Three Kingdoms: Heir of Wolong, my father-in-law is Guan Gong

Chapter 144 Cao Liu cooks wine and demarcates the Han River (seeking pursuit)

"Zhen'er was defeated?"

Cao Cao, who had just arrived in Luyang, was shocked to hear that Cao Zhen was attacked and more than half of his tiger and leopard cavalry were lost.

The attacker who attacked Cao Zhen turned out to be Liu Bei!
  "Even Liu Bei appeared in Fancheng, so the information about Sun Quan's sneak attack on Hefei will not be false."

"After all, Sun Quan is not as good as Sun Jian, Sun Ce and his son. He has more than enough to defend but not enough to attack. I have nothing to worry about!"

Before the battle for Hanzhong, Cao Cao had always dealt with Sun Quan of Jiangdong with heavy troops.

Although Liu Bei was brave and good at fighting, his foundation was shallow. In terms of comprehensive strength, he could not compare with Sun Quan of Jiangdong who had been in charge for three generations.

Cao Cao repeatedly attacked Jiangdong but could not defeat Sun Quan. This made Cao Cao sigh that "having a son should be like Sun Zhongmou."

however.

As the strategic focus shifted, Cao Cao suddenly discovered that Sun Quan was just that.

All the heavy troops were used to deal with Liu Bei, but Sun Quan couldn't even capture Hefei.

Sun Quan was given an opportunity to sneak attack Jingzhou, but as a result, Sun Quan's general Lu Meng was ambushed, the Lukou stronghold he had run for many years was burned, and Sun Quan ran back to Jiangdong in despair to prepare for another sneak attack on Hefei.

If Sun Quan were replaced by Sun Jian or Sun Ce, they would not still be trapped in Jiangdong ten years after the Battle of Chibi.

"Having said that, the prince mobilized Zhang Liao from Hefei to help Fancheng. General Xiahou was worried that Zhang Liao would be defeated, so he also led his troops to follow."

"Zang Ba is the only one in charge of Hefei now, and he may not be Sun Quan's opponent."

"Sun Quan lost his troops in Jiangling and lost the Lukou stronghold. He doesn't dare to provoke Liu Bei anymore. He will definitely seize Hefei to regain his face."

Sima Yi carefully analyzed the disadvantages of Hefei's defense, but did not propose the return of Zhang Liao and Xiahou Dun.

Knowing how to advance and retreat, and knowing what to do is the safest policy to avoid arousing Cao Cao's suspicion.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly: "Since I have arrived in Luyang, there is no need for Wen Yuan and Yuan Rang to come again."

"Quickly pass on my order: appoint Yuan Rang as the former general to supervise all the armies to return to Shouchun; order Wenyuan to return to Hefei immediately to guard against Sun Quan."

"Send an order to Pi'er again: I will take over the affairs of Fancheng. All matters in Xudu and Yecheng will be decided by Pi'er."

"The three armies set off and head to Wancheng!"

Neither Sima Yi nor Huanjie Jiang Ji and Dong Zhao tried to persuade Cao Cao.

When Liu Bei appeared in Fancheng, the war was beyond what Cao Pi in Wancheng could handle.

Wancheng.

Cao Pi, who received Cao Cao's order, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

When he learned that Sun Quan was planning to attack Hefei, Cao Pi was immediately in a dilemma.

If Zhang Liao is not allowed to return to Hefei, Hefei may be lost; if Zhang Liao is allowed to return to Hefei, Fancheng's military strength will not be enough to repel Guan Yu.

What's more, Liu Bei also appeared in Fancheng.

Cao Pi is now only the eldest son of the King of Wei, not the King of Wei. With Cao Pi's current status and power, he is no longer enough to cope with the current changes in the situation.

Cao Cao was also worried about this, so he took the initiative to take over the Xiangfan war, leaving Cao Pi to deal with possible changes in Xudu and Yecheng.

Cao Pi felt relaxed, but Meng Da and Pan Jun broke out in cold sweat.

"Brother Chengming, it's a good thing that I saved my life. Otherwise, if I went to Xudu with you to cause trouble, I, Meng Da, would have to bear the consequences of my life." Meng Da was still frightened.

The change in the battle situation caught Mengda off guard.

Liu Bei, who was far away in Chengdu, suddenly appeared in Fancheng; Cao Cao, who was far away in Luoyang, was about to arrive in Wancheng.

The two kings will meet. This is no longer a situation that Meng Da and Pan Jun can deal with.

Pan Jun was also so shocked that he broke into a cold sweat.

After offering advice to Cao Pi, Pan Jun believed that he could control the overall situation, allowing the forces of Cao Cao, Sun Quan, and Liu Bei to restrain each other, and then teamed up with Meng Da, Wei Xi and others to control Xudu.

He manipulated Cao Cao, Sun Quan and Liu Bei into his hands and achieved the great reputation of helping the Han Dynasty to defeat the thieves.

however.

A series of changes caught Pan Jun off guard.

Pan Jun didn't even know why Liu Bei appeared in Fancheng!
  The current situation has completely exceeded Pan Jun's expectations. What awaits Pan Jun is a difficult decision.

Should he betray his old friend and mentor and serve Cao Pi, or should he sacrifice his life for justice with his old friend and mentor.

Seeing Pan Jun's hesitation, Meng Da said bewilderedly: "Brother Chengming, I know you care about your reputation, but no matter how great your reputation is, it cannot be greater than your power."

"The king of Wei used the emperor to command the princes, and everyone knew that he wanted to usurp the throne. The reason why he doesn't follow Wang Mang now is just because he wants to imitate King Wen of Zhou."

"If one day the emperor ascends the throne and Wei inherits the throne from Han, the history books will only praise King Wei at length and only write about King Wei's great achievements."

"The record for you and me must be to be loyal to the emperor of the Wei family and to kill the remnants of the Han family. No matter how hard you and I try, we will never be able to enter the Han family's tree of meritorious officials, but we can enter the Wei family's tree of meritorious officials because of this."

"The Han Dynasty is destined to decline and the Wei Dynasty will rise. Even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about future generations."

"Those who know the current affairs are heroes. Brother Chengming, don't make any mistakes!"

Meng Da's confusion made Pan Jun fall into deep thought.

True.

Pan Jun wanted to imitate Wang Yun and kill thieves. From now on, one person would be inferior to ten thousand people.

However, the ideal is very full and the reality is very skinny.

In the eyes of Cao Cao and Cao Pi, Pan Jun's methods were just like children's play.

a long time.

Pan Jun took a deep breath and made a decision in his heart: "Zijing, you are right. No matter how great your reputation is, it cannot be greater than your authority."

"If you don't take care of yourself, you will be punished by heaven and earth. If you and I want to gain the trust of the prince, we must make a decision."

"When the prince returns this time, he will definitely get rid of the rebel forces in Xudu and Yecheng. This is your and my chance."

"Lend me two thousand soldiers, and you can defeat Xudu, and I can defeat Yecheng."

Meng Da put his hands on his hands and smiled: "Brother Chengming and I both prosper and suffer. If Brother Chengming wants to borrow troops, how can I not give it to you!"

this time.

Pan Jun did not raise the butcher's knife to his former colleagues Xi Zhenfan and others, but he also raised the butcher's knife to his old friend and mentor.

When Meng Da and Pan Jun came together to expose the conspiracy of Wei Xi and others to Cao Pi, Cao Pi was not angry and instead helped Meng Da and Pan Jun up with his own hands.

And Cao Pi's words made Meng Da and Pan Jun break into cold sweats.

"Changle Guardsman Chen Yi has already secretly reported Wei Xi's plan to rebel."

"I don't care about Wei Tie's rebellion. It's hard for a young scholar to succeed."

"I care more about the choices of Zijing and Chengming!"

"Both of you are talented people in this world. If you are implicated by Wei Xi, it will be a loss for the country and the country!"

"I can't bear it, but I always believed that you two would be moved by my sincerity."

"I'm so relieved that you two are willing to come today!"

"If I can reach the highest position, I will live up to you two!"

Cao Pi spoke sincerely.

Cao Pi is not inferior to Cao Cao in winning people's hearts.

Among Cao Cao's sons, only Cao Pi inherited Cao Cao's ideas.

Others like Cao Zhang, Cao Zhi and others are either reckless, crazy or mediocre, and their combined scheming is not enough for Cao Pi alone.

This call not only shocked Meng Da and Pan Jun, but also comforted Meng Da and Pan Jun.

"I wish to be dispatched by Your Majesty the Crown Prince!"

Meng Da was the first to express his position, followed closely by Pan Jun.

a few days later.

Cao Cao arrived in Wancheng.

Cao Pi told Cao Cao about Wei Xi's intention to rebel, and recommended Meng Da and Pan Jun.

Cao Cao did not interfere too much, but reminded Cao Pi: "Meng Da and Pan Jun can be used, but they cannot be left alone."

Cao Pi understood what Cao Cao meant.

If Cao Pi is here, he can trust Meng Da and Pan Jun. But if Cao Pi is gone, the successor may not trust each other with Meng Da and Pan Jun.

Once there is a crack in trust, Meng Da and Pan Jun will defect to Cao Pi because of the balance of interests, and they will inevitably turn against Cao Pi again because of the balance of interests!
  "Father, don't worry. The child is in his prime and can restrain Meng Da and Pan Jun." Cao Pi vowed.

Cao Cao only stayed in Wancheng for half a day, then led his troops south to Fancheng and stationed himself in Yancheng, ten miles north of Fancheng.

During this period, Cao Cao also received information about Cao Xiu's unfavorable campaign in Shangyong County.

Although Cao Xiu was brave, he was also helpless when facing the three Shangyong counties held by Zhang Fei and other generals.

In addition, after Liu Bei defeated Cao Zhen, he asked Guan Yu to go up the river in order to cut off Cao Xiu's retreat.

Cao Xiu was worried about being surrounded, so he could only withdraw his troops to the north bank of the Han River.

When Zhang Fei saw Cao Xiu retreating, he led Feng Xi, Zhang Nan and other generals to camp on the south bank of the Han River.

With the Han River as the boundary, both Cao and Liu were heavily stationed, and another battle was about to begin.

"With the current situation, it is beyond the reach of the army to seize Xiangyang and Fancheng by force." Liu Bei was worried. This was a bluff. Naturally, he could not really go to a decisive battle with Cao Cao in Xiangfan.

Generals such as Guan Yu and Huang Quan also frowned.

In the current situation, local military battles cannot determine the outcome. Neither Cao Cao nor Liu Bei has enough military power to defeat their opponents.

Now that the war is in a stalemate, everyone is trying to hold on and competing to see who can hold on longer!

Liu Bei's army was tired of old soldiers, and Cao Cao's army was also tired of old soldiers.

"Your Majesty, I have a plan that may make Cao Cao abandon Xiangyang." Zhuge Qiao said in a serious voice.

Liu Bei was overjoyed when he heard this: "Aqiao, what's the best plan?"

Zhuge Qiao paused for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, you can send a letter to Cao Cao, inviting him to meet him in front of the battle array and discuss his interests."

"Cao Cao has been ill for a year. During this year, Cao Cao went to war despite being ill and worried about military and political affairs. I guess Cao Cao's mental strength has long been withered."

"If he continues to confront the king in Xiangfan, Cao Cao will definitely repeat what happened in Hanzhong at the beginning of the year and lose due to illness."

"Winter is about to begin, and the people of Xiangfan who have been affected by the Han River floods are in urgent need of relief. If the soldiers and people die in the winter due to the stalemate in the war, it will chill the hearts of the people."

"Therefore, a prolonged war would be extremely detrimental to both Cao Cao and the king, and would actually benefit Sun Quan of Jiangdong."

"In the current situation, the only solution is to draw a boundary with Cao Cao and the Han River!"

Liu Bei frowned and thought: "If it is only the Han River that demarcates the boundary, Cao's soldiers from Fancheng may come to attack Xiangyang at any time, and Xiangyang will be in trouble."

Zhuge Qiao said solemnly: "Xiangyang is a big city, and it is much more difficult to capture than Fancheng. Cao Ren does not have a naval force, and it is even more difficult to break Xiangyang."

"The reason why Cao Ren defended Fancheng was because he was afraid that if Fancheng was lost, the king would be able to march straight in and capture Xudu."

"Therefore, Cao Cao may give up to Xiangyang, but he will never give up to Fancheng!"

"Your Majesty, you can't have your cake and eat it too, so give it up! Jingzhou and Yizhou can't afford to waste it!"

Liu Bei did not answer and looked at Guan Yu, Huang Quan and other generals.

a long time. Guan Yu said: "Brother, after the battle at Fancheng, Cao Ren was so frightened that he did not dare to attack Xiangyang easily. Although Sun Quan burned the Lukou stronghold, the Xiakou stronghold is still there."

"If Sun Quan saw that his brother and Cao Cao were fighting against the Han River, and then captured Hefei and failed again, he would inevitably have second thoughts about Jingzhou."

"It is best to end the war with Cao Cao before winter; when Jingzhou's military strength recovers, even if Sun Quan and Cao Ren attack at the same time, Yudi can handle it."

"My foolish brother thought that he could use Aqiao's plan to meet Cao Cao in front of the formation."

"If Cao Cao doesn't want to give up Xiangyang, it's not too late to fight again!"

Huang Quan also echoed: "Your Majesty, I also think that we can meet with Cao Cao in front of the formation first. In addition to lobbying for interests, we can also observe Cao Cao's condition."

Seeing that all the generals agreed with Zhuge Qiao's plan, Liu Bei sent Fei Shi as an envoy to Cao Ying.

When he learned that Liu Bei had invited him to meet before the battle, Xu Huang urgently advised: "King Wei, Liu Bei is full of tricks, beware of fraud!"

Cao Cao didn't take it seriously: "I said goodbye to Xuande in Hanzhong. We haven't seen each other for several months now, and I miss him quite a bit."

"Don't worry, sir. How can a man of Xuande and trust be able to deceive me with deceit?"

Sima Yi thought briefly and said: "Liu Bei's move is most likely to make peace with the King of Wei."

"Stop the troops and make peace?" Cao Cao chuckled, understanding the fire: "Xuande is deceiving me into going to war even though I am sick. He wants to use his own interests to persuade me to give up Xiangyang on his own initiative."

Jiang Ji wondered: "Since he knew Liu Bei's intention, why did the King of Wei agree to meet with Liu Bei?"

Cao Cao sighed: "If we don't meet Liu Bei, the war in Xiangfan will be difficult to end; the soldiers and the people are already exhausted from the frequent wars in recent years."

"If something unexpected happens to me, Pi'er will not be able to stabilize the overall situation; therefore, the war in Xiangfan must be resolved before winter."

"Don't be suspicious, everyone, come with me to meet Liu Bei."

After days of military service, Cao Cao's condition became aggravated.

Although he was very reluctant, Cao Cao had to weigh the pros and cons.

If we talk to Liu Bei now, the most we can do is give up Xiangyang; if a serious illness on the front line affects the morale of the army, Fancheng may not be able to hold it!

Liu Bei and Cao Cao tacitly chose to stop fighting and make peace.

Both sides mobilized troops on the north bank of the Han River.

Cao Cao ordered Xu Chu and Sima Yi to accompany him, while Liu Bei ordered Guan Yu and Zhuge Qiao to accompany him.

Seeing a young man following Liu Bei, Cao Cao also thought of Xu Huang's report and squinted his eyes and asked: "Beside Xuande, could it be Zhuge Qiao, the young hero who planned to defeat Lu Meng?"

Liu Bei smiled and said: "Brother Meng De has good eyesight!"

This is Zhuge Qiao, the heir of Zhuge Liang, our military advisor general, and the future son-in-law of Yunchang. "

"Aqiao is fifteen years old this year and can indeed be called a young hero!"

Liu Bei deliberately emphasized his tone when mentioning Zhuge Qiao's age.

Cao Cao looked at Guan Yu and gently stroked his short beard: "Yun Chang has such a virtuous son-in-law, and others are envious of him!"

Guan Yu just returned the salute but did not speak.

Liu Bei glanced at Zhuge Qiao.

Zhuge Qiao understood, rode his horse forward, and saluted Cao Cao: "I once heard that the King of Wei and the King of Hanzhong once had a drink in Xudu to discuss heroes. He bluntly said that the only heroes in the world are the King of Wei and the King of Hanzhong."

"Today's meeting before the formation of the two kings, and the demarcation of the border by the Han River, can also be regarded as a good story."

"I wonder what King Wei wants?"

Cao Cao didn't answer.

Sima Yi beside him rode his horse forward: "If the border is drawn by the Han River, King Wei will have to give up Xiangyang."

"Now that the King of Hanzhong has no chance of winning, it would be ridiculous to ask the King of Wei to give up Xiangyang with just a few words."

Zhuge Qiao saw the person in front of him with eyes like eagles and an extraordinary temperament, so he raised his hands and asked, "I wonder what you call the venerable?"

Seeing that Zhuge Qiao was paying attention to his courtesy, Sima Yi returned the greeting and said: "Prime Minister's army, Sima, Sima Yi!"

Zhuge Qiao was slightly awe-inspiring.

Sima Yi!
  This is a ruthless man who is very tolerant and has no lower limit. He dares to use Luo Shui's oath to deceive Cao Shuang.

"It turns out that the Venerable is a hero of the Sima clan, a prominent family in Hanoi, and the most outstanding one among Sima Bada. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"I heard that the Venerable has two sons, the eldest son Sima Shi and the second son Sima Zhao. They are both extremely talented and rare heroes in the world."

"From now on, it will be a good story for father and son to serve as ministers in the same palace."

Zhuge Qiao praised Sima as a distinguished family in Hanoi, then praised Sima as having Sima Bada, then praised Sima Yi as the most outstanding one among Sima Bada, and finally praised Sima Yi's two sons as well. .

It is even more heart-breaking for a father and son to serve as ministers in the same palace.

This compliment made Sima Yi break into a cold sweat.

"Zhuge Qiao, you bastard, you are flattering me!"

"Shi'er and Zhao'er are not well-known. How can they be so talented and rare in the world?"

"You are such an insidious kid. You know that King Wei is suspicious and want to create a quarrel before the battle!"

Sima Yi subconsciously glanced at Cao Cao from the corner of his eyes.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhuge Qiao with a bit of surprise.

Of course, Cao Cao could see through such an obvious alienation plan.

However, after seeing through it, Cao Cao subconsciously became more afraid of Sima Yi when he heard that Sima Yi had two sons who were "unparalleled in talent and rare in the world."

"What an amazing boy, you can actually guess my thoughts."

"No wonder Liu Bei wants to show off in front of the battle."

"Fifteen years old, he is about the same age as Pi'er's eldest son. I don't know who can be better."

After a brief exchange of words, Sima Yi was praised by Zhuge Qiao and fell directly into a disadvantage.

Cao Cao looked at Liu Bei: "Xuande, just tell me the conditions. If you want me to give up Xiangyang, what benefits can you give me?"

When Liu Bei saw Cao Cao's blunt question, he said: "General Yu Jin of the left and the soldiers who are willing to return to the north, and Lu Chang of Xiangyang City and the soldiers and civilians who are willing to leave."

Cao Cao shook his head: "Xiangyang City is already in Lu Chang's hands. Your conditions mean that I will be defeated on my own initiative."

"How about you give me the three counties of Shangyong and I give you both Xiangyang and Fancheng?"

Liu Bei laughed: "Brother Mengde, it is impossible for me to give you the three counties of Shangyong!"

"I will take a step back, and you will hand over Xiangyang City to me; Xiangyang City will not increase its navy, and Brother Meng De does not need to worry that I will take advantage of the situation to take Fancheng."

Cao Cao also laughed when he heard this: "Xuande, you are bullying me again! You have a navy in Jiangling. If you win Xiangyang, you can set up an additional navy in Jingcheng."

"You only need to train the infantry in Xiangyang City to capture Fan City. Such conditions are too insincere."

"Why don't I take a step back? I don't want your Shangyong three counties, and I will give you Xiangyang, but you have to give me back the 30,000 soldiers who surrendered in Yujin?"

Liu Bei shook his head: "Brother Mengde, you are making things difficult for me. More than 20,000 of Yu Jin's 30,000 surrendered soldiers have already bought properties in Nanjun. I can't force them to leave, right?"

"How about I give you Xicheng County and you send all the family members of the more than 20,000 soldiers who are willing to stay in Nan County to Nan County?"

"I won't take advantage of you. If the family members of these descendants have any money or food during the journey, I will repay them in full."

Cao Cao laughed: "Xuande, I don't want Xicheng, nor Shangyong, just give me Fangling and I will retreat immediately!"

Cao Cao and Liu Bei were tit for tat, going back and forth, either over population or territory. Zhuge Qiao was a little stunned when he heard this.

This kind of negotiation is too explosive!

finally.

Liu Bei and Cao Cao reached an agreement: with the Han River as the boundary, Xiangyang would belong to Liu Bei, and Fancheng would belong to Cao Cao. Liu Bei would not give up an inch of land in the fight for land.

Accordingly, Cao Cao wanted to move away the soldiers and people of Xiangyang City. Just like the situation in Hanzhong, the land was given to Liu Bei and all the people were taken away.

At the same time, Liu Bei returned to the ban.

As for Liu Bei's additional reason for returning to the north, Cao Cao did not dare to ask for it.

Who knows whether the surrendered pawn who is willing to return is really willing to return or is it a deliberate arrangement by Liu Bei?

After all, there were many people from Jingzhou and Yizhou in Yu Jin's group of surrendered soldiers, and Cao Cao couldn't select them one by one.

After negotiating the terms.

Cao Cao ordered Jiang Ji to go to Xiangyang to convey orders to evacuate Xiangyang's soldiers and civilians, while Liu Bei asked Guan Yu to use ships to carry Xiangyang's soldiers and civilians across the river.

however.

The accident happened again.

When Lu Chang was preparing to forcibly move the people of Xiangyang to the north, most of the people in Xiangyang were unwilling.

When Hu Xiu, the governor of Jingzhou, was the governor of Jingzhou, he did a lot of harm to the people of Xiangyang. Wouldn't it be a sin to move to the north?
  Liu Bei saw that the people of Xiangyang could use their support, so he negotiated terms with Cao Cao and was willing to exchange ten large ships for the people of Xiangyang who were unwilling to migrate.

These ten large ships are Soochow warships captured by Liu Bei, each of which can carry 500 people.

Considering that there was no water force in Fancheng and the people of Xiangyang were unwilling to move away, Cao Cao pinched his nose and agreed to Liu Bei's conditions.

Liu Bei was very anxious, and Cao Cao was equally anxious.

Both of them were pretending to be calm, so they were not so fussy about the terms of the negotiation.

After both parties' conditions were met, Cao Cao invited Liu Bei to cook and drink together by the Hanshui River.

Both of them took off their military armor and only wore regular clothes, as if they were getting together with old friends.

"Xuande, you and I are both old."

"If we say goodbye today, I'm afraid we'll never see each other again in this life."

"If there is no emperor in Xudu, can you and I work together to help the world?"

Cao Cao sighed sincerely.

Liu Bei also felt this and shook his head: "No. Although Brother Mengde and I have the same aspirations, our actions are completely different."

"Brother Meng De behaves cruelly and deceitfully; while I behave leniently and loyally. It is destined that fire and water are incompatible."

"If Brother Meng De really wants to work together with me to help the world, it is better to return power to the Emperor. I will defend Brother Meng De in front of the Emperor."

Cao Cao laughed: "The previous dynasty Huo Guang's achievements were outstanding. Although he died a good man, almost all of Huo Guang's descendants were killed."

"It's not that I don't want to return power to the emperor, but if I return power, the Cao family will be destroyed, and the heroes who follow me in the war will not end well."

"That's how this world is, the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit, that's all!"

Liu Bei was silent.

a long time.

Liu Bei took a deep breath, raised the bottle and stood up: "After all, fire and water are difficult to mix. Brother Meng De, this bottle of wine is dedicated to your contribution to helping the strong man in the past."

"After today, I, the Liu family, and you, the Cao family, will no longer be brothers who were in the same robe as the great ancestor."

"Whether you, the Cao family, will be honored on behalf of the Han Dynasty, or whether I, the Liu family, will revive again, each will make plans for personnel, it all depends on God's will!"

Cao Cao also stood up and raised the bottle: "It is my fortune in Cao Mengde's life to get to know Xuande. Without Xuande, this life would be quite boring."

When the wine is gone, people disperse.

No matter they are heroes or heroes, there will never be any intersection in the future.

Some are just beliefs that each of them upholds!
  　I try every day, but it may not happen every day. I try my best. The Megatron China chapter is over, and the next chapter is Wolong's Northern Expedition. Asking for monthly ticket
  　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)