At the end of the fifth year of Yanxing, the news of Bafu's great victory in Qingxu was certainly gratifying, but people in the world did not think that the overall situation was settled. After all, in the same year, Yuan Shao also captured Yijing, occupied Yan and Liao in the north, and almost unified Hebei. Wuhuan and Xianbei also came to help, just like when Guangwu established his career. If the country is to be unified, it is still unknown who will win.
But in May of the sixth year of Yanxing, after the Liangzhou rebels surrendered to the imperial court, the situation suddenly became clear. After the war in Western Xinjiang was relieved, the imperial court could mobilize all the Bing, Si, Yan, Yu, Qingxu soldiers, and their number reached more than 300,000. Its momentum was so majestic that in two hundred years, I am afraid that only Xin Mang's troops in Kunyang could be compared. Most of these sergeants were veterans who had been fighting for many years and were familiar with military affairs. They were not comparable to the new soldiers recruited temporarily by Wang Mang. Therefore, although Hebei is rich and Youyan is brave, everyone at that time said that they could not compete with them, and hundreds of officials also thought that unifying the nine states would be a matter of day and night.
But since May, Chen Chong has been feeling uneasy.
"Spring and Autumn" says: The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs. Now that we have to mobilize an army of 300,000 people, it is a major event that determines the fate of the country. We must not be cautious. Chen Chong discussed with Zhao Qi, who had returned, that there were now 200,000 troops in Jizhou, and with the new acquisition of Youzhou, tens of thousands more could be recruited. However, considering the food and baggage and garrisoning in various places, the number of troops Yuan Jun could use for field battles should be 170,000. about.
Although it is more than half of the Han army, the war is not as easy as it looks on paper. We still need to consider the enemy's shortcomings and our own strengths and weaknesses, and make the best use of the situation and move according to the shape. Although the strength of the 300,000-strong army is terrifying, it also has its disadvantages, that is, the army is too long and it is inconvenient to convey orders, making it difficult for the commander to respond accordingly. Moreover, the three armies are integrated and it is difficult to adjust their morale. Once the attack is unfavorable, it is easy for the army to lose morale.
Yuan Shao has been running Hebei for seven years and is quite popular among the people. If he continues to rely on the danger of the city and delays it through the autumn and winter, the situation mentioned in the preface will appear. If he can wait for the opportunity at this time, he may not be able to surprise and win again. The tragic situation of Pengcheng's collapse [1]. By then, it will be difficult to say what the situation in the world will be like.
Unless he knew the enemy's situation well, Chen Chong always expected the enemy to be lenient. Therefore, during these days, Chen Chong has been thinking of a winning strategy. He thought to himself, since victory cannot be guaranteed on the battlefield, why not start outside the battlefield? In any case, our side occupies the imperial court's righteousness, and Yuan Shao is a rebel and a prominent family in Runan. Although he occupies the land of Hebei, he may not be able to win the loyalty of the county officials, and there must be angry people. In this case, you can start from here before sending out troops to stir up people's inner feelings, and you may be able to gain unexpected gains.
Chen Chong was just undecided about whom to contact. In the past two years, the DPRK has also deployed many informants in Hebei, but most of them are observing the mobilization of troops, horses and food in the Yuan Shao shogunate, but the personnel relations in the mansion are not clear. Chen Chong asked Zhao Qi about this matter. Zhao Qi was also in a dilemma. He said: "I am also on guard in Ye. Those who Yuan Shao arranged to meet with me are all his close friends, not close relatives." Asking me who can stop me is asking blindly."
But Chen Chong didn't learn anything. He immediately remembered that there was also a person in his house who not only served in the Yuan Shao shogunate, but also served as the prefect of Wei County, so he must know the details. So one evening, he rode Qingkui and went to visit Dong Zhao alone.
Dong Zhao had no expectation of Chen Chong's visit. Because during these days, Dong Cheng had contact with Lu Bu and formed an alliance with Liu Yanyin, and his plan to secretly eliminate the national traitors was making great progress. Therefore, letters frequently came to Dong Cheng, asking him about the situation in the DPRK, the plans of the Overlord's expedition to the east, and his plans for the subsequent uprising and seizure of power.
These are all major matters that require repeated consultation. Even though Dong Zhao is extremely intelligent, he can't help but feel that he has been thinking very hard these days. Therefore, when he learned that Chen Chong was knocking on the door to ask for permission, he was greatly frightened and in confusion, he thought that the plot had been revealed. Fortunately, he immediately thought that if the conspiracy was revealed, Chen Chong should send troops to capture Dong Cheng first, not himself. Dong Zhao felt relieved now, put on a light robe, and went to the palace gate to greet Chen Chong.
Chen Chong saw that Dong Zhao looked tired and did not guess the real reason. After all, the government has recently spent a lot of money in dispatching grain, fodder, troops and horses from various states. Cao Zhizhong has repeatedly calculated the expenses no less than three times. As the chief secretary of Cao Zhong, it is natural for Dong Zhao to look tired from work. Chen Chong then spoke a few words of greeting and concern.
After following Dong Zhao into the hall, Chen Chong casually looked around Dong Zhao's residence. Only then did he realize that Dong Zhuo's living expenses were very simple. He only lived in a courtyard. In the courtyard, there was only one Cangtou who fed horses and his attendants, and one servant woman who cooked food and washed clothes. The leftover meal Dong Zhao had just eaten was also placed in the hall. It only contained some radish and dried vegetables, which could be said to be extremely simple.
Chen Chong has always advocated diligence and frugality, and he couldn't help but sigh when he saw this situation. He thought that although Dong Zhao was said to be unkind and unkind, he was indeed an upright official. If he was not promoted for a long time, he would inevitably be criticized. Perhaps he can be promoted to Tingwei in the future, and it would be a good idea to serve as Zhang Tang and Zhufu Yan to suppress lawlessness.
Seeing Chen Chong's wandering eyes, Dong Zhao felt quite uneasy, but his expression remained humble and respectful. He first said in a low voice: "I'm humble and humble. I didn't know that the dragon head was coming from far away, and I was unprepared. I hope the dragon head is not to blame."
Then he asked: "I wonder why Dragon Head came here? Is there something wrong with the calculation?"
Chen Chong waved his hand and said, "Don't be nervous, Gongren. I'm here today, not to govern China, but to serve Hebei." He pondered slightly, and told Dong Zhao his concerns about the Hebei campaign, and said with emotion: "The soldier is the most important weapon of the country. , Don't move lightly. And the Yuan family is the country's great enemy, occupying Hebei, relying on Rong and Di, so it cannot be easily defeated. "The Art of War" says that the invincible lies with oneself, but the victorious lies with the enemy. It also goes that if you know yourself and the enemy, you will be victorious in a hundred battles. . And although I know my friends, I don’t know the enemy’s situation. This is not a preparation for using troops, so I’m here to ask for your opinion.”
Dong Zhao was shocked when he heard this. Unexpectedly, Chen Chong had the idea of not fighting. This was not good news for him. But he still kept his expression and asked slowly: "Does the dragon head want to talk to me about the customs and customs of Hebei?" Chen Chong said with a smile.
In order to strengthen Chen Chong's belief in sending troops, Dong Zhao made up his mind to tell everything he knew. Moreover, he knew that Chen Chong was cautious and would always send his informants to check and verify whatever he discussed, so he did not make false claims and introduced everyone in Yuan Shao's house to him in detail.
The Yuan Shao shogunate can be divided into three factions. One faction is Yuan Cong who had been friends with him during the court. Although He Yong, Wu Fu, and Zhou Ao were mostly killed by Dong Zhuo, there were also Guo Tu, Xun Chen, Xu You, Feng Ji, and Chunyu. Qiong and others have always been with him, and they are Yuan Shao's most trusted people.
The other faction is that after Yuan Shao took control of Jizhou, he personally selected and promoted famous scholars from Hebei, such as Jushou, Tian Feng, Shenpei, Zhu Ling, Zhang He, Zhen Yao, Yan Liang, etc. The influence can calm Yuan Shao's people, and he is quite capable, which is the cornerstone of Yuan Shao's ability to gain a foothold in Jizhou.
The rest are speculative ministers who chose to join the shogunate because they felt that Han Zuo was about to die and a new dynasty was about to rise. They also admired Yuan Shao's reputation and feared the Yuan family's power. People such as Chen Yu, Zhu Han, Yin Kui, Gongsun Du, Qu Yi, etc., and Dong Zhao himself is also included in this list.
Chen Chong was very familiar with Yuan Shao's Yuan Cong, and knew that although they were of low character, they would not easily betray Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao was also grateful to the Jizhou clan and would not be able to shake him. I am afraid that only the last group can be dealt with. He made up his mind and asked Dong Zhao in detail what these people's preferences were, what their conduct was like, how polite Yuan Shao was to them, and whether they were kind or not.
At the end of the conversation, Chen Chong had fewer questions and started talking to Dong Zhao about various matters in the Sili Mansion and asked him what suggestions he had for the new policy. Dong Zhao pondered for a moment and said slowly: "As Long Shou said before, soldiers are the most important weapon of the country and cannot be taught privately, otherwise the disaster will be unstoppable. I'm afraid Long Shou has a clue, but the current injustice in Hebei is not the result of the New Deal. Good opportunity."
When Chen Chong saw that he saw what he was thinking, he couldn't help but nodded and said with a smile: "Gongren does have great wisdom. Let's leave it to Hebei. I can take charge of this matter as Gongren's envoy." Dong Zhao even said that he did not dare, and the two of them exchanged a few polite words. , Chen Chong stood up and left.
Dong Zhao sent Chen Chong a hundred steps out of the door. After seeing him riding away, he breathed a long sigh of relief. Even though he thought highly of himself, Dong Zhao did not dare to relax in front of Chen Chong and considered every word he said. As soon as Chen Chong left, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat and stood there for a long time before Dong Zhao slowly walked home.
It was already dark at this time. Dong Zhao lit a lamp in the study, spread out the yellow silk on the table, dipped his pen in ink, and began to think about how to reply to Dong Cheng's letter. Recently I have been in contact with Lu Bu, and he has made a request, hoping that after the uprising, he can be appointed as the commander of the Sili School and be in charge of the third assistant. This made Dong Cheng quite embarrassed. He had promised Liu Yan before that he would give this position to Liu Fan after the event was completed. If he gave it to Lu Bu again, how would he explain it to Liu Yan?
Dong Zhao wrote in his reply. You can explain this matter to Lu Bu, and then grant him the post of Taiwei and the land of Bingzhou. Lu Bu's mood was uncertain, and he was happy when he heard this. He said that he would return to his hometown in fine clothes and glory, and he would definitely allow it. In addition to agreeing to Lu Bu, he also wanted to make friends with Han Sui and others...
While writing, Dong Zhao suddenly thought of Chen Chong. What was he doing at the moment? When he parted from me just now, his face was peaceful, and he had made up his mind to march eastward. But how will he plan? Dong Zhao is a little unsure. The current strategy is all based on the premise that the Bafu troops will leave Hebei and confront Yuan Shao for a long time, leaving Guanzhong empty, and then they can make a profit. But if Yuan Shao is really vulnerable, then these strategies are just a dream and will inevitably end in failure.
Thinking of this, Dong Zhao put down his pen and ink, tapped the case with his fingers, and thought slowly and carefully, trying to figure out Chen Chong's possible strategy from the words of tonight's conversation.
Could it be that he planned to recruit some people to surrender first and then weaken Yuan Shao's troops? Dong Zhao thought to himself, but he knew Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao was broad on the outside and narrow on the inside. He didn't trust people. Few people could independently command the army. Even if a few generals had their own tribes, their number was only ten thousand. I'm afraid It can't change the situation of the battle.
Dong Zhao thought for a few moments, but couldn't figure out Yuan Shao's flaw. I couldn't help but sigh in my heart. For Bafu, Yuan Shao was indeed a difficult opponent. No wonder Chen Chong was so hesitant to send troops.
Since he couldn't get an answer, Dong Zhao returned to the case, put on a broad robe, and continued to write a reply.
[1] Tragedy in Pengcheng: In April of the second year of the Han Dynasty (205 BC), Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's stalemate in Chengyang and led an army of about 560,000 people from the five princes. He divided his troops into three groups to attack Pengcheng, the capital of Chu, and successfully captured it. . At this time, Liu Bang thought that Xiang Yu had lost control and would be defeated. Unexpectedly, Xiang Yu left his generals to attack Qi, and led 30,000 elite cavalry to gallop south. Lu Xiaqiu defeated Fan Kuai and other troops first, and then launched an encirclement and blitz from Huling to Xiaoxian. Xiang Yu's army arrived at Xiao at night and took advantage of dawn to counterattack the Han army's flank from west to east. They began to attack in the morning and started a battle with the Han army. They defeated the Han army at noon. Facing the sudden attack by Xiang Yu's army, the Han army was at a loss, trampled on each other, and fell into chaos. As a result, they were massacred by Xiang Yu's army, killing more than 100,000 people. The Battle of Pengcheng was the biggest defeat in Liu Bang's life.
