In the camp of the Han army in Meiyang, at this time, Zhang Wen, the general of the cavalry, had led a large army to station in Meiyang, and in the big tent, Zhang Wen looked angry and scolded loudly: "In one confrontation, six thousand elite soldiers were lost, this is the most elite Northern Army soldiers in the Han Dynasty." Zhou Shen, if it weren't for your light words, how could you have lost today. If it weren't for Zhong Ying sending his generals and Bo Yuan to attack in time and rescue you, I'm afraid that the 20,000 elite Northern Army soldiers would have been wiped out. ”

Zhou Shen lowered his head and said, "My lord, it is really the Qiang people who are brave and have the advantage of troops, but our army has also inflicted heavy losses on the Qiang people." ”

Zhang Wen "snorted" twice and said, "Give the Qiang people a heavy blow? What kind of words is this, our army lost nearly 10,000 elites, and the Qiang people only lost less than 8,000, so they are all said to be heavy losses? This is already a defeat. ”

Zhou Shen opened his mouth and wanted to say something, Dong Zhuo on the side took advantage of Zhang Wen to calm down and gently pulled him, Zhou Shen turned his head, and when he saw Dong Zhuo shaking his head gently, he lowered his head and stopped saying anything.

After Zhang Wen calmed down, he sighed lightly and said a little lonely: "The Qiang soldiers are powerful and brave, Zhou Shen was defeated, but I want to ask the court for troops, but I am afraid that the court will blame me, what do you think?" ”

At this time, a general came out and said: "My lord, the Qiang people are powerful and brave, and our elite army has suffered many losses in the first battle, and the last general is afraid that this army alone will not be enough to defeat the Qiang rebellion, so please ask the court for help." ”

At this time, another general came out and said: "My lord, Your Majesty sent your Excellency to lead the army to fight Sanfu this time, but you have high hopes for your lordship, but after such a battle, you will ask the court for help, I am afraid that Your Majesty will be angry." ”

……

After that, the generals of the army jumped out one after another, some begged for help, some did not ask, and some said that they would retreat; Zhang Wen was distraught and anxious when he heard this.

At this time, Dong Zhuo strode out, Zhang Wen saw it, squeezed out a little smile and asked, "What is Zhong Ying's strategy?" ”

Dong Zhuo said loudly: "My lord, the last general thinks that our army should stick to Meiyang and wait for the opportunity. ”

At this time, the generals standing behind Dong Zhuo were all talking, and some even pointed at Dong Zhuo in a low voice and said, "It's just nonsense." ”

In the face of everyone's accusations, Dong Zhuo's eyes were fixed, looking left and right, and all the generals who were swept by Dong Zhuo's cold gaze felt a chill in their hearts, and automatically closed their mouths. Dong Zhuo glanced left and right, and the big tent, which was originally very noisy, suddenly quieted down.

Dong Zhuo immediately spoke: "My lord, although the Qiang people are brave, they have a cloud in the art of war: one blow, then decline, and three exhaustion. Now that the Qiang people are in full swing, our army should take shelter for the time being. And our army is similar to the Qiang rebel army, as long as the camp is tightly guarded, the Qiang people cannot break through the camp, and they must confront our army in Meiyang. And the entire land of Sanfu has Sun Jian and Sun Sima leading the army to sweep, and the Qiang people will not dare to rashly divide their troops when they see our army here, so that Sanfu can be safe everywhere, and our army only needs to wait for the opportunity here to break the Qiang people in one fell swoop. Such a big Qiang people are just around the corner, and there is no need to ask the court for help. As a general colonel of the Han Dynasty, you command the soldiers under your command, if you are in chaos, then the soldiers under your command are also in chaos, so the army is not at ease, how can our army win. ”

After listening to Dong Zhuo's words, Zhang Wen's heart was completely settled, and he reprimanded the generals in the tent, and then said: "Just as Zhong Ying said, our army is firmly guarding the Meiyang camp, confronting Qiang Rebellion here, and waiting for the opportunity to break the enemy. ”

Zhang Wen waved away the generals, leaving Dong Zhuo, Zhou Shen and Zhang Xiu alone, Zhang Wen first said to Zhou Shen in a harmonious voice: "Hold the truth, it's not that I want to blame you, but I really need to explain to the soldiers." ”

Zhou Shen nodded, and stood aside silently.

Zhang Wen didn't care, but praised Zhang Xiu and said: "Huangfu Yizhen said to me in Luoyang, Bo Yuan is talented, and the courage is abnormal, this time our army can be successfully withdrawn, it is really borrowed from Bo Yuan's bravery, I have written down this merit, and the next day will be Bo Yuan to ask for a reward from the imperial court." ”

Zhang Xiu replied, "Master Xie." ”

Zhang Wen said: "Okay, among the generals under my command, only you and the other three can solve the worries of this general, and the rest of the generals will not add trouble to me, I am comforted." Fang Cai Zhong Ying said that he was waiting for the opportunity to break the enemy, but I don't know when this opportunity is? ”

Dong Zhuo said: "My lord, the last general thinks that Sanfu has suffered from insect disasters this autumn, so there is a matter of Lord Huangfu having to withdraw his troops. Although the insect plague caused our army to be ruined, it caused greater harm to the Qiang people. Liangzhou produces very little grain, the Qiang rebel army does not produce, enter the Kou Sanfu to eat here, now the three auxiliary suffer from insect disaster, there is no food, Zhuo thinks that the Qiang people only have enough food for a few months, and will not be able to survive the cold winter. On the other hand, our army, behind the imperial court from all over the mobilization of troops, not afraid of the lack of food and grass, now the Qiang people are in full swing, our army should temporarily avoid, until the Qiang people's anger has been discharged, there is not much grain and grass left, it is the opportunity for our army to break the enemy, so Zhuo thinks that winter is the time when my army breaks the enemy. ”

After listening to Dong Zhuo's words, Zhang Wen laughed and said: "Okay, what Zhong Ying said is reasonable, since this is the case, you will go back and practice strictly, and wait for the opportunity to break the enemy." ”

"No."

……

Back in the camp, Zhang Xiu found Hu Che'er and asked about the casualties. But it was a big battle that folded nearly 500 people, and the battle of the large army only folded 500 people, which is not too much, and Zhang Xiu's department has two fierce generals, and no one can stop the Qiang people at all, and Zhang Xiu only led the army to break through, and left with one blow, and did not fight with the Qiang people at all, so the loss was not much. In fact, fortunately, Zhang Xiu finally ordered Hu Che'er to protect the flanks, if it weren't for this, I am afraid that the loss would be hundreds more.

Among the nearly 500 people, most of them were killed in battle, and only a few were seriously injured, and the cavalry did not fight like infantry, and they could not escape at all under serious injuries, and as long as they fell off their horses, they would be trampled to death by thousands of troops and horses, so there were very few seriously injured.

After visiting the lightly wounded soldiers, Zhang Xiu hurriedly returned to his big tent to deal with military affairs, and all trivial matters such as the allocation of food and salary, the geometry of the camp tent, and the reward for war exploits had to be handled by Zhang Xiu alone. It is true that Zhang Xiu has no one under him, only one Hu Cheer is a fierce general, but after getting off the horse, it will hurt him to pick up the pen, so that he can count the casualties for Zhang Xiu, which has comforted Zhang Xiu's heart. Zhang Xiu's subordinates are all poor people or private soldiers raised by the Kwantung family, it is very sad to ask them to pass the text and ink, there used to be a Hu Zhen to help, and now Hu Zhen is staying in Chang'an, so Zhang Xiu's command of the whole 4,500 people, only Zhang Xiu occupies the light of the people who travel to understand the text and ink, and the rest are illiterate.

Zhang Xiu, who was dealing with military affairs on the side, thought at this time: "I really have to ask Dong Zhuo to come to a civilian official, otherwise the burden of military affairs alone can crush Zhang Xiu." Thinking of a civil official, Zhang Xiu's heart remembered the thin and ordinary scribe standing in the crowd when he first arrived in Dongying that day-the poisonous Jia Xu.