I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 633 History Changes Track Again (Combined Chapter 4K6)

On the second day, outside Xiaopingjin Pass, the dawn broke and the frost and dew were slightly cool.

Zhao Silang's 5,000-strong army split into two groups in the morning light, like a river flowing in two directions. One group of 2,000 followed him to settle at Xiaopingjin Pass, taking over the heavy task of guarding the pass. The other group of 3,000, led by his trusted warriors, boarded the ships and headed north. The sails were swollen, carrying them on the long journey back to Black Mountain.
After watching Zhao Silang leave, Cao Cao, Wang Kuang, Chen Gong, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren and others gathered together. Cao Cao was the first to speak:
"Everyone, let's speak frankly!"

"What do you think of this order from the General of Chariots and Cavalry?"

"How should we deal with this order?"

——"Does that even need to be said?!"

Wang Kuang glanced at the silent people around him, waved his sleeves and said, his tone full of indignation and unwillingness:
“Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable!”

"What does Su Yao think of the allied forces of princes like us?!"

"Is it a chamber pot?"

"Use it when you want, throw it away when you want?!"

Wang Kuang's anger was evident in his words. He slammed the table, stood up, and continued:
"Which of us doesn't come from a noble family, command a large army, and have great ambitions? In order to defeat Dong Zhuo, we are willing to abandon our homes and careers, leave our hometowns, gather a large army, and fight to the death with the traitor Dong Zhuo!"

"In the end, Su Yao actually issued an order and asked us to disband the coalition and go back to our own homes?"

"This is simply an insult to us and a trampling on our efforts!"

Not only were Wang Kuang's words filled with resentment and indignation, but his eyes were also flashing with flames of anger.

He was unwilling to accept it. He couldn't believe that he had missed a step again!
During the Rebellion of the Ten Eunuchs, he was ordered by the general to return to his hometown, Taishan County, to recruit soldiers and go to the capital to kill the eunuchs.

As a result, he was one step late that time.

Zhang Rang and other rebellious eunuchs actually took the initiative to attack and killed General He Jin. Wang Kuang could only follow Yuan Shao and others in their crazy revenge afterwards.

That day, standing in the Beigong where heads rolled and blood flowed like a river, Wang Kuang felt an indescribable emptiness in his heart.

The pain could not be relieved even if he killed two of the Ten Attendants himself.

It was on that day that Wang Kuang swore to heaven that the next time something happened, he must be faster and faster and never fall behind!
Therefore, when the Yuan family arranged for him to be the governor of Henei and Yuan Shao raised his flag to fight Dong Zhuo there, Wang Kuang responded to the call at an immediate time. Like Cao Cao and Zhao Silang, he was the most active prince to fight.

However, Wang Kuang never expected that while he was still feeling complacent about his progress, someone else would get ahead of him!
Moreover, they actually shut him out and told him that he had nothing to do with the next operation?

This is no longer a case of getting up early and arriving late.

It was obvious that when he arrived, everyone in the market had closed their stalls!

This is too nonsense!
It was unacceptable. Wang Kuang really couldn’t accept it.

Although Wang Kuang's words were harsh, they were logical and immediately resonated with many people.

Inside the tent, the crowd was in an uproar for a while, like a lit powder keg.

Not only did Wang Kuang's generals speak out in response, but even the brothers of the Xiahou family could not stand it anymore.

"Correct!"

"Don't accept it!"

"We will fight to the death to defeat Dong Zhuo and serve the king. We are full of passion and loyalty to the emperor and our country!"

"Who does Su Yao think he is? He actually told us to go back and leave the rest to him?"

"He clearly wants to take all the credit for himself. He is greedy for the credit!"

——"I feel the same way as Lord Wang and the others."

Seeing the excitement in the tent, Cao Cao finally spoke. His voice was steady and powerful, as if it could penetrate people's hearts.

Yes, he understood, he understood too well. Wasn’t Cao Cao himself any different?

Born into a eunuch family, he was labeled as a eunuch since childhood and was not tolerated by the upright people.

It can be said that no matter where he went when he was a child, he could hear people whispering about him.

He is Cao Aman from the eunuch's family, and he is also the young eunuch Cao Mengde.

These voices pierced his heart like sharp swords, causing him unbearable pain.

However, he did not sink because of this, but instead became more determined in his ambition.

He wanted to prove to everyone that he, Cao Cao, was not a playboy who only relied on his family background, but a hero with real talents and abilities who could accomplish great things.

To this end, he studied hard, constantly enriched himself, and made more efforts than ordinary people to fight prejudice.

Cao Cao even did something that even the most stubborn upright officials could not do. He dared to call for war and killing against the big eunuchs, and executed those corrupt officials and playboys without fear of power or family background.

However, Cao Cao did not expect that even so, he could not change other people's opinions. In the end, even his own people could not stand him and dismissed him from office. This made Cao Cao deeply realize how fickle the world is and how cruel reality is.

Now, in this campaign against Dong Zhuo, he had the honor of becoming a local lord. Cao Cao knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

The world is in chaos and power is being reshuffled. It is the time for heroes to show their talents. Cao Cao is self-important, so naturally he wants to prove himself here and wash away the shame.

To this end, he spent all his family wealth to recruit volunteers and fought a bloody battle with Dong Zhuo's army.

He even wanted to take the command of this army of 20,000 at one point, but now the Marquis of Guanjun has to withdraw his troops and return home. His resentment and anger are no less than those of Wang Kuang and others.

But
"It was no coincidence that the Marquis of Guanjun was able to recapture the capital and expel Dong Zhuo on his own."

Cao Cao took a deep breath:

"This person's ability cannot be underestimated. I don't need to say more."

"Based on our previous performance, Dong's Xiaopingjin Pass was difficult to cross. Now that Su Yao's men have come, do you have the confidence that you can break through it?"

"."

As soon as Cao Cao finished speaking, there was a sudden silence in the tent.

Those people who were more excited than anyone else just now are now all silent and pretending to be dumb.

Finally, Wang Kuang, who was in a high position of power, coughed twice and asked:
"Then may I ask what advice Governor Cao has?"

"You don't mean to just let it go and go back in disgrace, do you?"

Cao Cao heard this and shook his head and smiled:
"You are too kind, Lord Wang. How could I, Cao, be someone who gives up so easily?"

"However, reality is often more cruel than ideal. We must face this fact and make the wisest choice."

After saying this, Cao Cao slowly stood up, walked to the center of the tent, looked around at everyone present, and slowly spoke:
"Although I don't know what magic the Champion Marquis has, the fact that he defeated Dong Zhuo so quickly is enough to explain everything. If we forcefully confront him, I'm afraid we will only bring humiliation upon ourselves."

Seeing Wang Kuang about to refute, Cao Cao raised his hand to signal him to wait:

"But not confronting doesn't mean we give up!"

"I, Cao, responded to the call of General of Cavalry Yuan Shao, not General of Chariots and Cavalry."

"Now, he has made outstanding contributions, and Cao admires him, but he only took the capital, and he didn't save your majesty, so he is not worthy of representing the court!"

"Since we can't get through this frontal pass now, we might as well pretend to accept it and return home first, and then send an envoy to Luoyang to find out the truth in the name of congratulations."

"Although Dong Zhuo fled westward, he still has a large force in Guanzhong and Xiliang. He is definitely not easy to deal with."

"Even if he is the Champion Marquis, it will probably take him a long time to enter Hangu Pass."

"We can use this time to step up the training of soldiers, enforce military discipline, improve morale, and strengthen training to turn these ragtag groups into a brave and strong army."

"If Su Yao fails in his campaign, or if any other changes occur in the world, we can quickly gather together, seize the opportunity, raise troops again, and join forces for justice!"

Or even, replace it.

Of course, Cao Cao did not say the last sentence, but it was the result of his late night discussion with Chen Gong last night.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Gong clapped his hands and praised him, saying something like:
"Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle. Our top priority is not to fight to the death with Su Yao here, but to first understand the situation and then work hard to accumulate strength."

When Wang Kuang saw this, he still felt unwilling, but he had to admit that Cao Cao's strategy was the wisest choice at the moment.

He sighed and said:

"Forget it, let's follow the advice of Governor Cao. However, sooner or later, I will find a chance to vent my anger!" Upon hearing this, Cao Cao immediately bowed his hands and responded:
"Don't worry, Governor Wang. There will always be opportunities. As long as we unite as one and work together, we will be able to achieve great things."

"United as one?"

Wang Kuang only then realized that Cao Cao seemed to have some intentions towards him in his words and deeds over the past two days?
Of course, his feeling was right.

Cao Cao held this meeting today just to persuade Wang Kuang not to be impulsive and to form an alliance with him.

Cao Cao's capital, Puyang, Dongjun, was just east of Wang Kuang's Henei. The two counties bordered each other and were true neighbors.

Since he could no longer take care of the Western Expedition to fight Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao had already made up his mind to deepen his presence in the Central Plains.

Wang Kuang and he already had a life-and-death friendship on the battlefield, so it was just right for them to develop a back-to-back relationship and have Wang Kuang watch over the gate for him.

Look at the gate, that's right.

Although Hanoi is a large county in Sili, it is the hometown of the Three Rivers Knights.

But to the north is Bingzhou, where Su Yao started his career, which borders Shangdang Heishan; to the south is Luoyang, which Su Yao currently occupies; and to the west are the remnants of the Baibo Army. It can be said that it is surrounded on three sides, which serves as a natural buffer between Cao Cao and Su Yao.

Wang Kuang had a bad attitude towards Su Yao, and if Cao Cao formed an alliance with Wang Kuang again, Wang Kuang's development would be limited to Hanoi. He was indeed the most reliable ally.

So Chen Gong and Cao Cao decided on this plan yesterday.

Perhaps Wang Kuang was too anxious today, or perhaps he had not yet seen the future development and did not have any long-term plans.

In short, under the enthusiasm of the two, Wang Kuang finally shook Cao Cao's hand of friendship.

So, ding ding ding - the Cao-Wang alliance was established.

"But if we withdraw our troops, what about Yuan Benchu?"

By the Yellow River, looking at the army crossing the river and returning in an orderly manner, and looking forward to the future when he would dominate Hanoi, Wang Kuang suddenly thought of Yuan Shao:
"Compared to our small army, Yuan Benchu ​​has an army of more than 100,000."

"If he gets angry and starts a fight with Su Yao, and we retreat to the north, then...

"Hahaha!"

In response to Wang Kuang's concerns, Cao Cao laughed three times:
"Brother Wang, you worry too much."

"Yuan Benchu ​​had told me many times before, repeatedly telling me not to confront Guanjun Hou head-on."

"Since Su Yao got the upper hand this time, he will definitely not violate the taboo himself."

After saying this, Cao Cao looked towards the north with a deep gaze and nodded:
"I think he will go to Hebei this time."

"Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou, is a disciple of Yuan Clan. He will definitely thrive there."

Wang Kuang nodded after hearing this, remembering that Yuan Shao still had the official seal of the Governor of Bohai that Dong Zhuo had given him before, and that the food and wages for the army's campaign against Dong were mainly transported by Han Fu, the Governor of Jizhou.

It was only natural for Yuan Shao to return to Hebei.

Immediately, Wang Kuang proposed that the two of them continue to befriend Yuan Shao.

They wanted to continue to use Yuan Shao's reputation and his title of General of Cavalry to secretly counter Su Yao's order of General of Chariots and Cavalry.

This suggestion was exactly what Cao Cao wanted.

Because he and Yuan Shao had been in the same group for a long time.

His position as the prefect of Dongjun was obtained by the Yuan family by mobilizing the forces in the court before the Dong and Yuan conflicts, just like the position of the prefect of Bohai that Yuan Shao obtained.

Yuan Shao had his own plans for the current situation in the world.

That is, "to occupy the Yellow River in the south, to guard Yan and Dai in the north, to have the Wuhuan and Xianbei people, and to fight for the world in the south."

This is referring to Jizhou, a place with rich resources and a large population!
Be it Wang Kuang or Cao Cao, all of them who were on good terms with the Yuan family were sent to the areas surrounding Jizhou, and the governor of Jizhou even transferred Han Fu, a former official of the Yuan family, which showed his good intentions.

This time, Yuan Shao did not take the destruction of Dong Zhuo seriously at all. Liang Province was too far away, and he would not go there.

Yuan Shao just wanted to use the incident of defeating Dong Zhuo to enhance his reputation so that when he could raise his arm and call for help in the future, he would be responded to by many people.

His roots are in the Central Plains, in Hebei, not in the northwest of Guanzhong.

Historically, Yuan Shao did this.

Han Fu, who had a million soldiers and enough food to sustain him for ten years, became ambitious and refused to obey Yuan Shao, so he tried to control him by cutting off his food supply.

However, in the end, Han Fu was captured by Yuan Shao without any bloodshed.

The governor of Jizhou, the most powerful governor in the world, was finally forced by Yuan Shao to hand over the official seal with his own hands out of shame, allowing Yuan Shao to become the host.

What he relied on was the great reputation that Yuan Shao had accumulated.

Today, although the situation is changing rapidly, their goals have not changed much.

Cao Cao knew that Yuan Shao would definitely come to Hebei, so he and Wang Kuang were looking forward to a bright future along the way.

However, they did not know that Yuan Shao's trajectory had deviated slightly.

Outside the east gate of Luoyang, Yuan Shao’s camp.

After struggling for a long time, Yuan Shao finally made a very difficult decision.

After hearing his words, everyone in Fengji was stunned and exclaimed:
"Mr. Yuan, you can't do that!"

"Have you forgotten our goal?"

"How can you follow Su Yao to Guanzhong to fight against Dong?"

"Don't we need our foundation anymore?"

"What if something happens to you again?"

"What's worse, could it be that this was Su Yao's deliberate plan to get rid of you in such an unfamiliar place?"

Su Yao asked Yuan Shao to attack Dong?
That's right.

Different from the general orders Su Yao issued to princes such as Cao Cao and Wang Kuang, Su Yao did not ask Yuan Shao, who was the General of Cavalry and also the leader of the coalition, to disband the coalition. Instead, he invited him to join him in attacking Dong Zhuo!

This time, Yuan Shao couldn’t do anything about it.

In particular, Su Yao also said in the letter:
"Why would we need so many people to deal with a fleeing Dong Zhuo?"

"Besides, the journey is long and the road is steep, so it is inconvenient for the army to pass through. Let's not waste food and grass for these hundreds of thousands of troops. Let's send them home."

"Alliance Leader Yuan, you only need to bring two thousand cavalrymen, and we can attack together and end the battle quickly."

Not only did Yuan Shao become dumbfounded by these words, but all of his civil and military officials were also filled with indignation.

"Good guy!"

"This guy wants our 100,000-man army to disband on the spot just by talking?!"

"You just took over Luoyang City, why are you so arrogant as if you are the master of the world?!"

Civil officials such as Guo Tu, Chen Lin, and Gao Gan were shocked when they heard this, while military generals such as Chunyu Qiong and Gao Lan drew their swords and overturned the table:

"In my opinion, why don't we just confront him directly and attack Luoyang by force."

"He only has tens of thousands of soldiers. What's there to brag about? How dare he give us orders?"

Attack Luoyang.

As Yuan Shao's rear troops continued to arrive from Hulao Pass, it cannot be said that he did not have this idea.

However, for three consecutive days, Yuan Shao was unable to make up his mind.

Although there are tens of thousands more troops now, Su Yao already controls the capital's fortified city. No matter how you look at it, his chances of winning are slim, and he really has no confidence.

What no one expected and prompted Yuan Shao to make the decision was a human head.

Guo Tu’s head.

(End of this chapter)