Chapter 2175 Chapter 2176 White and Black
??The cold wind is blowing, and the snow and dust are flying outside the desert pass.
?Far away on the horizon, chunks of leaden gray clouds piled up, as if there was another heavy snow brewing, ready to fall at any time.
In the winter of the fourth year of Dahan Taixing, the weather seemed to be colder than in previous years.
?Over the past few years, even the dullest person can clearly feel that winter has become longer, coming earlier and going later. This is especially true in this desert border area. As soon as October enters, basically there is one heavy snow after another, shrouding everyone in this boundless cold, and it seems that everything in the world will be frozen. Same.
?A group of men and horses, wearing iron armor, wearing hoods on their heads, and wearing large cloaks, were standing quietly reining in their horses on a hill.
Under the general flag is General Zhao Yun of Pingbei in Youzhou.
The bitter cold in the desert is not just a lie.
Today, Zhao Yun is naturally a little thinner than when he was in Guanzhong. The lines on his face are more distinct like a knife and an axe, and his bare skin has a bronze color. His beard is not long, and in the cold wind Fluttering slightly. In the past, when I merged with Beiyin Mountain, I still had some youthfulness, but it has faded away completely.
?Suddenly, two or three scouts pointed northward under the mound: "General!" People are coming! 』
Zhao Yun looked up and saw some smoke gradually coming from the north. A group of about ten riders were meandering towards them. The cold wind blowing in the desert tore their robes, cloaks, etc. into disorder.
Not long after, I saw that this group of people was approaching, and the first person was Zhang He.
At the foot of the hill, Zhang He and others jumped off their horses and walked up the mountain.
Zhao Yun also dismounted and then met Zhang He.
"General Zhao..." Zhang He saluted. Zhang He glanced at the armor on Zhao Yun''s body, and then lowered his gaze.
Zhang He himself wore only leather armor. It''s not that Zhang He respects Zhao Yun and therefore wears leather armor, but because in such weather, he can only wear leather armor and leather robes...
It''s like eating popsicles in summer. You must not choose those that are extremely frozen. Don''t ask why you know this.
Unless they want to taste the charm and sweetness of iron pieces, leather armor and leather robes are the only choices for Zhang He and others in winter.
But Zhao Yun and others are different. Under the iron armor, there are not only cotton cloth, but also furs. Whether in combat or daily activities, basically no iron pieces are touched. This kind of craftsmanship and luxury, for Zhang He and others, Especially for a few Xianbei people, it is unimaginable.
In Europe, it is common for people to regard a piece of armor at home as a family heirloom. In the current era of the Han Dynasty, the price of a piece of armor is already worth more than half a million yuan. A general''s armor like Zhao Yun''s starts at one million yuan. It can be said that Zhao Yun This outfit is equivalent to wearing millions of dollars on your body...
Zhao Yun looked calm and returned the gift without saying much.
Zhang He raised the corner of his mouth but didn''t say much.
What can a defeated general do?
??Zhao Yun is already giving a lot of face if he is willing to meet him. How can he be expected to be more cordial?
In the past, when Zhang He was under Yuan Shao, although he was not a very popular minister, at least everyone had to respect him when they saw him. At that time, Zhao Yun was just a bandit in the Black Mountains...
??Zhao Yun''s rise has been regarded as a miracle for the Han Dynasty. It is talked about by many people and has also brought new hope to many people. After all, a remnant of the Yellow Turbans and the leader of the Black Mountain bandits can now become General Pingbei. So how can he become famous with his skills under the hussar?
This is one of the reasons why Zhang He led the Xianbei people to find Zhao Yun.
Another reason is the weather.
The severe wind and snow made all Zhang He''s arrangements in vain. Without enough food and fodder, without supplies and pastures, migrating in an unknown direction in the wind and snow is no different from seeking death.
There was no way to go, and there was no place to stay. Therefore, looking for Zhao Yun became the only way to survive.
The advantage of civilization lies here.
?Compared to other nomadic peoples in the desert, Zhang He and the remaining Xianbei people prefer to choose the more civilized Han people. At least even if the Han people kill them, they will not use their skulls to drink...
For Zhang He, it was not his original intention to cooperate with the Xianbei people. It was just forced by the situation at that time. Although he has now won over some Xianbei people and has about 3,000 fighting soldiers, the Hu people''s fighting soldiers Well, basically it is like that, it is easier to use than the Han militia, at least the militia on horseback.
Therefore, the number is not small, but it does not have anything to do with strength. In addition, Zhang He cannot have complete command authority over the Xianbei people. In many cases, it has to be passed through the second hand, so the dispatching cannot be called such. The arm points.
Having followed these Xianbei people has been enough. What would such a miscellaneous army and horses accomplish even if they go north? Once a battle is fought, there is only defeat. It is precisely because of this that even if Zhao Yun dislikes Zhang He no matter how cold his attitude is, Zhang He will not say a word.
Zhao Yun looked past Zhang He and landed on the Xianbei people who followed Zhang He.
A few Xianbei people, somewhat cramped.
After all, they were in a hostile state before, but now they have become losers and seek asylum from the Han people. Their morale has been weakened by three points invisibly. Under Zhao Yun''s sharp eyes, everyone suddenly shrank their heads and did not dare to express their anger.
Zhao Yun did not speak, and no one dared to speak.
Zhao Yun leads the army, and he must be the first in battle. There is no need to say that he is brave. No one in the whole army refuses to obey, and he strictly abides by military discipline and is selfless. Even if his bodyguards violate military discipline, they will still be punished and punished. No one is immune. , plus Zhao Yun himself lives a simple and hard life, does not pay attention to extravagant expenses, and does not have much fun in the army. When it comes to his character, he is even more thumbs up. Needless to say, naturally the whole army respects, fears and respects Zhao Yun. Peace of mind.
In addition, Zhao Yun was favored by hussars, and from time to time he would be sent armor, sharp weapons, and good horses. Although Zhao Yun was in the desert of Youzhou, his favor was not reduced by half. Therefore, under Zhao Yun''s command, The military here in Youzhou is extremely sharp from top to bottom, has strict military discipline, and has the demeanor of a strong military.
Zhao Yun suddenly asked coldly: "Is there anyone among you who has brought troops into the territory of the Han Dynasty to harass the people?" Rape and robbery? Killing innocent people? 』
Several Xianbei people suddenly felt excited.
?These Xianbei people can understand some Chinese to a certain extent. Even if they understand it to an average of 80%, they can still feel some problems from the tone of voice...
At that moment, some Xianbei people fell to their knees with a cry, "General, general!" We, we haven''t done anything like this since the general got here! I can swear to God that what I said is all the truth! 』
Zhao Yun’s eyes fell on Zhang He.
?Zhang He smiled bitterly and said, "General Zhao, I am also a Han, how can I do such an unjust thing?" 』
Zhao Yun nodded slowly. Zhao Yun is not completely unreasonable and unreasonable, but Zhao Yun has his own insistence on some things.
What the Xianbei people said is of course true. In recent years, the Xianbei people have been beaten up by Zhao Yun, so naturally they have no desire to go south to plunder every year. Despite their pitiful appearance now, before Zhao Yun came, the Xianbei people were ferocious and did all kinds of evil, invading borders and killing people.
"Whether your words are true or not, you have to verify them yourself..." Zhao Yun did not pursue the things that happened before he came. "Since you have entered the Han Dynasty, you should respect the Han laws. If there are wanton actions or bad people breaking the law, you will Wait until you know the consequences. 』
??Zhao Yun''s voice was not loud, even in a light tone, but the coldness in his tone was as irresistible as the current severe winter.
Several Xianbei people knelt on the ground, repeatedly promised, and kowtowed in thanks.
As for the crimes committed by the Xianbei people before Zhao Yun arrived...
?At that time, even the court was ignored, and all the local governors and captains ran away. If they deserved to be killed, these people who abandoned the border areas and ignored their own people deserved to be killed even more!
It is understandable that one is not strong and is bullied by foreigners. However, if one has become stronger, but when he sees a foreigner, his knees become weak and he becomes half shorter. To some extent, this kind of person is more powerful than others. Foreigners who do evil are even more hateful!
After sending these Xianbei people to retreat, Zhao Yun looked at Zhang He and asked, "What is the current situation in Mobei?" Where are the people of Ding Ling and Wuhuan located? 』
Hearing this, Zhang He slowly took out a parchment scroll from his arms. Zhang He''s movements were very slow, even very careful. He didn''t even dare to hand the parchment directly to Zhao Yun, but gave it to the guards beside Zhao Yun.
Zhao Yun took the parchment scroll in his hand, weighed it, and then glanced at Zhang He.
Zhang He smiled bitterly and said: "In the desert, there is a lack of pen, ink and paper... so we can only make do with it..." Zhao Yun nodded slightly.
Who said the sheepskin was made of saltpeter, but I don’t know if the workmanship is incomplete or because of the rush. It still has some smell. It is not as smooth as the leather of later generations, and the drawings on the leather are not written with pen and ink...
?Zhao Yun reached out and touched it gently. It seemed to be charcoal.
Zhang He on the side lowered his head and remained silent.
A worthless person is worse than a pig. At least people still buy pork, but most people don’t want human meat. Zhang He had already considered this before coming to Zhao Yun. If he could not bring Zhao Yun any valuable information, then he would be of no value to Zhao Yun...
How do you generally deal with a person or item that has little value?
?Perhaps it will turn Zhang He into a social figure who can only rely on himself, to show that the Hussars General is magnanimous, open to all rivers, and open-minded?
?Zhang He didn’t want to take that road, so Zhang He had to come up with something. Even if Zhao Yun didn’t ask, Zhang He would take the initiative to come up with something. But once the opposite happens, Zhang He can''t come up with anything when Zhao Yun asks, or even say anything, so even if he has martial arts, he won''t get any good treatment.
?But Zhang He still had some doubts. He had heard in northern Youzhou and among the Xianbei tribe that Zhao Yun and others had supernatural powers, and could be protected by gods, and could come and go unimpeded in wind and snow...
Of course, Zhang He thinks these rumors are too illusory, but today when I saw Zhao Yun looking at the parchment he drew very carefully, I suddenly had a feeling...
Perhaps these things are true?
Otherwise, why do you feel that Zhao Yun and others seem to be preparing to go north?
?What kind of weather it is!
?Zhang He looked at the low dark clouds in the distance, then looked at the leather armor on his body, and lowered his head.
? No matter from any angle, Zhao Yun seems to have no reason to easily raise his troops and go north. In the Youbei Desert, to be honest, it is actually far away from the Han Dynasty. Even if it is divided and beaten to pieces by Ding Ling and Wuhuan, so what?
??But Zhang He felt that Zhao Yun seemed to be looking at it very carefully, as if he was trying to find an offensive line... because Zhang He himself was so focused when he was looking at the map and planning.
?Zhang He had countless thoughts in his mind, and then suddenly heard Zhao Yun say in a deep voice: "What is the sign here?" 』
?Zhang He took a look and said, "A valley in the mountain can provide shelter from the wind and snow." 』
Zhao Yun nodded slightly, then handed the parchment to the guard beside him, "Copy a few copies and send scouts to check according to the diagram..."
The guard went down with the parchment.
Zhao Yun turned around and looked at Zhang He. "General Zhang..."
??Zhang He raised his hands and said: "The defeated general does not dare to be called this. If the general does not give up, I will call you by my name..."
??Zhao Yun nodded slightly, "Jun Yi led his troops to surrender. I don''t know what his plans are for the future?" 』
?Zhang He was a little hesitant. He knew that speaking out might make Zhao Yun suspicious, and it might even lead to worse results. However, Zhang He still said in a deep voice: "I am willing to follow the general and fight in the Northern Desert!" 』
Zhang He no longer wants to return to the Central Plains.
Originally, Zhang He thought that if he wanted to be a good general, he must know some politics. And politics is gray, or not so clean. So when Yuan Shao ordered Zhang He to kill Qu Yi, Zhang He did it, even though Zhang He knew that Qu Yi might have been wronged.
Zhang He first followed Han Fu when he defeated the Yellow Turbans. At that time, Zhang He thought that Han Fu was already a hero. What he didn''t expect was that after Yuan Shao attacked him three times, Han Fu was captured without any resistance. Ability, which made Zhang He doubt his own strength for a time.
Courage on the battlefield is really not as good as political skill?
In addition, Yuan Shao was in the early stage of his rapid rise. It was really a case of killing people and killing Buddhas. Even Gongsun Zan, who was sitting on a white horse, was defeated by Yuan Shao. The entire Jizhou was submissive to Yuan Shao. , which made Zhang He also have the "consciousness" that if he wants to climb higher, he needs to have political skills like Yuan Shao...
As a result, Yuan Shao declined rapidly, and the balance of Jizhou was broken. Political strife made the seemingly powerful Jizhou seem like paper. Before Zhang He could figure out what was wrong, it was teetering on the edge of collapse, and then here was a A hole, a flaw over there.
??Yuan Shao''s strength in Jizhou before was like a wonderful dream. When you wake up from the dream, what you see when you open your eyes are broken eaves and broken walls, old trees and dim crows.
Even after Zhang He surrendered to Cao Cao, he was still trapped in the political whirlpool.
?? Cao Cao boasted about Zhang He in front of Zhang He and the Xiahou family of Cao family more than once, saying that Zhang He was his good general and that Zhang He could do things with peace of mind. Then I turned around and realized that the prefect belonged to the Cao family, the commander belonged to the Xiahou family, and Zhang He would always be either a partial general or a vanguard.
?The final blow that crushed Zhang He''s heart was Xia Houyuan''s.
In Yuan Shao''s hands, Zhang He and others are warriors, just hawks and dogs. They are used when needed and thrown away when not needed. However, they will also be given some sweetness and maintenance to avoid killing something next time. It''s easy to use. Those who are disobedient like Qu Yi will naturally be killed.
But when it comes to Cao Cao, even eagles and dogs are not ranked, just swords and guns. False compliments are like polishing on a sword, just to look good.
?Zhang He didn’t know what the situation was like in Guanzhong under the rule of Hussar, but Zhang He guessed that it was similar. As long as there were nobles, where could there be no politics? Zhang He no longer wants to try this kind of life. He would rather die on the battlefield than get involved in those dirty political fields again...
But this is difficult.
Even Zhang He himself, if he puts himself in Zhao Yun''s shoes, can he trust an enemy general who was his opponent before? Will you keep him by your side to lead the troops in battle?
Zhang He lowered his head, and the light in his eyes gradually swayed as the silence lengthened, like a candle in the wind that was about to be extinguished.
Why does Junyi want to stay in Youbei? "Just when Zhang He was gradually losing hope, Zhao Yun suddenly asked.
Zhang He raised his head and said, "I am from Muxian County. My family is rich. I was carefree when I was young... I thought that by acquiring martial arts, I could protect the country and the people... Later, when the world was in chaos, I sold my property and ignored my parents'' pleas to stay... and then I joined Hanzhou Mu. I thought I would return home in fine clothes, but I never thought..."
“…After a certain person left home, rebel troops crossed the border…” As Zhang He spoke, a tear fell from the corner of his eye, and then it dried up when the cold wind blew it, “…”
Zhao Yun was silent.
Sometimes, rioters who have lost their order are more terrifying than ordinary thieves.
"... A certain young man swore an oath to defend his homeland, but a certain person failed to do so... Later, he belonged to Han Shijun, and he was supposed to protect him, but a certain person surrendered to Yuan Benchu... Yuan Benchu ??ordered a certain person to kill Pao Ze, but a certain person did not speak out... He led his troops to fight in Yanzhou, but a certain person did not fight to the death..." Zhang He''s face was twisted in pain, and he gritted his teeth and roared in a low voice, "I have already achieved nothing and have nothing... I am not loyal, I have not fulfilled my filial piety, and there is no way to talk about benevolence and righteousness... I am still alive in this world, I really have no face to enter the Central Plains again... Only by dying on the battlefield can the evil of a lifetime be purged..."
‘I hope the general will take him in! 』
After Zhang He finished speaking, he kowtowed to the ground.
The cold wind howled, sweeping away the dust.
“…Well, Jun Yi can stay here temporarily…” Zhao Yun said slowly, “It’s just that Jun Yi still needs to write a letter from himself and send it to Chang’an, waiting for the Hussar to make a decision…”
Zhang He suddenly raised his head, and then bowed deeply to Zhao Yun: "Thank you, General Zhao!" 』
??If Zhao Yun is unwilling to accept him, even Zhang He''s efforts will be useless. Think about it and you will know. For Hussar, should he value Zhao Yun or listen to Zhang He? If Zhao Yun gets a word from him, Zhang He''s chances of staying in Youbei will increase by at least five points!
Zhang He took a long breath.
?Perhaps in this life, there will no longer be a distinction between black and white!
?Perhaps from now on, there will no longer be nightmares...
(End of this chapter)