Hurrying to the Central Army, Cheng Yu walked in a hurry and had doubts in his heart. When he saw Cao Cao's cloudy face, his heart suddenly thumped. Needless to say, there must be trouble again.
"Lord..." Cheng Yu slowed down his steps and adjusted his rapid breathing.
"Yeah." Cao Cao's reaction made the clouds in Cheng Yu's heart thicker. Not only did he not stand up with a smile as usual, he called his staff to greet him. He didn't even raise his head, his eyes were always on
A scroll of bamboo slips on the desk remained motionless for a long time.
Cheng Yu's scalp was a little numb. His lord was not someone who couldn't help things. He had calmly overcome all the twists and turns. It was too rare to be depressed and speechless like this.
He bit the bullet and asked: "My lord, Zhao Yu, came here to withdraw the Qingzhou Army?"
"Alas!" Cao Cao looked up to the sky and sighed: "Since I was enlightened, I have been familiar with military books, traveled for many years, and visited countless famous experts. It has been nearly ten years since I started fighting in the first year of Zhongping. I wonder if I am planning a strategy.
, scheduling war
I already have some attainments in strategy, but how could I know that when I met this person, I would be repeatedly restrained and fell behind step by step... Is it the stronger among the stronger? Or do I think too highly of myself and underestimate the heroes of the world? Alas,
I can’t figure it out, I can’t figure it out.”
"..." Cheng Yu was frightened for a while, and even doubted his own eyes.
Is the person in front of me still the Lord?
The lord who is calm and composed no matter when and where he is; the lord who always maintains a strong fighting spirit and self-confidence, but can always calmly evaluate his opponents and never underestimates them; the lord who moved to Yan and Yu and defeated the Black Mountain bandits invincible.
The lord who fled eastward and did not dare to look back?
"Lord, what exactly is going on..." Cheng Yu's eyes fell on the scroll of bamboo slips.
"Wang Pengju sent someone here." Of course Cao Cao didn't come to Cheng Yu just to complain. He just believed that his close staff would soon understand his state of mind and sigh with emotion to express the suffocation in his chest.
"Is there really a secret to his retreat?" Before holding up the bamboo slips, Cheng Yu took a deep breath and calmed down. There is no doubt that it was this inconspicuous letter that brought such a huge blow to the lord!
Cao Cao shook his head slightly and said with a wry smile: "The purpose of his retreat is very simple. He just wants to leave me a choice. Choose between becoming a lonely ghost or temporarily giving in..."
"How is that possible?" Cheng Yu opened his eyes wide. He was filled with shock, and without caring about etiquette, he directly picked up the bamboo slip and scanned it with a single glance.
To give in temporarily? Not to mention the cost of sending troops, the material opinions of the people in the world, and the losses since the war started, just talk about the impact of the withdrawal of troops on the relationship between Yuan and Cao. It is not trivial! If we also consider the impact of Hebei and even the entire Central Plains
The situation, this is simply harming others and not benefiting oneself... No, it's worse than that! Cao's army went north to help the battle but gave up halfway. The only enemy who benefited was Wang Yu!
Of course, my lord is not a fool, and he will not know the consequences of doing so, but he still said it to himself. I can only think that the current situation is really extremely bad...
But, how could it be?
Cheng Yu's hand began to grasp so tightly that the bamboo slip was pulled so tightly that it looked like it would break at any time. But soon, his hand loosened up, as if he had lost all his strength.
Generally, the bamboo slips are allowed to slide downward and finally fall into the dust.
"Oh my god!" Cheng Yu closed his eyes in pain and gritted his teeth.
Wang Yu's letter was very simple. It was just a battle report of the Battle of Chiping. Cheng Yu had expected Wang Yu to attack Liu Dai. He planned the plan that day and wanted to use it. The deeper reason is that
However, he never expected that this battle would have such an outcome.
Liu Dai has a real army of 30,000 troops under his command!
Those were not ordinary miscellaneous soldiers, but the regular army of the Han Dynasty. They were well-equipped and well-trained. Although they had not fought any tough battles, they were still as strong as the Jizhou Army. Moreover, Liu Dai also had an advantageous location!
How could a 30,000-strong army with troops stationed in rivers and mountains to rely on and a city to rely on and focus on defense just say it was gone? This is completely unreasonable! Even if the Qingzhou Army is better, it shouldn't be this result, Liu
Dai actually ran away! Not only did he run away, but he also took his entire staff with him. Except for Wang Yu who committed suicide in despair, none of his staff died!
This, what is this?
"Lord, has this information been verified? Is it true?"
"Yes." Cao Cao hummed in a low voice and said dejectedly: "Not long after Wang Yuxin arrived, Cangtingjin reported that he had seen a large number of fleets heading westward. Although there was no flag, they refused to stop.
, but it shouldn’t be wrong.”
Cheng Yu felt dizzy for a while, and his plan was completely screwed up.
According to his plan, the most ideal result is that Wang Yu attacks Liu Dai with heavy losses or a stalemate, with the snipe and the clam fighting, with Cao's army behind, taking the opportunity to attack, defeating the Qingzhou army, and then gaining both fame and fortune, Liu and Wang
Step on them together.
Wang Yu's victory over Liu Dai was also in Cheng Yu's consideration, but from what he thought, Wang Yu was outnumbered and defeated many. Even if he won, there would definitely be a fierce battle, such as a night attack. In the chaos of the battle,
Liu Dai might have died. Even if he saved his life, he should have escaped alone or retained some of his strength.
Fame and identity are both false. If you want to turn them into real strength, you need to use your reputation to attract powerful families. Liu Dai promised the latter official positions and power; the latter used his family's influence in the local area to appease the local people with Liu Dai.
Provide assistance in recruiting troops.
Without this transformation, reputation is just rootless and useless.
The celebrities in Liu Dai's shogunate came from this. With these people, Liu Dai's control over Yanzhou will not be greatly weakened. Even if it is shaken due to the defeat, it will only be short-term. As long as
Give him time and he can regain his strength.
If Liu Dai had preserved part of his strength, he might consider the overall situation, maintain the balance of power in Yanzhou, and return to his own territory to lick his wounds. But if his remaining strength is too weak and it is difficult to protect himself, there is no telling, he will have no choice but to retreat further.
Stay further away and avoid the several counties that are close to Mount Tai, so as not to suffer Wang Yu's revenge and recover your strength soon.
After deploying 30,000 troops, there are not many soldiers left in Yanzhou in the east. If you still foolishly retreat to your own territory instead of going to Puyang to pick up ready-made troops, is it still considered a pillar of the imperial court?
No matter how unlucky he was in military strategy, Liu Dai's vision in political strategy could not be ignored.
There is no doubt that as long as Liu Dai arrives in Puyang with the group of staff members who help wave the banner, it will not take three to five days for Puyang to change its surname to Liu. It is true that Xia Houchun, who stayed in Puyang, is a brave general. But resisting Liu Dai is such a thing
, but it is far beyond his ability.
Let alone Xia Houchun, even if Cao Cao personally takes charge, whether he can defeat Liu Dai or not will have to go through a battle between dragons and tigers.
That's right. Liu Dai has no soldiers now, but his identity is a protective talisman. Although the Han Dynasty has declined, the centipede will never die. Nowadays, justice is advocated, and there are still many people in Wang Zuo. In addition to Dong Zhuo and Wang Yu
How many people like them dare to blatantly deal with the Han clan members?
If you go against the Han clan, the consequences will be terrible. Gongsun Zan is a good example. He has a strong army and is powerful in the world. Why is he repeatedly restrained by Liu Yu? In the final analysis, it is not the identity of the Han clan.
?It’s not that Gongsun Zan couldn’t defeat Liu Yu. He just didn’t dare to fight hard.
The same goes for Cao Cao. If he can defeat Yuan Shu, there is no reason to be afraid of Liu Dai. Why does Cao Cao have to grovel in front of Liu Dai? Because of his status, Cao Cao also does not dare to force himself.
Therefore, the current situation is what Cao Cao said. Either lose the territory and become the vassal and thug of Yuan Shao or Liu Dai again; or return to Puyang as soon as possible and take advantage of Liu Dai's weakest time to completely solve this trouble and resolve this
crisis.
"Since Liu Gongshan was able to escape by water, the Qingzhou Army should have not used water troops, and his main force showed no signs of going south. How did he win this battle? Winning is not enough, and it will also change the outcome of the battle.
Controlling it so well is like toying with a 30,000-strong army at the hands of applause? It’s really unbelievable!” After a long time, Cheng Yu let out a lamentation.
"These are all trivial details. It's not too late to investigate in the future, but what can be done now?" Cao Cao spread his hands and asked Cheng Yu, "Can Zhongde teach me something?"
Cheng Yu's face was full of bitterness, and he said dejectedly: "Yu has made things worse and ruined the master's affairs. Now..."
Cao Cao waved his hand and seemed to have an open-minded attitude: "Although it comes from Zhongde, it is not necessarily what Cao Cao thinks in his heart. I am the one who takes charge of the plan, so how can I blame others? Zhongde, you should know
In my heart, why don’t you speak out boldly?”
When Cheng Yu heard this, his heart suddenly warmed up, and the embarrassment caused by his strategy being used was relieved a lot. After pondering for a moment, he probed without answering the question: "Is it possible that my lord has something in mind?"
Cao Cao's face was serious, he nodded slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Wang Pengju sent a letter to retreat, no doubt he did not intend to waste military power on our army, and intended to defeat the enemy without fighting. What he wanted was to deal with Yuan Shao wholeheartedly and fight for Hebei. If I were
If the army burns its cauldron and advances instead of retreating, his plan will come to nothing."
Cheng Yu felt awe-struck in his heart.
It will take some time for Liu Dai to find an advantage. If during this period, Cao Cao wins a great victory in Hebei and returns triumphant, his reputation may be able to overwhelm Liu Dai, so he might as well give it a try.
"The great victory of Chiping certainly showed the astonishing combat power of the Qingzhou Army and Wang Yu's desperate determination, but at the same time, it also exposed Qingzhou's weaknesses. Qingzhou is now extremely empty. In order to resist Yuan Shao's pressure, Wang Yu
Yu had to mobilize the remaining troops to assist in the battle. If our army gets involved again, wouldn't he be under greater pressure and closer to the edge of collapse?"
Cao Cao's idea was not in line with his usual style. It seemed that he was stimulated by Wang Yu, but it did sound very tempting.
"Right now, Duke Ju is in charge of the military affairs in Jizhou. He is a man of elegance and ability, and he understands the world. It should not be difficult to persuade him to fight a protracted war. There is no gap in the frontal battlefield, and the rear is empty. Once there is a change, the Qingzhou army will be able to
How can the morale of the army not be shaken if we fight? Even if the morale of the army is not shaken and the supply of food and grass in the rear is insufficient, can he still produce food?"
Cao Cao became more and more excited as he spoke, and his tone became more and more high-pitched.
"In this way, even if I lose Dongjun, I can still take Qingzhou to settle down after defeating Wang Yu. Qingzhou has been in chaos for a long time, and all the powerful and powerful families have withered. Whoever can drive away Wang Yu can easily occupy it.
In this state, Yuan Shao's vitality is severely weakened, and Gongsun Zan of Youzhou is holding him back, so he must have no time to look around... It is said that misfortunes depend on blessings, and in a difficult situation, there may be good opportunities!"
In the entire world, any prince who wants to rule any place cannot avoid the influence of local forces. Even Liaodong, which is located in a remote and border area, is no exception. Only Qingzhou is special.
Here, strength is the only decisive factor. As long as the fist is big enough, you can occupy this place. In the past, it was too dilapidated and no one valued this territory. But after Wang Yu's management, this place has started to develop at a very high speed.
After regaining my strength, I saw before my eyes the appearance of the paradise on earth.
Taking Qingzhou, for Cao Cao, was not just as simple as eliminating a strong competitor. It also gained a foundation for hegemony. Of course, Qingzhou is not as big or as rich as Yanzhou, but there is no decentralization of power here!
The New Deals implemented by Wang Yu are far inferior to his military innovations, which is not surprising at all. Everyone can see the pros and cons. The reason for not implementing the New Deals is not because they don't know how, but because they don't have the conditions.
Taking over Qingzhou is different. As long as Xiao Gui and Cao follow, within three years, Qingzhou will be able to continuously provide the ruler with all the resources needed to dominate the world.
After hearing Cao Cao's plan, Cheng Yu felt sad for a moment. What a sin, the lord is really anxious. He was so anxious that he was forced to do so by Wang Yu! Even Dongjun, which he had worked so hard to defeat, was abandoned.
.
The prospect does indeed look very good. But that's just the appearance. The so-called desperate struggle, if you can't defeat the enemy, you will be the one who dies.
Cheng Yu waited for a moment, waiting for Cao Cao's excitement to subside a little, and then said slowly: "My lord, this plan may be a try, but my lord must consider how Wang Yu will respond."
He was full of enthusiasm, but was poured cold water on him. If it were Liu Dai, he would definitely be furious, but Cao Cao is much more courageous than Liu Dai. He came to Cheng Yu to help him fill in the gaps.
He asked calmly: "How do you say this?"
"Yu also came up with this idea after hearing his lord's plan. Wang Yu was good at using strange soldiers and sometimes made surprising moves. But except for the time when he assassinated Dong Zhuo in Mengjin, he always had a complete plan in every battle.
He starts a war only when there is a chance of winning. Although he does not have a perfect chance of winning every time, if the chance of winning is too low, he will not fight to the end."
Cao Cao thought about it carefully, and it seemed that this was really the case. The heat in his eyes dropped a little, and he said in a deep voice: "You continue to talk."
"Wang Yu is a man of profound strategic skills. There are only a few of them in the world who can match him. He is attacked from both sides and has no way to win on the front line. He should not be blind to all the disadvantages. Otherwise, he would not be able to do it at the last moment.
Mobilizing Yu, Huang Er will come to help in the battle. The master is very powerful, but if he avoids the edge, how will the master deal with himself? "
"Is this... Zhongde worried too much?" It's not that Cao Cao didn't consider this aspect, but he always felt it was unlikely.
Now that the war has started, Wang Yu has completely occupied Qinghe County. He has also taken back the plains that were originally given to Gongsun Zan. Together with the Leling Kingdom that Gongsun Zan gave up, there are now three counties, and they are all adjacent to the river.
A sacred place? Can he give up so easily?
In addition, after abandoning these three counties, even if the connection between Qingzhou and Youzhou is cut off, won't they be defeated by Yuan Shao one by one? The purpose of sending troops to Hebei is to coordinate Gongsun Zan and contain Yuan Shao. If he gives up,
Even if the battle ahead is in vain, will he be willing to do so?
Cheng Yu didn't answer but asked: "My lord, do you still remember that after Wang Yu took Qingzhou, he easily gave up the plain to Tian Kai? My lord still remembered his doubts, wondering why Wang Yu didn't take advantage of the chaos to take Xuzhou? Also,
After Wang Yu defeated Bao Xin, why didn't he send troops to attack Jibei?"
Cao Cao was stopped by Cheng Yu's question and looked thoughtful.
Tao Qian is old and has no ambitions. This can be seen when he lent his troops to others when the princes gathered for an alliance. Who would lend his troops to others if he has ambitions? Take Tao Qian's attitude towards Wang Yu
Take it seriously, if the latter wants to take Xuzhou, there should be a lot of opportunities.
At the beginning of the war between Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao, there were already signs of civil strife in Xuzhou. Gongsun Zan did not ask for help, and Tao Qianqian waited. However, Wang Yu abandoned Xuzhou, which was easily accessible, and crossed the river to go north to attack Yuan Shao, a tough nut. To many princes,
These are all very unwise approaches.
The art of war emphasizes avoiding the strong and tending to the weak. Wang Yu is clearly doing the opposite.
This point can also be explained by taking the overall situation into account, but he gave up the plains to Tian Kai. After defeating Bao Xin, it would be unreasonable not to take advantage of the situation and capture Jibei. If he wants to dominate the world, how can he not be enthusiastic about territorial expansion?
Cao Cao hesitated and asked: "Does Zhongde think that Wang Yu will abandon Hebei and retreat to Qingzhou?"
"Of course." Cheng Yu smiled and nodded, seeing the doubt on Cao Cao's face, he explained in detail: "It's not that this son has no ambition to expand his territory, it's just that he is very good at controlling people and pays more attention to managing his own territory. Just like the lord
My judgment on Qingzhou is that within three years, Qingzhou will become the foundation of the Overlord! How can we take advantage of the terrain to hold on and gain a solid foundation when we go out to conquer and expand recklessly?"
Cao Cao was silent.
Wang Yu easily abandoned the plain because it was on the north bank of the river. The terrain was flat and there was no danger to defend. The situation was not too critical and it could be used as a buffer. But in a critical situation, it was more advantageous to rely on the natural dangers of the Yellow River as a barrier.
Instead of taking advantage of the victory to capture Jibei, Wang Yu would have to take advantage of the dangerous terrain of Mount Tai. The scope of Wang Yu's new policy was limited to Qingzhou, and Mount Tai would remain in its original state. If someone invaded Mount Tai, Wang Yu could take advantage of the terrain to fight and retreat.
The enemy's supply line reaches the border of Qingzhou. After the enemy is exhausted, he will attack head-on.
The significance of Taishan County to Wang Yu was a strategic buffer, so he only left Huang Zhong's three thousand soldiers in Fenggao. The one guarding Juping was Xu He, a yellow turban thief.
As for Xuzhou, it is not difficult to obtain it, but it is difficult to rule it stably. To suppress powerful people, it is necessary to station troops, and to raise troops requires money. Moreover, you have to guard against the overt and covert attacks of local powerful people. To occupy Xuzhou and form an alliance with Xuzhou, which one
It’s more affordable, it’s really hard to say.
"Wang Yu's retreat will not only leave room for my lord to retreat, but may also have a hint. My lord, if you sink the boat, he will break up. With the elite of the Qingzhou Army, even if it is a two-sided battle, there should be no way to defend the territory.
The problem is, after all, Liu Dai is no longer able to coordinate Hebei's offensive, at most he only has Zang Ba..."
"I was impulsive and almost ruined a major event. Wang Pengju's planning was so deep that it was just..." Cao Cao was sweating profusely, stroking his forehead with his hand, and said happily: "Fortunately, Zhongde reminded me, fortunately Zhongde reminded me! Pass it on to me.
General orders, the whole army is to leave the city and attack Cangtingjin!" (To be continued)