"Take us back to Chang'an!"
When Jia Xu said this, Duan Yan was twirling his beard with his fingers. As soon as he finished speaking, Duan Xuan's hand twirling his beard suddenly shook, and he actually broke many of his beards.
The calm waves stirred up. Duan Yan let go of his hand and looked at Jia Xu in surprise. He wanted to see through Jia Xu's mind. But after Jia Xu finished speaking, he had already prostrated himself on the ground. His limbs looked extremely sincere and his expression could not be seen clearly. Duan Xuan had no choice but to move forward and help Jia Xu up. When Jia Xu raised his head again, he was full of expectations and trust in him, which made Duan Xuan feel at a loss again.
It took Duan Xuan a long time to calm down again. He neither agreed nor rejected, but asked Jia Xu calmly: "Why did Wen He choose me?"
Seeing that he was not so resistant, Jia Xu felt that the chance of winning was already 60%, so he sat upright and said categorically: "Except for Zhongming, no one else is enough to succeed!"
"Oh? General Xi Zhonglang (Niu Fu) is the grand master's son-in-law, right! Due to emotions and reasons, shouldn't he be the one to take this position?"
Jia Xu smiled when he heard this. He knew that Duan Xuan had not yet made up his mind, so he analyzed it carefully for him: "To be a leader, one must have both moral integrity and talent. Although Niu Fu is the grand master's son-in-law, he is short-sighted in terms of intelligence and skills. He can't accommodate others, he can only be brave. If Niu Fu only has the former, there is still something he can do, but Niu Fu cannot tolerate others, then there is no way to save him. Therefore, when the Grand Master was still alive, he only used Niu Fu as a fighting general. , and don’t think of him as a commander-in-chief, that’s why.”
Duan Xuan was silent for a while, and then asked: "Even so, I am not as good as General Jianwei, how can I convince people?"
Jia Xu had obviously been thinking about this for a long time, and he quickly added: "This is even simpler. Although Jianwei has outstanding talents, he is from Yan people. If he is the leader, he will definitely not be convinced by the soldiers. But let Brother Zhongming The leader, Jianwei, has always been friendly with my brother, and all the generals and soldiers have no objections. More importantly, my brother also has a good reputation in the court. Once we return to Chang'an, only my brother can take charge of the overall situation! This is why I specially come here The reason for coming! The future of tens of thousands of lives lies in the hands of my brother, I hope you don’t delay it!”
Having said this, Duan Xuan obviously couldn't say anything to refute, but he still hesitated in his heart, so he said to Jia Xu: "Wenhe, this matter is too sudden and needs to be discussed in the long term. Why don't you rest here first?" , we talked while eating at the banquet."
Jia Xu knew that he was very shaken, and was very happy. He immediately said: "Not only talking while eating, I also want to talk with my brother day and night, for several days and nights!" He opened his right hand and faced With a sudden grab in the air, he clenched his palm into a fist in front of his chest, as if there was something great in his fist. He said: "Brother, if you are willing to follow my plan, let alone survive this disaster, you will achieve the unfinished success of the Grand Master." It’s not a bad thing to achieve great things!”
After that, he bowed to Duan Xuan again and followed Cang Tou who led the way out. Not long after, Duan Xuan heard a snore. It turned out that Jia Xu was very tired. He fell asleep as soon as he got on the bed, without even covering himself with a cold quilt. After Cang Tou closed the door, the courtyard became quiet again.
There was no one else in the room, but Duan Xuan didn't move at all. He sat quietly on the chair, looking at the sunshine on the land outside the courtyard, and his heart had completely calmed down. …
Jia Xu did persuade him, but the last encouraging words were superfluous. If Li Jue, Guo Si and others heard this, their blood might surge up, but for Duan Xuan, it would only make him feel scared. He does not have such big ambitions because he has always believed that the country cannot be controlled by ordinary people. In ancient times, there were virtuous people like Zhou Gongshang who were as cautious as walking on thin ice, and powerful people like Huo Guang who also exterminated his clan after his death, not to mention the great generals of the past generations since the founding of the country. Although he had some talents, he could not be said to be better than the Taishi. And when he thought of the fate of the Taishi, For a moment, I felt cold all over, and I dared not agree to Jia Xu's words.
Duan Xuan only wanted to survive. If he had followed Jia Xu's advice, the immediate disaster might have been avoided, but it would have caused many more disasters in the future. Jia Xu could still sleep peacefully at this time, but once he agreed, how many more nights would Duan Xuan be able to sleep peacefully in the future?
At night, Jia Xu took a rest, changed his clothes, washed himself and went to the banquet.
Duan Xuan's banquet was relatively simple, just ordering ordinary pickles and Hu pancakes, and half a bowl of mutton. The weather was hot and humid at this time, and although the two of them didn't usually have a close friendship, they were comrades who had fought together for nearly ten years.
In the dining room, Jia Xu felt that his previous statement was enough, and simply talked about his plan for the war: "Although Wang Yun has regained control of the three assistants, people's hearts have turned away. Although the available troops under his command are more than 40,000, the real Those who can fight are all the people who joined Lu Bu when he joined us, and there are only about 6,000 of them. Over the years, we have lost more than 1,000 people in the war. As long as we annihilate them, there is no need to worry about the rest."
Although Duan Xuan had made up his mind, he was a soldier after all, and it was his habit to criticize the war. Jia Xu analyzed the situation at this time, and he quite agreed, and then talked about the difficulties of the war: "But after all, they control Xijing, and they have The food and baggage are heavy. If Lu Bu sees that our army is strong and simply defends the city, what can he do?" He did not say the consequences of the protracted war between the two sides, but both of them understood that there was no righteousness inside and there were enemies outside. Defeat is only a matter of time, so if you don't fight, you will be defeated. If you fight, you must do it quickly.
Jia Xu smiled and said: "So you should show your weakness to the enemy."
"Our army is numerous but the enemy is outnumbered. It would be too much to try to show the enemy that we are weak."
"No, no, no." Seeing that Duan Xuan didn't think clearly for a moment, Jia Xu didn't give in, he pointed out: "The grand master is dead, the world is shocked, no matter how you say it, our army has long been weak in terms of momentum. As long as We spread the news that the army was unsettled and the soldiers were fleeing, and then we wrote a letter begging for mercy. How could they not believe it?"
Duan Yan had never thought of this. When Jia Xu said this, he was enlightened. A cold sweat ran down his face. He looked at Jia Xu and saw that he was calm and composed, but he was filled with panic: This person has so much influence on people's hearts. The grasp has entered the state of transformation, and it is as pervasive as water flooding a golden mountain. He naturally deduced: "At this time, if all the elite cavalry in the army are gathered together, pretending to be old, weak and tired soldiers, thousands of lone troops will come forward. If the imperial court wants to fight quickly, it must send all the best soldiers under Lu Bu's command to Seek total victory. This is the time for total victory!”
"Of course!" Jia Xu leaned forward slightly and asked Duan Xuan: "In Brother Duan's opinion, what are the chances of success for this strategy?"...
Duan Xuan smiled bitterly and replied: "If I were in the court, Wen He would already be playing with my head."
Jia Xu laughed heartily, and he leaned back, with a relaxed expression on his face, and said modestly: "It's just a small trick, Brother Duan is overly commendable." He also felt that the preparation was in place, and Duan Xuan would definitely not reject him. Then he asked: "Time is urgent. I wonder when Duan Jun thinks it is best to summon his colleagues?" The implication is that Duan Yan has already participated in the incident.
Duan Yan heard the words and knew that it was time for a showdown. He considered his words and said slowly: "What Wen He said is very good, but soldiers are the most dangerous weapons of the country. If you can't do them, it's better not to do them. With what I said, See, there is still a way out, and we can resolve the disaster without starting a fight."
Jia Xu's smile stopped, slowly disappearing like ripples on the lake, and turned into a calm expression. He drank a glass of thin wine, made a listening gesture and said, "I would like to hear the details."
"Although Wang Yun has murderous intentions, he is only a minister after all, and does not have the power of a grand master. As a disciple, he can only command the three auxiliary officials, and the government orders can only be used to control the mausoleum. And in the court, Wang Yun does not His ability is against all opinions, and with what he says, he can only put it aside and wait for changes. This is the opportunity we are waiting for."
"what chance?"
"A chance to negotiate peace!"
The corners of Jia Xu's mouth trembled slightly, but he quickly restrained himself. He said calmly: "But he regards us as enemies, so I'm afraid he won't give us this opportunity."
"We won't be given a chance. We can find someone who has to give us a chance."
"who?"
"Bingzhou Mu Chen Tingjian."
Jia Xu stood up suddenly after hearing this. He looked at Duan Xuan, but his tone became calmer: "Brother Zhongming, the imperial court and Bingzhou have been fighting for two consecutive years, and I don't know how many comrades have died in the battle. Today, you are afraid of Wang Yun, but you say... Introducing Chen Tingjian to the court is too chilling."
Duan Yan had already made up his mind and would not waver again. He smiled and said: "If it is to save the lives of tens of millions of soldiers, it is nothing to endure a moment of humiliation. Chen Tingjian and Liu Xuande are both trustworthy people. As long as we On the grounds of security, what can Wang Yun do to induce them to unite and join the court?"
The two faced each other for a moment, and Jia Xu sat down again and said slowly: "Chen Tingjian has always been friendly with Brother Duan, so Brother Duan dares to think like this. It seems that Brother Duan is planning to abandon the army and live alone in this disaster."
Duan Xuan did not refute at this time. He was already friendly with Chen Chong. After several battles, he had been stationed in Hongnong except when he followed Huangfu Song. He did not have much blood debt from Bingren, so he could naturally join Bingzhou. However, Niu Fu and Xu Rong's tribes in Shangjun and Hedong, as well as Li Jue and Guo Si's tribes fighting in Guandong, were obviously unwilling and afraid to surrender. In this way, he is indeed just as Jia Xu said, he only cares about himself and does not care about his colleagues.
At this time, Jia Xu asked again: "When does Brother Duan plan to go north? There is a spirit underground, and we are fighting together again. I hope that the master will not die, and we will meet each other in battle, which will chill the heart of the deceased."
Duan Yan's heart shivered, and he couldn't help but feel that he was ruthless, so he promised Jia Xu: "Even if I don't care about big things, I don't dare to cause pain to my relatives. Enemies are quick to make enemies. Since everyone has their own plans, let's go our separate ways." . I will not tell others what happened today, and I hope that when Wen He contacts you, you will not blame me."
By this time, both of them were feeling a little bored.
Jia Xu finally raised something. Although the Liang people in Hongnong were under the command of Duan Yan, he might not be able to win the hearts of the people if he wanted to change his family. In order to avoid future conflicts in the army, he simply made the matter public and everyone went their separate ways. Duan Yan thought about it. For a moment, I also agreed with this proposal.
The next day, Duan Xuan summoned the officers in the army to explain his plan in detail. Those who were willing to join him in Bingzhou stood on the right, and those who were willing to follow Jia Xu in counterattack stood on the left. The result was four on the left and six on the right.
In the evening, Jia Xu put a bamboo hat on his head, led the officers who followed him, and said goodbye to Duan Xuan. Then they hurriedly mounted their horses to assemble their soldiers. They would quickly take the mountain trails and cross Xiong'er Mountain southward. Nanyang, go to meet with Li Jue and Guo Si.
According to common sense, even though the two of them parted ways, Duan Yan should still send Jia Xu and others to the city gate. But he went straight back to the yard and repaired his horse's horseshoes.
When the old paw was shaved clean by the hoof knife, the anger in his heart had dissipated. This made him stand up leisurely and look around. The night fell, and the bright moon had already shone down, slowly cooling down the blazing hot air. The sound of cicadas in it was annoying. Closing his eyes, Duan Xuan thought of his childhood days of shepherding in Longban, and couldn't help but lamented: "Longtou The flowing water screams and sobs. Looking at Qinchuan in the distance, my heart is broken."
(The water in Longtou is finished).
