Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3802 The accent remains unchanged, but the army's morale is in turmoil; the moon shines on the lonely city, and the shadows of blades are fading.

While Zhang Liao launched his "fragrance offensive" against the southern city, Zhao Yun summoned several young men from the Jizhou gentry.

Most of these young men from Ji Province came from prominent local families. Zhao Yun chose them because he valued their influence in Ji Province.

For example, Cui Lin and Ju Hu.

Initially, when Zhao Yun summoned them, Cui Lin and Ju Hu were somewhat worried and afraid. After all, when Cao Cao's army attacked Ye City, they had driven many members of the Ji Province gentry to serve as cannon fodder.

Cui Lin even secretly wondered if Zhao Yun would, like Cao Cao, push them to the front lines as expendable resources. He recalled the tragic deaths of several of his uncles under Yuan Shao's command, and cold sweat broke out on his palms.

Ju Hu appeared even more anxious, constantly adjusting his clothes and shifting his gaze, as if afraid that Zhao Yun might propose some dangerous mission.

But when they heard that Zhao Yun only wanted them to sing some "rustic folk songs, the sounds of Ji Province" in the northern city, they immediately felt relieved and patted their chests to show that they would "do it without hesitation."

Cui Lin smiled with relief and whispered to Ju Hu, "I've long heard of General Zhao's benevolence, and it's certainly true. This assignment satisfies our shared hometown ties and puts our lives at ease; it's truly a godsend."

Ju Hu nodded repeatedly, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes, as if he could already see himself being rewarded after making a great contribution.

Zhao Yun built more than ten high platforms in the north of the city and sent soldiers skilled in verbal combat to pass on vocal techniques, striving to maximize the effectiveness of these aristocratic sons.

The platform was built of rough wood, reaching a height of three zhang (approximately 10 meters), and covered with straw mats to shield it from the wind.

At first, Cao Cao's army was excitedly pointing and gesturing, after all, these high platforms were far apart and had no catapults or ballistae installed, so they posed no threat to the city walls. But soon, their smiles faded...

Zhao Yun personally dispatched some soldiers skilled in verbal sparring to instruct the aristocratic youths on how to regulate their breathing and control their tone of voice, and how to pronounce their words...

In this respect, the Hu cavalry seemed to be particularly adept.

Cui Lin and the others were initially unfamiliar with the techniques, but after repeated practice, they gradually improved.

October 15th, the night of the full moon.

Outside the northern city of Ye, a familiar folk song from Jizhou suddenly rang out.

At first, there were only a few scattered sounds, but later they gradually turned into a torrent...

The Zhang River is clear, the Zhang River is long, and my home is right beside the Zhang River...

Mothers long for their sons to return, wives yearn for their husbands to come home...

Yet, for strangers, they risked their lives defending the city…

The song was melodious yet mournful, drifting in the night wind, as if carrying the earthy scent of the Zhang River.

The moonlight shone on the city wall, casting blurry shadows of the soldiers guarding the city. Many people listened intently, their faces showing a look of reminiscence.

In the northern part of Ye City, many soldiers were locals from Ji Province. Hearing these familiar accents, many of them began to stir.

A young soldier couldn't help but exclaim, "That's a folk song from my hometown...my mother loved to sing it..."

His eyes were slightly red, and his voice choked with emotion as he recalled the scene of his mother humming this song at the village entrance when he left home.

Of course, the last line of the final folk song has been changed. Originally it was about a traveler returning home, but now it has been changed to about guarding the city for outsiders.

"You bastards!" the garrison officer shouted sternly. "Don't listen! This is a trick by the cavalry!"

The officer was from Qiaopei and was unmoved by the folk songs of Jizhou, but he could sense the change in the eyes of the Jizhou soldiers around him.

Orders were orders, but more and more soldiers began to peek out.

People whispered among themselves: "Judging from that tune, it sounds like they're from the Boling area. My cousin lives there..."

Another person sighed, "Yes, it's been three years since I left home. I wonder if my wife and children are still well."

On the second night, the singing was even more synchronized and resonant.

This time, in addition to singing folk songs, they also interspersed shouts of persuasion to surrender between the songs.

It wasn't the rough, northern accent of the Flying Cavalry, but rather the familiar local dialect of the people of Ji Province...

"People of Jizhou are helping each other! Even if we don't open the city gates, we're still one of our own!"

"The General of the Cavalry has already said that they'll only arrest the ringleaders, so let's not risk our lives for outsiders..."

"Lay down your weapons, and you will all be spared!"

"If we bring the heads of Cao Cao's generals to surrender, we'll receive merit!"

These words, like sharp arrows, pierced the hearts of every soldier from Jizhou.

An old soldier whispered to his comrade, "We're fighting tooth and nail here, but the people of Qiaopei are in high positions and getting little food. What's the point of this war?"

His companion nodded silently, then glanced at where his superior was.

The military officers from the Cao and Xiahou clans on the city wall suddenly felt as if an invisible dagger had been placed on their backs, sending chills down their spines.

As they patrolled, they could sense the aloofness and resentment in the gazes of the soldiers from Jizhou.

A captain surnamed Xiahou angrily rebuked his subordinates: "Listen up! Anyone who dares to whisper again will be punished according to military law!"

But all he received in response was silence and a few suppressed coughs.

Chen Qun quickly realized the gravity of the situation. He reported to Cao Pi: "This plan is extremely vicious! It uses hometown sentiment to sway the army's morale and uses self-interest to divide the soldiers. If allowed to develop unchecked, the army's morale will surely collapse!"

Cao Pi asked, "Could we transfer the troops from Beicheng (North City) to another location? Perhaps to Nancheng?"

Chen Qun smiled wryly, "No."

Cao Pi was initially puzzled, but quickly understood, "Then... what should we do?"

Chen Qun was silent for a moment, then said, "We can only concentrate the Jizhou soldiers in the military camps and assign them to daytime duty. At night, we will have the Central Commander and the Central Protectorate Army guard the four gates and enforce the curfew..."

Nighttime is a time when emotions are easily stirred up, and if anything unexpected happens, things could get very difficult to handle.

For example, in later generations, most of the 18-year-old and 11-year-old products would start their first sale at night and then be shipped out in the early morning...

Cao Pi's face darkened: "Could you order the soldiers to plug their ears?"

Chen Qun gave another bitter smile. "It's easy to plug one's ears, but difficult to plug one's heart. These soldiers' parents, wives, and children are mostly in Jizhou; how can they be forgotten simply by plugging their ears?"

Chen Qun paused, then continued, "The only solution now is to strictly control speech and attempt to sow discord."

Cao Pi could only nod.

Now, all we can do is treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

However, before Chen Qun could fully mobilize and settle the military officers guarding the city, an even more serious incident occurred on the morning of the third day.

One of the captains guarding the northern city was a member of the Cui clan of Boling. While inspecting the city's defenses, he suddenly heard a familiar voice from below: "Brother Ji! It is Cui Lin! The clan elders have said that the Cui clan's descendants should protect Ji Province! Do not risk your lives for outsiders!"

Commander Cui Hu's expression changed drastically, and he shouted an order to fire arrows.

However, it was clear that the arrows were not only short-ranged but also lacked power, falling haphazardly and sparsely on the ground outside the city.

On that day, Commandant Cui was transferred back to the military camp and never appeared on the city wall again.

Seeing this, Ju Hu was both jealous and pleased. He told Zhao Yun, "Commander-in-Chief, your plan is brilliant! I can see that the troops on the city walls have already mishandled the situation and their morale is low! It's a pity I didn't see Ju Hu's officers; otherwise, I could certainly persuade them to abandon their allegiance to the enemy!"

Who can't brag?

Ju Hu said that because he genuinely hadn't seen any generals or military officers from the Ju clan...

Zhao Yun didn't take it seriously, but instead warned, "Be careful of Cao Cao's night attack. Chen Changwen is resourceful and will surely counterattack. You must be cautious and not underestimate the enemy."

Sure enough, at midnight, the south gate of Ye City suddenly opened, and a Cao army unit rushed out and headed straight for the nearest high platform.

This force, mostly composed of elite troops from Qiao and Pei, was gleaming in armor and exuded a menacing aura, intending to destroy Zhao Yun's "propaganda strongholds" and the Jizhou natives on the high platform in one fell swoop.

However, if Zhao Yun wanted to attack the north city, he had to first go up the earthen platform and then attack the high wall from above. Conversely, if the soldiers of the north city of Ye wanted to attack Zhao Yun, they also had to make sure their soldiers could rush down the earthen platform first...

Zhao Yun was prepared. When the cavalrymen who were lying in ambush saw the Cao army's unusual movements, they immediately engaged in battle and repelled the enemy.

During the battle, the cavalry used crossbows for long-range shooting, supplemented by light cavalry flanking maneuvers. Cao Cao's army suffered more than 200 casualties, with only a few dozen surviving and retreating in panic.

A cavalry captain laughed loudly: "Cao Cao's army has run out of tricks!"

In an instant, laughter erupted from both the platform and the city walls, while the city walls of Ye City remained completely silent.

After this small skirmish, the "local dialect offensive" outside the city intensified.

Now, it's not just songs urging surrender; some aristocratic youths are even shouting from just an arrow's throw away from the city walls. "Brothers defending the city! Do you know why most of the Cao army troops who went into battle yesterday were from Qiao and Pei? It's clear the Cao family doesn't trust us people from Ji Province at all!"

"They eat fine grains, we gnaw on tree bark! They live in warm tents, we guard the cold city! What kind of logic is this?"

"We shed blood on these city walls! They sweat on women's bellies! Just think about it, was it worth it?!"

"..."

These words, like poisonous thorns, pierced deeply into the hearts of the soldiers defending the city.

If ignored, the situation will only worsen; but if the rumors are denied, some will say it's just an attempt to cover up the truth.

A sergeant from Jizhou privately complained to his men, "I've heard that the Prime Minister's mansion is filled with revelry every night, with him sleeping with beautiful women, while we're stuck here starving and freezing. What's the point of fighting this war?"

This is actually fake...

Both Cao Pi and Chen Qun wanted to say that at this point in time, who would have the mind to mess around with women every day?

But it's no use...

Ordinary people and soldiers believed this.

For ordinary civilians and soldiers, things like political power were too distant; eating delicious food and enjoying beautiful women were the highest pleasures they could imagine in their impoverished minds...

So even though Cao Pi and Chen Qun were in their offices almost every hour of the day, some civilians and soldiers still suspected that some beautiful concubine might be lying under their desks.

An old soldier confidently declared, "I personally witnessed the delivery of fine wine to the mansion; it must have been a reward for the generals of Qiao and Pei!"

Then someone else chimed in, "That's right! I heard the Prime Minister's residence is full of beauties! That guy sleeps with three every night!"

"Wow!"

"Tsk tsk..."

Gradually, the soldiers from Jizhou on the city walls began to lose their fighting spirit.

Someone secretly tied strips of cloth to the arrows and shot them outside the city.

Upon seeing this, Chen Qun devised a plan. He ordered his men to shoot strips of cloth out of the city to lure the enemy, hoping to cause trouble and trick Zhao Yun into taking the bait. At one point, he even shot out the words, "Tomorrow I will guard the north gate and am willing to be an inside agent."

However, the next day Chen Qun set up an ambush at the north gate, opening the outer city gate in an attempt to ambush a portion of the cavalry, but Zhao Yun did not fall for it.

Zhao Yun analyzed the situation to his subordinates: "This is Chen Changwen's counter-plan. The claim of an inside agent within the city is questionable. We should remain calm and observe."

Chen Qun didn't know what Zhao Yun was thinking, but he now knew that if he didn't control the wild thoughts of some people in Ye City, he would be doomed, and Ye City would be doomed too!

Unlike the ordinary people in the southern part of the city, some people in the northern part of the city really "know" some things!

They truly understand where the 'key points' and 'weak points' lie!
Rumors always precede Cao Pi and Chen Qun's countermeasures.

Chen Qun and Cao Pi have not yet made their next move.

A new rumor began to circulate in the northern part of the city...

Cao Jun prepared to purge generals from Ji Province, replacing all key positions with confidants from Qiao and Pei.

Although Chen Qun tried his best to refute the rumors, the seeds of suspicion had already been sown.

Several clerks from Ji Province whispered in a corner of the government office: "We heard someone say that the people of Ji Province are untrustworthy and must all be replaced."

This news spread like wildfire, and eventually, certain "transfers" ordered by Chen Qun became "ironclad evidence"...

The autumn wind grew increasingly fierce, whipping and tearing at the Cao army flags atop the city walls of Ye.

The cavalry's continuous "fragrance invasion" and "local accent offensive" are like two invisible blades, gradually strangling the already fragile bonds within this mighty city, with the combined forces of the north and south working together.

The Jizhou faction and the Yuzhou faction, two groups that have been openly and covertly fighting since the Yuan Shao era, are now experiencing an alarmingly rapid escalation of their conflict under external pressure.

After Yuan Shao conquered Ji Province, he had a wealth of strategists under his command. However, from that time onward, the two factions were subtly divided, and they frequently clashed over important issues such as succession and strategy.

After Cao Cao took over Ji Province, although he tried his best to reconcile the situation, the core of his regime was still composed of his old friends from Qiao and Pei, as well as scholars from Yingchuan.

The gentry of Ji Province, such as Cui Yan and Li Fu, held official positions but possessed limited real power, and their resentment had been building for a long time. This factional division, formed by region, interests, and kinship, could be maintained during times of peace, but under immense pressure like the siege of the city by the cavalry, it became difficult to conceal. The folk songs sung outside the city, each verse a reminder to every soldier and official from Ji Province, that they were not one of the "outsiders" in the core area north of the city.

Helpless, Chen Qun had no choice but to drink the poisoned wine again. He strengthened the control of speech within the city and, based on the law in the "Ye City Defense Order" which he and Cao Pi had carefully formulated, that "those who disturb the morale of the army shall be executed," he successively dealt with dozens of soldiers and low-ranking officials who privately spread rumors.

Killing was effective, but it quickly backfired because someone "discovered" that most of those executed were from Ji Province...

Therefore, Chen Qun's use of harsh punishments to suppress dissent was seen by the Jizhou faction as clear evidence that the Yuzhou faction was purging its opponents.

Outsiders don't treat people from Jizhou like human beings!

In the northern part of the city, undercurrents surged once again.

Is it only now that the Yuzhou faction is being given more important positions by the Cao family, or that a certain faction is suppressing other factions after occupying a high position?

Obviously not.

Don't the higher-ups know about this problem?

That's obviously not the case either.

But why was it only exposed now?

Does this mean that if we "reveal" it now, the higher-ups will see it and take action?

That's obviously impossible too.

So, after several days of silence, an even larger riot broke out in the southern part of the city.

This time, the rioters seemed to be more "organized," not only attacking the granaries managed by the ward officials, but also specifically targeting several workshops and government offices managed by officials from Yuzhou.

In the chaos, someone shouted: "Drive away the outsiders! Open the city gates to welcome the General!"

Although Chen Qun swiftly dispatched elite troops from the North City to suppress the uprising once again, this time the timing was precise and the target was clearly chosen; it was by no means the work of those rabble who were only looking for food in the past…

What alarmed Chen Qun even more was that the patrolling soldiers intercepted several letters that had been shot into the city with arrows.

These arrow-written letters were more specific, targeted, and inflammatory, directly pointing to the "misdeeds" of certain officials from Yuzhou in the city.

Chen Qun realized that at least one person inside the city had betrayed the detailed list of officials.

When Chen Qun dispatched his trusted men to investigate a military commander from Jizhou who might be suspected of treason, they encountered fierce resistance from the commander's soldiers. Although the investigation was eventually suppressed, more than a dozen people were killed or wounded in the process, resulting in an unprecedented armed standoff in the northern part of the city.

As the military officer resisted arrest, he roared in grief and anger: "Are you going to use the same old tricks again today, slaughtering my sons of Ji Province?!"

Faced with the sudden escalation of internal conflict, Cao Pi and Chen Qun had to make a difficult decision to divide up key positions to stabilize the situation.

Chen Qun personally led a contingent of elite armored soldiers to the core area of ​​the northern city military camp, ostensibly as "supervisors," but in reality to suppress any potential large-scale mutiny. Cao Pi, meanwhile, remained at the Prime Minister's residence, firmly controlling the military seal and insignia, and had the most reliable troops, led by members of the Xiahou and Cao clans, guarding the core of power to ensure its preservation. Simultaneously, he reluctantly offered substantial sums to win over the hearts and minds of the people.

Indeed, some soldiers and military academy students from Jizhou, after receiving high salaries and positions, returned to their original posts and professed their loyalty.

This move seemed to stabilize the situation on the surface; Chen Qun quelled the military camp, and Cao Pi secured the central government.

However, in the eyes of those Jizhou faction members who harbored ulterior motives, this exposed a fatal weakness.

Chen Qun and Cao Pi, the two key figures in maintaining the defense of Ye City, were forcibly separated.

In the northern military camp, Chen Qun's presence was like trying to suppress the eruption of a volcano, but the Yuzhou natives he brought with him were hostile to the Jizhou natives in the camp, and friction was constant.

A minor argument escalated into a brawl involving dozens of people.

Although Chen Qun dealt with the instigator with swift and decisive action, the antagonism in the military camp intensified, and rumors of "wanting to exterminate all the soldiers of Ji Province" began to circulate again.

This rumor was completely unbelievable, yet many soldiers from Jizhou believed it, swearing that they had personally heard such an "order from their superior," and that Chen Qun was indeed there to do this...

These rumors are obviously not very true, but the problem is that this is completely different from the riots and disturbances that broke out in Nancheng before. Yecheng now, this once majestic city that symbolized the hegemony of Hebei, seems to be full of cracks and irreparable damage.

Chen Qun is well-versed in law and skilled in planning. He can formulate perfect "Guardian Orders" and see through the enemy's tricks, but he is unable to mend the current rifts in people's hearts.

The folk songs from Jizhou outside the city were still jarring, while the undercurrents within the city were surging and turbulent.

Chen Qun wearily rubbed his temples, gazing at the flickering firelight outside the tent, a sense of foreboding rising within him…

He must come up with a way to retaliate!

otherwise……

There will definitely be big problems...