Guo Tu and Ju Yi sent urgent reports back to Bingzhou and Hanoi, saying that Ju Yi took advantage of the sudden change in the wind direction in the evening and used fire and smoke as a cover to defeat the main force of Lu Bu's infantry. But Lu Bu led his elite cavalry south to Hanoi and crossed the river to join the Yanzhou army.
Yuan Shao's face was ashen. He only knew that heroes were vying to join Cao Cao, but he didn't know about Lu Bu's feud with Yuan Xi. Lu Bu's vow not to join Yuan Shao's side was really a matter of personal grudge. At this moment, Yuan Shao's hatred towards Cao Cao reached a new peak.
"We can't raise tigers to cause trouble. We should get rid of this trouble as soon as possible! Lu Buhe has the top elite cavalry of the Han Dynasty. He is a big trouble. I hope my lord will understand." Shen Pei said coldly.
This said exactly what Yuan Shao was thinking. He looked at everyone with questioning eyes, hoping for their opinions.
"Instead of sitting back and watching him grow stronger, it is better to take action as soon as possible!" Xin Ping also agreed, and he also saw clearly what Yuan Shao was thinking.
"No! The outcome of sending troops to conquer Cao Cao at this time is uncertain! My lord, please think again." Ju Shou immediately jumped out to dissuade him.
Shen Pei glanced at him sideways and said: "I, Jizhou, have captured Xia Bingzhou. With the four states of Ji, You, Bing, and Qing gathered together, with tens of thousands of people, we can cross the river south and overwhelm Yanzhou. I will give it to you." Why do you say the outcome is unpredictable!"
Jushou straightened his body and said seriously: "Since my lord came to Jizhou, he has launched military campaigns in successive years. After these battles with Tian Kai, Gongsun Zan, and Zhang Yan, our Jizhou treasury has been squandered, and there is not much money and food left. And Gongsun Zan. , Zhang Yan invaded Jizhou several times, which exhausted the people, and the taxes and levies imposed by our army were also very heavy. These are hidden worries that led to the failure of the army. Moreover, there is a severe drought this year. Mr. Zhengnan, your army of hundreds of thousands is correct, but Is there food and fodder to supply these soldiers for the expedition?"
Jushou knocked everyone down with one sentence. Now the four states can indeed recruit more than 300,000 soldiers, but the food problem has not been solved. They can only send out 100,000 soldiers and horses at most. This is without natural disasters, and this year's drought has made it impossible for Jizhou to launch such a large war.
Tian Feng rarely participated again and decided the direction of Jizhou. He also advised: "My lord, we in Jizhou really don't have the money and food to support the army to take Yanzhou and Henan. For the current plan, we must encourage farmers to teach mulberry cultivation and reduce the burden of taxes and servitude on the people. Then seize key river crossings, build more ships, and repair them." At the same time, we will send out elite cavalry to harass the border of Yanzhou in several groups, so that Cao Cao will not be at peace. In this way, Yanzhou will be settled without working for less than three years."
Yuan Xi frowned and asked: "Did Mr. Yuan Hao follow the example of Wu Zixu's plan to destroy the country when he was tired of Chu?"
Tian Feng nodded happily. He replied: "Young master is right, it is Wu Zixu's strategy to attack Chu."
In the spring and Autumn period, King Helu of Wu rewarded farmers and merchants, revised the legal system, and trained soldiers and martial arts. As the country's power gradually grew stronger, he believed that the time had come to attack Chu. However, Sun Wuwu persuaded Helu, saying that sending troops for an expedition would be very expensive and that he would need to train for a few more years.
Wu Zixu was eager to avenge his father's murder. The strategy of tiring Chu was proposed, which divided the elite into three armies, and used one army at a time to harass the Chu border. "When each one goes out, he will return, and when he returns, he will go out." This made the Chu army exhausted and exhausted. After persisting in the Tired-Chu strategy for more than six years, they finally seized the opportunity and captured the capital of Chu State in one fell swoop.
Shen Pei retorted: "Mr. Yuan Hao, the state of Wu is weak and the state of Chu is strong. Therefore, King Helu of Wu adopted the strategy of weakening the enemy. But now that our army is strong and Cao Cao is weak, we cannot copy the ancient strategies."
"Mr. Zhengnan is right!" Xin Ping sided with the judge this time. He said: "Don't you hear that there is a saying in the art of war: surround it ten times, attack it five times, divide it twice, and the enemy can fight. Now that the lord is wise and brave, he has gathered the strong troops of Heshuo to attack him. Cao Cao is really easy. If we don't take advantage of the opportunity to attack, the young tiger will grow up and it will hurt people."
There was a reason why Xin Ping was so in favor of sending troops to attack Cao Cao. First of all, he also underestimated Cao Cao and thought that attacking Cao Cao was as simple as fighting Gongsun Zan.
Once again, he wanted to give Yuan Tan a chance to earn military merit. Such a chance of victory. Persuade Yuan Shao to make Yuan Tan his successor, so that he can overtake Yuan Xi.
"Cao Cao's laws are carried out unimpeded, and his soldiers are well-trained. Yanzhou and Yuzhou are vast and have a large population, so they are not like Gongsun Zan who was besieged. If we don't take a safe approach and instead raise unknown troops, it will be a risk. What a gamble!" Jushou said anxiously.
Xin Ping said tit for tat: "King Wu of Zhou's crusade against King Zhou of Shang cannot be said to be unjust. What's more, Cao Cao has recently conquered Tao Qian. How can he say that his expedition was unknown! The soldiers of Hebei are brave and everyone is vying for the first place. At this time, we cannot decide on the great cause early. It’s the so-called fate that doesn’t take what you want, but you take the blame. It’s the reason why the Yue Kingdom became hegemonic and the reason why the Wu Kingdom was destroyed. Yuan Hao and Gong Yu only wanted to be safe in their strategies, but they didn’t know how to judge the situation and adapt to the situation!”
Jushou was aroused and asked, "According to your opinion, how many soldiers can be recruited from Hebei, and how much food and fodder can be mobilized? What is the righteousness? What is the reason for the conquest?"
"It is important to fight quickly but not to last long. With our army's great momentum, it won't take long to pacify Yanzhou. This will not waste much food and fodder. Furthermore, can't we imitate Cao Cao in obtaining food from the enemy?" Xin Ping said. .
Jusue, Tian Feng, Shen Pei and Xin Ping were all at loggerheads. They were all well-read people, and they all quoted scriptures when they quarreled, and their words were clear and logical.
Yuan Xi looked around at the civil and military officers on both sides. The generals basically obeyed Yuan Shao's orders and only waited for Yuan Shao to decide the strategy. This is the brilliance of Yuan Shao. He is always the referee.
Among the civil servants, Xun Chen and Xu You, two old foxes, seemed to be listening and thinking attentively, but in fact they were watching from the sidelines. Gradually, the scribes divided into two groups. Shen Pei, Feng Ji, and Xin Ping rarely stood on the same front and demanded a quick victory. They all wanted to earn military merit for the Yuan brothers.
Ju Shou, Tian Feng and Cui Yan, who joined later, advocated a sound strategy. Xin Ping and Shen Pei grasped the fact that tigers could not be raised as a danger, and catered to Yuan Shao's desire to conquer Cao Cao, while Tian Feng and Jushou firmly grasped the point of food and grass as a counterargument.
Yuan Shao heard that they were noisy and raised his eyes to look at the other subjects. When he looked away, he happened to see Yuan Xi who was thinking secretly, and Yuan Tan who was supporting Xin Ping.
"Xiansi, Xianyi, you are also the governor of a state. Let's talk about whether we should conquer Cao Cao and how to conquer Cao Cao. Let's talk about it." Yuan Shao looked at them and asked.
Yuan Tan had been angry with Xin Pingtong for a long time, and planned to take advantage of the war to earn military honors, and then use his reputation to coerce Yuan Shao's successor. So he replied: "Cao Cao is obviously provoking his father's prestige. If he doesn't attack, he will be showing weakness to the enemy. In just two or three years, all the heroes in the world will switch to Cao Cao and alienate his father."
Yuan Tan stood up and said angrily: "As long as my father gives the order, I will immediately lead my troops as the vanguard. Go directly to Puyang and then go to Chenliu! I will only obey my father's orders."
Yuan Shao nodded happily, stroked his beard and said, "Xiansi has become much more courageous after his experience in Youzhou."
Yuan Xi knew that in Yuan Shao's heart, he wished he could kill Cao Cao who was causing trouble immediately, so no matter how much he tried to persuade him, he would not be able to change Yuan Shao's decision, and would only arouse his resentment.
For example, Tian Feng's prudent strategy was correct in history, but Yuan Shao not only did not repent after his failure, but instead killed him because he did not follow Tian Feng's correct strategy.
This shows that Yuan Shao is a very face-conscious person, and they would dissuade him from joining Tian Feng. It would be fine if he won the decisive battle, but if he lost, it would arouse Yuan Shao's disgust.
more importantly. Yuan Xi knew that Cao Cao was not King Zhao of Chu. With his talents and the assistance of many talents under his command, it was really doubtful whether the strategy of weakening the enemy would work.
The Yuan family wanted to implement the strategy of weakening the enemy and relied heavily on cavalry. But after Cao Cao annexed the Xiongnu Yufuluo and the Xiliang warlords, although the number of cavalry was not as good as that of Hebei, they would not be beaten blindly.
Yuan Xi sorted out his thoughts and said: "What Mr. Yuan Hao and Mr. Gong Yu said is an extremely safe strategy. In this way, our army can firmly defend Hebei and watch the changes in the world. If our army uses the strategy of weakening the enemy, we can rely on They are elite cavalry, but if Lu Bu also surrenders, Cao Cao's elite cavalry should not be underestimated. It is still doubtful whether such a tired enemy can be effective. Besides, we are recuperating, and Cao Cao is also recuperating. In this way, three to five years later, both sides The strength is still the same. Therefore, Mr. Zhengnan said that it is inevitable to fight quickly. Moreover, King Zhou died with a piece of armor, didn't King Wu rise with a piece of armor?"
Emperor Daowu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Tuoba Gui, also refuted his ministers in the same way when he attacked Later Yan. Fu Jian of the former Qin Dynasty also had this view when he attacked the former Yan. The same was true for Emperor Xuanwu of Taizong, Yuan Xi. Sure enough, the hero had the same view.
Tian Feng looked at Yuan Xi with some surprise. In his opinion, Yuan Xi should be able to see that recuperation was the best option, but Yuan Xi's decision surprised him.
Shen Pei looked like he had known it for a long time, because they had discussed this matter when they met two days ago. Yuan Xi asked him and Feng Ji to follow Yuan Shao's wishes depending on the opportunity.
Tian Feng knew that Yuan Xi must have a point in what he said, so he asked: "Even so, how many troops can our army send for a decisive battle? How can we raise the required money and food? You must know that the savings in the treasury at this time are not enough to last for long. .”
Yuan Xi explained: "We are short of money and food, isn't Cao Cao in short supply? It seems that he has recently occupied Xuzhou, which is rich in food, but the Xuzhou treasury has been moved and looted, so he does not get much. The people of Xuzhou The people suffered from the war and many people fled. Cao Cao could not get many people. In addition, he had to divide his troops to guard against the return of Tao Qian's remaining party. Cao Cao already had few troops and had to divide his troops. Our army only needs to concentrate. If you attack a little, you will definitely force Cao Cao's army to fight. As long as you contact other powerful forces to raise troops together, even if you can't capture the entire territory of Yanzhou and Yuzhou, you can greatly consume the main force of Cao Cao's army and occupy the key points of the river. In this way, send a few more generals to go deep. If the enemy's territory is exhausted, Cao Cao will be defeated without attacking."
"Well said! But Xianyi, do you have any solution for the problem of food and grass? Quickly take care of your father's worries." Yuan Shao asked with satisfaction.
Yuan Xi looked at everyone present and said, "All of you are intelligent people. Father, please listen to their opinions."
Shen Pei, Xin Ping and others could not come up with any quick solution to the problem of food.
Jushu saw that Yuan Shao had decided to conquer Cao Cao, and his persuasion had no effect. He could only help Yuan Shao plan in detail and strive to win, so he said: "This winter, start Hebei to sow winter wheat as much as possible, and harvest it in early summer next year, and then send troops to Yanzhou. Even if there is a war, In the long run, the spring wheat can be harvested in two or three months, and our army can avoid the crisis of food shortage."
Yuan Shao clapped his hands and praised: "Sure enough, Gong Yu is good at planning, and the food and grass issues that have troubled our army have been easily solved."
Jushou looked at the crowd and then suggested: "Although there is not much food in the official treasury, according to my investigation, many nobles do have a surplus of food. My lord can follow the example of the second son and borrow food, which can temporarily overcome the difficulties." .”
As soon as this statement came out, Xin Ping, Feng Ji, Xu You, Xun Chen and others all expressed their opinions. Although Yuan Xi paid back the money and food last time, he still had to spend a large amount of money and food. The variables and risks involved were theirs. Not willing to take the risk.
Yuan Xi had the same idea as Jushu. Those noble families had a lot of food, and it was unreasonable to prevent them from bleeding. But he couldn't do this evil person. It was best for Jushu to say it. After all, he couldn't steal their limelight.
Yuan Shao looked at the people below with a majestic expression, making them curse Ju Shou in their hearts. Especially the main war factions like Xin Ping and Shen Pei, who strongly encouraged the sending of troops to conquer Cao Cao, had to express something at this time.
"For the great cause of my lord, I am willing to lend you 50,000 hu of grain, and then supply 50,000 hu of grain to the army free of charge." Shen Pei said. He was very loyal to Yuan Shao. He also believed in the selflessness of scholar-bureaucrats. Secondly, in order to support Yuan Xi, Shen Pei also made a big political gamble. In the future, whether Yuan Shao or Yuan Xi are in power, they will remember their family's contribution to the Yuan family.
Meeting Ji's wishes, he immediately agreed to lend the grain and also provided a batch free of charge. With the leader in place, the other civil and military officials agreed to lend food, whether they were willing or not, and mobilized other noble families in Jizhou to also donate food.
Once the top leaders of Jizhou decided to conquer Cao Cao. Immediately organize manpower to prepare. Although the troops are tentatively scheduled to be dispatched early next summer, preparations for forging weapons, selecting and training soldiers, etc. must begin immediately.
Yuan Xi's wedding day was quite pleasant. The beauty in the arms, the warm and soft jade days can really kill the will of a hero. But Yuan Xi couldn't settle down to enjoy this warm time, because the decisive battle with Cao Cao of the Yuan family was about to begin.
He also wants to return to Qingzhou to make preparations. But after the wedding, Yuan Shao and his wife insisted that he stay for a while. So Yuan Xi, Jia Xu and others stayed in Jizhou until Zhengdan.
Yanzhou.
It was particularly cold on both sides of the Yellow River. There was a thick layer of ice on the river. The soldiers could hardly stretch out their hands. The armor worn on their bodies was bone-chilling. After the scabbard was stained with frost, it was almost impossible to pull it out without using force.
The armies of Yuan and Cao had been at a stalemate for seven or eight days near the Yellow River. Due to the cold, they were unable to move their troops. Yuan Shao and Cao Cao both had the intention of retreating. However, neither side was willing to withdraw from the battlefield if the enemy could not move. .
However, at this time, Cao Ren of Pengcheng rushed to deliver a letter. Even though Cao Cao had experienced hundreds of battles, he had long been indifferent to emotions and anger, but when he received Cao Ren's letter, he was still shocked and broke into a cold sweat. It turned out that Liu Bei from Xiapi had been transferred. Signs of soldiers and horses.
Cao Cao slapped the case and cursed angrily: "The consequences of raising tigers, the consequences of raising tigers... I really regret letting Liu Bei go. If Liu Bei sends troops to harass our flanks, there will be no peace in Yanzhou, so retreat!"
At this time, the Yuan and Cao families on both sides of the Yellow River had begun small-scale conflicts. It was just that the war had not yet broken out, but it was about to happen. The two major military groups were about to face off.
Unexpectedly, Liu Bei's combat power was so amazing. All Cao Cao's staff were surprised. After a while, Xi Zhong came forward to offer suggestions.
"My lord, Liu Bei's power has become stronger and it may be difficult to annihilate it for a while; there is a large army of the Yuan family in the north, and we are surrounded by enemies from both sides. If we attack from both sides, our army may not be able to support it. We should further deepen our relationship with Jiangdong Sun Ce and recruit the Jiangdong army to contain Liu Bei. Only then can the crisis in Yanzhou be resolved!"
Cao Cao thought for a moment and nodded in agreement with Xi Zhong's statement.
He immediately ordered Dong Zhao to take a trip to Jiangdong on his behalf, conferring the title of "Marquis of Wu" on Sun Jian in the name of the emperor, and betrothed his niece to Sun Ce's younger brother Sun Kuang as his concubine. That's not all. In the name of the imperial court, Sun Jian's civil and military officials were given official positions and promoted to nobles one by one, trying their best to win over them.
Dong Zhao received the order and took a dozen followers with him, walking south through the snow, heading towards Jiangdong.
"Retreat, wait until the spring warms, and then come back to fight Yuan Shao!" Following Cao Cao's order, Cao Jun broke out of camp and retreated south.
When passing through Zhongmu County, two generals, Li Dian and Le Jin, led by 10,000 horses were left to garrison to prevent Yuan's army from marching in later. However, Cao Cao was overly worried. Yuan Shao's group was not fully prepared, and Yuan Shao, who wanted stability, could not launch a surprise attack.
Gao Lan and others north of the Yellow River reported the news of Cao Cao's withdrawal back to Yecheng. Ju Shou suggested that Yuan Shao take advantage of the snow to launch a surprise attack, but Yuan Shao rejected it.
After listening to the teacher Zhang Hong explain the ins and outs of the retreat, Yuan Xi smiled bitterly and said to himself: "Alas...it seems that this old man's indecisiveness cannot be changed. He didn't even think about it. With Cao Cao With your damn character, will you suddenly retreat? This is a good time to take advantage of the opportunity to advance the front line. It seems that my butterfly wings still can’t flap you!"
