I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 887 Play with You (4K4)

The general wants them to move their troops to Xiacai?

This order made everyone look sideways. They never expected that the general, who was far away in Luoyang, could be one step ahead of others. When they just came up with the plan to bypass Pei State, he had already seen through the situation and issued this order in advance.

However, the choice of location was bolder than they had previously imagined.

Xiacai is located at the southern end of Pei State, on the bank of the Huai River, and is across the river from Shouchun.

The reason why Yuan Shu boldly went south was because Yuan Zhong of Pei State was his cousin, and the two had a tacit understanding between them.

If their army could successfully reach Xiacai, it would be like stabbing a sharp blade into Yuan Shu's flank. Not only could they avoid Yuan Shu's heavily guarded front, but they could also directly threaten his stronghold Shouchun, forcing Yuan Shu to divide his troops and return to defend, thus greatly alleviating the pressure Yuan Shao faced in the six counties.

However, as they had discussed before, the key to this plan lies in Yuan Zhong's attitude.

If this person is unwilling to cooperate, it will be extremely difficult for them to reach the deadline set by Su Yao.
As for this doubt, Su Yao's attitude is just two words: "I'll do it."

Six counties battlefield, Yuan Shu’s camp.

"Has the imperial army on the north bank of the Huai River moved?"

Yuan Shu and others were shocked when they heard the news from the rear.

"The rear general is not doing well."

Chief Clerk Yang Hong immediately warned:

"Our army is now in the six counties. If Huangfu Song succeeds in sneaking across, Shouchun will be in danger!"

"I suggest that the general should return immediately to strengthen the defense of Shouchun and make sure that the enemy army does not have any chance to take advantage of the situation."

"Return to the division? How can this be possible!"

Yuan Shu's face changed drastically. He paced back and forth in the tent, and his boots made a series of dull sounds on the ground.

"Yuan Benchu ​​is already at the end of his strength. As long as our army holds on for a little longer, we will be able to defeat him completely. If we turn back now, won't all the sacrifices we made before be in vain?"

"No, absolutely not!"

Yuan Shu was extremely unwilling.

Now, after more than ten days of fierce fighting, he finally defeated Yan Liang and Wen Chou sent by Yuan Shao, removed the nails outside the six counties, and the army completed the encirclement.

If he were to leave now, wouldn't all the countless food and supplies he had invested before and the numerous casualties be wasted?

Just thinking about the smug look on that maid's face after giving birth to the bastard, Yuan Shu felt a surge of anger rising to his head.

"In that case, why don't you seek help from Prime Minister Yuan?" Chief Clerk Yan Xiang stepped forward.

"You mean Zhengfu (Yuan Zhong)?"

Yuan Shu frowned, tapping the table unconsciously with his fingers:

"He has always been a man who protects himself. Even though we have a good relationship, how could he easily help me when his life and property are at stake?"

"Indeed, what the general said is right, so we just need to persuade him from the perspective of benefits."

Yan Xiang smiled slightly, bowed and said:

"General Hou, do you still remember that you asked me to infiltrate Pei State and win over the people's hearts?"

"Now that the Chief Clerk of Pei State has been bribed by us, with him speaking beside Prime Minister Yuan, and with the help of the letter personally written by the rear general, Yuan Zhong may not necessarily stop the imperial army with all his strength, but at least he can delay it for some time."

"In this way, the rear general will have the opportunity to first break through the six counties and capture and kill the Shao thief!"

Yuan Shu was overjoyed when he heard this, and slammed the table and said, "Great! Let's act according to this plan!"

He immediately ordered people to prepare pen and ink, and wrote a letter to Yuan Zhong personally, with earnest words, explaining the pros and cons to him, and at the same time promising that once Yuan Shao was defeated, he would share the land of Yuzhou with him.

The messenger rode at full speed and rushed to Pei State overnight.

Pei State, the prime minister's residence.

"what?!"

"Yuan Gonglu actually wants me to stop the imperial army from crossing the border?"

When Yuan Zhong heard the news, he was so shocked that he almost dropped the teacup in his hand.

It was the beginning of June, the long summer, and although there was a maid fanning him gently in the house, Yuan Zhong felt hot all over, as if he was wrapped in an invisible heat wave.

The reason was simple. At the same time that Yuan Shu delivered this secret letter, he also received an official document from the Luoyang court.

Su Yao, the general of Han, the Duke of Tang, and the Prime Minister, will arrive in Pei State soon and asks him to do a good job in reception and cooperation. This puts him in a dilemma.

For a moment, Yuan Zhong felt his scalp tingling.

In today's world, Su Yao's reputation is well-known.

Not to mention his great achievements in defeating the Huns and saving the emperor in his early years, just look at his killing of Dong Zhuo, supporting the empress, and suppressing the rebellion in the four northern states in recent years. Even if we look at the entire history of the Han Dynasty, he is a figure who can leave a strong mark.

Now he holds a large army and has great power. If he offends this person, he will probably follow in the footsteps of Yang Biao, Cui Lie and others in an instant.

"Write back to Yuan Gonglu and tell him that our Pei State has few soldiers and generals and is powerless to stop the imperial army. The Han Dynasty is in decline, and the various forces are constantly fighting. The people are suffering. The general should have been united with the court and supported the Han Dynasty, but he raised an army to cause chaos, which is really against the righteousness."

"As the ruler of Pei State, I am loyal to the emperor and cannot betray the court. I hope that the general can stop and surrender as soon as possible, so as to avoid being disgraced."

Yuan Zhong spoke with great righteousness, but Xue Liang, the chief clerk, felt a little uneasy. He paused and stepped forward to persuade him, "Prime Minister Yuan, you need to think twice before doing anything about this."

"Oh? What does Master Xue think?" Yuan Zhong asked in surprise.

Xue Liang moved closer to Yuan Zhong and lowered his voice:

"I heard that the general only brought a hundred guards with him this time. Isn't this a godsend?"

After saying this, a gleam of light flashed in Xue Zhubu's eyes, and he actually made a beheading gesture with his hand.

Beheading, that's right.

Unlike what Yuan Shu, Yan Xiang and others imagined, Xue Zhubu exerted his subjective initiative to the fullest extent and directly suggested to Yuan Zhong to get rid of Su Yao in one step.

This frightened Yuan Zhong so much that his face suddenly changed, as if he was burned by Xue Liang's words. He took a step back suddenly, with panic and anger in his eyes:
"You... do you know what you are saying? How dare you speak such treasonous words in the prime minister's residence?!"

"That's Su Yao, Lord Tang! He's a great general who commands a large army and has great power!"

"You actually want me to kill him? Then my entire Pei State will be crushed to pieces by the imperial army in an instant!"

"The Prime Minister is wrong."

Xue Zhubu bowed his head and whispered:

"Although Su Yao is extremely powerful, he is only using force to oppress the world, and he is unpopular among the people."

"How many noble families were destroyed by him? How many good fields and beautiful houses were taken away by him? Every time his new policies were implemented, the local people were boiling with resentment. The anti-Soviet countries in the world understand this very well."

"Now, he has only brought a hundred cavalrymen into our Pei State. This kind of indifference is a godsend opportunity for us!"

Yuan Zhong stopped, his eyes flickering: "You mean"

Xue Zhubu took a step closer and lowered his voice: "Now that Yuan Benchu ​​is trapped in six counties, the situation is hopeless, and the Prime Minister has a very good relationship with General Yuan Shu. Now that the general has come in person, he must be forcing you to express your position. Rather than waiting to die, it is better to strike first!"

"As long as we set up an ambush, capture and kill Su Yao in one fell swoop, and then join forces with General Yuan Shu to raise the banner of rectifying the chaos, then many people in the world will respond. With the prestige of the prime minister and the military strength of General Yuan Shu, there is no need to worry about not achieving great things."

Yuan Zhong's eyes flashed with hesitation when he heard this. Although he and Yuan Shu were from the same clan and had a fairly good relationship, he actually didn't like his overbearing style. He was just trying to avoid offending people. Was it really necessary to take this risk?
Indeed, General Su Yao offended people all over the world, especially the aristocratic families, because of his style and political views, and many people were happy to see his death.

However, if he were to do this and not hesitate to put himself in the spotlight, would it be a loss?

Xue Zhubu saw Yuan Zhong hesitate and added fuel to the fire: "Prime Minister, this opportunity cannot be missed! Think about it, Su Yao came here to ask Pei State to cooperate with the imperial army to attack General Yuan Shu."

"Judging from your ambiguous behavior towards General Yuan Shu these days, I'm afraid that in the eyes of the general, you have already been classified as one of Yuan Shu's accomplices."

"Based on his style, he might come here just to seize your military power or even take your life."

"Instead of letting others slaughter you, it's better to take the initiative!"

hiss--

Yuan Zhong took a breath of cold air.

He really hadn't thought about this much.

Indeed, judging from the general's past behavior, he must have been regarded as a thorn in Su Yao's side in recent times as he was caught between two ends in Pei State.

If Su Yao really intended to take advantage of this trip south to eliminate this "alien" chess piece, then if he foolishly went to greet him, he would probably have a knife on his neck as soon as they met.

"But I heard that the general's personal soldiers are all elite warriors who have fought many battles, and he himself is even more courageous and unstoppable."

"We want to kill him, but it's not that easy."

"Wealth and honor are sought in danger, Prime Minister!"

Xue Zhubu said anxiously:
"It is said that two fists cannot defeat four hands. He has only a hundred guards, and the force that my Pei State can mobilize is hundreds of times greater than his."

"We don't even need to let him into the city. We can launch a surprise attack while they are resting at the post station, burn down the post station, and say it was done by bandits. We can do it without anyone noticing. Even if the imperial court wants to bring an army to investigate, they won't be able to find solid evidence.

Yuan Zhong pondered for a long time, lowered his head, gritted his teeth and said: "Then, I'll follow your plan!"

"Remember, you have to make sure it's watertight."

"Don't worry, Prime Minister. I will do my best to handle this matter."

After receiving the order, Xue Zhubu hurried out of the prime minister's residence with a barely perceptible sinister smile flashing across his face.

He first went straight to a secluded courtyard in the city. Usually, few people came here, but at this moment, low voices of conversation could be heard faintly.

When Xue Zhubu pushed the door open and walked in, the people in the room immediately stopped talking and looked at him.

The leader was a burly man with a fleshy face. This man was Zhang Meng, a captain in the Pei army. He was cruel and extremely greedy, and had been bribed by Yuan Shu with a large sum of money.

"Master Xue, how is the matter going?" Zhang Meng asked impatiently.

Xue Zhubu sneered and said, "Prime Minister Yuan has agreed to our plan, but he is too timid to act openly. He just told us to act according to our convenience. Do you have the confidence to handle this matter well?"

"Easy thing to do?"

Zhang Meng frowned and punched randomly:
"It doesn't matter. There are many people and they talk a lot. He has only a few hundred men. I will select a thousand or so warriors from the army and not tell them the details. I will just launch a sneak attack and make sure that Su Yao will never come back."

In June, the sun is scorching, burning the earth.

A cloud of dust rose up on the official road, and more than a hundred elite cavalrymen were seen galloping along the way, slowly stopping after crossing a bridge.

"General, we have entered the border of Pei State." Dian Wei, who was accompanying him, pointed to a stone boundary marker nearby.

Su Yao rode on his snow-white warhorse, nodded slightly, glanced at the slightly barren fields around him, narrowed his eyes, sneered and gave an order:
"Pass the order down, all troops on alert. When you rest at the post station tonight, no one should take off their armor or weapons."

"Yes!" Dian Wei clasped his fists in response, then lowered his voice and asked, "General, are you worried that the Prime Minister of Pei has evil intentions?"

Su Yao closed his eyes and glanced at the battle status displayed on the small map. He did not answer directly, but said meaningfully:

"There are many people in this world who want to kill me. Yuan Zhong has a close relationship with Yuan Shu, so I have to be on guard."

"Will there be any danger for us?"

Dian Wei has always admired Su Yao's intuition.

Now that he heard that the Prime Minister of Pei might be unfavorable to them, Dian Wei immediately suggested that Su Yao postpone his actions and wait for the arrival of Huangfu Song's army before entering the country together.

"It doesn't matter. I am here to clear the way for them. Huangfu Song's army is on the banks of the Huai River. How can I wait for them to move north to accommodate me?"

Seeing that persuasion was fruitless, Dian Wei had no choice but to give up, be fully alert and make adequate preparations.

When night fell, Su Yao and his party checked into the border post.

The post station was large enough to accommodate all of them, and the station officials were very welcoming and served them hot food and wine.

"The general has come from afar, and I have specially prepared some wine. Please do me the honor." The postmaster came forward with a smile on his face and personally poured wine for Su Yao.

Su Yao took the wine glass, played with it in his hand for a while, and suddenly asked: "Is this wine a specialty of Pei State?"

The postmaster's smile froze for a moment, then he returned to normal: "This is indeed a local fine wine. The general is indeed well-informed."

Su Yao chuckled and put the wine glass heavily on the table: "It's a pity that the general is not feeling well today and can't drink. Come, give this jar of good wine to the postmaster and let him drink it for me."

The postmaster's face changed drastically, and he waved his hands repeatedly: "How can this be done?"

"What?" Su Yao's eyes suddenly turned cold. "You dare to refuse this general's reward? Or is there something wrong with this wine that makes you afraid to drink it?"

"This this"

The postmaster's forehead was covered with sweat, and a thousand horses were galloping in his heart. He never expected that he had only given some sleeping pills in a very small dosage. Could it be that the general could see through it at a glance?
The postmaster took the wine, and under Su Yao's sharp gaze, he finally couldn't hold back and knelt on the ground:
"Great...Great General, please spare my life! I am also under orders from others and have no choice but to obey!"

Su Yao snorted coldly and kicked over the table, causing the wine and dishes to scatter all over the floor. He stood up, his tall figure covering the collapsed postmaster, and said coldly, "Who ordered you to do this? Tell the truth, and I may spare your life."

The postmaster was so frightened that his face turned pale. He dared not hide anything and immediately revealed Zhang Meng's plan.

It turned out that Zhang Meng also knew that Su Yao was powerful, and he was worried about some mistakes in the battle. So in order to make the plan go more smoothly, he secretly threatened the postmaster in advance, asking him to put some drugs that help people sleep and weaken their strength in the wine and give it to Su Yao and others to reduce the resistance during the night attack.

"Zhang Meng? The captain of Pei State? Yuan Zhong is so bold that he actually dared to plot against the general!"

Dian Wei grabbed the postmaster by the collar:

"Tell me, when are they going to start? How many troops will they have?"

The postmaster replied tremblingly: "Tonight at midnight, Captain Zhang will lead more than a thousand warriors to ambush around the post station, and will attack as soon as it is dark and quiet."

"More than a thousand people? Just a thousand people dare to challenge the might of the great general? Hasn't he heard of how powerful we are?!"

Dian Wei was furious when he heard this and drew out the double halberds from his waist:
"General, I will fight you. I will kill them all without leaving a single piece of armor behind!"

"No hurry, no hurry, let's have a good meal first, don't waste the hospitality."

Su Yao waved his hand, signaling Dian Wei to be patient, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth:
"Since these people want to play, let's have some fun with them."

After that, Su Yao turned to the soldiers accompanying him and said:
"Pass the order down, everyone prepare for battle immediately, but pretend nothing has happened on the surface. We will use their own tricks against them and wait for them to fall into our trap!"

(End of this chapter)