Cao Cao's military food problem is actually not so tense, he can increase taxes to get a lot of money and food to help him get through this difficulty.

However, as I said before, because there is already such a benchmark as the New Han Dynasty, if there are powerful princes who want to develop and grow, then they must understand how to win the hearts of the people. Even if you don't know how to sell people's hearts, you must learn how to sell people's hearts, otherwise, the people in their powerful territory may completely fall to the New Han Dynasty.

The current New Han Dynasty not only has Bingzhou, Yongzhou and other places that are originally sparsely populated, but also has a desert area of thousands of miles. Compared with the current New Han Dynasty, the place is too big, but the population is too small, and the New Han Dynasty has never stopped absorbing the people of the world.

defected to the New Han Dynasty, and the artificial high welfare was good...... Well, to quote the words of later generations, it is like the later reform and opening up period, how many migrant workers flocked to Guangdong to work? Later, how many people from the interior flocked to the cities in the coastal areas to work? Now, as long as they defect to the New Han Dynasty, even if those people drag their families with their families, they can be resettled by the New Han Dynasty government to provide them with a way to live. The most critical point is that the government of the New Han Dynasty allocated some ownerless land, land owned by the state, to those people to cultivate, so that the people can have a piece of arable land that belongs to them completely, which is the most fatal attraction to the people.

Cao Cao also knew very well that some of the policies he was implementing now were far less attractive to the people under his rule than those of the New Han Dynasty, if they were exempt from taxes or less taxes. If they are not as good as the New Han Dynasty, then he feels that it is really difficult for him to have a way to confront the New Han Dynasty. lost the support of the people. It will make Cao Cao feel empty-hearted.

Speaking of which, Cao Cao really had never tried to defeat Yuan Shao not long ago and return to Xudu, he was welcomed and cheered by all the people so fullly, that feeling was to let Cao Cao feel his own fullness and happiness from the inside out, and feel his own happiness. If he loses the hearts of the people, Cao Cao will feel very lost. There are some things, if he has never gotten them, Cao Cao may not feel anything. However, he had already obtained it, so he didn't want to destroy it with his own hands.

Therefore, he was resolutely opposed to shifting his pressure on the people. He feared losing the support of the people. He was worried. If he can't firmly grasp the hearts of the people, one day, Liu Yi of the New Han Dynasty will be supported by the people of the whole world, and at that time, no matter how he struggles, it will be impossible for him to compete with Liu Yi again.

Cao Cao could no longer collect grain from the people no matter what.

Cao Cao thought for a moment and said, "Gongda, Zhongde." And gentlemen, you say. Under the current situation, if the New Han Army really attacks us, then how can we resolve this crisis under the current situation, turn defeat into victory, and let us win a period of rest? Do we want to launch an order to the world in the name of our court to oppose the New Han Dynasty and call on the princes of the world to unite and fight against the New Han Dynasty? ”

"No!" Cheng Yu hurriedly said this time: "Lord, if you say that this crisis is resolved and our court can get a period of rest, there is still a way." However, if we want to turn defeat into victory, Cheng feels that it is impossible and has no chance of winning. ”

"Moreover, we can't go toe-to-toe with the New Han Dynasty, let alone have our court launch an alliance with the princes of the world to discuss the affairs of the New Han Dynasty."

"Oh? Zhongde, this ...... Why is that? Cao Cao saw that Cheng Yu was so anxious to oppose his opinion, he couldn't help but suffocate, and looked at Cheng Yu a little stunned.

Cheng Yu arched his hand to Cao Cao and said: "My lord, Cheng and Gongda have discussed privately, and now the New Han Dynasty has issued a war to unify the Han Dynasty, which is based on a reasonable and legal basis. In the current Han Dynasty, only our court and the New Han Dynasty have the qualifications to issue a voice of denunciation of the princes of the world. If our court opposes this action of the New Han Dynasty, then it is equivalent to denying that our court is reasonable and legitimate. If we still join the princes of the world to launch an attack on the New Han Dynasty, then even if we win the New Han Dynasty now, then when we are ready to conquer the other princes, then the princes of the world will also adopt the strategy we want to adopt now and unite the princes of the world against us. To put it bluntly, the New Han Dynasty, which openly sent troops to conquest the princes of the world, is the army of the upright king, and it is a yang scheme. For us, it's quite disadvantageous. ”

"Of course, the most popular statement of success and defeat is written by the victor, but the key thing is that we have no chance of winning a battle with the army of the New Han Dynasty now, if we start a war with the New Han Dynasty and lose, then how to say it, the future will be left to the New Han Dynasty." Cheng Yu continued: "In general, the situation is very unfavorable for us, if we are now in alliance with the princes of the world, then, doesn't it mean that we are undoubtedly with the ordinary princes? ”

"Alas, this, so doesn't it mean that we can only be beaten passively now, and can only watch us be destroyed by the New Han Dynasty?" Cao Cao looked very unhappy, isn't that or that, what kind of thing is this?

"My lord, Fang Cai Gongda also said that our army, since defeating Yuan Shao, has already stopped at the border with the New Han Dynasty, even if the New Han Army wants to invade us, we can resist for a while." Cheng Yu said: "What's more, ......"

"Oh? Don't sell it, Benxiang is very anxious now. Cao Cao urged Cheng Yu to speak quickly regardless of his image, forgetting that it was he who interrupted Cheng Yu's speech.

"Hehe, lord, although the New Han Dynasty has issued an announcement to send troops to the world, haven't they launched an attack on us yet? Therefore, I think that we should now seize this opportunity and send an envoy to the Xinhan Dynasty to meet Liu Yi as soon as possible. ”

"What? To meet Leo now? What does it do? Cao Cao thought about forcibly requisitioning food from the people to solve his urgent needs, and resolutely negotiated with the New Han Dynasty to the end. I thought about uniting the princes of the world to counterattack the New Han Dynasty, but I didn't think about sending an envoy to see Liu Yi, because. He has always regarded Liu Yi as an opponent, and he has never considered what he has to talk about with Liu Yi at all.

"Naturally, I went to make peace with Liu Yiyan, even. We can talk to Lewy about forming an alliance. Cheng Yu and Xun Yu glanced at each other, and then said to Cao Cao.

"Alliance? Are we allied with Lewy? This one...... Can he agree? Cao Cao said with some doubts.

Cao Cao also felt in his heart that it would be a good thing to be able to form an alliance with Liu Yi at this time. At the very least, if he can form an alliance with Liu Yiyan, it means that he doesn't have to be attacked by Liu Yi anymore, and he can buy a certain amount of time to rest. When his army is reorganized, the problem of grain and grass has been solved, and it is not too late to fight Liu Yi at that time.

"Why don't you agree?" Cheng Yu glanced at Xun Yu again. Seeing that Xun You's eyes were half-closed, and he didn't have any opinions to express his opinions, he had no choice but to say to Cao Cao: "First of all, Cheng thinks. The New Han Dynasty looks aggressive this time. It seems that he wants to declare war on the princes of the world at the same time, but don't forget, the princes of the world are not in vain, which one does not have hundreds of thousands of military horses on hand? No matter how strong he is Liu Yi, can he defeat the millions of armies of the princes of the world? Therefore, Cheng felt that the New Han Dynasty declared war on the princes of the world this time. I'm afraid that I will first give the princes of the world a dismount, and win a division for myself as a king. It's just a famous excuse. If they want to attack the princes of the world, there will definitely be a question of priority, and there will be a question of choice, and we are probably not the first target of Liu Yi's attack. ”

"Hmm......" Cao Cao couldn't help nodding when he heard this: "Zhongde's analysis is correct, but Cao Mou has not thought about this level of relationship, with Liu Yi's shrewdness, he will definitely not fight a battle that he is not sure of, the military horses of our court are also the division of a hundred battles, with many soldiers and generals, and elite sergeants, don't say that it is Liu Yi, even if Cao Mou is in Liu Yi's position, it is estimated that he will not first attack a force that is not much weaker than his own strength." ”

"It's good that the lord can understand this situation, as for us, we only need to send an envoy to Luoyang to meet Liu Yi, whether Liu Yi agrees to agree to form an alliance with us or not, for us, there will be no loss. If Lewi agrees to form an alliance with us, it will naturally be the best. If Liu Yi doesn't agree, then we can also follow the example of Yuan Shao before, but we mean the opposite. This also calls them the first day of the new Han Dynasty, and our court will do the fifteenth. Cheng Yu said in detail: "At the beginning, Yuan Shao, following Liu Bei's example, issued a crusade against us to the world, so we can follow the New Han Dynasty and also issue an announcement of condemnation to the princes of the world." In this way, he Liu Yi's New Han Dynasty is a court that can represent the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty, so are we, so will you allow the New Han Dynasty to send troops to unify the Han Dynasty, and we will not be allowed to send troops to unify the Han Dynasty? In this way, we can make our court turn from passive to active, as long as we denounce the announcement of the princes of the world, at least let the people of the Han Dynasty feel that we are with the New Han Dynasty. So that we have also gained a reputation on a par with Lewy. With our current situation, even if we have no way to send troops to denounce the princes of the world for a moment and a half, we can still obtain the right to send troops to the world at any time in the future. At least, under the condition that everyone is in the Han Dynasty, it is absolutely impossible for Liu Yi to let many princes in the world not fight, but to attack us first. ”

Cheng Yu said this, and Cao Cao had fully understood what Cheng Yu was going to say. He couldn't help clapping his hands and applauded, "That's right! Zhongde, you can still see things clearly. In this way, no matter whether Liu Yitong agrees to form an alliance with us or not, our court will not have a crisis. Ha Luha, I'll just say, you will definitely have a way, okay, good! ”

"Well, lord, in fact, most of them were taken into account by Xun Gongda, but Cheng said it." Cheng Yu didn't take credit and pushed Xun You out.

Well, he proposed to Cao Cao about forming an alliance with Liu Yi, but Xun You had a lot of scruples and didn't dare to say it directly to Cao Cao, after all, the people of his Xun family were also considered to be high and powerful in the New Han Dynasty, and if he proposed an alliance with Liu Yi to Cao Cao, Cao Cao would probably be a little suspicious of whether Xun You was also very close to the New Han Dynasty. Therefore, this matter is the most suitable for Cheng Yu.

Now is different from the past, it is impossible for him Cao Cao to call on the princes of the world to fight against Liu Yi together like he did when he crusaded against Dong Zhuo. Because he himself also represents the position of a court. No matter what the princes of the world are, he Cao Cao cannot deny the legitimate position of the New Han Dynasty, and opposing the New Han Dynasty is equivalent to opposing himself, so. He can only stand on the same position as Liu Yi.

Thinking of this, Cao Cao immediately said: "Then that's it, while we are on guard against the invasion of the New Han Dynasty. Send an envoy to Luoyang to meet Liu Yi and discuss the alliance. If Liu Yi does not agree to form an alliance with us, then we will also unilaterally issue a proclamation to denounce the princes of the world in the name of the imperial court. ”

"The Lord is wise, so that we can turn from passive to active. Resolve the crisis of the invasion of the New Han Army. Xun Yu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and said: "Lord, at this time, his subordinates suggested." We must intensify the governance of our powerful territory, expand our forces as much as possible, train our troops and horses, and surround our capital. Add some more passes. We must no longer be able to pass our level by a single horse like when Yun Chang left Xu Du, and let him kill several of our generals. In the area of defense, it must be strengthened. The subordinates have a hunch that the day of our war with the New Han Dynasty will definitely not be too far away. In addition, General Cao Ren was quickly dispatched to form and improve our naval army. This will be the most crucial special branch of the army when it will fight a decisive battle with the New Han Dynasty in the future to pacify the world, and it is necessary to speed up the formation and training. ”

"Hmm. That's right, that's it, come on! Cao Cao glanced at the ministers in the court, saw Hua Xin, and said to Hua Xin: "Mr. Hua Xin, this time the matter of the alliance with the New Han Dynasty will be left to you to discuss, you and the important ministers of the New Han Dynasty seem to have dealings before, and it is most suitable for you to go." ”

Hua Xin was the main contact person who contacted Qingliu Qingjun at the beginning, and he generally knew people who were a little famous, so it was really the most suitable to send him to the New Han Dynasty.

Hua Xin didn't have any opinions, and immediately took the order.

Cao Cao's decision was really beyond the expectations of the princes of the world. At the same time, it also made the princes of the world even more panicked and frightened. Of course, at this moment, the princes of the world still don't know about Cao Cao's decision.

Speaking of Cao Cao, followed by Liu Biao.

At this moment, Liu Biao was naturally more panicked than anyone else.

Without determining whether Liu Yi would cut him first, he was really a master of the six gods.

Although he is a relative of the Han family, he is still a Hanchen in name, if Liu Yi wants to attack him, there are really many reasons, and if a holy decree is sent to him, if he does not surrender, the army will be killed at his doorstep.

Liu Xian no longer thinks that he still has hundreds of thousands of military horses to confront the New Han Dynasty, and the military horses of the New Han Dynasty are not only more than him, but also more capable of fighting than his military horses. If we talk about the situation again, it will be even more unsatisfactory.

Since he no longer has a naval army, although he is the lord of Jingzhou, he is equivalent to the lord of Jingzhou who is temporarily alive, and his lifeline has been held in the hands of the New Han Dynasty. When the New Han Dynasty really wanted to attack him Liu Biao, it could attack any of his cities at any time through the waterway.

The only thing that makes Liu Biao a little good is that most of his military horses are now concentrated in the western part of Jingzhou, these areas are steep, easy to defend and difficult to attack, if he really has no way to force the New Han Dynasty, then he can still concentrate his forces and hold the western area of Jingzhou. It should be possible to ensure that he will not be easily wiped out by the New Han Dynasty. However, if he was really forced by the New Han Army to hide in the mountains and forests of western Jingzhou, the barren environment, Liu Biao would definitely not have a good time, in his heart, he really didn't want to go that far, after getting used to a good life, he really couldn't stand that kind of suffering.

Now, Liu Biao's ambition is actually not much left. However, the benefits brought to him by power made him want to give up. Especially Liu Biao, who has always been afraid of the inside, after Mrs. Cai inexplicably went to Jiangdong and then to Luoyang, in Jingzhou, there is no one to stop Liu Biao's romance. Without Madame Cai's control, he could do whatever he wanted, and he usually had to be sneaky in his pleasures, but now, he could openly let people bring women into his palace for him to have fun all night.

Sometimes, he felt that Mrs. Cai was not there, and he lived more freely.

I don't know why, Cai Mao seems to have become much more honest and peaceful during his sister's absence, and he also obeys his orders more, no matter what, Cai Mao will focus on Liu Biao's major affairs, and even, some of the beauties for his pleasure were given to him by Cai Mao. For Cai Mao's personality that used to always revolve around his sister, but now he revolves around him Liu Biao, which makes Liu Biao feel a little strange, but also a little secretly happy. Because, when he needed money and food, he didn't need to go through Mrs. Cai anymore, and Cai Mao could meet his requirements.

In Liu Biao's heart, he thought that Cai Mao was worried that his sister would not be there, and his Cai family would fall out of favor, so he hugged his thighs so honestly.

But there is one thing that makes Liu Biao feel a little undecided. That is, Cai Mao is a general who firmly supports Liu Biao's independence and does not submit to the New Han Dynasty. For Liu Biao, who slowly lost his ambition but was a little unwilling, he didn't know how to make a decision for a while.

Now, when the news came that the New Han Dynasty announced that it was going to send troops to unify the Han Dynasty, the ministers of Jingzhou were vaguely divided into two or three factions under the six gods and no masters, and there were several opinions. (To be continued......)