"This is a recipe for disaster, what should we do?" Zhang Hu asked softly.
Zhang Liao's face was full of bitterness, "The turmoil in Beijing has nothing to do with us. Just do your own thing. Since ancient times, we have been admonishing and fighting to the death. Nanyang is probably the destination of our father and son, cough cough."
"Father, do you want to leave a way out?" Zhang Hu asked meaningfully.
Zhang Liao angrily rebuked: "How can you have two minds when you have received great kindness from the late emperor for your father? Ahem!"
"Father, calm down, the child just said it casually." Zhang Hu quickly apologized.
Zhang Liao was tired and angry, so he fell asleep without eating supper. He continued on the road listlessly the next day. When he returned to Wancheng, he fell ill and his physical condition worsened every day.
On his deathbed, Zhang Liao called Zhang Hu to the bedside to explain the funeral arrangements.
Zhang Hu speculated that Zhang Liao's battle with Lan Ji had injured him at all. After crying, he patted his chest and assured Zhang Liao: "Don't worry, father, I will personally kill Lan Ji and avenge you."
Zhang Liao shook his head gently, stroked Zhang Hu's forehead and said: "Don't say it's you. No one in the Wei Kingdom can be his opponent. Sooner or later, Lan Zhongling will grow up to be like Wen Hou. In the future, no one in the world will be able to rival him. Father himself will die." Here we are, no one else is welcome, don’t make random enemies.”
"Oh" Zhang Hu cried like a child again.
"Don't cry, let alone be sad. People will die eventually. My father once lived a glorious life. This life is already worth it," Zhang Liao comforted softly.
"But you are only fifty-five, and Guan Yun is much older than you." Zhang Hu burst into tears.
Zhang Liao wanted to wipe away Zhang Hu's tears with his thumb, but unfortunately his hand no longer had the strength to lift it so high. He could only comfort him helplessly: "People are different. Think about how long Cao Chong lived? You must learn to be content. "
"My child knows." Zhang Hu knelt in front of the bed and was filled with grief.
"Although Yun Chang is already old, there are rising stars such as Guan Ping and Lan Ji, and the talents of our great Wei Dynasty are gradually withering. As the Han Dynasty becomes stronger and the Wei Dynasty becomes weaker, Liu Xuande will definitely be able to dominate the world. You want to leave a way out for the Zhang family, Just prepare it yourself." Zhang Liao whispered.
"You didn't mean..." Zhang Hu raised his head to stop crying and looked at Zhang Liao in surprise, remembering that not long ago, the other party spoke righteously.
Zhang Liao looked away, "I received the kindness of the late emperor, and I should repay the great Wei with my death, but you do not."
"My father asked me to vote"
Before Zhang Hu finished speaking, Zhang Liao interrupted: "After I die, you can take advantage of the funeral to hand over the military power, and then return to your hometown to live in seclusion. Remember not to surrender before Wei is destroyed. If Liu Xuande can really dominate the world, then you want to become an official "You can live in seclusion if you want, but it's best to change back to your ancestor's original surname of Nie."
"The child can be spared." Zhang Hu was moved and nodded fiercely. Zhang Liao was still worried at the last moment of his life.
Looking at the two tear troughs on Zhang Hu's face, Zhang Liao tried his best to reach out and wipe it away, but as soon as his trembling hand came close to his cheek, it fell heavily as if it was dislocated.
"Father." Zhang Hu held Zhang Liao's hand, knelt beside the couch and cried bitterly.
At the end of September, Zhang Liao died of illness in Wancheng.
When the news reached Luoyang, Cao Pi had not eaten for two days. Zhang Liao was one of the few generals with a foreign surname in Wei who could do his job independently. His sudden death had a huge impact on Wei.
Cao Xiu was worried that Guan Yu would take advantage of the situation, so he requested an order to rush to Wancheng with Zhang He who had recovered from his illness.
Perhaps Cao Pi had a soft spot for Zhang Liao and believed that without Zhang Liao defending Guan Yu in Nanyang, he would not be able to be emperor in Luoyang with peace of mind, so he promoted Cao Xiu to be the Grand Sima in charge of military affairs.
Because Guan Yu had many brave generals under his command, and now there was Lan Ji, who could fight for 300 rounds. Cao Pi was worried that Cao Xiu didn't have enough strong generals to cope with it, so he followed Liu Ye's previous suggestion and summoned the city king Cao Zhang to the capital to express his righteousness and order. He went south to Wancheng to help Cao Xiu resist Guan Yu.
All departments of the Han army attached great importance to obtaining intelligence, so Lan Ji went to the border to conduct reconnaissance. Although Wancheng covered up the information about Zhang Liao, he was still discovered by Xiangyang spies and reported it to Guan Yu immediately.
Guan Yu was surprised to learn that Zhang Liao died of illness. He was still healthy when he fought with him in Nanyang last year. After thinking about it, it should be because of Lan Ji's fight with him.
In the past, when Xiapi was defeated, Guan Yu stayed in Cao Ying for a short period of time. Zhang Liao took great care of him. Although the two were in different camps, they still regarded each other as friends.
When his friend died of illness, Guan Yu mourned with him. After handling military affairs that day, he took Guan Ping and Lan Ji to Hanshui to pay his respects.
Autumn wind, autumn water, veteran
Guan Yu stood by the Han River, poured the wine he had brought into the river, looked north to express his condolences to Zhang Liao, and thought about the heroes dying one by one. Guan Yu seemed much older at that moment.
"Zhang Wenyuan is a famous general in the world. Even though he is his opponent, he is worthy of admiration. You two also come to propose a toast." Guan Yu turned around and greeted Guan Ping and Lan Ji.
"Wei." The two imitated Guan Yu and poured the wine into the rolling Han water.
On the way back to Xiangyang after paying homage, Lan Ji asked curiously: "Uncle, does General Zhang's sudden death really have something to do with me?"
Guan Yu stroked his beard and nodded, "Wen Yuan is old after all. Fighting with you for three hundred rounds should have damaged his vitality, just like the old general Yan Chen Cang fought against Zhang He. But Zhong Ling does not need to feel guilty. Death on the battlefield is an honor for a general. Zhang Wenyuan may Very contented.”
Lan Ji scratched his head and giggled, "I don't feel guilty. Who told him not to follow his mother with Uncle Gao, otherwise he would not meet me on the battlefield. It was Uncle Zhang who made the mistake first."
"Haha, although what Zhong Ling said is wrong, it is not without some truth. Why did you let Zhang Wenyuan go back when you clearly had the ability to attack in formation?" Guan Yu asked meaningfully, stroking his long beard.
Lan Ji thought for a while and replied: "If he is a villain, I will show no mercy, but Uncle Zhang did not bully the smaller one with more, and he fought a fair duel with me from beginning to end. How can I not save him some face?"
"Well, my martial arts have improved, and so has my conduct as a person." Guan Yu nodded happily, and then continued to add: "Anguo (Guan Xing) has mentioned to me several times that he wants to follow you in the youth camp. Now the time is ripe."
"That's great." Lan Ji couldn't help but be overjoyed.
Lan Ji envied Lan Yuan and Gao Ling's close relationship, but due to his identity, no one in the youth camp dared to get too close to him. Now that Guan Xing has joined, there are more people to talk to during the march, which even if he thinks about it, it doesn't matter. So boring.
"Father, Nanyang has been defended by General Zhang for a long time. Now he dies so suddenly. Even if Cao Xiu comes, he will have time to take over. Should we seize the opportunity to send troops? It may be good to occupy a few important cities." Guan Ping asked tentatively. .
"Of course, occupying a few cities is not enough. I plan to capture Wancheng and point my troops directly at Luoyang." Guan Yu raised his eyes.
After hearing this, Guan Ping took a breath and said to himself that his father was still in a heavy mood just now, thinking that he would be slowed down by the death of his friend. Unexpectedly, Guan Yu's plan was more ferocious, and he clearly distinguished personal relationships from national interests.
"Capture Wancheng? There are tens of thousands of Wei soldiers around Luoyang. There is still a gap between Jingzhou's soldiers and them. I'm afraid it won't be that easy, right?" Guan Ping was doubtful.
Guan Yu's eyes were firm: "As a father, you have your own strategies to defeat the enemy."
(End of chapter)
