In the dim light of morning, thick lead-colored mist-like gunpowder smoke, with a nauseating smell of blood, suppressed the empty northern plains.
A bunch of curled up, or mutilated, bloody corpses were lying on top of each other in the most cruel and natural postures on the grass that had been trampled down.
.
Mixed with the broken limbs and internal organs, the bloody dead horse, the flying battle flag...
The most eye-catching thing is the Jingguan built with human heads in the center of the corpse.
The dead soldiers opened their eyes angrily, not sure whether it was because they refused to die in silence or because they were blaming the enemy for their cruelty.
The eagles pecking at the carcasses were flying in in groups, and large swaths of black crows were making endless noises.
Even though a day and night had passed since the fighting, the strong smell of blood still seemed to permeate the entire wilderness, too strong to be resolved.
When Bi Gui saw the shocking sight in front of him, his eyes bulged out like dead fish eyes, and his face began to turn pale.
He was not uncomfortable because of the tragic scene in front of him.
After all, he had been a governor on the border for several years.
The reason why he looked like this was because the two generals Su Shang and Dong Bi died in battle.
Their heads were specially hung on the flagpole by the Hu people and placed in front of the Beijing Temple, making them very eye-catching.
completely annihilated!
The horse cannot return!
Bi Gui's eyes were blank, and he only felt his forehead rumbling.
"Your Majesty, the slut is cruel and insults the soldiers so much that we can't wait to rush to the building and slaughter them all!"
When the generals of the Wei army saw the scene in front of them, their eyes were filled with tears and they all asked for battle.
"Who? Who? Who?"
Bi Gui murmured.
The front army he sent was Bingzhou Jingqi.
Now that all the fine cavalry are gone, the only ones left are the conscripted barbarian cavalry.
The Hu people are inherently changeable. Under the current circumstances, it is hard to say whether the Hu Qi on our side will be shaken in military morale...
Thinking of this, Bi Gui suddenly woke up.
"How far is this place from Loufan?"
"Less than thirty miles."
"Quick, quick, pick up the wreckage and retreat!"
After all, Bi Gui became famous at a young age and served as the governor of Bingzhou for several years.
He is just arrogant, not stupid.
After leaving the pass, there are not enough cavalry, and it is just a dream to fight with the barbarians.
Now that all the fine cavalry has been lost, I heard that the barbarians are still gathering on the building in front. Without the barrier to support them, it will most likely be my turn to be wiped out by then.
"retreat?"
The generals of the Wei army were all surprised.
"Your Majesty, why do you want to retreat?"
"I'm afraid there's an ambush in the building." Bi Gui urged, "Hurry and clear up!"
After observing the expression on the commander's face, all the generals knew that he had lost his courage.
I couldn't help but feel a little disdainful:
It was you who insisted on going out to pursue the enemy, but now that the barbarians are right in front of you, you are the one who tried to retreat!
However, Wei's law was strict and Bi Gui was the commander. Although the generals were unwilling to do so, they were not slow and quickly buried the bodies.
Then he hurriedly retreated to the pass.
On the second day, Kebi Neng personally led more than ten thousand riders to Loufan.
When he learned that the Wei army had retreated, he couldn't help but regretfully said to his son:
"What a pity! If he stays for one more day and joins the state's army, they will all be destroyed by me."
"Even if I can't enter the fortress during the introduction, I can still plunder the money and silk women from Bingzhou and make them mine."
Ke Bineng's son looked ashamed:
"What you are trying to teach me is that I am too impatient."
"I don't mean to say that you are wrong, but I just feel sorry for you. You did a good job this time. Not only did the Han people become frightened and flee in panic, but it also shocked Bu Dugen."
In June of the 11th year of Jianxing's reign, Bi Gui, the governor of Bingzhou, took advantage of the situation and advanced aggressively. The pursuing troops he sent were killed by Ke Bineng's son in the Loufan area, and the entire army was wiped out.
Even the two generals Su Shang and Dong Bi died in battle, and their horses were not allowed to return.
Bi Gui was frightened and retreated to the pass.
After this battle, Bu Dugen finally made up his mind to join Kebineng.
After merging Budugen's tribe, Kebineng's power reached its peak from Shanggu County in the east (near Zhangjiakou, Hebei) to Jiuyuan's hometown (Hetao area) in the west.
Although Bi Gui led the army back to the fortress in time, Kebineng did not intend to stop there.
In addition, Bu Dugen has stayed in Bingzhou for many years and is very familiar with the geography of Bingzhou.
Under the leadership of Bu Dugen, Kebi was able to lead 30,000 fine cavalry to plunder the borders of Bingzhou.
For a time, war broke out in Bingzhou, and the border officials were miserable.
Bi Gui was not good at leading an army, and with the loss of all the fine cavalry in Bingzhou, there was no way to stop Ke Bineng's plunder.
As a last resort, he could only ask Luoyang for help.
When the urgent report from Bingzhou was sent to Luoyang, Cao Rui was furious and threw Bi Gui's memorial away.
Jiang Ji, the Central Protector, came out to impeach and said:
"Bi Gui first suffered the defeat of Loufan, and then failed to protect Bingzhou. If he were allowed to continue to be the governor of Bingzhou, he might lose the hope of the officials."
"All talents have their own strengths and weaknesses, and cannot be forced to succeed. They are elegant and determined, and are beautiful in their own right. However, they are not talented in politics, and they are not capable of leading an army."
"If you don't let him live in a prominent position, don't destroy his virtue, and do good to the country. The key to this safety can only be observed by the Holy Grace."
It is recommended that Bi Gui be transferred back to the central government and not be allowed to hold a post.
Cao Rui was already dissatisfied with Bi Gui because of the flashy case, so he asked after hearing this:
"Then who can serve as the governor of Bingzhou?"
"In the past, there was Qian Zijing in Bingzhou who was appointed as the school captain to protect Xianbei, and there was no chaos among the barbarians in the territory. Not long after Qian Zijing left, the barbarians started to cause chaos."
"Tian Guoyi and Lianzi Jing are both famous in the land of Youbin. It would be better to let Tian Guo give way to them."
The so-called Qianzi Jing is Qianzhao, who passed away the year before last.
Tian Guorang was Tian Yu who was excluded from Youzhou by the governor of Youzhou.
Cao Rui hesitated slightly after hearing this suggestion.
The reason why Tian Yu was transferred out of Youzhou back then was because he used many troops against the Hu people, which caused unrest on the border.
If he is made the governor of Bingzhou, how can people be reassured?
Because there were suggestions before recruiting students:
The Shu invaders have the intention to invade the Central Plains, and Ke Bi Neng has the intention to go south. We must be careful to guard against the two joining forces to attack Wei.
After the First World War in Xiaoguan, Feng Thief's reputation became more and more popular.
According to detailed research, there are many Hu people in Liangzhou who obey his orders.
Bingzhou is not far from Guanzhong.
Thinking of this, Cao Rui felt more and more that what Qianzhao saw was actually far-reaching.
It's a pity that such talents can no longer guard the border for Wei!
Thinking of this, Cao Rui let out a long sigh:
"What's urgent now is that Ke Bi can cause chaos in Bingzhou. If Bi Gui is transferred away at this time, I'm afraid Bingzhou will be even more chaotic."
"So what we need to do now is how to drive Ke Bineng and Bu Dugen away from Bingzhou and let the people of Bingzhou settle down."
Yang Ji, the leader of the Central Military Commission, came out of the queue and said:
"Kebi Neng and Bu Dugenxin merged with each other, but the people's hearts were not united. It was the right time to send out troops to defeat them. If we delay for too long and let the two of them unite, I am afraid that they will merge the two states for the sake of disaster."
"How could I not know? Who should lead the army?"
"I am willing to go."
Cao Rui forbids:
"This time when we lead the army to Bingzhou, we are only allowed to win and not lose. Although Yang Qing is leading the army, he has never led an army before. It is better to stay in Luoyang."
In fact, Yang Ji, like Bi Gui, was a scholar.
Now that Bi Gui was in trouble, Cao Rui was naturally worried about letting Yang Ji lead the army.
Jiang Ji stepped forward again:
"I am also willing to go."
Jiang Jinai is an old minister who has followed Cao Cao in his early years. He has led many battles and is good at reviewing military affairs. He is a suitable candidate.
However, Cao Rui did not agree immediately:
"It's a very important matter, let me think about it some more."
Although the position of the Central Protector is not as high as that of the Senior Minister, it has considerable powers. In addition to being the president of the generals and in charge of the Imperial Guard, he is also responsible for selecting military attachés.
There is a ballad in Luoyang: If you want teeth, you should get a thousand horses; if you have five hundred people to supervise you, you will get five hundred horses.
What it means is that if someone wants to be a general of Yamen, he must send a thousand pieces of silk to Jiang Ji; even a low-level officer like the governor of 500 people still needs 500 pieces of silk.
Of course, the Wei state was based on aristocratic families, and many powerful and right-wing people did illegal things.
Giving and receiving bribes is not a big deal at all.
Sima Yi once asked Jiang Ji about this matter, and Jiang Ji replied jokingly:
Things are expensive in Luoyang, even if you pay less you can’t get it!
So the two of them laughed at each other.
It can be seen from this that Sima Yi and Jiang Ji have a very good personal relationship.
It is precisely because of this that Cao Rui did not want Jiang Ji to lead the army to Bingzhou.
The reason is also very simple.
Now nearly half of Wei's elite troops have gathered in Guanzhong and are under the command of Sima Yi.
The only troops that can be sent to Bingzhou at the moment are the Chinese troops stationed in Luoyang.
If the Chinese army is handed over to Jiang Ji, Cao Rui may not sleep well at night.
At this moment, a battle report sent from Guanzhong solved Cao Rui's worries.
"When it comes to using troops, Da Sima can make people feel at ease!"
The battle report states that troops were sent to the north several times to expel the barbarians and consolidate Beidi County.
Most of the troops were led by Qin Lang, so the battle report also specifically asked for credit for Qin Lang, saying that he had the style of a general.
When Cao Rui saw this, he said happily:
"I know who will lead the army to Bingzhou!"
Immediately, an urgent edict was issued and a fast horse was sent to Guanzhong.
Urgent edicts were issued day and night, and they arrived in Chang'an in just two days.
Qin Lang received the edict and did not dare to neglect. He rushed to Luoyang as quickly as possible, and then led the Chinese army to Bingzhou.
"Sir, Your Majesty really asked Qin Lang to lead the army to Bingzhou!"
Master Sima looked at Sima Yi with admiration on his face, "Everything you expected before has come true. It's really a profound plan!"
"Although Your Majesty has the ambition of Qin Emperor and Han Dynasty, he does not have the wisdom of Qin Emperor and Han Dynasty. In addition, he is still young and has an impatient temper."
Sima Yi was not happy because of Sima Shi's words. He just said lightly, "Over the years, I have been able to figure out some of your majesty's thoughts."
When Master Sima saw his master like this, he hesitated to speak.
Finally, he looked around to make sure that no one else heard the conversation between his father and son, and couldn't help but lower his voice and asked:
"Your Excellency is trying to transfer Qin Lang out of Guanzhong, but you have some plans?"
In fact, Sima Yi, who had been paying attention to Bingzhou, learned about the situation in Bingzhou almost at the same time as Luoyang.
After all, the north of Beidi County is the hometown of Jiuyuan.
Feng Yi County in Guanzhong is only separated from Bingzhou by Pingyang County.
Even though he did not have all the information, Sima Yi could already deduce the current situation in Bingzhou based on the information at hand.
Therefore, the battle report sent to Luoyang was sent at a tight time.
If Master Sima was just doubtful a few days ago, now he is almost certain.
Sima Yi glanced at Master Sima and said calmly:
"I also said you didn't dare to ask."
Master Sima's face changed slightly, and he uttered two words with some difficulty:
"grown ups……"
I couldn't speak anymore.
"Don't worry, it's not what you think."
Sima Yi glanced at Master Sima, as if he knew what Master Sima was thinking.
Master Sima breathed a sigh of relief.
No, since you know what I am thinking, doesn’t it mean that you have also thought about it...
He suddenly looked at Sima Yi again.
Sima Yi did not continue this topic. He looked to the west with far-reaching eyes. After a long time, he suddenly said:
"Dalang, there will eventually be a battle, or even several battles, between Shu and Wei in Guanzhong. The two countries will not decide the winner, and I'm afraid they won't give up. Do you think it will be Shu or Wei who wins?"
"Of course it's Wei Sheng."
Master Sima replied without hesitation.
Sima Yi turned to look at him: "I'm asking who will win, not who you want to win."
Master Sima wanted to say, "Because there are adults in Guanzhong," but when he felt the pressure in his adults' eyes, he was speechless for a moment.
It's just that the master kept staring at him, as if he must get the answer from him. Master Sima gritted his teeth and said:
"Let's do it fifty-fifty."
Sima Yi nodded:
"That's right. If anyone had said that the Shu people wanted to enter Guanzhong before the Battle of Longyou, it would be a joke."
"But now..." At this point, Sima Yi sighed and his voice deepened, "It's different now."
"There are Zhuge in front of Shu, Feng in the back, and the Shu army is brave. Even I may not have the confidence to defeat these two men."
"Your Majesty asked me to guard Guanzhong. If I can defeat these two people, to what position will I be promoted from Grand Sima?"
"If I am defeated by these two people and let Guanzhong fall, how will my crime be determined?"
When Master Sima heard this, he was shocked and looked at Sima Yi in disbelief.
But seeing the adult who usually has a plan for everything, his face was a little gloomy, and he didn't know what he was thinking in his heart.
"grown ups?"
There was a cold glint in Sima Yi's eyes, and there was a somewhat unpredictable look on his face:
"Since the founding of the Wei Dynasty, the generals in the army have been based on clan members. However, clan clans are now in decline."
"Now there are many favors in Yangzhou and I are in Guanzhong. They are not relatives, but they control most of the elite soldiers of the Wei Dynasty."
"Moreover, in the past few years since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has not been able to establish his authority externally, and internally, powerful people from aristocratic families have gradually taken over the power of selecting local officials."
"This time, although I had some expectations, I actually still wanted to test His Majesty."
Having said this, Sima Yi's face became increasingly gloomy:
"I didn't expect that His Majesty really chose Qin Lang. From this, it seems that Your Majesty is actually on guard against the current situation."
The nine-level Zhongzheng system allowed the power of selecting officials to gradually fall into the hands of aristocratic families.
Since Your Majesty has the ambition to be the Emperor of Qin and the Emperor of Han, how could he possibly watch helplessly as a noble family takes over the government and then take over the military power?
Therefore, although I was sent to Guanzhong by His Majesty and entrusted with full-time power.
But behind this seemingly extreme trust, it may not be a good thing.
When Master Sima heard this, if he still didn't understand, it would be in vain that Sima Yi had trained him for so long.
"So Sir, I want to find a way to transfer Qin Lang out of Guanzhong, is..."
"It's just to make some plans for the future."
When Sima Yi said this, he glanced at Master Sima again, "Do you now know why I reminded you to pay attention to Xia Houhui before?"
Master Sima trembled and his face turned pale.
Xia Houhui is the wife of Master Sima.
She is the daughter of Xiahou Shang and the sister of Xiahou Xuan, and she is one of the three Xiahou clans.
Xia Houxuan was hated by His Majesty because he was Queen Mao's brother and because of the flashy case.
"The Xiahou family is now tabooed by His Majesty. If you don't want her to harm our Sima family, you'd better make preparations early."
"Besides," Sima Yi's eyes turned cold, "who knows what the Xiahou family will do in order to stand up?"
"If someone really gets the handle on our Sima family, I will go to His Majesty to ask for merit and show loyalty..."