Why did the kind and strong Lu Die visit Deputy Director Tao at night, I believe there is no need to explain and introduce it in detail, and there is no need to waste saliva and words here, on the contrary, it is the first meeting between Cao Ling and Lu Die that is worth mentioning. After carefully seeing Lu Die's appearance and face, and knowing the real purpose of Lu Die's little Luoli's painstaking visit to Tao Ying, Cao Ling almost wanted to strangle Tao Ying to death, and scolded, "Such a good girl, why did you just let you, a nerd, be a scourge?" A flower stuck in cow dung! ”

Whether Cao Ling's sentence is correct or not, Tao Ying is no longer in much mood to discern, because Tao Ying did not find until this time that he was still too optimistic about the grim situation inside and outside Xuzhou, and he did not have a truly reliable friend among these princes around Xuzhou, who could let him rest assured that he would hand over his back to him, and there were countless thorns and traps on the road to dominate the world.

Tao Ying's two think tanks Lu Su and Chen Deng also have this mind, after learning the news that Lu Bu has secretly formed an alliance with Yuan Shu, Chen Deng and Lu Su both gasped, and after a long time, Lu Su said with a wry smile: "I didn't think that we all underestimated Lu Wenhou a little, we all thought that Lu Wenhou was capricious before, at least he had to talk about a little rule, now it seems that we are all wrong, in the eyes of Lu Wenhou, there is only one rule, that is himself." ”

"With such a jackal's surname, it is really a great misfortune for our army to ally with it." Chen Deng echoed, and then bowed his hand to Tao Ying and said: "Lord, Lu Bu has sinister intentions, does the matter of the lord marrying and forming an alliance with him need to be reconsidered?" ”

Tao Ying didn't answer in a hurry, and after thinking about it for a long time, Tao Ying shook his head and said: "I have thought about it carefully and again, and I feel that our army and Lu Bu still can't give up on the alliance, Lu Bu is admittedly hateful, but Cao Ying and Yuan Shao are more difficult to deal with than him, and now we can't lose Lu Bu, the northern barrier, so even if I drink to quench my thirst, I have to drink this cup of wine." ”

"The lord's opinion is not unreasonable, but it is just ......." Chen Deng, who was not right with Lu Wenhou, hesitated for a moment before he said: "Since the lord has made up his mind, then the north has to be defended, in Deng's opinion, the lord can use the excuse of sending grain to the north to support Lu Bu, and take the opportunity to send troops to strengthen Xiaopei's defense, Xiaopei is the first key point in the north of Xuzhou, as long as Xiaopei is guarded, you can prevent everything in case." ”

"It's a brilliant plan." Tao Ying nodded and ordered: "After I marry Lu Bu's daughter, I can let Qin Yi lead an army of 5,000 grain to the north, and then move to Xiaopei by the way to assist Sun Guan in strengthening Xiaopei's defense." ”

Chen Deng and Lu Su agreed, and then Chen Deng asked again: "Lord, how to handle the matter of Yuan Shu?" Lu Bu had already agreed to secretly form an alliance with Yuan Shu, and Zhou Yu, who was deeply feared by the lord, had become Yuan Shu's son-in-law and confidant. ”

"This matter cannot be rushed, it must be decided before acting." Tao Ying shook his head and said, "Yuan Shu's main target is not sure yet. Xuzhou has only 70,000 troops, of which more than 50,000 have to guard the city passes of the five counties of Xuzhou, and the mobile force is less than 20,000. Moreover, once the main force of our army is mobilized, our neighbors to the north will have to make new calculations. ”

Deputy Director Tao was cautious and suspicious to this point, Chen Deng and Lu Su didn't have much to say, so they could only start the preparations step by step, while sending countless scouts to closely monitor Yuan Shujun's every move, and at the same time officially married Lu Bu under the leadership of Tao Ying, that is, let Tao Ying and Lu Die sign a marriage contract, pretending to be a plan to temporarily stabilize Lu Wenhou, and at the same time, in the name of hiring, took the initiative to give Lu Wenhou 50,000 Hu military rations, 1,000 horses of cloth and 500 catties of gold, taking into account Lu Wenhou's current food shortage dilemma, Tao Ying also offered to have the Xuzhou army immediately send grain north. Lu Wenhou was also overjoyed when he heard the report, and officially recognized Tao Ying, the future son-in-law, not to mention, and sent Zhang Liao to meet the Xuzhou grain team to go north, but he didn't notice that after the 5,000 Xuzhou troops went north, they did not return to Xuzhou at all, but stationed in Xiaopei, consolidating the defense of Xiaopei, a key buffer area.

After tossing for half a month, 50,000 Hu army rations were successfully delivered to Changyi, and the well-fed and well-fed Lu Bu army finally stabilized the situation and blocked the fierce offensive of the Cao Yuan coalition army, making the Cao Yuan coalition army quickly drive the Lu Bu army out of Yanzhou's dream of completely shattering, Cao Boss scolded Tao Ying Xiao'er for not being a thing, and secretly laughed at Tao Ying Xiao'er's plot with the tiger, predicting that Tao Ying Xiao'er would die at the hands of his future father-in-law in the future, and at the same time, Cao Boss had to pay close attention to Yuan Shu's every move in Huainan, looking forward to Yuan Shu's early dispatch of troops, Bite Tao Yingxiao'er, the sinister poisonous snake that is getting fatter and fatter, for yourself!

Yuan Shujun did not disappoint anyone, almost at the same time that Lü Bu regained his position, the fine work sent by Xuzhou to Huainan finally came with accurate news - as Tao Ying expected, Yuan Shujun did indeed secretly assemble an unknown number of troops in the Liyang area, and at the same time mobilized a large number of ships, grain and grass, and may also launch a river-crossing offensive against Liu Xuan, but it is also possible that he is preparing to go down the river and raid the southernmost town of Guangling in Xuzhou.

At the same time, to the surprise of Tao Ying and the decision-makers of Xuzhou, Liu Miao in Jiangnan also took the initiative to send valuable information that Yuan Shujun might attack Guangling, and sent all the information about the troop movements and ship preparations of Yuan Shujun's troops that Liu Xiangjun had reconnoitred to the decision-makers in Xuzhou free of charge.

After confirming the news again and again, Chen Deng and Lu Su admired Tao Ying's tactical genius, and hurriedly made suggestions to Tao Ying together, immediately increasing troops in Guangling to strengthen the defense, and not giving Yuan Shu any loopholes to exploit. However, what surprised Chen Deng and Lu Su was that after listening to Chen Deng and Lu Su's correct advice, Deputy Director Tao, who was more cunning than a fox and more timid than a mouse, not only did not accept it immediately, but instead took Liu Xuan's letter and turned it over and read it repeatedly, and frowned and read it in his mouth, "Guangling? Guangling? Is it really Guangling? ”

"Lord, I really don't know what to say about you." Lu Su was angry and funny, and knew that Tao Ying never cared about his outspokenness, so he simply accused: "Lord, are you too suspicious?" Before, you suspected that Yuan Shujun's main attack direction was not Pengcheng but Guangling, but now that your judgment has been proved correct, why are you still suspicious? Could it be that you think that Yuan Shujun is also a virtual soldier along the way in Liyang? ”

"Our opponent is Zhou Yu, we must be as careful as possible, act impulsively, once we fall into Zhou Yu's calculations, it will be too late to regret it." Tao Ying shook his head and asked again: "Zijing, Yuanlong, do you think that there are two doubts in the middle of this matter?" ”

"Please teach me." Zhou Yu, who also felt that Tao Ying was too suspicious, asked curiously.

"First, where is Yuan Shu's main battle team? In Dangtu or in Liyang? Tao Ying analyzed: "Yuan Shu Lao'er is so happy, he likes to fill up the army indiscriminately, his team is quite large, but the main soldiers are basically only under the command of Ji Ling, Qiao Rui and Zhang Xun, a few henchmen, and the others are almost all rabble, all relying on the number of terrifying." That is to say, the only ones who can really pose a threat to us are Ji Ling, Qiao Rui and Zhang Xun, and now the only thing we can be sure of is Zhang Xun's team, facing off against Liu Xuan's main force in Niu Zhu, where is Ji Ling and Qiao Rui's team? Our meticulous work did not understand this important situation, it may be that the meticulous work is incompetent, or it may be that Yuan Shu is deliberately concealing it! ”

Lu Su and Chen Deng nodded silently, feeling that Tao Ying's suspicions were not unreasonable, Yuan Shu's rabble was too much, and it was indeed very easy to cover the whereabouts of the main force with a miscellaneous army, and Xuzhou Xizuo did not find out where the main force of Yuan Shu's army was, if it was really from Yuan Shu's deliberate arrangement, then it would be equivalent to proving that Yuan Shu had a ghost in his heart and planned to play with the east and west, and take it by surprise.

"The second suspicion is in time." Tao Ying continued: "More than twenty days have passed since our army received Yuan Shu's intention to attack Xuzhou, during this period, why did Yuan Shu stay still? Doesn't he know the truth of the speed of soldiers? ”

"At this point, it may be that Yuan Shu is waiting for Lu Bu's reply." Chen Deng analyzed.

"It's possible." Tao Ying nodded, and said quickly: "But there is another possibility, Yuan Shujun is waiting for us to move first, wait for us to show our flaws, and then take advantage of the situation to enter and kill us by surprise!" Otherwise, with the temper of the old thief of Yuan Shu, I am afraid that I will not be able to hold my breath for a long time, and I will not have such good patience to wait for us to arrange calmly. ”

Lu Su and Chen Deng were silent, and after a long time, Lu Su said: "Lord, your suspicions are indeed reasonable, but the possibility proposed by Brother Yuanlong is not non-existent, maybe Yuan Shu is waiting for Lu Bu's reply, now we have confirmed that Lu Bu has agreed to form an alliance with Yuan Shu, and the envoy of Yuan Shu should also bring the news back to Shouchun, if we don't react again, Yuan Shu suddenly makes a move, and it may be too late to temporarily dispatch troops." ”

Tao Ying pondered and didn't answer, then turned his gaze to Chen Deng, who was also good at tactics, and asked, "Yuanlong, what do you think?" ”

"The opinion below is that the lord should be prepared with both hands." Chen Deng replied: "The suspicion raised by the lord is indeed reasonable, the location of Yuan Shu's main team is unknown, and we can't easily determine the real direction of Yuan Shu's main attack. However, it is believed that no matter whether Yuan Shu's main force is in Dangtu or Liyang, its main attack target is nothing more than Pengcheng or Guangling, so the suspicious soldiers lure our army to move first, and they only want to induce our army to concentrate the main force in one of Pengcheng or Guangling, and then attack the weak point of our army's strength, and our army's intelligence is insufficient, so it is temporarily impossible to distinguish which road is the real main force of Yuan Shu's army. ”

"In that case." Chen Deng suggested: "Then the lord can first send some reinforcements to Guangling, hold the southernmost town of Guangling in Xuzhou, prevent Yuan Shu from raiding Guangling, and then wait until Yuan Shutu is exhausted, and then it is not too late to send the main force of our army to fight." ”

In the case of unclear enemy situation and limited mobile strength of the army, Chen Deng's method is also the only foolproof strategy, and there is not much time left for the Xuzhou army to prepare, so Tao Ying weighed it again and again, and finally accepted Chen Deng's suggestion, and decided to send Chen Zhi to lead 5,000 troops to Guangling to assist Zhang Zhi in guarding the important town of Guangling - Zhang Zhen has 8,000 troops in Guangling County, plus Chen Zhi's 5,000 fresh troops, should be able to block Yuan Shu's army for a while. It's just that in this way, in the hands of Deputy Director Tao, who has limited troops, there are only about 10,000 mobile troops left.

Called Chen Zhi to arrange the task, and repeatedly explained that Chen Zhi wanted to respect the respected Zhang Zhi seniors, and Chen Zhi, who had the opportunity to lead the troops for the first time, respectfully agreed, and happily took the order. Then Tao Ying accepted Lu Su's suggestion again, and decided to accept Liu Xuan's request for an alliance, and joined forces with Liu Xuanjun to clean up Xiao Yuan Sangong - the last time he refused Liu Xuan's request for an alliance, it was because Tao Ying had just made a truce with Xiao Yuan Sangong at that time, and Liu Xuan's strength was too weak Tao Ying couldn't look down on it, and now since Xiao Yuan Sangong took the initiative to tear his face, in line with the truth that mosquitoes are also meat, Tao Ying naturally couldn't refuse Liu Xuan's kindness anymore.

After making these arrangements, it was already evening, and Lu Su and Chen Deng were going to prepare grain, grass and ordnance for Chen Zhi to use on the expedition, and they did not stay to accompany Tao Ying for dinner, so Tao Ying went back to the back hall alone, preparing to act with the official documents while eating. When Tao Ying entered the back hall with a heavy heart, he was surprised to find that Cao Ling's little girl was also among them, holding a plate of dishes that looked like dark cuisine in her hand, and greeted Tao Ying with a smile: "Nerd, are you finally willing to come back?" Come and try the dish I made for you with my own hands. ”

Looking at the dish that exuded a strange smell, Tao Ying shivered, and wanted to say that he had already eaten it, but he was afraid of hurting this little girl's heart, so he had to sit on the side of the desk, and while complimenting Cao Ling's good craftsmanship, he asked curiously: "Why are you here?" Didn't you say last time that your mother wouldn't allow you to come to me alone? ”

"I came quietly." Cao Ling smiled, took the initiative to sit in Tao Ying's arms, twisted Tao Ying's thigh, and said very fiercely: "I'm going to check on a lustful and ruthless nerd, has he been looking for a woman behind my back?" ”

"How is that possible?" Tao Ying hurriedly denied it, and skillfully put his hand into Cao Ling's thin clothes, and while stroking Cao Ling's amazing twin peaks, he said with a smile: "It's enough for me to have you, how can I find another woman?" ”

"Don't touch it, and you don't want to mess around today, I was bullied by you four times in one night last time, and my stomach still hurts." Cao Ling blushed and pressed Tao Ying's claws, then pinched Tao Ying fiercely, and asked hatefully, "Who are you fooling?" I'm the only one, so what about your cocoon? Are you going to divorce her and let me be my wife? ”

"There won't be a third other than you and Cocoon." Tao Ying hurriedly continued to talk nonsense.

"Do you think I'm going to believe it?" Cao Ling leaned into Tao Ying's ear and asked with a sigh of relief: "Let's not talk about the Ah Li you have already received the house, what about Sister Zhen'er?" If she comes back, can you be willing to refuse? ”

Speaking of Mi Zhen, Tao Ying naturally remembered Mi Zhen's desolate and pitiful expression and heartbroken gaze on that snowy night, and couldn't help but feel melancholy and loss in his heart. Cao Ling, who hadn't been taught enough, chattered endlessly, and pulled Tao Ying's ear and asked, "How is it?" Not only the third, but also the fourth, right? I don't understand how horny you nerd ....... ”

"And not only the third? And a fourth?! ”

Tao Ying's heart suddenly moved, and he suddenly understood why he had been worried, and then Tao Ying jumped up violently, which also scared Cao Ling, and quickly asked Tao Ying what was wrong, Tao Ying didn't answer, just rushed to the door and yelled, "Come on, hurry, hurry!" Take the map, ask for the map of the five counties of Xuzhou, and the map of Jiujiang County! Bring it too! ”

The guards quickly brought the map, Tao Ying didn't have time to clean up the case, and directly spread the map on the ground, over there Cao Ling also cleverly hurriedly brought the candlestick, Tao Ying took the candlestick, looking for the two assembly places of Yuan Shujun's Liyang and Dangtu, and then used his fingers to compare on the map, analyze and calculate, and found that there was no problem on Liyang's side, Yuan Shu sent troops from Liyang, and the only places where Xuzhou might be attacked were Guangling City and Jiangdu Port; Then when Tao Ying found the position of Dangtu, without using his fingers, Tao Ying had already seen a crooked thick black ink line - Huai River!

Then with his fingers along the Huai River downstream, Tao Ying suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, if Yuan Shujun took the Huai River waterway from Dangtu and went down the river, then not only would the speed be so fast that he would not have time to react, but at the same time, on the south bank of the lower reaches of the Huai River, the two inconspicuous small county towns of Xutai and Huaiyin in this era will also be directly exposed to the blade of Yuan Shujun! And if these two inconspicuous small counties are lost, then the five counties of Xuzhou will be stopped by the Huai River and cut into two sections!

"Stop the waist and cut off the door and beat the dog, Zhou Yu'er, you have such a big appetite! I almost lost the kiosk. Wiping the cold sweat on his forehead, Tao Ying took the curious Cao Ling over, kissed her tender little face, and said with a smile: "Good Ling'er, it seems that you are really Zhou Yu's nemesis, Fu Ying last time, the third and fourth this time, you woke me up." ”

"Stinky nerd." Cao Ling didn't appreciate it, shyly pushed Tao Ying away, and said in a low voice to the guard who sent the map in the side: "Your own soldiers are here, don't come nonsense." ”

Tao Ying laughed, unimpressed, and was nervously calculating in his heart, "What should I do?" Beat Yuan Shu away? Or just take the plan and eat Yuan Shu's main team in one bite? Hehe, Huai River, Zhou Yu little handsome guy, I bet you have never been to the lower reaches of the Huai River, and you don't know how terrible that place is! ”

"Haha, come on, go and give Chen Zhi an order, let him come to see me immediately! Ling'er, come, feed your husband, you have made a great contribution today, no matter how unpalatable the dishes you make, I will definitely eat them all! ”

(To be continued)