The once prosperous capital of Xiapi was now in dilapidated condition.
After the floods receded, only ruins were left in many places, especially in slum areas, which were almost wiped out by the floods, and cold dead bodies could be seen everywhere.
Chen Qun is so unlucky!
After returning from Guangling, he was forcibly recruited to work in Xiapi.
Although he was unwilling to do so, he finally took up the post because he wanted to be supported by his father. Unexpectedly, he encountered this battle just a few days after he took up the job... So, after the city was broken, Chen Qun, as an assistant official, did not wait.
He fled into the inner city and was captured by Cao Jun who entered the city.
Although the weather was cold, Mr. Cao did not dare to feel tired.
After entering the city, he immediately ordered people to consolidate Xiapi City, bury the dead bodies, and clean up the ruins of the ruins. The weather was so cold and wet. Cao Jun was not willing to suffer such hardship, so he took the captured soldiers and subordinates.
Pi officials rushed to the streets to clean up the debris.
It was just dawn, and it was so cold that even wearing thick clothes could not stop shivering.
Chen Qun, who had suffered such suffering, was driven into a long street, carrying a big broom and cleaning the street with a sad face.
When Cao Peng and three others passed by, Chen Qun was being scolded by two Cao Peng soldiers. When he saw Cao Peng, he felt like the sun had cleared from the clouds and couldn't help but shout loudly.
Cao Peng followed the voice and almost didn't recognize Chen Qun.
It's a pity that the elegant and distinguished man in those days is now in rags and looks miserable.
Therefore, a person relies on his clothes and a horse relies on his saddle. No matter how good his temperament is, if he puts on dirty clothes, he will lose his temperament.
Cao Peng couldn't help but laugh, and as soon as he got off his horse, Zhao Yebai rushed forward.
"Brother, how could we end up in such a miserable state?"
Chen Qun's face was dirty and he smiled bitterly and said, "It's hard to explain in just one sentence."
The soldiers responsible for guarding Chen Qun's work were from Xiahou Dun's tribe. They knew Cao Peng, and they also heard that after his food and grass were robbed, this guy did not hesitate to block Liu Bei's camp in order to seek justice for his tribe. For a man
The generals who are willing to stand up for justice for their tribe are respected by the soldiers. Although Cao Peng is not very old, there are people in his family... It is said that he is a partner with Guo Ming Tinghou and the Protector General Cao Hong, and opened a casino in Luoyang
, Jin Jin fights for gold; he is also sworn brother with Cao Zhen, a son of Cao Cao's family, and one of the dignified Xiaobayi. Guo Jiaxunyou, the counselor around Cao Cao, seems to be very caring for this young man.
To value.
In addition, he was also the savior of Dian Wei, the general of the Tiger Guard.
His father is the supervisor of Zhuye in the Shaofu, and his brother-in-law is the magistrate of Haixi County... Nowadays, all the food and grass for Cao's army are provided by Haixi County.
Such status cannot be tolerated by the soldiers.
Two strong and powerful soldiers stepped forward and said, "I have seen Cao Sima, General Dian Lang, and General Xu Lang in my humble position."
"You are……"
"We are Hou Buqu of Gao'an Township."
The Marquis of Gao'an Township is Xiahou Dun.
In the second year of Xingping, Xiahou Dun became the prefect of Chenliu and was named General Jianwu and Marquis of Gao'an Township. In the first year of Jian'an, he moved to Yin, Henan, retaining the title of general and title.
Cao Peng heard this and did not dare to neglect it.
He knew that Xiahou Dun was also a very famous and powerful person in the Cao Wei Group.
At least for now, Xiahou Dun is more reused by Cao Cao than Cao Hong. Therefore, even if Cao Peng hooked up with Cao Hong, he would not dare to neglect Xiahou Dun's plot.
"This is Chen Qun and Chen Changwen, a famous scholar in Yingchuan. He is the grandson of Chen Shi in Yingchuan. How can you let him do such a vulgar thing?"
"ah?"
The two soldiers were startled when they heard this and looked towards Chen Qun.
All I saw was that Chen Qun was wearing a wrinkled gown, with his neck curled up and his hands in his sleeves. How could he look like a celebrity at all? Cao Peng glanced at Chen Qun and couldn't help but laugh. He and Dianman Xu Yi got off their horses and came to the rescue*
He put on his black body robe and put it on Chen Qun.
"I took this person away... Please tell the Marquis of Gao'an Township that there are many famous people in Xuzhou, please do an inventory.
Don't do anything that is disgraceful and cause trouble. By the way, in such a cold weather, prepare some hot porridge and water for them, so as not to ruin Sikong's reputation."
"Here!" the two soldiers responded quickly: "I'll tell the superior about this."
Cao Peng put his arm on Chen Qun's shoulder, chuckled, and said as he walked: "Okay, okay, brother, you too... If you don't tell me your name, how will they know who you are? Duke Cao is sending troops this time.
, there are too many things to worry about, you are just trying to save face and suffer the consequences."
Chen Qun snorted a few times and then smiled.
Dianman and Xu Yi followed behind. They were not familiar with Chen Qun, but they had heard of Chen Shi's name. Knowing that Chen Qun was Chen Shi's grandson, they couldn't help but feel awe. The two of them walked behind, and they didn't know what to do.
When they woke up, the group arrived outside the gate of the camp where Cao Hong was stationed.
"Cao Sima, general invites you!"
A black-clothed guard ran over and bowed in salute.
"Rhode, what are your orders, General?"
"It's not a big deal. Sikong sent an order and ordered us to besiege the inner city and not attack. So the general asked Cao Sima to discuss the matter of guarding."
This black body guard is Cao Hong's personal follower.
A native of Qiao County, he was once a tenant of the Cao family. Later, Cao Hong raised troops to support Cao Cao, and Rhodes followed Cao Hong. Thinking that there were a large number of local brave men, there are not many left now. Therefore, Cao Hong valued Rhodes very much.
Many things were arranged by Rhodes.
Cao Peng and Rhodes had a good relationship and had a personal friendship.
He nodded and said to Chen Qun: "Chang Wen, then I will ask you to rest in my tent first, drink some porridge water, take a hot bath, and change clothes. After I have finished discussing with the general, I will introduce you...
…With his long writing and great talent, he will surely be valued by Cao Sikong.”
Chen Qun said fiercely: "Add some dogwood to the porridge water."
Cornus officinalis, also known as Yuejiao, grows in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui areas, and is also known as Ai Zi. It has a fragrant taste and is not a genus of orchid and osmanthus. The fruit is very pungent and can be eaten. The stems and leaves can be used as medicine, and their functions are to warm the stomach and dry dampness. The leaves of Cornus officinalis can also be used for treatment.
For infectious diseases such as cholera, the roots can kill insects...
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was no such food as chili pepper, and people mostly used dogwood to enhance the flavor.
This plant is very common in Xuzhou. It mostly grows in ravines, beside streams or on humid hillsides. It can be seen everywhere outside Xiapi City.
So it is not difficult to find dogwood in Xiapi.
Cao Peng put his arm on Chen Qun's shoulder and couldn't help laughing: "Chang Wen, I think you're not too cold, otherwise you wouldn't have so many requests."
Chen Qun hummed twice and couldn't help but laugh!
Cao Peng asked Gan Ning to take Chen Qun back to the military tent to rest. Cao Peng and Dianman Xu Yi followed Rhodes and strode to Cao Hong's residence.
Cao Hong's camp was located at the east gate of the inner city.
This is also the residence of wealthy families in Xiapi. Cao Hong lives in the mansion of a local wealthy family. It covers a large area, with nine in and nine out.
There are horse stakes on both sides of the red lacquer gate, and there are guards on duty.
When Cao Peng arrived, he saw a chubby middle-aged man coming out. There was a flattering smile on his round face.
The middle-aged man saw Cao Peng and said hello quickly.
However, Cao Peng didn't pay attention to the other party. Instead, he looked directly over the middle-aged man's shoulder and stared at the two strong men behind him. One of them had obvious scars on his face, and he seemed familiar.
When the man passed by, he suddenly called out to him.
"May I have your name?"
Cao Peng looked at the strong man with scars on his face and asked in a deep voice.
A doorman at the door, who was also Cao Hong's subordinate, said quickly: "Cao Sima is asking you something, why don't you answer it quickly?"
It seems that this servant must have received a lot of benefits, and he pointed out Cao Peng's identity and official position in one sentence. He meant well, but he didn't expect that the strong man shivered, his eyes wandered, and he lowered his head.
, Nuonuo didn't speak, which made Cao Peng even more confused.
"Ah, the villain Zhou Yan..."
"I didn't ask you, shut up!"
Cao Peng's eyes widened, and Zhou Yan immediately dared not say anything.
The Cao Peng of today is not the Cao Peng who came out of Xudu back then.
After a year of training, he has traveled all over the country (Huainan has been there, Jiangdong has also been there). Especially after the Battle of Quyang, Cao Peng would inadvertently have a murderous spirit in his movements. That was not just one or two.
The temperament that can be condensed by one person, Cao Peng was in Quyang, and the Xiapi soldiers who died in his hands were not a hundred, but sixty or seventy. Most people cannot bear that kind of momentum.
"Villain..."
The scar-faced man spoke.
But before he could finish speaking, Cao Peng pointed at him and couldn't help but laugh.
"I remembered... I planned to take care of you later, but I didn't expect you to show up to me by yourself. Your surname is Zhou, right?"
Zhou Yan's heart suddenly skipped a beat and he looked at Cao Peng and then at the strong man behind him.
There is a saying that goes: Enemies never get together!
A year ago, Cao Peng and Chen Qun went to Guangling to take up their posts together. On the way, they stopped by Xuyi to visit Bu Zhi's aunt. They encountered a family member who asked about their debts. Cao Peng taught the other party a lesson at that time, and then took Bu Zhi's aunt and Bu Zhi with him.
Luan left Xuyi. Zhou Yan was Aunt Bu's cousin. Because of their clan brother Zhou Kui, they colluded with Song Guang, the then chief of Xuyi. Now, Song Guang died in the hands of Pan Zhang, and Zhou Kui became Gan
Ning's soul fell under the sword. The Zhou family lost a backer they could rely on, so they wanted to defect to Cao Hong.
Cao Peng waved his hand, "Take them down!"
"ah?"
Mending was stunned.
But he heard Rhodes shouting sternly: "I haven't heard Cao Sima's order to capture these rebels."
This thing is more vicious...
Although he didn't know how Zhou Yan offended Cao Peng, he knew that the relationship between Cao Peng and Cao Hong was definitely a stalemate.
Nowadays, the scale of Shengshi Casino is not small.
Almost attracted many wealthy families in Yingchuan...
At Cao Peng's suggestion, Cao Hong began to dilute his own shares and brought in his brother Cao Ren and Henan Yin Xiahoudun. After Cao Ren and Xiahoudun entered, Cao Hong's status increased accordingly. Not only did he move the capital to protect the general, but he also
He was named Guoming Tinghou. This was all thanks to Cao Peng, and Cao Hong's attitude toward Cao Peng became increasingly friendly... Not to mention, Cao Hong would get a bite from Cao Peng's father, Cao Ji, every three months.
Da Dao. But these relationships alone are enough to bring the two families closer.
Rhodes directly labeled Zhou Yan as a rebel, and whether he lived or died depended on Cao Peng's wishes.
"I'm not a rebel!"
Zhou Yan shouted loudly, but he saw more than a dozen elite soldiers swarming out from the gate, and they stepped forward and pushed the three of them to the ground. Zhou Yan still wanted to hold on to his injustice, so he heard slap bang bang, and a strong soldier stepped forward and slapped him a dozen times.
The beating made Zhou Yan's cheeks red and swollen, and his teeth were knocked out.
"Put it down!"
Cao Peng turned his head and glanced at Rhodes.
This guy is ruthless and winking enough...
"Afu, why did you come here?"
As soon as he entered the hall, Cao Hong waved to Cao Peng.
"Uncle, just now my nephew... met an enemy outside the house.
The guy may have just visited his uncle, but the nephew...the nephew has a maid, who is a relative of Zhou Yan. Because he was greedy for the property of his maid, mother and daughter, he almost forced her into prostitution. When the nephew saw those people, he was angry for a moment.
So we arrested them..."
"Zhou Yan?"
Cao Hong was startled and scratched his head.
"You're talking about Zhou Yan from the Xuyi Zhou family?"
"Exactly!"
Cao Hong heard this and waved his hand, "I don't think it's a big deal. He's just a Jia man from Xuyi. Now seeing Sikong occupying Xiapi, he wants to find someone to rely on. But since he offended his nephew, he just arrested him. It doesn't matter.
Things. Rhodes, the Zhou family will be confiscated another day."
Youdao is the county magistrate who destroys the family, and the magistrate who destroys the family.
Although Cao Hong was not a great leader, it was easy for him to kill a Jia man.
This kind of thing is really nothing in Cao Hong's eyes. Cao Peng arrested the person, but Cao Hong just killed the person's family!
But in this era, whoever has the power is the boss!
Who else would come out and make irresponsible remarks?
"Sikong gave an order to besiege the inner city, but not to attack... We men are stationed in the east city, so we can't let anything go wrong. I thought about it, and from today on, we must take strict precautions. The east gate of the inner city, except for the main entrance,
, and there are two side gates. I will garrison the center and besiege the main gate, and Afu, you will be responsible for guarding the south side gate. You and I will have two thousand soldiers and horses, pretending to be Sima, and there must be no mistakes."
Cao Peng couldn't help but be overjoyed when he heard this.
Just as he was worrying about how to save Lu Bu's family, Cao Hong handed over the pillow as soon as he dozed off.
Guarding one gate alone is enough for Cao Peng to gain sufficient convenience. There are three links that must be paid attention to in rescuing Lu Bu's family: First, Lu Bu must cooperate, which is not yet known; secondly, if he can act independently and guard one gate alone, he will be able to
The third point is to try to send people away. Cao Peng has also made a plan. The question now is, how to make Lu Bu cooperate with his actions?
This is also the most difficult thing to do among the three links.
However, Cao Peng is not in a hurry. As long as he can act independently, he can always find opportunities...
Cao Hong was very serious in military affairs.
After the assignment was completed, Cao Peng said: "Uncle, I received an inspection today and discovered a problem."
"what is the problem?"
"I saw a person who was driven into the street to clean up.
You also know that when Yuzhou was in turmoil, many local celebrities fled to Xuzhou and lived under Lu Bu's tent. The person I met today is one of the four chiefs of Yingchuan, Chen Qun, the grandson of Chen Shi. This man is outstandingly talented and knowledgeable.
, is a famous scholar in Yingchuan... I would like to ask my uncle to recommend this person to Sikong... In this way, it will be a wonderful thing for my uncle."
"Chen Qun?"
Cao Hong nodded, looking thoughtful.
"I have indeed heard of the name Chen Qun, but I didn't expect that he would fall to this level. In this case, I will speak up in front of the lord's account... Oh, when you mentioned this matter, I was almost
Forgot. Fengxiao asked you to go over and see him."
