Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 148 An old friend hears the story

AD 205, the tenth year of Jian'an, the first month.

The spring breeze was triumphant, and the horse's hoofs were broken, and Cao Cao's troops entered Nanpi City.

As expected by Cao Cao's victory over Yecheng, after Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi were defeated, Yuan Tan began to become restless.When Cao Cao was governing Hebei, Yuan Tan took over Ganling, Anping, Bohai, Hejian and other counties, contacted Wuhuan in Liucheng, and rebelled against Cao Cao.

Cao Cao, who was well prepared, denounced Yuan Tan's shamelessness, sent Yuan Tan's daughter back, and broke off the engagement between Cao Zheng and Yuan Tan's daughter.Then he led his army to Qingji and other counties along the coast. In just one month, Cao Cao led his army to invade Nanpi, beheading Yuan Tan and his family members, and completely captured the two states of Hebei and Qing.

"Zijing went to Liucheng as an envoy to persuade King Wuhuanqiao to submit to the Han Dynasty. Without ruining our reputation in the Central Plains, he scolded Han Zhong, the Liaodong envoy, and boosted the prestige of our Han Dynasty. It is quite an achievement!"

Cao Cao, who was gradually reaching the peak of his life, said with a smile on his face: "How about entrusting you to advise the army?"

The move was neither humble nor overbearing, he put his calloused hands together in a salute, and said in a deep voice: "If you don't give up on the stupidity of the move, how dare you disobey it."

Qianzhao, also known as Zi Jing, was a close friend of Liu Bei when he was young.In his early years, he served under Yuan Shao and was highly regarded by Yuan Shang.After Yuan Shang's defeat, Qian Zhao tried to persuade senior officials to welcome Yuan Shang, but was resented by him and had no choice but to join Cao Cao.Cao Cao recruited Qianzhao to work for Jizhou. Wuhuan of Liucheng wanted to help Yuan Tan. Qianzhao, who had dealt with Wuhuan people, was ordered to go to Liucheng as an envoy.

At that time, Gongsun Kang of Liaodong also sent his envoy Han Zhong. King Qiao had sinister intentions and asked Qianzhao to confront Han Zhong. He also raised the issue of the legitimacy of the Han Dynasty.Qian Zhao spoke righteously and used his sword to kill Han Zhong.King Qiao was frightened and accepted Cao Cao's Shanyu Seal.

Cao Cao sat on the couch and said: "Yuan Tan has been destroyed. King Song of Yuyang surrendered to the city. Youzhou generals Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan raised an army to rebel against Yuan. Soon Youzhou will return to the Han Dynasty. The only way to defend Bingzhou is to defend the high officials of Bingzhou." If you don’t attach it, I don’t know what Zijing thinks of the high officials in Bingzhou?”

Qianzhao pondered for a while and said: "To inform you, Duke Ming, the senior officials in Bingzhou have ambitions but no talents, and have been self-involved for a long time. The reason for joining Ming Gong now is because of the current situation. If there is an opportunity, the senior officials will betray Ming." male."

Cao Cao nodded with satisfaction to the left and right, and said: "What Zi Jing said is what Gu Zhi thought. He ordered Xun Supervisor's army to send people to monitor the high officials closely to prevent their troops from leaving Hengshan and attacking Yecheng."

"promise!"

Xun oversees the army, not Xun Yu, but Xun Yu's third brother Xun Yan, also known as Xiuruo.Cao Cao handed over such an important position to Xun Yan as the superintendent of the military school to guard Yecheng and the military commander of Hebei Province. It can be said that the relationship between Cao Cao and the Xun family in Yingchuan became a little closer.

As for the relationship between Cao Cao and Xun Yu, we can only say that Cao Cao's achievements so far are inseparable from Xun Yu.Xun Yu not only plays the role of Zhang Liang, but also plays the role of Xiao He.When Cao Cao hesitated or was about to make a wrong strategic choice, Xun Yu corrected the wrong strategic line, allowing Cao Cao to gallop through the Central Plains.

Just when Cao Cao was about to read the battle report sent by Zhang Liao, his attendant came in and reported, "I am reporting to Duke Ming that Jiang Qian returned from Jianghuai and asked to see Duke Ming."

"Hey! Ziyi is very fast."

Cao Cao put down the battle report and said with a smile: "I'm here to announce Jiang Ziyi's entry into the hall."

"Ming Gong has important matters, so I don't dare to disturb you." Seeing that there was something confidential, Qianzhao thought about his identity, raised his hands and said,
"Not urgent!"

Cao Cao saw that Qian Zhao wanted to avoid suspicion and said with a smile: "Zi Yi was ordered by Gu to go south to persuade Huo Zhongmiao, the governor of Poyang, to surrender, and to investigate the movements of Liu Bei and Liu Qi. You have an acquaintance with Liu Bei, and you can stay. One or two of the lonely staff members.”

As he spoke, Cao Cao smiled, but his eyes were fixed on Qianzhao's face.

"promise!"

With a smile on his face, Qianzhao said, "Zhao hasn't heard from Liu Xuande for a long time. I would like to serve as Ming Gong's adviser."

Cao Cao held his knees and sighed: "Liu Xuande started from Zhuo County and traveled around for more than ten years. Cao Cao remembered the old friendship in Luoyang and treated him courteously. But he had his own thoughts, contacted the traitors, killed the lonely chariots, and occupied Xuzhou to rebel. . He ran away from Yuan Shao, and then fled south to Liu Biao. Now he is in Jiangdong, bullying the Sun family, and luckily getting a peaceful life."

Qianzhao remained silent. He knew that in his capacity, anything he said would be problematic, so it would be better not to say anything.

Between sighs and sighs, Cao Cao saw Jiang Qianchu walking into the hall and asked, "Ziyi went to Jianghuai as an envoy, how was your trip?"

Jiang Qian looked ashamed and said: "I have informed Duke Ming that Gan sent an envoy to Jianghuai, and there are gains and losses. Qian tried to persuade him to surrender to no avail. Huo Zhongmiao missed the kindness of Liu Biao and Liu Qi and his son and did not want to join Duke Ming. And Jiang and Huai The bandits seem to have close contacts with Huo Jun."

"Chen Lan, Mei Gan, Lei Xu and others are nothing to worry about."

Seeing that he was not angry, Cao Cao smiled and said, "What kind of person is Huo Jun? Is he just a person with a false reputation?"

Jiang Qian thought about it for a while and said: "To inform you, Duke Ming, Huo Zhongmiao is worthy of his name. He is heroic, magnanimous, good at both civil and military affairs. His officers are elite and his military discipline is strict. He really has the style of a famous general in Jingchu."

After a pause, Jiang Gan said: "Ran Qian found out the secrets of Liu Bei and Liu Qi in Huo Zhongmiao's army. Liu Bei and Liu Qi went to Jiangdong together, but there was a gap between them. Liu Bei entered Jiangdong. Since then, he has been recruiting troops and buying horses, and he has gradually begun to seize the throne. Liu Qi's civil servants, such as Huo Zhongmiao, are already wary of Liu Bei. His whipping..."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and said thoughtfully: "According to what Ziyi sees, what will happen to Jiangdong Er Liu?"

"Liu Bei now has the appearance of seizing the throne, and the generals under Liu Qi are deeply afraid of him. A gap has arisen between the two Lius. If the Sun family is destroyed. Liu Bei has many soldiers, but they cannot gain the ground. Liu Qi cannot control them. There is a risk of fighting between the two Liu Bei. ." Jiang Gan said.

"What do you think of being a filial piety?" Cao Cao asked.

Guo Jia frowned and said: "Liu Bei, a great hero in the world, is not willing to be inferior to others, so he certainly does not want to serve Liu Qi. However, Liu Bei also founded the world with faith. If he betrays Liu Biao and his son, his reputation will be ruined. But when the situation becomes clear, , which may be expected.”

Although Guo Jia is a top counselor, he is a man and not a god. The information Jiang Gan gave seems to be a lot, but in fact it is quite little, and it is also confusing.

Judging from the intelligence obtained by Guo Jiake, Liu Bei has always regarded trustworthiness as his label. With this label, Liu Bei is unlikely to stab Liu Biao in the back unless he destroys his character.

But Liu Bei is not a white lotus. He is one of the most powerful men in the world. There are already signs that Liu Bei has the potential to overwhelm the guest and usurp the throne. It is not impossible to stab Liu Biao in the back in a desperate situation.After all, it’s not like Liu Bei has never stabbed someone in the back. Liu Bei took Yizhou’s foundation from Liu Zhang.

All we can say is to let the bullets fly for a while, and then Guo Jia can make a judgment when the situation becomes clearer.

Cao Cao looked at Qianzhao and asked, "What do you think Zijing?"

Qianzhao shook his head slightly and said: "I know the inside story of Jiangdong for the first time, so I don't know how to jump to conclusions." Cao Cao looked modest and said with a smile: "Zi Jingsu and Liu Xuande have known each other since they were young. We can tell a lot about his temperament."

"promise!"

"Does Ming Gong know whether Gongsun Zan?" Qian Zhao said.

Cao Cao raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile: "If you are not Liu Bei or Gongsun Zan, how do you know about them?"

Lian Zhao pondered for a long time and said: "Liu Xuande defeated Gaotang. He rushed to Gongsun Zan's tent and was recommended by him to worship the Prime Minister of Pingyuan. Gongsun Zan appointed Liu Xuande and Qingzhou Governor Tian Kai to guard Yuan Benchu, and also raised troops to fight against Yuan Shu. However, the soldiers After saving Xuzhou, Liu Xuande was appointed as the governor of Xuzhou and sent an envoy to make peace with Yuan Shao, betraying Gongsun's kindness."

Cao Cao stared at Qianzhao with a half-smile but asked, "What does Zijing mean?"

Qian Zhao bowed and held his hands in his hand, saying: "Ming Gong, if Zhao thinks about Gongsun's affairs, Ming Gong can learn from this and know the future affairs of Liu Jingsheng and his son."

"Hahaha!"

Cao Cao laughed and stood up, pacing around Qianzhao, and said, "Zijing and Liu Xuande had an acquaintance who had their necks cut off. How can we tell the truth now?"

Qianzhao's face remained as usual, he cupped his hands and said, "Ming Gong is Zhao's father; Xuande is Zhao's brother. In today's official affairs, the king and father should come first, followed by brothers. Zhao tells the truth and doesn't dare to hide it."

"How about being filial?" Cao Cao asked again.

Guo Jia coughed a few times and said: "Let me tell you, Duke Ming, what the Zi Jing said is not unreasonable. Liu Bei is not willing to be subordinate to others, so Liu Jingsheng is always on guard. In any case, Duke Ming cannot make Liu Bei powerful, otherwise Duke Ming will go south." At that time, Liu Bei will surely become Duke Ming’s confidant."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and said with a headache: "Liu Biao has occupied Jingchu, and now he will conquer the east of the Yangtze River. If he is allowed to occupy the upper and lower reaches of the river, he will be a disaster in the future."

"Why is Sun Quan so vulnerable? He was defeated by Liu Bei and Huo Jun in a row and retreated to Wuhui. He relied on blood transfusions from Jianghuai to survive. Guhen Bingzhou Gaogan, Wuhuan Yuan Shang, and Liaodong Gongsun are still here , we cannot get away from the war in the north, otherwise we would not be able to sit back and watch Liu Biao and Liu Bei become powerful."

While pacing, Cao Cao couldn't help but complain: "The wonderful talent is also unlucky, and was defeated by Huo Jun's formation near the water."

Then, Cao Cao turned his attention to Jiang Gan and said, "Did Ziyi gain anything from his mission to Jianghuai?"

"As reported to Ming Gong, when Qian returned, he happened to meet Sun Boyang's brothers and their families. He was persuaded by Guan Yu to surrender and present the city to Beitou Xuchang." Jiang Qian said.

After hearing about Guan Yu warming the wine and subduing Sun Ben's brothers, Cao Cao said with a smile: "Yun Chang's style will not change!"

"Come here, let Wen Ruohaosheng arrange for Sun Boyang, he is the leader of Zhang'er!"

"promise!"

When Jiang Gan saw Cao Cao with a smile on his face, he hesitated in his heart, not knowing whether to say what Huo Jun said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cao Cao saw Jiang Qian hesitate and said with a smile: "Ziyi, you have always been famous for your eloquence, how can you be like this now?"

Jiang Qian thought about his words and said: "Ming Gong, when Qian went north, Huo Zhongmiao asked Qian to send a message to Ming Gong. Qian was afraid of offending Ming Gong, so he didn't know what to say."

Cao Cao sat on the couch with a majestic posture and said: "Zi Yi is the one who sent the message, but it doesn't matter. How can I hold Zi Yi accountable?"

Jiang Gan lowered his head and glanced at Cao Cao's expression, and said: "Huo Junyan has always heard that Sikong has the ambition to conquer the world, so...he will wait in the east of the Yangtze River for Sikong to raise his troops and go south, and fight with Sikong across the river."

"Ha ha!"

Contrary to Jiang Gan's expectation, Cao Cao smiled instead of being angry. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword and said, "Huo Jun is young and vigorous. Don't think that he will be defeated by the water of the river alone!"

"Please forgive me!"

"Nothing! Ziyi and Zijing have been working hard, please step back and rest first." Cao Cao waved his hand, signaling Jiang Qian and Zhao Zhao to go out.

"promise!"

After the two of them exited, Cao Cao's face darkened and he said with a sneer: "Huo Jun is arrogant and arrogant. He was lucky enough to defeat a brilliant talent. Don't think that I have no one in China who can disapprove of him!"

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly and asked: "Liu Bei and Liu Qi want to destroy the Sun family, and they want to help Sun Quan. I wonder if Feng Xiao has a plan?"

Guo Jia stroked his beard and said: "Ming Gong surrendered to Nanpi, and the two states of Qing and Xu were in awe. Zang Ba sent his generals, father, brothers, and their families to move to Yecheng, showing his obedience. Now that Ming Gong wants to help Sun Quan, it is better to let Zang Ba take the lead. The army is facing the Jianghuai River in the south, thinking that we can provide support."

"I'm afraid Zang Ba won't do his best to help him!" Cao Cao said worriedly.

"I inform Duke Ming that the troops in Jianghuai are sparse, the Xiahou governor's army was defeated by Huo Jun, and the thieves have a close relationship with Huo Jun, so the troops in Jianghuai should not be used rashly. Zang Ba may not be dedicated, but he can contain the troops of Liu and Liu and reduce the pressure on Sun Quan. "

Guo Jia coughed and said: "Our army needs to quickly pacify the north and cannot recruit troops to go south. Liu Biao seems to have Jingchu and Jiangzuo in his hands, but Cai Mao and Kuai Yue have already expressed their intention to submit to us. Ming Gong borrowed The two of them planned to seize Jingzhou, alienate the two Lius, and take advantage of the situation to wipe out Jiangzuo."

"It's a sign of filial piety!"

After walking out of the mansion, Qianzhao shook his head and sighed, but he murmured: "Mr. Xuande, you can take care of yourself!"

(End of this chapter)