Chapter 640: Can't Go Back

Li Fei glanced at Zhang Xiu and lightly scolded, "You're acting more and more crazy, interrupting while Sanda Ren and I were having a good conversation. And now you're even trying to steal our drinks! Stop it."
Sharen slammed the table and stood up, saying loudly, "No drinking, you're drinking my wine."
Li Fei laughed heartily, patted his shoulder, and comforted, "Mr. Sha, we have plenty of wine, just let her have this jar of wine, don't get upset."
Sharen was puzzled by the relationship between Zhang Xiu and Li Fei. He saw Zhang Xiu laughing heartily, wiping the grease off the corners of his mouth, and foolishly said, "Perhaps I did drink too much, but Your Excellency is a good official, approachable and kind. We people from Yizhou are blessed, uh... uh..."
Before he could finish his sentence, his head dropped onto the table, and a rhythmic snoring sound came from his mouth.
Zhang Xiu sneered, "Such low alcohol tolerance, pfft..."
Li Fei waved his hand and said, "Drinking is not about quantity, it's about the quality of the alcohol. Just like a person's character, the style of drinking reflects one's personality. This Sha Run is a rare good person, as he came to surrender to me out of fear, such a good person is always sensitive and compassionate. On the other hand, some people appear refined and elegant, but once they start drinking, they turn into wild lunatics, doing things they wouldn't dare to do and saying things they wouldn't dare to say. These are the most annoying types of people."
Chapter Xiu said, "Sir, I didn't come here to discuss wine with you. The intermediary of the bandits has been caught, and they have revealed the bandits' hiding place. Now we only need your command to send troops to capture the thieves."
Li Fei murmured, "Good, Ning Ke's cavalry has also been training for a while, and now is the time to test the results."
Zhang Xiu said, "Sir, we also request to participate in this anti-bandit operation."
Li Fei shook his head and said, "The garrison in Yizhou County is not large, and there are thousands of bandits. It would be futile for your group of over 100 people to go, and you might become a burden. It's best to stay in the city and watch the situation."
Zhang Xiuyou wanted to show herself and said indignantly, "You are biased against us."
Li Fei smiled and said, "Don't sulk. War is not a child's play. Currently, your main role is to gather intelligence. The front-line combat is still the responsibility of men, unless you can increase the number of women's troops to around a thousand, then I will consider letting you officially engage in the front-line battlefield."
"Oh, then we'll never have a chance to go to the battlefield." Zhang Xiu's face turned pale at the words, and she suddenly felt discouraged.
It's already very difficult to organize a women's team of more than 100 people. Most women still prefer to stay at home to take care of their families. Who would be willing to go to the battlefield and fight the enemy for no reason."
Li Fei said, "There will always be opportunities. Don't just say it's a woman. Even if a man wants to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy, he needs at least three months of training and a certain degree of adaptability before he can go to the battlefield. Life is one's own, and being brave can only lead to a wasted life, without any other benefits."
Chang Xiu lowered her head and stopped arguing. She felt that Li Fei was right. No matter what, they had played a significant role in finding the whereabouts of the thieves so quickly this time.
.......
In the morning, Zhang Baiqi and Gululu stood up from the ground. They hadn't rested for several days since escaping from Hulao Pass. They finally had a good sleep last night.
Originally there were over a hundred thousand people, but now there are less than a thousand left.
Several thousand Yellow Turban soldiers who escaped from Hulao Pass, a large number of them left the army halfway and went their own way to seek a living, because they saw no hope in Zhang Liang and naturally did not want to stay on a dead-end road.
Zhang Baiqi has opinions on Zhang Liang and doesn't even want to escape with him, but he has no choice. The other party is Zhang Jiao's brother and can be considered his elder. He can't do such an unrighteous thing.
活动了一下筋骨，张白骑正想去叫醒张良，忽然听到对方口中发出了惊叫声，想来是又做噩梦了。
他走过去，擦了擦张梁额头上的汗水，轻声道：“将军，你没事吧？”
At this moment, Zhang Liang looks like he has aged by more than ten years. Now he has no ambitious thoughts, only wanting to return to his eldest brother Zhang Jiao as soon as possible and live a peaceful life.
He even felt that Cui Dacong was not as detestable as before, and was no longer so despicable.
"Baiqi, how far are we from Xiangyang?"
"We're almost there, probably another half day's journey."
"That's good, that's good. I really do regret it. It turns out that achieving great things is not easy. We don't have the ability. In the end, we only harm others and ourselves."
Zhang Baiqi frowned, really not liking Zhang Liang's current words. He regretted it for sure, but that doesn't mean they are not capable. It's just that the enemy is too ruthless and cunning, using such despicable methods like poisoning to deal with them.
更何况张梁这几天除了吃饭睡觉，大部分时间就是唉声叹气，对逃亡没有起到半点的作用。
他觉得张梁不该说出这样令他寒心的话语。
In fact, he really hates Zhang Liang now, no matter what he says or does, he can't stand it.
The end of their relationship originated from human feelings, that is, on Zhang Jiao, indifferent and emotionless, out of helplessness towards Zhang Liang, and finally buried in the cold heart, just like now, saying caring words on the mouth, but treating Zhang Liang as a stranger in the heart.
After eating some food, Zhang Baiqi led the team to continue on their way.
Half a day later, they finally arrived at the longed-for Xiangyang, but when they announced their identity, the city gate did not open.
Zhang Liang couldn't help but shout loudly, "I am General Ren, I want to go back to see my elder brother, open the city gate quickly."
As the words fell, the soldiers behind him all showed a sad expression, as if a traveler who had been away from home for many years was stopped at the doorstep, which they could not accept.
No matter how Zhang Liang shouted, the people on the city wall still did not respond.
After about half an hour, a familiar voice appeared on the wall, but it was in mourning clothes, dressed in white.
Seeing the gatekeeper Zhang Baiqi's eyes jump, he realized that something very bad had happened, and loudly said, "Cui Dacong, what do you mean by this? Why don't you open the city gate and let us in."
Cui Dacong coldly replied: "I heard that you have already been welcomed by the court. Where do you want to go back? Do you want to be an internal response, do you want to sell yourself to the court, I tell you, there is no door, this is my territory, it is impossible to go in."
"You're talking nonsense!" Zhang Liang roared, "I am Zhang Liang, how could I possibly join the court? Stop spreading rumors here, I want to go see my big brother."
His old eyes were dim, but he couldn't see clearly the service on Cui Dacong's body.
Cui Dacong arched his hands to the sky, and said with sorrow and anger: "Teacher... he... Teacher has ascended to immortality. When he left, he did not mention your name. You are a traitor to the Yellow Turbans and even more so a traitor to Teacher. He doesn't need a brother like you."
"This is impossible, my relationship with my eldest brother is the best, he wouldn't treat me like this, you're lying..."
As he spoke, Zhang Liang's anger surged, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and then fell to the ground with a pale face.
After days of fleeing, his body had already been worn out, and now, provoked by Cui Dacong, he was done for.
Everyone looked at each other, but no one wanted to go check on him.
Because they, like Zhang Baiqi, are completely disappointed in Zhang Liang, they even put the blame for their current situation on Zhang Liang's head.
So, watching Zhang Liang being suffocated alive, they are not sad but rather happy, and even more eager to enter the city.
They all shouted loudly outside the city, asking Cui Dacong to open the door.
Cui Dacong, however, was very firm: "Listen, since you have already surrendered to the court, you have nothing to do with the Yellow Turbans. You are not welcome here. If you don't leave, I will order to shoot arrows."
Zhang Baiqi felt a wave of sorrow. The most ridiculous thing in the world happened to himself. He was originally the chief disciple of Zhang Jiao. He was already a senior figure from the beginning of the establishment of the Yellow Turban Sect. Now, just by a few words from Cui Dacong, he has become an outsider with no connection to the Yellow Turbans.
He refused, and he did not accept.
Cui Dacong stood on the city wall, with a cold gleam in his eyes. He could not accept Zhang Baiqi's return, which was undoubtedly asking for trouble.
Before his death, Zhang Jiao never spoke ill of Zhang Baqi and Zhang Liang. He also instructed Cui Dacong that if they were willing to return, they should be taken back in and not left with nowhere to go.
In front of Zhang Jiao, Cui Dacong promised, but after Zhang Jiao's death, he spread rumors that were not favorable to the two, making everyone believe that they had already joined the court.
Achieving great things requires appearing friendly on the surface but having a dark heart, saying one thing to the face and another behind the back.
This is the success motto he has summarized for himself.
Seeing that the people under the city wall were unwilling to leave, Cui Dacong coldly shouted, "Fire the arrows!"
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Hundreds of arrows flew directly towards the crowd below, and soon the people below were struck by the arrows, screaming in agony before falling to the ground and unable to get up.