Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 382 Leading the troops to fight in person

AD 217, the twenty-second year of Jian'an, spring.

Liu Bei exposed himself to the world, denounced Cao Cao as a national traitor, and decided to launch a three-pronged expedition to the Central Plains.

Zhang Fei and Lu Xun were the Western Route Army. They supervised 25,000 troops and were called 50,000. They went out to Baoxie Road to attack Guanzhong.

Guan Yu and Wenpin served as the middle route army, supervising 30,000 troops and setting up private troops in the north of the Yangtze River.

Liu Bei and Huo Jun formed the Eastern Route Army, with 100,000 troops, sometimes called 200,000. They separated from Chaofei Canal and Hangou and marched directly towards Shouchun.

The combined forces of the three armies were 155,000, which was already the overwhelming strength of the Southern Han Dynasty. Liu Bei announced an army of 300,000, as if he wanted Cao Cao to know his current strength.

Of course, the 150,000 troops were not the entire strength of the Southern Han Dynasty. After taking Yizhou, the Southern Han Dynasty's military strength could reach 180,000 to 200,000. Under deep rule, it would not be a problem for the Southern Han Dynasty to detonate more than 200,000 troops. However, the sparse terrain in the south restricted the Southern Han Dynasty from sending troops.

The march of hundreds of thousands of people was so mammoth that it was almost impossible to hide it from Cao Cao.

Yecheng, Wei Palace.

Cao Cao looked at the military reports submitted from various places with a serious expression.

"Your Majesty, Liu Bei has launched an expedition of 300,000 water thieves in three directions to the north. What should we do to stop them now?" Sun Quan asked.

"Three hundred thousand?"

Cao Cao raised his head and looked at the people in the hall, and said with a sneer: "We are alone in China, and we have conquered the Central Plains. We only have 300,000 troops under our command. Liu Bei is sitting in a barren and swampy land, so how can he have 300,000 men?"

Then, Cao Cao threw the military report in his hand on the case and said: "Looking at it from a solitary perspective, Liu Bei's troops from the south and the northern invaders are probably only more than 100,000 people. The children weaving mats and selling shoes can only build up their momentum and do what they do. It’s really just a bluff.”

"Sending troops from Hanzhong, Jianghuai, and Jiangling seems to be a huge force. However, except for Jianghuai, Hanzhong and Jiangling are only minor illnesses. The real trouble is only in Jianghuai!"

Having used soldiers for so long, Cao Cao is probably familiar with bluffing. Although the three-pronged advance may seem grand, if the main force is defeated, the remaining two-pronged troops will retreat without a fight.

Of course, Cao Cao's contempt for others was also a way to appease his subordinates. In recent years, Liu Bei's momentum has become increasingly high. He first annexed Jingchu and then took Yizhou to the west. After becoming king, Liu Bei's momentum reached its peak.

Cao Cao looked at everyone, his eyes lingered on Jia Xu, and asked. "Wen He, do you have any ideas?"

Jia Xu pondered for a while and then said: "What the king said is very true. Looking at the three areas of Hanzhong, Jiangling and Hefei, the road to Shu is rugged and difficult to travel. Not long after Bashu first conquered, the number of troops sent by Hanzhong was indescribable. Jiangling is adjacent to Xiangfan. We need to control Wuhan, the center of the southern bandits, and I believe that stability should be the priority."

"Only the Jianghuai River, Lu Su has been repairing the city walls for many years, gathering refugees, reclaiming wasteland, and is gradually gaining vitality. Liu Bei and Huo Jun led their troops to personally conquer Shouchun, hoping to defeat Shouchun, and then drove their troops into Ru and Ying'er The water swept across Henan."

"In Xu's opinion, the king appointed the general to control the west. Cao Xiangfan left his troops behind and led the people of the Central Plains to fight for longevity."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and said: "Zhang Fei relies on his bravery and lacks wisdom, and only Lu Xun knows how to fight. There are still remnants in the northwest. We should put prudence first and order Cao Hong to supervise the people in Guanzhong and lead Zhang He, Guo Huai, Yang Qiu, and Hao Zhao and other generals will guard the dangerous points and not engage in battle with Zhang Fei, and will retreat to Hanzhong when his supplies are gone."

"promise!"

"Jianling soldiers and horses, Guan Yu, the famous general of the southern bandits; Wenpin, who has governed the border for many years. If Guan Yu raises his troops to attack, let Cao Ren and Zhu Zhi hold on to Xiangfan, take advantage of the dangers of Xian Mountain and the strength of Dengsai to consume Guan Yu's troops Soldiers."

"promise!"

Secretary Liu Fang took a pen to record Cao Cao's military orders, and he wrote quickly and quickly.

"As for the land of Jianghuai, Liu Bei and Huo Jun raised a large army to attack it personally. The attack was fierce. This was beyond the control of Xiahou Dun. He wanted to lead the army to fight in person and drive away the two thieves." Cao Cao said.

Liu Ye straightened his back, cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, since your southern expedition to Huainan, you have left the two cities of Huaiyin and Shouchun as towns to fight against the enemies in the Jianghuai River. Shouchun City is high and strong, with abundant grain and grass, and sufficient armor and soldiers to protect your numbers. The moon is not lost. I am only worried about Huaiyin. It lives in the south of the Huai River and I am afraid of the risk of losing it."

In recent years, wars between the Han and Wei dynasties have rarely broken out in Huai River. This does not mean that both sides have not taken action. The Southern Han Dynasty dredged the Chaofei Canal and Hangou, reclaimed wasteland, and established the three cities of Lu'an, Hefei, and Sheyang as a line of defense against Cao Wei.

At Liu Ye's suggestion, Cao Cao built the Huai River defense line in Huainan with the three cities of Shouchun, Huaiyin, and Yiyang as the core of defense.

Yiyang is located in Runan County. Manchong is in charge of Yiyang, who also takes care of the duties of aiding the Xiangfan and Shouchun battlefields.

Shouchun is a strategic point on the Huai River and controls the waterways of Yanzhou and Henan. As the pillar of the Central Plains, Xiahou Dun personally took charge.

Huaiyin was established in recent years. With the dredging of Hangou and the connection between the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it was in order to prevent the expansion of the power of the Southern Han Dynasty. Cao Cao adopted Liu Ye's suggestion, rebuilt Huaiyin City and sent three thousand soldiers to garrison it.

Cao Cao frowned and said, "Huainan is your hometown, and you are familiar with the terrain of Huainan. What do you think now?"

Liu Ye stood up with a bow and said: "Your Majesty, after many years of war, Xu Huai is in ruins. Now Huo Jun is a partial army, supervising tens of thousands of troops. Entering the Huai River from the north of Hangou, he must capture Huaiyin. Huaiyin is far away from Xiapi. This will be detrimental to Zang Xuzhou's rescue."

"Now I have a strategy that I can propose to the king. It may be able to stop Huo Jun from Huaiyin, or it may be able to repel the enemy invaders!"

"Please speak!"

With Cao Cao's permission, Liu Ye walked in the hall and explained his strategy. "The water thieves traveled far away to fight. Huo Jun was proficient in military strategy and was our country's great enemy, so he could not take the lead. Although there were many soldiers and horses under Zang Xuzhou's rule, many of them had different groups. Today's soldiers in Xuzhou fight on their own territory. If the army is defeated, it will be easy to disperse."

"In my opinion, Huo Jun is attacking Huaiyin with a heavy army. He should order Zang Xuzhou to go south to support him and set up camp in Huaibei. He should use the force of the north and south horns to block Huaiyin from Huaiyin. If Huo Jun follows the old method of Hefei and besieges but does not attack, he should abandon the city of Huaiyin. Strengthen the walls and clear the fields, retreat to Xiapi, and lure them to fight deep."

"At that time, the king raised his troops to fight against Liu Bei personally. Even though he could not defeat Liu Bei, he could still ensure the stability of Shouchun. The water thieves traveled thousands of miles to fight. If they could not fight for a long time, the front of the army was blocked, and they would be retreated by the king in a few days." Liu Ye said.

Since the deaths of Xun Yu, Xun You, and Cheng Yu, many of Cao Cao's advisers during the war have declined. Now, in addition to relying on Jia Xu, Cao Cao also attaches great importance to Liu Ye in Huainan affairs. Liu Ye's performance did not disappoint Cao Cao's expectations, and he contributed a lot to the Huainan strategy.

Now Huo Jun and Liu Bei are raising their troops to attack. Liu Ye has many insights into the pros and cons of the enemy and ourselves.

Han soldiers crossed thousands of miles of waterways to capture Xu Huai, and they were led by General Huo Jun himself. Zang Ba led the people in Xuzhou, but basically they couldn't defeat Huo Jun. Since you can't beat him, you can't beat him hard.

In order not to be led by Huo Jun, Huaiyin was used as a pawn. The strong walls and clear fields gave Huo Jun nothing to eat, thereby containing Huo Jun's troops.

Huo Jun's troops were restrained by Zang Ba's army, while Liu Bei had to lead his own army against the strong city of Shouchun and Cao Cao's army.

After all, the Taishan Army commanded by Zang Ba did not have high combat effectiveness, so they could only be used as auxiliaries and for flank containment.

Cao Cao caressed his beard and pondered, and said: "You must follow Ziyang's words. If you can stick to Huaiyin, Huo Jun can be restricted to Huaidong; if you encircle without attacking, Huaiyin can defend itself. Let Zang Xuzhou The people were moved away and the strategy of clearing out the wilderness was implemented, making it impossible for Huo Junliang to enter."

As he spoke, Cao Cao stood up with his hands on the armrests and said: "Call the troops and order Yu Jin, Xu Huang, Cao Zhen, Tian Yu, Zhu Ling, Han Hao and other generals to rise up. The lone general will personally lead an army of 100,000 people. Go south to Shouchun to fight Liu Bei personally."

"promise!"

Looking at the generals who gathered to take orders, Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled lightly.

Sun Quan glanced at Cao Pi who couldn't hold himself back, raised his hands and asked, "Now that the king is leading his troops to conquer the country, who do you want to order to supervise the country?"

"Order the prince to stay in Yecheng and supervise state affairs!" Cao Cao said.

Cao Pi used Yang Xiu's case to kill many Han officials, which made people in Xuchang panic. When Yang Xiu's father, Yang Biao, learned that Yang Xiu was being questioned, he was quite angry and unhappy, but there was nothing he could do about Cao Pi. Only after meeting Cao Cao, he used Jin Rixi's case and said some aggrieved words.

Seeing that Cao Pi handled the Yang Xiu case well, Cao Cao finally made Cao Pi the crown prince in the second half of last year and made all his sons marquis to show his attitude to everyone.

"My son, take your orders!"

Cao Pi suppressed the joy in his heart, cupped his hands and said, "Father, please rest assured, as long as your son stays behind, there will be no shortage of food and fodder for the army."

"good!"

At the end of the meeting, Cao Pi walked out of the hall with everyone in a cheerful step.

When they reached the no-man's land in the palace, the delighted Cao Pi put his arms around Sun Quan's shoulders and laughed and said, "Does Zhongmou know how happy I am?"

"My father has made me the crown prince, and now he has ordered me to supervise the country. My position as heir is already secure. However, in the meantime, I should be grateful to Zhongmou for his advice."

Seeing Cao Pi so happy, Sun Quan straightened his face slightly, broke away from Cao Pi's arm, and said, "The prince has lost his temper!"

Cao Pi laughed and said, "There are no outsiders now, so why not?"

Sun Quan looked at Cao Pi who was not like a human king, and kindly advised: "The prince is acting as the prime minister of the country on behalf of the king. He should not be sad, and the person in charge should not be feared. If the king knows about it now, he will definitely be unhappy!"

What Sun Quan said can be regarded as expression management. Most outstanding monarchs are fearless, and their emotions and anger are rarely expressed in their appearance.

Cao Pi can be happy, but he must not lose his etiquette. And when facing difficult things, do not show fear, otherwise his subordinates will look down on Cao Pi.

Sun Quan took charge of the government at the age of eighteen and initially stabilized Jiangdong's political power. I really couldn't stand Cao Pi's performance, so I could only give him some advice.

After hearing Cao Cao's name, Cao Pi calmed down and said, "Zhongmou's words are words of loyalty, how dare you not accept them?"

"Zhongmou will soon be marching south to Jianghuai with his father, so we should be more careful." Cao Pi said with concern.

Sun Quan looked moved and said, "Thank you for your concern, Prince!"

Looking at Cao Pi's retreating figure, Sun Quan couldn't help but frown and worry.

Cao Pi's performance at the age of thirty seems to be worse than that of him in his twenties.

With Cao Pi's performance and after Cao Cao's death, can Wei really prosper?

Now that Cao Cao is still alive, he can lead elite troops to fight and deter tigers and wolves like Ma Chao. When Cao Cao dies, how can Cao Pi stabilize the court and resist the Northern Expedition of the Southern Han Dynasty?

(End of this chapter)