Guangling County, Dongyang County.

Chen Jizheng respectfully reported the latest information to Yuan Shu, who had just arrived.

Since Tao Qian's death, Zhao Yu and other pottery merchants succeeded Xuzhou pastor. Immediately after the potter took office as the pastor of Xuzhou, he hoarded grain and grass in Xiapi and reorganized the army for war, according to the information obtained so far, at this time the potter gathered 50,000 people under the command of the pottery merchant, and most of them were gathered in the north, especially the first line of Xiapi City and Geyi Mountain was the most heavily defended, with a garrison of more than 30,000, followed by Siwu, with a garrison of about 10,000. Compared with the strict deployment in the north, the south is facing the direction of our army, but there is almost no defense, according to the report, Xutai, Huailing, Xuxian and other places are now empty of people, the garrison in the city has been transferred to Xiapi, and most of the people have gone out of the city to avoid trouble......"

Yuan Shu looked at everyone with a little puzzlement, and said, "Let's talk about it, what does the potter's move mean?" ”

Yang Hong saluted Yuan Shu and said: "My lord, now Cao Cao has even descended to Yaoya and the two counties of the East China Sea, and the soldiers are approaching Xiapi, and they will carry out a general attack on Xiapi at any time. The subordinates listened to the fleeing people of Xiapi say that the lower reaches of the Surabaya River still emit the stench of the decomposing bodies of the drowned, and even if they are ten miles from the shore, they have to hide their faces and flee, and there are piles of alluvial white bones along the lower reaches of the river...... These are clearly imprinted on the hearts of every Xuzhou people, in order to save themselves, the potters and Xuzhou soldiers and civilians can only rise up to resist. ”

Yuan Shu asked, "Then why didn't the potters leave a single soldier for Xutai and other places?" ”

Yang Hong said again: "The subordinates thought that this was a helpless move by the pottery merchants, and the pottery merchants had limited troops, so it was difficult to parry our army and Cao Cao at the same time. The lord is a benevolent and righteous king, not Cao Cao's brutal slaughter people can be compared, for the potter, the lesser of two evils, he understands that even if our army takes Xutai and other places, it will not be like Cao Cao to do the slaughter of the city, so he simply gave up Xutai and other places, and tried his best to resist Cao Cao! ”

"Why was he so bold as to give me his back? Isn't he afraid that Cao Cao and I will attack from the north and south? ”

"The subordinates thought that the pottery merchant must see that our army and Cao Cao were inseparable, and knew that once he was defeated, our army and Cao Cao would inevitably have a conflict over the ownership of Xuzhou......"

"Wait!" Yuan Shu interrupted Yang Hong's words and said: "This time, I sent troops to help Cao Cao avenge the murder of his father, and I have agreed with Cao Cao in advance that Cao Cao must withdraw his troops immediately after capturing Xuzhou and return Xuzhou to me, does Cao Cao dare to break the contract?" ”

Yang Hong said: "The lord has been familiar with Cao Cao since he was a child, and he must know Cao Cao very well, dare to ask the lord, with the lord's understanding of Cao Cao, the lord thinks that Cao Cao will spit out the meat in his mouth in vain?" This is the land of three counties, millions of people! ”

Yuan Shu didn't think about it and said loudly: "Of course ......" but after only saying two words, Yuan Shu hesitated, will Cao Cao really do?

Yang Hong said: "It seems that the lord does not believe that Cao Cao will really evacuate Xuzhou as promised, and his subordinates think that the pottery merchant sees this, so he transferred all the troops to the north, and handed over Xutai and other counties to the lord, he is to tell the lord that he will fight with Cao Cao in Xiapi City, hoping that the lord can sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight!" ”

"What's in it for him?"

Yang Hong said: "Cao Cao has always thought that Tao Qian is his father's enemy, didn't the Tao merchants at this time also list Cao Cao as his father's enemy?" It was impossible for the two families to strike and make peace, and the potters had no choice but to fight. The potter knew that there was no chance of victory in the face of our army and Cao Cao's attack, since he could not take revenge with his own hands, he had to borrow the hands of others, he knew the law of the law of the weak and the strong today, as long as he weakened Cao Cao a little more in Xiapi, the more likely Cao Cao would be defeated in the future! Presumably, he expected that the lord would be happy to see this, so he dared to give up Xuantai and other places! ”

"The potter is so desperate?"

"The revenge of killing my father is not shared! Although Tao Qian did not die at the hands of Cao Cao, this account was undoubtedly recorded on Cao Cao's head, maybe this is called a tooth for a tooth! The pottery merchant's father is filial piety, and it is not surprising that he did this! ”

At this time, Chen Ji also said: "Qi Yu Lord, the last general will learn that Cao Cao has publicly announced tax reductions and exemptions in various places in the East China Sea, and according to the agreement, these places will be the land of the lord, even if it is to be exempt from taxes, it should be announced by the lord, what qualifications does he Cao Cao have?" His subordinates think that Cao Cao's move is very vigilance! ”

Yuan Shu nodded and said, "There is some truth in this!" It seems that Cao Mengde has the ambition to annex Xuzhou, otherwise he would not consider himself the master! ”

Yang Hong said: "I don't know what the lord has planned? ”

Yuan Shu said: "Has Cao Cao's envoy arrived?" ”

Yang Hong hurriedly said: "Lord Qiqi, I arrived yesterday, and I also brought Cao Cao's letter, Cao Cao hopes that the lord will join him in raising troops, flanking the pottery merchants, and destroying them in one fell swoop!" ”

"When can Cao Cao start attacking?"

"Cao Cao said in the letter that as long as the lord agrees to send troops to assist, he can send troops to attack Picheng at any time!"

"Tell him that our army is short of food and grass, and is transferring grain and grass from the rear, and it will not be able to attack until the end of this month!"

"Yes, my subordinates obey!"

Ji Ling's head was a little confused, and he stepped forward and said, "Lord Qiqi, our army has enough food and grass, and it can attack at any time!" ”

"You know what?" Yuan Shu glared at Ji Ling and said, "Since the pottery merchant is willing to fight with Cao Cao, why don't I do it?" The pottery merchant has just taken office as the state pastor, and he is too late to prepare for war, if he starts a war at this time, how to achieve the goal of consuming Cao Cao? I set the date of sending troops at the end of the month, just to give the potters time to reorganize their armaments, so as to deal a greater blow to Cao Cao! When the time comes, there will be countless deaths, so that the feud between Cao Cao and Xuzhou will become deeper and deeper, and the people of Xuzhou will be even more disgusted with Cao Cao. ”

"Lord Shengming!" Everyone said in unison.

The envoy returned to Tanxian County to tell Cao Cao about Yuan Shu's decision, Cao Cao immediately understood Yuan Shu's thoughts, but this is also what Cao Cao is happy to see, and even if Yuan Shu proposes to send troops immediately, he will find all kinds of reasons to prevaricate and delay, he understands that once the potter is resolved, the contradiction between him and Yuan Shu will surface, but now he is not ready to turn his face with Yuan Shu, not to mention that he still needs time to consolidate his rule in Yaoya and the East China Sea. It just so happened that Yuan Shu set the date of sending troops at the end of the month, which was equivalent to giving him twenty days to arrange everything! As for saying that the pottery chamber of commerce will not use these twenty days, Cao Cao is not worried at all, because he already has a way to break the enemy, even if the pottery merchants build a copper wall and an iron wall in Xiapi and Geyi Mountain? Even a strong fortress can be easily breached from within!

The potter threw out Xutai and other counties, Yuan Shu immediately understood, not only delayed Cao Cao's time to send troops, but also "turned a blind eye" to Xutai and other places, strictly prohibiting a soldier from entering Xutai and other places, he wanted to use this to tell the potter, your back is very safe, I Yuan Shu will not attack you, you can go and Cao Cao with peace of mind! Seeing that Yuan Shu did not enter Xuantai and other places, the pottery merchant immediately understood what Yuan Shu meant, and the two of them, who had no contact with a few words, quickly reached a tacit understanding in dealing with Cao Cao as if they were old partners with tacit understanding.