Great Han Empire

Chapter 320 The rain is coming
In the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, King Cheng of Zhou entrusted his younger brother Ji Yu to the Tang Dynasty. Ji Yu's son later changed the name of the country to Jin, which is the origin of Jin.At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Jin State at that time had a situation where the Bank of China, Fan, Zhi, Wei, Han, and Zhao were all in power.In order to expand his territory and gain strategic advantages, Zhao Jianzi, one of the six ministers, sent his retainer Dong Anyu to build a city in Jinshui Zhiyang, which is Jinyang City.

In 453 BC, Zhibo, who held the power of Jin, united with Han and Wei to attack Zhao Xiangzi.Relying on the tallness and strength of Jinyang City, Zhao Xiangzi vowed to defend it to the death, making it difficult for Zhi Bo to succeed.Later, Zhibo discovered that Jinshui came from Longshan and passed around the city, so he was quick to think of a plan to attack the water, so he dug a canal to divert Jinshui to irrigate Jinyang.Soon, Zhao Xiangzi persuaded Han and Wei with the principle of dead lips and cold teeth, so the three families joined forces to destroy the Zhi family and carve up their land.So far, the land of the state of Jin has been occupied by Zhao, Han, and Wei, and it is said in history that the three families divided Jin.By 403 B.C., Emperor Zhou officially recognized the status of Zhao, Han, and Wei as vassal states, and the Three Kingdoms became the top three of the seven heroes of the Warring States Period.At this time, the capital of Zhao State was Jinyang.Jinyang served as the capital of Zhao State for 17 years until the capital was moved to Handan in 386 BC.

In 221 BC, Qin Shihuang unified China and divided the world into 36 counties, Taiyuan County was one of them, and the county government was located in Jinyang.In 201 BC, in order to resist the Xiongnu, Han Gaozu Liu Bang selected Han Wangxin to sit in the north, changed Taiyuan County to Korea, and set the capital in Jinyang.In 196 BC, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty put Yanbei and Taiyuan County together, called it Dai State, and made his son Liu Heng the Dai King.Jinyang became the capital of Dai again.In 180 BC, Queen Lu died, and minister Zhou Bo and others supported Liu Heng to succeed him. This is the famous Emperor Wen of Han in history.After Liu Heng ascended the throne, he never forgot the city of Jinyang where he had lived with his mother out of the palace for 16 years, so he called Jinyang the place of "Longqian".

Jinyang City is surrounded by Xuanweng Mountain in the west and Fenhe River in the east. The terrain is very dangerous. It has always been the place of the Four Wars.

The Han army arrived at Longshan in Jinyang.

===
Under the arrangement of Chen Ming, Sima of the other branch of the scout battalion, Li Hong secretly went to Dalong Mountain, [-] miles away from Jinyang City, to meet Zhang Yan, the commander of the Yellow Turban Army.

Since Zhang Yan decided to give up going east to Changshan and continue to stay in Jinyang, he discussed with the chiefs many times how to resist Li Hong's army, but in the end everyone tended to rely on the tall and strong Jinyang City and the natural barrier of Jinshui. Resisting danger and defending to the death, because fighting on the plains, the Yellow Turban Army is no match for the Han Army's iron cavalry. The annihilation of the [-] army of the Zuo School and the failure of the Battle of Yingtao City are living examples.However, what made them very worried was that there was not much food and weapons in the city. How long could Jinyang City last under Li Hong's strong attack?If everyone is unwilling to go back to the Taihang Mountains and can only defeat Li Hong, how can they defeat him?

Just when Zhang Yan was at a loss, Chen Ming came.Chen Ming claimed to be a grain merchant, and told Zhang Yan's guard outside the gate that he had grain in hand, and asked to talk to Zhang Yan.After Zhang Yan saw him, she was overjoyed and stood in the room excitedly for a long time without saying a word.I hope that Li Hong has not forgotten the hope he said. When Zhang Yan was in the most difficult time, he sent the most precious hope, the hope that the Yellow Turban Army could continue to survive.

Zhang Yan didn't speak until after Chen Ming finished speaking. He was still thinking about the survival strategy that Li Hong said on the nameless hill outside Zhending City.What kind of person is Li Hong?What is his final purpose?He thinks so much about the Yellow Turban Army and the millions of refugees in Taihang Mountain. Is he really doing it for the Han Dynasty and the common people in the world?Is it possible for the Yellow Turban Army to survive independently under the care of the Han court like the Huns in Bingzhou and the Karasuma people in Youzhou?It's hard to imagine that today's emperor and the imperial court will compromise, succumb to the threat of the Yellow Turban Army, and give the Yellow Turban Army a piece of land, a piece of land for survival.

Did Leopard Li Hong use this method to paralyze and deceive himself, so as to find an opportunity to destroy the Yellow Turban Army?After thinking about it, Zhang Yan was at a loss. He couldn't see hope, and he didn't know what the future would be.Under Chen Ming's urging, he nodded and agreed. He was eager to meet Li Hong, and he wanted to know what kind of hope Li Hong gave him today.He believed that Li Hong would not plan to kill him, and if he wanted to kill him, Li Hong could kill him in Zhending City.

Zhang Yan saw Li Hong striding forward from a distance.Li Hong is still disheveled, tall and burly, with a smile on his face, but Li Hong is more mature and stable than before. The beard on his face makes him look more powerful, especially those eyes, not only confident, but more Bold and fearless.Compared with the past, Zhang Yan found that Li Hong's sincerity had been covered by his murderous aura.Zhang Yan's heartbeat suddenly increased.

Li Hong laughed and grabbed Zhang Yan's hand, shaking it vigorously and said, "The handsome is much thinner."

The enthusiasm and sincerity from Li Hong's hands flooded into Zhang Yan's heart like a tide, and Zhang Yan's heart trembled. The sincere friendship between friends instantly filled his whole body, and the worries in his heart disappeared instantly. disappeared.After all, Li Hong is still a heroic Li Hong.Zhang Yan was a little excited, and his other hand was gently placed on Li Hong's. At this moment, he saw the newly scabbed wound on the back of Li Hong's hand.

"Your Excellency is injured."

"Wars with the Xianbei are hard battles, and you will inevitably be injured." Li Hong said with a smile, "But I will die on the battlefield one day, so I want to make friends with you while I am alive. By the way, do something for you."

Zhang Yan smiled movedly, and said: "At this time, I am very grateful that your lord can come to Jinyang to find me."

Li Hong shook his head and said, "If you recognize me as a friend and believe in me as a friend, I should be the one who should thank you. Do you still remember what we said on the hill outside Zhending City?"

Zhang Yan nodded.What was said in that meeting is now wandering in Zhang Yan's mind every day. He wants to know the answer, and he wants to know very eagerly.

"Your Excellency still thinks that way?"

"Yes." Li Hong said, "At that time, I only had this idea and no specific solution, but now I have it. You have made a good move in Taiyuan, very good."

Li Hong immediately told Zhang Yan his thoughts without hesitation.

"Peace first, then reclaim the land, what does the commander think?"

Zhang Yan hesitated to speak.Li Hong waved his hand and said, "Don't think about other things. There are too many other things. You and I are not sure now. I just want to know whether you are for the sake of the world. If so, this is the best way."

"Care?" Zhang Yan muttered to herself, feeling mixed feelings for a moment.Do I want to betray the great virtuous teacher, the commander-in-chief, the Yellow Turban Army, and take refuge in the court?

"Marshal, you have to think that if you and I are fighting, the Yellow Turban Army will be defeated in Taihang Mountains sooner or later without backup and food supplies." Li Hong persuaded, "There are already enough dead, sir. How many people does Shuai want to die to talk to me?"

Zhang Yan looked up at the sky and remained silent.

"Marshal, what are you doing here at Dalong Mountain? Do you want to catch up with me?"

Zhang Yan smiled wryly.He knew what Li Hong said.Zhang Yan followed Zhang Jiao to study Confucian classics and history. He was very clear about these strategies for governing the country and defending the frontier. With all his hard work, he sincerely wanted to solve the future of the Yellow Turban Army and the survival of millions of refugees in Taihang Mountains.Regardless of Li Hong's purpose, his loyalty to the country is absolutely unmistakable.But how the Yellow Turbans dealt with Li Hong did not talk about it. This is the most critical question of whether they can be recruited. Why didn't Li Hong explain the truth first?

"Although I am the commander-in-chief of the Yellow Turban Army, I have to carefully discuss with the leaders of various ministries such as this important matter, because it is related to the future of the Yellow Turban Army." Zhang Yan said slowly, "Can you give me three days?"

"Okay." Li Hong smiled happily, "If you agree to appease me, I can garrison Longshan instead of fighting against Jinyang City."

===

After Zhang Yan returned to Jinyang City, she thought about it alone for a day, and finally made up her mind.He urgently summoned the heads of various ministries to discuss matters.

Zhang Yan is nominally the commander of the Yellow Turban Army, but due to his identity and prestige, only Zhang Niujiao's cronies, Sun Qin, Wang Dang, Yu Digen, Bai Que, Zhang Ba, Lei Gong, and Fu Yun are the seven young commanders who really follow him. , others such as Bai Rao, Yang Feng and others led their troops to gather in the Montenegro area, and they were aloof from him and had no affiliation with him.After Zhang Yan became the commander-in-chief, his two subordinates, Shi Shilang and Gou'er, also became the commander-in-chief, leading the army alone.

Zhang Yan and other nine chiefs gathered together, and immediately ordered the guards to close the gate.

"Yesterday I went to Dalong Mountain to meet the leopard Li Hong."

The chief of the Nine Departments was very surprised and stared at Zhang Yan with wide eyes.

Zhang Yan stood in the middle of the hall, looked around at everyone, and said firmly, "I plan to talk to the imperial court."

The atmosphere in the lobby suddenly became tense. Wang Dang jumped up and shouted angrily: "Marshal, you are crazy. We have a deep hatred with the imperial court, and we swear to be incompatible. How can we be appeased and surrender?"

The lobby suddenly felt like a frying pan was blown up, and the roar of opposition was deafening.Zhang Yan sat back on the table without saying a word, allowing his subordinates to vent their hatred and dissatisfaction to their heart's content.

Sun Qin, Yu Digen, Zhangba, and Fuyun were relatively calm and kept silent.Zhang Ba's real name is Peng Lie. He used to be a salt smuggler. In order to pick up more, he used a pole that was Zhang Ba long, so he got this nickname.Fuyun is a disciple of Taiping Dao, and Fuyun is his Taoist name.Yu Digen, Zhang Ba, and Fu Yun are all in their 30s, and they are much calmer than a few young handsome men.

Yu Digen is dark and thin, with deep-set eyes, shrewd and capable. Among the nine chiefs, he is the oldest.After a few young handsomes got tired and had no voice, he asked Zhang Yan, "General, is the leopard looking for you or..."

Zhang Yan did not answer, but said blankly: "We lost this battle, we will go back to the Taihang Mountains, we will continue to suffer from hunger and death, and we will continue to die. Everyone still remember how we survived the winter last year and the year before last. Did you survive by eating tree bark and drinking snow water? Look at the Taihang Mountains, how many graves are there? No, the dead were all salted into human flesh. We survived by cannibalism. How many more years do you plan to eat? pickled human meat?”

"We have enmity with the imperial court, we have enmity with the leopard, it's true, the enmity is deep in the world, but look at the refugees who are following us now, do they have enmity with the imperial court? Do they have enmity with the leopard? The people we eat into our stomachs, who do they have enmity with?"

"Whether the leopards come to me or I go to the leopards, the Yellow Turban Army must survive, and the refugees who follow the Yellow Turban Army and hope for a better life will also survive. But is this also called survival now?"

"We have fought for several years, and countless people have died. What have we gained? What have those people who believed in the way of peace and the Yellow Turban Army gained?"

"Acquisition is not surrender. You must be clear about this. Encouragement is conditional, and surrender is unconditional. After appeasement, we have enough troops to protect ourselves, and we have enough land to support ourselves. We don't need to negotiate with officials. When the army fights, we can recuperate and accumulate strength, and most importantly, we can let the refugees who follow us have land to plant, houses to live in, food to eat, and clothes to wear.”

"After being appeased, there will be no more dead people, no more eating pickled human flesh, and no more running around without hope."

Zhang Yan stood up slowly, and said in a cold voice: "If the imperial court can't meet our demands, we can continue to fight the leopards, we can go back to the Taihang Mountains, and we can continue to eat pickled human flesh. In short, we have nothing to lose."

"But no matter whether the recruiting is successful or not, I hope you will give me three months. Because in October, the grain harvest will be abundant, so this winter, we can at least eat pickled human meat for a few days."

"You keep thinking here, if you agree, come out to eat. If you don't agree, don't come out, and solve it yourself. I don't want to kill my brother with my own hands."

===

Sun Qin came out after Zhang Yan.

"Marshal, why do you believe in Leopard?"

Zhang Yan glanced at him, and said lightly: "We made an agreement when we were in Zhending City last year."

Grandson stood there blankly, speechless for a while.

"Respectfully, immediately send Kuaiqi up the Taihang Mountains and bring Zhang Baiqi Zhang Shuai and Huang Tinghuang Sima to Jinyang. I need them to discuss with Leopard about recruiting." Zhang Yan thought for a while, then said, "Take Xiangkai The master is also coming."

Sun Qin said in surprise: "Commander, Master Xiangkai just met Leopard in Jizhou..."

"You don't know." Zhang Yan waved his hand to interrupt him, "If it wasn't for the leopard, the people in Dazhitang would have died in Jizhou long ago."

"Master Xiangkai and his disciples preach scriptures everywhere in Taiyuan, which can appease the soldiers and refugees. You must know that once the news of appeasement spreads, the soldiers and the people will definitely be at a loss. They will feel disappointed and fearful. If you spread rumors, there will be chaos all over Taiyuan, and there may even be a rebellion."

"I don't want any accidents to happen in these few months. Whether the Yellow Turban Army can survive or not depends on these few months." Zhang Yan sighed and said, "No matter how much you scold me, I will take this step. Nothing can stop it. In the future, if we become stronger, we may be able to realize the dream of the great virtuous teacher. This is where the hope lies. If you do what An Dingshuai does, you can only seek your own death."

"In addition, you send someone to go to Yang Shuai in Shangdang County and explain to him what I mean. If he agrees, please invite him to come. If he does not agree, then let him go."

===

After Li Hong's army reached Longshan, it stopped.The generals of various ministries came to inquire one after another. Li Hong said, rest for a few days first, let the soldiers recover their strength before attacking the city.

Zhang Yan quickly sent someone to send the news that he was willing to be caressed.Li Hong was determined, and immediately sent Zhang Yanzhi's book to Luoyang with a fast ride of eight hundred miles. At the same time, he wrote to the emperor, strongly advocating to appease the Yellow Turban Army, and offered strategies to appease the refugees and cultivate land.

Li Hong immediately summoned the generals above the Sima level of the army to the camp for a meeting.

When they heard that there would be no more wars, everyone was a little discouraged, especially the Youzhou generals such as Xian Yufu and Yan Rou, who were very disappointed.

Li Hong said with a smile: "The preparations for the siege still need to be done. If the recruitment fails, this battle will still be fought. In addition, the army has just been reorganized, and each battalion needs to start training. The commanders of each battalion have to take turns. Study classics, history and art of war in the camp."

Kuang Fengsha asked: "Should we also learn it? I can't even understand the characters of the Great Han Kingdom. What should I learn? My lord, let me lead soldiers to train."

"You have to learn." Li Hong said decisively, "I told you to listen with your ears, not to write by hand. Lord Zuo, Lord Li and Lord Song are in charge of teaching classics and history, and Lord Xianyu, Lord Xu and Lord Qu are in charge of teaching the art of war."

Wen Chou laughed and said, "Then what does your lord teach?"

Li Hong's face turned cold suddenly, and he stared and said, "I'll teach you how to obey military discipline." Then he severely criticized all the officers present for all kinds of violations of military discipline that occurred in the army recently, and when he was angry, , He slapped the case loudly and murderously.

"There is no other meaning in asking you to come here to study classics, history, and art of war. I just hope that you adults will get in touch with each other more and make more friends. When you come to the battlefield, everyone will be brothers. People from Youzhou."

"Lei Zhong..." Li Hong called out.

This is Lei Zhong's first time to participate in a military meeting with dozens of people. Seeing a Shangguan who has been famous for so long, he feels very nervous. As a result, it is the first time that he encounters Li Hongda and loses his temper. Li Hong also blames him by name. Two sentences, Lei Chong's face turned pale with fright.Suddenly hearing Li Hong calling him, Lei Chong became even more frightened. He sat there without moving for a long time, almost out of breath due to nervousness.Wen Chou, who was sitting next to him, kicked him hastily.

Lei Zhong stood up tremblingly, not daring to lift his head.

"This is Lei Zhong, how many of you know him?" Li Hong asked.

No one in the big tent made a sound.Everyone usually led their own troops, and they rarely had contact with each other. Lei Zhong was just promoted to the commander of the army, and no one knew him.

"The reason why we were able to defeat the Xianbei people in Boluo Valley was that the horse-repelling array contributed by Lei Zhong played a key role. He also used people as a small-scale battle formation to resist horses. This kind of battle formation requires at least ten people to cooperate with each other to survive." Defeat the iron cavalry." Li Hong sneered, "Masters, you must learn, ten people in a team. Every 20 of you come to me to train for fifteen days, as long as you defeat the Black Panther Yicong in a team of one hundred people, you can go back to the stage. Continue to lead the army, otherwise, eat horse food with me."

The generals will be stunned.

===

(End of this chapter)