Chapter 15 5. Eternal Wizards

Yuan Shao had three sons, the eldest was Yuan Tan, the second was Yuan Xi, and the youngest was Yuan Shang.In the spring of the tenth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao killed Yuan Tan in Nanpi, and Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi defected to Karasuma.Karasuma, also known as Wuhuan, is an ethnic minority in northern China. Their base camp, Liucheng, is now Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province.Karasuma has always been on Yuan Shao's side, so Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to this place, preparing to deal with Cao Cao with the help of Karasuma. Seeing that there is only the last step left in the long march to unify the north, can this step be taken?

There was a voice of opposition in Cao Cao's camp.When Yuan Shao was at war with Cao Cao, Liu Bei took the opportunity to sneak to Liu Biao. Now, after several years of recuperation, Liu Bei has accumulated considerable strength in Jingzhou. If Cao Cao goes on an expedition alone, will Liu Bei take the opportunity to stay behind? Raising trouble, attacking Xudu, hijacking Emperor Han?What's more, playing Karasuma was too difficult. At that time, Cao Cao's base camp was in Yecheng, that is, Linzhang in Hebei, while Karasuma was in Jinzhou, Liaoning. Not to mention the long distance between the two places, the road was also very dangerous.

These opinions sounded justified, and even Cao Cao fell into doubts.At this moment, laughter resounded like a breeze and a bright moon, Cao Cao's youngest counselor and only confidant Guo Jia said with a smile: My lord, you can go at ease, it doesn't matter to leave an empty Xudu. I'm sure Liu Bei won't cause you any trouble, because someone will help the lord stop him, who?Liu Biao. In "Three Kingdoms", Guo Jia analyzed it like this: "Biao, sitting and talking with guests, self-knowledge is not enough to prepare for it. If you take a heavy responsibility, you may not be able to control it. If you take a light responsibility, you will not be able to prepare for it. Although the country is expeditionary, You have nothing to worry about.” Liu Biao is just a boastful person, he knows that his ability is not as good as Liu Bei’s, and if he is used heavily, he will be worried that he will not be able to control him, but if he is used lightly, Liu Bei’s talents will not be fully displayed. My lord can go on an expedition without worry.

As for the danger of Guanshan, it's not all bad.Guo Jia believes that it is precisely because Karasuma is far away and dangerous, so they never expect us to attack him, and we can make a surprise attack; in addition, Karasuma and Yuan's relationship is very close, once they are combined, As time goes by, it will cause disasters. Not only will the goal of unifying the north fail to be realized, but the Jizhou and Qingzhou we have already occupied will miss.Therefore, Karasuma must fight. Guo Jia is really good at predicting things.Not long after Cao Cao's army set off, Liu Bei suggested to Liu Biao that this is a good opportunity, let's take advantage of the opportunity and take the emperor from Xuchang to Jingzhou.At that time, we will hold the emperor to make the princes.Liu Biao couldn't make up his mind, so he said wait and see.Liu Bei has no army, and there is nothing he can do if he is in a hurry.When Cao Cao returned triumphantly from Karasuma, Liu Biao regretfully said to Liu Bei, it seems that I really missed an opportunity.Liu Biao must not have known at that time that what he missed was the last chance.In the second year of pacifying Karasuma, Cao Cao sent troops to attack Liu Biao. Cao Cao sent troops in July, and Liu Biao died in August.

Looking back, Cao Cao adopted Guo Jia's suggestion and sent troops on an expedition.When they arrived in Yi County, Guo Jia thought that the troops were moving too slowly, so he persuaded Cao Cao to abandon his luggage and attack lightly. This was the most dangerous battle in Cao Cao's military career. In the summer of the 11th year of Jian'an, God would also test Cao Cao. It was rainy in the north, and the originally set route was destroyed and impassable.Cao Cao did not give up. He put up a sign on the original road: "It's summer and summer, the road is impassable, and we will march again after autumn and winter." He set up the illusion of withdrawal, and then under the leadership of the local guide Tian Chou, he found another road called Continue on the small road in Luronse.

For two hundred years, this road has been inaccessible, basically a road without a road.Along the way, Cao Jun opened the way across the mountains and built bridges when encountering water. It was really difficult to walk.Along the way, there were more than 200 miles of drought and no water. It took more than 30 feet to dig the ground to get water. Later, the food was eaten up, and Cao Jun had to kill thousands of horses to satisfy his hunger.In this way, Cao Jun went through hardships and arrived at Bailang Mountain, which is less than 200 miles away from Liucheng, in August of the eleventh year of Jian'an.It wasn't until this time that Karasuma got the news, tens of thousands of cavalry were hurriedly assembled to fight.

This is an encounter, but also a decisive battle.If Cao Cao is defeated, Cao's army will be completely destroyed in Liaoxi; if Karasuma is defeated, Liucheng will definitely fall.When meeting on a narrow road, the brave wins. Cao Cao sent brave generals Zhang Liao and Zhang Yun to charge forward.These two people have always been extremely sturdy, they slapped their horses all the way down the mountain, and rushed straight to the enemy's line.Led by them, Cao Jun stepped forward bravely.Karasuma was already in panic, seeing Cao Jun's bravery, the formation began to collapse.Shanyu in western Liaoning was beheaded by Cao Jun, and Karasuma was leaderless, and was killed in pieces.

Cao Cao won a complete victory and put down Karasuma in one fell swoop. "Three Kingdoms" records: "Hu Han surrendered more than 200,000 people." Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Gongsun Kang, the prefect of Liaodong. Cao Cao expected that Gongsun Kang would make some moves, so he did not pursue it, and waited for the head of Yuan's son.Sure enough, Gongsun Kangfu killed the two Yuans and gave their heads as gifts to Cao Cao. The surprise attack on Karasuma was the most difficult battle in Cao Cao's life, and it was also the ultimate display of Guo Jia's military genius who dared to make dangerous moves and seek victory in danger.The success of Guo Jia's strategy is not only based on his extraordinary courage to take risks, but also based on his insight and grasp of the opponent's psychology.During his eleven years of military career following Cao Cao, Guo Jia contributed many strategies to Cao Cao, all of which were unexpected, all of which were dangerous, and all of which depended on whether the opponent's behavior strictly followed Guo Jia's predictions.

When Cao Cao fought Lu Bu, the battle lasted for more than half a year, and Cao's army was extremely exhausted.Seeing this, Cao Cao was about to retreat. It was Guo Jia who saw Lv Bu's character flaws. He thought that Lv Bu was like Xiang Yu, brave but not resourceful. This kind of person has no wisdom, so he doesn't have resilience. So Cao Cao was advised to attack fiercely.After hearing his words, Cao Cao mobilized his army and rushed up desperately, and he defeated Lu Bu in one go. Cao Cao and Yuan Shao confronted each other at Guandu, the enemy was strong and we were weak, and the situation was critical. If Liu Bei took the opportunity to launch an attack at this time, Cao Cao would be doomed.Cao Cao intends to teach Liu Bei a lesson, but Yuan Shao is already overwhelmed by the front, so how can he divide his troops to fight Liu Bei?Guo Jia said calmly that Liu Bei could fight.He analyzed that it was necessary to take advantage of Liu Bei's unstable foothold and punch hard to defeat Liu Bei in one fell swoop.As for Yuan Shao, he has a hesitant and suspicious personality, and even if he wants to sneak attack, he will not be very quick. This time difference can be used to eliminate Liu Bei.So Cao Cao sent troops, and he defeated Liu Bei and captured Guan Yu.The only condition for Guo Jia's bold strategy to succeed is that Yuan Shao does not act when he should, as he expected.

When Cao Cao and Yuan Shao confronted Guandu, a disturbing news came from Jiangdong that Sun Ce, the little overlord of Jiangdong, was preparing to attack Xudu.Sun Ce has always been brave and good at fighting. If he sends troops, Cao Cao's base will definitely be lost, and Cao's army will also face the danger of being destroyed.For a while, everyone in Cao Ying was in danger, and many people began to send glances to Yuan Shao secretly, looking for a way out.But Guo Jia said firmly again: It's okay, Sun Ce can't come! Guo Jia asserted that Sun Ce would definitely die at the hands of assassins before he came.This statement sounds extremely absurd. Could it be that Cao Cao's hegemony rested in the hands of an assassin who didn't know where?Why did Guo Jia conclude that Sun Ce was dead?

However, soon, a jaw-dropping news came from Soochow: Sun Ce died, at the hands of an assassin! Please see how Guo Jia analyzed it.Guo Jia believed that in order to pacify Jiangdong, Sun Ce killed many powerful local tyrants and caused public outrage. As long as there is an assassin, he can be killed.Therefore, Guo Jia concluded that Sun Ce must have died at the hands of the assassin. It is absolutely true, as we have said in the previous chapter, Sun Ce died at the hands of Xu Gong's retainer who was killed by him. When Pei Songzhi was annotating "Three Kingdoms", he obviously couldn't believe Guo Jia's amazing talent. He thought that Sun Ce's death at the hands of an assassin was just a coincidence.Is it really just a coincidence?Let us understand Guo Jia from the beginning. Guo Jia, courtesy name Fengxiao, was born in Yingchuan.Yingchuan is located in today's Baofeng area of ​​Henan Province, and 70% of the talents in the Three Kingdoms period came from this place, and this environment will subtly influence Guo Jia.Guo Jia was born in a poor family, and he had great ambitions since he was a child. At the age of 20, he began to make friends with talented people quietly, and did not associate with the worldly people. Therefore, most people don’t know Guo Jia, but anyone who knows Guo Jia’s talents is a wise man. figure. When he was 21 years old, Guo Jia also took refuge in Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shao gave him generous treatment. However, within ten days, Guo Jia saw Yuan Shao clearly, and left Yuan Shao's counselors Xin Ping and Guo Tu. A few comments about Yuan Shao: "Mr. Yuan wants to imitate Duke Zhou's subordinates, but he doesn't know how to use people. He has many ideas and few important things. He is eager to plan but has no decisions. It is difficult to be a king if he wants to help the world together in great trouble." Yuan Shao wanted to learn from Duke Zhou how to treat corporals with courtesy, but he didn't learn the essence. He was resourceful and indecisive. It was very difficult to accomplish great things with him and save the world from catastrophe!Leaving these words behind, Guo Jia drifted away. For the next four or five years, Guo Jia stayed at home all the time.Later, under the recommendation of Xun Yu, Guo Jia came to Cao Cao.Just like Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, the two of them felt like ducks in water after a secret chat.Cao Cao sighed from the bottom of his heart and said: "The one who makes great achievements alone must be this person!" Guo Jia also said happily: "It's my lord!" Since then, Guo Jia has become Cao Cao's military sacrificial wine, offering advice and dedication to Cao Cao's conquests.Guo Jia is 21 years younger than Cao Cao. The two of them are superiors and subordinates, and they are confidants. Cao Cao often tells people that the person who knows my heart best is Guo Jia.The two walk in the same car, sit in the same seat, and have a close relationship, which is extraordinary. Ji Zha once said, "Chinese gentlemen are good at etiquette but not good at seeing." This sentence may be used in turn to describe Guo Jia. Guo Jiaming is good at seeing and neglecting etiquette. etiquette.Cao Cao had a disciplinary officer named Chen Qun who once played Guo Jia in court because of Guo Jia's misbehavior, but Guo Jia looked calm and didn't care at all.On the one hand, Cao Cao praised Chen Qun for his adherence to principles and meritorious deeds in reporting, but on the other hand, he ignored Guo Jia and allowed himself to be free. Seeing Guo Jia's calm attitude, he even admired him more from the bottom of his heart. During his war career, Cao Cao always took Guo Jia by his side so that he could consult him at any time.Guo Jia has never let Cao Cao down. He is always able to figure out the puzzle and make the right decision at the critical moment. , to pacify the world, seeking merit is the highest." Cao Cao placed unlimited expectations on the young Guo Jia, intending to entrust Guo Jia with the important affairs of governing the country after he calmed down the world.Just after the surprise attack on Karasuma, on the way back from Liucheng, the water and soil were not acclimatized, the weather was harsh, coupled with the overworked day and night, Guo Jia, who was already weak, fell ill and died. When Guo Jia was seriously ill, Cao Cao was so anxious that he kept sending people to visit him; after Guo Jia passed away, Cao Cao wept bitterly and indulged in grief for many days. In his letter to Xun Yu, he confided that he had lost Guo Jia Sorry and heartbroken. The death of Guo Jia became a watershed in Cao Cao's military career.Before Guo Jia's death, Cao Cao successively destroyed Lu Bu, Yuan Shao, and unified the north; after Guo Jia's death, Cao Cao was basically at a standstill except for some achievements in the battles with Ma Teng and Han Sui in the northwest, and the Battle of Chibi was even more painful. The taste of defeat, helpless to sit and watch the world three points.No wonder Cao Cao would use such strong words as "poisonous hatred" to describe the feeling of losing Guo Jia. It is no wonder that after the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao lamented like blood: "Guo Fengxiao is here, don't let me alone here." Later generations have poems praising Guo Jia: "Guo Fengxiao was born, the hero is the best among all heroes: the classics and history are hidden in the belly, and the armor is hidden in the chest; the strategy is like Fan Li, and the decision-making is like Chen Ping. It is a pity that he died first, and Liang Dong in the Central Plains fell." Believe it! Guo Jia has a Zen-like thinking ability, able to grasp the key points in one fell swoop amidst the turbulent and complicated opportunities, so he has the understanding to see through the clouds, the decisive decision-making ability and the grasp of winning in danger.Behind these abilities, what we see is a pure Guo Jia, a quiet Guo Jia, a Guo Jia who goes straight to what he wants in the chaotic era, and a Guo Jia who is highly loyal to his own life. If it is said that life is the extension of time inch by inch and the concentration of effort bit by bit, then Guo Jia has tried his best to defend the purity of life."Don't get in touch with the vulgar" when he was young, it was not aloofness, but he did not want to waste his life in meaningless communication; when he was weak, he resolutely left Yuan Shao, it was not arrogance, but he was unwilling to squander it in an inappropriate place His own energy; after being reported by Chen Qun, he looked calm and remained the same, not to resist the world, but to let the true nature of life be spontaneous.Maybe Guo Jia's sanity makes us wonder, but his pure and focused attitude is not out of reach.