Chapter 142: Who can win between Cao Cao and Liu Bei
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Wancheng is the administrative seat of Nanyang County, and Nanyang is considered the gateway to Jingzhou.
It is also a land of vast plains, which is easy to attack but difficult to defend.
Therefore, Liu Biao asked Zhang Xiu to station troops in Nanyang to block the troops from the north for him.
Liu Biao settled in Xiangyang, with Zhang Xiu guarding the gate and the Han River blocking it, so he had double insurance.
Before that, Zhang Ji originally stationed troops in Hongnong Shaanxi County. Guanzhong experienced the Li Beibeisi Rebellion. The people were in dire straits and basically either died or fled. There was nothing to eat in Guanzhong, so he had to lead his troops south to Nanyang.
Grab food.
During the attack on Rang County, he was shot to death by a stray arrow. It was said to be a stray arrow, but who knows if someone as skilled in archery as Zhang Wu Yankuan deliberately took the shot accurately.
After Zhang Ji died, his nephew Zhang Xiu led them.
Zhang Xiu is now General Jianzhong and has been named Marquis Xuanwei. This is a county Marquis, and his status is not bad at all.
"General, there is a man outside the mansion who calls himself Xuzhou Military Advisor Zhonglang General, named Zhou Ping and Zhou Wen'an, and comes to ask for an audience."
Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu were sitting and talking in the mansion, when suddenly soldiers came to report.
"Zhou Wen'an? Why is he here?"
Zhang Xiu had heard of Zhou Wen'an, but he didn't know much about it.
"General, Zhou Wen'an is here to ask for help." Jia Xu said.
"Ask me for help? I only have more than 10,000 people, how can I help him?"
Zhang Xiu did not immediately want to meet Zhou Ping, nor did he refuse. He wanted to ask Jia Xu's opinion first.
Jia Xu is now fifty years old. He previously went to Duan Xuan, a man from the same county. However, he was jealous of Duan Xuan, so he secretly got together with Zhang Xiu and wanted to join him.
Zhang Xiu, like Jia Xu, was from Wuwei County, Liangzhou, so he sent someone to invite him, and he treated him very well as he was a descendant.
Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled and said: "When Zhou Wen'an came here, he mainly asked for Liu Jingzhou. The general is currently stationed in Nanyang. If Zhou Wen'an wants to ask Liu Jingzhou to send troops to help, the general must be the first, so he should come first."
Just a visit."
"Liu Xuande has many troops and horses, and his troops are strong and his generals are brave. Why do we need our help?" Zhang Xiu knew that Cao Cao personally led an army to attack Xuzhou.
"Haha, Liu Xuzhou was reluctant to abandon Jiujiang. He wanted to occupy Jiujiang and retreat from the enemy."
"Now that Zhou Wen'an has come to invite us, should we send troops to help him?" Zhang Xiu asked.
Jia Xu lightly stroked his beard and said with a smile: "If the general wants to send troops to help us, he must attack Xudu with troops. However, the general does not have to decide whether to send troops to help. The general only said that if Liu Jingzhou is willing to send troops, the general can send troops."
"
Zhang Xiu asked: "Will Liu Jingzhou send troops?"
Jia Xu shook his head slightly: "Although Liu Jingzhou has talents, he is only one of the three talents in ordinary times. In such troubled times, with his talents, he is more than capable of preserving the territory but not enough to make progress. Nanyang is such a big county, and he is willing to give it up to others. This shows that this person
He has no ambition to go north, and as expected by Yi Xu, he will not send troops."
"That way, I don't need to see Zhou Wen'an anymore."
"No, of course the general wants to see him. Now there are only two people in the world who are ambitious, one is Cao Mengde and the other is Liu Xuande. Now Cao Gong is attacking Xu and Cao Liu is dueling. Whoever wins will dominate the world. The general can set up his troops.
Wait, see the situation and jump in. Don't offend Liu Xuzhou at this time."
"Who do you think can win?" Zhang Xiu asked urgently.
Jia Xu twirled his beard and smiled softly: "Who can win is not decided by Cao and Liu. There is only one person who can decide which one of them can win."
"Who?" Zhang Xiu asked quickly.
"Yuan Benchu." Jia Xu replied.
"Cao Gong has the order of the emperor and is good at using troops. He has the two states of Yan and Henan. He has also won the yellow scarf soldiers of Qingzhou before, which can be said to be powerful. However, Liu Zhendong has the bravery of Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, and Zhou Wen'an complements him, which makes him even more powerful.
He has spread benevolence and righteousness and won the hearts of the people of Xuzhou. Now he has occupied Jiujiang, and his power is no weaker than that of Duke Cao."
Jia Xu continued: "Zhou Wen'an came to ask for help this time. If Liu Jingzhou is unwilling to send troops, he will go to Jizhou to ask Yuan Benchu for help. Therefore, if Yuan Jizhou is willing to send troops to help, Liu Xuande may be victorious. If he is unwilling to send troops to help, Liu Xuande will probably win."
, I’m afraid that Duke Cao will win.”
Zhang Xiu asked again: "Will Yuan Jizhou send troops to help Liu Xuande?"
"It's hard to say.
"
Jia Xu shook his head. Although he was good at predicting events, he still couldn't guess whether Yuan Shao would send troops to help Liu Bei.
The relationship between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao is known to everyone in the world.
When Cao Cao sent troops to attack Xuzhou twice before, Yuan Shao sent troops to help. Later, when Lu Bu attacked Yanzhou, Yuan Shao sent troops to help.
What's more, when the two of them were in Luoyang earlier, they were already a pair of bad friends who went to steal the bride together. It can be said that they have a deep friendship, so it is very possible that he is unwilling to help Liu Bei.
Zhang Xiu felt confident now, so he asked the soldiers to bring Zhou Ping in.
Eighteen of Zhou Ping's guards were waiting outside the palace gate. Zhang Wu followed him into the palace and stood guard outside the hall door.
Entering the hall, Zhou Ping saw two people sitting there. He already guessed that the person sitting at the top was Zhang Xiu, and the person sitting on the side seat must be Jia Xu.
After bowing and introducing each other, Zhou Ping sat on the side seat opposite Jia Xu.
Zhang Xiu looked at the young man in front of him, who was wearing a silk robe and a fist-sized wine gourd hanging from his waist. He had a smile on his face, but he couldn't hide his tiredness.
This is the Zhou Wen'an who is said to be a master of predicting events. He set up an ambush to defeat Yuan Shu and then destroyed Lu Bu!
Zhang Xiu examined it for a moment and then asked: "I heard that Duke Cao raised his troops to attack Xu, and General Zhou Zhonglang did not resist the enemy in Xuzhou. I wonder what he is doing here?"
Zhou Ping picked up the wine in front of him, took a sip, put the glass down again, and replied: "To be honest, I came here to ask for help from the general to save Xuzhou, and at the same time to save the general."
"Save me?" Zhang Xiu was stunned for a moment, looked at each other with Jia Xu, and then laughed, "Ah ha ha ha... I wonder what danger I am in?"
At this time, Jia Xu gently stroked his long beard, looked at Zhou Ping carefully, nodded slightly, and already guessed what Zhou Ping was going to say.
"Before Cao Cao sent troops to attack Xuzhou, he threatened to send troops to attack Nanyang. I believe the general must have heard about it." Zhou Ping said with a smile.
"Yes, I have also heard about this. It is just Cao Cao's plan to attack the east and the west. It may not actually attack Nanyang."
"The first thing Cao Cao is worried about now is the safety of Xudu. Nanyang is very close to Xudu. Unless the general surrenders to Cao Cao, Cao Cao will definitely raise his troops to attack. If Xuzhou is for Cao Cao
As a result, he will raise his troops here next. How will the general respond at that time?" Zhou Ping asked.
"If Duke Cao really raises his troops to attack with the emperor's order, we will refuse if we can, and surrender if we can't. What's the worry?" Jia Xu answered first.
"Hahaha..." Zhou Ping suddenly burst out laughing. Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu both looked at him in confusion, only to hear him continue, "If Cao Cao is surrendered, Jia Wenhe will naturally be able to serve as the ninth minister, but he will not be a general."
He is just a general who obeys orders."
Zhou Ping never thought of recruiting Jia Xu, an old fox, for Liu Bei, because that was simply impossible.
Since such talents are not available, the best way is to destroy them and not let the enemy get them.
He deliberately said this to sow discord between Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu, and at the same time, he also wanted to put an end to Zhang Xiu's desire to surrender to Cao Cao.
Historically, Jia Xu did persuade Zhang Xiu to surrender to Cao Cao. If Cao Cao had not forcibly married Zhang Ji's wife, Zhang Xiu might have been one of the five good generals under Cao Cao.
If Zhang Xiu surrendered to Cao Cao, for Liu Bei, it would be an act of a powerful enemy. Zhou Ping did not want to see such a thing happen.
However, now Cao Cao attacks Xuzhou first and does not attack Zhang Xiu according to historical development, nor does Dian Wei die in battle. Cao Ang's death, and how things will develop in the future, no one knows.
"Then tell me, what will happen if General Jianzhong doesn't surrender to Duke Cao?"
Jia Xu was not angry because of this and asked Zhou Ping with a smile.
Zhang Xiu also looked at Zhou Ping expectantly, wondering how this man who knew things like a god would predict his future development.
