There were glasses of fine wine placed on the tables in front of everyone's seats, and their faces were filled with the joy of victory, except for Liu Bei's two sworn brothers.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
Guan Yu, who has always been reserved, has always been stern, which is not surprising, but what happened to Zhang Fei?
This inevitably made some of the generals suspicious. From time to time, they would steal a glance at the right table and see that the Yan man was just drinking wine without saying a word, which made him more and more suspicious.
With some ingenuity, he also noticed that Liu Bei, the state pastor, seemed to be forcing a smile. He was even more surprised and couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Of course Liu Bei was not happy.
According to the original plan, after luring Yuan Shu's army into the territory of Xiapi, he and Guan Yu should cooperate with each other inside and outside to defeat the main force of Yuan's army led by Qiao Rui. Then they would conquer the cities and pursue the scattered defeated soldiers one after another to complete the general.
The strategic goal is to completely annihilate Yuan Shu's army that invaded Xuzhou.
The first two were mostly completed. Yuan Shu's 30,000-strong army was defeated in one battle, and Guan Yu personally killed the commander Qiao Rui. Then he divided his forces and attacked in three directions. Today, the victory of Sentinel Cavalry was reported.
Reports came back that two cities around Xiapi had been recovered, namely Jili in the west and Tongguo in the south.
Just when Liu Bei was in high spirits, about to take advantage of the victory and take the last step bravely, he received a piece of news that made the war drums in his heart stop suddenly.
Our base camp, Tancheng, was lost!
Wang Zheng!
It’s this bastard again!
When this name rang in his ears again, Liu Bei was filled with rage, and the murderous intent in his eyes seemed to materialize, so frightened that the messenger was so scared that he could not even take a breath.
Even after many years, the messenger still remembered the scene that day. He had never thought that a person's eyes could be so red, turning like two drops of blood.
and...
Liu Bei is still an easy-going and kind-hearted person.
Liu Bei finally restrained himself and did not completely lose his mind due to anger.
After gasping for breath for a long time, he managed to calm down. After accepting this annoying fact, he immediately ordered the messenger not to spread the news.
Liu Bei knew very well that the army had just won, and the news must not be leaked at this time to let too many people know, lest people's hearts would be shaken and morale would be low.
Similarly, it is naturally impossible to divide the troops to pursue Yuan Jun.
Looking at the generals, Liu Bei forced a smile and clapped his hands and said: "Although we have won a great victory, there is so much going on in the city now that it is not appropriate to be extravagant. I can only enjoy myself with a glass of water and wine. Generals, please pay your respects!"
"I'd like to propose a glass of wine to you generals. Please drink up!"
During his toast, all the generals stood up to raise their glasses and wished Liu Bei with a smile: "May the governor be safe."
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were a little stunned.
At this time, maybe he was the only two people in the hall who knew the true feelings of his eldest brother at this time, right?
And how difficult it is for such a depressed and angry Liu Bei to force a smile in front of everyone?
The two of them looked at each other and were silent for a long time. They raised the wine glasses in their hands and drank the whole drink. They could only feel the sour taste of the wine in their mouths.
Since Zhang Qian's passage to the Western Regions, the products of the Western Regions were introduced to the Han Dynasty, and grapes were one of them. Xiapi was particularly impressed by it. Not only did it have Bowang Bridge (Zhang Qian was titled Bowang Marquis), it became the earliest spread of Sanskritism in the Celestial Dynasty.
This place (Zuo Rong, who served as Prime Minister of Xia Pi, was the earliest recorded Buddhist Buddhist) has also become a place rich in grapes, which has lasted for thousands of years.
In this case, wine has become one of Xiapi's representative specialties.
And what can be presented to today’s celebration banquet is the best of Xiapi wine.
It's just that although it is fine wine, they feel the same for Liu Bei, so drinking it at this time is like drinking poison.
At this time, I heard a rush of footsteps coming from outside the hall.
Immediately, a sentry rider hurried in from outside with an excited look on his face, and shouted loudly: "Good news from the east!"
"Yesterday, Lieutenant Wu defeated the Yuan thieves in Xiaxiang City. He beheaded 800 people and captured more than 1,300 soldiers. He also seized a large amount of grain, grass, equipment, and armor."
Hearing this, everyone in the hall beamed with joy, and Liu Bei even raised his eyebrows, slapped the table hard, and shouted: "Okay!"
There was a loud noise on the table and a wine glass on the table jumped, but Liu Bei ignored it at all and just paced back and forth on the main seat, laughing loudly and cheering repeatedly.
This time the smile really comes from the heart.
Victory or defeat, beheading the capital was secondary, but the key was the captured grain, grass and equipment, which were exactly what he needed most at this time.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also nodded repeatedly.
They knew clearly that war would break out again in the near future, and if it came to that, the Yellow Turban bandits under Wang Zheng's command would not necessarily be less difficult to deal with than Yuan Shu's troops.
What they and Liu Bei were most worried about before was not the battle, but the supply of food, grass, and equipment.
After losing Tancheng, most of Xiapi's storage was consumed. It was a time of worry, but Xia Xiang brought a surprise.
Just as he was thinking this, he saw that a general had already taken advantage of the crowd, knelt down on one knee, and said: "Zhou Mu, good news comes frequently, which shows that our three armies are as powerful as a rainbow!"
"Yuan Shu is a traitor and an ambitious man who dares to invade our territory. The general thinks that it is time to take advantage of the situation to pursue him and take Yangzhou directly to avenge this great revenge!"
What are you talking nonsense about?
Such foolish words made Liu Bei almost choked and unable to breathe.
Even without the Tancheng Incident, it would have been impossible for him to go on an expedition after the war when his strength had not yet recovered, right?
"This matter is not urgent." Thanks to his mastery of nourishing his energy, he managed to reply warmly, then looked around at the crowd and said: "Since the Prime Minister used to be Yuan Jun's baggage and food storage place, now it is in my hands, and I will definitely get it.
Guard it heavily!"
"Sima Guan Yu of the other department!"
Guan Yu was startled, walked out of his seat and came to the hall, bowed and said: "The general, Zhou Mu, is here."
Liu Bei issued a military order and said: "I order you to quickly take 3,000 men and horses to Xiangxiang, supervise Wu Yujiang to transport the baggage, food and fodder to escort some to Xiapi first, and at the same time guard the city, without any loss!"
Perhaps out of excitement, the force of the throw was so great that the iron token even made a small hole in the ground.
Guan Yu received the military order, glanced at Liu Bei, and said solemnly: "Don't worry, Zhou Mu."
"When the feathers are in one day, the next phase will be in the same day!"
Liu Bei did not say it clearly, but he had already understood that Xiaxiang was not only a place to store grain, but also formed an angle with Xiapi City to the east and west. No matter whether the future war took place in Xiapi or Tancheng, it was of great strategic value.
Seeing the sweet rain falling from the sky, which relieved his urgent need, Liu Bei's mood finally improved. He picked up the wine cups on the table, drank in small sips, savored it carefully, and suddenly laughed and said: "In the past, Meng Tuo left a liter of wine to the governor, prepare for it."
I used to think it was extremely ridiculous.”
"If you drink Pi's wine today, even though Governor Fang is unethical, the wine is indeed very good."
What Liu Bei was talking about was an extremely famous event in the late Han Dynasty. "Xu Hanshu" records: Fufeng Mengta left Zhang Rang a liter of wine, and he was called the governor of Liangzhou.
Meng was named Tuo, so he was also called Meng Tuo. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the eunuchs were in power. The twelve most powerful people during the reign of Emperor Ling were called the Ten Constant Attendants, and Zhang Rang was the first among them. When he was most successful, he even asked Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty to say:
There have been such eternal jokes as "Chang Shi Zhang is my father".
Of course, in real history, Zhang Rang would definitely not let Meng Tuo become the governor of Liangzhou just because of a liter of wine. There must be other bribes. However, just because this matter can be listed in the history books, it can be seen that at the end of the Han Dynasty,
Wine is valuable and highly respected.
A general sitting below him flattered him and said, "Zhang Rang is a traitor to the country, but he is somewhat discerning. He is a knowledgeable person and knows the benefits of our Xiapi wine. It is not all bad." After a pause,
He also said: "This will make the fool worry a lot, but he will definitely get something."
How can this idiom be applied to this person?
Hearing this, Liu Bei couldn't help but burst into laughter. However, he also knew that most generals were vulgar and uncivilized. It was normal for them to use wrong allusions and wrong wording. He was not surprised at all. He just shook his head slightly, laughed, and looked up.
He glanced outside the hall.
It was dusk, the mountains and mountains were like angry, the wind was blowing and rustling.
...
After three rounds of drinking, everyone had probably drunk half a jar of wine, and some of them were already tipsy.
At this time, the Han people still mainly drank rice wine. Although wine was a famous product in Xiapi, they did not drink much of it on a daily basis. Many people were not aware of its stamina. It was only then that they were vaguely aware of it, and immediately complained secretly.
Liu Bei drank a lot, but he was also a little dizzy. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he saw that except for the two brothers, most of the people were no longer enjoying the feast. Knowing that it was almost time, he waved his hand to disperse the banquet.
.
After watching everyone go away, Liu Bei took Guan Yu and Zhang Fei back to the back hall. As soon as he sat down, he heard Zhang Fei shouting impatiently: "Brother, since Yuan Jun is defeated, we should turn back as soon as possible and take back Tan City!"
Liu Bei glanced at his third brother, pondered for a long time, and shook his head: "Let's just fight. It's not appropriate to act rashly at this time."
"How long will it take?" Although Zhang Fei knew that what Liu Bei said was right, he was confused by concern: "Brother, since Tancheng has fallen into the hands of thieves... my sister-in-law is also trapped in it!"
Liu Bei was silent for a long time, and then sighed: "I heard that Wang Zheng has maintained strict military discipline since he entered Xuzhou. Even if his family members are trapped in the city, they may not murder them. In the future, they can plan to rescue them slowly."
"Brother..." Zhang Fei shouted: "How can you trust these yellow turban bandits? What if..."
"Otherwise, what else can we do?" Liu Bei smiled casually, but there was a hint of bitterness in the smile, but it revealed that his heart at the moment was not as free and easy as he appeared: "Brothers are like brothers and sisters, and wives are like clothes. If anything happens, it will not be out of date or fate."
Well, what can I say?"
At this time, Guan Yu on the side intervened: "Brother, how many troops did this Zhuzi have to conquer the city so quickly?"
"And why was the news so carefully concealed that we didn't know anything about it beforehand?"
"The fall of Tancheng was not caused by foreign enemies." Liu Bei shook his head: "It was caused by internal strife."
"Civil strife?" Guan Yu and Zhang Fei looked at each other and shouted at the same time: "Who is betraying your brother?"
Liu Bei sighed, and after telling the sentry cavalry all the information that he had found out, Zhang Fei suddenly had a fierce look on his face and became furious:
"It's just that Zang Baxu was delayed. The eldest brother of Chen Deng and his son, who has always treated them well, is so ungrateful!"
"You really deserve to be killed!"
"It's not just Chen Deng!" Guan Yu also narrowed his eyes and said solemnly: "The eldest brother handed over the army and horses to Mi Zhu at that time. If there were no problems with this person, Tancheng would never be lost so easily!"
"Brother, the Mi family and Mi Zhu must have betrayed...!"
"No nonsense!"
Before Guan Yu finished speaking, Liu Bei cut him off and looked at Guan Yu, signaling him to stop talking.
In fact, he also had this idea in his mind, but he still had luck in his heart.
As long as Mi Zhu's name does not really appear among those who have taken refuge in Wang Zheng, even if they see Mi Fang or even the Mi family...
Liu Bei didn't want to, and couldn't believe that Mi Zhu had actually had other ideas for a long time.
"Zizhong will never be unprepared!"
he said firmly.
"Brother..."
Guan Yu wanted to say more, but at this moment, a bodyguard suddenly rushed in like a wave of wind, but he did not notify him in advance.
"rude!"
Guan Yu immediately frowned and was about to curse, but Liu Bei waved his hand and said: "This is an old man who is following us. If it were not an emergency, this would not happen."
As he spoke, he looked at the panting soldier and asked Wen Yan, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Zhenzhou Mu." The guard said eagerly: "To the northeast, the sky is full of smoke and dust, and it seems that a large group of people is approaching Xiapi!"
"What?"
Liu Bei was shocked, and Zhang Fei even shouted: "How is it possible? There is a good city to the northeast of us. The Yuan army that was entrenched there three days ago was wiped out long ago. The general was stabbed to death by me with a spear. I also sent scouts to attack the surrounding areas.
We have inspected here and there is definitely no ambush, so how can there be any large group of troops?"
"It's possible!" Guan Yu snorted coldly: "Third brother, don't forget that Tancheng is also northeast of Xiapi!"
Almost at the same time, the three brothers had the same idea in their minds.
It's that guy who's coming!
...
After the victory, the generals attended the celebration banquet, while most of the ordinary soldiers, except those on patrol, returned to the military camp early and fell asleep.
At the moment when most people thought that Liu Bei's army was going to rest for a while, the untimely sound of trumpets suddenly sounded in the tents of the three armies.
That's an emergency assembly order!
Upon hearing the sound of the trumpet, the soldiers must immediately put on their armor and rush out of the camp. The mid-level and senior officers must immediately enter the commander's mansion where the commander is located to discuss matters in the military tent.
Later, there were more messengers running on the top of the city, shouting loudly:
"All the officers and men in the army are listening. The governor of the state has an order. The horses are ready and the generals are going to the city."
"All ministries should pay attention, unsheath their swords and guns, and be on strict guard against any mistakes."
There was a sudden noise in the camp, and no one knew what happened. Soon after, a news quickly spread throughout the three armies.
To the northeast of Xiapi City, there seems to be a large group of strange soldiers approaching!
Because the gathering was too sudden, many people were still in disheveled armor and drowsy. It was not until this news came that they finally woke up, and everyone's expression changed immediately.
Strange soldiers and horses?
In this dark night, how could the army that suddenly rushed towards Xiapi City have good intentions?
It can only be the enemy!
Even though they had just won a great victory, after being besieged for many days by Yuan's army, Xiapi's city defense was actually in dilapidated state, and most of the army's food and equipment were consumed. As a result, they had to go through war again before they had rested for a few days, which made many soldiers
I felt uneasy in my heart.
When they walked to the top of the city, most of the generals had already arrived. Liu Bei tried his best to look ahead, but he couldn't distinguish the number of people in the darkness. He could only see the fire like a dragon, and there was a faint rumbling sound that filled his ears.
There are a lot of people, he thought to himself.
Soon after, the messengers came to the top of the city and said: "Report to the state pastor, the last general has notified all the ministries, and all the armies have been prepared."
"Thank you for your hard work." Liu Bei nodded and said, "Let's go down and rest first."
Before the messenger went down, a scout ran up again and said out of breath:
"Baozhou Mu, that team set up camp ten miles away from the city, but there are about a thousand forwards who continue to approach Xiapi!"
Hearing this, Liu Bei nodded and looked around at everyone.
It seemed that they had just won a great victory, and the generals looked solemn, but they were not too uneasy.
He looked up at the sky again.
The stars and moon are blurred, and a few floating clouds are floating in the deep blue sky.
It's just that I don't know if it's because of the fire approaching rapidly in the distance, which makes the sky seem to be filled with a sad blood red color.