Chapter 69: The Battle of Xuzhou Begins, and Liu Bei Comes to Help
Cao Cao is actively making preparations for the war.
The huge war machine also began to operate.
When Tao Qian learned that Cao Cao was going to attack him, he sent people everywhere for help.
However,
Because Tao Qian was punished by Cao Cao from the highest point of filial piety,
Perhaps there was also fear of Cao Cao's powerful troops. In the end, few people were willing to respond to Tao Qian's request.
But there are always exceptions. Liu Bei, who was serving under Gongsun Zan in Youzhou, also heard about Cao Cao raising troops to attack Tao Qian.
Liu Bei felt that Tao Qian could not be so stupid that he would make the big mistake of robbing and killing Cao Cao's family.
After all, they were still allies, so Liu Bei hesitated to suggest to Gongsun Zan that he send troops to help Tao Qian.
Just in time, before Liu Bei could say anything, the envoy sent by Tao Qian to ask for help arrived.
Previously, Tao Qian and Gongsun Zan jointly dealt with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. Now that Tao Qian has come to ask for help, Gongsun Zan will naturally not sit idly by.
But Gongsun Zan also had to be on guard against Yuan Shao being unable to escape and himself being unable to escape.
Liu Bei took the opportunity to ask Gongsun Zan for orders, and he led a thousand troops to rescue him.
Gongsun Zan was naturally very happy after hearing this.
So he sponsored Liu Bei's two thousand soldiers and horses, and asked Liu Bei to go and join Qingzhou Governor Tian Kai, and then send troops to rescue Tao Qian.
Liu Bei always had great ambitions,
He originally did not want to live under others for a long time.
However, Gongsun Zan, his classmate, was really kind to him, not only giving him territory but also food, soldiers and horses.
Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan were on the same page, so naturally he did not want to see Gongsun Zan defeated by Yuan Shao.
So after the Battle of Jieqiao, Liu Bei stayed and served under Gongsun Zan, helping Gongsun Zan resist Yuan Shao's attack.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see Gongsun Zan's current decline.
Over time, Liu Bei also felt that staying here had no future.
Now that Tao Qian was asking for help, Liu Bei felt that this was a good opportunity to break away from Gongsun Zan, so he took the initiative to ask for help from Tao Qian and left Gongsun Zan.
But Liu Bei still couldn't bear to leave his brother who had always helped him in times of crisis.
But if he wants to realize his ideal of helping the Han Dynasty, Liu Bei cannot accompany Gongsun Zan to the funeral...
"Alas..." The fierce conflict between emotion and justice in his heart made Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh deeply, and his expression looked a little lonely.
Zhang Fei heard his elder brother sighing. His nerves were always thicker than steel bars. He couldn't help but come to Liu Bei and asked: "Brother, why are you sighing?"
Liu Bei glanced at Zhang Fei and just shook his head but was in no mood to explain.
Seeing that Liu Bei didn't want to speak,
So Guan Yu explained to Zhang Fei on behalf of Liu Bei: "The eldest brother cannot give up his friendship with General Gongsun as a classmate."
"But second brother,
Then Gongsun Zan suppressed his eldest brother everywhere, we helped him so much,
If he didn't say that he would add more subordinates to us sooner,
He is not even willing to give his eldest brother a promotion in an official position!" Zhang Fei has long been dissatisfied with Gongsun Zan. In fact, he is not happy with the princes who are more powerful than his eldest brother.
"Brother Renyi, the reason for sending troops to help General Gongsun is not promotion. Third brother, please stop talking nonsense."
"Second brother, you..."
Liu Bei had a headache listening to Zhang Fei and Guan Yu's quarrel. He felt depressed and couldn't help but shout: "That's enough!"
The two brothers were stunned by the eldest brother's sudden drink, and then became quiet.
As if he felt that his tone was a bit too much, Liu Bei sighed again and said:
"Second brother and third brother, you have also seen that General Gongsun has gradually been at a disadvantage in the battle with Yuan Shao.
If we leave Gongsun Bogui at this time, I am afraid it will be difficult for us to have the opportunity to see him again in the future.
Brother is in a bad mood,
My tone just now was a bit wrong, I hope you two wise brothers don’t blame me.”
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were still slightly less discerning than Liu Bei.
They only felt that Liu Bei was unwilling to abandon Gongsun Zan, but Liu Bei had already foreseen Gongsun Zan's future defeat.
Under the dilemma, Liu Bei finally chose to pursue his own ideals and left his classmates and friends.
"Brother is in a bad mood, and I, Lao Zhang, know it."
"General Gongsun didn't listen to his elder brother's advice.
Not caring about the people and not encouraging farming,
Instead, he made friends with those so-called aristocratic families..." Guan Yu shook his head and said with emotion: "I never thought that Gongsun Zan, a generation of heroes, would turn into such a fool..."
It seemed that Guan Yu's words relieved the pain in Liu Bei's heart.
"That's all, Bogui has his own ideas, we have tried our best..."
Gongsun Zan did not listen to his dissuasion and lost the support of the people, so his defeat would be a matter of time.
Liu Bei was ambitious, and after he figured this out, his inner sentimentality was quickly and completely calmed down.
"Brother, ahead are the troops and horses of Tian Kai, the governor of Qingzhou!" Zhang Fei pointed to the faintly appearing flags of troops and horses in front of him and said.
As Zhang Fei's voice came,
Liu Bei raised his head and looked at the Qingzhou soldiers and horses who had been waiting for a long time in the distance.
In a trance, he seemed to see a broader world, slowly unfolding before his eyes!
Tian Kai, the governor of Qingzhou, was appointed by Gongsun Zan. Previously, Gongsun Zan had united with Yuan Shu, Tao Qian, Tian Kai, and Liu Bei to attack Yuan Shao and Cao Cao.
It's a pity that Yuan Shu had too much time to take care of himself at that time, otherwise Cao Cao, whose foothold was not stable, was suddenly attacked from two sides, and he might have to shed a layer of his skin.
Cao Cao gave the people of Xuzhou a month, and he also gave Tao Qian a month.
Tao Qian used this month to deploy the local garrison, and then led 20,000 troops to station in Pengcheng, preparing to hold the city and wait for reinforcements.
Tao Qian, who was looking for help everywhere,
Finally, good news came from Gongsun Zan. In response to his ally Tao Qian's request for help, Gongsun Zan sent Liu Bei, Prime Minister of Pingyuan, and Tian Kai, Governor of Qingzhou, to Xuzhou for support.
Although Tao Qian was defending the city and Liu Bei was there, Tian Kai's reinforcements were arriving.
But now Cao Cao has food in his hands and he is not panic at all.
Gongsun Zan dared to send Liu Bei and Tian Kai at this time to weaken his own strength. Yuan Shao would definitely not miss this good opportunity.
Once Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan start fighting again, Liu Bei won't know, but Tian Kai will definitely go back to support him.
Cao Cao didn't take Liu Bei seriously at all.
...
The one-month buffer period will end soon.
In the fourth year of Chuping,
At the end of March and the beginning of April, when spring plowing began, Cao Cao personally ordered 60,000 troops, pretending to be 100,000, to attack Xuzhou in a mighty manner!
Cao Ren was appointed as the vanguard by Cao Cao, and Le Jin was appointed as Cao Ren's deputy general.
The two men led the five thousand soldiers who followed Cao Ren from Yingchuan County.
It started from Shanyang County, passed through Pei State, and finally went deep into Xuzhou, reaching Guangqi County in Pengcheng State.
Cao Cao ordered Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Dian Wei to lead 20,000 troops. After entering Xuzhou, they began to conquer various counties.
Cao Cao gave the people of Xuzhou a buffer period in advance. Although many people fled to the southeast,
But there are still some people who do not believe in evil or are unwilling to leave and stay.
Cao's army encountered almost no decent resistance wherever it passed, and in a blink of an eye, it captured many counties under Xuzhou's rule.
Naturally, Xiahou Dun and Xia Houyuan were filled with hatred for Tao Qian, Xia Houdun and Xia Houyuan who dared to harm their uncle.
But Cao Cao warned them not to harm the people before they set off.
If necessary, we need to do more publicity. It is best to persuade the people of Xuzhou to move to Yanzhou voluntarily...
Historically, in order to vent his anger, Xiahou Dun committed murder and arson after entering Xuzhou.
But now Cao Song is not dead,
And although Mrs. Cao claimed to be scared to the point of being bedridden,
But Xiahou Dun guessed that with the energy of the old man, he might be chewing chicken wings proudly at this moment...
Because of this, Xiahou Dun became much less violent, so he let the people of Xuzhou go, and even began to persuade them to move to Yanzhou.