Chapter 327: Xun You's Plan to Break Chang'an City
East of Chang'an City.

Jin Mao sat at the top, with counselors Jia Xu and Xun You sitting on his left and right respectively.

"After three days, if there is still no movement in Chang'an City, we will launch a general attack."

Jin Mao was wearing a mink coat with a new cotton jacket underneath, and he hadn't worn armor for several years.

With the current strength of the Southern Army, as long as Jin Mao doesn't go to the front line to commit suicide, his life will not be in danger.

Upon hearing his lord's decision, Jia Xu remained silent like an old Buddha, and Xun You had something to say but didn't.

"Whatever you want to say, please feel free to speak up."

Since Xuzhou was captured, Jin Mao transferred Jia Xu back to his side. This strategic strategist cannot be left in a place where he can be easily lost. It is safer to keep him by his side.

Jia Xu didn't know why his lord was so afraid of him, but he became more obedient and docile. No matter what decision his lord made, he had to support it and could give various reasons and better solutions.

There was another reason for Xun You. He was too mediocre in governing the local area and was far inferior to the military counselor, so Jin Mao transferred him back to his side.

At this time, hearing his lord's words, Xun You could not help but step out and bow, saying: "My lord, you must not use force against the city of Chang'an. Even if you do, you must not use heavy weapons like catapults."

"Your Majesty is still in the city. If the flying rocks hit the palace, it would be a crime of disrespect!"

Jin Mao nodded in agreement and asked, "Does Gongda have any good ideas?"

Xun You usually doesn't talk, but when he does, he must have a plan to take over Chang'an.

Xun You slowly said, "My Lord, Chang'an City is impregnable. A violent attack will not only cause heavy losses, but will also easily cause the people to turn against us. This is really a bad idea. In my opinion, it is better to take it by wits.

First, we can send spies into the city and spread rumors that the food and grass in the city are about to run out, and the army outside the city has been besieging the city for a long time, with low morale and panic.

At the same time, we will use the secret connections between our spies and some officials and generals in the city to secretly instigate rebellion and disintegrate the enemy's defenses from within."

“Secondly, my lord, you can order people to build a high platform, but not for throwing stones, but for observing the movements in the city and setting up a signal system. Once there is any unusual movement in the city, the message will be immediately sent to the army outside the city, and the enemy will be attacked from both inside and outside, making it impossible for the front and rear of the enemy to take care of each other.

Furthermore, you can write a sincere letter to Your Majesty, explaining the current situation, stating that we are determined to clear the emperor's entourage and protect the country, and are willing to resolve the dispute at the lowest cost. Please understand Your Majesty and open the city gates to resolve the matter peacefully."

"If the above strategies do not work, then announce that our army is about to attack East City and ask all irrelevant people to retreat to avoid harming innocent people."

After Xun You finished speaking, Jin Mao clapped his hands and praised him, "What a brilliant plan!"

Although the strategy is quite standard, the best strategy is to avoid the minefields perfectly.

"There are still three days until the final attack. I'll give you two days to make arrangements."

Jin Mao held up two fingers and said, "Two days later, launch the attack at 15:30!"

"Yes." Xun You took the order and went down.

Who knew the situation would change so quickly.

As soon as Xun You sent his spies over the wall into the city, he learned that there was chaos in the city, Li Jue and Guo Si were beheaded, and Yang Ding and Yang Feng took over.

This was also the reason why the city’s defense was lax, allowing the spies to enter the city smoothly.

The Southern Army’s meeting tent.

Jin Mao was surprised: "Yang Ding? Yang Feng?"

"Can these two people have such a plan to kill Li Jue and Guo Si?"

It's no wonder that Jin Mao wasn't surprised. He knew both of them. Yang Ding had fought against him during Xu Rong's period, and he really had no special features. Yang Feng learned about them from Xu Huang, and although he was awesome, Yang Feng definitely didn't have the brains for them.

As expected, Xun You explained: "The details are unknown, but the spies mentioned an old friend many times."

At this time, Xun You's expression looked a little strange and very complicated.

Jin Mao couldn't tell what Xun You was thinking, but he could see how conflicted Xun You was, so he waved his hand and said, "It's fine to just talk."

Xun You was silent for a long time before he sighed and said, "My lord, Guo Jia is also in Chang'an City."

Since Chang'an City was no longer suitable for survival, Jin Mao withdrew from Jia Fang early, and the intelligence network in the city was cut off.

At this moment, Jin Mao heard the name Guo Jia, and his dusty memories emerged. His eyes darkened and he asked coldly, "What is he doing in the city? Could it be that the chaos in Chang'an City is related to him?"

Xun You frowned upon hearing this, as if he was considering his words, and said slowly, "My lord, Guo Jia is a man of extraordinary wisdom and his whereabouts are always difficult to predict.

According to the latest report from our spies, he seems to be directly involved in the disputes in Chang'an City and has subtle connections with several forces. Some people saw him secretly meeting with several former ministers, and during the conversation he mentioned the restoration of the Han Dynasty and the reorganization of the government, and his words revealed extraordinary ambitions and plans. "

"What's even more puzzling is that," Xun You paused, his tone becoming more serious, "Guo Jia seems to be trying to stir up the situation in Chang'an at the lowest cost and ultimately achieve his ulterior motives."

Upon hearing this, Jin Mao's eyes became sharp and his fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a steady and rhythmic sound.

He thought to himself, Guo Jia is a man known for his extraordinary plans, and his far-reaching plans are often unexpected. Now that he has appeared in Chang'an, it is definitely not accidental, and there must be a major plot behind it.

However, why do these words sound so much like Jia Xu's style?
Jin Mao couldn't help but glance at Jia Xu in confusion.

Making the latter depressed has nothing to do with him?

"How does Gongda think about this matter?" Jin Mao asked.

Xun You looks honest, but that doesn't mean he is really honest. There is a deeper meaning behind the lord's question.

As a good friend of Guo Jia, he naturally wanted to say a few good words for Guo Jia, but after a glance at Jia Xu, Xun You knew what his lord meant.

Guo Jia's actions would never win the favor of his lord, and he might not be able to escape death this time.

Now the only thing Xun You wants to do is to save Guo Jia's life.

Xun You pondered for a moment, a look of determination flashed in his eyes, and he slowly said: "My lord, Guo Jia's talent is rare in the world. Although he does things in an unconventional way, he can often achieve victory by surprise. This is an extraordinary person doing extraordinary things.

If we discard him because of a temporary mistake, we may lose the hearts of scholars all over the world. Moreover, talents are hard to come by, especially a strategist like Guo Jia who has extraordinary talents, and we should cherish him even more. "

He paused, his eyes moving between Jia Xu and Jin Mao, and continued, "Mr. Jia is a man of deep wisdom and insight, and is good at seeing people's hearts. He has a similar style to Guo Jia. If the lord can tolerate Mr. Jia, he must be able to tolerate Guo Jia as well."

At this time, Jia Xu's mood could not be described as depressed. Both the emperor and his ministers were good-for-nothings. What was the point of them all talking about him?

I think Jia Xu has been working diligently in recent years and has handled the affairs of Xuzhou so well. Even if he has no credit, he has worked hard.

Now that the great thing hasn't been accomplished, are you going to get rid of it?
hateful!

However, how could the old fox Jia Xu reveal such a flaw? No matter how much he cursed in his heart, he still looked calm on the surface. Jin Mao no longer had the eagerness to seek talents as he did in the past. To him, Guo Jia was more like a knot in his heart than a talent.

If he had a choice, he would rather kill Guo Jia than leave such a scourge behind.

It would be terrible if all the counselors in the world were vicious people like Jia Xu.

"Why did Guo Jia come to Chang'an?"

Jin Mao frowned and said, "There must be something hidden here!"

"How about this, Gongda should investigate the details first and make sure whether Guo Jia has done anything wrong before discussing other matters."

Xun You was shocked, and heard the murderous intent in his lord's heart. Sweat broke out on his forehead, but it would be too difficult for him to plead for Guo Jia again.

Trying to protect him as much as possible was already Xun You's limit, since it was Guo Jia's fault for his bad character.

Xun You took the order and left, his steps were heavy and helpless. He knew very well that in this chaotic world, loyalty and wisdom often face the most severe tests.

Guo Jia's intelligence is unparalleled, but his style of doing things has made him countless enemies. Now he has directly touched his lord's reverse scale, and his situation is worrying.

After returning to the study, Xun You immediately began to arrange personnel to secretly investigate the real purpose of Guo Jia's coming to Chang'an.

He thought to himself that Guo Jia never acted according to the rules, and there must be some hidden meaning behind his sudden appearance.

Perhaps, there is some unknown political game hidden behind this, or a more complicated conflict of interest.

At the same time, Xun You did not forget to convey subtle messages to various forces, trying to gain a glimmer of hope for Guo Jia.

He knew very well that it was difficult to change the situation by his own strength, but if he could take advantage of the situation, perhaps he could save Guo Jia's life.

After all, in this era, talent is the most valuable resource, and Guo Jia is undoubtedly one of the most dazzling ones.

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, Xun You sat alone at his desk, reading through various materials about Guo Jia, with mixed feelings in his heart.

He was impressed by Guo Jia's talent, but also worried about his sharp character. He understood that Guo Jia's life and death not only affected his personal destiny, but also might affect the direction of the entire situation.

"I hope everything can still be salvaged." Xun You sighed softly, his eyes flashing with determination and hope.

In Chang'an City, Guo Jia did not make any progress in his position, but his status was greatly improved.

The next day, Guo Jia learned that Xun You had sent spies into the city.

He is indeed a spy of the Southern Army. His acting skills are not good enough, and he even has to pay for meals. It's outrageous. There are no legitimate merchants in Chang'an city now, and even the army is in a mess.

If you say that such civilized people are from the Xiliang Army, Dong Zhuo will crawl out of the ground and slap you twice in the face!
So, Guo Jia very politely invited the two spies to his mansion and treated them well.

However, these two really didn't even bother to act. They looked at the banquet with great disdain, and the contempt in their eyes was visible to everyone.

Guo Jia was not angry, and there was no way he could be angry. There was a shortage of supplies in Chang'an City, and it was good enough to have food. Now even the emperor had to starve.

"Are you two not from the Xiliang Army?"

There was a hint of temptation and insight in Guo Jia's words, and his eyes were deep, as if he could see into people's hearts.

The two spies' expressions changed slightly when they heard this, but they immediately returned to their previous arrogance. One of them sneered and said, "Mr. Guo is indeed smart. Although we are not directly subordinate to the Xiliang Army, we are also under the orders of certain officials in the court, and we have our own reasons for doing things. We are helpless about the chaos in Chang'an City, but we have to act according to orders."

"Oh? A noble from the imperial court?" Guo Jia raised his eyebrows slightly, a playful smile on his face, "Then can you two tell me which noble from the imperial court it is?"

They were both shocked and didn't know how to respond.

Guo Jia's next sentence directly broke through the psychological defenses of the two men: "You two are from the Southern Army, right?"

Without giving the two men time to breathe, Guo Jia attacked them repeatedly: "Not only are you two from the Southern Army, but you are also appointed by important figures in the army!"

"Let me guess who it could be?"

Guo Jia looked at the two men's expressions and guessed, "Jia Xu or Jia Wenhe?"

No!

"Xun Yu and Xun Wenruo?"

There are issues, but not yet.

"Xun You, Xun Gongda!"

That's right! it's him!

Seeing that the two men's expressions were very confident, Guo Jia was delighted. It was much better to meet someone sent by an old friend than by that tyrant.

"Don't be nervous, both of you." Guo Jia comforted him, "Gong Da and I are good friends, and I will never hurt your reputation."

"However, I still need you to tell me what Gongda is doing?"

After hearing this, the two men's expressions relaxed a little. After looking at each other, one of them said, "Mr. Guo, Military Advisor Xun specially sent the two of us here to convey an urgent task."

Guo Jia hesitated for a moment and asked, "Are you here because of the situation in the city?"

"That's right, if Mr. Guo knows anything, please let me know."

Guo Jia nodded slightly, a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes, and he slowly said: "The situation in the city has indeed reached a critical moment. Yang Ding and Yang Feng have lost control."

He paused, his eyes moving between the two of them, and continued, "Although I am in the mansion, I have heard a lot about the situation outside. If my guess is correct, Military Advisor Xun may want to take this opportunity to unite with the conscientious people in the city to plan an internal and external attack to save the people from the dire situation. For such a major event, we must go all out. If you two have any specific instructions, please feel free to tell us."

After hearing this, the two men's eyes flashed with admiration. One of them took out a secret letter from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "This is written by Military Advisor Xun himself. It details the action plan, contact code, and a list of all the materials needed. Please take a look, Mr. Guo."

Guo Jia took the secret letter, opened it and read it carefully, his brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed, obviously the content of the letter was quite complicated and crucial. After reading it, he raised his head with a firm look: "Don't worry, I will follow the instructions in the letter and make arrangements quickly."

After saying this, he stood up and bowed to the two of them, saying, "Time is running out. I will start preparing immediately. You two risked your lives to come here. Now that your mission is completed, I will send someone to escort you out of the city."

The two of them also bowed in return and said, "Thank you, sir. It's not necessary. We have our own ways to leave the city."

The corner of Guo Jia's mouth twitched. He just wanted to use your channels to leave the city. If he stayed in this damn place any longer, he was really worried that he would be doomed one day.

But Guo Jia was a man who cared a lot about his reputation, so how could he possibly make a request?

Fortunately, Xun You pointed out the best way. Guo Jia didn't know that Jin Mao wanted to kill him, but he knew that if he followed Xun You's method, he would most likely escape and return to Cao Cao.

Unfortunately, Guo Jia would never have expected that this was the last chance given to him by Jin Mao and his ministers. If he revealed his true colors, Guo Jia would only face death!
(End of this chapter)