(Thank you for the tip from the mysterious person, and why is it so obedient to leave a message for support.) ）

On the banquet hall, Pengcheng's new Gong Cao, the county governor Shi, etc., were waiting for the envoy on the side, after the people arrived, Tao Ying wanted to invite the envoy to the banquet, and the messenger was busy saying: "Thank you for the kindness of the second son, but I have official business, public and then private!" ”

After speaking, the messenger took out the bill and began to read it, which was written on the amount of grain and grass sent and the winter utensils that Tao had requested for the winter. At the same time, the messenger brought the soldiers' salaries.

Tao Ying asked people to count the supplies after it was almost dusk, the slaves also called it a day, night gradually came, Tao Ying asked Xu Sheng to put the soldiers' salaries into the built treasury, and asked Wu Dun to escort the grain and grass to the grain depot built in the north of the city.

Seeing that Tao Ying had built a large grain depot nearly ten miles away in just one month, the envoy was also very surprised, and then silently wrote it down.

After everything was handed over, Tao Ying once again hosted a banquet for the envoy in the house. Above the feast, the whole hall illuminated by candlelight was like daylight, and the hall was flanked by small tables with delicacies on the tables, and there were special people next to them to make wine for each official. After a few glasses of wine, the envoy also began to test Tao Ying's mouth.

"The second son is really a celestial man, and it is really happy to lead the troops to defeat the Cao thief several times!"

"Thanks to the lives of all the soldiers, what credit do I have?"

Tao Ying responded from the side, and the envoy's face was slightly red, as if he was overwhelmed by alcohol.

"Childe, when the lower official arrived, Lord Assassin Shi asked me to urge the second prince to send troops to Tan County quickly, Tan County is now surrounded by Cao Cao's army on all sides and is in danger, I don't know what the second son means?"

The envoy urged Tao Ying to send troops again, this is the third time that the envoy came to urge, Tao Ying persuaded the envoy to drink a glass of wine and replied: "Don't tell you, you also see that my Pengcheng is in ruins, I can only wave my army north after I rectify the defense of Pengcheng, and after you go back, I will send troops within ten days!" ”

The messenger nodded hurriedly and smiled: "This is very good, this is very good!" The second son, Lord Assassin Shi also ordered the lower officials to escort Yu Ban and other thieves back to Xiapi, I don't know what the second son means? ”

As soon as he heard that the envoy was going to take Yu Ban away, Tao Ying was a little anxious in his heart, it seemed that Xuzhou was still unwilling to watch Yu Ban live. But now, how could he watch Yu Ban die?

So after thinking about it for a while, Tao Ying hurriedly replied: "Yu Ban Pifu should be sent to Xiapi, but I have already asked people to build three prisoner cars, and ten days later, I will take them to Tan County together in the prison car." I vow to load Cao Cao Pifu and Cao Ren Pifu into the prisoner car and escort them back to Xiapi together! ”

The envoy nodded, and the officials persuaded the envoy to drink more, and the envoy secretly said to Tao Ying: "The official business has been completed, and the lower official is entrusted by his friends, and there is something I want to ask the second son, and the second son should not blame after hearing it!" ”

Tao Ying smiled and asked him to say directly, and the envoy pretended to hesitate and said: "The second son doesn't know, the second son of Xia Picheng has a very high voice, and the people are eager for the second son to enter Xuzhou as soon as possible, and lead the people of Xuzhou to repel the Cao thief and strengthen Xuzhou, I don't know if the son is interested?" ”

As soon as he heard that Picheng himself was already the desire of the people, Tao Ying was overjoyed, and sure enough, after Cao Cao withdrew from Xuzhou, after Tao Qian died, he was still very hopeful to succeed to the position of Xuzhou Assassin History, and the people were willing to follow, and they were determined to reform, and Xuzhou would not be unique in the Han Dynasty a few years later?

Just when Tao Ying wanted to answer happily, Chen Deng next to him suddenly kicked the table next to him to the ground. The envoy looked at Chen Deng with some puzzlement, and Tao Ying also looked at Chen Deng with some surprise, this wine is not high, could it be that Chen Deng drank too much? You can't be so ashamed in front of the messenger!

How do you know that Chen Deng pointed to the messenger and scolded: "Bold puppet, who are you entrusted with?" Is my lord such a villain? My lord was ordered by the sky to protect Xuzhou, and now the Lord of the Assassin is still there, and Ru'an dares to put this ominous words? ”

The envoy hurriedly knelt on the ground and said: "The lower officials are more talkative, the lower officials are more talkative, the lower officials just see that the people want to come to Pengcheng to seek refuge in the second son, and the lower officials are also sincere!" ”

Tao Ying hurriedly grabbed Chen Dengzhi's hand and said, "If you have something to say, I don't think he has bad intentions." ”

Chen Deng threw up his sleeves and sat back, and Tao Ying hurriedly went to help the messenger up. After all, the generals next to him are all people who have followed Tao Qian to fight in the south and the north, how can they not know about this envoy?

So a group of generals all stood up and said, "Please start attacking Tan County tomorrow!" ”

Chen Deng also brushed his sleeves and said: "My lord is entrenched in Pengcheng is not a plot to do wrong, just because this Pengcheng is already a ruin, and my lord can't bear the trouble of Xuzhou, so he stopped and waited for the grain and grass to arrive and immediately waved north." Thou shalt go back and tell thy lord that tomorrow my lord will lead his troops north! ”

After Chen Deng finished speaking, he brushed his sleeves and left, and the rest of the generals look at me, I will look at you, and please also order troops to send to Tan County. Tao Ying was a little unhappy in his heart, he had already said that he would not be able to fight for the time being, why did he suddenly change it today?

But seeing that everyone was so united, only Xiaoguan County ordered Xu Sheng to sit alone on the side of the small case and was silent, Tao Ying could only agree: "I don't know why I angered Juncheng today, I am here to make amends, you don't have to blame." You must be tired from afar, it's better to rest for a while, I will immediately set up troops north to Tanxian tomorrow, and you can go back to Xiapi tomorrow to let my father rest assured! ”

Seeing this, the envoy hurriedly said: "Since the second prince will leave tomorrow, it is inconvenient for the lower official to disturb today, so he will leave, and the lower official will also rush back to reply to the decree!" ”

After saying that, the envoy also left with a black face, Tao Ying hurriedly stood up and accompanied the envoy towards the outside of the city, and Xu Sheng also hurriedly got up and followed. Sending the messenger outside the city, Tao Ying stretched out his hand and stuffed a piece of silver into the messenger's hand, the messenger wanted to refuse, Tao Ying said: "Brothers come from afar, this chat shows respect!" ”

After speaking, he patted the messenger on the shoulder, and the messenger put it away gratefully.

Back in the hall again, Chen Deng had already returned. Tao Ying said with a dark face: "Chen Deng, what do you mean today?" ”

Listening to the implication of the envoy's words, there must be a family in Xiapicheng who is willing to support him to enter Xuzhou, and such a backer is naturally one more power, but Chen Deng just stirred up his own situation, can't he allow other clans to support him?

Chen Deng said: "Lord, there is nothing wrong with the lower officials. The messenger is the person of the eldest prince, although the people in Xiapi City support the lord, but the big family wants to protect the eldest prince's position in the history of assassination. The lord did not go north to attack Cao Cao, but turned west to capture Pengcheng, presumably the eldest prince had doubts about the lord, and this messenger was testing the lord! ”

After Chen Deng finished speaking, Tao Ying asked in disbelief: "How can you see it?" ”

Chen Deng pointed to the generals and said: "This person is a member of the Cao family, but the Cao family and the eldest prince are in-laws, not to mention that Cao Bao is leading troops to garrison Tan County, how can the lord not know it!" ”

Tao Ying looked at the generals, and the generals all nodded yes. Tao Ying sighed, deceiving me, it seemed that he was getting more and more unaccustomed to it.

The next morning, it was unusually cold, and it seemed that there was a tendency to snow. Tao Ying led 5,000 troops to support the Tanxian battlefield. Chen Deng came to see him off, and when he was leaving, Tao Ying looked at Pengcheng, which was still under construction, and said: "I don't know when I will be able to come back after I leave, and I don't know if Tan County can hold it, Yuanlong will definitely protect the granary in this winter." Also, remember to build the house, and after the forest is cut down, the roots must be cut out, and the land can be planted the next year. And those weapons that are not used, let the captives who can strike iron be beaten into agricultural tools! ”

Tao Ying explained sentence by sentence, and Wu Dun rode back in front of him to say: "Your Excellency, my lord has led the troops to wait in Wuyuan, and my lord has sent me to tell you!" ”

Tao Ying asked, "How many troops does Zang Taishou lead?" Who stays behind in Xiaopei? ”

Wu Dun replied again: "Sun Guan's brother Sun Kang led 3,000 troops to garrison Xiaopei, and my lord led 5,000 troops to Wuyuan. Tao Ying nodded, since Zang Ba had already led the troops to set off, there was no need for him to waste military food with so many military horses.

Thinking of this, Tao Ying ordered Xu Sheng to disband a group of 2,000 soldiers and horses and hand them over to Chen Deng, and asked Chen Deng to send them to continue digging stones to build houses. In this way, Tao Ying's more than 17,000 men and horses only led less than 8,000 people to go out to the battle, 3,000 stayed in Xiaopei to garrison, 6,000 stayed in Pengcheng to guard nearly 7,000 prisoners to build Pengcheng.

After everything was explained, Tao Ying began to lead the soldiers and horses with Xu Sheng, the commander of Xiaoguan County, as the vanguard, personally guarded the Chinese army, and slowly marched towards Wuyuan.