The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

Xun Yu came to Xun Zhen's tent. Seeing that Xi Zhicai, Xun You and others had arrived first, he sat in the table and asked, "Brother, why did you call me to wait?"

"Munde sent me a letter."

"What did the letter say?"

"He borrowed 8,000 soldiers and horses from Ben Chu, and wanted to respond to my suggestion to go out to attack Dong, and asked me when I planned to send troops."

"Brother, how are you going to reply?"

"It's nearly April, and the summer harvest is about to happen. Let's wait until the summer harvest before sending troops."

The summer harvest time in Yingchuan, Guangling and other places is similar. If it is earlier, the summer harvest should be in April or May.

Although Xun Zhen definitely wanted to do the "Second Appeal to the Director", but this time he spread the word to the world, his purpose was just to take this opportunity to further improve his own reputation. He didn't intend to send troops immediately, so he planned to use Xia Shou as an excuse to reply to Cao Cao temporarily and delay the attack on Dong Zhuo for a while until Dong's morale was low.

Xi Zhicai and others nodded and said, "This is the most appropriate way to reply."

Xun You sighed without realizing it: "All the righteous troops, apart from Junhou and General Sun, only General Cao is the one who helps the Sheji, who is generous in retribution, and who sacrifices his life to forget his death. He can be called loyal and brave."

Cao Cao had already lost a major defeat and was almost killed in battle. During the second recruitment process, he encountered a rebellion and almost died, but after arriving in Hanoi with the newly recruited soldiers, he still actively fought and dared to fight. Attack is indeed called loyal and brave.

Xun Zhen said in his heart: "At the end of the Han Dynasty, all the heroes competed for the deer, and only the three families of Cao, Sun, and Liu succeeded, such as Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. Although they were great at the beginning, they ended up being nothing. They were just 'pioneers for the king'. The reason!"

While he was talking, someone from outside came to report: The scout reported that Dong Jun seemed to have changed.

Everyone stopped talking, Xun Zhen asked, "What's the change?"

"About 5,000 people from the Hu Zhen tribe at Yique Pass left the customs and went south, and about 3,000 people from the Dong Jun from the Huyuanguan Branch also left the customs, which seems to have an eastward direction."

Xun Zhen ordered to unfold the map, and while looking at the map, he asked, "Where is Dong Jun of the Luyuanguan Department now?"

"In Luyuan Kansai."

"Can you enter my Yingchuan County?"

"Not yet."

Luyuan Pass is located at the junction of Yingchuan County and Henan Yin. After exiting the pass, go a little to the east, and it is the jurisdiction of Yangcheng and Lunshi counties in Yingchuan County. So Xun Zhen first asked where Dong Jun of Luyuanguan is now. .

Xun Zhen looked at the topographical map of the Luyuan Pass area for a while, then turned her attention to the Yique Pass area, and then asked, "Where is Hu Zhen's Department now?"

"Going down the Yishui River, it is about near the new city at this time."

Xincheng is about 60 miles away from Yique Pass. From Xincheng to the southeast, Liangxian is about a hundred miles up and down.

Xun Zhen stared at the map for a long time, and asked Xi Zhicai and the others: "There is a sudden change in Dong Jun at the Luyuan and Yique passes. What do you think Dong Zhuo is doing?"

The current situation of the enemy is unknown, only that Dong Jun at Luyuan Pass and Yique Pass has different actions. To say "What is Dong Zhuo intending to do", it is difficult for Xi Zhicai and others to judge for the time being. Roughly speaking, there are at least three possibility.

Xi Zhicai said: "Either you want to combine the forces of the two passes, split the west and south, and attack our Yingchuan together; or you want to split the way and attack my Yingchuan with Dong's army at Luyuan Pass and attack my Yingchuan with the Yique Pass. Dong's army goes south to attack Luyang-Yuan Road; either they want to use Dong's army at Luyuan Pass to contain our troops, and use Dong's army at Yique Pass to attack Luyang."

Xun You and Xun Yu nodded and said yes, and said, "What Zhicai said/exactly."

Xun Zhen asked the person who came to report and said, "Are the soldiers and horses dispatched from Luyuan Pass on foot or on horseback?"

"There are both walking and riding, but riding is the main one."

"Where's Yique Pass?"

"is also like this."

"The main purpose is to cavalry, and this is for the purpose of rushing to attack. ... I passed the order of our army, ordering Wen Qian to immediately lead his troops westward, and settle in outside Yangcheng and Lunshi County to prepare for the attack of Dong Jun from Luyuan Pass; and then order Chen Noon prison guards the county's southern father city, in case Hu Zhen's sneak attack."

The officer who came to report the military situation took the order, and when Xun Zhen wrote the order, he left the tent and sent people to give Le Jin and Chen Wu the order.

Xi Zhicai pondered for a while, and said to Xun Zhen: "Jun Hou, I thought Dong Zhuo's intention to send troops this time was not in Yingchuan."

"Oh?"

"There are many family members and clansmen of the rebel generals in Beijing, but Dong Zhuo only killed more than 50 Yuan family members in Beijing before. Immediately, he sent troops to different lanes at this time. In my opinion, the purpose of his sending troops this time should also be 'severely punishing the criminals', and the meaning should be Yuan Road, ... The three thousand cavalry at Luyuanguan should be nothing more than just a thought. In order to contain my department, I dare not give aid to Lu Yang."

Xun You said: "Zhicai is right. However, our army has just defeated Hu Zhen several times in a row and captured thousands of Dong's soldiers, but it cannot be ruled out that Dong Zhuo intends to take revenge on our army."

Xun Yu said, "Three thousand cavalry at Luyuan Pass and five thousand cavalry at Yique Pass Hu Zhen's troops, totaling eight thousand, if you come for Yingchuan for me, this battle should not be taken lightly. Brother, the most important thing at the moment is this. No matter where Dong Zhuo's intentions are, our army will take precautions first."

Xi Zhicai and Xun You both said, "Exactly."

Xun Zhen also nodded in agreement. He called in Dian Wei, who was on guard outside the tent, and instructed, "Send someone to invite Sun Hou, and tell me that I have something important to discuss with you."

Dian Wei complied with the promise, and sent someone to invite Sun Jian.

After Kong Ni left, Sun Jian was already the only chief officer in Yingchuan County, but he seldom lived in the prefecture, but often in the military camp. At Xun Zhen's invitation, he quickly came to Xun Zhen's army from his own army.

When he came out of Changsha, Sun Jian had a lot of soldiers and horses, but like Xun Zhen, he was lacking in armor and equipment. He bought a lot of food, and in the end he annexed Kong Ni’s 5,000 soldiers and horses. In addition, when he and Xun Zhen sent troops to attack Dong Zhuo, he had won several consecutive games. Now he is very energetic and strode forward. Entering Xunzhen's tent, the people have not yet entered the tent, and the laughter has already entered, only to hear him laugh and ask: "Zhenzhi, why did you ask me to come?"

When he came to the tent, Xun Zhen asked him to take a seat first, and then relayed the military report to him.

Sun Jian was really a fierce general, and when he heard that Dong Zhuo might split his troops to attack Yingchuan together, he was not surprised but overjoyed, and said overjoyed: "I was saying that the attack last time was too unsatisfactory. It's the best!"

"Luyuan Pass is one step away from Yingchuan County. Due to the emergency, I didn't have time to discuss it with Qing. I have sent Wen Qian to take the soldiers to guard outside Yangcheng and Lunshi County to prevent Dong Jun from attacking. Qing thinks that Can you?"

Sun Jian's current focus is on negotiating the board of directors, and he doesn't care much about the county affairs of Yingchuan County, but for now, he doesn't mind Xun Zhen's involvement in the affairs of Yingchuan County, and he knows that Le Jin is Xunzhen's minion. Therefore, he did not pay too much attention to Xun Zhentiao's move of "Yingchuan County soldiers" to station in the west, and did not think that Xun Zhen was acting as a cook in a restaurant in Yue, and replied: "If Dong Jun is out of the turf, it will take half a day. To Yangcheng and Lunshi, or at least one day later, we should send Captain Le and lead troops to rush forward to prevent accidents, which is exactly what we should."

"I still don't know what Dong Zhuo is trying to do. I don't know if he wants to attack me, or if he wants to attack Yuan Gonggong, Wentai.... What do you think I should do now is the best policy?"

"In my opinion, no matter what Dong Zhuo wants to do, the best policy is that you and I should divide our troops and station them in Yangzhai to prevent Hu Zhen's troops from attacking the south of my county, and I will bring my own headquarters to the west to Yangzhai. The Cheng and Lun clans, together with Captain Le, shot down the three thousand Dong soldiers and cavalry at Luyuan Pass. In this way, whether Dong Zhuo came to attack our Yingchuan or not, the rules of advance and retreat are in my hands."

Sun Jian's proposal may seem a bit rude, but when you think about it, it is a "good plan".

Fighting is the initiative. If you stay in Yangzhai and don't move, you will give up the initiative to Dong Zhuo. If Dong Zhuo wants to fight Yingchuan, he will fight Yingchuan, and if he wants to fight Luyang, he will fight Luyang. Proposal, but it is to hold the initiative in their own hands.

However, although Sun Jian's strategy can be called a good strategy, it is hardly the "best strategy".

Xun Zhen said in his heart: "Wentai's strategy is a good plan, but if Dong Zhuo intends to be in Luyang, then Wentai's rashly dispatching troops would be a bit reckless." He said, "Wentai's strategy is indeed a good strategy. "I turned to Xi Zhicai and the others, "What do you think?"

Xi Zhicai and Xun You also disapproved of Sun Jian's proposal.

Xi Zhicai said in his heart, "Sun Hou started from humble beginnings, started his career with military exploits, and was eager to invite names, so when he heard that Dong Zhuo was about to commit a crime, he fought bravely. Losing it in a hurry is not good for the future.”

Xun You opened his mouth and said, "Those who are good at fighting will attack others later. The current situation is unclear. In my opinion, it is best not to rashly fight."

"Oh? Gongda's opinion?" Sun Jian asked.

Xun You replied: "Dong Zhuo sent troops this time, and his intention is to Yuan Gonggong. From my point of view, he will not just divide his troops into two directions."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Yuan Cheqi is the leader of the alliance I'm waiting for this time. If Dong Zhuo wants to attack Yuan Gonggong, how could he pull Yuan Cheqi down?"

"You mean?"

Xun You said to Xun Zhen, "You might as well send a fast horse to scout out for a ride, heading towards Hanoi, to see if Dong's troops are moving. If there is, then Dong Zhuo's intention to send troops this time is not in Yingchuan, but in Yingchuan. It's in Eryuan."

Although Dong Zhuo's troops and horses were numerous and his officers and men were excellent, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Xun Zhen, Sun Jian, etc. had no weak ones. As long as Dong Zhuo was not mad, he would never attack Hanoi, Yingchuan, and Luyang at the same time. Attacking at most two places at the same time should be his upper limit. Therefore, if there are signs of Dong Jun's activities in the direction of Hanoi, it means that Dong Zhuo is going to attack Eryuan this time, and has nothing to do with Yingchuan.

Sun Jian nodded and agreed with Xun You's analysis, but he still refused to give up the proposal to take the initiative to attack Dong Jun at Luyuan Pass.

"It's really not a problem. However, in my opinion, instead of attacking Luyuan Pass first, the general might as well wait for a while, and then investigate Dong Zhuo's intentions clearly, and then discuss entering the military before it is too late."

"how do I say this?"

"If the general is sending troops, then if Dong Zhuo's army going south this time is aimed at Yuan Road, it will be difficult for our army to split up to help him."

Sun Jian suddenly realized, and said, "So it is, I know what Gongda means!"

Xun Zhen and Sun Jian had limited troops~www.wuxiaspot.com~ and they had to defend the territory of Yingchuan to prevent Hu Zhen's troops from Yique Pass taking advantage of the opportunity to attack, so they couldn't divide their troops too much, at most they could divide their troops into two paths. If Sun Jian went to attack Dong's army at Luyuan Pass first, then if Dong Zhuo's purpose of sending troops this time was Yuan Shu, Xun Zhen and Sun Jian would not be able to rush to help Yuan Shu, and could only sit and watch Yuan Shu and Dong Zhuo fight.

"I can only sit and watch Yuan Shu fight against Dong Zhuo", this seems to be "sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight", it seems to have nothing to do with Xun and Sun, and it seems to be harmless to Yingchuan, but it is not.

Lu Yang was next to Yingchuan, and Yuan Shu's troops did not know how good the combat effectiveness was. If he lost the battle, his lips would die, and the next one to be attacked by Dong Zhuo would most likely be Yingchuan. Therefore, even though Xun Zhen's opinion of Yuan Shu was not good, for the sake of the overall situation, if Dong Zhuo's purpose this time was really to attack Yuan Shao and the Yuan Shu brothers, he couldn't risk Yuan Shu's defeat by sitting idly by.

Therefore, Xun Zhen thought that although Sun Jian's plan was a good plan, it was hardly the best plan. Therefore, Xi Zhicai and others did not agree with Sun Jian's proposal.

At the moment, everyone decided to guard the west of the county with Le Jin, and take Chen Wu to guard the south of the county to guard the border of the county. Then they sent scouts to Hanoi to see if there was any movement from Dong’s army, and then watched Luyuan Pass and Yique Pass. The specific movements of the two Dongjun forces will be discussed after the situation becomes clear.