Guan Hai put his hands behind his back and couldn't hide the joy on his face, waiting for Sima Ju's arrival.
Not long after, the curtain was raised, and a slightly slender man entered the tent. Beside him, there was a man wearing a Jinxian crown, and a burly man with a Huanshou sword on his waist.
hiss-!
Guan Hai was shocked and couldn't help but gasped, and the smile on his face suddenly disappeared.
He originally wanted to take the initiative to greet Sima Ju, shake hands and talk, but at this moment, he clearly felt an extremely strange atmosphere, forcing him not to take a step forward, let alone shake hands and talk.
"Brother Sima, these two are..."
Guan Hai frowned, his eyes passing from Sima Ju to the person behind him, hoping to get the answer he wanted from Sima Ju.
"oh."
Sima Ju smiled dullly and did not answer Guan Hai's question directly. Instead, he said casually: "We are just two friends, not outsiders. Brother Guan, don't worry."
Having said that, Guan Hai still felt an evil aura from the two of them, especially the fierce soldier who always held the Huanshou Sword. He was definitely a master, and even he could clearly feel the pressure.
As for the man next to him wearing the crown of advancement, he has a handsome face, holds his head high, and carries an aura of arrogance, as if he stands out from the crowd. He is definitely not a man in the yellow turban.
Sima Ju's friend?
Guan Hai didn't believe it and had doubts in his heart.
but......
Since Sima Ju said this, Guan Hai had to accept it temporarily. He just gave Guan Cheng a wink, indicating that he must be careful and not be careless.
Guan Cheng naturally understood what Guan Hai meant, and nodded silently to show his understanding. He immediately stood aside and stared closely at the guy holding the Huanshou Sword in case something unexpected happened.
The guests and hosts were seated separately. After a brief exchange of greetings, Guan Hai went straight to the topic and said, "I wonder what Brother Sima is here for?"
"oh."
Sima Ju responded and immediately became solemn: "It's like this. I think Brother Guan has already received the news. Xu Rong of Nanyang Hanting is leading troops and horses along the Langya Corridor towards Qingzhou."
"That's right."
Guan Hai nodded, but did not hide anything: "I have indeed received the news, and I also heard that the Nanyang court has prepared a large amount of food and grass to accept our Qingzhou Yellow Turbans, and has also prepared winter clothes and tents to ensure that we can survive the winter safely.
"
"Oh right."
At this point, Guan Hai raised his eyes to look at Sima Ju and said softly: "I heard that Cao Cao has also prepared a large amount of food, winter clothes, and tents, and their team has defeated Xiang Ma Sheng in Jibei, which is far away from your Jinan
Very close.”
"Brother Sima—!"
Guan Hai grinned and said with great interest: "Could it be that you have become a general under General Cao and came here to show off to me on purpose?"
"No way."
Sima Ju waved his hand and said softly: "Cao Cao has not entered Jinan yet, and I and Xu Qushuai are not prepared to submit to Nanyang Hanting and accept their arrangements."
hiss-!
Guan Hai was stunned and surprised: "Brother Sima is not prepared to accept the food and grass from Hanting in Nanyang? How will the hundreds of thousands of people under your command survive the winter? You can't let them all die in the middle of winter, right?"
"Of course not."
Sima Ju nodded with absolute certainty: "To be honest, I and Xu Qushuai are preparing to sneak attack Cao Cao, seize all his troops' grain, grass, winter clothes, and tents, and then rush into Yanzhou."
Boom!
Like a thunderbolt in the clear sky.
He asked Guan Hai, but Guan Cheng was stunned in place like thunder and lightning.
You know, the two of them originally thought that Sima Ju was here to discuss the matter of surrendering to Nanyang Hanting. They never thought that the other party was not only not prepared to submit to Nanyang Hanting, but was even prepared to take action against Cao Cao?
"Brother Sima, are you kidding me?"
Guan Hai tried his best to stay calm and stared at the other person with burning eyes.
"Do you think I'm joking?"
Sima Ju immediately put away the joking expression on his face and stared at Guan Hai seriously.
quiet!
Quiet!
Deadly quiet!
There was no sound in the big tent, you could hear a pin drop.
After a long time, the man next to Sima Ju broke the embarrassing situation: "Guan Qushuai is so wise and powerful, does he want to submit to the Han court in Nanyang?"
Guan Hai's eyes passed over Sima Ju and landed on the man named Jinxian Guan. He said coldly: "Who are you? Why are you interrupting when I, the general, are talking to Brother Sima?"
"you......"
Sima Ju on the side was about to reply, but was interrupted by Jin Xianguan: "Don't be upset, Commander Sima Qu. This matter should have been discussed down below, that's the best."
Sima Ju frowned and glanced at the man named Jin Xianguan: "In that case, I have Military Advisor Lao Guo."
The man in Jinxian Guan nodded, turned to look at Guan Hai, leaned over and cupped his hands and said, "To be honest, I call you Guo Tu, and he is under the command of Yuan Shao, the shepherd of Jizhou."
"Yuan Shao?"
While Guan Hai was stunned, he naturally understood everything.
Sima Ju was with Yuan Shao's people, so he had naturally surrendered to Yuan Shao. No wonder he wanted to attack Cao Cao, and then took advantage of the situation to rush into Yanzhou and become the enemy of Nanyang.
"That's right."
Guo Tu nodded affirmatively: "Yuan Shao, the shepherd of Jizhou, is my lord. Now General Sima and General Xu have surrendered to my lord. We will assist them to defeat Cao Cao, and then take advantage of the situation to enter Yanzhou."
"At that time, whether it is food, winter clothes, tents, or even the entire Yanzhou, it will belong to two generals. General Sima will become the shepherd of Yanzhou, and General Xu will be the captain."
"If General Guan is also willing to submit to my lord, after defeating Xu Rong, the general will be Qingzhou Mu, and General Guan Cheng can take advantage of the situation to enter Langya and become the governor of Langya County."
"Isn't this better than surrendering to Nanyang?"
Guo Tu spread his hands and asked a soul-level rhetorical question, then added: "Of course, the general may not be very clear about Nanyang's system, so he feels that Nanyang is a peaceful and prosperous age for you."
"Isn't it?"
In fact, Guan Hai did think so.
After all, everyone has food to eat and every family has farmland. This is the peaceful and prosperous age described by the great sage and good teacher, and it is the dream that the great sage and good teacher pursues throughout his life.
only......
The unfulfilled dream of the great virtuous teacher was realized by His Majesty the Nanyang Emperor.
Guo Turan smiled and said softly: "General Guan, you were deceived by the appearance of Nanyang Hanting. It is far less perfect than you imagined."
"oh?"
Guan Hai asked curiously: "How do you say this?"
Guo Tu explained: "Nanyang Hanting implemented an internal examination system. If a general led his army to submit to Nanyang, the brothers under his command must accept the re-arrangement of Nanyang Hanting. Those who join the army will join the army, and those who work in agriculture will work in agriculture."
Guan Hai frowned: "Isn't this a good thing?"
"General, don't worry, just listen to what I have to say."
Guo Tu paused for a moment and continued: "For generals, it is natural to join the army, but you need to accept Nanyang's internal arrangements. They will disperse all the brothers under the general's command and arrange them into different armies.
"
"At the same time, there may be some young people under the general's command who have taken the exam and come in. They are proficient in the art of war, good at strategy, and their martial arts are also pretty good."
"In future battles, the Nanyang court will give priority to promoting these people, while ignoring the generals and others. Eventually, your patience will be worn away, and you will completely become lower-level soldiers in the army."
"General!"
Guo Tu took a deep breath and exhaled slowly: "Isn't the purpose of us throwing our lives and blood on the battlefield just to get ahead so that we can become generals and marquises in the future?"
"But based on your background, there is no chance of success in Nanyang Hanting. The brothers under your command are just left alone. They are just of ordinary backgrounds and can farm. But General, you may not be willing to do that?"
At this moment, Sima Ju on the side echoed: "What Military Master Guo said makes sense. Brother Guan, please think carefully. Surrendering is easy, but you also have to find a good background. We can't work for a long time without any benefit and finally end up with nothing."
He is depressed and frustrated."
"this......"
Having said this, Sima Ju shook his head and sighed softly: "Isn't it a little too unworthy?"
Guan Cheng on the side immediately said: "Is my Qu Shuai a person who only cares about his own interests?"
"Of course not."
Guo Tu immediately picked up the conversation, and Kang said passionately: "I know the character of General Guan very well, but even if I don't go to Nanyang, can't I guarantee the livelihood of my brothers?"
"Neither Cao Cao nor Xu Rong has any defense against you now, and they only have 60,000 to 70,000 troops under their command."
"Yes, Cao Cao does have more troops, with 80,000 or 90,000 people, but Xu Rong, who is opposite you, has less than 40,000 troops, and you have a full 500,000 people. You can defeat them when they are unprepared.
It’s a piece of cake.”
"At that time, food, winter clothes, and tents will be all available, and the livelihood of the brothers under my command will naturally be solved. You only need to guard the Langya Corridor to occupy Qingzhou."
"General Guan is the pastor of Qingzhou, and there are millions of fields that can be cultivated in the coming year. Isn't this better than the bowl of Duan Nanyang Hanting? You are the real masters of the country, and you still have a chance to realize the peaceful age of the great sage and mentor.
.”
"this......"
Guan Cheng was a little moved on the side.
That's right.
As long as Xu Rong is defeated, there will definitely be no problem with his livelihood this winter.
Once the Langya Corridor is occupied, the entire Qingzhou will be in Guan Hai's pocket, and the hundreds of thousands of people who follow him will have enough land to cultivate.
As Guo Tu said, this is the real master of the situation, rather than accepting the arrangements of Nanyang Hanting, which will inevitably divide the power of Qingzhou Yellow Turban.
"Qushuai, what do you think?"
Guan Cheng fell into hesitation, feeling that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Moreover, the actual benefits obtained from taking refuge in Nanyang Hanting are simply countless more.
The most important thing is that the brothers do not have to separate because they accept the arrangements of Nanyang Hanting. This will make the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans feel more secure.
At this moment, Sima Ju also echoed: "Brother Guan, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am thinking of you, so I came here to tell you. When the time comes, I will occupy Yanzhou and you will occupy Qingzhou. We have hundreds of thousands of troops. Why worry?"
Are you an enemy of Nanyang?"
"and!"
Speaking of this, Sima Ju emphasized: "General Yuan has already contacted Liu Yan, Liu Biao, and Liu Yao. Once spring starts next year, they will attack Nanyang from the south to contain Nanyang's troops. We will separate Yanzhou and Qingzhou, and naturally it will be more powerful."
Safety."
"ah?"
Guan Cheng was stunned and said in disbelief: "How is this possible? Even Liu Yan, Liu Biao, and Liu Yao want to attack Nanyang? Aren't they clan members of the Han Dynasty?"
Guo Tu liked this kind of novice who didn't understand anything, so he immediately explained: "What about the clan members of the Han Dynasty? His Majesty the Emperor of Nanyang has offended the public, and there are countless wealthy families who are ready to attack him."
"Although the rumors in the Han court in Nanyang have been strong in the past two years, they are already at the end of their power. Once Liu Yan, Liu Biao, and Liu Yao launch an attack on Nanyang, then the wealthy families in Nanyang will inevitably rise up and sweep the world with the power of starting a prairie fire.
"
Guan Cheng was stunned: "Really?"
Guo Tu nodded affirmatively: "Of course, how can I lie in front of General Guan?"
Guan Cheng frowned: "Qushuai, what should we do?"
Although there are many Yellow Turbans, most of them are from peasant backgrounds and have never seen much of the world. Even a lot of the news and names they heard today were all heard for the first time by them. Suddenly they met this big shot and said such words. Naturally,
Somewhat apprehensive.
but......
Guan Hai is no ordinary Yellow Turban.
He was the Yellow Turban Qu Shuai from the very beginning. He worked for seven or eight years and experienced far more things than Guo Tu imagined. He was not so easy to fool.
At this moment, he frowned and kept thinking in his mind: "Brother Sima, this is a serious matter. Can you give me some time to think about it next time? If you think about it clearly, we will give you an answer."
"I don't know how serious this matter is."
"but......"
Sima Ju was obviously not ready to give in, and said softly: "Now Xu Rong has almost passed the Langya Corridor, and it may not be long before he comes to Beihai. If we don't make a decision now, we may not have time to make arrangements."
"You are Commander Qu, and you always stick to your word in the army. These people all obey your orders. As long as you think clearly, they will definitely follow you."
"It's better..."
At this point, Sima Ju was already impatient: "Just think now, we will wait here. After making the decision, we will start deployment immediately. The winning rate will be higher. Xu Rong is not an easy guy to deal with."
"Did you see it?"
Sima Ju turned his head and glanced at the guard with the sword, and said softly: "This is Yan Liang, the general under General Yuan. He is originally from Langya. If you agree, he will assist you."
Guan Hai clearly felt something was wrong. He glanced at the three of them and said coldly: "Brother Sima, after all, this matter involves the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in our department. Are you just forcing me like this?"
"What does Brother Guan mean by this?"
Sima Ju naturally did not admit the coercion and said softly: "The decision-making power is always in your hands."
Guan Hai glanced at Guo Tu and Yan Liang said, "Huh! In my hand? What if I don't agree?"
Sima Ju's expression suddenly changed, and anger rushed into his throat: "Brother Guan, don't be ignorant of good and evil. I'm thinking about you, so I'm giving you this opportunity. Could it be that you want to go to Nanyang and work for someone else?"
A soldier?"
Guan Hai raised his head and looked at Sima Ju: "I only know that the food, grass, winter clothes, and tents brought to us by Hanting in Nanyang are our saviors, and Yuan Shao wants hundreds of thousands of me to sacrifice their lives for him even if his soldiers are not destroyed."
.”
"snort!"
Guan Hai snorted angrily, gritted his steel teeth, and squeezed his last words out from between his teeth: "I tell you, Sima Ju, you can let your brothers work as dogs for Yuan Shao for your own personal gain, but I don't care.
Hai would never do this!"
"you......"
Sima Ju was furious and raised his hand to point at Guan Hai. He was about to speak angrily, but was directly interrupted by Guo Tu: "General Guan, have you really made your decision?"
Guan Hai's eyes widened angrily: "Of course!"
Guo Tu turned to glance at Guan Cheng: "What about you? Are you also willing to be a soldier in Nanyang and remain unknown for the rest of your life?"
"I?"
Guan Cheng frowned and seemed hesitant: "I...this..."
Guo Tu naturally understood the other party's concerns, and immediately raised his hand and pointed at Guan Hai: "General Guan, if you kill this person, this team will definitely obey your orders. By then, great things will be done, and you will be the Qingzhou Shepherd."
"ah?"
Guan Cheng was stunned: "How can I do anything to Qu Shuai? No, absolutely not."
Guan Hai seemed to have expected this, and was not shocked at all: "Humph! You have been preparing to kill people and silence them, right? That guy named Yan Liang is not here to help us at all, but to kill me, right?"
"snort!"
Sima Ju snorted coldly and simply stopped hiding it: "You are half right. General Yan Liang is indeed here to help you, but only if you agree to surrender to General Yuan."
"And if you don't agree, then I can only kill you, and then lead the Beihai brothers to fight Xu Rong in person, so as to secure Qingzhou."
"Brother Guan!"
Sima Ju let out a long sigh and said in a cold voice: "If you are not a brother, I will not give you a chance. If you want to blame, you can only blame yourself for not cherishing the opportunity!"
"General Yan Liang, kill him."
After saying this, Sima Ju waved his hand and shouted coldly.
The next moment, Yan Liang was seen walking past Sima Ju, and in a blink of an eye, he rushed straight towards Guan Hai in front. He quickly pulled out the Huanshou Sword in his palm, drawing a cold light in the air.
However......
Guan Hai was also not a vegetarian.
He was a veteran on the battlefield, and he fought his way step by step. The moment the two sides were faced with the challenge, he leapt forward and went directly to the place where the sword was hung next to him.
Canglang!
The sword's edge was unsheathed, and the cold light flashed.
The long sword in Guan Hai's palm drew a line of cold light from bottom to top. He faced Yan Liang's falling blade and struck it head-on. It made a crisp clang and thousands of sparks flashed out.
Among the Yellow Turban Army, Guan Hai was naturally a formidable general who could defeat tens of thousands of enemies. He was also very confident that he could compete with Yan Liang. However, when the two sides fought, Guan Hai suddenly felt something bad.
At this moment, there was a strong force, flowing along the long sword and along the arms, like the roaring water of the Yellow River, rushing into his body, constantly impacting his internal organs.
Guan Hai only felt that what he was holding on his long sword was not the Huanshou Sword, but a small mountain. The thick and endless power was so heavy that he could hardly breathe.
Just one knife!
Guan Hai knew that he was no match for him.
"Hoo!"
Guan Hai gritted his teeth and roared, his two thick and powerful arms seemed to have been broken by the shock, his body felt like being hit by a heavy hammer, his internal organs could not help churning, and his throat felt sweet.
However......
This isn't the end yet.
Yan Liang took advantage of this blink of an eye to make a horizontal move with his Huanshou sword. The next move was like thunder, directed at Guan Hai's vital point, and immediately slashed across it. Once he succeeded, Guan Hai would either die or be injured.
"drink!"
Guan Hai suddenly felt something bad, and immediately let out a loud shout, using all his strength to knock Yan Liang's blade away. Then he flew back a few steps, opened a hole in the tent, and tried to escape.
Unfortunately, Yan Liang reacted extremely quickly and followed up with a single arrow. The Huanshou sword in his palm was slashed in the air, immediately cutting off Guan Hai's escape route. He then cut across Cangshan Mountain with a move, and the blade of the sword rushed towards Guan Hai's neck.
"stop!"
Suddenly, a voice suddenly sounded.
Yan Liang's blade suddenly stopped less than an inch away from Guan Hai's neck. He glanced back and saw that Guan Cheng stopped him with a hoarse voice: "He is my commander-in-chief. Even if he wants to kill him, I should kill him."
Yan Liang glanced at Guo Tu, as if waiting for Guo Tu's order.
However, at this moment, Guan Cheng spoke again: "If you kill Qu Shuai, I will not live alone. You may not be able to control this team by then. You must know that we have followed Qu Shuai for seven years!"
"What do you mean?"
Guo Tu asked tentatively: "Could it be that... you want to take refuge with us?"
Guan Chengchang sighed and nodded: "Yes, I can take refuge with you, but there is a condition. Let me kill Guan Hai with my own hands, and then bury him with my own hands. This can be regarded as the end of so many years of love."
"Hey, you, that's interesting."
Guo Tu smiled indifferently and stared at Guan Cheng in disbelief.
"Qu Shuai, I'm sorry."
With tears in his eyes, Guan Cheng nodded towards Guan Hai: "I don't want to submit to Nanyang Hanting and be a pawn. I want to be the shepherd of Qingzhou, truly the master of the family and control my own destiny."
"you......"
Even at this moment, Guan Hai didn't know what to say.
Guan Cheng stepped forward, cried out, and drew his sword out of its sheath: "Qu Shuai, I have been with you for so many years. Although we are not brothers, we are better than brothers. I used to listen to you in everything, but this time, I can't
!”
"Forgive me!"
Having said this, Guan Cheng couldn't bear it any longer, and two lines of hot tears couldn't help but burst out of his eyes.
puff!
The long sword stabbed fiercely, aiming directly at Guan Hai's heart.
Guan Hai stared with disbelief on his face, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his lips: "A Cheng, you...you actually..."
Plop!
The next second, Guan Hai faced up and fell to the ground.
Yan Liang watched helplessly as the sword edge pierced his heart. It was impossible to survive at such a depth.
He then put away the Huanshou sword and nodded towards Guo Tu, implying that there was no problem.
Guo Tutan smiled, stepped forward, and said softly: "General Guan Cheng, congratulations, as long as we defeat Xu Rong and defend Langya County, then you will be the Qingzhou Mu and can truly control your own destiny."
Guan Cheng did not raise his head, but still had tears streaming down his face: "Let's not talk about it for now. I have to hide Commander Qu with my own hands, and then give an explanation to the brothers, otherwise it will be difficult to truly control this team."