Three Kingdoms: I will act as a substitute for the Hunjun

Chapter 124 Everyone has their own strategies

As the saying goes, birds die for food and people die for wealth. The same is true in military wars. The success of strategies often lies in seizing the temptation of human nature.

Cao Cao and Lu Bu staged a drama of internal strife, and deceived Zhang Yan into rushing over to take advantage. However, he failed to take advantage and almost lost his life.

"Retreat, you should retreat!" Zhang Yan turned the horse's head with difficulty, slashed to death two Black Mountain bandits who were crowding in front of the horse, and fled back with all his strength.

At this time, the Black Mountain bandits who wanted to capture Lu Bu's little golden man finally realized, damn, they had fallen into the trap again!

Why add another one?

Because in this campaign, not a single battle went smoothly, and all battles suffered losses. In their eyes, Zhang Yan, the commander-in-chief who had always been omnipotent, could only be defeated and fled many times, including now, he is still escaping with his life. .

At this moment, all the thieves didn't care anymore, they turned around and ran away one by one.

But the camp gate is so big, how can so many people pour out at once? There was a serious stampede at the gate of the camp, and screams and curses broke out one after another.

Seeing that there was no hope of escape, some wanted to kneel down and beg for mercy, but found that there were so many people crowded together that there was no place to kneel. Moreover, in this situation, even if they knelt down, they would be trampled to death.

Some ignored them and simply stepped over the corpses of others and climbed over the fence. At this moment, nothing was more important than escaping.

However, in front of the cavalry, everything is a cloud.

The two groups of cavalry were like two steel blades of scissors, strangling the Black Mountain bandits who crowded in front of the camp gate.

And the rows of spearmen behind them also rushed forward with their gleaming spears, and cooperated with the cavalry to make dumplings against the Black Mountain bandits.

It was almost a one-sided massacre.

"Get out of the way, don't block the way, I want to kill Zhang Yan!" Lu Bu rushed up, waved the Fangtian Painted Halberd, cut a bloody path, and went straight to Zhang Yan.

He was determined to kill Zhang Yan. It seemed that he only had Zhang Yan in his eyes on the entire battlefield.

When Zhang Yan saw Lu Bu coming to kill him, she was so frightened that she slashed at the Black Mountain bandit in front of her, opened a way for herself, ran away as fast as she could, and quickly rushed into another camp.

"Come quickly, stop Lu Bu. Whoever stops Lu Bu will be his commander, and whoever stops Lu Bu will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold..." Zhang Yan shouted out various rewards and promises while running for her life.

Now if someone can save his life and ask him to hand over his position as the commander-in-chief of the Montenegrin Army, he will agree without hesitation. It is more important to save his head first.

He was already being chased by Lu Bu, and he never wanted to feel like vomiting blood again in his life.

Many Montenegrin soldiers in this battalion didn't know what was going on. When they heard that there was such a high reward, these desperadoes were like vultures smelling carrion. They rushed over and tried to kill Lu Bu. One, come two and kill a pair.

Zhang Yan took the opportunity to take a breath, but still did not dare to stop, and rode towards the Chinese army camp.

After returning to the main camp, he immediately issued an order to withdraw the siege in the south, east and west of Huai County, and move closer to the main camp in the north of the city. The siege was no longer realistic, so they could only concentrate their forces and use their numerical superiority to fight against the official army.

The siege of Huai County was lifted, and Xu Huang entered the city.

Lu Bu, who was already red-eyed, occupied a stronghold again, but when he wanted to attack the next stronghold, he found that the camp was already prepared, and the crossbow arrows were as dense as locusts, making it impossible to get close.

Lu Bu wanted to attack again, but was stopped by Cao Cao who came over and said, "Fengxian, it's getting dark and the soldiers are tired. Why don't we stop today and fight again tomorrow!"

Lu Bu looked at the sky. The sun had already set. It gets dark early in Hanoi in winter. It would be harmful to him to continue fighting.

He could only sigh deeply, stop the attack, and together with Cao Cao, command the soldiers and horses to dismantle the two captured strongholds, and bring a bunch of equipment to Huai County as trophies.

When Gai Xun saw that the siege of Huai County had been resolved, and he only had 3,000 men, facing tens of thousands of Black Mountain bandits, it was more dangerous to camp alone, so he took a detour and camped under the city of Huai County.

That night, Zhu Jun did his best to invite the generals into the city to celebrate and have a feast.

Gai, Lu, and Xu were all exhausted from running all the way, so they just had a good drink to relieve their fatigue.

After a few glasses of wine, Zhu Jun scanned the crowd. Suddenly his gray beard trembled a few times, the corners of his mouth flattened, and he burst into tears.

Everyone was puzzled. The crisis in Huai County had been lifted, and Zhu Jun had completed the task assigned by His Majesty. This was a great joy and a great achievement. Why did such a good person suddenly cry?

"Brother Gongwei has done a good job in defending the land. The thieves will be destroyed soon. Your Majesty will definitely reward him generously. I don't know why he is not happy but sad instead?" Gai Xun asked doubtfully.

He also asked everyone's thoughts.

Zhu Jun picked up the wine glass, adjusted his mood, and said, "I am crying with joy."

Everyone did not respond and all looked at him, waiting for him to explain. Although he was happy to have solved the siege of Huai County, for a veteran who had been on the battlefield for a long time, it was not enough to make him cry with joy. After all, Huai County was just a county. That’s all.

"Once upon a time, the Shichang servants wielded power and disrupted the government. The Tu family members supported the army and respected themselves. Your Majesty ignored the government affairs. Bandits and bandits were everywhere. The national treasury was empty." Zhu Jun sighed, "I thought that the country was about to fall and the strength of the man was about to be exhausted..."

"Your Majesty, be careful what you say." Cao Cao hurriedly stopped Zhu Jun from continuing. Commenting on the government, especially His Majesty, it would be fine if you meet a wise monarch. If you are a foolish monarch and do not defend loyalty and treachery, it will be a serious crime of beheading in an instant.

During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Cao Cao had followed Zhu Jun to fight the rebellion. The two were both teachers and friends, and they had a deep relationship. Now that he saw Zhu Jun suddenly say such disrespectful words, he hurriedly stopped him.

Zhu Jun shook his head and smiled: "Mengde doesn't have to be like this. I have now seen the spirit of the Great Han Dynasty's resurgence. In recent months, His Majesty has issued new policies several times, killing ten regular servants, quelling the Hejin Rebellion, and demolishing the decaying things in the West Garden. , implemented the new tax system, and personally conquered and suppressed the bandits, and advanced and retreated in an orderly manner. Now I see that Mengde, Fengxian, and Gongming are all pillars, and there is hope for the great rejuvenation of the Han Dynasty, so you weep with joy."

When everyone heard this, they realized that Zhu Jun, the old minister, was crying for joy because he saw that the big man had hope.

In the late period of Emperor Ling, many capable ministers resigned and returned to seclusion. One of the main reasons was that they were extremely disappointed with the government and could not see the future of the country. In addition, the eunuchs had exclusive power to suppress them, so they had no choice but to leave.

There are also some veteran ministers who, although still in office, are also disheartened.

The whole country was in a dispirited and dilapidated condition.

Now, Liu Ming has arrived. Although it is difficult to turn things around at once, he has done a lot of things. Compared with what Ling Emperor did before, he is much more enlightened. This has made some people who were already frustrated The old minister regained his hope.

Zhu Jun is one of them.

"What a pity..." Cao Cao sighed, "The ten permanent servants still have Jian Shuo, who still controls the court and restricts His Majesty. If this thief is not eliminated, it will be difficult for the Han Dynasty to revive."

Jian Shuo is recognized as the most powerful person in the government and the public. If he did not trust each other, he would never make public comments about this person, especially negative comments. Maybe what he just said today will be spread to Jian Shuo's ears tomorrow, and there will be no good fruits by then.

"It's just a eunuch. Just kill him. What's the difficulty?" Lu Bu said, pushing the wine glass.

Everyone except Xu Huang shook their heads and smiled bitterly.

It's not that easy. He kills whenever he wants. Jian Shuo not only controls the government, but also has military power.

Lu Bu had only been in Kyoto for a short time and had not yet sorted out his clues. Although Xu Huang had heard of Jian Shuo's bad reputation, how should he deal with it? He chose to rebel. The affairs of the court were too far away from him, so he didn't need to think about it in detail, and he couldn't understand it.

"Actually, it's not difficult to say that." Gai Xun said, "As long as... Your Majesty is willing."

Everyone understands it, but there is no need to say it explicitly.

Isn't it because His Majesty gave Jian Thief the power he has now? Although the Jian thief is now suspected of holding His Majesty hostage, if His Majesty decides to get rid of Jian Shuo and joins forces with the ministers, it is not impossible to get rid of him.

There are thousands of roads, but ultimately it all boils down to the emperor’s wishes. Zhu Jun raised his wine glass and said loudly: "Come on, come on, have a drink, and wish your majesty a long life!"

"Bless your Majesty!"

Everyone raised their glasses and drank it all, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.

Lu Bu felt unhappy when he saw that no one responded to his proposal to kill Jian Shuo. His favorite thing in life was fighting.

There is no problem that cannot be solved by fighting. If it cannot be solved, then fight again.

Moreover, facing people like Zhu Jun, Gai Xun, and Cao Cao who had been in the court for a long time, Lu Bu was eager to show off his abilities in order to gain the recognition of others.

So he put down his glass of wine and changed the subject, "The Black Mountain Bandits were sleepy during the day and will probably rest tonight. Why don't we take the opportunity to steal the camp and rob it? Do you think so?"

He got the benefit of stealing the camp last night, and he wanted to do it again this time.

"The strategy is not bad." Zhu Jun said after stroking his beard, "It's just that Lieutenant Lu continued to fight during the day, and the soldiers and horses in the Yueqi camp were exhausted. I wonder if they can still fight?"

"Hahahaha..." Lu Bu laughed loudly and said: "As long as this captain does not fall, the cavalry under his command will not fall!"

He couldn't help but show an aura of soaring arrogance. Seeing Xu Huang next to him who also advocated force, he couldn't help but feel inspired. It seemed that his aura had increased a lot out of thin air.

This is the contagious power of heroes.

Everyone present was a person with long battle experience and rich combat experience. Everyone exchanged a look with each other and felt that this matter could be done.

"Now that the troops in Huai County are strong, just stealing a camp and killing hundreds of thieves is not enough to show the power of the imperial army." Cao Cao said solemnly, and unleashed a big move, "It's better to just do nothing and continue to use all the troops in Huai County." Ma, let’s fight tonight to defeat the Black Mountain bandits in one fell swoop and stabilize the situation in Hanoi.”

Now, there are more than 13,000 people from all walks of life inside and outside Huai County, including the original Hanoi County soldiers.

The number of Black Mountain bandits outside the city was 30,000 at first. Later, new soldiers and horses came to gather one after another, and there were nearly 40,000 people. However, from last night to the whole day today, they lost nearly 10,000 people and horses. In other words, it still maintains a scale of 30,000.

If all the more than 13,000 officers and soldiers here are dispatched to attack the Black Mountain bandit camp at night, it is very likely that they will be defeated in one fell swoop. Moreover, Zhang Yan has withdrawn from the siege of Huai County, and there is no need to worry about the city being empty and being attacked by the enemy. Take advantage of.

So they immediately made a decision during the banquet to make meals at the third watch that night and set out at the fourth watch to sneak attack on the Montenegrin Army camp.

They were ready to take a risk. Except for the more than 500 county soldiers who were left to guard the four gates, the rest rushed out.

Lu Bu attacked the camp in front of the north gate, Cao Cao attacked the left camp, Xu Huang attacked the right camp, Gai Xun cooperated with Lu Bu to attack from the middle, and Zhu Jun led Fang Yue to provide general support.

This raid was completely different from Lu Bu's previous raid on the camp. Lu Bu's attack was purely to gain his first victory and weaken the enemy's spirit, and would not cause any real damage.

But this time it is not the case. It is not the first battle, but the decisive battle. The Black Mountain bandits will be defeated in one battle so that they will never dare to be enemies of the imperial court again.

The soldiers and horses from all walks of life looked after each other and advanced and retreated in an orderly manner, which was much better than Lu Bu's lone wolf action.

……

At the same time, Zhang Yan received a secret letter from Huai County - the descendants of Hanoi's Shan clan are responsible for guarding the south gate tonight and are willing to open the city gate and let Marshal Zhang enter the city.

I only hope that the Montenegrin Army can protect the Shan tribe from intrusion by insurgents. If the Montenegrin army governs Hanoi in the future, I hope it can exempt the Shan tribe from all taxes.

"Shan Clan? Are they reliable?" Zhang Yan frowned and asked, "Which of you has had any dealings with this family before?"

At this time, a man walked out of the tent. This man looked very strange and ugly. Everyone saw that he was a young handsome man named Lei Gong.

"My younger brother and Fuyun once did business with the descendants of the Shan clan in Huai County and bought their grain." Lei Gong said, "I am very smart in doing business and never suffered any losses."

At this time, another man with a slightly green face walked out, which was exactly what Lei Gong said. He cupped his fists and said: "The Shan people are not good birds either. They have also stolen and sold the county government's public grain. As long as there is money, there will be no such thing as them." I don’t dare to do it.”

Zhang Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Call the messenger in."

Soon a subordinate brought in a middle-aged man, stepped forward and saluted Zhang Yan, and said: "Your Majesty, I am the steward of the Shan Clan in Huai County. This time I came to present the city to your Majesty on the order of the family leader."

"Your Shan clan is also a big clan in Hanoi, so you should be in harmony with the dog officials of the imperial court. Now that Huai County has increased its troops and its strength has greatly increased, it is only right that the master of the Yin family should show his kindness to the dog officials."

Zhang Yan looked at this so-called butler and said doubtfully, "Why do you come to ask our Montenegrin brothers to protect you? If there is any fraud, I will skin you today!"

The housekeeper trembled with fright and said: "King Haojiao has learned that the Dog Emperor has recently implemented a new tax system, canceling all Ding taxes, and requires that the rent of each wealthy family's land should not exceed 20%.

"Please think about it, Your Majesty, such a big family relies on this land rent to support itself. 20% is not enough. So the head of the family thought that he might as well do the opposite. He might still have a bright future, so he sent a villain to welcome the King into the city. .”

After the housekeeper finished speaking, all the thieves leaders looked at each other.

"Hey, don't tell me, the dog emperor's new tax system sounds good." Yang Feng said with a smile, "I'm talking about housekeeper, do you know why our brothers rebelled? It was because of you big dogs who forced us to have so many people. The land rent and Ding’s tax imposed on us should have been reduced long ago!”

"It's interesting. I've heard that the tycoons collected too much rent and forced the tenant farmers to rebel. This is the first time I heard that the Dog Emperor reduced the rent and forced the gentry to rebel." Zhang Yan laughed and said, "No matter what the reason for your rebellion is, can you It will be a great achievement for you to get Huai County, Lei Gong and Fuyun will obey orders..."

……

At the fourth watch, Lu Bu took the lead to set off from the city of Huai County. It was too dark, so the soldiers could only lead their horses and move forward cautiously.

Gai Xun waited for a moment and then took action.

The Montenegrin Army camp was quiet. A few sentries in front of the camp gate were holding their weapons and shivering from the cold. They were pacing back and forth to keep warm, and occasionally cursed the damn weather.

Everything seems to be as usual, the bonfire in the camp has been extinguished.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, a sharp arrow flew and hit a sentry in the throat.

The companion next to him was stunned for a moment, and before he could react, another arrow flew and hit him in the chest.

"There is an enemy attack!" the sentry shouted with difficulty, then fell to the ground with two thuds and died.

The other sergeants heard something was wrong and ran over to check the situation, but they heard the rumble of horse hooves.

"Buzz!"

A rain of arrows fell from the sky, turning more than ten people into hedgehogs.

"Enemy attack! There is an enemy attack!" The remaining sergeants were so frightened that they were scared out of their wits. They quickly shouted warnings and kept ringing their gongs and ringing gold warnings.

However, the next moment, his head flew into the air - Lu Bu had already reached the front, wielding the Fangtian painted halberd to kill two sentries, knocked down the camp gate and led the Yueqi battalion to rush in.

(End of this chapter)