Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 186: Meeting Dong Xi on the Road, Yang Xiu: Dong Cheng, that old man is so tight-lipped that he even hid the truth from my father

Grand Chancellery.

The meeting hall.

After receiving the news from Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Xu You as well as Cao Ren, Cao Chun, and the Xiahou brothers all rushed over and gathered together.

When he saw Xu You again, although Xun Yu did not directly scold him like last time, he did not look happy either.

Xu You was similar and didn't even look at Xun Yu.

I just felt in my heart that there were so many talented people under Cao Cao's command.

But the tension between him and Xun Yu was so strong that everyone present could smell it.

Everyone was puzzled and curious at the same time. Xu You had only been there for two days. What kind of conflict could have occurred between him and the old-fashioned Xun Yu?
Just as they were secretly guessing in their hearts, Cao Cao walked into the meeting hall.

"Meet Sikong."

Everyone stood up and saluted.

Cao Cao glanced around, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where is Dezu? I have important matters to discuss today, why don't I see him?"

Cheng Yu replied, "Mr. Yang just sent someone to say that Chief Yang has caught a cold and is feeling quite unwell. I'm afraid he won't be able to attend meetings for a while."

Cao Cao didn't care when he heard this. He walked to the main seat and sat down. Then he said to everyone, "I'm sure you have heard about the news that Lu Bu defeated Sun Ce and killed him not long ago."

"Just this morning, I received a letter from Zhou Yu, who wanted to form an alliance with me to fight against Lu Bu. Everyone, please take a look."

Cao Cao said as he took out the letter.

Circulate it to everyone.

After reading the letter, Xiahou Dun was the first to speak: "My Lord, please let me lead the troops! I will personally chop off the head of that thief Lu Bu to avenge that arrow!"

Xiahou Dun almost gritted his teeth as he said this.

The arrow shot by Lu Bu not only blinded his left eye, but also shattered all his dignity. He wished he could eat Lu Bu's flesh and sleep on Lu Bu's skin!

"ridiculous."

After he finished speaking, Xu You couldn't help but sneer, looked Xiahou Dun up and down, then shook his head and said nothing.

Xiahou Dun immediately shouted angrily: "What are you laughing at? I ask you what you are laughing at!"

"Why am I laughing?"

Xu You curled his lips, took a sip of the wine in the gourd, and then said lightly: "I laugh at you for not knowing how high the sky is and how deep the earth is! How dare you say that you can kill Lu Bu with your ability? The Little Overlord has been beheaded, who do you think you are, Overlord Xiang Yu? You are just going to die in vain!"

"you--!"

Xiahou Dun was furious and wanted to step forward to teach Xu You a lesson, but he was held back by Xiahou Yuan beside him, so he had to give up with hatred.

Cao Cao's eyes moved slightly, and he asked Xu You: "Ziyuan, do you have any ideas? Why not speak them out so that everyone can listen and discuss them together."

"I can't say I have any thoughts, I just said something that offended people." Xu You put his wine gourd on the table, glanced at everyone, and said bluntly: "First of all, Lu Bu's 1,000 cavalrymen defeated Sun Ce's 10,000 troops in an ambush and killed Sun Ce. There is no need to say much about his strength."

"Ah Man, none of the generals under your command can match Lu Bu, even if all of them were combined, they might not be able to defeat him."

"And this is just Lu Bu's personal bravery. You must know that Lu Bu's army is more than just one thousand. There are a full thirty thousand. Even if ten thousand of them go to Yecheng, there are still twenty thousand fierce and powerful troops. The generals under his command are also brave!"

"Secondly, Yuan Tan is eyeing Yanzhou covetously. If Ah Man really lets go and starts a war with Lu Bu, will Yuan Tan just sit back and watch? He will definitely take the opportunity to head straight to Yanzhou!"

"The reason why Zhou Yu wants to form an alliance with you is because Sun Ce is dead, Jiangdong is in chaos, with internal and external troubles, and he doesn't want to give up Yangzhou, so he wants to bring you down to share the pressure of Lu Bu."

"Do you really expect those people in Jiangdong to help you defeat Lu Bu? They can't even take care of themselves!"

Xu You's words were merciless.

The words are extremely sharp.

But it is undeniable that every word he said hit the point, whether it was Lu Bu's strength, the weakening of Jiangdong's forces, or Yuan Tan's threat, they were all ironclad facts.

"I don't think so."

As soon as Xu You finished speaking, before Cao Cao could speak, Xun Yu stepped forward and said calmly, "Although Lü Bu is strong, he is not invincible. Otherwise, why was he beaten and fled by Li Jue and Guo Si?"

"At present, Lu Bu has sent 10,000 troops to Yecheng, and he only has 20,000 troops. Although Sun Ce is dead, his troops are still there. In addition, there is his brother Sun Quan, who is young but capable. He also has Zhou Yu's assistance, so he may not be that weak."

"If you join forces with Zhou Yu and encircle Lu Bu from both sides, you may be able to surround and annihilate him. After eliminating this threat, you can also annex Yangzhou and even Xuzhou!"

In Xun Yu's opinion, it is feasible to unite with Zhou Yu.

This was not intentional opposition to Xu You, but was based on practical considerations. Because Yangzhou must be fought for and Lu Bu must be eliminated, it was a good opportunity to unite with Zhou Yu.

If we wait until Lu Bu defeats Zhou Yu and completely occupies Yangzhou, there will be no chance for us to take action at that time.

"Why, you care about the beginning and not the end? You want Yangzhou but not Yanzhou?"

Xu You sneered and said, "Indeed, it is not impossible to join forces with Zhou Yu to defeat Lu Bu, but the prerequisite is to use all our strength."

"But doing so will undoubtedly give Yuan Tan an opportunity! Do you think he will leave the empty Yan and Yu provinces alone? Do you think he is a fool?"

Xun Yu said expressionlessly, "Yuan Shao is eager to repel Gongsun Zan's troops from Ye City. He will definitely mobilize Yuan Tan's troops to support him within a month. We can wait until then to send troops."

The two men each held their own opinions. Although they did not start to curse at each other, they were tit-for-tat with each other and neither of them would give in. Their eyes collided and almost sparked flames.

Cao Cao saw that the two were about to quarrel with each other again. In order to avoid a bad ending later, he quickly said, "Zhongde, what do you think?"

"Ah I?"

Cheng Yu was watching the show with great interest. He did not expect Cao Cao to suddenly ask him about it. After a moment's silence, he said, "I personally think that what Brother Ziyuan said makes sense, and Lord Xun's analysis is also unique..."

"Zhongde!"

Seeing that Cheng Yu didn't want to offend anyone and just talked a lot of nonsense, Cao Cao couldn't help but become extremely annoyed. His tone became heavier and his eyes looked unfriendly.

If you don't say something useful, you're done!

Cheng Yu understood the meaning of Cao Cao's eyes, sighed in his heart, and said seriously: "As long as there is no threat from Yuan Tan, it is feasible to form an alliance with Zhou Yu to attack Yangzhou."

"Yangzhou is very important. If we allow Lu Bu to take over Yangzhou, his power will surely grow stronger again. His next target will be Minggong's Yanzhou and Yuzhou."

Cheng Yu believed it was necessary to send troops.

It's okay to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between tigers, but now one of the tigers is about to be bitten to death while the other one is still unharmed. This is not okay.

"What Zhongde said is absolutely true."

Xun You also spoke up at this time, "But instead of waiting for Yuan Shao to transfer Yuan Tan away, why don't we take the initiative and create more trouble for Yuan Shao."

Compared to Lu Bu, Cao Cao's biggest enemy will always be Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao, who controlled three states, was too terrifying, even after he lost Yecheng.

It would be great if Yuan Shao could suffer a defeat or even lose his troops.

Cao Cao immediately asked, "Gongda, what do you think?" Xun You smiled and said, "Liangzhou Ma Teng."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone suddenly understood.

Cao Ren nodded in agreement and said, "Ma Teng occupies Liang Province and the three auxiliary areas of the capital. If he sends troops to Bing Province, it will definitely increase the pressure on Yuan Shao."

"When the time comes, Yuan Shao will definitely mobilize Yuan Tan to come to our aid, and we will have the opportunity to free up our hands to encircle and suppress Lu Bu."

"This is a great plan."

Cao Ren has a very strategic vision. Although the current situation is chaotic, his thinking is clear and he knows what to do.

Gao Gan, who is guarding Bingzhou, is currently leading his troops to Yizhou to quell the rebellion. Bingzhou is empty, with only 10,000 troops left. If Ma Teng leads his troops to attack, Bingzhou will have no power to resist at all.

But would Yuan Shao watch Bingzhou being lost?
Absolutely not!

But Yuan Shao's own Jizhou army was tied down by Gongsun Zan, so he had only two choices - either transfer Gao Gan back, or transfer Yuan Tan's troops to provide support.

"good."

Cao Cao also nodded with satisfaction.

As long as Yuan Shao and Yuan Tan were too busy to handle everything, he would no longer have to worry.

After defeating Lu Bu and then annexing Sun Ce's forces, he will be able to occupy Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Yangzhou, Xuzhou and a large area of ​​land in the south, and his strength will undergo a drastic change!

When he faces Yuan Shao again, he will not be at a disadvantage.

"pity."

Xu You felt a little regretful.

In fact, he had thought of Xun You's idea a long time ago, and he also understood that sending troops was the best option at the moment. The reason why he advised Cao Cao not to send troops was to buy time for Lu Bu to swallow up Sun Ce's forces.

But the advisers on Cao Cao's side were not good-for-nothings, and unlike the group of people under Yuan Shao who were fighting against each other and engaging in serious factional struggles, they knew what the best choice was.

It's not easy to be an insider here.

After the negotiation, Cao Cao made the decision: "I will write to Ma Teng and Zhou Yu respectively and form an alliance with them at the same time."

"Ziyuan, your idea is not wrong, but sometimes you still have to take a risk, so that you can get greater benefits, isn't it?"

Cao Cao did not forget to comfort Xu You with a smile.

Xu You smiled and said nothing more. He knew Cao Cao's character well. Sometimes one should not be too firm in one's stance, otherwise it would arouse Cao Cao's suspicion.

Just stop there.

There will be opportunities in the future.

……

After leaving Xu County, Yang Xiu rode non-stop to Jizhou and reached the border of Yanzhou after a few days.

It is now June and the weather is very hot.

Yang Xiu was feeling a little tired of traveling under the scorching sun. At this moment, he saw a melon field on the side of the road ahead and an old farmer selling melons next to it. His eyes immediately lit up.

He led the horse to the shed that the old farmer had built to provide shade, tied up the horse and asked, "Old man, are you selling this winter melon? Can you give me one to quench my thirst?"

Seeing Yang Xiu's elegant clothes and good manners, the old farmer quickly stood up and said, "Sir, that's not right. It's just a melon, not worth much."

"Please sit down and rest for a while. I will go and kill a melon for you."

Yang Xiu bowed and said, "Thank you, old man."

"Don't dare, don't dare."

The old farmer waved his hands repeatedly, then went to the field to pick a melon, washed it, split it open with his bare hands, and then picked the largest piece and handed it to Yang Xiu.

Yang Xiu thanked him, took the melon and started eating.

The old farmer watched Yang Xiu eat the melon and fanned him with a palm leaf fan while asking, "From the direction you are walking, are you planning to go to Yecheng?"

Yang Xiu nodded and said, "That's right, but the weather is too hot. I'm afraid we can't travel today... May I ask, old man, is there a place to stay nearby?"

The old farmer nodded and said, "Yes, you only need to go a few miles straight along this official road to find an inn. I heard that there is a war in Jizhou recently, so you must be careful when you go there."

"Thank you, I'll pay attention."

Yang Xiu was chatting with the old farmer, and just at this moment, another man came riding a horse in the distance and stopped beside the melon shed.

The young man on horseback got off the horse, wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Father, do you want to sell this melon?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Yang Xiu was stunned, then looked up and his eyes suddenly widened!

"Dong Xi?"

The person in front of him was none other than Dong Xi, the son of General Dong Cheng!
Dong Xi also noticed Yang Xiu's gaze, so he looked over, but Yang Xiu turned around before him, leaving him with his back.

Dong Xi frowned, thinking that the person sitting in the melon shed looked familiar, but he didn't think much about it. He took a piece of melon from the old farmer and started eating.

However, at this time Yang Xiu's whole body was stiff.

"Why is Dong Xi here? Is he here to chase me? No way! No one knows that I went to Yecheng except my father!"

"Could it be... that he is also going to Yecheng?"

Yang Xiu held the melon in his hand, his thoughts racing.

This road is the official road leading to Yecheng. It is definitely not a coincidence that Dong Xi appears here. There is no other possibility except going to Yecheng!

What can you do in Yecheng?
In a flash, Yang Xiu came to the conclusion that Dong Xi was very likely going to meet the emperor of Yecheng!
"Great! It turns out that it wasn't that my father didn't tell the truth, but that old fellow Dong Cheng was tight-lipped and even kept it a secret from my father!"

Yang Xiu cursed in his heart.

He felt that Dong Cheng was not a good son, as he secretly sent the emperor to Yecheng, such a big thing, and even didn't tell his father!
Isn't this a clear sign of distrust?
"I can't let him find me right now. I have to follow him quietly and see how many secrets he has hidden from my father."

Yang Xiu was secretly calculating in his mind.

Then, after a while, he heard the sound of horse hooves again, accompanied by a more familiar shout.

"Father, are you selling this melon?"

Yang Xiu and Dong Xi looked at the same time, and their eyes widened, because the person coming was Fu Wan's son - Fu De!
"Why is he here?"

This thought occurred to both Yang Xiu and Dong Xi, and before Fu De cast his gaze over them, they both turned their backs, leaving Fu De with their backs.

Dong Xi even sat down inside the pavilion and said to Yang Xiu in a low voice, "Brother, can you please go inside... Yang Dezu?"

Dong Xi was shocked when he saw the appearance of the young man in the shed.

"W-Why are you here?"

(End of this chapter)