"To surrender now, it would be better to surrender immediately as soon as Cao's army arrived at the Wei River." Zhang Xiu understood this very well. The longer he waited, the more he would suffer.
In the end, people may not necessarily be willing to surrender. In this case, nothing will be left. Don't be captured and become a prisoner. That is really the treatment of a surrendered general, and there will be no benefit at all.
All in all, after thinking about it... it seems that it would be better to drop it now than in a few days!
"Okay, surrender!"
Zhang Xiu made up his mind and did not want to see the desperate expressions of the soldiers when the city was broken.
Surrendering now can at least count as some merit, and neither side will have to lose too many men.
Jia Xu finally felt relieved. What he feared most was that the young general was angry and refused to surrender. If this happened, the situation would be truly irreversible.
Now it seems that although the young hero is full of energy, he can still bear this breath, which is pretty good.
"Hey, Major General, if you can endure the danger for a while, you may actually be able to break the situation. It may not be a trick."
Jia Xu suddenly put away all his expressions, and his face was quite indifferent, as if without any emotion. There was a ruthless determination in his temperament, and a cold indifference that disrespected life.
"Sir, what do you mean..." Zhang Xiu's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up and hugged Jia Xu's arm, as if he had thought of a new path.
"Hahaha, Major General, I don't mean anything special. I just want to advise the Major General to be at ease." Jia Xu waved his hand and smiled, taking half a step back.
He only plants a "seed", and it has nothing to do with what fruit it bears after it blooms, or whether it dies quickly.
Zhang Xiu let go of his hand in confusion, and after taking a few steps back, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that what he just said made sense.
Perhaps begging for surrender is a good thing, but it can loosen Cao Cao's gradually closing pocket... and then allow him to break free.
Once you can get out, you can lure Cao Cao into the city in person, and then mutiny, surround and kill them. Maybe you can make a huge contribution to Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu! Be famous all over the world!
Zhang Xiu himself was startled when this idea came up, and his heart beat violently, a kind of throbbing in his heart.
Jia Xu was watching the change in his demeanor, slowly disappearing behind him, seemingly as usual.
…
Cao Ying on the Wei River.
Cao Cao had just received a letter from the messenger while he was eating. After reading it, he placed the bowl lightly on the table.
He was in a good mood today, so the bowl was not messed with. He usually suffered a lot and was thrown into a parabola at every turn.
Then he was picked up again and the food was driven back.
In the letter, Zhang Xiu spoke sincerely and did not want to continue the bloody battle and increase casualties.
He also made it clear that disturbing the people at that time was actually a helpless move, because they had no food in the army, the soldiers were about to mutiny, and they were afraid that the soldiers would become thieves, so they borrowed food from the people, but there was no wanton killing.
Therefore, I deeply felt the power of Duke Cao and wanted to beg to surrender to the Han Dynasty. The letter also mentioned his uncle Zhang Ji's great contributions to the Han Dynasty.
"Well... He also mentioned that His Majesty once said that his uncle would not be held accountable for his crimes and would be granted a title based on merit, haha..."
"Everyone, what do you think?"
Cao Cao took the letter and swept it in front of everyone and asked them to make a decision.
This expedition, based on careful calculation, should be the easiest one for me.
Originally, he planned to only bring Xun You, a newly recruited counselor, to give Wen Ruo something in return.
Who knew, so many people would come! I don’t know who had the idea to pull it up.
Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, Xun You, Dong Zhao, Chen Qun, and Zhang Han. Among the advisers who came this time, although Dong Zhao was not good at this, he could still tell a lot about people's speculations and judgments about the situation in Jingzhou. .
At this time, Guo Jia cupped his hands and said: "If you don't accept it, Zhang Xiu will panic and become frightened again, thinking that the Lord is aiming to destroy the city."
"In this case, I'm afraid it will cause them to fight hard to defend. Therefore, I think it is unwise, so maybe I can surrender."
Zhang Han stood up and sighed, saying: "Brother Fengxiao, what you said is absolutely true. I thought I could trap them to death in the city, but since I can get Wancheng intact, there is no need to flood the city to fight. Increase casualties.”
Hearing this, Cheng Yu nodded silently, "Yes, I also agree that casualties should not be increased in vain. Since he is willing to surrender, accepting him at this time should be the best opportunity."
"My lord, I agree to accept the surrender and ask Zhang Xiu to give way to Wancheng and welcome our army into the city."
"However, he surrendered to the Han court. He actually obeyed the emperor's edict. This letter was not written as a letter of defeat."
There are also differences between the books.
The surrender letter of defeat was because the army had reached the point where the defeat was overwhelming and irreversible, so the city, troops and horses were surrendered, so the defense had to be changed.
However, Zhang Xiu still had 20,000 soldiers and horses in his hands. The surrender he was talking about meant that the 20,000 soldiers would be willing to obey the dispatch of the Han court in the future and stationed at Wancheng in Nanyang for Emperor Xu Du.
That means they won't disarm.
But Cao Cao entered the city, which invisibly added a lot of danger.
These words were suggestions that Zhang Han had made many times along the way, and they even reached the point where Cao Cao didn't take them seriously.
Privately, Zhang Han only talked to Dian Wei about how Duke Cao was rebellious recently and he couldn't afford to offend him.
I don't usually talk much to others.
Now that Cheng Yu mentioned this, Cao Cao's face suddenly became stern. Then he breathed a long sigh of relief, regained his smile, glanced at the crowd and said, "I understand what you are thinking."
"Bo Chang will stay for a moment. I have something to tell you. The rest of you will go and make preparations. We will send Zhang Xiu's troops and horses to Wancheng tonight."
"only!"
Everyone folded their hands and dropped their sleeves, turned around and left. When Xun You came, he glared at Zhang Han fiercely, then walked out quickly, and began to stride slowly when they were far away.
Zhang Han: "???"
Why are you looking like this? I haven't messed with you recently. Didn't I just bring a few counselors, both civil and military, to Wancheng to share the work?
Wouldn’t it be nice to roll a roll?
Oh, it seems that Mr. Gongda couldn't even get a word in just now...it's quite pitiful.
It was originally a perfect opportunity for him to speak one-on-one and show off all his talents.
"Bo Chang," Cao Cao calmly called Zhang Han's name while he was thinking.
Zhang Han immediately turned around, bowed his hands, and said softly: "My lord, what do you want me to do?"
Cao Cao pondered for a long time, as if he had something in mind, but he had to think of how to speak.
After a moment, his expression changed, and he smiled kindly at Zhang Han and said: "Bo Chang, being cautious and suspicious when things happen is a good quality, but it does not apply to all times."
Zhang Han was stunned.
This sounds weird. Boss Cao seems to blame me for being too suspicious? I was blamed by Boss Cao for being too suspicious? ? ?
He cursed in his heart.
Cao Cao continued: "Young man Zhang Xiu is arrogant and perhaps quite arrogant. Such a person doesn't like to be persecuted or slighted by others. At the same time, he also likes to make friends with powerful warriors and heroic heroes. Therefore, before coming here, we are like thunder clouds. , came with the majesty of heaven, but now he is afraid of being intimidated, so he should be subdued with heroic spirit."
"If you are still suspicious, you won't be able to accomplish anything, and there will be chaos."
"It is common sense to say that at this moment, he is dissatisfied when he surrenders. But in fact, most surrendered generals are like this. He will definitely be dissatisfied at first, but of course what I want is not to make him act bravely and sacrifice his life right away. of following.”
"What I want is to be able to show my heroic spirit in front of him and truly eliminate his unwillingness. Do you understand?"
Understand, knowing that there is a tiger in the mountain, and traveling to the tiger mountain, the purpose is to use one's own talent and courage to conquer this tiger.
Zhang Han felt that there was nothing wrong with Cao Cao's pride, but knowing the answer, he felt that it was all wrong. He was so filled with anger that he didn't know where to start.
Of course, if the stalemate with Zhang Xiu continues, it will indeed give the two heroes of the Yuan family in Hebei and Yangzhou and Huainan an opportunity to make a surprise attack.
If we don't accept the surrender as soon as possible, problems may arise, and there may be more losses.
"I understand, it's my son-in-law... I'm too suspicious, but Han crawled out from the dead. My whole life... I'm walking on thin ice. Only by questioning in advance can I get to the other side."
These words were so profound that Cao Cao's expression couldn't help but change.
But in fact, Zhang Han felt that he had to tell some reasons for his paranoia at this time, lest Boss Cao and Mrs. Zou think about it later and bring hatred to him.
Zhang Han understood this kind of psychology after taking a moment to understand: Before I entered the city, you kept saying that it might be over, but after I entered the city, I got drunk and insisted on playing, and even found pills for me, and finally it was over.
Then, haven't you, kid, always been convinced that I "want to play"? Then I can still lose my temper. Who am I in your eyes?
There is a difference between "being a person by temperament" and "being like this by nature". You can't make mistakes with passion, which makes me naturally strong!
After listening to Zhang Han's words, Cao Cao had mixed feelings in his heart. Bo Chang was fine everywhere, but he was a bit suspicious. Moreover, he had experienced life and death before and was almost wiped out.
Of course, no one is perfect... there are always some shortcomings that make them appear real. For example, he is greedy for money, but he is not a thief who "cannibalizes the country". He likes beauty, but he puts his talents first and will not let it hang around.
At first, Cao Cao thought that he favored and favored Bo Chang so much because he was outstanding in talent and martial arts. However, he had both shortcomings and advantages, which was very different from those Confucian scholars who were just like him.
Later, Cao Cao understood that what he liked was Zhang Han's "sense of proportion". Anyone would like a person with a sense of proportion.
He is not too annoying, nor is he too perfect to make others hate him. He knows how to advance and retreat, and knows how to measure. Such people are very pleasant to get along with.
"Bo Chang," Cao Cao said earnestly, with his hands behind his back, he walked out from the main seat, looking far into the distance, his momentum was like the vastness of the clouds and mist in the sky, he walked past Zhang Han and said leisurely: "Remember what I said. .”
"To be a general or a sage, you need to have a broad mind. You must not be burdened by the past, and you must not be depressed and trapped. You should always be clear-eyed about yourself. At the same time, you should have a heroic and open-minded attitude towards the world."
"Conspiracy methods are shady wisdom, but people themselves should be sages who stick to the general trend of Yang Qian."
"Although the so-called wine, sex, and wealth can taint your body, your heart must not be deceived. You must still have affection for the world and all things in your heart, so that you can be at ease in the world."
Those who are ruthless and have no feelings, only calculating conspiracies will eventually fall into the inferior category; those who have a heart that embraces the world and use plotting as a means are the true men.
"Many people have been mediocre for decades, and old friends are driven away like leaves falling in the wind..." Cao Cao smiled, his eyes far-reaching, as if he was deeply moved: "But they don't understand that among the friends lost in a person's life, the one who deserves the most is the one who deserves the most. What you will miss is your past self.”
Zhang Han was greatly moved by these words, because these were rare words from the bottom of his heart. Today, in order to explain the "suspiciousness" that he showed in his teaching, Boss Cao was actually willing to be so honest...
"Look at me," Cao Cao turned back proudly and raised the corner of his mouth, "Although he is worried and suspicious, cherishes talents, and loves beauty, he will never have any doubts because of this. In terms of military strategy, he is brave and courageous! When it comes to money and beauty, he should Take it and take it!”
"This life has just been a happy one! Hehehehe, Bo Chang, you still have too much to learn."
Zhang Han's face twitched violently, it turned out that he was waiting here to show his holiness in front of others...
As long as you are happy, Zhang Han cursed and immediately handed over his hand: "My son-in-law has learned a lesson..."
"Um."
…
Wancheng.
Cao Cao was indeed a brave and talented man. After he surrendered, he only brought Zhang Han and Zhang Liao's personal guards into Wancheng. At the same time, after three days in the Weishui camp, he took inventory and changed camps.
Within the city of Wancheng, they only controlled the arsenal and allowed Zhang Xiu's troops to take down the city defenses and go out to garrison to give way.
When Zhang Xiu saw this, he was immediately surprised, but it was not because he felt that Cao Cao was treating him contemptuously, but because of his heroic demeanor, which was admirable.
Most people would bring thousands of elite guards with them when they surrender into the city like this, but Cao Cao only brought a thousand and six elite cavalry, including none of his tiger and leopard cavalry. This was considered an open-minded trust in him.
As a result, Zhang Xiu's psychological unwillingness and bitterness were indeed suppressed a lot, and at the same time, he also admired Cao Cao a little more.
These heroes in this world cannot have such a broad mind.
For a moment, he even felt that surrendering to Cao Cao like this was not a bad thing.
Because the Wancheng he was stationed in could resist the movements of Rangcheng, cut off Jingzhou's troops and horses, and serve as Cao Cao's southern barrier.
In this way, he will not need to fight in battle in the future, which is also an achievement.
If Cao Cao can win the Northern War, Wancheng can become an outpost when he marches south, which is also a big achievement.
After entering the government office, Zhang Xiu pulled Jia Xu aside and expressed his thoughts at the moment, which was praised.
So a banquet was held to entertain Cao Cao at night, as well as the civil and military personnel under his command, and they had to be introduced one by one.
By the time Xun You had introduced half of the people who came with him this time, Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu were in bad shape.
I, Zhang Xiu, am just a young general who escaped from Chang'an. Although my uncle is a marquis and a general...how can we attract so many civil and military officials?
Qingtinghou Zhang Han...defeated Lv Bu's fierce man Dian Wei, Jijiu Guo Jia, Tingwei Zuo Xunyou...
"This is Cheng Yu, the governor of Chenliu, and Dong Zhao, the prime minister of Hanoi County."
"Outside the city, there are still two generals who have not yet arrived, one is Xu Huang, the other is Li Dian, and..."
Xun You looked at the young man standing next to Zhang Han, stretched out his hand to him, but faced Zhang Xiu, and said with an elegant smile: "This is the eldest son of the Cao family, Cao Ang."
"He is Zhang Junhou's deputy commander of the guards."
Zhang Xiu's eyes twitched and his scalp went numb. How did this prince get into trouble? Why did the eldest son of the Cao family go to serve as his bodyguard?
Duke Cao used his eldest son to protect an outsider? Is this too fake? Even if you want to show off your courtesy as a corporal, it shouldn’t go to this level, right?
There must be an unknown reason for this!
However, Zhang Xiu didn't have time to think so much because his heart was shaking.
Jia Xu was also shocked. He finally understood why he was led away by the nose.
Damn it, where are all these advisers? !
(End of chapter)
