Chapter 500 I, Cao Cao, never believe in miracles!
"You Ruo."
The commander of the trial team was angry and said simply: "You are the brother of Xun Lingjun of Nanyang. The generals of Nanyang Hanting will not do anything to you, so no matter how hard we insist, you will be fine in the end."
"After all, we have a battle with our lord. Now that he is at a critical moment of life and death, we must do something for him. This should be our reward for him."
At this moment, Xun Chen already understood the idea of scrutinizing the match. He was stunned like a thunderbolt and said: "Zhengnan, I never thought that you could do this for the Yuan family."
"You should know that even so, our chances of winning are still very small. We may even fight to the death of one soldier, but we may not be able to defend the city."
"Of course I understand."
Before Xun Chen could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Shen Pei with a wave of his hand: "That's why I need you here. I really don't believe that the general of Nanyang Hanting can ignore your life or death, Xun Chen."
"What if that's really the case?"
Xun Chen frowned and asked tentatively.
"this......"
Shen Pei took a deep breath and exhaled slowly: "Then let's go to hell together. It would be nice to have a companion on the way, right?"
Xun Chen's heart suddenly galloped, and he opened his mouth to curse: "Zhengnan, you bastard, you really want to attack me? How did I, Xun Chen, offend you?"
"Fuck you, you're a bastard, you're a dog-like thing. Yuan Shao treats you like this, yet you can still work so hard for him. You're just a dog, a dog that specializes in licking Yuan Shao's buttocks!"
"I, Xun Chen, am really blind..."
"..."
Xun Chen, the Xun family who has always been famous for his poems and calligraphy, now started to insult regardless of his image. All kinds of dirty words burst out from his mouth, making it difficult for people to connect with the gentle and elegant man.
Shen Pei, on the other hand, had a dull look on his face, as if he had expected it. No matter how insulted he was, he would never retaliate. He just stood quietly across from him, staring at the other person with pitiful eyes.
Tsk!
Tsk!
...
After a long time, Xun Chen got tired of scolding and gasped for air.
However, Shen Pei handed over a water bag and said softly: "Don't worry, drink some water first, calm down before scolding, and wait for you to extinguish the fire first. It won't be too late for us to start marching again. Anyway, there is still time now."
"Fuck!"
Xun Chen was furious and threw the water bag directly on Shen Pei. He raised his hand and pointed at him: "You are simply not a human being. I really misjudged you. I misjudged you."
"..."
After another round of swearing, Xun Chen was finally so tired that his mouth was dry and he was out of breath. Seeing that the judge was still expressionless, he finally felt a little tired and waved his hand:
"That's all."
"That's it!"
Xun Chen let out a long breath, took the water bag from Shen Pei's hand, gurgled, and drank heavily.
After taking a breath, he couldn't help being curious and asked tentatively: "Zhengnan, can you tell me why you are so sincere to Mr. Yuan?"
As far as Xun Chen was concerned, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Guo Tu, and Xu You were loyal to Yuan Shao, so it was okay. You, a marginal figure in Jizhou, how could you be so loyal to Yuan Shao? This was unreasonable.
However......
Shen Pei just sighed, and then gave the reason: "Youruo should know that I was the subordinate of Taiwei Chen Qiu in the early years. It was only later that something happened to the Taiwei that I returned to my hometown."
"That's right."
Xun Chen nodded: "I know about this, but what does this have to do with Yuan Shao?"
The judge turned around and glanced at Xun Chen: "It was my lord's father, Mr. Yuan, who saved me back then. If it hadn't been Mr. Yuan, Mr. Chen and I would have died tragically in Luoyang. This was a great favor for our lives, and how could I, the judge, not repay it.
"
"Ah, this..."
Xun Chen was stunned on the spot.
He really couldn't believe that there was such a relationship between Shen Pei and Yuan Shao. No wonder, although Shen Pei was from Jizhou, he did not belong to the Jizhou faction and was only loyal to Yuan Shao.
Even though Yuan Shao was about to die at this moment and everyone betrayed him, Shen Pei still did not betray him, and even tried every means to make suggestions for Yuan Shao.
turn out to be!
The cause of everything is actually here.
At this moment, Xun Chen felt relieved and thought about it. If he were a matchmaker, he would do the same thing: "Why have I never heard you mention it?"
(PS: Yuan Feng, the story between the judge and the matchmaker was made up by the author to give Yuan Shao, the diehard loyalist of the judge and matchmaker, a reason. It is not historical fact. Readers, please do not be misled.)
Historically, after the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao died of illness, and Shenpei issued an edict to establish Yuan Shang as his heir. This led to a quarrel between the brothers, and was defeated by Cao Cao.
Surrender and Kang will die.
Have to admit it.
No matter from which angle you look at it, Shenpei is loyal to Yuan Shao, and can even be called die-hard loyal. After all, even in history, Cao Cao represents the imperial court. Shenpei's failure to submit has already proven his loyalty.
Shen Pei said softly: "There are some things that don't need to be expressed in words, just keep them in your heart. If you say them out, you do them deliberately. I, Shen Pei, am such a person."
"But......"
Xun Chen frowned: "You treat my lord like this, but he doesn't seem to treat you well at all. Is it possible that he doesn't know what happened between you and Mr. Yuan?"
The judge nodded: "That's right, my lord doesn't know."
Xun Chen couldn't help but be moved and exclaimed: "Zheng Nan is really a righteous man, I admire him."
Shen Pei said softly: "So, I must repay my kindness, and I hope my friends can help me."
Xun Chen sighed awkwardly: "If I'm not willing to cooperate, are you willing to let me go?"
"this......"
Shen Pei shook his head and denied directly: "No, because you are my only chance."
Xun Chen snorted softly: "Then why do you ask me? It's unnecessary."
The judge said: "If you can cooperate, things may be much simpler."
Xun Chen sighed: "Life or death depends on God's will. Whether I cooperate or not, the result will be the same. Yuan Shao will undoubtedly die. Cao Cao will not agree so easily."
Shen Pei's face was calm: "I can't control that much. I just need to do my best. In this way, even if I go to Jiuquan, I will still have the face to face Mr. Yuan and Mr. Chen."
"That's it."
Xun Chen waved his hand on the side: "Let's hurry up and get on the road. I think you must have a lot of things to prepare, so don't waste time here."
"OK."
The judge nodded and hurriedly said hello: "Here comes someone."
The guard beside him stepped forward, bowed and raised his hands: "I don't know, military advisor, what are your orders?"
Shen Pei directly ordered: "Send the order to Gao Lan, lead the troops and horses, and go straight to Quliang. If you encounter enemy cavalry, advance forward in defensive formation. You must rush to Quliang at all costs."
The guard nodded: "Here."
Immediately.
Turn around and leave, heading straight for the rear army.
About half an hour later, a heavily armed team came walking slowly.
The outermost soldiers are armed with spears and shields, while the inner ones are armed with bows and arrows, and there are even some cavalry who are constantly patrolling around to prevent accidents.
Xu Huang, who was originally preparing to launch a surprise attack on Yuan Jun, saw this scene and sighed: "Well, we can't attack such a team for the time being. It seems that they are determined to camp in Quliang."
Cheng Yinshen agreed and nodded slowly: "Yes, if they are scared, they will definitely take a detour. Since there is no detour, they will definitely rush to Quliang."
"did not expect."
Cheng Yin looked in disbelief: "Yuan Shao is really brave. I really don't know why he came out of Handan in the first place. If he didn't come out, he might not be able to defend Handan."
"yes."
Xu Huang deeply agreed and said softly: "Yuan Shao still has many powerful generals under his command. If they are all concentrated in Handan City and persist in street fighting, Wen Yuan may not be able to win."
"but......"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Huangshen turned around and said, "Even so, they won't be able to hold on for long."
Cheng Yin said softly: "When we get to Quliang, we won't be able to hold on for long either."
"kindness."
Xu Huang nodded and ordered: "Send someone to keep an eye on them, then report to General Wenyuan, rush to Quliang as quickly as possible, and try to trap them here."
Cheng Yin bowed and handed over his hand: "General, don't worry, I've already arranged for someone to go."
Xu Huang felt relieved: "Okay, very good."
*****
Curved beam.
On top of the city.
The spring breeze in February is like scissors, making people's faces hurt.
Shen Pei clasped his hands behind his back, looked at the scattered soldiers and horses outside the city, and said softly: "The cavalry from Nanyang came so fast. It seems that we need to move faster."
"military adviser."
The big black man on the side leaned forward and raised his hands, frowning: "Can you please quote me a famous quote? I don't know what you mean."
The judge took out a letter from his arms: "I have already written it on the way here. According to this preparation, if the materials are really not enough, the houses will be demolished."
The black man Gao Lan took the letter, started to read it, and then leaned forward and said, "Don't worry, military advisor, I will leave this matter to the general, and it will definitely be done as quickly as possible."
"good."
The judge nodded.
Just as Gao Lan was about to leave, Shen Pei suddenly remembered something: "Oh, that's right."
Gao Lan stopped and asked, "Any other instructions from the military advisor?"
Shen Pei said softly: "Spread the news that we have come to Quliang and try to attract Xu Rong here."
Gao Lan frowned and didn't quite understand: "Military advisor, it's still unknown whether we can hold it or not. If you lure Xu Rong here now, aren't you asking for trouble for yourself? The general will not understand."
Shen Pei glanced at Gao Lan and raised the corners of his lips slightly: "If there is only Zhang Liao's family, maybe we won't be able to hold on for too long, but if Xu Rong is added, we will be able to hold on longer."
hiss-!
Gao Lan was surprised and couldn't help but gasp.
He pondered for a moment and said tentatively: "Military advisor, what do you mean...when the clams in the river fight, the fisherman will benefit?"
Hearing this, the trial partner looked slightly embarrassed and waved his hand: "This... although it is not quite accurate, it does mean this. They all want the lord's head, but there is only one lord."
"Especially for Xu Rong, who was demoted from general to commander in chief. It would be unjustifiable if he didn't have any decent military exploits. And Zhang Liao also didn't have much military exploits after he defeated Dong."
Gao Lan nodded: "I see, I will understand. Don't worry."
Shen Pei smiled faintly: "Okay."
Immediately.
He waved his hand to signal Gao Lan to leave.
*****
Anping country.
night.
The wind howls.
Xu Rong Camp.
Central army, big tent.
Under an oil lamp, Xu Rong stared at the map, frowning in thought.
At this moment, they had already reached Nangong from the edge of Anping Kingdom, only a few feet away from the giant deer.
but......
Tonight, Xu Rong faced a choice.
The next second, should we go straight to Julu County, or go south to Wei County and Qinghe?
Please note that if you make a wrong step, you may never find Yuan Shao again.
It's a pity that until now, he has not found a valuable clue. Making decisions based solely on his own guesses is really not Xu Rong's style.
"General."
On the side, Hou Cheng bowed and held his hands, and said solemnly: "The general thinks that we should go straight to Julu and then go north. If Yuan Shao is defeated, he will most likely go north. After all, the defense in the north is the lightest."
Xu Rong shook his head, with confusion written all over his face: "If Yuan Shao wants to go north, he should not place his heavy troops in Handan, but in Zhongshan, preferably Bohai."
"but......"
Regarding this, Xu Rong said solemnly: "Yuan Shao did not do this. He made it clear that he was still weighing things. We must not jump to conclusions easily. Once we make a mistake, we may never be able to recover."
"You should know that most of the credit for Xu Rong's battle belongs to Tao Qian, Kan Ze, He Qi and others. They have little direct relationship with us."
"This battle is our real turnaround. If we can take Yuan Shao's head, we will gain face in front of His Majesty this year, and the generals may be promoted as a result."
Hou Cheng naturally understands these principles.
He and Xu Rong were both demoted generals, and they knew even more clearly how much military success meant to them.
But now, the whole world is about to be at peace, and even if there is another military exploit in the future, it will be very different from the current military exploits.
To put it bluntly, this is their only chance to prove themselves.
"The general's words will naturally be clear to the general."
"but......"
Hou Cheng also thought carefully: "Going south, there are Lu Bu and Huang Zhong's cavalry. Yuan Shao is looking for death. Only by going north can he have a chance of survival."
"What about Cao Cao?"
Xu Rong raised his eyes and looked at Hou Cheng: "Now that Cao Cao's military power is controlled by the state leader, he is truly depressed. Wouldn't Yuan Shao rush to Qinghe to persuade Cao Cao to surrender?"
"You should know that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are sworn friends. They have known each other since childhood. Cao Cao's current situation is a rare opportunity for Yuan Shao."
hiss-!
Hou Cheng frowned and took a breath: "That's true, but even if Yuan Shao is interested, will Cao Cao agree? He is your Majesty's most trusted commander, and he holds the Tiankui Sword!"
Xu Rong did not hesitate and waved his hand to interrupt: "What about Tiankui Sword? If the price offered by Yuan Shao is big enough, Cao Cao may still rebel. Everything is possible and cannot be denied easily."
"Let's think about it more deeply!"
At this point, Xu Rong's eyes fell on the map and said softly: "Cao Cao has more than 100,000 soldiers and horses. In terms of elite level, any of our soldiers cannot be compared with them."
"If Yuan Shao takes control of this army, he can advance to attack Yuzhou and Nanyang, threatening your majesty's safety. If he retreats, he can recover Jizhou and defeat us, thus easily sweeping through the two men of Bing, Qing, and Nanyang."
"How can Yuan Shao resist such temptation?"
"If I were Yuan Shao..."
Xu Rong slowly straightened up, frowned in thought, and said with a long voice: "I will definitely choose to take risks. If I succeed, I will reverse the decline in one fell swoop. If I fail, I will die. It is not much better than the current situation."
In the past, Xu Rong's wisdom was all about the art of war, and he was a very simple general. But now, he has understood his own shortcomings, so he has made up for many things other than the art of war.
Just like now, he is already thinking about Yuan Shao's psychology, and he can perfectly combine the current situation and draw a relatively reasonable conclusion to assist him in making decisions.
This is a true commander-in-chief. Before, I was at best a general, a general who commanded the formation of troops and analyzed the battle situation.
Even Hou Cheng couldn't help but admire this statement and couldn't help but nod: "Yes, it is indeed very tempting for Yuan Shao to go south to look for Cao Cao."
"or......"
Hou Cheng said tentatively: "Let's set off for Qinghe early tomorrow morning. It's just in time to react to this situation with the abbot and let him take precautions."
Xu Rong frowned, still unable to make a decision: "This is just our guess. It's best to send someone to investigate first, and then find Yuan Shao's large army."
call-
After a long sigh, Hou Cheng nodded: "This is safer, but General, in terms of time, is it too late?"
Xu Rong paused for a moment: "If the investigation is in place and we march a little faster on the road, there should be no problem."
"Report—!"
At this moment, a long announcement sounded outside the tent.
Xu Rong looked up.
But when he saw his own scouts coming in through the curtain, he leaned over and said, "General, I've found Yuan Shao's large army."
Xu Rong was surprised and asked urgently: "Oh? Where is it?"
The scout replied: "In Quliang."
"Qu Liang?"
Xu Rong's eyes fell on the map.
After a while, Xu Rong found it in the northeast corner of Wei County: "Here."
Hou Cheng was stunned: "Yuan Shao is actually here?"
Xu Rong nodded: "I understand. He really wanted to find Cao Cao. He went east to avoid the inevitable Lu Bu. Huang Zhong really took great pains."
"It really is......"
Hou Cheng also sensed the other party's intention and said incredulously: "However, he has only arrived in Quliang now. I'm afraid Zhang Liao behind him will catch up soon, right?"
"kindness."
Xu Rong nodded and said with absolute certainty: "Zhang Liao will definitely catch up. We have to hurry up and hurry up. We hope to arrive here within two days."
"General Hou." Xu Rong greeted.
"The end will be here." Hou Cheng handed over his hand.
"Early tomorrow morning, you lead the cavalry first and go straight to Quliang. I will lead the army to follow."
"General, don't worry, just leave it to the last general."
*****
Qinghe.
Cao Jun's camp.
Central army, big tent.
Tang Mao stared at Quliang on the map and frowned: "Quliang? Why did Yuan Shao go to such a poor place as Quliang? It's a good thing now that he is being watched by Zhang Liao."
Cao Cao still remained calm and said softly: "I underestimated Zhang Liao. I didn't expect him to bite so hard. It seems that relying solely on Xu You may not be able to accomplish things."
"Don't worry."
Tang Mao waved his hand and said comfortingly: "Yuan Shao still has at least 20,000 soldiers and horses stationed in a small curved beam. He will definitely be able to hold on for a while. Besides, the Fuhuo Thunderbolt in Zhang Liao's hand is probably almost used up."
"I think......"
Speaking of this, Tang Mao's voice was slightly longer: "Zhang Liao wants to capture Yuan Shao, but I'm afraid it won't be that easy. That requires 20,000 troops and horses. Even with 20,000 pigs, Zhang Liao will have to fight for half a month."
Cao Cao took a deep breath: "Prince Zhang, don't overthink things. Even if Zhang Liao cannot be taken down for the time being, Xu Rong is still here. According to the latest intelligence, Xu Rong has already reached Anping."
"This guy......"
Cao Cao subconsciously clenched his fists: "This move is clearly directed at Yuan Shao. Once he knows that Yuan Shao is in Quliang, I'm afraid he can arrive within two days."
"Xu Rong is Dong Zhuo's old subordinate, but he is a newly surrendered rebel. His need for military success is much more urgent than that of Zhang Liao and me. Once he seizes the opportunity, I'm afraid Yuan Shao will definitely fall into his hands."
"If it were normal times, I would just take it easy, but now that the world is about to stabilize, the future situation will inevitably change. At this time, I will never let it go!"
"Damn it!"
Having said this, Cao Cao punched the handsome man in the face, showing a sinister and unwilling look.
Tang Mao on the side breathed a sigh of relief and said softly: "Don't worry, we will arrive soon. It is not certain who Yuan Shao's head will be. Don't give up on yourself."
"No."
Cao Cao shook his head and said with a hint of regret: "Once we reach Quliang, the nature of the matter may change. Everyone wants Yuan Shao's head, which will inevitably cause a dispute."
"Your Majesty can allow us to compete, but he must not allow us to fight among ourselves, especially the kind that hurts each other. Once this happens, the credit will not be returned to ourselves, and it may even affect our career."
Tang Mao naturally knew the emperor's temperament, so he nodded slowly and said: "Yes, your Majesty hates internal fighting. Once you find something like this, you will definitely be furious, and the consequences can be imagined."
"Mengde."
Tang Mao let out a long sigh: "You are still thoughtful."
Cao Cao was helpless: "So what if you are thoughtful, isn't it a step too late? If I stand still at this time, at least I will not be implicated. Although there is no credit, there is no fault."
Tang Mao said softly: "Is Meng De going to give up?"
Cao Cao sighed: "This is not what I want, but there is nothing I can do. Perhaps Lu Bu and Huang Zhong have also learned the news at this moment, and they will definitely go to help them."
"but......"
At this point, Cao Cao changed the topic: "They are all professional cavalry. Even if they have such merit, the gain will not be too great, and they will not be involved too deeply."
"The key still depends on Zhang Liao and Xu Rong. If they can live in peace and share the credit, they can just pay it forward. But if there is an internal fight, it will definitely arouse His Majesty's wrath."
Tang Mao nodded slowly, but still said: "In any case, it is wrong for us to stand still. It is best to go slowly and delay the time. There may be a miracle, but it is not certain."
Cao Cao sighed: "Miracles? I, Cao Cao, never believe in such things!"