I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 12 From today on, please call me Wang Sima

The Yellow Turban Army could not endure a long battle. They attacked the city for several days in a row but failed to take Chen County. The soldiers were already exhausted both physically and mentally.

Fearing that Wang Jing and Liu Chong would send troops to pursue him, He Man did not dare to stay where he was and evacuated the battlefield overnight, retreating all the way to Ruyang with his troops.

The topography of Ruyang County is extremely complex, with continuous mountains in the south and plains and hills in the north.

Among them, the total area occupied by mountains exceeds 70%. Not only are the roads rugged, but the mountains are also undulating, which is most suitable for hiding soldiers and ambushing, and can effectively block the pursuit of the court army.

"Damn it, this can't even take down the State of Chen!"

He Man was cursing and feeling very upset.

At this time, the Yellow Turbans in Runan seemed to be very powerful, having broken through many counties and had an army of 100,000, causing panic among the local people. But in fact, only the head of the family knew that firewood, rice, oil and salt were expensive, and it was not so easy to solve the problem of food, drink and defecation for more than 100,000 people. He Man was now worried about the problem of food shortage in the army.

The Taiping Dao did not engage in production. Wherever they went, they were like a swarm of locusts. Once the food in a place was eaten up, they had to attack new territories, otherwise they would fall into self-destruction.

Therefore, the significance of conquering the State of Chen was very important, not only because under the management of King Chen Liu Chong, the people's livelihood in the State of Chen was overall intact and more prosperous than the surrounding areas, but also because the State of Chen itself had excellent geographical advantages.

The three counties of Runan, Yingchuan and Chen in Yuzhou are connected to each other and support each other.

Now most of Runan County has been conquered. As long as Chen State is taken down, the Yellow Turbans of Runan will be able to form a pincer attack on Yingchuan and capture it in one go. At that time, they can attack or defend.

But if they fail to conquer the State of Chen, it means that the Yellow Turban Army will face threats from the flank at any time if they want to attack Yingchuan, and may even be in danger of being cut off by government troops.

And in Ruyang City, the main force of the Yellow Turban Army is gathering, and all the Four Beasts of Heyin are assembled.

Upon learning that He Man had returned, Huang Shao also sent someone to invite him to the Juxian Hall for a discussion.

Juxian Hall was originally the government office of Ruyang County.

When Huang Shao broke through the city gate, he ordered the county magistrate to be hanged in front of the city gate, and the county government naturally became a place for the Yellow Turban Army to discuss important matters.

At the door, there stood several tall Yellow Turban warriors, their bodies completely transformed by the power of the talisman, becoming as hard as iron and steel, invulnerable to swords and spears.

They are ten feet tall and look like two huge statues standing in front of the county government office.

However, He Man was a head taller than them and was so burly that he looked almost inhuman. He walked in with his head held high and his chest puffed out.

At this time, the Ghost Tiger Huang Shao, the Flying Leopard He Yi, and the Great Wolf Liu Pi had all arrived, waiting for He Man, nicknamed the Fire Jackal.

Seeing He Man return from the battle with an arrogant look on his face, Liu Pi could not help but sneer at him: "With ten times the number of troops, you can't even take down a small country like Chen, yet you can still come back with such a proud look on your face. How impressive!"

He Man was originally hot-tempered, so he naturally responded with anger when he heard this. He looked at Liu Pi fiercely and retorted, "Liu Chong has the Golden Crossbow of Destroying Law. If you want to try the power of the Arrow of Breaking Law, you might as well attack the State of Chen by yourself. I can cheer for you from the sidelines to boost your momentum."

He Yi and Huang Shao, who were originally sitting there watching He Man's joke, suddenly lost their composure after hearing the four words "Golden Crossbow to Destroy Law".

Especially since Huang Shao practiced the ghost magic power in Huang Tian Dao, all his skills were in magic. The Golden Crossbow of Destruction could be said to be his nemesis. If he encountered it, he would be dead without a chance of survival and would have no power to resist.

Even though He Yi and Liu Pi were masters of the Taiping Dao who mainly practiced martial arts, they had also learned a lot of Huangtian Dao techniques. However, they still could not gain any advantage against a powerful weapon like the Destroying Golden Crossbow.

"Hasn't the Golden Crossbow for Destroying Dharma been lost since Wang Mang's defeat? How did it fall into the hands of Chen Wang Liu Chong?"

Huang Shao's face was full of doubt and he really didn't want to believe it.

Even Liu Pi, who had always been disgusted with He Man's tyrannical behavior and had just ridiculed him, did not say anything sarcastic at this time. Instead, his expression was solemn: "It is said that the magic arrow shot by the Destroying Magic Golden Crossbow can break all the laws in the world. In the past, Wang Mang used the power of the whole country to forge this magic weapon in order to fight against Taoism. I thought it was destroyed long ago, but I never thought it would appear again in the world now."

"In that case, the State of Chen cannot be attacked."

"What about Yingchuan? Are you giving up too?"

The four men's opinions instantly clashed. There was simply not enough territory to divide. Unless they took over the wealthy Yingchuan and grabbed a new piece of fat meat, they would have no choice but to kill each other and enter a brutal stage of stock game internally.

Being able to survive the disastrous defeat three years ago, these four people are certainly not brainless reckless men.

Now that their offensive was blocked, they immediately began to be wary of "their own people" around them. After all, in addition to taking refugees with them and plundering counties, there was another way to expand their own team - annexation!
It's all robbery, so whoever you rob isn't the same as robbery.
Huang Shao saw this and slammed the table in anger, shouting, "We haven't even overthrown the imperial court yet, are we going to kill each other first?"

Liu Pi didn't want to fight with his teammates either. He looked at Huang Shao and said, "A snake cannot survive without a head. None of us four will submit to the other. If we want to make further progress, we must form a joint force to gather our forces together and quickly capture Yingchuan and open up the situation."

Among the four, Liu Pi was the one with the clearest mind.

He Yi and He Man only knew how to burn, kill, rob and fight for territory. They were typical banditry and were not worthy of being trained.

Huang Shao looked at Liu Pi coldly and said, "Why, you want to be the leader?"

Liu Pi shook his head: "No, on the contrary, if you want to be the one, I have no objection."

He Yi and He Man were not happy about this. They all came from the small Fangqu generals of the Yellow Turban Army. Why should Huang Shao be the leader and make them inferior to him?
He Man looked at Liu Pi and Huang Shao with a disdainful grin: "You two stop playing double game here, I won't fall for it."

Then he glared at Huang Shao and said, "You want to be the leader? Fine. When the Great Sage Master was here, he gave us the three talismans of Heaven, Earth, and Man. After the Great Sage Master's death, the method of refining the Heavenly Talisman has been lost, but you still have a lot of them. I want to know where these Heavenly Talismans came from."

"Can't I make it myself?"

Huang Shao obviously didn't want to tell, just because this was his biggest trump card.

He Yi also had an idea after hearing this, and chose to force the emperor to abdicate with He Man, mocking Huang Shao and saying: "If you have the ability to refine the heavenly talisman, you would have become a great virtuous teacher long ago. Why do you still need to sit here and talk nonsense with us?"

The power of the Earth Talisman is already extraordinary.

The power of the Heavenly Talisman is unparalleled, which is why it aroused the greed of He Yi and He Man. They did not believe that those Heavenly Talismans were made by Huang Shao himself.

Just when the atmosphere was tense, a figure suddenly appeared in the Juxian Hall. He was wearing a black robe and a ghost mask on his head. He was thin but very tall.

"I gave him those Heavenly Talismans."

"Who are you!"

He Man looked at the mysterious masked man in front of him with doubt and uncertainty. His Taoism and martial arts were both quite good. Although he could not be called the world's top master, he could barely squeeze into the last train of the second-rate. But he still didn't realize how the man in front of him appeared.

Even when the mysterious masked man was standing right in front of him, he had no "sense" of him at all, as if he didn't exist at all.

However, seeing is believing, no matter how much he didn't want to believe it.

The mysterious masked man stood still, his tone soothing, yet steady and powerful: "You can call me the Great Sage Teacher."

"Haha, the Great Sage is dead."

He Yi was unruly and naturally did not believe the lies of the mysterious masked man. Now, he had tens of thousands of soldiers under his command. How could he submit to someone just because of a word from someone?

Unless Zhang Jue is resurrected!

The mysterious masked man was questioned, but he was not angry at all, and his tone was still calm and easygoing: "Although Zhang Jue is dead, his ambition to establish a country is not dead. Or have you completely forgotten the common belief that Huang Tian should be established as the Taiping Dao?"

"You are such a coward, you think you are qualified to teach me a lesson? I want you to show your true colors!"

He Man didn't want to listen to the mysterious masked man's nonsense anymore and took action directly.

He slapped the man in the face with a palm as big as a sunflower fan without saying a word. But the mysterious masked man didn't move his legs at all. He just raised his right hand and then made a light downward pressing motion, softly and slowly.

But in an instant, the wind and the clouds suddenly changed. Yellow sand flew all over the sky and instantly turned into a huge palm about three meters long. With a loud bang, it fell from the sky and landed on He Man.

Boom~
A huge palm print was blasted onto the roof, and He Man was pinned to the ground, unable to move. He tried to struggle with blood all over his body, but even if he gritted his teeth, it was still in vain. In the end, blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, and he roared in shock and anger: "Xiantian... Yiqi... Big Handprint!"

Until He Man fainted, the mysterious masked man waved his hand, dispelled the spell, and asked in a light tone: "Who else refuses to accept?"

Seeing He Man's miserable state, Liu Pi and He Yi dared not raise any objections. They immediately bowed and clasped their fists, saluting the mysterious masked man: "Greetings, Great Sage Master."

"Very good. A man who knows the times is a hero. Now the Taiping Dao is in need of people. As long as you are willing to work hard, I will naturally not treat you unfairly."

After the mysterious masked man finished speaking, he casually gave the two of them two Heavenly Talismans, and pointed at He Man who was lying unconscious on the ground, and told them: "Two of them are for him. Although he just bumped into me, I am still willing to give him a chance to redeem himself and make meritorious contributions."

Liu Pi quickly took the Heavenly Talisman that was emitting a powerful energy fluctuation and said flatteringly: "Great Sage Master, you are clear about rewards and punishments. We are convinced."

The mysterious masked man smiled coldly: "It doesn't matter whether you accept it or not. As long as you can do your job, I don't care if you have any ulterior motives. But let me be frank. If anyone dares to mess up my plan, don't think you can get away with it."

Liu Pi and He Yi were instantly enveloped by a chill, as if even their souls were shivering from the cold, and they quickly bowed and replied, "Yes."

At this time, in Chen County, Wang Jing also felt a chill down his spine from the overly enthusiastic gaze of Chen Wang Liu Chong: "Your Highness, Jing is not able to drink much. He really cannot drink any more."

"Does Yuan Xu really not want to stay? The position of Prime Minister of the State of Chen has been vacant for a long time, and I am waiting for the throne."

After a few days of contact, Liu Chong was deeply impressed by Wang Jing's talent.

Wang Jing came from modern society, and his ability to lead troops in battle might be mediocre, but his insights in economic development were far beyond the current era. The few policy measures he casually mentioned made Liu Chong feel as if his eyes had been opened.

This also became the source of Wang Jing's troubles. Now Liu Chong tried his best to keep him in Chen State and made him the prime minister of Chen State.

But how could Wang Jing be willing to do that?

Although the State of Chen was a fiefdom, it was actually just a county, and a relatively small one at that. There were a lot of aristocratic families around it, and there were too many restrictions. It would have been fine if it were a prosperous time.

Serving as a prime minister of a country for three to five years, making achievements and building up a reputation, you might even be appreciated by the emperor and be promoted to a higher position.

But what is the current situation?
Emperor Liu Hong was about to be buried, and the Han Dynasty was about to be united by various princes. How could he have time to give Wang Jing three to five years to farm the land?
If you follow Liu Chong at this time, wouldn't that be like having your brain kicked by a donkey?
So no matter how enthusiastic Liu Chong was, Wang Jing just refused to agree and declined in various ways: "Your Highness, Jing is still young and lacks talent. It is really difficult for me to take on such a heavy responsibility as the prime minister of a country. Please find another job."

"Ah, okay."

Seeing that Wang Jing was determined, Liu Chong did not force him.

After staying in Chen County for a month, reinforcements from Qiao County arrived one after another, and Wang Jing formally bid farewell to Liu Chong.

Liu Chong was reluctant to part with him and even personally escorted him to the border of the State of Chen before turning back.

Seeing this, Wang Ling couldn't help but ask Wang Jing: "Second brother, King Chen is sincere, why don't you stay and assist him?"

"Do you think Prince Chen is a wise leader?"

"Prince Chen is not only extremely brave, but also considerate of the people. He treats my second brother with courtesy and respect. He must be a wise ruler, right?"

Wang Ling was a little unsure.

After hearing this, Wang Jing shook his head and sighed, saying, "A man like Chen Wang Liu Chong can never be a wise leader. He is too proud."

"pride?"

Obviously, Wang Ling couldn't understand what he said.

Wang Jing explained to him, "When the Chu and Han dynasties were fighting for supremacy, the Overlord Xiang Yu was courteous and respectful to people, and even served meals to his subordinates himself. On the other hand, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang was rude and disrespectful, especially to Confucian scholars. He even urinated on Li Shiqi's hat. But what was the final result? Xiang Yu's subordinates all ran to Liu Bang, and Emperor Gaozu was able to rule the world and build the Han Dynasty for 400 years."

Wang Ling was aroused by this unique observation perspective and asked quickly, "Why is this?"

Wang Jing said: "Xiang Yu stood too high. He was born into a Chu noble family. He had never worked at the bottom of society. Therefore, as proud as he was, it was difficult for him to understand what the people at the bottom wanted. Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang was just a gangster at the beginning. He experienced the ups and downs of life in the world, so he knew what the people under him wanted. If you want to be a wise leader, you have to win the hearts of the people. But if you don't even understand the hearts of the people, how can you win the hearts of the people?"

After getting the answer, Wang Ling fell silent instantly. It was obvious that Wang Jing’s words were completely different from what he usually read in books.

But from the perspective of human nature, Wang Ling felt that Wang Jing's words made more sense.

"Second brother, so you think that Chen Wang Liu Chong was born into the royal family, and he has the pride of being a noble, so it is difficult for him to empathize with the people below him. Even though he is now respectful to the wise and cares for the people, it is actually because of his status as a relative of the Han royal family, to show his own glory and dignity, rather than to truly understand the people's feelings and hearts?"

"Yes, the chaotic times are coming. When that time comes, rituals and music will collapse, and the old order will fall apart. People like Chen Wang Liu Chong will not be able to survive in such a cruel environment."

A few days later, Wang Jing led his army back to Qiao County and reported to Huang Wan.

Huang Wan was very happy to learn that the State of Chen was safe and sound. That day, he invited Wang Jing and Wang Ling to his mansion for a banquet. He also told Wang Jing the good news: "The imperial court's reinforcements will arrive soon, and the document appointing you as the Sima of the other department will also be delivered."

I originally thought that I could only be a military officer, but I didn't expect to have such an unexpected surprise.

"Thank you for your cultivation, sir!"

Wang Jing was of course happy. Although the official position of Sima of the Separate Department was still not as high as that of Cavalry Commandant, it was at least a military officer with a rank of Qianshi.

According to the Han system, the general had a military Sima, whose rank was equivalent to that of a thousand stones. Among them, those who led other camps were called Sima of other departments. The number of soldiers they led varied from time to time and was not fixed.

To put it bluntly, this official position is a stopgap measure used to appease meritorious officials. It is not part of the formal establishment, and even the salary may not be paid on time.

The cost of maintaining the troops must be borne mostly by the generals themselves, so don't expect to get much food and wages from the court.

But low-level military officers are also officials. With the support of the imperial court, Wang Jing can start recruiting soldiers with justification. Otherwise, if you raise a few hundred private soldiers, Huang Wan can pretend not to see it. After all, the law does not hold everyone responsible, and everyone does this now.

But why don’t you try to support a few thousand people?

Without a military position, you might be accused of rebellion at any time.

Wang Jing thought happily: "From today on, I am Sima Wang!"

But then he suddenly realized that Taiyuan Wang's fate was Sima, and he felt a little annoyed: "This name is still a bit unlucky."

Because of his meritorious service in following Wang Jing in battle, Wang Ling has now been appointed as a garrison chief, a minor official with a rank equivalent to two hundred stones, in charge of a garrison of about a hundred soldiers.

"Second brother, when will the imperial reinforcements arrive?"

"Why, do you want to achieve great things?"

"Who wouldn't want to make achievements and bring honor to his family?"

Wang Ling was full of energy and obviously intended to work with Wang Jing to quell the rebellion and accomplish something.

Wang Jing was already past the age of being young and passionate, so he was neither hurried nor slow, and said calmly with a smile: "Don't be anxious, wait until the imperial court's reinforcements arrive. There are so many Yellow Turban troops, there are plenty of opportunities to gain achievements. But remember that safety comes first, let the imperial court's main force take over first, and we can play supporting roles later, otherwise we will be taking the blame for others."

Although he was promoted, Wang Jing still had the mentality of a worker. He worked for the court in the hope of receiving rewards, but he was not working for the court.

(End of this chapter)