The Nanyang forces in front of Yuan Shao are indeed relatively obvious, with a total force of about 500,000, and among them, Cao Cao is naturally the most powerful.
After all, Cao Cao was among the first batch to receive the Zhongxing Sword, and he was also the Tiankui Star in the Tiangang Famous Officials List, which meant that he was His Majesty the Nanyang Emperor's number one general.
If Cao Cao can be abolished, on the surface, the number of troops reduced will be more than 100,000, but in fact, in terms of combat effectiveness, it will be at least half of the combat effectiveness.
call-
Yuan Shao frowned and thought for a long time: "Zhengnan, of course I understand what you mean. However, since Cao Cao is the powerful general of Emperor Nanyang, it may not be that easy to depose him."
How could Shen Pei not understand what Yuan Shao meant? He who can be called Tiankui naturally has the trust of His Majesty the Emperor: "But my lord, Cao Cao is the only breakthrough we can think of."
"If Cao Cao cannot be eliminated, even if we can fight against Fuhuo Leiting, we may not be able to reverse the defeat. This matter must be resolved, even if you personally take action."
Yuan Shao frowned: "Me?"
Shen Pei nodded affirmatively: "If Xu You is here, he is naturally the best, but now that Xu You has defected to the enemy and rebelled, it is only up to you, my lord, to take action personally."
"But......"
Yuan Shao still had concerns.
It's not that he is not brave enough, but that his status is rather special: "Zhengnan, if I go there in person, no matter how well prepared we are, it will be of no use."
"Lord, I am asking you to..."
Just when the judge was about to say something.
suddenly.
A long announcement sounded outside the hall:
"Report—!"
Yuan Shao raised his eyes and looked.
But then, the guard pushed open the door and came in. He bowed and cupped his hands and said, "My lord, Xu You is back."
Yuan Shao was stunned: "Xu You?"
The guard nodded: "Yes, he has something important to report."
Yuan Shao immediately realized that the matter might be different from what he imagined, and immediately waved: "Let him come in."
The guard nodded: "Here."
Immediately.
Bow and leave.
Yuan Shao pinched a strand of goatee under his chin, pondered for a moment, and asked tentatively: "Zhengnan, Xu You left and came back. What do you think about this? Is there any conspiracy in this?"
Shen Pei took a deep breath and kept thinking about the whole process and all the possibilities in his mind: "Xu You left and came back again. This matter is indeed a bit strange."
"I dare not make a conclusion at this time. It might be better to wait for him to come in, listen to his words, and then make a decision. I wonder what my lord thinks?"
Yuan Shao nodded slowly and took a deep breath: "Zhengnan, you may not believe me. Until now, I don't believe that Ziyuan would betray me. He has been following me since Luoyang."
"kindness."
The judge nodded and expressed understanding.
But in fact, he felt quite disdainful towards Yuan Shao's reaction.
How can a person in a superior position act emotionally?
Now that he has committed an act of betrayal, he must be ruthless and kill him. This is an insurmountable bottom line.
Not long after, Xu You came to the palace, his expression was extremely dull, he bowed and raised his hands: "Lord, I'm back."
Yuan Shao had a gloomy face and said coldly: "Do you still have the nerve to come back?"
Xu You said very solemnly: "My lord, do you also believe that I want to rebel? I followed you for more than ten years."
Yuan Shao was indifferent and did not say anything. After a long time, he finally said: "Then tell me what exactly you did."
Xu You had already prepared his words: "Lord, there are currently 500,000 people around us, but the most powerful person is your friend Cao Cao. He has more than 100,000 troops under his command."
"Although Cao Cao's military strength only accounts for one-third of the total military strength, his actual combat effectiveness is far stronger than that of the other troops, especially Zhang Liao of Bingzhou and Xu Rong of Qingzhou."
"The fundamental purpose of going to Cao Ying here is to drive a wedge between His Majesty the Nanyang Emperor and Cao Cao, so that Cao Cao can stay away from this war, and buy time for you, my lord."
Although Yuan Shao's expression softened slightly, he couldn't hide it from the judge beside him: "Zi Yuan, since you just wanted to drive a wedge between Emperor Nanyang and Cao Cao, why did you take away the troop deployment plan?"
“It’s easy!”
Xu You answered fluently and said solemnly: "Because Cao Cao also understands this truth. This is the last battle in the north. He will never let any accident happen to him."
"If I don't have a meeting gift that I can give, how can Cao Cao meet me? If he doesn't meet me, how can he sow a wedge between their principals and ministers?"
"This force deployment map is my key to opening the door to Cao's camp. Without it, let alone what happens next, I must get the force deployment map."
Not to mention Yuan Shao, even Shen Pei could not help but be moved by Xu You's words. He risked his own life and went to Cao Ying just to sow a wedge between their monarch and his ministers.
What's even worse is...
Xu You's move coincided with Shenpei's next plan.
Is there such a coincidence in this world?
Yuan Shao pinched a wisp of beard under his chin: "But you should know that if you take away the troop deployment plan, how much impact will it have on our next deployment?"
Xu You naturally considered this question and gave a direct answer: "My lord, do you really think that our troop deployment can be concealed from the Nanyang court?"
"People from the School Affairs Office have already spread all over Jizhou. Thinking about what happened back then, why did Huang Zhong dare to go deep alone? Isn't it because there are people from the School Affairs Office?"
"Our troop deployment is not so mysterious at all in Nanyang Hanting. Cao Cao has even made corresponding countermeasures against our deployment."
"At this time, I got the troop deployment plan in hand and personally gave it to Cao Cao. Firstly, I could force the lord to modify the troop deployment. Secondly, I could also force Nanyang to modify the troop deployment."
"My Lord, you should know that if we move, we won't hurt our muscles and bones. It's only so big anyway, but for Nanyang Hanting, it is an absolutely big move."
"Although we have suffered greatly from the exposure of this troop deployment plan, compared with the damage to Nanyang Hanting, it is not worth mentioning at all. Nanyang is the one who really suffered the consequences."
hiss-!
Yuan Shao was surprised and took a breath.
He leads the troops to fight the war himself, so he naturally understands the key.
I am nestled in Jizhou. No matter how I mobilize my troops, the room for maneuver is actually relatively small. In fact, it is not too troublesome. After all, the boat is small and easy to turn around.
but......
Nanyang Hanting gathered 500,000 soldiers and horses on the outskirts of Jizhou, which was truly a behemoth.
If it temporarily changes its strategic deployment, it will definitely be very troublesome, including the transportation routes of grain and grass, and even the storage points of grain and grass, all need to be modified, which is definitely a great contribution.
The most important thing is that spring is about to begin and the war is about to start. If such a move is carried out now, the blow to Nanyang Hanting will be undoubtedly very big.
Shen Pei frowned and said tentatively: "Actually, if you want to mobilize troops and horses, there is no need to do so. You can just let the lord give the order and mobilize troops directly."
"this......"
Before the trial, Wei County was basically stationed there, but it was only due to the reduction of troops that it came back.
Because of this, he is still not very clear about the conflicts between the parties, especially the conflicts after Ju Shou and Tian Feng left.
Xu You frowned, his eyes passed over the judge, and finally fell on Yuan Shao: "If I could mobilize the army, I would have done so long ago. Unfortunately, the command power is in Gongze's hands for the time being."
"Then you can talk to Gongze..."
Before he finished speaking, Shen Pei understood something and immediately closed his mouth.
"Uh... that..."
Yuan Shao was naturally aware of his decision. He might have trusted Guo Tu too much and ignored Xu You: "In the future, you can take the initiative to come to me about mobilizing troops. If it is reasonable, I will naturally agree."
Xu You nodded and said, "I understand."
Yuan Shao secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Now that everything has been clarified, it's okay. Sit back, Ziyuan, and let's listen to Zhengnan's next countermeasures together."
"oh?"
Xu You was stunned for a moment and turned to look at Shen Pei: "Did Zhengnan already have a plan to defeat the enemy?"
The judge smiled lightly and said softly: "There is no plan to defeat the enemy. It's just some ideas. Overall, we are still at an absolute disadvantage."
Xu You nodded slowly and said seriously: "So that's it. I thought Zhengnan had a plan to defeat the enemy. If that was really the case, why did I take such risks in the first place?"
"How come."
Shen Pei turned around and gave Xu You a faint smile: "Actually, my first step is to hope that Ziyuan can come forward to drive a wedge between Emperor Nanyang and Cao Cao. Looking at it now, Ziyuan thought
I was in front and did a great job.”
Xu You hurriedly handed over his hand and said humbly: "Where! I just thought of this. I have no better way. I hope Zhengnan can give me some advice."
The judge nodded: "I don't dare to take it seriously."
Yuan Shao gradually regained his confidence and immediately greeted: "Here comes someone."
Squeak—!
A soldier came in from outside, bowed and held his hands in his hands: "My lord, what are your orders?"
Yuan Shao did not hesitate and made a decisive decision: "Go and summon Gongze immediately. He must be present for this matter."
The soldier raised his hands and said, "Here."
Immediately.
Bow and leave.
Yuan Shao let out a long sigh and said softly: "Let's wait for a while and try to work out a solution."
The two of them also understood Guo Tu's status, nodded and said, "Here."
About a quarter of an hour later, a long announcement sounded outside the hall.
Guo Tu pushed the door open and was stunned for a moment.
He didn't seem to have expected that Xu You would actually appear in front of Yuan Shao, but even so, Guo Tu was still stunned for a moment, then recovered as before, stepped forward quickly, bowed and held his hand:
"Lord."
"kindness."
Yuan Shao waved his hand and motioned for Guo Tu to sit aside.
Guo Tu stood up and said loudly: "My lord, the latest situation is that Cao Cao of Yanzhou has mobilized his troops, and Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan have all adjusted their positions."
"oh?"
Yuan Shao was surprised: "You really changed your defense?"
Guo Tu nodded: "Yes, it is true."
"Ha ha."
Guo Tu originally thought that Yuan Shao would scold Xu You angrily and even order Xu You to be dragged out and beheaded.
but......
He couldn't believe that Yuan Shao would actually look up to the sky and laugh wildly, with a faint smile in his eyes: "I didn't expect that Cao Cao actually changed his defense. Ziyuan, you have done a great job."
Damn it!
this......
Guo Tu's heart suddenly galloped with thousands of horses galloping.
What's going on?
Is it possible that Cao Cao's defense change was due to Xu You?
What happened in this, and how could Yuan Shao's mood change so quickly.
However, before Guo Tu could understand the cause of the matter, Xu You nodded and said softly: "Lord, this is just the beginning. I believe there will be more things that will happen next."
"kindness."
Yuan Shaoshen nodded in agreement and pinched a wisp of beard under his chin: "Cao Cao sending people to change defenses is nothing. The most important thing is to be able to temporarily limit Emperor Nanyang's power."
"Public principles."
Yuan Shao turned his head and glanced at Guo Tu, who was stunned: "Come, sit down, and let's discuss what we should do next. Your questions will naturally be resolved later. In short, Ziyuan did not betray."
Guo Tu was completely stunned, frozen in place like thunder and lightning.
Make knitting!
They stole the troops and defense plans, but they still said there was no betrayal?
Was Yuan Shao's brain damaged by a donkey's kick? Or was he missing a string and turning a corner?
Can you believe this?
*****
Nanyang, Wancheng.
Emperor's palace.
Hall of Wende.
Liu Bian frowned and stared down at Yang Biao.
As a prince of the imperial court, Yang Biao is indeed a possibility, and he is completely a mascot.
However, as time went by, Liu Bian's trust in Yang Biao gradually increased.
Isn't that right? Liu Bian has already handed over some matters to Yang Biao.
At this moment, Yang Biao in the palace was leaning forward and reported to the emperor loudly: "Your Majesty, some of our merchant ships are undergoing final installation. According to the plan, they will be fully assembled in three days."
At the beginning, Liu Bian built a large number of merchant ships in order to hide the strength of Nanyang Navy, but in fact, they were all built according to battleship standards, but they were just missing some parts.
Now, since Sun Jian has decided to hunt with Cai Mao in the Han River, it is the time when these things come out of the mountains. Yang Biao takes charge of this matter, starting from the simplest things.
"Don't worry."
Liu Bian waved his hand, interrupted Yang Biao, and said softly: "I can't delay it for ten days."
"ah?"
Yang Biao was stunned for a moment.
He originally thought that his movements were relatively slow, but he never thought that His Majesty the Emperor would let him continue to delay.
Yang Biao's throat rolled, he swallowed, and finally asked in confusion: "Your Majesty, are you sure you want to delay?"
Liu Bian turned to glance at Yang Biao: "What, do you have any questions?"
"Ah, this..."
Yang Biao finally nodded: "To be honest, I do have some doubts. Now that the war is imminent, we should have installed the battleship as quickly as possible and then sent it to Fancheng."
"But Your Majesty, you are stalling for time. Isn't it clear that you are giving the Jingxiang Navy enough time to prepare? If they transfer all the Jingnan Navy, their strength will probably far exceed ours."
"Your Majesty, if you do this, I am really..."
At this point, Yang Biao's voice stopped suddenly. He suddenly realized something and asked tentatively: "Is your Majesty just waiting for the Jingxiang navy to gather and catch them all in one fell swoop?"
The corners of Liu Bian's lips raised slightly, and he broke out into a faint smile: "As expected of a prince of the imperial court, he reacted so quickly. I just want to wait for them to complete their assembly and annihilate them in one fell swoop."
"but......"
When the conversation changed, Liu Bian let out a sigh of relief: "Whether it can be realized is another matter."
According to the calculations of the Military Advisor Alliance, the success rate of this strategy is only a pitiful 52.3%, which does not meet the standards of the Military Advisor Alliance experts at all. Therefore, whether it can be realized depends entirely on the strength of the opponent.
Yang Biao nodded affirmatively, leaned over and cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty is wise and powerful, this plan will definitely work."
Liu Bian waved his hand and said: "Don't rush to conclusions yet. Just follow what I said and delay it for ten days. If the assembly is not completed after ten days, then send the warships to Fancheng."
Yang Biao nodded and responded loudly: "Here."
Immediately.
Bowed and left the hall.
Looking at Yang Biao's leaving figure, Liu Bian let out a long sigh and said in his heart: "Poor Yang Biao, he is obviously a loyal minister, but he has been forced to hide it for so long."
"Well, it is indeed a pity."
The voice of the Military Advisor Alliance followed: "But it doesn't matter. According to our current retirement system, he can still work for another five years. Make good use of these five years and strive to make him brilliant again."
That's right.
Yang Biao is now fifty years old. Although his body is still strong, his experience is limited after all, and his thinking has gradually solidified and cannot keep up with the current situation.
This is the reason why Liu Bian has never reused Yang Biao. He is too old and is not worth training compared to others such as Xun or Guo Jia. Otherwise, he will be retired as soon as he can be used.
Although Liu Bian intended to use him, he still sighed after all: "We can give him a chance, but whether he can seize it is another matter."
"I would rather use Yang Xiu and focus on cultivating Yang Xiu than waste too much time on Yang Biao, but unfortunately, Yang Xiu's character still has some flaws after all."
The Military Advisor Alliance said softly: "If you hang out with Kong Rong and Mi Heng, can you avoid being led astray? It's normal."
Liu Bian thought about it and nodded: "That's right, the Three Musketeers are trolls. Yang Biao doesn't care about this guy. This dad is a little unqualified. If the son doesn't teach, it's the father's fault."
The Military Advisor Alliance smiled: "It's not that Yang Biao doesn't care, he just can't control it. Guo Jia wrote it several times in the intelligence report. Maybe Bian didn't pay too much attention, but experts have dedicated people to track it."
Liu Bian shrugged slightly awkwardly: "That's it."
Military Advisor Alliance: "..."
"..."
While the Military Advisor Alliance was communicating with Liu Bian.
suddenly.
A long announcement sounded outside the hall:
"Report—!"
Liu Bian turned around and looked.
But then, Zhu Tong pushed the door open and walked in. He bowed and raised his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Guo Jia and Jia Xu of the school affairs office would like to see you."
Liu Bian frowned and couldn't help being shocked: "Oh? They both came over at the same time?"
Zhu Tong nodded: "Yes, we are waiting outside the palace."
"There must be something urgent."
Liu Bian made a quick decision and waved his hand: "Let them come in."
Zhu Tong cupped his hands: "Here."
Say it.
He bowed and left the hall backwards.
Not long after, Guo Jia and Jia Xu arrived at the Wende Hall, stepped forward, bowed and raised their hands: "Your Majesty, Guo Jia (Jia Xu), is here to see you."
Liu Bian waved his hand and motioned for the two of them to take a seat. He didn't bother to talk any more and asked directly: "What, is there something unexpected happening? It's worth coming together for the two of you."
"Indeed there is."
Guo Jia bowed his head and said softly: "Xu You, the counselor under Yuan Shao's tent, has prepared a defense plan with troops and plans to surrender to Cao Cao."
Liu Bian was surprised and his eyes suddenly brightened: "Oh? Isn't this a good thing? Cao Cao and Xu You have an old relationship. I know this very well."
However, there was still no surprise on Guo Jia's face, but instead there was a trace of sadness: "Your Majesty, Cao Cao did not agree, and Yuan Shao is also deploying troops and generals, not according to the original deployment of troops."
hiss-!
Liu Bian took a breath, frowned and said: "If Yuan Shao's military strength is adjusted, it will inevitably disrupt our subsequent strategic deployment. This is indeed not good news."
"That's right."
Guo Jia continued: "It is true! Of course, this is not the most terrible thing. The most terrible thing is that Cao Cao himself handed over a plan, and he asked Xu You to go undercover to Yuan Shao's side again."
"ah?"
Even Liu Bian himself couldn't help but be stunned: "Is this happening?"
On the side, Jia Xu presented the letter with both hands: "Your Majesty, please take a look."
Liu Bian took the letter and started browsing it.
As expected.
Cao Cao did submit a battle plan and hoped that the other generals could cooperate with him.
At this moment, netizens in the live broadcast room immediately became excited:
"Damn it! This guy Lao Cao actually dares to change the leader's rhythm."
"Cao Cao's ambition is indeed quite ambitious. He actually wants all the generals to cooperate with him."
"As expected of Lao Cao, haha, I like his character."
"Let Xu You go back undercover again. Only he can think of such a plan."
"Is Lao Cao going to have a peak showdown with Yuan Shao?"
"What a shit show, I completely crushed you!"
"..."
Just as netizens in the live broadcast room were chattering, the voice of the Military Advisor Alliance sounded: "Xu You's sudden appearance has indeed disrupted our original plan. Cao Cao's response method cannot be said to be too arrogant, it should be reasonable.
"
Liu Bian frowned and asked tentatively: "Is it reasonable? This guy actually wants so many generals to cooperate with him. Isn't it arrogant enough? Many people are thinking about Yuan Shao's head."
How could the Military Advisor Alliance not know this? There is a competitive relationship among the generals and commanders. Everyone is holding back their energy and wants to hold Yuan Shao's head in their hands.
"kindness."
The Military Advisor Alliance simply responded and explained: "Everyone is indeed competing. Xu Rong even wants to use the power of the imperial court to mobilize Gongsun Du in Liaodong."
"Cao Cao only confirmed his leadership position by doing this. At present, we have no better way. Experts agree that Cao Cao's method is feasible. We should destroy Yuan Shao first."
Liu Bian naturally knew that he could not go back: "We must cooperate with Cao Cao, but if we remain silent like this, I'm afraid it will be difficult for the generals to explain."
"Simple!"
The Alliance of Military Advisors said casually: "Giving some punishment, signaling, and silencing the generals, such as demotion, fines, etc., are all good methods, and they should be heavier."