Looking at the generals under his tent, Cao Cao suddenly felt a little dazed.
Frankly speaking, he envied Wang Yu very much. What he envied most was not Wang Yu's reputation and achievements, but the group of civil servants and generals under his command.
Cao Cao's employment philosophy is very different from Yuan Shao's. He values practicality more than the dazzling superficiality of reputation and family background.
Of course there must be celebrities. These people who come from aristocratic families and have received orthodox education since childhood are very knowledgeable and like to talk a lot, but there are also many pragmatic people.
In addition to directly measurable abilities such as knowledge and resourcefulness, the potential power of celebrities and the ability to dance well are also necessary to stabilize the place, select talents, and raise resources.
However, as the saying goes, there are no two masters of the family and no two superiors. It is definitely not possible if there are no celebrities in the camp, but too many are troublesome. These people are used to being arrogant. There are very few people like Xun Wenruo who have a humble temperament and are the same on the outside.
It’s rare. In normal conversations, you still have to fight for the upper hand. But when you’re a counselor in the military, are there too few dramas about fighting for power and gain?
Jizhou after Yuan Shao took over is the most typical example.
If Guo Tu and his gang hadn't fanned the flames, how could the situation in Hebei have become so bad?
Jushou is resourceful, prestigious, and has an excellent view of the overall situation. He is a well-deserved talent as the king's assistant. Yan and Wen are brave and good at fighting.
In Yecheng, if he was not deprived of his military power, it would be difficult to say whether Long Zou would win or lose the battle.
Although Wang Yu's paper armor is magical, it is not really invincible. If the celebrities in Hebei are not fighting each other, let alone the paper armor, what will happen even if Wang Yu goes out of his way to produce tens of thousands of iron armors?
Therefore, Cao Cao has always been very cautious in appointing celebrities. Among the staff he recruited, there were really people who could be called world-famous. However, there were only a few people like Xun Yu, and most of them were just local tycoons with little reputation.
Moreover, these celebrities do not have much real power in their hands, and their duties are only to be counselors in military affairs. There is no problem in competing for the limelight, as long as they are restrained and do not bring this trend into the army.
There are only two kinds of people he really uses, relatives and humble people.
It's not that he doesn't know the disadvantages of nepotism, it's that his relatives have given him so much help in the process of starting his career that he can't ignore it. Moreover, these relatives of his are indeed capable, and so are the world's customs. He has no reason to
Need not.
But with the expansion of his power, the shortcomings of this way of employing people have gradually become apparent. To put it simply, the hierarchy is not clear enough, which makes his authority shaken, just like it does now.
Hanshi are the type of talents that Cao Cao likes to appoint most. These people come from humble backgrounds and are very good at seizing and cherishing opportunities. They are very strict in executing orders and have a correct attitude. They work hard without complaining. Because they have no connections or reputation, they can be used with confidence.
Yuan Shao's suspicion of Ju Shou is actually inevitable. If it were Cao Cao, he would be worried just as much, but his handling methods may be more sophisticated, not as simple and crude as Yuan Shao's, which can be seen through at a glance.
Jushu's reputation in Jizhou was too great and his connections were too wide. Yuan Shao relied on this to conquer Jizhou. How could he safely entrust all the military power to Jushu? He was also worried that Jushu would follow the example of a cat and try to trick him.
Give it to him as well.
If Jushu had a poor background, Yuan Shao would not have such worries. Without enough connections, even if he had tens of thousands of elite soldiers, he would be trapped in one place at most. How easy would it be to sweep Jizhou?
However, Yuan Shao was too particular and looked down on those who came from poor families, so he had no choice but to continue to struggle.
But Cao Cao does not have these bad habits. He likes to appoint poor people. His trouble is that such people are hard to find.
It's easy to find famous people. They have a good reputation and there are people who can help recommend them. It's hard for you not to see them. But these poor people are in trouble. There is no in-depth contact with them and no stage for them to perform. Who can discern the pearls? In the vast sea of people
Searching, isn’t that just looking for a needle in a haystack?
In this regard, Cao Cao's progress lags far behind Wang Yu. Until now, there are only a few achievements such as Dian Wei, Le Jin, Shi Huan, etc., which are more than a little bit behind the gathering of heroes in Qingzhou. This is
What he envied Wang Yu most was.
The Taishan Wang family is not prosperous, and several relatives are mediocre, so there is no status of relatives in the Qingzhou army; and Wang Yu's policy is different, and except for the locals of Qingzhou, he is not very attractive to other celebrities; but he
It means you have a good eye, you can select talents from the ranks and rough things, and you can find the right ones, they are both capable and loyal.
This extraordinary vision brought great convenience to Wang Yu. Cao Cao conducted a private investigation and found that the Qingzhou governor's office and the general shogunate operated extremely efficiently. No matter how big the matter was, as long as Wang Yu discussed it with a few key figures,
The entire Qingzhou will revolve around the established strategy.
The early preparations for farming only took a short two or three months. Last winter, there was still a fierce battle with the Yellow Turbans. By spring, hundreds of farming sites throughout Qingzhou were already in operation! The autumn harvest was not as good as Qingzhou before the turmoil, but it was better than
During the Zhongping years, it was a world of difference.
Subsequently, in just over half a year, the selection of scholars, sea development, salt administration, and commerce were implemented in an orderly manner one by one. Because the time was still short, no big effects were seen yet, but this alone
In terms of efficiency, it is amazing.
To achieve such efficiency, in the final analysis, it is the improvement brought about by employing people well.
Wang Yu said something, and everyone in Qingzhou abided by it. Of course, they also put forward opinions, but they were all put forward from the perspective of filling in the gaps. Regardless of whether it will be adopted in the end, there will be no disputes of will, everyone is in the court.
Working towards a goal.
In short, the biggest feature of Qingzhou is that there is no internal friction. Without internal friction, the efficiency will be high, and the efficiency will be high. The natural troops will be well-prepared and will be able to go anywhere.
If we were in Qingzhou, even if we lost the battle, would anyone yell at Wang Yu in front of everyone?
Of course there won't be. Even if there is, it won't be discussed in military discussions.
Cao Cao considered himself not a very strict person. If his subordinates had any resentment or dissatisfaction, even if they yelled a few times in private, he would just treat it as a breeze and not take it to heart at all. However, Xia Houyuan, a clan brother, shouted at him in public.
Yelling and yelling is not something you have a good temper and can handle it if you can tolerate it.
If it were Le Jin and others, they would definitely not be so unruly and ignorant of the general situation. They could also march and establish their power by themselves;
If it were Xun Yu, Cheng Yu and others, they would never make such a mistake. Even in private, when they raise objections, they always talk in circles, let alone roar in public?
That is to say, these relatives, with palms and backs of hands, are consciously being reasonable. They are not allowed to be beaten or scolded. They can only patiently present the facts to them and reason with them, which makes them very depressed.
But there is no way, this is reality. Without Wang Yu's magical vision and desperate energy, he can only make progress through compromise and steer the situation in the right direction bit by bit.
"Have the two Generals Lu arrived?"
Cao Cao's turn was quite sudden. The guard was stunned for a moment before replying: "Replying to my lord, the two generals are listening to orders outside the tent."
"Quickly, please invite them in... No, I will invite them myself." As he spoke, Cao Cao turned around and walked quickly to the door without even looking at Xia Houyuan and Cao Ren, as if he had forgotten the conflict just now.
of.
"Meng..." Xia Houyuan was anxious and raised his hand to stop the person.
Not talking about important matters, but going out to greet them in person? Why? This battle was defeated by these two losers. If you don't show their face, it's already for the sake of belonging to the alliance. It's still worth giving.
Is it possible for them to show such respect?
Cao Ren on the side had quick hands and eyes, and grabbed Xia Houyuan with great force. Even with Xia Houyuan's strength, he couldn't break free for a while.
Cao Ren leaned close to Xia Houyuan and whispered: "Miaocai, what are you going to do?"
"Of course I have to make it clear. How can it be so unclear..."
"If you don't say anything, my lord will explain sooner or later. No one will think you are dumb. Now we are in a military meeting. How can you show my lord's face by making such a fuss?" Cao Ren didn't lose much, so he was better than Xia Houyuan.
He was much calmer. He had already noticed that Cao Cao's expression was not right, and his words just now were meant to excuse Xia Houyuan.
Cao Cao said he was going to greet the Lu brothers, but he actually wanted to take this opportunity to get over the embarrassing atmosphere just now, so as to prevent Xia Houyuan from being too ignorant to advance and retreat, forcing Cao Cao to have to march in order to maintain his dignity.
Cao Ren understood this at a glance and naturally wanted to stop Xia Houyuan to prevent him from continuing to entangle and worsen the situation.
The hat was a bit too big. Xia Houyuan immediately calmed down and hurriedly explained: "I didn't mean to offend my lord, it's just..."
Seeing that Brother Lu Kuang had arrived at the door, Cao Cao greeted him with a smile on his face. Cao Ren quickly said: "I know what you mean, and my lord doesn't care about it. Don't say more. I'll go find Meng De in private."
Just apologize."
"That's fine." Xia Houyuan thought about it and nodded quickly.
"How dare you, a general of the Kuang defeated army, bother General Cao to greet him in person? It is a death penalty." Lu Kuang was also shocked when he saw Cao Cao personally greeting him. He quickly knelt down and bowed down in fear.
Lu Xiang did not dare to hesitate and bowed to the ground along with his brother. However, he was surprised and happy in his heart. He secretly praised his brother for his ability to know things and Cao Cao actually treated him with courtesy. His intentions were very sincere.
It seems that not only did today's disaster pass safely, but it might also be a blessing in disguise!
Cao Cao shook his head and blamed himself with a depressed look on his face: "Hey, in today's battle, Cao Cao's command and coordination were not good, and he fell into Wang Yu's plan, so he returned with a huge defeat, causing the two generals to lose their troops. He was already uneasy.
How can you put the blame on others? Mingguang, Zi Sheng has so many rituals, which is shameful."
"Why did the general say this?" Xia Houyuan asked, Lu Kuang brothers heard some of it outside. The surprise on their faces at this moment was mostly fake, and the other half was doubts about Cao Cao's repeated emphasis on falling into the trap.
"Youzhou has a vast territory and sparsely populated areas, and its people are fierce and fierce. The enemies are the Xianbei and Wuhuan barbarians. The barbarians grow in the desert grasslands and come and go like the wind. There are many disadvantages in fighting them with infantry.
Therefore, the elite of Youzhou are all cavalry, and the infantry can only defend the city and maintain law and order..."
This time, Cao Cao did not change the topic, but on the surface, what he said had little to do with the previous topic, but if you think about it carefully, you will know what he meant.
The decision to fight was made by Cao Cao, and the generals had no intention of objecting. Because Gongsun Zan's main force was not there, no one paid attention to the Youzhou infantry led by Tian Kai. As a result, the Qingzhou Army had not yet taken action, and Cao Cao's army
He was beaten into disgrace, and Cao Cao ordered to retreat.
Obviously, Cao Cao has always said that he fell into a trap, which should be related to this.
"Where did Tian Kai's men come from? They just recruited rebels and hijacked the county soldiers from various counties. They followed the Qingzhou Army and fought with the wind. What could they do if they were to show off the battle between horses and chariots?
"
Cheng Yu glanced at Xia Houyuan meaningfully, then calmly stepped out of the queue and asked: "So today, Tian Kai has a slightly smaller number, but he is evenly matched with General Miaocai. Could this be the trick that the lord said?"
"Actually, it's not really a trick," Cao Cao waved his hand half-heartedly and said with a wry smile: "I've seen the same trick before, but I didn't notice it for a moment and suffered a big loss on the same trick. It's really embarrassing.
ah."
"Same trick?" Xia Houyuan was first persuaded by Cao Ren, and then took Cheng Yu's hint. He wanted to listen to it calmly, but when he heard this, he couldn't help but wonder: "This is not the first time for us to talk to Wang Yu
Fight?"
The fact that he is so irritable today has something to do with his opponent. Since Wang Yu's debut, he has never lost a battle on the frontal battlefield, and he has the potential to be the best general in the world. Whoever can defeat Wang Yu will be able to take this title.
I would like to ask, among all the warriors in the world, who is not tempted?
On the other hand, it will be bad if he loses. It will become Wang Yu's ladder to the top, and he will be nailed to the pillar of shame, and he will never be able to stand up.
Even if the Battle of Hebei was finally surrounded on all sides and Wang Yu was defeated, the reputation of Cao's generals would be over. Just like the Han generals fought against Xiang Yu, Xiang Yu eventually lost to Liu Bang, but how many people would think that Liu Bang,
Or which general of the Han army was the first general in the Chu-Han struggle for supremacy?
Considering this, his impatience is understandable.
Cao Cao looked dejected and sighed: "Although the person who used this trick for the first time was not Wang Yu, he was ultimately defeated by Wang Yu. And under that man's hand, our army was completely defeated, and Cao Cao became the world's leader.
What people laugh at."
"Could it be...Xu Rong and Xu Gongqing?" The Battle of Xingyang was an eternal pain for Cao Cao.
The first time he commanded a large-scale battle, the first time he suffered a complete defeat and the entire army was destroyed. Xia Houyuan has been by Cao Cao's side since he started his army. How could he not have known it? If this battle had not been a disastrous defeat, all the wealth he had accumulated when he raised his army had been lost.
After all the losses were paid, it was not so difficult for everyone in the past two years. Even the protons were sent out, and Dongjun was barely taken over.
"My lord, what you mean is...Wang Yu dispersed the Qingzhou warriors and mixed them with the Youzhou infantry? No wonder, no wonder the Youzhou army can deploy the five-cornered plum blossom formation, and can use it freely, gather and disperse freely, and it is actually faint
We have a strong army!"
It was Le Jin who suddenly interrupted and asked himself questions.
Lejin came from a humble background and was a veteran promoted from the ranks when Cao Cao launched his army. Although his status in the army was not high, he was deeply trusted by Cao Cao and often discussed military issues. The defeat of Xingyang was unforgettable to Cao Cao.
, he and Le Jin often summed up experiences and lessons, and repeatedly deduced them.
Cao Cao was commanding an allied army at that time, which was not unified and had inconvenient command. This was the main reason for the failure. However, Xu Rong's troops were also patchworked together, including the Northern Army from Luoyang, the border troops from Chang'an, and
There are county soldiers brought by Dong Zhuo from Hedong and Hongnong, etc.
At that time, Cao Cao could directly command about 10,000 troops, and there were also 5,000 private soldiers in his direct line; before being promoted to Zhonglang General by Dong Zhuo, Xu Rong was an ordinary general with no rank, and the soldiers and horses directly under him were about the same as a school captain.
, only more than two thousand.
In terms of army composition, both sides were on the same starting line, or Xu Rong was relatively behind, but their performances in that battle were quite different.
Xu Rong's troops move freely like arms and fingers. When launching a fierce attack, they can even use legendary formations such as the chariot formation. Setting up the formation is very simple, and it is easier to talk about it on paper, but it can be used in practice on the battlefield.
That would be very simple.
That is not a problem that can be solved by reading a few military books, waving your hands, and issuing a few random orders.
How can the army complete the most complex operations with the simplest orders? If the generals and soldiers are not well-matched, can the orders of the Chinese army be conveyed to the entire army? The army has insufficient training. Even if the command is in place, can the soldiers keep up?
command?
If these problems are not solved well, no matter how much you know about the art of war, you will still be nothing more than Zhao Kuo.
Given Dong Zhuo's suspicion of foreign generals, it was impossible for Xu Rong to have much time to control the troops. So how did he turn a miscellaneous army into an elite division?
This problem troubled Cao Cao for a long time. Finally, with the help of Zhong Yao, he learned the truth from the person involved, Hu Zhen.
"I only focused on the strategy of fighting Wang Yu, thinking about how to implement the strategy of separate attacks and combined attacks, and beware of his hidden ambush, but I didn't expect that he would actually make a fuss in the Youzhou Army."
Cao Cao sighed deeply and said: "Wang Pengju has always been good at using suspicious soldiers. Since he has set his target on our army, he will not have no backup plan. Our army will be at a disadvantage as soon as it engages in the battle. If we do not retreat quickly, the battle will become stalemate."
, it will be too late to retreat, alas!”
For a moment, all the generals were silent. Only Xia Houyuan muttered unwillingly: "That's not necessarily the case. Since the Qingzhou army has dispersed into the Youzhou infantry, there will only be Zhao Yun's ambush troops at most. The front line will block them.
If you can't hold back, you'll change the formation. We still don't know who will win."
The essence of the yoke formation is that each formation responds to each other. If the front army retreats and the enemy pursues, it will be attacked by the rear army and the middle army. After the front army stabilizes its position, it will join the counterattack instead of retreating.
It is untenable. Therefore, even if Lu Kuang's right wing completely collapses, there is nothing to fear, just let Cao Ren take the lead.
Liu Dai is not very courageous, reinforcements may come very slowly, and Wang Yu may also use suspicious soldiers to contain him, making him suspicious. But similarly, Wang Yu has no backup plan. It is unclear whether Zhao Yun's cavalry is near the battlefield or not.
Could he still count on Liu Bei, who was confronting Gao Lan, to help?
"It can't be that simple." Cao Cao sneered: "The Qingzhou Army's heavy-armored infantry are still in the center. When the two armies start a full-scale fight, he will personally lead the forward battalion to attack our center. Who can do it? You are a wonderful person.
Can you?"
"..." Xia Houyuan stopped talking. He couldn't even cope with the Youzhou Army mixed with the Qingzhou Army. The Jifeng Battalion's huge reputation was achieved in one battle after another, so how could he be sure to win?
confidence?
Seeing Xia Houyuan's face turn red, Cheng Yusheng was afraid that Xia Houyuan would lose his temper again, so he quickly interrupted: "My lord, our army retreated, and Liu Shijun's side... This diversion on the eastern front has been broken. What can I do?"
Cao Cao was worried that Wang Yu would set up an ambush and attack Liu Dai halfway across the river. However, he was also worried that Liu Dai would be too cautious and would not come to help, so he was very troubled. After the defeat, a letter from Liu Dai also arrived, saying that he had discovered it. The Qingzhou Army appeared in the direction of Licheng, so they did not dare to move lightly. Sure enough, reinforcements did not come.
What Cao Cao was most worried about came true.
Next, Cao Cao can only choose to retreat, or fight Wang Yu to death in Leping. Liu Dai's reinforcements may come back, but the time is hard to say. For Cao Cao, the situation is quite unfavorable.
"There is no other way. The situation is pressing. It is difficult to make full use of it. Instead of taking risks and fighting, why not take a step back, maintain the front line for the time being, and wait for Brother Benchu to sweep the Black Mountain." (To be continued. Please. Search Piaotian Literature, the novels will be better and updated faster!)