When Xi Zhicai finished speaking, the tense atmosphere dissipated instantly.
Generals who lead troops outside are often not afraid of the enemies in front of them, but are more afraid of the overt and covert arrows in the court.
What can really kill them are often the invisible and intangible pens in the court.
In fact, this is also true. At the end of each dynasty, there were all famous generals, but most of them died at the hands of their own people.
During the Zhongping period, Huangfu Song, Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun and others encountered extremely terrible attacks and plots, and for a time life and death were uncertain.
Up to now, generals leading troops outside are still facing dangers all the time.
Especially for Cao Cao, whether it was his repeated defeats or his gradual rise in power, the impeachments and attacks surrounding him have never stopped.
Even after leaving the capital this time, after many games in the court, a Xi Zhicai was still sent as a 'supervisor' to watch Cao Cao's every move.
Guo Jia watched Xi Zhicai enter the camp, drank wine, and said with a smile: "General, Zhicai has great talent."
"Is there a way to be a filial piety?" Cao Cao asked quickly, and naturally he was thinking about it.
Although he has recruited many talents in recent years, and the shogunate is no longer as strapped as before, who would still complain that he has too many talents?
Furthermore, not only is Xi Zhicai's talent a talent, but he also comes from the Yushitai, and especially he is a member of the 'Yingchuan Party'. The benefits of wooing him over are unimaginable!
Guo Jia smiled and said: "There is no need to be deliberate, General, just act as usual."
Cao Cao suddenly understood. He picked up the wine glass with a smile and said, "Let me drink with my filial piety!"
Guo Jia smiled and took a sip with Cao Cao, then turned to look north.
Cao Ren and Xiahou Dun looked over at the same time because they all heard the sound of horse hooves.
Cao Cao was moved and stood up directly.
A fast horse came galloping, covered in blood, without a helmet, with disheveled hair. He jumped off the horse and fell to the ground. He got up quickly and said to Cao Cao: "General Qi, Captain Cao was ambushed and suffered more than a thousand losses." People, please support me, General!"
The "Captain Cao" mentioned by the messenger refers to Cao Cao's younger brother, Cao Hong.
Cao Cao's expression changed and he shouted loudly: "Send the order, march!"
Guo Jia, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren and others stood up and looked towards the north with different expressions.
Cao Hong was always cautious and never took risks when marching. How could he be ambushed?
The camp was rapidly reorganizing its troops. Cao Cao looked coldly and said to Guo Jia: "Fengxiao, I feel that the Black Mountain Army will not sit still and wait for death."
According to their original assumptions, the Montenegrin Army would gather together in fear of the official army, waiting for the official army to attack, and resist stubbornly.
But Cao Hong was just hanging around for nothing, he shouldn't have been ambushed!
Guo Jia drank wine, looking extremely calm, and said: "It's only more than a hundred miles away. I'm worried that someone will leak military information."
Cao Cao's eyes became more and more gloomy, and he said: "It's simple, just try it and you will know."
Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun and others did not speak, realizing that the matter was not simple.
Cao Cao's army broke out of camp overnight and quickly moved north.
At the same time, Cao Cao wrote many letters, and these letters were addressed to officials of all sizes in Yanzhou and Jizhou.
While marching, Cao Cao was also screening his troops to find out the 'spies' hidden among them.
The Black Mountain Army has been operating for many years, and it is not surprising that there are people in the court and the army.
Cao Cao ignored this before, and now he is even more incompatible with it!
On the third day, Cao Cao was convinced that there were no spies in his army, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
In an inconspicuous valley, after completing his inspection, Le Jin raised his hands with Cao Cao and said, "General, aren't you going to Dongjun?"
Cao Cao looked at him and said with a smile: "Of course not."
Le Jin was startled and said, "Aren't you going to Dongjun to chase Bai Rao?"
Guo Jia drank wine and said leisurely: "Everyone thinks so, that's right."
Le Jin was a little confused, but he didn't know whether he should continue to ask.
Xi Zhicai knew it very well and said, "General Cao, are you waiting for those replies?"
Cao Cao did not hide it, saying: "The Black Mountain Army has been plundering Yanzhou and Jizhou for many years, and some rebels, such as Qiao Mao and others, have joined them. It is not surprising that some officials and people from aristocratic families have colluded and reported information."
Xi Zhicai thought thoughtfully and said: "So, the general does not plan to continue chasing Bai Rao, but is going directly to Changshan Kingdom?"
Cao Cao was a little surprised that Xi Zhicai could see it so clearly!
After a moment, Cao Cao smiled and said: "That's right. I want to catch the Black Mountain Army by surprise!"
Xi Zhicai nodded and said: "Calculating the time, it's just right."
Guo Jia drank, sat opposite Xi Zhicai, and said with a smile, "What else does Zhicai know?"
Xi Zhicai was a little "cold" to Guo Jia, because this person was alienated from the Yingchuan family and was not close to him, Erxun and others who were also from the Yingchuan family.
Yes, Guo Jia is also from Yingchuan.
He pretended to cough a few times and said: "I heard that you should stay outside the Changshan Kingdom and clear the country. At the same time, Youzhou and Bingzhou are also doing the same and have already surrounded the Changshan Kingdom."
After the defeat of the Heishan Army the year before last, most of them retreated to the border between Changshan State and Bing and Youzhou. As the imperial court ordered a clearing, the Heishan Army felt deeply nervous and quickly gathered in Changshan State, preparing to jointly resist the official army.
Cao Cao knew this and was about to speak when Xi Zhicai suddenly looked at Cao Cao and said calmly: "Although they are gathered together, they are all entrenched in dangerous places, which are easy to defend and difficult to attack. The general wants to fight, I'm afraid it will be No. With delay and consumption, the general's food and grass can only last for a month at most. The people's livelihood in Bing, You, and Ji states has not been restored, so they cannot give the general much support, especially from the imperial court."
"Hahaha,"
Cao Cao laughed heartily and laughed for a long time, then he said to Xi Zhicai: "Zhicai, you said I can persist for a month, how long can those rebellious people persist?"
Xi Zhicai looked thoughtful and pondered without answering.
The year before last, the Black Mountain Army attempted to collude with Yuan Shu and occupy Jizhou, but they did not expect that Ying Shao, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun and others held on. Instead of defeating Julu, they suffered heavy losses.
Since then, the Montenegrin Army has been unable to retreat, even enduring the usual plundering.
The Black Mountain Army is said to be one million, but most of them are ordinary people, and there may not be even one-tenth of the young men who can fight. Therefore, the consumption of food and grass will be more than ten times that of Cao Cao!
After all, the Montenegrin Army is not a court and does not care about people's livelihood. The few territories it has are not enough to sustain the consumption of a million-strong army.
Guo Jia was sitting opposite Xi Zhicai, but he would not think that he was short of words and said: "Zhicai thinks that this plan is difficult to achieve?"
Guo Jia was sitting opposite Xi Zhicai, but he would not think that he was short of words and said: "Zhicai thinks that this plan is difficult to achieve?"
Xi Zhicai picked up the wine glass and took a sip, and said calmly: "You and I both know that the Black Mountain Army is the last worry for the imperial court. If the Black Mountain Army is eliminated, the imperial court can vigorously implement the New Deal without any worries. Although it seems very important, it is actually quite important. Compared to the south, the Black Mountain Army is not immune to the scabies disease. If General Cao is wasted in Changshan Kingdom, Da Sima may not be able to protect the general."
Cao Cao looked serious and said, "I don't know, what good strategy does Zhicai have?"
Xi Zhicai didn't even look at it, and said, "General Cao has no good plan, and he has never told me about it. How dare I speak nonsense?"
"Zhicai forgives me,"
Cao Cao hurriedly said: "I won't say anything unless it's your fault, but in fact we don't have a good plan yet."
Xi Zhicai stood up leisurely and said, "General Cao doesn't need to screen me."
Cao Cao stood up and said with a smile: "Zhicai, I have no intention of screening, but I don't have a safe opinion. Can Zhicai teach me?"
Xi Zhicai ignored it and walked away.
Guo Jia was a little surprised, looking at Xi Zhicai's back thoughtfully.
Cao Cao didn't look embarrassed at all. He smiled and said to Guo Jia, Cao Ren and others: "All great talents have arrogance."
Guo Jia drank, his eyes brightened slightly, and said: "General, Zhicai probably has a plan."
Cao Cao's buttocks bounced up sharply when he just sat down. He turned his head and looked at Xi Zhicai's tent. After thinking for a while, he strode over.
Upon seeing this, Guo Jia said to Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun and others: "Everyone, prepare to break camp."
Three days later, Cao Cao led his army out of Yanzhou and entered Jizhou.
While riding the horse, Cao Cao had a headache, and sighed with Guo Jia and others: "Zhi Cai still refuses to say anything. After all, I, Cao Cao, can't retain great talents."
Hearing this, Le Jin snorted coldly and said: "General, isn't he just a supervisor? The last general tied him up!"
Cao Cao shook his head helplessly and looked north.
They stayed up day and night and traveled as fast as they could. In the eyes of others, they should still be chasing Bai Yao in Dongjun.
Guo Jia clearly understood Cao Cao's thoughts. He was riding a horse, drinking wine, and said leisurely, "General, have you received your reply?"
Cao Cao's dejected expression suddenly disappeared. He couldn't help but stroke his beard and said with a smile: "Fengxiao is indeed a clever man. I replied to the letter."
Guo Jia was very addicted to alcohol recently. He took another sip and said, "Then it's time to cast the net."
Cao Cao's narrow eyes flashed with a faint light, and he said: "It's time to catch fish."
Cao Ren stepped forward on his horse and whispered: "General, the supervisory army has been mysterious these days, coming in and out, maybe there is something going on."
Cao Cao said nothing and looked at Guo Jia silently.
Guo Jia sighed and said, "General, we have to speed up."
Dozens of letters from Cao Cao not only stirred up rumors between Yanzhou and Jizhou, but the imperial court also began to investigate whether the courtiers had colluded with the Black Mountain Army.
In addition, Cao Cao had been sleeping day and night for more than ten days without making a sound, and the dissatisfaction with Cao Cao in the court was further intensified.
As the supervisor, Xi Zhicai was obviously doing something.
Cao Cao didn't care about the monsters in the court. He thought for a moment and said, "Speed up!"
Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun and others heard this and stopped talking.
The marching speed for more than ten days has been the fastest. No matter how fast it is, the soldiers may not be able to hold on!
But Cao Cao was under greater pressure, so they had to endure it and prepare to appease the soldiers.
Guo Jia took a sip of wine and said to himself: "It's time for something to happen."
Cao Cao was very 'sensitive' to Guo Jia and immediately asked: "What does being filial piety mean?"
Guo Jia looked at him and said: "The Black Mountain Army has been gathering for so many days, and it shouldn't be silent and without any movement."
Cao Cao was not a stupid person. He began to frown, and the bad feeling in his heart became stronger.
"Go and ask the supervisors to come!" Suddenly, Cao Cao said in a deep voice.
Guo Jia shook the wine bottle in his hand and became alert.
Not long after, Xi Zhicai caught up with him on horseback, coughing constantly and looking very pale.
Xi Zhicai was already frail and sick, and traveling for such a long time was a huge toll on his body.
Seeing his appearance, Cao Cao lost his usual greetings, his eyes were blazing, and he said directly: "Zhicai, are you hiding something from me, general?"
Xi Zhicai coughed and saw Cao Cao, Guo Jia, Cao Ren and others staring at him and asked: "What is the general referring to?"
Cao Cao's expression was solemn as never before, with an impatient and unkind tone in his voice as he said: "This general has been ordered to punish thieves, and Zhicai is the supervisor of the army. We should work together with one heart and one mind, exchange information, and Zhicai, and do not abandon public service for personal gain!"
Xi Zhicai coughed a few more times and then fell silent.
He is a smart man, and he can easily capture the key points of Cao Cao's words.
After careful consideration, Xi Zhi raised his head and said: "Three days ago, the Black Mountain Army broke into Bingzhou, broke through Huguan, and threatened Shangdang, Taiyuan, Sili Hexi and other places. There was some panic in Luoyang City."
When the Black Mountain Army arrived in Hexi, it was not far from Luoyang.
Xi Zhicai finished speaking.
Everyone was shocked and speechless.
You can hear the needle drop!
(End of chapter)
