Xuchang Yamen, Cao Ren frowned, pacing back and forth in the hall.

In the sound of hurried footsteps, Chen Gong strode in.

"Mr. Chen Gong!"

Cao Ren hurriedly greeted him and waved his hand.

Chen Gong returned the salute and asked, "I don't know if the general is summoned, what is the important matter to discuss?" ”

Cao Ren said: "Just now the scout came to report, there is a Xiliang water army down the river, stopped near Guandu, thirty big boats are full of grain and grass, I don't know what is going on, please Mr. come to discuss." ”

"The Western Cool Water Army?"

Chen Gong was puzzled: "What is the Xiliangshui Army doing when it transports grain and grass?" ”

Cao Ren frowned and said: "I don't understand very well, a few days ago there was news back in Luoyang, Luo Zheng lured out the Hangu Pass defenders, and then attacked the Hangu Pass with strange soldiers, I thought that Luo Zheng was going to take advantage of the situation to enter Luoyang, but I didn't want to let the navy escort the grain and grass to the Central Plains." ”

Cao Ren said: "I heard that under Luo Zheng's rule, Liangzhou has reaped bumper harvests year after year, and the autumn grain harvest in the Sanfu area last year was also quite abundant. ”

Chen Gong said: "Even if Luo Zheng is not short of money and food, he lacks population!" ”

Cao Ren's expression froze, his brows furrowed, and he thought quickly.

Chen Gong said: "Since the establishment of the military force, the land of Guanliang has been in constant war, and it is no longer the peak of the Western Han Dynasty, and the population is far less than that of the Central Plains. Besides, this gang is a predator and does not change its robber style. It was not uncommon to send people to the Central Plains to plunder the population, and it was not difficult to let the navy escort the grain and grass. ”

Cao Ren said: "Then how can the Luo Zheng army pass through Luoyang and Tiger Pass?" ”

Chen Gong walked to the topographical map of the palace. After looking at it carefully for a while, I drew a line casually. Said: "How did General Cao Ren forget Hedong. The geographical location of Hedong is important, and it can hit Xihe, Shangjun and other places in the north, and approach the Hetao. To the east, you can enter the state of Shangdang through Yicheng, go south from Gaodu, bypass the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain and cross the river, then you can enter Yanzhou. ”

Cao Ren stared at the map for a while before he said awe-inspiringly: "If you don't bring food and heavy baggage, the cavalry will be lightly armed, and you can kill Guandu in ten days at most." The Xiliang Water Army only needs to transport the grain and straw to Guandu, and Luo Zheng will have no worries about grain and grass. In this way, Xu Chang is afraid that he will face the endless attacks of the Xiliang cavalry, which is terrible, and he needs to report to the lord quickly! ”

Chen Gong thought deeply and said, "What General Cao Ren said is extremely true. ”

Cao Ren pondered for a long time and said: "If this speculation is true, I am afraid that the counties of Yanzhou will have wolf smoke again, and Luo Zheng must not be allowed to harm the Central Plains again." A certain planned to lead the army north and go to Guandu to block the Xiliang army. What does the gentleman think? ”

Chen Gong's eyes flickered, and he said, "It should be so!" ”

Cao Ren waved his hand and said, "In this way, Xuchang will ask Mr." ”

Chen Gong also replied: "The general actually led the army to go." I will definitely guard Xuchang for the Lord! ”

Cao Ren said goodbye to Chen Gong and hurriedly went to the barracks.

Luoyang, North Palace.

Li Ying looked at Li Dao. Puzzled, he asked, "Brother, Luo Zheng is going to attack Xuchang." Plundering the Central Plains, since our army has formed an alliance with Cao Cao. Resist Luo Zheng, why don't you tell Cao Cao the news? ”

"You know what?"

Li Dao reprimanded and sneered: "Cao Apu is scheming, he wants to let him block Luo Zheng, although he has given General Ben some military rations over the years, how can General Ben really take advantage?" I want to use General Ben as a gunman, where is there such a cheap thing. Luo Zheng's guy wants to attack Xuchang, just let him go, it's best to turn the Central Plains upside down, anyway, it is impossible for that guy to occupy the Central Plains, and in the end it will only be cheaper for General Ben. ”

"Ugh!"

Li Ying hesitated: "Even if Luo Zheng turns the Central Plains upside down, what advantage can we take advantage of?" ”

"Why are you so stupid!"

Li Dao reluctantly explained: "Although Cao Abuna has formed an alliance with this general, he has arranged a large number of soldiers and horses in the area of Guancheng and Xuanyuan Pass, obviously guarding against our army. If Luo Zheng sneaks up on Xuchang, it will inevitably lead away the soldiers and horses around Xuchang, and even if Cao Cao can't be killed at that time, our army can also take the opportunity to loot a lot of grain and grass, how can it not take advantage? ”

"I see!"

Li Ying was stunned, but he still felt that something was wrong.

Since he has formed an alliance with Cao Cao, it is really not a good thing to take advantage of the fire to rob and break the promise.

But looking at his brother's face, Li Ying didn't say it with interest.

Ruyin, Cao Cao's camp.

"Lord!"

Cheng Yu hurriedly entered the big tent of the Chinese army and bowed to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao saw that Cheng Yu's expression was different, and he couldn't help waving his hand and said, "Cheng Zhong must be polite, but there is something important?" ”

Cheng Yu said in a condensed voice: "General Cao Ren sent 800 miles to report urgently, and said that a few days ago, Hangu Pass was lost and was attacked by Luo Zheng with a surprise army. Now the Western Liangshui Army has escorted a batch of grain and grass from the waterway to Guandu, Luo Zheng is very likely to lead the cavalry around Shangdang, from Gaodu south to plunder the Central Plains, and has now personally led more than a thousand troops to the north to guard Guandu. ”

"What?"

Cao Cao was taken aback and said, "Hangu Pass is lost? ”

Cheng Yu nodded and said, "Exactly!" ”

Next to him, Guo Jia struck and said: "The area around Hangu Pass has been captured by Luo Zheng, and the situation will take a turn for the worse. Without the Hangu Danger, Luo Zheng's army could directly enter the Central Plains from the waterway under the response of the naval army. From Hedong to Bingzhou Shangdang, although it can also bypass the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain and cross the river to the Central Plains, but it is not so easy for the Xiliang Water Army to escort grain and grass through the Hangu Pass by water. ”

Only then did Cao Cao realize the severity of the problem, and said awe-inspiringly: "Feng Xiao thinks that Luo Zheng will really come to plunder the Central Plains? ”

Guo Jia said: "I have to guard against it, Luo Zheng has a very strict control over the war horses produced in Liangzhou, and our army wants to buy a batch of war horses but can't get them, but they sold 20,000 military horses to Yuan Shao last year." Yuan Shao is the biggest enemy of the lord's unification of the Central Plains and Hebei, what does Luo Zheng say to Yuan Shao by selling military horses? That guy was ambitious and would never be so kind to help Yuan Shao, which can only show that Luo Zheng thought that the lord was much more threatening to him than Yuan Shao, so he did not hesitate to form an alliance with Yuan Shao, and even did not hesitate to let Yuan Shao speed up the pace of unifying the four states of Hebei, so as to promote Yuan Shao to raise troops to the south. ”

Cao Cao was stunned for a while, and then muttered: "Luo Zheng Pifu really looks up to it!" ”

Guo Jiadao: "The matter is already obvious, Luo Zheng regards the lord as a great enemy, and in order to fund the lord and the enemy, he can even sell 20,000 military horses to Yuan Shao, lead the army to plunder the Central Plains, and create trouble for the lord. ”

Liu Ye, a member of the Han family and a native of Huainan who had just been put into the tent next to him, said: "What the military advisor said is extremely true, besides, Luo Zheng started by plundering, and has not changed his bandit style, and the sparse population of Guanliang has always been Luo Zheng's biggest injury, and he has spent a huge amount of money to contain the displaced people before, and even sent people to various places to bewitch the fleeing people to go to Guanzhong and Liangzhou. ”

Cheng Yu said: "Luo Zheng regards the lord as a great enemy, will he sneak attack Xuchang?" ”

Guo Jia said with a solemn expression: "It's really possible." ”

Cao Cao changed color in an instant, Xuchang was not far from Guandu, and the cavalry could march from Guandu to Xuchang in one day.

If Xuchang is attacked, I am afraid that the major event will be suspended.

Yingyin man Xun Yu said: "Xuchang has Mr. Chen Gong in charge, if Luo Zheng leads the cavalry to sneak attack, he will definitely not be able to carry baggage and siege equipment with the army, how can he attack Xudu, I don't have to worry about the Lord Gongda!" ”

Cao Cao's face looked a little better, looked at Guo Jia, and asked, "What does Feng Xiao think?" ”

Guo Jia said in a deep voice: "Our army will not attack Huainan, tens of thousands of troops are extremely depleted, and in more than a month, the Huainan region will usher in a rain festival that lasts for more than a month. ”

Cao Cao's eyes froze, and he immediately understood what Guo Jia meant.

The storming of Huainan was one reason, but the most important thing was Guo Jia's concern about the situation in Yingchuan.

Some things don't have to be spoken, but smart people can hear them.

If Luo Zheng personally raised an army to attack Xuchang, Cao Cao would face the danger of being robbed of his old nest.

After all, Luo Zheng is scheming, and Jia Xu is not good at stubble, and no one dares to guarantee whether Chen Gong can hold Xuchang.

The risk is too great, and once something like this happens, Cao Cao will inevitably be hit hard.

The wisest choice is to return to Xuchang and deal with all kinds of emergencies.

Xun Yu said: "After all, Luo Zheng led the army to plunder the Central Plains, which is just speculation, not a conclusive conclusion. Moreover, even if it is true, Luo Zheng may not personally lead the army to come, and it is also possible to command a general, if he withdraws the army, he is afraid that the morale of the army will be unfavorable. Why don't you send a general to lead an army back to Xuchang to sit in the town, if Luo Zheng really leads the army to come, it is not too late to withdraw the army! ”

Cao Cao looked at Guo Jia and asked, "How has it been since Fengxiao?" ”

Guo Jia said: "This is okay, but you need to guard against Li Dao." Although this person is allied with our army, if the situation changes, the forces around Xuchang will inevitably be transferred, and it is difficult to guarantee that this person will not take advantage of the fire to rob. ”

Cao Cao thought deeply and said: "Good, according to the view of filial piety!" ”

General Xiahoudun immediately came out and said: "Meng De, I am willing to lead an army back to Xuchang!" ”

Xiahou Yuan, Cao Chun, Li Dian, Le Jin and other generals also wanted to ask for their lives, but they were preempted by Xiahou Dun, so they had to sit back.

Cao Cao said happily: "Youyuan let me go back to Xuchang to sit in town, I can sit back and relax!" Anyway, Yuan Rang can lead 8,000 troops, make food tomorrow on the third watch, send troops on the fifth watch, and hurry back to Xuchang in case the situation changes. ”

"Whoa!"

Xiahoudun agreed, and immediately went out of the tent.

After discussing some more things, all the civil and military personnel dispersed, and the fish tent came out of the handsome tent.

Guo Jia was about to leave, but was stopped by Cao Cao's eyes, so he had to sit down, and after the others left, he followed Cao Cao to a military tent next to him. (To be continued......)