After Cao Cao's Battle of Chibi, he returned to the north. After rectifying the soldiers and horses and stabilizing the morale of the army. A series of military operations began.

After breaking Ma Chao and Han Sui's rebellion. Began the military campaign of the southern expedition to Sun Quan and the western expedition to Zhang Lu.

At this time, Cao Cao pointed the finger at Sun Quan.

This is the second time Cao Cao has beaten Sun Quan. The Battle of Chibi made Cao Cao ashamed. This time to conquer Sun Quan, Cao Cao also wanted revenge.

And before Cao Cao conquered Sun Quan. Cao Cao asked someone else to write a long letter and entrusted it to Sun Quan.

This long letter is quite ornate on the surface. It's very simple.

The content of this long letter is to ask Sun Quan to kill Zhang Zhao and Liu Bei. This piece of Jiangdong will always belong to Sun Quan. Moreover, the imperial court also wanted to add an official to Sun Quan.

And the letter also mentioned that if Sun Quan couldn't kill Zhang Zhao, it was okay to kill Liu Bei alone.

After Sun Quan received the letter, not only did he not kill Liu Bei, but Zhang Zhao. And I don't eat this set.

Sun Quan was ready for a decisive battle with Cao Cao.

At this time, Sun Quan had already prepared two things.

The first thing was that Sun Quan moved his seat of governance (capital) from the capital to Jianye.

The second thing is that Sun Quan established a military port at the mouth of the water. Preparations were made to resist Cao Cao.

At this time, Cao Cao was ready to go.

In the seventeenth year of Jian'an. Cao Cao personally led an army of 400,000 men to conquer Sun Quan.

In the eighteenth year of Jian'an, he advanced to the mouth of the water.

And Cao Cao was ill-prepared for this war. And Sun Quan's side is fully prepared.

The contrast was stark before the war.

So the war is always in a stalemate.

So what was Cao Cao's ill-prepared for in this war?

The author estimates two points.

The first point: Cao Cao's army was not good at water warfare. Hurried to the front. The arrogant army will be defeated.

The second point: Cao Cao had a discord with the ministers of the DPRK and China before. The morale of the army is unstable. Why the discord?

This may be Cao Cao's attempt to stabilize the ministers of the court. An order was given. This decree is the "Decree of the Records of the County". What is this "Let the County Write the Chronicle Order"? More on that later.

The above is the author's speculation that Cao Cao's preparation is insufficient.

Therefore, Cao Cao's preparation for the southern expedition to Sun Quan was insufficient.

This made the war a stalemate from the very beginning.

In this state, it is very unfavorable to Cao Cao's army.

In the end, Cao Cao had no choice but to hold out in his own water army camp. Sun Quan challenged many times, but Cao Cao did not come out.

encountered Cao Cao's state. Sun Quan had no choice but to take a boat. entered Cao Cao's water army camp.

After Sun Quan entered Cao Cao's water army camp. There are two versions in Pei Song's note in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

The first theory is that Sun Quan imitated Zhuge Liang's "straw boat borrowing arrows" in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". It is also said that Sun Quan's borrowing of arrows is the prototype of "borrowing arrows from grass boats".

The second theory is that after Sun Quan drove the boat in, Cao Cao knew that Sun Quan was coming. So, Cao Cao gave an order. He said don't move, and he doesn't let go of his arrows. Let's watch Sun Quan's ship blow away. Sun Quan went back.

At this time, Cao Cao nodded and said; "Alas, Sun Quan is really a hero." So, Cao Cao said a famous sentence. "Giving birth to a son is like being a grandson."

In the end, Cao Cao was worried about the safety of the rear. Withdrawn. It can be said that it was halfway. In the process of this conquest of Sun Quan. Cao Cao also lost his group's number one strategist, Xun Yu. As for how Xun Yu died. I talked about it in the previous chapter. The author doesn't have to write here.

After Cao Cao went back. At this time, his old rival Liu Bei had already taken Yizhou from Liu Zhang (Yizhou's territory should be relatively large among the Three Kingdoms).

There is also a separatist force Zhang Lu above Yizhou, and Zhang Lu's military strength is relatively weak. So it has always been a thorn in Cao Cao's side and a thorn in his flesh.

At this time, Cao Cao did not attack Zhang Lu. Zhang Lu was bound to be swallowed up by Liu Bei. Once Liu Bei's power expanded. It is not good for Liu Bei.

As a result, Cao Cao began preparations for the westward expedition to Zhang Lu.

Twenty years in Jian'an. Cao Cao officially began his military campaign to conquer Zhang Lu in the west. At this time, Cao Cao was sixty-one years old.

Because Zhang Lu's forces are in the Hanzhong area. Cao Cao personally led his troops and drove to Yangping Pass.

After Cao Cao personally led his troops to Yangping Pass, Zhang Lu learned the news. knew that he couldn't defeat Cao Cao's army. So, Zhang Lu began to prepare to surrender.

It can be seen that Zhang Lu's forces actually have no resistance.

However, Zhang Lugang was ready to surrender. His younger brother Zhang Wei disagreed.

Zhang Wei didn't want to surrender because his brother Zhang Lu was too cowardly. I don't even want to fight,

And Zhang Lu's side couldn't stop Zhang Wei. So, Zhang Lu agreed with Zhang Wei to fight Cao Cao.

So, Zhang Wei personally led the army to Yangping Pass.

After Cao Cao's army came to Yangping Pass, he found that Yangping Pass was actually not easy to fight.

Cao Cao before the attack on Zhang Lu. There are actually informants on Zhang Lu's side. The informant told Cao Cao that Yangping was good at fighting. Cao Cao had no worries. So, he led the army to Yangping Pass.

Wait until Cao Cao leads the army to Yangping Pass. Cao Cao found that Yangping Pass was not easy to fight.

So, Cao Cao faked the withdrawal of his troops.

It's just that Cao Cao was on the way to withdraw his troops and suddenly killed a horse gun. Zhang Wei was defeated.

This is Cao Cao's defeat of Zhang Wei.

What's going on here? Who was the scheming to make Cao Cao kill back and defeat Zhang Wei?

In fact, there are many sayings in the history books.

The first theory is that it was Cao Cao's secret order to kill the carbine. That is, Cao Cao decided to kill the carbine.

The second theory is that the strategist Liu Ye suggested that he kill the horse pistol.

The third theory is that it happened by accident. By chance, Cao Cao didn't plan to kill the horse pistol back.

And there are two theories about accident.

The first theory is that Cao Cao's retreating army strayed into Zhang Wei's barracks. And as soon as Zhang Wei's people heard that it was Cao Cao's army, they came. They didn't know it was a retreat either. I thought it was coming to attack. They scattered in a hurry.

The second theory is that Cao Cao's army strayed into Zhang Wei's barracks. Instead, thousands of elk rushed into Zhang Wei's barracks.

Anyway, the record of this battle in the history books is not very clear.

In the end, Cao Cao still knocked it down in a daze.

The result after the defeat was that Zhang Wei surrendered.

After Zhang Wei surrendered, Zhang Lu, who was originally going to surrender, ran to Bazhong.

After Zhang Lu ran to Bazhong, it didn't take long. He also surrendered.

After Zhang Wei and Zhang Lu surrendered one after another. Cao Cao gave them very high treatment.

So, this place in Hanzhong. was pacified by Cao Cao.

In this war against Zhang Lu, Cao Cao conquered Hanzhong, not only expanding his sphere of influence but also threatening the safety of Liu Bei's group.

Because Hanzhong is the throat and gateway of Shu County. Hanzhong was taken by Cao Cao. Shu County directly confronted Cao Cao's military forces.

Cao Cao if he took advantage of the victory to march. It directly threatens the safety of Shu County.

And will Cao Cao take advantage of the victory and march?

Many people in Cao Cao's camp advocated that this time should be a blow. Take advantage of the victory and pursue. Take Shu County.

There are two people who made this suggestion.

One is Liu Ye, and the other is Sima Yi.

Moreover, both of them served as senior staff members in Cao Cao's army at that time.

Liu Ye advocated taking advantage of the victory to attack Liu Bei. Because Liu Bei was in Yizhou, where Liu Zhang had just been captured. Taking advantage of Liu Bei's current dissatisfaction. When your heel is unsteady. Attacking Liu Bei in the south will definitely succeed.

Sima Yi said a very famous sentence.

"A saint cannot violate the time, nor does he lose time in time."

The meaning of this sentence: It means that a saint cannot work with the heavens, nor can he lose his chance.

These two strategists, Liu Ye and Sima Yi, spoke very well.

But Cao Cao did not accept it.

So Cao Cao was ready to withdraw his troops.

Cao Cao did not fight Liu Bei and withdrew his troops.

This may be one of the biggest regrets in Cao Cao's life.

Cao Cao withdrew, not for anything else. Cao Cao may have something better and more important waiting for him.

What is it? So important.

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