binnovel Chapter 332 Zhang Liang’s Plan and the Ladder Over the Wall
Chapter 332 Zhang Liang’s Plan and the Ladder Over the Wall
Chapter 332: Zhang Liang's Scheme and Ladder
Cao Cao separated from Yuan Shao's coalition forces and only rested for one night in Qiao County. Then he rode non-stop to Pinghu Pass. The whole process took only two days at most.
Yuan Shao is also catching up without stopping?
why?
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes, his mind racing, and dismissed the messenger. He smiled and said to Liu Bei beside him, "Lord Xuande, the rear general is coming."
Liu Bei was startled and asked, "Is it almost time?"
He was also surprised. Yuan Shao came here so quickly? Did something happen?
But seeing that Cao Cao was unwilling to say more, Liu Bei looked suspiciously at Sun Ce and Hua Xiong who were still fighting on the field.
Sun Ce became more and more courageous as the battle went on, and he was already showing signs of suppressing Hua Xiong.
Hua Xiong was a veteran on the battlefield. Even when facing disadvantages, he remained calm and fought back and forth without showing any signs of defeat.
"Lu Bu!"
Suddenly, Guan Yu looked up at the top of Pinghu Pass and said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao, Liu Bei and others all looked up and saw a tall man standing there holding a halberd. Because he was too far away, the man's figure was a little blurry, and they could only make out that he was quite imposing.
Cao Cao and Lu Bu had almost no interaction, and this was the first time they met.
After taking a closer look, Cao Cao saw nothing special about him. He turned to Guan Yu with a smile and asked, "How does this man compare to Yunchang?"
Guan Yu has always been proud and arrogant and never admits defeat, but after listening to Cao Cao's words, he remained silent, which was unusual for him.
Zhang Fei, who had a bad temper, also remained silent.
Liu Bei was calm and said, "My second brother fought with Lu Bu several times, but there was no clear winner."
"That's all,"
Cao Cao laughed and said, "With Yunchang and Xu Chu here, what's there to fear about Lu Bu? Let Bofu come back, and we will go meet the rear general and attack the city tomorrow!"
Seeing Cao Cao's reaction, Liu Bei hesitated to speak.
They were defeated by Lu Bu in Xuzhou and had to flee all the way. The biggest reason for this, apart from their lack of wise men, was Lu Bu's bravery.
Sun Ce retreated, and everyone turned back to prepare to meet Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao arrived faster than anyone expected, arriving that same night.
The number of the army suddenly expanded to nearly 200,000, and the tents were spread all over the mountains and plains, stretching for an unknown distance.
Yuan Shao's tent was once again filled with people.
Yuan Shao sat in the main seat, dignified and calm, and smiled at Cao Cao, Liu Bei and others and said, "Meng De, Lord Xuande, are there any results?"
Cao Cao said expressionlessly, "We have tried twice, but have not yet attacked."
Yuan Shao sat upright and said in a deep voice: "Tomorrow I will personally supervise the battle and break through the pass in one fell swoop!"
Cao Cao was suspicious of Yuan Shao's quick arrival, and said calmly, "General, what strategy do you have for defeating the enemy?"
Yuan Shao did not answer, but glanced at Xu You who was standing beside him.
Xu You understood and stepped forward, saying to Cao Cao, "Ah Man, the rear general has already contacted the people inside Pinghu Pass. As long as the time is right, we can open the gate and welcome the rear general into the city."
Cao Cao was furious when he heard Xu You call him "Aman", but his expression remained calm. At the same time, he sneered at it and didn't believe it at all.
If Dong Zhuo was so easy to break, he wouldn't be a Xiliang veteran.
Xu You seemed to have figured it out, and said with confidence, "Also, Pinghu Pass is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and there will be heavy rains and flooding within a month, which is also a plan. I have already tested the soil here, and digging deeper may not be a bad idea."
Cao Cao listened to Xu You's words, his eyes half-closed, and he sneered more in his heart.
This kind of strategy is simply ridiculous in such a critical situation and in front of Dong Zhuo - would Dong Zhuo not be prepared?
Does this mean that Dong Zhuo is treated as a waste like Yuan Shu?
"The rear general is brilliant!"
Cao Cao was still sneering, but Liu Yao raised his hand and spoke loudly.
Zhuge Xuan, Zang Hong and others looked at each other, nodded, and then raised their hands, agreeing with Yuan Shao's strategy.
Seeing this, Xu You looked around at everyone with a smug look on his face, especially at Cao Cao's face, where he stayed for a while.
Liu Bei, Sun Ce, and Zhuge Xuan remained silent, their expressions unchanged, and they did not quite agree with these strategies in their hearts.
"Then it's settled!"
Seeing that no one objected, Yuan Shao was in high spirits. He held his sword in his hand and said in a deep voice, "Cao Cao, Lord Xuande, and Sun Ce, you must be ready tomorrow. I have given the order to attack the city immediately. There is no delay!"
Although they were deeply skeptical of Yuan Shao's strategy, Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Ce did not have sufficient reasons to object and could only raise their hands to obey the order.
After a detailed discussion, everyone left the tent one after another.
Many people wanted to chat with Cao Cao and Liu Bei, but Cao Cao was not in the mood and left after making a few excuses. However, Liu Bei left in a friendly manner with everyone else.
Cao Cao returned to his tent with a gloomy look and hidden anger.
Yuan Shao's sudden arrival caught Cao Cao off guard, and Cao Cao had no time to find out why Yuan Shao came so quickly.
In Cao Cao's view, Yuan Shao's strategies were simply a joke!
Xiahou Yuan was also angry and said, "Meng De, the rumors are true. Yuan Shao wants us to fight Dong Zhuo and then sit back and reap the benefits!"
Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong all looked unhappy. If they attacked Pinghu Pass by force, it was unknown how much damage would be caused.
Perhaps, this would only be possible if they filled the 40,000 troops they had trained so hard with all of them!
By then, Yuan Shao would not only be able to break through Pinghu Pass, but also be able to "deal with" Cao Cao, Liu Bei and other imperial troops. By then, Yu and Xu states would no longer have any rivals, and Yuan Shao would be able to easily occupy the three states!
Cao Cao's narrow eyes flashed with coldness, and he asked, "Why did Yuan Shao come so quickly?"
Cao Ren, Cao Hong and others looked at each other. If Cao Cao couldn't guess, then they could guess even less.
"Father!"
Suddenly, Cao Ang strode in. Seeing that they were all his own people, he stepped forward without hesitation and said, "I just contacted the people in the Imperial City. They said that there was a rumor from the court that Sun Ce was going to inherit the title of Marquis of Wucheng on the grounds that he had made great contributions in defeating Lu Bu, and that they were considering Sun Ce's uncle Sun Jing as the governor of Yuzhou."
Cao Cao was stunned. This news made him very confused.
There is nothing wrong with Sun Ce inheriting the title of Marquis of Wucheng, but since Sun Jing has no reputation and no achievements, how could he be allowed to serve as the governor of Yuzhou?
Cao Cao was puzzled and asked, "I remember that the court seemed to be trying to restrict the governors?"
The "separation of military and politics" of the Han Dynasty court was not only intended to divide the military power of local officials, but also to temporarily suspend the appointment of new governors and provincial governors. Instead, the court would directly govern the counties in order to implement the "new policy" through centralized power.
Cao Ang saw that the tent was somewhat quiet, so he quickly said, "The people in the Imperial City also said that the court intends to send others out of the capital to fight against Dong Zhuo."
Cao Cao raised his head suddenly, and said with a look of realization: "This should be the reason."
Cao Ren said, "General, regardless of Yuan Shao's plot, what should we do when we attack the city tomorrow?"
Yuan Shao was the rear general appointed by the imperial court and the chief commander in the campaign against Dong Zhuo. If he ordered Cao Cao to attack the city, Cao Cao would have no reason to object and could not disobey.
Cao Cao was not worried about this, but asked: "How long can our food and grass last?"
"Less than half a month." Cao Hong said.
Cao Cao's food and grass, except for a small part given by the court, were all raised by himself. It was extremely difficult to raise food and grass for an army of 40,000 in half a month.
Cao Cao frowned and looked gloomy.
In order to replenish the food and grass for half a month, he must capture Pinghu Pass within half a month. Otherwise, he can only ask for help from Yuan Shao, which is more dangerous than fighting with Dong Zhuo!
After thinking for a long time, Cao Cao raised his head and said to himself: "What do you think? Can we borrow some food and grass from Liu Biao?"
Pinghu Pass is about the same distance from Luoyang and Jingzhou, but we cannot count on the imperial court, so we can only think of Liu Biao who did not participate in the war.
Xiahou Dun shook his head and said, "General, Liu Biao refuses to participate in the fight against Dong Zhuo. His intention is clear. I'm afraid he won't lend it to us."
Cao Cao also understood and secretly felt a headache, but he looked calm and said, "We will attack the city tomorrow and pretend to attack it. If we want to break through Pinghu Pass, we have to think of another strategy."
"It would be nice if Fengxiao was here." At this time, Cao Cao began to miss Guo Jia.
"What good plan has the general come up with?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard outside the big tent, and then Guo Jia, dressed in brocade, walked in with a smile, holding a wine jug.
Cao Cao was overjoyed when he saw this. He stood up and rushed over. He looked at Guo Jia's complexion and saw that he looked ruddy and not as pale and weak as he was a few days ago. He was still holding a wine pot. He was completely relieved and said, "Fengxiao, do you have a solution?"
Others also cast hopeful glances at him. In Cao Cao's court, Guo Jia's status was unmatched.
Guo Jia took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "It's not impossible, but it will take some time."
Cao Cao felt relieved after hearing this and asked directly, "Half a month?"
Guo Jia listed the details and said, "If we have the help of the Imperial City, maybe it won't take that long."
Cao Cao pulled Guo Jia over and said, "Feng Xiao and I will go to see the military marquis of the Imperial City Palace in person."
Guo Jia did not resist and went out with Cao Cao, saying, "General, have you thought about how to deal with it tomorrow?"
Cao Cao didn't care and said, "Put it on for now. Fengxiao and I will discuss the strategy first."
Guo Jia took a sip of wine, walked slowly beside Cao Cao, and whispered to him.
Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun and others followed out, only to see Cao Cao nodding repeatedly and not hearing what they said at all.
Xiahou Dun was the most invisible general in Cao Cao's court. Seeing this, he said, "Everyone, organize the troops for now and order them to wait for military orders."
Everyone responded to the order. Except for a few people like Le Jin, all the others were more or less related to Cao Cao by blood, from the Cao and Xiahou clans. In addition, they had followed Cao Cao for many years and were very convinced of his loyalty.
Cao Cao waited for Guo Jia to arrive, and Yuan Shao was not idle either.
Since the arrival of various princes, the thing Yuan Shao did most was "integration", unifying the military power and the food supplies.
But there are still many people who refuse to obey, and resist openly or secretly, refusing to hand over their troops and food.
Yuan Shao used both soft and hard tactics, but still failed to completely subdue the enemy.
Inside the big tent, Yuan Shao, Xu You, Zhang Dao and Ju Su were discussing something.
Xu You was highly trusted by Yuan Shao because of his many achievements. He was also quite proud of himself. He sat to Yuan Shao's left and sneered, "General, if they still refuse to obey, let them follow Cao Cao to attack the city together!"
This is obviously sending those people to their deaths.
Except for Cao Cao, Liu Bei and a few others, there were three to five thousand at most, and one to two hundred at least. If they really went to attack the city, most of them would be killed in just half a day. At that time, they could only pray for Yuan Shao to "shelter them in".
Yuan Shao shook his head and said, "They have tens of thousands of soldiers, which will be of great use to me. We can't waste them."
The north-south dividing line of the Han Dynasty can be roughly used as the boundary of Sili. The north has a dense population, fertile land, and a developed economy, and is the foundation of the Han Dynasty.
The south, on the other hand, is vast and sparsely populated, with much smoke and miasma, and a sparse population. In addition, due to years of war, the number of young and strong people is not comparable to that of the north. Therefore, Yuan Shao was very envious of the tens of thousands of ready-made soldiers and horses, and he wanted to recruit them under his command unless it was absolutely necessary.
Director Zhang said, "General, let's kill a chicken to scare the monkeys. Tomorrow, let them see how Cao Cao lost his troops and generals. We will persuade them with words. I don't believe they will not surrender."
Ju Su suddenly said, "General, I think that Liu Xuande and Sun Ce may not be sincere in forming an alliance with Cao Cao. You can let them stay for a while tomorrow. This will not only help divide Cao Cao, but also make them useful to you."
Yuan Shao's eyes lit up and he said in a deep voice, "Okay! Then tomorrow, let Cao Cao be the main attacker to make an example of him!"
Seeing that Zhang Dao and Ju Su were stealing his credit, Xu You was furious. His eyes turned rapidly and he said, "General, we have to make preparations for both situations."
"What do you mean by two preparations?" Yuan Shao asked puzzledly.
Xu You said, "What if they refuse to obey even if they die? After all, Cao Cao represents the imperial court, and Zhuge Xuan and others are obviously loyal to the imperial court. Even if they temporarily rely on the general, there is no guarantee that they will not betray him one day."
Yuan Shao was originally excited about having a solution, but when he heard Xu You's words, his face suddenly became gloomy, as if he had thought of something unhappy.
Director Zhang and Ju Shou were also stunned. Xu You’s words were not alarmist, but it was very likely, or even certain that there was such a person!
Director Zhang's eyes flashed fiercely, and he whispered, "General, if necessary, we still have to use thunderbolt methods!"
Yuan Shao glanced at him and said nothing.
Because of the Yuan family, his reputation is very bad. What he needs to do now is to rebuild his reputation. Killing the princes who are fighting against Dong will ruin his reputation and put him in a desperate situation!
Xu You saw through Yuan Shao's thoughts at a glance, and after a second thought, he said, "General, you can kill someone with a borrowed knife!"
Yuan Shao suddenly frowned, sat up straight, and said, "I and the others are here to fight the enemy. We are united in purpose. How can we have such evil intentions? I have nothing to say about this matter. No more!"
After saying this, Yuan Shao looked annoyed and stood up and left.
Xu You, Zhang Dao, and Ju Shou were all stunned. They looked at each other, somewhat confused.
Isn't it just to annex the troops from all directions? At the last moment, why did Yuan Shao suddenly become so righteous?
Ju Shou reacted quickly and glanced at Xu You who was still confused. He was curious about whose knife he borrowed and how he would kill people.
Yuan Shao's army rested for a night. Early the next morning, Yuan Shao personally arrived at the front of the battle, followed by Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Zang Hong, Zhuge Xuan, Liu Yao, Sun Ce and a large group of people, each with dozens of generals following. The army flags behind them were fluttering, stretching for miles, with no end in sight.