While everyone was talking, Xu Fang had already arranged for the soldiers who had returned from Yangzhou to be taken to the military camp to settle down. Then everyone came to the county mansion and entered the palace. The king did not want to rest, so he only ordered his maids to bring Bu Wan'er and other female family members inside.
After entering the room, a temporary meeting was held directly in the lobby.
The reason why they turned back halfway was because of Lu Bu's sudden arrival. As soon as the meeting started and everyone sat down, they knew that how to deal with it was the main purpose of this meeting. In addition, as the military and political leader of the three counties of the Tianjun, Wang Zheng also had to follow Xu Fang's instructions.
Zhang Zhao and others understood the important military and political affairs during this period.
Including but not limited to Pengcheng.
The first person to speak was none other than Zhang Zhao.
For one thing, his current official position is Pengcheng Prime Minister. Compared with Xu Fang’s nondescript major, he is now nominally the second person in Pengcheng. Secondly, the arrival of the brave tiger from the west is sudden but unexpected.
It makes sense.
Zhang Zhao has been well prepared in the past few days and has been continuously collecting relevant information about what happened in Yanzhou before. He has considered it carefully and now it is clear at a glance and he has analyzed it with confidence.
According to Zhang Zhao, the two heroes met in Yanzhou last year. In recent years, they have won and lost each other, and both sides have suffered losses.
The victory or defeat was actually determined by a locust plague. Facing the same adversity of food shortage, Cao Cao dared to go to Yuzhou to defeat thieves and obtain food. With the aid of his friendly army Yuan Shao, he finally had the last laugh.
Even so, not only was Cao Cao's victory a lucky one, it was an absolutely miserable victory.
Only then did he face Wang Zheng who provoked a border provocation and conquered Mount Tai. Faced with the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans who surrendered and then rebelled, Cao Cao also swallowed his anger, endured the humiliation and adopted a policy of appeasement, and took the initiative to seek peace.
From this, it can be seen that Cao Cao is now severely weakened and in a difficult situation.
If the victor is like this, what will happen to Lu Bu who fled from Yanzhou?
As for the number of Lu Fengxian's men and horses, Zhang Zhao, like Wang Zheng, believed that the information obtained from the horse scouting may not be true, but the subsequent judgments of this king and his ministers were completely contrary to each other.
Wang Zheng paid too much attention to Lu Bu, and because he didn't know much about the news about Yanzhou at the time, he thought that there might be more than 5,000 troops.
Zhang Rao believes that Lu Bu today is just a bunch of defeated soldiers!
Five thousand troops? Exaggerated!
It makes sense. After listening to Zhang Zhao's talk, Wang Zhengsi thought for a while, nodded and said: "Sir's calculation is not bad."
Zhang Zhao's analysis is indeed closer to the truth. Although the original history books did not record how many people Lu Bu took to Xuzhou after his defeat, it was clearly recorded that when Yuan Shu attacked Xuzhou with a large number of troops, he sent a letter to lure Lu Bu.
, as a result, Lu Bu saw the advantage and forgot his loyalty, and when he actually took the opportunity to stab Liu Bei in the back, the men and horses he brought to attack Pi were only three thousand infantry and four hundred cavalry.
You know, at that time Lu Bu had been stationed in Xiaopei for a long time, almost half a year.
How crucial is the battle to capture Pi?
Not to mention that at least half of the army has been mobilized. From this, it can be deduced that Lu Bu's total strength at this time is no more than five or six thousand men.
Then how much did Lu Bu have when he fled Yanzhou?
After Zhang Zhao exposed the truth about the paper tiger, Wang Zheng was even more determined.
He didn't value Lu Bu as much as Liu Bei. To put it bluntly, Lu Bu's greatest characteristic was his personal bravery. How could Wang Zheng, who had a system in hand, be afraid of this?
Besides, no matter how fierce you are alone, can you still be stronger than Xiang Yu, who is "unparalleled in bravery throughout the ages"?
Xiang Yu still needs brave and capable cavalry to conquer Peng City, and he must use his tactics to attack and catch the enemy by surprise.
If Lu Bu's troops at this time did not even have five thousand, or even just five thousand, it would be almost no threat to Wang Zheng's territory.
Because with vigilance and vigilance, as long as the disaster is caused by Xiao Qiang, and relying on external attacks alone, it is absolutely impossible for these five thousand troops to break through the gate of Pengcheng!
Pengcheng is as solid as a rock, and the cities behind it can be safe and sound.
"However, we cannot keep this person in our territory for a long time." Zhang Zhao said: "Lü Bu's prestige has never been mentioned, but I heard that Chen Gongtai, a famous scholar from Dongjun, is now serving under him!"
Having said this, Zhang Zhao paused, glanced at Wang Zheng, and said pointedly: "Chen Gong has been making friends with famous people in the country since he was young. His ambition is not small."
It can be even bigger, right?
Wang Zheng heard the implication of Zhang Zhao's words, alluding to the previous rebellion of aristocratic families in Pengcheng, and it was this person who was behind it!
In fact, he didn't dare to take success lightly without being reminded by the other party. As for those who know about the Three Kingdoms, how many of them don't know who is the real director of the scene where Cao Cao and Lu Bu hunt Yanzhou?
"Excuse me, sir." Wang Zheng nodded. Restless combinations like Lu Bu and Chen Gong cannot stay around for too long, but he still needs to think about how to drive them away, otherwise there will be something wrong. Even if he makes another enemy, it is necessary to rush back to Pengcheng in time, because only he can make such decisions.
While thinking about it, Wang Zheng asked about the family background of the rebels and whether there were any other connections in the city such as in-laws. Xu Fang was told not to be soft-hearted and to remove hidden dangers in time, and not to hesitate to kill.
To put it bluntly, I would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go.
After the matter was settled, Wang Zheng looked at Zhang Rao again and said warmly: "From Yao, how many troops and horses are there in total to come to Pengcheng's aid?"
From Yao, it is said that Zhang Rao begged Ni Heng for a long time, invited you to drink and gave gifts, and spent a lot of effort to get one word. It is not an exaggeration to say that one word is worth a thousand gold.
"General, after receiving the letter, the last general discussed with Major Yu and originally plucked 3,000 people from Langya." Zhang Rao replied respectfully: "On the way here, I was afraid that it would hinder the general's important affairs, so I asked Chen Jiao's department for one thousand!"
At this time, the three counties under the king's administration, including the new soldiers recruited during these days, as well as the bandits from Taishan, etc., the total force has exceeded 50,000. It is only necessary to control the cities and cannot act rashly, especially Kaiyang, that is, Qiu. Fenggao, the newly acquired Taishan County, is even more crucial. Each city can garrison no less than 5,000 soldiers and horses.
Therefore, the four thousand people brought by Zhang Rao can actually be regarded as the last mobile force in Wang Zheng's hands.
"Great kindness!" Wang Zheng nodded to Zhang Rao, with a look of approval in his eyes. He looked around at everyone, pointed at them and said with a smile, "This is me, Fan Kuai!"
Nowadays, the generals who can gain his trust are basically loyal to the system and have no problem with their attitudes. What matters is ability. Since Zhang Rao joined the army, he has been brave in the battle, capable of doing things, and his performance has always been very good. Not to mention it’s pretty good, and it’s making progress all the time.
"Thank you, General." Upon hearing this, Zhang Rao was so excited that he bowed directly to express his loyalty again: "Anyone who has the general's orders will end up going through fire and water!"
"Please arrange these four thousand troops." Wang Zhengxian looked at Xu Fang: "Lü Bu's troops are now arranged in Wu County, right?"
After hearing the affirmative answer, Wang Zheng thought for a while and said: "Leave a thousand men in Pengcheng, divide the troops into three groups, and go all the way to Fengqiu (southeast of Wu County). Pay close attention to every move of Lu Bu's army and the coming and going of personnel!"
"Allocate another thousand men to Gu Jian and lead the remaining troops from Yao. The two of you will go to Wuyuan and station in Lu County respectively. While strengthening the border guards, you must also pay special attention to the war in Xiapi!"
"Promise." Zhang Rao and Gu Jian agreed at the same time.
This is actually a gesture.
Even if all the generals under his command have joined the system and are extremely consistent in their loyalty to Wang Zheng and the general collective interests, this cannot eliminate personal differences in mind. There are still conflicts of interest between them, and even Shantouism has long been in Wang Zheng's group.
Secretly growing inside.
In contrast, Wang Zheng brought Zhang Rao, a direct descendant of Gujian Zhang Rao, to Yangzhou, which in itself was regarded as a reward for Zhang Rao's outstanding performance several times. Now, he once again handed over a major task to Zhang Rao in front of everyone.
.
Especially this task actually has a lot of meaning.
One is to strengthen the security of border areas with other countries, the other is to look after the great enemy Lu Bu, and the third most critical point is...
However, the war with Liu Bei has already begun, and the possibility of sending troops again to attack Xiapi in the future is not small. If so, Zhang Rao and Gu Jian will be the inevitable vanguard candidates.
Gu Tao
Everyone present was a smart person, and their hearts moved when they heard this.
This seems to be Wang Zheng's prediction that Zhang Rao's status in the army will be greatly improved in the near future.
even...
Will a third mountain appear among the heavenly army?
When he looked at Zhang Rao, his eyes became quite complicated. Xu Fang was thoughtful, Zhang Zhao's eyes were twinkling, and the others were either envious or jealous.
After finishing the affairs one by one, Xu Fang was asked to bring letters from the other two counties to learn about the recent situation of Langya and Mount Tai. At this time, it was getting late outside the hall. Zhang Zhao had already prepared a banquet. After giving a reminder, Wang Zheng nodded.
After agreeing, the group went to the banquet with Wang Zheng surrounded by stars.
Apart from them, there were also many important civil and military officials who had no role in welcoming the royal government. The aristocratic families in the city were even more enthusiastic. According to Zhang Zhao, not only did each family not tell the truth this time, but also the head of the family and his direct descendants.
The eldest son took the lead in attending.
Tsk, Wang Zheng laughed dumbly and shook his head. He knew immediately that the scene was not going to be small.
Sure enough, first of all, the location was not the county government, but the best restaurant in Pengcheng. Not only had the soldiers enforced martial law for a long time, Wang Zheng went up to the building to take a look. Even though he had expected it, he was still secretly stunned by the luxury displayed there.
"It's hard for me, sir." After looking at the table, there were not only a lot of delicacies from the mountains and seas, but also some products produced in other states and counties. For example, Wang Zheng saw some fresh fruits that he had eaten in Yangzhou before. I heard they were from Jiangdong.
He couldn't help but smile at Zhang Zhao and said, "It takes a lot of effort to set up this table, right?"
Such a scene could not have been created by a grassroots person like Xu Fang. Not to mention that he didn't know where to look for many things, I'm afraid he had never heard of them. They could only be from a well-known family like Zhang Zhao, who has been well-dressed and well-fed.
The characters are just in charge.
"I have benefited from my lord's glory, so I got the blessing." Zhang Zhao smiled and shook his head, pointing at a middle-aged man who was walking by at this time and said: "I don't dare to steal the credit. What happened today is all Guo Yongcang's fault.
Strength."
Wang Zhengxun looked up and saw that it was Guo Yi who had been awarded a 400-stone official by him before, so he nodded in approval.
Today, these aristocratic families rushed to attend the banquet. In addition to being threatened by Xu Fang's massacre in the city and wanting to please them, the other part was because they had seen Wang Zheng attack Taishan in the north and Yangzhou in the east.
, seeing that the momentum is getting bigger and bigger, it also means that it is basically difficult for Pengcheng to change hands in the short term.
In this case, after all, some people are afraid and want to give in.
Sure enough, just after sitting down for a few cases, I saw several family heads taking the initiative to show up with their children, expressing their desire to do their best for their families. This was put mildly, but it actually meant that they wanted to serve as kings.
Nowadays, Wang Zheng's desire for talents is getting worse day by day. He was delighted when he heard the words, and they were very happy to meet each other. No one was rejected, but who was from whom, and what position they were given, but all the words were decided by the Prime Minister.
Zhao calls the shots.
He didn't even recognize the faces of many of these people, and he didn't know anything about them. How could he appoint them indiscriminately? Buying horse bones for a thousand dollars has nothing to do with pigs and cattle. Naturally, Zhang Zhao, a local well-known person, should be appointed well.
Next, of course, there was a thirty-year-old drinking party, and everyone in the house was happy.
...
The banquet lasted until midnight.
Everyone dispersed, and only Xu Fang followed Wang Zheng directly back to the county government. Once they entered the hall, the two knew each other's feelings, and strode towards the study one after another, but they wanted to do it again when no third person was present.
Night talk by candlelight.
After Xu Fang finished drinking the sobering tea, Wang Zheng dismissed the maid, looked at Xu Fang who was sitting upright beside him, and suddenly smiled and said: "Long time no see, your boy is getting more and more handsome."
This is true.
In terms of appearance, Xu Fang is the most outstanding one among them. As the saying goes, "living the Qi and nourishing the body", after occupying a high position, if Wang Zheng is more majestic, then Xu Fang is more and more prosperous.
He is handsome, and now he carries himself with a majestic demeanor. Once he takes off his armor and puts on his regular clothes, he is not a bit rude at all, but has the air of a handsome young man.
"General, why would you make fun of a junior general?" Hearing this, Xu Fang rarely showed some shyness: "Only a handsome man like you, Mr. Ni, can speak handsomely."
"Otherwise, that's not the case," Wang Zheng shook his head and joked: "You are as solid as jade, as good as fighting with each other, but my pharmacist is also as independent as a solitary peak, lying down as if the jade mountain is about to collapse."
As he spoke, he burst into laughter.
Xu Fang felt helpless and had to change the subject: "The general went to Yangzhou because he was very wise and brave. However, although Yuan Shu was not in trouble as expected, he saw the troops arriving at Guangling but gave up halfway and did not drive away Liu Bei after all.
Pity."
"Everything in the world is unpredictable." Looking back on the experience during this period, although it can't be said to be a hardship, during that time in Yangzhou, the daily interactions between documents and people's hearts were indeed depressing and irritable.
Later, when they attacked Guangling, although they tried their best to use all their troops and Yuan's army was the main force during the attack, they could not avoid casualties after all, and it took so much thought, time, and cost...
In the end, it was not all done!
In front of Xu Fang, Wang Zheng finally had no scruples. He didn't hide it anymore, and just sighed and said word by word: "It's really a pity, annoying, and hateful to fall short of the success!"
It seems...Xu Fang thought to himself.
This new general Xuzhou Mu is really afraid of him.
Xu Fang thought to himself, even if he puts aside the so-called divine power and miracles, in his opinion, Wang Zheng can also be regarded as a rare monarch. He is mature and steady beyond his age, and he does not lack the ambition that a young man should have.
It is very rare to be high-spirited and rarely make mistakes.
Even if there is, it's just like Xu Xuan burning grain and Wu Sheng being hit by an arrow, that's all.
It was the first time that such disappointment could be expressed in words, and it was revealed in front of others.
Regardless of the reason, Xu Fang believed in Wang Zheng's judgment. In this case, Liu Bei must not be allowed to stay in Xuzhou any longer!
"The general has seen Yuan Shu, his men and his army." Xu Fang asked, "I wonder what you think of the follow-up to the war between the two states?"
"To defeat Liu Bei, Yuan Shu cannot do it alone!" Wang Zheng judged directly without thinking.
"Is it so difficult?" Xu Fang pondered for a long time after hearing this, frowning and thinking deeply. After a while, he looked at Wang Zheng and suddenly said: "Then why don't we help this Yangzhou shepherd again?"
"You mean to send troops again?" Wang Zheng thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "Not for the time being."
"General, you don't need to be limited to spear fighting." Xu Fang smiled and said: "Everything in the world is the same, but there are small differences. If you can draw it out and extend it, touch it and make it grow..."
His tone was full of confidence: "Then it's done!"
"As soon as Lu Bu arrived, there were not enough troops and horses. His prestige could sway the hearts of Pengcheng. For example, Liu Bei captured the East China Sea later than the general captured Pengcheng. However, his foreign enemies were strong and his situation was dangerous, but he was far superior...
"
"What do you mean..." Wang Zheng was startled when he heard this, and suddenly hit several cases: "Let it cause internal chaos? Will it be self-defeating?"
"Of course!" Xu Fang said: "Just thinking about it, I feel that if we want to start here, the chances are quite high, and there are two lines."
"One is the Mi family..." Wang Zheng stood up, paced back and forth in the room, and murmured to himself: "But I remember that the Mi family is very loyal to Liu Bei, and I don't know what the chances are."
"What's the other line?" he asked Xu Fang.
"The general has obtained one of the five thieves in Mount Tai." Xu Fang smiled and said, "Do you know where the leader of the group of thieves, Zang Ba, is now?"
Zang Ba?
This person is now in Xuzhou, under Liu Bei's command?
Wang Zheng looked sideways at Xu Fang, and when he saw Xu Fang nodded in agreement, he couldn't help but the sharp light in his eyes flashed, and he began to ponder.