Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3568: Middle Road

Man Chong returned to Luoyang. Although he won a surprise attack, it did not bring about much change to the situation.

If Man Chong had not raided Zhang Liaogu Shui camp before, he could have done some cover-up when the defeated soldiers from Yique and Taigu arrived. But it was too late now. The news of the fall of Yique and Taigu had spread, forcing Man Chong to immediately convene the military academy to inform them of the situation and communicate matters.

At this moment when people are in panic, the more you cover up, the more unnecessary anxiety it will cause.

But even if we are open and honest, it still cannot appease people's hearts.

Just like the soldiers under the command of the Cavalry were not necessarily all elite, the mob under Cao's army was also not all mob.

This is the simple dialectics of Chinese tradition, just like the distinction between yin and yang in the Tai Chi diagram.

Naive people always think that good is good and bad is bad, but mature people understand that good may not necessarily be good, and bad may not necessarily be bad.

It just depends on which part accounts for a larger proportion.

There is no doubt that the Cao army's soldiers are becoming more and more disorganized.

Even though Man Chong had some good soldiers under his command, the other soldiers seemed to listen to Man Chong on the surface, but in fact they had different thoughts.

Man Chong tried to show the results of his raid on Zhang Liao's Gushui camp, but all the military schools present did not seem to care about Man Chong's achievements. Instead, they were asking what kind of problems Luoyang would face after the loss of Yique and Taigu...

Faced with such a situation, Man Chong had to hold back his anger and tried his best to appease these military schools, saying that the current situation in Luoyang, although not very good, could still be called balanced.

When Cao Jun's military school and others heard Man Chong's words, although they didn't say anything, the expressions on their faces inevitably showed that they didn't believe him at all.

Man Chong was really helpless, so he simply asked someone to bring a map and hang it in the lobby.

"Although the cavalry vanguard has captured Yique and Taigu, they are weak if they are divided and cannot attack the city. If they are not divided, it will be useless to capture them and there is a risk of losing them again. Therefore, there is no need to worry about Luoyang now. Just wait for the lord's reinforcements!"

Man Chong spoke with great confidence, but the military academies did not quite agree.

After Man Chong adjourned the meeting, the military schools dispersed in groups of three or four, but they couldn't help talking to each other.

"I don't quite understand the current situation."

"Don't say you don't understand. Even gods wouldn't understand!"

An older military school student came over and sneered, "The one being attacked now is not us, but the emperor! The court!"

"How do you say this? Please teach me."

"Yes, yes, Old Wang, just tell me."

The older military school student Wang Yun smiled and said, "No, that won't do. If I tell you, you will sell me out..."

"How can that be possible? Whoever does such a wicked thing is a bastard!"

"It's just talk. Old Wang, you don't trust us enough."

"That's right, that's right..."

"Okay," Military Academy Lao Wang looked around, "Let me make it clear first, I'm just talking nonsense, anyone who believes me is a fool!"

Everyone urged again.

Lao Wang chuckled twice, "Let's talk about the battle situation first. Once Hangu Pass is lost, we will be trapped here. This... do you understand?"

"clear."

Isn't this what is happening right now? What else is there to not understand?

"The Central Plains is flat all around. Once you pass Sishui Pass, the terrain will be smooth sailing. Therefore, the only place that can resist the Hussars is over there..."

"I understand that," another military student asked, "If that's the case, why don't we go to Sishui Pass to defend it? Wouldn't that be better?"

"Good?" Lao Wang smiled, "Of course it's good for you, but for others... I'm afraid they won't be so welcoming to us..."

"What, what do you mean?" The other military academies were a little surprised.

Lao Wang sighed, "I also heard it from others... Don't make this public, if it gets out..."

"Don't worry! Whoever tells others will be a puppy!"

"Woof woof... No, I definitely won't tell you!"

"When the Dong rebels were rioting in Heluo, the Shandong coalition wanted to attack Luoyang. Why didn't they go through Yique Pass, but Sishui Pass?" said Lao Wang. "Besides, only by keeping Sishui Pass can the Han Dynasty of Shandong have hope... But how big is Sishui Pass? If all of us go there, so many mouths will have to eat. By then, the food and grass will run out. Once Sishui Pass is dragged down, there will be no possibility of recovering Heluo in the future... It's better to do it now, and Sishui Pass will form a corner to defend Heluo..."

The military school student next to him said, "We have to be able to defend it! Are we all going to sacrifice ourselves here just to protect Sishui Pass? I think it's clearly..."

"Hush! Be careful with your words, be careful with your words!" Lao Wang seemed to have sensed what the military school was going to say, so he quickly interrupted him, then waved his hand and said, "We must consider the overall situation! The overall situation is the most important! Anyway, even if we are in trouble here, we can't let Sishui Pass be damaged! Once Sishui Pass is in trouble, then the Han Dynasty will really be finished..."

Two police officers wearing snake-pattern masks appeared from a distance and looked coldly at the military academies.

The military students suddenly felt creepy and lowered their heads and dispersed.

Old military school student Wang Yun returned to his post at the northwest corner of Luoyang City. He stood on the edge of the battlement and looked back to the east.

That is the direction of Sishui Pass.

Sishui Pass, Chenggao Pass, or Hulao Pass actually refer to the same place.

The area between the river and Mount Song is narrow, with high mountains on one side and a river on the other, and only a passage in the middle, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

The old military school student Wang Yun stood there blankly for a while before slowly lowering his head.

Wang Yun has been in the army for quite some time, and the position he has reached now is the pinnacle of life for an ordinary person like him.

He had made great contributions to the Han Dynasty.

During the Zhongping period, he also followed the Han army to the Western Qiang to quell the rebellion. At that time, the Xianrong Qiang in the north rebelled, so he appointed Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou as generals, killed the Protector of the Qiang Leng Zheng, and then won over the Jincheng people Bian Yun and Han Sui, killed the Jincheng governor Chen Yi, attacked and burned the prefectures, and defeated the Liangzhou governor Zuo Chang, Gai Xun, the Protector of the Qiang Xia Yu, and others. At that time, he fought desperately in Chencang, killing people and causing rivers of blood, but in the end, he was not waiting for the court reinforcements, but was forced to retreat...

Although the failure of the Western Qiang coalition to attack Chencang was an important reason for the internal collapse of the Western Qiang, Wang Yun did not get much promotion because of this bloody battle. Most of his comrades of the same period died in the battle, and there were not many left.

He was young then, but now he is middle-aged.

You could even say you’re old…

If we calculate based on the average life expectancy of the Han people being 40 years old, then every extra day he lives is a profit.

These were things he was once proud of.

But now, he just felt too tired.

After so many years of war, the Han Dynasty still seems to be in turmoil.

It's just that Beigong Boyu was replaced by other people, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and now Fei Qian, who appeared one after another, and the situation of the Han Dynasty became worse day by day.

Cao Cao's recovery of the Central Plains brought Wang Yun brief, new hope, but in a blink of an eye, the situation collapsed again.

It is an indisputable fact that Heluo is bound to fail.

Falling from joy to despair is far more painful than being in despair all the time.

Wang Yun suddenly felt that he had had enough of it all.

What will happen if we continue to defend it?

What will happen if we continue fighting?

Just like in Tangshan, being sent to a certain pass as the so-called "main general"?

It looks good, at least he is the head of a place, but what is the reality? If he can defend it, that is his job, what is there to praise? If he can't defend it, his head will be hung on the flagpole, and he will be scolded as a waste!

The key point is, no matter how great the contribution is, can it be greater than that of the Cao and Xiahou families?

This thought was very weak at first, and it was not noticeable, because at that time, the Cao and Xiahou clans still had the halo and prestige of Cao Cao's conquests, so even if Wang Yun occasionally thought of this, he would quickly suppress himself. Without the Cao clan, there would be no stability in the Central Plains of the Han Dynasty, and without the Xiahou clan, there would be no rise of the Cao clan group. These Cao and Xiahou clan generals who shouted and fought hard on the battlefield did make soldiers and military academies like Wang Yun admire them for a time, and they felt that it was an honor to follow them...

until now.

When the glare of glory fades, all that remains are black spots on the retina.

Are the Cao and Xiahou families really that powerful and good?

When humans think, God laughs.

Sometimes, once this thought arises in my mind, it is particularly difficult to suppress it...

……

……

Sishui Pass, or Hulao Pass, or Chenggao City.

In the city, Cao Hong was staring at the map and thinking about the battle situation.

He is now the commander of Sishui Pass and concurrently the governor of Yanzhou.

Originally Sishui Pass was the eastern gate of Heluo, but now it has become the western gate of Shandong.

If this door is broken, the cavalry can enter the house at will.

After the defeat in Hedong, Cao's army was already in a very difficult situation. Later, due to the lack of food and fodder, Cao Hong and others could only "collect" some in Jizhou and let some aristocratic gentry "voluntarily" contribute some money and food, so that they could get supplies at Sishui Pass.

It is obviously not enough to reassure Cao Cao if someone else comes to such an important place.

"General!" The guards outside the gate reported, "Someone from Luoyang came to ask for reinforcements and food! He also said... uh..."

"What else do you want to say?" Cao Hong's heart trembled when he heard it, "Tell me quickly!"

The guard lowered his head and spoke in a lower voice, "It is said that...Yique Pass was lost, and Taigu Pass was also lost..."

"Lost, lost?" Cao Hong stood up in an instant, then sat back down with a muffled groan. Although his wounds had healed on the outside, it did not mean that his muscles and bones had recovered as before.

Cao Hong took a deep breath, ordered someone to call Cao Zhang, then sat down at the desk, staring at the map with a frown.

Although Cao Hong was mentally prepared for the loss of Yique, Taigu, and even Luoyang, he did not expect it to happen so soon!

I heard earlier that Man Chong had made a lot of arrangements in Yique, building dams and digging graves to hide soldiers. Doesn't it look quite reasonable? Why was it lost so quickly?

By then, they won’t be like Hedong, where they are defeated step by step and don’t even have time to catch their breath, right?

Cao Hong's heart also felt like it was being pulled up and hanging in the air.

A moment later, Cao Zhang came, with a little sweat on his forehead, "General, I heard..."

"Sit down." Cao Hong pointed to the mat beside him, and then said loudly, "Send the people from Heluo!"

After a while, the clerk sent by Man Chong bowed down in front of the hall with a face full of dirt and dust, "Greetings, General..."

"Tell me what happened to Heluo? How were Yique and Taigu lost?" Cao Hong gritted his teeth and said, "Tell the truth! If you tell even a single lie, I will skin you alive!"

The clerk was so frightened that he trembled all over and stammered as he told the whole story.

After Zhang Liao attacked Yique in the first wave, he was reluctant to forcefully attack Yique Pass. After all, the dam built by Man Chong was a big threat. If he was not careful, he might be submerged by the flood. After all, water and fire are merciless. Although they are insignificant at ordinary times, when they really go crazy, even the most powerful military force cannot stop them.

It happened that they detected soldiers coming from Taigu, so Zhang Liao led his cavalry to attack Tangshan at night and caught them off guard. Then they pretended to be Tangshan troops and went to "reinforce" Yique Pass. After tricking the gate open, they killed Yique Pass by surprise. Then Zhang Liao took advantage of the fact that the troops in Taigu Pass were weak and had not received any news for the time being, and sent a detachment to attack Taigu Pass. However, it was precisely because Zhang Liao's attention and the large army were attacking Yique and Taigu that his own camp in Gushui was attacked by Man Chong...

The current situation in Heluo is that Zhang Liao has controlled Yique and Taigu, and then rebuilt the Gushui camp. However, because he had to divide his troops into three parts, he does not have any extra strength to attack Luoyang.

It can barely be considered a state of confrontation.

After listening to this, Cao Hong turned back again, picked out some details and asked repeatedly, making sure that the clerk was not lying or had memorized some tricks to deceive him. Then he waved his hand and let the clerk, who seemed to have been pardoned, leave.

After a long silence, Cao Hong asked Cao Zhang, "What do you think?"

Cao Zhang asked: "Should we... reinforce Luoyang? Or should we send people to contact Nanyang, advance troops to Yique and Taigu, and contain the front cavalry army?"

Cao Hong shook his head silently.

Bullshit reinforcements!

If Luoyang really wanted to be protected, then it would not be Man Chong who would garrison there, but Cao Hong who would stay in Luoyang!

This is the overall situation in Shandong!

We cannot send reinforcements, but we cannot not send reinforcements.

However, Cao Hong was considering that the loss of Yique Pass and Taigu Pass one after another was indeed "reasonable" according to the report of the clerk. At least it was not an act of intentionally aiding the enemy. However, Cao Hong still had doubts in his heart.

This cannot be blamed on Cao Hong, because the Cao family group is now in a precarious situation, and it seems that there are "rebels" everywhere. Not to mention the Heluo area, even Jizhou, Xuzhou and Qingzhou have problems, and some people have rebelled openly or semi-openly!

Cao Hong just heard two days ago that Chen from Xuzhou actually killed the prefect of Xia Pi and took the position of prefect himself!

Does this damn thing have any more royal laws?

But the problem is that Cao can only turn a blind eye and pretend not to know about this!

Because Xia Pi is close to the Huai River and also close to Jiangdong, if Chen is really forced into a corner, Xia Pi will belong to Jiangdong. Wouldn't that make Jiangdong's grandson very happy?

Similarly, after Zang Ba captured Pingyuan, he could only jump to his feet and curse a few times and wasted his time, not caring at all about anything else.

Even in public opinion, Cao Cao and others had to say that everything was normal and there was no problem. Even if someone asked if something happened in Xiapi Plain, Cao's official spokesperson had to state righteously that the region was stable and harmonious, the people lived and worked in peace, the production order was stable, etc. Because Cao Cao had to wait until he solved the big problem at hand before he could care about that...

This is like a black spot on the US. Normally, when asked, it would deny three times in a row. Then, one day, the news suddenly came out, saying that a certain gang had been wiped out, and the people applauded and shouted "Long live the king of understanding". But in fact, when you listen carefully, what? They have been entrenched in the local area for 20 to 30 years? The gang leaders are passed down from father to son, and the children's generation has begun to form their own guards? So before, the US government claimed that it knew nothing and everything was stable, peaceful and happy every year? Is this because the US government is too incompetent, or is it because they raise a certain amount of pigs to kill for the New Year?

Cao Hong is now considering whether Man Chong is too incompetent or whether he is preparing to kill the New Year pig.

If it was Man Chong who was killed, Cao Hong would offer a glass of wine at Man Chong's grave. But if he was tricked by Man Chong into going to Heluo and becoming a New Year pig, wouldn't that be fun at all?

"This Man Chong and Man Boning..." Cao Hong frowned, "Could it be that they set up this situation intentionally?"

"Ah?" Cao Zhang was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding, but he could tell that Cao Hong was not very satisfied with Man Chong. "Uncle... was this intentional?"

Cao Hong stood in front of the map, gesturing with his fingers, "Look, Yique is here, Luoyang is here, Taigu is here... Although the Gushui Camp was not reported to be exactly where it is, it should be roughly here..."

Cao Hong tapped on the map a few times, then turned to look at Cao Zhang, "Look, what does this look like?"

Gushui is to the west of Luoyang, Yique is to the west of the south of Luoyang, Taigu is to the east of the south of Luoyang, and Luoyang is in the middle, with Mengjin to the north. So from the map, this Liao almost half-surrounded Luoyang...

"Encircle three and leave one?" Cao Zhang said.

Cao Hong nodded, then shook his head, "Not only that... Look, does it look like..."

Cao Hong stretched out his hand and made a gesture of embrace, "If we lead the troops to Heluo... there is a big river blocking the way to the north, and Yique and Taigu to the south are all blocked. If..."

Cao Zhang was suddenly startled, "Uncle... are you talking about this Man Boning..."

Just as Cao Hong described, the current situation in Heluo is too much like a trap.

Cao Hong suspected that even if Man Chong did not rebel, could it be possible that Man Chong deliberately created the current situation? Then he tricked Cao's soldiers into entering Heluo. In this way, Man Chong could be like a general sitting firmly in the palace, and let Cao Hong and others protect him. After all, the more Cao invested in Heluo, the harder it would be to give up.

simply put,

"Uncle..." Cao Zhang hesitated for a moment, then said, "But...if Man Boning has no such intention...and we don't send reinforcements, what if..."

"Ah!" Cao Hong also nodded, "This is also my dilemma..."

If no help is given, Heluo may collapse like Hedong in the past, taking people by surprise. But if people are sent to rescue, even if it is not a trap set by Man Chong who deliberately surrendered to the enemy, the land of Heluo will be like a swamp. How much should we invest to find the bottom line?

People’s hearts are hidden, who can guarantee anyone else’s loyalty?