In Bingzhou, on the horse walking path of Jinyang City, the headquarters of Taiyuan County, Cao Cao held his hands on the city wall and looked into the distance with mixed emotions.
Gao Gan died, and more than half of the more than 20,000 people in the city became prisoners of war and were being detained and reorganized.
According to Xun You's strategy, after taking Shangdang, he started to plunder the two counties of Xihe and Leping, thus forming a high-pressure situation against the senior officials of Taiyuan County.
During this period, the sentry cavalry led by Chen Dao captured the messenger of high-ranking cadres asking for help. After Xun You learned of the situation, he immediately asked people to pretend to be people from Jiang Yiqu's tribe in Liyang, and went to Jinyang City to meet with high-ranking cadres inside and outside to encircle and suppress Cao Jun. .
In fact, such a plan is full of loopholes. Not to mention other things, it would be completely unworkable to inform senior officials in the form of a letter, because Cao Cao does not have Jiang Yiqu's seal in his hand.
Fortunately, by this time, the entire territory of Shangdang had fallen into Cao Cao's hands, and Leping was only resisting stubbornly. The messenger only said that because there were too many Cao troops along the way, he did not dare to take the letter with him, so it was just a verbal message.
In addition, the senior cadre was in urgent need of help in Taiyuan, and there was no time for him to verify the authenticity, so he had no choice but to choose Stud.
In fact, this is not the first time this situation has occurred. When he was in Yijing, the situation was similar to why Gongsun Zan was lured out by Yuan Shao.
In such a battle, Dian Wei Sanhe took off the head of Gao Gan. Once Gao Gan died, Cao Jun took his head and made a big show of it. Except for the people who rushed in at the beginning as cannon fodder, most of the others simply surrendered. .
It is only a matter of time before Gao Gan dies and the entire Bingzhou is taken over.
In the battle to conquer Bingzhou, Cao's army did not suffer too many casualties. The total number of Cao's soldiers was only more than 6,000. On the contrary, the number of prisoners was more than 20,000.
At the same time, the grain and grass seized amounted to 300,000 shi, countless armors and weapons, and even the war horses numbered 4,000. More importantly, with Bingzhou in hand, the purchase of war horses will no longer be subject to the prices in the Kansai region. .
At this point, the second step of Guo Jia's grand strategy has been completed.
But Cao Cao's excitement disappeared in just half an hour.
Because he knew very well that in this battle, Lu Bu and Lin Mo's gains were ten times or even dozens of times more than his own. With one move, the other side brought Qing and Ji states into their territory, as well as countless grain, grass, war horses, and supplies. sergeant.
If this was the case, he could still place his hope in Youzhou. After joining forces with Yuan Xi, he could form a three-sided strategic clampdown on the North, and he would still take the initiative after all.
The problem is that, a quarter of an hour ago, An Feng's messenger arrived. The pain was excruciating, and the excitement of victory was gone.
Anfeng's defeat was something he didn't expect.
How could Chen Deng pretend to surrender? This was so unreasonable. Even if he, Lin Mo, was good at gaming, he couldn't do it at the expense of suppressing the Chen family for two years.
Cao Cao was not sure whether Chen Deng was discovered because of his secret plan, or whether he was Lin Mo's pawn from beginning to end, but it didn't matter anymore. Anfeng's defeat was unexpected by him, and his plan was disrupted all of a sudden. .
As the strategic frontier of Xuzhou, these three counties have brought Lu Bu great convenience. If he does not take them, he will always be controlled.
But if we really want to keep entangled, without Chen Deng as an internal agent, we will suffer another big defeat. How can we pry open Anfeng City?
Cao Cao wanted to withdraw his army. He couldn't lose all the people Xiahou Dun brought, otherwise the advantage of winning Bingzhou would be lost.
"Mr. Guo said that he would act according to the opportunity. If he is really unsure, he would consider withdrawing the army." Behind him, Cao Ang explained as if comforting.
That's right. Feng Xiaoti leads the supervisory army. The situation is not right. He will take everyone back. Since he hasn't spoken yet, there may be a chance of improvement. Cao Cao still believes in Guo Jia.
"Just for this matter, there is no need for you to come to Bingzhou yourself."
Cao Cao looked at Cao Ang with some reproach in his eyes, "Ang'er, you know that chaos can happen anywhere now, except in Xuchang. Those imperialists have always had ulterior motives and want to take the opportunity to cause some trouble. You I won’t feel relieved once he leaves.”
A smile appeared on Cao Ang's lips. After confirming that Dian Wei was guarding him and that no one was around, he stepped forward and narrated in a low voice.
After hearing what he said, Cao Cao was startled at first, then turned around and looked directly at Cao Ang. After a while, he said in a deep voice: "Is this serious?"
"It's absolutely true. I've also sent someone to verify it. The time is right."
After Cao Ang said this, Cao Cao snorted, and then sneered, "A common man, is he really a common lady?"
"They are all in Xuchang."
Cao Cao touched his nose with his right hand, his eyes were half-squinted, and he nodded slowly, as if he was thinking about something.
After a while, he patted the city wall and calmed down: "Be sure to protect these two people. These two people may be important weapons to defeat the enemy. Don't let them go out lightly. Also, let's build some momentum. It doesn't have to be too big. It doesn't have to be that big." Just make a point."
"My child understands!"
Cao Ang bowed his hands and added, "If the father has no other mission, the child will return to Xuchang."
Cao Cao glanced at him and sighed softly. As an eldest son, he was busy working as a messenger.
However, this matter is of great importance. It is too exaggerated to say that Lu Bu and Lin Mo will be brought down, but it will definitely cause them a big loss. In addition, there are follow-up measures, so it is indeed necessary to go there in person.
"Have a night's rest before leaving." Looking at Cao Ang with a tired face, Cao Cao didn't think the atmosphere was too sensational. After all, he still cherished his words like gold.
After Cao Ang retreated, Cao Cao seemed to be in a much better mood.
Bingzhou was obtained, but Anfeng was defeated. It seemed to be a bit of a tie, but the news sent by Cao Ang was very crucial. We need to think carefully about how to use people to the extreme. Not to mention killing with one blow, we must eventually let They just need to suffer a defeat.
He also began to reflect on the fact that he had looked down upon Lu Bu and Lin Mo in the past, but now whether he wanted to admit it or not, as long as Lu Bu successfully conquered Ji and Qingzhou, he would succeed Yuan Shao and become the most powerful prince in the Han Dynasty.
It seems that this time the game needs to be deeper and further away.
It's a pity that Fengxiao is not with me.
In fact, Guo Jia and Xun You are on the same level as counselors, but people are emotional animals after all, and Cao Cao prefers Guo Jia deep down in his heart.
This may also have something to do with Xun Yu. The situation has become what it is today. He is no longer the ambitious young man who inspired the imperial court to conquer the West.
Especially after experiencing the intrigues of Liu Bei and Chen Deng, the paranoia became even more deeply rooted in his bones.
Although Xun Yu tried his best to deal with Cao Cao's several crises and even used his family background to support him, Cao Cao knew in his heart that he was looking after Liu Xie.
Xun You's personality is more reserved, which is different from Xun Yu's. The problem is that you are uncle and nephew, and it is difficult to have a heart-to-heart relationship with Xun You if you have preconceptions.
On the contrary, Guo Jia seems to be much more open-minded in this regard. He is someone who is still willing to help Cao Cao after seeing his inner thoughts. Coupled with his own intelligence, Cao Cao has long regarded him as his own family. .
But it was not easy to delay this matter for too long, so we could only turn around and discuss it with Xun You.
The two chatted from noon to night in the general's mansion in Jinyang City. Xun You did not disappoint Cao Cao. The strategies he gave were not only highly feasible, but also had foreseeable benefits worthy of these two trump cards.
"The enemy can go, and so can I."
Cao Cao smiled knowingly, nodded and said: "Okay, okay, Gongda's words made me wake up from a dream. I will bring Ang'er later and ask him to act according to Gongda's words."
"Sikong Mingjian." Xun You remained as low-key as ever.
The chat box was opened, and Cao Cao was ready to throw out all the questions in his heart.
"Bingzhou is in hand. I am preparing an eloquent person to go to Youzhou to meet Yuan Xi and convince him to join me in fighting against Lu Bu."
"I think this matter may be postponed for a month or two."
Under Cao Cao's suspicious eyes, Xun You continued: "Lü Bu coerced Yuan Shang to order the Northern Kingdom just to see him. Give some time for this incident to cause turmoil among the powerful families in the Northern Kingdom. Yuan Xi will feel it immediately. Threatening.
When Sikong sent people there again, he no longer asked for an alliance, but to save Yuan Xi's life. "
Cao Cao rubbed his chin. Yuan Xi was able to stand firm while the two Yuans were fighting for power. He was obviously a mediocre person and had no great ambitions. It was not certain that he could be persuaded by sending people to Youzhou at this time. big.
If according to Xun You's opinion, Lu Bu blackmails Yuan Shang to order the Northern Kingdom, the Northern Kingdom cannot have two sons of the Yuan family, otherwise there will be a fire in the backyard. Cao Cao, who is skilled in coercing the emperor and ordering the princes, understands this most deeply.
Therefore, it would indeed be more appropriate to wait for a while before going there than now.
Moreover, even if they enter Yecheng now, they still need to wait for the princes of all parties to slowly accept Lu Bu as the master. It is impossible for anything to go wrong in Youzhou in a short time.
"Okay, that's how it should be, then I'll take it easy."
Cao Cao's eyes became firm, and then he asked: "One more thing. After Bingzhou is obtained, our strategic goal is to regain Jingzhou, the heart of the world. However, Liu Biao has 200,000 troops, both land and water. It is obviously unwise to attack by force. , do you have any ideas?"
After Cao Cao conquered a state and county, because he had the emperor in his hands, he did not need to spend too much time appeasing the powerful families. In addition to adjusting the state's land, taxes, titles, and defenses, all other things had to be done. It can be done with an imperial edict.
This saves a lot of effort compared to the subsequent troubles of other princes conquering a territory.
Therefore, he started to have thoughts about Jingzhou very early.
In fact, this is also a helpless move.
Although the Northern Kingdom is currently in chaos, Lu Bu can generally maintain stability with Yuan Shang in his hands. It's just that there is no way to send troops in the short term, because what they need now is internal stability, which is a time-consuming and lengthy task.
And after he conquered Bingzhou, he didn't have the ability to start a war immediately. Besides, he couldn't defeat them. The disparity in the number of soldiers and horses had now emerged.
Originally, if Anfeng could be successfully conquered, the three counties would change hands, and if we took the initiative, we could choose to conquer Xuzhou.
Now we have hit a wall. In this huge world, there are not many places where we can use force.
Liangzhou? Even if they are poor, there are still some militants who refuse to obey the rules, such as Ma Teng and Han Sui;
Yizhou, the land of abundance? Liu Zhang is indeed an embroidered pillow. The problem is that Yizhou has natural dangers, 800 miles of Qinchuan, and three passes to protect it. It can be said that one man can't pass the terrain and ten thousand men can't break it. How many people will die if it eats it.
After thinking about it, there is indeed only one Jingzhou left.
The land there is fertile and there are many soldiers. In the desolate environment of the Central Plains, Jingzhou is a good strategic back garden.
"Sikong, with all due respect, although Liu Biao's family has internal strife and powerful enemies outside, as long as he is alive, there will be no chaos in Jingzhou."
Is there a problem in Jingzhou?
Yes, and it's serious.
Not only was the eldest son and the second son fighting for the right to inherit the throne, but most of the military power was in the hands of aristocratic families, especially the Cai family.
Although Cai Mao loves the imperial court, do you expect him to help kill Liu Biao? He is not mentally ill. As long as the military and political power in Jingzhou is still in his hands and the Cai family is still the number one family in Jingzhou, it is absolutely impossible for him to take the initiative to break this balance.
Because of the loss of balance, no one can estimate who will decide the subsequent situation.
Cao Cao sighed deeply, leaned back on the handsome chair, rubbed his temples, and murmured with melancholy: "Is it possible that we can only wait until Liu Biao's death date?"
Waiting for a person to die sounds ridiculous, and it is obviously not Cao Cao's pattern.
But he really didn't have a good idea.
Xun You lowered his head, glanced at Cao Cao, and hesitated to speak.
"Gongda, there are only you and me here. If you have any questions, you might as well just say it." Perhaps catching Xun You's fleeting hesitation, Cao Cao sat upright again and looked at him expectantly.
After hesitating for a moment, Xun You stood up and walked to the middle of the hall, bowed his hands and whispered: "Kill him."
"What did you say?" Cao Cao thought he heard wrongly and picked his ears.
"Aren't Cai Mao and Sikong old friends when they were young? Let Cai Mao kill Liu Biao."
Cao Cao smiled bitterly, shook his head and said, "My friendship with De Gui is not enough for him to kill Liu Biao. Besides, how can the Cai family gain a foothold in Jingzhou with the name of regicide?"
"So, Sikong needs to find someone else to help him. He will definitely make Cai Mao make up his mind."
"who?"
Xun You bowed his body, raised his eyes and said in a low voice, "Liu Bei."
Liu Bei?
Cao Cao moved his butt, feeling that the sound was getting more and more mysterious, "Speak more clearly."
"There is only one thing that can make Cai Mao attack Liu Biao, and that is that the interests of the Cai family are threatened. Now that Jingzhou has begun to seize the throne, the Cai family supports their second son Liu Cong, and the eldest son Liu Qi has found Liu Bei as a helper."
As Xun You spoke, he couldn't help but walk closer to Cao Cao so that his voice could be lowered, "Sikong only needs to send a secret letter to Cai Mao, saying that Liu Bei will write to the emperor and order Liu Cong to take office in Beijing, then Cai Mao will definitely meet Like a frightened bird, he attacked Liu Bei.
If he succeeds, Sikong will be relieved of a serious problem; if not, in order to stabilize the power of the Cai family, he will definitely take advantage of Liu Qi and Liu Bei to establish the fact that Liu Cong is the lord of Jingzhou."
Cao Cao waved his hand and then fell into deep thought.
This plan is very clever, taking the opportunity to seize the direct descendants to stir up civil strife in Jingzhou. If Liu Bei dies, he will have one less powerful enemy to conquer Jingzhou in the future. If he is lucky enough to survive, that would be even better. Cai Hao is worried that Liu Cong's position will not be guaranteed, and he is desperate. I might really attack Liu Biao next time.
Of course, in this process, I must use the great emperor's banner to continuously put pressure on Cai Hao.
Cai Mao, a reckless man, would definitely not dare to discuss this matter with anyone. With his brain, he does seem to be someone who can commit murder.
To take a step back, Cai Maozhen killed Liu Bei. Apart from the fact that he had one less henchman, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and the others were willing to give up? Because he died supporting himself, could Liu Qi stay out of it?
By then, civil strife will inevitably break out in Jingzhou.
Cao Cao doesn't know Liu Qi's strength very well now, but one thing is certain, Jiangxia and Changsha are both in his hands.
And these two counties are the richest places in Jingxiang. If they act on their own initiative, it will definitely cost them a war.
If there is chaos, then you can fish in troubled waters.
"Killing two birds with one stone, wonderful, wonderful!" Cao Cao stood up excitedly, clapped his hands together, and kept rubbing them, unable to conceal his excitement.
Xun You was a little uneasy, this was a bit vicious.
No matter where it goes, some members of the Han clan will die in his own hands, but he also hopes to use this method to express the Xun family's position to Cao Cao.
At least tell him that not all of the Xun family were loyal to the Han Emperor like Xun Yu, there were also some who were loyal to Sikong.
In history, when Cao Cao became king, although Xun You did not express his explicit support, he did not oppose it as strongly as Xun Yu did. What he upheld was the inheritance of the family.
Of course, there is another important reason. Lu Bu's momentum is too strong now. As a Xun family, we still hope that Cao Cao will have the last laugh.
Some things always need someone to do them.
(End of chapter)
