The magnificent Tongguan and the falling snow witnessed a small story on this day, and also created a legend that has been passed down through the ages.

Wang Ling was defeated and surrendered, but he was respected by everyone.

Wang Xu won, and finally led his troops to Tongguan in the name of justice.

This is a situation that no one expected, although the process is a little tortuous, but the final result is good for Wang Xu and the forces of Jingyi Erzhou!

No one dared to use Kong Xiu and Bian Xi's subordinates, for fear that some of them would make trouble in the future, and after the weapons and armor were removed, these 6,000 people were hurriedly escorted back to Chang'an.

The 4,000 people from other parts of Cao's army, although they were treated a little better, were also not to be trusted, and were escorted back to Chang'an.

In the end, only Wang Ling and his thousand-part trilogy could really retain weapons, because Wang Ling guaranteed that he could control all his direct subordinates.

At this time, the troops of Tongguan included 10,000 White Tiger Legions brought by Zhang Liao, 2,000 dead soldiers from Xiaoyaojin, 10,000 guards and iron cavalry from Wang Xu, 2,000 sharpshooters from Xu Sheng, and 1,000 troops surrendered by Wang Ling, totaling 25,000 people.

In order to go east out of Tongguan, take the whole county of Hongnong, and break the main force of Zhong Xuan, Wang Xu hurriedly summoned Chang'an, and asked Zhang He to take the 20,000 people left in Chang'an by the White Tiger Legion to rush to the front line within a time limit.

After a day of comprehensive preparation, Cao Zhen led 10,000 reinforcements arrived at Tongguan, learned that Tongguan was lost, Wang Ling had surrendered, shocked, only to take a look, then hurriedly retreated, returned to Hongnong County Government, and at the same time sent people to report to Zhong Xuan in Lushi County in the south.

Lu's county seat, the county hall!

"Bang!"

There was a loud bang.

Zhong Xuan was furious, even with his elegance and calmness, he couldn't control it. Slap the handsome case in front of him. "With Wang Ling's loyalty. How can you surrender? ”

There was silence in the room. Although Zhong Xuan rarely gets angry, when he does, it means that it is very difficult to do.

But now that the shape has reached a critical moment, Zhang Ji sighed and had to bite the bullet and said: "According to the detailed work that escaped from Tongguan at that time, it was Wang Yun who suddenly arrived at Tongguan and persuaded Wang Ling to surrender with Wang Chen. Seeing that Wang Ling's feelings were unstable, Bian Xi and Kong Xiu wanted to shoot Wang Yun. Then take Wang Ling to ensure the safety of Tongguan. ”

"Damn it!" Zhong Xuan was so angry that his long beard trembled, and he rebuked angrily: "These two people deserve death, didn't I make it clear that they should not act rashly, and when Cao Zhen and his army arrived, they would be safe and sound?" Wang Ling is a loyal and righteous person, even if he is really shaken, at most he will hang the seal and leave, and he will never surrender Tongguan at this time! He was forced against them by these two. Where are Bian Xi and Kong Xiu now, they will be arrested and beheaded immediately. ”

"This ......" Zhang Ji's face was very ugly. Na Na said: "The two have been beheaded by Wang Ling in Tongguan!" ”

Zhong Xuan opened his mouth, but he couldn't say anything. In the end, he sighed angrily: "Hey! Not only the loss of good generals, but also the loss of the Tong Pass, now the overall deployment is completely collapsed, the division of the battle, I am afraid that it will be difficult for us to recover the defeat. ”

Everyone was silent, knowing in their hearts that he was telling the truth.

Pei Mao pondered for a long time, seeing that the people in the hall were in a downturn, he couldn't help but say: "Tongguan is lost, and the defeat is decided!" Now is not the time to be depressed, the Jingzhou army will soon be able to wave the Hongnong County Mansion and cut off the back road of our army, and my Lu clan will become a lone army. In front of Zhou Zhi's army of 50,000 tigers and wolves, and then Wang Xu personally led the troops to kill, the beginning and the end are difficult to care, if you don't rush to find a way out, I'm afraid you will all have to fold here. ”

"Not bad!" Xu Rong then echoed and nodded: "If you don't hurry up and find a countermeasure, when the news spreads, the whole army will inevitably lose morale, and it will be difficult to even retreat, so you must lead the troops to withdraw to Henan." ”

"At the junction of the two major roads leading to Henan, there are dangerous Hangu Pass and Luhun Pass, if you don't hold these two passes, wouldn't the Jingzhou army be able to directly fight to Luoyang, the capital of Henan County, and even continue to advance eastward? At that time, it was not only the subordinates who were at stake, but even the decisive battle between the lord and Yuan Shao would be held hostage, and the consequences would be unimaginable. ”

"Besides, now Cao Zhen is in Hongnong County with 10,000 soldiers and horses, plus the 5,000 soldiers left behind in the county government, a total of less than 15,000, this point of strength can't stop the Jingzhou army for too long, if we don't retreat in time, when the Jingzhou army breaks through the Hongnong County Mansion and kills the Lu clan from the rear, we just want to retreat, it's too late."

Of course, Zhong Xuan knew this, and he was thinking quickly in his heart, and he was not in a hurry to speak.

Yang Fu was also frowning at the moment, and took over bitterly: "But how to retreat now?" On the Tongguan side, General Cao Zhen can temporarily block it for a moment and buy time for my Lu army, but now we are confronting the 50,000 Jingzhou elites led by Zhou Zhi, Fa Zheng and others. ”

Everyone was silent, what he said was to the point, if you want to retreat safely, someone must break off.

But now this situation is completely different from the usual kind of broken after, it is the defender, the meaning of the broken is to stay and hold on, but also means to be abandoned, the probability of getting away is too small and too small, logically speaking, it should be a general's business!

Zhong Xuan, who bowed his head and pondered, was actually thinking about this question, leaving who to wait for death, which made him very embarrassed.

If the ability is insufficient, then it will not be able to break at all, and there will be no way to deal with the Jingzhou army.

But if you have the ability, how can you give it up lightly?

When he retreated to Hongnong, he left Li Yan in Chang'an, because he felt that this person had some ability, and he was not a confidant, so he became the best candidate, if he could escape back later, of course, he would be reused, if not, then it would not damage the core.

Later, the same is true for choosing Chen Zhi to go to the north, the lone army in the north to contain Jingzhou, it is a dangerous task that requires capable generals, but at that time, the most suitable and trustworthy was Cao Zhen, but he didn't dare to use Cao Zhen to take that risk, so he finally retreated to the second best thing and chose the less reliable Chen Dao.

It's just that he didn't know Chen Zhi's heart knot, and of course he didn't expect that there would be a problem so soon.

As the saying goes, it is in people who plan things, and it is in heaven that things are done!

He used stragglers to fight against Wang Xu, who was at the end of the core, of course, there were many drawbacks.

If this battle had taken place in a few years, all of these stragglers would have surrendered, or perhaps a group of core generals of the Cao army could have been replaced now. Then his plan will come true. There is no such situation as it is now.

It's a pity that the planning is no better. But when encountering such a bad opportunity as the dispute between Yuan and Cao, the director has no cronies and capable people to use, and the heavenly machine is not on his side, so what can he do?

At this moment, after thinking about it for a while, he finally made up his mind and slowly raised his head.

Xu Rong happened to have made a decision, gritted his teeth and got up and said, "The last general is willing to stay behind the broken queen!" ”

"No!" Zhong Xuan didn't say a word. Directly waved his hand and refused: "Hangu Pass is guarded by me personally, but General Xu must retreat to Luhun Pass, our army must not be defeated again, if there is no General Xu to guard Luhun Pass, not only I am not at ease, but the lord will definitely not be at ease." ”

"......"

Xu Rong wanted to say more, but Zhong Xuan waved his hand undoubtedly to interrupt: "I have made up my mind, I don't need to say more!" ”

"Yes!" Xu Rong shook his head helplessly and said no more.

A trace of bitterness also flashed on Zhong Xuan's face, and his gaze swept over everyone. In the end, it was left to Yang Fu and Zhang Ji, and his tears were blurred: "Yishan, Derong!" Thinking of Cao Gong and I are both waiting for you. Are you willing to resist the enemy after the army is broken? ”

Yang Fu and Zhang Ji trembled in unison, and they didn't say anything for a long time, this kind of thing should have been a military general, when would it be the turn of the two of them, although they knew some martial arts, but they were not considered generals after all. If it is said that among today's generals, the only suitable one is Xu Rong, it is not difficult to see from Zhong Xuan's words that neither he nor Cao Cao will abandon Xu Rong.

They were all smart people, and they already knew in their hearts why they had chosen them.

The rest of the people in the hall were also silent, quietly looking at the two of them, their faces full of bitterness.

"My subordinates are willing!"

"My subordinates are willing too!"

Both of them are noble righteous people, and after a struggle of thoughts, they finally agreed and decided to repay those kindnesses, but their feelings were still very complicated.

However, intellectually speaking, Zhong Xuan's choice at this moment is right, these two were originally foreign ministers, and now they are not Cao Cao's henchmen, leaving them to cause the least damage to the core of Cao's army after they are broken.

Secondly, both of them are very capable and are two of the few people who can complete the heavy task after the break.

Moreover, these two men kept their promises, and they were righteous men, and they could be assured that they would do their best as long as they agreed.

"Four days!" Yang Fu's lips trembled, and he said with a pale face: "If there are 6,000 soldiers, the subordinates should do their best to stop Fa Zheng and Zhou Zhi's army for four days!" ”

Zhang didn't make a sound, just nodded slightly, obviously he was about the same.

"Enough! That's enough! ”

Zhong Xuan's tears flowed down, not because he was coy, but because he was really heartbroken, for these two people, he was sincere, but now he has no choice, he is in this position, he always has to solve the problem, it is a matter of life and death for tens of thousands of soldiers, no matter how difficult it is to accept, but it must be decided.

He got up slowly, walked in front of the two, bowed deeply, choked up, and said, "Yishan, Dejong!" It's Zhong Xuan's incompetence, and he has failed the two of you, and after four days, if he really can't get out, he will come down! Cao Gong won't blame you, I won't blame you, and the people of the world won't blame you. Cherish! ”

Zhang Ji and Yang Fu burst into tears, and they accepted his worship because they could afford it.

After a while, Zhang Jicai sighed leisurely and said, "Captain Zhong, if the two of us are unfortunately killed, I hope Your Excellency will take care of me and other descendants in the future!" ”

Zhong Xuan did not hesitate at all this time, and replied loudly on the spot: "If Yishan and De Rong die, Zhong Xuan will treat your children as parents and children, and try to take care of your family members by your side. ”

This is a very heavy oath, and with Zhong Xuan's conduct, it can be said that he can completely settle down by making such a heavy oath.

After all, this oath is a private matter, and in private affairs, Zhong Xuan's conduct is known to the world, and he is also suffering from inner torment at the moment.

The two of them got rid of their worries, and they didn't say anything more, closed their eyes and took a deep breath, and they got up to say goodbye one after another, preparing for the coping method after the break.

Seeing the two leaving, Zhong Xuan burst into tears, and called out again: "Yishan, De Rong!" After four days, if you can descend, then pour your heart down. Wang Xu loves talents, and will treat you well, we are the ones who have failed you, you are the pillars of the country, loyal and righteous people, and you should not die so unjustly here! ”

Zhang Ji and Yang Fu turned around and looked at each other, sighed silently, didn't say anything, and strode away.

Fate always inadvertently jokes with everyone, Zhong Miao has no choice, he can only leave quietly after dark with regret, guilt, helplessness, and tens of thousands of soldiers.

Zhang Ji and Yang Fu dedicated their last benevolence and righteousness, with melancholy, with cold, with 6,000 soldiers who did not know the situation.

The tents have not been reduced, the flags are still unfurled, but the camp that stretches is already mostly empty.

Watching the last soldiers and horses leave, Zhang Ji and Yang Fu stood on the hill outside the camp, standing under the moonlight, facing the breeze and being silent for a long time...... (To be continued......)