Waiting until daybreak, Huang Xu and others finally captured a few of Xing Daorong's men. To be precise, they were originally here to ambush, but now they became prisoners due to some unexpected circumstances.
After some questioning, Zhou Gongjin and Huang Xu finally understood what happened here.
By coincidence, among these captured people, Xing Daorong was among them.
Unlike the others, who were all captured, Xing Daorong himself ran out of the grass in a panic after seeing Jiangdong's soldiers and horses. At the end, he raised his hands and shouted to surrender.
In addition, the remaining people had a somewhat fishy smell on their bodies, so that the people who caught them looked disgusted and were not even willing to touch them.
The ensuing inquiry went extremely smoothly. To be precise, with Xing Daorong joining in, it was a matter of course.
Just half an hour later, both Zhou Gongjin and Huang Xu's faces were covered with black lines.
What's this? I've been calculating carefully for a long time, but I didn't expect that Zhang Fei's men would be killed in the hands of his own people in the end, and they would also be given laxatives.
"Where did you get so many laxatives? Even the medical officer doesn't have much of these, right?"
Zhou Gongjin looked at Xing Daorong, who was as fat as a pig, with a dark face.
"I don't know either. My two brothers did it."
Xing Daorong smiled and seemed a little embarrassed."
"If I remember correctly, you can be considered one of the Five Tigers of Jingzhou, right?"
Zhou Gongjin looked at Xing Daorong with a smile on his face. As soon as he said these words, Xing Daorong suddenly felt happy.
But before he could speak, Huang Xu burst out laughing.
"Five Tigers of Jingzhou, is it possible that Liu Xuande's subordinates are all such losers? Look at his physique, a general who leads troops to fight forcefully, in my opinion, he looks like a pig!"
Huang Xu didn't have a good impression of such a surrendered general, so he spoke straightforwardly.
"this……"
Zhou Gongjin didn't know how to respond for a while. Thinking about it carefully, it seemed that Xing Daorong really didn't have any impressive achievements.
"Wait a minute, if he didn't really learn from reality, why would Liu Xuande value him so much? Could it be..."
Huang Xu suddenly thought of something, and his expression became interesting.
"Have you thought of anything?"
Zhou Gongjin looked like he was eating melon.
Only Huang Xu himself knows that if this matter is discussed, it may be closely related to the situation laid by his adoptive father in the early years.
Huang Xu did not hide anything, and immediately informed Zhou Gongjin about the year and month review.
"At the same time, the adoptive father didn't think too much. He just thought that he might need it in the future. He didn't expect..."
After speaking, Huang Xu glanced at Xing Daorong beside him.
When Zhou Gongjin learned about this, he burst out laughing.
Then he directly pulled Xing Daorong out of the camp, and not long after, he pulled him in again. However, when Zhou Gongjin looked at Xing Daorong again, there was a hint of disdain in his eyes.
After some testing just now, he was very sure that the Xing Daorong in front of him was just a loser, without any real skills and knowledge, and he knew nothing about leading troops in war.
Now it seems that Liu Xuande actually chose such a person as the commander of the army, and was also called the Five Tigers of Jingzhou by the outside world. It was really laughed at!
Ever since Zhang Fei heard about Wu Hou's message, he couldn't hold back his anger and went to Jingzhou to find Liu Xuande, leaving only Xing Daorong, who knew nothing, to lead the troops.
When encountering such a thing, Xing Daorong didn't know what to do for a while, which led to yesterday's scene.
After learning the truth of the matter, Huang Xu and the two men immediately understood that they had indeed made a fuss out of a molehill yesterday, so why bother with it.
"I understand. It seems that Liu Bei's side must be extremely short of men now. To be precise, there is a lack of generals who can lead troops to fight!"
Regarding what Zhou Gongjin said, Huang Xu also nodded.
This is indeed the case. Looking back at Xi Yu's subordinates, almost all those who led the troops in the war were led by him, and they also studied the tactics of all parties.
Take the most obvious Huang Xu as an example. Although he may not be as good as Zhou Gongjin in leading troops in battle, his understanding of war and his forward thinking can often come up with winning points that others ignore.
"Now it seems that Liu Xuande's side is not a piece of metal!"
"But what is the truth? I have sent Baiqi's men out to find out the news. I believe there will be news soon."
Zhou Gongjin was not idle either, and immediately sent someone to invite Guo Fengxiao to come to discuss the matter.
It is not easy to defeat Jingzhou. This is a battleground for military strategists. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. In addition, Liu Xuande is now guarding here, so he will not take it lightly. He has sacrificed a lot to get this.
.
Liu Xuande originally established the world with benevolence and righteousness, but after so many years of baptism, he is no longer the people-oriented descendant of the royal family.
Soon, Guo Fengxiao brought people over. Zhou Gongjin didn't hide anything and told him exactly what happened here. Unexpectedly, Guo Fengxiao also laughed after hearing it.
"I have inquired about the situation in Jiangxia. The leader of the army is Ma Liang, the deputy general Guan Ping, and the military advisor is Xu Yuanzhi. This person can be regarded as a friend of mine for many years, but I have not seen him for a long time!"
Having said this, Guo Fengxiao showed a strange smile on his face.
"Now I seem to understand why my lord asked me to stay here. Perhaps he had already anticipated that it would not be easy for us to take Jingzhou directly. If we take Jiangxia first, maybe I can find a way to avoid fighting alone!
"
As soon as Guo Fengxiao said these words, the eyes of the two people suddenly widened.
"What can be done?"
You must know that there are fifty or sixty thousand troops stationed in Jiangxia, and there are also many warships. It is tantamount to dreaming to capture them without spending a single soldier.
What's more, Zhou Gongjin was already prepared to send troops to attack, otherwise he would not have pulled all the army to Huangpi.
"The method is very simple, you just wait here quietly, I will go alone!"
Guo Fengxiao spoke slowly and said what he was thinking.
"No, it really won't work!"
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Huang Xu refused without thinking and went to capture Jiang Xia alone. What is the difference between this and dreaming!
Not to mention that Guo Fengxiao is also considered his uncle and his adoptive father's right-hand man. The position he currently holds does not allow him to take risks.
To be able to gather so many knowledgeable people around each person is enough to show that this person has something extraordinary.
Just like Duke Cao back then, there were countless talented people around him, including even his adoptive father Xi Yu, who had thought of joining him.
"You don't have to think about this matter so much. I dare to say such things, so I have a certain degree of confidence."
"Of course you don't know that Xu Yuanzhi still owes me a favor. I'm sure he won't kill me!"
Guo Fengxiao's face was filled with confidence.
"Even so, who can guarantee that people like Ma Liang can't move you? If it were me, I would do whatever it takes to keep you in Jiangxia!"
Zhou Gongjin originally thought that after saying these words, he could dispel Guo Fengxiao's thoughts, but he didn't expect that the next second he would see the look of urgency in the other person's eyes.
"If that's the case, there's nothing wrong with it. If he really leaves me at the foot of the river, wouldn't we have a reason to send troops to Jingzhou?"
"Exchanging my life for the land of Jingzhou is not a loss-making deal no matter how you think about it!"
Huang Xu couldn't help but take a breath of cold air. He never expected that Guo Fengxiao had such a plan.
"This is absolutely impossible. If my adoptive father knew about it, he would definitely not agree to it."
Huang Xu's head shook like a rattle.
"Don't forget, I am your elder. How dare you not listen to me?"
Seeing that Huang Xu refused to let go, Guo Fengxiao directly revealed the identity of the elder. This time, Huang Xu could only curl his lips.
"Even if you go, I can't let you go alone. I'll go with you so that we can take care of each other if anything unexpected happens."
I originally thought that after I said these words, Guo Fengxiao would agree without even thinking.
Unexpectedly, he actually frowned and looked at him, which made Huang Xu feel a little embarrassed.
"You? Can you do it? Are you sure you won't do anything bad?"
Guo Fengxiao's words were not groundless. After all, Huang Xu's character was mostly playful, and it might have been self-defeating.
"It's okay if you want to go with me, but I can tell you in advance that Xu Yuanzhi is not an ordinary person, and his swordsmanship is also first-class. If you go with me, you must obey my arrangements. If you
If you can promise, I will take you with me, otherwise, don’t even think about it!”
Seeing that Guo Fengxiao didn't seem to be joking when he said this, Huang Xu quickly shook his head.
"What are you talking about? Of course I won't be fooling around!"
Although he said this, Huang Xu's face was full of embarrassment that his thoughts had been read.
After all, my character is indeed a bit playful. The reason why I don't show it obviously at ordinary times is because my adoptive father keeps suppressing me. If I don't do it right, I will get beaten. But now is an excellent opportunity. If I don't seize it,
You never know when the next time will be.
"Uncle Fengxiao, just believe me. I really want to protect your safety. I have absolutely no other thoughts. If you ask me to go east, I will never go west. If you ask me to hunt birds, I will never steal chickens!"
"
"Okay, okay, then it's settled!"
"Gong Jin, I'll leave the matter here to you first. I believe that with your ability, you should know what to do next!"
There is no need to be suspicious of others, so Guo Fengxiao naturally would not let Zhou Gong explain his grudge, and the two of them said goodbye to each other after some pleasantries.
…
On the other side, Zhang Fei returned to Jingzhou in a panic. He had no time to rest, so he hurriedly found Liu Xuande.
Liu Xuande was quite surprised to see Zhang Fei coming back, but he still hurried to greet him.
"Third brother, aren't you leading troops in the camp? Why are you back at this time?"
Liu Xuande naturally knew that his brother was reckless and was quite worried that he would cause another trouble.
"Brother, I really have something important to tell you when I come back this time. Regarding your proposal to marry Sun Xiaomei of Jiangdong's Sun family, they have sent people back to you."
"What? Is there any news?"
Liu Bei was stunned for a moment, then a look of joy appeared on his face.
"Did Marquis Wu agree?"
If this marriage can be facilitated, the alliance between Sun and Liu will be more stable after all, so it will not be a big problem to resist Cao Pi in the north.
"Brother, it would be great if this was really the case, but...they...they bullied people too much!"
Zhang Fei's face was filled with anger and he seemed to not know how to speak.
"Third brother, if you have anything to say, just say it. What happened?"
Liu Bei's heart sank.
"They sent messengers to scold us in front of our camp, saying that you are so old that you want to marry Sun Xiaomei. You are really shameless!"
As soon as Zhang Fei said these words, Liu Xuande was stunned on the spot. This news was like a bolt from the blue to him.
"They also said that you are not a descendant of the Han Dynasty, but just made it up to deceive the world. They said you were shameless!"
Zhang Fei told all the news he heard at once.
"Brother, calm down and be more open-minded, but don't get angry!"
I saw Liu Xuande's legs weakened and he collapsed on the ground.
"How...how could this happen? Marquis Wu, you are bullying me too much!"
Liu Bei hated him endlessly.
Even the desk in front of him was overturned by him.
Although Liu Bei looked angry on the surface, he felt ashamed in his heart.
Even though I am old, I am still being reviled like this.
Liu Xuande was originally unsure about this matter, but he didn't expect that Zhang Fei would bring back the worst result!
"How dare you, Sun Ce, insult me ​​like this!"
"In this case, they must be planning to completely destroy the Sun-Liu Alliance, so we have nothing to worry about. We will immediately notify my second brother to strengthen the defense in the direction of Jiangdong, and send a quick horse to inform the military to return to the camp immediately!"
"Right, and you, you should rush back to your camp immediately to prevent any unexpected events!"
During this moment, Liu Bei thought about everything.
"Brother, if a war breaks out at this time, it will be detrimental to us!"
Zhang Fei looked troubled. He naturally knew the situation in the army, and it would be difficult to have a complete strategy if he used troops at this time.
"In addition, we in Jingzhou City are all old, weak and mentally ill. Facing those cavalrymen from Jiangdong, I'm afraid..."
Zhang Fei was talking to himself, not noticing that Liu Bei's face was getting darker and darker.
"Third brother, as the leading general, how can you shake the morale of the army?"
"I have worked hard for so many years, don't I know how to lead troops to fight? Don't worry, what we have to do now is to prevent Jiangdong from attacking us. In addition, I will get in touch with Xichuan as soon as possible. If I can contact them
If we form an alliance, we will have some confidence even if we fight!"
After hearing Liu Bei's plan, Zhang Fei suddenly realized it.
"That's good, I'll go then. Brother, please take care of yourself!"
Zhang Fei didn't dare to stay longer. It was really risky to leave Xing Daorong alone in the camp.
On the other hand, Liu Bei has also sent his cavalry to Jiangxia.
After sending the others away, Liu Bei fell into deep thought alone.
What troubles him most now is not the relationship with Jiangdong, but the situation in Jingzhou City.
Liu Qi, the son of Liu Biao, the former lord of Jingzhou City, is also terminally ill. As for the cause, only Liu Bei himself knows clearly.
Liu Qi originally had no leadership skills, but he was a little arrogant after winning the Battle of Chibi. In addition, he indulged in drinking and sex all day long, and his body was getting worse day by day.
It would be fine if his eyes were closed, but Liu Qi was still breathing a sigh of relief, and most of the people in Jingzhou still obeyed his command, so there was still a long way to go before Liu Bei could completely control Jingzhou.
It is now the end of spring and the beginning of summer. The Jiangxia area is usually prone to rainy weather, and this year it even rained heavily.
Since then, everyone will think that there will be a good harvest this year!
However, the good times did not last long, and war broke out, and people were panicked for a while.
Although we are no longer troubled by natural disasters, the level of persecution caused by man-made disasters is no less severe than natural disasters.
Since Liu Jingsheng passed away a few years ago, Jingzhou's unique taste has fallen into the hands of Liu Qi, and everyone has noticed Liu Qi's governance skills. He is not the same material at all.
As a result, the major wealthy families in Jingzhou City did not take it seriously, and tried every means to make money whenever they had the opportunity. They even raised a lot of servants to strengthen their own abilities.
As for farming, it is no longer that important!
What's more, some wealthy families even fight among themselves because of the competition for interests.
From this point of view, the land of Jingzhou and Jiangxia was originally rich, but now it is in chaos.
In such an environment, Liu Xuande, who always regarded himself as benevolent and righteous, has given up on his past appearance. In addition, during this period of time, he recruited strong men to join the army to supplement the army's food and fodder, so his relationship with the wealthy families in Jingzhou City was not very good.
The people also complained and complained endlessly.
…
On the other hand, seeing that Guo Fengxiao was about to leave Huangpi alone, Huang Xu suddenly became anxious.
"Uncle Fengxiao, what are you doing? Didn't you promise me that you would take me with you? Why are you going back on your word now?"
Huang Xu really couldn't understand that when things came to a close, Guo Fengxiao actually abandoned himself.
"There's nothing to worry about, just trust me!"
Guo Fengxiao smiled slightly and did not explain any more.
"But right now we are in the middle of a war. If you really have a problem, my adoptive father will definitely not let me go easy. Aren't you making things difficult for me?"
Huang Xu had a sad face and was about to cry.
"I'm just going to catch up with my old friends. I'm not going out to fight with anyone."
Guo Fengxiao was really upset and shook his head in refusal.
"No, even if you don't let me go, I have to arrange for five hundred soldiers to go with you. Let's not say whether Xu Yuanzhi will take action against you. If you encounter some bandits along the way, it will be fine.
A response."
"Don't say any more. To be honest, this is exactly what the lord meant!"
Guo Fengxiao moved out of Xiyu directly, and Huang Xu was stunned.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Guo Fengxiao raised the whip in his hand and whipped the horse on the buttocks. Then the horse neighed and galloped away, kicking up thick dust.
Watching Guo Fengxiao go away, Huang Xu was not in a hurry. After getting on his horse, he grabbed the whip from the soldier next to him. Then there was another sound of horses neighing, and Huang Xu chased after Guo Fengxiao in the direction he left.
Chapter completed!