Because of the cold weather, although Xu Chu's corpse began to stink, but did not look down, when Cao Cao saw Xu Chu's corpse, the last trace of luck in his heart was gone, covered his head, and exclaimed bitterly: "Hurt me!" ”

"Lord!" Cao Ren and others hurriedly supported Cao Cao, but when they saw that Cao Cao had passed out, everyone was shocked, and hurriedly helped Cao Cao back to the tent, and ordered the medical craftsmen in the army to come to diagnose and treat him, and made sure that there was no problem, but after fainting with excessive sadness, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Cao Cao came to his senses, but he saw Xun You, Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, the Xiahou brothers, the Cao brothers and other confidants gathered around him.

Closing his eyes, Cao Cao sighed and said, "Has Zhong Kang's corpse ever converged? ”

"I have ordered a good coffin to be found." Xiahoudun nodded and said.

"Xuzhou can no longer stay, set off overnight tonight, rushed to Xiaoguan, met with the chariot, and informed the soldiers that the grain and grass have been transported to Xiaoguan, as long as they arrive at Xiaoguan, there will be food available, appease the army's heart, don't make another incident." Cao Cao sighed.

In addition, although I feel that the Chen family is unlikely to choose to turn against him at this time, Xu Chu's death still cast a shadow on Cao Cao's heart, and he also gave birth to a bit of mustard for the Chen family's father and son.

Guo Jia and the three hesitated, and finally didn't say anything, the current situation, the three armies have begun to appear in large numbers of deserters, morale has been constantly tossed and destroyed by Lu Bu for nearly a month, and it has lost its former sharpness, and now Lu Bu can't hold out, and I don't know how much grain and grass there is in the city, take the 50,000 army and Lu Bu's thousands of remnants to gamble, win, may not be able to do anything to Lu Bu, losing is definitely a heavy blow to Cao Cao, if the food in Xiapi City is exhausted, even if they leave, Lu Bu can't support it for long, The Chen family was enough to strangle Lu Bu.

"My lord." Cheng Yu hesitated, looked at Cao Cao and said, "The minister has thought about it again and again today, but he thought of a question. ”

"Zhongde has words, you might as well speak up." Cao Cao looked at Cheng Yu and showed a reluctant smile.

"General Zhongkang's matter, if it is really the Chen family's doing, this matter may be related to the general." Cheng Yu pondered carefully: "Recently, the general has frequently mobilized troops in the Liyang area, and the intention of going south has been revealed, if the Chen family can be used to drag our army in Xuzhou, then the general can calmly cross the river!" ”

The general, is Yuan Shao, Cao Cao in the year before the Son of Heaven moved the capital to Xuchang, the Son of Heaven to order the princes, the original general Cao Cao was ready to do it himself, he gave the position of Sikong to Yuan Shao, but attracted Yuan Shao's dissatisfaction, Cao Cao at that time was surrounded by enemies, but there was no way to meet Yuan Shao with all his strength, only to give up the position of general to Yuan Shao.

Cao Cao's brows twitched, and he did not speak.

Cheng Yu pondered: "Looking at what the Chen father and son have done over the years, when Tao Qian led Xuzhou pastoral, the Chen family father and son did not come out, and later Liu Bei came to Xuzhou, the Chen family father and son secretly befriended Liu Bei, and after Tao Qian let Xuzhou, the Chen family obtained the Danyang elite soldiers, and later that Lu Bu came to Xuzhou and took away Liu Bei's foundation, the Chen family father and son had a good relationship with Liu Bei, but did not help Liu Bei because of this, but won the real power of Guangling County under Lu Bu, and now the lord comes to Xuzhou, the Chen family is also secretly illicit with our army, if Yuan Shao comes to lobby at this time, Will the Chen family's father and son betray their father-in-law like they did when they betrayed Lu Bu before? ”

When Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little worried in his heart, in fact, Cheng Yu's words were not very likely to be carefully considered, the most important point is that although the Chen family father and son betrayed Lu Bu before, they never did it themselves, and this time, even if they took refuge in Yuan Shao, but judging from the Chen family's father and son's behavior, they should not do it directly, and killing Xu Chu and the five hundred Cao Jun is really a bit abrupt, not like what a wise man should do.

"Now there is no evidence, if you do it to the Chen family, I am afraid that you will lose the hearts and faith of the people of Xuzhou!" Cao Cao sighed and shook his head.

Even if you want to do it, you can't move, 50,000 hungry soldiers, if you don't fight, there are deserters every day, if it is a war, it is possible to bomb the camp directly, let alone do this, maybe Chen Qi and Lu Bu will join forces again.

"I have to use troops." Cheng Yu shook his head and said: "Since the lord wants to withdraw from the army, whether it is Lu Bu or the Chen family, the minister thinks that he can't dominate Xuzhou alone, so it is better to let the two tigers fight." ”

Cao Cao's eyes narrowed slightly, and nodded thoughtfully, which was a good idea, and frowned: "But now that Lu Bu is trapped in a lonely city, the soldiers are in danger and there is little food, so although Lu Bu is brave and brave, if there is no food and grass, how can he fight against the Chen family?" ”

How influential is the Chen family in Xuzhou? Not to mention that Guangling is now the territory of the Chen family, but the other four counties are wealthy families, which one is not the head of the Chen family?

Even if Lu Bu is undefeated this time, but he is in a lonely city, lacking soldiers and food, how can he be the opponent of the Chen family's father and son?

"Has the lord ever thought of forming an alliance with Na Lu Bu?" Cheng Yu's eyes flashed with a gleam.

"Alliance?" Cao Cao was stunned, and then began to think about the feasibility of this matter, don't look at the two sides fought before and wanted to destroy each other, but politically, there is no eternal enemy, since it is impossible to take Lu Bu at once, and in order to avoid pressure from the Chen family, it is a good choice to form an alliance with Lu Bu, of course, the premise is that Lu Bu will not be destroyed by the Chen family as soon as he leaves.

"Yes, ally!" Cheng Yu nodded and said: "Not only the Chen family, if possible, when the lord and Yuan Shao fight in the future, they can also make Lu Bu contain Jiangdong." ”

Cao Cao heard this, his eyes flashed, Jiangdong Sun Ce, is also Cao Cao's heart disease, this son is brave and strategic, in the past two years, with the initial three thousand soldiers and horses, defeated Wang Lang, Liu Xuan, Yan Baihu and other Jiangdong princes, faintly has the potential to unify Jiangdong, if it is allowed to become a momentum, the threat of the rear is even more threatening than the Yuan Shu of the past.

looked at Guo Jia, with a bit of news.

Guo Jia thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "It's a good plan, but Lu Bu is a person with the nature of a jackal, and he can't be guarded against." ”

Guo Jia was a little hesitant, after all, the attitude of the Chen family has become a little blurred with the death of Xu Chu, but the identity of the Qishi clan does not have enough evidence, and Cao Cao can't really do anything to the Chen family.

The most important thing is that since it is a strategy proposed by Cheng Yu, Guo Jia can't say too much, just ask a little question.

When Cao Cao heard this, he nodded silently and did not object, this is Guo Jia's attitude.

Cheng Yu pondered: "Then Lu Bu begged for the position of Xuzhou pastor, the lord can secretly send an envoy to discuss with Lu Bu, allow him the position of Xuzhou pastor, and present the official seal, and at the same time send someone to inform the Chen family, that is, now the war is urgent, it is urgent to destroy Lu Bu, temporarily hand over the position of Xuzhou pastor to Lu Bu, and wait for the day when the Chen family exterminates Lu Bu, the position of Xuzhou pastor will be held by Chen Qi." ”

With Lu Bu's temperament, there is no room for maneuver between him and the Chen family, and this approach is just that no matter who wins or loses on both sides in the future, he will be able to get by in terms of face.

Guo Jia added with a smile: "Taking advantage of this opportunity, our army can also take the opportunity to retreat, so as not to be disturbed by Na Lu Bu." ”

"Good!" Cao Cao nodded, and at that moment, he ordered Cheng Yu to go to talk to Lu Bu as a messenger, as for Chen Qi, just send someone to inform him, there is no need to be so formal.