"When the army enters the Sanguan Pass, the troops will lead the army to surrender, and the princes and princes will rush forward." [Commentary to General Wu's School Division]
Bajun, Chongguo County.
Zhang Lu's general Yang Bo looked at the lights dotted in the tents outside the city and sighed for no reason. He followed Zhang Lu all the way from Hanzhong over the mountains and fled to Bajun. He thought he could leave Wang Shi behind in the mountains.
This place was given a breather, but who would have expected that the imperial army was like a heavenly army, quickly breaking through Baishui, Jiameng and other passes, and within a few days and nights they were in contact with them again.
The imperial officers and soldiers are so strong, how can we fight this battle in the end?
"I don't think there is any need to continue this war." A bearded man wearing a foreign costume and a willow-leaf-like weapon around his waist walked towards him, followed by a young man with handsome features.
The big man ignored the astonished looks of others and said directly: "The Emperor of the Han Dynasty is a sage, but if he surrenders, he will be treated favorably. Even Zhang Wei is staying well in the enemy camp. What else does Master have to worry about? Is it difficult?
No, do you really think we can rise again?"
Yang Bo was a head shorter than the other party in terms of both size and aura. Moreover, he had been thinking about this matter for a long time, and he was leaning towards the other party's position. So his tone couldn't help but soften, and he sighed and said: "I think so too,
However, Master’s thoughts are unpredictable, and we can’t say much from the sidelines.”
"If Master Shi had not been kind to our people, how could I have led my people against the emperor of the Han family!" This man was one of the leaders of the Jin people in Bajun, Du Yi, the Marquis of Xi Yi, because Zhang Lu once practiced evil among the Jin people.
Fu Shui saved the people and made many benevolences. The tribesmen also believed in the Five Pecks of Rice method. So this time Zhang Lu was in trouble, Du Yi, Pu Hu and others came to help with the Yi soldiers.
However, favors belong to favors, and interests belong to interests. Du Yi and others are not stupid. The young men under his command are only inferior iron swords at best. When they see the armored and powerful infantry battalion led by Xu Huang under the city, how can they defeat them?
Over the other party? At this time, of course he would not think about dying with Zhang Lu, but thinking about the past friendship, he still had to think about Zhang Lu.
He first expressed his anti-war stance: "Hundreds of years ago, when Emperor Gao was still the king of Han, we and other people sent troops to accompany him. Speaking of which, the Han family and our people also have hundreds of years of kindness. During this period,
We have never violated each other. Even the emperor of the Han Dynasty rewarded us more. I, the Marquis of Jiyi, was given by the emperor of the Han Dynasty!"
Then he took out an ancient gold seal from his arms. The color of the gold seal was dull, not as bright as if it had just been cast. The ribbon that tied him was no longer the original one. It was not the same as that of an ordinary marquis.
The difference between the gold seal and the gold seal is that this gold seal is specially designed to be awarded to foreign vassal states in the form of a snake button. The small golden snake is coiled on the seal. Under the light of the fire, its two eyes are shining.
The light is as if it is alive.
Du Yi regarded it as a treasure and held the seal ribbon with several official script characters engraved on the bottom, "Han Gui Yi Xi Yi Hou Jin Seal", waved it in front of Yang Bo, and then said: "Now the officers and soldiers have arrived at the city, we are waiting for you.
If it is not without a plan, I really don’t want to be an enemy of them. The same should be true for Master, otherwise, why would you give up Langzhong County for nothing and dedicate your hands to them?"
"The Marquis of Yiyi wants me to be a lobbyist?" Yang Bo felt a little nervous when he saw the golden snake button. He looked away uncomfortably and said with a wry smile. He is just a military commander.
He didn't have much talent for fighting, so he started early with Zhang Lu and was pious and loyal enough, so he was brought by Zhang Lu to control his own soldiers. Now, with Zhang Lu's ambiguous attitude, he went to test... who knows what will happen.
As a result, no one in this group of scammers is honest!
Du Yi is actually a representative sent by the seven surnamed Yi kings in Bajun. These high-level Yi people often do not have the fanatical belief in the Five Dou Rice Road like the common people at the bottom. They naturally respect the gods, but for the afterlife, this life is more worthwhile.
Pursue.
They had already discussed it in private. They would discuss it with Zhang Lu first. If Zhang Lu insisted on resisting, they would help fight a battle. No matter whether they won or lost, this battle would be worthy of Zhang Lu's past kindness. What followed was
Wherever it goes is up to them.
Just as he was thinking this, a man suddenly stood on the edge of the city wall, holding a torch and saying, "Who's down there!"
Yang Bo was startled. He leaned on the city wall and looked down. The soldiers around him also raised their bows and arrows, raised their torches and looked down. He saw a man in his thirties standing next to the brazier outside the city gate, which was used to prevent sneak attacks at night.
A middle-aged man in his early years, with a medium build, stood beside a brazier burning with blazing flames, looking up at the arrows protruding from the city wall without fear.
"I am Cheng Ji in Langzhong. I have been ordered to see Zhang Gongqi. I also hope that the hanging basket will be lowered from the city and I will be pulled up."
"Is it Mr. Ji Ran?" Du Yi heard Cheng Ji's name. He was a rare Han tycoon in Ba County. He was known for his integrity and courage, and was admired by Han and other people.
Yang Bo knew that the other party was a famous person from Bajun and a lobbyist sent from the opposite camp. He couldn't help but feel relieved, secretly thinking that it was finally not his turn to be the first to test Zhang Lu's tone.
So he immediately asked someone to put down the hanging basket and pulled Cheng Ji up. Before Yang Bo could say anything, Du Yi stepped forward and said: "Ji Ran is fine! Master is in the house, I will escort him right away.
."
After saying that, he pointed to the handsome young follower behind him and said on his own initiative: "He Ping, take someone to send Ji Rangong to find his master!"
The young man named 'He Ping' clasped his fists in response and glanced at Du Yi. The two briefly exchanged glances and understood each other. Then, without waiting for Yang Bo to speak, he politely led Cheng Ji down to the city.
.
Du Yi quickly smiled proudly, and seeing that Yang Bo's expression was a little unnatural, he reached out and patted the other party's shoulder, and said with a warm smile: "A reckless man, in a moment of impatience, stole your job from me, brother.
Don’t be surprised!”
Yang Bo forced out a smile and responded with a few words of discomfort.
Cheng Ji's eyes were sophisticated, and he had already noticed something unusual from the subtleties. Walking on the deserted street, he saw that the guards following him were all dressed as ordinary people, and he suddenly had an idea in his mind. He remained calm.
asked: "General He is a Han?"
He Ping walked very slowly. He was tall and tall, with distinct facial features and a very different appearance. This gave Cheng Ji such a guess.
"I am from Danqu County. My loving mother's surname is He, and she is a native of the local area. Because my parents died early, my father's family has no one, so I was raised in my mother's family since I was a child. My mother's surname is He." He Ping's expression was a bit unnatural, and he reluctantly
smiled.
It turned out that he had the blood of a man. From his tone, it didn't sound like there was no one in his father's family, but that he had some unclear resentment with his father's family. Cheng Ji thought in his heart that he didn't seem to see the other person's face and still didn't know.
He asked seriously: "Then, what is your family name?"
"The surname is Wang." He Ping's face turned dark.
Du Ji asked again: "Have you ever learned to read?"
He Ping pursed his lips, his steps suddenly quickened, and he said, "I have been in the army since I was a child. I have never read anything, and I know nothing more than crosses."
Du Jian saw that the other party was well-groomed but could not understand the words, so he couldn't help but said with some regret: "That's a pity. If you have the chance, you might as well use your father's surname instead. My father is the head of the family and he carries on the ancestral lineage. How can your family be like this?"
We can't let this end our marriage." His tone was sincere and sincere, as if He Ping, a man who loves talents and cherishes them, planned wholeheartedly: "When my father's surname is changed, I will recite several chapters of "Tai Shi Gong Shu" to you."
He Ping's face was stunned, and the feeling of injustice in his heart also disappeared. Due to the special growing environment in his childhood, he was originally a narrow-minded and suspicious person. Now Cheng Ji mobilized his emotions in a few words and returned the favor.
To receive such a great favor is not necessarily just a matter of praising one's talents.
He thought for a moment, then an idea flashed in his mind, and he responded tactfully: "Thank you so much, Mr. Cheng! I will come and ask for advice after three days!"
Three days later, Du Yi, Pu Hu and others made a private agreement to guard the deadline for Zhang Lu to surrender the country. At that time, the country changed hands. If Cheng Ji still remembered this promise, He Ping would naturally go to ask for advice.
After hearing this, Cheng Ji understood a little bit and nodded. Seeing Zhang Lu's door getting closer and closer, he finally asked softly: "Does Zhang Gongqi know about this?"
He Ping immediately shook his head and said, "This is a private matter between Mr. Cheng and me. Why does Master need to know about it?"
Cheng Ji took his pulse accurately and was more confident than when he came. He walked into the mansion confidently. Yan Pu was stunned when he saw him, and he was confused for a moment. He didn't think that the other party's posture was to persuade him to surrender, but
It's like they came to negotiate terms directly.
However, his reaction was quite timely and he immediately greeted him with a smile. He was from Anhan in Brazil, and the two families had always interacted with each other. They were both scholars, and the other party had a large army to rely on, so Yan Pu spoke very cordially:
"We haven't seen you for many years. Is Ji Ran okay?"
"Zhongnong, you are getting fatter and fatter." Cheng Ji pointed to Yan Pu's belt with a smile, then suppressed his smile and said, "Where is Zhang Gongqi? I have been ordered by the imperial court to inform you."
He looked around and saw that there was no one else around, so he took Yan Pu's hand and said, "Liu Junlang has died of illness, and Gaofu Jun of Shu County is now in charge of Yizhou. Now Guanghan, Shu County and other places have sent Duke Pei, the captain of the Sili School, to
If you surrender, the situation is over, and your defeat will only take a moment! Zhang Gongqi is just a Taoist, and the sins on his back are not small. Do you really want to die with him? Now that you have done everything, you should do it for yourself and for you.
The whole family has plans for his death."
Hearing that the situation in Yizhou was gradually becoming clearer, Yan Pu was silent in his heart, and then he smiled and said: "I have my own plan for this. Come, please take a seat first. You and I haven't seen each other for a long time, so we might as well have a good chat tonight."
In this side room, Cheng Ji couldn't help but ask: "Why, you didn't take me to see Zhang Gongqi?"
He thought in his heart that Yan Pu was an outlier among the scholars in Bajun. He was loyal to Zhang Lu and willing to do his job. When Zhang Lu had just established a foothold in Hanzhong, he sent people to Bajun to recruit scholars. At that time, Cheng Ji also suffered
However, he despised the Five Pecks of Rice Road and refused to obey orders. Instead, Yan Pu went north alone. Now he came to persuade him to surrender on behalf of the court. According to Yan Pu's intelligence and loyalty, how could he be in a hurry to introduce himself to Zhang Lu? How could he deliberately introduce himself to Zhang Lu?
Stay and delay?
Yan Pu was fat and strong. He couldn't help but pull Cheng Ji down to sit on the couch. Then he said with a smile: "I will give you an answer to your request after tonight. Just wait and see."
Bar."
"It seems that Zhang Gongqi has made a decision?" Cheng Ji stared at Yan Pu's subtle expression and suddenly understood something.
"Master Shijun gathered troops in Hanzhong and cut off the plank road in front; he refused to defend himself and resisted Wang Shi in the rear. This crime is not small to say the least. Now, although I have advised him to leave the Hanzhong treasury and property to befriend Wang Shi,
He also retreated to Bajun to gather the crowd, just to make the imperial court pay more attention to his master. In the future, if he surrenders, he will have enough confidence to exchange for more favors and preferential treatment." Yan Pu told his inner plan one by one.
.
Cheng Ji knew the attitude of the Yi kings under Zhang Lu, and wanted to use this as leverage to negotiate with the imperial court? Isn't it child's play? He smiled disapprovingly and said: "Since there has been a serious crime, the soldiers here alone want to be pardoned by the imperial court.
, or even preferential treatment, which is a lack of sincerity. In the future, people all over the world will take this as an example and follow suit one after another. What should the imperial court do? Let bygones be bygones?"
As a partial force sent by Pei Mao, Xu Huang did not have much authority to make serious promises. He only had a few words entrusted to him by Xun You and others, so Cheng Ji had nothing to offer when he came back to persuade him to surrender.
Conditions were met. What they were thinking was that now that the situation was clear and the imperial court was sure of victory, Zhang Lu surrendered, which would only absolve him of his crime. It was almost impossible to obtain more rewards.
Yan Pu also knew this, so the top priority was to find a scapegoat first and put the blame on one person, so that he would have something to talk about in the future.
As for the undercurrent of Zhang Lu's group of gangsters, although Zhang Lu didn't know about it, Yan Pu still noticed some clues from it. However, he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he thought that as long as Zhang Lu made up his mind to surrender, he could use his help.
Prestige unites these people. As long as everyone gathers together, the court will not despise them, and they can sell themselves for the highest price.
Cheng Ji also understood this. He glanced at He Ping who was guarding outside the door, nodded slightly and said, "Then, who is Zhang Gongqi going to kill tonight?"
Yan Pu smiled inexplicably and said in a low voice: "You should ask who is planning to kill Shijun tonight."
The front hall was brightly lit, and Zhang Lu held a banquet to entertain guests on the night of the twelfth lunar month.
Li Shu and Jiang He from Wudu and Li Xiu from Nanyang were all present.
Zhang and Lu suddenly met each other in the middle of the night. They didn't know what was going on. They were fidgeting in the seats and wanted to ask, but when they saw Zhang Lu's indifferent expression, they didn't dare to speak.
It wasn't until the maid had brought the food and wine that Zhang Lu said, "Luo Yao isn't here yet?"
Li Xiu sneered and said with unclear meaning: "Maybe I'm afraid of the Hongmen Banquet hosted by Master, so I don't dare to come!" After he finished speaking in a sinister tone, he couldn't help but cast a probing look at Zhang Lu.
"Who says I don't dare to come? I should punish him with a bowl." As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Yao walked in from the outside with his head wrapped in a yellow scarf and his chest held high, followed by a big man who was following Luo Yao.
The Yellow Turban Thief Wang Dang, who fled all the way from Guanzhong to this place.
Seeing that it was Wang Dang who came, Li Shu twitched his brows and said with a smile: "Come as soon as you come, why did you bring a guard?"
Jiang He also saw the sword hanging on Wang Dang's waist, and then he realized what he was doing, swallowed his saliva, and said falsely: "Yes, since he has brought a guard, we might as well let him go to the side room to drink, and let a few beautiful maids
Go and serve.”
Luo Yao smiled coldly and ignored these two people who were following the wind. He said frankly to Zhang Lu: "Didn't you say this is the Hongmen Banquet? Of course I can't live without Fan Kuai."