Three Kingdoms: I help Liu Bei grow thousands of miles

Chapter 898 The winner will share half of me

Just as Zhang Fei left the door, Fazheng joked to Pang Tong: "Yide still likes Shizai. At the beginning, he put a lot of effort into subduing Jiang Wei, thinking that he would train him well. But after he laid down Tianshui, he was taken away by the prime minister instead."

"Deng Shizai is ready-made. Jiang Boyue still needs to be cultivated. How can Yide's impatient temper be able to wait? Boyue once stayed in Mianyang for a while, and his love for the land is not as good as that of Shizai." Pang Tong explained with a smile.

Liu Bei must be sure: "Deng Shizai has worked hard for the country for these years, and this year sixty-six out of twenty have not yet married. Ziyu wrote this letter asking me to give him a marriage. Do the two Qing families have any good marriage recommendations?"

Deng Ai went to Shu to farm in a low-key manner, while Lantian ran a school in Jiaozhou. Scholars in Jing and Yi prefectures didn't like their masters and apprentices very much. Later, Liu Bei won the victory in Hanzhong and became king. People, I have to have admiration for Lantian master and apprentice, and many people pay attention to Deng Ai, and even some people who go to him for matchmaking in private, are all pushed by Deng Ai on the basis of his elders.

Pang Tong and Fazheng heard an idea, and at the same time they both thought of their respective candidates. As a result, Pang Tong took the lead and said: "Wei Wei (Chen Zhen)'s youngest daughter is just as old as Ji, she is young and beautiful, and has a decent family education. People, I wonder what His Majesty thinks?"

Liu Bei nodded in response first, and then looked at Fazheng: "It seems that the Taiwei also has someone to choose?"

"Uh... I remember that the servant (Huang Quan) also has a daughter in his family, who is also about fourteen or fifteen years old, and she is also a good match with General Deng..." Fazheng replied with his hands clasped.

"Deng Shizai is very lucky. Qing and others recommended the daughters of Jiuqing. I asked Deshun (Lai Gong) to go and find out first. I don't know if Xiaoqi (Chen Zhen) and Gongheng (Huang Quan) are willing To others..." Liu Bei suddenly thought of Gan Qian, and remembered that he married her to Lan Tian, ​​and 20 years passed in a blink of an eye.

Liu Bei didn't have a direct choice, he should be weighing the pros and cons. Lantian is now in the limelight, and his disciples are also rising. In addition, Deng Ai is very popular with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, so he has become a close target of the Jingzhou and Dongzhou factions.

Liu Bei was melancholy and silent about the past, which made the atmosphere in the small hall slightly awkward. Pang Tong and Fazheng looked at each other, thinking that His Majesty is not thinking wildly, right?

"Your Majesty, the three generals are about to send troops to Longyou, why don't we send a letter to Cao Zhen?" Fazheng then changed the subject.

"Send a letter to Cao Zhen?" Liu Bei immediately woke up.

Fazheng nodded and explained, "Longyou doesn't have a general in command, who can stop Yide and Meng Qi? If they take Longyou and continue northward to Jincheng and Wuwei, and then cut off the Yellow River ferry, Cao Zhen's tens of thousands of troops will have to Trapped and stable."

"What Xiaozhi means is that we spread false news, so that Cao Zhen will not attack himself?" Liu Bei immediately understood, thinking that this is not to follow Lan Ziyu to use false information to disturb the morale of the army?

"Cao Zhen has [-] Yongliang main forces, and the combined strength of Chang'an and Tianshui is only [-]. It is really not suitable to fight head-on with each other. These tens of thousands of troops can't be supported by Anding County alone. The cultivated land on both sides of the Jing River is limited. If all the livestock are slaughtered For military rations, how can there be seedlings and cubs to graze in the coming year? So their food needs to be replenished from Wuwei. We will release the news of Yide. Does your majesty think Cao Zhen is in a hurry?" Fazheng replied meaningfully.

"Wonderful, this remark can reach ten thousand troops." Liu Bei clapped his hands and applauded.

Pang Tong then added: "The news of Zhang Ji's death will definitely spread to Anding. Cao Zhen will definitely divide his troops and retreat. Your Majesty should dispatch troops to take the initiative to attack, so that Cao Zhen can feel the crisis firsthand, and maybe he can take Anding in one fell swoop."

"General Huang remembers Zhang Xi's grudge and wants to avenge the late General Yan. Why don't your majesty grant him?" Fazheng stroked his beard to make a suggestion.

Liu Bei frowned and hesitated: "The old general is resolute and swift. Cao Zhen and Zhang Yun are not idle people. If I send him alone, I don't feel at ease..."

"I would like to go with you." Fazheng got up and asked for a job.

Liu Bei shook his head lightly, "It is only a short time since I ascended the throne, and I still have to rely on the Second Minister for many government affairs. Besides, Xiaozhi has always been in poor health and needs to take decoctions to recuperate frequently. How can I be willing to let you go on an expedition? Such expeditions will be left to the generals. manage."

"But aren't you worried about Old General Huang?" Fazheng looked curious.

"Zilong has always been prudent, and he has cooperated with the old general many times. The two of them went out together, so I can rest assured." It turned out that Liu Bei already had a candidate in mind.

"General Zhao is the governor of Liangzhou, so it is natural for him to lead the Western Expedition, but he is now guarding Huayin and supervising Tongguan. If he is transferred away, who can succeed him? Then Zhu Ling is a famous general of the Wei Kingdom." Pang Tong reminded.

"Zilong came to report a few days ago. Recently, the defenders of Tongguan did not come to Huayin to test again. Zhu Ling even sent people to set up defenses in Puban, worried that we would forcefully cross the Yellow River and bypass Tongguan. In Huainan, the generals at Tongguan have shown their cowardice, and I intend to replace Zilong with Gongzhong (Liu Feng)." Liu Bei looked stern.

"Major General is fierce, he is indeed a suitable candidate. Now that An Ding and Long You are sending troops, we can watch the wind and clouds in the northwest. Cao Zhen will have a hard time this winter..." Pang Tongtong said with a relaxed expression on his face.

Liu Bei had a sudden thought, and said: "Ziyu set up the martial arts competition ring, and let the two counties in the west of Yangzhou compete with the three counties in the east. Can I also let Yide compete with them?"

"Uh... Yide has Meng Qi to help, and there are no generals guarding the counties in Longxi, there are many generals in the direction of Ping Cao Zhen, Zilong and Huang Lao are not doomed?" Pang Tong shook his head.

Fazheng stretched out his right index finger, swinging it back and forth like a pointer, with a mysterious smile on his face: "I can't tell what happened on the battlefield, what if Old General Huang is lucky? He is His Majesty's lucky general."

"Luck? It's too illusory. If Xiaozhi is so sure, why not bet against me? How about three months' salary?" Pang Tong believed that before absolute strength, luck could hardly influence the outcome of the battle.

"Huh? Is Situ short of money recently? Obviously he can grab it directly, but he still wants to bet against me, but I also want to bet, March is March." Fazheng deliberately joked.

Pang Tong suddenly smiled and said: "The Taiwei has plenty of money, I will help you reduce Huahua's burden, and please Your Majesty to be a witness."

"Haha, so interesting? I can't witness it in vain. Whoever wins will give me half." Liu Bei was in a great mood seeing the harmony between the two.

"Is Your Majesty influenced by General Song? The merchants in Chang'an are not as powerful as you." Fazheng also laughed.

Chang'an has been on the move since Zhang Fei left. Most of the grain harvested in Guanzhong's autumn harvest was not put into storage, and it was directly loaded into vehicles to become military rations to be dispatched. When Zhao Yun handed over Huayin's defense and returned to the capital, Fazheng asked Huang Zhong to deliberately send scouts to the direction of Anding. On the surface, they spied on the stable defense situation, but actually 'leaked' Chang'an's military mobilization.

October is stable and the cold wind cuts the face.

The [-] Yongliang main forces were scattered and stationed in the narrow and long valley on both sides of the Jingshui River. From the moment they lost the hinterland of Guanzhong, all that was left waiting for Cao Zhen was a slow death, and the "critical illness notice" came very quickly.

Chapter 899 The Miserable Zhang He Was Rejected

At the end of October, An Ding's ranger scouts captured Xi Zuo near Qi County and learned about Liu Bei's latest actions.

Facing Liu Bei's almost all-star lineup, Cao Zhen was led by the nose to move in Yongliang for several months. Not only lost Guanzhong, but also Tianshui County. But the tense situation around Chang'an only lasted less than half a year.

Liu Bei used troops against Longyou and Tianshui at the same time, explaining that the information in Xizuo's mouth was highly credible. Soochow was destroyed in March by Lantian, Jiaozhou, and was already stationed in Ruxu. Cao Pi had no choice but to transfer soldiers from Huainan to the Central Plains. It was transferred back, so Tongguan's research was in vain.

Cao Zhen sent rangers to Guanzhong to verify the information. As a result, there was indeed a large army mobilization around Chang'an. When he got the news, he hurriedly summoned the generals under his account to discuss countermeasures.

After several months of waiting and testing, the stable Wei Jiang's confidence was repeatedly frustrated, and his success in recapturing Chang'an became increasingly elusive. The supply line was completely cut off, and the clothes, quilts and food from the Central Plains were gone.

After years of war in Anding County, the population dropped from 30 to 16. The people Zhang Ji forced to relocate from Wudu were basically digested by Tianshui County and Guanzhong, and now they have once again become Liu Bei's subjects.

During the Three Kingdoms period, an average of 30 to 1 people raised a soldier, so the current population of Anding can only support [-] people. Cao Zhen stationed troops here in addition to squeezing the people as much as possible, but also from Beidi County to the east of Anding, and Wuwei, which has a larger population. The recruitment of supplies, even so, was barely manageable. Cao Zhen also asked the soldiers to take the lead in saving food and clothing, and the hard days continued day after day.

After listening to Cao Zhen's military briefing, the soldiers under the tent collectively lowered their heads, muttering in their hearts that they still came, but they didn't expect to come so soon.

Guo Huai, Cao Zhen's long history, was quite old. Seeing that everyone was dejected and silent, he took the lead to encourage the generals: "Liu Bei has Pang Tong and Fa Zheng around him. These two are senior strategists. You generals should not be frightened by rumors. , Maybe they deliberately used tricks. If Zhang Fei really wanted to attack Longyou, he should keep it a secret in the army. Why did even the little scout know about it? I absolutely don't believe it."

"The art of war is false, but I think this military situation is true. Longyou and Anding are separated by Tianshui and Longshan. Even if we know it, what can we do? If Zhang Inspector really died of illness, how could Zhang Fei and Ma Chao let go of the opportunity? ?” Zhang He gave different opinions.

"Junyi's analysis is not unreasonable. He said it was the conspiracy of Pang Tong and Fazheng, but what about Lantian's attack on Dongwu? The former emperor's all-powerful soldiers have not been captured, and the country can be destroyed by a mere unknown person in Jiaozhou?" Guo Huai I have been in Yongliang all year round, so I know little about the situation in Lantian.

Before Zhang He could answer, the white-haired Cao Zhen stretched out his hand to stop him and said, "Before the late emperor passed away, he praised Lan Ziyu highly, saying that this person's strategy is not inferior to Pang Tong and Fa Zheng's, and Lu Bu's ever-victorious camp has also been expanded by him to form an army. An army of 1 people is indeed not an idler."

"Isn't it the heavy armored infantry that was trapped in the camp? Lantian defeated Sun Quan's navy with infantry? It's unbelievable to say that the final general agrees with Governor Guo's deduction that Lantian's destruction of Wu should be the fake news released by Pang Tong and Fazheng. " Hu Zun said with his fists clasped.

"It can't be said that it is impossible. Why did the defenders of Tongguan shrink the line of defense? If there is nothing important in the direction of Huainan, His Majesty will never ignore it. Liu Bei has already ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor. "Zhang He has a cautious personality and always likes to think about the worst.

"Maybe Sun Quan did something in Huainan..." Hu Zun muttered.

Cao Zhen looked at Zhang Yun and nodded, "Jun Yi is right. Liu Bei is now so powerful that he can suppress our Wei State head-on. Whether it is Lantian destroying Dongwu, or Sun Quan going to attack Hefei again, in short, His Majesty has no reinforcements to help you." , and we have to think about how to retreat from the enemy."

Zhang He clasped his fists and offered his advice: "Liu Bei's soldiers and horses are in high morale, and the final general suggests not to fight head-on. They won't have too many troops in two-line combat. There are high mountains on both sides of Jingshui River. They can use the terrain of the river valley to hold on. We rely on the city's own back The advantage, the enemy's food is exhausted and hungry, and the cold will naturally retreat, the general will surely win if he pursues again, Wei Yan was transferred to Chengdu to suppress the rebellion, Liu Bei only has Huang Zhong at his disposal, right?"

"And Zhao Yun." Cao Zhen frowned.

"Zhao Yun?" Zhang He was taken aback, and then quickly asked: "Isn't this person guarding Huayin, responsible for defending against Zhu Wenbo (Zhu Ling)?"

Cao Zhen was full of bitterness: "Your Majesty took away the soldiers and horses that attacked Guanzhong, so Liu Bei naturally didn't need to put the general on the side. Although Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong only have 2 people, don't forget our own disadvantages. Winter is coming. Without follow-up food and grass, defending the city is tantamount to waiting for death..."

"Then please make a plan early, general. If Zhang Cishi really dies, Zhang Fei and Ma Chao can drive northward along Longyou. No one can stop Jincheng and Wuwei. They must send people back to defend Wuwei." Zhang Yun hastily reminded.

Cao Zhen nodded in affirmation, "The main force of Yongliang was assembled in Anding to cooperate with the reinforcements from the Central Plains to seize the pass, but now the situation seems to have changed, and certain adjustments must be made. I decided to divide [-] troops back to defend Wuwei. The food conditions are difficult, and the supplies from Wuwei and Beidi are not enough, so we have to find ways to collect food from Zhangye and Jiuquan."

"The final general is willing to take on this important task." Zhang Yun was the first to jump out and ask for a job. Instead of starving and desperately fighting on the front line, it would be easier to slip away to supervise food and defend the city.

Zhang Yun's reaction was so fast that the other generals in his tent were caught off guard. He thought that such a good job was robbed, but the other party's official position was second only to Cao Zhen, so he didn't dare to stand up and fight for power.

Zhang Xi also decided that he would be faster, and no one else would compete with him. The pride in his heart was almost revealed on his face, but Cao Zhen ruthlessly rejected him.

"Junyi took the initiative to share his worries, which moved me very much, but Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong are all powerful generals in the world. If General Zhang is not here, the morale of our army will collapse quickly." Cao Zhen looked at the others after speaking, and finally his eyes fell on Guo Huai's face said, "Boji, it's still up to you to lead the troops back to guard the grain."

"The last general takes orders." Guo Huai stood up and took the military order.

Then Cao Zhen pointed to the map and said: "Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong will gather in Qi County, and finally they will go north along Jingshui. The most important place right now is the valley where Jingshui and muddy water meet. If this place cannot be guarded, then the supplies of Beidi County will be lost No more, General Junyi."

"The end is here." Zhang He clasped his fists.

"Now I will join you with [-] soldiers and immediately go to the village five miles south of Jingni Valley. We must block Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong's first round of onslaught, otherwise Anding County will be in danger." Cao Zhen looked solemn.

"Wei." Although Zhang He responded forcefully, he couldn't help crying secretly in his heart.

Which one is the good one, Huang Zhong or Zhao Yun?How can I, Zhang He, be so miserable?

Chapter 900 Zhao Zilong's Pot before the Battle

In mid-November, Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong completed their assembly in Qi County and went upstream along the winding Jing River.

In winter, the cold wind howled, and most of the trees on the mountains on both sides lost their leaves. Only the evergreen plants such as pines and cypresses were still green.

After walking for two days, Huang Zhong became more and more anxious, and urged Zhao Yun: "Zilong, the army is moving so slowly, Yide is better prepared than us, if you continue to slow down, you will lose, why don't you let the ministries move a little faster? "

"It's inconvenient to transport grain in winter. It's better to go slower. As long as the war is finally won, why should we put so much emphasis on winning or losing? Could it be that the old general made a bet?" Zhao Yun joked with a smile.

"I'm already at this age, what do I want those things outside of me? I just want to repay His Majesty's kindness. In addition, if there is no Taiwei Dingjunshan's advice, I can't get that kind of credit. A man must reciprocate, right?" Huang Zhong said solemnly.

"Then I'll take it easy. When I meet Cao Zhen and Zhang He in a few days, I'll let the old general go out first." Zhao Yun replied grandly.

Huang Zhong frowned, and said seriously: "Zilong, don't change the subject. The old man said that the march is too slow. If you go at this speed, the three generals may have already defeated Wuwei, and they will have to travel fifty miles a day from tomorrow."

"At this time, the weather is turning cold, and the soldiers are carrying too much weight. It is too tiring to walk fifty miles a day. It is better to walk thirty miles a day. If Yi Dezhen defeats Wuwei, Cao Zhen's back will be cut off, and it will be easier for him to collapse." Zhao Yun said indifferently. Moved.

"Zilong, don't forget that the old man is the main general." Huang Zhong stood up as soon as he took the table, with a slight anger on his face, revealing that he was the General Zhengxi, bigger than Zhao Yun's General Zhenxi.

Seeing that Huang Zhong was old but had a childlike personality, Zhao Yun patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Your Majesty didn't decide on a general before he left. Does the old general remember what happened in Hanzhong? The Taiwei also asked us to discuss it, so why are you so anxious?" Woolen cloth?"

"Uh..." Huang Zhong was reminded like this, thinking of the Battle of Hanzhong, he had entered Mianshui lightly, and was finally besieged by Zhang He's army accidentally, and it was Zhao Yun who tried his best to rescue him and escaped, so he scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly.

"Of course I will never forget Zilong's love for saving each other, but now..." Huang Zhong's tone was not so strong.

"You might as well guess, old general, why does the Taiwei have to bet with Situ Sai knowing that we are at a disadvantage along the way?" Zhao Yun asked meaningfully.

"Pang Situ was on the western front before, so he must know the situation in Longyou like the palm of his hand. The Taiwei insisted on doing this. Could it be because he has a lot of money?" Huang Zhong blurted out like a child.

"Haha, no." Zhao Yun shook his head and laughed, and then explained: "How long did Pang Situ stay in Tianshui? Don't forget that Fa Taiwei is a Fufeng person. He should be very clear about Longyou, the stable geographical environment, and the cultural climate. So consider the problem more comprehensively than us.”

"So...the outcome is unknown?" Huang Zhong must be talking to himself.

"So march safely, as long as we don't lose to Cao Zhen and Zhang Xi, then we may not lose to Yide." Zhao Yun continued to add.

After hearing this, Huang Zhong said excitedly: "I can lose to anyone, but I can't lose to Zhang Xi. Just do as Zilong wants, and it doesn't matter if you go for a few more days."

"That's right." Zhao Yun stroked his beard and smiled.

Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong marched slowly according to the plan, while the opponent Zhang Yun, in order to occupy the favorable terrain, led troops from Linjing, the prefecture, to set up defenses early, and arrived half a month earlier than the Han army.

At the confluence of Jingshui and Nishui (now Malian River), the main road of Jingshui presents a large n-shaped turn, surrounded by towering barren mountains, and Zhang Yun is in the narrow position in the southeast of the n-shaped terrain.

With a time difference of half a month, Zhang He had enough time to build the deer stronghold and arrange defensive facilities such as rejecting horses. In the past ten years as an enemy of Liu Bei, he often encountered stronger opponents. Zhang He developed a good temper to resist pressure. Also used to double row with the defense tower.

Seeing the well-equipped camp in the north, Zhao Yun frowned directly: "Old General Huang, this camp is well-arranged. It should be the famous general under Cao Zhen's account. We encountered difficulties in the first battle."

"Don't be that turbulent Zhang He?" Huang Zhong had a bad feeling.

"That's not sure. It's getting late at this time. Yun first arranged for people to set up camp, and I would like to ask the old general to go and find out the truth." Zhao Yun said in a deliberative tone.

"It's just what I want." Huang Zhong clasped his fists and led his soldiers towards the enemy camp.

Half an hour later, before the Han army camp was built, Huang Zhong returned to the camp angrily, threw the sword to his followers as soon as he got off his horse, and went straight to the main tent to complain to Zhao Yun.

Seeing Huang Zhong's sullen expression, Zhao Yun asked suspiciously, "What's going on?"

"This old man's mouth." Huang Zhong slapped himself, and then said angrily, "It really is that old turtle Zhang Yun. After being yelled at and scolded by the old man for a long time, that guy stood like a wooden stake in the village on horseback. You How can there be such a brazen person?"

Zhao Yun invited Huang Zhong to sit down on Hu's bed, and said with a smile, "Zhang He is cautious. As the master, he will reject the Han army in the future. How could he easily go out to fight? It is normal to ignore the old general."

"That's not true. This guy is bullying and fearing toughness. We fought many times in Chencang but didn't come out. Why did he dare to leave the city when General Yan went to call for battle? Isn't it because he is afraid of dying under the sword of the old man." Huang Zhong was indignant.

"The old general is very brave. It is very reasonable for Zhang Yun to avoid your sharpness. It seems that to defeat Zhang Yun, you need to outsmart him." Zhao Yun fell into deep thought after speaking.

"The Taiwei is not here, how can we outsmart him?" Huang Zhong looked at Zhao Yun with anticipation. Although he himself was old and brave, he was not as good as Zhao Yun in terms of tactics, so he no longer regarded himself as the master.

"Let me think about it, there should be a way..." Zhao Yun lowered his head and said to himself, suddenly remembered that the Wei army was short of food and grass, and a plan flashed into his mind. Let's fight, let me make a conspiracy for Zhang Yun."

"Uh... that's good." Huang Zhong was dubious.

After resting for the night, Huang Zhong led his troops to fight in the early morning. Zhang Yun ordered his men to stand by in the camp in full armor.

Supervisor Huang Zhong scolded for a while, and suddenly the personal guard reported that Zhao Yun was coming, so he beat his horse and turned to meet him.

"Zilong, what are you..." Huang Zhong saw that the soldiers behind Zhao Yun were not carrying weapons, but carrying pots, food, dry firewood and other things for cooking.

Zhao Yun explained with a smile: "I see that the weather is cold, and the soldiers fought hard in the wild, so I asked the soldiers to set up pots and cook soup, so that we can fight Zhang Yun warmly."

"Uh... set up a pot to cook soup before the battle? Is this Zilong's conspiracy?" Huang Zhong was surprised.

"I have to try it, I don't know if it will work." Zhao Yun nodded slightly.

"I've never heard of it, and Zhang Xi probably doesn't understand it either, so let's try it." Huang Zhong was noncommittal.

Chapter 9 and One

Zhao Yun set up a pot to light a fire in front of the formation, and there was a watchtower in Zhang He's camp. The fire immediately attracted the attention of the scouts. Zhang He soon learned of the new "movement" of the Han army, but he did not make corresponding deployments. The scouts on the tower continued to monitor.