"Zhang Han's character is greedy and lustful, and he likes to beat and scold his subordinates. He is not strict in running the army, because he allows his black-robed troops to seize military resources, and he also forms cliques in the court."
This was so comprehensive that when Zhang Zhao inquired about it, he didn't believe it himself, so he sent people to inquire and collect a lot of information.
The results became more complicated. It was even reported that Zhang Han had a hobby of "capturing women of the people". Some people also said that he actually liked his "young aunt". From this point of view, it was not impossible for him and Cao Cao to get together. reason.
The two of them are like a nest of snakes and rats.
"Huh?" Sun Ce frowned immediately, "It's impossible. If his character is like this, how come he has so many people following him?"
"This is Zhang Han's excellence. He should be able to control his subordinates well." Zhang Zhao said with certainty, and he also felt that it was very reasonable.
Zhang Han came from troubled times.
With his character and his background, it would have been impossible for him to stand out in the prosperous and prosperous age of the Han Dynasty, because Confucian scholars disliked people like him who were superficially skilled but actually greedy at heart.
In the gentry class, this is called hypocrisy.
"No matter how well you manage, there will always be people with complaints," Sun Ce said suspiciously, "Where did you get this information? Is the source reliable?"
"Lord, our intelligence network has reached Xuzhou. Some of these news come from Xudu, and some of them are in Xuzhou."
"It is said that even Chen Deng said bad things about Zhang Han, which shows that he has been dissatisfied for a long time."
"Tell me more about Chen Deng," Sun Ce was completely interested, because he had heard before that Chen Deng and Zhang Han had a very good relationship, and they could be regarded as mutual achievements.
Chen Deng was single-handedly promoted by Zhang Han and even single-handedly instigated rebellion from Xuzhou. He was also the first nobleman in Xuzhou who was very close to Zhang Han.
Over the years, Chen Deng's achievements have given Zhang Han the ability to recognize people, and the two have lived up to each other's expectations.
"Chen Deng, whose courtesy name is Yuanlong, is the most prosperous Chen family in Xuzhou. His ancestors also held the position of Three Dukes. His descendants are from Pengcheng. It is said that there are still people in the clan who inherit his favor, so he is worthy of the reputation of a famous clan."
Zhang Zhao was full of praise for Chen Deng and his father Chen Gui's ability to govern the county, and he was not stingy with his words of praise.
"Therefore, Chen Deng naturally became a popular figure. Most of the people in the village respected him, and scholars came to visit him. In Guangling, a group of people went to see Chen Deng a few months ago..."
"At the banquet, someone once wanted to seek an official position, but was ridiculed by Chen Deng, so he could only leave Guangling in disgrace."
"They came from Guangling. They were unhappy with Chen Deng, so they came to Jiangdong, and these words came from their mouths."
"I see," Sun Ce sighed as if he was thinking hard, and then slowly shook his head and said, "But in this case, these words are not credible. Maybe they are just angry words."
"However, Chen Deng is so proud of himself that he looks down on the talented people in his territory. He has become a arrogant soldier."
Sun Ce felt relaxed, and a plan had gradually formed in his mind. He needed to use several big victories to make Cao Cao of Xudu pay attention to Jiangdong.
Only in this way can we continue to contain the alliance of various noble families in Jiangdong.
"Okay, after I go to the army to discuss with the generals, I will divide my troops to go to Quyang to stock up. According to the terrain, I can station them in Dantu. Mr. Zibu will plan a marching route for me to transport the food and grass to the vicinity of Quyang."
"At the same time, send someone to entertain the envoy Dong Gongren day and night, allowing him to make and visit relatives and friends of wise men and women in the city flawlessly until he leaves."
"Wei!" Zhang Zhao's eyes lit up and he immediately agreed. This method was a good idea. Since he couldn't expel him, he would try to make friends and let his close friends come and go for banquets. Naturally, he didn't have the energy to visit others all the time, so he could just control his momentum. .
The lord is really smart.
…
Nineteen days passed in a row.
Dong Cheng can no longer take advantage of Danyang, but his desired goal has been achieved.
It was in Danyang that Prime Minister Xu Du wanted to make friends and host friends in the south, so that they could get close to the Cao family and then return to their country.
At the same time, Ke secretly alienated Sun Ce from their relationship, so he left Danyang with peace of mind and prepared to leave more than a dozen sincere letters to nobles everywhere.
The words he wrote were all from the bottom of his heart. When he wrote to each person, his heart felt that it only belonged to that person. Therefore, his emotions were extremely deep and focused, and he almost cried because of the emotion he wrote.
After he left, subtle changes naturally occurred in Danyang. Sun Ce's people investigated more closely, and many officials also behaved the same as Xu Du Gongqing.
They exchanged letters in order to leave a good impression on the Cao family.
Sun Ce could only suppress them forcefully and supervise secretly. Once caught, he would immediately arrest and torture them without mercy. This invisibly worsened the relationship between Danyang's classes.
At this time, Zhou Yu was in the northwest of Jiangdong, leading troops to take over Liu Yao's territory, and at the same time win over local celebrities.
There was no news from Sun Ce yet. At this time, Sun Ce noticed that the situation seemed a bit unbalanced, so he sent his younger brother Sun Quan to lead the army north from Hangou.
Sun's warships came with great force and advanced very fast. They quickly passed Dongling Pavilion and probably crossed Hangou within a few days and headed straight to Huaiyin.
When Chen Deng got the news, he immediately ordered all troops and horses to be hoarded in Kuangqi City.
This city was a defensive place built by Chen Deng in order to connect with Zhang Han's defense lines in Wancheng and Shucheng.
This place can be said to be the fortress of Hangou. It just blocks the entrance of this vertical river ditch. If Sun Ce wants to capture Guangling, he must first go to Kuangqi City.
A day or two later, Chen Deng stood up and waited for a long time. He led 3,000 elite soldiers to garrison here. He climbed up the tower and looked at the river bank in the distance. He could see the shadows of warships lined up all over the river. The soldiers on board landed to join the formation. The crowds were crowded and the shouts were loud. Equipment is being moved.
Chen Dengnai abandoned many city defenses outside the city. He was confused as soon as he came up. So many soldiers and horses? !
"A rough estimate of how many people Sun's troops have come?!" Chen Deng asked the meritorious officers around him.
The meritorious officer Chen Jiao, named Ji Bi, was invited by Chen Deng to be the meritorious officer. This man's original surname was Liu, but he changed his surname to Chen because he adopted his mother's family. He fled to Jiangdong in his early years and was invited by Chen Deng to be the meritorious officer.
In these years, Chen Deng not only entertained idlers from all over the world in Guangling, he also found some capable people with good talents, and Chen Jiao was one of them.
He has the talent and learning to govern the county, and he is able to assist Chen Deng as a meritorious officer. He is able to discuss many important matters with ease, and they are quite harmonious.
"Prefect, Sun's army has too many troops. There should be more than ten thousand people and a lot of siege equipment. If they form a formation, it will be difficult for us to resist," Chen Jiao said with his hand in hand.
"Although our city is strong, it can't resist for too long. I'm afraid we need to send flying cavalry to Xiapi immediately to ask for help."
"Well, of course we have to invite reinforcements, but I think there's no need to worry," Chen Deng said with a blank look in his eyes, looking at the Jiangdong soldiers who were gathering their formation.
He murmured: "If you don't stand firm, you will waste your military strength. The enemy is coming fiercely, so you must not touch its edge. You should silence your troops and the city gates tightly, so that they cannot feel the reality."
"In this case, Jiangdong soldiers will not attack immediately and will be confused," Chen Deng said calmly. Although he was turbulent in his heart, he would not show it in front of the soldiers.
Chen Jiao was speechless. He could feel the worry in Chen Deng's heart. If he contacted what he said, he would naturally understand his thoughts.
So he cupped his hands and said: "The prefect is sitting on the city, I will send someone to ask for reinforcements."
"Then, order the soldiers to lower the flag to confuse the enemy."
"Yes," Chen Deng nodded gently, still quietly observing the gathering of the sergeants.
Soon after, the flags on the city fell down, and the sergeants holding crossbows squatted behind the wall. Only a few people were walking around, as if they were on daily patrol. Chen Deng stood with his hands behind his back, straightening his back and standing beside the wall, showing no sign of any harm. Fearing the coming of the dark and overwhelming army.
Among the enemy troops, the leading generals were quite powerful. The weapons they held were much better than others, and their armors were also fully armored.
They can be identified at a glance, and the tallest person in the middle has an even more unusual appearance.
It was difficult to identify him from a distance, but you could see the dark robe he was wearing, with wide sleeves hanging down, and light armor on his chest and abdomen, which made him look majestic.
Chen Deng could vaguely see that although there were many generals in this army, the man in the middle was the chief general.
"If the prediction is correct, this person should be Sun Ce's trusted general, but he is not Sun Ce," Chen Deng murmured.
It is far away from the army, but the view is naturally wider from a high place.
"There are many generals with such majestic appearance among the Sun family in Jiangdong. It is rumored that Tai Shici from Donglai and Zhou Yu, Jiang Zuolang, are both great talents, but I don't know who they are." Chen Jiao came from behind and sent an order. After returning, he and Chen Deng looked at the military situation.
You can vaguely see the word "zhou" written on the rolled-up main flag, "Could it be Zhou Yu?"
"No," Chen Jiao shook his head and said, "I heard that Zhou Lang is very handsome and has a neat beard. This general is more aggressive and rough with a thick beard. He should not be Zhou Yu."
"The general named Zhou under Sun Ce, who fits his appearance, should be Zhou Zhang. Sun Ce didn't come in person. I'm afraid he felt that Kuangqi City was inevitable."
"No, that's not right." Chen Deng touched his chin and remembered some other news, "Sun Ce has been attacking Huang Zu westward. He wants to cross the Yangtze River and expand his territory westward."
"I'm afraid, it's not that he looks down on us, but the main force of the army is still attacking Huang Zu on the west side and cannot rush to Kuangqi City immediately. This battle is not the main force. These Jiangdong soldiers and horses seem to be menacing, but in fact... The end of the powerful crossbow.”
"Hold on!" Chen Deng strengthened his inner thoughts. Sun Ce himself was not in the future, and the military's morale would certainly not be so united. If the situation went their way, their morale would naturally be high.
But once it enters a period of decline and disadvantage, and the morale of the military is in chaos, it is impossible to regain the military strength at its peak, and even being defeated is not impossible.
Chen Deng and Chen Jiao raised their heads and looked into the distance. They saw that the warships parked on the distant river bank were quite crowded. It was not easy for those large ships and warships to turn around in an instant.
From this, Chen Deng came up with a plan and whispered to Chen Jiao: "Ji Bi, look at those warships, they are all far away from the soldiers and horses. If all these people get on the ship and flee, how long will it take?"
"The more chaotic it is, the longer it will take. It won't last more than an hour, or even longer."
Before Chen Jiao could answer, Chen Deng was already elated, "If we can hold off these Jiangdong soldiers for a few days, or even ten days, we can have a chance to counterattack."
"There's something going on..." Chen Jiao put his head out to observe, nodded in agreement, and murmured: "This is what Junhou said about the dangerous moves of the army, the combination of virtual and real, what does the old sow wear... a mask, one set and another set."
"Don't mention him, don't mention him!!" It's okay not to mention the word "junhou". As soon as he mentioned it, Chen Deng immediately jumped up and down, almost yelling.
"He, he!!" Chen Deng wanted to speak urgently several times, but he clenched his fists and endured it. Finally, he took a deep breath and gritted his teeth and said: "He said, half a year in Guangling, half a year!! "
"It's been several and a half years now! It's been four and a half years, and I've almost turned Guangling into a large county!"
"Two years, do you know how I spent these two years?!"
Chen Deng was a very pragmatic and trustworthy person, but Zhang Han was transferred to Xudu as an official six months after he agreed.
Now there is no letter at all. I have already sent countless letters to Zhang Han, but no reply at all.
On one occasion, he even gave a thousand gold coins to someone to send him back, as if he was sending Chen Deng to keep quiet.
Chen Deng became angry when he thought of this incident, and even scolded Zhang Han several times after drinking. Of course, he never said it again after he sobered up the next day.
"But -" Chen Jibi was a little depressed for a while, and then said softly, "The prince also said in his letter that if you wait not long, you may be able to wait for a great achievement."
"Now, isn't this achievement coming?"
Chen Deng was startled...
Then he turned his head solemnly, squinted his eyes slightly, nodded and said, "It makes some sense..."
"Could it be said that Bo Chang had already anticipated today's situation?" Chen Deng turned back to look at him blankly, feeling quite unconfident in his heart.
"So, this is what he said about his achievements in Guangling?"
"It must be this one!" Chen Jiao almost exclaimed and shouted.
"Okay, follow the plan."
Chen Deng's eyes suddenly showed a strong fighting spirit. If this is what achievement means, then he must win beautifully!
"Go down the order and stop the drums!"
As Chen Deng shouted, military orders continued to spread, and the military flags on the Kuangqi Tower were gradually lowered. There was no one on the entire tower, as if no one was guarding the city.
When Zhou Zhang, who was leading the army from outside, saw this scene, he also ordered the left and right sides to postpone their march, stop first, and sent out sentries to observe the city gate, but no one was seen.
After reporting the news, Zhou Zhang personally led his troops to check and found that no one was in the city, so he was frightened and puzzled.
"Why is there no one there? It must be a trick of the enemy, or there may be an ambush nearby. They set up camp first and then explore later."
After Zhou Zhang gave the order, he ordered the soldiers to retreat a few miles and set up camp on the spot, using materials from the nearby mountains and forests.
In the evening, he came to inspect the city again, but he did not find any soldiers and horses guarding the city gate.
He became more and more suspicious. He didn't know if Chen Deng was making a fool of himself or if reinforcements had really arrived.
So he continued to garrison and did not dare to attack the city immediately. He had to see the troops and horses arrayed on the city to know the enemy's strength.
For several days in a row, there were more and more garrison troops on the city, but they did not look like they were in full formation. They were just a few hundred soldiers patrolling the city back and forth according to their arrangement.
He seemed not to worry about the army outside the city at all, turning a blind eye and everything was as usual.
The longer Zhou Zhang waited, the more confused he became.
"What is this Chen Yuanlong doing..."
(End of chapter)
