Jia Xu was horrified. He saw Zhang Han approaching quickly, and almost before his eyes, there was the noisy sound of horse hooves behind him, and a large number of soldiers and horses came rolling in.
"The reinforcements are here!" A deputy in the army shouted, and at the same time he led the troops to join them. Jia Xu took the reins and left without thinking.
How could he dare to stay where he was? As for Zhang Bochang, rumors only said that he was good at fighting and brave, but they never described in detail how powerful he was! !
Jia Xu always thought that Zhang Han was a Confucian general who mostly stayed behind the scenes to govern states and counties, or made plans as an adviser, and rarely went to the battlefield in person.
But now, he was frightened just by looking at that determined look!
And he was convinced in his heart that Zhang Han would come over and kill him at all costs!
Jia Xu didn't know what grudge he had against him, so he could only assume that Zhang Han thought he had instigated this rebellion again.
But with the conscience of heaven and earth, I have really devoted myself wholeheartedly. Although I still think Yuan Shao is better, since it is for sale, it is impossible to offend the current customers.
The hands of the Yuan family can't reach here at all!
"Let's go! Go to the reinforcements!"
Jia Xu shouted loudly, pulled the horse's head and left without even thinking about ordering the team to rescue Zhang Xiu.
When he left, he also took away most of the cavalry and infantry. Everyone subconsciously retreated to fight the reinforcements coming from the east gate.
Unexpectedly, after walking for a while, the cavalry who went to meet up came back again, and they were greatly panicked and were driven back in a hurry.
The person who came was another burly fierce man, holding a two-handed saber, wearing full body armor, and a maroon war horse. His fat body was intimidating, as if he had met another Dian Wei.
"Kill them all!"
The general gave an order, and the cavalry on both sides accelerated and rushed straight towards Jia Xu. The torrents on both sides rushed forward and quickly scattered the Wancheng army to the left and right. Jia Xu was unable to avoid it, and Zhang Han caught up with him and shot him. It hit his ribs and knocked him to the ground.
At this moment, Jia Xu just felt like the world was spinning. He didn't know how many times he was hit hard, and his old bones were about to fall apart.
Zhang Han saw Xu Chu rushing in with his troops, put away his spear and said with a smile: "How can Zhong Kang enter the city?"
Xu Chu grinned and said, "Junhou, after I listened to the order, I realized that Zhang Xiu was pretending to surrender and wanted to rebel, so I went to monitor the camp outside the city."
"When I saw that they had indeed made any move, I attacked and killed them together with General Cao Chun, and took control of all the camps. I put on the armor of these Wancheng troops, asked some generals to lead the way, and tricked the city gates into opening."
"Okay!" Zhang Han showed a look of surprise on his face, and he did not hesitate to praise him. "Zhong Kang is good at using strategies. It seems that he is not only good at charging into battle, but he has achieved great success this time!"
Xu Chu smiled lightly, scratched his head, and said modestly: "It's not what I thought, it was the result of Hezi's discussion with them."
"Isn't it too late?"
"It's not too late, it's not too late, let me go!"
Zhang Han turned the horse's head and led Xu Chu back to the avenue where the fighting was fiercest. He shouted loudly: "You have all fallen into the trap! Zhang Xiu is just taking advantage of your anger to rebel against the Han Dynasty!! I'll wait for you!" If I had known he had rebellious intentions, I would have taken advantage of him!"
"Surrender now and you can still avoid death!"
Bang!
As soon as the words fell and spread a little, someone immediately lowered their weapons.
Then the comrades beside him immediately looked at each other angrily, "Why do you put down your weapons! Guard the Major General and get out!"
"I have an old mother at home, she can't die here!"
"Besides, this matter alone will lead to rebellion, and the situation is not conducive to us. How can we have the honor to kill Duke Cao again!"
"Aren't we the ones who go back on our word?!"
"I……"
Most of the trusted soldiers followed orders, but in fact they were not sure what was going on.
But the current situation is extremely clear, and it is Cao Jun's plan.
Cao Jun had already arranged everything before entering the city and had an insight into Zhang Xiu's thoughts.
Moreover, this is a trick. If they had not gone back on their word, they would not have fallen into such a difficult situation.
In charge of Cao Cao's civil service, Zhang Han and Dian Wei are already among the best in the world, as well as the black-robed cavalry, a frontier-style cavalry, whose leaders are all warriors who are as fast as the wind and as fierce as fire.
Do you want to risk so many lives in vain for this plan? ?
"Don't forget, the general promised back then to take us alive!"
A deputy general shouted loudly, and at the same time glanced resentfully at Zhang Xiu who fell from his horse in the distance.
Zhang Xiu was sitting against the wall in front of a house on the street. The horse beside him was running wildly for dozens of steps to death. The mouth of the tiger in his hand was cracked, and his palm was stained with blood. His whole body was in despair.
Several men in black robes had already held long knives against their necks, unable to move.
As Zhang Han's words spread in all directions, like ripples, people kept putting down their weapons, their eyes looking very blank.
A chaotic fight late at night, at its most intense moment, all parties had problems, and then it came to an abrupt end quickly.
The whole process seems like someone has seen through everything, so it's okay not to move. Once you start to rebel, you will fall into the trap that has been set for a long time.
They came into town as if they were hunting.
Moreover, he is a very smart hunter. He only needs to set the trap well and does not have to work too hard. What seems dangerous is actually just waiting for the tiger and wolf to fall into the trap.
It was truly a night of complete failure.
…
Surrounded by the guards, Cao Cao walked out of the crowd. Seeing that the situation had been decided, he looked proudly and steadily, and looked at Zhang Xiu in the distance teasingly.
"Xiu'er, we have already seen through your move. Bo Chang and Feng Xiao are both aware of the situation and have arranged their troops well in advance."
"Even if I didn't notice it, they could still manipulate your Wancheng soldiers and horses at their fingertips."
"Haha," Zhang Han turned over and dismounted, patting the dust off his body a few times. None of his injured areas were critical, not to mention that he only had a few flesh wounds.
So it was very relaxing at this time.
He walked up to Zhang Xiu and said with a smile: "This is exactly Xiu'er's clever plan to secure the old army, losing his wife and destroying the army."
"伱!" Zhang Xiu stood up angrily, anxious and wanted to fight Zhang Han again, but his body was weak.
He glared at Zhang Han and said puzzledly: "I have just mastered my marksmanship, and I have never had a rival to this day. I ask myself that my martial arts skills are comparable to those of Marquis Lu Wen, so why can you dodge the vital points with all your moves?"
Zhang Han smiled: "What I am best at is also the spear."
My spear skills have reached their peak, how could I not be able to distinguish between a feint and a killing move?
Thinking of this, Zhang Han's face suddenly froze, and he said solemnly: "By the way, you sent Hu Che'er to steal my spear, you must pay for it!"
Zhang Xiu sighed and said honestly: "Junhou, your bright silver spear is in my office."
"What bright silver?" Zhang Han frowned and breathed out immediately, "My gun is a gold-plated tiger head. It weighs one hundred and thirty kilograms. It is made of extremely pure gold. It is the product of your majesty. "Given, I was instrumental in rescuing the cavalry, so Your Majesty honored me as the Commander of the Cavalry School to demonstrate my merits."
Zhang Xiu: "..."
Just be a human being, can a weapon made of pure gold really be used on the battlefield?
Why didn't you say it was jade?
Seeing that he was silent, Zhang Han said angrily: "Have you stolen it?! The head of my gun is inlaid with three ancient jade from the Spring and Autumn Period! It's priceless!"
Zhang Xiu took a deep breath, really not knowing what to say, and fell into a long silence.
He wanted to find Hu Che'er to find out, but he had been killed by Dian Wei.
So he could only turn to Dian Wei for help.
Dian Wei walked up to Zhang Han with his halberd on his shoulder and said, "The gun has pure jade on the handle and is wrapped in tribute brocade to make it easier to hold."
"I am a real person. To be fair, my prince is not talking nonsense at all."
Zhang Xiu's mouth suddenly twitched, "Just kill me!"
Cao Cao sneered a few times, walked over surrounded by guards, and said in a deep voice: "Xiu'er, there are at least 30,000 people in your uncle's old troops outside."
"These are all the old Xiliang tribes he brought along all the way, as well as the tribesmen he accepted along the way when he came to Wancheng. They are grateful to Zhang Jizhi for his virtue, so they are loyal."
"Zhang Xiu, you are so young and have great ambitions. If you want to establish a reputation, it is time for you to return to the Han Dynasty."
Cao Cao's implication was simple. He was not prepared to kill Zhang Xiu, because these 30,000 people were Zhang Ji's old troops. If Zhang Xiu was killed, at least half of them would have to be dismissed.
But these soldiers and horses are in their prime.
Although Zhang Xiu pretended to surrender and rebelled, nothing had actually happened yet, so he must have been panic-stricken at this time.
Cao Cao thought for a long time and said in a deep voice: "Your soldiers and horses can follow me back to Runan to resettle. They will train day and night and recharge their batteries. I will change the generals to garrison Wancheng and govern Nanyang."
"From now on, if you can serve as a subordinate and follow the generals and perform meritorious deeds, I will be clear to Your Majesty and grant you the title and official position of your uncle again. Zhang Xiu, are you willing?"
Zhang Xiu was stunned at this moment.
He couldn't believe what Cao Cao said, and he felt more and more uncomfortable, but he was also a little lucky.
What kind of person is this Cao Cao? He wants to set up troops to kill him, and he doesn't hesitate to lead him to make mistakes, but he actually... is using his plan to his advantage.
In the end, like a strict father, he did not blame him in anger, but carved out a way out for himself.
At this time, Dong Zhao stood up from among the counselors, walked to Cao Cao, stood slightly behind, cupped his hands to Zhang Xiu, and said with a smile: "Have the Major General sorted out the letters left by Zhang Xiuqi?"
Zhang Xiu looked at him blankly and didn't answer. Almost all of his uncle's belongings were with his aunt, so of course he didn't ask anything.
Upon seeing this, Dong Zhao already knew that Zhang Xiu did not know about those letters. As the actual "party", his smile gradually brightened, and he stood up with a look of reminiscence on his face.
He said softly: "When we were in Chang'an, Sikong had already corresponded with the Hussars General. I am the one who delivers the letters."
"At that time, the hussar general played a role in guiding Cao Gong, otherwise he would not be able to reach the emperor of Chang'an. During this period, Cao Gong entrusted me and presented him with a pair of golden horses to express his gratitude."
"Then the Hussar General wrote a letter back to Duke Cao. He understood the righteousness and solemnly told him that he was unable to save the great man. Today, there is only one person in the world who admires Duke Cao, but he regrets meeting him too late."
"There is a passage where he expressly states that he wants to entrust his family and relatives to the care of Duke Cao. If he can save his life in these troubled times, he will live up to his life of running around in the army and going through life and death."
Zhang Xiu was stunned when he heard this, and his voice trembled. He looked at Dong Zhao in disbelief and then at Cao Cao, "You, what you said is true?"
"But you lied to me!?"
Zhang Xiu hurriedly took a few steps forward. His handsome face was full of annoyance for a moment. After a few steps, his feet went soft and he fell in front of Cao Cao. He said feebly: "In that case, why didn't Mr. Cao tell me earlier!"
"My uncle did praise him back then. Cao Mengde is a hero in the world. There should be a place for Duke Cao in the world, and his name should be left in the history of history!"
"It's my nephew who is crazy and wants to harm Duke Cao...Thanks to Duke Cao for not giving up, I will definitely make great contributions to the Han Dynasty and Duke Cao in the future! To repay the kindness of not killing today! The kindness of teaching!"
Zhang Xiu kowtowed. He originally thought that Cao Cao just wanted the 30,000 loyal soldiers and horses, but did not intend to recruit him.
But he didn't expect that his uncle had already been in contact with Cao Cao, and they were both friendly and kind. In this way, his attempt to plot against Cao Cao and try to rebel again would almost lead to a big mistake!
Cao Cao, Dong Zhao and others also looked pleased at this moment and signaled Su Wei to help him up.
All Zhang Xiu's soldiers and horses in Wancheng put down their weapons, while all the cavalry dismounted from their horses and gathered on the spacious main street.
The generals sent orders to open the city gates to welcome the Cao army and Wancheng army outside to enter the city.
Preparing to complete the defense change as a matter of course, Zhang Xiu will mobilize these old troops to train in Runan, obey Cao Gong's dispatch, and select elites from 30,000 troops for him to make atonement for their crimes in the future.
Wancheng's army was not considered poor. There were at least a thousand cavalry troops, countless baggage, and supplies of food and grass for several months. The generals and commanders also had their own property.
Before that, they had received several months of support from Liu Biao, but in the end they were unable to defend Wancheng as Liu Biao wished and became his northern barrier to Jingzhou.
Cao Cao looked at Zhang Han at this time, and his eyes showed appreciation and approval.
In this way, if this section is passed safely, how can ordinary people understand the beauty of it?
Dong Zhao's letter was in front of him. He was good at wining over and eloquent, and he controlled Zhang Xiu's thoughts just right. These words... coupled with Bochang and Fengxiao's complete strategies.
The Wancheng Army has undergone fundamental changes.
Before that, they had submitted to the Han Dynasty and acted in compliance with the emperor's edict. This meant that if they no longer served the emperor in the future, they could turn back at any time.
After all, there are already many people in this world who no longer regard the Emperor of Han as their king and are secretly independent.
But now, the Wancheng Army belongs to the Cao family!
…
The news reached Xiangyang on the night of the second day.
Officials from the Huang, Cai, and Kuai families of Jingzhou who served in Xiangyang immediately came to see Liu Biao.
Among them, Cai Mao, Cai Zhong and Liu Biao were related by marriage and were relatively close. Before the other officials arrived, he had already gone to the inner room to see Liu Biao.
"My lord, I have already told you that Zhang Xiu is an old general from Xiliang and has great ambitions. After his uncle's death, he has been pretending to cry and begging the lord to take him in, just so that he can wait in Wancheng to be recruited by other princes."
"And now, Cao Cao has entered Wancheng and changed the entire city's defense. How easy will it be for us to recapture it?"
"I think, my lord, you are the current emperor. Why don't you use this as your identity to send an envoy to congratulate Cao Cao on his success in quelling the chaos, and then discuss letting him return Wancheng to Jingzhou."
"In this way, Wancheng, Xinye and Fancheng are taken back, and Nanyang will still be in our hands."
Liu Biao sat on the couch and patted his forehead in annoyance, without even raising his head, "Well, I thought that this embroidery would be able to surrender these soldiers and horses to me because of my kindness. Thirty thousand loyal soldiers, and they are still It’s a pity for a veteran who has been in the military for many years and has experienced hundreds of battles.”
"Hmm..." Liu Biao thought for a long time and sighed: "It's a good thing for an envoy to send congratulations. The incident in Wancheng is complicated and confusing. We don't know the details of the military situation before and after. So we sent someone to send military rations, raw meat, and fine wine to entertain Master Wang. Find out for me.”
"I want to know what happened that night in Wancheng. Zhang Xiu obviously wanted to pretend to surrender and kill the enemy, and mobilized many camps that had surrendered, but in the end he was convinced and submitted to Cao Cao."
It's unbelievable that they can get more information about the military situation and get more information in the future, so that they won't let Cao Cao enter Jingzhou in vain, but they are confused and don't even understand the civil and military personnel under his command.
(End of chapter)
