Chapter 10 Yanzhou prepares for war

After Cao Cao and Sun Quan reached a tacit understanding, Zhang Hong was awarded the post of captain of the eastern part of Kuaiji by the imperial court, and returned to Jiangdong with the so-called mission of persuading the Sun family to surrender.At the same time, Sun Quan also relaxed the restrictions, allowing those who had taken refuge in Jiangdong to go north and return home.Among these people, Wang Lang and Hua Xin are the most famous. Wang Lang, courtesy name Jingxing, was born in Tanxian County, East China Sea. He was the favorite student of the former Taiwei Yang Ci, and he was famous for his proficiency in scriptures.During the war, he was ordered by Tao Qian to go to Xijing to worship the emperor and was appointed as the prefect of Kuaiji.When Sun Ce captured Jiangdong, he persevered and resisted and finally lost. He was captured by Sun Ce on the way to Jiaozhou. Although he was not executed, his family was imprisoned in Qu'a since then.

Hua Xin's alias Ziyu, a native of Gaotang in Pingyuan, had become a well-known figure as early as twenty years ago, and the Hua family was once as famous as the Chen family in Yingchuan.He served as the prefect of Yuzhang during the war. Later, when Sun Ce became powerful, he had no choice but to sacrifice the city and surrender. After that, he was kept under the tent by the Sun brothers. Both of them are over forty years old, but after leaving Jiangdong and coming to Xudu, they feel quite reborn and regain their freedom.Many celebrities in the capital, such as Kong Rong, Xi Ji, and Xun Yue, came to congratulate them one after another. Xun Lingjun even swiped his pen, and appointed Wang Lang as an advising doctor and Hua Xin as a counselor.However, Cao Cao, the actual master of the imperial court, was not in Xudu, and the two had to go to Junyi County, Yanzhou to meet Cao Cao for the sake of etiquette.

Shogunate Shi Liudai had arranged everything well and sent two comfortable carriages to take the two of them to their destination in a safe and sound manner.Food and drink were served along the way, almost stepping on the green brick floor of the county temple after getting off the carriage, not even a little mud on the shoes.There is also a Sikong master Wang Bi who is in charge of receiving them. He asks servants to wait on them, bathe and change clothes.Such a thoughtful arrangement made them a little embarrassed, but they just couldn't see Cao Cao himself.It was not until the afternoon of the third day that Wang Bicai notified them to meet Cao Cao, prepared two good horses and took them out of the county.

After walking about five or six miles, Cao Jun's camp came into view.But Wang Bi, who led the way, still didn’t stop. He walked around the camp for another three or four miles, and went to Honggou (Honggou, also known as Langdang Canal, the first artificial canal in Chinese history to connect the two major water systems of the Yellow River and the Huaihe River. It was opened in the period of King Wei Hui in the Warring States Period, and then gradually improved through the Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, and its tributaries are numerous).To the east of Junyi is the place where the gulf bifurcates, the main stream goes southward, and the southeast branch is the Sui River.At this time, it was very lively here, and countless soldiers with shirtless arms and shovels were working at the mouth of the river, as if they were going to dig a canal.Wang Bi raised his hand to Wang Hua and Wang Hua who were staring in a daze: "My lords, please go this way." Then he led them to a hill covered with dense trees.

The two of them looked around, and there were soldiers guarding the mountain bag, and a simple gazebo was built on it.There are two people in the pavilion, one of them seems to be a petty official, and he is holding a parchment scroll, gesticulating and talking; the other is wearing brocade clothes, looking at the scroll and listening to it—who else could it be if it wasn’t Cao Cao?Wang Bi led the two of them to the front and stepped back tactfully.The two saw that Cao Cao was listening to his subordinate's report, and were hesitating whether to disturb him, but they saw him read the file and said, "Come and sit down, my lords."

Hua Xin and Wang Lang looked at each other, if they were not polite to take their seats, it would be a loss of distinction, but seeing that two couches had been set up in front of Cao Cao, knowing that they were waiting for them, they sat down safely.The little official who reported was young and dark-haired. Seeing the two important people coming, he quickly stopped talking and was about to leave, but Cao Cao said: "You finish your sentence." "Promise." The man continued, "If it is built according to this diagram, this canal can communicate with Bian River and Sui River, and the common people will benefit from it."

Cao Cao twirled his beard with his hands: "Although your prediction is good, it is not a day's work to extend the channel. I don't know when I will leave." If there is any trouble, we will immediately raise our troops to the north. "It's not a big problem, but people can be recruited to work together. From Junyi to Suiyang, they all need to be dug. It shouldn't be difficult to mobilize people from all over the way." "Yeah." Cao Cao nodded, "You are an old expert, and everything will be done according to your instructions. Just don't overwork and hurt the people. I am here to show favors, not to make people complain. Too much is too late."

"No." The man put away the parchment, "The officer is leaving." "Wait a minute! The two celebrities of the dynasty are here, how can you not see them?" Cao Cao said with a smile, "Let me introduce you personally. The one on the left is Mr. Wang Jingxing, who is famous for his talent and elegance in the east; the one on the right This is Mr. Huazi Yuhua, who is famous in Yingchuan for his purity and virtue." Wang Lang and Hua Xin were dumbfounded—they had never met Cao Cao in their life, and Wang Bi never came to introduce him. How could he know who was who?The two secretly wondered, and looked at each other in surprise, even the little official forgot to be polite when he saluted them.

Cao Cao knew that these two people were extraordinary, if he didn't show some skills, it would be difficult for them to convince him.In fact, he looked at the documents on the surface, but kept scanning them from the corner of his eye.Hua Xin offered the city to surrender, and he was still treated very politely under Sun Ce. He had no worries about food and clothing, so his skin was smooth, his hair was lush, and his face was a little fatter. Suffering ordeal, although he has recuperated well in the past few days, the corners of his brows and eyes are slightly tired, and his beard and hair are much withered.Although the two are both in their forties and dressed similarly, but one was a guest and the other was a homeless person, how could it be impossible to tell them apart!

Wang Lang couldn't help asking: "Dare to ask Mr. Cao, how did you tell us apart?" Cao Cao waved his hands slightly and smiled but didn't answer—this is a window screen, which can be broken if you poke it, but what you want is inscrutable.He pulled the young official and said: "My lords, this is Yuan Min, who visited the river embankment. He is a formidable young man who is proficient in water conservancy." "Oh, I've seen you for a long time." Wang Hua and Wang Hua were obviously not familiar with each other, so they wanted to follow suit. Yuan Min made a deep bow, and said with a smile: "I would also like to thank you two adults. Thanks to your blessing, my third brother can now communicate with Xu Du by avoiding chaos in Jiaozhou." This Yuan Min belongs to Yuan Huan. The younger brothers, Huan, Ba, Hui and Min, the four heroes of the Yuan family, now only the third, Yuan Hui, cannot be reunited in Jiaozhou.Cao Cao and Sun Quan reached a compromise, not only the detainees in Jiangdong could return to the north, but even letters could be sent to Jiaozhou.

Hua Xin spoke in a gentle manner: "Your Majesty Yuan has wrongly rewarded you. This is due to Mr. Cao's power. Not only were we able to return to the north, but Liu Ye, Jiang Ji, Cang Ci and others from Liu Zitai's old department in Lujiang were also released. Liu Zitai's wife, Mrs. Wang, was also released. I'm back too." Liu Xun is greedy, but he's a little bit glamorous.His wife's name is Wang Song, she is a well-known beauty in the Jianghuai area, and she is quite virtuous and gracious and highly praised by the tribe. "Go and do your work." Cao Cao told Yuan Min to leave, and then said politely, "It must have been hard work after a long journey back to Junyi, right?" Hua Xin nodded slightly: "Under the care of Mr. Cao and the court officials, he was well-fed and well-fed along the way." The facts are not as they say.After all, Hua Xin was regarded as a guest by the Sun family. When he set off, more than a thousand officials and gentry from Jiangdong saw him off, accompanied by chariots, servants and children, so he didn't suffer much.Wang Lang was in a much worse situation. He heard the news in Qu'a that the whole family even hired horses temporarily, and his son Wang Su was not yet ten years old, so he also had to help the adults carry the luggage. The journey was not small.But since Hua Xin said that, Wang Lang had no choice but to nod accordingly. Cao Cao actually knew the difference, so he patted Wang Lang's hand specially: "My lords, don't worry, even though Xu Du is small, I can still provide you with a good place to live..." After being polite for a long time, he turned to the topic, "Where are your lords? Fortunately, I was able to return, but I don’t know who else in Jiangdong has not been able to return?” Wang Lang knew that he must have this question, so he thought about it a long time ago: "Brothers Xu Shao and Xu Jing in Runan originally took refuge with me. Later Xu Shao died of illness, and I fled and was captured on the day Sun Ce broke the city, but Xu Jing ran to Jiaozhou has gone, Duke Cao should recall him to the court." Mentioning this pair of brothers, Cao Cao couldn't help but want to laugh. Back then, he planned to coerce Xu Shao into giving him the rumored comment of "a capable minister in a troubled world, a traitor in a troubled world", and Cao Cao's name suddenly became famous among scholars.Although Xu Shao is dead, how could Xu Jing not hear about him from his brothers?I'm afraid this person will not come.He thought so in his heart, but he said perfunctorily: "Then Lao Jingxing will write a letter to persuade him to come back." Hua Xin acted with great style, twirling his long beard with his hands, and said, "Actually, there are two other people who are quite available. There is Sun Shao, whose name is Changxu, who is from Beihai. Kong Wenju was a meritorious officer when he was Prime Minister of Beihai. There is also Sheng Xian, the former prefect of Wu County, named Xiaozhang, although he is a member of Kuaiji, he is not on good terms with the Sun family, and he is also a close friend with Kong Wenju." "Oh, you can think about it." Cao Cao could understand that the relationship between these two people and Kong Rong seemed to be closer than Hua Xin and Wang Lang.Cao Cao only used Kong Rong as a cover to recruit talents, but he didn't want him to really take charge. Wang Lang didn't know what to do, but he said: "Living in Xudu for a few days, I feel deeply. It's fun to meet old friends and discuss current affairs. Brother Wen Ju told us that when the imperial court is employing people, I hope we can participate in the political correction. Shifeng. Even though we don't have any military talents, can we still sit in Fengya?" "Yes." Hua Xin nodded happily. Cao Cao smiled faintly, turned his head and pointed to the back of the mountain bag and said, "Look, you two, there are three tombs among the chaotic forest and weeds." Wang Hua and the two looked along his hand, and there were three small, green graves covered with weeds, and there were only low stone tablets in front of them.Wang Lang was baffled: "Mr. Cao asked us to look at the barren tomb, why? Do you know the person buried there?" "Of course I know." Cao Cao whispered softly, "The one with the broken stele in the middle is the famous person Bian Zang Bian Wenli from Junyi County. On the left and right are Yuan Zhong, Yuan Zhongfu, and Huan Shaohuan Wenlin." Wang Hua and Wang Hua were so startled that they broke into a cold sweat, as if their joints were crisp.When Cao Cao was the governor of Yanzhou, he killed Bian Rang, Yuan Zhong, and Huan Shao, and then massacred them all.Unexpectedly, after so many years, this guy has no regrets, and he is still sitting close to the lonely ghost, chatting and laughing happily.The two understood in an instant, Cao Cao's intentions were very clear, as long as he resisted and slandered him, he would end up the same as Bian Rang and others.Under such circumstances, how can we talk about participating in the government to correct the world? Cao Cao was very satisfied to see the fearful expression on the two faces - all the important affairs of the court were written by himself, and it was enough for others to perform their own duties and praise, and there was no need to discuss right and wrong.Celebrities such as Hua Xin and Wang Lang have criticisms of current affairs, which is not conducive to his governance.One Kong Rong is enough, there can be no second one. Hua Xin regained his composure for a moment, and said kindly, "There is a saying that 'trepidly trembling, as if facing an abyss, as if walking on thin ice', if a gentleman can be cautious, why would he perish the country? From this point of view, the three of Bian Wenli are not He's a very gentleman." Wang Lang rolled his eyes at Hua Xin, and said solemnly: "The principles of the world are flexible. It is true that a gentleman is cautious in his actions, but who did he listen to when he said that 'a gentleman is open and honest, and a villain is always concerned'?" Cao Gongshu dared to In other words, although these three people have committed suicide, their feelings are still sympathetic." Cao Cao smiled slightly, already knowing it in his heart.Hua Xin is an old cunning guy, with a smooth surface that is easy to touch. In fact, it can be seen from the courtesy he received when he surrendered to Sun Ce;Thinking of this, Cao Cao said again: "What Jing Xing said is true, but these three people have some talents, and I will never forget them. There is a student named Yang Jun, who is from Hanoi County, and the old man is still conscripted into the mansion. A few days ago, my younger brother Cao Hong wanted to use a man named Ruan Yu here as a secretary, but he was flatly rejected by him, and I don’t hold grudges. He didn’t want to work for Wufu, so I recruited him Entering my mansion, this is considered to be the best use of talent! I remember that when Emperor Xiaoling came to the throne, there was a folk song "He Yanyan, the white-covered car, and harmony in the river", Liu Shu, the doctor of Guanglu, recommended Emperor Xiaoling to succeed, and Dou Wu Follow his words with the eunuch Hou Lan. Later, when Hou Lan brutally killed Liu Shu, all the officials in the court were angry, so Liu He, Liu Shu's younger brother, was recruited to Beijing to serve as a high-ranking official, and the public opinion has been harmonious since then." In the past, eunuchs eliminated dissidents by killing.Buying people's hearts with invitations, is it true that the imperial court should follow this way?While the two of them were savoring, they suddenly heard the sound of greetings, and Xue Ti, the governor of Yanzhou, came to the foot of the mountain bag with an attendant. Cao Cao's mind was spinning quickly. He was still playing tricks with Su Ru just now. When he saw Xue Ti, he thought of his official business again: "Xiaowei, how is the matter of mobilizing the army rations going?" Xue Ti looked proud: "The last batch of grain from Dongping has arrived, and the grain for all ministries in Yanzhou is ready." "Hey! So fast!" Cao Cao was very satisfied, "Ren Jun has been unwell for the past few days, so I have to work on you a lot." Diannong Zhonglang Ren Jun is Cao Cao's brother-in-law. He has been in charge of food and grass. It's been a lot of trouble. Xue Ti pulled the servant beside him and said, "Don't dare to lie to Duke Ming. This time, he is responsible for supervising and dispatching the military rations." Cao Cao glanced at the man—he was in his twenties with thick eyebrows and big eyes, tall and handsome.I couldn't help liking it in my heart, and asked with a smile: "What's your name? What is your official position?" The man knelt down and reported: "I am here to serve Dongsi, and the court will not abandon it. Cao Gong's grace and Xuezhou will be promoted. Now I try my best to serve as Yanzhou." Cao Cao heard that he was not only good-looking and capable of doing things, but also very good at talking, and said with a smile: "Don't give Xue Ti your life for him, I will appoint you as the captain of Diannong." "Thank you, Mr. Cao." Dong Si was really blunt. "Don't be proud." Cao Cao knocked, "In the past, Zaoyu made great contributions to farming in Yanzhou. It's a pity that life is not fake. From now on, you have to follow him to handle the errands here. Ren Jun is sick, so don't disturb his recuperation. The old man sent out troops ordered Li Dian and Cheng Yu to supervise the transportation of the army rations, you should deal with them directly." Xue Ti interjected, "Li Dian hasn't come back yet." Cao Cao went to Yanzhou this time to appease the people to pay homage to the dead, so he sent envoys to Pingyang County to worship Bao Xin and Jiwu County to sacrifice to Dian Wei, and each was given a young prison. gift.Wei Zhen, the son of Wei Zi, was an official under Xiahou Dun's tent, and he was allowed to return to Xiangyi to worship his father; Li Dian also returned to his hometown to worship Li Gan, Li Zheng and others. His family was in Shanyang County, farther away than others. "In that case, let's talk about it when he comes back." Cao Cao signaled them to retreat, and after a while he suddenly remembered something, "Hold on!" "Does Mr. Cao have any orders?" Xue Ti turned back for the second time. "Bao Xin Zhongyong I, it's a pity to die. You write a memorial and hand it over to Xudu, asking Lingjun to give his son a marquis title, at the level of Tinghou. In addition, Dian Wei also has a son who has only studied for a few days. , call... call..." "Dianman." Xue Ti reminded, "This child is still young." "No matter how old you are, let Lingjun take care of you. Recruit him into Taixue as a boy, and then slowly cultivate him." After Cao Cao said, he looked at Wang Lang and Hua Xin with ulterior motives. The old man has done his best, so of course I can't treat him badly." Wang Hua and Wang Hua have completely understood it for a long time.The situation in the imperial court is far from as simple as Kong Rong expected, and now Cao Cao is not subject to any constraints.As long as he likes a small job, he can be promoted to captain, and he can seal the title of the Han Dynasty, even the Imperial College can fill in people at will.In a nutshell, whoever treats someone well can be promoted and made rich; on the contrary, it seems that those who are talented but can't be used by them can't be used by others if they are killed. Now that everything is clear, what is there to say?Hua Xin kept a reserved smile and kept silent, while Wang Lang's eyes were empty and he didn't say a word.Seeing that they were convinced, Cao Cao took back his words: "You don't need to worry too much. The imperial court has a lot to do, and there is still a lot to do. The day before yesterday, Mr. Xun Ling said in a letter that the local taxation and rent adjustment method is not appropriate. , This is a major financial matter, and Zhong Yao is also trying to find a way to stabilize Guanzhong, which is also related to the overall situation. The two adults will help them to make detailed reference after returning. The old man is fighting outside, and the court will rely on you a lot." "Meng Gong trusts me." Hua Xin has been under the control of Sun Ce for many years. He got up and bowed. Just ask." "Well, Hua Qing is worthy of being a modest gentleman, this is very good." Cao Cao was quite satisfied. Wang Lang also stood up and said goodbye: "Duke Cao is busy with military affairs, I will not bother you anymore, I will go back as soon as possible to assist in government affairs, and give advice to Lord Xun Ling." "Very good. The river workers here are urgent, so I can't send the old man away." "Don't dare dare..." Hua Xin and Wang Lang held hands and descended the dirt hill like stepping on cotton.Cao Cao looked at their backs and laughed inwardly—they have both advantages and disadvantages. If you use it well, you can return to the world, but if you don’t use it well, it will cause slander. After this enlightenment, they should not dare to piss in the same pot with Kong Rong went. He was out of his mind for a while, and suddenly saw Guo Jia and Xun Yan running in a panic.Guo Jia was young, jumping and jumping in front of him with a smile on his face; Xun Yan was an old man, hissing and panting behind, running out of breath-what made this depressed old guy so anxious ? Cao Cao suddenly had a strange premonition, and stood up abruptly: "Has something happened to Yuan Shao?" "Congratulations Cao Gong! Congratulations Cao Gong!" Guo Jiale jumped up the mountain, "Just got the news that Yuan Shao died!" "Really..." Cao Cao felt relieved for a while, but for some reason, after the relief, there was still a slight sense of sadness and loss. "It's absolutely true!" Guo Jia smiled like a flower, "Moreover, the officials in Hebei abolished the elders and established the younger ones, and their third son, Yuan Shang, inherited the position of General. How can this unremarkable child be your opponent, Mr. Cao? Haha Ha ha……" Cao Cao stared blankly into the distance, without listening to a word, Yuan Shao's youthful voice and smile seemed to be reflected on the surging river.It took Xun Yan a long time to run over out of breath: "Yuan, Yuan Shao...dead..." Guo Jia patted him on the shoulder and said, "I'm done talking, you can rest." Xun Yan sat down on his butt, and gave Guo Jia a blank look: "You boy..." Xun's family has some connections in Hebei, so he got the information, but Guo Jia snatched it up after hearing about it. Cao Cao kneaded his brows to gather himself, he seemed not excited, and said coldly, "There is one more thing to do before dispatching troops." "I know!" Guo Jia blurted out, "We need to get rid of Guangling prefect Chen Deng!" He was like a roundworm in Cao Cao's stomach. Xun Yan said, "Chen Yuanlong was not at fault in governing Guangling?" How would Cao Cao answer this?Chen Deng was indeed not at fault, but he was too worrying.In the past, he betrayed Lu Bu, got along well with Liu Bei, and was quite popular with the people of Guangling. More importantly, he held some soldiers and horses.Ambitious, resourceful, popular, and have soldiers, how can we not guard against such people?Now that a large-scale northern expedition is going on, it will be bad if Chen Deng rebels behind his back. Knowing that Cao Cao was ashamed to speak, Guo Jia explained to Xun Yan for him: "There is a pile of firewood in the backyard. Although it may not catch fire, it must be prevented before it happens." They are all savvy people, and they understand the truth.Xun Yan nodded, but his face was still worried: "But Chen Deng is not moving. In the past, Ling Jun wanted to transfer him to Beijing, and the people of Guangling almost passed the Wanminbiao!" Cao Cao had long advocated: "Change Dongcheng County to Dongcheng County, relocate Chen Deng as the prefect of Dongcheng, and tell him to leave Guangling. In addition, Chen Jiao and Xu Xuan are his right-hand men, and then give Mao Jie a breath to conquer these two. When a person enters the shogunate, he will cut off his left and right arms." Guo Jia reminded: "The previous governor, Yan Xiang, is dead. If Chen Deng is transferred to leave, the Sun family will have to choose another person to defend the Sun family. Is there still a shortage of governors in Yangzhou?" Referring to Yan Xiang, the former governor of Yangzhou, Cao Cao was very dissatisfied with this person.Since he took office in Yangzhou, he has almost been on two boats, singing praises to the imperial court and bowing to the Sun family at the same time, which is really unbearable.In the end, he died at the hands of Li Shu in Lujiang. Cao Cao privately felt that he deserved what he deserved, but because he was recommended by Xun Yu, he didn't say it out loud.Now to choose another successor, you have to choose carefully.Cao Cao closed his eyes and meditated, and went through his mind about the subordinates who had served in the shogunate. After a while, he said: "Liu Fu once took refuge in Yangzhou and persuaded Yuan Shu's subordinates to take refuge in me. , and the old man is half of the same town. Let him be appointed as the governor of Jingzhou...Brother Youruo, you should write a letter to Ling Jun to deal with these matters." "Promise." Xun Yan just breathed out smoothly, and then led the order to go down the mountain. "Quickly edit the book to Xuzhou, tell Zang Ba, Sun Guan, and Yin Li to continue attacking Qingzhou and contain the enemy's forces. Then order Zhong Yao to pay close attention to the movements of the high-ranking officials in Bingzhou, and report any abnormalities to the army." Cao Cao had already planned a lot in his mind. On the 1st, when the time came, the military order was issued endlessly, "I told the three armies to pack their bags except for the river workers. Tomorrow morning, the army will start at Chenshi. Xiahoudun's troops will turn around and Xudu will guard. The other armies from far and near do not need to come here to assemble, all rush Meet at Guandu. Order Cheng Yu to go ahead and escort the food and grass to Guandu, and Li Dian will catch up quickly when he comes back." When he said a word, Guo Jia pinched a finger, said it silently in his heart, and finally cupped his hands and said: "Don't worry, my lord, my subordinates will arrange these five military orders immediately!" "Good memory, let's go!" Cao Cao beckoned to Xu Chu at the foot of the mountain again: "Zhongkang pack my bags for me, and send some soldiers to escort my family back to Xudu. They are not needed in the war." Xu Chu wanted to tell the servant boy to do it quickly But Cao Cao said, "You go too, the old man wants to be alone for a while." Everyone left, only Cao Cao stood on the top of the mountain.The grievances and resentments between him and Yuan Shao have become a thing of the past, and now only the nostalgia for the old friend remains.He vaguely felt that he hadn't actually defeated Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shao's aloof character seemed impossible to be defeated forever.If the two armies will fight on the battlefield, he will never lose to Yuan Shao, but if it is arty to attract famous people from all over the world, even if he pulls a puppet emperor, he can only compete with Yuan Benchu.To this day, Cao Cao is still quite concerned about being an "eunuch and ugly", but Yuan Shao still has the beautiful halo of "four generations and three princes" even in the Mongolian land. Will the imprint be so deep? He recalled the past until the afterglow of the setting sun was approaching, but he still couldn't feel relieved for a long time...