Chapter 692: Clan Brother
When Ling Cao watched Rui Zhi in the distance holding a bloody human head and bowing to the Taishan army and surrendering to the city, his anger was ignited.
He rushed over with bare hands.
But after running for more than ten steps, a sharp arrow pierced his foot.
I saw a clear voice saying lightly:
"Go back, if you charge again you will die at the foot of the sudden knight."
Chen Cheng raised his bow and pointed at Ling Cao, saying this.
Ling Cao couldn't vent his inner anger, but he knew that no matter how hard he tried, it would be futile. He could only look at Rui Zhi in front of him fiercely, wishing he could eat his flesh and sleep on his skin.
At this time, Rui Zhi was also attracted by the silence and looked over. Seeing Ling Cao, he first showed a hint of embarrassment, but then he became even angrier than Ling Cao and glared at him.
Ling Cao was shocked at this time. Until this moment, he was tapped on the shoulder, and then he heard the general holding the bow say to him:
"Do you know why he hates you?"
Ling Cao understood it after thinking about it carefully, and then lowered his head in shame.
Seeing how sincere this soldier was, Chen Cheng smiled and said on demand:
"You are surrendering, and he is surrendering. Logically speaking, who can be nobler than the other. But it is a pity that this man stabbed the military leader in the back and surrendered. It is a pity to say that the general named Zhu Zhi and that Zhu Mei They all died after drinking poisoned water. That Zhu Mei was really a tough guy. It is said that he killed six people after being poisoned. It’s a pity.”
At this time, Ling Cao could no longer hear clearly. He touched the kettle beside his waist blankly, which Zhu Zhi left for him, and fell into deep self-blame.
Chen Cheng shrugged, feeling that he had done a lot. Then when he saw someone, he looked happy and strode over.
Leaving Ling Cao alone was mentally drained.
……
Zhang Shao and a group of cavalry looked at Rui Zhi and his party who surrendered out of the city with disgust.
He turned to his general Zhuge Xuandao:
"That man is really like a dog. No, dogs are loyal, but this man sells his friends to survive. It is really a shame among men."
Zhuge Xuan is the younger brother of his sect Zhuge Gui. He later moved to Yecheng with his eldest brother's family, and later became an official in the county government as a meritorious official. Recently, Zhang Shao was allowed to open the government, and he was transferred to the imperial palace as a personal general.
Unlike his brother Zhuge Gui, he is a bit anti-their ancestor of the Zhuge family. The Zhuge family started out as a martial artist, and they often produced strong generals.
And Zhuge Xuan is even more like this. He is nine feet tall, brave and muscular, and he is worthy of the blood of his Zhuge family.
At first, Zhang Shao was also confused by his appearance, thinking that he was a fierce general like Dian Jun in the army. However, after having an in-depth conversation with this person, he realized that this person was not just a person, but his research on Huang Lao's art was considerable. As a master, he may be slightly inferior to his teacher Tao An.
Therefore, Zhang Shao served as Zhuge Xuan's teacher and was always on hand to consult on current affairs.
At this time, seeing Zhang Shao so angry, Zhuge Xuan twirled his beard, pondered for a while, and then said:
"Young Master, do you remember the Seven Commandments I once told you?"
Zhang Shao blurted out:
"Hide your edge, hide your ambitions, be self-conscious, abstain from desires, seek truth, be cautious in your words, be restrained, and be kind."
Zhuge Xuan was overjoyed and felt that his student was indeed humble and eager to learn, with great ambitions and the most important thing was to be obedient.
So Zhuge Xuan said to Zhang Shao:
"The so-called hidden front means you are invincible. There are too many veterans in the army. Although the young master is the king's brother, he still needs to hide his front and cannot provoke more hostility. And the same goes for hiding one's ambitions, saving one's life, and abstaining from desires. Be careful when speaking. Then there will be no misfortune, and hiding your will will protect you from being taken advantage of by angry people. Self-reflection will lead to self-knowledge, and abstinence from desires will lead to no regrets. This is especially true for seeking truth and doing good. ”
Zhuge Xuan lowered his voice:
"The king has always been pragmatic and hates those who boast. He only hires people who are useful. But if Shaojun wants to be used in a big way in the future, he must be pragmatic and spend more time with the veterans in the army. Then he will have more opportunities to accumulate military merits. Being kind is the foundation of our army, and everything is done around this, so we must pay attention to it.”
Having said this, Zhuge Xuan first praised Zhang Shao:
"Shaojun, you have done a good job above, but you should pay more attention to the last one. That is the moral character. Shaojun, you are so willful, and you show your likes and dislikes to your face. Although this is aboveboard, it will cause trouble for no reason. ”
Zhang Shao didn't take it seriously and said to Zhuge Xuanda:
"What's the trouble? That's how it is in the army, go straight. If you have anything to say, just say it. No need to hide it."
Zhuge Xuan shook his head and explained to Zhang Shao:
"Young Master, just like you just called the surrendered general a dog, how dare you ask if this person surrendered to us? Did surrendering allow us to reduce casualties? Is it good for our army to have more of these people? ”
Zhang Shao disagrees:
"So what if there are benefits? A dog is a dog, and it doesn't stop it from being a dog just because it wag its tail and beg for mercy."
Zhuge Xuan was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Zhang Shao to be so strong. He was very surprised, so he changed his words:
"After all, this battle is the meritorious service of General Feihu. If Shaojun expressed his contempt for the surrendered general like this, how could he know that Xu Huang wouldn't have a grudge? Do you think Shaojun is looking down on his meritorious service?"
Zhang Shao looked straight at Zhuge Xuan, and then said lightly:
"I know General Xu's character and would not have such weird thoughts. Don't worry. A real man only needs to be happy when he acts. The rest can only think about what they can and cannot think about."
Zhuge Xuan said this in a low voice:
"Others can be happy, but Young Master cannot be happy. Don't you know, Young Lord, that you have only opened a mansion so far, and you have not even made a prince? If you don't act cautiously, you are afraid that something will happen in the future. Besides, if you just restrain your temper a little, it will be okay. Not wrong.”
Zhang Shao was silent now.
Because Zhuge Xuan immediately pointed out his inner problem.
Originally, this disease was not a disease, but as he watched his second brother conquer the world and establish a country, the clan has not been granted a title for a long time.
My father had had a private chat with his second brother before and said that now all Yuan Cong were rewarded, but the elders of the clan in Dasangli were not given official posts, which was always a bad thing.
But the second brother asked the younger father to return those people. Why should his family be so anxious? He hasn't seen his biological father, brothers and sisters, and they haven't been granted titles yet?
So, the little dad was speechless.
After that, the matter of awarding rewards to the clan disciples continued to be delayed.
Later, Zhang Shao grew up and worked hard to make meritorious service in the army. Although he made some small achievements, he never achieved any major achievements. Therefore, in terms of military merit canonization, he is still a middle-rank Zhaowu Colonel.
Recently, Zhang Shao was preparing to open a mansion, which was originally a very happy thing, but there was still no title canonization. This made Zhang Shao feel vaguely uneasy, wondering if his second brother did not plan to knight the clan's children.
But then he thought again, is this impossible? Isn’t the so-called enfeoffment just the enfeoffment of relatives? How is it possible to protect the clan without protecting the children of the clan?
Therefore, although he was uneasy, he still endured it and did not dare to say more.
At this moment, Zhang Shao was distracted by Zhuge Xuandao, and his face suddenly turned a bit ugly.
At this time, he saw his former classmate Chen Cheng coming over. He quickly took the opportunity to turn his head and shouted to Chen Cheng:
"Yuan Li, you didn't expect to meet me here?"
Chen Cheng laughed loudly, punched Zhang Shao on the chest, and then complained:
"I'm not your good second brother. Let me follow my clan brother to fight against Jin Yong, and we still see such a shameful thing. I'm not in a good mood."
Chen Cheng said so, but intentionally or unintentionally exposed the gold medal on his belt in front of Zhang Shao. It is a military system, and those who win the general's title in each battle will be rewarded with gold medals.
Zhang Shaodang didn't see it, chatted with Chen Cheng for a few more words, and then said to him:
"You can come to my military tent later and let's catch up on old times. Now I have to go to General Xu to deliver military orders, so I won't talk to you anymore."
Chen Cheng looked at the majestic Zhuge Xuan, and then waved to Zhang Shao, understanding what he meant.
Afterwards, Zhang Shao took his troops to look for Xu Huang.
On the way, Zhuge Xuan came over and whispered to Zhang Shao:
"Since Chen Yuanli and Shaojun are classmates just now, it's a good time to move around more. His brother is also a veteran in the army and is a powerful figure."
Zhang Shao didn't say a word, he gently pinched the horse's belly and ran towards the camp ahead.
Looking at the young and energetic Zhang Shao, Zhuge Xuan shook his head and said with a wry smile:
"Young Master, you will understand a certain family's intentions in the future."
After sighing for a moment, Zhuge Xuan also chased after him.
……
After Xu Huang's army passed the military order, Zhang Shao declined the private banquet hosted by Xu Huang and immediately rushed back to the Beimang Mountain camp.
When Zhang Shao came back, the Beimang Mountain camp was busy. People were cleaning the camp and pulling out tents everywhere. It was obvious that they were moving the camp.
So, Zhang Shao rushed to the Thorny Gate. His guards and Zhuge Xuan consciously stayed outside the Thorny Gate, and then Zhang Shao rushed into the tent alone.
Opening the curtain, he saw his second brother talking to the marshals Yu Jin and Zhang Dan. He did not dare to disturb them, so he walked to the side of the tent and sat with Cai Que and Guo Zu.
Guo Zu glanced at Zhang Shao and whispered:
"How about going to General Xu?"
Zhang Shao smiled close and said:
"How can I, Xiao Zhang, be unreliable in my work? I have already told General Xu that their troops will retreat to the back to rest later."
Zhang Shao was very close to Cai Que and Guo Zu. He had been in the army since he was a child, and the second brother's generals watched him grow up.
At this moment, Yu Jin and Zhang Dan listened to Zhang Chong's order, both agreed, and prepared to retreat.
Zhang Dan glanced at Zhang Shao who was sitting down, smiled, and then left. Yu Jin nodded very respectfully to Zhang Shao, and then followed Zhang Dan out of the tent.
Seeing that his brother had finished his work, Zhang Shao hurriedly asked:
"Brother Wang, is this a decisive battle?"
Zhang Chong looked at the tired Zhang Shao with a smile, sighed at his use, and explained:
"That's right. Now that Jin Yong City has been captured, all the enemy's movements in the city will be exposed to our army. Therefore, we must capture Kyoto as soon as possible. It has only been ten days since our army conquered the city, and the surrounding forces are already ready to move. The front is here. It just came that Yuan Shaogang had a collision with our army outside Guangcheng Pass."
When Zhang Shao heard this, he immediately cursed:
"Then Yuan Shao is looking for his own death. We didn't go to beat him, but he came up to him on his own. Beat! You have to beat the shit out of him."
Zhang Chong looked at the "rude" third brother, laughed, and then shook his head:
"It's just a small friction. The fight is over. I said earlier that I captured an important person from Yuan Jun, but I couldn't identify him and he is sending him here."
Zhang Shao nodded, then smiled playfully:
"Brother Wang, give me an errand this time. You can't do without me in this battle in Kyoto."
Zhang Chong thought for a while, and then he really came up with a job for Zhang Shao:
"You just happened to go to meet the people coming from Taigu Pass for me, and bring the important person of Yuan Jun into the army. We have to determine whether Yuan Shao dares to fight this battle. If he really dares to fight, I will take him with me this time. And it was done.”
Zhang Shao smiled bitterly and finally accepted the order.
At this time, Zhang Shao looked around for a moment and hesitated to speak. After Zhang Chong saw it, he frowned:
"You never learn bad habits. If you have something to say, just say it directly."
After Zhang Shao was reprimanded, he hurriedly said:
"Brother Wang, you'd better get rid of Zhuge Xuan. I don't like this guy."
Zhang Shao did not specifically say what was wrong with Zhuge Xuan, but Zhang Chong also understood what he meant and said directly:
"This Zhuge Xuan is talented, but his bravery is only one aspect. The main reason is that he has been trained in the orthodox Huang Lao theory. He can be a master by your side."
But Zhang Shaowei:
"Zhuge Xuan is completely following Huang Lao's way of guarding women, and I don't like it. I'm not that kind of person, and the more I listen to those things, the more upset I become."
Zhang Chong smiled, so he talked about his experience growing up:
"Brother, this is a good thing for you. The process of learning is an uncomfortable process. If you can just follow your nature, then what else do you need to learn? You will have big things to shoulder in the future. You can't just learn some things on the battlefield, but also learn some things about the battlefield. Understand the situation of the world and know how to handle government affairs. Therefore, whether it is Huang Lao, Confucianism, or Legalism, everyone must learn from it."
Having said this, Zhang Chong also said sincerely:
"Brother, you have a very heavy study task now."
Zhang Shao was overjoyed when he heard what his second brother said. Especially the sentence "There are big things to shoulder" made Zhang Shao uncontrollably sad.
He endured and was respectful and teachable.
At this time, Zhang Chong added:
"But you have to remember my brother's words, that is, you should be the master of knowledge, not the slave of knowledge. In your position, there will always be some people who use their whims and wisdom to attract you. But you remember , No matter what kind of knowledge it is, it is poison stained with honey. People who tell you knowledge will lure you into a trap, so remember this sentence: think twice before acting. If it is too difficult, just act according to your own heart.
Zhang Shao was thoughtful and kept these words of his second brother firmly in his heart.
……
Soon, the Taishan Army launched a final fierce attack on Kyoto City.
Thanks to the recent propaganda work, the morale of the Han army on the city is very low, and because of Zheng Tai's high-pressure policy on the city, the Han army is even more panicked.
After Zhu Jun fell ill, Zheng Tai took over the defense of the four-sided city. In view of the lessons learned from Jin Yong City, he placed all the Zheng family on the four-sided city wall, and then implemented cruel regulations.
One is the continuous sitting method. If one person lowers the city and flees, the entire team will be killed. One group fled and the whole group was killed.
Second, the first method. Anyone who reports on the fugitives from the city will not only avoid death, but also gain their family property, wives and concubines.
Third, the house arrest law. Zheng Tai threw all the suspected dissidents in the city into Nangong and put them under guard. He also sent the sons of officials in the city into the army, under his unified management.
Zheng Tai was undoubtedly loyal to the Han Dynasty, so the third rule obviously hurt people of his class, but he still implemented it cruelly.
For him, the Zheng family in Xingyang could either become great together with the Han Dynasty, or turn into rubble together.
There is no compromise, no begging for peace, only a last-ditch fight.
But no matter what Zheng Tai thinks, what is supposed to come will still come.