The Nameless of the Common Clans

Dongjun, Dongwuyang.

The city was surrounded by Yuan's army. Zhang He sat in the barracks, looking at the map of Dongwuyang. Dongwuyang was not a county town. According to their estimation, the food in Dongwuyang should have been exhausted by now, but Zang Hong had no intention of surrendering.

Still resisting? Why?

Zhang He had received orders from Yuan Shao. Even if the city was broken, Zang Hong could not die. There was no reinforcement. The reason for even rebelling against Yuan Shao was only because Yuan Shao did not send troops to rescue Zhang Chao. Zang Hong did not seem to have the intention of dominating one side and becoming a vassal. He rebelled so suddenly. In Zhang He's military career, this situation was definitely the first time he had seen it.

"Junyi!" Gao Lan came in from outside the tent.

"What's the matter?" Zhang He looked up and smiled at Gao Lan.

Gao Lan said to Zhang He: "Henan Yin is here and wants to enter the city."

"Henan Yin?" Zhang He was a little confused for a while. Henan Yin didn't seem to be from his side. What was he doing here?

Then, Zhang He understood: "Sent by Chen Mo?"

"Yes, I went to see the lord first." Gao Lan nodded and said: "I came here to persuade Zang Hong. After all, the two families don't want to fight now. Zang Hong is here, and it's not easy for the lord and General Chen."

Neither Chen Mo nor Yuan Shao wanted to go to war, but Zang Hong was here, and the two families couldn't pretend not to see it.

Zhang He nodded and said: "Let him go directly into the city, I hope he can persuade Zang Hong."

This battle really doesn't need to be fought. It's a waste of time to continue. There's no benefit in winning against Yuan Shao, and losing... It's impossible.

Gao Lan nodded. Zhong Yun had already met Yuan Shao. Since Yuan Shao had spoken, they couldn't stop him. As for meeting, there was no need. There was nothing to say.

Zhong Yun was escorted to the city of Dongwuyang by Gao Lan. The general guarding the city said in a deep voice: "My master has already said that he will not see the envoy."

Zhong Yun rubbed his head and bowed to the top of the city wall and said: "Please inform Mr. Ziyuan, I am Zhong Yun under the command of the right general, temporarily taking over the position of the governor of Henan. My master has a letter to send to Mr. Ziyuan, and I hope Mr. Ziyuan will not hesitate to see it."

The right general is Chen Mo's military position, and Zang Hong is Chen Mo's teacher. Some people have advised Zang Hong to surrender to Chen Mo or ask Chen Mo for help, but Zang Hong did not speak, and his generals could not say anything. Now that Chen Mo's people have come, the general guarding the city hesitated for a moment, and bowed to Zhong Yun and said: "Please wait a moment, envoy, I will go to inform you."

Henan Yin, if only in terms of official position, is a person on par with Zang Hong. Chen Mo directly sent the governor of Henan, and Zang Hong probably couldn't refuse to see this person.

The city gate was not opened. Zhong Yun was hoisted up the city wall in a hanging basket. Even though he was mentally prepared, when he saw the soldiers on the city wall with pale faces and eyes flashing with light as if they wanted to eat people, Zhong Yun, who had also experienced battles, couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation on his scalp.

The big cauldron on the top of the city was emitting bursts of meat aroma. When Zhong Yun saw a thigh fished out of the cauldron, his stomach suddenly churned.

There were cases of cannibalism during the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the early years, and there were many of them, but at this moment, looking at the mouthfuls of meat soup boiled in the cauldron, Zhong Yun still couldn't stand it.

"These..." Zhong Yun looked at the generals around him.

"They are all corpses of the enemy. The food and grass in the city are exhausted. The enemy attacked the city these days, and we put them up and killed them." The general responded casually.

It's still possible now, but if it goes on for a long time, I'm afraid...

Zhong Yun didn't say anything, followed the general down the tower, and went straight to the government office. Dongwuyang is not big, but it is also a county with tens of thousands of households. But at this moment, the streets are quiet. Except for the soldiers patrolling, no one can be seen, just like a ghost town.

"During the siege, in order to save food and grass, most of the people have been expelled from the city. The lord knew that this battle would be lost and didn't want to implicate the people. Now in Dongwuyang, except for the soldiers in the city, there are only some old, weak and disabled people who don't want to leave their homes." The general on the side explained.

Zhong Yun nodded without saying much. It's not important whether Zang Hong is right or wrong now. Zhong Yun doesn't want to comment. Near noon, he saw someone carrying a rice bucket to deliver food in front of some doors. Then he found that the doors of some houses were sealed from the outside, leaving only a small window to deliver food, which felt like a prison.

The hands that stretched out from the window were mostly skinny, like chicken claws. Occasionally, you could hear the voice of thanks. Just thinking of the food in the rice bucket, Zhong Yun felt his stomach churning again.

In the government office, Zang Hong and several staff members were sitting on the upper hand. When Zhong Yun saw Zang Hong, he hurriedly saluted.

"It's Shulin who's here." Zang Hong looked haggard, not as handsome as he was when they met that year. He just nodded slightly when he saw Zang Hong. His voice was obviously weak, and his eyes were bloodshot. He forced a smile and said, "Bodao asked you to come here, and also persuaded me?"

"Yun... I came to deliver the letter under the order of the lord." Zhong Yun took out the bamboo slips that Chen Mo gave him and handed them to him with both hands. A counselor beside Zang Hong took the bamboo slips and handed them to Zang Hong: "The lord is now in Luoyang, and has ordered people to capture Henei, and wants to exchange the land of Henei for your life!"

"Why is this necessary? You are a dying man, don't start a war because of me!" Zang Hong sighed. Fighting against Yuan Shao is for righteousness, whether it is a big righteousness or a small righteousness, Zang Hong doesn't care what others think. He just follows his own heart to do things, but if Chen Mo is implicated in this matter, or even a war between Chen Mo and Yuan Shao is caused, this is what Zang Hong doesn't want to see.

"Sir, you should know the character of the lord. This matter concerns the life and property of the lord. How can the lord sit idly by?" Zhong Yun said with a bow.

Zang Hong did not speak, but silently spread out the bamboo slips to read.

Chen Mo's bamboo slips did not mention any words of persuading surrender. There were hundreds of words, but the core was to ask Zang Hong what he would do if he encountered this situation? I can do everything for the righteousness in my heart, but how can I do everything for the righteousness of others? The righteousness of the soldiers under my command and the righteousness of the people under my rule.

Their righteousness may not be the world, perhaps it is parents, perhaps it is wives, children and brothers. These righteousness may seem insignificant, but as Zang Hong said to Chen Mo at the beginning, righteousness has no distinction between big and small. Can it really be called righteousness if the righteousness of one person is ignored and the righteousness of tens of millions of people is ignored?

If Chen Mo's letter starts with a barrage of questions, it will be against the moral code. After all, Zang Hong is his teacher. How can a student question his teacher?

But Chen Mo's letter was written in the form of a request for advice, which was also what Zang Hong had been teaching Chen Mo. There was no big or small righteousness, but was there really no big or small righteousness?

He had fulfilled Zhang Chao's righteousness, but how could he repay the righteousness of his soldiers and civilians? How could he fulfill the righteousness of these people?

None of the soldiers and civilians in the city had surrendered so far, which was Zang Hong's ability, but if it was said that these people were willing to die with Zang Hong, Chen Mo would not believe it, which was against human nature. Even ants would try to survive, let alone people?

And speaking of the matter, Yuan Shao could not be said to be wrong in this matter.

After Zhong Yun handed over the bamboo slips, he did not speak again, but just waited quietly. He did not know what was written on the bamboo slips, but he knew that Chen Mo had been in a low mood since this month. Perhaps the lord had guessed something about the situation in Dongwuyang.

Thinking of Chen Mo's previous attitude, Zhong Yun sighed.

"Bo Dao...is not the same kid anymore." Zang Hong put down the bamboo slips, sighed, turned his head and looked at Zhong Yun and said, "Is he unhappy recently?"

Zhong Yun hesitated for a moment, nodded and said, "Since I learned about this, the lord immediately came to Luoyang. Since last month, the lord has been a little depressed and rarely speaks."

"Alas~" Zang Hong closed his eyes, shook his head and sighed, "It's my fault. I'm sorry for him, Gong Xu."

"Here!" Zang Hong sat down, and a counselor stood up and bowed in response.

"Go to see Yuan Shao for me. This war was caused by me. Hong is willing to die. I only ask Yuan Gong not to embarrass the soldiers and civilians in the city." Zang Hong sighed.

"Lord!" Chen Rong was shocked when he heard this, and wanted to persuade him, but was stopped by Zang Hong.

"Now that I think about it, it is not righteous to kill thousands of soldiers and civilians because of my grudges. Since I am wrong, I should be punished." Zang Hong smiled.

"Sir!" Zhong Yun said hurriedly: "Sir, you can follow me back to Luoyang directly. The lord has already explained to Lord Yuan."

"Henei?" Zang Hong smiled and said: "This kid is still a master who will not suffer any loss."

Others may think that Chen Mo killed Zhang Yang and then handed Henei to Yuan Shao, but in fact, Zang Hong knew very well that Zhang Yang was just a chess piece in Yuan Shao's hand to contain Chen Mo. Chen Mo killed Zhang Yang now, took Henei and gave it to Yuan Shao, which was equivalent to robbing Yuan Shao's things and then giving them to Yuan Shao. Moreover, Henei is now in Yuan Shao's hands. If Yuan Shao wants to do something again, it is directly provoking Chen Mo. It seems that Chen Mo's efforts are not appreciated, but this matter is equivalent to Yuan Shao suffering a loss. Moreover, based on Zang Hong's understanding of his disciples, this Henei may not be handed over to Yuan Shao intact. Don't think of taking all of it when the population of Yuan Shao comes. Heluo is very short of people now.

"However, a person should have a beginning and an end. I betrayed Yuan Shao for righteousness, but I served Yuan Shao and rebelled, which violated the way of being a minister. I still have to meet him." Zang Hong stood up and said with a smile.

"Then..." Zhong Yun hesitated for a moment, stood up and said, "I will accompany you."

Chen Mo wanted to save Zang Hong. Now that he went to Yuan Shao, God knows what will happen. For safety considerations, he should go with him. At the critical moment, he can also say a few words. Anyway, Zang Hong and Zhong Yun must be brought back to Chen Mo.

"I am also willing to follow the lord." Chen Rong also stood up and said.

Zang Hong looked at the two people, his eyes fell on Zhong Yun, nodded and smiled: "Bo Dao's vision of judging people is really good."

At that moment, Zang Hong asked people to open the city gates and surrender, and he went to see Yuan Shao with shackles.

I will try to resume writing three updates a day. This book is harder to write than the previous ones. This is my biggest feeling. I cannot guarantee that I can update three times a day, but now I have more time. I will try my best to update three times a day. If I can't do it one day, please don't blame me.