■■■
The next day, Guo Jia handed Weishi over to Cao Hong, who was about to leave the city. He also made up a reason why he wanted to marry the Mi family.
Guo Jia pulled Cao Hong aside and complimented, "Mr. Cao, you have contributed the most to this peace negotiation, but it is not a glorious thing after all. You have solved the crisis in Xuzhou, but your opponents may not appreciate it. So. . . ”
Guo Jia observed the change in his expression and continued: "Xuzhou is the fat one in the eyes of the wolves. My husband's wealth and status cannot be said to be safe and sound. If you can make this happen, then you will be my son's matchmaker." If anything happens in the future, Qingzhou will be your refuge."
Listening to Guo Jia's words, Cao Hong's thoughts changed again and again. He suppressed the turbulence in his heart and said, "I know, I will definitely tell Mr. Tao, Chen Mingshuang, to promote the good deeds of the young general. Please invite Mr. Guo and the young general rest assured."
Guo Jia smiled and said in a low voice: "I'll leave it to you to supervise the transportation of money and grain to Tancheng. You are the main contributor to the reconciliation between the two sides this time. The major general decided to use the money for one hundred draws." As soon as I give it to you, I hope you will try your best to deal with it."
Cao Hong smiled and pretended to decline, but he couldn't resist Guo Jia's insistence, so he had to thank him and happily took the people back to Xiapi.
Who said that people like Cao Hong are useless? If they are used well, they can still tear down the opponent's city wall. Didn't Fu Jian and Wang Meng of the former Qin Dynasty also use the ministers of the Yan State in this way? This is counterintuitive.
In the Tancheng government office, Yuan Xi also met Xi Zhong and Cao Ang again, and planned to have a showdown with them.
"Second Young Master, have you made plans to send troops?" Xi Zhong asked.
"Xianyi, the wish to kill the enemy together at that time can finally be realized today. You and me." Cao Ang looked very excited.
Before Cao Ang finished speaking, he saw that Yuan Xi's expression suddenly became indifferent, his eyes were a little subtle, and he said quietly, "I just received news from Jizhou, saying that Yecheng was lost and occupied by Black Mountain bandits. My father was about to call me back to do the work. Discuss…”
There was silence in the hall, silence. . . . .
Xi Zhong's face changed slightly, and he secretly thought that he was about to suffer, but he still managed to remain calm and said, "When will the authenticity of the news heard by the Second Young Master be verified? Could it be Tao Qian, Sun Jian and others' plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain? I hope the Second Young Master will notice clearly. Don’t act in a hurry.”
Yuan Xi stared at Xi Zhong closely, with an indescribable meaning in his eyes. He flashed a cold light and said, "This is absolutely true. Our army will return to Qingzhou after resting. I am really sorry that I cannot help Cao Shishu avenge him. You two Take it easy."
After staring at Yuan Xi for a long time, a faint smile suddenly appeared on the corner of Xi Zhong's mouth. Seeing that he could not hide it from Yuan Xi, he let go and said sternly: "If I become an enemy of the young master in the future, I will kill him! The young master is my Yanzhou The most powerful enemy."
"Haha, Mr. Xi's words are exactly what he said. I, Yuan Xianyi, am waiting. I don't know who will win yet." Yuan Xi continued: "Given Mr. Xi's character and wisdom, I should have fully understood what he has done. In this case, I There is no need for any more twists and turns in the conversation between the two of you."
Xi Zhong knew that he couldn't do anything, so he declined after dealing with it and said that he would prepare to return to Cao's camp. However, Xi Zhong's mission this time also paved the way for his murder by Yuan Xijun a few years later.
Xi Zhong returned to the post house, and Yuan Xi called Cao Ang down. He wanted to reminisce with Cao Ang for a while, yes, reminisce about the past.
"Zixiu, do you know about this?" Yuan Xi asked with sharp eyes without hesitation.
Cao Ang hesitated and said awkwardly, "I, I..."
Yuan Xi waved his hand to stop Cao Ang's defense. He turned his hands behind his back and said to Cao Ang, "I know your difficulties, Zixiu. I hope we won't be on opposite sides in the future. If that's the case, I...I will protect you." Branch bloodline.”
"I should do the same!" Cao Ang said with a choked voice and a trembling voice. He nodded and walked out of the hall, feeling very desolate and sad.
They were once close friends in the imperial capital, but now they are strangers. What a twist of fate. However, later, Emperor Taizong Xuanwu and Emperor Yuan Xi, thinking of their old friendship, still left a bloodline for Cao Ang and asked his father-in-law Xiahou Dun to raise him. This was later talk.
backyard.
Mi Zhen sobbed and pushed away the objects on the table. Her breasts swelled slightly and she said angrily, "Go and call Yuan Xianyi to this young lady!"
The maids who had been hired by the government office to serve her all retreated to the door in panic, looking cowered and frightened when facing this young lady from the Mi family.
Seeing the maid's expression, Mi Zhen suddenly thought of something and said apologetically: "It's none of your business, it's Yuan Xianyi's fault."
At this time, there was a sound of footsteps, and Yuan Xi entered the room. Seeing Yuan Xi appear, Mi Zhen said goodbye, pouted and said nothing, as if she really didn't want to see Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi waved his hand and asked the maid to retreat. He walked forward and said softly, "Miss Mi, the two armies are negotiating for peace. Please forgive me for not being able to send you to Xiapi. Miss Mi."
Mi Zhen stared at her beautiful eyes and asked angrily, "Yuan Xianyi, did you really send my sister-in-law back?"
"It's absolutely true. After we have reached an agreement with Commander Tao on the retreat, I will send you back to your brother Mi Zhu. I will do what I say." Yuan Xi said looking at the pretty Mi Zhen.
"Yuan Xianyi, are you really going to withdraw from Xuzhou!?" Mi Zhen looked at Yuan Xi and asked with distrust.
Yuan Xi smiled slightly, then nodded, took another step forward, and asked gently, "Huh? What, Miss Mi, could it be that you don't want to be here?! That's such an honor."
Mi Zhen spat, secretly thinking that Yuan Xi was shameless, and said in a coquettish voice, "You Qingzhou soldiers are all bad guys. They rob our things and kill our people. You bastards, Yuan Xianyi, you are also a bastard."
Yuan Xi looked lonely. Because he allowed public plunder, his soldiers would inevitably behave excessively during the execution. However, he was slightly relieved to think that because of his and Sun Jian's participation, at least Cao Cao did not massacre Xuzhou.
Yuan Xi's face suddenly straightened up and he said, "I am a general, and I am following the orders from above. Besides, Tao Xuzhou's predecessor also stationed troops in Yanzhou to attack my Yuan family. It was his fault first."
Mi Zhen's eyes widened. She didn't know these things, so she just said stubbornly, "Then what should I say if you robbed my things?"
Yuan Xi smiled faintly and said helplessly, "Your family is as rich as the country, and those things are not worth mentioning. How about borrowing them from me?"
Mi Zhen turned away angrily, not wanting to pay attention to the shameless Yuan Xi, but Yuan Xi could not tell what he felt in his heart. Mi Zhen was now innocent and a carefree girl. He could not compare her to Changbanpo Kujing. The fierce woman next to her looked like the same person.
"Yuan Xianyi, how long are you going to lock me up?" Mi Zhen suddenly turned her head to look at Yuan Xi and asked weakly.
Women are so fickle. Yuan Xi shook his head and said casually, "Before reaching an agreement, as long as Miss Mi does not leave Tancheng, you can go anywhere."
Mi Zhen rolled her eyes and said to Yuan Xi in a familiar voice, "I have never been to Tancheng, so how about you go shopping with me? Okay?!"
■■■
The main tent of Cao Cao's army.
Xi Zhong bowed his hands to Cao Cao and said apologetically, "My lord, Yuan Xi knows that Ye City has been captured. I am unable to let him stay. I am ashamed that I have not fulfilled my lord's instructions."
Cao Cao laughed and said with relief, "If you have more Yuan Xijun, it won't be too much. If you don't have him, it won't be too much. Aren't they just Jiangdong Tigers? I, Cao Mengde, am still afraid of Sun Jian?"
Although he said this, he had a vague premonition that the crusade against Xuzhou would be fruitless. After all, Sun Jian was a famous general of the contemporary era, not comparable to the likes of Tao Qian and Liu Bei.
Didn't Zhu Wen, Taizu of the Later Liang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, treat Li Keyong in the same way? He said he was not afraid, but he was really panicked in his heart. However, in order to appease everyone, they could not have stage fright.
Cao Ang was depressed and asked, "Father, what should I do if I really meet Xian Yi on the battlefield in the future?"
Cao Cao's face turned cold and he said displeasedly: "Are you still my son, Cao Cao? You can make friends with your opponents off the battlefield, but on the battlefield, you are the enemy of life and death. If you don't completely defeat your opponent, you will fall. ! What a fool! How could I, Cao Mengde, be a hero and give birth to a son like you?"
"My child knows that he was wrong, and he must follow his father's teachings." Cao Ang quickly admitted his mistake with his fists clasped, but he was still a little panicked in his heart. Compared with the later Wei Wen Emperor Cao Pi, Cao Ang was indeed much more generous.
Cao Cao nodded and asked in a slow tone, "Tell me about what you saw of Yuan Xijun when you went to Tancheng? Tell the truth."
Xi Zhong thought about it for a while and said, "Although I don't have much contact with the eldest son, from what I have seen, the Qingzhou Army is indeed a powerful force. Their soldiers are capable and brave, and although they also loot, their military laws are clear and prohibitive. , no worse than our army."
"Yuan Benchu's good son will definitely be our fierce rival in the future. What a pity. It would be great if my son could have half the ability of Yuan Xi." Cao Cao sighed quietly.
Then Cao Cao asked: "From Zhicai's perspective, how does Yuan Xianyi look like?"
"It's difficult to control, and you are not the young master's servant!" Xi Zhong responded.
"Why is it so difficult to control?" Cao Cao asked.
"The eyes!" Xi Zhong said, "I wonder if my lord has ever seen the eyes of a wolf?"
Cao Cao did not answer, but signaled Xi Zhong to continue speaking.
He had seen wolves before, but he had never noticed the wolf's eyes. Lu Bu? ! It should be different from Yuan Xi's.
"Aloof, condescending, treating the world as nothing!" Xi Zhong said slowly, summarizing his feelings towards Yuan Xi.
"The meaning of ambition..."
"This person can be used, killed, but not kept!"
"Since it is available, why can't it be kept?"
"It can be used because he needs to respond from a distance in recent days so that we can divide the army and cooperate to deal with Tao Qian and take the opportunity to defeat Sun Jian! He can be killed, but because of this he cannot control him. If he is forced to stay, he will be harmed in the future!"
Cao Cao stroked the beard on his chin, showing a trace of reluctance.
When Chen Liu recruited troops, many heroes from all over the world joined him.
It is precisely because of the people who came to join him that he has the power he has today. He is not easy to make a decision when it comes to assassinating Yuan Xi, and Yuan Xi's status is also very sensitive.
Xun You didn't say anything, but he also had the idea of retreating, so he took the opportunity to say, "My lord, do you have a way to defeat Sun Jian? How can Xuzhou be defeated without restraining this fierce tiger."
"What's Gongda's plan? Let's talk about it, everyone." Cao Cao asked expectantly, and then covered up the assassination of Yuan Xi. To be honest, Cao Cao liked Yuan Xi quite a lot.
Xun You shook his head and said, "My lord, our allies have retreated in front of us, and Sun Jian is blocking our way behind us. Our army really has no chance of winning in the battle at Xuzhou! Please...please think again, lord."
Xi Zhong also had this worry, but he knew Cao Cao's character well and did not say it out after all. Cao Cao's expression suddenly turned ugly and he said displeasedly, "Gongda advised me not to seek revenge! Although Sun Jian is strong, our army has won a new victory, its morale is high, and our soldiers are working hard, so we won't be in a situation of inevitable defeat!"
Xun You looked directly at Cao Cao without fear and continued to persuade, "Do you really think so, my lord? Yuan Shu was defeated. Now is the time to occupy Yuzhou in one fell swoop and collect its land and people for my use. After capturing Yuzhou, our army will have Without soldiers, food and fodder, and attacking from both sides, are you still worried about not being able to capture Xuzhou?"
"At that time, Sun Jian will retreat and the Yuan family will be busy with the campaign in Hebei. We only need to use a little strategy inside Xuzhou to win the battle in Xuzhou. Otherwise, it is impossible to lose the army and defeat the general. It is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge in ten years. All he needs is the word "forbearance". My lord, think twice!" Xun You knelt down and persuaded.
Cao Cao looked at Xun You for a long time as he looked at Xun You who was passionate about his fists. He held the case tightly, his expression changing.
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Xiapi.
In front of the hospital bed, Cao Hong carefully read the peace agreement document to Tao Qian. Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Chen Deng and others were accompanying them.
Tao Qian covered his mouth and coughed while listening, while Chen Deng was pacing back and forth, thinking about countermeasures.
Mi Fang on the side became furious and cursed, "Younger Yuan Xi bullied others too much. He not only robbed countless goods, but also detained my little sister!"
Mi Zhu glared at him and scolded, "This is not the time to talk about private matters. Compared with the safety of Xuzhou, the loss of the family is nothing! Don't talk about it anymore."
Mi Fang lowered her head and stopped making any sound. Tao Qian asked in a long voice: "Yuanlong, how is the money and food collected? Do you think you can agree?"
"It can be raised, but there will be a lot of complaints from those people." Chen Deng said with concern.
Tao Qian waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "The matter is urgent and we don't care about so many things. You can tell them more about the difficulties. With this money, a catastrophe can be eliminated. Without wealth and wealth, one's life cannot be saved. That's it. .”
Cao Hong nodded in agreement, and then talked about Yuan Xi's proposal to marry Mi Zhen, waiting for Tao Qian and others to make a decision.
Mi Fang couldn't stand still any longer. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed Cao Hong's collar, and said angrily, "How dare you say it again, Yuan Xi wants my little sister to be a concubine! Isn't this an insult to my Mi family!" "
Mi Zhu couldn't help but wonder. He was thinking about the reason why Yuan Xi brought up this matter. Is he coveting Mi Zhen's beauty? Or is he coveting the Mi family's financial resources? Or both.
Cao Hong advised, "If the Qingzhou Army regrets and does not retreat after taking the goods, there is nothing we can do. But after marrying him and announcing it to the world, how can he, Yuan Xi, be able to slander him? The alliance between Cao and Yuan will be broken immediately .”
If Tao Qian realized something, he looked at Mi Zhu apologetically and said loyally, "Zizhong, this is your family matter after all. You make the decision and we won't interfere."
Mi Zhu has an ugly face. His parents died young. Mi Zhen was raised by him. He also loves this little sister very much. He would not entrust Mi Zhen to her unless he was an outstanding hero. In terms of talent, appearance, family background, and future, Yuan Xi is a good candidate, but he naturally resists such a forced approach.
Chen Deng stood up again and cooperated with Tao Qian's persuasion and said, "Master Mi, please forgive me for speaking bluntly. If we talk about the matter, Yuan Xi only has the financial resources of the Tumi family and the influence in Xuzhou. As for us, By marrying the Yuan family and destroying the alliance between the Cao and Yuan families, we can keep Xuzhou safe. Even if Cao Cao invades again in the future, Xuzhou will have a possible foreign aid."
The nature of Mi Zhu's businessman made him weigh the pros and cons of this matter, so he did not speak for a long time.
When Chen Deng saw that everyone was silent, he changed the subject and suddenly said, "If you don't want to spend the money, food and marriage, it's not impossible to defeat the Qingzhou Army, but it's just a bit risky."
Everyone was surprised, curiosity flashed in Tao Qian's weak eyes, and he signaled for him to reveal his plan.
Chen Deng sneered and said, "Yuan Xi is greedy for money and food, and allows his soldiers to loot. This is also his way to boost morale. But the so-called thin line between success and failure, think about it, if we send such a large sum of money, Qingzhou soldiers will not They have to work hard to make a profit and save their lives, so how can they have the heart to fight anymore?"
Chen Deng observed everyone's expressions for a while, and then said: "When he retreats, we will send all the elite troops in Xiapi to cooperate with Sun Ce to follow and attack. In this way, the Qingzhou soldiers will lose their energy and they will definitely be defeated!"
Tao Qian immediately sat up, his hands trembling with excitement, but after a while he softened and looked hesitant. It was obvious that Chen Deng's plan was indeed sharp, spicy and practical.
■■■
Every household in Tancheng City is closed and still in fear of the Qingzhou Army. The streets are extremely deserted and there are only a few idlers.
As soon as Yuan Xi showed up with Mi Zhen, Xu Chu and others, even the few idlers disappeared, making Yuan Xi extremely embarrassed.
Mi Zhen snorted and said displeasedly, "They also said that your Qingzhou Army is not guilty of all kinds of evil. Look, who is not afraid of you?"
Yuan Xi shook his head and smiled bitterly, and said helplessly, "I have done nothing wrong to these people. Besides, how many people are not afraid of war? Besides, do you think I look like a villain?"
Mi Zhen pouted. She turned around and saw a rice shop, and said bitterly, "Well, that's my family's property in front of me."
Sure enough, in front of the rice shop marked with a powerful official script character "Mi", Qingzhou soldiers were loading the store's inventory into trucks.
There were seven or eight civilians gathered in front of the rice shop. They were holding rice bags and watched helplessly as the food that was being moved out was snatched away.
"Master, Master! Please do a good job and leave some food for the shop. Otherwise, people in the streets of Tancheng will have nothing to eat. Please do a good job. I beg you."
A Qingzhou soldier pushed the store clerk away and cursed, "Get out of here, your grandfather and I are performing official duties, and we have instructions from above."
The seven or eight civilians also kowtowed and begged, "Master, please don't take away the grain. The army has entered the city, and there will be no more grain and rice trading."
At this time, an old man tremblingly took out a small bunch of five baht coins and asked timidly, "Can I buy some Liang rice from the military master?"
The soldier took the bunch of money, kicked him away with disdain, and said viciously, "Go and cool off. This is military ration. I don't want to live anymore."
The old man was anxious and stepped forward to grab the copper coins. The soldier sneered, pushed the old man's hands away, and kicked him to the ground.
The old man's head hit the ground, and blood suddenly came out.
"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Beside the old man, a young girl knelt down beside him, sobbing incessantly.
