The ninth year of Taixing, the third day of the first lunar month.
The "envoys" that Cao Cao didn't expect to arrive were not officials from the Sanfu of Guanzhong, nor anyone from Pang Tong, but Duan Xuan, the Duan clan of Sanming, Xiliang, and some Semu people. Even these people were not here for Cao Cao.
Instead, we are going to Xu County.
After hearing the news, Cao Cao was stunned.
This news was unexpected.
Lao Cao didn't expect that Fei Qian, even now, is still thinking about paying tribute to the emperor.
Regardless of whether this behavior is for show, or whether it contains some sincerity, but being able to do such a behavior is already better than most local princes. If nothing else, Jiangdong's grandson is...
How many times have you paid tribute?
Cao Cao asked again: "How many troops are coming?"
Cao Xiu, who rushed back from the front line, reported back: "More than three hundred people have come, half cavalry, half infantry, escorting twelve vehicles, all of which are tribute to the emperor..."
Cao Cao nodded.
He knew Duan Xuan.
But why did Duan Xuan become the envoy? Why didn't he send someone else but Duan Xuan? And there were also twelve vehicles of utensils, all of which were sent to the emperor.
It's not that Cao Cao coveted these artifacts, nor did he want to covet these tributes. For his current power, money and artifacts were nothing at all. He was just a little curious.
Cao Cao frowned, guessing Fei Qian's intentions.
If it was an envoy to Cao Cao himself, Cao Cao could naturally stay in the central military tent and sit back and wait. However, since this was a tribute to the emperor, it was a little inappropriate for him to put on such a careless air. Therefore, he had to
Change into formal clothes and go to see the messenger.
So Cao Cao ordered: "To secure the people, lead a thousand military guards and march out of camp to meet them."
Even if you don't give face to Fei Qian, you still have to give face to the emperor. No matter what Fei Qian pays as tribute, the emperor can decide how to deal with it. How Cao Cao handles it now is an overstep and he can only accept it.
In addition, Cao Cao also ordered: "Gongren goes to the rear camp to arrange a reception banquet... In addition, the rear camp area must be organized into an area, cleaned and tidy, and horse supplies prepared... Don't slack off..."
Cao Cao was loyal to the emperor's order to punish thieves, so no matter what, he couldn't throw away the flag halfway. He couldn't just slap himself in the face in the middle of the war?
Cao Hong said from the side: "Why should I be treated so favorably? It seems that my lord is timid."
Cao Cao smiled, didn't answer, got up and went to change clothes.
After a while, he changed his clothes and came back, and said to Cao Hong, "Zilian, come with me to meet him."
Cao Hong murmured, and Cao Cao ordered him to do so without saying a word.
After hearing that Fei Qian had envoys coming, the generals and soldiers in Cao's camp also had different expressions. Some were whispering to each other, some were careless and indifferent, and some were gnashing their teeth in the direction of the envoys. For a while, everyone inside and outside the camp had different appearances.
In the distance, there are two flags raised high and coming slowly.
A taller pole has a tail on it and large characters on the flag: "The Great Han Dynasty's Western Region Envoy to the Imperial Court".
The other pole is a little lower, and it says, "General Annan of the Han Dynasty, Hou Duan of Xiang County".
The high one indicates the location of the envoy, and the low one indicates the status of the envoy.
Cao Cao's eyes lingered on the word "Western Regions" for a moment, then he smiled, straightened his clothes and stood in the middle.
The group of people on the opposite side also gradually got closer, and immediately stopped at 200 steps, reining in their horses. The front army separated to both sides, and the high and low flags moved slowly, revealing Duan Yan's figure.
Duan Xuan got off his horse, walked all the way to Cao Cao, bowed his hands and said, "Meet the Prime Minister."
Cao Cao stepped forward and helped him up weakly, saying, "No courtesy, no courtesy! Are you okay, Zhongming?"
Cao Cao grabbed Duan Xuan's arm, looked up and down, and said with a smile: "In the past, when I was in Heluo, I saw Zhongming's style and fell in love with him. However, Zhongming focused on the mountains and rivers and did not want to bother with writing documents. It was just a long time apart. Every time Thinking about it, I can't help but sigh! We meet again today and see that Zhongming's style is still as good as before. I am very relieved! Compared with Zhongming, Cao looks much older now! Hahahaha, I can't help but sigh that these years are so long and time flies. !』
Guo Jia followed Cao Cao, and he heard Cao Cao's words clearly. The corner of his mouth suddenly twitched slightly, and he quickly bent down with a half-smile.
Duan Xuan was not a sharp-tongued person. When Cao Cao said this, he didn't know how to respond and just smiled bitterly.
Cao Cao did not press ahead, he just laughed, introduced the generals to Duan Xuan, and led Duan Xuan into the Chinese army's tent.
Cao Cao invited Duan Xuan to take the seat.
Duan Xuan was not willing, so the two pretended to be humble, and then sat down separately as host and guest.
The rest of the people then took their seats and sat down with him.
Is it complicated?
Cumbersome.
Hypocritical?
hypocritical.
But that's how human beings are, showing dignity and inferiority with complexity, and covering up ugliness with hypocrisy.
Repeated battles and defeats are an unforgivable crime; repeated defeats and battles are commendable for courage.
Female students who attend school during the day and go to the club at night are willing to degenerate and are morally corrupt. Young ladies who work in the club at night and attend school during the day are motivated and deserve praise...
Cao Cao and Fei Qian were fighting to the death, but at the moment, it seemed that the Tongguan River was stained with blood and corpses were everywhere. They could still receive envoys and sit down to reminisce about the past.
Cao Cao smiled and said, "Zhongming has had a hard journey..."
Duan Xuan smiled bitterly, "Prime Minister, I'm just a rough man... If you have any questions, just ask directly..."
Cao Cao paused slightly and nodded, "That's fine...I don't know where Zhongming came from, and what he wants to offer to the emperor?"
"Reporting to the Prime Minister, Zhuo came from Xiliang...this is what happened..."
Duan Xuan explained how Fei Qian arrived in Xiliang, how he held a banquet in Jiuquan, and what happened next, and then clapped his hands together, "That's it... Xuan has no other intentions, just his orders." 』
To put it simply, Duan Xuan said that he was just following Fei Qian's orders and had no intention of getting into any trouble with Cao Cao.
After Cao Cao heard what Duan Xuan said, he exchanged glances with Guo Jia and then remained silent.
The hidden stake in Xiliang's ambush was just solved by Fei Qian?
Moreover, Duan Xuan came from Xiliang, which means that Fei Qian will soon arrive in Guanzhong...
Is this a warning from Fei Qian?
Or does it have some other meaning?
For a moment, there was silence in the Chinese army tent, and it seemed that everyone was breathing much heavier.
Duan Xuan apologized, then got up, walked to the main tent in person, took a brocade box from the attendant, held it in both hands, and walked to Cao Cao's desk with somewhat heavy steps, placed the brocade box on the desk, and opened it.
He opened the lid of the box and revealed a brocade book inside.
"Prime Minister..." Duan Yan said softly, as if he was afraid of waking up something sleeping in the brocade box, "This is...the promise of the country of Shanshan in the Western Regions..."
Cao Cao took a deep breath, stretched out his hand, took out the Shanshan Guoyu from the brocade box, and slowly unfolded it. The four ink characters "Han Empire" came into view, as if four steel needles were instantly pierced.
Cao Cao's eyes made Cao Cao's face tense up and his whole body tremble.
"The Han Empire..." Cao Cao read, sighed, and asked, "Zhongming, what does the word "empire" mean?"
Duan Xuan shook his head, "Hussar never made it clear."
The word "empire" is not exclusive to the West, nor is it an imported product. It has already appeared in the Sui Dynasty. However, some people in later generations always have weak legs and think that everything is foreign...
Fei Qian just made these two words appear a little earlier.
Moreover, on top of the empire, there is also the title of empire in the concept of China.
"The Shanshan Kingdom... the Han Empire..." Cao Cao squinted his eyes and looked at the ink characters on the brocade book greedily, as if he wanted to peel off the characters one by one and swallow them into his belly, "Oh...
…The Han Empire was divided into two groups by carving monuments outside the Xihai City. The former Shanshan Kingdom Ding Tao Wang outside the city. The latter Shanshan Kingdom dug mud outside the city to show their loyalty...erected a stele...this is the erection of a stele..."
Western Region.
Yellow sand.
The flag is like blood.
Cao Cao seemed to see the soldiers standing proudly on the top of Shanshan City, and also saw the King of Shanshan kneeling under the throne of Shanshan Kingdom in the Shanshan Palace.
Cavalry...
Is it really done?
For a moment, Cao Cao couldn't believe it.
However, his heart longed to believe, as if he had also separated a part of his soul, following the banner of the Han Dynasty, planting it on the King's City of Shanshan, and proudly looking at the Western Regions in the King's City of Shanshan.
Just like people.
Cao Cao's hands trembled slightly, and then he quickly controlled the trembling, slowly closed the brocade book, and gently put it back into the brocade box.
"The Shanshan Kingdom was divided into two..." Cao Cao briefly described to everyone what was written in the national treaty.
The national covenant is for the emperor. As the prime minister, Cao Cao can naturally read it, but it does not mean that everyone can read it.
Cao Cao can look at it, but he can't seize it or destroy it.
Everyone in the big tent could not help but have their own thoughts, either pondering or whispering to each other. For a moment, it was like Cao Cao's heart, which was difficult to calm down.
This is a brand new model, a credential that has never appeared in the three to four hundred years of history of the Han Dynasty.
The Han Dynasty's original external strategy was "restraint", but this "restraint" had little coercion and no benefits.
The feudal dynasties after the Han Dynasty also inherited this "restriction" model, which emphasized a "thick and thin" approach, so that whether it was Central Asia, West Asia, or even more distant places, everyone knew that there was a magical place in the east.
In this land, stupid people have a lot of money, and gold is everywhere.
This habit has even been deeply engraved into the Chinese thinking of later generations. Treating outsiders kindly and treating family members harshly seems to have become a stubborn problem that many families cannot solve...
Now, Fei Qian has shown another model.
Treaty of Shanshan.
It was a treaty that the Han people felt was stuck in their throats after reading it, but they didn't know what to say.
Cao Cao stroked the brocade book, and then guessed, or he was sure, what kind of waves this national treaty would cause when it arrived in Xu County.
This hussar...
Ha ha ha ha.
After a while, Cao Cao asked, "What else did the hussar say?"
Duan Xuan shook his head and said, "I didn't say anything else. I just said that I would offer offerings from the Western Regions to the Emperor, and there would be some semen-eyed people accompanying me to prepare the Emperor to inquire about the customs of the Qin Dynasty."
"Sex-eyed people..." Cao Cao nodded.
Duan Xuan glanced at Cao Cao and said, "Prime Minister, do you want to recruit him to come forward?"
Cao Cao waved his hand, "No need..."
Cao Cao sighed.
The existence of this national treaty is enough to explain something. He is not a three-year-old child and has never seen a barbarian with lustful eyes. Moreover, Cao Cao's focus is not on these lusty eyes, but on other aspects.
superior.
In Cao Cao's mind, the image of the young man who used to live in Luoyang, Heluo, slowly faded away, leaving behind Fei Qian's wise and unfathomable eyes, which seemed to be watching
Looking at him, he was also looking at the world on this side.
"Prime Minister...Prime Minister..."
Cao Cao came back to his senses and saw Duan Xuan looking a little confused at the side, so he suddenly smiled and said: "Zhong Ming has come a long way to work hard, please wash up first, and we will have a banquet one night..."
Duan Xuan stood up hurriedly, thanked him, and left as if his butt was on fire.
Duan Xuan left, but everyone in the Chinese army tent was still sitting.
Silent.
At this moment, it felt like a huge, transparent stone suddenly appeared in the Chinese army's tent. It could not exist in the world, but it happened to be blocked among everyone, so that everyone could see other people.
They were isolated in their own corners again.
"Have the Hussars moved to Xiliang?"
Cao Cao said slowly, as if he was talking to himself, and also to everyone.
This news is obviously very important.
Duan Xuan came all the way, walking not too fast, but not too slow either. Although Duan Xuan himself said that the Qiusi was still in Xiliang when he left, he didn't know how long the Qiusi would stay in Xiliang, so
Fei Qian may appear in Guanzhong Sanfu at any time.
The shadow of the famous tree, when Cao Cao said the word "hussar", there seemed to be no other sounds in the tent.
"The Hussars are fighting in the Western Regions, but the affairs of the Western Regions cannot be decided in one day!" Guo Jia said slowly, "The chaos in the Western Regions is caused by the rebellion of the countries in the Western Regions that have been disobedient to the Central Plains for a long time, and also by the Lu family's Xiliang soldiers who have stayed away.
The resentment and injustice in the countryside, the mountains, rivers and deserts, inside and outside the Yumen, the hussars can level Shanshan and improve a country, but it is difficult to determine the entire Western Region."
Cao Cao squinted his eyes, "Therefore..."
Guo Jia's voice was steady, and it seemed to have stirred the air inside the Chinese army's tent, causing the air above everyone's heads to start flowing again, "Therefore, the urgent return of the hussars is not a matter of the Western Region, but a matter of critical importance."
Urgent!』
Everyone's spirits suddenly lifted.
Cao Cao laughed and said: "So, it's hard work for the hussars. They drove thousands of miles to fight in the Western Regions and came back soon..."
Cao Hong said in a deep voice: "The end of a strong crossbow cannot penetrate Lu's silk!"
Cao Cao did not continue to say anything, but he put his palms together and said: "Since it is a tribute to the emperor, we have no reason to force it to stay. Today we will entertain you one or two, and tomorrow we will send him east! Gongren!"
Dong Zhao stepped forward and said, "I am here."
"I'll leave it to you to entertain Duan Zhongming," Cao Cao ordered.
Dong Zhao accepted the order with his hands raised.
Of course, in addition to entertaining, there are also some matters that need to be explained. Of course, Cao Cao does not need to explain these matters in detail. Dong Zhao knows it very well, and even if Dong Zhao misses something, Xun Yu will add it.
Cao Cao turned to Cao Hong, Cao Xiu and other generals again and said: "I leave it to you to arrange the soldiers in the army, pacify them, and rectify their return... Get ready for battle... This time the battle begins, the outcome will be determined..."
Cao Hong, Cao Xiuang, the leader ordered.
The orders were distributed one by one, and everyone left one after another. Cao Cao stood up, and while walking forward, he said to Guo Jia beside him: "Fengxiao... This hussar... What is the meaning of this move?"
Where have you been?』
Of course I couldn't say anything discouraging just now in front of everyone.
But everyone knows that the impact brought by Duan Zhen's arrival is far beyond the scope of the so-called tribute envoy from the emperor. Fei Qian is like a sharp knife, cutting through the mess of the Western Region with incomparable sharpness. In the blink of an eye,
It was back under Cao Cao's nose again.
Before it can be touched, the body is cold.
Guo Jia whispered, "In the past when Wei and Zhao attacked, Han reported to Qi. Qi's envoy Tian Ji went straight to Daliang. Wei general Pang Juan heard about it and went to Han and returned. Qi's army has passed and headed west. Sun Tzu
Tian Ji said, "The soldiers of the three Jin Dynasties are strong and brave, but they are weak. They are called cowardly. Those who are good at fighting will use their strength to guide them. Those who have good military skills for a hundred miles will defeat the generals. Those who have good military skills for fifty miles will have half the army."
The cavalry has led the army for many years and is familiar with the six Taoist tactics. Is there anyone who does not know this principle? Therefore, I believe that the cavalry should advance slowly and use the Duan family as a deterrent. In addition, Pang Shiyuan planned yesterday, but in fact he wanted to slow down the army."
Cao Cao looked back at Guo Jia.
Guo Jia nodded slowly.
Cao Cao also nodded, then turned his head again.
The two people seem to have a tacit understanding that others cannot detect, or they have already made some strategies...
Guo Jia's voice was low, "What's more, if the cavalry really came in a hurry... wouldn't it be better?"
Cao Cao nodded.
This is not wrong.
Although Cao Jun has launched some attacks on Tongguan during these times, they have not used all their strength. In other words, although Cao Jun is the attacker at the moment, if Fei Qian really rushes from Xiliang to Guanzhong regardless of the physical and horsepower consumption of his soldiers,
In comparison, Cao Jun became a side waiting for work.
The offensive and defensive battles on the city wall did not demonstrate the superiority of the cavalry. Even if these tired soldiers joined the defense of Tongguan, they may not be able to recover much, and it may actually lead to a decline in the level of defense.
If it is true that Tongguan is difficult to conquer because of the Hussar's arrival, there are other countermeasures...
"That's it..." Cao Cao muttered, "We're going to attack urgently..."
"My lord is wise." Guo Jia responded.
Cao Cao faced the cold wind and puffed up his sleeves, saying, "Then let's stop fighting!"
The banner of the Han Dynasty stretches in the wind.
Cao Cao looked up.
Behind him, Guo Jia stood quietly.
The eagle cries in the sky, and the clouds gather and disperse.
The vast river remains as vast as before, like dead branches facing the biting cold wind, and surrounding the tents of Cao Cao's army, the tents everywhere in Cao Cao's camp are like plum blossoms blooming on these dead branches.
Blooming in the cold winter.
The soldiers walking in the camp were performing their duties and doing their own things. The cold light on their swords, guns and armor was like the dewdrops on these plum blossoms, shining with little brilliance.
"The world is vast, and we need to know that it takes more than just a hussar to be called a hero!"
