Chapter 29 Chapter 27 Guan Yu A Cup of Wine
Sishuiguan continued to release spies to detect the movement of the enemy.Once, a spy reported to Li Su: "Recently, there seems to be no morale in Sun Jian's village. The strange thing is that there is no smoke rising from the military depot. Could it be that you are fighting hungry?"
After Li Su heard this, the next day he called two secret agents from other sources and asked, "What changes have occurred in the enemy's rear recently? How is the enemy's food supply?"
The answer was: "There have been no grain trucks passing by for a month and a half."
Li Su nodded, turned to another spy and asked, "Are the enemy's horses fat?"
"Looking strangely thin lately."
"What songs do the enemy soldiers sing?"
"Often sing homesick songs."
"All right."
Withdrawing the details, Li Su immediately came to see General Hua Xiong and offered a plan.
"The time has come to capture Sun Jian alive. Tonight, I will lead an army to take a shortcut and go around to the enemy's rear. Suddenly attack at night. With the signal of fire, the general opened the city gate and rushed out from the front."
"Is there any chance of success?"
"Of course there is. According to my investigation, Sun Jian is suspicious, and the rear seems to have refused to send food and grass. Sun Jian's head is now at your fingertips."
"Really? The moon is so bright tonight!"
"Isn't it a great opportunity?"
"Okay, do it!"
In the evening, set a secret plan.
It was night, Li Su led a group of surprise soldiers to take a shortcut under the moonlight, went around behind the enemy troops who were relying on Liang Dong to go down to the stronghold, and suddenly shouted loudly: "Oh-oh--"
Li Su's soldiers rushed into Sun Jian's village in the dark of night, set fires everywhere, drew bows and arrows, and attacked and killed them.
Hua Xiong saw the red flames in the sky above Liang Dong, so he acted according to his plan, ordered his men to open the city gate of Sishuiguan, and said, "Capture Sun Jian alive! Capture Sun Jian alive and bring him to the gate!"
Saying that, among the thousands of horses, they rushed to the city like a mountain cloud gushing out of a canyon.
No matter how Liang Dongjun could resist, he fled immediately.
"withstand!"
"Don't panic!"
Sun Jian's men were good at fighting and encouraged them, but their soldiers were very weak.
For some reason, the rear began to cut off the transportation of military rations more than a month ago, so that the soldiers were dissatisfied, the military discipline was not uniform, and the soldiers were thin and weak.
"Helpless!" Sun Jian thought to himself, there was nothing he could do.
His subordinates, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and others had also dispersed. Sun Jian only took his family Ding Zumao with him, and rode away from the defeated camp on horseback.
The enemy general Hua Xiong rode his horse like flying, and shouted: "Sun Jian, you are so cowardly, how can you run away!"
"Look at your call!"
Sun Jian turned around, bowed his bow and set an arrow on his horse, and in return, he shot two arrows in a row, but the bow was aimed crookedly.Anxious, he shot another arrow, and the bow was broken in two with too much force.
"Oops!"
Sun Jian threw away the broken bow, patted his horse and fled into the forest.
"My lord, my lord!" Zu Mao followed closely behind on his horse, and said to Sun Jian, "Please take off your helmet. The helmet is shiny and red, and it has become the enemy's target."
"Ah, yes."
Sun Jian realized, no wonder the arrows from the pursuers were so concentrated.He quickly took off the Zhu Jinying helmet called "帻" on his head, hung it on the rafters of the house that had not yet been burned, and hurriedly hid in the nearby dense forest.
After observing for a while, sure enough, the arrows shot by the enemy flew towards the helmet like raindrops.
But no matter you shoot again, the helmet is still shiny and does not move.Suspicious, the enemy archers quickly stepped forward and started commotion:
"Ah, Sun Jian is gone!"
"Only the helmet."
Over the dense forest, the moon is shining brightly.White shadows and dark shadows, swimming like a school of fish looking for Sun Jian's whereabouts.
Among them is Hua Xiong.
Zu Mao, Sun Jian's vassal, was hiding behind a big tree. When he saw Hua Xiong, he was furious and shouted, "Hmph! Dong Bandit's ass!"
Just stick a gun and stab.
Hua Xiong's eyes were quick, and when he glanced at it, Lei shouted: "The defeated army! So it's here!"
The sound was like a sharp blade blowing wind, trying to split the big tree.There was a flash of cold light, and Zu Mao's head flew off.
Hua Xiong said to the soldiers behind the blood mist: "Let someone pick up the head just now."
After finishing speaking, he reined in his horse and leisurely went elsewhere.
"Ah, how dangerous it is."
later.Sun Jian let go of his hanging heart and looked around.He held his breath and hid in the bushes near where Zu Mao's headless corpse was abandoned.
"Zu Mao... oh, what a pity!"
Sun Jian burst into tears.Thinking of Zu Mao's daily loyalty and hard work, he felt pain in his heart.
However, it is still surrounded by the enemy.Sun Jian adjusted his mood and wanted to kill a bloody path.He forgot the pain from the arrow wound and walked for more than two miles.
Sun Jian quickly gathered the escaped soldiers, whose number was less than one-tenth of the whole army.The battle was defeated and almost the entire army was wiped out.
The mournful night is gone, and the sky is light.
Last night, the waning moon was as pale as a loser's soul.
"The vanguard army is wiped out!"
"The enemy army is taking advantage of the victory and chasing after it."
There was a huge shake in the rear base camp.
The faces of the coach Yuan Shao and his staff Cao Cao changed drastically.
previously.Just received an unfavorable battle report, saying that General Bao's younger brother Bao Zhong stole out of the camp, and the troops lost a lot.Now I have received a battle report saying that the vanguard Sun Jian suffered a devastating defeat.The morale of all the generals and soldiers in the village was depressed, and they didn't know what to do.
Is this the only way?Confused?
Headed by Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, the princes of the Seventeen Towns gathered in the base camp that day to hold a combat meeting in an attempt to restore the decline.
The enemy army is prosperous, and the enemy general Hua Xiong has the reputation of being inappropriate.For its deterrence, the meeting was sluggish.
Coach Yuan Shao had a gloomy face.Suddenly, he saw a person standing behind Gongsun Zan on the seat, he laughed, and asked, "Gongsun Zan, who is the person standing behind you?"
The tone is unhappy, beyond words.
When Yuan Shao asked, Gongsun Zan briefly looked behind him and said, "Ah, he."
He took the opportunity to make a formal introduction to the generals.
"He is from Lousang Village, Zhuoxian County. He was a friend when I was young. His name is Liu Bei, and his style name is Xuande. A few days ago, he was still the county magistrate in Pingyuan. Please take care of me, generals!"
Cao Cao's eyes widened, and he said, "Oh, is that the one who led the unrecognized army Dazhen Wuming in Guangzong Plain and Yingchuan during the Yellow Turban Rebellion?"
"Exactly."
"No wonder we seem to have known each other....Yes, yes, we greeted each other in front of the battle when we surrounded the fire attack bandits in the wilderness during the Battle of Yingchuan. It's been a long time, and we almost don't recognize each other."
Yuan Shao also let go of his initial suspicion, apologized for the rude questioning, and said, "I have heard that Lousang Village has a descendant of a famous family. This Xuande is the clan of the Han Dynasty. Give him your seat!"
A general vacated his seat and said, "Please sit down."
Liu Bei spoke for the first time, and said: "No, no, I am a small county magistrate, no more than the generals, and my status is different, how can I sit with you gentlemen! Stand up immediately."
He resolutely refused to sit down, and stood behind Gongsun Zan as usual.
Yuan Shao shook his head and said, "You're welcome. It's not to give up your seat for your official position. Your ancestors belong to the lineage of the former Han emperors, and they made great contributions to the country, so I'd like to show my respect. You're welcome, just take your seat."
Gongsun Zan also said together: "It's hard to turn down a good intention, so let's appreciate it."
All the generals also persuaded them to sit down.So Xuande said: "Then accept it."
After thanking everyone in the hall, he sat down.
So Guan Yu and Zhang Fei moved their feet and stood behind Xuande instead.
Right now.The battle that started in the morning has lasted for half a day, and the battle is getting more and more intense.
The previous victory made Hua Xiong's army very proud, and they said one after another: "The Ni Army is known as the army of the eighteenth princes and seventeen towns, and it seems that it is also a mob. It's nothing special."
They raised Luoyang's elite soldiers to crush Sun Jian for a while, and took advantage of the momentum to get out of Sishui Pass.And it has already been killed for tens of miles like a wind blowing leaves, the sound of drums resounded through the sky, and the shouts shook the mountains and rivers, and they have already attacked the vicinity of the head of the Revolutionary Army here.
"Our army's second formation has been breached."
"The third formation was also breached."
"Unfortunately! The Chinese army is already in chaos, and it looks dangerous."
The reports of defeat followed one another.
The messenger said, "Huaxiong's enemy troops put Sun Jian's red helmet on the long pole, shouting and cursing at him like a torrent."
The continuous battle reports were all about the crisis of the Revolutionary Army. Headed by the coach Yuan Shao, all the generals in the hall were also pale and unable to calm down.
"What to do!"
Cao Cao said: "It's also helpless to be embarrassed. At this time, we need to muster more courage."
He turned his head and ordered the subordinates standing beside him, "Bring the wine!"
"yes."
Put a wine glass on each general's table.Cao Cao raised his glass and gulped it down.
"Oh--"
"what--"
The shouts were like thunder, and the earth rumbled.Another scout covered in blood came to the front steps of the hall and shouted: "I can't stand it anymore!"
After finishing his speech, he died out of breath.
Soon the second ride and the third ride will report:
"The Chinese army has been ravaged by the enemy's iron cavalry, the soldiers have been scattered, and the defense has been weakened."
"The base camp should be transferred urgently, otherwise it will be dangerous and will be surrounded."
"Ah, isn't it the enemy's vanguard over there..."
Reports come and go, the base camp here has also become a tree standing in the center of the storm, its branches trembling and its leaves trembling.
Cao Cao asked his subordinates to pour wine and sit upright, but his face became paler as he became more drunk.
"Once besieged..." Some people have already whispered about the retreat of the base camp early.
Where can I still drink, more than half of the generals are pale.
Thousands of feet of yellow dust covered the sky and the sun, and the mountains, rivers, vegetation, and trees were bleeding everywhere.
At this time, someone suddenly stood up from his seat and said: "Our army has nothing to say. If this is the case, I am willing to go, disrupt the enemy's formation, and restore our army's decline in one fell swoop."
The sound was like a roar, and the sword was swished.
This person is General Yu She, the favorite of General Yuan Shao, with a high reputation for bravery.
"Go!"
Yuan Shao passed the wine glass and walked with him.
Yu She drank it all in one breath, and said, "I'll go."
Then he led his troops straight to the center of the enemy's formation.In the blink of an eye, the soldiers under his command were defeated and returned, saying: "General Yu She met Hua Xiong in the rebellious army, fought six or seven times, and was cut by the sword."
All the princes and princes in the hall were frightened and had goose bumps all over their bodies.
At this time, the prefect Han Fu said: "Don't panic. I have a brave general, Pan Feng, who has gone through hundreds of battles and took the lead. If he goes, he will definitely take Hua Xiong, and it will be easy."
Yuan Shao was overjoyed and said, "Where is this person?"
"Probably on the rear right wing."
"Send him quickly."
"yes."
Pan Feng responded to the call, and with a giant flaming ax in his hand, he rode a black horse and galloped to the steps of the base camp.
"What a reliable hero! Immediately kill the general, and take the enemy general Hua Xiong!"
Pan Feng was ordered by Yuan Shao to join the rebel army immediately.But soon someone came to report that Pan Feng was also beheaded by Hua Xiong, and his head was thrown as a sandbag by the enemy soldiers amidst the enemy's triumphant song.Hearing the report, the whole hall was silent again, and it seemed that the fighting spirit had been completely lost.
Yuan Shao sighed.
"Ah, what a pity! If I had known this, I would have brought my subordinates, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, generals."
He got up and left the seat, beat his chest and stamped his feet, returned to the seat, and continued to moan.
"Yan Liang and Wen Chou deliberately stayed in the fief in order to prepare follow-up soldiers. As long as one of these two is here, the enemy will capture Hua Xiong with real hands. But..."
The house was silent.Only Yuan Shao's accusation became louder and louder.
"The princes from all walks of life are also here, but none of the ministers under him can defeat Hua Xiong. Isn't it a shame for the world!? Do you want to leave shame to future generations?!"
After all, the coach has already scolded with regret, driven by anxiety, the princes in the audience have nothing to say, and everyone bows their heads.
At this time, someone broke the silence and said loudly: "Who said that there is no one here?! I wish to take orders. Take Hua Xiong's head in an instant, and offer it to the princes a few times."
Everyone was astonished and asked, "Who?"
Looking down the steps.This person looks like a giant pine, with a long beard hanging down to the hilt of a sword, crouching silkworm eyebrows, and red phoenix eyes. It is suspected that the god of war from the sky suddenly descended on the earth.
"Who is this? Who is this general?" Yuan Shao asked.
Gongsun Zan replied, "He is Guan Yu, Xuande's brother-in-law."
"Oh, Xuande's brother-in-law. Any position as an official?"
"Under Xuande, I heard that they are horse archers."
Hearing this, Yuan Shao was very angry. He looked down at Guan Yu, and shouted loudly, "Back off! You are a small person, but you are unscrupulous in front of the princes. You treat yourself like no one, and you speak boldly. The army is very busy, and there are such madmen adding to the chaos. ...Come here, blow this ugly liar out!"
At this time, Cao Cao remonstrated: "Please wait a moment. We are all our own people, so don't get angry. Since he uttered wild words in front of the princes, I don't think he is lying. Why don't you let him go to fight? If you are defeated and escape, you will be punished."
"No, what Cao Cao said is not unreasonable. But if you let the humble horse archer go out to meet the enemy, you will be ridiculed by the enemy general Hua Xiong, and give him a perfect laughing stock. Once it spreads to Luoyang..."
"If you want to laugh, let him laugh. According to me, Cao Cao, although this man is a horse archer, his face is rare in the world....Hurry up, the enemy army has already attacked, and the base camp will be ravaged if it is later. Must-do military law You can do it after the battle... Guan Yu, Guan Yu, drink this wine in one breath, go out immediately, and meet the enemy quickly!"
Cao Cao poured the wine and handed it over.Guan Yu looked at the wine glass, and bowed again: "Thank you for your kindness! The wine will be kept with you. Wait for me to walk around, and bring Huaxiong's head back to drink again."
As he spoke, he held the Qinglong Broadsword, which weighed eighty catties, and took a horse tied at the foot of the steps, and flew to sit on the saddle. The black beard was split in two on his face, fluttering in the wind, and disappeared in the battle dust in a blink of an eye. middle.
Guan Yu brandished the Azure Dragon Saber, blood sprayed everywhere in his direction, and the green blood flowed across the rainbow.
He left his own army far behind, rushed into the enemy army, and shouted: "Where is Hua Xiong! Where is the enemy general Hua Xiong? Are you afraid that my hero is hiding? Come out and receive the attack!"
The tiger drove the sheep away, and tens of thousands of enemy troops scattered in waves.
The shouts were earth-shattering, the drums rang together, and the mountains and rivers were shaken.
"How is the battle going?"
Here, in the base camp full of the atmosphere of defeat, everyone has a ray of hope for Guan Yu's challenge. Headed by Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, all the princes from all walks of life stood up and looked at the sky of the battle from behind the curtain.
for a moment.Both the enemy and our side forgot to shout and fell silent.In an instant, Guan Yu rode on a black horse that was wading through a river of blood, quietly, squinting at the tens of thousands of enemy troops, and returned to Yuan Shao and Cao Cao's generals.
He rolled off the saddle and got off the horse, saying: "Come, let the princes inspect it."
As he spoke, he climbed up the stairs and put a bloody human head on the large table in the center.
It was the head of the enemy general Hua Xiong.All the princes and soldiers in the hall were fascinated by the sight, and said:
"Oh, it's Hua Xiong!"
"Cut off Hua Xiong's head!"
Everyone unanimously shouted long live.The whole army echoed the shouts and let out a roar of victory.
Guan Yu took a few steps forward, stood in front of Cao Cao, took the temporarily stored wine glass with his blood-stained hands, and said, "I accept this wine."
As he spoke, he straightened his chest and drank it all in one gulp.The wine is still warm.
Cao Cao thought he had worked too hard, held the wine jar in his hands, and said, "Well done! I'll pour you another one."
"No, the next person is the only one to praise, I'm sorry. Please use this cup to toast the whole army!"
"Yeah. It's really...then let's say long live three times."
Cao Cao stood up holding his wine glass.The roar of victory erupted again, setting off a turmoil.
At this time, someone shouted from behind Xuande: "Hey, hey, it's too early to be intoxicated with victory. Since the second brother killed Hua Xiong, I have to show my hand. Don't miss this opportunity, when the whole army advances! Vanguard, immediately capture Luoyang, capture Dong Xiangguo alive, and sacrifice to the princes."
Everyone turned their heads to see that the man was Zhang Fei standing beside Xuande with a snake spear standing upright.
Yuan Shao's younger brother, Yuan Shu, glanced at him unhappily, and shouted: "Stop talking useless nonsense! The high-ranking officials of the princes and the famous generals of various countries are still humble and silent, and go to their respective quiet places. You are a county magistrate, don't you know your identity! ? You presumptuous fellow! Shut up!"
Cao Cao comforted Yuan Shu, but Yuan Shu was still displeased, and said angrily, "If you use such contemptible people to treat us equally, I will gather the troops and go back to the territory."
As things got more and more complicated, Cao Cao told Gongsun Zan to let Xuande, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei leave.
That night, Cao Cao secretly sent wine and food to Xuande Village to appease the three people and persuade them to calm down.