"I have always heard how brave Dong Hou's men are, but now I see that they are not worthy of their reputation. They only lost for a while, so they closed the gate tightly and did not dare to fight."
"Dong Zhuo spent half his life in the army, how can he be a person who has wasted his reputation?"
Lu Li was quite talented in barbecue. When Deputy Lieutenant Zhang Jing was out on inspection, he roasted a leg of lamb until it was golden and tender.
On the side, Zhang Yang was also roasting a leg of lamb. He was holding the leg bones with one hand and spreading salt with the other. He asked casually: "How is Dong Hou's camp going?"
It only took half a day from the emperor of Hangu Pass to the leader of the army to serve as an envoy. However, Zhang Jing adapted well and immediately handed over his hand and replied: "It is very simple. No trenches were dug or high walls were built. It was just set up There were some rejections."
"How's the alert?"
"There was about a group of cavalry scattered outside. They found that we went to investigate and did not pursue us. We just kept shouting and cursing, and our language was extremely weird. We were not Han Han, but we were not bullshit."
Zhao Yun nodded. Just as he expected, Dong Zhuo did not intend to stay at the pass for a long time, so the camp was set up in such a simple way——
For a veteran like Dong Zhuo, if he really wanted to camp and rest, he would definitely build high walls and dig trenches, because this is the most basic common sense.
"It's not peaceful tonight." Zhang Jing looked at the roasted lamb leg in Lu Li's hand, swallowed again, and said to himself: "The Xiliang army is all veterans, and they are best at night fighting..."
The temperature of the charcoal fire was just right, and the lamb leg was sizzling with oil. Lu Li poured half a pot of wine given by the Young Emperor on it to prevent it from becoming fishy.
In addition, there are Parthian fennel, pepper, flax, and various precious spices for seasoning. Frankly speaking, Zhang Jing has never seen such a luxurious way of eating, even if his uncle is Zhang Rang, he has seen a lot of things in the world. .
Lu Li's five senses were far beyond those of ordinary people, so he naturally noticed that a line of sight was always falling on his hand.
"Gu..."
Halfway through, a subtle but continuous sound came from Zhang Jing's belly. Fortunately, his face was already rosy and he couldn't tell what it was.
"Sit down and eat together."
Not long ago, he publicly killed the guarding captain who disobeyed orders to scare the soldiers. Now, he easily won a challenge and all his goals were achieved. Lu Li no longer had to maintain any dignity and just cut off a piece of roasted meat. .
"Thank you General for the reward."
Hearing this, Zhang Jing didn't hesitate. After saying thank you, he quickly sat down cross-legged, took out the dagger from his arms, and gathered with Zhao Yun, Lu Li and others.
Obviously, he was also hungry. He chewed half of the fat and tender lamb leg in a short time until only the bones were left. After eating, he looked at Lu Li longingly and stopped talking.
"Bake it yourself."
"The Mianchi County Magistrate specially ordered twenty sheep to be slaughtered as military rations and put them over there."
After speaking, Lu Li pointed behind him. After a small battle, he also needed to replenish his energy to cope with the fierce battle that followed.
When Zhang Jing went to get the mutton, Zhang Yang turned to the two people next to him and said, "It seems that General Lu was right. The vanguard of the Xiliang Army was defeated for a while, which really made Dong Zhuo put away his arrogance, but he didn't know He will be sent to challenge next."
"Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji, Xu Rong, when I was in Bingzhou in the past, I often heard the Qiang people talk about these people. I guess they are not too weak."
However, unlike Zhang Yang, Lu Li felt that he might have to fight Hua Xiong in the next round——
Hu Zhen died in battle, Zhang Heng returned in defeat, and Dong Jun's morale was greatly reduced. In order to save face and morale, Dong Zhuo would definitely send out elite troops at night.
And Hua Xiong was undoubtedly a military general who was underestimated by later generations. He only talked about the four coalition generals who died under his sword in the battle of Hulao Pass:
Bao Zhong, Zu Mao, Yu She, Pan Feng.
Bao Zhong was the younger brother of Bao Xin, Prime Minister of Jibei Province. He once confronted Hua Xiong in front of Sishui Pass, but was killed on the spot as a result of his sword being cut off from his golden head.
Since this person died as soon as he appeared, no one knows how strong he is. After all, there is no reference. But Zu Mao is different. He is a powerful general under Sun Jian, the Jiangdong Tiger. Together with Han Dang, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai was as famous as Huang Gai. After his death, the remaining three people became the first-class warriors of Soochow in later generations. They could sneak attack Hua Xiong from the forest and gain the upper hand, but they were still killed by a knife.
As for Yu She, he is also not worth mentioning. Like Bao Zhong, he will die when he appears. Lu Li believes that he should be similar to the Yellow Turban general Pei Yuanshao.
Finally, General Pan Feng is also controversial. Some people think he is weak and does not match the title of general. Others think he is very strong, including Lu Li.
Since ancient times, Hebei has been a place where famous generals have emerged. Since Han Fu said boldly in front of the other seventeen princes, "I have General Pan Feng, who can kill Hua Xiong", it means that General Pan Feng's reputation does not have much water, otherwise Why didn't other generals from Hebei speak out to expose it?
Tonight, let’s meet Hua Xiong for Mr. Guan!
After thinking for a long time, Lu Li simply stopped thinking and continued to eat barbecue and recharge his batteries. He understood that no matter who Dong Zhuo sent for this second injection, he would personally fight and kill them.
Ten miles away, Dong Zhuo and his three sons-in-law came to the camp gate and climbed up to overlook Hangu Pass in the distance.
Niu Fu looked at the continuous fire in the distance, and for a while he couldn't figure out how many defenders were hiding there. Did he really need so many campfires for cooking, or was the defender just bluffing.
Duke saw his father-in-law was silent, as were Li Ru and Niu Fu. He also maintained this tacit understanding, but thought in his heart: Who is the captain stationed at Hangu Pass? Is he a familiar face?
According to Zhang Heng's description: Extraordinary martial prowess, good at using iron horses and halberds, weak in age, and seven feet six inches tall.
One name after another came to mind, and then one after another was rejected. You must know that they have lived in this world for a whole year, and their temperament and body shape will change, but from beginning to end, Duke never thought of Lu Li——
It is estimated that he is in Qiao County, Peiguo, with the Cao family and Xiahou family, otherwise he stays with Cao Mengde and hangs out with Yuan Shao's circle.
At this time, Dong Zhuo raised his hand and stroked the handle of the knife, looking into the distance in ecstasy, still silent.
There was no expression. Dong Zhuo's mood was very stable. He was standing on the high platform and pacing slowly. He no longer had the enthusiasm to scold Fang Qiu in the big tent, nor the warmth of discussing family matters at the dinner table, but there should be many complicated emotions. Intertwined.
After all, he must be thinking about something after not speaking for so long.
Behind him, Duke suppressed all kinds of distracting thoughts and speculated on his father-in-law's thoughts. Some of them were easy to think of, while others were not.
For example, there must be worries about the future. I thought that my ally Yuan Wei would take care of everything, but ended up stopping outside Hangu Pass.
However, based on Duke's understanding of his father-in-law, he believed that even if the flying general Lu Bu personally sat on the opposite side, the Flying Bear Army would eventually pass through Hangu Pass.
At this moment, Dong Zhuo is still the Marquis of Zhuxiang who has spent half his life in the military. He has not yet been dazzled by the prosperity of Luoyang. With his sophisticated mind, he probably has already imagined various possibilities and come up with countermeasures before setting off without being reminded by his advisers. This is the strategy.
"Who do you think is the safest person to send to fight?"
At this moment, Dong Zhuo suddenly stood still and turned to look at the three people behind him.
"Father-in-law, my son-in-law asks for a fight, and he will definitely wash away his shame." Niu Fu has a straightforward personality, and he took the lead in expressing his stance without even thinking about it.
Duke followed closely, his tone full of confidence: "I am willing to go with Niu Fu."
After struggling for a long time, he decided to go to Hangu Pass to have a look in person.
Dong Zhuo took a deep look at Niu Fu, but did not answer. In fact, he knew the abilities of his three sons-in-law:
Niu Fu is loyal but lacks ability.
Duke is an expert at knowing things and has extraordinary fighting prowess, but his words and actions are always a little out of tune, chatty and lacking in experience.
Only Li Ru was impeccable in terms of ability and loyalty.
Seeing his father-in-law glance at him, Li Ru, who was thoughtful about the manuscript, cupped his hands and said: "We had a hexagram with Wen He before, and the hexagrams were the same. The sky indicated that we should not act on our own initiative."
Dong Zhuo nodded without interrupting.
"Either we don't fight tonight and stay away from the enemy for a while, or we send out powerful generals in the army to destroy everything."
After saying that, Li Ru once again thought about who should be sent to challenge:
In terms of stability, Xu Rong is undoubtedly the best candidate. His commanding ability is first-rate and he is proficient in various battle formations. However, his force is slightly inferior. If he falls, his morale will be damaged.
When it comes to ruthlessness, Li Jue definitely ranks first. He built temples in Beijing, hung corpses for public display, and did anything that harmed Tianhe. The name "Butcher" was widely circulated within the Xiliang Army, and his use of force was naturally ranked first. The top number.
[Li, two Li fires overlap each other, and the top and bottom are transparent. The fire has energy but is invisible, which means the main meaning is unreal and uncertain]
I'm afraid they will lose in the second round. It is not appropriate to send out veterans with too strong reputations. Suddenly, Li Ru's mind moved and he thought of the most suitable candidate.
Just then Dong Zhuo asked: "Who are the candidates?"
"Hua Xiong." Li Ru said firmly.
He is a brave man, although he has a vague attitude of coming from behind, but his qualifications are still young.
Dong Zhuo pondered for a moment and then ordered, "In this case, send my military order to Zijian and ask him to lead 300 heavy cavalry to challenge the enemy outside Hangu Pass."
The reason why only 300 cavalry were sent was because the cavalry was not good at attacking cities, so there was no point in going more and less.
In addition, this operation is to make up for the mistakes committed by Hu Zhen and Zhang Heng——
Challenge failed.
"Yi Zhou Shu Ke Yin": Three hundred and fifty Zhou chariots were sent to Muye, and Emperor Xin followed. King Wu sent his father-in-law and uncle to his master.
Kong Chao's note: To give to the teacher is to challenge.
When two armies meet, challenging in front of the formation is a very common practice that has been practiced since ancient times.
That is, a small number of warriors are sent to the enemy's formation to clamor, demanding that the enemy send an equal number of generals to fight a fair duel with them.
Although this is less harmful, it is of great significance, because both warring parties are aiming to gain the upper hand.
For Dong Zhuo, who had been defeated for a while, he could not lose again. This battle must avenge his previous humiliation.
"slow!"
Duke bowed his head and held his hands, and bravely interrupted Dong Zhuo's decision: "Father-in-law, my son-in-law wants to recommend someone."
"Let's talk."
Dong Zhuo frowned.
"Guo Si has a brave personality and rich battlefield experience, so he will definitely be qualified to serve as a vanguard."
This time, Duke really couldn't find a reason, so he just gave some random reasons.
As the saying goes, heroes think alike, and he also thinks Hua Xiong is an underestimated warrior.
[The first achievement of Weizhen Qiankun, the drum of camp painting is ringing, dong dong. Yun Chang stopped his cup to show his bravery, and killed Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm. 】
It has been a full year since he came to this world, and Duke has been able to fully integrate into ancient life. He knows that the ancients must cook the wine first, from boiling to lukewarm, which takes at least two moments, that is, thirty minutes.
Putting aside the steps of rushing, calling for formation, etc., there is still plenty of time left for the two of them to fight. It can be imagined that Guan Erye and Hua Xiong must have experienced a fierce fight, and the novel also directly said:
The drums and shouts outside the pass were loud and loud, as if the sky was shattering and the earth was falling, and the mountains were shaking and the mountains were collapsing.
Hua Xiong can fight to this extent with the famous Er Ye, how can he be considered a mediocre general?
In addition, Duke has heard a theory that has not been verified——
The first three swords of Er Ye are the most powerful.
In other words.
Duke didn't want Hua Xiong to play so soon, so it was best to advise Dong Zhuo to use him as a trump card.
Guo Si?
Born as a horse thief, he has a tough character and has been fighting in the north and south for many years.
Dong Zhuo felt that he had nothing to do. Anyway, no matter how fierce the Hangu Pass guard was, he could not be as powerful as the Xiliang general. As long as Zhang Heng and his like were not sent out, he should be able to win steadily.
At this time, Niu Fu's eyes widened, and he clasped his fists and said, "The Emperor's feet have been at peace for a long time. He has not heard of war for a hundred years. How can he compare with Xiliang, a place with four wars?"
"Send as many generals as you like and you can easily win and increase the prestige of our army."
Li Ru saw that Dong Zhuo was full of confidence and knew that he was going to do something bad, but he did not dissuade him.
First Hua Xiong was chosen, and then it was changed to Guo Si. If it were changed again, wouldn't the battlefield become child's play?
In addition, Li Ru and Duke were both Dong Zhuo's sons-in-law, and they had a very good relationship. Seeing that he was very resolute in recommending Guo Si, he simply remained silent.
"Send my military order to Guo Si and ask him to lead 300 heavy cavalry to challenge the enemy outside Hangu Pass."
After saying this, Dong Zhuo walked down the high platform with his hands behind his back.
The voices of Duke and Niu Fu sounded at the same time: "The last general is asking for battle, and I am willing to plunder the formation for General Guo."
Immediately afterwards, Li Ru also asked for permission.
Dong Zhuo turned around and stared at the three people for a long time before nodding in agreement.
The moon and stars are sparse tonight, and you can see the distant scenery clearly without using a torch, which is perfect for a night battle between the two armies.
Zishi.
The gate of Dong Yingyuan opened, and hundreds of heavy cavalry slowly drove out. A tall general rode in front, wearing a ring sword on his waist and holding a large black gun.
There were three people behind, one was as strong as an ox, holding a thousand-jin mountain axe, one had a solemn expression and kept looking into the distance, as if he was curious about something, the other was holding a feather fan, frowning slightly, obviously worried.
It was a cool night in early spring. After eating and drinking, the guards gathered around the fire and waited.
"What are the cavalry using to attack the city? All the nearby trees that could be used to make ladders and siege rams were burned to ashes..."
"Those are ordinary people like us, but the generals are all descended from the stars in the sky, and their methods are mysterious and unpredictable. How can we guess at will?"
The soldiers were not sleepy at all and talked in low voices.
Lu Li, on the other hand, was sitting on the Guan Tower with Zhang Yang and Zhao Yun, looking at Dong Camp in the north.
Suddenly, he saw a group of cavalry flying in front of the pass. In order to boost his morale, he shouted loudly before the other party called for formation: "I am Lu Mengming from Taiyuan. Why don't you give me the head?"
Not far away, Duke was stunned.
This sound...
