The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 174 Guo Jia sees Liu Bei as a threat, Cao Cao wants to invite Yuan Shao to his death (4th update)
Sikong Mansion.

Cao Cao leaned against the table, looking down at the intelligence reports sent back by his spies, remaining silent for a long time.

The old days.

Xun You once advised Cao Cao: "Liu Bei is able to win people's hearts, and he will eventually become a threat."

Cao Cao said: Yuan Shao has not been defeated yet, and he is a friend of Liu Bei, not an enemy!
now.

Xun You's prediction came true.

Less than two years after Liu Bei left Xuchang, he had become famous throughout Hebei, and his power seemed to be growing stronger.

In the empty hall, a loud voice was suddenly heard.

But then he saw Guo Jia, the Military Advisor of the Minister of Works, with a solemn expression: "My lord, Yuan Shao's power is currently weak, while Liu Bei's reputation is growing stronger every day. If we do not stop him, I fear that Liu Bei will replace Yuan Shao. With Liu Bei's abilities, if we allow him to occupy the land of Hebei, he will surely become a great threat to my lord."

Among Cao Cao's strategists, Xun Yu, Xun You, and Jia Xu were considered the most capable in terms of overall abilities.

Cao Cao called Xun Yu "my Zhang Liang" because he was good at strategic planning and domestic affairs coordination. Cao Cao would plan and make decisions with Xun Yu on all important military and political matters.

Xun You was known as the "chief strategist" because he was skilled in tactical planning and battlefield strategy. Whenever Cao Cao launched a campaign against foreign enemies, he would send Xun You with him. The victory at the Battle of Guandu was largely due to Xun You's tactical planning and battlefield strategy.

When Cao Cao discussed the merits of his advisors, he said: "In terms of loyalty, integrity, deep understanding of strategy and tactics, and ability to stabilize the situation inside and outside the court, Xun Yu is the best, followed by Xun You."

It can be seen.

Jia Xu was adept at political maneuvering and self-preservation, skilled at understanding people's hearts and changing situations. His ability to discuss strategy and plan was comparable to that of Xun Yu and Xun Zixia. However, because Jia Xu served many masters and plotted to kill Cao Cao's eldest son and beloved general, he always kept a low profile, never vying for power or fame.

The two Xun brothers and one Jia.

Then Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, Dong Zhao, and Liu Ye were appointed as the next in line.

Cheng Yu is known for his fortitude, decisiveness, and emergency response capabilities. When food is scarce, he can use unconventional methods to ensure the supply of military rations. No one can match his ruthlessness.

Guo Jia was known for his ingenious strategies and keen insight, especially his ability to analyze people's hearts and the course of battle.

Dong Zhao was skilled in political planning and institutional design, and often served as the governor or prefect of key prefectures and counties.

Liu Ye is known for his strategic foresight and intelligence analysis, and is particularly adept at discerning the movements of separatist forces. However, he has only recently joined Cao Cao and is still young, so he is currently only a minor official in charge of granaries.

Of these seven people, Guo Jia had the closest relationship with Cao Cao.

Unlike Xun Yu, who always considered himself a "Han official," and unlike Jia Xu, who was inherently wary, Guo Jia was almost entirely dependent on and identified with Cao Cao.

The "Ten Victories and Ten Defeats" theory not only analyzed the battle situation but also praised Cao Cao's personal abilities, magnanimity, and spirit to the extreme. This complete alignment made Cao Cao feel the warmth of being fully understood.

Cao Cao appeared dignified, but in reality, he possessed the carefree spirit of a ruthless warlord. Guo Jia, on the other hand, was unconventional, allowing Cao Cao to reveal more of his ambition and schemes in his presence. Guo Jia, in turn, could speak frankly to Cao Cao. This relationship of ruler and subject, as well as confidant, made Guo Jia stand out among the seven, and even though his talents were not as great as Xunzi, Xunzi, and Jia Yi, he still earned Cao Cao's exceptional favor.

This is why Cao Cao created the position of "Military Advisor to the Minister of Works" for Guo Jia and often took Guo Jia with him, riding in the same carriage when marching and sitting at the same table when discussing matters.

Although it wasn't as intimate as Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang sleeping in the same bed, it was still a rare occurrence for Cao Cao.

Upon hearing Guo Jia's words, Cao Cao slowly raised his head. He didn't show the exaggerated astonishment of Cao Cao, but rather an expected agreement: "Liu Xuande has entered Hebei, like a bird soaring into the sky or a fish entering the sea. Yuan Shao is no match for Xuande at all."

After putting down the intelligence in his hand, Cao Cao got up and went to the map hanging to the side.

After the great victory at Guandu, Cao Cao's prestige grew day by day.

Even the counties of Runan, where anti-Cao sentiment was strongest, became docile. Whether they were remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion or followers of Yuan Shikai, they seemed to have disappeared overnight.

Liu Biao, who was restless in the south, also retreated into the shell of Jingzhou, like a turtle hiding its head.

My gaze fell on the Jiangdong area on the map.

The six counties of Jiangdong, which were originally marked with "Sun Ce", have now changed their power name to "Sun Quan".

Cao Cao was struck by a sudden realization: "I still remember last year when Sun Ce heard that I was locked in a stalemate with Yuan Shao at Guandu, he planned to cross the river and launch a surprise attack on Xuchang. Everyone was terrified, but only Fengxiao (Cao Cao) predicted that 'Sun Ce has just annexed Jiangdong, and those he has killed are all heroes of Jiangdong who are willing to die for him. However, Sun Ce is reckless and unprepared. Even with a million troops, he is no different from traveling alone in the Central Plains. If he encounters an assassin's ambush, he will only be fighting alone and will eventually die at the hands of a commoner.' Later, news came from Jiangdong that Sun Ce was indeed killed by Xu Gong's retainers. After Sun Ce's death, first his old subordinates rebelled, then his relatives fought for power, and even the Yue tribes in the mountains seized the opportunity to cause trouble. The Sun family of Jiangdong has become a scourge."

Cao Cao spoke calmly.

He clearly saw the threat Liu Bei posed in Hebei, like a bird soaring into the sky or a fish swimming in the sea, yet he talked to Guo Jia about Sun Ce, whose grave was already overgrown with weeds.

“Sun Ce relied on his martial prowess to conquer Jiangdong through slaughter. He had might but lacked benevolence, hence his tragic end.” Seeing Cao Cao’s calm tone, Guo Jia relaxed his own solemn expression and said, “However, Liu Bei was different. He also relied on his martial prowess to conquer Youzhou through slaughter, but he transferred his hatred to the Hu people. His act of exchanging Hu prisoners for Han slaves made the seven counties of Youzhou feel Liu Bei’s benevolence. If Yuan Shao were to die suddenly, the seven counties of Youzhou would surely welcome Liu Bei as the ruler of Youzhou.”

Cao Cao chuckled lightly: "If Liu Bei becomes the ruler of Youzhou, how could Yuan Shao's three sons and one nephew be content? When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Fengxiao, do you think I can be the fisherman?"

Guo Jiadun, knowing Cao Cao's thoughts, also smiled and said, "That's why you, my lord, adopted Wenruo's advice before, abandoning the southern attack on Liu Biao and prioritizing the pacification of Hebei. You also wrote to Yuan Shao, proposing a decisive battle with him at Dongwuyang, to provoke Yuan Shao's determination to fight. Our spies have reported that Yuan Shao is indulging in wine and women in Ye City, just like Lü Bu in Xiapi. He has lost his spirit and is not far from death. Once Yuan Shao is dead, his sons and nephews will definitely fight against Liu Bei."

Cao Cao then turned his gaze to Changshan State: "Originally, when I heard that Yuan Shao had ordered Liu Bei to recruit and train new soldiers, I was worried that I would face Liu Bei in Dongwuyang. If I were to fight Liu Bei, I was not confident of victory, and even a draw would allow Yuan Shao to regain his ambition. I never expected that the Black Mountain bandits would suddenly rebel, forcing Yuan Shao to send Liu Bei to Changshan to quell the rebellion. Liu Bei is a smart man. If Yuan Shao is not dead, Liu Bei cannot truly gain power in Hebei; but Liu Bei also wants to use Yuan Shao's power to gradually develop, so he dares not refuse Yuan Shao's various military orders. Now that Liu Bei has surrendered those more than 100,000 Black Mountain bandits, he has a reason to remain inactive in Black Mountain."

"At this opportune moment, I should lead my troops across the river. I beseech you, Yuan Shao, to meet your death!"

His voice was firm and resolute, filled with immense confidence.

Even though the Battle of Guandu had only ended three months prior, Cao Cao was still confident enough to lead his troops across the river. In terms of military skill and general prowess, Yuan Shao was far inferior to Cao Cao.

　The fourth update is here! Please vote with your monthly tickets. I'm going for a walk, I'll write more when I get back.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)