"Zhou Hu wants my army to exchange one hundred and fifty carts of grain for Ju Sheng and more than five hundred prisoners?"

Around the end of the day, the rebel general Liu De learned of this incident, and even personally interrogated the ten prisoners released by Kunyang.

Under his questioning, the ten captives all said: "Yes, according to a leader in a 'black scarf', as long as my righteous teacher agrees to exchange one hundred and fifty carts of grain, they will promise to release Juqu and our five hundred brothers. ”

Liu De was silent when he heard this.

After a long time, he nodded and said: "Okay, I know about this matter, but this matter is very important, although Liu also hopes to exchange Ju Sheng and the more than 500 soldiers, but this matter needs to be reported to Guan Shuai, and it is up to him to decide." …… You go down and rest, and I'll arrange a lodging for you." ”

"Thank you, General."

The ten rebels who escaped from Ascension quickly clasped their fists in thanks.

After these people left, Liu De turned his head and instructed the guards beside him: "Immediately report this matter to Guan Shuai." In addition, the ten people just now, send someone to watch them and put them in custody, so that they don't have contact with the soldiers. ”

"Yes!"

His two henchmen clasped their fists and turned their heads and walked out of the tent.

About half an hour later, the guards sent by Liu De came to Guan Shuo and Chen Miao's main camp and informed Qu Shuai Guan Shuo of the incident.

After hearing this, Chen Miao said in surprise: "That Zhou Hu actually used those captives to negotiate with us, could it be that Kunyang's grain and grass have been exhausted?" ”

"......" Guan Shuo frowned deeply.

He couldn't take Chen Miao's words.

If Kunyang's food has indeed run out, then he really has to thank God.

Naturally, it became increasingly impossible for him to exchange food for his captured soldiers.

Yes, in general, as a besieging party that has besieged and helped Kunyang, he will not agree to such conditions.

After all, his purpose is to besiege Kunyang, and to make Kunyang run out of water and food, how can he exchange grain for his own captured soldiers and make such a 'capital enemy' behavior?

One hundred and fifty carts of grain, which is not a small amount.

Usually, a grain truck can generally transport ten stone rice, which can make about 900 people eat for a day and five people for half a year.

Zhou Hu's proposal to exchange 'five captives for a cart of grain' is undeniably a bit dark, but from a secular point of view, it is not unacceptable - isn't the lives of the five soldiers worth half a year's rations?

But today, under the siege of Kunyang County, Guan Shuo is difficult to accept.

After all, the total amount is one hundred and fifty carts of grain, which is equivalent to feeding 10,000 people for thirteen and a half days, nearly half a month.

He couldn't wait for Kunyang to run out of food immediately, how could he give Kunyang this batch of grain for nothing?

Especially now that it is early October, if you give Kunyang more grain, it will be more and more likely that the opposite side will last until November, and when it snows heavily, it will become more and more impossible for him to conquer Kunyang.

But the problem is that if he doesn't agree and refuses to negotiate with Zhou Hu on the other side, once the news of this matter gets out, the morale of his army will inevitably be seriously affected - as for the captured Ju Sheng and the more than 500 soldiers, it is needless to say.

"That Zhou Hu, it really gave us a problem."

Chen Miao said with emotion.

Listening to Chen Miao's words, Guan Shuo frowned and paced back and forth in the grass shed, weighing the benefits and disadvantages.

After a long time, he ordered in a deep voice: "Order Liu De and tell him to block the news." ”

“……”

Chen Miao turned his head to look at Guan Shuo, his brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Because he can understand the dilemma in Guan Shuo's heart at the moment.

He knew that Guan Shuo didn't want to exchange Ju Sheng and the more than 500 captured soldiers - maybe he didn't care about this bit of troops, but he only needed to consider whether this matter would affect the morale of the army - but at this critical moment, Guan Shuo could never 'fund' Kunyang food to help Kunyang County continue to fight.

Under such circumstances, Guan Shuo could only give up the captured soldiers and instruct Liu De to command the news, just as if they had never received the news sent by Zhou Hu, as if Ju Sheng and more than 500 soldiers had died in Kunyang County.

This decision is based on the big picture.

Around noon, Liu De received the news from Guan Shuo, and immediately ordered his henchmen to say: "Secretly execute the ten soldiers who were released by Kunyang, and don't alarm the soldiers in the camp." ”

Someone on the left or right asked: "General, what about Ju Sheng Juqu?" ”

Liu De was silent.

I have to say that the one who can become a qu general is undoubtedly a capable person, and Liu De naturally feels sorry for having to sacrifice a qu general for the sake of the overall situation.

But this does not mean that he will disobey Qu Shuai's orders, after all, he also feels that he will not act as a 'capital enemy' because of Ju Sheng and the more than 500 captives.

Seeing that he was silent, someone left and right said: "Why don't you change back to Ju Qu Jiang alone?" ”

Liu De's heart moved slightly, but he quickly threw this thought to the back of his mind.

Replace Ju Sheng alone and give up the remaining 500 captured soldiers? What if Ju Sheng says the wrong thing in the future?

Thinking of Ju Sheng's 'disobedience and disrespect' behavior when he commanded the attack on the southern city wall, Liu De thought about it and still felt that it was better not to do superfluous things.

Thinking of this, Liu De said in a deep voice: "Since Guan Shuai has given an order, then act according to Guan Shuai's order!" ”

"Yes!"

Left and right immediately didn't dare to say more.

At the same time, in Kunyang County, Li Xu, the county magistrate, had also received a message from the county magistrate, and learned that Zhao Yu had ordered the release of ten prisoners, and intended to use Ju Sheng to negotiate with the more than 500 captives and the rebels, so he hurriedly came to Zhao Yu to ask the reason.

Facing Li Xu, who came in a hurry, Zhao Yu admitted the incident and said with a smile: "This move is purely to block Guan Shuo, and by the way, it will hit the morale of the rebels......

Li Xu is not stupid, after Zhao Yu said this, he immediately understood, and said worriedly: "What if Guan Shuo agrees?" ”

"That's fine."

Zhao Yu spread his hands and said with a smile: "These more than 500 captives, we can't support them, even Chen Mo said that he would put them to death before, and now, in exchange for one hundred and fifty carts of grain with these people, we won't suffer." ”

"Having said that......" Li Xu still felt that Zhao Yu's 'bandit utilitarian thinking' was difficult to accept.

As a party of the Jin Kingdom, they can only fight the rebels to the end, how can they negotiate with the rebels?

In this regard, Zhao Yu said with a smile: "Li Xiancheng, please rest assured, it's just a Qu general and a mere five hundred rebel soldiers, we have removed their armor, even if we let them go back, what can we do?" With these more than 500 people in exchange for 150 carts of grain and grass, our grain is already more abundant. Even, maybe he can deceive Guan Shuo and make him mistakenly think that my Kunyang grain and grass are approaching, which is a plan to kill three birds with one stone. ”

"Okay."

Li Xu smiled bitterly and was convinced.

He must believe that it is Zhou Hu's 'bandit utilitarian thinking' that is one of the main reasons why he has stuck to Kunyang to this day.

However, the rebels were slow to reply.

When it was approaching dusk, Le Gui, the guard of the north city gate, suddenly received a message from the county guard: "Le Benmu, the captives in the city are making a fuss." ”

"What?" Le Gui was shocked, and hurriedly led a team of black tiger thieves down the city gate tower and came to the place where the prisoners were held.

At this time, he learned that it turned out that the captured rebel soldiers had not returned for a long time, and Kunyang had not given them food, and under the starvation, some of them began to curse, scolding the county guards and the black tiger thieves for deceiving them.

When Le Gui arrived, more than a dozen black tiger thieves were punching and kicking several captives.

"What's going on?!"

Le Gui frowned and shouted.

After he stopped, the dozen or so black tiger thieves stopped, and one of them explained to Le Gui: "These guys, saying that we deceived them, seem to have let those ten people go to deliver the news, but secretly killed them, so as to deceive this group of captives...... I didn't want to pay attention to it, but these guys didn't have clean mouths, so the brothers dragged them out and taught them a lesson. ”

Le Gui suddenly realized, sneered and said to the group of captives with different looks: "Don't be self-righteous, do you think you people are worth our attention?" When I released those ten people, you also saw it, don't say anything about intercepting and killing halfway, the brigade wolf of our brigade camp has already been recalled to the city, and has not been out of the city for several nights, how can there be any people from my Kunyang outside the city? It seems to me that either the ten men fled on their own, or your general refused to exchange the food for your captives, and quietly killed the ten men who told the news......"

"Impossible!"

One of the captives categorically denied it.

But many more of the captives looked panicked, fearing that their general would abandon them.

Le Gui sneered and glanced at the group of captives, then turned to several black tiger thieves and said, "Go and tell the big leader, let's just say that so far, the rebels have not responded, see how the big leader disposes of this group of prisoners......"

Before the words fell, a black tiger thief from the side said, "If you want me to say, you can kill them, and keep them to occupy the space." ”

"Stop talking nonsense, go and tell me!" Le Gui scolded.

A moment later, Zhao Yu received a message sent by Le Gui.

At this time, Zhao Yu was having dinner with Jingnu and Niu Heng, and after learning the news, he sneered faintly: "Sure enough." …… It seems that Guan Shuo secretly executed the ten soldiers. ”

Speaking of this, he summoned a black tiger thief and ordered, "Bring that Ju Sheng." ”

"Yes!"

Under Zhao Yu's order, Ju Sheng was once again taken to the Black Tiger Lodge by several Black Tiger thieves.

Zhao Yu didn't talk nonsense, looked at Ju Sheng and said in a regretful tone: "I just received the news from the North City Gate, so far, we have not received any response from your army about the 'prisoner exchange'......"

“……”

Ju Sheng was silent when he heard this.

Seeing this, Zhao Yu asked in surprise, "You don't seem surprised?" Why? Can you tell me about Zhou? ”

Ju Sheng smiled bitterly, looked up at Zhao Yu, who was sitting on the main seat, and said calmly: "Why does Chief Zhou ask knowingly? You knew from the beginning that I was a righteous teacher...... will not agree to the request of the leader of Zhou, the so-called 'exchange of food for prisoners' is just to take the opportunity to undermine the morale of our rebel army...... Obviously, Guan Shuai and the generals saw through the intentions of the Zhou leader and gave the ten soldiers to ...... Privately executed. ”

"Haha."

Zhao Yu chuckled, looked Ju Sheng up and down with appreciative eyes, nodded and praised: "Smart!" is worthy of being a Qu general in charge of 2,000 soldiers...... I'll just tell you why you didn't say a word at the time, it seems that you already knew what happened to your group. …… How, it turns out that your guess is correct, disappointed? ”

“……”

Ju Sheng didn't say a word, his eyes looked at the plank under his feet, but his expression inevitably showed a little loneliness.

Think about it, how can you not be disappointed and despair when you are abandoned by your own people?

Seeing this, Zhao Yu stood up, slowly approached Ju Sheng, stretched out his right hand to him, and asked in a steady voice: "Since you have already guessed Zhou's intentions, you must also guess that Zhou not only wants to hit the morale of your righteous teacher, but also make your group of people die for the righteous teacher outside the city." …… How about it, do you want to switch to Zhou? ”

“……”

Ju Sheng looked at Zhao Yu with a little surprise, frowned and said, "Leader Zhou is really bold...... Aren't you afraid to surrender and betray you? ”

"Haha."

Zhao Yu smiled and said in an exaggerated tone: "Are you saying that you want to betray the only person who accepted you when you were desperate, to help those who abandoned you and deliberately drove you to a dead end?" ”

"......" Ju Sheng's eyes flickered unconsciously.

"Allow me...... Think about it. ”

"No problem."