Three Kingdoms.

Chapter 3240 The soul of the soldiers is gone and the soul of the country is empty

Cao Jun's scouts, who were more than ten cavalrymen, slowly rode their horses toward the north.

The further north you go, the more obvious the cliff-like Emei Ridge is.

Like a sleeping giant, lying quietly between heaven and earth.

 The top of Emei Mountain is different from ordinary mountains. It is flat, or almost flat.

Looking up from the bottom of the slope, it is like there is a huge step suddenly added to the horizon, and then climbing up this step is like ascending to the sky!

The sun shines through the sparse clouds and shines on the hillside. Yellow and green intersect, forming a mottled picture.

There are also some hills and slopes under the Emei Mountains, but compared with the Emei Mountains, these hills and slopes are like a small witch meeting a big witch, both in size and weight.

Due to the characteristics of loess, some ditches were cut and carved out by glaciers in ancient times. As a result, the place is now crisscrossed with ravines. The enjoyment of going up and down made Cao Jun's scouts and horses covered in loess.

 Because Cao's army came all the way and drove the refugees northward, everything around them was deserted and desolate.

 From time to time, you can see some dead bodies lying on the roadside.

 Any place that has been cultivated by manpower will degrade obviously once people are removed from it. Just like those cultivated acres in the distance, it was during the germination period. As a result, the farmers who cultivated the land left, and they were left there. Without anyone's care, weeds quickly grew in the acres. However, the serious Zhuang Heruan It collapsed and withered, falling to the ground.

Just like kindness needs constant and careful maintenance, while malice can breed and spread anytime and anywhere.

　　　『Ah ha, give you a shovel! 』

 The villages in the distance have become ruins and become a paradise for scavengers.

 Besides, with such poor mountains and rivers, such a desolate scene, and a large army of hussars may appear around at any time, with just a few Cao Jun scouts, no matter how careful you are, it can't be said to be too much.

 Shrapped, as if some ghost had sucked all the blood away before death.

A few Cao Jun scouts who were chatting and laughing around them suddenly lowered their voices.

They found a relatively low-lying place under a **** and checked the ground. There were no poisonous insects, snakes or ants. Then they built a simple tent for the war horses so that the horses could rest inside.

　　　　Ni Ni! Silly? ! ” Captain Cao’s army spat, “How many people died in the water there? ! If you still take water, you will die! 』

 A soldier of Cao's army asked, shaking the somewhat empty water bag in his hand.

 In Shandong, there are actually a lot of rules.

The Cao Jun soldier was stunned for a moment, then silently walked out with the shovel.

When this group of Cao Jun scouts was about to reach the hills and slopes under the Emei Mountains, it happened to be dark...

 War horses are a scarce resource, so Cao Jun must first solve the demand for war horses.

Although it was slapped on the soldier's armor, the snap made the soldier shrink back involuntarily, and the water bag almost fell to the ground.

　　　　Captain, do you want to set up some more warning traps? 』

　　　　　Captain, would you like to go over there to get some water? 』

 After feeding the war horses, it is the person's turn to eat.

 There are rules among the nobles, and there are also rules among the military.

　　　『You will understand after a while…』

　　　It’s getting late! ” The scout captain of Cao Jun who led the team looked up at the still bright sky, and said nonsense with his eyes open, “Find a place to shelter from the wind, otherwise you will freeze to death when the sky gets dark!” 』

Some local dogs and jackals with blood-red eyes were on the edge of the ruins, quietly watching Cao Jun's scouts pass by, as if they were warning these Cao Jun soldiers, and also seemed to be inviting...

 After many times of pulling and fighting, the scouts on both sides have reached a relatively tacit understanding of each other's distance.

 Therefore, Cao Jun's scouts immediately stopped and looked for a temporary shelter in the surrounding area to rest. After all, setting up camp and staying is not an easy task. It is really not a big deal if Cao Jun's scout captain made preparations "a little" earlier...

The shovel was thrown at my feet, making a clanging sound and splashing a lot of dust.

The scout captain of Cao Jun looked at the Cao Jun soldier with a half-smile, and then laughed, "Yes!" Just go and set a warning trap! Give him a shovel! 』

 ‘You idiot…’ the scout captain of Cao Jun muttered, his voice was neither too loud nor too soft, ‘I’ve seen stupid people, but I’ve never seen such stupid people…’

Unlike ordinary people who would choose to camp near water sources, scouts generally choose to camp not too close to water sources, and may even intentionally avoid water sources. The reason is simple, because the water source will bring convenience to water, but it will also bring some wild animals and even some other people.

Perhaps it was a sweet well before, but now after the arrival of death, it has become a hotbed of decay and disease.

 Just someone laughed and threw a small shovel to the Cao soldier.

The yellow sand is endless, only the wild dogs or some hyenas in the distance are making inexplicable howls.

　　　『Haha, captain, don’t be angry, he’s just new here... he doesn’t understand the rules...』

The same is true for the water sources in the ruins of the village.

 The soldier of Cao’s army who was whipped by the horsewhip asked.

If you exceed the hills and slopes in front, you will enter the attack range of the hussar scouts and may be attacked at any time. However, if the distance is farther, then the hussar scouts will generally not attack deliberately.

 The captain casually gave the Cao soldier a horsewhip.

Of course, it is definitely not that these Cao Jun scouts are timid and unwilling to move forward for detection. It can only be said that the weather is really shameless and is affected by objective factors and cannot be changed by subjective will, right? Just like playing football, it also depends on whether the sun is strong, whether the wind is strong, whether the rain is slippery, and whether the grass is smooth or not. As long as you are careful, excuses...oh, there are ways every year.

Therefore, when scouts camp, they usually choose a safe and secluded location with a relatively wide field of vision, no blocked sight around them, and away from roads and other places where they can easily be discovered by the enemy. If conditions permit, sentries will also be placed on some nearby natural obstacles to provide additional warning and cover.

Cao Jun's scout captain snorted and said nothing more.

As for people, after dark, they will stay with their horses and use each other’s body heat to warm each other.

 Bonfires are lit in low-lying areas, and smoke cages are used to disperse the rising smoke so as not to attract the enemy's attention.

 Seniors, juniors, old people, newcomers, etc. are actually reflections of class.

 Because of the strictness of the entire social class, "rules" are naturally emphasized everywhere.

This is the "root" of Shandong. It cannot be easily changed and no one is allowed to disobey. Even if the suggestion is correct, but it is not put forward in a "legal and compliant" way, then the "rules" are broken.

　　　『What the **** is this place...』

The scout captain of Cao Jun cursed in a low voice, "I don't want to stay any longer..."

 In the land east of Hedong, Cao Jun's scouts were really tired of being treated.

At the beginning of the war, these Cao Jun scouts who followed Prime Minister Cao did not encounter many strong enemies, nor did they play much role. Anyway, they successfully captured Heluo.

When Hangu Pass was captured, although it took some effort, in the minds of these Cao soldiers, it was still within the normal range and not too surprising. They also secretly calculated that if Tongguan was as good as Hangu Pass, then it would be impossible. Push Guanzhong quickly, and Longxi can be pacified in a blink of an eye...

No one expected that if Hangu Pass looked like a frozen persimmon, then Tongguan would look like a copper pea. Frozen persimmons are still thawed and become soft, while copper peas are really hard, the kind that will break your teeth.

If you can't make it in one go, it will naturally fade away. Nowadays, although Cao Jun's scouts have sharp armor and are equipped with war horses, but if these Cao Jun scouts are to withstand the threat of hussar scouts and invade Emei Ridge for long-range detection at every turn, it is still unnecessary. Come on.

 Generally speaking, the standard of treatment for long-range scouts in the military is very high.

During the heyday of the Han Dynasty, the Yulin Guards were the elite scouts of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. They could conduct long-range reconnaissance, and had the authority to recruit local defenders when necessary, and could be transformed into commanders of a small force at any time. However, with the death of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Yulin Guards gradually fell into disuse. If it were Lao Cao in history, he would still have tiger and leopard cavalry to support the scene, but now, the entrance of the war horses is blocked, and the quality of these Cao army scouts has dropped by more than one level.

Since the resources of war horses are limited, when Cao Jun allocates war horses, they must first divide them according to distance and distance.

What?

 Why not according to personal ability?

 Are you kidding? If it were really divided according to personal ability, would there still be a situation where the middle leaders, the middle guards, etc. were of inferior and weighted status?

This leads to the fact that among Cao Jun's scouts, those who are truly capable may not be assigned good equipment, and those who are assigned good equipment may not be truly capable. Therefore, those who do not have good equipment are often more likely to die in conflicts, while those who are incompetent but have good equipment often hide behind and are less likely to die...

Of course, the most direct soldiers of Cao's army are still in the Zhongli army and the Zhonghu army.

 This is not only the case in the scout troops, but also in the central leading army and the central guarding army.

After the death of the brave generation and those warriors of the Cao clan and Xiahou clan who dared to fight and kill, the rest were basically incompetent people. Therefore, in history, when the old thief Sima yelled, he was scared to death He took off his pants, knelt down and sold all of Lao Cao's property.

Now, these Cao Jun scouts also feel that those direct descendants are enjoying themselves in the rear, but they are still living in this poor place in Hedong, and there is still the risk of encountering the hussar scouts at some point. It is simply full of worry. resentment...

　　『If I had known earlier, I would have stayed in Heluo. Oh, it’s really...』

 After being stationed, I would regret it habitually, or start again with hindsight.

　　　　No! It’s really beautiful in Heluo! There are plenty of women too! Ouch...tsk! 』

　　　　Aha! I still remember bringing a few pancakes with me, so I would knock on the door in the alley in the city and hand over the pancakes, hehe... One pancake at a time, hehehe..."

For Cao Cao, these Cao Jun scouts did not dare to complain too much. After all, they also carried Cao Cao's bowl of rice to eat, but where they ate it was naturally different.

Eating in the open air and eating black pancakes with sand is one way to eat. Drinking flower wine in the back and even knocking on the widow's door with pancakes in your arms are also the same way to eat.

The scout team was originally far away from the military camp, and the relationship within the team was very deep. The relationship between them was closer than the ordinary comrades-in-arms, so when I said this, I didn’t have any scruples, laughing and joking, half-seriously. Everyone didn't care about the half-false complaints.

Isn't it just to get more military glory when I followed you to the front line?

 As a result, he could not gain much military merit, but there was still the threat of death. Naturally, he felt that it would be better to stay in the rear area.

Of course, they didn't dare to blame Cao Cao, but everyone was not very polite to Cao Hong. They said a few words, saying that he would make money by ridiculing Cao Hong, and that his work was too rough and not useful. Obviously Cao Cao gave Cao Hong a chance and tried his best to cover it. But now, not only did he fail to capture Puban County, but he also surrendered and lost a lot of food, grass and baggage, leading to the current situation...

For Cao Cao's soldiers at the grassroots level, they don't know how the situation will change and when they will fight. After encountering setbacks, most people will easily fall into a state of laziness and exhaustion, complaining about this and complaining about that. For Cao Cao The overall strategy is far from tenacious and cooperative.

The reason why these Cao Jun scouts are still leading the team is mostly because they are just taking things one day at a time. As for any long-term goals, the future of the country, or the prosperity of the nation, etc., they really don't have the slightest idea.

It's just that the land of Shandong doesn't care what these low-level soldiers think, so they complement each other.

 Although we are both from Shandong, it’s like living in two worlds.

The upper-class nobles shouted for the people, but what they did was try every means to harvest more wealth from the people. The lower-class people would also say yes when asked whether the big man was good, but if you asked whether the officials were good or bad, Then he immediately showed an intriguing smile...

While several people were laughing softly, they suddenly heard a soldier on duty not far away booing, "Did you hear anything?" 』

 Everyone seemed to freeze for an instant, standing still, their ears pricked up, and their eyes darting around.

 The surrounding curved ditches are like giant pythons, snaking and lurking.

The dark mountain shadows also look like fierce beasts, lurking underground.

 The grass swayed and the shadows of the trees swayed.

 After a while, there was no movement...

 The soldier on duty let out a slightly embarrassed voice, "Ah, maybe I heard wrong." 』

　　　　What a hammer! 』

　　　『Fuck it! 』

　　　Grandma! It scared me to death! 』

 Suddenly provoked a scolding.

The soldier on duty turned his head and smiled: "Me too..."

Before he finished speaking, a roaring sound came through the air, and with a pop, it pierced the head of the soldier on duty. Immediately, blood mixed with brain matter and spurted out for several feet!

The soldier on duty still had a smile on his face. He seemed to be a little confused, but he fell straight down with an arrow...

Until this moment, everyone seemed to have been pricked by a needle at the same time, jumping up with a cry, "Enemy attack!" 』

There was a loud noise in the air, and seven or eight feathered arrows were already shot with strong wind!

Before the words could be fully finished, there were two more screams of pain, but two Cao Jun scouts were hit by arrows and rolled to the ground.

"over there! "The scout captain of Cao Jun shouted according to the direction of the arrow, "Fight back! fight back! 』

Cao Jun's scouts were elite after all. After judging the direction of the attack, they immediately opened their bows and returned a few arrows in an awkward posture. Obviously, this rapid-fire arrow is not intended to hit the opponent, but just to interrupt the opponent's rhythm and prevent the opponent from attacking so comfortably.

 The remaining scouts of Cao's army lay on the ground, squirming with limited cover, and retreated back.

They did not have the confidence to face the hussar scouts head-on, because in most cases it was their fault, so they just wanted to retreat into the ditch where they placed their horses, and then escape from here.

"team leader! help me! help me! 』

A Cao Jun soldier with an injured leg held the bow and arrow in his hand tightly and stared at the Cao Jun scout captain who was moving back.

 When joining the army, didn’t everyone loudly declare that they should trust their teammates and help each other?

Didn’t you make an oath? !

　　Why are everyone doing their own thing now?

　　『Saving the mud...』

Dry!

 It’s the new guy!

The scout captain of Cao's army was about to subconsciously reply to save him, but when he met the eyes of the soldier of Cao's army who had injured his legs and feet, and saw the flashing arrow, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately changed his words, "Okay." ! Give me your hand and I'll pull you over! 』

The Cao Jun soldier whose legs and feet were injured breathed a sigh of relief, let go of his bow and arrow, and stretched out his hand.

Hand with blood stretched forward, as if reaching for hope.

At the next moment, what awaits you is not the warm help from your comrades, but the ruthless and cold light!

　　　　偁偁嬢! Still want to yin me? ! ” The scout captain of Cao Jun pulled out his short blade and cut off a few fingers of Cao Jun’s soldiers who were injured in their legs and feet. “You’re playing this trick with me!” Wait for death! 』

Immediately, the scout captain of Cao Jun squirmed twice quickly on the ground, slipped into the ditch, and threw the Cao Jun soldiers with injured hands and feet on the slope.

"Ahhh..." Cao Jun's soldiers, whose hands and feet were injured, lay down on the **** and howled miserably. They didn't know whether it was because of the pain of their injuries or some other reason.

I don’t know how long it took, maybe it was just a moment, maybe it was like a lifetime, several shadows appeared next to Cao Jun soldiers who were injured in their hands and feet, covering the faces of Cao Jun soldiers.

 ‘Kill me! "The soldiers of Cao's army gave up resistance and everything. They collapsed and muttered, "Come on, give me a knife... Hurry up..."

 A face smeared with black ash came up to Cao Jun's soldiers and looked him up and down.

 After a while, someone climbed up from the **** and said, "Three of them ran away!" 』

　　　"Are there any left alive?" ” someone asked.

　　　…” It seems that some eyes have fallen on Cao Jun’s soldiers.

"Give me some water..." Cao Jun soldiers smacked their lips, "What do you want to know?" After I've finished speaking...can you give me a quickie? 』

After a short silence, someone lifted the head of Cao Jun's soldier, and a cowhide bag was brought to the mouth of Cao Jun's soldier.

　　　『You can’t die from your injuries! ” A hoarse voice sounded, “Wrap his wounds first! 』