"Zhang Fujun has tens of thousands of soldiers under his command, complete armor, and plenty of grain and grass." Seeing that Zhang Miao already had something, Chen Gong's name for him also changed: "If you can raise troops, you will definitely be able to occupy Dongjun within a month." ”

"Occupy East County in a month?" Regarding Chen Gong's statement, Zhang Miao seemed to be skeptical: "There are more than a dozen counties under Dongjun, if Ben Taishou leads his troops to besiege the city, what should they do if they cut off my grain route behind?" ”

"Please rest assured." Chen Gong seemed to have guessed what Zhang Miao was worried about, and hurriedly comforted him and said, "Before Gong left Dongjun, he went to lobby the county commanders in the county. Many of them have long been dissatisfied with Cao Apu, and if they see the prince of the palace sending troops, they will definitely raise troops to respond. Even those county commanders who are unwilling to rebel against Cao Apu will mostly sit on the sidelines and not participate in the confrontation between the two of you. ”

"Big brother!" Zhang Chao waited for Chen Gong to finish speaking, and then hurriedly said to Zhang Miao: "Now that Cao Mengde has become a loner, if you don't take this opportunity to destroy him, it will probably not be easy to find such an opportunity in the future." ”

When Zhang Miao first heard Chen Gong say that Cao Mengde had killed Bian Rang and occupied Bian Bian's wife, Luan's family, he was indeed filled with righteous indignation. But after thinking about it for a while, his whole person has become much calmer. Although Cao Mengde's soldiers are not as many as his own, he has Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Chu, and Cheng Yu and Man Chong, which is enough to make up for his lack of troops. Even if it was really as Chen Gong said, he persuaded the county commanders under Dongjun so that these people would not come out and drag themselves back when they confronted Cao Mengde, it would still not be easy to defeat Cao Mengde.

Chen Gong saw Zhang Miao's hesitant expression, and he was secretly anxious in his heart, and hurriedly said to him: "Fujun, now is a God-given opportunity, I don't know what you are still hesitating about?" ”

"Gongtai," Zhang Miao said with some hesitation: "Although there are tens of thousands of soldiers and horses under my command, there are no good generals, if I send troops to fight against Cao Mengde, I am afraid the odds of victory are not high." He saw that Chen Gong opened his mouth, as if he wanted to introduce something, and hurriedly raised his hand to interrupt the other party, "Even if those county orders in Dongjun didn't help each other when I fought with Mengde, have you thought about it, if Cao Mengde asks for help from other princes, what should I do?" ”

Hearing Zhang Miao's concern, Chen Gong smiled faintly and asked, "Fu Jun, I don't know who do you think Cao Apo will ask for help?" ”

"Yuan Highway now occupies Huainan, the soldiers are full of food, and there is a fierce general Lu Bu who has taken refuge in him, and his strength should not be underestimated." Zhang Miao said worriedly: "If Cao Mengde asks him for help, I am afraid that we will suffer from the enemy." ”

"Yuan Shu has just gained the land of Huainan and needs time to consolidate it. And Lu Buxin has not been in obedience for a long time, so I am afraid that he will not try his best to serve him. Chen Gong said confidently: "Gong thinks that Cao Apu will definitely not ask Yuan Shu for help. As for Yuan Benchu, now he is cowering in Bohai County, and he is in a panic, and it is even more impossible to send troops to rescue Cao Agui. ”

"What about Anyang Hou?" Zhang Miao's impulsive energy at the moment had passed, and he was unwilling to be an enemy of Cao Cao from the bottom of his heart, so he tried every means to find a reason to prevaricate Chen Gong: "If Meng De asks him for help, do you think he will stand by and watch?" You must know that when Dongjun was short of food, he personally escorted grain and grass to Dongjun. ”

Chen Gong was a smart person, and he could see the other party's hesitation from the tone of Zhang Miao's speech. He smiled bitterly and said to him: "Fujun, if you are worried about the Marquis of Anyang, the palace is willing to go to Yecheng to visit the Marquis of Anyang for your envoy and ask him to send troops with you to fight against Cao Agui." ”

"That's not right." Hearing Chen Gong's proposal to form an alliance with Han Zhan, Zhang Miao became more and more cringe, and he said worriedly: "Gongtai should know that Han Fu, the father of the Marquis of Anyang, died in Chen Liu. At that time, the Marquis of Anyang was still under the command of Yuan Benchu, and after hearing the bad news, he immediately raised troops against Yuan and recaptured his family's foundation in Jizhou. I think he must have been haunted by Han Fujun's death, and now that I send someone to form an alliance with him, he will definitely refuse. ”

"At this time and at that time," Chen Gong forcibly endured the disappointment in his heart, and said to Zhang Miao: "As far as Gong knows, Anyang Hou is a magnanimous person, as long as you are willing to form an alliance with him, he will not care about some grievances in the past. ”

"It's not appropriate," Zhang Miao waved his hands desperately, and said resolutely: "This matter is very important, and it needs to be considered in the long run." Speaking of this, he turned his head to look at his younger brother Zhang Chao, "It's not too early, you send the public platform to rest." ”

"Where?" Seeing that his brother was a little capricious, Zhang Chao's heart was also full of disappointment, and he casually asked, "Are you still sent back to prison?" ”

"The public platform is my honored guest, how can I let him live in prison." Zhang Miao pretended to think for a while, and said to Zhang Chao: "Let him rest in your mansion tonight." ”

Chen Gong knew that his persuasion of Zhang Miao had failed, and it made no difference to him where he lived tonight. Seeing that Zhang Chao was about to go out, he hugged his fists and saluted Zhang Miao, and then walked out.

When the two came outside, Zhang Chao said apologetically to Chen Gong: "Gongtai, I really didn't expect my brother to be so indecisive, I will persuade him again tomorrow, maybe he will change his mind." ”

"No need." Chen Gong knew that Zhang Miao couldn't make up his mind to turn his face with Cao Cao at all, so he rejected Zhang Chao's kindness: "Brother Ling doesn't seem to plan to turn his face with Cao Agui, even if you try to persuade him, you can't make him change his mind." In the future, when Cao Apu waved his army south, it would be too late to regret it. ”

Knowing that Cao Mengde might send troops to Chen Liu, Zhang Chao was a little confused, and hurriedly asked Chen Gong: "Gongtai, if Cao Mengde really sends troops, then how should we deal with it?" ”

"Unless you strike first, you can only sit and wait." When Chen Gong said this, he couldn't help but sigh and said, "It's a pity to miss this great opportunity in vain, it's a pity!" ”

"Someone's coming!" Zhang Chao called an entourage and instructed him: "I am going to see my brother, you first take Mr. Gongtai back to my mansion to rest." ”

Chen Gong knew that Zhang Chao still wanted to go back and persuade Zhang Miao again, but he didn't stop him. Although the probability of success was not high, at least there was a glimmer of hope, so he did not dissuade Zhang Chao, but made a gesture towards the other party and left the Taishou Mansion with his entourage.

As soon as Chen Gong left, Zhang Chao couldn't wait to find Zhang Miao, and asked straight to the point: "Big brother, I want to ask you, Gongtai let you send troops alone, you are worried that Cao Mengde will ask others for help and let our army suffer from the enemy." proposed an alliance with the Marquis of Anyang, and you talked about the death of Han Fujun. There are no outsiders here, you give me a good word, will you send troops or not? ”