Overlord!

Chapter 273 Yuan Cao’s Battle
Regarding Qingzhou's defeat, everyone in Hebei, from the monarch Yuan Shao to the ministers and officials, were filled with indignation and felt that they had lost face.

Hebei was far stronger than Cao Cao, but Cao Cao, who had to rely on Hebei in the past to barely maintain his power, captured almost the entire Qingzhou in one fell swoop. This was simply a slap in the face to Yuan Shao's power.

This also gave Guo Tu, Shen Pei and others a good opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Guo Tu, in particular, loudly claimed that today's defeat was all due to Ju Shou's improper strategy.

He even said bluntly in front of Yuan Shao: "The masters and apprentices are brave, the soldiers are eager to work hard, but they do not decide on the great cause in time. As the saying goes, 'If God does not take it, you will suffer the consequences.' The reason why Yue was so dominant was that Wu Destroy it. The strategy of supervising the army lies in the general holding on to it, rather than in knowing when the opportunity will change."

"Cao Cao was wounded in Huainan, and his people's hearts were shaken. When he was defeated, our army raised up to attack his rear, and it could be decided at once. The troops were maneuverable, and this was the time."

"However, the supervisor of the army controls both the inside and outside, talks about policies, and attracts the saints. The crowd is full of doubts and difficulties. There will be no war this year and no campaign next year. This will make Cao Cao so powerful that Qingzhou will be overthrown."

"Now I have three states, and Cao Cao also has three states. And Cao Cao is located in the heart of the Central Plains, and I occupy a secluded, bitter and cold place. How can we win if each of them lasts for a long time?"

The reason why Yue was so dominant was also the reason why Wu was destroyed.If these words were said in front of Yuan Shao, it would be almost as if Yuan Shao was the husband of King Wu.

As Wu was first strong and then destroyed, Yuan Shao could not ignore Guo Tu's words.

What's more, with the plan of supervising the army, he directly lost almost the entire Qingzhou!
Yuan Tan was severely defeated by Zang Ba and could only defend the plain.

No matter what, Hebei cannot sit back and watch Qingzhou lose. It must increase troops for Yuan Tan and let him regain the land of Qingzhou.

Although the three kingdoms of Le'an, Qi, and Beihai were defeated, Zang Ba could not occupy this area. As long as he increased his troops to Qingzhou, he would have a high probability of retaking these counties. The worst he could do was to fight with Tian Kai and Kong Rong. The situation in Qingzhou.

Under the current turbulent political situation, almost everyone pointed their finger at Supervisor Jushou.

They all blamed Ju Shou for delaying the war and weakening Hebei's military preparedness, which was why Qingzhou was swept away and defeated by Cao's army.

Ju Shou also took the blame for Yuan Tan, but there was no way. The civil and military officials could not blame Yuan Tan, the lord's son, for taking the blame.After all, Yuan Tan is a nepotistic arrangement of Yuan Shao.

Accusing Yuan Tan of being an enemy of Zang Ba and unpopular with the people of Qingzhou, doesn't that mean accusing Yuan Shao of being unclear about hiring people?
Of course Yuan Shao could not allow this to happen. Cao Cao attacked his territory and took away three counties from his hands. How could he tolerate it without reacting?

Therefore, it has become a foregone conclusion that Hebei will send more troops to Qingzhou.

Immediately, the entire Ye city was enveloped in the atmosphere of an approaching war. There were teams transporting arsenals and supplies everywhere, and soldiers and horses were constantly being mobilized to prepare for the plains.

The atmosphere of the war was quickly sensed by Jiangdong's envoy Zhuge Jin.

He had previously arrived in Hebei on the orders of Sun Ce and made an appointment with Yuan Shao to attack Cao Cao together next summer.

At first, the matter did not go smoothly.

Yuan Shao was arrogant. He was born as a public minister and held a high position as a general. His eagle soared over the river and dominated the four states, so he looked down upon the world.He didn't care much about Sun Ce who lived in Jiangdong.

If he also made wine with Qingmei, he would probably tell the story of Weigu and Cao Mendel, the heroes of the world.

In Yecheng, all the civil and military officials, large and small, were arrogant and thought that the world should be determined by the armies of Yuan and Cao.

They, Yuan Ying, contacted Jiangdong just to make friends at a distance and attack at close range to deal with Cao Cao.

From the beginning, Hebei Civil and Military Affairs did not regard Jiangdong as an equal ally. They still regarded themselves as the leader of the alliance, thinking that Sun Ce was just a subordinate of his Yuan family.

It's okay to attack Cao Cao together, but letting them Jiangdong decide when to attack is absolutely impossible!
However, things soon took a turn for the better. As the news of Jiangdong's victory over Cao Jun spread to Hebei a few days later, Yuan Ying finally paid attention to this force that in the eyes of others had dominated the south in the past.

Nearly half a day after arriving in Yecheng, Zhuge Jin finally received a personal interview from Yuan Shao, and stated to Yuan Shao face to face Sun Ce's proposal to jointly send troops next summer.

Because Yuan Shao adopted Ju Shou's strategy of winning temples and recuperated in Hebei, working as a farmer, he readily agreed to Sun Ce's initiative and gave Zhuge Jin more than a hundred pieces of precious leather and fox fur.

These are the items donated to Yuan Shao by tribes such as Wuhuan, Xianbei and even Goguryeo in Hebei Province to show that Yuan Shao eagles Yang Heshuo, pacifies the Rong and Di, drives away Wuhuan's cavalry, and is a hero of Yan and Zhao.

But as the news of Qingzhou's defeat came, Yuan Shao was obviously indecisive again. He could not sit back and watch the city fall, let alone not react when Cao Cao occupied a large amount of land and prefectures.

Zhuge Jin had to request to meet Yuan Shao one after another, but all failed.

In late autumn and August, it was supposed to be the time when the sweet osmanthus was fragrant and the city was filled with golden splendor, but Zhuge Jin's heart was cold and he was desolate.

The servant boy following him asked: "Master, do you want to continue lobbying in Ye City? The civil and military forces in the city have already avoided you. We visited several important ministers one after another, but no one was willing to help you. Handing out books, some people even closed their doors.”

Zhuge Jin was walking on the street, watching a group of soldiers in military uniforms rushing through the street. In broad daylight, the gates of the city were closed, and people were hurriedly walking on the street. Ye City felt particularly desolate.

He sighed and said: "Yes, I have been waiting for Yecheng for more than a hundred days. I thought I could stay there smoothly until the troops were sent out next summer, and I returned with honors. But I didn't expect that I would still be a general and a long history. He has a sharp eye and has a clearer understanding of Yuan Shao."

Why doesn't Zhuge Jin miss Jiankang's osmanthus and golden chrysanthemums?
After all, he planned and built that city from scratch.

Moreover, compared with Yecheng where there are few pedestrians and the gates are closed, Jiankang City has no market and a large number of shops, which is undoubtedly more prosperous and lively.

Moreover, Jiankang City was far away from the front lines of the war. It was full of merchant fleets and literati, and it had a peaceful atmosphere.

The peaceful south of the Yangtze River, abundant resources and abundant people, undoubtedly makes people more nostalgic than Hebei from every angle.

Zhuge Jin is also a young man, not yet 30 years old. He also has the spirit and impulsiveness of a young man. If his personal spirit were to be followed, he would have returned to Jiangnan in a rage.

But he knows that he has a mission, and the effectiveness of his alliance will affect the trend of the entire world.

So he had to suppress his anger and knocked on the door of the supervisory army again.

Jushou's strategy of persisting in slowing down the war made him Jiangdong's natural ally in Hebei.

Moreover, he was the most important official in Hebei who was powerful in the three armies and controlled both internal and external affairs.

He is not just a fictitious supervisor of Yuan Shao, but also a powerful general with real power!In the Han Dynasty, the general had the highest rank.The title of "Marquis" and "General" means that anyone who serves as a general can unify the authority of the other party.

When Sun Ce seized control of the southeast, the title he was awarded by the imperial court was just that of a rebellious general and a marquis of Wu.

This is the highest realm that today's warriors can pursue.

The so-called generals with heavy titles, front, rear, left, right, etc. are more powerful than generals with other titles. This is just a misunderstanding of later generations.

It's just that the Han Dynasty was accustomed to using these general titles to award rewards. Generals with miscellaneous titles only received fewer rewards, and their actual power was no less than generals with heavy titles.

Only generals, generals of chariots and cavalry, and other positions had special status in the Han Dynasty. Generally speaking, the imperial court entrusted them with commanding the army of the country.

Therefore, in Hebei, under General Yuan Shao, the one with the highest status, both in terms of reputation and real power, was General Fenwu Jusao.

Now that Yuan Ying was about to mobilize his troops, Zhuge Jin would definitely come to see Ju Shou, hoping that he could advise Yuan Shao.

In Zhuge Jin's view, what if we lose the three counties of Qingzhou?

The Lord must not raise an army out of anger. In a power struggle, if you want to mobilize the three armies to attack the enemy's country, it is normal to prepare for three to four months or even half a year for issuing a memorandum, reorganizing the troops, and mobilizing food and fodder.

Even if Zang Ba conquers Qingzhou this year, Yuan Shao will still have time to send troops next year.

As long as Cao Cao is defeated in the end, the world will only remember the battle in Pingyuan, where Yuan Shao defeated the powerful enemy and determined the situation of the world.

As for whether the Battle of Pingyuan lasted for [-] months or [-] months, who will be remembered by ordinary people in future generations?

Ordinary people will only remember the illustrious military might of the victors in the plains. Even if someone noticed that Yuan Shao sent out troops after a few months, they would only praise that Yuan Shao is really the hero of the world, and he will move after planning.

Jushu also needs the influence of Jiangdong envoys, so he is one of the few Hebei ministers who are still willing to receive Zhuge Jin at this time.

But after welcoming Zhuge Jin into the door, Jushou sighed deeply and said, "Tzuyu can convey the news to your lord in time. General Yuan has decided to raise an army of [-] troops, with Yan Liang as general, to march into Qingzhou and fight with Cao Cao in Henan."

Zhuge Jin immediately asked anxiously: "With the public's prestige and great talent, we can't stop it? Now we divide our troops to march, but the scale is small and it is not enough to defeat the enemy. The army is large enough to win, but it is not enough to defeat the people. Moreover, Jiangdong is not ready to send troops yet." , if Yuan's army is defeated, who can control Cao Cao?"

This is the situation that Jiangdong is most worried about. If Yuan Shao sends troops in advance and is defeated by Cao's army, the effect on Cao Cao's containment will be minimal.

And Jushou was an outstanding figure in Hebei Province who Zhuge Jin had high hopes for. As early as the reign of Emperor Ling, he served as an official in the prefecture, promoted talented people, and served as the magistrate of two counties. He had little ambition and was good at strategy.

He also proposed a strategy to Yuan Shao to please the emperor and oppose the division of the princes, and to weaken the emperor in three years.

All of these are good strategies that can help Yuan Shao achieve his great cause.

If Yuan Shao adopts one of them, I am afraid that Yuan Shao will already have the strength to sweep the world, and there is no need to be as afraid of Cao Cao as he is now.

Jushou has a high prestige in Jizhou, is famous in the provinces and counties, and has far-reaching influence. Yuan Shao will definitely consider his advice seriously.

But Jushuo, who had high hopes from Zhuge Jin, remained silent for a long time before he said: "Gong Yuan thought that the ministers and the masters would die, and he had reduced our military power. He was separated from Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong. I have lost my previous authority and can no longer do anything." Influence Gong Yuan’s plans.”

The husband and ministers who share the same fate as their master perish, this is what Huangshi is afraid of.

Huangshi is the Three Strategies of Huangshi obtained by Zhang Liang in Xiapi.This is the basis of Zhang Liang's knowledge.

After all, Jushu, a vigorous general, was still jealous of Yuan Shao in Hebei.

As Ju Suo's authority was reduced, it was obvious that his strategy of farming and recuperating was gradually abandoned by Yuan Shao.

Jushou said with emotion: "Based on Cao Yanzhou's brilliant strategy and his many years of training in farming, although I defeated Gongsun Bogui, the army was really exhausted. But the arrogant general became angry, and the army was defeated since then. The long Yellow River, I What's the use? Ziyu, it's up to you, the Lord, to decide who this world belongs to."

With Zhuge Jin's expedited return, Sun Ce successfully received the news that Yuan Jun had sent troops to Qingzhou in October.

Sun Ce immediately gathered many civil and military personnel under his command, from Zhou Yu to Zhang Zhao, from Jia Xu to Zhuge Liang.Many high-ranking generals and counselors gathered in Jiankang to discuss countermeasures.

Sun Ce personally summoned everyone in Chui Gong Hall and asked: "Yuan's army has sent troops to Qingzhou, and the battle between Yuan and Cao has become unstoppable. How do you think we can take advantage of the provocation?"

Although Yuan Jun only dispatched more than [-] troops this time, compared to Hebei, which had many soldiers and generals, this could only be regarded as a partial attack.

Since ancient times, the ownership of the world has always been decided in the Central Plains. Whether it is the battle of Zhulu or the battle of Julu, it has been decided in the center of the world. No one has a heavy confrontation in this area of ​​​​Qingzhou.

The ownership of this peninsula, regardless of victory or defeat, cannot affect the general trend of the world.

But Yuan Jun's invasion here means that Yuan Jun's war machine has been activated.Once Yan Liang is also defeated, Yuan Jun may no longer be able to stop the trend of increasing his troops.

There is still nearly half a year until the agreed date for dispatching troops.Half a year is probably enough time for a large-scale war to be settled.

At this time, it was Zhang Zhao who spoke first. Although he, the long history official, held a high position and could even be called the uncrowned prime minister of Jiangdong, there was one crucial difference between him and Ju Shu, a powerful supervisor both inside and outside.

That is, he does not have any military power in his hands. He is a civil servant rather than a military attache, so he does not need to consider the outcome of the war and only makes decisions from a strategic level.

He took the lead and said: "Yuan Shao is always scheming and changing his orders at night, which puts the army in danger of defeat. I will never follow him. Jiangdong has decided to rest and recuperate, and no people have been recruited anywhere. If he changes his mind rashly at this time, it will definitely upset the people's heart. Unrest, Jiangnan is in turmoil.”

"And now in October, the weather is getting colder and the north is freezing, so it is not suitable to march. I think we should implement the country's long-term plan and hold back for two months. After spring plowing, the water will gradually increase. Then we will reorganize the troops, mobilize food and grass, and launch the northern expedition."

Today's marches and wars are often measured in months.The difference of one or two months really has little impact.

After all, there is no way to coordinate in real time, except for some very special battles that require both light and heavy troops. Such a battle with tens of thousands of people may take more than a month or two to march.

Zhou Yu also agreed with what Zhang Zhao said, saying: "The main force of Cao's army has not moved. General Cao Ren is still guarding Huaibei, and the famous scholar Lu Qian is guarding Mount Tai Road. If we attack with light troops, we may not be able to pull it out quickly. If The morale of Cao Ren's army was stable and he led his troops to defend the fortified city. Our army rushed forward in a hurry. Even with [-] troops, it would be difficult to pull them out in ten months."

(End of this chapter)