????????At this time, a person strode outside the tent. He had phoenix eyes and sharp eyebrows, a tall and straight figure, and a very good appearance. It was Xu Fang.
?????????"Afang..."
?????????Wu Sheng suddenly stood up, stretched out his hand to suppress the drinking laughter of the other generals, and asked impatiently: "How?"
????????Xu Fang shook his head and said: "We have searched through the dead and wounded outside the city, including civilians, but we have not seen Yuan Shu's body."
?????????Wu Sheng was greatly disappointed, and after thinking for a while he asked: "Could this guy be disguised and hiding among the prisoners?"
????????"It's somewhat possible," Xu Fang said: "The ancient sword is being searched here, maybe something can be found."
?????????"Let this kid be careful and don't miss anything!"
Seeing Wu Sheng anxious and troubled, Xu Fang looked solemn, but Wen Pin, Liu Chong and others beside him were smiling, as if they didn't take it seriously, and Liu Chong was even more careless.
Di waved his hands and said: "Why should generals Wu and Xu be so cautious? The big thing has been decided. Even if Yuan Shu is gone, what can he do? The defeated generals are nothing to worry about."
?????????Wu Sheng was furious and glanced at Liu Chong coldly, thinking in his mind: "If it weren't for your army and the Yanzhou army breaking through the city and not obeying the rules, entering the city and plundering everywhere,
It was such a mess, how could this old boy Yuan Shu disappear inexplicably?"
He was about to have a seizure, but before he could say anything, another person came outside the tent. He was seventeen or eighteen years old, of medium height, and he was meticulously dressed in armor. He moved with a sword, and it was clean and neat. It was an ancient sword.
????????Gu Jian entered the tent, walked through the banquet without squinting, and came to Wu Sheng and Xu Fang with vigorous steps, "I have seen these two generals."
?????????"Commander Gu, please take a seat," Xu Fang waved his hand and asked in a deep voice, "How is the situation?"
"General, all those in the Yangzhou army who refused to surrender have been killed. There are seven generals above Du Bo, 923 soldiers below Du Bo, and another
The total number of 375 defenders in the city were also beheaded, and all of them had their heads hanging above the city."
?????????"Who asked you this?" Wu Sheng on the side asked: "Have you found Yuan Shu?"
????????Gu Jian shook his head: "No."
????????Xu Fangze asked: "Is there anyone among the prisoners who knows the whereabouts of Yuan Shu? Please let me know. If anyone can provide information, I will be rewarded!"
?????????"The general has already done this. He even asked several generals who were with Yuan Shu when the city was broken, but no one knew about it. They all said that they didn't pay attention to it when the army was in chaos. When he returned,
When the god came, Yuan Shu had already disappeared."
?????????"It's strange..."
?????????Wu Sheng and Xu looked at each other, and at the same time they were puzzled. Wu Sheng even murmured to himself: "You can't see anyone alive, and you can't see a body after death. Where did this guy go?"
The whereabouts of Yangzhou Mu Yuan Shu became an unsolved case in the late Han Dynasty and never appeared again. Many years later, there were still different opinions in Runan and Jiujiang.
???????Some people say that he died in battle on the day Pingyu City was destroyed. Otherwise, if he had escaped, he would probably have sought help from the Yuan family at that time.
???????Some people say that he actually did not die, but he was disheartened by the defeat and no longer had any ambitions, so he remained anonymous and lived deep in the mountains and forests.
????????Anyway, after the First World War in Pingyu, this powerful prince completely disappeared without a trace. No one has seen him since then. What people have seen is only Jiujiang and Runan.
The royal flags on the city walls of the two places changed.
????????At the top of the city in Shouchun, Jiujiang, the golden flag with the word "Yuan" slowly fell down, and the red flag with the word "Liu" printed on the other side was raised in the wind. However, all
Everyone knows that behind the character "Liu", there actually stands the character "王".
?????????As for the Runan side, it was quickly divided up by the three forces. As previously agreed, Wang Zheng did not want an inch of land in the thirty-seven cities of Runan County, Liu Biao and Cao Cao each got half, and Cao Cao
He took eighteen cities in the north, and Liu Biao took nineteen cities in the south.
Of course, the future ownership of the three cities that Liu Chong came to recruit this time is a matter between the three of them. Wang Zheng has no interest and no reason to participate.
?????????But after being reminded by Guo Jia later, Wang Zheng suddenly discovered that he could do without any other place in Runan, but there was only one city that he had to fight for!
????????That is Shen County.
Whether traveling by water or by land, Shen County is the only place Runan County must pass when heading south to Jiujiang. Wang Zheng really cannot let others pass such a choke point.
????????But the problem is that the big words have already been spoken, so you can’t go back on your word and breach the contract again, right?
????????After thinking over and over again, Wang Zheng finally thought of a way.
????????It is not convenient for him to take the initiative to get it from Shen County, but if Shen County "takes the initiative to attach it", Liu Biao will have nothing to say, right?
????????Immediately summoned his bodyguards: "Order Liang Gang to come see me immediately."
??????????......
When the city was broken, Liang Gang fled home and took his family with him. He wanted to escape, but he remembered that Yuan Shu had always treated him well, so he ran to the palace to take Feng and Fan Ji with him.
The two ladies went out of the city together, but Mrs. Feng not only refused to leave, but also persuaded Liang Gang.
A woman who has changed her heart is the most terrifying thing. Wang Zheng did not say to surrender Yang Hong, but she persuaded Liang Gang. Not only did she finally give up her plan to escape, but she also chose to surrender to Wang Zheng.
Mrs. Feng is the mistress, and Liang Gang is the most senior general of the Runan clan in the city. The two of them took the lead in surrendering, and most of the remaining northern generals also surrendered.
On the one hand, Gu Yong and other civil servants loyal to Yuan Shu were also captured by Huang Zhong and Wei Yan.
?????????Although Liang Gang was a "nobody" in Wang Zheng's eyes, his surrender at this time represented extraordinary significance. Wang Zheng treated him very politely, and he just received a letter from Wu Sheng today.
, after thinking about it for a while, he ordered someone to tell Liang Gang to come and see him.
???????Not long after, Liang Gang came to the palace, raised his hands and asked, "I wonder what General Wang has ordered when he summoned the last general?"
????????After all, he had just resigned recently, and he was unwilling to accept it, so his tone was a bit unfamiliar and stiff. He refused to call him "Lord" or "Zhou Mu", but only called him "Wang".
"General", after entering the palace, he held his hands but did not bow, looking very careless.
????????Wang Zheng didn't mind at all, and personally helped him up with thousands of hands, saying warmly: "There is a big event, and we need the help of Lieutenant Colonel Liang."
?????????"General Wang, please speak."
?????????"Now that Shouchun has come, according to His Highness' wishes, the remaining cities in Jiujiang need to be restored as soon as possible."
"Why would General Wang say that in front of me?" Liang Gang said angrily: "No one in Jiangdong knows that Shouchun has been decided by General Wang!"
"Haha, at the banquet that day, I saw that the captain was a bold and forthright man." Wang Zheng didn't feel embarrassed at all, he smiled and said, "He is indeed a quick talker."
?????????"General Wang called the end of the future, what is the reason?"
Liang Gang said in a deep voice: "Please tell me frankly, since I have listened to my wife and surrendered, I will strictly follow the military orders. No matter what, as long as I can do it
Yes, I will definitely try my best.”
"Well, since the captain has said this, I won't beat around the bush anymore." Wang Zhengdao: "I have made an alliance with Liu Biao before. If the big thing comes true, we can go to other places in Runan."
Give it to him, I just want a place."
Liang Gang was also a veteran on the battlefield. When he heard this, he immediately understood and blurted out: "But Shen County, north of Xia Cai?"
"Exactly." Wang Zheng said seriously: "When entering Jiujiang from Shen County, you must pass through Xiacai. According to reports from sentry scouts, many defeated soldiers fled northward before, and now there are many
Gathered in Shen County."
After a pause, Wang Zheng looked sideways at Liang Gang and continued: "Most of these defeated soldiers are from the north, and among them there may be Colonel Liang's old troops. Is it possible to recruit these troops to surrender?"
?????????Hearing this, Liang Gang already understood that recruiting defeated soldiers was secondary. Wang Zheng's main purpose should be to win over Cai without a fight. He thought for a moment and said: "Recruiting and surrendering is not difficult, as long as it is
but..."
?????????"Just what?"
"After recruiting these troops," Liang Gang looked at Wang Zheng with an unexplainable light in his eyes and asked, "How to arrange them?"
?????????"Haha, what do you think this is?"
????????Wang Zheng smiled and said: "Since he was recruited by Lieutenant Liang, naturally it is the Lieutenant who has the final say on how to place him. Of course, I also have a suggestion. Now that the war has stopped, it would be better to do nothing.
After a while, after gathering these defeated soldiers, the captain will resettle them on the spot in Shen County."
?????????Hearing this, Liang Gang couldn't help but look blank since he entered the palace. He raised his eyes and looked at Wang Zheng, "General Wang, are you serious about what you said?"
????????Wang Zheng laughed and said, "Of course I take it seriously."
?????????"Shen County is the border city between Runan and Jiujiang. It is very convenient to go north. General Wang will not be afraid that if the general captures this place..."
?????????Wang Zheng's face was calm and he asked calmly: "What if?"
?????????Liang Gang stared at Wang Zheng for a long time. Seeing that the other person was always smiling and with a sincere expression, countless thoughts went through his mind for a while.
great gift.
???????It’s done!
Wang Zheng was calm in his heart, but he pretended to be surprised on his face. He quickly stepped forward to help him up with his own hands and asked, "What is the captain doing?"
?????????"The state pastor treats each other with sincerity, how dare the general not repay him with sincerity?"
Liang Gang stood up and said categorically, "We don't need any cavalry or soldiers from Zhou Mu. In seven days at most, the entire city of Shen County will be sacrificed!"
??????????......
Seeing that Liang Gang had left the hall, Qiao Wan stepped forward with a worried look on his face and asked: "This Liang Gang is an old minister of Yuan Shu, and he has recently joined the army. No one knows what his feelings are." I don’t know, why did you really agree to him, not giving him a single soldier, allowing him to ride to Shen County alone, and also promised to let him guard it after seizing the city?"
?????????"This person's surrender to me is indeed more forced by the situation, but because of this, we cannot try to win him over just by words or money."
????????Wang Zhengdao: "Instead of being influenced by sincerity, sometimes the simplest means are the most effective."
?????????"But the military report just sent from Runan..." Qiao Wan hesitated and said: "Yuan Shu's body has not been found in Pingyu City. In case...he is still alive. , what if Liang Gang heard the news and went to join his old master?"
????????"Then let him go." Wang Zheng smiled and said: "If I treat him with such sincerity and he still wants to defect to Yuan Shu, then he can be a gentleman and be a man. .”
?????????"Anyway, the left and right didn't suffer much losses, and Xu Fang and Wu Sheng's troops are now in Runan. If Liang Gang really makes some changes after taking Shen County, I won't have no way to control him!"
????????? Having said this, he ordered his surroundings: "Send an order to send Xu Fang's troops back to Pengcheng, but Wu Sheng's troops don't need to rush back to Xuzhou for the time being. They directly divert to Peiguo Longkang, first to prevent the defeated troops from heading north, and secondly, Beware of Jingzhou Liu Biao!"
????????Since Yuan Gongluo has been defeated, in addition to seizing the time to snatch the opponent's inheritance, Wang Zheng has focused on guarding against Zeng Jin's allies.
???????? As the saying goes, biting off more than one can chew, the frequent wars in recent years have indeed exhausted Xuzhou's resources, so Wang Zheng has not considered reaching out to the north for the time being.
????????But if he doesn’t want to go north, he must also be on guard against the lack of people’s support and want to go south to Shu!
??????????......
?????????Jingzhou, Xiangyang.
?????????After receiving the news that Liang Gang had seized Shen County, Liu Biao was silent for a moment, looked around at everyone, smiled and said: "Since it has been obtained by Wang Yu, let's go with it."
?????????"This guy is such a trustless villain!"
Liu Biao was not angry, but Cai Mao's face turned red with anger: "When he asked me to attack Yuan Shu in Jingzhou, he said that he would not take any land from Runan. What, now? Are you turning your back and denying your credit? My lord, this is intolerable!"
"I can't bear it, what are you going to do?" Liu Biao glanced at Cai Hao indifferently and asked, "Are we going to fight him to take back Shen County?"
?????????"Why not?"
????????Cai Mao shouted loudly: "Zhuzi was the first to betray the alliance, and we have a good reputation. Moreover, he has just captured Shouchun, and Jiujiang has not yet established a solid foundation. He just robbed him. How can he be our opponent?"
Zhang Yun on the side also echoed: "Shen County is the throat of Yangzhou and the hub to the south of Runan, but Xuzhou can be taken away so easily. In time, it will become a serious problem!"
????????At this moment, a man smiled and said: "Degui, please be patient. My lord is actually right. Although Shen County has been captured by Wang Zheng, it is said to the outside world that Liang Gang took the initiative."
Submission, my lord and my son are now allies, so it is quite inappropriate to take him by force."
The speaker was none other than Kuai Liang, Liu Biao’s first adviser.
"What's wrong?" Cai Mao's face suddenly darkened and he said displeasedly, "You're the one who broke the alliance first, why should we still consider morality?"
Kuai Liang said: "What's wrong is that my lord's current enemy is not Wang Zheng, but Cao Cao who occupies Yingchuan and is eyeing Nanyang!"
?????????"The younger brother disagrees with what the elder brother said."
At this time, another person came out, Kuai Liang's younger brother Kuai Yue, "It is true that Cao Cao has the intention to invade Nanyang, but due to the emperor's edict, he and Yuan Benchu are now estranged, and with the addition of Ji
"Yan is a neighboring country. Recently, the two sides have stationed heavy troops in the border cities. Seeing that internal strife is about to begin, he has too much time to take care of himself. What does the lord have to worry about?"
????????Having said this, Kuai Yue bowed forward, bowed his hands to Liu Biao and said: "Wang Yu's bandits have now occupied many cities in Jiujiang and Lujiang. If they are allowed to develop further, the unification of Yangzhou will be just around the corner. This son's ambition will be too great."
At that time, he must also be plotting against our seven counties in Jingxiang..."
?????????"Since there will be a battle sooner or later, why not take advantage of this moment and attack first!"
?????????"My second brother's words are wrong." Kuai Liang shook his head and said: "The so-called one moment is the same as that moment."
?????????"If Wang Zheng had not entered Jiangdong, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao might really have fought against each other. Now that this son has gained Shouchun and has such a strong enemy at his side, the conflict between the two will probably be suspended.
Especially compared to Yuan Shao, although Cao Cao has the emperor in his hands, his power is far different, so he will be even more eager to expand his strength!"
"So what we need to be most vigilant about right now is this person's Yanzhou Army!"