Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3804 Frosty hooves shatter dreams, cold light cracks, a banner is thrust obliquely, causing fear among all people.

Ye City, with its towering city walls, and the Prime Minister's residence in the south and north sections.

The three-tiered structure, with its heavy gates between each other and ample troops, civilians, provisions, and weapons, was extremely difficult to conquer from any perspective.

Normally, without heavy siege equipment, even if Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao disrupted the morale of the city's troops, they would still find it difficult to cause any direct damage to Ye City, nor could they quickly breach the city's defensive system...

However, something unexpected happened.

On the very night Chen Qun ordered the attack on Cui Hu, perhaps it was a coincidence, perhaps it was Cui Hu's sixth sense, or perhaps Cui Hu received prior notice...

In short, Choi Ho "escaped from prison".

Cui Hu did not attempt to break through the heavily guarded main gate of the barracks.

Instead, they used a "damaged spot" in the back wall of a barracks, which they had already observed, and slipped out silently with the help of several trusted soldiers from Jizhou.

Okay, this was originally a dog hole.

This "damaged area" should have been repaired long ago.

Unfortunately, the barracks were inspected by Crown Prince Cao Pi before the arrival of the cavalry, and were subsequently commended for their commendable spirit and discipline, as well as for the orderly arrangement of equipment and military affairs.

So how could there be anything hidden in a weed-infested corner, or in a loose, damaged section of the wall due to years of neglect?
what?
Private repairs?

What a joke! If the boss sees this, and accuses me of undermining Cao Cao's forces, I'll lose my head.
In a place without surveillance cameras, who can prove that this "damage" wasn't dug by the people at the scene?

If these repairmen didn't dig it up, how would they know there was damage here?
Why don't others know?

So that "damaged" part has always been there.

When Cui Hu crawled out, he was filled with mixed emotions...

If he hadn't been silenced and punished for "criticizing the government," he might have actually pointed out this "damaged" problem, and perhaps then repaired it, which would have led to his death in the military camp.

Cui Hu didn't storm the central command tent to settle scores with Chen Qun; that would have been tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

He had no intention of starting an uprising in the northern part of the city.

His target is Nancheng!

He was familiar with the defenses of Ye City and the psychology of the lower-ranking soldiers from Ji Province.

He was more familiar with the methods of the ruling class in old Shandong...

This realization became increasingly apparent to him after he became a "victim."

Through his own experience, Cui Hu understood that in the old Han Dynasty Shandong, neither high-ranking officials nor middle-ranking gentry liked anyone to talk about the old Han Dynasty system.

Whenever someone discusses the flaws in the Han Dynasty system, or the dereliction of duty and corruption of certain officials, some people will stand up and simplify the complex public opinion field into two extremes: either optimists who "fully support and encourage" or pessimists who "sarcastically criticize." Then, those who ridicule the fallacies of the system and criticize the corruption of officials are directly categorized as "pessimists," completely and one-sidedly excluding and denying the middle ground and composite positions.

But he still held onto a sliver of hope...

So he spoke.

A healthy country needs diverse voices.

Criticism is not the same as complete rejection, and support and encouragement do not mean that problems cannot be pointed out.

Under the old Han dynasty system, the rulers and aristocratic sons transformed the "individual problem" into "everyone has a problem," implying that it was something "unavoidable" under the system or rule by men.

Intelligent people know that the key is not whether the problem exists, but whether society or the country has established an effective mechanism for discovering and correcting problems.

The old Han dynasty system was clearly lacking in this respect...

They don't even have the courage to face the problem squarely.

After suffering a setback, Cui Hu drifted along, because he could still make a living back then, but now he couldn't.

People often unleash tremendous energy only when they are forced into a corner.

Using his past prestige and familiarity with the sentries, Cui Hu cleverly bypassed several patrols and went directly to a gathering point mainly composed of soldiers from Jizhou at the border of the south and north cities.

He walked briskly along the wall, occasionally stopping to listen to the patrol team's footsteps.

A trusted aide whispered, "Captain, this journey is fraught with danger. If it fails..."

Cui Hu interrupted him, "Things have come to this...we have no way out! We have no choice but to fight!"

When Cui Hu appeared at the temporary assembly point, dozens of soldiers from Jizhou rushed forward, their words revealing their anger at the injustices of the present and their fear of the future.

The flickering firelight illuminated anxious faces.

Someone asked anxiously, "Commander Cui, is Chen Changwen really going to purge us?"

Another man scoffed, "We're starving every day, while the soldiers of Qiao and Pei are getting plenty of rations! What's impossible about that?!"

"Brothers!" Cui Hu stood atop a pile of debris. "I, Cui Hu, have shed blood and risked my life for the Cao family, my body covered in wounds! But how have they treated us? At the slightest disturbance, they treat us like enemies! They stripped us of our military power, imprisoned us like criminals! Outside the city, the General of the Cavalry at least knows to call my men in our native tongue, and lure us starving people with grain! But what about inside the city? The people of Yuzhou in the north city are singing and dancing in peace, while the people of Jizhou in the south city are eating tree bark, even exchanging children for food! The soldiers of Yuzhou eat and drink well every day, while we brothers can only eat chaff and wild vegetables! Is this fair?!"

When Cui Hu still had some influence, he never mentioned the people of Nancheng or the people of Jizhou, but now he keeps using those terms...

This seems to have become an instinct.

Everyone who stands on the stage says the same thing.

Cui Hu tore open the cloth covering his chest, revealing a series of hideous scars. "Look at these! Which one wasn't left for this Ye City, for the Cao family? Do they remember? They don't care! All they care about are their own sons of Qiao and Pei, their relatives of Yingchuan! In their eyes, we are nothing more than watchdogs, tossed a bone when needed, and cooked when they suspect us!"

This is the key point...

Cui Hu was clearly also touched by painful memories, his words revealing genuine emotion, his eyes reddening. Pointing to an arrow wound on his left shoulder, his voice choked with sobs: "This is from taking an arrow for the Crown Prince! I nearly died! And now I've ended up like this!"

That's true...

However, Cui Hu did not mention that he received an official position in return.

As Cui Hu made his accusations, the soldiers of Jizhou also became agitated, roaring and echoing his sentiments.

An old soldier beat his chest and stamped his feet: "Commander Cui is absolutely right! We risked our lives for him, yet we suffer this humiliation!"

"Today! I, Cui Hu, have rebelled!" Cui Hu drew the sword of a soldier beside him. "Not for wealth and glory, but to earn a way to survive for my brothers, for the men of Ji Province! Follow me to take the south gate and welcome the General of the Cavalry into the city! Only in this way can we live!"

These Jizhou soldiers who were willing to go to the gathering point were carefully selected by Cui Hu, who sent trusted confidants to inform them.

Their presence here meant they were going to follow Cui Hu to the bitter end, so after briefly indicating a "change of stance," Cui Hu led these people straight to the south of the city.

It's difficult to enter the north city from the south, but it's much easier to rush out from inside the north city.

In particular, Cui Hu pretended to be acting on orders from above, and then suddenly took action when he got close. He immediately took control of a military academy, tightened the gate, and led the incited soldiers like a flood that had burst its banks, pouring towards the south of the city!

When the news reached the central command tent of the North City military camp, Chen Qun's expression changed drastically.

Chen Qun had no time to pursue Cui Hu, and immediately began a "purge" in the North City military camp.

Otherwise, if Chen Qun leads his men out and another "rebellion" breaks out in the camp, then we're truly doomed!

At this moment, Chen Qun no longer cared about who among those from Jizhou were loyal or not. He directly detained and arrested them all, and those who dared to resist were killed on the spot!

At the same time, Chen Qun also ordered that all the key positions in the north city be filled with Cao Cao's elite troops to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to launch an attack.

"Issue the order! Ensure the safety of the Prime Minister's residence at all costs! Absolutely no bandits are allowed to breach the Prime Minister's residence!"

Was Chen Qun wrong to do this?
From Chen Qun's perspective, or rather from the perspective of Shandong and the Central Plains, he wasn't wrong. Because in his, or their, understanding, the important people of Ye City weren't the common folk of the southern part, but rather the prime minister's heir and the bureaucratic gentry of the northern part…

After Chen Qun confirmed that Beicheng was safe, although he had done his best and rushed as fast as he could, the situation was already out of control when he led his men to try to suppress the situation in Nancheng.

The Flying Cavalry could not successfully incite the people of Ji Province. However, Cui Hu, who was from Ji Province, could.

Within Ye City, the spies previously sent by the General of the Cavalry to deliver messages and do other things, such as Song Hang, were gradually discovered by Chen Qun and others in the early and middle stages, arrested, and expelled. What remained were bookworms like Zhou Zhang...

It's highly unlikely that such an inside player can transform himself and demonstrate extraordinary abilities overnight.

At the same time, neither the cavalry outside the city nor the spies planted inside the city may know Chen Qun's military arrangements, nor may they know where weapons and equipment are located. Clearly, they cannot fight against spears and swords with bare hands or wooden sticks and pitchforks.

but……

Cui Hu knew where the spare weapons in the southern city were hidden!
By the time Chen Qun mobilized his trusted troops to suppress the unrest, Cui Hu had already successfully disrupted two markets, released a large number of civilians from the southern city, and seized a granary storing spare weapons. He not only equipped his own men but also distributed weapons to the civilians of the southern city.

The two sides clashed violently on the main streets of the south and north of the city, igniting a fierce civil war.

On one side were Chen Qun's directly subordinate troops, whose morale was complex, and on the other side were the Jizhou rebels driven by despair and anger.

In the midst of the chaos, Chen Qun, escorted by a squad of armored soldiers, arrived at the front line. There he saw Cui Hu charging left and right through the rebel ranks, acting like a madman.

"Cui Hu!" Chen Qun's voice, piercing the clamor of battle, carried a chilling righteousness and fury. "You have received the nation's favor for generations, and as Han subjects, how dare you commit such a heinous act?! Betraying your master for personal gain, inviting wolves into the house—your crimes are unforgivable by Heaven and Earth! How can you, such cowards, destroy the four-hundred-year foundation of the Han Dynasty in a single day?!"

Upon hearing the sound, Cui Hu slashed down his opponent with a single blow, turned around covered in blood, and looked at Chen Qun, who was heavily guarded. A twisted smile, a mixture of grief, indignation, and mockery, appeared on his face.

"Chen Changwen! Stop your empty talk!" Cui Hu roared, like a vengeful ghost. "Receiving imperial favor from the world? Haha! Everything I, Cui Hu, have is what I fought for with my life! It's what I earned with these scars all over my body! It's not a gift from you Cao family, not from you Yingchuan scholars!"

Lord Cui brandished his blood-stained sword, his voice filled with utter despair: "You ask me why I rebelled? I'd rather ask you! Why are the elite soldiers I fought and bled for, those who wiped out bandits and trained, suspected and imprisoned simply because of their surnames and origins? Why are those纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) from the Cao and Xiahou clans, who have accomplished nothing, granted high positions and generous salaries, and boss us around like servants?! Has this Han Dynasty, this Cao clan, ever given me fairness?! Haven't I shed enough blood for the Han Dynasty, made enough contributions? Why?! Tell me why?!"

Every question Cui Hu posed struck the hearts of many soldiers from Jizhou present like a heavy hammer, and even some of Chen Qun's soldiers had a fleeting glint in their eyes.

Chen Qun was momentarily speechless, but he quickly recovered and shouted sternly, "Stop making excuses! The fundamental principles of morality and hierarchy must be upheld; how dare you transgress them! Today is your death day!"

He then roared at his men: "Kill this scoundrel immediately! Anyone who disrupts the morale of the army shall be killed without mercy!"

"Hahaha!" Cui Hu laughed loudly, "Then come on! Let's settle this with swords and spears! My men, follow me and kill!"

Cui Hu stopped Chen Qun, not because he really wanted to fight Chen Qun and the other Cao soldiers.

His real purpose was not to kill Chen Qun, but to create enough chaos to pave the way for another move by Nancheng.

Just as the two sides were locked in a fierce battle on the street leading to the north city, a deafening shout suddenly erupted from the direction of the south city gate!
Incited by Cui Hu's men and led by the traitorous Jizhou soldiers, and after several days of being lured by the "fragrance offensive," the starving people of the South City surged toward the South City Gate like a tidal wave!
Without anyone taking the lead, most of the people in the southern city would have been tightening their belts bit by bit, but now someone was instigating them, someone was leading the way, and someone was sending them knives and guns!
What else is there to say?

Even though weapons alone cannot satisfy the needs of all the people in the southern city, and many can only carry sticks, bricks, or even just their bare hands, the madness born from hunger and despair has already been unleashed!
They were hungry!

Hunger is always the greatest fear of ordinary people!

This is not just about the physiological feeling of not having enough to eat for a short period of time, but a profound, intergenerational, and structural fear that has permeated the marrow of social culture!

Leaving aside the fact that this is a basic physiological need of human beings, in the long feudal dynasties of China, the fragile agricultural structure and turbulent war years meant that large-scale famines occurred periodically, causing huge disasters time and time again.

The ancestors and parents of the Chinese people may have personally experienced the horrific era of "fathers and sons eating each other" every few generations or even a dozen generations.

Save money, save food!

Otherwise, people will die!
This kind of memory will be deeply imprinted in the collective memory of the nation and the family.

In feudal dynasties, the lower classes typically engaged in low-security, unstable labor, earning meager incomes and having almost no savings.

Any slight disturbance, whether it be a disease or a natural disaster, could quickly plunge them into the abyss of hunger.

Correspondingly, the rulers and power classes of feudal dynasties were well-versed in the concept of "hunger and fear".

They even knew that these ordinary people were definitely hiding money and grain...

The rulers of feudal dynasties would do everything they could to make the people consume these hidden funds and grains.

For example, the Han dynasty encouraged filial piety, saying that the greatest filial sons were those who went bankrupt or even borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates to bury their parents. This was highly praised in public opinion and spread far and wide. However, the Han dynasty never mentioned the ruin of families caused by the filial sons and grandsons who incurred huge debts for their parents' lavish funerals.

They hope that the people will remain on the hunger line for a long time, struggling to survive.

Exploiting hunger, or rather, the fear of hunger, is the most effective and primitive tool for the ruling class to maintain social stability, even if it is a distorted form of stability.

Therefore, when a society experiences a situation where "the rich feast while the poor freeze to death," hunger is no longer a natural phenomenon, but rather proof of extreme inequality in the distribution of social resources.

The fear of hunger also includes a deep sense of anger and powerlessness over being deprived, abandoned, and institutionally forgotten!
If Chen Qun hadn't controlled the food supply to the people of Nancheng, intentionally using "hunger" to maintain his rule, order, and stability, then as long as the people of Nancheng still had food in their homes, they wouldn't have been attracted by Zhang Liao's "fragrance offensive"...

Chen Qun may have thought of it, or may have realized the problem, but he did nothing about it!

He simply wrote a notice.

Because feudal rulers would rather let grain rot and be buried than easily distribute it to ordinary people.

The purpose of building soup kitchens at intersections is not to relieve people of hunger or eliminate their fear, but only to maintain temporary stability and prevent people from gathering and causing trouble!

When the abnormal stability is broken, the disastrous consequences spontaneously arise...

"Charge out!"

"There's food as soon as you go outside!"

As a result, all sorts of factors came together, and the madness that erupted among the people of Nancheng under these circumstances exceeded the imagination of these old Han rulers!

At the city gate, the guards cut down a civilian from the south of the city, but the next moment, even more civilians surged forward!

At this moment, the bloodshed did not deter these people; instead, it fueled their frenzy!
Hunger overcame the fear of death!
The officers defending the city tried to suppress the unrest, but their resistance was futile against a starving population that outnumbered them several times over and appeared to be insane.

The winch at the city gate was pushed by the frenzied crowd, and the heavy city gate was slowly pushed open a crack with a teeth-grinding creak!
And then it just kept getting bigger and bigger!

It burst open with a roar!

First a few people, then dozens, and hundreds of ordinary people rushed out!

They rushed towards the place where smoke was rising from the chimneys!

Zhang Liao, who had been closely monitoring the situation in Ye City from outside the city, was already prepared for battle.

Now, the city is filled with the sounds of battle and flames, and the south gate has suddenly burst open, with countless civilians pouring out in a frenzy...

This level of chaos cannot be faked!

Zhang Liao immediately seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Soldiers! The city gates are open! Charge with me!"

Zhang Liao took the lead, like a tiger unleashed from its cage, leading his elite cavalry, which had been preparing for a long time, in a thunderous charge toward the open south gate!

The iron hooves thundered, instantly shattering the last 'holding' of the southern city of Ye.

As Zhang Liao's cavalry surged through the south gate, joining the cheering or weeping starving people, and rapidly penetrated deeper into the city, Cui Hu, who was engaged in fierce battle with Chen Qun's troops in the streets and alleys, seemed to sense something and burst into wild laughter.

Cui Hu fought hard to parry the slash coming at him, but he couldn't block the thrust from another Cao soldier's side.

He suffered another deep, bone-revealing wound, and blood soaked through his battle robe.

He was swaying precariously, but he was smiling.

He heard the faint sound of the cavalry horns coming from the direction of the southern city!
His laughter contained a sense of relief, joy, and also a touch of indescribable sorrow.

In his youth, he dreamed of bringing peace to the world and changing the Han Dynasty.

In the end, he buried his dreams with his own hands by betraying the city and letting foreign troops into it.

Unable to change this corrupt old system, he could only perish together with it in the most drastic way.

He watched Chen Qun leave in a disheveled state, laughed wildly, then fell backward to the sky...