Three Kingdoms: I help Liu Bei grow thousands of miles

Page 166

"Wen Xiang (Xu Sheng) has been waiting for a while? What's the matter?" Lu Su asked suspiciously.

Xu Sheng clasped his fists and replied: "Just now the governor and Guan Yu were in talks, and it would be inconvenient for the general to come forward to report. The tens of thousands of soldiers stopped five miles to the south, with high-character flags in the army formation, and the warships moored by the lake hung their flags. Ganzi Banner, I still don’t know what intention it has.”

Lu Su smiled wryly at Lu Meng: "Gao Shun and the Jinfan bandit Gan Ning are here, I'm afraid we didn't agree to Lan Tian's conditions just now, this elite army will not stop five miles away, they are watching our retreat .”

"Lan Tian is too deceitful." Lu Meng slammed his fist on the side of the boat.

"The situation is not up to you, Wen Xiang, make arrangements for you. Let's withdraw from Dongting Lake immediately and go to Lukou to meet the lord." Lu Su ordered.

"Wei." Xu Sheng sailed away.

Lu Su returned to the camp and was about to pack his belongings, when suddenly the guard outside the tent handed in a saber, which was sent by Lan Tian, ​​the prefect of Lingling.

"Can Lan Ziyu have something to say?" Lu Su felt that the sword was somewhat familiar.

The guard replied: "It is said that this is the relic of the leader of Shanyue, and General Lan gave it to the governor as a souvenir."

The leader of Shanyue?Relic?

Lu Su pulled out his sword, and there was a cold light, and there were four small characters engraved on the top of the hilt: Lingling Huanggai.

Lu Su suddenly felt dizzy, as if his chest had been hit by a heavy hammer. Although he had been mentally prepared, now that Huang Gai was dead, Lu Su couldn't help feeling sad.

When Lu Su and Lu Meng were about to retreat to Lukou, another old man in Jiangdong also passed away in grief and indignation.

3Chapter 16 Struggle for courage

Lu Su and Lu Meng returned to the army to meet Sun Quan at Lukou, and reported the covenant with Guan Yu at Dongting Lake.

At this time, the people Sun Quan sent to Jianchang had not returned, but it was confirmed that Cheng Pu was defeated, and Ling Tong and Huang Gai were killed in battle.

Facing the iron-clad facts, Sun Quan sadly returned to Jiangdong. Although he has now re-established an alliance with Liu Bei, the gap between the two families will never be eliminated, so not only must guard against Cao Cao, but also guard against Guan Yu from Jingzhou.

When Sun Quan left, he left behind [-] elite soldiers, and appointed the governor Lu Su as the prefect of Jiangxia.

On the return journey, the warship passed by Jiangxia for supplies, and Sun Quan disembarked to rest in the Linjiang Pavilion.

Looking at the vast Yangtze River, Sun Quan felt that life was insignificant.

Things in the world are really like Zhou Lang's "The Song of the Long River", the Yangtze River is rolling eastward, and the aspirations in my chest are covered by the sound of the waves.

Sun Quan was in a bad mood on the road, and none of the generals, big or small, wanted to approach him, but Lu Meng was the only one who had the audacity to accompany him.

"Hey, I don't know what those old ministers will think about this loss of troops and will return to Jianye..." Sun Quan sighed.

Lu Meng cupped his hands and said, "If my lord is determined to command in the Yangtze River, and easily capture Jiangxia, the important town of Jingzhou, how can you say that you have lost your army? As for Duke Cheng's defeat in Changsha, it has nothing to do with you, so don't worry about it..."

Sun Quan was still worried: "But I gave the order after all, and I don't know what happened to Ziheng and Ziqi..."

"Uh, this matter is a suggestion from Lu Meng. It can be relegated to calm the anger of the public. It has nothing to do with the lord..." Lu Meng knew Sun Quan's character well, and said in his heart that helping the lord take the blame is not something outsiders can do. This is called retreating to advance.

Sun Quan shook his head lightly: "Duke Cheng has a very high prestige in Jiangdong. If I punish you but not him for this defeat, won't people say that I don't know the rewards and punishments?"

Lu Mengxu's eyes were twitching, and when he bowed his head in thought, the general Fu Shiren bit the bullet and came to Jiangting to meet Sun Quan.

The villain who betrays the master is very unpopular, especially Fu Shiren also admitted to poisoning 'Zhou Yu'. Although he said that he had meritorious service in dedicating the city, he was treated coldly in the army, and even Sun Quan didn't like it very much.

Sun Quan raised his chin, tilted his head and looked at Fu Shiren suspiciously: "Why are you here?"

"My lord, I have been suffering from the wind and cold for the past few days, and my family is still in Jiangxia City. I want to stay in Jiangxia to assist the governor..." Fu Shiren bowed down, respectfully like a servant.

Fu Shiren originally thought that by sacrificing Jiangxia, Jiangdong soldiers and horses could take advantage of the situation to capture Jingzhou. Unexpectedly, after 20 days of confrontation on the Yangtze River, he finally got the news of Cheng Pu's defeat, which was far beyond his expectations.

Fu Shiren didn't want to go back with Sun Quan at all. After all, Zhou Yu had been "poisoned" by him, and he still had many relatives and friends. If he went to Jiangdong, he might die strangely.

Sun Quan was very clear about Fu Shiren's thoughts, so he smiled and comforted him: "General Fu insists first, the mere wind and cold can't stop Jiangdong's famous doctors, how can Jiangdong treat you poorly because of your contribution to the city? It will take some time to replenish the warship, and you just go there Take the family members out of the city, Jianye city is stronger than Jiangxia."

"Uh... I... I can still persist, so I won't delay the departure of the army. The family members will come to move them later, and the general will leave first..." Fu Shiren stood up and saluted Sun Quan and Lu Meng one after another, and then fled out of Linlin in embarrassment. Jiangting.

Lu Meng looked at Fu Shiren's back and asked: "Since my lord doesn't like Fu Shiren, why don't you keep him in Jiangxia or find a chance to get rid of him?"

"This person is disloyal to Liu Bei and Guan Yu. Staying in Jiangxia might be bad for Zijing. There are two reasons why I didn't kill this person. First, if I kill him rashly, who will dare to surrender to Jiangdong in the future? Second, let him go." In Jianye, we can absorb the dissatisfaction of the noble people and give them a place to vent." Sun Quan sneered.

"Wonderful, this is a way to reap the benefits." Lu Meng complimented from the bottom of his heart.

Just when Sun Quan was a little complacent, Lu Meng said pleasantly: "Cao Cao's main force is now waiting and watching in Runan. It is better to attack Wancheng along the way when returning to the army. Zhu Guang's farming there will be a big problem. We originally planned to go out this year. If we can Winning will reduce the impact of Cheng Gong's defeat."

Sun Quan frowned, Cheng Pu's defeat hurt his confidence, he said hesitantly: "What if Cao Cao left an ambush in Wancheng?"

Lu Meng clasped his fists vigorously: "The last general is willing to be the vanguard in the front. If he can't win the battle and come to see him, and if he can capture Wancheng, wouldn't it be more of a demonstration of the Lord's use of troops? At that time, we will judge with Duke Cheng..."

Sun Quan's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Zi Ming's words are reasonable, and he ordered the warships to stop supplying and set off immediately. If there is anything missing, let's go to Wancheng to get it."

"Wei." Lu Meng was overjoyed.

Just as the Jiangdong warship left the shore and left the port, a small boat from the east was heading towards the pier in the opposite direction. The patrolling warship did not dare to stop it, because it was the fast boat that Sun Quan was on and had just returned from Jianchang to inquire about the news. .

With a heavy expression on his face, the attendant directly boarded Sun Quan's big boat, then motioned for Sun Quan to go to a secluded place, and then whispered a report in his ear.

It turned out that Cheng Pu fell ill after being defeated and returned to Jianchang. Tens of thousands of Jiangdong athletes died because of self-blame.

"Did Cheng Pu leave any last words before his death?" Sun Quan was startled when he heard that, he was worried that Cheng Pu would be confused and say something unfavorable to him before he died.

The entourage nodded, "Cheng Gong, apart from sighing and blaming himself, also kept repeating a poem."

"What poem?" Sun Quan asked eagerly.

"Owl, Owl, take my son, but don't destroy my house. Enskins, Mins of the son..."

After hearing this, Sun Quan signaled his followers to leave. This poem comes from "The Book of Songs Bin Feng". It seems that besides self-blame, Cheng Gong also has a deep fear of Lan Tian. Did he tell me to be wary of this person?

When a bird is about to die, it sings and mourns, and when a man is about to die, his words are kind. Sun Quanxu focused his eyes and fell into deep thought.

Lu Meng saw that Sun Quan's expression was different, so he strode over and asked, "Your Majesty, you still have doubts about attacking Wancheng? I have sent people to spread rumors in the direction of Hanshui, saying that we have reunited with Liu Bei, and that Guan Yu is leading troops to counterattack Xiangyang." , and we went back to Jiangdong to suppress the rebellion against Shanyue..."

Sun Quan nodded: "Zi Ming has done a good job. This is exactly what it should be. This is like the Lingling Lantian, which hides in the dark like an owl. Once it shows its sharp claws, it will hurt people."

"My lord, this is..." Lu Meng was puzzled.

"In the future, we will replace Lantian with owls. I will learn from Goujian to suffer through hardships, and use this moment to alert myself." Sun Quan said solemnly.

Lu Meng replied sonorously: "The lord is really the master of the past and the present. Lu Meng is fortunate enough to go on the saddle and back on the horse. It is a blessing. One day, he will capture the owl and dedicate it to you."

Sun Quan nodded and said, "It's a blessing for me to have Ziming. Let's go all out to win Wancheng first."

"Wei." Lu Meng was moved to tears.

Sun Quan didn't tell everyone about Cheng Pu's death. In his heart, Cheng Pu's defeat was more shocking than his death. Even when he heard the news of his death, Sun Quan was a little bit elated.

Cheng Pu followed Sun Jian in the South and North Wars, and later loyal to Sun Ce and now Sun Quan. His prestige in the army is very high, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is the pillar of Jiangdong.

Cheng Pu's death now means that the elder faction has completely withdrawn from the core of Jiangdong's power. The only remaining Han Dang has been left alone, and Sun Quan's power has become even greater.

3Chapter 17 Hitting East and West

As the Jiangdong battleship moved eastward, Gao Shun and Gan Ning led the army to help Su Fei's men dismantle the water village left by Lu Su.

Both Gao Shun and Gan Ning made great contributions in this battle, so Lan Tian invited Guan Yu and others to meet him.

Guan Yu first nodded to Gao Shun, because he was not good at commenting on the people from Lantian, and then he told Gan Ning alone: ​​"Ziyubiao, you are the prefect of Changsha, so the waters of Dongting will be handed over to you from now on, can I rest assured?"

Gan Ning was neither humble nor overbearing: "I will do my best in the end."

Guan Yu nodded, "You and Su Dudu are old acquaintances, and Guan also believes in your ability. The police can jointly control and defend the waters in Dongting, and set up beacon towers along the river to warn. It is the first time Jiangdong dares to attack. Do it a second time."

"Wei." Gan Ning cupped his fists.

At this time, everyone was very relaxed, and Yiji stepped forward and bowed his hands to salute everyone: "General Guan, General Lan, everyone, Jingzhou is now in danger, and my lord is still waiting for news in Yizhou. I want to take my leave and return to Chengdu."

Guan Yu nodded, "What Uncle Ji said is true, it's better to make big brother feel at ease sooner."

"Then I'll go ahead..." Yiji saluted again.

"Uncle Ji wait a moment, Guan has to go back to Jiangling, so I can go with you during this period." Guan Yu waved his hand and said.

"It's better to be respectful than to obey..."

Guan Yu turned to Lan Tian and said, "Ziyu, why don't you go with me? Yuan Zhi misses you very much. After defeating Cao Ren, he can have a drink with Zilong."

Lan Tian quickly shook his head: "Jingnan has just experienced a war, and the top priority is to stabilize people's hearts and resume production, not to mention that General Lai has to go back to settle in Cangwu, so let's part ways?"

Lai Gong clasped his fists and asked Guan Yu for instructions: "I want to go to Chengdu with Mr. Jibo to pay homage to the lord. Jiaozhou is now under the care of General Lan, who is more competent than me..."

Guan Yu saw that Lai Gong was very devout, so he waved his hand and said, "It's a lot of work for those who are capable, so it's settled."

Lan Tian saw that Lai Gong couldn't be kept, so he didn't force it any more, and he cupped his hands and said with a loud smile, "In that case, I wish you all the best of luck."

"Ziyu is precious."

After Guan Yu finished speaking, he went ahead with Lai Gong and Yi Ji, leaving Su Fei to cooperate with everyone in dealing with the aftermath.

After dealing with the Dongting affairs, Gan Ning hosted a banquet for Lantian in Linxiang, thanking Lantian for his long-term cultivation and support.

At the banquet, Gan Ning burst into tears. Looking back on the first half of his life, he was like a lost dog wandering all over the world. If it weren't for Lan Tian's words at the time, he might have blindly voted for Sun Quan.

Gao Shun took a sip of clear water, and replied coldly: "If you really voted for Jiangdong, then we would be rivals today. Are you confident that you can change the result?"

Gan Ning shook his head: "Sir, you have lofty aspirations, and you can't compare them with ordinary people. Although Ning is a few years older, he only has a body of bravery. If he really works for Jiangdong, he may be ready to kill at this time..."

Lan Tian smiled and said: "Xingba Baiqi robbed the camp, there should not be many people in the world who can do it, and you don't have to be humble..."

Gan Ning looked at Gao Shun and smiled wryly: "With Boping's entrapment army, if I take the risk to rob the camp, wouldn't I be in a trap?"

Gao Shun was noncommittal: "Assuming it doesn't hold true, stop bragging about it. General Gan will be the prefect of Changsha. Don't disappoint your master's recommendation."

Gan Ning said nonchalantly: "Anyway, Changsha is under Mr.'s rule. In the future, no matter what I don't understand about military affairs, I will definitely go to Quanling often to ask for advice. The waterway is also very convenient."

Lan Tian nodded, "General Guan will definitely pay attention to the defense of the Yangtze River in the future, especially the waters of Dongting. Xingba may have more contact with Yunchang in the future, so you must pay attention to control, it will not be easy to win his favor."

"I will respect General Guan like Lai Inspector." Gan Ning replied.

After hearing this, Lan Tian was very pleased. After several years of experience by his side, Gan Ning could finally become an independent sheriff. Although the wildness in his blood was still there, he had learned a more tactful style of handling things. Then Changsha County will definitely prosper.

After wandering in Linxiang for half a day, Lantian and Gao Shun set off to return to Quanling. Gan Ning couldn't hold back and chose to give up. After all, Lantian still had a lot of things to do.

After nearly a month since it came out, Quanling’s busiest office is the Book and Newspaper Office. There are too many materials on Jiang Wan’s desk case. The new issue of Changjiang Daily is likely to become a special issue, and Jiangdong will be pushed to the forefront of public opinion. With "commentator" Liao Li adding some condiments, the newspaper's space may not be enough.

Lan Tian didn't intend to find trouble during the sensitive period, and let the Sun and Liu families fall into a tense atmosphere again. He had to warn the Book and News Agency to deal with it softly. After all, the Cao army in the north was already ready to move. If Jingzhou fell into chaos in all directions because of this, it would not be in line with Liu Bei. The group's current development ideas.

At the same time that Lantian led his troops back to Quanling, Guan Yu rushed back to Jiangling in a warship. After bidding farewell to Yiji and Lai Gong at the pier, he entered the city without stopping.

"Sun Zhongmou retreated?" Xu Shu was overjoyed to see Guan Yu return.

Guan Yu nodded, "Retreat to Jiangxia for the time being. How is the situation in the northern part of Jiangling?"

Xu Shu said: "When Yun Chang left, there were less than [-] defenders in Jiangling. I was worried that Niu Jin's leading troops to besiege the city would cause panic among the people and break the hard-won stable situation, so Yuan Jian (Liao Hua) was sent to lead the army. Five thousand go north to intercept and try to delay the battle until the general returns..."

"The military division wrote in general in the battle report. It seems that the actual situation is more dangerous. Let Liao Yuanjian take 4000 soldiers to resist, but you only have [-] people left to guard Jiangling. If Zhuge military division is here, it will definitely not be as risky as Yuan Zhi ..." Guan Yu couldn't help shaking his head.

Xu Shu said with a smile: "I have 4000 people to defend the city. If the war is really brought to Jiangling City, not only the people in the city will panic, but everyone in the gentry will also abandon the city and join the enemy..."

Guan Yu stroked his beautiful beard to express his affirmation to Xu Shu, and then asked: "How is the situation ahead now?"

Xu Shu led Guan Yu to the war room, pointed to the sand table and reported: "Yuan Jian (Liao Hua) originally relied on Dangyang City, and fought back and forth with Na Niu Jin, but later Cao Ren personally led troops to help, and General Liao had few soldiers to resist. The army defeated Dangyang, fortunately General Zilong came from Chengdu, they should now confront each other in Dangyang."

Guan Yu frowned and fell into thought: "I heard that the main force of Cao's army is in Runan. If Cao Ren is allowed to stand firm in Dangyang, he may use this as a base to go south. The existing defenders in Jingzhou are really hard to resist. I don't know if the army has a clever plan to quickly retreat. ?”

Xu Shu looked at the sand table and thought: "Although the city of Dangyang is not tall, Zilong and Yuanjian's troops are not as good as Cao Ren's. If we want to win quickly, we must go to reinforcements."

Guan Yu was gearing up: "Guan's hands are itchy these days, Yuan Zhi, you can tell me what to do."

Xu Shu looked at Guan Ping next to him and said, "Let the little general guard Jiangling temporarily, and Yun Changbing and I will split into two groups to support."

"The soldiers are divided into two groups?"

Guan Yu was dumbfounded when he heard that, Dangyang was just north of Jiangling, and it was only accessible by land. Why did the military division divide its troops into two groups?

Chapter 348 Eight Golden Locks

Xu Shu saw that Guan Yu was suspicious, so he explained with a smile: "Cao Ren is very good at defending the city. In the past, Zhou Yu was unable to win after besieging Xiangyang for a year. If he did not use tactics, he could not win. Move northward with great momentum, and threaten to take Xiangfan from Hanshui, and I will lead another army to help Zilong by land."

"The military adviser asked me to feint?" Guan Yu asked in bewilderment.

Xu Shu nodded, "The water army is very mobile. Even if the Cao army in Runan wants to rescue, it will be too late in terms of time. Moreover, the general is very experienced in Juebei Road before, and he will definitely deter the defenders of Xiangfan. Cao Ren is worried that the rear will be empty. Are you in the mood to guard Dangyang?"

"My troops must not be many, and it is almost impossible to attack Xiangfan by force. If the reinforcements from Runan really come to help, what should Guan do?" Guan Yu asked.

Xu Shu sneered and said: "Although the warships in Jingzhou are not as good as those in Jiangdong, the broken ships in Xiangfan can't stop them at all. As long as General Guan occupies the Hanshui and Danshui, it will be useless even if Cao's army has thousands of horses and horses. In the future, we will really attack Xiangfan also needs to cut off the reinforcements from the Central Plains with the navy, so Yun Chang should practice in advance."

Guan Yu nodded, "Very good, I'll set off immediately to buy time for Yuanzhi and Zilong, while Ping'er stays in Jiangling City."

"Wei." Guan Ping embraced the order.