Chapter 323 Sun...
Tian Feng was completely unaware of the existence of the letter. When he parted ways with Qiao Yan in the capital of Bingzhou, he was still pondering in his heart whether he was being too ungrateful to her for her kindness by escaping from Youzhou and returning to Jizhou while the imperial edict was announced.
Although his promotion should be attributed to Zhang Niujiao, he was able to reach this position step by step thanks to Qiao Yan's words that he was a genius. Otherwise, he would not have had the possibility to become a disciple of Chen Ji, let alone become a member of the Shangshu Tai today.
Tian Feng sometimes thought that from the first year of Guangxi, or the first year of Zhaoning of the Yecheng court to now, he had spent nearly three years out of five years serving the Chang'an court, which was actually longer than the time he served in the Yecheng court. Even his position was higher than in the latter. Even if he really regarded himself as Yuanfeng instead of Tian Feng, it seemed that there was no problem.
Perhaps what makes him stand firm in this position today is not just his choice of Yuan Shao and his due loyalty, but his responsibility to the family behind him as a scholar from Hebei.
However, sometimes, he would still have some thoughts of making a decision in his heart. When he recalled his identity in his midnight dream, he would also ask himself -
After the Chang'an court conquered Youzhou, it actually controlled half of the territory. If the territory that nominally belonged to her was included, the amount would be even greater.
Is there a possibility that Jizhou and Qingzhou will fall into Qiao Yan's hands sooner or later, and he will no longer have to face this dilemma?
But he couldn't help but want to slap himself to wake himself up, just like because of his previous stance in the conflict between Qiao Yan and the Qiao family of Yanzhou.
If all those who go undercover to investigate choose to defect like him, what hope is there for the Yecheng court!
only……
"Sure enough, Bingzhou offers the most comfortable scenery. Although Guanzhong is the birthplace of the Han Dynasty, the people there are still not as approachable as those in Bingzhou." While Tian Feng was thinking about it, he heard the attendant who was escorting him to Youzhou speak, interrupting his thoughts.
Another person replied, "How can this be compared? Your Excellency has been in Bingzhou for ten years now. Even if we exclude the two years when she was imprisoned and had no power to manage Bingzhou, it has been seven years. But Guanzhong has only been there for three years at most. It is not easy to establish rules and follow them."
"That's right. There is really no one else who can pay as much attention to people's livelihood as our Lord and bring such changes to life. There should be a period of adaptation." The tone of the person who spoke was full of pride, which Tian Feng could clearly hear. "Perhaps in a few years, Guanzhong will also have such a landscape as this place."
The sound of their conversation was not particularly loud, but because the sound of the wheels and horses was not very loud, and they were talking next to Tian Feng's carriage, Tian Feng could hear it clearly.
He didn't want to reveal the fact that he had heard their conversation clearly, so he simply lifted the curtain on the other side of the car and looked outside.
Three years ago, he had seen the scene in Bingzhou after the autumn harvest. This year, the harvest had not yet begun. One could only vaguely see that a lot of the wheat was in a state of empty husks and shriveled state, and the harvest was not as good as last year.
But from Tian Feng's perspective, the expressions of these people as they played with the wheat ears in the fields were not complaints about the poor harvest, but an expression that should be called calm, as if this was just a stage that everyone had to go through in the four seasons.
This acceptance of reality is obviously not due to numbness to the sufferings of life.
Just because when they passed the convoy where Tian Feng was, they talked about how the factories in Bingzhou had started recruiting workers in the autumn and winter, and that workers who repaired canals and dug wells could directly receive grain as wages. Others said that thanks to the provincial government's manipulation behind the scenes, even if someone wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to sell grain at a high price, they couldn't do it.
In the early years, Bingzhou was definitely not part of the Central Plains. In other words, none of the four states controlled by Qiao Yan, namely Youzhou, Bingzhou, Liangzhou and Yizhou, could be considered as the Central Plains according to the standards of previous years. But now, perhaps for these civilians, being able to live in these states is a blessing.
Tian Feng seemed a little dazed after hearing this.
Perhaps he had been lifting the curtain for a long time, when he suddenly saw a young man riding a pony near the motorcade. He looked towards him and asked, "Where are you going, sir? I don't think I have seen a motorcade like yours before. Are you coming from the capital?"
Tian Feng felt that he was probably not mistaken. When the other party asked him questions, in addition to his curiosity about him, there was also a bit of hidden fear, as if he was worried that his arrival would disrupt his peaceful life.
This look, which was different from the one he saw when he was in Hongwenguan, made Tian Fengyuan realize more intuitively than ever that he was now in an environment that was completely different from Jizhou.
A paper tube of Leping Monthly was sticking out of the backpack that the young man was carrying. Judging from the weight of the backpack and his age, he was most likely a student in the academy.
Tian Feng couldn't help but soften his tone in response to these hopes that have yet to grow into pillars.
After all, his trip to Youzhou did not involve confidentiality, so he replied: "The officers of the Grand Marshal have made military achievements in Youzhou, and we are ordered to go and reward them."
The young man's eyes suddenly lit up.
He quickly asked, "May I ask if General Zhang Wenyuan is among them?"
This was not a question that Tian Feng could tell him at this time.
However, the young man was obviously quite knowledgeable and sensible. After seeing Tian Feng smiling and saying nothing, he said, "It would be great if General Wenyuan was among them. Since he is now the governor of Shanggu County, he should have sent troops to the Youzhou War. To be honest, most of us who were born in Yanmen County are grateful to General Wenyuan for his bravery in guarding Yanmen and preventing the Xianbei from entering the country to plunder. If you have the opportunity to meet him, please convey our gratitude."
"I won't delay your trip. I'm going home to visit my family first."
He waved to Tian Feng, then rode away on his pony, whose strength was far inferior to that of a war horse.
Tian Feng looked at the other person's lively back for a long time before he withdrew his gaze.
The gratitude in the boy's tone was simple, but it made people feel that it was full of sincerity.
This is the characteristic that the people of Bingzhou felt during his journey.
Tian Feng felt more and more guilty when he thought that he would have to lie to Zhang Liao after meeting him, take the opportunity to confer official positions on Lu Bu, Gan Ning and others to reach the border of Youzhou and Jizhou, and then escape back to Jizhou and never return.
After Zhang Liao received him in a way that was not enthusiastic but considerate, Tian Feng felt that his throat was a little blocked when he wanted to speak.
What was even more unexpected to him was that Zhang Liao actually said that he had earlier received instructions from Qiao Yan to take Tian Feng to Zhuo County.
As for why this is the case, it is not difficult to explain.
She was questioned by Wang Yun because of the situation in Yizhou. Although she reprimanded Wang Yun at that time, after thinking it over, she still felt that since they were all officials in the same dynasty, they should give him a certain sense of security.
Then why not let Tian Feng, the man who came to Youzhou to announce the imperial edict, take a good look at the battle line arrangement here and let the court in Chang'an know that the arrangements in Youzhou would definitely not allow Yuan Shao to take advantage of the opportunity.
Tian Feng: “…”
What should I do if my opponent wants to show me his border defense deployment? Such an outrageous situation had never occurred in his limited life experience.
However, Zhang Liao seemed to be unaware of what his intention was. He had already summoned all the people except Lu Bu, Gan Ning and Sima Yi who were stationed in Zhuo County, and Lu Yi and Guo Huai who stayed in Liaodong to Yuyang, so that Tian Feng could complete the appointment of their official positions and then take him to Zhuo County.
Tian Feng was vaguely wondering if he should not have such high moral standards in such a turbulent time, and should consider the situation in Jizhou first, while he read out the imperial edict to everyone.
In this attack on Gongsun Zan, the actual credit went to Zhang Liao.
Even though the Liaodong route first claimed to have conquered Gongsun Du and then beheaded the rebellious Wuhuan forces such as Tadun, in essence, these were all attempts to cut off Gongsun Zan's eastern support and could not be considered a frontal battle.
When Tian Feng proposed this standard for judging merit in the Secretariat, he actually had some reasonable arguments.
This approach was not actually intended to suppress the military achievements of Zhuge Liang, Lu Lingju and others, but to promote Zhang Liao, who was more suitable to be in charge of a region, in accordance with the rules, while also appropriately suppressing the status of Gongsun Du, who had surrendered.
Gongsun Du is not like ordinary prefects.
He once had the ambition to cede territory and become king in Liaodong.
Not holding him accountable for his previous presumptuous actions in Liaodong can be regarded as a reward from the court for taking the right stand this time, so it is absolutely impossible to promote him because of his move of increasing troops and providing assistance.
So in this case, the situation on the East Road is -
Gongsun Du retained his original post as governor of Liaodong, but was given the additional responsibility of supervising the border stability between Goguryeo and Buyeo, and was ordered to assist Lu Yi, Guo Huai and others in going east to recapture Lelang County.
Lü Lingju was appointed commander of the Wuhuan Guard, with Yan Rou as his deputy.
Zhuge Liang served as the governor of Youzhou.
Sima Yi served as the magistrate of Zhuo County.
Gan Ning serves as the captain of the tower ship. If he can win the battle against Jizhou again, he can be promoted to the highest rank of tower ship general.
Lu Yi served as the prefect of Liaodong County.
Guo Huai served as a military official in Liaodong County.
Taishi Ci served as Wu Meng official in Youzhou.
"The captain who protects Wuhuan?" Lu Lingju asked in surprise.
Before Tian Feng arrived, she was fully prepared to gradually build up her military achievements and get promoted.
Taking into account her age, and the fact that she was able to join the expedition this time only because of the assessment of the Leping Academy, she would have been satisfied to get an ordinary captain or a position in this Liaodong battle. Who knew that she would actually be the captain of the Protectorate of Wuhuan!
"The Grand Marshal saw the letter you sent to the Minister of Justice. In the letter, you strongly recommended Yan Rou to take over as the Protector of Wuhuan, but the final result of the discussion was--"
"The Wuhuan live scattered inside and outside Youzhou. The three kings under the Chanyu have each formed independent settlements, which have cultivated their greedy, cunning and fickle temperaments. Despite the various favors Your Majesty has shown them when you were still the governor of Youzhou, they still joined forces with Gongsun Zan for the sake of profit. This time, we are forced to end Gongsun Zan's military exploits in taking back Youzhou. It is also forced by the current situation. It is better to deter them first."
"The former Wuhuan Chanyu Tadun died at your hands, and the Wuhuan in Youzhou have also seen your mighty military campaigns. If you protect the Wuhuan Captain, you will definitely make them afraid to act rashly. With the help of your deputy, you can adopt a policy of appeasement and appeasement."
After listening to Tian Feng's explanation, Lu Lingju felt that it seemed to be true.
In the battle against Wuhuan that day, she led her army to charge in the front and cut off Tadun's head. The Wuhuan people who survived this incident would certainly tell everyone about her bravery that day, and as the news spread from ten to a hundred people, people would still be somewhat afraid of her.
Perhaps the only challenge for her is how to suppress Yan Rou, a smart person who is quite trusted by the Wuhuan!
The acquisition of this position may also have taken into account her contribution to the killing of Gongsun Zan.
But in short, it is true that your Excellency never treats unfairly those who have actual military achievements.
As for her friends, their positions are actually not low.
The positions of Lu Yi and Guo Huai were actually intended to control Gongsun Du, the surrendered minister.
But she didn't know if it was Lu Lingju's illusion, she seemed to vaguely see Lu Yi stuff a piece of paper into his pouch, perhaps someone among the people who announced the decree brought him the prince's secret order. It's a pity that the boy looked so calm and composed that it was impossible to tell anything from his performance.
Sima Yi's position as the magistrate of Zhuo County was actually to facilitate his assistance on the front line adjacent to Jizhou.
Zhuge Liang's position as Youzhou Zhizhong Shishi made him the third-in-command of Youzhou, which was a real promotion for him at his age.
Interestingly, the second-in-command of Youzhou, that is, the position of Youzhou Beijia, will be held by Xun You, who is about to set out from Chang'an to Youzhou to assist in the war.
By this calculation, Zhuge Liang can be considered half-disciple of Xun Yu, and Xun You is Xun Yu's nephew. These two people have some relationship, so it should not be difficult for them to cooperate with each other.
Of course, according to what Tian Feng said when he read the edict, Zhuge Liang's main task was to assist Zhang Liao in managing the internal affairs of Youzhou, rather than coordinating operations on the southern front, which was Xun You's job.
From this perspective, there is not much overlap in the duties of these two people.
With the above arrangements, the situation of the appointment of personnel on the western front became clear.
Qu Yan and Yu Fuluo, who served as military generals under Zhang Liao, were each appointed as the commander of Youzhou.
Lu Bu's title of Pingbei Zhonglang Jiang was further given the title of Tiger Tooth General.
"Who is older, this or General Menya?" Lu Lingju couldn't help but ask Zhuge Liang in a low voice.
It's one thing to compete with his father for credit, but if the position offered is not good enough, Lu Lingju feels that he still has to compete for his father.
This one has one front tooth and one canine, and it seems that the front tooth is more imposing.
"General Dian is the Yamen General, not the Menya General." Zhuge Liang held his forehead helplessly and explained to Lu Lingju: "In addition to the commonly used titles, the miscellaneous generals are mostly created in addition, except for some special circumstances, such as hoping that the person who gets this title can learn from the previous person who got this title."
"The last person to be given the title of Tiger Fang General was Gai Yan Gai Juqing, one of Emperor Guangwu's twenty-eight generals. He was from Yuyang County and a frontier warrior. He was eight feet tall and could pull a three-stone bow. He helped quell the rebellion of the Qiang people and was granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. He eventually died in office, which was a good end for a general."
"It's a prestigious position in the General."
When Lu Lingju heard "eight feet tall, able to pull a three-stone bow", his eyes lit up. Then he heard the "good end" at the end, and felt that there was no need to compare the superiority of canine teeth and front teeth.
The appointment of this general of miscellaneous title is also very skillful. I think Lu Bu would be very satisfied to hear this imperial decree.
But the prerequisite is...she needs to write a letter to her father, telling him the history of this general.
Otherwise, considering that Lu Bu's historical level is not as good as hers, he would most likely think that it would be better to call him Tiger Head General instead of Tiger Tooth General.
During the brief conversation between Lu Lingju and Zhuge Liang, the appointment of this official position had already come to an end.
That was the appointment of Zhang Liao.
Governor of Youzhou.
Although he is called the Governor of Youzhou, everyone knows that according to the current situation in Youzhou where many county governors are vacant, this position is called Governor but is actually the governor of the province.
For Zhang Liao to sit in this position at the age of 25 is almost a miracle second only to Qiao Yan.
But when he took on the commission, no one thought there was anything wrong with it.
When Tian Feng accompanied Zhang Liao south to Zhuo County, he lamented countless times why a general like Zhang Liao did not appear in Jizhou.
It was definitely not a good thing for Yuan Shao that Youzhou had such a young but steady host.
The fact that the situation in Youzhou could be stabilized at such a fast speed was truly inseparable from Zhang Liao’s efforts.
However, such an existence seems to have no possibility of being lured to the other side.
When Tian Feng conveyed to Zhang Liao the gratitude of the young man he met on the road, he saw a faint but genuine smile on Zhang Liao's face. He then told him about the help Qiao Yan provided to him after he was rejected for a job in the provincial government.
"That happened in the second year of Zhongping," said Zhang Liao.
The memories of nine years ago were still clear in his mind, and Tian Feng heard from him a story that was almost impossible for outsiders to know.
"I did not become her subordinate because you became the governor of Bingzhou. It was because of her help that I was able to guard the gates of Bingzhou and not waste two years of waiting."
"At that time, I still had a strong desire to revive the reputation of my family, which had declined after the Mayi plot. If it weren't for the polishing in the past two years, I wouldn't be where I am today."
He said, "I have said a lot today, please don't mind, but I just think that instead of thanking me, he should thank you for your help in this matter."
Tian Feng replied: "That's right. There is a cause for every effect. Besides, you are now guarding Youzhou for the Grand Marshal, which can be regarded as repaying her kindness."
The smile on Zhang Liao's face became clearer and clearer. "That's right. Let's not talk too much. We are almost there."
In front of the two of them was the border between Yuyang County and Zhuo County. The western section of the Juma River was quite close to this border, and it would only appear on the border line between Youzhou and Jizhou when it reached the eastern section. Therefore, not long after they crossed the border, they could already see the military camp in the distance.
"Mr. Yuan Hao, please come with me to the military camp. Let's take a closer look at the situation here."
Tian Feng suddenly stopped.
At this moment, he was more suspicious than when he heard the news that Qiao Yan had taken Yizhou and Youzhou at the same time. He wondered if there was something wrong with his ears, otherwise why would he hear the words "Yuan Hao" from Zhang Liao's mouth.
He slowly turned his head towards Zhang Liao, and heard the young man say, "Mr. Tian Yuanhao, the Lord has ordered me to take you to visit the border of You and Ji."
Tian Feng was struck by lightning.
Tian Yuanhao!
What came out of Zhang Liao's mouth were clearly these three words!
When did they know his identity?
Zhang Liao did not give a clear answer.
He was like a qualified host. After calling out the name, he carefully took the guest to visit the layout of his house, making Tian Feng subconsciously follow his footsteps and have the illusion that he was in a dream.
But this is not an illusion.
Zhang Liao's tone was polite and distant, yet with a kind of confidence that one had just captured the entire Youzhou. Every word was accurately transmitted to Tian Feng's ears, even down to the precise number of defenders and types of troops in each camp.
If he was not still in shock at this moment, Tian Feng really wanted to ask Zhang Liao, is it normal for him to tell these things to his opponent?
Zhang Liao looked as calm as ever.
The instructions Qiao Yan gave him were to inform the other party of the news that they knew Tian Feng's identity when he felt it was appropriate, so he chose the time when he just arrived at the border.
Whether this is suitable for Tian Feng may be a gamble, but the facts prove that he made the right bet!
After Zhang Liao showed Tian Feng around the border defenses and had him read out the imperial edicts to Lü Bu and Gan Ning in a daze, he prepared dry food, money and fast horses for him to return to Jizhou. However, when Tian Feng could have withdrawn from here at any time, he felt as if his feet had taken root and he could not move under the other party's frank gaze.
Tian Feng tried his best to convince himself that he made the decision to stay temporarily because he was afraid that there was a trick and he didn't want to fall into the trap prepared by the other party.
It wasn't because he felt that leaving at this time might cause him lifelong regret.
But what he didn't know was that when he made the decision to stay in Zhuo County temporarily, Zhang Liao pinched his hands in his sleeves and quietly wiped away the cold sweat from them.
He also didn't know that at the same time, in Jizhou, his good friend Xin Pi was also heading here.
Because of this decision intended to praise and kill the general stationed in Youzhou, Yuan Shao gave Xin Pi quite high authority and sent his second son Yuan Xi and his troops to assist Xin Pi.
I'm afraid they will reach the confrontation zone in a few days.
According to Xin Pi's plan, only by knowing both oneself and the enemy can one win every battle. So of course he had to go to Zhuo County.
For this reason, Qian Zhao, who had once lurked in Lu Bu's military camp, came along even though his legs and feet were not yet flexible.
Tian Feng only knew that judging from the arrangements made by Qiao Yan and Zhang Liao on this defensive boundary, the Youzhou army would not launch a large-scale invasion to the south in the short term, so he still had a little time to consider.
But there are undercurrents here. In this vast world, there is a place that is on the verge of exploding.
Sun Ce slowly and methodically polished the spear in his hand. The light in front of him clearly reflected the murderous look in his eyes.
Amid the rhythmic grinding sounds, he heard Zhang Zhao on the other side ask, "General Bofu's decision to send troops to attack Huang Zu will not change?"
In fact, he had made this decision as early as the beginning of this spring. Unfortunately, due to the sudden drought, he decided to temporarily withdraw his troops under the persuasion of Zhou Yu. They were worried that the disaster would have an impact on Yangzhou and trigger unrest in the Shanyue area.
Zhou Yu's decision was correct. In May and June, the Shanyue led by Zu Lang did harass Sun Ce again.
But by autumn, this decision could no longer be reversed!
No matter what kind of twists and turns there are in the rear, he has to go out!
“Why do you want to change?” Sun Ce sneered. “I can leave Liu Biao alone for now, but the old villain Huang Zu was closely related to my father’s death. If I don’t kill him, how can I offer sacrifices on my father’s death anniversary?”
Just as Zhang Zhao was about to speak, Sun Ce added, "Mr. Zhang, you don't have to persuade me."
"I am attacking Huang Zu who is in Yuzhang County. Even if I don't do it for the sake of revenge for my father, it is still justified."
Sun Ce stood up suddenly, the spear in his hand flashing a golden and silver glow under the interlaced moonlight from outside and the candlelight in the tent. "In the past, the Grand Marshal asked for the position of governor of Kuaiji County and the position of general to suppress rebellion for me. Huang Zu took over the position of governor of Yuzhang County at the instruction of the old villain Dong Zhuo. The old villain is dead, and Huang Zu's position of governor is not legitimate. Why can't I attack him in the name of governor of Yangzhou!"
"Although Yangzhou has not suffered much from drought, Huang Zu does not care about the people's livelihood and only seeks pleasure. The longer such a large Yuzhang County is in his hands, the more disasters the people there will suffer. Killing him is the right thing to do!"
"If what Mr. Zhang is worried about is that this battle will cause great losses to our Yangzhou, then Mr. Zhang, please think about it. Will Huang Zu think that we will send troops today?"
Zhang Zhao didn't answer, but he knew that the answer was definitely no.
It is the autumn harvest season now. Grand Marshal Qiao Yan has won two states in a row, shocking everyone. No one thinks that anyone will make any unusual moves at this time.
Almost everyone's attention turned to the two newly acquired states by the Chang'an court and the surrounding border areas.
On the other hand, in Yangzhou, Zhou Yu had just gone north to Xuzhou not long ago. This was a sign that Sun Ce was temporarily separating his supporters and intended to stop the war this year.
Huang Zu was probably thinking that he was very safe at this moment.
But how could he know that in today's Kuaiji County, Sun Ce walked out with a gun in hand, raising the curtain under Zhang Zhao's gaze, and the cavalry outside had already been deployed in position.
In the darkness of the night, a heavy murderous aura loomed, as if an invisible sword was pointing in the direction of Yuzhang County.
Huang Gai, Han Dang and other veteran generals looked at Sun Ce with eager eyes. They saw that the torches held by the cavalry illuminated the young man's armor and his unusually bright eyes, showing the heroic spirit of a young and vigorous man.
He turned over and rode on the horse that was led in front of him. As he tightened the reins, he shouted loudly: "Everyone, follow me to fight--"
"In this battle, we will kill Huang Zu!"
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