Overlord!

Yilang Zhang advises to deal with it, nothing is normal. Han rank ratio is six hundred stones. Recruit more virtuous and upright people and appoint them.

Although he was a close associate of the emperor, he was not really a high-ranking official. Rank ratio is six hundred stones, which means the actual salary is less than six hundred stones.

Sun Ce's father, Sun Jian, also held this position. It was Sun Jian who served as Sima for Zhang Wen, the chariot general who conquered the Qiang and Hu rebellion in Xiliang. He urged Zhang Wen to kill Dong Zhuo. After discussing the merits, everyone sighed that Zhang Wen did not use his words, so he worshiped Zhang Wen. Sun Jian was Yilang.

It can also be seen that this position is not really a high-power position. His only advantage is that he can participate in secrets and understand national affairs.

Hearing Yang's words, Zhuge Liang sighed: "Does it mean that Zhao already has so many counselors? I heard that Xin Zuo was one of the four famous scholars in Yingchuan, and he was also one of the four famous scholars. Chen Qun had already ruled Yanzhou, and Zhao Yan As the governor of Runan, Du Xi holds an important position in the Salt and Iron Department of the Third Department and is in charge of the salt, iron and taxation in the world. Why is it that Xinbi is still the advisor to Qingliu?"

Du Xi was a famous scholar who surrendered in Xiangyang in the Battle of Jingzhou.

He is one of the most conspicuous ministers who surrendered and surrendered. He has no spectacular deeds, but he has been promoted step by step in an orderly manner relying on his own talents. He is a typical prime minister who must start from a state or county.

And because he followed the general trend when he defected, he did not bear the taint of being a surrendered minister.

At the beginning, Sima Hui and Wang Jun became famous through their recommendation, and more than a thousand Jingxiang scholars defected to Sun Ce's command!

In addition to Li Yan, a meritorious person who directly served as the governor of Nanjun, Liu Xian served as the governor of Lingling, Huan Jie served as the governor of Guiyang, and Liu Ba served as the governor of Jiangxia.

In addition, Wei Yan, Xiang Lang, Wenpin and others served as Zhonglang generals.

Pang Tong, Kuai Yue, Fu Xun, Wang Can, Du Xi, He Qia and others came out to serve in the prefecture and county.

Du Xi and Hexia were among the scholars who defected to Sun Ce together with Pang Tong and Kuai Yue.

Their promotion speeds are probably not much different, but some are promoted locally, while others are senior in the central government. Pang Tong was promoted to the governor of the state, and Du Xi was also promoted to the high position of the third division, commanding a department.

Just like in later generations, it is difficult to say whether a local chief envoy or a minister of household affairs is superior or inferior.

Xin Pi was also born in Yangzhai, Yingchuan, and was a typical scholar of the Yingchuan sect.

Of course it is impossible not to complain about all this.

He left his hometown and chose to support Yuan Shao, of course, in order to occupy a high position and display his ambitions.

But seeing that he was working hard outside and was not as important as his old friend under Song Gong, some changes were inevitable.

Maybe he didn't even think about betraying Yuan Shao, and he casually complained about Yuan Shao's deployment in his letter to Yang Xi, but this was enough for Zhuge Liang!

Yang Di also said: "Xinpi is known for his wisdom. He is a good and ordinary person who is sitting thousands of miles away. He is not respected in the Zhao family, and his ambition is difficult to realize. The general can use him occasionally to help our army. Take Qing and Ji!"

Zhuge Liang nodded slightly in approval and said: "My army will attack the plain today, and then move westward to cut off the defenders of Licheng. Lord Yangxian can reply to Xinpi, saying that if our army successfully surrounds Gao Lan's headquarters, he will surely Please give me some credit before the Duke of Song Dynasty."

In fact, alienation has been a very direct method since ancient times. He is betting on people's hearts.

Just like Cao Cao and Han Sui met in front of the battle and had an intimate conversation.

This is really the most obvious stratagem to divorce, but Ma Chao, the dutiful son, is the best at killing his father. He said to Han Sui: "Now, Ma Chao has abandoned his father and regards General Han as his father. General Han should also abandon his son and regard General Han as his father." Ma Chao is your son."

The latter was suspicious of Han Sui and led his troops to attack and kill him.

Zhuge Liang also bet that Xin Pi would not dare to tell Yuan Shao the contents of the letter. Yuan Shao would be accommodating to others if he knew that Xin Pi had leaked the Zhao army's deployment and used it for the Song army. No matter whether Xinpi did it intentionally or unintentionally, he will definitely be thrown into jail!

And once Xinpi has made meritorious deeds in the Song Army, things will become inevitable.

But regardless of whether Xin Pi will further serve as an internal agent in the future, the information he has revealed now is extremely important to Song Jun!

The main force of the Zhao army retreated to the direction of Licheng, which meant that the eastern and northern parts of Jinan and Pingyuan counties were very empty.

During the spring plowing, even the young men and corvees who were forcibly recruited from various cities fled and returned to their hometowns to plant wheat. The entire Qingzhou defense line became increasingly empty.

Zhang Liao then led more than 500 elite cavalry to break through the Yellow River and directly enter Hebei.

What made the raiders even more excited was that as soon as they arrived at the border of Jizhou, they saw a fleet of hundreds of warships clinging to the shore. The mighty floating sea moved northward, and the fluttering red flags on the warships were fluttering in the wind. It gives people a feeling of vigorous growth.

This is the navy that has been preparing for dozens of days in Qingzhou, preparing to supply Zhou Yu and other troops for the first time since the beginning of spring.

The Song army advanced by land and water and launched a large-scale attack. The advantage was too great! It can be said that he is an iron horse and can swallow thousands of miles with anger.

Although Zhang Liao's army only has 500 elite cavalry, it is still full of talents.

For example, the Sima who served as the Riding Superintendent was Xu Shu, a famous scholar from Yingchuan!

Although Xu Shu was quite talented, he was really completely different from the children of aristocratic families like Zhao Yan and Xin Pi.

There is no doubt that Xu Shu came from a poor family and was not even considered a poor scholar. He was roughly the same as Huang Gai and Dian Wei, both of whom were born in poor families at the bottom.

Xu Shu has been a knight-errant for a long time, wielding swords and sticks, traveling in groups, and killing people for his friends.

It wasn't until Xu Shu avenged someone that he was caught by the officials, tied to a pillar and prepared to be dismembered. Then he was rescued by his friends and party members. Only then did he feel his fate, abandon his sword and halberd, change his turban and unlined clothes, and cut off his knowledge.

Scholars would not suffer such humiliation and dismemberment.

And Xu Shu was also brave after realizing his shame. During his studies, other students heard that he was a thief and refused to stop. So Xu Shu humbled himself and got up early, often cleaning alone, moving and still before thinking, listening to the scriptures, and mastering the principles. Then he fell in love with Shi Tao from the same county.

If nothing else happened, he would not have much luck even in Jiangdong.

No one recommended him, so he could only be promoted from county official to county official.

But in these troubled times, accidents always come unexpectedly.

After Jingzhou surrendered to Sun Ce, Jiangdong disbanded a large number of Liu Biao's troops and recruited new troops in Jingzhou several times!

Sima Hui and Xu Shu said: "You are good at assassination, you have learned a lot about the art of war, and you are familiar with writing. The army is the best place for you to make achievements. Why don't you try to recruit brave soldiers?"

"Military merit is particularly valued in Jiangdong. There are dozens of people who have been granted the title of marquis based on military merit, while only two have been granted the title of marquis based on civil servants. Do you think that your trustworthiness, intelligence, and majesty can surpass others and be as good as two?"

So Xu Shu suddenly came to his senses and enlisted as a martial knight in the army.

He was born in the land of Cai Ru and was tall, so he naturally had an advantage over the people in the south.

And he was proficient in writing. He could master the "Cangjie Pian", "Jijiu Zhang" and "Nine-Nine Tables" taught in the army. He was immediately appointed as the commander-in-chief of Zhongxian in the army.

Starting from Lu Fan, the commander-in-chief of Feng Xian in the army wore black shirts, held whips, enforced the law and monitored the troops, maintained military discipline, taught soldiers by painting and writing, and taught writing.

Xu Shu was valued by Zhuge Liang because of his impartiality and impartiality as the commander-in-chief of law enforcement, and because of the harmony in the army and the rule of law. Zhuge Liang personally ordered the first batch of cavalry troops to enter Hebei this time, letting Zhang Liao and Xu Shu's troops go first.

At this moment, this unit was entrusted with an important task, so everyone was ambitious. Seeing the navy with Fu Haiji and others in the distance, a member of Xu Shu's team led the team and asked happily: "Captain, we are waiting for you now." Have you invaded Hebei? Are you considered the first batch of pioneers to set foot on Zhao's hinterland?"

Xu Shu said with a smile: "Don't be too fanciful, we are still in Le'an."

"Ah? Why are you still in Le'an?"

"We crossed the Yellow River with great ambition and reached Hebei. Why are we still wandering around in Le'an?"

When the soldiers heard this, they complained one after another. They had been waiting in Le'an before the war started. How come they were still in Le'an after fighting for so long?

Isn’t this northern land too vast?

Xu Shu said with a smile: "This is a good thing. Le'an spans the north and south of the Yellow River, and it has a radius of more than a hundred miles to the north of the Yellow River. Both the enemy and ourselves regard Le'an as the property of Song Gong, so even if the enemy has defenders, it also has the morale of the army. Floating around, there is no thought of holding on. If our army rides and dances, we will definitely be able to defeat many with a small number and gain great military merits."

"That's a good statement." A deep voice came from the side.

Everyone followed the sound and immediately shook their bodies and saluted.

"General!"

"Meet the General!"

"Meet the General!"

The person who came was none other than Zhang Liao, the deputy general of the Northern Expedition, the general of the Han Dynasty.

This is the most valiant and skilled general in the army. He once accompanied Zhou Yu to defeat Cao Cao in Henan, and killed Cao Cao's army in formation, Dian Wei, who was the bravest of all three armies.

He was highly praised by Song Gong as a top general in the world with faith and courage.

Zhang Liao stood on horseback beside Xu Shu, looking at the mighty fleet in the distance and said: "Le'an is connected to the Bohai Sea in the north and the plains in the west. Although the more than a hundred miles north of the Yellow River is narrow and sparsely populated, it is the battle of Qingzhou. key."

"If our army can defeat the defenders here, Qingzhou will be devastated!"

The problem that Zhang Liao is worried about now is the more than 10,000 troops that Yuan Jun has withdrawn from the Qingzhou area.

In this Northern Expedition, Jiangdong used surprise troops to cover up its weakness. The purpose was to use the magic soldiers to cause chaos in the Zhao army's position, rush back for reinforcements, and then take advantage of its own army to cause chaos in the Zhao army's position.

But the Zhao family also had capable ministers. Two months later, its rear was attacked, but instead of rushing back for reinforcements, it deployed troops and retreated slowly.

The destination of the more than ten thousand elite soldiers in the direction of Qingzhou is what Zhang Liao and Zhuge Liang are most concerned about.

After hearing this, the soldiers became more energetic and asked: "General, then we will defeat the defenders here, and then continue to march straight in and trample the main force of the Zhao army?"

Zhang Liao asked with a smile: "Do the officers and soldiers want to ride on the enemy's formation, or do they want to sweep through the enemy's city?"

"Of course, it is to charge into the battle on horseback, march forward in an indomitable manner, and kill three in and three out among the enemy's troops, making it invincible."

"Reckless man! You know that killing indiscriminately is the best thing if you can capture a city. We should seize all seventy-two cities in Qi."

After hearing what Zhang Liao said, Xu Shu knew that he had a lot of wars to fight!

Otherwise Zhang Liao would not be able to take into account the desires of his officers and soldiers.

And sure enough, Zhang Liao raised his arms and shouted: "Then, all the soldiers, please follow me to charge into the battle and expand the territory!"

As Zhang Liao encouraged the soldiers, the five hundred iron knights were full of energy and galloped for dozens of miles, over the mountains and straight into the Zhao army's camp.

The morale of the Song army was high, and the three armies fought hard. However, the Zhao army had long wanted to retreat. The more than two thousand soldiers could not resist, and then collapsed. The Song army chased for more than 20 miles, beheading more than 500 soldiers, dead horses and abandoned armor. , stretching across the mountains and plains, innumerable.

The defeat of the Zhao army's defenders made the Zhao army in the Bohai direction immediately alert to guard against the Song army's north-south attack.

But at this time, Zhang Liao did not continue to lead his cavalry into the Bohai Sea. Instead, he turned west and directly invaded the plains across dozens of miles. In ten days, he defeated Pingchang, Ande, Pingyuan, and Gaotang. county!

Hitting Gaotang means that the cavalry has gone south and returned to the south of the Yellow River!

This caused the Zhao army, which had always been steady, to finally riot. Just looking at the route of Zhang Liao's army of the Song Dynasty can be seen. This is an arc-shaped march route, from the east of Le'an to the west of the plain!

There is a Jinan country between Kelan and Pingyuan!

The more than 10,000 troops stationed in Licheng under Gao Lan were completely isolated by the Song army in a corner of the southwest!

There was no insider leaking information to the Song army, and there were no large numbers of officials and cities surrendering to the Song army. The Song army would never have launched such a targeted advance!

In almost ten months, the situation where the Song and Zhao armies were evenly matched in Qingzhou turned into a situation where the Zhao army was left with only a corner of the southwest of Qingzhou, holding only a few counties around Licheng.

Zhuge Liang, who was stationed in Leling, finally got in touch with Zhou Yu's troops.

Zhou Yu personally sent Lu Xun and hundreds of cavalry to break into Leling City to contact Zhuge Liang about military information.

This young man is a typical Jiangdong talent, a child of a noble family. He not only has a magnificent appearance, but also has an outstanding bearing and vigorous spirit.

After greeting Zhuge Liang, he said: "General, you are a man with high views, but you are really a mediocre man. He avoids fighting and defends his position. If he loses his position and connects Qing and Ji, the building will collapse. The governor of Zhou asked the general to ignore this mediocre man for the time being. , join forces to destroy the army in Hebei, and determine the victory of the Northern Expedition!"

Zhuge Liang smiled when he heard this. Gao Lan was a famous general in Hebei, but in Lu Xun's opinion, he was just a follower.

However, it cannot be said that Lu Xun is all aloof and arrogant. Even if Xinpi leaked information in this battle, Gao Lan is indeed worthy of the title of a famous general.

He paid too much attention to preserving the army, and regarded the preservation of people and land as the most important principle.

The key is that in this battle, the purpose of the Song Army is not to have a large-scale decisive battle with the Zhao Army.

The purpose of the Song Army was to open up the road with Jizhou. Now Le'an and Pingyuan were lost, and the northeast of Jinan was also owned by the Song Army.

Supplies on the road can be continuously transported north from the coast and transported from Leling to the Bohai Sea.

Once this strategic goal is achieved, Zhou Yu's troops will no longer be alone!

As the general who defended Qingzhou, Gao Lan had allowed the situation to deteriorate to this point, and he indeed had an unshirkable responsibility.

Moreover, once the city is lost, even if Gao Lan reacts, it will be difficult to regain it.

So Lu Xun went on to say: "At this time, Gao Lan is hiding in Licheng and will never dare to disturb the general. The general must take this opportunity to overthrow the Zhao army on the east route." (End of this chapter)