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

Chapter 168: Li Yi is a man of rare talents who can bring together heroes to restore order.

Is it possible to joke about such a major matter?
Man Chong’s reply was powerful and resounding.

Li Yi believed that Cao Cao would not deceive him or use false information to confuse Xuzhou.

Especially since even Man Chong was sent here, it shows that Yanzhou believed that Yuan Shao had decided to negotiate peace with Gongsun Zan.

If this is true, the Hebei Army may move south ahead of schedule.

"To be honest with you, Xu Ziyuan from Hebei is in Xuzhou now."

Li Yi mentioned Xu You.

Man Chong naturally recognized him and asked hurriedly, "Where is he now?"

"He was drunk just now, so I sent him to the posthouse to rest."

Li Yi seemed to be thinking about something, and then continued, "During the banquet, Xu You mentioned that Hebei was planning to march to Yi County next year to destroy Gongsun Zan."

Oh?
Man Chong raised his eyebrows. Wouldn’t the two pieces of information be in conflict?
"What is Xu You doing in Xuzhou?" Man Chong asked.

Li Yi told the truth, he just came here to show goodwill.

Man Chong pondered for a while, then slowly spoke, stroking his beard and said:

"Xu Ziyuan is a man of wisdom and strategy. He is an important official in Hebei and has a great responsibility."

"You were drunk just now, how much of what you said was true and how much was false?"

"If Yuan Shao is plotting to send Xu You to Xuzhou to make peace, he may make a mistake and leak information about Hebei."

"Henan has been misled into thinking that Hebei is planning to attack Gongsun Zan next year, but in fact, they are using the pretext of destroying Guo to attack Henan."

"How about that?"

When these words were spoken, everyone around was slightly startled.

Man Chong's worries were not unreasonable. Yuan Shao went to so much trouble to send someone here, and he accidentally leaked important military information such as the expedition against Gongsun Zan next year.

Who knows if it was intentional?
What if this is Hebei’s strategy to paralyze Henan?

Then, when Hebei began its general mobilization the next year, Henan mistakenly thought that they were going to attack Gongsun Zan and thus stopped preparing.

In the end, Hebei will catch them off guard.

"...Sir, this is Yuan Shao's style."

Occasionally someone would say this to Li Yi.

Although Yuan Shao was good at making plans but lacked decision-making, his personal abilities were much stronger than Yuan Shu's.

If there is a surprise attack, Henan will have to be on guard.

Pang Tong said on the side:
"Could it be an information error? Hebei is indeed planning to attack Gongsun Zan next year."

"But Cao Sikong hasn't been found yet?"

Man Chong raised his mouth slightly, raised his hand to the sky, and said with a little pride:

"The intelligence system of our Yanzhou is supervised by Guo Jijiu himself."

"Guo Jijiu had been in Yuan's camp before and knew the people there very well."

"Since this is intelligence sent back from the front line, how can it be false?"

Pang Tong was silent. If this was true, then wouldn’t Xu You’s acting skills be really good?

Deceived everyone in Xuzhou.

"Even if Xu You is telling the truth."

Man Chong continued, "But he has been away from Hebei for some time. How can he know the latest developments in Hebei?"

"Perhaps Yecheng has changed its mind and has made a new decision."

That makes sense.

After all, there were no mobile phones in that era, and even senior executives of the group would be in trouble as long as they left the city.

Then the information will be blocked, and the news in your hands may become second-hand, third-hand, or even fourth-hand.

"When did you get the information?"

Li Yi confirmed again and again.

"Twenty days ago, we had spies in Hebei."

Man Chong said solemnly.

Twenty days ago...

Li Yi held his chin and thought, calculating the time, and it indeed matched the time when Xu You left.

Could it be that Hebei really changed its mind suddenly, or did Yuan Shao send Xu You to deliberately paralyze Henan?

Or is it simply groundless worry, and is it just the information gap caused by information lag?

Yuan Shen has given Henan a difficult problem...

"My Lord, how about we send someone to Hebei to investigate?"

Pang Tong asked from the side.

"That's right." Li Yi nodded.

"However, whether Yuan Shao is going to attack Gongsun Zan next year or is planning to attack Henan."

“We all have to prepare in advance.”

Although in history, Yuan Shao did move south only after he defeated Gongsun Zan.

But he did think about negotiating peace with Gongsun Zan and then heading south ahead of time.

Now the historical line has changed, and the political landscape has already undergone earth-shaking changes.

No one can predict what decision Yuan Shao and Hebei will make.

Li Yi could not put the fate of the entire Henan Province on the table and bet on whether Yuan Shao would go south ahead of time.

He didn't dare to gamble, let alone gamble.

Therefore, Henan must make preparations in advance, although this may cause a certain waste of resources.

But this is exactly how the game between big powers works.

"What Cao Sikong meant was to send Chong to discuss specific military movements."

"If you and I cannot join forces to fight against Yuan Shao, we will be defeated one by one."

Man Chong expressed his concerns.

"This statement by the envoy is exactly what I want to say."

"In the past, the princes fought against Dong Zhuo and held a meeting at Suanzao. Their troops were larger than Dong Zhuo's."

“But it ended in failure.”

"The reason is that the army's strength is not unified, and it hesitates and moves in a scattered manner."

Historically, there was no group of eighteen princes fighting against Dong Zhuo.

But their military strength and numbers were far superior to Dong Zhuo's.

It was far from being as easy for Dong Zhuo to deal with the Guandong coalition forces as it was depicted in the novel.

Not to mention fighting against the eighteen princes, Yuan Shu's group of princes alone was enough to beat Dong Zhuo into a panic.

The entire battle was a mixture of more defeats than wins, with the only big victory coming against the then rookie Cao Cao.

Even so, the campaign against Dong Zhuo ended in a noisy and hasty end.

The reason for this is that each prince has his own ideas and is not united enough.

This is also because there are too many princes. The more princes there are, the harder it is to divide the interests equally, and it is more difficult to lead them.

Henan was relatively unified, with only two princes, Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

It is impossible to say that there is no conflict of interest between Cao and Liu. Li Yi put in a lot of effort just to resolve the conflict between Cao and Liu.

I dare not even imagine what the situation would be like if more princes ended up like this.

After a while, Pang Tong took out the map and spread it flat on the table.

"Please come in."

"Oh, please, sir."

Li Yi and Man Chong came to the map together.

"If Yuan's army marches south, they will have these three armies."

Li Yi leaned over and pointed to the east of the map.

"One is to go south from Qingzhou, attack our Xuzhou, and then take a detour into the Central Plains."

Man Chong nodded and frowned:

"Xuzhou is a place where wars are fought on all sides, and there is no strategic location to defend."

"If Yuan Shao marches south from Qingzhou, it will be a smooth journey and difficult to resist."

Li Yi raised his eyebrows and said seriously:

"Ran Yi believed that Yuan Shao would not deploy his main force in Xuzhou, and the troops in Qingzhou were only a detachment."

Although the attack on Xuzhou was smooth sailing from north to south.

But Li Yi firmly believed that Xuzhou would not encounter the main force of Yuan’s army.

In other words, Yuan Shao would not deploy his main troops to Xuzhou.

To understand the reason, we must first understand the military composition of Hebei.

Although Yuan Shao controlled four states, he essentially practiced the feudal system.

The nephew Gao Gan was granted the fiefdom of Bingzhou, the eldest son Yuan Tan was granted the fiefdom of Qingzhou, and the second son Yuan Xi was granted the fiefdom of Youzhou.

Yuan Shao himself owned the most prosperous Jizhou.

He also brought his most beloved youngest son, Yuan Shang, with him and stayed in Jizhou, which was also an indirect hint of who would be the successor.

In other words, the descendants that Yuan Shao granted fiefs to had a great deal of autonomy.

It is equivalent to half a prince.

This situation was actually very common during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period.

Just like when Guan Erye later took charge of Jingzhou, he also had great power.

After figuring out this reason, you will understand that Yuan Shao’s main force is in Jizhou.

Jizhou and Yanzhou are closest to each other, separated only by the Yellow River.

On the other hand, Xuzhou is separated by Qingzhou.

If Yuan Shao wanted to send his main force to the Qingzhou battlefield, or even go south to the Xuzhou battlefield, the logistical pressure would be enormous.

"Your Excellency is right."

Man Chong nodded in agreement with Li Yi's opinion, "If Yuan Shao were to attack Henan, he would first have to seize the emperor."

"I will never go to Xuzhou instead of the near."

The lord of Qingzhou is Yuan Tan, who was originally defeated by Xuzhou.

Moreover, Liu Bei also recommended Yuan Tan as a talented person, so it was not easy for Yuan Tan to attack Liu Bei.

Moreover, Qingzhou was not entirely in Yuan Tan's hands. He only controlled some counties and kingdoms in the western part of Qingzhou.

The eastern part is mostly a land ruled by rebels and without a master.

At the same time, under Li Yi's planning, he had already planted another nail in Qingzhou.

It would be difficult for others to guess where this nail is.

That’s right, this person is Gongsun Du from Liaodong!

Two years ago, Li Yi sent Taishi Ci out to sea to make friends with Gongsun Du.

The two places have reached an alliance agreement and trade with each other.

Li Yi will introduce Gongsun Du as a surprise force in the battle between Henan and Hebei.

Everyone thought that Gongsun Du was far away in the bitter cold of Liaodong and it would be impossible for him to reach the heart of the Central Plains.

Little did people know that Gongsun Du himself was a powerful leader, whether he was from Goguryeo, Wuhuan or Xianbei.

They have all been severely beaten by Gongsun Du and all of them regard him as their leader. He is undoubtedly the King of Northeast China.

And this King of Northeast China has great ambitions.

Why would they choose to stand idly by while the war between Yuan and Cao was deciding the ownership of the north?
Of course he would seize the opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

Because he was located in the rear of Yuan Shao, Gongsun Du did not dare to openly declare war on Yuan Shao.

But he sent a fleet across the sea from Liaodong to Qingzhou and captured Donglai County, which was Taishi Ci's hometown.

He also set up Yingzhou in Donglai County and appointed himself as the governor of Yingzhou.

In other words, Gongsun Du can recruit reinforcements along the way, and he will not stand idly by in this major battle in Henan and Hebei.

In this way, the pressure of the Qingzhou war will be even smaller.

Li Yi's mind raced, and he tapped the left side of the map with his fingers again, then continued:

"As for the second route, Yuan's army will definitely cross the Yellow River from Yanjin and occupy Bai Ma."

"Then we will go to Yanxian, Suanzao, Guandu, and head straight to Chenliu."

Because in history, it was Yuan who attacked and Cao who defended, so Cao Cao simply released Yuan Shao and fought on his own land.

"If Yuan's army were to sweep through the counties, the land and water links between the eastern part of Yanzhou and Sili would be cut off."

"If the water route is blocked, Mingzhou will have to travel hundreds of miles to attack."

This road was also the main route taken by Yuan Shao in history.

This is also the road that Man Chong cares about most.

There was no way. Due to the geographical location, their Cao camp had to fight against Yuan Shao’s main force.

Yanzhou is long from east to west and narrow from north to south, with almost no depth.

"Our province is on the south bank of the Yellow River and is resisting Yuan Shao's main force. Guizhou cannot stand by and watch us die."

Man Chong reminded him again and again, fearing that Xuzhou would watch the show.

The current Cao camp is not like in history, where the whole of Henan is against Hebei.

Cao Cao now only has Yanzhou and part of the counties of Yuzhou, and cannot resist Yuan Shen alone.

If Liu Bei sold him out, Cao Cao would definitely be finished.

However, Li Yi still understood the principle of "the lips and teeth are interdependent".

Under normal circumstances, he would be somewhat reserved and act within his ability.

But facing an opponent like Yuan Shen, Li Yi really didn't dare to sell out his teammates.

"Please rest assured, Envoy Man, I will gather elite troops in Xiaopei."

Li Yi pointed to Xiaopei on the map, which was located at the junction of Yuzhou and Xuzhou.

“This place has convenient transportation.”

"When I conquered Yuan Shu last year, I also opened a canal of 800 miles, mainly around Yuzhou and Huainan."

"By the beginning of next spring, the canal from Huainan to Pei State will be dredged, and a large number of soldiers can be transported north from Huainan."

"Not only can we rescue Cao Sikong in the first place, but we can also support Rencheng, Lu, Langya and other places."

"If we go south, we can also rush to help Runan and control Chen and Liang in the west."

"It can also shield Xiapi, Donghai and other places in the east, which is truly a gift from heaven."

Man Chong looked at the map and sincerely admired Li Yi's foresight.

Xiaopei is also close to Dongjun, so if they come to rescue us, we can definitely make the trip in time.

"I didn't expect that you would think of opening a canal when you take the New Year. Could it be that it is to facilitate the transportation of soldiers from Huainan?"

When Man Chong heard Li Yi talking about the Shaobi Canal, he immediately asked out of curiosity.

"Yes, I will connect the Rushui River, the Woshui River, and the Yingshui River. In this way, the soldiers from Huainan and even the soldiers from Danyang can travel by water."

"Keep sending them to the front line!"

Oh~~
Man Chong was also a talent in internal affairs, so how could he not know the benefits of water conservancy?
"Why don't we cooperate and connect the waterway in the west of Runan with the Shaobei Canal in the east."

"In this way, it will be more convenient to transport soldiers, food, fodder and equipment?"

Man Chong took the initiative to propose that the Cao and Liu families cooperate to build a canal.

Li Yixi said:

"It is indeed so. It is a blessing for both places!"

Water conservancy projects are definitely beneficial to the country and the people.

In fact, Li Yi had long wanted to connect the canal on the west side of Runan with the canal on the east side.

Because this will make communication between the two places more convenient, and better if a war really breaks out.

As the rear base, Runan is very suitable for exchanging supplies and sending reinforcements.

As for how the two families will split in the future, that is not something we should consider now.

There is only one task now, to defeat Yuan Shen at all costs.

"It's just that the canal construction is a huge project. Can the envoys take charge?"

Li Yi asked.

Man Chong smiled and shook his head, "We are not like the princes, how can we make decisions on such an important matter?"

"We must wait until we return to Xu County in Yingchuan, meet with Cao Sikong, and discuss this matter with him before we can implement it."

"But you can rest assured, my lord. Chong will do his best to persuade Cao Sikong to accept this matter."

Ok……

Li Yi nodded. Cao Cao was very strategic and should have realized the value of the Shaobi Canal. "Have you ever considered the problem of the west, Lord Cao?"

Li Yi asked again.

He cares a lot about this ally, almost like a father and mother to him, and he has to ask about everything.

"Your Excellency, are you talking about the traitors from Liang Province?"

"That's right. They are separatist in Guanzhong and threaten Cao Sikong's left wing. We must be careful."

Li Yi didn't want Cao Cao to be stabbed in the back by Ma Teng and Han Sui in the west during the battle, which would hinder Xuzhou's development.

"Don't worry, Lord Cao has already considered the Guanzhong issue."

"Cao Sikong has appointed Zhong Yao as the Inspector General of the Imperial Guards, and ordered him to lead the troops in Guanzhong to persuade Ma Teng and Han Sui to surrender."

"If nothing unexpected happens, Ma Teng and Han Sui should send their sons to Yingchuan as hostages."

Speaking of this, Man Chong still had a look of pride on his face.

It seems to indicate that it is not only you in Xuzhou that has made outstanding contributions to the anti-Yuan cause, but we in Yanzhou are also making continuous efforts.

Zhong Yao was indeed a genius. In history, he single-handedly succeeded in persuading Ma Teng and Han Sui to surrender.

So they offered their sons to Cao Cao and did not turn to Yuan Shao.

For Cao Cao, Zhong Yao not only helped him to conquer Guanzhong.

More importantly, it cut off the connection between Guanzhong and Nanyang, which indirectly led Zhang Xiu to defect to Cao Cao.

As mentioned before, Zhang Xiu's troops in Liang Province had to be replenished from his hometown of Weiwu.

But it was precisely because Zhong Yao stabilized Guanzhong that Zhang Xiu's connection with Liangzhou was cut off.

This forced Zhang Xiu to lean more towards Cao Cao over Yuan Shao.

"Ma Teng and Han Sui are not trustworthy people. Cao Sikong needs to be more vigilant against them."

Li Yi kindly reminded Man Chong to be careful of Ma Teng and Han Sui.

The historical Ma Teng was not the "loyal minister of the Han Dynasty" who signed the imperial edict in the novel.

The relationship between Ma Teng and Han Sui was not as good as described in the novel.

Although these two people did become sworn brothers in history.

It’s a pity that it’s just fake brotherhood.

Not long after they became sworn brothers, they began to attack each other because of the unequal distribution of the spoils, and the war lasted for years.

During this period, Han Sui also killed Ma Teng's wife and son.

Later, Ma Chao acknowledged Han Sui as his adoptive father, which was truly like acknowledging a thief as his father.

However, from Ma Chao's perspective, he was originally the eldest son of a concubine.

If Han Sui had not killed Ma Teng's legitimate son, Ma Chao would have had no chance to inherit the family business.

Therefore, some scholars believe that it was with this in mind that Ma Chao was willing to join Han Sui's army.

In history, Ma Teng and Han Sui defected to Cao Cao during the war between Yuan and Cao.

But he was soon instigated by Yuan Shang to turn against Cao Cao.

However, Zhong Yao immediately sent Zhang Ji to instigate Ma Teng and Han Sui to rebel again, causing them to turn around and attack Yuan Shao.

So, you will find that these people really have no principles at all.

And like Lu Bu, they all have one thing in common: they all started from the border, and that is, they lack political goals.

Only princes who lack political goals will have an indecisive and capricious stance.

If you don’t know what you really want, you will be easily instigated.

So much so that a famous meme was formed in the Three Kingdoms period, which was, "Take Ma Teng from Xiliang for example."

Anyway,

It is difficult to restrain warriors like Ma Teng and Han Sui who came from the border areas with the etiquette and laws of the Central Plains people.

But this cannot be entirely blamed on the bad character of Ma Teng and Han Sui.

Because the environment they grow up in determines their personality.

At the border, you live on the edge of a knife every day and you never know whether you will lose your life the next day.

Therefore, they all focus too much on immediate interests and lack long-term strategic vision.

However, it is precisely because they lack strategic vision that they are easily manipulated by smart people.

Li Yi pointed to Shangjun Road on the map:
"If we can get Ma Teng and Han Sui to lead their troops to invade Bingzhou and capture Shangjun and Xihe, we can greatly reduce the pressure on the western wing."

"It can also ensure the security of Guanzhong and contain Yuan Shao's troops in Bingzhou."

“Isn’t this the best of both worlds?”

Since Ma Teng and Han Sui are so fickle, why not let them not be able to change?
Why can’t it happen again?

He directly incited them to invade Bingzhou, completely offending Yuan Shao.

In this case, before Yuan Shao's demise, would they dare to turn around and attack Cao and Liu?

That would mean you would be in a difficult position and offend both sides.

No matter how stupid Ma and Han are, it is impossible for them to do such a crazy thing.

"Please, Minister Cao, bring over the reinforcements along the way to Liang Province, no matter what the cost."

"If you need any help, I will do my best to help you in any way I can."

Li Yi urged Man Chong to make sure Cao Cao brought Ma Teng and Han Sui into the anti-Yuan alliance.

It’s not that this group of troops is so strong, but without them Cao and Liu would not have been able to defeat Yuan Shao.

But it was because these troops from Liang Province could not be won over by Yuan Shao.

The world war seems to be a fight between several big countries, but how many of the surrounding small countries can stay out of it?
If Cao and Liu did not win over Ma Teng and Han Sui, then Yuan Shao would definitely do so.

Once Ma Teng and Han Sui stood on Yuan Shao's side, Yuan's army in Bingzhou could easily move south.

Attack Hulao and cut off Guanzhong.

As a result, the pressure on the Western Front was enormous.

But Xuzhou is unable to provide assistance to the western front.

"Wait a minute, my lord!"

"There is one thing I don't understand, I hope you can tell me frankly."

Man Chong suddenly interrupted Li Yi's speech and asked.

"Please speak frankly, envoy." Li Yi said calmly.

"If war were to break out, Yuan's army would surely go straight down the Yellow River."

"And our Yanzhou counties are all distributed along the Yellow River."

"No depth at all!"

"If we do not want to destroy the production of the counties, the Yanzhou army and people must do their best to block Yuan's army on the north bank of the Yellow River and seek a decisive battle."

"but……"

Man Chong's brows were filled with discontent, and he sighed in self-mockery:

"Don't be afraid of being laughed at by you, my lord. With the power of Yanzhou, it is a foolish dream to want to stop the main force of Yuan's army."

“So what I want to ask is…”

Man Chong turned around, met Li Yi's gaze, and asked seriously:

"We can only hold off Yuan's army for about three months at best."

"How many troops can Xuzhou deploy in Yanzhou within three months?"

Man Chong asked questions that were of concern to him, Cao Cao, and all the civil and military officials in Cao's camp.

Xuzhou, how many troops can be deployed to Yanzhou?
These soldiers must be combat-ready, the kind that can fight as soon as they enter the battlefield.

Yanzhou is unable to provide logistical supplies, so Xuzhou has to transport them by water.

This issue is actually quite sensitive.

After all, he asked directly about Xuzhou's military strength.

Although Man Chong did not directly reveal the number of troops that Yanzhou could mobilize.

But it was also clearly stated that at most Yuan’s army could be delayed for about three months.

It also indirectly revealed some information about Yanzhou to Xuzhou, showing Cao Ying's sincerity.

Now Man Chong needs a sincere guarantee from Xuzhou.

Li Yi put his hands behind his back and pondered for a moment.

He was not on guard against Man Chong, but was thinking about how to make it happen.

Instead, they were seriously calculating how many troops they could send from Xuzhou to Yanzhou.

After all, people have to be kept in Xuzhou, and it is impossible for Huainan to take all the people away.

Man Chong did not urge him, but stood quietly in the distance, waiting for a reply.

After a while, Li Yi stopped and said to Man Chong in a serious tone:
"I know you want a definite answer, so I will tell you the truth."

"If the war breaks out, Xuzhou can mobilize 120,000 troops if the whole country is mobilized!"

These 120,000 men are certainly not standing troops, otherwise Xuzhou would not be able to afford them no matter how rich it is.

But if the critical moment really comes, it will be no problem to mobilize 120,000 to 30,000 combat troops from the entire country.

Back then, Chen Yuanlong boasted to Liu Bei that he would "gather 100,000 infantry and cavalry for you", which was actually an estimate based on Xuzhou's original productivity.

Under Li Yi's hard work, Xuzhou's productivity basically recovered to the level of Tao Gongzu's period and even improved.

If we really want to get ruthless, a hundred thousand troops will be no problem.

However, mobilization is easy but operation is difficult.

It would only take three months to mobilize 100,000 men to fight.

It can wipe out all your annual income in Xuzhou.

This also includes the money and grain earned from Xuzhou's foreign trade.

Otherwise, war is a waste of money.

This is the disadvantage of agricultural civilization compared to nomadic civilization.

"...Then, how many troops can Xuzhou send to Yanzhou?"

Man Chong asked again, but his tone was a little trembling.

Although it is known that under Li Yi's operation, Xuzhou's economy took off, and agriculture, iron smelting and handicrafts were all developing rapidly.

But he was still shocked when he heard that Xuzhou had mobilized the whole country and could directly mobilize 130,000 to 140,000 people.

One thing to note is that

If you just want to explode the troops, Yanzhou can also do it.

Theoretically, as long as you have 100,000 adult men, you can certainly pull them to the front line.

But there are two issues involved.

First, the adult men were taken away, so who would work on the land?

Second, how will the government feed 100,000 mouths?
So when we often hear someone mobilize a certain number of troops, it is based on their own productivity.

They were pulled out on the premise that the government could afford it and that farming work would not be completely delayed.

If you really want Cao Cao to mobilize 100,000 troops, that's fine.

But the next day after he was pulled out, Yuan Shao didn't need to fight.

The people below all rebelled, which was comparable to the end of the Qin Dynasty.

"…About 40,000 to 50,000 people."

Li Yi pondered for a long time and gave a specific number.

After a slight pause, he added:
"If we can delay it for another year, the number of military horses can be doubled."

According to Li Yi's calculations, if Xuzhou could resolve the war in Xuzhou or reduce the local threat within a year.

Then we can put all our main forces in Yanzhou.

Forty thousand in March, one hundred thousand a year?

Hearing this number, Man Chong was surprised and happy.

This is obviously the answer that Cao Cao and the officials and people of Yanzhou want to hear.

"...Haha." Man Chong smiled, "I think Cao Sikong will be very happy if this gets to his ears."

Man Chong said that Cao's troops could hold off Yuan's troops for about three months, which was of course their conservative estimate.

You have to know that the combat effectiveness of Cao's army is no longer at the level where they were beaten by Xu Rong in the battle of Xingyang.

They followed Cao Cao in his battles and emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Moreover, after so many years of tempering, Cao Cao's leadership ability is no longer comparable to the period when he was fighting against Dong Zhuo.

Just talking about the battle for the founding of Yanzhou,
Cao Cao defeated the Black Mountain Army, the Xiongnu Army, and the Yellow Turban Army successively before he was able to gain a foothold in Yanzhou.

Later, facing Yuan Shu, who had three times the number of troops as his own, Cao Cao won three battles in a row, a record that made him famous all over the world.

Yuan Shu was driven directly from Yanzhou to Yangzhou.

So sometimes you really do sigh,
Cao Cao is a man who is really strong against all odds.

As a result, I lost the game for unknown reasons.

Sometimes the loss is so ugly that you even doubt whether it is the same person.

Especially since he had just won a great victory that will go down in history not long ago.

In short, Cao Cao and his clan generals must be very powerful.

Otherwise, Li Yi would not have chosen him as his Henan ally.

"If Yuan Shao marches south next year or the year after, 40,000 men will be enough."

"But if the rumors are true, Yuan Shao will negotiate peace with Gongsun Zan ahead of schedule, and Henan will be forced to go to war with Hebei early."

"Forty thousand people is a little insufficient."

Pang Tong expressed his views on the side.

Jizhou is adjacent to Yanzhou and is basically plains, so it is easy to mobilize Jizhou's troops.

But regardless of the terrain, Yanzhou and Xuzhou, even if they are allies, are after all two regimes.

Therefore, when it comes to communication, it is definitely not as convenient as having a unified political power.

"In this case, can we first send people to Rencheng and then transfer some troops from Lu?"

Man Chong suggested that Xuzhou send people over in advance.

But Li Yi said:
"If I send troops there ahead of time, who will bear the military expenses?"

This……

Man Chong was speechless for a moment.

Sending people from Xuzhou would be like adding a few more mouths to feed for no reason.

It’s not that Cao Cao couldn’t afford to support him, but it was definitely not necessary for him.

But if Xuzhou has to provide it on its own, won’t there be losses in the transportation of grain?
Seeing Man Chong in trouble, Li Yi spoke to comfort him:

"The Manchu envoy doesn't need to worry too much. I will explain this matter to General Liu later."

"Then call together the civil and military officials of Xuzhou for another meeting to discuss the matter."

"We must do our best to adjust and provide the greatest help to Minnesota."

good!
Man Chong stood up and formally expressed his gratitude to Li Yi.

Li Yi tried to persuade Man Chong to stay in Xuzhou for a few more days.

However, Man Chong resigned on the grounds that he had official business to attend to and could not stay for long.

Li Yi couldn't keep him, so he ordered people to send 100 kilograms of gold and silver to Man Chong.

Man Chong refused to accept the offer, so Li Yi personally escorted him out of the city.

After seeing off Man Chong, many ministers in Xuzhou rushed to find Li Yi.

Because when they heard the news that Yuan Shao might go south ahead of time, they all became nervous.

Once the war begins, danger and opportunity coexist.

However, the interests of most vested interests will still be harmed, and they naturally hope that Xuzhou itself will not be destroyed.

"My Lord, the Hebei army will move south next year. Is this true?"

Everyone surrounded Li Yi and asked anxiously.

Li Yi smiled and comforted everyone:
"It's not decided yet, so there's no need to be nervous."

"I have sent people to Hebei to investigate. If there is any news, I will inform you immediately."

Ugh……

Everyone sighed and hoped that when Yuan’s army attacked, they would not be able to seize their land.

"Sir, what should we do now?"

Pang Tong saw that everyone was in panic, so he asked Li Yi for advice.

Such a major matter requires him to make the decision himself.

……

(End of this chapter)