Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

After this seemingly hasty meeting was over, Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng got on the carriage and headed back to their mansion.

Chen Deng couldn't help but speak.

"Father, Lord Tao has arranged his troops like this, sending only 60,000 troops north to Langya State, with Cao Bao as the main commander. I'm afraid he won't be able to stop Cao Cao."

"Ah."

Chen Gui's reaction was unusually calm.

"Cao Cao is coming with great force this time, and he has the help of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. Aren't you worried, father?" Chen Deng asked again.

"What are you worried about?"

Chen Gui raised his eyelids and spoke to himself.

"My lord, you transferred Zang Ba to Pengcheng to guard against Yuan Shu and to show goodwill to Zang Ba so as to check and balance the Xuzhou family like us."

"My lord, you are expressing your dissatisfaction with the Xuzhou family. In this case, no matter how much you and I talk and worry, what's the point?"

After hearing this, Chen Deng couldn't help but sigh.

Compared with Chen Gui's character that seemed to see through everything, Chen Deng still had some youthful spirit, which made him subconsciously want to find a way to reverse the situation in Xuzhou.

But Chen Gui knew very well that in Xuzhou at the moment, what was right was not necessarily right, and what was wrong was not necessarily wrong.

The death of Cao Song not only attracted foreign enemies, but also further provoked conflicts between different factions within Xuzhou.

For example, Tao Qian was from Danyang, so his true descent was from Danyang.

Zang Ba was born in Taishan County, Yanzhou. He led his own generals, including Sun Guan and Yin Li, and had 20,000 private troops stationed in the city. He had a tendency to be independent and would only follow orders.

Although Cao Bao lacked ability, he was a trusted and trusted subordinate of Tao Qian after he took control of Xuzhou.
There are many more Xuzhou aristocratic factions like Chen Gui and Chen Deng, father and son, who gradually became disloyal because Tao Qian could not satisfy the interests of the aristocratic families and instead continued to suppress them intentionally.

Xuzhou, which had been peaceful for many years, could mobilize more than 60,000 troops, but handing over 60,000 troops to Cao Bao was Tao Qian's psychological bottom line.

If there are more, Tao Qian will have to worry about whether the troops under his direct command can suppress the different factions under his rule.

Immediately, Chen Gui gently taught Chen Dengdao a lesson.

"Deng'er can give you advice, but next time, don't mention Lord Xuande's name."

"Why?" Chen Deng asked.

Chen Gui lowered his eyes slightly and said, "Guangling and Huailing, two important cities in the south of Xuzhou, are heavily guarded all year round. Who do you think the Lord is guarding against?"

Chen Deng's expression froze, but he understood in an instant.

Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence was initially gained by settling a large number of refugees who fled south from the Central Plains, and he often set up porridge stalls and other services in Xuzhou to show his kindness to the refugees.

This also made Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence most widely known in Xuzhou, apart from Yangzhou.

Some people in Xuzhou may not know the governor Tao Qian, but few of them do not know Lord Xuande.

This is why Tao Qian took the initiative to make friends with Liu Bei, who was only a county governor, when he just took control of Xuzhou.

Tao Qian also took a fancy to Liu Bei's great reputation and wanted to use Liu Bei's reputation to elevate himself and then consolidate his control over Xuzhou.

At this moment, Liu Bei has become a hegemon, annexed the two states of Jing and Yang, and is beginning to march north to the Central Plains. How can Tao Qian not be alarmed and afraid?
Once Liu Bei sent troops to Xuzhou for assistance, what Tao Qian needed to worry about was whether he could keep his position secure and whether there was a possibility that Liu Bei would sideline him.

"It's hard to say. In my lord's mind, the biggest target for the murderer of General Cao is Lord Xuande."

Chen Gui said this quietly, taking the opportunity to instruct Chen Deng.

Chen Deng's eyes widened as he blurted out a retort, "Lord Xuande is known to the world for his benevolence, how could he do such a despicable thing?"

Chen Gui was not surprised by Chen Deng's reaction.

No one knows a son better than his father. When Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence became known to the world, Chen Deng had just come of age and began to travel around to study.

Chen Deng also went to Ren De Academy to gain experience and seek advice.

This made Chen Deng admire Liu Bei very much in private.

"Lord Xuande may be kind and virtuous, but he is not someone you can easily get along with. What's so strange about him secretly plotting against Xuzhou?"

Chen Gui explained slowly while stroking his white beard, leaving Chen Deng speechless for a moment.

"Of course, this matter was done by Lord Xuande and Marquis Guoshi, and it is insignificant."

Chen Gui retorted to himself and explained in a low voice.

"If Lord Xuande could arrange a group of soldiers to appear quietly in Langya State and slaughter thousands of people without anyone noticing, Xuzhou would have been taken over by Lord Xuande long ago."

"Then who do you think did it, father?" Chen Deng asked in a low voice.

Chen Gui pondered for a while, then shook his head.

"It is meaningless to find out who the real culprit is. The key point is that this war seems to be a war between Qingzhou and Xuzhou, but in fact it is probably a struggle between Lord Xuande and the Yuan family. Deng'er, just watch and think."

"Yes, father."

Chen Deng answered thoughtfully.

……

In Shouchun, Liu Bei also summoned a group of civil and military officials to discuss the Qingzhou incident.

There were also many different opinions about Cao Song's death, but Li Ji remained silent from beginning to end.

Even when Liu Bei asked, Li Ji's answer was difficult to make a definitive answer.

There is room for speculation, but the key is that Li Ji has no evidence.

As for who did it, Li Ji always adheres to the basic logic that whoever benefits is the real culprit behind the scenes.

Who benefits now?
It was undoubtedly Cao Cao.

Cao Song's death was really a wonderful thing for Cao Cao.

Not only did it solve the dilemma of Cao Cao being trapped in Qingzhou and having to watch Yanzhou being taken by the two Yuans, but it also forced the two Yuans to assist Cao Cao in attacking Xuzhou.

Borrowing the power of the Yuan family to attack one's own territory would not be a bad idea.

Moreover, once Cao Song died, Cao Cao would be able to actively integrate all of the Cao family's connections, resources, and talents for his own use.

Just like Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu in the previous battle against Dong Zhuo.

Weren’t the two Yuans unaware that their uncle Yuan Wei, elder brother Yuan Ji and other relatives were still under Dong Zhuo’s nose?
Nature is clear.

But Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu raised troops to fight against Dong Zhuo almost without hesitation. What difference would it make if they put their necks and knives in Dong Zhuo's hands and forced him to take action?
If Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji had not died, how could Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu truly inherit the vast amount of Yuan family heritage?
The same is undoubtedly true of Cao Cao.

Looking back at the period from when Cao Cao started his army to the present day, he was sometimes so poor that he almost had to eat dirt, but Cao Song still had a large amount of money and grain in his hands. It is conceivable that there were also conflicts within the Cao family, and even Cao Song and Cao Cao, father and son, were not in harmony.

Now that Cao Song died, everything of the Cao family naturally fell into the hands of Cao Cao.

But Li Ji also knew that it was meaningless to investigate the real culprit. The key at the moment was that Cao Cao entered the scene with the support of the two Yuans and began to attack Xuzhou.

Xuzhou cannot fall into the hands of Cao Cao or Yuan.

Otherwise, the passage for Jingyang and Yangzhou to march north to the Central Plains would be completely blocked by the princes of the Yuan family faction. (End of this chapter)