Three Kingdoms: I, Liu Feng, do not want to die

Chapter 178: Youlin Returns to Han, Zhuge Liang Defeats Ji County at Night (6K)

Behind Jiang Wei.

Zheng Chao, the brave general arranged by Ma Zun, already had a bow in his hand.

If Jiang Wei disobeys orders, Zheng Chao will shoot Jiang Wei without hesitation!

Jiang Wei gritted his teeth for a moment, waved his spear and shouted: "I am a general of Wei, how can I help Han? I tried to persuade him with good intentions, but Lord Zhuge is stubborn and refuses to change his mind. Well, first capture Lord Zhuge alive, then it won't be too late to persuade him later!"

Zhuge Liang laughed loudly: "General, you are brave, I admit you are better! But today I had a very pleasant conversation with you, so I don't have the heart to kill you. I will fight you tomorrow!"

Done.

Zhuge Liang returned to the battlefield and ordered his troops to retreat.

Zheng Chao stepped forward and asked: "General, why don't you chase them?"

Jiang Wei stared at the retreating Han army and frowned, saying, "Although the Han army is retreating, their formation is intact. The Art of War says that you should not pursue a retreating army. If you pursue them rashly, you will be ambushed."

Zheng Chao narrowed his eyes and subconsciously tightened the bow in his hand, obviously not believing what Jiang Wei said.

Considering the difference in strength between the two sides, Zheng Chao silently loosened his grip.

The sound of gongs rang out from the city walls.

Jiang Wei and Zheng Chao led their troops back to the city.

As soon as he got on the tower, he heard Ma Zun shouting, "Capture the traitor Jiang Wei!"

The weapons sounded crisp and loud.

Several strong men stepped forward, quickly grabbed Jiang Wei and took away his weapons.

Jiang Wei did not resist and allowed the strongman to tie him up with a hemp rope and push him in front of Ma Zun.

"Jiang Wei, what else do you have to say today?" Ma Zun's chest heaved, and he was obviously very angry.

If it was said that Jiang Wei was deliberately forced to lead his troops out of the city yesterday, then Ma Zun really doubted Jiang Wei's position at this moment.

I asked you to go out of the city to kill the generals, not to quarrel!

You keep calling me "Mr. Zhuge". Do you really think I can't hear you from the top of the city wall?

In the end, Zhuge Liang was able to withdraw his troops calmly!
You could at least give a symbolic pursuit to show your attitude!
Are you planning to rebel by hiding your true intentions from me?
Jiang Wei looked at Ma Zun, who was furious, and said, "What is your intention in arresting me, Governor?"

Ma Zun couldn't help but laugh: "Jiang Wei, do you really think I dare not kill you?"

Jiang Wei said calmly, "The governor is a county official. It would be easy for him to kill me, but if he wants to kill me, he should let me die knowingly. May I ask, what crime have I committed?"

Ma Zun shouted angrily, "You still dare to quibble after all this! In front of everyone today, you had a pleasant conversation with Zhuge Liang and then let him leave! Having an affair with the pseudo-Han Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, what else can this be but a capital crime?"

Jiang Wei's eyes were filled with mockery. "I won't waste a single soldier, and I will make Zhuge Liang retreat. If this is a capital crime, then I have nothing to say! If the governor wants to kill him, then kill him. Why accuse him? If I frown, I won't be called Jiang Boyue!"

The Wei soldiers on the city wall were discussing in low voices.

Obviously.

Ma Zun's reasons failed to convince the Wei soldiers.

General Zheng Chao held his bow and shouted: "No noise is allowed in the army. Anyone who dares to speak again will be punished by military law!"

The Wei soldiers all shrank their necks, fear in their hearts, and dared not utter a word, but their eyes were full of dissatisfaction.

As if to say: You are just relying on the governor's favor, what's there to be proud of! If you have the guts, go and fight Doctor Jiang!
Ma Zun suddenly felt a headache.

In Ma Zun's vision, Jiang Wei should beg for mercy or resist.

If he begged for mercy, he would recruit Jiang Wei as his henchman, just like the brave general Zheng Chao; if he resisted, he would kill Jiang Wei to deter those who had second thoughts in the city.

Never thought.

Jiang Wei, however, had an attitude of "If you want to kill me, just kill me. I don't plead guilty and I won't resist."

If Jiang Wei was killed at this time, Ma Zun would not be able to explain himself when Guo Huai asked about it later!
Jiang Wei was not only the county's Zhonglang, but also held the title of "Zhonglang" bestowed by the imperial court.

This "Zhonglang" was not a Zhonglang with real power, but a title given by the imperial court to Jiang Wei, the youngest son of Jiang Wei, in recognition of the fact that Jiang Wei's father Jiang Jiong died fighting for his country.

In name, the title of "Zhonglang" was bestowed by Liu Xie, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty!
Liu Xie abdicated the throne to Cao Pi, and Cao Wei also recognized him as "Zhonglang".

According to historical records, after Jiang Wei surrendered to the Han Dynasty, someone from Cao Wei also guaranteed him, so Jiang Wei's mother, wife and children were only taken to an office specially used to detain the families of officials who committed crimes, rather than being directly slaughtered.

It can be seen.

It was precisely because of this status that Jiang Wei dared to give Ma Zun the cold shoulder.

Want to kill me?
Then think carefully about whether you want to gamble your future!

Ma Zun was angry and depressed.

What made him angry was Jiang Wei's rebellious attitude, and he was now in a difficult situation.

Stalemate.

Gongcao Liang Xu arrived.

Upon learning that Jiang Wei was going to be questioned, Liang Xu hurried forward and pleaded, "Please calm down, Governor. This must be Zhuge Liang's plan to sow discord between you and Bo Yue.

If Bo Yue is killed, not only will the morale of Ji County be dampened, but Zhuge Liang will also laugh at him! Think twice, governor! "

Ma Zun snorted coldly: "If there is no punishment, how can we enforce military law?"

Liang Xu said, "You can temporarily dismiss Bo Yue from his post and let him reflect on his actions at home. When the enemy troops retreat, we can hand it over to Governor Guo for the decision."

With the steps Liang Xu provided, Ma Zun went down the steps, asked the strong man to loosen the rope, and shouted: "For the sake of Liang Gongcao, I will not bother with you today!
If you feel that I have wronged you, you can ask Governor Guo to seek justice after the enemy troops have retreated. But if you dare to leave your home before the enemy troops have retreated, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Jiang Wei was silent.

He didn't even bother to say hello and just left.

Liang Xu quickly apologized to Ma Zun and hurried to catch up.

"My lord, if Jiang Wei leaves with hatred, there might be trouble. Why don't I take some men with me tonight?" The fierce general Zheng Chao approached Ma Zun, whispering and making a gesture.

Ma Zun shook his head. "If you take action tonight, even a fool can guess that it is related to me. Jiang Wei is friendly with Gongcao Liang Xu, Zhubu Yin Shang, and Zhuji Liang Qian. If Jiang Wei dies, Liang Xu and the other two will surely rebel! In this troubled time, we must not create any more trouble."

From the heart.

When Jiang Wei and Zhuge Liang were having a pleasant conversation outside the city, Ma Zun had already thought of killing Jiang Wei.

However, Jiang Wei's performance was beyond Ma Zun's expectations, so that Ma Zun could not find a suitable reason to kill Jiang Wei.

I couldn’t kill him just now, and I’m even less likely to kill him tonight.

If we act too hastily, Gongcao Liang Xu, Zhubu Yin Shang, and Zhuji Liang Qian will raise their arms and shout for their lives, and most of the officials and soldiers in the city will rebel.

If Ma Zun could have killed Jiang Wei, he would have done so just now. There would have been no need to delay it until night.

Zheng Chao said worriedly: "If we leave it alone, we are afraid that he will cooperate with Zhuge Liang from inside and outside, and Ji County will be difficult to defend."

Ma Zun's eyes flashed coldly: "It's okay! I know what to do! You can select three thousand elite soldiers, prepare dry food and water, and follow me out of the city tonight to rob the camp."

Zheng Chao was puzzled: "If they want to rob a camp, why do they need to bring dry food and water?"

Ma Zun glared at Zheng Chao and shouted, "This is a secret. How can you ask more questions? Go and do it immediately!"

Seeing Ma Zun's fierce face, Zheng Chao hesitated to speak, lowered his head and dared not ask any more questions.

Jiang Wei's residence.

Liang Xu saw that Jiang Wei had not said a word since he returned home, and he could not help but sigh: "Bo Yue, this is your fault.

Zhuge Liang was the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, but you talked with him outside the city in front of Governor Ma. Aren't you giving him a handle?"

Although Liang Xu was Jiang Wei's fellow townsman and good friend, he often could not understand Jiang Wei's thoughts.

With Jiang Wei's talent, reputation, and family background, if he really wanted to be an official or a general, he would not be just a small doctor.

Today he had a very pleasant conversation with Zhuge Liang outside the city. Even Liang Xu, a good friend who knew Jiang Wei well, couldn't help but doubt whether Jiang Wei really wanted to surrender to Han, let alone Ma Zun who was suspicious of Jiang Wei.

Sensing the worry in his friend's voice, Jiang Wei raised his head and smiled: "Does Bocheng really think that if I don't talk to Zhuge Liang outside the city, I won't give him a handle?"

Before Liang Xu could ask, Jiang Wei sneered again: "Zhuge Liang used a strategy of alienation to alienate me. Ma Zun knew it was a strategy, but today he still wants me to lead the death squad as the vanguard. He wants to use Zhuge Liang to break my spine so that I can be used by him.

How ridiculous!

I admit that I underestimated Ma Zun and failed to see through his sinister intentions in time, but I, Jiang Boyue, am not someone who can be bullied.

Since Ma Zun is plotting against me, why should I serve him?

The change of ownership of Ji County will take one day at most, or three days at most. What's the harm in offending Ma Zun?"

Liang Xu was shocked. Bo Yue even called Ma Zun by his name?
"Bo Yue is exaggerating a bit! Ji County has thousands of soldiers and horses, and they are fully equipped with food, fodder, and arrows. Let alone three days, even if Zhuge Liang is given thirty days, he may not be able to capture the city!" Liang Xu asked doubtfully.

Jiang Wei snorted, "If Bo Cheng came to defend the city, he could defend it for three months, not to mention thirty days! But Ma Zun is different. He is afraid of death and is suspicious!

I guess Ma Zun is now thinking about how to abandon the city and escape in a reasonable way."

Liang Xu was even more shocked: "Abandon the city and flee? Does Ma Zun want to die? Does he think that with his status as a Fufeng Ma and the trust of Governor Guo, he will not be held accountable?"

Jiang Wei laughed and said, "If Ma Zun lied and said, 'All the officials in Ji County surrendered, and the Han army was allowed to enter the city,' and then put all the blame on us, then at most we failed to defend the city."

Liang Xu was stunned: "How could Governor Guo believe Ma Zun's one-sided statement?"

Jiang Wei sighed, "Bo Cheng, Ma Zun is the governor of Tianshui County. Does Governor Guo trust him? Do you? Or do you trust me?"

Liang Xu was speechless.

Ma Zun, the prefect of Tianshui County, had conflicts with the officials of various counties on a daily basis.

If Ji County still existed, Guo Huai might have superficially believed what Jiang Wei and Liang Xu said in order to appease the local nobles.

If Ji County was not there, why would Guo Huai suspect Ma Zun because of a group of disloyal and rebellious county officials?
Even if Guo Huai believed it, Jiang Wei, Liang Xu and others would still be guilty of losing Ji County, and Ma Zun would not be the only one to be punished!
"What is Bo Yue's plan?" Liang Xu glanced around and lowered his voice.

"Wait!" Jiang Wei uttered a word slowly.

Wait?
Liang Xu was puzzled.

I don’t know what Jiang Wei is waiting for.

Seeing Jiang Wei closing his eyes and taking a rest, he could only suppress his doubts and "wait" with Jiang Wei.

About half an hour later.

Liang Qian, the chief clerk, came hurriedly and said, "Bo Yue, Bo Cheng, Governor Ma sent people to get a large amount of dry food and water, saying that they will launch a surprise attack on the Han army camp tonight."

Liang Xu was shocked: "The Han army camp is not far away, why would they bring dry food and water for a surprise attack at night?"

Subconsciously.

Liang Xu thought of Jiang Wei's prediction and said in a more shocked tone, "Bo Yue, is it true as you guessed that Governor Ma is going to abandon the city and flee?"

Liang Qian was puzzled: "Bocheng, what are you talking about? Governor Ma wants to abandon the city and flee? How is this possible!"

Liang Xu did not answer, but looked at Jiang Wei who was leaning against a table taking a nap.

Jiang Wei slowly opened his eyes and sneered, "This is Ma Zun's strategy of advancing to retreat. If he wins, he can drive back Zhuge Liang's troops; if he loses, he can take advantage of the situation and flee to Shanggui."

Liang Xu took a deep breath: "Ma Zun sent people to get dry food and water in preparation for escaping to Shanggui! In this way, we will really become Ma Zun's scapegoats!"

Seeing that Liang Qian was confused, Liang Xu told Liang Qian Jiang Wei's guess again, and also told him about Ma Zun's attempt to kill Jiang Wei on the city wall.

Liang Qian was furious when he heard this and called him by his name: "Ma Zun actually wants us to take the blame for him and ruin his reputation! How hateful!"

No matter what the reason is, colluding with the enemy and surrendering the city is not a glorious thing.

If he really did it, that's fine; but if he was accused of this before he did it, no one would feel comfortable. Liang Xu looked at Jiang Wei and said anxiously, "Bo Yue, you must have a good plan in mind. Let's not hide it from each other. Tell us how to deal with it."

Jiang Wei shook his head and said "wait" again.

"Who else are we waiting for?" Liang Xu was anxious.

Jiang Wei looked towards Zhuge Liang's camp outside the city with sharp eyes: "Of course, wait for Zhuge Liang to enter the city.

Bocheng, I am no longer the doctor of Tianshui County. I have been dismissed by Ma Zun. Do you need any good advice?
Tonight I was feeling depressed because Ma Zun dismissed me from office, so I drank with my friends to relieve my boredom. When I woke up, I found that Ji County had been lost.

That’s enough!”

Jiang Wei’s response was simple: just give in and wait for Zhuge Liang to persuade him to surrender.

Anyway, he had greeted Zhuge Liang during the day and called him "Mr. Zhuge". Could Zhuge Liang have tied up and killed Jiang Wei after entering the city?
There was a pause.

Jiang Wei also asked Liang Xu to invite Yin Shang, Shangguan Zixiu and other county officials to drink together, both to avoid accidental injuries and to seek a future for his friends.

Yin Shang, Shangguan Zixiu and other county officials came as promised, all of them expressing their grievances on behalf of Jiang Wei.

Obviously.

The news that Jiang Wei was interrogated by Ma Zun on the city wall today has spread among the county officials.

They had already suffered a lot of humiliation because of Ma Zun on a daily basis, and now they heard that Jiang Wei was certain that Ma Zun was going to abandon the city and flee and shirk responsibility, so Yin Shang and others were extremely indignant.

For a while.

Inside Jiang Wei's residence, the aroma of wine wafted through the air. People were either reciting poems or dancing with swords, completely oblivious to what was happening outside.

After learning about the situation, Ma Zun became even more suspicious of Jiang Wei and others.

As soon as he was dismissed from office, he hurriedly invited Gongcao, Zhubu, Zhuji and other county officials to his mansion for drinking and merrymaking. This must be a conspiracy!
"I can't stay in Ji County anymore!"

Ma Zun made up his mind and transferred back his nephew Du Chen who was guarding Jiang Wei's mansion, leaving only a young uncle to guard it.

Subsequently.

When it was getting dark, Ma Zun led 3,000 elite soldiers, each carrying dry food and water, and headed towards Zhuge Liang's camp.

Whether you escape or not, you must have enough fun.

Only after robbing Zhuge Liang's camp can the rest of the story continue.

Three thousand people mean three thousand mouths, and Ma Zun was not confident enough to get all three thousand people to speak with one voice.

of course.

Ma Zun also had some hope in his heart.

In case Zhuge Liang's camp is lax in defense, there is no need to abandon the city and flee. Just kill Zhuge Liang and report the achievement!
All the way to Zhuge Liang's camp.

There were only a few lights on in the village, and occasionally a few Han soldiers were patrolling, yawning all the time.

【Could it be that the heavens are helping me?】

There was a hint of joy in Ma Zun's eyes.

Could it be that what he wished for was really what he wanted, and was Zhuge Liang's camp really unprepared?

"My lord, I will lead the troops first." The brave general Zheng Chao asked excitedly.

Ma Zun's nephew Du Chen was also eager to try: "Master, let me go too."

Apart from Jiang Wei's calculations, Ma Zun did not tell anyone about his plans. Even his confidant Zheng Chao and nephew Du Chen did not know Ma Zun's true thoughts.

Looking at the two people who were asking for orders, Ma Zun silently pulled Du Chen aside and said, "You are my nephew, why are you competing with General Zheng for credit?"

Du Chen wanted to say something but stopped himself. Ma Zun glared at him sternly and he lowered his head in disappointment.

Zheng Chao was even more excited: "I will repay your kindness with my life!"

Look!
What a good lord!
I would rather scold my nephew than let me accomplish this great feat!

Immediately.

Zheng Chao led two thousand soldiers and horses to enter first, while Ma Zun led a thousand soldiers and horses to support outside the camp.

It’s not that Ma Zun could predict Zhuge Liang’s deployment, it’s simply that Ma Zun was afraid of death!

If Zhuge Liang had an ambush, Ma Zun outside the camp could still escape in time!

Zheng Chao was confident of his bravery and was eager to make a contribution, so he led his troops straight into Zhuge Liang's camp.

"The Wei general Zheng Chao is here, follow me to capture and kill Zhuge Liang!"

Excited voices rang out in Dazhai.

Zheng Chao ordered his men to set fire while leading his troops straight to Zhuge Liang's central army tent.

Seeing a group of people in the central army's tent running away in panic, Zheng Chao was overjoyed: "Zhuge Liang, where are you going!"

Zheng Chao ordered his soldiers to chase after him, vowing to capture and kill Zhuge Liang.

Between excitement.

Suddenly, a burst of rapid arrows broke through the air. Meng Da on the left and Zhang Yi on the right surrounded and attacked. The "Zhuge Liang" in the front also turned back and shouted with laughter: "The Han Dynasty's General Wei Yan is here, thief general, you have fallen into the Prime Minister's trap!"

original.

After retreating back to the camp, Zhuge Liang anticipated that Ma Zun would most likely send troops to raid the camp tonight, so he deployed a large number of scouts between the camp and the city.

As soon as Ma Zun left the city, he was spotted by Zhuge Liang's scouts, so Zhuge Liang ordered Wei Yan to pretend to be him and wait in the general's tent.

Zhuge Liang had already moved to the small hill behind the big camp.

Zheng Chao was frightened.

The purpose of raiding a camp is to catch the enemy by surprise. As long as the enemy is not prepared, even if the force is small, you can still win with a small force.

however.

Once the enemy is prepared, the soldiers who come to raid the camp will be trapped.

"withdraw!"

"Get out!"

Zheng Chao turned his horse's head and rode away.

The Wei soldiers following Zheng Chao were also terrified and turned around and ran away.

And on the periphery.

Ma Zun's eyelids twitched and he cursed angrily: "Zhuge Liang, this guy, actually made preparations tonight. Jiang Wei and others must have secretly leaked the information, otherwise how would they know that I was coming to rob the camp!"

Regardless of whether Jiang Wei and others leaked the secret or not, Ma Zun had to pin the blame on Jiang Wei and others.

This way.

Not only can the failure of the raid tonight be blamed on Jiang Wei and others, but they can also trick everyone into going to Shanggui.

really.

As soon as Ma Zun finished speaking, Du Chen, who was unaware of the situation, became furious: "No wonder Jiang Wei had such a pleasant conversation with Zhuge Liang under the city today. This was a long-planned plan! Lord, we have to leave quickly, otherwise Jiang Wei will come from the city and our retreat will be cut off!"

The officers on both sides also urged him to do something.

No one really wants to die!

For most people, surviving in this chaotic world is the most important thing.

Ma Zun glanced around and saw that the army's morale was good, so he pretended to regret, "I regret that I let Jiang Wei go today. If I had executed him to uphold military law, there would not have been a defeat tonight!

Fortunately, I had prepared in advance and asked the soldiers to bring dry food and water; you can follow me to Shanggui, join forces with the state general, and then wait for Governor Guo to lead troops to help, and perhaps we can recapture Ji County!"

Du Chen looked at Zheng Chao and others who were still trapped in the village and said, "My Lord, General Zheng has not returned yet."

Ma Zun sighed again with tears in his eyes: "With General Zheng's bravery, he can break out even if he is trapped in the enemy's camp; if he doesn't come out now, he must be covering for us.

I will report this righteous man to Your Majesty one day to show his merits! Everyone should stop hesitating and don’t let General Zheng down! "

have to say.

The fact that Ma Zun was able to become a prefect instead of a county magistrate was closely related to his own abilities, in addition to his background in the Fufeng Ma family.

Being able to describe the abandonment of Zheng Chao as Zheng Chao's willingness to cover the retreat shows the ability to "speak" and "change" well. Most people don't have this level!
Hearing what Ma Zun said, Du Chen and others did not delay any longer and protected Ma Zun as they headed straight towards Shanggui.

It was a pity for Zheng Chao in the camp. Not only did he fail to break out after trying left and right, he was also abandoned by Ma Zun.

Without the support of the Wei soldiers outside the camp, Zheng Chao's Wei soldiers were quickly killed, and even Zheng Chao was shot dead by Wei Yan!
After a while.

Zhuge Liang on the hillside also received the news that Zheng Chao had been beheaded and Ma Zun had escaped.

Seeing the "fire" heading towards Shanggui, Zhuge Liang immediately issued a new military order: "Order, Zhang Yi guard the camp, Wei Yan and Meng Da quickly take Ji County!"

tonight!

Ji County is about to be broken!
As Ma Zun abandoned the city and fled, and Jiang Wei, Liang Xu and other county officials in the city were all drinking and having fun, there was no one in Ji County who could take charge of organizing the defense of the city. Wei Yan and Meng Da captured Ji County with almost no effort, and then sent troops to surround Jiang Wei's mansion.

Seeing Jiang Wei and others drunk at the banquet, even Wei Yan couldn't help but be surprised.

Considering that Jiang Wei was quite respectful to Zhuge Liang and called him "Lord Zhuge" all the time during the day, and Zhuge Liang also wanted to surrender Jiang Wei, Wei Yan left Jiang Wei's mansion and ordered everyone not to disturb him.

Subsequently.

Wei Yan sent someone to inform Zhuge Liang.

When Zhuge Liang learned about the situation in Ji County, he understood the situation clearly.

After deploying Ji County's defense and issuing notices to reassure the people, he finally arrived at Jiang Wei's mansion.

Although it was almost dawn, Jiang Wei and his companions were still drunk and lying in bed.

Zhuge Liang did not urge them, but waited quietly at the table and asked the soldiers on his left and right to light the braziers.

Even when Jiang Wei's widowed mother came to ask, Zhuge Liang just asked Jiang Wei's widowed mother to go back to the house and rest first.

It was Chen time.

Liang Xu, who drank the least, woke up first. When he saw Zhuge Liang at the table, he was shocked and was about to speak loudly, but the soldiers signaled him to be quiet.

Afterwards, Chief Clerk Yin Shang, Chief Recorder Liang Qian, County Official Shangguan Zixiu and other county officials also woke up one after another, but were all signaled by the soldiers to be quiet.

Zhuge Liang then ordered people to bring food and drink to share with Liang Xu and others, and then took everyone to the courtyard to question them.

It was almost noon when Jiang Wei finally woke up.

Jiang Wei sat up in surprise when he saw that Liang Xu and the others were gone. Then he saw that there was one more person at the table and he relaxed his tense nerves.

Subsequently.

Jiang Wei straightened his clothes, stood up and stepped forward, bowing: "Mr. Zhuge has come from afar, I hope I can forgive me for not welcoming you in person."

Although he was sober from a hangover, his words and actions were like those of a great and famous person, which made Zhuge Liang like him more and more.

Subconsciously.

Zhuge Liang seemed to see himself when he was just starting out, young, energetic, calm, composed, with an extraordinary bearing and the spirit of a scholar still there!

"Really, a sergeant!"

(End of this chapter)