Han family achievements

Chapter 340 Cao Cao’s clever methods

After Cao Cao finished speaking, he stared at Guo Jia's face.

With this move of Yuan Shao, most of the originally powerful coalition forces fighting against Dong were destroyed, leaving only Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and the inconspicuous Sun Ce.

Under such circumstances, can we still continue to challenge Dong?

Guo Jia was calm and said with a smile: "Yuan Shao did not expect that the general would disobey the order and refused to break off, so his strength was preserved. Based on my guess, Yuan Shao probably still wants to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. He now has enough food and grass and will not retreat for the time being. .”

Cao Cao sneered and said, "I really underestimated him!"

Guo Jia nodded and said with a serious look on his face: "Yuan Shao's move can be regarded as a far-sighted move. What I'm worried about now is that Yuan Shao will take the opportunity to impeach the general to the court and blame this defeat on the general. In the court The reaction is a big crisis for the general."

Cao Cao's reputation in the court has always been very bad, and I don't know how many people wanted to put him to death.

If Yuan Shao reported the news of this defeat to the court, and the princes from all walks of life supported him, the court would almost certainly take the blame.

Cao Cao had already thought of it, and took a deep breath, as if to let out all the suffocation in his chest, and then said: "I'm not worried about the court. Now that the coalition has lost half of its troops, its momentum is greatly reduced... Fengxiao, can you continue to ask for help?" Dong? Destroy Dong Zhuo?"

Guo Jia met Cao Cao's hopeful eyes, his expression suddenly disappeared, and he said with a smile: "General, haven't you made arrangements a long time ago? Although Yuan Shao has many complications, they will not have much impact on the overall situation."

Cao Cao sat up suddenly and said, "Can we really continue?"

Guo Jia took a sip of wine and said leisurely and calmly: "I predict that Dong Zhuo will definitely withdraw his troops! I have carefully watched Lu Bu. He is not like a reckless man who can't deal with him with a little provocation. By then, Pinghuguan will not be there, The general can march straight into Xiangxian County! As long as Dong Zhuo's defeat is certain, the interior will definitely fall apart. The general will recruit them with carelessness, and countless people will surrender. Yu and Xu will be defeated, all within the general's backhand!"

After listening to Guo Jia's words, Cao Cao's inner frustration dissipated. He got out of bed directly, put on his shoes and said: "Come here, pass my order! Cao Ang is the vanguard and immediately sends troops to rescue the allied forces under attack! Xiahou Dun, led by Le Jin, Ten thousand troops, attack Lu Bu! Cao Ren and Cao Ang lead [-] troops and keep an eye on Pinghu Pass! Others, follow me to protect the rear general!"

Seeing Cao Cao's fighting spirit rising again, Guo Jia nodded secretly.

Cao Cao's psychological quality of becoming more courageous the more frustrated he becomes, is a must for those who achieve great things!

Cao Cao quickly ordered his troops and went to 'rescue' Yuan Shao himself.

Just now he was so angry that he fainted, but now regardless of himself and the danger, Cao Cao's move really dared to touch countless soldiers.

Sun Ce naturally followed behind him. Cheng Pu watched Cao Cao's back with vigilance and whispered: "Master, have you seen it? Yuan Shao has vicious ambitions and will become a big beetle in the future! And this Cao Cao also has sinister thoughts and needs to Be careful."

Sun Ce watched with cold eyes, seeing it very clearly and there was no need for Cheng Pu to say anything.

He reined in the reins, raised his head and said with a raised chest, "I have long seen that the so-called coalition forces all have different ideas and ambitions, and they are not here to suppress bandits at all!"

Cheng Pu nodded and said worriedly: "The eldest son is here to perform meritorious service and seize the title. From the current point of view, Yuan Shao is the most dangerous. We follow Cao Cao and are also in danger. If one of us is not good, we will die without knowing how." , it’s better to leave as soon as possible and think of other ways.”

If Sun Ce had not been following Cao Cao in the imperial camp in order to attack the prince, and escaped this disaster by accident, it would be unclear whether he could have saved his life.

Sun Ce looked up and saw that the shouts of killing in the distance were gradually disappearing. He said with a firm expression, "This is the best opportunity. When I return to Wu County, I don't know what year or month it will take. The inheritance left by my father will be restored." Never give it up to others!”

Sun Jian came out of Wucheng and fought hard all the way. It took more than [-] years to achieve this foundation. If Sun Ce could not perform meritorious service and complete the imperial conquest, and the imperial court randomly sent a Wu Commandery governor, Sun Ce would have no choice but to succumb to others unless he rebelled. , and gave all the foundation built by Sun Jian to others.

"Then what do you plan to do?" Cheng Pu's words were full of worry. Yuan Shao is a big beetle, and Cao Cao is not a good person either. Dealing between these two people is too dangerous!
  Sun Ce turned his attention to Cao Cao and said: "Compared to Yuan Shao's ruthlessness, Cao Cao will not go too far. Moreover, he wants to suppress Dong. We are a help to him and will not give up easily. Furthermore, Cao Cao should be wary of his uncle being in the court."

Cheng Pu was unconvinced by Sun Ce's words, but the reality was that Sun Ce really needed enough military merit to be able to ascend the throne. Only with the title of "Marquis of Wucheng" could Sun Ce legitimately inherit Sun Jian's legacy, which convinced everyone in Wu County and had nothing to say. .

When Cao Cao and Sun Ce "slowly" went to rescue Yuan Shao, Cao Ang got there first, but Dong Jun retreated as soon as he saw the opportunity and had already begun to retreat.

Cao Ang pretended to pursue for a while, and then began to gather the soldiers and horses of various princes who were ambushed by Dong Jun and dispersed by Lu Bu.

When Cao Cao arrived, Cao Ang stepped forward with a look of sorrow and anger and reported: "Report to General Qi to gather [-] remaining soldiers. Lord Liu, Zhuge Xuan, Liu Yao and others have not been found, and the whereabouts of Zang Hong and others are unknown."

The so-called 'not found' and 'unaccounted for' means they either escaped, hid, or died among the bodies and were not found.

When Cao Cao heard this, he became even more angry. He turned towards Pinghu Pass and said angrily: "Thieves Dong have bullied our coalition forces too much. Please send an order to my general: [-]. Report a message to the general behind you. [-]. All officers and men, follow me to Pinghu Pass and fight with me." Thief Dong fights to the death and reports it to the imperial court. I will live up to my comrade's death!"

"The last general takes orders!" A group of soldiers around Cao Cao responded loudly, and their voices were filled with the anger and murderous intent of the same enemy.

After giving the order, Cao Cao ignored Yuan Shao who was hiding far away, turned his army around, and headed straight for Pinghu Pass.

Sun Ce was stunned again and again when he saw this scene.

The coalition forces were defeated, nearly half of them were lost, and their morale fell to the bottom. Dong Zhuo was completely opposite. He won a complete victory and his morale soared. Moreover, there was Yuan Shao with ulterior motives behind him. How could Cao Cao dare to go to Pinghu Pass again?

Cheng Pu looked solemn and whispered to Sun Ce: "General, Cao Cao's behavior along the way is very abnormal. He should have had a plan in advance. We must be careful."

Sun Ce felt unprecedented pressure and even tried to escape.

Yuan Shao had already exposed his fangs, but Cao Cao's actions were more like eating people without spitting out the bones!
  On the other side, Yuan Shao, who had been staring closely at Cao Cao, was equally puzzled.

A bunch of staff stood behind them, watching Cao Cao's troops turn eastward and heading towards Pinghu Pass again. They all looked at each other in surprise and confusion.

Yuan Shao raised his head high and said to himself: "What is Cao Cao doing?"

Director Zhang, Ju Shou and others also couldn't understand and couldn't answer for a while.

Logically speaking, Cao Cao should retreat again, away from Pinghu Pass and away from Yuan Shao.

But he went to Pinghu Pass again and placed his army between Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo!
  This position is no different than sending the entire army to death. It is too stupid!
  Would Cao Cao do stupid things?

will not!

Then there must be a plan.

So confident, is he really not afraid of Yuan Shao attacking from behind? Aren't you afraid that Dong Zhuo will send troops to attack again?

Xu You was no longer standing at the front. He glanced at Tian Feng beside him, coughed lightly and said, "What do you think, Military Master Tian?"

His words instantly turned everyone's attention to Tian Feng.

Tian Feng is a well-known member of the imperial court. He has always been marginalized in Yuan Shao's army and is a symbol of Yuan Shao's "loyalty to the imperial court."

Are Cao Cao and Tian Feng colluding secretly?

Did Tian Feng know about Cao Cao's abnormal behavior in advance?
  Yuan Shao raised his head slightly, his eyes looking coldly.

Facing everyone's gaze, especially Yuan Shao, Tian Feng's expression remained unchanged, he shook his head and said: "The incident happened suddenly, and I can't guess it." Tian Feng clicked on 'The incident happened suddenly', and everyone looked at each other, I agree.

It happened suddenly, and Tian Feng probably didn't have time to collude with Cao Cao.

Yuan Shao calmed down a little and said, "What do you think?"

"The incident happened suddenly" and it was difficult for everyone to infer anything from it. Still no one answered Yuan Shao.

Xu You may be a kind of "bystander", but he was able to think calmly. Seeing that no one answered, he sneered and disdained in his heart, raised his hand and said: "General, from what I see, Cao A'mao has gathered tens of thousands of remnant troops. Not only is there nothing However, the pressure on food and fodder has increased greatly, making it impossible to advance or retreat. Looking at it now, Cao Ah Man either jumped over the wall in a hurry, or set a trap for the general."

Yuan Shao could not subdue the soldiers and horses of various princes, so he simply used Dong Zhuo to cut them off, greatly reducing the pressure on food and fodder; while Cao Cao gathered the remaining soldiers, and the pressure on food and fodder doubled instantly.

Yuan Shao's face turned serious and he said, "You mean, he is trying to get my food and fodder?"

Director Zhang heard this and quickly answered: "General, it's possible! Cao Cao's move is too abnormal, you must be careful."

Jushou looked indifferent and said: "No matter what, Cao Cao is in a desperate situation. Even if we do nothing, with Cao Cao's food and grass, we can't survive for five days!"

Others echoed one after another, saying: "General, this is a good opportunity to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between tigers and tigers!"

"Let's stay put for now and watch Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo go shopping!"

"That's right, no matter what Cao Cao's plot is, as long as it lasts five days, Cao Cao will collapse without a fight!"

Yuan Shao listened to their words, nodded secretly, and said: "It seems that there is still something to be done, order someone to send a message to Cao Cao, I will support him at any time, order senior officials to lead five thousand troops, and place them with Cao Cao... ten or twenty miles away." "

Twenty miles away, this location is neither far nor close, and it is a subtle deterrent to Cao Cao.

Tian Feng felt heavy in his heart. Yuan Shao said this to his face. Once Cao Cao was defeated, it would be time for him to die.

‘Cao Cao, what are you planning? ’ Tian Feng is not afraid of death, he is just thinking about Cao Cao’s plan and how the chaos of challenging Dong will develop if Cao Cao loses!

Yuan Shao made a countermeasure in confusion, while the bottle and pot were closed and he was still confused.

Hu Zhen strode up and said with great excitement: "I have informed you, Duke Ming, that at the end of the day, more than [-] generals will beheaded and the coalition forces were defeated. I am here to return my mission!"

Dong Zhuo knew this a long time ago, and laughed and said: "Okay... I'll take my son first, come quickly!"

Just when Dong Zhuo was about to praise Hu Zhen, he saw Lu Bu coming up with a big halberd and immediately shouted with a smile on his face.

Lu Bu was dissatisfied with the fact that Dong Zhuo had hidden the ambush from him. He kept his expression straight and saluted, "It's not a disgrace to the mission. It's a pity that the three Liu Bei brothers escaped."

Dong Zhuo held out his belly and said with a smile: "My son is invincible, so what if he runs away!?"

Lu Bu stood up, Gong Jin was proud again.

In the battle at Pinghu Pass, Lu Bu established his reputation as invincible. The three brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang were undefeated in the siege. No one in the world could do it!

Seeing that Dong Zhuo was ignoring him, Hu Zhen glanced at Lu Bu beside him, with a flash of hatred in his eyes.

Lu Bu just picked it up, and the coalition forces were mostly defeated by him. Dong Zhuo didn't even finish his words of appreciation before he turned to Lu Bu!
  When Li Ru saw that they had finished chatting, he stepped forward and said, "Ming Gong, Cao Cao has placed tens of thousands of troops under Pinghu Pass. He is afraid of a conspiracy and has to guard against it."

Dong Zhuo tried his best to put his hands on his back, holding out his big belly, and said seriously: "I also speculate like this, does Wen Ru have a way to deal with it?"

Li Ru couldn't guess what tricks Cao Cao was playing, but he knew very well that if Cao Cao had no backup plan, he would be seeking death.

"Ming Gong, remain unchanged in response to all changes!"

Li Ru said in a deep voice: "No matter what Cao Cao or Yuan Shao is hiding, as long as we stick to Pinghu Pass and wait until they run out of food and grass or winter comes, our army will attack and win!"

Dong Zhuo was silent for a while, missing Jia Xu a little in his heart.

Jia Xu's strategies have always been flawless and watertight, allowing the enemy to be fooled unknowingly, as easily as drinking water.

However, what Li Ru said is right, 'sticking to it' is the best strategy at the moment.

"Okay!" Dong Zhuo laughed loudly: "We defeated the coalition forces today and rewarded everyone heavily!"

Hu Zhen, Lu Bu, Guo Si, including Li Ru, were all overjoyed when they heard the "heavy reward".

Not far from Pinghu Pass, Cao Cao ordered to set up a formation and set up camp.

Cao Cao was very busy, busy carefully dealing with the reaction of Pinghu Pass in front of him and Yuan Shao behind him. At the same time, he had to gather and rectify the remnant troops of various princes, and also search for the leaders who were scattered and escaped.

It wasn't until night that Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief.

Neither Yuan Shao nor Dong Zhuo responded.

Guo Jia accompanied Cao Cao on the inspection tour, drank wine, and said with a smile: "The general's move is really brilliant. Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo were probably frightened, and they didn't know the general's true intention. I'm afraid no one would dare to mess with it." move."

Cao Cao held his sword and looked at the remaining soldiers not far away. He shook his head and said: "Our food and grass can only last for four days at most. If Dong Zhuo does not withdraw his troops, the consequences will be disastrous."

Guo Jia suddenly turned around and asked Xu Chu, who was standing like a door god, "Captain Xu, how long can you fight with that Lu Bu?"

Xu Chu was silent for a moment and said: "You can't be defeated with a hundred moves."

This was inferred from the results of his battle with Guan Yu and the battle between Guan Yu and Lu Bu.

Guo Jia nodded, turned to Cao Cao and said, "General, you have to do your best."

Cao Cao understood instantly and said: "Okay. Then I will do enough to drag Dong Zhuo to Pinghu Pass! How will Yuan Shao deal with it?"

Guo Jia raised his head to the north, looked at the dark sky, and said: "Five days are enough for the court to respond."

Cao Cao was startled and asked thoughtfully: "What does filial piety mean?"

Guo Jia took a sip and said: "I told the general before that the imperial court will not allow the failure of the petition against Dong. Yuan Shao's actions cannot be concealed from the imperial court, nor from your majesty. The imperial court has remained silent for many days. With my It is inferred that the imperial court will make big moves soon!"

(End of this chapter)