Silver Fox of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 437 The death of Zhang Liao, the era is coming to an end

At the end of the sixth year of Han Zhangwu and the seventh year of Wei Huangchu, Liu Bei had to leave the front line due to physical reasons and retreated to Wancheng to recuperate.

At this time, Liu Bei has been dead for almost four years in history, and Cao Pi has also been dead for half a year.

But now they are still alive and have not left sadly.

It's not because they are living a better life now than in history, but because Shen Chen simply changed history so that they didn't die so quickly.

It's like Guo Jia didn't go to Wuhuan outside the Great Wall and lingered until Jian'an for 24 years.

Without Guan Yu's defeat in Maicheng, Zhang Fei's killing by his subordinates, and the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Yiling, Liu Bei is naturally not as emaciated as he was in history, and died of illness in Baidi City.

Cao Pi, as Cao Cao's heir, neglected to manage him because of Cao Cao's wars in the South and North in his early years, which made Cao Pi indulge in sensuality at a young age.

For example, he and Cao Zhi have written many poems about wine and sex, and they are often intoxicated between wine and banquets, and their bodies are hollowed out by wine and sex.

Therefore, in history, after Cao Cao's death, Cao Pi usurped the Han Dynasty, and his power reached the peak of his life. No one disciplined him, so he indulged himself even more. He died of illness in just five or six years after he ascended the throne.

But now that the enemy is present, there is no time for Cao Pi to enjoy himself in peace, so naturally he will not die of illness early in Luoyang like in history.

It's just that time is ruthless.

After all, Liu Bei is old. Even if he lives a few more years, he can only live so long if he is not so physically and mentally exhausted. However, the aging body cannot be controlled by human power.

So now I can only leave the front line and return to Nanyang to recuperate. There is no way to go on a personal expedition and deal with the unforgettable great cause of the Northern Expedition.

And when Liu Bei had to return to Nanyang, in late December, in Chenliu County, Chenliu County, Henan Province, Cao Pi's temporary palace.

"Cough cough cough cough."

A severe cough resounded throughout the hall.

Although Cao Pi lived half a year longer than in history, his background was so poor that he still fell ill.

In ancient times, because of the lack of effective measures to keep warm, winter was the most dangerous time every year. If you encountered a little bit of cold weather, you would be infected with wind and cold, which would lead to pneumonia, and you would be terminally ill.

The imperial physician diagnosed Cao Pi and prescribed medicine, but it did not improve.It's just that the symptoms are much milder than Liu Bei's, and now he can still hold meetings with the counselors.

Sima Yi, Chen Qun, Dong Zhao, Jiang Ji, Liu Ye and other counselors in the hall were quite worried about Cao Pi's health. After he coughed for a long time and spit out a mouthful of thick phlegm into the spittoon next to him, his face turned slightly rosy and healed. Not a lot.

The palace is full of charcoal fires, which are the best incense charcoal, and there are attendants who occasionally take out some spices from the bag and pour them into the charcoal basin for burning, making the room full of fragrance, with a hint of sweetness in the warmth.

Cao Pi lay on the mat, adjusted a more comfortable posture, smelled the fragrance wafting in the hall, and felt his body gradually becoming more comfortable, so he raised his head slightly and looked down at the people below.

"Has Liu Bei returned to Nanyang?"

He said.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "The spies from Nanyang saw his escort go to Wancheng with their own eyes."

Jiang Ji said: "Your Majesty, Liu Bei is nearly [-] years old and wants to go to the army himself. This shows that his heart for the Northern Expedition is extremely strong. Under normal circumstances, it is absolutely impossible for him to leave the front line."

Cao Pi nodded slightly and said, "What does Zitong mean?"

"It can only show one thing, that is, Liu Bei's health is getting worse and worse, and it is very likely that he will die soon in a few months."

Jiang Ji analyzed: "If we can attack while Liu Bei is dead, we will surely defeat the south."

"Well, it makes sense."

Cao Pi murmured, "It's just that in the recent period, no matter how provocative the Hussar General is, that Zhang Fei is determined not to leave the camp. I'm afraid it will not be easy to fight decisively."

Chen Qun said with a smile: "Your Majesty, Zhang Fei's temperament is rough, and he is not going out of the camp right now because Liu Bei ordered him not to fight. Now Liu Bei has retreated to the rear, and no one is watching him. As long as your majesty asks General Hussars to take the initiative to attack the enemy camp, Zhang Fei will definitely not be able to hold back and go out to the camp for a decisive battle."

"Then Pang Tong and Fazheng are not good friends."

Cao Pi sighed: "Even if Zhang Fei can be provoked to go out of the camp to fight, I think they will have a countermeasure."

"It's okay."

Sima Yi said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, what we need is to start a decisive battle with the enemy while Liu Bei is not around. As long as Liu Bei dies and the Southern Army's morale declines, we will naturally win. The important thing is not to let the Southern Army retreat smoothly. "

"Well."

Cao Pi thought for a while and said, "Okay, then pass on my edict to let General Hussars and General Zhengnan start attacking at the beginning of next year."

"only."

Everyone bowed their hands together.

.

.

At the end of the sixth year of Zhangwu, Liu Bei returned to Wancheng to recuperate because of his poor health.

Shen Chen sits in Chang'an and begins to harass Hedong.

And at this time, in Hefei City, Zhang Liao was on the verge of death and was about to die of illness.

In the backyard of the former general's mansion in Hefei, the room is full of medicinal fragrance.

Zhang Liao lay pale on the bed.

He has lived almost five years longer than in history, and is 58 years old this year.

However, in the early days of the South and North Wars, he suffered many traumas, and in his later years he was physically weak after all.

Especially since Hefei was besieged for more than a year, Zhang Liao's originally strong body has become thin and dry.

Xue Ti stood by the bed, looked at him worriedly, and said sadly: "Wen Yuan, it's all my fault, I shouldn't."

Zhang Liao said with difficulty: "Xiaowei is just respecting his own duties, this matter has nothing to do with Xiaowei. Besides, I should not be honest with myself, what is wrong with Xiaowei?"

Xue Ti sadly said: "Wen Yuan, Guan Yu is still attacking the city, Hefei is on the verge of collapse, but Wen Yuan fell ill on the bed, what should I do."

Zhang Liao sighed and said: "Hefei city can't be defended anymore. The food and grass in the city is only used for one year, and it is almost exhausted. Now the morale of the army is declining. Xiaowei will lead the soldiers to break through tonight, and return to the land of Henan."

"Hey Wenyuan, you are sick in bed now, and you can't bear to run around, how can I take you out of the siege."

Xue Ti sighed.

He knew what Zhang Liao said was right, but he was unwilling to give up Hefei like this. What's more, Zhang Liao was so ill now that he looked like a dead tree. If he led him to break through, he might die of illness soon.

Zhang Liao said with a miserable smile: "The man is wrapped in horse leather. I died in bed. I really lost the general's majesty. However, I can't get up now. Go to Xiaowei, and I will die in Hefei."

Xue Ti shook his head firmly and said, "I will never give up on Wenyuan. When I break out tonight, I will definitely take Wenyuan with me."

After all, he resolutely went out and arranged for the breakout.

There is not much food and grass in Hefei City.

Chang'an City is very large, and it is more than enough to store food and grass for [-] soldiers for several years.

But the city of Hefei is not that big. The number of soldiers in the city was 70 at the beginning, and it consumed [-] shi of grain and grass every month, and more than [-] shi of grain a year, totaling about [-] tons.

A small city with an area of ​​only three to four square kilometers can't store grain for more than two years.

Because in addition to food, the city also needs to prepare a large amount of materials for defending the city, ordnance and equipment, as well as places for soldiers to sleep and train.

So at the beginning, only a million stones of grain were stored.

Save a little and use it for a year and a half, or even two years.

However, from the end of last year to the end of this year, one year passed. Guan Yu often attacked the city. In order to ensure the physical strength of the soldiers, the city spent a lot of food and grass, and now there are less than three months of food left.

Under such circumstances, Xue Ti and Zhang Liao had to consider the way forward. Now that Cao Xiu was defeated, Cao Jun was unable to rush to help Huainan. They were isolated and could not hold on for long.

So it is also time to plan ahead and prepare to break through.

As a result, at this juncture, Zhang Liao fell ill on the bed again, which made the already bad situation of Cao Jun even worse.

It's just that no matter what, in order to survive, he had to fight hard to take the soldiers from Hefei City out.

Xue Ti immediately mobilized the army, ready to start the breakout operation.

In fact, he already had the idea of ​​breaking out more than ten days ago, and made arrangements in secret.

It is a pity that Zhang Liao's condition has not improved, and it has become more and more serious. Last month, he could barely patrol the city defense, but this month he could no longer get out of bed.

Under such circumstances, Xue Ti was unwilling to give up Zhang Liao and ran away alone.

So he can only continue to do a good job defensively.

It's just that it has reached the point where there is no way to retreat. If Zhang Liao continues to hold on, once Zhang Liao dies of illness and the morale of the army drops to the bottom, the city is likely to be captured.

As a last resort, we can only break through.

That night, at the end of the rooster's crowing and the beginning of Ping Dan, it is almost three o'clock in the middle of the night in later generations, and it is the time when people sleep most soundly.

The gate to the east of Hefei City opened quietly, and groups of Cao Jun soldiers slowly left the city.

When he was about to leave the city gate, a series of orders had already been handed down from the front.

"Shut up, don't light torches, move forward in the dark!"

"The scouts spread out along the wings."

"Investigate the situation outside the city and report back as soon as possible."

Naturally, these people were not the main force of Cao Jun leaving the city directly, but scouts to explore the way.

If you go out of the city directly, what if you are ambushed?
So we have to investigate the situation.

Soon the scouts came back and reported to Xue Ti that there was no ambush outside the east city.

Xue Ti waved his hand and broke through overnight.

So a large number of Cao Jun came out of the city and slowly moved towards the east.

Xue Ti was riding on horseback, looking worriedly at Zhang Liao who was being carried by several Cao Jun on a stretcher next to him.

He had a fever and was unconscious all over.

The weather was already cold, even if Zhang Liao was covered with several quilts, the wind and cold would still invade, making Xue Ti feel uneasy.

But if this situation does not go away now, Zhang Liao will really die in Hefei City.

Leave Hefei and send them back to the rear as soon as possible, maybe they can still be saved.

Xue Ti could only think so.

At this moment, a crescent moon in the night sky was hidden behind dark clouds, and the cool moonlight came out from the edge of the clouds, illuminating a small piece of blue-white sky, and even the edge of the dark clouds was stained with white. Frost.

The land was dark, except for the fire in front of the Han army camp a few miles north of the city, there were dark and hazy shadows everywhere.

Cao Jun trotted all the way out of Hefei City and ran to Junqiu County in the east.

Junqiu County is the later Feidong County of Hefei City. The distance between Hefei and Hefei is very short, only seventy or eighty miles away, and the road is extremely flat. It is a vast plain area that can be described as endless.

There are only a few small rolling hills in the east, with dense forests under the mountains, streams and rivers passing through the forest, and occasionally you can hear the sound of yo-yo deer and wild boar.

Xue Ti knew that the road going north back to Runan was blocked by Guan Yu, so he planned to go northeast and enter Guangling before returning to Henan.

The soldiers walked for more than an hour, and it was almost six o'clock in the morning, and the east was showing a fish belly.Although the days are short and the nights are long in winter, sometimes it doesn't dawn until seven or eight o'clock or even nine o'clock in the morning.

However, the sun rises earlier in the south, so the field of vision in the wilderness is still relatively wide at this time.

Xue Ti looked around and saw that he was already some distance away from Hefei. Before, he told the soldiers to walk slowly and quietly, because he was afraid that the movement caused by running would be too loud, and the Han army outside the city would notice.

It should not be discovered now, so I want to give an order to let the soldiers run.But suddenly he noticed Zhang Liao, whose face was pale and comatose due to high fever.

Thinking that if the soldiers were allowed to run, Zhang Liao would definitely be bumped and uncomfortable. If Zhang Liao's condition was directly made worse, wouldn't it kill him?
So Xue Ti had no choice but to continue to let the soldiers walk forward.

By the end of the sunrise, that is, at seven o'clock in the morning, they had already approached the small hills in the distance and reached the edge of the forest.

Xue Ti was planning to let the soldiers take a break, light a fire and cook food, so as to replenish their strength.

At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded in the forest.

"woo woo woo woo!"

The sound of the desolate trumpet shakes the wilderness.

In the distant forest, countless figures appeared in an instant, and the orange-red uniforms of the Han army were like a gorgeous cloud of fire.

They held high the banner with the word "Guan" and rushed towards Cao Jun like a tide.

Cao Jun has been walking for several hours, and he never thought that there would be ambushes here, and there was chaos for a while.

After being shocked, Xue Ti hurriedly ordered the soldiers to line up.

"Hurry up, line up!"

"Don't run, don't mess up, if you don't want to die, make a list."

"The fugitive dies!"

The low-level officers are still qualified, and they quickly organized their manpower.

But it is obviously impossible to arrange a marching soldier team into formation in a short period of time.

More importantly, the Han army will not give them time.

I saw the Han army rushing into Cao Jun's formation screaming like wild wolves. For a while, Cao Jun soldiers were scattered and fleeing everywhere. Only a very small number of them successfully formed a formation and resisted desperately.

Guan Ping rushed to the front of the team, slashing and killing recklessly, and soon defeated the Cao army that had just regrouped.

There are mountains and plains around, and Han troops swarmed everywhere.At present, Cao Jun not only has more than 1 to less than [-] people, but more importantly, their morale and physical strength are not high.

In this case, Cao Jun was in chaos.

Zhang Liao was awakened in a daze by the chaotic noise of the battlefield. His face was pale and his lips were bloodless. He opened his eyes with difficulty, but saw himself lying on the ground.

Cao Jun, who was carrying him, had no choice but to place him on a hillside, and his personal guards defended the hillside and fought desperately with the Han army.

But their number was getting smaller and smaller, and soon only seven or eight retreated to Zhang Liao's side to guard.

The Han army below did not continue to attack, and an old horse that was getting thinner slowly came over from the crowd. The man on the horse also lost a lot of weight, and he didn't have a green dragon knife in his hand, just an ordinary ring head knife pinned to his waist. .

Guan Yu is about the same age as Liu Bei, also 67-[-] years old, and [-] years old. His once burly body has become more and more emaciated.

Zhang Liao turned his head slowly, glanced at the situation in the formation, and saw that Cao Jun was defeated in the distance, and even Xue Ti was missing, wondering if he was dead.

It seems that Xue Ti failed to break through.

he thought to himself.

"Wenyuan."

Guan Yu rode on the old and skinny red rabbit horse, and said in a deep voice: "Surrender, you persuaded me to surrender to Cao Cao, I accept your kindness, today you should surrender too. If you are a Han, why should you be a Wei minister?"

Zhang Liao let out a miserly laugh, feeling his chest was heavy, and the corners of his mouth were bleeding, he said with difficulty: "Yun Yunchang, I won't surrender, I can die by your hands, that's enough."

"Ugh."

Guan Yu sighed and said, "Even if you can't think about yourself, you should think about the soldiers under your command."

Zhang Liao said to the guards beside him, "You all surrender."

"General."

The personal guard gritted his teeth and said, "We will never surrender, and we will protect the general to the death."

"Surrender, don't make unnecessary sacrifices."

Zhang Liao's head became more and more dizzy, and his consciousness became more and more blurred. He said, "I'm about to die. I'm not dying on a hospital bed, but on the battlefield. That's enough."

He opened his mouth, his voice was already very thin, and at the end, he slowly turned his head and fell into a coma again.

Guan Yu looked at Zhang Liao's guards and scolded, "You still don't surrender?"

Many Han soldiers threatened the past with spears.

Zhang Liao's personal guards looked at each other, and finally dropped their weapons and surrendered to the Han army.

Guan Yu coughed slightly, waited for the Han army to escort Zhang Liao's personal guards away, and slowly went up the hillside by himself, got off his horse and came to Zhang Liao's stretcher.

At this time Zhang Liao was almost on the verge of death, his eyelids trembled slightly, his lips were long, but he was speechless.

Guan Yu squatted down and pulled Zhang Liao's eyelids away. His eyes were loose and cloudy.

"Wenyuan."

Watching the old man's life disappearing slowly, Guan Yu sighed, sat next to Zhang Liao, and looked into the distance.

His eyes were also stained with tears, feeling sorry for Zhang Liao's death.

In the east in the early morning, the sky has gradually brightened, and there seems to be a meteor falling in the distant sky.

Time will not stop rushing.

Whether you are a mighty hero or a wealthy emperor, you cannot escape the changes of time.

Zhang Liao has been a soldier for nearly 40 years, and his life has finally come to an end.

What Guan Yu sighed was not only the departure of old friends.

Also lamented is the rush of time.

belong to their era.

It seems that the time has come for the curtain to end.

Yourself.

Perhaps he will soon die of old age, disease, or battle.

Guan Yu gently stroked Zhang Liao's forehead, which was gradually losing temperature, and finally a trace of tears flowed from the corners of his eyes.

Sad for the loss of a good friend, but also mourned for my old appearance.

(End of this chapter)