Being criticized by Tao Shang, Chen Deng also knew where his mistake was, and his face turned red with guilt.
Tao Shang pointed out Chen Deng's shortcomings seriously:
First, he is a bit petty. Once others agree with his own opinions, he will refute others indiscriminately and do everything possible without even thinking about it.
Second, you are a bit of a coward. You are also the head of the Chen family after all. When you heard that it was your father who gave the advice, you were so frightened that you were like a waiter. You opened your mouth and changed your tone. You have no position of your own at all!
Why don't you learn from me?
No matter how cruel your father is, he can still beat you to death with a cane!
Unfortunately, Chen Deng was really afraid of his father, and Tao Shang's earnest persuasion had no effect on him.
"I think my father's advice is very reasonable!" Chen Deng emphasized again to Tao Shang and Guo Jia righteously.
Look at his worthless virtue.
Tao Shang rolled his eyes helplessly and said helplessly: "Since you agree with your father's opinion so much, and you have been negotiating with Chen Gong, Zhang Miao and other nobles in Yanzhou during this period, you might as well tell Tao about the information about Yanzhou first
What did you say last time?"
Chen Deng cleared his throat and said: "Chen Gong and Zhang Miao have contacted the leaders of the noble clans in Yanzhou to start an uprising. Chen Gong and Zhang Miao don't know much about the eastward direction of Cao Jun's ten troops in Liang State.
They just knew that Cao Jun’s Tenth Route Army had indeed set off in Puyang, and the officials in Puyang did think that all the ten troops were in the Liang Kingdom. Little did they know that only Xia Houyuan’s troops were bluffing here.”
After listening to Chen Deng's narration, Guo Jia said happily: "Your father, Dr. Chen, is indeed very scheming. In the past, when Liang Guotun stationed ten soldiers and horses, even Chen Gong and Zhang Miao didn't know the truth. How could this old man do it?"
It can be seen...it seems that Cao Cao's game of chess is really big, and his target is indeed the nobles of Yanzhou and the northwest generals."
The pottery merchant stood up, stood in front of the picture hanging in the main hall, and hesitated: "In that case, where should these ten troops be stationed now? Where is Cao Cao himself?"
Chen Deng stood up and said: "Chen doesn't know where the generals of Cao's army who were supposed to be stationed in Liang State are, but according to Chen Gong, Cao Cao himself should be in Jiyin County now."
"Jiyin County?"
Guo Jia suddenly stood up, walked quickly to Pi Tu, touched his chin, and carefully examined Pi Tu for a while, and then suddenly realized: "So, Guo knows Cao Cao's intention of using troops."
Tao Shang and Chen Deng looked at him together.
But Guo Jia pointed at Pi Tu and analyzed it for the two of them.
"Jiyin County is close to the Yellow River and is also close to the Yanjin Ferry. As Guo expected, Cao Cao himself is in Jiyin County to appease the Yanzhou gentry. At the same time, this place is close to the western border of Xuzhou. Cao Cao can spy on us at any time.
The generals under Cao Cao stationed their troops at Yanjin Ferry. If our Xuzhou soldiers did not act too radically, they would take a boat at Yanjin Ferry and rush west along the Yellow River Ferry to Xingyang to intercept and kill the eastbound troops.
The Xiliang generals then turned back and entered the territory to quell the rebellion of the nobles. If our Xuzhou Army made an excessive move, the main force of Cao's army at Yanjin Crossing would first go south to deal with our Xuzhou Army, and then conquer the territory.
Rebellious.”
When Chen Deng heard this, he suddenly realized: "Using the convenience of the ferry's waterway, there will be no disadvantageous situation of looking to the east and not to the west...Cao Cao is very cunning."
Tao Shang narrowed his eyes and asked curiously: "You said that Cao Cao is observing the situation of our army and considering whether to take action against us? But now that Liang Kingdom has been captured by us, won't he be there soon?"
Guo Jia shook his head and said: "Not yet. Cao Cao's primary goal now is to deal with the rebellious nobles in Yanzhou. Moreover, Liang Kingdom is located between Shanyang County and Chenliu County. Even if you take it, you won't be able to hold it for a long time."
, on the city, Cao Cao is not very worried, what he is worried about now is your next move."
The pottery merchant understood somewhat after hearing this.
He gently touched the location of Jiyin County with his hand, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said: "According to Brother Fengxiao's wishes, what we have to do now is to find a way to confuse Cao Cao and make him think that we are not marching towards Yanzhou.
Ambition allows him to calm down the root causes of civil strife, right?"
Guo Jia smiled: "That's the truth. The question is what should we do."
The potter took a deep breath and began to think.
Chen Deng advised: "It is not impossible to deceive Cao Cao. In this regard, Deng has a few ideas for your reference."
As soon as Chen Deng said these words, Tao Shang suddenly remembered.
In history, Chen Yuanlong is the number one double-dealer in the world. He is the best at double-dealing. When it comes to deceiving people and tricking people, Chen Yuanlong can be said to be the ancestor of this era.
"Yuanlong, please tell me the details?"
Chen Deng cleared his throat, and then told the pottery merchant and Guo Jia his ideas and strategies.
Guo Jia listened quietly, tasted a product carefully, then extended his thumb to Chen Deng and praised: "Great!"
Tao Shang also studied it for a long time and nodded: "Yuan Long's strategy is very good, but it still needs some supplements. After all, Cao Cao is not an idle person. Tao wants to make some appropriate changes in Yuan Long's strategy."
After that, Chen Deng made some changes to Chen Deng's strategy that fit his style to a certain extent.
Guo Jia took another careful look at the pottery, and then gave the potter a thumbs up and said, "That's cheap!"
…
Jiyin, the county government residence.
Cao Cao has been staying in Jiyin County for a long time, for no other reason than to be able to always know the intelligence of the Jinling Army in Pei County.
When he learned that Xu Huang and Tao Ji of the Jinling Army were attacking two counties in Liang State in two groups, Cao Cao felt that something was wrong.
He wanted to immediately notify Yanjin's main force to go south, but in the end he endured it.
Cao Cao calmly analyzed the situation, and then wanted to write a letter to Xun You and Xia Houyuan, telling them not to act rashly.
But before Cao Cao's letter could be sent out, he received a battle report that Xia Houyuan was defeated and captured, and Xun You led his army to withdraw from the Liang Kingdom.
Cao Cao was so furious that he almost sent troops to Liang State to rescue Xiahou Yuan.
In the end, he did not rush to do this for the sake of Yanzhou's stability.
But at this moment, Cao Cao is already at the critical point of going berserk, and may actually send a large army to kill Xuzhou at any time.
At this juncture, the envoy from Xuzhou came to Yanzhou to meet Cao Cao with the sincerity of the pottery merchant.
When he heard that Tao Shang sent an envoy to see him, Cao Cao immediately braced himself to receive the envoy.
The envoy who came to Jiyin from Xuzhou was a talent who had recently been recommended to Tao Qian by the great scholar Zheng Xuan. He was appointed by Tao Qian and asked to go to Pei County to help the pottery merchants raise money and food for military supplies.
The name of the messenger is Sun Qian.
When Cao Cao met Sun Qian, he saw that Sun Qian was graceful, elegant, and well-mannered. He liked him very much, and his anger was somewhat relieved.
But on the surface, Cao Cao did not give Sun Qian a good face.
"Cao has already mobilized troops from Yanzhou and wants to go to Xuzhou to kill the Tao family and his son to avenge my old father and younger brother. Tao Shang's son did not practice virtue and burned incense and prayed for repentance. Instead, he raised an army first to seize our Liang Kingdom and hurt me. Soldiers and generals, capture my clan, it would be unworthy of you not to avenge me! At this time of year, why did the little thief of the pottery merchant ask you to come here?"
Faced with Cao Cao's sharp rebuke, Sun Qian did not panic at all.
"Reporting to Duke Cao, Master Tao specially ordered me to come to ask for peace and a cessation of war. He wants to ask Duke Cao for a truce on the condition of General Xiahou Yuan, so that the two families can re-establish an alliance and jointly support the Han Dynasty and the people."
As soon as he said this, Cao Cao's nose almost became crooked.
"The little potter's thief killed my father and captured my brother, and now he wants to make peace? It's just a dream! What does he think of Cao? He's fooling me like he did Dong Zhuo? Damn! Cao won't take his piece of cake. set!"
Sun Qian was not in a hurry, but just advised: "Mr. Cao, before Lord Tao came down, he asked me to give you a message: Whether your father's death has anything to do with Xuzhou or not, Gong Cao knows very well. What a hero he is, why? Are you willing to take a knife in the hands of others? Today, General Xiahou is in the hands of our Xuzhou Army, and his life is at stake. If Cao Gong still cares about brotherhood, he will call a truce and pay 500,000 to buy General Xiahou's life. It’s not like the two parties are harmonious…”
"Wait a minute, wait a minute! Shut your mouth first!"
Cao Cao hurriedly raised his hand, interrupted Sun Qian's words, and looked at him with incredible eyes.
"The meaning of what you just said... is that the pottery merchant killed my old father and captured my brother. Now I want to send troops to fight him, but he used my brother's life in exchange for my retreat. At the same time, I have to pay another He has five hundred thousand dollars? Messenger Sun, do you mean this? Cao must have understood it correctly, right?"
Sun Qian nodded with a smile and said: "Gong Cao is really a hero of the world. He can tell with just one point. Yes, that's what Mr. Taiping means."
"I bother!"
Cao Cao stared at him coldly and sneered: "Little thief pottery merchant, how come it has been so many years and his stinky behavior has not changed at all? In Cao's ears, this condition made it feel like I was not sending troops to fight him, but instead It's a bit like he sent troops to destroy me? Messenger Sun, before you came to Cao, did you understand the situation?"
Sun Qian bowed his hands modestly and said, "Thank you, Mr. Cao, for your concern. Please make this matter clear before you come here."
"It's so obvious, but you still..." Cao Cao was about to scold him, but suddenly he felt blessed and seemed to have thought of some key point in his mind.
wrong!
How could I agree to this kind of exchange condition if I am not stupid?
The little thief of the pottery merchant is a smart man and would never send an envoy all the way over to negotiate an agreement that is impossible to negotiate. Why would he bother with this?
There must be something wrong here!
Thinking of this, Cao Cao stopped talking. He waved his hand and said to Sun Qian: "Envoy, please go to the post house to rest first. After Cao Mou carefully examines the matter, you and I will make a decision!"