cheng Yu carefully rolled up the bamboo slips in his hand and put them into a bag made of cloth. Then he stretched out his hand and used a wooden stick to extinguish the oil lamp. At this time, he went to bed and fell asleep.

"That's it. Please help me to thank Ning Ji." Cheng Yu suddenly realized something. When Duan Xuan came to invite him to the banquet in person, he asked him to walk for a while while Duan Xuan left behind his instructions. A few words about the servants who served him seemed to be for this purpose.

Speaking of which, General Duan Xuan of Ningji who was stationed in Huayin was a little over-enthusiastic towards the envoy from Yizhou who was a scribe in his own right. He first went out of the city to greet him in person, and then held a banquet for all the prominent people in Huayin City to come forward to receive him. , even the sound of the door shaft being rubbed was carefully eliminated, and everyone was considerate and caring. It seemed that they were afraid of making him uncomfortable.

"Yeah." Cheng Yu didn't force it. As he walked into the other courtyard, he glanced at the servant beside him who was tied up and holding his hands. This servant spoke freely and had a respectful and natural attitude. He must have been a fine person selected by Duan Xuan. .

After walking through the atrium, Cheng Yu stepped into the house in the other courtyard, cleaned up a bit, and changed into new clothes. His body no longer smelled of alcohol, and his mind became clearer.

Ming Gong is very kind and should be treated with loyalty. Cheng Yu warned himself secretly.

"It's such a small thing, the messenger doesn't have to do this, as long as the messenger feels comfortable physically and mentally." The servant politely declined Cheng Yu's thanks.

Serving under the command of Duke Ming, his father Cheng Ji served as the governor of Bajun and guarded the east gate of Shu. Although it was only two thousand stones, he could not give up too much authority to the governors and governors of Shangzhou, and Although he is currently just serving as a scribe in the shogunate, his position is humble and powerful, and he is often involved in confidential matters. In the future, he will be released to the outside world and will be easily accessible to the head of a large county.

"It's General Ning Ji." The servant cupped his hands and replied, "When General Ning Ji came here to invite the envoy to attend the banquet, he frowned slightly when he saw the envoy making a harsh sound when opening the door, so he ordered the little man to add some wood to the door axis. Got some oil."

Thinking of this, Cheng Yu smiled calmly and laughed at himself for having the idea of ​​deceiving Duke Ming just to get some credit. It was really shameful.

He did not immediately go to bed to sleep, but came to the table and reviewed the classics. Although he was on a mission and it was time to drink, Cheng Yu was not willing to relax in his pursuit of knowledge and must recite chants every day. Study the classics and work hard in order to make progress in knowledge.

Cheng Yu stood there and saw the attendant Duan Xuan had sent to serve him. He stretched out his hand and gently pushed the door of the other courtyard. However, the expected creaking sound did not come from the door shaft.

The reason why the beasts fear the fox is not because of the fox, but because of the tiger behind the fox.

But unexpectedly, after he came back from the banquet, the door shaft had been oiled, and the harsh squeaking sound when opening the door was no longer there.

Not long after, Cheng Yu arrived at the door of the other courtyard and saw lush green ivy on the red wall of the other courtyard, submerging the original color of the red wall.

But after getting on the bed, Cheng Yu did not fall asleep immediately. He thought of Zhang Su who was sent to General Andi of Tianshui County, Ma Teng. I wonder how Zhang Su completed his mission and whether he succeeded in persuading Ma Teng to side with Yizhou.

Regarding the behavior of General Ningji Duan Xuan, Cheng Yu did not become arrogant because of it, and became arrogant. He knew that when Duan Xuan treated him with such courtesy, it was not him who was being treated politely, but the Yizhou Shepherd Liu Zhang whom he represented. This was the reason why Duan Xuan accompanied him carefully.

Cheng Yu was a little worried. You must know that unlike Ningji General Duan You, Duan You was not easy to plunder, he was diligent in agriculture, and the people of Huayin were content with his administration. Moreover, Duan You had a loyal and kind heart. The emperor moved eastward, and Duan You had However, Liangzhou Ma Teng's character is not loyal and loyal. It is common to forget one's duty and betray one's trust for profit. It is harder to convince Duan Xuan than Duan Xuan.

'hope everything is fine. 'Cheng Yu made a hope in his heart. If Ma Teng and Duan Xuan all favor Yizhou, then Li Jue and Guo Si in Guanzhong will be alone. This will be a good thing for Yizhou's upcoming Guanzhong strategy. .

While Cheng Yu was studying hard, in a room near the courtyard, Ning Ji's general Duan Xuan drank a cup of sobering soup. He asked the meritorious officer Duan Yu: "Is there anything rude about the Japanese general's hospitality to guests today?" Duan Yu, the meritorious Cao Cao with a clean face and a goatee, shook his head: "The general treated the guests today without any rudeness. He spoke with sincerity and acted diligently. He can make the envoy from Yizhou feel like he is at home."

After saying that, Duan Yu stroked his beard and said with some confusion: "General, Cheng Yu's job is just a scribe. Although he represents Liu Yizhou, the general is too polite. He went out of the city to greet him and made a big show of it. Those who know about the banquet know that the general is entertaining an envoy from Yizhou, but those who don’t know may think that the general is entertaining an envoy from the Emperor?”

After expressing his doubts, Gongcao Duan Yu gave some advice.

"Actually, as a general, you can sit in the Huayin official temple, and you can lead Cheng Yu to the official temple... Such courtesy is too great, and it seems to be lowering your status, so please think about it, general."

General Duan Xuan of Ningji waved his hand when he heard the words. He smiled and said: "What you said, sir, is indeed reasonable. As a general, it is a bit too much for me, as a general, to treat a young boy who is carrying a clerk like this. But the situation is pressing and I have to do this.”

'The situation is pressing? Duan Yu stroked his beard and thought for a moment or two with half-squinted eyes. Then he asked, "Is there any unexpected change in the battle in Chencang?"

"Of course." Duan Xuan nodded and said straight to the point: "There is news from Chencang. Li Jue and Guo Sidun are in a strong position and have nothing to do. They rely on the elite soldiers of Liangzhou and underestimate the Shu army, so they are not well prepared. In order to guard the city, Gan Ning, the general of the Shu army, took advantage of the opportunity to attack at night, destroyed the front camp of Li Jue and Guo Si, burned the siege equipment built by Li Jue and Guo Si, and even Li Jue's nephew Hu Feng. Killed by Gan Ning."

Duan Yu was not surprised when he heard that Gan Ning attacked Li Jue and Guo Si's front camp at night, but when he heard that Hu Feng was killed by Gan Ning's formation, he stopped stroking his beard and asked: " But Hu Feng, who killed Fan Chou in the past?"

Duan Yu knew Fan Chou. As a warlord of the Liangzhou faction, Fan Chou was short-sighted and regarded as mediocre by others. However, Fan Chou won the hearts of the Liangzhou people because of his bravery, and he was on par with Li Jue and Guo Si. , Guo Si divided Chang'an into three parts, standing on a tripod.

But although Fan Chou was brave, he was killed by Hu Feng's staff. It can be seen that Hu Feng was brave. However, Hu Feng, who was so brave, was actually killed by the Shu army general named Gan Ning, and he was killed in formation. , which is surprising.

"Exactly." Duan Yan said with certainty.

"Oh, that makes sense." Duan Yu nodded several times. If the situation is like this, it makes sense for Duan Xuan to treat the Yizhou envoy with such courtesy. After all, it seems that Yizhou Shepherd Liu Zhang and Li Jue and Guo Si's war balance was slightly tilted towards Yizhou. If Liu Zhang, the herdsman of Yizhou, defeated Li Jue and Guo Si, and annexed the three auxiliary lands.

At that time, Duan Xuan, the Ningji general stationed in Huayin in front of him, had to serve Liu Zhang, the shepherd of Yizhou, in order to keep his family safe. Now, taking advantage of the envoy from Yizhou to come, he wanted to show off his good looks. It's a sure-fire business.

"I am praised for my short-term intelligence and skills, but I have lost sight of it. With the power of Liu Yizhou today, the envoys he sends should be treated with caution."

Ningji General Duan Xuan smiled calmly: "The meritorious officer did not know the details of the Chencang war, so he made the previous remarks. This is a reasonable thing, so there is no need to apologize."

"General, are you willing to serve Liu Yizhou and send troops to Guanzhong to help Liu Yizhou?" Merit Cao Duan Yu asked again.

Hearing this, Duan Xuan looked thoughtful, and after a moment he shook his head and said: "The situation in Guanzhong is currently unclear. Although the Shu army seems to have won a small victory, it is difficult to say what the outcome of the war will be... "

"I intend to wait and see in Huayin first. I won't offend either party and wait and see how the situation develops."

Duan Yan made a conservative decision, which is also a common operation for ordinary people when faced with difficult choices. Choose no one, do nothing, sit on the Diaoyutai, sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and wait until the situation becomes clear before making a final decision. Select the correct option.

It's just that in this way, the benefits that can be obtained are not as much as the benefits that can be obtained after the war by placing bets at the beginning of the war. However, Duan Xuan was not greedy. He only wanted to save his family's wealth and life. He neither dared to think nor ask for more.

"What the general said is that this is the safest strategy." Duan Yu stroked his beard and nodded in agreement.

"It's just that even if Li Jue and Guo Si have a greater chance of victory later, they must not help each other and rely on each other. In the hearts of the emperor, the ministers of the court, and people at home, these two are national thieves who want to kill them quickly. Following Li Jue and Guo Si is like a lonely soul following a ghost in the night. Sooner or later, you will be defeated, your clan will be destroyed, and everyone will be destroyed... Li Jue and Guo Si can be friends with each other, but not deeply, let alone follow them. Liu Yizhou can be friends with them, but they are not. We can have a close friendship, and if Liu Yizhou is better than Li Jue and Guo Si and annexes the three auxiliary areas, maybe we can consider serving Liu Yizhou. "

"What the meritorious officer said is true, and so is what I mean." Duan Xuan said with approval. As the younger brother of the late Lieutenant Duan Ying, he first served under the traitor Dong Zhuo and held the position of Zhonglang General. In the second year, Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an and set up defenses along the way, but he was left in Huayin to defend it.

During this period of time, he felt the disgust of the common people at home towards Dong Zhuo and their group of Liangzhou generals. The common people looked at them with murderous eyes, which made him, who was born in the Duan family of Wuwei, If he continues to behave like this, the three clans may inevitably suffer financial losses.

Therefore, during the years when he was stationed in Huayin and in charge of the government, he restrained his troops and diligently cultivated agriculture, which made the people happy. The scholars and common people were grateful for it, and gradually lost the bad reputation of Liangzhou thieves. When he moved to Luoyang, he seized the opportunity to provide materials and meals to the emperor, served all officials, and was loyal and loyal. He washed away the imprint of Dong Zhuo's old general on the emperor and the ministers, and became a loyal man of the Han Dynasty.

This is why Duan Xuan favored the side of Yizhou Mu Liu Zhang when faced with the current conflict between Li Jue, Guo Si and Yizhou Mu Liu Zhang.

He knew very well that Li Jue and Guo Si were not to be tolerated in the world and were national traitors cursed by thousands of people. He was determined not to join forces with Li Guo, so when faced with the invitation document sent by Li Jue and Guo Si, he was invited to go to Chencang to help out. , he declined politely.

When Cheng Yu, the envoy from Yizhou, arrived in Huayin, he treated him well and wanted to leave a good impression on Liu Yizhou. If Liu Yizhou defeated Li Jue and Guo Si in the future, he would also be treated as a distinguished guest by Liu Yizhou. .

(End of this chapter)