Liu Fan's stalemate in Luogu really hit Chen Chong's weakness. The more than ten days of this stalemate was also the most tense and hesitant moment in Chen Chong's life.
After many attempts to seduce Liu Fan into battle failed, Chen Chong spent almost all day and night thinking about strategies to defeat the enemy. Even though he had a splitting headache, he lay on the bed and his thoughts involuntarily extended to defeat the enemy, but found nothing. Three or four consecutive days of insomnia made Chen Chong's eyes bloodshot. However, in early February, Chen Chong had to painfully admit that if Liu Fan did not go to war within a week, he would have to abandon Guanzhong and go from Hongnong to relieve Guandong. Even if it may mean that ten years of hard work are ruined.
But what is gratifying is that after God favored his enemies several times in succession, he finally favored him once. After Chen Chong learned about the departure of the Shu army, he was almost overjoyed and immediately sent Dong Yue to seize the Shu army's camp. When the message came from Dong Yue, he fell asleep directly on the table before he could laugh.
Chen Chong slept for nearly eight hours, and when he woke up again, it was already noon the next day. When he opened the tent door with his fur coat on and let the sunlight shine into his eyes, he discovered that Xu Huang, Hu Zhen, Dong Yue generals, as well as Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong and other students were standing outside his tent, obviously waiting. long time. When they saw Chen Chong slowly walking out of the tent, they all congratulated him in unison: "Thank you for your hard work!"
Chen Chong glanced at the faces and eyes of different ages around him, and found that they all had the same expression at this time, and they were all laughing sincerely and without concealment, and he laughed naturally.
This battle with Liu Fan can be said to be the most difficult battle in Chen Chong's life so far. Not only were their troops at a disadvantage, but they also had no favorable time and place. The only thing that could be commended was the experienced experience of Dong Zhuo's remaining troops. But this also brought huge casualties to the soldiers: of the 40,000 Liang troops who were brought out from Chencang, more than 4,000 were killed at this time, and more than 6,000 were seriously injured and had their limbs broken. Even if they are alive, they are still suffering from pain. Those who cannot survive will have to die. Even if they survive, they can only make a living with their broken bodies for the rest of their lives. This is destined to leave eternal pain in their lives.
But so what? At least at this moment, all the sorrow and pain will be diluted, the joy of victory will overcome everything, and those disasters and chaos that were once thought to destroy everything seem to be unworthy of mention now. Chen suddenly smiled and said to his subordinates and students, "Let's have dinner together tonight. I will cook the food myself."
Since becoming Sili Xiaowei, Chen Chong has rarely cooked by himself. Many officials in Sili Mansion have never seen him before, let alone the new disciples, so many people think this is a joke by Long Shou. But in the evening, when they came to Chen Chong's tent again, they actually saw him making soup in front of a clay pot. Many of them felt like they were in a dream.
Chen Chong chopped up two chickens and a dog, put them in a pot, and cooked them together with radish and wild vegetables for about two hours. When everyone came, the meat was cooked to death, and when they opened the lid of the pot, the front of the tent was filled with delicious fragrance. Then Chen Chong invited everyone to sit around the pot, and then everyone took a bowl of broth. They ate and chatted under the starlight, looking extremely harmonious. ….
Zhuge Liang was sitting on Chen Chong's right hand. Chen Chong noticed that after eating some, he looked at the fire in a daze. Then he smiled and asked, "Why, it's not to your liking?"
Zhuge Liang shook his head slightly. Under the flickering firelight, his young face looked sharp and angular, and his eyes were extremely determined, but the words he spoke were still doubtful. He said: "I was thinking, they say that a gentleman is far away from the kitchen. But not only is the teacher not far away, but he also seems to be very kind. What is the reason?"
Chen Chong smiled and said: "If you don't go to Longmu, you don't know the work of farmers; if you don't work in the kitchen, you don't know the burden of your wife; if you don't go through war, you don't know the pain of conquering your husband. Everything is like this. If Kong Ming is determined to save the country, he should know the country. It will remain in the hearts of the people for a long time. If you want to win the hearts of the people, you must predict the hearts of the people, that's all."
After Zhuge Liang heard this, he couldn't help but think of what Chen Chong said when they first met. He had always kept this in mind, and following Chen Chong's words, he almost blurted out: "But the teacher also said that a gentleman's way cannot calm the world. Isn't it the same whether he wins the hearts of the people? If someone can win every battle, If you can control the world purely through magic, what use will the people's hearts have?"
Chen Chong didn't expect him to ask such a question, and his face became solemn because of it. He thought for a while, objected to Kong Ming's question and said: "Can people live forever?"
Zhuge Liang was startled, then turned around and replied: "Both the First Emperor and Emperor Xiaowu sought immortality, but they only ended up with the destruction of their country and their family. Even if they are the descendants of the Son of Heaven, it is like this. It shows that humans cannot live forever."
After hearing this, Chen Chong nodded slightly and continued: "Yes, Kong Ming, please remember. People cannot live forever, just as water cannot be collected again, and lime cannot be combined. But the hearts of the people are like the torrential river. If the heaven and the earth are not cut off, and the sun and the moon are reversed, they will surely It will never stop. From this we can see that the success or failure of meritorious deeds is not limited to the current world, but is judged by the hearts of the people of all generations."
Speaking of this, Chen Chong no longer faced Kong Ming, but said as if talking to himself: "Therefore, defeated generals in the past may not be heroes of future generations; heroes at one time may not be criticized by hundreds of generations. Nine states and thousands of directions Although it is big, it cannot block the mouth of the common people."
After Chen Chong finished speaking, he felt a lot relieved when Zhuge Liang nodded. He immediately felt that the topic was too heavy. He put down the wooden bowl in his hand and said with a smile: "Of course, these are all big words. There are ups and downs in life, who can He said that he is never alone. If there is no one around and he doesn’t cook by himself, shouldn’t he eat solid food every day?”
Zhuge Liang also smiled and said, "Teacher, you really understand."
At this time, Dong Bai came over with a wine flask and poured two glasses of warm wine for the two of them. Chen Chong smelled it and said with a smile: "It's Huadiao wine from Xuzhou. It has a strong sweetness. Drink a little." They both drank it down.
Chen Chong looked at the stars in the sky and felt the movement of the breeze in the sky. He was filled with emotions for a while, and after a long time he said: "I am almost forty years old. At this age, I am already considered old. If Xuande loses this battle, the mountains and rivers will be divided." It’s a foregone conclusion. I don’t know if I can still see the country reunified.” He turned back and patted Zhuge Liang on the shoulder and said, “This will all fall on you young people.”
Dong Bai heard it funny. She filled another cup for Chen Chong and said, "Shentu Gong is not yet old at seventy. He walks back and forth from Zhangtai to Imperial College every day. You are only thirty-eight, so you sigh If I keep getting older, are you cursing me to lose my husband?”….
Chen Chong didn't know how to respond to this statement, and the people around him couldn't help but chuckle when they saw his embarrassment. Pang Tong was still on the side to relieve the siege. Talking about military affairs, he said: "Teacher, now that the Shu people have retreated, what should we do next?"
Everyone fell silent for an instant. Now, except for Chen Chong, there was only one force left in Guanzhong. Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows where they will go next. Chen Chong looked back to the east, knowing that he would see many familiar faces again, which made him sigh. Then he said slowly: "We will break camp tomorrow and march to Chang'an."
The next day, the Han army left Luo Valley and returned to Wugong the way they came. After arriving at Wugong and leaving the wounded soldiers there, Chen Chong packed up his belongings a little, rested for a night, and then headed west along the Weishui River.
After the Shu army's Duanliuyuan battle, the vast area in Guanzhong from the east of Wugong to the west of Huayin basically fell under the control of the Shu army. And the people in Guanzhong also thought that the overall situation was decided. Compared to the Liang people who had been looting in Guanzhong for many years, they naturally welcomed the Shu people who had relatively strict military discipline. However, the Shu army suddenly withdrew from Chang'an. Many people did not know why. They thought it was the Liang people from Longshang who had gone down to Long again. They all secretly prayed for another victory of the Shu army.
Although it is already early February, the spring cold has been particularly long-lasting, and the Weishui River has not yet thawed to this day. As the dark sergeants walked down the official road, they were solemn and silent, looking as cold as the gray sky. When residents along the road heard the footsteps, they sealed their doors and stayed inside, habitually peeking out of their windows. Unexpectedly, they saw the bright yellow Honghu flag of the Taiping Army, and then they realized that the person leading the army passing by again at this moment was neither a Liang person nor a Shu person, but Captain Sili who disappeared after the Chang'an chaos.
Just like the sun cleared from the clouds, people opened their doors and walked onto the hard ground, watching the Han troops coming and going, and anxiously asking about the whereabouts of the soldiers. The soldiers all said: "Go to Chang'an first, then go to Luoyang!". There are many women among the residents whose husbands went to the east with the army. When they heard these words, they couldn't help but shed sad tears and sighed: "They all say that Guandong was defeated, but I don't know if the men in my family are still alive." But there are more. There were still cries of joy, and people said: "The dragon head is back, and this year can be passed by again." This kind of clamor reached its climax after meeting Chen Chong himself.
When Chen Chong camped in Huaili that day, the tent was crowded with local noble families and county officials who came to express their loyalty. Even though many people have interacted with Lu Bu and Liu
Fan contacted Guo, but except for a few who took the opportunity to kill people, Chen Chong mostly ignored them and met with them one by one to appease them. After all, as far as the changes in Guanzhong are concerned, it is difficult for me to predict them, so why should I blame others?
After the conversation, these people felt as if they had been granted amnesty, and then each brought the strong men and grain from their villages and counties to join together. Within three or four days, Chen Chong's 30,000 soldiers quickly expanded to more than 60,000. When Chen Deng and others who were stationed in Hedong learned the news, they also led their troops to gather together. By the time Chen Chong led his troops across the Wei Bridge on the 14th day of the second lunar month, he had nearly 80,000 men under his command.
After the forward scouts arrived at Ouchi, they fired three blasts into the air to indicate that there were no enemies outside the city. After Chen Chong heard the news, he immediately let his army spread out like a long snake, surrounding the east, west and north sides of Chang'an City. Then he raised his flag and led the army straight to the front line of the right army.
His eyes searched for the Zhicheng Gate, and soon found a gray dot, which was swaying left and right in the cold wind. He knew that it was Kong Rong's body. He ordered people to remove it and bury it on the north bank of Baqiao.
Chen Ruicong
