Chapter 247 Cao Mou's ambition in his life, desire to be named a marquis as a general to conquer the west!
"Xu Xuan!"
Yuan Shu gritted his teeth and spit out two words, the raging anger in his eyes seemed to be about to burst out: "He rebelled after all and actually surrendered to King Hongnong."
"Damn it!"
Yuan Shu chewed it secretly and became furious: "I, Yuan Shu, am the governor of Yuzhou, but there are only six counties in Yuzhou, and three of them are controlled by King Hongnong. It is simply unreasonable."
"Lord, don't be anxious."
Yan Xiang bowed his head and said softly: "Now that the world situation has changed, Yingchuan, as the hub between Heluo and Nanyang, will definitely become the key to the confrontation between Dong Zhuo and King Hongnong."
"If my subordinate's guess is correct..."
Speaking of this, Yan Xiang pinched a strand of beard under his chin and said with great interest: "The Lord will become the ultimate beneficiary. Soon, the edict from the Han Court in Chang'an will be issued, and the post of Yuzhou Shepherd will definitely belong to the Lord."
"oh?"
Yuan Shu frowned and glanced at Yan Xiang: "Is this really so?"
Yan Xiang nodded and said with great certainty: "Of course, Dong Zhuo's real purpose is to let the lord use all his strength to attack Yingchuan of King Hongnong, and even the Chen Kingdom of King Chen Liu Chong."
"But for us, we have a reasonable reason to really kill Li Min and King Chen. As for Xu Xuan, since he has given up Runan, we can't let him go."
"snort!"
Yuan Shu snorted softly and said confidently: "It is indeed a wise move for Xu Xuan to give up Runan. Otherwise, the first person I, Yuan Shu, would have to deal with would be this traitor who is trying to get in and out."
"My lord, don't be upset."
Yan Xiang was extremely depressed, and smiled indifferently: "Actually, this is better. We can free up our hands to prepare for the next offensive against Yingchuan. As soon as the imperial edict is issued, we will launch the attack immediately."
"What about King Chen?"
Yuan Shu's eyes gleamed fiercely, and he was furious: "I wish I could eat his flesh alive, drink his blood, cut him into eight pieces, expose his body in the wilderness, and let the wolves eat it, so that I can vent the hatred in my heart."
During the campaign against Dong, King Chen Liu Chong, as the most loyal supporter of King Hongnong, did not embarrass Yuan Shu less, and even took the initiative to ridicule him, causing him to lose all face.
Yuan Shu hated Chen Wang Liu Chong more than Li Min, the governor of Yingchuan County, and Xu Qiu, the governor of Runan County.
Yan Xiang naturally knew this, but he was much calmer than Yuan Shu.
"Lord, don't worry."
Yan Xiang smiled coquettishly, as if he didn't take Chen Wang Liu Chong seriously at all: "Although Chen Wang Liu Chong is the strongest, in someone's eyes, he is far less difficult to deal with than Li Min."
"oh?"
Yuan Shu was surprised when he heard this and asked tentatively: "Could it be that... Zixiang has a way to kill him?"
Yan Xiang nodded affirmatively: "Of course."
Yuan Shu raised his hand and said, "I would like to hear the details."
"It's very simple."
Yan Xiang took a deep breath and explained: "The biggest flaw of King Chen Liu Chong is that he relies on his bravery and has an arrogant personality. The bodyguards around him are only a few dozen people, not even a fraction of King Hongnong's personal bodyguards."
"The most effective way to deal with such an arrogant person is assassination. Why use weapons when you can send assassins to solve the problem?"
Yuan Shu's eyes lit up and he was convinced: "That's right! Liu Chong does rely on himself to be brave, especially his archery skills. In comparison, his personal guards are much inferior."
"kindness!"
Yuan Shu nodded and ordered: "Zixiang, I will leave this matter to you."
Yan Xiang said graciously: "Lord, don't worry."
"As for Yingchuan?"
Yuan Shu's crooked mind turned back to Yingchuan again: "Zixiang, since we are going to use weapons sooner or later, why can't we do it in advance? As long as we can capture Yingchuan, all the talents here will be in my hands, Yuan Shu."
"Lord."
Yan Xiang bowed his head and quickly dissuaded him: "The imperial edict has not been issued yet, and King Hongnong has not yet returned to the palace. If we start now, it will easily arouse King Hongnong's fear. If he sends troops, it will not be good."
.”
"My subordinates thought..."
Yan Xiang has a conservative attitude towards this: "We should be more patient."
Yuan Shu naturally understood what Yan Xiang meant: "Zixiang, how can I not understand what you said? But if we wait until King Hongnong ascends the throne and proclaims himself emperor, we will take action again. I'm afraid Yingchuan will have turned into a piece of iron."
.”
"I mean..."
Yuan Shu showed a strange smile: "Can we do something in advance without being discovered by King Hongnong? When we need to take action later, we will be able to hit it with one blow, so that King Hongnong will not have time to rush to help?"
"this......"
Yan Xiang's eyes suddenly brightened and he nodded slowly: "That's a good idea."
Yuan Shu said proudly: "How about it? Is there any way?"
Yan Xiang frowned and waved his hand to interrupt: "Don't be impatient, my lord, let me think about it."
"kindness."
Yuan Shu nodded: "If you think about it, I won't disturb you anymore."
Immediately.
Yuan Shu remained silent.
After pondering for a long time, a flash of inspiration flashed in Yan Xiang's mind: "We have a plan."
Yuan Shu was overjoyed and asked urgently: "Zixiang, what's the plan?"
Yan Xiang said softly: "My lord, don't forget, you are the governor of Yuzhou, let alone Yingchuan. The entire Yuzhou is under your supervision. We can send people to station in some key areas to exercise the power of supervision."
"yes!"
Yuan Shu's eyes suddenly brightened, and he suddenly realized: "It's so simple, why didn't I think of it?"
Yan Xiang's thinking was completely opened up: "There are two main supply routes for grain and grass in the direction of Heluo. One is through Duyang, Yexian, Luyang, Guangcheng, and Dagu, and then enters Luoyang and Luoyang; the second is from the waterway.
Take the Shenyuan Pass and enter Luoyang."
"The lord can choose some cities, send people to station them across the board, wait for the situation to change, and then cooperate with the army to conquer the counties of Yingchuan in one fell swoop, thus completely occupying Yingchuan."
Following the ideas provided by Yan Xiang, Yuan Shu continued to delve deeper: "Ye County is related to the supply of grain and grass from the direction of Nanyang, and Yingyang is related to the supply of grain and grass from the direction of the Yingchuan Waterway. If we can send people to settle in, the effect will be great."
"Lord."
Yan Xiang hurriedly tried to dissuade him and said: "King Hongnong is by no means an easy person. If we go straight to these two counties, it will definitely arouse King Hongnong's fear. I would like to suggest that we start from the neighboring counties and slowly move to these two counties.
It’s so eye-catching.”
"kindness."
Yuan Shu nodded with deep understanding: "What Zi Xiang said makes sense, so it should be! How about... starting from Wuyang and Lin County? These two counties are the closest to Runan. Let's find out the situation first."
"Can."
Yan Xiang nodded.
"good."
Yuan Shu was overjoyed and waved his hand: "Send the order and march urgently into Yingchuan."
The messenger cupped his hands: "Here."
Immediately.
The messenger reined in his horse, turned around, and shouted to the slow-moving team:
"My lord has an order to march urgently into Yingchuan."
"My lord has an order..."
"..."
In an instant.
The team changed from a slow walking state to a trot and a galloping state.
A few days later.
Jiaxian County.
The hometown of the seeker Zhang Liang.
The terrain of this county is saddle-shaped, with the southeast and northwest high and the central low.
The southeastern part is the remnants of Waifang Mountain, with continuous low mountains;
The northwest is a mountainous area with undulating peaks;
The central part is the Beiru River alluvial plain, which is fertile and open.
Marching southward from Daguguan along Ru River, you will definitely pass by this county.
Cao Cao led his troops to set up defenses here in advance, waiting for Yuan Shu.
Cao Jun's camp.
Central army, big tent.
At this moment, Cao Cao was lying on the eucalyptus, carefully observing the map.
Cao Ren opened the curtain and walked in, stepped forward quickly, cupped his hands and clasped his fists: "Captain, the troops have sent back the news and they are all in place."
Cao Cao nodded: "Very good! How far is Yuan Shu from here?"
Cao Ren replied: "Less than five miles."
call-
Cao Cao let out a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, we caught up."
Cao Ren handed over his hand and said in confusion: "Captain, since we have tied up our pockets, why don't we destroy them directly? Do we have to use this method to see Yuan Shu off?"
"Zi Xiao."
Cao Cao raised his eyes and smiled sadly: "King Hongnong started from the overall situation, unlike you, who only focused on this battle. Before the situation was clarified, Yuan Shu was at least the rear general of the imperial court. How could he
Do it easily."
"But......"
Cao Ren said worriedly: "Wouldn't this put you, Captain, in danger? It's too unsafe!"
Cao Cao smiled and said: "You don't have to worry about this. We don't dare to take action easily. How can Yuan Shu dare to take action easily and take my life, Cao Cao's, in exchange for his Yuan Shu's?"
"snort!"
With a slight snort, Cao Cao slowly shook his head: "Yuan Shu prides himself very much and has always looked down on me, Cao Cao. There is no way he would engage in such a loss-making business. Don't worry."
"What's more!"
Cao Cao patted Cao Ren on the shoulder: "Aren't you still by my side?"
Cao Ren looked carefree and said with a hint of embarrassment: "In the end, the general will be self-aware, I'm afraid it will be difficult to protect him fully."
"Oh, that's enough."
Cao Cao waved his hand and interrupted Cao Ren: "Be more confident. You are just dealing with Yuan Shu. Don't act like you are facing a formidable enemy. You haven't broken your skin yet. Once you do, it won't be too late for you to worry."
"Report—!"
At this moment, a long announcement sounded outside the tent.
Cao Cao turned around and looked.
But I saw a soldier hurriedly enter the account, leaned forward and said, "Captain, Yuan Shu's troops are less than three miles away, with a strength of about 7,000. The vanguard general is Ji Ling."
"good!"
Cao Cao waved his hand: "I understand, please step back."
The soldier raised his hands and said, "Here."
"Zi Xiao."
"exist."
"Assemble the team and go meet Yuan Shu."
"Here."
Cao Cao, donning his armor and carrying his sword, left the camp and mounted his horse.
It didn't take long.
Cao Ren gathered his army and marched out.
On the official road, Yuan Shu arrived.
About a quarter of an hour passed.
A long and winding team came slowly.
Yuan Shu was riding his horse slowly while chatting with Yan Xiang.
Suddenly, a horse came from the front. He cupped his hands and said, "My lord, not far ahead, Cao Cao, the cavalry captain, has led his troops into formation. There are about 500 troops. General Ji Ling asked for permission, do you want to go to battle?"
"Cao Cao?"
Yuan Shu frowned, with a look of disbelief on his face: "Isn't he in Luoyang? Why is he here?"
Yan Xiang shook his head: "I don't know."
"or......"
Yuan Shu said tentatively: "Order Ji Ling to take action and kill Cao Cao? This kid actually dared to refuse me and even refused to lend me his horse. It is simply unreasonable."
Yan Xiang waved his hand and interrupted: "No! Cao Cao is now King Hongnong's man. If we take action, wouldn't we offend King Hongnong? If he leads troops to kill us, we will definitely die."
"That's true."
Yuan Shu frowned and thought for a moment, nodded slowly, waved his hand and said, "Let's go and have a look. What is this guy doing here?"
Yan Xiang felt uneasy: "My lord, maybe Cao Cao was sent by King Hongnong. He deliberately lured me with a small number of soldiers and horses, hoping that you would take action, and then use this as an excuse to attack my lord."
"
"oh?"
Yuan Shu was confused: "You mean...Cao Cao is King Hongnong's bait?"
Yan Xiang nodded: "It's very possible! So, my lord, no matter how Cao Cao tries to stimulate you later, remember not to get angry. It's not the time to fall out with King Hongnong yet."
Yuan Shu naturally knew this: "Don't worry, I know it well!"
Yan Xiang was relieved: "This is very good."
"Let's go and meet Cao Cao."
"Here."
"Herald Ji Ling."
Yuan Shu ordered the messenger: "March as normal. I want to meet Cao Cao in person."
The messenger cupped his hands: "Here."
Immediately.
Turn around and head straight ahead.
Not long after.
The two teams meet.
A hundred steps away, Cao Cao raised his eyes and stared.
But see...
The two horses rode forward.
The first person is Yuan Shu.
There was a person behind him, wearing a Confucian scholar's robe and a Confucian scholar's crown. Although Cao Cao did not know his last name, it was obvious that this person was a counselor under Yuan Shu's command.
original.
Cao Cao could not guarantee that Yuan Shu would not take action.
But now, with such a counselor around, Yuan Shu would not dare to act rashly.
After all, based on Cao Cao's understanding of Yuan Shu, it was clear that Yuan Shu could not have come up with the strategy of going west to attack Dong, so naturally there were people who could advise him.
today.
Finally got to see his true face.
Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief. The two of them would be rivals in the future. Naturally, they had to test it out, try their best to understand their opponents, truly know themselves and the enemy, and pave the way for future wars.
"Ha ha!"
Cao Cao looked up to the sky and let out a haha, turned over and dismounted, and walked up to meet him quickly: "Brother Gu, you made Cao Cao have a hard time waiting. I have been camping here for three days, why did you just come?"
"you......"
Yuan Shu was surprised, with a look of disbelief on his face: "You have been waiting here for me?"
Cao Cao nodded: "Of course! Otherwise, what would I be doing here?"
hiss-!
Yuan Shu frowned and glanced at Yan Xiang, as if to say: "You guessed it right, there is indeed something wrong with this kid."
Yan Xiang also frowned and shook his head slowly, reminding Yuan Shu not to act rashly, as this might be a trap.
Although the eye contact between the two was subtle, it was impossible to escape Cao Cao's eyes.
Seeing this, Cao Cao felt more at ease and could boldly test.
"highway!"
"highway?"
Cao Cao reached out and waved his hand in front of Yuan Shu: "What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell? There are military doctors in our army, do you want me to take a look at you?"
Yuan Shu quickly refused: "It's okay, don't bother Meng De! I just don't know, what is Meng De doing with me, Yuan Shu, here?"
"Harmful!"
Cao Cao seemed very casual and did not treat Yuan Shu as an outsider at all: "You left without saying goodbye. Although it was rude, how could King Hongnong not understand etiquette? He sent me to see you off. No matter what the process is, you are still a member of the board of directors."
Cao Cao was worthy of being Cao Cao. He calmly scolded Yuan Shu for being a person who did not understand etiquette. For Yuan Shu, who was born in the fourth generation and the third prince, this was no different from humiliation.
But......
But he couldn't refute.
After all, he really left without saying goodbye.
Yuan Shu suppressed his anger and glared at Cao Cao: "Since I have sent him away, you can go back. I have to rush back to Yuzhou, so I won't accompany you."
"highway!"
Cao Cao interrupted directly and said righteously: "It's not that Cao is unwilling to go back, but His Highness has strictly ordered that Cao must personally send you back to Yuzhou. Even if you are sent to Lin County, it will not be considered as completing the mission."
"ah?"
Yuan Shu was shocked, and the muscles at the corners of his lips kept twitching: "Sent to Runan from here?"
Cao Cao nodded without hesitation: "Yes! Isn't it surprising that King Hongnong pays so much attention to you? You must know that when Benchu left Luoyang, King Hongnong didn't pay any attention to you."
"To you alone!"
Cao Cao was amazed and looked at Yuan Shu carefully: "That is really... extraordinary!"
Yuan Shu felt a cool air rush into his body from the back of his spine, and the hairs all over his body suddenly stood up.
This is not for practice, it is clearly for "sending off"!
Gulu!
Yuan Shu's throat rolled, and he asked subconsciously: "How many troops and horses did you bring?"
Cao Cao smiled faintly and opened his mouth: "Oh, I forgot to tell you. King Hongnong ordered me to be the captain of Yingchuan and control all the troops under Li Min, the governor of Yingchuan. Now I have almost more than ten thousand people.
"
"kindness."
Cao Cao nodded slowly and said with great interest: "We haven't had time to reorganize it yet, but it must be more than 10,000 people."
Yuan Shu gasped in shock, his eyes almost bursting out: "Ten thousand horses?"
Cao Cao smiled, patted his chest and said, "How is it, brother, am I doing well now?"
"this......"
Just as Yuan Shu opened his mouth, Yan Xiang, the counselor beside him, was afraid that Cao Cao would lead him away, so he interrupted: "Captain Cao has gone from being a high-ranking official with two thousand stones to being the captain of a county, and he actually has the nerve to say that he has lived a good life."
good?"
"Who is this?"
Cao Cao glanced at Yuan Shu and asked tentatively.
Yuan Shu exhaled: "His name is Yan Xiang, and he is the commander-in-chief of our army."
"It turns out to be Yan Changshi."
Cao Cao quickly bowed his head and said respectfully: "Cao is disrespectful!"
"but......"
When the conversation changed, Cao Cao smiled: "Yan Changshi is a little short-sighted. King Hongnong is an orthodox member of the Han Dynasty. He will return to the palace in a short time. I, Cao Cao, will be promoted by then."
"Although the position of captain is not good enough now, the future is limitless. Maybe it won't be long before we can become generals in all directions and open offices and offices."
Such words cannot be said to be unsharp.
Cao Cao opened his mouth and scolded Yan Xiang for being short-sighted, and eventually compared himself to Yuan Shu.
Just a few words made them both sick, which shows the power of language.
"snort!"
Yuan Shu was indeed furious. He looked Cao Cao up and down and became angry.
But......
Before Yuan Shu could open his mouth, he was directly interrupted by Yan Xiang: "Whether I am short-sighted or not, I don't care for the moment, but by the time you are promoted to General of the Four Directions, maybe my lord will have become a general."
Say it.
Yan Xiang winked at Yuan Shu, telling him not to get angry or fall into a trap: "My lord, can you forgive me?"
Yuan Shu forced down the anger in his heart: "Well, that's right, of course."
Hey?
It's kind of interesting.
Cao Cao really didn't expect that a person like Yuan Shu could actually suppress his anger. It seemed that Yuan Shu valued this person quite highly and could accept his opinions with an open mind.
This is not good news for Cao Cao.
It's obvious.
The counselor in front of him is calm, cautious and not so easy to deal with.
If he assists Zuo Yuan Shu, a fierce battle with him in the future will double the difficulty.
"That's true."
Cao Cao nodded with great interest: "The Yuan family has four generations and three princes, and disciples and former officials all over the world. Whether it is the new dynasty or the old dynasty, there must be a place for you."
"I don't know the road..."
Immediately.
Cao Cao turned to glance at Yuan Shu and asked softly: "Which court will you serve in the future? Do you and I still have a chance to work together?"
Such a sharp question is simply forcing Yuan Shu to express his position.
How could Yan Xiang let Cao Cao succeed? He quickly interrupted: "According to Captain Cao, you have decided to become an official in Nanyang Hanting, and are you determined to abandon Chang'an Hanting?"
"oh?"
Cao Cao took advantage of the situation and counterattacked, asking a soul-level question: "Is it possible that Yan Changshi thinks that King Chenliu, who was supported by Dong Zhuo after he deposed the emperor and killed him, is really a legitimate Han Dynasty court?"
Why did you attack Dong Zhuo in the first place?
Isn't it because Dong Zhuo supported the puppet Liu Xie to proclaim himself emperor after he deposed the emperor and killed him? Isn't it illegal?
Now, do you want to recognize the legitimacy of Chang'an Hanting?
Isn't this contradictory?
"We never admitted it."
Yan Xiang denied without hesitation, a trace of anger flashed in his brows: "Captain Cao is very arrogant. Being a captain is really a waste of talent. You should be a censor."
Cao Cao laughed it off and said: "To be honest, Cao's lifelong ambition was to defeat thieves for the Han Dynasty and to make meritorious service. He hoped to be named a marquis as a general who conquered the west. Then he inscribed his tomb and said, 'The tomb of Cao Hou, the former general of the Han Dynasty who conquered the west'. That would be enough for his life."
"Cao cannot be the censor."
Cao Cao waved his hand and said with a cheeky expression: "Your Excellency is more suitable than Cao."
Yan Xiang was angry: "You...you...you are so shameless!"
"What, are you angry?"
Although Cao Cao looked shameless on the surface, he had already understood Yan Xiang in his heart.
Although this person is somewhat cautious and knows some strategies, he seems to have some flaws in his character. He couldn't resist his own teasing, which proves that his ability is slightly lacking.
A true wise man can ensure a clear mind, accurate judgment, full patience, and unwavering determination at any time.
Cao Cao quickly raised his hand to Yuan Shu and said, "Gao Dao, I'm really sorry. It was Cao who was rude. I hope you can forgive me."
Yuan Shu waved his hand: "You have been like this since you were a child. When will you change your ways? If so, can you be a good captain of Yingchuan?"
Cao Cao nodded: "The lesson from the road is that Cao will definitely change in the future. Let's hit the road. I have prepared a banquet in Xiangcheng. How about we spend the night in Xiangcheng tonight?"
call-
Yuan Shu sighed, waved his hands and said, "Let's go."
Cao Cao waved his hand: "Son of filial piety, lead the way."
Cao Ren responded: "Here."
The three of them got on their horses and chatted while walking.
"To be honest, King Hongnong is really kind to you."
"hehe."
"..."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
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