In a dense forest in Guangling County, a team of more than 800 people was struggling through ankle-deep mud.
Most of this group of Yuan Shu's troops were in ragged clothes, with chapped lips and haggard faces. They were marching hard while holding their horses. Only those pairs of deep eyes could tell how extraordinary they were.
At the front of the team, there is a slender general with eyebrows set into his temples. His smooth and white face shows a sharp and cold look; his deep black eyes are filled with a cold color; those eyes seem to be thinking,
From time to time, there is a sheen of indifference.
It's just that his armor and robes were stained with mud, and his whole body was filthy. The drizzle swaying in the wind blew and caressed his cheeks, which made him feel very bad, just like the hazy weather, which made him feel like he was having an attack.
They were Gao Jin's cavalry from Shanyang Pass. After occupying Shanyang Pass, Gao Jin knew that he didn't have much time, so he ordered everyone to put on the clothes of Yuan Shu's army and continued to march south. Who would have thought that God would
Unfortunately, during the march for several consecutive days, it was accompanied by drizzle, and even the road became muddy. In addition, they did not encounter enemies along the way. Gao Jin and others tried their best to bypass the town, and they could not get any replenishment of food and grass for a while.
, even the war horses are weak.
In desperation, they could only dismount and walk. A month ago, this cavalry might have been unbearable, but now, as long as Gao Jin is still there, they can endure it.
Gao Jin wiped the wetness from his face and said to Yu Jin, "We must find a place to rest. Huaizhong, which city is ahead?"
Huaizhong is the cousin of Qiao Rui, and Qiao Rui said: "Further forward, we pass Xuzhou, and thirty miles ahead is Zhongli City in Jiujiang County, Yangzhou."
Gao Jin nodded: "How far is Shouchunzhizhongli?"
Qiao Rui said: "Zhongli is the gateway to Shouchun, and the distance is only thirty miles."
Gao Jin cheered up and said: "Take the opportunity to defeat Zhongli, rest in Zhongli, and then set out for Shouchun and capture Shouchun!"
Yu Jin said: "If we don't attack Shouchun directly, our troops will be faster. If the news leaks out, Yuan Shu's army in Shouchun will be prepared, and they may not be able to attack the city for a long time."
Yuan Shujun's cavalry found out that they had not passed Sishui Pass, and they would definitely discover our intention to advance south. If they expected it to be true, they should have pursued us. If they did not capture Shouchun in time before they arrived, there would be no way to recover.
Stronger."
Gao Jin pondered undecidedly, looking at the exhausted soldiers in ragged clothes marching hard around him, frowning and said: "I'm afraid that in Shouchun, we won't have the strength to launch a surprise attack. The soldiers can still hold on, but the horses have already
It's been a long time since I've fed the horse enough food..." He frowned, looking at the haze on the horizon, and his mood fell to the bottom.
Qiao Rui said: "General, Li Feng, the guard of Zhongli City, is a fellow villager of so-and-so, and he has the closest relationship with him. Why don't we let so-and-so go to Zhongli to see if we can persuade him to surrender? If Li Feng surrenders, we will
You can capture Zhongli without losing any blood, and then take Shouchun after taking a short rest."
Gao Jin looked deeply at Qiao Rui: "Are you sure?"
Qiao Rui smiled bitterly and said, "I'm only 50% sure."
Gao Jin hesitated, then pondered for a while and said: "It is really not my wish to let Huaizhong go to Zhongli to take risks. Now I can only look to Huaizhong."
Qiao Rui saluted Gao Jin deeply and said, "General, I hope we will meet again in Zhongli. Qiao Rui has gone."
Gao Jin cheered up and encouraged the riders: "Soldiers, work harder, we will reach Zhongli further forward. As long as we get there, we can rest and recuperate."
Yu Jin quickly understood Gao Jin's intentions and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Zhongli is just ahead, only a few miles away! Fragrant fat meat, hot wine, and a warm fire pit are waiting for us.
Well, grit your teeth, we’ll be there in a minute!”
Supported by Yu Jin's unremitting encouragement and the desire to survive, the riders finally cheered up and quickened their pace.
…………………………………………
In the dead of night, in the backyard of the county government office in Zhongli City, guard Li Feng woke up leisurely. I don't know why today, but he always had an unknown premonition, which kept him awake all night. He put on a robe and ordered people to
They lit oil lamps, served food and drinks, and drank by themselves.
He is from Lujiang and can be regarded as one of Yuan Shu's generals. However, this time Yuan Shu went on an expedition, but he was asked to sit at Zhongli. He believed that he had some courage, but he was not given such a great opportunity to make achievements, which made him very angry.
.
He drank the warm wine and felt it was bitter. Thinking of the battle in Xuzhou, he couldn't help but sigh.
"General." A confidant in the mansion called in a low voice outside the door.
"Who is making noise here in the middle of the night?" Li Feng was about to get angry and yelled.
The man outside the door said: "General Qiao Ruiqiao is here and wants to see the general."
"Huaizhong!" Li Fengman looked suspicious and said: "Isn't he in the East China Sea? Why did he come here? Could it be that he has an order from the lord?"
The person outside the door said: "It shouldn't be the case. General Qiaorui entered the city quietly at night. He only said that he had important matters to discuss with the general and did not mention the lord."
Li Feng said: "Please come in from Huaizhong."
"Wait a minute!" Li Feng didn't wait for the man to answer his promise, and said again: "Tell people to prepare more food and wine, and the rest of the house will not allow them to come near."
"Here!"
After a while, Qiao Rui entered Li Feng's room with ease. When Li Feng saw Qiao Rui, his eyes lit up and he quickly avoided the table to greet her: "Huaizhong, why are you so anxious? Hurry, please take a seat."
The two sat opposite each other at the dining table. Li Feng personally poured wine for Qiao Rui and said, "We haven't seen each other for a long time. Huaizhong has lost weight."
Qiao Rui said solemnly: "I have something important to discuss with you today. You and I are brothers, right?"
Li Feng nodded: "Back when my lord was conquering the remnants of the Yellow Turbans, I was surrounded by a group of Yellow Turban thieves. If Huaizhong hadn't come to rescue me in time, how would I be today? Huaizhong doesn't have to worry about it. If you have anything to say, it's okay to say it."
"
Qiaorui said: "To be honest, Qiaorui has abandoned Yuan Shu and joined Gao Jin in Xiapi."
"Ah!" Li Feng was surprised for a moment. The cup in his hand clattered to the ground, and he looked at Qiao Rui with a pair of big copper eyes in disbelief: "Huaizhong, what are you..."
Qiao Rui sighed bitterly: "A certain person was captured by Lu Bu's army. In a sudden thought, he surrendered to them."
Li Feng's face suddenly brightened and darkened: "Coming here from Huaizhong, could it be that you are surrendering to someone?"
Qiao Rui didn't dare to look at Li Feng, so she lowered her head and said, "Not bad!"
The two of them sat facing each other in silence, like statues each with their own thoughts.
"Huaizhong, if you go to the lord to plead for mercy and ask him to forgive your sins, can you stay in Zhongli?" Li Feng drank a glass of wine, and the transparent liquid entered his stomach and turned into a ball of fire.
Qiao Rui shook his head: "To be honest, at that time I also thought that as long as I entered Zhongli, what could Lu Bujun do to me, but... ah..." He sighed heavily: "It's just that when I came, Gao Jin didn't have a trace of suspicion.
, although I am new to him, he still has great trust in me. As the saying goes, a scholar dies for a confidant, even Yuan Shu, I am afraid he would not treat me like this..."
"I betrayed Yuan Shu first. If I rebel against Gao Jin again, how can I stand in the world again? This time I am here, entrusted by Gao Jin, to persuade you to surrender..." He then became calmer: "
I won’t say anything about persuading you to surrender. Whether you want to kill me to repay Yuan Shu or open the door and surrender, it all depends on your will."
Li Feng seemed to be at a crossroads at this time. He didn't have many choices. He could either kill Qiaorui or surrender. If he refused to surrender and released Qiaoru privately, it would also be a crime of beheading if the matter was leaked.
Li Feng smiled bitterly and pressed the hilt of the sword at his waist with a trembling hand...