Wang Zheng was not sure whether Chang Xi could convince Zang Ba.
Even after he proposed his idea in the hall that day, Chang Xi looked confident and assured that the trip would be a success.
After all, compared to the unknown status of the former, the latter can barely deserve to be famous even if he is established in a Three Kingdoms novice like Wang Zheng.
In this era at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, with China as the stage, it can be said that you sing and I appear on the stage. In addition to the endless heroes, celebrities, and fierce generals, there is actually another type of people. Although they have never been in the center, they have a lot of roles.
Less, and the impact is even greater.
That is where local snakes usually exist in the shadows.
Zang Ba is a typical representative of this type.
You must know that regardless of novels or even related games, movies, and TV shows, the separatist forces in the late Han Dynasty were generally divided into states.
This often leads to the division into the same camp of those who are nominally the same but are sworn enemies in reality (representatives include Guo Si, Li Jue, and the generals of Xiliang.)
But in real history, before the establishment of the Three Kingdoms, or even before the middle period, most of the powerful separatist forces were based on counties.
Because if the powerful people at the county level do not cooperate, the county governor will become a decoration. If the powerful people at the county level do not cooperate, both the governor and the state pastor will become a display. When the governor and the state pastor do not cooperate, the emperor...
Naturally, it became a decoration.
This is why Wang Rui, the governor of Jingzhou, who was born in the Langya Wang family, was forced by two of his subordinates to commit suicide by swallowing gold.
This is also why the Battle of Guandu, which took place in the fifth year of Jian'an, became one of the famous battles in the history of the Celestial Dynasty in which the weak defeated the strong. You must know that if calculated by state, Cao Cao at that time should actually be better than Yuan Shao in terms of strength, because
At this time, Yuan Shao only controlled the three states of You, Bing, and Hebei, while Cao Cao owned Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Sizhou. Not to mention, even some counties in Yangzhou belonged to him.
It can be said that from Chang'an in the west to Beihai in the east, the entire China spans, and his family name is Cao.
So why did Cao Cao try his best to get 30,000 troops together when the two sides started a decisive battle in Guandu?
It was because at this time, both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao had many independent forces and powerful locals in their territories.
Compared with Yuan Shao's mighty stars, on Cao Cao's side, only Runan Governor Li Tong gave him full support.
In the decisive battle between the two forces, the support or non-support of the powerful counties and counties is extremely important.
Soldiers and horses are secondary, the key lies in food and grass.
The turning point of the Battle of Guandu was the Battle of Wuchao. Cao Cao burned a large amount of military rations through a night attack, causing Yuan Shao's army to collapse due to lack of food. However, one point cannot be ignored. Not to mention the success or failure of the Battle of Wuchao, it depends on how late it was launched.
On that day, it was probably Cao Cao's troops who collapsed without food.
The Battle of Guandu ended in October, the month that had just experienced the autumn harvest!
Logically speaking, Cao Cao only had 30,000 horses. Not to mention that he controlled four states at this time, but only four counties. It should not be difficult to find enough food and grass to support 30,000 horses.
Therefore, it is obvious that when the situation was most critical, Cao Cao fell into such an embarrassing and passive situation because the local powerful in the four states did not support and cooperate, resulting in the army being unable to recruit military rations.
Zang Ba, no matter now or in the future, is such a local powerful and overlord.
"The Biography of Zang Ba" said that the Battle of Guandu was because Zang Ba led his troops to attack Yuan Shao's flank, which involved a lot of the opponent's troops, so that Cao Cao could concentrate on facing the enemy in the west instead of worrying about the east.
However, "The Biography of Xiahou Yuan" also said that at the critical moment of the fierce battle between the two sides, Xuzhou did not provide military rations, but immediately made up for the victory after the war, and directly "revived the army."
It is most likely that Zang Ba reached a tacit understanding with Yuan Cao at the same time. The two parties made a bet. On the one hand, they helped Cao Cao block Yuan Shao's army in Qingzhou, and on the other hand, they used this as an excuse not to deliver military rations to Cao Cao. They could sell both sides without any offense.
.
Zang Ba, Zang Xuangao...
Silently muttering this name, Wang Zheng walked in front of the window, stood proudly with his hands behind his hands, and stared at the east side of the sky in the distance, which is the direction of Donghai County.
Or to be more precise...
It is Licheng in Donghai County.
At this time, the young man's eyes were filled with not only a proud look, but also a faint expectation.
...
It is already July of the second year of Xingping.
Today's sky is orange and blue, with not a single cloud in sight. It seems that the sun has been melted by the fireball and disappeared without a trace.
Donghai County, Licheng.
If Xuzhou is a battleground for military strategists among the prefectures and counties in the world, then Licheng at this time is the battleground between the north and the south of Xuzhou, because it is also far away from Kaiyang, the capital of Langya, the capital of the Tianjun Dynasty, and the two major forces in Xuzhou today.
As well as Tancheng, the capital of the East China Sea under Liu Bei, the governor of Xuzhou, they are all no more than a hundred miles apart!
Its importance and sensitivity today can be said to be even greater than those in its original history.
And if history proceeds as before, in the next three years of Jian'an, Cao Cao will specifically separate it from Donghai County and upgrade it to a county.
The current owner of this city is the leader of the Taishan group of thieves, Cavalry Commander Zang Ba, who became famous for saving his father from a prisoner. His reputation for filial piety and bravery spread across Mount Tai. Later, he helped Tao Qian repeatedly defeat the Yellow Turban bandits in Xuzhou and was the leader of the Taishan bandits!
In the original history, after Tao Qian's death, Zang Ba did not choose to serve the new Xuzhou Shepherd Liu Bei. Instead, he became completely independent. He even took advantage of Liu Bei's unstable foundation to attack Langya County and drive away the county governor Xiao Jian.
, occupied Kaiyang.
It can be said that Zang Ba, who has been staying in the East China Sea since he led dozens of people and Feixishan to rescue his father Zang Jie when he was eighteen years old, has been thinking about Langya County for a long time.
Without him, Langya is the closest place in Xuzhou to my hometown, Mount Tai.
It can even be said that Zang Ba took action a long time ago.
In order to preserve the friendship between Quan Quan and Tao Qian, the old Zhou Mu, although Zang Ba did not take action personally, he also asked his brothers to pretend to be some horse thieves and rebels, and invaded Kaiyang several times. Unfortunately, his men were incompetent and the enemy
However, the Kaiyang County Wei Wang Ling at that time had no choice but to give up and temporarily suppress it.
But after Tao Qian's death, Zang Ba no longer had any scruples. He took a quick look and found that the territory he cherished had been occupied by a group of yellow scarf thieves from Qingzhou!
Zang Ba hates this!
In desperation, he had no choice but to hold his nose and settle for the next best thing, occupying the city. Soon after, he became content with himself.
At this time, Zang Ba, Sun Guan, Wu Dun, Yin Li and others gathered in the backyard of the mansion. While chilling the wine, they paved the ground with plain silk, placed a round pot, and played the game of pot throwing.
It was that time, the sky was high and the clouds were clear, the breeze was blowing, and the garden was filled with the fragrance of lotus flowers. The weather was sultry, but it also had the benefits of being sultry.
Compared with standing in the courtyard with head held high, arms and halberds in hand, the guards Hu Ben in the corridor, and the three or two beautiful maids cooking tea and pouring wine during the banquet, and the white, soft and infinite spring light exposed in their movements are even more eye-catching.
At this moment, a burst of rapid footsteps came from outside the hospital.
The others were so playful that they didn't notice it, but Zang Ba looked up calmly and saw that his own soldiers were parked not far away with a sentry horse. He looked even more anxious, but he was worried.
That's why he always stopped moving forward.
Is this an urgent matter?
Thinking of this, Zang Ba was not in a hurry. He waited for a while, and then chose a moment to stop suddenly. Facing the gazes coming from him, he smiled and said, "Brothers, please stop first."
Immediately, he turned his eyes slightly, glanced at the guards in the distance, suddenly turned his face, his face darkened, and he said: "Didn't I already have instructions not to disturb any gatherings with my brothers?"
"But what's the matter?"
"The crime of a villain." As the guard walked past quickly, he bowed to Sun Guan, Wu Dun and others. He bowed in front of Zang Ba and said, "Military information from the south!" After saying this, he handed over a letter.
To the south? Tancheng?
Zang Ba's heart moved.
Yuan Shu's army marched northward, coming fiercely, even if they were not under Liu Bei's command. After all, they were in a whirlpool, and for his own sake, Zang Ba had to pay attention. He quickly unfolded it, and couldn't see a few lines. His expression suddenly changed, and he stood up suddenly!
This posture shocked everyone, and they quickly stood up from the couch. Sun Guan immediately came closer, stood on one side, glanced at Zang Ba, and asked with concern: "Brother, are you out?
What's the matter?"
Zang Ba did not answer immediately, but turned the letter over and over again, read it carefully several times, then he snorted heavily, sat down directly, slapped the table and sighed: "Guan Yu, it's so bad!"
Without waiting for Sun Guan to inquire further, he took the initiative to hand over the letter and said: "Not long ago, in the battle of Huai Ling, Guan Yu was defeated. He lost the city and fled. He has retreated to Xiapi!"
"What?"
Hearing this, not only Sun Guan but also everyone present changed their expressions. After Sun read the letter, he stamped his foot and cursed: "How can one of these two brothers Liu Bei be inferior to the other!"
"First, Zhang Fei was beaten by the Zhuzi in Xiapi and fled directly back to the East China Sea in despair, handing over Guangling County to others. Now it is replaced by Guan Yu. Huailing has five thousand defenders. If we say
It’s okay if you can’t defeat Yuan’s army in the wild, but why...”
"Why can't we defend the city for only a few days?" Sun Guan sighed: "Brother, it seems that Xiapi will also be lost."
"What should I do?"
"I expected Zhang Fei's defeat and Wang Zheng's defeat." But I saw Zang Ba said: "This Yan man is just a reckless man, how can he be compared with Wang Zheng?"
Wang Zheng not only took away Langya, which Zang Ba had longed for, but later also took over Pengcheng. Even his hometown, Taishan, was conquered in just ten months, so Zang Ba was naturally very concerned about it.
Especially in the past year, as long as it was related to the royal government, no matter how big or small it was, no matter whether it was true or false, he would definitely send people to search for it in every possible way.
The two sides are not far apart, especially in both Taishan and Langya, Zang Ba's power exists. With this intention, Zang Ba at this time can be considered to have a very good understanding of Wang Zheng.
The more he got to know him, the more Zang Ba became afraid of this person, and even developed a faint admiration for him.
"The speed of this son's rise is rare in the world. He is a young hero. He joined forces with Yuan Shu to attack Guangling. I had expected that Zhang Fei would be extremely difficult to resist." Zang Ba said with emotion, then paused and spoke in a tone of voice.
Suddenly he changed: "It's just that Guan Yu...Looking at his arrogant and arrogant appearance, although I don't like it, I still feel that he has some abilities and is a person. Who would have expected..."
"Hey..." Zang Ba curled his lips and snorted with disdain: "But I saw it wrong!"
"Brother," Sun Guan asked: "In your opinion, once the news of Guan Yu's defeat spreads, what impact will it have on the current disputes in Xuzhou?"
"Of course, the disparity between the strong and the weak is getting bigger and bigger." Zang Ba pondered for a while and said: "Yuan Gongzhi has strong soldiers and strong horses, and he has been running three states for a long time. Liu Bei only has three counties, and his foundation is even more unstable. Who is strong and who is weak can be determined at a glance!"
"In addition, the Yangzhou army has been gathering momentum for many years and is attacking unpreparedly. There are even Qingzhou Yellow Turbans who are watching with eager eyes..."
"Xiapi is about to fall. For Liu Xuande, the situation is so fierce and dangerous now..." Zang Ba said: "The disaster of overthrow is right in front of us."
"Yes." Sun Guan nodded: "The winner will be decided!"
"My second brother's views are exactly the same as mine."
When it comes to military affairs, even though he is wearing regular clothes, Zang Ba no longer has the dissolute manners of a young man, and his tone of voice unconsciously carries the sound of gold and iron: "Gong Xuande is actually a person."
"It's just the wrong time!"
"When Rizhoumu wanted Liu Bei to take over Xuzhou, I didn't agree with it. It is precisely because Xuzhou is a place surrounded by wolves and is surrounded by hundreds of battles. With this person's weak foundation and weak strength, he won Xuzhou and defended it.
There are also many difficulties.”
"Don't you know the fault of an ordinary man carrying a jade? The disadvantages of a child holding gold?"
"Thankfully, my eldest brother has the foresight and decision-making." Sun Guan agreed: "We got out in time and left the East China Sea. Now we don't have to accompany a sunken ship."
"In a time of great strife, you can only escape for a while, but you will never be able to escape for the rest of your life." Zang Ba turned his head leisurely and looked to the south: "With Liu Bei's ability, if he has 20,000 men under his command when he succeeds as the governor of the state, I can let him go.
Lord, if we work together, these days will be enough to subdue Danyang's soldiers, and the arrogant soldiers and powerful generals will be able to defeat Xuzhou, and Xuzhou will be firmly in control, and may not be able to defeat Yuan Shu."
"No, if this is the case, then Yuan Shu may not even dare to violate the situation!"
"It's hard..." Sun Guan shook his head and suddenly pointed to the west: "Brother, don't forget, there is still a group of people here?"
"Twenty thousand people, how many are needed to suppress the arrogant soldiers in the county? Can the remaining ones be enough to drive away these Qingzhou Yellow Turbans?"
"That's right..." Zang Ba nodded and murmured in a low voice: "This is what the heavens do not grant."
"Mr. Xuande, what a pity!"
Although Liu Bei claimed to be a member of the Han clan, judging from his experience, he also came from a poor family like Zang Ba.
The failure of this person ultimately lies in his background. Thinking of this, Zang Ba felt quite sad that the rabbit had died and the fox had died. He couldn't suppress the sadness in his heart and suddenly shouted: "Here comes the knife!"
Zang Ba's current reputation and foundation started from the bottom of the infantry. He often charged into battle and killed in advance. With a long knife in his hand, he would immediately have a fierce and murderous aura, which was extremely compelling.
Sun Guan on the side couldn't bear it. He shuddered secretly and quietly took a few steps back.
Zang Ba held the horizontal sword in his hand and tested the edge with his fingers. He was generous and fierce, and he was moved by the scene. He recited in a loud voice: "Princes, generals and prime ministers, would you rather have the kind?"
When I asked myself, I had already raised my knife to chop, and I heard a loud noise, and the cases in front of me were cut into two pieces.
"There is!"
He looked gloomy, sighed with emotion, and then sat down with some dejection.
At this time, in the hall, there was no longer the usual talk of drinking, drinking, romance, and sorrow. Seeing that Zang Ba was in a bad mood, everyone was silent, and for a while, the atmosphere was a bit depressing.
Soon after, there was another sound of footsteps outside the hall.
But the steward of the house also came.
When he saw the silence in front of him, the steward was greatly surprised. He was startled for a moment, then looked at his master's face, secretly yelled something bad, and then tiptoed back.
The situation is not right, I'd better report it later.
But in the next moment, two cold, lightning-like gazes were directed at him.
"What's the matter?" Zang Ba asked coldly.
While complaining secretly, the steward had to muster up the courage to walk over, bowed and whispered softly: "Master, there is a guest outside the door who wants to see you."
"Guest?" Zang Ba was startled, and while taking the greeting card from the steward, he asked, "Where did it come from?"
"He is said to be an old friend from Mount Tai." The steward said cautiously, "He is from Kaiyang."
Kaiyang?
Mount Tai?
Zang Ba opened his eyes and looked at the handwriting on the sticker. He narrowed his eyes and praised: "Good calligraphy!"
After just admiring it for a while, the more I looked at it, the more familiar it became. Before I saw the sentence "Lieutenant Colonel Chang Xi of the Heavenly Army", I stood up suddenly again, and immediately waved to everyone and walked out of the hall.
.
"quick!"
"Brother Chang is here, come with me to welcome him!"