Great Han Empire

Chapter 748: A Storm of Troubled Heroes

At the end of April, the news of the discovery of locusts in Dongping State made Cao Cao restless. He hurriedly sent people to contact the officials of Dongping State, Jibei State, Taishan County and other counties, asking them to do everything possible to grab food and prevent the locust plague from spreading.

According to past experience, generally after the floods on both sides of the Yellow River, especially the three prefectures of Hebei, Yan, and Qinghai, as long as there is little rain or drought in the second year, locust plagues will definitely break out in April and May. This is related to the geology and locust breeding characteristics on both sides of the Yellow River. There is no way to prevent it.

Due to the drought this year, many prefectures and counties in Yanzhou have given up spring plowing in April. If there is another locust plague, the soon-to-mature winter wheat will be eaten up by locusts, and the number of hungry people will increase rapidly.If the hungry people do not get relief, they will become refugees, and the refugees will join up with the small groups of Yellow Turbans operating in Taishan, Yuzhou and other places, and a new round of Yellow Turban rebellion will immediately rise in all parts of the Central Plains.

Cao Cao was heartbroken.The biggest reason why the coalition forces failed to attack Dong Zhuo was because of the massive Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in Qingzhou. That rebellion lasted for two or three years and directly led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty.Today, when the coalition forces regrouped and prepared to turn the tide, God dealt them another heavy blow.

The sky wants to destroy the big man, how can manpower save him?
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Cao Cao summoned Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Mao Jie and other Yanzhou officials for an emergency meeting.

The outbreak of the locust plague is inevitable. In ten days and a half months, the sky of the Central Plains may be filled with locusts. Even if God opens his eyes and we can control the plague of locusts within a certain range, the manpower and material resources that Yanzhou has spent on this will be amazing .

Once the locust plague spreads, the counties and counties in southern Jizhou, northern Qingzhou, and northeastern Xuzhou will be the first to bear the brunt, and the Yellow Turban Guancheng and Guanhai Departments stationed in Mount Tai, and the Yellow Turban Wu Ba and Liu Pi Departments active in the Jianghuai area will surely take advantage of the momentum. Attacked, killed and looted counties again.As a result, the three alliances will suffer a major blow.In order to provide disaster relief and kill the Yellow Turban Army, the three alliances seemed to have no choice but to give up the Northern Expedition to Li Hong.

But the Northern Expedition had already begun, and the troops from all over the country were about to be assembled. At this time, it was obviously impossible to abandon the Northern Expedition because of a locust plague in the Central Plains. The only way was to postpone the Northern Expedition.

In order to minimize the loss of this disaster, we can only humbly ask the states and counties for help, and the main material for help is food.As long as the victims can be fed and the hungry are not turned into refugees, the disaster of the Yellow Turbans can be brought under control, and the Northern Expedition can continue after the locust plague.

At this time, the Northern Expedition was like an arrow on the string, and the states and counties had no choice but to support it if they did not support it.

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During the court meeting, Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, Yuan Shu and others stared wide-eyed. They never expected that when the Northern Expedition was about to start, a plague of locusts would break out in the Central Plains.

The shadow of the failure of the crusade against Dong Zhuo was still shrouded in the hearts of everyone, and everyone suddenly had an ominous premonition.

"Prime Minister, have you inquired about the matter clearly? Wouldn't it be scaremongering?" Yuan Shu asked suspiciously, "If you don't want to attack Li Hong, you should tell me as soon as possible. I will do it for you, Prime Minister, and I will bring someone to fight. "

Cao Cao didn't bother to pay attention to him, and turned to look at Yuan Shao, "Master Yuan, the Northern Expedition must be postponed. If the rear is unstable, the battle has not been fought yet, and we have already lost."

Yuan Shao thought for a long time.

"All the armies will rush to the south bank of the Yellow River according to the original schedule." Yuan Shao said calmly, "We can postpone the attack time, but we must be prepared for the northern army to take advantage of the outbreak of locust plague in the Central Plains to cross the Yellow River south and launch an attack on the Central Plains."

In addition, although the various units of the Northern Expedition Army assembled quickly, due to various reasons, all the food, grass, and supplies of each unit could not be transported to the south bank of the Yellow River before the end of April. Therefore, the time we originally planned to launch the attack at the end of April had to be postponed. .Now that the locust plague has broken out in the Central Plains, I think we should simply postpone it for a while and set the attack time at the end of June.We can use these two months to prepare for the attack more fully, such as catapults for siege, Wuhan Iron and Steel chariots for blocking cavalry from charging, rafts for crossing rivers, and other weapons such as ballistas, weaponry, etc. Arrows and other ordnance were transported as much as possible to the Yellow River battlefield.

After Yuan Shao finished speaking, Cao Cao and Liu Bei were overjoyed, and Liu Biao also let out a long breath.

Yuan Shu was also very happy and raised his hands in agreement.In June, if the Yangzhou Army wins the Jiangdong battlefield in an all-round way, the Yangzhou Army can go northward with all its strength and join the Northern Expeditionary Army to attack Li Hong.

Cao Cao sneered, "As long as your army stays in Jiangdong honestly, it will be considered that you have made great achievements in the Northern Expedition."

Yuan Shu snorted, "Don't forget, I was the one who entered Luoyang, not you. Did you enter Luoyang? I remember that you seemed to be beaten by Xu Rong and fled."

Cao Cao was so angry that he opened his mouth to scold.

Grand Tutor Liu Chong grabbed him, "Speaking of business, business is important."

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The original attack time of the Northern Expedition Army was too hasty, so they rushed to Jizhou to fight in such a hurry, and the loss was too great.Now with two more months of preparation, the situation is quite different.

The Central Plains have suffered from wars and disasters in the past few years, and their vitality has been greatly damaged. Although Cao Cao's hard work has improved a little, the results are not very significant.In this Northern Expedition, Yanzhou mainly dispatched troops, and the food for the Yanzhou Army was mainly supplied by Xu and Yang. Therefore, the locust plague had the greatest impact on the Northern Expedition, not the supply of food and grass, but the Yellow Turban Rebellion that might result from it in the rear.

In order to prevent the recurrence of the failure to seek Dong, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Biao and others immediately discussed and decided to recruit all the disaster victims in the Central Plains as civilian husbands to deliver grain and grass on various grain roads.On the one hand, it can solve the problem of food for the victims and prevent them from becoming refugees; on the other hand, it can also save the people from Jing, Yu, Yang, Xu and other places from the pain of long-distance travel, killing two birds with one stone.

At this time, Cao Cao mentioned a possibility that if the locust disaster is severe this time, Jizhou may also be affected.Once Jizhou is hit by a disaster and the food drops sharply, the Northern Xinjiang Army is bound to be unsustainable.

Generally speaking, if the Central Plains is affected by a disaster, Jizhou on the north bank of the Yellow River will definitely be affected. Cao Cao's guess is probably correct.

Yuan Shao and others immediately became excited, "Urgently report to the affected counties and counties to block the news of the locust plague. Order the troops of all ministries that have reached the south bank of the Yellow River to strengthen inspections and strictly prohibit anyone from sneaking into Hebei."

Liu Bei hurried back to Xuzhou to arrange disaster prevention.Cheng Yu, Man Chong and other Yanzhou officials rushed to the counties and counties that might be affected by the disaster. While directing the people to grab food, they began to recruit the victims to serve as wartime civilian husbands.Cao Cao also urgently wrote to Tian Kai, asking him to pay attention to the direction of the locust flow and prevent it as soon as possible to avoid disaster.

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In the middle of April, in Handan, the general went to the palace.

Zhao Yun, Jiang Wu, Wei Jun, and Liu Ming rushed to Handan with their troops.

Li Hong personally went out of the gate to meet him.

The four generals dismounted to pay their respects.Li Hong stood up one by one, and just about to say a few words of greeting, Liu Ming spoke first, "General, we have brought you the most precious gift."

Li Hong was stunned for a moment, "Gift? What gift? Shan Yuting's warrior or a horse on the grassland?"

"Haha..." Zhao Yun, Jiang Wu, and Wei Jun laughed at the same time.Liu Ming scratched his head and asked in surprise: "General, do you think that in your heart, there are no other gifts in the desert except for invincible warriors and vigorous horses?"

Li Hong stretched out his hand and punched him, "What a good gift, show me quickly."

Wei Jun raised his whip and waved it behind him, "General, what do you want to see most now?"

Li Hong watched the rows of cavalry parting from it, couldn't help but shook his head and said with a smile: "You guys, what are you doing?"

"Tell me, what do you want to see the most?" Liu Ming suddenly stood in front of Li Hong, covering his sight, "Say it, say it, you won't have a chance later."

Li Hong looked up at the blue sky and suddenly remembered the snowstorm.Before he left the desert, he had promised Feng Xue that as long as the snow on the desert melted, he would pick her up, but he made a mistake.He hurried to Jizhou, forgetting his oath to Fengxue.

"I want to see Madam, can you do it?" Li Hong looked at Liu Ming, and then turned to look at Zhao Yun standing beside him.

Zhao Yun smiled slightly, bowed and said, "As you wish."

Li Hong's heart beat suddenly violently. He looked at Zhao Yun in disbelief, and then suddenly turned his head to look at Wei Jun.

"After the discussion among the kings of the desert, Madam was taken to Huoyunyuan by Kebi Xiong and Que Kun, but you told us when you left that as soon as the snow on the desert melted, you would ask us to bring Madam back." Wei Wei Jun stroked his thick long beard, and said with a smile, "Yan Wuwei personally went to Huoyunyuan to pick up his wife, and sent her to Wuyuan."

Liu Ming smiled dejectedly, and stepped aside, "That Yanshan bird is absolutely right. To the general, the most precious thing in the world is his wife."

White as snow.

Feng Xue stood among the iron cavalry warriors, stretched out his hand and gently lifted the white gauze under the bamboo hat, and smiled at Li Hong.

At this moment, Li Hong was intoxicated.

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The news brought by the wind and snow made Li Hong feel the threat from the northeast frontier.

The climate on the desert is getting colder and colder, and the tribes of the Hu tribe on the desert continue to move southward, and many tribes of the Hu tribe have gradually accepted the rule of the Han people.

Kirby Bear has grown up and is ambitious. This young Xianbei warrior is determined to rebuild the glory of the Xianbei people.Master Mijia of the Eastern Xianbei is old, and he plans to merge the Eastern Xianbei into the Central Xianbei and help Kirby to rebuild the Xianbei royal court.

The military power of the Han people in northern Xinjiang is getting stronger and stronger, competing with the Han people for the desert, the Xianbei people have no confidence at present, so Kirby Bear turned his attention to Fuyu.

Fengxue has a special feeling for Fuyu country, she doesn't want Kirby to bring Xianbei cavalry into Fuyu country, she wants to help Fuyu people continue to live a peaceful life.

"Brother Leopard, you can stop Kirby Bear." Feng Xue snuggled into Li Hong's arms and begged softly, "Are you willing to help Fu Yuguo?"

Li Hong was silent.

Kirby Bear has grown up, and the kid from the Tiger Clan has finally become a warrior of the desert.Murong Feng is Murong Feng after all, and the person he takes a fancy to will surely become a man of the hour who astonishes the desert.Li Hong recalled the scene when he first saw Kirby Bear.At that time, Kirby Bear did not thank himself for saving his life. He yelled at himself, I will definitely kill you.Perhaps, this is why Kirby can become the new king of the Xianbei people.He has no fear in his heart, he only has the courage to move forward, just like his past self.

"The person who came with you is your fellow disciple, or the envoy of Fuyu Kingdom?"

"Master Changfeng is respected in Fuyu Kingdom, and many of his disciples are nobles of Fuyu Kingdom, so..."

Li Hong nodded, "They ran into a wall with the Xianbei people, and then immediately went south with you to the big man. Kirby Bear must know about this. Are you too reckless?"

"Are you worried that Kirby bear will blame me?" Fengxue snorted dissatisfiedly, "He dares to help Yu Guo, I'll go back to Huoyunyuan and ask him to settle the score."

Li Hong laughed, "You rest in Handan for a few days first, and then bring the envoys from Fuyu Kingdom back to Jinyang to meet the emperor. Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess and the court will handle this matter properly."

"What about you? Don't you care?"

"In the third year of the first Emperor Xiping (AD 174), the Fuyu Kingdom sent envoys to Luoyang and asked to belong to our Han Dynasty, so the late Emperor let it belong to Youzhou Xuantu County." Li Hong said softly, "If the Fuyu Kingdom remains If you admit your own status, then the Xianbei people attacking and helping the Yu country is equivalent to beating me, a big man, and the court will certainly not sit idly by."

"Really?" Feng Xue said pleasantly, "That's great, I'll tell them to go to Jinyang right away."

"Aren't you going with them?" Li Hong asked in surprise.

Feng Xue hugged Li Hong, "You want to drive me away?"

Li Hongxi smiled, "Of course not..."

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When the wind and snow arrived in Handan, many generals from northern Xinjiang also arrived in Handan one after another. Li Hong was very happy and specially summoned all the generals to Xingyuan to discuss matters and get together by the way.

Gongsun Zan also rushed to Xingyuan with his son Gongsun Xu.

Li Hong and his wife, Qu Yi, Zhang Yan, Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, Yan Liang, Jiang Wu, Zhang He and other generals from northern Xinjiang came out of the gate to meet them.

Gongsun Zan was very grateful, and his words were quite touching.The opponents on the battlefield back then have become fellow ministers today, fighting together for the ZTE giants.Tian Kai and Liu Bei, who sacrificed their lives to save themselves on the battlefield back then, have become enemies fighting to the death today.

At the banquet, Li Hong talked about the past.When I was in Youzhou, I once said that I would treat Brother Huanbogui to have a drink.Finally got my wish today.Gongsun Zan was very upset, he had mixed feelings, and didn't know what to say.

Qu Yi drank a lot with Gongsun Zan first, and then went to find Lu Bu, Wei Xu and others to accompany him.Wei Xu teased Qu Yi, "We are all warriors, licking blood with knives, this kind of grievance is nothing, but you have offended a lot of lip service in the court. These people are all vicious, and sooner or later they will trouble you.Adults should pay more attention to themselves.Qu Yi stared, and said indifferently, I'm afraid of shit.The big deal is that after the war, I pat my ass and go home, can't afford to provoke me and hide?

After the banquet, Li Hong specially invited Gongsun Zan to his military tent to catch up.

Gongsun Zan first said a few words of gratitude, then changed the subject and begged Li Hong to transfer himself to the rear to supervise the transportation of grain and grass.I really can't fight this battle.

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(End of this chapter)