Youzhou.

Zhao Yun's hair and beard were all white. He had two sons and two daughters, and his daughters were both married.

His two sons, Zhao Guang and Zhao Tong, served under him.

Unfortunately, Zhao Yun was too loyal and honest, and never gave his two sons any backdoor advice.

The eldest son Zhao Tong did not inherit Zhao Yun's military talent. He has been busy in logistics and now has only risen to the position of a senior official.

The second son, Zhao Guang, did have some martial arts skills, but unfortunately he was born at the wrong time. Even in Youzhou, there were no major battles to fight, and it was never his turn to deal with the occasional rebellions of small tribes. It took him five years of military service to become the leader of a cavalry garrison.

Wei Yan knew very well that Zhao Yun would not help his two sons openly, but who would really want his son to become a loser?
Grasping this key point, Wei Yan had already applied to Jin Zhe for certain permissions.

Youzhou camp.

Wei Yan clasped his fists towards Zhao Yun and said, "I would like to say hello to General Zhao on behalf of His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince."

Zhao Yun clasped his fists in return and said, "General Wei, you are too polite. How is His Highness the Fourth Prince these days?"

Wei Yan smiled and said, "Your Highness is doing well and is very concerned about the two young masters of the Zhao family. I have specially ordered this general to come and ask if there is a chance for the two young masters to gain more experience in the army."

Zhao Yun's eyes flashed with a subtle fluctuation when he heard this. He naturally understood the deep meaning behind Wei Yan's words, but he also knew that this was a legitimate request for his son's future. He pondered for a moment and said, "My son is not talented enough and has little knowledge. I am afraid he will not be able to take on such a big responsibility."

Wei Yan shook his head and said sincerely: "General Zhao is too modest. Although Zhao Tong is good at logistics, he is rigorous and well-organized in military management. He is indeed a rare talent. Zhao Guang is brave and courageous. Given time, he will become a great man. Although there are no major wars on the border, small-scale conflicts and patrol missions have never stopped. Why not take this opportunity to let the two young masters take turns to participate, so that they can accumulate experience and sharpen their character?"

After hearing this, Zhao Yun thought to himself that Wei Yan's words made sense, and the Fourth Prince's concern was undoubtedly a support for the Zhao family. So he nodded slowly: "In this case, I'll have to trouble General Wei to help the two children so that they can grow up in actual combat."

Wei Yan was delighted to see Zhao Yun give in, and quickly agreed: "General Zhao, rest assured, I will do my best to help you and live up to your highness and General Zhao's high expectations."

Then, Zhao Yun turned to the two young masters of the Zhao family who were silent on the side, his eyes full of expectation and seriousness: "You two must be careful in what you say and do and learn with an open mind when you follow General Wei to the battle this time. On the battlefield, things change rapidly. Not only must you be brave and courageous, but you must also be resourceful and work as a team. Remember, every action you take represents the honor and responsibility of the Zhao family."

The two young masters were determined when they heard this, and they answered in unison: "I understand, and I will live up to my father and General Wei's high expectations. I will make achievements in the frontier training and bring honor to the Zhao family."

Zhao Yun felt relieved when he saw this. He knew that true growth lies not only in the improvement of martial arts, but also in the tempering of character and the taking of responsibilities. So he reminded them again: "In addition, you two must always pay attention to the people's sentiments and terrain in the border areas. These will be your precious wealth for governing the country in the future. Remember, only when the people support you can you be invincible; only when you know the land and the sky can you win every battle."

After hearing this, Wei Yan nodded frequently and admired Zhao Yun's foresight even more.

"General, the north is bitterly cold, and this year it is extremely cold. It is difficult for His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince to support himself in the New City."

Wei Yan stated the purpose of this trip: "I also ask the general to allocate military rations to help His Highness overcome the difficulties."

Zhao Yun hesitated and said, "I cannot decide on the military rations. I will write a letter to Your Majesty and make a decision."

"General!" Wei Yan said anxiously, "His Highness the Fourth Prince works day and night in Xincheng, just to stabilize the border and protect the people of our Han Dynasty from foreign invasion. Now it is the cold winter, and food and grass are in short supply. If we don't provide timely support, I am afraid that morale will be low and the people's hearts will be shaken. Xincheng is an important town on the border of our Han Dynasty. Once it is lost, the consequences will be disastrous. I dare to ask the general to find a way as soon as possible, even if it is to allocate a part of the military rations for emergency use, so that His Highness can stabilize the situation and then make plans. I am willing to guarantee with my life that this batch of military rations will be safely delivered to Xincheng and live up to the general's high expectations!"

"No." Zhao Yun shook his head and refused. "Your Majesty has entrusted the entire northeastern border to me. This is a great trust. How can I make the decision on my own?"

Wei Yan gritted his teeth and suggested, "General, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures! You may consider sending a pigeon to the capital to explain the emergency situation and request His Majesty to send reinforcements and food as soon as possible. In the meantime, I propose to temporarily requisition some stored food from several neighboring counties and mobilize the people to donate. Although it is not a long-term solution, it can solve the urgent problem. In addition, strengthen the defense of Xincheng and be vigilant to prevent foreign enemies from taking advantage of the situation. I am willing to lead the troops personally to escort the collected military rations while strengthening patrols to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Please think twice, General!"

"No means no." Zhao Yun still refused and said, "Wei Yan, you and I both know that it takes a long time to send a letter to the capital by carrier pigeon. The situation is urgent now, and distant water cannot quench the thirst. Moreover, your Majesty needs to discuss border affairs with the court officials, and the decision-making is slow. Although it seems feasible to requisition the grain reserves of neighboring counties and mobilize the people to donate, it is easy to cause resentment and shake the people's hearts. This is a taboo in military strategy. As for strengthening the defense of the new city, it is imperative, but we must not rush it. , so as not to disturb the people and achieve the opposite effect. Your proposal to lead troops to escort military rations and strengthen patrols is commendable, but the scattered forces will be more vulnerable to being taken advantage of. I, Zhao Yun, have fought all my life and I know the military strategy: "Know yourself and know the enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger." The most important thing now is to find out the enemy's situation and know our own strengths and weaknesses, so that we can formulate a perfect strategy. You should quickly gather the generals, and we will discuss countermeasures together. By pooling our wisdom, we will definitely find a way to not lose the people's hearts and solve the problem."

Wei Yan said angrily: "General, you should know that some things are not without a price!"

"Your Highness's business was obtained by His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince, who exhausted all his resources. Are you such a greedy person, General?"

"How dare you!" Zhao Yun was furious, his eyes were like torches, and his voice shook the tiles. "Wei Yan, you and I have been colleagues for many years. How could I, Zhao Yun, ignore the overall situation for my own selfish desires? Everything I said and did was for the country and people of Shu Han, and for the peace of thousands of people! Don't judge others by your own mean heart." "General, calm down," a counselor at the side hurriedly stepped forward to persuade him. "General Wei was angry for a while and said something wrong. I hope you will forgive me. Now is a time of trouble. We should unite as one and overcome the difficulties together."

Zhao Yun took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said, "Wei Yan, you and I both know that on the battlefield, swords have no eyes, and victory or defeat often depends on a single thought. Although I, Zhao Yun, am not talented, I swear to fight shoulder to shoulder with you, until the last man and horse, and I will never retreat. However, a wise man acts according to the time and the situation, and blind impulse will only increase casualties. You and I need to think calmly about how to give the enemy a fatal blow while preserving our strength."

"As for the 'price' you mentioned, I, Zhao Yun, have lived an upright life. If I have done anything wrong, I will take responsibility for it. But if someone tries to use this as a handle to threaten me, I, Zhao Yun, will never sit idly by. The Fourth Prince has been kind to me, and I will naturally do my best to repay him, but this does not mean that I will sacrifice the overall situation to satisfy my own selfish desires."

"Okay, let's end this." Zhao Yun waved his hand to interrupt Wei Yan who was still trying to argue. "Now, what we need is unity and strategy, not meaningless disputes. You and all of you are the pillars of Shu Han. I hope we can work together to find a clever plan that can not only save the current predicament, but also not hurt the fundamentals."

"If you still feel it is inappropriate, I will ask His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince to revoke his order. I am not dead yet. Even if I am a coward, I can still inherit my title of Marquis of Ting!"

Wei Yan did not expect Zhao Yun to be so upright, but he was no ordinary man and had already prepared a second plan.

"I heard that the general loves his people like his own children."

Wei Yan asked with tears in his eyes: "Aren't the people of Xincheng Han people?"

"In the eyes of the general, are a few military rations less important than the lives of the people?"

"General, have you ever thought about how furious His Majesty would be if he knew about this?"

Zhao Yun heard this, frowning, his eyes burning, obviously touched by Wei Yan's series of questions. He pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke: "General Wei, you are too serious. How can I ignore the lives of the people? The people of Xincheng are also the people of the Han Dynasty. I am always concerned about their safety. As for military rations, it is indeed an urgent matter at the moment, but what I don't want to see is that the people are displaced because of a temporary need. This is something I cannot do as a general and even more as a Han minister."

"As for Your Majesty, I believe that if Your Majesty knew the difficulties involved, you would understand our difficulties. Moreover, as subjects, our primary task is to protect the country and the people, rather than making decisions on your own and causing unrest. I do not agree with General Wei's statement about revoking the order. Since His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince has issued this order, he must have his considerations. I am willing to discuss countermeasures with my colleagues and strive to solve the urgent need for food and grass without affecting innocent people."

"General Wei, you and I serve in the same court, and we are both serving the country. Why don't we put aside our prejudices and work together to overcome difficulties? Yun suggested that we brainstorm and see if we can find a plan that can both raise military funds and take people's livelihood into consideration. In this way, we can live up to your majesty's trust and be worthy of the people of the world. Isn't it the best of both worlds?"

After hearing this, Wei Yan's expression eased a little, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes. He knew that Zhao Yun was an upright person who cared about the people, and that his words came from the bottom of his heart. So, he nodded and said, "General Zhao is right, and I was too anxious. In this case, I am willing to work with General Zhao to find a way to achieve both ends and face the national crisis together."

Zhao Yun nodded and said, "How about this? The military rations cannot be moved lightly. This matter still needs to be reported to the court. However, I will raise a batch of supplies for His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince in my personal capacity. What do you think, General Wei?"

Wei Yan was silent for a moment, thinking about the feasibility, and then slowly said: "General Zhao's plan is very good. It can not only avoid the unnecessary suspicion caused by the direct use of military funds, but also support the Fourth Prince with practical actions. However, raising supplies is not easy, especially to ensure that the supplies can be delivered safely and not fall into the hands of the enemy or be embezzled by treacherous officials."

"General Wei is right," Zhao Yun said thoughtfully. "My suggestion is to contact loyal men and merchants along the way and use secret channels to transport the goods. At the same time, we should send reliable scouts to investigate along the way to ensure safety. In addition, we need to prepare multiple plans just in case."

Wei Yan's eyes lit up when he heard this. "General Zhao has made thorough considerations, and I admire you. If this method is implemented, it will not only help the Fourth Prince out of his predicament, but also demonstrate the benevolence of our army. It is indeed the best strategy. I am willing to personally take charge of the liaison matters to ensure that everything goes well."

"Okay!" Zhao Yun slammed the table and stood up, his eyes firm. "You and I will work together and live up to His Majesty's high expectations and the people of the world. From now on, we will act separately. General Wei will be responsible for liaison, and I will start to prepare supplies and write to the court to explain the pros and cons and strive for the court's understanding and support."

After receiving the order, Wei Yan immediately arranged for spies to be secretly spread among the various princes and the people to inquire about the dynamics of all parties, and at the same time prepared express messengers in case of emergency. He knew that the success or failure of this trip was not only related to the safety of the fourth prince, but also to the stability of the Han Dynasty and the will of the people. Therefore, every step must be taken with caution and no mistakes can be made.

On the other hand, Zhao Yun quickly mobilized the military supply department to count the inventory, allocate food, medicine and necessary military equipment to ensure that the rescue operation can be carried out quickly and effectively. He also personally drafted a memorial, earnestly analyzing the current situation, emphasizing the importance of rescuing the fourth prince, and the positive role of demonstrating the power of the court and appeasing the people, striving to obtain the full support of the court.

At the same time, Zhao Yun also did not forget to strengthen the camp's defense to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of this opportunity to launch a sneak attack. He arranged a series of visible and hidden sentries to ensure that information inside and outside the camp was unimpeded and that any disturbance could be responded to quickly. He also convened the think tank in the camp to brainstorm and further improve the rescue plan to ensure that each link was linked together and impeccable.

As the preparations proceeded in an orderly manner, a tense and orderly atmosphere permeated the entire military camp. Although Zhao Yun and Wei Yan were busy with their own things, they both held the same belief in their hearts - for the peace of the Han Dynasty and the welfare of the people, they must go all out and live up to the trust. And this carefully planned rescue operation will also become a highlight in their military careers.

As night fell, Zhao Yun personally led an elite team to quietly cross the enemy's defense line and conduct a final reconnaissance before actual combat. Using the cover of night, they cleverly avoided the enemy's patrols, not only confirming the specific location of the trapped civilians, but also accidentally discovered a weak point of the enemy, providing valuable intelligence for the subsequent raid.

At the same time, Wei Yan stepped up the training of soldiers in the camp, simulating various possible battle scenarios to ensure that every soldier could perform at his best in actual combat. He not only emphasized the importance of teamwork, but also paid special attention to the improvement of individual skills, because every detail could be the key to victory or defeat. Wei Yan knew that only when the soldiers had no distractions and superb skills could they be invincible in the upcoming battle.

In order to ensure the smooth progress of the rescue operation, Zhao Yun and Wei Yan also secretly contacted the surrounding friendly forces and won their support and cooperation. (End of this chapter)