Chapter 725 Good Horse
As the guards and attendants climbed up the stairs, Zhang He had no expression on his face, but he was already worried in his heart.
What he was worried about was the future of Duke Chen.
As a descendant of the Zhang family in Mo County, Zhang He did not inherit the tact and alertness of his ancestor Zhang Er, but he inherited Zhang Er's righteousness and wealth.
He was in the army on weekdays, and all the military supplies he received were distributed among his subordinates, and his usual enjoyment was the same as that of a small soldier.
This is very rare for a child who comes from a wealthy family in the North. Generally, if he can endure what ordinary people cannot endure, he must have the ambition to achieve extraordinary achievements.
Yes, Zhang He always wanted to fight back to his hometown. Before his death, his brother Zhang Chao told him to "cross the river" three times.
Those who cross the river return home.
In particular, Zhang He heard news one after another from the north that his family's land and tribesmen in Mo County had been split up by the Taishan Army.
For a big family, only with land can there be a foundation, and only with family can there be memory.
But now that the land has been divided up and the clan members have been sent to various places, this is tantamount to genocide for the Zhang family. Since then, who still thinks of the big locust tree in their hometown, and who still remembers that they are the ethnic group of Changshan Jingwang Zhang Er?
In this way, Zhang He had an unforgettable hatred. The one who destroyed his family was the Taishan Army.
And who can help him fight back home?
In Zhang He's opinion, only Chen Gong and Yuan Shao are the only ones.
But now, it seems that there is a conflict between Ju Shuai and Chen Gong, or at least there is some degree of misunderstanding.
Zhang He admired Ju Yi. He sincerely believed that under the leadership of Ju Yi, they, Beifu scholars, could return to their hometown and recover their ancestors' tombs.
And he also recognized Ju Yi's judgment that the strategy of joining the Kansai Army to attack the Taishan Army was unreliable. At least Yuan Jun should not rely on the Kansai Army to determine victory or defeat.
This is not only the hatred between Zhang He and Guanxi, but his clan brother died on the battlefield of Weihan. It's because he knows the nature of the Kansai Army.
Those evil wolves from Liangzhou are extremely vicious and have low morals. Even with the prestige of the Ling Emperor, they cannot control them. Does Chen Gong still expect those people to fulfill their responsibilities as allies?
It was precisely because of this that he supported Ju Yi's withdrawal plan, and thus won Ju Yi's approval. Otherwise, Ju Yi's past evaluation of Zhang He would not be enough to entrust this person to do such a thing.
In fact, Zhang He thought so on the way here.
He wanted to explain it to Mr. Chen so that Mr. Chen could understand the difficulties of the frontline officials.
But along the way, Zhang He's mind changed.
He saw that along the way from Guangcheng Pass to Yingchuan, there was an endless flow of conscripts, and a steady stream of manpower and material resources were heading towards Guangcheng Pass.
From this, Zhang He already understood what Duke Chen was thinking.
When he arrived at Yangzhai and saw the densely packed camps outside the city, where fifty or sixty thousand troops were gathered, Zhang He knew that the matter was settled. The Northern Expedition to recapture Kyoto was imminent and had to be launched.
At this time, Zhang He's mind had changed.
He discovered that Ju Shuai might have misjudged a situation, that is, the previous edict that Mr. Chen sent to the army was not a discussion, but really a decision.
And what about Ju Shuai? He still thought that Chen Gong was the old Chen Gong, and thought that all important matters were discussed, so he felt that it made sense, so he did so.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Chen in the rear thought the same way. There was no discussion, this was an order.
So now the question comes, whether to listen to Mr. Chen or to Ju Shuai.
As he climbed up the stairs, Zhang He was thinking about this question, and when he saw the kind and kind Mr. Chen, he had already thought of the answer.
Indeed, with Ju Shuai leading them, they are indeed confident of fighting back to Jizhou. But Ju Shuai, who only had an army of 30,000, could never fight back without Chen Gong's prestige and material supplies.
So, Ju Shuai, I’m sorry.
You must understand the painstaking efforts of the brothers. The great cause is about to be achieved, and there must be no internal changes, otherwise the last chance will be in vain.
……
Yuan Shao looked at the majestic Zhang He and saw that his forehead was covered in sweat, but he still smelled of incense.
He knew in his heart that Zhang He must have lit incense before coming in.
Yuan Shao doesn't care about whether it smells good or smells bad, but he cares about an attitude.
Zhang He paid attention to his appearance even when he came to the audience at this time, which showed that he was afraid of and respected him in his heart.
Just this one detail made Zhang He's impression worse in Yuan Shao's heart.
At this time, Yuan Shao came down, personally poured a glass of wine for Zhang He, and then handed it to Zhang He:
"Full drinking, Junyi."
Yes, Yuan Shao actually remembered Zhang He's name.
Zhang He was so flattered that he bent over to take the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
Yuan Shao clapped his hands and congratulated:
"Magnificent!"
After that, Yuan Shao led Zhang He to his seat, and he sat on his left hand side.
Zhang He seemed to understand something about Mr. Chen's excessive preferential treatment. So he swallowed the words of the original organization in his stomach and prepared to adapt to changes.
Sure enough, Zhang He didn't need to take the initiative to speak. Yuan Shao asked something himself. He asked:
"Junyi, you are from the north, and you ride a general for me, so you must know horses and be good at them. I came in and had something bothering me, so I wanted to ask you for advice on how to look after and control horses."
Zhang He didn't know what Yuan Shao said at this time, so he simply replied:
"Ming Gong, the last general is from the north, and being with horses is like the southerners being inseparable from boats. The last general is not very talkative, he just says what he has to say. The last general does not need to look at the horse, he only listens to the four hoofs. The sound of the horse's stride will tell you whether it is a good horse or a bad horse."
Yuan Shao was delighted, so the two really discussed a lot about the characteristics of horses. For a while, it seemed like the children of aristocratic families having a banquet in times of peace.
After listening to Zhang He talking about horses for a while, Yuan Shao suddenly sighed:
"I have loved hunting since I was a child. At that time, I rode good horses, especially Liangzhou horses. I loved them very much. When I met someone I liked, I didn't think it was valuable even if I spent a thousand gold. But now, I have an army of one hundred thousand, Traveling across the Central Plains, I have begun to love riding horses. Do you know why? ”
Zhang He thought for a while and wondered whether Mr. Chen was old and it was no longer safe to ride a good horse. But when he looked up and saw Mr. Chen's gray hair on his temples, he didn't dare to say this, so he humbly said:
"The last general is dull and doesn't know why."
Unexpectedly, Yuan Shao laughed, pointed at Zhang He and said:
"Those who can say they are stupid are not stupid."
Then Yuan Shao made this point of view:
"I used to ride a good horse, but the good horse would always rush and cause me to fall off the horse. As for the rogue horse, although it does not run fast, but now I have thousands of horses, some of which are good horses. On the contrary, the rogue horse can move steadily, which makes me feel more at ease. .”
Yuan Shao had reached this point, how could Zhang He not hear it?
He clearly felt Yuan Shao's hostility towards Ju Yi, and this forced Zhang He to say something.
After all, he didn't choose Yuan Shao because Ju Yi was wrong.
So Zhang He organized it and told Yuan Shao a story:
"Ming Gong, I once had two horses, and it is exactly what Ming Gong said. The good horse has a short life span, but the poor horse has a long life span. I often don't understand its meaning. I think that the law of heaven is universal. If one thing is damaged, the other will be repaired. If one thing is repaired, the other will be repaired. But I encountered more horses later, and there was another reason for this." Yuan Shao was silent and asked why.
Just listen to Zhang He say:
"I found that the good horse, although it chewed several bushels of beans and drank a handful of dendrobium from the spring, would not eat anything other than refined millet from the mountain spring. However, it charged into the battlefield with great speed and spared no effort, traveling two hundred miles a day without resting in saddle and armor. It is just like this, my lord. If you use it a lot, it will run to death from exhaustion. But it is completely different. It can be controlled by ordinary people without asking for much food. I don't like to use it, and it will only be used by children to learn how to walk. On the contrary, this rogue has a long life.”
Yuan Shao looked at Zhang He intently. Seeing his calm eyes, he suddenly smiled and asked:
"That's because you, Junyi, are about to charge into the battlefield. I'm different. I still think this horse is comfortable to sit on."
In fact, at this point, Zhang He should understand Yuan Shao's thoughts. The thing in his interest at this time is to shut up and wait for that great opportunity.
But Zhang He happened to say something else:
"What Ming Gong said is true, but I feel that if the horses see the mediocre horses and they are at the top, and the good horses are at the bottom, I am afraid that the horses will all use their strength to become bastards. After a long time, these horses will really become bastards." , when the time comes when Duke Ming wants a good horse to ride on the battlefield, what will he ask for? ”
As a result, Yuan Shao was truly silent for a while.
He clasped his fingers on the table and paused, as if it was in Zhang He's heart.
Just when Zhang He could no longer hold on, Yuan Shao suddenly asked:
"Then, speaking from the public perspective, how can we use this fine horse?"
Zhang He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said to Yuan Shao:
"Please Ming Gong, don't be like the last general and drive a good horse too much. Use it when you can get it, and use it to protect it."
Yuan Shao chewed Zhang He's words "use it and protect it" carefully, his eyes gradually brightened, and the more he looked at this picture, the happier he became.
He walked down again, no longer acting, but touching Zhang He's back and saying with a smile:
"I didn't expect Junyi to have such high opinions. I think you are the horse that covers a thousand miles."
At this time, Zhang He Zhenyi bowed respectfully to Yuan Shao, and then said loudly:
"A thousand-mile horse always exists, but a thousand-mile horse does not always exist. If there is no Bole, what's the point of a thousand-mile horse?"
At this point, Yuan Shao laughed happily and finally made up his mind.
……
After Zhang He withdrew, Yuan Shao let his staff and counselors in. In front of Chunyu Qiong, he said to Xu You:
"This He has extraordinary knowledge and courage. He is from a high-ranking family. Who would have thought that he is now a school captain? This is your fault. But it is not too late to make up for it. This He will be put to great use."
So Yuan Shao told everyone his arrangement in public, that is, Ju Yi had made great contributions, and he was about to go on the Northern Expedition. He just lacked the handsome people around him to praise military aircraft, so he wanted to promote Ju Yi to his side as a Taiwei, who could be the counselor of the Northern Expedition. All military aircraft.
Yes, not a host but a counselor.
In this case, everyone knew what Yuan Shao meant.
Therefore, the matter of changing coaches before the battle was simply decided.
But the next step is to go to Ju Yi's camp to summon what to do. To seize troops from the unruly Ju Yi, no matter how you think about it, it is a matter of seeking death.
As a result, all the Yingchuan scholars were silent for a while.
Seeing this, Yuan Shao became very angry. When he saw a person, he directly said:
"Han Qing, I asked you to go and preach, what would you do?"
The person who was singled out was Han Fu. Ever since Han You, the leader of the Han family, was beheaded by Yuan Shao, Han Fu had started to stay humble and cowardly, not daring to argue. Now he saw Yuan Shao calling him.
He bowed and said bitterly to Yuan Shao:
"I am willing to go, but I am afraid that my lack of ability will ruin things. Now Ju Shuai's army of 30,000 is on the front line, only half a day away from the Taishan bandits. Once I mess up the matter, it will be a small matter of life and death. Ju Shuai will lead his people If you defect to the other side, you will never be able to atone for your sin.”
Yuan Shao choked for a moment. He looked at the bitter-looking Han Fu, irritated, and said sarcastically:
"If you can't do this little thing, what can you do?"
But he didn't expect Han Fu to really reply. He smiled happily at Yuan Shao and said:
"I can dance for Duke Ming."
After saying that, Han Fu really danced in front of the public, not to mention it was very powerful.
But this gesture made everyone laugh. It was a pity that the people of the Han family could only sigh inwardly, how could the Han family produce such a shameful thing.
But the effect of Han Fu's behavior was immediate. Sure enough, Yuan Shao was no longer angry after he jumped like this. He just waved his hand and asked Han Fu to retreat.
After retreating, Han Fu returned to his position with a calm face. The other colleagues could not see this man's ugly appearance and avoided seeing him. Only Xin Ping took a deep look.
But before he had any other expressions, Yuan Shao from above suddenly called him:
"Xin Qing, are you willing to go to Ju Yijun?"
Xin Ping remained calm, met Yuan Shao's gaze, and said solemnly:
"I am willing."
So, the matter was settled.
Sometimes I really feel that what Zhang He said about a good horse having a short lifespan is a myth.
Now Xin Ping’s group of good horses, wouldn’t they be more useful if they are easier to use? When the bad horses in the manger bow their heads one after another, only a few good horses will roar and bravely accept the difficulties.
How can such a good horse be treated so unlovingly for so long?
Yuan Shao may have forgotten Zhang He's eloquent remarks, or he may not care about it even if he remembers it. What he wants is to solve the problem, and what he wants is the Northern Expedition to recapture Kyoto and achieve the Yuan family's great cause.
So Yuan Shao sent a secret letter to Xin Ping, telling him:
"The former officers and soldiers who guarded the army naturally contributed to the Yuan family, so my family naturally relies on them. But now the sea is turbulent. Anyone with knowledge knows that hundreds of armies are fighting for the flow. If they don't advance, they will retreat. Therefore, the Northern Expedition to Kyoto has become the overall plan, and If anyone violates this overall situation, my sword, Yuan Shao, will not be disadvantageous."
It can be said that Yuan Shao's letter is telling Xin Ping that anyone who dares to stop him will be killed.
This person can be Ju Yi or anyone else.
And who was escorting Xin Ping to Juyi Camp? Wei Wen Chou and the 200 knights of Xifu are also there.
I don’t know if Yuan Shao is really confident or if he has other back-ups.
But Xin Ping really didn't ask any questions, and just took this group of people northward.
When Yuan Shao sent Xin Ping north, there was no one around, so he couldn't help but sigh:
"My position is really like walking on thin ice. The generals of the protective army have too much power, but dividing the army is afraid of chilling the hearts of all the soldiers. It is really difficult to handle."
At this moment, Xin Ping also gave Yuan Shao an idea. After leaving a message, he took Wen Chou and others northward.
And Yuan Shao chewed that sentence silently:
"General Fuhu, the power of the general will be divided, and it will be fine for a few years."
At this moment, Yuan Shao really sighed that Xin Pingguo was his good horse.
(End of chapter)