Chapter 3406: Merchants Seek Profits

Chapter 3405 Merchants Seek Profits

The power of stone bullets, although not as powerful as artillery, is cheaper and lasts longer.

After the obvious buildings on the top of Yuyang City collapsed, the Fengyuan and chevaux-de-frise belt near the Yuyang City Gate became the targets of stone cannons. Fengyuan is basically a mud wall, which is basically difficult to push down with manpower, but if the stone bullets hit directly, it is basically like a stone hitting mud, knocking one down one by one.

The wooden chevaux-de-frise and deer entanglements near the city gate are also the same, trembling under the stone bullets.

Cao Chun hid in the corridor behind the city wall during the intervals between the stone bullet attacks.

It is relatively safer here, and it is faster to return to the city wall.

The stone bullets hit the Yuyang City Wall, and every time they were hit, the wall would tremble. This tremor was also transmitted to Cao Chun's body and heart. Every time a fortification on or outside the city wall was destroyed by a stone bullet, Cao Chun felt heartbroken, and his confidence in defending Yuyang seemed to be trembling in the same way...

Some stone bullets passed over the city wall and hit the streets and houses in Yuyang City. Every time a stone bullet passed over the wall and hit the landing point, it caused the people in Yuyang City to scream in fear and flee in panic.

Blood and death shrouded the sky above Yuyang, and the demon who controlled the failure laughed in a low voice.

Cao Chun's tears flowed unconsciously. His hard work, his efforts, and his struggles were not worth mentioning in front of these stone bullets.

"No...no!" Cao Chun roared, "We can't just give up like this! Where are our stone cannons? Why don't we fight back? Fight back! Smash them!

It is indeed a way to fight cannons with cannons, but this requirement seems insignificant, but in fact, the upper and lower limits of this requirement are very different.

Catapults? The lower limit is to throw the stones out, and that's it. Who cares where the stones will land? As for the upper limit, Cao Chun's idea is to accurately weight the stones and throw them to the right place. If you don't have two brushes, you can forget about it.

The stone bullets whizzing out from behind the Yuyang wall fell in front of the Hussars' positions. Occasionally, individual stone bullets bounced into the Hussars' formation, killing and injuring a few people, and most of the other stone bullets from Yuyang's counterattack fell into the air, exposing their positions.

Zhao Yun stretched out his hand and pointed to the positions on the Yuyang wall where the stones came out. The messenger on the side understood and ran to whisper with the craftsman leader of the catapult position.

The craftsman leader received the order and immediately began to calculate, and then asked one of the catapults to adjust the angle and start test shooting.

After two or three shots, when the test catapult successfully passed the Yuyang city wall and fell roughly into the area where the stone bullets were counterattacked in the city, the craftsman leader conveyed the modified attack parameters to other catapults.

On the other hand, since the Cao army used almost all civilians to carry stones and pull the stone slinging arms, there was basically no accuracy. Almost all civilians were eager to throw the stone bullets assigned to their groups as soon as possible, and did not care about counterattacks or follow the instructions of the catapult manager to slightly adjust and change the direction parameters of the stone slings...

In contrast, the problems caused by the Cao army's system could not be handled and eliminated in a short time. Therefore, when the Cao army's catapult manager saw the stone bullets falling from the sky, he was desperate.

The catapult positions in the city were caught off guard, and the soldiers and civilians were smashed to pieces and fled.

More than a dozen stone cannons were damaged to varying degrees.

The catapult manager knew that something was wrong and immediately ordered people to move the catapults, but not many people listened to his orders. Most people were running and hiding in panic. When the catapult manager finally caught some people and began to dismantle and move the catapults, the second wave of intensive attacks outside the city came...

The catapult leader was yelling at someone, but he saw that person looking up at the sky with a look of horror, and then quickly left the catapult leader and ran away.

The catapult leader felt a chill in his heart, and he couldn't help but raise his head and look at the sky, and then saw a stone bullet whistling, as if the god of death was possessed by the stone bullet, stretching out his hands towards him, giving him a hug full of power and blood!

The second and third rounds of attacks followed one after another, and the catapult position in Yuyang City soon suffered heavy damage. Everyone was running away in extreme fear. The stone bullets thrown by the cavalry outside the city poured down in batches, destroying the few stone cannons in the city and making them no longer in scale.

When Cao Chun saw that the catapults outside the city were not suppressed, he roared to punish the catapult leader, but when he heard that the catapult leader had been smashed to death, he fell silent and sat on the corridor against the city wall, with a bit of despair in his eyes. He felt like he was thrown into a bottomless pool of water, and countless wronged souls were dragging him into the abyss. All his previous anger and cowardice were just instinctive struggles during the fall.

The next day, Zhao Yun led the cavalry and continued the attack.

On the third day, the attack continued.

On the fourth day, Cao Chun wanted to cry but had no tears. He squatted on the ground with his head in his arms, extremely desperate.

Many Cao Jun guards in the city were also desperate. Like Cao Chun, they couldn't understand why the Hussars had so many stone projectiles. How could these catapults last so long without breaking down? Are they all iron men? Is the catapult also made of iron? Don't need a rest? No need for repair?

By the time Zhao Yun finished firing the stone bombs, Yuyang City could hardly see the complete defenses in the direction of the attack. The gate tower and turrets were completely destroyed, the horse faces and the additional sentry posts also collapsed, and Weng City and Feng Yuan had a lot of holes opened...

Yuyang City is in danger.

…

…

Jizhou is very big.

Jizhou is also very small.

This kind of size is all relative. Without a comparison target, it has no special meaning.

In Julu County, Jizhou, there is a village of medium and small size, with hundreds of households of tenant farmers, working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

War seems far away from here.

For the tenants in this manor, if nothing changes, they have been farming and living here since their ancestors, and their children will grow up here and continue to work here.

Generation after generation.

However, this time, something seems to be different.

In the manor, some tenants looked somewhat panicked. This kind of panic was caused by seeing something they had never encountered in their lives. It was like a herd of elk smelling the smell of gunpowder and blood. Even if it was not clear which direction it came from, it was still instinctive. Panic arose.

However, the clear and hidden sentries set up at various intersections in the manor and at high places suppressed this panic.

Those tenants secretly hid in the cracks of doors, under window lintels, and on low walls, thinking that they were hidden and would not be discovered, observing these outsiders who smelled of blood, and then warned their children that they were strictly prohibited from going out... …

Because these outsiders are the hussars soldiers in Jizhou who were said to eat people's hearts and intestines.

As for why these hussars haven't taken out the tenants' hearts and souls and eaten them now, these tenants don't know...

While Youzhou was in chaos, Wei Yan was enjoying the tranquility amidst the chaos.

If we talk about who was the most daring among the generals in the history of the Three Kingdoms, Wei Yan would be more or less at the forefront. It doesn't matter whether you say he has no nerve or you say he is stupid and bold, but you have to admit that this guy's courage is as bold as a pervert.

After Wei Yan disrupted Yecheng in Jizhou, he wandered around Taihang and quietly came back...

The person with Wei Yan at this moment, who is also a coward, is Cui Hou.

Wei Yan patted Cui Hou's neck, like patting a dog's neck, "You guy...how do you say hello to me?" ah? I did stupid things before, but now I have to show my loyalty... Tell me, do you believe it? 』

Cui Hou lowered his head with a smile on his face, "General, saints will all make mistakes. Of course a villain like me will also make mistakes... But I know my mistakes can be corrected, and I am willing to make up for my mistakes!" 』

Wei Yan laughed and said, "That's right. You are a businessman, and you like to use your small skills to make money." Nowadays, what business is bigger than this in Jizhou? Bigger than this world? 』

"Yes, yes, the general is right!" ” Cui Hou pointed out one after another. If it had a tail, it would be wagging like a flower.

Businessmen pursue profit.

Everyone is scolding.

But in fact, most people are pursuing profit, but the external expression of this "profit" will be different.

"Aren't you afraid that the master will not recognize your merits?" ” Wei Yan had a smile on his face, but his eyes were very sharp, staring at Cui Hou, “And before Taiyuan... you didn’t have any hatred at all? 』

Cui Hou didn't hesitate at all, "General Mingjian!" I have known the General Hussar for a long time, and I also know to some extent the rules of the Hussar... If you make a mistake, it is a mistake, and if you have merit, it is merit. Unless it is a major rebellion, otherwise... So in fact, I am putting an ax on my neck, fighting for my life. He surrendered to Cao's army as a last resort and surrendered temporarily, not because he was truly rebellious! 』

"And..." Cui Hou smiled flatteringly, "If he had sacrificed his life before, even though he had a reputation for loyalty, it was just a false name. How could it compare to the actual benefits of helping the general gain military exploits now?" 』

Wei Yan laughed.

This is indeed the reason why Wei Yan can temporarily accept Cui Hou's kindness. If Cui Hou was the type to jump up and rebel, Wei Yan would just draw his sword and chop him down without being allowed to meet him. However, Cui Hou was caught by Cao Jun and surrendered. It can be said that he is incompetent, cowardly, and a useless snack, but he is different from the initiative. There is still a certain distance between plotting against the Hussars...

Of course, this does not mean that Wei Yan has exonerated Cui Hou, but whether he is guilty or not will ultimately be decided by Qiaoqi. Wei Yan is only temporarily cooperating and having the same interests for the time being.

"You said this Ju family member..." Wei Yan changed the subject, "Can you really believe it?" 』

To Wei Yan, Cui Hou was barely half one of his own, while Ju Hu was a complete stranger.

Although we have cooperated before, but compared with the current matter of stealing and selling military rations, it pales into insignificance.

Cui Hou also knew that this matter was not a joke, and Zhengrong said: "General, I'm afraid you don't know what happened between the Ju family and the Cao family... There is an injustice and a debtor..."

From a certain point of view, Jushu also died in obscurity in Youzhou, which was somewhat related to the strategy of Youzhou back then. Wei Yan would not really be relieved if he did not ask clearly.

After Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao, if he wanted to control Jizhou, he naturally couldn't let Jushou stay in Jizhou, or the core position of the court, so he could only move Jushou away, whether he was promoted openly or secretly. It was this kind of exclusion and suppression that was the main reason that ultimately led to Ju Shou's death of depression. It can be said that neither the Hussars nor the Hu people, even if they attacked Youzhou, were considered the "murderers" who killed Jushu.

Moreover, if it is true that you are on the battlefield, you are not as intelligent as others, or you are inferior to others in martial arts, and you are captured and killed on the spot, generally speaking, there is nothing to be resentful about. Even if you are caught in a trap or ambushed, there is nothing to complain about. Who do future generations want to seek revenge from...

Unless the person does something extraordinary after killing him, such as whipping the corpse or something, it will arouse resentment.

Wei Yan listened without comment.

This is just Cui Hou's one-sided statement.

Wei Yan still has to judge the real situation for himself.

However, judging from the current situation, Juhu is indeed sincere in cooperating. At least Wei Yan's current hiding place was provided by Juhu, and no soldiers from Cao's army came...

While they were talking, the soldiers on duty outside came to report that Juhu was here.

Wei Yan rolled his eyes, then stood up, walked down the hall, and stood at the door of the small courtyard to greet him.

After all, Ju Hu is also the master of Zhuangzi, so he should be given some face.

Not long after, Ju Hu came. After seeing Wei Yan, he didn't say much nonsense. After entering the hall with Wei Yan, he said straight to the point: "General Wei, someone has a plan that can help Qiao Qi capture Jizhou!" 』

…

…

When Cao Chun was beaten by Zhao Yun, Jizhou was still arguing over whether to send troops and whether to rescue Youzhou.

Ever since they learned about the Northern Territory Protector's invasion of Youzhou, the people in Jizhou have been in panic. Whether officially or privately, they have sent a large number of scouts to Youzhou to investigate the news.

Of course, these scouts are not necessarily all for investigating military situations...

In the final analysis, the Jizhou guys are still quite afraid that Zhao Yun's army will be like the barbarians, marching straight in and plundering from Youzhou to Jizhou. When these scouts reported that Zhao Yun was besieging Yuyang and not looting like the barbarians, the Jizhou guys immediately split.

Some of them screamed, asking Cao Jun to withdraw from the front line immediately and come for reinforcements! After all, things can happen once and never again. Jizhou was stabbed by Taishi Ci at the earliest, and was stirred up by Wei Yan some time ago. If it is messed up by Zhao Yun again, it will really be worse than death! Therefore, this group of people is determined to have Cao Jun keep the Hussars out of Jizhou!

Another group of people lashed out at the general ability of the Cao family and the Xiahou family, saying, "Look, I have said this a long time ago," and then they said that it was the Cao family's own fault. If they had vigorously promoted and re-employed Jizhou guys before, It is definitely not possible for such a difficult situation to arise now. All this is now the result of Lao Cao’s own consequences!

Others are clamoring to take advantage of the fact that the Hussars are not here, quickly send heavy troops to block the main road, and "clear the land" at the junction of Youzhou and Jizhou, so as not to leave any manpower for the Hussars. Wealth...

That's right, no matter which group of Jizhou people they are, they have not mentioned the reinforcements. It seems that as long as the peace of Jizhou is preserved in the world, it doesn't matter what happens to other places!

As a result, before the Jizhou guy could come to a final conclusion about Youzhou, something went wrong himself!

Shanggu Pass is a must-win place for military strategists. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, many battles took place and the competition was fierce. Moreover, this place is also one of the Eight Passes of Taihang. Logically speaking, this place should be very important, and then there will be heavy troops. It's guarding, but in fact this pass is a "coward pass"...

The role played by Shanggu Pass in history has always been embarrassing, not as glorious as people imagined. The adjective "one man is invincible" has never been necessarily related to it. The reason is very simple. There are mountains here, but they are not dangerous. There are rivers, but they are not deep or dangerous. Although it is a pass, the mountains on the outside must be guarded. Otherwise, if the mountains are lost, there will be no danger to defend the Shanggu Pass. You will be defeated without fighting.

After the Shanggu Pass guard learned of the sudden change in Youzhou, he immediately burned down the simple wooden bridge originally erected on the Juma River and prepared for the attack. Sure enough, the soldiers and horses from Bingzhou, led by Yan Rou, went to the front of the pass. They tried to build a pontoon bridge on the Juma River twice, but they were discovered by the defender and destroyed with rockets. The two sides were in a stalemate for a while.

But what Liu Zhi, the guard at Shanggu Pass, didn't expect was that the alarm he sent out did not usher in reinforcements, but rather visitors...

Juhu.

Liu Zhi was originally a descendant of Julu Liu Zhi.

This son of the Liu family, who was supposed to be a founder of the Eastern Han Dynasty and should have enjoyed the generous returns brought about by his ancestors' investment in Liu Xiu, was directly involved in the rebellion of Liu Ying, the king of Chu, and fell directly from a first-class family to a low-income family.

Not everyone can accept such ups and downs of family circumstances openly...

The same goes for Juhu. He didn't have any good impression of the Cao family and the Xiahou family.

Juhu believed that the current predicament facing his family, and even Jizhou as a whole, was Cao's fault. If it weren't for Cao Cao, then his Ju clan would at least be much better and more glorious now!

When Ju Hu met Liu Zhi, he said straight to the point that the people of Jizhou should fight for Jizhou!

This sentence immediately set the tone for all the discussions, and even made Liu Zhi's face change. He couldn't even say the words he had originally thought of to politely refuse!