When Zheng Xuan heard what Qin Yuan said about the family members who had brought Guan Hai, his expression changed immediately, he stood up and waved his sleeves to leave.
Yuan Xi secretly thought that Tan Yuan was ignorant. At this moment, in front of a noble scholar who was lashing him with morality, could he say this without arousing his disgust? Even if he said it, he would have to wait until he left.
Yuan Xi quickly stood up, stood in front of Zheng Xuan, and apologized, "Master Zheng, please don't misunderstand me. I didn't bring Guan Hai's family here to blackmail you."
Zheng Xuan stopped and wanted to see what Yuan Xi had to say.
"Although Guan Hai is a bandit chief, he is worthy of being a hero. The purpose of bringing Guan Hai's family this time is to return them to him, so that his wife and children can explain our preferential treatment to the Yellow Turban soldiers and persuade them to surrender. "Yuan Xi didn't want to take Guan Hai hostage before, but just used this to persuade him to surrender. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, didn't he also treat prisoners preferentially to gain traction?
Guo Jiaze seemed to understand. In addition to Guan Hai's family, the families of other Yellow Turban generals also brought some. This return to family members, threats can also damage the morale of the Yellow Turban Army.
Zheng Xuan's face improved, and his tone softened and he said, "Seriously, I have wrongly blamed the young master."
Guo Jia said at the right time: "Sir, please don't be anxious. The victory over the Yellow Turbans is not a temporary achievement. Now we will first return the families of the Yellow Turban generals, and then send troops to fight with them to dampen their fighting spirit. Then I will ask you, Sir, to persuade them to surrender."
This is the strategy agreed upon by Yuan Xi and Guo Jia. War first and then make peace. The same was true when Emperor Taizong Li Shimin was at war with the Turks. He had to fight first and then make peace. Otherwise, like the Southern Song Dynasty, he would lose power and humiliate the country. Seeing that no one had any objections, he would spread the word. Ordered to go.
Yuan Xicai returned to the camp and saw the lights in the main tent were brightly lit. Yuan Xi was moved by these loyal subordinates. Returning to the big tent and seeing a few familiar faces, Yuan Xi's heart was finally relieved.
Everything today is like a dream and reality. In the blink of an eye, he had gone from a small Sili captain and Zhonglang general to the Qingzhou governor of the Han Dynasty. This is the function of power, nakedly displayed in front of these young people.
Seeing Gu Yong and others working hard to prepare military supplies and forage for themselves, and Zhang He and others arranging and deploying camps, maybe they may not be loyal to themselves, but they all serve the power of the Yuan family, and they obey the power in the hands of Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi felt that at this moment, something seemed to be taking root in his heart, waiting to sprout. For the first time, Yuan Xi felt the great joy of power. His whole body fell into an incomprehensible emotion, and he could not calm down for a long time.
He began to long for greater power. Take hold of a higher power. The second son of the Yuan family, Yuan Xi, who was originally relatively indifferent to power, is slowly changing something now.
"Sir, what are the plans for General Chariot and Cavalry?" Gu Yong was a little impatient, which was not like his calm temperament.
"Yuan Tan, you are not like this usually. You don't always say that the way to be a general is to heal the heart first. Mount Tai collapses in front but the color does not change, the elk rises to the left but does not blink. Then you can control the advantages and disadvantages and wait for the enemy. (From Song Su Xun's "The Art of Mind":) Haha...".
"Sir, things are so funny!"
Yuan Xi was still in the mood to make fun of himself, and Gu Yong knew that the matter was successful. In fact, you can't blame him. Yuan Xi's planning layout and trends in the past few months have been rehearsed dozens of times in private with Guo Jia and Gu Yong.
Long before marching into Beihai, Guo Jia and Gu Yong had planned for Yuan Xi. From Yuan Shao's acting style, Gu Yong knew that the position of Qingzhou governor would most likely fall to Yuan Xi.
Therefore, Yuan Xi has been here early to prepare for today's "big test", and the siege of Beihai is the test paper. Including questions and answers with Beihai personnel, including today's deployment of troops and deployment of all personnel.
After all, it is God who pays tribute to those who are willing to do so. This is what Gu Yong thinks now. Regardless of whether Yuan Xi can take over in the future, at least until now, Gu Yong believes that he made the right bet this time. No matter how well-educated he was, he couldn't help but get excited this time.
If Yuan Xi could successfully ascend to the throne, as direct descendants of his old army, he and he would naturally be able to "one person attain the Tao of chickens and dogs and ascend to heaven." Not only Gu Yong, but Yuan Xi himself was also the same. It took him a long time to calm down before he could suppress his excitement.
The initial strategy of Yuan Xi and his teacher Zhang Hong to dominate Qi Di was initially successful. The next step is to deal with Cao Cao as the wings of the Yuan family.
"Well..." Yuan Xi said with a heavy nasal voice to cover up his inner excitement.
"Congratulations, lord" everyone cheered. This is the first time that everyone has called Yuan Xi their lord in such a public place. In order to avoid suspicion, Yuan Xi has always called himself Young General or Young Master in the camp, although in everyone's hearts Yuan Xi is their lord.
Today is a happy day, who cares. Yuan Xi began to enjoy this atmosphere a little bit. Everyone was cheering and the past was beginning to emerge. It was an emotional day.
In 189, when he was fourteen or fifteen years old, he began to form the Tiger Guard and Guards Battalions. The soldiers of the Tiger Guard and Guards Battalions were either civilians or prisoners. He brought them here from different places and brought them under his command.
It’s been four or five years now. Brutal training, battlefield baptism of blood and fire, I believe that the Tiger Guard and the Guards Battalion, which have put countless efforts into it, will surely bear fruit in the near future. Become the force you rely on most.
In 190, when the eighteen princes challenged Dong, he went to the battlefield for the first time. In this year, Xu Huang and Zhao Yun successively joined the Tiger Guard and Guards Camps.
In 191, when he led the army to join the war at Jieqiao, Guo Jia was forced to surrender to him. This was the first counselor he was forced to surrender to. I still remember that I was excited for a long time, and I took Guo Jia to talk by candlelight all night, tirelessly from morning to night.
Things that I didn't understand suddenly became clear to me. I still remember comparing him to my "Zhang Liang". Also in this year, he led the Tiger Guard into Chang'an to assassinate Dong Zhuo to save Cai Yan and Diao Xiuer. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by Lu Bu and his life was in danger. Thanks to Zhao Yun, Xu Huang, Xu Chu and others fighting to the death, he escaped from death. , thus becoming famous all over the world.
In 192, for the sake of the family, his father's great cause, and his own hegemony, he got the opportunity to marry Zhen Mi of the Zhen family. Not only was his wife beautiful and gorgeous, she was a famous beauty in Jizhou, but she was also gentle in character, knowledgeable in books and etiquette. My life after marriage is destined to be very happy and happy.
Thinking of his future wife Zhen Mi, the corners of Yuan Xi's mouth inadvertently raised, and a smile spread from his heart. The financial resources of Madam's natal family, the Zhen family, are astonishing. Although I am not new to the world, I have to be impressed by her family's financial resources.
With the help of his wife and her family, the equipment of the Tiger Guard and Guards Battalions was changed. Compared with his father Yuan Shao's pro-army troops, he was no less generous. The equipment of his own Guards made the soldiers under other generals drool with envy.
Seeing that I have been on the Qingzhou front line for almost a year, today all the hard work and dedication finally paid off. He also gained the attention of his father, and he began to lead his own career in a state.
Jiangdong Water Village.
"Hmph, am I, Zhou Tai, afraid of losing?" Zhou Tai sneered at himself, his arrogance revealed in his words.
"Old Zhou, why don't we make a bet? If you lose, let me... lead the horse, right?" Zhou Yu said with a smile.
"You want me to hold the horse for you? What a big tone, what are you betting on?" Zhou Tai squinted his eyes and looked at Zhou Yu's small body. He couldn't see through this fair young man. There were few people he saw who could be in the den of thieves. Even calmer than this guy.
"Your strongest point is your martial arts, so I bet you can't beat my brother." Zhou Yu was very confident in Sun Ce's martial arts.
"What if you lose!" Zhou Taiyi became interested after hearing this. He was also very confident in his martial arts. He may not be the opponent of the Jiangdong Tigers, but Sun Ce is just a boy. He is still young. No matter how brave he is, he can become powerful. Where to go?
"I lost, it's up to you!" Zhou Yu shrugged his shoulders and said without any worry.
"Would you like to talk about Sun Ce's martial arts skills? What if Sun Ce doesn't dare to come?"
Zhou Tai suddenly asked.
"What if my brother really comes?" Zhou Yu's eyes lit up and he asked instead.
"Huh, let's talk about it when we get here!" Upon hearing this, Zhou Tai's eyes flashed with a glimmer of hope. He has never met Sun Jian, but he has learned about Zhou Yu's courage. Now let's take a look at the abilities of Mr. Sun, who has a reputation as a young warrior in Jiangdong.
"Old Zhou, what you are still worried about right now is that my eldest brother Sun Ce is not worthy of your trust?" Zhou Yu looked at Zhou Tai, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, showed an optimistic smile, and asked: "Do you still want to do this for the rest of your life? Thief?"
"I don't want to be a thief all my life, but I can't trust you." Zhou Tai was silent for a moment and said.
No one likes to be a pauper if they are rich. If they can clean up their identity as a thief and live an upright life, not many people are willing to be a thief for the rest of their lives. Nine** may sound nice, but in fact, not many people really take it to heart.
However, there is a huge gap between officials and thieves. Those who are born with thieves' names basically have no place to use them. Last year, there was a powerful group of water thieves on the Yangtze River waterway. Under the lobbying of an official, they agreed to submit to Zhou Ang, the prefect of Jiujiang. As a result, he was tricked to the shore, and his head was beheaded in public in order to correct the laws of the Han Dynasty.
Therefore, Zhou Tai did not dare to surrender casually. After getting along for a few days, and under Zhou Yu's persuasion, he did have the idea of submitting to Jiangdong Army.
Sun Jian was famous in Jiangdong for his bravery and intimidated the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Since he led his troops to attack Dong Zhuo, his reputation was at its peak. Now that he has led his troops back to Jiangdong, many people are optimistic that he can achieve hegemony in Jiangdong.
Qingzhou at night
After Taishi Ci put on his armor, gathered his strong bow, arrows, and halberd, he led his horse out of the camp.
Yuan Xi and Zhao Yun sent him to the gate of the camp.
"Ziyi, don't be careful. When we give the signal, we will attack the Yellow Turbans together. Zhongkang, bring some wine and give it to Ziyi Zhuangxing." Xu Chu gave Yuan Xi a bowl of wine, and then Yuan Xi solemnly handed it to Taishi Ci.
Taishi Ci took the pottery bowl and drank it all in one gulp, and said with emotion, "It's windy outside. Master, please go back. When the yellow scarf is broken, I will come to the door to thank you."
Zhao Yun patted him on the shoulder and advised, "At that time, I can compete with Ziyi on the martial arts of bow and horse. I believe it will come soon."
Taishi Ci agreed, jumped on his horse, and galloped towards Beihai City. He was a loyal man, so he had to return for help.
The Yellow Turban Army was afraid of a night attack by Yuan Xijun, so they strengthened the defense of the camp. Recently, they had been tortured by Yuan Xijun.
Now Guan Hai is in a dilemma. If he does not defeat Yuan Xijun, it will be impossible to conquer Beihai. But fighting Yuan Xijun means facing their old enemy Jizhou Army who defeated them, as well as their previous companions.
It is not easy to escape. There are many cavalrymen in Yuan Xi's army. If they run all at once, once they are followed, the Yellow Turban Army will be gradually annihilated. Therefore, Guan Hai faced a situation where he could neither advance nor retreat.
Because he had a deep grudge against the officers and soldiers, or Huangfu Song, Guan Hai had a deep prejudice against the officers and soldiers. It was impossible to surrender. Now he can only stalemate with Yuan Xijun first, and then retreat while fighting.
As Guan Hai was thinking about it, a messenger came to his camp and reported, "Guan Hai, it's not good, the Jizhou army from outside has sent your child!"
Guan Hai was shocked. He never expected that the Jizhou Army would send his family members. But Guan Hai really saw his wife, his ten-year-old son, and his uncle who was in his fifties.
After crying for a while, Guan Hai finally asked about their situation at the Jizhou Army.
Although Guan Hai's uncle was only in his fifties, his wandering life made him look very old. He advised, "Guan Hai, we really can't defeat the Jizhou army, so don't force it."
Guan Hai didn't take it seriously and said: "Uncle, please don't say this. I have a sworn enemy with those officers and soldiers, and we will fight to the death!"
Guan Hai's uncle had a sad look on his face, because Guan Hai said that the brother who was lured to surrender and killed by Huangfu Song and others was his son, "I also hate those treacherous officers and soldiers, but Master Yuan's Jizhou army is different. Not only did they place Some of our small families divided their fields and did not harm the soldiers who surrendered."
While talking, a soldier ran in.
"Why are you so panicked!"
"Commander Guan, a horseman broke through our camp and entered the city towards the north gate." the soldier replied.
Guan Hai waved his hand and asked the soldiers to lead the family members and other generals' families to settle down.
Taishi Ci bypassed the Yellow Turban camp, killed more than a dozen cavalry secret sentries, and came to the north gate of the city.
"Hurry up and open the city gate. I am Donglai Taishi Ci. I have been ordered by Kong Beihai to move troops back to deliver the mission!"
The soldiers on the city were surprised and happy. They had naturally been informed, but they did not dare to open the city gate.
After a while, a big basket was hung from the city, and he shouted happily, "Get in the basket quickly, and we will pull you up!"
The pursuers were in a hurry. Taishi Ci knew that it was dangerous to open the city gate, so he got off his horse, sat on the basket, and was pulled up by the crowd.
the next day
After breakfast, Yuan Xi's army formed an array.
Guan Hai knew that he would lose to Yuan Xi's army in a head-on confrontation, so he ordered to hold on to the camp.
This Yellow Turban camp built a small earthen wall with a fence on it, which allowed archers to shoot arrows. Soldiers can also assassinate from a high position. The most important thing is that they can guard against local cavalry assaults, which can cause great damage to the enemy.
Although the camp is not as difficult to attack as the city, Yuan Xi's army does not have siege equipment, so a strong attack will inevitably cause great losses. This is also the reason why Yuan Xi and Guo Jia designed to persuade Guan Hai to surrender.
Of the 20,000 Qingzhou soldiers, 10,000 were left to guard the camp, and the other 10,000 were arranged by Xu Huang to form a formation beside Yuan Xi's 2,000 garrison infantry to strengthen their momentum.
The garrison cavalry and Zhang Liao's two thousand cavalry were of little use in attacking the camp. They were distributed on both wings of the army and behind the formation.
The main force of the attack was Xu Huang's old troops, the 3,000 infantry archers among the 5,000 Jizhou soldiers.
Guan Hai put on his armor and climbed up the earth wall himself to boost morale.
The Yellow Turban soldiers behind the earthen wall all had a look of fear on their faces, because Yuan Xi's army was well-organized and powerful, and the intimidation it exuded was overwhelming.
The cavalry on the left and right rode forward slowly, making waves of dull shocks that stirred people's hearts.
"Bang bang!" The Qingzhou soldiers of the Chinese Army hit the ground with the handles of their weapons, making a neat sound.
"Mighty! Mighty!" Qingzhou soldiers shouted in unison under the command of the general.
This series of actions was what Yuan Xi paid special attention to during training. The momentum can tell the combat effectiveness of an army. The majestic and neat momentum can also inspire one's own soldiers and undermine the opponent's morale.
"Dong dong!" The war drum sounded twice. The Qingzhou soldiers stopped shouting and the cavalry stopped riding.
More than a thousand archers passed through the Qingzhou soldiers' formation and came to the front of the formation. Another two thousand crossbowmen also followed the archers to the front of the formation.
The archer measures the distance, holds a strong bow in one hand, and takes out the arrows from the quiver with the other. The arm-opening crossbow soldiers also add arrows to the crossbow with their hands, and the kick-opening crossbow soldiers use their feet to open the crossbow strings.
Everything is ready, just wait for the coach’s order!
Yuan Xi was riding high on his horse with high spirits. Being able to command such a massive and well-organized military formation filled his heart with a sense of grandeur. Yuan Xi pulled out his stainless steel sword, made a false slash forward, and shouted, "Shoot!"
Flags were waved and the third war drum sounded.
The sound of "swish" continued, and arrows shot towards the Yellow Turban camp like a curtain of rain.
On the earthen wall, Guan Hai and others were all horrified. Under the heavy rain of arrows, they dwarfed and raised their shields. "Bang!" The arrow hit the shield.
But many soldiers were still shot and fell to the ground wailing, and then the next wave of arrows followed and ended their lives.
Three thousand Qingzhou soldiers took advantage of the gap to attack the earth wall.
Guan Hai pushed away the arrows around him and said angrily, "For those who are not dead behind, pick up your spear and give it to me!"
The soldiers behind the camp quickly pressed forward with spears. They picked up their spears and stabbed them at the Qingzhou soldiers who had set up simple ladders below.
Former comrades, former comrades-in-arms, are now killing each other. The Qingzhou soldiers received the order not to attack by force. After ascertaining the level of resistance, they retreated. The next wave of arrows flew towards the earthen wall again.
When the arrows were consumed to one-third of the total, Yuan Xi, at Guo Jia's signal, sent an order to stop the attack and withdraw his troops back to the camp. This battle has already dealt a serious blow to the morale of the Yellow Turban Army.
In the tent
At this time, a trace of cold sweat had quietly slipped on Guan Hai's head. I saw that this big man in the Qingzhou Army no longer had the usual heroic spirit. If he continues to fight like this, his capital will be eaten up. , but if Yuan Xi is not beaten, how can we tolerate him?
Guan Hai took out his knife and slashed a table in half. When the other Yellow Turban generals below saw him like this, they didn't know what to say.
Guan Hai's eyes were bloodshot and he stared at the generals, "You also know that our children were released by the Jizhou Army, but I won't let you see them. At this time, the Jizhou Army's plot is to divide us. Now put them all together. , I’ll get together with everyone when it’s safe.”
Although the Yellow Turban generals were his best friends, they were not satisfied with what Guan Hai did, but they didn't say it out in their hearts.
After all the generals retreated, the messenger entered the camp again and reported, "Commander! There is an old man outside the camp who wants to see you!"
"Where's the old man from!" Guan Hai said angrily.
"It's said that Guan Shuai is an old acquaintance, his name is Zheng Xuan."
"Take me there quickly!" It was Guan Hai's turn to be surprised. He didn't expect the great scholar Zheng Xuan to come here.
Soon Guan Hai came to the camp gate. He recognized Zheng Xuan at one glance and said in surprise, "I haven't seen you for many years, sir. You are doing well!"
Zheng Xuan cupped his hands and said, "There have been constant wars over the years, and I have been taking refuge in Xuzhou."
Guan Hai immediately welcomed Zheng Xuan into the tent and asked in confusion, "Why are you here, sir?"
Zheng Xuan did not mince words and said bluntly, "Come to persuade the strong men to surrender to the Jizhou army!"
Guan Hai's face changed drastically, he stood up and said angrily, "Sir, you are bullying me too!"
Guan Hai stood up angrily and looked at Zheng Xuan with a bad look. He actually wanted to persuade him to surrender. It was unreasonable.
Zheng Xuan also stood up, looked at Guan Hai without fear, and said calmly, "Just listen to what I have to say, and then you can decide whether to surrender or kill me."
Guan Hai clenched his fists, looked sad and angry, and said, "Sir, although we are humble and reckless people, we admire the character of our fellow Qingzhou fellows! I remember how righteous you were when you refused to be recruited and scolded the party. !”
Guan Hai was extremely angry and said in a hoarse voice: "But sir, did you know that we really couldn't survive, so we just started to rebel? Why? Have a full meal! What a shame, back then, Huangfu Song and Cao Cao lured tens of thousands of our brothers to surrender. Na! That 'Jingguan' pile is as high as two stories..."
Speaking of this, Guan Hai burst into tears and said, "I... was the one who persuaded the Duke of Di to surrender back then, ah ah ah ah."
Zheng Xuan was awe-struck when he heard this. He had traveled far and wide and knew the plight of the lower class people, but he could not blame Huangfu Song and others for their actions, because the Yellow Turban Army was rebellious in the eyes of the orthodox class, and it was not an exaggeration to kill them.
What Zheng Xuan can do now is to make the Yellow Turbans kill less evil and restore peace to Qingzhou as soon as possible, so he said, "I know the situation back then, but do you know that Young Master Yuan is different from Huangfu Song and Cao Cao/them. General Yuan has always been The young hero who takes it as his duty to defeat traitors also sympathizes with the hardships of you and others. The Yellow Turbans who surrendered earlier, together with their families, not only did not harm them, but also made good arrangements for them. Not only did they distribute the fields, but they also repaired the houses."
Zheng Xuan paused and then said, "The strong man must have known from his childhood that what I said is true. Now you can't defeat the Jizhou army. Do you still want to do more killings and let many people who follow you die innocently?" What?"
Guan Hai was at a loss for words. He could trust Zheng Xuan's character, and the changes during this period had a great impact on him. He saw that all his brothers were either killed in battle or surrendered. The remaining people had a meal with him, but he felt uncomfortable even if they didn't.
Guan Hai stood up and said: "Sir, we have rebelled and fought with Yuan Xi several times. I don't know how many fathers, sons and brothers on both sides have died. Will Yuan Xi really recruit us?" Zheng Xuan frowned, thought for a moment and said, "What if Yuan Shao kisses me at this time?" When we get outside the garrison city, I should urge the strong men to go south and surrender to Tao Qian, but... if it is Yuan Xi, there should be some room for change."
Guan Hai gritted his teeth and said: "Sir, I don't understand. Yuan Xi has bullied us several times and occupied our territory. Why do you favor him so much? Now Gongsun Zan and Tao Qian are far away from each other in the south and north, and they have more soldiers and horses than any in the world." Liu Bei’s strength in Xuzhou is not inferior to Yuan Xi’s, so why do you insist on persuading me to submit to Yuan Xi!”
Zheng Xuan thought for a moment and said silently: "Gongsun Zan has many troops, but his military strategy is insufficient. Waiting for a long time will reveal his shortcomings. Tao Qian is even more self-defeating and has no room for development. If I hadn't had an old relationship with the strong man, I would have I don’t want strong men to surrender to him. From what I see, if the world’s hegemons are to become hegemons in the long run, it will undoubtedly be the father and son of the Yuan family. Warriors, you and I are old friends. How can I harm you? Strong men should listen to me and go and surrender. —Yuan-Xi!"
