Ji Han Liu Zhang

Cao’s army camped outside Shouchun City.

Under the supervision of the commander Cao Cao, the craftsmen in Cao's army built a number of siege rams and ladders in just over ten days, and they would soon attack Shouchun City.

What can I do? The weather is not good.

Just as Cao Cao led his army out of the camp and surrounded Shouchun City from all sides, an autumn rain came unexpectedly. The rain continued for several days without any sign of stopping.

The autumn rain continued and the roads were muddy, so Cao's army had to stop attacking the city.

Therefore, Cao Cao, who had planned to take advantage of the great victory in Qiyang and the high morale of the army due to Huang Zhong's excellent archery against Li Feng to capture Shouchun in one fell swoop, missed a great opportunity.

……

Guo Jia was marching towards the central army with his brows frowned. As he glanced at the drizzling autumn rain in front of him, he couldn't help but sigh softly. In a war, you have to make a strong effort at the beginning, then it will weaken, and finally it will be exhausted.

Originally, the army set out from Xudu and attacked Shouchun City all the way without any obstacles. At this time, the morale was the highest. If they could make a concerted effort, they might be able to capture Shouchun City smoothly and avoid being stuck under a fortified city.

But the weather was unfavorable, with continuous rain mixed with the autumn chill, which prevented them from attacking the city. They had no choice but to keep their troops stationed and wait for the weather to clear up.

Guo Jia walked on the muddy ground step by step and arrived outside the central military tent. As Cao Cao's trusted adviser, Guo Jia walked straight to the tent without notifying anyone, lifted the curtain and walked in.

Hearing the noise coming from the door, Cao Cao, who was flipping through a military book, raised his eyebrows, glanced at it and said, "It's Fengxiao."

"My lord." Guo Jia bowed to Cao Cao, then found a seat and sat down.

When Cao Cao saw Guo Jia coming in the rain with the cuffs of his clothes wet by the autumn rain, he caringly called the waiter and asked the waiter to light a charcoal fire and place it in front of Guo Jia to dry Guo Jia's clothes and warm Guo Jia's body.

"The time, the place and the people are all favorable, but it's a pity that the timing is not right." Cao Cao put down the military book in his hand and sighed.

Guo Jia smiled and encouraged, "Don't worry, my lord. The bandits in Shouchun City are already scared, but they are able to survive for a while because of the rain. When the clouds clear and the rain stops, our army will attack from all sides and Shouchun City will be taken in one fell swoop."

"That being said, I don't know when the rain will stop." Cao Cao looked worried. "Now that our army has arrived here, we have consumed a lot of food and fodder. In addition, the autumn rain has made it difficult to transport food and fodder. If it takes a while longer, I'm afraid the army will run out of food and fodder."

"Your Excellency has been blessed by God, so you won't be in a situation where you are running out of food and grass..." Guo Jia consoled him, and then he said something practical: "The farming is of great benefit to the military and the country, and it must be promoted. Otherwise, you will have to worry about running out of food and grass in the future."

"We really need to pay close attention to the issue of military farming." Cao Cao nodded affirmatively. From the first year of Jian'an, Zao Zhi and Han Hao proposed the strategy of military farming, which was approved by him. That year, the grain accumulation was abundant, twice that of previous years. However, the area of ​​military farming was not large enough so far. It needed to be expanded as Guo Jia said.

Otherwise, it would be like the situation today, with the expedition to Huainan, and after just a few months, we are running out of food and grass.

Speaking of which, the place occupied by Cao Cao was Yanyu, which was located in the center of the world. He had to deal with the four directions of east, west, south and north. In order not to give foreign enemies a chance to take advantage, he had to station troops to defend on all sides. This would cost a lot.

"How is the battle situation in Longyou?" Cao Cao shook off his current predicament and talked to Guo Jia about affairs in all directions.

Guo Jia, who was in charge of the secrets, responded, "Liu Jiyu sent troops to Longyou and arrived at Ji County. After staying in Ji County for some time, the army moved westward. At present, they are fighting with Han Sui, Song Jian and others in Xiangwu. The outcome is still unknown."

"Han Sui." Cao Cao muttered the name. In the past, Han Sui had been to Luoyang as a clerk and had met General He Jin. He had met Han Sui once at that time.

Considering his impression of Han Sui, Cao Cao speculated on the development of the battle in Longyou: "Han Sui is not a good commander, so he is no match for Liu Jiyu. Perhaps Liu Jiyu will send news to Xudu soon, saying that he has conquered Longyou and put down the Qiang rebellion."

"You are right, sir." Guo Jia's thoughts were the same as Cao Cao's: "Han Sui, Song Jian, and the Qiang and Hu people from Liangzhou recruited by Han Sui, number tens of thousands, but their hearts are divided and they have many ulterior motives. If they cannot unite to resist Liu Jiyu, they will be defeated sooner or later."

"If Liu Jiyu conquers Liangzhou and then leads his army to Hexi, all of Qin's former territory will be taken by Liu Jiyu, which is not good for the country."

Guo Jia was very worried about the sudden rise of Liu Jiyu's army. With the dual bonus of his clan status and the Qin's former territory, people from all over the country were eager to go to Guanzhong to serve Liu Jiyu, and some even ignored the emperor in Xudu and were willing to go to Guanzhong to serve Liu Jiyu.

Cao Cao nodded silently. Liu Jiyu had the strength and the reputation. His family background and identity as a relative of the Han royal family gave him a great advantage. Considering that Liu Jiyu followed the old deeds of Emperor Gaozu, sent troops from Hanzhong, attacked Chencang, and settled in Guanzhong, many people in the world said that Liu Jiyu was the master of the world.

Since the Zhongping Rebellion, Cao Cao has gained power and gained experience as a monarch, and his power and ambition have slowly grown. The rise of Liu Jiyu is not a good thing for him who is determined to rule the world.

"Having such a powerful enemy is a real joy in life." Cao Cao suddenly laughed loudly and said with great passion.

When Guo Jia heard this, he just smiled faintly.

Cao Cao revealed his true feelings to his trusted adviser Guo Jia, who wanted to help him achieve his goal of becoming king and hegemon. "The world is in turmoil, and heroes are rising up. However, from my observation of the princes in the world, only Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang are the biggest threats. The others are nothing to worry about."

"In your opinion, who is stronger and who is weaker, Yuan Shao or Liu Zhang? Who should be killed first?" Since he had nothing to do, Cao Cao asked Guo Jia about his opinions on Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang.

Guo Jia responded, "Yuan Shao controls Hebei, while Liu Zhang controls Qin. Compared with the two, Yuan Shao controls Hebei, where the people are rich, the land is fertile, and the strength is strong. However, Yuan Shao is a man of many plans but few decisions, and is indecisive and incapable of accomplishing great things..."

"The Guanzhong area controlled by Liu Zhang was once plagued by the Liangzhou bandits. The scholars and commoners were scattered, and there were few households and few people. However, Liu Zhang was a man who made decisive decisions and had extraordinary strategies. He achieved extraordinary results in a few years."

Guo Jia pondered, "If we talk about the order in which they need to be eliminated, Liu Zhang should be the first, and Yuan Shao the second... However, your strength is enough to deal with one side alone. If you want to hold on to one side and eliminate the other, it is extremely difficult. If you are not careful, you will be doomed." Guo Jia pointed out the embarrassing situation of the territory occupied by Cao Cao, that is, if Cao Cao wanted to target one of Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang, he had to use all his strength, and if so, he would not be able to defend the remaining side completely.

After all, Cao Cao's sphere of influence is in the whole world. Although it is more convenient to attack from all sides, it is also very convenient for the princes in all directions to attack Cao Cao.

Cao Cao heard this and smiled: "Fengxiao, Fengxiao, you are exaggerating my strength. Yuan Shao is in Hebei, Liu Zhang is in Guanzhong. The places they live in are all blocked on three sides, and they control the princes with one side... Considering the number of troops, the wealth of the people, and the strategic and stable places where they live, I am inferior to Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang, and I am not a match for either of them."

Cao Cao had a clear understanding of his own strength. In terms of strength, he was not as good as Yuan Shao or Liu Zhang. Only by relying on wisdom and strength could he compete with these two.

"Let's not talk about who to kill, let's first talk about how to deal with the two families."

Guo Jiafu thought for a while, and then said, "Your Excellency welcomes the emperor, takes a comprehensive view of the court, and holds the righteousness of the world. This is what you have over Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang... The current plan is to use the emperor's order to urge Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang to fight each other. We will sit back and watch, waiting for the right opportunity."

"Fengxiao's words are very much in line with my opinion." Cao Cao nodded. The same words, or the same meaning, were also said to him by Shangshu Ling Xun Yu: Among Yuan Shao, Liu Zhang and him, his strength is the weakest, but the banner he raises is the brightest, because the emperor is in his hands, he can just hold the banner of the Han emperor, sit on the mountain and watch the fight between tigers, watch Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang fight each other, and then wait for an opportunity to defeat the two families and win a complete victory.

However, things are easier said than done, so Cao Cao plans to wait and see.

……

Cao Cao and Guo Jia sat and discussed the situation in the world. Over there, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Zhang Ren, Huang Zhong and other generals had nothing to do due to the continuous autumn rain, so as usual, these brave generals gathered together to compare their military strength.

At that moment, in the big tent where Xiahou Yuan lived, he held a long stick in his hand, looked forward, and took a posture suitable for both attack and defense. On the opposite side of Xiahou Yuan, Huang Zhong was just leaning on a long stick, with the middle door wide open, which seemed to have many flaws, and Xiahou Yuan only needed to attack to win.

But it was Huang Zhong's somewhat comfortable posture that made Xiahou Yuan dare not attack him. A slight sweat appeared on his forehead, and he felt a little uneasy: "Huang Hansheng is obviously full of flaws, but why do I feel that as soon as I make a move, Huang Hansheng will knock me to the ground..."

"Brother, are you going to fight or not? If not, let me take over." Cao Ren saw that Xiahou Yuan and Huang Zhong had been facing each other for a long time and had not fought each other. He complained to Xiahou Yuan impatiently.

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yuan ignored Cao Ren's words and focused all his energy on Huang Zhong. Finally, he shouted loudly, stepped forward with a stick, and used a move to sweep away thousands of troops, as if he wanted to cut Huang Zhong in half.

However, Xiahou Yuan, who took the initiative, did not get the expected result. His agile and swift attack was easily broken by Huang Zhong, who arrived later but was the first to arrive. Huang Zhong first blocked Xiahou Yuan's sweeping attack with his long stick, and then Huang Zhong turned around and cut towards Xiahou Yuan.

Seeing this, Xiahou Yuan hurriedly tried to block, but Huang Zhong's horizontal cut was fake. He retracted his stick in an instant and chopped towards Xiahou Yuan from the side. This move made Xiahou Yuan panic. He couldn't retract his stick in time and failed to block. Huang Zhong didn't really chop sideways. He took back the long stick in his hand with ease.

"Thank you, Han Sheng, for holding back." Xiahou Yuan knew he was no match for his opponent, so he put away his stick and bowed to Huang Zhong to express his gratitude.

Cao Ren saw this and laughed, teasing Xiahou Yuan: "Brother, if Han Sheng had a real tiger-back sword in his hand, you would have been chopped off along with half of your body."

After hearing what Cao Ren said, Xiahou Yuan threw the stick at Cao Ren with great force and said unhappily, "Zixiao, it's time for you to have a taste of Han Sheng's power and see how capable you are."

Cao Ren took the stick from Xiahou Yuan and said confidently, "I won't be like you, brother, who was defeated in just a few moves, like a defeated fighting cock."

"Don't try to show off your verbal skills. Let's see how many moves you can get against Han Sheng." Xiahou Yuan raised his eyebrows and smiled, clasping his hands in front of his chest, as if he was watching a show.

Just as Xiahou Yuan expected, Cao Ren, whose fighting power was similar to his, was defeated in just a few moves by Huang Zhong, a unique warrior in the world. Cao Ren's confidence disappeared and he was left in disgrace.

This scene made Xiahou Yuan, who had just sneered at Cao Ren, burst into laughter.

……

The autumn rain continued for several days in a row. Wang Hu, the grain officer in Cao Cao's army, was summoned by Cao Cao to the central army tent and reported to Cao Cao the details of the army's grain and fodder.

"My lord, due to the continuous autumn rains, the transportation of food and fodder has not been delayed. In addition, the food and fodder in the rear is also insufficient. There is not enough food and fodder transported here. Therefore, the food and fodder in the army can only last for half a month." Wang Hu reported, and then he stood in the tent, waiting for Cao Cao's instructions.

"Half a month." Cao Cao, who was sitting at the head of the table, had a calm expression, as if he was not panicked by the food problem. After a brief silence, Cao Cao ordered, "In three days, if food has not been delivered to the rear, use small hu to distribute food first to slow down the consumption of food."

Wang Hu did not respond immediately upon hearing this. He showed a look of shock and quickly advised: "Mingsir, if you distribute grain in small quantities, the soldiers will surely resent it, which may lead to a mutiny and cause great harm."

"Don't worry, I have my own plan to solve it." Cao Cao waved his hand confidently and asked Wang Hu to leave.

"Yes." One has to bow his head under the eaves, so Wang Hu had to retreat.

On the second day, the continuous autumn rain stopped, the clouds dispersed, the rain cleared, and the sun appeared.

"What a scorching sun." Cao Cao looked up at the sky and saw that the clouds were light and the bright sunshine was shining on the earth, which made him very happy.

The autumn rain stopped and the sun was shining brightly in the sky. Cao Cao was concerned about the shortage of food and grass, so he waited for a day until the sun had slightly solidified the muddy road. He then immediately urged his army to move out and began to attack Shouchun City.

For a moment, the rumbling sound of drums resounded throughout Shouchun. Looking around from the top of Shouchun City, all one could see were battering rams and ladders built by Cao's army, and the sounds of fighting and shouting shook the sky.

"Beat the drums to cheer." Cao Cao ordered the drummers sternly, asking them to make as much noise as possible. He was going to capture Shouchun City today. (End of this chapter)