Guo Jia waved his feather fan and said quietly: "The troops are about to be dispatched. It seems that we should make plans."
"The most useful chess piece we have is Liu Bei. As long as we use it well, it can set Cao Cao's backyard on fire." Gu Yong said.
"I'm afraid Cao Cao has been prepared for a long time. This chess piece is not enough to contain Cao Cao." Tian Feng shook his head: "Although Cao Cao sent troops to garrison Xuzhou, it is not his foundation after all. If necessary, he will give up these four battle places. That’s it.”
Yuan Xi agreed. Cao Cao was indeed a ruthless person and he would not hesitate when it was time to give up. After thinking about it, he suggested: "We might as well pretend that we are Cao Cao and see what strategies we can come up with to counter the Jizhou army's massive march south."
Guo Jia smiled and put down the marching terrain map hanging in the council hall, pointed from south to north with his feather fan, and said: "Replace defense with attack!"
"How could it be possible?" Gu Yong said in surprise: "Due to lack of food, our troops can only send out more than 100,000 soldiers. There are few people in Cao Cao, and after Xuzhou has been exhausted, the number of soldiers that can be recruited is only 60,000. We are facing twice the number of soldiers. How can he use attack instead of defense to defeat the enemy?"
Guo Jia smiled and asked: "We occupy the three states of Qing, Ji, and Hebei along the river, and there are many places for crossing the river. So tell me, sir, where should they defend with 50,000 to 60,000 people?"
"Well, heavy troops will be guarding the front lines of Baima, Yanjin and Puyang. Let's defend Chenliu." Gu Yong replied after thinking about it. Now Chenliu is the seat of Cao Cao.
"What about our army going down to Yingchuan from Hanoi and then heading east to attack Chenliu?" Guo Jia continued to ask.
Gu Yong thought for a while and said: "This way our army will have to travel back a lot. However, Cao Cao's army can send more scouts to detect the movements of our army. At that time, the troops on the Baima and Puyang lines can also be transferred south!"
Guo Jia laughed and said: "So, if the battlefield is on their territory, they will still suffer a loss! Would Cao Cao have such a plan?"
"They have few soldiers. It is a taboo of military strategists to divide their troops and set up defenses everywhere. They are also afraid that we will invade their hinterland, so they will concentrate a little and turn their defense into an attack?" Gu Yong said suddenly.
"If they cross the river and go north, Cao Cao's army will be unable to supply food and grass. How can they fight for a long time in Hebei?" Yuan Xi asked. He remembered that Cao Cao in history focused on defending Yanjin and Baima, but Yuan Shao really attacked from this direction. But history had changed, and he was not sure what strategy Cao Cao and the others would adopt.
"Concentrate your elite troops to cross the river and go north, use your vigor to injure some of our troops, and then retreat to Baima and Yanjin, the gateway to the north of Chenliu." Jia Xu added unhurriedly.
Yuan Xi realized clearly, isn't this the method used by Cao Cao in the Battle of Guandu in history? History has changed. However, the strength and geographical location of both sides have not changed much, so similar strategies will still be used in the same conflict.
And this move was foreseen by me in advance, and the general Guan Yu was not recruited by Cao Cao, so the result would definitely not be the same. But Lu Bu's surrender made Yuan Xi feel uneasy. This was a tough man even more powerful than Guan Yu, and there were many variables.
"Yuan Tan, immediately draft a document to be sent to Jizhou and report Cao Cao's idea of sending elite troops north." Yuan Xi ordered sternly.
Gu Yong agreed and immediately drafted the document.
After listening to their analysis, Zhong Yao asked: "Our army has sent 30,000 troops, but I don't know whether to assemble in Jizhou or to attack on our own as a partial division?"
"Go up the river and attack Puyang with the Jizhou Central Army." Yuan Xi said slowly. This was the strategy set by Yuan Shao and others last year, and now he didn't need to hide anything.
"In that case, even if we win the decisive battle, we, Qingzhou, cannot take advantage of the victory and pursue it to expand our strength." Gu Yong said with regret.
"Oh, that's not necessarily the case!" Yuan Xi raised his finger and pointed at the marching map. Said: "Although our Qingzhou grain reserves cannot support the army for long-term operations, if we save money on food and clothing, we can still take the opportunity to send troops and capture Taishan County."
"Yes, Mount Tai and Qi are very close to each other. It would be great to take the opportunity to pull out this fang." Tian Feng also agreed.
Zhong Yao couldn't help but shake his head when he heard this: "The food and grass in the Treasury have been supplied to the army for the expedition. How much more food is left to supply? Another army of soldiers and horses captured Taishan County."
"Mount Tai is very close to our Qingzhou, and the supply of food and grass will not cost a lot." Yuan Xi showed a confident expression, with a somewhat profound expression, and said: "Besides, capturing Mount Tai does not necessarily require a lot of soldiers and horses, it only takes one All you need is a capable general."
Guo Jia slapped his feather fan. He understood and said: "Young Master said that he is Zang Ba!"
Yuan Xi nodded: "Zang Ba is from Mount Tai. He knows the mountains, rivers and terrain very well. And he should have old acquaintances in Mount Tai. He must be able to capture Mount Tai."
For Qingzhou. Taishan County is an important place. Taking Taishan County will not only eliminate its threat to Linzi, but also greatly advance Qingzhou's defense line, directly threatening the hinterland of Yanzhou.
Yuan Xi had long wanted to take over Taishan County, but he could only affect his whole body with one move. He could not act rashly before a decisive battle with the Cao family.
"I just don't know how to persuade Zang Ba to submit to our army." Yuan Xi said distressedly.
After Xuzhou went north, although Zang Ba accepted Yuan Xi's favor, he stationed his troops in Pingchang at the junction of Qingzhou and Xuzhou. However, he had an ambiguous attitude towards both Yuan Xi and Liu Bei. He did not make it clear which force he would join, and he had a wait-and-see attitude.
"Young Master, please be at ease. Zang Ba currently has only two thousand soldiers and horses, and he relies on Qingzhou for most of his food and grass expenses. I believe he is a sensible person and knows where to go." Jia Xu suggested again: "Young Master, you can let Mi Zhu do it. The lobbyist then promises rewards and entrusts him with important tasks. It will not be difficult to convince him."
"Entrusted with important tasks?" Yuan Xi murmured, and then he wrote a handwritten letter with instructions: "Yuan Tan, ask Wang Shuzhi to go to Donglai, meet up with Mi Zhu, and then go to Pingchang to persuade Zang Ba, and will Give this letter to him."
Gu Yong hesitated. He said: "Major General, last time you asked me to contact Liu Bei to discuss the recovery of Xuzhou. He took the opportunity to ask for troops and food, and also specified that he would send Tao Shijun's Danyang troops first."
Yuan Xi frowned. He said and ordered: "He already has more than ten thousand soldiers and horses. We provide him with some food and grass from time to time on weekdays. This is considered the end of our kindness. You just deal with his borrowing troops and give them half a month's supply when we send troops to Xuzhou." Food and grass, after that it’s his own business.”
"It is really a last resort to let the tiger return to the mountain this time. I wonder if this tiger will bite us again after biting Cao Cao." Guo Jia said meaningfully.
Yanzhou, Puyang, East County.
At this time, Puyang was a busy scene, with cartloads of grain and grass supplies constantly being transported here for storage. The groom whipped and whipped the horses. The father of the soldiers was shirtless and shouted with his bangzi to push the wheelbarrow hard.
Although it was the end of spring at this time, the continuous rainy season had passed, and the warmth of the sun that emerged turned into excruciating pain when it reached the soldiers.
Cao Cao was riding on the claw yellow flying lightning, and he pointed at the continuous convoy. Said: "All food supplies must be sent to Puyang within three days. The city defense cannot be relaxed and must be strengthened day and night."
"Don't worry, my lord, after three months of repairs, Puyang is as good as an iron barrel. Even if hundreds of thousands of people come, they will return without success." Lu Qian, who was following behind, said.
"With more than 10,000 people and enough food and grass, it will not be a problem to defend for a year." Another guard, Man Chong, also said confidently.
"How can my lord be sure that the Jizhou Army will focus on Puyang and Baima?" Lu Qian asked.
Cheng Yu, who was following Cao Cao, smiled and said: "My lord has worked with Yuan Benchu for many years. How could you not know his temperament? In the past, my lord's guesses about Yuan Benchu's every move were always accurate, so it is not difficult to guess Yuan Benchu's plan." .”
Cao Cao pointed to the north and said: "Weijun and Chenliu are in the south and north, with Puyang in between. This is the shortest way from Weijun to Chenliu. Yuan Shao is confident that he has many generals and can overwhelm our army in strength. How could he take a side road like this? He must have gone straight to Puyang and then to Chenliu."
"To be honest, Yuan Shao can send out more than 100,000 soldiers, but our army has to defend Xuzhou and Xu County. He can only mobilize more than 50,000 soldiers and horses for the decisive battle. Jizhou's army has more than double our soldiers and horses. If we divide our troops into different places, If we insist on holding on, we can only be defeated one by one like Gongsun Zan. And if we have a decisive battle with the Jizhou Army, there is not much chance of winning. Therefore, our army can only assume a decisive battle posture, but the essence is to concentrate our troops and horses to stick to the Puyang and Baima lines, and then confront each other. When the time comes, we will look for opportunities to defeat the Jizhou Army!" Xun You analyzed this to Lu Qian and Man Chong. This is also a countermeasure discussed by the top brass of the Yanzhou Army.
Man Chong and Lu Qian both looked astonished and said in admiration: "My lord and all the military advisers are very wise and far-sighted. They have dragged the Jizhou army to the front line of Puyang. When they run out of military supplies, they will retreat without a fight."
Cao Cao smiled lightly and said nothing. He was wondering if it was possible to defeat Yuan Shao in one fell swoop. Originally, he knew Yuan Shao well. I am still confident that I can defeat this old acquaintance from a famous family.
But when he thought of Yuan Xi, who had made him suffer many times. Cao Cao's heart sank. Unknowingly, Qingzhou Yuan Xi's wings were full, and just facing the Qingzhou army gave Cao Cao a headache.
Man Chong looked up and saw the cavalry running in front. After hesitating for a while, he still said: "Lord, Boning has something that I don't know whether to say or not."
Cao Cao pointed around and said: "Here are our own monarchs and ministers. If there is anything we can't say, it doesn't matter."
Man Chong gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, you must be on guard against others! To have such a betrayed person as a confidant, your safety is really worrying for me."
Cao Cao's face tightened, and after a moment he smiled and said: "Knowing people well and recruiting heroes, only in this way can great things be achieved. If Duke Huan of Qi can forget old grudges and reuse Guan Zhong, why can't I use Lu Bu? Don't worry, he Lu Bu cannot afford to make trouble."
Seeing that the words had been spoken, Man Chong had no scruples and said: "How can Guan Zhong, the virtuous prime minister, be compared to Lü Bu! Lü Bu first served Ding Yuan, killed his master and sought glory and joined Dong Zhuo. Later, he followed Wang Yun and rebelled against Dong Zhuo. He When he took refuge in Yuan Shu, he saw his defeat and ran away to another place. How can one trust such a capricious person?"
Man Chong's words struck a chord with Cao Cao. Although he accepted Lu Bu against all opinions, Cao Cao was a suspicious person. He had long buried doubts in his heart. He just wanted to use Lu Bu's power to resist Yuan Shao, so he was more polite to Lu Bu.
Cheng Yu saw that Cao Cao's expression was wrong, and he said: "My lord is very right to accept Lu Bu's approach. If you refuse the hero's surrender at this time, will the world's heroes return to your lord in the future?"
"What Zhongde said is true, and I am not someone like Ding Yuan or Dong Zhuo. I may not be able to subdue this wild wolf." Cao Cao nodded in agreement.
Cheng Yu smiled and said, "Lu Bu is not a jackal, he is a dangerous tiger."
Xun You shook his head and said, "Although Lu Bu is as brave as a tiger, my lord wants to train him into a falcon."
"When we were in Luoyang in the past, Yuan Shao and I were always arrogant." Cao Cao said with a smile. "The important thing about raising eagles is that they cannot be fed until they are full, otherwise they will have to move away."
Yuan Xi and Cao Cao are really heroes who have similar views. It can be said that they know the way of employing people. When they are hungry, they will be used, and when they are full, they will be defeated.
Seeing Cao Cao's firm attitude, Man Chong felt relieved and stopped mentioning the matter.
Xu County, Yingchuan.
At this time, Huangfu Li was guarding outside the palace with more than a hundred tiger guards.
The last time Fan Chou rebelled and led troops to attack Liu Xie's palace, Huangfu Li led the Huben guards to resist vigorously. When the defense line was about to collapse, they finally waited for the Yanzhou army to come for reinforcements.
Huangfu Li and a group of Huben guards were rewarded for their meritorious service, but they also suffered heavy losses, with less than 400 people left. However, Huangfu Li remained in his heart and had deep doubts about Cao Cao. The arrival of the Gunzhou army was too coincidental. What a coincidence. It's unreasonable, but my words can't change anything.
Dong Cheng's troops were annexed by the Yanzhou Army. Dismissal. The Yanzhou Army has already taken control of Xu County. Seeing that the situation was not good, Xu Rong led his troops to Xu County and did not dare to enter the city. Finally, Cao Cao took action personally and went to the enemy's army alone to declare Xu Rong's surrender.
In this way, Cao Cao, like Dong Zhuo, Guo Si, Li and others before him, took Liu Xie and the court hostage.
It's just that Cao Cao was still respectful to Liu Xie, and the ministers couldn't find it for a while. The reason to resist Cao Cao was just like Gao Huan's treatment of the Northern Wei emperor. At least there was a superficial appearance.
Wang Yue, dressed as a warrior, came to the living room of the palace, and here were Liu Xie, Yang Biao, and Zhao Wen. There are also several close ministers who will gather here, and they will discuss important matters at first sight.
"Your Majesty, may I ask why you are here?" Wang Yue asked.
"Ah! Teacher! Please get up quickly!" Liu Xie stood up and said, "There is something here that needs to be entrusted to you, teacher."
Wang Yue knelt down to accept the order, and said sincerely: "Your Majesty, as long as you have orders, Wang Yue will not give up even to the death!"
Yang Biao nodded and said: "Mr. Wang is the real loyal person. This matter is entrusted to the right master."
As he spoke, Yang Biao handed Wang Yue two secret letters embedded in bamboo strips.
"Teacher, please send your cronies to pass these two secret letters out and send them to Yuan Benchu and Yuan Xianyi respectively." Liu Xie ordered.
"Ah!" Wang Yue was startled and asked: "Your Majesty, is this..." Liu Xie nodded: "As long as you know, don't make it public. These two things cannot be destroyed when they are delivered to them. .”
Wang Yue took a long breath and said solemnly: "I will let a reliable person deliver the secret letter, and I will live up to your majesty's trust."
Zhao Wen, who resigned because of the drought, worried: "Cao Cao is also a minister who has made great achievements in suppressing the rebellion. Is this too much?"
Yang Biao sternly retorted: "Master Zhao, have you forgotten that Dong Zhuo was also a minister who saved the country? The imperial court can no longer withstand the torment, so it is a good idea to take precautions in the bud!"
Zhao Wen was choked. Speechless for a moment.
