Chapter 322 Cao, Sun, Liu, and the Big Three at the end of the Han Dynasty meet for the first time!
The biting north wind blew over Wancheng, taking away the gloom but not the laughter and joy that filled the city.
Wearing a velvet winter coat and a mink velvet cloak, Liu Bei led his horse and walked on the streets of Wancheng. He looked at the endless stream of people in the city and felt the rare traffic in winter, and he felt a sense of pride in his heart.
Although I haven't been here for only half a year, it feels like I have traveled through time and space, arrived at the world of Datong in the sages' books, and seen the prosperity of the Han Dynasty decades later.
"good!"
Thousands of feelings gathered into one word.
Liu Bei's soft eyes swept across the crowds. He felt in his heart that the Han Dynasty was hopeful for revitalization. He twisted his beard and said, "This is suitable for the prosperity of our great Han Dynasty."
"Yide!"
Liu Bei turned his head and glanced at the man next to him, as if he was encouraged in his heart: "We in Xinye will have to work hard next year to strive for the prosperity of Wancheng during the winter festival."
"kindness."
Zhang Fei nodded affirmatively: "Yes, we will definitely do it! We have recovered a lot of fertile farmland this year, and we have set up a high-tube transfer car in advance. We will definitely catch up with Wancheng next year."
"Let's go."
Liu Bei waved his hand and looked at the four-story high-rise building at the intersection: "Not far ahead is the post house where we will stay. I heard that many county magistrates in Nanyang, as well as generals such as Zhang Liao and Cao Cao, are also coming. Already."
Zhang Fei's eyes flashed with expectation: "Cao Cao was just promoted to General of the Armed Guard by His Majesty. He fought extremely brilliantly in the two battles this year. I think he will definitely be the one who shines the brightest."
"pity......"
At this thought, Zhang Fei felt a little lonely: "We haven't had a chance to go to the battlefield yet, otherwise we will never perform worse than Cao Cao."
How could Liu Bei not know what Zhang Fei was thinking: "Okay, let's let you participate in the riding competition next year, isn't it? If you can be selected, it would be good to go and experience it for two years."
"really?"
Zhang Fei looked in disbelief: "Brother, do you agree with me to participate in the riding competition?"
Liu Bei nodded: "Before, Xinye was busy with government affairs and needed your help. Now that the army is in charge of the army, I have an uncle to help me with government affairs. The court has also sent many capable officials. Big brother is busy."
"Wolf Cavalry and Leopard Cavalry are places where heroes gather. If you can be selected, you will give me a good study. When you return in the future, you will form a cavalry."
Zhang Fei was ecstatic in his heart and hurriedly patted his chest as a guarantee: "Brother, don't worry, I will definitely be elected as the leader of the Wolf Cavalry. If I don't embarrass my brother, Lu Bu is also worthy of being the Wolf King?"
"snort!"
The fighting spirit in Zhang Fei's heart burned fiercely at this moment: "Then you have to ask me first whether Zhang Fei will answer or not. I will sit down on this black horse and answer or not!"
Liu Bei smiled: "I am a flying general."
"Flying General?"
Zhang Fei didn't take it seriously at all, and said proudly: "So what? I will destroy his flying general!"
Liu Bei twirled his beard, looked up to the sky and laughed: "Okay, okay, you are awesome, that's it."
Zhang Fei frowned: "Brother, do you think I'm joking?"
Liu Bei shook his head: "No."
"I mean what I said."
Zhang Fei was serious and said loudly: "Since I was three years old, my father has held me and played with me on a war horse. When I was seven years old, I could gallop on a horse. When I was twelve years old, I was proficient in bow and horse. There was no one in the village left or right. Enemy!"
"Brother, we have been brothers for so many years. How is my riding skill? You should know that this year's riding competition was won by Huang Zhong and Lu Bu because I did not participate. If I were here, how could we take the lead? Get them."
Liu Bei smiled: "You..."
"..."
The two of them chatted about each other.
Not long after, they arrived outside the post house.
"Uncle Liu Huang?"
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind.
Liu Bei frowned and turned around to look.
But see...
He has a tall build, a resolute face, heroic brows, and steady and solid steps. He must be a general from the army. Although his voice is loud, it has a certain southern accent.
"Your Excellency, could it be that..."
Liu Bei quickly bowed in return and asked tentatively: "Sun Wentai, the fierce tiger in Jiangdong?"
Sun Jian smiled faintly, nodded and said, "That's right, that's right."
Liu Bei saluted again: "I have admired you for a long time."
"where."
Sun Jian waved his hands hurriedly: "Uncle Liu Huang's name is so famous. I have never encountered it before. Today we have to drink two glasses of wine. Your Majesty's glass wine glass is very precious."
Liu Bei was surprised: "Glaze wine cup?"
Sun Jian nodded: "I took the tiger bottle yesterday, and today I will try the python bottle. I heard that this one feels better."
"Python bottle? Tiger bottle?"
Zhang Fei, who was on the sidelines, was a big drinker. When he heard about the glass wine cup, he was already greedy. When he heard about novelties such as "Tiger Bottle" and "Python Bottle", he was even more excited.
He looked eagerly into the post house, as if he had already run in. He seemed to want to see what the wine in glass tasted like, and what the "tiger bottle" and "python bottle" looked like.
"Go, go, go!"
Sun Jian and Liu Bei walked side by side: "Cao Cao from Yuzhou also arrived last night. This guy thought he had a good capacity for drinking, but after three bottles he couldn't get up."
"Oh? How is this possible? It's only three bottles?"
"The imperial wine is called Drunk Immortal Brew. It is as clear as water and as strong as fire."
"Is there such wine in the world?"
"That must be of course."
"..."
The two of them walked into the post house while chatting.
The first floor is the work area, where the person in charge is registering relevant information and arranging accommodation.
The second floor is the dining area, which is a self-service dining style operated by the apprentices of the palace chef Wang Yi.
On the third floor is the accommodation area for the county magistrates and generals near Feiwan City.
It's almost meal time, and all the generals and county magistrates from the imperial court are here. Even Xun or Lu Su also come to join in the fun and share the joy of the festival with everyone.
"Brother, check-in has been completed."
Zhang Fei hurried over and shook the key in his hand: "We are on the third floor. I have seen it. The bedding is brand new. There are exactly two couches in the room. All kinds of toiletries are all ready."
"You don't have to go out to use the toilet. You can do it in your own house. Just step on the pedal and the water will flush it away. It's very convenient. You can wash up next to you. There is a thing called a faucet. Water comes out with just a twist. And it's very convenient.
The hot water is just amazing.”
"besides......"
"..."
Zhang Fei was like a mountain cannon who had just entered the city. He was very curious about everything, and his eyes were shining: "You are worthy of being at the feet of the emperor. It would be great if we in Xinye can do the same in the future."
Liu Bei was so embarrassed that he wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. His disgusted expression seemed to be saying: "I'm sorry, I don't know this person. I have no relationship with him at all."
Until Sun Jian came up to him and said with a smile: "Yesterday I was exactly the same as Yide. Not to mention us, even those aristocratic families who have seen the world are not much better than us."
"Is this your first time meeting Wentai?"
Liu Bei had been in Xinye for more than half a year and had never seen the prosperous Wancheng, which was understandable.
But you, Sun Wentai, have never been out since you came back from Luoyang. You act like a mountain cannon. Isn't this a bit too much?
Never thought...
Sun Jian was sincerely grateful and nodded: "Yes, this is the first time I have seen it. I heard that this is a new type of building built by craftsmen according to your majesty's design drawings."
"This is the only place in the entire Wancheng."
"Even His Majesty himself has never enjoyed it once."
Having said this, a look of admiration appeared on Sun Jian's face: "Your Majesty said that we are the meritorious officials of the imperial court. Without our hard work throughout the year, Nanyang would not be what it is today, so we should enjoy the good things."
For a moment, both Liu Bei and Zhang Fei were silent.
If your Majesty is like this, what else can I ask for?
"Wen Tai—!"
"Young, Mengde?"
"Hahaha!"
Liu Bei heard the sound and turned around to look.
At the same time, Cao Cao's eyes also fell on him, and he quickly stepped forward: "Brother Wentai, is this Uncle Liu Huang?"
Sun Jian admired Cao Cao's eyesight and nodded affirmatively: "Meng De has good eyesight. Yes, this person is Uncle Liu Huang."
Cao Cao cupped his hands and said, "I have admired you for a long time."
"where!"
Liu Bei hurriedly returned the courtesy: "General Cao Mengde of the Military Guard is the one who is as powerful as thunder."
Sun Jian frowned and thought to himself: "These words sound very familiar."
"Hahaha!"
The three giants gathered together for the first time, and the atmosphere was joyful:
"Let's go, let's not go back until we get drunk today."
"No, this wine is very strong, and Cao can't afford it."
"Winter festival is coming, so drink less."
"That's right, wine can make you happy, Meng De must not ruin your fun."
"In that case, then drink less."
"..."
＊＊＊＊＊
Outside Wancheng, northwest corner.
Chiyun Taoist Temple.
A man wearing an apricot-yellow Taoist robe and holding Buddha dust walked through the corridor and passed the courtyard. When he reached a side hall, he glanced left and right to make sure no one was following him, then turned in and quickly closed the door of the hall.
But......
After entering the side hall, he went straight to the bookshelf and violently twisted the pottery pot on the bookshelf for half a circle. A chirping sound immediately sounded. The bookshelf on the side turned inward, and a secret door suddenly appeared.
The man quickly turned into the secret room, walked up to meet him, and bowed to the man above him who was wearing a light blue turban and had his hair tied with a soap towel:
"The Night Owl Leader."
Night Owl waved his hand to interrupt the man and asked directly: "Has the parade route been determined? Is it really going to be this way? Has there been any change?"
Shi Zixuan recently led people to practice the process of worshiping heaven, which is equivalent to announcing the parade route to outsiders. How could Guo Jia let such a careless thing go?
Yes!
Ye Xiao has always been unable to believe it and has been waiting for the final result.
Only when the final route is determined can their plans be further arranged. Otherwise, premature layout will only expose more flaws.
"rest assured!"
The Taoist nodded affirmatively: "No changes! It's been decided. Let's go this way. The notice just issued today allows us to confirm the personnel and reserve time for the Winter Festival in advance."
"Very good!"
Ye Xiao was excited and his worries were completely relieved: "Have the people among us in the team passed the final inspection by the government? Have there been any flaws?"
"Don't worry, chief."
The Taoist said with great certainty: "They are all old people in Nanyang. They have lived here for more than ten years. No matter how smart Guo Jia and Man Chong are, they will never doubt them."
call-
At this moment, Ye Xiao took a deep breath.
He raised his neck and tried hard to control his tears. At this moment, the hatred in his heart could no longer be suppressed. It was as violent as boiling water. The image of his brother appeared in his mind, and he secretly felt cruel in his heart:
"rest assured!"
"I will definitely avenge you!"
Forcibly suppressing the hatred in his heart, Ye Xiao's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "There are still three days left before the Winter Festival. Guo Jia and Man Chong have been silent, which proves that our people have not been exposed."
"Tomorrow morning, you will send someone to spread the signal and tell them to gather at Chiyun Taoist Temple. We will make the final strategic deployment and strive to kill the Demon King with one blow!"
"in addition!"
Ye Xiao took out a piece of silk from his arms and handed it to the Taoist Master: "You and others will bring all the family members to Chiyun Taoist Temple tomorrow. There are many personal guards around the Demon King. Without powerful generals, this is impossible.
Kill him."
"oh?"
The Taoist Master took the silk cloth and opened it to browse. There were three heads on it: "They are..."
Ye Xiao took out a breath and said softly: "..."
＊＊＊＊＊
School Affairs Office.
Guo Jia's hair was disheveled, he was wearing wooden clogs and frowning, pacing back and forth in the hall.
He was holding a wine gourd in his hand and took a sip of wine. His eyes were not drunk at all, but seemed more sober, even with a hint of fierceness.
There are still two days left before the Winter Festival Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony. If the opponent has not made any move at this time, then Guo Jia must change his strategy and use other methods to ensure the safety of the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony.
"Filial piety."
Xun or angrily grabbed the wine bottle from him and said, "We don't have time. Let's do it now. The closer to the winter festival, the busier Wancheng becomes, the harder it will be for us to do it."
"I don't want Wancheng to experience a massacre before the Winter Festival Ceremony. This would be too unlucky. Can you understand what I mean?"
"Wen Ruo, don't you understand me yet?"
Nowadays, the court is in chaos, but Guo Jia, who is in charge of this matter, is still calm and calm: "I said the results will come out today, so it must be today. If there is no news before noon, we will modify the strategy at noon, okay?
"
Xun You said angrily: "Do you think I am willing to change my strategy? If this group of thieves cannot be eradicated, we will never be able to live in peace. If you, Guo Fengxiao, have the ability, you can root them out for me."
"good!"
Guo Jia nodded without hesitation: "I promise you, this time I will pull out all the assassins from Chang'an so that you can sleep more peacefully in your old age, okay?"
Xun You naturally knew what Guo Jia was capable of. If this boy dared to be so sure, he must have someone to rely on: "Do you have some clues?"
Guo Jia shook his head and said softly: "The other party has been hiding and there is no movement at all."
"Then how did you..."
"snort!"
Before Xun He could finish his words, Guo Jia snorted and said confidently: "The more silent Ye Xiao is, the more it proves that my guess is correct. The other party's goal must be the ceremony to worship the heaven."
"Yesterday, I ordered Shi Zixuan to announce that the route was confirmed, which was equivalent to laying the bait for Ye Owl. Now there are still two days of preparation time, how can he not take any action?"
"Don't worry."
Guo Jia waved his hand to Xun or Jingjing: "With Boning in the city, there will definitely be no problem!"
Xun You frowned: "Then why do you still look so worried?"
Guo Jiatan smiled: "There is one thing that I haven't thought clearly yet."
"oh?"
Xun was curious and asked tentatively: "Which point?"
Guo Jia clasped his hands behind his back and frowned again: "Who is this Night Owl?"
Xun You was surprised by Guo Jia's question: "Aren't they from the direction of Chang'an?"
Guo Jia nodded first, then shook his head: "Yes, but not quite."
"ah?"
Xun You was a little confused when he heard this: "What's your logic?"
Guo Jia said softly: "Since he entered Nanyang, his behavior seems not to trust the Chang'an assassination, and he has been very straightforward in abandoning those exposed points, and many of them were not exposed at all."
"Moreover, ever since he took control of the Chang'an assassination, he has completely fallen into silence without any movement. It seems that he is completely preparing for the Winter Festival to worship the heaven and is indifferent to other things."
"for example......"
Guo Jia gave an example: "The assassins from Chang'an have been trying to break into our iron smelting workshop and the Qiqiao Pavilion of the imperial court to find the secrets of the ballistae. They even often pay attention to the high-barrel transfers and contact the wealthy Nanyang families who have complaints against Your Majesty."
"If this Night Owl is sent from Chang'an and wants to take root for a long time, these things will never be interrupted. Even the silent period will never drag on for so long."
"This can only prove that the purpose of the other party's coming here is not to build an intelligence system for Dong Zhuo, but its real purpose is only one, and that is the Winter Festival Ceremony."
Xun You nodded with great interest: "The purpose is very strong, which is indeed suspicious."
Guo Jia continued: "If it's just like this, let's just let it go. What shocks me the most is that this time so many caravans brought people into Wan, how did they manage it in the direction of Chang'an?"
"It should be noted that a large part of the merchants are from Ruying, and even a small part are from Nanyang. These have nothing to do with Chang'an."
hiss-!
Xun You couldn't help but gasped: "How is this possible? Are Ruying merchants secretly helping Chang'an?"
Xun You asked anxiously: "Have you checked the forces behind the merchants?"
"kindness."
Guo Jia nodded: "I checked."
Xun You frowned: "What did you find?"
"The forces are so complex that they definitely don't come from one family or two families. It's like a coincidence."
"How can this be a coincidence!"
"So I said 'like a coincidence', not 'is a coincidence'."
"Could it be..."
Xun You frowned, and a flash of light flashed in his mind: "Could it be that you suspect it's the Yuan family?"
Guo Jiadan smiled and nodded: "The one who knows me is Wen Ruoye! The forces are so complex that there are no clues on the surface, but it just proves that the opponent's strength is immeasurable."
"Just ask!"
Guo Jia asked a soul-level rhetorical question: "Which family in the Ruying area can be so powerful? It's just the Yuan family or the Chen family."
Xun You frowned: "But, will the Yuan family help Dong Zhuo?"
Guo Jia shook his head: "How can Yuan Wei look down on Dong Zhuo? I guess the Yuan family is taking advantage of Dong Zhuo, but who is he? Can he be willing to become Dong Zhuo, Yuan Wei's minion, and insist on putting His Majesty to death?"
You must know that although Yuan Wei is the grand master of the Han Dynasty in Chang'an, because of the feudal princes' attack on Dong, the two are now incompatible with each other, and blood will be spilled if they draw their swords.
It is impossible for Dong Zhuo to cooperate with Yuan Wei, let alone cooperate with him willingly. If he knew that the power of the Yuan family was behind this person, he might even abandon him. This is Dong Zhuo's character.
"That makes sense."
Xun You nodded with great interest: "In this case, this Night Owl is most likely a member of Dong Zhuo on the surface, but in fact, he is a member of the Yuan family. Otherwise, how could there be such a subtle relationship."
Guo Jiadan smiled: "What a coincidence, Wen Ruo and I coincided with each other, but who would do this? How did the other party gain Dong Zhuo's trust and be willing to assassinate Chang'an and leave it to him to command?"
Xun You frowned: "This... is indeed a problem!"
"Fengxiao—!"
At this moment, a long shout sounded outside the hall.
It’s full of favors!
Guo Jia judged it immediately.
He turned around quickly and looked up.
Sure enough!
Man Chong hurriedly rushed into the palace, with surprise that could not be concealed on his face.
He didn't even bother to raise his hands in salute, then exhaled and said loudly: "The signal has been sent! The night owl has sent the signal!"
Guo Jia's face was very calm: "Where is it?"
Manchong replied: "Chiyun!"
"Chiyun?"
Guo Jia frowned and immediately turned to the map aside.
Above is a detailed map of the vicinity of Wancheng, including mountains, rivers, villages, towns, cities, bridges, etc.
Guo Jia searched carefully and found Chiyun Taoist Temple in the northwest of Wancheng: "A large part of Shi Zixuan's parade was Taoist priests."
"No wonder, Shi Zixuan did not find any suspicious characters during several days of continuous drills. It turned out that they were hiding in the team. I actually ignored this."
Guo Jia felt a little regretful!
Although these people are all locals and have lived in Nanyang for several years, it does not mean that it is impossible to develop into an assassin. After all, His Majesty the Emperor also offended many people in Nanyang.
On the surface, it seems that the roots have been wiped out, but in fact it is not certain what roots will be left. After all, those people have been lingering in Nanyang for hundreds of years.
"Filial piety."
Man Chong said loudly: "When shall we act?"
Guo Jia waved his hand and interrupted: "No rush! Give them some time to gather. Now we have the initiative. It will be easy to eliminate them. The key is how to make it silently."
Xun You hurriedly agreed and added: "Yes, if you can avoid causing a sensation, don't cause a sensation. It's best to act at night and send people to rush in and kill them all without leaving any one behind."
"Don't listen to Wen Ruo."
Guo Jia interrupted without hesitation: "I still have many unanswered questions. If we can leave two alive, we will leave two alive. It is best to capture the night owl alive."
Man Chong cupped his hands and clasped his fists: "Don't worry, I'm also curious about who this person is."
Guo Jiatan smiled: "Don't worry, you will know when you catch him!"
"Report—!"
At this moment, another announcement came into the hall.
Guo Jia turned around and looked.
But then, a soldier from the school affairs office hurriedly entered the palace and handed over a letter on a bamboo slip: "News from outside Wancheng."
Guo Jia took the letter on the bamboo slip and looked at it closely. He couldn't help but be astonished.
hiss-!
Taking a breath, Guo Jia frowned: "I may know who Ye Xiao is."
Xun He, Man Chong was stunned and asked urgently: "Who is it?"