Chapter Thirty-Two: Driving Tigers and Devouring Wolves
The weather in the north is unpredictable. On this day, it started to snow. In Cao Cao's camp outside the city, Cao Cao was leaning against the fire plate and fell asleep. He was suddenly awakened by the sound of rapid footsteps and turned around.
I saw Guo Jia and Xun Yu coming in side by side at the curtain opening, saluting at the same time: "My lord."
Cao Cao coughed, and the guard who was waiting on him quickly put a mink fur on him. Guo Jiaqi said: "Has the coldness in my lord's body not dissipated yet?"
Cao Cao waved his hand, got off the tiger-skin brocade mattress, and said, "Zi Xiao, is there any response from the scout?"
Guo Jia frowned and said: "Yuan Shu's army has arrived in Shouchun and captured Guangling County. They are traveling day and night to Xiapi. They will arrive in less than ten days."
Cao Cao smiled bitterly and said: "In this case, Xuzhou is hopeless."
Xun Yu said: "The winter solstice is approaching, and the soldiers have no winter clothes or bedding. If we don't withdraw our troops, I'm afraid there will be complaints from the soldiers. Please make an early decision, my lord."
Cao Cao nodded his head and said unwillingly: "It's an advantage for Lu Bu, but if the army withdraws and the counties in Xuzhou are newly occupied soon, they will fall into Lu Bu's hands sooner or later. By then, Lu Bu will run Xuzhou, which will be very detrimental to someone.
What can I do?"
Guo Jiadao said: "Lü Bu is a fierce tiger. My lord can allocate 10,000 elite soldiers to Liu Bei. He is the governor of Xuzhou and order him to guard Xuzhou. Lu Bu and Liu Bei have a deep feud. They will fight to the death for Xuzhou. My lord can sit on the mountain."
Watching a tiger fight will hurt both sides."
Xun Yu echoed: "Zi Xiao's words are very good, and someone has another plan. My lord can write a letter to Shouchun, willing to cede the south of Xuzhou as a gift to Yuan Shu, and then express that he can also serve as Guangling and the governor of Donghai County. Yuan Shu is very ambitious.
You must be happy to march to the East China Sea. Donghai County is rich in salt fields and is the most prosperous. How can Lu Bu give it up easily? It will only be a matter of time before they turn against each other. By then, little Xuzhou will be three tigers and wolves devouring each other. The lord only needs to strengthen his troops and when the time is right, he can form an army.
When the situation is overwhelming, who can stop the lord?"
Cao Cao smiled and said: "That's very good. I will edit the book for Yuan Shu. Where is Dian Wei?"
As Cao Cao's personal guard, Dian Wei had been waiting outside the tent. When he heard Cao Cao's summons, he brushed off the residual snow on his body and came in. He stretched the curtain like a wall across the tent, raised his hands towards Cao Cao and said, "What's wrong, my lord?"
Order?"
Cao Cao said: "Go to Xuande's camp quickly and ask Xuande to discuss matters."
Dian Wei nodded and turned back.
Cao Cao took off his mink fur, and seemed to be more energetic than before. He knelt down in front of the table and wrote a secret letter on the silk cloth with flowing pen. He dried the ink, put down the pen, waved his hand to Guo Jia, Xun Yu and said: "
Zixiao, if Wen comes closer and looks at this letter, are there any omissions?"
The two approached and read the letter carefully. Xun Yu nodded and said: "As soon as the letter arrives, Yuan Shu will definitely order the capture of the East China Sea. Lu Bu and Yuan Shu will turn against each other. Even if they are ten thousand enemies, there is Yuan Shu in the east and Liu Bei in the west.
, so why bother?”
Guo Jiadao: "It is said that Yuan Shu and Lu Bu have a marriage contract. I wonder if this is true or false?"
Cao Cao was stunned for a moment, but then he frowned and said, "Lü Bu only has one daughter, and Yuan Shu also has only one son. If the two families get married, I'm afraid this strategy of driving away tigers and devouring wolves will not be effective."
Both Guo Jia and Xun Yu could not help but fall into deep thought. If Lu Buzhen and Yuan Shu were married, both of them would have only one child, and the two families would become one. How could the East China Sea cause a feud between the two?
Suddenly, a glimmer of clarity flashed in Guo Jia's eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to hesitate and pursed his lips, and that glimmer of clarity gradually dimmed.
Cao Cao saw this and said: "There is a good way to practice filial piety, why not tell me?"
Guo Jiadao: "Jia has a plan, I'm afraid it will embarrass the lord."
Cao Cao said: "There is no harm in saying filial piety."
Guo Jia had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "It is said that the lord has a daughter who has not yet left the court. If he promised the good of Qin and Jin in the letter, Yuan Shu would definitely refuse Lu Bu's marriage and marry the lord instead. Lu Bu is irritable and arrogant by nature.
If Yuan Shu regrets the marriage, he will definitely be furious, and there will be no need to use the East China Sea as a lure to turn them against each other."
Cao Cao was silent for a moment, his face flickering in and out, as if he was hesitating. Finally, he sighed and said, "This makes Yuan Shu much easier."
Xun Yu said: "Otherwise, the lord will only promise the marriage in the letter. When Yuan Shu and Lu Bu fight, it may be up to the lord to decide whether to marry his daughter."
Cao Cao nodded, took up his pen and added the promise to marry his daughter to the end of the letter. At this time, Dian Wei came in wearing a loose raincoat and said: "My lord, Liu Bei is here."
After a while, Liu Bei entered the tent alone and respectfully saluted Cao Cao.
Cao Cao avoided the table and walked out, holding Liu Bei's hand with a smile and said: "Xuande is doing well recently, why don't you come to the big tent to see him."
Liu Bei said: "The affairs of Duke Cao are complicated, so I dare not disturb him."
Cao Cao laughed, invited Liu Bei to sit down, and then said, "I want to withdraw my troops and return Xu's capital. What does Xuande think?"
Liu Bei pretended to be surprised and said: "Our army has only suffered a small setback today. Lu Bu will not be able to stay in the isolated city for long. Why did Duke Cao retreat?"
Cao Cao smiled bitterly and said, "I have made up my mind. Xuande needs no words. This time Xuande has made great contributions to the court. I would like to report to Your Majesty that Xuande be appointed as the governor of Xuzhou. What does Xuande think?"
Liu Bei was panicked for a moment and quickly declined: "It is not Bei's ambition to guard a state. Bei is willing to return to the capital with Cao Gong and enjoy peace."
Cao Cao smiled, pursed his lips and said, "My lord, please don't refuse. The order will arrive on a certain day, and I will allocate you 10,000 elite soldiers. In this way, Xuzhou will have no worries."
Liu Bei originally thought that Cao Cao was just trying to challenge him, so he quickly declined. However, seeing Cao Cao's firm tone, he then thought that Cao Cao had made him the governor of Xuzhou for nothing, but Lu Bu still occupied the capital of Xuzhou and had three soldiers and horses.
More than ten thousand people, and recently I heard that Yuan Shu occupied Guangling. Such a place for four battles may be a poisonous plan to drive away tigers and swallow wolves.
After thinking about this, Liu Bei felt calm and said with a reluctant look: "Xuan De dares not to obey my order."
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Two days later in the morning, when the hungry sergeant of Lu Bu's army looked into the distance, he lost his mind for a moment. The continuous Cao army's camp in the distance was as silent as death.
Zhang Liao personally went to visit with a group of troops, only to learn that Cao's army had retreated. After returning to the city, he flew to report to Lu Bu.
Lu Bu was overjoyed and called everyone together to drink.
Cao's army besieged Xiapi for three full months. At this time, the army dispersed, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
At the banquet, Xu Si said: "Cao's army has not gone far now. Why don't my lord send an army to pursue it? In this way, Cao's thieves will be defeated."
Lu Bu was very moved and hesitated.
Chen Gong said: "No, Cao Cao is full of tricks and will set up an ambush to await his pursuers. My lord, think twice."
Gao Jin was convinced and echoed: "Cao's army did not panic or panic when they retreated. They all withdrew overnight. They were not fleeing. If they were to pursue them, they might not be able to win."
Xu Bang secretly hated Chen Gong and Gao Jin, so he stopped arguing with Chen Gong.
When Lü Bu saw this, he didn't take it seriously and said slowly: "Wei Xu, Song Xian was executed. Who should belong to his tribe?"
The generals couldn't help but prick up their ears and look at Lu Bu with their eyes, waiting for Lu Bu to announce the answer.
Lu Bu said, "Can you nominate one person? Only in this way can we convince everyone."
Cao Xing stood up and spoke first: "In my opinion, since these two battalions are Bingzhou sergeants, they should still be owned by Bingzhou. How about being under the control of Wenyuan?"
Sun Guan retorted and said sarcastically: "We all serve our lord. How can there be such distinctions as Mount Tai and Bingzhou? What does General Cao think of our lord?"
Cheng Lian sneered and said: "What does General Sun mean by this? People are divided into the north and the south, and they are all different. The customs of the people in Bingzhou are also very different from those in Xuzhou. Naturally, it is better to unite them together. If people from the two places are mixed together, wouldn't it be a matter of thin air?
Created a lot of trouble."
Xu Si and Zang Ba got close, and his attitude was self-evident. He smiled slightly and said: "Since the Qin Dynasty, the same method has been used to measure a stone and a foot, the carriages are on the same track, and the books are in the same text. But I have never heard that people with different customs cannot live together.
The thing is, my lord is also from Bingzhou, so the Taishan Army served my lord, but it caused trouble for nothing? The general's words are far-fetched."
Seeing the tension between the two sides, Lu Bu smiled slightly, turned to Chen Gong and said, "Is there anyone who can be chosen by Gongtai?"
Chen Gong and Gao Shun had a transcendent status in Lu Bu's army and had always been impartial. Chen Gong said: "Bo Luan made great achievements last time. What if we allocate all the troops from the two battalions to him?"
Gao Jin glanced at Chen Gong, but he didn't expect that Chen Gong would involve him. Then he looked at Gao Shun beside him, who was looking at him with confidence. He winked and understood immediately.
Lu Bu closed his eyes and nodded slightly, seeming to agree, then turned to the generals and asked, "What do you think?"
Zang Ba, who had been silent all this time, said: "If Boluan controls me, I will be convinced."
It's not that Zang Ba had a good impression of Gao Jin. It was impossible to get involved in such matters. Just because Gao Jin was at least a neutral figure, he allowed him to lead two battalions of sergeants from the Bingzhou Army. The Taishan Army suffered no losses.
It can also weaken the Bingzhou army, so why not borrow flowers and offer them to Buddha along the way?
Zhang Liao glanced at Zang Ba, and finally his eyes fell on Gao Jin, and said with complicated emotions: "That's very good."
This was already a compromise. Although the Bingzhou Army suffered a loss, it was hundreds of times better than letting the Taishan Army take advantage.
Lu Bu couldn't believe that Bo Luan had such a great influence. His eyes were like knives and he glanced at Gao Jin. He saw that Gao Jin was in meditation like an old monk, looking calm and calm.
Lu Bu then regained his composure and secretly said that he was suspicious. Although Boluan was both civil and military and had made great achievements, his reputation in the army was not high. Zhang Liao and Zang Ba's unanimous support was probably just a compromise.
Thinking of this, Lu Bu was relieved and said casually: "In that case, the two battalions of soldiers and horses will be entrusted to Boluan."