The spring is cold, the moon and stars are scarce, the Yangtze River is rolling east, and the waves are slapping on the riverbank.

Cao Cao sat on a stone by the river, looking at the sparkling ripples of the bright moon in the river at night, looking haggard, looking at the entourage following him, all miserable, the strategist Dong Zhao he relied on was lost in the chaotic battle, Cheng Yu lost an arm, and the accompanying soldiers were all injured.

Cao Cao asked Cao Chun, who had just rushed over on the side: "Zihe, can the Jin army chase after you?"

Cao Chun hesitated and said, "Duke Ming, the Jin army is stationed in Guangling, and they haven't chased after it, so I really don't know what the conspiracy is." ”

Cao Cao sighed and asked again, "How many soldiers and horses are left?"

Cao Chun's expression was sad: "Shang ...... Five thousand remaining. ”

When everyone heard this, they were all depressed, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses were lost in just over a month, and they lost seven or eight percent, this battle was really aggrieved, but more desperate, in the face of Zhang Liao's iron hooves, they were almost powerless to resist.

In fact, if it weren't for Cao Cao's skillful military training, Yu Ban and other generals who were quite capable, strict in military discipline, and constantly collected the routs, I am afraid that they would not even have 5,000 soldiers and horses now. The rout is the most terrible, even if there are many soldiers and horses, once the rout, it is often a rout, difficult to clean up, when Chu and Han compete for power, brave as Xiang Yu, after the defeat to Jianghuai is only twenty-eight horses.

At this time, it was the fourth watch in the middle of the night, and when I heard that the Jin army did not chase after me, many people were sleepy and took a nap, but Cao Cao had no intention of sleeping.

At this time, Cao Hong hurriedly walked over and said loudly: "My lord, I have found one hundred and twenty boats, which is enough for me to wait to cross the river." ”

When everyone heard this, they all lifted their spirits.

Cao Hong hurriedly said again: "Lord, Zhang Liao is arrogant, thinking that he is holding the left coupon and garrisoning the troops to rest, the lord is just taking the opportunity to cross the river in order to recover." ”

"Arrogant?" Cao Cao muttered to himself, got up and walked to the river, and Cheng Yu followed side by side.

Cao Cao looked up at the moon, and sighed to Cheng Yu for a while: "Zhang Wenyuan drove me across the river to seek Sun Quanhu?" ”

Cheng Yu was silent, but looking at his expression, he obviously had already guessed Zhang Liao's strategic intentions. With the speed and combat power of the light cavalry under Zhang Liao's command, if he hadn't deliberately indulged, these remnants of them would not have escaped from the banks of this great river, and Cao Hong would never have found more than a hundred ships.

In fact, they did guess Zhang Liao's intentions correctly at this time, the Sun family was in Jiangdong, and there was a natural danger of the Yangtze River as an obstacle, but Zhang Liao was eager to attack, and there was no suitable reason, but it was different to drive Cao Cao across the river. Once Cao Cao crossed the river, Jiangdong would have two major princes, and it would no longer be monolithic, and Zhang Liao also had an excuse to attack Jiangdong on the grounds of pursuing Cao Cao.

But the current situation is that even if Cao Cao and Cheng Yu guessed Zhang Liao's intentions, they have no choice.

After a long time, Cao Cao sighed: "Well, since the will of heaven belongs to Wenyuan, I should help him." ”

Cheng Yu hurriedly said: "Duke Ming, there are still imperial court cars in Jingzhou, Liu Bei, Liu Biao, and the lord enter Jiangdong, then Zhang Liao will move to Jingzhou, and Duke Ming should have the opportunity to recuperate, unite with Sun Quan, and rectify the naval army, or divide the world in two." ”

Cao Cao shook his head: "I don't have a good job, not to mention the dog guarding Jingzhou, if Wenyuan's soldiers and horses arrive in Jingzhou, then Liu Biao's defeat is just a matter of time." ”

Cheng Yu said in a deep voice: "Liu Biao is incompetent, there is still Liu Bei." Ming Gong can still compete for the world, and he must not lose his spirit! ”

Phew!

Cao Cao sighed: "Zhongde, Wen is far from being comparable to the original and highway streams, and its martial arts are far superior to the princes of the world, and the rule of Wen is ...... Wenzhi is I also sigh Fu Ru, under its rule of stability and prosperity, the scholars respect, the people return to the heart, the world is unified for only a few years, I started the army at the beginning of the social stability, and now Wenyuan has done it, I ...... What is the benefit of resuming the dispute? ”

The corners of Cheng Yu's mouth moved, and he fell silent. For Zhang Liao's way of governing the world, even if he was hostile, he had nothing to say, and he was convinced in his heart.

In the spring of the fifth year of Jian'an, Zhang Liao's army broke through Yanxu, the land of Jiangbei was under his command, Cao Cao's army was defeated and crossed the river, Cheng Yu persuaded Sun Quan with the theory of death and cold teeth, Sun Quan treated him with courtesy, and asked Cao Cao to send troops to Linjiang Dantu and Qu'a two counties, opposite to Guangling in Jiangbei, to cross the river with Zhang Liao.

……

Jingzhou, the state pastoral office.

Taifu, Jingzhou Mu Liu Biao and the bureaucrats deliberated.

Since Liu Biao entered Jingzhou, he exterminated the thieves, united with the strong, supported 100,000 troops, based on Jiangling in the south and Xiangyang in the north, and became a great prince. However, whether it was the great changes in the Luoyang court, or when Zhang Liao crusaded against Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao and even Cao Cao, Liu Biao protected himself from Jiang and Han and sat back and watched the world change.

Then the arrival of the Son of Heaven's car made Liu Biao even more undecided, and he ordered Zhang Xiutun Wancheng and Liu Beitun Xinye to prevent Zhang Liao from attacking.

When Zhang Liao conquered Cao Cao, he still had some thoughts, but he didn't expect that he had just received the news of Zhang Cao's battle, and then received the news of Cao Cao's defeat to Jiangdong, which caught him off guard, and he was panicked in his heart, and hurriedly summoned his subordinates to discuss how to deal with it.

With the arrival of his subordinates, Liu Biao, who was sitting at the top, took the lead in speaking, with a solemn expression: "Gentlemen, Zhang Wenyuan expedition to Jianghuai, but it depends on the tenth month, Cao Mengde defeated Jiangdong, and now the Jin army will look at Jingzhou, and we are in danger, but I don't know what to do with the monarchs?" ”

Don't drive Liu Xian straightened up and saluted: "Since the ten permanent servants were in chaos, Dong Zhuo entered Beijing, the heroes divided the prefectures and counties, and fought for the world, the smoke was everywhere, and the lives were devastated, and the general recruited heroes, with 100,000 people, to protect the place where Jingzhou lived in peace, which was a great achievement." If the general wants to be promising, when the Duke of Jin conquers Yuan Shu, then the general sits and waits and sees, missing the opportunity, such as the general trend has been decided today, the general can only choose the virtuous and follow, otherwise there will be disaster! ”

Liu's appearance was uncertain, he naturally knew who Liu Xian was talking about, who else was besides Zhang Liao, could it be Cao Cao and Sun Quan? But he has never been able to make up his mind, because if he submits to Zhang Liao, his authority will be gone, and Zhang Liao will never allow him to take charge of Jingzhou alone, because under Zhang Liao's rule, the state and county will implement the separation of military and government, and there will be no state pastor.

At this time, one of the people in the seat sneered: "Don't drive the virtuous person who is Zhang Liaohu? He is just a rebel! ”

Before Liu Xian could refute, Cai Mao, the military advisor of the General's Mansion, spoke: "What is a rebel? Who in the world does not know, when the Duke of Jin was auxiliary to the government, he respected the Son of Heaven, did his best, did not have any trespassing, and had the hope of the Duke of Zhou, it was Dong Cheng and Cao Cao who were jealous of the virtuous and jealous, slanderous inside, and Yuan Shu who was against Yuan Shu outside, so that the Duke of Jin almost lost his life Jianghuai, and it was the court that was negative to the Duke of Jin, and the non-Duke of Jin was responsible for the court! ”

The man's face changed, he was a protégé of Huang Zu, he hated Zhang Liao, and he was thinking about how to refute it, and he didn't want to govern Deng Yi and Liu Xian and Cai Mao: "That's right." General, Jin Gong started at the end of the micro, but in a few years, he punished Dong Zhuo, beheaded Li Guo, cut Yuan Shu, set Yuan Shao, defeated Cao Cao, thirteen states in the world, has been possessed by the Division, Yan, Henan, You, Hebei, Qing, Xu, Liang, and Kyushu land, under the rule of the people live and work in peace and contentment, prosperous through learning, heroes are all attached, this hundred great sages also, the general should see the virtuous and help, can no longer hesitate! ”

Liu Biao's expression was even more uncertain, and his subordinates all obeyed Zhang Liao, giving him a feeling that the general trend had gone.