Chapter 335, Battle of Jizhou (I)

End of September, after the autumn harvest.

The Yuan-Cao coalition forces suddenly launched an attack on Youzhou in two directions.

Yuan Shao divided his troops into two groups and launched surprise attacks on Dai and Fanyang counties.

Cao Cao went north from Bohai County and raided Yuyang County.

Although Zhao Yun and other generals were well prepared, their morale was low and they were defeated one after another until they managed to gain a foothold in Youbeiping County.

By the time the news reached Jingzhou, it was already the end of October.

Jin Mao mobilized an army of 150,000 at once, plus auxiliary troops, the total number reached 300,000!
The first army marched down the Yellow River from Chang'an and surrounded Yanzhou and Qingzhou.

The second army set out from Xuzhou and radiated to Qingzhou and Yanzhou.

The third army set out from Jingzhou and headed straight for Yuan Shu.

The three armies were invincible and no one could stop them.

Late November.

Yuan Shu was put in a prison cart and sent to Luoyang.

This time, Jin Mao did not drive Liu Xie away. The two of them looked at Yuan Shu like an animal.

"I'm thirsty, do you have honey water?"

Yuan Shu knew that there was no hope of survival, so he simply stopped pretending and his true nature was revealed.

Jin Mao sneered, his eyes full of disdain and ridicule. He slowly turned around and ordered the servant beside him: "Give him a glass of water, but not honey water, but the most biting well water in Luoyang in winter, so that he can wake up."

The attendant took the order and left. Soon he brought a bowl of cold water and gently placed it in front of Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu stared at the bowl of water with eyes wide open in disbelief. Then he glared at it and cursed, "You bastard! How dare you humiliate me like this! The Yuan family has had three dukes for four generations. I, Yuan Shu, was once a local lord. How can I accept such humiliation!"

Liu Xie stood aside with a complex expression, showing disgust for Yuan Shu's former arrogance and lament for the impermanence of the world. He sighed softly, "What a man who has been a minister for four generations, Yuan Gonglu. You used to rule a region, were arrogant and extravagant, and treated the people like grass. Don't you have the slightest intention of supporting the Han Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu's face turned pale and then blue, and finally he sighed, with a hint of sadness in his voice: "Support the Han Dynasty? God didn't give me this opportunity."

Seeing this, Jin Mao sneered. He took a few steps forward, looked down at Yuan Shu, and said in a cold and resolute tone: "Yuan Shu, your era is over. Your ambition and greed have only earned you this cold cell and a bowl of well water.

Remember, history will not forget your crimes, and you will serve as a warning to future generations, warning those who seek to abuse their power for personal gain and harm the people."

Yuan Shu suddenly became agitated and retorted: "You bastard! Why are you slandering me?"

"Since I was defeated by you that time, I have reformed myself. The prosperity of Yanzhou in recent years does not prove everything?"

"Yanzhou is prosperous?" Jin Mao sneered again, and then burst into laughter.

"That's the funniest joke I've ever heard!"

His laughter suddenly stopped, and his eyes were like knives, piercing Yuan Shu's heart. "Great governance in Yanzhou? The great governance you are talking about is nothing but based on deeper exploitation and fear of the people. You use your power to make up excuses and enrich yourself. Behind those seemingly prosperous things are so many broken families and so many tears of the people! The reform you talk about is nothing but a change of mask to continue your political games."

Jin Mao walked forward slowly, each step seemed extremely heavy, as if he was stepping on the dust of history. "Yuan Shu, you forgot that true leaders are those who can lead the people to light in troubled times, rather than pushing them into the abyss. You may have had great ambitions, but your path has been off track since the beginning. What you pursue is only the pinnacle of power, not the well-being of the people of the world."

"You call yourself a hero, but you don't know that the word hero is about serving the people rather than serving yourself. You know, a true hero can stick to his original intention even in adversity and take the world as his own responsibility, instead of being like you, who puts the people in danger for his own selfish desires."

At this point, Jin Mao's voice gradually became low and powerful. "Today, the conversation between you and me is not only a judgment on you, but also a warning to future generations. Let people know that no matter how the times change, those who deviate from justice and trample on humanity will eventually not escape the judgment of history. And you, Yuan Shu, are a profound negative example in this long river of history."

Yuan Shu's face turned pale after hearing Jin Mao's words. He fell weakly into the chair, his eyes full of despair and unwillingness.

"How good are you?" Yuan Shu said hysterically: "Have you ever asked the people whether they are willing? Have you ever asked everyone whether it is really as you said? Have you ever..."

Jin Mao interrupted impatiently, "'Yuan Shu, your sophistry at this moment is nothing but a futile struggle. The 'people's willingness' you mentioned is just an excuse for you to use power to oppress and interests to entice. True justice is to stand on the side of the majority and safeguard their rights and dignity, rather than acting recklessly for one's own selfishness. The 'everyone' you mentioned is nothing but a pawn to realize your ambitions. Have you ever really listened to their voices and understood their sufferings?"

"History has its own fair eye, and it will not be biased by your sophistry. You once claimed that you were destined to win, but you forgot that the people's hearts are the greatest destiny. You have deviated from the foundation of this land - benevolence and justice, and ultimately you will only end up being deserted by your friends and relatives and ruined. Today's trial is not only a reckoning for you personally, but also a warning to future generations, reminding people not to forget the lessons of history and to stick to the path of justice."

Jin Mao's voice was firm and powerful, penetrating the last line of defense in Yuan Shu's heart.

Yuan Shu laughed wildly and said, "The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit."

Jin Mao shook his head and left.

Liu Xie began to judge Yuan Shu's crimes. His voice was steady and solemn, echoing in the empty hall. Every word seemed to carry the weight of history and the expectations of the people.

"Yuan Shu, you were once a local lord with a large army. You should have protected the country and the people, but for your own selfish desires, you imposed heavy taxes and levied heavy taxes, causing the people to suffer. You also made enemies with neighboring counties and provoked wars, causing the people to be displaced and suffering. Such behavior is intolerable to heaven and is condemned by both humans and gods."

"You may think that power can cover up all sins, but the long river of history will not stop because of your power. Your actions have long been recorded by historians and passed down by word of mouth by the people, becoming ironclad evidence for future generations to judge you. Today, I, on behalf of the people of the world, will judge you, not for personal grudges, but to restore justice to the world and ensure that justice is upheld."

"I have made up my mind to execute you immediately and exterminate all three clans!"

After Liu Xie finished speaking, the hall fell silent, with only Yuan Shu's gradually fading laughter echoing, as if telling of his inner reluctance and despair. However, this reluctance and despair seemed so small and powerless under the light of justice.

Liu Xie's decision forced Yuan Shao into a desperate situation. It was too late for Jin Mao to stop it after he knew about it.

This time, Yuan Shao would definitely fight to the death. After all, all his family members were among Yuan Shu's three clans, so there was no point in him surrendering.

But Jinmao had promised Liu Xie that he would definitely not object, so he could only keep it in mind.

“Next time I must make the decision on the spot!”…

Youzhou.

When Yuan Shao learned that Jin Mao had mobilized a large army, he immediately went to Cao Cao to discuss countermeasures.

The two met in Ji County, the capital of Youzhou.

"Meng De, you are resourceful, what should we do in this situation?"

Yuan Shao said angrily: "In the north, there are the Youzhou cavalry harassing us, and in the south, there are 300,000 troops. You and I together only have 150,000 troops. There is a huge gap!"

"Brother Benchu, please be patient." Cao Cao said with a smile, "Jin Mao claims to have an army of 300,000, but I dare to say that it is no more than 150,000."

"If you just defend yourself and don't go out, your 150,000 troops are enough to deal with you."

Cao Cao picked up the wheat straw on the ground and said, "Besides, this year is still a good year. It is still unknown who will win!"

After saying this, Cao Cao gazed towards the south, silently mourning the dead Guo Jia. He felt sorry for Guo Jia, but Guo Jia had never let him down.

When Cao Cao learned of Guo Jia's death that day, he was heartbroken and cried all night. He held Chen Gong's hand and said, "Feng Xiao is my heart and lungs. Now my heart and lungs have left me. Cao can only rely on Gongtai in this life!"

From then on, every day Cao Cao would talk to one of his advisers, hoping that they would become his new heart and lungs.

Regardless of whether this action was effective or not, Cao Cao was indeed sad. As a suspicious person by nature, he hated to see loyal people die the most.

Yuan Shao, however, could not understand Cao Cao's feelings and said, "I heard that you have a great general who once resisted an attack by an army of 30,000 with only 5,000 men. Is this true?"

Cao Cao calmed down and nodded, saying, "It is true. His name is Cao Ren, and his courtesy name is Zixiao."

Yuan Shao clapped his hands and said, "Excellent!"

"You have exactly 50,000 troops under your command. The 300,000 troops in the south will be handed over to Meng De. Youzhou is a scumbag. Give me three months and I will definitely wipe them out!"

Cao Cao wanted to curse, you have 100,000 people but don’t dare to stop 300,000, but 50,000 people are enough?
Three months are left. Cao Cao will have three months. He cannot eliminate Zhao Yun and other generals, but he can still make it impossible for the enemy to move south in a short time. The effect will be the same.

But the two are now in the same boat, and it would be stupid to have conflicts at this time.

"Brother Benchu," Cao Cao said, "I am willing to lead the army south, but I need to borrow two things from you."

Yuan Shao frowned slightly upon hearing this, but then relaxed. He secretly thought that since they had decided to join forces, some conditions must be met to avoid hurting the relationship. He smiled casually and said, "Brother Meng De, please feel free to speak. As long as I, Yuan Shao, can do my best to help you, I will do my best."

"First, food and fodder. Our army is heading south, far away from our homeland, so logistical supply is particularly critical. I hope Brother Benchu ​​can allocate enough food and fodder to relieve our army's worries." Cao Cao spoke sincerely, his eyes revealing his desire for victory.

Yuan Shao was reluctant to hear this, but he knew it was necessary, so he nodded and agreed: "Leave the food and grass to me. I will immediately order emergency mobilization from all over Jizhou to ensure that your army's food supply is unobstructed."

"Secondly," Cao Cao paused, his eyes sharpening, "I need to borrow some elite archers and equipment makers, especially craftsmen who are good at making siege equipment. Although the Yellow River in winter is not navigable, it cannot hinder the southern army from heading north. I need long-range weapons for defense."

Yuan Shao hesitated for a moment. Although this request was somewhat unexpected to him, considering the overall situation, he nodded and agreed: "Okay, I will select the most elite archers from the army to be incorporated into your unit. As for the equipment masters and craftsmen, I will also try my best to recruit them, but it will take some time to prepare. I hope Brother Meng De will wait patiently."

Cao Cao was relieved when he saw this. He showed a satisfied smile on his face and said, "Thank you for your generous help, Brother Benchu. With your support, I will live up to your expectations and wait until early spring."

Yuan Shao was quite happy at first, but when he heard what Cao Cao said, he frowned again. The Eastern Han Dynasty was not as cold as later generations, and spring came earlier.

What Cao Cao meant was that it might be possible to hold out for three months, or it might be possible to hold out for only two months. How could that be possible?

But if he asked it out loud, Yuan Shao would seem stingy.

Yuan Shao suddenly had an idea and asked, as if accidentally changing the subject, "What month will the beginning of spring next year be?"

Cao Cao was disdainful in his heart and shook his head, saying, "I don't know either. I have to go back to the camp and ask my military advisor."

Yuan Shao glared at Cao Cao and said, "Give me a definite answer. How many months will we hold out?"

Cao Cao smiled slightly, his eyes revealing a bit of cunning and depth. He slowly said: "Mr. Yuan, the Art of War says: 'There is no constant state of war, and there is no constant shape of water'. On the battlefield, how can there be a fixed deadline? The period of our army's defense depends not only on the weather and terrain, but also on the morale of the people and the movements of the enemy. If the enemy is tired and we are at ease, and the time is ripe, we should take the initiative to attack. How can we just sit and wait for a while?"

"Then," Cao Cao changed the subject, his tone becoming steady and firm, "Based on the current situation, we have sufficient food and grass, high morale, and a strong city, which is enough to resist the enemy. As for how many months we can hold out, we need to respond flexibly depending on the enemy's situation. Don't worry, Lord Yuan, I, Cao Cao, will do my best to ensure that the defense line is stable and not allow the enemy to take advantage of any gaps."

Yuan Shao was unwilling to accept what Cao Cao said, but he knew that what Cao Cao said was true. He pondered for a moment, and finally nodded, saying: "Meng De's words make sense. As generals, we should put the overall situation first and respond flexibly. However, I hope Meng De can pay more attention. If there is a threat, please report it to me as soon as possible so that we can discuss a strategy for joint defense."

Cao Cao bowed his hands in agreement, and the two smiled at each other. On the surface, they seemed harmonious, but in fact, they were each thinking about the next chess game in their hearts. The spring breeze blew on my face, but it could not blow away the smoke and undercurrents of calculations that filled the battlefield.

In the end, Cao Cao withdrew his troops from Youzhou and divided them into garrisons in Wei County of Jizhou, Qinghe State, and Qi County of Qingzhou and the Hebei region.

Yuan Shao took action at the same time, taking over half of Youzhou and confronting Zhao Yun and other generals.

The two sides fought back and forth in Youbeiping County.

After the Youzhou cavalry learned the guerrilla tactics, it was difficult for Yuan Shao to gather and annihilate them, and he was always led by the nose.

Yuan Shao had never felt so powerless when he was fighting Gongsun Zan before, but now the new Youzhou cavalry gave him this feeling.

Among his advisers, the only one who understood the military formation well was Ju Su. However, because the advisers all spoke ill of Ju Su, Yuan Shao could not get any useful information.

The situation remained at a stalemate.

(End of this chapter)