Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 736 A dangerous plan

What happened in Luoyang, because Yuan Xi blocked the road to the south with all his strength, Yuan Shu defeated his troops and fled north, so no one went south to send a message to Yingchuan for a while.

Although such a big thing cannot be hidden and will spread out sooner or later, Yuan Xi doesn't care now. His troops are going south with the only goal of Cao Cao.

Guo Jia, on the other hand, was worried. He was afraid that Yuan Xi would change his mind and attack Yingchuan instead of Nanyang to snatch the emperor Liu Xie. In that case, Guo Jia would really vomit blood.

Because this strategic goal was actually very tempting, Guo Jia and Jushou deduced it for a long time and found that if they went all out to attack Xu County, they would actually be able to echo Yuan Shang who was attacking Guandu.

If the two sides cooperate closely, they may be able to wipe out Cao Cao's lair in one fell swoop, which may not be worse than an expedition to Nanyang to attack Cao Cao.

But there are two variables in this plan.

First, if the army attacks Xu County alone, it is likely that Cao Cao will be cut off by returning to defend, making it impossible to kill Cao Cao, let alone save the emperor.

The second is that Yuan Shang needs to put enough pressure on Guandu to leave Xu County empty.

Although Guo Jia and Jushuo also tended to believe in Yuan Shang's determination, after all, he had already sent all his troops from Jizhou to the south.

But the two of them couldn't believe Yuan Tan. He didn't dare to enter the city before Yuan Shao. He had already betrayed the Yuan family and lost the qualification to dominate the world. Therefore, he and Yuan Tan might rely on Cao Cao and end up in trouble.

When Yuan Shang sends troops, he is likely to be a hindrance. If Yuan Shang is threatened, he will withdraw his troops at any time. In this way, Yuan Xi, who is alone and goes deep, is likely to be surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Guo Jia and Ju Shou decided to attack Nanyang secretly.

When Guo Jia thought about it afterwards, he found it quite ridiculous, because this idea was a choice he and Jushou made based on Yuan Xi's stargazing.

Because compared to the uncertain information coming from the world and the changing situation at any time, the two of them seemed to be more inclined to Yuan Xi's almost error-free stargazing technique.

Guo Jia sometimes thinks that compared to the prophecies of Tu Gao, a Han man of that generation, this unexplainable but extremely efficacious stargazing is not a harbinger of the Han dynasty, so what is a harbinger?

But even so, Guo Jia knew that compared to Cao Cao's extremely cold and rational judgment, Yuan Xi still made some emotional but not rational decisions, so he was afraid that Yuan Xi could not hold back his tone and went straight to Xu County to rob Liu Xie.

Fortunately, Yuan Xi seemed to have realized that courting the emperor was of little use to him, and firmly led the troops to Wancheng in the southwest instead of Xu County in the southeast. It was not until everyone entered the Nanyang border that Guo Jia relaxed. One breath.

In fact, this plan is very risky, because according to Yuan Xi's previous statement to Guo Jia, Cao Cao will commit a major suicide act after taking control of Wancheng.

But Yuan Xi also admitted to Guo Jia that this situation was not bound to happen.

In order to reach this ending, quite a few conditions must be met, several of which are extremely accidental.

The first is that Cao Cao couldn't control his lower body and secretly took in Zhang Xiu's aunt Zou.

The second is that Cao Cao began to plan to get rid of Zhang Xiu at the same time. To this end, he began to bribe Zhang Xiu's general Hu Che'er and others.

The third is that the news that Cao Cao wanted to kill Zhang Xiu somehow reached Zhang Xiu's ears, and Zhang Xiu decided to strike first.

These links are all closely linked, and Cao Cao's private acceptance of Zhang Xiu's aunt was not the decisive factor. Cao Cao's desire to get rid of Zhang Xiu was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Therefore, the most critical point in promoting this situation is that Cao Cao plans to attack Zhang Xiu and at the same time finds a way to let Zhang Xiu know this.

When Guo Jia and Yuan Xi were planning this matter, on the one hand, they were surprised that Yuan Xi could observe stars so accurately. On the other hand, they were also troubled by the troubles in these aspects.

First of all, in the first step, Cao Cao needs to be carried away and have no scruples. The prerequisite for this is that Zhang Xiu is not in Wancheng.

For this reason, the two discussed for a long time and figured out that to promote this situation, Liu Bei in Xinye needed to take action.

Yes, Liu Bei took the initiative to send troops and approached Yingchuan. Cao Cao would naturally use this as an excuse to send Zhang Xiu to fight out of the city. At the same time, in order to reassure Zhang Xiu, Cao Cao would let his generals attack with Zhang Xiu.

Cao Cao himself would naturally sit in Wancheng. Without Zhang Xiu, he would act unscrupulously. While accepting the Zou family privately, he planned to kill Zhang Xiu and fully take over his generals and soldiers.

After all, from Cao Cao's point of view, if he joins forces with Zhang Xiu, how can he be confident that he can personally occupy Wancheng, an important gateway in Jingzhou?

After reviewing the review, Guo Jia and Yuan Xi felt that this was the behavioral deduction result that best met the needs of all parties in the first step. Whether it was Cao Cao or Zhang Xiu, they were able to take such actions because this choice was beneficial to them. maximize.

The same is true for the following links. One of the most troublesome points is how to make Zhang Xiu believe that the news is true when Cao Cao wants to tell Zhang Xiu something unfavorable to him, and not a plot by the enemy to alienate him.

Guo Jia worked hard to solve these problems and found corresponding countermeasures. For this reason, Guo Jia felt that his hair had turned a lot whiter.

However, there is one biggest variable.

Jia Xu.

Jia Xu's attitude had a great influence on Zhang Xiu's decision, and his position was unclear. Although Guo Jia had no evidence, he highly suspected that there should have been collusion between Jia Xu and Cao Cao.

Although later generations recorded that Jia Xu agreed with Zhang Xiu's sneak attack on Cao Cao, but based on his first priority of protecting one's identity, no one knows what Jia Xu was thinking. What's even more intriguing is that as the mastermind of the Wancheng Rebellion and the culprit who killed Cao Cao's most important heir, Jia Xu survived to the end. This either shows that Cao Cao is not generally generous, or that he has another hidden agenda. In comparison, the final fate of Zhang Xiu's family was much more miserable.

Thinking of this, Guo Jia still shook his head. This plan was indeed too risky. His previous adventures were nothing compared to this one.

But for some unknown reason, perhaps out of his trust in Yuan Xi's stargazing, or perhaps because he knew that he was about to die soon, Guo Jia was extremely looking forward to this risky strategy of walking on thin ice and risking death at any time.

He vaguely felt that Wancheng's plan this time might be the pinnacle of his career planning, or it might be the final blow.

When Guo Jia walked into the camp, he saw a hint of anxiety on Yuan Xi's face, and immediately said: "Don't worry, I have to wait until news comes from Xinye."

Yuan Xi sighed: "Sir, you know me. What I am worried about is not our side. Wen Yuan and Gong Ming can take charge of their own affairs. Even if I am discovered by the enemy, I am confident that I will escape unscathed."

"I am worried about Liu Xuande. Even if he can receive my message and send troops in time, I am not sure how many troops he can gather after his new defeat a year ago and whether he can withstand Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu's coalition forces."

"Although I secretly ordered Lu Xun to lead troops from the upper reaches of the Huai River to help Xinye, it is unknown whether he will be able to arrive in time."

After hearing this, Guo Jia sighed, "This is all my fault. I didn't fully estimate Sun Quan's son's scheming."

"I thought Mrs. Wu could control him to some extent, but I didn't expect that this person is a man with great talents and great plans. He saw clearly that the young master was a huge threat to him, and he chose to attack Wancheng at this time. He is extraordinary."

"His dispatch of troops has restricted Lu Boyan's use of troops, and it has also affected the Huai River to some extent."

Yuan Xi nodded and said: "It's not that I didn't expect it at all. With the reminder from my husband, I have sent a letter to Li Shu in advance, asking him to face the army's pressure on the border and to protect himself and the lives of the people in the city."

"It's just that Jiangdong's choice is the worst for me. I've recorded this account."

"Now I can only hope that Liu Xuande can stop Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu's coalition forces. Of course, it would be better if he defeats the opponent. I can directly join forces with him to retreat Wancheng, so there is no need to use any strategies."

Then he laughed and said: "This idea is too unrealistic. Not to mention Cao Cao, Zhang Xiu is also difficult to deal with."

But he didn't have much expectations for Liu Bei. After all, Liu Bei had fought with Cao Cao several times so far, and each time ended in total defeat. Not only was his family's fortune completely wiped out, he also lost a lot of his family members and dependents.

Historically speaking, before Liu Bei got Zhuge Liang, he had almost no power to fight back against Cao Cao, so Yuan Xi was unsure this time. Liu Bei's group of subordinates who were extremely proficient in military strategy could really Can they stop Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu's coalition forces?

At the same time, dozens of miles north of Xinye, thousands of Liu Bei's troops were already in position, preparing to engage Zhang Xiu's troops who were heading south on the opposite side.

The person speaking at this time was not Liu Bei, but his newly recruited mastermind Xu Shu. When Xu Shu heard the spies' information, he frowned slightly and said, "There is only Zhang Xiujun in the front line, and there is no banner of Cao Cao's army?"

The spy said: "There is an infantry army under the banner of Cao Cao."

Xu Shu said flatly: "That's not right."

He turned to Liu Bei and said, "My lord, retreat quickly."

Liu Bei was confused and asked: "Why did the military advisor say this?"

Xu Shu spoke up: "Cao Cao went south to attack Xinye, how could he only bring infantry?"

"In addition, Zhang Xiu's army consists mainly of Xiliang soldiers and mostly cavalry. Why would he deliberately act with Cao Cao's infantry?"

"I suspect that at least one cavalry group wants to cut off our retreat and prevent us from retreating to Xinye!"

"The top priority is to return to the city with the entire army immediately, and at the same time separate two auxiliary armies, one to break up the rear, and the other to prepare for Cao's cavalry raid!"

Liu Bei hesitated and said: "We just sent troops to go north, so we returned in a hurry. We were afraid that it would affect our morale..."

Xu Shu said decisively: "Only by preserving your strength can you make a difference. My lord, you want to lose Xinye too?"

After Liu Bei heard this, he hurriedly said to Xu Shu: "What the military advisor said is true, and Bei will follow his words!"

He immediately ordered Zhang Fei to lead the army behind, Guan Yu to explore the flanks, and the entire army turned back and retreated quickly.

This made Zhang Xiu a little confused in front of the formation. How come the two sides had not been facing each other for half a day and had not yet fought, and the other side ran away like this?

Cao Chun, who then thought of cutting off the rear, secretly thought that the other party would find out the clues, so he immediately ordered the entire army to pursue him and attack Xinye.

(End of this chapter)