Chapter 278 Shunchang’s Rebellion
The seventh day of April.

The Yangzhou army, with Zhou Yu as the main general and Huang Gai as the deputy general, led three battalions of 4,000 main forces, the Jingzhou navy of 10,000 main forces, and a strong crossbow battalion of 2,000 personal guards, and set out from Jiangzhou.

Gan Ning and Wen Pin followed the army into the battle.

Xu Huang and Dian Wei assisted Jin Mao in defending the city and escorting grain and fodder transportation.

Baidao County (Yibin), Jianwei Prefecture.

This place is where three rivers converge and is an important transportation route for the county. Once it is lost, the entire county will be lost.

Ren Qi, the governor of Jianwei County, and Jia Long, a local tyrant and commander of Yizhou, each led a group of troops to defend the county to the death.

When Gan Ning came to find Jia Long, he did not dare to see the county magistrate Ren Qi, not even to meet him.

During his tenure, Ren Qi was deeply loved by the people of Jianwei County. He was an honest official and loved the people like his own children. He was a rare honest official, except that he had a bad temper and was a bit stubborn.

Therefore, when Liu Yan sent Sima Zhang Lu to capture Hanzhong County and kill Hanzhong County Governor Su Gu, from then on, Ren Qi no longer recognized Liu Yan as the governor of Yizhou.

Recruited volunteers and prepared to rebel against Liu Yan's rule.

But no one expected that the Yangzhou army would actually invade Yizhou and mess up everything.

Yizhou is a very strange place. Ever since Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, rose to power here and became emperor, countless successors followed suit during the 400 years of the Han Dynasty.

Although there are no successful people, the people here are very united.

No matter how bad Liu Yan was, he was still the governor of Yizhou. It was up to the people of Yizhou to restore order, not for a group of outsiders to interfere.

Ren Qi originally recruited volunteers who were not provided with food or wages, so his control over them was not high.

Under the emotion of sharing the same hatred against the enemy, Ren Qi was also led astray by the soldiers in the army and jointly resisted the Yangzhou army.

The reason why Jia Long did not dare to agree to Gan Ning was because of this reason. After all, he was a local snakehead, and the people's united wishes could influence his decision.

However, Jia Long was not without benefits. The number of his troops increased by two times from 2,000 to 6,000 in a short period of time.

Ren Qi had more than 8,000 troops, and the two divisions together had more than 14,000 troops, but the number of volunteers joining the army was still increasing.

this day.

The news that Jiangyang County (Luzhou) of Ba County was captured by Zhou Yu spread to Baidao County.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the entire county became extremely tense.

In the waters of Yizhou, apart from the Three Gorges, there are no strategic locations to defend within the state.

Jia Long had suppressed several rebellions and had some knowledge of military affairs. He knew that he would not be able to win by head-on confrontation, so he came to the county governor's office to discuss countermeasures.

"Greetings to Jun Chao."

"Captain Jia, there is no need to be polite. Please take a seat."

Ren Qi and Jia Long exchanged greetings and sat down.

The two men considered themselves to be loyal and upright men of the Han Dynasty, and they had a strong friendship and no obstacles in communicating with each other.

"Does the prefecture have any way to resist the Yangzhou army?"

Jia Long got straight to the point: "The Yangzhou army was so violent that even Dong Zhuo from Xiliang was no match for them. Liu Yan suffered a crushing defeat and lost 30,000 elite soldiers!"

"Now the Yangzhou army is at the gates of the city, what should we do?"

Ren Qi said resolutely: "There is only death!"

He looked at Jia Long and asked, "Captain Jia, do you still want to surrender?"

"If that's the case, then chop off my head and claim your reward!"

"Why do you want to provoke me with your words?" Jia Long slammed the table and stood up, saying, "Am I a coward who is afraid of death?"

In fact, Jia Long did have the idea, but Jin Mao hated Liu Yan even more than Liu Yan, and he showed no mercy when it came to killing the nobles and powerful people.

Why did Jia Long rebel against Liu Yan?

Is he really a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty?
Those are all excuses!

The cause was simply that when Liu Yan entered Yizhou, he killed more than a dozen local nobles and powerful people in Yizhou to establish his authority, which aroused resentment among various ethnic groups.

Ren Qi is a good official, but Jia Long couldn't figure out his thoughts, so he came to find out.

It would be boring if Jia Long were to charge in the front and Ren Qi were to stab him in the back.

"In that case, what else is there to say?"

Ren Qi said in a loud voice: "Get ready for battle!"

The two discussed the details. Ren Qi was not familiar with military affairs, so it was all up to Jia Long to talk.

But the more Jia Long spoke, the more uncertain he became.

Jia Long had not fully reacted until he left the County Magistrate's Mansion.

Chen Chao, the prefect of Qianwei County, suddenly appeared from an inconspicuous corner, scaring Jia Long.

"Captain, what does the county court say?"

Chen Chao was the leader of a big family in the county, and Jia Long had a good relationship with him.

"Why does the county magistrate ask this question when he already knows the answer?"

Jia Long rolled his eyes and said, "Don't you know what your Junchao's temperament is like?"

Chen Chao's face was filled with despair: "Do you really want to fight to the death with the Yangzhou Army?"

Then, he said bitterly: "He is an outsider. His whole family is dead. There are only a dozen people. He can still have a good reputation."

"No! We have more than a hundred people in the Tuo family, and we can't let them die in a meaningless war."

Chen Chao looked at Jia Long, his eyes becoming more dangerous as he said, "Captain, why don't we just go all out..."

He gestured with his hand to his neck.

Jia Long hurriedly held down Chen Chao's arm and looked around carefully. They were outside the county magistrate's mansion.

"Are you crazy!?"

Jia Long pulled Chen Chao away from this troubled place, and then whispered: "Don't forget the prestige of the county court in the hearts of the people!"

Chen Chaoren was unwilling to give up and said, "As long as we can do it secretly and throw dirty water on the Yangzhou army, who will know about it?"

"No!" Jia Long refused decisively: "Let's stop here, absolutely not!"

The Jialong family is the largest family in Qianwei County, so Chen Chao had to keep a low profile and said irritably, "Then what do you think we should do?"

"If there is no better way, this is the only way!"

Jia Long didn't want to quarrel with Chen Chao, so he said, "Let me think about it, just one day!"

"If there's still no solution by tomorrow, you don't have to do anything, I'll do it myself!"

Chen Chao was relieved and said, "It's a deal!"

"A word is settled!"

After everyone left, Jia Long took a deep breath, stared at the sky, and made a decision in his heart.

...

Jiangyang County of Ba County (Luzhou).

Gan Ning walked down the street in high spirits.

This battle to capture the city was not dangerous. Liu Yan lost all his elite troops, and the soldiers left behind in Jiangyang County had no morale at all, so they took the city in one go.

The first person to climb the mountain was naturally Gan Ning!
No matter how small a mosquito leg is, it is still meat. Moreover, Jiangyang County is a city with important transportation routes. This contribution is neither big nor small, but it is easy and safe.

Huang Gai, the admiral of the navy, has already reached the top of his position. He does not need to take the risk of competing for credit with his subordinates. He just needs to avoid making mistakes, and he will be granted a title of nobility and appointed a general in the future.

The commander of this army, Zhou Yu, was responsible for taking an overall view of the situation and ensuring the capture of the entire Yizhou.

The remaining generals, such as Wen Pin, were not as familiar with the geography as Gan Ning, a local, and were not as good at swimming as this group of people. It was natural that Gan Ning took the credit.

The Yangzhou Army has always respected the strong, no matter whether you are a newcomer or an old veteran, as long as you are awesome enough, getting promoted is as easy as drinking water.

The generals did not envy Gan Ning at all. Instead, some felt that Gan Ning had a similar temperament and gradually approached him. For Gan Ning, a smooth road lay before him. Even though his current position was low, he believed that one day he would be promoted to a lieutenant.

The position of the Third Battalion Captain has been vacant for a long time. Not only Gan Ning covets it, but also capable generals such as Wen Pin want it.

this day.

Three days have passed since the capture of Jiangyang County. Tomorrow is the day when the army will finish its rest and set out to attack Baidao County.

Gan Ning unexpectedly met an old friend.

Jia Long, the commander of Yizhou!

"Xingba, how are you?"

Jia Long arrived the day after the Yangzhou army captured Jiangyang County. He had not shown up the whole time because he wanted to see how the Yangzhou army would treat the aristocratic families and powerful people.

Now that Jia Long got the answer he wanted, he went to find Gan Ning.

"Captain Jia?"

Gan Ning looked around cautiously, as if he were a thief, and then he grabbed Jia Long's arm and dragged him into an empty alley.

"What are you doing here?"

"Aren't you afraid that I will capture you and exchange you for a military achievement?"

Jia Long smiled confidently and said, "Gan Xingba would become a different person if he joined the Yangzhou Army. I am standing here and can help you gain military merit. Why not do it?"

As long as the young Gan Ning gets respect, he will treat the other party as a friend and be willing to go through fire and water for him.

As long as his temper does not change, Jia Long does not believe that Gan Ning would become a treacherous villain.

As expected, Gan Ning laughed and said, “That’s what I valued about you from the beginning!”

"Have the guts!"

The atmosphere between the two men suddenly eased, and the brothers behind Gan Ning also relaxed their guard and walked to both ends of the alley to keep watch for the two men.

Jia Long wanted to reminisce about the past and get closer, but Gan Ning interrupted him and said, "If you have something to say, say it now! If you have something to say, fart now!"

"Time is short and precious."

Jia Long clasped his fists and said, "Please introduce me to Captain Zhou."

Zhou Yu had not yet been promoted to this captain. Jin Mao promoted him just to give him more say. Otherwise, what would it look like for a Sima to command a governor?

Although it is not appropriate for a colonel to command the naval commander, the colonel of the Yangzhou army is not comparable to the colonel of a two thousand stone rank, and the value of the rank is incomparable.

Jia Long's request stumped Gan Ning.

Although Zhou Yu is young, he is very good at commanding the army.

In the past few months, Gan Ning has been punished by Zhou Yu several times, and each time he was given reasons and evidence, so he had no choice but to accept it.

Therefore, Gan Ning did not want to create any more trouble. He had finally got such a good opportunity, and he didn't want to be left idle by Zhou Yu because of some trivial matters, otherwise he would be left with no tears.

Jia Long saw Gan Ning's dilemma and said, "This is related to the success or failure of Baidao County. Xingba just needs to report it. Captain Zhou will definitely meet with me!"

"What's the matter?" Gan Ning immediately became interested and asked, "Tell me first."

Jia Long shook his head and said, "You will know when you meet Captain Zhou."

"Huh." Gan Ning was very unhappy. After thinking for a while, he said, "Come with me."

Jiangyang County Government Office.

Zhou Yu was busy handing over to Xi Zhicai.

In the future, Jiangyang County will become a transit station for food and supplies.

Although Xi Zhicai was still the military advisor, everyone in the Yangzhou army knew that he was the real second-in-command, and they should never offend this one.

Otherwise, I don’t know why I died!

When Zhou Yu faced Xi Zhicai, he was not particularly restrained, but was just amazed at the other party's arrangements of every detail.

"The military strategist is so talented!"

In the past few years, Xi Zhicai has gone through a lot of experience and has the temperament of a superior. If you ignore the few white hairs on his temples, he is very handsome.

Even the incredibly handsome Zhou Yu had to avoid his edge.

"Gongjin is not bad either." Xi Zhicai said with a smile, "He has become a lieutenant at such a young age. His future is limitless."

Zhou Yu immediately bowed and said modestly, "Military Advisor, thank you for your compliment. I dare not show off my humble skills in front of you."

Xi Zhicai smiled but said nothing. Now that the handover was almost done, he had the leisure to joke with Zhou Yu.

Counting the time, it has been almost a year since I last went home. I miss my family a little.

As a routine, Jinmao arranges for people from the medical school to give physical examinations to every important person every year.

But Xi Zhicai estimated that he would not be able to go back this year.

Yizhou was too big, and the Yangzhou army had less than 30,000 soldiers. It was almost impossible to completely occupy it.

Moreover, the waterway has been cut off, making it almost impossible to transport supplies to the rear. Xi Zhicai is currently working on the spring farming arrangements in Yizhou.

Zhou Yu is fighting in the front, and Xun You can barely take over the position of quartermaster. Xi Zhicai must take action to provide food and fodder for the Yangzhou army.

Just as Xi Zhicai was lost in thought and Zhou Yu was sorting out the documents, someone came to report: "Captain, Gan Sima and a man named Jia Long want to see you."

Zhou Yu thought for a moment, then bowed to Xi Zhicai and asked, "What do you think, military advisor?"

Xi Zhicai was already sober when someone came in to report, and said calmly: "You are the commander, so it is natural for you to make the decision."

Zhou Yu just asked this and turned around and said, "Please pass it in!"

After a while, Gan Ning and Jia Long walked in hand in hand.

"Greetings to the Captain, greetings to the military advisor!"

Gan Ning was stunned. He didn't expect that the second-in-command of the Yangzhou army was also here. If he had known this, he would not have brought anyone with him.

Jia Long didn't know what Xi Zhicai looked like, but he could tell his identity from Gan Ning's reaction.

"Yizhou Captain Jia Long pays respects to Captain Zhou and Military Advisor Xi."

As the Yangzhou Army became famous throughout the world, the rankings of the military advisors were no longer a big secret, and all forces were paying close attention to it.

Zhou Yu sat on the left and Xi Zhicai on the right.

"What is Captain Jia doing here?" Zhou Yu asked directly, "Are you here to surrender?"

Jia Long bowed again and said, "That's right!"

Zhou Yu was very surprised and reacted quickly: "Captain Jia should know our military laws. So, on behalf of my lord, I welcome Captain Jia to join us!"

"Oh, that's not right." Zhou Yu changed the subject and said, "Captain Jia should start from the rank of 5th rank. I should call you Captain Jia!"

Jia Long didn't expect Zhou Yu's words to be so sharp and leave him no wiggle room, but there was nothing he could do because this time he needed a favor.

"My intention is not to surrender with the army, but to find a way out for the 300,000 people in Qianwei County."

Zhou Yu's tone remained unchanged as he bowed to Xi Zhicai and said, "I am only in charge of military affairs. Political affairs still require the decision of the military advisor."

This scene left Jia Long dumbfounded, but the others present were not surprised at all.

Only Xi Zhicai looked at Zhou Yu meaningfully. This kid was such a sly guy, throwing the difficult problems to others to solve.

“These two things are actually one and the same.”

Xi Zhicai said, "Since you want to surrender, Captain Jia can just lead his troops to surrender. We will take care of the people of Qianwei County."

"How should we deal with them?" Jia Long asked unwillingly, "What will be our fate?"

Xi Zhicai stood up slowly, waved his sleeves, supported his stomach with one hand, leaned on his back with the other, and his eyes seemed to be looking into the distance.

He slowly uttered a few decisive words: "Those who follow will prosper, those who resist will perish!"

(End of this chapter)