On the afternoon of the day when Qu'a's captives arrived in Shouchun, a group of merchants rode out of the city. After leaving the city, they galloped all night and headed straight to the north.
Their destination was Xudu in Yuzhou.
Xudu, formerly known as Xu County, has existed as a feudal state since the Western Zhou Dynasty. In 481 BC, King Hui of Chu granted Jiang Jie to the monarch of Xu State, which was passed down for five generations, and was merged into Chu State in the early Warring States Period.
During the Qin and Han Dynasties, Xu County was established and belonged to Yingchuan County. When Liu Xiu established the Eastern Han Dynasty and made Luoyang his capital, Xu County became the southeastern gateway of the imperial capital and gathered a large number of aristocratic families.
Relying on their political status and economic strength, the aristocratic families formed a self-sufficient large estate economy, had their own armed forces, established education, and promoted Confucianism. After a hundred years of wealth accumulation and cultural accumulation, Yingchuan County became the leading prosperity in the Han Dynasty.
Counties have a developed economy and a large number of talented people.
In the original history, Cao Cao moved the capital to Xu County after welcoming the emperor, which can be said to be the optimal solution in the territory at that time (Yanzhou + half of Yuzhou).
First, avoid Yuan Shao.
When Lu Bu joined forces with Chen Gong and others to attack Yanzhou, when Cao Cao was in danger, Yuan Shao had already expressed his intention to annex. Therefore, Yanzhou, which directly borders Jizhou, cannot be considered. It is too close and has a strong neighbor on its side.
Insecure.
Second, for development.
Everyone understands the principle of retreat in times of great strife. Furthermore, if you want to settle down in a corner, except for Yizhou in the southwest, other states and counties do not have this geographical advantage. If Cao Cao wants to develop, he must first
To exclude the northeast, both Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan were considered the hardest nut to crack at the time. To establish Xu County as their capital, they placed their center in Yingchuan. Next, they would attack Nanyang in the southwest and Nanyang in the northwest.
Ma Teng or Yuzhou in the southeast are both very convenient.
Third, the geographical conditions are superior.
Xu County is not only an important grain-producing area in the Central Plains and has been less affected by the war. It is also located on the east bank of the Ying River, and the Ying River flows south into the Huai River. With the transportation line of Ying River, Xu County can easily access surrounding areas.
Regarding the supply of materials, Cao Cao later adopted the suggestions of Zao Zhi and Han Hao and tried out the farming strategy near Xuchang. He obtained a large amount of grain through military households farming and solved the supply problem.
Since Xu County itself is surrounded by mountains on three sides, it can use the terrain of Song Mountain, Funiu Mountain, and Dabie Mountain to effectively block attacks from Ma Teng, Liu Biao, and Yuan Shu.
Of course, Xu County actually has a fatal weakness.
To the east is a vast plain area. If an enemy invades from the east, once they cross a few counties, they can attack Huanglong directly.
Cao Cao and his advisers did not fail to see this.
The reason why we finally chose to move the capital to Xu County was because the forces of Xuzhou were to the east.
In their view, whether it was Tao Qian, Liu Biao or Lu Bu behind them, they all had too much time to take care of themselves. How could there be any possibility of counterattack and westward advance?
This is true in the original history. Xuzhou changed hands several times, but never posed any real threat to Xu County.
But now everything is different.
Because Xuzhou fell into the hands of Wang Zheng!
If Wang Zheng, who unified Xuzhou and had strong soldiers and horses, marched westward and went straight to Huanglong, it would be even easier than Yuan Shao. After all, if Yuan Shao wanted to go south, he would at least have to conquer Chenliu, the northern gateway.
After thinking about this, Cao Cao had trouble sleeping and eating, and even had the idea of moving the capital again.
This is because Cao Cao was obviously very afraid of Wang Zheng, and he knew that if he allowed this son to gain Yangzhou, it would be more difficult to control him. However, he finally chose to cooperate with him to attack Yuan Shu, just to keep Runan in his hands.
Here, heavy troops were stationed as a precaution.
At the same time, he was very concerned about Wang Zheng's every move, and spread spies throughout Shouchun City to search for information, fearing that he would be caught off guard and be raided by the other party to steal his home.
The group of "business travelers" leaving the city from Shouchun were the latest envoys to report to Cao Cao.
The messengers went all the way north, passing several large rivers and climbing over several mountains. They welcomed countless sunrises and saw off countless sunsets. They passed by towns and passed through patches of wilderness, almost non-stop.
, did not give up day and night, and finally entered the territory of Yingchuan on the fifth day.
When they arrived in Xudu, it was already midnight. They showed their tokens under the city and showed the road instructions and military inscriptions written by Xun Yu himself.
Due to the reports from the previous messengers, the generals who were on duty to guard the city also knew that Yangzhou had been mobilizing troops and horses frequently recently, and there seemed to be some movement. They did not dare to neglect at that moment, and hurriedly lowered the hanging basket and pulled them into the city.
After entering the city, there was a special person to guide him. He was first sent to the government office in the city, and reports were sent up layer by layer. Not long after, a scribe came in from outside.
This person was about in his early twenties. Although he was young, he had a serious demeanor and a sinister face. He did not speak after entering. He just looked around the room and asked lightly: "Who is the messenger from the south?"
When his gaze passed by, the several messengers made everyone's hearts tremble. They felt that the other party's eyes were as sharp as hawks, and they stood up in a hurry, "The villain is waiting for you."
The man nodded slightly and asked, "Who is in charge?"
One of the messengers came out and said: "This little man is Du Bo under Captain Li, and he is the person in charge of delivering this letter."
"Then come with me, the general wants to see you."
After the young man said that, he turned around and strode out. Uncle Dub quickly followed. As soon as he stepped out of the yamen, his eyes suddenly lit up. Only then did Uncle Dub realize that at some point, someone was coming from outside.
Hundreds of cavalrymen stood beside their horses, holding torches high, lighting up the dark night.
These people were tall and looked like warriors. Not only that, they stood in the night, all upright and motionless. Their faces were expressionless and silent. As soon as you glanced at them, you could feel the darkness.
A murderous aura rushed towards his face.
As soon as the two men came out, the cavalrymen all turned to look at each other. When they glanced at the messenger, even the messenger was a veteran soldier who had experienced many battles. The hairs all over his body could not help but stand up, and he felt a cold feeling.
It penetrated directly into my heart, and I couldn't help shouting: "Could this be the general's personal army?"
"no."
Upon hearing that, the young man said calmly: "This is a new battalion formed by the general, called the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry."
"Tiger and Leopard Rider?"
When Nadu Bo heard this, he was shocked and thought in his mind: "When I returned to Xu County last year, I seemed to have heard someone say that the general intends to select brave and capable soldiers from the army. General Dubo formed an elite and strong army, thinking that it can compete with him in the future.
Yuan Shao's Euphorbia Knights and Wang Zheng's Tianzhu Camp, could they be the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry?"
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but secretly glance at the young scribe, and thought to himself: "If it is really a strong army composed of a hundred generals, it will become the general's elite division. Logically, it must be led by his close followers. Could it be that this young master
His surname is also Cao? He is the nephew of the general?"
Cao Cao trusted his own clan, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that. Even ordinary soldiers knew that the so-called confidants meant that only "relatives" could be "trusted."
Feeling that he had guessed the truth, Uncle Dub became more and more respectful.
Although the young man was dressed as a scribe, he moved very neatly and did not need the help of the guards. He got on his horse, turned his head and glanced at everyone, and said calmly: "Let's go."
At the command, hundreds of people moved in order, twenty or thirty riders cleared the way in advance, twenty or thirty people retreated to press the formation, and there were two sides with one or twenty horse guards on each side. Hundreds and dozens of riders, shouting in front and supporting behind,
The horses galloped like a gust of wind, and in a flash, they arrived at Cao Cao's residence in Xudu.
Even though it was late at night, the mansion was still brightly lit, illuminating the inside and outside clearly. Then Uncle Dub saw where he entered the door. There were long chairs on both sides, with dozens of strong men sitting on each side.
From a distance, these people look like a tough guy, but up close, you can see that almost all of them are disabled. Either an eye is missing or an arm is broken. The most serious one is beyond recognition and has a broken arm.
Don't worry. If you leave this outside, I'm afraid it will be difficult to take care of yourself.
But when these people were sitting there, they didn't feel depressed at all. On the contrary, they all looked carefree, high-spirited, and very proud.
When Uncle Nadu saw that they were all dressed as servants, he thought to himself: "I have heard a long time ago that 50% of the servants in the general's residence are from the army. All disabled soldiers with outstanding military exploits are from the army.
If you want, you can come to the general's residence. The military privately considers this to be 'honorary support', and these people who come here are considered to be 'honorary support' soldiers."
These big men saw a group of cavalry coming, but they did not question them. They stood up one after another and opened the door of the house. There was a man who looked like a leader. He smiled and said to the young man across a few rows of people: "Young man came back too soon."
When facing this person, the young man no longer kept a cold face and immediately smiled, "How dare you keep the general waiting for so long?"
He said he was smiling, but he didn't open his mouth. His lips were as thin as a slit, as if someone had gently scratched his face with a razor. This made the smile not contain much smile, but instead looked cold.
"Is the general still in the study?"
"Yes, before I had a cup of tea, I sent the butler out to ask if the little brother was back."
The young man nodded and said no more. He dismounted and handed the reins to a slave. He immediately waved his hand to Uncle Dub, gesturing to follow him, and walked inside.
After passing three or four large or small courtyards, we came to a single courtyard. This courtyard is not big, with red walls and white tiles. It is surrounded by bamboo trees. When the night wind blows, the bamboo leaves rustle. It looks very peaceful.
There were two lanterns hanging at the entrance of the courtyard. Nadu Bo knew a few words, raised his head and saw two words on the door of the courtyard: "Zhi Ge".
Uncle Dub didn't understand what it meant, and thought to himself: "The general is both civil and military, so he can be called a Confucian general. The word 'Zhi Ge' must have some meaning. Maybe it comes from some allusion?"
While I was guessing, I heard the young man say: "The general is in the study room in the courtyard. You can come in with me."
Uncle Dub hurriedly collected his thoughts and gathered his energy, and respectfully followed the young man into the courtyard.
Different from the previous courtyards where there were many servants and servants standing with their hands down, there was no one in this place and it was very quiet. There were no candles in the rooms on the left and in the middle, and it was dark; only the right side was dark.
, through the window paper, you can see a light like a bean.
The uncle didn't dare to take a closer look. At a glance, he could only vaguely see two figures reflected on the window paper. The young man gently knocked on the door. After a while, a voice came from the room. It was not loud, but very loud.
It was Qingya who asked, "Is Zhongda back?"
"Yes, Mr. Xun, I have brought you the envoy from Shouchun."
This young man was naturally the future Jin Gaozu Sima Yi. In the original history, it would have been four years later in the sixth year of Jian'an that Cao Cao, who was in charge of Sikong, heard about his reputation and took the initiative to send people to conquer him.
Seeing that Emperor Xian was a puppet and Cao Cao was known as a traitor to the Han Dynasty, Sima Yi did not want to abdicate, so he refused to serve as an official on the pretext that he had wind paralysis. It was not until the 13th year of Jian'an that he was recruited as a literary official by Cao Cao, who was already the prime minister.
However, because Guo Jia, who was supposed to succeed Xi Zhicai, switched to Wang Zheng, Cao Cao lacked counselors who were good at military strategy, so Xun Yu recommended a candidate for the second time, who was Sima Yi, who had just won the championship.
And Sima Yi also made a completely different choice from history. I don't know whether it was because Cao Cao's reputation at this time was acceptable, or for some other reason. He did not refuse Wei Wu's first conquest, but happily became an official and was appointed as the emperor.
General Zuo is in charge.
Upon hearing this, another deep voice in the room sounded: "Come in."
"yes."
Sima Yi took Na Dubo and pushed the door open. Only then did he realize that there were actually not two people in the room, but three people. Only because the third person had just buried his head in the desk, his shadow could not be reflected on the window paper. It was Cao Cao.
Sima Yi bowed and stepped aside. Uncle Du fell to the ground and said, "The villain, Captain Li's subordinate Du Bo Yan San, has met the general."
"Get up." Cao Cao waved his hand slightly, and then went straight to the point: "Where is the military report? Bring it to me."
For fear of losing it on the road, Nadu Bo hid the military report close to his body. He immediately stood up, took it out and presented it with both hands. Cao Cao caught it and read it intently.
When he looked, the room was quiet and no one spoke. The uncle looked around quietly and recognized that the person on the left was Xun Yu, the servant. The other person opposite had an eight-foot-long beard.
It's Cheng Yu, the minister.
Both of these two people are Cao Cao's masterminds, and Uncle Du naturally knows it.
There is no need to say more about Xun Yu. Everyone in the world knows that he is the number one boss under Cao Cao's account. Strictly speaking, Xun Yu is not a pure subordinate, but is similar to a partner, and his status is very transcendent.
But in fact, Cheng Yu's status was also very high at this time, and he was indispensable to Cao Cao. This can be seen from the fact that in addition to Shangshu, he also had a series of other titles:
General Dong Zhonglang led the governor of Jiyin and was the governor of Yanzhou affairs.
Especially the last one, the governor of Yanzhou is just like Zhang Zhao's Yangzhou governor. He has a real high position and authority. It is really a real deal that Cheng Yu can gain the full trust of a great leader like Cao Cao as a person with a foreign surname.
It's earned through performance.
For example, when Cao Cao was conquering Xuzhou, Chen Gong, Zhang Miao and others rebelled and welcomed Lu Bu into Yan. The surrounding counties and counties responded one after another. In the end, only Juancheng was left, and Dong'a had not yet fallen. The situation was extremely critical.
At this time, it was Cheng Yu who turned the tide and helped the building to collapse. He first went to Fan County to lobby the county magistrate Jin Yun, persuaded him to rebel and surrender, and defected to Lu Bu. Then he went to Dong'a to send other cavalrymen.
Occupying Cangtingjin, Chen Gong's army was unable to cross the river, and then led his officials and people to reject the city and defend against Lu Bu. Finally, when Cao Cao returned, Cao Cao, who had narrowly escaped death, almost cried with excitement and refused to hold Cheng Yu's hand for a long time.
Sa, "If it weren't for Cheng Qing's help, I would have nowhere to go."
Later, Cao Cao and Lu Bu fought in Puyang and lost several times. There was also a locust disaster, and amid internal and external troubles, Yuan Shao sent people to lobby. They said it was a union, but in fact it was annexation.
At this time, the army's rations were about to run out, and Lu Bu was eyeing him. Cao Cao had no choice but to agree to Yuan Shao, but it was Cheng Yu who overcame everyone's opinions and stated his interests, so Cao Cao gave up the idea.