The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

Diligent farmers will not let weeds grow in the fields, even in the early spring. Under normal farming conditions, such as the farmland in Xuzhou, at most, some unmelted snow will accumulate in the fields after the snow, and never. There will be wilted weeds.

But looking far and near, as far as the eye can see, the fields on both sides of the official road, all that can be seen, what Cheng Jia sees at this time, at least half of the fields are covered with withered grass.

Although wilting on the ground, it can be seen from the long grass stalks that these weeds must not be able to grow in a short day.

Cheng Jia knew a thing or two about Cao Cao and knew that he was not a cruel lord.

On the contrary, Cao Cao is a man with great ambitions, so the reason why he had to sit back and watch the good fields grow overgrown with weeds can only be for one reason: there is a great shortage of labor in Dongjun.

Why is there a huge shortage of labor?

Needless to say, the direct reason was that last year and this year, Cao Cao had two successive battles with Xun Zhen.

Especially the last battle.

The first war was probably okay, with Bao Xin and other Yanzhou soldiers fighting, the damage to the people of Dongjun was not too great.

In the last battle, Cao Cao used the power of one county to fight against Xun Zhen, who had almost two prefectures. Even though Zhang Miao and Lü Bu had helped and co-operated, it was not Cao Cao's style of relying on others. With his own strength, Cao Cao will definitely recruit troops and raise grain in Dongjun County, and how much damage this will cause to the people of Dongjun can be expected.

The scene that Cheng Jia is seeing right now is the result of Cao Cao's final defeat, or the aftermath.

It was cold in early spring, and there were few pedestrians on the road.

There is a huge shortage of civilian power. It is estimated that Dongjun is not talking about ten rooms and nine empty rooms at present, almost ten rooms are half empty, and there are very few pedestrians on the official road. After walking for a long time, Cheng Jia only met three or four villagers in ragged clothes. The villages passing by are also deserted and quiet. In the evening, there is no smoke from cooking, and the sound of **** and dogs barking in the countryside of Xuzhou is not heard here.

Cheng Jia couldn't help sighing with his servants: "East Commandery straddles both banks of the Great River, borders Jizhou to the west, and Yuzhou to the south. It is also an important hub for business and road exchanges. It has always been prosperous, but now it has fallen to this point! The crime of Cao Mengde is also! If he did not stubbornly resist Wang Shi, The people of Dongjun will not suffer from this calamity!"

After writing a letter and selecting one official, Cheng Jia ordered, "Return to Tan County immediately and present my book to Duke Ming."

The official knew Cheng Jia and didn't dare to ask any more questions. He received the letter, agreed, and immediately followed the way he came and turned back to Tan County.

Cheng Jia's letter did not write anything else, but only described the internal situation of Xiadong County, and made a suggestion to Xun Zhen.

"Cao Mengde's journey is difficult at night, and the county is difficult to defend. Pan Zhang's army is enough to take it for the Duke of Ming."

Cao Cao's troops were repeatedly defeated, their morale was low, and the weather was freezing cold. The patrolling soldiers were lazy. Cheng Jia and his party, disguised as merchants, successfully passed through Dongjun in two days, entered Jizhou, and continued westward. And needless to say.

...

On the same day that Cheng Jia went to letter to Xun Zhen, earlier.

He moved to the Dongjun Prefecture in Weiguo County on the north bank of the Yellow River. Because he was troubled with the way out, Cao Cao's headwind broke out again.

His eldest son, Cao Ang, served him the medicinal soup, waited for him to drink it, looked at him worriedly, and said, "Father, I heard that Hua Tuo, a famous doctor, is good at treating head wind, why don't you invite him to see him?"

Cao Cao rubbed his forehead and said, "It's not like you don't know about my wind. You've already had a problem. Drink two pairs of medicines, and it will be better for a day and a half. At this time, where can you find Hua Tuo? Even if he finds it, how can I have the heart to let him diagnose and treat?"

"Father, last year, the two battles between Kangfu and Changyi, our army, our army..."

Cao Cao said, "You have lost the battle, so don't make a secret of it."

"Yes, yes. Father, since we withdrew to Dongjun last year, the people of Yidongjun, with more than 10,000 soldiers, were unable to do what they wanted. The defeat of Kangfu and Changyi in the two wars caused our army to lose all the supplies. ,...Father, it's just the beginning of spring, seeing that the only grain reserves in the army will be exhausted, I'm afraid it won't wait until next year's harvest, what should I do next?"

Cao Cao continued to rub his forehead, thinking to himself, "Isn't that the reason why my hair is windy?"

More than that the grain storage will be empty. In the two battles between Kangfu and Changyi last year, Cao Cao has not yet given the pensions that should be given to the fallen soldiers. In recent months, he has heard it repeatedly, and the soldiers in the battalions below are quite complaining about it.

He has already sent three letters of help to Yuan Shao, asking Yuan Shao to help him with some food. Yuan Shao didn't even bother to wipe his face. Half a month ago, he sent him 5,000 shi of grain. But what is the use of five thousand stone grains?

But as the saying goes, there is no surplus of food in the landlord's house.

Cao Cao was quite clear about Yuan Shao's current situation, and knew that Yuan Shao was really nervous.

As a result, Yuan Shao fought with Gongsun Zan several times before and after, and consumed a lot of food. Second, Yuan Shao had just finished the battle with the Montenegrin Army, and the food he had saved was wasted a lot. Three, Yuan Shao has plans to continue to use troops, and he must have sufficient reserves of military rations.

Because 5,000 stone grains seemed like a small amount, but in fact it was Yuan Shao's generous performance.

Seeing that Cao Cao didn't answer, Cao Ang endured for a while, but finally he couldn't help it. He spoke again and said, "Father, the situation in my Dongjun is very critical now, Xun Zhen..."

Cao Cao interrupted him and scolded him, "Is Zhenzhi's name yours?"

"Yes, yes." Cao Ang respectfully accepted Cao Cao's criticism, changed his name, and said, "If Xun Zhendong takes the opportunity to attack, I am afraid that our army will not be able to defend! Father, it is better to take countermeasures early."

"What do you think I should do?"

Cao Ang hesitated and said, "Ang remembers that my father mentioned before that if Dongjun cannot be defended, he will abandon Dongjun and go west to Bingzhou."

To go west to Bingzhou, to seek development, this is Cheng Li's strategy for Cao Cao.

Before this policy was implemented, it was necessary to keep it extremely secret, but Cao Ang was Cao Cao's son, but Cao Cao did not hide it from him.

"Go west to Bingzhou?" Cao Cao murmured while holding his forehead, looking outside.

Cao Ang said: "Father, Ang, in my opinion, temporarily let Dongjun go west to Bingzhou, it seems like a good strategy!"

"It is also difficult to implement this strategy."

Cao Ang asked: "Father is worried that Duke Yuan will not agree to go to Bingzhou?"

"The news from the day before yesterday said that Gao Gan was originally intended to be the prefect of Bingzhou. If Gao Gan was represented by him as the prefect of Bingzhou, you said, this is Bingzhou, can you still go as a father?"

Cao Ang said, "Engong Yuan intends to represent a high-ranking official as the prefect of Bingzhou?"

"Yes."

Gao Gan was Yuan Shao's nephew. On this occasion, the Heishan Army was wiped out except for Zhang Feiyan, and the road from Jizhou to Bingzhou was opened up.

On the road, Yuan Shao intends to express the high-ranking officials as the governor of Bingzhou. His purpose is obvious. Obviously, he intends to extend his hand to Bingzhou.

Cao Ang was so young, he couldn't hold his breath, and with a look of urgency on his face, he said, "Father, Duke Yuan is only trying to express himself as a high-ranking governor of Bingzhou. After all, he hasn't made the list yet! Father, time is short, we can't delay it. Ang Zhi's humble opinion, before the official listing of Yuan Gong, my father persuaded him to change his expression to the prefect of Bingzhou, which is the most urgent thing!"

"At the beginning of the employment, you haven't seen it yet?"

Cao Ang asked, "What do you mean by Father's words?"

"Yuan Tan, his son, was originally the prefect of Qingzhou; Gao Gan, his nephew, was originally meant to be the prefect of Bingzhou. What is my relationship with him? Chunyu Qiong is now a general under the original account! I'm afraid It is difficult to persuade him to change his name to be the prefect of Bingzhou."

Strictly speaking, the relationship between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao is similar to the relationship between Chunyu Qiong and Yuan Shao.

Like Chunyu Qiong, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were old acquaintances; also like Chunyu Qiong, Cao Cao was Yuan Shao's colleague in the Xiyuan Army.

In this way, through Chunyu Qiong's position under Yuan Shao's account, one can judge Cao Cao's position in Yuan Shao's mind.

If Yuan Shao had already decided to make Gaogan the prefect of Bingzhou, no matter what Cao Cao said about him, it would be extremely difficult to change his mind and take the position of prefect of Bingzhou from Gaogan.

Cao Ang said, "But, Father, then can't we just sit in Dongjun and wait for the troops from Xun Town to arrive?"

Cao Cao looked down in the courtyard. For some reason, he saw a tuft of grass in the corner of the wall. He shivered in the cold wind, but even though he swayed, he never fell~www.wuxiaspot.com~ He looked at it for a long time in a trance. , came back to his senses, and murmured: "Gao Gan Ruzi! Do I want to obey him?"

Gao Gan is in his twenties this year, twenty years younger than Cao Cao, and about the same age as Cao Ang. It is no exaggeration for Cao Cao to call him "ruzi".

"What does Dad mean by this?"

Cao Cao did not answer Cao Ang, thinking in his heart: "Don't defend Dongjun, if you stay in Dongjun, there is only a dead end; you can't stay under the tent at the beginning, and you must work with those who are not allowed to work with others. Go, there is only one in Bingzhou, and there is no way for me to replace the governor of Bingzhou with a high-ranking official, but I can always get the prefect of a county in Bingzhou! ...... Also, I bow my head today and raise my eyebrows in the future, the big deal, I will first lift that Gao Yuancai!"

He also dared to make a decision, so Cao Cao made up his mind to give up Dongjun and turn to Bingzhou for development.

The next day, Cao Cao summoned Cheng Li, Xue Ti, Lu Qian, Bi Chen, Guo Guo, Xu Si, Wang Kai and other civil and military officials, and told them his decision.

Transfer to Bingzhou, this is Cheng Li's suggestion, he will not object.

The rest of the people are wise people. Although they are all from Yanzhou, they can't help but feel resentment of leaving their hometown, but they are very clear about the current situation in Dongjun. Just like Cao Cao thought, staying is only a dead end, so they also I agree with Cao Cao's decision.

So on the same day, Cao Cao went to write Yuan Shao to write down that Dongjun could not be defended.

...

From Fox County.

Soon there was a tyrant in Dongjun who secretly reported the news to Pan Zhang.

Pan Zhang was overjoyed, and immediately dispatched officials to report to Tan County, and ordered the army to prepare for battle.