Three Kingdoms

Yuzhou.

Xudu.

Cao Cao stood outside Chongde Hall.

Xiao Huangmen was bent over and huddled on both sides of the palace door, as if he wished he could shrink his body directly into the shadow of the doorpost.

This was not the first time that these little Huangmen had seen the conflict between Emperor Liu Xie and Cao Cao, and it was not until now that they knew about it. Although Cao Cao had ascended to the position of prime minister this time, the actual conflict with Emperor Liu Xie was not Deepening.

Facing the airs put on by Emperor Liu Xie, Cao Cao felt both disdainful and pathetic.

Emperor, maybe he still doesn’t know what he is facing?

Sometimes Cao Cao even felt that in some aspects the emperor was still the same as when he first saw him, a half-grown child.

Such as a celebration like this.

In fact, Cao Cao could understand why Emperor Liu Xie insisted on holding such a celebration. After all, what Emperor Liu Xie wants is to show that he is still the master of this big man. The so-called position of prime minister can be given or taken back...

But what?

Emperor Liu Xie really thought that anyone would care about this?

The current situation in Shandong is really ugly.

However, no one from the emperor to the nobles and nobles cared about the difficulties they were about to face.

Cao Cao took a breath and then exhaled it slowly.

It's time to take action...

These silverfish.

What makes this group of silverfish think that they can use economic income to blackmail a country?

Um?

Cao Cao sometimes had difficulty understanding the thinking of these people. Is it because the Han economy has never experienced a trough? Or are the people at the bottom of the Han Dynasty unable to endure a life of poverty? Or is it that if these silverfish are not dealt with, ordinary people in the Han Dynasty can live happily, and everyone is very happy to live and work in peace and contentment?

If this is the case, then why do these silverfish talk about taxes all day long and use the income of the court as a shield?

Do you really think that these taxes and these revenues are created by the silverfish themselves?

Don't think that Cao Cao doesn't know that these guys are secretly doing business with Fei Qian in Guanzhong, running caravans, and doing some little things under Cao Cao's nose...

In order to make money and seek profit, you just don’t care about anything?

It is said that someone actually cut down the original Zhuanghe to plant fennel and fennel! It’s just because Guanzhong bought a lot of them and the price was very high!

Money is indeed a good thing...

So you can just ignore it and throw aside the country’s taxes and people’s stability?

hehe.

Xun Wenruo actually wanted to cover up for these people...

Of course, there is some truth in what Wen Ruo said.

After all, if these silverfish are dealt with, there will inevitably be some chaos in the scene. After all, these silverfish are already deeply ingrained, and it is easy for all kinds of stickiness to appear if they are pulled. If they cannot be dealt with in a short time...

Maybe some guys will simply turn to Guanzhong because of this!

However, Cao Cao felt that he had endured it for a long time, and he had endured it again and again!

He's almost turning into a jounin with the Sharingan!

General Hussar, well, now he is General Hussar, and his momentum has become stronger and stronger. Before, Cao Cao dared to say that he had the strength to fight, but now, he can only say that young people do not respect martial ethics, they are like rats. Tail juice, then step aside to rest and catch your breath.

In the battle between Qingxu and Qingxu, Cao Cao showed the power of powerful military equipment and beat the soldiers of the Jiangdong warships to a pulp. It seemed that Cao Cao had the upper hand, but in fact the reflected problems were like a mirror in Cao Cao's mind. It's not about victory, and it's not about Jiangdong.

Historically, most of Cao Wei's forces were in confrontation with Jiangdong, leaving only a small number of soldiers. About one-third to one-quarter were fighting with Shu Han, but now it is the other way around. Cao Cao mainly All their attention is focused on Guanzhong. As for Jiangdong...

Well, what about having a baby...

The reason why Cao Cao must use the momentum of the Qingxu Battle to climb up again is not...well, maybe a little bit, but more importantly, Cao Cao needs to use such behavior to appease, or to scare those under his rule. Guys with different intentions unite the power of Shandong.

Cao Cao also understood that he could not be defeated. Once he failed, the undercurrents in Shandong that seemed to be stable for the time being would surge out. Those local heroes who seemed to be submissive on the surface would most likely change their ways immediately, so as not to add insult to injury to Cao Cao. , it is already excellent.

Nowadays, Shandong has no advantage.

Feiqian carried out large-scale military research in Guanzhong. After technological advancement, whether it was trebuchets or kerosene and gunpowder, they greatly threatened traditional military strategies and changed the battlefield pattern.

However, if we can obtain those important military technologies under Fei Qian, or let the emperor come forward and recruit some great craftsmen to strengthen Cao Cao's military and technical strength, he may not be able to continue to compete with Fei Qian. .

technological change.

Cao Cao deeply realized the importance of this for the first time.

Compared with technology, those scriptures that Shandong nobles are proud of are nothing?

Only through industry can a country be rejuvenated.

A group of guys with just one mouth often have this opinion or that idea, but none of them are based on reality. What benefit do such so-called heirs of scriptures and knowledgeable people to the country? He just lost his title and defrauded money, which is no different from those wandering libertines in the market who make a living by cheating.

Cao Cao looked up at the main hall.

The main hall is very majestic and solid.

Cao Cao and Liu Bei also came here hand in hand back then. At that time, it was still an empty factory.

Liu Bei finally chose to escape and did not stay. Did Liu Bei realize at that time that these guys in Shandong were just talkative? Empty on scripture and empty on reality?

"Prime Minister..." A little Huangmen hurriedly came out of the palace, "Your Majesty, please..."

Prime Minister Cao stepped forward.

When the two small yellow gates outside the main hall saw Cao Cao's figure completely entering the main hall, they seemed to have been relieved of the invisible burden that was pressing on them, and they seemed to have come to life again and took a breath.

"I see you, Your Majesty!" ” Cao Cao slightly arched his hands.

To be honest, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty does not need to meet when he goes to the palace, and he has quite a lot of privileges. However, Cao Cao feels that talking about these is not the focus now, nor is it the key issue in Shandong at the moment. Is it possible that after Cao Cao obtained the so-called "seeing but not worshiping", he could change Shandong's unfavorable situation?

"Stay flat and give me a seat." ” Liu Xie’s voice seemed to be still steady.

Cao Cao thanked him, then sat down and adjusted his red and black court uniform.

Liu Xie looked at Cao Cao. In fact, the distance between the two people is not very far, but for some reason, Liu Xie feels that he and Cao Cao seem to be constantly moving away, as if there are countless spaces filling in between him and Cao Cao, pushing the two of them further and further away. The more you open, the same.

Liu Xie was silent for a while and then asked, "What's the matter with Aiqing?" 』

Cao Cao pondered for a moment, and then said: "Your Majesty, do you know... what gunpowder is?" 』

"gunpowder? Liu Xie was stunned.

Although Liu Xie is mostly closed, he occasionally learns and inquires about some information through the talks of some ministers and sending eunuchs from Huangmen to the market. In this information, "gunpowder" appears very rarely... …

Therefore, Liu Xie waited for a while before he nodded slightly hesitantly and said, "I heard a little bit... Why did Aiqing talk about this?" 』

"Gunpowder is made from saltpeter mixed with sulfur charcoal..." Cao Cao said slowly, "In the Spring and Autumn Period, Fan Shaobo used this to defeat the Wu soldiers, and it was later passed down secretly... In the early Han Dynasty, an immortal passed down the method and said, " On the summer solstice, yellow water flows, and stone essence comes out. "This is how things are..."

Liu Xie nodded in understanding. After a while, he asked again, "Is there anything important about this thing?" 』

Cao Cao nodded slightly, "Your Majesty is talented and intelligent, and must know the art of military formations." If you want to capture a city but don't want to lose too many soldiers, what should you do if you cling to it and attack it? 』

Although Liu Xie was not sure why Cao Cao asked such a question, he thought about it and replied: "If you have more soldiers, you can surround them. If you have fewer soldiers, you can lure them." 』

"Exactly. ” Cao Cao nodded, but sighed again, “But with “gunpowder”, this strategy... the power of gunpowder can break up mountains and rocks, shake the earth, destroy city gates, and destroy hinges... With the benefit of this thing, there is no strong city in the world. There is no break! Your Majesty, do you know what the consequences will be if this thing is used widely in the world? 』

Liu Xie became somewhat unhappy and frowned slightly. Cao Cao didn't say anything serious at first, he just asked questions one after another. Did he really regard himself as the father of the country or the emperor's master?

Therefore, Liu Xie said: "Then what should I do if I love you?" 』

For you, beep less.

Cao Cao's eyebrows moved, "According to careful investigation by Wei Chen, the Hussars used gunpowder to open up the Qinling Mountains and reach the mountain road in Hanzhong and Guanzhong... It is said that there is a stone in the mountain that spans the road, weighing ten thousand kilograms, and no one can shake it." However, if you use gunpowder to pierce it, you can break it like powder... I hope that the Qinling Mountains have several roads, which are rugged and rocky and extremely difficult to pass. Now they are almost smooth, all because of this gunpowder. 』

A smooth road is, of course, an exaggeration, but at least it is no longer a dangerous path.

"ah? What? ”Liu Xie couldn’t believe it.

Cao Cao ignored Liu Xie's surprise and continued in silence for a moment: "Today's Jizhou and Yuzhou are all flat. There are neither dangerous passes nor strong rivers. The only thing that can be relied on is that the city is high and the ditch is deep... In the past, if When encountering bandit soldiers, it is enough to stay behind closed doors and clear the country. It is difficult for bandit soldiers to cross the ravine, and it is even more difficult to climb the city wall. The siege lasts for a long time, and the city will collapse without food... But now, as soon as this "gunpowder" comes out, the situation in the world will immediately change. , all the techniques of war that were relied on in the past were harmful..."

Cao Cao was a master of the art of war. Before many people noticed any problems, he had already seen the approaching danger from Fei Qian's technical updates and improvements.

When some Shandong scholars heard that Fei Qian used gunpowder to open mountains, or that gunpowder was used to break down the gates of Junzhai City, most of them focused on the victory or defeat of the battle, or on the generals. , especially the generals of the Cao family and the Xiahou family, criticized and accused them, believing that the "gunpowder" and other reasons promoted by Cao Cao or others were shirking responsibility, changing the topic, and trying to cover up the generals of the Cao family and the Xiahou family. inability……

Not many of these Shandong students would really pay attention to what gunpowder is and what changes it will bring to the military!

After Sun Tzu took the lead in using vaginal legs during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the originally polite battlefield became full of intrigues. Then military methods became more and more despicable, deception became the norm, and deception became meritorious service. , clearing the country and plundering each other, etc. have also become a conventional way of fighting. Those countries that cannot keep up with the changes of the times, or the princes who insist on abiding by the gentleman's war, eventually become the underworld of the loess. Bones.

Cao Cao believed that gunpowder was the grandson's second penis...

Cao Cao slowly explained to Liu Xie.

If the emperor can understand, it is best. If he does not understand, he has fulfilled his duties as a minister.

The existence of the original city often requires the attacker to make more preparations. Otherwise, if a surprise attack cannot reach the city, they will have to face the risk of long-term combat. However, the improvement of city defense weapons has made it easier for the attacker to attack the city by means of strong attacks, ant attacks, etc. The attacking side needs to pay a greater price. In many cases, the attacking side is unwilling to bear such a price and often chooses to besiege.

But a siege will cause fatigue and slackness among the soldiers, which is extremely difficult to avoid.

Once the fatigue and slackness of the attacker's soldiers affects the morale of the overall battle, the defender will gain a greater advantage. On the other hand, the delay caused by the siege of a certain city will also give the defender time to assemble. reinforcements, then the attacker has to withstand greater pressure.

In addition, there is another potential impact. When the attacker besieges a certain city, it often besieges it twice as many times, which means low efficiency. The increase in expenditure will put the attacker under greater economic pressure. After all, there must be The transfer of so much labor for grain and grass means that so much manpower must be mobilized domestically. Over time, it will inevitably affect subsequent production.

These factors will affect the entire battle, and even the victory or defeat of the battle.

But the emergence of gunpowder overturned everything again.

The military offensive and defensive sides are actually like spears and shields. Attacking the city is like a spear, and defending the city is like a shield. Now those who attack the city have extremely powerful technological advancements, but those who defend the city are just standing still. This naturally makes Cao Cao He couldn't help but feel panic in his heart, especially after he defeated Jiang Dongbing with the semi-finished product he got from Fei Qian, this feeling was like a nightmare haunting him.

"...I have heard from you," Cao Cao said slowly, "The generals of the traitor Yuan clan have the courage of thousands of men, but they can go in and out of the army without any damage, which is the same as Gongsun of Youbei in the past. During the battle, it was useless to break the formation and behead... These brave men also died under the gunpowder... No body was left alive..."

Liu Xie's eyes widened, and he didn't know what to say for a moment. Moreover, Liu Xie was still a little unable to grasp the key points. He didn't know why Cao Cao wanted to tell him these things. After all, Liu Xie didn't know how to fight, nor could he go into battle to kill the enemy, let alone face the dangers of "gunpowder".

Cao Cao glanced at Liu Xie and sighed inwardly. Emperor Liu Xie thought that when he grew up, he could shoulder the responsibilities of the so-called emperor of Han Dynasty, but in fact he did not meet the standards. Because Liu Xie still only thinks about problems from his own perspective, and all he thinks about is himself. From this perspective, there is no essential difference between Liu Xie and those powerful and powerful Shandong gentry.

"Your Majesty..." Cao Cao emphasized again, "You know, Jizhou, Yuzhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Youzhou..."

Cao Cao looked at Liu Xie and said slowly, counting them one by one, "These states and counties are rarely in danger!" Those who rely on them are all counties, counties and majestic cities! Now, with the help of gunpowder, it would have taken many days to siege, but now it only takes one day, or several days... How many days can hundreds of thousands of cities in the hinterland of the Central Plains be able to hold off? 』

Only then did Liu Xie realize it, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back!

There was a moment of silence in the main hall.

The green gauze and window lintels divide the hall into areas of varying light and darkness.

Xiliang...

Cavalry...

Some not-so-good memories appeared in Liu Xie's mind, like dust flying in the light in the hall, which could not be cleared away no matter what.

After a while, Liu Xie heard his own voice, which seemed like a dry moan, "Prime Minister... where is the plan coming from?" 』

Cao Cao said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, please issue an edict to order the hussars to offer gunpowder!" 』

Liu Xie couldn't help but open his mouth wide, and then he said with a click: "Qingqi...are you willing?" 』

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes, smiled, and said, "If you are a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, why don't you want to do it?" 』

Liu Xie took a long breath.

This time, he understood.

Cao Cao didn't care whether the Emperor Liu Xie could really get the gunpowder formula from Fei Qian through an edict. He just wanted to let him know that the only one he could rely on was Cao Cao, and the others, even if they kept fighting, Fei Qian, who wears the banner of "loyal minister of the great Han Dynasty", is nothing more than that.

If the hussar is unwilling to donate the gunpowder, or is stalling or stalling, it can prove that the hussar has different intentions. Does Cao Cao's suggestion mean that Liu Xie understands that of all the "loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty", only the prime minister in front of him is left?

Liu Xie looked at Cao Cao deeply and nodded slowly, "I understand." 』

Cao Cao bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty." The minister resigned. 』

After speaking, Cao Cao didn't stay much longer. After completing the etiquette, he slowly retreated.

Liu Xie watched Cao Cao's figure disappear at the entrance of the hall. He felt as if something was stuffed into his chest by Cao Cao, making his breathing a little rough and stuffy.

Is Cao Cao a loyal minister?

hehe.

So is Fei Qian a loyal minister?

hehe……

Who else in the world is loyal to the great man? Loyal to yourself? !

Liu Xie suddenly felt very lonely. He gripped the armrests of the throne tightly, his fingers so hard that the joints turned white and trembled.

The sun gradually sets in the west, and the afterglow of the setting sun shines in.

Liu Xie stared at the oval-orange orange setting sun outside the window of the main hall. He didn't know whether it was stimulated by the sunset or for some other reason, but suddenly his face burst into tears...

He suddenly understood why Liu Bei often cried.