More than 10,000 surrendered troops, excluding the old, weak, wounded and disabled, were left with 8,000 elite troops, traveling more than 400 miles in a day.
After a day of running, the men and horses were exhausted. When they marched to a dangerous pass, they saw that it was getting late. Liu Yan ordered the camp to be set up. The sergeants performed their duties, making fires for cooking, building fences to resist the horses, and watching for wind and reconnaissance.
Cai Yong had used the secret medicine given by Black Dragon Guard and was no longer seriously injured. Because he had doubts, he called his servants to help him go to Liu Yan's tent.
He walked in and said, "Cai Yong pays homage to the general...!"
"Mr. Cai, please take a seat without any courtesy!" Liu Yan helped him up, took their seats, and called the guards to bring them wine and snacks.
"Mr. Cai is injured and has been traveling all the way. At this time, he did not rest in the tent but came to see me. I guess something is wrong?"
Cai Yong put down the wine glass in his hand, looked at Liu Yan and replied: "Yes, to be honest with the general, I have doubts in my heart and can't sleep, so I came here to ask the general to clarify my doubts!"
"Oh...! I wonder if Mr. Cai has any doubts? Please speak up."
Cai Yong raised his glass with both hands and saluted Liu Yan from afar to show his respect: "I was framed, but fortunately the general saved my family's lives. Thank you again!"
"However, I have been greatly favored by the general but I still don't know the general's name. I have caused the general so many troubles for no reason. I feel uneasy and wonder if the general can tell me the name. I will make sure that the descendants of the family will never forget the general's kindness from generation to generation and erect a monument and statue in his honor. Offer incense from generation to generation.”
Liu Yan raised his glass and said: "Haha, Mr. Cai made a serious statement. My surname is Liu Mingyan, and my courtesy name is Yuan Qi. The rescue was done casually and is not of any importance. I must not mention it again in the future. Come and drink this cup to the full."
Liu Yan had long wanted to recruit Cai Yong, a great talent. After finishing his glass of wine, he tried to test him: "Mr. Cai has been in the government for a long time and holds a high position. He must know the Han court very well. I wonder what Mr. Cai has to do with today's world." What do you think? Please enlighten me!"
Cai Yong felt sad when he mentioned the imperial court. He filled the wine glass and took a sip: "Alas, since the Eastern Han Dynasty, there have been wars in the world. The emperors have been inferior to each other. Since the emperor's death, the throne has changed frequently. The relatives and eunuchs have controlled the government and framed them. Zhongliang."
"Emperor Heng succeeded to the throne and brought about the disaster of party corruption, which caused the scholars in the world to abandon the imperial court."
"Since Emperor Ling ascended the throne, he has not eliminated the troubles caused by the party. He has only been greedy for pleasure, bought and sold officials, appointed people unwisely, and neglected the imperial power, causing chaos in the court."
"Now that the states, counties and clans in the world are running against each other and secretly supporting each other, even Luoyang is like this under the emperor's feet. It can be seen from this that if the emperor's feet are like this, what are the other states and counties in the world like?"
"When these aristocratic families are ready, they will surely rise up. Then the world will be in chaos, the clans will cede their lands and become kings, and the world of Han will be hopeless!"
Speaking of sadness, Cai Yi got up to drink, burst into tears, beat the table and threw chopsticks.
Cai Yong's talent attracted Liu Yan's attention. As a time traveler, he naturally knew these things, but in this world, Cai Yong's ability to analyze the situation so thoroughly was well-deserved.
So he praised: "Mr. Cai has extraordinary knowledge and thoughtful mind. There are not many people in the world who can analyze the world so thoroughly. I am amazed!"
"Haha, you are very knowledgeable. I think you are the most knowledgeable person in the world today, right?"
Liu Yan was stunned when he heard this, and then asked: "What does Mr. Cai mean by this?"
Cai Yong bent down to pick up the chopsticks that were thrown on the ground, picked up a piece of venison and put it in his mouth, and said with a smile: "The clans in this world have no knowledge. Although there are many people gathered, in my opinion they are just a mob and vulnerable.
The princes in the dynasty had no knowledge, they only knew how to fight for power and gain without worrying about the world. Little did they know that in the end, they would only be happy in vain, and they could not escape the fate of their heads being dislocated. I also had no knowledge. I was in the temple, knowing the disease but not having a cure. , knowing that troubled times are about to arise and there is no way to stop them, this shows that I am nothing more than a mediocre person. "
"However, the general is different. Although the general is young, he has great ambitions. He has fierce generals and tiger soldiers under his command. Today, I saw that the general commanded and dispatched, retreated well, and was in a dangerous situation but remained calm. This shows that the general's talent is extraordinary. comparable."
"There must be internal support for the imperial city to rob Luoyang. It can be seen that every move of the current imperial court is probably under the control of the general, and even contributes to the flames from behind. Thousands of people can break through the gate of the imperial capital, and the soldiers carried by the soldiers Weapons and arrows have never been seen before.”
"I also personally heard that the general ordered Jingzhou to mobilize troops. He immediately ordered 50,000 elite troops. However, as far as I know, there is no Liu Yan among the officials in Jingzhou, let alone a general named Liu Yan. Therefore, there is no It’s hard to see that these nine counties in Jingzhou have already been captured by the general, right?”
"The world is not yet in chaos, and the Han court is still powerful despite its defeat, but the generals are already one step ahead, secretly controlling the city, training their troops and horses, and recruiting literati and generals. However, no one knows about all this, and they only wait for the world. As soon as the chaos breaks out, the general will lead his army to defeat the chaos. At that time, the general will be like a tiger among the sheep and earn the fortune of becoming the king of the world. I wonder if what I said is correct? I hope the general will tell the truth. "
Liu Yan was slightly surprised by Cai Yong's words. He raised his glass and chuckled, "Haha, Mr. Cai's foresight is indeed extraordinary, but these things are all confidential. You can’t sue anyone other than yourself, please.”
Hearing this, Cai Yong raised his eyes and fixed his eyes. The tent was quiet except for the crackling sound of the charcoal fire in the basin. The two looked at each other and Cai Yong said: "What if I am willing to join the general's tent and participate in the grand event together?"
Cai Yong's move surprised Liu Yan. It was rumored that Cai Yong was not only knowledgeable but also a very loyal and upright person. He originally thought that it would take a lot of effort to recruit Cai Yong. Why did he so casually change his family and join him today? ?
Unable to understand the reason, he stood up and asked, "As a minister of the imperial court, Mr. Cai has always been loyal and upright. Why did he say such a thing today?"
Cai Yong flicked his sleeves and said: "The reason why the general robbed Luoyang prison to save my family, old and young, was not to recruit me?"
"Now that I know that the general is interested in recruiting, I will take the initiative to join him. Wouldn't this save the general a lot of troubles?"
"I joined the imperial court not for the high official position and rich salary, but for the welfare of the people in the world. These words may sound high-sounding, but they are what I say from the bottom of my heart."
"Although I have a little loyalty, I am not a pedantic and foolish person. The general rescued me from the city and ignored the tens of thousands of money in my house. He only took out all my books and bamboos. He regarded the money as dung and the books and silks as treasures. This can be seen from this. A general must love and respect talents, and in the future he must be a benevolent, filial, and respectful wise king and holy master, assisting the wise master in bringing benefits to the people of the world, and Cai Yong should do his best."
"Hahahaha, okay, I'm lucky to have Mr. Cai's help." Liu Yan was overjoyed and went to pour wine for Cai Yong himself: "Mr. Cai, please...!"
When Cai Yong saw this, he was immediately panicked and hurriedly bowed to worship without daring to shout.
Liu Yan held him up with his hands and offered the wine in the cup with both hands: "Please, Mr. Cai."
Cai Yong took the wine glass, knelt down and said: "Thank you, Lord...!"
When Liu Yan got Cai Yong, he was in a good mood and ordered his guards to get the flag tray. The two held hands and talked happily, and laughter could be heard from time to time.
When night was approaching, a flying cavalry rushed into the camp gate and went straight to Liu Yan's tent: "Report to the lord, the Jin Yiwei came to send a message. The defeated army fled back to Luoyang. General He Jin learned that his brother He Miao was defeated and killed. , regardless of the objections of the ministers of the court, he personally led 90,000 infantry and 60,000 cavalry, a total of 150,000 elite Tiger and Guard troops set out from Youshi to pursue the lord."
Liu Yan heard this and asked hurriedly: "Who is the forward and who is the deputy general?"
The sergeant cupped his hands and said: "My lord, He Jin has not set up a forward or deputy general. He will lead the team himself."
"Got it, keep scouting!"
"As you command!"
Seeing this, Cai Yong said anxiously: "My lord, this is terrible. Although He Jin is a fool and a reckless man, he can't stand up to the crowd. We only have ten thousand people, and among them there are seven or eight thousand who have just surrendered." , how can we be the opponent of an army of more than 100,000 people?"
"What good advice does Mr. Cai have for me?"
Cai Yong thought for a moment and sighed: "Well, there is no other good way. Please send the surrender troops immediately. These people have just returned and their morale is unstable. When the war begins, I am worried that these people will not be our help, but will If you turn against him, you must not stay."
"The terrain here is favorable to me. My lord can send a thousand men to prepare huge rocks and roll logs on the two high mountains. When the enemy enters the valley, order the sergeants to roll down the rocks. The ditch here is deep and narrow, and the enemy has many people and horses, so there will be no one." It can be evaded, and coupled with the thunderbolts carried by the sergeant, if you think about it and attack it, you can kill a lot of enemies even if you can't defeat them."
"The enemy will not dare to advance rashly after a new defeat. This will buy us a lot of time. The lord can lead the remaining 1,000 troops to escape into the mountains and forests to wait for reinforcements."
Liu Yan thought for a while, then shook his head and said: "Although Mr. Cai's plan is exquisite, it has shortcomings. He Jin is a reckless man, and his actions cannot be judged by common sense. The more energetic such a person is, the more reckless they are. I don’t know how to strategize, I just know how to move forward.”
When Cai Yong heard this, he nodded his head, bowed and said, "What my lord said is absolutely true. I have learned from you."
"Moreover, the reason why I brought those surrendered troops is for use at this time. If all the surrendered troops are dismissed, how will the two thousand or so of us act?"
Cai Yong was suddenly enlightened and bowed and said: "My lord has a long-term plan and I would like to hear my lord's opinion!"
Liu Yan walked towards the commander's case and immediately ordered the soldiers to blow the trumpet and raise the camp to gather generals.
Suddenly the horns were blaring and the camp was boiling. The centurion arrived and led a group of people to gather in Liu Yan's tent.
Liu Yan looked around and saw that although everyone had been awakened from a deep sleep, everyone was in high spirits and did not look sleepy, which made him very satisfied.
"Everyone, there is news from Luoyang Jinyi Guards that the general has set out at Youshi and personally led 150,000 elite troops to chase us."
"I order!"
"Vice-Commander Wang Zhong led one thousand Black Dragon Guards and three thousand surrendered troops to stop the attack. These surrendered troops cannot be given any weapons and armor. They can only be given horses. You are divided into ten squadrons. Each hundred Black Dragon Guards will lead three hundred surrendered troops. The soldiers set up a team of ambushes every thirty miles, and ordered them to just set up traps, and when the enemy troops arrived, they would shoot and kill the enemy generals. Hit and run, and do not be reluctant to fight. If any troops surrendered and ran away or did not obey orders, they would immediately Shoot, remember, you can't shoot and enter, this person is still useful if you keep him."
"Order Commander Zhou Lin to lead 1,500 men and the remaining surrendered troops to prepare rolling logs and boulders on the two mountains in the valley. When the enemy troops arrive, they will attack from a high position. The enemy troops will commotion and throw thunder bombs at me."
"There is a dangerous place fifty miles behind us called Hutou Mountain. I will lead the remaining fifty Black Dragon Guards to retreat to Hutou Mountain and wait for your triumphant return."
"Yes, I will obey!"
Zhou and Wang took the order to withdraw from the big tent and began to make arrangements for the war.
Liu Yan glanced at the messenger beside him and asked: How many of you are left here? "
The messenger replied: "Back to my lord, there are five people left including me."
"Okay, five hundred miles south is Hekou County. That is the closest road for us to return to Jingzhou. Three hundred miles ahead through Hekou County is Wancheng. Quickly ride south to send an order to Yuwen Chengdu to speed up the march without detours. , directly attack Hekou County and come to support."
"As you command!"
After everything was arranged, Liu Yan called the guards and started to pack things: "Mr. Cai, let's go too. If I stay here and the guards start fighting, they will look back and forth. If I am not here, they can fight freely."
"Looking from the map, Hutou Mountain is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The army cannot climb up. Where can we stand and wait for reinforcements.
"yes……!"
"But lord, I'm still a little worried. Although Hutou Mountain is dangerous, it is a high ground. If He Jin orders people to set fire to the mountain, then we will have no choice but to die."
Hearing this, Liu Yan smiled and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Cai, I have already seen it during the day. What we have seen along the way for a hundred miles are mostly stone mountains. The trees on the mountains are sparse and small. There are few dense forests, and the fire cannot burn them." "
Cai Yong was silent and looked at the direction Liu Yan left for a long time, unable to regain his senses.
"well……!"
"Why did father sigh?"
Cai Yan didn't know when he came to Cai Yong's side, and when he saw his father like this, he asked him.
Cai Yong said: "This man's wisdom and strategy are far better than his father's a hundred times and a thousand times. Being a minister and father under his tent is like that foolish man in the mountains. I don't know whether to be angry or happy for a moment."
