Youzhou, Guangyang.

Yuan Xi's governance was set here, and it took a lot of energy to stabilize the civil strife over the years.

Yuan Xi's hair has turned a lot gray this year, and his beard has become much thicker, his beard has grown down the figure of eight, and there is a thick pinch at the chin.

His eyes became more and more resolute, but he was a little skinny.

Originally, Youzhou was not considered stable and peaceful, but in the past year, under the condition that the prestige of the army has gradually become stronger, with more than 1,000 pairs of Su iron armor and Su iron knives captured, Yuan Xi formed an elite cavalry and quelled many rebellions.

When clearing the civil strife, a lot of military rations were obtained by looting, and now spring ploughing can also be regarded as a promotion, forcing the soldiers and the people to settle the fields and wait for the autumn harvest to get a lot of money and grain.

Moreover, the merchant horses who opened Yuyang went to Youzhou to reach a trade with those foreigners on horseback, earning a lot of extra income, and every step was like walking on thin ice.

"Hmph, I want to divide the food, wishful thinking!"

Yuan Xi slapped the table, his expression was full of resentment, "My father originally handed over all the soldiers and horses to me, but it happened that those civil and military officers all supported Yuan Shang, but it made him arrogant, I have worked hard to stabilize the situation in Youzhou all these years, but I have not gained anything, why ??! ”

Before Yuan Xi, there stood a sturdy general, tall, slightly wider, wearing a broad-bladed knife at his waist, wearing chain armor, and was mighty.

This person's name is Zhaozhao, he voted for Yuan Shao in his early years, and he is a loyal and pragmatic person among the generals with foreign surnames, so he gradually led many troops in the past ten years, and later joined Yuan Xi's command.

He and Liu Bei are still old acquaintances, they have played with Liu Bei since they were children, and later followed him as a ranger, and they were once known as heroes in the township, but unfortunately Liu Bei's mother passed away later, and he dismissed the subordinates of the year, and he had no choice but to come to Jizhou to join Yuan Shao's command.

At this moment, his mind was quite calm, although he was also dissatisfied with what Yuan Shang had done, "The last general thinks that if you want to conflict with Bingzhou, you must be careful of the soldiers and horses of Jizhou." ”

"Although there is no movement in Jizhou now, the deployment of defense is also to hold the pass, but the last general feels that Xu Zhen is not so simple, he should be waiting for us to fight inwardly and take the opportunity to attack."

"That's right," Yuan Xi chuckled, "how could I not know him?" ”

"The reason why my father was defeated last year was because he was attacked back and forth by Xu Zhen and Cao Cao, and it was difficult to take care of the left and right, but I will not give Xu Zhen this opportunity, after the battle, I roughly understand the secret of its military strength, but it is just a new type of armament."

"I can endure until the autumn harvest and then fight with Yuan Shang, at this time to hold Dai County, as for the looted military food, give it to him, Yuan Shang can't support it, he can't get food in Bingzhou, he can only kill cattle, sheep and horses for food, sooner or later he will come to me."

"The young master sees it clearly," Zhao nodded, "Jizhou must not be given a chance now, the young master's side, it is best to send another letter, give a warning, or let him exchange some military power for food, which can not only reduce the pressure of leading troops, but also allow the young master to have more soldiers and horses in hand, and make the best use of his talents." ”

"Hmmm! What he said is very true, I will go to write a letter, and I must let Yuan Shang know his mistake, "Yuan Xi immediately took the case, and a happy color appeared on his face, it can indeed be changed!"

I had always been angry in my heart before, and I forgot that I could make a request with Yuan Shang, so he could be shaken by taking a step back, and if he exchanged food for soldiers and horses, he could continue to eat away at his army.

Next, if you take precautions against Jizhou's attack, you can sit back and relax in a few years, Xu Zhen will not be able to attack in a big way in the next few years, and he will definitely have to rest and recuperate.

"Drag it out until after the autumn, and then settle accounts with Yuan Shang, at that time, even if Xu Zhen wants to take advantage of the fire, it will be too late, he can't brave the cold and march in the ice and snow to attack my Youzhou, right? If that's the case, then it's a godsend for me to defeat Xu Zhen. ”

Yuan Xi immediately clenched his fists and became a bamboo in his chest.

He has been in Youzhou for more than two years, and he has had many experiences of visiting Youzhou in the past, because he knows very well how cold the winter here is, and it is basically impossible to march and fight.

As for the subject state of Liaodong, it was even more difficult to capture, the terrain was complex and difficult to march, and it was impossible to march in the cold weather in winter.

Yuan Xi felt at ease, not afraid that Xu Zhen would come to attack after the autumn, because he would not be able to survive the cold of winter and march.

"Go, recruit the general, and then I will hand over the letter to you and send it to Bingzhou to Yuan Shang to read."

"Whoa."

He nodded suddenly, and immediately turned to leave.

A few days later, the number of soldiers and horses deployed in Youzhou in Dai County increased day by day, and the state army naturally had no chance, so they could only wander outside, they were all guarded, and Yuan Shang could not raise troops to re-enter the country, and it was easy to be swallowed by Yuan Xi's surprise attack, in short, in the past few days, thousands of stones of grain had been looted, as well as a lot of property.

In addition to the state, there are also the princes outside the Guanxi of Liangzhou who can exchange for money and grain, and with the connections of the Yuan family before, they can still trade with Han Sui and others.

It's just that their asking price is very high, and these robbed money and grain can temporarily solve the urgent need, but they can't solve the problem of food shortage for a long time, and later heard the news that Xu Zhen and Cao Cao allocated 800,000 grains, and they were so envious that they couldn't sleep.

If my father is still here, he will definitely be able to give me 800,000 yuan.

Under such a gap, I received a letter from my brother Yuan Xi today, and I immediately felt uncomfortable after reading it.

"Exchanging soldiers and horses for food, he can figure it out!"

Yuan Shang is still young, he doesn't have much beard on his chin, his face is handsome, his eyebrows are clear, and he is full of energy when he speaks, and he looks loud.

Because he has been handsome since he was a child, he is deeply liked by Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shao thinks that Yuan Shang is the most similar to his own appearance among his sons.

So it's always been pampered.

"Young master, it's okay."

Guo Tu was dressed in a black robe, bowed, and said calmly: "Yuan Xi's news also shows that there is also a plan, even if we can meet his requirements in exchange for what we want, grain and grass are the foundation of soldiers and horses." ”

"If there is no grain and grass, 200,000 soldiers and horses will gradually disperse, and they will not be able to gain a foothold in Bingzhou, so they can only continue to quell the rebellion, attack and fight, and plunder the grain and grass, but such an annexation of the major clans will cause disorder in the territory, and we dare not accept the surrender of the clan."

"Now, it is best to reconcile with the second son, collect his grain and grass, and then stabilize the people in the territory, wait for the food hoarding, and then be able to raise the army first."

"Reconciliation? He occupies Youzhou and doesn't give it to me, and it is already a great concession for me not to send troops to attack, and now I actually see that the 200,000 soldiers and horses left by my father are short of food, and divide the troops with me? Such a brother, why should I reconcile with him!? ”

Yuan Shang's face was full of resentment, he got up and walked a few steps to Guo Tu, staring at him angrily.

It seems that he really can't figure out why Yuan Xi behaved like this, ignoring his father's foundation, 200,000 soldiers and horses were the last foundation brought from Jizhou.

If you watch these soldiers starve to death, won't it damage the interests of the entire Yuan clan in the future.

Losing is also losing together, "Don't my brother understand the truth of cold lips and teeth?" ”

"Young master, it is precisely because of this that we should solve the current difficulties first, and when Youzhou is in trouble in the future, we will go to the rescue, so that we can take advantage of the situation to recapture Youzhou."

"There are 200,000 soldiers and horses in Bingzhou, there are many rugged roads and mountain roads, and it is easy to graze in the north, Cao Cao will not choose to go down to Merge the state first, and he must be going to Youzhou."

"We can rescue Youzhou and take the city by chance."

Guo Tu's face was serious, bitter, and after speaking, he then made a color to Xin Bi and Feng Ji, and Feng Ji, who was a military advisor, suddenly stood up and gave his hand, with a smile on his face, and said softly: "What General Guo said is extremely true, now we should be based on the state and raise people's food, otherwise we will sell gold and silver in exchange for food every year, and we will be controlled by others after all." ”

"Let's hollow out Jizhou and leave, I didn't expect Xu Zhen to have the ability to settle the people, this person is awe-inspiring, he should follow Xu Zhen's example, sell his property and sell it commercially, and exchange it for food, since the second son has this request at this moment, then you might as well agree to him."

"With 10,000 soldiers and horses, in exchange for 50,000 stone of grain, settle down first and wait for the autumn harvest, after the autumn harvest, there may be changes, and then make plans."

"Not bad!" The brothers Xin Bi and Xin Ping immediately seconded the proposal, "In the following, I also think that it should be exchanged to calm the morale of the army." ”

"Besides, the young master and the second son are originally brothers, and no matter how much grudge there is, there will naturally be a day when they will be resolved, maybe if you take a step back, he will know that he is wrong, and he will come to welcome you back to Youzhou, after all, sometimes, brothers fight for each other just one breath."

"You ......"

Yuan Shang lowered his head a little irritably, but he also understood that he was now under the eaves, and he had to bow his head, and he had to be controlled by others if he had no food, and there was no way, even if it was his own brother, he would now beg him for food.

Looting is counterproductive.

"Alas!"

Yuan Shang is not stupid, when the subordinates are in the same mind, he also understands that the public opinion cannot be violated, and if he forcibly rebels, it will naturally be unfavorable to the group.

"Good! In this case, I will listen to your words, I agree to exchange food with Yuan Xi, but what about Jizhou? ”

"The young master can rest assured, Xu Zhen is raising the people, it is impossible to mobilize the people at this time, he Jizhou is also a strong foreign cadre, in fact, there is no grain storage, at least two years to recover, even if he has Cao Cao's help, if he wants to settle down, it will take a year." Guo Tu was very confident in this, and immediately talked eloquently, "Xu Zhen was born in Baiding, without the help of the scholars, although the Cao family welcomes the Son of Heaven, but the scholars are detached, so the people who are promoted by the counties are talented and not virtuous, and they do not have a reputation. ”

This is extremely reasonable, and when it comes to Yuan Shang's most worrying point, it seems that his father left Jizhou for his son's plan, hollowing out Jizhou, which he worked so hard to manage, in order to prevent Cao Jun from gaining a quick foothold, and the people who fled back to Jizhou, plus the homeless people themselves, are full of millions.

That's a million, definitely a million mouths to eat, thank goodness.

"I'll write back." Yuan Shang nodded immediately, finally relieved.

"Young master atmosphere."

Guo Tu and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief, looked at each other, and became calm, as long as they didn't fight anymore.

It is nothing to give 10,000 soldiers and horses, as long as there is enough food, the remaining army can live until the next time the princes outside the border trade to send grain, and then the autumn harvest will harvest the grain cultivated by the people.

Xu Zhen implemented the military tun, but encouraged the people to work the land, and those who were able to farm the land were rewarded for dividing the fields and returning the fields to the people, so the people were more active in cultivating the land.

However, the annexation of the state is different, they came with the people, and after arriving in the annexation of the state, it is too late to govern the people to talk about benevolent government, all the fields are collected for their own use, and the people are given enough food, and the rest is used as military funds, and they cannot afford to raise 200,000 soldiers and horses without sucking the blood of the common people.

Now, these 10,000 soldiers and horses are sent to Youzhou in exchange for life-saving food.

……

Three days later.

Inside the Sword and Shield Camp in Zhongshan County.

Xu Zhen had personally taken 12,000 horses to camp outside Wuji County, Zhongshan County, and came back from exploring the camp outside the checkpoint, Xu Zhen and Dian Wei dismounted and returned to the camp and walked on the open road.

[You have completed the investigation of the military situation, and the self-discipline value is +150]

"Prince!"

Xu Zhen had just collected the self-discipline value, and when he heard the voice of the guard, he raised his eyes and saw Huang Xu standing in front of him, panting, but his handsome face was full of smiles.

"Today's investigation, we caught a horseman, although this person did not have a letter, but he interrogated the news, in a few days, Yuan Xi will transport grain and grass to Bingzhou, and Yuan Shang gave 10,000 soldiers and horses to Yuan Xi, as a transaction between brothers, it will definitely be carried out in the near future, because Bingzhou has begun to run out of food."

Xu Zhen paused, and suddenly became happy, "Haha! 50,000 stones! Awe!! ”

"Eh," Dian Wei pursed his lips, he knew that the prince must have taken a fancy to other people's food.

"Hurry, hurry! The whole army went out, ambushed along the way, and pulled back all the 50,000 stone grain! ”

"All, all pull back! Don't hesitate to send troops immediately! Gallop in the starry night, don't stop, walk less during the day, march at night! Secretly rush to the mountains and forests to ambush and defend the place where you must pass! ”

Dian Wei was stunned helplessly for a moment, and then nodded suddenly, "Eh! Got it. ”

"The armor cavalry attacked head-on, the crossbow cavalry outflanked, the sword and shield battalion entered the mountains and forests, the green tiger battalion and Zilong's white robe were as close to the battlefield as possible, and let them go for a while after seeing the soldiers and horses, and then besieged and looted, and left after robbing."

"So many soldiers?"

Dian Wei immediately became numb, you are really not a person, just burn it if you can't take it away, anyway, we are not short of food now, roughly calculated, fifty or sixty thousand people, touching five soldiers and horses, and laying out in various places in advance, just to grab 50,000 grains from Yuan Xi.

"It's not as simple as 50,000 stone of grain!" Xu Zhen's eyes suddenly widened, "For us, it's just 50,000 stones, but for Yuan Shang, it's life-saving food." ”

"Once it is destroyed, his annex state will be even more chaotic, how to place 200,000 soldiers and horses?"

"Huh! I see! I'll go! Dian Wei suddenly grinned.

That night, more than 60,000 soldiers and horses were dispatched at the same time, slowly coming out from the checkpoint in Zhongshan, and the cavalry crossed the plain until the mountains and forests in Youzhou were ambushed.

Each cavalryman, sword and shield soldier brought three days' dry rations, pot helmets and jerky, enough for three days to be full before they went on the road.

I have been waiting for four days, when I was tired and hungry, I saw Yuan Xi's grain cart coming from a distance, Gao Shun let them pass the military chariot and horse across the mountains and forests, and waited for the front army to collect 10,000 soldiers, and when they were contacting and counting, they suddenly killed the rear army with a sword and shield.

Suddenly raised fire and attacked, killing a person by surprise, and when he led the front army, when he was about to turn back to rescue, he killed a crossbow from not far away, and quickly approached and immediately released arrows.

Under the fierce shooting of arrows, the Youzhou soldiers fell in pieces.

The soldiers and horses who came to meet saw this scene from a distance, and immediately withdrew their troops without looking back.

It was a mess for a while, and the general headed by Guo Tu's deputy general Chen Zhen, his eyes were wide at this time, and he was so stunned that he didn't know how to make a decision.

To save or not to save? These are Xu Zhen's soldiers and horses? Why did he move so many soldiers? Is it necessary? This is not Armageddon...... It's just a night raid on food and grass.

He has so much military pay and grass to reward and pension? Or is the soldiers under his command willing to sell his life for him without money? It's horrible.

(End of chapter)