"Haha, that's ridiculous," Zhang Han waved his hand, "When they refused to give Sun Ce the post of Grand Sima, at least five of his advisers had already expected that he would definitely attack our territory, which is the easiest place to break into. , is actually Guangling.”
Zhang Han's face was calm and not arrogant, speaking modestly.
Chen Jiao had no choice but to believe this. After all, Xu Du's soldiers and horses had already rushed to Kuangqi City one step ahead of him. If he hadn't judged Sun Ce's movements in advance and took precautions, how could he have done it so quickly.
At this moment, when Chen Zhengzheng was about to speak, he saw an old Confucian scholar standing up cheerfully from the corner of his eye and said: "The Lord's words are wrong. There are many people who can understand the situation. But if you really join with the Lord in urging the troops to be sent immediately, you dare to It is asserted that Sun Ce from Jiangdong will definitely come to attack Guangling, but only Guo Jijiu is there."
"In this section, I am not as good as the two of you. This is where the courage lies."
"Yes," Zhang Han nodded. This was indeed the case. The others were conservative, knowing that if they made a mistake in calculation, suddenly mobilizing an army to go near Guangling would actually be a waste of people and money.
Even if an unexpected situation occurs during the march, the crops of ordinary people will be damaged. This will naturally cause huge losses but the effect is unknown.
Guo Jia and Zhang Han advocated this, which made many people confused and speechless, but now that the results are here, the reputation they have gained is also great.
"Hey, being conservative is not a bad thing. Most people are divided into two types. One is that I would rather make a mistake than do nothing; the other is that I would rather do nothing than make a mistake."
"Haha," Jia Xu and Chen Jiao also found this interesting and laughed a few times.
In the end, Chen Jiao accepted Zhang Han's invitation to play in Nanlin Mountain for a while.
"Ji Bi, the mountains and rivers here are beautiful, and there is a manor on the mountain. You can choose a courtyard to live in for a few days. It has been raining continuously these days. When the weather gets better, I will take you to Xudu to meet the prime minister, and then enter the palace."
"No, no, no, please don't bother me. Please go and do your own business. How dare I ask you to accompany me."
Chen Jiao is an upright and upright person. He knows in his heart that there is a huge gap in status between him and Zhang Han. If he is asked to accompany him, it will probably be a ridiculous joke if he goes out in the future.
Moreover, Zhang Han was probably just talking.
Who knew that as soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Han pulled him lightly and said, "What are you afraid of?"
"I know you are coming. I originally planned to go back home, but I have postponed it for a few days. I am waiting to take you to Nanlin Mountain for a few days to play, whether it is hunting, fishing, or studying in the mountain courtyard. , have their own fun, and then go back to Xudu together, I just happen to go home to stay for a while, wouldn’t it be a good time to go together?”
"This..." Chen Jiao was still hesitating, but Zhang Han's tone was too relaxed and there was no airs at all, as if he was receiving a friend from afar, making it difficult for him to refuse.
Zhang Han slapped him a few more times and said, "You are from Yuanlong, so naturally you are my friend. Why are you so pretentious? Nowadays, Confucian scholars advocate being free and unrestrained. Confucian scholars like us should be noble men, not rotten Confucians."
"The Lord is right!" Chen Jiao was convinced and bent down to salute.
It was only at this moment that he took out the letter written by Chen Deng to Zhang Han and said with a smile: "The eunuch said that you can just read it and there is no need to reply."
"Huh? Why?" Zhang Han gave him a strange look.
Dianwei said in a loud voice behind him: "You must be afraid that it will be difficult for others to carry it."
"Shut up! No one will think you are mute if you don't speak!!" Zhang Han frowned and uttered a classic saying that his teacher loved to scold him when he was in school.
"Tsk," Dian Wei curled his lips but did not reply.
Zhang Han lowered his head and glanced at the letter, then stopped reading immediately, with a serious look on his face.
Chen Jiao was suddenly startled and asked hurriedly: "What's wrong with the Lord, but what's wrong with the letter?!"
Zhang Han murmured: "Oh no, you wrote a letter specifically to scold me..."
Dian Wei: "..."
Jia Xu:"……"
If the letter was a curse, it would be normal for him not to reply. Besides, Zhang Han had sent him to Guangling to govern for many years, and by this year he had almost forgotten about Chen Deng.
It seems more reasonable to curse a few times.
…
Chen Jiao stayed in Nanlin Mountain for two days, and on the third day he planned to go to see Cao Cao first.
Zhang Hanguo did not break his promise and accompanied him all the way. He even let him ride in the same car because he liked Chen Jiao's words and his loyal and kind qualities that he had praised several times.
On the carriage.
While the two were chatting, Chen Jiao also asked if there were any famous generals among the reinforcements going to Guangling this time.
"If you ask this, there are a few of them." Zhang Han thought for a moment and nodded: "Zhang Liao is one of them. He has quite a lot of experience in fighting Jiangdong, especially using his cavalry to break formations, kill Jiangdong infantry, and cut off soldiers and horses. He is extremely good at a type of battle when the warships are separated."
"In addition, among the three thousand soldiers transferred from Runan, there is a man named Xu Ding. He is not as brave as his brother, but now his prestige is almost the same, and he has achieved outstanding results in leading the troops. Oh, Captain Xu's younger brother Xu Zhongkang is now in The Prime Minister's Mansion serves as the commander and trains the guards."
"Oh, that must be a top-notch warrior," Chen Jiao was naturally in awe after hearing this. How can a person who can control the entire government body and internal guards in the Prime Minister's Mansion be an ordinary person?
"He's average, he's half-match with me... I often beat him alone," Zhang Han said naturally.
"Except for them, and then there are Xuzhou's soldiers and horses, Yu Jin, and chariots are rushing to support, Kuangqi City does not have to worry," Zhang Han smiled confidently, "I have seen that line of defense when I went to Wancheng in the early years."
"Later, I heard some things..." Zhang Han suddenly stopped when he said this and secretly observed Chen Jiao's face. He was indeed a little surprised, and then he had an unnatural wry smile.
Zhang Han smiled and said: "Ji Bi, you are a real person and you should know some secrets. You only need to answer yes or no to my next words."
"Yuan Long's uncle, Chen Yu, died at the hands of Sun Ce, right?"
Chen Jiao was startled, then nodded.
Zhang Han added: "The affairs in Yangzhou were too urgent back then. After Yuan Shu usurped the throne, the situation changed very quickly. It can be said that it is changing with each passing day. Chen Yu wanted to join forces with Yan Baihu and took advantage of Sun Ce to lead his troops to leave the headquarters. Seizing the land, he was defeated by Sun Bofu who left and returned."
"Thus, the Chen family and the Sun family have a feud, and the Jingzhou family and the Sun family also have a feud."
"So that's it," Chen Jiao suddenly raised his head, with a clear understanding on his face, and said with emotion: "No wonder, no wonder the prince would deliberately keep the prefect in Guangling to reject the Sun family, which would also grant him one of his wishes. "
"Jingzhou, Yangzhou, and Jiangdong can suppress each other. If Guangling can threaten Sun Ce from Jiangdong, he will have a difficult time in Jiangdong."
"That's right," Zhang Han's eyes became serious, "The letter he wrote to me was indeed a pouring out of bitterness to me, asking me to abide by my original promise, list his achievements, and ask the emperor to grant him a title."
"That's no problem, but I still don't want to transfer him back to Xudu."
"If he comes back, it means that after the defense change, it may be risky to guard against Jiangdong, and Chen Yuanlong will also miss this opportunity to make a name for himself. Once the expansion and development of the Sun family is curbed, this achievement will be revealed later."
The most important thing is that I have just started to collect my war achievements while lying down. Who will make up for the God-given growth in martial arts and physical fitness that I lack every year when you come back?
"I understand. When I get back, I will explain your intentions to the prefect. There is another matter, and I plan to ask the prince to help me investigate." Chen Jiao bowed and assured Zhang Han. At this moment, he had already prepared his words in his heart. .
He understood Chen Deng's character. The prefect had little ambition, but he naturally did not refuse achievements and fame. His talents could be passed down to the world, and he would be extremely happy if he could glorify his ancestors.
If entrusted with an important task, he would accept it. He would not say anything about the hard work. He just thought Zhang Han had forgotten him because of certain things, so he felt resentful.
"Say," Zhang Han raised his hand without any embarrassment, "Say it without poison."
"Hmm..." Chen Jiao thought for a moment, and after finding his words, he said with an embarrassed smile: "When my governor was in Guangling, I heard that the scholars in Xudu had bad comments about him."
"There are many comments saying that he is arrogant and takes credit..."
"I didn't say that," Zhang Han waved his hands quickly with an unnatural look on his face. After speaking, he looked away, not intending to look at Chen Jiao.
"Uh..." Chen Jiao was stunned, "Why is Junhou so excited?"
"Am I excited? No..." Zhang Han touched his nose, "Well, I will inquire about this matter."
"Then it's up to you, the Lord."
"It doesn't matter, it's just some minor things that are criticized in terms of reputation. Yuanlong has always been generous, so he won't take it to heart, right?"
"Otherwise," Chen Jiao shook his head solemnly, "this year, the prefect's health is not quite right. He often can't eat or drink, and he is often in a bad mood. But when he hears these rumors, he will sit down Having trouble staying at rest, even vomiting and diarrhea, just like falling ill with cold."
When Zhang Han heard this, a strange look appeared on his originally leisurely and boring face. His eyes widened and he looked at him suspiciously: "How long have these symptoms lasted?"
"It's been a while, and within this year, the clues appeared."
"It's May now..." Zhang Han lowered his head and muttered. This year, it would be two to three months. It seems that it can be cured.
"Let him return to Xudu."
"No, Junhou, didn't you just say...that there were great achievements in Guangling..."
"It's terrible." Zhang Han shook his head. "This is because the body has already become seriously poisonous. It must have been caused by eating something unclean. This disease accumulated over a long period of time, causing diarrhea and vomiting, and repeated uneasiness."
"You go back and ask him whether he loves life or gold, whether he loves health or fame. After meeting with the prime minister today, Ji Bi immediately returned to Guangling. With my order, he walked along the horse trail at the post house and stopped to feed the horses at the post house along the way. Travel as soon as possible.”
"I'll give you a horse, and you can ride on it and run away."
"There's nothing to do now, but there's no need to..." After Chen Jiao said this, he couldn't say the next words.
He suddenly felt that Zhang Han was really fun to get along with. He was very hospitable and planned to stay in Xudu for a few more days.
But when he heard that Chen Deng was ill, he urged him to go back immediately and asked Chen Deng to return to Xudu.
The changing attitudes and decisions in this moment are actually the friendship between the two.
"No wonder, the prefect always mentions the princes. The truth is... there are few people in this world that he admires. I am afraid that the princes and prime ministers are the most admired by him."
"Look," Zhang Han raised his brows and immediately became interested, "There are very few people in the world who are convinced. What do you mean by this? It means that he is not convinced by other talents. Isn't this arrogance?"
"Yes, yes, that's what the Lord said."
Chen Jiao actually felt that these rumors from Xu Du were not completely false, and had something to do with Chen Deng's usual treatment of the talented people who came to visit him.
"The prefect, at first, received many wise men, and many wise men came to visit him. He was always friendly when receiving friends, and even chatted with the wise men until late at night. However, later he became more and more annoyed by this matter and said It's better to read at home and stop being keen on seeing guests."
"Later, the prefect became more and more disgusted because so many people came to visit him, and they all wanted to ask for something from him, or wanted to make friends to gain some reputation."
"That's why I became arrogant. Now that I think about it, it has something to do with the change in temperament. Of course, it may also be that Guangling really doesn't have talented people and has disappointed the prefect."
Zhang Han was silent for a moment and sighed deeply: "It's all my fault."
"Um?!"
What does it mean?
Chen Jiao was stunned when he heard this. What does this have to do with you?
Is there any inseparable connection between the great change of the prefect's temperament and you?
Zhang Han clapped his legs with both hands and said, "Isn't this just Dong Shi's imitation?"
"You mean, the prefect learned from you?"
Zhang Han said "Hmm" and wanted to follow the example of Wai Lu and find a few friends he liked and could chat with. Chen Deng might have been at Wai Lu in Xudu for a long time and thought he could find such a group of high scholars when he went out to look for them.
But in reality, there were so many bohemian and intellectual maniacs, so after Chen Deng made friends with many people, he found that most of them were trying to get close to him and gain some benefits, so he naturally became irritable.
After searching for so long in Guangling, didn't we just get a talented person like Chen Jiao?
"Go ahead. After defeating Sun Ce, transfer Yuan Long back. I will advise Wen Yuan to guard Guangling for the time being."
"Wei," Chen Jiao cupped his hands and had no doubts.
…
Above the court.
After Chen Jiao reported the battle at Kuangqicheng, the emperor was furious and immediately issued an edict to blame Sun Ce, remove his inherited title, and remove him from his official position as general.
Then he ordered Xu Ding from Runan, Yu Jin from Xuzhou, Chezhou, and Wugan Zhonglang to lead troops, totaling 30,000 men, to garrison and provide reinforcements.
But in fact, this was just a formality. These troops had already set off a few days ago.
Of course, Liu Xie didn't know about this. His process here was that he ordered Cao Cao to dispatch the order and dispatch it as soon as possible, and then the emperor and his ministers appeared to be in harmony.
Cao Cao obeyed Liu Xie's advice. At the same time, Liu Xie received a memorial from the Chancellor before going to court, telling him where there were garrison troops that could be mobilized.
In other words, in Liu Xie's knowledge, there are only a few military camps that he knows about. Apart from this, they are the Luyang garrison, the Hanoi garrison and Xiahou Dun in Dongjun. These are not easy to mobilize.
After the dynasty was dismissed, Chen Jiao immediately went to see Cao Cao again and prepared to bid farewell. He was still a little confused at the door and asked Zhang Han: "How can you persuade the prime minister to be transferred as a prefect and come back?"
"Hmph," Zhang Han raised his head slightly arrogantly, "Just wait outside. I have a sharp tongue and can make the lord obey my words. This is my Zhang Bochang's ability."
"Among Cao Ying's advisers, I am the most eloquent and the most knowledgeable."
Chen Jiao took a deep breath and his eyes were full of respect. He was worthy of being a king, with such confidence and magnanimity.
(End of chapter)
