Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Fantasy -> The voyage of the Three Kingdoms

Volume 2 Set Sail Chapter 179 Talking to Himself

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    Chapter 179 Talking to oneself

    The city of Ctesiphon was bustling in the early morning. The people who had been disturbed by the shouts of killing outside for most of the night heard good news as soon as they opened the door: last night, with the help of Ahura, the Sasanian warriors defeated the enemy.  Countless enemies were killed, and more than a dozen teams of soldiers held captured Romans or carried their heads on spears, and publicized their stories back and forth on the main streets, convincing the people who were panicked by the fire the day before that they were half convinced, but  Looking at the prisoners or heads, they are indeed Roman, so naturally I have some faith in them.

    Immediately afterwards, Aldashir worshiped the true god Ahura in a high-profile manner, thanking Ahura for his guidance and help, and once again pushed the atmosphere to a climax.  The Sassanid people, who originally had little confidence in their future, became excited again and believed a little more about the rumors they heard yesterday about Ahura showing miracles and rescuing Ardashir.  They all accepted the words of the temple priests. The one who showed miracles in mid-air a few days ago was not the true god Ahura, but the evil god Amanra. It was he who pretended to be Ahura and bullied the Sasanians.

    How could the true god Ahura help the enemies of the Sasanians? Only Ardashir was the Sasanian king he truly loved.  The people said to each other with smiles on their faces.

    However, just at noon, the joy came to an abrupt end.

    With the help of Sun Feng, the Romans reorganized the camp. Although they suffered a lot, they were finally restored to their original state. In retaliation, they erected long wooden piles outside the city along the northern wall of Ctesiphon.  , they were planted from the east gate to the west gate, and the Sasanian prisoners were hung on wooden stakes one by one, and the city of Taixi was surrounded by half a circle, and the severed heads were also thrown under the city.  Thousands of people, and the weapons and armor they captured formed a hill. The ten Sasanian temple spies captured by Yang Xiu were stripped naked and hung directly opposite the city gate.

    Comparing the two, the results displayed in the city are simply negligible.

    In fact, this is not to say that the Romans took advantage. In general, the casualties of the Romans were greater. However, the Sasanians suffered because they had little chance to take away prisoners or heads, while the Romans could take it easy after the war.  They tidied up the battlefield, beheaded the injured soldiers one by one, and brought them all to the city to demonstrate. Even the heads of those captured by the Han army and the prisoners were borrowed. In comparison,  The Sasanians were naturally extremely poor.

    A big victory?  This was clearly a big defeat, although in fact it was invincible at all. Even comparing the battles between the Sasanians and the Romans individually, the Sasanians did have the upper hand.  But who can you argue with?  Aldashir looked up to the sky and sighed. He originally thought that although this battle did not achieve the expected goal, it was a small victory after all. But now, looking at it, why does it seem that he has suffered a big defeat again?

    The matter is not over yet.

    After arranging the prisoners and heads one by one, the Romans set up a propaganda team in front of the formation, shouting in unison under the command, but the content was to exchange prisoners with Ardashir. They used a more creative trick,  Name the captives one by one, and then the ransom amount.

    Thousands of loud voices shouted, even if Ardashir wanted to have people interfere, it was impossible. The names of the generals were announced one by one, and both the soldiers at the top of the city and the people in the city could hear them clearly.  Chu, those who heard the names of their relatives immediately panicked. They wanted to beg Aldashir but did not dare. They were afraid that Aldashir would become angry and draw a sword to kill. If they did not go and beg, they could not bear to see their relatives being killed. Rome  People have said that they will only give five days. If they don't redeem themselves after the time, I'm sorry, then they will all be hanged under the city.

    There were too many names, and the first day passed by calling out names. People outside the city were shouting happily, but people inside the city were terrified when they heard it, for fear that the next person to be called would be the name of their relative.  It wasn't until night fell that the Romans fought at night with lights on, and finally read out the names of more than 5,000 prisoners before withdrawing their troops and returning to camp, leaving the people in Ctesiphon in panic.

    Ardashir was on the verge of crying. He never thought that the Romans would resort to such methods. When they called out these names one by one, people's hearts were disturbed by them.

    what to do?  Ardashir urgently convened the generals to discuss countermeasures. If they wait every day, there will be trouble in the city.

    In the camp outside the city, Quintus hosted a banquet for Sun Feng and others. They had a fierce battle last night and defeated the arrogant Sasanians on the frontal battlefield. More importantly, little Gordian was killed due to his carelessness.  The Sasanians succeeded in a sneak attack, suffered heavy losses, and suffered a great loss of reputation. They could no longer show off in front of Quintus. Because of his lack of strength, he did not dare to set up camp outside anymore and actively asked to return to the city to participate in the siege. This was also  It was like actively bowing his head to Quintus and being willing to accept his leadership.  Quintus won a series of battles and achieved great success.

    Bo Diao was drinking wine. Seeing that Quintus was elated and a little unhappy, he joked: "You, Rome and Yue, are really brotherly countries. Now even the military campThe layout is almost there. If I hadn't paid attention, I would have thought I was in Prince Yue's camp.  "

    Quintus glanced sideways at Bo Tiao, feeling a little embarrassed.  His camp was burned to pieces by the Sasanians, and at least one-third of the supplies were destroyed by the fire. He had to borrow a lot of supplies from Sun Feng to relocate them, especially his big tent, because it was too  It was conspicuous, so he became the hardest-hit household and left almost nothing. Now not only were all the furnishings in his tent borrowed by Sun Feng, but even his change of clothes were donated by Sun Feng, which was not the case with Sun Feng.  The same as the camp.

    "Your Majesty, you are wrong." Cao Zhi stood up and walked to Bo Diao. He laughed, raised his glass and touched Bo Diao: "His Majesty the Emperor has visited my country many times. He speaks good Chinese and is familiar with my customs.  He is also very familiar with and has longed for me. He has often used my Han's utensils before. It can be said that he is half Han." Cao Zhi picked up a pair of silver chopsticks from the case and stuffed them into Bo Diao's hands, and said jokingly: "Your Majesty, if  If you don¡¯t believe me, you might as well test your ability to eat with chopsticks with His Majesty the Emperor to see if I tell lies.¡±

    Bo Diao took the chopsticks in his hand and looked at them, then put the silver chopsticks on the table. He didn't know how to eat with these two sticks, even if they were silver. He rolled them back and forth in his hands and couldn't hold them firmly.  What's more, it's time to pick up the food.  I have to say that Quintus is indeed very skilled in this aspect, and he is very close to the Han people.

    When he thought of this, Bo Diao was suddenly shocked and regretted. The Han people were Quintus' backing. If it hadn't been for the help of the Han people, little Gordian's troops would not have been injured this time. The camp was destroyed as easily as it was. Maybe even Kun Tus.  Tus was slaughtered.  In this case, by offending Quintus, wouldn't it mean that he was not giving face to the Han people, especially to the Sun family and his son?

    "Rome and Yue are countries of brothers. They help each other and have a deep love for each other. I, Wei, are very envious. To tell you the truth, I am planning to have a relationship with Rome. A country of brothers would not dare to think about it, but a country of marriage still has it.  Is it possible?" Cao Zhi looked at Bo Tiao's changing expression and couldn't help teasing him.

    Cao Zhi was just a drunken joke, but Quintus heard it and remembered it in his heart. He glanced at Balbinus and immediately had an idea. He laughed loudly and said: "General Cao, I just have someone to choose.  The general may be interested in it. Like you, our Balbinus is also the wisest elder in the Senate. Not only does he write good poems, but he also teaches his children well. It¡¯s just that some of his sons are outstanding in poetry, and even  My daughter is also well-spoken, and her beauty is unparalleled. She and the general are a perfect match. If the general is interested, I am willing to get involved and have a wedding drink."

    Although Cao Zhi no longer writes poetry, he is still a talented and romantic man. When he heard that there was such a talented and beautiful woman, he did not object. He glanced at Balbinus and pondered for a while.  Balbinus had been tired all night yesterday and had no rest during the day. Now he drank some wine and was a little dizzy. He lowered his head and dozed off. He didn't hear a word Quintus and the others said.  Little Gordian sitting next to him wanted to wake him up, but then he thought about it and immediately stood up and said with a smile: "General Cao, I have many beautiful women in Rome. I have a daughter, although I dare not marry Balbi."  Compared with the daughter of Nus, she is also a talented woman in Rome. Even the queen praised her a few words when she saw her. If General Cao is interested, I am willing to give him to General Cao to sleep with him, and I ask General not to dislike him."

    After hearing this, everyone started cheering. Chen Hai stepped forward, put his arms around Cao Zhi's shoulders and laughed, "Brother Zijian, you can't stop luck when it comes. In my opinion, there is no need to refuse. Accept them all."  . Marching is lonely, so you can enjoy the blessings of others."

    Yang Xiu also nodded with a smile: "Yes, it is indeed a good thing. The big man and the talented men and women of Rome are the perfect complement to each other."

    Everyone burst into laughter, and Cao Zhi was a little embarrassed. He originally meant it as a joke, but he didn't expect that it would turn out to be true.  However, he was a romantic man by nature. Although he had wives and concubines at home and someone else in his heart, it would not be a bad thing to have more Roman concubines. He declined a few words with half-truths, but Quintus did not dare to neglect, for fear of Balbinu  Si lost the opportunity and quickly agreed on his behalf.

    A celebration banquet immediately added a lot of joy.  The tone of the tune is tragic. Who would have thought that it was just a joke, but the Romans took advantage of it.  Everyone knows that the most powerful of the four vassal states of the Han Dynasty are Yue and Wei. Now that the Romans have established relations with these two vassal states, Quintus' life will not be bad in the future.  Little Gordian rushed to give his woman to Cao Zhi, just because he wanted to get a piece of the pie and prevent Quintus from taking all the benefits.

    It seems that if Guishuang wants to survive for a long time, the ancient method of marriage must still be used.  While joking, Bo Diao looked at the Han people present to see which one might marry Kushan.  The look in his eyes seemed to suggest that he was looking for a son-in-law. When Chen Hai and others saw it, they swarmed up to them, chasing after them to find out which beautiful women there were in Guishang. Brother Adiguai and other HunsThe Xianbei and Wuhuan people also came over, saying that like the Kushan people, they were good men on horseback. They were the right match. The whole tent burst into laughter. Only Li Yan and others were sitting upright.  But there was also an uncontrollable smile on his face.

    After the banquet, Quintus asked Lu Xun to stay, invited him into the back tent, and bowed respectfully: "Thank you, general, for your good advice. Our army's morale has been greatly boosted today, and it's all thanks to the general."

    Lu Xun smiled slightly, waved his hand politely and said, "Your Majesty, you're welcome. This is because His Majesty the Emperor commanded well and the Roman soldiers fought bloody battles. It should be like this. I'm just the icing on the cake, not worth a penny." He paused.  He added: "My country, Yue, and Rome are brotherly countries, and now my prince is the general. Yesterday, the Romans fought tenaciously and repelled the Sassanid attack, which also contributed to the overall situation. The prince is very grateful to His Majesty the Emperor."  , even if we can help a little bit, it¡¯s still appropriate, and please His Majesty not to see anyone outside.¡±

    Quintus was very happy and nodded in agreement.  He went out to the camp yesterday to pick up little Gordian. Unexpectedly, the Sassanids took advantage of the situation and attacked his camp, almost burning it to ashes. His victory in repelling Awad and rescuing little Gordian was reflected in this battle.  He became useless in front of the fire. Fortunately, Sun Feng allocated the corresponding materials to him in time to save him from camping. Lu Xun even gave him an idea, which was to show all the prisoners and captured heads to the public, and  Let people roll call one by one to undermine the morale of the Sasanians.  This trick worked as expected. After the famous song, the Romans' morale was high, but the Sassanids at the top of the city were lifeless. At first they made noises and interfered, but later they could only listen to their unilateral demonstrations.  The merit of this plan is no less than that of a fierce battle last night.

    "General Cao is a person that my king admires very much. Just like General Xiahou, His Majesty the Emperor is really a wise judge of people when he is able to marry him." Lu Xun said with something in mind.  Quintus blinked and asked tentatively: "Then will he be stationed in Sasanian permanently like General Xiahou stationed in Sheba?"

    Lu Xun laughed and said, "I'm not sure whether he will be stationed in Sassanid permanently. However, my king always rewards meritorious deeds. With General Cao's literary and martial arts, meritorious service is expected, and it is not unreasonable to get a fiefdom in the future."  It's possible. As for whether he will stay here permanently, I don't know. After all, that is an internal matter of Wei State, not my country's matter."

    Quintus understands this, and he also knows a little bit about the affairs of the State of Wei. The fight between the Cao brothers is not a secret. The current king of Wei is Cao Rui, Cao Pi's son. Cao Zhi is actually not comfortable as a general.  Lu Xun specifically mentioned Xia Hourong again. If Quintus still couldn't figure out Sun Shao's plan, he would be really stupid.

    "General, what are the next arrangements?" Quintus poured a cup of tea for Lu Xun himself: "The prince must have discussed it with you, right?"

    Lu Xun raised the corner of his mouth: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, you can enter the city at any time. However, the prince is kind-hearted and doesn't want to kill too much, so he has to win over him. The reason why the Sasanians are given five days to redeem their people is nothing more than this."  You just want to use this to undermine the fighting spirit of its soldiers and civilians. Your Majesty the Emperor, you have made a great contribution. Without these prisoners, we may not be able to find such a good opportunity."

    Quintus laughed heartily and nodded repeatedly.  Lu Xun's idea was indeed brilliant. Forcing Ardashir to redeem his people would not only dampen the morale of the Sassanid people and turn what was originally a deadlocked battle into a victory for the Romans, but it could also destroy Ardashir.  Forced into a dilemma.  It's just that he couldn't understand how sure Sun Feng and Lu Xun were that they dared to say that they could break the city at any time. But when he thought about Sun Shao's courage to let Sun Feng take charge, he figured it out. The Han people must still have some weapons in their hands.  They held some secret weapon, but they refused to reveal it before the time came, just like they refused to reveal the oil tank bombs before the war started.

    ¡­¡­

    Ardashir and his ministers discussed for a day, and finally decided to redeem these prisoners. If they were allowed to be hanged one by one by the enemy at the city gate, there would be no need for Sun Feng to attack, and I am afraid that the people in Ctesiphon would be killed.  Huikaicheng surrendered.  In order to regain some initiative, he added another item, redeeming the bodies of those who died in the war.

    When baskets of belongings were hoisted off the city wall, the people and soldiers of Ctesiphon¡ªregardless of whether their relatives were killed or captured¡ªknelt down on the roadside with gratitude, silently reciting scriptures, and thanking Ardashir for his support.  Mercy, thanks to the greatness of the true god Ahura, the chanting echoed in the city. Ardashir listened to it in the palace, but he had mixed feelings. He didn't know whether he should be happy for the result of his treatment or feel sad.  It seemed that he had retained the support of the soldiers, but he knew that he was actually losing ground in the battle with Sun Feng. The initiative had always been in Sun Feng's hands, and he was just passively accepting the move. Fortunately,  But so far, his response has been relatively safe and Sun Feng has not been able to catch the flaw.  However, passively accepting moves is not the same thing after all. WhenWhen can we take the initiative to attack?

    The thought of taking the initiative made Ardashir feel a dull pain in his heart. In fact, he took the initiative in that battle that night in order to reverse the unfavorable situation in which Sun Feng burned down the city gate that day.  He originally planned to use the ambush after the battle of attrition between the two sides, when Sun Fengjiu could not attack. However, he was forced by the situation and had to launch it in advance. Unfortunately, he was one step short in the end and still failed to achieve the most desired results. On the contrary,  The opponent took advantage of his tactics and almost cost the lives of thousands of captives to shake people's hearts.

    What to do next?  Ardashir racked his brains and thought hard. He was not afraid of wasting time with Sun Feng. His original purpose was to make the enemy come from afar, force troops under the fortified city, fight for a long time without success, and then retreat in despair.  It was not impossible to counterattack before leaving, but with the previous lessons, he always felt that this situation was a bit uncertain. Who knew what tricks Sun Feng would play again.

    What method will he use to break the city?  Ardashir put himself in his shoes and put himself on the siege side, and began to consider possible ways to siege the city. After a long period of thinking, he suddenly thought of something, and he froze there. After a while,  , he jumped up all of a sudden: "Someone is coming!"

    "Your Majesty?" A captain of the Imperial Guard hurriedly walked in and bowed to salute.

    "Is there any movement in the tunnels under the city gate?" Ardashir asked anxiously: "Have they dug further in?"

    The captain hesitated for a moment and shook his head blankly: "There has been no movement in the past two days."

    "Really?" Ardashir was stunned for a moment and looked at the captain with some suspicion.

    {Piaotia Literature www.piaotia.net thanks all book friends for their support, your support is our greatest motivation}
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report