Chapter 312: Xun Yu's Plan to Cause Chaos in Hebei
During the first five days of the meeting, we mainly discussed some strategic issues.

The sixth to tenth days are about water control and agriculture.

Starting from the eleventh day, foreign policy will be discussed.

Everyone knows that Jin Mao values ​​practical work rather than fame. Now that he has the title of general, there is naturally no need to talk about welcoming the emperor anymore.

The focus of the discussion is still Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan in the north.

Cao Cao talked nicely about going north to fight against Yuan Shao. In fact, according to the estimation of his advisers, Cao Cao was simply unable to go north this year, and would most likely be unable to do so next year.

If no support was given to Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao might really destroy Gongsun Zan.

But if we go north, even if we don't have to worry about Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu, Yuan Shu, Zhang Yang and others are also problems that we have to face.

If you don’t break through this level, don’t even think about posing a threat to Yuan Shao.

Jia Xu did have a plan, but after taking Xuzhou and controlling Cao Cao, Jia Xu's contributions were enough to secure his current position, so he entered a stage of keeping a low profile.

It’s not that only Jia Xu is awesome, but some strategies don’t have that ruthlessness when they come from Xun Yu and others.

Xi Zhicai and Gu Yong are engaged in government affairs and their minds are not here. Xun You is very similar to Jia Xu, just like toothpaste, if you don't squeeze it, nothing will come out.

Zhou Yu's mind was active. His reputation had been greatly enhanced since his last lecture in the meeting hall. Now he had to face very realistic problems and could not take all the benefits for himself.

Then, Zhou Yu glared at Xun Yu, as if to say: "If you, the outsiders, don't take action, we from Yangzhou will not be polite."

Although Zhou Yu never mentioned the Yangzhou Faction when talking to Huang Gai and others, he still regarded himself as a member of the Yangzhou Faction in private.

How can military generals be compared with scholars? As for those with straightforward minds, Zhou Yu can handle them alone, but he has to be careful when facing these scholars.

Even someone like Yu Fan could cause Zhou Yu to fall if he wasn't careful.

Xun Yu naturally caught Zhou Yu's warning look, stepped out and bowed, saying, "My lord, I have a plan to delay Yuan Shao's opportunity to destroy Gongsun Zan."

Xun Yu did not say that he would help Gongsun Zan to destroy Yuan Shao, as that was unrealistic.

Delaying time was Jinmao’s original intention and the key to the success of the strategy.

Jin Mao nodded and said, "Wen Ruo, you can speak freely. Now is the time to gather our wisdom."

Xun Yu smiled slightly, and that smile revealed his confidence.

He said slowly: "Although Yuan Shao is strong, his internal situation is not completely united.

Although Gongsun Zan was at a disadvantage, he still had his allies and influence.

We can secretly send envoys, carrying large amounts of gold and jewelry, to those generals under Yuan Shao who are not completely loyal to Yuan Shao or who have old grudges with Gongsun Zan, and promise them huge benefits to lure them to keep their troops in place, or even secretly let them go.

At the same time, we can also take advantage of the factional disputes within Yuan Shao to create conflicts, causing him to consume his internal strength and have no time to fully attack Gongsun Zan."

Zhou Yu's eyes flashed with approval when he heard this. He knew very well that the cleverness of Xun Yu's plan was not only to directly assist Gongsun Zan, but also to cleverly use the internal contradictions of the enemy to delay the war. He thought to himself, "Xun Wenruo is indeed worthy of it!"

After hearing this, Jin Mao pondered for a moment and said, "Who can be bribed? Who can be instigated?"

Xun Yu said: "I heard that Xu You is greedy for money, you can tempt him with a large sum of money."

Jin Mao nodded. He had heard of Xu You, who was Yuan Shao's strategist. If he took the lead, it would definitely cause great trouble to Yuan Shao.

Xun Yu continued, "General Qu Yi is proud of his achievements. When he was under the command of Han Fu, the former governor of Jizhou, he often contradicted others before he rose to power. I think he will not change even if he comes under Yuan Shao's command."

Jin Mao thought about it for a moment and felt that there seemed to be nothing wrong with it.

Since Yuan Shao dared to employ Qu Yi, he must be tolerant of others. But Xun Yu would definitely not do this without a purpose. There must be a reason.

"Even so, how can Wen Ruo be sure that Yuan Shao will hate Qu Yi like Han Fu did?"

Xun Yu bowed and said, "My lord, please bear with me. Although Yuan Shao is known for his broad vision and tolerance of people's shortcomings, he is suspicious by nature and values ​​power. Especially at critical moments, he will not tolerate the slightest threat of shaking his authority.

Qu Yi was a man of great martial arts skills and outstanding military achievements, and was indeed a rare general. However, he had a strong character, acted flamboyantly, was not particular about details, often spoke nonsense in the army, and was sometimes disrespectful to his superiors.

He was able to survive under Han Fu's command because of Han Fu's weak character. However, Yuan Shao was no ordinary man with ambitions to rule the world. How could he tolerate such arrogance among his generals?

Furthermore, there were many factions under Yuan Shao, and each of the civil and military officials had their own affiliations. If Qu Yi could not properly handle the relationship with all parties, he would easily become the target of public criticism.

Especially Yuan Shao's generals like Yan Liang and Wen Chou, who were narrow-minded and could not bear to see Qu Yilu gain military merit, so they would definitely add insult to injury.

In addition, Yuan Shao knew that "to resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the internal affairs". If the internal affairs were not stable, how could one plan for great undertakings? If Qu Yi could not restrain his edge and obey orders, he would become a big worry for Yuan Shao.

By then, even with wise men like Ju Shou and Tian Feng by his side, it would be difficult to calm Yuan Shao's anger, let alone cause trouble for him."

Jin Mao suddenly understood what was going on and nodded, saying, "Wen Ruo is right. I had never thought of this. It seems that although Yuan Shao is able to use talents, he also has his insurmountable limitations."

Xun Yu smiled slightly and continued, "My Lord, we can take advantage of this and secretly instigate chaos within Yuan Shao. Then we can find an opportunity to act and great things will happen."

When Jin Mao heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he said happily: "Wen Ruo is worthy of being you!"

"This is a brilliant plan, but who can be the messenger?"

Jin Mao glanced at everyone in the hall and said, "Everyone here has important matters to attend to, so you can't move easily."

"Besides, I don't want to let Yuan Shao detain any of them."

Everyone present here should be ashamed. You are the only one in the world who would do such a despicable thing. Even if Yuan Shao is a worthless person, he would definitely not do such a thing.

However, those who realize it are smart people and will not say it out loud, and those who don’t realize it cannot say it out loud.

Xun Yu bowed again and said: "I have someone who is the best candidate, but I am afraid that my lord does not dare to use him."

"Haha, Wen Ruo underestimated me." Jin Mao said happily: "But you can say it, there is no one I dare not use!"

"My brother Xun Chen!"

As soon as Xun Yu said this, the whole audience gasped. He was so bold.

I really believe that my lord will not doubt it.

Xun Chen was Cao Cao's man, and Xun Yu's actions were undoubtedly putting himself on the spot.

Xun Yu raised his head and looked straight into the hall.

At this time, the clouds outside released the light that had been obstructing the sun, and the light shone behind Xun Yu, as if there was a contest between light and darkness.

Jin Mao was silent for a moment, then said, "Give me a reason."

Xun Yu took a deep breath and said, "My lord, everyone in the world says that there are differences between close and distant relatives, but a truly wise man should treat the world as a public good and not stick to any particular pattern. Xun Chen's talent is not inferior to mine.

If you can be used by me, it will be a blessing for our army and the country. I know that my lord is wise and can see through people's hearts and will not be trapped by personal feelings.

Although Xun Chen is my blood relative, he also shares the same moral principles as me. I believe he would not do such a mean thing.

Now Cao Cao seems to have broken with Yuan Shao, but in fact they are still connected. Xun Chen will definitely be able to enter the camp unscathed."

"As long as the lord promises to return to Cao Cao after the task is accomplished."

Xun Yu's words moved Jin Mao, and he wanted to recruit Xun Chen to work for him. But before he could say anything, a sudden shout came from the hall.

"Xun Yu!" Zhou Yu stood up and slammed the table, shouting angrily, "What is your intention in bewitching the lord?"

Jin Mao frowned and looked at Zhou Yu, and said coldly: "Mr. Zhou! You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"

Zhou Yu said angrily: "My lord, Xun Yu is helping Cao Cao's arrogance!"

"If Xun Chen went to Yuan Shao's camp, it would indeed cause cholera and make him restless, but it was not for a small promise, but for Cao Cao to plot for Jizhou!"

"Xun Yu, his heart should be killed!"

"Gongjin, please calm down and sit down." Jin Mao said calmly, "It's my fault for not telling you in detail."

Therefore, Jin Mao told Zhou Yu the key points of how Xun Yu designed a plan to let Cao Cao seize Jizhou.

The people in the hall were all high-ranking backbones of the forces. If there were spies from other forces, Jin Mao would also admit it because it was an open conspiracy.

If Cao Cao did not compete with Yuan Shao for territory, he would have been eaten away by Jin Mao step by step.

Zhou Yu looked around and saw that several counselors had indifferent expressions, while everyone else was stunned. He realized that only a few people knew about this matter.

Zhou Yu did not feel aggrieved. Instead, he was touched that Jin Mao did not hide the truth from him. He bowed sincerely and left.

Jin Mao gave up the idea of ​​recruiting Xun Chen after Zhou Yu's disturbance and said, "Wen Ruo's plan is very good, let's do it."

However, Jin Mao was also dissatisfied with Xun Yu for concealing the second half of the plan and not informing him in advance, which almost made him embarrassed.

Xun Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was also a helpless move. On one hand, there was the righteousness between the monarch and his subjects, and on the other hand, there was family filial piety. There would always be flaws in trying to take both into account.

Even if Xun Chen and Xun Yan did not appreciate it, Xun Yu would no longer ask for anything as long as he had gotten over it.

Of course, Xun Chen will definitely try his best to complete the task, not only for Xun Yu's guarantee, but also for Cao Cao's future.

As long as Xun Chen has high moral character, he will definitely do it even if he knows there is a trap ahead.

This is the power of Xun Yu’s plan, and it is also the main reason why Jin Mao accepted it with a pinch of his nose.

After talking about Yuan Shao, it was Dong Zhuo and other Guanzhong lords' turn. Jin Mao looked at Zhou Yu and said, "Gong Jin, is there any unusual movement in Guanzhong?"

Hanzhong County and Wudu County in Yizhou border Chang'an and Xiliang respectively, so any movement can be captured at the first opportunity.

Zhou Yu's expression became serious, and he stepped out and said, "My lord, the situation in Guanzhong has indeed undergone subtle changes recently. Although Dong Zhuo still maintains his obedience to the court on the surface, privately, his Xiliang Army is secretly communicating with some conservative forces in the court, and seems to be dissatisfied with the status quo and plotting for greater power.

Especially Li Jue and Guo Si, who command a large number of troops and have recently placed their cronies in the court, have become more and more arrogant, and have sometimes pretended to obey Dong Zhuo's decisions but secretly disobeyed them."

"In addition, the counties in Guanzhong were not united. Although Ma Teng, Han Sui and others had formed an alliance with Dong Zhuo in Liang Province, their interests were complicated and frictions occurred from time to time.

Especially Ma Teng, whose son Ma Chao is brave and good at fighting, is quite loved by his people. Recently, he has been training troops frequently, and seems to have the intention of expanding outward. This is both a threat and an opportunity for us. "

It is unclear whether Ma Chao's move was intended to target Han Sui or his father Ma Teng.

After all, Ma Chao got the position of General of the Central Army by currying favor with Dong Zhuo.

If it weren't for the precedent of Lu Bu, the rebellious son, Ma Chao would probably have been Dong Zhuo's next adopted son.

Jin Mao frowned when he heard this, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Gong Jin is right. The situation in Guanzhong is complicated. We need to be cautious and not act rashly."

In fact, it was because Jin Mao did not want to meet the emperor. Otherwise, it would only take a few minutes to destroy Dong Zhuo. People like Li Jue and Guo Si would be nothing.

"As for Ma Teng, Han Sui and other Liangzhou forces, we can try to lure them with benefits, divide and disintegrate them, and use them for our own purposes."

Jin Mao suddenly had an idea and said, "We can send someone to contact Ma Chao and expand his ambitions. It would be best if we could turn Ma Teng and his son against each other!"

Zhou Yu nodded in agreement and continued, "My lord, you have a far-sighted vision. I will do my best to assist you in achieving your great cause."

"That's enough." Jin Mao waved his hand happily and said, "When did you learn to flatter? This evil trend must be stopped."

He said no, but his actions were honest.

The smart people present all took it to heart, and the less smart people took it seriously.

"My lord, you are the most powerful in China!" Zhou Yu continued to flatter him, "I am just stating the facts."

Jin Mao laughed heartily, feeling very comfortable after being patted on the horse.

Everyone saw it and kept it in mind.

"How old is Gongjin this year?"

"I am nineteen."

"Are you going to get married?"

"Never."

Jin Mao nodded and said, "When I was your age, I had already started a family and a career."

"Now that you have a successful career, it's time to start a family."

Jin Mao smiled and asked, "Do you have anyone you like?"

It was rare for Zhou Yu to show embarrassment. Why was he suddenly talking about private matters in public?

Zhou Yu's view on choosing a spouse was different from Xi Zhicai's, and his current status did not require him to marry Jin's daughter, so he did not take the initiative to speak.

In addition, the legitimate daughters of the Jin family had already been married, for example, Xun You had married the last one a few days ago. The concubine daughter of the Jin family did not meet Zhou Yu's status.

"No." Zhou Yu knew that since Jin Mao had mentioned it, he must have a purpose, so he said, "I'll have to trouble you to help me find it."

"Did you get any news?" Jin Mao said happily, "There is a foreign nobleman in Lujiang County named Mr. Qiao, who has two daughters who are both stunningly beautiful."

"I will suffer a little loss and take Da Qiao as my concubine, and you marry Xiao Qiao as your wife. How do you think?"

This means becoming Zhou Yu's brother-in-law, which is neither as utilitarian as marrying a daughter of the Jin family, but can also help to bring the relationship closer.

Zhou Yu was not impressed with his lord's early taste, but the women he married later on did have their own merits, and he did not doubt his later vision.

"It's all up to the lord."

Jin Mao laughed again. Everything went smoothly today.

Everyone present couldn't help but search in their hearts to see if there was any stunning beauty in the family. The shortcut to success was right before their eyes. Even Jia Xu was not immune to this, let alone others.

Unfortunately not.

It was Zhang Zhao, the former governor of Lujiang County, who found out about the relationship and told Jin Mao immediately.

This gave Zhang Zhao the opportunity to go to Jiaozhou.

According to past experience, the governor was definitely not as good as the county magistrate, but with the implementation of the new policy, his status and position were completely different.

Zhang Zhao got promoted!
He climbed from the bottom to his current position in just three years. During the same period, only Zhou Yu and Bu Zhi were stronger than him.

Zhang Zhao was very puzzled. Why did Bu Zhi do that?
(End of this chapter)