Inside the tent of Zhangxiu Military Camp.
The wine of the Han Dynasty pales in comparison to that of later generations. The wine of this era was brewed with rice. Due to limited technology, the alcohol content was only about eight to nine degrees, which was not as good as the beer of later generations.
So Zhang Xiu was able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk at the banquet.
Lü Bu was surprised and hugged Zhang Xiu and drank wildly. Zhang Fei was shocked by Zhang Xiu's drinking capacity and pulled Zhang Xiu to toast him. The drinker made everyone jump on their backs and the distance between them became much closer.
During this period, Zhang Xiu had a few glasses of wine with Zhang Liao intentionally or unintentionally, and they became familiar with each other.
When he returned to the military camp, Zhang Xiu drank no less than five hundred glasses of wine, which changed from quantitative to qualitative changes, and gradually entered a state of relaxation in which he was neither aware of pain nor pleasure.
When the sun rose high the next day, Zhang Xiu woke up and came over. The light-transmitting white military tent outside was illuminated by optical fibers. When I opened my eyes, my mouth felt dry for a while. I saw a bowl of water on the table next to me, so I picked it up and drank it in one gulp.
At this time, Wei Yan walked in.
"Lord, there is a letter from Ganwu Camp. They have arrived at Lujiang to join forces with Sun Ce." Wei Yan also drank a lot last night, and his eyes were filled with bloodshot eyes.
Zhang Xiu wiped his mouth and nodded, looking at the topographic map hanging beside the military tent.
After meeting Cao Cao and Liu Bei, he was keenly aware of the danger of these two people. What he can now conclude is that Cao Cao will definitely take action on his way back, and the best place to take action is Tongbai Mountain.
Then his route home must be changed. He can only follow the established plan, bypassing the Dabie Mountains and going up the river.
After looking at the map for a long time, Zhang Xiu said: "Send an order to Ganwu Camp. Deng Canjun will lead 5,000 men to threaten Lujiang. Let him lead 5,000 men and horses to lie down at the foot of Huoshan Mountain and prepare to meet us."
Wei Yan was so startled by Zhang Xiu's words that he sobered up a lot: "My lord, does Cao Cao really dare to attack us?"
Zhang Xiu sneered: "I was not sure before, but now that I have met Cao Cao, I firmly believe that he will take action against us. Let Ganwu Camp prepare in advance."
"Here!" Wei Yan glanced at the direction of Huoshan on the map and retreated.
Huoshan City is more than a hundred miles away from Shouchun at most, and the cavalry can reach it in one day. Cao Cao only has one day to chase him, and Lu Bu will not just watch Cao Cao chase him.
I am afraid that by now, Cao Cao already knows that there are already 20,000 coalition troops from Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao in Lujiang.
Cao Cao ordered the army to be organized for three days, and then sent troops to Shouchun City, with Lu Bu and Zhang Xiu as the vanguard.
That night, Zhang Xiu was having dinner when someone came to the door to report: "Master Hou, there is someone outside the village asking to see you."
Zhang Xiu thought that it might be Lu Bu or Zhang Fei, because these two people had been drinking with him and had a good relationship. It might be that they invited him to have a drink, and nodded and said: "Let him in."
Not long after, a burly man eight feet tall walked in. He had big eyes, a high bridge of nose, real thick eyebrows and big eyes, and he was very powerful.
This man walked in and Zhang Xiu looked at him blankly. He was neither Zhang Fei nor Lu Bu. He had never seen this man before.
The man clasped his fists and said in a bold voice: "Yuan Shu's general, Ji Ling, pays homage to Marquis Xuanwei."
Ji Ling?
Zhang Xiu thought of this man. He was the most powerful general under Yuan Shu. Later, when Yuan Shu was weak, he was killed by Zhang Fei. He was very powerful. He could fight Zhang Fei and Guan Yu for more than thirty rounds. He was almost first-rate. The general is slightly weaker than Wei Yan.
Zhang Xiu asked him: "General Ji is not in Shouchun preparing for war. Why did he come to our camp?"
Ji Ling took out a letter from his arms and said, "My Ming Gong has a secret letter for me to send to Yu Xuanhou for a look."
Someone next to him took the letter and handed it to Zhang Xiu.
I opened it and read it carefully. It basically meant that I wanted to join forces with him to attack Cao Cao, and then divide the land of Yan and Yu equally. Talking about the alliance at this point in time is obviously a tactic to alienate.
Zhang Xiu sneered and said: "It's not a clever way to alienate people." Then he looked at him and asked teasingly: "Is General Ji now a minister of the Han Dynasty or the Yuan family?"
"This..." Ji Ling didn't expect Zhang Xiu to ask this, and he stood uneasily with an embarrassed expression.
Zhang Xiu's eyes were as bright as a torch and he said sternly: "The Yuan family is the fourth and third prince of the Han Dynasty. They have lived in Han Dynasty for generations, but now there is a usurper like Yuan Shu. He is really a man without a king, without principles, and without loyalty. Although I am far away, The cold people of Xiliang also know how to be loyal to the emperor. Who in the world dares to join forces with such a person?"
Ji Ling was blushing at Zhang Xiu's sudden scolding, but the other party was unreasonable. He was speechless to defend himself, and he did not dare to look directly at Zhang Xiu's aggressive gaze, and his eyes could not help but gleam.
Zhang Xiu stood up arrogantly and looked at Ji Ling condescendingly: "Whenever I, the Han ministers, encounter a rebellious person like Yuan Shu, they all attack them in groups. What kind of face does General Ji have standing in front of me to replace him?" Yuan Shu is planning something? How can you, who are under the Nine Springs, face meeting the twenty-fourth emperor of the Han Dynasty?"
"I...I..." Ji Ling's face turned red, and he felt ashamed after being scolded.
"Shut up!" Zhang Xiu glared angrily, "You, the Ji family of Shandong, have lived in Han Dynasty for a long time. Don't you know that 'eating the emperor's salary means being loyal to the emperor'? How dare you help Zhou do evil and become Yuan Shu's fang? If you hadn't had the status of an envoy today, I would have You will be cut off from the tent."
For a moment, Ji Ling was so ashamed that his face turned red and his whole body trembled.
Zhang Xiu looked at it and thought to himself: "Is it possible that you scolded him too harshly?" It would be bad if this guy was as embarrassed as Wang Lang. '
"General Ji," Zhang Xiu's face softened, "I know that you are also a loyal person. Yuan Shu is not the master of the Ming Dynasty. Why don't you abandon him?"
Ji Ling sighed in shame and anger: "Don't you know that my master is crazy and rebellious? But I, Ji Ling, am by no means a selfish person. I am a minister who does not serve two masters. How can I turn my back on him and leave?"
"Hahaha!" Zhang Xiu laughed, "This is foolish loyalty. If Yuan Shu kills your children, will you say that one minister will not serve the two masters? The king is the respect of the country, and the father is the respect of the family. You are the one who eats it. Lu means a minister of the Han Dynasty, and the emperor means a father. Do you want to follow Yuan Shu and give up your father's surname and change your surname?"
Ji Ling did not expect that Zhang Xiu would give him such a big label, and said hurriedly: "Ling's life was given by his parents. How dare he change his surname and name and do such a heinous thing?"
Zhang Xiu's step-by-step induction. "Since he doesn't dare, why should General Ji stubbornly follow Yuan Shu? He betrayed the emperor and abandoned the Han Dynasty, and is no longer worthy of the general's bold loyalty. Why not join the Ming Dynasty and become famous all over the world?"
Ji Ling laughed sadly: "As Xuan Hou said, Ling following Yuan Shu is already notorious. Who dares to accept him?"
Okay, this is what Zhang Xiu was waiting for.
He showed a magnanimous attitude and reassured him with a sincere look. "General Ji, don't belittle yourself. The world is about to be in chaos, and the general's talent can shine wherever he goes. If the general doesn't give up, Xiu is willing to conspire with the general to achieve great things. I wonder if the general is willing?"
Ji Ling's eyes lit up with hope. "If the announcer is willing to accept it, his spirit will definitely be full of blood and brains to repay the general's kindness." When he said this, he knelt down and worshiped.
Zhang Xiu was overjoyed and hurried over, helped Ji Ling up, and said excitedly: "I can embroider the general, I'm willing to try it!"
"Lord!" Ji Ling looked at Zhang Xiu with tears of excitement in his eyes.
Zhang Xiu laughed and waved his hand: "Hurry up and prepare a banquet, I will help the general to wash away the dust."
A banquet was held, and Ji Ling had a pleasant conversation.
When leaving, Zhang Xiu asked him to tell Yuan Shu that Lujiang was in danger, and he led troops to defend the city. In this way, Zhang Xiu can make plans for his next step.
