Three Kingdoms

  The night in the Western Regions is lonely.

  Zhang Liao sat by the bonfire, the light and shadow on his face looming.

  Different from later generations of anime, or any movies and TV shows, the big man does not have cosmetics, and the wind and frost will leave imprints on people's faces and hands, and will also precipitate under the light and shadow.

   It's been a long time since no one has spoken.

  The campfire was crackling.

  In the distance, there seemed to be wild wolves howling in the wilderness.

  Since the forward scouts passed back Lu Bu's situation in Kucha, no one spoke again.

  Zhang Liao didn't want to say anything, and the others didn't know what to say. They marched silently, camped silently, cooked supper silently, and listened silently to the howling night wind and howling wolves.

  Everything was beyond their expectations!

  Lu Bu actually hit Kucha? Lu Bu not only beat Qiucha, but also wiped out the King City of Qiucha! Not only that, Lu Bu also killed the monks in Kucha, pushed down the Buddha statue, and cut off the Buddha's head...

  Such behavior brought about a strong backlash. Not only the people of Kucha were resisting, but even the states in other regions, such as the Shache area, seemed to be secretly gathering to fight against Lu Bu.

   This is a terrible thing.

   What's even more frightening is that Lu Bu doesn't seem to care about all of this.

  Lu Bu just kills, kills more people, kills everyone who stands in his way...

   These unimaginable news jumped out of the forward scouts one after another. And the group, including Zhang Liao, almost seemed to have lost the ability to speak when faced with so many shocking news at once.

   Especially Zhang Liao.

  Lu Bu is no longer what Zhang Liao imagined.

   kill.

Lu Bu used to kill Hu people in the Northland and Jiuyuan, but at that time, Lu Bu only killed those Hu people who went to Han to burn, kill and loot. On weekdays, if he met ordinary Hu people in the grassland and desert , Lu Bu doesn't know how to fight, and even eats with them, shepherds sheep, races horses, and competes with them...

   And now, it's just killing people.

   Kill the people of Kucha, claiming that the people of Kucha rebelled.

  Kill the monks, saying that the monks confuse the people.

  Even Buddha statues were pushed to the ground, and their heads were beheaded to kill once. What can a Buddha statue do? Clay sculptures, stone carvings, neither bite nor scream...

   Lu Bu seems to have been completely confused.

  Lu Bu seems to have no idea what such behavior means.

   Lu Bu seems to have lost the kind of judgment that a general should possess.

   Killing people will stabilize the place?

  Killing people will bring great achievements?

  If this were the case, it would not have been the Yanhuang Alliance in ancient times, but Chi You should have dominated it.

  The surrounding area is very quiet.

  It was so quiet that it seemed that everyone's heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat could be heard.

In such an extremely depressing silence, with every crackling sound of the bonfire burning, mixed with the occasional snorting of war horses, Zhang Liao looked at the guards around him, and said in a low voice, "The Governor of the Western Regions, this is not what it used to be." Than...it was a mistake, so trying to dissuade it may not be effective...』

  The guard beside Zhang Liao nodded and looked at Zhang Liao.

  Most of them don't have any special ideas, they just know to follow Zhang Liao, listen to Zhang Liao's orders, and protect Zhang Liao. There are also a small number of people who have some ideas, but most of the time, their ideas are not important, except for the moment when even Zhang Liao himself is a little confused.

  『I want to hear your thoughts...』 Zhang Liao said.

  Zhang Liao hesitated.

  All the fearless people in history have a fear of death behind them. It is human nature to be afraid of death, failure, and the unknown. Analyzing the pros and cons and weighing the pros and cons is the basis of most people's behavior except the reckless.

Before Zhang Liao came to the Western Regions, he thought that Lu Bu's problem was not too big. It might be due to poor communication, being deceived by Wei Xu in the Western Regions, or some other carelessness. After all, Lu Bu's character is like this. From being a chief secretary to today's chief protector, he is impulsive, irritable, soft-hearted, and uninitiated, almost occupying most aspects of Lu Bu's personality. Therefore, at first Zhang Liao felt that he still had a chance to persuade Lv Bu to come back. As long as he came to Lv Bu, talked about the past, recounted the friendship, and communicated well between Fei Qian and Lv Bu, perhaps this disaster could be avoided. Disappeared.

   But in Xihai City, Zhang Liao discovered that things had actually deteriorated. Rotten officials have eaten up the Western Regions like moths, and greedy generals have ruined the original reputation. Lu Bu, the governor of the Western Regions, seemed to be sitting on a throne of bones that could collapse at any time. It looked huge, but it was actually rotten.

   This was already beyond Zhang Liao’s surprise, but Zhang Liao still felt that there might be a chance of life, for Huqi, for Lu Bu, and for himself...

   But now, after Zhang Liao received the news sent back by the forward scouts, Zhang Liao couldn't even see this line of life.

   Fighting...

  Yes, the battle is indeed very important, but the endless battle will only lead to perdition.

  The army is very important, but only the army, a country without construction is very fragile, without any self-regeneration ability, as long as there is a small wound, it will eventually bleed to death because it cannot be healed.

  So Lu Bu has no problem killing horse thieves, rebels, and enemies, except that he cannot point the butcher knife at ordinary people.

  Even if it is sophistry, false claims, or nonsense that these people are thieves when they get on the horse, so we must kill them all before they get on the horse...

  It’s like grabbing a person at random on the street and pronouncing, scolding, and then saying that this person will be guilty in the future, so he should be beheaded.

   All people, can you really guarantee that you will not do wrong things in your life? If the answer is no, then it is natural to kill. If the answer is yes, then he is lying and killing him.

  This kind of random massacre of civilians, no matter what era it is in, is disgusting and indignant, and will even trigger large-scale resistance.

  Because this kind of behavior is very absurd, and naturally violates the foundation of all orders.

  And once there is no order, where is even the Guardian of the Western Regions established as the image of the defender of order? Where is the guard?

  The guardian of the Western Regions is a banner of the great man!

   Now Lu Bu is almost destroying this side of the flag. Even if the hussars send people to rebuild and erect the flag again in the future, it will inevitably be more difficult, more troublesome, and more expensive.

  Zhang Liao breathed out, and said in a low voice: "We have already started in Xihai City, if we catch up with the Great Protector... what do you think?" 』

  Most of the guards knew what Zhang Liao meant.

  Everyone's heart suddenly tightened.

   However, no one was shaken by this. They are Zhang Liao's guards, Zhang Liao's sword, and Zhang Liao's shield. So they all looked at Zhang Liao, and didn't answer this seemingly complicated but also simple question.

  『All two. 』

  『The subordinates are here! ’ Quan Er straightened up and replied.

"what are you thinking? 』

  『All listen to the command of the general! 』

  Zhang Liao nodded, then turned to ask another person, "Sun Laosan, how about you?" 』

  『I also obey all orders of the general! 』

  『Han Zheng? 』

  『Subordinates, subordinates have no idea, what the master says, subordinates will do. 』

  The guard beside Han Zheng saw that Zhang Liao's eyes turned to him, so he said in a deep voice, "We all obey the command of the general, and everything is obeyed by the general!" 』

  Zhang Liao smiled, then shook his head, "This is the biggest problem..."

"ah? 』All the guards were stunned, looking at each other, and went inside if they didn't understand.

Zhang Liao lowered his eyes, watching the lights and shadows of the bonfire dancing under his feet, either facing himself or the guards around him, "You are my guards, of course you listen to me, it seems that there is no problem... Then most of you The guards of the guards also listen to the guards... the guards of the hussars also listen to the hussars... Of course there is no problem, the guards of the big guards can't listen to me... haha...』

  Zhang Liao laughed twice, and the surrounding guards also laughed inexplicably, but they still couldn't quite understand what Zhang Liao meant.

Zhang Liao restrained his smile and said, "One person can't do too many things. After all, one person only has twelve hours a day... This is what Huqi said. If you want to achieve great things, you must have more people to work together." To do something... It's like building a house. If only one person builds a wooden house, it may take a year, but for ten people, it may only take one month. If it is a hundred people, it may only take one day, or even For a long time... this is what hussars call "unity"...』

  Taking building a house as an example, all the guards could understand and nodded.

  『But what if... the people who came to build the house were divided into two groups, one group said to start from the left side of the house first, and the other group said to start from the right side? Zhang Liao said slowly, "The person who wants to build from the left only listens to the leader on the left, and the one on the right only listens to the one on the right. Both sides have reasons... Then how to build this house?" 』

  The guards froze for a moment.

  Han Zheng hesitated for a moment, "Let the owner of the house choose from the left or the right?" 』

  『The owner of the house said to build from the foundation. 』Zhang Liao smiled, but the smile was a bit bitter.

  『…』The guards looked at each other.

  Han Zheng guessed some of Zhang Liao's intentions, and said, "General, you mean...the Western Regions?" Are you building a house too? 』

"Um. Zhang Liao nodded and took a deep breath, "I know that some of you once had some friendship with the subordinates of the Chief Protector..."

Zhang Liao's guards were also with the guards of Lu Bu Gao Shun and others when they were in Luoyang. Although they were damaged and supplemented later, some of them knew Lu Bu and were with Lu Bu's guards. More or less friendship.

   It's like the friendship between Zhang Liao and Lu Bu.

  Zhang Liao looked around, "But friendship belongs to friendship. Now... the chief guard is obviously not doing things according to the order of the hussars... so... so when you really need to raise your swords and guns to your old friends... will you obey my general order?" 』

  The guards including Han Zheng suddenly turned pale. They didn't expect Zhang Liao to say that.

  Zhang Liao brought a scepter, not a Yue.

  The scepter can be used against officials below a thousand stones, and the official rank of the chief guardian is two thousand stones.

   Only hussars have Jieyue, so hussars can seal officials with two thousand shi, which is no problem, but Zhang Liao can't.

  The guards did not expect Zhang Liao to say this at all. They never imagined what they should say and do in this situation...

  Old friends may not sit together anymore.

  Han Zheng tensed his face and straightened his waist. He swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva, but still didn't know how to answer. He secretly looked at Quan Er and the others, but to his disappointment, these people didn't seem to have any answers. Han Zheng tried to look at Zhang Liao's face, looking for an answer from Zhang Liao's face, but he found that Zhang Liao's face was like a wooden sculpture of clay, as indifferent as the Gobi beach in the Western Regions. A thick layer of sludge and dust, like a mud shell, concealed all the expressions on Zhang Liao's face.

  Zhang Liao drooped his lower eyelids, lowered his eyes, and stayed on a stone in front of him. He seemed to be very interested in this stone suddenly, watching the shadow of the stone become longer or shorter, left or right under the swaying of the campfire.

  Sun Laosan coughed, and seemed to have made a choice not long after, "Subordinate, naturally the only one who will follow the lead..."

  Zhang Liao raised his head, with no expression on his face. He neither nodded to confirm Sun Laosan's decision, nor commented on Sun Laosan's statement. His gaze moved slowly but firmly to Quan Er's face. Zhang Liao didn't speak, but looked at Quan Er with a very calm look.

   Not only the houses in the Western Regions, but also a group of people on the left and a group on the right. Even Zhang Liao's own guards are actually divided into several groups.

  Zhang Liao's own relatives, such as the Zhang family members like Zhang Chen, who had already died in battle, have come here one after another in the past few years, and they are the group of people who are most closely related to Zhang Liao.

  Second class Quan, a group of people recruited in the Heluo area in the early days, including Bingzhou people and Xiliang people, they can be regarded as the guards of the older generation.

   Sun Laosan, Zhang Liao expanded in Hanzhong, and he spent a relatively short time with Zhang Liao, and he didn't have much affection with Lu Bu, so he can be regarded as a new generation of Zhang Liao's guards.

Han Zhengze is different again. He has nothing to do with the so-called old and new. He is from Xiliang in Longyou. He has read books and scriptures, and knows some arithmetic, so what he represents is relatively knowledge. The group with a higher level and a relatively better background...

Han Zheng didn't look at Zhang Liao. He lowered his head and said, "The guardian of the capital was appointed by the hussars himself. If the general doesn't have an order from the cavalry... After all, the guardian of the capital can decide the advance and retreat of the Western Regions army... General, if this Come to accuse the chief protector, the chief protector and his subordinates probably won’t listen to the general...』

  『Yes, the Chief Protector does have the authority to command the generals of the Western Regions... 』Zhang Liao nodded and said, 『But what I want to pursue is not this......』

  Han Zheng fell silent, and said after a long time, "General... those officials in Xihai City... after all, they are different from the Great Protector... Really different... If there is a day in the future... you, the General, will also be in the position of the Great Protector..."

Zhang Liao was not angry, he nodded, "I know...so when I killed those officials in Xihai City, I didn't hesitate, but now I hesitate... This is not a good thing. For four hundred years, this cannot be regarded as a good thing...』

Zhang Liao said, but his tone gradually became heavy, like the night wind howling on the four fields, "I really can just take a walk like this, just take a walk, and then meet with Da Duhu... No, It is not even necessary to meet... Most guards may not make things difficult for me in the past friendship, and then I can return to Chang'an to report that there is nothing I can do, just let the hussars take action... In this way, I don't need to carry the "good at it" on my back. You don't need to take too many risks... Isn't that great? But I can't... can't! 』

  Zhang Liao's voice rose, bringing out a faint anger, rising like a flame, "I must go there myself!" I need to see if it's the Great Protector...or this **** Wei Xu! 』

  『Wei Xu! Shuzi! Zhang Liao called Wei Xu by first and last name, obviously unable to suppress his anger, "What kind of thing is he, Wei Xu?" ! In Xihai City, other than arrogance and domineering, other than greedy for credit, other than cheating and lying, other than corrupting money, what did he do in Xihai City? What good did he do in the West Sea? What good deeds did they do in the Western Regions? 』

   Zhang Liao said angrily, his eyes were burning with anger, "I need to bring Wei Xu's crimes collected by Supervisor Zhang to the Chief Protector!" Let the chief protector know how many evil things this Wei Xu has done behind his back! 』

  『No matter what the general guards are like...』 Zhang Liao glanced at the guards, and said, 『I will deal with Wei Xu first! Even if this will make the guardian dissatisfied, I must deal with Wei Xu first! 』

   Zhang Liao said so, but he also knew in his heart that without Lu Bu's acquiescence, Wei Xu might not have been able to do such a disgusting thing, but this is Lu Bu's only way out. A strong man cuts off his wrist, puts down his sword and gun, and returns to Sangtian. It may not be impossible for him to die. The blame can only be borne by Wei Xu, and it can only be attributed to Wei Xu's level. If it falls on Lu Bu, the trouble will be big.

  Zhang Liao didn't want Lu Bu to go the wrong way again.

  Before Lu Bu took the wrong path, there are other paths to take...

  After all, Lu Bu was still young back then, and there was still a chance of trial and error, but now Lu Bu is no longer young, and there is no chance of trial and error. Now on Lu Bu, not only the general guard of the Western Regions, but also more...

   Including involving Zhang Liao himself.

  So, if we can control all the problems on Wei Xu, maybe there is still hope.

  Zhang Liao sincerely hopes to be able to do so.

  Quan Er looked at Han Zheng, then at Sun Laosan, "We all listen to the general..."

  Sun Laosan nodded and said, "That's right, listen to the general!" 』

  Han Zheng was silent for a while, then said, "General, we all listen to you... But if we say, in case... everyone will protect him..."

  Zhang Liao breathed out, fell silent, and said in an indescribably heavy tone after a long time, "That's really bad..."