Chapter 23
What does it mean to be granted the title of Marquis of a Country?
In the five-level marquis division system of the Eastern Han Dynasty, since the county marquis could emulate the Western Han Dynasty marquis to establish counties and kingdoms and would not be ennobled under ordinary circumstances, the capital and township marquis were basically the ceiling of this first-time reward.
But now Liu Hong actually said that he wanted to confer the title of a county marquis on the ten-year-old child.
Although in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the fiefs of marquises were no longer determined by the actual number of people in the fiefdom. A county marquis could be granted only 500,000 households, rather than the average of 3,000 households.
But you should know that Leping is not the name of a township, but the name of a county in Bingzhou.
The nine counties of Bingzhou are Taiyuan, Shangdang, Xihe, Yunzhong, Dingxiang, Yanmen, Shuofang, Wuyuan and Shangjun.
Leping County is located between Taiyuan and Shangdang and is temporarily included in the territory of Shangdang.
Zhang Rang had heard Your Majesty mention it "casually" before. Leping was located between Bing and Ji states, with several rivers running through it and fertile land. The surrounding place names had similar auspicious omens, such as Heshun, Pingding and Shangai. Why not gather them all together and establish a Leping County?
With this impression in mind, Zhang Rang would never believe that Liu Hong would confer the title of Marquis of Leping on this child and would only send him off as a centurion in Leping. It was more likely that he would leave room for further promotion.
Now he is just the Marquis of Leping Township, so what will happen next?
Is he the Marquis of Leping County? Or will he be entrusted with further important tasks after the three-year mourning period is over?
Zhang Rang saw too much information from the two words "Leping".
His Majesty Liu Hong is not a person who "loves those he wants to live, and hates those he wants to die". He has his own ideas on the power game. Whether it is feasible or not is not the point. But even eunuchs like them, who are favored by the emperor in the eyes of outsiders, have to tread on thin ice today to avoid repeating the fate of their predecessors who were confiscated and exterminated by Liu Hong in his early years.
So what kind of expectations does this child carry for him?
"Does Chang Shi Zhang think it's inappropriate?" Liu Hong's tone, which just seemed like he was talking about ordinary things like eating and drinking, suddenly turned cold.
Zhang Rang suddenly realized that he had been standing there in a daze for a long time, holding the seal in his hand. He quickly replied, "I was just thinking that Your Majesty is indeed a benevolent monarch."
Seeing Liu Hong raise his eyes to signal him to continue, he breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "Mr. Qiao said that he was willing to repay the Han Dynasty and defend the border until his death, but Your Majesty chose Leping for him. Leping has Taiyuan, Yanmen, and Yunzhong counties as a barrier. Although it is on the border of Bingzhou, it is impossible for war to affect Mr. Qiao's tomb and cause unrest. It can be said that Your Majesty has shown great favor."
Seeing a hint of complacency on Liu Hong's face, Zhang Rang knew that he was right.
He has managed to get to where he is today, so he must be very capable in guessing the emperor's intentions.
But the next moment he felt that he shouldn't have said too much.
Who could have made him hear Liu Hong say immediately afterwards: "Well said, since you know my intention best, then this time you and Zuo Feng will go to Jizhou to reward the troops and supervise the battle, and also deliver the reward I gave to Zuo Zhonglang Jiang and Qiao Qilin'er."
The light of the Jade Hall dimly illuminated the smile on Liu Hong's lips, but his words sent a chill down Zhang Rang's spine: "Emperor Zhang will not let me down a second time, right?"
Qiao Yan, Huangfu Song and others knew nothing about the game going on in the capital at that time.
Marching through Julu County in Jizhou, the source of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, was no easier than marching around Qinghe River before, and they did not have the extra energy to think about these things.
They imitated the Yellow Turbans' dress quite well, but when they gathered together, they really didn't look like the Yellow Turbans.
Fortunately, the continuous high-intensity travel made these elite border soldiers feel a little overwhelmed, and some fatigue appeared on their faces.
They then let those with slightly ferocious looks and those young rangers stand at the head of the team, and the disguises were surprisingly convincing.
But that alone is not enough.
The Yellow Turbans established three important towns in Julu and
The defense line still exists in the central part of Julu, such as Ningjin County, and the military camp stationed in front of the mainland Ze.
The march of thousands of people under Huangfu Song was considered a large-scale march.
If there is no explanation for this, it would be impossible to convince the Yellow Turban generals stationed in these places.
Even though these people did not have the authority of Commander Qu, they were able to notify Zhang Jue in advance after discovering anything unusual.
Huangfu Song's military strength also meant that he did not have the conditions to attack one city and one county at a time.
That way, they will never fail due to any negligence.
Fortunately, they now have the most suitable cover in their hands.
It was that Zhang Bao.
Although Huangfu Song told Zhang Bao that he wanted to borrow his head for use, he still kept his life for the time being.
This is not just a reason to enter the city, it can also be said to be a decoy prop on the road.
Although it is almost May, the climate, which was later called the Little Ice Age, still makes Jizhou feel colder with heavier dews at night.
Huangfu Song did not even allow Zhang Bao to wear a single layer of clothing and just hung him outside. This went on for two or three days. Before they arrived in Ningjin, Zhang Bao had already caught a cold. In addition, the water he drank was incompatible with his diet. Even though he had previously been confident that he was strong from the magic water, he now had a high fever and was unconscious.
This is much more convincing than the usual method of knocking him out.
The Yellow Turban defenders of Ningjin did not recognize these Han soldiers disguised as Yellow Turbans, but they recognized Zhang Bao.
In the early years, when Zhang Jue founded the Taiping Dao and expanded its followers to preach, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang also became famous as "great doctors".
Especially in Julu, when Zhang Jiao needed to maintain an appropriate sense of mystery, it was Zhang Bao who came out to preach morality. This is a living sign that proves your identity.
Now they suddenly saw Zhang Bao lying on a fairly exquisite stretcher bed, his face flushed and unconscious, and they immediately became a little panicked.
How could they have the mood to conduct a detailed investigation?
Worrying about General Digong's health is naturally much more important than observing the identities of these escorts.
What made Qiao Yan feel particularly ironic was that the leader of the defending army hurried back to the city and brought back a portion of talisman water. According to him, this was given by Zhang Jue in his early years.
This person thought that this item could be used as a life-saving medicine, so he naturally wanted to keep it with him. However, General Di Gong was seriously ill now, so he couldn't keep it privately any longer, so he donated it.
But after feeding Zhang Bao this so-called cure, the next day the little leader saw that Zhang Bao's condition was clearly worse.
Qiao Yan said, "When it comes to curing an illness, you probably have to prescribe the right medicine for the right condition. The talisman water that the Great Sage left for the general must have the right words for the general's illness at the time, but the evil poison that has entered the general's body naturally requires another good medicine."
Hearing Qiao Yan calling him a general, the little leader quickly waved his hand and said "I don't deserve it". He then looked at Zhang Bao's condition for a long time before confirming that his kind contribution seemed to have no effect. How could he dare to stop them from sending Zhang Bao to Guangzong?
As for the slightly larger number of people——
That’s not a problem!
General Di Gong is the second-in-command of their uprising organization. If anything unexpected happens to him, it will be a huge loss for their side. It's better to work together along the way than to be at a loss when an accident occurs during the escort of two or three hundred people.
It would be fatal if the Han army heard the news and sent troops to kidnap General Di Gong.
"The young lady's mouth really has the ability to confuse right and wrong, life and death." After leaving the sight of the Ningjin defenders, Lu Yuan said with some emotion.
Qiao Yan glanced back at her, not sure for a moment whether her words were a compliment or a hint.
This woman who regained her freedom in the siege of Xiaquyang, just as she had guessed, did not take her previous commitment to the bandits to heart, and her words and actions were still quite open and generous. Now, because he was disguised as a Yellow Turban and temporarily dressed as a soldier, he looked even more heroic.
But Qiao Yan still couldn't understand why she didn't choose to return to her family, but followed her, who was at most half a
Next to the "lifesaver".
Fortunately, although she was going to do the same thing as Xu Fu and help Qiao Yan with the horse's stirrups, she did not show any sign of cowardice on her face.
Having more female companions with whom he could talk really made Qiao Yan feel comfortable.
She replied, "This is not a good argument, it's just a rebuttal based on common sense. The idea of gods and ghosts, relying on talismans to save people, is absurd. Doctors still have to prescribe the right medicine for the right disease, but this talisman can be used for a variety of purposes. Isn't it a bit ridiculous?"
Cao Cao, who was riding a horse nearby, laughed when he heard this and said, "So if you are so contemptuous of this, why did you ask Madam Lu to tell you which Buddhist temple is closest to Jizhou, and let Xu Fu lead the people there? If the other party is unwilling to go to Guangzong, why don't you knock him out and bring him here?"
Buddhism today is still far from being as prosperous as it will be in later generations. Due to the language barrier when the teachings were first spread, people who have little contact with Buddhism are bound to have some stereotypes.
It was not until the reign of Emperor Huan of Han that the Parthian Crown Prince An Shigao abdicated the throne in favor of his uncle and became a monk. He then came to the Han Dynasty to preach and translate Buddhist scriptures, thus gaining some capital for communication and dissemination.
There was also Zhiluojianji who came from the Yuezhi Kingdom. He was fluent in Chinese and promoted the spread of Buddhism in the Han Dynasty.
But in the eyes of Cao Cao, who seldom had contact with monks, the introduction of Buddhism into the Han Dynasty was nothing more than the dream of Emperor Ming of Han Dynasty that saw a golden man flying in the palace courtyard, and the idea was to seek blessings in the world.
That was no different from the talisman water that Qiao Yan despised for curing all diseases.
But he immediately saw Qiao Yan smiling and replied, "Uncle, you are wrong. Do you think I am using poison to fight poison?"
"Why not?" Cao Cao asked curiously.
"Of course not, but let's keep the reason a secret for a few more days." Qiao Yan showed a rather mysterious smile, "If Uncle Shi had noticed my previous actions, he would have realized that I didn't just invite that Buddhist disciple."
Qiao Yan did not explain to Cao Cao for the time being that the Buddhist doctrine was not as simple as just asking for blessings. After all, it was not something that could be explained in a few words.
Her purpose, of course, was not to let the Buddhist doctrine of transcending life and death compete with Zhang Jue's magical talisman water, but she had other ideas.
Hearing her say this, Cao Cao couldn't help but think about Qiao Yan's previous actions.
After a little thought, he realized that she had indeed behaved strangely on several occasions since they left Changsha.
One time, when she was still in Yanzhou and had not even reached Liang State, she discussed with Huangfu Song to select a few of his elite soldiers and generals to go to Qiao County in Pei State.
Qiao County of Pei State was Cao Cao's hometown, but no matter how he thought about it, he felt that Qiao Yan's move was not to greet his ancestors.
Later, when she arrived in Dong'a, she asked Huangfu Song to send someone to Qingzhou.
This was the third time she sent people out without explaining the reason clearly.
Now that she reminded him of this, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel curious.
Seeing Cao Cao's eager expression, Qiao Yan just pointed forward and said, "Uncle, if you really want to know my intention, you'd better help General Huangfu take down Guangzong as soon as possible, and then you will know the answer."
She had a confident and calm expression on her face, and she didn't seem like the type who would tell Cao Cao everything just because they were seniors or juniors. This made Cao Cao feel a little depressed.
However, this junior was not easy to fool. He had seen it clearly when he invited her to the Xun family's party in Changsha City. Cao Cao knew it well and did not find it strange.
In his opinion, Huangfu Song might know what she had someone do.
But Cao Cao thought that since Qiao Yan had made many contributions, her status in Huangfu Song's heart had risen. No matter how you looked at it, she was much more likable than him, a careless guy who "forgot" to remind him to add Qiao Yan's gender in the memorial. So Huangfu Song probably wouldn't say anything.
In addition, as the commander-in-chief of this march, Huangfu Song was responsible for planning and preparing for war. The closer he got to the two cities of Guangzong and Quzhou, the more nervous he became. It was indeed inappropriate to disturb him with these words.
On this occasion
At this time, it was really difficult for the coach to relax.
Xiaquyang had been taken. Although there were still two leaders, Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang, in Jizhou, the final battle was still the battle of Guangzong.
Whether you can seize this opportunity of time difference and hit the target in one blow, achieve success in one battle, and be awarded a title of nobility and a general by virtue of your military merit in quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion, leaving your name in history, all depends on this battle!
This undoubtedly put him under tremendous pressure.
When he arrived at the Dalu Lake in the lower-middle part of Julu County, he completely lost sleep.
He walked out of the military tent, looked at the moisture coming towards him, thought for a moment and decided to walk towards the lake.
But he saw that besides him, there was someone else who had not fallen asleep either.
At this moment, under the moonlight by the lake, there were two figures standing by the lake.
It’s just that the way of “standing” is a bit strange.
Huangfu Song saw clearly that it was exactly the horse stance used by the soldiers.
Even though they were still some distance away, Huangfu Song could guess that the people who had not slept in the middle of the night and were practicing leg and waist strength were none other than Qiao Yan and Dian Wei.
He had just decided to walk out on a whim and did not make any noise. Even when he was close, he was not noticed by the two men.
When he got closer, he confirmed that his judgment based on the figure was not wrong.
To be honest, he was not surprised to see Qiao Yan doing this.
On the way to Quyang before, he had heard Cao Cao say that Qiao Yan was quite talented in riding, otherwise he would not have been able to follow alone on horseback. But now it seems that this may not be just talent.
Although the stirrups helped prevent cavalrymen from falling off their horses during combat, the contact between man and horse was still quite easy to slide back and forth due to the padded saddle, which put a lot of strain on the legs.
He had just talked to Qiao Yan a few days ago. If she had not been from a military background, she would not have needed to do this job with her background. If she had the chance, she should train her core strength to be able to clamp the horse's belly so that she could become better at riding a horse.
After all, this is not something that can be successfully achieved at a combat level just by relying on theory.
Considering that he has the courage to risk everything and go deep into the enemy camp, it is not surprising that he may be unwilling to admit defeat. It is not surprising that he would secretly train me because of his words.
But when he saw Qiao Yan temporarily stop his movements and pound his tired legs, he couldn't help but say, "This horse stance training must be done step by step. If you do too much today, it will be inconvenient for you to travel tomorrow."
Seeing her turning her head towards the sound, with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, she showed some surprise at his appearance, which was somewhat different from her previous precocious and strategizing behavior. Huangfu Song couldn't help but smile a little more on his usually solemn face.
"We have to travel again tomorrow, so it's better to go back and rest early."
However, Qiao Yan returned the words to him the next moment, "...But if that's the case, the general shouldn't be here."
Huangfu Song hesitated for a moment before replying, "I am different."
This is very double standard.
Qiao Yan could actually guess what Huangfu Song was thinking at the moment.
What a general fears most is perhaps not the lack of opportunities to achieve success, but the possibility of achieving considerable results in the early stages of a long-term battle fought on multiple fronts and in multiple locations, but failing at the very end.
So whether all the previous achievements can still be considered as achievements depends on the extent of the failure and the judgment of the current emperor.
Whether it is the former or the latter, there are too many unknowns.
Compared with Zhu Jun, a commander who came from a humble family, Huangfu Song undoubtedly had more to worry about in this matter, because he also had to bear the expectations and responsibilities of a military family.
"General, you are wrong." Qiao Yan stood up straight and looked at Huangfu Song. "You don't have an extra pair of hands, legs or eyes compared to others. The difference between you and me is that you have experienced more battles than me. If we both want to seize the city gate, even if we both have tricks, there is a big difference between accumulating strength and testing it on the battlefield. But this ability to stay up late..."
Qiao Yan smiled and said, "Then I'm probably better."
Huangfu Song couldn't help but cough.
Whether her emphasis was on the first or second half of the sentence, whether it was self-boasting or a reassurance to him, Huangfu Song would be able to tell the difference with his ability to understand.
He didn't know for a moment whether he should laugh at her comparison of the ability to stay up late, or whether he should have more confidence in the siege of the city gate that he would inevitably experience later because of her saying of accumulating strength for a great deal of time.
But before he could figure out what was going on, he heard Qiao Yan say, "But what the general said is not wrong. To prevent me from falling off the horse tomorrow, I think I'd better go back and rest early."
The child, who had not forgotten to bring a bodyguard with her when she went out to practice horse stance at night, did not intend to say anything more, as if she felt that his appearance disturbed her night training. She just waved at him, made a gesture to Dian Wei, and then trotted towards the tent.
...Huangfu Song didn't even have time to say "pay attention to the demeanor of a noble family".
But he took the words back when they were on the tip of his tongue.
In the previous Battle of Changsha, the Yellow Turbans marched to Yingchuan. If they had been defeated in that battle, with the Yellow Turbans' disorderly plundering, how much of the Ruying family's fame and reputation could have survived in the face of war? It seems that this is not an unanswerable question.
On the contrary, Qiao Yan's living state has a more directly visible and vigorous vitality.
That's pretty good.
[How did you come up with the idea of enlightening Huangfu Song?] 】After Qiao Yan walked into the military tent for rest, he heard the system asking.
Huangfu Song might not know it, but the system felt that Qiao Yan actually appeared there on purpose.
Although she did have an urgent need to train her leg strength, or should I say, her leg muscle endurance, there was no need to put aside such practice that could be done anywhere.
To be frank, cramming now will not be of much use for the upcoming Battle of Guangzong.
Unless an outrageous situation occurred, that is, the Yellow Turbans not only saw through their scam of using Zhang Bao as a pretext to capture the city gate, but also forced her to flee for her life during the counterattack.
The system was indeed right in its guess; she was coming for Huangfu Song.
This operation has only lasted for two days so far.
Fortunately, her judgment was not wrong, and this act of waiting for the rabbit did indeed yield the rabbit.
"A commander's mental state can actually be seen from the tone of his command. Having fooled the Yellow Turban defenders in Ningjin did reduce some of Huangfu Song's pressure, but his anxiety has been increasing over the past few days. I'm afraid it's not just me, Cao Cao can see it very clearly. So I wanted to try my luck."
The system heard Qiao Yan say again: "Although Huangfu Song is not a lord, since he is the commander-in-chief of this battle to attack the city, he can be regarded as half a lord. It is said that the monarch and his subjects get along well with each other. A top strategist must be good at guessing the lord's mind and can comfort and relieve worries at the right time. I don't know if my behavior-"
"Can you get some counselor points?"
[Although you are very dedicated, it seems that you don’t have it.] 】The system ruthlessly shattered Qiao Yan’s fantasy.
It then told her that there was no achievement like "Complete the Enlightenment of the Lord" that she could achieve.
"Okay, I understand, but at least it can affect the success of the entire war."
Qiao Yan didn't feel too sorry that he failed to get double the profit. Who made her say that? She wanted to have a good relationship with Huangfu Song not just because of the system strategist's suggestion.
She was in a very good mood. After returning to the tent, she wiped her face and lay down on the camp couch.
The tents in this temporary camp were closely connected to each other. She felt that she was not too delicate, and she did not ask Huangfu Song to make any arrangements for her to be placed separately from other tents.
It was already late at night, and the thunderous snoring all around was quite noisy.
Qiao Yan rolled over and wrapped himself in the quilt.
Anyway, since we have come to this chaotic era at the end of the Han Dynasty, there is no need to think about what
Such a high bed with soft pillows.
It's either life or death, it's just that simple.
In order to keep a close eye on Huangfu Song these days, she had been doing horse stance very tiringly, which fully utilized her physical fitness value which had been raised to 50. At this moment, she fell asleep and slept until dawn.
However, she did not expect that when she met Huangfu Song again the next day, although she saw that his mental state was much more relaxed than last night, she also heard a rather unexpected news from him -
He immediately assigned a part of his personal guards to pack her up and send her to Lu Zhi first.
"During a siege, swords and knives are blind, and there are stray arrows flying everywhere, so it is inevitable that something bad will happen. It is safer at Lord Lu's place." Huangfu Song said, "Besides, we tricked the city gates open, and without the five schools of the Northern Army, we would be short of manpower. I originally wanted Meng De to talk about the cooperation here, after all, he has met with Lord Lu before, but I thought last night that it would be better for you to go."
Huangfu Song weighed the pros and cons in his mind.
When they arrived at the city of Guangzong, Cao Cao's eloquence was enough to make Zhang Jue believe that it was indeed Zhang Bao who was seriously ill and was escorted by his followers.
As for Qiao Yan, he secretly hoped that she could make herself familiar to Lu Zhi, so that when the merits were rewarded after the war, there would be one more commander to speak for her.
The partiality that was so obvious on his face made Qiao Yan stunned for a moment.
But before she could say anything, Cao Cao said, "That's right. I used to be the tallest man in the army, but now I have to give this position to you. It's better for my niece to go to Lord Lu."
“…”
Cao Cao seemed to be completely oblivious to the silence on Qiao Yan's face, and continued, "People who practice archery usually practice their concentration on the target. In this case, if there is a particularly eye-catching person passing by, they will subconsciously draw their bows and arrows. General Huangfu's worries are not unreasonable."
Qiao Yan pressed his forehead and replied, "Uncle, if it really comes to this, I will definitely hide under Zhang Bao's couch first. Now I don't have to go into the city, I'll leave this barrier to you."
Cao Cao couldn't help but laugh out loud: "What a good place! It really is a good place. I really shouldn't have underestimated your quick wit."
This series of jokes actually obscured the idea of Huangfu Song's blatant partiality.
Qiao Yan couldn't help but admire Cao Cao's broad-mindedness.
But she thought about it and said to Huangfu Song: "Thank you for your kindness, General Yan. Since you have entrusted me with the task of contacting the Northern Army General, I will set off for Quzhou today. But before I leave, I have two words to say to you."
Huangfu Song nodded, signaling her to speak.
Qiao Yan continued, "The first sentence is that Zhang Jiao actually used religious methods to lead his subordinates, which was not clear in Yanyu, but not necessarily in Jizhou, where it originated."
It is rumored that the Yellow Turban soldiers under Zhang Jue drowned in the river. Whether they drowned in the chaos of the battle or, as some rumors said, died in the river for Zhang Jue's Taiping Dao, there is no way to verify this in the few records in later books.
But as the first person who could mobilize 300,000 people to revolt, Qiao Yan did not dare to have any luck in this final battle just because the plan had been carried out smoothly so far.
However, the various religious extremists recorded in later generations are often capable of doing things that are unexpected. Suicide attacks are also often the most difficult to defend against.
It is even very likely that they do not follow the rule of ancient battles, which states that they will be defeated if they kill 10% of the enemy's troops.
In this regard, Huangfu Song's past experience may lead him to make a wrong judgment.
She bowed to Huangfu Song and said, "General, please do not be lazy towards any of Zhang Jiao's confidants, and do not celebrate your success in advance."
Qiao Yan spoke cautiously. Although Huangfu Song felt that he would not make such a mistake, he still agreed seriously and asked Cao Cao to remind him to prevent him from really capsizing in the ditch.
"As for the other sentence, if you have a chance to capture Zhang Jue alive, please spare his life first. Because——"
"A dead Zhang Jiao will surely live as a spiritual benchmark in the hearts of the other Yellow Turbans who survived by chance, but a living Zhang Jiao still has a way to go.
The opportunity of the altar. ”
After Qiao Yan finished speaking, Huangfu Song and she looked at each other for a moment.
Cao Cao always felt that there was something of a mystery in the eye contact between the two men, and it was most likely the person that Qiao Yan had asked Huangfu Song to send out before.
But the two of them tacitly agreed not to say a word, and Huangfu Song only replied: "I understand, if there is a chance I will try my best to capture him alive, you go ahead."
Qiao Yan didn't hesitate and turned around and left the tent.
She was originally a little worried that her presence would cause a butterfly effect, so she wanted to follow Huangfu Song's team into Guangzong City.
But Huangfu Song's protection of her is not without reason.
It is not difficult to draw a conclusion as to whether it is more likely that she will encounter an accident in the melee, or whether it is more likely that Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi will be in danger when they join forces.
She called Lu Yuan, Cheng Li and Dian Wei, as well as the subordinates assigned to her by Huangfu Song, and after agreeing on a date for siege with Huangfu Song, she immediately headed straight for Quzhou.
Because her movement pattern was quite different from that of ordinary Yellow Turbans, she simply chose to hide during the day and move out at night. On the third night, she finally arrived outside the military camp of Lu Zhi, the General of the North, after avoiding the Yellow Turban soldiers everywhere.
At this time, there were still two days before the date set by Huangfu Song to ask Lu Zhi to send troops, which was just the right time.
Lu Zhi...
This is also a legendary figure from the late Han Dynasty.
Any general must have his own unique characteristics when it comes to reorganizing military defense.
Qiao Yan came at night, and although he could not see the situation of Lu Zhi's military camp clearly under the moonlight, he could roughly see the characteristics of Lu Zhi from the outer camp defense.
Unlike Huangfu Song, a general who rose from the frontier, Lu Zhi had a tough character and should still be classified as a Confucian general, as can be seen in his camp with deep trenches and strict defenses.
Compared with the aggressive Yellow Turbans, it seems that it is indeed difficult to tell which side is the attacker.
But defense does not necessarily mean it cannot be considered a form of offense.
Lu Zhi was obviously well aware of the impatience that would inevitably accumulate due to the hasty launch of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and he also knew that as long as this stubborn resistance was stuck here, the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou would have no chance of advancing westward.
And once the opportunity comes, it will be time for him to launch a thunderous counterattack.
Qiao Yan circled the camp from a distance and was sure of the adequacy of Lu Zhi's arrangements. Then he led his men on horseback toward the main gate of the camp.
However, before she reached the camp gate, she saw a row of torches and galloping horses coming in the darkness, blocking her way.
She and Huangfu Song's personal guards behind her were all wearing Han army uniforms at the moment. Although the newcomer could not see clearly in the darkness, he intuitively knew that this was not the attire of the Yellow Turban bandits, so he just shouted "Stop!" when he blocked their way.
Perhaps it was because Lu Zhi's style of doing things had a certain influence on the group. Qiao Yan heard the sound of bows being drawn in the night, but he only saw that a row of cavalry from the other side had dispersed beyond the range of the shooting, and had even stopped their horses' galloping in advance.
This is a safe position for both parties to have a conversation.
Qiao Yan's fingertips were clasping a small shield, ready to raise it above his head at any time, and his other hand was holding the reins, ordering them to stop.
The next moment, she heard the voice from the other side again: "Who are you? Please tell me your name. I'm on night duty. Please forgive me if I offend you."
She immediately replied, "I am Qiao Yan of Yanzhou, under the command of General Zuo Zhonglang. I have been ordered to come and report to Lord Lu. In order to prevent the moth thieves from knowing our arrival, I have no choice but to come to see you at night. Please pass on the message."
When these words were spoken, several people on the opposite side were stunned.
Under the command of General Zuo Zhonglang?
Huangfu Song’s subordinates?
It is possible that Huangfu Song would send someone here, but——
The Lu Zhi tribe, who were surrounded by torches, looked at each other and made sure that they had not heard wrongly. The voice coming from the other side was an extremely childish child's voice.
This seems to be somewhat different from what they know.
But the other party mentioned that
He was already under the command of Huangfu Song, so it didn't seem like a lie.
This is indeed an unexpected visitor.
"What do you think, Xuande?" After this hesitation, the people on Lu Zhi's side asked the leader.
In the firelight, the leader of this group had a young and kind face, and his somewhat wide and long ears made him look quite approachable.
A trace of contemplation flashed across his eyes before he replied, "If the Yellow Turbans came, they wouldn't have to choose a young child as their leader. After all, General Zuo Zhonglang's son Huangfu Jianshou is already an adult, and definitely doesn't look like this. The teacher also didn't mention that there are people of special ages among General Zuo Zhonglang's followers, so it can only be General Huangfu's followers. I'll just go forward for a while."
The young man, called Xuande by others, dismounted from his horse as soon as he finished speaking and walked towards Qiao Yan and others.
As he did this, because he held the torch in his hand, it was no longer affected by the swaying of the galloping horse, and it did not gather together, allowing Qiao Yan to see the other person's appearance clearly.
Her eyebrows moved subconsciously.
In addition to the visitor's iconic earlobes, the features of his hands reaching below his knees were also very distinct. She naturally did not miss the name that the other person had just been called, "Xuan De".
This is enough to make people think of someone in an instant.
Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han, Liu Bei, Liu Xuande!
Sure enough, the next moment she saw the other party bowing, and facing Dian Wei who had already drawn his halberd behind her, he still said calmly:
"Liu Bei, the commander of the Northern Lieutenant Colonel's troops, please wait for a moment at the gate. We will go and report to the Lieutenant Colonel immediately."
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