"Prime Minister, you have to make the decision for us!"

"Marquis Qi is tyrannical and has killed innocent people. Please ask the Prime Minister to raise an army to rid the world of this traitor."

The aristocratic families who were severely punished by Wang Jing, after seeing Xiao Jian, immediately wailed and cried, feeling aggrieved like a 200-pound child.

"Don't worry, everyone. I led the troops here to protect the country and the people. We will defend Xia Pi to the death and not retreat even a single step!"

Looking around and facing everyone's eager gazes, Xiao Jian made a promise solemnly.

He was the prime minister of Langya State, commanded a large army, and came from a prominent family in Xuzhou. Therefore, his words carried a lot of weight, and he calmed the restless people's hearts as soon as he opened his mouth.

Xiao Jian was in charge of 10,000 soldiers at this time. Except for a few who entered the city for formality, the main force chose to be stationed at the foot of Gefeng Mountain in the north of Xia Pi. The camp was built on the mountain and protected by the Yi River. It was a delicate position that could be used for attack or defense.

He said he would fight to the death, but it was just empty talk. Being in a high position, he would not risk his life for someone else's property.

You have to know that the opponent is the invincible Qi Hou Wang Jing. If the battle situation becomes unfavorable, he will definitely run faster than a rabbit.

Raise an army of justice and eliminate the traitors?
nonexistent!

And in the Shenwu Army camp, there is the temporary combat command room.

Inside the spacious tent, there was a simple sand table. It was vaguely seen that it was arranged according to the terrain of Pengcheng and Xia Pi, and there were many military flags with words such as "Wang" and "Xiao" written on it.

Guo Jia took a look at the formations and array of the two armies on the map and said with a smile, "I'm afraid Xiao Jian is a loach."

"Why does Fengxiao say that?"

"Isn't this obvious? Tao Qian ordered him to come to support Xia Pi, but he neither attacked our flank nor entered the city to defend. Instead, he stationed his troops at the foot of Gefeng Mountain. It seems that he is ready to retreat at any time."

As Guo Jia spoke, he shook his head and sighed, "It seems that Tao Qian is really old. His control over his subordinates has weakened to this extent."

Xun You also sighed: "Time is indeed the hero's greatest enemy. Even if one has great ambitions, it is still difficult to resist the passage of time. Now, Xuzhou seems to be in harmony, but in fact, it is already full of contradictions."

Both of them were extremely wise men. After only two battles, they had seen through many clues and discovered the weaknesses and cracks within Xuzhou.

Guo Jia was good at observing people's hearts. After a little thought, he figured out the reason: "Tao Qian is old. Although he has sons to inherit the throne, he doesn't even have the ability to maintain it. So his subordinates are bound to have different thoughts."

It is better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. No matter how kind and righteous Tao Qian is, and no matter how generous he is to the noble families, there are few people who are willing to follow him all the way to the end.

Even though Tao Qian is not dead yet, his subordinates are already seeking ways out.

Guo Jia thought about it and suggested to Wang Jing: "My lord, I have a plan. We can let Xiao Jian keep his troops in place and let us take Xia Pi."

Seeing Guo Jia so confident, Wang Jing was also very curious: "Oh, what is Feng Xiao's plan?"

Guo Jia kept it a secret: "It won't work if I tell you. I'll come back after this trip and tell you everything."

Wang Jing naturally trusted Guo Jia very much. Seeing that he didn't say anything, he was not angry. Instead, he smiled and said, "Haha, since Feng Xiao is so confident, I will wait for good news."

Gefeng Mountain, Xiao Jianjun’s camp.

"Prime Minister, there is someone outside the door who wants to see you."

"Seeking an audience? Who is coming?"

"He refused to reveal it, but he said that the Prime Minister would definitely meet with him."

"Haha, interesting, bring him in."

Xiao Jian sat in the military tent with an arrogant look on his face. After a while, two of his personal soldiers came into the tent with a handsome scholar.

This person has red lips and white teeth, an elegant temperament, and is dressed in very luxurious clothes. It is obvious that he is not from a poor family. This kind of outstanding temperament is not something that people who do heavy physical work every day can have.

Therefore, Xiao Jian subconsciously paid more attention to the person in front of him, and his attitude became serious: "Haven't you asked for my advice yet?"

"Yingchuan, Guo Fengxiao."

Guo Jia introduced himself with a calm expression. He had an elegant appearance, but a proud character.

This kind of arrogance is not the self-righteous arrogance of a young master from an aristocratic family, but the arrogance of a wise man who has a broad and profound vision and a broad mind. Therefore, he looks down on people in the world with a lofty attitude.

Xiao Jian really didn't like Guo Jia's gaze, because it made him feel like he was being crushed in terms of IQ, which was too unpleasant and too heartbreaking.

However, he was well-known for Guo Jia's name, so he did not dare to neglect him at all. His expression was even more respectful than before, and even the last bit of arrogance in his heart was restrained: "It turns out that you are a genius in person. I have heard of you for a long time."

"Save the pleasantries. My time is precious."

Guo Jia waved his hand, looked Xiao Jian in the eye, and said straight to the point: "I want you to cooperate with me to capture Xia Pi City."

"Hmm? Are you joking?"

Xiao Jian simply couldn't believe what he heard. Guo Jia's arrogance was far beyond his expectations.

In his entire life, he had never seen anyone as arrogant as Guo Jia.

Born into a prominent family in Xuzhou, Xiao Jian had a certain pride. How could he easily accept Guo Jia's blackmail? Therefore, his face turned pale and his eyes were angry: "Sir, are you too arrogant? You should know that you are standing in Xuzhou."

"Oh? The Prime Minister doesn't agree?"

Guo Jia still looked proud, and didn't think there was anything wrong with threatening others in person in their home.

"Guo Fengxiao, I respect your talent and status, so I am so polite to you. But this does not mean that you can run wild in our Xuzhou. You must know that this place is not Yanzhou."

Xiao Jian wanted to call someone in on the spot, drag Guo Jia out and chop him into pieces.

Guo Jia's slight contemptuous look alone was enough to make him furious, not to mention what he had just said.

Xiao Jian is a local tyrant after all. Even Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, is usually polite to him. Why should he endure the humiliation of a person from another state like you, Guo Jia?
"It's really disappointing that the Prime Minister can't keep his cool."

Guo Jia's eyes seemed to be smiling, but he was sure that Xiao Jian would not dare to take action.

Because outside Xia Pi City, there was not only Wang Jing, but also more than 8,000 highly motivated Qingzhou soldiers. This was the source of his arrogance and confidence.

Xiao Jian's hand pressed on the hilt of the sword several times, and then released it several times. He hesitated and shrank back. He had absolutely no courage to risk his life to kill Guo Jia.

Guo Jia saw all of this. In fact, he had already figured out Xiao Jian's personality and temper long before he came.

That is why Guo Jia unscrupulously provoked Xiao Jian, because an angry person often loses the ability to think and make rational judgments, making it easier for his schemes to succeed.

"Prime Minister, I know you want to kill me, but do you dare? Jia has 10,000 soldiers following him, and my master is invincible. He will become the leader of Shenzhou sooner or later. Whether to go with the flow or against the flow, Prime Minister should think carefully."

Guo Jia looked at Xiao Jian and smiled coldly.

Faced with Guo Jia's undisguised contemptuous look, Xiao Jian's anger grew even more intense, but Guo Jia's words, falling into his ears, were like a knife, piercing his heart and making it bleed.

Just because of these few words, Xiao Jian's face became gloomy and his heart was in turmoil.

Xiao Jian stared at Guo Jia and said, "Guo Fengxiao, what do you think?"

Seeing the angry look and unwilling tone, Guo Jia knew that the fish had been hooked.

"Prime Minister, it's not about what I want to do, but what you want to do."

"How do you interpret this?"

"Prime Minister, Jia, I have made it so clear, don't you understand? Deal, deal, my master has sent troops here only to punish the crime, and has no intention of occupying the territory of Xuzhou. As long as you watch Xia Pi fall, my master will naturally withdraw his troops after he has vented his anger. At that time, recovering the lost territory will be a greater achievement than defending Xia Pi. If a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth."

Guo Jia threw out the bait without hesitation, but this condition was not a deception. Wang Jing would indeed withdraw his troops, and the attack on Xuzhou was not for territorial expansion, at least not at the moment.

But Xiao Jian was also an old hand, and he would not believe everything Guo Jia said. Therefore, although the conditions in front of him were tempting, he still had doubts in his heart: "Humph, what a joke, why should I believe you? If Marquis Qi captures Xia Pi and refuses to retreat, then won't it be difficult for me to explain to Envoy Tao?"

Guo Jia sneered, "If you really take Tao Qian seriously, you wouldn't pretend to obey and stop the garrison at Gefeng Mountain. Don't beat around the bush in front of an honest man. Although our army can capture Xuzhou and Pengcheng, the casualties are too great and the counterattack will be fierce. This is a hot potato. It's better to sell it than to keep it. But although the potato is hot, it is a delicious delicacy, so of course it must be sold at a good price."

After hearing this, Xiao Jian believed it about 70%.

It’s not that Guo Jia and Wang Jing’s credit is valuable, but what Wang Jing’s army did in Pengcheng did offend a large number of local nobles in Xuzhou.

Although the people benefited from such a turmoil, how could the local noble families in Xuzhou just sit there and wait for death? When the time came, I'm afraid that once Tao Qian raised his arm and called for help, the noble families in other counties and prefectures in Xuzhou would definitely contribute money and people, and gather their strength to fight Wang Jing to the end.

If Wang Jing dares to stay and refuses to leave, the situation will be like boiling fire, with opposition from all sides.

When ordinary people rebelled, even the Yellow Turban Rebellion, it was not difficult to suppress it.

But the rebellion of the powerful families is quite different. They have trained a large number of Confucian scholars and warriors, and have private soldiers. Moreover, in the territory of Xuzhou, the powerful families will fully support Tao Qian. The strength of this counterattack will definitely be enough to give the Qingzhou soldiers a hard time.

Guo Jia threw out the bait, and after Xiao Jian weighed it carefully, he immediately took it without hesitation.

As Guo Jia said, if a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth!

Tao Qian is not my biological father, so why should I work hard for him?

As long as I can benefit from it, what does other people’s losses have to do with me?
With this idea in mind, Xiao Jian agreed to cooperate with Guo Jia to stage a drama and let Wang Jing lead his army to capture Xia Pi City.

…………

"That's what happened."

After returning, Guo Jia reported the entire process of the negotiation with Xiao Jian to Wang Jing truthfully: "I have reached a secret agreement with Xiao Jian, and he agreed to sit back and watch Xia Pi fall."

“Can this person’s promises be trusted?”

Wang Jing believed in Guo Jia's judgment, but did not believe in Xiao Jian's integrity.

If they could tear up an agreement written in black and white, what about this secret oral agreement that cannot be seen in public?
Guo Jia smiled and said, "He is not reliable, but he is greedy enough. As long as he is given enough benefits, he will make the most favorable choice for himself."

What are Xiao Jian’s interests in Xuzhou at this time?
Tao Qian is old and doesn't have many years left to live. Inside Xuzhou, Cao Bao, who also comes from Danyang County, is deeply trusted by Tao Qian. He doesn't have much ability, but he has great ambitions. In order to get to the top, he will inevitably suppress the local forces in Xuzhou.

As for the local forces in Xuzhou, Xiao Jian is not the strongest and most influential one.

It’s Chen Deng from Huaipu Chen family!
So if Xiao Jian wanted to gain more power, he had no choice but to accept Guo Jia's conditions.

Conquering Xia Pi and Pengcheng would not only bring merit, but also earn a lot of fame and gain the support of local noble families and wealthy families in Xuzhou.

Xun You also agreed with Guo Jia's view: "The more greedy a person is, the more he values ​​profit, so tempting him with profit is more reliable than any promise."

Wang Jing recalled the historical process of the early Three Kingdoms period and found that Xuzhou was full of traitors.

Xiao Jian colluded with Lu Bu, Chen Deng tried to win over Liu Bei, and later they simply sold Xuzhou to Cao Cao. Cao Bao, the only one who was still loyal to Tao Qian, turned out to be a waste and could not protect the huge foundation of Xuzhou.

Seeing Tao Qian's end, Wang Jing could only sigh in his heart that it is not easy to be a big boss. When you can bring benefits to your subordinates, they call you "good brother". But when you are old and useless, your subordinates only think about getting promoted themselves or selling you for a good price.

However, Wang Jing is still very young, just in his early twenties, and has plenty of youth to squander, so he does not have to worry about the problems that Tao Qian needs to worry about for the time being.

Afterwards, Wang Jing personally led a thousand cavalrymen to confront Xiao Jian at the foot of Gefeng Mountain.

At the camp at the foot of the mountain, Cao Hong was very dissatisfied with Xiao Jian's decision to stay put and went straight to him: "Why are you unwilling to fight? The enemy army is only a thousand people. Is the Prime Minister afraid of Marquis Qi?"

Cao Hong was Tao Qian's confidant. Among the 10,000 troops that set out on this expedition, there were 2,000 elite soldiers from Danyang, all of whom were under his command.

This man is from the same hometown as Tao Qian and is also a relative of Cao Bao. Therefore, he is extremely loyal to Tao Qian and is a key chess piece sent by Tao Qian to monitor Xiao Jian.

Having followed Zhang Wen in battles for many years, even though he is old now, Tao Qian is no fool after all. He has long noticed that the people under him have begun to become restless.

Therefore, when sending Xiao Jian to fight this time, he also wanted to borrow Wang Jing's Huangyu Lie Sword to consume Xiao Jian's strength.

Everyone has his or her own little calculations, and after all the calculations, it all depends on who has the better means.

Xiao Jian's rank is naturally not as good as Tao Qian, the old fox, but he has no problem defeating Cao Hong. Tao Qian even wants to consume his troops, so why wouldn't he want to weaken Tao Qian's direct lineage?
Xiao Jian chose to be patient with Cao Hong's arrogance. He put on an embarrassed face and sighed, saying, "Marquis Qi has won every battle, and his cavalry is even more elite. Now that Pengcheng has just been captured, the army is at its peak. Why should we hastily compete with them? Xia Pi City is strong and difficult to attack. When the enemy's morale is frustrated, we can wait for them to tire themselves out and win a great victory."

"Fart you!"

Cao Hong was a coarse person, and he looked down on Xiao Jian's timidity. Relying on the support of Tao Qian and Cao Bao, he spoke to Xiao Jian very rudely: "After all, aren't you afraid of death?"

Xiao Jian sneered in his heart, but pretended to be angry, and used the method of provoking Cao Hong: "If you can do it, then come on, right?"

Cao Hong was arrogant and looked down upon others. He could not stand hearing this and shouted angrily, "I will go up if you want. What a bullshit Qi Hou. My Danyang elite troops are invincible. Killing him is like killing a dog!"

"Who doesn't know how to say nice things? If you really have the guts, would you dare to act as a vanguard and fight against Marquis Qi in person?"

"Why don't you dare?"

Cao Hong drew his sword, raised his eyebrows and glared: "This time, I will definitely chop off Wang Jing's dog head, so that the world will know my name, Cao Hong!"

"Okay, if you dare to fight as the vanguard, I, Xiao, will be happy to accompany you to the end."

Xiao Jian was ecstatic. He had been thinking about how to send Cao Hong to death. He didn't expect that this idiot would actually volunteer on his own initiative. It's true that if you don't take the road to heaven, you will bring fortune and disaster upon yourself.

Cao Hong led three hundred cavalrymen and more than a thousand infantrymen, rushed out of the main gate of the military camp, and headed straight for Wang Jing.

Wang Jing chose a place where he could stay and overlook the battlefield from a high vantage point. He soon discovered a large number of enemy troops approaching. He frowned and said, "This Xiao Jian is really dishonest. Is he trying to break the contract?"

Xun You was beside Wang Jing and also saw the changes in the battle situation. After observing for a while, he smiled and said, "In my opinion, Xiao Jian does not want to violate the agreement. He just wants to kill someone with a borrowed knife."

"Oh? It seems that Tao Qian is also wary of Xiao Jian. This is interesting."

Wang Jing knew at this time that as Tao Qian's health deteriorated, the infighting in Xuzhou became more intense.

Tao Qian wanted to kill someone with a borrowed knife, so he sent Xiao Jian to help defend Xia Pi. Now Xia Pi also wants to kill someone with a borrowed knife, although no one knows who he wants to kill.

But as a knife that is borrowed from time to time, Wang Jing is very unhappy: "Everyone wants to borrow a knife to kill someone, but have you ever thought about the knife's feelings?"

Just as Wang Jing was sighing, Cao Hong's troops were getting closer. He raised his sword high and arrogantly challenged Wang Jing to a fight in front of the two armies: "Wang Jing, my boy, come and die!"

"Oh, isn't it good to be alive?"

Wang Jing rode forward with a look of boredom on his face.

He really didn't have the slightest interest in fighting against a small fry like Cao Hong.

"Are you Wang Jing?"

"You want to challenge me?"

"If I kill you today, I, Cao Hong, will become famous throughout the world. Hahahaha!"

As Tao Qian's confidant, Cao Hong's martial arts skills are not bad at all, having reached the third realm. He is often flattered by others.

However, there were no martial arts masters in Xuzhou itself. Others flattered Cao Bao just to give him face, but he took it seriously. He felt that he had extraordinary martial arts and was a master of military strategy. So, wouldn't it be easy for him to kill a kid in his twenties?
Therefore, although he had heard of Wang Jing's reputation, Cao Hong was not at all panicked. In order to be fair, he even thought about killing Wang Jing in a duel in front of the battle and undermining the morale of the enemy.

Then he took advantage of the situation and defeated the Qingzhou troops who invaded Xuzhou. With this meritorious service, won't he be promoted to a higher position after returning? (End of this chapter)