For Cao Cao, a chaotic Yangzhou is far more important than a stable Yangzhou.
His Yanzhou is connected to Huaibei, Huaibei is connected to Huainan, and Huainan is across the river from Jiangdong. When he evacuates Huainan and rushes to Huaibei to deal with Lu Bu, he must not give Yangzhou away.
Because whether it is Liu Yao's restoration or Liu Biao's occupation, if Cao Cao does not get Huainan, it will pose a threat to his sphere of influence.
So it is better to keep Yuan Shu.
Yuan Shu has been crippled, Liu Biao's forces want to advance eastward, and Liu Yao wants to be reset. The three parties will compete and fight against each other. For Cao Cao, the chaos in Yangzhou will naturally be better. This will also give him enough power.
Use your strength to deal with Lu Bu and expand your territory as soon as possible.
The only problem is how to ensure that Yuan Shu does not die?
This matter was easy to solve. There was an information gap between Huang Zu and them. They knew that Yuan Shu's reinforcements were coming soon, but Huang Zu didn't know, so they only needed to find a way to delay it for a few days.
Cao Cao asked Huang Zu to wait a few more days on the excuse that Shouchun City had high walls and insufficient siege equipment and needed to make siege equipment.
A few days later, Ji Ling and Liu Xun's troops rushed back to Shouchun. The two troops combined tens of thousands of troops, plus some remaining remnants from Wu County in Danyang, Jiangdong and other places. Yuan Shu's troops and horses could at least be 50,000 to 60,000.
Compared with the previous army of hundreds of thousands, the strength was not reduced at all.
But there was nothing he could do about it. His soldiers and horses were just a mob, and Yuan Shu himself was of limited skill. Over the years, relying on the influence of the Yuan family, Yuan Shu became king and hegemon in places such as Runan, Huainan, Jingnan, etc., but he could only dominate these places for a while.
.
In the Central Plains, who among Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Sun Jian, Lu Bu, Liu Biao and others was not a momentary hero? Therefore, even though there were more than 100,000 troops, they were all squandered in just a few years.
It's just that he was basically defeated when he met these people, but he was still somewhat confident against Liu Yao, so Cao Cao temporarily spared his life and let him continue to compete with Liu Yao in Yangzhou. Yuan Shu's strength was greatly weakened, and Liu Yao was
Yangzhou has always been prestigious, and Liu Biao has the intention to advance eastward, so let the three of them continue to stir up trouble in this muddy water.
As Yuan Shu's reinforcements arrived, Cao Cao announced his evacuation on the grounds of running out of food. Huang Zu did not want to let go of this achievement and decided to continue the siege. As for the outcome, it was not Cao Cao's concern. He was now focused on thinking about it.
Go to Pi to see if you can eliminate Lu Bu or drive him away from Guangling.
The southern battlefield was still as chaotic as mud, and the same was true for the northern battlefield. Yuan Shao launched a brazen attack on Gongsun Zan, causing Gongsun Zan to flee in panic. If Chen Mu and Liu Bei hadn't rescued him repeatedly, perhaps he would have been killed as early as Fuyang
It became his burial place.
After returning from the Bohai Sea, Chen Mu returned to the plains. It is obvious that a full-scale war is about to begin, but it is not the time to take the initiative to attack, because in order to completely defeat Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan must be restrained, so the Youzhou rebellion must be put down first.
In Pingyuan Country, the Yellow River rolls majestically to the east in the distance. In a manor by the river, Chen Mu stood at the table and carefully wrote a calligraphy. He had not practiced calligraphy much in recent months, and his calligraphy skills were about to decline.
.
There was a sprinkling of spring rain in the small building last night, and this morning the drizzle was still hazy, hitting the bamboo leaves outside the window, making a rustling sound.
Yan Zhong and Xu Rong stood aside and watched. Today, they were specifically asked to come over because they had something to say.
"Yes, this character is strong, soft and powerful, and the strokes are neat and clean. It is a rare masterpiece."
After Chen Mu finished waving the brush, Yan Zhong savored it carefully and couldn't help but praise it. The handwriting was indeed good.
But Chen Mu shook his head: "I haven't practiced for several months, and I am very rusty. Some of my strokes are a little less meaningful and less charming. If I had practiced diligently before, I should have written better."
"Zi Gui called us here today. He didn't want us to see your handwriting."
Xu Rong couldn't help but ask.
He is a rough man and really doesn't know how to appreciate art such as calligraphy and painting.
Chen Mu smiled and said thoughtfully: "De Gui, I remember that Gongsun Du of Liaodong is an old friend of you. It was you who recommended him to Dong Zhuo as the governor of Liaodong."
Xu Rong's current pseudonym is Xu Zheng, and Yan Zhong named him Degui, which means standard. This word represents moral standards, which is in line with the correct name.
Therefore, whether in front of outsiders or privately, the name Xu Rong has completely disappeared, leaving only Xu Zheng.
This is also for the sake of unnecessary trouble, for fear of being pushed over by others accidentally. It is also a reminder to Xu Rong that he must bid farewell to his past and not let anyone recognize that he has a dark history of working for Dong Zhuo.
Xu Rong nodded and said: "Yes, Shengji and I have known each other for many years and are good friends. When I joined the army, I was transferred from Liaodong to Xiliang to deal with the Qiang rebellion. Under Dong Zhuo's command, after I gradually gained Dong Zhuo's trust, I
I recommended Shengji to him, and at that time, his name was still Gongsun Bao."
"Gongsun Du's original name was Gongsun Bao. Because he had the same name, surname, and age as Gongsun Bao, the son of Gongsun Xi, the prefect of Xuantu, who died young, he was favored by Gongsun Xi. He not only helped him study, helped him get a wife, and even recommended him to the imperial court as a minister.
Lang, also served as the governor of Jizhou."
Chen Mu smiled slightly and said calmly: "But in the end he changed his name to Gongsun Du, as if to completely erase this experience. What do you think of this man's character?"
"Well..."
Xu Rong didn't know what to say. After all, he was a childhood friend and it was difficult for him to evaluate.
Yan Zhong was not familiar with Gongsun Du, so naturally he had nothing to say.
Chen Mu smiled.
Gongsun Du is not highly praised in history books. Chen Shou called him "cruel and unruly." When he took office as the governor of Liaodong, in order to establish his authority, he killed more than a hundred wealthy families and killed thousands of people.
Li Min, the former governor of Hanoi, had his clan exterminated because he refused Gongsun Du's conquest. Even his father's grave was dug out and his body was slaughtered in a museum. Judging from the public opinion environment at the time, it was almost only Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao's.
Compared with him, he is a wolf killer.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The idea of Yuan Shao colluding with Gongsun Du to attack Gongsun Zan was within Chen Mu's expectation. It was not that the Military Intelligence Department had infiltrated Yuan Shao, or that Yuan Shao had a counselor.
He defected to Qingzhou, but the envoy he sent happened to be a party member.
The power of the party is deeply rooted in Jizhou, and the disciples and former officials of Wang Fenxun, Chen Yi, Xunshuang and others are all over Jizhou. Although Yuan Shao cracked down hard, he only put the party members in high cabinets and took advantage of their positions to deprive them of their power.
Power does not wipe out all party members in one fell swoop.
Their disciples, former officials, and descendants of the younger generation have long since spread out, including Xun Chen, Guo Tu, and Chen Lin, who are inextricably linked to the party members. For example, Xun Chen is Xun Shuang’s nephew, Guo
Guo Yi, a member of Tu's tribe, and Fan Pang, one of the Eight Gus, were good friends. Chen Lin gathered under Yuan Shao's command in Luoyang in her early years and had close friendship with the party members.
Living in this world, it is difficult to escape from this network of relationships. Especially the party members were originally the most famous scholar leaders during the period of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling. They were born into the first-class wealthy families in the world, and their descendants and juniors
The disciples are naturally from powerful families, and they are entangled with each other and entangled.
Even the Yuan family is also deeply involved with party members. For example, some of the chief registrars, secretaries, and officials in Yuan Shao's army are party members, big and small. Some are loyal to Yuan Shao, and some are Xun and Chen Yi.
His disciples and former officials were deeply hidden and lurking among Yuan Shao's army.
Xun, Chen Yi and others have decided to defect to the imperial court, so some information about Yuan Shao's army can easily be transferred to Chen Mu's desk through them.
Although there are no internal agents among the senior officials around Yuan Shao, it is also a good thing that there are spies at the middle and lower levels.
Although the information they passed on was fragmented, if multiple things were connected together, it would still be able to give Liu Bei's advisers a clear judgment. What's more, the one who went to Youzhou as an envoy this time was a member of the Shanyang Wang family.
This Shanyang Wang family was one of the seven sons of Jian'an, the Wang Can family who wrote "Heroes". Wang Can's grandfather was Wang Chang, one of the Eight Heroes, so he naturally had deep ties with the party members.
After Chen Mu learned the news, he called Xu Rong and Yan Zhong to talk with them about their views on the matter.
However, although Xu Rong and Gongsun Du have known each other since childhood, many years have passed and both of them are already in their forties. When they reach middle age, they have long forgotten many things in the past. Everyone has changed a lot and become more mature.
As a stranger, Xu Rong naturally couldn't comment on Gongsun Du.
"Zi Gui, why did you suddenly talk about Gongsun Du in Liaodong?"
Yan Zhong was a little puzzled.
He didn't know the information at this time.
Chen Mu put down the pen in his hand, sat on the chair behind him, and said calmly: "Yuan Shao sent an envoy to persuade Gongsun Du to join him in attacking Gongsun Zan."
Yan Zhong pondered: "It seems that Yuan Shao is determined to put Gongsun Zan to death. Isn't he afraid of bringing in another jackal?"
"Of course he's not afraid anymore."
Chen Mu smiled and shook his head: "What he is afraid of is that we unite with Gongsun Zan. If it is just a small Gongsun Du, without the friendship between his elder brother and Gongsun Zan since childhood, no matter who he attacks, the other side will not go.
save."
"Um......"
Yan Zhong nodded.
really.
The prerequisite for Liu Bei to be strong enough to challenge Yuan Shao was that Gongsun Zan stood on the same side as him.
Together, the two of them could have six or four points with Yuan Shao, or maybe even seven or three points.
Moreover, the alliance between them is difficult to break from within.
Because between Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei, there is not only the friendship between classmates when they were young, but also the entanglement of interests today.
If Yuan Shao wanted to use counterintuitive tactics to drive a wedge between Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei, Gongsun Zan would have to think clearly about the consequences of his falling out with Liu Bei.
Youzhou is quite barren and its output is limited. The grain, salt, wine, and textiles traded with the Hu people mostly rely on Qingzhou to be transported to Youzhou by ship.
To put it simply, Gongsun Zan is an intermediary dealer. He is not a producer of goods. Once he cuts off his relationship with Liu Bei, his business chain will be disconnected directly from the source, and he can go bankrupt in an instant.
Including Chen Mu's design, he just wanted to drive Gongsun Zan out of Jizhou and prevent him from intervening in Jizhou, so as to avoid the idea of fighting for Jizhou with Liu Bei in the future, rather than wanting to fall out with him.
There is mutual benefit between the two parties and it is difficult to break up.
Therefore, Yuan Shao could only destroy Gongsun Zan, but could not break their alliance from within.
In order to destroy Gongsun Zan and attract Gongsun Du, is this in Yuan Shao's interest?
conform to.
Because there is no deep friendship between Gongsun Du and Liu Bei, and there is no conflict of interests between them, the two sides will naturally not be able to form an alliance.
At that time, whether Yuan Shao uses the barbarians to contain Gongsun Du or joins forces with Gongsun Du to attack Liu Bei, that will all happen later. It will never be like now, when Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei form an unbreakable relationship and attack him together.
Chen Mu continued: "Although I drove Gongsun Zan out of Bohai, I don't want him to be eliminated. The meaning of his existence is not to fight for Jizhou with his elder brother, but to contain Yuan Shao for us. Now Yuan Shao wants to kill him.
It's not in our interest, so we have to help him again."
Xu Rong understood a little bit and said thoughtfully: "What Zigui means is for me to write a letter to Shengji, or for me to go to Liaodong in person to persuade him not to agree to Gongsun Zan?"
"no."
Chen Mu shook his head: "Friendship and favor should be treated appropriately. Some people value friendship and are moral, like Ji Bu Yinuo, which is worth thousands of gold. Some people are cruel and cold-blooded by nature, and have no faith at all. Even if they owe you
Favors are worthless, so why bother asking for trouble?"
"Is Shengji this kind of person..."
Xu Rong murmured to himself.
"Unfortunately, it should be."
Chen Mu shrugged: "Gongsun Yu treated him like his own son and recommended him to become an official of the imperial court, but he changed his name. Isn't it just to break away from Gongsun Yu?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Xu Rong lowered his head and did not speak.
Chen Mu based his conclusion on the history books, but for Xu Rong, he was a close friend in his early years, so he couldn't make a judgment so quickly.
Yan Zhong said: "In that case, how can we prevent Gongsundu from forming an alliance with Yuan Shao?"
"It's hard to destroy."
Chen Mu pondered, although the party member of the Shanyang Wang family was on an envoy, he was not alone in the envoy. There were several envoys plus the escort group, about dozens or hundreds of people, and he could not interfere with it.
However, Yan Zhong did not see a hint of embarrassment on Chen Mu's face, and immediately smiled and said: "Zi Gui, please stop hiding it, I don't believe you have no idea."
Chen Mu also laughed: "I can't hide anything from Mr. Chenghan. You should know that I went to Sanhan some time ago."
"Sanhan?"
Yan Zhong was an old man, his mind was spinning very fast, and he immediately said: "I know why you wasted so much time in the barren land of Sanhan. It turned out to be for Liaodong."
"good."
Chen Mu nodded: "We must have a decisive battle with Yuan Shao, but the battlefield now is not in Qingzhou or Jizhou, but in Youzhou. Yuan Shao wants Gongsun Zan to die, but we can't let him die. Then it depends on the abilities of both parties.
, Gongsun Zan has many friends in Youzhou, but even more enemies. Although I don’t know Gongsun Du’s attitude, but facing the temptation of the entire Youzhou, this person may not be able to resist the temptation, so we must make preparations in advance."
Yan Zhong wondered: "What does Zigui plan to do?"
Chen Mu looked at the two of them and smiled slightly: "Please let us go to Sanhan."
"Going to Samhan?"
Yan Zhong thought for a while and shook his head: "Forget it, my old bones can't stand the shaking."
"Where are the German regulations?"
Chen Mu looked at Xu Rong.
Xu Rong was silent for a moment and said softly: "I'll go."