Shouchun, among Cao Cao's pastoral offices.

"Zhuge Liang has seen Cao Gong!"

This was the first time Cao Cao met Zhuge Liang.

He had previously learned about this person from Gu Yong's mouth.

He knew that this person was a rare young man in Xuzhou in recent years, and he was the object of Liu Bei's great attention.

When Cao Cao saw it today, he secretly said in his heart: It really deserves its name.

Regardless of his ability, just looking at Zhuge Liang's current appearance and temperament is enough to see that he is a wise person, not idle.

Indeed, sometimes, a person's external temperament and conversation can reveal a person's cultivation.

Judging people by their appearance cannot be said to be right, but it cannot be said to be completely wrong.

This appearance does not refer to the person's natural beauty and ugliness, but to the temperament he has cultivated.

Cao Cao stared at Zhuge Liang seriously for a while, and then said: "Cao Mou has heard Kong Ming's name for a long time, like thunder, I heard that among the young generation of heroes in Xuzhou, now Kong Ming is the most, and the former son and the former son were able to return to Shouchun safely after being entertained by Liu Yuanjun in Xuzhou, and it is really Lao Kongming who has worked hard in it, and Cao is very grateful." ”

Zhuge Liang bowed his hand to Cao Cao very respectfully, and said in return: "Cao Gong's words, Liang dare not take it seriously, I didn't make much merit for Cao Zi and the general to return to Jiangdong, but the two sides took what they needed before, and Liang couldn't push the boat down the river." ”

"Liang just happened to say some things that made the two sides fit together in the previous peace talks, and did not make much practical contribution, and Cao Gong put this credit on Liang's body, which is inevitably a bit too much."

When Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help laughing.

"But if it weren't for you, Zhuge Kongming, how could Cao Mou be able to open so many ports in the coastal areas of Jiangdong and conduct such frequent trade with the people of your northern land?"

"At this time, Pi and Guangling will not open a market, so that the north and south will have a trade market."

"It's just that this good year hasn't been long yet, and it's hard to say whether our two sides can continue to trade with each other in the future."

Zhuge Liang's face immediately showed doubt.

"What did Gong Cao say?"

"The north and the south trade through the port and the mutual market, which is a good thing for the people of the north and the south, and now the overall construction and development of Hebei and the north is far stronger than the south, the border mutual market has been opened, and there are sea routes to transport talents and materials, which is also a great thing for Cao Gong to build Jiangnan."

"Why hasn't this matter been going on for a long time, and Cao Gong himself thinks it's not feasible?"

When Cao Cao heard this, he immediately let out a long sigh.

"It's not that Cao doesn't want to trade with the north for a long time, it's just that your Prime Minister Liu Cheng is now so strong and powerful, after Nanyang County was lost by Yuan Shao, Shao is no longer able to carry out the Northern Expedition, from now on, I am afraid that your Prime Minister Liu Cheng will be crushed in the north and south."

"No matter how arrogant Cao is, it is impossible not to be with Yuan Shao at this time, and they depend on each other."

"It's just that Cao and Yuan Shao really do each other's lips and teeth, how can you and I be like this today?"

"But continue to be so close to your prime minister, let him eliminate Yuan Shao. I'm afraid that Cao's Jiangdong will also be in danger of being tired in the future, and there is nothing to survive. ”

Listening to Cao Cao's words, Zhuge Liang immediately stood up and saluted Cao Cao.

"Gong Cao, with all due respect, what you said is a little too petty, just this point, Zhuge Liang thinks that you are still very different from us Liu Chengxiang."

"No wonder the prime minister of my family is now sitting on the court and holding the authority of the world, and Cao Gong can only be in a corner of Jiangdong."

When these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned.

When he was young, he saw Xiahou Yuan stand up suddenly.

"Where did the thief come from, how dare he talk nonsense here? Believe it or not, I killed you alive?! ”

Dian Wei on the side also reached out and touched the sword on his waist, as if he wanted to kill Zhuge Liang.

Cao Cao suddenly stretched out his hand to stop Dian Wei's actions, and then he looked at Zhuge Liang with a deep face and said, "Kong Ming is not afraid of death?" ”

"Zhuge boy, cherish his life, but he is not afraid of death."

"Okay, young and promising, then ask you, what do you mean by your words?"

Zhuge Liang said: "Cao Gong, what is the purpose of my prime minister and Cao Gonggong to build a port? Does Cao Gong know? ”

Cao Cao said: "Your prime minister has always been good at governing, since the fight to Hebei, this new policy came out one after another, although some of the policies Cao is not used to, but the fact is that under his governance, the people of the world are living better and better, and the people of the Han Dynasty are becoming more and more prosperous." ”

"As for the opening of the mutual market and the construction of the port between your prime minister and Cao, I think it is also to use commerce and trade to drive the economy of the north and the south to be more prosperous, the people's transactions to be smoother, and the people to be richer."

Zhuge Liang said with a smile: "That's right, everything the prime minister does is for the people, not only the people in our north, but also the people in the south of the Yangtze River under the jurisdiction of Duke Cao." ”

"In the prime minister's view, the Han Dynasty is the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty is not the prime minister's alone, the Han Dynasty is not Cao Gong, you are not the Han Dynasty, Hebei is not the Hebei of individuals, Jiangnan is not the Jiangnan of individuals, the grievances between the prime minister and Cao Gong, or the dispute between the prime minister and Cao Gong and Yuan Shao, naturally need to be resolved on the battlefield, but the people of the world cannot be ignored because the prime minister and Yuan Shao and Cao Gong seize power from each other."

"Jiangnan should still be developed, Hebei should be developed, and the Central Plains should be developed, and the interests of the people at the bottom should not be disregarded because of the dispute between the top people, which is the starting point of the prime minister and his will."

"Therefore, even if there is an all-out war with Cao Gong, the opening of the mutual market can make the people of Jiangnan richer and the population of Jiangnan larger, but these are also what the prime minister is happy to see."

"Does Gong Cao think that even if you and Yuan Shao form an alliance of lips and teeth, the prime minister will blockade Jiangnan because of this? And the people of Jiangnan are in dire straits? ”

"The Prime Minister is no such person! Therefore, Cao Gong asked only a question, which made Liang feel that Cao Gong and the prime minister of my family were still far from comparable. ”

Zhuge Liang's words can be described as sharp, and they also speak of the softness in Cao Cao's heart.

When it comes to vision and ambition, although Cao Cao is a eunuch, he is far from being inferior to the wang family.

But if Liu Jian is really the person who Zhuge Liang said, then Cao Cao is really a world apart from Zhuge Liang's Liu Jian.

Cao Cao let out a long sigh and said, "I didn't expect that Prime Minister Liu Cheng's command was really Junjie. ”

"A young boy, since he can say such a big truth, it really makes Cao feel guilty and ashamed!"

"Kong Ming, you are such an amazing character."

Zhuge Liang immediately arched his hand and said: "Don't dare, don't dare, Liang Ping commented on the prime minister, and commented on Cao Gong, but it was just a family's words, but there was something unrealistic to say, although Cao Gong pointed it out...... Of course, if Cao Gong wants to kill Liang, then Liang has no complaints, after all, it is better to die because of telling the truth than to live by telling lies. ”

Cao Cao said with a smile: "Kong Ming, you can rest assured, although I am not as inclusive and far-sighted as the prime minister of your family, but I am by no means jealous and jealous, and I can't tolerate a few words of truth." ”

"From this point of view, what you said is indeed the truth, and you don't have to deliberately provoke Cao, Cao will not kill you."

"I am indeed not the same level as your prime minister."

"However, even if he is not a character of the same level, Cao Mou has to rely on Yuan Shao in this situation."

"But what you said is very right, the fight between Cao and your prime minister is a fight, but the people of the world are innocent, this benefit of north-south commerce, it should be developed or developed, if you don't mind, then Cao will naturally not mind."

Cao Cao's words can be regarded as a big truth, after all, Jiangdong's trade with the north is beneficial to the north, but the benefits are really limited.

For the development of Jiangdong, once the trade in the north is opened, a large number of cultural and practical useful materials will enter Jiangdong, which will make Jiangdong avoid detours, and the people's lives will be greatly improved.

Therefore, this matter is more beneficial to Cao Cao.

Seeing Cao Cao say this, Zhuge Liang said: "Since this is the case, then please ask Cao Gong to continue to improve the construction of coastal ports according to the previous agreement, and our side will also provide people and technology to assist Cao Gong to build coastal ports and maritime merchant ships more perfectly." ”

"As for the new route, we will also sort out the relevant materials and send someone to Jiangdong, and then we will ask Cao Gong to consider it carefully."

Cao Cao nodded with satisfaction and said, "Kong Ming is really a strange person, since your prime minister has such kindness, then Cao is naturally disrespectful." ”

"However, Cao Mou wants to ask one more question, can what you say really represent your prime minister?"

Zhuge Liang smiled when he heard this: "If Cao Gong can't believe it, after Liang returns to Xuzhou, ask Liu Yuanjun to submit the documents to the prime minister, so that the prime minister can report to the Son of Heaven, and from Shangshutai to Shouchun, in this way, will Cao Gong still have doubts?" ”

Cao Cao shook his head and said: "That's not necessary, although Cao is not as broad-minded as your prime minister, but he is not such a treacherous villain, with your words today, Cao believes you, our business belongs to business, and political affairs belong to political affairs, how about it?" ”

Zhuge Liang hurriedly said: "Gong Cao's words are very good, and this is also what the prime minister of my family is looking forward to." ”

……

That night, Cao Cao held a banquet in his official office to invite Zhuge Liang.

Cao Cao was very happy at this banquet, he drank a little too much, and he was even a little confused when he walked.

After the banquet, Cao Cao returned to the palace with his eldest son, Cao Ang.

After returning to the room, Cao Cao immediately ordered Cao Ang to bring the tea from Hebei to him and soak it in hot water.

Cao Cao drank a cup of tea and said with emotion: "Sure enough, it is still a newly produced tea from Hebei, and it tastes better to relieve hangover." ”

"It's much stronger than boiling tea, and I don't know how Liu Jian figured out these things."

Cao Ang asked on the side: "Father, today Zhuge Liang insulted his father in front of everyone, saying that his father's mind is far inferior to Liu Jian, why is my father not angry at all?" ”

Cao Cao said lightly: "Why should I be angry? What Zhuge Liang said was just the truth, when it came to mind and foresight, I was indeed not as good as Liu Deran. ”

"But...... Zhuge Liang said one thing wrong! Cao believes that the reason why Liu Deran insists on carrying out trade with us in Jiangnan will not be slowed down because of military and political matters, not because he loves the people too much, but because Liu Deran still thinks highly of himself. ”

Cao Ang said: "Why does he think highly of himself when he conducts business with us in Jiangnan? ”

Cao Cao said very calmly:

"This matter is very simple, the reason why Liu Jian wants us to develop Jiangnan is just because he feels that it is inevitable for him to dominate the world, Jiangnan is well developed, and in the future, he will be overwhelmed by the army and directly take Jiangdong from a certain hand, and Jiangnan was also very rich under me at that time, so that after Liu Jian unified the country, he will get a rich Jiangnan, not a ruined land, which is also very beneficial to him."

Cao Ang said: "I haven't won yet, but I think about winning first, which shows that this person is not an ordinary person." ”

"I don't know if he's crazy or confident."

Speaking of this, Cao Cao laughed, he picked up the teacup and took a sip, and said, "Ang'er, Liu Deran is indeed not an ordinary person.

"But our Cao family can't let him look down on him, in the future, we will not only develop the people's livelihood, but in politics and military, we can't lose to him."

Cao Ang said: "What my father said is very true, my Cao father and son will never compromise with them. ”

Cao Cao raised his head, drank the tea cup in his hand, and said: "Ang'er, the coming day is Zhuge Liang's return to Xuzhou, let's immediately send someone to Xiangyang to communicate with Yuan Shao about the alliance." ”

"Now Cao is no longer Yuan Shao's vassal, from now on, I will be Yuan Shao's ally."

"Since we are allies, we can no longer give unreservedly to Yuan Shao as before, and now we have to ask Yuan Shao for something that should belong to us."

Cao Ang hurriedly asked, "Then according to my father?" What should we ask Yuan Shao for? ”

Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said: "Jiangdong and Jingzhou, plus Yizhou, as long as they rely on each other, it is not difficult to confront Liu Jian. It's just that Yuan Shao is not a stable person, and no one knows whether Jingzhou will remain in his hands for a long time in the future, so we still have to keep a back hand for ourselves. ”

"My father thinks that letting Yuan Shao cede the two counties of Jiangxia and Changsha is still more important to us now."

"At least in the future, if there is a problem within Yuan Shao, we can also use Jiangxia and Changsha to directly take the lands of Jingzhou Nanjun, so that Jingzhou will fall into our hands, and then the Hanjiang moat will not be occupied by Liu Jian, so that we can confront Liu Jian from the north and south and form a separatist trend."

Cao Ang hurriedly said, "Follow my father's orders. ”

……

At the same time, Liu Jian had already begun to use troops in Yuzhou, and his first target was Runan County.

Runan County is now also entrusted by Yuan Shao to be garrisoned by Sun Ce's assistance, and Liu Jian ordered Zhao Yun, Xu Huang, and Yan Liang to lead an army each, and the soldiers were divided into three routes and went straight to Runan County.

Among them, Zhao Yun's soldiers and horses went straight to Yang Zhai.

Sun Ce sent Huang Gai, Zu Mao, Zhu Zhi and others to meet them separately, but how could these people be the opponents of several fierce generals under Liu Jian?

It wasn't even a few encounters before they began to retreat!

Especially Zhao Yun, after he put on the yellow cover, he never had any stagnation, and the cavalry and horses drove straight in, as if entering a no-man's land.

(End of chapter)

.