Chapter 20: Marching into Xiaquyang
It was not uncommon to lead the horse and stirrup for the superior during the Three Kingdoms period, or in ancient times, but what made Qiao Yan concerned was his name.
Xu Fu of Yingchuan.
This is a bit earthy, and it's even the same name as the person sent overseas by Emperor Qin Shihuang to seek immortals and medicine.
But if we combine his age, his identity as a ranger, and the place where he appeared, it doesn't seem difficult to associate him with one person.
It is also a more familiar name than Xu Fu's real name.
Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi.
When Qiao Yan subsequently asked around to find out the other party's background, she confirmed that the other party was most likely the person she had guessed.
However, he was still a minor, so naturally he did not have the name Yuanzhi. He had not yet nearly fallen into a dying situation because of the revenge incident, and had not yet resolutely given up martial arts and devoted himself to studying after being rescued.
At this time, Xu Fu was still a young swordsman in Yingchuan County. He happened to encounter the Yellow Turban Rebellion. After settling his mother at home, he immediately rushed to Changsha, hoping to intercept the Yellow Turbans there to prevent them from causing greater chaos in Yingchuan.
At this time, he was undoubtedly far from qualified to be called a strategist, and he had not even read many books.
In Qiao Yan's opinion, he is still at the stage where he thinks he can solve problems by force.
Qiao Yan didn’t know whether he had experienced the Battle of Changsha in the original history, or whether he had joined the team heading north to Jizhou after participating in the defense of Changsha, but in any case, he was indeed here now.
According to Xu Fu, the battle to defeat the Yellow Turbans the day before was the first time he knew that someone could use verbal skills and misleading methods to cause infighting between the two sides of the Yellow Turbans, thus creating a breakthrough in the long-stalemate on the battlefield.
And because there were rumors in the army that she did this to avenge her parents, the matter was shrouded in a legendary color.
He was still young, and his chivalrous and martial nature made him more open about his emotions. Qiao Yan's behavior really made him regard her as... or perhaps in modern terms, he should regard her as an idol, so he simply ran over and threatened to hold her horse, which seemed not unreasonable.
As soon as he said this, Shangguan who had rushed over punched him.
For the soldiers, the ones who can help them win the battle are capable people. If the siege of Changsha continues, even if Huangfu Song may be able to find a way to break it, it will not change the predicament of having few people on his side, and it is inevitable that more people will be sacrificed.
This has nothing to do with Qiao Yan's age or gender.
What's more, some of the soldiers under Huangfu Song were brought by him from the border, and the older ones among these soldiers still had some impression of her grandfather Qiao Xuan.
The Du Liao Army stationed in Wuyuan had been confronting the barbarians outside the Great Wall for many years. Some of these elite soldiers had been feeling depressed because they were trapped in the city. The victory the night before relieved their frustration, so they were very fond of Qiao Yan.
In addition, during the three years that Qiao Xuan served as General Du Liao, the border was stable and the soldiers were never deducted in their treatment. Later successors over the past ten years did not dare to appear too badly compared to such a predecessor. As a result, his influence was greatly magnified, and some goodwill was also placed on Qiao Yan.
"This guy is smart. He can come up with such a face-saving idea." One of the veterans muttered, "But no one thought before that the lady would also ride a horse to accompany her."
"What's so strange about this? She is Mr. Qiao's granddaughter." another person replied.
After Xu Fu was hit on the head by Shangguan, he touched the back of his head and smiled.
In short, the job of holding the horse and stirrups for the great hero finally fell to him, so he did not lose out at all.
What's more, Qiao Yan seemed to be quite interested in Yingchuan. He asked him a lot of questions about Yingchuan, and even asked about what those people who were engaged in the "career" of knights usually did. It seemed that he valued him very much.
Xu Fu had no idea that he had revealed almost all of his family assets during this question and answer session, which also allowed Qiao Yan to further confirm that his identity was indeed the future Xu Yuanzhi.
"You seem to be very concerned about that boy?" Cao Cao asked when they paused halfway.
Qiao Yan calmly replied, "This is the first time I've encountered such a supporter who is willing to lead the horse. I just find it interesting."
Cao Cao looked at Xu Fu again, but still didn't feel that with his sharp eyes, he could see anything special about Xu Fu.
There are at least hundreds of young knights like him in Yingchuan, if not thousands, but he is not outstanding.
Anyway, he is not as capable as he was when he was a ranger!
Qiao Yan didn't want him to notice, so he just blurred the words and passed them over.
But even if she didn't change the subject, Cao Cao didn't have the extra energy to pay attention to Xu Fu.
When Huangfu Song was marching north quickly, he was missing Zhu Jun, who could discuss the marching strategy with him, so the important task naturally fell on Cao Cao.
On the way from Changsha to Jizhou, Huangfu Song summoned him frequently in order to determine a marching route.
In fact, later generations placed the iconic battlefield of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Guangzong, but if we must say it, Zhang Jiao's main force actually gathered in Yecheng, Jizhou to start the rebellion.
However, due to Tang Zhou's betrayal, Ma Yuanyi's death forced the army to start ahead of schedule. The main force on the northern line was launched in Julu County, the hometown of the three brothers Zhang Jiao, Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao.
Later, it spread from Julu to the surrounding areas of Guangping, Qinghe and Anping.
When Lu Zhi led the five armies of the Northern Army to attack, the enemy troops that were going to confront him appeared in Quzhou, Guangping County.
However, according to reports from spies, the main forces of Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang were still stationed in the Pingxiang-Guangzong line, which was basically at the junction of Julu and Anping, and was located in the southernmost part of Julu County.
Zhang Bao stationed part of his troops in Xiaquyang, ready to retreat and defend at any time.
This is the northernmost part of Julu.
The two sides, one in the south and one in the north, echo each other.
Huangfu Song and Cao Cao discussed the location where they would meet up with Lu Zhi's troops.
Huangfu Song originally intended to meet up with Lu Zhi at Ping'en, and then attack Quzhou and Guangzong directly at close range. However, he thought it would be a good idea to meet up early, reduce the number of stoves, avoid the spying of Zhang Jue's men, and give the other side an unexpected impression of favor when he showed up.
This dilemma made him choose to listen to Cao Cao's advice.
Cao Cao stroked his chin, looked back and forth at the map for a long time, and then said, "What my niece did in my previous life gave me some other ideas. I wonder if the general is willing to listen to my third plan."
Huangfu Song became interested: "Tell me about it?"
"I guess my uncle would say we might as well go straight to Xiaquyang."
After the marching plan had been drawn up and the direction of travel confirmed, Cao Cao obtained Huangfu Song's permission and mentioned the matter to Qiao Yan. Sure enough, he got the same answer from her.
"That's not hard to imagine." Qiao Yan continued, "With our numbers, even if we join Lu Gong's team, the difference between our numbers and the Yellow Turbans is not much. But the Yellow Turbans started their rebellion in Julu, and their morale is even stronger with their fellow villagers. They are also well-rested and ready to welcome our army. They have a huge advantage."
"Plus, Zhang Jiao commands people in a religious way, so his fighting ability is unpredictable. So, rather than facing such a situation, which may make the surprise attack ineffective, it is better to go straight to Xiaquyang to capture Zhang Bao, dress up as the Yellow Turbans of Quyang and go south to sneak into Guangzong City. This is truly amazing."
"Yes, that's exactly what I said to General Huangfu." Cao Cao clapped his hands and laughed, feeling more and more that Qiao Yan's talent in this area was amazing.
Of course, he couldn't help feeling that he had the ability to draw inferences about other situations.
"Of course, this method still has to be based on the premise that the person facing off on the front line is Lord Lu." Cao Cao thought about it and felt that this might not be a bad luck for them.
Whether in a frontal battle or a siege, Lu Zhi always relies on the word "stable".
From an outsider's perspective, the small victory between Lu Zhi and Zhang Jue was not so exciting.
But to those of them with military acumen, he lived up to the skills he had acquired while suppressing the rebellion in Yangzhou in the past.
If Lu Zhi hadn't been able to hold back the main force of the Yellow Turbans on the front battlefield, it would have been impossible for them to try to launch a surprise attack from the rear.
If we were to choose the greatest scholar in the world who could fight a war, it would probably be the General of the North.
An interesting thing is that the later White Horse General Gongsun Zan and Emperor Zhaolie Liu Bei were both disciples of Lu Zhi.
As for how much each person has learned, that depends on one's own opinion.
However, since they had to take Quyang first, Qiao Yan probably wouldn't be able to meet Lu Zhi so soon.
Of course, to be precise, in the previous plan of Huangfu Song and Cao Cao, Qiao Yan would have to wait until they returned to meet Lu Zhi, and the meeting would not be in Yanzhou, but in Luoyang.
After all, Huangfu Song had already informed Qiao Yan a few days ago that Qiao Xuan had become more seriously ill in March.
According to common sense, as his granddaughter, she should set off for Luoyang in the near future.
He said "soon" because Huangfu Song was not sure how many spies the Yellow Turbans had in Luoyang City, apart from Ma Yuanyi who had been torn to pieces. If Qiao Yan went back too early and the battle situation in Yanzhou was leaked, it would not be good.
Therefore, Huangfu Song would previously report on the battle situation in Yan and Yu states, and would report it after he entered Ji state.
By that time, even if there was some communication and the secret information was secretly delivered to Zhang Jue, it would not be able to affect the war situation at that time.
It would be best for Qiao Yan to set off at that time.
Of course, she herself did not make a clear statement about this plan, but she had already come up with another idea in her mind.
This change in the marching plan was not only not harmful to her, but rather a good thing.
If the original plan of meeting the troops in Quzhou was followed, the most suitable route to the north would be to follow the route that Qiao Yan and his group took, first passing Chenliu and returning to Puyang, and then going through Yangping to Guangzong.
But if you want to follow the detour route, the most suitable way is to pass through Dong'a, enter Jizhou, and take the Qinghe line.
This approach also means that the army will pass through Liang State and Dingtao on the way, without having to take a detour or delay.
When passing through Liang State, Qiao Yan found the Qiao family's land according to his original impression.
The Qiao family was not considered a wealthy family and did not have a fortress to protect them. However, although they were a noble family, they had almost no wealth, so they were able to avoid the risk of being robbed. This also allowed Qiao Yan to find clothes once used by his original parents in the ancestral home.
Huangfu Song thought he would see a scene of Qiao Yan hugging his elders and crying, but he saw that Qiao Yan just exchanged a few simple greetings with the elders, and then quickly left the place on the grounds that the march was urgent and could not be delayed.
"Would you like to stay for half a day longer?" Huangfu Song asked.
Qiao Yan shook his head silently.
These days, she had been thinking about how to establish a basic reputation for herself during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, so she inevitably neglected her memory of "Qiao Yan's" past words and deeds in the Qiao family's ancestral home.
In addition, her physique is slightly different from her original weak and frail state. If after two or three years, she can explain it by saying that her body has recovered a lot, but it is not possible now.
The more you talk, the more mistakes you make. It’s better to reduce contact.
It is not difficult to find a reason for her taciturnity, which is nothing more than being saddened by the scene.
That makes sense.
Except Dian Wei who was a little unhappy.
If she found it difficult to vent her sorrowful emotions caused by the scene, she could have beaten that guy Bo Cai a few more times before arriving in Dingtao instead of letting him learn to read and go to school with that kid Xu Fu!
He now felt that what Qiao Yan said before was pure nonsense, and it was a very good idea to let his future son learn it.
But if he was asked to refuse, he would never be able to do so.
Everyone in the military camp knew that he and Xu Fu were the first to receive such good treatment. In an era when knowledge was almost monopolized by aristocratic families, how many people would envy the opportunity to study.
Fortunately, he was relieved after passing Cao County. Qiao Yan asked him and Xu Fu to study on their own, while she stayed in the tent alone, doing no one knew what she was doing.
Others thought that she was feeling even more sad because she was about to arrive in Dingtao, the place where Qiao Yu died. However, only the counselor system knew that she was not the original Qiao Yan, so there was no need for her to feel sad.
When it saw Qiao Yan's actions, it felt that its entire system was in a trance and fell into a long silence.
Because she was in——
rehearse.
The system was certain that even if it asked, it would probably only get one reply. The scene of her meeting Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun in mourning clothes had not even reached the climax of her entire plan.
The highlight was killing Bo Cai in Dingtao to offer sacrifice to his father.
Dingtao is located south of the Ji River.
In the past, "Qiao Yan" passed by here with his parents and ran into Bo Cai's team heading south to Yingchuan, but now there is no trace left of the place where the battle took place.
This is not difficult to explain, but it makes people feel a little sad.
After the outcome of the battle was decided, the carriage frames were taken away and used as firewood, and the horses and people who fell dead on the ground had no chance of surviving in the face of absolute famine.
Even the blood that was originally soaked in the soil had been soaked deeper into the soil due to the rain in Yanzhou a few days ago.
The only thing that Qiao Yan could recognize when he returned to the old place was the arrow marks on the ground, which required a little attention to be seen clearly.
Of course, the arrows were gone, having been taken away and used as weapons.
She had a cold expression on her face, and her pale complexion, which was blown pale by the thin clothes she wore, contrasted with the white color of the mourning clothes, made her look particularly weak.
But she looked very dignified as she walked forward step by step, holding the clothes she had taken from the Qiao family's ancestral home, with her back straight.
It was not until the clothes were thrown into the brazier and burned to summon the soul that the firelight cast a slightly red hue on her face.
There were various ways to summon spirits in the Han Dynasty. For example, Emperor Wu of Han tried to summon the spirit of Lady Li and ended up creating shadow puppetry. It was also rumored that Fei Yi also had the same effect.
But these situations are somewhat different from Qiao Yan's situation where his parents' bodies are missing, so naturally what she says has the final say.
If it really doesn't work, just treat it as some unconventional custom. Anyway, the effect should still be there.
So she lit this fire to burn the clothes.
When the clothes were completely turned into ashes in the basin, the wind from the river blew up some embers, covering the candle in front. From Huangfu Song's perspective, he saw a few tears faintly visible in the corners of Qiao Yan's eyes, which were suppressed by her when she raised her head.
At this time, the wind blew up not only the old clothes in the brazier, but also the plain mourning clothes on Qiao Yan, so that when she raised her hand casually, the wide mourning robe formed a flying posture.
But this action of raising your hand is actually a signal.
Dian Wei saw this signal and brought Bo Cai over.
When Bo Cai first followed the team, he thought that the reason they brought him along was because they took a fancy to his identity as the commander of the Dafang Channel. They wanted to keep him locked up for a while so that when his defenses were down, he would reveal some secrets related to the Great Sage Master.
Who made Liang Zhongning, the leader, also be brought along? The two were imprisoned next to each other, and it seemed that they were treated the same way.
However, he never expected that Huangfu Song had no intention of engaging in a tug-of-war with him.
Those who should be released were still thrown in Changshe, those who needed to be warned continued to be detained, and those who should be killed were just like Bo Cai at this moment, so there was no point in letting him say anything extra.
He was brought in front of Qiao Yan, tied up all over, and at this moment, he finally felt a little panic in his heart.
This is not right! This is so wrong!
He still had some impression of this place.
After all, for him, killing Han officials and killing Han civilians are two different things.
He even mentioned at one point in his drunken boasting that the official who seemed to hold a high position and led so many guards was still eliminated there by their human wave tactics.
It's a pity that he seemed to have let a few people escape, which made it seem like he hadn't done his best.
But now he was brought here without being allowed to be free, and all he saw was Qiao Yan in mourning clothes with a cold expression. Even if he didn't know how to read minds, he could at least guess something about the current situation.
When he and Liang Zhongning were imprisoned together before, he was still cursing at each other, saying that bringing a military advisor was actually bringing the root of disaster that would lead to their destruction. If Liang Zhongning had not relied on her so much, how could he have given her the opportunity to scheme step by step.
But in the blink of an eye, he dug out a certain fragment of his memory, and Bo couldn't help but connect the little girl standing in the position of the judge with the figure who was fleeing in a panic. He suddenly realized -
He shouldn't scold Liang Zhongning! He should scold himself!
Why didn't he try harder at that time and let her escape successfully? Now he is going to die in her hands.
This was a retribution he had never imagined!
Seeing that Qiao Yan was looking at him as if he were a dead person, Bo Cai quickly racked his brain, trying to find a reason to stay alive.
Saying "I didn't kill your father" is useless.
Nowadays, most of the people killed by subordinates are blamed on the boss. If you really say that, it will probably anger the other party.
He could only grit his teeth and said in a trembling voice: "I know the military strength of Julu County. You can't kill me!"
However, his words seemed less likely to stir up waves in Qiao Yan's heart than the rushing Ji River in front of him.
She did not show any emotion because of this sentence, and even Huangfu Song did not think that he was going to reveal some important military secrets, so he could be spared for the time being.
The state he imagined of the butcher's sword stopping at this sentence did not appear at all. On the contrary, he only saw Qiao Yan walking towards Huangfu Song, and after stopping on his horse, he said: "General, please lend me your sword."
Huangfu Song handed the sword at his side to Qiao Yan.
Lending the weapon was not considered a presumptuous act at this time, but Qiao Yan was achieving the result that "Bo Cai died under Huangfu Song's sword."
This undoubtedly also completed his achievement of suppressing the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan.
He couldn't help but feel more sympathetic towards Qiao Yan for being able to think of this detail at a time like this.
This sword, which has been used by Huangfu Jie since he guarded Yanmen, was entrusted to Huangfu Song after he became an adult, and now is in the hands of a ten-year-old child.
The sharp weapon that had drunk the blood of the barbarians had a layer of cold light that was terrifying, but Bo Cai, who was dragged to the riverside and faced Qiao Yan, felt that the child's gaze was clearly colder than the sword.
Unfortunately, he couldn't move involuntarily, and facing this famous sword with a sharp edge that could kill people, he had no chance of survival at all.
After having seen Bu Ji and Zhang Bo die in front of her at such a close distance, it was even less likely that Qiao Yan would show any cowardice when it came to killing people with a sword herself.
Needless to say, she had practiced this many times when she was alone in her tent, and she was sure that she had enough strength to do this with her current physical condition.
She raised her hand, raised the sword, and swung it down.
The next moment, Bo Cai, who was originally forced to kneel by the Jishui River, fell down, and the blood flowing from his broken neck slowly flowed into the river.
He could no longer speak.
Although the blood would soon be diluted to an almost invisible level by the river water, Qiao Yan knew that this was enough.
The sight of the blood flowing into the Ji River was bound to be seen by the soldiers behind her, and perhaps would also be spread when they returned in triumph.
It is by no means that there is no trace left after the river flows.
It is quite interesting to say that in modern times, the name of Jishui has disappeared from the map, and its place has been taken by the Yellow River, but this was not the case in the Han Dynasty.
The saying of the four rivers, namely Jiang, He, Huai and Ji, still exists in this era.
The Ji River continues to flow eastward from the north of Dingtao City where Qiao Yan is at the moment, passes through the Heze Lake below, and then deviates to the northeast to reach Daye Lake and Juye City.
That was exactly the place where Qiao Yan was when he woke up when he first arrived here.
If Qiao Yan's mother really had a spirit, she should be able to see the blood of the bandit leader who killed her husband and indirectly caused the death of her and her daughter, and finally be carried by the river and flow to that place.
Having said that, Qiao Yan felt that she no longer had to feel guilty about occupying someone else's body and using her identity to do these things.
But she still stared at the river for a moment, then turned around and walked towards Huangfu Song, handing the sword to him.
"Qiao Yan is so abrupt. He wants to ask the general for something."
There was a splash of red blood on her white clothes, but this obviously did not affect her outstanding noble demeanor at this moment. On the contrary, because of the blood on her body, there was a murderous aura hidden under her seemingly soft appearance.
When Huangfu Song thought about this, he felt that it was somewhat strange that he had such an impression of her.
He retracted this inexplicable thought and replied: "Go ahead."
"General, please allow me to join the army and go to Jizhou." Qiao Yan said in a firm tone.
Huangfu Song was a little troubled.
It was a bit against the rules for her to do this in the army, not to mention that this was a surprise attack and forced march.
It was not difficult for him to guess what Qiao Yan meant by this. It was probably the same as her suggestion to keep Liang Zhongning alive and find a way to put him to good use.
She wanted to see the end of the Yellow Turbans with her own eyes.
But in this dilemma, he was inclined to take Qiao Yan with him.
After all, if it weren't for her actions, the Yellow Turbans in the two states would not have been resolved so quickly. If there were still remnants of the Yellow Turbans roaming around, they would most likely choose to take action against her. It seemed dangerous to leave her anywhere, so it would be better for her to follow the army.
Even if she had arrived in Luoyang a few days earlier, she would probably have to wait for their battle results with Qiao Xuan. This waiting situation was really difficult for a child and an old man. It would be better to wait until the result was known before entering Luoyang.
What’s more…
Who could refuse her request at a time like this?
Who can deny a child's wish?
At least Huangfu Song can't.
In addition, Huangfu Song had heard Cao Cao tell him exactly what she had guessed about taking Quyang first a few days ago, so he knew that Qiao Yan was not making it up, but had given a reason based on solid thinking.
It is not easy to find a decision maker who can respond quickly to combat situations. Qiao Yan is obviously an expert in this field and may be able to help.
Considering that——
She has Dian Wei and Xu Fu protecting her, so it is unlikely that anything bad will happen to her.
Her horse riding skills were not very strong, but at least she could keep up and was definitely not a drag.
Influenced by these reasons, Huangfu Song thought about it for a long time and finally agreed to her request.
Anyway, he even agreed to let Qiao Yan kill Bo Cai, so adding another person and taking him to Jizhou to fight the Yellow Turbans together would not be something too outrageous.
After Huangfu Song found an excuse for himself, he led his group across the Ji River and continued northward.
Before entering Jizhou, they rested for a day outside Dong'a City.
Although it is said to be outside Dong'a City, it is actually still quite a distance away from Dong'a County. At least not a distance that would allow the people in the city to notice that the royal army is passing through.
There is even a forest around it to block any prying eyes.
As Qiao Yan sat by the fire, he asked, "Mr. Zhongde, do you feel like you can't return home after having achieved great success?"
Cheng Li was a little speechless at Qiao Yan's teasing.
He replied, "It's fine for the Qiao family to see General Huangfu leading his troops north. After all, the Qiao family is still in opposition to the Yellow Turbans. However, there are all kinds of people in Dong'e City. It's hard to guarantee that besides the county magistrate Wang Du, there are still other people who have joined the bandits. To be safe, it's better not to enter the city."
"It was just a joke." Qiao Yan also laughed when he said this.
Cheng Li thought that this seemed to be the first time she smiled since the Dingtao chopping block, but he thought it would be better not to ruin her performance.
Then she continued, "I was just thinking that after Mr. Zhongde received my letter, he asked the Xue family to raise troops to surrender to Puyang, creating the illusion that all of Dong'e obeyed the Yellow Turbans. But in fact, Liang Zhongning did not go to Dong'e in person to confirm. Mr. Zhongde also came to Puyang afterwards. I guess you didn't explain this action clearly to the people of Dong'e County."
"That's right." Cheng Li and Xue's actions were carried out directly, just like the march at this time, which was something that few people knew about.
"In that case, it would be impossible for you to return to Dong'a to study. After all, General Huangfu would not agree to let you deliver the message to a place so close to Jizhou. My suggestion to invite you to go to Jizhou is actually a timely suggestion." Qiao Yan gave himself another reason with confidence. "Sir, you should thank me."
Cheng Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He found that Qiao Yan did better than anyone else when it came time to be decisive and ruthless, but when it came time to be childish, she acted in a way that was very appropriate for her age.
But it seemed that the shock, or the fear, that the scene he saw at the Jishui River had brought to him had been invisibly weakened.
Cheng Li couldn't tell whether this was a good sign or not. He turned around and saw that Qiao Yan had skipped this question again and was asking about the progress of Xu Fu and Dian Wei's studies when she was not supervising them in the past few days.
Xu Fu said something like he would help Qiao Yan hold the stirrups for her horse, which showed that he regarded her words as sacred. He even wrote down the books she said she wanted to read. It seemed that his memory was quite impressive.
As for Dian Wei...
Let’s not talk about it!
This scene looks quite chaotic.
Huangfu Song and Cao Cao listened to the noises outside the tent. Although they were still worrying about the wording of the document in their hands, they couldn't help but smile at each other at this moment.
"It would be better to state the death of Prime Minister Ren Cheng in the memorial. Your Majesty, please do not inform Lord Qiao." Cao Cao looked at the memorial that had already been drafted in front of him, thought for a moment and added another sentence.
It is really difficult to figure out what Emperor Liu Hong is thinking sometimes.
He amassed wealth without limit, even to the point of selling official positions and titles, but he also founded the Hongdu School, and even allowed students from this school, which was almost in opposition to the gentry, to serve as governors in prefectures and counties.
He favored eunuchs, but he also took some serious actions, such as asking Cai Yong to carve the Xiping Stone Classics.
It would be better to make clear all the necessary things in the memorial presented to such a willful emperor.
What if this ignorant guy ran to Qiao Xuan's bedside with the memorial and said, "My dear, your son and daughter-in-law were killed by the Yellow Turbans. Fortunately, your granddaughter was capable and wiped out the Yellow Turbans in two states?" Then we would be in big trouble.
Qiao Xuanke is already 74 years old and is seriously ill. Will he be frightened by his granddaughter's similarities to him, or will he be angry to death by the fact that his other son has passed away before him?
Cao Cao thought that it would be better not to have too many expectations on Liu Hong and to make everything that needed to be said clear.
Huangfu Song nodded and added another sentence to the draft.
He read the memorial in his hand several times before handing it to Cao Cao to copy it.
Then on the second day, when he crossed the boundary between Yanzhou and Jizhou, he handed the memorial in his hand to one of his personal guards and asked him to deliver it to Luoyang.
As for the little extra distance, it’s not a big deal.
He had personally seen the situation in Yanzhou, so he was able to make a few more comments in his memorial. He couldn't have said all he wanted to say while he was still in Yingchuan, Yuzhou.
But when he walked north for a while and reached the border of Liaocheng, he suddenly pulled the reins and asked Cao Cao hesitantly: "Meng De, I remember there was a sentence in the previous memorial that said that Qiao Gongzu's grandson Yan was ten years old and used spies to stir up chaos in the Yellow Turbans in the two states. How much did the siege of Changsha depend on this action?"
"That's how it's written." Cao Cao replied.
At first he didn't realize why Huangfu Song mentioned this, but suddenly he realized -
It’s written as “Sun” here, but grandson and granddaughter are two completely different things, right?
If Liu Hong really had this misunderstanding, and they had deliberately added, "Your Majesty, please consider Mr. Qiao's illness and do not mention this to him..."
"The Yellow Turban Rebellion has not yet been quelled. Your Majesty will not give out rewards so quickly. There shouldn't be any problems, right?"
Huangfu Song and Cao Cao looked at each other, trying their best to find some confidence in each other's eyes.
Well... Liu Hong is so stingy that he wouldn't do such a thing as giving rewards in advance!
After they felt psychologically comforted, they both focused their attention forward.
To be precise, it was too late for them to retrieve the memorial. The horses ridden by the people who went to deliver the letter were better than most of the horses in the army. As they had already set off for more than half a day, there was basically no hope of catching up.
And if an additional memorial was to be sent specifically to explain this matter, it would seem somewhat strange, and it might bring any adverse effects to Qiao Yan.
Instead of doing this, it would be better to wait until they defeat the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou and then make it clear in the final report.
Since they had entered the territory of Jizhou, it meant that they had arrived at the place where they would have to fight a decisive battle with the main force of the Yellow Turbans.
Even though the quick and decisive solution to the Yellow Turbans in Yan and Yu states must have exceeded Zhang Jue's expectations, the other side had been planning for many years and finally assembled such an uprising team that could not be ignored. If he really underestimated him, he might end up capsizing in the ditch.
As the commander-in-chief, Huangfu Song naturally cannot be distracted by other things.
There was only one goal left in his mind.
March to Xiaquyang!
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