Yuzhou, Yingchuan County, Xudu.

"Since Cao Aiqing thinks it's feasible, let's do it." Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty said to Cao Cao with a smile.

"Commandment."

Finally ending this conversation, Cao Cao also breathed a sigh of relief, and after bidding farewell to Liu Xie, he slowly walked out of the palace.

Outside the palace gate, Guo Jia, Cheng Yu and Xun Yu were waiting.

"Lord, how's it going?" Cheng Yu stepped forward to ask.

"Heh," Cao Cao smiled bitterly, "In the future, I should really set the rules, if they do this a few more times, I'm afraid I won't be able to do anything." ”

Several people laughed and followed Cao Cao away.

Seeing Liu Xie this time, Cao Cao's main purpose was to clean up the aftermath for those bold subordinates.

Now that he has received the Son of Heaven, then things such as accepting Zhang Xiu are not something that Cao Cao can decide on his own, and he must play and then obey the holy order.

Fortunately, under various relationships, Liu Xie is very important to Cao Cao, knowing his loyalty and delegating power, this is Liu Xie's sage.

In fact, it's just a form for hundreds of officials to see, if according to Liu Xie's meaning, Cao Cao can make his own decisions about this kind of thing.

But Cao Cao wouldn't do that, he didn't want to leave a truth to people with other scheming, saying that he was like Dong Zhuo and Li Dao.

However, Cao Cao is also very confident in the adaptability and judgment of his subordinates, and these people under him will not do anything difficult for him.

It's just that this kind of thing will still be reduced in the future, after all, now is different from the time when the volunteers first raised, there is an emperor in Yuzhou, and everything should have rules.

However, Cao Cao also had doubts about Zhang Xiu's surrender.

Since he had the courage to raise troops to attack him, and even more so that the soldiers and horses of Jingzhou were strong from the side, how could he take the initiative to surrender just because he lost the first battle?

But this time, Guo Jia behaved very casually.

When Xun Yu and the others were thinking about Zhang Xiu's intentions, Guo Jia just smiled and said: "It's rare that Zhang Xiu is willing to surrender, but you are here to look ahead and hinder the great cause of the lord." ”

According to his intentions, Cao Cao should go to Wanxian and show his strength to Jingzhou by the way.

Cao Cao understood what he meant, and the matter had come to this point, and he couldn't help but go.

People are willing to surrender, but they don't dare to accept it, as soon as this matter spreads, Cao Cao will only be looked down upon by the world, and even the majesty of the Han Court will be lost.

Now Cao Cao represents not only himself, behind him is the Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty and the entire imperial court.

In the end, Cao Cao's reply to Xiahou Yuan was that he ordered Zhang Xiu to count the household registration, money and grain in Wanxian County and the surrounding areas within two months, and Cao Cao would personally go over to receive it when the construction of Yuzhou was completed in the spring of the next year.

————————————————

Xuzhou, Xiaopei.

It's still the same wine shop, it's still the same two.

Zhang Fei's simple but resolute face once again showed a puzzled expression.

"What do you mean?"

"General, I'm just telling you the news, what's the doubt?" Duan Xuan still looked like a scoundrel, and said while licking his wine glass.

"Five hundred military horses is indeed not a small number, but if I intercept them, Lu Bu will not stop." Zhang Fei replied very calmly, because he knew that the man in front of him was thinking about something.

Duan Xuan also knew that he couldn't hide it from Zhang Fei, so he simply said it to him.

"Let the general intercept the horse, just to lure the soldiers and horses of Pengcheng here."

"What do you want?"

"Lu Bu can now make the princes feared, except for the fierce cavalry, is the loyalty of his subordinates. Therefore, I intend to divide his subordinates first, and then plan them. ”

"I want to hear about it."

……

After listening to Duan Xuan's strategy, Zhang Fei was a little hesitant.

"Although the plan is feasible, if your companion does not gain Hou Cheng's attention as you expected, then won't the eldest brother have a grudge against Lu Buduo in vain?"

"Hehe, dare to ask the third general, do you have to live in this small city for the rest of your life and do nothing?"

Duan Xuan faced Zhang Fei's questioning and asked calmly.

"Even if this matter doesn't work, General Liu can work with Lu Bu with one heart and one mind and conspire for a great cause? Are your three brothers willing to live under Lu Bu's villain who stole Xuzhou? ”

That's the problem.

What can still maintain the balance between the two sides now is only the surrounding heroes.

Once Lu Bu was able to grow and develop over time and form a force, Liu Bei lost his meaning.

In your own state and county, how can you let others live for a long time?

Liu Bei knew better than anyone how uncomfortable it was to be under the fence now, in fact, Duan Xuan noticed it when he entered the city - Liu Bei had recruited troops again.

Duan Xuan saw that Zhang Fei didn't speak, so he continued: "Xuzhou was originally given over by Tao Thorn Shi, and General Liu took over in name only. Yu Gong, the territory of the Han Dynasty should have been based on the surname Liu, even if it wasn't, he was elected as a virtuous person, how could it be his turn to be on Lu Bu? Yu privately, Tao Thorn Shi's dying trust shows his trust in General Liu, but now he is being stolen by Lu Bu, how can he be worthy of Tao Thorn Shi? ”

Knowing is loyal, and the name is righteous. Although Zhang Fei knew in his heart that with Duan Xuan's character, he would not care about this, and this remark was just a crown.

But that's the way people in the world think. Duan Xuan knew this precisely because he deliberately clicked on himself.

"This is true, in fact, the eldest brother is also suffering from nothing all day long."

How can there be no plan? The previous time he showed weakness to the princes, that is, he wanted to hide aside and watch them fight.

Otherwise, the play when Ji Ling attacked the city would not be in vain.

But many times, a man's blood cannot be hidden.

Although Liu Bei used a very deep city government to cover up, his hatred for Lu Bu's seizure of the state has never weakened.

The previous time ordered Guan Ping to watch from the sidelines, in fact, what everyone on Liu Bei's side was looking forward to the most was Lu Bu's victory, but it was a tragic victory, that is, it was best for him and Yuan Shu to consume a lot of soldiers and horses.

In this way, only Guan Ping's 1,000 men and horses could easily cut off Lu Bu's retreat.

At that time, Liu Bei could divide his troops into two ways and take Pi and Pengcheng directly.

It was only later that there was an accident, first Guan Ping was injured by an assassin "sent by Lu Bu", and then Lu Bu actually formed an alliance with Yuan Shu.

As a result, the plan was disrupted, and Liu Bei had to lie dormant again.

However, the recruitment never stopped. With the solid support of the Yellow Turban Grain Depot, Liu Bei was fully confident that he would expand his troops and complete his training within a year.

The reason why he didn't do it was because Cao Cao had already returned to Yuzhou.

Liu Bei needs to take advantage of Cao Cao's next dispatch of troops before making a move.

In addition to dealing with Lü Bu, he also needed to reserve enough troops and horses to deter Cao Ren in the eastern border of Yanzhou.

Zhang Fei was also weighing, because the person he was going to work with now was Duan Xuan, a complicated man.

A man who has no faith but keeps his promises, who ignores human life but thinks of the people.

This person can be full of lies and cold-blooded ruthlessness to enemies, but to his best friends, he will do what he says and value love and righteousness.

After a long time, Zhang Fei still nodded.

Duan Xuan, on the other hand, smiled and raised his glass to him.

What moved Zhang Fei was not Duan Xuan's words, but the ultimate goal.

Duan Xuan only had one sentence that really touched Zhang Fei, that is, the three of them would never take care of Lu Bu's home for the rest of their lives.

Xuzhou will be recaptured sooner or later.

However, Zhang Fei also knew that Duan Xuan's strategy would never be to help his side, this man would only be loyal to Cao Cao.

Today's cooperation is only based on the premise that both sides want to deal with Lu Bu.

It is believed that Cao Cao is also calculating the time, and he must pacify the left and right prefectures before Yuan Shao ends the war in the north.

Cao Cao persuaded his eldest brother to help Lu Bu temporarily, but I believe it was only because the situation in Yuzhou was complicated at that time, and Cao Cao had no time to look east.

At this time, Lu Bu and Yuan Shu confronted each other, and each other was consumed, the most important thing was that the grain and grass were already insufficient.

Duan Xuan's actions are what Cao Cao meant, so it is conceivable that Cao Cao wanted to take advantage of Yuan Shu's time to recuperate and eradicate Lu Bu.

……

After sitting for a while, Zhang Fei looked at the sun that was gradually setting in the west, and was ready to get up and leave.

"Oh, that's right," Zhang Fei retracted the foot he had taken, bent down and handed Duan Xuan a paper tube he had brought with him, "Recently, if you don't give up, take it." ”

"The general's masterpiece must be treasured." Duan Xuan smiled and took it.

Zhang Fei turned around and left.

When he walked out of the wine shop for a long time, Zhuge Jin came up from downstairs, but saw Duan Xuan looking at the painting in his hand with great interest.

Zhuge Jin stepped forward to take a look, the background of the painting was very simple, and the content was very simple.

The praying mantis catches the cicada, and the yellow finch is behind.

"Brother Xuan, what is this?"

"The masterpiece of the three generals."

"He can also paint?"

"Hehe, he was born at the wrong time, if it was a peaceful and prosperous world, he might be a famous painter."

"Yes...... What does he mean by that? ”

"He's reminding me." Duan Xuan's smile gradually dissipated.

"Reminder what?"

"He understood my thoughts. Alas, it's a pity that it's an enemy, if you work together, this is a rare bosom friend......"

"Brother Xuan, what are you ......" Zhuge Jin didn't know the whole situation.

"My original intention was to think that Lu Bu would finally stalemate with Liu Bei, and when both sides suffered a great loss of troops, the lord could take advantage of the situation to exterminate them in one fell swoop."

"Ah...... But now that Zhang Fei has sent you this painting, isn't it clear? ”

"The three generals are smart people, and Liu Bei is even more, they will never fall out with the lord now. It's just that if you want them to fight Lu Bu, it's impossible. ”

"Then your plan ......"

"It's okay, Zhang Fei will go."

……

This is a temporary change.

Duan Xuan, who returned to Xuzhou, accidentally heard that Xiapi and Pengcheng were collecting horses.

Three days later, a batch of people from the south will be transported to Pengcheng.

So Duan Xuan thought of using Xiao Pei's side to attract the attention of Pengcheng's soldiers and horses, so that he could act on his own.

Now that the matter here has been arranged, Duan Xuan and Zhuge Jin can set off and rush to Pengcheng.

They had to sneak into the city before Zhang Fei could do anything so that they could carry out their strategy.

In fact, this strategy has been started a long time ago.

Now, the 100 tigers and leopards disguised as refugees should have all blended into the city.

Thinking of entering the city, Duan Xuan couldn't help but smile wryly.

He pinched the last packet of "Disguise" medicinal powder prepared by Ling Yuan on his waist with his hand, sighed and shook his head.