Ji Han Liu Zhang

Xudu.

"Han Sheng doesn't want to stay?" Cao Cao looked depressed and sighed: "There are so many loyal and righteous people and brave men in the world, why can't I find one?"

Previously, in Xiacai, Lu Bu had fought against Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan and others, and finally met the young and fit Huang Zhong. After fighting for a hundred moves and being defeated, Lu Bu became hesitant and worried, so he led his cavalry away and led his troops back to Xuzhou.

As a result, the heroic figure of Huang Zhong who defeated Lu Bu was always lingering in Cao Cao's mind. On the way back to Xu Du, Cao Cao treated Huang Zhong with great respect and treated him very kindly.

At the same time, Cao Cao privately sent generals such as Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan to test Huang Zhong's attitude and see if they could keep Huang Zhong and only send the soldiers from Jingzhou back to Jingzhou.

However, Huang Zhong, with a loyal heart, insisted on leading his troops back to Jingzhou as soon as the campaign to conquer Huainan was over and report to Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou. He had no intention of staying in Xudu and serving under Cao Cao.

As a result, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a little sad. Generals like Huang Zhong, Guan Yu, Zhang Ren, etc. were all first-class brave generals. What's more, they were all loyal and righteous. It was a pity that he couldn't get any of them. It was really a pity.

But Cao Cao was Cao Cao after all, and the sorrow of not getting what he wanted did not stay in his mind for too long. He became concerned about the current situation and discussed it with Guo Jia, Cheng Yu and others.

"According to the scouts' report, Han Sui and Song Jian were first defeated in Xiangwu and retreated to Fuhan, and then the Shu army surrounded Fuhan from all sides. In the time of crisis, Han Sui and Song Jian were not only not harmonious, but also had a rift with each other. Han Sui killed Song Jian, and then Fuhan City fell, and Han Sui was captured by Liu Jiyu and executed. Now the land of Longyou is all owned by Liu Jiyu." Guo Jia explained the war in Longyou with a slightly worried look on his face.

And we know that when Longyou was conquered by Liu Jiyu, the former land of the powerful Qin had already been owned by Liu Jiyu. Although Hexi had not been committed to Liu Jiyu because of its remoteness, a piece of news that Guo Jia heard made him very pessimistic about the future of Hexi, and he believed that Hexi would be owned by Liu Jiyu sooner or later.

"Handan Shang, the governor of Yongzhou, and Zhang Meng, the governor of Wuwei, used to get along well with each other, but later clashed over government affairs. Now, the two led their troops to attack each other. Handan Shang was defeated by Zhang Meng and was captured by Zhang Meng. The current situation in Hexi is in chaos and disorder."

Guo Jia said worriedly: "Now Liu Jiyu has settled Longyou and is eyeing Guanxi. If he knows that there is a turmoil in Hexi, he will definitely want to spy on Hexi... I think the Shu army may already be on the way to Hexi. Although Zhang Meng is the son of Zhang Huan, one of the three great masters of Liangzhou, he is not like his father. He is definitely not a match for Liu Jiyu. Hexi will probably be taken by Liu Jiyu."

Hearing this, Cheng Yu stroked his long, beautiful beard, nodded in agreement, and said, "Since Liu Jiyu has taken over Longyou, he will naturally plan to take over Hexi. Zhang Meng is at odds with the merchants of Handan and led his troops to attack them. This gives Liu Jiyu an excuse. Judging from Liu Jiyu's style of doing things, he will definitely not miss this opportunity. He will take over Hexi as well."

"And Hexi..." Cheng Yu frowned, he said worriedly: "Liu Jiyu will occupy the old Qin territory and rule Guanxi. Although Guanxi has suffered from wars and disasters since Emperor Guangwu, the population is not abundant, but Qin is the most powerful in the world. It is blocked on three sides. Only one side can rule the world, which is suitable for both attack and defense. Liu Jiyu may be difficult to check and balance in the future, which is a great worry for you."

Unlike other scholars who joined Cao Cao's army and had some degree of loyalty to him, Cheng Yu devoted himself completely to Cao Cao and wanted to help him achieve the goals of becoming a king and an emperor.

Therefore, Cheng Yu only looked at the issue from Cao Cao's perspective, rather than from the perspective of the emperor or the court. He was only concerned about the impact of Liu Zhang's actions on Cao Cao's bid for hegemony over the world. Apart from that, he had no other concerns.

Cao Cao, who was at the head of the group, listened to Guo Jia and Cheng Yu's analysis. He nodded and said, "I think Zhang Meng of Hexi is definitely no match for Liu Zhang. It is only a matter of time before Hexi falls into Liu Zhang's hands. Whether it's this year or next, Zhang Meng will eventually be defeated."

In Cao Cao's mind, Liu Zhang, who emerged as a new force and swept across Guanxi, was more threatening than Yuan Shao, who was powerful in Hebei. After all, Liu Zhang was young and decisive, unlike Yuan Shao, who was weak and indecisive.

Speaking of Liu Zhang, Cheng Yu said: "My lord, I heard that Zhang Ren, who was sent by Liu Zhang to help conquer Huainan, performed brilliantly in the battle of Huainan, commanding 800 cavalrymen and defeating an army of 10,000. There are few cavalry generals in the world who can match him."

"I also heard that you sent Cao Zixiao, Xiahou Miaocai and others to persuade us to keep Zhang Ren in Xudu for our use, but Zhang Ren is too loyal to Liu Jiyu and only wants to return to Guanzhong."

"In my opinion, Zhang Ren should not be released. You can use the emperor's order to imprison Zhang Ren in Xudu. Even if we cannot use Zhang Ren, we must not let Zhang Ren become Liu Jiyu's lackey and become a threat to our army in the future." Cheng Yu planned for Cao Cao wholeheartedly.

After hearing Cheng Yu's words, Cao Cao first showed a thoughtful look, and then shook his head: "Zhang Ren was sent by Liu Jiyu to help our army conquer Huainan. His merits are very great and there are no omissions... If I imprison Zhang Ren in Xudu, it would not be a righteous act."

Cao Cao paused and continued, "As for Zhang Ren's unwillingness to stay in Xudu, it shows that he is a loyal and righteous man. They each serve their own masters, and it is up to them to come and go."

"A real man does not care about details when doing things, but acts when the opportunity arises. Why should he be concerned about his reputation..." Cheng Yu said earnestly. He advised Cao Cao not to care about his reputation and integrity, but to start from a realistic perspective and do things that are beneficial to him.

Guo Jia was listening to the argument between Cao Cao and Cheng Yu. He took the opportunity to resolve the dispute and said, "Brother Zhongde, among all the lords in the world today, Yuan Shao in Hebei is the most powerful. He has many soldiers and vast territory, and many strong generals. If we go south from Hebei to Xudu, there are many ferry crossings on the river. There are no mountains or rivers blocking the way, and the journey will be smooth."

"Although your suggestion to imprison Zhang Ren in Xudu is very prescient, considering the current enemy, Yuan Shao is the first, we should maintain a harmonious relationship with Liu Jiyu, so as not to let us fall into a situation of being alone and helpless. I hope you will think about it."

Cheng Yu stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, then he bowed and said, "Feng Xiao is right, but I didn't think about it enough." Then Cheng Yu said to Cao Cao, "Mingsir, you should do as Feng Xiao said and let Zhang Ren return to Guanzhong."

"Yes." Cao Cao nodded. He had already made up his mind about letting Zhang Ren return to Guanzhong and Huang Zhong return to Jingzhou. Firstly, as Guo Jia said, his current biggest enemy was Yuan Shao, and he needed to maintain good relations with Liu Zhang of Guanzhong and Liu Biao of Jingzhou. But secondly, and more importantly, he was a hero and would not do petty things.

……

Xiapi.

"Sir, have you found out clearly who was the last person who fought against me that day?" Lu Bu asked Chen Gong who came to report the news. He felt a sense of empathy for the last person he fought against, Cai. This person's bravery was not inferior to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and was even slightly better than them. He was the most courageous enemy he had ever met in his life.

Therefore, Lu Bu was very concerned about this person's identity. He wanted to know when Cao Cao had such a general under his command.

Chen Gong nodded, and he immediately said, "According to a detailed investigation, the general's surname is Huang, his given name is Zhong, and his courtesy name is Hansheng. He is a general under Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou. This time, he was ordered by Liu Biao to lead the army to help the court conquer Huainan. Now that Huainan has been conquered and Shouchun is under the city, Huang Zhong will lead his troops back to Jingzhou."

"A general from Jingzhou?" Lü Bu hissed. He was a little confused. He had never heard of Huang Zhong before, but he never thought that Jingzhou would have such a general. It shows that heroes in the world should not be underestimated. Then Lü Bu relaxed. Huang Zhong would return to Jingzhou after helping the court to conquer Huainan. Then the chance of Huang Zhong becoming his opponent would be slim. He would not have to worry about Huang Zhong being appointed by Cao Cao and fighting against him.

Thinking of this, Lu Bu's face became a little gloomy again. He had traveled all over the world, and had fought against countless officers and soldiers from Liangzhou, Black Mountain Army, Qingzhou Army, etc., but no one was his match.

Meeting Huang Zhong today made him feel like he had met a worthy opponent. He wanted to have a hearty fight with Huang Zhong in full condition to compare the two men's fighting power.

Unfortunately, Huang Zhong was about to return to Jingzhou, and he might not have this opportunity again in the future. As a military commander, Lu Bu looked even more dejected when he thought of this.

Being invincible is a kind of loneliness. Lu Bu longs for an opponent.

With regrets about losing his opponent, Lu Bu brought out the political strategies that a local lord should have: "Sir, Huainan has been broken by Cao's army, and Yuan Shu's power has declined. He no longer has the momentum of the past... Now the land of Xuzhou is inevitably isolated and weak. If Cao's army attacks in the future, I am afraid it will be difficult for us to fight against them. I wonder if you have any advice for me."

Chen Gong was worried about Lu Bu as well. After Cao Cao conquered Huainan, he would definitely march east to Xuzhou to remove Lu Bu, the thorn in the Central Plains, in order to gain complete control of the Central Plains.

With the defeat in Huainan and the fall of Shouchun, Lu Bu lost a powerful ally. When facing Cao's army alone at that time, he would be unable to do anything alone. If he did not think carefully, he would regret it in the future.

Chen Gong had already thought about this matter, and now he slowly said: "General, although Shouchun was lost to Cao's army, Yuan Shu still occupies a large area of ​​Huainan and has tens of thousands of soldiers. We can use him as a helping hand. We should marry Yuan Shu as soon as possible to consolidate the friendship between the two families and join hands to fight against Cao Cao in the future. This is one thing."

Lu Bu nodded repeatedly after hearing this. He asked, "Sir, what you said is true. I would like to hear your next words."

"Secondly, the generals of Taishan and Langya, Zang Ba, Sun Guan, Wu Dun, Yin Li and others, all we need to do is to comfort them and give them generous rewards, and we will surely be able to get Zang Ba, Sun Guan and others to serve us and make them generals' vassal states."

At this point, Chen Gong concluded: "To the north, we should ally with Zang Ba and Sun Guan, and to the south, we should make friends with Yuan Shu in Huainan. The three of us should work together to resist Cao Cao. If Cao Cao leads his army here in the future, he will have nothing to gain."

"What you said is very good." Lu Bu stepped forward and shook Chen Gong's hand, saying with a sincere expression.

……

Lujiang.

Yuan Shu, who crossed the Huai River and fled to Lujiang, looked very worried recently. His eyes and brows had lost the brilliance he had when he was previously named and established, and had turned into a gray and dull color.

"Why has it come to this?" Yuan Shu was upset and worried. He kept pouring wine into his mouth, trying to numb his mind with alcohol.

Not long ago, he heard a piece of bad news. The troops of Zhang Xun and Qiao Rui, who he had deployed in Qinyang to block Cao's army, were defeated by Cao's army. Zhang Xun fled to Shouchun, while Qiao Rui was simply killed in battle. This inevitably made Yuan Shu dejected.

After learning the details of the battle, Yuan Shu was very angry, because the general who defeated Zhang Xun and Qiao Rui's troops was Zhang Ren, a cavalry general of Liu Jiyu, the Grand Marshal of Guanzhong.

"I established a system and title in Huainan, what does it have to do with you, Liu Jiyu?"

Yuan Shu didn't understand. He had no hatred towards Liu Zhang. The ones who should be at odds with him were the current emperor and Cao Cao, who was in charge of the government. It would not harm Liu Zhang in any way, so why should Liu Zhang be at odds with him?

"Report, Shouchun has reported." Just as Yuan Shu was feeling worried, a messenger stepped into the house and claimed to have brought news from Huainan.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu suddenly sobered up. He was still concerned about the situation in Shouchun City. Zhang Xun, Le Jue and other generals had delivered the good news to him, saying that the autumn rain was continuous and Cao's army could not attack the city. Shouchun City was as stable as a mountain. Soon Cao's army would run out of food and retreat.

So Yuan Shu thought of the best situation and said, "Tell me quickly, is it that Cao's army has run out of food and has to retreat so that I can return to Shouchun?" Without waiting for the messenger to reply, Yuan Shu stood up and paced back and forth for a while, with a look of joy on his face.

When the messenger heard this, his expression froze. He wanted to tell the news about Shouchun, but he was afraid that if he told it, it would wake up Yuan Shu, who was still in joy. He would then be severely punished. So he looked hesitant and did not dare to speak.

Yuan Shu was happy for a while, but when he came to his senses, he found that the messenger had not yet told him the news, so he shouted: "Why are you in a daze? Tell me the news from Shouchun as soon as possible."

After Yuan Shu's urging, the messenger gritted his teeth and told the news: "Your Majesty, Cao's army has captured Shouchun. Generals Zhang Xun, Le Jiu, Li Feng, Liang Gang and others have all been killed by Cao's army... In addition, Lu Bu, who came to rescue Shouchun, was defeated by Cao's army and has returned to Xuzhou."

Yuan Shu was stunned when he heard this. His face was still full of joy, but suddenly his expression changed drastically. He angrily shouted: "What bullshit are you talking about? It's raining continuously in autumn. How can Cao's army capture Shouchun?"

Yuan Shu couldn't believe it. He called the warriors and said, "Go, arrest this traitor who spread false information to boost others' morale. Drag him outside the courtyard and give him thirty... no, fifty lashes of the cane. Let's see if he dares to spread false information again in the future."

"Your Majesty, every word I said is true. Your Majesty can find someone to verify it... Your Majesty..." The messenger was dragged out of the yard by the warriors while pleading, and was severely beaten with a stick, wailing in extreme pain.

Yuan Shu heard the wailing sounds coming from outside the courtyard. He looked lonely and haggard, muttering to himself: "My imperial city... I can't go back..." He thought of the imperial city built in Shouchun, which now belonged to Cao Cao and was no longer his. (End of this chapter)