Chapter 318: Cao Cao is furious and raises troops to attack Yuan
Xun Chen had someone arranged by Cao Cao to pick him up.

Originally, according to Cao Cao's intention, he should not go to Yuan Shao but return directly to himself.

However, Xun Chen disagreed and insisted on his own way.

When the news of Xun Chen's death reached Bohai County, Cao's camp.

"what!"

Cao Cao put the bowl he was eating on upside down on the table and shouted angrily, "Yuan Shao, you bastard!"

"You and I are at odds with each other!"

Cao Ang poked his head out and observed carefully. When he saw Cao Cao looking up, he quickly retracted his head, but was still caught by Cao Cao's eyes.

"Cao Zixiu!"

Cao Cao shouted, "Get out here, Naigong!"

Cao Ang walked into the center of the door in a sullen manner, saluted with a wry smile and said, "Father."

Cao Cao's eyes were like those of a tiger devouring a man, and his deep voice was like a tiger's roar: "Hurry up! Go and invite Military Advisor Xun and Governor Cheng."

Although Cheng Yu was a prefect, he always followed Cao Cao in his campaigns. The reason was that Cao Cao had too few talented people under his command and no one to lead the logistics.

Xun Yan can’t handle it alone.

"Yes." Cao Ang did not dare to delay and rode away on his good horse.

After a while, Xun Yan, Cheng Yu, Chen Qun and others who had heard the news all arrived.

"Greetings, my lord."

Cao Cao had already adjusted his mentality, but he still couldn't help but look sad.

"You Ruo is dead." Cao Cao said hoarsely, "Yuan Shao has already prepared. It is unwise to advance at this time."

Having said that, Cao Cao could not suppress the anger in his heart.

But he had to say this, because these words were not spoken to himself, but to the ministers under his command.

Let me tell you, I am not raising an army out of anger. I am very calm now.

Cheng Yu instantly understood Cao Cao's intention, but did not speak out in agreement immediately. Instead, he looked at Chen Qun and others.

However, Xun Yan was too sad about the news of Xun Chen's death, and he actually suggested: "My lord, you must not give up on seizing Jizhou!"

"Youruo sacrificed his life for this, isn't it just to create an opportunity for the lord?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at him sideways.

Chen Qun even objected, saying: "Military Advisor Xun is wrong. Xun Youruo's sacrifice is indeed heartbreaking, but precisely because of this, we should act more cautiously and not let Youruo's sacrifice become a meaningless sacrifice.

The reason why the lord is so calm and composed is to consider the overall situation and avoid our army falling into a deeper predicament due to a momentary impulse. Although Jizhou is a good place, it cannot be achieved in one day. It requires careful planning and thorough preparation. As a minister, we should assist the lord and win with wisdom, rather than just acting blindly based on passion. "

"Chen Changwen!" Xun Yan lost his composure and roared, "Stop spreading lies to confuse the people!"

"Youruo's actions have their own deep meanings. How can you confuse him?"

Seeing Xun Yan was about to go berserk, Cao Cao hurriedly spoke out to stop him, saying, "Everyone is too emotional today, let's discuss this matter tomorrow."

Everyone thought it made sense. Seeing that Cao Cao still had some sense, Cheng Yu didn't say much.

Unexpectedly, Xun Yan insisted, "My lord, this is a good opportunity created by You Ruo's death. If we don't seize Jizhou now, when will we?"

"Xun Yan!" Chen Qun stopped him sternly, "How can you be so short-sighted! Although Jizhou is good, it is not easy to take.

Tomoyo's sacrifice bought us time, not an excuse to act impulsively.

My lord has made his own decision after careful consideration. How can he be swayed by your momentary anger?
We should calmly analyze the situation and seek the best strategy, rather than being blinded by hatred and greed."

"Furthermore," Chen Qun said in a slightly slower tone, but still firm, "What You Ruo advocated during his lifetime was to conquer the world with wisdom, not force. His lifelong planning was all for the greater good, for our common ideals.

If we act rashly today out of anger, wouldn't that be a waste of his efforts? My Lord, please think twice!"

Cao Cao closed his eyes, as if he didn't want to see the two people arguing.

Xun Yan's voice had never been as high as it was today, and he shouted, "Chen Changwen!"

"If you don't understand military affairs, don't get involved!"

"I have informed my lord of Youruo's death. Although Yuan Shao was shocked, he has not learned any news from us."

"Secondly, Yijing is in imminent danger and the city is about to be broken. If Yuan Shao were to gather the troops from Youzhou, it would be extremely difficult for the lord to seize Jizhou!"

"Three..." Xun Yan shed two lines of tears and choked up, "If You hadn't betrayed the lord, would the lord have abandoned him?"

Cao Cao suddenly opened his eyes and roared like an angry lion: "If Xun You doesn't abandon me, how can Cao Mengde abandon him!"

"My lord..." Chen Qun wanted to say something.

Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "No need to say more about this long article."

"Just as Xiuruo said, this is the perfect opportunity that Youruo has created for me to take Jizhou. If I miss this opportunity, I will miss my whole life!"

Chen Qun left, and Cheng Yu stepped forward and asked, "My lord, what do you want to do?"

Cao Cao shook his head and sighed, "If I knew, I would not call you here again."

Cheng Yu looked at Xun Yan, Chen Qun and others and saw that they were either frowning and couldn't think of a good solution, or were deeply immersed in their emotions and unable to extricate themselves.

So Cheng Yu stepped forward and suggested: "My lord, since a frontal attack is not feasible, we might as well take a long-term view and use our wisdom.

In Jizhou, although the Yuan family is strong, they are not united internally.

We may be able to secretly contact those forces that are dissatisfied with the Yuan family, offer them huge benefits, or promise to protect their positions, so that they can become our internal supporters.

At the same time, you can write a letter to Yuan Shang, with sincere words, to explain the pros and cons to him, and make it clear that our Cao army is not coveting his territory, but for the sake of the people of the world, we are willing to lend a helping hand to him and jointly resist the foreign enemy, so as to confuse him and weaken his defensive heart. "

“Furthermore, our army can send elite scouts deep into the heart of Jizhou to explore the terrain, troop deployment, and find its weak points.

The Art of War says: Know yourself and know the enemy, and you will never be in danger in a hundred battles. Once the time is right, our army can advance from multiple directions, take the enemy by surprise, attack them when they are unprepared, and strike them directly. In addition, the lord should also prepare food and supplies to ensure that the army has no worries about logistics, so that it can fight for a long time. "

Cheng Yu paused and continued, "As for the timing of the battle, I think it will be when Yuan Shao just breaks through Yijing!"

Cao Cao heard this, his eyes were like torches, and he said in a deep voice: "What Cheng Qing said is absolutely right. If Yuan Shao wins Yijing, he will become arrogant and think that the world can be conquered. Now is the best time for us to fight back.

But we must also note that although Yuan Shao is arrogant, he also has many wise and brave generals under his command, such as Ju Su and Tian Feng, who should not be underestimated. "

“Therefore, our army needs to act more cautiously, not only to create chaos on the periphery to confuse the enemy, but also to strengthen unity and boost morale internally.

You can order the soldiers of each camp to train hard day and night to improve their martial arts, and make sure that every arrow and every sword can become a sharp weapon to break through the enemy's defense line."

As Cao Cao spoke, his thoughts gradually became clearer: "No! Not enough!"

"Our army is running low on food and fodder. The expedition to Bohai has already used up all our reserves. If we want to attack Jizhou again, we are not strong enough." "Pah!"

Cao Cao clapped his hands fiercely and said, "If you are going to do it, do it to the extreme!"

"Gather all your strength and kill them with one strike!"

Cao Cao paced back and forth without caring about anything, and said like a madman: "Chen Gongtai must be returned!"

"In that case, I will exchange it for Pengcheng."

"Pengcheng...Xuzhou..."

"Since the general likes it, take them all!"

Cao Cao laughed strangely and said, "I don't just want to exchange Xuzhou for the official seat, I also want to exchange Xuzhou for the support of the general and his army."

"Hahaha!"

"With the general's troops ahead to attract Yuan Shao's attention, we can take You and Ji."

"When the flowers bloom next spring, I will build a tomb for Youruo in Jizhou!"

Seeing Cao Cao's words getting more and more outrageous, Chen Qun spoke up in time to stop him: "My lord! Please think twice!"

Cheng Yu was also afraid that Cao Cao would make a wrong decision due to excessive emotions, so he quickly pushed Xun Yan and stepped forward to agree: "My lord, please think twice!"

Suddenly, everyone shouted, "My lord, please think twice."

Xun Yan came out of his emotion. He had listened to everything Cao Cao said before. When Cao Cao looked over, Xun Yan said for the first time, "My lord, your plan is fine."

"There's only one mistake!"

"Oh?" Cao Cao looked at Xun Yan in surprise. He was the usually calm representative, so why was he so abnormal today?
"What do you think, Hugh?"

However, before Xun Yan could speak, Chen Qun shouted, "Xun Yan!"

"Do you really want to ruin your lord's career?"

"Does it mean that your brothers are still human beings when they die, but the thousands of soldiers under your lord's command are no longer human beings when they die?"

This is a very serious accusation.

Xun Yan remained calm and replied, "It is precisely for the sake of the thousands of soldiers that I insist on attacking Jizhou!"

Then, Xun Yan bowed to Cao Cao and said, "My lord, the situation is becoming clear. Once Yuan Shao occupies Youzhou, you will be dependent on others for the rest of your life."

"I think if the lord is really that kind of person, you won't follow him."

These words left Chen Qun speechless.

Cao Cao hit the table and praised him, "Xun Xiuruo, your words really hit my heart! How could I, Cao Cao, be content with mediocrity?
Although Yuan Shao is strong, we have ambitions for the world. How can we ignore thousands of soldiers for our own selfishness? Jizhou is the cornerstone of our hegemony, we have to take it! "

After saying this, Cao Cao stood up, and with a sharp gaze, he scanned the crowd and continued, "Since we started our army, we have fought countless battles, each of which was a fight of life and death.

The blood of our brothers has made us what we are today.

I, Cao Cao, swear here that I will lead you to conquer the four seas and unify the world. I will make every soldier who fights for me go down in history, and let their sacrifice become the cornerstone of our unparalleled achievements! "

Hearing Cao Cao's impassioned words, everyone in the hall was excited, and they knelt down and shouted in unison: "We are willing to follow our lord to face the national crisis and achieve hegemony!"

Cao Cao nodded, turned to Xun Yan, and asked, "What are the mistakes and omissions in what Xiu Ruo said?"

Xun Yan bowed and said, "My lord, you have forgotten that the general is also a great leader with great ambitions. If you let him send troops, how can you be sure that the general will not interfere?"

"I see."

Cao Cao laughed contemptuously and said, "If the general came in person, I would still be a little bit afraid, but his subordinates are just chickens and dogs."

"Those who can stand on their own feet, such as Zhou Yu and Xi Zhicai, should not be easily moved."

Cao Cao analyzed them one by one and said, "Xun Yu is a talented person who can assist the king, but he is not a talented person who can lead an army. Xun You and Jia Xu do have some skills, but the general will never let them go."

"The remaining bunch of reckless men can't even obey orders from a general in a foreign army, how can they threaten me?"

To be honest, Cao Cao is not afraid of anyone except the people above him.

Xun Yan nodded and asked the key question: "My lord, what if the general sends people to compete with me for Youzhou's troops?"

"I heard that he has a general named Zhao Yun, who is from Changshan and once served under Gongsun Zan. We must be on guard against him."

Cao Cao pondered for a long time, waved his hand and said: "They are all trivial matters. As long as the general sends troops, the benefits will outweigh the disadvantages!"

"Even if the general occupies Youzhou, what's the use?"

"Jizhou blocks Youzhou's way south. As long as I can control Jizhou, everything will be solved!"

Cheng Yu quickly flattered him, saying, "My lord is wise."

Cao Cao enjoyed it happily, but Cheng Yu changed the subject and said, "However, my lord, although Jizhou is the key, the troops of Youzhou cannot be ignored.

Zhao Yun is a man of extraordinary bravery and wisdom, and should not be underestimated. If he is really valued by the general and comes to fight for the troops of Youzhou, it may be difficult for our army to succeed easily.

Furthermore, Youzhou is located in the border area, with tough people and elite soldiers, and will be an important support for our army in the future when we go north to fight against the Wuhuan and Xianbei.

My Lord, why don't you take the initiative and send a capable general to Youzhou to secretly contact those generals and noble families who are dissatisfied with the general, promise them great benefits, and divide their forces. At the same time, strengthen the connection between our army and Gongsun Zan's old subordinates, so that they will turn against us. In this way, the troops of Youzhou can be used by me, and the general will have difficulty in interfering."

Cao Cao heard this, his eyes flashed with approval, and he nodded and said, "Yu's words are very much in my heart. Indeed, the land of Youzhou must be taken. But this matter must be carried out in secret, and no one can leak the news, so as not to alert the enemy. Do you have a suitable candidate to go to Youzhou to carry out such an important task?"

Cheng Yu hesitated for a moment and said, "My lord, I think Man Chong is a thoughtful, cautious, and loyal man. He can take on this important task. Moreover, he has served in Qingzhou and is quite familiar with the situation in the north. He will definitely live up to your trust."

Cao Cao was overjoyed when he heard this, and slammed the table and said, "Okay! As you say, I will summon Man Chong immediately and order him to set off for Youzhou immediately and make sure to complete this important task!"

Cao Ang took the order and went down.

Cheng Yu continued, "Now that we have alerted the enemy, why don't you make an alliance with Yuan Shao openly and communicate with Qu Kuang secretly to find out the situation on the front line."

"First, it will make it easier for us to prepare early. Second, we can bypass the main road and break up into smaller groups to head to the heart of Jizhou."

"In this way, if Yuan Shao notices anything, he will only be full of doubts and find it difficult to determine our army's true intentions. We can take this opportunity to win with a surprise attack and achieve strategic surprise.

At the same time, the lord can send spies to infiltrate Yuan Shao's army, spread false information, confuse him, and make it difficult for him to concentrate his forces to deal with our army's real offensive.

In addition, we should strengthen our contacts with other princes, especially those who are dissatisfied with Yuan Shao. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to win them over, form a siege against Yuan Shao, and jointly weaken his power. "

"Such as Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Army, Lu Bu of Yanzhou and others."

Hearing the name Lü Bu, Cao Cao's face darkened: "Forget about Lü Bu. I'll trouble Zhongde to contact the others."

"Here."

(End of this chapter)