The Three Kingdoms: The Cold Gate World

Chapter 99
After setting foot on the border of Jingzhou, the situation was as Guo Jia expected. He had just entered Jianping County, and during the short journey from Wu County to Xinling, the Taiping Army had experienced no less than five encounters.

Or the rogues entrenched in the mountains, or the militias in the counties and counties, ranging from a few hundred to as many as two or three thousand. In the big scene, facing these shrimp soldiers and crab generals, he couldn't lift his spirits, so Zhou Tai casually brought three thousand soldiers and horses to wipe out the bandits who dared to stand in the way.

Arriving at Xinling Mausoleum at sunset to rest, the county seat is ten rooms and nine empty, which makes Guo Jia very puzzled. The war has spread to his homeland, and the exile of the gentry can be seen everywhere, but the Hao family is rooted in the local area. Are they willing to give up the land?

After sending scouts to inquire around the area around Xinling, it was discovered that all the nobles in Jianping County had fled, and only a few people stayed behind for various reasons.

Rest in Xinling City for a while, tomorrow the army will march towards Yidu County, and it is expected to arrive at Xiangyang City in two days.

Zhou Tai, who came to see Guo Jia at night, was worried, and said to Guo Jia: "My lord, when we left Chengdu, we learned that Jingzhou was in turmoil, and the clan thieves were in trouble. When we came to Jianping County, the situation seems to be the same. They fled in all directions, but what I wondered in my heart is why there are so many fewer people?"

Guo Jia himself was also thinking about this question.Impossible, Yong'an is not far from Xiangyang, there is no problem with the supply of the army, and why the rich and powerful families fled with their families and brought the people with them?
Walking up and down with his hands behind his back, Guo Jia said to himself: "There are three possibilities. First, the people are afraid of us because we are the rebels preached by the outside world. .Secondly, the nobles took the people to flee because they didn’t want to lose their labor. This is also the root cause of the turmoil in Jingzhou. Thirdly, the nobles in Jingzhou gathered together and gathered the people to wait for my army in a certain place. Prevent me from attacking Jingzhou. However, the possibility of this is extremely slim."

After thinking about it, Guo Jia can only come up with two reasons. The people are afraid of him. In the official history, when Cao Cao raised his troops to the south, the people followed Liu Bei and fled because they were afraid of him massacring the city. Although most of the people may be instigated, because Cao Cao There is a reason for the several times of slaughtering the city. Liu Cong in Xiangyang has already surrendered on behalf of Jingzhou without a fight. Cao Cao's dominance of the north is the time when he is benevolent and mighty to win the hearts of the people. Why do you want to slaughter the city?The people are ignorant and easily incited under the guidance of public opinion. What Guo Jia did in Yizhou is unimportant.The rebellious thieves in the territory resisted desperately, and the wealthy family fled to save their lives. They probably wanted to make a comeback with them.

Regardless of the reasons why the people fled their homes, Zhou Tai's worries were still on his mind.

"My lord, what if the people in Xiangyang County and Jiangxia County also escaped? If we capture these two counties, there will be no people to farm under our rule, and there will be no food and grass supply. Relying on Yizhou alone for support may not be a long-term solution. It will waste people and money."

According to Guo Jia's strategic concept when he left Chengdu, he did not expect the two counties to be self-sufficient when he captured Xiangyang and Jiangxia and stationed troops in the two counties, but at least he had to afford more than [-]% of the supplies, and he would benefit from the rest. state subsidy.

Regarding this, Guo Jia pondered for a moment and said: "The people in Xiangyang and Jiangxia will not all flee, even if there are only [-]% of the people left, as long as we are strict with ourselves after conquering the two places, and the people are lenient under the rule, the people will gradually return to their homeland. Live and work in peace."

Facts speak louder than words. What Guo Jia is like in Yizhou, the people in other places can only let the public opinion describe it. As long as Guo Jia can make the people truly feel his benevolence and kindness, the hearts of the people will gradually turn to him.

Hearing what Guo Jia said, Zhou Tai thought it made sense after thinking about it. The common people are not careerists. The most fundamental interests for them are the severity of corvee, the amount of tax, and whether they will be punished by those in power. Bullying, Guo Jia never issued a conscription order in Yizhou, nor increased taxes, and restrained soldiers from disturbing and bullying the people. With these three points, not to mention making the people grateful, at least they will let go of their worries and live a good life.

After staying in Xinling for a day, Guo Jia's army continued to march towards Xiangyang and entered Yidu County. The villages and county towns they passed were all desolate. It seems that the Taiping Army is not an army that brings peace in the eyes of the world.

Three waves of bandits were wiped out along the way, and Guo Jia's army was about to enter the county before sunset.

The county seat is not far away, but on the road leading to the county seat, there are no fewer than [-] thieves blocking the way.

Looking at the mob in front of him, Guo Jia said to Zhang Yan indifferently, "Feiyan, lead your troops to destroy them, and then investigate the situation in Zian County."

Zhang Yan took the order and led the army to charge immediately. The thieves blocking the way were completely vulnerable. They retreated steadily in the first confrontation with Zhang Yan's army, and then scattered and fled to Bian County. Zhang Yan took advantage of the victory and pursued. There were no guards upstairs in the county seat, so he first ordered a thousand infantry to enter the city to see if there was an ambush.

At dusk, Zhang Yan received a report from his subordinates that the situation in the county was the same as the counties they had passed through before. There were only a few houses and nine empty houses. Only a few people remained in the city, but they all stayed behind closed doors. The county was quiet and desolate.

After reporting this situation to Guo Jia, Guo Jia waved his hands without even thinking about it: "Enter Bian County to rest for three days, recharge your batteries and go all out to kill Xiangyang City."

Bian County is located on the northern edge of Yidu County. To the north of Yidu County is Xiangyang County. Bian County is only two days away from Xiangyang City.

Guo Jia led Xu Chu Dianwei and Zhou Tai's three tribes with 5000 troops into Bian County, and Zhang Yan and his [-] troops were stationed outside the city.

The sky was getting dark, and the Taiping Army with strict military discipline did not let the lonely county fall into the noise, and each went step by step.

To the west of Bianxian County and Xiangyang, at the foot of the back of Jingshan Mountain, under the background of the mountains and trees, a mighty army is waiting, the leader is sitting on a white horse, wearing a gorgeous crimson brocade robe, and Jinxian Guan, with a refined and refined appearance, was expressionless at this moment, and it was Liu Biao who had just taken Jingzhou.

A young man dressed as a commoner hurriedly came to Liu Biao and clasped his fists to report: "Guo Jia's army has entered Bian County, but there are tens of thousands of troops stationed outside the city. Judging by its size, it is more than [-] but less than [-]."

Waving his hand to signal the man to back down, Liu Biao looked up at the dimmed sky, raised his hand to feel the cool autumn and winter wind, and asked softly, "Alien, what time is it?"

The generals riding on both sides of Liu Biao are his right-hand men, one is Cai Mao, and the other is Huang Zu, who was quickly summoned after Liu Biao entered Xiangyang. They are wearing armor on the left and right of Liu Biao, and Kuai Yue is beside Cai Mao.

Looking at the sky and thinking about it for a moment, Kuai Yue said to Liu Biao, "It's half past the unitary hour."

After hearing this, Liu Biao turned his head to look at Cai Mao and asked, "Can the [-] army reach Bian County within two hours?"

Cai Mao clasped his fists and nodded resolutely, "I'm sure we'll be able to make it there with a quick march."

Feeling relieved, Liu Biao slowly rode his horse out of the formation, then turned his horse's head to face the soldiers, and said in a stern voice, "Guo Jia, a traitor in troubled times, gathered the remnants of the Yellow Turbans to make trouble. In Yizhou, he not only Liu Junlang, the patriarch of the Han family, massacred all over his family, and even killed tens of thousands of soldiers who defended the country in Yizhou, and slaughtered countless cities! It is a heinous crime, and the world will not tolerate it! At this time, he has stepped into Jingzhou. If we sit and wait to die, I, Liu Jingsheng, will be The second Liu Junlang, Jingzhou is the second Yizhou that has become a land of scorched earth! We have scattered our wives and children, destroyed our families, and died. Today, you all join me to protect the environment and the people, kill the traitor Guo Jia, and return Jingzhou to peace!"

"Protect the environment and the people!"

The [-] soldiers spoke in unison, the crowd was passionate, they raised their weapons and shouted, bursting with blood.

Liu Biao turned his horse's head again and waved his hand. Cai Mao immediately raised the long knife in his hand and roared angrily, "The whole army obeys the order and marches towards Bian County! There must be no mistakes!"

With a high momentum and the belief that he will win the battle, Liu Biao led an army of [-] troops to attack Bian County in the dark.

Youshi (17-19) had passed, and at Xushi (19-21), most of the Taiping army who had entered Bian County to rest had already lay down to rest. Zhang Yan’s army stationed outside the city sent several teams to watch the night around Bian County.

When the time of Xu was about to pass and the time of Hai was about to arrive, a fire suddenly lit up in Bian County, which was not obvious, but it attracted the attention of the night guards. When Zhang Yan got up from the camp and looked towards Bian County after getting the news, Immediately turned pale with shock!

As soon as he put on the armor, fire broke out in all directions in Bian County, and the fire was so intense that it almost became a siege, completely engulfing Bian County in the fire.

There was already a commotion in the city, Zhang Yan was eager to protect the lord, and immediately gathered his men and horses, and led 2 people into the city to fight the fire.

Ordering his men to put out the fire, Zhang Yan watched the soldiers in the city panic and bewildered, didn't care too much, went straight to Guo Jia's temporary residence, and saw that Xu Chudianwei and Zhou Tai had already put on their armor and took Guo Jia out of the residence Protected and walked out.

Not long after he fell asleep, he was awakened by Xu Chu. Guo Jiaqiang put on his armor calmly, took his sword and walked out of the residence. Looking at the scene of the fire in the city, his heart was shocked and even colder.

It's not a misfire!Someone set the fire on purpose!
At this time, the buildings were all made of wood, and with the northwest wind in autumn and winter, the fire spread extremely fast, but it was also impossible that the places where the fire was most intense were the four sides of the city.

Quickly clearing things up in his mind, Guo Jia couldn't help holding Xu Chu's arm with [-]% strength.

Guo Jia gritted his teeth and ordered in a low voice to Xu Chudian, Wei Zhoutai and the others: "Go and inform Zhang Yan, beware of the enemy coming, his soldiers and horses outside the city must not enter the city, the three of you, go and order the soldiers to leave the city immediately." Get out of the city in an orderly manner from the gates of the four sides, don’t waste your efforts to put out the fire! Otherwise, Bian County will be our burial place!”

Guo Jia, who had just given the order, looked up and his face turned pale.

Zhang Yan was running towards him anxiously!
Everything is over!

(End of this chapter)