Han Xiang

Chapter 611 It’s not easy for Wang Zuo to be talented

After a long time, Cao Cao opened his eyes and turned around to see that the couch was crowded with people.

Cao Cao sat up in excitement. Xiahou Dun quickly approached him with quick eyes and hands, and asked with concern:
"Mengde, you haven't had a headache for a long time. Why did your syncope last so long? It lasted for half an hour."

"Hey, the headache is a minor matter, but the matter in Fancheng is important."

Cao Cao pushed Xiahou Dun away and stuck his head out to look around. He was looking for Cai Mao: "Where is De Gui?"

Xiahou Dun supported Cao Cao and explained: "Mengde needs to rest. There should not be too many people in the dormitory. The rest are waiting outside."

"Let him come in and talk quickly. I want to know the specific situation in Jingzhou."

Seeing that Cao Cao was worried about the war, Xiahou Dun immediately waved his hand, winked at the guard at the door, and signaled to invite Cai Mao into the palace.

While Cai Mao entered the palace, Cao Cao's eyes fell on Xun Yu and asked seriously:
"Wen Ruo, when will the army's food and supplies be ready? I've never worried about Zixiao's use of troops, but Guan Yu's performance this time is really amazing. If we don't support him in time, I'm afraid he won't be able to survive."

"Although the 30 soldiers in Nanyang have enough food and military supplies, but including the [-] soldiers around Xudu, it will take at least four or five months."

Xun Yu frowned, stroking his long beard and shaking his head.

"what?"

Cao Cao slapped the edge of the bed with his palm and asked with a hint of fun: "Not to mention that people around Xudu have been working in the fields. There has been no war in the Central Plains in the past few years. The expedition to Wuhuan also used money and grain from Hebei. Why did it take so long to prepare this time?"

"It only took half a year for Ming Gong to conquer Wuhuan. However, before he conquered Tao Qian, destroyed Lu Bu, defeated Yuan Shu, and defeated Yuan Shao, the Central Plains had never stopped fighting for more than ten years. The people had no chance to recuperate, so they saved some food last year. but."

Xun Yu changed the topic and continued to explain: "But now it is winter and the weather is cold. There is a big gap in winter clothes for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses. Even if they can barely scrape together a few months of rations, winter operations consume a lot of food, so there is no need." It would be disadvantageous for the army to go to war when it is ready; it is better to wait until next spring."

"I"

Cao Cao was frowning and preparing to ask more questions, when Cai Hao was ordered to enter the dormitory.

Not long ago, Cao Cao killed Kong Rong, which was a blow to the Henan nobles. Unexpectedly, retribution came so quickly, and in the blink of an eye, he was blamed on these people again.

Cao Cao was a mature politician. He temporarily suppressed his dissatisfaction with Xun Yu and waved his old friend to him.

"Degui came just in time. Let's continue with the previous narrative. I want to know all the details of the Jingzhou battlefield."

"only."

Cai Mao was ordered to guard the Xinye Waterway, and the information he had was relatively one-sided. He expressed what he knew without reservation in front of the officials in the palace.

"As expected of Guan Yunchang!"

Cao Cao frowned, stroking his beard and murmured: "Zixiao used my plan to use Xiangyang as bait. Unexpectedly, Yun Chang followed the plan and used Xiangyang as bait to trap Zixiao in Fancheng. Who would have thought that he could use only two or three Tens of thousands of soldiers and horses actually cut and surrounded an army of [-]. This is all my fault."

Those in power usually ignore mistakes and refuse to admit them in order to maintain their authority.

Out of his admiration for Guan Yu, Cao Cao couldn't help but make a self-examination, which made the ministers around the bed look at each other in confusion.

Seeing that the ministers were silent, Cao Cao took the initiative to ask Cai Mao:
"It's been a month or two since Zixiao sent troops, right? Liu Bei really didn't send troops from Guanzhong to help?"

"It seems not."

As the commander-in-chief of the waterway, Cai Mao would send people to Cao Ren every few days to report the situation. He had never heard of reinforcements coming from Guanzhong. "Liu Bei and Yun Chang are brothers. Is he deliberately refusing to save him? Or is he sure that Yun Chang can stop him? This big-eared thief behaves a bit strangely."

Cao Cao was nodding and talking to himself, but in the middle of his words, he looked at Xun Yu, Xun You and other advisers, and then asked meaningfully: "Why don't you say a word, gentlemen? Is it true that only filial piety can relieve me of my worries?"

Seeing that there was something in Cao Cao's words, Xun You glanced at Xun Yu and raised his hands before speaking. Cao Cao's eyes finally fell on Jia Xu.

"Wen He often has great opinions. Please analyze the reasons."

"only."

Jia Xu in "Moyu" was named and hurriedly spoke to him: "In my humble opinion, last year Liu Bei retreated the enemies from all directions and unexpectedly captured Hanzhong. Perhaps he was taking advantage of the victory to pursue Liangzhou, so he was unable to send reinforcements. "Jingzhou"

After Liu Bei invaded Guanzhong, it was difficult for news from Liangzhou to reach the Central Plains. Zhuge Liang was worried that Cao Cao would send troops to harass him, so he strictly guarded every intersection this time.

Xu Du's civil and military officials' impression of the northwest was still based on Liu Bei's attack on Hanzhong a year ago.

"Wenhe's view agrees with mine."

Cao Cao deliberately praised Jia Xu, as if he was showing off to Er Xun, then turned to look at Xun Yu, and said sternly: "Wen Ruo is the king's senior scholar. You should know that the battlefield is changing rapidly. It's not me who is in a hurry to go to Jingzhou, but Liu Bei who keeps sitting on the throne." ;
If he really takes Liangzhou, he won't be able to concentrate on taking Jingzhou, so the time limit you gave me can't wait. I'll give you another two months at most, and the army must leave in the first month of next year. "

"Two months, that's it."

Xun Yu had a look of embarrassment on his face, and even a clever woman would find it difficult to cook without rice.

Cao Cao knew how difficult it was to organize military supplies, and was worried that Xun Yu would lie down and drop his pick, so he added softly:
"It is indeed difficult to rely on the Central Plains alone. I will ask Cui Jigui (Cui Yan) to also prepare food and winter clothes from Jizhou."

"Grain, grass, winter clothes and other supplies are just one of them. If the army must set off in the first month of next year, hundreds of thousands of troops will have to recruit millions of civilians. Next year's spring plowing will inevitably be delayed. It is estimated that countless hundreds of people will be displaced. Maybe there will be many more people. Civil uprising."

When Xun Yu complained, Cao Cao switched from a pleasant expression to a cold expression.

"Sooner or later, civilians must be recruited. Now it's just a little ahead of schedule. In addition, there are civil commotions every year in various parts of the Central Plains. If something happens, we can just solve it. Mr. Cao never looks forward and backward when doing things, so the matter is settled like this;

If Lao Wen prepares quickly, although the hundreds of thousands of troops will not set off immediately, Zixiao cannot afford to wait in Fancheng. I will send two more troops to support, not only to relieve the siege of Fancheng, but also to force Liu Bei from the pass. come out. "

Seeing that Cao Cao spoke so solemnly and promised that Hebei would also provide military supplies, Xun Yu could only agree to come down.

After explaining the most important things, Cao Cao covered his head and motioned for everyone to leave.

When everyone was saying goodbye, they caught a glimpse of Cai Mao looking reluctant to leave. Cao Cao knew that it was not convenient for him to say something in front of everyone, so he motioned to the chamberlain to keep him in the dormitory.

After a while, the officials left.

Cao Cao looked at Cai Mao curiously and asked, "From the look on Degui's face, it seems that he has something to say?"

"Um"

Cai Mao cupped his fists and bowed, and then lured Jiang Qin away to Xiangyang. He used a trick to capture Lu Meng, and went back and forth to Xudu to report the situation to Cao Cao in a low voice.

Cao Cao had heard about the fall of Xiangyang, but he didn't know that it was Sun Quan's general who was responsible. He was even more surprised that Lu Meng, Sun Quan's chief governor, was captured by Cai Mao so easily.

Thinking of Zhou Yu before, Cao Cao thought to himself that he would compare him with Lu Meng.

(End of this chapter)