Han officials

Chapter 163: Clouds Moving in All Directions [4K]

After nightfall, the groans of wounded soldiers could be heard everywhere in Ao Cang City.

Although Ao Cang was successfully captured in the daytime battle, the Jingnan volunteers also suffered heavy casualties.

Many recruits who were full of ambition during the day became stiff corpses at night.

The surviving recruits also felt as if they were in another world, and suddenly had a new understanding of the world.

These are troubled times! These are troubled times!

In such situations, the sergeants and squad leaders with rich practical experience come in handy.

The military officer who had kicked and scolded them a few days ago now acted like a senior and spoke from his own experience.

"This is nothing. Back then, Naigong and the Goguryeo people..."

Whether it's bragging or just talking from experience, the recruits' view on life and death has been reshaped.

After a few more such experiences, those who survive can be considered qualified veterans.

Do you really think that old soldiers are born so brave? It's because they are used to seeing life and death that they have become indifferent and cold.

At the same time, things were much more lively on the Mao brothers' side.

As the bonfire crackled, a spark flew and landed on Mao Kun's bandages. This man, who was the first to climb the city wall during the day, was now almost covered in wounds, with blood oozing out of some of the bandages.

But Mao Kun didn't care at all. He was tearing into the roasted horse meat and drinking the wine with great pleasure.

Listening to the suppressed sobs of the new recruits near the fire, Mao Kun, who was annoyed by their crying, immediately cursed: "What's the point of crying! When a person dies, the birds fly to the sky. If he doesn't die for a thousand years, there's nothing to cry about!"

After saying that, he threw over half a piece of roasted horse meat without blinking.

It's true, after he scolded them like that, the other side immediately quieted down, except Mao Kun's brother who glared at him helplessly. He was just about to take the piece of horse meat, but he didn't expect that this guy would give it to someone else.

However, having grown up together, he has long been accustomed to his younger brother's temperament.

After complaining a few words, Mao Xiong turned to another topic.

He lowered his voice and looked at Mao Kun opposite him: "What's the matter? What did General Zuo say?"

As the first to ascend the battlefield, Mao Kun was fortunate enough to be invited by Wei Zhe to meet him in the big tent.

Mao Xiong had been curious about this for a long time, but this kid kept eating as soon as he came back.

Mao Kun was not in a hurry at all. He drank another glass of wine before he smiled and said, "General Zuo is really straightforward. We have finally met a wise leader this time!"

He took out a copper seal from his pocket, shook it at his elder brother, and said excitedly, "Look, a copper seal with a black ribbon!"

Mao Xiong finally couldn't help but burst out laughing when he heard this. He even grabbed the seal and began to play with it as if it were a rare treasure. The position of Sima of a separate department might not mean much to the sons of the aristocratic families, but for the Yangwu Mao family, it was already a great honor for their ancestors.

You have to know that the ancestors of the Mao family were only pavilion chiefs and Dou Shi officials, and they had never even been village heads.

There is no way. The water in Luoyang is too deep, and there is really no room for a small clan like theirs to come on stage and make a living.

It can be said that the battle of Ao Cang directly gave the Yangwu Mao family hope of success.

There were many people who were in the same situation as the Mao Kun brothers that night.

Although the heroic warriors from various counties in Henan were not as lucky as Mao Kun, they also gained something.

Some of their superiors who died in battle were directly promoted to sergeants or squad leaders, and began their military careers.

This is how it is in troubled times. Some people are frustrated, some are successful, and the flow of people up and down is very frequent.

The brave go up and the dead go down. This is how an army is forged.

At the same time, in Ao Cangling’s mansion.

As the most comfortable house in Ao Cang City, it was naturally used as Wei Zhe's residence.

However, after inspecting the area, Wei Zhe directly instructed Zhao Yun, who was accompanying him, "Pass the order to set up the 'Nan Hu' here. All the patients should be properly accommodated and not suffer from hunger or cold."

But when Zhao Yun bowed and agreed and was about to leave, Wei Zhe stopped him and said, "Wait, tell the medical officer to send a copy of the military doctor's attendance record, the soldier's injury record, and the letter of lost medicine to the shogunate. I need to see it when I have time."

By the way, Wei Zhe also learned this trick from Huangfu Song. I don’t know if it is a habit of the Huangfu family.

After saying that, Wei Zhe added, "Also, don't hide the dead horses and livestock we seized today. Stew them all and use them as nourishment for our men."

Zhao Yun was even more impressed when he heard this. He turned around and conveyed Wei Zhe's meaning meticulously.

As for Wei Zhe, he returned to the tent outside the city and thought about the next arrangements.

While Wei Zhe's army was taking a short rest in Ao Cang, the news of the battle gradually spread.

……

The Suanzao Camp, the central army tent.

As the battle report from the front line was passed around among everyone, the tent suddenly fell silent.

Zhang Miao's fingertips subconsciously rubbed the jade pendant at his waist. After a moment, he couldn't help but sigh, "What a great Wei Gongwei! He is indeed a famous general in the Northern Frontier. His reputation is well-deserved!"

Upon hearing this, Yanzhou Governor Liu Dai also agreed with it, but his focus was rather strange.

"Jingnan Yicong? Hmm~ what a good name, it should be made public!"

After saying that, Liu Dai poured himself a glass and drank it all, looking like a elegant scholar.

In comparison, the look in the eyes of Dongjun Prefect Qiao Mao was more complicated.

They have been in alliance here for a long time, and although there has been no action, their main strategy is to use stillness to overcome movement.

When Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an, the various anti-Dong coalition forces boasted about their achievements and praised them highly.

Now that Wei Zhe has suddenly emerged, they naturally feel a little embarrassed.

Thinking of this, Qiao Mao couldn't help but say with a hint of bitterness, "Isn't Gong Wei the son of a powerful Liaodong tyrant? How did he learn such a skill? Could it be that he was taught by a divine being like Zhang Jiao?"

For a moment, it was unclear whether he was praising Wei Zhe or being sarcastic.

However, upon hearing this, Guangling Governor Zhang Chao suddenly turned to look at Liu Dai standing beside him and asked curiously, "Brother Gongshan, aren't you from the same hometown as Gong Wei? Do you know which military master he learned from?"

Zhang Chao's question aroused the interest of many people in the tent.

Because Wei Zhe's strategy this time was nothing new and was almost the same as Cao Cao's.

However, the two people's completely different performances before and after made everyone see a clear gap.

Compared with Cao Cao, who was well-versed in various military strategies, Wei Zhe's performance was not like that of a poor man from a frontier town.

No, his family was not even a poor family, but just a wealthy family in a poor county in the border area.

However, Liu Dai was speechless when he heard this. He stroked his beard and thought for a long time but could not come up with any clue.

After all, although Wei Zhe's ancestors were from Donglai, they were still just commoners. Who knows what kind of inheritance they have.

After pondering it over again and again, Liu Dai finally said uncertainly, "I heard that Sun Shuran was invited by Gong Wei to give lectures in Liaodong. Perhaps it was from him that he learned the Sun family's secret military tactics."

Although Sun Yan studied under Zheng Xuan in his youth and was later known as the "Great Confucian of Dongzhou," he was undeniably a descendant of Sun Wu. Le'an County in Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period is today Le'an Commandery in Qingzhou, and even the Sun clan's lands have remained largely unchanged. Even though their houses have been repeatedly burned down over the centuries, the land remains inhabited by Sun's descendants.

In this case, who knows if the Sun family of Le'an will dig up some secret military techniques left by their ancestors. However, after hearing Liu Dai's statement, Zhang Chao and others shook their heads.

Even though they didn't know much about Wei Zhe, they knew that he had joined the army as early as the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

By the time Sun Shuran was invited by Wei Zhe to teach in Liaodong, Wei Zhe had already destroyed the Three Han Kingdoms.

From this we can see that Wei Zhe's military strategy should have little to do with Sun Yan.

So after talking about it, everyone could only attribute this to the prevalence of martial spirit in Liaodong.

Of course, gossip aside, after digesting the battle report, they inevitably discussed whether to send troops.

“… Let’s just stay calm!”

"That's absolutely true! The thief Dong will definitely have a trick up his sleeve. We'd better wait and see."

"That's right. Besides, with us backing him up, Gong Wei can attack with confidence."

In just a few words, the Suanzao camp fell dormant again.

……

On the other hand, Huai County in Hanoi is also discussing this topic.

"Ao Cang is only a hundred miles from Xuanmen Pass, yet Dong Zhongying has kept his troops inactive. Don't you think this is odd?"

In the hall, Xu You frowned and shook his head, saying, "Don't underestimate the glory of Duke Wei, but the thief Dong is no pushover. I despise Dong Zhongying's character, but the Liang Province soldiers are truly formidable. It's too early to predict the outcome of this battle!"

Feng Ji, who was standing opposite him, nodded in agreement and said, "A momentary fluke is nothing. Now, you should prioritize Jizhou!"

Long after Wang Kuang's entire army was annihilated and he never returned, Henei County almost became Yuan Shao's territory.

Fifty miles outside Henei County is Yecheng, so such a location naturally cannot be wasted.

In fact, Yuan Shao had already revealed his thoughts on Jizhou to these trusted advisers.

This is also the reason why they deliberately encouraged Wang Kuang to lead the troops to war last time.

Even if Wang Kuang had not been defeated by Dong's army at that time, Xu You and others would not let Wang Kuang return safely.

For example, if the soldiers under his command were afraid that Dong's army would cause chaos, Wang Kuang's death in the chaos would be one of the alternative options.

However, Yuan Shao, upon hearing this, held his head in his hands and said with a headache, "Although Han Fu is a former student and official of my family, he is still the governor of Jizhou appointed by the court. If he refuses to give up his position, I cannot force him to take it away!"

Yuan Shao thought it would be best if Han Fu personally handed over the position of Governor of Jizhou to him, which would be perfect.

Simply put, Yuan Shao wanted both fame and benefits, and didn't want to suffer any loss.

After hearing what he said, Feng Ji, Xu You and others had no choice but to rack their brains to help him plan.

It can be said that defeating Dong Zhuo was no longer Yuan Shao's goal. While they used the food and grass supplied by Han Fu to occupy Henei County, they also plotted against Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou.

Compared with the dirty political tactics of Yuan Shao and others, Dong Zhuo is a pure white lotus.

A similar case was Yuan Shu, who was entrenched in Nanyang County. He threw the battle report from Ao Cang aside after reading it.

In comparison, he was more concerned about Sun Jian's movements in Jingzhou.

When Yuan Shu learned that Sun Jian's troops had arrived in Wuling County and had killed Wang Rui, the governor of Jingzhou, without any guilt, he was overjoyed.

"What a Sun Wentai! What a fierce tiger from Jiangdong! Nai Gong really didn't make a mistake in his choice!"

Yuan Shu immediately waved his hand and said boldly, "Come on, bring some wine!"

Looking at the letter on the table, Yuan Shu became more and more happy, and immediately couldn't help but drink heartily.

……

The battle of Ao Cang stirred up the situation in all directions.

Even Cao Cao, who was recruiting soldiers in Danyang, received the news soon after.

This made Cao Cao feel very complicated.

He was happy that he had not misjudged the person, but also felt depressed about his own defeat.

Comparing people with others will lead to death, and comparing goods with goods will lead to throwing away.

Lies may deceive people, but the truth is the most powerful weapon - it breaks the heart!
In comparison, Wei Zhe's idea is relatively simple.

In his opinion, nothing is easier than fighting.

Winning on the battlefield is winning, losing is losing. Problems that cannot be solved even by winning the battle are the real trouble!
The next day, afternoon.

As the Wei army advanced westward again, they soon approached Xuanmen Pass.

As soon as he arrived outside Xuanmen Pass, Wei Zhe saw flags with the words "Hu" and "Lü" hanging above the city wall.

When Wei Zhe saw this, he knew that his and Xi Zhicai's speculation was correct. This was the place where Dong Zhuo had heavily guarded his troops.

"Judging from the situation, it's Hu Zhen and Lu Bu who will be here this time!" Wei Zhe, standing under the central army's banner, said with a chuckle, "Dong Zhuo isn't coming in person. It looks like we'll have to work harder!"

Upon hearing this, Taishi Ci and others burst into laughter and were not frightened at all by the situation at Xuanmen Pass.

However, Wei Zhe did not attack the city aggressively right away, but ordered his army to set up camp first.

As for himself, he led his personal cavalry to inspect the terrain around Xuanmen Pass.

After a moment, even though Wei Zhe had already expected this, he couldn't help but frown.

Because he climbed up to a high place and looked, he saw a canyon between Da'e Mountain and Shuihu Mountain, which was about several miles long and less than a hundred meters wide. There were towering earthen walls on both sides, and the road in the middle was as smooth as a whetstone.

At the end of this mountain canyon, there is Xuanmen Pass in the east and Chenggao Pass in the west, while Hulao Pass is located right between the two passes, guarding the main road out of the pass.

Among the eight passes of Luoyang, there are probably not many places more dangerous than this road.

After a complete tour, even Xi Zhicai couldn't help but sigh, "Ancient texts say: 'If the mouth of Chenggao is cut off, the world will be cut off.' I used to think that was an exaggeration, but now I know the ancients were right!"

Wei Zhe also agreed with what he said.

Although this pass is not as dangerous as Jianmen Pass in Shu, it can also be said to have a very advantageous geographical location.

Wei Zhe only took a quick glance and saw that the mountains south of the pass were mostly vertical, with high and steep mountains and continuous hills. Even if there were mountain trails for herbal farmers and fugitives to walk on, it would be impossible for a large army to pass through.

In this way, any army that wants to go west to Luoyang must pass through this place.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhe brought his personal cavalry to the rotating gate again to take a look.

Perhaps because it was recently built, the pass is remarkably well-maintained, showing no signs of decay. From the outside, it appears to be a stone foundation with earthen walls. A cursory glance reveals the wall to be approximately 25 feet high, topped by a tower, likely used for storing military equipment and providing observation posts.

Seeing this situation, Taishi Ci and others knew that a fierce battle was inevitable.

In contrast, Hu Zhen's expression on the city wall was very relaxed.

In his opinion, even if Dong Jun attacked on his own, it would be difficult to capture the heavily guarded Xuanmen Pass.

Moreover, he was not very convinced of Wei Zhe to begin with. As a self-proclaimed veteran, he did not take Wei Zhe, a former minor military marquis, seriously at all. He had only annihilated a few Dongyi tribes, so what was there to brag about?
If Dong Zhuo hadn't warned him before coming, he would have even wanted to show Wei Zhe the power of the Liangzhou horses...
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[PS: I will definitely update more with the reward from Nuan Yang, but my hand is clumsy and I can't speed up suddenly. Please give me a few days.]

(End of this chapter)