Chapter 398 Cao Cao escapes from trouble
"Mr. Fengxiao, should we send out troops?" Seeing that Guo Jia had been looking outside the Great Wall for a long time, Xu Huang, who was with him, asked.
Guo Jia withdrew his gaze from the outside of the pass and replied, "It is time to send troops, but we cannot just send troops."
As he walked slowly towards the camp inside the pass, he said, "After all, your majesty wants me to be a villain."
Xu Huang didn't quite understand what Guo Jia wanted to express.
Guo Jia was appointed the Governor of Yanzhou ahead of schedule. Judging from the title, it should be a sign that Qiao Yan is entrusting him with an important task, right?
However, Guo Jia obviously did not intend to explain so much to Xu Huang. He smiled and said, "You will know when you enter Yanzhou."
Chen Gong's plan might not have been so easily noticed by Guo Jia, but the movement of Shouzhang Wang to Suiyang of Liang State did not escape the eyes of Qiao Yan, who had been keeping an eye on this branch for a long time.
It was precisely because of Qiao's decision and actions that the class war in Yanzhou was clearly seen by Guo Jia who was in Hulao Pass.
It's not Cao Cao that these people are opposing.
It is clear that the person they are opposing is His Majesty who is in Chang'an!
In this environment where everyone is competing to get ahead and broaden their horizons, what they are thinking about is not relying on the capital accumulated by themselves for several generations to gain a sufficiently advantageous position, but rather intending to bring down those who created this situation. This is extremely conservative.
The reason they dared to attack Cao Cao first was because they felt that they could command the support of hundreds of people here, and could rely on the results of their battle here to induce a wave of support from people who followed this path throughout the world.
Although your Majesty has been on the throne for only a dozen years, he is also a typical example of accumulation of strength and then development. How could he give them such an opportunity?
"Those who resist will die!"
This is their ultimatum.
Under your Majesty's rule, the aristocratic families are currently afraid to make any reaction due to the statements of Xun Yu, Chen Qun, Yang Xiu and others, as well as the military deterrence of your Excellency. Instead, they want to see how Yuan Shao can perform in the decisive battle with your Majesty, in order to seize a good opportunity. Then, show them what the end will be for those who still stubbornly stand on the cornerstone of the old era!
How could there be no casualties in a war like attacking Yanzhou...
"Pass my order," Guo Jia ordered, "Send a messenger out of Huanyuan Pass immediately and order General Huang of Yingchuan to march north and directly into Chenliu."
Cao Cao was not a man who would sit idly by and wait for death in the face of sudden changes in Yanzhou, and neither were his subordinates.
If there were any unusual movements among the noble families in Yanzhou, Chenliu where Cao Cao was now would definitely not be spared.
Although the news has not yet reached Guo Jia's ears, the situation there may not be peaceful at the moment.
If Cao Cao wanted to suppress the situation, he would have to dispatch the Puyang garrison south to Chenliu.
When the battle in northern Chenliu begins, it will be the perfect time for them to take advantage of the situation!
Cao Cao's scouts between Hulao Pass and Suanzao have not been transferred away, which means that if they want to get involved, it is not yet the time to directly enter the battlefield. Therefore, Yingchuan, located south of Chenliu, is far more suitable for sending troops than Hulao Pass where they are now.
What's more, by advancing along this route, they have not yet broken the agreement on dividing Yingchuan and Runan into one region. Even Cao Cao cannot accuse Your Majesty of a single mistake!
With Yuan Huan and Huang Zhong in Yingchuan, Guo Jia believed that his transfer order would never be misunderstood by the other party.
They cannot have any hesitation and must send troops as soon as possible the moment they receive the news!
"As for us," he looked at the eagerness on Xu Huang's face and couldn't help but feel that the prince had made the most correct choice when he asked him to lead the vanguard team in order to change his wandering mentality. "Once the news of the battle in Chenliu reaches us, it will be time for us to take action!"
This was also the time when they entered Yanzhou!
As Man Chong made a plan to attack from four directions, and as Guo Jia issued an order to march to Yingchuan, the area from Hulao Pass in the west to Shouzhang in Dongping in the east, from Dongwuyang in Dongjun in the north to Yingchuan in the south, at this time when spring returned to the earth, it had suddenly fallen into a tense atmosphere with a dormant sense of killing.
Once one of the fuses is ignited, this dispute involving three or four forces will erupt into the first explosion since the establishment of Dayong.
However, Zhang Miao, who was in the midst of this turbulent situation, was clearly the second most powerful armed force in Yanzhou after Cao Cao. He had not even noticed the trend of movement in all directions. All he did at the moment was to "escort" Cao Cao north to Yecheng with this team of more than a hundred people.
After a night's rest, he ordered his soldiers to cook the rice bought yesterday using local ingredients, and did not mind that Cao Cao got up a little late.
It was just that after Cao Cao stood up, he asked someone to follow his footsteps closely.
Cao Cao's various arguments successfully confused Zhang Miao's judgment, which left him with only this little persistence -
Once Cao Cao's men came to support him, he would first hold them hostage to prevent them from escaping from his control and making all their plans fail.
Zhang Miao believed that this surveillance was a safeguard that would not harm their friendship, but Cao Cao saw it clearly.
But he did not show any expression. He just stretched out his hand to straighten his robe, looking more and more like he was going to Yecheng to meet the emperor.
After making the decision under the influence of drunkenness and impulse, he returned to his previous state of planning and strategizing, which made Zhang Miao feel a little scared for no reason when he met his gaze, and he couldn't help feeling a little guilty.
Fortunately, after breakfast, he only heard Cao Cao say: "I know Meng Zhuo's worries. Since I came here to prove my innocence, I should also arrange the route properly to reassure Meng Zhuo."
"I……"
Zhang Miao had just opened his mouth when Cao Cao raised his hand. "At this time, the two countries are fighting each other. You should be cautious. It will not hurt our brotherly and family friendship. If I go to Puyang now, although I have no intention of doing so, it will inevitably make you suspicious. It is better for me to go north from here to Bai Ma and cross the river to Liyang in Jizhou. What do you think?"
Zhang Miao: "That's good, but Meng De..."
If Chen Gong were here, he might feel that the more stable the arrangement was, the more bizarre Cao Cao's behavior seemed. However, Zhang Miao, who was here, would not think so much. He only felt that he had forced Cao Cao into a very difficult situation.
Cao Cao interrupted him, "No need to say more. If Yanzhou cannot unite to face the outside world, it will sooner or later become a target for Qiao Yeshu to seize. I just hope that when I return from this trip, Meng Zhuo and I will no longer have any grudges against each other and fight side by side."
The phrase "no more grudges" was Cao Cao's sincere hope, but unfortunately the sign of their incompatibility had already appeared, so there was no chance for them to cooperate again.
Heading north to Bai Ma could not only dispel Zhang Miao's last bit of doubt, but also avoid the pursuing soldiers who came to report the news.
And if the news had been received in Puyang City, Man Chong would never have misjudged his movements with his intelligence.
There are many places that are easy to set up ambushes and abandoned forts on the road from Weixiang to Bai Ma, which will definitely help rescue him.
Even if it fails, the route heading in the direction of Bai Ma will lower Zhang Miao's vigilance, which will always come in handy in his escape.
"Let's go. It's already daybreak. If we don't set off now, we won't be able to reach Yecheng before noon tomorrow."
Cao Cao kicked his horse's belly and headed north first. The guards and Zhang Miao behind him followed immediately.
After walking for an hour or two, they were not too far away from the white horse. Thinking of the smooth journey, the few doubts in Zhang Miao's heart had already evaporated under the sun.
He even listened with interest to Cao Cao's talk about how he had controlled the East County of Yanzhou after Dong Zhuo's rebellion, and how much money and grain he had at that time. Zhang Miao, who also participated in the Suanzao League, should have been very clear about it. In short, he was short of both people and money.
It's no wonder that he chose to rob the rich and help the poor in such a difficult situation. He robbed all the forts in Puyang, Baima and Dongwuyang, and dug out the able-bodied men and money and food hidden in them.
"Qiao Yeshu did this to gain the trust of the Yellow Turban leader, so that the local tyrants would not be so easily deceived. Fortunately, I had the position of governor of Dongjun County invited by the court at that time." Cao Cao smiled, and had a self-righteous attitude of being a robber. "Of course, some robberies are not to be told to outsiders. If they are told to others, they will say... surrender and incorporation. Otherwise, it would be strange if the Xu family of Qiao County and the Li family of Juye did not fight with me first."
Zhang Miao also laughed when he heard this, "You are now using the methods of the powerful to deal with the powerful."
"People in the same class know best what the other person is thinking." Cao Cao waved his hand nonchalantly and said.
There seemed to be some hidden meaning in these words, but when Zhang Miao looked towards Cao Cao, he saw that the other party was clearly not asking him any questions or doubts, but had already set his gaze on a fortress that they happened to pass by at this moment.
He even got off his horse when he was only a little distance away from here.
Walking at a pace that ensured he could see the details of the place clearly allowed him to continue reminiscing about the past and then continue his conversation with Zhang Miao.
"This thing is a good thing to preserve property and lives when war really happens. When I was looking in the direction of Hulao Pass a few days ago, I even thought that if there were a few more of these along the road from Hulao Pass to Suanzao to serve as bridgehead outposts, I can guarantee that I can always stop Qiao Yeshu's troops from entering."
"But for Yanzhou, this is something that is difficult to control." Cao Cao touched the wall and said, "Look, these forts that were once quite solid have become overgrown with weeds."
Due to years of neglect, the dead grass here has been growing endlessly. However, due to the drought in recent years, the weeds have been unable to grow too tall, making the place seem even more desolate.
The only remaining sign that people once lived here was a wooden pole hanging on the top of the fortress, with a strip of cloth on it that was hard to tell whether it was black or white.
"Was it hung up when they surrendered?" Zhang Miao saw a smile on Cao Cao's face when he looked at that place, so he guessed what Cao Cao said.
Cao Cao smiled and said, "Of course. But let's not talk about this anymore. This old story is nothing to brag about. We still have to wait and see."
"Let's go. There's no need to look at the places behind. It's more important to hurry on."
Seeing that Cao Cao had withdrawn his gaze from the fort and was about to turn around and walk towards the horse he was riding, Zhang Miao also withdrew his gaze.
There was a smooth official road ahead. If we walked along it for another half an hour, we would reach the river crossing outpost that Cao Cao had mentioned.
However, just as Cao Cao was about to move forward, there was a sudden noise on the top of the fortress, which should have been deserted for a long time, and a huge wicker basket fell down without any delay.
Zhang Miao was caught off guard by such a scene and had no time to react before he saw Cao Cao grab the thing and without hesitation, he crouched down and hid under the basket.
This huge basket was just big enough to cover a person tightly. Even if it fell from the top of the fort, it was not high enough to knock a person unconscious, so Cao Cao's dodging action seemed unusually smooth.
Even without any prior communication, his performance at this moment could be described as tacit understanding.
Zhang Miao's face changed.
This rattan basket is much more tightly woven than the ordinary ones, and it looks like the rattan is used as armor.
If it really appears on the battlefield, it can be used as a shield when necessary.
He had heard Cao Cao brag about the dual uses of this item before, but he never expected to see it at this time.
The appearance of this thing and Cao Cao's quick response at that moment made Zhang Miao no longer doubt the origin of this thing.
There was no way that it could be something left here. It was obvious that someone had deliberately thrown it out with the intention of helping Cao Cao escape!
But he realized at this moment that even the white cloth might be a signal from Cao Cao's subordinates to him, so what use was it?
When the opponent has already seized the initiative, the subsequent changes happen in just a moment.
Zhang Miao was just about to order his men to dismount and open the wicker basket, not even worrying about Cao Cao's life, and just kick it open with the horses' hooves, when suddenly hundreds of arrows were fired from the top of the fortress, heading straight towards him.
Under the attack of arrows that covered him in an instant, the only safe place was none other than under the rattan basket where Cao Cao was!
It's not just because of the protection of the rattan basket, but also because Cao Cao's position is right under the fortress, which is somewhat of a blind spot for shooting.
The soldiers led by Man Chong on the top of the city wall were almost all people who were good at shooting and were deliberately selected by him. They all deliberately avoided the position where Cao Cao was.
At most, there would still be a few stray arrows that would pass through the wicker basket, but they would not be able to break through its defense at all.
But Zhang Miao was not so relaxed.
The arrows that hit the war horses caused the horses, which were supposed to obey orders, to immediately flee away from the fort.
The deaths of cavalrymen on war horses made the situation even more out of control.
When he reined in his horse and turned back, an arrow shot by someone unknown pierced Zhang Miao's head accurately at this moment, knocking him off his horse. The arrows from behind also pierced him into a sieve.
If Zhang Miao was still alive, these soldiers might be able to make some proper responses under his command. Even if not many of them could escape, they could at least try to drag Cao Cao into the water instead of letting him be crushed by another basket falling from the top of the city wall, putting him in an increasingly safe state.
That's layers of protection where there's no need to worry about being accidentally hurt.
Although when Cao Cao was helped out of the wicker basket by Man Chong, he still couldn't help but touch the top of his head which had been hit hard, and then he showed his emotion of surviving a disaster to the other party.
"Bo Ning, it's a good thing you didn't throw down a shield, otherwise my head would not be made of iron."
Cao Cao's gaze turned to Zhang Miao's body. The melancholy and sadness on his face occupied his entire expression for a moment, but when he thought of the current situation in Yanzhou, he quickly forced himself to calm his heart.
This was not the time for him to mourn the death of his old friend.
If he hadn't made the decision quickly enough and his subordinates hadn't reacted so quickly, he would have been the one to lose his life! "Tell me everything that happens after you receive the message."
Now that he has escaped, it is time to launch a full-scale counterattack!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
