Prancing Horse Xiliang

Chapter 393 The life-saving straw

Pengcheng, the prefect's mansion.

Cao Cao looked haggard and was drinking tea slowly, showing no signs of happiness or anger.

Cheng Yu, Liu Ye, Xun You and others frowned and remained silent, while Xia Houdun, Xia Houshang, Cao Chun, Cao Zhang, Zhang He, Gao Lan and other generals all looked slumped, their spirits were low, and they really couldn't be happy.

The atmosphere was a bit dull, and heavy and hurried footsteps sounded outside.

Not long after, Cao Hongzheng strode in without taking off his clothes.

"Lord!"

With a cry, Cao Hong rushed forward a few steps and prostrated himself on the ground.

"Zi Lian, get up!"

Cao Cao got up quickly, walked around the table and helped Cao Hong up.

"My lord..."

Cao Hong looked at Cao Cao's haggard face, a handsome man of eight feet, choked up and couldn't speak.

Ever since Yuan Shao raised his troops to the south, Cao Cao hadn't had a good meal or a good night's sleep in the past few months, especially after defeating Yuan Shao and then facing the Xiliang army's massive attack, the pressure was too great up.

If you lose Yanyu and Yuzhou, you will lose the foundation of the Central Plains.

However, in just a few months, Cao Cao seemed to be ten years old, haggard and without appearance.

Cao Hong's sobs choked up, and the rest of the crowd also wiped the corners of their eyes, feeling a little distressed.

Cao Cao asked Cao Hong to sit down in the rank of generals on the right, and asked, "Have you found Lu Bu?"

Xiahou Dun replied: "I haven't found it. I haven't been seen since breaking out of the siege, and Zang Ba Cao Xing has never returned. Lu Bu is a wolf with ambition. Yimou thinks that he has probably fled in the chaos, so I don't know where he went."

Cao Cao said: "It's a pity that there is a tiger general!"

Cao Chundao: "Lü Bu has always refused to belong, and it would be a disaster to keep it. In the end, the general thinks it's better to leave!"

Everyone nodded, and they really didn't like Lu Bu.

Instead of being on guard against this biting wolf all the time, it would be better to get there early.

Cao Cao nodded and asked again, "How is Xu Chang?"

Cheng Yu knew what Cao Cao wanted to ask, so he quickly answered, "According to the news from the city secretaries, Chen Gong made three agreements with Zhao Yun after dedicating the city, one of which was to keep the Lord's family safe, and the wives and young masters are still in Xuchang."

Only then did Cao Cao secretly heave a sigh of relief, a big stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.

These days, I can't eat well or sleep well. Although I am worried about the situation, I also miss my family in Xuchang.

Don't look at Cao A's ambition, there are hundreds of women, and there are also many sons. There are even many sons born to concubines that he can't even name.

But it's okay to die a few, but it's not okay to die all of them!

If all the sons were killed by Luo Zheng, he would really have to cut off his sons and grandchildren.

All good filial piety is the first, and Cao Zhiran is ambitious, but he doesn't want to be the last.

Cao Cao paused, then asked, "Where is Gao Shun's army now?"

Cheng Yu said: "Gao Shun's army has entered Lu County, and has no intention of going south for the time being."

Cao Cao remained silent, and everyone's hearts were heavy.

If Xuchang is Cao Cao's lair and the heart of Cao Cao's military group, then Yanzhou is the foundation of Cao Cao's fortune and the most entrenched territory of Cao Cao's power, but now his surname is no longer Cao.

After a while, Cao Cao asked again, "How is Yuzhou?"

Cheng Yudao: "Luo Zheng has personally sent the army to go south to Runan. If there is no accident, the more than [-] soldiers in Sun Ce's area are not Luo Zheng's opponents at all. It is only a matter of time before they lose Huainan. Right now, the six counties of Yuzhou, Yingzhou Sichuan, Chen State, Lu State, Liang State and most of Runan are already owned by the Xiliang Army, only Pei State has not yet been captured by the Xiliang Army."

Cao Hong interjected, "When the last general arrived, all the officials of the Pei Kingdom had fled with their families!"

Cao Cao was silent again, and the atmosphere in the hall has always been extremely heavy.

After waiting for a while, he asked, "How many soldiers and horses do we have that can fight?"

Cheng Yu said: "Only General Cao Hong brought [-] soldiers and horses, but there is no rations, supplies and equipment, and because of the loss of the Central Plains, the generals and soldiers of the three armies have no fighting spirit, and they are unable to use troops abroad. They can only defend Xuzhou to the death!"

Everyone fell silent again. The depravity of the situation made everyone feel breathless.

Cheng Yu looked at Cao Cao, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

Cao Cao was keenly aware of Cheng Yu's concern, and immediately cheered up, smiling and said: "Okay, you don't have to worry about it, victory or defeat is a common matter in military affairs, as long as you are here, we still have a chance to make a comeback .”

Only then did Cheng Yu heave a sigh of relief. He was most afraid that the lord would be discouraged if he was hit. As long as the lord can cheer up, mere setbacks are nothing. How can there be no setbacks in a person's life, but there are big and small.

As long as you stay alive, there are countless opportunities to come back.

Guo Jia has already died in battle, and now Cao Cao's advisers are led by Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu was also not humble, and immediately said: "My lord, although the Xuzhou gentry welcomes the lord, the past two years have been allowed by the Xuzhou gentry to do things on their own. Now our army has lost a new one. Both Yan and Henan have lost. The Xuzhou gentry I'm afraid there are other thoughts. Yu thinks that the Lord should go to Xiapi as soon as possible to appease the scholars and people of Xuzhou, stabilize people's hearts, and make plans later."

Xun You, Liu Ye and others also agreed, this is indeed a top priority.

Yanzhou and Yuzhou have been lost. At this time, there must be no more troubles in Xuzhou. We must appease those restless Xuzhou gentry as soon as possible, otherwise Cao Cao will really become a lonely ghost and be homeless.

"What Zhongde said is very true, go to Xiapi tomorrow!"

Cao Cao nodded, then looked at Le Jin again, "Wen Qian stays to guard Pengcheng!"

Le Jin hurriedly got up and obeyed, "The last general obeys!"

Cao Cao didn't say anything more, and took everyone to the barracks to personally inspect the situation of the army.

The reason why they stayed in Pengcheng all the time was to wait for Cao Hong to lead his army.

Otherwise, without the deterrence of the army, no matter how talented Cao Cao is, he would not dare to go to Xiapi alone.

The situation in Xuzhou is similar to that of Xiliang. Although the gentry in Xuzhou took refuge in Cao Cao, to some extent it was just a combination of politics and interests. Unlike the two states of Yanyu and Yuzhou, which have been managed by Cao Cao as a monolith.

After all, Cao Cao entered Xuzhou too soon, and there was not enough time to manage Xuzhou.

Moreover, Xuzhou is not like the two prefectures of Yan and Yu who have been in constant wars, and the power of the gentry has not been damaged. It would take a lot of time and energy to operate like Yan and Yu prefectures. Yuan Shao, who was eager to go south to the Central Plains, did not give Cao Cao time at all.

Now that Cao Cao has lost the Yanyu states, no one can guarantee whether the Xuzhou gentry will change their minds.

Without an army in hand, he went to Xiapi rashly. If he was sold by the Xuzhou gentry, it would be doomed.

It's not that Cao Cao is careful, but that this kind of thing is too careless.

Not to mention a peerless hero like Cao Cao, if he had changed anyone, he would not have dared to bet his wealth and life on the loyalty of the Xuzhou gentry. cover.

(End of this chapter)