Chapter 102: Murderous Intent Surges in Xirong
The big tent was quiet, with the slight sound of unfolding paper.
"...the corpse is lying thousands of miles away; the sea is open to hundreds of rivers, and all the emperors have the means. When the emperor is angry, he is majestic to the whole world, making people fearful; a virtuous king, giving both kindness and power, is admirable. Xiang Yu is brave and good at fighting, and there is no one in the world. On the right, however, steel is extremely easy to bend, and strings are easy to break when tightened. He does not know how to bend and stretch, and does not understand the methods of people's hearts. He kills people and slaughters cities, which is shocking but not awe-inspiring. Emperor Gaozu is not as good as him, but he dominates the world and wins the hearts of everyone. "
The oil lamp on the desk swayed slightly. Su Chen looked down along the letter paper, and his frown gradually relaxed.
"It is benevolent for the general to raise troops to attack the emperor for the people. The border general Qi Baoguo obeyed the court and released the barbarians privately, causing the tragic death of the people of Yunqi. His death was not a pity; however, there were many people guarding the city in Yan State. If Killing his whole family because of one person is undoubtedly a crime against thugs. No one dares to surrender the general's troops and horses. They all defend the city and fight to the death. The general has hundreds of capable generals in his hands and marches all the way north and east. How many fighting troops can be saved? The officials at both the upper and lower levels were trembling with fear, but could they do their best to make the Emperor of Yan wake up from his dream? ”
"The general wants to act kingly or domineering, all in one thought. Yu can't control it. He just wants to remind the general. Kill one person and lose the way for others to surrender. Xirong will laugh, and Emperor Yan will laugh."
Su Chen Pass the paper to the oil lamp, light a flame and throw it to the ground to watch it burn out.
It is natural to see in the letter that Xun Yu is persuading him to accept the Qi family first and direct the matter to Xirong and the imperial court.
Imitate Han Emperor Gaozu?
He turned back and glanced at the spiritual tablets in the tent. Among the spiritual tablets, there was the spiritual tablet engraved with 'Han Gaozu Liu Ji', and a muffled sound was heard from the spiritual tablet.
"That's right, follow my example, first win over, and then settle accounts. When it is time to use it, you must make the best use of it. If it is no longer needed, kill what needs to be killed."
"Han Gaozu is deeply loved by me. !" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice also sounded.
Su Chen did not continue to listen to their chatter and continued to ponder Xun Yu's words.
The culprit is indeed the emperor in the court. Qi Baoguo is just a foolish and loyal pawn in the middle who obeys orders. If his Qi family has an affair with Xirong and betrays the country, and the Qi family gets the benefits of betraying the country, then it is not possible to kill his whole family. Too much.
But obviously the above conditions did not hold true, and judging from the news, the Qi family did not approve of Qi Baoguo's approach, but they were powerless to stop it.
After settling his thoughts and having an idea, Su Chen stood up and called Dian Wei outside the tent.
"Send the order to Yantang Pass, and I will enter the city at noon!"
Soon, the news started to rush into the pass, and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao and Lu Bu got the news. They led the troops to the streets and set up defenses at all the intersections. The Qi family, who had been confined for several days, also received the news. They were brutally taken out of the room by the soldiers and gathered in the front yard of the mansion. There were also many relatives among them, and they were all frightened. Almost crying.
"I have told you a long time ago that letting the Xirong people enter will cause disaster!"
"My family has fought many battles with the Qi family, and because of Qi Baoguo, my family will be punished. , How can this be said! ”
"...My son also died in the battle!"
"What time of day are you talking about these things!" Qi Youhu turned around and roared at them: "I, Qi Youhu, live an upright life, and I just do what I do. If you have done it, you have not done it! The Qi family has fought countless battles here. Even if their bones are buried here, they can still be considered as heroic souls."
"Xiaohu, your father..." the woman looked at him. Although he had guessed most of it towards his young son, he was still her husband after all, and she wanted to know his whereabouts.
Qi Youhu and Qi Xuan, who were asked, fell silent one after another.
"Dad...may be gone." Qi Youhu hesitated for a moment, then told the truth.
The woman hung her head and sobbed.
……
At noon, Su Chen entered the city.
Five hundred shield-and-halberd warriors stood guard on the left and right with shields and halberds. Their neat formation and their armor smelling of rust and blood made the people of Guanzhong nervous who were peeking secretly from the houses on both sides of the street.
Yantang Pass is not very big inside. After passing two streets, we arrived at the Qi family's mansion. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Lu Bu and Ma Chao had been waiting here for a long time.
The four of them got off their horses and saluted with their weapons in hand.
On horseback, Su Chen returned the favor, then dismounted and led Dian Wei into the Qi family's house. Guan Zhang and Lu Ma also strode to follow. After bypassing the feng shui wall, Zhang Fei shouted directly: "Quiet!"
The originally rustling voice suddenly fell silent among dozens of people in the Qi family. Qi Youhu and Qi Xuan saw The guarded figure couldn't help but show a hint of surprise on his face.
I didn’t expect that the general looked so young. He looked not much older than them, and might even be a year or two younger.
“Qi Youhu (Qi Xuan) pays homage to the general!”
The two of them came back to their senses, quickly opened the hem of their robes, knelt on the ground, and bowed down with their hands in hand. A group of relatives behind them, as well as their mother, also knelt down.
A soldier came over and held up a framed letter next to Su Chen.
“The martyrs of the Qi family protect the country with their own lives, and their descendants will succeed them.” Su Chen looked at the writing on it, and nodded: “The martyrs of the Qi family said it well, and their descendants will succeed them! I wonder if Qi Baoguo can be continued. ”
This sentence made all the kneeling relatives of the Qi family tremble.
"General!" Qi Youhu raised his head. He was not even ten years old, and his eyes were clear. He was exactly the age of Xueyong. "What my father did was a big mistake, and many people died tragically. Qi I am so ashamed that I have no face to face this framed text!”
"The first thing I did when I went north was to capture Yantang Pass, capture your whole family, and take them to Yunqi County. In front of the people whose relatives were killed by the Xirong people, I chopped off their heads one by one to comfort the souls. But Qi Baoguo I went to Xirong to seek death, and your Qi family surrendered again. This calculation was too shrewd. I had to jump into this trap."
"General, the Qi family don't dare! "Qi Youhu fell to the ground, his forehead touching the ground, "No one in the family knew that my father Qi Baoguo went to the grassland to seek death, let alone that he planned this plan before he died."
Su Chen raised his hand and waved. , and asked the soldiers to take the calligraphy down: "You guys can no longer use this calligraphy for the time being. When I think you can match this calligraphy again, I will return it to you." This is the inscription of the ancestor of the Qi family, It was of great significance, but it was confiscated by Su Chen, and his heart felt like bleeding.
“Yes!” Qi Youhu replied in a low voice.
"Qi Baoguo is a master of the Qi family. He did something wrong, but he is already dead. It is obviously inappropriate to pursue the innocent again. But you and others are not ordinary people. They are parents of the same place. This gate guards the family members."
Su Chen walked a few steps with his hands behind his back: "If you don't punish me, it's hard to explain to the people of Yunzhen that you think I, Su Chen, am protecting you because of your family background!"
Qi Youhu glanced at his second brother and said With his mother, he knelt and took a step forward: "The Qi family is willing to accept the punishment!"
"Okay."
Su Chen looked at Qi Youhu in front of him and nodded appreciatively, then looked at Guan Zhang and others, "Generals, have you thought of any way to punish them?"
"Tie him to a stake and whip him ten times in front of the people at Chengguan!" Zhang Fei shouted instinctively. "Yide!" Then Guan Yu pulled his armor and signaled him to stop talking.
Lu Bu and Ma Chao didn't speak either, they just looked at Su Chen.
"Since everyone has nothing to say, I will say it." Su Chen turned around and glanced at dozens of faces in the Qi family, including old people, children, and young adults, "Except Qi Xiaohu, Qi Xuan, the rest of the people moved to Yunqi and worked hard for three years, cultivating fields, planting crops, and repairing houses for the elderly who had lost their relatives. During this period, they were not allowed to leave Yunqi. After the three-year period, all their money was confiscated and they returned to Yantang Pass. As ordinary people, if you are talented and knowledgeable, you can support him and give him a seal."
"Make a bronze statue of your father, kneel facing Rongzhou, and atone for the suffering of the people of Rongzhou Yunqi day and night. Warn the officials of Yan State."
Su Chen's voice paused, "Acceptable?"
"The Qi family accepts the punishment of the general!" Qi Youhu thanked him again. After straightening up, he said hesitantly: "My eldest brother is seriously injured. Can you let him recover and start working hard again?"
"Go to Yunqi to recuperate. , allow him to serve after he recovers from his injuries!”
As for leaving Qi Youhu, Su Chen still needs him to take over all the Qi family’s property in Yantang Pass, and also send a signal to the soldiers guarding the city in Yanzhou.
A sentence in Xun Yu's letter made him listen. No matter how many generals there are, there are no soldiers to use. What's the point.
The massacre is carried out, and I don’t know what year or month it will take before we can gather our troops again.
"Send the news of the Qi family's punishment and Qi Baoguo's death to Rongzhou and tell the people to listen!" Su Chen asked the soldiers to send the Qi family home to pack their things. He walked into the front hall of the Qi family and began to gradually take over Yantang Pass. , all the original soldiers of more than 20,000 people were dispersed and incorporated into the Xiliang and Bingzhou armies, and another 10,000 people were mobilized to fill in the defense of the pass.
As for the five hundred cavalry, they were left to Qi Youhu.
But what makes Su Chen most excited is the taxes at Yantang Pass. There are countless business travelers traveling to and from the grassland every year. The taxes in one year can be more than the annual income of two Ding'an cities.
Any time tariffs are imposed, it will be huge profits.
While Su Chen was sitting at Qi's house looking through the annual tariffs, Guan Zhang, Lu Bu, and Ma Chao were also drinking tea and chatting in the hall, or looking at the calligraphy, paintings, and flower porcelain that belonged to this world. At this time, soldiers hurried over from outside: "Report to the general, a merchant brigade outside the pass passed by and told the soldiers that Qi Baoguo's body was hung in the Yelang tribe."
Qi Youhu, who was accompanying Su Chen and talking about the pass affairs, started shaking his hands. He didn't dare to show it, he just sat there quietly with his fists clenched tightly.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Lu Bu, and Ma Chao all around had murderous intentions on their faces.
“As soon as I entered the customs and was busy with this and that, I almost forgot that there was one more thing to do.” Su Chen glanced at Qi Youhu beside him, and threw the account book on the table next to him, “The three thousand heads before were gone. Throw it away?”
“Throw it away, but pick it up again,” Ma Chao said jokingly.
"Back to camp, it's time to teach that Yelang tribe a lesson!" Su Chen stood up and strode away, his voice reaching: "Qi Youhu, you should follow too!"
Soon, the horn to return to camp sounded in the city.
The cavalry were like streams gathering from every street corner in the city, turning into a torrent to follow Su Chen, and Lu Bu, Ma Chao, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei behind him as they rushed out of the city.
The cavalry was entrenched in the field, and the four generals followed Su Chen into the Chinese army's tent. He took off his cloak and threw it to his follower Wu Zixun. Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, Zhang Liao, and Niu Gai stood up in the tent.
Guan Yu and other generals who followed in also stood on the left and right respectively. Zhang Liao glanced at Guan Yu, who also had a smile on his face, but at the moment both of them were silent in tacit agreement, and then looked towards ahead.
"Generals, please sit down!" When Su Chen sat down with his golden sword, all the generals in the tent also sat down, followed by Qi Youhu who came in and stood at the end. He had never seen such a battle before, and when he saw the tent full of generals, he didn't dare to breathe, so he sat down on a chair at the entrance of the tent.
"Xirong Grassland has strong folk customs, but there are abundant water and grass there, and there are many cattle and sheep."
The generals sitting on the seats on both sides grinned.
"The Northern Expedition to Yanzhou is urgent, but we cannot afford to be attacked from both sides." Su Chen's hawk-like eyes swept over the generals in the tent, and the ferocious aura he developed was gathering.
"...Since they came to Rongzhou to kill people, I think it would be inappropriate to come and not return... Everyone, I want to eat roasted whole lamb in their tent."
Lightly The voice contained murderous intent, and the swaying brazier in the tent reflected the faces of Dian Wei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Lu Bu, Gao Shun, Ma Chao, Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, Niu Gai and others, with ferocious sneers.
Qi Youhu swallowed his saliva, and then he understood what the essence of smoke was.
(End of this chapter)