Chen Cheng smiled and said: "Wen Hezhen is a man of extraordinary intelligence. It is true that someone from Yanzhou has contacted me secretly."
While they were talking, Yan Zhong also arrived. After Yan Bodao came in, he wrinkled his nose first, looked at the wooden box on the table, and asked, "Whose head is this?"
Although it has been pickled, the nauseating stench cannot be concealed.
Chen Cheng sighed and told what happened and his own decision to send troops. Yan Zhong frowned and asked: "Has the situation in Xuzhou deteriorated to this point? Even Gao Shun died in the battle? Li Qiushou
There are only three months left, can't Liu Bei support it for another three months? Or we can buy more grain and grass from Yangzhou and Jingzhou and send it to Xuzhou?"
"Not enough, this is far from enough," Chen Cheng handed Liu Bei's letter to Yan Zhong and said, "Bo Dao, you will know after you read it yourself."
General Yan Zhong took the letter, read it at a glance, and said disapprovingly: "A general cannot raise an army out of anger. The people of Xuzhou are very miserable, but the king cannot change his original plan just because of this! The soldiers are not enough to defeat him.
Cao Cao has a large number of troops and has no way to supply them. Should he imitate Cao Mengde and mobilize them on the spot in Yanzhou?"
Chen Cheng said: "I only plan to bring 10,000 people out of Tongguan this time. With the 10,000 people Xu Rong has in hand, 20,000 people will be enough."
"Twenty thousand people..." Yan Zhong thought for a moment and asked, "Isn't that too few?"
"What if we add the powerful local scholars in Yanzhou and Zang Ba and others who are entrenched in Mount Tai?"
"Cao Mengde implemented an unprecedentedly strict method of soil destruction in Yanzhou. It will indeed cause dissatisfaction among the local people, but do they really have the courage to rebel? Zang Ba has been defeated by Cao Cao several times, and he may not send troops." Yan Zhong looked at it.
He looked at Jia Xu beside him, then turned back and said to Chen Cheng: "I think Liu Bei exaggerated the difficulties and just wanted to use this to force the lord to send troops!"
Chen Cheng shook his head and said: "Xuzhou really can't hold on anymore. Once Xiapi is broken, there will be no comparable fortified city behind. If the people of Xuzhou don't see the hope of victory, they will surrender."
If we get to Yanzhou, then Cao Cao will have Xu Yan. With Xuzhou's wealth and the ferocity of Cao's army, it will be even harder to deal with."
He knew that Liu Bei was an indomitable hero, and Chen Deng and his son were also rare heroes in the world, but other people in Xuzhou may not be able to face death unwaveringly. Even if they have a blood feud, their stance may change in the face of life and death.
.As far as Chen Cheng knows, there are many such things.
Yan Zhong thought about it in his mind, and then asked: "How sure are you of your departure?"
Chen Cheng said: "I can't say with absolute certainty, it's always 60-70%."
"Who is the leader among the Yanzhou people who have contact with the monarch?"
Chen Cheng looked around, lowered his voice and said a name.
"It's actually him?"
Yan Zhong had a look of disbelief on his face, "He is Cao Mengde's confidant!"
Jia Xu had always been indifferent to emotions and anger, and now there was a surprised expression on his face. If what Chen Cheng said was true, how could he be only 60-70% sure? At least 89%.
But, could this be true?
Not only did Jia Xu suddenly think of this problem, Yan Zhong also had the same worry, "The timing is too coincidental! Is there some fraud involved?"
Now that the main force of Cao's army is trapped in Xuzhou, Yanzhou's defense is extremely empty. If this person really surrenders to the imperial court, it will be like draining fuel from the bottom of the cauldron. Let alone 20,000 people, even if there are only 10,000 people, they can
Cao Cao is dead!
Both Jia Xu and Yan Zhong expressed doubts about this incident, but Chen Cheng believed it almost completely. Because this incident also happened in the original history, and he heard that Bian Rang was killed,
The family property was confiscated, so there is no doubt about the authenticity of the matter.
"Logically speaking, what Cao Cao is most afraid of now is that we suddenly send troops. Even if he likes to cheat, he will never provoke us at this time." Chen Cheng said: "I decided to lead the troops eastward the day after tomorrow, but this matter needs to be done
Keep it secret and don’t let outsiders know.”
Yan Zhong felt that even if he could not successfully defeat Cao Cao, he was determined not to do any harm. Even if he could not successfully annex Yanzhou, the worst he could do was to retreat. Although the food and grass near Luoyang would be completely consumed, if Yanzhou was attacked, the losses would only be
bigger.
But...Yan Zhong asked: "Not all the Ya soldiers have returned yet. Which troops do you want to take to Yanzhou?"
Chen Cheng said: "There are 3,000 people in the trapped camp plus the Flying Bear Hussars. We will also mobilize 3,000 Xiliang troops and 3,000 Guanzhong soldiers and horses. In addition, there will be some engineers and heavy troops, which will be exactly 10,000 people. Let the Ministry of Husbandry
The Ministry of War prepares all night, and all necessary weapons, armor, war horses, and draft horses must be ready within two days."
"Okay, I will go to Shangshu Province to urge them to start preparations."
The large-scale mobilization of troops, horses and supplies cannot be hidden from the eyes of those who are interested, but because the news of the troop dispatch is blocked among the top management, even if outsiders can detect it, it will be several days later. And it has been happening continuously these days.
There were soldiers returning to Chang'an from Bingzhou, and soldiers and horses continued to go to Bingzhou. Even if there were spies lurking in Chang'an City, they would not be able to figure out the true movements of the imperial soldiers and horses.
After leaving the office, Chen Cheng returned to the General's Mansion. Before he entered, he heard the laughter of girls. Liu Qian was talking to Zi Jia'er. When she heard footsteps outside, she immediately got up and rushed out, throwing herself at Chen Cheng.
In his arms, he said crisply: "Master, you are back!"
She raised her head and asked, "Why did you come back so early today?"
Chen Cheng lowered his head and kissed her forehead. Liu Qian put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. Chen Cheng kissed her and said, "Okay, there are others around."
Liu Qian's nostrils made a "hmm" sound, sweet and authentic; "Zijia'er is not someone else."
After a while, Chen Cheng took off Princess Wannian from his body and said, "I won't go to Weiyang Palace tomorrow. I will watch some singing and dancing at home."
Zi Jiaer bowed down at the side and said: "I have seen the general!"
Chen Cheng asked Liu Qian to help Zi Jia'er up and said, "You are the princess's best friend. You can come to the house often in the next few months."
Liu Qian tilted her head and asked, "Master, are you going to lead your troops to fight again?"
Chen Cheng touched his chin and said, "Is what I said so obvious?"
"Yeah, it's just that obvious."
"Then it seems that I have to pay attention to the way I speak in the future," Chen Cheng shook his head and said, "Otherwise, you will see through everything."
Liu Qian said with a smile: "Take me with you when you go to fight. I can charge into battle with you during the day, and I can also help you warm your bed at night."
Zi Jiaer's face turned red when she heard this, and she quickly said: "The general and the princess have something to say, so the slave family will leave first."
After saying that, she lowered her head and hurriedly retreated from the lobby.
Chen Cheng also felt that bringing Liu Qian with him would be beneficial to the war. Well, the benefit here does not refer to the warm bed. But he still shook his head and said: "Guanzhong is our foundation, I need you
Watch some for me here."
"Aren't there Yan Zhong and Jia Xu?"
"Bo Dao is brave and careful, but he lacks courage. Jia Xu is very talented, but his first priority is to protect himself wisely. They all have shortcomings of one kind or another. Under normal circumstances, they are fine. If something unexpected happens, I'm afraid Bo Dao will
He will take the opportunity to kill."
Chen Cheng said: "If that happens, Jia Xu will not stop it. Others do not have the qualifications and prestige of Bo Dao, and their official positions cannot be compared with Bo Dao. I am afraid that all the court ministers will be killed.
"
"Then appoint a Shangshu Ling or Zhongshu Ling, wouldn't it be good to divide Yan Zhong's power in half?"
"I have thought about it, but there is no suitable candidate."
Liu Qian was wearing a red skirt today with a red headband on her head. She looked playful and cute. She supported one cheek with her hand and said, "My prestige and qualifications are not enough, even if I stay here
, I can’t care about Shangshu Ling and Zhongshu Ling, so I might as well go to war with you!"
"You are the emperor's sister, the imperial princess of ten thousand years, and the general's wife. Who dares not to listen to you?"
Liu Qian smiled and said: "I always feel that the title of the general's wife is a bit strange."
"Then it feels weird for you to call me master."
"But when I call you master..."
Ahem, Chen Cheng stretched out his hand to cover Liu Qian's lips and said: "Let's get down to business. I will give an order to the provincial department to let you act as the general while I am leading my troops on the expedition."
"Shall I be a general?" Liu Qian thought for a moment, with an excited look in her eyes, "It sounds quite interesting!"
"Hey, I'm asking you to temporarily take over the position of general. I'm just letting you look after the family, not making any big news!"
When she was in Liangzhou, there was the "Yinchuan Daily". After arriving in Guanzhong, there was the "Chang'an Daily", so Liu Qian knew what the news meant. She was a little dissatisfied; "Am I the kind of person who likes to make trouble for nothing?"
People?"
"Well...it's hard to say."
Liu Qian pretended to be angry, but suddenly thought of something, so she put her head on his lap and asked: "Hasn't Bingzhou been defeated? Master, where are you going to attack? They are the Xianbei people in Mobei.
Are you on the border?"
"Yanzhou," Chen Cheng said, "the person we have to deal with this time is Cao Cao."
"Cao Mengde, Emperor Wu of Wei?" Liu Qian sat up and said in surprise: "Didn't he say that he would send troops to Yanzhou after the autumn?"
"There is no way, Xuzhou can no longer hold on any longer. Cao Cao dug up the Surabaya River and flooded Xiapi City. If Gao Shun hadn't led his troops to cut off the rear, I'm afraid even the second brother Guan would have been spared." Chen Cheng now talks about this incident.
, has calmed down a lot, "Cao Cao also sent Gao Shun's head. If we don't send troops, I'm afraid the next time we send it, we won't know whose head it is."
"Gao Shun is dead?" Liu Qian said with some pity: "He was very good at training troops and fighting."
But then she added: "In this case, not one of Lu Bu's old men will be left."
