Fancheng sits at the center of the southern edge of the Central Plains and looks north to the Central Plains. There is only one water away from Xiangyang, which is the main throat guarding Xiangyang, and it is now in the hands of Zhou Cang. Ordinarily, Zhou Cang is brave and intrepid, and it is not suitable for such an important place. However, Liu Bei and Liu Xun's attention was in Xiangyang, so they didn't pay attention to this matter.
Zhou Cang handled Fancheng as conscientiously, waking up and patrolling the city every day, strictly observing military discipline, and never disturbing the people. One day Zhou Cang was patrolling the city, and suddenly he saw smoke and dust rising into the sky in the distance. It was obviously an army.
"Quickly close the city gate and defend the city," Zhou Cang shouted loudly, rather nervous. In the past few months defending Fancheng alone, he has not encountered such a situation.
General Guan entrusted such an important task to me, and I can't let him down. Zhou Cang made up his mind secretly.
The unknown army is getting closer and closer. It looks like there are more than 3,000 people. Seeing their costumes, Zhou Cang has a familiar feeling.
"Brother Zhou Cang, I'm Pei Yuanshao. I heard that you have developed in Jingzhou, so I have come to take refuge." The visitor claims to be Pei Yuanshao and seems to know Zhou Cang.
How could this person know Zhou Cang. It turned out that Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao had both stayed in the Yellow Turban Army, and they had become brothers. Later, when the Yellow Turbans were defeated, the two men dragged a group of brothers down the hill as bandits. Later, Zhou Cang admired Guan Yu's prestige and took refuge in Guan Yu's name. Pei Yuanshao continued to be a grass bandit in the mountains for six years.
Unexpectedly, we met in Fancheng today.
"Why did my brother come to Fancheng?" Zhou Cang didn't understand. He asked Pei Yuanshao and himself to seek refuge in Guan Yu, but he refused to live or die. Why did he take the initiative to deliver him today.
"I figured it out, there is no future for being a grass bandit. It's better to join the regular army like a brother, maybe you can still become a general." Pei Yuanshao said very clearly, and came here to get promoted and make a fortune.
"However, the regular army is not happier than being a grass bandit. Can you stand the military discipline?" Zhou Cang was still worried. Pei Yuanshao had always been unreliable in doing things, did not like to be restrained, and had a particularly strong rebellious mentality. Zhou Cang was still worried that Pei Yuanshao would disturb Fancheng.
"Oh, you don't believe brother so much. Since I have come to take refuge in you, I just want to be a good man. But you doubt me so, okay, let me go!" Pei Yuanshao burst into tears, crying very sadly , Others can tell after seeing that he is acting.
However, Zhou Cang was a loyal person and was soon deceived by Pei Yuanshao.
"Brother, come back quickly, don't get me wrong, I didn't believe you." Zhou Cang saw that Pei Yuanshao was very pitiful, and turned around to leave, so he felt relieved, and quickly asked the soldiers to open the city gate and let Pei Yuanshao come in.
Pei Yuanshao was overjoyed and led a group of people into Fancheng.
Zhou Cang repeatedly urged Pei Yuanshao to observe military discipline and not to disturb the people.
On the surface, Pei Yuanshao promised, but in his heart he was thinking about how to take away Fancheng's money and women.
The city is indeed incomparable in the mountains. Although Fancheng is a small city, in the eyes of Pei Yuanshao, it is like a bustling metropolis, no worse than Beijing.
Zhou Cang set a banquet in the prefect's mansion to entertain his good brother Pei Yuanshao for many years.
"Welcome my brother Pei Yuanshao to join us. Fancheng is just short of manpower. With three thousand more soldiers, Fancheng will be more stable." Zhou Cang raised his glass and said, sternly.
At this time, Pei Yuanshao was completely attracted by the Prefect. What a luxurious hall, what a sumptuous food and beverages, I never dreamed that I could drink in such a place. Zhou Cang can live in this place every day, why can't I? Pei Yuanshao's mind changed.
"Brother, what do you want to say? Brother?" Zhou Cang kept stunned when he saw Pei Yuanshao.
Pei Yuanshao was shocked suddenly and recovered.
"Daen does not say thank you, I am here to thank my brother for taking in, Daen I remembered."
Pei Yuanshao said it was very sincere, but it was different.
"Okay, I won't say anything anymore. Let's eat."
When Pei Yuanshao heard it, he gobbled it up, as if he was about to eat back all his previous debts.
The banquet lasted until the evening. After it was over, Zhou Cang arranged a courtyard with three or four rooms for Pei Yuanshao to live in. However, these not only failed to make Pei Yuanshao grateful, but aroused his desire.
Pei Yuanshao soon secretly recruited his two confidants, "Wang Cai" and "Wang Qian".
"Fancheng is really a good place, it's not comparable in the mountains." Pei Yuanshao was straightforward and praised Fancheng all the time, already coveting Fancheng.
"Yes, the girls in Fancheng are also very smart, and I really want to ask a few to be wives." Wangcai has always been lustful, so the topics he talked about are also related to women.
"You are really greedy. It's not enough to marry one, but so many more." Wang Qian said sourly.
Pei Yuanshao came to the spirit and said excitedly, "If you win Fancheng, you can marry as many daughters as you want."
Wangcai and Wangqian laughed loudly when they heard it, as if Fancheng was already theirs.
"Hush... Keep your voice down, Fancheng is not ours now, so you have to be cautious." Seeing that they laughed too loudly, Pei Yuanshao hurriedly dissuaded them.
"I think they only have one or two thousand people, and many of them are old and weak soldiers, they should be easy to take." Wang Qian said, it seems that he has been carefully observing.
"However, this is still risky," Wangcai hurriedly added, "It is better to have a dinner for Zhou Cang tomorrow and get Zhou Cang drunk, and we can take the opportunity to occupy Fancheng. Fancheng has no leaders and we will succeed."
When Pei Yuanshao heard this, he was overjoyed and hurriedly praised: "This plan is very good. I will do it tomorrow."
Early the next morning, Pei Yuanshao sent someone to invite Zhou Cang to come to the banquet, thanking Zhou Cang for his acceptance.
Zhou Cang didn't want to go, but due to his love, he could not refuse and had to go to a banquet.
Pei Yuanshao always praised Zhou Cang at the banquet and frequently advised him to drink.
Zhou Cang is also an ordinary person, and listening to others praise him is very useful. When he was happy, he drank a lot of wine, one cup after another, and soon Zhou Cang was overwhelmed with wine and fell asleep.
At this time, Wangcai and Wangqian had already led three thousand grass bandits, and they separately captured the important areas of Fancheng. Fancheng's defenders had no main general, and the original combat effectiveness was weak, so Fancheng was quickly defeated by the thieves. The walls of the east, west, north and south were occupied by thieves.
Zhou Cang fell asleep and woke up suddenly feeling dazed. But I found that I couldn't get up, and when I took a closer look, I was already bound, and many thieves surrounded me with weapons.
"Pei Yuanshao, what do you want to do?"
"What are you doing? Hahaha... Fancheng is now mine." Pei Yuanshao was very happy and finally occupied the "metropolis" in his heart.
"You ungrateful villain actually counted on me" Zhou Cang was very angry, full of anger.
"It's on you and my brother. I don't want to kill you and throw him out of the city." Pei Yuanshao hasn't done anything too extreme yet, he still missed his previous friendship.
The four thieves carried Zhou Cang to the gate of the city according to Pei Yuanshao's orders, and threw them outside the city...