The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 140 I prepared a table of delicious food and invited two tables of guests to eat
Cao Cao had been treated badly by Li Yi before.

Previously, when Yan and Xu divided Yuzhou, it was agreed that Liu Bei would take Lu and Pei.

As for the territory west of Lupei, no questioning was given.

It was with this in mind that Cao Cao repaired his relationship with Liu Bei.

As a result, when he emerged from the civil strife in Yanzhou and wanted to attack the State of Chen.

However, they were stopped by Xuzhou.

At that time, Cao Cao wanted to use a delaying tactic, temporarily put the State of Chen aside, and instead attack Yingchuan.

Wait until your strength grows and you recover, and then fight back.

Unexpectedly, there was just such a gap.

Li Yi actually planned the emperor's return to the east and his visit to Chen.

Now, Cao Cao really has no way to attack the State of Chen.

The emperor is here, if he dares to send troops.

Liu Bei could have called on all the princes in the world to attack him together on the grounds of treason.

In this way, the State of Chen became a neutral country separating Yan and Xu, and could not be conquered by either side.

It seems fair, but in fact Cao Cao is at a disadvantage.

Because the State of Chen separated the State of Pei.

Xuzhou is next to Pei State, so you can eat there without worry.

But Cao Cao's hometown, Qiao County of Pei State, directly became an enclave.

Cao Cao was so angry that his teeth were itching, but he could do nothing and could only swallow this loss in silence.

He was enthroned by the court together with Liu Bei, and they supported the central government together.

Let’s put aside the current conflict for the time being and work together to fight against the two Yuans.

Although Liu Bei was busy preparing to attack Yuan Shu in Xuzhou, he did not inform Cao Cao.

But Cao Cao must have known this tacitly.

Whether it was Cao Cao's Yingchuan or Liu Bei's Pei State, they both wanted to attack Runan.

By shifting the main battlefield to Runan, the strength of the Cao and Liu families can be maximized.

Huainan was rich, and neither Liu Bei nor Cao Cao could have swallowed it all in one bite.

If the two families eat together, not only can they increase their chances of winning against Yuan Shu, but they can also digest the land in Huainan as quickly as possible.

Recover from combat injuries as quickly as possible.

Faced with the intense situation in Xuzhou, Cao Cao was not idle for a moment.

On the one hand, Zao Zhi and Han Hao were used to cultivate land.

On the other hand, he sent Man Chong to conquer the western border of Runan.

Li Tong, a local tyrant in Langling County on the western border of Runan, saw that Cao Cao had sent people, so he took the initiative to lead his troops to surrender to Yingchuan.

Cao Cao was overjoyed and rewarded Li Tong handsomely. He also appointed him as General of the Central Army to Zhenwei and still ordered him to station at the western border of Runan County.

Cao Cao and Liu Bei both headed towards Runan and expanded their power.

This action made Yuan Shu, who was far away in Shouchun, feel a little frightened.

"What does Cao Aman and Liu Da'er want to do?"

Yuan Shu walked in the Shouchun Palace, with a frown on his face and his hawk-like eyes swept over the ministers in the palace.

The court officials looked at each other, afraid of causing trouble, and did not dare to make any suggestions.

Only Chief Clerk Yang Hong spoke:

"Xuzhou and Huainan have been at war for several years, and the situation has become even more intense since Liu Bei took office."

"Cao and Liu are both powerful men of the world, and have long wanted to take over the south of the Yangtze River."

"I, Huainan, have to be prepared."

"We can now send more spies to the north to investigate and monitor the movements of the two thieves Cao and Liu."

"Then you can slow down the process."

Slow picture... ?
Yuan Shu raised his eyebrows and said coldly:
“How to slow down the image?”

A soul-searching question from the boss.

When you propose a plan, your boss asks you to tell him the specific implementation steps.

Yang Hong's face tightened, he frowned, and said in embarrassment:

"Liu Bei is very powerful. It is not easy for us in Huainan to deal with him and his family."

"If another Cao Cao comes, two fists will be no match for four hands..."

snort!
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu waved his sleeves and shouted sternly:

"Since I was born, I have never heard of Liu Bei in the world!"

"He has done no good to the people, yet he dares to covet my prefectures and counties!"

After he finished speaking, his eyes fell on a burly man in the crowd.

"Captain Zhang, I sent you to assassinate Liu Bei the day before yesterday."

"How's it going?"

The person named by Yuan Shu was none other than Zhang Kai, the culprit who had murdered Cao Song and had a grudge against Cao Cao for killing his father.

Zhang Kai was originally a captain under Tao Qian. Because he robbed Cao Song's carriage and stole his property, he was afraid of revenge from Cao Cao.

So he went to Huainan and took refuge with Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu in history was an old villain.

Not only does he like to sow discord and drive tigers to devour wolves, he also likes to use assassins to kill leaders.

In the second year of Jian'an, Yuan Shu heard that the State of Chen had abundant grain reserves, so he went to Prime Minister Luo Jun and Prince of Chen Liu Chong to borrow grain.

At that time, Yuan Shu had already proclaimed himself emperor, and Liu Chong and Luo Jun were both loyal to the Han Dynasty, so they decisively rejected Yuan Shu's request to borrow grain.

Yuan Shu was furious, so he sent Zhang Kai to pretend to pass through the State of Chen and assassinate Luo Jun and Liu Chong.

The State of Chen became a no-man's land and was easily conquered by Cao Cao, who abolished the state government and changed it to Chen County.

Yuan Shu hated Liu Bei deeply, so he planned to send Zhang Kai to assassinate Liu Bei again.

Zhang Kai stepped out and said to Yuan Shu with great fear and trepidation:
"Please calm down, my lord. There are many people in Xuzhou who know me well."

"I may be able to fool ordinary people by disguising myself, but it is difficult to fool the top leaders in Xuzhou."

"But without the help of Xuzhou's top leaders, it would be difficult to meet Liu Bei."

Then I don’t care!

Yuan Shu shouted, sternly:
"Without my protection, can you live in Huainan?"

Zhang Kai was terrified and fell to the ground.

"If you hadn't taken me in, I would have died at the hands of the rebel army."

"I always think about serving the country, but I just regret that I have no way to do it."

After hearing Zhang Kai's confession of loyalty, Yuan Shu nodded with satisfaction and gently pinched the beard at the corner of his lips.

"Now is the day to serve."

"I heard that Liu Bei often inspects the countryside. You can disguise yourself as an ordinary citizen and sneak among the people."

"Kill Liu Bei if you see him."

"If this is successful, I will recommend you as the governor of Guangling."

"If I rise again in the future, I will certainly be able to count on your wealth and honor."

If the previous sentence is to praise Zhang Kai as the prefect of Guangling, it is still an empty promise.

The next sentence was so loud that the pie burst.

Yuan Shu had three generations of high officials, and he had already reached the highest position in the country. Where else did he want to go?

Zhang Kai immediately bowed:

"I will go to Xuzhou now!"

After saying this, Zhang Kai turned around and walked out.

Seeing him walk away, Yuan Shu finally spoke:

"Then how do we deal with Liu Bei's invasion of Huainan?"

Everyone was startled when they heard this.

Someone beside him asked:

"My lord, didn't you just send Zhang Kai to assassinate Liu Bei?"

"If this goes well, Xuzhou will be in chaos, and we can take the opportunity to march north and seize Xuzhou's territory."

"Why do you ask how to fight Liu Bei now?"

Hahaha……

Yuan Shu threw his head back and laughed, with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"How can you expect a dog with a broken back to assassinate Liu Bei?"

"There's no point in keeping such a fickle person."

"If he succeeds, that would be great. If he fails, it won't hurt me."

Yuan Shu was complacent with his strategy.

His inherent class consciousness made him look down on Zhang Kai.

But he was so conceited that he wanted to say what he was thinking.

Everyone below felt chilled after hearing this.

After all, Zhang Kai risked his life to assassinate Liu Bei for you, but you sold him out.

Is there really any way out if we follow such a leader?
Everyone was puzzled.

Chief Clerk Yan Xiang stepped out and said:
"If Liu Bei had not died, he would have been stopped from advancing south to Huainan."

"We can't deal with both Cao and Liu at the same time."

"Now that Liu is strong and Cao is weak, it is better to first fix Liu Bei and focus on dealing with Cao Cao."

"After we defeat Cao Cao, we will turn around and deal with Liu Bei."

Yuan Shu was furious when he heard this:
"Liu Bei killed my son. I have an irreconcilable hatred for him."

"How can we make peace with them?"

This angry shout frightened Yan Xiang so much that he retreated immediately.

Upon seeing this, counsellor Li Ye hurried out to mediate.

"Mr. Yuan, please calm down. What Yan Zhubu said just now makes sense."

"Although Huainan is rich, it is difficult to deal with Cao and Liu at the same time."

"Even if you don't want to make peace with Liu Bei, you can pretend to ask for peace first to slow him down."

"I'll wait until Huainan is here so I can make preparations."

In fact, there were many knowledgeable and capable people under Yuan Shu.

However, Yuan Shu favored treacherous ministers, and talented people like Yang Hong and Li Ye could only choose to flatter him.

And they have forgotten their real opinions and views.

"This is a good idea."

Yuan Shu thought this suggestion was pertinent.

He sent someone to write a letter pretending to ask for peace from Liu Bei, hoping to disrupt his rhythm.

"But we still have to guard against the troops in Xuzhou."

"The Yingshui River and the Woshui River can both reach Shouchun directly. These two rivers must be guarded carefully."

Yuan Shu analyzed the situation for himself in an orderly manner.

"Yingshui uses Ruyin as its base, and this place is also a big city in Runan, so we must be careful."

As he said this, he turned around and looked at the generals in the army and said:
"Who can lead an army to guard Ruyin for me?"

After the words fell, there was no response.

As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams will be crooked.

Influenced by the leadership of Yuan Shu, the subordinates also became more tactful.

Ruyin is an important town that cuts off the Yingshui River and protects Jiujiang.

If we lose it, it will be a death sentence.

No one has the courage to take on such a big job.

What's more, most of the generals under Yuan Shu were of mixed quality.

The only generals who could really fight were Qiao Rui, Zhang Xun, Le Jiu, Li Feng, Ji Ling and others.

But these generals can only be compared with ordinary generals. In the world of the Three Kingdoms, heroes are as numerous as crucian carp.

Then these people are totally not worth mentioning.

All these people combined might not be enough to fight against any general picked out from Cao’s camp or Liu’s camp.

The generals under Yuan Shu who were truly capable of fighting were still the generals of the Sun family.

Sun Ben, Wu Jing and others are all good players.

Especially Sun Ce, Yuan Shu didn't like him, but he was also attracted by his ability to lead troops.

So he repeatedly PUA Sun Ce, telling him that if he worked hard, he would definitely get a promotion and a raise in the future.

He promised him the post of prefect of Jiujiang, and then gave it to his confidant Chen Ji.

He promised to give it to you once we captured Lujiang, but then he gave Lujiang to his old subordinate Liu Xun.

Finally, Sun Ce realized that the Skeleton King was taking advantage of him for free.

So he simply found an excuse, crossed the river alone, and went to Jiangdong to start a business.

As Sun Ce was the eldest son of Sun Jian, many generals of the Sun family went to join him.

This made the situation even worse for Yuan Shu, who already lacked famous generals.

"Qiao Rui, Le Jiu!"

Yuan Shu walked a few steps in the hall, and finally raised his eyes to look at the two of them.

The two generals secretly groaned in their hearts, but still stood up helplessly.

"The general is here!"

"You two will each lead your troops and set off for Ruyin tomorrow."

"Qiao Rui is the commander-in-chief, and Le Jiu is the deputy commander. The two of you will command and dispatch the defense of Ruyin."

"We must not allow either Liu Bei or Cao Cao's army to pass through this place."

"Otherwise, come to me with your head!"

Well……

The pressure is on!

Qiao Rui and Le Jiu both looked solemn, feeling under tremendous pressure.

Seeing this, Yuan Shu spoke to appease him:
"You two don't need to worry too much, just be kind and protect your yin."

"If Liu Da'er or Cao A Man really dare to send troops to attack, I will personally lead the army to rescue them."

"What do you two have to fear?"

With Yuan Shu's guarantee, Qiao Rui and Le felt much more at ease.

After all, the advantage of defending a city is ten times that of attacking.

"Leader!"

The two men bowed and left.

Yuan Shu stroked his beard and said:
"The Yingshui defense line is safe for now, and the next one is the Woshui."

"Longkang here is an important town. Who can guard it for me?"

Longkang is located in the southern part of Pei State, close to Runan.

According to the strategy planned by Li Yi, troops were deployed to Runan.

The main waterways are Yingshui and Woshui.

Yuan Shu also realized this and responded by countering the opponent's moves.

Qiao Rui and Le Ju were sent first to Ruyin, an important town that could block the Yingshui River, to prepare for defense.

As for Longkang, an important town on the Woshui River, Yuan Shu also had to send a large number of troops to guard it.

Now everyone's expressions became more solemn.

Because the defense task of Longkang is more difficult than that of Ruyin.

The Ying River, which is cut off by Ruyin, is located in Runan, far away from Xuzhou.

Xuzhou will definitely not deploy its main forces along this waterway.

The Wo River flows through Qiao County of Pei State and is closest to Xuzhou.

Especially when I heard that the Xu family of Qiao County had already taken refuge in Xuzhou.

Then Xuzhou would certainly go south through Qiao County, deploy heavy troops to Woshui, and strike hard at Longkang.

The defensive pressure here is the greatest because it has to withstand the main force of the Xuzhou army.

None of the generals dared to step forward to take on this important task.

Upon seeing this, Chief Clerk Yang Hong stepped forward and said:

"Mingsir, I recommend someone to guard Longkang."

"who!"

Yuan Shu asked hurriedly.

"Ru'nan Lu Bu!"

Yang Hong recommended Lu Bu.

Since Lu Bu surrendered to Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu settled him in Xincai, which is the southwest of Runan.

"Raise an army for a thousand days, use it for a while."

"When you accepted Lü Bu to come to Runan, wasn't it to use him to resist Liu Bei?"

"Lü Bu is a famous general in the world, accustomed to fighting, and Cao Cao also suffered a lot when he faced him."

"Now that Longkang is the shield of Jiujiang, why not let him lead the troops to guard it?"

Yang Hong's move was extremely ingenious.

Lu Bu is a guest general from another state, so he was sent to guard the city in case he was lost.

These local generals are not good at sticking to the pan.

If they succeed, the credit will go to these local generals because of their good leadership.

It’s not about how good you, Lu Bu, are at fighting.

Yuan Shu frowned and did not agree immediately.

"I stationed Lü Bu in Xincai to guard him against Cao Cao."

"If we transfer Lü Bu to Longkang, how can we defend it if Cao Cao deploys his troops from the western border of Runan?"

At this point, Yuan Shu finally realized that two fists are no match for four hands.

It seems that dealing with both Cao and Liu at the same time is indeed a bit too much.

"Xincai still has General Ji Ling's army of 10,000. How can Cao Cao defeat it so easily?"

"If Xincai is really lost, Shouchun can also send troops to rescue it."

Yang Hong said this with certainty.

Although the Ru River, Ying River and Wo River can all reach Shouchun directly, it seems passive.

But Shouchun can also use three waterways to transport reinforcements.

Just guard Xincai of Rushui, Ruyin of Yingshui, and Longkang of Woshui.

Then it would be impossible for Cao Cao and Liu Bei to reach Shouchun.

"……Um."

After formulating the strategy, Yuan Shu began to deploy troops on a large scale.

"In that case, pass on my order and order Lu Bu to set off for Longkang immediately and make sure to guard the Woshui River."

"Then send someone to Liyang to transfer Sun Xiang and Sun Fu over. Let them meet in Hefei, and then all head north!"

Liyang is located behind Jiujiang. It was from here that Sun Ce crossed the Yangtze River and attacked Jiangdong.

There are still 20,000 infantry and cavalry in Shouchun City.

If it were possible to transfer Sun Xiang, Sun Fu and other clan generals of the Sun family and their troops to the front line.

In Shouchun alone, 30,000 combat-ready soldiers could be gathered.

Shouchun City is tall, its walls are strong, and it has Feishui as a moat, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Relying on the wealth he extorted from the people in Huainan this year, Yuan Shu has accumulated enough food and fodder to last for a year.

Even if all three waterways are lost.

Yuan Shu occupied Shouchun, and by holding on, he could have worn out Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

Cao Cao and Liu Bei launched a massive expedition to Huainan, but they would not be able to hold out for long.

However, Yuan Shu took advantage of his rest to wait for the enemy to tire.

By then, Cao and Liu would no longer be able to hold on and would have to withdraw their troops.

But won’t the land that has been occupied have to be returned?

As long as his base in Shouchun is there, Runan and the southern part of Pei will resist to the end.

Cao Cao and Liu Bei had no way to manage these counties from a distance and obtain grain and taxes from them, so they had to withdraw their troops.

"……Hahaha."

Yuan Shu was extremely proud of his strategy.

"What about Cao Cao? What about Liu Bei?"

"Even if the two armies come together, what should I fear?"

As Yuan Shu spoke, he raised his cup and drank the honey water.

"Ming Gong, you have forgotten the troops!"

The chief clerk Yan Xiang suddenly interrupted Yuan Shu's self-indulgence.

Yuan Shu's expression changed slightly, but he still suppressed his anger and asked in a deep voice:
"I forgot which way?"

Yan Xiang was considered a talented, far-sighted and honest person in Yuan's camp.

Of course, if Yuan Shu was defeated, he would also be a prisoner.

Even if it is for your own sake, you still have to make serious suggestions.

"You forgot about the journey to Guangling."

Yan Xiang reminded.

"Liu Bei appointed Chen Deng as the governor of Guangling, to cultivate land, train the navy, and build warships here."

"According to our spies, Liu Bei left 20,000 troops in Guangling for Chen Deng."

"So many people, are they just there to guard against our attack?"

After saying this, Yuan Shu almost tore his beard off.

I almost forgot about this...

Yuan Shu's heart sank. There were 20,000 soldiers stationed in Guangling, and they were definitely not used for defense.

Yan Xiang continued speaking.

"If Chen Deng leads an army from Guangling to the Yangtze River, he can take the water route and land in Liyang."

"And Sun Xiang and Sun Fu from Liyang were transferred to Shouchun for defense. Wouldn't it be possible for Chen Deng to attack Jiujiang from behind without any effort?"

"We must be careful about this, I hope you will take note of this!"

A word to wake up the dreamer.

Yuan Shu's expression became solemn. After thinking it over again and again, he suddenly thought of a solution.

Hastily said:

"Doesn't Sun Bofu have troops in Qu'atun?"

"Send someone immediately to tell him to guard Liyang!"

The messenger was about to set off when he was suddenly stopped by Yuan Shu.

"No!"

"I changed my mind!"

Yuan Shu narrowed his eyes, stroked his beard and said:
"Tell Sun Xiang and Sun Fu in Liyang to keep their troops stationed and continue to guard there."

"Tell Sun Bofu to come to Shouchun to see me and tell him that I will be waiting for him here."

"Also, tell Bofu that I will recommend him to be the governor of Kuaiji."

Kuaiji is in the southern part of Jiangdong, which implies that the entire Jiangdong should be given to Sun Ce.

Although Yuan Shu always liked to make big promises to Sun Ce.

But now he also realizes that Huainan is about to face unprecedented challenges.

I have to show some sincerity...

(End of this chapter)