The Three Kingdoms: The Cold Gate World

Chapter 103

It was obviously a big defeat, and the Taiping army didn't even formally confront the Jingzhou army. It was completely helpless after being drawn into a deadlock by Liu Biao. Notified Sima Ju of Badong County that Xu Chu didn't understand why. If another general dared to do this, he would have lied about the military situation and should be executed for the crime.

Picked out ten smart soldiers from the personal guards, asked them to polish their armor, replace them with sharp weapons, and then wash them well. Xu Chu informed the ten of Guo Jia's orders, and told them not to show any flaws. You must maintain the attitude of a victor, and you must not hang a trace of sadness or loss on your face. Afterwards, you will definitely be rewarded.

Riding on ten fast horses, they headed for Badong County in the starry night. Those who reported the victory had already been dispatched. Guo Jia then took Zhou Tai, Xu Chu Dianwei, and led Xu Chu and Dianwei's remaining [-] soldiers to Badong County. The county rushed, deliberately letting Zhang Yan lead an army of [-] a little behind by half a day's journey.

At sunset three days later, Badong County was in sight, but Guo Jia saw Xu Shu outside Wu County.

Seeing Guo Jia's army, Xu Shu hurriedly came with a hundred horses. He walked up to Guo Jia's horse and asked anxiously, "My lord, how is the battle in Jingzhou? How many troops have been lost? The generals are all fine." Bar?"

Looking up at the generals beside Guo Jia, Xu Shu was shocked and continued to ask: "Where is General Zhang Yan? Could it be?"

The dignified Guo Jia pressed his hand to signal Xu Shu to be calm, and said flatly: "Feiyan led the army not far behind, and I deliberately let him be the rear."

Xu Shu's face turned better after a false alarm, but he frowned again and asked in a low voice: "My lord, do you want Sima Ju..."

Jumping off the horse, Guo Jia turned his head and told Zhou Tai: "Order the whole army to rest outside Wu County for a day, and then enter Yong'an City tomorrow."

After all, Guo Jia and Xu Shu walked to the remote wilderness outside the county.

This time when Guo Jia attacked Jingzhou, Xu Shu was in charge of dispatching grain and grass in the rear. He had just escorted supplies of grain, grass, and supplies from Chengdu to Yong'an, but he heard the news of Guo Jia's victory. Riding out of Yong'an, his speech to Sima Ju was to welcome the lord, but Xu Shu knew that Guo Jia must be frustrated ahead and was already on the way to withdraw.

The reason is very simple. Even if Jingzhou is not fortified, Guo Jia cannot take Xiangyang and Jiangxia in such a short period of time.

The good news is totally fake!Even, Xu Shu thought deeply, there might be a murderous intent hidden in this good news.

Xu Shu could see that there was something wrong with this good news, but Sima Ju might not be able to see it. According to Xu Shu's guess, Guo Jia sent someone to send the good news out of the need to stabilize Yizhou, otherwise the news of his failure to attack Jingzhou would be sent back. Yizhou is very likely to trigger an attack from secret forces that are just around the corner.

But paper can't hold the fire, and the good news can stabilize the situation for a while, but it treats the symptoms but not the root cause. Guo Jia's good news is only sent to Badong County and will not be sent to Chengdu. The biggest possibility is to use the good news to deter Sima Ju , Then Sima Ju was replaced.

At the foot of Wushan Mountain, there is a vast green field, and the cold weather is raging in autumn and winter. Guo Jia has been feeling unwell recently, but he didn't say anything about it, and kept going to Badong County.

Standing side by side in the wilderness, Guo Jia's body felt a little cold, and his hands clenched the snow-white cloak. It was sent to him by Zhen Jiang before the expedition, and he didn't take it to heart at that time, but at this moment, he Feel warm.

"Yuanzhi, have you ever heard what Sima Ju did in Badong County?"

Hearing Guo Jia's question, Xu Shu had guessed Guo Jia's intentions, and indeed wanted to attack Sima Ju.

Xu Shu nodded silently. What he saw and heard in Badong County was all negative news about Sima Ju. Although it hadn't reached the point where people and gods were indignant, it had completely deviated from Guo Jia's ruling policy.

"Sima Ju brought [-] soldiers to Badong County. In less than three months, he has recruited and expanded his army by [-]. Recently, we have heard that there are deserters in the camp."

Xu Shu sighed slightly. Even when the Yellow Turbans were in chaos, the Han Dynasty did not dare to recruit soldiers, but only dared to recruit rebels everywhere. It can be seen that the act of conscription is at odds with the people. Sima Ju not only dared to recruit soldiers, but also concealed them without reporting them. .

Cough
Coughing a few times, Guo Jia raised his hand to indicate that Xu Shu, who was concerned, was fine, and sighed softly: "Sima Ju dared to do this in Badong County. I don't know if Zhang Baiqi would do the same in Fuling County? Yangjun, does it also make me feel chilling?"

To stabilize the situation in Yizhou, Guo Jia's first priority is to stabilize the interior, and Sima Ju, Zhang Baiqi, Xu He's actions in the local area, he only knows about Sima Ju for the time being, so Guo Jia doesn't care about the other two. But Sima Ju must be won.

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Shu still said cautiously: "My lord, Sima Ju's wife and concubine in Yong'an, I wonder if my lord understands?"

Wives and concubines?

Guo Jia stared at Xu Shu suspiciously, motioning for him to continue.

Xu Shu said in a deep voice: "Sima Ju's wife is the daughter of a side branch of the Qin family in Guanghan, and she married five concubines as a dowry, all of whom are maidservants of the daughters of the Qin family."

Facing Xu Shu's eyes, Guo Jia's gentle gaze gradually became colder, and in the end it was full of killing intent.

"Understood, it seems that my act of showing weakness to the Guanghan clan has been seen through. They want to turn against me, but they have no courage to die. They can only sow hearts from within our army and gradually eat away at my foundation. The people on the side are all the daughters of the Qin family, and that Zhang Baiqi, Xu He must also be courting and seducing the nobles of Yizhou."

It is more likely that even Zhang Liao in Hanzhong and Gan Ning who was repairing and expanding the Jiange Road in Zitong were also alienated in the same way, but Guo Jia was sure that these two would not betray him, but Sima Ju, Zhang Baiqi, Xu He, But it's hard to say.

It is impossible for the two parties to show their cards as soon as they contact each other. If the Yizhou gentry came directly to Sima Ju, bought them directly with money and beauties, and made Sima Ju rebel, I am afraid that Sima Ju would not have the guts to kill him directly. The other party can show his favor first, and then secretly encourage him. Sima Ju's rampant behavior in Badong County must secretly fan the flames of the Yizhou gentry. When Sima Ju himself was confused, he gradually forced him to the point where he could only rebel , if Guo Jia hadn't led the army to attack Jingzhou just in time and found the signs, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"My lord, your good news has confused Sima Ju. At this time, my lord returns to Badong County with the power of a great victory. Sima Ju dare not act rashly, but now he has [-] soldiers and horses under his command. Zhang Baiqi and Xu Hechu arrived in Fuling At the time of the county and Jiangyang County, each had only [-] soldiers and horses. If they also recruited and expanded their troops like Sima Ju, the total number of soldiers and horses in the hands of the three of them would probably be [-]. If you don't handle it carefully, your lord's rule in Yizhou will be shaken."

Xu Shu's worries were also in Guo Jia's heart, but he couldn't let them go, and he couldn't punish them a little bit, because that would be very likely to be hated in their hearts. Guo Jia didn't want to talk about the truth. Some people can only be bandit leaders and generals. Not everyone can be a general, and not all brute force is enough to be a general.

It is true that they are heroes, but the success of a moment is not enough to last a lifetime. At this moment, Guo Jia can only raise the butcher's knife.

Guo Jia, who closed his eyes, said regretfully: "Tomorrow, if you enter Yong'an, Sima Ju must die anyway, and Badong County must be guarded by other generals."

Dismissing Sima Ju is not enough, because Sima Ju has yellow turban soldiers who are loyal to him under his command. Punishment and punishment may make Sima Ju extremely angry and rebellious, and future troubles must be eliminated forever.

But Xu Shu remonstrated with Guo Jia with a heavy expression: "My lord, if Sima Ju died, Zhang Baiqi from Fuling County and Xu He from Jiangyang County might not let it go. With Xu Chu Dianwei, Zhang Liao Gaoshun and other generals under the lord's command, there is a potential for confrontation, and killing Sima Ju will cause unimaginable consequences."

The cold wind blew, and the coolness swept across the whole body. Guo Jia pressed his arms closer to his body, shook his head bitterly, and said: "If this opposing trend is competitive, compared to the prestige on the battlefield, I am not worried but happy, but If I am secretly jealous and scramble for power, what use is it for me to have such a general? Yuan Zhi, it’s not because I don’t miss the old love, but because of the situation. Jingzhou is already in Liu Biao’s pocket, and Badong County is the eastern gateway of Yizhou. If Sima Ju is in power for a while, he may be destroyed later."

Xu Shu's expression was filled with astonishment, and he was stunned for a long time before hesitantly asked: "Is Liu Biao responsible for the Lord's defeat in Jingzhou?"

Previously, it was always thought that the sect thieves in Jingzhou huddled together to resist Guo Jia, making Guo Jia return in the face of difficulties, but he didn't expect that there was something else hidden. Xu Shu also didn't expect that Liu Biao took Jingzhou quickly, it was like a miracle.

Guo Jia nodded sadly, and told Xu Shu about the defeat in Jingzhou in detail. After hearing this, Xu Shu sighed: "The strategy of arrogant soldiers, the strategy of luring the enemy, the defeat of the Lord, the defeat lies in the hearts of the soldiers, and the defeat lies in the schemes of others."

The military spirit is proud, and people plan to set up a game. Guo Jia also came to this conclusion after the post-war reflection.

Originally, Jingzhou was a land of no owner. No matter what sinful things Sima Ju did in Badong County, it was an administrative problem. But now that Liu Biao is in charge of Jingzhou, Badong County is extremely important in strategy. Guo Jia must send The general will guard, otherwise if Sima Ju is completely instigated by the Yizhou gentry and cooperates with Liu Biao, the army can attack Chengdu in a short time, and Guo Jia will die without a place to bury him.

Just because Badong County suddenly became so important in the overall strategy, Guo Jia had to deter Sima Ju with good news first, and then took Sima Ju when the army withdrew back to Badong County.

The situation in Yizhou suddenly became turbulent after Guo Jia's defeat, and Xu Shu no longer persuaded Guo Jia, because with the threat of Liu Biao in Jingzhou, Sima Ju must die, and there will be troubles in transfer or punishment. just work.

Killing Sima Ju was Guo Jia's first step in purging the interior and declaring war on the Yizhou gentry.

(End of this chapter)