Chapter 135

Just when Liu Cong led his subordinates to prepare for you to face Cao Cao, Cao Cao in the north was not idle.

Cao Cao went through the battle of Guandu in the fifth year of Gongjian'an, and the northern expedition to Wuhuan in the twelfth year of Jian'an. The reunification of the north was basically completed. Although he lost his advisers Guo Jia and Jia Xu. Cao Cao was still full of ambition.

The successive victories made Cao Cao forget those days when there was no food, forget that Yanzhou was almost captured by Lu Bu, and forget that the confrontation between Guandu almost collapsed. Becoming a king and defeating a coward, Cao Cao's overlord spirit gradually revealed. He wanted to take advantage of the new victory and high morale to complete the great cause of unifying China in one fell swoop. Therefore, in the first month of the thirteenth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao led the army of the Northern Expedition to return to Yecheng without waiting for rest, and immediately began military and political preparations to use troops to the south.

In order to familiarize the northern soldiers with water warfare as soon as possible, Cao Cao ordered people to dig a Xuanwu Pond in Yecheng to train the naval army; In order to ensure the stability of the army and base camp during the southern expedition, he sent Zhang Liao, Yu Ban, Le Jin and others to garrison near Xudu one after another in case of contingencies; In order to prevent the Xibiqiang people and warlords Ma Teng, Han Sui and others from taking advantage of the opportunity to sneak attack, he promoted Ma Teng as a guard captain in the name of the imperial court, and asked Ma Teng and his family to move to Yecheng, as hostages to force the northwest to stand still.

Ma Teng and Han Sui's secession of the northwest has always been Cao Cao's confidant. Even when he was on his northern expedition to Wuhuan, he was always on guard against these two warlords. Ma Teng had no choice but to obey, and after Ma Teng left, Ma Chao took over Ma Teng in charge of the troops and served as a partial general. Because his father, younger brother and others were all taken hostage by Cao Cao, Ma Chao did not dare to act rashly for a while, which gave Cao Cao enough time to march south.

In order to gain political advantage, Cao Cao also abolished the Three Dukes, restored the prime minister and imperial historian of the Western Han Dynasty, and appointed himself prime minister. He further monopolized the power of the imperial court and consolidated his rule over the Central Plains and Hebei.

In Cao Cao's eyes, the main forces in the south are Liu Cong, who succeeded Liu Biao as Jingzhou Mu, Sun Quan, who inherited Jiangdong from his father and brother, and Liu Bei, who betrayed Cao Cao and stabbed him in the back during the Battle of Guandu.

Compared with Sun Quan and Liu Cong, the two little dolls, Cao Cao values Liu Bei more in his heart. One comes; Liu Bei has the identity of an imperial uncle, and the martial arts Cao Cao who came under his command Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei and others has seen it with his own eyes, coupled with Liu Bei's tenacity, the eighteenth princes who crusaded against the thief Dong Zhuo in front of the Tiger Prison Pass are now only him and Liu Bei, Cao Cao of course does not want Liu Bei to have a chance to turn over.

As early as when he was cooking wine with Liu Bei Qingmei, Cao Cao once judged the three forces in the south, and he thought that Liu Biao was "in vain"; Sun Ce is "in the name of his father" - Sun Quan, as his younger brother, owned Jiangdong at the age of eighteen, and naturally with the help of his father and brother, he barely retained the land of Yizhou by relying on the reputation and foundation of his predecessors.

In Cao Cao's view, Liu Cong and Sun Quan today are not to be feared, only Liu Bei and Cai's heroes he recognizes. Cao Cao was anxious to march south, so he was worried that after Liu Biao's death, Jingzhou would fall into the hands of Liu Bei, and then the east and west would unite and become the climate again.

In the eyes of Liu Cong and Zhuge Liang, Jingzhou is the key to the strategy of protecting the state and competing for the world.

Not only Liu Cong and Zhuge Liang are aware of this, but people of insight in Jiangdong also understand. Zhou Yu and Lu Su are not themselves, especially Lu Su set an imperial policy for Sun Quan to seize Jingzhou, occupy the Yangtze River, and then seize the world. Jingzhou's battle position can be seen in a version.

Cao Cao himself is a military strategist, and someone under his command is like a cloud, presumably Guo Jia must have confessed to Cao Cao before he died that Cao Cao wanted to seize Jingzhou as soon as possible.

Jingzhou has a vast territory, not to mention the four counties south of the Yangtze River, Nanyang, Nanjun and Jiangxia in the north of the Yangtze River, Liu Biao has governed Jingzhou for 18 years, and has not participated in the melee of other warlords, so the population is prosperous, the talents are gathered, and the place is rich, and it has long become a big fat meat, and Cao Cao also knows that he is not the only one who is staring at this piece of meat. Therefore, Cao Cao's southern expedition in addition to cutting off the nail of Liu Bei by cutting the grass and roots, is to eat the fat meat of Jingzhou into his stomach.

Comparatively speaking, Liu Biaoxin was mourned, Liu Cong was young, and Cao Cao did not think that he had any difficulties in conquering Jingzhou. Cao Cao was already the prime minister of the Han family at this time, and taking advantage of the power of the new victory, not only Liu Cong, but even Sun Quan felt a lot of pressure!

Just when Cao Cao was full of confidence and ready to set off, someone jumped out to oppose it!

He was Kong Rong, who was the doctor of Taizhong at the time, and when he heard that Cao Cao was going to march south, he immediately wrote to advise: "Liu Bei and Liu Cong are both relatives of the Han family, and they should not be easily defeated; Sun Quan's occupation of Jiangdong has the Yangtze River, and the odds of victory are not great. Now that you are marching south, I am afraid that the hearts of the people of the world will be chilled. ”

Who is Kong Rong? To put it bluntly, he was the leader of the intellectuals at that time, he was frivolous and did not abide by government orders, and he embarrassed Cao Cao several times before; has repeatedly contradicted Cao Cao in major policies.

Cao Cao had already had the intention of killing him, but due to the unstable situation in the north at that time, Kong Rong was also famous all over the world, and Cao Cao did not want to kill him and bear the notoriety. Kong Rong was even more arrogant. But now that the north has been decided, and the southern expedition is too important to Cao Cao, Kong Rong has become the figure of Cao Cao's sacrifice flag.

Soon, Cao Cao beheaded Kong Rong and abandoned the market in the name of "overstepping the rules and stumbling wildly."

For a time, those who opposed the southern expedition in the DPRK and China were wise enough to protect themselves and no longer forced them.

Of course, when Cao Cao was preparing for the southern expedition, Liu Cong was not idle, building a high wall, and the action of training elite soldiers had already reached Cao Cao's ears. In addition, Liu Cong's trip to Xudu last year caused such a big stir. Of course, Cao Cao didn't want Liu Cong to sit firmly in Jingzhou and build Xiangyang into an impregnable wall, so he wrote his advisers.

Xun Yu was already suspected by Cao Cao because of Liu Cong and Jia Xu's affairs, and Cao Cao insisted on the southern expedition and he did not dare to dissuade him. ”

Cao Cao was still satisfied with Xun Yu's strategy, originally he thought the same way, Liu Bei did not have many soldiers, Liu Cong was young, maybe under the pressure, he would succeed in one fell swoop.

In late July, Cao Cao personally led an army of more than 100,000 to Jingzhou, claiming to be 800,000 to the outside world!

When the news came out, the surrender faction in Jingzhou couldn't sit still, and even Cai Mao, who was far away in Jiangxia, quietly wrote to Mrs. Cai and Cai Lin, hoping that Liu Cong could judge the situation.

Of course, even the main battle faction is very nervous, not to mention 800,000, even if it is 18 bends, it is enough for the defenders of Jingzhou to eat, Jingzhou is now 60,000 near Xiangyang, plus Jiangxia Cai Mao and Xinye Liu Bei are only 90,000 at most, which is still far from Cao Cao. What's more, everyone knows that these two people are not of the same mind as Liu Cong.

Especially Xinye Liu Bei, Liu Biao and Liu Biao were suspicious of each other while he was alive, and Liu Cong also offended Liu Bei.

But even so, Liu Cong still made a determination to unite all the forces that could be united and swear to defend Jingzhou to the death.

On the third day when the news of Cao Cao's southern expedition reached Xiangyang, Liu Cong ordered Huang An, the son of Huang Zu, to lead 3,000 troops and 5,000 stone of grain to Xinye. Liu Cong's new and old subordinates were puzzled by Liu Cong's move.

Especially Huang Zu, Han Song and others, who are about the same age as Liu Bei, know Liu Bei's personality well, and remind Liu Cong that it is not a wise move to press the treasure on Liu Bei, and it is better to stay in Fancheng with 3,000 defenders and 5,000 stone of grain to play a greater role. But Liu Cong insisted on his opinion.

Huang An also brought Liu Cong's handwritten letter to Liu Bei. Seeing the remnants of Liu Cong's sent over, Chen Liang and Liu Beiqi didn't fight anywhere. Looking at Liu Cong's handwritten letter again, Liu Cong said Uncle Huang, Uncle Huang.

Uncle has been fighting against Cao Cao for many years and has rich experience, so presumably the Cao thief patch is also very jealous of Uncle Huang. The little nephew is not talented, and he has just made Jingzhou, and the people are not convinced. Therefore, it is certain that Uncle Huang is sticking to the northern frontier, and Cong Zidang is organizing forces in the rear to jointly resist the Cao thief.

If the emperor has any difficulties, even if he sends someone, Cong will ask for soldiers for soldiers and food for food. You, my uncle and nephew are determined to make that Cao thief come and go......

Liu Bei didn't know whether to scold Liu Cong for being innocent or pretending to be naïve and shameful. Do you want to fight Cao Cao together with such a small number of troops? If you want to send 3,000 remnants of veterans and 5,000 stone of grain, you want me Liu Bei to work hard for you to defend the northern frontier?

What do you say uncle and nephew are of the same heart, when did the kid help me Liu Bei treat him as an uncle?

There is no door, in Liu Bei's plan, Cao Cao's vanguard can barely resist when he comes, and if the main force of Cao's army arrives in Xinye, he will run away immediately. Run away with Cai's strengths! The more than 10,000 people and horses that he has saved up with great difficulty over the years must not be cannon fodder for Liu Cong's kid!