Three Kingdoms.

Chapter 3349: The Year of Choice

　　Northern Territory.

Desert.

The sky is clear and blue.

Grass grows and horses fatten.

This season is considered the happiest time in the grassland and desert.

The war in the desert has basically subsided.

Regardless of whether they are Hu people or Han people, they all smile when they meet each other, and they are like friends who have been friends for many years. Sometimes the barbarians would take the Han people to sing and dance together, and the Han people would also beat the fou and play the handle to provide music to the barbarians.

When Hu people are passionate, they are really passionate. Of course, in this era, when they kill, they are also really murderous.

Different from those people with ulterior motives who are always worried about selling goods with an income of over 10,000 yuan, most of the people at the bottom have relatively low needs, and they are interlinked. As the saying goes, if the wife and children are hot on the kang, there is a tile above the head to protect them from the wind and rain. That’s basically enough.

After all, there are no dogs like Wangwang raised by capitalists in later generations, and there is no average value of over 10,000 at every turn. The lives of ordinary people are still simple and honest, and their happiness can be easily improved.

Nowadays, the water and grass are lush, and the cattle, sheep and horses are gnawing every day, but they can't finish it. Seeing the belly of the horses, cattle and sheep getting rounder day by day, they look fat and strong. Who doesn't smile when they see it?

But there are exceptions, such as Yunmei...

Uh, it's Brother Zhao.

"Dadu protector!" This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we win against Youzhou, not only will the world be inspired, but the Hussar General will also be able to take over the Central Plains in an open and honest manner! Besides... Moreover, in the land of Youzhou, a lot of wealth, silk and livestock were lost in the past, and the people suffered, which is unspeakable! If the Protector takes it, it is also to give the people of Youzhou peace and prosperity..."

After Liu Fu, a man from Youzhou, arrived in the Northern Territory, he never forgot about Youzhou. When he saw Zhao Yun, he went up to pay homage as usual, and then persuaded Zhao Yun to attack Youzhou, patting his chest to express his willingness to be the pioneer.

It doesn't matter who Liu Fu is, what matters is that he is from Youzhou.

Most Chinese people have a hometown complex.

It is common for people to go out to work hard when they are young, but not everyone can return home with rich clothes. After all, survivorship is biased, and most people who go out to work not only come back empty-handed, but also often with aches and pains.

Of course, that doesn't mean that you won't get sick if you work in your hometown. As an ox or a horse, or even worse than an ox or a horse, isn't it normal for you to get sick due to overwork? Money is something that you spend wherever you earn it. Don’t even think about taking away a cent of it. Anyway, when it comes to illness and pain, nowadays, minor illnesses do not need to be treated, but serious illnesses cannot be cured.

Therefore, it is normal for Liu Fu, who is working outside, to feel homesick.

Zhao Yun had never responded to Liu Fu before. It was not that Zhao Yun was timid, but that a continuous heavy snowfall last year caused disasters in many places in the grassland and desert.

Now after spring and summer repairs, although many people and livestock failed to withstand the snow last winter, those who survived have gradually regained some vitality.

The further attack on Youzhou has naturally gradually been put on the agenda.

Zhao Yun first sent a message to Guanzhong, and after reporting the plan, he summoned the core generals to discuss the strategy. Although no news was conveyed, the guards on duty in the Northern Territory Protectorate could feel the increasingly tense atmosphere.

For Zhao Yun, he must fight in the battle in Youzhou.

It's not that Yun Mei... Well, Brother Zhao needs this victory to embellish his chest, but Zhao Yun knows that only by conquering Youzhou and continuing many years of tugging and disputes in the northern grasslands and deserts will he get a more complete victory. Only by calming down can we have a more stable environment.

And Zhao Yun is also worried, that is, if the weather continues to be cold and the heavy snow winter last year is over, what about this year?

If there is Youzhou as a buffer, even if the Northern Territory suffers a snow disaster, the Northern Territory Protectorate will not be under too much pressure.

Because the Han people have better building systems and thermal insulation equipment, the Hu people in the northern regions have gradually adopted the "Lease Law". That is to say, when the cold and severe winter comes, the Hu people cannot ensure whether their cattle and sheep can survive the cold winter. During the winter, they would "rent" Han people's land to take care of these livestock, and then wait for the next spring to take them away.

In this process, Han merchants can naturally extract part of the livestock as compensation for taking care of them through the winter.

If there is profit, of course someone will do it.

And some people will also be greedy...

This process was not always smooth sailing. Inevitably, some merchants colluded with local officials and directly swallowed the livestock of the Hu people, or they issued some risk notifications, indicating that all risks were borne by the Hu people and they were only responsible for taking care of them. But the rate of return is not guaranteed...ahem, the number of cattle and sheep.

After Xin Pi discovered such a thing, he reported it to Zhao Yun and immediately launched a cleanup.

In a place like the Northern Territory, reason is not as effective as a knife.

When these greedy merchants and petty officials discovered that their temporary greed would bring not only personal death, but even the destruction of the entire family, they naturally restrained themselves a lot. Unless these merchants and petty officials can prove that their corrupt money has not brought any benefits or convenience to their families, some of their families can be exempted from being implicated. However, this exemption is often difficult to achieve.

So once something goes wrong, the whole family will bear the punishment together. In this way, although some family members were innocent and unknowing, Simpi did not relent because of this. After all, there are always some selfish people who are desperate and don't care whether their family members will be implicated.

After hanging the heads of these people on the road outside the city, this phenomenon cannot be said to be completely eliminated, but at least it is not so rampant and has won more trust from the barbarians.

Under such a virtuous cycle, it is foreseeable that if there is severe cold and heavy snow again this winter, the Hu people will be more inclined to drive their cattle and sheep to seek shelter here in the Northern Territory, and the location here in the Northern Territory is not very good. . Although there are some sheltered valleys, most of them are used to station soldiers and open up fields. If you want to accommodate more cattle and sheep, problems will naturally arise.

Therefore, if Youzhou is really taken, it will not only open a road to the Central Plains and end this troubled times, but also make some preparations for the arrival of severe winter in advance, so that more ordinary Hu people can survive.

As mentioned before, whether they are Hu people or Han people, the needs of the people at the bottom are very low. As long as the needs of these bottom people can be guaranteed, small problems cannot be completely avoided, but major riots can be controlled.

It is also for this reason that later generations of Mitty did not prohibit zero-yuan purchases. These losses are passed on to the middle class, and there is no loss for the rich. On the one hand, these commodities are very expensive for ordinary people, but for the capitalists who control the means of production and living, they are just a drop in the bucket. And on the other hand, the money lost by insurance is actually contributed by the middle class and is already included in It’s included in the products sold before…

Controlling the affluence and numerical expansion of the middle class naturally ensures a narrow path for upward promotion, thus stabilizing the interests of the ruling class in disguise.

Now, because the Northern Territory Protector is still very young, the number of "middle class" in the Northern Territory is not large and is still scarce, so there will be no traps set for these people, but encouragement and These people are welcome to invest and settle...

Just like Liu Fu, a fellow from Youzhou.

Zhao Yun personally met with Liu Fu, listened to Liu Fu's request, and after asking about matters related to Youzhou, he personally sent him outside the palace, and said that if he entered the army in Youzhou, he would definitely ask Liu Fu to come to the army to discuss the details. .

Liu Fu burst into tears with gratitude and expressed his willingness to serve Zhao Yun'an.

After Zhao Yun came back, there were a few more people in the hall, including Xin Pi, Zhang He, Ganfeng and others.

"The situation in Youzhou is as what this person said?" ”Zhao Yun didn’t waste any time and asked directly.

Simpi said from the side: "This person is eager to return to his hometown, so naturally he is a little exaggerated." However, it is an indisputable fact that the land of Youzhou is trapped by Cao thieves. Now that Cao Cao has used troops for many years, and Youzhou has experienced wars, the people are naturally thinking. 』

Zhao Yun nodded.

This is understandable.

But it is obviously impossible for Zhao Yun to send troops just for this reason. Attacking Youzhou from Xinchang Mountain in Mobei is actually the same as when the Huns and Xianbei attacked Youzhou. They need to cross the Yanshan Mountains, which is not easy to walk.

Moreover, even if Zhao Yun had a flying pigeon relationship with Guanzhong and received an order to act expediently, it would still be a big deal if he really wanted to send troops. Not to defend, but to march.

Although the Yanshan Mountains are an out-and-out younger brother in front of its neighbor, the Taihang Mountains, its mountains are also quite steep. The terrain is high in the northwest and low in the southeast. The north is gentle and the south is steep. Especially in Yanshan, the valleys are narrow and the surface is It is broken and has many ravines, making it quite unsuitable for an army to march.

"Gubeikou. Zhao Yun stood up, walked to the map, clicked on a certain location on the map, and then said, "At the end of last year, Cao's army set up an ambush here, and it must be heavily reinforced now." 』

Everyone couldn't help but follow Zhao Yun to the map and look at the strategic points marked on the map.

Gubeikou, Xifengkou, Lengkou, Liujiakou, these "mouths" are all the way to the east, and the journey is getting farther and farther.

The nearest route is of course Gubeikou, because after exiting Gubeikou, there is a flat valley, which is also a dense cloud zone, and then you can appear directly under Yuyang City. The other road, which is also very important, is Xifengkou.

Because the army cannot move without water, the river route flowing from the Yanshan Mountains to the North China Plain has naturally become an important route for the army.

Among them, the most obvious and important one must be Rushui, which is the Luanhe River. Although it is very difficult to cross the entire Yanshan Mountains along the Luanhe River, this does not mean that you cannot use a section of it, that is, first go up the Luanhe River, and then reach the Lilaoha River or the Daling River. Recently, a shorter road was opened and entered one of the river valleys to exit Yanshan.

However, there is still a distance between the Luan River, Laoha River, and Daling River. If the army wants to walk along the river valley most of the time, it will need to find another river transition between them.

That is "Waterfall". The source of this river is adjacent to the source of Laoha River, and then flows southwestward to join the Luanhe River when it is about to flow into the North China Plain.

This confluence is called Xifengkou.

In earlier times, this place was also called "Lulongsai".

Therefore, most of the Hu people who come from the east go south, and most of them take Xifengkou. If the Hu people come from the west, they take Gubeikou.

For example, Lengkou Liujiakou further east, and Shanhaiguan, etc., were all from a later era.

Therefore, if Zhao Yun wanted to advance, there were only two relatively mature routes, one was to advance to Gubeikou via Pinggang Road, and the other was to attack Xifengkou via Lulong Road.

By the way, there is another way.

"Here, Juyongkou." 』Zhao Yun clicked on the west location on the map.

Juyongkou is not a mature route at the moment, but Liu Fu took people through it before, so it can also be used as an alternative plan.

Zhang He said in a deep voice: "Youzhou's garrison is divided into three groups, Yuyang, Jixian, and Yijing, which are the horns of each other. However, Youzhou's troops and horses were severely damaged, with only three thousand cavalry and less than ten thousand armored infantry, divided into three areas. The rest are all miscellaneous auxiliary soldiers, and their strength is weak. 』

Zhao Yun nodded and said: "To attack Youzhou and take the pass is one difficulty, and to defend Youzhou is two difficulties." It would be easier if they just plundered and left. 』

Several people looked at each other in silence.

Zhao Yun was right. Now Cao Chun is guarding Youzhou, which is difficult to defend. Zhao Yun wanted to attack Youzhou. If Cao Chun did not have reinforcements from the rear, he would not be able to hold on for long. But what followed was the question of whether Zhao Yun had captured Youzhou and whether he could defend it.

If he defends, then Zhao Yun must face the dilemma that Cao Chun is currently facing. If he divides his troops, he will be weak. If he doesn't divide his troops, he will be weak. The cavalry were either rushing back and forth, or they were trapped in the city.

If you don't defend it, what's the difference between attacking Youzhou and plundering it with barbarians? Just for victory and money, there is no difference between them and the people from Shandong.

This decision can only be made by Zhao Yun in the end.

Everyone has said what needs to be said, and what needs to be discussed has been discussed many times. The pros and cons are all laid out before our eyes.

After pondering for a long time, Zhao Yun asked Xinpi, "Are the military supplies, food and grass ready?" 』

Xin Pi cupped his hands and said, "It's been prepared!" 』

Zhao Yun glanced around in front of everyone and nodded, "Send the order!" Within three days, we will set off for Youzhou! 』

Everyone responded solemnly and bowed to accept the order.

"Jun Yi stays for a while." 』

When everyone was about to leave, Zhao Yun suddenly said hello.

Zhang He was stunned for a moment, then nodded and stayed, while the others left first and went to busy preparing.

After everyone left, Zhao Yun looked at Zhang He and said, "Jun Yi, this time we march... Either we can still lead the front army, or we can lead the partial army into Juyong... Jun Yi can choose one of them." 』

Zhang He couldn't help but be stunned.

This is Zhao Yun taking care of him...

In later generations of society, people often habitually adopt the attitude of "riding the donkey to find the horse" when dealing with their bosses, that is, before finding the ideal choice, they temporarily accept the status quo, maintain the current status, and constantly look for better ones. Chance. This pattern of behavior is accepted by many people in modern society and is sometimes even seen as a pragmatic life strategy.

But in the current era of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era, the situation has become more and more turbulent, so the end of it becomes more and more precious.

After all, this thing is a rare commodity.

Among the Han Dynasty, generals and counselors were very careful when choosing their allegiance. Once they decided on their affiliation, they would go all out and be loyal. For example, Guan Yu, even in extremely difficult circumstances, insisted on his choice, would rather die than give in, and could not change his wealth, which made Lao Cao tremble with envy...

In fact, this concept is a reflection of the values ​​of the entire society.

The more something is lacking, the more something is desired.

During the Three Kingdoms era, wars were frequent and life and death were unpredictable. Trust and loyalty were undoubtedly rare treasures in a corrupt and dirty world.

Those who can stick to their beliefs and do not change their stance due to external temptations are naturally given a very high moral evaluation.

When Zhang He surrendered, it was actually not his own will, but more of a passive choice out of desperation. After making this choice, Zhang He would also suffer a certain sense of humiliation. This kind of humiliation was not brought to him by Zhao Yun and others, but by Zhang He's own three views.

To put it simply, the more shameless it is, the more painful it is, and the more shameless it is, the easier it is.

Xia Houshang: "Huh?" I'm in pain too, okay? ! 』

Zhao Yun understood Zhang He's pain, so at the beginning, Zhao Yun did not ask Zhang He to fight against Cao Jun.

In the Northern Territory, Zhang He slowly accepted the military system of the Hussars. After feeling the difference in governance methods from Shandong, he changed his original thoughts.

This time, it is not just about fighting and conquering, but also about garrisoning, defense, stabilization, and governance. In this process, Zhao Yun certainly hopes that Zhang He can become a powerful assistant instead of a hidden danger that breaks out from time to time, even if there is such a Even with the slightest possibility, Zhao Yun was too cautious to see this happen.

So Zhao Yun gave Zhang He a choice.

On the surface, it seems to be just a difference in the marching route, but is it not a decision about Zhang He's future route?

Although Zhao Yun's gaze was not aggressive, it was like the bright moon high in the sky, shining brightly on the earth.

A choice that seems simple.

Life is spent in such choices.

Before there is no choice, there are still millions of possibilities, but once the choice is made, the chosen future is left...

So is it possible to have countless possibilities just by standing still and not choosing?

Sorry, when the selection items in the Life Online game appear, there is a hidden countdown, maybe thirty seconds, maybe only three seconds, and the key is that the default option is often the worst one...

Zhang He did not wait for the countdown to end. He pursed his lips, did not avoid Zhao Yun's gaze, and did not show any hesitation. He just straightened his waist, bowed with his hands in hand, and replied sonorously, "He is willing to lead the front army!" 』

"good. 』

Zhao Yun nodded, then stepped forward and gently supported Zhang He's arm, "This troubled world should be put to an end as soon as possible." You and I must work together to bring justice to the world and pacify all peoples! 』