Xu Chu was also very interested in Cao Cao's 'dead friends', but unfortunately, Xu Shu and Zuo Heng only knew their names from Cao Cao's mouth, but they didn't know much about what positions these heroes held under Cao Cao.

Since Cao Cao and Xu Chu already had an alliance, Xu Shu inevitably paid attention to Cao Cao's situation. After roughly observing and listening, Cao Cao now has a total of 3,000 foot cavalry, most of which are recruited from Peiguo and Chen Liu, and after Xiahoudun and Cao Hong return from recruitment, their crowd should be around 5,000.

Another point of concern is that Xu Shu found that Cao Cao had no scholars around him.

It stands to reason that Cao Cao's reputation is higher than that of Xu Chu, so it should not be that there are no scholars to follow, but it is not strange if you think about it carefully. On the one hand, Cao Cao has a bad reputation as 'after being emasculated'; and on the other hand, Cao Cao is now not the chief of the county or the country, and after escaping from Luoyang, he is already a white body, and he has no official position. Without an official position, he cannot use his subordinates like Xu Chu, Zhang Miao, Wang Kuang and others, and promote talents and abilities.

The combination of the two led to the embarrassing situation of Cao Cao without the assistance of a strategist.

However, Xu Chu thinks that Cao Cao may also feel that he doesn't need any strategists now, he himself is a resourceful person, with him to plan, with Cao Xiahou and others as pioneers, he can also make a difference.

Obviously, Cao Cao was a light enemy, Xu Chu thought about Cao Cao's actions in history when the princes were fighting against Dong, although he won the name of daring to attack Dong Zhuo, but he was defeated by Dong Zhuo's army and Xu Rong was almost killed.

Now this history is quietly being rewritten by Xu Chu.

After a little gossip, Xu Shu turned to the main topic and talked about Cao Cao's analysis of the location of the troops in the future. Since the two sides are allies, Cao Cao's consideration is naturally based on common interests.

Cao Cao said that there were two places that could be used as bases for troops - sour jujube in Chenliu County and Yangcheng in Yingchuan County.

The location of these two counties, Sujube is the closest county to 'Hugao Pass' in Chenliu County, and Yangcheng is the closest county to 'Huyuan Pass' in Yingchuan County.

Tiger Prison, Yuyuan two passes, is the east of Luoyang, the southeast of the two portals, the geographical location is very important, with Cao Cao's guess, when the princes raise troops in the future, in addition to the Tiger Prison, Yuyuan two Xiongguan, but also in the Jingzhao Yin Wuguan, located in Hanoi County Mengjin two, are the place of contention.

In other words, Cao Cao was telling Xu Chu that although the date of the army had not yet been decided, once the army was raised, the two counties of Yingchuan and Chenliu could be two towns, Nanyang County adjacent to Wuguan could be one town, and Hanoi County was another town, for a total of four towns.

Of course, for the specific candidates for the princes of the four towns, it is still unknown whether some people will send troops at that time, Cao Cao did not elaborate, but only analyzed the situation to Xu Chu, and then put forward two places that he thought could be tried - Yangcheng and Sour Zao.

Going to sour dates is relatively beneficial to Cao Cao, and going to Yangcheng is relatively beneficial to Xu Chu. This is also very understandable, the sour jujube is under the rule of Chen Liu, and it is the territory of Cao Cao's 'sworn friend' Zhang Miao, and many of Cao Cao's soldiers are recruited in Chen Liu, which is equivalent to fighting at home, and many places will be much more convenient. As for Yangcheng, it is because Xu Chu had been a Taishou in Yingchuan, whether it is Xu Chu himself or his subordinates, they are more familiar with the terrain, customs and other conditions in the Yingchuan area, and although Xu Chu has left Yingchuan for some time, many local people still remember Xu Chu's 'forbidden to collect more mouths', 'exterminate Zhang Zhi, Huang Guan', 'Tuntian Xingnong' and other things. Familiar with the terrain, the people's will is available, the location, people are all in hand, and the war will naturally be handy.

Xu Chu then asked Guo Jia and Xi Zhong for their opinions on this matter, and the two said in unison: "To make a contribution, it must be Yangcheng!" ”

Looking at Xu Shu, Xu Shu also bowed his head and said: "When Chen Liu, I told Cao Mengde that it was best to be in Yangcheng. ”

Cao Cao has few soldiers and little food, if Xu Chu follows Cao Cao to garrison troops in Suojube and squeeze in the middle of a group of bigwigs, no matter from which point of view, the significance of the alliance between the two is not too great. Anyway, they can't get the right to speak, and the difference between them and Xu Chu working alone is not obvious.

And if Yangcheng is chosen, the 15,000 or so people Xu Chu and Cao Cao combined will be very important. Even if Kong Ling, the assassin of Yuzhou, sent troops to Yangcheng as in history, the size of his army should not be too large, at most between 30,000 and 50,000, and a large part of them were newly recruited soldiers. Counting the two factors that Kong Ling has no military strategy and no too famous generals under his account, Xu Chu and Cao Cao have a high probability of becoming the heads of Yingchuan Town.

Xu Chu immediately replied to a letter, explaining the benefits and disadvantages, and expressing to Cao Cao his intention to garrison Yangcheng, and asked Zuo Heng to work hard to deliver the letter.

Zuo Heng had just returned to Shu County for less than a day, and he hadn't squinted for a while, and after listening to Xu Chu's words, he responded angrily and said, "My subordinates will not disgrace their mission!" ”

Seeing Zuo Heng leave, Xu Shu was a Wenchen after all, and he was a little tired, so Xu Chu asked him to sleep well. After talking to Guo Jia and Xi Zhong about the thieves in the county and the nongsang, they also went to rest.

There was nothing important for several days, and early in the morning of the fourth day, Xie Zhen returned to Shu County from Huiji County, rested for half a day and then asked to see Xu Chu.

Xie Zhen's main task was to visit the Great Late Governor He Qi, and Xu Chu was also eager to know what the outcome would be.

Xie Zhen said something about the Shanyue rebellion, and at the same time handed He Qi's letter to Xu Chu in person.

Xu Chu listened to Xie Zhen's words while looking at He Qi's letter.

The rebellion in Huiji County was very big, and the four counties of Wusheng, Yanxian, Yongning, and Zhang'an in the south of the county fell, but Damo County was still in the hands of the government. The people who participated in the rebellion were not only Shanyue people, but also thieves and homeless people who were attached to it, and the number was as large as 30,000. Xie Zhen first went to the clan, and after knowing that the rebellion was very big, under the protection of dozens of soldiers sent by Zhu Fujia, the commander of Huiji, and the original subordinates, he came to Damo to see He Qi with trepidation.

After Xie Zhen finished speaking, Xu Chu also happened to finish reading He Qi's letter.

He Qi's arrival of Xie Zhen can be described in two words - flattered and friendly. The letter was full of great respect for Xu Chu, and thanked Xu Chu for the gifts, especially for Xu Chu's desire to cite him as filial piety, He Qi was very excited and grateful, so he gave some 'small gifts' in return. This long list of 'thin gifts' alone is enough to prove He Qi's attitude towards Xu Chu.

He Qi is 'poor' and crazy. His 'poverty' is not financial poverty, but political poverty. With his exploits against Shanyue, if he were a son of the Huiji and Wu Jun families, I am afraid that he would have been promoted to important positions such as Juncheng and Duwei like a rocket. But now that he is at the end of the world, he is only a county magistrate, and he is still the acting 'trial guard' county magistrate who has not been formally appointed by the imperial court, and He Qi's heart is naturally extremely uneven.

Xie Zhen's arrival can be described as a relief to He Qi, one is that he got in touch with Xu Chu, the Taishou of Lujiang, and has the opportunity to become a person of the united front, and the other is the Huiji clan behind Xie Zhen, or he is also willing to invest political capital in He Qi.

This is Heqi's side. Of course, Xu Chu's side is also very happy, He Qi can fight well, and what he lacks is nothing more than a letter of recital, a formal appointment of the imperial court. Xu Chu cited him as filial piety and satisfied what He Qi wanted most, so that although Lujiang County and Huiji County were separated by a 'Danyang', it would be more secure to have He Qi as a potential ally.

A day after Xie Zhen arrived in the county, Zhou Yi, who first went to Liyang and then went to Wu County, also returned.

As soon as Zhou Yi saw Xu Chu, he said: "Ming Mansion is really a heroic man!" But when I was in Wu County, I heard about Xu Chu and Cao Cao's first initiative.

Zhou Yi visited the Wu Jun family, successively went to the Lu family, the Gu family, the Zhu family, and the Zhang family, and met the parents of the four families, and after the negotiation, he also had a judgment on their attitude.

The people of the four families all hope that Xu Chu can turn their rivalry with Zhou Xin into a jade silk, as long as Xu Chu can coexist peacefully with Zhou Xin and keep a certain distance from Chen Wen, then everything is easy to say.

Xu Chu specially asked if he would see Gu Yong next week, including when Xie Zhen was there yesterday, he also specially asked if he had seen Yu Xuan. These two people are known to Xu Chu and should be famous in the county now, but unfortunately these two people have not been touched by Zhou Yi and Xie Zhen, so in the end, they can only convey their greetings on behalf of Xu Chu. However, it is because Gu Yong is now the county magistrate of Qu A, and Yu Fu is not in Shanyin County at Yuyao's house.