Three Kingdoms

  Chapter 2854 A fire

   Guishuang Allied Forces?

   Three hundred thousand?

Most of the people present knew that the 300,000 is basically an imaginary number, but even if it was an imaginary number, it was enough to shock everyone at the moment. Even Lu Bu's face changed slightly, and he put down Fang Tian in his hand. Draw a halberd.

  Wei Xu was on the sidelines, almost frightened, his eyes were a little dull.

   Once the number of soldiers exceeds 10,000, it has reached a level that generals rarely encounter. Then the difficulty increases geometrically, that is to say, the number of soldiers commanding 50,000 is not ten times that of commanding 5,000, it may be twenty times, or even fifty times...

   It's like when Liu Huangshu ruled thousands of people in history, Liu Paopao left his reputation everywhere in the Central Plains. Well, it doesn't matter whether this prestige is good or bad, anyway, as long as he wanted to run away, no one could catch him. But during the Battle of Yiling, when Liu Paopao commanded troops that far exceeded his command limit, he staggered like a toddler, slow and at a loss.

  Because the more soldiers there are, the more middle and low-level generals are needed. At that time, Liu Paopao had no generals under his command. In the Han Dynasty, when there was no timely communication, the role of generals was irreplaceable, and not just a few messengers could help.

  So, Lu Bu looked at Zhang Liao, was speechless for a while, then exhaled and said: "The dispute between you and me, whether it is a misunderstanding, or right or wrong, don't care for now. Now that the enemy is coming, Wen Yuan, if you want to help me, stay here, if you don't want to help me, go quickly. 』

  『My lord! ’ Wei Xu jumped out, pointed at Zhang Liao and said, ‘We can’t let him go! just in case…"

   Lu Bu waved his hand, "Nothing, Wen Yuan is not this kind of person. 』

  Then Lu Bu looked at Zhang Liao, "How is it?" stay or go? 』

  Zhang Liao also looked at Lu Bu, thought for a while, and nodded, "The enemy is at hand, we should fight together!" 』

   Lu Bu laughed, and immediately stepped forward, patted Zhang Liao on the shoulder, "Good! I knew you would do it! After so many years, you and I can finally fight side by side! Come on, come on! Hahaha! 』

   Lu Bu smiled, and then said to Zhang Liao, "Wen Yuan, take your people to rest first...even if there are really 300,000, so what?" Back then...hahaha, forget it, let’s not mention it. It's just right that Guishuang is here, so I don't have to go find them! After this battle, the Western Regions can be settled in one fell swoop! Ha ha ha ha! 』

   Lu Bu laughed heartily, as if the previous tense scene had vanished and the sky had cleared up.

  But everyone knows whether it is really going to be like this.

  The Guishuang Army has a huge number, and the speed of their advance is uneven. The fastest had to take care of the slowest, so even if they knew that Lu Bu's scouts had discovered his whereabouts, they couldn't rush to Qiu Ci immediately, they could only surround him slowly. Of course, perhaps under the command of Guishuang General Taxa, they feel that their side has the upper hand, even if they are suppressed, they can crush Lu Bu to death...

  Perhaps it was necessary to borrow Zhang Liao's ability. Lu Bu did not deliberately make things difficult for Zhang Liao, or deprive Zhang Liao of his followers. Instead, he sent Zhang Liao a lot of food, supplies, and arranged tents.

   Outside the tent, the campfire roasted the ground.

  The night sky in the Western Regions is fascinating, the bright stars almost cover the entire sky, so that every human being who looks up at it will feel their own insignificance.

  『General, is there really 300,000? ’ Sun Laosan muttered, ‘Is it fake? 』

  Zhang Liao lowered his head and cast his eyes on the bonfire, "If you count the old and the weak, there should still be 100,000 to 150,000...Insufficient information, it is difficult to deduce exactly..."

  『Then... the general, the chief guard over there...』 Quan Er looked at Zhang Liao, and said, "Will you not do anything to us? 』

  The bonfire was jumping, unscrupulously exuding its own enthusiasm.

  Zhang Liao grabbed a piece of wood, and then felt that the touch in his hand was a little weird, so he lowered his head and took a look.

   This piece of wood seems to be a part of a sculpture, with patterns on it. The surface seems to have been specially polished, and it feels slightly smooth to the touch. The smooth lines seem to be part of the clothes...

  Zhang Liao raised his hand noncommittally, and threw it into the bonfire.

  『Don’t worry, these people are gathered temporarily. Once the leader is defeated, they will collapse like an avalanche...』 Zhang Liao said, 『So the Guishuang people also moved very carefully and very slowly. 』

  Zhang Liao didn’t say whether the reassurance refers to the reassurance of Guishuang’s attack, the reassurance of the general guard, or both.

  Zhang Liao stretched out his hands, looked at his fingers, and said, "It is a crime to destroy Buddha. This argument is a bit like a yellow scarf...so the first to come must be those who have no brains..."

  Zhang Liao put down his hand, and then held it in the air, "The Yellow Turban Bandits...was once arrogant... until the fire of Changsha..."

   That fire burned the soul of Huang Jin.

Perhaps at the beginning of the three brothers Zhang Jiao, they were indeed roaring for the sake of ordinary people, but they did not make it to the end, especially after the Yellow Turban Army began to expand, and the situation of discriminating between good and bad became more and more serious. The three brothers Zhang Jiao obviously couldn't make the army and government orders consistent under such conditions.

   Zhang Jiao may have once wanted to become a god, but in the end he was just a fallen person.

  Like Lu Bu.

   Zhang Liao admitted that he made a mistake. He used his impression of Lu Bu to deduce the plan and formulate the steps. Naturally, it was like hitting a reef on the bottom of the sea, and almost smashed his bones.

  Fortunately, the people of Guishuang came, and came with a large army. Of course, in some respects, this is not so lucky. But it is precisely because of this that Lu Bu changed his attitude...

  『All of you go to rest and make adjustments,』 Zhang Liao said to the guards beside him, 『In two days, there is still a tough battle to be fought. 』

  Han Zheng hesitated for a moment, "General..."

  Zhang Liao nodded, "It's okay, let's go to rest first." 』

   So several guards got up and stepped back.

  Zhang Liao sat alone by the campfire. The current situation is even more difficult than he originally imagined. People change, and if Zhang Liao changed, Lu Bu would naturally change as well.

During this meeting, Zhang Liao realized the current situation in the Kucha Kingdom. The massacres around Qiu Ci, or the actions to exterminate the Buddha, were not all caused by Lu Bu, or vented his anger mindlessly. There are also some ingredients to lure the enemy.

  Maybe…

   This is Zhang Liaoxin's speculation.

  If this speculation is true, it means that Lu Bu has already started to use his brains that he didn't want to use. This is a good thing, but it is also a bad thing. Because this means that Lu Bu is actually aware of Wei Xu's actions.

Lu Bu knew what Wei Xu had done. This would cause Zhang Liao to not arouse Lu Bu's anger when he exposed Wei Xu's crimes. Instead, it would make Lu Bu feel that Zhang Liao did not go after Wei Xu, but meant Lu Bu. itself.

   What finally led to this change in Lu Bu?

  Zhang Liao was thinking.

  Maybe it was the setbacks encountered by Yuan Shao, maybe it was the depression in the Central Plains where there was no place to show off his bravery, or maybe it was the success of the Western Expedition to the Western Regions? Or maybe Lu Bu has a higher starting point and stronger martial arts, but he can only be defeated in a row and flee everywhere, while the former "little brother" has already achieved great success, has a strong army and is popular...

  Lu Bu is not a tolerant person.

  The reason why Lu Bu came to where he is today, maybe others are indeed responsible, but more of it is caused by Lu Bu himself.

Impulsive, irritable, and useless brains, even if he uses his brains now, he may not be able to consider the long-term, or he himself thinks that it is long-term enough. After all, Lu Bu was surprised when he heard that the Guishuang army had come in a big way, and he didn't know how long-term Guishuang was. The murderous intent to fight Zhang Liao as many as the soldiers of Shuang couldn't be fooled.

   That is Lu Bu.

   There have been some changes, but Lu Bu is still not that good.

  Lu Bu is selfish and self-interested in his heart, but he pretends to be generous and magnanimous on the surface.

  Lu Bu ate and drank with ordinary soldiers, and even sang and wrestled together by the campfire.

   Or to put it simply, Lu Bu's core is still a wolf.

  The wolf king will lead and protect the wolves of his clan, and play with the cubs on weekdays, but he will never allow his position to be challenged. If encountering an unmatched risk, the wolf king will not hesitate to leave the wolves in the pack and flee first.

  Lv Bu grew up in the north, and the thinking of the jungle in the desert is deeply rooted in Lu Bu's heart, so he doesn't care about anyone, he only cares about himself. Therefore, when Zhang Liao took out the signed paper, what he thought of first was not the friendship in the past, but he suspected that the paper did not represent friendship, but a trap laid by the hussars.

  I made a mistake after all.

  Zhang Liao originally thought that he would rely on emotion to impress Lu Bu, but now he finds that Lu Bu doesn't care about this friendship at all. Zhang Liao made a mistake. Zhang Liao had to make a new plan.

  Of course, Zhang Liao can also find an opportunity to escape, but this means that Lu Bu will be completely detonated, and everything in the Western Regions will be pushed into an irreversible abyss. If it was to save his own life, then Zhang Liao would go back immediately. Presumably even Lu Bu might not be able to stop him. But what about after fleeing back?

  Even if the people in the Western Regions are not considered, then the consequences caused by this, the changes in various places involved, the authority of generals, etc., will inevitably set off an immeasurable storm!

   Lu Brui Fengxian...

  Zhang Liao closed his eyes in pain.

  Those who blindly believe in their own force will eventually be killed by themselves.

  This world is not just about swords and guns.

  Using violence to end the opponent's body and destroy the opponent's life is certainly a way to solve the problem, but this method will always have the greatest deterrent effect only when the action has not yet been taken. Just like now, after Lu Bu set off to exterminate the Buddha, those who believe in Buddhism in the Western Regions and those in Guishuang will not be so afraid of Lu Bu, or they are still afraid, but they know that both left and right are dead. After that, it became a desperate struggle to survive.

   Killing is undoubtedly the simplest and most brutal method.

   But it is also the most incompetent embodiment of being a commander.

The use of violence by the people at the bottom may only involve one or two families at most, but the higher the level, the more interconnected they are, the simple killing will not only reduce the evaluation of the decision-maker's ability, but also make the allies more powerful. Not trusting oneself will also make the opponent happier, and even because of simple, rough and irresponsible handling, in every blank period of power alternation, it may cause greater damage to the entire political system under the chain reaction.

   So, now what exactly?

  How can Lu Bu understand this?

  Seizing power is not advisable.

   This is one of the fundamental motivations for Zhang Liaoning to travel thousands of miles to face Lu Bu.

   Zhang Liao himself has desires, there is no doubt about it.

  If he had no desire and just lay flat, Zhang Liao would not have come here at all.

  Civilian officials and military generals were split into different occupations from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period, or perhaps earlier.

  From only needing to carry bones and sticks, to the back began to have stone spears and axes, and then to bronzes, from the beginning of greeting each other in line, to going directly to the three-way...

  With the development of civilization, the demand for war forms requires more professional military generals. But human life is limited, and energy is also limited. It is obviously unrealistic for Zhang Liao to study scriptures and want to learn both civil and martial arts. And once the pace of war stops and the transition from pioneering to construction, generals who focus on fighting will naturally be replaced by civil servants who focus on production and management. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, due to the mutual struggle for power and profit between civil officials and generals, and even personal desires that override national interests, it led to the fall of the country and the death of tens of thousands of people.

  So this time, the most critical issue is not anything else, but the transfer of authority.

  Smooth handover.

   Let the turmoil in the Western Regions calm down again, and turn chaos into order.

  Let the authority of the Western Regions alternate, which will become an example in the future.

   Let experience continue and civilization develop.

   This is the root of everything.

   This is the inheritance of China.

   Zhang Liao understands this problem, but the problem is that Lu Bu does not understand it.

  Looking at the bonfire in front of him, Zhang Liao stood up, waved his hands and refused the guards to follow, and went directly to Lu Bu.

   Lu Bu was a little surprised by Zhang Liao's arrival, but soon Lu Bu greeted him with a smile, as if he was a different person in Japan and China holding Fang Tian's painted halberd.

   That’s right, this is very Lu Bu.

  『Brother Fengxian, I have some ideas about the Guishuang Army...' Zhang Liao said straight to the point, 'However, Brother Fengxian is more familiar with the Western Regions, so please give me some advice...』

   Lu Bu's eyes moved slightly, and then he laughed, "It's easy to say, easy to say! Come, sit, sit and talk. 』

  Zhang Liao's heart sank, but he didn't look polite, and sat down straight away, "The Western Regions are divided into North and South. We are probably in the middle of the North Road now, and the Guishuang Army wants to come, it seems that there is only one way...』

  The Western Regions are like an oval plate, but in the middle of the plate is a large desert. Even in the era of satellite positioning in later generations, accidentally falling into no-man's land is basically a near-death situation, needless to say the present. Therefore, for the marching route, it is basically certain that Guishuang will pass through Qiuci.

   Lu Bu nodded. On this point, Zhang Liao was right, but he also noticed the word "seems" in Zhang Liao's words, so he frowned and said, "Wen Yuan, you mean that Guishuang has divided troops?" 』

   In terms of war, Lu Bu has the intuition and keenness like a beast.

"It is true that soldiers are precious and fast..." Zhang Liao nodded and said, "This Guishuang army may not be able to have 300,000 troops, but even if there are only 30,000 people gathered in one place, eating and drinking every day is not a small amount." The number... If there is no special reason, why not rush forward and fight Brother Fengxian in Qiuci City... Anyway, it will consume our strength, isn't it? 』

Lu Bu pondered, "Well, so to speak, this Guishuang... If you divide your troops into the South Road, I'm afraid it's for the West Sea... The two roads of the Western Regions, the North and the South, can basically be regarded as Pingchuan. As long as there is a team of elite cavalry, it can be bypassed directly. Shache, enter the South Road, and then rush to the West Sea... Well, there is indeed such a possibility... So the Guishuang army in front of us is deliberately slowing down, in fact, it is to wait for their division...』

Compared with the several big countries in the North Western Regions, the Southern Western Regions are basically small states. When facing Guishuang soldiers and horses, most of them are the same as before. If one side is stronger, it will fall to the other side. The speed is often determined by the balance of power between the two sides. The so-called eternal neutrality is just a joke.

   "So..." Lu Bu turned his gaze to Zhang Liao, "Then what is your suggestion, Wen Yuan?" Are we going back to the West Sea now? 』

  Zhang Liao shook his head, and did not agree with Lu Bu's plan, because this plan was obviously a trap, a temptation of Lu Bu. "We have to face the army that is still from the North... Now we will retreat to the West Sea, and we still can't get rid of being bitten by these guys... So, if we are here..."

  Zhang Liao raised his head, looked around, and said, "Would you like to set a fire?" It must be able to illuminate many places...』

   Lu Bu looked back at Qiu Cicheng, then laughed, "A fire? Hmm, interesting. I think I can give it a try... Then it's settled, clean it up tomorrow, and set it on fire tomorrow night! Light it up and let it attract those Guishuang kids! 』

   Very simple strategy to lure the enemy.

   But it works.

  Because it is very simple, Guishuang is the coalition.

  Zhang Liao and Lu Bu chatted about some details, then took their leave and left.

  Lv Bu laughed, and specially gave Zhang Liao a gift.

  When Lu Bu turned back, Wei Xu appeared from some dark corner...

  (end of this chapter)