Xiaoqi

Sun Ce's expression changed slightly, and the anger on his face subsided a little. He asked in a deep voice, "Why did Uncle Cheng say that? We have been attacking cities and villages for days. We are invincible, our morale is high, and our fighting spirit is high. There is a saying: Don't lose, never lose again. At the time of this great victory, it is a great opportunity for us to take advantage of the victory to attack Anyi, how can we stop abruptly and delay the opportunity of the battle?"

Cheng Pu was stunned when he heard the words, his expression became more anxious, and he said: "Everything that the young master said is true, because of this, we came to dissuade the young master not to continue marching, but to garrison and rest. The lord, Sun Jian, was also able to attack the city and pull out the stronghold, and the lone army went deep, so that in the end, the food and grass were exhausted, and the bandit army took advantage of the night to attack the camp. His success was on the verge of failure! This happened on the border of Henan Province, only one river away from us, and it was only five years before and after. Don't tell me the young master doesn't remember the time and circumstances?"

Sun Ce's face changed when he heard the words, but it wasn't panic or fear, but a sullen expression on his face, which seemed to turn into anger from embarrassment.It's just that he didn't get angry immediately because of his affection, but his heavy snort and flushed cheeks showed that he was very angry inside. However, Cheng Pu was a veteran who followed the Sun family for two generations after all, which made him furious. Feel helpless again.

Seeing Sun Ce's silence, Cheng Pu's eager expression calmed down a little, and he continued to persuade: "The old lord, Sun Jian, is because he underestimated the combat power of the Xiliang Army, thinking that the Xiliang Army was frightened by the Allies and had no fighting spirit. The morale of the army was slackened, so they chased and fought fiercely, and captured more than ten camps of the Xiliang Army within half a month. Unexpectedly, when our army was advancing triumphantly, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu brothers played tricks in the rear, cutting off our army's food and grass, causing our army Food and supplies were in short supply, and the Xiliang army took the opportunity to rob the camp and returned in defeat.

The situation we are facing now is so similar to what it was back then, almost exactly the same, exactly the same.Up to this time, the young master led the former army all the way to attack the city and pull out the stronghold. He was brave and invincible, and he had made great achievements in battle.However, I don't know if the young master has noticed that almost none of the fortresses we conquered encountered stubborn resistance. Every battle was conquered in one fell swoop, which can be called overwhelming.Could it be that the mighty Xiliang army is really so unbearable and its combat effectiveness so weak? "

"Huh?" Sun Ce raised his brows lightly, his eyes widened suddenly, and pondered, "What's the meaning of Uncle Cheng's words? Do you want to say that these fortifications were left to us by the Xiliang Army on purpose? How can there be such a good thing in the world?"

"The last general has no such intention." Cheng Pu shook his head and said, "Young master, please be calm and don't be impatient, and Rong Mo will tell you the truth. This time we will follow the young master to fight and win victories. For joy, I think that the young master is as brave as the old master, and his resourcefulness is not too much less, and he is expected to uphold the old master's last wish. Based on Jiangdong, he will achieve great fame and fame. However, our army is still invincible and invincible in ten battles. They captured ten fortresses in a row within a day, but they never encountered decent resistance. This made the last general and the others overjoyed, but they felt a little uneasy in their hearts. They always felt that everything came too easily, almost effortlessly. Is this the so-called Xiliang army with strong soldiers and horses?"

While speaking, Cheng Pu showed a deep worry on his face.After calming down, he continued: "So, the four of us waited secretly to pay attention to the ensuing battle, and found that whether it was the defenders stationed in the city or the soldiers in the camp town, their combat effectiveness was extremely limited. The weapons in their hands were also rusty, and even some The weapons held by the soldiers have long been dilapidated. After discovering this, we immediately went to the prisoner-of-war camp and asked face-to-face the reason for the surrender.

From Jiang Bing's mouth, we learned that among the ten strongholds we captured, all the defenders were ordinary county soldiers who had not been included in the Xiliang Army.On weekdays, they are only responsible for guarding the city gates and checkpoints. They have almost never participated in wars in the past two years, and they have not been trained strictly, and their military discipline is lax.The fighting power is extremely poor.It is said that as long as they do not do evil or oppress the good, they can still receive some food and salary every month, and the treatment is good.Enough to fill the stomach of a family.Because of this, these county soldiers guarded the city gate every day, handed over on time, and lived comfortably for two years.Over time, the weapons in their hands were rusted, and their combat effectiveness can be imagined.Therefore, facing the attack of the vanguard of our allied forces this time, they are completely vulnerable and unable to resist the powerful attack of our army. "

Cheng Pu seemed to have more to say, but he suddenly remained silent, as if waiting for Sun Ce's response, faintly revealing the meaning of the school exam.Obviously, although he, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Zu Mao and others were loyal to Sun Ce, they still had doubts about Sun Ce's ability to lead them back to their former glory.Therefore, they will not speak thoroughly on many issues, leaving room for them to deliberately wait for Sun Ce to make a judgment before explaining the whole story in detail.

Such actions seem to belittle Sun Ce, as if they don't take Sun Ce seriously, but it is not the case. They do this out of good intentions and sincerely love Sun Ce.And this is precisely the real embodiment of their loyalty to the Sun Ce father and son. The reason why Sun Ce respects them and regards himself as the younger generation is because they have always been loyal, earnestly taught, followed good guidance, and devoted themselves to helping Sun Ce grow up quickly.

"According to this, the ten fortresses captured by our army before were actually the city gates that the Xiliang army deliberately abandoned, and they are not as important as we imagined?" Sun Ce asked with a gloomy expression.

Cheng Pu nodded lightly when he heard the words, and replied in a low tone: "Although the general does not want this to be true, it is the truth. In fact, some county soldiers were loyal to the thief Li and would rather die than surrender. Therefore, after ten days, our army suffered tens of thousands of casualties, and the defenders in the ten fortresses added up to only 2 horses. The more than [-] defenders are all young men temporarily organized in the villages and towns along the way."

"How did this happen? What about the Xiliang army, where did they hide? Could it be that they all huddled in the Anyi camp and avoided fighting, watching us attack cities and villages along the way but turning a deaf ear?" Sun Ce was furious. said angrily.

Cheng Pu was sad when he heard the words, and didn't know what to say.At this time, Huang Gai said: "Young master, don't be angry. In fact, this matter is not difficult to understand. This time the alliance is huge, with 50 soldiers, and it is said to be 70. At the beginning of the alliance, the soldiers are in full swing. No matter who faced the menacing Allied forces, they chose to avoid the edge temporarily and wait for the opportunity to fight. Just like the current battle in Hedong, Li Thief's generals moved the people along the way to other places in advance. Only some people did not want to leave their homeland, so Only then will I take up arms and resist our vanguard army together with the defenders.

As for where the Xiliang Army in Hedong County will retreat, it is self-evident.Backed by the Yellow River, with high mountains and cliffs to the north and the Yellow River to the south, the Anyi camp guards the throats of Bing, You, and Hebei states that invaded Chang'an. It has always been an important town for the Xiliang army to garrison Sili.Before that, Daying in Anyi stationed 5 soldiers, and then Xu Rong's troops in Daying in Henan also moved here secretly. Coupled with the reduction of troops in the counties in Hedong, these soldiers and horses add up to [-] people.Therefore, the last general said something depressing, just with [-] or [-] horses in our hands, we are not the enemy of Anyi's army at all. If we rush to fight against them, we will definitely return in a big defeat, and there is absolutely no reason to win! "

Compared to Cheng Pu, who spoke more reservedly, Huang Gai was straightforward. Although his words were not pleasant, he spoke the truth without any concealment.

After Sun Ce heard the words, he said with a gloomy face and angrily: "After all, the real purpose of your coming here is to persuade me to suspend the attack on Dongyuan City, and miss the opportunity to take advantage of the victory to march. Am I right?"

"Exactly, that's exactly what the last general wants!" Huang Gai continued.

As soon as these words came out, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Zu Mao were shocked and winked at Huang Gai, signaling him to change his mouth and make a confession, otherwise he would be punished by Sun Ce.

"Hahaha!" Just as Cheng Pu and the other four veterans were panicking, Sun Ce, who was still angry just now, burst out laughing. There was no trace of anger on his face, and he laughed very happily, really laughing heartily.

"Young master, what's wrong with you? Please don't get angry, young master. You will finally confess your crime. Your words are too fierce. Please punish me!" Seeing the moment when Sun Ce laughed wildly, he stiffened his neck and refused to bow his head. Huang Gai, who admitted his mistake, panicked immediately, and pleaded guilty in a hurry.He thought that Sun Ce was mad with anger, and he laughed wildly in his rage. This is a sign of hysteria!

"Young master, young master, you must not have any accidents!" When Sun Ce raised his head and laughed, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang and Zu Mao hurriedly got up and ran to the upper steps, shouting anxiously, I'm afraid that Sun Ce will be so angry that he will make a mistake.

Seeing the four veterans rushing forward eagerly, Sun Ce was quite moved, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm better than ever! Hahaha!"

"Young master, are you alright?" Huang Gai asked in surprise, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Zu Mao also looked at Sun Ce eagerly, showing their concern.

Sun Ce suppressed his laughter, and said with a smile on his face, "Thank you, Uncle Huang, for your concern. I'm fine. Although I, Sun Ce, are young and vigorous, I am not so narrow-minded. The four uncles are my father's life and death brothers, that is, me. Sun Ce's elders, no matter who I am angry with, I will never be angry with you. What's more, your loyalty can be shown, and your love and care will impress me for five years and for a lifetime. Come, I will wait for you to speak."

While talking, Sun Ce got up and stepped down from the commander-in-chief, and went to sit with Cheng Pu and others under the tent.But Cheng Pu and the others were inexplicably astonished, looking at each other in blank dismay, wondering why Sun Ce's temperament suddenly changed and became so reasonable.

Chapter 623

In the large tent of the Chinese army, the lights flickered and flickered.

At the side corner of the handsome case, a 狻猊 incense burner curls up smoke, emitting a faint fragrance.

The personal soldiers cooked a pot of hot tea again, served fragrant tea to the five generals in the tent one by one, and then bowed to leave.

"Actually, I know what Uncle Cheng and Uncle Huang said, and I found out about it three days ago." Sun Ce said with a smile on his face after taking a sip of tea.

"Ah! The young master has long known the reality of the defenders of Dongyuan City?" Cheng Pu and others were shocked when they heard the sound.

Sun Ce gently put down the teacup, nodded affirmatively, and said, "Yes, I already knew that these defenders were mobs, vulnerable, and definitely not the main force of the Xiliang army under Thief Li. Everyone knows that Xiliang is bitterly cold, and Sili The counties are even more war-torn places. However, many people may not realize that the three states of Xiliang today are completely different from three years ago. In the past three years, the princes of the Central Plains and all states and counties in the world have been expanding aggressively At the time of the territory and recruiting troops, the land of the three states of Xiliang was stable and peaceful, and the swords were stored in the warehouse to recuperate. Therefore, the central plains and the south of the Yangtze River are getting poorer and poorer, and the market is declining day by day, but the land of the three states of Xiliang is living The more the better, the better.

Two or three years is not long, nor is it short.Within three years, the world fell apart, wars broke out everywhere, countless cities and villages were reduced to ashes, but there were also countless cities that rose quietly. This is the case in Sili, and the whole of Xiliang.A little more than two years is enough for the people in the three prefectures of Xiliang to get rid of the plight of hunger and food, and then rebuild their homes, rely on themselves, and have enough food and clothing.That's why we encountered so many young and strong people picking up shovels to fight against us this time, because in their eyes, we came here to take away their homes and ruin their hard-won good days. "

Sun Ce's words undoubtedly hit the nail on the head, and they were right.But Cheng Pu, Huang Gai and others were greatly surprised.As if they were meeting Sun Ce for the first time, they were shocked, as if they couldn't believe their glasses and ears, and it was like a dream.

All this seemed abrupt, but it was actually not surprising, because Cheng Pu, Huang Gai and others had not been with Sun Ce day and night for more than half a year.And half a year is enough time for a person to reflect on many things, sum up the lessons of previous failures, and re-plan his future path.Sun Ce is like this.

Since Sun Jian's death, the 17-year-old Sun Ce has shouldered the burden left by his father, not only to take care of the whole family.It is also responsible for the livelihood of thousands of people.During this period, he led his troops to fight against Liu Biao in Jingzhou, captured Huang Zu alive in exchange for Sun Jian's body, and then returned to Jiangdong to bury his deceased father.Later, he was squeezed out by the Jiangdong gentry.With nowhere to stay, he had to lead his troops to Tao Qian in Xuzhou for a temporary shelter; but later because of the lack of confidentiality.Tao Qian discovered that he secretly recruited soldiers and made friends with famous scholars in Guangling.Then he was expelled from the country by Tao Qian and had to go to Yuan Shu.

However, Yuan Shu is a cunning and cunning person, far less talkative than Tao Qian.After taking in Sun Ce, Yuan Shu immediately disbanded Sun Jian's old army, and separated Sun Ce from Cheng Pu, Huang Gai and others, except for raising accounts to discuss matters.They are almost impossible to meet.Since then, Yuan Shu has repeatedly dispatched Sun Ce to lead troops into battle, so that he led troops to fight outside for a long time without letting go of his saddle.Without armor, there is almost no leisure.This time leading the troops to Hanoi to meet the alliance is an opportunity for Sun Ce to lead the troops in exchange for painstakingly paying a huge price, and perhaps this is his only chance to stand up.If he misses this good opportunity to lead the army alone, he will never even think about turning around in his life, let alone fame and great career, because he has given his greatest reliance to Yuan Shu, which is tantamount to putting all his eggs in one basket.

Many things in the world are forced out, no one will put all their eggs in one basket and fight desperately.

Sun Ce is like this.Originally, he wanted to stay dormant under Yuan Shu's tent for two years, secretly accumulating strength, waiting for the right time to leave Yuan Shu and stand on his own.However, Li Li's secret travel trip to Yangzhou touched him a lot. After hearing about it, he couldn't sleep at night, thinking seriously about his future for the first time.Then came the news that Zhou Yu, a close friend, had joined Li Li, which shocked Sun Ce, and he was in a state of despair for several days, as if he was mourning for his concubine.Until now, he couldn't accept this fact, and still subconsciously believed that it must be because Li Li hijacked Zhou Yu, otherwise how could Zhou Yu, who was like a brother to him, go to Li Li?

At the same time, the fact that Zhou Yu was held hostage by Li Li greatly stimulated Sun Ce, making him clearly realize that he must become strong as soon as possible and must have his own territory, otherwise he would not even be able to protect his relatives and friends.Just at this time, he learned of the news of the Central Plains vassal alliance, and Yuan Shu was also invited.So he immediately went to invite Ying to fight, but Yuan Shu had no intention of joining the alliance at all. Instead, he made up his mind to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, watching with a cold eye, unwilling to intervene in the Central Plains war.

This made Sun Ce discouraged, secretly resentful, and cursed Yuan Shu's ancestors for eighteen generations in private, but it still couldn't solve the practical problem.Without Yuan Shu's approval, Sun Ce has no right to mobilize a single soldier. How can an alliance be formed without soldiers and horses?

During the period, Sun Ce also thought about following the example of the three brothers Liu, Guan and Zhang to form an alliance alone, but immediately abandoned this idea.Back in the day, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei went to the alliance with three horsemen, fought desperately, and won a big name, but in the end they still got nothing and returned empty-handed.This is not the result Sun Ce wants. He wants to become famous in one fell swoop, but also wants to gain both fame and fortune, and then achieve a hegemony.If he wants to fulfill his wish, he must have a soldier and horse, and he wants to borrow soldiers and horses from Yuan Shu, who is as stingy as a mouse, it is tantamount to a dream and a whimsical dream.

As the saying goes: if you don't want a child, you can't catch a wolf, and if you don't wear a cuckold, you can't catch a gangster.

Therefore, Sun Ce was able to borrow [-] soldiers and horses from Yuan Shu this time. It was indeed a very high price, so big that Sun Ce would gnash his teeth every time he thought of this matter, and his teeth were "cracking".In addition, thanks to Yuan Shao's urging letter after letter, otherwise Yuan Shu would never have given him [-] troops so generously.

Paying such a huge price, if Sun Ce didn't know how to cherish the hard-earned soldiers and horses in his hands, and kept rushing and beating, then his life would be in vain. It is the priceless treasure that Sun Jian bought with his life.

After being dazed for a long while, Cheng Pu and Huang Gai slowly came back to their senses, and turned to look happy, brows filled with relief.

Sun Jian said before that if a prince only thinks about expanding his territory and only has nobles and celebrities in his eyes, but he doesn't care about the suffering and life and death of the people; then he will be strong for a while at most, and he will not last long after all, and he will be destroyed by other princes sooner or later .

At that time, Cheng Pu and the others didn't really understand what Sun Jian wanted to say. They finally figured it out after Liu Bei collected the six counties of Xuzhou for nothing.It turns out that the deep meaning of what Sun Jian said is: He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world.This proverb was not created by Sun Jian. As early as 400 years ago, when the Western Han Dynasty was founded, Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, did so. However, the banner was not raised and the words were not condensed, but the meaning was the same.

Today, Cheng Pu and Huang Gai are delighted that the young master Sun Ce finally understands this truth, which means that he already has the appearance of a prince and overlord, at least he has the potential.As long as Sun Ce seized a piece of land by using his soldiers and horses this time, he would be able to develop rapidly until he truly became a prince along the way, and then he would separate one side and achieve some hegemony.This was the long-cherished wish of Cheng Pu and the others. Since Sun Jian's accidental death, they were in despair. They felt that there was darkness ahead, and their life was completely ruined.Unexpectedly, four years later, Sun Ce actually borrowed soldiers and horses from Yuan Shu, and finally had the hope of making a comeback.

The most gratifying thing is that Sun Ce actually understands what the princes and overlords need most and what they rely on most. This is the popular support, or the support of the people.For the princes and overlords, fame and wealth are not enough, and celebrities and virtuous officials are not the most important thing, the most important thing is to win the recognition and trust of the people; only in this way can they gain a firm foothold and grow step by step.

Any founding emperor must care about the sufferings of the people and have a heart for the people. Only in this way can he win the support of the people, and the foundation can be more stable, until he finally seizes the country.As for civil servants and military generals, they also come from the common people, and the powerful clans and celebrities are a small group of people after all, and cannot represent the majority of common people at all.

Sun Ce understood this truth at a young age. He realized that the gentry is usable but not the foundation of a great cause, which shows that he has extraordinary insight and great ambition.Only such a person can truly achieve a hegemony. In the eyes of Cheng Pu and Huang Gai, Sun Ce is like this.

"The young master is so talented, I really admire him, and we are ecstatic!" After calming down, Cheng Pu laohuai sighed with relief.

Huang Gai continued: "Yes! Before, I always thought that the young master was young and energetic, and sometimes I didn't listen to advice at all, for fear that the young master would follow the old path of the old master Sun Jian. Now it seems that I was too worried, sir. The Lord is wise and wise, has good plans in his belly, and has a plan in his chest, which is really a blessing to us!"

Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Zu Mao happily nodded in agreement, praising Sun Ce's young talent, who will surely accomplish great things in the future and realize Sun Jian's last wish.

Overjoyed, Cheng Pu asked with a smile: "So, without my dissuasion, the young master has long planned to garrison and rest, and when Yuan Shao's army arrives, join forces to attack Dongyuan City?"

"No, I will attack Dongyuan City tomorrow!" Sun Ce shook his head slightly and said firmly.

"What? Continue to attack the city?" Cheng Pu and Huang Gai exclaimed in unison.