The Nameless of the Common Clans

"Lord, I'm so happy!" Luoyang, General's Mansion.

As soon as Chen Mo came to the hall, he saw that the four great counselors Li Ru, Xu Shu, Xun You, and Yang Xiu had gathered together. Yang Xiu stood up and clasped his fists.

"Why, the Yuan brothers started a war?" Chen Mo sat down and asked with a smile.

"My lord, I admire your miraculous calculation." Yang Xiu nodded.

Chen Mo naturally knew about this news first. It was impossible for everyone under his command to know about such a big matter. He was the last one to know about it. However, he still had a look of surprise on his face and said, "It's better than I expected." quick."

In fact, Chen Mo was indeed a little surprised when he got the news. Xu You left. He thought that the two brothers at least needed to brew for a while. Who knew that it was less than half a month and winter had just entered, and the two brothers were already fighting.

"But the fact is that Yuan Tan already fought with Yuan Shang's general Gao Lan in the Wei County area three days ago." Yang Xiu said with a smile.

"Let's talk about Jizhou's deployment." Chen Mo nodded and looked at Xu Shu.

Xu Shu nodded, stood up and ordered the guards to hang up a topographic map of Jizhou so that everyone could see it. This topographic map of Jizhou was based on the results of careful inspections over the years. Naturally, it could not be as detailed as the map Xu You presented to Cao Cao. , but generally the distribution of cities, mountains and rivers is basically consistent.

"Although Yuan Shang is now at war with Yuan Tan, he is quite cautious in his deployment. Zhang He led his troops to garrison in the Muye and Chaoge areas to prevent our army from entering from Hanoi. The veteran general Han Qiong garrisoned in Zhongshan to guard against Taishi General and the Black Mountain Army, don't look at this man who is nearly fifty years old. However, this man is known as the old gun king. In the past, he guarded Youzhou under Yuan Shao. He was powerful in the northern part of the country and suppressed Liaodong with his guns. Regardless of his martial arts and military skills, he is still in the Four Court Pillars. Above, Han Meng is his nephew. Although he has no true biography, he is also a rare strong general. In addition to this, there is another person who needs attention. This person's name is Lian Zhao. He is brave, strategic, and decisive in his actions. Now Taking over from Han Qiong and stationed in Liaodong to frighten the Gongsun family, this person’s abilities are no longer inferior to those of the Four Court Pillars.”

The reason why Yuan Shang's attack on Yuan Tan this time was not as strong as Yuan Tan's was because Yuan Shang still had to worry about the four directions. Generals such as Zhang He, Han Qiong, and Zhao Zhao had their own tasks. They were to defend the four directions for him, which was to prevent Cao Cao and Chen Mo from attacking.

Xu Shu introduced: "These four people are generals under Yuan Shang and should not be underestimated. But in addition, there are generals Jiang Yiqu and Sui Yuanjin, who are also quite prestigious. These two are stationed in Liyang and Puyang to guard against Cao Cao, and Gao Qian is Yuan Shao's nephew, and he is currently stationed in Yecheng, and he is regarded as a close confidant of Yuan Shang. "

"In other words, now Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan are fighting, but in fact, Yuan Shang only sent Gao Lan to send troops and did not use his full strength?" Yang Xiu said with some surprise.

"That's right. Yuan Shang, this son, has a lot of his father's style and can take into account the overall situation. From this point of view, he is indeed more suitable to be the leader of Jizhou than his brother Yuan Tan." Xu Shu nodded, Yuan Shang arranged his concerns like this It is thorough and there are basically no loopholes. Even if they are fighting Yuan Tan now, it will not be easy for Chen Mo and Cao Cao to break into Jizhou. However, in this case, they will not have many troops to put down Yuan Tan.

"More importantly, according to detailed reports from our army in the Central Plains, Cao Cao had already begun to mobilize troops and horses to the Juancheng and Qingqiu areas half a month ago. There is no news about the Qingzhou area, but I think there will be arrangements." Xu Shujian. Everyone had no doubts and continued.

"Cao Cao's reaction was expected." Xun You said with a smile: "However, I think that Cao Cao will not mobilize troops in Qingzhou at this time, but will gather troops and even join forces with Yuan Tan to attack Yuan Shang, and even Jiang Yiqu and Sui Yuan will advance The defense line is useless, Cao Cao may attack Jizhou directly through Yuan Tan. "

Chen Mo glanced at Xun You, nodded and said, "Yes, Yuan Tan is brave but has no plans. Cao Cao only needs to convince his counselors to convince Yuan Tan."

The counselors under Yuan Tan are basically Yingchuan nobles. Now that the two sons of the Yuan family have turned against each other and are attacking each other, the Yuan family has lost the opportunity to compete with Chen Mo and Cao Cao. They can switch sides or even persuade Yuan Tan to surrender to Cao Cao. These people can do it. .

What's more, with Xu You as a lobbyist, Cao Cao already has an advantage in this regard.

"Lord, if this happens, wouldn't our army have lost the opportunity?" Yang Xiu frowned. With Xu You's help, Cao Cao could even join forces with Yuan Tan to easily enter Jizhou, but on their side, they have to break through many obstacles. Only by defending can they attack. Even if they finally occupy some cities, they may not be able to compete with Cao Cao in terms of military strength, and they will already be at a disadvantage.

"That's not necessarily the case." Chen Mo said with a smile: "Firstly, since we have lost the first move, there is no rush to use troops. Moreover, Cao Cao's goal is Jizhou, but our goal is only Yecheng."

"Yecheng?" Everyone looked at the map and wondered what Chen Mo meant by this.

"Yecheng is an important place in Jizhou. It is not only the seat of the imperial court, but more importantly, if this place is occupied by our army, even if Cao Cao takes Hejian and other places, our army can send troops to cut off his return." Chen Mo explained with a smile. .

Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard this. If Cao Cao did not retreat, he might be cut off by Chen Mo at any time. At the same time, Chen Mo's troops could also send troops from the Xingyang area to attack Yanyu. In this way, this The situation then developed in Chen Mo's favor.

"Lord, you want to form an alliance with Yuan Shang?" Everyone here was not stupid, and they quickly understood Chen Mo's intention. Since he couldn't strike first, he should accumulate strength, and if he didn't take action, Cao Cao's accumulated advantages would be wiped out in an instant.

"It's not an alliance, it's just a temporary non-attack." Chen Mo shook his head. There was no point in forming an alliance at this time. With Yuan Shang's personality, he should be on guard. When the time comes, it would be easier for the other party to have the heart of a trapped beast. It is better to ignore it for now, secretly plan and instigate the opposing general, and wait until the critical moment to strike a fatal blow.

"Lord." Xu Shu frowned and said, "Cao Cao has Xu You to serve. Since we can see these things, how can Xu You not know?"

"Yes, I am talking about a smooth situation. It is very likely that Cao Cao will go to Yecheng first and then make plans later. However, this is more to my liking, so we will have a showdown in Yecheng!" Chen Mo said with a smile.

No matter how many cities are conquered, they will only divide their troops, so the most important thing is Ye City. Chen Mo estimates that his brother will definitely not divide his forces to attack those insignificant cities. Once Yuan Shang is defeated, he will probably take Ye City directly. City, and this time, what will determine the general trend of the Central Plains in the next ten years, and even the future direction of the entire Central Plains, is Chen Moqiang or Cao Cao. Therefore, neither Chen Mo nor Cao Cao can give up in this battle.

"Pass on my military order, transfer Yu to be promoted to the rank of captain of Sili school, governor of Heluo defense, Cui Geng to garrison in Xingyang, Bao Geng to garrison in Chenggao, Shi Geng to garrison in Yique, Bai Piao and Han Kai to serve as partial generals, and join Yu Sheng's command. Order, Wu Yi went to Hanoi to gather troops and horses. Gao Shun, Xu Huang, Ma Chao, Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu, and Pang De led their troops to gather in Hanoi. I will be on the front line in person for this battle! "

"Here!" Everyone looked solemn and bowed to Chen Mo.

Early the next morning, Chen Mo brought his ministers to court. Liu Neng said as before: "If you have anything to do, please report to me. If you have nothing to do, please leave the court."

"Your Majesty!" Chen Mo took a step forward, bowed to Liu Neng and said, "I have something important to do."

"Oh?" Liu Neng quickly sat upright, looked at Chen Mo and said, "I wonder what's wrong, General?"

"Back to Your Majesty, brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan in Jizhou are fighting. Chaos has arisen in Hebei. I request you to lead an army to recover the land in Hebei. I hope your Majesty will give you permission." Chen Mo said with a salute.

"General, are you sure?" Liu Neng looked at Chen Mo and asked.

Although Chen Mo has the power to mobilize the world's troops, this time is different from the past. Chen Mo's this time is Liu Neng's first large-scale campaign since he succeeded to the throne. If it fails, Liu Neng will worry that his throne will not be preserved. Although Chen Mo is a He was a puppet, but Chen Mo had never treated him badly. Liu Nengke would not want to go back to the old days if he lost the throne.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. The two sons of the Yuan family are not worried about the turmoil in Jizhou." Chen Mo said with a smile. There is no guarantee of victory in the war, but at this time in the court, Chen Mo naturally cannot say dejected words.

"General." When Yang Biao heard this, he came out of the queue, frowned and saluted Chen Mo: "There is civil strife in Jizhou, and Cao Mengde in the Central Plains will probably not miss this opportunity. If Cao Mengde comes to attack Luoyang, the general will go out with a large army. How should the court be guarded?"

"Cao Mengde has been planning this battle against Jizhou for a long time, and he has recently mobilized troops to the Dongjun area. I will station troops in Hanoi. If Cao Mengde sends troops to Jizhou, I will fight with him in Jizhou. If he dares to invade our borders, I will send my troops to fight back, and I have ordered Yu to be promoted to the rank of Sili Xiaowei. This person is good at guarding. With him, Luoyang will be as stable as Mount Tai." Chen Mo said with a smile.

"In this case, wouldn't the general miss the opportunity?" Yang Biao frowned.

"In this battle in Jizhou, the three princes are afraid that there will be hundreds of thousands of troops. A temporary advantage cannot determine the outcome." Chen Mo said with a smile.

"So, if the general is not here, who can assist me in presiding over the government?" Liu Neng said with an embarrassed look.

When the ministers heard this, they all fell silent and looked at Chen Mo. This topic is quite sensitive, and if you are not careful, you may make Chen Mo unhappy.

"I have made arrangements. The minister ordered Li Ru to make decisions on the affairs of the court. In addition, the court captain Man Chong can restrain the ministers. With the presence of these two people, the peace and tranquility of the court can be ensured." Chen Mo bowed slightly and said calmly.

When he leads an army on an expedition, he naturally needs someone in the court who is trustworthy and capable enough to guard the rear for him. Li Ru and Man Chong, one can preside over the affairs of the court, the other can intimidate the ministers, plus the person in charge of military affairs in Luoyang, They are all Chen Mo's generals. With these people here, it will be natural to ensure that nothing happens in the court.

Liu Neng's eyes flashed with disappointment, but the smile on his face did not change at all. He said with a pleased expression: "Now that the general has made arrangements, I feel relieved. I wish the general a great victory this time." ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Chen Mo bowed and the matter of the Eastern Expedition was decided from then on.