Tiger Guards

Chapter 157 Different Perspectives
In the Jiangyi military camp, Zhao Ji stood on the central army watchtower and watched.

As the sky gradually darkened, a team holding torches was slowly coming along the road from the emperor's camp.

No wonder Jia Xu was not worried about the emperor's safety.

More than a thousand men advanced with torches, abandoning most of the military tents and supplies, and only surrounded the emperor's carriage.

Zhao Ji punched the guardrail in anger, breaking the guardrail with one punch.

Xu Huang had already reached the foot of the tower and shouted, "Minister, the Imperial Censor Dong Fen is holding a commemorative seal and is calling out to the south gate of Jiangyi. The Marquis Xuan has sent an envoy to inquire whether the gate should be opened."

Seeing that the emperor's guards did not dare to come to his own camp, he only dared to send people with weapons to knock on the gate of Jiangyi.

Zhao Ji felt somewhat relieved. If it were two days ago, they would surely be heading towards his camp in great splendor.

Therefore, the Huns who were hacked to death in the past two days did not die in vain.

"Open the door."

Zhao Ji responded and Xu Huang went to deliver the order in person. It was obvious that Xu Huang was also worried about the safety of the emperor.

As Zhao Ji slid down from the watchtower, Jia Xu approached with his hands behind his back and asked with a smile, "Minister, how is it?"

"Mr. Wenhe had anticipated this?"

"As a man of character, Fu Gong would probably do the same."

Jia Xu said calmly, "Tomorrow, dispatch Hou Xuan and Li Kan's troops from the city. If the Xiongnu dare not attack tonight, we will dredge the Xintian canal tomorrow. My prediction is correct. After the battle here, the scouts from Henei will return quickly. Zhang Yang's intention to raise an army to support the king is irreversible."

After two days of high-intensity fighting, more than 3,000 people were captured and killed in those two days, which was a huge achievement.

Since the imperial court moved to Hedong, and since the Hedong Tiger Guards eliminated the Baibo Army, the total number of heads captured in the battles before and after was less than a thousand.

These more than 3,000 heads are enough to lure many people into the trap.

For Hanoi, the loss of more than 3,000 Xiongnu heads was not small, and Hedong also suffered a lot.

When Hanoi sent troops before, the people of Hedong must have been dissatisfied; if the people of Hedong are now in a tough battle and the people of Hanoi come to help with military supplies, then they will naturally be good neighbors for generations and good brothers of the three rivers who drink the same water of the Yellow River.

Jia Xu had not left the military camp in the past few days. He was not concerned about the tactical arrangements on the front line, nor was he concerned about how the battle was fought.

When he was young, Sanming of Liangzhou was at its peak of power and had seen many battles fought by gods. A fierce man like Duan Xing dared to lead more than a thousand people to chase and fight tens of thousands of Qiang people. He fought dozens of battles of varying sizes in a row, forcing the Qiang people to surrender voluntarily.

Even so, Duan Xing, who had a small number of troops, still advocated severe punishment of the Qiang people. Millions of Eastern Qiang were killed and only their names remained.

While speaking, he also observed Zhao Ji's expression. After a slight surprise, Zhao Ji accepted Jia Xu's point of view without even losing his composure or arguing.

Regardless of Zhao Ji's mentality or his instant understanding of his own deduction, Jia Xu was satisfied.

Jia Xu was in a good mood and extended his arms to invite him.

Zhao Ji followed Jia Xu to the campfire. From time to time, locusts flying towards the light would fly into the campfire, making crackling sounds.

The burning cypress wood gave off a unique scent, and Zhao Ji felt relieved. "Mr. Wenhe is saying that the Huns might not come tonight?"

"There's a 50% chance that the Xiongnu are human beings too. If Lang Wei were to be in their place, what would the Minister of the Interior think of the arrow?"

Jia Xu poked the campfire with a stick. Zhao Ji replied without hesitation, "Having defeated the Black Wolf King and the Qiangqu King, even if I'm bold, I will restrain my troops and wait and see."

"Yes, the brave Black Wolf King is dead, and so is the Qiangqu King who followed Yu Fuluo to suppress the Yellow Turbans. Both of these renowned kings, known for their courage and bravery, were killed by the Minister of War. Where do the remaining Xiongnu kings get the courage to dare to attack so rashly?"

Jia Xu asked with a smile, turning his head to look far to the south, and sneered, "It's obvious that the emperor's entourage lacks any military expertise. Tonight, they're simply seeking advantage and avoiding harm. Such mediocre tactics, not worth mentioning."

Seeing Zhao Ji lost in thought, Jia Xu continued, "If the Xiongnu kings had not been blinded by greed, they would have retreated by now. The king, driven by anger and greed, hastily launched an attack, and the Minister of State leads an army dedicated to defending the country. With a battle like this, I cannot imagine any reason for failure."

"Yes, our army is united and has high morale, which is far beyond the reach of the Xiongnu."

Zhao Ji immediately asked back, "So the next thing we have to deal with is the Hanoi soldiers?"

"That depends on what the Minister wants."

Jia Xu suppressed his smile and said, "Henei and Hedong are inseparable, like brothers. If they were to quarrel among themselves, they would surely be defeated by Yuan and Cao, and lose the favor of the people. I wonder if the Minister would be willing to listen to my humble opinion?"

"Mr. Wenhe, please feel free to speak your mind. If it weren't for the incompetence of the court officials, my great-grandfather and I wouldn't have come to this point."

Zhao Ji stood up, grabbed a wooden stick to pick up the pottery jar hanging above the campfire, and took out the boiling water to make a bowl of hot water for Jia Xu.

Jia Xu grabbed a handful of roasted salty soybeans and popped a few into his mouth, chewing them before saying, "The Three Departments and Six Ministries system does have its unique features, but it's only suitable for Your Majesty to reform, not for the Minister of the Interior and Yuan Minggong to promote. When the Henei troops arrive, we should join forces to defeat the Xiongnu. After the battle, we can abolish the Three Departments system, or request that you be sent to garrison Hedong or Taiyuan."

He did not interfere in state affairs, and left the three-province system to the emperor and ministers to manage.

This system is actually very disgusting to powerful officials. Just the decision of the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel can make any powerful official who is determined to "record the affairs of the Shangshu" tremble with disgust.

Therefore, when Zhao Ji promoted the three-province system, the officials basically had no objection after they understood the logic of its operation.

How could there be such a powerful official who would tie his own hands?
No matter what purpose Zhao Ji had in promoting the three-province system, once the system was stabilized, the emperor would always be the one who benefited the most.

Jia Xu only said two sentences, but they contained a lot of Jia Xu's personal stance and attitude.

He did not support the war with the Henei soldiers, and did not want to continue to control the court, leaving the burden of the court to Zhang Yang, who liked to join in the fun.

Zhao Ji nodded slowly. The emperor, former ministers, and officials were all here with him.

There is no obstacle in joining forces with the Henei troops to fight against the Huns.

So the real difficulty is how to separate from the imperial court.

After the Lang Wei arrow letter incident, when the news spread in the Lang Wei system, smart people would definitely take the initiative to escape to avoid getting into trouble.

The emperor and the court have a very bad impression of the people of Hedong, and most likely will not try to keep them. Instead, they will go lightly to embrace Zhang Yang and the people of Henei.

With Sima Fang here, he can quickly organize a group of Henei Tiger Guards. Thinking of this, Zhao Ji realized that this guy came to the court too quickly.

Without Zhang Yang's support, it would have been difficult for the imperial envoys to find Sima Fang so quickly, and it would have been difficult for Sima Fang to pass through the Chenguan Pass where bandits were rampant.

With Sima Fang there, the Henei soldiers were basically in a state of readiness for battle at any time.

The battles of the past two days are undoubtedly a good urging signal.

Even many neutral people in Henei would actively respond and support Zhang Yang in sending troops to Hedong when they saw that the Huns were so easy to defeat.

Zhao Ji thought for a moment and said, "Everyone has their own specialties. I've been so busy killing the enemy on the battlefield these past two days that I've neglected the people of Hanoi. If it weren't for Mr. Wenhe's reminder, my life would be in danger."

Based on your behavior tonight, you are already on Fu Wan’s death list.

Zhao Ji then asked, "I would like to go to Taiyuan to help the imperial court eliminate the Xiongnu threat. However, the establishment and abolition of the Three Provinces system is decided by the imperial court. I wonder if you would like to assist the court or stay in Xizhou?"

Jia Xu ate some soybeans, blew on his wooden cup, and said with a smile, "If we enter the court, we will have to make enemies with Yuan and Cao. These two are in urgent need of establishing their authority. Even Zhang and Yang could hardly protect themselves if they followed the emperor to Luoyang, let alone someone like me."

Without the Yang family's world-renowned reputation and with a bad past of inciting the Liang Province soldiers to rebel, there is no better chicken in the world than Jia Xu.

If he wanted to gain a foothold in the imperial court, he had to demonstrate enough destructive power so that the court controlled by Yuan Shao and Cao Cao would willingly invite him into the court.

Otherwise, he, a remnant of Dong Zhuo, would definitely be chopped into meat paste by the angry people of Guandong.

Seeing Jia Xu's calm demeanor, Zhao Ji also smiled and said, "Mr. Wenhe is the one who sees things clearly."

Thinking about breaking up with the court, Zhao Ji became worried again.

If the imperial edict is used well, you can surround yourself with traitors.

As long as one person appears, everyone will be in danger. Under the crisis of trust, nothing can be done well.

Seeing Zhao Ji frowning in thought, Jia Xu probably guessed his concerns.

Many things are nothing more than changing one's position. Jia Xu advised Zhao Ji: "The merit of defeating the Xiongnu and the virtue of being worthless are enough to make the people of Hedong support the Minister. Among all the heroes in the world, how many can compare with the Minister?"

"Don't praise me. I hate being praised the most."

Zhao Ji raised his hand to interrupt, adding, "Although I look down on these people, I will not despise them. If you are abducted one day, I am willing to exchange you for three thousand Xiongnu captives. In my heart, your talent is unmatched."

Jia Xu chuckled when he heard this, and seemed to enjoy it very much.

He naturally understood Zhao Ji's threat. Zhao Ji was willing to pay the price of the death of 3,000 cavalrymen in exchange for his life.

If we can't save his life, we can kill his family.

After laughing, Jia Xu asked, "The court has moved east to Luoyang. What do you think we should do to prevent interference from Yuan and Cao?"

"It's nothing more than stationing Zhang Yang in Henei, and Zhang Xiu between Wan and Luo. Zhang Yang can be self-sufficient, and Liu Biao will provide food for Zhang Xiu and the court. With a year's rest, they can make friends with Liu Bei, Lu Bu, Chen Deng, and others, and they will be able to gain a firm foothold. I'm afraid Sima will sell out Zhang Yang and persuade the court to move to the Central Plains. If they eat Cao Cao's rice, they will naturally obey Cao Cao's orders."

Zhao Ji looked up at the gradually brightening night sky. "Throughout the land, Cao Cao alone has slaughtered no fewer than a million people. How could someone who so openly murdered my own father hold back against the court officials? Compared to him, I am still too weak."

He was unwilling to even harm his father and brother, and for this reason, he was far surpassed by Cao Cao.

Jia Xu ignored Zhao Ji's sarcasm towards Cao Cao and asked, "Will this be able to separate Yuan and Cao?"

"Cao Cao did not win the support of the people in Yanzhou. When the imperial court returned to Luoyang, the people of Yanzhou were eager to return. This was not something Cao Cao could stop."

Zhao Ji smiled. "Even if I were Cao Cao, I would have to overcome all difficulties and welcome the court into Yuzhou, isolating it from Yanzhou and Jingzhou. As for Yuan Shao, he is too powerful, and the court officials dare not ally with him."

If he cooperated with Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao would be another Dong Zhuo who could easily manipulate the court; Cao Cao was different, as he was still under pressure from Yuan Shao and was barely within the scope of cooperation.

Compared with the two Yuans, Cao Cao appears to be more handsome.

The tactics used by the ministers were basically ineffective against the two Yuans, but they could somewhat restrain Cao Cao.

The current imperial court can only use the methods of the ministers.

Jia Xu nodded slowly. Zhao Ji's remarks and opinions were quite consistent with his own.

Considering Zhao Ji's background, experience and age, once he grows up, he will definitely not be comparable to Zhang Yang and Lu Bu.

If we can gain a firm foothold in the strategically located Shanxi Province, we will naturally have a place in the future.

Anyway, in Jia Xu's opinion, the current Cao Cao is not difficult to deal with.

Although the dog raised by Yuan Shao was very fierce, Yuan Shao never provided Cao Cao with a large number of war horses. Cao Cao, lacking cavalry, was always in a lame state.

Zhao Ji will never be short of cavalry in the future. Whoever has the advantage in cavalry will be able to win a decisive battle!

Since the uprising of the Guandong heroes, Cao Cao has had a lot of experience in having his entire army annihilated.

Jia Xu had some experience in annihilating Cao Cao.

Given Zhao Ji's demonstrated military talent, if he had been willing to listen to advice, it would not have been difficult to annihilate Cao Cao's main force in one battle.

A lame Cao Cao would naturally not be willing to be inferior to Yuan Shao after he got the court. The fight between these two people gave others an opportunity.

Jia Xu pondered and glanced at Zhao Ji, who was handsome and over eight feet tall. He was indeed much more handsome than Cao Cao.

Jia Xu really did not dare to follow the court to move eastward. After much deliberation, he decided to help Zhao Ji gain a foothold.

Anyway, Cao Cao didn't dare to kill the emperor. When the opportunity was right and Zhao Ji's foundation was strengthened, he could snatch the emperor back and place him in Luoyang, and all parties would worship him together.

By then, no one will be able to use the court to cause trouble.

By waiting for time, Zhao Ji can easily outlast Yuan Shao and Cao Cao!
Therefore, Jia Xu was really not in a hurry and always had a good attitude.

(End of this chapter)