The great man will live forever

Chapter 301: Now that Tian has been promised, it will be difficult to promise Qing again

The Jizhou Yellow Turban Army led by Zhang Jiao is the well-deserved main force of the Yellow Turban Army. Before Lu Zhi came, this Yellow Turban Army was invincible on the Hebei Plain. The Han officers and soldiers either surrendered or were killed. They went on a rampage and no one dared to stop them.

The jurisdiction of Jizhou is equivalent to today's central and southern Hebei, western Shandong, and northern Henan. Its administrative seat is Yecheng, which is the southwest of Linzhang County, Handan City, Hebei today.

Jizhou was the first of the nine states in ancient times, "the middle state in the world", and the "middle earth" in the eyes of the ancients. It is also the "Longxing Land" of the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was here that Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, established a stable base and conquered the world.

At the same time, Jizhou is known as the "granary of the world". The fertile North China Plain formed by the alluvial accumulation of the Yellow River has supported a large population since ancient times.

By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the population density and land development level in Jizhou were very high.

Coupled with the fact that "Yan and Zhao have been generous and tragic people since ancient times" and the people's customs are strong, Zhang Jiao chose this place as the base camp for the uprising.

From the terrain point of view, Jizhou is mostly an endless plain with no danger to defend. Zhang Jiao's army has an absolute advantage in numbers, so he fought smoothly along the way.

But good and bad are relative. The Han army has no danger to defend, and the Yellow Turban Army has no danger to defend.

Lu Zhi urgently led the army north. He led the five schools of the Northern Army (i.e., Tunqi, Yueqi, Infantry, Changshui, Shesheng battalions) and the Youzhou cavalry, a total of 4, mostly cavalry, in the vast Hebei Pingyuan and Zhangjiao's main force of the Yellow Turban Army met on a narrow road.

The results are mostly self-evident. Lu Zhi's army is elite and mostly cavalry. Zhang Jiao's army is large, but they are basically farmers who have just put down their hoes. Their weapons, equipment, and combat awareness are very poor.

In addition, Lu Zhi is a rare famous general. When he pacified the barbarians in Lujiang County, he led many troops to fight. The barbarians fled with their heads in their arms, screamed, and knelt down to surrender.

Therefore, since meeting Lu Zhi, Zhang Jiao's ending was basically doomed.

Facing the massive Yellow Turban Army, Lu Zhi was not afraid at all. He took the initiative and took advantage of the cavalry's high mobility and impact, combined with weapons that were far more sophisticated than the Yellow Turban Army, to win consecutively.

Zhang Jiao was defeated in many battles and lost his troops and generals. After a few battles, he lost tens of thousands.

"Brother, this Lu Zhi is so powerful. He uses the cavalry to the extreme. We can't win." It was Zhang Liang who spoke.

Zhang Jiao sighed with emotion, "Lu Zhi is indeed a famous general in the world, capable of both literary and military skills. It would be great if I had such a talent among the Yellow Turbans."

At this time, his face was pale and his figure was a little thin.

"He is aiding the tyranny. The great man has long been rotten. If he refuses to accept his destiny, he will perish sooner or later."

Suddenly, Zhang Jiao covered his mouth and coughed, "Cough cough cough!"

Zhang Liang looked panicked, "Brother, your body?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on for long. How can Youyou Cangtian be inferior to the people in the world? The cause of establishing Huangtian can only be left to you."

"Brother, take good care of yourself and don't overwork yourself. It will get better."

"You and I are both proficient in medical skills, why should we deceive ourselves?"

Zhang Liang held his hand and wanted to say something, but the words were already on his lips but could not come out.

Zhang Jiao smiled helplessly, "Third brother, life or death is your destiny. Retreat to Guangzong to avoid the enemy's cavalry. Youzhou cavalry is too powerful."

"Yes, eldest brother, do you want to call the second brother over?"

"No, if he goes north, he can contain Lu Zhi and make him vulnerable from both sides."

Lu Zhi's offensive was fierce and aggressive, and Zhang Jiao was not stupid. He knew that he could not resist. On the plains, the infantry was far from the opponent of the cavalry, so he immediately withdrew his troops.

Following his order, he and his younger brother Zhang Liang surrendered to Guangzong, while his younger brother Zhang Bao led another Yellow Turban Army northward and down Quyang (now Jinzhou, Hebei), working hand in hand with each other and echoing each other.

Until this time, Zhang Jiao and his main force were still drawing circles in Julu County. Zhang Jiao was from Julu, and Guangzong and Xiaquyang were both under the jurisdiction of Julu County. Zhang Jiao was still lingering in the same place after months of rebellion. , but they just couldn’t get out of the small circle of Julu. This was their big mistake.

Zhang Jiao's medical skills, spirit, and feelings are all valuable, but his military leadership and strategic vision are indeed average, even mediocre.

As soon as there was an uprising, he should concentrate his forces to besiege Luoyang. Even if this was not the case, he should concentrate his forces to occupy Jizhou. Only in this way would he have a chance of winning, but he kept wandering in front of his house and could not take a step forward.

It seems that they are blooming everywhere and have a huge momentum, but they will only be defeated by the Han army one by one.

After the victory, Lu Zhi saw Zhang Jue retreating, so he naturally pursued him closely. Those in front fled desperately, and those behind chased him desperately. The race did not end until Zhang Jue led the remaining troops to escape into Guangzong City.

Guangzong is located near Xingtai in southern Hebei today. It is Zhangjiao's base. It is located on the alluvial plain formed by the ancient Yellow River and Zhang River, and the terrain is flat.

It borders Handan Qiu County to the south, Pingxiang and Julu Counties to the west, and is adjacent to Xiaquyang.

After Lu Zhi made several tentative attacks, he knew that he would not be able to defeat Guangzong for a while.

This is when Zhang Jiao is fighting on his own territory. He is fighting on the inside. He is also at a numerical advantage. Zhang Jiao's younger brother Zhang Bao is guarding Xiaquyang not far away. When he attacks the city, he has to guard his back...

But he was not discouraged, and with a steady and steady mentality, he immediately dug trenches, built high platforms, built ladders, and surrounded Guangzong.

Under the command of Lu Zhi, the Han army set up ladders to attack the city from all sides.

"Kill!"

"Come on!"

After Zhang Jue entered the city, he defended Guangzong tightly and stayed behind closed doors. Lu Zhi saw that everything was ready and ordered the entire army to attack day and night. They dug tunnels and built ladders. The soldiers climbed the city desperately. If they fell down, they would continue climbing as long as they survived.

Several times, Guangzong was almost defeated, and Zhang Jiao led his men to stand on the city wall in person.

"The sky is dead, the yellow sky should be established, and the age of Jiazi will bring good luck to the world!"

"Don't be afraid, gentlemen, the great Han will be destroyed."

In an instant, the morale of the Yellow Turban Army soared, and they shouted, "The sky is dead, the Yellow Sky is here to stand, and at the age of sixty, the world will be blessed!"

Some Yellow Turbans even jumped down while holding the imperial soldiers who had climbed up the city wall. Some of them had no stones in their hands, so they used them as stones and jumped directly from the city wall to hit the imperial soldiers on their heads.

At this time, people outside the city panicked. They had seen people risking their lives, but they had never seen anyone so desperate.

Rebels in the city, please rest for a while. Why bother? It’s not easy for everyone to come out to hang out, so why bother forcing each other so hard?

As a result, the Han army, which almost entered the city, had no choice but to withdraw again.

"Great Master!"

"General Tiangong!"

"The sky is dead, the yellow sky should be established, and the age of Jiazi will bring good luck to the world!"

The tens of thousands of Yellow Turban troops on the city walls shouted.

"Ahem!" Zhang Jiao coughed when he saw this scene. Red blood flew out of his mouth. He quickly covered it with his hands, and then his body fell straight down.

Zhang Liang on the side quickly supported him with quick eyes and quick hands.

"Big brother!"

"Don't make any noise."

Zhang Jiao fainted after saying this.

"Brother, brother!"

"Stop the news." Zhang Liang immediately ordered several soldiers, and then sent Zhang Jiao back to his mansion, telling the outside world that Zhang Jiao had used his magic power, and the Yellow Turbans had greatly increased their strength and were able to repel the Han army.

At night, there were many people standing in front of Zhang Jiao's bed. The one at the front was naturally Zhang Liang. To his right was a little girl about 12 years old. Her eyes were red, but her eyes were bright and clear, revealing an aura of innocence and innocence.

She has a head of jet-black hair spread over her shoulders, shining with black luster under the lights. Her face is pure and beautiful, and her petite face reveals the tenderness of youth.

Her skin is crystal clear and as white as jade, like white petals in spring. Her cheeks are slightly teardrops, and her nose is small and three-dimensional, with a slight upturn, which highlights her smart face.

That pitiful look is heartbreaking. She is Zhang Ning, Zhang Jiao's daughter.

"Ah Weng, Ah Weng!" Zhang Ning called softly, and Zhang Jiao slowly opened his eyes.

"Ning'er."

"I'm here!" Zhang Ning took his hand and stroked his face.

"I remember when you were just born, you were only as big as a fist, and your mother died in childbirth. You always wanted your mother, but Aweng wouldn't let you mention her.

In the end, it was Aweng who felt sorry for her. He only had preaching and the world of Huang Tian in his heart.

But this three-foot body can be given to the world, no matter how difficult it is to give it to Qing!

... Ah Weng is worthy of the world... the people of the world are worthy of the Taoist ancestors of all generations and the long history, but I am sorry for you. You should listen to your third uncle and second uncle more, eat well, and live well, you know? "

It was probably a flashback. At this moment, Zhang Jiao talked a lot, and his memory also returned to the past.

That was twenty years ago, and he was only 30 years old. He had grown up to be tall and handsome.

Probably because he had seen too much suffering in the world, he walked into the world with what he had learned and took it as his mission to save the world. He began to preach in various places and began to use the medical principles he had learned to treat illnesses and save people. Everything was fine until he met Got her.

At that time, her father died of illness and her mother died of starvation. Her brother wanted to sell her, but unfortunately he couldn't because she caught cold and was as thin as a bone.

There are too many people like her, and most of them die in the end, like weeds on the ground, humble and pitiful, and the superiors will not show any mercy.

She thought she was dead until she met him.

Once, by accident, he met her.

Destined to be ordinary yet extraordinary.

He rescued her and she became homeless.

Therefore, she could only follow him.

She would help him preach, cook for him, wash his clothes, make robes for him...

During this process, they supported each other, treated illnesses and saved lives together,

Zhang Jiao witnessed countless suffering victims. They were in dire straits, without money or food, with ulcerated wounds and pus and blood all over their bodies. This tragic situation is heartbreaking.

However, the Han court ignored this disaster and did not reduce taxes at all.

The emperor was busy selling his official position to make money, the children of aristocratic families indulged in sensuality, relatives and eunuchs competed for power, and the powerful families enslaved the people.

They ignore these suffering people and do not even want to take a second look, as if these people are like smelly ditches, and a single glance will pollute their noble and bright eyes.

Zhang Jue felt a little confused. He looked at the grassland, which was full of refugees. He asked her, "I have tried hard for so long, but it still has no effect at all. One person was cured today, and two more appeared tomorrow, and the number got worse." More and more, are my efforts useful? Who cares?"

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face. There were too many suffering people in the world, could he save them?

"Heavenly Master, he cares, he cares too, they all care."

She pointed at several farmers lying aside who had been treated by Zhang Jiao and said firmly.

"And I care too!"

At that moment, Zhang Jiao met her firm eyes and suddenly smiled, "The wind rises at the end of Qingping, and the waves form between gentle waves. I will save them one by one, and I will save every one I can."

So, he continued to work hard and cured countless people with his superb medical skills.

As time goes by, Zhang Jiao's reputation grows, and more and more people join their ranks.

He began to preach widely and educate the people. His voice resounded throughout the country, with followers spread across eight states. He firmly believes that as long as everyone contributes, the world can be changed.

Zhang Jue looked at her hopefully, "Once the emperor gets rid of the traitors and governs the country well, everything will be fine."

"I will always believe in the Heavenly Master." She smiled, like plum blossoms blooming all over the mountain.

However, bad news came one after another. Instead of making any changes, the court intensified its efforts and raised taxes.

Plagues continued throughout the country, and severe droughts left the land with no harvest.

Countless people starved to death, ate dirt, bloated to death, and wailed all over the land. He saw with his own eyes the tragedy of exchanging children and eating them, which made him feel like a knife.

The aristocratic families hoarded food, ate meat and drank wine, and ignored the lives and deaths of the people. They would rather throw away the meat and wine than give anything to the people.

After he found out, his vision went dark and he almost fainted.

That kind of powerlessness and pain, that kind of suffering, that kind of sadness, tortured him every day.

He was drunk, it was his first time drinking, tears streaming down his face, he held her hand and yelled.

"You said, why, why is this? Don't we ordinary people even have the right to live? They have no dignity, they are like pigs and dogs, and they don't deserve to live?

Why are those nobles and aristocratic families so high up there? They don’t have to do anything to get what the common people dream about. They can have food and drink without worrying about food. What I have done is useless. If the world is still like this, I will not be able to save it in my lifetime. them. "

She held him in her arms and gently stroked Zhang Jiao's face, "Celestial Master, you have done enough, and the world is like this. Then change the world and become all the Celestial Masters in the world."

"Yes, change the world!"

These four words were like thunder, piercing the sky and completely illuminating the dark night sky in Zhangjiao.

"Haha, I understand. The sky is about to die, and Huang Tian is standing. The poor man is asking for death."

At that moment, Zhang Jiao was reborn.

Perhaps he was too happy, so he took advantage of the wine to kiss her. She wanted to push away, but she didn't use any force, and then hugged her tightly.

Everything was so natural and they had a wonderful night.

But what he always thought about was the world and Huang Tian.

After that, she often cooked and lived for Zhang Jiao, taking good care of his body and diet, and caring for him in every possible way.

She knew that Zhang Jiao was everything in her life. She was very small in heart and could not fit in the world or Huang Tian, ​​but only him.

But Zhang Jiao never had a clear answer to her feelings.

Despite this, she is willing to silently guard Zhang Jiao and is willing to sacrifice everything for him.

She understood that Zhang Jue's heart was big, big enough to hold everyone in the world, Jiuzhou, and Huang Tian, ​​but it could not hold her.

But gradually, she discovered that she was pregnant.

During her pregnancy, she began to feel pain and helplessness. She was going through a stage of being lonely and weak, but she still had a glimmer of hope in her heart, hoping that Zhang Jiao could be by her side at the most important moment.

However, the cruel fact finally came. She suffered from dystocia, struggled in pain, and bleeds endlessly, but Zhang Jiao never appeared again.

She left the world alone and bid farewell to this cruel fate with her unborn child.

Zhang Jiao finally arrived, but unfortunately, there were only cold corpses and their children.

"Yang Lan."

At that moment, Zhang Jiao cried.

……

Guangzong, on the hospital bed, Zhang Jiao seemed to see her waving to him.

"Third brother." He used his last strength to hold Zhang Liang's hand.

"Brother, I'm here."

"Brother has never asked you for anything. I beg you once."

"Brother, tell me."

"Take care of me, Ning'er, and you must take good care of her."

"Brother, I can."

Zhang Liang took Zhang Ning's hand and spoke firmly, almost swearing.

"Huang Tian, ​​Huang Tian, ​​I, Zhang Jiao, am worthy of the sky!" Zhang Jiao looked at the sky and closed his eyes forever.

"Ah Weng!" Zhang Ning was heartbroken and fainted from crying.

In July of this year (the first year of Zhongping, 184), Zhang Jiao died of illness in Guangzong.

That night, it rained heavily and the sky seemed to be crying.

(End of this chapter)