Lao Cao set up a banquet, accompanied by Lu Junyi, and invited all the prisoners. They all called off the ropes and took their seats.
Not long after, the servants in the mansion served wine and food at a reasonable price. Lao Cao stood up with a smile, took a wine pot, and personally drank for everyone.
The differences in temperament among the captives immediately became apparent——
People such as Niu Wenzhong, Yu Yulin, and even Fan Yuming hurriedly stood up, holding wine glasses in both hands and waiting for him to pour them, saying "don't you dare" and "how dare you labor the general as a prisoner".
Shan Shiqi, Ma Ling and others had complicated expressions. Although they did not stand up, they held up their wine glasses and nodded slightly at him.
As for Yun Zongwu and Bian Xiang, they were sitting there motionless, staring at Cao Cao with unkind eyes.
However, no matter how they react, Lao Cao is always sincere and has a gentle smile, which makes people feel like spring breeze.
After pouring the wine, Cao Cao also filled his glass and raised his glass: "In the two battles in Xijing, Wu was lucky enough to see the majesty of the heroes in Jinzhong. How lucky you are! Everyone, we are all Chinese Miao descendants, and we are all brothers in our hearts. Before that, Although we have become enemies, since each man is his own master, how can we have any personal grudges over this?"
After saying this, Niu Wenzhong and others were filled with joy, and they nodded repeatedly: "That's right, we have no grudges at all, but we are just our own masters." After that, they each drank a drink.
Yun Zongwu rolled his eyes, Bian Xiang sneered repeatedly, Cao Cao smiled and said: "General Yun, Grand Master Bian, is there something wrong with what I said?"
Bian Xiang raised his chin and said solemnly: "It's inappropriate to just say "each has his own master". If you are Wang Qing, or Fang La, or Chao Gai, and we have a dispute, and you catch me, you This statement makes sense. However, you are a general of the imperial court. Why should we follow the King of Jin to rebel? I will give you four words: the government forces the people to rebel!"
Niu Wenzhong forced a smile on the side and said: "Grand Master, be careful, in fact, the Song Dynasty was not bad, but the livelihood of the people of the Liao Kingdom was not even worse..."
Bian Xiang didn't even look at him. He raised his glass and drank it in one gulp. He spat out the smell of wine and his voice became louder and louder: "When Bian's grandfather was here, the family still had 120 acres of land. Even though we had to strangle every year." If you tighten your belt, you will be able to live, just because the Green Crops Law and the Market Change Law are promulgated, and they keep saying that they will benefit the world. However, the government forces loans and raises interest rates arbitrarily. Buying things are cheap and selling things are expensive, forcing the common people to I had no choice but to sell the farmland to fill those ravines. Haha, when it was passed down to my father, there were only forty acres of farmland left in the family. At a certain point, the farmland was all gone, so I had to work with others to farm in exchange for grains to feed myself... It's funny to say that, Bian A certain farming family has 17,000 acres of fertile land. They have two sons in three generations. The court originally exempted and exempted him from a lot of land taxes, but he still wants to declare all the fertile land as wasteland, so he doesn't have to pay a penny all year round. Haha. , His house smells of wine and meat, and my house is frozen to death. If Bian doesn’t rebel, what should I do?”
With a bang, he slapped the wine glass on the table and shattered into pieces, leaving the wine all over the table along his fingers.
Yun Zongwu said with enthusiasm: "That's right! As expected of the Grand Master, he hit the nail on the head." After all, he smashed the cup with one palm.
Cao Cao nodded, glanced at everyone, and thought to himself: This Niu Wenzhong is a tycoon in the green forest. He rebelled as a thief and was greedy for wealth. However, survival is more important than wealth. Shan Shiqi came from a wealthy family and was a charlatan. He rebelled just for the sake of his own whim. He really wanted to die, but he had to wait for discussion. Only Bian Xiang and Yun Zongwu were well aware of the sufferings of the people and had the skills to do so. They really had no choice but to rebel!
He smiled faintly and said: "Recently, I have also inquired about the actions of King Jin - the rebellion has been launched, the great cause has been launched, how many things need to be done? However, the first thing he needs to do is to overhaul his Jinwang Palace, haha, haha , I would like to ask Taishi Bian, where did the money and food for the palace come from? Do the craftsmen who built the palace get paid?"
Bian Xiang's expression changed, and his high-spirited momentum suddenly froze.
He was a straight man, so he couldn't tell lies with his eyes wide open. The money and food obtained from robbery and extortion could not be explained clearly by "giving money to the rich and helping the poor." As for the workers he hired, even though they didn't get paid, the supervisor's whip would definitely keep them well fed.
The smile on Cao Cao's face did not change: "Although Taishi Bian was born as a farmer, he possesses extraordinary skills. Now that he is the so-called 'Grand Master', he is naturally rich and prosperous. However, the days have changed in Jinzhong, and the lives of the common people are nothing compared to the past. Have you ever been at peace?"
Bian Xiang's expression changed again, his face turned green, and he avoided Cao Cao's gaze.
Yun Zongwu's expression did not look as confident as he moved forward.
"Master Bian, you gave me four words to force the government to force the people to rebel." Cao Cao still smiled lightly and said: "How about I give you four words too? Haha, you are the same as a raccoon dog."
Shan Shiqi suddenly said: "General, if it is someone else, I can't say Shan. But the Grand Master's integrity is known to everyone under the command of the King of Jin."
Cao Cao smiled and said: "In the Song Dynasty, there were also famous ministers such as Kou Zhun, Fan Zhongyan, Bao Zheng, and Ao Xianggong. They were strict with themselves and could be called gentlemen. If we say these people are honest, they are probably not inferior to Taishi Bian. However, they worked hard and thought hard. The method that was invented to strengthen the country has turned into a method that harms the people in a blink of an eye. The suffering of the common people is getting worse day by day. Bian Xiang, do you know the truth behind this?"
Bian Xiang lost his previous arrogance at this moment. He thought seriously for a moment, stood up slowly, clasped his fists and shook his head: "Bian is ignorant and it is really hard to understand. Please teach me, General Wu."
Cao Cao laughed loudly, stepped forward to get a new cup, and filled a cup for him: "Wu is indeed a little short-sighted, but whatever I say to you at this moment is empty talk..."
At this point, he handed the wine glass to Bian Xiang and looked into his eyes sincerely: "How about you follow Wu for a while and see what you see?"
Bian Xiang took the wine glass and said with a smile: "Hahaha, are you actually trying to deceive me into serving me with such empty talk?"
Cao Cao shook his head and said: "No, no! Just try and see -"
Suddenly he turned around and shouted at Niu Wenzhong with a stern voice: "Iron Dragonfly, you have two roads now, either you will surrender or you will die!"
Niu Wenzhong was shocked and fell to his knees in fear: "The young general is willing to surrender, just to serve the general."
Cao Cao glanced to the side, and Yu Yulin quickly knelt down beside Niu Wenzhong: "The young general has the same thoughts."
Cao Cao nodded, went over to help the two of them up, and said to Shan Shiqi and Ma Ling: "You two have unique skills, so naturally you are unwilling to remain unknown. The so-called learning of literary and martial arts can be transferred to the emperor's family, but that's it. But the Han people fight Han people, what kind of skills do you have? Even if you kill millions of people, you are just a single man. With such skills, if you really have courage and courage, you will be a good man in Jin, Liao and Xixia in the future. Skills and opportunities to leave a name in history, if you are willing to follow me, I will teach you to achieve what you want!"
Shan Shiqi and Ma Ling's eyes lit up, they looked at each other, left the table and bowed solemnly: "Listen to the general's words today, if you can see the blue sky through the clouds, if the general does not think we are stupid, I am willing to serve under his command."
Satisfied, Cao Cao helped the two of them up, looked at Bian Xiang and said: "Those who seek wealth and honor will be given a road to wealth and honor, and those who seek fame and fame will be given the Qingyun Ladder. It is not because Wu Mou saw others serving dishes, but because today's powerful people only seek luxury, they are gradually exhausted. National strength means that strong men have no way to serve their country and can only end up in the rivers and lakes. Everyone fights here and there. All the Chinese men are killed and all the material resources of China are lost. However, no banditry has emerged from the Northeast. Their claws have become sharper. If no one can lead the heroes, If we keep up with this, the future will surely be a tragedy in which rivers, mountains and land will sink, and people will lose their hearts. You are determined to save all people, why don’t you come with me to see Wu’s method of saving people!"
Lu Junyi also stood up and said: "Bian Xiang, my brother respects your ability and would like to invite you to join us in an earth-shattering undertaking. This undertaking is related to the continuation of the Han family's bloodline and is not just about fighting for fame and wealth. We are all upright heroes. When you join the group, if what you see and feel is not in line with your original intention, let you leave, and my brother will never force you to stop it."
Bian Xiang nodded silently and turned to look at Yun Zongwu: "Brother Yun, what do you think?"
Yun Zongwu sighed: "I have never been able to recognize people accurately with my eyes. Tian Hu was also very impassioned at the beginning, saying that he wanted to make decisions for the people, but it is rare that these two brothers are sincere and can treat us like this when we are defeated. Presumably... you won't lie to us, right?"
Bian Xiang said: "In that case, General Wu, General Lu, and Bian are willing to surrender. But if one day, Bian sees that your words and deeds are inconsistent, and when you want to leave, please remember what you said today."
Cao Cao said seriously: "A real man's promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold."
At this point, all the strong generals from Hebei have surrendered. Naturally, the few generals who have been sidelined have no objections and have followed the commander in surrender.
After the banquet, Cao Cao asked Bian Xiang to go to the prisoner camp and select those who were strong and brave to fight as soldiers. The rest would be released after the Pingtian Tigers were defeated. Bian Xiang selected 8,000 people to form the "Taihang Army". Shan Shiqi, Ma Ling and others all served in the new army.
A few days later, the imperial edict was delivered. Cao Cao took a look and asked him and Lao Liu to mobilize all the Xijing army to attack Tian Hu. He couldn't help but shook his head and said: "I know it will be difficult for him to recruit him, but it's just Tian Hu, so why bother?" Four armies and horses? It’s just good-looking, isn’t it a waste of people and money?”
At that moment, he and Liu Yanqing discussed the military plan in detail. Old Liu smiled bitterly and said: "I only have more than 10,000 people, and most of them are your troops and horses. You also recruited the navy, but you are not allowed to be the commander. It embarrasses me." .”
Cao Cao waved his hand and said: "You are a senior in the army and my old brother. Logically speaking, you should be the old general in command."
After hearing this, Liu Yanqing felt comfortable and said with a smile: "You have accomplished a lot of great achievements but are not proud of yourself. You are the only one I have seen. A few insignificant children in my family have accomplished some small achievements, but no one in the world cares about them. When we recruit them in the future, you should give them some guidance."
Cao Cao smiled and said: "The words and deeds of the old general are enough. How can a junior general be so virtuous and capable?"
The two of them chatted and joked, decided on a date for dispatching troops, and went to nearby counties to collect some grain and grass. On September 5th, 50,000 troops from Xijing set out, boarded the warships of the Yellow River Navy, and headed eastward. After dozens of miles, it turns into Qinshui.
There are two sources of Qinshui, one is in Pingyao, Fenzhou, and the other is Qinyuan, Qinzhou. It has a long winding path from north to south, passing through Hechuan County, Qinshui County, Yangcheng, and Jincheng, and then cuts through the Taihang Mountains, and then From Mengzhou and Wenxian, it merges into the Yellow River, with a total length of nearly a thousand miles.
The navy can go up the Qinshui River and directly attack Qinyuan.
Qinyuan is also the nest of Tianhu. It is surrounded by mountains and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If we go there from the land, we have to climb many difficult roads. But from the waterway, it is a smooth river. .
Qinshui is a famous large river in Shanxi. It has a wide channel and is easy to navigate. Although it is against the current, navy ships are often equipped with flywheels. When encountering rapids, they can pedal by manpower, and the speed is not too slow.
They went all the way north and passed through several prefectures and counties along the way, but were all defeated by Tian Hu. However, the defenders had no navy and could only stare at the Song army roaming freely on the river. If they dared to get close, random arrows would be fired at them.
We sailed smoothly for three or four days. This day coincided with the Double Ninth Festival. The fleet passed a town and saw wisps of white smoke. The people in the village were making Double Ninth Festival cakes. I heard that the people in the world were so respected that they took a small boat and went to the town to buy some. More than 800 kilograms, each person has a small piece. Teach Che and all the troops to taste it.
He personally brought another plate and dedicated it to Cao Cao. He said with a smile: "Sure enough, the pronunciation is different for ten miles, and the customs are different for hundreds of miles, but unexpectedly, the making of this Double Ninth Cake is also very different. In my hometown, Jiang Mier has always been used to make the cake. But the yellow rice he uses here is not called Double Ninth Cake, but is called Chrysanthemum Cake."
Cao Cao took a piece and put it in his mouth. After chewing it, it was really sweet. He nodded and smiled and said: "This is the filling of jujube paste and ginkgo. When I was a child, my mother would make it and eat it every Double Ninth Festival. In our hometown, but Rice kernels are soaked in water and made into flour to make cakes. The fillings inside are mostly made of red beans. We also call them flower cakes. Sometimes when mignonette flowers bloom in the courtyard, my mother will pick some and sprinkle them on the cakes. When steamed together, the fragrance will double."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but frown slightly. It wasn't that he was worried about not being able to defeat Tian Hu, but this bite of Double Ninth Cake made him miss his hometown - firstly, he missed his family members who were thousands of years apart, and secondly, he missed his relatives in this life, especially It was Hu Sanniang. He originally wanted to accompany Hu Sanniang and gave birth to a child. Unexpectedly, after being gone for several months, he was a little worried about going back to the old ways of his previous life - he married a new wife and went to fight, but when he came home, the children were all scattered all over the floor. .
But this was actually pretty good. Cao Cao suddenly thought of a past event and laughed out loud——
But one time, his younger brother Cao Hong invited him to drink, and he told different stories. How could Cao Hong's brains fool Cao Cao? Cao Cao immediately asked him what he meant. At the end of the question, Cao Hong blushed and said: "Brother, You know women best, but do you know if a woman can get pregnant on her own without the involvement of a man?"
Old Cao was greatly surprised. After careful questioning, he found out that Cao Hong had been on an expedition for five years. When he came home, his child was three years old. He counted them with his fingers and felt strange. However, after questioning him, his wife just said: "Since you left, I think about you day and night, and my longings accumulate until I become pregnant.”
Cao Cao did not dare to say that death was impossible, so he was vague. Later, Cao Hong heard that Kong Rong was a smart man and ran to ask him. Kong Rong quoted from scriptures and talked loudly: "The second concubine Jian Di, the second concubine of the five emperors in ancient times, went to take a bath. A swallow laid eggs and fell in front of her. Jian Di was hungry and ate the eggs. After eating, she became pregnant. She gave birth to a son named Qi. The person who made Qi is also the ancestor of Cheng Tang."
He also said: "The emperor's concubine Jiang Yuan was playing in the countryside. She saw the footprints of a giant and stepped on them. She felt pregnant and gave birth to a son without a father. She abandoned it in the alley. The cows and horses avoided stepping on it. The birds spread their wings to cover the sun. , Jiang Yuanqizhi took him back and raised him, this is the ancestor of King Wen of Zhou."
Cao Hong was very happy after hearing this. It turns out that my wife did not cheat on me.
Thinking of this brother for a moment, Cao Cao smiled for a while, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "During the Double Ninth Festival, many brothers are still elsewhere and cannot get together. Come, brother Wenren, you and I will go to the top of the ship to take a look. Maybe at this time At this moment, brothers are also climbing high to look at you and me."
When the other generals heard about it, they all made a fuss. They accompanied Cao Cao to the top of the building and looked over. Suddenly he pointed his finger and exclaimed: "Oh, are my eyes blurred? What's wrong with the steps?" Why do the two people from the water look so much like Li Kui and Niu Gao?"
Everyone followed the sound and saw a big black man carrying another big black man on his back, riding on the waves. They couldn't help but be surprised and said: "Oh, could it be that the God of Qinshui has appeared?"
Several people who were living on the water, such as Wen Ren, Zhang Heng, etc., changed their expressions. They immediately knelt on the ground and shouted: "Master Water God is here, prepare beef and fat chickens for sacrifice quickly, otherwise Master Water God will be angry." Yeah, making big waves is not a joke!"
Cao Cao took a closer look and saw that the big black man underneath was actually "Black Wind Tiger" Niu Gao. The big man on his back was none other than "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui. He was also very surprised. He rubbed his eyes again and again and said strangely: "When did these two tough guys have such magical powers?"
Shi Qian stayed aside for a moment, howled loudly, and pulled Cao Cao's sleeve to wipe his nose: "Brother, these two brothers must be dead. Their spirits are immortal and they miss us in their hearts, so they came all the way to see you." .”
Lao Cao was right when he thought about it. If he were not a light and airy ghost, how could he be able to walk on the waves as if he were treading on flat ground? Tears welled up in his eyes, and he cried loudly: "Brother, who is the thief who harmed you? Tell me, and I will kill him with a thousand knives to avenge you!"
Youfenjiao: Songs from high places on the Nine-nine Festival, the long years are like a long river. A heart full of longing for brothers, two black winds treading on the water waves.
After a busy day, I will post two chapters together. Please forgive me, brothers.
I’ll be busy the day after tomorrow, so I’ll try to make up for the saved manuscripts and resume early updates during the holidays.
(End of chapter)
