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

Chapter 47: The Frightened Cao Bao

That night, the moon was bright and the wind was clear.

Cao Bao walked in the camp, pacing back and forth.

Ever since Liu Bei took over as governor of Xuzhou, Cao Bao's position has been awkward.

After Liu Bei took office, he conferred official titles on a large scale, except for his own direct military generals.

Even Mi Zhu and Chen Deng were taken into consideration.

Mi Zhu retained his post as deputy driver, and Chen Deng was transferred to be the governor of Guangling.

All of Tao Qian's old ministers were taken care of, except for him, the veteran general who commanded the Danyang soldiers, who was marginalized.

The roles played in Xuzhou are getting smaller and smaller, which is not a good sign.

Cao Bao was worried that he might be purged by Liu Bei's group one day.

"Hey, General, don't hesitate!"

Xu Dan came over at this time and said, "If you continue to stay in Xuzhou, you will be killed by Liu Bei sooner or later. It's better to go back to your hometown in Danyang!"

"You think things are too simple!"

Cao Bao frowned and rejected Xu Dan's proposal.

Xu Dan was extremely anxious. As the saying goes, the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit.

The Danyang faction had always been Liu Bei's mortal enemy and lost to him in the struggle for power in Xuzhou.

They have already lost the chance to turn the tables.

What made the Danyang generals even more frightened was that Liu Bei did not punish them after taking office.

They were neither promoted nor harmed.

Just leave it like this and deal with it coldly.

This is the most terrible.

Because people are naturally afraid of the unknown.

You said they wanted to rebel, but Liu Bei didn't do anything to them, so their rebellion was without a name and they lost the support of the people.

You say just wait and see, but you're worried that Liu Bei will purge them at any time, so just sit and wait for death.

So these days, Cao Bao and others have been living a miserable life, feeling like they are sitting on pins and needles and having a thorn in their back.

After thinking it over, Xu Dan came up with a good idea:

"I'm afraid Xuzhou won't be able to accommodate us. It's better to return to Danyang as soon as possible and not plan for anything big."

"General, don't hesitate any longer!"

Cao Bao frowned and sighed:
"You only know one side of the story, but not the other. You only know the surface, but not the inside."

"It has been seven years since our Danyang generals followed Lord Tao into Xuzhou in the fifth year of Zhongping."

"Many officers and soldiers got married and had children in Xuzhou, and started families and careers."

"Seven years have passed, and things and people have changed. How can Danyang allow us to wait?"

"Besides, if we really go back, the soldiers' families are still in Xuzhou. In less than two years, everyone will want to go home, and our army will disperse!"

Cao Bao has been an officer for so many years and has become a seasoned veteran.

To put it very clearly, although they call themselves the Danyang School, it is only because they are from Danyang.

Danyang today is no longer the Danyang of the past. The soldiers have wives, children and elderly relatives in Xuzhou. If they leave rashly, it will definitely disrupt the morale of the army.

Unless you have a charm like Liu Bei, from north to south, there will be a lot of people following you through life and death everywhere in the world.

"Ugh!"

Xu Dan sighed:
"In this case, why not go to Yuan Shao in the north, or Yuan Shu in the south, and cooperate with them? Maybe we can retake Xuzhou!"

Cao Bao smiled bitterly and said:
"How can you benefit from seeking food from a tiger? One Cao Cao is enough for Xuzhou to bear. If the two Yuans are involved, I am afraid that the soldiers and civilians of Xuzhou will not be able to escape the disaster again."

Having lived in Xuzhou for so many years, Cao Bao still has deep feelings for the city.

Xu Dan said loudly:

"If the two Yuan brothers are fierce tigers, then Liu Bei is a smiling tiger. The generals in the army have been in a state of panic these days, fearing that they will lose their heads one day."

"Now that Lord Tao is dead, Lord Cao will be our general, and we will all be your soldiers."

"You can't hesitate on such an important matter!"

Cao Bao felt the heavy responsibility on his shoulders and rubbed his temple with his hand.

"It is precisely because you have entrusted your lives to me that I must be more cautious and not take risks lightly."

"Since the setback at Pengcheng, our army has suffered heavy losses. We are definitely no match for Liu Bei."

"Don't act rashly at this moment!"

Even Cao Bao in history had to bring Lu Bu into the group before he dared to rebel when Liu Bei was away.

And even so, he was traded one for one by Zhang Fei.

How could Cao Bao, who was now isolated and helpless and whose vitality was weakened, dare to act rashly?

Just as Cao Bao was arguing with the other generals, a soldier suddenly came to report that Liu Shijun's military advisor had arrived. "Military advisor?"

"It's Mr. Li, right?"

When Cao Bao heard the news of Li Yi's arrival, he was excited and a little scared.

What is exciting is that Liu Bei's group finally responded. Li Yi is Liu Bei's trusted minister, and Liu Bei must have sent him for some important arrangement.

But they were vaguely afraid that Li Yi was here to deal with them, and felt a little uneasy.

Xu Dan's expression tightened, and he asked cautiously:
"How many people did he come to?"

The soldier replied:
"Only about ten people."

call……

Upon hearing the news, Cao Bao and Xu Dan both breathed a sigh of relief.

"In that case, please come in quickly and don't neglect Mr. Li."

Cao Bao knew that Li Yi had no ill intentions, so he let down his guard.

"slow!"

Cao Bao immediately stopped the soldier and said, "Let me go and meet him myself!"

He turned around and winked at Xu Dan, who understood and waved to the Danyang generals behind him.

All the generals followed Cao Bao and left the camp together.

He ran into Li Yi head on.

Not to mention, ever since he put on the crane cloak prepared for him by Liu Bei.

He is indeed graceful and elegant, with a dignified bearing, like a god.

As soon as Cao Baofang stepped out of the camp gate, he saw more than ten ox carts loaded with goods.

The soldiers were unloading the goods from the ox carts one by one.

This is……?
The generals in Danyang looked at each other, none of them knowing what this meant.

Cao Bao straightened his back, straightened his mind, strode forward, and bowed respectfully to Li Yi:
"General Cao Bao, I am honored to meet you, sir."

Li Yi immediately bowed in return:

"General Cao is an important official in Xuzhou and a hero in defeating Cao Cao. Please do not be too polite."

An important official of Xuzhou?
Hearing this, Cao Bao smiled awkwardly.

In terms of reputation, he is indeed considered an important official in Xuzhou.

But he was very clear that he had been politically marginalized.

He has not been able to participate in several important decisions made by Xuzhou’s top leaders recently.

"I wonder what advice you have for me, sir, coming here so late at night?" Cao Bao asked straight to the point.

Li Yi straightened up and answered loudly:
"I have prepared some beef and wine, and I have come to congratulate the General."

Congratulations… ?
Cao Bao frowned, even more confused.

Xu Dan was worried and went to check the goods on the ox cart quietly.

When he opened the bag, he saw that it was full of wheat and millet.

There are several carts of fine wine in the back.

This……

Xu Dan looked at Cao Bao somewhat at a loss.

Cao Bao finally believed that Li Yi had no ill intentions, so he bowed and said:
"Forgive me for being rude, it's cold outside, not the right place to talk."

"Please come to my camp for a chat, sir."

"So, sorry to bother you."

Li Yi followed Cao Bao into the military camp.

Cao Bao personally poured a cup of hot tea for Li Yi and handed it to him:
"The barracks are simple and there is no good tea."

"I hope you won't despise me, sir."

Li Yi took the teacup, but did not rush to drink it. Instead, he said jokingly:

"Yi thought he was diligent and hardworking, getting up early and returning late every day, and he did not dare to slack off."

"I didn't know what hardship was until I met General Cao."

"It is already late at night, but the general is still staying in the camp, suffering from the hardships of life."

"I really admire Yi."

Hearing this, Cao Bao tapped his toes on the ground in embarrassment, not daring to meet Li Yi's eyes.

……

　Thanks to my brother Sanbaikuaidamizhou for the 100-point reward. By the way, I ask my brothers to read it. It will be even better when it is put on the shelves!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)