Chapter 39 Coveting Yanzhao

In October of the fifth year of Jian'an (AD 200), the protracted Battle of Guandu ended with Cao Cao's complete victory.Yuan Shao was late and neglected to prepare, so that all the food and grass stationed in Wuchao were burned by Cao Jun. The surrender of generals Zhang He and Gao Lan made the whole army panic and completely lost their combat effectiveness. When Tian Feng and Ju Shou first raised their troops, they tried to persuade Yuan Shao not to cross the Yellow River. Yuan Shao refused. Command them to retreat a hundred miles and then cross Hebei to return.In desperation, Yuan Shao had to take Yuan Tan, Guo Tu and other confidant generals and fled north in a hurry, fording the Yellow River and retreating to Cangting, abandoning the brigade of soldiers, camps, supplies, and ordnance completely!

After Yuan Shao escaped, the Hebei army completely collapsed. Under Cao Cao's fierce offensive, nearly 100,000 people fled northward.Xia Houdun and Cheng Yu got the good news and led their troops to outflank from the east and west; Wei Zhong, who was stationed in Hanoi, also led his troops westward along the river to block the way to Hebei.The defeated army in Hebei suffered heavy casualties. They had neither food nor boats. Most of them were blocked in the south of the river and became captives of Cao Jun... When Cao Cao led Xun You, Guo Jia, Xu You and others into Yuan Shao's sleeping tent, everyone was stunned by the furnishings - this is not a big tent for temporary living and discussion, it is even worse than the decoration of Xudu's palace. Be luxurious.The brocade curtains are embroidered with swans and red birds, and the couch is covered with brocade quilts; beside the couch stands a clothes shelf, the armor and saber have been taken off, leaving only a brocade shirt, with golden threads and light gauze (fufu) shining; On an eight-foot-long screen, Nan Huazi's "Xiaoyaoyou" was written on it, which is the authentic work of Shi Yiguan, a master of calligraphy.On the top-quality red sandalwood table, there is a three-foot-high emerald pitching pot, with a few golden commanding arrows inserted in it, several jade objects Zhang Guiyujin played with, a bronze rhinoceros lamp, and several volumes of books.There is a square copper tripod in the center of the tent, surrounded by clouds of Aiqi orchids; two charcoal basins are placed at the corners, glowing with embers, I don't know what kind of special charcoal is burned inside, but even a little There is no smell of charcoal.The most noticeable thing is that there are two huge camphorwood boxes in the west. The bamboo slips and documents inside are piled up like a hill, and the lids cannot be fastened.

Cao Cao strolled to the center of the tent, looked around at these antiques, treasures, and books and said, "Ten years ago, Yuan Shao's sleeping tent was luxurious and lustful. I didn't expect that the more powerful he was, the more he would enjoy it. It seems that it is no less than his Be the emperor's younger brother!" Guo Jia glanced at Cao Hong and Liu Xun who were standing outside the tent, and said with a sneer, "My lord, it's thanks to the two generals Zi Lian and Zi Tai who sent troops to protect them, so that the things here were not looted by the rebels."

"Not necessarily?" Cao Cao looked at the two men and joked, "The defeated soldiers didn't rob, I'm afraid they, the money lovers, did not take less advantage." Cao Hong and Liu Xun lowered their heads and laughed without saying a word.As Cao Cao expected, the two of them stared at Yuan Ying to search for treasures as soon as they entered Yuan Ying. The real good things in the tent had already been taken to their own camp, and only the immovable and inferior ones were kept. , and before Cao Cao came over, the two had a quarrel over the uneven distribution of spoils.

Cao Cao casually picked up the bamboo slips on Juanshuai's case, unfolded them, and found that they were Ban Gu's "Fu on Erjing"; The prophecy book "Di Lan Xi"!He threw down the bamboo slips and sneered, "Except for poetry and prose, Yuan Shao's taste is much higher than mine." Xun You couldn't help sighing: "When the two armies are facing each other, they can't win the battle wholeheartedly. There is still time to read these idle books. How can Yuan Benchu ​​be undefeated?" "He is the fourth generation and the third father, and he has to put on this show if he doesn't read it." Cao Cao turned around, took out the documents in the box, picked up a roll at random, and opened it to read, but seeing the scrawled and crooked handwriting, he couldn't help laughing: "This Who sent the letter to Yuan Shao? Collusion with Yuan Shao!"

Guo Jia said with contempt: "A villain will always be a villain, and he will follow his power to brag and flatter him. How could he have expected that the lord will win more with fewer victories? That's not bad. With this document as evidence, go back and punish his collusion The crime of treason can only be cleansed by killing with one knife!" "There's no need for an explicit punishment, this guy is already dead." Xu You took over the conversation, "Liu Bei went to Runan to collude with Liu Pi's rebellion, and Qin Yilu also conspired with him. Later they were defeated by General Cao Ren, and Qin Yilu wanted to betray Liu Bei. , and was killed by Zhang Fei."

Hearing that Qin Yilu was dead, Cao Cao suddenly felt extremely relieved, and he no longer needed to worry about him promoting the Du family, so he threw the bamboo slips to the ground, and said mockingly, "Wouldn't his tricks of obedience and obedience be tricked by Liu Bei? A wretched villain is nothing to worry about, so what about big-eared thieves? Have you fled back to Hebei with Yuan Shao?" "I ran away early." Xu You sneered, "Liu Bei came back from Runan and left within two days. He said he was going to Jingzhou to contact Liu Biao, but he even swept away his bedding. Most likely because he saw that Yuan Shao wanted something bad. It’s an excuse. Then Liu Xuande is like a mouse on a boat, he can always predict whether the boat will sink first, and this shrewdness is not easy.”

Cao Cao gritted his teeth: "Hmph! One day, I will kill this thief to relieve my hatred!" But thinking of Guan Yu, he couldn't help feeling disappointed, pointing to the two boxes of documents and saying, "Go call Lu Cui and Fanqin. , go through these documents carefully to see if Yuan Shao has any other plots." Hearing another commotion outside, Wang Bi ran in: "My lord, the generals chased and defeated the army and returned victorious. Most of the Yuan army who had never crossed the river were captured, at least fifty or sixty thousand." "So many prisoners..." Cao Cao was not happy, but frowned, "Take me to have a look." As soon as he stepped out of the tent, he saw Xian Yufu, Qi Zhou and others pushing a prisoner with disheveled hair towards him.Xu You turned pale with fright, and before the generals could speak, he shouted: "Brother Ah Man, look, Jushou has come to join you." He and Jushou have been in Hebei for many years. Although they behave differently, they also admire his talent. , and more importantly, although he fled to Cao Cao, he has no foundation, and urgently needs someone in a similar situation to support each other!Therefore, he was the first to say that he was defecting, leaving enough escape for Jushou.

Unexpectedly, Jushou didn't accept Xu You's favor at all. With a stalk in his neck, he threw his hair bun behind his head and said loudly: "I didn't surrender, I was caught by your soldiers!" Cao Cao looked at him carefully from top to bottom, and said with a smile: "When I was in Hebei in the past, I admired your resourcefulness and resourcefulness. Unfortunately, there is a big river and it is difficult to help you with great things. I don't want to be like you, and I will do it today." Captured and captured." Ju Shou smiled wryly and said: "My general made a mistake and had no choice but to abandon the army and flee north. I am mentally retarded, and it is only a matter of course that I was captured."

Cao Cao appreciated this man, but seeing him laughing miserably, he felt more compassion: "It's not because you are mentally retarded, it's because Yuan Benchu ​​was stubborn and didn't accept good words, so the Hebei army came into this disaster." Xian Yufu untied him, "Mr. Ju, the battle of Guandu has already seen victory and defeat, but the chaos is still unsettled, and the world is still uncertain. Mister, would you like to plan big things with me?" Ju Shou stared at this small but open-minded man in front of him, deeply regretting that he had chosen an unknown master and wrongly protected Yuan Shao, but how could a noble man be a second minister?He was stupefied for a moment, but he still declined: "Thank you, Duke Ming, for your kindness, but my family members are all in Hebei, and my life is at the hands of the Yuan family. If I surrender to the Duke, wouldn't Yuan Shao and his son kill them to vent their anger? Once I die, I can not only preserve my family, but also build up my reputation of being unyielding, I am extremely grateful."

Xu You also couldn't bear it: "Think about it again, those who plan big things don't care about small things..." "Xu Ziyuan, don't talk about it." Ju Shou waved his hand, "The two of us can't talk together, you bully others to recruit power and accept bribes, your wife and children have been interrogated and thrown into prison, the result of this battle won't matter if you win or not, But I'm different! Besides, Ju has a thin skin, and he can't do what you wait for the seller to be proud of!" Xu You's face flushed with embarrassment. Knowing that his death was irretrievable, Cao Cao sighed and said, "If you had Mr. Help earlier, the world would not be worried... What a pity! Mr. Baju..." Just as he was about to send an order to execute him and give him a generous burial, Xu You joined him again To his ear: "Don't kill him, lock him up and publicize that he has surrendered. Yuan Shao knows that he will harm his family when he hears about it. At that time, he will become enemies with the Yuan family, and he will wholeheartedly protect you." Cao Cao's eyes lit up, and he immediately changed his words: "Send Mr. Ju back to my camp and take care of him. Whether to kill or pardon will be discussed later." How clever Jushou was, he immediately realized what Xu You was muttering, and cursed furiously: "Xu Ziyuan, you despicable villain, I can't spare you! Let me go! Let me go quickly..." The soldiers didn't listen to his noise, Pushing and shoving away.Xun You and Guo Jia are smart people, and they have already guessed Xu You's idea, but because of Cao Cao's face, it is not easy to call him immoral in person. Cao Cao knew it in his heart, but he didn't say anything, and led everyone to Yuanmen.But seeing the prisoners from Hebei coming from the north, they all took off their helmets, unarmored their hands and tied their hands behind their backs.Cao Cao shook his head again and again: "There are too many prisoners, and we don't have enough food for them." Xun You smiled and said, "That's not a problem. Once Yuan Shao breaks through the crisis in various places, the crisis will be solved. Now it should not be a problem to order the requisition of grain and grass." Cao Cao couldn't laugh, and sighed secretly: Which of those county officials was not promoted by me?When I was sleepy, I stood by and watched the wind make the rudder. No one except Li Dian brought me a grain of food.How thin people are in this world!Shouldn't such a generation with two heads and two ends be punished... Forget it, the emperor is half-hearted towards me, let alone others?A hero should have the ambition to swallow the world, and he should also have the heart to accommodate all rivers... Just when he was feeling a lot of emotions, two assistants, Lu Cui and Fanqin, ran out of the gate and knelt down beside him: "I will tell the lord something urgent." "Speak." Cao Cao looked at the prisoner without even turning his head.Lu Cui was a little embarrassed, looked around at the people present, and said hesitantly: "The two of us found in the two boxes of seized documents... found a lot of surrender letters given to Yuan Shao by local officials, and even... and... " "What else?" Lu Cui snapped his teeth: "There is also a secret letter from our battalion generals in collusion with Yuan Shao!" As soon as this remark came out, everyone present was stunned. Some were astonished, some were angry, some were terrified, and some were sympathetic, but no one dared to say anything. He was furious and tracked down to the end.Unexpectedly, he was not in a hurry, he took a deep breath and said: "I have expected that it is not just Xu Tuo who wants to seek refuge with Yuan Shao to make a living... You bring a few soldiers to carry all the documents to the Come here." "Promise." The two of Lu Fan took the order and left. All the civil and military men immediately became vigilant, their ulterior motives were revealed right before their eyes, their chests throbbed violently and their faces turned pale; those who had no ulterior motives felt horrified when they realized that there was a traitor standing beside them.At this time, no one dared to glance at anyone, fearing that random guesses would be a taboo, everyone lowered their heads and asked themselves, and did not dare to say a word, watching the soldiers pile up two boxes of letters in front of the camp.Since Xu You had nothing to do, he said cheerfully: "Brother Ah Man, these letters are in front of us now, as long as we trace the source, we can wipe out all the treacherous and traitors in the camp!" Tight, lower your head down. Cao Cao shook his head and said expressionlessly, "Burn them all." "Burn?!" Not only Xu You, but everyone present did not expect him to deal with it like this. Seeing that no one dared to respond, Cao Cao took a torch from his own soldiers, lit it and threw it away, and the mountain-like pile of bamboo slips immediately burst into flames.He looked around the crowd and said loudly: "When Yuan Shao is strong and powerful, I can't protect myself, let alone others? Loyalty and treachery are burned, and the pure don't need to be suspicious anymore, and the turbid ones please be safe and do good. No one is allowed to do this again. Mention... the old man is a little tired, and you have been busy for half a day, if you have no errands, go back and rest." After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and turned to the gate.Only a raging fire was left, reflecting the grateful faces... Cao Cao walked alone with his head down, when he suddenly heard someone behind him laughing and saying, "You really have a clever plan to burn documents!" Cao Cao looked back - Xu You followed. "Where did Ziyuan say that?" Xu You twirled his mustache and said, "If you can fool others, how can you fool me? In the past, Lord Guangwu destroyed Wang Chang and burned the documents of all the generals in his account who had illicitly communicated with Wang Chang, so that he could be at ease. Loyalty is better than before. Now you have also learned this skill, do you think I don't know?" Cao Cao looked sideways at this old friend, and felt that he was a bit too clever!But after all, he was an old friend in the past, and he was the first person who helped him defeat Yuan Shao, so he suppressed his dissatisfaction and pretended to smile: "Ziyuan, you and I have a tacit understanding with each other, why do you need to make it clear." "Ah man, I didn't even care about my family to help you, and now I'm alone, how can you repay me?" I don't know why, when Xu You presented the clock and called out his nickname, Cao Cao felt kind, but now it sounds harsh!He nodded and smiled apologetically: "Brother Ziyuan, if you don't give up, you will sacrifice the bar for the military division in my shogunate." Xu You raised his eyebrows: "A mere sacrificial wine made me rank under Xun Gongda and join Guo Jia and others. You treat your old friend too badly, don't you?" "Don't say that." Cao Cao took his hand and put it close to his ear, "How can I treat you badly, even though you are a military officer offering wine, the food, clothing and salary of the rich and the house are naturally different from others." "That's pretty much the same." Xu You shook his head and was complacent, "Face, money, women, these are all people's life is for, to put it bluntly!" The two came to Yuan Shao's bedroom with their own concerns. Cao Cao sat in front of Yuan Shao's desk, took a blank bamboo slip, and began to polish the victory sign.Xu You sat on the side with his feet up, talking eloquently about the old things, and Cao Cao prevaricated.After a while, Wang Bi found this place and reported, "The captives have been counted, and there are more than 70,000 in total." "Yeah." Cao Cao wrote furiously without even raising his head, "I see." Wang Bi said again: "That Jushou rushed out of the tent under house arrest, snatched the horses and wanted to flee north, but was captured by the soldiers before leaving the camp." "Huh!" Cao Cao deliberately glanced at Xu You, and ordered, "Although there are geniuses, they can't be used by me. Instead, they become a burden. Push them out of the gate and behead them!" He pointed to Yuan Shao's couch, "Also, today I live Let Xu Chu finish his errands and come here to guard here. Ask someone to throw out Yuan Shao’s brocade and replace it with my old bedding, and remove all the treasures and books. Since this tent already belongs to me, I have to let it go. My temperament arrangement!" Xu You thought he was favored, and was still immersed in joy. He didn't care about Jushou's life or death, and he didn't hear Cao Cao's implication, and then said sarcastically: "Jushou is really an idiot. Long arms can't hold short-lived ghosts. Since you are looking for death Then die." Cao Cao had finished writing the victory seal: "Ziyuan, come and help me see." "Hey!" Xu You pouted his buttocks and leaned over to look: 〖Great General Ye Hou Yuan Shao, former Grand Sima Liu Yu with Jizhou Mu Han Fu, engraved a golden seal, and sent the old chief Bi Yu to Yu Yu as the number of life and salary.You Shao and his ministers said: "The city of Zhen, the capital, should be established." Good at casting gold and silver seals, filial and honest officials, all went to Yi Shao.From my younger brother Jiyin Taishou Xu and Shao Shuyun: "Nowadays we are defeated in the sea, God's will is in my family, the gods should have a sign, and we should honor the elder brother. The southern brother and the ministers want to make the throne. The southern brother said that the northern brother will be the elder brother in years. Brother Bei is very important, so he wants to send the seal, and meet with Cao Cao to break the way." The Shao clan has received great favors from the state for many generations, and they are vicious and rebellious, and this is the end.He reined in his soldiers and horses, crossed with the war officials, took advantage of the power of the Holy Dynasty, and was able to behead Shao general Chunyu Qiong and other eight people, and then he was defeated.Shao and Zitan rushed away.Anyone who beheaded more than 70,000 people will have a huge amount of luggage and property. 〗 The previous one was still reading with gusto, and when he saw "Fan beheaded more than 70,000 levels" at the end, he was almost startled: "You want to kill all the prisoners?" Cao Cao squeezed out a strange smile: "Keeping them would be too costly for military rations. Wouldn't it help Yuan Shao regain his strength by letting them go back? Besides, they are the same as Jushou, their wives and children are still in Hebei, and hidden dangers cannot be kept! In the past, Qin Zhibaiqi Killed Zhao Jun 400,000 in Changping Pit, but now I only killed 70,000, what is this?" Looking at Cao Cao's terrifying smiling face, Xu You felt his spine go numb.What is killing 70,000 people?He said this so lightly, he was a different person from when he burned the documents just now. It wasn't until now that Xu You understood that Cao Cao was no longer the frivolous boy he was back then. This master was harder to serve than Yuan Shao. He was more meticulous and good at disguising. "Ziyuan, I need your help with something else." "It's... my lord!" Xu You involuntarily changed his address. Cao Cao handed him a command arrow: "Go and talk to Yu Jin and tell him to dig a few deep pits, and when the night is quiet, lead the Hebei soldiers to the edge of the pit one by one, and then..." He said Made a beheading gesture. "I understand...I understand..." Cao Cao patted him on the shoulder heavily, and said with a sinister smile, "Tell them to clean up and not cause trouble... Thanks for your hard work, Brother Ziyuan!" "Don't dare to be..." Xu You was almost knocked to the ground by him, but he braced himself up, and walked out of the tent tremblingly holding the arrow.Cao Cao looked at his trembling back, and finally smiled with satisfaction—gold, silver and treasures can be spared, but the status must be clear, and no one is allowed to take credit for himself!Only with inviolable majesty can we deter enemies, control officials well, and govern the country well. Xu Chu led a few soldiers to enter the tent, sealed all kinds of treasures into boxes, folded the brocade couch, and replaced it with old bedding. Cao Cao then lay down with his arms outstretched, and began to dream his sweet dreams ... The Battle of Guandu is only the beginning of this dream. The next step is to chase the Yellow River and beat the dogs in the water, eliminate Yuan Shao and conquer Hebei, and then seize Jingzhou, Pingjiangdong, Dingxibei, and Xishu. The Han Dynasty will definitely be revived!Then... Cao Cao suddenly opened his eyes, and a terrifying nightmare emerged from his sweet dream—it was a piece of bloody silk, on which was written "Pull the ears of this rebellious minister!" The word "ear" at the end stood up It was drawn very long and seemed to be bleeding. Cao Cao asked himself: What should he do when the battle is over?Returning the emperor to return to Linquan?He already has the same inviolable majesty as the Son of Heaven, so how could he retreat completely?Do you want to give up that power and let the emperor who is full of grudges kill him at will?If there is another "Jade Belt Edict", what should we do then? He pondered for a long time, but still didn't have a satisfactory answer, so he simply ignored it, turned over and continued to sleep.The world is not settled yet, and spring is not followed by autumn, so why worry about the future... How could you have thought of today when you and Yuan Shao had a happy chat twenty years ago?What's the use of twenty years!How did you expect to turn against each other when you talked about heroes with Liu Bei last year? This is the troubled world, let everything go with the flow...