My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 497 Cao Army's Response
Seeing Xun Yu's strong reaction, Cao Cao also felt a little embarrassed.

Although his income is now far greater than in the original timeline, his expenses have not decreased at all.

The current Emperor Liu Xie's pomp and circumstance far surpass those of the original timeline. Even after smaller powers like Yuan Shao, Liu Feng, Liu Biao, and Zhang Yang offered tribute, their fate depended on Cao Cao's performance.

If you spend all the money and supplies on your own army, it's better for Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng, since they are allies. Moreover, the money and supplies they are given are not entirely for the emperor's benefit; a large part of it comes from secret deals between Liu Feng and Cao Cao. As long as their interests are aligned, the money and supplies will continue.

The problem is that, besides Liu Bei and his son, there are also figures like Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Zhang Yang who are willing to serve Cao Cao. They are unlikely to tolerate Cao Cao and will probably take this opportunity to turn against him.

Therefore, of the more than 500,000 shi of grain and money offered as tribute by Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Zhang Yang, one-third flowed into the Imperial Treasury and went into the Emperor's inner coffers. The remaining one-third was handed over to the national treasury, and Cao Cao actually received only a little over one-third, approximately 200,000 shi.

However, Cao Cao ruthlessly took all of Liu Bei and his son's money and provisions into his private treasury, leaving nothing for the emperor or the court.

Even so, Cao Cao still felt that money and food were scarce, and there were places to spend money everywhere, leaving him constantly strapped for cash.

Putting aside other factors, the common soldiers under his command were alright; as long as they had food, they could manage. But the officers were a different story. Without a sufficient number and quality of officers, the common soldiers alone were useless; even if they were recruited, they would be utterly ineffective in combat.

Therefore, although officers above the rank of platoon leader did not receive the same treatment as during the Former Han Dynasty and the early years of the founding of the dynasty, they still received a fixed military salary and additional rewards during festivals. This was not only the case under Cao Cao, but also under other warlords such as Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Liu Zhang who had local administrative power.

In addition to officers, elite units such as Yue Jin's Vanguard Battalion, Yu Jin's Mount Tai Battalion, and Cao Ren's personal guards also received special treatment. Even ordinary soldiers were paid military pay to maintain their high morale and strong fighting capabilities.

In addition, there was the military-agricultural colony, which was also an extremely large expense. The food, seeds, farm tools, oxen, housing, etc. provided to the refugees were all huge black holes in terms of money and food. No matter how much was invested, it was never enough. Even Cao Cao had a headache about it and relied entirely on Xun Yu and others to manage it.

There were other expenses, such as the costs of officials in the government and administrative costs, so Cao Cao was very grateful to Xun Yu.

He had also calculated privately that, including the more than 300,000 shi of grain stored in Nanyang County, his own treasury had a surplus of 1.3 million shi of grain, which was unprecedentedly abundant. Considering the timeline, the autumn harvest was just around the corner, and within three months, Liu Bei and his son alone would be able to send another 400,000 shi of grain. Adding the 200,000 shi of taxes from Nanyang County, the total treasury would be around 2 million shi.

The surrendered soldiers in Guanzhong have become prisoners of war, so there is naturally no need for recruitment. However, after selection and assimilation, additional rations are indispensable. With more than 20,000 prisoners, nearly 60,000 shi of rations will be consumed each month. Although it is not necessary to prepare enough for a year, if we calculate the time until next year's summer harvest, at least six months' worth of rations must be prepared, which is 400,000 shi.

One million shi of grain were reserved as silos to deal with unforeseen events, and the remaining 600,000 shi of surplus was just enough to recruit another 30,000 soldiers.

Cao Cao's idea was wonderful, but in Xun Yu's view, it was squeezing money and grain out of everything, going too far.

If something else goes wrong, we'll have to rely on him to mediate and resolve the situation.

Although Cao Cao was ashamed, his attitude remained very firm.

"Wenruo, you don't know this."

Cao Cao sighed and took out a silk scroll from his bosom and handed it over.

Xun Yu was initially puzzled, but after receiving and reading the document, he understood why Cao Cao was in such a hurry.

This silk scroll contained only one piece of information: the latest developments in Hebei.

The text not only details Gongsun Zan's defeat at Yi County and his forced self-immolation, but also mentions that Zhang Yan, who went to provide reinforcements, was ambushed by Yuan Shao, suffering heavy losses and retreating back to Heishan.

With Gongsun Zan defeated and Zhang Yan severely weakened, Yuan Shao now has virtually no rivals left in Hebei, which explains why Cao Cao is so anxious.

"Wenruo, based on my understanding of Benchu, he is impatient for quick success and instant benefits, seemingly slow on the outside but ruthless on the inside. I'm afraid he will launch an attack within the year. Time waits for no one."

Cao Cao sighed deeply. He wasn't exaggerating at all. Based on his understanding of Yuan Shao, he genuinely believed that the other party would be eager to cross the Yellow River and advance south.

Thinking of this, Cao Cao couldn't help but regret whether he had provoked the other party too much earlier. But then he smiled bitterly and shook his head. He knew his own situation well. Even if he could really go back to that time, he probably still wouldn't be able to restrain himself.

Simply put, it's just too satisfying to have a flying dragon right in front of you.

At this time, in Cao Cao's eyes, although the power of Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng had grown significantly, he still believed that the biggest opponent was Yuan Shao.

This was not because Cao Cao lacked wisdom or could not recognize talent, but because Cao Cao was a man from the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Not being from the Eastern Han Dynasty, I don't understand how powerful the Yuan surname was during that period, especially since Yuan Shao unified four provinces in Hebei, and Cao Cao's territory was right next to the Yellow River, making him almost the first to be affected.

On the contrary, Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng had a good reputation and cooperated with him many times. They were prudent in their actions and never shirked their promises of money, grain, and supplies. In particular, their willingness to share Jingzhou this time proved that they valued him as an ally.

Cao Cao believed that if they were in different places, he would never have handed over Nanyang so easily.

At present, Cao Cao and Liu Bei/Liu Feng are caught in a dilemma, with neither side willing to break the agreement and both worried about the other breaking it.

In this situation, Cao Cao's best course of action is to expand his army.

Only by strengthening ourselves can we better cope with the coming storm.

"My lord, I have a thought, but I wonder if I should speak of it?"

Suddenly, Man Chong spoke up.

Cao Cao, Xun Yu, and the others all turned their gazes, with the former nodding emphatically and saying, "Bo Ning, please feel free to speak your mind."

With Cao Cao's permission, Man Chong finally spoke his mind: "My lord, in my opinion, with General Liu in charge in Shandong, his forces are in perfect harmony with yours. In this way, the Yanzhou region will become a strategic dead end. The Grand Marshal is resourceful and has many strategists under his command. How could he not see this dead end? I do not believe that the Grand Marshal would be so unwise as to trap his own troops in such a predicament."

Upon hearing Man Chong's words, Cao Cao and Xun Yu both nodded slowly, while the surrounding generals, including Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Yuan, Yu Jin, Yue Jin, and Han Hao, all seemed to be deep in thought.

Seeing that everyone was influenced by his opinion, Man Chong was delighted and his courage was greatly boosted. He then continued, "Moreover, if the Grand Marshal rashly sends troops to Henan at this time, he will make a big mistake."

A faint smile flashed across Xun Yu's exceptionally refined face as he responded, "Is what Bo Ning is referring to about General Liu?"

"Indeed! It is indeed General Liu!" Man Chong flattered. "General Liu and the Grand General have always been on good terms, and the Left General has also acted as a go-between, secretly forming an alliance. However, the Grand Marshal is powerful, and although the alliance is established, it may not stand the test. If the Grand Marshal were to forcibly cross the river and invade Yanzhou at this time, General Liu would surely be alarmed in Shandong. Moreover, the alliance also mentioned that troops must be sent to aid us at this time. The Grand General could use this opportunity to test General Liu's resolve. Furthermore, the Grand Marshal's rash actions in provoking border conflicts would inevitably push General Liu to our side. Therefore, in my opinion, as long as the Grand Marshal has not lost his heart, he will not cross the river to the south. On the contrary, another important place is probably in imminent danger."

Cao Cao and Xun Yu exclaimed in unison, "Hanoi!"

"That's right, it's Hanoi!"

Man Chong quickly replied, "Hanoi is isolated in Hebei and is adjacent to Ye City. Previously, the Grand Marshal was fully engaged in dealing with the General and Zhang Yan, and he and the General were also sleepwalking, so they had no time to look westward. Now that times have changed, Hanoi, which is easy to attack but difficult to defend and has no natural barriers, is the real first place to bear the brunt."

Xiahou Dun, who was sitting to Cao Cao's left, straightened up and bowed to Cao Cao, saying, "My lord, what Bo Ning said is reasonable and well-founded. I agree with it."

Cao Cao stroked his short beard and nodded, then turned his gaze to Xun Yu, the first man on his right: "What does Wenruo think of what Boning said?"

Xun Yu smiled bitterly to himself; he could easily understand Cao Cao's intentions.

He and Cao Cao had just guessed that Hanoi was the most likely candidate, so he naturally thought Man Chong's words made sense.

Why did Cao Cao ask such a redundant question?
Obviously the drunkard's intention is not the wine.

Hanoi was in grave danger, easy to attack but difficult to defend. The only way to preserve it was with a large army and fortified cities.

There were indeed fortified cities, including Yewang, Wenxian, Huaixian, and Heyang. Moreover, there was not much warfare in Henan. When Dong Zhuo launched his counterattack, he only captured Mengjin, burned it down, and then withdrew back to the Henan region.

Therefore, these large cities have not suffered any damage, and their fortifications are intact and usable.

So, the only one who's really bad is the army?
Cao Cao's earlier statement about expanding his army by 50,000 now seems perfectly reasonable.

How could Xun Yu possibly voice his opposition?

What Cao Cao wanted was for Xun Yu to willingly help him expand his army.

After a moment of silence, Xun Yu raised his hand in a bow and said, "Your Excellency has keen insight and profound foresight; I admit that I am no match for you."

"well!"

Cao Cao was satisfied with the reply and immediately burst into laughter.

However, the real matter at hand is expanding the army. After laughing for a moment, Cao Cao stopped and revealed his true plan: "I intend to disorganize all 30,000 surrendered soldiers from Guanzhong, select the elite, and fill them into various units. The remaining soldiers will serve as the backbone to train a new army. Then, I will send Zhang Ji with 10,000 elite troops north to reinforce Hanoi, and order Zhang Xiu to lead 5,000 elite troops to garrison Guanzhong. Jia Xu will command the remaining troops and remain stationed at Zhuyang. What do you all think?"

Cao Cao's arrangement was not problematic, and everyone present naturally complied.

Only Xun Yu spoke up, reminding Cao Cao that a person in charge of overseeing the entire Yan Province needed to be appointed.

Cao Cao agreed wholeheartedly. Now his base had shifted from Yanzhou to the Heluo region, forming a circular core with Sili Luozhong, Yingchuan, Chenliu, Nanyang, and Guanzhong as its center.

The original territory of Yanzhou was isolated and its long and narrow shape made it difficult to command and control in peacetime, but once war broke out.

After pondering for a moment, Cao Cao made a decision: "Promote Cheng Yu, the General of the Eastern Central Army, to be the General of Zhenwei, while still serving as the Prefect of Jiyin, overseeing the affairs of Yanzhou, and giving him full command of the 20,000 troops of Yanzhou and all military matters."

Cheng Yu was originally from Yanzhou, and according to the Three Mutuals Law, he was not qualified to serve as the governor of Yanzhou.

However, this was exactly what Cao Cao wanted. Cheng Yu, who could not become the governor of Yan Province and was also opposed by some local gentry and powerful families in Yan Province, clearly became Cao Cao's perfect agent in Yan Province.

Cao Cao had previously recommended Cheng Yu for the position of General of the Eastern Central Army, which was a very high rank, considered an important and prestigious title among generals of the central army.

At the same time, Cao Cao also recommended Cheng Yu to be the governor of Jiyin, so that he could handle all matters in Yanzhou on his behalf.

With war imminent, the position of General of the Eastern Central Army alone was insufficient. Therefore, upon Xun Yu's reminder, Cao Cao immediately bestowed upon Cheng Yu the title of General Zhenwei, along with the post of Prefect of Jiyin and Governor of Yanzhou, which was enough to enable Cheng Yu to take on both military and political responsibilities in Yanzhou when necessary.

As for Cheng Yu's lack of talent, that is beyond doubt.

As for Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu's troops, Cao Cao was neither comfortable with them in Jingzhou nor willing to let this army of 20,000 men languish in the rear.

Sending Zhang Ji to lead the main force to reinforce Zhang Yang was undoubtedly a brilliant move. After all, Zhang Ji himself was a warlord, and a minor one who had just surrendered to Cao Cao. Sending Zhang Ji would not only reduce Zhang Yang's resistance, but also weaken the strength of the miscellaneous troops, while buying time for his main force to assemble and train. It was a win-win situation.

As for whether Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu would agree or not?

Unless they were tired of living, caught between the two behemoths Liu Feng and Cao Cao, they had no choice but to obediently submit to their orders.

This arrangement was completed smoothly without any obstacles, and Xun Yu and the others all agreed with it.

Subsequently, Cao Cao arranged defense tasks for his inner circle. Among them, Xiahou Dun was assigned to lead 10,000 men to guard Luoyang. No matter where the emergency was, it was none of his business. He only needed to hold Luoyang, which would be a great achievement.

Subsequently, Cao Cao made another important decision: "Promote Cao Ren, the Prefect of Guangyang, the Gentleman of the Palace, and the Colonel of the Sharp Vanguard, to be the General of the Eastern Central Army, the Prefect of Chenliu, and the Gentleman of the Palace. He will be in charge of all military affairs in Chenliu."

The reason why Cao Ren, the de facto number one military leader of Cao Cao's army, was sent to Chenliu was because of the special nature of Chenliu at that time.

At present, Chenliu is undoubtedly of paramount importance. It is not only a necessary passage connecting Luozhong, the capital, with Yanzhou and Jiyin, but also a barrier for the Yingchuan garrison area. Furthermore, it has numerous rivers connecting Luoyang with the heart of the Central Plains.

Once Chenliu falls, the connection between Yanzhou and Luozhong will be immediately severed. At the same time, the military farms in Yingchuan will be exposed to the enemy's forces. Liu Bei and Liu Feng's reinforcements will either be blocked in Chen or have to detour through the unsafe Yingchuan.

It was precisely because Chenliu was so important that Cao Cao was willing to send Cao Ren to guard it.

(End of this chapter)