Tiger Guards

Chapter 294 Refusing to Surrender
Originally Cao Cao's central camp, Zhao Ji returned and climbed the high observation platform in the camp.

When Cao Cao's army was defeated, part of the camp was burned, so the base of this platform was also burned, and the surface of the logs was carbonized.

Zhao Ji climbed onto the high platform, sat on a low stool, and observed the people cleaning up the battlefield near and far.

From small items like arrows to armor parts like helmets, they even collected Cao Cao's army flags.

Because there were prisoners of war, the battlefield was cleaned up quite thoroughly.

Otherwise, according to the Han army's fighting habits, those who were killed by crossbows would basically not remove the arrows.

The collected arrows have begun to be gathered together and sorted by veterans in front of the fire. Arrows that need calibration are calibrated on the spot, while other arrows are classified according to their damage.

If it can be repaired, it will be repaired; if it cannot be repaired but still has value, it will be bundled and stored.

"Your Excellency, the military situation is being investigated here."

Han Shu ascended the high platform and handed over a scroll of coarse silk map and a tray of bamboo slips. Zhao Ji took the coarse silk map and unfolded it: "Is Guo Jia the one in charge of guarding Xiangyi?"

"Yes, he is Cao Cao's newly recruited military advisor and strategist. He is from Yangdi in Yingchuan and comes from a prominent family of high-ranking officials."

Han Shu answered based on his memory, and then said, "I heard that it was Xun Yu who recommended him. Now that Cao Cao has suffered a great defeat and returned to Jibei, and Xun Yu has attached himself to the court, Guo Jia may also move the whole city to submit to the court."

"Now only I can represent the imperial court."

Zhao Ji corrected him, continuing to examine the map. Seeing nothing else of interest, he said, "Select a few captured officers to act as messengers and send a message to Guo Jia. If he surrenders the city to me, I will spare him."

Upon hearing this, Han Shu said, "Your Excellency, I'm afraid this won't work."

“I know. I’ve already given him a chance, but he refused to follow me. If I kill him later, I don’t think anyone will plead for him.”

Zhao Ji rolled up the map: "Go and pass on the order: whoever you like, consider it releasing them."

"Here."

Han Shu cupped his hands in greeting and, as he was about to descend the wooden stairs, asked, "Minister, should the camp be on high alert?"

"There's no need. Lü Bu is too greedy; he wouldn't want to make an enemy of me."

Zhao Ji turned to look at the area near the Bian River: "For him, taking a step back would open up a whole new world; not many people could tolerate that."

If things really got serious, they would have turned against each other right then and there.

It's perfectly normal for allies to test each other's limits and occasionally create friction to demonstrate their independence.

How can there be any relationship that is respectful and courteous from the very beginning?

Even spouses, relatives, and brothers cannot do this, so we should not make things too difficult for our allies.

Allies are merely partners of interest; if the interests are significant enough, Lü Bu is willing to endure some grievances.

Thinking of Lü Bu's patience, Zhao Ji couldn't help but grin.

If you try to outsmart the high-ranking officials, even ten of yourself or ten Lu Bus combined couldn't outmaneuver them.

The more Lü Bu wanted to gain, the more he would lose step by step under the scheming of the court officials, until they emptied his internal organs.

There's only one way to deal with high-ranking officials without suffering losses: find every opportunity to break their legs!
And a targeted and phased plan to scrap the former nobles was carried out.

Even if the dead high-ranking officials could be manipulated, and even if they succeeded in their schemes, they wouldn't lose much.

Zhao Ji held a pessimistic view of Lü Bu's future.

And then there's Sun Ce, who might soon be driven to madness and cognitive dissonance by the scholars of Xuzhou.

These guys look down on Lü Bu, Sun Ce, and themselves, and most likely they also look down on Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan.

As Zhao Ji was enjoying the breeze to clear his mind, Zhang Yang, like Venus, ascended the high platform to see him.

Seeing that Zhao Ji did not object, Zhang Yang, sitting below Zhao Ji, asked, "Has the Attendant-in-Ordinary calmed down?"

"I felt much better after shooting Hou Cheng with an arrow."

Zhao Ji untied his water pouch, took a sip himself, and tossed it to Zhang Yang: "I have a falling out with Marquis Meng, why are you in such a hurry, General Zhang? You're all sweating, there's no need for that."

Zhang Yang caught the water bag and smiled, "I apologize for the embarrassing incident. It is only through the alliance with Marquis Meng that I have been able to accomplish something. Now that the two sides are united, it is mutually beneficial, and it is really not right to do this. In fact, Marquis Meng was unaware of this and it was not at his behest."

"That's my guess too. If he gave the order, it wouldn't be General Zhang who came, but Gao Shun and the Trapped Camp."

Zhao Ji sighed: "As the saying goes, 'a small matter reveals a great truth.' Military supplies and horses are just minor issues. If you are so impatient and ruthless over such a small matter, how can you expect to respect our army's opinions when faced with a major event? Therefore, the alliance between the two sides can remain unchanged. I will return to Bingzhou, and he will manage the Central Plains."

Zhang Yang took a sip of water from his water pouch, then asked another question: "What about the matchmaker that I, Zhang, have recommended?"

"The alliance was made before, so let's honor it now. Otherwise, make him hand over my men and horses." Zhao Ji's tone was indifferent, yet he couldn't resist a joke: "He'd rather have these horses than keep his daughter. The marriage arrangement remains the same, and I won't forget General Zhang's kindness in arranging the marriage."

Zhang Yang was relieved, but he was worried that Zhao Ji would act rashly and leave with his army immediately.

As long as Zhao Ji withdraws in an orderly manner, Lü Bu will be able to do a lot during this period.

As for pursuing Cao Cao, Zhang Yang knew it was no longer possible.

Lu Bu only had Gao Shun and Zhang Liao who could stand alone, and he could also go after them... But standing alone is one thing, and being able to make Cao Cao suffer a crushing defeat is another.

Sending troops there, if they fail to defeat Cao Cao, will only embolden him and make the surrounding neutral warlords even more neutral.

Only Zhao Ji, whose past record is very reliable, could be persuaded to pursue Cao Cao. There is a high probability that Cao Cao could be driven to the north bank of the Yellow River.

Given the current atmosphere, even if the emperor issued an edict, Zhao Ji would not obey it to punish the rebels.

To the south of the battlefield lies Xiangyi, the place where Cao Cao's army stored grain.

More than a thousand men led by Yue Jin broke through the siege and arrived here. Guo Jia accepted them and then closed the gates to defend the city. He did not believe that Lü Bu or Zhao Ji would divide their forces to besiege Xiangyi.

Not only Xiangyi, but also Chenliu County, the main grain storage area, is safe. Neither Zhao Ji nor Lü Bu has the ability to attack it in the short term.

Therefore, Guo Jia was not afraid at all. He would be more worried if Lü Bu or Zhao Ji were to defeat Cao Cao alone.

However, this battle was a joint force of Lü Bu and Zhao Ji that broke through Cao Cao's army camp, which gave people a sense of "it was only natural" rather than Cao Cao being incapable.

As long as Cao Cao maintains the public image of being "Cao Cao is very capable," many peripheral and affiliated forces will not dare to easily betray him, and the overall power will not disintegrate quickly.

Therefore, in Guo Jia's view, the current situation was not a big deal.

Even in the most dire situation, could it be more desperate than when the entire territory of Yanzhou rebelled back then, leaving only three cities standing?

Besides, if Yuan Shaoteng takes action, he will definitely continue to aid Cao Cao.

A unified Central Plains, especially one under the rule of the imperial court, would be extremely disadvantageous to Yuan Shao.

Therefore, supporting Cao Cao to disrupt the Central Plains and curb the growth of the imperial court was Yuan Shao's fundamental strategy, which was related to the survival of Yuan Shao's side.

This strategy has a higher priority than attacking and destroying Gongsun Zan.

A unified Central Plains that submits to the imperial court will constantly undermine and erode the foundation of the Yuan family in Hebei. The officials and people of Hebei will instinctively yearn for the imperial court and will become an unstable factor in the Yuan family's rule.

Even if Yuan Shao were to conquer and destroy Gongsun Zan, it would be difficult to suppress the internal sentiment of yearning for the imperial court.

Only by continuously stirring up the Central Plains and preventing the court from regaining its former glory could Yuan Shao have the opportunity to continue to grow stronger.

Otherwise, the battles of Shangdang and Changshan would be a rehearsal for the future war in which the imperial court would attack and destroy the Yuan family in Hebei.

Having been bullied by Zhao Ji, who led the emperor on a personal expedition, Yuan Shao knew very well the priorities... At this critical moment, making peace with Gongsun Zan was not out of the question.

After all, survival comes first; only with a stable living environment can we talk about development.

As for Lü Bu, Guo Jia didn't think Lü Bu could succeed.

When Cao Cao seized Yan Province, he encountered a severe drought and crop failure. He was able to withstand the pressure and did not retreat to Hebei, while Lü Bu retreated... This shows that Lü Bu was not ruthless enough and could not defeat Cao Cao.

As for Zhao Ji, who had emerged from obscurity, Guo Jia knew little about him and could only wait until Zhao Ji withdrew his troops from the Central Plains before conducting a detailed investigation and analysis of him.

Compared to the unpredictable Zhao Ji, Guo Jia was more interested in Sun Ce.

Although Guo Jia was trapped in Xiangyi, only his body was confined; he still had to consider the overall situation and devise plans for Cao Cao.

If Sun Ce can be won over, the negative impact of the defeat at Bian River can be minimized.

Once we weather the effects of the defeat at Bian River, many things will be much easier to handle.

With the drought and locust plague of the past three years, no one can fight this winter, and everyone will go hungry.

Large-scale warfare broke out again in the Central Plains, and it would be at least after the autumn harvest next year.

We can only harvest in the autumn; the grain harvested in the summer is simply not enough.

However, Nanyang, Qingzhou, and Xuzhou still have the potential to see a new round of war break out, since these places still have some grain reserves.

It's unclear what Yuan Shu will choose. Having just experienced Sun Ce's rebellion, Yuan Shu needs time to reorganize his internal affairs, and he will likely adopt a conservative approach this winter.

Thus, Guo Jia, who was considering the overall situation, was not afraid at all that Zhao Ji or Lü Bu would send troops to besiege Xiangyi.

As for the envoy sent by Zhao Ji to persuade him to surrender, why would Guo Jia pay any attention to him?
(End of this chapter)