Can I get to the other side?

The towering Mount Tai has witnessed the succession of dynasties in China and the entire history of China.

Qin Shihuang once offered sacrifices to the gods on Mount Tai, which attracted the admiration of all the later emperors.

Today, another emperor passed by Mount Tai.

However, he did not come here to offer sacrifices to the gods, but rode alone on horseback.

After more than ten days, Emperor Xian of Han traveled all the way and finally arrived at Tai'an City next to Mount Tai.

After revealing his identity, the city guard immediately welcomed him in respectfully.

After bathing, changing clothes, and having a good meal, Emperor Xian of Han lay on the bed and couldn't help but sighed comfortably, muttering:

"Sikong, after I go back, I will listen to you in everything."

"If you want to be Yi Yin, I will let you be Yi Yin. If you want to be Huo Guang, I will let you be Huo Guang."

The experience after escaping from Xu County has made him completely desperate, but it has also made him think clearly.

The princes outside are far inferior to Cao Cao.

He has no troops and no power. No matter who falls into his hands, he will inevitably become a puppet.

Even other princes will regard him as a false emperor, either killing him or sending him to Yecheng to seek credit.

Rather than this, it is better to return to Xu County safely.

As long as he cooperates with Cao Cao, it may not be impossible to restore the Han Dynasty.

Even after restoring the Han Dynasty, he is still a puppet, so what?

Does Cao Cao dare to usurp the Han Dynasty!

As long as he dares not to usurp the Han Dynasty, let him be a powerful minister for a few years.

How powerful was Huo Guang back then?

In the end, power will return to the emperor!

He is still young and can outlast Cao Cao.

Once Cao Cao dies, power will fall into his hands again!

…

Yanzhou, Xu County.

Sikong Mansion.

Council Hall.

Cao Cao looked at the counselors and generals in front of the hall, and his heart was full of pride.

So what if he can't hold the emperor hostage to control the princes?

In this chaotic world, a real man should take up a three-foot sword and make great achievements.

"After Lu Bu withdrew, we took the opportunity to occupy two of the five counties he occupied, and the remaining three counties were occupied by Sun Quan and Zhou Yu."

"I think we should take advantage of the war between the pseudo-emperor and Yuan Shao to compete with Sun Quan for more territory!"

"How to take Yangzhou from Sun Quan, what do you think? Let's discuss it together."

After Cao Cao's voice fell, Xiahou Dun was the first to stand up and said loudly: "I am willing to lead the army to Yangzhou!"

Before Yuan Shu was defeated, he and Cao Chun led the army to compete with Lu Bu and Sun Ce for Yangzhou.

As a result, he was defeated by Lu Bu, and even one of his eyes was blinded.

In order to prevent Yuan Shao from attacking from the rear, he had to withdraw his troops back to Yuzhou, and he didn't get any of the territory left by Yuan Shu in the end.

This matter has always been regarded as a great shame.

Now this opportunity is simply a godsend.

Now he is going to enter Yangzhou again, and his opponents have changed to Sun Quan and Zhou Yu. How can he not take the opportunity to wash away the shame?

Before Cao Cao responded to Xiahou Dun, Cheng Yu frowned and said: "Sikong, I think that we have occupied the two counties of Yangzhou and have been able to gain a firm foothold in Yangzhou. Instead of putting all the main forces into Yangzhou and fighting for territory with Sun Quan, why not take advantage of the emptiness of Yecheng and take Yecheng directly?"

"How can the counties of Yangzhou compare with Wei County, Guangyang County, and Pingyang County?"

"Conquer Yecheng and even have a chance to capture the false emperor!"

"In this way, Sikong will not be at a disadvantage when facing Yuan Shao again."

Cheng Yu's suggestion immediately received support from many people.

But Cao Cao was in a dilemma.

He could naturally attack Yecheng when the army of Yecheng rushed to Qingzhou.

But he was afraid that he could not capture Yecheng in a short time, so that the army of Yecheng would come back to help, and then he would completely offend the emperor there.

Cheng Yu and others thought that the one in Yecheng was a fake emperor, but he knew that he was not a fake emperor!

Once he offended him to death, the way out that he had left for himself would be completely cut off.

Just when Cao Cao hesitated, Xu You stood up and said, "No!"

"Sikong may be able to capture Weijun, Guangyangjun, and Pingyangjun, but it is impossible to capture Yecheng in a short time."

"Yecheng has long been managed by Yuan Shao as solid as a rock. Only relying on the city defense army in the city, it can also support until Lu Bu and Zhang Liao lead the army from Qingzhou to help."

"In my opinion, attacking Yecheng at this time is tantamount to wasting Yangzhou's great opportunity!"

Xu You spoke righteously on the surface, but he was extremely worried in his heart.

He was worried that Cao Cao would go crazy and attack Yecheng, and he was also worried that Cao Cao's power would expand to Yangzhou.

After Lu Bu withdrew from Yangzhou, Liu Biao did not move his troops, and the biggest beneficiaries were none other than Sun Quan and Cao Cao.

He did not want to see any of these two traitors become powerful.

What he wanted to see most was that Cao Cao would stay put like Liu Biao.

But this was obviously impossible.

After listening to Xu You's analysis, Cao Cao nodded and looked at Xun Yu and Xun You, uncle and nephew.

"Wen Ruo, Gongda, what do you two think?"

Xun Yu pondered for a moment. Although he and Xu You disagreed, he still agreed with his point of view at this moment.

He said: "I think what Xu Ziyuan said is right. The complete fall of Qingzhou is a foregone conclusion. What Lu Bu and Zhang Liao have to do next is nothing more than cleaning up the battlefield and clearing out Yuan Tan's remnants."

"The battle of Qingzhou was too smooth. If Lu Bu and Zhang Liao's army were caught in a hard battle, Sikong would still have a chance to capture Yecheng. Now, there is no chance."

After Xun Yu finished speaking, Xun You continued:

"I also agree with what my uncle and Xu Ziyuan said. However, after the puppet emperor captures Qingzhou, he will inevitably have to fight Yuan Shao. No matter who wins or loses, both sides will eventually go south to Yanzhou."

"Sikong, with the two states of Yanzhou and Yuzhou, is definitely not his opponent. Therefore, Yangzhou is very important to Sikong."

"If we can capture Jiangbei before winter, we can send troops to Jiangdong next year. Sun Quan does not have the prestige yet to make the Jiangdong nobles surrender."

"If Sikong sends troops to Jiangdong and secretly promises the interests of Jiangdong's nobles, then Sun Quan and Zhou Yu can defeat him!"

"After winning Jiangdong, even if the puppet emperor or Yuan Shao goes south to attack Yanzhou, Sikong can still lead his people to retreat to Jiangdong and use the danger of the Yangtze River to expand southward even if he is defeated."

"There is something going on in the world below, and Liu Biao is sitting between Baojiang and Han Dynasties. He has no plans for the four directions. Jingzhou can also be mapped."

"After Sikong captures Jiangdong and Jingzhou, he can send troops to Yizhou. Yizhou is a dangerous fortress with thousands of miles of fertile wilderness, a land of abundance. However, Liu Zhang is cowardly and suspicious, and his talent is not a hero, so there is no need to worry about it. Sikong can replace him."

"If so, then hegemony will be achieved!"

Cao Cao's eyes suddenly lit up as he listened.

Xun You's words simply pointed out the direction of future development for him.

If he really captures Jiangdong, Jingzhou and Yizhou, even if Yanzhou and Yuzhou are lost, even if the emperor or Yuan Shao unifies the north, there will be nothing he can do.

His worst outcome is to share the world with him!

"What Gongda said made me enlightened!" Cao Cao was as excited as if he had opened the door to a new world. He patted the table, looked at Xiahou Dun, who was blind in one eye, and said:

"Yuan Rang, you will still be the main general in this expedition to Yangzhou! Are you confident in seizing Jiangbei and driving Sun Quan and Zhou Yu to Jiangdong?"

Cheng Yu sighed when he saw this.

Sun Quan and Zhou Yu were able to confront Lü Bu for nearly a year. How could they be easy-going people?

Do the Jiangdong nobles really think they are just outsiders?

Instead of sending out all the main force to compete with Sun Quan and Zhou Yu for Yangzhou, it is better to take risks and fight for Yecheng and Jizhou.

If you succeed in fighting, why should you look at other people's faces, and why should you divide the world equally?

But he also understood that he alone was far less important than Xun Yu, Xun You and Xu You.

Especially when Cao Cao has made up his mind.

Xiahou Dun clasped his hands in his fists and said with an extremely heavy face: "Before winter, I will capture Jiangbei! If not, please behead me!"

To show his determination, he issued a military order on the spot.

When Cao Cao heard this, the corner of his mouth twitched.

Xiahou Dun issued a military order, which naturally helped to improve the morale of the army.

But if he couldn't capture Jiangbei before winter, would he really want to kill this clan brother?

However, Xiahou Dun's words had already been spoken, and he could not change them in front of so many people.

So he looked at Xia Houyuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Chun who were standing aside, and said, "Miaocai, you go with Yuan Rang and serve as Yuan Rang's deputy general. Zixiao, Zihe, you two lead the tiger and leopard cavalry and obey Yuan Rang's orders."

Xia Houyuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Chun all lined up and said, clasping fists.

However, even so, Cao Cao was still a little worried and looked at Cheng Yu and Xu You.

"Zhongde, you are the military advisor. Ziyuan, you are the mastermind of the army."

Cheng Yu could only accept the order.

Xu You, who was deeply trusted by Cao Cao at this time, also accepted the order with complicated emotions.

Should Cao Cao defeat Jiangbei and increase Sun Quan's strength, or should he assist Xiahou Dun in conquering Jiangbei and increase Cao Cao's strength?

Xu You's whole body was numb.

Obviously, he didn't want to choose either of these two options.

He sighed in his heart and thought to himself: "That's all. It's lucky that Cao Cao gave up attacking Yecheng. It's a good thing that I am the mastermind. I can do my best to make both sides suffer heavy losses. No matter who has the upper hand, , all must be done to the maximum extent possible."

In the following time, Cao Cao continued to discuss with several close advisers how to deal with Sun Quan.

It wasn't until evening that everyone dispersed.

After dinner, Cao Cao went to the study alone and read the information about Jiangdong.

While he was engrossed in watching, a guard came in to report.

"Sikong, the Tai'an guard sent a letter to the general. The emperor is in trouble in Tai'an. Now the Tai'an guard is escorting the emperor to Xu County."

"What!" After hearing the news, Cao Cao stood up suddenly, his eyes full of fright.

The emperor that the Tai'an guard spoke of was definitely not the emperor from Yecheng, but the false emperor who escaped from him with Dong Cheng.

He now regards the false emperor as a plague god.

I never expected that the God of Plague, who had finally been sent away, would come back again!

He didn't go to Jingzhou, and he didn't look for Liu Biao, so why did he suddenly appear in Tai'an, and why did he want to go back to his Xu County!

Cao Cao felt extremely depressed and his face was gloomy. After a long time, he asked in a deep voice: "Who else in the family knows about this matter?"

The guard quickly replied: "Only the person who sent the message and his subordinates know."

Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "Just step back."

"Here!"

The guard turned and retreated.

However, he had barely taken two steps when he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

When he looked down, he saw a sharp sword piercing his chest, piercing his heart from the back.

He turned his head with difficulty and saw Cao Cao, who looked calm, holding a sharp sword and piercing his heart.

The guard's face was full of disbelief and he asked unwillingly: "Si...Sikong...why..."

Cao Cao didn't answer, but silently increased his strength and thrust the sword inward a few more times.

The guard groaned, his pupils suddenly dilated, gradually blurred, and then fell straight to the ground.

He could not understand why Cao Cao wanted to kill him until his death.

After killing the guard, Cao Cao put the sword back into the scabbard and shouted loudly outside the study: "Zhongkang, Zhongkang!"

After a while, Xu Chu hurried to the door of the study.

After seeing the corpse in the study, he was immediately shocked.

"The Lord has been assassinated!"

Cao Cao shook his head and said solemnly: "Zhongkang, just now someone sent a letter for the Tai'an garrison commander, you go and kill him. After killing him, you lead 500 guards, hold my handwritten order, and kill all the Tai'an garrison commanders and their entourage."

"In addition, among that group of people, there is a person who looks like the emperor, you must not kill him, just inform all the major cities along the way that anyone who claims to be the emperor entering the city cannot be trusted and is not allowed to enter the city."

"But you can't capture him or kill him, just let him go outside the city immediately."

"Yes!" Xu Chu clasped his fists and left.

Although he didn't understand the deep meaning of Cao Cao's order, he didn't understand it, and he didn't want to think about it, he just had to execute it.

"Wait!"

Just when Xu Chu was about to walk out of the study, Cao Cao stopped him again.

"You must protect him secretly all the way. Don't let him starve to death or die in the mouth of wild beasts until he leaves Yanzhou and Yuzhou. As for where he will go in the end, you don't have to worry about it."

The fake emperor can die, but he must not die in Cao Mengde's territory.

...

Yanzhou, Shanyang County, Changyi.

On the official road.

The Tai'an City garrison led a hundred people to escort Emperor Xian of Han all the way to Xu County.

At this time, his heart was full of excitement and excitement, and he looked at the luxurious carriage behind him from time to time.

Although he didn't know why the emperor fell into trouble in Tai'an, he couldn't get away with the credit of escorting the emperor.

All the way, he was imagining how the emperor and Sikong would reward him after arriving in Xu County.

On the carriage, Emperor Xian of Han drank honey water and enjoyed the massage of two maids.

He was full of emotion again.

He didn't want to live a life of wandering and fear, staying in a dilapidated temple at night and fighting with wild dogs for food for a day.

He missed the palace in Xu County, the noble lady Dong in the palace, and the empress Fu who had been neglected before.

"Sikong, when I return, I will make you a general!"

When Emperor Xian of Han squinted his eyes and enjoyed the maid's massage of his legs and shoulders, he suddenly heard a shout of killing.

He immediately got up, lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out.

I saw that on the official road, five hundred well-equipped elite troops had come and were launching a bloody massacre against the Tai'an garrison.

The leader, riding on a tall horse, rushed and killed wantonly with a cold and shining iron machete.

Wherever he passed, no one could stop him for a round without dying!

"Xu Chu!"

Emperor Xian of Han immediately recognized this man, who was the commander of the guards beside Cao Cao!

"The Tai'an garrison commander is also under Cao Cao's command, why did Xu Chu want to kill him!"

"Could it be...Could it be that he was ordered by Cao Cao to come and kill me?"

The face of Emperor Xian of Han turned pale in an instant.

Finally, amid the screams of the maids and the fear of Emperor Xian of Han, the fighting outside ended.

The Tai'an garrison commander and the 100 escort team were all dead on the official road.

Xu Chu lifted the curtain and saw that Emperor Xian of Han was indeed sitting in the carriage.

There were two maids in the carriage, and he killed them all with two slashes.

The face of Emperor Xian of Han was splattered with blood, and he felt the threat of death again. His lips trembled and he asked: "Xu Chu, did Cao Cao ask you to kill me?"

Xu Chu followed Cao Cao's instructions and pretended not to see Emperor Xian of Han. He did not salute or talk to him, but turned around and left.