noffsinger Chapter 15 Deceiving Gongsun Zan! The Super General Zhao Yun is Acquired!
Chapter 15 Deceiving Gongsun Zan! The Super General Zhao Yun is Acquired!
"My lord, you'd better wipe the drool from the corner of your mouth."
"Gongsun Zan himself was unaware that he had such a great general under his command."
"If you appear too eager to recruit talent later, and Gongsun Zan sees through your act, we won't be able to fool that general!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.
The guards at the entrance of Gongsun Zan's camp saw Su Yu and Cao Cao walking towards them and quickly stepped forward to stop them.
"Young man, I am Cao Cao, and I wish to request an audience with General Gongsun."
After saying this, Cao Cao took out a silver ingot from his pocket and handed it to the gatekeeper.
Don't underestimate the security guard.
In the late Han Dynasty, almost everyone who could serve as a gatekeeper was a trusted confidant of their lord.
The security guard silently accepted the tip, and a chrysanthemum-like smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Please wait a moment, General Cao, while I go and inform my lord."
Soon, the gatekeeper returned.
Gongsun Zan arrived alongside the gatekeeper.
Although it was puzzling why Cao Cao would choose to visit so late at night.
But Cao Cao was, after all, one of the eighteen warlords, and Gongsun Zan thought he was quite good at dealing with people.
It was only natural that Gongsun Zan would personally receive Cao Cao.
"Mengde!"
"Brother Bogui!"
The two greeted each other.
“Brother Bogui, it is my fault for visiting at this time.”
"But I have something I need to discuss with Brother Bogui."
"It's alright, it's alright, Mengde, just speak your mind."
Before Gongsun Zan understood the purpose of Cao Cao's visit, he was naturally cautious.
after all.
To outsiders, Cao Cao has always been regarded as a follower of Yuan Shao.
Gongsun Zan was also unsure whether Cao Cao's visit tonight was his own idea or at Yuan Shao's behest.
Gongsun Zan invited Cao Cao into his tent, dismissed his attendants, and left only a few of his personal guards.
“Brother Bogui, to be honest, I have come here today for my own sake, not for anyone else’s.”
Cao Cao's straightforwardness further increased Gongsun Zan's goodwill towards him.
He waved his hand and said:
"I admire Mengde's honesty."
"But what difficulties has Mengde encountered? Or is it for some other reason?"
Su Yu spoke on Cao Cao's behalf:
"General Gongsun, my lord wishes to make a deal with you."
"Shall we make a deal?"
In that instant, countless possibilities flashed through Gongsun Zan's mind.
Don't think that Gongsun Zan is bad at business.
The Youzhou region where he lived was sparsely populated, and many resources were scarce.
Therefore, Gongsun Zan was no stranger to doing business.
"I wonder what kind of business Mengde is interested in?"
Su Yu and Cao Cao exchanged a glance, and Cao Cao spoke first:
"To be honest, Brother Bogui, I want to form a cavalry force, but there are no generals in the army who are skilled in horsemanship and archery."
"Therefore, I shamelessly request that Brother Bogui send a centurion to instruct the generals under my command."
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Zan's face immediately showed surprise.
He thought and thought, but he never expected it to be like this!
If we're talking about people skilled in horsemanship and archery, the people of Youzhou are undoubtedly the most skilled in horsemanship and archery in the world.
Even the Xiliang Iron Cavalry under Dong Zhuo's command could not match Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry in archery skills.
Let alone the centurions and commanders of the White Horse Righteous Army.
Even a common soldier in the White Horse Cavalry was far more skilled at archery than most people in other places!
Why does this happen?
Because in the northern part of Youzhou, there was a constant threat of invasion from the Wuhuan.
If the Wuhuan invade, the White Horse Cavalry will be the first line of defense against them!
The long-term battles with the Wuhuan people laid the foundation for the White Horse Cavalry's superb archery skills.
In comparison, the horsemanship and archery skills of the Central Plains region were somewhat inferior.
Seeing Gongsun Zan hesitate, Su Yu was secretly pleased.
The fact that there was no direct refusal means that there is still room for negotiation.
He cupped his hands and said:
"General Gongsun has come from afar; he must be short of provisions."
"My lord is willing to provide General Gongsun with enough rations to feed the soldiers of Youzhou for one month."
"I implore General Gongsun to agree to send a general skilled in archery and horsemanship to train our soldiers!"
Su Yu's words were sincere and earnest.
Upon hearing the keywords "one month's worth of provisions," Gongsun Zan's mind immediately began to stir.
Youzhou is bitterly cold, and its grain production has always been low.
To be honest, before joining the coalition against Dong Zhuo, Gongsun Zan had considered abandoning the campaign due to food shortages.
no way.
The soldiers of Youzhou were responsible for defending against the Wuhuan, but their own grain production was not high, so they really had to live a very frugal life.
Don't underestimate the amount of rations that can feed the soldiers of Youzhou for a month; it's definitely not a small amount.
In other words, Gongsun Zan didn't have to pay for the provisions for his army's return journey.
This was definitely a huge advantage for Gongsun Zan.
Moreover.
Sending a general skilled in archery and horsemanship to teach Cao Cao's soldiers wouldn't be too difficult.
In the Youzhou army, they had few things, but the most skilled riders and archers were the most numerous!
There's no need to send out generals like Yan Gang, Shan Jing, or Wang Men; simply lending out a centurion would suffice to fulfill Cao Cao's request.
For Gongsun Zan, this business deal was a sure thing.
Given this, what reason would Gongsun Zan have to refuse?
Gongsun Zan then laughed and said:
"Since this is what Mengde requests, I will certainly grant it."
"However, is sending only one general to teach horsemanship and archery enough?"
Cao Cao quickly replied:
"Enough is enough; one person is sufficient."
Gongsun Zan had no suspicions about Cao Cao, believing him to be loyal and honest.
I don't know.
This deal will soon become a source of lifelong regret for Gongsun Zan.
The person Su Yu and Cao Cao chose was none other than Zhao Yun, a centurion under Gongsun Zan!
As a young hero from Zhen Ding County, Changshan, Zhao Yun was elected as the captain of the volunteer corps by the local people because of his superb martial arts skills.
The military system at the end of the Han Dynasty was somewhat different from that of later periods.
Zhao Yun led over a hundred local militiamen from Zhengding County, Changshan, to join Gongsun Zan, so he would naturally be appointed as a centurion by Gongsun Zan.
Similarly, Li Dian joined Cao Cao with over a thousand soldiers and successfully became a commander of a thousand men.
Due to low productivity and a limited population.
In the late Han Dynasty, the position of general did not necessarily have to be earned through battlefield combat.
People like Zhao Yun and Li Dian also had a shortcut to promotion.
But frankly, there aren't many people who can rally over a hundred or a thousand soldiers.
after all.
This differs from the military service of later generations.
In the late Han Dynasty, joining the army was a matter of risking one's life.
To be able to inspire hundreds or even thousands of people to join the army requires not only local prestige but also genuine ability.
Zhao Yun was not from a prominent family, yet he was elected as the captain of the volunteer army, which shows his ability and the trust of the villagers!
Even so, Zhao Yun in the original history was still not given important positions under Gongsun Zan.
Ultimately, it was because Zhao Yun was from Ji Province, not You Province, that he could not become Gongsun Zan's true confidant.
However, this situation would not occur on Cao Cao's side.
Cao Cao, who was eager to find talented people and longed for fierce generals, wished he had more talents like Zhao Yun!
.........