The Three Kingdoms: The Cold Gate World

Chapter 334 The Heart of Ambition
In the spring of the 12th year of Jian'an, Cao Cao personally led an army to conquer Wuhuan!
April
When Cao Cao arrived in Wuzhong County, his planned marching route was to go around the coast to Mian County (in Liaoning Province) and then go north to Liucheng. It is difficult to travel due to stagnant water, and Cao Cao's marching route encountered a natural blockage!

His heart was as cold as ice. Cao Cao stood on the high mountain overlooking the land by the coast. The muddy and potholed road made him feel cold and powerless.

The sky had cleared, but Cao Cao looked up at the sky, as if he wanted to see through the will of heaven.

why?
Why is there such a heavy rain this year!
God's will is unpredictable, Cao Cao was disheartened.

Laoshi Yuanzheng tried everything, but lost to the sky.

Dissatisfied?

What can I do if I don't accept it? !
The summer was scorching hot, and Cao Cao's heart was chilled to the bone. Just as he turned around and was about to order the troops to withdraw, Cheng Yu, who was with the army, climbed up the mountain with a face full of excitement.

"My lord! There is a way!"

Cheng Yu yelled and ran to Cao Cao. The mountain road was slippery and he almost fell down. Fortunately, Cao Cao had a quick eye and gave him a quick hand.

With lingering fear in his heart, Cheng Yu stood still and wanted to salute to thank him, but Cao Cao pressed his wrist and asked eagerly, "What's Zhong De's strategy?"

Laughing at himself, Cheng Yu quickly waved his hands and said, "My lord is too flattering. The heavy rain is blocking the roads. I have no clever plan to go against God's will. However, there are no unparalleled roads. I will check around to see if I can do it." Or find another way to go straight to Liucheng, but in the end, there is a man in this local household, surnamed Tian Mingchou, who heard that our army is the army of the king of the Han Dynasty who is going to attack Wuhuan, so he gathered the local people to be our army guide , according to what he said, in the east of Jixian County, there is a small road named Lulong Road! From then on, the road can pass through the Xifeng Passage and go straight to the west of Liucheng!"

Cao Cao was shocked, and after a moment of sluggishness, he looked up to the sky and laughed!
At this time, Cao Cao was already a powerful minister who was feared by the world, and he was ranked as the prime minister, but he ran down the mountain all the way without any regard for his image. Before he arrived at the barracks, Xu Huang came up to meet him, but Cao Cao turned a blind eye and rushed towards the group with a happy face The people who dress the people.

This group of people moved to the mountains to avoid disaster due to the war, and it happened that they would be met by Cao Jun in the remote mountains.

Cao Cao asked the group of ordinary people with a smile on his face: "May I ask who is Tian Chou?"

A group of ordinary people were actually quite scared when they saw Cao Cao, but Cao Cao was smiling, not overbearing at all, and behaved very kindly, so a lot of fear was eliminated.

Tian Chou came out with more and more people, only looking at his appearance, he was lost in the crowd.

"Caomin Tianchou, I have met the prime minister."

Tian Chou didn't know what to do, so he knelt down and kowtowed, and other common people followed suit.

Cao Cao hurriedly pulled him up, and said to the crowd: "Rise up, folks, it is Cao who should salute you, and Cao will remember your great kindness forever."

Turning his gaze, Cao Cao looked at Tian Chou again, and asked with a smile: "I heard people say that you are living in seclusion in the mountains and forests. If so, why do you want to help Cao? Are you not afraid of causing death?"

If Cao Cao wants to crusade against Wuhuan, it is definitely impossible to drive out all the Wuhuan people. It is impossible to guarantee that no one will know about the people like Tian Chou leading the way today.

Tian Chou looked solemn, and said sonorously: "Prime Minister Cao, you lead the army of the great Han king to attack Wuhuan. As a Han, how can Cao Min stand by and watch, and can contribute to Prime Minister Cao. Cao Min is obliged to do so."

Tears filled Cao Cao's eyes. He held Tian Chou's hand and said word by word: "I understand the righteousness with one step, and I can't repay it. Please accept Cao's worship."

After Cao Cao finished speaking, he took a step back and bowed, very solemnly. Behind him, Xu Huang, Xia Houyuan and other generals bowed down when they saw Cao Cao, and they also hurriedly bowed to the people.

With Tian Chou and his party leading the way, Cao Cao led his army to take the Lulong Road to the west of Liucheng, a journey of more than 500 miles.

In August, Cao Cao fought Wuhuan at Bailang Mountain near Liucheng.
Tadun was beheaded, and more than 20 Han Chinese and Hu people surrendered under Wuhuan rule!

The fly in the ointment is that Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang fled to Liaodong to join Gongsun Kang before the war.

The crusade against Wuhuan was a complete victory, but Cao Cao's original intention has not been achieved, which is to completely wipe out the remnants of the Yuan family!

Liucheng
After Cao Cao's victory, he was in a very happy mood. He held a banquet with his generals to celebrate his success, cooked cattle and slaughtered sheep, and lacked everything outside the Great Wall, except cattle and sheep.

Lambs were still roasting on the bonfire, and the generals laughed and drank wine.

After respecting Cao Cao with a glass of wine, Xu Huang said to Cao Cao: "My lord, those two boys from the Yuan family are still alive. Otherwise, take advantage of the current victory and kill them in Liaodong, so as to avoid future troubles forever."

The other generals agreed one after another, but Cao Cao smiled strangely, sat on the main seat with a bit of drunkenness, cast his eyes on Cheng Yu, and asked, "Zhongde, why don't you go along with Gongming's proposal?"

Cheng Yu stroked his beard and smiled, which coincided with Cao Cao's.

"The lord has already made up his mind, why bother to ask the lower officials?"

Hahahaha
Cao Cao drank the wine in the bowl and laughed endlessly.

"Listen to the order, the whole army will set out in three days and return to the south."

Xu Huang and the other generals were dumbfounded.

The civil servants and military generals disagreed with the fight against Wuhuan, so Cao Cao insisted on fighting.

Now that they have won the battle, everyone proposed to let Cao Cao take advantage of the victory to pursue the attack, but Cao Cao wanted to withdraw his troops again.

Withdrawal?Wouldn't all previous efforts be wasted?
Military generals tend to think directly about problems, and few can see farther. If there is, then he is a famous general through the ages, who can not only kill the enemy, but also strategize.

Three days later, Cao Jun returned to the south after a great victory. Cao Cao did this to give Gongsun Kang a clear indication.

Withdrawing to the south of the Great Wall, Gongsun Kang would not have to worry that Cao Cao would use the excuse of attacking Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang to destroy him together.

If Cao Cao does not withdraw his troops, it is conceivable that Gongsun Kang may be in collusion with Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang.

But after Gongsun Kang doesn't have to worry about Cao Cao, he will start to re-examine his choice between Cao Cao and the Yuan family. Is it to offend Cao Cao for the Yuan family, which has fallen and cannot make a comeback?Or is it a courtesy to reciprocate and establish a good relationship with Cao Cao?

The answer is obvious. Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang defected to Gongsun Kang without political savvy. Gongsun Kang may not have such a far-sighted vision, but in terms of immediate interests, it is obviously more beneficial not to offend Cao Cao, who is in full swing.

Therefore, when Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang came to visit Gongsun Kang, they were beheaded by the axeman who was ambushing at the door before the ceremony was finished, and then Gongsun Kang sent the heads of the two people to Yecheng quickly.

Everything seemed to be under Cao Cao's control.

However, man's calculation is always not as good as heaven's calculation. Cao Cao did not expect that on his way back to the south with his withdrawal, he turned around outside the gate of hell.

It was late autumn when the troops were withdrawn, but it was cold outside the Great Wall and the sky was freezing.

The expedition is in spring, and the clothes brought by the troops are obviously not enough to keep out the cold.

On Cao Cao's way back south, many soldiers died from the cold. What's more frightening is that they didn't come across a single source of water on the [-]-mile journey south!

At midnight in late autumn, Cao Cao stood outside the camp wearing a cloak, looking at the listless soldiers and those whose lips were white and chapped with thirst, Cao Cao was heartbroken.

Cheng Yu walked up to Cao Cao, opened his mouth and finally said nothing.

What is the difference between the current situation and the desperate situation?
Cao Cao took a deep breath and said to Cheng Yu, "Order, the well will be drilled on the spot tomorrow."

Cheng Yu nodded and left silently.

The next day, Cao Jun drilled wells in many places.

Cheng Yu looked at Cao Cao with a pale face.

"My lord, I have dug more than thirty feet into the ground, but there is no drop of water."

This news shocked Cao Cao.

What shocked Cao Cao even more was yet to come.

"My lord, the food stored in the army is not enough for three days."

Cheng Yu said bitterly.

Cao Cao closed his eyes with a painful expression, and said after a while, "After the food is exhausted, kill the horse to satisfy the hunger."

"Lord!"

Cheng Yu spoke eagerly, his face paled in shock.

Can the war horse kill?Yes, but that is a war horse that is ten times and a hundred times more expensive than soldiers!
Cheng Yu gritted his teeth and left, while Cao Cao was alone in the big tent, crying bitterly.

After wiping away his tears, Cao Cao's expression became extremely ferocious.

The mistake was made by him.

Before he returned to the south, he did not confiscate enough cattle, sheep, drinking water, and clothes from the Wuhuan surrenderers, which caused his army to be in such a hungry and cold situation.

But Cao Cao's heart is more unwilling!
People all over the world called him a Cao thief!

He has lived and died several times, fought on the battlefield for decades, and watched those soldiers who were loyal to him fall one after another with wide eyes.

Why?
Why do you still have to give allegiance to the Han Dynasty?

"Your Majesty, Cao has been loyal for decades, and has a clear conscience. But now no one in the world says that my Cao family is a loyal minister, and there is no way out. The only way to go is to take the name of this traitor!"

On a desolate and cold night, Cao Cao sat withered all night in the desperate military camp.

At the end of the crossbow, Cao Jun, who can even be described as lingering, walked back south with difficulty. After the food was exhausted, he killed horses to satisfy his hunger. Cao Cao endured tears and slaughtered nearly [-] horses along the way!

Even later, some soldiers couldn't bear it, and would rather starve to death than let Cao Cao kill the horse.

Every soldier knows what a war horse means, even an illiterate soldier, he also knows that on the battlefield, the enemy on horseback is so powerful that no ordinary soldier can resist.

Cao Cao ordered the soldiers to kill horses to satisfy their hunger, which further consolidated his position in the army on another level, making the soldiers wholeheartedly work for the Cao family.

At the cost of nearly [-] war horses, Cao Jun finally returned to the area south of the Great Wall where grain crops are cultivated, and escaped from danger.

But when Cao Cao looked back, there were countless soldiers who died of freezing, starvation, and dehydration along the way!

He set out to conquer Wuhuan in high spirits, and he won the battle, but he also paid a high price.

Looking in the direction of Yizhou in the southwest, Cao Cao has a complicated expression.

Guo Jia is like a sharp sword hanging over his head.

Turning his gaze to the direction of Xuchang, Cao Cao suddenly looked indifferent.

Maybe, it's time to make a statement, it's time for the Cao family to come to the fore, it's time for those people to understand.

The era of the big man is about to end!

(End of this chapter)