The Complete Biography of Cao Cao
Chapter 3 Chibi Fierce Soldier: 3 Points There is No 1 in the World
Chapter 3 Chibi Fierce Soldier: There is one third in the world
A Southern Expedition to Jingzhou and the Yangtze River
After Cao Cao unified the north, there were still two main opponents in the south: one was Liu Biao in Jingzhou, and the other was Sun Quan in Jiangdong.Jingzhou is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with thousands of miles of fertile fields and rich products, and it is a place that military strategists must contend for.Cao Cao knew very well in his heart that if he wanted to conquer the south and unify China, he had to occupy Jingzhou first, so that he could attack Jiangdong to the east and push Hanzhong Shu to the west.
In the spring of the 13th year of Jian'an (AD 208), Cao Cao returned to Yecheng. In order to prepare for expansion to the south, he ordered people to dig an artificial lake and named it "Xuanwu Pool" to train water troops.
In the summer, the imperial court revoked the official title of "Three Dukes", restored the prime minister and the imperial doctor, and appointed Cao Cao as the prime minister.Zhang Ji was sent to lobby General Ma Teng who was stationed in Huaili (Xingping County, Shaanxi Province), and promised that if he gave up his military power, he would find a job in the imperial court to relieve his worries.Ma Teng accepted the suggestion and moved to Yecheng with his whole family. Cao Cao recommended him as the commander of the imperial guards (Weiwei).
Cao Cao settled the internal and external affairs, so he launched an attack on Jingzhou in autumn.When Cao Cao made an expedition to Wuhuan, the three counties in the north, Liu Bei, who was living in Jingzhou, persuaded Liu Biao to take the empty capital of Xu.However, Liu Biao, just as Guo Jia said, would only talk high-spirited, sit on the guard of Jingzhou, and had no intention to attack and enterprising.
Soon after Cao Cao defeated the three prefectures of Wuhuan and returned to Yecheng, Sun Quan, who ruled Jiangdong, also wanted to unify the south of the river. Taking advantage of Liu Biao's frequent illness, he used Liu Biao's front to attack and kill Gan Ning who was stationed in Xiakou (Wuhan) General Liu Biao of Hankou, Huang Zu, slaughtered Xiakou City and robbed tens of thousands of men and women.
At this time, Liu Biao was seriously ill.Cao Cao feared that after Liu Biao died of illness, the territory of Jingzhou would either be acquired by Liu Bei or be annexed by Sun Quan, so he hurriedly marched towards Jingzhou.
However, the army had not yet contacted the Jingzhou army, and Liu Biao had already died of illness.Liu Biao has two sons, Liu Qi and Liu Qiong, who are brothers.After their mother died, Liu Biao married the Cai family of Jingzhou, and Cai Mao, Cai's younger brother, also became an important political figure in Jingzhou.Liu Biao liked his youngest son Liu Qiong, and Cai married his niece to Liu Qiong. Cai also loved Liu Qiong and hated Liu Qi. Cai Mao and Liu Biao's nephew Zhang Yun also talked about Liu Qi in Liu Biao's ear every day. Bad words, praise Liu Qiong.
A few months before Liu Biao's death, Liu Qi felt that he was in danger, so he left Jingzhou, a place of right and wrong, and went to Xiakou to make up for Huang Zu's vacancy as the prefect of Jiangxia.After Liu Biao died of illness, Cai Mao and others supported Liu Qiong to succeed Liu Biao as the shepherd of Jingzhou. At this time, Cao Cao's army had entered the Jingzhou area.
Liu Biao’s general Jing Yue and the powerful clan headed by Han Song all persuaded Liu Qiong to surrender to Cao Cao. Liu Qiong also considered that he had no strength to resist Cao Cao. If he used Liu Bei to resist Cao Cao, if he failed, Jingzhou would suffer greater damage, and his wealth and life would be destroyed. There is no guarantee; if Liu Bei's resistance succeeds, Liu Bei is unwilling to be his subordinate willingly and obey his own dispatch. The Jingzhou territory is not his own, so Liu Qiong quickly accepted their suggestion and surrendered to Cao Cao.
Liu Bei has been stationed in Jingzhou for 201 years since he defected to Liu Biao in the sixth year of Jian'an (12 A.D.). During these 207 years, he tried his best to win over many wealthy landlords in Jingzhou. The people of Jingchu follow like a cloud."In the [-]th year of Jian'an ([-] A.D.), recommended by Sima Hui and Xu Shu, Liu Bei visited the thatched cottage three times and visited Zhuge Liang, the "Wolong". He recruited many strong men to supplement his army.During Liu Bei's [-] years in Jingzhou, although he made no obvious achievements, he has greatly enriched his military strength, popular support, and talents.
Liu Qiong did not tell Liu Bei that he surrendered to Cao Cao.When Liu Bei realized that the situation was different and sent someone to ask Liu Qiong, Liu Qiong ordered his subordinate Song Zhong to go to Liu Bei and send an official notice;
Liu Bei then hastily withdrew his army from Fancheng to Jiangling. There were more than 10 men and thousands of vehicles following him.Therefore, the movement is very slow, and it can only advance more than 10 miles a day.Liu Bei sent Guan Yu to lead hundreds of ships, and agreed to join forces at Jiangling before making plans.Someone suggested to Liu Bei: "Speed is always the most important thing in marching, so Jiangling should be defended first. Although we have a large number of troops, there are too few armored soldiers. If Cao Cao's army catches up, how will we resist?" The people are the foundation, they are following me, how can I have the heart to give up?"
Cao Cao learned that Jiangling stored a large amount of food, grass and weapons, which might be obtained by Liu Bei, so he put down his luggage and led lightly armed troops to Xiangyang first. Hearing that Liu Bei had gone south, he immediately selected 5000 elite cavalry to pursue them urgently.
At this time, the sun was scorching hot, and the marching road was full of barren mountains and mountains, and there was not a drop of water to be found.The soldiers were all thirsty and weak, and their marching speed was greatly affected.This is extremely unfavorable to the march, and what's more, Liu Bei has to be pursued. If this continues, it will be difficult to succeed. Fortunately, Cao Cao used the strategy of "looking for plums to quench thirst" to relieve the urgent need, so that the army could continue to march, and finally caught up with Liu Bei at Changban, Dangyang.
Liu Bei's troops collapsed.Liu Bei abandoned his wife and children, and fled with Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and others under the escort of dozens of cavalry.All the troops and luggage were acquired by Cao Cao.
Cao Cao then occupied Jiangling, appointed Liu Qiong as the governor of Qingzhou, and made 15 marquises, including Kuai Yue, who had persuaded him to surrender.At the same time, he acquired the four Jiangbei counties in Jingzhou, incorporated 8 Jingzhou troops, more than [-] Mengchong warships, and countless military supplies.Mengchong battleships are very mobile, coming and going like flying, and enemy ships cannot approach.Cao Cao got more than a thousand of these ships, plus Jingzhou soldiers who were accustomed to water warfare.As a result, his confidence in attacking Sun Quan along the east of the river increased greatly.
After Liu Bei was defeated by Cao Cao in Dangyang, he withdrew towards the Han River, just in time to join the water army led by Guan Yu from the Han River.After crossing the Han River, he met Liu Qi, the eldest son of Liu Biao, the prefect of Jiangxia. The two joined forces. There were more than 2 troops, so they retreated to Xiakou.Xiakou was in Jiangbei, but Liu Bei still thought it was not safe, so he retreated from Xiakou to Fankou in Echeng.When Liu Bei was in Dangyang Changban, Sun Quan sent Lu Su to contact him; therefore, when Liu Bei arrived in Fankou, he also sent Zhuge Liang and Lu Su to meet Sun Quan, expressing his willingness to form a coalition to resist Cao Cao.
The two soldiers defeated Chibi and broke the ship with three points in the world
Just as Cao Cao was marching south to Jingzhou, Sun Quan was stationing troops in Chaisang (Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province).Zhuge Liang met with Sun Quan, analyzed the current situation and said: "Now the whole country is in chaos. The general is raising troops in the east of the Yangtze River, and Duke Xuande (Liu Bei) is gathering his troops south of the Han River to compete with Cao Cao for the world. Now, Cao Cao's army has defeated Jingzhou , The prestige is greatly boosted. Heroes from all over the world are useless. Duke Xuande retreats to the south, and I hope the general can take him in. If the general has the determination and ability to use Wu Yue's manpower to compete with the court, he should sever ties with Cao Cao as soon as possible; If you think you can’t, you might as well put away your weapons, take off your armor, and return to the north. Nowadays, generals obey the court on the surface, but they have their own plans in their hearts, and they can’t make decisions for a long time. In such an emergency, they are indecisive. Generals are not afraid of big Is disaster imminent?"
"Then why didn't Governor Liu surrender to Cao Cao to the north?" Sun Quan asked angrily.
Zhuge Liang had long expected that Sun Quan would ask such a question, so he deliberately said seriously: "Tian Heng, a strong man in Qi, can still stick to righteousness and refuse to be humiliated, not to mention Governor Liu, a royal descendant, a world-class talent, and people with lofty ideals. It’s like flowing water returning to the sea. If a big event fails, it can only be God’s will, how can I be Cao Cao’s subordinate!"
Sun Quan was 27 years old at the time, and when he was young, he was provoked by Zhuge Liang and said in a rage: "I can't give away the homeland of Wu, 10 soldiers, and be controlled by others. I have made up my mind! No need to say any more." I know that Governor Liu can't resist Cao Cao, but Governor Liu has been repeatedly defeated recently, how can he take on this role?"
Zhuge Liang knew in his heart that Sun Quan already had the will to fight against Cao Cao, so he offered a countermeasure: "Although Governor Liu was defeated in Changban, he gathered his troops, plus Guan Yu's navy, and there were [-] elites, and Liu Qi's subordinates were not there. Under [-] people. Cao Cao was exhausted both physically and mentally due to his expedition. In addition, he was not familiar with water warfare, and most of the soldiers in Jingzhou were not convinced. If the general can really send a strong general and lead an army of tens of thousands to cooperate with Xuande Gong, he will definitely be able to Defeat Cao's army. After Cao Cao's army is defeated, retreat to the north. In this way, Jingzhou and Jiangdong are powerful, and they will surely establish a three-point situation. I hope the general will make up his mind early."
Sun Quan was very happy when he heard this, and called his subordinates to discuss.Cao Cao saw that Sun Quan was holding a wait-and-see attitude towards the situation and did not dare to offend himself, so he was full of ambition and ambitious, thinking that as long as he sent his troops to the east, Sun Quan would definitely be awed by his prestige and surrender.
"Not necessarily!" counselor Jia Xu reminded Cao Cao to keep calm, saying, "The prime minister pacified the north, and today he conquered Hannan, and his reputation spread far and wide. If the resources of the four counties of Jingzhou can be used at this moment to rest the troops and appease the people, the time will come. Jiangdong will submit without a fight; if he is in a hurry to use his troops, I'm afraid..."
"Afraid of what?" Cao Cao was confused by his own strength, interrupted Jia Xu, wrote a letter casually, and sent someone to Jiang Dong. The letter said:
"Recently, under the order of the emperor, the rebels were crusaded. The military flags were everywhere, and Liu Qiong surrendered. Now, I personally lead the Yangtze River Fleet with 80 people. I hope to hunt with the general in the hometown of Wu."
Sun Quan read it and circulated it to his subordinates. They were all shocked, and some even cried in fear.Secretary-General (Chang Shi) Zhang Zhao said: "Cao Cao coerced the emperor to conquer the four directions, and we resisted him. We are not right, and our words are not right. Besides, we rely on the natural danger of the Yangtze River. Now that Cao Cao has occupied Jingzhou, the natural danger of the Yangtze River has long been lost. .If Cao Cao attacked by land and water, and the enemy is strong and we are weak, how can we resist? It is better to submit to the imperial court." Everyone agreed.
Only Lu Su did not say a word.Later, Sun Quan got up and went out. Lu Su chased him into the corridor. Sun Quan understood, took his hand and asked, "Zijing, I think you haven't said a word. You must have already made up your mind. Tell me." Lu Su said: "The discussion just now may lead the general astray! An official like me, Lu Su, can surrender to Cao Cao, and he can get another position, but the general can't. Please make a decision as soon as possible." Sun Quan sighed. Said: "What all the ministers said disappointed me. Your wise analysis is exactly the same as mine. It seems that only you, Zijing, know my thoughts."
Zhou Yu was sent to station in Jiyang, but Lu Su persuaded Sun Quan to recall Zhou Yu to discuss important matters.Zhou Yu returned immediately and said to Sun Quan: "Cao Cao is the prime minister of the Han Dynasty in name, but in fact he is a traitor who wants to usurp the throne. Everyone in the world can punish him. The general is a hero, and he inherited the foundation of his father and brother. He guards the vast land in Jiangdong and has sufficient resources. The elite troops should run rampant all over the world and clear the name of the Han Dynasty. What's more, Cao Cao personally came to let me wait to capture him, how could he surrender instead?
The northern frontier has not yet been completely settled, and the Northwest warlords Ma Chao and Han Sui are still stationed in the west of Guanxi, which has always been Cao Cao's future troubles, but he forced his way south. This is his mistake; Horses, instead of using ships to compete with Wuyue soldiers in rivers and rivers, wouldn't they be seeking their own death?Now, it is severe winter, thousands of miles are frozen, and the war horses cannot eat weeds. Cao Cao drove these northern troops blindly into the intricate rivers and lakes.
These points are all dangers that the commander should consider, but Cao Cao came here rashly regardless of everything.General, please allocate tens of thousands of elites to me, advance to Xiakou, and promise to defeat the incoming enemy for the general, so as to avoid future troubles. "
Sun Quan was moved and happy when he heard this.Standing up suddenly, he said impassionedly to everyone: "The old thief Cao Cao has long planned to overthrow the imperial court and reclaim the throne by himself. He just cared about Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Lu Bu, Liu Biao, and me, Sun Quan. Now, the other heroes have been wiped out, and I am the only one who is still here!" Now, I am at odds with the old thief Cao Cao, and you are arguing to fight, which is exactly what I want, and Gong Jin is really a general gifted to me by heaven." After finishing speaking, he drew out his saber, hacked at the table, and said resolutely: "Whoever If you dare to say surrender, it will be the same as the fate of this book case!" Then the meeting was adjourned.
That night, Zhou Yu went to Sun Quan again and said: "When you read Cao Cao's letter, you were terrified by his 80 land and water armies, and you couldn't correctly analyze the truth. In fact, Cao Cao's direct troops were only 5 to [-], and after I have already been exhausted after a long journey; the newly received Jingzhou troops are only [-] to [-] at best, and they have not completely surrendered. No matter how many people there are, it is difficult to gather strength with exhausted soldiers and soldiers. An elite force of [-] people is enough to restrain the enemy, please don't worry, general."
Sun Quan was very moved. He patted Zhou Yu on the back and said cordially, "Gong Jin, who knows me, has the same opinion as mine. It is difficult to gather [-] people for a while, and now [-] people have been recruited, food, grass, ships, and weapons. Everything is ready, you, Lu Su, and Cheng Pu go first, and I will continue to gather troops in the rear to serve as your backing."
So Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu were appointed as the commander-in-chief of the left and right wings, and Lu Su as the chief of staff (Lieutenant of Zanjun), led the army northward, and joined forces with Liu Bei to fight against Cao Cao.
Cao Cao led the land and water armies from Jiangling, went eastward along the river, arrived at Chibi (northwest of Puyi County, Hubei Province), and encountered Zhou Yu and Liu Bei's allied forces.At this time, the disease in Cao Cao's army was rampant, so Cao Jun and Sun Liu's allied army were defeated as soon as they came into contact with each other.
In order to make it easier for the northern soldiers to move around on the boat, Cao Cao adopted the advice of the counselors and connected the big boats with iron chains, so that they would be as stable as on flat ground.The northern soldiers were very satisfied with this, and thanked the prime minister for his compassion. Seeing that the problem of seasickness was solved so easily, Cao Cao was even more confident in capturing Soochow.On the south bank of the Yangtze River, seeing that Cao Cao connected the big ship to one place, the Sun and Liu families planned to resort to a series of false surrenders and fire attacks to defeat Cao Cao.
At the end of November, the two armies finally launched a decisive battle.On the eve of the decisive battle, Cao Cao received a secret letter from Sun Quan's forward general Huang Gai, saying that he was excluded by Zhou Yu and Lu Su and was going to defect to Cao Ying, and he agreed on a time.Cao Cao believed it was true and ordered people to prepare for Huang Gai's surrender.
One day, when the southeast wind was blowing, Huang Gai led 10 Mengchong fighting ships and headed straight for Cao Ying on the north bank.The boat was filled with reeds and dry firewood, filled with oil, covered with cloth curtains, planted flags, and tied some small boats to the stern for safe evacuation.Each boat hoisted its sails and headed swiftly for the north shore.Cao Cao's officers and soldiers only thought that Huang Gai was coming to surrender, so they gathered on the riverside and the bow of the boat to watch, pointing at Jiang Xin, and cheered thunderously.
When Huang Gai's fleet was about to approach the north bank, Huang Gai ordered people to light the firewood, and after confirming that every ship was lit, he untied the spare boat and evacuated safely.The wind assisted the fire, and the 10 ships rushed towards the north bank like arrows leaving the string, and rushed into the Cao Cao fleet.In an instant, Cao Cao's fleet caught fire, and soon spread to the camp on the shore.All of a sudden, flames shot up to the sky in the center of the river and on the shore. Cao Jun's soldiers and horses were either burned to death, or fell into the Yangtze River and drowned.Cao Jun's wailing was heard in the sky, and the casualties were innumerable.
The situation in Jiangbei was quickly reported to Zhou Yu, so he ordered the drums to be beaten immediately, and the lightly armed ships rushed to them. The thunder of the drums shook the world, and Cao Cao's army suddenly collapsed.Cao Cao was unable to clean up the situation in the smoke, and fled westward along the path with the remnants.
The road was muddy, the road was blocked, and the wind suddenly blew up in the sky, making it almost impossible for the team to move.Cao Cao ordered the old and weak soldiers to carry grass to fill the road, and the cavalry troops barely passed. Many of the old and weak soldiers who paved the road with grass were trampled by people and horses, fell into the mud, and died countless times.Liu Bei and Zhou Yu advanced by land and water, and pursued them all the way to Nanjun (Jiangling County, Hubei Province).
After the disastrous defeat of Cao Cao's army, food and grass were in short supply and the plague was rampant, and more than half of the troops died.Cao Cao was afraid that the news of his failure would come back to Xudu, and that the court would change.So I didn't dare to stay longer in Jingzhou, leaving the generals Cao Ren and Xu Huang to guard Jiangling, Le Jin to guard Xiangyang, and led the army back to the north.
Zhou Yu attacked Jiangling, and after more than a year, he finally captured the city and forced Cao Jun to retreat to Xiang and Fan.During this period, Liu Bei sent a small number of troops to the south bank of the Yangtze River to assist Zhou Yu in attacking Jiangling, while the main force went south to capture the four counties south of the Yangtze River in Jingzhou, taking the opportunity to develop and strengthen itself.At this time, the situation is just like Zhuge Liang analyzed to Sun Quan before the war, and the situation of the three kingdoms is beginning to take shape.
Cao Cao has always been open-minded, magnanimous, courteous corporal, and patiently analyzed and accepted the opinions of his subordinates with an open mind, making people willing to serve him.Even though she had a deep hatred with Zhang Xiu, when she heard that Zhang Xiu had come to surrender, she immediately shook hands and said good-bye, and rewarded her; Chen Lin's proclamation was so vicious, she was forgiven because of the rare talents.It is his management style and employment mentality that make him invincible and advancing steadily.
However, victory makes people dizzy, and power makes people confused. The Battle of Chibi finally caused Cao Cao to inflate rapidly, thinking that everyone in the world is inferior to him, and he was defeated in the end.A generation of talented Cao Cao can't avoid getting hot-headed. How can a hero in the world be blamed for a small mistake and belittle himself?How many people can remain cautious and sober in the face of adversity?Once things are going well, the most error-prone thing is to get carried away.Cao Cao caused three points in the world because of this. This is something he regretted until his death, right?
Three lead troops westward to recover and close without looking at Shu
The defeat in the Battle of Chibi made Cao Cao understand that he could not solve the Sun and Liu families for a while. He could only work hard to maintain a relatively stable environment in the north, strengthen agricultural production, and accumulate strength. After the economic foundation for defeating Sun and Liu was established, In order to gain a strategic advantage, there is the possibility of victory.Cao Cao decided to take this strategy as a major strategic policy, so he decided to first consolidate his rear and unify Guanzhong; then seize the opportunity to seize Hanzhong and attack Bashu.
At this time, Guanzhong (central part of Shaanxi Province) was still in a state of separatism.The strongest generals in the separatist regime were Ma Chao and Han Sui.Although some other generals have no ambitions, they have powerful soldiers and horses, and the terrain in Guanzhong is complex, the territory is vast, easy to defend and difficult to attack, it is not easy to pacify Guanzhong.Moreover, these separatist forces are nominally appointed by the imperial court. If they suddenly attack them with troops, it will be difficult to convince the world.
Cao Cao first threatened to capture Hanzhong and crusade against the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army-the peasant army led by Zhang Lu.In this way, Cao Cao's soldiers can justifiably pass through Guanzhong, and the generals in these places will definitely send troops to stop them. At that time, Cao Cao can officially order a crusade against them.
In the spring of the 16th year of Jian'an (211 A.D.), Cao Cao ordered Zhong Yao, the captain of Sili, who was stationed in Luoyang, to lead his general Xia Houyuan and others to enter Guanzhong under the banner of conquering Zhang Lu.As expected, the generals in various parts of the Guanzhong separatist regime were alerted immediately and took action one after another.Ma Chao, Han Sui, Hou Xuan and other 10 troops jointly rebelled, pushing Ma Chao and Han Sui as the general leaders, leading 10 troops to guard Tongguan.Cao Cao ordered Anxi general Cao Ren to lead the army to continue to advance, but not to fight the opponent.
In July, Cao Pi and Cheng Yu were left to guard Yecheng, and the 57-year-old Cao Cao personally led the army to march westward.Soon, Cao Cao's army arrived at Tongguan. At this time, warlords from all over Guanzhong gathered in Tongguan to prevent Cao's army from advancing westward.Cao Cao's generals suggested to fight quickly, and he asked everyone to wait patiently.Let the enemy army gather a lot so that it can be solved in one battle.
Ma Chao came to challenge before the battle, Cao Cao ordered to stand firm and not to fight.At the same time, Cao Cao secretly ordered Xu Huang and Zhu Ling to lead a mixed infantry and cavalry regiment of 4000 people to cross the Yellow River from Pubanjin (the ferry of the West Yellow River in Yongji County, Shanxi Province) and establish a base on the west bank of the Yellow River.
In the eighth month of leap, Cao Cao suddenly crossed the Yellow River from Tongguan to the north. The soldiers went there first by boat. Cao Cao alone with more than 100 warriors from Huben stayed on the south bank.In the end, Cao Cao crossed the river dangerously and reached the other side.
After Cao Cao arrived at Puban, he crossed the Yellow River to the west, then built roads along the Yellow River, and advanced south.Ma Chao and others retreated to Tongguan, Weikou.In order to attract more enemies, Cao Cao did not contact Ma Chao's army head-on, but sent a small group of troops to go out to attack, so that Ma Chao and others could not judge Cao Cao's real intention.
One night, Cao Cao sent soldiers into the Wei River by boat and quickly built a pontoon bridge.In the middle of the night, part of the main force had built a camp on the south bank of the Wei River and set up an ambush.It was not until dawn that Ma Chao and others discovered that Cao Cao's army was crossing the Wei River, posing a great threat to themselves.So he hurriedly attacked and was defeated by Cao Cao's troops who had already ambushed. Ma Chao and others had to abandon Tongguan and retreat to the south of Weishui River.Ma Chao made peace with Cao Cao on the condition that he would cede the land west of the Yellow River. Cao Cao pretended to agree, but in fact the army continued to advance.
In September, the main force of Cao Cao's army all crossed the Weishui River. In order to deal a head-on blow to the unstable Cao Jun, Ma Chao took the initiative to challenge him many times, but Cao Cao still repeated his old tricks, strictly guarding the camp, and did not respond.Ma Chao and the others couldn't figure out Cao Cao's intentions, so they couldn't help feeling uneasy and didn't dare to attack rashly.
Although Cao Cao was silent on the surface, he was strategizing in his tent.He accepted Jia Xu's suggestion, and finally adopted a divorce strategy to make Ma Chao and Han Sui suspicious of each other, unable to join forces to meet the enemy.Cao Cao reckoned that the two were already in harmony, so they agreed on a date for a decisive battle.Ma Chao and Han Sui were hard to resist by first attacking with lightly armed troops, fighting for a while, and then suddenly throwing in the main force.Each fled to Liangzhou with his men and horses, and the rest of the generals died or scattered, and the Guanzhong Allied Forces collapsed.
Guanxi was pacified, and Cao Cao led his army back to Chang'an.Only then did the generals express their doubts to Cao Cao: "At the beginning, the main force of the enemy was guarding Tongguan, and there were no enemy troops on the north bank of the Weishui River. Instead of attacking Feng Yi (Gaoling County, Shaanxi Province) directly from Hedong, we put heavy troops under Tongguan. Then cross the Yellow River north, why bother?”
Cao Cao said: "The enemy is guarding Tongguan. Once we enter the east of the river with heavy troops, the enemy will definitely deploy defenses along the Yellow River and guard the ferry tightly. We will not be able to force the crossing. So I concentrated the heavy troops in Tongguan City to attract the main force of the enemy. Naturally, the defenses on both sides of the Yellow River were relaxed. The two generals Xu Huang and Zhu Ling were able to easily obtain Xihe (northern Shaanxi Province); then, I crossed the inland river from Tongguan to the north. Later, the enemy was willing to cede Xihe because the army of the two generals had entered first, and we used vehicles And trees, along the Yellow River, built lanes to the south, on the one hand for safety, and on the other hand to show weakness to the enemy. After crossing the Wei River and building camps, the enemy attacked fiercely and did not respond to the battle. The purpose was to arrogant the enemy, thinking that the battle would soon be over. They Sure enough, I didn't prepare for a long-term stalemate, but blindly ceded land and asked for peace. I promised with all my mouth that everything I accepted was to make them feel safe and secure, and stop being vigilant about us recharging our strength. Once the attack starts, it is the so-called "thunderbolt". Cover your ears'. Strategic technology, unpredictable, can not be stubborn."
This battle was almost exactly as Cao Cao said before the war, the initiative was firmly in Cao Cao's hands, which showed Cao Cao's superb military talent.
Han Sui was killed by his subordinates shortly after he fled to Liangzhou.Ma Chao retreated to Longshang, but failed to attack Liangzhou.Vote for Zhang Lu first, then Liu Bei.
Ma Chao was driven away, and Han Sui died.Cao Cao basically pacified the northwest region, and the general Xia Houyuan occupied Longhou again.So far, the Guanlong area has completely belonged to Cao Cao, and the north is basically unified.
Originally, Cao Cao was going to continue to attack Hanzhong, but a peasant uprising led by Tian Yin and Su Bo broke out in the hinterland of Hebei. After hearing the news, Cao Cao quickly pulled the Guanzhong army back to Hebei, and then came to Yecheng.At this time, Tian Yin and Su Bo had been defeated, and the situation had just stabilized. Cao Cao was afraid that a hasty dispatch of troops to the northwest would cause the situation to get out of control again. .So he led 40 troops and pointed directly at Soochow.I want to deter Sun Quan with strong military power, so that he dare not use troops against the north easily, and then he can concentrate on managing the northwest.
At this time, it was the 17th year of Jian'an (212 AD), and Cao Cao's reputation both inside and outside the court reached its peak.In the first month of the first month, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty issued an imperial edict to allow Cao Cao to "praise and pay homage without being famous, and walk on the sword in the palace, so that he will not enter the court."Cao Cao saw the glory brought by power, so his desire for power expanded even more.
In October, Cao Cao wanted to conquer Sun Quan in the east.Before leaving, Cao Cao and the civil and military ministers had a feast.Everyone couldn't help but praise him.Shangshu Dong Zhao said:
"The prime minister has weathered the wind and rain for decades. During this period, he has wiped out all the heroes and eliminated harm for the people. Since ancient times, the ministers have saved the country. How many people can have such merits as the prime minister? With your great achievements, it is impossible to remain in the position of a subject for a long time , you deeply believe that your virtue cannot catch up with the ancient times, and you are uneasy. You are willing to maintain your reputation and integrity. However, as a minister, if you make people doubt you because of this important event, you must give more consideration and suggest that you should be promoted 'Duke', plus 'Nine Tin', in recognition of your special contribution to the country."
Everyone agreed and said yes.When Cao Cao heard this, he was secretly happy, and felt a little bit flustered.What is "Jiuxi"? "Xi" means "gift", adding "nine tin" means that the emperor should bestow nine particularly valuable things. This is the rare highest honor for ancient ministers, and it is usually the death knell of the old dynasty and the rebirth of the new dynasty.
"It's absolutely impossible." Xun Yu, who had been silent by the side, suddenly said. Xun Yu has always been difficult to get along with everyone, and he is upright. To be honest, this time is no exception. Always be loyal, assist the imperial court, and stabilize the country as one's own duty, be loyal and sincere, and be humble. A gentleman should sharpen his character if he loves others. If he easily adds "Nine Tin", it may make the world dissatisfied, and it is not appropriate to take this kind of action."
Although Cao Cao was unhappy after hearing this, but it was inconvenient to have an attack, he had to promise not to "add tin" on the surface, and temporarily put aside the matter of calling Wei Gong.
After Cao Cao's army set off, Cao Cao was still thinking about how to get rid of Xun Yu, so as to clear the obstacles for him to become the king of Wei, so he wrote a letter asking Xun Yu to work on the front line.Xun Yu didn't catch up with Daying until he arrived in Qiao County. Cao Cao asked him to serve as a military counselor in the prime minister's mansion (participating in the prime minister's military affairs) as a servant and doctor Guanglu, so Xun Yu had to follow the army.When Cao Cao's army advanced to Rujing (Wuwei County, Anhui Province), Xun Yu claimed to be sick and asked to stay. Cao Cao had no choice but to agree.After thinking about it, Xun Yu felt that Cao Cao was going to be unfavorable to him, so he became sick from worry, and he couldn't afford it.
One evening, Xun Yu was recuperating in bed when he reported that Prime Minister Cao had sent someone to express his condolences.The person who came brought a box of food, saying that it was the wish of the prime minister, the lord, and he must accept it.Xun Yu opened the box suspiciously, but there was nothing inside, it turned out to be an empty box!Xun Yu understood, this means that he has no value to Cao Cao. The 55-year-old Xun Yu burst into tears and committed suicide by taking poison in extreme depression and suffering.
When Cao Cao heard the news of Xun Yu's suicide, he sighed.Although I feel a little regretful, it is irreparable after all.So he ordered Xun Yu to be buried generously, and he was posthumously named "Marquis of Jing".
In the first month of the 18th year of Jian'an (AD 213), Cao Cao defeated Sun Quan's Jiangxi (west bank of the Yangtze River) camp at Ruxukou, and Sun Quan personally led [-] Jiangdong troops to resist.During the stalemate for more than a month, Cao Cao inspected Soochow's ships, weapons, and army lineup. Seeing that each lineup was well-organized and well-organized, he couldn't help sighing: "Being a child is like Sun Zhongmou!"
Later, Sun Quan wrote to Cao Cao, saying: "Spring has come, the river will rise, the northern army is not used to water, you should retreat quickly to avoid accidents." After Cao Cao read it, he said to his generals: "Sun Quan really did not deceive me!" So he ordered to retreat.
In May, Emperor Xian enfeoffed 10 counties of Jizhou with fertile land and a large population to Cao Cao's fiefdom. Because Cao Cao had been stationed in Yecheng for a long time, and Yecheng was one of the ten counties and the seat of the prefect of Wei County, so it was called The ten counties of Jizhou were named "Wei State", and Cao Cao was named Duke of Wei, and concurrently served as prime minister and Jizhou shepherd, and "Jiuxi" was added.In July, Cao Cao opened the altar of heaven and earth (sheji) and the temple of ancestors surnamed Cao in the state of Wei.In order to better control Han Xiandi, Cao Cao forced Han Xiandi to accept his three daughters as concubines, and made them the first-level "nobles" of concubines.Since then, Cao Cao has responded to all calls in the court, and the officials are obedient and dare not disobey a little.
Liu Bei took advantage of the battle between Cao Cao and Sun Quan to invade Yizhou (Chengdu, Sichuan Province), replaced Liu Zhang, and served as the shepherd of Yizhou. He also ordered Guan Yu to guard the four counties of Jingzhou.
In March of the 20th year of Jian'an (AD 215), Cao Cao personally led an army to attack Zhang Lu. In July, the army reached Yangping Pass (west of Mian County, Shaanxi Province).
According to Zhang Lu who surrendered to Cao Cao, under Yangping Pass, the north and south mountains are far apart, and it is difficult to hold on for a long time.Cao Cao was advised to send troops to Yangping Pass as soon as possible, and Cao Cao followed.However, when the soldiers approached the pass, they found that it was not what those people said.The enemy army is already in full swing.In desperation, Cao Cao ordered to attack the cities on Yangping Mountain.The mountain was so steep that it was impossible to climb it, and it was difficult to capture it for a while. The soldiers suffered heavy casualties, and the food and grass were not enough.Cao Cao was depressed, and planned to send a small number of troops to cut off the passage down the mountain, and returned by himself.
Cao Cao has experienced countless wars in his life, and his character is resolute.It can be said that since Chen Liu started his army, he has been fighting almost every year for nearly 30 years. It is not once or twice that he has encountered more difficult and dangerous situations than this siege. Why can he accept this time without success? , What about preparing for the class teacher?Maybe he was really tired and powerless, who knows?
So he ordered General Xia Houdun and General Xu Chu to summon the troops who had already climbed the mountain to retreat. Unexpectedly, the forward troops lost their way in the night and entered Zhang Wei's other camp by mistake. camp, fled one after another.Xiahoudun and Xu Chu got the report and knew that it was a mistake, and neither the enemy nor us had expected it.Immediately reported to Cao Cao, Cao Cao took the opportunity to order a general attack on Zhang Wei's camp, defeated Zhang Wei's army in one fell swoop, and captured Yangping Pass.
Zhang Lu heard that Yangping Pass was lost, and he had no intention of fighting again. Soon after, he surrendered to Cao Cao, and Cao Cao occupied Hanzhong.Sima Yi, the prime minister's secretary, suggested to Cao Cao: "Liu Bei has just won Yizhou, and the people of Shu have not yet been convinced. He is competing with Sun Quan for land in Jiangling. This opportunity should not be missed. We occupy Hanzhong, and Yizhou is shaken. If the army suppresses the border, they must Disintegration, the sage acts, neither can go against the timing, nor can it not follow the timing."
Liu Ye, a counselor, also believed that if they did not take advantage of the victory to occupy Shu in time, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang would surely make a choice to appease the people.After Cao Cao heard this, he was silent for a long time and said: "The most painful thing for a person is not being able to satisfy himself. We have obtained the land of Long, but we are also looking forward to the county of Shu. It really shouldn't be." So he ordered the class teacher.
In fact, Liu Bei had just acquired Yizhou at this time, and he had not given any kindness to the people, so people's hearts were floating.If Cao Cao took the opportunity to send troops to Liu Bei at this time, it is very likely to win, but unfortunately he missed the opportunity and never had another chance.
(End of this chapter)
A Southern Expedition to Jingzhou and the Yangtze River
After Cao Cao unified the north, there were still two main opponents in the south: one was Liu Biao in Jingzhou, and the other was Sun Quan in Jiangdong.Jingzhou is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with thousands of miles of fertile fields and rich products, and it is a place that military strategists must contend for.Cao Cao knew very well in his heart that if he wanted to conquer the south and unify China, he had to occupy Jingzhou first, so that he could attack Jiangdong to the east and push Hanzhong Shu to the west.
In the spring of the 13th year of Jian'an (AD 208), Cao Cao returned to Yecheng. In order to prepare for expansion to the south, he ordered people to dig an artificial lake and named it "Xuanwu Pool" to train water troops.
In the summer, the imperial court revoked the official title of "Three Dukes", restored the prime minister and the imperial doctor, and appointed Cao Cao as the prime minister.Zhang Ji was sent to lobby General Ma Teng who was stationed in Huaili (Xingping County, Shaanxi Province), and promised that if he gave up his military power, he would find a job in the imperial court to relieve his worries.Ma Teng accepted the suggestion and moved to Yecheng with his whole family. Cao Cao recommended him as the commander of the imperial guards (Weiwei).
Cao Cao settled the internal and external affairs, so he launched an attack on Jingzhou in autumn.When Cao Cao made an expedition to Wuhuan, the three counties in the north, Liu Bei, who was living in Jingzhou, persuaded Liu Biao to take the empty capital of Xu.However, Liu Biao, just as Guo Jia said, would only talk high-spirited, sit on the guard of Jingzhou, and had no intention to attack and enterprising.
Soon after Cao Cao defeated the three prefectures of Wuhuan and returned to Yecheng, Sun Quan, who ruled Jiangdong, also wanted to unify the south of the river. Taking advantage of Liu Biao's frequent illness, he used Liu Biao's front to attack and kill Gan Ning who was stationed in Xiakou (Wuhan) General Liu Biao of Hankou, Huang Zu, slaughtered Xiakou City and robbed tens of thousands of men and women.
At this time, Liu Biao was seriously ill.Cao Cao feared that after Liu Biao died of illness, the territory of Jingzhou would either be acquired by Liu Bei or be annexed by Sun Quan, so he hurriedly marched towards Jingzhou.
However, the army had not yet contacted the Jingzhou army, and Liu Biao had already died of illness.Liu Biao has two sons, Liu Qi and Liu Qiong, who are brothers.After their mother died, Liu Biao married the Cai family of Jingzhou, and Cai Mao, Cai's younger brother, also became an important political figure in Jingzhou.Liu Biao liked his youngest son Liu Qiong, and Cai married his niece to Liu Qiong. Cai also loved Liu Qiong and hated Liu Qi. Cai Mao and Liu Biao's nephew Zhang Yun also talked about Liu Qi in Liu Biao's ear every day. Bad words, praise Liu Qiong.
A few months before Liu Biao's death, Liu Qi felt that he was in danger, so he left Jingzhou, a place of right and wrong, and went to Xiakou to make up for Huang Zu's vacancy as the prefect of Jiangxia.After Liu Biao died of illness, Cai Mao and others supported Liu Qiong to succeed Liu Biao as the shepherd of Jingzhou. At this time, Cao Cao's army had entered the Jingzhou area.
Liu Biao’s general Jing Yue and the powerful clan headed by Han Song all persuaded Liu Qiong to surrender to Cao Cao. Liu Qiong also considered that he had no strength to resist Cao Cao. If he used Liu Bei to resist Cao Cao, if he failed, Jingzhou would suffer greater damage, and his wealth and life would be destroyed. There is no guarantee; if Liu Bei's resistance succeeds, Liu Bei is unwilling to be his subordinate willingly and obey his own dispatch. The Jingzhou territory is not his own, so Liu Qiong quickly accepted their suggestion and surrendered to Cao Cao.
Liu Bei has been stationed in Jingzhou for 201 years since he defected to Liu Biao in the sixth year of Jian'an (12 A.D.). During these 207 years, he tried his best to win over many wealthy landlords in Jingzhou. The people of Jingchu follow like a cloud."In the [-]th year of Jian'an ([-] A.D.), recommended by Sima Hui and Xu Shu, Liu Bei visited the thatched cottage three times and visited Zhuge Liang, the "Wolong". He recruited many strong men to supplement his army.During Liu Bei's [-] years in Jingzhou, although he made no obvious achievements, he has greatly enriched his military strength, popular support, and talents.
Liu Qiong did not tell Liu Bei that he surrendered to Cao Cao.When Liu Bei realized that the situation was different and sent someone to ask Liu Qiong, Liu Qiong ordered his subordinate Song Zhong to go to Liu Bei and send an official notice;
Liu Bei then hastily withdrew his army from Fancheng to Jiangling. There were more than 10 men and thousands of vehicles following him.Therefore, the movement is very slow, and it can only advance more than 10 miles a day.Liu Bei sent Guan Yu to lead hundreds of ships, and agreed to join forces at Jiangling before making plans.Someone suggested to Liu Bei: "Speed is always the most important thing in marching, so Jiangling should be defended first. Although we have a large number of troops, there are too few armored soldiers. If Cao Cao's army catches up, how will we resist?" The people are the foundation, they are following me, how can I have the heart to give up?"
Cao Cao learned that Jiangling stored a large amount of food, grass and weapons, which might be obtained by Liu Bei, so he put down his luggage and led lightly armed troops to Xiangyang first. Hearing that Liu Bei had gone south, he immediately selected 5000 elite cavalry to pursue them urgently.
At this time, the sun was scorching hot, and the marching road was full of barren mountains and mountains, and there was not a drop of water to be found.The soldiers were all thirsty and weak, and their marching speed was greatly affected.This is extremely unfavorable to the march, and what's more, Liu Bei has to be pursued. If this continues, it will be difficult to succeed. Fortunately, Cao Cao used the strategy of "looking for plums to quench thirst" to relieve the urgent need, so that the army could continue to march, and finally caught up with Liu Bei at Changban, Dangyang.
Liu Bei's troops collapsed.Liu Bei abandoned his wife and children, and fled with Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and others under the escort of dozens of cavalry.All the troops and luggage were acquired by Cao Cao.
Cao Cao then occupied Jiangling, appointed Liu Qiong as the governor of Qingzhou, and made 15 marquises, including Kuai Yue, who had persuaded him to surrender.At the same time, he acquired the four Jiangbei counties in Jingzhou, incorporated 8 Jingzhou troops, more than [-] Mengchong warships, and countless military supplies.Mengchong battleships are very mobile, coming and going like flying, and enemy ships cannot approach.Cao Cao got more than a thousand of these ships, plus Jingzhou soldiers who were accustomed to water warfare.As a result, his confidence in attacking Sun Quan along the east of the river increased greatly.
After Liu Bei was defeated by Cao Cao in Dangyang, he withdrew towards the Han River, just in time to join the water army led by Guan Yu from the Han River.After crossing the Han River, he met Liu Qi, the eldest son of Liu Biao, the prefect of Jiangxia. The two joined forces. There were more than 2 troops, so they retreated to Xiakou.Xiakou was in Jiangbei, but Liu Bei still thought it was not safe, so he retreated from Xiakou to Fankou in Echeng.When Liu Bei was in Dangyang Changban, Sun Quan sent Lu Su to contact him; therefore, when Liu Bei arrived in Fankou, he also sent Zhuge Liang and Lu Su to meet Sun Quan, expressing his willingness to form a coalition to resist Cao Cao.
The two soldiers defeated Chibi and broke the ship with three points in the world
Just as Cao Cao was marching south to Jingzhou, Sun Quan was stationing troops in Chaisang (Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province).Zhuge Liang met with Sun Quan, analyzed the current situation and said: "Now the whole country is in chaos. The general is raising troops in the east of the Yangtze River, and Duke Xuande (Liu Bei) is gathering his troops south of the Han River to compete with Cao Cao for the world. Now, Cao Cao's army has defeated Jingzhou , The prestige is greatly boosted. Heroes from all over the world are useless. Duke Xuande retreats to the south, and I hope the general can take him in. If the general has the determination and ability to use Wu Yue's manpower to compete with the court, he should sever ties with Cao Cao as soon as possible; If you think you can’t, you might as well put away your weapons, take off your armor, and return to the north. Nowadays, generals obey the court on the surface, but they have their own plans in their hearts, and they can’t make decisions for a long time. In such an emergency, they are indecisive. Generals are not afraid of big Is disaster imminent?"
"Then why didn't Governor Liu surrender to Cao Cao to the north?" Sun Quan asked angrily.
Zhuge Liang had long expected that Sun Quan would ask such a question, so he deliberately said seriously: "Tian Heng, a strong man in Qi, can still stick to righteousness and refuse to be humiliated, not to mention Governor Liu, a royal descendant, a world-class talent, and people with lofty ideals. It’s like flowing water returning to the sea. If a big event fails, it can only be God’s will, how can I be Cao Cao’s subordinate!"
Sun Quan was 27 years old at the time, and when he was young, he was provoked by Zhuge Liang and said in a rage: "I can't give away the homeland of Wu, 10 soldiers, and be controlled by others. I have made up my mind! No need to say any more." I know that Governor Liu can't resist Cao Cao, but Governor Liu has been repeatedly defeated recently, how can he take on this role?"
Zhuge Liang knew in his heart that Sun Quan already had the will to fight against Cao Cao, so he offered a countermeasure: "Although Governor Liu was defeated in Changban, he gathered his troops, plus Guan Yu's navy, and there were [-] elites, and Liu Qi's subordinates were not there. Under [-] people. Cao Cao was exhausted both physically and mentally due to his expedition. In addition, he was not familiar with water warfare, and most of the soldiers in Jingzhou were not convinced. If the general can really send a strong general and lead an army of tens of thousands to cooperate with Xuande Gong, he will definitely be able to Defeat Cao's army. After Cao Cao's army is defeated, retreat to the north. In this way, Jingzhou and Jiangdong are powerful, and they will surely establish a three-point situation. I hope the general will make up his mind early."
Sun Quan was very happy when he heard this, and called his subordinates to discuss.Cao Cao saw that Sun Quan was holding a wait-and-see attitude towards the situation and did not dare to offend himself, so he was full of ambition and ambitious, thinking that as long as he sent his troops to the east, Sun Quan would definitely be awed by his prestige and surrender.
"Not necessarily!" counselor Jia Xu reminded Cao Cao to keep calm, saying, "The prime minister pacified the north, and today he conquered Hannan, and his reputation spread far and wide. If the resources of the four counties of Jingzhou can be used at this moment to rest the troops and appease the people, the time will come. Jiangdong will submit without a fight; if he is in a hurry to use his troops, I'm afraid..."
"Afraid of what?" Cao Cao was confused by his own strength, interrupted Jia Xu, wrote a letter casually, and sent someone to Jiang Dong. The letter said:
"Recently, under the order of the emperor, the rebels were crusaded. The military flags were everywhere, and Liu Qiong surrendered. Now, I personally lead the Yangtze River Fleet with 80 people. I hope to hunt with the general in the hometown of Wu."
Sun Quan read it and circulated it to his subordinates. They were all shocked, and some even cried in fear.Secretary-General (Chang Shi) Zhang Zhao said: "Cao Cao coerced the emperor to conquer the four directions, and we resisted him. We are not right, and our words are not right. Besides, we rely on the natural danger of the Yangtze River. Now that Cao Cao has occupied Jingzhou, the natural danger of the Yangtze River has long been lost. .If Cao Cao attacked by land and water, and the enemy is strong and we are weak, how can we resist? It is better to submit to the imperial court." Everyone agreed.
Only Lu Su did not say a word.Later, Sun Quan got up and went out. Lu Su chased him into the corridor. Sun Quan understood, took his hand and asked, "Zijing, I think you haven't said a word. You must have already made up your mind. Tell me." Lu Su said: "The discussion just now may lead the general astray! An official like me, Lu Su, can surrender to Cao Cao, and he can get another position, but the general can't. Please make a decision as soon as possible." Sun Quan sighed. Said: "What all the ministers said disappointed me. Your wise analysis is exactly the same as mine. It seems that only you, Zijing, know my thoughts."
Zhou Yu was sent to station in Jiyang, but Lu Su persuaded Sun Quan to recall Zhou Yu to discuss important matters.Zhou Yu returned immediately and said to Sun Quan: "Cao Cao is the prime minister of the Han Dynasty in name, but in fact he is a traitor who wants to usurp the throne. Everyone in the world can punish him. The general is a hero, and he inherited the foundation of his father and brother. He guards the vast land in Jiangdong and has sufficient resources. The elite troops should run rampant all over the world and clear the name of the Han Dynasty. What's more, Cao Cao personally came to let me wait to capture him, how could he surrender instead?
The northern frontier has not yet been completely settled, and the Northwest warlords Ma Chao and Han Sui are still stationed in the west of Guanxi, which has always been Cao Cao's future troubles, but he forced his way south. This is his mistake; Horses, instead of using ships to compete with Wuyue soldiers in rivers and rivers, wouldn't they be seeking their own death?Now, it is severe winter, thousands of miles are frozen, and the war horses cannot eat weeds. Cao Cao drove these northern troops blindly into the intricate rivers and lakes.
These points are all dangers that the commander should consider, but Cao Cao came here rashly regardless of everything.General, please allocate tens of thousands of elites to me, advance to Xiakou, and promise to defeat the incoming enemy for the general, so as to avoid future troubles. "
Sun Quan was moved and happy when he heard this.Standing up suddenly, he said impassionedly to everyone: "The old thief Cao Cao has long planned to overthrow the imperial court and reclaim the throne by himself. He just cared about Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Lu Bu, Liu Biao, and me, Sun Quan. Now, the other heroes have been wiped out, and I am the only one who is still here!" Now, I am at odds with the old thief Cao Cao, and you are arguing to fight, which is exactly what I want, and Gong Jin is really a general gifted to me by heaven." After finishing speaking, he drew out his saber, hacked at the table, and said resolutely: "Whoever If you dare to say surrender, it will be the same as the fate of this book case!" Then the meeting was adjourned.
That night, Zhou Yu went to Sun Quan again and said: "When you read Cao Cao's letter, you were terrified by his 80 land and water armies, and you couldn't correctly analyze the truth. In fact, Cao Cao's direct troops were only 5 to [-], and after I have already been exhausted after a long journey; the newly received Jingzhou troops are only [-] to [-] at best, and they have not completely surrendered. No matter how many people there are, it is difficult to gather strength with exhausted soldiers and soldiers. An elite force of [-] people is enough to restrain the enemy, please don't worry, general."
Sun Quan was very moved. He patted Zhou Yu on the back and said cordially, "Gong Jin, who knows me, has the same opinion as mine. It is difficult to gather [-] people for a while, and now [-] people have been recruited, food, grass, ships, and weapons. Everything is ready, you, Lu Su, and Cheng Pu go first, and I will continue to gather troops in the rear to serve as your backing."
So Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu were appointed as the commander-in-chief of the left and right wings, and Lu Su as the chief of staff (Lieutenant of Zanjun), led the army northward, and joined forces with Liu Bei to fight against Cao Cao.
Cao Cao led the land and water armies from Jiangling, went eastward along the river, arrived at Chibi (northwest of Puyi County, Hubei Province), and encountered Zhou Yu and Liu Bei's allied forces.At this time, the disease in Cao Cao's army was rampant, so Cao Jun and Sun Liu's allied army were defeated as soon as they came into contact with each other.
In order to make it easier for the northern soldiers to move around on the boat, Cao Cao adopted the advice of the counselors and connected the big boats with iron chains, so that they would be as stable as on flat ground.The northern soldiers were very satisfied with this, and thanked the prime minister for his compassion. Seeing that the problem of seasickness was solved so easily, Cao Cao was even more confident in capturing Soochow.On the south bank of the Yangtze River, seeing that Cao Cao connected the big ship to one place, the Sun and Liu families planned to resort to a series of false surrenders and fire attacks to defeat Cao Cao.
At the end of November, the two armies finally launched a decisive battle.On the eve of the decisive battle, Cao Cao received a secret letter from Sun Quan's forward general Huang Gai, saying that he was excluded by Zhou Yu and Lu Su and was going to defect to Cao Ying, and he agreed on a time.Cao Cao believed it was true and ordered people to prepare for Huang Gai's surrender.
One day, when the southeast wind was blowing, Huang Gai led 10 Mengchong fighting ships and headed straight for Cao Ying on the north bank.The boat was filled with reeds and dry firewood, filled with oil, covered with cloth curtains, planted flags, and tied some small boats to the stern for safe evacuation.Each boat hoisted its sails and headed swiftly for the north shore.Cao Cao's officers and soldiers only thought that Huang Gai was coming to surrender, so they gathered on the riverside and the bow of the boat to watch, pointing at Jiang Xin, and cheered thunderously.
When Huang Gai's fleet was about to approach the north bank, Huang Gai ordered people to light the firewood, and after confirming that every ship was lit, he untied the spare boat and evacuated safely.The wind assisted the fire, and the 10 ships rushed towards the north bank like arrows leaving the string, and rushed into the Cao Cao fleet.In an instant, Cao Cao's fleet caught fire, and soon spread to the camp on the shore.All of a sudden, flames shot up to the sky in the center of the river and on the shore. Cao Jun's soldiers and horses were either burned to death, or fell into the Yangtze River and drowned.Cao Jun's wailing was heard in the sky, and the casualties were innumerable.
The situation in Jiangbei was quickly reported to Zhou Yu, so he ordered the drums to be beaten immediately, and the lightly armed ships rushed to them. The thunder of the drums shook the world, and Cao Cao's army suddenly collapsed.Cao Cao was unable to clean up the situation in the smoke, and fled westward along the path with the remnants.
The road was muddy, the road was blocked, and the wind suddenly blew up in the sky, making it almost impossible for the team to move.Cao Cao ordered the old and weak soldiers to carry grass to fill the road, and the cavalry troops barely passed. Many of the old and weak soldiers who paved the road with grass were trampled by people and horses, fell into the mud, and died countless times.Liu Bei and Zhou Yu advanced by land and water, and pursued them all the way to Nanjun (Jiangling County, Hubei Province).
After the disastrous defeat of Cao Cao's army, food and grass were in short supply and the plague was rampant, and more than half of the troops died.Cao Cao was afraid that the news of his failure would come back to Xudu, and that the court would change.So I didn't dare to stay longer in Jingzhou, leaving the generals Cao Ren and Xu Huang to guard Jiangling, Le Jin to guard Xiangyang, and led the army back to the north.
Zhou Yu attacked Jiangling, and after more than a year, he finally captured the city and forced Cao Jun to retreat to Xiang and Fan.During this period, Liu Bei sent a small number of troops to the south bank of the Yangtze River to assist Zhou Yu in attacking Jiangling, while the main force went south to capture the four counties south of the Yangtze River in Jingzhou, taking the opportunity to develop and strengthen itself.At this time, the situation is just like Zhuge Liang analyzed to Sun Quan before the war, and the situation of the three kingdoms is beginning to take shape.
Cao Cao has always been open-minded, magnanimous, courteous corporal, and patiently analyzed and accepted the opinions of his subordinates with an open mind, making people willing to serve him.Even though she had a deep hatred with Zhang Xiu, when she heard that Zhang Xiu had come to surrender, she immediately shook hands and said good-bye, and rewarded her; Chen Lin's proclamation was so vicious, she was forgiven because of the rare talents.It is his management style and employment mentality that make him invincible and advancing steadily.
However, victory makes people dizzy, and power makes people confused. The Battle of Chibi finally caused Cao Cao to inflate rapidly, thinking that everyone in the world is inferior to him, and he was defeated in the end.A generation of talented Cao Cao can't avoid getting hot-headed. How can a hero in the world be blamed for a small mistake and belittle himself?How many people can remain cautious and sober in the face of adversity?Once things are going well, the most error-prone thing is to get carried away.Cao Cao caused three points in the world because of this. This is something he regretted until his death, right?
Three lead troops westward to recover and close without looking at Shu
The defeat in the Battle of Chibi made Cao Cao understand that he could not solve the Sun and Liu families for a while. He could only work hard to maintain a relatively stable environment in the north, strengthen agricultural production, and accumulate strength. After the economic foundation for defeating Sun and Liu was established, In order to gain a strategic advantage, there is the possibility of victory.Cao Cao decided to take this strategy as a major strategic policy, so he decided to first consolidate his rear and unify Guanzhong; then seize the opportunity to seize Hanzhong and attack Bashu.
At this time, Guanzhong (central part of Shaanxi Province) was still in a state of separatism.The strongest generals in the separatist regime were Ma Chao and Han Sui.Although some other generals have no ambitions, they have powerful soldiers and horses, and the terrain in Guanzhong is complex, the territory is vast, easy to defend and difficult to attack, it is not easy to pacify Guanzhong.Moreover, these separatist forces are nominally appointed by the imperial court. If they suddenly attack them with troops, it will be difficult to convince the world.
Cao Cao first threatened to capture Hanzhong and crusade against the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army-the peasant army led by Zhang Lu.In this way, Cao Cao's soldiers can justifiably pass through Guanzhong, and the generals in these places will definitely send troops to stop them. At that time, Cao Cao can officially order a crusade against them.
In the spring of the 16th year of Jian'an (211 A.D.), Cao Cao ordered Zhong Yao, the captain of Sili, who was stationed in Luoyang, to lead his general Xia Houyuan and others to enter Guanzhong under the banner of conquering Zhang Lu.As expected, the generals in various parts of the Guanzhong separatist regime were alerted immediately and took action one after another.Ma Chao, Han Sui, Hou Xuan and other 10 troops jointly rebelled, pushing Ma Chao and Han Sui as the general leaders, leading 10 troops to guard Tongguan.Cao Cao ordered Anxi general Cao Ren to lead the army to continue to advance, but not to fight the opponent.
In July, Cao Pi and Cheng Yu were left to guard Yecheng, and the 57-year-old Cao Cao personally led the army to march westward.Soon, Cao Cao's army arrived at Tongguan. At this time, warlords from all over Guanzhong gathered in Tongguan to prevent Cao's army from advancing westward.Cao Cao's generals suggested to fight quickly, and he asked everyone to wait patiently.Let the enemy army gather a lot so that it can be solved in one battle.
Ma Chao came to challenge before the battle, Cao Cao ordered to stand firm and not to fight.At the same time, Cao Cao secretly ordered Xu Huang and Zhu Ling to lead a mixed infantry and cavalry regiment of 4000 people to cross the Yellow River from Pubanjin (the ferry of the West Yellow River in Yongji County, Shanxi Province) and establish a base on the west bank of the Yellow River.
In the eighth month of leap, Cao Cao suddenly crossed the Yellow River from Tongguan to the north. The soldiers went there first by boat. Cao Cao alone with more than 100 warriors from Huben stayed on the south bank.In the end, Cao Cao crossed the river dangerously and reached the other side.
After Cao Cao arrived at Puban, he crossed the Yellow River to the west, then built roads along the Yellow River, and advanced south.Ma Chao and others retreated to Tongguan, Weikou.In order to attract more enemies, Cao Cao did not contact Ma Chao's army head-on, but sent a small group of troops to go out to attack, so that Ma Chao and others could not judge Cao Cao's real intention.
One night, Cao Cao sent soldiers into the Wei River by boat and quickly built a pontoon bridge.In the middle of the night, part of the main force had built a camp on the south bank of the Wei River and set up an ambush.It was not until dawn that Ma Chao and others discovered that Cao Cao's army was crossing the Wei River, posing a great threat to themselves.So he hurriedly attacked and was defeated by Cao Cao's troops who had already ambushed. Ma Chao and others had to abandon Tongguan and retreat to the south of Weishui River.Ma Chao made peace with Cao Cao on the condition that he would cede the land west of the Yellow River. Cao Cao pretended to agree, but in fact the army continued to advance.
In September, the main force of Cao Cao's army all crossed the Weishui River. In order to deal a head-on blow to the unstable Cao Jun, Ma Chao took the initiative to challenge him many times, but Cao Cao still repeated his old tricks, strictly guarding the camp, and did not respond.Ma Chao and the others couldn't figure out Cao Cao's intentions, so they couldn't help feeling uneasy and didn't dare to attack rashly.
Although Cao Cao was silent on the surface, he was strategizing in his tent.He accepted Jia Xu's suggestion, and finally adopted a divorce strategy to make Ma Chao and Han Sui suspicious of each other, unable to join forces to meet the enemy.Cao Cao reckoned that the two were already in harmony, so they agreed on a date for a decisive battle.Ma Chao and Han Sui were hard to resist by first attacking with lightly armed troops, fighting for a while, and then suddenly throwing in the main force.Each fled to Liangzhou with his men and horses, and the rest of the generals died or scattered, and the Guanzhong Allied Forces collapsed.
Guanxi was pacified, and Cao Cao led his army back to Chang'an.Only then did the generals express their doubts to Cao Cao: "At the beginning, the main force of the enemy was guarding Tongguan, and there were no enemy troops on the north bank of the Weishui River. Instead of attacking Feng Yi (Gaoling County, Shaanxi Province) directly from Hedong, we put heavy troops under Tongguan. Then cross the Yellow River north, why bother?”
Cao Cao said: "The enemy is guarding Tongguan. Once we enter the east of the river with heavy troops, the enemy will definitely deploy defenses along the Yellow River and guard the ferry tightly. We will not be able to force the crossing. So I concentrated the heavy troops in Tongguan City to attract the main force of the enemy. Naturally, the defenses on both sides of the Yellow River were relaxed. The two generals Xu Huang and Zhu Ling were able to easily obtain Xihe (northern Shaanxi Province); then, I crossed the inland river from Tongguan to the north. Later, the enemy was willing to cede Xihe because the army of the two generals had entered first, and we used vehicles And trees, along the Yellow River, built lanes to the south, on the one hand for safety, and on the other hand to show weakness to the enemy. After crossing the Wei River and building camps, the enemy attacked fiercely and did not respond to the battle. The purpose was to arrogant the enemy, thinking that the battle would soon be over. They Sure enough, I didn't prepare for a long-term stalemate, but blindly ceded land and asked for peace. I promised with all my mouth that everything I accepted was to make them feel safe and secure, and stop being vigilant about us recharging our strength. Once the attack starts, it is the so-called "thunderbolt". Cover your ears'. Strategic technology, unpredictable, can not be stubborn."
This battle was almost exactly as Cao Cao said before the war, the initiative was firmly in Cao Cao's hands, which showed Cao Cao's superb military talent.
Han Sui was killed by his subordinates shortly after he fled to Liangzhou.Ma Chao retreated to Longshang, but failed to attack Liangzhou.Vote for Zhang Lu first, then Liu Bei.
Ma Chao was driven away, and Han Sui died.Cao Cao basically pacified the northwest region, and the general Xia Houyuan occupied Longhou again.So far, the Guanlong area has completely belonged to Cao Cao, and the north is basically unified.
Originally, Cao Cao was going to continue to attack Hanzhong, but a peasant uprising led by Tian Yin and Su Bo broke out in the hinterland of Hebei. After hearing the news, Cao Cao quickly pulled the Guanzhong army back to Hebei, and then came to Yecheng.At this time, Tian Yin and Su Bo had been defeated, and the situation had just stabilized. Cao Cao was afraid that a hasty dispatch of troops to the northwest would cause the situation to get out of control again. .So he led 40 troops and pointed directly at Soochow.I want to deter Sun Quan with strong military power, so that he dare not use troops against the north easily, and then he can concentrate on managing the northwest.
At this time, it was the 17th year of Jian'an (212 AD), and Cao Cao's reputation both inside and outside the court reached its peak.In the first month of the first month, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty issued an imperial edict to allow Cao Cao to "praise and pay homage without being famous, and walk on the sword in the palace, so that he will not enter the court."Cao Cao saw the glory brought by power, so his desire for power expanded even more.
In October, Cao Cao wanted to conquer Sun Quan in the east.Before leaving, Cao Cao and the civil and military ministers had a feast.Everyone couldn't help but praise him.Shangshu Dong Zhao said:
"The prime minister has weathered the wind and rain for decades. During this period, he has wiped out all the heroes and eliminated harm for the people. Since ancient times, the ministers have saved the country. How many people can have such merits as the prime minister? With your great achievements, it is impossible to remain in the position of a subject for a long time , you deeply believe that your virtue cannot catch up with the ancient times, and you are uneasy. You are willing to maintain your reputation and integrity. However, as a minister, if you make people doubt you because of this important event, you must give more consideration and suggest that you should be promoted 'Duke', plus 'Nine Tin', in recognition of your special contribution to the country."
Everyone agreed and said yes.When Cao Cao heard this, he was secretly happy, and felt a little bit flustered.What is "Jiuxi"? "Xi" means "gift", adding "nine tin" means that the emperor should bestow nine particularly valuable things. This is the rare highest honor for ancient ministers, and it is usually the death knell of the old dynasty and the rebirth of the new dynasty.
"It's absolutely impossible." Xun Yu, who had been silent by the side, suddenly said. Xun Yu has always been difficult to get along with everyone, and he is upright. To be honest, this time is no exception. Always be loyal, assist the imperial court, and stabilize the country as one's own duty, be loyal and sincere, and be humble. A gentleman should sharpen his character if he loves others. If he easily adds "Nine Tin", it may make the world dissatisfied, and it is not appropriate to take this kind of action."
Although Cao Cao was unhappy after hearing this, but it was inconvenient to have an attack, he had to promise not to "add tin" on the surface, and temporarily put aside the matter of calling Wei Gong.
After Cao Cao's army set off, Cao Cao was still thinking about how to get rid of Xun Yu, so as to clear the obstacles for him to become the king of Wei, so he wrote a letter asking Xun Yu to work on the front line.Xun Yu didn't catch up with Daying until he arrived in Qiao County. Cao Cao asked him to serve as a military counselor in the prime minister's mansion (participating in the prime minister's military affairs) as a servant and doctor Guanglu, so Xun Yu had to follow the army.When Cao Cao's army advanced to Rujing (Wuwei County, Anhui Province), Xun Yu claimed to be sick and asked to stay. Cao Cao had no choice but to agree.After thinking about it, Xun Yu felt that Cao Cao was going to be unfavorable to him, so he became sick from worry, and he couldn't afford it.
One evening, Xun Yu was recuperating in bed when he reported that Prime Minister Cao had sent someone to express his condolences.The person who came brought a box of food, saying that it was the wish of the prime minister, the lord, and he must accept it.Xun Yu opened the box suspiciously, but there was nothing inside, it turned out to be an empty box!Xun Yu understood, this means that he has no value to Cao Cao. The 55-year-old Xun Yu burst into tears and committed suicide by taking poison in extreme depression and suffering.
When Cao Cao heard the news of Xun Yu's suicide, he sighed.Although I feel a little regretful, it is irreparable after all.So he ordered Xun Yu to be buried generously, and he was posthumously named "Marquis of Jing".
In the first month of the 18th year of Jian'an (AD 213), Cao Cao defeated Sun Quan's Jiangxi (west bank of the Yangtze River) camp at Ruxukou, and Sun Quan personally led [-] Jiangdong troops to resist.During the stalemate for more than a month, Cao Cao inspected Soochow's ships, weapons, and army lineup. Seeing that each lineup was well-organized and well-organized, he couldn't help sighing: "Being a child is like Sun Zhongmou!"
Later, Sun Quan wrote to Cao Cao, saying: "Spring has come, the river will rise, the northern army is not used to water, you should retreat quickly to avoid accidents." After Cao Cao read it, he said to his generals: "Sun Quan really did not deceive me!" So he ordered to retreat.
In May, Emperor Xian enfeoffed 10 counties of Jizhou with fertile land and a large population to Cao Cao's fiefdom. Because Cao Cao had been stationed in Yecheng for a long time, and Yecheng was one of the ten counties and the seat of the prefect of Wei County, so it was called The ten counties of Jizhou were named "Wei State", and Cao Cao was named Duke of Wei, and concurrently served as prime minister and Jizhou shepherd, and "Jiuxi" was added.In July, Cao Cao opened the altar of heaven and earth (sheji) and the temple of ancestors surnamed Cao in the state of Wei.In order to better control Han Xiandi, Cao Cao forced Han Xiandi to accept his three daughters as concubines, and made them the first-level "nobles" of concubines.Since then, Cao Cao has responded to all calls in the court, and the officials are obedient and dare not disobey a little.
Liu Bei took advantage of the battle between Cao Cao and Sun Quan to invade Yizhou (Chengdu, Sichuan Province), replaced Liu Zhang, and served as the shepherd of Yizhou. He also ordered Guan Yu to guard the four counties of Jingzhou.
In March of the 20th year of Jian'an (AD 215), Cao Cao personally led an army to attack Zhang Lu. In July, the army reached Yangping Pass (west of Mian County, Shaanxi Province).
According to Zhang Lu who surrendered to Cao Cao, under Yangping Pass, the north and south mountains are far apart, and it is difficult to hold on for a long time.Cao Cao was advised to send troops to Yangping Pass as soon as possible, and Cao Cao followed.However, when the soldiers approached the pass, they found that it was not what those people said.The enemy army is already in full swing.In desperation, Cao Cao ordered to attack the cities on Yangping Mountain.The mountain was so steep that it was impossible to climb it, and it was difficult to capture it for a while. The soldiers suffered heavy casualties, and the food and grass were not enough.Cao Cao was depressed, and planned to send a small number of troops to cut off the passage down the mountain, and returned by himself.
Cao Cao has experienced countless wars in his life, and his character is resolute.It can be said that since Chen Liu started his army, he has been fighting almost every year for nearly 30 years. It is not once or twice that he has encountered more difficult and dangerous situations than this siege. Why can he accept this time without success? , What about preparing for the class teacher?Maybe he was really tired and powerless, who knows?
So he ordered General Xia Houdun and General Xu Chu to summon the troops who had already climbed the mountain to retreat. Unexpectedly, the forward troops lost their way in the night and entered Zhang Wei's other camp by mistake. camp, fled one after another.Xiahoudun and Xu Chu got the report and knew that it was a mistake, and neither the enemy nor us had expected it.Immediately reported to Cao Cao, Cao Cao took the opportunity to order a general attack on Zhang Wei's camp, defeated Zhang Wei's army in one fell swoop, and captured Yangping Pass.
Zhang Lu heard that Yangping Pass was lost, and he had no intention of fighting again. Soon after, he surrendered to Cao Cao, and Cao Cao occupied Hanzhong.Sima Yi, the prime minister's secretary, suggested to Cao Cao: "Liu Bei has just won Yizhou, and the people of Shu have not yet been convinced. He is competing with Sun Quan for land in Jiangling. This opportunity should not be missed. We occupy Hanzhong, and Yizhou is shaken. If the army suppresses the border, they must Disintegration, the sage acts, neither can go against the timing, nor can it not follow the timing."
Liu Ye, a counselor, also believed that if they did not take advantage of the victory to occupy Shu in time, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang would surely make a choice to appease the people.After Cao Cao heard this, he was silent for a long time and said: "The most painful thing for a person is not being able to satisfy himself. We have obtained the land of Long, but we are also looking forward to the county of Shu. It really shouldn't be." So he ordered the class teacher.
In fact, Liu Bei had just acquired Yizhou at this time, and he had not given any kindness to the people, so people's hearts were floating.If Cao Cao took the opportunity to send troops to Liu Bei at this time, it is very likely to win, but unfortunately he missed the opportunity and never had another chance.
(End of this chapter)
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