Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3384 Power

Just as Cao Chun had expected, Zhang He and the vanguard troops had already arrived outside Gubeikou Mountain.

Gubeikou.

The Hussars once occupied the pass, but it was isolated and the entire pass was originally built to defend the north. So even if the Hussars stayed behind to hold the pass, there would be many problems. So after Zhao Yun withdrew his troops, the Gubeikou Pass returned to the hands of Cao's army.

Dusk spread, and the desert, which had originally appeared golden, turned gray in the blink of an eye.

The desert looks completely different during the day and at night.

In autumn, the desert can be as hot as fire at noon during the day, but it is freezing cold at night.

In order to prevent Cao's scouts from noticing the arrival of the Hussars too early, Zhang He chose a relatively remote location in a low-lying area on a meadow. This made it difficult for Cao's army to find the Hussars even if they were looking from a distance.

But if it gets any closer, it will be a bit troublesome.

One is fireworks.

Horses are easy to deal with, but people need to eat. Dry food is used as emergency reserves, or tactical reserves. People don't eat special dry food if they can avoid it in normal times, so it is inevitable that there will be some smoke and fire, which is very obvious in places with vast land and sparse population.

The other is the smoke of action.

It's easy to deal with a small number of troops, but once a large group of troops is dispatched, the smoke and dust will cover the sky and the sun. If it is a clear day, they will be discovered a hundred miles away...

There is a solution, but the effect is uncertain. The key is that once Cao's army stations troops in Gubeikou, it will cause some trouble.

Zhang He convened the military schools of the cavalry division overnight to discuss the attack on Gubeikou.

Zhang He did not make any fuss. He just followed the custom in the desert and sat around the campfire, warming himself by the fire and talking.

"As long as we take Gubeikou, then Yuyang will be open to us!"

Military school student Zhang said excitedly.

Zhang He nodded.

Zhang Sheng, um, no matchmaker.

If you think Zhang Sheng is a pale-faced scholar, a handsome and unrestrained pretty boy, you are wrong. This guy is a naturalized Hu, and now he is also called a preparatory Han citizen. As long as he pays taxes and oral calculations on time within five years from the preparation day and does not commit any crimes, he can officially join the Han household registration and enjoy the same benefits and treatment as other Han people.

In the northern region, if we exclude the Yinshan area, then this is basically the place with the largest number of naturalized Hu people.

Therefore, there is a special Naturalized Hu People Division in the Northern Territory to coordinate and deal with disputes between the Hu people and the Han people. Some things are actually different perceptions, not about who is right or wrong. In this process, a relatively fair handling agency and law enforcement personnel are very important.

For example, when it comes to weight, the Hu people use the Hu Jin, while the Han people use the Han Jin. There is a difference between them, and everyone thinks they are right, so adjustments and conversions are naturally needed. And fundamentally speaking, the reason why the Han people's Han Jin did not become the only mark of the Hu land was that the cultural erosion of the Han people was not strong enough, and the intensity of civilization diffusion was not enough!

When such a situation occurs, officials and superiors should feel the pressure and be ashamed of it. They should strive for excellence instead of holding literary meetings, hosting banquets, traveling on inspections, and learning foreign languages ​​in clubs all day long.

Another Hu military officer, Tuoba, looked at Zhang Sheng and said, "The Grand Protector is resolute and decisive, commanding with confidence, and using troops like a god. It is really admirable. Now Yuyang City is just around the corner. The general will also establish unparalleled merits and build a legacy for generations to come. It is really wonderful, wonderful..."

Zhang Sheng, in turn, stared at Tuoba with a look of disdain.

Tuoba was calm and composed, as if the crude flattery he had just given was just a daily habit.

Zhang He did not comment, his eyes still on the map, and pointed at Gan Kai, a Han Chinese military student, and said, "You say."

Gan Feng was following Zhao Yun. Gan Kai was just an ordinary military school student, with the same surname as Gan Ning and Gan Feng.

Gan Kai was a veteran soldier, and he asked practical questions as soon as he opened his mouth: "Gubeikou is not easy to attack. When we withdrew before, we set it on fire, but the mountains and rocks cannot be burned, and there is no shortage of trees here... So Cao's army rebuilt this pass. Although it is not as good as before, it is also repaired. If we really use people to fill it... It's not worth it. My suggestion is to use gunpowder."

"There are also one...two problems with gunpowder." Han Gun, a military officer from the other side, said, "One is that we used gunpowder last time, so Cao's army must be prepared... The other problem is what I just thought of, Gubeikou is a very suitable place for an ambush. If Cao's army guesses that we will use gunpowder and sets up an ambush, it will be troublesome. So my idea is to try other small paths first to see if we can infiltrate some small troops there, whether it is to harass us from behind or to investigate and cooperate, it's all good... But this infiltration team, it can't be done without elite troops..."

Zhang He nodded, "Yes, Cao's army will definitely find a way to ambush us."

Zhang He tapped on the map.

"Here, here, and here..."

Zhang He had stayed in Youzhou for some time before, and he knew which areas were most prone to ambushes.

Several military cadets came forward and memorized the place Zhang He pointed out.

"Ah, these places are really dangerous..."

A cadet sighed.

Zhang He nodded, "The main road of Gubeikou has a pass, so it's hard to fight. The side roads don't have a pass, but they're hard to walk... Overall, the side roads are more dangerous. If you're not careful, you'll be trapped from front and back, and the whole army will be wiped out! Over the years, Cao's army has more or less known what can and can't be walked... Have you ever thought about why there are so many passages in Gubeikou, but only one is the main road?"

The military school who had just suggested taking the shortcut said with some shame, "General, I, I was wrong, I didn't think it through..."

Zhang He waved his hands, "I'm not criticizing you...but our strategy cannot be determined only based on our situation, but also based on the enemy's situation! It's better to be well prepared and not use it than to encounter a problem without preparation!"

"Before, Cao's army had more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry in Youzhou, and more than 10,000 auxiliary troops," Zhang He said slowly, "but we defeated most of them last time. Now even if Cao Zihe mobilizes war horses from Jizhou... hum, I'm afraid it won't be easy. So the key is the pass! After the pass is opened, Cao Zihe will not have much combat power to deal with us in Youzhou!"

Several military academies looked at each other and said, "General, give the order!"

……

……

In fact, Zhang He's description of the changes in Cao's soldiers may not be accurate, but one thing is correct, that is, Cao Chun really does not have many cavalry now. The cavalry he has saved with all his strength, plus the cavalry he has tried his best to piece together, is only a little over 4,000. It seems to be a lot, but to defend the entire Youzhou, it is still not enough.

This is the consequence of having short legs in the era of classical cold weapons.

In the course of Chinese history, short legs or even broken legs have appeared time and again. Regardless of which feudal dynasty it was, those bigwigs who sat firmly in high positions at the court always chose the simplest way to deal with the problem again and again...

Since it is damaged, short, or broken, just cut it off.

When he took office, he did not solve the problem, leaving it to future generations, and vowed to trust the wisdom of future generations. He made a lot of money, ate a lot of food, and even the belt around his waist could not hold it, leaving a mess for future generations.

Future generations will face bigger and bigger holes and more and more corruption. They cannot overturn the table from above, nor make it public from below. The left side must maintain stability, and the right side must ensure unity. Who dares to overturn it?

  Isn't it still the same as just covering it up with paper?

If that doesn’t work, then blind the eyes of the people below you and shut their mouths. If you can’t solve the problem, then solve the person who discovered the problem.

As for the upper part, as long as the upper part is fed and drunk, which mouth will care about the lower part’s defecation and urination? After all, the upper mouth is the one that enjoys the delicious food and drinks, and the unlucky one who gets hemorrhoids is the anus below.

Then, when the alien races invaded in large numbers, there would be a new round of crying.

Youzhou was in decline, and Cao Chun wanted to save it, but he was powerless and too busy.

Although Jizhou had people, horses and money, it was corrupt internally and was in turmoil due to Wei Yan's interference. It was even more reason not to give any support to Youzhou, but to let Cao Chun of Youzhou exercise his subjective initiative. After all, as long as his thinking did not slip, there were always more solutions than problems.

Cao Chun's method...

He slapped his thigh fiercely and groaned, "Let the people suffer a little longer! Now is the time for them to show their loyalty to the emperor and their patriotism!"

Well, that's a great idea.

Especially when these cattle and horses were silent... Regardless of how Cao Chun collected food and military pay, among the Cao troops who were dispatched, compared with the relatively positive atmosphere in Zhang He's army, these Cao army soldiers, military school officers and non-commissioned officers who were out on the field were somewhat lifeless. Even when they were sitting around the campfire, they either didn't speak or complained when they opened their mouths.

Most of them are "three-no personnel".

No money, no background, no connections.

Liu Da'er was originally a "three-no person", but at least he succeeded in getting a fake reputation from King Jing of Zhongshan, but these Cao's soldiers who arrived in Youzhou didn't even have the chance to get a fake reputation. They were neither surnamed Liu nor Cao.

Of course, this is not a problem that only occurred with Cao Cao, but it has existed for a long time.

In Shandong, those soldiers who have some ability, whether it is their ability in terms of personalities or financial abilities, will show it after being recruited into the army, and then they will naturally get a better evaluation, and will naturally be assigned to big cities and prosperous places.

These "three-no personnel" either understand the matter but have nothing to offer, or they understand nothing at all and only know how to train foolishly. So no matter how good or bad their performance is, they are all assigned to the frontier.

  Those who do not do well in academic performance need to go to the frontier for intensive training. I look forward to the day when they will become stronger than steel and return with greater achievements!

Those who have excellent grades need to go to the frontier even more. The Han frontier is in urgent need of such talents. It would be unjust not to go to the frontier!

As for why other people can stay in big cities and be assigned to prosperous places, the petty official also had a convincing argument, "It all depends on the receiving unit. If they have a receiving unit, they can go. If you have a receiving unit, you can also go if you show the official letter! We in Shandong value fairness!"

So these people came to the border.

  If Cao's army invested more in the frontier, then there would be no problem. After all, soldiers eat wherever they want. But the question is... Which branch of the Cao army is treated the best? When there are good things, should they be given to the frontier first, or to the Central Commander and the Central Guard?

Lei Zhong sat on the grass, listening to the whispers of several military academy non-commissioned officers around him.

In the distance, Cao's soldiers also looked exhausted.

The battle is about to begin again, but the morale...

Can't we at least make up the military pay?

Is there any way to come up with something like this at the last minute?

  Isn't Shandong very rich? I heard that in some places, a bottle of water can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars! It's not some divine nectar, just ordinary mountain spring water, but the location is a little special, it can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars, and a lot of Shandong gentry children go to buy it!

However, in Youzhou, Cao's soldiers' salaries were not fully paid.

The war is about to begin, but they are still not united.

That bottle of water is enough to pay the salaries of several soldiers, right?

Lei Zhong, the old military school of Youzhou, couldn't figure this out. Could it be that if they couldn't defend Youzhou, when the Hussars arrived, would those Shandong guys benefit? This was the only reason that Lei Zhong thought made some sense.

  But in this case, are these Shandong people from Shandong or Guanzhong? Or did they originally intend that all the Han people would be like one family?

Lei Zhong didn't think about things he couldn't figure out, he just followed along, as long as he had food to eat. He was old now, some things didn't matter to him, and he didn't want to gossip about others. He felt that he should have gotten used to this kind of life of taking things as they come and getting by. He didn't know if he could see tomorrow's sun, so he never thought about the future, he thought that he just had to live well today.

Of course, it would be even better if he could have a full meal every day, and he would be satisfied.

Over the years, he has fought with different people, and his deepest feeling is that the more he fights, the more tired he becomes.

  At the beginning, it was Gongsun Zan. He really beat the Hu people without reason or courtesy. He would beat them when he met them!

I was poor at that time, but I had high aspirations. I really felt that I was defending my country for the Han Dynasty. It was worth it even if I died. I was willing to do so!

But later, when Yuan Shao came, it became a fake fight against the Hu people.

After all, Yuan Shao's main focus at that time was on the Central Plains. Whether to fight the Hu people was just a nominal statement, and he didn't really care at all.

When Cao Cao arrived...

In history, Cao Cao did fight against the Hu people, but now the Hu people have been subdued by Fei Qian, so the time has come for him to contact and make friends with the Hu people.

Since we are no longer fighting the Hu people, is the significance of the border becoming less and less important?

Lei Chong couldn't figure it out.

He just knew that from when he was young to when he was old, he was still here.

Maybe I will stay here forever...

Perhaps he will die soon, just like his comrades before him, falling down in any corner at any time, and no one will remember him, just like no one remembers his comrades.

The most that people can remember are Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, which are already very remarkable. Even though some of these people fought against the Hu people in person and some only fought against them verbally, no one remembers the many more soldiers who died in the fight against the Hu people.

He heard that there was a Hall of Heroes or a War Spirit Festival in the Hussars, which was used to record the ordinary soldiers who died in every battle...

He thought that he might not have such a fate. He had a name, but it was the same as having no name.

Because there are always some people who are condescending and say, who is this guy Lei Zhong? I have never heard of him.

"...I wonder how long we'll have to fight?"

"How long will it take? You might as well ask if you can win!"

Then everyone fell silent.

After a long while, someone finally changed the subject and said, "No matter what, after a battle, there are always some opportunities for promotion... Look at Captain Lei, wasn't he also promoted last time?"

"Hmm?" Lei Zhong, who was distracted, came back to his senses when he heard someone talking about him, "What are you talking about?"

"Speaking of promotion," someone laughed, "Captain Lei, you're promoted, don't you want to treat everyone?"

Lei Zhong looked over and didn't recognize the man at all, but he didn't say much. He just nodded casually, "Okay, okay. When I get back this time, I'll find a time and a place, haha, haha."

In fact, at this age, it is considered slow to be promoted to captain.

When Lei Chong was young, he was indignant when he saw others getting promoted, but since he had experienced too many deaths and buried hundreds of comrades with his own hands, he no longer thought about this issue. He just wanted to live.

Look now, how many of the soldiers who walked into the barracks with him are still alive?

Whether they were promoted or not, whether they were his competitors or those who had close relations with him, they were all now lying in the cold ground and turned into a pile of bones, and many of them even had no remains left.

The fact that he was able to survive and live to this day was due to luck at first, but now it is more due to experience.

Survival is the greatest meaning. As for other things, in Lei Zhong's eyes, they are just like the dry grass in the mountains and fields, coming and going, flourishing for a while, but they can't change these mountains, these waters, and everything in Youyan.

"Captain Lei, why do you think we have to come here?"

A military school student asked, "Are we going to ambush the Hussars in this mountain?"

"How is it possible, with so few of us?" Another cadet scoffed, "What's more... is that the case? The first two or three days, who cares..."

"This is the business of the superiors, why should we worry about it?" Lei Zhong smiled and lay on the ground, waving his hand and said, "Go to sleep, sleep is to live one more day... In this day and age, living one more day is a day of gain... As for the rest... forget it, we all have to leave the next day, it's getting late now, let's all go..."

They were sent out to build a warning system in Yanshan, using manpower instead of alarm bells. Once they spotted the hussars, they would light beacons to alert the people...

This job is simple but not minimalist.

When the military students saw that Lei Zhong didn't want to continue the conversation, they looked at each other and gradually dispersed.

Lei Zhong waited until all the military students had left before he sat up again and looked at the surrounding mountains. His face became as gloomy as the night...

Indeed, which path to take is a big question.

(End of this chapter)