My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 97 Cao Cao's Thoughts

These officials immediately changed their tune. Those who had been shouting earlier were now trembling with fear, and those who had begged for mercy were now as soft as tofu.

“I have told you all before that military settlements are a form of military law.”

Liu Feng walked up to these scoundrels: "What is the punishment for embezzling military rations and cutting back on food supplies?"

"He shall be cut in half at the waist! His family fortune shall be confiscated and deposited into the government treasury."

Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang answered loudly.

Liu Feng nodded: "Do you all plead guilty?"

The corrupt officials looked at each other in bewilderment. They wanted to beg for mercy, but the evidence was overwhelming, and they were also subject to military law. None of them dared to confess their crimes so easily.

But if you want to deny it, there's really no way to argue your way out.

"Now that you are all aware of your crimes, you may set off on your journey."

Liu Feng waved his hand and said, "Drag him out and execute him."

When the corrupt officials saw that Liu Feng was really going to make a move, they were terrified.

Some people screamed and begged for mercy, offering to return all the grain they had embezzled, while others shouted that they had powerful backers and hoped Liu Feng would have some reservations.

But at this point, how could Liu Feng possibly hold back? Besides, he deeply hated these people and wished he could skin them alive to vent his anger.

These beasts are withholding food rations from the people at this time, delaying spring planting and causing countless elderly people and children to starve to death before the summer harvest.

These living human lives are probably less valuable than a penny in the eyes of these beasts.

Since that's the case, Liu Feng wants to let these beasts know that their lives are truly worth less than a penny. This will also serve as a warning to the other beasts to hide their claws and not touch what they shouldn't, or they'll chop off their heads too.

The next day, thirty-six heads were hung on the city wall of Xiangben County.

Meanwhile, the official document was sent directly to Tancheng. After reading it, Liu Bei immediately approved it, ordering the confiscation of all the people's property and the loss of all their wealth into the treasury.

There were those below who wanted to plead for leniency, and some even dared to impeach Liu Feng for being cruel and bloodthirsty. However, Chen Deng and Mi Zhu jointly suppressed these people, preventing them from causing the slightest ripple.

Gu Jiang stood at the village entrance, queuing to receive the remaining 1.2 shi of grain. Looking at the young men distributing the grain, he couldn't help but think of the young master from a few days ago.

For the first time, Gu Jiang felt that not all men in the world were bad-hearted, and that there were even kind-hearted gentlemen among them.

After killing these corrupt officials, Liu Feng returned all the power over the military farms and the command of the young men to Lu Su, and then retreated to his military camp to train Xu Sheng's troops day and night.

It was only then that Lu Su realized that Liu Feng was not challenging him for power at all, but rather acting as a shield for him and handling the most difficult and troublesome matter.

Moreover, with Liu Feng's massacre, in which he beheaded thirty-six corrupt officials in one fell swoop, the work in the other two counties became much easier, and the shortage of money and grain reappeared, so Lu Su no longer needed to spend time investigating.

The news from Xiangben County quickly spread to Cheng County and Lanling County.

Not long after, the farmers who settled there were pleasantly surprised to find that the government had issued a second batch of food rations, the amount of which was exactly the amount that had been shortchanged before. At the same time, the losses that had been deducted during the last distribution of food rations were also made up.

The villagers who settled there hailed him as an upright official, and every household deeply remembered Liu Bei, the new governor. People said: "My parents gave me life, but Governor Liu raised me."

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In the second year of Xingping (195 AD), in Dong'e County, Dongjun, Yanzhou.

Cao Cao was working in the county government office.

Since October of last year, Cao Cao had already moved his troops from Juancheng to Dong'e County.

It wasn't that he particularly liked Dong'e County, nor that Dong'e County was more important than Juancheng, but rather that Juancheng was simply out of food.

At this point, Cheng Li stepped forward and said that Dong'e County had grain. He even signed a military pledge, which prompted Cao Cao to move his troops from Juancheng to Dong'e County. Cheng Li did indeed produce the grain.

Although there was a considerable amount of grain, Cao Cao still had tens of thousands of troops under his command at this time.

Just when everyone thought there wasn't enough food, Cheng Li miraculously produced a lot of dried meat. As for the source of this dried meat, it was of course all kinds of animal meat. However, later, Wei Jin Shi Yu, whether he was slandering Cheng Li or had really obtained some information, actually said that this batch of dried meat was mixed with dried meat made by someone.

However, at least at this time, there was no such saying, and everyone used it as ordinary dried meat. Cheng Li had made another great contribution to Cao Cao.

Just then, Xun Yu told Cao Cao about how Cheng Yu, in his youth, often dreamed of climbing Mount Tai and holding the sun in his hands. Upon hearing this, Cao Cao became interested and specially asked Cheng Li to add the character "sun" to the character "Li" and change his name to Cheng Yu.

Cheng Li gladly agreed and from then on changed his name to Cheng Yu.

At the same time, Cheng Yu was rewarded for his merits and was appointed by Cao Cao as the Chancellor of Dongping, in charge of Cao Cao's army's intelligence work.

On this day, Cao Cao was pondering the war after the spring when Cheng Li came to see him.

Cao Cao dared not neglect him and invited him in.

At present, the most useful person by Cao Cao's side is Xun Yu. He is called Cao Cao's Xiao He and is the number two figure in the entire Cao army faction. He is mainly responsible for the operation of the government and the overall strategic direction.

The ingenious strategies in the details were mainly handled by Xi Zhicai, who was more like Cao Cao's military advisor.

The remaining one was Cheng Yu. He was more versatile, but Cao Cao relied more on his intelligence skills and entrusted him with some of the Cao army's intelligence agents.

Previously, because Cao Cao's army was short of food, Cheng Yu devised a plan to kidnap Mi Zhu to coerce Xuzhou into sending grain.

The Mi family is large and powerful, and Mi Zhu is the head of the family. If we can capture him, it should be easy to extort tens of thousands of shi of grain from him.

That would make the war much smoother after spring.

In present-day Yanzhou, whether it was Cao Cao or Lü Bu, the most scarce resource was food.

Last October, the price of grain in Yanzhou even reached a terrifying 500,000 coins per shi (a unit of dry measure) of millet.

This is more than two thousand times the price of millet during normal season.

In order to maintain his army, Cao Cao had to dismiss all the new recruits and had to live like a beggar, running around to the various counties under his jurisdiction, eating a few meals here and a few more there.

If it weren't for his elder brother Yuan Shao sending him several thousand bushels of grain, he really wouldn't have been able to hold on much longer.

So when Cao Cao first heard Cheng Yu's plan, he was quite interested and even gave him some pointers. He thought that even a few thousand more shi of grain would make his life much easier, let alone tens of thousands of shi.

However, Cao Hong proved to be utterly incompetent, and Liu Bei saw through his plan, eliminating him completely and even taking down a spy team he had placed outside Tancheng County.

Cao Cao had a round face and a short beard. He was short but sturdy, and his bright eyes gleamed from beneath his eyelids, occasionally flashing with a sharp light. His imposing presence was astonishing. Even when he was simply sitting cross-legged on his couch, he exuded the aura of a tiger crouching and a dragon coiling, making anyone who saw him want to submit to him.

At first glance, Cao Cao and Liu Bei actually look somewhat alike, both belonging to the type that can easily win people's favor.

However, upon closer inspection, the two are still different. Cao Cao's elegance and nobility are mixed with a touch of chivalry, while Liu Bei's chivalry is hidden within his gentleness and kindness.

The two share a chivalrous spirit, but differ in their backgrounds.

Perhaps it was this shared chivalrous spirit that made Cao Cao admire Liu Bei throughout his life and try his best to win him over, but ultimately failed.

Many people think that Liu Bei was too ambitious, but that's not the case. If Liu Bei was really too ambitious and unwilling to be subordinate to others, why would he have gone to help Yuan Shao and risked his life fighting guerrilla warfare in Cao Cao's base?

During this period of guerrilla warfare, he escaped alone several times, which shows how dangerous it was.

It can only be said that Liu Bei was more aware than Cao Cao, realizing that Cao Cao would never tolerate him, which is why he was so determined to oppose Cao Cao.

"Xuande has improved."

Disappointment flashed across Cao Cao's face for a moment, then he burst into laughter: "To be able to see through Zhongde's scheme, I am truly impressed!"

Cheng Yu's thin face was expressionless, as if he wasn't the one who had failed.

Upon hearing Cao Cao's words, he added, "Liu Xuande probably doesn't have this ability. According to reports from our spies, Liu Bei has recently recruited many scholars, among whom there should be some with real talent."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao simply nodded without expressing his opinion.

In fact, both Cao Cao and Cheng Yu believed that this plan was an open scheme.

Because Liu Bei and his men had no access to news from the west, they were unaware of the chaos in Guanzhong.

Furthermore, this strategy was designed specifically to address Liu Bei's unstable authority and his eagerness to consolidate his own power, thus catering to his desires.

Unexpectedly, Liu Bei did not fall for the trap.

Could it be that some strategist has joined his ranks and seen through his scheme?

Cao Cao couldn't help but feel displeased. Liu Bei's background was so humble, and the reason he was able to take control of Xu Province was because of Cao Cao's influence.

Why can't talented people see this point?
Wouldn't it be ten times better to serve me than Liu Bei?
Cao Cao suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable anger. After a moment, he suppressed his anger and ordered, "In that case, Zhongde can send someone to Tancheng again to collect information on the people that Xuande is recruiting, for future reference."

"Yes."

Cheng Yu respectfully accepted the order.

Then Cheng Yu spoke up again: "My lord, it seems that Liu Bei is preparing to establish military farms."

"Town farms?" Cao Cao asked in surprise, "There's so much grain in Xuzhou?"

Cao Cao's capable ministers and advisors had long ago proposed to him the establishment of military farms.

However, in practice, it was found that there were too many problems.

Leaving aside supplies such as money, grain, oxen, and farm tools, Yanzhou is densely populated, and outsiders have nowhere to stand. Where would you find any wasteland to cultivate?
Previously, Cao Cao had recruited 300,000 Qingzhou soldiers, and with their families, the number reached as high as one million.

To settle these people, he forced local powerful families in Yanzhou to relinquish some of their land and plundered the treasuries of the prefecture, county, and county governments before he was finally able to settle them.

Otherwise, the Qingzhou army would have rebelled long ago, so how could they still be loyal to him?

Fortunately, after the rebellion in Yanzhou, the Qingzhou army did not follow suit. Although their combat strength was rather weak, and they were easily defeated by Lu Bu's army, almost causing Cao Cao's death, their loyalty was not a major issue.

For the first time, Cheng Yu frowned on his expressionless face. After hesitating for a moment, he replied, "According to the investigation, the Mi family provided 120,000 shi of grain and several million coins worth of supplies. There are rumors that the Mi family wants to marry their younger sister to Liu Bei's eldest son."

"Xuande's eldest son? Is his name Liu Feng? The one who was raised in our hometown of Zhuozhou?"

Cao Cao seemed to remember this young man; he had heard Yuan Shao mention him when they communicated before.

It is said that this young fellow named Liu Feng was precocious and had quite a reputation in the north. It is also said that Gongsun Zan helped him spread his good name.

"This is the boy. It is said in the north that he knew how to be filial to his parents at the age of six. His stories of carrying oranges and lying on ice to catch carp are well-known."

Cao Cao clicked his tongue: "How lucky Liu Bei is. He had a son but never cared for him since he was a child, yet he still managed to make such a name for himself."

Cao Cao was originally very satisfied with his son, Cao Ang.

Although born to a concubine, his birth mother died early, and he was raised by Cao Cao's principal wife, Lady Ding, from a young age. He can be considered Cao Cao's eldest legitimate son.

This child was intelligent and sensible from a young age, filial and respectful, and skilled in both literature and martial arts. He was proficient in classical studies, horseback riding, and archery. Two years ago, he was recommended as a candidate for the civil service examination by his close friend Zhang Miao, the prefect of Chenliu.

With such a legitimate eldest son, Cao Cao was once very proud, feeling that he had no worries about the future.

Although his son was still young and had not experienced war, Cao Ang was in no way inferior to Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang of the Yuan family in other aspects. In fact, he was humble, respectful to his elders, and loving to his brothers.

Compared to the estranged Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, Cao Ang was even worse.

But today he felt something was off.

Why is it that my precious son was only recommended for the civil service examination at the age of twenty through his friend Zhang Miao, and now Zhang Miao has turned against me, and the two sides are in a life-or-death situation?

Liu Bei's son, on the other hand, easily became famous in the north without even expending any political resources.

Cao Cao knew this all too well; among Liu Bei's close friends, who didn't know his limited resources?

Who would believe that Gongsun Bogui would use his political resources for Liu Da'er's son?

Gongsun Bogui merely went with the flow, gave it a push, and offered a small helping hand.

More likely, Gongsun Bogui recognized the child's excellence and wanted to plant the tree in advance so that his descendants could enjoy its shade.

"How come this Liu Da'er is so lucky?"

Cao Cao grew angrier the more he thought about it, and couldn't help but recall last year: "He seized Xuzhou without lifting a finger last year, it was too easy for him!"

It would be a lie to say that Cao Cao didn't regret his actions at that moment.

He had become far too arrogant in the previous two years. He drove out Tian Kai, Liu Bei, and Shan Jing in the north, defeated the Yellow Turbans and Tao Qian in the east, who returned to Xu in a sorry state, and attacked Yuan Shu in the south, who fled in panic. He had won one battle after another, and the morale of his army had reached its peak. He seemed poised to conquer the Central Plains.

In this situation, he actually learned the strategy of stopping the war with killing, and ordered that once the city was surrounded from all sides, no one would be allowed to surrender and the entire city would be slaughtered!

This is an extremely beastly act, utterly devoid of conscience.

The meaning of "slaughter" in Cao Cao's context is different from that of "slaughter" in most historical texts.

In fact, many massacres in history did not actually kill all the people in the city. Rather, it was a systematic looting by the army, confiscating all the city's financial resources and materials, and not just killing people.

Even if a city is massacred without the sword being sheathed, the purpose is still looting and sexual assault. Although there are killings, most soldiers' goal is still money and women, not killing.

However, Cao Cao's massacre of the city was a true massacre; not a single person in the entire city was spared.

That's why the Si River dried up, and Pengcheng was deserted for miles around, with only withered bones scattered everywhere.

Cao Cao's original intention was to subdue the enemy with terror, and his true intention may have been to slaughter one city to save a hundred cities, using "minor evil" to do "great good".

But the result was that he learned it terribly, which led to horrific tragedies, and his army became corrupted.

After all, the impact of battlefield fighting and massacre on an army is completely different.

If massacres become too frequent, the military will truly become demonized.

Cao Jun later lacked loyalty to the Cao family, and the Sima family easily seized control of the central army in Luoyang. Almost no generals shed blood for the Cao family, and the seeds of this conflict were likely sown at this time.

Compared to Cao Wei, the central army of the Han Dynasty had a much higher level of trust and loyalty to the Liu family.

Zhou Bo was able to suppress the Lü clan and restore the Han dynasty by simply siding with Liu Bei.

Zhang Biao, with just over a thousand imperial guards, forced Liang Ji to commit suicide, allowing Emperor Huan to assume personal rule.

It's a huge joke that Sima Yi was able to seize military power from the Cao family with just the Gaopingling Incident.

If Cao Cao had a chance to regret it, he certainly wouldn't have done the same foolish thing he did in Xuzhou last year, but now it's too late for regrets.

“Zhongde, Liu Bei is nothing more than a poor man from the north. He has no trusted confidants and no clan support. He has only been in Xuzhou for a few months. What foundation does he have? He is just a figurehead put forward by many powerful clans in Xuzhou after Tao Qian’s death.”

"This person is bound to be outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and easily defeated."

Cao Cao became increasingly convinced of the validity of his idea: "If I were to attack Xuzhou first, I would surely achieve a swift and decisive victory. Once I have Xuzhou and its resources, I can turn around and annihilate Lü Bu and Zhang Miao, which would be twice as effective with half the effort."

A hint of helplessness flashed in Cheng Yu's eyes; his master seemed to be bewitched by Xuzhou.

If that's the case, why did you insist on going your own way last year, ignoring everyone's advice, and insist on turning Xuzhou into a bloodbath?

Even if you were to defeat Liu Bei now, you still wouldn't be able to control Xuzhou.

Don't you know how much hatred the people of Xuzhou have for you?

Stop comforting yourself.

Facing Cao Cao's eager gaze, Cheng Yu sighed inwardly, raised his head, and replied, "I believe your plan is feasible."

Cao Cao was overjoyed upon hearing this. Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, and Xi Zhicai had vehemently opposed it before, and even Xiahou Dun disagreed, which was why he had given up.

He had only coveted Xuzhou because he was jealous of Liu Bei's good fortune, but he didn't expect Cheng Yu to agree.

He couldn't help but ask, "Is what Zhongde said true?"

Cheng Yu said expressionlessly, "Of course it is true. How could I dare to deceive my lord? But before we carry out this plan, I humbly request that my lord do one thing first."

"What's the matter?"

Cao Cao jumped up with a chuckle, as if to say, "Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

Cheng Yu calmly said, "Before you implement this plan, please move all your family members and children to Ye City."

Cao Cao's smile froze instantly; he immediately understood the subtext of Cheng Yu's words.

Isn't this implying that if he doesn't send his family away sooner, it will be too late to do so after the defeat?
Cao Cao sighed helplessly. It turned out that Cheng Yu's attitude was still firmly against it; he was just advising him from a different angle.

Cao Cao's military talent was actually not very high; he was definitely not top-tier, and barely even T1.

To sum it up in one sentence, he was like Emperor Wu of Wei when he listened to advice, but like Cao Cao when he didn't.

Most of his key victories in life were won by listening to advice, while most of his defeats, including the one that killed three wise men with a single cannon shot, were lost because he refused to listen to advice.

Cao Cao sighed helplessly, but did not blame Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu showed no fear and stepped forward to report other intelligence, mainly the troop movements of the Lü Bu and Zhang Miao alliance.

At this time, Lü Bu took office as the governor of Yanzhou, and appointed Xue Lan as his chief advisor and Li Feng as his chief administrator. Both of them were local gentry leaders in Yanzhou and had great influence.

They were dispatched by Lü Bu to key cities, threatening Cao Cao's flanks.

Xi Zhicai and Cheng Yu wanted to first deal with Juye County, which was occupied by the two men, but Cao Cao did not listen. He wanted to take Dingtao, the governor of Jiyin, first, because Dingtao had grain.

The two began discussing it again.

(End of this chapter)