Chapter 3405 Businessmen pursue profits
Although the power of stone bullets is not as good as that of artillery, they are cheaper and last longer.
After the obvious buildings on top of Yuyang City collapsed, Feng Yuan and Ju Madai near the Yuyang City Gate became the targets of stone cannons. Feng Yuan is basically an earthen wall, and it is basically difficult to knock it down with manpower. But if the stone bullet hits directly, it is basically like a stone hitting mud, knocking down one by one.
The same is true for the wooden Juma and Luzhai near the city gate, trembling under the stone bullets.
Cao Chun hid in the corridor behind the city wall between stone bullet attacks.
It is relatively safer here, and it is faster to return to the city wall.
Stone bullets hit the Yuyang city wall, causing the wall to tremble every time it was hit. This tremor was also transmitted to Cao Chun''s body and heart. Every fortification on the city wall and outside the city wall was destroyed by stone bullets. Cao Chun''s heart was as sharp as a knife, and his confidence in guarding Yuyang seemed to be trembling in the same way...
Some stone bullets crossed the city wall and hit the streets and houses in Yuyang City. Every time a stone bullet hit the wall, it caused the people in Yuyang City to scream in terror and flee in panic.
Blood and death shrouded the sky over Yuyang, and the demon who had failed to control was mocking in a low voice.
Cao Chun''s tears flowed out unknowingly. His hard work, hard work, and struggle were not worth mentioning in front of these stone bullets.
"No... no!" ” Cao Chun roared, “We can’t just give up! Where is our stone cannon? Why haven''t you fought back yet? Fight back! Smash them! 』
Using guns against guns is indeed a way, but this requirement may seem inconspicuous, but in fact, the upper and lower limits of this requirement are very different.
Is it a catapult? Is it the lower limit? Just throw the stone projectile out and that''s it. Who cares where the stone projectile can land? As for the upper limit, Cao Chun''s idea of ??weighting the stone bullets accurately and throwing them at the exact location would be impossible without two brushes.
The stone bullets roared out from behind the Yuyang Wall and hit the Hussars'' position in scattered pieces. Occasionally, individual stone bullets bounced into the Hussars formation, killing and injuring a few people. Most of the other stone bullets from Yuyang''s counterattack fell into the air, exposing their location.
Zhao Yun stretched out his hand and pointed at the locations on the Yuyang city wall where stone bullets came out. The messenger on the side understood this and ran to whisper to the leader of the craftsmen at the catapult position.
After receiving the order, the leader of the craftsmen immediately began to calculate, and then asked one of the catapults to adjust its angle and start a test firing.
After two or three rounds, when the test catapult successfully crossed the Yuyang city wall and fell into the area where the stone bombs were counterattacked in the city, the leader of the craftsmen conveyed the modified attack parameters to the other catapults. car.
On the other hand, Cao''s army used almost all the civilians to carry the stones and pull the rock-throwing arms, so there was basically no accuracy. Almost all the civilians were eager to throw the stone bullets assigned to their group as soon as possible. When the trouble came to an end, he didn’t care about whether to fight back or not, or he followed the guidance of the leader of the catapult and made subtle adjustments and changes in the direction parameters of the catapult...
In contrast, the problems caused by Cao Jun''s system cannot be dealt with and eliminated in a short time. Therefore, when Cao Jun''s catapult steward saw the stone bullets falling from the sky, let alone how desperate he was.
The catapult positions in the city were caught off guard, and the soldiers and civilians were smashed to pieces with blood and flesh flying everywhere.
Among them, more than a dozen stone cannons were damaged to varying degrees.
The manager of the catapult knew something was wrong and immediately ordered people to move the catapult. However, not many people listened to his order. Most people were running away and hiding in panic. When the leader of the catapult manager finally caught some people and began to dismantle and move the catapult, the second wave of intensive attacks outside the city came...
The catapult leader was yelling at someone, but he saw that person looking up at the sky with a horrified expression, and then quickly dropped the catapult leader and ran away.
The leader of the catapult felt a chill in his heart. He couldn''t help but raise his head and looked at the sky. Then he saw a stone bullet roaring, as if the **** of death was attached to the stone bullet. He stretched out his hands towards him and gave him A hug full of power and blood!
The second and third rounds of attacks followed. The catapult position in Yuyang City soon suffered heavy damage. Everyone ran around in extreme fear and dispersed in a rush. The stone bullets thrown in by the hussars outside the city poured down in batches, destroying the few stone cannons in the city and beating them to pieces, and they were no longer large-scale.
When Cao Chun saw that the catapult outside the city had not been suppressed, he roared to punish the catapult leader. However, when he heard that the catapult leader had been killed, he fell silent and sat against the city wall. When they reached the corridor, there was a bit of despair in their eyes. He felt as if he had been thrown into a bottomless pool, and countless ghosts were dragging him down into the abyss. All the anger and anger he felt before were just instinctive struggles in the process of falling.
The next day, Zhao Yun led the Hussars and the attack continued.
On the third day, the attack continued.
On the fourth day, Cao Chun was about to cry but had no tears. He squatted on the ground holding his head in despair.
Many Cao Jun guards in the city were also desperate. Like Cao Chun, they couldn''t understand why the Hussars had so many stone projectiles. How could these catapults last so long without breaking down? Are they all iron men? Is the catapult also made of iron? Don''t need a rest? No need for repair?
By the time Zhao Yun finished firing the stone bombs, Yuyang City could hardly see the complete defenses in the direction of the attack. The gate tower and turrets were completely destroyed, the horse faces and the additional sentry posts also collapsed, and Weng City and Feng Yuan had a lot of holes opened...
Yuyang City is in danger.
…
…
Jizhou is very big.
Jizhou is also very small.
This kind of size is all relative. Without a comparison target, it has no special meaning.
In Julu County, Jizhou, there is a village of medium and small size, with hundreds of households of tenant farmers working at sunrise and resting at sunset.
War seems far away from here.
For the tenants in this manor, if nothing changes, they have been farming and living here since their ancestors, and their children will grow up here and continue to work here.
Generation after generation.
However, this time, something seems to be different.
In the manor, some tenants looked somewhat panicked. This kind of panic was caused by seeing something they had never encountered in their lives. It was like a herd of elk smelling the smell of gunpowder and blood. Even if it was not clear which direction it came from, it was still instinctive. Panic arose.
However, the clear and hidden sentries set up at various intersections in the manor and at high places suppressed this panic.
Those tenants secretly hid in the cracks of doors, under window lintels, and on low walls, thinking that they were hidden and would not be discovered, observing these outsiders who smelled of blood, and then warned their children that they were strictly prohibited from going out...
Because these outsiders are the hussars soldiers in Jizhou who were said to eat people''s hearts and intestines.
As for why these hussars haven''t taken away the hearts and souls of the tenants and eaten them now, these tenants don''t know...
While Youzhou was in chaos, Wei Yan was enjoying the tranquility amidst the chaos.
If we talk about who was the most daring among the generals in the history of the Three Kingdoms, Wei Yan would be more or less at the forefront. It doesn''t matter whether you say he has no nerve or you say he is stupid and bold, but you have to admit that this guy''s courage is as bold as a pervert.
After Wei Yan disrupted Yecheng in Jizhou, he wandered around Taihang and quietly came back...
The person with Wei Yan at this moment, who is also a coward, is Cui Hou.
Wei Yan patted Cui Hou''s neck, like patting a dog''s neck, "You guy...how do you say hello to me?" ah? I did stupid things before, but now I have to show my loyalty... Tell me, do you believe it? Cui Hou lowered his head with a smile on his face, "General, saints will all make mistakes. Of course a villain like me will also make mistakes... But I know my mistakes can be corrected, and I am willing to make up for my mistakes!" 』
Wei Yan laughed and said, "That''s right. You are a businessman, and you like to use your small skills to make money." Nowadays, what business is bigger than this in Jizhou? Bigger than this world? 』
"Yes, yes, the general is right!" ” Cui Hou pointed out one after another. If it had a tail, it would be wagging like a flower.
Businessmen pursue profits.
Everyone is scolding.
But in fact, most people are pursuing profit, but the external expression of this "profit" will be different.
"Aren''t you afraid that the master will not recognize your merits?" ” Wei Yan had a smile on his face, but his eyes were very sharp, staring at Cui Hou, “And before Taiyuan... you didn’t have any hatred at all? 』
Cui Hou didn''t hesitate at all, "General Mingjian!" I have known the General Hussar for a long time, and I also know to some extent the rules of the Hussar... If you make a mistake, it is a mistake, and if you have merit, it is merit. Unless it is a major rebellion, otherwise... So in fact, I am putting an ax on my neck, and I have to surrender in order to survive. He surrendered to Cao''s army and surrendered temporarily, not because he was truly rebellious! 』
"And..." Cui Hou smiled flatteringly, "If he had sacrificed his life before, even though he had a reputation for loyalty, it was just a false name. How could it compare to the actual benefits of helping the general gain military exploits now?" 』
Wei Yan laughed.
This is indeed the reason why Wei Yan can temporarily accept Cui Hou''s kindness. If Cui Hou was the type to jump up and rebel, Wei Yan would have just drawn his sword and chopped him off without being allowed to meet him. However, Cui Hou was caught by Cao Jun and surrendered. It can be said that he is incompetent, cowardly, and a useless snack, but he is different from the initiative. There is still a certain distance between plotting against the Hussars...
Of course, this does not mean that Wei Yan has exonerated Cui Hou, but whether he is guilty or not will ultimately be decided by Hussar. Wei Yan is only temporarily cooperating and having the same interests for the time being.
"You said this Ju family member..." Wei Yan changed the subject, "Can you really believe it?" 』
To Wei Yan, Cui Hou was barely half one of his own, while Ju Hu was a complete stranger.
Although we have cooperated before, but compared with the current matter of stealing and selling military rations, it pales into insignificance.
Cui Hou also knew that this matter was not a joke, and Zhengrong said: "General, I''m afraid you don''t know what happened between the Ju family and the Cao family... There is an injustice and a debtor..."
From a certain perspective, Jushou also died in obscurity in Youzhou, which was somewhat related to the strategy of Youzhou back then. Wei Yan would not really be relieved if he didn''t ask clearly.
After Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao, if he wanted to control Jizhou, he naturally couldn''t let Jushou stay in Jizhou, or the core position of the court, so he could only move Jushou away, whether he was promoted openly or secretly. It was this kind of exclusion and suppression that was the main reason that ultimately led to Ju Shou''s death of depression. It can be said that neither the Hussars nor the Hu people, even if they attacked Youzhou, were considered the "murderers" who killed Jushu.
Moreover, if it is true that you are on the battlefield, you are not as intelligent as others, or you are inferior to others in martial arts, and you are captured and killed on the spot, generally speaking, there is nothing to be resentful about. Even if you are caught in a trap or ambushed, there is nothing to complain about. Who do future generations want to seek revenge from...
Unless the person does something extraordinary after killing him, such as whipping the corpse or something, it will arouse resentment.
Wei Yan listened without comment.
This is just Cui Hou''s one-sided statement.
Wei Yan still has to judge the real situation for himself.
However, judging from the current situation, Juhu is indeed sincere in cooperating. At least Wei Yan''s current hiding place was provided by Juhu, and no soldiers from Cao''s army came...
While they were talking, the soldiers on duty outside came to report that Juhu was here.
Wei Yan rolled his eyes, then stood up, walked down the hall, and stood at the door of the small courtyard to greet him.
After all, Ju Hu is also the master of Zhuangzi, so he should be given some face.
Not long after, Ju Hu came. After seeing Wei Yan, he didn''t say much nonsense. After entering the hall with Wei Yan, he said straight to the point: "General Wei, someone has a plan that can help Qiao Qi capture Jizhou!" 』
…
…
When Cao Chun was beaten by Zhao Yun, Jizhou was still arguing over whether to send troops and whether to rescue Youzhou.
Ever since they learned about the Northern Territory Protector''s invasion of Youzhou, the people in Jizhou have been in panic. Whether officially or privately, they have sent a large number of scouts to Youzhou to investigate the news.
Of course, these scouts are not necessarily all for investigating military intelligence...
In the final analysis, the Jizhou guys are still quite afraid that Zhao Yun''s army will be like the barbarians, marching straight in and plundering from Youzhou to Jizhou. When these scouts reported that Zhao Yun was besieging Yuyang and not looting like the barbarians, the Jizhou guys immediately split.
Some of them screamed, asking Cao Jun to withdraw from the front line immediately and come for reinforcements! After all, things can happen once and for all. Jizhou was stabbed by Taishi Ci at the earliest, and was stirred up by Wei Yan some time ago. If Zhao Yun does it again, it will really be worse than death! Therefore, this group of people is determined to have Cao Jun keep the Hussars out of Jizhou!
Another group of people lashed out at the Cao family''s Xiahou family''s general abilities, saying, "Look, I''ve said this a long time ago," and then they said that it was the Cao family''s own fault. If they had vigorously promoted and re-employed Jizhou guys before, There is absolutely no chance that such a difficult situation will arise now. All this is now the result of Lao Cao’s own consequences!
Others are clamoring to take advantage of the fact that the Hussars are not here, quickly send heavy troops to block the main road, and "fortify the walls and clear the fields" at the junction of Youzhou and Jizhou, so as not to leave any manpower for the Hussars. Wealth…
That''s right, no matter which group of Jizhou people they are, they have not mentioned the reinforcements. It seems that as long as the peace of Jizhou is preserved in the world, it doesn''t matter what happens to other places!
As a result, before the Jizhou guy could come to a final conclusion about Youzhou, something went wrong himself!
Shanggu Pass is a battleground for military strategists. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, many battles took place and the competition was fierce. Moreover, this place is also one of the Eight Passes of Taihang. Logically speaking, this place should be very important, and then there will be heavy troops. It''s guarding, but in fact this pass is a "coward pass"...
The role played by Shanggu Pass in history has always been embarrassing, not as glorious as people imagined. The adjective "one man is invincible" has never been necessarily related to it. The reason is very simple. There are mountains here, but they are not dangerous. There are rivers, but they are not deep or dangerous. Although it is a pass, the mountains on the outside must be guarded. Otherwise, if the mountains are lost, there will be no danger to defend the Shanggu Pass. You will be defeated without fighting.
After the Shanggu Pass guard learned of the sudden change in Youzhou, he immediately burned down the simple wooden bridge originally erected on the Juma River and prepared for the attack. Sure enough, the soldiers and horses from Bingzhou, led by Yan Rou, went to the pass. They tried to build a pontoon bridge on the Juma River twice, but they were discovered by the defender and destroyed with rockets. The two sides were in a stalemate for a while.
But what Liu Zhi, the guard at Shanggu Pass, did not expect was that the alarm he sent out did not usher in reinforcements, but rather visitors...
Juhu.
Liu Zhi was originally a descendant of Julu Liu Zhi.
This son of the Liu family, who was supposed to be a founder of the Eastern Han Dynasty and should have enjoyed the generous returns brought about by his ancestors'' investment in Liu Xiu, was directly involved in the rebellion of Liu Ying, the king of Chu, and fell directly from a first-class family to a low-income family.
Not everyone can accept such ups and downs of family circumstances openly...
The same goes for Juhu. He didn''t have any good impression of the Cao family and the Xiahou family.
Juhu believed that the current predicament facing his family, and even Jizhou as a whole, was Cao''s fault. If it weren''t for Cao Cao, then his Ju clan would at least be much better and more glorious now!
When Ju Hu met Liu Zhi, he said straight to the point that the people of Jizhou should fight for Jizhou!
This sentence immediately set the tone for all discussions, and even made Liu Zhi''s face change, and he couldn''t even say the polite words he had originally thought of!