Xuzhou.
Wu County.
Today, there is a heavy atmosphere in Wu County, and the traces of war are obvious in every corner of the city.
The houses on the streets are in a mess, tiles are scattered on the ground, and dust is thick. The holes and scorched marks on the city walls reveal the fierce battles that took place.
There were almost no pedestrians on the streets, and only the sound of lonely dogs barking and crying could be heard from time to time.
The facades of some shops were in dilapidated condition, and the goods on the stalls were scattered on the floor, with no one paying attention.
The once bustling market now looks desolate and desolate.
There was a mess everywhere, with remaining weapons and armor scattered among them, and there were still blood stains on the ground.
The residents of Wu County were all worried and frightened. Their homes had been devastated by the war.
The passing of bandits is like a comb, and the passing of soldiers is like a grate.
The atmosphere in the city was heavy, and the people who were caught working as husbandmen walked in a hurry and looked in fear.
In the market, some people couldn't help covering their faces and crying, while others looked around anxiously, hoping to find a glimmer of life and hope.
After Zong Ziqing revealed his identity, he walked towards the city under the leadership of the defeated general.
The scenery he saw along the way made him frown.
These Qiu Ba are really doing a lot of harm to people!
A good Wu County was completely destroyed by these big-headed soldiers.
What a pity.
However, Zong Ziqing just thought about it in his heart.
When there was a war in Nanyang County before, this was not the first time he saw such a scene.
The more you see it, the harder your heart becomes and you get used to it.
"Can't you see your master yet?"
After walking for a long time and still not seeing Yi Li, Zong Ziqing looked unhappy.
The man who didn't want to take the lead stopped, turned to look at Zong Ziqing, and stretched out his right hand.
With that look, it was clear that he was here to seek reward.
"My lord, it's not easy even for a young person. Why don't you give me a reward?"
Zong Ziqing sneered and said, "What do you want?"
The defeated soldier smiled and said: "Gold, silver, wealth, anything valuable is fine."
Zong Ziqing took out a money bag from his arms, which contained a pack of five baht coins.
"Is this enough?"
If you can avoid offending these little brats, it’s better not to offend them.
It's not worth it to cause trouble for a little money.
but
It can also be seen from this that Yili's defeat was severe enough.
The morale of the military was directly weakened.
And judging from the appearance of these sergeants, Yili had no restrictions on them at all.
It seemed that after losing the battle, Yili no longer had the will to fight.
only
Without the soldiers in his hands, who can he surrender to?
Wei State?
Or Zang Ba?
The defeated soldier weighed the weight of the money in his hand, and the smile on his face became even brighter.
"If you are there, please come here, noble man!"
With that said, he led Zong Ziqing into an alley he had walked through before.
Good guy!
This was a place he had walked through before. It seemed that if he didn't give him the money, he would have to go through countless injustices in Wu County.
"Your honor please."
Walking into the small courtyard, I could only hear waves of women's shouts. The shouts were melodious and desolate, intermittent, but wavering. As a person who had been there, Zong Ziqing naturally knew what was going on inside.
Let's just talk about how the Pi soldiers, who were originally considered elite, turned out to be like this. It turned out that the leader Yili took the lead!
And this taking the lead is obviously not a good role.
It is normal for his soldiers to follow suit.
Zong Ziqing did not rush to bother him.
As a man, if you are interrupted at a critical moment, your mood will definitely not get better.
Not long after, the sound of wind and rain in the courtyard finally stopped.
At this time, Zong Ziqing walked into it.
Upon entering, it is an unbearable sight.
A piece of white flowers.
Yili didn't hide it at all.
But the abducted civilian girls looked desperate, ashamed and angry, covering the key parts of their bodies with their hands.
"You said you are the envoy of the Crown Prince of Hanzhong?"
"Exactly."
Zong Ziqing frowned. Seeing him in such a situation, this guy clearly didn't take him seriously.
"ridiculous!"
Yi Li's eyes were bloodshot, and he snorted coldly: "The Crown Prince of Hanzhong, Mr. Liu, is hundreds of miles away, how can he care about this place? You are probably a fake envoy for him. I have long heard that there is a disguised envoy of the King of Hanzhong in Pengcheng. Is that you? Say, Zang Ai wants you to come over, but does it cost my life?"
Zong Ziqing said coldly: "I am the descendant of the Runan Zong family. My name is Zong Ziqing. I am responsible for the affairs of the business alliance. Only then did I receive the order from His Highness. This is a letter written by His Highness. You can read it. My Highness knows He knows astronomy and geography, not to mention things hundreds of miles away, he can also know things thousands of miles away!"
Zong Ziqing handed the letter to the Yili guard beside him.
These personal guards were also disheveled. It was obvious that what had just been carried out here was a fierce impact.
Yili's personal guards also participated.
I'm afraid that many of the people in this courtyard are of the same mind.
After receiving the letter, Yili looked at it carefully.
The seal indeed belongs to the crown prince of Hanzhong.
He glanced at Zong Ziqing again and couldn't help but believe a little bit.
"Then the Crown Prince of Hanzhong called you here. Why is it important?"
Zong Ziqing shook his head and said: "I originally thought that you are a hero. If you are not a hero, you can also be called an outstanding person. What happened? It is really unsightly. Not to mention a hero, now it is not an exaggeration to call him a bear. If you act like this, my visit today will be in vain."
After saying that, Zong Ziqing made a gesture to leave.
"The messenger will stay."
Yi Li simply put on his clothes.
"This is not the place to talk. Please forgive me, please."
Yi Li introduced Zong Ziqing into the small courtyard next door. These courtyards were originally where dignitaries lived.
However.
The men who were the owners of these small courtyards either fled or died, leaving the female family members miserable and becoming the targets for the soldiers and sergeants to vent their anger.
This yard is much cleaner and tidier.
"I am indeed like a bereaved dog now. I am ambushed by Zang Ba in Xia Pi, with less than three thousand soldiers in my hand."
Saying that, Yili sighed.
"Now that I go to the Wei army, these three thousand people will probably be annexed by them. But if I don't go, will there be any place for me in Xuzhou?"
He betrayed Zang Ba. Even if Zang Ba could forgive him now, he would still be unable to escape death when Xuzhou was pacified.
He knew Zang Ba's temperament very well.
If you go to Wei State, you can at most be a sinecure, but you can no longer be a local overlord.
But staying in Xuzhou is a dead end.
It was precisely because of his pessimism about the future that Yili went wild. In these days, he just wanted to have fun and not think about other things.
"I don't know. Does the Crown Prince of Hanzhong have anything to teach me?"
Seeing that his attitude was normal, Zong Ziqing also started to speak.
"Originally, His Highness called me here to use your military power to get involved in Xuzhou's affairs. He could even hand over the benefits of the merchant alliance to your hands and allow you to unify Xuzhou."
After saying that, Zong Ziqing sighed and said: "It's a pity that your army is weak now. It's difficult for three thousand people to protect themselves. What else do you want to do in Xuzhou?"
After hearing this, Yili suddenly became depressed.
Why did Zang Ba start his career?
In addition to his reputation in Xuzhou, more importantly, it was because the merchant alliance of the Crown Prince of Hanzhong kept sending him money and silk. It was precisely because he had received the benefits of Zang Ba that he was oppressed by his power. Return to Zang Ba.
If Xiapi is still in his hands and he has the benefit of the merchant alliance, he might be able to copy the path Zang Ba took.
But it's too late to say anything now.
"It's too late to regret!"
Yili sighed heavily.
"However, His Highness also anticipated the general's current situation and gave him a way out."
A way out?
Yili's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Please let the envoy speak clearly!"
At this moment, he looked very humble.
That burning pleading look was like a hungry puppy wanting to eat delicious food.
"My Highness has left you a county in Xuzhou. I wonder if you would be willing to guard it for my Highness?"
That's right.
From the beginning, Liu Chan never really believed in Zang Ba's words.
There are tens of thousands of people in one county, and it is hundreds of miles wide. Especially Guangling County is close to the sea, with Jiangdong below, so its geographical location is very advantageous.
Would Zang Ba really cede this place to him?
If it were Liu Chan, he wouldn't give it to him.
When you have a hundred dollars, you may be willing to give someone else a dollar.
But when you only have ten yuan, or even five yuan, and someone asks you for one yuan, you may not be so willing.
Yi Li was shocked.
Give me a county?
He is now like a bereaved dog. With three thousand soldiers, can he really get the land of a county?
He had doubts about this.
But when I thought about it, that was Liu Gongsi, the crown prince of Hanzhong. He could even defeat the King of Wei. What else could he not do?
Believe first!
Question again!
Yi Li said to Zong Ziqing: "Please give the envoy clarification."
"Guangling County, what do you think?"
Guangling County?
Yi Li frowned.
"It doesn't matter that I'm in Guangling County. How can we manage Guangling County with three thousand soldiers? Is the envoy joking?"
Zong Ziqing smiled and said: "Of course I am not joking. My Highness borrowed three thousand troops to fight with Zang Ba. The condition of the covenant is that he must cede Guangling County. Now there are three thousand Jingzhou soldiers in Guangling County. Guard the cities in Guangling, and when the general goes forward, he will definitely be able to enter Guangling County."
Is there such a good thing?
The doubts and haze in my heart were instantly swept away.
Yi Li asked again: "Is this serious?"
"Of course it's true."
After the ecstasy, Yili had some doubts in his heart.
There seems to be something wrong with this matter.
Did the Crown Prince of Hanzhong really give Guangling County to him?
Could such a good thing really happen?
There is no free lunch in the sky. Yi Li thought about it for a while and then asked: "Is this really serious? Your Highness doesn't need me to do anything else?"
Zong Ziqing thought for a moment and said, "His Highness wants you to guard Guangling County and cooperate with His Highness in sending troops to fight in the future."
Liu Chan from Guangling County can send one person to take charge.
However.
Xuzhou people are still somewhat resistant to outsiders.
Let the local Yili go to guard it, which is naturally the best choice.
and
Zang Ba would not sit back and watch Guangling County being taken away by Liu Chan. There must be some action, and Yili still needed to defend Guangling County.
For Yili, in Xuzhou he could only fight against Zang Ba, and if he fought against Zang Ba, then he could only hug Liu Chan's thigh.
This is killing two birds with one stone.
Whether he wants to attack Jiangdong or Xuzhou in the future, with the enclave of Guangling County, Liu Chan's space for sending troops will be more flexible.
"With this order, I will naturally accept your orders."
Fighting spirit.
Fighting spirit!
It resurfaced in Yili.
He still has hope, he can still turn around!
Zang Ba could dominate Xuzhou with the momentum of the Hanzhong Crown Prince. There was no reason why he couldn't gain a foothold in Guangling County, and after gaining a foothold in Guangling County, he might not have any hope of peeking into Xuzhou.
people.
Think big!
"But if the general wants to go to Guangling, you have to take charge of your soldiers. If the soldiers are like this, they may have to camp before they reach Guangling County. Moreover, I want to explain one thing to you. The general is in Guangling County. I only have the power to lead the army, and my Highness will arrange the appointments of officials in various states and counties in the future. Since this is our own territory, there should be no chance of plundering like Wu County happening a second time."
Only the right to lead troops?
Yi Li frowned, but soon his brows relaxed.
"Now that I am the general of a defeated army, I will naturally obey everyone. Envoy, please!"
Let’s put aside the matters in Xuzhou for now.
But he said that in Jiujiang County, in the Jiangdong camp outside Chengde City, the returning Zhuge Jin did bring bad news to Sun Quan.
"Then Mr. Zang Ba, do you really mean that?"
Sun Quan's face was dignified, with clear features, and his chiseled face showed calmness and deep thought.
His black hair was neatly combed and placed in front of his forehead, looking slightly restrained. A slight beard covers his chin, looking calm and dignified.
However, at this time, his brows were furrowed into a frown, and his whole person looked a little gloomy.
Next, Zhuge Jin could only say with a wry smile: "That's what General Zhendong said."
"snort!"
Snapped!
Sun Quan's hand slapped heavily on the document in front of him.
"If I didn't let him go, how could Zang Baan borrow troops to go to Xuzhou? I will kill you ungrateful guy when you see him in the future!"
Hoo ho ho ho!
Sun Quan was so angry that his chest heaved violently.
I didn’t lend you any troops, but did I let you borrow the three thousand Jingzhou soldiers?
Isn't this kindness?
"My lord, it is difficult to attack Chengde now. The city of Hefei has been fortified, and our army is short of food and grass. Why not go back to Jiangdong first and leave a good army in Hefei."
Lu Meng's expression remained normal, he stepped forward and said with cupped hands.
The news of the army's food shortage was known to the army a few days ago.
There is also the reason why the Wei army's thousands of cavalry were behind to disrupt the grain road.
In short, if Chengde cannot be captured in a short time, there is no need for Jiangdong's army to stay here.
Sun Quan also understood what Lu Meng meant.
Actually.
Three days ago, he asked 10,000 people to escort the wounded soldiers back to Jianye.
The reason why Zhuge Jin was sent as an envoy to Xuzhou was to see if there was still a chance to attack Chengde and capture Shouchun.
Now it seems
This chance is close to zero.
Zang Ba is indeed not a fool.
"I heard that Liu Gongsi, the crown prince of Hanzhong, has made great achievements in Runan?"
Gu Yong took a step forward, saluted and said, "That's true. He sent Xinxi first, and then captured Ancheng. I heard that many of the Runan nobles joined him."
How does this kid get benefits so often?
And he, Sun Quan, can't?
"snort!"
Sun Quan snorted coldly and said, "Is it possible for us to form an alliance with Liu Gongsi and use Liu Chan to contain the main force of the Wei army while we go to plot Shouchun?"
As soon as Sun Quan said these words, there was silence in the tent.
The generals and counselors in the tent looked at me and I looked at you, but no one dared to speak.
Lord, how many times have you betrayed your promise, and people still believe you?
Zhuge Jin even looked bitter.
Could it be that he had just lost face in Xuzhou and been humiliated for a while, so he wanted to bring his face to Runan and give the Hanzhong Crown Prince a few fierce slaps?
Lord, I advise you to be kind!
(End of chapter)
