Ji Han Liu Zhang

Outside Xiangwu City, in front of the Shu army camp.

From morning till noon now, dozens of Qiang and Hu cavalrymen have been standing within an arrow's reach of the Shu army camp gate, shouting vulgar words at the camp, occasionally making some obscene gestures, and wantonly mocking the Shu army in the camp ahead.

However, in the face of the extremely humiliating words and actions of the Qiang and Hu cavalry, the Shu army camp remained calm, like an ancient well without any disturbances, and did not take any countermeasures.

The sun moved westward little by little, and the afterglow of sunset began to sprinkle. From morning to night, the Qiang and Hu who had been shouting for a long time no longer had the strength to shout. They leaned lazily on the horse's back, looking at the Shu army camp weakly, wondering why the Shu army was so patient and could endure their shouting for a whole day.

Seeing that the Shu army had not made any movement from beginning to end and the setting sun was sinking into the western mountains, the Qiang and Hu cavalry had no choice but to turn their horses around. Dozens of them galloped westward towards Xiangwu City. They had achieved nothing today and had wasted a day's talk in vain.

As the Qiang and Hu cavalry returned to Xiangwu City, the news soon reached Han Sui who was in the county temple. Han Sui had an expected look on his calm face. He was not too surprised that the Shu army had always avoided fighting.

"Liu Jiyu is such a coward. He has been avoiding fighting since he led the troops here. It has been more than a month now. Even a tortoise cannot shrink its head like him." Song Jian, the King of Heshou Pinghan, cursed. He knew the inside story of the Shu army avoiding fighting. He knew that Liu Jiyu was planning to wear him out.

Yan Xing sighed, "Liu Jiyu is no mediocre person. He wants to win without fighting and crush us with his strength, not giving us a chance to turn the tables... Now our army's food and grass are running out, and we don't have much time left. We should think of a good strategy."

After saying that, Song Jian, Yan Xing and others turned their heads and looked at Cheng Gongying, a famous strategist in Longyou, hoping that Cheng Gongying could give a good plan to deal with the current situation.

"Sir, do you have any good ideas?" Han Sui followed everyone's wishes and asked Cheng Gongying. He had received advice from Cheng Gongying before, which ignited the fighting spirit of Song Jian, Shao Dang, Diao Hujin, Canmuda and others. Now they were united and wanted to fight against the Shu army, but the Shu army stayed indoors and refused to fight with them. They also made several attempts to attack the Shu army's camps, but the results were not very good and they were repeatedly repelled by the Shu army.

It was said that although the generals gathered by Han Sui were willing to fight against Liu Zhang together and were unwilling to give up their power, Han Sui, as the leader of the alliance, was unable to urge the generals to fight to the death and let the Qiang and Hu tribes attack the Shu army camp without fear of sacrifice. As a result, every time they attacked the Shu army camp, the attacking Qiang and Hu tribes retreated as soon as they suffered casualties, and they could not break through the Shu army camp.

Now Han Sui had no choice but to resort to provocation. He sent people to shout and curse in front of the Shu army camp, hoping to provoke the Shu army to fight. However, the Shu army acted as if they were deaf and blind, turning a deaf ear to him, and just hung up the banner of refusing to fight, and was bent on wasting time with him, which put Han Sui into a situation where he was at his wits' end.

Under everyone's expectant gaze, Cheng Gongying shook his head and said, "The Shu army has come here with a perfect strategy, which is to hold out against us instead of attacking us. They are waiting for our army to run out of food and disperse, and then they will ambush and kill them. This is an open plot that cannot be broken... You should follow what my general said before, return to your hometowns, obey Liu Jiyu, lie in wait, and maybe you can have a chance of survival."

After he finished speaking, Cheng Gongying only made eye contact with Han Sui once or twice inadvertently, then he half-closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep, and no longer uttered a word.

Faced with Cheng Gongying's decadent words, some people buried their heads in thought, while others frowned and looked displeased.

Han Sui took the opportunity to speak up before everyone responded, "Mr. Cheng Gong is right! The Shu army is holding out and our army has no way to deal with them. We will be defeated sooner or later. It is better for you to return to your hometowns, give up your military power and the counties you control, and live the rest of your life as a rich man."

"Rich man!" Song Jian was the first to show his anxiety. He called himself "King of Heshou Pinghan", and there was no possibility of harmony between him and Liu Jiyu, a member of the royal family. Either Liu Zhang died or he died, the two could not coexist. Even if he gave up his title of king and power, he could not be a rich man.

"Brother Han, you must not say such dejected words. Although our army is a little weak now, we may still have a chance to defeat Liu Zhang. We should prepare for battle and capture Liu Jiyu in one go." Song Jian advised earnestly. Now he and Han Sui are on the same rope, and their lives are closely linked.

Shaodang, Diaohujin, Canmuda and others also knew that they were almost at the end of their rope. If they failed this time, they would have no chance. In the future, they would have to submit to Liu Jiyu and lead his horse and pass the reins to him. They would no longer have the days of wantonness and happiness like today.

Therefore, Shaodang, Diaohujin, Canmuda and others also said, "Please let General Han make the decision. We will just follow your orders." But Han Sui still shook his head. He half-closed his eyes like Cheng Gongying, as if he had given up struggling. Everyone present had no choice but to make this request.

Under the repeated requests of Song Jian, Shao Dang, Diao Hu Jin, Can Mu Da and others, Han Sui first sighed, then he looked very serious and said seriously: "This time, either Liu Zhang dies or we die together. Things have come to this point, it is extremely urgent."

Han Sui's bright eyes swept over the people present. He said, "If you are willing to listen to my orders, I will make the decision for you. However, if you pretend to obey but actually do as you please, it is better for you to leave today."

"We are willing to obey the general's orders." Song Jian, Shao Dang, Diao Hujin, Chanmuda and others responded in unison.

Han Sui nodded, and he said sternly: "Even if you are willing to listen to my orders, then I will make it clear in advance. In the future, if any of you do not listen to my orders, advance or retreat at will, and do not follow the drums and gongs, don't blame me for the sharp sword in my hand."

At this moment, Han Sui was like an eagle owl, with a pair of sharp eagle eyes staring straight at everyone present.

"Yes." Song Jian, Shao Dang, Diao Hujin, Chanmuda and others responded in unison.

After a meeting that showed that Han Sui had gained control of the entire army, Han Sui bid farewell to the generals in front of the central army tent, and then he stepped into the camp. He looked a little exhausted at this moment. His passionate words and bold behavior just now consumed a lot of his energy, causing his broad shoulders to sag a little.

"Unless it's an emergency, these people are really difficult to command." Han Sui said to Cheng Gongying with emotion. Previously, he had a farewell show in the lobby of the county temple to ignite the fighting spirit of the generals, but the generals were still somewhat hesitant. Now that things are about to turn around, the generals know that there is no way out, and they are willing to hand over the power of commanding the army and rewarding and punishing to him. Only then was he able to take control of the coalition forces and command them from top to bottom.

Cheng Gongying nodded and said, "This is not enough to intimidate the generals. When the battle starts tomorrow, we will kill one or two generals who do not obey orders, so that the generals will know who is the leader of the army. Only then will the generals obey orders without hesitation and will not dare to slack off even a little bit."

"Yeah." A hint of murderous intent flashed across Han Sui's eyes, and he nodded solemnly.

Night had already fallen. The stars were dim tonight, the crescent moon was faint, and the fields were shrouded in an unknown darkness. In the dimness, one could not see far away, but could only see the scenery in front of him. In the Shu army camp, torches were lit, illuminating various parts of the camp. Looking down from the starry sky, it looked like a sea of ​​stars on the earth.

In the Shu army's central camp, the personal guard Wu Ban said angrily: "Mingsir, today those Qiang dogs came to curse again. Why didn't you send people to drive them away and kill them, but let them curse... I listened to them today, and the curses of these Qiang dogs were very ugly, with dirty words that were unbearable to the ears." Seeing Wu Ban's angry expression, Liu Zhang smiled slightly and asked: "Yuanxiong, let me ask you, what do the Qiang dogs want to do by coming to curse?"

"Of course, he wants to provoke our army to fight." Wu Ban replied.

"That's right." Liu Zhang confirmed. He asked, "Han Sui wants to provoke us to fight. Does he not want our army to hold our ground?"

"Yeah." Wu Ban nodded.

"Even if Han Sui doesn't want to see our army hold on, it means that it is the right thing for our army to hold on. The more the enemy opposes what we do, the more it shows that we are doing the right thing." Liu Zhang reminded Wu Ban.

"The more the enemy opposes what we do, the more it shows that we are doing the right thing." Wu Ban heard this and murmured Liu Zhang's words. After a moment, he said, "Although Mingshou's words are simple and easy to understand, I think they make a lot of sense."

"But I have a question. Han Sui opposes us, which means we did the right thing. If Han Sui supports us, doesn't it mean we did the wrong thing?" Wu Ban drew inferences from one example and asked Liu Zhang with his head slightly raised, hoping to get Liu Zhang's praise.

"No, if Han Sui supports us...even the enemy supports us, then we are doing the right thing." Liu Zhang smiled indifferently, with a funny look in his eyes.

"Ah!" Wu Ban was a little confused when he didn't get the expected answer, and he exclaimed in surprise.

……

Xudu.

Starting from Huayin, after a period of trekking, General Zhang Ren of the Cavalry led his troops to Xu Du. He set up camp outside the city of Xu Du, and after settling the soldiers, he entered the city of Xu Du with only a few personal guards.

After arriving in Xudu City, Zhang Ren rode his horse non-stop towards the palace. He received a message from the eunuch in front of him, saying that the emperor wanted to summon him. Facing the summons from the emperor of the Han Dynasty, he dared not slack off. He just settled his soldiers and led his troops into the city.

He entered the palace smoothly, and led by the eunuch into the east pavilion of the palace. After waiting in the east pavilion for a while, Zhang Ren heard the sound of bells and music, and then the eunuch shouted in a shrill voice: "Your Majesty has arrived."

When the emperor sat down on the throne, Zhang Ren stepped forward, knelt and bowed, saying, "I am Zhang Ren, the brave cavalry general under the command of the Grand Marshal, with the courtesy name of Gongyi. I am honored to meet your majesty. May your majesty live a long life."

"No need to be polite when it comes to justice." A gentle voice came from the throne. Zhang Ren did not relax after hearing this. He still respectfully completed the etiquette of meeting the emperor, and then stood up.

Emperor Liu Xie looked at Zhang Ren in front of him. He saw that Zhang Ren was tall and strong, and he knew that Zhang Ren was extraordinary. Liu Xie nodded slightly and said to him, "Gong Yi came from Guanzhong, and he had to travel through mountains and rivers all the way. He was very tired. Now he will lead the troops to help the country fight against the enemy. He can be said to be loyal and good."

"Your Majesty, thank you for your compliment. I am following the order of the Grand Marshal to fight against the enemy for the country. How dare I say that it is hard work? This is my duty." Zhang Ren said modestly.

Liu Xie nodded. He was very satisfied with Zhang Ren's attitude. "I heard that Gongyi has been under the command of the Grand Marshal for many years. He has participated in the conquests of Ba County, Hanzhong, and Guanzhong. He has fought in more than ten battles and defeated countless enemies for the country. He is indeed a good general for the country and a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty."

As none of the people around him were good people, Liu Xie had to be careful with what he said and not reveal any of his true feelings. He only boasted about Zhang Ren's achievements and awarded Zhang Ren a reward after the meeting with the emperor, giving him a bow and arrow and a set of armor to encourage him.

Sikong Mansion.

"Brother, Zhang Ren's troops from Guanzhong have been settled. They are just outside the city of Xudu. The camps they set up on both sides are the camps of Zixiao and me. Two pairs of eyes are watching closely to prevent Zhang Ren from doing anything wrong." Cao Hong reported to Cao Cao.

"Yeah." Cao Cao nodded lightly. He was not overly concerned about Zhang Ren who came to help with a brigade. He had already made plans in his mind. When he conquered Huainan later, he would let Zhang Ren's troops do the work of breaking through the enemy lines to save him some effort.

Even though Liu Jiyu, the Grand Marshal of Guanzhong, coveted the fame of conquering the traitor Yuan Shu and sent troops to help, Cao Cao would certainly not leave Zhang Ren's troops idle. He would have to use Zhang Ren to some extent, after all, it would be a waste if he was not used.

"What do you think of Zhang Ren's troops?" Cao Cao asked. He was thinking that if the troops sent by Guanzhong were old, weak, sick and disabled, then they would be of no use when the time comes, and his food and supplies would be wasted in vain.

"Hmm?" Cao Hong thought for a moment and gave his answer: "Zhang Ren's troops don't look old, weak, sick or disabled. They don't look like they are just filling up the numbers. As for their combat effectiveness, we still have to test them on the battlefield."

"That's fine." Cao Cao nodded. It seemed that Liu Jiyu was too shameless to bring out a bunch of old, weak, sick and disabled people to make up the numbers in order to gain the reputation of defeating the traitor Yuan Shu.

"Your Majesty is quite anxious. As soon as Zhang Ren arrived, he summoned him to the palace." Cao Hong recalled something and reported it to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao didn't care at all. He casually replied, "It's your Majesty's will to summon whomever you want. Just let your Majesty do it. If your Majesty has no say in who to see and who not to see, it won't sound good if it gets out." Cao Cao looked indifferent. He relied on the fact that everyone around the emperor was his chess piece. Whatever the emperor said or did, whatever he ate or drank, would be handed over to him. Under such strict control, he naturally let the emperor do things within his tolerance to avoid outsiders saying that he treated the emperor harshly. (End of this chapter)