The guards and soldiers standing at Hangu Pass watching the battle were already excited. When they saw their captain winning, they all raised their weapons and cheered loudly.
Seeing the high morale of his troops, Xun Yu nodded secretly and thought to himself: The enemy's main force has not yet come out, and the crisis has not yet been resolved. However, after two consecutive victories, the morale of the army is as stable as Mount Tai, and they are not afraid of fighting to the death.
"Come here, go and meet General Guo."
Niu Fu noticed that Guo Bang was still alive as he collapsed on the ground and his chest was still rising slightly, so he immediately gave orders.
The heavy cavalrymen nearby had no room to refuse, and shouted: "Accept the general!"
However, when they were about to go to the rescue, Zhang Heng, who had been demoted to a pawn to serve his crime, took the lead and flew out, followed by dozens of cavalry.
Duke, who had been silent for a long time, secretly cursed his bad luck, and shouted to Lu Li from a distance in the main formation: "Brother, you are safe and sound!"
Judging from his posture, he probably wanted to entangle Lu Li and prevent him from taking the opportunity to cut off Guo Si's head.
"I haven't seen you for a long time. I didn't expect you to vote for Dong Hou." Lu Li put away the iron horse halberd in his hand, obviously intending to give Duke some face.
What else can be done?
If Pan Ming were here, he would act like this. After all, no matter how hard he tries to cheat brothers, he still has to help.
Seeing Lu Li's helpless look, Duke was moved in his heart, but when he thought of Li Ru and Niu Fu beside him, he could only hold his words to his lips and said sternly: "Donghou respects the virtuous and polite, and has clear rewards and punishments. A great cause in the end.”
"For example, if my younger brother is not talented enough, but he is still the commander of a thousand-stone army, he can marry the daughter of Marquis Dong. If my elder brother is willing to join me, it will be extremely valuable."
Knowing that the other party was Ding Yuan's son-in-law, Li Ru couldn't help but look over after hearing this.
Lu Li was stunned on the spot, but he was not thinking about changing the flag, but was sighing at how similar the fate was. Duke actually became Dong Zhuo's son-in-law. It just so happened that he had eaten this soft rice... He had also eaten it. If Ding Gong hadn't appreciated it, he wouldn't have had it. Maybe he was in a high position, and it was even less likely that he would be respected by the Young Emperor and the Queen Mother.
But, how much does this girl look like Dong Zhuo? Although it is said that a virtuous wife should be married and a concubine should be beautiful, but if the other person is too ugly, it would be too uncomfortable to marry him and live together day and night at home.
Of course, Lu Li had never met Dong Zhuo, but whether it was official history or novels, this hero's appearance was ugly.
Thinking of this, Lu Li felt lucky that his nominal wife was not only beautiful, but at least had beautiful features. In addition to being quite enthusiastic, she was very comfortable to talk to and interact with.
Because he didn't understand Lu Li as a person and saw that he was still silent, he thought he had some intentions. Zhang Jing, the deputy lieutenant of Hangu Pass, scratched his head and scratched his head anxiously. He immediately shouted loudly and shouted: "You traitorous minister, how dare you speak nonsense..."
Hearing this, Niu Fu and Li Ru raised their eyes at the same time. Their aura was so frightening that Zhang Jing was so frightened that sweat dripped from his forehead. He was speechless for a moment and felt that he was on the verge of death.
At this time, Lu Li Shi Shiran replied: "The ways are different, we don't want to conspire with each other, and we all follow our own aspirations."
Having said this, he took a deep look at Duke and said, "If my dear brother can persuade Dong Hou to retreat, it will be a great achievement!"
In fact, without having to answer, Lu Li knew that this was impossible, because these sentences were actually just words that were spoken to outsiders.
Sure enough, Duke shook his head and stopped talking. After a while, he led Guo Bang, who was breathing more out than in, and left Hangu Pass with Li Ru and others.
From now on, the Hangu Pass defenders and the Xiliang Army entered the stage of confrontation between the two armies, and both sides had their own shortcomings and strengths.
The advantages of Hangu Pass guarded by Lu Li and others are nothing more than four points: relying on a strong pass, holding great righteousness, having backup, and having strong morale.
The advantage of Dong Zhuo's Xiliang army is that it has elite soldiers and strong generals. In addition, it has formed an alliance with the Yuan family of Runan, the fourth generation and the third Duke. As long as it kills King Qin who wants to join the capital, it will be a good cause.
The shortcomings of the defenders are also obvious. First of all, there are very few soldiers to fight, and they rely on three generals to support the field. Secondly, if there is too much reliance on the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry on the road, once an accident occurs, the consequences will be disastrous. Finally, due to the political situation in Luoyang, if the Yuan brothers seize the palace again and control the young emperor and the queen mother, then everything they have done before will be in vain.
Dong Jun's shortcoming was that he was fighting away from home and lacked military rations to carry out fierce battles. After losing two battles in a row, his morale was bound to drop.
In this regard, Li Ru had already proposed a remedy, secretly promoting the bravery of Hua Xiong and other generals who had not yet gone into battle, and downplaying the impact of Guo Si's return without his army.
At least for now, this strategy is quite effective. In the short term, the Xiliang Army will still maintain a relatively high fighting state, but they can no longer fight tonight.
In other words.
At present, Dong Junjian temporarily shifted from active attack to defensive state, waiting for the opportunity.
"Taiyuan Lu Mengming is an extraordinary person."
"If I can get this man, why worry about the world! But he is the son-in-law of Ding Yuan, an old man."
Inside the tent, Dong Zhuo was sitting upright, but when he talked about Ding Yuan, he suddenly thought of something. He looked at Jia Xu and said seriously: "Wen He, you said that if I send an envoy to win over him in the name of Bingzhou Mu, Can it be successful?"
"Ding originally established the border, but he defeated the Yellow Turban again.
In terms of his military exploits, he is rare in this dynasty, and his reputation is incomparable to that of other princes. "Jia Xu said in a deep voice.
Hearing this, Dong Zhuo turned his attention to Li Ru.
"As the saying goes, one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, so this plan will hardly succeed." Li Ru shook his head.
At the bottom, Duke raised his eyebrows and hesitated to speak. He wanted to learn the routine in the novel and ask Li Su to gather Lu Bu over and let him cut off Ding Yuan's head.
In this way, the dilemma will be alleviated.
Although Dong Zhuo didn't notice Duke's little move, subconsciously, he thought of this son-in-law who always brought surprises to him, turned around and asked, "Ziqing, do you have any good ideas?"
After pondering for a while, Duke spoke: "My son-in-law heard that Ding Yuan had a adopted son who was brave enough to be worthy of all men. His name was Lu Bu."
After finishing speaking, he glanced at an inconspicuous corner of the account. There stood a middle-aged scribe, Li Su, who had not yet taken off.
Seeing his son-in-law looking at an unknown person, Dong Zhuo couldn't help but feel curious: "Do you mean to win over that Lu Bu?"
"That's right." Duke said frankly: "This man's bravery is known to all the heroes in the state, but it's a pity that he only served as a chief registrant."
This is an out-and-out civil service. Duke feels that for a peerless general like Lu Bu who has the ability to lift the sky and control the sea, even if he doesn't show it on the face, he must feel it deeply in his heart.
At the same time, Li Su, who was standing in the corner, heard that an opportunity had come. He immediately stepped out and recommended himself: "My lord, I have a good relationship with Lu Bu from the same hometown. I can use my sharp tongue to persuade Lu Bu to surrender. "
Hearing that his son-in-law highly praised Lu Bu, Dong Zhuo, who was in a bad mood, became interested. Hearing that Li Su was an old friend, he couldn't help but ask, "Is this man really a fierce general?"
In fact, after seeing Lu Li's bravery, Dong Zhuo became wary of Bingzhou Langqi, who he had never dealt with before.
"I have followed my lord for several years and fought in the north and south. I have seen many heroes from all over the country, but none of them are as good as Lu Bu."
Hearing this, Hua Xiong, who had already suppressed his anger, glared angrily and said, "You mean, I am not such a person, General?"
Li Jue, Zhang Ji and Fan Chou also looked at him with anger.
However, facing such a formation, Li Su was neither humble nor arrogant, and said solemnly: "Of course."
In an instant, an aura that could overwhelm mountains and seas came from all directions. Wen Wu was the first, and Wu Wu was the second. The people who could stay in the tent to discuss matters at the moment were all powerful generals who had been in Xiliang for many years. They had to admit that they were not as good as one. How is it possible for an unknown person? !
Fortunately, Li Su had some skills and was not frightened into making a fool of himself on the spot. Even so, he still felt his scalp numb, as if he might be torn into countless pieces at any time.
So, Li Su looked at Duke as if asking for help, because he had a special status in Dong camp, and he also spoke highly of Lu Bu.
"Lu Bu is the best in the world."
Duke's words were astonishing, and he calmed down the generals in the tent as soon as he opened his mouth.
Compared to Li Su, his words were more convincing, because even Hua Xiong had to admit that his lord's son-in-law was a good general in the world, and he would not be able to compete with him given time.
"Ziqing, I know your ability, but this matter is not a joke." Dong Zhuo said this and looked at the expressions of Li Su and Duke. Both of them did not change their expressions. They obviously believed in Lu Bu's reputation as unparalleled in the world. Therefore, he went on to say: "If he is really as you said, I can grant him anything in the world as long as he wants it."
Duke was overjoyed.
With Dong Zhuo teaming up with Lu Bu, and with the help of the Yuan family in Runan, it is still unclear who will win!
Lao Lu, I'm sorry for you.
We step on a stage that we did not choose, and we perform a script that we did not choose. This is fate, and all we can do is keep working hard to make the scripts we get more exciting!
At this moment, Duke had already understood Lu Li's hint: they have different paths, they don't want to conspire with each other, and they all follow their own aspirations.
Everyone acts according to his own will.
It's just a script. Whoever wins or loses will not affect the previous friendship, nor will it affect the final evaluation. As long as it makes the principal and the jury feel wonderful.
At this time, Li Su, who consciously acted as a lobbyist, clasped his hands and said: "I heard that my lord has a magical horse named 'Red Rabbit'. It can travel thousands of miles in a day as fast as flying. I must get this horse and use it as a high-ranking official with a generous salary." If someone goes further with his words, Lu Bu will turn against Ding Yuan and join the lord."
Hearing this, Dong Zhuo, who had just put down his bold words, was instantly choked up. He was also a fierce general and naturally cherished his mount. After hearing what Li Su said, he hesitated for an instant.
"My lord, if you want to achieve great things, why bother with just one horse!"
Li Ru spoke again, dispelling Dong Zhuo's hesitation, and saw him let out a long sigh of relief: "A BMW is worthy of a hero, I agree. Pearls, jade belts and other common things, you can ask for them, and I will not be stingy."
Before the generals could recover, Dong Zhuo made another shocking statement: "As long as Ding Yuan can be killed, I will personally ask the Grand Master for him and make him the Marquis of Duting."
Once Ding Yuan is eliminated, there will be no obstacles on the road to controlling the government, so Dong Zhuo is willing to spend this little money.
[The galloping thousands of miles stirs up the dust, and the purple mist opens when crossing water and climbing mountains. Breaking the silk reins and shaking the jade bridle, the fire dragon flew down to the nine heavens. 】
All the generals in the account, including Duke, were extremely greedy for the red rabbit and horse, but due to the majesty of the lord, they could only suppress their thoughts. Now they heard that they would be given to the enemy general.
Lu Bu? I remember you.
A trace of fighting spirit flashed in Hua Xiong's eyes.
Zishi.
One person and two horses drove out of the camp gate, but instead of heading towards Hangu Pass, they galloped north, passing Mianchi and Xin'an, intending to cross the Yellow River.
"Red Rabbit, Red Rabbit..."
Duke stood on the high platform with his hands behind his hands and murmured: "It's up to you. I hope the fate will not be broken."
Behind him, a figure flashed past, the footsteps got closer and closer, and Li Ru was seen walking towards him with a smile.
Frankly speaking, Duke had never seen Li Ru jumping around in a hurry. He always had a smile on his face and looked like he had wisdom in hand, and it was the same now.
"Could it be that brother has a clever plan in his mind to break the situation, and he knows about it with Ziqing?" Duke couldn't help but ask.
"What kind of situation is broken?" Li Ru asked back.
"Of course it's a dead end right now."
In Duke's eyes, Dong Jun's current situation can be compared to a game of chess. He is trapped between the Yellow River and Hangu Pass, in a dilemma, and there are rebels who can arrive at any time.
What is it if it's not a dead end?
"We have already settled the chess game. If one piece survives, the whole game will survive." Li Ru was wearing a long robe, with a rather bohemian attitude as the night wind blew.
"So, how should we deal with the volunteers who come to King Qin?"
"Don't worry, the hearts of the heroes in these places are simply not the same." Although Dong Zhuo was not by his side, Li Ruchang said what he wanted to say: "They are all just seeking personal gain under the banner of righteousness. They are no different from their father-in-law."
"Furthermore, we are waiting for the Grand Tutor's invitation to go to Luo to kill the traitor, so we will naturally have allies to help us. In this case, even if Lu Bu does not want to betray the master, it will not matter. How can we talk about a dead end?"
Duke was speechless in retorting. After thinking about it carefully, Li Ru was indeed right. In later generations, the eighteen princes challenged Dong and recommended Yuan Shao as the leader of the alliance. His younger brother Yuan Shu also held great power and was in charge of the distribution of grain and grass.
Now that Yuan and his father-in-law have become allies, if they challenge Dong, they may turn into a challenge to Ding.
For a moment, it suddenly dawned on me.
That night, the two talked and laughed until dawn.
Ten miles away, Lu Li, Zhao Yun and Xun Yu were doing the same.
Pei Guoqiao County is not far from Luoyang. After receiving a letter from their brother Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, Xia Houyuan, Cao Hong, Cao Ren and others, without any entourage, galloped through the starry night and finally arrived at Hangu Pass at dawn as promised.
Xia Houyuan picked up a long spear on his shoulder, stood up and looked forward, and said with a smile: "Yuan Rang, it must be Dong Hou who is camping over there. We are new here, so why not rush to the camp and kill them so that the captain guarding the pass does not dare to Look down on us."
"Have you forgotten what brother once said?"
Without waiting for Xiahou Dun's answer, Cao Hong said:
"When a general is timid, he should not just rely on bravery. A general should base his actions on bravery and act wisely; but he knows that no matter how brave he is, a man is no match for his ears."
"Xiliang's iron cavalry roams across the north. They must be proud of themselves. Marquis Dong established his family with military exploits. How can he not have a general under his command?"
From a distance, Lu Li saw four Sun Jian cavalrymen wandering under the pass, all riding the Dayuan Pegasus. He guessed that they were the brothers of Cao Cao, the captain of the Dian Army, who had arrived. He hurriedly woke up his deputy Zhang Jing and ordered him to come out of the pass to greet them.
at the same time.
Two thousand white horses arrived at the north bank of the Yellow River. A handsome man with majestic appearance stood on the bank, looking at Mianchi on the other bank. Beside him, the man with a face like a jade frowned tightly, as if he was worried about something.
"Xuande doesn't have to be like this. When we cross the Yellow River, the difficulties in Luoyang will be solved."
