Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3110 An unexpected gift

 The ninth year of Taixing, the third day of the first lunar month.

The "envoys" that Cao Cao didn't expect to arrive were not officials from the Sanfu in Guanzhong, nor anyone from Pang Tong, but Duan Xuan, the Duan clan of Sanming in Xiliang, and some Semu people. Even these people were not here for Cao Cao. But to go to Xu County.

 Hearing the news, Cao Cao was stunned.

This news is unexpected.

Lao Cao did not expect that Fei Qian, even now, is still thinking about paying tribute to the emperor.

 Don't care whether this behavior is a show or whether it contains some sincerity, but being able to do such a behavior is already better than most local princes. Apart from anything else, how many times did Jiangdong's grandson pay tribute?

 Cao Cao asked again: "How many troops are coming?" 』

Cao Xiu, who rushed back from the front line, reported back: "More than three hundred people have come, half cavalry, half infantry, escorting twelve vehicles, all of which are tribute to the emperor..."

 Cao Cao nodded.

 He knew Duan Yan.

But why did Duan Xuan become an envoy? Why not send someone else but Duan Xuan? And there are twelve vehicles of utensils, what are they all given to the emperor?

It’s not that Cao Cao coveted these artifacts, nor did he want to covet these tributes. For his current authority, money and artifacts were nothing at all. He was just curious.

 Cao Cao frowned, guessing Fei Qian's intentions.

If it was an envoy to Cao Cao himself, Cao Cao could naturally stay in the central military tent and sit high and wait, but this was a tribute to the emperor, so it was a little inappropriate for him to put on such a careless air. Therefore, he had to change into formal clothes and go to see the messenger.

So Cao Cao ordered: "To stabilize the people, lead a thousand military guards and march out of camp to meet them." 』

Even if you don’t give face to Fei Qian, you still have to give face to the emperor. No matter what Fei Qian pays as tribute, the emperor can decide how to deal with it. How Cao Cao deals with it now is an overstep and he can only accept it.

In addition, Cao Cao also ordered: "Gongren goes to the rear camp and arranges a reception banquet... In addition, the area of ​​​​the rear camp must be organized into an area, cleaned and tidy, and horse supplies prepared...Don't slack off..."

 Cao Cao was loyal to the emperor's order to punish thieves, so no matter what, he couldn't just throw the flag away halfway. It couldn't be said that he just slapped himself in the face in the middle of the war?

Cao Hong said from the side: "Why should I be treated so favorably? It seems that my lord is timid." 』

Cao Cao smiled and didn't answer. He got up and went to change his clothes.

After a while, he changed his clothes and came back, and said to Cao Hong, "Zi Lian, come with me to meet him." 』

Cao Hong murmured, and Cao Cao ordered him to do it without saying a word.

 Hearing that Fei Qian’s envoys were coming, the generals and soldiers in Cao’s camp also had different expressions. Some were whispering to each other, some were careless and indifferent, and some were gnashing their teeth in the direction of the envoy. For a while, all living beings inside and outside the camp had different appearances.

 In the distance, there are two flags raised high and coming slowly.

 A taller pole with a tail and large characters on the flag: "The Great Han Dynasty's Western Regions Jisi Dynasty Envoy".

 The other pole is a little lower, and it says, "General Annan of the Han Dynasty, Hou Duan of Xiangxiang".

 The higher one indicates the location of the envoy, and the lower one indicates the identity of the envoy.

Cao Cao's eyes stayed on the word "Western Regions" for a moment, then he smiled, straightened his clothes and stood in the middle.

The group of people on the opposite side also gradually approached, and immediately stopped at two hundred steps and reined in their horses. The front army separated to both sides, and the high and low flags moved slowly, revealing Duan Yan's figure.

Duan Yan got off his horse, walked all the way to Cao Cao, bowed his hands in salute, and said, "Meet the Prime Minister." 』

Cao Cao stepped forward and helped him up weakly, saying, "No courtesy, no courtesy!" Is Zhongming okay? 』

Cao Cao grabbed Duan Xuan's arm, looked him up and down, and said with a smile: "In the past, when I was in Heluo, I saw Zhongming's style and fell in love with him. However, Zhongming focused on the mountains and rivers and didn't want to bother with writing documents. After a long separation, he often Thinking about it, I can’t help but sigh! We meet again today and see that Zhongming’s style is still the same as before. I am so worried and relieved! Compared with Zhongming, Cao looks much older now! Hahahaha, it can’t help but make people sigh that these years are so long and time flies! 』

Guo Jia followed Cao Cao, and he heard Cao Cao's words clearly. The corners of his mouth suddenly twitched slightly, and he quickly bent down with a half-smile.

 Duan Xuan was not a sharp-tongued person. When Cao Cao said this, he didn't know how to respond and just smiled bitterly.

Cao Cao didn't press ahead, he just laughed, introduced the generals to Duan Xuan, and led Duan Xuan into the Chinese army's tent.

Cao Cao invited Duan Yan to take the seat.

Duan Xuan was not willing, so the two pretended to be humble, and then sat down separately as host and guest.

 The rest of the people then took their seats and sat down with them.

 Is it complicated?

 Cumbersome.

 Is it hypocritical?

　　Hypocrisy.

 But human beings are like this, showing dignity and inferiority with complexity, and covering up ugliness with hypocrisy.

　　It is an unforgivable crime to fight and lose repeatedly, and to be brave after repeated defeats and battles is commendable.

Female students who attend school during the day and go to the club at night are willing to degenerate and are morally corrupt. Girls who work in the club at night and go to school during the day are motivated and deserve praise...

 Cao Cao and Fei Qian were fighting to the death, but at the moment, it seemed that the Tongguan River was stained with blood and corpses were everywhere. They could still receive envoys and sit down to reminisce.

Cao Cao smiled and said, "Zhongming has had a hard journey..."

 Duan Yan smiled bitterly, "Prime Minister, I am a rough man... If you have any questions, just ask directly..."

Cao Cao paused slightly and nodded, "That's fine... I don't know where Zhongming comes from, and what he wants to offer to the emperor?" 』

“Reporting to the Prime Minister, Zhuo came from Xiliang...this is what happened..."

Duan Xuan explained how Jiang Feiqian arrived in Xiliang, how he held a banquet at Jiuquan, and what happened next. Then he clapped his hands and said, "That's it... Xuan has no other intentions, just his orders." 』

 Simply put, Duan Yan said that he was just following Fei Qian's orders and had no intention of engaging in any big or small planes with Cao Cao.

After Cao Cao heard what Duan Xuan said, he exchanged glances with Guo Jia, and then fell silent.

The hidden stakes hidden in Xiliang were just solved by Fei Qian?

Moreover, Duan Xuan came from Xiliang, which means that Fei Qian will soon arrive in Guanzhong...

 This is Fei Qian’s warning?

  Or what other meanings does it have?

 For a moment, there was silence in the Chinese army tent, and it seemed that everyone was breathing much heavier.

Duan Xuan apologized, then got up, walked to the main tent in person, took a brocade box from the attendant, held it in both hands, walked to Cao Cao's desk with a heavy step, placed the brocade box on the desk, and opened it. He opened the lid of the box, revealing a brocade book inside.

"Prime Minister..." Duan Yan said softly, as if he was afraid of waking up something sleeping in the brocade box, "This is...the promise of Shanshan Kingdom in the Western Regions..."

Cao Cao took a deep breath, stretched out his hand, took out the Shanshan Kingdom Yue from the brocade box, and slowly unfolded it. The four ink characters "Han Empire" came into view, as if four steel needles were instantly pierced. Cao Cao's eyes made Cao Cao's face tense up and his whole body tremble.

"The Han Empire..." Cao Cao read, sighed, and asked, "Zhongming, what does the word "empire" mean? 』

Duan Xuan shook his head, "The knight did not say anything clearly." 』

The word "empire" is not exclusive to the West, nor is it an imported product. It has already appeared in the Sui Dynasty. It's just that some people in later generations always have weak legs and think everything is foreign...

Fei Qian just made these two words appear a little earlier.

Moreover, on top of the empire, there is also the title of imperial state in the concept of Huaxia.

"The Kingdom of Shanshan...The Han Empire..." Cao Cao squinted his eyes and looked at the ink characters on the brocade book a little greedily, as if he wanted to peel off the words one by one and swallow them into his belly, "Oh...engraved monument" The Han Empire was divided. The former Shanshan Kingdom was outside Xihai City. The former Shanshan Kingdom was outside King Tao's city. The later Shanshan Kingdom was dug out the mud outside the city to show his promise...erected a monument...this is the erection of a monument..."

  Western Regions.

 Yellow sand.

 The flag is like blood.

Cao Cao seemed to see the soldiers standing proudly on the top of Shanshan City, and also saw the King of Shanshan kneeling under the throne of Shanshan Kingdom in the Shanshan Palace.

 Horse…

Is it really done?

 For a moment, Cao Cao couldn't believe it.

However, his heart longed to believe, as if he had also separated a part of his soul, following the banner of the Han Dynasty, planting it on the Shanshan King's City, and proudly looking at the Western Regions in the Shanshan King's City. Same as people.

Cao Cao's hands trembled slightly, and then he quickly controlled the trembling, slowly closed the brocade book, and gently put it back into the brocade box.

 "The Shanshan Kingdom was divided into two..." Cao Cao gave everyone a general description of what was written in the national treaty.

The national covenant is for the emperor. As the prime minister, Cao Cao can naturally read it, but it does not mean that everyone can read it. Cao Cao can look at it, but he cannot seize it or destroy it.

 Everyone in the tent could not help but have their own thoughts, either pondering or whispering to each other. It was like Cao Cao's heart, which was unable to calm down.

 This is a brand new model, a credential that has never appeared in the three to four hundred years of history of the Han Dynasty.

 The Han Dynasty's original external strategy was "restraint", but this "restraint" had little coercion and no benefits.

The feudal dynasties after the Han Dynasty also inherited this "restriction" model, which emphasized a "thick and thin" approach, so that whether it was Central Asia, West Asia, or even more distant places, everyone knew that there was a magical place in the east. In this land, stupid people have a lot of money, and gold is everywhere.

This habit has even been deeply engraved in the Chinese thinking of later generations. Treating outsiders kindly and treating family members harshly seems to have become a stubborn problem that many families cannot solve...

 Now, Fei Qian shows another model.

 Treaty of Shanshan.

 This is a treaty that makes the Han people feel a lump in their throats after reading it, but they don’t know what to say.

Cao Cao stroked the brocade book, and then guessed, or he was sure, what kind of waves this national treaty would cause when it arrived in Xu County.

 This hussar…

Ha ha ha ha.

After a while, Cao Cao asked, "What else did the hussar say?" 』

 Duan Yan shook his head and said, "Nothing else to say." It just said that things from the Western Regions were offered to the emperor, and there were also some **** who accompanied them to prepare the emperor to inquire about the customs of the Qin Dynasty. 』

　　　『色目人…』Cao Cao nodded.

Duan Yan glanced at Cao Cao and said, "Prime Minister, do you want to recruit him to come forward?" 』

Cao Cao waved his hand, "No need..."

 Cao Cao sighed.

 This national covenant is enough to explain some things. He is not a three-year-old child, and has never seen a barbarian with lustful eyes. Moreover, Cao Cao's focus is not on these lusty eyes, but on other aspects.

In Cao Cao's mind, the image of the young man who used to live in Luoyang, Heluo, slowly faded away, leaving behind Fei Qian's wise and unfathomable eyes, which seemed to be watching Looking at him, he was also looking at the world on this side.

　　　　Prime Minister…Prime Minister…』

Cao Cao came back to his senses and saw Duan Xuan at the side looking a little confused, so he suddenly smiled and said: "Zhongming has come a long way to work hard, please wash up first, and have a banquet in the evening..."

 Duan Xuan stood up hurriedly, thanked him, and left as if his **** was on fire.

 Duan Xuan left, but everyone in the Chinese army tent was still sitting.

 Silent.

At this moment, it felt like a huge, transparent stone suddenly appeared in the Chinese army's tent. It could not exist in the world, but it happened to be blocked among everyone, so that everyone could see other people. They were isolated in their own corners again.

　　　"Have the Hussars moved to Xiliang?" 』

Cao Cao said slowly, as if he was speaking to himself, and also to everyone.

 This news is obviously very important.

Duan Xuan came all the way, not too fast, but not too slow either. Although Duan Xuan himself said that Qiaoqi was still in Xiliang when he left, he didn't know how long Qiaoqi would stay in Xiliang, so Fei Qian might appear in Guanzhong Sanfu at any time.

The shadow of the famous tree. When Cao Cao said the word "hussar", there seemed to be no other sound in the big tent.

　　　『Hussars fight in the Western Regions, but the affairs of the Western Regions cannot be decided in one day! "Guo Jia said slowly, "The chaos in the Western Regions is caused by the rebellion of the Western Regions countries that have long been dissatisfied with the Central Plains. There is also the resentment and injustice of the Xiliang soldiers of the Lu family who are far away from home. The mountains, rivers and deserts, inside and outside the Yumen, can be suppressed by hussars. Shanshan is a country, and it is difficult to determine the entire territory of the Western Regions. 』

Cao Cao squinted his eyes, "Therefore..."

Guo Jia's voice was steady, and it seemed to stir up the air inside the Chinese army's tent, causing the air that was pressing on everyone's heads to start flowing again, "Therefore, the hussar's urgent return is not a matter of the Western Region, but a matter of the Central Plains." Urgent! 』

 Everyone's spirits were immediately lifted.

Cao Cao laughed and said: "So, it's hard work for the hussars. They drove thousands of miles to fight in the Western Regions and came back soon..."

Cao Hong said in a deep voice: "The end of a strong crossbow cannot penetrate Lu's silk!" 』

Cao Cao did not continue to say anything, stroking his palms and said: "Since it is a gift to the emperor, we have no reason to force it to stay." Just entertain him today, and send him away tomorrow! Kimihito! 』

 Dong Zhao stepped forward and said, "I'm here." 』

　　　『I’ll leave it to you to entertain Duan Zhongming. ” Cao Cao ordered.

 Dong Zhao accepted the order with his hands raised.

Of course, in addition to entertaining, there are also some matters that need to be explained. Of course, Cao Cao does not need to elaborate on these matters. Dong Zhao knows it well, and even if Dong Zhao misses something, Xun Yu will add it.

Cao Cao turned to Cao Hong, Cao Xiu and other generals again and said: "I leave it to you to arrange the soldiers in the army, pacify them, and rectify their return... Get ready to fight... This time the battle begins, the outcome will be decided..."

 Cao Hong and Cao Xiuang were ordered to lead the army.

After the orders were distributed one by one, and everyone left one after another, Cao Cao stood up, and while walking forward, he said to Guo Jia beside him: "Fengxiao...this hussar...what is the purpose of this move?" Where are you now? 』

 Just now in front of everyone, of course we can't say anything discouraging.

 But everyone knew that the impact of Duan Yan's arrival was far beyond the scope of the so-called emperor's tribute envoy. Fei Qian was like a sharp knife, sharply cutting through the mess in the Western Region, and in a blink of an eye, he was back under Cao Cao's nose.

 It has not yet been touched, but the body is cold.

Guo Jia whispered, "In the past, Wei and Zhao attacked, and Han was in a hurry to attack Qi." Qi envoy Tian Ji will leave. Walking straight to Daliang, Wei general Pang Juan heard about it and went to Han and returned. The Qi army has passed and headed west. Sun Tzu said to Tian Ji that the soldiers of the three Jin Dynasties were strong and brave, but the Qi Qi was weak. Qi Qi was called cowardly, and those who were good at fighting could use their strength to lead them. The one who can make a successful war for a hundred miles can overthrow the general, and the one who can make a good war for fifty miles can defeat the general. The hussar has led the army for many years and is familiar with the six Taoist tactics. Is there anyone who doesn't know this principle? Therefore, I thought that the Hussars should advance slowly and use Duan as a deterrent. In addition, Pang Shiyuan planned yesterday, but in fact he wanted to delay the attack. 』

 Cao Cao looked back at Guo Jia.

Guo Jia nodded slowly.

 Cao Cao also nodded, and then turned his head again.

 The two people seem to have a tacit understanding that cannot be noticed by others, or they have already made some strategies...

Guo Jia's voice was low, "What's more, if the hussars are really coming in a hurry... wouldn't it be better?" 』

Cao Cao nodded.

 This is not wrong.

Although Cao Jun has launched some attacks on Tongguan during these times, they have not used all their strength. In other words, although Cao Jun is the attacking party at the moment, if Fei Qian really rushes from Xiliang to Guanzhong regardless of the physical and horsepower consumption of his soldiers, In comparison, Cao Jun became a side waiting for work.

The offensive and defensive battles on the city wall did not demonstrate the superiority of the cavalry. Even if these tired soldiers joined the defense of Tongguan, they may not be able to recover much, and it may actually lead to a decrease in the level of defense.

If it is true that Tongguan is difficult to conquer because of the Hussars coming, there are other countermeasures...

　　"That's it..." Cao Cao muttered, "we're going to attack urgently..."

　　　　The Lord is wise. ” Guo Jia responded.

Facing the cold hunting wind, Cao Cao puffed up his sleeves and said, "Then let's stop fighting!" 』

 The banner of the Han Dynasty stretches out in the wind.

 Cao Cao looked up.

 Behind him, Guo Jia stood quietly.

The eagle cries in the sky, and the clouds gather and disperse.

The vast river remains as vast as before, like dead branches facing the biting cold wind, and surrounding the tents of Cao Cao's army, the tents everywhere in Cao Cao's camp are like plum blossoms blooming on these dead branches. Blooming in the cold winter.

Those soldiers walking within the camp were performing their duties and doing their own things. The cold light on their swords, guns and armor was like the dewdrops on these plum blossoms, shining with little bits of brilliance.

　　　『The world is vast, and you need to know that it takes more than just a hussar to be called a hero! 』

 (End of this chapter)