Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3557 A pair of suede boots

Can a rain save the war?

Obviously impossible.

And the things that emerged behind this incident are Cao Cao’s real purpose.

Zhao Yun will most likely not accept this so-called reward...

But this is exactly what Cao Cao wanted.

Of course, it would be better if Zhao Yun accepted it.

The rain, which had been held back for a long time, poured down heavily, shrouding the sky and the earth in darkness.

After the rain continued for a day or two, the ground became muddy, and public opinion in Xu County seemed to be disrupted by the rain, becoming chaotic and diffuse.

I don’t know when it started, but the opinions about Fei Qian became polarized, with some saying he was good and others saying he was bad.

I won't mention the bad things, as they are all old stuff. However, among those who speak well of the Cavalry, a new worry has recently been spreading, offsetting the merits of Fei Qian's writings and statements, and that is "dividing the land"!

According to rumors, if Fei Qian entered the Central Plains, he would implement the policy of "restoring Zhou rituals and establishing vassal kings" and completely disintegrate the Han Dynasty...

The collapse of the Han Dynasty was not of great concern to these aristocratic families, or they only cared about it verbally. However, the restoration of the so-called "Well-field System" like Wang Mang did, or the "Meritorious Field System" that had been spread from Guanzhong before, made these Shandong aristocratic families, especially those with larger family businesses, realize that Fei Qian's threat to them was far greater than that of Cao Cao.

The nobles were often two-faced. When Fei Qian was powerful, they would naturally twist their waists to Fei Qian. When Cao Cao was tyrannical, they would immediately bow down to Cao Cao. This survival philosophy of the nobles in troubled times continued into the subsequent feudal dynasties.

Cao Cao accompanied Liu Xie in praying for rain at the altar, and it actually rained. This was like Cao Cao using the political symbol represented by Liu Xie to endorse his own correctness. This eased the conflicts between some aristocrats and Cao Cao to a certain extent, especially the Yuzhou aristocrats.

After all, the Yuzhou gentry represented by the Xun family tended to support the emperor. Cao Cao showed that he was still willing to stand behind the emperor "respectfully", which made the Yingchuan gentry children, with Xun Yu as the core, add another weight engraved with the word "Cao" on their inner balance.

Later, Emperor Liu Xie publicly granted Zhao Yun an official position and title on the grounds that Zhao Yun had made contributions in fighting the Xianbei, fighting the Wuhuan, and recovering the Liao territory...

When the news came out, there was an uproar. Some people thought this trick was useless, but some people began to think about it. However, there was one thing in common, that is, after the news came out, at least the children of the noble families in the Yuzhou area began to calm down, and more or less understood Cao Cao's intentions.

This strategy of inciting rebellion and separation is not very profound, but it directly targets the darkest desires in people's hearts.

After Liu Ye's mission to Youzhou, he learned that Zhao Yun was firm and unshakable. However, sometimes it is not possible to avoid online violence just because the person is firm in mind... Oh, the smear campaign...

Zhao Yun didn't accept the attack before, but now Cao Cao's move was to directly smear a pool of mud on Zhao Yun's crotch.

Let Zhao Yun open the photo album to prove that there was no secret photography!

Even if Zhao Yun opened the album, he still had to prove that he did not secretly delete the photos!

Even if Zhao Yun proved that he did not take the photo in the end, there will still be some people who have some malicious intentions, saying that it was Zhao Yun who deliberately moved forward for no reason. Wouldn't it be okay if he didn't move so close?

People with ulterior motives exist everywhere, both in ancient and modern times, in China and abroad.

Cao Cao's simple strategy gave the evildoers an excuse to make use of the issue, just like giving keyboard warriors a keyboard...

In addition, Cao Cao not only took Fei Qian and Zhao Yun into account, but also took Liu Xie into account in the plan.

What Cao Cao least wanted to see was Fei Qian's army surrounding him from multiple directions, and then he would be stabbed in the ass, then Cao Cao would really have no way to survive.

The difference between winning and losing is sometimes just a matter of one blood drop.

……

……

It's just that things often don't go according to human's ideas. It's like there's a naughty god in the sky who likes to mess with human's plans for fun.

Zang Ba's plan also fell into chaos.

The sudden onset of heavy rain caused problems in their plan to attack the plains.

The old, weak, sick and disabled mixed troops, who originally had little combat effectiveness, were not very smooth in attacking the plains. As a result, when it rained, the problems were immediately exposed...

The sporadic sounds of the blasting horns mixed in the rain, like the clinking sound of scrap collection in later generations. Then a group of Taishan soldiers, who also looked like scraps, retreated, announcing the failure of another round of attack.

People in Pingyuan City were not having a good time either.

Beneath the low city walls, siege equipment and corpses were everywhere.

The bleached corpse and the burnt black equipment seemed extremely contradictory, yet unified and harmonious.

It was as if the flag of Cao’s army was flying on the top of Pingyuan City, and Zang Ba’s army outside Pingyuan City was also flying the flag of Cao’s army.

These tools were used before the rain, but they were doused with oil and burned by the city.

There were gaps dug everywhere under the city wall.

Near the gap, there were piles of corpses, along with rolling stones and logs.

Another offensive failure.

The dead were lying quietly in the mud, while some were not yet dead, but were just tossing and wailing in the mud.

The screams accompanied by the rain seeped into the bones of the deceased, like the curse of ghosts.

The scene on top of the city walls was equally miserable. Corpses were piled higher than the battlements, and blood flowed down the city walls, seemingly never ending even with repeated rain.

Hundreds of Zang Ba's soldiers retreated covered in mud and looked dejected, with none of their previous aggressive momentum.

"General, we are running low on food and fodder..."

A military school student whispered beside Zang Ba.

Zang Ba looked at the retreating soldiers and gritted his teeth.

Why come to the plains? Because there is no food or fodder anywhere else!

Zang Ba’s plan was actually very simple, which was to fish in troubled waters.

Zang Ba was never a big shot, so his plan was not to compete with Cao Cao or Fei Qian. He just wanted to make himself stronger, so that no matter whether Cao Cao or Fei Qian won, he could negotiate with the winner based on his strength.

It's that simple……

In fact, Zang Ba's strategy was similar to the choice of many aristocratic families in Jizhou and Yuzhou. The only difference was that those aristocratic families might rely on land, fame, scriptures, etc., while Zang Ba could only rely on the population and soldiers in his hands.

Zang Ba was not a famous person, nor was he a famous person; he was just a thief.

Although he didn't want to be a thief...

If he wanted to expand his power, he naturally couldn't cause trouble in Taishan County. After all, there was property only when there were people. If he caused too much trouble in Taishan County, the people would all run away. What use would it be for Zang Ba to be alone? So Zang Ba set his sights on Pingyuan.

Pingyuan was originally the Pingyuan State, and most of the land that could be given to the royal family as private plots was considered good. Although Pingyuan suffered some setbacks at the beginning, it recovered quite well later, so Zang Ba wanted to take advantage of the chaos to make a fortune, empty Pingyuan, enrich himself, and add some chips.

But I didn't expect it to be so unsuccessful.

In the early stages, they did catch Pingyuan by surprise, but Pingyuan was once the capital of a feudal state. After failing to take it down by surprise, they switched to a strong attack, which became a bit tricky.

"General, how about we go to another place?"

The cadet suggested.

Zang Ba thought for a moment, "Do you think there is any place better than the plains around here?"

The military academy was silent.

Of course, there must be places better than the plains, such as Qinghe or something...

But the problem is that would offend too many people. Even if Zang Ba could survive and serve in the court in the future, there was no telling when he would be stabbed in the back.

Pingyuan was different. It was just a fiefdom. Even if he offended Zang Ba, he only offended Emperor Liu Xie. Moreover, Emperor Liu Xie himself could not protect himself, so how could he care about other brothers, sisters, uncles, and uncles? Even if Liu Xie knew that Zang Ba had killed his relatives in his fiefdom, what could he do to Zang Ba?

Therefore, it is less troublesome to attack Pingyuan, with many benefits, and it is relatively close, so it is easier to transfer back to Taishan County. Otherwise, if you really cross the river to Jizhou, even if you get some people and property, it will be troublesome to cross back.

"General, what if Cao's troops from other places come to support us..." The military academy was also worried.

Zang Ba looked up at the sky, letting the rain fall on his face, then lowered his head and wiped the rain off his face, "Who's coming in this kind of weather?"

The military academy also looked up at the sky.

The spring rain continues.

"But..." Zang Ba sighed, "We have to think of a way now, to move some food and grass..." No one knew how many lives would be lost in this plain city, and how long the remaining food and grass would last, so Zang Ba couldn't help feeling anxious.

Zang Ba had seen food shortages before...

When a person is extremely hungry, he is no different from a wild animal.

Forget about the meat, he even eats the soil!

During the most difficult period of the Taishan Army, even a small bag of wheat bran could lead to a bloody fight.

The leather belts on the armor and even the bodies of the companions, anything that can fit in the pot will be thrown into the pot and cooked!

In ancient times, once the habit of cannibalism was formed in the army, it would not be far from collapse.

Because normally, when an army is forced to eat humans, it means that the conventional supply system, including food transportation, local grain collection, support from allies, etc., has been completely paralyzed. This extreme measure is essentially a poison to quench thirst, because the calorific value of human flesh is far lower than that of livestock, and there are many parts of the human body that cannot be eaten, or the efficiency of obtaining is low and unsustainable. After all, no matter how numb a living person is, when facing a beast that wants to eat him, he will at least fight to the death.

Moreover, cannibalism also exposed the loss of control over the troops by the command level. In the Five Dynasties period, Zhu Can’s troops, which were mainly cannibalistic, often saw soldiers hunting in groups and refusing to obey orders.

The importance of food and fodder in the army is beyond the imagination of most people...

Zang Ba knew this very well. If the food gap exceeded half, someone would start thinking about killing livestock to make up for it. After the livestock were eaten up in a short period of time, edible leather products could still provide a supplement.

However, leather tanned with nitro can easily cause poisoning, and it is not uncommon for people to die after eating it.

Finally, it comes to cannibalism. The psychological trauma caused by this behavior will cause the troops to enter "survival mode", completely losing their combat objectives, just to survive for a bite of food...

Cannibalism is unsustainable as a military means. It is essentially the last madness before the collapse of a military organization, rather than an operational means of warfare.

Therefore, Zang Ba must replenish a batch of food and grass before the food supply drops to the red line, so as to prevent his troops from going crazy.

"My Lord... I heard that the Yan family's fortress is only eighty miles away from here..."

The cadet suggested in a low voice.

Eighty miles.

It’s a two-day journey, but if we hurry, we can arrive in a day and a half.

Yan family.

Descendants of Confucius's most distinguished disciples.

Zang Ba's Adam's apple moved.

He remembered that when he was young, he also worshipped at Yan's door.

Although they are not the Yan family, they also claim to be disciples of Confucius and a family of Confucian classics.

But even such a descendant of the saint Confucius asked his father to close the case as soon as possible and kill the wrongly accused criminal.

Everyone knew that the prisoner was wrongly accused, but no one dared to speak out. Even his father could only kneel down and beg for more time, a few more days...

The white plum blossoms in front of Yan's door bloomed as red as blood back then.

His father took him and knelt on the bluestone steps in front of Yan's door.

The tiny petals fell into his neck, as cold as a razor blade.

Just like the rain falling from the sky now, it is so cold that it makes people crazy.

When my father was dragged out, his skinny ankles left two red marks on the snow. The suede boots of the Yan family's Qingtian master were stepping on the bloody marks.

……

……

It rained heavily.

Zang Ba actually knew about the Yan family fortress a long time ago, but he didn't want to come at first.

Because this Yan family and the Yan family of that time are not from the same family and have no relationship with each other. The only thing in common is probably that they both have the surname Yan.

Of course, the most crucial thing is that Zang Ba has now cleansed half of his leg, so he can no longer do dirty things like he did before.

Zang Ba knew very well who held the final say in the Han Dynasty. It was definitely not the common people in Pingyuan County, nor the almighty Emperor Liu Xie. Therefore, it was not a big problem for him to attack Pingyuan or even plunder its population.

Ordinary people in Shandong are like leeks in the fields. After one crop is harvested, another crop comes. Whoever has the ability to harvest them will do it...

But Yan’s is different.

The Yan family is not a leek.

But the thorns...

Knowing Zang Ba's intention to lead the troops, Yan Shi did not say that he would refuse to give money and food. It was just unknown whether it was intentional or the people in Yan Shi's fortress made a mistake in a hurry. The so-called descendant of Yan Hui who was sent to deliver food and grass to Zang Ba refused to take off his sword when he saw Zang Ba. The jade pendant shone warmly under the torch. "I heard that when the general was in mourning, he actually used the door plank as a coffin. Has the embarrassment of the poor family reached this point?"

Zang Ba had a fake smile on his face, but it disappeared instantly after hearing this. "What do you mean?"

The Yan family member raised his head, glanced at Zang Ba with a bit of contempt, and signaled the servants to carry in the grain bags, "This kind of thing is just right for you."

Zang Ba's temple was throbbing.

The Yan family's son used his sword sheath to pierce the grain bag, and the moldy millet fell out. "General, haven't you heard that it is difficult for a poor family to be rich? Just like cooking moldy millet, it will become bitter porridge?"

The wind was carrying the rain in a swirling sound, and Zang Ba could hear the sound of his teeth clenching.

"The Yan family is descended from a noble family, and has inherited the seven-leaf earrings and sables. The poetry and etiquette are inherited from Confucius, and the crowns and robes are inherited from the Zhou Dynasty. They are originally peasants. There is no cypress coffin for mourning, so they cut the windows and make coffins. Is this the etiquette recorded in the Book of Rites? The warriors wear armor, but they are just like hawks and dogs. Although they hold halberds, they are still like the tung trees under the stove. If there is no reward, shouldn't they be burned? Now I see that the general wears a tiger talisman, but he does such a shameless thing. He is like a rotten rat living in a phoenix pavilion, or a monkey wearing a crown!"

The son of the Yan family said with emotion, looking at Zang Ba with his nose turned up, "Haven't you heard that the Zuo Zhuan says, 'Only tools and names cannot be lent to others'? If the general can turn back from his mistakes... "

Zang Ba said in a low voice, "Are you going to teach me a lesson?"

"I have heard that when a phoenix is ​​to be appointed to the unicorn pavilion, he must be a branch of jade and jade; when a general is to be appointed to the tiger tent, he must be a descendant of bells and tripods." The son of the Yan family spoke eloquently, "Now the general has not taken off his straw raincoat in the fields, and his robe is still stained with millet. He plunders the people and harms the countryside. Isn't this contrary to the precept of "The King's System" that "a man who is given a title in the court should be shared with the public"? "

Zang Ba suppressed the anger rising in his chest and abdomen, and whispered: "Are you done? If you are done, get out!"

The son of the Yan family was obviously stunned for a moment, and then he became angry, "Alas, you bastard! The fodder and feces are not yet dry, yet you dare to wear purple and hold yellow? I am trying to comfort you with good intentions, but you don't know what is good for you! You wear a tortoise shell and call yourself a general, don't you know the ancient saying "hold teeth and wear horns, front paws and back jump"? We, the descendants of the Yan family, burn the phoenix trees in the courtyard, and the ashes are all phoenix feathers; the dirt on the inkstones in the ice wells is ambergris. What are you? The halberds at the camp gates are rusted like plows and hoes; begging in the place, the smell is like chaff! There is a saying, "A warrior pays homage to a general, just like a eunuch's red tube!" Now judging from your words and deeds, you are even worse than a eunuch! Those who have been punished still know the value of scriptures, and the country folk only know the value of beans and wheat! You are really unreasonable! Go away, go away!"

The accompanying servants suddenly burst into laughter, and one of them wearing a ring-handled sword even spat on the scattered moldy corn.

Zang Ba's pupils were filled with blood.

He saw himself at the age of eighteen, holding the bloody hatchet, and the Yan family steward's eyes were glued to his straw sandals.

He saw that on the day when he led his soldiers to capture the county and threw the county lieutenant's head into the fire, the cheers that sounded all around were more scorching than the firewood bursting in the stove.

He saw the chattering Yan family member's lips moving up and down...

When the knife flashed suddenly, a sarcastic smile appeared on the face of the Yan family disciple.

The head wearing the Jinxian crown rolled to the side of the grain bag, with the corner of the mouth just touching the moldy corn.

"kill! 』

Violent roars were mixed with crazy shouts of excitement.

When the blood spread to Yan's Fortress, everything was out of control.

Killing, blood.

Chaos, violence.

When Zang Ba entered the Yan family compound, he saw a woman with disheveled hair suddenly break free from her restraints and crash into the stone pillar with the Yan family flag on it.

The silk banner embroidered with "Poetry and Etiquette Passed Down from Generation to Generation" fluttered down, covering the blood plasma gushing out of her head.

Zang Ba looked down and found that he was also wearing a pair of suede boots and was stepping on the bloodstains...

(End of this chapter)