in2ebook Chapter 299 Sideways Push
Chapter 299 Sideways Push
Chapter 299: Sweeping
Cao Cao stood up suddenly, his expression cold and angry, and asked, "Dong Zhuo has come in person? How many soldiers and horses are there? Who is the vanguard?"
Xiahou Dun said, "There are about 20,000 people. They are Hua Xiong and Zhang Ji. They are only a hundred miles away from Qiao County."
"Twenty thousand?"
Cao Cao's narrow eyes flashed with a fierce light, and his mind was rapidly calculating.
According to various calculations, Dong Zhuo had been engaged in aggressive military campaigns in recent years, and he must have at least 100,000 troops.
Cao Cao thought for a moment, then turned to Guo Jia and said, "Fengxiao, tell me, is Dong Zhuo trying to stop me or take Xuzhou?"
Xuzhou is close to the sea and borders Pei and Liang. Once Xuzhou is captured, Dong Zhuo will not only increase his depth, but also his troops, money and food.
At the same time, it borders Qing and Yan to the north, and Yang and Jing states to the lower part. Once Dong Zhuo takes Xuzhou, it will be like a dragon entering the sea, and it will be difficult to contain it.
Guo Jia stood up holding the wine pot, and said with a slow smile: "No matter how many people he has or what his plan is, as long as the general pushes the army forward, Dong Zhuo will have to think twice."
Cao Cao suddenly put his hands behind his back, walked to the door, and looked towards the direction of Pei State.
Xiahou Dun stood behind him and said in confusion: "General, Dong Zhuo's 20,000 troops are about to arrive."
It's almost here, shouldn't we deal with it as soon as possible? Why are you not talking?
Guo Jia naturally knew that Cao Cao was not satisfied with his strategy and wanted to destroy Dong as soon as possible.
With Cao Cao's current military strength, it is impossible for him to destroy Dong Zhuo alone.
After Yuan Shu's demise, the situation in Jiangdong will become clear. As the various princes gain power, it will become very interesting to see whether and to what extent they can obey the orders of the court.
Dong Zhuo was alone and weak, and he couldn't hold out for long.
But what happens after defeating Dong Zhuo?
Guo Jia had to consider Cao Cao. The emperor in the palace was planning too far-reachingly. If he did not consider it carefully, Cao Cao might not achieve any achievements in the future!
Therefore, Guo Jia did not say anything and just drank by himself.
Cao Cao waited for a long time, and seeing that Guo Jia refused to reveal himself, he said coldly, "Pass my order. Order Le Jin to lead 5,000 men and pretend that my army is going to Pei State by detour. The rest of you must gather your troops and wait for my order!"
"Yes!" Xiahou Dun responded and strode away.
Guo Jia was not surprised to see Cao Cao unwilling to give in, and said, "General, it would be best if Xiahou Sima went. Xiahou Sima is a cautious person, while Commandant Le is a bit reckless."
Cao Cao seemed not to have heard it. He put his hands behind his back, looked towards Pei State, and said, "Feng Xiao, do you know what I am thinking?"
Guo Jia stood behind Cao Cao, unable to see his expression, and smiled as he said, "General, you have the ambition of Wei and Huo, and I also have the heart of Zhang and Su. Wei Qing hid in the princess's mansion for many years, and Zhang Yi also had time to farm and study."
Guo Jia's words of consolation seemed tactful, but Cao Cao was not an illiterate man, so he knew what Guo Jia meant.
Without turning his head, he said in a deep voice: "I am determined to destroy Dong as soon as possible, wipe out all the rebellion, restore my Han dynasty, and make the world proud!"
Guo Jia was stunned and slowly put the wine back to his mouth.
He suddenly realized that Cao Cao was not someone who didn’t see far enough, he actually guessed it!
Guo Jia was rarely silent.
After waiting for a while, Cao Cao turned around, looked at Guo Jia's silence, laughed, and said, "Feng Xiao, do you think I, Cao Cao, would be afraid of the so-called life and death?"
Guo Jia raised his head and looked at Cao Cao. Suddenly he also laughed, threw away the wine pot, raised his hand and said, "General, Guo Jia is a coward!"
Cao Cao pressed his hands down, picked up the wine pot, handed it to Guo Jia, and said, "Feng Xiao, can we talk now?"
Guo Jia threw away the wine pot with one hand and said, "Before destroying Dong, Guo Jia will give up drinking!"
Cao Cao laughed uncontrollably, took Guo Jia's hand, and walked back.
The guards outside the door didn't dare to look back. They just looked at each other, confused and puzzled.
Cao Cao sat down, picked up the wine glass, took a sip, stroked his beard, and said with burning eyes: "Fengxiao, what's your plan?"
Guo Jia looked at Cao Cao's wine glass, his throat moved, and he leaned back and said, "The strategy remains the same, but this time we will not defend, but attack fiercely."
Cao Cao thought about it and said, "Dong Zhuo, I'm afraid he would have expected this, right?"
Guo Jia smiled obscurely and said, "That's right. Dong Zhuo must have set a trap for you, but you must step on it and break it!"
Cao Cao's narrow eyes flashed, then he smiled and said: "Dong Zhuo wants Xuzhou, and he is facing Liu Bei and Sun Jian from the north and south, so he will definitely send heavy troops. There shouldn't be many to guard against me."
Guo Jia nodded and said, "If we spread the rumor again, Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan will turn around."
Cao Cao smiled even more, and immediately stood up. His smile turned into a serious and majestic one, and he shouted to the outside of the door: "Pass my order, immediately organize the troops and attack Pei State!"
A guard outside the door answered and turned around and quickly went to pass on the message.
Guo Jia subconsciously raised his hand, then turned his head to look at the lonely wine jug outside the door, smacked his lips, and his expression became even more thoughtful.
After Cao Cao finished speaking, he was about to walk out, but when he saw Guo Jia's expression, he suddenly realized something, but he didn't care and strode away.
Guo Jia stared at Cao Cao's back, touched his lips, and said to himself: "It seems that I have never really understood my general..."
Following Cao Cao's order, Qiao County was suddenly in turmoil.
The barracks outside the city quickly moved, the army gathered and began to move eastward.
At this moment, Yang Xiu was standing on the top of the city wall with a worried look on his face, looking at Cao Cao who was riding a horse and mobilizing his troops.
Lu Yu was beside him, also frowning and looking worried.
Although the Grand Marshal's Office gave Cao Cao the power to "act at his own discretion", this kind of "acting at his own discretion" itself is a constraint, not indulgence.
As soon as Cao Cao received the order, he prepared to mobilize his army to go to war. Not to mention what the Grand Marshal's Mansion thought, how would the imperial court judge?
What will be the attitude of His Majesty in the palace?
Although Yang Xiu came to Cao Cao to "gild his reputation", he did not want anything to happen to his "financial sponsor" that would implicate him.
Glancing at Lu Yu from the corner of his eye, Yang Xiu suddenly asked, "Lu Yu, does the palace really want Cao Cao to attack Dong Zhuo?"
Lu Yu thought about it, shook his head and said, "The court doesn't want to move."
Yang Xiu keenly noticed that Lu Yu was talking about "the imperial court" rather than the palace.
Yang Xiu asked no more questions. He couldn't stop anything. A war was inevitable.
Yuan Shu had not yet been defeated, and Cao Cao launched another campaign against Dong Zhuo, and it was unknown how the imperial court would react.
In general, Cao Cao’s life after today will definitely not be easy!
Lu Yu was also worried, because Cao Cao was half his senior brother, and his father's legacy was inherited by Cao Cao.
"Destroy Dong Zhuo and show our military might!"
Not far from the city gate, Cao Cao held his sword upright and shouted loudly.
"Destroy Dong Zhuo and show our military might!"
Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Le Jin and a large group of other generals followed suit and shouted.
Flags with the word "Cao" on them rose from the ground, fluttering and rustling.
After the mobilization was completed, Cao Cao personally led the army to meet Hua Xiong and Zhang Ji.
Perhaps knowing that Cao Cao had mobilized all his troops, Hua Xiong and Zhang Ji did not fight against him, but retreated and stationed in a place called "Huixiaguan".
Cao Cao ordered an attack without hesitation, but after only an hour, he ordered a retreat without a forced attack.
Not far from Cao Cao's tent, Yang Xiu stood behind him and said, "General, this Xiaguan was built by Dong Zhuo. It is not a dangerous pass, but it blocks the main road. This Xiaguan is shaped like a Chinese character "回", and it is complicated inside. If you want to break it, I'm afraid you will suffer a lot of casualties."
Simply put, this kind of pass is not a big fortress, but if Hua Xiong and Zhang Ji defend it to the death, they will have to send in at least several thousand people to break through.
Cao Cao didn't want the elite troops he had trained with great difficulty to be used meaninglessly to fill such a pass.
"Is there any way to get around it?" Cao Cao asked in a deep voice, holding his sword.
Yang Xiu glanced at the map and said, "Yes, but we have to go around for hundreds of miles. There are several passes ahead that are similar in shape."
Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun and others did not respond. They did not like attacking such a pass and felt sorry for their soldiers.
Cao Cao pondered in silence, looking back towards Xiaguan.
Guo Jia came out of the big tent and said, "Hua Xiong and Zhang Ji should be trying to delay the general and buy time for Dong Zhuo to take Xuzhou."
Cao Cao naturally understood, so he didn't want to waste time and said, "Fengxiao, if I take a detour to Yanzhou and go straight to Peiguo, is it okay?"
Guo Jia's throat was itchy. He hadn't drunk for a few days and felt very uncomfortable. He said, "Once the general shows up in Yanzhou, I'm afraid the court will react very strongly and it may not work."
The imperial court had always been "hostile" to Cao Cao. This time, Cao Cao sent troops to attack Dong before the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and the imperial court was completely unprepared.
It was predictable to prevent Cao Cao from entering and exiting Yanzhou under suspicion.
Guo Jia suppressed his urge to drink and said with some emotion: "Dong Zhuo built so many passes, it seems that he had prepared in advance. Once he takes Xuzhou, there will be no obstacles whether he goes north or south."
Cao Cao turned his head to the south and asked, "Is there any situation over there with Yuan Shu?"
Yang Xiu said: "Not yet, but Yuan Shao is the most urgent, Sun Jian is stuck in Guangling County, Gongsun Zan wants Jiujiang and Jiangxia, Shi Xie occupies Jiaozhi, everyone seems to have stopped, waiting for Yuan Shao to wipe out Yuan Shu."
Cao Cao felt a little impatient and uneasy, so he took a deep breath and said, "Fengxiao, I decided to write a letter to the Grand Sima Mansion and request Yanzhou to send troops."
Yanzhou is located to the north of Liang and Pei. Once Yanzhou sends troops, Dong Zhuo will be attacked from both sides.
"The court will not agree."
Guo Jia answered swiftly, "General, don't forget, the Shangshutai has just changed its prime minister, and they are striving for stability. If you want the court to send troops, I'm afraid even His Majesty may not be able to persuade him."
Cao Cao frowned, looking at Huixiaguan not far away, his impatience turned into anger, and he said, "Is the only way to attack by force?"
Guo Jia looked up at the sky and said, "General, Xia received it."
Cao Cao looked up at the sky with him, and saw a big red sun hanging above his head, with dazzling light and scorching heat.
Cao Cao seemed to suddenly feel hot, and very hot.
Suddenly he turned around, wiped his sweat and said, "Cao Ren, prepare for a fire attack tonight!"
"Yes, sir!" Cao Ren raised his hand in response as if he hadn't given it any thought.
Everyone followed Cao Cao and turned around. Yang Xiu, the chief clerk of the General Yangwei's mansion, had already understood something. He followed Guo Jia and whispered, "Military Advisor, this strategy of tiring the enemy is more effective in summer, but if Hua Xiong and Zhang Ji retreat to the next pass, won't we continue like this? Wouldn't Dong Zhuo's goal of delaying time be achieved?"
Guo Jia was a little surprised. He had long noticed that Yang Xiu was very smart, but he did not expect him to say it openly.
Sure enough, Cao Cao and his followers, including Xiahou Dun, Cao Hong and others, stopped and looked at Yang Xiu.
Cao Cao looked at Yang Xiu expressionlessly. This was the beloved son of the former prime minister. Putting him here was actually a form of "exile" in order to protect Yang Xiu.
"What do you think we should do?" Cao Cao raised his head slightly, narrowed his eyes, and the examining look was almost written on his face.
Yang Xiu was not afraid. He raised his hand and said, "General, I think we should quickly annihilate Hua Xiong and Zhang Ji so that we can march unhindered to Pei State, Dong Zhuo's lair!"
"How to annihilate them?" Cao Cao asked again.
Guo Jia, Cao Hong and others all looked at him, expecting the answer from the Prime Minister, this talented person.
Yang Xiu was silent for a while, and then said, "I have three plans. First, pretend to be defeated and lure the enemy out of the city. Second, use the support from Guanzhong to make an agreement to open the gate. Third, pretend to confront each other and go around the gate."
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes even more, and said calmly: "How do you know that I have an accomplice in Guanzhong?"
Yang Xiu said calmly, "As the chief clerk, I have read the general's correspondence and deduced it from it."
Cao Cao looked at him for a moment, then turned and strode away.
Yang Xiu was stunned. He thought he would be praised by Cao Cao, but why did he feel that Cao Cao was a little angry?
Guo Jia, Cao Hong and others followed Cao Cao and entered the big tent.
"What a great Yang Dezu!" Cao Cao laughed loudly as he entered the big tent.
Having lived with Cao Cao for many years, Guo Jia knew very well that Cao Cao was angry.
There is nothing wrong with Yang Xiu having read Cao Cao's letters. He was sent by the court with the intention of "monitoring" Cao Cao, but Cao Cao turned a blind eye to it.
But Yang Xiu not only said it out loud, he also openly inferred that Cao Cao had an insider in Xiaguan, which was different.
Guo Jia didn't care about Yang Xiu. At this time, Cao Cao couldn't do anything to Yang Xiu. He pondered and said, "Since Dezu has been exposed, we can only take Xiaguan back now."
Cao Cao nodded, hiding his anger, and said: "Even if we capture Huixiaguan, we can't completely wipe out Hua Xiong and Zhang Ji. Things will still be troublesome later."
Cao Cao originally did not plan to use the internal support after returning to Xiaguan, as it would be a waste of talent. But now that Yang Xiu has exposed it, he has to use it even if he doesn't want to.
If he only went back to Xiaguan and took it, what about the subsequent passes? He didn't have that many insiders!
Guo Jia sat there, shaking the empty wine glass in his hand, thinking silently for a while, and said: "Strong attack!"
As he spoke, Guo Jia sat up and said calmly, "We will attack all the way. General, we will attack as many passes as Dong Zhuo has, all the way to Pei State!"
Cao Cao looked surprised as he pondered over what Guo Jia had said.
In fact, the most important thing in doing this is momentum. By crushing Dong Zhuo all the way, the pressure was put on him.
Cao Cao will lose about 10,000 soldiers and horses.
Guo Jia knew that Cao Cao was reluctant, so he said more seriously: "General, we must not delay, otherwise there will be another Yuan Shao!"
Cao Cao was shocked and said immediately: "Okay, tire the enemy out tonight and attack back to Xiaguan tomorrow!"
Yuan Shao seized the fruits of victory in the campaign against Yuan Shu and occupied most of Yangzhou.
If a second 'Yuan Shao' appears, he will not only seize the territories of Yu and Xu, but also take away the credit that originally belonged to Cao Cao!