villain

Chapter 263 A Fateful Meeting

That night, it snowed heavily.

In the snowy night, the corpse city of Xingyang exuded a ghostly aura, standing in the darkness, with no light on the top of the city.

For the coalition forces, what they saw during the day was undoubtedly a nightmare.

Some anger, but more fear.The banner hangs weakly in the night, without any vitality.

Cao Cao sat by the couch, looking at Xi Zhicai who was dying, his heart felt like a knife.

"My lord, don't feel sorry for me. When I was young, a fairy once said that my life would not last long, and I would be safe and sound after I passed forty. I thought, I am only 36 this year, and I should be able to serve my lord and seek for the future. But I didn't want to If you miscalculate, you will lose everything. I underestimated Dong Zhuo, and today’s catastrophe is the result...My lord, I have a few words, please keep them in mind.”

"Please tell me, sir!"

"Xingyang can't fight any more, my lord should seek to escape immediately."

Cao Cao's teary eyes were dim, and he nodded slightly, "I will keep it in my heart."

"Zhongde is headstrong, and Bo Ji is talented, but he is less than clever. My lord should seek the help of wise men to achieve great things. I have someone to recommend, and my lord can find him."

"who?"

Xi Zhicai coughed violently, and his complexion suddenly became very rosy.But the blood spurted out of the mouth was shocking.

Cao Cao got up quickly and ordered someone to find a doctor.

Unexpectedly, Xi Zhicai grabbed his hand, "My lord, listen to me. In the southwest of Changshe, there is a manor house owned by the Xun family. The sage I recommended lives there now. His surname is Guo Mingjia, The name is Fengxiao."

Cao Cao was shocked, "Guo Jia? I know this person. It's just that he and Dong Xiping are brothers, how can he help me?"

Xi Zhicai smiled, and seemed to be in better spirits.

"My lord only knows one thing, but I don't know the other. Guo Fengxiao did study under the name of Cai Yong, but he and Dong Xiping are not as close as the lord thinks. Although his family is poor, his ancestors have been in the court for generations As an official, he is closer to scholars. Otherwise, he would have come out to help Dong Xiping long ago, why he is still living in someone else's house, the Lord can ask for it."

Cao Cao responded, "Don't worry, Mr. Cao has written it down!"

"There is another person who is a good friend of Guo Jia. This person's name is Xun Yu, who is comparable to Xiao He. He has the ability to know the world, and the lord can use him a lot."

"Xun Yu?"

Cao Cao nodded, and will keep it in mind.

To be honest, he has met Guo Jia and Xun Yu, but when he was down and out in Luoyang, why did he ever think about setting up his own family one day?
"My lord, remember, Xingyang cannot stay for long!"

After Xi Zhi finished speaking, he coughed violently again, and tightly held Cao Cao's hand, but couldn't help but let go.

Cao Cao hurriedly ran out of the big tent and called for a doctor.

Xi Zhicai's condition stabilized temporarily, but at dawn, he suddenly vomited blood. Although he was under the care of a doctor, he was unable to recover.

Cao Cao was so sad that he lost two people in a row in the first battle.

One was his think tank, and the other was his brother. This unspeakable grief made him faint on the ground.However, after waking up, Cao Cao still remembered Xi Zhicai's words.He was going to evacuate Xingyang, but when he told the princes about this idea.Kong Rong, Tao Qian and others refused to agree, but insisted on a decisive battle in Xingyang.

It's no wonder that the princes from all walks of life suffered heavy losses, and lost all their face.

Although he knew that Xingyang was difficult to attack, he couldn't turn back.If they won the battle, they still had the capital to negotiate with Dong Zhuo, but if they just left in such a disheveled manner, it would be really embarrassing.Therefore, even if Xingyang cannot fight, he must fight.

Cao Cao knew that he would continue to fight, but there was no result.

But the affection of the princes is hard to refute, and more importantly, he doesn't want to leave in such a desperate way.

After all, in that case, he really didn't know how to face the generals under his tent, he hesitated in his heart, but finally stayed.

The snow was getting bigger and bigger, and the city of corpses was covered in white snow.

Cao Cao decided to temporarily repair his troops and wait for Yuan Shu's food and grass to arrive before launching another attack.

Almost at the same time, Cheng Gao also stopped fighting.The Northern Route Army, which lost its soldiers and generals, also began a short rest.

The battles in Xingyang, Chenggao, and Yiqueguan started, which attracted Luoyang's attention.

In order to ensure the safety of the three passes, Dong Zhuo dispatched another group of people to the three passes to support.For Yiqueguan, Wei Xu and Wei Yue led 1 people to support; Li Tong led [-] Bingzhou elites to support Xingyang from Luoyang North Camp.Ban Zhi and Yan Ming were ordered to lead [-] Liangzhou soldiers to Chenggao. The army was mobilized, and Luoyang was very lively.

******
In contrast, Mengjin, located in the northeast of Luoyang, is very quiet.

Mengjin, called Mengjin in ancient times, is the place where King Wu of Zhou summoned the princes to form an alliance with blood. It is located by the river and is a small ferry.

It is 52 miles long and [-] miles wide.

This is the scope of Mengjin's jurisdiction, which is a mountainous and hilly area.

The ancients summed up the topography of Mengjin in one sentence, that is, 'three mountains, six tombs and one river'.The ancient city of Mengjin is stuck on the Yifenchuan of the three mountains and six tombs.Along the river that stretches for hundreds of miles, Luoyang is the only place from Hanoi that can reach Luoyang.

After Hua Xiong and Pang De arrived in Mengjin, the river had not yet frozen.

After taking away Zhu Hao's military power with the Tiger Talisman, Zhu Hao's banner was still planted on top of Mengjin City.

This was also Shi Yi's idea.Although Meng Jin may not necessarily fight, Zhu Hao's flag can confuse the public to a certain extent.Maybe at some point, just displaying the banner like this can make a great achievement.

Shi Yi was about 24 or [-] years old, a typical Qingzhou person, with a tall stature.

Although he is dressed as a scribe, his horseback riding and archery skills are not bad.Confucianism is not about reading books by dead books.On the contrary, archery and defense are very important parts of the basic six arts, and they are also very particular about bravery.

You know, among the students of Confucius, there is a character like Zilu who can be defeated by thousands of people, so how can he be a bookworm who is obsessed with studying?
It is precisely because of this that Hua Xiong and Pang De have a good impression of Shi Yi.

Shi Yi has thick eyebrows and big eyes, a Chinese character face, and a very strong spirit.But when doing things, he always thinks twice and is very prudent.

Hua Xiong knew that Dong Pi had sent him as a military adviser, so how could he be negligent.

Don't look at the monk's face and look at the Buddha's face, Dong Bi's face must always be taken care of.

More than a month passed in a flash, Hua Xiong had nothing to do in Mengjin, and he was full of troubles every day.The battles at Hulao Pass, Xingyang Pass, and Yique Pass became more and more intense, and the occasional news of the battle made Hua Xiong feel as uncomfortable as a cat scratching his heart.

"Lingming, do you think Zhi Hou has a prejudice against me?"

On this day, Hua Xiong took Pang De to patrol the city of Mengjin, and finally couldn't help asking softly.

Pang De was taken aback, "Where did the Chief Protector come from to say this? Marquis Zhi admires you quite a lot on weekdays, so how could there be any prejudice?"

Hua Xiong's face darkened, "If you have no prejudices, why did you arrange me in such a deserted place?"

Pound couldn't help laughing.

"Da Duhu, although this place is barren, it is very important to Luoyang. It was deserted here earlier because it was blocked by the river water. Now, the sky is freezing and the river is frozen... I guess the Lord is also worried. this."

"It's frozen, it's frozen, it's not deserted..."

Pang De smiled and said: "Don't underestimate the princes. If I am a prince and the frontal battle does not go well, there will definitely be surprise soldiers. At that time, I, Mengjin, will definitely have a bloody battle. Are you afraid that you won't be able to fight? ?Do not worry."

"Maybe the princes have human heads and pig brains..."

Hua Xiong muttered in a low voice, which almost made Pang De laugh out loud.

Human head and pig brain is a phrase that Dong Bi often uses to scold Wu Anguo.Unexpectedly, Hua Xiong has already learned how to use it after only half a year in Luoyang.In fact, it's not just Hua Xiong, don't Pound and the others often quote a few of Dong Pi's catchphrases?
Human head and pig brain...

The lord is truly a genius, to be able to come up with such an appropriate metaphor.

Pang De didn't try to persuade Hua Xiong again. Since he could say such a thing, Hua Xiong must have accepted his statement in his heart.

The snow was very heavy, Hua Xiong was ready to go down to the city to rest after making a round of inspection.

Suddenly, there was a faint and strange sound from a distance.In the snowy night, it was not very obvious, but after fighting in Liangzhou for a long time, Hua Xiong could already hear that unusual place from the sound of wind and snow.

It's late, is anyone here?
Hua Xiong frowned, and hid at the foot of the flag.

Pang De looked at Hua Xiong and understood what he meant.

Immediately, he raised his hand to signal the soldiers on the top of the wall to gather vigilance, and then ordered someone to send a letter to Shi Yi immediately.

After a while, a group of people arrived at the city of Mengjin.

The leader was an old man who jumped off his horse, about eight feet tall, with gray beard and hair, and was about fifty years old.

With a wink, a small school came forward and asked sharply: "Who is it, if you don't stop, you will shoot arrows!"

The old man on the horse also raised his hand to signal the people behind him not to move forward, urged the horse to come forward and said, "May I ask if General Zhu Hao is here?"

Xiaoxiao was taken aback, not knowing how to answer.

Pang De had already stood up and said loudly: "General Zhu Hao is in the government office, dare to ask who is your Excellency and what is the matter?"

The old man seemed to be hesitant, and after pondering for a while, he ordered someone to fetch a bow and arrow, tie a jade pendant to the arrow, and shoot it at the flag gate pole at the top of the city.

"Who am I? With this jade pendant, General Zhu Hao will know who I am."

"Wait!"

Pang De took off the jade pendant and retreated.Hua Xiong also came out from the shadows, "Ling Ming, do you recognize that old man?"

"I don't know!"

In the light of the pine oil torch, the jade pendant has a character "Zhu" written on it, and a tiger's head is engraved on the reverse side.

Shi Yi also came up at this time, stepped forward and took a look at the jade pendant, her expression changed drastically.He secretly hid in the shadows and glanced down.

Then came back in a hurry, "It's Zhu Jun, riding a car and riding a general!"

The meaning of the word 'OK' has been introduced earlier, so it can be understood as an agent.Carriage General means to act as an agent for General Carriage. Generally, the imperial court sends people to go out to fight. If there is a need for a large enough official position to deter, they will often add a "Xing" in front of the official position.When the matter is over, this official position can be revoked.

Zhu Jun was ordered to exterminate the Taishan bandits and appraise the rogues in Qingzhou earlier, and was the governor of the three states.

And his original official position has been revoked, so Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty gave him the title of general of driving and riding, and the governor of the Three States War.

Emperor Hanling died, Zhu Jun was still at the junction of Qingxu and not Luoyang.

And Luo Yang has been in a state of confusion, so that he did not recruit Zhu Jun back.Later, after Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, he transferred Zhu Jun back to Luoyang.But Zhu Jun refused to accept the call because the imperial line was not upright, but he did not confront Dong Zhuo either.

At this time Zhu Jun came running...

The three of Shi Yi looked at each other, their purpose was self-evident.

"Zhu Jun must have come here to persuade Zhu Hao."

"That……"

Hua Xiong gritted his teeth, "It doesn't matter who he is, if he fights against our men, he is an enemy, it's better to kill him..."

Pound nodded slightly, "That's great!"

The three of them decided to ask Xiao Xiao to go up and hold Zhu Jun, while Hua Xiong got on his horse and held a big knife.Hidden behind the city gate.

The city gate creaked open, and Zhu Jun's attention was also attracted by the small school on the top of the city.

At this moment, Hua Xiong suddenly urged his horse, and dashed out from the shadow under the city gate.The mount under his crotch is a muddy red horse, which is extremely fast.Swinging the big knife in his palm, it shone brightly in the heavy snow, and arrived in front of Zhu Jun in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Jun was taken aback, and let out a cry.

But before his voice fell, the big knife came down with a light like mist, cutting Zhu Jun into two pieces.

At the same time, Pang De led his troops out of the city, killing Zhu Jun's entourage and fleeing.

A brief confrontation soon ended, and Hua Xiong's anger that had been pent up in his heart for many days was vented.

Excited, he clapped his hands and returned to the camp with victory drums.

But Shiyi couldn't be happy.

"Ziyu, why are you depressed?"

Shi Yi said: "Zhu Jun's appearance here must have been arranged by the princes. We killed Zhu Jun today, and I am afraid that an army will arrive tomorrow."

"I'm so afraid, Chihou said that when soldiers come to block, water comes and soil fills in!"

"The guardian should be more careful. I think it's best to write a letter to Luo Yang and report to the grand master to let the grand master know the situation here."

Pang De also said: "Mr. Ziyu's words are very good."

Hua Xiong didn't think so, but it was hard to refuse.Immediately nodded in agreement, Shi Yi wrote a letter to inform Luo Yang.

It is only one day's journey from Mengjin to Luoyang, and it is very convenient to travel.

Pang De said again: "General Protector, I plan to lead the army to lie in ambush behind the mountain. When the enemy army comes, you and I can attack from front to back. At that time, we will be able to defeat the thief in one fell swoop."

Hua Xiong thought for a while, "Lingming's words are very kind. I will ride two thousand horses with you and lie in ambush in the mountains, waiting for the opportunity to move."

Pang De took the order to leave immediately, and Shi Yi discussed with Hua Xiong again to mobilize troops to prepare for the coming fierce battle.

However, the speed of the coalition forces was very fast, and they arrived outside Mengjin Pass at dawn.

According to Shi Yi's thinking, it is best not to take the initiative to attack.Stick to the pass and block the enemy at Mengjin Ferry.

This was originally a foolproof strategy. You must know that out of caution, Li Ru gave Huaxiong 8000 people. With the Mengjin pass, it was enough to hold back the coalition forces.As long as Luoyang's reinforcements get news, they can arrive within a day.In terms of time, it is definitely enough.

But Hua Xiong didn't want to do that.

Dong Pi killed Sun Jian and Lv Bu in a bloody battle at Hulaoguan. The meritorious deeds of the two made Hua Xiong very jealous.

Although he thought he was not as good as Dong Pi and Lu Bu, but he couldn't help but want to show his powerlessness, so he immediately refused.

Leading three thousand soldiers and horses, they rushed out from Mengjin and lined up in front of the pass.

Hua Xiong circled his horse with a broadsword in his hand, shouting and shouting in front of the formation.

Where did this team come from?

It's Shangdang prefect Zhang Yang and his trilogy.As early as the Suanzao League, Tian Feng, a counselor of Yuan Shao, predicted that the North Route Army would face a tough battle.Chenggao is the great pass, if you want to break it, you have to pay a huge price.

Therefore, it is suggested that Yuan Shao send troops to the Hanoi trail, take Mengjin, and go straight to Luoyang.

This is a very vicious strategy.If Mengjin is defeated and the coalition forces, even if only one route, appears under the city of Luoyang, then the impact on Luoyang will indeed be unimaginable...

But if you want to break Mengjin, you must cross the river.

The weather this year was also very strange. In October, the river was not frozen.After finally waiting for the river to freeze, the entire battle between the princes has been going on for dozens of days.But that's okay, at least Luoyang's attention was drawn to Chenggao Xingyang and Yiqueguan. From Zhang Yang's point of view, Meng Jin's defense must be weak.

What's more, he found Zhu Jun.

In the name of Zhu Jun, presumably Zhu Hao would not resist too much.At that time, Meng Jin will be self-defeating without a single soldier.

how do you know...

When Zhang Yang got the news of Zhu Jun's death, he had just crossed the river.

Hearing that his trick was seen through, he suddenly became furious.Regardless of waiting for Liu Bei and Guan Yu from the rear army to catch up, Qin led his troops and rushed straight to Mengjin.Seeing Hua Xiong showing off his power in front of the pass, Zhang Yang's anger became even more intense.

"Whoever can come out, kill this beast!"

Before Zhang Yang finished speaking, a person rushed out from behind. It was Zhang Yang's general, Mu Shun.

This Mu Shun urged his horse to straighten his gun, and rushed towards Hua Xiong, shouting sharply: "Unknown man, General Mu Shun is here, he has not dismounted and surrendered."

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It's the middle of the month, that brother has a monthly pass in his hand, please support one or two.

(End of this chapter)