Chapter 207 Cao Cao gets Guo Jia and wants to intercept Xun Shi

We must never admit to imitating Wang Mang. If it gets out, our enemies will be wide-ranging, and not just the aristocratic and powerful families.

That would overthrow the entire vested interest class. Let’s not even talk about the external issues, let’s solve the internal problems first.

After all, the thinking of this era has not yet evolved to the level of later generations. The small peasant mentality is deeply rooted, and even the common people would not agree with it.

"What should I do?"

Jin Mao did not want to give up the fertile land of Jingzhou, but he hated the gentry living there.

"Can you two teach me?"

Zhou Yu didn't know how to respond. The new rules formulated by Jin Mao were already very unfriendly to the gentry.

But this cannot be said. If Jin Mao hears it, it might mean something else, for example, Zhou Yu is not really loyal to his country.

The Zhou family is no different from other aristocratic families, except that they are now on Jinmao's side and have become much more restrained.

That doesn't mean that the Zhou family has completely separated from the ranks of the aristocracy. Therefore, when Jin Mao showed his intention to kill all the aristocrats, Zhou Yu was very frightened.

Xun You's situation was different.

During this period, Xun You kept in touch with Xun Yu, and gradually changed from an idealist to a realist.

His current status is enough to show Jin Mao's affirmation of Xun You himself and his desire for the Xun family represented by Xun Yu.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see it, and Xun Yu can certainly see it, but Jin Mao’s attitude towards the gentry is questionable.

This is also the reason why Xun Yu has not come yet. At the same time, it is also the reason why Xun You strongly opposes Jin Mao's killing of the gentry.

After all, almost all of Jin Mao's advisers came from the gentry, and only Xi Zhi was not subject to this restriction.

This was a big question, and both of them regretted speaking out rashly.

Finally, Xun You, who was older and more trusted by Jin Mao, spoke up: "My lord, you have great ambitions, but it is absolutely impossible for the world to be without noble families."

Xun You elaborated on the characteristics of the gentry in detail, which can be summarized into three points.

1. The gentry annexed land, which was what Jinmao hated the most.

2. The aristocracy monopolizes the promotion channel, but Jinmao doesn’t care much about it at this stage.

3. The gentry monopolizes educational resources. Whether it is teaching literacy classes or opening more schools in the future, the gentry cannot do without them.

In general, retaining the gentry will bring more benefits than disadvantages.

After listening to Xun You's long speech, Jin Mao nodded in affirmation, but also reserved his own opinion.

"No matter which clan they are from, as long as they can help me, they are all good nobles. I will treat them like the common people."

"All the nobles who oppose me will be killed!"

Xun You looked at Zhou Yu helplessly. This was all he could do.

Zhou Yu understood what he meant and praised: "My lord, you are absolutely right!"

"May I ask, lord? Did Cao Cao ever oppose you and want to exterminate your entire clan?"

Jin Mao's face was full of conflict. He wanted to do this, but he was afraid of backlash from the plane.

Even such an incredible thing as time travel has happened. Will he encounter any unexpected disaster after killing Cao, Sun and Liu, the three sons of the other planes?
Jinmao didn't dare to try.

Seeing this, Zhou Yu took advantage of the victory and pursued: "Yuan Shu also opposed you. Do you want to uproot the Yuan family, which has three generations of officials?"

Jin Mao smacked his lips and said, you need to have that kind of strength to do that.

If the Yuan family was so easy to overthrow, and Yuan Shu dared to be so arrogant, he would have died eight hundred times already!
Zhou Yu then made his final point: "My lord, your foundation is still young, so you must not be arrogant and you must be careful in what you say and do."

Jin Mao quickly stood up, bowed to Zhou Yu and said, "Gong Jin is really a good advice!"

“Teach me!”

Looking back on these days, Jin Mao found that he was indeed a little arrogant, and seemed to look down on all the heroes in the world.

This was the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms, an era when heroes emerged in large numbers!
In real history, none of those arrogant people had a good ending.

Jinmao is neither good at fighting nor at strategizing for the world. He has come this far only because of good luck and the advantage of being a prophet.

If we cannot unite people, we will not go far in the future.

The mainstream of this era is still the gentry. If Jinmao wants to continue to grow, it must rely on the power of the gentry.

It's really a contradictory thing.

At this moment, Jin Mao missed Xi Zhicai very much.

Only Xizhi would discuss with him without any restraint how to deal with the gentry. Zhou Yu and Xun You were always labeled as gentry.

Then, Jinmao avoided the topic and made arrangements for specific matters.

An hour later.

Jin Mao pretended to be tired and covered his forehead and said, "I'm tired. Let me take a rest. I still need your help for many things."

Since he couldn't get what he wanted, Jinmao didn't want to waste any more time.

When Zhou Yu and Xun You walked out of the central military tent, they were not happy but even more worried.

It is obvious that Jin Mao has not let go of his prejudice against the gentry and only bowed his head reluctantly due to the circumstances.

The two had no good suggestions on this.

Zhou Yu was very talented, but he was young and inexperienced, so he could not give any constructive suggestions.

Xun You focused on military strategy but was still lacking in politics and didn't know how to persuade people.

At this time, Xun You hoped very much that Xun Yu could come to Jingzhou to assist Jin Mao. If he didn't come, there would be another butcher in the world, a butcher targeting the gentry!
As if he had made up his mind, Xun You wrote a long letter as soon as he returned to his residence, sincerely inviting Xun Yu to come to Jing and Yang to assist Jin Mao.

I really can’t stand it anymore!
...

Qiao County, Pei State, Yanzhou, Cao family.

After the last disastrous defeat, Cao Cao fled back to his hometown in a panic with more than a thousand cavalrymen.

Cao Cao did not give up. He actively traveled around seeking help, but received no effective response.

Zhang Miao, the prefect of Chenliu County, led a team to Xuzhou to help Tao Qian. Seeing that Cao Cao had suffered a defeat, the gentry in the county would not lend a helping hand.

The nobles of Pei State were even more excessive. Every time they met Cao Cao, they would ask him to redeem Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan.

Jin Mao had already spread the news, asking Cao Cao to bring enough war horses to redeem the people.

But this was Cao Cao's last bit of personal capital, and he was still hoping to make a comeback. How could he possibly use it to redeem people?

Cao Cao's father, Cao Teng, was indeed very rich, but Cao Cao did not want to touch Cao Teng's fortune and wanted to make his own way.

However, these people were short-sighted and could not see that Cao Cao had extraordinary talents, so they did not want to invest at all.

Just when Cao Cao was at a loss, an uninvited guest came to visit.

"Yingchuan Guo Jia?"

Cao Cao tried hard to think about this person, but he had no clue.

However, the man claimed to be from Yingchuan and asked for him by name, so Cao Cao felt that it must be something important.

He came to the door to greet him in person.

At first glance, Cao Cao saw that the man in front of him was extremely young, but he showed no disdain and bowed, saying, "Qiao County Cao Cao greets you, sir."

Cao Cao did not claim his official title, which was a gesture of goodwill, wanting to treat the other party as an equal. Guo Jia stared at Cao Cao with his eyes sparkling, and did not return the greeting, but asked: "Are you Cao Cao?"

Then, Guo Jia circled around Cao Cao again and said very rudely: "There's nothing special about it."

"I'm curious, how did you escape from the trap set by Yangzhou Mu?"

Cao Cao was about to lose his temper, but when he heard Guo Jia's question, he suddenly felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to his forehead and he sobered up.

You know, these days, none of the nobles could truly realize how difficult it was for Cao Cao to escape.

"It's cold outside, sir, would you be so kind as to come in and have a chat?"

Cao Cao was very humble and bent down to greet him.

Guo Jia walked into the Cao family very rudely, looking at the Cao family with frivolous eyes along the way, and occasionally made one or two inappropriate comments.

Cao Cao responded one by one without showing any dissatisfaction. With just one sentence, he knew that the young man in front of him was no ordinary person.

After passing through two courtyards, the two finally arrived at the study in Cao Cao's residence.

Guo Jia found a seat and sat down without any sign of being a master.

But the more this happened, the more Cao Cao took it seriously and ordered people to provide Guo Jia with the best tea and snacks.

"Is there any wine?"

Unexpectedly, Guo Jia was so aggressive that he said, "Great! Give me some Wu Shi San, and I'll feel better."

Cao Cao confessed them one by one without saying a word.

Guo Jia was very satisfied. While tasting the wine, he took a glass of high-quality Wu Shi San. He instantly felt ecstatic and fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

By the time Guo Jia woke up from his sleep, it was already evening.

Cao Cao had been standing by, and when he saw Guo Jia wake up, he immediately ordered people to light the lamps and arrange a banquet.

At this time, Guo Jia restrained his exaggeration, and with a serious expression, he bowed to Cao Cao and said: "Captain of the Cavalry is magnanimous and generous. I admire you very much!"

Cao Cao immediately helped Guo Jia up, put on a smile and said, "It's just a trivial matter, not worth mentioning."

"I wonder what brings you to Qiao County?"

"If you need my help, just ask!"

Guo Jia stood up and looked at Cao Cao carefully, as if he was meeting him for the first time, and said with a smile: "I have heard that the captain is known as a treacherous hero in times of peace and a hero in times of chaos."

"After seeing it today, I found that the reputation is well-deserved!"

Seeing that Guo Jia knew him so well, Cao Cao was moved and asked directly, "Sir, are you here to serve me?"

Guo Jia didn't beat around the bush and nodded, "That's right!"

Cao Cao was overjoyed and said, "It is true!"

"If you don't mind, I would like to worship you as my chief military advisor!"

The role of military advisor was created by Cao Cao in history. Now that Jinmao has registered it first, Cao Cao followed suit.

Guo Jia was overjoyed. He originally wanted to test it again, but he didn't know what to do. He immediately bowed and said, "Guo Jia greets the lord!"

At the beginning, when Guo Jia went to see Jin Mao, he ran away just for a small official position.

Look how magnanimous Cao Cao is?
As soon as Guo Jia arrived, he achieved the result that Xi Zhicai had obtained after years of hard work. This is the importance of choice.

Moreover, Guo Jia has been paying attention to Cao Cao for a long time, ever since Cao Cao entered Jingzhou.

He thinks Cao Cao is no worse than Jin Mao, and is even stronger in some aspects.

“Hahaha!” Cao Cao happily helped Guo Jia up, then a look of shame appeared on his face and he said, “I have fallen to this point today, and you are still willing to serve me. I am really ashamed!”

Guo Jia said calmly: "How difficult is this? If the lord can escape from the Yangzhou governor, he will surely achieve great things."

"With just a little trick, the lord can not only recover as before, but even better than before!"

Cao Cao wanted to know the strategy, but he also wanted to test Guo Jia, so he pretended to be curious and asked, "I have never told anyone about the battle of Jingzhou. How did you know about it?"

Guo Jia said very frankly: "I guessed."

The defeated side was too embarrassed to talk about the details of that battle, and Jin Mao did not deliberately publicize it, so very little news came out. This is also the reason why Cao Cao was surprised by Guo Jia's remarks.

Guo Jia's direct admission made Cao Cao look at him with a higher opinion, and he said, "Please explain it in detail, Advisor."

Guo Jia was also not vague. He used local materials to simply build the three forces of Cao's army, Jingzhou navy, and Yuan Shu's army at that time, and asked Cao Cao for corrections.

Afterwards, Guo Jia laid out Jin Mao's deployment in detail based on his own understanding, and then recounted his own speculations in detail.

Cao Cao was surprised to find that Guo Jia seemed to have experienced it personally and said 90% of what he said was correct, with the only unexpected factor being Zhang Fei that he had not guessed.

"What a talented military advisor!" Cao Cao exclaimed sincerely: "There really are people like you in the world!"

Guo Jia waved his hands and said, "My lord, please don't be like this. I just know the governor of Yangzhou and his subordinates very well."

This time, Cao Cao was really curious: "Could you please elaborate?"

Guo Jia recounted the absurd incident and pointed out: "The one who saw through the lord's plan must be Xun You!"

Then, Guo Jia explained in detail the difference between Xi Zhicai and Xun You. The former's ability was more inclined towards military logistics organization, while Xun You focused more on strategy.

Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh: "I don't blame myself for my defeat!"

"With such a powerful figure assisting Yangzhou Mu, it's no wonder he can accomplish great things!"

"My lord, don't worry." Guo Jia bowed and said, "I came here to give you two great gifts."

Cao Cao had a deep understanding of Guo Jia's analytical ability and urged him, "Military Advisor, please speak!"

Guo Jia did not hide anything and spoke out loud: "The first great gift is from the Xun family of Yingyin County, Yingchuan!"

"The various princes in Hebei, led by Yuan Shao, will soon hold a meeting in Suanzao. By then, Yingchuan County will become a place of war."

"The Xun clan is looking for a new place to live. My lord, you should go to Yingchuan as soon as possible to invite them in person."

Cao Cao was very tempted, but considering his current appearance, how could the Xun family be interested in him?

As if seeing Cao Cao's worries, Guo Jia quickly said, "Originally, the Xun family was divided into two factions. The young and young faction represented by Xun Yu strongly advocated joining the Yangzhou governor."

"The strong and old faction represented by Xun Shuang did not want to serve anyone and leave their homeland."

"This month, Dong Zhuo forcibly summoned Xun Shang to the court, and the Xun clan became even more confused and it was difficult to reach a consensus."

Guo Jia said excitedly: "This is a good opportunity to fish in troubled waters, why don't you take advantage of it, my lord?"

“Even if you only catch one or two small fish, it can be a big profit after you publicize it!”

Of course Cao Cao understood the deep meaning of Guo Jia's words. This was worth a fortune in buying horse bones!
As a super aristocratic family in Yuzhou and Yanzhou, the Xun family was like a banner.

As long as Cao Cao gets even one percent of support, it will be an important signal, and other aristocratic families will follow suit. By then, Cao Cao's power will be greatly supplemented.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Cao Cao couldn't help but hold Guo Jia's hands and said excitedly: "Feng Xiao, you are really my Zi Fang!"

Originally Guo Jia was very excited, but when he heard the title "my Zifang", he always felt something was not right.

If you think about it carefully, Jin Mao once said something like this, but Guo Jia refused to become one of "my Zifang".

Cao Cao did not notice Guo Jia's loss of composure and asked excitedly, "Military Advisor, tell me quickly, what is the second gift?"

(End of this chapter)