Three Kingdoms

  Chapter 989 Snatch or be robbed

Su Shuang was originally from Zhongshan, and his ancestors were originally a small scholar-bureaucrat attached to Zhao during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. However, after the fall of Zhao, he became a subjugated slave. After he got married, he made a living by commerce and trade, mainly selling horses and livestock back and forth in Hudi, and later moved to Guanzhong.

  The Wubao of the Su family is neither big nor small, with about 500 people, which can be regarded as a medium-sized one. Wubao is located between Mangshui and Luogushui, which is considered a good location, so it was lucky not to be affected in several conflicts.

   As a result, it was the Yellow Turban Rebellion before, then the Dong Zhuo Rebellion, and now it is the Xiliang Rebellion. Large and small groups of soldiers are like combs, and it is impossible to carry out trade smoothly. During the period, I also took advantage of a little calmness and took some horses and livestock to sell, but almost all of them encountered rebels. It was good to buy and sell at a low price. Some even held a big knife to their necks to forcibly blackmail them. …

  Later, Su Shuang simply took the old and young men in Wubao, and stayed behind closed doors, guarding their small valley between Mangshui, thinking about going through this chaotic world first.

In the current chaotic situation in Guanzhong, it is natural that there can be no good days of carefree life, but Su Shuang brought thirty or fifty sons who traveled north and south with him in Wubao, and lived in Fang Xiaotiandi. Just struggling to survive.

  Because Su Shuang's reputation in this area is quite good, some refugees even attached themselves to them, stationed and stayed by the Mangshui, built nests or straw huts, and hunted by the Manshui.

On weekdays, Su Shuang was somewhat distressed when he saw these refugees, and sometimes he would bring out the food and cook a few pots of gruel, mixed with some things like river mussels, fish and shrimp in the manswater, which could be regarded as a suspense for these refugees. Life is just one day at a time. Unknowingly, more and more refugees gathered by the Manshui River. From the original hundreds of people, now there are gradually two or three thousand people...

   It’s not that no one has persuaded Su Shuang to simply raise a flag and tell these refugees to be incorporated, and then one can protect themselves, and on the other hand, they can also take advantage of the current situation and maybe even have a future.

  But Su Shuangsi thought it over, but still didn't make such a decision. One is that Su Shuang was originally just a merchant, and he didn't know much about the military formation. On the other hand, Su Shuang also felt that even if he really pulled out the banner, no one might admit it, let alone be in the ranks. no.

  Besides, looking at these refugees stumbling around every day, all of them in sight are old, weak, sick and disabled, barely supporting themselves, even if they are pulled out, what effect can they have?

Looking at the soldiers and horses who came and went during this period, Su Shuang was terrified every day. Those armored soldiers ran east for a while, and ran for the west for a while. Shuang felt that once a fight broke out, it was really uncertain how long his dock could last.

During the period when the Xiliang soldiers had the upper hand, it was not that Su Shuang hadn't thought about getting closer to Xiliang, but she tried to send people out, but not long after they left, the Xiliang soldiers were besieged by all sides. Someone even sent cavalry to kill a man from Xiliang, as if he was about to collapse again in a blink of an eye.

The soldiers who came and went around Chang'an roamed around, rushing back and forth, not only blocking the road, but also arresting some of the people Su Shuang sent out to inquire about the news to act as civilian husbands, and the rest had to be sent to the city. Fleeing and crawling back. Fortunately, the soldiers and horses in these areas didn't take Su Shuang's manpower seriously, so apart from asking for some food and grass from the local area, they didn't have time to trouble Su Shuangwu Fort.

So the road to take refuge in Xiliang seems to be impassable now, but the soldiers around Guanzhong seem to have not dissipated. The military scouts who come and go every few days, and the **** teams with large carts and small carts, seem to be going on for a long time. It looks like it's going down...

Every day, Su Shuang could only stare blankly in Wubao. Even if he wanted to migrate now, it seemed too late. The location of Wubao is good, but now it has become an obstacle, with Manshui on one side, On one side is the Luogu River, and on the south is the Taibai Mountain area of ​​the Qinling Mountains. It is not convenient to go anywhere. Besides, there are some horses hidden in the valley of the house. Not only can't go, but even my life will be lost.

   Su Shuang is not very sure whether it is a troubled time now, but what he can confirm is that everyone is suffering in this situation.

Although in this Wubao, Su Shuang is above everyone else, and he doesn't have to worry about food and clothing, but as time goes by, how long will this situation last, and everyone has no idea in mind. Just in case, they all started a life of half food and half wild vegetables, not to mention the enjoyment of other big fish and meat...

   After all, everyone knows in their hearts that food is king. No matter how difficult it is, as long as there is food and grass, it will be more or less possible to survive. What kind of princes and grandchildren, what kind of high-ranking officials, I don’t know how many people have fallen in troubled times. It is not that Su Shuang has never seen this kind of thing before.

   How long these days will last, Su Shuang doesn't know.

  However, on this day, the surging Xiliang soldiers told Su Shuang the answer.

Ma Chao didn't directly send troops to directly attack this Wubao, but let his men ride their horses along Manshui River to drive out all the refugees who were hiding in the ground nests or straw huts, like cattle and sheep. The rolling forward caused more and more refugees to collapse subconsciously, only knowing how to run wildly along the flow of people.

  The dozen or so personal guards around Ma Chao were on both sides of the guards, hacking and killing all the refugees who rushed over without thinking.

   Facing these ragged refugees, Ma Chao was not even interested in waving his spear. He just heard that there was a dock in this place, and there were some horses hidden in the valley behind the dock...

  Since Ma Teng rushed to Xinfeng with a large number of horses, Han Sui has been short of horses here, so when he got the news, Ma Chao rushed over with his men non-stop.

Although Han Sui said that Ma Chao needs to pay attention, it is different now than before. After all, there is a peace treaty with each other. Whether it is attacking the county or looting the surrounding area, it will be considered a breach of the contract, which means losing the name of faith. This will inevitably be criticized in the future...

   But when Ma Chao heard about the horses, he blocked all Han Sui's words.

War horses are not the same as food and grass, and even belong to scarce resources under certain circumstances. If they are taken away by the Guanzhong people, it is equivalent to increasing the strength of the Guanzhong people. People who become infantry can become cavalry again. In this way, Ma Chao is eager for revenge and puts aside some follow-up troubles or moral issues.

  Anyway, grab it first and talk later!

   Originally thought that at least some soldiers would be injured in the attack on Wubao, but they didn't expect that there would be a large number of refugees gathered by the Manshui River, so these refugees became a natural help.

These desperately crying refugees screamed, ran, and some even stepped on the ground and fell on the waterside depression, rolling all over their bodies with muddy water, but there were not many Xiliang soldiers who were advancing slowly waving Knives and guns slashed.

It's not that these Xiliang soldiers are merciful, but that they need the refugees to attack Wubao, but if anyone loses his head, he is so merciful. If anyone is unlucky and stands in front of their horses, he will be trampled mercilessly There is no half-distraction in the mud.

The goal of Xiliang soldiers is to drive all these refugees up, and then completely disintegrate them, and then driven by fear, they will follow the orders of Xiliang soldiers and drive them away like cattle and sheep. Fill the trenches and traps of the dock.

In fact, there are not many Xiliang troops open in front, and they are not airtight with each other. Even if there are cavalry galloping back and forth on the periphery, if these refugees are calm enough and have the courage, they can run out from the gap between Xiliang soldiers. Nor is it an impossible task.

   It's just that when people are dominated by a large number of strong redundant emotions, the memory capacity required by the rational system is often insufficient.

In addition, the Xiliang soldiers kept shouting that if you take down Wubao, you can have enough food, if you take down Wubao, you can be free, and if you take down Wubao, you can do whatever you want. If you talk too much, these refugees gradually lose their own thinking. Ability, blindly believing everything the Xiliang soldiers said, completely forgetting that he had received help from people in this Wubao at the Manshui River before, and had also drank the rice porridge cooked by Wubao...

  Refugees swarmed like a tide, hundreds of people pushed each other and ran away, the wave surged, the front rolled back, and rushed towards Wubao who had released goodwill.

  Behind the refugees, there are Xiliang soldiers, cavalry and infantry, surrounded by a large circle, squeezing the refugees towards the Wubao, whistling to each other, with calm expressions and smooth movements.

Even though Wubao has some defensive measures, it is not as strong as a regular city, or even as strong as a fort built by soldiers. Although it is more than enough to defend against horse thieves and bandits in normal times, but in such a Under the surging flow of people, the trenches and traps outside the dock are like paper.

Large groups of refugees who lost their ability to think and only knew how to move forward filled the ditch in front of them in a panic. The people in the front were nailed to death on the sharp stakes in the ditch or the trap. When the flow is exhausted, before the person is completely dead, there are still more people who are stepping on the previous person's body and passing by, hitting the wall of Wubao before they know that they are crying and shouting, and stop...

  The so-called young man on the earthen wall of Wubao also turned pale, his hands trembled, and he didn't know what he should do. Of course, under such circumstances, even if he did something, it would be useless.

  The earthen walls of Wubao are not high.

   Ma Chao was holding a spear, sitting on his horseback, looking at Wubao, waved his hand casually, and Ma Dai behind him agreed, and rushed forward with his soldiers. To deal with this kind of Wubao, it is not necessary for Ma Chao to do it himself.

To be honest, even if Ma Chao abandons his horse at this moment and leads his personal guards up the stairs to attack Wubao, it will only take a moment or two. Besides, according to Ma Dai's bravery, it is enough. What Ma Chao thinks now is to take After the horses behind Wubao, the question of how to march...

  ………………

At this very moment, in Manshui, hundreds of refugees were driven around, crying out for survival, in the city of Chang'an, in Zhongshao's mansion, a group of warblers and swallows were surrounding Zhongshao, fighting for their lives. He put on a graceful and luxurious court dress inlaid with gold, with a jade belt and a printed ribbon. One side is about two feet in diameter, and if converted into centimeters, it is more than fifty centimeters. It was almost clearly identifiable, right in front of Zhong Shao.

   Several concubines knelt at Zhong Shao's feet, arranging the accessories on Chong Shao's body. Some carefully used gold hooks to hang the bag hooks on the leather belts around their waists, some knelt on both sides, gently smoothing the wrinkles on Zhong Shao's court clothes, and one took another The Jinxian crown in the silver plate of the famous maid was put on Zhong Shao's head uprightly for Zhong Shao.

Normally speaking, at Chong Shao's age, one should be able to see things through and let go, and it is most suitable to have grandchildren at home and enjoy the rest of the world, but it is not the case for Chong Shao, who is getting older , The heart of power and position has not weakened a bit because of this, but it has become more intense.

   After putting on the Jinxian crown upright, Zhong Shao adjusted it slightly from side to side, then nodded slightly, and waved his hand to make all the concubines who were serving around him retreat.

  In the bronze mirror, an old face is reflected.

  Although the clothes are prosperous and elegant, they can't conceal the sense of oldness that can't be concealed from the body.

   Zhong Shao watched silently for a long time, then suddenly smiled softly, revealing some self-deprecating meaning. In this life, he stopped and walked on the road of official career, and when he was old, he reached the level of less than one person and more than ten thousand people, but he never thought that even so, there are still people who want to grab it, want to grab it!

  In the bronze mirror, the beard and hair have gradually turned white.

  The person in front of me is old now, and he can't stand another storm. If he is kicked out, he will never have a chance to climb up again...

   Zhong Shao stared at the bronze mirror for a while, then slowly turned his head and looked eastward. From now on until his own death, he must hold this authority firmly in his hands, and no one can take it away!

  No one else!

  (end of this chapter)