Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3589: Breaking the General's Gate

The night wind was cold and the fire shadows were swaying.

Wei Yan pressed the trigger of the crossbow in the hand of the guard beside him and walked out.

"Cao Chun, Cao Zihe?" Wei Yan pointed his sword at Cao Chun, "When you go to hell, don't forget that the one who killed you was Wei Yan, Wei Wenchang!"

Cao Chun laughed, "I know about long articles, but I've never heard of a long article!"

Wei Yan's brows immediately furrowed, and he snorted, "Today I will let you know!"

The two men had no idea of ​​what was going on, and in almost the blink of an eye, they started fighting in an open space deliberately made available by soldiers from both sides.

In the history of the Three Kingdoms, there were not many real duels between generals, unlike the duels in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. But no matter what, those who dared to duel in front of the battlefield were at least braver than ordinary people.

There were also duels in later wars, but they were no longer fought on land, but often in special environments. For example, fighter jets fighting in the air was undoubtedly a great display of personal bravery.

Amid the whistling sound of the long spear breaking through the night wind, Wei Yan's ring-handled sword blocked Cao Chun's thrust.

Sparks from the collision between the blade and the spear splashed on Wei Yan's beard and illuminated the blisters on his neck caused by the fire.

"Three lilies? Ha! Three is enough!"

Wei Yan's left shoulder armor suddenly sank half an inch, and the back of his knife hit the spear hard.

The spear shaft made a teeth-grinding creaking sound and shook as if a snake had been hit in the vital area.

Cao Chun couldn't help but take a big step back, and the sole of his boot left a dark mark on the ground.

The burning baggage cart exploded with sparks beside the two men, and the splashing light and fire were blown away by the wind.

The surrounding soldiers fought each other, and people fell down from time to time, with blood flowing everywhere.

Wei Yan slowly approached forward, and some dark red mud fell into the gaps in his heavy armor as he moved.

It was the blood-soaked mud from when he had walked through the fire.

Cao Chun shook the long spear, and the tip of the spear swayed up and down, sometimes upwards, sometimes downwards.

The golden threads of his Ming Guang armor outlined flowing, gorgeous lines under the illumination of the surrounding fire, but they were broken under Cao Chun's left rib.

Because during the fight between Cao Chun and Wei Yan just now, there was a piece of armor here, which was broken off by Wei Yan.

The two sides took two tentative steps again, and Cao Chun suddenly dropped his long spear, then raised it, bringing up a cloud of sand and throwing it towards Wei Yan's face!

Wei Yan immediately raised his shield to block the flying sand and soil, then stepped to the side!

Sure enough, the next moment, the tip of Cao Chun's lance brushed past Wei Yan's ear, and the sharp edge cut off the leather ribbon on Wei Yan's helmet, and blood flew up.

When Cao Chun thought he had succeeded, Wei Yan's sword came out from under the shield like a poisonous snake and pierced Cao Chun's lower abdomen!

Cao Chun twisted his waist to avoid Wei Yan's thrust, but he didn't expect that Wei Yan's seemingly fierce thrust actually did not use all his strength. Instead, when the sword was halfway out, it suddenly changed direction and chopped down diagonally towards Cao Chun's lower limbs!

Cao Chun subconsciously raised his leg and kicked the side of Wei Yan's ring-handled sword, but he didn't expect Wei Yan to twist the sword and let the blade come up!

By the time Cao Chun responded again and changed his kick to a knock, he had completely lost his balance, and Wei Yan's left-hand shield hit Cao Chun hard on his right shin!

At the moment when the sound of bone cracking was drowned out by the noise of the battlefield, Cao Chun's spear had already penetrated half a foot into the ground, propping up his body as he was about to kneel.

"Aha!" Wei Yan knocked his sword against the shield, "No need to be polite! I cannot accept such a gift from Cao's loyal dog!"

Cao Chun's hair was a little messy and his hemp cloth headscarf was soaked with sweat.

In the distance, the Hussars were chasing the scattered Cao army soldiers around like they were chasing rabbits.

But in front of him, he was unable to defeat Wei Yan, and was injured by Wei Yan instead...

Cao Chun's Adam's apple rolled twice, but a cold smile appeared on his lips: "You are so arrogant! Is this the way your father brought you up?"

Wei Yan was immediately furious and slashed at Cao Chun with his sword, "How dare a hawk and dog insult me?!"

When Cao Chun swung his long spear and slashed past Wei Yan's shoulder armor, he sneered and spit out blood foam: "Sir, do you know the origin of this armor of mine?"

He turned to avoid the chop and suddenly stabbed Wei Yan's right knee with the tail of his spear. "This armor is from the Luoyang armory and was given by the emperor himself! You poor people have never even touched the stone steps in front of the palace, right?!"

"Asshole!"

Wei Yan's ring-handled sword entangled the spear shaft and pushed it forward.

Cao Chun's legs were injured and he couldn't hold on any longer, so he borrowed Wei Yan's strength and jumped back to distance himself. "Did your ancestors wear the jade bracelet? Did they build a clan temple?!"

Cao Chun intended to provoke Wei Yan, but the words he said pierced Wei Yan's heart, which was far more painful than the physical wounds. "You are just a dog who barks at the sun in troubled times! If it were a peaceful time, you common people wouldn't even be able to touch the drumstick of the county government!"

"Noisy!"

Wei Yan shouted and chopped, but the blade was blocked by Cao Chun with the spear.

As the two wrestled, Cao Chun gritted his teeth and said, "This sword was given to you by the cavalry, right? This armor was also given to you by the cavalry, right? You lowly people, do you have even a trace of it on your body that is a family heirloom? !"

Wei Yan's pupils shrank. He clenched his teeth tightly. He could not say a word of the sharp words he had exchanged with Mr. Zhang before.

Because what Cao Chun said was all true.

His sword, his armor, and his official position were all given to him by the cavalry. His "original family" obviously could not afford such a huge expense...

Cao Chun's leg bones were injured and he was exhausted. After a brief stalemate, he took the initiative to withdraw his strength, dropped the long spear, grabbed a broken halberd beside him and chopped at Wei Yan's head.

Wei Yan used his shield to block the attack and slashed with his sword, cutting off the strap of Cao Chun's breastplate.

With a clang, the inscription "Henan Yin Gongguan" on the heart-protection mirror fell to the ground, and it was clearly visible in the firelight.

This was once the pride of the Han Dynasty and the official workshop that once represented the highest armor-making technology of the Han Dynasty.

"What a brave cavalry general!" Cao Chun laughed wildly while leaning on his halberd. His face was covered with bloodstains, but he showed a big smile. "The evil deeds of the lowly people have caused the world to fall into disorder! What is the difference between you and the Yellow Turban bandits? If the world still existed, how could you lowly people be allowed to be so rampant? !"

"Come die!" 』

Wei Yan was furious and slashed down with his sword as fast as lightning. Perhaps due to lack of strength or the drag of his injured legs, Cao Chun was unable to dodge and was slashed by Wei Yan on his hair. His hair immediately flew everywhere, blocking his vision. When Cao Chun could see clearly again, Wei Yan's second sword was already within reach!

Cao Chun walked forward with his hair loose, stepping on the blood, letting the blade dig into his collarbone. "You lowly people, remember this!"

He bit his red teeth as he chopped off the words, "Your victory today will be the beginning of disaster for the world! I am waiting in the underworld..."

The blood gushing from his throat drowned out the second half of Cao Chun's curse, but his wide-open eyes were still staring at Wei Yan.

Wei Yan exerted force with his hands and chopped off Cao Chun's head.

……

……

Cao's army was defeated, and the siege of Fangcheng was naturally lifted.

Mr. Zhou opened the city gate to welcome Wei Yan and others.

When he saw Wei Yan and the others, Mr. Zhou asked impatiently, "Which Grand Protector of the Northern Territory is here?"

When Mr. Zhou saw the flag of the Protector General of the Northern Territory in the cavalry army, he thought it was Zhao Yun who came, and he smiled a little, "I am just a descendant of Marquis Jiang, and I am so lucky to be rescued by the Protector General of the Northern Territory..."

Wei Yan blinked and said nothing.

Gan Feng said carelessly: "Are you asking about the Grand Protector? The Grand Protector didn't come!"

Mr. Zhou's smile froze on his face, and he barely moved twice, "May I ask who you are..."

"My surname is Gan. I am a general under the Grand Protector." Gan Feng threw his cape and posed in a self-proclaimed handsome pose.

Mr. Zhou narrowed his eyes and asked, "May I ask if it is the Gan family of Bohai or the Gan family of Danyang?"

"Neither!" Gan Feng said impatiently, "You old man, why are you asking this and that?"

Mr. Zhou smiled awkwardly, "I just don't know the titles of the generals. It's not easy to address them... I don't know this one..."

Mr. Zhou turned to Wei Yan and asked, "What is the general's name?"

"Wei Yan, Wei Wenchang." Wei Yan's little phoenix eyes glanced at him, with a hint of coldness, "Are you going to judge someone by their family background and reputation?"

"How dare I, how dare I..." Mr. Zhou smiled and said, "Please, please..."

Although he said he dared not, his attitude was already clear. Logically speaking, Wei Yan and others were more or less Zhou's saviors, and they should not be judged by their status and position, but this was in Shandong...

Everything seemed normal again.

Gan Feng threw his cape again, "It's boring, I won't go... Wenchang, please take the trouble to go, I will go and see how the surrendered soldiers are being accommodated..."

Yan Rou also snorted, "I'll go urge the soldiers to clean up the battlefield."

Wei Yan bowed to Gan Feng and Yan Rou and said, "Thank you both for your help."

Gan Feng waved his hand, turned around and left with Yan Rou without saying hello to Old Man Zhou.

Everyone, no matter how mediocre they are, is an individual with self-esteem, and they will feel uncomfortable when facing the contempt of others. Moreover, in a sense, Gan Feng and his companions rescued Fangcheng, but they were questioned by such an old man, who clearly wanted to compare their family backgrounds and reputations, which made Gan Feng very unhappy. If Zhao Yun had not repeatedly emphasized before the departure that Gan Feng was strictly prohibited from disturbing the people and killing people, Gan Feng might have wanted to drive the cavalry directly into the city and finish the matter.

Yan Rou felt it even more clearly.

Because he was still wearing the leather robe that the Wuhuan people were accustomed to, he was simply ignored by Mr. Zhou.

The two walked for a while, and then they spat in the direction of Fangcheng at the same time, then looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"You're leaving tomorrow?"

Gan Feng laughed for a while, then suddenly asked Yan Rou.

"Yes. I'll leave tomorrow."

Yan Rou nodded. He was a guest soldier, so as long as he said hello and there was no emergency or special situation, he could leave. Of course, Yan Rou could only take away those people and things that belonged to him personally, and the soldiers belonging to the cavalry, as well as their weapons, armor, war horses, etc., had to stay and could not be taken away.

"Isn't it because of this old immortal guy?" Gan Feng snorted twice, "If it weren't for the order from the Grand Protector..."

Yan Rou shook her head, thought about it, and nodded, "Not really, but... I actually wanted to go back to the desert a long time ago... raise some cattle and sheep, and some horses... marry a wife, and have some kids running around... hahahaha..."

Yan Rou didn’t actually tell the whole story.

In addition to the previous decision, after seeing the appearance of Mr. Zhou today, Yan Rou had even less intention to continue fighting in Shandong Central Plains.

Why do you want to save these guys?

Yan Rou had basically paid off what she owed Liu Yu.

I can now say that I have paid back what I owed to the cavalry...

But Yan Rou didn't owe these Shandong and Central Plains gentry anything, so Yan Rou didn't want to "rescue" them at all...

He joined the army that year, firstly to repay a favor, and secondly because of the situation in Youzhou at that time. Now that his benefactor has passed away and the Northern Territory is governed by the Cavalry, it is no longer turbulent. It can almost be said that it has achieved the standard of "living and working in peace and contentment" that Yan Rou hoped for back then.

He wanted to go home. Although he was not a Wuhuan person strictly speaking, he had lived in Wuhuan, on the grasslands and deserts for so many years that he had become accustomed to the life in the grasslands and deserts...

Gan Feng stared blankly at the bright smile on Yan Rou's face, and nodded after a while, "That's great... I say, that's great... After you settle down in the desert, you must send someone to bring me a message, and then I will go to you for a drink..."

Yan Rou laughed, "Great! We can drink him down in the desert! It's a deal!"

"It's a deal!"

Although Gan Feng and Yan Rou were not very familiar with each other before, some people are just like that. If it's speculation, there's no need to say more...

……

……

On the other hand, if there is no mutual agreement, no matter how polite one is, one will feel uncomfortable.

In front of the Zhou family lobby in the east part of Fangcheng, Wei Yan's gaze fell on the bluestone steps, then swept across the vermilion pillars, looking at the couplets on the pillars, as if sparks were sparked.

The golden plaque with the words "Xi Liu Tang" above the door lintel made Wei Yan squint.

"Please, General, please take a seat!"

Mr. Zhou extended his hand to invite him, but he used his eyes to signal the servant to take down the bronze basin. He had thought that it was the "Grand Protector" himself, so of course he had to perform the ritual of washing his hands and washing his hands. Now, of course, that was not necessary.

Wei Yan sat down carelessly, then coughed twice in his throat and spat out a piece of bloody phlegm, which stuck in the middle of the hall, causing Old Man Zhou's face to twitch twice.

On purpose?

Not quite.

Wei Yan was not unscathed in the previous battle with Cao Chun, but overall, they were only minor injuries.

Wei Yan glanced at the guard standing in the hall. The guard understood what he meant and stepped back, seemingly looking at the scenery, but actually he was patrolling the surrounding situation.

This is the main hall of the Zhou family. There is a screen wall and a pool in front of the hall, and a corridor and a wall behind the hall.

Mr. Zhou looked at the bloody phlegm that Wei Yan spat out, frowned slightly, turned around and scolded the servant beside him, "You blind man, didn't you see the distinguished guest coming? How come you don't know any etiquette? ! Hurry up and bring some hot soup and snacks!"

"No need!" Wei Yan did not look directly at Mr. Zhou, but turned his head to look around and suddenly asked, "The Zhou family...if it is the name of our ancestors, and if it is valid in this life, how could we suffer such a disaster? If the name of our ancestors is useless, why do we always mention it?"

Mr. Zhou snorted, "What do you mean, General?"

Wei Yan waved his hand, his eyes suddenly fell on the edge of a pillar beside him, on which was an inscription "Established by Zhou Gong in the third year of Yuanchu". He suddenly remembered many objects he had turned out from the granary in Yijing before, which were also like the inscription in front of him, engraved with a certain year, made by someone, or established, etc.

interesting.

Wei Yan raised his eyebrows, "How much food and grass are there in the city?"

Mr. Zhou's hand trembled, and he did not answer Wei Yan's question immediately, but said, "I heard that when the general defeated Cao Cao, he burned half of the food and grass in Cao's camp? Oh, what a pity, what a pity..."

Mr. Zhou slapped his legs, looking extremely regretful, "I am old and incompetent, I can only distribute the ancestral property to the widows and widowers in the city..."

Mr. Zhou pointed at some pottery jars placed on the west side of the main hall, "What a pity! Even the offerings originally prepared for the Spring Festival have now been distributed to the people in the city..."

"Really?" Wei Yan stared at Mr. Zhou and sneered.

Although Mr. Zhou's outer coat looks simple, the underwear exposed at the collar is made of silk.

Wei Yan stood up and walked to the west side of the main hall. Amid the exclamations of Zhou's servants inside and outside the hall, he kicked over the pottery jars.

The pottery jar rolled and broke into pieces, revealing the dry inner lining.

"What a feast for the Spring Festival!" Wei Yan kicked a pottery jar into the middle of the main hall, "Could it be that they only prepared it today? ! It has been raining for the past two days, and it is clear today! Could it be that this place is blessed by the spirit of Zhou Xiliu, so that it is not affected by any water or rain? ! "

There was a sudden silence in the main hall.

Mr. Zhou was silent for a while, then suddenly he pounded the ground and cried, "General, please understand! I have spent all my wealth just to save the people... This pottery jar was not originally placed here, I moved it here today... But I really spent all my wealth..."

Wei Yan sneered, walked back, sat down again with his horse and sword, and slammed the scabbard heavily on the table.

The blood and dirt on the scabbard fell down, bringing with it some smell of the underworld, making Mr. Zhou's face pale. He suddenly realized that Wei Yan was the evil star who cut off Cao Chun's head...

Old Master Zhou thought it was a cavalry officer in person, so he was humble. However, when he heard it was the unknown Wei Yan, and that he was also the Wuhuan general Yan Rou, and that Gan Feng was a military school under the Protector General of the Northern Territory, he immediately put on airs, saying that his ancestors were descendants of Zhou Yafu, and that their family had been passed down for a hundred years. This was his usual attitude.

This has been the case in Shandong and Central Plains for the past one or two hundred years.

When meeting someone, first put out the family tree, such as who my father is and who I am, and who I am. This is more effective than telling who you are yourself.

Then I saw that everyone was from the same courtyard... oh, in the same circle, so naturally they were divided into upper and lower levels, and whoever was more senior would listen to whom...

But now, Wei Yan kicked open the decorative pottery jar, revealing the emptiness inside.

"I want to ask you, if Cao's army captured Fangcheng, what would you do? What would happen to the people inside and outside Fangcheng? How come I have a descendant of Duke Zhou on my left and a descendant of Xiliu on my right?"

Mr. Zhou knocked his gray head heavily against the blue bricks: "General! These are all forced by Cao thief..."

There was a sudden commotion outside the main hall. It turned out that Wei Yan's guards brought some people to smash open the warehouse in Zhou's backyard.

When Wei Yan's guards carried several bags of corn into the courtyard, Zhou's servants could no longer hold back. A servant with a tattoo on his forehead reached for the knife on his waist, but was chopped off his arm by the well-prepared Wei Yan's guards...

"What a great descendant of Duke Zhou who has won the hearts of the people! What a great descendant of Xiliu who has strict discipline!"

Wei Yan lifted up the front of Mr. Zhou's lapel and pressed his old face against the mess of millet on the ground. "You, the chief minister, wrote 'What the people want, Heaven will follow'. Is this how you 'follow' it? !"