In May of the eighth year of Jian'an, Cai Ji led his troops from Yuyang to enter the customs, and joined Pang Tong's department in Juyang County, Bingzhou. At this time, more than ten days have passed since Zhong Xuan occupied Pingcheng. During this period, although the Cao army did not carry out any further military operations, the entire main town of the state had fallen into the hands of the Cao army. Zhong Xuan's behavior of taking advantage of the fire to rob undoubtedly angered the soldiers of the Qi camp. However, just when the voices of the Qi camp were endless, Jia Xu brought Zhong Xuan's letter to Cai Ji.

Looking at the pleasing small words on the page, Cai Ji felt the pressure of the so-called "Yangmou" for the first time. Zhong Ji explained to Cai Ji in Chinese the reasons and hardships for his entry into Pingcheng. So much so that even if she knew that the other party was quibbling, Cai Ji had to admit that Zhong Xuan's sophistry hit the nail on the head, leaving her speechless. After all, the person who sacrificed Pingcheng was the Taishou recommended by her Cai Anzhen, and the person who opened the city gate to greet Cao Jun was the guard appointed by her Cai Anzhen. Unless force is used, even if the lawsuit is fought in front of Xu Du Tianzi, Cai Ji will not be able to recover the lost city.

A good trick to cut sausage tactics - Cai Ji secretly praised Zhong Xuan in his heart. The sausage cutting tactic was later referred to as the gradual tactic or the wheel tactic. It is said that Hitler used this tactic between 1936 and 1939 to achieve impressive results, and the Germans loved sausages. This tactic focuses on using the powerful superiority of material force to quickly achieve some intermediate goal, within the limits of the freedom of action provided by external factors. Then pause for a period of diplomatic negotiations before taking the next military action. It can be seen that the tactics implemented by Zhong Xuan in Bingzhou also belong to cutting sausages, but what he used as a cover was not diplomatic negotiations but the son of heaven of the Han Dynasty. Could it be that she Cai Anzhen also wants to be the appeased Britain and France?

"According to the text and the public opinion. How did Gudang reply to Zhong Yuanchang? Cai Ji put down the letter in his hand and looked up at Jia Xu. Jia Xu had prevented Pang Tong's revenge before, and now he had put Zhong Xuan's letter in front of him. Cai Ji believes that the old gentleman in front of him is afraid that he has already had a draft in his heart on how to deal with Cao Jun's encroachment.

However, Jia Xu did not answer Cai Ji's question directly, but asked in a quiet voice, "How does the Lord plan to deal with Pingcheng?" ”

Faced with the question thrown back by Jia Xu, Cai Ji tapped the book with his right hand and analyzed it himself, "If Wang Yanyun is allowed to sacrifice the city to Cao, then in the future, the counties under the rule of Gu will compete to follow suit, how can it be good to be alone?" ”

"The Lord wants to make an example of the chickens?" Jia Xu frowned and asked.

"What does Wen He Gong think?" Cai Ji was noncommittal, but there was already a sense of solemnity in his tone. Yes. She Cai Anzhen can appreciate her opponent's clever moves, but she will never tolerate the betrayal of her subordinates. Especially the siege of the white wolf just past, Cai Ji is particularly sensitive to the word "betrayal". Because she will never forget the desperation of the embattled on the banks of the White Wolf River and the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect her. There is no doubt that Wang Ling's betrayal has touched Cai Ji's scales. Even if this Wang Yanyun has a prominent position in history, Cai Ji at this moment has made up his mind to take his life so that the world will know the fate of betraying her Cai Anzhen!

Looking at Cai Ji's gloomy face. Jia Xu sighed slightly, "Does the Lord know why Wang Yanyun rebelled?" ”

"It's just to see that the lonely is trapped in Liaoxi, so I choose another good tree to live in." A playful sneer rose at the corner of Cai Ji's mouth.

"The Lord thinks that's all there is to it?" Jia Xu shook his head, not waiting for Cai Ji to respond. He analyzed it to himself. "Before Wang Yanyun dedicated the city, the lord had been out of trouble for more than half a month, and Shiyuan was only five days away from Pingcheng. According to the old man's opinion, even if the lord has not been trapped in Liaoxi, Wang Yanyun will still choose the opportunity to join Cao. If the Lord doesn't know why Wang Yanyun rebelled, Zhao Yanyun, Qian Yanyun, Sun Yanyun, and Li Yanyun will rebel against Cai Toucao in the future! ”

Jia Xu's words can be said to be to the point, pointing directly to the key point in Cai Ji's heart. In fact, as early as after the White Wolf Change, Cai Ji asked himself why Badun betrayed her when he was alone. At that time, she came to the conclusion that "if you are not of my race, your heart will be different", and she can deal with the Hu people with grace and power, but she cannot expect to make friends. Even if he loses Pingcheng Cai Ji now, he only summarizes it as the sequelae of the white wolf change. It was until this moment that Jia Xu bluntly broke the mystery. Cai Ji realized that some hard injuries must be faced bravely after all.

"If the Son of Heaven does not admit it, it will be difficult for a lonely woman to chase the world." Cai Ji expressed his weakness with a blank face. The voice was far colder than before.

One of the things Jia Xu admires most about Cai Ji is that she is self-aware. After all, there are some things that are only useful if they are said to those who are self-aware. Indeed, being a woman is a weakness that Cai Ji can never erase. Because she is a woman, it is difficult to get the support of the family, and because she is a woman, it takes a hundred times as much effort as a man to be recognized by the people of the world.

In fact, it was only on the day that he received the appointment of the Son of Heaven to become the Taishou of Donglai, and Cai Ji really had the confidence to change his men's clothes and rule a county as a woman. Because Cai Ji at that time had an additional layer of important identity, that is, the imperial court official with the emperor's order. Cai Anzhen's rights come from the Son of Han Dynasty, and obeying Cai Anzhen's orders is obeying the orders of the Son of Han Dynasty. It is this causal relationship that gives many civil and military generals a high-sounding step to accept a woman as their lord. But on the other hand, Cai Ji's dependence on imperial power also allowed Cao Cao to hold her key points. Cao Jun could encroach on Cai Ji's territory again and again in the name of the Son of Heaven. However, in Jia Xu's view, this is not a sin and a thorny trouble, the real fatal question is whether a county, a county, or even a state can satisfy Cao Mengde's growing appetite?

The answer, of course, is no. So the next moment, Jia Xu put the worst assumption in front of Cai Ji, "If the Son of Heaven doesn't admit it, how should you deal with it?" ”

If the Son of Heaven does not admit it, I should take his place!

Cai Ji finally didn't say this, and instead there was a deathly silence. Because until now, Cai Ji is still not sure how many subordinates will accompany her to make enemies of the Han family. The so-called admired general and the demon girl who is punished by everyone is actually a line of difference.

However, Jia Xu did not give up on this, but asked aggressively, "The Lord knows that Cao Mengde has named Guo Fengxiao, Taishi Ziyi, and Zhang Junyi as pavilion marquis in the name of the Son of Heaven?" ”

Faced with Jia Xu's heart-wrenching question, Cai Jidai raised her eyebrows slightly and retorted. "Fengxiao, Ziyi, and Junyi are all loyal and righteous people, how can they be bought by Cao Mengde."

"Feng Xiao, Ziyi, and Jun Yi can still be grateful for the grace of the Lord's knowledge, but can the generals and officials under his rule not be moved? You don't hear it. After the white wolf was shocked, the counties of Jizhou only knew General Taishi, but not Cai Qihou. ”

Jia Xu's words were already naked provocation when he talked about this, but at this time, Cai Ji pursed his lips and bowed his head silently. It's not that she doesn't trust Guo Jia, Tai Shici, and Zhang He, it's that the pages and pages of the history books are too bloody. From the mutinies of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to Zhu Yuanzhang's Lanyu case, it seems that the monarch and the feudal officials with heavy troops always seem to share hardships and hardships. And the current Cai Ji is not even a king, she and her subordinates are nominally the courtiers of the Han Emperor. In this case, once the prestige of Cai Ji is damaged. Then it is not surprising that there is a situation where "my subordinates are not my subordinates".

Seeing Cai Ji fall silent again, Jia Xu sighed helplessly. Obviously know everything, obviously see everything. But the woman in front of her is stubborn to take the road of no return. No matter how Jia Xu hints, how he persuades, and how he threatens, it will not help. However, it is also Cai Ji's stubbornness that he knows he can't do. made Jia Xu, who had passed the age of not being confused, ignite the frivolity of directing the country when he was young.

Strike. The Han dynasty is no longer revived, and strife among the nations is inevitable.

So after a while, Jia Xu gathered his thoughts and slowly said the way out he had planned for Cai Ji, "For today's plan, only by building a feudal state can we ensure the longevity of the lord's family business." ”

"Partition?" Cai Ji'e frowned, and seemed to be in an extremely difficult situation.

The path that Jia Xu guided Cai Ji can be said to be the ending that most princes of this era look forward to. Because they are the same as Cai Ji. Although they are already the princes who dominate one side, they lack a formal "name". As the saying goes, the name is not right. Only when the Emperor of the Han Dynasty allowed his subjects to seal the territory like Zhou Tianzi in the past, the feudal princes could legitimately inherit the power, fiefdoms, subjects, and troops in their hands to their descendants, and the civil and military generals in the feudal territory were no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the imperial court. As for Cai Ji, there is no need to worry about her female background. It's a pity that since the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms in the early Han Dynasty was pacified, all the officials of the Han Dynasty were appointed and dismissed by the central government, and the princes only collected taxes, thus making the feudal state exist in name only. Cao Cao, who held the Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty, of course, could not let the local princes escape from the control of the imperial court. So at this moment, Cai Ji's panicked appearance was regarded by Jia Xu as a fear of Cao Cao. After all, only by hitting the man standing behind the Son of Heaven can he get the Son of Heaven's seal.

However, where did Jia Xu know that the panic in Cai Ji's heart did not come from fear of Cao Mengde, nor from loyalty to the Han family. What really scared her was the ground beneath her feet. According to the original trajectory of history, this land should have been headed for centuries of war and division. But as a traverser, Cai Ji can usurp the Han without scruples, but it is difficult to bear the sin of splitting the country. Because she knows that every split represents the subversion of civilization and the annihilation of conscience.

After the feudal state was founded, could it still dominate China in his lifetime?

Cai Ji found that she did not have the confidence to answer this question at present. So in the end, she just replied to Jia Xu, "It's a matter of importance, let Gu think twice." ”

On the other hand, Jia Xu also knows that the establishment of a feudal state is a long-term goal that needs to be carefully managed, and it cannot be rushed. So at this moment, Jia Xu did not force Cai Ji to express his position, but said to the latter, "The establishment of the feudal state can be discussed later, but the change in Pingcheng must be dealt with eventually." ”

Hearing Jia Xu turn the topic back to the original point, Cai Ji took a deep breath and calmed down a little, and then said, "Gu understands, and orders the generals to discuss matters before the tent." ”

Jia Xu didn't ask Cai Ji what he understood, but he was sure that the woman in front of him would not disappoint him. Half an hour later, Qi Ying's civil and military forces, including Pang Tong and Zhao Yun, were seated one after another. Cai Ji sat on the desk with one hand still on Zhong Xuan's letter, and only after seeing everyone arrive, she adjusted her sitting posture and asked Pang Tong, who was sitting on her right hand, about the whereabouts of Ko Yan, "Shiyuan, do you know where Wu Guang is now?" ”

"Back to the Lord, according to the spies, it is reported that Liwu has been chasing Yuan Tan for several days, and there has been no news so far." Pang Tong replied, his tone full of annoyance that hatred of iron could not be made of steel.

It is true that Koji's unauthorized departure from the city gave Zhong Xuan and Wang Ling an opportunity, but Cai Ji didn't want Koji to perform. So after listening to Pang Tong's report, Cai Ji ordered without saying a word, "Don't worry about Yuan thief for the time being, you will quickly send troops and horses north to meet Wuguang." ”

"Whoa." Pang Tong nodded in response, and then couldn't wait to ask, "What about Pingcheng?" ”

As Pang Tong brought up the conversation, the civil and military forces of Qi Ying present turned their eyes to Cai Ji. Obviously, how to deal with Cao Jun in Pingcheng is the most concerned thing for everyone. Sure enough, the next moment, I heard Cai Ji ask Pang Tong again, "I don't know what the strength of the Cao army in Bingzhou is now?" ”

Pang Tong, who thought that Cai Ji was planning to start a war with Cao Cao, was suddenly invigorated, and immediately stood up and walked to the cowhide map and introduced, "Cao's army has a total of more than 20,000 troops stationed in Yanmen, including more than 10,000 in Pingcheng, 3,000 in Mayi, 1,000 in Wuzhou, 3,000 in Qiangyin, and more than 3,000 people confronted Renqing in Gaoliu. ”

"Oh, it's pretty compatible." Cai Ji nodded thoughtfully.

Cai Ji's reaction once again inspired the generals and colonels present, and saw Wen Rui, the captain of Zhichong, who had always been the main battle, come out to ask for battle, "Lord, the last general is willing to blast away Pingcheng for the vanguard!" ”

"That's right! Blasting away the flat city! "Straight to take and merge the state!" "Teach Cao Jun a lesson with the technique of landslide and earth cracking!"

Seeing that the atmosphere of the main battle in the tent was getting stronger and stronger, Cai Ji did not take the opportunity to announce the start of the war, but looked back at Pang Tong and asked, "Shi Yuan knows how many Wang Yanyun are still in the territory of Youji?" ”

Cai Ji's voice was not loud, but her question made the handsome tent, which was still bustling, fall into silence in an instant. Even the previously confident Pang Tongshi lost his words. Because he can't guarantee that there won't be a second or third traitor in the city in the rear, who will join Cao Jun's inside and outside. Once someone is at the critical moment when the Qi army attacks Pingcheng, opening the city gate in the rear to lead Cao's soldiers into the city will definitely disrupt their position.

At the same time, Cai Ji looked around at the civil and military officials present, and finally fixed his eyes on Pang Tong, "Go to the army to fight and strategize, and attack the heart." If we can't reconcile the hearts of the people, even if the walls of the city are thick, it will be difficult to protect the city. ”

Watching Cai Ji calm down the main battle situation of the generals step by step, Jia Xu raised a satisfied smile on his head. Forbearance does not mean appeasement, but to accumulate strength and wait for the opportunity to strike a fatal blow. It's just that Jia Xu and Cai Ji didn't expect this "opportunity" to come much earlier than they imagined. (To be continued......)