Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3619: Chi Que Hongnong Ambition, Liang Qing Jizhou Plan
The summer nights in Heluo are three times hotter than those in Guanzhong.

He always knelt in the military tent, organizing his belongings.

He heard the sound of soldiers patrolling outside the tent, and felt calm yet a little excited.

It's like sharpening a knife.

The knife is cold, but after being sharpened, it craves heat.

The torch cast his shadow on the tent, swaying.

He didn't expect that he would return to Heluo so soon.

On the table, there was an unfolded map of Heluo.

The place names of Hongnong County have been rubbed so much that they are almost blurred.

A few days ago, the Cavalry General asked him to accompany the army and asked him to assist Zhang Liao in pacifying the Heluo area as soon as possible, especially to cooperate with Zao Zhi's orders for farming management and restoration in the Hongnong area. These words seemed to ring in his ears again.

He subconsciously looked up in the direction of Luoyang.

Yesterday, he followed the cavalry general Fei Qian to meet Zhang Liao...

Zhang Liao, Zhang Wenyuan.

I always feel a little disappointed.

He realized that there were some things that he would always lack.

Zhang Liao's martial arts were far ahead of his. The fact that order was restored in Luoyang City so quickly also demonstrated Zhang Liao's ability in handling people's livelihood and political affairs.

She always looked down at the jade pendant around her waist.

The jade-carved Chilong is missing a horn.

In the Han Dynasty, the dragon was not exclusive to the royal family.

Although dragon patterns were regarded as a symbol of imperial power in the Han Dynasty, high-ranking officials and aristocratic families could also use dragon patterns in certain circumstances, but they could not be abused and were usually subject to strict restrictions and hierarchical divisions.

"Hongnong..."

Always whispering, fingertips running across the ink lines on the map.

This was an area he was familiar with.

The signs and lines on the map seem to slowly unfold under the light and shadow...

If the General of Cavalry could really capture Shandong, take the Central Plains, and have the tricolor flag planted in every county of the Han Dynasty, then everything that happened before would be irrelevant.

Everything can start over.

Originally, my surname was Yang.

He closed his eyes and seemed to see the Hongnong Yang's Manor shattered and collapsed in the sea of ​​fire, just like Yang Xiu's head falling to the ground, bursting out blood and dust.

At that time, Yang's pavilion looked like a sand tower.

It looks majestic and covers a vast area, but what about the end result?

Under the surging sea of ​​swords, guns and blood, it collapsed after unable to withstand two or three rounds of impact.

Taking the path of a civil official and passing down the classics is indeed good in prosperous times, but in such a chaotic world...

Yang Xiu's path has come to an end. Yang Xiu had never thought of becoming a soldier since he was young, although there were some military books in Yang's family. Therefore, Yang Xiu's poems and songs were all very strong, but his martial arts and bravery were the only thing he lacked...

No one in the Yang family had ever thought highly of him. He was a hawk and a lackey, always fighting and causing trouble. If it weren't for the Yang family's reputation, he would have been beaten to death in that wasteland.

But now, the extremely intelligent Yang Xiu is dead, and the once arrogant Yang family has collapsed.

This may be one of the reasons why Yang Xiu rejected all suggestions to escape and went to his death with courage.

Yang Xiu's pride would not allow him to lower his head.

Perhaps if Yang Xiu had bowed his head and begged for mercy from Cao Cao at that time, he might have been spared from death.

It's just possible.

After all, with Yang Xiu's intelligence, he must know what Cao Cao wants, so if he really wants to please Cao Cao, Yang Xiu may be able to transform himself from a killed chicken into a surrendered horse bone.

However, Yang Xiu knew that he had no way to retreat.

Yang Xiu's wisdom lies in his insight into people's hearts. He knows that Cao Cao's murderous intention is not a momentary impulse, but the result of careful consideration. In addition, Yang Xiu was born in Hongnong Yang family, whose family has been important officials of the Han Dynasty for generations. The reputation of three officials in four generations has been embedded in Yang Xiu's bones.

If Yang had not chosen to surrender to Cao Cao or Fei Qian, perhaps everything would have been doomed.

From another perspective, Yang Xiu no longer has any bargaining chips to exchange...

Although Yang Xiu was extremely talented, he had no military power or family support. Moreover, only after Yang Xiu's death could the Yang family be reborn from the ashes.

From afar came the sound of a watchman's clapper, and the man opened the tent curtain and came out.

The night sky is full of stars.

This time, he would bring the wounded soldiers from the front line back to Hongnong, and become the deputy of Zhang Liao and Zao Zhi, helping to adjust various affairs in Heluo and Hongnong areas.

He was both a military general and a civil servant.

He suddenly remembered the discussion he heard in the wounded soldiers' camp last night. An old soldier with a broken right arm was laughing and showing off the merit he had won this time. Then he and other wounded soldiers were discussing fiercely about how to maximize the merit and whether they planned to stay in Guanzhong or move to some remote areas in the future.

Before the Hussars, during the three or four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, the wounded soldiers' camps mostly meant death. Sickness, sadness and low pressure were always the main themes of the wounded soldiers' camps. How could they be so happy and cheerful as they are now? Even though the wounds had not healed yet and they still hurt from time to time, it still couldn't change the smiles on the faces of these wounded soldiers.

This may be the magic of the cavalry.

This world...

The cavalry had asked him whether he wanted to restore the surname Yang.

This was indeed the idea from the very beginning.

His original surname was Yang, so if he could really "return home in glory" one day, he would laugh three times at the old site of the Hongnong Yang's Manor. Although he would not say it, he would still think in his heart, "How is it? The guy you said was useless, incompetent, idle, and thieving back then has now become the one who rebuilt the Yang family? What do you say now?"

But later on, I began to waver.

Is there any meaning in restoring the Yang family's name?

The Hongnong Yang family, Yang Xiu's Yang family, and the Yang family of all time are different after all.

If Yang's surname is restored, then what has it always meant to him?
The discussions of the soldiers in the wounded camp seemed to be buzzing in his ears.

Maybe it’s not that important whether she is Yang or not.

Because all that has passed, and what we need to focus on now is the future.

Just like the limbs and arms lost by the wounded soldiers, they are lost forever, but they are still full of hope, smiling towards the future...

Thinking of this, he actually felt a kind of fatalistic relief.

Before we knew it, the morning light started to rise from the horizon.

The broken jade pendant glowed with a warm green glow in the morning light.

The handle of the Big Dipper stretched out in the air, as if pointing out the direction.

……

……

Some people found their direction, while others lost their goals.

After a surprise attack, Zhu Ling was injured and Jiang Jiong did not continue to attack Heishi Pass, which gave the Cao army soldiers at Heishi Pass a rare opportunity to catch their breath.

Cao's army repelled Zhu Ling's night attack, but that doesn't mean Cao Zhang did it without any cost.

Cao Zhang originally wanted to keep Zhu Ling's head, but unfortunately, he was injured in the end and failed to keep Zhu Ling.

After going through the circle between life and death, Cao Zhang is now a little rougher than when he was in the Tongguan camp.

He simply bandaged the wound on his back, and did not stay in the commander's office inside the pass for long. Instead, he quickly returned to the wall.

The constant troop movements, rotations, ambushes, and killings day and night, coupled with the wounds and bleeding, have made Cao Zhang look very pale and not have a graceful and elegant appearance. However, he surprisingly got along well with the surrounding soldiers. Even the second batch of Cao's newly deployed soldiers would subconsciously salute him when they passed by him.

Cao Zhang would also nod slightly in response.

He originally resented why his father sent him to the front line and made him face danger, but now he understood a little bit... In fact, the most suitable heir to the Cao family was not Cao Pi, but Cao Ang.

Because Cao Cao's family business was not that big at the beginning, Cao Ang followed Cao Cao and had contact with him in both civil and military strategies, whether he was a counselor or a general. In fact, because he was influenced by Cao Cao since he was a child, Cao Ang made good progress in both civil and military aspects. It's just a pity...

As for Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, Cao Zhang and others who followed, it seemed that they began to go in different directions, not knowing whether Cao Cao did it intentionally or unintentionally.

Cao Pi and Cao Zhi both followed the path of civil officials from aristocratic families, and there were also some divisions of labor in details. For example, Cao Pi was closer to the big families and surnames, while Cao Zhi was more in line with the minority in the opposition. Of course, this could just be a coincidence. However, combined with the development needs of the Cao Wei regime in history and the personality traits of Cao Cao's sons, it can be inferred that this differentiated training direction may have been a way of training an heir that Cao Cao learned from after the death of Cao Ang.

After all, if a man as talented as Cao Ang were to collapse, the loss would be really...

Cao Pi showed his talent for literature and political sensitivity since he was young. He was good at poetry and prose, and he participated in civil affairs with Cao Cao, gradually accumulating experience in handling government affairs. Therefore, Cao Cao positioned Cao Pi as a "regent" in the later campaigns, that is, to assist Cao Cao in handling civil affairs. As for Cao Zhang, it may be that Cao Zhang himself "likes to be a general", so Cao Cao naturally cultivated him into a military general.

Of course, Cao Cao had some opinions about Cao Zhang's unwillingness to study, and once criticized him, "He does not study to admire the holy way, but likes to ride a horse and fight with a sword. What is the use of this man? How valuable is he?"

In history, Cao Cao needed talents with both civil and military skills when he started his business. However, after the initial stabilization of the regime, especially after the Battle of Chibi, the focus gradually shifted to internal governance and power transfer. At this time, the successor not only needed military ability, but also needed political skills to balance the aristocratic families and consolidate the central power. Cao Pi's long-term cooperation with the Yingchuan gentry obviously met this need.

Cao Zhang's limitation is that although he has military achievements, he lacks political power...

But now, everything seems a little different because of the existence of the Hussars.

Cao Zhang fought for his life and death on the front lines, not only gaining the respect of the soldiers, but also being tempered in blood and fire.

And the other side...

……

……

Cao Pi was not good at military affairs.

But the current situation in Jizhou forced him to do something militarily.

After hearing that Xiahou Ru had surrendered, Cao Pi became furious and immediately ordered the killing of Xiahou Ru's family.

But after Madam Bian found out, she sent someone to ask whether Xiahou Dun’s family should be killed as well.

Cao Pi was silent for a long time, and finally waved his hand to withdraw his order.

The crane lantern swayed and flickered, as if it would spread its wings and fly away at any moment.

Chen Qun walked through the green smoke of the Boshan furnace, paid his respects to Cao Pi, and asked someone to deliver today's letter.

Cao Pi opened the letter.

For some simple matters, Cao Pi just glanced up and down and used the Prime Minister's seal.

Chen Qun sat quietly and waited.

After approving these simple matters, Cao Pi stopped.

The incense of agarwood rose from the Boshan furnace, but it could not melt the frost between Cao Pi's brows.

"Does this long article tell me what I had a nightmare last night?" Cao Pi said, gritting his teeth. "I dreamed that the four gates of Yecheng were wide open, and the cavalry rushed into the city! The guards at the four gates all fell to the ground!"

Other people's nightmares are mostly ghosts and monsters, but Cao Pi's nightmare is the cavalry...

Cao Pi's long sleeves swept across the table, and also swept across the ink words on the bamboo slips and wooden tablets next to it, "A scholar has served in the army for ten years, but suddenly he bows down and serves the enemy. His intentions are unpredictable"...

If this ink word falls down, many heads will fall to the ground with it.

Chen Qun adjusted the red tassel of his Jinxian crown, bowed his head slightly and said: "In the past, at the banquet of King Zhuang of Chu, Tang Jiao offended the king but the king did not ask. Now that the crown prince is in charge of Jizhou and resisting the cavalry, he should follow the example of Qin Mugong who pardoned Meng Ming..."

Before Chen Qun finished speaking, Cao Pi stood up abruptly and stared at Chen Qun. The wind brought by his robe sleeves caused the crane candle flame on one side to shake, as if it would go out at the next moment.

"Meng Ming can avenge the shame of Mount Yao and eventually lay the foundation for hegemony." Cao Pi gritted his teeth, "But this beast is not Baili!"

The night wind blew, and I don't know if it was because the window sill was loose or for some other reason, but as Cao Pi's voice fell, a clicking sound was made, which was exceptionally clear in the night.

"who?!"

Cao Pi roared immediately.

The guards in the hall rushed over with clanging sounds, but failed to catch anyone.

It seemed that only the wind moved the window sill.

The soldiers retreated, and Chen Qun silently looked at the patterns on the floor of the hall, as if he remembered the time in Bai Ma. Although Xiahou Ru did not fight on the battlefield head-on like Cao Hong and Cao Ren, he was also busy transporting grain at a young age.

Yes, Baili is excellent, but do those who are not Baili deserve to be humiliated and ridiculed?
So how many people in the world can reach a hundred miles?
Of course Chen Qun knew that Baili was a person, but there were still many people who didn’t know who Baili was. Should they also be insulted and ridiculed?
"I would like to use three events from the Spring and Autumn Annals to help the Crown Prince resolve his confusion." Chen Qun straightened his collar and bowed again, "In the past, Duke Wu of Zheng was born and frightened his mother. His younger brother Shuduan took advantage of his favor and became arrogant, which eventually led to chaos in the capital. This is one of the ways that family affection can lead to the downfall of a country."

Chen Qun noticed that Cao Pi's pupils shrank slightly, and it was obvious that Cao Pi had thought of something...

In the Spring and Autumn Period, why is Shuduan ranked first?

Because this kind of thing did not happen only once in the Spring and Autumn Period.

"Duke Xian of Jin favored Li Ji and neglected Shen Sheng, the crown prince hanged himself, Chong'er fled to Di. These are the second cases of the replacement of the legitimate and illegitimate children." Chen Qun lowered his eyes, seemingly not noticing Cao Pi's body trembling slightly, "Gou Jian slept on firewood and tasted gall, and 3,000 Yue soldiers were able to conquer Wu. This is the third case of a man with ambition."

"Three thousand Vietnamese soldiers..." Cao Pi stared at Chen Qun.

Of course, the point is not the three thousand Vietnamese soldiers.

Cao Pi suddenly clapped his hands and laughed: "This long article contains hidden wit, is it a satire on me?"

Chen Qun still lowered his head, "I don't have that intention."

Yes, never admit it.

The question is, do you believe it?

Cao Pi's laughter was mixed with some coldness. "But Xiahou is neither Shuduan nor Shensheng! In the past, when Guan Zhong shot the hook, Duke Huan was still able to entrust him with state affairs. But today the hook is still there..."

Chen Qun suddenly interrupted Cao Pi and said in a deep voice, "It was only when Guan Zhong met Bao Shu that he was able to conquer the Nine Kingdoms. I am very fortunate to have received your kindness, my lord, and I will repay you with my life. I have heard that when the general who conquered the south entered Hedong, he used the county soldiers as bait, lacked food and clothing, and withheld the soldiers' salaries..."

Chen Qun deliberately stopped talking and did not continue.

Cao Pi stared at Chen Qun, but didn't know what to say.

There is no point in denying.

Because these things are far more serious than what Chen Qun said.

One will be a million bones.

These dry bones are not just the corpses of the enemy.

"Chief Secretary, do you think that the current situation is the fault of the Cao family?" Cao Pi's voice suddenly deepened.

Cao Pi recalled that the school official had previously reported that there had been a lot of gossip among the military academies, saying things like "We have been through hundreds of battles, aren't we better than the dandies from wealthy families?" and so on.

Cao Pi originally thought that these so-called "big families" were Chen Qun and others, but now he thinks...

Cao Pi clenched his hands tightly inside his wide sleeves, his knuckles turning white. He looked up at the beams above the hall, and for some reason he felt that the beams seemed to have become very low, as if they were about to collapse in the next moment. The night wind lingered outside the hall, like wronged souls wailing between the beams.

In the dead silence in the hall, the only sound was the bell.

"Come here, pass the order!" Cao Pi's voice became low, "Reduce Xiahou Ru's fiefdom, and his family members..."

Cao Pi paused for a moment, then sighed, "Send him to Youzhou..."

Chen Qun was stunned, and looked up at Cao Pi. He had always looked down on Cao Pi, but Cao Pi's action at that moment made Chen Qun look at him with new eyes.

In fact, in the history of the Three Kingdoms, Xiahou is considered a very peculiar surname. It is not that there is anything special about this compound surname, but in history, Xiahou and Zhuge are not much different, and they are also transnational surnames. And the key is that Xiahou belonged to the high-level officials whether in Wei or Shu, which is slightly different from Zhuge.

I won’t talk about the Xiahou clan in Wei, but in Shu they not only had generals, but also queens…

During the Three Kingdoms period, local nobles were powerful, and clan relations often transcended political camps. The marriage between Zhang Fei and Xiahou actually had some meanings of highlighting the connection between the Shu Han regime and the Central Plains nobles, and weakening the color of "Yizhou's foreign regime", but its actual effectiveness was limited and it only existed as a political symbol.

And now Cao Pi sent Xiahou Ru's family to Youzhou, which basically reflects this meaning...

But this method also requires someone to take action.

Chen Qun said nothing more, took the document with Cao Pi's seal and left.

Cao Pi looked at the dark and chaotic night and sighed again.

"Madam Cao...Madam Xiahou...Father..."

Cao Pi's eyes wandered, as if he had thought of something, but he didn't dare to confirm it.