Chapter 845: Zhao Zilong, Guo Fengxiao

"General, the Weiwu and Guangwu Guards have already taken Guangning and captured Juyong. The Sima of the two guards is currently measuring the fields. Battalion Commander Zhou requests the transportation of money, grain, craftsmen, and officials to build barracks and drill grounds, and to forge weapons and equipment in preparation for the coming spring."

After listening to the messenger's report, Wang Yan looked at the personal guard beside him and asked: "Is there any movement from Yuanhua's side?"

The personal guard replied: "As always, the two armies are in a stalemate."

Wang Yan nodded. He had a good grasp of Gongsun Zan's thoughts. It couldn't be said that he looked up to or looked down on him; it was just that Gongsun Zan's choices were different. After all, Gongsun Zan was already fighting Liu Yu for military power, and there was a change in Luoyang. Even if he could destroy him, Wang Mou, Gongsun Zan would not use troops at will and damage his own strength.

At this time, there was no need for any foresight. Anyone with a bit of a brain could see that the Han imperial destiny was exhausted. First He Jin, then Dong Zhuo held great power. There were even rumors that Dong Zhuo stayed in the imperial palace overnight and defiled the harem. The imperial power had declined to this point; how could one not see it clearly?

The struggle in Luoyang was intense, not because the ministers wanted to protect the Emperor, but because Dong Zhuo held the army in his hands and held Luoyang with troops. Even if Dong Zhuo showed signs of closeness, such as employing party members, they still lived in fear and could not sleep. At this time, anyone with a bit of ambition would know what to do.

However, in order to give Gongsun Zan some intensity and save him from having a brain spasm and really crossing mountains and ridges to sneak attack Tuhe, the Grand General said: "Mobilize the Xuanjia Battalion to advance to Linyu, and perform military drills in front of the army every day, so that my son Gongsun can take a good look."

The Xuanjia Battalion, named by Wang Yan after Li Er's Xuanjia Iron Cavalry, is a heavy cavalry unit. It had been trained for nearly two years, but there were only eight hundred people. Both men and horses were covered in black armor, covered with ghost masks, revealing only their eyes. The weapons were naturally horse pikes. The cost of this thing was too high, and the requirements were too high, so there were only this many people until now.

The purpose of mobilizing the Xuanjia Battalion there was very simple: they had been trained for two years, so they had to go out and show their faces. On the other hand, it was to intimidate Gongsun Zan. If he really had the guts to cross the mountains and sneak attack, then he would cut off Gongsun Zan's retreat, raid his home, and trap him to death in the mountains.

"Also, notify the Civil Administration to transport materials to Guangning."

The personal guard took the order and left, and the messenger also left sensibly...

It was already October, and the first snow in Liaodong had already fallen. The situation in Luoyang that was transmitted to Liaodong was that He Jin died, Dong Zhuo entered the capital, and there was a discussion about deposition. According to the time, it was estimated that he had already accepted Lu Bu, killed Ding Yuan, replaced him with Liu Xie, and killed Liu Bian.

Wang Yun used the name of his birthday to privately meet with court ministers to find a plan to eliminate Dong Zhuo. Old Cao took the lead, borrowed the Seven-Treasure Knife to assassinate, and it was said that by this time, Old Cao had already begun to flee, saying "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me," and returned home to inherit the family business and pull together a team.

It was also because the world was in chaos that Wang Yan mobilized his troops to go south, first occupying a few positions as an advance base. Because at this time, except for Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan, no one cared how Liaodong was tossing, as everyone had their own thoughts.

In fact, this mobilization, except for occupying positions for future advancement, basically had no gains.

In Guangning and Juyong, although there were no statistics yet, slaughtering a few small landlords could barely fill the military expenditure of the twenty thousand-strong army, and there were some Xianbei chieftains and the like, which could have some income, which was considered to have balanced the expenditure of the thousand-*li* expedition. The population was estimated not to be too many, estimated to be about ten thousand people.

And in Linyu, five years ago, when Wang Yan went north, it had already been scraped clean. Now it was just because a large amount of land was vacated, refugees from the south went north, some people went to Liaodong, some stayed, and there were also propertyless hooligans from other parts of Youzhou who were allocated there, and some desperate small landlords who came to enclose land. Although a few years had passed, compared to before Wang Yan's looting, it was still not as good, and there was certainly no wealth. The population counted was only over five thousand.

However, it was impossible to rely on killing powerful clans and wealthy households to fill the expenditure. Now in Guangning and Linyu, the two places were to blossom in two places, attracting more people to join their command, slowly developing land and manpower, and along with this process, naturally using troops to expand.

And as the changes in Luoyang were transmitted, even the common people heard the news that the imperial court was in chaos. Some people with knowledge and ambition also began some actions.

This day, Wang Yan was holding his eldest son, basking in the sunlight shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows on a lounge chair, when a personal guard came to report: "Grand General, Battalion Commander Huang Zhong sent a letter saying the situation is as usual. There is also a brave man from Changshan named Zhao Yun who came to join. Battalion Commander Huang Zhong fought with him, and they did not distinguish a winner or loser in a hundred bouts, being evenly matched. He sent him to Tuhe with the messenger soldiers, and he is now resting in the post house."

Wang Yan raised his eyebrows. Zhao Yun originally joined Gongsun Zan after the crusade against Dong Zhuo. Without a doubt, Zhao Yun is a serious fierce general. He could fight Xu Chu to a draw and could lead an army to fight on one side; he had a high level. Wang Yan was not surprised by Zhao Yun's joining, but relatively speaking, it was two years early now.

"Bring him to see me."

"Yes." The personal guard took the order, turned around, and left to make arrangements...

Zhao Yun followed the post house personnel, walking on the streets that had been cleared of snow and where few people were seen, blowing the cold wind, and arrived at the General's Mansion in the city. Led by the personal guard, he entered the warm-as-spring interior and finally saw the great rebel who was currently partitioning Liaodong in a large study room piled with books.

Looking at the casual appearance of wearing a single garment and having disheveled hair, Zhao Yun found it difficult to connect him with the incomparably fierce man he had heard of.

However, he still respectfully cupped his hands and saluted: "Zhao Zilong of Changshan pays respects to the Grand General."

"Zilong, no need for such formalities. Sit down and talk."

Grand General Wang pointed to the chair opposite the desk and looked at Zhao Yun in front of him with a smile.

He was handsome, scholarly, yet tall and strong, quite martial, and his face looked young. He was not very old, wore a Han sword at his waist, wore white linen clothes, wrapped in a bear-skin robe, looking both poor and rich, both weak and heroic.

"Zilong, how old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

"Have you ever been married?"

"My parents died early, and there was no one to make decisions. I am obsessed with martial arts and have not thought of anything else, remaining alone until now."

Wang Yan nodded and asked again: "Why did you come to join?"

"I have long heard that the Grand General treats the people very generously. Recently, chaos has arisen in Luoyang, and I fear there will be no peaceful days in the world. My hometown wants to send brave men to choose a wise master to accomplish great things. I also heard that the Grand General has advanced to Linyu, taken Guangning, and captured Juyong to plot for the land of Youzhou. Great things are about to be done, and added to the fact that the General's virtuous name is widely spread, I came to join. If the General has need, there are more than a thousand brave men in my hometown who can be mobilized by the General."

Zhao Yun said it quite clearly, feeling that the world was about to be in chaos, and he had long known his reputation. Now he heard that he had already mobilized troops to go south, so he came to join.

It was just that this age was a bit of a problem. Zhao Yun died before Liao Hua, so his age must be older than Liao Hua's. Now Liao Hua is twenty-two, and Zhao Yun is only two years older than Liao Hua, but Liao Hua lived many more years than Zhao Yun.

However, this thought was just a flash. After all, this is a romance, and the historical trend is the same, but many things are different, and he did not intend to delve into it.

"Since your parents died early and you have never married, I will find you a good wife. Listening to your words, your hometown is deeply righteous. The world will be in chaos, and at that time, they will surely forcibly conscript soldiers and increase taxes. I promote militia under my rule, farming during slack times and training in military formations. When encountering enemies, they can form formations to protect themselves, and I do not forcibly conscript them into the army. Moreover, the people under my rule do not have many tax items. Ten percent tax on cultivated land, and there are separate rules for business. Next spring, you can return to your hometown and relocate the people of your hometown to Linyu to settle down.

The military regulations and laws under my command are different from those of the Han imperial clan. Even if you are evenly matched with Hansheng, you cannot suddenly occupy a high position. Hansheng is now the Xuanwu Battalion Commander under my command, but when he first arrived in Liaodong, he was also a small soldier in the army. Since you have combat power, go to the Xuanjia Battalion. After you go out, there will naturally be people to allocate you a room, handle your travel documents, and order people with military supplies to give you a precious horse and battle armor. Zilong, do not rely on your own bravery and do not let me down."

"Yes, Grand General." Zhao Yun cupped his hands and responded.

He didn't feel looked down upon. After all, Grand General Wang said it very clearly, and Huang Zhong had also told him about these things before. Leading troops to fight is not just about being able to fight. Moreover, he heard that Grand General Wang in front of him was even better at fighting.

"Go." Wang Yan waved his hand.

He didn't have any special performance, just treated him normally, but even so, it was a very high courtesy for Zhao Yun. It was really because the gap between the two was huge, and Zhao Yun didn't have much of a name before. Grand General Wang had a million military and civilians under his rule, and being able to meet him was already quite a face-saving gesture.

Just like Huang Zhong before, regardless of whether the child could be cured or not, Wang Yan was such a big rebel, and being able to meet him, an unknown person, and even treat the child's illness, this was the boss's kindness.

However, because the system was different, the generals under his command were not qualified to recruit troops, and the replenishment of battle-damaged troops had to be reported to Wang Yan. Where to replenish, how much to replenish, whether to expand the army, etc., people in the army were not qualified to decide. Their task was to train troops and fight, and even the methods of training troops were unified. This was a training plan researched and issued by the Military Supervision Mansion, and the generals had very little decision-making power.

As for promotion, the Military Marquis could appoint the leader of a ten-man team, but the Hundred-Man Commander had to be appointed by the Commandant, and the Military Marquis had to be appointed by the Battalion Commander. The appointment of the Commandant had to be reported to the Military Supervision Mansion and submitted to Wang Yan. The titled Battalion Commander and Deputy Battalion Commander had to be directly appointed by Wang Yan. The Military Affairs Officer, Military Long History, and Military Sima were also appointed across levels.

This was basically the norm. After all, it was impossible to have so many troops. He only appointed the Battalion Commander and Deputy Battalion Commander, as well as the Military Sima. At that time, the tens of thousands of regular troops would only amount to five or six hundred people reaching him.

Therefore, at the current stage, people like Zhao Yun who felt they were brave and took the initiative to join would definitely be able to see Grand General Wang, and they could not block the upward channel for capable people...

Wang Yan did not know that Liu Bei asserted to Gongsun Zan that Liaodong would not use troops in winter, and even if he knew, he would only laugh. In fact, in winter, the Liaodong army has the strongest combat power. After all, they have cotton clothes and cotton quilts. Although they will still be frozen through, compared to others who rely on broken clothes and reeds to keep warm, there is no way to compare. If they really fight, it is basically a massacre.

Even if the movement is surging with hot blood, if the hands and feet are frozen and numb and the knife cannot be gripped, it is also a waste.

It's just that when the army is in winter, it has to be responsible for the heating problems of the people under its rule. They cut down trees on the mountains in formation, and at the same time, they have to mobilize a portion of cotton clothes to distribute to the local young and strong, asking them to do things together, and at the same time, organize and train militia teams, etc. These are all big things in winter and cannot be delayed.

People's livelihood is the priority, and war is a means to maintain and expand the people's livelihood. This is a consensus that all Liaodong officials and military officers understand.

This winter, for Liaodong, there was no impact at all. Just like the past four years, watching the family sell last year's old rice to the General's Mansion, thereby freeing up space, and replacing it with this year's newly harvested grain that filled the granary, watching the fat pigs, and the chickens, ducks, and geese walking all over the ground, warm, happy, and looking forward to the spring of the coming year.

Compared to the peace of Liaodong, the Central Plains were completely in chaos.

In the first year of Chuping (190 AD), Cao Cao, who failed to assassinate Dong Zhuo, fled all the way to Chen Liu to raise an army. In the process, there was of course the matter of killing Lu Boshe's family, and there was also the matter of Chen Gong catching and releasing Cao halfway. However, these were embellishments and not the point. The point is that Cao Cao returned to his hometown, issued a fake edict to crusade against Dong Zhuo, widely issued it to the world, scattered family wealth, recruited local brave men, and killed his way to Luoyang in a mighty manner.

Upon receiving Cao Cao's fake edict, warlords from all over the world gathered to respond.

There were the Rear General and Nanyang Administrator Yuan Shu, Jizhou Governor Han Fu, Yuzhou Inspector Kong Zhou, Yanzhou Inspector Liu Dai, Henei Administrator Wang Kuang, Chen Liu Administrator Zhang Miao, Dongjun Administrator Qiao Mao, Shanyang Administrator Yuan Yi, Jibei Chancellor Bao Xin, Beihai Administrator Kong Rong, Guangling Administrator Zhang Chao, Beiping Administrator Gongsun Zan, Shangdang Administrator Zhang Yang, Wucheng Marquis and Changsha Administrator Sun Jian, Qixiang Marquis and Bohai Administrator Yuan Shao, Xiliang Administrator Ma Teng, and Xuzhou Inspector Tao Qian.

Counting Cao Cao, who was the Cavalry School Lieutenant, these were the eighteen warlords crusading against Dong Zhuo.

The story that existed in the picture books was thus staged in a mighty manner. Each unit led over ten thousand troops to gather at Chen Liu...

Liu Bei looked at the Xuanjia Battalion drilling in the distance, looked at the troops running laps in the back, and then looked at the militia constantly sending wood here. He was incomparably familiar with all of these, and he also knew clearly that Wang Yan's purpose in doing this was what he respected about Wang Yan—he always kept his word and would not go back on it.

He sighed and asked: "Brother, do you really want to go to Chen Liu to gather?"

"This crusade against Dong Zhuo is an opportunity to make a name for oneself in the world; I have to go. Liu Yu is a member of the Han imperial clan, and he has already issued a military order. If I don't do it, I will be a Han rebel if I fight him in Youzhou, so I have to go. As for the thief Wang, you said he has great ambitions, but he holds the power of cotton. In the cold winter, he doesn't think about expansion, but instead uses the army to cut down mountains to keep the people warm. I think it is difficult for him to achieve anything."

"And now refugees are constantly coming to join, and his grain is in massive quantities, which is also a futile effort. It is truly a way to self-destruction. Being kind to the people is not doing it like this. I estimate that he will surely find it difficult to hold on for long. Now I lead the army south, wanting him and Liu Yu to fight each other and consume each other. When I return from the crusade against Dong Zhuo, I will surely settle Liaodong in one battle. Everything the thief Wang has today will be my foundation in the future. I will surely peel the thief Wang's skin and stuff it with straw, and grind his bones to ashes."

Looking at the military camp in the distance with hatred, Gongsun Zan waved his hand: "Pass my order, break camp and go south."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Behind Gongsun Zan's back, where he couldn't see, Liu Bei shook his head repeatedly. He was almost amused by Gongsun Zan. Now Gongsun Zan only had twenty thousand troops. As far as he knew, the Xuanjia Battalion on the opposite side didn't even need to be dispatched. Huang Zhong leading the Xuanwu Guard could beat his good senior brother until his head was covered in bags. If he was unlucky, he might die in one battle. How could he have the courage to say that he would peel Wang Yan's skin and stuff it with straw and grind his bones to ashes?

Gongsun Zan certainly couldn't beat Wang Yan. This was Liu Bei's long-held understanding. This time, Gongsun Zan left Youzhou to crusade against Dong Zhuo and fought for a year or two. It was possible that when he returned, Youzhou would already be surnamed Wang.

However, he also wanted to go south to see if there were any opportunities there. He certainly had to break away from Gongsun Zan, and even more so, stay far away from Wang Yan; otherwise, he would have no chance at all.

It was precisely with this understanding that Liu Bei followed Gongsun Zan south...

The twenty thousand troops here withdrew, and Liu Yu recruited another five thousand people to confront Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong naturally ignored them and still trained the soldiers on his own, cooperating with the actions of the civil officials. The Grand General had long since said that there should be as much land as there were people. Now there was enough land. If there wasn't enough, he didn't need the Grand General to speak; he could decide to send troops himself and report it afterwards. It would only be a difference of three or four days in communication time.

Wang Yan knew that Gongsun Zan had taken away twenty thousand troops, and he had no expression at all. The crusade against Dong Zhuo would be fought for more than a year, and he still had more than a year of peaceful days. However, considering the convenience and simplicity, he personally wrote a letter of persuasion to surrender and asked Huang Zhong to send it to the opposite military camp to be presented to Liu Yu.

Liu Yu loved flowers and plants, loved buildings, loved the people, and was relatively fond of pure talk, upholding the Tao of Huang-Lao. The old fellow was not without knowledge; the Han imperial clan was already beyond saving. After all, when the Emperor became a plaything and was manipulated by others, and there was not a bit of military power in his hands, how could he control the court and restrain the local areas? Liu Yu must have had this understanding.

Therefore, Wang Yan wrote to persuade him. If he surrendered, then everyone would be happy. He would directly enter Youzhou and start great construction, instead of like now, relying on refugees to come and join, or developing forward bit by bit.

Of course, even if he entered Youzhou, it would be developed like this. However, he did not actually occupy it, so he did not treat it with the same treatment. This is a big difference, because his resources cannot support it. If it weren't for this, Youzhou would have changed hands after the autumn harvest last year...

However, it was a pity that Liu Yu wrote a reply in his own hand, expressing that he would not surrender, and expounded in large sections that he was a member of the Han imperial clan and could not do such a thing. However, in his words, he also expressed his recognition of Wang Yan. He believed that except for Wang Yan's ruthless actions against powerful clans, wealthy households, and landlords, everything else was correct, and he even gave Wang Yan a lecture on his insights into governance.

Wang Yan's evaluation of Liu Yu was that he was a confused smart man. If he were a smart confused man, he wouldn't have been unable to beat Gongsun Zan, been used as a puppet by Gongsun Zan, and finally been killed...

The crusade against Dong Zhuo by the eighteen warlords was carried out in a mighty manner and spread throughout the world, which also made people see the signs of separatism and division even more.

The simplest truth is that one monk carries water to drink, two monks carry water to drink, and three monks have no water to drink. With so many people, each with their own troops, how could they obey others? Even if Yuan Shao was pushed out as the leader, what could he do?

It is a well-known fact that Yuan Shao is the eldest son of a concubine, and Yuan Shu is the second son of the legal wife. These two are not at odds. Now, they are pushing Yuan Shao to be the leader on the grounds that they are a high-ranking family of four generations and three dukes, and their students and former officials are all over the world. It would be strange if Yuan Shu were happy.

Two brothers from the same family are not in harmony, and the eighteen warlords are gathered at one table, each with ten or twenty thousand troops. Who can obey whom? All kinds of secret calculations will certainly be indispensable.

Fighting a smooth battle is certainly no problem, but once it is protracted, the coalition of warlords will inevitably break up...

Just when the world was paying attention to the crusade against Dong Zhuo, the ice had melted and the snow had thawed, spring had returned to the earth, and all things were competing to grow.

A young man wearing a somewhat faded green long gown, stepping on patched boots, with a long sword at his waist, had a thin figure and a delicate appearance. He was leading a donkey, with luggage on the donkey's back, walking carefully all the way, looking north.

Finally, he arrived in Youzhou. At this time, the weather had already become hot, and it was the end of spring plowing.

He went straight to the northeast, heading north along the main road.

Walking for three days like this, he didn't know exactly where he was, but he thought he should have arrived. Because he saw the mental outlook of the farmers, which was different from other places. He even saw a hundred-man army stationed not far away.

The armor of that army was the same as the few cavalry he saw on his way north, but at that time, none of them paid any attention to him. But now that he had arrived at the gate of their sphere of influence, he would certainly alarm the master. He saw that the soldiers in the distance had already looked over.

There was no malice, only curiosity.

He steadied himself, led the donkey, and walked over.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Although the question was direct, the soldier's attitude was still friendly, with a smile on his face.

He cupped his hands: "May I ask if this is under the rule of the Grand General of Heavenly Martial Might?"

"Exactly." The soldier asked, "Are you a refugee? A scholar? A famous scholar?"

"I am Guo Jia, courtesy name Fengxiao, from Yingchuan. I have heard of the Grand General's virtuous name, so I came to join to help the Grand General accomplish great things. May I trouble the General to tell me how to join?"

As his voice fell, the soldiers suddenly laughed out loud. The one who spoke earlier laughed: "All those who go north, if they know a few words, they say they want to help the Grand General accomplish great things. I see you are no more than twenty years old; why do you have to talk big? The Grand General has said that a person's ability lies not in words, but in actions. In my Liaodong land, although there are also high-minded scholars of pure talk, we value practical work the most. You are still young, so you should be down-to-earth."

Guo Jia asked instead: "Looking at your speech, have you studied literature?"

"Not really. It is the Grand General's requirement that military officers must be literate, and the military affairs officers teach us. I am a Hundred-Man Commander and have studied for four years. Now I can read books."

The Hundred-Man Commander didn't feel looked down upon at all, grinning and explaining. Speaking of being able to read books himself, he was even very proud. Knowledge, where was it something he could come into contact with? Anyway, now he recognized words, and his son was also studying in school. In the future, it would be impossible for their family not to recognize words, and it had to be passed down even if they died.

"General is wise." Guo Jia clapped his hands in praise and continued to ask, "May I ask the General to tell me how I can see the Grand General?"

"Hey, there are always people like you who want to recommend themselves to the Grand General. At that time, they have no real talent and only know how to talk empty words. How tired the Grand General is..."

After feeling sorry for Grand General Wang, the Hundred-Man Commander shook his head, lowered his head to write with pen and paper on a piece of paper, and finally used his Hundred-Man Commander seal, tore the paper off, and handed it to Guo Jia.

"This is a customs clearance document. Keep it safe and do not lose it; otherwise, it will cause many misunderstandings and hurt others and yourself. You go north along the main road, and there may be inspections along the way. Just show the document. There are post houses along the way. You can register to stay and eat with this. You can only stay in the post house and must not borrow a room in the common people's homes. When you arrive at the Tuhe post house, you can find the manager and say you want to see the Grand General. Wait for three to five days, and you can see the Grand General."

Guo Jia carefully took the document and looked at it carefully. It was the name and origin he had just told, and he also wrote down the identity of a scholar for him.

"Thank you, General. Fengxiao says goodbye, and we will meet again."

He solemnly saluted the Hundred-Man Commander. The Hundred-Man Commander stood up from the stool, his face serious, and hammered his chest twice. Although it was a bit strange, Guo Jia also understood that it was their military salute.

Saying goodbye to the Hundred-Man Commander who was guarding the road, Guo Jia led his donkey and went north along the main road.

He observed all the way, and also chatted with the merchant caravans, scholars, and common people he met on the road, carefully understanding the actual situation in Liaodong, to see what kind of governance ability the second largest rebel after Dong Zhuo had today.

He discovered that the further north he went, the better the people's livelihood, the better the people's mental outlook, the better their bodies, and the more vibrant they were. He even discovered that whether it was the post house, the common people, the police, the soldiers, or even the children, whenever the Grand General was mentioned, it was extreme worship.

He was even more curious about what kind of person the legendary rebel would be... ===== CHAPTER 846 =====