sjar Chapter 321 Alone
Chapter 321 Alone
Chapter 321 Alone
Qiao County.
Cao Cao returned to his hometown again. Looking at the dilapidated county town with almost no people living there, he had a blank expression on his face, but felt depressed and uncomfortable in his heart.
Yang Xiu and Sima Yi accompanied him. As the chief clerk, Yang Xiu almost always held a thick book such as an account book in his hands.
Xu Chu followed Cao Cao like a door god, keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings.
Cao Cao came to the city gate, looked at the ruins, sighed and said: "A good city has become like this."
Yang Xiu also felt sorry for it and said, "I heard that Dong Zhuo demolished the city wall to build a fortress and took away the bricks and stones."
Cao Cao nodded, thinking about rebuilding it and making it an important logistical and strategic location.
At this time, a minor official ran over, handed Yang Xiu a letter, and whispered a few words.
After Yang Xiu heard this, he waved his hand, stepped forward and handed it to Cao Cao, saying, "General, this is another letter from Dong Zhuo."
"What's this about truce, alliance, dividing Yuzhou and so on?" Cao Cao didn't care at all, looked towards the direction of Pei State, and said lightly.
Yang Xiu tore open the letter, read it, and said, "Yes. I also want to marry the general."
"OK,"
Cao Cao couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't a cold laugh, but a hearty one. He said loudly, "My eldest daughter is only three years old. Is this old thief Dong asking me to be his son-in-law? Do you want me to recognize him as my foster father?"
Dong Zhuo liked to adopt sons, and adopting sons was an important means for him to win people's hearts.
Yang Xiu and the others naturally did not think that Cao Cao would be willing to be Dong Zhuo's adopted son. They thought, "General, Dong Zhuo's repeated letters may have evil intentions."
Yuan Shao destroyed Gongsun Zan and led his troops northward. The "battle against Dong Zhuo" was about to break out. It would be strange if Dong Zhuo could sit still.
Cao Cao looked towards Pei State and asked, "What about Lü Bu?"
Dong Zhuo's army, at most, does not exceed 100,000. It seems that he has occupied Yuzhou, but due to the encirclement and suppression by the imperial court, his army is shrinking. Now, Lu Bu in Xuzhou has become a key. Once Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu collude with each other, the depth of Dong Zhuo's maneuvers will be greatly increased, which is not conducive to the imperial court's expedition!
Yang Xiu flipped open the book in his hand and looked up and said, "General, Lü Bu has retreated to Qingzhou and has not made any movement for the time being. However, Sun Ce, the son of Wucheng Marquis Sun Jian, is very brave and has been fighting with Lü Bu for Guangling County. Judging from the battle reports, he has more victories than defeats."
Cao Cao's expression changed slightly, he turned his head and asked, "More wins than losses?"
Yang Xiu nodded and said, "The news from the Imperial City says that Guangling County is currently divided into two, and Sun Ce occupies half of it. Sun Jian's former generals and advisers are all fully supporting Sun Ce. Sun Ce is also very brave and fought with Lu Bu for thirty rounds without a clear winner. Not long ago, he almost captured Lu Bu alive, but was stopped by Lu Bu's subordinate Gao Shun and failed."
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Sun Ce, I do have some impression of you. I am very relieved that Marquis Wucheng has a successor."
Cao Cao and Sun Jian had some friendship, and they once fought together under Huangfu Song and Zhang Wen to fight against the Yellow Turban Army.
Yang Xiu glanced around and saw that there was no one else. He stepped forward and whispered, "General, Yuan Shao must have lent 5,000 soldiers to Sun Ce in order to win him over. Liu Biao of Jingzhou is unpredictable, and Shi Xie of Jiaozhi has a special relationship with the Sun family. If all this is taken into account, I am worried that you will be isolated in the future alliance."
Cao Cao's narrow eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, and he laughed loudly, saying, "Isolation is nothing. If I can destroy Dong Zhuo, I will give him my life even if it means taking his life!"
After saying this, Cao Cao strode away.
Yang Xiu looked at Cao Cao's back with a complicated expression.
Cao Cao was a man of courage, strength, and vision, and he was a man who could accomplish great things. But he always felt inexplicably uneasy when facing Cao Cao.
Sima Yi was much calmer. He followed Cao Cao respectfully, carefully watching his every move and every word.
In the evening of the next day, Cao Cao was training his soldiers outside the city. As he watched the army's morale gradually recover, his confidence also grew.
Xiahou Yuan was much thinner than before. He walked around the military camp and drank continuously.
Cao Ren stood on the watchtower, waving flags and directing the drills.
At this moment, Cao Ren turned around and saw Cao Hong and Cao Ang guarding Guo Jia, running towards them.
Cao Ren hurriedly got down from the watchtower and came to Cao Cao's side. Before he could say anything, Cao Cao also heard the sound of horse hooves and turned his head.
Cao Ang jumped off his horse first and said anxiously, "Father, Yuan Shao wants you to discuss matters with his army!"
Cao Cao remained calm when he heard this.
Cao Hong and Guo Jia dismounted one after another and came forward.
Cao Hong said, "General, Le Jin sent someone to tell us that Xu You has arrived in Zhongli and has delivered a letter from Yuan Shao, asking you to go to his camp to discuss the matter."
"Father, I can't go!"
Cao Ang looked solemn and said, "Yuan Shao just killed Gongsun Zan and wants father to go to his camp. He must have evil intentions and wants to harm father!"
Cao Cao looked normal. He was silent for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "The rear general and I have been close friends for many years and served in the same court. Now I am ordered to fight against the enemy. How can he harm me? Stop talking nonsense!"
Cao Ang was immediately anxious. Just as he was about to speak, Guo Jia took a sip of wine and said with a leisurely smile, "Sir, the general is right. No one can compare to the general in understanding the rear general. If the general says that the rear general has no ill intentions, then he has no ill intentions."
Cao Ang was young and hot-tempered. He became even more anxious after hearing what Guo Jia said. He said, "Father, this is the Hongmen Banquet. We must not go. If Yuan Shao really wants to negotiate, we can go to another place. Why should we go to his camp? Father, listen to me. We must not take any risks!"
Cao Cao snorted coldly and said, "Stop talking like a child! Prepare your horses. I want to go and see the rear general."
Cao Ang wanted to say more but was quietly stopped by Cao Ren.
Xiahou Yuan rushed over and said, "I will escort the general. If Yuan Shao dares to mess around, I will kill him first!"
Cao Cao's face turned pale. He looked around and shouted in a deep voice, "Don't talk nonsense! The rear general was appointed by the court. He is Cao Cao's superior. No one can disrespect him. Everyone must respect him!"
Everyone had a stern face, worried about Cao Cao's safety. They didn't believe a word he said, and had no way to refute it.
Guo Jia drank with a smile on his face.
Cao Cao mounted his horse, looked down at the crowd, and said, "The matter here will be decided by Fengxiao and Zixiao. Anyone who moves without their permission will be executed!"
When the people present saw Cao Cao about to ride his horse, Cao Ang said hurriedly, "I will go with my father."
Cao Cao pulled the reins and looked towards Zhongli County, saying, "I have Yuan Rang and Le Jin, so I don't need anyone else."
After saying this, Cao Cao rode away on his horse. In a blink of an eye, he was out of the camp and disappeared from everyone's sight.
Cao Ren, who was always calm and composed, was uneasy. He turned to Guo Jia and said, "Military Advisor, you are silent, but is there any way to ensure the general's safety?"
When the others heard this, they all came over and stared at Guo Jia.
Guo Jia touched the wine on the corner of his mouth and said with a smile: "General, you are sure that Yuan Shao dare not do anything to him. Don't you believe in the general?"
The people surrounding him were blocked from saying a word by his words.
Cao Ang was concerned about his father and said, "But my father is alone, I am still worried. How about I take some people to chase him and protect him?"
Guo Jia was very satisfied with Cao Ang's filial piety. He drank a sip of wine and said, "If you really go, not only will you have to go back to your hometown, but I'm afraid Zixiao and I will have to go together."
Cao Ang suddenly remembered the order Cao Cao gave him before he left, and looked helpless and uneasy.
Guo Jia held Cao Ang down and looked in the direction where Cao Cao left. His eyes were leisurely and filled with deep appreciation and admiration.
What others said was right. Cao Cao’s life or death was uncertain on this trip, and it was a big risk. Who could predict what Yuan Shao was thinking?
But Cao Cao decided to go without hesitation. How many people in the world today can match his courage?
Cao Cao left Qiao County alone and headed straight for Zhongli County.
After arriving at Zhongli County, he slept for only an hour, then took Xiahou Dun alone, left the city and headed towards Yuan Shao's camp.
At this time, Yuan Shao was having a banquet with a group of people.
Yuan Shao sat on the main seat, smiling, looking down at the civil and military officials below.
Xu You was quick to pick up the wine glass and said loudly: "Everyone, I have heard that the court is about to appoint you as the governor of Yangzhou. Congratulations, let us toast you together!"
A group of people picked up their wine glasses and raised their hands together and said, "Congratulations, General!"
Yuan Shao was quite satisfied. He picked up the wine glass and said, "Everyone, drink up!"
Yuan Shao was overwhelmed with emotion and said with a smile: "These achievements are not mine, but all thanks to you. I have drafted a memorial to detail your achievements, and I will give you rewards soon. I hope you will work with me to create new achievements!"
"I will obey the general's orders!" Everyone said in unison. Although many people knew Yuan Shao's thoughts, they still cared a lot about the reward from the court.
The false reputation given by the court is still very useful at this time.
Xu You didn't want to let others get ahead of him, so he glanced at the others and said loudly, "General, wait for the alliance meeting. As the general, you will be the general in the future. It will be easy for you to command the troops and destroy Dong Zhuo. By then, it won't be a problem for you to be made a marquis and a prime minister!"
In the past, Yuan Shao naturally yearned to be granted a title of nobility and become a prime minister, but now, he has a bigger goal.
He kept smiling as he looked around at everyone in the tent.
Ju Shou, Zhang Dao, Tian Feng, Xu You, Zhang He, Gao Gan... It can be said that there are many talented people, both civil and military.
Tian Feng, Zhang Dao, Gao Gan and others naturally hoped that Yuan Shao's future would rise and be limitless.
Only Tian Feng was busy drinking, ignoring the flattery from outside.
Yuan Shao ignored him and said in a deep voice, "I have received letters from more than ten people. They will form an alliance with me in Qiao County to jointly attack Dong Zhuo. If Cao Cao is included, the total force will exceed 100,000. In mid-September, we will march out of Qiao County to attack Dong Zhuo!"
When the crowd heard this, they whispered to each other and nodded continuously, all of them agreeing.
Seeing this, Xu You immediately said, "General, Xiahou Dun and Le Jin must have been in Zhongli County for many days. When I went to Zhongli County, Cao Cao's generals were very arrogant and never told me the truth. Qiao County is Cao Cao's hometown, so I'm afraid... he may not be willing."
Xu You's words were quite tactful, but every word was using Cao Cao to slap Yuan Shao in the face.
As expected, Yuan Shao's expression flashed gloomy, then he laughed loudly and said, "Cao Mengde and I are old acquaintances. This time we are ordered to suppress the bandits. Mengde will not do anything stupid. Besides, I am the rear general. If Cao Cao does something wrong, I will not sit idly by and watch. You don't need to worry."
Tian Feng faintly heard the sound of fighting in Yuan Shao's seemingly thoughtful words, and looked up at Yuan Shao with indifferent eyes.
'Yuan Shao, have murderous intentions towards Cao Cao? Tian Feng began to feel uneasy.
Ju Su glanced at Xu You coldly, raised his hand, and said loudly: "General, you are wise! I suggest that we first submit a letter to the court, listing Cao Cao's crimes."
Yuan Shao nodded and said, "Let Military Advisor Ju handle this matter."
Ju Su was very happy and said, "Thank you, General. I will definitely fulfill my mission!"
Yuan Shao was even more satisfied. Before he could speak, Xu You said, "General, the meeting is imminent. If Cao Cao doesn't come, should we prepare for it early?"
Tian Feng looked at Yuan Shao coldly, and was very alert.
Yuan Shao smiled, but a gloomy look appeared in his eyes.
If Cao Cao refuses to let him go or refuses to join the alliance, he doesn't mind just destroying Cao Cao first!
In his opinion, how could this descendant of the eunuch party, a dissolute and obscene man from Luoyang City, have the qualifications to associate with him?
Gao Gan was the most angry and said directly: "Uncle, if Cao Cao doesn't know what's good for him, I think we should just ignore him and directly attack Zhongli and punish Cao Cao!"
After these words were spoken, the big tent fell into silence.
Gongsun Zan was killed because he was the first to take action, and Yuan Shao used the banner of "self-defense", which was understandable.
But Cao Cao was different. He was the favorite of the current emperor and the only general sent by the court to fight against Dong Zhuo. If Yuan Shao killed Cao Cao, he would be committing open treason just like Dong Zhuo.
Xu You was also frightened. He just wanted to show Cao Cao his power but didn't want to go to war with him. What was the difference between that and rebellion?
Ju Su was about to speak, but when he saw Xu You and Tian Feng were silent, he simply did not respond.
Yuan Shao saw that only Gao Gan said this, and he knew it was not the right time. He smiled and said, "Didn't I just say that Meng De and I have been close friends for many years. How could it come to that? I believe Meng De, he will definitely come."
No one responded to this polite remark, but they all secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
They did not want to rebel and follow Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu's footsteps.
As for Cao Cao, they were sure that Cao Cao would not dare to come.
This was a blatant Hongmen Banquet. Now that Cao Cao had arrived, even if Yuan Shao did not kill him, if he was kept detained, it would be better for Cao Cao to die.
"Report!"
A messenger suddenly rushed in, knelt on one knee and shouted: "General, General Yangwei Cao Cao wants to see you."
Xu You, Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Zhang He and others were all stunned. Cao Cao actually came?
Yuan Shao had not expected Cao Cao to dare to come, and he was filled with doubt and uncertainty, asking, "How many troops did he bring?"
"We only brought one person, two people in total." the messenger shouted.
Inside the big tent, everyone held their breath, and it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Not only did Cao Cao dare to come, he actually brought someone with him!
Yuan Shao was even more shocked, but he showed no sign of it. He laughed and said, "Everyone, what I said is true, isn't it? Come on, come and prepare a banquet. I want to drink with Meng De and have a long chat all night long!"
Ju Su agreed and quickly made arrangements.
Tian Feng was extremely uneasy, looking outside the big tent with a frown on his face.
How come Cao Cao really came!
Xu You was surprised and a little panicked. In his impression, Cao Cao was indeed brave but also afraid of death. How could he dare to come to Yuan Shao's camp alone?