Taibai Mountain is in the southwest of Wugong County, about 50 miles away from Weishui, east to Mangshui, west to the old road of Wudu County, the distance is also about the same. There are many plains and fertile soil within a radius of 50 miles, and there is no city fortress, and the original many people have been abandoned one after another, giving the people land to make a household for the country, so that the rebels can be backed by Taibai Mountain, gathering here, plundering, and gradually growing.

Let's say that Zhen was defeated and retreated to the west bank of Mangshui, checked the soldiers, and went to 30% out of 10, and there were about 400 people left. It was only at this time that he found out and understood that there were no less than 5,000 people who rebelled against Hu in person, and the backbone of them were Tu Ge and Xiongnu descendants, at least three or five hundred, who were quite combative.

If, as the sergeant said, wading across the Mangshui River and escaping westward, of course, it can ensure temporary peace, but Xukuo County has long been abandoned, and the remaining ruins may not be able to play any protective role. So what about escaping to Juxian in one go, or going around in a circle to go north to martial arts? He, General Zhen, can't afford to lose that person......

So he resolutely refused to retreat, and encouraged the soldiers: "Do you think that the master has never been defeated? That was after following Da Sima, before that, the old man had suffered two defeats in three days, and he was afraid that he had eaten more than you and the others! What's so terrible about losing a battle? The old man was only defeated after being defeated by the enemy for a while, and now that he has learned to be cautious, he will naturally not lose again!

"And although there are many rebels, they are all different, the elite is only three hundred, and the rest are mostly old and weak, as long as the command is good, how can there be any reason to be defeated again? I am a dignified national general, and you are also a regular soldier of the Great Sima Army, there is still something to say about a defeat, and there is no excuse for another defeat - the master might as well kill you and others first, and then kill yourself with a horizontal sword! ”

Assign soldiers to form a formation against the enemy. The rebel Hu chased after him, surrounded the Jin soldiers on three sides, and attacked repeatedly, but he couldn't overcome it, but was used by Zhen Sui to cover the night and set up the camp, and even dug several trenches. The next day, the Jin army was well-organized and well-armed, and it may not be able to win the battle, but it will not fall behind; And once the pressure was too great, or the soldiers were tired, Zhen Sui personally launched a surprise attack with more than a dozen brave soldiers, and every time they came back covered in blood—most of them were the blood of the enemy.

Gradually, the rebellious and bold gradually lost their courage, and they did not dare to storm the Jin camp again, and once they found that Zhen Sui was prominent, they would inevitably take the initiative to open the way, and no one dared to attack his edge......

After defending it for three days in this way, more than 600 martial arts auxiliary soldiers arrived and formed in the north of it, echoing each other from afar. On another day, 400 auxiliary soldiers from Juxian County also arrived, and Zhen Sui took the opportunity to launch a counterattack, defeated the rebel Hu, and ambushed the corpse for more than ten miles.

However, the rebel Hu once again escaped into the Taibai Mountains and scattered and hidden. Zhen followed the pursuit to the foot of the mountain, this time he didn't dare to hold on to it anymore, first looked for the locals, inquired in detail about the nearby geographical conditions, and then wrote to Chang'an, saying that there were still about 3,000 remnants of the enemy, and they were guarding by the mountain, and I couldn't figure out how much food they still had...... For today's plan, we can only send more soldiers and horses, and with 2,000 regular soldiers, we can go into the mountains to eliminate them - it is estimated that it will be more troublesome if there are fewer people.

In fact, since the battle, this is the first time that Zhen Sui has asked for reinforcements from the rear, and it is also the first time that he has reported the battle situation to Chang'an City - when Fang was defeated, he was afraid of being ridiculed by his colleagues and did not dare to report it directly. However, in the internal battle, there are eyeliners everywhere, and someone has already sent the news back - otherwise Wugong and Juxian would not have sent troops - the generals in Chang'an City heard the news, except for Tao Kan, all seemed to be worried but happy, and they could even drink three more glasses of wine after returning home.

- This barbarian, he can be regarded as a heel!

But it's also interesting to say, before the generals complained a lot about Zhen Sui, and even prayed in secret, asking God to let that barbarian suffer a big defeat. However, when Zhen Suizhen was defeated, few people said: "This defeat is not enough, come on, continue!" On the contrary, the disgust towards Zhen Sui has generally decreased.

The generals asked Tao Kan for his life and wanted to send troops to reinforce Zhen Sui - who is willing to be a descendant of such a good thing as saving the barbarian who has been hard to find for many years? Tao Kan passed the generals, and only ordered his nephew Tao Zhen to lead 2,000 people to help.

- Tao Kan summoned his sons and nephews from Jiangnan to the north, and originally didn't plan to let them go out, but after Pei Gai and Pei Wei's repeated persuasion, he finally had to sacrifice his two nephews, Tao Zhen and Tao Yu. He said: "Except for Daozhen (Tao Zhan), all the sons are mediocre, and only the two nephews have courage and strategy, or can do anything. ”

Tao Kan's idea, when Zhen Sui was deflated, sent the generals to lead the troops to reinforce? You are happy and peaceful, Zhen Sui still has to hate the bone marrow? This is not conducive to the harmony between the generals. It's better to send Tao Zhen, who has just joined the army as a general, it is impossible for Zhen Manzi to hate the junior, the most unfortunate, let him hate me, I don't care.

Let's say that Zhen followed Fang to break the rebellion, and it was less than half a day before the official document asking for help was sent away, Tao Zhen arrived, so he joined forces to go into the mountains to suppress the bandits. At that time, Pei returned south from Jinyang, went to Pingyang and received the news of Zhen's defeat, and was shocked at first, and after asking about the situation in detail, he was slightly relieved.

The barbarian who dared to love only led 600 people to go, but it was just a small setback, and it didn't matter about the overall situation.

If Zhen Sui suffered a big defeat and the whole division of 600 people was wiped out, or tens of thousands of soldiers were also defeated, it is estimated that the rebellion against Hu will be difficult to control, and he is afraid that he will advance eastward to threaten Chang'an. And since it's only a small defeat, he's not in a hurry,

A few days later, when he arrived in Wenxi, he stayed in the county for three more days, and then returned home to meet his clansmen and pay homage to Pei Bai. Immediately, on Pei Bai's side, the elders of the clan were banqueted—Wenxi County ordered Pei Tong to also sit—Pei Tong, the elder who was temporarily acting as the patriarch, got up to toast, and wrote a poem, saying:

"This cypress is a thousand years old, and the roots are connected to the earth's veins. Ye Ziting is like a cover, and the branches are like dragons. Insects and birds cannot be damaged, and they can kill the crowd. One shake up four desolations, return to sing the wind. ”

When Pei Gai listened to this poem, he couldn't help but turn his face slightly and squint at Pei Tong. Pei Tong hurriedly raised his eyebrows, his mouth was full, and his hands were spread, which means: Brother, this is really not what I taught......

Pei Gai immediately reminded Pei Tong: "My lord, if the words of 'strong wind' are like 'strong winds', how can they be taken lightly? ”

On the surface, this poem is chanting Pei Bai, but in fact, it is a metaphor for the cypress tree, and it is not enough to praise Pei Gai, but the ending sentence "Returning to sing the wind" is clearly compared to Pei Gai to Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty. To be a minister and an emperor, this has to be shelved in the Ming and Qing dynasties, I am afraid it will be difficult to escape the guilt, there are not so many taboos in these years, but it is still not suitable.

If this poem comes from Pei Tong's mouth, it is estimated that Pei Gai would have scolded him in person, Pei Tong is an elder after all, just like Pei Gai's grandfather, so his tone is slightly more euphemistic.

Pei Tong relied on his old age and high seniority, but he refused to retreat, still holding a wine cup, and said to Pei Gai with a smile: "But in terms of merit, why is Da Sima inferior to Hanzu?" The world is in turmoil, the people of Li are devastated, if it is not for the great Sima, that is, I Pei Bai will not be mao, and the children will succumb to Hulu, Pei's is the same, and it is not for others. The old age will do what he wants, even if there is a transgression, he will also be sincere, and the great Sima will not be guilty. ”

Pei Gai smiled: "The world has not yet been decided, the thieves are still in Hebei, adults should not dare to accept this, and they should not dare to receive this wine." ”

Pei Tonggu invited and said: "Da Sima has restored Jinyang and annihilated Hulu, and this is still broken." Although there are Peng Yue, Di Bu, Chen Xuan, and Zang Di, they will not be troubled in the end, and they will be awarded. The old decay of this wine, not self-respecting Sima, but for the Pei family, on the great Sima longevity. I also hope that the great Sima Bebutan will be willing to invite you to drink. ”

The meaning of the words is that not only the old man himself, but the people of our whole clan are looking forward to you being Liu Bang!

Pei Tong also advised: "The will of the elders cannot be violated, and the wine of the elders cannot be resigned, please drink it to the public." ”

Pei Gai had no choice but to take the wine cup, but first moved in the southeast direction, and then drank it in three sips. The main thing is that there are no outsiders next to him, and he really doesn't need to deliberately clear up in front of his fellow clansmen, but first salute the direction of Luoyang, to show: I still respect the Jin family, and the words of the public are still here.

On the evening of the same day, staying in the county, Pei Cai specially called Pei Tong over.

In Chang'an before, many civil servants and generals led by Pei Wei were openly or secretly instigating Pei Gai to go further, and even began to plan and pave the way. But Tao Kan's attitude has always been ambiguous, which makes Pei Gai still hesitate - is the time really coming? Do I have to take that last step?

Pei Gai, whose soul comes from later generations, has a bad feeling about the innate existence of imperial power, and he has also considered whether he can use his power to completely solve the cyclical rate of changing dynasties, or even change the imperial system to a republic? On the one hand, historical development has its own regularity, and it is impossible to make an instant leap by relying on one or two saints; On the other hand, through the in-depth exploration and understanding of this era, Pei Gai also knew that for himself, the abolition of the imperial system was an impossible task.

If we are forced to push forward the earth-shaking reform of the entire society, at the very least, the people's hearts will be distorted, which may lead to the death of the people, and at the worst, it is very likely to set off a new round of turmoil......

Based on this ambivalence, he was not as good as Pei Wei hoped for, and he also fought for the throne, and planned to adapt to the times. If you are forced by the times, I am afraid that you will not be able to get it if you want to go in - such as Wang Mang before; But if the situation is not right, it is enough to take it by force - such as Yuan Xiangcheng after that.

However, today on Pei Bai's side, Pei Tong spoke collectively on behalf of the entire Pei family, and although his words were gentle, it was as if he was whipping Pei Gai on the back and forcing him forward. Pei Cai's heart turned upside down, if he held his stomach, no one could confide in him, it was really unbearable, thinking about it, I might as well talk to Xingzhi and say, spit out the bitter water.

Pei Tong Pei Xingzhi can be said to be the first family man Pei Cai saw after Pei Cai came to this world - women naturally took Concubine Pei first, and then saw another aunt in Jiangnan, Weimen Pei; As for Pei Si and Pei Chang's father and son, they are too sparse in blood and have no feeling - in the past, when they talked in Linhuai, there was still a little bit of goods in the young belly. And now that Pei Tong is released as the Wenxi County Order, he naturally has less contact with Guanzhong Zhu Pei, and it is possible that they are not completely of the same mind with Pei Wei, and he doesn't seem to have to worry, that kid secretly reported his thoughts to Pei Wei in a blink of an eye......

Pei Caichun summoned Pei Tong at night, first asked about the situation in Wenxi County, and then expressed his intention to bring Pei Tong back to Chang'an - "Qing is from his native country and is the county order, which is really an expedient measure, and he cannot serve for a long time, so as not to be slandered." ”

Pei Tong replied: "All the things in the county have been gradually straightened out, and by the latest next spring, you will be able to live up to the trust of the Ming Gong - please also ask for the next year." ”

Pei Gai nodded, and then smiled: "This is not a public party, my brother is talking, why do you call it so?" But as in the past, when I was in Linhuai, I was called a brother. ”

Pei Tong took the opportunity to follow Pei Gai's words and look back on the past: "Brother Nang was ordered to send an envoy to Xu Fang, and when he saw his brother in Linhuai, he hoped that his brother could 'shake the world', but now the great cause built by Brother Ah is not just the word 'shake'?" Half of the world is in the hands of the elder brother, and in time, the other half will not be able to escape, and it should be all owned by the elder brother......"

Pei Gai Zhengse said: "The world, the world of the world, what is the name of me?" ”

Pei Tong climbed up the pole: "Brother also knows that the world is the world of the world, so why don't you refuse to obey the expectations of the people of the world?" ”

Pei Caixin said that you are simply going to want to pierce the window paper. He held back his words, but he felt that he couldn't talk about it, so he had to talk about him for the time being: "I have left Chang'an, and I have correspondence with my father, uncle, and brothers?" ”

Pei Tong replied: "I have my own letters, and I talk a lot about things in the clan." As he spoke, he grinned: "My father still wants to reset the property in Wenxi, in order to return to his hometown, but what he sees is very shallow, not as much as Uncle Wen Ji." Without waiting for Pei Cai to react—or laughing at Pei Cui with him, or reproaching him for not speaking ill of his father behind his back—he hurriedly said: "What kind of plan did my father, uncle and brothers make, although the foolish brother did not participate, he also knew in his heart. ”

First of all, no matter what they are doing, it doesn't matter to me, I'm an honest person; Later, he euphemistically explained that the big guys all hope that the thirteenth brother can go further, Guanzhong Zhi Pei is like this, Wen Xi Pei is also like this, deep in my heart, that is naturally in favor of it.

Pei Cai couldn't help laughing: "Xingzhi's beard is getting longer, and his tongue is gradually capable, which is worthy of Qing's words." ”

Pei Tong himself, this word "line" is not only the meaning of walking, but also can refer to diplomatic acts - the ancient diplomat, that is, the name of "pedestrian" - so Pei Cai said, you are more and more able to speak, you have the potential of a diplomat.

Pei Tong shook his head and said, "How do you know how to break the bottle, and how to do it?" That is, in front of the elder brother, he did not know how to speak, so that he could discern the elder brother's intentions and think that the elder brother shared his worries. ”

Pei Caixin said in his heart, you can't say it yet, your few words are about to tick out all the thoughts in my heart...... Lowered his head, thought for a moment, and said, "I wonder if the virtuous brother has ever read history books?" The past history is a lesson for today, and it is necessary to study it deeply. Now it is a discussion of history with his younger brother, the practice of the emperor of the former Han Gao, and the first to kill the righteous emperor for Xiang Yu......"

The implication is that after the death of Qin, the co-owner of the world should have been Emperor Chu Yi, and Xiang Yu killed Emperor Yi first, resulting in the world being ownerless, so Liu Bang was willing to ascend the throne in Luoyang. If there is still a Lord today, do you want me to take it by force?

Before the words fell, Pei Tong followed closely with the previous sentence: "However, the day when Guangwu practiced Zuo in the past, it was still there!" ”

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