In September of the second year of Jian'an, Yuan Shu led an army to attack the state of Chen, booby-trapped Liu Chong, the king of Chen, and annexed his land, posing a threat to Xu Du from the northeast, so Cao Cao personally led a large army to the east.

Yuan Shu was taken aback when he heard that Cao Cao had come in person, abandoned the army and fled back to Huainan, leaving the generals Zhang Xun, Qiao Rui, Li Feng and others to retreat to Qi County.

Yuan Shu ordered the general Qiao Rui to lead 50,000 troops to guard the pass and not to go out lightly. Qiao Rui went out of the city to attack Cao's army on the grounds that the general's orders abroad were not affected. Cao Cao sent Yu Ban and Xiahou Dun to lead the army to meet the battle, Yu Ban led the army to defeat Yuan Shu's army, Xiahou Dun caught up with Qiao Rui in the chaotic army, and the battle was not three, Xiahou Dun killed Qiao Rui with a shot.

Yuan Shu's defeated army rushed back to the city, and Li Feng and others insisted on not fighting. Cao Bing could not conquer for a long time, and the grain and grass were consumed very quickly, Guo Jia suggested: "The lord can invite Lu Bu and Liu Bei to join forces to attack Yuan Shu, reward Han Xuan, and let him attack from the south." As soon as Yuanshu is broken, the lord can free up his hands to deal with Zhang Xiu, wait for Xu Du to threaten to solve, and then crusade against Lu Bu. ”

Cao Cao sent a letter to Liu Bei and Lu Bu, Cao soldiers to the border of Yuzhou, Liu Bei had already led troops to welcome, Cao Cao ordered people to invite Liu Bei into the camp.

Liu Bei offered two heads, and Cao Cao asked in surprise: "Who is this head?" ”

Liu Bei replied: "This Han Xian and Yang Fengzhi are also the heads. ”

Cao Cao asked, "How?" ”

Liu Bei said slowly: "Lu Bu ordered the two to be stationed in Yidu and Langya counties. I don't want Han and Yang to rob the people, and everyone complains.

Yang invited me to attack Lu Bu together, so I pretended to promise to welcome Yang Fengjun to Xiaopei. Yang Feng went to Xiao Pei and me, and made people tie up and kill Yang Feng during the banquet. Han Xian saw that Yang Feng was dead, and he was alone, so he led more than ten horsemen to join the state, and I sent Zhang Fei to intercept and kill him on the way. Prepare all the people, and come to ask for sin. ”

Cao Cao saw that Liu Bei was always hiding, and now he took the initiative to hand over the military power of Han Xian and Yang Feng, squinted at Liu Bei, and said with a smile: "It is a great achievement for the monarch to eliminate harm for the country, so why not?" ”

Cao Cao worked hard for Liu Bei and joined forces to the Xuzhou border. Lu Bu came out to greet him, Cao Cao said a lot of good things to comfort him, named Lu Bu as the general of Zuo, and promised that when he returned to Xu Du, he would be exchanged for a seal ribbon. Lu Bu was overjoyed. Cao Cao divided Lu Bu's army on the left, Liu Bei's army on the right, and the self-unified army in the center.

Yuan Shu retreated to Shouchun, probing the horse urgently, Han Xuan sent Gan Ning and Jiang Qin to lead the naval army to supervise the warships to attack the counties west of the Yangtze River, Lu Bu led troops to attack the east, Liu Bei, Guan, and Zhang led troops to attack the south, and Cao Cao led 100,000 troops to attack the north.

Yuan Shu was shocked and hurriedly gathered the civil and military forces to discuss.

General Yang Rui said: "The flood and drought in Shouchun continue year after year, and everyone is short of food; Now they are moving troops to disturb the people, and the people are resentful, and it is difficult for the soldiers to resist the enemy. It is better to leave an army in Shouchun and not have to fight. When the enemy's soldiers run out of food, there will inevitably be changes. His Majesty and commanded the forest army to cross the Huaishui, one of which was harvested when the rice was ripe, and the other temporarily avoided its sharpness. ”

Yuan Shu followed Yang Rui's suggestion and left Li Feng, Le Zhuo, Liang Gang, and Chen Ji to divide 100,000 troops and stick to Shouchun; The rest of the generals and the treasury treasures of gold and jade treasures, all of them packed up and left.

Cao Cao had a total of 170,000 troops, and the daily food consumption was huge, and the counties were in drought, so they could not help them. Cao Cao urged the army to fight quickly, but Li Feng and others could not hold out. Cao Cao's army and Yuan Shu's army refused for more than a month, and the food was about to run out, so he wrote to Han Xuan to borrow food.

Han Xuan left Huang Zhong to hold the northern part of Danyang, so that he would not fight easily, and transferred most of Huang Zhong's soldiers and horses. Cao Cao sent someone to borrow grain, and Han Xuan summoned the generals to discuss: "Do you think I should borrow grain from Cao Cao?" ”

Zhong Xuan said: "Yuan Shu is arrogant, Cao Cao is edicted by the Son of Heaven to attack Yuan Shu, and the lord should support him." ”

Zhang Zhao said with a smile: "What Yuan Chang said is extremely true, the lord should lend Cao Cao grain and grass, but he should ask him for an official position. ”

Han Xuan, Zhang Zhao, and Zhong Xuan looked at each other and smiled, Han Xuan ordered someone to reply to Cao Cao, and Cao Cao was furious: "Zhu Ziyan dares to bully me!" I only borrowed some grain and grass from him, but he repeatedly asked me for a knighthood. Sooner or later, I will catch it! ”

Guo Jia was also drunk with Han Xuan, an official fan, and said to Cao Cao: "Lord, Han Xuan leads Wu Yue's people, and his momentum is difficult to cut off for a while. After the lord annexed the northern lands, he fought a decisive battle with them. Some official positions, Xu He is, the top priority is to get rid of Yuan Shu's troubles. ”

Cao Cao sighed: "What Feng Xiao said is very true, but that Han Xuan is really hateful, if he doesn't get rid of it now, it will be a big disaster in the future!" ”

Guo Jiabai said: "Ming Gong's eyes are like torches, but don't forget that there is still a hidden dragon around you, which can be used and must be guarded against." ”

Cao Cao asked who it was, and Guo Jia replied with a sneer: "Liu Bei, this person is very deep in the city, and it is difficult for Jia to guess his thoughts. ”

Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "Feng Xiao is too worried!" Liu Bei is just a weaver and a peddler, what can he do with me snorting under my hands? ”

Guo Jia looked at Cao Cao's back and sighed, Cao Cao named Han Xuan as the right general and ordered him to quickly send troops to attack Yuan Shu. Han Xuan lent Cao Cao 100,000 yuan of grain and rice, and Cao Cao was so angry that he wanted to whip Han Xuan thousands of times, such a little grain and grass was not enough for his 170,000 army to stuff his teeth.

The grain officer Ren Jun's subordinates, and the warehouse official Wang Yuan entered the account to report to Cao Cao: "There are more soldiers and less food, what should it be?" ”

Cao Cao thought for a while and said: "You can divide Xiao Hu's food, and the right to save the emergency." ”

Wang Gao asked, "What if the soldiers complain?" ”

Cao Cao pretended to be profound: "I have my own strategy, don't worry." ”

Wang Yu obeyed the order and divided the grain with Xiaohu. Cao Cao secretly sent people to the villages to listen, and the soldiers all complained, saying that Cao Cao bullied everyone.

Cao Cao then secretly summoned Wang Yuan in and said, "I want to ask you to borrow something to suppress the hearts of the people, and you should not be stingy." ”

Wang Gao asked, "What does the prime minister want to use?" ”

Cao Cao said: "I want to borrow your head to show the public." ”

Wang Yu was shocked: "A certain person is not guilty! ”

Cao Cao said: "I also know that you are not guilty, but if I don't kill you, the army will mutiny." After you die, my wife will support herself, and you will not worry about it. ”

Wang Yuan wanted to beg for mercy, but Cao Cao had already called for a knife and axe to push him out of the door and behead him with a knife. Hanging Wang Yuan's head on a high pole, posted a list to show the public: "Wang Yuan's old line of Xiaohu to distribute grain, is actually to steal official grain for personal use." In accordance with military law. ”

The sergeants thought that Wang Gao had embezzled grain and grass, and took off Wang Yuan's head to vent their anger, so the resentment of the army was resolved.

The next day, Cao Cao ordered the generals of each battalion: "If you don't break the city within three days, you will be killed!" ”

Cao Cao personally went to the city and supervised the army to move earth and stones, fill the deep trenches dug by Yuan Shu's army, and fill the trenches. The arrows and stones on the city were like rain, and two of the generals fled in fear, Cao Cao personally beheaded them under the city with a green sword, so he personally dismounted to pick up the soil and fill the pit.

As a result, all the soldiers and soldiers moved forward, and the military prestige was greatly boosted. Yuan Shu's army in the city could not resist the enemy, and Cao soldiers rushed to the city first, cut the pass and locked it, and the large team of men and horses rushed in.

Li Feng, Chen Ji, Le Qiang, and Liang Gang were all captured alive, and Cao Cao ordered them all to be dragged to the entrance of the city and beheaded. Cao Cao ordered the army to burn the palaces and palaces forged by Yuan Shu and all forbidden things; Loot the things in Shouchun City.

Cao Cao discussed with the generals that he wanted to march across the Huaishui River and chase Yuan Shu. Xun Yu admonished: "There has been a drought for many years, and food is difficult. If the army is further advanced, it may not be beneficial to labor the army and damage the people. If you don't return to Xudu temporarily, you can only plan it when the spring wheat is ripe and the military food is sufficient. ”

Cao Cao hesitated. Suddenly, the report arrived, and the report said: "Zhang Xiu relies on Liu Biao and is rampant again; Nanyang and Jiangling counties are reversed; Cao Hong couldn't resist the enemy, lost several battles in a row, and came to report the emergency. ”

Cao Cao Naichi wrote and Han Xuan, and ordered him to set up a formation across the river, so that Liu Biao suspected Han Xuan of entering Jiangxia, so that Liu Biao did not dare to act rashly. Cao Cao was the teacher on the same day, and discussed with Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, Xun You and others about the recruitment of Zhang Xiu.

(End of chapter)