Han officials

Chapter 324 Seeking Survival Amidst Death [4K]

When Wei Zhe received the report from the governor of Guangling, he was already within the territory of Liang.

"Yan Xiang?"

Looking at the names in the military report, Wei Zhe couldn't help but burst into laughter:
"To capture Yuan Shu's ministers before even engaging in battle—is this not the will of Heaven?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhao, who was standing nearby, immediately smiled and chimed in:
"Your Highness acts on behalf of Heaven, and naturally you will be invincible!"

Even Xun You nodded and sighed with a smile:

"Those who act justly will find many supporters, while those who act unjustly will find few; the ancients were truly right!"

Seeing this, Wei Zhe became even more spirited and immediately stopped his horse and gave the order:
"Send word to Jiangdu to send Yan Xiang to the Chen County camp and keep him under close guard!"

"Is Your Highness going to use him as a sacrifice for the flag?" Xi Zhicai asked with curiosity.

Wei Zhe stroked his beard and smiled smugly, saying, "That depends on whether this person knows what's good for him!"

If Yan Xiang refuses to surrender, Wei Zhe will naturally not be lenient and will surely execute Yan Xiang to deter Yuan's army.

If Yan Xiang is willing to surrender, Wei Zhe would not mind letting him go, and might even appoint him as the governor of Runan.

In this way, we can use Yan Xiangzhi's words to expose Yuan's army's intentions!

Whether he is dead or alive, Yan Xiang can become a sharp blade in Wei Zhe's hands.

Not to mention how furious Yuan Shu was.

As the various Wei armies gradually arrived, the countdown to the start of the war was drawing to a close.

Tai Shici led 20,000 men of the left army to garrison Jiangdu, while Wei Zhe led 20,000 men of the central army to garrison Chenxian.

Zhang Liao was the only one in trouble, because he had to start from scratch with 20,000 troops in the right army.

……

On this day, in the suburbs of Luoyang.

Looking at the endless golden wheat fields before him, Shi Sunrui's eyes were full of smiles.

"Ziping is truly a man of great talent for governing the world!"

Since Shi Sunrui entrusted Zao Zhi with the management of the military farms in Henan and Yingchuan, the grain harvest of the Han army in Luoyang has increased dramatically this year, especially with the large number of newly established military farms providing a large amount of rice to the granaries.

However, upon hearing this, Zao Zhi showed no sign of pride. Instead, he sighed softly:

"The land of Yi and Luo is the ancient land of the Three Dynasties. It is fertile and crisscrossed by rivers, making it an auspicious place."

"If the world hadn't been in chaos, even if I had given up everything, I probably still wouldn't have been able to afford a single acre of fertile land in Luoyang."

"This gain is merely a matter of going with the flow; it's nothing to boast about!"

Upon hearing Zao Zhi's words, Shi Sunrui couldn't help but show a look of melancholy.

Indeed, while the military settlements were supposedly reclaimed land, they were actually mostly cultivating arable land.

After all, since the time of Yu the Great, this Yi-Luo Plain has been the core area of ​​the Central Xia Dynasty.

After the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties opened up the land, and the Qin and Han dynasties managed it, almost all the land on this plain that could be used to grow grain had been developed, and there was hardly any wasteland left.

In addition, with its dense network of waterways and irrigation canals built throughout history, fertile land in Luoyang has long been priceless.

If it weren't for the chaos and turmoil of those times, these fertile fields would never have been left barren, overgrown with weeds.

Thus, no matter how skilled Zao Zhi was at land reclamation, he was nothing more than a tree without roots.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; this is a perfect example.

However, despite his modesty, Shi Sunrui was aware of his contributions.

It should be noted that before Zao Zhi took over, the Henan Yin region had this advantage, but it was not utilized.

It was only by mobilizing these human and material resources and utilizing the efficient system of military farming that the Luoyang treasury was filled.

In today's world, food is the most precious thing, even more valuable than gold.

Therefore, Sun Rui's feelings just now were truly from the bottom of his heart, and he even regretted not meeting him sooner.

After a moment's thought, Shi Sunrui chuckled and said:
"Since the manor is currently short of manpower, how about we ask Ziping to temporarily serve as the Chief Clerk?"

Upon hearing this, Zao Zhi glanced at Shi Sunrui with surprise, quite shocked.

It should be noted that among the officers under the Commandant of the Capital Region, the Assistant Commandant and the Chief Clerk are the most powerful.

Now Cao Gaogui is appointed as the Chief Administrator, Lü Bu as the Military Advisor, and Shi Sunmeng as the Clerk Advisor.

If he were to become the Chief Clerk again, the Cao family's influence among the Han army in Luoyang would surely increase significantly, and they might even be able to sideline Shi Sunduan.

Seeing Shi Sunrui's sincere eyes, Zao Zhi ultimately said nothing, but bowed solemnly.

However, just as the two were watching with satisfaction as many soldiers harvested wheat in the field, a rapid sound of hooves suddenly rang out. Their hearts tightened, and they looked in the direction of the sound, only to see that Sergeant Sun Meng was galloping towards them on the official road.

Before he even reached the two men, Shi Sunmeng couldn't wait to leap off his horse. He stumbled a few steps and nearly fell to the ground, his face covered in dust, looking quite disheveled.

But Shi Sunmeng couldn't care less about that at all, and quickly walked up to Shi Sunrui and said urgently:
"Father, hurry back to the manor! The Wei army is attacking!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Sunrui and Zao Zhi were immediately stunned.

Didn't Wei Zhe go to attack Yuan Shu? Why is he causing trouble for them again?
Before the two could ask, Shi Sunmeng explained anxiously:
"Zhang Liao, the Left General of Wei, under the pretext of pursuing the remnants of Cao Cao's army, has stationed troops in Hanoi and is attacking Xiaopingjin Pass."

Upon hearing this, Shi Sunduan was caught off guard.

He never expected that instead of the Wei army and the Yuan army fighting, they, the spectators, would suffer the consequences.

However, since Dong Zhuo entered the capital, Shi Sunrui has seen too many big scenes and has developed a good mentality.

Even though he was anxious, he didn't lose his composure and calmly instructed Zao Zhi:
"Things have changed, and the autumn harvest must be expedited immediately. If necessary, people from all over Henan can be mobilized."

Zao Zhi knew the gravity of the matter and immediately said seriously:
"Rest assured, Your Excellency, you can leave the matter of grain to me!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Sunduan said nothing more. After patting Zao Zhi's arm forcefully, he hurriedly mounted his horse and left.

……

A moment later, at Jinyong City.

Upon returning to the Sili Commandant's Office, Shi Sunrui quickly received numerous urgent military reports.

Some were issuing warnings, others were asking for help.

After some thought, Shi Sunrui's face immediately turned serious.

At this moment, the others also arrived one after another after hearing the noise, each with an anxious expression.

Upon seeing this, Shi Sunrui briefly explained the situation.

In fact, not only is there an enemy in Hanoi County, but Yangwu County, east of Henan Yin, has also sent a letter requesting assistance, indicating that the Wei army in Dongjun has also begun to invade, and the momentum is very strong.

According to Yangwu County, the enemy's banner bore the words "Sun, Commandant of the Vanquishing Army," so the visitor must be Sun Ce.

Shi Sunrui frowned and said:

"With Fengxian here at Xiaopingjin Pass, there shouldn't be any major problems in the short term."

"Only this Sun Ce, he is quite like his father, and his actions are extremely fierce. I'm afraid the southern counties will have a hard time resisting him."

Speaking of which, it was Zhang Liao, Sun Ce, and others who defeated the Han army in Luoyang and seized the Hanoi Commandery a while ago.

Therefore, while other Wei generals like Shi Sunrui might not know this, they were well aware of the prowess of these two men.

So he immediately looked at Cao Ang and said, "Zixiu, this man is in your hands. You must stop him."

Cao Ang did not take it lightly upon hearing this. He nodded solemnly and prepared to leave.

Unexpectedly, Shi Sunrui suddenly called out to him, gritting his teeth and saying:

"If we really cannot resist, then we should delay the time and try to transport the grain and fodder from the southern counties into Chengfu Pass."

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials couldn't help but show great surprise.

After all, Shi Sunrui's words undoubtedly indicated that he was prepared to abandon the counties of Henan outside Xuanmen Pass.

So, even if they manage to defend the eight passes of Luoyang, what will they have left?
In such a small place, even if one could survive, it would be nothing more than a feeble existence. Whether it's a counterattack on Guanzhong or an attack on Wei, it would all remain mere wishful thinking.

At that point, besides surrendering, they will probably only have death to await them.

Thinking of this, Cao Ang couldn't help but stop in his tracks, his brows furrowed as he said:

"Your Excellency... what exactly do you mean by this?"

Cao Ang felt it was necessary for him to figure out Shi Sunrui's true thoughts.

Otherwise, if he were to risk his life at the front and Shi Sunrui were to suddenly surrender at the back, then the entire Cao family would be doomed!

Although the Wei army has little reputation for killing surrendered soldiers, they would probably not let people like them go.

As Cao Ang spoke, Cao Zhang, Xiahou Heng, Xiahou Chong, Man Chong, and Mao Jie all silently looked at Shi Sunrui.

Seeing this, Shi Sunrui knew that he had to give an explanation.

Otherwise, their internal divisions would have occurred before the Wei army even arrived.

After a moment of silence, Shi Sunrui sighed softly and chose to be frank:
"Although I hate to admit it, I'm afraid we'll have a hard time holding on this time."

"Within three months at most, the Wei army will likely be at the city gates, after all... Luoyang was originally captured by Wei Zhe."

Upon hearing his words, everyone fell silent, speechless.

But they also had to admit that Shi Sunrui was right.

Back then, Dong Zhuo was so powerful, and the Liangzhou army was even more aggressive and arrogant. Yet Wei Zhe still managed to fight his way from Yanzhou into Henan Yin, capturing Ao Cang, breaking through three passes, and reaching the walls of Luoyang. He then defeated Dong Zhuo, drove out the Liangzhou army, and occupied all eight passes of Luoyang.

It can be said that the foundation of the Han army in Luoyang today was laid by Wei Zhe ten years ago.

Now, ten years later, the Han army in Luoyang is still not as good as the Liangzhou army under Dong Zhuo in the past, while the Wei army under Wei Zhe has been through many battles and is far superior to the past.

In comparison, it was only a matter of time before the Wei army captured Luoyang.

When Shi Sunrui revealed this cold reality, the atmosphere in the hall immediately became deathly silent.

However, Shi Sunrui looked relieved.

He touched the table in front of him with some reluctance, shook his head, and sighed:

"This Jinyong City was originally established by Wei Zhe, but I never thought that today I would have to return it to him."

Upon hearing this, Man Chong immediately frowned and said:
"Then where should we go from here?"

"Let's go to Yingchuan!"

Without further hesitation, Shi Sunrui said with a firm look in his eyes:

"Xiaopingjin Pass and Xuanmen Pass are still in our hands. As long as we hold them for a month, we can transport all the soldiers, armor and provisions of Luoyang across Xuanyuan Pass and retreat into Yingchuan."

"With our military supplies still intact and our main force not lost, we still have a fighting chance!"

"Then what should we do next?" Cao Ang asked, puzzled.

After all, if Yingchuan Commandery could have been defended, why would he have led the remnants of Cao Cao's army to surrender to the Han army in Luoyang?

Without the natural defenses of the eight passes of Luoyang, the mere Yingchuan Commandery would have been no match for the Wei army.

However, Cao Ang understood these principles, and Shi Sunrui naturally understood them as well.

He lifted the map on the table and pointed to Kunyang County in Yingchuan Prefecture, saying:
"After we have gathered all the supplies in Yingchuan, we can then march west and attack Nanyang."

"Now that Yuan Shu is mired in a quagmire and has no time to spare, if we launch a full-scale attack, we have a very high chance of defeating Yuan Shu's army in Nanyang and taking over Nanyang County."

"At that time, whether to ally with Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, or to go through Wuguan and continue to attack Guanzhong, can be discussed again."

As Shi Sunrui finished speaking, Cao Ang and the others seemed to be deep in thought.

After a moment, Mao Jie couldn't help but admire him:
"Remaining calm and composed in the face of danger, Your Excellency is truly a pillar of the nation!"

There was no other way; as Shi Sunrui had said, the Han army in Luoyang was now in a dead end.

If they stubbornly hold onto Luoyang and refuse to give up, even with the eight passes of Luoyang, they will probably not escape their fate of destruction.

However, if they follow Shi Sunrui's plan to leave Luoyang and use Nanyang as their base, they might have a chance to survive.

Most importantly, Yuan Shu's reputation is now completely ruined. By attacking the rebel army in the name of the royal army, they have gained the moral high ground and can reduce the resistance in Nanyang County to some extent.

From this perspective, "attacking Yuan Shu and seizing Nanyang" is indeed an excellent choice.

On the other side, Cao Ang nodded after much deliberation and couldn't help but say:

"Your Excellency is truly a man of great talent, and I admire you greatly."

However, Shi Sunrui shook his head with a wry smile:

"He's not much of a talent; he's just a paperhanger."

……

Meanwhile, as Shi Sunrui was preparing to move in Luoyang, Yangwu County finally fell.

On the city wall, looking at the "Wei" banner rising high, Sun Ce, whose armor was covered in bits of flesh, was overjoyed.

It's just that his cheerful smile seemed somewhat out of place against the devilish atmosphere.

However, Sun Ce didn't care at all, and instead sat comfortably on the corpses of the guards to rest.

He now understands that to achieve great things, one must first choose the right people.

If you follow the wrong leader, the harder you try, the more likely you are to achieve the opposite of what you want.

Take his father, for example. He followed Yuan Shu in his campaigns, but in the end, he lost his life and all his efforts were in vain.

Unlike him, who had the foresight to recognize talent early on and chose Wei Zhe as a wise ruler.

Now that the Sun family has established a firm foothold in Ye City, they will likely have a place in the new dynasty in the future.

The Sun family of Fuchun will likely become a prominent family in Guandong in the future.

“Father, you were too reckless back then.”

Looking at the setting sun on the horizon, Sun Ce couldn't help but complain.

"If you had followed Lord Wei earlier, I wouldn't have had to take so many detours now."

In Sun Ce's mind, if his father had gone to Liaodong to join the Duke of Wei after returning from Liangzhou, Taishi Ci would probably be inferior to his father now, and would not have ended up in such a miserable state.

Of course, the son was just speaking from the heart and didn't really mean to blame his father.

Just as Sun Ce was rambling on, Huang Gai walked up, his armor covered in blood.

"Young Master, everything in the city has been tidied up."

Sun Ce nodded upon hearing this: "Let's set up camp outside the city and continue our journey tomorrow."

In this respect, Sun Ce was different from Sun Jian; having spent a long time in the Wei army, he had also learned to restrain himself.

After all, the governor of Henan was right under Ye City's nose, making governance incredibly easy after its recapture.

If Sun Ce commits excessive slaughter in this area, he will likely face punishment upon his return.

However, Sun Ce suddenly remembered something and immediately spoke up:

"Any news from Yuanwu County?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Gai couldn't help but scratch his head, and after thinking for a moment, he decided to tell the truth:
"...Just received news that Commander Guo launched a surprise attack on Yuanwu, captured the city in half a day, and is now at Juan County."

In fact, Shi Sunrui was unaware that there were two Wei armies that had entered Henan Yin from Dongjun.

Sun Ce led one force, while Guo Huai led another, each leading 5,000 troops toward Luoyang.

However, Guo Huai acted too quickly, launching a surprise attack and capturing Yuanwu County before the garrison could even send out the news.

Upon hearing Huang Gai's words, Sun Ce immediately snorted coldly in dissatisfaction:
"Hmph, the outcome is still uncertain, let him be smug for now!"
-
Haha, I got rejected on my blind date, I'm a little down.

Writing is still better, and two-dimensional characters are nice too. I don't think we necessarily need real people O(∩_∩)O haha~
(End of this chapter)