Chapter 397 Four Ways to Advance
The decision to report the news, coming from the mouth of a child who only knew a few words, was indescribably shocking.
She didn't know any Cao Cao, nor any Zhang Miao, and she didn't know how important Cao Cao regarded this message at this moment.
She only knew that since Cao Cao stationed in Dongjun after Dong Zhuo's Rebellion, Zao Zhi, who was appointed as the captain of military farming, had been highly valued by Cao Cao and developed the local people's livelihood and farming. In addition to providing military farms with rations for the Yanzhou army, the farming skills of these people were also specially guided by Zao Zhi and his subordinates.
So she knew very well that Zao Zhi had taught them a lot, and to them, he was worthy of being called a "parent official."
If this general, whose identity was unknown and who seemed to be under the control of others, needed her to pass the message to someone else, she might still hesitate. For example, if Xiahou Yuan's name was written on the message, it would be no different from a heavenly book to her.
But at this moment, the words "Tuntian" were written on the paper, which she could recognize, and they pointed to a safe role for her.
The father hesitated for only a moment before making a decision. "There is a poor horse in the neighboring village that has been eliminated. It can't go to the battlefield, but it can be used to run errands. Let's go! Since it's the captain of the garrison, let's take a gamble!"
When a person needs to entrust information to a child for identification, even if he may have other ways to escape, the danger may be quite high. If the other party is really an acquaintance of Zao Zhi, then they have relied on Captain Zao for their gains in the past few years, so they should help!
He didn't know if they would have enough time to send the message at this speed, but if he ignored it as if they didn't see it, he would feel guilty when he thought about how they were able to survive the year of natural disasters.
Fortunately, they successfully arrived at the city of Puyang at dawn that day. After informing Zao Zhi that they had an urgent matter to discuss with him, they handed Cao Cao's letter to Zao Zhi.
The letter paper, which was unfolded from its original shape and then folded, did not seem to match Cao Cao, the governor of Yanzhou. But the moment Zao Zhi opened the letter, he could be sure that it was indeed written by Cao Cao.
The moment he saw the contents of the letter, his face changed drastically, and after having the father and daughter who brought the news settled, he immediately ran towards the Yanzhou provincial capital.
Xiahou Yuan, who was present at the scene, slammed the table in anger upon hearing what was said in the letter. "How dare Chen Gongtai act like this! And Zhang Mengzhuo is also an unreasonable fellow. He actually teamed up with the Yanzhou clan to do such a thing."
Xiahou Yuan didn't think that this news was meant to deceive him.
This incredible method of communication is truly unheard of.
The fact that Cao Cao took such an unconventional move to send a message to the provincial government can only mean that the situation has really reached a troublesome point.
But this news is indeed not good.
The betrayal of Chen Gong and Zhang Miao and the defection of the Yanzhou clans, if they had happened under Qiao Yan's command, would have been equivalent to the alliance between Cheng Yu and the Han royal family. It would have been difficult to deal with someone like Qiao Yan who had a vast territory, let alone Cao Cao who only occupied the two states of Yan and Yu.
Xiahou Yuan has always been loyal and brave, but lacks careful thinking. He has been repeatedly advised by Cao Cao to act with caution. But if he could still sit still after hearing the current situation in Yanzhou, he should be called a saint.
"Now is not the time to be angry." Man Chong said, "Fortunately, the Lord of the Mansion discovered Chen Gongtai's unusual movements first and took the initiative into his own hands. If Zhang Mengzhuo and Chen Gongtai had joined forces in Chenliu, it would have been a disaster."
"However, there is no need to say much about Chen Gongtai's reputation and interpersonal connections in Yanzhou. I don't know how many people in the team under the command of the Lord have been persuaded. The number of generals we can mobilize at this time is still limited."
Xiahou Yuan glanced at Man Chong, and thought of what Cao Cao said before leaving Puyang that the affairs of the provincial government would be left to Man Chong to decide, and then thought of the fact that Man Chong was actually recommended by Chen Gong, he felt a little impulsive. He wanted to grab Zao Zhi's collar and ask him why he didn't make some adjustments at this time and only notify those who were related to Cao Cao and would definitely obey his orders.
But thinking about the uprightness and wisdom that Man Chong had shown in recent years, which was indeed much more useful than his brain, and the fact that Cao Cao had left such a commission before leaving, he really had nothing to say.
When he looked at the other party, he saw Man Chong meeting his gaze with a frank and stern attitude. Thinking that this was not the time for them to fight among themselves, he suppressed the resentment in his heart.
"Please tell me what to do now, Mr. Berning."
Seeing that Xiahou Yuan had adjusted his mood, Man Chong felt a little relieved. He knew that cooperation at this moment was far more important than hasty dispatch of troops, so he continued, "Not all of your followers are in Dongjun. We can only use General Xiahou and General Cao Zixiao. But we need to send out at least three routes at this time. If we count those who stay behind, it will be four routes."
After the defeat in Yingchuan, Xiahou Dun remained in Yuzhou. It was not known whether he wanted to get back at Qiao Yan.
Half a year ago, after Cao Chun escorted Cao Cao to complete the meeting at Hulao Pass, Cao Cao was not sure whether Qiao Yan would tear up the previous agreement to divide Yingchuan and Runan, so he sent Cao Chun over as well.
Cao Hong, Cao Ang and Xu Chu were all in Cao Cao's army when he conquered Hulao Pass.
The troops of Juye Li were located in Taishan County of Yanzhou. Together with Yu Jin, who was dug out by Cao Cao from Bao Xin's command, they were on guard against the men deployed by Qiao Yan in the direction of Xuzhou to prevent anyone from making a direct attack.
In this way, the only ones left in Dongjun were Xiahou Yuan and Cao Ren.
Cao Ren asked, "Which four routes are they?"
"One team will naturally go to assist the eldest son Yu and General Zilian. The Lord of the Mansion clearly stated in the letter that he and the eldest son agreed on a rescue time of three days. Now that one day has passed, the speed of sending troops is still a little slower than the usual forced march. We must send troops immediately without any hesitation."
Cao Ren nodded: "Of course."
Cao Ang was being trained by Cao Cao as his successor, and Cao Hong was a cousin who had a particularly close relationship with Cao Cao. It was impossible for anything to happen to the two of them.
"In my opinion, it would be better for this group of troops to go around the north of Baima and Yanxian and arrive at Suanzao from the northwest, pretending that the Luoyang troops are taking advantage of our internal strife to launch a surprise attack. The leading soldiers should not be General Xiahou and General Cao, who are familiar to the Chenliu garrison."
Xiahou Yuan frowned and said, "But you just said that the only generals who can send troops from Dongjun are me and Zixiao?"
"That's true, but to be more precise, it's just that you two are the only ones with clear titles to lead troops, but it doesn't mean that the Lord has only two people under his command." Man Chong spoke solemnly, as if he naturally had some convincing power, "Don't forget, everyone, once the Lord escapes from Zhang Mengzhuo, we still have room to fight back. When they can't confirm the final result, the defenders who are still stranded in Chenliu will never be chased and intercepted to the point where the enemy will come out in full force. This gives us an opportunity to take advantage of."
Before Xiahou Yuan could ask any further questions, Man Chong had already explained: "I would like to ask Lieutenant Zao and Lieutenant Xianzhen to lead the reinforcements."
The captain of the vanguard that Man Chong mentioned was named Le Jin. He was recruited by Cao Cao when he was scouting for talents in the prefectures and counties in Dongjun. Although he was short in stature and did not have the strong physique of ordinary generals, Cao Cao promoted him to a military officer under his command because of his extraordinary courage.
There were not many wars in Yanzhou, so Le Jin was assigned by Cao Cao to Zao Zhi as one of his deputies, specifically responsible for selecting suitable militia from the military settlements for drills. Therefore, Cao Cao gave him the title of Xianzhen Duwei.
However, Le Jin's team was far from being well-trained, and naturally could not be compared with the Xianzhen Camp, but there was no need to doubt their bravery and loyalty, and it seemed that they were really the best candidates to be sent to support the generals at this time.
What is particularly crucial is that Le Jin did not come from any Yanzhou family. On the contrary, because Cao Cao had a keen eye for his talent, he was eager to make achievements. This kind of courage was needed to rescue Cao Ang and Cao Hong from the siege.
Cao Ren thought for a moment and replied, "I think this person is a good choice."
According to Man Chong's statement about the four routes of troops, the one he proposed first was actually the one with the least responsibility.
He had been in the army for many years and had dealings with Le Jin, so he was well aware of his abilities.
Cao Cao had not entrusted him with important tasks before, but instead kept entrusting him with tasks such as military drills and bandit suppression. His intention was naturally to allow him to achieve the desired effect at an appropriate time. Today is certainly the time!
Do we have to wait until they are driven out of Yanzhou by these damn Yanzhou families before we give them room to develop?
After seeing Cao Ren's statement, Xiahou Yuan also took a positive attitude. Man Chong continued, "The second route is to rescue the Lord. The Lord should be between Wating and Puyang at the moment. Zhang Mengzhuo and his followers who are accompanying him are not very many, so the key is not how to completely wipe them out, but how to bring the Lord out intact from their hands. The key is to be flexible. So this task does not need to be handed over to General Cao and General Xiahou."
He pointed at himself and said, "I'll do it."
Cao Ren gritted his teeth.
Cao Cao’s safety is undoubtedly the top priority in the current situation, and the rescue should not be entrusted to outsiders.
But just as Man Chong said, this rescue was obviously not done by brute force, otherwise Cao Cao would not have needed such a means of conveying the message, and he could have just galloped directly towards Puyang City.
Zhang Miao had met Cao Hong and Xiahou Yuan, but had never met Man Chong, so it would be much more appropriate for him to do the job.
He secretly told himself that he should first hear why Man Chong had to mobilize troops that took precedence over rescuing Cao Cao, and then use them as the third and fourth routes to advance, and it would not be too late to refute his statement later.
Yes, that's it.
Man Chong saw through Cao Ren's little trick, but did not reveal it in words. He just continued, "For the third and fourth armies, please decide for yourself who will go into battle."
"This disaster started in Chenliu, but Chen Gongtai had the confidence to carry out such a subversive act in Yanzhou. It is impossible that he only relied on the support of the celebrities in Chenliu. In my opinion, there must be teams in Shanyang, Dongping, Jiyin and other places in the central part of Yanzhou that responded to him."
"If we wait until we rescue the Lord of the Prefecture before suppressing the situation, the panic of the civil strife in Yanzhou will surely spread to all the counties, which will be disadvantageous to us. Please ask a general to immediately send troops to Jiyin and Dingtao to block the roads leading to Chenliu from the other counties. If there is any abnormal traffic, we can directly arrest the people involved. If the situation in the battle of Suanzao is unfavorable, we can also retreat here and wait for an opportunity to counterattack."
Cao Ren thought thoughtfully, "Then deploying troops here can be considered as a support."
"That's right," Man Chong said, "If this can be handled properly, we may be able to catch all the rebellious people in Yanzhou who responded to Chen Gongtai. As for how to deal with it, I will leave it to the Lord of the Mansion to decide."
"As for the last journey, I have a question for you all——"
"With the rise of the Yong Dynasty in Chang'an, how much attention will the court in Yecheng pay to us?"
Even though Xiahou Yuan was not considered good at thinking about strategies, he had to admit that this attention would definitely not be less!
Yuan Shao must either make sure as soon as possible that Cao Cao is on the same front with him, or eliminate him when he finds that Cao Cao is showing signs of defecting to Qiao Yan. He must not allow him to become Qiao Yan's helper.
It has been several days since Yecheng received the news of Qiao Yan's ascension to the throne. As long as Yuan Shao has any sense, he would definitely not take no action at this time.
Who can guarantee that they have not started to mobilize troops and horses to "pacify the country" first?
Seeing that Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan and others all showed some hesitation and worry on their faces, as if they had already come up with an answer, Man Chong continued: "Before the Lord makes a decision, please ask the last general to cross the river to the north and go straight to Dongwuyang to immediately arrange for the garrison in the north."
"Before I welcome the Lord back to Puyang, I must not allow Yuan Benchu's forces to cross the border at all!"
Cao Ren clapped his hands and said, "This is feasible. If the route taken by the Lord and Zhang Mengzhuo happens to avoid your search, and there is another route of support from Dongwuyang, it can just fill the gap."
In Cao Ren's view, the move to stop Yuan Shao should be praised.
Although the reasons why these Yanzhou families rebelled against Cao Cao were not explicitly stated in the letter sent by Cao Cao to Zao Zhi, Cao Ren could still guess the general idea.
The origin of the Peiguo Cao family is indeed far inferior to those noble families.
This stain on his identity could not be completely erased by Cao Cao taking control of Yanzhou and Yuzhou and conferring the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry on him.
Even in the hearts of these Yanzhou family children, Cao Cao's ability to sit in this position is clearly inseparable from their help.
Even those Xiliang bandits knew to choose a famous scholar to serve as their leader and as a benchmark for their external image when they rebelled; the aristocratic families in Yangzhou also disliked Sun Ce, the governor who was good at fighting, and even made a great contribution to his death; then, what about Yanzhou?
If they were forced to choose between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao as the ruler of Yanzhou, this group of people would definitely come up with thousands of reasons to abandon Cao and choose Yuan.
But this has nothing to do with their loyalty to the Han Dynasty. It is just to make their interests more secure. Stop with those high-sounding rhetoric!
Unfortunately, although Cao Ren had figured out the problem, Cao Cao had already strictly forbidden him from making any comments to outsiders.
At present, this precaution is inevitable due to the current situation.
When Cao Ren looked at Man Chong, there was a hint of approval in his eyes.
Chen Gong is a good-for-nothing who actually betrayed Cao Cao at such a critical moment, and even put him in danger. However, the person he recommended seems to have not only some ability in judicial affairs, but is also a genius in judging military affairs.
If Cao Ren were to conduct such an analysis, it would be impossible for him to be comprehensive and come up with all four routes at the same time.
Fortunately, even though Chen Gongtai is gone, they still have Man Boning!
"In addition, there must be someone in charge of Puyang City." Man Chong thought for a moment and said, "It is dawn now, and most people should not have noticed us gathering for the meeting, but the subsequent troop movements will inevitably leak out."
"While mobilizing the troops, we also need to quickly guard the people in the city who belong to Chen Gongtai's former subordinates to prevent them from causing chaos in the city."
"It would be best if this person had both sufficient fame and wisdom."
Cao Ren asked without thinking: "Where can we find such a person right now?"
If there really was one, it should have come out of Man Chong's mouth when the positions were being assigned just now. Why wait until now? ”
But the next moment he heard Man Chong say in a very confident tone: "Of course there are. I just said the right people to go to the battle. Who said we can only be limited to this?"
"Let Madam Ding take charge of the center, and Madam Bian assist from the side. What do you think?"
Madam Ding was Cao Cao's original wife and Cao Ang's adoptive mother.
As long as Cao Cao's former subordinates in the city still had some loyalty to Cao Cao, it would be impossible for them not to obey Mrs. Ding's orders when she was in charge.
Mrs. Ding was a woman of strong will and determination. At such a critical juncture, she should have represented Cao Cao in conveying an attitude that would reassure the people and soldiers.
Madam Bian was the mother of Cao Pi and Cao Zhang. She was mentioned by Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting when they decided to escape from the Qiao family. During the Dong Zhuo Rebellion, Madam Bian followed the army. After Cao Cao fled from Luoyang, it was she who gathered Cao Cao's family and remnants, and withdrew from Luoyang in an orderly manner, saving everyone and preventing them from falling into the hands of the enemy and becoming hostages. She was indeed a meticulous and wise woman.
Although it seemed a bit strange that the two ladies were responsible for deciding the affairs of Puyang instead of the generals guarding the city, when Man Chong made this decision, everyone present had to admit that this was indeed the best solution at the moment.
"Wonderful talent," Cao Ren looked at Xiahou Yuan and said, "Both of them have to rescue people, so they must set out first. Let's go and tell the two ladies the whole story and persuade them to take on this mission."
His agreement was revealed in these words.
Seeing Xiahou Yuan nod, Man Chong immediately said, "Okay, let's do this. Lieutenant Zao and I will mobilize the troops immediately and we must set out before noon."
All arrangements by all parties have been made. In the face of this sudden change, Cao Cao has done his best to respond to the situation. They must also perform their duties as quickly as possible, find and fill in the gaps, and must not do anything to hinder their progress.
But when everyone dispersed and walked out of the gate of the provincial capital, Zao Zhi couldn't help but sigh when he thought of the heavy responsibility behind sending troops to support Chenliu.
"Captain Zao, there is really no need to worry so much." Man Chong, who was traveling with him, happened to notice his action and spoke to comfort him.
As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed in one direction and said, "Look there."
Zao Zhi looked in the direction he pointed, and saw that the two people who came to report the news did not stay temporarily in the place where they were staying as he had arranged, but were looking at where they were from a distance, as if they wanted to know the result of their report and whether they could return home to farm as soon as possible.
He quickly asked someone to explain a few more things to the two of them. Only when they saw him did they seem to be convinced and followed the servants' footsteps and disappeared from his sight.
"Some things cannot be faked, such as the way these two messengers looked at you." Man Chong said, interrupting Zao Zhi's gaze which was still in the direction where the disappearing figure appeared.
Zao Zhi was stunned for a moment, "You are right."
Man Chong smiled and said, "But you see, those who intend to dethrone the Lord don't understand this truth. To them, these common people working in the fields cannot play any role in the struggle between the upper classes. Little do they know that the Emperor of Yong in Chang'an has already set an example - what the people want is the right path."
It happened that at this time Cao Cao captured the truth and was able to successfully convey the message.
Zao Zhi's expression suddenly relaxed, and he couldn't help but smile, "Yes, only those who win the support of the people can have a chance of victory."
From the eyes of the two people, one big and one small, he could clearly see a message from the silent communication that his years of contribution in Yanzhou were not in vain.
Not only did they accumulate the surplus grain that is now displayed in the warehouses of various counties to prepare for this year's unexpected needs, but they also accumulated the people's confidence and reliance on them.
This confidence finally blossomed in this spring and became an existence that cannot be ignored.
What was Cao Cao thinking when he chose to write about the Tuntian Commandant in the letter?
He probably wasn't just thinking that he didn't actually lose money on that cotton business that year.
Thinking of this, Zao Zhi, who was in charge of the farming, said in a rare and heroic manner: "With what you said, if I still can't bring back the eldest son and General Cao Zilian, I will come to you with my head on my shoulders!"
"What do I need your head for..." Man Chong couldn't help but complain, "Let me give you two more pieces of advice——"
"In other words, the wind is strong in spring, so we should use fire to reduce casualties. Now that the Yanzhou nobles have rebelled, our already limited manpower will be further reduced, so we don't have to worry about them being our allies."
Zao Zhi nodded.
Being kind at this time would not only be ineffective, but might also cause this sudden rebellion to spread to the entire territory of Yanzhou. It would be better to suppress it quickly.
Without the team of Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao who hold military power, the waves that the other families can stir up will be greatly reduced.
"The other is, be careful in the direction of Hulao Pass. Although I told you to pretend that this group of troops is dispatched from Luoyang, I am still a little worried..."
Man Chong looked to the west and suddenly sighed.
Over the past few years, Qiao Yan's performance in attacking various states across the world has been not only outstanding in military strength, but also in intelligence network.
Perhaps it can only be described by the word "outstanding".
This is because the other families have not been able to figure out all of her information channels and communication methods. Instead, they can only watch her use information gaps to achieve victories that ordinary people could hardly predict.
Well, it has been a day since the shocking incident in Yanzhou. Could it be that the Luoyang defenders inside Hulao Pass really knew nothing about it?
Maybe not!
However, if Yuan Shao from the north intervened in the rebellion of the Yanzhou soldiers initiated by Chen Gong, it would be enough to give them a headache. If Qiao Yan was also involved -
Man Chong felt that instead of saying here that there were people who would respond to the challenge and the situation was still under their control, it would be better for them to just surrender.
However, there is really no need to say this to Zao Zhi, especially to Xiahou Yuan and Cao Ren, who are more impatient.
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly heard Zao Zhi reply: "You just told me not to worry, but today you are worrying about yourself first. Anyway, let's take action first. Don't wait until I arrive in Suanzao before you bring the Lord back."
"Stop saying such sarcastic things," Man Chong replied, "I hope we can have good news!"
Yes, it is useless to think about it any further now, it is better to bring Cao Cao back first.
Although Cao Cao wrote in the letter that he had a long-term friendship with Zhang Miao, if this letter could be successfully delivered to Zao Zhi, it would mean that he was in a relatively safe state at this time.
But this kind of friendship is really something that cannot be gambled with!
If we talk about friendship, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao have to be said to be old acquaintances.
Just as Man Chong had guessed, Yuan Shao had already set out from Jizhou and was approaching the border between Jizhou and Yanzhou.
The boundary between Jizhou and Yanzhou is a bit special. It is not a strictly divided border, so Man Chong suggested that the location for stationing troops be Dongwuyang, rather than the boundary of any river or mountain.
Two hundred years ago, during the Wang Mang Reform period, the Yellow River burst its banks.
This breach caused the Yellow River, which was originally located on the border of Jizhou and Yanzhou, to move some distance into Yanzhou. Due to Wang Jing's achievements in river management and the fact that the direction of the new river channel was more suitable for the operation of the Yellow River, the new river channel was fixed in this way, and only some remaining traces can be seen in the old river channel.
Yuan Shao rode his horse forward, and the moment he crossed this hidden dividing line, his eyes looked towards the south, concealing some unspeakable ambition.
He told Xu You that he was going to Yanzhou to make sure that Cao Cao would not surrender to the enemy at this time and to consolidate the alliance.
But he couldn't help but have a thought flash through his mind the moment he received the news that Qiao Yan had proclaimed himself emperor -
If he could merge Yanzhou into the territory under his control, he would not have to be limited to the borders of Jizhou and Qingzhou.
Yanzhou, Xuzhou and Yuzhou are almost connected. With such resources in hand, he no longer has to be afraid of Qiao Yan in this confrontation between the East and the West!
So much so that at this moment, he felt that he should take advantage of Bingzhou's weakness to launch a war, and at the same time, he appeared in the territory of Yanzhou in a way that seemed aggressive but was actually evasive!
The Yellow River could be changed in course and invade eighty miles into the territory of Yanzhou. Why couldn't he use the resources of Yanzhou to strengthen himself at this time and give the Han Dynasty, which was in jeopardy with the emergence of the Yong Dynasty, a chance to regain its footing!
Thinking of this, Yuan Shao said to his followers who were disguised as merchants behind him: "Hurry up and remember your identities."
After he finished speaking, he turned to Xu You who was traveling with him and said, "After we cross the river from Dongwuyang and temporarily stay at Cangting, please ask Ziyuan to go west for me."
Yuan Shao was well aware of the unstable factors in Yanzhou.
One is the aristocratic family forces that are ready to make moves in Yanzhou.
One is the force in Chenliu, which is second only to Cao Cao.
It would be best for Yuan Shao to contact the aristocratic families personally.
Observing whether there was any discord in Chenliu due to Cao Cao's withdrawal and Qiao Yan's ascension to the throne was the specialty of a strategist like Xu You.
But at this moment, it was not just Xu You and his men who were eyeing the land of Chenliu as advisers.
Guo Jia leaned on the top of Hulao Pass and looked towards the mountain road where the border of Yanzhou could not be seen in the distance with a playful expression.
Today, a secret letter from Qiao Yan was delivered to his desk.
There is a line of words written on it -
Those who resist will die.
If Yanzhou were to be conquered by them, would these stubborn aristocratic families be the ones who would resist to the bitter end?
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