After a long time, Cao Cao opened his eyes and turned his head to glance, and the couch was full of people.

Cao Cao sat up with a spirit, and Xiahou quickly leaned over and asked with concern:

"Meng De, you haven't had a head stroke for a long time, why has it been a long time since you fainted this time? It's half an hour. ”

"Well, the head wind disease is small, but the matter of Fancheng is important."

Cao Cao pushed aside Xiahoudun and poked his head out to look around, he was looking for Cai Mao's figure: "What about De Mao?" ”

Xiahoudun hugged Cao Cao and explained: "Meng De needs to recuperate, there should not be too many people in the dormitory, and the idle people are waiting outside." ”

"Let him come in and speak, I want to know the specific situation in Jingzhou."

Seeing that Cao Cao was worried about the war, Xiahoudun immediately waved his hand, glanced at the guards at the door, and signaled to invite Cai Mao into the palace.

Taking advantage of Cai Mao's entry into the hall, Cao Cao's eyes fell on Xun Yu, and asked with a serious face:

"Wen Ruo, when will the army's food and grass be ready? I have never been worried about Zixiao's use of soldiers, but Guan Yu's performance this time is really amazing, if he doesn't support in time, I'm afraid he won't be able to protect it. ”

"Even if there are 100,000 soldiers in Nanyang, the required food and grass are already sufficient, but counting the two or three hundred thousand around Xudu, it will take at least four or five months."

Xun Yu frowned, brushed his long hair and shook his head.

"What?"

Cao Cao slapped his palm on the edge of the bed, and asked with a little playfulness: "The surrounding area of Xudu has been in Tuntian, not to mention, there has been no war in the Central Plains in the past few years, and the expedition to Wuhuan is also using Hebei money and grain, why do you have to prepare for so long this time?" ”

"It only took half a year for the Ming Duke to conquer Wuhuan, but before the expedition of Tao Qian, the destruction of Lu Bu, the discussion of Yuan Shu, and the determination of Yuan Shao, the Central Plains has never been unloaded for more than ten years, and the people have no chance to recuperate, so they saved some food last year, but."

Xun Yu changed his words and explained: "But now that it is winter, the weather is cold, and there is a big shortage of winter clothes for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, even if we can barely scrape together a few months of rations, but winter operations consume a lot of food, and it is not good for the army to start a war if we are not ready, so it is best to wait until next spring."

"Me"

Cao Cao was frowning and preparing to ask, when Cai Mao was ordered to enter the dormitory.

A while ago, Cao Cao killed Kong Rong, which was considered a blow to the Henan scholars, but he didn't expect the retribution to come so quickly, and in the blink of an eye, he begged for these people.

Cao Cao is a mature politician, he temporarily suppressed his displeasure with Xun Yu, and waved his old friend to his side.

"De Jue came just in time, continue the previous narrative, I want to know all the details of the Jingzhou battlefield."

"Yui."

Cai Mao was ordered to guard the Xinye Waterway, and the information he had was relatively one-sided, and he told what he knew without reservation in front of the ministers in the palace.

"It's worthy of Guan Yunchang!"

Cao Cao frowned, stroked his beard and muttered: "Zixiao used me to use Xiangyang as bait, but I didn't expect Yun Chang to plan and use Xiangyang as bait to trap Zixiao in Fancheng, who would have thought that he would only rely on 20,000 or 30,000 soldiers and horses to complete the cutting and encirclement of 100,000 troops, which is my fault."

Those in higher positions generally make mistakes and do not admit their mistakes in order to maintain their majesty.

Out of appreciation for Guan Yu, Cao Cao couldn't help but make a self-examination, and the ministers on the side of the couch looked at each other.

Seeing that the ministers didn't speak, Cao Cao took the initiative to ask Cai Mao a question:

"Zixiao has been out of the army for a month or two, right? Liu Bei really didn't send troops from Guanzhong to help? ”

"It doesn't seem to be."

Cai Mao, as the chief general of the waterway, would send someone to Cao Ren every few days to report the situation, and he had never heard of reinforcements coming from Guanzhong.

"Liu Bei and Yun Chang are brothers and sisters, is he so determined to die or not? Or are you sure that Yun Chang can block it? There's something strange about this big-eared thief."

Cao Cao was talking to himself, but in the middle of his words, he looked at Xun Yu, Xun Yu and other advisers, and then asked meaningfully: "Why don't you say a word?" Is it only Feng Xiao who can share my worries? ”

Xun You saw that Cao Cao had something to say, glanced at Xun Yu and was about to speak, but Cao Cao's gaze finally fell on Jia Xu.

"Wen He often has high opinions, you can analyze the reasons."

"Yui."

Jia Xu in 'Touching the Fish' was named, and hurriedly accosted each other and said: "In my humble opinion, Liu Bei retreated from the enemy of the Quartet last year, and unexpectedly took the land of Hanzhong, perhaps he was pursuing Liangzhou with victory, so he was unable to send troops to reinforce Jingzhou."

After Liu Bei crossed the Guanzhong, it was difficult for the news of Liangzhou to reach the Central Plains, and Zhuge Liang was worried that Cao Cao would send troops to harass him, and this time he was even more strictly guarded at various intersections.

The impression of the civil and military officials of Xu Du on the northwest is still stuck in the fact that Liu Bei attacked Hanzhong a year ago.

"Wen He's views are in line with mine."

Cao Cao deliberately praised Jia Xu, as if he was showing off to Erxun, then turned his head to look at Xun Yu, and said: "Wen Ruo is Wang Zuo Gaoshi, you should know that the battlefield is changing rapidly, not that I am in a hurry to go to Jingzhou, it is Liu Bei who keeps sitting big;

If he really takes the land of Liangzhou, he can't concentrate on taking Jingzhou, so the time limit you give can't wait, at most two more months, and the army must be drawn in the first month of next year. ”

"Two months, too."

Xun Yu looked embarrassed, and it was difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice.

Cao Cao knew the difficulty of preparing for the military quartermaster, and was worried that Xun Yu would lie flat and pick a child, so he added softly:

"It is indeed difficult to rely on the Central Plains alone, and I will ask Cui Jiqi (Cui Yan) to also raise food and winter clothes from Jizhou."

"Grain, grass, winter clothes and other materials are only one of them, if the army must be pulled out in the first month of next year, hundreds of thousands of troops have to recruit millions of people, next year's spring ploughing will inevitably be delayed, it is estimated that hundreds of people will be displaced, maybe it will provoke many popular uprisings."

When Xun Yu complained, Cao Cao switched from a pleasant face to a cold expression.

"Sooner or later, the people will be requisitioned, now it is only slightly ahead, in addition, there are civil uprisings in various parts of the Central Plains every year, and if something really happens, it will be solved, Cao Someone never looks forward or backward in doing things, and this matter is so decided;

With Lao Wenruo's quick preparation, although the hundreds of thousands of troops will not set off immediately, Zixiao can't afford to wait in Fancheng, and I will send two additional troops to support, not only to relieve the siege of Fancheng, but also to force Liu Bei out of Guanzhong. ”

Seeing that Cao Cao said so solemnly, and promised that Hebei would also provide military supplies, Xun Yu could only agree to come down.

After explaining the most important thing, Cao Cao covered his head and motioned for everyone to leave.

When everyone saluted and said goodbye, he caught a glimpse of Cai Mao's reluctant look, and Cao Cao knew that it was inconvenient for him to say something in front of everyone, so he motioned to the chamberlain to leave him in the dormitory.

After a while, the ministers left.

Cao Cao looked at Cai Mao curiously and asked, "I look at De Jue's expression, it seems that there is something to say?" ”

"Hmm"

Cai Mao hugged his fists and bowed, then took Jiang Qin away from Xiangyang, captured Lu Meng with his own tricks, and went back and forth to Xu Du, and reported to Cao Cao in a low voice.

Cao Cao had heard of the fall of Xiangyang, but he didn't know that it was Sun Quan's general, and he was even more surprised that Lu Meng, as Sun Quan's governor, was captured by Cai Mao so easily.

Thinking of Zhou Yu before, Cao Cao said that he would compare him with Lu Meng and make a judgment.

(End of chapter)