Compared with before, Diao Chan is now a little less coquettish, but it is a little more restrained and heroic. Dressed in a gray and white robe, her hair is full of green silk and tied up high, and her face is full of seriousness, which is always a little incompatible with the coquettishness that never dissipates from the corners of her eyes.

Diao Chan's eyes are what people often call peach blossom eyes, even if she doesn't want to show them, they are still full of charm, and people are unconsciously attracted by her demeanor.

The time that Han Lie and Diao Chan have known each other is not short at all, but between the two, there is surprisingly no spark. Of course, there is Diao Chan's deliberate refusal in this, and it is also due to Han Lie's strong willpower.

Today, Zhang Yao is mainly a missionary in Yangzhou and is responsible for intelligence collection in Yangzhou, while Diao Chan spreads the teachings of the Heavenly Master Sect around Xuzhou and collects useful information for Han Lie.

Although Peiguo is under the rule of Yuzhou, the actual distance between the city and the border of Xuzhou is only more than 100 miles, and it is only less than two days away from Pengcheng to Peiguo.

Therefore, when he learned that Lu Bu's army was defeated and left, only Peiguo's defenders did not retreat, Diao Chan specially inquired about the names of the people who defended the city.

For this reason, when Han Lie asked Diao Chan about Peiguo's guards, Diao Chan said: "As far as I know, Peiguo's guards are Zhang Liao Gaoshun, the generals under Lu Bu's account, and now Lu Bu has been defeated and fled, and his life and death are unknown. ”

"Zhang Liao Gaoshun? Are you sure it's the two? When Han Lie heard this, he couldn't help but be a little moved, although he already had Xu Huang, Zhao Yun, Tai Shici and other generals under his account, if he could really subdue Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, it would undoubtedly be like a tiger with wings.

"It shouldn't be wrong, doesn't Childe know them?" Seeing Han Lie's movedness, Diao Chan thought it was an acquaintance.

"I don't know each other, but if these two people can be used by me, the great cause should be a great help." Han Lie bowed slightly, looked back at the Diao Chan below, and said slightly apologetically: "It's all mundane, but it's bothering you to run around, and I really can't stand you when I think about it." ”

"Childe can take in our sisters, so that we can spread the congregation with peace of mind, so that all sentient beings can live in peace, it is a great achievement, a little hard work is nothing, Childe does not need to mind." Diao Chan looked at Han Lie with a calm expression and replied calmly.

"If you don't blame me for coercing you." Han Lie smiled bitterly and asked, "Still doesn't have any whereabouts of Cao Cao?" ”

"Our power in Yanzhou has not been reached, so it is not very clear, but Yuzhou, which is close to Xuzhou, and the surrounding counties of Qingzhou, have never been traced." Diao Chan shook her head, she also knew the importance of this matter, so in the past few months, she has been tracking down the news related to Cao Cao, but since Cao Cao's Weishui in Guangqi was picked up and left by Che Xuan, it seems that the world has evaporated, and there has been no trace for several months.

"Yanzhou is unlikely, it is impossible for Lu Bu not to strictly defend Cao Cao in Yanzhou, and Cao Cao has not taken refuge in any forces, it seems that he should still be hiding somewhere." After Han Lie's analysis, he suddenly said, "Have Langya and Kaiyang checked?"

"Kaiyang Zangba's investigation is very strict, and it is difficult for our people to get useful information, but in my opinion, it is unlikely, because according to the information we have learned, Zhang Min, the murderer who killed Cao Cao's father, defected to Zang Ba." Diao Chan has also managed intelligence for some days, and his thinking is much more meticulous than before.

"From this point of view, Cao Cao must still be hiding in Langya, and then you have to closely monitor all the whereabouts of Langya Taishou Xiao Jian, this person has an old relationship with the Cao family, and Cao Cao is likely to be hiding in his mansion." One thing Han Lie can be sure of is that Cao Cao is definitely not dead, if he dies, it is impossible for his generals and strategists to disappear, so there is only one possibility, these people are all following Cao Cao, waiting for a comeback.

Cao Cao's ability is beyond doubt, so this opponent, Han Lie has always been regarded as a great enemy of life and death, as long as there is a chance, Han Lie will definitely not let him live.

"Don't worry, Childe, I'll arrange it." Diao Chan stood up and answered.

"Cicadas, when you go out, pay attention to safety and take care of your body." Han Lie got up and personally escorted her out of the mansion.

"Zhang Fen, order the East China Sea generals to come to the council hall to discuss matters." When he turned back, Han Lie gave an order to Zhang Fen, the leader of the pro-soldier guards.

"Sun Tao, Langya, you are more familiar than others, I don't know if you are willing to send an envoy to Langya, convey the order of Benzhou, and let him go to the East China Sea to meet Benjun within a month, otherwise I will be attacked by a large army. In addition, when I turn around, by the way, I will send a letter from my handwriting to Zang Ba in Kaiyang, I still hope that he can be submissive to me, and I hope you will go to convey my sincerity. Since Han Lie intends to take Mount Tai and Donglai two counties, he naturally wants to give a little attitude to Langya Taishou Xiao Jian, who has never expressed his submission after he took office, but as the saying goes, salute first and then soldier, Han Lie asked people to send him military orders, just to give him another chance, if he doesn't reply this time, then he can only be greeted by soldiers.

"Whoa." Sun Tao is now serving as Sima of another department under Han Lie's account, and he stays in the army to serve, which is his own request. Wang Ling is also in the East China Sea at the moment, serving as a county minister, and at the same time he also leads the position of the Linhuai Diannong Governor's Mansion, but now because the East China Sea, Pengcheng, and Xiapi are all in the hands of Han Lie, the defense of the Linhuai Diannong Governor's Mansion has weakened a lot, and it has been transformed from a border defense place to a second-tier city.

However, Han Lie did not plan to abolish the Linhuai Diannong Governor's Mansion, the hinterland of Xuzhou in the three cities of Linhuai, Licheng and Yandu, with convenient water conservancy and fertile land, can be described as a natural land of fish and rice, and it is also an excellent place to grow rice.

Nowadays, the Jiangdong region, why the land is not less than the north, but the grain production is less than the north, the output is 70%, mainly suitable for planting beans and wheat in the north, in the humid southern region, the output of the same acre of land is only 40% in the north, such a yield directly leads to the scarcity of grain in the south.

In the Han Dynasty, when agriculture was the main body of society, the inability to produce food was not only related to livelihood, but also had a wide impact on the economy of the whole society and the livelihood of the population.

Although some people in the Jianghuai region have begun to grow rice, the yield is also unsatisfactory due to cultivation and planting technology. Han Lie first established the Diannong Governor's Mansion in Jianye, and then established the Diannong Governor's Mansion in Linhuai, all with the intention of cultivating and planting high-quality rice in the Jiangdong region.

In the era of agriculture, as long as there was food, there was undoubtedly a population. In fact, the problem of food and clothing is not only a problem of the late Han Dynasty, but a problem that the feudal dynasty has been trying to solve for thousands of years, but in fact, until the 21st century, there are still some places where the problem of food and clothing exists.

Now Han Lie is in charge of Xuzhou, most of Yangzhou, the regional population has exceeded two million, to comprehensively solve the problem of food and clothing for the people, it is necessary to cultivate a new rice planting model, and the reason why Han Lie chose Jianye and Linhuai as the place of experimentation is also that Han Lie knows that the Jianghuai region in later generations is a place for high-quality grain production.

As long as the planting is good, it is enough to produce two crops of grain in a year, planting rice in spring and winter wheat in late autumn, so that you can make reasonable use of farmland, and the output of grain will also increase exponentially.

For example, if you go further south, after the county under the rule of Huiji County in Wu County, because of the climate problem, you can only grow rice, but in the Han Dynasty, because there are no high-quality varieties of rice, the yield is low, and only one season can be shouted every year, so it is listed as a miscellaneous grain sequence.

Committed to promoting the cultivation of new varieties of high-quality rice, as well as making rational use of the natural advantages of the Jianghuai region to grow two crops of grain, it can be said that Han Lie has the advantage of having a prophetic memory, and others naturally cannot understand and see through.

This is actually the real purpose of Han Lie from Jizhou and to Xuzhou, when he entered Luoyang from the East China Sea, and then moved to Jizhou, he found that in this era, there is a fatal factor, that is, although the land is wide, but the output is scarce, and the harvest year can barely survive.

If coupled with the war and war, the only fate of the people can only be to die of hunger and poverty, and only a small number of people can survive, which is also an important reason why the population has decreased sharply since the end of the Han Dynasty. Often, a war leads to the death of an entire region.

is also concerned about this problem, Han Lie has always paid great attention to people's livelihood, as well as the gains and losses of the population, and he attaches great importance to the survival of the people and the incentives for newborns.

"However, before solving the problem of Langya, Taishan, and Donglai counties, I must go to Peiguo, but in order not to cause misunderstanding of Yuan Highway, this trip, the Xiao Cavalry Battalion can travel with me, I am not in the East China Sea time, Han Yu is responsible for the affairs of the East China Sea, and you will do the military affairs for you." Han Lie gave instructions without question.

Chen Qi and Xu Rong are now serving as the county lieutenants respectively, and they are the actual controllers of the East China Sea, and when they learned that Han Lie was going to Peiguo, although they were full of doubts, they still bowed and responded: "Huh." ”

Although the strength of the Xiao Cavalry Battalion is only 2,000 people, the war horses have been maintained at 2,500, and the extra 500 horses are used for replacement and consignment of food.

The military generals accompanying him this time were not only Tai Shici, Dian Wei and Zhu Huan all went with him, of course, Han Lie went to Peiguo this time, not to compete with Yuan Shu, but to negotiate.

Yuan Shu has been proud of the spring breeze recently, since the defeat of Lu Bu in a battle in Peiguo, although Peiguo still failed to break through, but Yuzhou assassin Shi Guo Gong, but took the initiative to surrender the table, and dedicated all the county seats under the rule of Yingchuan County to Yuan Shu.

Now the entire Yuzhou, the rampant yellow turban Runan and the Peiguo in front of him are undecided, as long as Peiguo is taken, it is equivalent to opening up the passage to Yanzhou and Qingzhou in the north, which means that he can go north at any time, so for Peiguo, he is also determined to win.

At first, when Yuan Shao's concubine won Jizhou and occupied most of the regions of Jizhou and Youzhou, Yuan Shuna was really jealous and gritted his teeth, but now that he thought of the great cause he was about to achieve, he was naturally emotional, and his ambition swelled rapidly.

The previous alliance with Han Lie, Han Lie recommended him to the imperial court as the general of Zhengdong, and now in Yuan Shu's view, the general of Zhengdong is completely mismatched with his current reputation, which is not that he is already beginning to brew, asking the court for the title of general, because Yuan Shaoshi is the position of general of the chariot.

Although the two are brothers, but Yuan Shu has always been dissatisfied with Yuan Shao, many jealousy, previously Yuan Shao served as Jizhou pastor, Che Cavalry General, both strength and status are higher than him, but although he is not convinced, but the strength is not good, so he has to submit. But now that he is sitting in Yuzhou, Yangzhou one after another, once he takes Peiguo, the army is as many as 100,000, in his opinion, he is naturally not inferior to Yuan Shao, and he should overshadow Yuan Shao and serve as a general.

In Yuan Shu's view, the general is just a transition, he has always been ambitious, in fact, what he wants to do is to seal the territory and call the king the emperor, but at the moment, the situation is not yet mature, so he can only hide this careful thinking in his heart.

With the passage of time, Peiguo has been holding on for more than three months, and the climate has also entered autumn from summer, and recently the autumn rain over Peiguo has been continuous, and the weather has suddenly turned a lot colder.

The number of casualties has exceeded 10,000, but the city of Peiguo has been impregnable, and even at night, because of the negligence of the army's defense, it was attacked by a surprise attack in the city, which not only burned a large amount of grain and grass, but also had a great impact on morale.

Recently, the rain for several days, coupled with the drop in temperature, many sergeants who were still wearing single clothes were infected with the wind cold, and the morale and morale of the army were once again greatly affected, which naturally made Yuan Shu also very annoyed, and several generals who were responsible for commanding the siege were reprimanded by him.

Yuan Shu, who was depressed and hid in the camp tent to avoid the rain, was naturally the only pastime of beauty and wine, although women and wine were forbidden in the army, but Yuan Shu, as the commander, was obviously not among them.

On this day, when Yuan Shu was playing with a beautiful woman with a slender waist, the soldiers outside the tent reported: "Lord, a cavalry of 2,000 people came from outside the camp, and the people who came said that they were the old man of the lord, and they came to help the lord take Peiguo City." ”

"Oh, yes?" Yuan Shu, who was still quite unhappy, pushed away the beauty in his arms when he heard this, grabbed a long shirt and draped it on his body and said, "Let General Ji Ling come and go with me, I want to see where the old man came from." ”

When he saw Han Lie at the gate of the camp dressed in a Confucian robe with only a sword hanging from his waist, Yuan Shu thought that he was dazzled.

"Brother Highway hasn't seen him for many years, but his demeanor is still the same, which really makes the younger brother envious." Han Lie saw that Yuan Shu was stunned, so he took the initiative to smile and laugh.

"Brother Ziyangxian, haha, I didn't expect you to come." Yuan Shu, who came to his senses, suddenly saluted, stepped forward to look at Han Lie, who looked more mature and heroic compared to a few years, and nodded again and again: "Ziyang is really a young talent, hurry, hurry up, please." ”

"General Ji Ling, settle General Ziyang's soldiers and horses well." Yuan Shu said, don't hold Han Lie's arm, and welcome Han Lie in affectionately. Dian Wei and Zhu Huan, who were only wearing robes, followed closely behind.

Tai Shici and Zhang Fen led the cavalry sergeants and entered the Yuan Shu camp.

This will Yuan Shu did not suspect that Han Lie came to deceive, first of all, they were allies with each other, and secondly, Yuan Shu still had nearly 50,000 troops in the camp at the moment, and Han Lie could not attack the camp with 2,000 people in broad daylight. And Yuan Shu still has a good faith in Han Lie's character, after all, Han Lie has a reputation as a benevolent gentleman, and he definitely can't do anything to assassinate himself with this.

Even so, Yuan Shu was still quite curious about Han Lie's sudden arrival in his camp, and as soon as he sat down, Yuan Shu asked with a smile: "Ziyang came from afar this time, wouldn't he really want to help me attack Peiguo?" ”

"Of course." Han Lie nodded affirmatively and said, "Peiguo must be Brother Highway, including Peng Chengguo, I can also cede to Brother Highway, and Yanzhou Wu will never fight with you." ”

"Really?" Yuan Shu's eyes flashed, he rubbed his hands to relieve the excitement in his heart, frowned slightly and asked, "Ziyang is so kind, I'm afraid he has something to ask for, right?" ”

"I have only one request, the generals and troops in the city of Peiguo will be taken away safely by me." Han Lie looked directly at Yuan Shu and said calmly.

Yuan Shu's eyes stared at Han Lie like this, trying to see something from it, and after a while, he smiled and said: "Peiguo Guard, brave and strategic, is indeed a good general, I can promise you this, but give you ten days, if within ten days, the guards in the city are willing to surrender and leave with you, I will not stop him, but if he insists on living and dying with the city, when the city is broken, I will order the whole army to slaughter and loot the whole city to reward the three armies." ”

"Brother Highway is refreshing, just as you say." Han Lie stood up and said with a smile. (To be continued.) )