Soon after, the 800 stragglers defeated the Han army in Yingchuan and beheaded Zhao Qian, the governor of Yingchuan, in front of the battlefield, and the news of the fall of Xiangcheng and Jia County spread like a flood throughout Yingchuan County. The situation in Yingchuan collapsed overnight.

......

Yingchuan County, Maoyang County.

A man with a tough body, riding on a donkey, wielding a blunt bamboo sword, shouted loudly in front of the formation: "Brothers, the supreme sage has sent an invincible general, leading an invincible army of tigers and wolves. The era of the Yellow Turban Army will soon come again, the destruction of the Han Dynasty is imminent, the sky will soon change color, ow~~"

"Ow~~"

"Ow~~"

Thousands of people were already hungry and faint to follow the clamor, wildly waving the broken things in their hands.

On the city tower, the county magistrate of Maoyang is anxiously white, repeatedly stammering feet: "How to do? This is how to be good wow ~ ~"

Maeyang County magistrate's voice fell, a small official crying face ran up to the city tower, shouted: "Lord, the big thing is restored, the city in chaos, the rebel army has captured the county office ~ ~"

Maeyang County magistrate heard a sharp shock, a long time began to lose his soul sighed: "the sky died me, the sky died me too ~ ~"

......

Yingchuan County, Kunyang County.

A tall and sturdy man struggled to seize the sword in the hands of a Han soldier. The blood spattered around the people, who were in solidarity with the man and the Han soldiers around him. While wrestling also hissed and yelled: "Kill, kill all these God-killing wolves~~"

The strong man jumped to the steps with his sword and shouted, "First there was a drought, then a locust plague, the crops in the land were not harvested, but the government still wants to tax us, we have no way to live, folks, why not kill all these God-killing wolves and rise up to join the invincible general in Jia County~~"

The soldiers with the soldiers to go to the countryside to collect grain tax Kunyang warehouse Cao Puisne scared, see the soldiers around the escort is getting less and less. Around the gathering of chaotic people is more and more, between the eyebrows can not help but sweep a cloud, it seems that the situation in Kunyang will soon lose control of ah.

......

Yingchuan County, Dingling County.

"Kill~~"

The two Han soldiers near the city head surged over like a tide, trying to drive the two Han soldiers off the city head, and the fierce fight was staged on the narrow city head.

"Kill~~"

"Kill~~"

A tsunami of shouts rose up, and countless people wrapped in yellow scarves flocked to the city. One after another ladder on the city, more and more yellow turban bandits climbed up the city, the Han army on the city was gradually drowned by the yellow ocean, the city has fallen in a matter of moments.

Bo Wu is the original Yingchuan yellow turban commander Bo Cai's nephew, after the defeat of Bo Cai, Bo Wu rate a yellow turban remnants fled to Dingling as a bandit. Recently, when he heard that 800 bandits swept through Yingchuan and killed Zhao Qian, the governor of Yingchuan before the battle, and even fell into the two cities of Xiangcheng and Jia County, he thought that the time had come, so he led the people to rise up and attack Dingling by wrapping the surrounding people.

"Boom~"

A loud sound, Dingling County heavy gates collapsed, the yellow turban bandits like ants swarmed into.

......

Yingchuan County, Linying County.

Sun Zhong, a native of Yangcheng, led more than a hundred strong men with sharp weapons to rush into the county office and decapitate the Linying County magistrate, the county lieutenant, the county chancellor and a host of officials of all sizes. The rich families and clans in the city were taken captive and killed, and many innocent people also suffered from the fish.

Sun Zhong expanded his army while sending people to Jia County to liaise with Ma Yue.

......

In Jia County, a deep house compound.

Ma Yue is sitting in front of a table with a tall wine goblet and a small pot with steaming heat. There is a tempting meat fragrance diffused out, the house smells. Zou Yuniang is dressed in plain clothes. Cloud sideburns high, dressed charming and lovely, holding a wine pot kneeling side, is pouring wine for Ma Yue.

At the sound of footsteps, Zhou Cang's figure entered the room.

Ma Yue did not raise his head and asked indifferently, "Zhou Cang, you are here?"

Zhou Cang answered, standing up like a pine.

"The battle of Jia County, how many casualties did the men suffer?"

Zhou Cang said, "Seven dead in battle, two seriously wounded."

"How many men are left?"

"The total is 823."

"What about the horses?"

"Twenty-two horses were lost, 1023 horses remain.

"How much money and grain does Jia County have?"

"More than three thousand Guan of copper, more than two thousand drachms of wheat, more than five hundred stones of millet, and two hundred stones of grain."

Ma Yue said, "The old rules, all the copper money was delivered to Old Black, melted to build copper armor, the whole army kept enough food for ten days, the extra wheat and millet should be given to Liao Hua and Peng Tuo, and the grain was left to feed the horses."

Zhou Cang said: "Chief, there is a large blacksmith store in the city, may be the official workshop, the store has a stock of iron more than three thousand pounds, more than one thousand pieces of unbuilt weapons."

"Is that so?" Ma Yue's eyes lit up and he said, "Immediately send someone to fetch Old Black and the others from Xiangcheng, in addition, arrest all the blacksmiths in the store, don't let one go."

Zhou Cang clasped his fist and said, "Yes, sir."

Ma Yue waved his hand and Zhou Cang turned around and left.

Zhou Cang just left, a flash of silhouettes at the door, the thin figure of Guo Tu has flashed in. Atrophy lock to Ma Yue said: "Big chief, Tu ~ ~ have an important matter to see."

Ma Yue took the wine goblet from Zou Yu Niang's hand and drained it in one gulp. With a gloomy face, he asked, "What is it?"

Guo Tu's small eyes turned around and said, "Chief, now that Zhao Qian, the governor of Yingchuan, has died, the people in the counties are in fear and the defenses are empty, this is a heavenly opportunity.

The chief can quickly condemn the elite to attack the city and take over the whole county of Yingchuan as a base, and then recruit more soldiers and horses, accumulate more food and grass, and then plan a big event. "

Ma Yue coldly glanced at Guo Tu and said in a dark voice: "You want me to repeat the same mistake as Bo Cai?"

Guo Tu looked choked. Hands into the sleeves, nagging response: "This ~ ~"

"Big chief! Something has happened~" Guo Tu was embarrassed when Pei Yuan Shao's voice sounded outside the door, and then the sound of hurried footsteps stepped in, "Chief, Liao Hua and Peng Tu disobeyed the advice and led the army to attack Yingyang straight away."

"Is that so?"

Ma Yue lightly related, without a trace of surprise on his face. Liao Hua and Peng Tuo were still mountain bandits after all, and mountain bandits were not the Eight Hundred Rangers, who were a tiger and wolf division created by Ma Yue from the bloody rain. But the mountain bandits are not, they have been under Ma Yue's command for less than a month.

As long as Ma Yue gives the order, the 800 stragglers dare to shake Luoyang, but not the mountain bandits, if they can't feed their stomachs for three days, they will not hesitate to turn their backs on Ma Yue. Just like now, Liao Hua and Peng Tuo disregarded Ma Yue's order and went out to attack Yingyang without permission.

Ma Yue would never think that a group of recently ambushed mountain bandits could be as loyal to him as the 800 stragglers.

Perhaps, by chance and time, this group of free and loose mountain bandits could be trained to become another tiger division, but Ma Yue had no more energy to train them, his mind was now on the 800 stragglers! Ma Yue only wants to take the 800 stragglers from the division of tigers and wolves one step further and turn them into the division of iron blood.

Ma Yue didn't want the scale of the 800 stragglers to be too large, too large army is not only difficult to supply and slow to move. And the target is big, the threat is also big, it is easy to attract the Great Han Empire's full siege, Ma Yue does not think his eight hundred stragglers can compete with the whole Great Han Empire.

Although the Great Han Empire had been terminally ill, it had not yet run out of breath. At least before the death of Emperor Ling, there was no force in the world that could shake its foundation, and the huge and decaying Great Han Dynasty would still rumble along its original trajectory, and all rebels who dared to challenge its authority would be mercilessly crushed into powder.

Also. The number of war horses also determines the scale of the eight hundred stragglers, the existing stragglers plus Xu Chu's three hundred righteous brave. The number of people has exceeded a thousand, the war horse has not enough to use.

In the war-torn Central Plains, in the chaotic times of natural and man-made disasters, the source of soldiers is never a problem, the problem is how to control the size of the army and resist the temptation to blindly expand the army. Yellow turban army generals did not resist this temptation, the result was defeated, and defeated very badly! The so-called "million army" is simply a rabble, in front of the Han army elite is simply unbeatable.

Ma Yue said indifferently: "Liao Hua and Peng Tuo want to attack Yingyang, so let them go."

Ma Yue's principle has always been to prefer the shortage to the indiscriminate, not a heart, absolutely do not stay, stay is also a black sheep, sooner or later, the whole army soldiers. The eight hundred stragglers are located in the hinterland of the Central Plains, surrounded by countless elite Han troops are watching intently, the slightest mistake is a disaster, Ma Yue can not afford to lose, the eight hundred stragglers can not afford to lose.

Pei Yuan Shao said: "The two also took the people of Xiangsheng with them, claiming 30,000 troops, and went to attack Yingyang."

Ma Yue heard the words and suddenly frowned.

Another rush of footsteps approached, and outside the door sounded Guan Hai's thunderous voice: "Bo Qi, good news! Haha, the great news ~~"

The sound fell and the person arrived, Guan Hai's pagoda-like figure had appeared in the house.

Ma Yue asked, "What is the good news?"

Guan Hai answered: "Maoyang, Kunyang, Dingling and Linying counties have been reoccupied by the Yellow Turban Army's brothers, now the whole southern part of Yingchuan has become the world of the Yellow Turban Army.

Out of Guan Hai's expectation. Ma Yue did not have a trace of joy on his face, but instead stared at him with a grim look, Guan Hai was stunned, "Uh ~ ~ Bo Qi. Don't you feel excited?"

Ma Yue asked rhetorically, "Are you happy?"

Guan Hai said, "Of course, it's good to have the plate so that you don't have to roam around."

"Then what?"

Guan Hai scratched his head and replied, "Then we will recruit troops and horses and take over the world."

"Recruit troops and take over the world?" Ma Yue smiled coldly and said, "That's easy to say! Recruiting troops and horses requires a lot of money, where does the money come from? Where does the money come from? The army needs food and grass to move, where does the food and grass come from?"

Guan Hai said, "Of course, it is to rob."

Ma Yue said, "The people of Yingchuan are suffering from famine. There is no grain in every household, where can we rob them?"

Guan Hai said, "If there is no grain in Yingchuan, we can go to Runan, Chenliu, or other states and counties."

"After the robbery, what?"

"Then we will fight."

"And after the fight?"

"Rob again."

This is the logic of Guan Hai, and Ma Yue believed that there were certainly not a few stragglers who approved this logic. The way this reckless man is going, even if the eight hundred bandits can eventually take over the world, by then, I'm afraid the whole of China will have been exterminated.

Guo Tu coughed dryly on one side. Said: "Chief Guan, to take over the world, by robbery is impossible, the key is to rely on the governance of the party, win the hearts of the people, the people are rich, the country is strong, the country is strong, the army is strong. The army is strong, the world is within reach."

Guan Hai slapped his head and suddenly said, "Yes, yes, Mr. Guo is still knowledgeable, we have to rely on the governance of the party. Bo Qi, we have won the plate, and then a good governance, money, food and grass, what land, will not have? When there is money and food, you can take over the world, hehehe."

Ma Yue said, "Let who to govern. You?"

Guan Hai said, "Uh ~ ~ our old tube will only fight and kill, the governance can not."

"But then, let who to govern?"

"Yeah." Guan Hai turned his head to look at Guo Tu and asked, "Who should be allowed to govern?"

Tu coughed dryly and turned away his face, pretending not to hear anything.

Ma Yue's heart was cold. The new weather started after the intellectuals joined the king at the end of Ming Dynasty. Gradually have a king's division of the style. But now is the end of Han, not the end of Ming. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, although the rituals were rampant, the court did not deprive the children of the poor of the right to study, woodcutters, farming children to obtain merit, not a few. Driven by merit and profit, at that time, there were many learned scholars, Xiucai, of which there was no shortage of resentment against the court, the king of the intruders can casually net a large group.

The only few scholars like Guo Jia, Xu Shu, most of them are also upright and loyal to the Han Dynasty, so how could they help the bandits to govern the party?

In the Han family orthodox name before the end of life, even lords such as Cao Cao, also can not change the famous scholars under his command, such as Xun Yu, Xun You and other people loyal to the Han family determination, Liu Bei emperor's冑, only after Cao Pi usurped the Han to ascend the throne. Now the Han Dynasty has declined, but it has not collapsed to an unmanageable step, in the current situation, no one has a chance, Zhang Jiao's Yellow Turban Army does not have a chance, Ma Yue's eight hundred bandits also do not have a chance.

Guan Hai scratched his head, depressed: "eight hundred stragglers robbed the house line, the governance of the party really can not, forget it, I went to tell those guys, the big chief is not this big governor, let them choose someone else."

"Come back!"

Guan Hai turned around to go, but was Ma Yue sounded back, Guan Hai turned back to look at Ma Yue in amazement and asked, "What?"

Ma Yue's eyes swept a hint of gloomy look, said in a deep voice: "Did I say I'm not the big commander?"

Guan Hai was stunned and said, "Didn't we fail to govern the place? The party that can't be governed will have to continue to roam, so how can you stay in Yingchuan and be their grand viceroy?"

Ma Yue said in a gloomy voice: "These are two different things. Go, call in all the messengers."

Guan Hai went out with a confused face, but Guo Tu bowed to Ma Yue with a flattering face and said, "The chief is wise, although the yellow scarves in Yingchuan are not enough to make things happen. But can be driven by a strong voice, if they let them choose another person as this big governor, is bound to be unfavorable to the eight hundred stragglers."

Ma Yue tilted his neck. And pour a cup of hot wine, this Guo Tu is right, Ma Yue will never think of relying on the yellow turban army in Yingchuan to overthrow the Han Empire, the only use of these rabble is to bluff and scare people. When the big commander of the half point no benefit, but also have to lose a lot of surplus land grain and grass, but if you let someone else when, but to the eight hundred bandits legacy is not small.

In any case, the eight hundred bandits have been a Nanyang Yellow Turban Army, the newly elected Grand Marshal must have the highest military and political command of the Yingchuan district, the eight hundred bandits will not also have to obey his orders? The time will come. Ma Yue has only two ways to choose, either to pat his buttocks and leave, continue to roam and turn into, or simply with the Yellow Turban Army completely turned face, but no matter which way, is not Ma Yue want to go.

Now is not the best time to turn in, because the whole Central Plains hinterland is no more suitable than Yingchuan for the 800 stragglers to recuperate, Ma Yue's "elite army" plan is in progress at this juncture, the improvement of the cavalry has just begun, he does not want to Wancheng tragedy in Yingchuan again.

He did not want the tragedy of Wancheng to happen again in Yingchuan. It was not Ma Yue's wish to turn against the Yellow Turban Army in Yingchuan. In this way, the eight hundred stragglers will face the Han army and the Yellow Turban Army at the same time, and the situation they face will be more difficult.

Therefore, Ma Yue's only choice is to accept the title of Grand Viceroy, the Yingchuan Yellow Turban nominal supreme command firmly in hand. Ma Yue does not expect these Wuhe crowd can really listen to his condemnation and command, and do not expect to rely on these Wuhe crowd to deer Central Plains, seek the world. He just does not want others to haphazardly command the eight hundred stragglers, resulting in the ultimate defeat of the eight hundred stragglers, that's all.

......

Chenliu County, outside the city of Yushi.

More than 5,000 Han troops were already assembled outside the city, and the fluttering flags almost covered the whole sky. The captain Mao Ji, dressed in military attire and riding majestically on horseback, gave a fist to Kong Qi and Pan Castor and said in a loud voice: "Please turn back, Ji~~ will say goodbye."

Kong Qi stroked his willow beard under his chin and said happily, "I wish you a good victory, Mr. Xiao Xian (Mao Ji's cousin). I wish you a victory and a clean sweep of the Yingchuan bandits."

Pan Castellan also bowed his hand and said, "Take care, brother Xiao Xian."

"I will go now." Mao Ji fiercely strangled the reins of his horse, turned the horse's head, and then waved his whip and gave a fierce whip to the horse's stock, shouting, "Hyah~~"

"Whinnying~"

The war horse neighs painfully, carrying the Mao order gallop away, behind the Mao order, dozens of riding soldiers like shadow, roll up the sky of smoke and dust. It confused the late afternoon sun. In a moment, the sound of the officers' orders and trumpets rang through the air. Five thousand Han soldiers, under the officer's rebuke, have turned around and gradually converged into a rolling stream of iron, sweeping towards the south.

Mao Ji galloped in the front of the army formation, with the 5,000 soldiers following closely behind him, and an inexplicable enthusiasm rolled in Mao Ji's chest. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! This is a chance of a lifetime! This is the battle for a man to build his career and make a name for himself.

The yellow turban bandits in Yingchuan will eventually become a stepping stone for him to ascend to the political stage of the Great Han Empire.

"Giddyup~~"

When he thought of the passion, Mao Ji let out a long whistle to the sky, and gave a fierce whip to his horse, hoping to drive into Yingchuan before sunset and kill the Yellow Turban rebels.

......

Luoyang, the capital city of the Han Empire.

With the news of Yuan Shu's return to the capital and the 800 bandits ravaging Yingchuan, the court was in a frenzy, and the De Yang Hall almost became a food market. The Emperor Ling, who had always neglected political affairs, participated in the court discussions for an unprecedented two consecutive days, but did not let the controversy die down, but had the tendency to intensify.

During the late Han Dynasty, the dynasty was divided into three main factions: the eunuchs, the relatives and the bureaucratic class of scholars and great scholars who survived in the cracks, and the eunuchs and the relatives took turns to hold the imperial government, repeatedly exchanging amounts and winning and losing, and this pattern continued until Dong Zhuo entered the capital, when the group of heroes rose up.

At the beginning of Emperor Ling's reign, General Dou Wu joined hands with the bureaucrats and scholars to eradicate the eunuchs, but he was inadvertently killed by the eunuch Cao Jie, and since then, the eunuchs were the dominant force, and the foreign relatives and bureaucrats and scholars had to look up to them for a harsh living. In the first year of Zhongping, the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, and Emperor Ling issued an edict to appoint He Jin as the general, who was the general of the whole country's military, so the eunuchs' power began to make a comeback. Gradually, the situation was formed with the eunuchs' power.

By the second year of Zhongping, in just one year, the relationship between relatives and eunuchs deteriorated sharply. Gradually, two camps of incompatible water and fire were formed, and they started a fight to the death, either explicitly or implicitly, in the court. As a matter of fact, the eunuchs were quite powerful at that time, not like some novels, they could only run to the emperor or the empress or the empress to cry and wipe their tears, but at that time, the eunuchs not only had the favor of the emperor, but also held the most elite feilin army in the Han Dynasty. The states and counties also have a lot of officials and eunuchs in the court in collusion, mutual solidarity, completely unlike the late Ming Dynasty eunuchs, despised by the world, and how to kick up is always just a flea in the imperial city.

The focus of this debate is whether it is necessary to deploy a large army to conquer the 800 stragglers that ravaged Yingchuan.

The foreign relatives, led by General He Jin, believe that we should not tolerate the traitors and wait for the situation in Yingchuan to collapse, and should immediately appoint Yuan Shu as the rebellious general and head the governor of Yuzhou, together with the two armies of Zhu Jun, the left general, and Huangfu Song, the right general. The three sides will work together to eliminate the 800 stragglers.

The eunuchs think that this is purely a big deal, the 800 pirates are just a group of horse thieves roaming around, it will not endanger the fate of the Great Han Empire, just need to Xiaoyu's party officials to strictly eliminate it, there is no need to mobilize a large number of people. And. The Department of eunuchs put forward a more grand reason, because since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Great Han Empire is militaristic, the treasury is empty, people's livelihood fatigue, can no longer afford a major military expedition.

He Jin has He Jin's concern, Zhu Jun, Huangfu Song led by the elite division once back to Luoyang, when the soldiers returned to the West Park, is bound to be subject to the army lieutenant knit Shuo control, from then on He Jin again want to transfer condemnation is as difficult as the sky! And if you let the eunuchs control the elite division. If the eunuchs control the elite division, it is like hanging a sharp sword around the necks of the foreign relatives and the bureaucratic class of Shi Dafu, making them sleep and eat.

The wisest way is naturally to excuse the Yellow Turban, the two elite divisions firmly under control, preferably in the hands of a reliable person such as Yuan Shu, to be able to rest assured. The eunuchs are not easy to use, and they have a good understanding of the intentions of the foreign relatives, so they are strongly opposed to raising a large number of troops to invade Yingchuan, and insist that the troops be scattered in the west garden and returned to the court.

Emperor Ling was caught between the eunuchs and the relatives. He was in a dilemma, thinking only of swimming naked with his concubines. The emperor could not understand how a mere 800 pirates plaguing Yingchuan could have caused such a fierce verbal dispute with the court.

Another round of court discussion ended in abuse and slander, and the emperor fled from the temple of Deyang, returning to the west court to accompany his concubines to continue to swim naked and play. The great general He Jin was in a depressed mood, so he invited Yuan Feng, the Secretary General, Yuan Kui, the Che Cavalry General, Yuan Miao, the Huben General, Wang Yun, Cai and others to come to the Red House to have fun and relieve their boredom.

After three rounds of drinking, the general He Jin, who was already slightly drunk, suddenly let out a long sigh and was extremely depressed.

He Jin's depression is not without reason, in the eyes of the world, he is a high and mighty general, the entire Han Empire's troops are under his command. But who knows the bitterness in He Jin's heart? The original general is just a decoration, and now, the ten permanent guards have made a western garden eight lieutenants, and even this nominal power will be taken away.

Faced with the aggressive power of the eunuchs, He Jin was unable to lift himself up, so he could not help but feel helpless that people are knives and I am fish meat.

Seeing He Jin's negative and slack thoughts, Sikong Yuan Feng's eyebrows could not help but jump a little.

In fact, in the eyes of the bureaucrats and scholars, eunuchs are just some inhumane eunuchs, but He Jin is also just a butcher. The reason why the scholarly class, led by Yuan Feng and Yuan brothers, was willing to cooperate with "He Butcher" was only because they wanted to use the power of foreign relatives to bring down the power of eunuchs.

Since Cao Jie's disorderly administration, the eunuch group has been covering the sky, and the scholar class can only look up to others and live on the sly. Now that there is easily a foreign relative, He Jin, to compete with, they naturally don't want He Jin to be passive and slack, and lose the vigor to fight against the eunuchs.

Yuan Feng gave a wink to his brother Yuan Kui, who understood and advised respectfully: "General, there is no need to be discouraged, although the eunuchs are powerful, they cannot cover the sky after all. The two generals Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song are stationed in Hujian and have always respected the orders of the general. As long as these two armies do not return to Luoyang, they are like tigers peeping at the side, and eunuchs such as Zhang Jian will always have scruples and dare not do anything to the general."

Wang Yun agreed: "Lord Situ is right, the most urgent thing is to do everything possible to prevent the two armies back to the capital, if not, the soldiers scattered West Park, the general returned to the dynasty, the army lieutenant knit Shuo general town of the world's military, the general's hands both no soldiers and no general, the big event is suspended."

He Jin sighed: "I do not know, but His Majesty only believe in the words of treacherous people! I tried to probe the empress, and it seems that his majesty has the intention of listening to the eunuchs.

Wang Yun said, "I have a plan, I don't know if it is feasible?"

He Jin said urgently, "Tell me quickly."

"The general can strictly order the neighboring states and counties of Yingchuan not to help." Wang Yun's eyes swept a trace of sinister color, said in a deep voice, "For the sake of the world's life, for the sake of the Great Han Dynasty, we have to sacrifice the people of Yingchuan and even Yuzhou."

Cai shuddered at his words and said, "What does he mean by that? Does he mean to let the situation in Yingchuan and even in Yuzhou collapse without regard? The bandit chief Ma Yue is not an ordinary person, I am afraid that raising a tiger will be a problem!"

Wang Yun said, "I want to keep Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song's army in the east, so that the eunuchs will have fears, there is no other way."