Chapter 1353 Kindness


    ??On the banks of the Sishui River, a group of men and horses were rushing along the river bank in the direction of Xiang Xiang. Walking in the middle of the queue was Liu Bei. He led four thousand men and horses just to break the siege of Xiang Xiang.


    The Prime Minister originally had nearly 2,000 soldiers. Later, Zhang Fei went over and brought another 2,000 soldiers. The total number was nearly 4,000. If some civilians in the city were mobilized, it should be possible to make up a total of 6,000 soldiers. , and even if Ji Ling had many men and horses, it would be difficult to "surround an enemy with ten and attack with five". How could Zhang Fei lose his support so quickly?


    what is going on?


    Liu Beiguang thought about Zhang Fei''s military strength, but did not consider Zhang Fei''s violent temper.


    ?When Zhang Fei arrived at the lower minister''s office, he naturally wanted to mobilize the people and send more money and food, so the nobles and nobles of the lower minister''s gentry quit. For these people, the only advantage of admitting Liu Bei is that the land tax Liu Bei wants is low. In the blink of an eye, Liu Bei''s third brother is even more ruthless in asking for money, food and people than before. How can they bear this?


    What’s more, it’s Liu Bei who wants to fight against Yuan Shu, and it’s not these low-ranking gentry heroes who want to fight against Yuan Shu. Anyway, it’s not necessary to pay food and salary to whichever family you give to, but it’s just more or less. It’s not worth fighting for it...


    Another point, isn''t the basic skill of the Chinese people including bargaining? Naturally, the humble nobles thought that Zhang Fei was asking for a high price, so they naturally paid back the money, and then the middleman made the difference. Uh, wrong, let''s discuss. A mid-range price, but I didn’t expect that Zhang Fei, with his bad temper, would take action without finishing three sentences!


    Suddenly the photo was in a state of turmoil!


    In the end, Zhang Fei got the money and food he wanted, but he also laid the root of trouble. Not long after Ji Ling besieged the city, the nobles in Xiangxiang City, who felt that they had been humiliated by Zhang Fei, secretly had an affair with Ji Ling and prepared to cooperate internally and externally. If Zhang Fei hadn''t happened upon him while patrolling the city that night, he would have led his men to block the city gate at the risk of their lives. , I can’t say that Xiangxiang County has already changed hands a long time ago.


    After such a change, Zhang Fei was immediately in trouble in Xia Xiang. On the one hand, although Ji Ling''s raid was blocked, he suffered heavy losses. At the same time, Zhang Fei also doubted whether there was a second traitor in other Xia Xiang people. And Zhang Fei didn''t know how to hide this suspicion, which made the person who was photographing the photo even more uneasy...


    ??Others have doubted themselves, so who is still so stupid and only wants to sacrifice his life for others?


    ?So he fell into a vicious cycle. The more he doubted, the more alienated he became, and the more alienated he became, the more doubtful he became. As a result, in the end, Zhang Fei was helpless and had to ask Liu Bei for help.


    Liu Bei really didn''t expect Zhang Fei to be so unbearable. He originally thought that he could hold on for at least a month or so. Then the cold winter came, and Ji Ling''s troops in the wild would not be able to retreat even if they did not retreat. At that time, he would have to consider whether to pursue or regain the lost ground. It''s possible, but now Liu Bei can only adjust his combat strategy...


    In a large army battle, no one can avoid the other in many cases. After all, there are only a few major transportation routes. With scouts from both sides roaming in front of the large army, many things cannot be hidden at all.


    Just like now, although Ji Ling knew about Liu Bei''s arrival in advance, Liu Bei''s scouts also quickly discovered the location of Ji Ling''s camp. Liu Bei prepared to set up camp ten miles away from Ji Ling''s camp, and then You can advance, attack, retreat or defend, just like when he led his soldiers to Xuzhou to rescue Tao Qian.


    ?But this time, Ji Ling was obviously not willing to let Liu Bei set up camp so comfortably. He seemed to have been prepared for it. He led a troop of soldiers and horses and when Liu Bei had just arrived about ten miles away, he set up a formation and killed him.


    Liu Bei had no choice. After traveling a long distance, if there was a fight, it would inevitably be disadvantageous, so he could only avoid the edge first, and then retreat ten miles to the village...


    ……………


    In autumn and winter, the water level of the Sishui River drops a lot, and the flow of water also slows down a lot.


    ?Looking towards the far side of the other bank, you can see Liu Bei''s newly established camp, crouching there dark and motionless.


    Ji Ling deliberately drove Liu Bei ten miles away in order to allow Liu Bei to camp at this location. Here the Surabaya River turns around and the water flow slows down, allowing you to swim directly.


    It has already fallen into the night, the stars are twinkling overhead, and the moon is also big and round in the sky. There was silence between heaven and earth. In such a night, it looked like a beautiful scene. Who would have thought that a **** fight would follow?


    The Diao Dou torches in Liu Bei''s camp were lit at night, which added a bit of tranquility. Most of the soldiers were sleeping soundly. The Liu Bei soldiers on guard above Diao Dou in the sentry tower held their hands together and wore their clothes crookedly. Wearing a fur hat, Hoge stood facing south, occasionally taking a few steps to move his body that was stiffened by the night wind.


    Ji Ling''s lieutenant Zhang Xun led his troops and horses from the hiding place on the other side of the Surabaya River. He wore armor and held troops, leading the horses and moving forward gently at a convenient pace. The horses already had coins in their mouths, their swords were out of their scabbards, their guns were in their hands, and their bows and arrows were within reach on the sides of their horses'' backs. Twenty riders formed a triangular formation, a total of ten arrays. Zhang Xun led the way, and his personal bodyguards followed Zhang Xun closely to the left and right, providing close protection.


    Liu Bei''s camp focused its attention on the south direction, and it was separated by the Surabaya River. It never thought that someone would cross the Surabaya River from behind to attack, so almost no night patrols were sent to guard this direction.


    The sound of the rushing water seemed to be louder, but it still failed to alert Liu Bei''s soldiers.


    The first cry finally sounded in the night sky, tearing apart the silence around it, and seemed to explode in everyone''s heart! And Zhang Xun, with his men and horses, had already rushed to a place four to five hundred steps away from Liu Bei''s camp!


    ??Zhang Xun''s cavalrymen subconsciously stepped down their spurs and thrust them straight into the horse''s belly. The horse held the spur in its mouth and could not scream, so it could only spread its hooves and rush forward crazily!


    There were shouts one after another, and then all kinds of sounds came out at the same time. The sentry towers in the camp were fierce, and the soldiers frantically knocked on the warning gongs. More torches were lit, and the flames flickered. Among them, many soldiers in Liu Bei''s camp could be seen rushing out of their tents in panic and bumping into each other mindlessly!


    Liu Bei''s rank-and-file non-commissioned officers who were sleeping in their clothes stood up one after another, but the first thing they did was not to resist, but to quickly mobilize their men to suppress the roar of the camp!


    ??The civilians who came with the army were already terrified, running around and screaming. If there was no suppression, the panic would soon spread to the entire army, leading to irreparable consequences!


    So when Zhang Xun and his cavalry approached Liu Bei''s camp, except for a few soldiers on the two sentry towers in the rear camp who leaned out and opened their large rifle bows in an attempt to shoot, they encountered no attack at all. stop.


    But just relying on the few infantry on the sentry tower, how long can it be supported? Under the counterattack of Zhang Xun''s cavalry, the soldiers on Diao Dou of the sentry tower soon screamed and jumped straight from Diao Dou. It fell straight down!


    The rocket was like a meteor, piercing in from outside the camp!


    Because the focus of Liu Bei''s defense was on the south, the north side was the rear camp, which meant that a lot of grain and grass supplies brought with the army were piled up. As a result, many of them were ignited by the rockets fired by Zhang Xun''s cavalry, and they suddenly ignited. A lot of fire.


    Normally, to stack grain and other flammable items, one needs to lay rattan mats outside and then apply a thick layer of wet mud to prevent fire. But the problem is that today Liu Bei was driven back by Ji Ling and retreated to the camp ten miles below. Time is not so abundant, and the days are short in winter. As a result, many tasks that should be completed at night cannot be completed, including the detailed fire prevention work in the camp...


    ??Fire was rising, lighting up Liu Bei''s pale face.


    ………………?????? Liu Bei was devastated and fled back to Xiapi with the remaining defeated soldiers. Of the 4,000 soldiers he brought out, only less than a thousand came back. He did not suffer much direct loss from the overnight fire, and more were secretly stolen along the way. They fled, but only those Danyang soldiers followed Liu Bei.


    ??The grain and grass were burned, and the morale of the military was suddenly gone. If Liu Bei had not immediately chosen to transfer on the spot, he might no longer be loyal to the party and the country.


    Fortunately, Zhang Fei saw that the situation was not good, abandoned the city and fought his way out of the siege, and found Liu Bei. A brave general like Zhang Fei is still in his prime. Unless there is a strong opponent who can block him, Zhang Fei''s point of breaking his face is really difficult for ordinary soldiers to defend.


    Ji Ling has been besieging the city for many days in Xiangxiang. He has gained a new city and needs to be reorganized and repaired. Therefore, although he is not pursuing them all the way now, he will catch up sooner or later.


    ?However, when Liu Bei and Zhang Fei rushed to Xiapi, thinking of reviving their position in Xiapi and continuing their glory, they found that the four gates of Xiapi were tightly closed, and the soldiers above the city were as if they were facing a formidable enemy.


    ?But outside the moat under the city, there was only one person standing. He wore a crown and long sleeves, standing proudly in the cold wind. It was Chen Deng.


    “Chen Jiazi!” Zhang Fei clapped his horse forward, thrust his spear almost to Chen Deng’s nose, and shouted angrily, “What are you going to do! Get someone to open the door quickly and let Big Brother enter the city!”


    "Third brother! Don''t be reckless!" Liu Bei caught up, jumped off his horse, walked up to Chen Deng, glanced at the four closed gates of Xiapi City, and said to Chen Deng, "Yuanlong, why is this...? "


    When Zhang Fei saw this, he also jumped off his horse, raised his spear, and stood beside Liu Bei.


    ?? Chen Deng did not even look at Zhang Fei, but solemnly bowed his hands towards Liu Bei and said: "Your Majesty, do you want to save the people of Xuzhou? Do you want to harm the people of Xuzhou?"


    "This..." Liu Bei was a little confused, but he still said, "As a pastor, he naturally protects the people... Why did Yuan Long say this?"


    ???Chen Deng glanced at Zhang Fei and said: "I heard that the three generals were in Xiaxiang City, whipping the nobles and blackmailing the people, so as to alienate the army and the people, and then they were defeated like this... Is this the way to protect the king?"


    ?Zhang Fei was so angry that he raised his fist as big as a sandbag and wanted to beat Chen Deng, but Liu Bei stopped him.


    "The third brother has a reckless character, and his behavior was slightly inappropriate in his impatience..." Liu Bei said to Chen Deng, "I am willing to apologize for my third brother..."


    "Brother!" Zhang Fei raised his beard and stared at Chen Deng, spitting at Chen Deng and shouting loudly, "What are you asking for guilt? What is the crime? When the war is about to begin, refusing to pay food and wages, delaying military flights, according to law He should be executed! He was just beaten, so he was forgiven, so why should he be punished?"


    "Losing the city is a serious crime! According to the law, you should be killed!" Chen Deng said without any politeness, "If the three generals want to discuss military law, they will immediately break the law here!"


    "You''re talking nonsense! I''m going to kill you!" Zhang Fei was so furious that Liu Bei almost couldn''t hold him back.


    "The three generals can kill a certain person, but they can kill everyone in the world! Is this the way to make a king love the people?" Chen Deng''s voice was not bad compared to Zhang Feilai''s, "Those who follow the rules will live, and those who go against will die! If you act against the will, How different from the traitor Dong Zhuo! Tao Shijun entrusted Xuzhou to Liu Shijun, but he was a loyal man who loved the people! The three generals wanted to make Liu Shijun get a bad name and be cast aside by the people of the world! "


    "Third brother!" Liu Bei''s expression changed, he pointed his finger to the side and said angrily, "Wait aside! You are not allowed to come unless you are summoned!"


    “Hmph!” Zhang Fei glared at Chen Deng again, knowing the importance, so he turned away without saying anything more.


    Liu Bei bowed his hands to Chen Deng and said, "Third brother, I''m sorry, I''m going to apologize for you... Yuan Long, if you have anything to say, you might as well just say it."


    "I don''t dare to be such a courtesy to you..." Chen Deng returned the gift quickly, and then bowed down and said, "The general''s power is so great that it is difficult for you to support him alone. Even if you suffer this defeat, it is not your fault... Now that your envoy is here, even if you welcome him into the city, , How can we hold on with so few soldiers? When the city is destroyed, how can the people deserve it? Please kill someone who has nothing to do with the people in the city..."


    "This..." Liu Bei hurriedly stepped forward to help Chen Deng up, with tears in his eyes, "I also know Yuan Long''s intention, but... May I ask what Yuan Long has planned?"


    Chen Deng said: "The current strategy is to stick to it to no avail... A certain person has ordered people to prepare grain and grass in the forest ten miles east of the city so that you can take it. He quickly went to Pengcheng and transferred to Yanzhou to find reinforcements from the imperial court... Later, General Jing Yu was in flames of war. , even though the situation is great at this time, it will not last long... A certain person pretended to surrender to the rear general. When the emperor''s troops arrive, he can cooperate with the inside and the outside, and take the city as if he were turning his hand... In this way, the people of Xuzhou will not be devastated, but also can avoid the reality. I hope you will think deeply about it if you just preserve your strength.”


    Liu Bei held Chen Deng''s arm, with tears in his eyes: "Bei knows...it saves the people of Xuzhou from military disasters, so what''s the point of losing one person! In this way, we will follow Yuanlong''s strategy... I hope that one day I can have wine and talk with Yuanlong again... "


    “Make me merciful!”


    ??Chen Deng took a step back without hesitation and paid homage.


    “Make me merciful!”


    Xiapi City seemed to understand something, and there were many echoing voices.


    “Make me merciful!”


    ??More voices sounded, and Liu Bei finally couldn''t help it. Tears rolled down his throat. He waved towards the top of the city with choked sobs, said goodbye to Chen Deng again, and led the remaining soldiers towards the east...


    (End of this chapter)