The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 117 Cao Cao’s army is advancing rapidly, go to ask Lord Xuande for help!

Cao Cao spilled the medicine and became furious.

Everyone was shocked and could not understand what it meant.

Cao Hong whispered to Cao Ren who was standing beside him:

"Why is my lord so angry?"

Cao Ren sighed and explained:

"Before this, when Man Boning was sent as an envoy to Xuzhou, Cao Gong wanted to recommend Li Ziyu as the prime minister of Chen State, and even sent him angelica sinensis to show his affection."

"and then?"

Cao Hong asked with his eyes wide open.

"Li Ziyu refused to come to Chen State to take up his post and returned a gift to the lord."

"what gift?"

“…Live alone.”

Cao Ren smiled helplessly.

Well.

No wonder Cao Gong was so angry when he saw Duhuo.

Cao Hong slapped his head and hummed:
"What a fool! Lord Cao has always been unconventional in employing people."

"Li Yi is just a country bumpkin, how dare he be so arrogant?"

Who says it's not...

Cao Ren also thought it made sense. In his opinion, Boss Cao was sincere enough.

Who would have thought that this kid would rather follow a mat weaver and shoe seller than follow the son of the former Three Dukes.

At this time, Xun Yu walked quickly into the hall.

"Mingsir, we have received military reports that Xiahou Yuan's front troops have successfully captured Yongqiu."

"Zhang Chao and his family have all been captured by our army."

Zhang Chao was Zhang Miao's younger brother and the former governor of Guangling. He also participated in the coalition against Dong Zhuo.

When Zhang Miao joined forces with Chen Gong to rebel against Cao Cao, Zhang Chao also participated.

When Cao Cao heard that Zhang Chao had been captured, he immediately gave the order:

"Behead Zhang Chao and his three clansmen in public as a warning to others!"

"This……"

Xun Yu frowned, "Mingsir, the Zhang family is a prominent family in Yanzhou. If we kill the entire family, I'm afraid that the people of all ethnic groups in Yanzhou will panic."

It was Cao Cao's killing of the famous Yanzhou scholar Bian Rang that intensified the panic among the various ethnic groups in Yanzhou.

Now they are going to exterminate the three clans of Zhang, which may cause complete enmity with all the clans in Yanzhou.

Cao Cao said angrily:

"It was these noble families who joined forces with Lu Bu to rebel against me, otherwise I would have taken Xuzhou by now."

"Why should we withdraw our troops in a hurry? We are trapped in a county by Lu Bu!"

"Since they can't tolerate me, how can I tolerate their continued rebellion?"

As long as I kill them all, they won't be able to betray me, right?

Cao Cao thought so.

"Where is Zhang Mengzhuo? Where is he now?"

When mentioning the traitor Zhang Miao, Cao Cao felt mixed emotions and didn't know what to say.

Xun Yu bowed and replied:

"After Zhang Miao was defeated, he wanted to go to Shouchun to seek help from Yuan Shu."

"On the way, he was killed by his own people."

"We have found his head, but we don't know where his body is."

Humph.

Cao Cao snorted, "This boy betrayed me, his death is not a pity."

"What about his family members..." Xun Yu asked tentatively.
"Of course it is also among those three tribes!"

Cao Cao did not hesitate at all. Since he had said he would exterminate the three clans of the Zhang family, he had to do it.

As Yuan Shao's younger brother, Yuan Shao had asked him to kill Zhang Miao before.

Cao Cao took into account their childhood friendship and made a decision that went against his elder brother's will and refused to kill Zhang Miao.

Unexpectedly, his sincerity was met with indifference and he was betrayed by Zhang Miao, almost losing the foundation of his life.

Now Cao Cao had no more scruples and decisively ordered the extermination of the entire clan.

It is also a good opportunity to give an explanation to big brother Yuan Shao.

"Where is Lu Bu? Where is he now?"

Cao Cao continued to ask.

"Since being defeated by you last time in Dingtao, Lü Bu has fled south."

In the Battle of Dingtao, Cao Cao won his greatest victory over Lu Bu.

He first asked the soldiers to rush to harvest the wheat, and left the women to guard the low wall of the castle.

When Lü Bu led his troops, he thought Cao Cao was treacherous and did not dare to advance.

As a result, Cao Cao harvested all the wheat, and real soldiers were sent to guard the place the next day.

Lu Bu was regretting not launching an attack yesterday, so this time he led his troops directly in to charge.

Unexpectedly, the ambush troops immediately rushed out from the levee, and the infantry and cavalry charged together and defeated Lu Bu's main force.

Not only did they capture Lu Bu's Guche Camp, but they also captured Lu Bu's Dingtao.

This was Lu Bu's biggest defeat against Cao Cao in Yanzhou.

Lu Bu was seriously injured and his defeat was inevitable.

It's only a matter of time before he is defeated.

It is indeed as Cheng Yu and Xun Yu said, Lu Bu is just a one-man army and is not a cause for concern.

"Will you continue to send troops to pursue Lu Bu?"

Xun Yu asked Cao Cao for his opinion to see whether he should pursue the victory.

"No!"

Cao Cao rejected this proposal, saying, "Lü Bu is already a lost dog, he can't cause any trouble."

"In my opinion, we should develop towards Yuzhou now!"

Cao Cao exterminated Zhang Miao's entire clan. It seemed like he had lost his mind, but in fact he had already made up his mind.

He thought that since he had already torn relations with all the ethnic groups in Yanzhou, he might as well just throw the jar into the ground.

Move the seat of government directly to Yuzhou.

The population of Yuzhou is as high as over six million.

Runan County, in particular, had a population of over two million, making it the second largest county in the world.

Yuzhou also has an excellent geographical location. Both Cao Cao in history and Deng Ai and Sima Yi in later generations established military farms here.

Because there are many rivers here, from the Yellow River to the Yangtze River, there is water transportation from Guanzhong to the coast.

This gave Yuzhou, the "center of the world", an extremely high political and military status.

At the same time, the largest families in Yuzhou

They are the Cao family and the Xiahou family of Pei, the Yuan family of Runan, and the Xun family of Yingchuan.

The Cao, Xiahou, and Xun families are all Cao Cao's people, so he can completely shift his strategic focus to Yuzhou.

"What do you think?"

Cao Cao asked for everyone's opinions.

Xun Yu was the first to stand up and express his position:
"Yanzhou is now in ruins, the population has dropped sharply, and people's livelihood is in decline."

"Yuzhou is not ruled by any powerful forces. It is indeed a place sent by heaven!"

Cao Ren also made an opinion:
"As you said, Lü Bu is already a lost dog, so there is no need to worry about him."

"The day before yesterday, Liu Bei appointed Chen Gui as the governor of Pei, and ordered Zhang Fei to march into Lu."

"Its ambition to get involved in Yuzhou is already obvious. It would be better for us to quickly capture Yuzhou now."

"Only by controlling Yan with Yu can we achieve the goal of becoming a king and a hegemon."

From a strategic perspective, Cao Cao could only expand towards Yuzhou.

He certainly couldn't defeat Yuan Shao in the north, nor did he dare to do so.

Historically, after Cao Cao pacified Yanzhou, he once wanted to try to develop in the direction of Hebei.

As a result, Benchu immediately recorded it in his notebook, and later fabricated it into a crime before the Battle of Guandu and wrote it into the "Exhortation to Punish Bandits".

As for Liu Bei in the east, he had just signed a ceasefire agreement with him, so it would not be a good idea to break off relations with him right away.

Besides, Liu Bei is not easy to deal with now.

There is no need to consider the Sili region in the west.

The place had long been ravaged by Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and other warlords.

The people fled, the farmland was deserted, and it was like a no-man's land.

There was no profit to be made, so the economy did not support Cao Cao's expansion to the west.

Therefore, heading south to Yuzhou is the only option.

There are no powerful princes here who can stop me.

By controlling Yuzhou at the same time, we can threaten Jingzhou and Yangzhou in the south.

You can also bypass Hanoi and enter Sili to open up the situation in one fell swoop.

on the contrary,

If Yuzhou was controlled by a powerful person, such as Liu Bei, Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, etc.

Then Cao Cao was blocked in Yanzhou, surrounded by enemies and with no way out.

"Okay, let's use this strategy!"

"Which of the counties in Yuzhou do you think should come first?"

Cao Cao asked again.

Everyone exchanged glances. Although Yuzhou seemed vast in territory, in fact, there were not many directions for the troops to point their troops.

After all, Cao Cao had already given Pei and Lu to the east of Yuzhou to Liu Bei.

The only place left to choose from is the western part of Yuzhou.

Xun Yu took the initiative to stand up and explain his thoughts:

"Yingchuan is a place of outstanding people, rich resources and a large population."

"Besides, this place is located in the middle of Henan Province. There is the Yellow River in the north, but it is not too far away. We don't have to worry about floods caused by the Yellow River overflowing."

"To the west, there are high mountains and dangerous river passes such as Hulao Pass, and to the south, it leads to Nanyang, Xiangyang, Xincai and other places."

"This place is also a buffer zone between Liu Biao and the Central Plains forces. If Yingchuan is controlled, Liu Biao will lose his barrier."

"If we can make good use of the Huai River and Han River, we will have a huge advantage in both offense and defense!"

Xun Yu is worthy of being called a strategist of his generation, and he analyzed the geographical advantages of Yingchuan very clearly.

Of course, one thing he didn't say is that this is also his hometown.

The Xun family of Yingchuan is the top prominent family here.

Moving the seat of government to one's hometown was a huge boost to the family's status.

Although this was a little selfish of Xun Yu, there was indeed no better candidate for the seat of government in Yuzhou than Yingchuan.

This was a paradise for scholars and nobles, and most of Cao Cao's advisers came from Yingchuan.

At the same time, the land here is fertile and the population is large, making it very suitable for military farming.

"Liu Bei has now promoted military farming in Xuzhou to develop production."

"Within three to five years, Xuzhou's productivity will be restored to its original state, or even better."

Xun Yu confidently analyzed for Cao Cao, "Then your previous expedition to Xuzhou was in vain."

"Five years later, Liu Bei will be able to gather 100,000 infantry and cavalry in Xuzhou. How will you deal with it then?"

"Therefore, the strategy of cultivating farmland is imperative!"

Xun Yu was also always paying attention to the development of Xuzhou and saw that Liu Bei was engaged in large-scale military farming in Xuzhou.

He was also extremely anxious and advised Cao Cao to speed up the promotion of military farming.

"Yingchuan has fertile land and no strong enemies around."

"The only patient is the remnant of the Yellow Turbans."

"Most of these Yellow Turban bandits have families with them, and they farm and fight together."

"I think they have a lot of farming equipment. We only need to send a small force to take it for our own use."

"Then we can use the method of using cattle to transport grain, and try planting it in Yingchuan first, if it proves to be feasible."

“Then we will expand it to the entire state.”

Cao Cao was overjoyed when he heard this, and stepped forward, holding Xun Yu's hand, and said:

"Wen Ruozhen is a talent who can assist the king."

"What you think is exactly what I think!"

I don’t want to play with you, Master Cao, in Yanzhou anymore. Run is going to Yuzhou.

This was the strategy Cao Cao began to plan after being betrayed.

"Pass my order, mobilize the army immediately and prepare to attack the State of Chen!"

Cao Cao didn't take any rest and was eager to march into Yuzhou.

However, the first target he sent troops to was not Yingchuan but the State of Chen next to Yingchuan.

Because the State of Chen divided Yuzhou into two halves, only by taking down the State of Chen could the army turn westward and head towards Yingchuan.

Another reason is that the State of Chen was very rich. It was said that the grain reserves there amounted to one million hu.

I'm sorry,

I, Cao, would rather let others down than be let down by others.

Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.

In troubled times, you have so much food stored in your hands, but you can't keep it.

Then don't blame me, Cao, for being cruel and ruthless.

Cao Cao immediately assembled 10,000 soldiers and prepared to attack the State of Chen.

……

……

There are two prime ministers in the State of Chen.
One was Luo Jun appointed by the court, and the other was Yuan Si appointed by Yuan Shu.

Yes, there is also a Skeleton King here, which shows how powerful Yuan Shu is.

Yuan Si occupied the western part of Chen State, while Luo Jun occupied the southern part of Chen State.

The northern region belonged to Chen Wang Liu Chong.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, princes had the right to eat fiefdoms.

That is, these princes can collect taxes in their own fiefdoms, eat, drink, and enjoy life.

But they did not have the power to manage their fiefdoms, govern the country or the people.

The administrative rights of a feudal state were usually handed over to the prime minister appointed by the imperial court.

In addition, the prime minister also has the power to supervise and correct some improper behaviors of the princes.

Therefore, the princes in the late Eastern Han Dynasty had a very low sense of presence and were usually suppressed by the prime ministers of their respective countries.

After all, he has no soldiers or power, so he dares not cause trouble.

But this King Chen Liu Chong is different. He is not only ambitious, but also does things in a high-profile manner.

As luck would have it, he happened to catch up with the game version and encountered the Han Dynasty which was in ruins.

When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, other officers and soldiers in the counties fled.

Only Liu Chong spent money to recruit soldiers in the country, and he gathered thousands of powerful crossbowmen.

In order to seek Liu Chong's protection, many people fled to the State of Chen.

As a result, the population of a small country like Chen suddenly increased by more than 100,000.

In addition, Prime Minister Luo Jun was very good at handling internal affairs, which made Chen State a prosperous place in Yuzhou.

The rumor about the storage of one million hu of grain is indeed true.

The State of Chen had so much grain that even Yuan Shu, who was far away in Huainan, came to borrow it.

The news that Cao Cao was about to send troops to the State of Chen was already reported by scouts to King Chen Liu Chong.

Liu Chong was shocked when he heard this, and immediately summoned Prime Minister Luo Jun to discuss the matter.

Because Luo Jun was appointed by the court and had outstanding abilities, Liu Chong had a better relationship with Luo Jun.

However, Yuan Si, the prime minister of Chen State appointed by Yuan Shu, was regarded as a traitor by the two.

"Cao Yanzhou is trying to put an end to the trouble caused by Lu Bu, but now he wants to attack our Chen State."

"How to do it?"

Liu Chong said worriedly.

Although he had thousands of elite soldiers under his command, they were no match for Cao Cao.

The State of Chen was still too small and too weak.

"Cao Cao is now very powerful, and there are few villains in our Chen State, so it is difficult to stop Cao's army."

"It is easy to be safe if you surrender, but it is hard to be safe if you fight..."

Luo Jun didn't have much confidence in facing Cao Cao's army.

Liu Chong sighed:
"However, when Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou for the second time, he killed many people along the way. The tragic scene is still vivid in our memory."

"If we welcome Cao Cao, I'm afraid it will bring disaster to the people of Chen."

"How can I feel at ease?"

Conquer Xuzhou... ?
Luo Jun narrowed his eyes and suddenly an idea came to him.

"I have heard that Liu Xuande of Xuzhou is a generous man, well-known for his benevolence and righteousness, and he is willing to share disasters and sufferings."

"In the past, the Yellow Turban bandit Guan Hai surrounded Beihai fiercely."

"Liu Xuande and Kong Beihai are not related or from the same hometown, but he is willing to help others in need."

"The State of Chen is now isolated and helpless, and in imminent danger."

"He is of the same clan as the king, so why don't you ask him for help?"

Xuzhou Liu Xuande?

Liu Chong put his hands behind his back and paced back and forth, as if thinking about something.

"Cao Cao's army is advancing rapidly, and Liu Xuande is far away in Xia Pi."

"I am afraid that distant water cannot quench a nearby fire."

Luo Jun comforted Liu Chong and said:
"I heard that Liu Xuzhou has appointed Chen Gui as the governor of Pei, and has also ordered people to lead troops to station in Lu."

"Even Liang Guogong is on good terms with Liu Xuzhou."

"It can be seen that its sphere of influence has already expanded to Yuzhou."

"As long as we send out fast cavalry, we can hold off Cao Cao's offensive before that."

"We can definitely hold out until Liu Xuzhou sends troops to help us."

Liu Chong followed his advice and immediately sent seven teams of fast cavalry to Xuzhou Xia Pi overnight.

Whoever arrives first will ask Liu Bei for help.

"Although Liu Bei has a reputation as a chivalrous man, it is not a good idea to entrust the safety of the entire country to one person."

Liu Chong frowned and thought carefully:

"Liang is adjacent to Chen. Since Cao Cao wants to invade our country, Liang will have a hard time defending itself."

"Why not ask Guo Gong for reinforcements now?"

"This road must come quickly."

After the discussion was finalized, Liu Chong said to Luo Jun:
"Please ask Lord Luo to go to Liang State in person and tell them that Guo Gong is sending troops to help."

This route of reinforcements has the best chance of coming, and it is also the closest.

Therefore, Liu Chong attached great importance to it and directly sent Prime Minister Luo Jun to Liang State to find Guo Gong.

Luo Jun was carrying out the king's orders and dared not neglect them.

He took a dozen followers with him and rode at full speed to Liang State.

Fortunately, the two countries are close to each other, so it only took half a day to arrive.

When Guo Gong heard that it was the Prime Minister of Chen who had come in person, he hurriedly summoned him.

After the two sides exchanged greetings, they sat down as host and guest.

"Cao Cao's army is advancing rapidly, so the King of Chen sent me to ask you for help."

"Please, sir, save our Lord for the sake of our country's past assistance with food and fodder!"

Didn’t Guo Gong suffer from food shortage before?
He led his troops to Yanzhou and Xuzhou successively, extorting Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

In the end, they returned empty-handed and retreated without even fighting.

In the end, it was Prince of Chen Liu Chong who took the initiative to provide food and fodder to Guo Gong, which enabled him to survive.

"This……"

Faced with Luo Jun's request for help, Guo Gong looked embarrassed.

He dared to attack Cao Cao before because Cao Cao was not there and his home was stolen by Lu Bu.

Cao Cao only had two cities left before he dared to lead his men north.

In the end, he was persuaded to give up after a verbal attack from Xun Yu.

Now that Cao Cao has largely put down the rebellion in Yanzhou, how can Guo Gong engage in a direct military battle with him?

"This is difficult..."

Guo Gong stood with his hands behind his back, not knowing how to respond to Luo Jun.

Luo Jun argued, saying:
"Liang is adjacent to Chen. If Chen is lost, Liang will also be hard to protect itself."

"Don't you know that the lips and teeth are cold when they are gone?"

"Besides, Cao Cao is a man who will never give up even the slightest grudge. Do you think Cao Cao will forget the revenge you inflicted on Yanzhou last year?"

Luo Jun pointed out the key point incisively and made clear the position that Guo Gong could choose.

That means we can only be on the same side as the Chen State.

You attacked them last year, so they are definitely seeking revenge on you.

My Chen State is rich, and your Liang State has many soldiers.

If our two families cooperate, perhaps we can resist Cao Cao for a while longer.

But if you don't come to my rescue, my Chen State will be destroyed and you will be the next one.

This statement is well-reasoned and very inflammatory.

Even Guo Gong, a man who values his life while doing great things, finds this reasonable.

“…Okay.”

"Since the King of Chen has asked me for help, how can I stand by and watch him die without helping him?"

"But Cao Cao is so powerful that we may not be able to defeat him with the troops of our two countries."

"Wait for me to write a letter to ask Liu Xuzhou for help."

Guo Gong had reached a verbal agreement with Liu Bei and was willing to become a vassal of Xuzhou.

There was no reason for Liu Bei to just watch him die.

……

(End of this chapter)