Chapter 227 Cao Cao is surprised! What is the real purpose of King Hongnong?
"Your Highness."
When Liu Bian was studying in the camp, he turned to Xun Yu outside the tent. He stepped forward and said with a bow: "According to the information, Cao Cao, the commander of the cavalry school, and Bao Xin, the prime minister of Jibei, were invited by Yuan Zhong to join the Yuan camp."
"but......"
Xun You frowned slightly and added: "Bao Xin, Prime Minister of Jibei, came out soon with a sullen look on his face. He waited outside the camp for a while before leaving. He probably didn't wait for Cao Cao, so he returned to the camp in anger."
Liu Bian put down the book, turned to look at Xun You, and said in surprise: "Oh? This is happening?"
Xun You nodded and went on to say: "Your Highness, although Cao Cao is very capable, he has a close relationship with the Yuan family, especially Yuan Shao, the governor of Bohai. The two have known each other since childhood and are like brothers."
"I'm worried..."
Xun You frowned slightly and looked worried: "Cao Cao will be won over by Yuan Shu and choose to join their team. If this is the case, I'm afraid they will really do something."
When he learned that King Hongnong wanted to recruit Cao Cao, Xun You began to pay close attention to Cao Cao, and the investigation of his deeds and resume had reached a certain level.
Naturally, the fact that he had a good relationship with Yuan Shao when he was young must not be hidden from Xun You. Considering the close relationship between the two, Xun You was so worried just now.
Moreover, according to the current time point, Cao Cao still maintains awe of the Yuan family, which has four generations and three princes, and even envies Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, the two brothers' origins.
Based on this analysis alone, there is indeed a possibility that Cao Cao will be won over.
but......
If the opponent is Yuan Shu.
Liu Bian believed that the possibility was not too great.
After all, as a person with the ability to think independently, Cao Cao should be able to understand that Yuan Shu is by no means a reliable ally, he just wants to use him.
"Don't jump to conclusions yet."
Liu Bian did not follow Xun Yu's train of thought, but interrupted in time: "If Cao Cao was so easy to win over, he would not have contradicted Yuan Shao when he was in Yanjin, let alone risked going straight to Sishui Pass.
.”
Xun You naturally understood this: "Your Highness's words are reasonable, but we have some grudges with Yuan Shu. If Yuan Shu uses this as an excuse to alienate Cao Cao and win over him, the result is still unknown."
"after all!"
Xun You emphasized: "Cao Cao and Bao Xin came here with enthusiasm and were determined to make contributions to the Han Dynasty. If they thought that there was no hope of success, they might really take risks and conspire with Yuan Shu."
Although Xun may be known as Wang Zuo's talent, based on his current understanding of Cao Cao, inferring how he would act in this situation would not actually be accurate.
But this is not the case with the Military Advisor Alliance.
The big data that the Military Advisor Alliance refers to is based on Cao Cao's life. The understanding of Cao Cao's character and behavior is far better than that of Xun Yu.
Therefore, Liu Bian trusted the big data analysis of the Military Advisor Alliance: "Don't worry, Wen Ruo, if Cao Cao is really going to be won over by Yuan Shu, then he has admitted the wrong person."
"but......"
Liu Bian was full of confidence and said with absolute certainty: "In my opinion, although Cao Cao is currently just a cavalry captain, he is extremely capable. Deep down, he may not be able to look down on Yuan Shu or even the famous Yuan Shao."
"The only thing between these two people that is stronger than Cao Cao, and that can make Cao Cao envious, is at best their origins in the Yuan family in Runan. As for other aspects, it's nothing more than that."
Xun You really didn't expect that Liu Bian's evaluation of Cao Cao would be so high: "Then what does His Highness mean, we don't need to pay attention to it, let alone send people to contact him?"
"No need!"
Liu Bian waved his hand and said firmly: "If Cao Cao can't even pass this level, then I really have to underestimate him. As for Yuan Shu, let him go. Just because we can defeat Dong Zhuo doesn't mean he can do it."
His own cavalry has the three treasures of equestrianism, which naturally doubles its combat effectiveness. The cavalry Yuan Shu temporarily formed is probably just an infantryman on horseback, and will never be Dong Zhuo's opponent.
But anyway...
If he really led troops, in a sense, Liu Bian would be using the hands of both sides to weaken each other. After all, in the near future, the Yuan family and Dong Zhuo would all be Liu Bian's enemies.
In this case, let them bite the dog and kill the enemy, whether it is killing a thousand enemies and damaging eight hundred, or suicidal attack, for Liu Bian, it is not a bad thing.
Xun You nodded with great interest: "In that case, do we need to adjust the arrangements for Cao Cao and others?"
Liu Bian thought for a moment and shook his head: "King Chen and Li Min are still guarding the north gate, let alone Cao Cao, Bao Xin, and Liu Dai? Just because you value Cao Cao, you cannot ignore the feelings of King Chen and Li Min."
"No need to adjust."
Liu Bian said with great certainty: "As for how Cao Cao and others will choose, Quan should be a test question given to them by Gu. If they can't even pass this test, they will not be worthy of working under Gu in the future."
Xun Yi bowed his head and said, "Nuo."
Liu Bian said softly: "Is the banquet ready?"
"The materials are all ready. Don't worry, Your Highness, we won't waste any time."
"very good!"
"But Your Highness..."
At this moment, Xun You suddenly remembered something and said again: "Today Cao Cao and others came to join forces, and tomorrow it may be Yuan Shao, Yuan Yi and others. Our army does not have much food and grass."
Prior to this, Xun Ou had advised Liu Bian that there would be a ten-day interval between supplying food and grass to the army, so he should eat frugally to prevent the lack of food and grass from causing instability in the morale of the army.
"Where's the direction to Nanyang?"
Liu Bian frowned slightly and asked tentatively: "Is there any response?"
Xun You nodded: "Zhongxiang has collected the food and supplies and is on the way. However, now that we have gone deep into the hinterland of Luoyang, we will be delayed for a long time on the way."
"Um."
Liu Bian responded: "I understand! Don't worry, Wen Ruo. Before the grain and grass arrive, even if Yuan Shao arrives in person, I will never waste another grain of grain."
Xunhe nodded: "That's very good."
*****
at the same time.
Cao Ying.
Chinese army tent.
At this moment, Bao Xin was waiting in the tent. When he saw Cao Cao returning, he asked tentatively: "Is Meng De already a member of Yuan Shu?"
Cao Cao smiled and said, "Yuncheng, can you please stop joking? Cao just wants to know what Yuan Shu intends to do with this move."
"oh?"
Bao Xin became interested: "Have you found out?"
Cao Cao nodded: "Well, I generally understand. I have sent someone to inquire about the information. After verification, I will come back."
Bao Xin looked at Cao Cao with great interest: "Meng De, I knew you were resourceful and would definitely look down on Yuan Shu. I was right."
"Cao really looks down on Yuan Shu."
"but......"
When the conversation changed, Cao Cao frowned slightly with a worried expression: "The Allies on the Southern Front seem to be much more complicated than Cao had imagined, and King Hongnong is by no means as simple as he appears."
"ah?"
Bao Xin was surprised.
He did not expect that a trip to Yuan Camp would make Cao Cao think deeply: "What happened to the Allied Forces on the Southern Front?"
Cao Cao breathed a long sigh of relief and waved his hand to signal Bao Xin to calm down: "Yuncheng, please be patient for a moment. We will find out when the news comes back."
Bao Xin understood Cao Cao's way of thinking. He would not jump to conclusions easily, let alone say something crucial without being sure.
Therefore, Bao Xin was not in a hurry and just waited quietly with Cao Cao.
It didn't take long.
Cao Ren then returned to the camp, hurriedly broke into the tent, bowed and said, "Lord."
Cao Cao frowned and asked, "Have you found out?"
"Um."
Cao Ren nodded: "The direction of the north gate is indeed guarded by all the princes, but Chen Wang Liu Chong and Yingchuan County Governor Li Min are also there. The two of them are guarding the main roads, cutting down trees and cutting off roads, and intercepting thieves and cavalry."
"As for Yuan Shu, Yuan Zhong and others, they are guarding some less important paths. Even if Lu Bu and Li Jue's soldiers and horses pass by them, it may not be that easy."
Cao Cao looked in disbelief: "That's really the case."
Cao Ren hummed: "Yes, that's exactly what happened. The late general inquired about the voices of Yuan Shu, Yuan Zhong, Xu Qiu, and King Chen in the camp. Many soldiers complained about this arrangement and thought that King Hongnong was partial."
Cao Cao asked urgently: "Has King Hongnong ever given an explanation?"
"this......"
Cao Ren pondered for a while: "Oh, King Hongnong said that there are many forked roads in the north gate and multiple forces are needed to garrison them. There are few roads in the east, west and south gates, so he can be responsible for it alone."
hiss-!
Cao Cao gasped.
What kind of bullshit reason is this? It’s too perfunctory, right?
Is it possible that King Hongnong was really wary of Yuan Shu's meritorious service?
But......
Why is this?
For a while, even Cao Cao couldn't figure it out.
It is clear that the power of the princes can be used better, but they have to be pushed out?
Can a shrewd superior person do this?
The answer is obviously no!
At least, Cao Cao asked himself, if he were King Hongnong, he would not be like this.
Now that the victory against Dong Zhuo is certain, we must use the force of autumn wind to gather the most powerful force to knock out the last bit of Dong Zhuo's energy and spirit, thus completely eliminating this big devil.
This way!
King Hongnong returned to the palace, and the world was at peace.
Immediately afterwards, he rested for several years to restore his strength.
...
But now, the route that King Hongnong is taking is far from what he imagined in his mind.
Cao Cao did not think that his own way was the most correct.
But the path taken by King Hongnong must be wrong from a strategic level.
He was delaying the opportunity to challenge Dong and delaying the steps to help the Han Dynasty.
For Cao Cao, this was unimaginable and inconsistent with logical thinking.
Even Bao Xin, the Prime Minister of Jibei, noticed the problem: "Zixiao, could you have made a mistake in your inquiry? How could King Hongnong arrange it like this?"
"I......"
Cao Ren paused for a moment and affirmed again: "I can never make a mistake. After all, all the armies are stationed at the north gate. You can know the layout at a glance. How can I make a mistake?"
Lu Bu and Li Jue's tents were all filled with cavalry.
Naturally, they knew that mountains, forests, etc. were not conducive to cavalry operations.
Therefore, in a normal sense, it is impossible for Lu Bu and Li Jue to go through the north gate.
King Hongnong sent them all to the north gate, euphemistically speaking, he was trying to prevent Lu Bu from escaping through Mang Mountain, but in fact, it was just an exclusive means.
But......
As the commander-in-chief of the southern front, King Hongnong was the biggest beneficiary of the war against Dong.
According to common sense, what we should seek is sincere unity, how can we create division on our own?
This is totally against common sense!
At this moment, Bao Xin finally understood what Cao Cao meant when he said, "The Allies on the Southern Front are not simple."
"Mengde, is this what you are referring to?"
Bao Xin's throat rolled and he said with a look of disbelief.
"Um."
Cao Cao nodded, but still frowned in thought: "King Hongnong is extremely intelligent and far from stupid. Why would he do such an unreasonable thing? Does he have any other purpose?"
This is the thought.
Cao Cao raised his eyes and looked at Cao Ren: "Does King Chen Liu Chong have any complaints about this arrangement?"
Cao Ren handed over his hand and said: "My lord has a keen eye. Chen Wang Liu Chong sends troops to patrol every day and strictly guard against it. He seems to have no complaints about this. Even Li Min, the governor of Yingchuan County, is the same."
Bao Xin naturally understood what Cao Cao meant: "Mengde, this doesn't prove anything. Maybe it's just a way for King Hongnong to quell his grievances. Even King Chen is stationed here, so what are the complaints from others?"
"No."
Cao Cao was keenly aware of the difference: "If it was at the beginning of the alliance, King Hongnong would naturally be pacifying his grievances, but now that he has gone deep into Luoyang, it is not King Chen or Li Min who can quell the grievances of the princes."
"King Chen, Li Min is willing to come here to assist in the defense without having to fight. He must have received the instruction from King Hongnong, otherwise the forces of all parties would never have made such an arrangement."
Phew~~~
Cao Cao took a deep breath and exhaled slowly: "What is hidden behind King Hongnong's move? Why should he be wary of Yuan Shu and other princes? And why should he deliberately delay the opportunity to fight against Dong?"
"this......"
Bao Xin shook his head: "Mengde, don't look at me. If you can't understand it, let alone me."
Cao Cao looked slightly embarrassed: "Yuncheng, you must not do this."
"It's just to be honest, you Cao Mengde is indeed smarter than me."
"Well......"
Cao Cao did not refute, it was not acquiescence, but he was too lazy to waste his words.
Along the way, Bao Xin said many times that he had already developed the ability to resist: "Anyway, this matter is not as simple as you and I imagined. King Hongnong would rather delay the request for Dong's war machine, but still do so to prove that he
There are more important goals."
"But!"
Bao Xin couldn't help but wonder: "What could be more important than returning to the palace and helping the Han Dynasty?"
Cao Cao also had this doubt: "Cao Cao doesn't know either."
As a deposed emperor, King Hongnong was actually able to slow down and return to the palace, regaining power.
There must be a larger goal hidden behind it.
only......
Cao Cao didn't know yet.
But the more this happened, the more suspicious Cao Cao became.
It is simply unbelievable that a child of fifteen years old can think so deeply.
Perhaps, everything he experienced in Luoyang Palace made this originally carefree prince grow into a scheming emperor in an instant!
Cao Cao asked himself.
If he experiences all this, his mentality will also change, and even his attitude and views on things will also undergo huge changes.
Unknowingly.
Night falls.
Cao Cao rushed to the Chinese army's tent as promised to attend today's meeting banquet.
All the princes came one after another and sat down separately.
Cao Cao had just sat down when Yuan Shu came up to him and approached him with a smile: "I wonder what Meng De is thinking about? If you make up your mind, we can take action tomorrow."
"this......"
Cao Cao hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "I'm sorry about the highway. Cao thought that since we have successfully joined forces, we should naturally respect King Hongnong's order and act privately. It's really inappropriate."
"Besides!"
Cao Cao emphasized: "With our troops and horses, I'm afraid it will be difficult to kill Dong Zhuo. Even if we go, we will only die. The only current plan is to follow King Hongnong's order and fight steadily, which is the best policy."
The smile on Yuan Shu's face suddenly stopped and was replaced by endless anger: "Cao Ah Man, you must not know how to flatter me. If I, Yuan Shu, take the initiative to invite you, it is to give you face. How dare you refuse?"
"snort!"
Yuan Shu snorted angrily and shouted in a low voice: "Don't underestimate King Hongnong. Although this man is young, he is insidious and cunning. We and others can't fight him. But with you acting like this, I'm afraid we can only let him slaughter you."
That’s all.”
Cao Cao remained calm: "King Hongnong is indeed young, but he is not cunning and cunning. He is wise, powerful, resourceful, and able to defeat the enemy many times. Cao thought that only by following King Hongnong can Dong Zhuo be truly annihilated."
, Kuang Fu Han Room."
"you!"
Yuan Shu was angry, and the anger in his heart couldn't help but boil.
But in the end, he still forcibly endured it and did not explode: "Didn't you find out about King Hongnong's layout at the north gate of Luoyang? In his heart, there is only King Chen, and there are no other princes like us?"
"By following King Hongnong, you are just following in our footsteps. You can only lose troops and generals, and you cannot get any credit. If you don't believe it, let's wait and see?"
Cao Cao smiled faintly: "If this is really the case, Cao will admit it."
Yuan Shu's eyes were as wide as bells, and he was so angry that he said: "You are so stupid that a rotten tree cannot wither!"
Say it.
Yuan Shu stood up, flicked his long sleeves, and returned to his seat.
However, Cao Cao smiled sternly and did not take Yuan Shu seriously at all.
Bao Xin, who was on the side, came closer and said, "Meng De, you have completely offended Yuan Shu this time. How about it? Do you regret it?"
Cao Cao didn't take it seriously, and whispered in a low voice: "Follow him to die, and I, Cao Cao, will really regret it!"
"oh?"
Bao Xin couldn't help but wonder: "Did you already make a decision?"
Cao Cao nodded: "Didn't I tell you? I was just inquiring about the situation. Yuan Shu was not familiar with military affairs. He thought he had won two battles with King Hongnong, so he felt that the Xiliang Xiaoqi was no better than this. It was really a big joke in the world.
"
Bao Xinda smiled: "If you don't go, I'm afraid others will go too."
Cao Cao raised his eyes to look at Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, thinking of the princes rushing behind him, and said suddenly: "Yuncheng, have you seen it? This is the ability of the Four Generations and Three Dukes. Even if you know you are going to die, there are still people with you."
.”
Bao Xin nodded with interest: "But Meng De, don't be envious. Sooner or later, the reputation accumulated by the Yuan family will be ruined by Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao."
Cao Cao sighed: "Yuncheng, to tell you the truth, after this incident, Cao really underestimated this brother. If he could unite sincerely and work hard to defeat Dong, why would he end up like this?"
Bao Xin nodded: "Yes, that's exactly it."
...
While the two were chatting.
Transfer King Hongnong from the inner account.
All the princes stood up one after another, bowed their hands and saluted: "See King Hongnong."
Liu Bian waved his hand to signal to everyone: "No need to be polite, just take your seats quickly. Let's celebrate the Allied forces' successful rendezvous."
Immediately.
Liu Bian raised a glass of wine and said, "Drinking was originally banned in the army, but today is of great significance. I specially ordered two jars of wine to be opened. I thought it was for the three generals to wash away the dust."
"Come!"
Liu Bian raised a glass of wine to invite him: "Everyone raises a glass of wine to congratulate the Allies on their successful rendezvous."
All the princes raised their wines to signal: "Do it!"
He raised his neck and drank until the glass was dry.
now.
The soldiers entered the tent and each presented dishes.
Cao Cao looked at the delicious dishes in front of him. He couldn't help but move his index finger and nodded in praise: "I never thought that the food in King Hongnong's army would be so delicious."
He picked up the taiko, randomly selected a dish, and put it into his mouth. His eyes suddenly suddenly opened, and a different kind of aroma instantly bloomed on the tip of his tongue, making his mouth water and his taste buds open.
"This...this is..."
Cao Cao looked in disbelief.
Not to mention during the march, even in Luoyang during the peace, I had never tasted such delicious food: "Your Highness's warm hospitality really makes me feel honored."
"Ha ha!"
Liu Bian looked up to the sky and laughed, and said softly: "The commander of Gu's Huotou Army is called Wang Yi, and he is the food supervisor of Age. When Gu escaped from Luoyang, he also escaped."
"How about it?"
Liu Bian smiled happily: "Doesn't it taste good?"
Cao Cao was surprised: "The palace food supervisor is a fire-headed soldier? No wonder it is so delicious."
"If Meng De likes it, eat more. We will fight fiercely at Sishui Pass. This banquet should be a celebration banquet."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
...
The banquet was full of joy and the atmosphere was very harmonious.
After two glasses of wine.
Yuan Shu suddenly stood up, clasped his hands and clasped his fists: "Your Highness, since Meng De, Yuncheng and Gongshan have arrived, where will Your Highness plan to arrange for them to garrison?"
Liu Bian knew very well that Yuan Shu was digging a hole for himself, but he still did not intend to change it. Instead, he said bluntly: "There are many mountain roads in the north gate, which is still a worry for the lonely king. Let them help defend at the north gate and completely cut off Lu Bu."
, Li Jue’s return journey.”
"How about it?"
Liu Bian looked at Yuan Shu with burning eyes: "Are you satisfied, General Yuan?"
Yuan Shu smiled and said: "What's the use of the general being dissatisfied? The key is whether the three of them will be satisfied. We are here to challenge Dong Zhuo. Now Dong Zhuo is on the run, and His Highness ignores him, but surrounds Luoyang with heavy troops to deal with Li
Jue and Lu Bu."
"this......"
Yuan Shu said with a strange tone: "I'm afraid it's hard to convince people, isn't it?"
Yuan Zhong then echoed: "That's right! Li Jue, although Lu Bu has thousands of elite cavalry, our army has tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. Your Highness can divide the troops to deal with it, concentrate on chasing Dong, and only send people to guard against Lu Bu.
Can."
Liu Bian did not take Yuan Shu and Yuan Zhong seriously at all: "I am the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces on the Southern Front. It is I who have the final say on how to fight this battle, not you. If you don't want to be here, you can leave."
On normal days, Yuan Shu would have been angry.
But today, he had no complaints and was even secretly happy.
Because today's performance is perfect, I believe that Liu Dai, Cao Cao and others will have a great change in King Hongnong's behavior, and may even change some people's minds, but not necessarily.
Yuan Shu bowed his head and said: "Your Highness, just tell me what you have to say, and I will take action as appropriate."