Lu Bu entered Liangzhou, because of the long distance, the information fed back to the central government was very scarce, and it was seriously lagging behind. It can be roughly known that he soon won the two counties of Anding and Hanyang, Ma Teng jumped west, and went to Han Sui, and the two sides fought repeatedly in Hanyang County, and it was difficult to distinguish the winner for the time being. Cao Cao asked the Son of Heaven to issue an edict and ordered Lü Bu to send him to aid Hedong in the future - of course, with the distance, the amount of grain, plus Lü Bu's personality and Chen Gong's planning, it is impossible to send too many soldiers, and it is just a half-empty story. The problem is that Cao Cao can't come with too many soldiers and horses now, and it is good to add one more soldier.

The official document made it very clear that Cao Xing, the general of the Lu Bu Army, led 2,000 horsemen to aid Hedong, of which eighty percent were the soldiers he recruited in Hedong in the past, because he missed his hometown, he simply let them come back, and the remaining two percent were from Bingzhou, if they were willing to highlight Hedong and kill to Bingzhou, they could be guides.

It was Xunxin who said, why don't you send Gao Shun? Why don't you send Zhang Liao? Cao Xuan has an egg to use!

In fact, Xun has no prejudice against Cao Xing, in the original history, Cao Xing was originally Hao Meng's general, when Lu Bu was in Xuzhou, Hao Meng colluded with Yuan Shu and launched a mutiny, Cao Xing fought against him - "Meng stabbed sex, sex cut off Meng Meng's arm", and then took Meng head. Although there are only a few strokes in the history books, I guess that Cao Xing should be quite brave and good at fighting. But the problem is that this person is not a general in Lu Bu's army, and Xun estimates his ability, so he just charges and falls into battle, and he may not really have the general strategy of being in battle but the enemy, not to mention that he is not as good as Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, and even Hou Cheng and Song Xian are inferior.

As for Cao Xing's shot at Xiahoudun's eye, it is purely a novelist's language.

- It's not because he is also surnamed Cao, so you Lu Fengxian sent him here, right? You have such a good sense of humor......

immediately took Xiahoulan and ordered troops out of the city. to welcome Cao sex. Let's take a look. This General Cao is in his thirties. The skeleton is quite large, but there is no trace of fat, and it looks like it has a little fight with Guan Hai. Cao Xing was humble, dismounted and knelt down to see Shi Xun, Shi Xun supported him with both hands, and then arranged for Lu Jun to camp outside the city.

That night, a banquet was held to entertain Cao Xing, and he asked about the situation in Liangzhou. According to Cao Xing, Lu Bu was in the area of the Shooting Tiger Valley in Hanyang County last year. After four battles with the Han and Ma coalition forces in a row, they had the upper hand at first, but one after another, Qiang people came to help Han Sui, and the opponent's strength swelled to 60,000 or 70,000. ”

Chen Gong suggested: "It's better to retire temporarily, slowly disintegrate it, and then the battle can be decided." So he was forced to withdraw his troops. Concentrate on the management of Hanyang and Anding counties.

Cao Xing said: "Before the end of the future, there will be discussions in the army. When the north takes the northland county to threaten to merge the state, then the pressure here can also be reduced. ”

Shi Xun nodded again and again: "Thank you for your care." ”

The next day, the generals gathered to discuss the current situation, and Sima Yi and others could ask the Lu army to go north and camp in the south of Baibo Valley to deal with the intrusion of Yuan's army at any time. Cao Xing asked Shixun: "Is there enough grain and straw in the county?" "It's Xun Xin who said that it's barely enough, and with the two thousand of you, then you may not be able to eat next year's autumn harvest-" It will be used for about half a year. ”

Cao Xing said that we will wait here, if Yuan Jun does not come, we will not move, and we will consume food, this is not a matter - "Our army knows how to advance, but does not know how to defend." Rendezvous with the Xiongnu, down the Fenshui, breaking into the annexation of the state, can control the enemy, not be controlled by the enemy. ”

It was Xun Xin who said that he was really a fierce general, you are so bold, and you don't know anything about the enemy, so you dare to beat your neck out-"Who is the general?" ”

Cao Xing smiled slightly: "Sex and Wenhou are in the same county, although they have been away from their hometown for several years, and they also know the feelings of the state." Among its nine counties, only Shangdang, Taiyuan, and Yanmener are prosperous, and the rest are less than 5,000 households. Yanmen is far away, and the party must guard against Hanoi, and the only one I should be is Taiyuan County. There are Taiyuan natives in the army, familiar with geography, but the cavalry plundered, they should retreat when they come, and advance when they retreat, or they can make the land east of the river not be their soldiers. ”

Yo, I can't see it, this person still has a little brain, and he still knows that "the enemy advances and I retreat" - he was originally in Bingzhou, didn't he be a horse thief? Shi Xun looked around at everyone at the moment: "What does General Cao mean, what do you think?" ”

Xia Houlan agreed, but among the civil officials, only Sima Yi was silent, and others felt that it was too risky, so it was better to defend it with peace of mind. Yes Xun said that there is no hurry, we still have time to discuss-"I intend to summon General Cao's subordinates from Taiyuan first, analyze its geography, and then make a judgment." ”

When the meeting ended, he deliberately grabbed Sima Yi from behind and asked in a low voice, "Why did Zhongda teach me?" ”

Sima Yi pondered for a while, and suddenly raised his head: "General Cao's plan is indeed in danger, but he may have to worry about Er-Yi, the Huns!" ”

As an orthodox scholar of the Central Plains, Sima Yi had an instinctive hostility and distrust of the Hu people, and he did not consider the agreement between Shi Xun and Hu Chuquan to be unbreakable - of course, Shi Xun himself did not have such extravagant expectations.

Therefore, Sima Yi pointed out that if the southern Xiongnu held Pingyang and other four counties and sat back and watched the success or failure, they might suddenly betray the alliance at any time and turn to the Yuan clan - "Although I don't know why the Yuan clan called the kitchen spring, Ran Yi knew that there was no visible benefit in the county, so he strengthened his heart." "We can't actually come up with anything practical, and the previous verbal promises are only effective for gentlemen, and they will not have the slightest effect on the capricious Hu people.

Therefore, he believed that the Huns must be forced to invade Bingzhou and fight against the Yuan army, and only in this way could they be tied to the Cao family's chariot to the maximum. However, Shi Xun stayed far away in Anyi, and it was useless to ask the Xiongnu to send troops, but it might have the opposite effect, so the Lü army should be sent to act together with the Xiongnu to highlight Hedong and harass the annexation of the state.

"The first striker, the Lu army, the second striker, the Huns, the lord can follow and control the route, but there is no need to enter the state in person." Anyway, the Lü army is a guest army, they want to fight, let them fight, once the Lü army moves, it is impossible for the Huns to follow behind, and they must go to the front line to grab the spoils. As for Shixun, he could lead the army to the four counties, on the one hand, to ensure the back road, escort the grain and straw, and respond at any time, and on the other hand, to prevent the Huns from defecting.

Shi Xun listened to Sima Yi's suggestion, and couldn't help but hold his hands behind his back and mutter. He admits that what Sima Yi said is indeed reasonable—Zhong Daguo's masterpiece in the world—if the Huns were left to choose the timing of their own attack. They're probably going to stay on the fence. It wasn't until the food was almost eaten that he was forced to do it. But after a long time, it is really difficult to predict what kind of differentiation and co-optation methods the Yuan family will come up with, and what the effect will be. In itself, the Yuan family also sent a copy of "Seeking Yuzhou Wen for Yuan Shao" to Pingyang, which showed their attitude, and in the original history, before and after Guandu. The Southern Xiongnu also boarded the Yuan family's thief ship. Therefore, it was necessary to preemptively force the Xiongnu to advance in order to deepen their distrust with the Yuan family.

After all, Xun just gave Hu Chuquan a gold seal, no matter how good the gold seal is, it can't be eaten as a meal.

While forcing the Xiongnu to send troops, it was Xun who could lead the army to reinforce as an excuse to swagger into the four counties, even if the Xiongnu were vigilant and made all kinds of restrictions. After all, when the old nest is inserted into such an army, they will not dare to rebel easily.

It was Xun who had been silent for a long time. He also sent people to call Zhang Ji and Jia Qu back, and the four wise men held a small meeting and finally finalized this policy. So he immediately sent a message to Pingyang, saying that our army wanted to wait for the four counties to raid Taiyuan, hoping that the Xiongnu side could cooperate with the action.

Since he promised to unite with the Cao family, it was impossible not to let Cao Bing cross the border, after Hu Chuquan received the letter, he hurriedly summoned him to discuss with him, and said, "This is to urge me." "This is because Taishou wants to avoid our first rats, so he asks for a clear attitude, either follow the Cao family to fight with the Yuan family, or immediately turn his face and throw himself at the Yuan family-" Shan Yu must make a decision as soon as possible. ”

Hu Chuquan said I don't want to agree - even if I have decided to help Cao Cao, but the initiative should be in our own hands, if we promise to immediately coordinate the troops, then the initiative will completely fall into the hands of Shi Xun. He asked, "Is it just the opposite of desire?" Hu Chuquan frowned and scratched the back of his head: "I don't want to do the opposite." "This battle has just begun, who can guess the final victory? Now that we have fallen into a family, if we turn against each other, then don't think about turning back, if the Cao family wins in the end, what should we do?

Hu Chuquan hesitated, and couldn't help but be anxious: "If you don't have both, please make a decision quickly!" ”

Hu Chuquan looked down and saw that it was written on Xun's letter, and the pioneer of the Cao family was Lu Bu's general Cao Xing - he still knew a few Chinese characters, but Xun gave him a letter, and the words were not profound - he couldn't help but tremble a little, and then turned his head to look at the "Heaven Descended Order Yu Xi" on the case, and he was a little reluctant. In the end, under the continuous urging of the humble, he had to grit his teeth: "In this way, for the time being, I will follow him...... It's just that a certain heart is unwilling! ”

If you are unwilling, we still have a way, for example, you can summon the king of Zuogu Li to come - "He hates that he is too guarded, but this and so, this and so ......"

Ten days later, Cao Xing led 2,000 Lu troops and Xiahou Lan led 2,000 Cao troops to Pingyang through Baibo Valley and met with Qubei. It had been discussed in advance, and the Xiongnu side put forward two conditions: first, within the four counties, the Lü army must act together with the Xiongnu army and accept surveillance; After entering the annexed state, the two sides parted ways, each attacking and taking its own way, and did not belong to each other. Second, as the commander-in-chief of the campaign, Shi Xun could enter the four counties to protect the back road, but he was not allowed to enter Pingyang City, and the Han army was not allowed to enter any county town except for the troops.

The Xiongnu side was not afraid that Shi Xun would suddenly turn his face and annex the four counties in one breath - he was not so good at the appetite - what he was afraid of was that once the Han army entered the city, it could be defended for a long time, and the Xiongnu side did not have enough siege experience, so I am afraid that the host and guest would change positions.

The Xiongnu dispatched 6,000 cavalry, led by Qubei, to monitor and accompany Cao Xing to Yong'an through Pingyang. Lao Wo left 3,000 horsemen, commanded by Hu Chuquan Shan Yu, to guard against the second group of Han troops heading north.

This second group of Han troops who went north was the Xunsuo Division, which was small in number, including half of the original 2,000 Cao troops and 150 of their own troops. Yes Xun only wants to ensure his own safety, and he really doesn't plan to take the opportunity to recover the four counties, so it is meaningless to bring too many soldiers, and the suspicion of the Huns is reversed, as long as it is elite enough.

It is Xun who brings all the elite soldiers and strong generals with him, Sima Yi, Zhang Ji, Jia Qu, that is one of them, Sun Wen is still stationed in Yicheng, Xiahou Lan led two thousand troops to cooperate with Cao Xing's action, and the affairs of the county are temporarily entrusted to Pei Hui, Zhuge Jin and Sun Zi are their deputies. In addition, Shi Xun also deliberately named Qin Yi and asked him to follow him to Beibei and serve as the liaison and dispute resolution work between the Han and Hungarian armies.

Before leaving, Shi Xun quietly took care of Qin Yi: "Hugh made the Xiongnu plunder the people, as for the scholars and townsmen, it is okay to ......" (to be continued......)