The next day,
Yuan Xi told Shen Pei and others that he planned to go to Changshan from Xindu first. This was also to give Zhao Yun a greater sense of belonging. Because Zhao Yun was too upright, he had to use some conventional methods.
After making up his mind, Yuan Xi shouted outside the tent: "Zhongkang, where is Zilong?"
"General, obey the order!" Xu Chu and Zhao Yun entered the camp uniformly and saluted.
"You two go quickly, pick up five hundred elite cavalry and tiger guards, take dry food, and follow me to Changshan Kingdom." Yuan Xi conveyed the order while sorting out his clothes.
"Promise!" Xu Chu and Zhao Yun said with cupped hands, but Zhao Yun was slightly stunned for a moment and then realized something.
The two fierce generals took the order and turned around. Soldiers take obedience as their bounden duty, so the two of them didn't dare to ask any questions and just carried out the orders.
Yuan Xi packed his bags and didn't bother to say goodbye to Yuan Shang and Shen Pei, lest they talk too much and create complications. He just said hello to Gu Yong and Zhang Liao and asked them to train the army happily. He went to Changshan by himself and returned in a few days. The two of them were busy with official duties, so they both said "Take care, Major General" and sent Yuan Xi and his entourage out of the camp gate, each going about his or her own business.
Yuan Tan Chu.
In the main hall, Yuan Tan was holding a bamboo slip in his hand, holding a tea cup, and silently reading the contents on the slip.
But if you look carefully, you will find that his eyes occasionally flash a bit of haze. "This kid actually went to Changshan? What a strange thing! My good second brother." Yuan Tan muttered to himself.
Yuan Tan lowered his head, and there sat a middle-aged scribe. Hearing this, his expression remained calm, but a faint smile secretly appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He was ordered by Yuan Shao to assist Yuan Tan's Xin Ping.
Xin Ping was originally a subordinate of Han Fu. In the second year of Chuping, he, Xun Chen and Guo Tu jointly persuaded Han Fu to transfer the pastoral position of Jizhou Prefecture to Yuan Shao. He contributed a lot to Yuan Shao's great cause of establishing Jizhou, and Xin Ping was invited to do so. Became Yuan's subordinate.
Although Xin Pingren was in Jizhou, he always disagreed with Shen Pei and Feng Ji on the establishment of heirs. He didn't like Yuan Xi, who had a profound influence on the government, but he admired Yuan Tan more. In Xin Ping's eyes, Yuan Tan was Among Yuan Shao's sons, Yuan Tan was an outstanding figure and had a talent for war. Although he was not as good as Yuan Xi, he was much better than Yuan Shang.
I have to say that Xin Ping's vision is also well-founded. Historically, in the first year of Jian'an, when Yuan Tan just led his troops to Qingzhou, he only occupied one county in Pingyuan. However, he later defeated Tian Kai and Kong Rong in succession. Having occupied the entire territory of Qingzhou, it can be regarded as being able to conquer and fight, which is quite majestic.
Although Yuan Tan admires bravery and does things based on his preference, in Xin Ping's eyes, these are not problems. After all, Yuan Tan is still very young. As long as he is well induced in the future, he will not be able to correct himself. Difficult matter.
Moreover, Yuan Tan is the eldest son. It is natural and natural for the eldest son to inherit his father's business. Many reasons were mixed together. Naturally, Xin Ping gradually became a member of Yuan Tan's family. Just like many people knew that Li Shimin was stronger than Li Jiancheng, but still chose to support Li Jiancheng. The same reason. This is what ancient times etiquette system.
"Could it be that the slip in the hands of the eldest master was written by the third master himself?" After a long silence, Xin Ping spoke first, breaking the peace in the hall.
Yuan Tan stopped staring at the letter, looked up at Xin Ping who was smiling, and said with a smile: "Zhongzhi has such a vicious look, I didn't say anything here, so you guessed it right. Yes, this letter was indeed written by my third brother himself, asking me to send troops to Changshan."
Xin Ping's expression remained unchanged, but his heart moved, and he asked, "What do you think of the eldest son?"
Yuan Tan's eyelids twitched slightly and he said with a smile: "In the Battle of Luoyang and the Battle of Jieqiao, I never made any suggestions at my father's side. Thanks to my second brother's alertness and intelligence, he first persuaded his father to raise troops to serve the king, and then the Battle of Jieqiao." He performed meritorious service, and later defeated Qingzhou in the first battle, and made outstanding achievements. Now that he is returning to Hebei, as the elder brother, I should send troops to support him, right?"
Xin Ping nodded when he heard this and said: "The eldest son has thought carefully. In this case, I will leave first and go back to Yuan Jizhou."
After saying that, Xin Pingzuo stood up and turned around to leave.
Yuan Tan became anxious when he saw this, and hurriedly stood up and said: "Zhongzhi just came here not long ago, why is he leaving in such a hurry? Is it possible that Yuan Tan did not take good care of your husband here?"
Xin Ping turned around and smiled calmly, shook his head and said, "The eldest son treats Xin Ping very well, and he also takes good care of him. There is nothing wrong with him at all."
"Then why are you still in such a hurry, sir? Is there something important going on in the north?"
Xin Ping shook his head and said: "The north side is fine for the time being. Xin Ping is fine if there are more than one person. It's just that the eldest son doesn't want to talk to Xin Ping and has some reservations in his words. Xin Ping will not gain much if he stays here." , it is better to go back to Yuan Jizhou as soon as possible, so as not to be a freeloader here."
Yuan Tan was stunned when he heard this, and the muscles on his face twitched back and forth unknowingly, as if hesitating, nervous, or sad.
After a while, Yuan Tan sighed, raised his hands and said, "Yuan Tan kept what you taught me a secret."
A smile appeared on Xin Ping's face, and he said: "Please reconsider the eldest son and tell Xin Ping, how do you feel about the second son returning with his troops this time?"
After hearing Xin Ping's direct words, the smile on Yuan Tan's face gradually faded, but a trace of deep hatred flashed away in his eyes.
Yes! It’s nothing else but hatred!
From the bottom of his heart, Yuan Tan hated Yuan Xi. This hatred has been hidden deep inside him since he was a child and is unforgettable!
After his mother Zhang died, Yuan Xi's mother Liu became the main wife of Yuan Shao's mansion. Liu was cruel and favored Yuan Xi. Yuan Shang didn't tell Yuan Xi, but deliberately slandered and suppressed him in front of Yuan Shao. Every time When Yuan Tan met Liu, Yuan Tan could see the spiteful look in Liu's eyes.
That is a kind of hatred that cannot be concealed! She was angry that Yuan Tan occupied the position of the eldest son and blocked her biological son's path of inheritance. She wished that Yuan Tan would be killed by a carriage as soon as he left the house, and use his flesh and blood to pave a smooth road for her son, just like Mrs. Cai hated Liu Qi.
What's even more annoying is that Yuan Shao doesn't like him as much as he did before. Yuan Shao didn't encourage him much for his diligence. Instead, he often praised his second son Yuan Xi for his great martial arts, literary talent, and etiquette in front of a crowd of civil servants. Her appearance is like that of her father, and she has the charm of her youth.
What's even more frightening is that in recent years, Yuan Shao has unknowingly seemed to have the intention of abolishing the elders and establishing the younger ones, at least that's what he thinks.
That kind of pampering, that kind of partiality, that kind of arrogance all made Yuan Tan deeply jealous.
That bastard boy? What abilities does he have, what abilities does he have, what achievements does he have, can he be able to withstand the many blessings God has given him?
Unconsciously, a cold atmosphere began to swirl in the hall.
"Zhongzhi, for this reason, I will not hide it from you. In recent years, my father has become more and more distant from me, the eldest son, and has become less and less favored. Although he didn't say it, I can guess it. , in his heart, the person he likes the most and wants to pass on the inheritance the most is his second brother! It’s just that because of the etiquette of ordering the elders and younger ones, he has never said it clearly, but now it is different. From Luoyang to now, The second brother performed outstandingly on the road, and everyone in the army admired him. My father didn’t say it on the surface, but he must have been very happy in his heart. Zhongzhi, it’s not that I, Yuan Tan, are suspicious of each other. If he is allowed to continue like this, my position as the eldest son will be lost. I don’t know how many more years I can sit there.”
Before the showdown between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, they must have considered this. Li Shimin was pressing forward, and Li Jiancheng had to fight back, otherwise sooner or later he would be like the brother of Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty.
Xin Ping gently twirled the beard on his chin and sighed with emotion: "The time is right and the situation is right. The young master has fulfilled his great ambitions in vain, but it is a pity that he did not come at the right time. What a pity, what a pity."
Yuan Tan raised his eyes, glanced at Xin Ping, and said, "I hope Zhongzhi will teach me how to act."
Xin Ping was speechless after hearing the words, but shook his head slightly, and said to himself as he shook his head: "Hebei is really in a stormy situation now. There is a powerful enemy Gongsun Zan outside, and the Black Mountain bandit Zhang Yan is entrenched inside. Inside the country, it’s difficult, it’s difficult.”
Yuan Tan frowned, as if he didn't understand what Xin Ping was doing suddenly pulling Gongsun Zan and Zhang Yan.
But Xin Ping smiled and said nothing, pointed to the west with his hand, and then pointed to the north.
Yuan Tan was stunned for a moment when he saw this, and after thinking about it carefully for a while, he finally came to some understanding.
Gongsun Zan is a cover, what he really refers to is the Black Mountain bandit Zhang Yan!
Ever since Yuan Shao fought with the Black Mountain Army in the territory, Zhang Yan had a grudge against the Yuan family, and even formed an alliance with Gongsun Zan, sending his general Du Chang to lead troops to assist Gongsun Zan. Unfortunately, he was eventually defeated by Yuan Shao.
Later, Yuan Shao was angry and Zhang Yan repeatedly raised troops to fight against him, and ordered a massacre of the Black Mountain Army. Zhang Yan and others were unable to survive in Hebei, so they had to move their troops several times, and the two sides forged an almost incomprehensible hatred.
Recently, it was found out that Zhang Yan's troops are currently stationed at the northwest border of Xindu. Because Yuan Jun has always been at odds with Gongsun Zan, he has not paid attention to it. Given the blood feud between Zhang Yan and the Yuan family, if he is allowed to know the scriptures of Yuan Shao's beloved son, If they all go to Changshan, they may not be able to
Thinking of this, Yuan Tan's eyes suddenly lit up.
After receiving Xin Ping's revelation, Yuan Tan was already calculating, and a vicious plan that seemed to be taking shape slowly began to take shape in his mind.
My second brother was born in troubled times and into a wealthy family. This is the fate of you and me! Don't blame your brother for being cruel, the world is like this, don't force it. If you want to complain, just blame yourself for receiving too much attention and opportunities that you should not have received.
On the way back to Guanyi from Yuan Tan's mansion, Xin Ping's heart was also ups and downs, and he was inexplicably uneasy, just like the stormy waves, sweeping infinite uneasiness and rushing into his heart.
Is what I am doing right or wrong? Maybe Wei Zheng and Guan Zhong have thought about this issue.
Xin Ping was really unsure. He was a capable minister who swore allegiance to the Yuan family. He had determined to tie his life's honor and disgrace tightly to the Yuan family. He would float and sink.
But now, he has gone against his original intention and got involved in the Yuan family's struggle for succession. He is determined to help the eldest son he is optimistic about, and even helps him devise poisonous schemes to damage the branches of the Yuan family. Is this right or wrong? Even he himself couldn't explain clearly.
Xin Ping's expression turned and changed again and again, and finally he made up his mind!
I am right! I'm absolutely right! Since ancient times, etiquette has established the elder rather than the young! The eldest son is truly the best person who can shoulder the hegemony of Hebei. Yuan Xianyi is just a mediocre person, how can he achieve great things? If Hebei is in his hands, how can he completely overthrow the nest?
Where justice comes, it is worth it! I sacrificed the son of a nobleman to gain the hegemony of the world and ensure the prosperity of the Yuan family in the world. Even if the lord knew about it, he would not blame me!
Because I, Xin Ping, am absolutely loyal to the Yuan family!
Changshan County is about a few dozen miles northwest of Xindu. It can be reached in a day and a half at a quick pace.
Now Heishan Zhang Yan is facing off against his eldest brother Yuan Tan and Yan Liang Wen Chou in the direction of Yecheng and Xindu, so Yuan Xi is not worried about being robbed by Heishan thieves. Besides, he is here with Qingqi, so if he accidentally encounters a robber, Bandits, hurry up and rush over.
While Yuan Xi urged his troops to speed up, he was secretly thinking about ways to make Zhao Yun loyal: "Well, we must learn from Liu Bei and Cao Cao, learn from Cao A'ao with a dark heart, and learn from Liu Da'er with a thick face. If we can combine the advantages of the two of them, If you are all in one, it will be difficult not to achieve a great career!"
To sum up, Cao Cao mainly relied on family relationships to recruit people, and soldiers and clans recommended each other. The brothers Cao Ren and Cao Hong were his cousins, and the Xiahou brothers were his clansmen; then he reused the Xun clan, and later after he became famous, he recruited countless heroes through clear rewards and punishments.
As for Liu Bei, he did not have so many brothers and clansmen. Although he was deceived as a "great uncle of the Han Dynasty", it was probably rare in history for an emperor's uncle to be reduced to selling mats and weaving shoes. But this guy has a brain and appears to be loyal, but in fact his mind is as sharp as anyone else. Otherwise, how could he achieve the status of an emperor?
To sum up in the words of later generations, Liu Bei's employment relied on the two methods of "fooling" and "loyalty" to win over talents. As soon as they met Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, they prayed to heaven and earth, and they became sworn brothers in the peach garden. They ate at the same table and slept together. An absolute master of sensationalism!
From then on, Liu Bei relied on these two trump cards to win over people's hearts, supplemented by the methods of shedding tears and throwing children, and he was invincible. Not to mention Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and other powerful generals who were deceived to death, even a genius like Zhuge Kongming, who was so wise that he was almost a demon, was also deceived into "dedicate himself to the end and die for himself". He couldn't help but die in the Northern Expedition military camp, and even paid compensation. At risk of the lives of our children and grandchildren!
After two days of travel, a group of fifty people came to the gate of Zhending City in Changshan Kingdom. Zhao Yun sighed a little, he was really timid when he was close to his hometown. Zhao Yun also realized the young general's feelings. Zhao Yun was not stupid. Yuan Xi didn't go all the way to the river to rescue his father Yuan Shao. What was he doing in the small Changshan? Touring the mountains and rivers. ?
Obviously Yuan Xi can't, so there is only one answer. Yuan Xi wants Zhao Yun's heart. To be honest, Zhao Yun was moved by Yuan Xi. Although Zhao Yun did not adapt to some of Yuan Xi's actions, Yuan Xi was still a wise master. Not to mention thinking about himself, it seemed that he had sold the hundreds of kilograms of meat to Yuan Xi. , A soldier will die for his bosom friend, this is Zhao Yun's creed.
So Zhao Yun took Yuan Xi, Xu Chu and others on their way to Zhao Yun's hometown.
"Zhongkang, Zilong, take the brothers to find a suitable place to camp, start a stove and cook, and leave tomorrow." Yuan Xi ordered Xu Chu and Zhao Yun.
He didn't enter the county seat either. He entered the city with his troops. The county magistrate must have known that he had to go through the wind and wash away the dust. Wouldn't it be bad if the commotion caused an uproar and unnecessary trouble?
The group found a valley near the river, pitched a few tents, made fires to cook, and the river watered the horses, but everything was fine. Ten people were left to patrol at night, while the others fell into a deep dream.
At midnight, a trumpet suddenly sounded.
Yuan Xi was taken aback. Fortunately, he had slept with his clothes on last night. He quickly drew his sword in his hand, put a strong bow on his back, and went out of the tent to check. I saw brightly lit torches all around, some thieves wrapped in yellow scarves and armed with weapons, shouting and coming to kill them.
Xu Chu and Zhao Yun also rushed out, one holding a broadsword and the other holding a spear. They all said to Yuan Xi: "My lord, go ahead and retreat towards Zhending County. Let's cut off the rear!"
Yuan Xi didn't expect that he would be ambushed by bandits. These people were really brave. Only a few hundred people dared to come out to rob. How can I be the guardian of Changshan County?
"Don't panic. The thieves are limited. They must have come to rob our horses. If you retreat, won't you be ridiculed? Everyone joins the army to build a reputation. How can we retreat without fighting when we encounter thieves today? Everyone mounts their horses. Follow me and charge for a while, and then break out after the battle is over!" Yuan Xi mounted his horse first, swung his sword and gave orders to his soldiers.
The five hundred strong Tiger Guards were inspired, and they all shouted "Kill the bandits and gain fame!" They all held spears in hand, mounted their horses, and formed a team of ten in five rows, preparing to launch a counterattack.
"Zhongkang, Zilong opens the way in front, the whole army charges!"
Seeing that the Black Mountain thieves who were shouting to kill were getting closer and closer, Zhao Yun bent his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot one. The first guy with the "Black Mountain" banner was shot in the head and fell to the ground immediately, dying.
When the one holding the flag was shot dead, the steps of the other thieves were hindered, and they felt fear in their hearts, so their progress slowed down a lot. Qu Shuai, who was angry at the back, shouted loudly and urged his subordinates to rush forward.
The sound of horse hooves sounded, and Xu Chu and Zhao Yun had already rushed into the crowd of Black Mountain thieves. Xu Chu was extremely powerful, and wherever his weapon touched, it was like chopping melons and vegetables. Zhao Yun's spear skills were superb, and he could cut them down in a matter of seconds. After dozens of people were attacked, the Black Mountain thieves could not resist and retreated one after another.
Yuan Xi held a fine steel sword in his hand and led five hundred horsemen. He followed Xu Chu and Zhao Yun and rushed into the Black Mountain bandit formation. Wherever he went, blood and flesh spattered and heads rolled around. In an instant, he killed more than ten Black Mountain thieves. thief. Two people on my side also fell from their horses and were cut into pieces with random knives.
"Don't panic, the pikemen are blocking the road, and the shield soldiers are cutting off the horse's legs!" One of the Black Mountain bandits, a man with a black horse, a spear in his hand, a bearded face and a sturdy build, commanded calmly.
Seeing that he could not stop the retreating tribe, this guy was furious. He stabbed a hole in the chest of a Black Mountain bandit who was retreating with his gun. He suddenly picked it up and shouted: "Whoever dares to retreat is like this! "
The Black Mountain bandits were frightened. They would die if they retreated anyway. They might be able to steal some good horses if they advanced, so they all stopped retreating. The shield soldiers carried shields and machetes and hacked at the horses' hooves; the spearmen waved their spears and stabbed the people on the horses.
After a charge, the officers and soldiers killed dozens of Black Mountain bandits. Some of the people on their side also had their horses' legs cut off and rolled off their horses, leaving them dead under the sword.
Yuan Xi was a little surprised by the fighting power of this Black Mountain bandit. It was much stronger than the bandit he met at the Wangjia Racecourse. They also had strict military discipline and were not afraid of death. Yuan Xi felt something was wrong and waved his sword and ordered: "The whole army retreats. Speed up and get rid of the bandits! Zhong Kang, Zilong cuts off the queen!"
At that moment, the officers and soldiers did not dare to fight. They had already penetrated the Black Mountain bandit's position, so they stopped turning back, abandoned their tents, and fled forward. Anyway, my side is full of cavalry, and most of the Black Bandits are infantry. There are only a few dozen cavalry, so I don't think they can catch up.
Seeing that the officers and soldiers were retreating, the Black Mountain bandits were pursuing them. The bearded general and dozens of horsemen followed closely behind the officers and soldiers, trying to entangle some of them and wait for the infantry behind them to catch up and encircle and suppress them.
The Qiu bearded general was skilled in marksmanship and had an elite mount on his crotch, and he was always following behind. Xu Chu, who was ordered to cut off the rear, fought against this man alone. He was beaten back by more than twenty soldiers. He fought and fled, but was unable to get rid of the pursuers. Instead, he tended to be surrounded.
Zhao Yun turned his head and saw that Xu Chu was entangled, so he reined up his horse and turned around, bent his bow and arrow, and fired an arrow at the general with a beard. He shouted "hit", and the sharp arrow, with the sound of wind, shot towards the face of the general with a beard.
The bearded general heard the wind and hurriedly lowered his head. Even though he hid quickly, a sharp arrow still penetrated his armor and pierced his shoulder bone. He screamed in pain, turned his horse and fled.
The strong enemy retreated, Xu Chu killed several more bandits, and was able to break through and catch up with the large army. The whole army worked hard and gradually got rid of the pursuing bandits. Seeing that the Black Mountain bandits could not catch up, they ordered their troops to withdraw and retreated. At this moment, Yuan Xi's expression was a little cold, but Yuan Xi didn't say anything.
The next day, expecting that the bandits had dispersed, Yuan Xi led his men back to the battlefield to collect the bodies of his dead brothers. No matter what, they follow me through life and death, so we can't let them abandon their bodies in the wilderness! This is the benevolence of King Wen, and it is also shown to Zhao Yun. The benevolent Lord is very attractive to Zhao Yun.
On the battlefield, ten corpses were scattered in various directions. The blood had dried up. From time to time, crows, hawks and other raptors were pecking at the dead corpses. Black Mountain thieves are not so particular. If you die, you will die. Who will care about you? After the battle, they disappeared without a trace and no one knew where they went!
These thieves who turned into bandits have experienced various disasters. Many of them were thieves after the Yellow Turban Rebellion. They escaped the encirclement and suppression by officers and soldiers, and survived the plague and drought. After a narrow escape, they have long regarded death as the next It is an ordinary thing, and no one will have any sympathy for the dead.
