Chapter 289 Yuan Shu is in a state of panic, Cao Cao copies his homework
July, Pengcheng, Xuzhou.

Since Cao Cao took over Xuzhou, he has worked hard to govern the country and attached great importance to agricultural development. In early spring, he planted early rice seeds brought from Yangzhou.

However, the harvest was not satisfactory. The yield of early rice per mu in Yangzhou reached 3 shi, but in Xuzhou it was only 2 shi or even lower.

However, even with such a small output, it brought Cao Cao an income of nearly 200,000 shi of rice, solving his urgent problem.

This was also thanks to the efforts of Mao Jie, Zao Ji and Han Hao in cultivating the land.

From then on, Cao Cao was very clear about one thing: Jin Mao was invincible!
Just imagine, he earned such considerable income with only tens of thousands of acres of paddy fields. If it were Jinmao, how terrifying would the annual income be?

Cao Cao was an outstanding military strategist who knew that war was an economic war.

Jinmao has a terrifying income every year, so what's the point of fighting?

Since Cao Cao didn't dare to provoke the south, he had to find ways to expand his influence to the west and north.

Things are unpredictable.

An extremely powerful bandit group appeared in Yuzhou, and Yuan Shu's 60,000-strong army was unable to do anything about it. The group even spread to Cao Cao's Xuzhou.

At present, Yuan Shu, due to face reasons, did not take the initiative to ask Cao Cao for help, but he asked for food and grass in disguise.

To be honest, Cao Cao would rather provide military support than provide food and fodder, which is a pure waste.

Without mentioning what Yuan Shu was like in the past, even now, he fights a war without any hesitation and has no plan at all.

Yuan Shu was not defeated because of his disadvantageous military force, but because he was dragged down by the guerrilla warfare of this group of bandits.

Without Yuan Shu's specific explanation, Cao Cao could guess that this group of bandits was definitely related to Jin Mao, and might even have been sent by Jin Mao.

The situation of the princes in the world is becoming increasingly clear, and only a few small princes are left who are struggling to survive and cannot cause any trouble.

There are not many princes who can make Yuan Shu so anxious. Besides, there are not many of them and they have strict discipline, so it is easy to guess who they come from.

Because no other lord’s military discipline in the world is as strict as that of the Yangzhou Army!

The reason why Yuan Shu is about to affect Cao Cao is because the two are allies. If Yuan Shu can't hold on, Yuan Shao will definitely take action, and then Cao Cao will not be able to escape.

However, Cao Cao now has new ideas.

Looking back.

Cao Cao earned two reputations by fighting against the Yellow Turbans. One was during the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, and the other was during the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou last year.

With reputation, recruiting wise men becomes much easier and simpler.

Chen Gong of Dongjun, Cheng Yu of Dong'e County, and Chen Qun of Yingchuan are the most famous ones.

For example, Mao Jie of Chenliu was a fellow townsman of Cao Cao, and Zao Ju and Han Hao were originally generals under Cao Cao, and they volunteered to come to Chenliu to cultivate the land.

The army also had many more military generals. In addition to Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan, there were three more generals: Le Jin, Yu Jin and Li Dian.

Yu Jin was a subordinate of Bao Xin, and followed Cao Cao after his failure in the campaign against Dong Zhuo.

Le Jin and Li Dian were both recruited during the campaign against the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou.

With the addition of Guo Jia who had joined him earlier, and the two brothers Xun Chen and Xun Yan from the Xun family, Cao Cao felt that he was not as good as Jin Mao and Yuan Shao, but much stronger than Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shu.

Once the team is established, all aspects of the system must also keep up.

We should govern the people and the army by law, advocate strict law enforcement and emphasize that the law should not favor the rich.

If there is no violation, then the offender must be punished. Strict laws and regulations are required, and rewards and punishments are clear. Officials who have no merit will not be appointed to office, and soldiers who do not fight will not be rewarded.

This is not a new system borrowed from Jinmao, but an idea that Cao Cao has always implemented.

That day, Cao Cao came to see Guo Jia.

"Filial piety."

"As you expected, General Zhennan took action against Yuan Shu."

In a three-story mansion in Pengcheng, Guo Jia was drunk and taking Wu Shi San with blurry eyes.

Cao Cao only lived in a mansion with four courtyards, but he found a mansion with three courtyards for Guo Jia, which shows his favor.

However, there was no sign of joy on Guo Jia's face. Instead, he became more and more dissolute and decadent day by day.

It was not for any other reason, but because Cao Cao had not dared to promote Guo Jia until now, which resulted in many soldiers in the army not knowing about such a figure as him.

I thought I had met a wise leader and would be able to make achievements in this life, but I didn't expect the result to be the same.

No matter how good Cao Cao is at making big promises, he cannot cover up Guo Jia's despair.

He had obviously tried so hard, and even helped Cao Cao with strategies and conquered Xuzhou, but in the end he decided to wait until someone else came and discuss it later?

"Eat less." Cao Cao snatched the Wushisan from Guo Jia's hand, "It's not good for your health."

Guo Jia did not struggle, but put his hands on his head, changed to a comfortable position and asked, "My lord, why are you here?"

Cao Cao was helpless. He also knew the reason why Guo Jia was angry, but he really could not give him the position of Xuzhou official or deputy driver.

Since he had decided not to offend Jin Mao, Cao Cao did not want Jin Mao to know that Guo Jia was with him.

Otherwise, who knows what the consequences will be.

Guo Jia's current performance proves one thing: Cao Cao is about to lose him.

In view of this, Cao Cao made a difficult decision: "Naturally, there will be good things to come to Fengxiao."

Guo Jia was indifferent and even yawned before asking, "Will I be promoted again in two years?" There was no lack of sarcasm in his tone: "Become a marquis or a prime minister?"

This is a resistance to Cao Cao's empty promises. Only a fool would eat empty promises every day.

"That's right!" Cao Cao slapped his thigh in delight and said, "Feng Xiao is so good at predicting things. I was just thinking of recommending you to be made Marquis of Guannei!"

Guo Jia suddenly stood up, the drunkenness on his face instantly disappeared. He never expected that Cao Cao had painted a bigger pie this time!
"My Lord! Why do you treat me like a three-year-old child?"

Guo Jia couldn't bear it anymore and shouted, "If you don't want to give it to me, just say so!"

He was really blind at the beginning. Guo Jia regretted falling in love with a lord like Cao Cao. Look at Jin Mao now. If he had accepted the invitation, he would at least be a county magistrate now!
Cao Cao didn't seem to mind Guo Jia's rebellion at all, and said with a smile: "I will send you to Chang'an to ask His Majesty for an imperial decree, which will include a letter requesting that you be made Marquis of Guannei."

Guo Jia was stunned on the spot. He never expected that Cao Cao would be serious!
Guannei Hou is below other marquises and has no fiefdom, but he is still a marquis, a title that many people dream of!

The "lie marquis" are Tinghou, Xianghou, and Xianhou. The "guanjun marquis" is above the "lie marquis" and is considered an honorary title.

"Really?" Guo Jia was still drunk. He grabbed Cao Cao's sleeve and said, "A gentleman's word is his bond!"

"It's hard to catch up with him." Cao Cao smiled and scolded, "Feng Xiao, let go quickly, my new brocade robe is about to be torn!"

Guo Jia was dancing with joy, completely ignoring what Cao Cao had just said about going to Chang'an.

"Great!"

"My Lord, I will prepare it now!"

Guo Jia couldn't wait to ask: "When do we set off?"

Cao Cao smoothed his sleeves and said, "You can set off anytime you are ready."

Guo Jia happily went down to prepare, leaving Cao Cao alone with a deep gaze looking into the distance, muttering: "If you go to Chang'an and don't come back, don't blame me."

After much thought, Cao Cao believed that sending Guo Jia away would bring more benefits than disadvantages, and it would also give an explanation to Jinmao, and it would not be so difficult to seek cooperation in the future.

It is hard to give up talented people, but compared with the great cause, it is nothing to Cao Cao.

Besides, Cao Cao did not explicitly say that he wanted Guo Jia to leave, he just found a reason to send him away.

Cao Cao rode back to his home on horseback.

The eldest son Cao Ang came out to greet him and took away Cao Cao's divine horse Jue Ying. As he approached the gate, he saw the third son Cao Zhang chasing after the second son Cao Pi and beating him.

Cao Zhang was the same age as Cao Pi, but he was much stronger than Cao Pi. Although Cao Pi was taller than his peers, he was not as strong as Cao Zhang. When Cao Pi saw his father coming back, he immediately ran behind him and hid. However, Cao Zhang was a fierce man, and he didn't care whether the person blocking his way was Cao Cao or not, and he rushed forward head-on.

"Ouch."

Cao Cao fell down and pinned Cao Pi down while hugging Cao Zhang and laughing loudly.

"Zhang'er is so brave!"

If we talk about Cao Cao's favorite son, it must be his eldest son Cao Ang. He has the intelligence of Cao Pi and the courage of Cao Zhang. He can be said to be both civil and military, quite like his father.

The second reason is that I like Cao Zhang, not for any other reason, but because Cao Zhang is so fierce!

Cao Pi was pinned down by Cao Cao without making a sound.

It was not until Cao Ang had settled Jueying that he saw this scene and immediately shouted, "Aung has crushed Zhongdi!"

Cao Cao then realized what was happening and stood up, complaining, "I was wondering why the floor was so soft today, Pi'er, why didn't you say anything?"

Cao Pi's face turned red from holding back his anger. After being helped up by Cao Ang, he began to thank him: "Thank you, big brother."

Then he saluted Cao Cao in a formal manner and said, "My mother said that filial piety is the most important thing for a son. I just sat there for a while. It's nothing."

"Nonsense!" Cao Cao immediately scolded, "Don't listen to your mother's nonsense. If you get hurt, your life will be in danger!"

"But..." Cao Pi wanted to argue.

"Okay." Cao Cao picked up Cao Zhang and said casually, "Go find your mother."

Cao Pi cried aggrievedly: "Well..."

Unexpectedly, when Cao Zhang saw Cao Pi leaving, he broke free from Cao Cao's arms and ran in the direction Cao Pi escaped.

"Tiger cub." Cao Cao scolded with a smile, turned his head and looked at Cao Ang and said: "From now on, take Pi'er out to play more often. What do women know?"

"Yes." Cao Ang answered very straightforwardly.

Cao Ang was not the son of Lady Bian, but the son of Lady Liu, who died of illness in Cao Cao's early years. He was raised by his first wife, Lady Ding. He was excellent in all aspects and was deeply loved by Cao Cao.

On the surface, Cao Cao was very strict with his son. He left everything to Cao Ang and did not even give him any special care when it came to charging into battle.

This made Cao Ang mature early and grow very fast, and he was able to stand on his own at the age of eighteen.

When Cao Cao came to the backyard, Mrs. Bian was holding Cao Zhi and trying to coax him to sleep. When she saw Cao Cao coming, she quickly stood up and saluted.

Cao Cao rushed forward, hugged Madam Bian and complained, "Don't move while holding the child."

It was as if the person who had spoken highly of the woman before was not him, Cao Cao.

Mrs. Bian was beautiful and charming. Even after giving birth to three sons, her figure was still great and she had a mature charm that made Cao Cao salivate.

"Oh my." Madam Bian pushed away the anxious Cao Cao and said, "Mr. Cheng has been waiting for a long time, and you still have the heart to think about this."

"Zhongde?"

"Who else could it be?" Madam Bian asked with a squinting look, "Could there be a second Mr. Cheng?"

Suddenly, Cao Cao put away the frivolous look on his face, put his hands behind his back, took a wide step, and walked towards the main hall.

After Cao Cao left, Cao Pi dared to come in from outside, and said with tears in his eyes: "Mother..."

the other side.

Cheng Yu did not come alone, Chen Qun was with him.

"Zhongde!"

Cao Cao's men arrived before his voice.

"Haha."

As soon as he entered the door, Cao Cao saw Cheng Yu and Chen Qun, and said in surprise: "Oh, Changwen is here too, what a rare guest."

"Cheng Yu (Chen Qun) pays homage to the Lord."

"No need to be polite." Cao Cao smiled and walked to the top seat, sat down casually, and said, "Everyone, sit down, everyone, sit down."

"If you have anything to say, sit down and talk."

Cheng Yu and Chen Qun looked at each other, then Cheng Yu bowed his head to Chen Qun and sat aside.

Obviously, the two people came to Cao Cao for different purposes.

Chen Qun bowed and said, "My Lord, I would like to ask for leave to go back to my hometown. Bandits are rampant there, and I would like to move my family to Xuzhou to settle down."

When Cao Cao heard this, he knew that Chen Qun did not want to go home. It was clearly Yuan Shu who was asking for help, but he was too proud to say it to Yuan Shu's face and was not willing to say it in person, so he came in a roundabout way.

Because Chen Qun's hometown was in Yangdi, Yingchuan, after several rounds of Yellow Turban Rebellion, it had long become a paradise for bandits.

The bandit played by Sun Ce naturally chose to start his rebellion from Yingchuan.

Yuan Shu had 60,000 soldiers but was unable to capture these thousand men.

There was no way. Yingchuan County was full of bandits. Unless Yuan Shu wiped out all the bandits, he would never be able to catch Sun Ce and others.

This is a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and resource-intensive task that yields nothing in return.

Given Yuan Shu's temper, it would be strange if he would care.

The socialite Tao Qian gave Yuan Shu a bad idea, asking the various ethnic groups in Yingchuan to ask for help from various princes.

By then, someone will definitely come to help.

In this way, we can drive away this group of bandits without spending a single soldier. Why not do it?
So, Chen Qun asked for help.

In fact, it was not just Chen Qun who received the family’s request for help, Xun Chen and Xun Yan also received it.

However, the two Xun brothers considered that Xun Yu was under Jin Mao's command, so they wrote a letter to Xun Yu, hoping that it would be useful.

"How about being friendly with (Xun Chen) and being at peace with (Xun Yan)?"

Cao Cao also thought of this aspect and asked, "Do they want to go back to their hometown to have a look?"

"I don't know." Chen Qun answered truthfully: "As soon as I received the letter from home, I was overly worried, so I came to see the master."

Cao Cao nodded and said, "Zixiu (Cao Ang), go and invite the two Xun military advisors."

I don't know where Cao Ang was hiding, but he suddenly appeared and said, "Here."

Chen Qun withdrew, and Cheng Yu stepped forward and bowed, saying, "My lord, I have already investigated the matter of early rice. The low harvest is not due to the farmers' cultivation or the farmland."

"Oh?" Cao Cao sat up straight and asked unconsciously, "Why is that?"

Cheng Yu reported truthfully: "According to the merchants who sell rice seeds in Yangzhou, this is a secret that the General Zhennan has not passed on. In addition, if the rice seeds cannot be updated in time in the future, the yield will gradually decrease."

“What’s the lowest?”

Cheng Yu said with embarrassment, "That man didn't know. The rice seeds he sold were called grain seeds, but they were actually unhusked rice produced in Yangzhou and Jingzhou. They were not grain seeds at all."

Cao Cao once again sighed: "General Zhennan is truly a god!"

Cao Cao once again determined not to be an enemy, and then he said, "It seems that this matter can only be resolved by contacting General Zhennan."

No contact, just steal?
Cao Cao had already known that Jin Mao had people specializing in breeding under his command, and these people could not be bribed.

And if the farmers want to sell the rice seedlings, they have to transplant them to other places while they are still alive.

This prevents the possibility of piracy.

Now, Guo Jia is about to go to Chang'an, and Cao Cao will have enough bargaining chips to negotiate with Jin Mao.

(End of this chapter)