Chapter 19: Xu Fu of Yingchuan
Qiao Yan's knowledge of Huangfu Song was limited to the few sentences recorded about him in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, and his knowledge of Zhu Jun was also limited to his life.
Before making this move, she thought about how to ensure that what she said would leave a deep enough impression in their minds.
She may not be able to give a perfect answer, after all, anyone's judgment on other people's behavior is bound to be subjective.
However, she could give an answer that would definitely be above 90 points in the context of the Han Dynasty.
"filial piety".
This is an answer that can never be wrong.
The Han Dynasty has continued to this day. With the exception of Liu Hong, who is still the emperor today, and Liu Xie, who is still called Dong Hou and will succeed to the throne as Emperor Xian of Han in the future, a total of 17 emperors added the word "filial piety" to their posthumous titles. The only two exceptions are Liu Bang and Liu Xiu, the founding emperors of the Han Dynasty.
Even Emperor Wu of Han was posthumously named Emperor Xiaowu.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Han Dynasty engraved the doctrine of filial piety on the throne of the emperor.
And this was not even something that was merely based on the slogan of "governing the world with filial piety". In addition to tax exemptions, granting silk, and granting titles, the most famous way of promoting talents in the Han Dynasty was called selecting filial and honest people.
Coincidentally, although Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun were born in a military family, one was from a poor family, and the other was from a general family, they were both selected as filial and honest officials.
In the Han Dynasty, where filial piety culture is deeply rooted among the people and has already exerted a deep-rooted influence, there is no need to delve into whether filial piety is genuine or just a formality.
All Qiao Yan had to do was to use the rules to earn himself an excellent early resume.
When she stood up and met the gazes of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, she was certain that her bet was absolutely right.
"He is loyal and righteous, courageous and filial," Zhu Jun said with emotion.
What appealed to him most in Qiao Yan's words was undoubtedly the word "parents" without missing any of them.
He lost his father at an early age and was raised by his mother. He was recommended as a filial and incorrupt official by the governor of Kuaiji because he diligently supported his mother. The extra word in Qiao Yan's words resonated more with him.
If he and his mother were caught up in the Yellow Turban rebellion and his mother died, would he risk his own life and do his best to eradicate the Yellow Turban bandits?
Maybe.
Zhu Jun looked at Qiao Yan with even more admiration in his eyes.
After hearing what Huangfu Song said immediately afterwards, he confirmed that Huangfu Yizhen had roughly the same idea as him at this time.
But because Huangfu Song was closer to Qiao Yan in terms of family background, his words were more friendly and teasing: "Didn't you say yesterday that there was no need to kill these surrendered Yanyu Yellow Turbans?"
"These are two different things." Qiao Yan replied, "We don't kill these rebellious Yellow Turbans. First, the general needs to make a concerted effort to go north to eliminate the bandits. Killing them now is meaningless. Second, the population of the two states is exhausted and declining after the rebellion. Most of the Yellow Turbans are fools who blindly follow the orders. Killing them is useless. It will make it difficult for the two states to improve their livelihood and restore production."
Huangfu Song nodded and motioned Qiao Yan to continue.
When he was in the capital Luoyang, he heard Qiao Xuan mention that his eldest son's talent in political affairs was not very high. In addition, Qiao Xuan had not accumulated much wealth after being promoted to the position of Grand Marshal, and had no intention of buying a good official position for him. Letting him sit in the position of Rencheng Xiang was a way to preserve his life.
But now it seems that what Qiao Xuan meant by low talent may not be the same as what he understood as low talent.
If it weren't for the far-sighted guidance of elders, Qiao Yan would not have been able to acquire such abilities at such a young age.
Fortunately, the Yellow Turban Rebellion did not kill such a talented young man.
Qiao Yan continued, "But Bo Cai is different. He knew that my father's carriage was not made by a commoner but by an official, yet he still allowed his men to attack, causing my father's death. He has absolutely no respect for the Han court and should be punished according to the law. If we simply show leniency to him, it will be like what General Zhu said, allowing the subjects to rebel without fear."
"Yes, this man should be killed." Huangfu Song agreed with her statement.
"Yan did not seek the merit of beheading Bo Cai in battle. This time, he was captured thanks to the strength of the warriors from Chenliu and the decisiveness of the general's order to encircle him. He only wanted to use his head to fulfill his filial duty."
As if he heard the indulgence in Huangfu Song's words, the tension on Qiao Yan's face became less tense.
She paused, and said in a slightly lower voice: "This matter is indeed against the order of the army, but I think what the emperor wants is peace in the world, and that the people can live in peace at home, fulfill their filial piety, and maintain their virtues. Even if I write it in the military report and submit it, I think the emperor will not hold it against me or the general."
She took a step back and said something childish, which made Huangfu Song stroke his beard and laugh, "Of course not! In ancient times, there were sayings about fanning the pillow and warming the quilt, carving wood to serve parents, and carp leaping from a spring, but they are nothing compared to your heroic feat of destroying the Yellow Turbans in two states while chatting and laughing. I will report this to the emperor after I march to Jizhou, and you can take the head of this talented person, but——"
Huangfu Song paused at this turn, but there was no additional condition. He just asked: "What do you think, Commander Qu of Yanzhou?"
Qiao Yan didn't think that just because he had used Liang Zhongning as a tool for so long, he had to take any responsibility for his personal safety.
There is no such thing as apology.
However, when she was in Yanzhou, she did get to know him a little. At least when he occupied Puyang, he did not do something like Bu Ji's attack on Juye. So he could still be saved.
She replied, "General, you might as well take him with you and let him see for himself the end of the Yellow Turbans. Most of the Yellow Turbans in Yanzhou still have some trust in him, and changing their mindsets could be helpful."
Huangfu Song didn't really care about Liang Zhongning's life or death.
What made Qiao Yan's words more pleasing to his ears was not "still of some use" but "the Yellow Turbans are doomed".
This younger generation, who was indeed extremely far-sighted and adaptable, felt that the Yellow Turbans would be destroyed sooner or later. Wasn't it because he had great confidence that Huangfu Song could achieve great success by pacifying the rebellion?
He laughed loudly: "I listen to you!"
When Qiao Yan walked out of the temporary command post in Changsha City, he felt a sense of relief that most of the dust had settled.
Last night after defeating the Yellow Turban camp, she said that she would meet him after everything was cleaned up. In fact, she did not continue to live in the Yellow Turban camp outside the city, but took Cheng Li and Dian Wei with her, and with the help of Cao Cao, found a place to stay in Changsha City.
Now that she had gotten the chance from Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song to gain more fame, she was not in a hurry to go back, but walked leisurely along the way back.
This was not the era when firearms were used, and the attack and defense of Changshe was still short-lived, so it was not necessary to dismantle houses to fill the gaps in defense equipment and eat tree bark to fill the gaps in food.
So much so that in the city of Changsha, after just one night, it seemed that no traces of the war could be seen.
Yingchuan...
[It's so strange, why did you go to see Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun today, and you were clearly talking about your own business, but you still got your counselor points increased? 】The system muttered.
Qiao Yan was not used to responding in his mind before, and mostly responded out loud. But now he is in Changsha City, surrounded by complicated people, so he always has to be careful.
She replied in her mind: "Because Huangfu Song has made up his mind to launch a surprise attack."
After temporarily settling down last night and getting some private space, Qiao Yan checked the system panel.
She was not surprised that she did not receive any basic points reward for her strategist's layout because of the destruction of the Yellow Turbans in Yan and Yu states.
Although her initial camp was Han, she had previously joined the Yellow Turbans, helping Liang Zhongning to first break through the fortress and then annex the Yellow Turbans. Since she had already received system rewards, a default "defection" setting had obviously appeared.
It is impossible to find a bug, and because of this, when she is still tacitly regarded as the "Yellow Turban Military Advisor of Yanzhou", the defeat of the Yellow Turbans by the Han army cannot be attributed to her.
But she did not gain nothing from the system.
The system had told her before that triggering the strategist achievement would also earn strategist points, and luckily, there was an item in the default achievement list called [Destroy a force after making a plan].
To put it in a word game, a foolish strategist can achieve this achievement if he causes the destruction of his own forces due to wrong decisions. An outstanding strategist can also achieve this achievement if he successfully assists the lord in destroying an additional force through decision-making.
Of course, if the former was not a situation like Qiao Yan's, where he took advantage of loopholes, it would sound a bit ironic.
As for why she had previously ordered Dian Wei to kill Bu Ji and Zhang Bo and push Liang Zhongning to the throne, but was unable to achieve this achievement?
Qiao Yan thought of an explanation.
The internal annexation of the Yellow Turbans in Yanzhou can only be described as a replacement of the leader of the team, rather than its destruction.
But when they were defeated by the Han army led by Huangfu Song, there was no doubt that the saying "Yanzhou Yellow Turbans" no longer existed.
The judgment of this achievement is reasonable.
The corresponding reward for [Destroy a Force] is 30 strategist points, which corresponds to 3 skill allocation points and 9 attribute allocation points, as well as a fragment of a basic formation method, which records the formation called Eight Gates Golden Lock.
This is already a considerable gain!
And today, Qiao Yan mentioned that he wanted to sacrifice Bo Cai's head to his parents, which was equivalent to "abandoning darkness and joining the light" after taking the bright path. In addition, Huangfu Song's decision to launch a surprise attack was inseparable from Qiao Yan's instigation, so he got the subsequent settlement.
This was a risky action from beginning to end, but the final result was gratifying, which made Qiao Yan happy.
With these skill points and attribute points, she can do a lot more.
For example,
riding.
This is not a skill that can be improved rapidly through a short period of training.
Her talent in this area is not yet enough for her to be able to keep up with the marching speed after just a short period of riding experience.
This is different from his own planning methods. Qiao Yan doesn't mind taking a shortcut by using plug-ins in this matter.
If she could not master the riding skills without falling behind, Huangfu Song would probably not agree to let her catch up with the marching team tomorrow, and would most likely choose to send her back to Liang State after she sacrificed Bo Cai's head in Dingtao.
But now that I have joined the fight against the Yellow Turban Rebellion, it would be a pity if I didn't witness the final battle of the Yellow Turbans with my own eyes!
What's more, the Great Sage Zhang Jue should have passed away before October this year. It was precisely because of the death of the leader of the Taiping Dao that the fighting effectiveness of the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou was greatly reduced and their fighting spirit was slackened, which allowed Huangfu Song to take advantage of the Yellow Turbans' unpreparedness and strike at them in one fell swoop.
But now that the Taiping Dao leader is still alive, no one can guarantee whether there will be any changes in this surprise attack given his appeal.
Qiao Yan didn't dare to say that she could plan everything out, but she intuitively felt that in such a big scene, she might still have some room to maneuver.
People are always a little greedy.
The 28 points of physique at the beginning have been allocated after the initial points, the battle to break through the fort, the elimination of Bu Ji and Zhang Bo, the measures to rectify the people's livelihood in Yanzhou, which indirectly affected Huangfu Song's decision-making, the fixed points obtained by signing in, and the 9 attribute points for achieving the achievement, and finally they were stacked to 50.
50 physical fitness
This can be said to be the physical value of an ordinary adult.
There is a huge difference between it and the original 28.
Even if there is no such opportunity for her to show her skills in the short term, and perhaps attribute points are not so easy to obtain, but with this foundation, it is enough for her to gradually improve her physical fitness through training.
Although she relied on her eloquence to get to where she is today, from being an orphan who lost her father and mother and wandered in the Yellow Turban Army in the turbulent Yanzhou, she has become a loyal and filial person in the eyes of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun.
but--
When Qiao Yan thought about the fact that Emperor Ling of Han had no remorse for the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and was still indulging in sensual pleasures, allowing the eunuchs and relatives of the emperor to fight with each other, and the Yellow Turbans rose up again in various places, and then after his death, there was the death of He Jin and the Dong Zhuo Rebellion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency.
This is not enough!
Excellent eloquence alone is not enough!
Emperor Ling of Han died in 189 AD, which was May of the sixth year of Zhongping, just over five years ago.
In the face of a more chaotic and disorderly situation, the identity of a noble family, the reputation of filial piety and eloquence may not be of much use. Instead, military strength is more secure.
She couldn't always use Cheng Li as the driver, nor could she expect Dian Wei to always be by her side during her subsequent actions.
It turns out that I still need to give myself another layer of protection.
And the matter of Jizhou suppressing the Yellow Turbans may be her most important opportunity in the next four or five years.
"Why are you thinking so much at such a young age?" Qiao Yan's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden voice. She looked in the direction of the voice and saw Cao Cao standing under the eaves opposite, looking at her.
Qiao Yan had no guilt feelings about having recruited Dian Wei as a bodyguard to ensure the personal safety of her as a "strategist", and having recruited Cheng Li to assist her in planning the defeat of the Yellow Turbans. Naturally, she did not need to feel embarrassed when facing Cao Cao.
It was the system that had chosen this identity for her earlier so that she could join Cao Cao's camp naturally, and now it seems to be quite optimistic about the other party.
It was probably because Qiao Yan was too opinionated about how to deal with the Yellow Turbans, so it muttered a few words, "We can build relationships in advance," and then quieted down.
Qiao Yan couldn't help but complain in his heart. The newbie system still has its advantages, especially when it knows very well what it means not to interfere in things that should not be interfered.
In a flash, she put away the thoughtful look on her face and bowed to Cao Cao, "Captain Cao."
Cao Cao is currently the Cavalry Commandant, which doesn't sound like a high title. The commander-in-chief of the army that is suppressing the Yellow Turban rebellion is still Huangfu Song, who is higher in rank than him. But if you really count, he is also an important official with a rank of two thousand stones. Qiao Yan should pay respect to him according to his official title and show courtesy as a junior to an elder, and there is absolutely no problem with that.
But Cao Cao was obviously not very satisfied with this title.
"I have had many contacts with your grandfather in Beijing..."
Qiao Yan almost thought that Cao Cao was going to say, "Why don't you just call me Lord Cao?" Fortunately, Cao Cao was not yet thirty years old and twenty years younger than Qiao Yan's father, so he would not do such a reckless thing.
Seeing that Qiao Yan seemed to have a strange look on his face, he smiled and continued, "I like to boast about my status, so I'll just acknowledge my old friendship with my grandfather. You are about the same age as my eldest son Ang, so just call me uncle. There's no need to be so polite and call me Captain Cao."
Qiao Yan agreed and called out "Uncle".
This Duke of Wei, who in the future of history would rule the world in the north and command the disobedient people under the emperor's command, had obviously retained most of his chivalrous and unrestrained character when he was young.
But just like Sun Jian, who is still serving as the military commander, no one would have thought that he would rise to prominence after bravely ascending Wancheng during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and gradually become a powerful hero. The little tyrant Sun Ce he raised even created the foundation of Jiangdong in one fell swoop. What about Cao Cao now?
Probably not many people would think that Xu Zijiang's comment "a traitor in peacetime, a hero in troubled times" is not actually a wrong statement.
But there is really no need to think so much about it now.
Qiao Yan also had to admit that although there were some suspicious anecdotes about Cao Cao in the records left by later generations, and there were also remarks such as "too narrow-minded and too suspicious" in later evaluations, it was indeed a very interesting thing to chat with him.
No wonder he was able to win over so many counselors and generals. In addition to the bargaining chip he holds, his personal charm cannot be ignored.
Qiao Yan, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun need to be extremely careful, but they can relax a little when chatting with Cao Cao.
After all, the topic of discussion was nothing more than Cao Cao mentioning some of the local customs and practices, such as the fact that the name of Changsha County came from the lush growth of trees in the community temple, and so on.
What makes people feel more relieved is that Cao Cao is smart enough and he would not ask questions like why she is dressed like that.
He had already guessed that Qiao Yan was Qiao Xuan's granddaughter, not grandson, so he was not surprised that she changed back into women's clothing.
His topic has turned to the Yingchuan family.
"Among the eight Xun clan dragons, Ciming is unparalleled. Unfortunately, Mr. Ciming fled south to the banks of the Han River more than ten years ago and secluded himself in seclusion to study, so I have no chance to meet him."
Xun Shuang and Xun Ciming were undoubtedly among the victims of the Party and Faction Persecution, but they lived in seclusion and became great scholars, which was also a way out.
But Cao Cao obviously didn't mention Xun Shuang to talk about the great scholar who was now in seclusion. The next moment, she heard Cao Cao ask in a somewhat sly tone, "Speaking of Mr. Ciming, we have to mention another person. Yesterday, I went to ask a few Yellow Turbans from Yanzhou for advice and chat. I heard that you found a cover as a disciple of Zheng Xuan?"
"It's just a temporary solution." Qiao Yan replied calmly: "If my uncle wants to laugh at me for this, then it would be unworthy of an elder."
For some reason, Cao Cao felt that Qiao Yan and he had a lot in common in terms of how thick-skinned they were.
It seems that there is no need to distinguish between Qiao Yan's false claim that Zheng Xuan was his teacher and Cao Cao's insistence on recognizing Qiao Xuan as a close friend.
He stroked his beard and laughed. "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Let's talk about the Xun family. Mr. Ciming is not in Yingchuan, but there are many geniuses in the Xun family. Xun Zhongyu refused to interpret the Spring and Autumn Annals. Xun Wenruo was praised by the famous Nanyang scholar He Yong as a talent who can assist the king last year. I heard that there is also Xun Gongda, who is a generation younger than these two and is not a simple person. I wanted to meet him before. Unfortunately, I have the important task of resisting the bandits and have no time to get away. Now I can rest for a while. My niece, are you interested in joining me to visit the Xun family?"
"...But I wonder what excuse my uncle has for coming to visit me?" When Qiao Yan heard what Cao Cao said, she felt that there was something else behind his words, and she was afraid that he was plotting against her.
The Xun family was often affected by the Party and Faction Persecution Disaster, but they were actually a clean family among the aristocratic families.
Although there was the fact that Xun Yu married the daughter of the eunuch Tang Heng, it was probably the result of coercion rather than surrender.
But what about Cao Cao?
His father was the adopted son of Grand Chamberlain Cao Teng. Cao Song still served as the Minister of Agriculture in the court. Three years later, he even donated money to get the position of Grand Marshal, but was quickly dismissed, which undoubtedly became a laughing stock.
This was not a critical moment for the Han Dynasty's downfall, and Cao Cao had not yet shown the courage and ability he had when leading his troops.
If this were to come to your door...
Maybe he's going to be beaten out?
Cao Cao stroked his beard and replied, "Zhong Yuanchang saw bandits besieging the city a few days ago, and in his distress he wrote a scroll. The brushwork and strokes in the scroll are very interesting, so I would like to borrow it. I would like to ask Elder Xun to comment on it. Is it okay?"
Zhong Yuanchang, also known as Zhong Yao, not only had the political ability to stabilize the current situation, but was also an excellent calligrapher.
There are also interesting rumors in later generations, such as that he vomited blood and fell ill because he could not get a certain calligraphy copybook of Cai Bojie. From this we can know that this person was not only a first-class manager, but also a master who was obsessed with calligraphy.
However, Qiao Yan felt Cao Cao's reason was unreliable. "Mr. Yuan Chang must have had a lot of exchanges with the Xun family. If he has any experience in writing, he can go there himself. Why bother your uncle to go there?"
This ridiculous reason sounds like it was deliberately made up.
Fortunately, he finally remembered to make up an excuse for himself. However, even if he came here just because he had long admired the reputation of the Xun family and just barged into the door, Qiao Yan probably wouldn't find it strange.
Who could blame him for the fact that the "A New Account of Tales of the World" even made up a short story about him and Yuan Shao trying to snatch a bride? This shows what people at that time thought of him.
Cao Cao laughed dryly twice, and felt that this junior was a little unlovable for exposing him so blatantly, so he simply said without hiding anything: "That's why I want to ask my niece to accompany me on the trip, and I will be your follower."
"Uncle has a great demeanor, not like a follower." Qiao Yan's words made Cao Cao happy again, but her next sentence was, "But I don't think Uncle has the opportunity to go to Yingchuan Xun's party."
"Why?" Cao Cao asked immediately after hearing her say it so confidently.
"Uncle, do you think General Huangfu will sit back and watch the opportunity slip away?"
Cao Cao frowned.
The fact that he was able to become the cavalry captain was not entirely due to his father's support. Although his tactical vision could not be compared with the future, he was a person who often pondered and had his own considerations.
Once he thought about Huangfu Song's decision not to kill the Yellow Turbans, he figured out some meaning behind it.
If it was really as he thought, then he would not be able to stay in this long-term community.
Yingchuan is a county. If we really want to go to Xun's house, plus there are always procedures to go through when visiting, I am afraid that the travel time will be considerable, which will definitely delay the march.
"I know that my uncle admires the talented Xun family members, but military affairs are like putting out a fire, so business is more important." Qiao Yan continued, "If Xun Wen can get the evaluation of Mr. Bo Qiu as a talent who can assist the king, he must be an extraordinary person. Now that the Party Ban has been resolved, he will have the opportunity to serve as an official in the court as a son of the Xun family. Why should my uncle worry about not being able to see him?"
How could Cao Cao know that by the time Xun Yu entered officialdom, the Han Dynasty had reached a point where the royal status was precarious, and Qiao Yan's so-called serving as an official in the same dynasty was completely impossible.
Although he felt a little regretful that he could not come to ask for an audience, he still couldn't help but smile, "Military affairs are like putting out a fire, what my niece said is right! Talented people can be seen all the time, and suppressing the bandits and putting out the fire is the top priority at the moment. Forget it, let's not talk about this."
Once he figured this out, he suppressed the depressed feeling of not being able to see anyone for the time being.
Before he even sent Qiao Yan back to his residence, a messenger came to find him. It turned out that Huangfu Song had the intention of mobilizing troops.
After he sent someone to send Qiao Yan back, he turned around and rushed to the place where the military affairs were discussed, and heard the marching plan arranged by Huangfu Song.
Huangfu Song formally ordered Zhu Jun and Sun Jian to attack Wancheng directly and encircle it together with Qin Zhe's troops. They must not give Zhang Mancheng the opportunity to go north from Jingxiang and seize Yique Pass.
He himself took Fu Xie as his deputy general, and together with the reinforcements brought by Cao Cao's cavalry commander, they penetrated Yanzhou and attacked Jizhou!
It would take some time to prepare the army for war. What was particularly important was that each department had to allocate some troops to guard the Yellow Turban captives in Yan and Yu states. Although this matter was temporarily entrusted to Zhong Yao, the handover of personnel was not something that could be explained in a few words.
When Cao Cao heard this arrangement, he knew that his plan to visit the celebrities in Yingchuan was completely ruined.
But regret? No regrets!
If Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun and Lu Zhi can successfully suppress the rebellion this time, they will surely be called famous generals of the Han Dynasty.
For him, Fu Xie, Sun Jian and others, what they lacked before was an opportunity to do practical work and enhance their reputation.
Now that we are about to face the main force of the Yellow Turbans, how can we have any regrets!
Qiao Yan thought so too.
What she needed at this moment was definitely not to get acquainted with someone first. This would not bring her any essential improvement effect, and her status as a junior of the Qiao family would not make the aristocratic families look up to her.
On the contrary, what she needs is to let her fame continue to grow until others can no longer ignore her.
Whether as a counselor to a powerful lord, or...
In short, there will be no difference in this step.
What is more important to her is to seize the existing resources at hand.
Here it specifically refers to Dian Wei and Cheng Li.
At this moment, Cao Cao and Sun Jian, having received orders from Huangfu Song, were preparing their weapons and assigning personnel. By the way, you said to me, "Once the siege of Wancheng is resolved, the threat to the eight passes of Luoyang from the Yellow Turbans will be almost gone. This is a top priority." I replied, "Zhang Jiao is the leader of the Yellow Turbans. If he can be defeated, the Yellow Turbans' power throughout the world can be resolved. This is a way to remove the fuel from the fire." We each had a good look at each other's prospects, and Qiao Yan went to find Cheng Li.
As for why not look for Dian Wei first?
Dian Wei is actually not that difficult to control.
Her actions not only ensured that Dian Wei's fellow villagers were safe, but also ensured that he would receive a lot of rewards for his contribution in capturing the two Yellow Turban leaders, Bo Cai and Liang Zhongning.
For a military commander whose bravery and strength far surpass those of ordinary people, achieving great achievements and conquering the land are truly the ultimate ideals in life.
Even if we are only fighting against the Yellow Turbans and achieving some results, it is still much better than just being a chivalrous man with a sword, seeking revenge in the city.
Besides, not to mention that Qiao Yan had the idea of bringing this bodyguard with him, Huangfu Song would definitely not miss such a capable warrior.
Who knows if with this additional fighting force, we can come up with a surprise victory.
But Cheng Li and Qiao Yan were a little uncertain.
The reason why she was able to convince Cheng Li to join forces with her was ultimately because Cheng Li, as a native of Yanzhou, had a protective mentality towards his homeland.
He tried to persuade the powerful Xue family to guard Dong'a in order to keep his hometown safe and stable amid the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which was also the spread of the local party thinking.
But it may not be so easy to get him to participate more deeply in the fight against the Yellow Turbans and change his previous idle status.
Before he responded to Cao Cao's call to serve in the government, he had repeatedly refused the call of Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou. It can be imagined that he was a person who had his own ideas about the current situation and was picky about the people who assisted him.
His prophecy of seeing Mount Tai holding the sun in his dream may also be a symbol.
So Qiao Yan and Cheng Li were kneeling opposite each other at this time.
She had to talk to him in person.
Being in the city of Changsha in Yingchuan, they were temporarily staying in the house of the Zhong family, so it was not too difficult to find a set of tea sets. Qiao Yan also managed to create a scene that was quite elegant, and at this moment there was a cup of hot tea placed in front of the two of them.
The rising heat made her eyes look more profound and mysterious. She was silent for a long time before she asked, "What are your plans, Mr. Zhongde?"
Cheng Li was not surprised that Qiao Yan would ask such a question.
During the time he had been in contact with Qiao Yan, it was not difficult for him to see that her abilities were far beyond the limits of her age, and her thoughts and concerns were by no means as simple as what she mentioned in the letter.
In the other party's excellent operation of the orphan's revenge, if her purpose was only revenge, then she could have retired now. At most, she would have to build a cenotaph and perform a blood sacrifice at Bo Cai's command.
But obviously, seeing that she still didn't seem to be under a heavy burden, Cheng Li judged that this had not yet met all her expectations.
But perhaps, just like when he was watching the siege of Changsha that day, Cheng Li was unable to see what she was thinking because of his experience, and it is the same now.
However, he could give a reliable answer to Qiao Yan's question, "Now that the Yellow Turbans in Yanzhou have been pacified, it is natural for me to return to Dong'e and study behind closed doors."
Qiao Yan twitched the corner of his mouth slightly.
This statement doesn't sound credible at all.
Studying behind closed doors is understandable for young people, but for someone like Cheng Li, who is already over 40 and does not really regard learning as a career, it is a pure waste.
But in a conversation, you don't have to expose the other person's words that leave room for maneuver right away; you have to say it in a roundabout way.
She took a sip of tea slowly and asked again, "But Mr. Zhongde, do you really think Yanzhou has been pacified?"
To say that Yanzhou is a place full of disasters is really an understatement.
Now they have lured the Yellow Turbans of Yanzhou into the territory of Yuzhou, and it is true that they were surrounded by the Han army, but what happens after that?
In 191 AD, the Black Mountain Army, led by leaders such as Yu Du, gathered the followers of Yufuluo, a Xiongnu from Hedong, and attacked Yecheng in Jizhou. They also sent some troops to attack Dongjun in Yanzhou.
In the same year, Li Jue led his troops to Zhongmu and defeated Zhu Jun. He then marched into Chenliu and Yingchuan. The Book of the Later Han records that "he killed and looted both men and women, leaving no one alive wherever he went."
In the same year, the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou were defeated by Taishan Prefect Ying Shao and withdrew from Taishan County. They went west to Yanzhou this year, which was the rebellion in Rencheng and Dongping.
These three lines of looting and invasion occupied seven of the eight counties.
These were also the two years when the situation in Yanzhou was the most chaotic.
Of course, before or after this point in time, Yanzhou has hardly ever been peaceful, and this is how it got its reputation as a place where four wars broke out.
Cheng Li would not fail to see that Yanzhou's location and the resources it had accumulated over the years would inevitably lead it to face such a situation.
Now that he is in such an environment, it is impossible for him to remain immune.
Rather than dealing with one thing after another, it would be better to use this Yellow Turban Rebellion to get a clearer picture of what the current situation of the Han Dynasty is like.
Qiao Yan added, "Mr. Zhongde, you don't have to rush to answer my question. I have a few more words to say. Please listen to them for now. It won't be too late to reply after you have finished listening."
"I am still young and have little knowledge. If you insist on asking me why these Yellow Turbans would go to the point of rising up, my answer will only be superficial. In the end, it is not just because the Great Sage Master really has the power of spells and is favored by the Yellow Heaven."
"Some of the words may seem rebellious, but at its core, it's still just one word."
Qiao Yan had just put the teacup back on the table, and now he dipped his little finger in the tea and dotted it on the table.
Cheng Li lowered his eyes and saw that she had written the character "田".
"I have the heart to serve my country and save Han, so I would like to ask Mr. Zhongde to go north with me to listen to the words of the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou."
When the Han army was ready to set out on the second day, Qiao Yan brought Cheng Li and Dian Wei with him.
Cheng Li finally agreed not to go back to Dong'a for the time being to further his studies, but to practice the mantra of "reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles" and go to Jizhou with her to meet the Yellow Turban Army who were truly around the core figures.
The system always felt that this way of persuasion was a bit strange. In short, considering the goal of becoming the number one strategist, doing so did not make much sense. However, the reasons given by Qiao Yan left the system with no way to refute.
She said: "From the early Han Dynasty, when Empress Lü implemented the two-year law and proposed the policy of granting land to the tiller, to the end of the Han Dynasty, when powerful people rose up and annexed land, which became an important reason for the Yellow Turban Rebellion, there are certainly many changes in the history books, but if you really want to push a prince to the position of quelling the rebellion and stabilizing the country, you can't just have a superficial understanding of it."
"I studied history, not down-to-earth topics like farmland. It would be best to gather more information with the help of a local resourceful person."
"Besides, even if this action actually helps Cheng Li's strength, so what? As the so-called number one strategist in the world, since he is number one, there is naturally this comparison. I just need to make sure that Cheng Li's strength does not surpass mine, don't you think?"
System: […Is that so? 】
The function of the system is to record the host's words exactly as they are. It read Qiao Yan's words again and only saw the eight words "inspection and study" and "healthy competition". It immediately felt that there was no problem!
As for the host upgrading his horse riding skill to level three, it was only to achieve this goal.
Very reasonable! That totally makes sense!
It watched as its host refused to arrange a carriage for her, and instead asked Cao Cao to find a docile warhorse for her. It then turned over and mounted the horse, feeling that the posture was quite heroic and unrestrained.
Although this does not seem to be consistent with the inherent impression of strategists, when compared with Cheng Li next to him, the system feels that if he wants to be stronger than the other strategist, he must surpass the other in all aspects.
Cheng Li is not bad at riding, so Qiao Yan naturally can’t be too bad.
The system paid attention to the expressions of Huangfu Song and others again, and found that they still admired Qiao Yan, so it guessed that this performance could probably increase his impression points.
It was about to praise its host again, but suddenly it saw a boy of about fifteen or sixteen rushing out from the team, standing in front of the horse that Qiao Yan was riding, interrupting the words it was about to say.
Qiao Yan looked him up and down and realized that this young man was not a regular soldier in Huangfu Song and Cao Cao's team, but a Yingchuan ranger recruited to supplement the manpower in the battle to defend Changsha.
It was not difficult to identify him from the long sword on his waist that was not a military standard.
After the Battle of Changsha, Huangfu Song gave them two choices to prevent the marching plan from being leaked.
One is to stay in Changsha City temporarily and leave on their own after a month. During this period, the city will not reduce their food supply, and the Zhong family of Changsha will also be grateful for their maintenance of this place and give them money and food rewards when they return.
Another option is to go to Jizhou and participate in this surprise attack plan.
This person chose the latter.
What made Qiao Yan feel somewhat interesting was that during the march, everyone else was paying close attention to the high-spirited appearance of the commander Huangfu Song, and even tried to gain a sense of presence in front of him in order to have a chance to be reused in the subsequent battles. Only this young man -
He looked at the girl, who was younger than him, without disguising his respect and admiration in his eyes.
When someone asked him to return to the team, he said to Qiao Yan loudly: "Xu Fu of Yingchuan, please help lead the horse for the young lady."
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