Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3425 Star and Heart

Fei Qian felt something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what the problem was for a moment. He thought about it at night, and the more he thought about it, the more depressed he became. He got up, put on his clothes, and wanted to patrol the camp.

After walking out of the camp gate, under the blowing of the night breeze, Fei Qian's head, which had been a little heated from thinking, finally cooled down a little.

In fact, since the capture of Cao’s Anyi camp, the Cavalry Army basically felt that victory was in their grasp.

This was indeed true, Cao's army was indeed in a disadvantage, but Fei Qian had a vague feeling that Cao Cao should not be so weak.

Fei Qian walked slowly, and suddenly remembered something, so he asked, "How is Xiahou Yuanrang today?"

"Nothing unusual happened," the guard replied.

"Nothing unusual?" Fei Qian pondered.

Fei Qian asked some more details, and when he heard the guards say that Xiahou Dun ate well and slept soundly, he couldn't help but laugh, and then he became more and more confused.

Logically speaking, shouldn't Xiahou Dun's old lover, er, old partner, be worried and unable to sleep now that he is losing ground?

Even if you can't help Cao Cao in any way now, you shouldn't act so happy and carefree, right?
If it were someone else, they might really think that Xiahou Dun's current look showed that he was disheartened and ready to sincerely surrender to the Cavalry. However, Fei Qian knew that even if others surrendered, Xiahou Dun would not surrender as long as Cao Cao was not defeated!

"Pingyang sent a batch of supplies the day before yesterday..."

Fei Qian slowly sorted out his thoughts.

"Yes, as requested by the lord, in addition to food and fodder, there are also accompanying doctors and herbs..." The guard replied, "The doctors have already begun to carry out treatment as requested, and are treating the wounded..."

Fei Qian nodded, "Let's go and take a look."

"My Lord, this is not good." The guard said hurriedly, "The disease... does not distinguish between friend and foe..."

Fei Qian waved his hand and said, "Just take a look at the periphery, don't go into the injured camp."

The guards then stopped trying to stop them.

Fei Qian led his men to a hilltop.

Beyond the hill is the camp for the sick and wounded.

The mess left behind by Cao's army was still difficult to deal with even though Fei Qian had made plans and preparations.

A few days ago, several surrendered soldiers of Cao's army caused a commotion for no apparent reason. They said that they were treated unfairly, and they gathered together to cause trouble, and were then shot dead on the spot by patrolling cavalry.

When Fei Qian thought of this, he frowned slightly.

At first, Fei Qian didn't care much about this matter. After all, it's hard for people to trust each other. Even in the same family, some children would always suspect that their parents were trying to kill him or her. Then, when a few peers gathered together and talked about the word "original family", they would burst into tears.

It is obviously not a good thing to push your baby to grow up, but being a pushover is not a good thing either.

Just do not do what you would not have done to yourself.

Therefore, Fei Qian originally thought that it was quite normal for a few weirdos to appear among a large number of Cao army captives and surrendered soldiers...

Even though Fei Qian did a lot of work, most of the Cao army's captives and surrendered soldiers were able to settle down relatively well.

But now thinking about it, something seems to be wrong.

Pingyang's transport team will come again tomorrow...

Fei Qian inspected the camp for the wounded and sick and suddenly said, "Go and call the officials from the Ministry of Information to come here."

The guard was shocked when he heard this.

The three words "Youwensi" often mean something big.

……

Under the same night sky.

Chen Bin in Ji County let out a long breath.

Now he feels that every breath he takes is like every second he gains.

Among the many generals and military academies in Youzhou, Chen Bin has actually always kept a low profile. He neither performs particularly well nor fights recklessly. If he can avoid rushing to the front line, he will definitely not rush to the front.

In Cao's army, generals of different surnames who were too capable often did not have a good ending.

Fortunately, Cao Chun was focused on how to deal with the Northern Territory and how to defend Youzhou, and was not particularly concerned about personnel matters, so Chen Bin was often just muddling through military affairs. Even when he went to the battlefield to kill the enemy, he only dealt with bandits and horse thieves, and when the enemy was on the battlefield, they would rush forward in a swarm, and Chen Bin would only supervise the battle from behind, which was considered commanding the entire army.

Just muddle through. It's impossible to get promoted anyway. As long as Cao Chun thinks Chen Bin is obedient and useful, he can continue to muddle through...

As a result, Chen Bin's attributes of being "obedient" and "useful" may not necessarily bring any good results.

Can we not do it?

I'm quitting this job!
Actually it works.

As long as you dare to give up your own elderly, children, wife and concubines.

Chen Bin looked down at his hands.

It doesn't seem too dark...

I heard that when Emperor Gaozu was escaping, he pushed his wife and children out of the car with his own hands...

Later, when Empress Lü killed Emperor Gaozu's right-hand men, Emperor Gaozu also became timid.

Today, it’s just average.

If Chen Bin was cruel and ruthless, he could have simply killed the general left behind by Cao Chun and then joined the Hussars, thus somewhat sparing his life.

But for my own family, I'm afraid I have to...

My own child is about thirteen or fourteen years old this year. He is a grown-up boy and can inherit the family business.

So, the question now is, do you live, or do you want your family to live?
If you have to push your family into the fire pit in order to save your life, should you do it or not?

Everyone has the instinct to survive, but Chen Bin still couldn't make up his mind until the end...

While hesitating, the soldiers on the lookout on the city wall discovered the fire dragon coming from afar, and quickly fled down, shouting in panic: "Qiuqi! The Qiuqi Northern Territory Army is coming!"

……

In the darkness, should we sink with it, or still keep the light of hope in our hearts?

Cao Cao would not say that black eyeballs are used to seek light, but he still believes in some people and some things.

And most of the Chinese race don’t have pure black eyes…

Just dark brown.

So what many people say may not be true, and what many people generally recognize may not be correct.

"There are rumors in the army now that General Xiahou... and General Zilie..."

After listening to the report from his subordinates, Cao Cao put down the document in his hand and rubbed his shoulders.

As autumn turns to winter, Cao Cao inevitably experiences soreness and pain in his shoulders and knee joints.

This is "military sickness".

Cao's army suffered heavy losses.

There is nothing to doubt about this, but among the lost soldiers and manpower, at least two-thirds were miscellaneous soldiers and civilians. The combat power of miscellaneous soldiers and civilians cannot be said to be completely absent, but it is almost zero.

It's like later generations think snake oil is good, and snake oil can be used for this and that, but they never think about how many snakes are needed to make so much snake oil every year? Are you sure it's not salad oil with some high technology added?

The huge number of Cao's army is actually like salad oil with some high technology added. Only those with weapons and armor can be considered regular soldiers, and the rest are considered very good if they have a spear.

This was not something Cao Cao intended to do, but the military system of the Han Dynasty had been like this since the first year of Zhongping.

A general not only has to support himself, but also a large group of his subordinates, and then use these subordinates to restrain other ordinary soldiers and laborers of lower levels. This structural system looks powerful and has an overwhelming momentum when fighting a favorable battle, but it may not have a good result if it really fights a hard and protracted war.

And they are not just Shandong people, there are also people from Heluo.

The household registration statistics of Heluo are a mess.

Cao Cao sent half of the people he captured from Heluo to the battlefields of Hedong and Tongguan, and the other half back to Yuzhou.

In the early years, the population density of Heluo was very high.

In Luoyang alone, there are more than 500,000 registered residents. Add those who have temporarily arrived in Luoyang and the "unregistered" population around Luoyang, and there are millions of people...

Although there have been many wars in recent years, when the Yang family was operating Heluo, the tax revenue was much lower than other places...

Of course, the main reason was that the Yang family did not have so many manpower, and many places were simply unattended, so some refugees secretly settled in Heluo. As a result, they could escape the first day, but not the fifteenth, and Cao Cao cut another batch of leeks in one go.

But how many more civilians will have to sacrifice before the suffering is finally over?
Cao Cao didn't know, nor did he want to know.

He has his own reason.

The truth of Shandong.

As the representative of the Shandong political group, he naturally had to follow the rules of Shandong. Even Cao Cao himself was not willing to do so. Cao Cao also wanted to see the unification of the Han Dynasty, but it needed to be unified under his own leadership, otherwise it would be meaningless for the entire Cao political group. Sacrifice...

Didn’t any of the Cao and Xiahou families make any sacrifices?
So what’s the problem if the people make more sacrifices and suffer a little longer?
Cao Cao was no longer at the front of the Zhongtiao Mountain camp, but had moved to the south side of Zhongtiao Mountain, in a dry earthen gully. Some intelligence on the front line was delivered to Cao Cao by special soldiers every few hours.

Cao Cao originally wanted to wait for the cavalry general Fei Qian to arrive in the Zhongtiao Mountain camp...

As a result, Cao Cao was stabbed in the ass, and the generals in the Zhongtiao Mountain camp were so frightened that they were unwilling to let Cao Cao stay in the front line at all costs. They insisted that Cao Cao withdraw. Some even knelt down and refused to get up, threatening to die in protest.

Zhongtiao Mountain runs from east to west, and the distance from north to south is actually not that large, nor is it as steep as Kunlun Mountains or Qinling Mountains. During the time that Guo Jia was stationed in the Zhongtiao Mountain camp, he had already discovered several evacuation routes.

The Suoyang Pass Ancient Salt Road, which has always been attacked, is one of them.

So there is a reason for the generals to be nervous...

Cao Cao also understood why this happened.

Because at this moment, the generals and counselors who could be in the Zhongtiao Mountain camp were basically deeply tied to Cao Cao, and the kind that would suffer together if one of them suffered, so they had to protect Cao Cao at all costs.

Protecting Cao Cao was equivalent to protecting themselves.

"How is the battle at Suoyang Pass?"

Cao Cao asked.

The guard whispered, "Prime Minister, Zhang Sima attacked rashly and neglected to guard at night. He was attacked by the cavalry at night and lost his command in a panic..."

After hearing this, Cao Cao was silent for a while.

Why is it that under the Cavalry, it seems that any person can stand on his own, but on my side, this one is useless, and when I use that one, that one is useless?
Aren’t there a few that can be formed?!

If there were really a few people who could lead an army on their own, I wouldn't have to stick to Yuan Rang...

And Zilie.

Cao Cao also knew where the problem lay.

Shandong's employment system is completely different from that of Guanzhong.

In Guanzhong, people recruit people based on their talents, but in Shandong, people recruit people based on their connections!

No matter whether you have the ability or not, you have to have the leader say it's okay to do it. Otherwise, even if you squeeze into the ranks of officials, you will only be at the bottom for the rest of your life, repeating boring tasks every day until you die.

Although there seems to be little difference between officials and clerks, the gap between them is such that many children from poor or ordinary families in Shandong cannot cross it in their lifetime, or even in two or three generations...

Anyone with some connections can easily find a position to hang out, eat and drink well, and it’s easy and enjoyable. Just clock in the morning and then go to the stadium or club to meet clients…

Well, I went to inspect the people's sentiments, and the annual diligence award for excellence and advancement was inevitable...

Then those who are truly capable will never have a chance.

This Shandong recommendation system is really harmful!
"This Sima Zhang..." Cao Cao frowned and asked, "Who recommended him?"

The trusted guard hesitated for a moment, then whispered: "It seems to be General Zi Lian..."

"Well……"

Cao Cao seemed to be choked by a breath and was unable to speak for a long time.

"Tell General Zilian to be more careful next time, otherwise you will make a big mistake sooner or later!" Cao Cao waved his hand and put the matter aside.

There were originally few people working on this rotten ship of the Han Dynasty. Not only did most people not work, they also went against the captain Cao Cao and caused trouble. So what else could they do?

"Then..." The trusted guard looked at Cao Cao's face and said hesitantly, "Then what about General Xiahou and General Zilie..."

Cao Cao closed his eyes.

There are very few things that make you feel happy, but eight out of ten things are annoying.

"Yuan Rang... Zi Lie..." Cao Cao was silent for a moment, "I believe Yuan Rang and Zi Lie are definitely not cowards!"

"But..." The trusted guard said, "Someone said that General Xiahou was seen in the Cavalry Army..."

Some things, no matter how they are blocked, imprisoned, or shielded by the upper echelons, will still be revealed beneath the seals.

It's like holding back a fart, secretly letting it out a little bit at a time. The sound is controlled, but the smell will still reveal something.

"I saw it, I saw it..." Cao Cao said, "Don't pay attention to it, and don't deny it. The outcome will be clear after the battle!"

……

Cao Cao believed in Cao Xiu and felt that Cao Xiu was his own child.

However, Cao Xiu did not trust his own children.

This is an interesting question.

According to biological theory, parents and children are the most similar individuals, both in terms of genes and living environment. Normally, they should trust, depend on and support each other. But in reality, there are too many parents and children who simply cannot trust, depend on and support each other, and instead hate each other.

Especially in troubled times, positive emotions such as trust, dependence, support, etc. are undoubtedly the most precious things, just like real gold in the yellow sand. Even if they exist, they are often buried under the yellow dust and never revealed.

Cao Xiu was left with only the most basic set of armor and weapons, and the rest were handed over.

As a "surrendered general", Cao Xiu still retained some "dignity" and followed the transport team, moving slowly.

The cavalry is not in Pingyang!

His children are not in Pingyang either!

Xiahou Dun is not in Pingyang either!

Even if Cao Xiu was really in Pingyang, what would be the point of causing trouble?
Therefore, Cao Xiu came to "see" the cavalry.

I also want to meet Xiahou Dun.

and also……

his children.

Cao Xiu's mood was complicated and heavy.

He knew that what he was about to face was not only a life-and-death battle, but also a test of his own beliefs.

His child, that once innocent and hopeful life, the continuation of his bloodline, has now been caught up in this vortex of power and desire, becoming elusive to him and making him dare not continue to trust him.

And he himself seemed to be going further and further down this road of no return, unable to turn back.

As night fell, the transport team set up camp according to the rules.

There were only two campfires and two tents assigned to Cao Xiu and his dozen soldiers for protection.

This also made Cao Xiu heartbroken and even despair at one point.

He thought that his soldiers, at least those who had followed him to Pingyang, were warriors who had already taken life and death lightly and were ready to face the end of their lives. However, Cao Xiu never expected that -

These "warriors" betrayed Cao Xiu after eating a bowl of oil-splashed soup noodles!

When people are starving and cold and have no hope, they will helplessly accept death. But when there is food in their stomachs, they naturally have the desire and motivation to live.

As a result, Cao Xiu's original "fake surrender" almost turned into a "real surrender". In addition to a dozen trusted guards, even Cao Xiu's original troops betrayed him...

Fortunately, Cao Xiu had not said much to these people about his plans beforehand, so after these people surrendered, it did not expose Cao Xiu, but instead brought him some extra benefits.

Just like the tent in front of me and the armor on my body.

Keeping a dozen guards was considered the last dignity of a general. Even Linghu Jijiu and Huang's guards in Pingyang felt that it would be too petty to reduce Cao Xiu's men further...

The bonfire is burning.

Cao Xiu stared at the campfire, but his thoughts drifted far away.

Those happy times with my children, those innocent smiles, those carefree days...

However, all this seems to have become an unattainable luxury.

Today, that familiar face gave rise to an indescribable sense of alienation.

Maybe he should give up?

Give up your position, give up your persistence, give up your pride...

Kneel down.

Then you can live.

Haha, what’s the difference between that and dying?

Cao Xiu let out a long breath and looked up at the sky.

The stars in the sky remain the same, but the true love on earth is no longer there.