Zhang Liao stood outside the tent for a long time before he heard Xu Rong's voice calling him in. He walked into the big tent and saw Xu Rong sitting alone in front of the fire, stretching out his hands to bake the fire, the fire was burning like a fragment of a piece of furniture, I don't know what kind of wood it was, emitting a rich aroma. The cold wind blew in from outside the tent, and the firelight swayed, illuminating Xu Rong's face flickering.

Zhang Liao stood in front of Xu Rong, not knowing what to say for a while. No matter how good the reason for his unauthorized retreat was, whether it was the direct cause of Duan Xuan's fiasco, in short, it violated military law. Xu Rong took the responsibility, gave him a chance to atone for his sins, and asked him to go to a duel with Sun Ce, but he came back empty-handed. How did he explain to Xu Rong, and how did Xu Rong explain to the generals of Xiliang?

"Sit down." Seeing that Zhang Liao hadn't moved for a long time, Xu Rong raised his head and glanced at Zhang Liao, his expression was very calm.

Zhang Liao sat down silently, his head bowed, and his hands on his thighs. The armor was cold, wet, and smelled of rust. was roasted by the fire, and it was a little hot. Xu Rong handed over a glass of wine, took out the short knife, cut a piece of meat, and handed it to Zhang Liao.

"I see that you kid is usually very smart, why are you so stupid this time?"

Zhang Liao held the wine glass in one hand and the meat in the other, looked at Xu Rong blankly, and suddenly understood, and his originally pale face suddenly turned red. "General, you...... Do you know that I can't take Sun Ce's head? ”

Xu Rong snorted: "I haven't seen Sun Ce, but I've seen Sun Jian." Sun Jian is known as a tiger, so brave and ruthless, Hua Xiong is a well-known brave general under Dong Gong's account, he was beheaded by Sun Jian, Sun Ce is Sun Jian's eldest son, if his martial arts are not good, can Sun Jian let him lead an army alone? ”

Zhang Liao was embarrassed.

"If there is a difference between Sun Ce and Sun Jian, it is that he is more cautious than Sun Jian. If Sun Jian had led the army to catch up, how would he have let you retreat calmly. Sun Ce only stayed in Licheng, young man, it is terrible to have such a heart. Wen Yuan, you are inferior to him. Xu Rong sighed. If my guess is correct, you duel with him this time, and that Huang Zhong is sweeping the formation, right? ”

Zhang Liao already understood what Xu Rong meant. Sun Ce's martial arts have always been very good, but he was only clumsy before, and it was part of the strategy. He and Sun Ce were not clear about the face-to-face battle, but Xu Rongyuan was a hundred miles away, but he was like a fire, and the gap was not a little bit. Understanding this meaning, he naturally knew that Xu Rong asked him to challenge not to expect him to kill Sun Ce, but to let him find a chance to slip away. As for his brother, Xu Rong will also find a way to let him go.

Zhang Liao was ashamed, but he didn't regret it. Even if he knew this before, he wouldn't run away.

"General, I don't know anything about it, and I want to ask the general for advice."

"Say."

"Why did the general go against the norm and break into Nanyang with light troops? Do you want to win by surprise, or do you have to do it out of necessity? ”

Xu Rong's thick eyebrows were slightly raised, and his eyes flashed. "What's wrong with me doing this?"

"The generals are so clever that I didn't dare to have any doubts." Zhang Liao put down the wine and meat, bowed down, and repeated Zhao Yan's words, in detail, without a word of concealment.

Xu Rong listened quietly and didn't say a word until Zhang Liao finished speaking, and then he said, "You came back just to ask about this?" ”

"Yes."

Xu Rong straightened his waist, spread his hands, and raised his white eyebrows. "Do you think I'm in danger right now?"

Zhang Liao was puzzled and didn't know what Xu Rong was talking about. Xu Rong laughed silently, his gray beard fluttered, and he wanted to say something, but the words came to his mouth and swallowed back. He took a sip of his wine. "Wenyuan, you have been in Yiluo for more than half a year, and you have seen Nanyang again, can you tell me the difference between the two places?"

Zhang Liao was confused, stared at Xu Rong for a long time, but still lowered his head and pondered. Xu Rong looked like he had a winning ticket in his hands, and it was not as dangerous as he thought it would be. He is an experienced and famous general, and the question is naturally not to solve the confusion, but to point him Zhang Liao. This is a rare opportunity, and he can't let it go so easily. He carefully recalled what he had seen and heard in Luoyang, and combined with his combat experience during this time, he was as cautious as an exam.

Xu Rong waited silently, the firelight shining on the slightly dark face, like iron casting.

Zhang Liao thought for a long time, but still shook his head, and said ashamedly: "General, Liao is stupid, I can't see too much difference. Both were flat valleys, mostly hilly, with waterways crisscrossing them, but not to the point where they were unfavorable to cavalry drives. There are mountains and passes all around, but they are not as dangerous as the four stops in the pass. The specialties are abundant, the folk customs are exaggerated, they are not tolerant of bitter cold, and it is difficult to produce elite soldiers. Luoyang is where the Beijing division is, Nanyang is the emperor's hometown, Haoqiang Tian is even Qianmo, and the people are not fully clothed and fed, which seems to be about the same. Although Wuguan Road is smoother than Hangu Road, but now Wuguan is under the control of Sun Ce, which is also very unfavorable to us, if we want to retreat, it is not as convenient as Hangu Road. ”

Xu Rong nodded, got up and took two maps. "Take it and see it."

Zhang Liao took the map, one was the map of the Division, and the other was the map of Nanyang County, he looked at it for a while, but he still didn't see any problems, so he had to raise his head and look at Xu Rong for help.

"General, I'...... Still don't understand. ”

Xu Rong smiled. "Actually, what you just said is good, there is no big difference between Nanyang and Luoyang, the terrain is similar, the population is similar, and the folk customs are the same, but there is a little difference, Luoyang is narrow, and Nanyang is wide. If the land is narrow, it will produce little and cannot be self-sufficient. If the land is large, it will produce more, and it will not only be able to provide for itself, but also raise soldiers. I think this should be the reason why Sun Ce went to great lengths to take Nanyang. As for us, you see, don't look at the Wuguan is not in our hands, but we only need to break through the two county towns, and the looting can solve the problem. ”

Zhang Liao woke up like a dream and nodded again and again.

"The generals are attacking the counties, there is the stimulation of the spoils, they are very attentive, within ten days, the counties are under the merger, we have enough military funds, and the people of Nanyang are shocked. Sun Ce's troops are insufficient, he didn't dare to come to challenge easily, and he just arrived in Nanyang, the people's hearts were not attached, we took the power of victory, attacked and advanced, Sun Ce had to retreat to Wancheng, which is stronger and which is weak, it is clear at a glance, the people of Nanyang are weak, seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and they will inevitably bow down to me. In less than three months, we will be able to surround Wancheng. At most, half a year, Nanyang will be owned by me. What do I have to worry about? ”

Zhang Liao was in awe. He savored it for a few moments, and suddenly realized a problem. Xu Rong said this, but he didn't actually answer his initial question.

"General, in this way, this is the general's intention, not a last resort?"

Xu Rong pondered for a long time, raised his head, and stared at Zhang Liao. "I am the general of Pingnan appointed by the imperial court, and it is the edict of the imperial court to send troops to conquer, and my task is to take Nanyang, and I don't care about other things. Wenyuan, the court is more dangerous than the battlefield, and Liangzhou Sanming is a precedent. Your talent belongs to the battlefield, not to the court, don't think about it, so as not to delay yourself. ”

Zhang Liao was awe-inspiring and bowed down to be taught.