Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 135 Unkind Invitation
After the chief secretary had drafted the reply, Xu Zhao personally handed the letter to Wen Xing, then beat the drum to gather the generals and assemble his troops.

At four quarters past noon in the morning, an army of two thousand men marched out of the north gate of Yuhang and headed northeast.

Only half an hour later, another army of 3,000 men filed out of the north gate and marched towards Shuize Pavilion, 25 miles northeast of Yuhang.

At Juye Pavilion, five miles north of Qiantang, at the hour of Mao in the morning, as soon as the roosters crowed, Yan Yi, dressed in armor, yawned and led more than 20 personal guards towards the largest room in the backyard of the pavilion.

The fifty soldiers guarding the courtyard saluted hurriedly.

Yan Yi knocked on the door a few times, then pushed it open and walked into the room.

The room was covered with soft felt carpets. In the northwest corner stood a bronze lamp stand with more than ten oil lamps hanging from the branches. The flames at the wicks danced, illuminating the room as bright as day.

Not far from the lamp stand, there was a red lacquer desk with four legs shaped like tiger claws. Behind the desk, on a sheepskin mat, sat a tall middle-aged man holding a scroll in one hand. It was Zhu Zhi.

Yan Yi treated Zhu Zhi well. Not only did he try his best to match his status in his daily life, he also did not restrict his freedom. He only required him not to leave the three-mile radius of the pavilion.

Hearing the sound of the door, Zhu Zhi put down the bamboo slips and sat up straight.

Yan Yi walked slowly to the table and bowed, "I'm sorry, General. I hope you can forgive me for any impoliteness."

Six personal guards stood solemnly behind him, their hands on the hilts of their swords, their eyes fixed on Zhu Zhi.

Zhu Zhi looked up at Yan Yi and saw that he was eight feet tall, with a sturdy figure and a heroic look between his brows. Although he was young, he had a calm demeanor. When he looked around, he was intimidating without being angry, and he had the air of a superior. Zhu Zhi immediately guessed his identity.

This is the first time the two have met.

Zhu Zhi was in a complicated mood and said in a cold voice, "As a defeated general, I dare not accept such a gift. You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you."

Yan Yi was wearing armor, so kneeling was not an option. He ordered a couch to be brought in and sat opposite him. "Victory and defeat are common in war. How can one judge a hero by a single victory or defeat? Duke Zhao was once defeated by the Xiongnu, but later he defeated them, captured the King of Xiqi, and commanded great power across the border. General, do not let this momentary setback discourage you. Regroup and fight me again tomorrow."

The Zhao Gong he mentioned was Zhao Chongguo, the general of the Former Han Dynasty and the commander of the Water Conservancy Bureau.

Zhao Chongguo spent his whole life in military service. He defeated the Xiongnu in the north and pacified the Di and Qiang in the west. He made great contributions to stabilizing the borders of the Western Han Dynasty and safeguarding the revival of the inland area for recuperation. He was listed in the Kirin Pavilion. His achievements were no less than those of Wei and Huo, and in some aspects even surpassed them.

Cao Cao's military farming system was first proposed by Zhao Chongguo and was implemented in the frontier more than two hundred years ago.

Zhu Zhi looked surprised. He had not expected Yan Yi to openly express his intention to release him. His heart beat faster.

But he was no longer naive and knew that the other party would never let him go easily. He said in a deep voice: "Young Master, what do you want? You may as well speak frankly."

Yan Yi knew full well that the possibility of this man surrendering was slim, so he didn't bother to waste any more words on the subject. He smiled and said, "I have three unwelcome requests. If you can do this, General, I will immediately escort you out of the country with courtesy."

Zhu Zhi's heart trembled, and he put his hands on his knees, listening attentively.

Yan Yi observed his expression and spoke slowly.

"First, please persuade Wu Jing to withdraw his troops from Guzhang. The two armies will establish a one-year truce with Guzhang as the boundary. Both sides will issue a proclamation to all counties and prefectures in Jiangdong to enforce this."

"Secondly, I hope the general can raise 50 million yuan as compensation for the losses suffered by our army."

"The last matter is just a small matter. I intend to recruit General Chen Xian, one of your cavalry generals. I hope you can persuade him to surrender."

After hearing these three conditions, Zhu Zhi was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. He resisted the urge to overturn the table and refused without hesitation.

Yan Yi sighed deeply and said, "General, please think twice. Compared to your life, these three conditions are not excessive." Zhu Zhi said sternly, "Don't even think about one, let alone three!"

Yan Yi stood up suddenly and asked in a cold voice, "General, do you want to save your life?"

Zhu Zhi stood up and pointed at his own head, sneering, "Here's my head, come and take it! Within ten months, I'll have you buried with me!"

Yan Yi pondered and said, "What do you mean by that?"

Zhu Zhi snorted coldly, raised his head and said nothing.

A trace of murderous intent flashed in Yan Yi's eyes, and he said in a cold tone, "Shi and your family are all in my hands. Do you want to test the sharpness of my sword?"

Zhu Zhi sneered, "Your relatives will be buried with you!"

Yan Yi took two steps back and said coldly, "You only have face if I give it to you. If I don't, you are just a stray dog. Come on, tie him up!"

The personal guards behind him rushed forward, pinned Zhu Zhi to the ground, and tied him up tightly.

Zhu Zhi thought he was going to be beheaded, and he struggled and cursed.

A guard slapped him in the face, leaving a red mark on his cheek. He then took out a rag and stuffed it into his mouth, and the cursing immediately turned into a stammering groan.

Zhu Zhi had never suffered such humiliation in his life. He was so angry that he almost fainted and struggled even more violently.

Two guards dragged him towards the north gate of the camp.

Yan Yi turned and walked out of the house, thinking to himself that Zhu Zhi's expression and words just now seemed quite confident, which made people dare not take it lightly.

The only person this person relies on is Wu Jingjun. It seems that Wu Jingjun's advancement speed may be faster than he expected.

Wu Jingjun is now approaching Guzhang. He must have some way to quickly capture Guzhang.

While Yan Yi was thinking, he rode his horse towards the north gate of the camp.

The camp was empty, and along the way one could see tents that had not yet been dismantled and bonfires. As the sky gradually brightened, some soldiers were putting out the bonfires.

When Yan Yi arrived at the north gate, he saw soldiers lining up in square formations like tofu blocks.

At this time, 5,000 troops had arrived at Juye Pavilion, of which 2,000 with weaker combat effectiveness were sent by him to guard the strongholds and important roads in the east, west and south directions of Qiantang. There were only 3,000 troops in the camp, of which 430 were cavalry led by Xu Sheng.

Not long after, the three thousand soldiers lined up and marched towards the south gate of Qiantang under the guidance of the military flags.

Yan Yi was riding a horse in the center of the army, surrounded by generals such as Xu Sheng, Si Qing, Fan Yan, Li Chou, Zhao Cuo, and Fan Yi. Also accompanying him was Zhu Zhi, who was tied up and was being pressed on a conspicuous white horse.

Half an hour later, the entire army arrived at the northwest corner of Qiantang city wall.

Yan Yi ordered all soldiers to march in formation only 350 steps away from the city wall, and his intention to demonstrate was obvious.

In addition, the purpose was to let the defenders take a good look at Zhu Zhi in order to shake their morale and undermine their fighting spirit.

(End of this chapter)