Chapter 13 Chapter Three: The Battle of Binding the Tiger

Cao Cao suffered repeated setbacks in Nanyang County, but gained a lot in the Guanzhong area.As for the next target, Xun, Guo Jia, and Xun You all advocated targeting Lu Bu.Cao Cao also thinks it is reasonable, but before taking action, he must also take precautions against Nanyang County. Cao Cao still left Cao Hong in charge of guarding the Cao Jun-occupied area in the northern part of Nanyang County. The task entrusted to him was to hold out and absolutely guarantee the safety of the southern line of Xu County. Cao Cao felt that he was not at ease, so he used several people who returned from Jingzhou to the north, and sent them to the enemy-occupied areas to carry out work, go deep into the enemy's rear, develop base areas, and support Cao Hong.Among these people, Du Xi and Zhao Yan are the most accomplished.

Du Xizi, Zixu, was born in Dingling County, Yingchuan County. His great-grandfather Du An was very famous.Du Xi took refuge in Jingzhou and was good friends with Fanqin. Liu Biao treated Du Xi well (as a guest of honor), but Du Xi found that Liu Biao was unlikely to make a big deal, so he ran to Changsha County and hid.Hearing that the Son of Heaven came to Xu County, which is Du Xi's hometown, he went back to the village. Cao Cao appointed Du Xi as the magistrate of Xi'e County under the rule of Nanyang County.This county is very close to Wan County, and basically put the bayonet on the tip of the devil's nose.In such a harsh situation, Du Zhen was not easy. Not only did he stand firm, but he also mobilized the army and civilians to carry out production while defending.

Once, Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao's troops came to attack the city with about tens of thousands of people. Du Xi called together more than 50 people around him, and made a collective oath with them to lead the soldiers and civilians of Xi'e County to fight to the death.Du Xi personally fought at the forefront (holding the arrow stone), the soldiers were encouraged, and they all resisted desperately, beheading hundreds of enemies, while only more than 30 people died on the side defending the city. However, the enemy was too strong and finally entered the city. Du Xi led the army and civilians to break through, causing heavy casualties.After breaking out of the siege, Du Xi did not flee to Cao Hong for help. Instead, he gathered scattered people and moved to Mopi (southeast of Jiaxian County, Henan Province today) to continue guerrilla warfare behind the enemy.After everyone heard about it, they rushed to join him, and Du Xi reorganized a force to resist Zhang Xiu's attack continuously.

Zhao Yan, courtesy name Boran, was born in Yangzhai County, Yingchuan County.During the period of avoiding the chaos in Jingzhou, he was very close to Du Xi and Fanqin, and the three of them lived like a family (common wealth).In the second year of Jian'an (197), he also returned to his hometown. He was 27 years old this year. Cao Cao appointed Zhao Yan as the head of Langling County. Although Langling County belongs to Runan County, it is adjacent to Nanyang County. quite important. There are many evil forces in Langling County (how powerful and cunning), and they have always been fearless.After Zhao Yan took office, he started from cracking down on the leaders of the evil forces, arrested many people at once, and sentenced them all to death, thus establishing his prestige.

Li Tong, who made great contributions in the Southern Expedition to Zhangxiu, was stationed in Runan County for a long time. He used his influence to continuously consolidate his strength and effectively supported the security in the south of Xu County.Cao Cao promoted Li Tong to be a general based on his meritorious service before and after. Li Tong and Zhao Yan worked together in Runan County, and they established a good relationship.Li Tong's wife's uncle was from Langling County, and was arrested by County Magistrate Zhao for breaking the law.Li Tong's wife cried and begged Li Tong for mercy, hoping that Li Tong would go and clear it up, but Li Tong said: "Now everyone is going all out to serve Cao Gong, and you must not abolish the public for personal reasons." In the end, Li Tong's wife's uncle was arrested. After beheading, Li Tong praised Zhao Yan for his strict law enforcement and became good friends with him.

With Cao Hong staying in the south, and talented people like Li Tong, Du Xi, and Zhao Yan, Cao Cao was basically relieved and focused on the war in the east. Cao Cao's enemies to the east are actually Lu Bu and Liu Bei.But now, Liu Bei can basically ignore it, and the enemy to be solved is Lu Bu. At the beginning, Lu Bu was beaten all the way from Yanzhou by Cao Cao, and he had nowhere to go, so he defected to Liu Bei, who had just been appointed governor of Xuzhou.Liu Bei took Lü Bu in and stationed him in Xiaopei.Yuan Shu attacked Liu Bei, and Liu Bei led his main force to fight Yuan Shu in the area of ​​Weishan Lake. Lu Bu took the opportunity to capture Xuzhou and Liu Bei's family, and Liu Bei became homeless.

Liu Bei later switched to Lu Bu. At that time, most of Lu Bu's subordinates thought that Liu Bei could not be taken in. Lu Bu did not listen. He switched positions with Liu Bei. , the purpose is for Cao Cao or Yuan Shao to attack, and someone can resist for him. In the past two years, Liu Bei has been stationed in Xiaopei (now Pei County, Jiangsu Province), and Lu Bu moved the headquarters of the Xuzhou Governor's Department to Xiapi (now south of Pi County, Jiangsu Province). However, Liu Bei was not willing to serve as a shield for Lu Bu. He secretly developed a relationship with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao.As early as the first year of Jian'an (196), the emperor returned to Luoyang. Cao Cao had just presided over the daily work of the court in the capacity of recording ministers, and Liu Bei secretly sent someone to contact him.Although Liu Bei, like Lu Bu, was an enemy of Cao Cao who used real swords and guns on the battlefield in the past, Cao Cao naturally would not let go of this opportunity to disintegrate the enemy alliance, so he appointed Liu Bei as General Zhendong in the name of Emperor Xian. , Feng Yicheng Tinghou.

This incident should have happened when Cao Cao was changed to the general, because Cao Cao himself had been the general of Zhendong before.There are very few mentions of this appointment in historical materials, and it only exists in Liu Bei's biography in "Three Kingdoms". It can be speculated that this appointment may be secret. Cao Cao's thinking is very clear, that is, to pull Liu Bei and fight Lu Bu. Liu Bei's small actions may have been detected by Lu Bu. Lu Bu was very angry and attacked Xiaopei, driving Liu Bei out. This time Liu Bei became a homeless person again.This happened in September of the third year of Jian'an (198).

There is an explanation in "Heroes" about Lv Bu's turnaround. It said that as early as the spring of this year, Lv Bu sent people to Hanoi County to buy horses. Lv Bu, who was good at cavalry combat, couldn't do without horses. So people are often sent around to get horses.Horses are very important to Lu Bu, and horses are Lu Bu's arms. Lu Bu's horse-trafficking team was going to pass through Liu Bei's defense area, but Liu Bei came and robbed Lu Bu's horse.Lü Bu was furious and sent Gao Shun and Zhang Liao to attack Liu Bei. If we meet each other on the battlefield, is the combination of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei better, or the combination of Gao Shun and Zhang Liao?This battle gave a clear answer: the latter is more powerful.

"Heroes" said that Xiaopei was breached, Liu Bei fled, and Liu Bei's wife Gan and Xinna's wife Mi became Lu Bu's captives (his wife died). Liu Bei fled west. In October, he met Cao Cao who led an army to the east in the territory of Liang State.Cao Cao accepted Liu Bei and appointed Liu Bei as the governor of Yuzhou in the name of Xiandi, which legalized Liu Bei's position. Cao Cao ordered Liu Bei and his subordinates Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others to move with the army.At that time, some of Cao Cao's subordinates opposed this and suggested that Cao Cao take the opportunity to get rid of Liu Bei and his subordinates to avoid future troubles.

It was Cheng Yu, the bearded general who had been staying in Yanzhou, who made this suggestion.Cheng Yu persuaded Cao Cao: "I think Liu Bei is a man of great talent and popular support. After all, he will not be willing to be inferior to others. It is better to solve him as soon as possible." Cao Cao said: "Now is the time to gather the heroes of the world. At that time (the time when heroes were recruited today), killing one person and losing the heart of the world's heroes cannot be done like this." From Cao Cao's words, it can be seen that he admits that Liu Bei is a hero, and does not deny that Liu Bei will develop into a terrible opponent in the future, but he cannot kill Liu Bei, not because he does not want to, but because he is afraid of chilling the hearts of the heroes of the world. Cheng Yu's idea is based on tactical considerations, while Cao Cao's idea is based on the strategic level. Judging from the future development, Cheng Yu's suggestion is very reasonable, but Cao Cao's idea cannot be said to be wrong.Imagine that if Cao Cao killed Liu Bei now, Zhang Xiu's voluntary surrender soon afterwards, and the situation that Zhang Yan, Zang Ba and others always stood by Cao Cao's side during the decisive battle between Yuan and Cao might not happen. Taking in Liu Bei is risky, but this risky investment is worth making.And, in a sense, it can only do so.