Chapter 174
With the addition of Tian Feng and Ju Shou, the two began to cooperate with Huang Chao to target the noble families in Jizhou.
After all, they were both smart people. They knew that Huang Chao had no good feelings towards these noble families, and he himself had no foundation, so he didn't have to worry about offending any noble family, and he might even get the support of these noble families.
But it was different for me. If I really offended a noble family, the consequences would be disastrous.
They followed Lu Zhi after Lu Zhi became the governor of Jizhou, so they knew very well what those noble families had done. Therefore, when Huang Chao proposed to investigate these noble families, they did not object, but expressed their willingness to cooperate fully.
Huang Chao, Tian Feng, Ju Shou and Li Cunxiao directly summoned all the noble families in Jizhou.
For this reason, Huang Chao specially booked the entire Wangxian Tower in Jizhou City. On the day of the meeting, the heads of two or three hundred noble families all sat in the hall.
The top families in Jizhou, such as the Cui family of Boling, the Li family of Zhaojun, the Cui family of Qinghe, the Xing family of Hejian, the Wei family of Julu, the Hua family of Pingyuan, etc., sat in the private room, but the door and window were all open.
Huang Chao looked at everyone and smiled.
He said: "You have been in Jizhou City for a day or two, I guess you have been very panicked during this period!"
His tone was calm, but it carried an invisible pressure. The heads of the families present lowered their heads one after another, not daring to look directly at Huang Chao's eyes.
Then, Huang Chao said: "Today I summoned you here for some things, such as what you have done and said in the past, you can recall them well!"
His voice was low and powerful, which made people feel awe.
Hearing this, the heads of the families present were even more nervous, and some even began to sweat.
They didn't know how much evidence Huang Chao had on them, and they were full of fear.
However, those top families seemed calm and unhurried, without any panic.
Compared with the aristocratic families in Youzhou and Bingzhou, they are more powerful and have a deep foundation, so they are full of confidence.
Many outstanding figures have emerged from the ancestors of these aristocratic families, and they have been passed down from generation to generation and accumulated a solid foundation.
They are full of confidence in their families and firmly believe that they can be passed down safely even in the face of challenges.
For example, Li Mu, the ancestor of Zhaojun Li, is famous, and there are also famous figures such as Li Zuoche.
Cui Zhongmou, the ancestor of Boling Cui, is also famous. Cui Jun and Cui Lie, who are still alive today, are both highly respected celebrities at that time.
The ancestor of Qinghe Cui is Cui Ye, and the existing Cui Lin and Cui Yan are both celebrities and elegant scholars.
In addition, other top aristocratic families also have a deep foundation.
There are also many well-known people attending the meeting, such as Hua Xin of Pingyuan Hua, Cui Yan and Cui Lin of Qinghe Cui, Cui Lie and Cui Jun of Boling Cui, etc.
All of these people are famous and renowned scholars, and their existence undoubtedly adds confidence to the various families.
According to the news they have learned, no famous scholars have died in the hands of the Yellow Turban Army until now, so they think this is one of their confidence.
Silence, everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to do.
Seeing this, Cui Yan took a deep breath and broke the silence. He asked: "General, just say whatever you want to say. Since everyone here is here, they all want to cooperate with the Yellow Turban Army, so there is no need to make so many twists and turns!"
Cui Yan was a famous scholar and politician in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He studied under the great Confucian Zheng Xuan. He was upright and proficient in the six arts of a gentleman.
Therefore, when he spoke, his voice was loud and full of energy, not inferior to those generals at all.
Cui Lin, who was standing next to him, seemed a little worried, but he did not show it.
As for the representatives of other top families, they all chose to remain silent at this moment and observe the situation quietly.
They thought, since Cui Yan was willing to take the lead, let him test the other party's attitude and intentions, and they can sit back and wait for the opportunity.
After hearing Cui Yan's words, Huang Chao's mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a barely perceptible smile.
He tilted his head, turned his gaze in the direction of Cui Yan, and said calmly: "If I remember correctly, the people in this room should all be from the Qinghe Cui family, right? Since you dare to speak, you must have something to rely on, or in other words, you Qinghe Cui family have enough confidence in this negotiation."
Cui Yan's heart tightened, but on the surface he remained calm. He straightened his chest, faced Huang Chao, and responded: "General, you are right. We Qinghe Cui family do hope to reach cooperation with the Yellow Turban Army and jointly create a career. But we also know that cooperation requires both parties to be honest with each other.Only by waiting can we achieve a win-win situation. "
Huang Chao nodded, indicating that he agreed with Cui Yan's point of view.
Then, he waved his hand, and the Yellow Turban soldiers behind him immediately took action and escorted a group of people into the room.
These people looked terrified, as if they had suffered a lot of torture. Some of them had scars on their bodies, and they had obviously experienced fierce battles.
With the appearance of this group of people, the originally quiet room suddenly became noisy.
People began to talk about the identities of these people and their relationship with the Yellow Turban Army, while those who were escorted in lowered their heads and did not dare to look up at the people around them.
"That's the Zhongshan Liu family, this is a relative of the Han Dynasty!" Someone among the family heads in the hall recognized the identity of one of them and said in surprise.
Zhongshan Liu is a descendant of Zhongshan Jingwang and a relative of the Han Dynasty. Although it has declined now, it still has a high status in Zhongshan County.
Cui Yan frowned and said, "These thirty or so people are probably all family heads! "
Although he didn't know these people, he was sure that they were not ordinary people. They were either the heads of noble families or local tyrants.
"Is this to make an example of others?" Cui Lin also frowned, with doubts in his heart. This matter was too obvious and everyone knew it.
Huang Chao smiled slightly and explained: "I believe many people have doubts about their identities. They are the members of the noble families who received the invitation but did not come."
"And the noble families behind them have been confiscated and exterminated. Now they are the only ones left in the world. "
For a moment, the heads of small and medium-sized families in the hall began to whisper to each other.
After hearing Huang Chao's order, the Yellow Turban Army quickly took action.
They kicked the thirty or so heads of the aristocratic families to the ground, and then pressed their shoulders hard to make them unable to move. Then, they raised the big knife in their hands without hesitation and chopped the necks of the heads of the aristocratic families fiercely.
In an instant, blood splattered, heads rolled down, and the scene was extremely bloody and cruel.
The whole scene suddenly became silent, and everyone was stunned by the scene before their eyes.
These heads of the aristocratic families never dreamed that Huang Chao would be so decisive and dare to kill the heads of other families in front of them.
This cold-blooded method made them feel extremely shocked and terrified.
Huang Chao looked at the horrified expressions of the crowd and showed a sneer on his face.
He said slowly: "You are all people who have seen the world, so you will not be scared by this little scene, right? "
His voice was cold and firm, revealing an unquestionable majesty.
"Everyone, I hope you understand one thing. As long as you are willing to give our Yellow Turban Army face and respect our authority, we will naturally give you face. "
"But if you dare to challenge our bottom line and don't take us seriously, then you can only end up like this!" Huang Chao's eyes swept across everyone present, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.
"In addition, I want to tell you a fact. At least half of you have committed crimes or oppressed ordinary people. This is something that our Yellow Turban Army absolutely cannot tolerate. "
"However, some people may have cleared all the evidence, making it impossible for us to investigate, but don't think that you can escape punishment in this way. Once we find conclusive evidence, you will also die! "Huang Chao's words were like thunder, echoing in everyone's ears.
As soon as Huang Chao finished speaking, Tian Feng and Ju Shou, who were sitting beside him, looked worried.
After all, the people present were all the heads of the major families in Jizhou, and it seemed inappropriate to threaten them so bluntly.
After the two looked at each other, they shook their heads, but did not say much. They were just here to assist, and the main decision-making power was still in Huang Chao's hands.
"Of course, if you have never done anything wrong, then under the management of my Yellow Turban Army, it is entirely possible to become a large family. Now, although there are only one-third of the families left in Youzhou and Bingzhou, their development speed is extremely amazing! "Huang Chao continued.
Following his signal, Tian Feng and Ju Shou began to cooperate tacitly, introducing in detail to the people present the wonderful life and rapid development of the existing noble families in Youzhou and Bingzhou.
Although they have not yet reached the height of the top noble families in terms of status, their actual living standards are by no means inferior to those top noble families.
Moreover, if the Yellow Turban Army had not intentionally restricted the emergence of top noble families, these noble families could have been promoted to top noble families at any time.
Cui Yan frowned and said: "General, we are naturally willing to cooperate with the Yellow Turban Army for development, but I hope that the general will not kill anymore. My Cui family is willing to pay two million!"
Huang Chao sneered in his heartAs soon as he heard it, he instantly understood what Cui Yan meant.
This is to buy life with money and food, but how could he agree? After the family is confiscated and the clan is exterminated, these money and food will still fall into the hands of the Yellow Turban Army, so why bother.
"My Hua family is also willing to pay two million!" Hua Xin said immediately after. Everyone is smart. If they can use part of the inventory to save the lives of the family, it will definitely be a good deal.
Afterwards, many noble families expressed their willingness to pay money and food, just to cooperate with the Yellow Turban Army for development.
However, Huang Chao was unmoved. He said directly: "Alas, do you think our Yellow Turban Army lacks money and food? Now the money and food of countless noble families in Bingzhou and Youzhou are in our hands. It is no exaggeration to say that our Yellow Turban Army is rich enough to rival a country!"
These words were like a basin of cold water, pouring on everyone's hearts.
They finally realized that the Yellow Turban Army in front of them was no longer comparable to the past, and wealth was no longer a problem. At this moment, they really felt despair.
"It's almost done!" Tian Feng reminded, saying that what should be said had been said, and some of those who should be killed had been killed, and it was time to end. Huang Chao nodded, and then Huang Chao directly arranged for people to bring more than a dozen large boxes, all of which were filled with charges that had been sorted out in advance.
With the arrival of these boxes, the atmosphere on the scene instantly became tense. Huang Chao's face also became solemn, and he knew that what was coming next would be very important.
Then, at Huang Chao's signal, some clerks stood up, opened the boxes and began to read. Every time they read a family, someone would appear and take the head of the family away.
These clerks had serious expressions, and their voices were loud and powerful, which shocked people.
Each charge was like a sharp sword, piercing the hearts of the heads of those families. Their faces became uglier and uglier, and some even began to tremble.
But they did not dare to resist at all, because they knew that Huang Chao had already mastered absolute power at this time, and if they dared to resist, they would only die more miserably.
It was not until more than a dozen family heads were taken away that they reacted and immediately prepared to get up and leave.
But the one guarding the door was Li Cunxiao, who was also the second most powerful general in the Yellow Turban Army, so these people were scared back by Li Cunxiao as soon as they arrived at the door.
Li Cunxiao shouted: "Everyone sit down honestly!" At the same time, his murderous aura burst out, scaring the one or two hundred family heads back again.
Li Cunxiao's eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and his presence was like an insurmountable mountain, which made people daunted. His voice was like thunder, shaking the whole hall.
Those family heads who originally wanted to escape were pale and trembling at this moment. They knew how powerful Li Cunxiao was, and they knew that they were no match for him.
At this moment, they finally realized that they had fallen into a desperate situation and there was no possibility of escape.
In the end, after more than an hour of chanting, only about fifty family heads were left sitting in Wangxian Tower. It was not that they had not violated the law, but that they had not bullied the people.
At the same time, only the Boling Cui family, Qinghe Cui family, Pingyuan Hua family and Zhaojun Li family were left among the top families. The other top families were taken away.
Huang Chao smiled and said, "Now the remaining ones will cooperate with our Yellow Turban Army for development. Of course, you still need to stay here for a few days. After my master captures Qingzhou, I will naturally meet you!"
Huang Chao left after he finished speaking. Cui Yan, Cui Lin, Hua Xin, Cui Jun, Cui Lie and others looked at each other and finally accepted this reality.
......
Just when Zhang Fu led the Yellow Turban Army to capture Jizhou City, Zhu Jun, who was thousands of miles away, also learned the news.
He immediately summoned tens of thousands of Qingzhou troops and prepared to set out to assist Jizhou. However, before that, Zhu Jun still held a meeting before the expedition.
Zhu Jun sat in the meeting room with a gloomy face and frowned brows, his heart full of worry and uneasiness.
He knew the reason behind the Yellow Turban Army's large-scale attack on Jizhou. It was obviously because they learned the news of the death of His Majesty and the accession of the young emperor, so they dared to launch such an unscrupulous attack.
Zhu Jun took a deep breath. He knew that he had to take action to deal with this crisis.
So he stood up, looked at everyone with a firm gaze, and said: "I am going to lead the Qingzhou new army to Jizhou for rescue. I hope everyone can understand my decision. Everyone knows the principle of lips and teeth. If Jizhou falls, then it will be our turn in Qingzhou next."
He had long expected that the plan to rescue Jizhou in this situation might be opposed by some people.Yes, but he firmly believed that as long as the reasons were sufficient, he could convince them.
Zhu Jun continued: "Now the Yellow Turban Army is at the gates of the city, the situation is critical, and we can't sit idly by. If Jizhou falls, we will lose the barrier in the north and fall into a passive situation. Therefore, we must stand up and defend Jizhou and our common home."
Zhu Jun's words were full of passion and determination, which made the people present feel his deep understanding of the situation and sense of responsibility.
He continued to emphasize: "Although our Qingzhou new army is small in size, it is highly motivated and well-trained. As long as we work together, we will surely defeat the Yellow Turban Army and defend our land."
He looked around and saw some people showing hesitation on their faces, so he further explained: "This rescue operation is not only about personal safety, but also about the fate of the entire country. As officials of the court, we have the responsibility to protect the people and maintain social order. Only by unity can we defeat the enemy and restore peace and prosperity."
Finally, Zhu Jun emphasized again: "The lips and teeth are cold, we can't wait until Jizhou falls to regret it. Now is the time for us to show courage and responsibility. Let us fight for justice and the peace of the country together!"
After speaking, he quietly waited for everyone's response.
The meeting room was silent, and people exchanged glances and thought about Zhu Jun's proposal.
Sun Jian said to Zhu Jun worriedly: "Sir, if we go to rescue Jizhou with these troops, it will be tantamount to seeking death!"
Sun Jian had witnessed the brutality of the Yellow Turban Army with his own eyes. His brothers Zu Mao and Han Dang were killed by the Yellow Turban Army.
Therefore, he was full of hatred for the Yellow Turban Army, but now the Yellow Turban Army was so powerful that it was not wise to rush to rescue it.
After hearing this, Zhu Jun snorted coldly and expressed his dissatisfaction with Sun Jian's cowardice: "Humph, Sun Wentai, you are known as the tiger of Jiangdong, why are you so timid now?"
Before Sun Jian joined Zhu Jun's army, he was famous for his bravery and good fighting skills, and was respected as the tiger of Jiangdong.
However, after several defeats in battles with the Yellow Turban Army, Sun Jian seemed to have lost his former sharpness.
Zhu Jun was very disappointed with Sun Jian's performance, and Sun Jian himself knew this.
Although he was full of resentment towards the Yellow Turban Army, his reason told him that sending troops to rescue Jizhou at this time was undoubtedly a risk. He knew the enemy was powerful and was unwilling to let the soldiers fall into danger easily.
"Sir, are you going to ignore the lives of these tens of thousands of soldiers?" Sun Jian said anxiously.
He knew the value of the lives of these soldiers and didn't want to see them die in vain.
However, Zhu Jun seemed to turn a deaf ear to these words.
Cheng Pu and Huang Gai looked at each other, and they were also worried about the safety of tens of thousands of soldiers.
So, they bowed their hands together and echoed Sun Jian: "Sir, please think twice!" Then, another seven or eight generals stepped forward and expressed their agreement with Sun Jian.
Zhu Jun regarded them as cowards, and a trace of anger appeared on his face.
He shouted loudly: "Since you are afraid, then stay in Qingzhou! Those who are willing to follow me to rescue Jizhou, go with me now. The rest of you will stay and guard Qingzhou together with Wen Tai!"
After that, he turned and left without hesitation, not giving Sun Jian and others a chance to continue to refute.
Many generals looked at each other, and at least half of them chose to follow Zhu Jun and left with him.
In the end, Zhu Jun left 10,000 soldiers to Sun Jian to garrison Qingzhou, and he led the remaining 30,000 soldiers on the journey to Jizhou.
Sun Jian sighed helplessly, knowing that these 30,000 soldiers might not survive.
Unless they surrendered, but with Zhu Jun's character, this possibility was almost non-existent.
Therefore, Sun Jian could only watch this army go to the fate of destruction.
......
However, Zhu Jun did not know that at the moment he set off, Jizhou had already fallen into trouble, and most of the area had been occupied by the Yellow Turban Army.
Moreover, at the moment when Zhu Jun set out, the news had already been delivered to Zhang Fu, who immediately arranged for Zhu Jun's old rival Bo Cai to lead his army to resist Zhu Jun.
Moreover, Sun Jian was left by Zhu Jun to garrison in Qingzhou, so there were no generals around Zhu Jun, and even Bo Cai could defeat Zhu Jun.
Moreover, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Zhang Mancheng were all with Bo Cai, so it was absolutely impossible for Zhu Jun to turn the tables.
Bo Cai looked at the information in his hand and smiled.
He knew that this mission was not difficult for him. As long as he could defeat Zhu Jun, he would get more military merits and rewards.
And Zhu Jun, this opponent who once made him suffer so much has now become a stepping stone for his promotion.
"Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang Mancheng, are you three confident?" Bo Cai turned his head and looked at the three people behind him and asked.
"General, don't worry, we will do our best!" Yan Liang said first.
"Yes, we will definitely defeat Zhu Jun completely!" Wen Chou also echoed.
"Haha, good! With the help of you three, what do I, Bo Cai, have to fear?" Bo Cai laughed.
"However, Zhu Jun has no generals around him this time, how should we deal with it?" Yan Liang suddenly asked.
"Well, although Zhu Jun has no generals, his soldiers are all strictly trained and should not be underestimated." Bo Cai said after thinking for a moment: "However, we can take advantage of the terrain, set up an ambush, and wait for Zhu Jun to fall into the trap."
"Good idea!" Yan Liang nodded and praised.
"In addition, we can also send a surprise force to go around Zhu Jun's rear and cut off their retreat. In this way, Zhu Jun will be trapped and unable to escape." Wen Chou added.
"Yes, this plan is very good!" Bo Cai praised.
"Then let's act immediately!" Zhang Mancheng said impatiently.
"Okay, without further ado, let's set off immediately!" Bo Cai waved his hand and led Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang Mancheng and other generals to the direction of Zhu Jun.