What are Xun Yu's so-called unimaginable consequences? That is, the money and food are exhausted, and the soldiers are scattered.

In small-scale battles, the competition is whether the soldiers are well-trained, whether the generals are strong in martial arts, whether the weapons are sharp, and whether the armor is firm; In the final analysis, a large-scale battle is a contest of the comprehensive strength of the two forces. Not only must there be a wide range of soldiers and sufficient weapons and armor, but also a stable rear and a steady stream of money and food. This grain, in particular, is very likely to determine the outcome of a battle that should be evenly matched. Therefore, "cutting off grain roads" and "burning grain and grass" have become the tricks that the opposing sides must use in large-scale battles.

The reason why Cao Cao was able to defeat Yuan Shao, who was stronger than himself, and finally turned the tables was to break through the black nest and burn the grain and grass of the Yuan army, causing the heart of Yuan Shao's army to be shaken. Cao Cao took the opportunity to attack in a big way, and Yuan's army was defeated without a fight, and finally achieved the great cause of Cao Wei.

Now, if Cao Cao wants to fight a full-scale war with the Nanyang army at the risk of running out of food and grass, it is obviously not a wise choice.

Xi Zhicai also advised: "Our army is newly defeated, and the army's morale is unstable; The enemy army is newly victorious, and the morale is high. The lord should avoid the enemy's edge and slowly try to do it, how can he throw himself into the net and shake the strong enemy? ”

Cao Cao said angrily: "What the two of you said is certainly reasonable, but how can the revenge of Yuan Rang, Wen Lie and the tens of thousands of soldiers not be avenged?" ”

Xun Yu said: "Of course revenge must be avenged!" But be methodical! ”

Xi Zhicai also said: "The Nanyang Army is now huge, and our army is not the only one who has a grudge against He Xian!" ”

"Do you have any tricks to teach me?" What a character Cao Cao is, as soon as he heard Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai's tone was surprisingly consistent, he realized that the two had agreed on a plan.

Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai glanced at each other, and said at the same time: "For today's plan, the only way to attack the world is to attack it!" ”

"What is the world's attack?" Cao Cao asked in surprise.

"Exactly!" Xi Zhicai affirmed: "The lord can repeat the matter of the eighteenth road princes attacking Dong Zhuo, and call on the princes to unite to fight He Xian." Yuan Benchu has always regarded himself as the leader of the alliance in the world, and he will never refuse; Jiangdong Sun Ce, Yizhou Liu Bei are all heroes, how can they not see the current situation clearly. If He Xian can't be curbed again, the world will sooner or later fall into the hands of Nanyang, the butcher! ”

Although Xun Yu was extremely disgusted with the title of "Nanyang Tujiazi" by Xi Zhicai, he still raised his hands in agreement with the strategy of "attacking the world".

Xun Yu said: "With the power of the princes, we will fight He Xian together." Let the Nanyang army be attacked on all sides and be tired of fighting, which is the right way for the Lord to avenge himself! ”

Cao Cao suddenly woke up after hearing this, quickly stood up, and said deeply to Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai: "Cao almost missed a big event because of a moment of anger, thanks to the dissuasion of the two gentlemen!" grateful! ”

Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai hurriedly turned sideways, not daring to accept Cao Cao's gift.

At the end of the sixth year of the early Ping Dynasty of the Han Dynasty (195 AD), Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty heard that He Xianping had pacified the Dacheng Kingdom of Yuan Shu in Yangzhou, and was overjoyed and decided to use the new era name "Jian'an", and set the upcoming New Year as the "first year of Jian'an", implying that the world of the Han Dynasty is becoming more and more peaceful. However, the intentions of the Han Emperor are beautiful, but the reality is cruel.

On the eighteenth day of the first month of the first year of Jian'an (196 AD), Cao Cao issued a letter in Chenliu that "the Qing monarch is on the side, punish He Xian", calling on the princes of the world to unite against He Xian. Yuan Shao became the leader of this "anti-He Xian" alliance. Sun Ce raised a flag in Jiangdong to respond, Liu Bei raised a flag in Yizhou to respond, and even Ma Teng and Han Sui, who had been silent for a long time, couldn't bear the loneliness and joined the call, preparing to raise troops to attack Sanfu again.

All of a sudden, from north to south, from east to west, the whole world attacked!

For He Xian and Nanyang Jun, the situation was even worse than expected. But they had no choice but to fight!

There are many enemies, and the main battlefield is spread over three places.

In the southeast battlefield, the main enemy was the Jiangdong Army led by Sun Ce. Relatively speaking, this is the battlefield with the least pressure, because the Nanyang Navy built by Nishizhonglang and Gan Ning was formed earlier than the Jiangdong Army, and the number of people is also larger than the Jiangdong Army. Ganning took the two bases of Wankou and Jiangxia as fulcrums to guard the waterway of the Yangtze River, and Sun Ce could not bypass the Nanyang naval army whether he attacked Jingzhou or Yangzhou.

In the western battlefield, the main enemy was originally Liu Bei in Yizhou, but because Ma Teng and Han Sui suddenly came out, the battle line was divided into two, divided into the southwest battlefield and the northwest battlefield, and the pressure increased sharply.

Fortunately, for now, Zhang Xiu did not betray He Xian, and he successfully caught up with Zhang Lu and Liu Zhang through Zhang Ren. The Anxi general Zhu Jun led Zhuge Liang to Hanzhong in person and persuaded the two to pledge their allegiance to the imperial court. After He Xian received the recital of the two, he affirmed the identities of the two Yizhou Mu and Hanzhong County Guard, and at the same time, Xu Shu, the county guard of Bainan County, was the general of the Fujun Zhonglang to lead the Nanyang Army with 10,000 troops, and carried various war materials into Hanzhong to support and resist Liu Bei's attack. The post of Nanyang County Shou was handed over to Nanyang Changshi, who was also Xu Shu's friend Shi Tao. The offensive and defensive battle in Hanzhong was dominated by Xu Shu, the general of the Fujun Army, Huang Zhong and Zhang Ren were the deputy generals, and Nanyang continuously provided various materials, and the southwest battlefield was temporarily worry-free.

In the northwest battlefield, Anxi General Zhu Jun, Yangwu General Zhang Xiu, and Zhuge Liang led 30,000 Xiliang Iron Cavalry, backed by Chang'an, to resist the attack of 100,000 troops from Ma Teng and Han Sui. Although the pressure is great, He Xian believes that with Zhu Jun's experience, Zhuge Liang's resourcefulness, and Zhang Xiu's bravery, it should not be a problem to stick to it.

For the entire battle situation, whether it is the southeast battlefield, the southwest battlefield or the northwest battlefield, it is the main battlefield in the north that determines the life and death of the Nanyang Army. In the northern battlefields of Zhongmu, Guandu, and Chenliu, more than 400,000 soldiers and horses from the three warring parties were hoarded, and it was a big war in the true sense. Among them, 220,000 soldiers. The Nanyang army was 90,000, the Cao army was 50,000, and the Yuan army was 80,000. The rest of the auxiliaries, civilians, and young men were nearly 200,000, and they continuously ensured the consumption of military rations, baggage, and other materials for the three warring parties.

Cao Cao listened to Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai's plan and called on the princes of the world to attack He, while he himself only recruited 50,000 main forces of Cao Army to participate in the war, and did not do his best, choosing to make a desperate bet. In this way, Cao's army not only ensured the normal operation of the rear of Yanzhou and Qingzhou, but also ensured that it had the ability to fight a protracted war.

Yuan Shao originally only sent Yan Liang and 30,000 Jizhou soldiers to garrison Guandu. After Cao Cao enshrined him as the leader of the "anti-He Xian" alliance, Yuan Shao thought that the time had come to dominate the Central Plains, and personally led the halberd warriors with open jaws, Ju Yi's Xiandeng dead soldiers, etc., a total of 50,000 elites, and Tian Feng, Fu Zhu, Xu You, Feng Ji, Xun Chen and other advisers went south to Guandu, ready to show their strength. Lü Bu's Flying Bear Army was now stationed by Yuan Shao in Youbeiping County, Youzhou, to confront Gongsun Zan of Liaodong, so he did not participate in the battle.