My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 508 Sima Jianyan
With a hint of pride and self-satisfaction, Cao Ang reported generously, "Father, I have completed all three tasks you instructed me to do before I left!"

Cao Ang was overjoyed, but Cao Cao was deeply shaken and almost lost his composure.

"This this……"

Cao Cao suppressed his intense doubts and forced a smile, saying, "My son, please tell me in detail quickly."

"Here!"

Cao Ang failed to see through Cao Cao's pretense and simply recounted his journey south, especially his conversation with Liu Feng, which he repeated word for word as if they were his own treasures.

After listening, Cao Cao's expression returned to calm, and he deliberately asked with a hint of doubt, "General Zuo, is it merely these few cities that you request?"

"Indeed."

Cao Ang nodded solemnly and also expressed his opinion: "Father, in my opinion, Chenliu is in ruins and the people are suffering. If we can exchange these empty cities for General Zuo's elite troops to help us, it would not be a bad thing."

Cao Ang's description of Chenliu as an empty city was actually a bit of an exaggeration. Thanks to the hard work of successive governors, Chenliu had recovered some of its vitality, and the city itself had a population of 1,600 to 1,700 households, totaling nearly 10,000 people. The entire Chenliu prefecture had a population of over 70,000. Although this was only a fraction of its peak population, it was no longer an empty city.

However, Cao Ang's words reminded Cao Cao that if a deal really had to be made, all the people in the city could be moved away, since all Liu Feng wanted was the city.

As fate would have it, Cao Ang's casual remark rekindled Cao Cao's passion for demolition.

"What do you think?"

While listening to Cao Ang's report earlier, Cao Cao was pondering what Liu Feng was up to.

This is not because Cao Cao was ungrateful, but because of the three suggestions, only the first two were his genuine proposals, while the third was merely a test.

Now that the other side has directly taken over the initiative, how could Cao Cao not be suspicious?

In fact, at this moment, not only Cao Cao was suspicious, but Xun Yu, Man Chong and others were also very puzzled and could not figure out what was wrong.

Even with Xiahou Dun's strategic acumen, he felt there was likely something fishy going on that they hadn't noticed.

Cao Ang naturally saw this as well, but that did not prevent him from completing Cao Cao's mission in its entirety. As for whether to accept it, he did not directly agree, so it was naturally up to his father to decide.

For a moment, the hall fell silent as everyone fell into deep thought.

"General Zuo's loyalty and righteousness are certainly a good thing."

After pondering for a moment, Cao Ren, who had just returned to Luoyang on orders, was the first to speak: "My lord, the key to this matter is not in Hanoi, but in Chenliu."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao immediately became interested: "What insightful opinion does Zixiao have? Please enlighten me."

Feeling the gazes of everyone in the hall, Cao Ren straightened up, cupped his hands, and said, "What I mean is that what my lord needs to consider most right now is the value of those cities in Chenliu. If you think they are more valuable than reinforcements, then you should decline the general's request. If you think they are less valuable than reinforcements, then you can grant the general's request."

"What Zixiao said is very good."

Cao Cao laughed and nodded approvingly, saying, "That's spot on."

Cao Cao appeared to be praising Cao Ren, but in reality, he was not as happy as he seemed.

Cao Ren's point was something Cao Cao naturally understood, but his perspective was not so simplistic. With the wisdom of figures like Cao Cao, Xun Yu, and Man Chong, they would instinctively suspect Liu Feng's deeper motives in seeking the lands of Lianggoushui.

Even on the surface, if he agreed to Liu Feng's request, he and Yanzhou would no longer be able to unite as one.

Although there was no risk of being cut off from contact, it still made him very wary and hesitant.

"My lord, I have a thought, but I don't know if I should speak it."

Cao Cao looked up and saw a handsome young man, seven feet five inches tall, sitting at the end of the table. The man who had just spoken was this very young man with a striking appearance and extraordinary bone structure.

"I didn't expect Zhongda to have such insightful views; he should teach me!"

Cao Cao recognized the man as Sima Yi, the younger brother of Sima Lang, a clerk in the General's office and a direct descendant of the prominent Sima family of Hanoi, whom he had recently recruited.

Because of the butterfly effect caused by Liu Feng, Cao Cao's side lost a lot of elite talents. More importantly, Runan and half of Yingchuan did not fall into Cao Cao's hands as in history. Instead, they became the territory of Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng.

As a result, Cao Cao, lacking talent, had to look to Guanzhong, Hanoi, and Hedong for opportunities. He also improved the treatment of his subordinates from Yanzhou to alleviate the shortage of talent. Among them, the brothers Sima Lang and Sima Yi were some of the most outstanding individuals he promoted in the past two years.

Upon hearing Cao Cao grant him permission to speak, Sima Yi still bowed respectfully before slowly saying, "Reporting to the General, in my humble opinion, the Left General may be interested in Hanoi."

Sima Yi's voice wasn't loud, but it resounded like thunder in Cao Cao's ears, jolting him awake.

However, Cao Cao's expression remained unchanged, and he simply nodded encouragingly: "Zhongda, you may try to speak."

Sima Yi, looking excited and encouraged, continued, "The two valleys cut off our east-west border. Judging from General Zuo's actions, he has always been thorough. His rash actions this time must indicate that his ambitions are not small. In my opinion, only by launching an attack on Hanoi can we justify speaking like this."

Cao Cao was secretly delighted, but feigned confusion and asked, "Zhongda, I really don't understand what you're saying. Just now, Zixiu also said that the Left General wants to exchange the land of the two ditches for his elite troops to assist in the battle in Hanoi. It's so clear, what is your intention?"

Sima Yi replied, "General, what I mean is that the Left General intends to deploy a large force in Hanoi. He has this plan in mind, so he is making this request in order to secure the supply lines."

Cao Cao was startled. He had actually thought of what Sima Yi had said, but he had never expected that Liu Feng would use a large force in Hanoi.

Cao Cao initially thought that Liu Feng might be worried about the safety of his several thousand elite troops, and therefore wanted to control a passage that could be used for reinforcements and retreats at any time. The reason he didn't consider this aspect mentioned by Sima Yi was not because he was less intelligent than Sima Yi, but because the two had different perspectives.

Cao Cao, being both a warlord and a general, naturally prioritized the safety of his elite troops. Sima Yi, on the other hand, was a member of a gentry family and a native of Hanoi, so he would instinctively be more concerned about matters in Hanoi and would value the region highly.

Although Cao Cao found Sima Yi's words to be plausible, he still did not completely believe him: "Does Zhongda have any evidence?"

These kinds of things are mostly speculation and conjecture; there's hardly any evidence.

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi calmly replied, "I have a plan, which can be tested to see if it is true or false."

Cao Cao's interest grew even stronger, and he made an inviting gesture: "Zhongda, please speak."

Sima Yi raised his hand in return, and then said, "General, you may send a message to the Left General, granting his request, but refusing his request to send reinforcements."

"Grant them their request, but refuse them reinforcements?"

Everyone in the hall was stunned. Wasn't this just giving Liu Feng a free ride?

For a moment, Xiahou Dun, Cao Hong, and others in the hall stared intently at Sima Yi as if he were a traitor. However, Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Man Chong, and the others realized what was going on and gave Sima Yi a deep look in unison.

Sima Yi remained calm and composed, sitting in place without showing any unease despite the suspicious gazes of Xiahou Dun, Cao Hong, and others, nor did he feel arrogant despite the astonished looks of Xun Yu and Man Chong.

Only Cao Cao's reaction was being secretly observed by Sima Yi.

"What a fine way to grant their request but refuse them reinforcements."

Cao Cao burst into laughter, clearly recognizing the brilliance of this test.

As mentioned repeatedly before, Cao Cao's territory was actually in a rather awkward position, stretching almost along the Yellow River. Whenever Yuan Shao went south, he would inevitably have to fight Cao Cao, leaving him with almost no room for maneuver.

Although they later captured Guanzhong, the situation did not change much. After all, Guanzhong still formed a long, winding line with Cao Cao's original territory, only it had become even longer.

It wasn't until Liu Feng attacked Jingzhou and Liu Biao fled that Cao Cao finally gained control of the entire Nanyang Basin, giving him strategic depth.

In addition, with the imperial court and the emperor residing in Luoyang, and given the previous rebellion in Yanzhou, the triangular territory of Luoyang, Nanyang, and Guanzhong had become Cao Cao's most valued core territory. On the contrary, Yanzhou had only become a source of food, supplies, manpower, and soldiers.

Looking at Cao Cao's current civil and military officials, apart from a few people from Yan Province such as Cheng Yu and Man Chong, there is hardly any trace of Yan Province people left.

Therefore, if Cao Cao had a choice at a critical moment, he would definitely choose to retain Luoyang, Nanyang, and Guanzhong.

In that case, Liu Feng's request for Chenliu is not only not a provocation, but actually plays right into their hands.

Once Chenliu is ceded, as allies, Liu Feng and his son Liu Bei will not obstruct the exchange between Cao Cao's eastern and western territories. Instead, they will be pushed to the front line to withstand the pressure and attacks from Yuan Shao.

In fact, in the original timeline of the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao chose Chenliu County as the breakthrough point. Yanjin and Baimajin, the two major battle sites, were also important crossings within Chenliu County and required heavy troops.

The most ingenious part is that Liu Feng only asked for a few counties along the two rivers. Most of the land in Chenliu and the title of governor still belonged to Cao Cao. Even if he wanted to take it back in the future, he would have a legitimate reason to do so. Not to mention, this could also be used to test Liu Feng's true intentions.

Sima Yi's plan was a multi-faceted strategy.

If Liu Feng didn't have these thoughts, and it was just Sima Yi worrying unnecessarily, then even if they lost some territory, they could have given the Chenliu line to Liu Feng's troops for defense, which would have relieved their own pressure.

If Liu Feng truly intends to increase the number of troops in Hanoi, then I need to think this through carefully.

After figuring out these issues, Cao Cao immediately praised, "I am very pleased with what Zhongda has said, and I will give it some time to think about it."

Sima Yi naturally dared not object, and the matter came to an end.

After everyone left, Cao Cao kept Xun Yu, Man Chong, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong, his most trusted ministers and beloved generals, behind, clearly to hold a private meeting.

Do you all think Sima Zhongda's words are feasible?

Sure enough, Cao Cao's first words were about Sima Yi's strategy, which shows that he attached great importance to it.

Man Chong nodded first and praised, "Sima Zhongda is indeed a young genius. He has been intelligent and quick-witted since childhood. His judgments are quite credible. I think we can give the last plan a try."

Man Chong's statement made Cao Cao nod repeatedly, but in the end he asked, "If Liu Zisheng really intends to target Hanoi, as Sima Zhongda said, how should I respond?"

Several trusted confidants fell silent. After a while, a clear voice rang out.

“You may agree to this, my lord.”

The speaker was Xun Yu.

Xun Yu continued, “The world is now divided into three, with Yuan Shao being the strongest, Liu Bei and his son next, and you, my lord, being the weakest. Only when the two strong contend for power can you benefit from it. Otherwise, whether you help Yuan or Liu, you will only be a pawn to wear down your opponent.”

Cao Cao's expression turned serious. Xun Yu's words struck a chord with him, and he began to concentrate intently. Not only Cao Cao, but also Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren became solemn, eager to hear Xun Yu's solution to this problem.

Xun Yu continued, "Although we do not know the reason now, General Zuo is determined to fight Yuan Shao to the death. Your Excellency should not only not obstruct him, but should also go with the flow to support General Zuo's intentions. This is the best course of action."

Cao Cao suddenly realized that Xun Yu meant that if Liu Feng intended to concentrate a large army in Hanoi, then he would inevitably have to fight a decisive battle with Yuan Shao.

This is actually quite easy to understand. Hanoi is only a few dozen miles away from Ye City, and even including the part that was occupied by Yuan Shao, it is only a hundred miles away.

This distance is practically the same as being right next to a bed.

As long as Liu Feng deploys a large force in Hanoi, even if he doesn't make a move, Yuan Shao will have to take the initiative to force him to act. Otherwise, Yuan Shao and everyone in Ye City will not be able to sleep peacefully.

Cao Cao nodded slowly, inwardly agreeing with Xun Yu's opinion. If Liu Feng dared to send a large force into Hanoi, then the rest would be out of his control.

By then, even if Liu Feng wanted to stop or control the scale of the battle, it would be impossible.

Cao Cao stroked his short beard and confirmed, "In Wenruo's opinion, I should do my utmost to make this happen?"

"No."

Xun Yu shook his head in disagreement: "In my opinion, Your Excellency should respond even if you want to refuse. If we are correct, the Left General will take the initiative."

"What do you all think of Wenruo's opinion?"

Cao Cao did not agree immediately, but instead consulted Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Man Chong, and Cao Ang who were present. The other four thought about it carefully and felt that Xun Yu's opinion was excellent and had nothing wrong with it, and nodded in agreement one after another.

Seeing that his son and confidants all agreed, Cao Cao made up his mind: "Since that's the case, let's decide according to Wenruo's wishes for now. If there are other situations, we'll discuss them again later."

"Here!"

Everyone bowed and accepted.

After everyone had left, Cao Cao remained seated, stroking his short beard as he pondered.

He had a thought in his mind, but no one mentioned it.

If Liu Feng's troops were stationed in Hanoi, and Chenliu provided Liu Feng with a supply line, would Cao Cao still have a place in Hanoi if Liu Feng managed to gain a foothold?
Moreover, if Hanoi were lost, Cao Cao's western territories would be completely cut off from Yuan Shao's. It seems like a good thing now, but if things change in the future, such as Cao Cao and Liu Bei turning against each other, then it might not be a good thing.

But none of the people present mentioned this point. It might be true that Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren couldn't see it, but how could Cao Cao believe that Xun Yu, Man Chong, Sima Yi, and others also couldn't see it?

Cao Cao's gaze was deep and unfathomable. After a long while, he finally got up and left the hall.

(End of this chapter)