Han officials

Chapter 261 "Retro Style" Zhao Yun [4K]

With the three routes of You, Ying, and Qing advancing simultaneously, Wei Zhe had basically prepared various contingency plans in mind.

However, Wei Zhe had absolutely no confidence in Zhao Yun's surprise attack.

To what extent the surprise attack can be utilized will truly depend entirely on Zhao Yun's own efforts this time.

Zhao Yun understood this as well, so after leaving Yi County, he went straight to his hometown of Zhen Ding.

When later generations talk about Zhen Ding City, they inevitably think of the name "Shijiazhuang".

However, Shijiazhuang was not actually established until the end of the Qing Dynasty, and at first it was just a small village under Huolu County of Zhending Prefecture, with a total of only 93 households and 578 people.

For various reasons, Shijiazhuang eventually surpassed and annexed Zhending Prefecture, but for the two thousand years before that... no, for nearly three thousand years, Zhending City was actually the center of this land.

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC), the Ji clan Bai Di people in Hebei established the Xianyu State, centered around the Zhen Ding area.

Although the Xianyu state was destroyed by the Jin state in the 31st year of King Jing of Zhou (489 BC), the Xianyu people re-established the Zhongshan state in this area in the early Warring States period (475 BC), and built Dongyuanyi at the location of Zhending, which was the predecessor of Zhending City.

It wasn't until the eleventh year of Emperor Gaozu of Han (196 BC) that Dongyuan County was renamed Zhending County, meaning "truly stable," and administratively it belonged to Hengshan Commandery. Later, to avoid the taboo of Emperor Wen of Han's name, Liu Heng, Hengshan Commandery was renamed Changshan Commandery.

During this period, it spanned more than ten dynasties during the Han Dynasty, and the Zhending Kingdom was once established with the four counties of Zhending.

However, after many twists and turns, everything returned to normal when Emperor Si, Liu Hong, ascended the throne.

As for why "Zhending" became "Zhengding", it was the fault of the Manchu Qing dynasty. After Emperor Yongzheng ascended the throne, he strictly enforced the ancient Han Chinese custom of avoiding taboo names, and as a result, "Zhending City", which had been passed down for more than two thousand years, was changed to "Zhengding City".

But whether it's "Zhending" or "Zhengding", Zhao Yun remains unchanged.

Zhao Zilong from Shijiazhuang has finally returned to his hometown, which he has been away from for many years.

……

Three days later, at midnight.

Outside the city of Zhending, at the foot of Mount Heng, in an unnamed cave.

Xiahou Lan, dressed in coarse linen and short brown clothes, stepped forward and said, "Brother, everyone has arrived."

"Alright, let's begin!" Zhao Yun said, then walked out with a solemn expression.

Outside the cave is a much larger cavern, and inside, the people waiting are dressed in various styles.

There were seemingly down-on-their-luck sorcerers, as well as burly, strong men, and even robust, healthy women.

However, upon seeing Zhao Yun, the six men all stood up and bowed respectfully, addressing him in various ways: some called him "benefactor," others "teacher," and some even directly addressed him as "elder brother."

Wow, that's the weight of the former "Great Hero of Zhen Ding".

However, Zhao Yun's influence was not entirely due to his martial prowess; it was also partly due to the circumstances of the time.

Because Zhengding City is bordered by the Hutuo River to the north and a tributary of the Zhang River to the south, the area between the two rivers is narrow. Coupled with the obstruction of the Hengshan Mountains, it forms a natural defensive line that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It can be described as a standard "surrounded by mountains and rivers" fortification. Therefore, it has been a battleground for military strategists in many major upheavals.

At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, attacked this place twice but failed to capture it after a long siege.

After the Yellow Turban Rebellion in this dynasty, Zhang Jiao also sent troops to attack this city, but he failed to capture it despite repeated attempts.

However, at that time, the magistrate of Zhending County was only focused on protecting the city and basically abandoned the areas outside the city. Therefore, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the villages of Zhending basically gathered their own people to protect themselves.

It was at that time that Zhao Yun gathered a group of fellow villagers and used the natural defenses of Changshan to deal with the Yellow Turban rebels and protect the peace of the village. Otherwise, Zhao Yun would have liked to join the army and find a way to make a living.

After all, there were too many aristocratic families in Ji Province, making it virtually impossible for ordinary military men to enter officialdom.

Take Zhao Yun for example. He made a lot of contributions to protecting his hometown during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Gaotai Township was almost entirely safe thanks to him and a group of able-bodied men from the township. However, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled, the county simply sent someone to summon him to be a food official, without rewarding him with any money or goods.

However, some powerful families in the county secretly sent people to recruit him, wanting to bring him under their command and have him serve as their personal guards.

At that time, Zhao Yun was young and impetuous, and feeling slighted, he angrily rejected these offers.

However, he was unaware that his achievements had never been reported to the authorities.

The Changshan Prefecture only knew that the county magistrate had rendered meritorious service in defending the territory, and that the various families in the county had also contributed to the assistance. Apart from that, they didn't know the names of these rural warriors at all.

Therefore, it is clear that there were reasons why the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in the Han Dynasty.

Fortunately, these people deceived their superiors and subordinates, which is why Zhao Yun, in a fit of anger, chose to become a wandering knight.

Thus, thanks to his exceptional martial prowess and the reputation he had built up during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he quickly became known as the "Great Hero of Zhen Ding," the leader of the county's wandering knights.

Interestingly, at this point, the county officials actually showed him more respect.

Even the powerful families of Zhending would give him some face and show him a certain degree of respect.

Of course, what they call respect is actually fear.

After all, Changshan County is different from other places. It is backed by Hengshan Mountain, and not far away is the Taihang Mountains that stretch for thousands of miles. As a result, there are simply too many mountain bandits and thieves.

In addition, the men of Yan and Zhao are known for their loyalty and willingness to die for their country, and there are countless examples of them who, in a fit of rage, would suddenly kill someone.

Anyway, after killing people, he could just disappear into the Taihang Mountains, and the authorities would most likely let it go once they found out.

In this rugged atmosphere, Zhao Yun, the great hero of Zhending, was actually more imposing than Liu Bei, the great hero of Zhuoxian.

Liu Bei needed Gongsun Zan, the magistrate of Zhuo County, to make a name for himself, but Zhao Yun was able to become the underground overlord of Zhen Ding County on his own and with his brothers.

But Zhao Yun was still Zhao Yun after all.

Instead of bullying the market and amassing wealth, he took on government duties and even cracked down on local illegal activities.

In this way, without him having to bully or extort money, merchants would voluntarily pay protection money.

In reality, these merchants were not against paying money; their main concern was that others would take the money but not do the service.

They were overjoyed to have encountered someone like Zhao Yun who respected the rules.

Over time, Zhao Yun's life became quite comfortable, and he was able to accumulate wealth to do other things.

From the second year of Zhongping to the sixth year of Zhongping, Zhao Yun studied for four whole years.

He was skilled in martial arts first and then in literature, but he didn't have the good fortune of Liu Bei. He only became the disciple of an old scholar in the village.

He had some knowledge of everything from the Spring and Autumn Annals to the Book of Documents and the Book of Poetry, but he mainly studied military strategy.

Even though he couldn't find versions annotated by famous scholars, and most of the classics were incomplete, he still benefited greatly.

The reason why Zhao Yun is regarded by later generations as a perfect military and scholar-general with all five virtues of "benevolence, trustworthiness, wisdom, courage, and strictness" lies here... He was originally a scholar.

So what if scholars are a bit more physically strong? That's called going back to the old ways!

However, on the other hand, although Zhao Yun had no intention of being the "Great Hero of Zhending" for life, even if he was just going with the flow, he still benefited many people in Zhending and accumulated a lot of good karma.

For example, the strong woman who came to the gathering tonight is a well-known butcher in Zhen Ding City, named Hu Liu Niang.

Despite her current plump and robust appearance, Hu Liunian was a beauty at the beginning.

Her husband was a well-known butcher in the village. To make a living, he opened a tavern on the side. Hu Liu Niang personally served customers, and the couple worked together to run the tavern successfully.

However, he never expected that his business success would anger his competitors, who then secretly used underhanded means to kill him.

After all, the hatred between colleagues is the most naked, even greater than the hatred between fathers.

When Hu Liuniang learned of this, she did not make a fuss. Instead, she quietly closed the tavern, took over her husband's butcher business, and became a female butcher.

When the mastermind found out, he thought Hu Liuniang was unaware of the truth and was just a timid woman, so he didn't pay any attention.

Unbeknownst to them, Hu Liuniang was secretly preparing for revenge, practicing martial arts diligently while slaughtering livestock.

Feeling inadequate in strength, she spent most of her earnings on food, trying to gain weight and build strength. Her already robust frame gradually transformed her from a tall, beautiful woman into a masculine, ugly street vendor.

Finally, she took advantage of her enemy's unpreparedness and successfully ambushed him in the market, personally beheading him to pay tribute to her deceased husband.

However, although that fellow was just a merchant, he had powerful backers; his daughter was a concubine of the Liu family in Zhending.

After this incident, Hu Liuniang was naturally destined for imprisonment and death.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Former Han Dynasty and even the present dynasty admire righteous acts of blood revenge; there are always thresholds to meet.

Just like the stories of "lying on ice to catch carp" and "carrying oranges to one's parents," not every scholar has the right to put on a show.

Without clan funding for publicity, and without renowned figures praising and extolling his story, no one would care if a poor scholar froze to death on the ice.

The same applies to "adopted daughters" and "chaste widows"; only a very small number of people are praised as exemplary figures.

Otherwise, do you really think that these are the only isolated cases among the forty or fifty million Han people?
From this perspective, whether someone is excellent or not is not important; what matters is whether they have a background.

If one comes from a prominent family, even a spoiled young master who has only studied medical books for two years can become the Imperial Physician in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Of course, they wouldn't cure the emperor's illness, but it would be enough to fool the common people.

If Zhao Yun hadn't been unable to bear seeing the righteous man die unjustly and hadn't helped Hu Liuniang settle the matter, the grass on her grave would be almost as tall as a person.

Fortunately, with Zhao Yun's protection, Hu Liuniang was able to continue running her business.

Although the county temple did not commend her righteous act, Hu Liuniang was famous in the city.

Wandering knights-errant already admired this kind of behavior, and they were even more impressed when they found out she was a woman.

Over time, Hu Liuniang's tavern became a must-pass place for wandering knights from various counties.

Some wandering knights even entrusted their family letters and valuables to her, intending to retrieve them later.

By a twist of fate, Hu Liuniang became the biggest "nest owner" in Zhengding County.

Even after Zhao Yun left Zhending to join the army, Hu Liuniang still thrived in Zhending.

Because if she gave a word, she could summon a group of desperados at any time.

The six people inside the cave at this moment are basically the leading figures in the underground world of Zhen Ding.

A godfather of the underworld? Zhao Yun would never deign to be one.

He wanted to be like Huo Qubing, to be ennobled and appointed as a general, and to have his name recorded in history!

Inside the cave, after helping the group up, Zhao Yun got straight to the point without any further words.

"I believe Zixiu should explain my purpose to everyone, so I won't waste any more words."

After looking around, Zhao Yun bowed solemnly to the group and said, "I ask for your help!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Liuniang and the other six did not hesitate at all, and solemnly replied in unison:

"Death is the only option; it is my duty!"

After saying this, the six people also bowed solemnly in return, and the cave was immediately filled with a solemn atmosphere.

It was as if time had never passed, and the world was still in the Spring and Autumn Period.

In fact, the people of Yan and Zhao were less concerned with righteousness and less concerned with death, and more concerned with the spirit of the ancients.

After a long while, as the others gradually left, Xiahou Lan, who had been standing to the side, felt somewhat worried.

"Brother, can we really rely on these rumors?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun chuckled and said, "These alone are certainly not enough, but adding us makes all the difference."

After saying that, he patted Xiahou Lan's arm and sighed, "Prepare well, the tough battle is about to begin."

Even on his way home, Zhao Yun had already figured out what to do next.

Although this was the first time he had encountered such a situation, fortunately Zhao Yun had read history books and knew about the story of "Peng Yue harassing Chu". After thinking it over, Zhao Yun felt that he might as well follow Peng Yue's old trick.

It should be noted that during the Chu-Han Contention, Peng Yue also led his army deep into Xiang Yu's rear, repeatedly cutting off the Chu army's supply lines and capturing poorly defended cities. Once Xiang Yu led his main force to counterattack, Peng Yue would quickly abandon the cities and retreat, only to return and launch a counterattack later.

Peng Yue used this tactic to greatly deplete the strength of the Chu army and buy time for Liu Bang.

In comparison, isn't his current situation similar to Peng Yue's?

Therefore, regarding the tactical arrangements for the upcoming battle, Zhao Yun only had one sentence:

The form of a mobile army is sometimes active and sometimes still, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak!

He explained repeatedly, and only after confirming that his eight hundred light cavalry understood did he prepare to take action.

……

Let's not even talk about how Zhao Yun planned his scheme while hiding in the valley.

The next day, news of Wei Zhe's "300,000 troops" attacking Ji Province spread in Zhengding.

It is said that "street gossip" is the best place for rumors to spread.

Some idlers, after hearing rumors, even confidently declared that the Wei army would attack Zhen Ding next.

Since Wei Zhe was leading a large army to garrison Xiaquyang, a hundred miles away from Zhen Ding, for a time many people actually believed it to be true, causing widespread panic.

Not only did many merchants flee abroad, but local gentry and powerful families were also anxiously trying to gather information.

After all, Zhen Ding truly "controls the dangers of Taihang and cuts off the vital passage to Hebei."

Historical records state:

If Zhending is secure, then Yan and Zhao will be secure; if Zhending is lost, then Yan and Zhao will be in chaos.

Given its strategic importance, it's perfectly normal for Wei Zhe to want to take it over.

With the help of Hu Liuniang and others, the rumor quickly spread throughout Changshan Kingdom. Even Sun Jin, the Changshan Chancellor of Yuanshi County, heard the news and was greatly alarmed. He quickly gathered his troops to defend the city.

Even Wei Zhe, who was in Xiaquyang, heard about the tense and fearful atmosphere in Changshan Kingdom.

At noon, they entered the Wei army camp at Xiaquyang.

After hearing the scout's report, Wei Zhe, who was in the center of the command tent, couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile.

"It seems Zilong has found a starting point... Hmm, then I'll also stir things up!"

Having said that, he drew a command arrow: "Wen Yuan!"

"Here!" Zhang Liao stepped forward upon hearing the voice, his expression calm.

Wei Zhe immediately tossed him the command token, a slight smirk playing on his lips, and said:

"I'll take two thousand cavalry with me to visit Changshan Kingdom. Remember, make a big show of it and cheer for Zilong."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao immediately understood Wei Zhe's intention: to bluff, simple.

However, Zhang Liao's departure made both Changshan State and Yuan's army in Fucheng suspicious.

Chunyu Qiong was unsure whether Wei Zhe was truly going to attack Julu County or if it was just a feint and his real intention was to attack Changshan State.

After much hesitation, he could only report the matter to the Guangzong camp and ask Yuan Shao to make a decision...

(End of this chapter)