Cao Cao came to Xiangyang, and Cao Shuo personally went out of the city to greet him.

Hundreds of thousands of troops entered the city, and the mighty momentum was not terrifying.

When Mrs. Cai and Liu Cong saw Cao Cao's army, they couldn't help but think in their hearts, fortunately they were not enemies of Cao Cao, otherwise their lives would have been lost.

Accompanied by Cao Shuo into the city, Cao Cao asked him, "How long have you been here?" ”

"It's been more than half a month since I returned to my father." Cao Shuo said: "Along the way, Ziwen has made a lot of achievements. ”

"Ziwen has also made a contribution?" Cao Cao asked.

"Although the merits are not large, the number of meritorious contributions is quite a lot." Cao Shuo turned around and shouted, "Ziwen, come here." ”

Cao Zhangce stepped forward immediately.

He first saluted Cao Cao, and then asked, "Eldest brother called me something?" ”

"Of course it's okay to call you over." Cao Shuo said: "Just now I mentioned to my father the merits you made on this expedition, and you yourself will talk to your father. ”

Cao Zhang said with some embarrassment: "Where have I made a lot of contributions, the eldest brother did not allow me to lead the troops forward, and only allowed me to fight with the whole army when they attacked." I only cut off twenty or thirty heads along the way. ”

"Are you afraid to go into battle and kill the enemy?" Cao Cao asked.

"Nope." Cao Zhang replied: "The eldest brother is taking care of him, and I have nothing to fear." ”

"In the future, if you take him on the expedition, you still have to give him some opportunities to lead the troops." Cao Cao said to Cao Shuo: "I am getting old, and in the future, when the Cao family calls you to your hands, you still have to rely on the help of your brothers." ”

"That's what my father taught." Cao Shuo said: "If there is a war in the future, I will give him a chance to lead the troops." ”

He then said to Cao Cao: "In this crusade against Liu Bei, the two generals who have made the greatest contribution are Zhao Yun and Lu Bu. Zhao Yun broke through Guan Yunchang at Changbanpo, and then led the cavalry to aid Xiangyang, so that Xiangyang did not fall into the hands of Liu Xuande. As for General Lu, the Dangyang Bridge was broken by him. ”

"At the beginning of the Baimen Tower in Xuzhou, I almost killed General Lu." Cao Cao said: "If it weren't for you to stop us, our Cao family would now have one less fierce general." ”

"Liu Xuande is a-stirring stick." Cao Shuo said with a smile: "For so many years, he is afraid that the world will not be chaotic. Father can think about it, wherever Liu Xuande has been, how many of them ended up in a good end? Either brothers turned against each other, or they were attacked by others, and the world was in chaos like this, in my opinion, most of the reason was him. ”

"-stirring sticks?" Cao Cao first glanced at Cao Shuo in surprise, and then smiled: "This title is suitable for him." ”

He then asked Cao Shuo: "Defeat Liu Xuande, why didn't you continue to pursue?" ”

"He fled to Jiangxia." Cao Shuo said: "There are too many waterways in Jiangxia, and the terrain is very complicated. I don't have many soldiers and horses under my command, and Xiangyang has only fallen into the hands of our Cao family, the situation is not stable, and many things have to be done, so there is no pursuit. ”

"On the way, I mentioned it to the people." Cao Cao said: "You can obviously go deep into Jingzhou alone, why don't you stop me from leading the army here?" ”

"Back to my father, there are actually two things to do when the army comes here." Cao Shuo said: "One is to exterminate Liu Xuande, as long as he dies, the Cao family will be able to have less trouble in the future." The second is that I plan to attack Jiangdong, Jiangdong has developed too fast over the years, and if they continue like this, sooner or later they will become a big problem for the Cao family. ”

"Jiangdong Sun Quan is just a yellow-mouthed child, and it is worth your attention so much?" Cao Cao asked.

"Sun Quan is indeed a yellow-mouthed child, but he is entrenched in Jiangdong and occupies the Yangtze River, but we have to pay attention to it." Cao Shuo said: "Since Sun Ce's death, I have always had the idea of attacking Jiangdong, but the north has not been pacified, and I can't cause too much trouble to my father, so I haven't done it for a long time." ”

"Sun Ce thought about entering the Central Plains back then." Cao Cao said: "Fortunately, he was killed by Xu Gong's disciples, otherwise with Sun Ce's ability, it would really be enough to give me a headache." ”

"My father thinks too highly of him." Cao Shuo said with a smile: "Sun Ce has some skills, but he is reckless, and in the years when he was in charge of Jiangdong, Jiangdong was not as rich as it is now. What I'm really worried about is Sun Quan, if Sun Ce is still alive, I am not in a hurry to crusade against Jiangdong. ”

Looking at Cao Shuo, Cao Cao didn't say anything.

"Did my father go to Liu Biao's mansion to rest first, or listen to me report on Jingzhou affairs first?" Seeing that he was about to arrive at Liu Biao's house, Cao Shuo asked Cao Cao.

"Let everyone rest first." Cao Cao said: "You come with me to the study and tell me everything that happened here." ”

"Actually, it doesn't matter." Cao Shuo said: "After entering Xiangyang, I reorganized the Jingzhou soldiers and horses, and now the military power of Jingzhou is in my hands. I also settled the people coerced by Liu Xuande along the way, and those who were willing to go home sent people to protect them and return home, and those who were willing to stay settled for them outside Xiangyang City. ”

"So the soldiers and horses in Jingzhou are all yours?" Cao Cao asked.

Cao Shuo grinned: "My father led hundreds of thousands of troops to Jingzhou, and I only had 30,000 people. When I attacked Jiangdong, I didn't have enough people at all. The preparation of Jingzhou soldiers and horses is just to help my father more properly. ”

"You have a point." Cao Cao said: "That's it, Jingzhou was laid by you, and I don't care about these things with you." It's good that you didn't move all the people away, otherwise what use would I have an empty Jingzhou? ”

"How could I leave my father an empty Jingzhou." Cao Shuo smiled: "When I came to Jingzhou this time, I didn't plan to take any of the people away, but I just planned to reorganize the soldiers and horses in Jingzhou." ”

"You're getting stronger." Cao Cao asked, "After fighting Jiangdong, what else are you going to do?" ”

"The world has not yet calmed down, and there are still many things waiting for us after the fight in Jiangdong." Cao Shuo replied: "Especially Liu Bei, if he lives, I'm afraid our Cao family will have to do more things in the future." ”

"The Jiangxia River is crisscrossed, and it is not easy to crusade against Liu Xuande, but I have thought of a way." Cao Cao said: "Wait until we break through Jiangdong, and then come back to fight him, how about it?" ”

"Has my father ever thought about where to cross the river?" Cao Shuo asked.

"Before I came to Xiangyang, I hadn't thought about it." Cao Cao said: "Later, I will discuss it with everyone and make a decision." ”

"In addition to the collection of Jingzhou soldiers and horses, there is one more thing I have to report to my father." Cao Shuo said suddenly.

"What benefits did you take from Jingzhou?" Cao Cao asked.

"I have canonized Cai Mao and Zhang Yun as the governors of the navy under my command, and I also ask my father for permission." Cao Shuo clenched his fists and said.

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