I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Zhang Miao, who was trying his best to suppress his anger, stared at Guo Jia with a bad look and asked impatiently, "Mr. Guo, why did you come to see me?"

Guo Jia handed over the wooden box and said, "No hurry, please accept this gift first, my lord."

Zhang Miao frowned, and Dong Fang suddenly thought of something, his expression changed drastically, and he quickly advised: "My lord, be careful of fraud, don't accept it!"

"It's just a gift, how can it be a fraud? Even if you don't like it, you can open it first and make a decision later."

Guo Jia was full of wisdom and seemed to have a clear plan to defeat Zhang Miao.

Zhang Miao was feeling uneasy, but he still tried to remain calm: "Someone, bring the wooden box here."

"Lord!"

Dong Fang wanted to persuade Zhang Miao again, but Zhang Miao refused to listen.

After the wooden box was opened, the so-called gift was actually a head pickled in lime. The owner of the head was no stranger to Zhang Miao. He was his younger brother, Zhang Chao, the prefect of Guangling, and Zhang Menggao.

"Meng Gao!"

When Zhang Miao saw his brother's head, he burst into tears on the spot. The two brothers had supported each other over the years, which made the Dongping Zhang family as glorious as it is today.

However, I never thought that just half a month of separation would become a farewell forever.

Dong Fang's heart instantly sank to the bottom after seeing Zhang Chao's head. For the soldiers and civilians in Fenggao City, Zhang Chao's death was undoubtedly a heavy blow!
Faced with the invincible Wang Jing and the Northern Army, the morale of the defenders in the city was already low, and now there were signs of collapse.

You must know that the most fearful thing in defensive operations is being isolated and helpless!

Once they are isolated and helpless, unless the general has a high personal charm that can make his soldiers willing to die for him, or the dead are supported and loved by the people, which can make his soldiers mourn for them and become mourners, the army's morale will collapse and the morale will be gone.

Even at this moment when the news of Zhang Chao's death spread, the city had not yet been breached, and various traitors had already appeared inside. After all, it is better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. This is human nature and the instinct for survival.

Dong Fang lamented in his heart. He had long seen that something was wrong, but Zhang Miao had already opened the wooden box in public. Now the news of Zhang Chao's death could not be concealed no matter what.

The situation is hopeless and there is no way to turn things around.

Guo Jia put his hands behind his back, looking down at Zhang Miao with a condescending attitude: "I wonder if you are satisfied with my gift?"

Guo Jia had no good feelings towards Zhang Miao, the so-called famous scholar from Yanzhou. Coming from a poor family, he had seen many arrogant faces of children from aristocratic families.

"Wang Yuanxu!"

Zhang Miao drew his sword and roared to the sky. Then he heard Guo Jia's words and his eyes turned to him: "Pay your life for my brother's death!"

At a command, Zhang Miao's personal soldiers immediately drew their swords and surrounded Guo Jia.

Zhang Chao's death completely angered Zhang Miao. At this time, he was almost crazy. Even if he died, he wanted to drag Guo Jia down with him and let him be buried with his two brothers.

"kill him!"

There was a flash of hatred in Zhang Miao's eyes.

Guo Jia's eyes were still calm and composed, and he seemed to be unaware of the sword that was about to hit him: "Please think twice. If you kill me, not only will the Lord of the Mansion die, but the Zhang family of Dongping will also be buried with Jia, and even all of you present here will not be able to escape this disaster."

As soon as Guo Jia said this, the soldiers and generals defending the watchtower were thrown into chaos.

Even Dong Fang stood up to persuade Zhang Miao: "My lord, as the saying goes, when two armies are at war, envoys should not be killed. Moreover, Fengxiao is just a counselor. Meng Gao's death was definitely not caused by him. Please think twice."

"Please take back your order, my Lord!"

The soldiers surrounding Guo Jia obviously didn't want him to die under Zhang Miao's sword.

As the saying goes, people under the roof have to bow their heads.

Although they knew that Zhang Miao was grieving the loss of his brother, their instinct of fear of death still made them choose to stop Zhang Miao. After all, those who died in the battle only needed to be passionate, but the living had more things to consider.

At this moment, the only ones willing to obey Zhang Miao's orders were Zhang's private soldiers. The other recruited militiamen and strongmen did not want to be buried with the Zhang family of Dongping.

From the moment Zhang Chao's head was sent out, the direction of the situation was no longer in Zhang Miao's hands.

"You guys, are you planning to rebel?"

Zhang Miao looked around, and while his anger was rising, his heart had already turned cold and his fighting spirit was gone.

Thinking back to the time when he raised the banner of justice to attack Dong Zhuo in Chenliu, it seemed that heaven and earth were on his side, he had followers like clouds and his soldiers were willing to risk their lives for him. How high-spirited he was.

But it all seems like yesterday, and when you count carefully, it’s only been a little over a year.

Just because of Wang Jing's arrival, the situation in Yanzhou changed instantly, and he fell from a noble and prominent governor to a stray dog, and even lost control of his own soldiers.

Zhang Miao glared at him and asked, "Do you really want to disobey my orders?"

"Lord, please calm down. We just want to stay alive. Is this a crime?"

The young general who had first come into contact with Guo Jia now stood in front with his head held high, protecting Guo Jia behind him. Even when facing Zhang Miao, he did not give in.

Although Wang Jing had a reputation for benevolence and righteousness, he did not dare to gamble. If Guo Jia died, Wang Jing would choose to massacre the city in rage to vent his anger. He only wanted to protect his parents, wife and children who were still in Fenggao City.

"Kill them! I'll see who dares to resist!"

Zhang Miao was so angry that his brother's death and his subordinates' betrayal made him completely lose his mind.

He knew that he could not deal with Wang Jing, so even if he died, he wanted to drag Guo Jia to be buried with him.

He brought dozens of personal soldiers with him, all of whom were from the Zhang family of Dongping, so they could work together with him. They immediately followed the order, rushed forward and swung their swords to kill Guo Jia.

The soldiers of Zhang Miao's army in front of Guo Jia were still hesitant for a moment, not knowing what to do.

Seeing that danger was about to befall him, Guo Jia sighed: "It's a pity, I gave you a chance to surrender, do it now."

A gentle command was given, and when everyone was wondering, the sound of a mechanism suddenly occurred.

咻咻 咻 ~
Dozens of figures as swift as dragons suddenly appeared on the watchtower, followed by flying hidden weapons all over the sky and scattering into the crowd. Zhang Miao's personal soldiers immediately let out continuous screams and then fell to the ground and died.

The secret guards wearing black iron masks protected Guo Jia closely behind them to ensure his safety.

Guo Jia also silently circulated the sword energy in his body, twisting the black and white chess pieces with his hands, and staring at Zhang Miao with his eyes as sharp as swords: "Zhang Mengzhuo, you don't think I came to see you without any preparation, do you?"

When Zhang Miao saw the secret guards in front of him, he knew that the other party had already sneaked into the city and even bribed his men, otherwise they would not have been able to get so close to him without being discovered. If the secret guards had not sacrificed themselves, he would not even know that Wang Jing's men had sneaked into the city.

Before Zhang Miao could ask who the traitor was, Xue Lan led more than 300 people to block the city gate, then walked up to Guo Jia and saluted respectfully: "Mr. Fengxiao, I'm sorry to have frightened you."

"It turned out to be you!"

Zhang Miao was incredulous when he saw Xue Lan, and asked in a stern voice: "Mao Chang, why did it have to be you?!"

Xue Lan's betrayal caught Zhang Miao off guard.

The Xue family of Gaoping is a famous family in Yanzhou!

Xue Lan's father is Xue Yan, the Prime Minister of Donghai.

Given Wang Jing's lightning-fast tactics in dealing with the aristocratic families, in Zhang Miao's mind, Xue Lan was one of the people least likely to betray him and join Wang Jing. However, the truth was so cruel that Xue Lan, who came from a prominent family, became the first person under his command to side with Wang Jing, and even secretly allowed the secret guards to enter the city, which made Zhang Miao's heart ache.

Guo Jia looked at Zhang Miao calmly, his lips slightly tilted with sarcasm, "Since Jia dared to come here alone, he must be sure of escaping safely. Lord, the righteous will have many supporters, while the unrighteous will have few. In Yanzhou today, my lord is the one that the people support. Your struggle is nothing but a last-ditch resistance."

Zhang Miao's limbs were cold. Although he had dozens of personal guards around him, they could not give him any sense of security.

The city gates have been blocked, and Xue Lan is an insider. At this moment, even if he wants to order the army, let alone how many people are willing to obey, there is no time to pass on the order!
"After all, we have known each other for a while. Brother Meng Zhuo, do you have any last words?"

Guo Jia looked at Zhang Miao indifferently, not even thinking of surrendering him.

If those who surrendered and then rebelled again were not killed, would they be kept alive for the New Year?
Moreover, Zhang Miao had just tried to kill him. Guo Jia was not a magnanimous person and had recorded it all in his notebook. "Guo Fengxiao, you will not die well!"

Knowing that there was no hope of survival, Zhang Miao pointed at Guo Jia and cursed him hysterically, saying that he had let a wolf into the house and that Yanzhou would surely decline and wither because of Wang Jing.

"He is about to die, but he still doesn't repent. Someone, please send him off so that he can be reunited with his brothers."

Guo Jia was too lazy to listen to Zhang Miao's nonsense and ordered Xue Lan to take action immediately: "Xue Beijia, it's up to you next."

"Yes!"

Xue Lan was also considered a famous scholar in Yanzhou and was ranked as one of the Eight Talents of the Late Han Dynasty.

As for specific talents, Guo Jia was too lazy to ask. Anyway, if the other party wanted to sell himself to him, he had to work hard to show something. Otherwise, if he didn't even accept the token of surrender, how could he make progress?

Xue Lan was also very sensible. After all, he was a real man in history who was willing to follow even a traitor like Lu Bu for power. He knew very well that troubled times had come and the empty title of the Eight Heroes was completely useless.

If you want to stand out, you have to follow the strong!
And the current new ruler of Yanzhou is the strongest man in the world!
Therefore, when Guo Jia said something casually, Xue Lan took the knife without hesitation and led his men to Zhang Miao: "Meng Zhuo, the Xue family of Gaoping cannot be destroyed by my hands. I'm sorry."

"Mao Chang, you dare to kill me!"

Zhang Miao's eyes were wide open with anger, and he still refused to believe that his trusted subordinate was the first to take the lead in killing him.

Xue Lan sighed and said, "Why must Meng Zhuo do this? As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. You and I have seen the current situation in the world. Marquis Qi is a man of great talent and strategy, with great military power and dominance in the world. Are we going to stop him with our bare hands and die without a burial place for our entire family?"

Xue Lan's attitude can be described as sincere and her words earnest.

However, what he said made Zhang Miao so angry that he was fuming. His eyebrows were on fire and his thick lips were trembling with anger. He pointed at Xue Lan and cursed: "Shameless, extremely shameless, how dare you say such shameless words!"

Guo Jia was standing aside, and the more he listened, the more he found Xue Lan to be an interesting person.

He is so single and straightforward that he would not even care about his reputation in order to survive.

Wang Jing can employ such people with confidence.

Because as long as you are strong enough, you don’t have to worry about the other party having any bad intentions.

On the contrary, Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao were very submissive when they surrendered before, but they would always respond to requests.

But just as Wang Jing set out to conquer Jizhou to scare Yuan Shao and start a fire in Yuan Shao's backyard, he ended up getting a fire in his own backyard due to a sneak attack by Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao.

For Wang Jing, compared with Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao, who are self-righteous and don't know their own weight, it is more reassuring to use a "smart person" like Xue Lan who is truth-seeking and pragmatic.

Xue Lan did not waste time talking to Zhang Miao. Seeing that his attempt to persuade him to surrender failed, he immediately gave a loud order: "Zhang Miao has received the emperor's grace, but he has rebelled against his master and resisted the majesty of heaven. I, Xue Lan, am here today on the orders of Marquis Qi to kill this traitor. I will only execute the ringleader, and not the rest. Please do not make mistakes!"

Guo Jia stood aside and watched the show. Xue Lan was smart. She directly used the tiger's skin and raised the banner. At least she didn't have to be branded as a "traitor".

At present, Wang Jing is holding the emperor hostage to command the princes and is responsible for the righteousness of the court. Zhang Miao has raised the flag to resist the majesty of the court. He is undoubtedly a traitor.

Being forced to follow the enemy, and finally returning to the right path and killing the enemy, how can he be considered a traitor?
As the saying goes, a war must have a legitimate reason to fight. Only with a legitimate reason can one speak with authority. Xue Lan gave an order and hundreds of soldiers under his command immediately charged forward.

As for Zhang Miao, except for the dozens of personal guards he brought with him, no one among the more than a thousand soldiers guarding the city gate stood on his side.

Obviously, Xue Lan's words worked.

If you still help Zhang Miao at this time, you would be a rebel who aids and abets the tyrant.

Now the imperial army is lurking outside the city, and Zhang Chao is dead. Their side is isolated and helpless, and they have long lost the determination to resist.

"Traitors, all of them are traitors!"

Until the end, Zhang Miao died fighting hard, and he was still crying out in pain before his death. His death was not peaceful at all.

Guo Jia stepped forward and personally confirmed that Zhang Miao was dead. Then he stood up and looked back at Dong Fang: "Zhang Miao is dead, what do you say?"

If Dong Fang dared to say no, Guo Jia would have him dragged out and beheaded.

Dong Fang glanced at Zhang Miao's body lying on the ground, which was still wet. He shuddered subconsciously and then bowed to Guo Jia: "We are willing to surrender. All the mistakes are Zhang Miao's fault. Please do not kill anyone after the royal army enters the city."

"You are thoughtful to say such things."

Guo Jia stared at Dong Fang deeply, but did not comment on his words.

Perhaps Dong Fang cared about the people, or perhaps he was just afraid that Wang Jing would allow his troops to plunder and damage the interests of the aristocratic families and wealthy families in Fenggao City.

But no matter what the other party thinks, the situation has been decided at this moment.

"Open the door."

Under Guo Jia's order, the city gate of Fenggao slowly opened.

Outside the west gate, Wang Jing, who had been prepared for a long time, saw the city gate open and laughed out loud: "It seems that Feng Xiao's plan to persuade the enemy to surrender has been successful. He defeated the enemy without fighting. He really deserves the name of a genius."

Xun You was open-minded by nature and never competed for credit. When he heard Wang Jing praising Guo Jia, there was no jealousy or dissatisfaction on his face. Instead, he smiled and said, "Feng Xiao has always been very careful in his plans. Since he dares to go out in person, he must be confident that he can take Fenggao City without bloodshed."

Then Xun You smiled and congratulated Wang Jing, saying, "Congratulations, my lord. Now Yanzhou is finally unified."

Wang Jing smiled knowingly when he heard this: "Yes, Yanzhou is finally unified."

Boom~
For a time, the fortune of Yanzhou began to change dramatically, the people's hearts were united, and the power of thought and energy converged towards Wang Jing like a mighty river, allowing his spiritual cultivation to increase significantly again and his mind to become clearer and clearer.

"The fate of the whole state belongs to me. This feeling... is really the best I've ever had."

Wang Jing clenched his fists and felt that his current strength was incredibly strong: "Is this the feeling of having destiny?"

The torrent of humanity and the overwhelming power, even if Wang Jing does not use any skills of refining essence and refining qi, just relying on the power of thought at this moment, he is enough to fight with Wang Yue who has entered the realm of heaven and man.

After all, Wang Yue only has a higher level of martial arts skills, not stronger strength.

If we must make an analogy, it is like a martial arts master facing a provincial governor. In close combat, the martial arts master may cause blood to splatter within five steps and may even kill the king.

But the local governors can mobilize resources and manpower, and have a hundred ways to surround and kill the martial arts masters.

Wang Jing was in this state at the moment. His spiritual cultivation had become incredibly powerful due to the blessing of the complete Yanzhou luck.

"A complete state of dragon energy? During the Xia Dynasty, Dayu forged nine tripods to rule the world, gathering the dragon energy of the nine states. I wonder how powerful his cultivation was?"

With many thoughts in his mind, Wang Jing then led his army into the city. At this time in Fenggao City, the surrendered soldiers and generals knelt on both sides of the road, all with their heads bowed, and no one dared to look at Wang Jing.

After Guo Jia's introduction, Wang Jing walked up to Xue Lan and asked, "Are you Xue Lan?"

"Greetings, Lord Qi!"

Xue Lan was very excited when she saw Wang Jing actually mentioned her name.

Guo Jia's strategy was the primary reason for the effortless capture of Fenggao City. Xue Lan's surrender at the critical moment was also very important. Wang Jing was always generous in rewarding those who had made contributions. "I heard from Feng Xiao that you are quite talented, and you also made contributions in the capture of the city. Are you willing to serve as the governor of Taishan County and serve the court?"

"I am willing! General, rest assured, I will not fail to live up to your trust!"

Xue Lan was so happy that he almost died. Under Zhang Miao, he was just a minor official.

Now he has been promoted to the position of prefect and has become the chief official of a county!

In terms of talent, Xue Lan's ability was a bit limited, but what Wang Jing wanted was the effect of spending a huge amount of money to buy a horse's bones.

If people like Xue Lan who surrendered before the war are not rewarded generously, who would come and surrender voluntarily in the future?
Moreover, as long as he is willing to implement Wang Jing's new policy reforms, Xue Lan's personal abilities are actually not important. Anyway, Wang Jing will send people to "assist" Xue Lan in handling the specific details of the policy.

That night, Wang Jing moved into the prefectural government residence in the city.

This was originally Zhang Miao's official residence, but is now temporarily occupied by Wang Jing. After he leaves, Xue Lan will move in. (End of this chapter)