binnovel Chapter 323 1 Unification
Chapter 323 1 Unification
Chapter 323 Unification
"We can't divide our forces."
Tian Feng said with a determined look, "If we want to kill Dong Zhuo as soon as possible, we must join forces! I heard that the court has agreed that Xuzhou Governor Liu Bei will lead his army to join forces with Cao Cao and will arrive soon."
Xu You's eyes changed slightly and he looked directly at Tian Feng.
He didn't even know this kind of news! Tian Feng was still loyal to the imperial court!
Tian Feng remained calm. His heart belonged to the court and he was also a member of the court. Everyone in the world knew this and there was no need to hide it.
Xu You's anger kept rising and he was extremely angry at Tian Feng.
The reason why he wanted to divide his troops was because he didn't care about destroying Dong Zhuo, or was not in a hurry to destroy him.
Once Dong Zhuo is eliminated, the next person the imperial court will eliminate will definitely be Yuan Shao!
At this time, the war should be delayed as much as possible to consume the court's troops, money and food, that is, national strength.
For Yuan Shao, the disadvantages of joining forces far outweigh the advantages!
Xu You lost the desire to drink, raised his head, and said calmly: "Military Advisor Tian, you should do your job well. Those who are indecisive have never had a good ending since ancient times."
Tian Feng smiled slightly and said, "I agree with what Military Advisor Xu said. Once I was a Han minister, I will be a Han minister for life. May I ask if Military Advisor Xu is still a Han minister?"
Xu You's expression changed slightly, he snorted coldly, stood up directly, and said with a wave of his hand: "Military Advisor Tian, do as you wish!"
Tian Feng disagreed, but was worried about Cao Cao in his heart.
Cao Cao's personal attendance at the Hongmen Banquet was indeed courageous and admirable, but it also put himself in danger.
At noon the next day, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were still sleeping soundly.
The subordinates could not wait any longer, so Xiahou Dun forcibly took away Cao Cao, who was still drunk. Zhang Dao, Gao Gan, and Zhang He also forcibly woke up Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao sat there, took a sip of strong tea, and watched Xiahou Dun take Cao Cao away with a headache. He did not forget to instruct: "Prepare sobering soup for Meng De, serve him well, and don't neglect him..."
Xiahou Dun held Cao Cao, bowed reluctantly to express his gratitude, and then took Cao Cao away.
As soon as Cao Cao left, Yuan Shao, holding his forehead, slowly sat up and looked at the letter on the table beside him. Seeing no signs of movement, he carefully picked it up and examined it carefully. After a while, he said with a strange look, "Are you really drunk?"
Director Zhang looked like a thin scholar with cold eyes. He said, "General, I don't think so. Cao Cao looks rough but is actually very careful. Don't underestimate him!"
Yuan Shao had known Cao Cao for twenty years, so he knew him well. He pondered for a moment, looked up at the three people, and said, "What do you think I should do?"
When Gao Gan heard this, he took the opportunity to repeat Ju Su's words in detail.
Yuan Shao was stunned when he heard this and said, "You mean, after the troops are united, the military orders and food supplies will be under my control?"
Gao Gan said with a serious look on his face, "Yes. Only in this way can we ensure the success of the campaign against Dong Zhuo and ensure that Cao Cao will not interfere. Most importantly, the imperial court will not settle accounts with us later, which will be disadvantageous to my uncle!"
Yuan Shao was very interested and could not help but stand up slowly to look at this nephew who looked burly and brainless on weekdays.
He knew very well that these words were taught by Ju Shu, and this strategy would undoubtedly be of great benefit to him!
The only thing we need to consider is how to force Cao Cao to agree!
Director Zhang also heard the benefits of this plan. He glanced outside the door and whispered, "General, what the high-ranking general said is right. Cao Cao is now in your hands. If he doesn't agree, then let him waste time! According to my speculation, the court has no choice but to agree to the general!"
"Food and military orders are unified..."
Yuan Shao took a deep breath, his eyes flashed with a fierce look, and he said in a deep voice: "Okay. I will host a banquet for Cao Cao again tonight. Gao Gan, you prepare the swordsmen. If Cao Cao refuses, just capture him. I will write a letter to the court in the name of the general and impeach Cao Cao for disobeying orders!"
"The general is brilliant!"
Director Zhang was overjoyed and raised his hand and said, "General, you must use courtesy before force. Also, bring Tian Feng with you."
Tian Feng was a member of the imperial court, and he always reported Yuan Shao's every move to the imperial court.
Yuan Shao understood, smiled, and said, "Then..."
"General!"
At this time, Xu You rushed in and said in a hurry: "I just received news that Lü Bu was defeated by Sun Ce in Guangling County and retreated to Xiapi."
Yuan Shao looked surprised and asked, "So Sun Ce defeated Lu Bu?"
Director Zhang also didn't believe it and said, "Sun Jian couldn't beat Lu Bu, so how could Sun Ce do it?"
Xu You was anxious and said, "I also heard that Cao Cao wrote a letter to recommend Sun Ce to inherit the title of Marquis of Wucheng, and the two of them had a very close relationship."
Yuan Shao's smile disappeared, and with a gloomy look he reached out to take the teacup beside him.
Seeing this, Xu You said, "General, I also received news that Liu Bei, the governor of Xuzhou, led an army of 20,000 through Liang State and is heading to Runan to join Cao Cao."
砰
Yuan Shao put down his teacup abruptly, stood up, and asked in a deep voice: "Really?"
Xu You nodded and said, "General, we must come up with a plan as soon as possible!"
If Sun Ce and Liu Bei joined forces with Cao Cao, they would have at least 50,000 to 60,000 troops, which would be equal to Yuan Shao's. At that time, it would be hard to say who would be the leader and who would be the follower!
Yuan Shao didn't expect this kind of change. His expression changed for a while, and he said to Director Zhang: "Tell Ziyuan what happened just now."
Things have changed, and Director Zhang did not hide anything and told Xu You everything.
Xu You was stunned when he heard this and asked, "General, do you really want to destroy Dong Zhuo quickly?"
Yuan Shao was still thinking about Cao Cao's rise to power, and subconsciously said, "Dong Zhuo and I have a grudge against each other for exterminating our clan. I wish day and night to tear him into pieces!"
Xu You said hurriedly: "General, you can't do that! If Dong Zhuo dies, the next person the court will attack is you! What we have to do now is to delay and let Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo fight each other to weaken the court's military strength. When the time is right, we will take over Yu and Xu, and then go south to annex Jing and Jiao, and divide the world with the Han Dynasty! Now is not the time to confront the court head-on!"
Yuan Shao was shocked when he heard Xu You's words, and looked at Director Zhang again.
Director Zhang was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted and said, "General, what Military Advisor Xu said... makes sense. Then we should combine our forces, but let Cao Cao and others lead the way, delaying the supply of food or support, and consuming the strength of the court and Dong Zhuo. Then you can sit back and wait for the benefits!"
Yuan Shao frowned in thought.
Xu You's strategy made him hesitate about his previous idea. Although "delaying" had its advantages, it also bound his hands and feet and trapped him here.
Seeing Yuan Shao's hesitation, Xu You stepped forward with a twinkling look in his eyes and said, "General, you must not hesitate at this moment. We must finalize this before Cao Cao gets the news!"
Yuan Shao looked at Director Zhang, Gao Gan and others again with a questioning look in his eyes.
Director Zhang said with a firm face, "General, this is the best strategy!"
Yuan Shao didn't want to delay, but he couldn't fall out with the court at the moment, so he took a deep breath and said, "Okay. Let's do it. Inform Cao Cao, I'll host a banquet for him tonight. And send someone to keep an eye on the movements of Dong Zhuo, Liu Bei, Sun Ce and others!"
"Yes!" Director Zhang, Xu You, Gao Gan and others responded in unison.
Although he did not divide his troops, keeping Cao Cao and others by his side made it easier to control them.
Xu You was calculating in his heart. He rolled his eyes and stepped forward to whisper to Yuan Shao, "General, Cao Cao hasn't touched a woman in recent years. It is said that he was reprimanded by the emperor of Luoyang City. If..."
Yuan Shao understood and said calmly, "You go and make the arrangements."
Xu You hid his pride, raised his hand calmly, and said, "Yes, I will go right away."
While Xu You was thinking about plotting against Cao Cao, Cao Cao had already been brought back to their tent by Xiahou Dun.
Cao Cao was lying on the bed, his face full of drunkenness, but he suddenly opened his eyes, pulled Xiahou Dun over, and asked, "Is there anyone watching outside?"
When Xiahou Dun saw Cao Cao wake up, he immediately understood and said, "No, this place is relatively remote."
Cao Cao was relieved, staring coldly at the top of the tent, and said, "Yuan Benchu set a trap for me. What did you find?"
Xiahou Dun lay on the side of Cao Cao's bed and said, "I have observed carefully that Yuan Shao's army is very well-organized. They are not ordinary soldiers. They have sufficient food and grass, and the soldiers have meat and vegetables."
Cao Cao sneered and said, "He did it on purpose for us to see. However, this also shows that Yuan Shao really wants to defeat Dong Zhuo."
Xiahou Dun nodded, looked back, and whispered, "I also noticed that some swordsmen appeared. General, we have to leave as soon as possible."
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and said, "Don't worry, I have a way to get out of this situation. It will only take two days."
"Yes," Xiahou Dun said. Cao Cao always had his own ideas, and he was much smarter than them. They just had to listen to him.
Cao Cao thought for a long time and said, "Someone will come to test me and you. You can tell me half of the food and grass, and tell me the rest. Don't worry."
Xiahou Dun thought for a moment and said, "Le Jin's 5,000 men are lying in ambush in the valley 20 miles away and can help us at any time."
Cao Cao shook his head and said, "Don't worry about it for now. Find a way to contact the insider and tell Fengxiao to follow the plan and not to worry about me."
Just as Xiahou Dun was about to speak, a loud laugh suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Ah Man, are you sober?"
Xiahou Dun looked back and then turned to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao's eyes flashed coldly, and then he sat up with difficulty and responded with a smile: "Ziyuan, please come in. Yuanrang, boil me a pot of water, I have a severe headache."
Xiahou Dun responded and stood up, then saw Xu You walking in with a smile.
Xiahou Dun disliked Xu You very much. He was a smart man, but he was also a smart-aleck, had a high opinion of himself and looked down on others.
A'man was Cao Cao's nickname. No one had called him that for many years, but Xu You called him that casually everywhere, without any regard for Cao Cao's face.
Xu You came in, took a look at Cao Cao, sat down next to him, and said, "Ah Man, your alcohol tolerance is not as good as before."
Cao Cao slapped his temple hard, smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying: "Ziyuan, I am already forty years old, how can I compare to the past?"
Xu You smelled the unpleasant smell of alcohol coming from Cao Cao and frowned. He then said, "Aman, I just came out of the general's tent. The general is still drunk but has decided to go with Aman to attack Dong. We have 80,000 soldiers and 200,000 dan of grain and grass. I wonder how much Aman will contribute?"
Cao Cao patted his head even harder, sighed, and said, "Drinking has delayed my work. I forgot to discuss this with the general last night."
Xu You said with a smile: "When old friends meet again, it is inevitable that we talk more."
Cao Cao slowly sat up and said to Xu You in a serious tone, "To be honest, Ziyuan, the money and food allocated to me by the court for this expedition is less than 50,000, and I have 30,000 soldiers. I am willing to obey the orders of the general."
Xu You was stunned. Cao Cao was too honest!
These were exactly the same as what he had investigated, and could not be faked.
Xiahou Dun brought some tea. Cao Cao felt the temperature and drank it all. After that, he felt much more sober. He stroked his beard and said to Xu You, "Ziyuan, when does the rear general plan to send troops?"
Xu You was a little confused about Cao Cao's plan, so he pretended to be thoughtful and said, "Originally it was scheduled within these few days, but you stationed troops in Zhongli, which delayed the time, so we have to discuss it separately."
Cao Cao frowned and said, "It is almost autumn, time waits for no one. Ziyuan, how about we send out the troops in five days?"
Xu You became more and more hesitant and asked, "Aman, are you so anxious?"
Cao Cao poured another cup of tea and said with a wry smile: "Ziyuan must understand my situation in the court. If I can't make achievements soon, I'm afraid the court and the people will eat me alive."
This is also an impeccable reason.
Xu You looked like he was struggling. He glanced outside the tent, sat down close to Cao Cao, and whispered, "I see that the general is not in a hurry. If you want him to send troops, A Man, you have to find a way to unify the military orders and force the general to have no excuse to delay."
Cao Cao's expression remained unchanged, his eyes were puzzled, and he asked, "How come the military orders are unified?"
Xu You stared at Cao Cao's face and said, "Of course the food and troops should be gathered together. The general is the commander-in-chief appointed by the court to fight against Dong Zhuo, so it should be so. Once A'man and the general join forces, how can the general delay? Moreover, once the forces are joined, the war will go smoothly in the future, and A'man will definitely be credited for the credit. If there is any disadvantage, it will be easier to excuse it with A'man."
Cao Cao suddenly realized it and raised his hand and said, "Ziyuan, this is a good plan. I will follow your advice. Please tell the general to send troops as soon as possible!"
Xu You never thought that Cao Cao would agree so easily. He was instantly suppressed in his stomach. He hesitated in his heart, but still stood up hurriedly and said, "Aman has made up his mind. I will report it to the rear general. Please don't change your mind."
Cao Cao immediately stood up and said, "Ziyuan, rest assured. Cao Cao intends to pacify Dong. Everything will be at the command of the general!"
"Okay. The general will host a banquet for A'man tonight, so please make preparations early." Xu You looked at Cao Cao for a moment, said this, and then left in a hurry to report the good news to Yuan Shao.
Xiahou Dun escorted Xu You out, and waited until he was far away before turning back and asking Cao Cao, "Do you really want to agree to Yuan Shao?"
Cao Cao's face was stern, his right hand tightly grasped the teacup, and he said in a dull tone: "As long as Dong Zhuo can be wiped out, it doesn't matter if I listen to him!"
Xiahou Dun said, "General, I am worried that Yuan Shao wants to take advantage of this opportunity to swallow up their food and troops."
Cao Cao was drunk, and he exhaled, sneering, "He has to have that stomach! However, since Yuan Shao wants to attack Dong, let's just tolerate him for now!"
Xiahou Dun said nothing more and continued to pour tea for Cao Cao.
On the other side, Xu You rushed into Yuan Shao's tent and paused when he saw Yuan Shao scolding Yuan Tan.
When Yuan Tan saw that Xu You had discovered what was going on, he felt extremely angry and a flash of resentment flashed across his eyes.