"General Cao, I haven't seen you for a long time, but the demeanor is still the same, the slave has given you a salute!"

In the lobby of the pre-office of the county hall.

A man dressed as a eunuch was bowing to Cao Ang at this moment, holding a brocade silk document engraved with gorgeous patterns in his hand, and his mouth was even more humble, and his appearance looked quite respectful.

"Haha, Zhang Siren, please get up quickly, you and I are old acquaintances, why bother to see each other like this!"

The one who came was the angel who came all the way from Chang'an.

I don't know if it was a coincidence, or if the Chang'an Imperial Court deliberately arranged it, and this time it was responsible for reading the appointment edict for Cao Ang.

is still an unknown eunuch surnamed Zhang.

Previously, Cao Ang was appointed as the Taishou of Dongjun, and later was given the title of Marquis of Wei, and the two times who came to read the edict were all from the Zhang Temple in front of him.

That's why Cao Ang said "old acquaintance".

After the eunuch surnamed Zhang got up according to the words, he smiled and handed the silk book in his hand to Cao Ang with both hands, and at the same time congratulated him again and again.

"Since the general took office as the Taishou of Dongjun, he has made outstanding contributions to cleaning up bandits, exterminating the rebellious party, and guarding the stability under his rule and the peaceful residence of the people."

"Therefore, the Son of Heaven specially ordered to read the edict, worship the general as the pastor of Yuzhou, lead the authority of the state pastor, and oversee the affairs of Yuzhou."

"Congratulations to the general, Ling Zun is now the pastor of Yanzhou, you are the pastor of Yuzhou, and the Cao family is a master of two states, which can be described as a good story in the history books!"

Listen to this flattering word.

Cao Ang's face was silent.

I really laughed in my heart.

Let's put aside this good story.

Now that the discipline of the imperial court is lax, the law is corrupt, and Dong Zhuo has no scruples, so he can make this kind of famous hall of one and two state pastors.

Changed to any other period.

This is impossible.

The leaders of the two adjacent states are from the same family, and they are also father and son, and if the court is more stable, they have to shout and kill this as a thief.

Of course.

Cao Ang doesn't care about any of that now.

At present, the Cao family is still in the process of frantically accumulating strength, waiting for quantitative change to transform into qualitative change.

If someone is really dissatisfied with their two state pastors, I am afraid that neither Cao Cao nor Cao Ang will be in this position.

Moreover, even if there are people behind the scenes.

Cao Ang can also push four, five or six and push all the things on Dong Zhuo.

Dong Thief went against the grain and deliberately operated against the sky to sow discord, isn't this a reasonable and very human-like thing?

We were just forced to be promoted and served as the pastor of Yuzhou.

If you want to be unconvinced, look for Dong Zhuo, don't look for me!

……

took the document handed by the eunuch, took a cursory look at the contents on it, and confirmed that it was correct.

Cao Ang just handed it back.

Then he said with a smile: "As before, I'm afraid that I will have to bother the people of Zhang Temple next, go south with me, and after arriving in Yuzhou, I will read out the appointment in public, so that it can be justified." ”

In the face of Cao Ang's request.

The eunuch did not hesitate in the slightest.

Without saying a word, he arched his hand and said: "The general commands, how can the slave and maid not obey, when you leave, just inform me!" ”

Speaking of which.

He also dusted off his clothes by the way.

Then he smiled at Cao Ang and said, "Actually, it's not much of the trouble, running between these places is a chore for others, but for me, it's enjoyable." ”

"If you hadn't been able to get an errand to come to the general to announce your order in Xiangguo, how could the slave and maid go all the way?"

"Look, every time you come to the general, after you go back, the clothes on the slave and maid have to be changed, which is really a beautiful thing!"

These words immediately amused Cao Ang.

However, this surnamed Zhang, although there are many sloppy slaps in his words, he is actually telling the truth.

There are only a handful of people who know the secret agreement between himself and Dong Zhuo, and those who shoulder the mission of correspondence are naturally the more trusted and easy to use the people who know each other.

Every time this guy runs.

In Dong Zhuona's trustworthiness, he has increased a few points, and his official position in the palace is naturally all the way up, and his clothes have become more and more noble.

……

I didn't pay much attention to it.

Cao Ang just suddenly remembered something, and then asked casually: "The temple people set off from Chang'an, did they encounter something along the way, and how did they arrive in Puyang County until today?" ”

The eunuch surnamed Zhang paused for a moment.

Then he replied a little blankly: "General Huiyu, I have never delayed on this way, and there is no one who is not open-eyed, daring to obstruct the ranks of the imperial court, and the whole process can be described as extremely smooth." ”

"Don't hide it from the general, before leaving this time, the slave maid also saw the big man above, saying that you are waiting for this document in a hurry."

"So the slaves and maids came on fast horses all the way, and they didn't dare to delay the slightest!"

Hearing this, Cao Ang nodded slightly.

If that's the case, then the thing really can't be blamed on the guy in front of him, after all, people used to come by carriage, and now they come directly on horseback, such a change is already very face-saving.

This proves a point.

The source of the time delay is not in the process, but in the city of Chang'an.

Come to think of it.

Cao Ang immediately said to the eunuch: "The temple people have come from afar, and they must have been extremely tired all the way, so you might as well go and rest with the people in the house!" ”

…………

After the eunuch said goodbye and left.

Cao Ang waited in place for a while.

It's not too late.

A middle-aged man dressed in linen clothes and dressed as an ordinary person quietly came to meet him.

Cao Ang first ordered the people on the left and right to withdraw, and then ordered the doors and windows to be closed, and the secrecy was adjusted to the highest before inviting the person to sit down.

"Captain Wudu, it's really hard for you to go back and forth all the way!"

Hearing Cao Ang take the initiative to speak.

The man surnamed Wu, who was called the captain, did not dare to slack off in the slightest, his tone was calm, and he saluted Cao Ang dryly: "Thank you for the general's concern, my subordinates are not hard!" ”

This person's surname is Wu Ming'an.

It is a confidant who belongs to Cao Cao, the father of Cao Ang, and he is also the person who secretly went to Chang'an this time and sent the letter written by Cao Ang to Dong Zhuo.

At present, Cao Cao has led his troops south.

Wu An naturally came to return to Cao Ang.

After a little reassurance.

Cao Ang didn't waste time, and directly threw away the doubts in his heart.

"Captain Wudu, this time you were ordered to go to Chang'an, but you rode alone and rode fast."

"And I asked just now, and when you returned to the group, there was no delay on the way."

"Even if Puyang County and Chang'an City are far apart, it stands to reason that it won't take such a long time, could it be that something happened?"

……

Since he is regarded as a cronie by Cao Cao.

Then this person naturally has his own merits.

After hearing Cao Ang's inquiry, Wu An didn't even think about it, and said when he gave his hand.

"General Huiyu, there is indeed something wrong, but this situation is not on the way to and fro, but in Chang'an, out of Dong Zhuo!"

As soon as this statement came out.

Cao Ang suddenly frowned.

After squinting his eyes slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, his expression quickly softened again.

"Tell me about it!"

Wu An nodded, and then took a few steps forward to tell the story of what happened after arriving in Chang'an.

"The subordinates set off from Puyang County, galloped all the way, without the slightest delay on the road, and arrived in Chang'an City in the shortest possible time."

"After arriving in Chang'an City, my subordinates found the general in the city, Lu Bu Lu Fengxian, according to the instructions of you and the prince, and took out the identity token you gave me, and successfully won the trust of General Lu."

"It's just that when I explained my intention and wanted to go through General Lu and then enter the palace to secretly ask to see Dong Zhuo, this step went wrong."

"How can I say it, could it be that Lu Bu rejected this matter and was unwilling to pass it on his behalf?"

Cao Ang couldn't help but make a mistake.

After all, if this matter is really Lu Bu's obstruction and some tricks, then many of his next strategic arrangements will be changed because of this.

You can't pay attention to it if you don't want to.

……

But fortunately, Wu An's next answer eliminated this worry for Cao Ang.

"General Lu did not have any intention of shirking, but after learning that it was your meaning, he was very excited, and agreed with his mouth, and he entered the palace that afternoon and went to pass on the matter on his behalf."

"The problem is Dong Zhuo himself, after the news was sent to the palace, Dong Zhuo didn't respond for a long time, as if he had completely forgotten about it."

"The subordinates waited for many days, during which General Lu also entered the palace many times, and then General Fengxian was really impatient to wait, and found Li Ru and Li Wenyou, the head of Dong Zhuo and the head of Wenchen."

"The two of them took me out of the city, all the way to the west of Chang'an City, and came to a place, where I saw Dong Zhuo below, and soon got a letter of appointment from Dong Zhuo to the general."

The more Wu An said, the tighter Cao Ang's brows wrinkled, and after he finished narrating, a trace of inexplicability flashed in Cao Ang's eyes.

In the slightly narrowed eyes, there was a faint hint of coldness, which was quite dangerous.

Dong Zhuo...... What is he trying to do?

Why do you want to drag on this matter and refuse to respond?

If this guy senses that something is wrong on his side, he can see that he Cao Ang has been fooling around, and he has been pitting the resources of Chang'an.

Then it should be completely cut off.

Why did Lu Bu and Li Ru enter the palace together, and Dong Zhuo successfully sent things down?

Or is this big black fat man just trying to beat himself in this way and give him a little warning?

People are not in Chang'an City.

It was difficult for Cao Ang to determine what had happened.

But if you look at it on the surface, I'm afraid the situation is not good.

This faint sense of foreboding is showing Dong Zhuo that the biggest chess piece in Cao Ang's hand is likely to be on the verge of getting out of control.

If that's the case.

Then the position of Yuzhou pastor obtained this time is likely to be the last time Cao Ang stretched out his hand, from Dong Zhuo, from the Chang'an court to ask for resources.

……

There was a rush of thoughts in my head.

Soon, the key information in Wu'an's words was extracted, that is, out of the west of Chang'an City.

With some doubts, Cao Ang continued to ask: "Captain Wudu, what kind of reaction did this Dong Zhuo have when he met you?" ”

"Out of the west of Chang'an City, how far have you walked, and what is the name of the place where you saw Dong Zhuo?"

"At the time of the meeting, apart from you and him, as well as Lu Bu and Li Ru, were there any other people present?"

Cao Ang has to rely on these side feedback to judge what is wrong with Dong Zhuona.

And Wu An recalled it carefully.

He told Cao Ang very rigorously: "General Hui, if my subordinates are not mistaken, this Dong Zhuo was smiling all the way when he met with me, and he did not show any dissatisfaction. ”

"Even after he received your letter from the general, he was quite happy and asked his subordinates to greet you on his behalf."

"In addition, the subordinates and General Lu went out of the west of Chang'an City and traveled for more than 200 miles all the way to a place called Long Live Dock, and Dong Zhuo was in it at that time."

"As for the words of others, my subordinates have not seen it, except for the concubine who served Dong Zhuo in the dock fort, no one is on the side."

Cao Ang: "......"

I see.

Cao Ang now understands it.

The problem is indeed Dong Zhuo, but it is not that Dong Zhuo's attitude towards himself has changed, but that Dong Zhuo himself has made a mistake.

……

Long live the dock, in fact, is the dock.

It was Dong Zhuo's old boy who built a place for fun, of course, it was not just for fun, and there was a lot of food and money in it.

It is the place where Dong Zhuo's resources are gathered.

Cao Ang can now conclude one thing.

That is, Lu Bu entered the palace several times, but in fact, he had never seen Dong Zhuo, and he was in the dock at that time.

Presumably, Dong Zhuo had instructed the people under his hand not to go to Yiwu to find him at will, so Lu Bu could only enter the palace first and ask someone to convey it on his behalf, and another procedure needed to be passed in the middle.

And Dong Zhuo is in his own comfort nest, playing some tricks of the wine pond and meat forest, where will he have time, he will be busy with this matter.

Most of the people behind him were Li Ru, and Lu Bu went together, this weight was heavy enough, and Dong Zhuo took the time to show his face.

Think about it here.

Cao Ang couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

This big black fat man doesn't have any opinions about himself, but he himself has completely transformed into a state of decadence and entered a comprehensive conservative stage.

This point was still slowly swallowed after he got the news from the Kanto side, and he did not react.

As well as building a nest, and frantically hoarding resources in it, gathering women, you can clearly see it.

Such a situation arises.

In fact, Dong Zhuo's chess piece is also wasted.

Although the personal relationship between the two is still very strong, Dong Zhuo, who has transformed into a decadent and conservative state, has lost his heart for the Central Plains.

This means that if Cao Ang has any other demands in the future, Dong Zhuo will not be able to respond as positively as before, and this time may be the last time.

……

There was a moment of silence in the hall.

Cao Ang was holding a pen at the moment, writing something on the blank bamboo slips, as if he wanted to record something.

After all this.

He put down his pen and paper, and then asked a question that didn't seem to be related to the matter.

"Captain Wudu, you must have seen a lot along the way to Chang'an, can you describe it to me, after you arrive in Chang'an."

"What is the situation in Chang'an and the surrounding areas?"

Wu An was slightly stunned.

But it didn't take long to react.

This time, he didn't even have a memory, he had already shook his head with embarrassment and emotion.

"General, my subordinates can only be described in one tragic word, the area around Chang'an is really miserable!"

After a sigh.

Before Cao Ang could continue to ask.

Wu An already showed a wry smile on his face, and the compassion in his eyes flashed, and then took the initiative to state.

"In the eyes of his subordinates, the situation in Chang'an is not much better than Luoyang at the beginning, and even because Dong Zhuo's Xiliang Army has been entrenched in Chang'an for a long time, its situation is still too miserable!"

"Not to mention Chang'an, even the entire Guanzhong area, at this moment has been rotten, the people's lives are miserable, hungry, unclothed, displaced, I don't know how many people starved to death by the road."

"On the way to the next road, I am really used to seeing the bones, and I am a little numb, and there are even those who froze to death on the side of the road last winter and are still lying there."

……

Listening to Wu An's report.

Cao Ang's right hand, which was hidden under the table, couldn't help but tremble slightly, and his face was visibly ugly.

There was silence for a long time.

He then asked, "What else do you see and what do you know?" ”

Wu An may have hidden his words.

Therefore, as soon as Cao Ang asked here, he said urgently without hesitation.

"Seeing such a tragic scene on the way, after arriving in Chang'an City, in the days when I was waiting for Dong Zhuo to meet him, I couldn't help but inquire around, and I really got some news."

"The reason why the Guanzhong area is so tragic is that in addition to Dong Zhuo's indulgence of the Xiliang army under his command, wanton burning, killing and looting, and doing all the evil things that can be done."

"A particularly important point is that Dong Zhuo forcibly passed the large amount of money he privately minted on the territory under his control, and one money can be worth five baht, dozens or even hundreds!"

As he spoke.

Wu An fumbled in his arms for a while.

Then he pulled out a couple of so-called "big coins".

After Cao Ang stretched out his hand to take it, he put it in his palm and observed it for a while, this kind of big money, the appearance looks extremely rough, and it is a shoddy thing that can be seen at a glance.

I weighed it twice with my hand, and it was also light and fluttering, and the weight of a single piece would not be heavier than five baht coins.

Break it with your hand again.

"Smack!"

A crisp sound.

The so-called big money was suddenly broken in half, revealing the core like chaff.

……

See this.

Cao Ang's complexion suddenly became cloudy.

This kind of private minting of big money is sucking blood in the open, and it is extremely ugly, sucking up the last drop of blood.

The most important reason why money can be used as a medium of exchange is that it has the characteristics of a general equivalent, which not only has value in itself, but also has national credit as a guarantee behind it.

And the batch of big money minted by Dong Zhuo is not only used as leftovers, but also broken and tattered when broken, and counterfeit and shoddy things that can be imitated with his eyes closed.

The key is to also enforce one piece through government decrees, which is equivalent to five baht and dozens or hundreds of pieces.

This belongs to the value of itself, and the credit of the country, and at the same time to do the worst, the worst!

The Xiliang army plundered the people, which was forcibly plundering wealth by force.

And to circulate this kind of big money is to use economic means to plunder wealth.

A two-pronged approach.

directly cut off the way of life for the people in Guanzhong!

This is also the fundamental reason why there are many tragic things in the Guanzhong area, and it is also the source of Dong Zhuo's ability to hoard so many materials in Hewu.

Hiss!

This big black fat man is such a special beast!

……

Cao Ang's thoughts were a little confused.

In his hand, he weighed the large amount of money that he had broken.

Just as he was sorting out his thoughts and was about to say something, Wu An's voice came from his ears again.

"General, there is another letter written by General Lu Bulu himself, and he said that I will send it to you, please take a look at it!"

As the voice fell.

Wu An handed over a sealed letter with both hands.

Hearing the word "Lu Bu", Cao Ang's eyes flickered for a moment, and then he moved quickly and used a knife to cut the fire paint on the letterbox.

A silk book immediately appeared in front of you.

"Brother Zi, I haven't seen you for a long time, I miss my brother very much, I heard that my brother is now above the clouds, and the foolish brother is very pleased, and I am embarrassed."

After a brief politeness at the beginning.

The letter instantly cut to the chase.

"The virtuous brother is far away in Yanzhou, I don't know if I can know about Chang'an, and now it has been called "big money" in the market, which is shoddy, but it can be worth five baht and one hundred dollars, and Dong Gong wants to collect the wealth in the customs. ”

"However, everything is from the bottom to the top, Brother Yu learned not long ago that now even the army has begun to use a lot of money, and many soldiers in the Xiliang headquarters are paid with a lot of money."

"Although it can be plundered by the army, but now that Guanzhong is in tatters, and the people are already suffering from a lot of money, how much surplus wealth can they have."

"Therefore, the army is full of complaints, people are panicked, and the Xiliang headquarters is already unstable!"

After a brief introduction to the difficult situation.

Lu Bu's letter changed his words.

Quickly cut to the real purpose.

"Between you and my brothers, there is no need to hide it, with all due respect to my brother, at the moment, Guanzhong is in chaos, and the Xiliang Army, which Dong Gong regards as the foundation, is in chaos."

"Chang'an can be said to be in danger, and if he takes refuge under Dong Gong for his brother, he will surely sink under the river with him, which is tantamount to seeking his own death."

"Therefore, I hope that the virtuous brother can point out a clear way, or I will abandon the official and go to Yanzhou to join the virtuous brother, or the virtuous brother will lead the king to come and solve the danger in the pass!"

"Foolish brother waits day and night for the response of the idle brother!"

……

After reading through the entire letter.

Cao Ang didn't make an expression on his face.

But I couldn't help laughing out loud in my heart.

This Lu Bu is really looking for opportunities!

I have to say that this Lu Feng saw it a little bit accurately, and he had an insight into Dong Zhuo's current situation at a glance.

When listening to Wu An's narration before, Cao Ang only felt that Guanzhong was completely abolished, but if Dong Zhuo continued to hold on, he could hold on for a while.

It shouldn't be difficult to do so in three years and five years.

But now listen to what Lu Bu said.

This confusion has already spread to the military.

And the army is Dong Zhuo's foundation, and if the army is in chaos, it means one thing, Dong Zhuo is going to be finished!

The army lives by robbery, and there will always be a day when the robbery is finished, and the lower-level soldiers begin to receive large amounts of money, which is no different from waste money.

The ferocious jackal, once there is no meat to feed, then it will start to eat back.

Even if Dong Zhuo hoarded more food and built a tall and deep fortress, if his own descendants took the lead in rebelling, how many lives could he have?

And Lu Bu obviously saw the problem.

felt that his future was worrisome, and if he continued to follow Dong Zhuo, he would sink together, and he would end up with a knife and axe, and his family would be ruined.

Therefore, he simply took the opportunity of Wu An to go to Chang'an and asked him to bring a letter back.

Not to mention.

Lu Bu's sense of smell is indeed keen.

And at the critical moment, he is willing to jump to the side, and he is unambiguous.

This has always been a unique trait.

……

"Huh!"

After shaking the silk book, Cao Ang looked at the last sentence of the letter again.

This is where the most important part of the whole article lies.

Lu Bu's attitude was clear.

"Brother, you show my brother a clear way, or I'll run away and follow you; Either you just bring someone over and serve Dong Zhuo in one pot, and our brothers will just go it alone and become bigger and stronger! ”

on this.

Cao Ang still has some scheming.

Let Lu Bu run over and mix with himself now, it is completely meaningless, it has no effect at all, and this Lu Fengxian has not been beaten in place.

Instead, let him stay in Chang'an City.

Wait for yourself to come with the heavenly soldiers.

At that time, he was ordered to act as an internal response, and under the combination of the inside and the outside, he instantly took Chang'an City.

This dude can explode into a huge effect.

So why not?

Come to think of it.

Cao Ang immediately picked up the pen and wrote a reply letter with a brush, preparing to stabilize Lu Bu.

……

But after writing a reply.

Cao Ang was also pondering one thing.

I'm going to speed up my pace!

At present, the Guanzhong area is a powder keg, and no one knows when the area centered on Chang'an will completely explode.

Dong Zhuo is now sitting on a powder keg.

He had to lead his troops all the way west to Chang'an before the powder keg was ignited and Dong Zhuo was blown to pieces.

We must rush this time node.

If it's late, it means that Dong Zhuo's resources can't be accepted, which is definitely an intolerable thing.

Including the money and food that Dong Zhuo hoarded, as well as the civil and military officials who were held hostage by him, and even the Liu Xie, who was not orthodox in Cao Ang.

These are very important resources.

Even after destroying Dong Zhuo's forces, how much the army under his command can absorb and transform depends on how fast Cao Ang's actions are.

A slow step is a slow step.

As long as he can smoothly take over Dong Zhuo's resources, he even needs to carve up a large part of it.

The strength of the Cao family will once again make a qualitative leap, and it will completely become the most powerful giant in the chess game of "the world".

How could you miss such an opportunity?

Of course.

At present, the most important thing is to take Yuzhou, and then clean up the surrounding corner forces, if the time comes, it is best for Qingzhou to fight first.

Do what you planned.

meddled in the affairs of Chang'an with a semi-complete body.

This is the safest thing to do.

If you act blindly and in a hurry, you will not be able to reap the benefits, but will fall on your heels.

Fast, but steady.

This is the main programme at this stage.

………………

Recommended commuter passes

(End of chapter)