Chapter 567 The Difference Between Buying Grain and Borrowing Grain
My lord, Tian Zong, is as brave as he was in the past, but Cao Cao's generals are just average, not Han and Bai. If they were to fight on the battlefield, they would definitely not be my lord's match."
Guo Jia said solemnly: "However, this man has a persevering nature, and is a capable and indomitable hero. He wants to defeat him easily, but he wants to destroy him with difficulty. This is why my lord obviously attaches great importance to Cao Cao, but he has never used weapons without permission.
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"Rather than act rashly, it is better to make a decision before taking action. If you want to take action, you should complete your work in one battle!"
Wang Zheng glanced at Guo Jia appreciatively and nodded slightly: "Those who know me should be filial!"
His eyes turned to Mi Heng aside and asked: "Lu Su judged that Yuan Shao will be the final winner of the northern princes. Feng Xiao believed that it is still unclear who will kill Cao and Yuan Lu. Zhengping, in your opinion, who will have the last laugh?"
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Today, Mi Heng seemed particularly low-key and had never participated in the discussions among the ministers. When Wang Zheng asked about it, he just handed it over and stepped out, and then said categorically: "Cao Cao will definitely lose to Yuan Shao!"
What?
Is Mi Heng so unfavorable to Cao Cao?
Wang Zheng laughed dumbly and said: "Why did Zhengping say this? Speaking of Yuan Shao and you, you still have a deep hatred. Logically speaking, shouldn't you hope that Cao Cao will defeat Yuan Shao?"
"I naturally hope that the Yuan thieves will be defeated as soon as possible, but Cao Cao obviously does not have the ability, let alone the luck."
Wang Zheng became more and more curious: "How to say?"
"Guo Jijiu just said that my lord Tianzong is so heroic that he can match the bravery of an overlord, and I deeply agree," Mi Heng said calmly: "However, such a general, such a hero, who has served under Cao Cao for several years, is not used for him.
.Isn’t it extremely ridiculous?”
"It can be seen from this that Cao Mengde has no knowledge of people and no energy to count destiny. How can he be better than Yuan Shao?"
"Hahaha"
Wang Zheng looked up to the sky and smiled. Although Mi Heng's words were flattering, they were not unreasonable.
Cao Cao, or the Cao Wei regime, was naturally the real protagonist in the late Eastern Han Dynasty in its original history, and he was destined to do so.
But after his own time travel, history has changed beyond recognition, so it is naturally unknown whether this future ending will still happen. It is not unreasonable to say that Cao Cao has lost the energy and destiny he should have had.
And with the sudden rise of Wang Zheng, the tide has risen, which has indeed had a great impact on Cao Cao's personal evaluation to a certain extent, and it is an extremely negative impact.
At least you can't escape the label of "can't recognize talents and can't retain people".
"Zhengping's insights are quite novel." After laughing for a moment, Wang Zheng turned to Lu Su and asked, "You have heard Sima and Guo Jijiu's analysis, what do you think?"
Lu Su said: "Guo's words about offering wine are not unreasonable, but I still agree more with your Sima's opinion."
"That is to say, do you also think that Yuan Shao will be the final winner among the northern princes?"
"Exactly."
Because they were having dinner just now, everyone was sitting at the table at this time, and only Lu Su was standing. Wang Zheng noticed this, and after hearing his answer, he did not rush to listen to him before continuing.
, glanced sideways, and waited until the bodyguard brought over a chair and placed it on the hall, then he waved his hand and said, "Please sit down, Mr. Lufa."
"Xie Zhoumu."
Lu Su saluted Wang Zheng and bowed his hands slightly to everyone. Although he was a humble official, he did not show any restraint and sat down calmly.
Wang Zheng said with a smile: "I have heard that a true wise man can discern the subtleties of things. The inferences made by Feng Xiao and Mi Heng were based on the analysis of Yuan and Cao's personal details, and then boldly inferred the future success or failure of the two people, let's not talk about it for now.
Whether the inference is correct or not, at the very least, it can be said that one has to know the smallest details, and it is well deserved."
"But Lu Facao considered the general trend of the world and came to the same conclusion as Zhengping, which shows his wisdom."
Wang Zheng stared at Lu Su and said sternly: "The situation our army is currently facing is indeed as you said, internal and external difficulties. You just said that the solution is nothing more than distant friendship and close attack. The only one who has distant friendship is Yuan. Choosing one of the two, Cao, is already done.
I know, as for the close attack, where to attack and how to attack, I would like to hear the details."
Lu Su didn't speak for now. He raised his head slightly and looked up at the young man in the high seat in the hall. His eyes flashed with the light of wisdom and he said leisurely: "Reporting to Zhou Mu, I have just said that the most important thing Zhou Mu needs to do right now is tripod foot."
Jiangdong, so where to attack at close range, it is natural that it is ready to be launched, it goes without saying."
Wang Zheng's eyes flashed sharply, he nodded slightly, and said the only answer: "Jingzhou."
"It's Jingzhou!"
Lu Su let out a deep sigh of pride and said sternly: "The land of Jingchu is adjacent to the east of the Yangtze River. It can be reached to the north along the river. It is connected to Jianghan on the outside and separated by mountains and hills on the inside. It is as solid as a golden city and has fertile fields for thousands of miles.
, the scholars and the people are rich, and the governor of the state has already taken over the two states. If we can occupy this place again, we can say that we are sitting on half of the nine states and become the foundation of the emperor!"
"However, the territory is now in ruins and food is in short supply. When you came here, I was discussing with you to send envoys to Jingzhou to buy food."
Wang Zheng pondered for a moment and then said slowly: "If Liu Biao generously donated money and extended a helping hand, and then went to attack Jingzhou in the future, wouldn't it be unethical and give someone a handle?"
"Furthermore, no matter who you choose to join forces with the northern princes, as you said, I will temporarily follow Gou Jian and pretend to serve Yuan Shao, which may be able to delay their march southward, but what will it do if I am currently trapped in the country?
I will read the history books and understand a truth from them, which is, "To fight against foreign forces, you must first settle the inside." If the inside is unstable, even if foreign enemies do not invade for a while, there will be a risk of overthrow sooner or later, right?"
From Wang Zheng's point of view, the ideal situation for both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao is not to attack their own homes. Wanting them to borrow food or something is purely whimsical. Therefore, even if Lu Su said, choosing the false minister Yuan Shao would have a negative impact on the current internal situation.
Empty, embarrassed, but helpless, hence the question.
Lu Su said: "Xiaguan is from Dongcheng County, Xuzhou. Although he has only been serving as Zhou Mu for a short time, he has heard about Zhou Mu's prowess for a long time."
"The state of Muqi and Weimo was pulled out of the grass. With only one battalion of soldiers and thousands of horses, in just a few years, it swept through Qingxu Prefecture and nine counties of Jianghuai and Huaihe. Heroes such as Liu Bei and Sun Ce either retreated or retreated.
The owl's head is lying on his body; powerful people like Yuan Shu and Yuan Tan are also intimidated by the power of the state's herd tigers, and no one dares to say a word."
"In today's world, when the princes hear the name of Zhou Mu, who will not look at him with suspicion? Who will not tremble with fear? Because Zhou Mu's martial arts are so fierce and powerful, it is rare in ancient and modern times!"
"Not only is the military force powerful, but the reputation of Zhou Mu's benevolence and love for talents has long been spread throughout the nine states. Both good and unworthy talents are put to good use. From the noble family to the commoner soldiers, everyone praises him. He is a wise person in Zhou Mu.
, which is also rare in the world."
"With the virtuousness of the state's pastoralists and the sharpness of the state's pastoralists, now they have crossed the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers to form a tripod in Yangzhou. Here, there is another hero competing for the deer in the Central Plains. At that time, everyone from the north to the south is looking around, and everyone from the east to the west is suspicious. The heroes of the world are looking around and suspicious.
Why?"
"Because Zhou Mu was born out of nowhere, and none of the heroes knew Zhou Mu's intentions. When I heard this, I couldn't be suspicious for a long time, otherwise there would be chaos. Why did I think that Yuan Shao would definitely go south to Xuzhou after defeating Gongsun Zan? This was Zhou Mu's previous position.
To regain Shouchun, he formed an alliance with Liu Jingsheng. Now that he has formed an alliance, it is difficult to go south. In Yuan Shao's view, the state pastor must have the intention to look north. At this time, he should seek to take a preemptive strike!"
"If we can dispel his doubts, calm his mind, and pretend to be a minister again, we will be able to appease Yuan Shao and postpone the two heroes' meeting in Xuzhou."
Having said this, Lu Su paused and continued: "As for going to Jingzhou to ask for food, and attacking Jingzhou, they are actually not conflicting. Let's look at whether it is buying food or borrowing food. Buying and selling is a matter for merchants, and it has something to do with kindness.
What's the connection? What I'm most afraid of is that Liu Biao is unwilling to sell grain and insists on borrowing grain. That is an attempt to express gratitude and to shackle Zhou Mu with moral shackles!"
Depend on.
After Wang Zheng heard this, he finally realized why Guo Jiafang said to buy grain at first, and then suddenly changed his words to "borrow grain".
This TM is actually hinting to me that I must not let Liu Biao "borrow food"?
Fortunately, I was still complacent just now, but I think his "suggestion" is good, and borrowing food is the way to take advantage.
So this plan is still hidden?
Thinking of this, he took a deep look at Lu Su, then glanced calmly at Guo Jia, who was smiling slightly at the side, and sighed in his heart, these scholars are so narrow-minded!
After realizing it, Wang Zheng coughed dryly.
He shouted, and asked: "What if Liu Biao wants to borrow food?"
"Then let him borrow it."
Lu Su had never had a chance to show off his talent. Now that he was talking about it, he was already in a state of eloquence: "In times of contingency, it is impossible to be determined by one person. How can a few small favors and small favors be used to attack the weak and go with the flow?"
Is the glorious road comparable to the great righteousness?"
"Jingzhou is the heart of the world. At this time, the dispute in the north is still unresolved. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you don't take it today, it will be helpful in the end. Cao Cao and Yuan Shao will be victorious in the future, and they will never sit idly by and ignore it again!"
"If the governor of the state feels that he is ashamed of Liu Biao, he can grant Liu Biao and his sons a great kingdom after he aspires to the throne one day."
Wang Zheng originally wanted Lu Su to find a way for Liu Biao to "borrow grain", but in Lu Su's view, there was not much difference between borrowing grain and buying grain.
It would be best if you can buy grain without owing Liu Biao a favor, but what if you owe Liu Biao a favor?
In the face of such a big event as fighting for hegemony in the world, all favors and loyalty are trivial and insignificant!
Not only did Wang Zheng understand what he meant, Guo Jia, Mi Heng, Zhang Zhao and even Lu Ji finally understood what he meant, and they all agreed.
Even Zhang Zhao, who disliked Lu Su, had to admit at this time that the small official in front of him was actually an extremely rare political talent.
Being able to fully understand the general trend of the world shows that he has certain insights.
Being able to analyze things so lucidly shows that he has a certain amount of talent.
And this last paragraph further proves that he possesses the two qualities that a good politician needs most.
Shameless, and how to be "justifiably" shameless!
Wang Zhenglian received several high hats from Lu Su. He was both "the best of the state pastors" and "the wisest of the state pastors". He was indeed thirsty for talents and eager to love talents. Therefore, even if he was concerned about "how can he not
"Ungrateful" became "a trivial matter" in Lu Su's mouth, but like Zhang Zhao, he recognized Lu Su's ability very much, so he was not angry or disgusted, and simply followed Lu Su's words and asked:
"You just thought that forming an alliance with Yuan Shao was the best choice. The basis for this conclusion was that you believed that Yuan Benchu would become the final winner of the heroes of the North. In this case, if we form an alliance with him, wouldn't we be seeking the skin of a tiger?"
Lu Ji on the side also thought the same way. He nodded his head when he heard the words and put forward a different opinion from Lu Su: "My lord, I clearly see that Lu Fa Cao said "to make friends far away and attack near", I deeply agree with it. This is our long-term strategy for Yangzhou.
, but it is not certain whether to choose Yuan Shao. Cao Cao's current situation is not as good as that of Yuan Shao, but he has a famous weapon in his hand. Yuan Shao poses a greater threat. Why not join forces with Cao Cao first to eliminate Yuan Shao together?"
"Would it be easier to deal with Cao Cao after we deal with Yuan Shao?"
"What Governor Lu said is wrong."
Liu Ye suddenly interjected: "It is precisely Cao Cao who has the emperor's righteousness now, and we must not join forces with him just now." Lu Su on the side also said in a deep voice: "Exactly!"
"oh?"
Wang Zheng looked sideways and asked, "Why?"
Liu Ye said: "Cao Cao is not strong now. One reason is that time is still short, and the other reason is that powerful neighbors are on the side. The emperor is the Han Dynasty's Zhengshuo. Once he is given enough time and space, he will surely be what the people want and the general trend. He will be the emperor."
Now I have occupied the Xu capital and embraced the land of Yanyu. This year I have even taken Sili into my arms. I have become a condescending figure and am the leader of the world."
"If my lord helps him defeat Yuan Shao, the Northern Territory will no longer be able to resist him, and it will be difficult for Cao Cao to defeat him."
"From what I can see, what Lu Fa Cao said is the best strategy. No matter who joins forces with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, we can just sit back and watch, because for the lord, the longer the feud between the heroes of the North continues, the more beneficial it will be."
Lu Su also said in a deep voice: "As for forming an alliance with Yuan Shao, Zhou Mu believes that it is seeking the skin of a tiger, but the lower official believes that it is too early to say anything at this time. The situation is always changing. By then, it will really develop to this point.
It’s not too late, Military Advisor Guo believes that Yuan Shaoru has no chance of winning if he confronts Zhou Mu, and my subordinates also think so!”
"Zhou Mu was able to defeat Liu Bei, Sun Ce, and Yuan Shu with the land of three counties. If he could capture Jingzhou and cover half of the nine states, Yuan Shao would have unified the northern land.
What’s there to fear?”
"In the eyes of my subordinates, Yuan Shao is only stronger than Cao Cao in terms of situation. In terms of character and strategy, he is not the best in the world. I would like to ask Zhou Mu, if you compare Yuan Shao with Liu Xuande and Sun Bofu, who is more worthy of the brave tiger?"
Those must be Liu Bei and Sun Ce!
Needless to say, Liu Bei, because he had fought against him personally, in Wang Zheng's eyes, Sun Ce was actually a figure underestimated by later generations.
After all, it would take a lot of effort for someone like him who had used the cavalry and slashing plug-in to defeat this little overlord. If Sun Ce had not died in an assassination in the original history, with this man's talent in military capabilities, Soochow's army would never have been able to do so.
If it becomes a weak link, the record of actively attacking other countries will not be so bleak, and it is not even possible to say whether the Three Kingdoms will emerge in the future.
"What Lu Fa Cao said is true."
Wang Zheng nodded and said: "But according to the filial piety, Yuan Shao is quite narrow-minded. This man's favorite general Wen Chou died in the hands of this general. His son Yuan Tan also had fights with our army, so this general is willing to learn from him."
Gou Jian, I'm afraid he may not be willing to be Fu Cha, right?"