Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, salt smuggling has become rampant.
Yandu was abandoned, so that the entire Huainan had to rely on private salt supply from the East China Sea. Hailing County, from the original official salt distribution center, turned into a desolate town. The population dropped sharply and it was dilapidated. However, the people of Hailing had a fierce custom.
, was once an important source of soldiers in Guangling. To this day, there is still a barracks in Hailing, with about 500 soldiers stationed there, responsible for guarding the eastern gateway of Guangling County.
"You mean, Hailing is a military camp?"
"To be precise, it should be a military town."
After all, Cao Peng came to Guangling for a short time, so he didn't know much about the situation in Guangling.
He knew that Hailing was a county town and that Hailing had a population of 13,000. But he didn't know that Hailing was also a military town?
“Back then, there were two roads from Yandu to Guanyan, one was Haixi and the other was Hailing.
Haixi is transferred to Huaibei to supply Xuzhou; Hailing is transferred to Huainan, and almost the entire Guangling County and the northern part of Jiangdong have to pass through Hailing County. Therefore, as early as the Han Dynasty, there were military camps in Hailing. Moreover, Hailing
The soldiers and horses all came from Danyang, they were brave and fierce, and extremely powerful. From the Han Wu period to the late Yongping period, these Hailing soldiers were the guardians of the Huainan Salt Road..."
"There is such a thing!"
Cao Peng couldn't help but sigh.
I originally thought that Chen Deng would just let him stay in Hailing and give him a position, but he didn't expect...
"Therefore, Hailing does not have a chief or a prime minister. Hailing Wei is equivalent to having three positions and is in charge of military affairs at the same time. It is a very important role. Among all the officials in Guangling, Hailing is the only one.
The position of Lingwei is special. Although the salary is only three hundred stones and the rank is not too high, it is a position of real power. The appointment of the Master as Hailingwei is equivalent to taking the three counties in the eastern part of Guangling into his hands."
"Zishan, the Hailing soldiers shouldn't be that easy to deal with."
Kan Ze suddenly interrupted and asked Bu Zhi.
Think about it, why would such an important position be given to Cao Peng?
Guangling, is there no one left?
Bu Zhao nodded, "The Hailing soldiers are indeed arrogant and disobedient to discipline. Since the imperial court abandoned Yandu and Hailing, the Hailing soldiers have been almost self-sufficient and have not received half of their food and wages. The name of the Hailing soldiers is Wang Xu.
He is a rebellious person. Previously, the prefect of Guangling tried to gather the Hailing soldiers again, but they were all driven away by Wang Xu and others. Chen Yuanlong is from a prominent family in Guangling, and he is also helpless against these Hailing soldiers. Today he is appointed as the Hailing Wei of the young master. I want to come.
I have lost my patience with the Hailing soldiers, so I wanted to take a look at the master's methods."
In other words, a test?
Cao Peng raised his eyebrows: Are you more ruthless?
"I'm afraid, it's not that simple."
Kan Ze pondered for a moment and sat down on the river embankment.
The river water lapped at the embankment, and the water splashed and wet Kan Ze's legs.
Cao Peng also sat down, "Brother Kan means..."
"I heard that Duke Cao has withdrawn his troops?"
"ah?"
"Because of Liu Biao and Yuan Shao, Cao Cao's attack on Zhang Xiu did not seem to be particularly successful, so he temporarily returned to Xudu.
Li Jue was killed in Guanzhong, which solved the problem in the west for Duke Cao.
As for Zhang Xiu in the south, it may not be a day and night effort. In my opinion, if Cao Gong attacks Wancheng three times, I am afraid he may not use troops against Wancheng again. If Cao Gong uses troops, Zhang and Liu will be one; if Cao Gong does not use troops, Zhang and Liu will definitely turn against each other. When the time comes,
Duke Cao can capture Wancheng at his fingertips without spending a single soldier. This is similar to Duke He and Miao's expedition to the mountains. Duke Cao will probably capture Wancheng sooner or later, so there is no need to worry about it."
Kan Ze's words made Bu Zhi fall into deep thought.
"What Derun means is..."
"Next, Duke Cao will definitely deal with Lu Bu."
After Kan Ze finished speaking, he sighed, "But even if Lu Bu is defeated, Yuan Shao will still be watching.
Even if Cao Cao defeats Yuan Shao, the situation in Jiangdong may have come to an end. It may not be easy to raise troops by then."
It turns out that this guy still has the idea of fighting back to Jiangdong.
Cao Peng's heart skipped a beat, and he seemed to have some understanding.
"Cao Gong used troops against Xuzhou, and Chen Yuanlong was bound to send troops to help.
But Chen Yuanlong, unless forced to do so, would never break up with Lu Bu easily. Therefore, his troops may not attack. The most likely option is to find someone to replace him. If Cao Gong's war goes well, Chen Yuanlong will definitely attack immediately.
; But if the war doesn't go well, he will most likely sit back and watch. At that time, I'm afraid he will have to let the young master charge at the front for him.
If Cao Gong wins, he has contributed to the battle, and the young master is just his pawn; if Cao Gong loses, he can shirk the responsibility and say that the young master made the decision without authorization. In this way, Lu Bu can do nothing to him. Therefore, he asked the young master to
If he is appointed Hailing Lieutenant, he will be invincible."
Cao Peng took a deep breath in his heart.
What Kan Ze said is very likely to happen.
Deng Ji is now firmly seated in Haixi. Once Cao Cao and Lu Bu confront each other, Haixi will definitely send troops to serve as prime minister.
At the same time, as Deng Ji's brother-in-law, he naturally cannot stand by and watch. The Hailing soldiers are at least still in Guangling's hands. When the time comes that he and Deng Ji will join forces, regardless of victory or defeat, Chen Deng will do what Kan Ze said.
Be in an invincible position and have both sides.
This is also in line with Chen Deng's style.
When Liu Bei was in Xuzhou, he allied himself with Liu Bei; when Lu Bu captured Xuzhou, he allied himself with Lu Bu.
If you think about it from Chen Deng's perspective, there seems to be nothing wrong with Chen Deng's actions. Everything is for the sake of the family.
But in doing so, it would be equivalent to pushing Cao Peng to the front.
Cao Peng didn't remember clearly. During the Battle of Xuzhou, did Chen Deng send troops from Guangling?
But now it seems that this guy knows how to protect himself. With Cao Peng as a pawn and scapegoat, he can safely serve as his Guangling prefect.
No wonder he refused to let himself go.
Think about it, if Cao Peng is gone, where can he find such a good scapegoat?
Thinking of this, Cao Peng's good impression of Chen Deng disappeared immediately: This bastard has a good idea!
However, no matter how much he resented Chen Deng in his heart, he could never turn down the post of Hailing Lieutenant.
After pondering for a moment, he said softly: "In this way, we must control the Hailing soldiers as soon as possible. I don't want to have a bunch of rabble when the war starts. Since Chen Yuanlong has made a move, then I will take over. It will be a blessing and a curse.
Dependence is just a thought."
"good!"
Kan Ze nodded in agreement.
But after thinking for a moment, Bu Zhao asked: "Derun, when do you think Duke Cao will use troops against Xuzhou?"
"In my opinion, October at the latest."
Bu Zhao looked towards Cao Peng.
Cao Peng immediately understood what Bu Zhi meant.
Could it be that Bu Zhao couldn't think of the time when Cao Peng would use troops? Of course not... If he didn't even have this ability, he wouldn't be able to become the prime minister of Soochow in the future. He used this way to remind Cao Peng:
It's already May, sir, you don't have much time!
A wise person will always pay attention to the art of speaking.
Like Mi Heng's arrogance, like Tian Feng's outspokenness... I guess no one else would be able to bear it.
It is true that a superior should be good at listening, but if he is offended by his subordinates again and again, he may not feel comfortable. At least Cao Peng feels very comfortable now. Bu Zhi pretended to ask, but gave him clear advice: Be sure to practice as soon as possible
Send out elite soldiers, otherwise there will be trouble.
Looks like I have to go to Hailing tomorrow!
Cao Peng secretly made a decision in his heart...
When they returned to the hut, they saw Gan Ning and Xia Houlan also drunk.
"Mr. Zishan, could you please send me a letter and send it to Haixi overnight?
Tell my brother-in-law that from now on, you must be prepared for war. But it is best not to be too arrogant, lest others notice your intentions."
Bu Zhi nodded in agreement and returned to the wing with Kan Ze.
As soon as the two men left, Cao Peng realized that there were still four drunk men in front of him.
Cao Peng gently patted his forehead, and Cao Peng smiled helplessly.
"Xiaoluan, Xiaohuan, come here with those pillows."
"knew!"
Bu Luan and Guo Huan replied.
Taking advantage of this moment, Cao Peng stepped forward and dragged Wang Mai aside. Then he saw Buluan, with a red face, coming over holding a set of mattresses.
"Just lay it here."
Cao Peng pointed to the corridor and said.
He didn't want to carry four drunk men back to the house, not to mention that these four drunk men seemed to be taller, stronger, and heavier than him...
Buluan and Guo Huan laid out the quilt, and Cao Peng dragged Wang Mai onto the mattress, then turned around and dragged Hao Zhao over.
On the other side, Guo Huan cleaned up the messy cups and plates on the table, while Buluan and Huang Yueying took advantage of this time to bring over two more sets of quilts.
"It's true, cousin, why don't you say hello?"
While making the bed, Buluan pouted his little mouth and muttered Buzhao.
"Mr. Zishan has important matters, so Xiaoluan should stop blaming him."
As he spoke, Cao Peng dragged Xiahoulan over and lay down side by side with Wangmai Hao Zhao. Then he glanced at Gan Ning again, and Cao Peng shook his head repeatedly.
This guy seems to be the strongest!
Taking a deep breath, Cao Peng carried Gan Ning over again. The four of them lay down beside him and covered them with thin blankets.
The breeze blows from the river, and it feels very comfortable to stand on the porch.
Cao Peng took the towel from Huang Yueying's hand and wiped the sweat on his face, "Xiaoluan, Xiaohuan, after you have tidied up, take a rest early."
"yes!"
Buluan and Guo Huan simply agreed.
"Smelly Ah Fu, where did you learn this skill of flirting with women?"
As soon as the two little maids walked away, Cao Peng was grabbed by Huang Yueying's ears. However, Huang Yueying didn't use any force, and her words were more of a coquettish tone. Cao Peng looked like he was in pain, eh eh eh
You leaned over and hugged Huang Yueying in his arms.
The setting sun made Huang Yueying's cheeks blush.
Under the thin spring shirt, the body is tight, and you can still feel the heat of the skin through the clothes...
"Ah, I didn't see anything."
Just when Cao Peng couldn't help but want to kiss Huang Yueying, he suddenly heard a sweet cry. The two quickly separated, and Cao Peng followed the sound and saw that Bu Luan's face was red and he was covering his eyes with his hands.
Huang Yueying lightly hit Cao Peng and tried to calm down her voice, "Xiao Luan, is something wrong?"
"No, it's okay... I just wanted to ask the young master if I need to prepare hangover soup."
Hangover soup?
Cao Peng was startled, and then said: "No, Xiaoluan, you go and have a rest."
"Um."
Bu Luan responded with a sound as loud as a mosquito, turned around, trotted all the way, and disappeared without a trace.
However, being interrupted by her, Cao Peng and Huang Yueying felt a little uncomfortable... The two held hands and strolled to the river embankment to enjoy the beautiful sunset over the long river.
"Afu!"
"Um?"
"Are you worried?"
"What's on your mind?"
"I can feel that you seem to be worried."
Cao Peng was silent for a moment, then exhaled and said: "Actually, it's nothing to worry about. But just now Derun and Zishan analyzed it with me and talked about why Chen Deng appointed me as Hailing Lieutenant... Brother Kan said
, Duke Cao is very likely to send troops at the end of the year."
"Use troops?"
Huang Yueying was startled and then understood.
Cao Cao is going to use troops against Lu Bu!
She thought for a while and said softly: "Does Mr. Cao want to raise an army with Xuzhou?"
"Um!"
"...Actually, this is not surprising. When I was in Jiangxia, I once heard my father say: If Duke Cao wants to conquer the north, he must attack Lu Bu first. Lu Bu has the appearance of a tiger and a tiger. He is capricious and cannot be trusted easily. If
Unless Lu Bu is destroyed, it will be difficult to bring peace to the north."
Cao Peng nodded, "Why don't I know? It's just..."
"Just what?"
"I have been favored."
Huang Yueying was stunned for a moment and looked at Cao Peng in confusion, wondering where he could start talking about "receiving favors from others".
Cao Peng sat down on the river embankment and looked at the river rolling eastward. After a long silence, he said: "Hao Zhao and his two hundred elite soldiers are all thanks to the gift of Marquis Wen. When my brother was in Haixi, he was very powerful.
The situation is embarrassing. We have no soldiers and generals, and we have to face the threat of salt owl and pirates. Without the two hundred elite soldiers like Marquis Wen, even if we can gain a foothold in Haixi, we will have to pay a huge price, and..."
Cao Peng looked at Huang Yueying and said, "When a man is alive, he should keep his grudges clear.
I have been favored by Marquis Wen, but I have to go to war with him, which is not what I want... Therefore, I am a little distressed and don't know what to do."
Cao Peng would definitely not tell Huang Yueying about the charm of Wenhou's residence in Xiapi.
That could be regarded as a secret between him and Diao Chan. What he was worried about was not only the grudges, but also Hao Zhao's attitude. In any case, Hao Zhao was from Bingzhou and had the same hometown friendship with Lu Bu. Besides, two of his subordinates
The Hundred Elite Soldiers are very powerful, and if he cannot express his attitude, it will definitely cause great trouble to Cao Peng. Cao Peng wanted to use Hao Zhao, but he had some hidden worries.
Huang Yueying was silent!
"I have known Bo Dao for a short time. I feel that he is not a repetitive person."
"oh?"
"I can see that you value Hao Zhaoting. Since you value Hao Zhaoting, you must trust him... Either you don't use him, or you kill him and keep those two hundred elite soldiers in your hands. You are worried about gains and losses like this.
, in the end it will only add trouble to yourself.”
Huang Yueying's words made Cao Peng look at her with admiration.
There are not many records about Huang Yueying in history books.
But it can be seen that Zhuge Liang did not have any family entanglements in his life, which is evident in Huang Yueying's methods. Being able to say such decisive words made Cao Peng nod secretly. What is his personality? What can Cao Peng say in his heart?
It's very clear.
Yueying, you are indeed my good wife.
"As for Marquis Lu Wen...he has a kindness to you, and he should repay it.
But a true man must not only be clear about grievances, but also understand the importance. Since you serve under Cao Gong, you should not pay so much attention to personal grievances. You said that Cao Gong has great ambitions! Sooner or later, the north will be unified. If Lu Bu cannot be destroyed as soon as possible,
The people are bound to be trapped in fire and water. Wouldn't that be even worse? If you want to repay kindness, you can choose other methods. Justice is justice, private feelings are private feelings... If you can't distinguish between public and private affairs clearly, and
How to build merit? Ah Fu, I think you should be more decisive."
After hearing this, Cao Peng couldn't help but nod his head.
"I have Yueying, and I will have no worries from now on!"
He held Huang Yueying's slender waist and sat side by side on the river embankment.
The river is surging and the setting sun is like fire.
Under the reflection of the setting sun, the shadows of the two people gradually merged together, without any gap...
The next day, Cao Peng took Gan Ning Bu Zhi and Xia Hou Lan and fifty elite soldiers and rushed to Hailing County.
The distance from Dongling Pavilion to Hailing County is not too far. After about half a day, we arrived in front of the barracks outside Hailing County.
The area of the camp is not large, about three to five acres of land.
On a large fiery red scroll, there were four characters written in large letters, "Hailing Elite Soldiers". However, in the sunlight, it hung down weakly and looked lifeless.
However, the military tents in the camp were well-proportioned.
Although it looks a bit dilapidated from the outside, you can still feel the murderous intention hidden inside.
I remember that at the beginning, this Hailing elite army once protected the entire salt road in Huainan from being disturbed. The legacy of decades of killing and fighting is still there.
Gan Ning couldn't help but praise: "This general is quite a capable man."
Bu Zhi said: "Wang Xu can be regarded as a general. After Hailing was abandoned, he took 500 elite soldiers without relying on food and wages from the state government, and managed to survive until now. Look at the entire Guangling County, there are water thieves everywhere
Bandits. But this most remote place, Hailing, can be peaceful."
“What do they do for a living?”
"Sir, what do you think?"
Cao Peng couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.
Last night, he checked the information on Hailing County.
On the surface, Hailing County seems to be peaceful and peaceful. But in fact, this elite group of Hailing soldiers is the largest bandit group in Hailing County.
Think about it, there is no food and wages, and no supplies.
How can these five hundred elite soldiers survive in a small county with only 13,000 people?
People often say that you can live on mountains and water, and you can live on water. If you are a soldier, you are paid, but if you are not paid, you are a thief. This is natural and natural, and it does not seem to be a strange thing. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, especially after the Yellow Turban Uprising, the situation of officials and bandits uniting was extremely normal.
.If you raise the flag, you are an official and an army, if you put down the flag, you are a bandit. The government is also aware of such things, but most of the time, they are helpless.
Vaguely, there is a very familiar feeling.
How similar are the elite soldiers of Hailing in front of me to the soldiers of Yiyang that I met in Jiu Nu City?
But I don’t know if the elite soldiers of Hailing can be compared with the soldiers of Yiyang. But no matter what, I will make a decision on this army!
An elite soldier who has fought many battles is not easy to find.
Cao Peng glanced at Gan Ning and suddenly said with a smile: "Brother Gan, I want to take control of the central army, but there is no vanguard to open the way."
Gan Ning heard this and laughed loudly: "Young master wants to find a pioneer, what's the problem? Gan Ning is not talented, but he is willing to lead ten people to open the way for you!"
