Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3227 A place surrounded on all sides

The news that Zai Chaoge had been exposed by Wei Yan spread quickly, making many people in the Jizhou noble family unable to close their jaws.

Many of them still remember that when Taishi Ci was stirring up trouble in Jizhou, there was a sense of panic everywhere. Why did it happen again this time?

What about the front line?

What about the alarm?

Where's the smoke?

Why is there nothing?

Where did these hussars come from?

Everyone wants to know, but the information available to everyone is sparse.

Even if a large number of scouts are dispatched, the scouts can only determine the situation at a certain moment and cannot make accurate predictions about the past and future. The information collected by these scouts still has to be processed and deduced by counselors.

Cao Cao is far away in Hedong. It is naturally impossible to report to Cao Cao and come back to deal with the emergency incident in Chaoge. Then the day lily will really be cold.

As for Cao Pi, he really wanted to take on this responsibility, but he found...

The problem was not as simple as he thought.

"Where did the hussars and horses come from?" 』

Cao Pi sat in the top position, keeping his face as straight as possible, imagining that he would have the same tone, demeanor and manner as his father, Cao Cao, and ask questions in a deep voice.

There was silence.

Cui Yan frowned and stroked his beard, Chen Qun was thoughtful, Chen Lin remained silent, and Xin Ping lowered his head in silence.

Some other minor officials shrank their heads even more, wishing they could hide in the cracks in the shadows.

Cui Yan didn't speak, Chen Qun didn't speak, and Chen Lin, whose status was relatively inferior, certainly couldn't say anything first. Moreover, Chen Lin felt that the scene in front of her overlapped with some situations in her previous memory. It made him feel a little dazed, as if He Jin, the great general back then...

Chen Lin couldn't help but shook her head, trying to throw away the not so good memories in her mind. However, she didn't expect that his actions were seen by Cao Pi, who was above him, and asked directly: "What do you think of Kong Zhang?" ? 』

Cao Pi was also anxious now. Although he tried his best to imitate, he simply couldn't do it as easily as his father Cao Cao did, so his questions were so straightforward.

Chen Lin was stunned for a moment, and then she saw Cui Yan's gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her head and said, "My lord, I think we need to send more scouts to investigate clearly, so that... we can have a plan to deal with it." ...』

When he was questioned by General He Jin, Chen Lin could remain silent. Because Chen Lin was a celebrity at that time, and Cui Yan and Chen Qun were not well-known at that time. However, as time went by, after Chen Lin was captured by Cao Cao, Chen Lin became a slave of the three families, and she had the aura of a celebrity. If you leave, you will naturally not be able to get any special treatment.

After hearing Chen Lin's words, Cao Pi felt a wave of bad breath welling up. He wanted to slam the table and curse, but when he saw Chen Lin's white-haired head with sparse hair, he took a breath and endured it. No matter what, Cao Cao could endure it, why couldn't Cao Pi?

Cao Pi glanced at Cui Yan.

Cui Yan was still stroking his beard calmly, just like his few... Well, Cui Yan's long beard is indeed beautiful, but is now the time to stroke his beard?

Eight wild deer!

Cao Pi cursed in his heart, but still smiled on the surface, "May I ask what Ji Gui has to do?" 』

Cui Yan handed over his hand with a respectful attitude, but he was sneering in his heart...

Although at present, due to Fei Qian's influence, the process of Cao Cao's acquisition of Jizhou is not as long as in history, it does not mean that Cao Cao has completely controlled Jizhou.

Historically, it took Cao Cao seven years to swallow the entire land of Hebei.

And because Fei Qian took control of Shangdang Taiyuan earlier, the original battle of Cao Cao's attack on Bingzhou no longer existed, and the same battle of Cao Cao's march into Youbei to attack Wuhuan also no longer existed.

For Cao Cao, this may be a good thing as he doesn't have to fight a time-consuming war, but it is also a bad thing.

After all, Cao Cao lost the opportunity to temper Jizhou's troops and win over people's hearts with victory...

Most people like to win. Just like in history, Liu Bei relied on others in Jingzhou, but after defeating Xiahou Dun in one day, he immediately attracted the attention of Zhuge Liang and others. If Liu Bei had not set the fire, he would not have been able to defeat Cao Jun, then Liu Bei would have no chance to contact Jingzhou's capital circle.

So as of now, Cao Cao's control over Jizhou, Yuzhou and other places is not as stable as some people imagine. The reason why it can be maintained in a delicate balance is that Cao Cao is holding a big Han Prime Minister on his head. It is endorsed by Liu Xiaoxiao, which represents three to four hundred years of traditional customs. The other is the Xiahou clan of Cao Cao's subordinates, who controls the military power of the Zhongling Army and the Zhonghu Army. It is any Jizhou, Yuzhou, or other A force that a single local gentry in Hebei and Henan could not contend with.

Under such circumstances, Cao Cao is more like the general manager of the shaky head office of Dahan. He has certain human rights and financial rights. He can replace the managers of his branches with a single edict, but that's about it. That's it, he doesn't care or control the people below him.

Therefore, both Cao Cao and Cao Pi actually knew that Cui Yan was not 100% loyal. Not only Cui Yan, but also many people were not absolutely loyal to Cao's political group, but were only relative collaborators with interests. But neither Cao Cao nor Cao Pi can actually say that they have complete control over people like Cui Yan.

When Cui Yan saw Cao Pi asking, he slowly raised his hand, bowed it in greeting, coughed, but did not speak immediately, thinking in his heart...

This time, it is indeed a crisis, but it cannot be said to be an opportunity!

The sudden attack by the hussar soldiers not only made Cao Pi panic and made Chen Lin think about it, but also caused Cui Yan to have some associations in his mind... Ahem, let alone the loyalty of the whole family, Cui Yan now thinks The matter was definitely not for the Cao family, but for himself and his family's future.

When Yuan Shaoxiong was in Hebei, Cui Yan was just a lackey, standing in the audience as an official.

At that time, under Yuan Shao, it could be said that there were stars shining like Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Feng Ji, Shen Pei, Guo Tu, Dong Zhao, Chen Lin, Xu You, Xin Ping, and even Guo Jia and Xun Yu once belonged to Under Yuan's tent, where is the chance for Cui Yan to raise his hand and speak?

If Cui Yan hadn't seized the opportunity when Cao Cao wanted to win over the Jizhou nobles and sold Cao Cao a character at the right time, Cui Yan wouldn't have his current status. But the problem is that Cui Yan's current status and strength are not even as good as those of Jushou who was under Yuan Shao, but what will be the fate of Jushou?

Jushou was the number one among the Jizhou guys before.

As early as Han Fu's period, he was not only a Jizhou Biejia, but also different from the nominal Jingzhou Biejia. At that time, Jushu was worshiped as the Cavalry Commander by Han Fu. It can be said that he was a well-known Jizhou with both fame, power and military power. Second in command!

A counselor with independent military power is quite rare among the top counselors of the Three Kingdoms!

After Han Fu surrendered to Jizhou, Jushou and others also followed Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao asked Jushou about his plan, and Jushou said, "To the north of the Hengda River, in the land that unites the four states, gather heroes, support millions of people, welcome the great emperor to Chang'an, restore the ancestral temple in Luoyi, and command the world to punish those who fail to obey." Who can resist this fight? 』

Yuan Shao did obey, but only half of it. However, Yuan Shao still recognized Ju Shou's ability and made him the supervisor of the army. Even when Xun Yu was commenting on Yuan Shao's counselors, he intentionally left out Ju Shou. It's not that Xun Yu was a bad guy, but that Ju Shou was so strong that even Xun Yu couldn't find any weaknesses in him to ridicule...

Unexpectedly, Yuan Shao cut off his hands and feet. In order to check the Jizhou guys, he deprived Ju Shou of his military power and gave it to Chunyu Qiong from Yuan Cong and Guo Tu from Yingchuan County.

You must know that after Jushu's death, he actually represents not only Jushu himself, but also a large number of local Hebei generals in Jizhou. After Jushou was deprived of military power and the rise of the Yuzhou gang, one can imagine the shock, frustration and fear of the Hebei generals. Know. Under such circumstances, the combat effectiveness of the entire political group in Jizhou was naturally weakened, and it seemed inevitable that it would not be able to withstand Taishi Ci's surprise attack.

And now, can Jizhou be able to prevent Qiusi's second interference?

Cui Yan had the answer in his mind, but he didn't dare to say it.

Because the outspoken Jushou before had died quietly and inexplicably in Youbei.

Some ignorant children of the Jizhou gentry are still asking where Jushu has gone, why there is no news, and whether there are no people alive or dead...

Actually, do you still need to ask? Yuan Shao didn't trust Jushu, who had a strong military base, but Cao Cao, who held military power more tightly than Yuan Shao, would be confident and bold in using Jushu?

After learning about Ju Shou's death, although Cui Yan remained calm and behaved the same as usual, a warning bell had actually sounded in his heart.

He is in a high position now. It doesn't really mean how much Cao Cao trusts him, likes him, and values ​​him...

Just like back then, wasn't Yuan Shao very respectful to Ju Shou?

But what happened next?

When Yuan Shao felt that he could do it, he kicked Ju Shou away. So when did Cao Cao feel that he could do it too?

Obviously, Cui Yan, who has learned from past mistakes, can draw a conclusion. After Cao Cao wins this war, it may be the best time to kick Cui Yan and others away.

Compared with Cao Cao in history, Mr. Cao now lacks two major victories in Bingzhou and Wuhuan, so he is not very confident in speaking.

Therefore, from a certain perspective, what Cui Yan hopes is definitely not that Lao Cao wins, but that he and Fei Qian remain in a relatively stalemate, which is more in line with Cui Yan's personal and family interests.

The early unification of the Han Dynasty will definitely be beneficial to the Han people all over the world, but for compradors like Cui Yan in Guanzhong, it will do more harm than good.

That's right, Cui Yan is the comprador of Guanzhong.

Not only Cui Yan, but also many nobles from Jizhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou.

Who said that the things in Shandong are not as good as those in Guanzhong?

Although Lao Cao issued a decree to reduce and restrict the flow of goods from Guanzhong into the Shandong market, Cui and other compradors can also purchase items from Guanzhong, assemble them with parts, or remove the Guanzhong logo. Naturally You can treat it as your own product, and then claim that "Jizhou innovation leads the trend of the Han Dynasty"...

Anyway, as long as the children of the Shandong gentry are willing to pay the bill, compradors like Cui will naturally make a lot of money.

“Sir, this time the bandits come, it’s different from the past. Although it is not certain whether it is really a horse and horse, it cannot be ignored. ” Cui Yan said slowly, as if every word he said was weighed repeatedly, “However, there is no need to panic, young master. The thieves came from afar, and although they violated the situation, they were at the end of a powerful crossbow. Now that the prime minister is fighting in Guanzhong, it is a critical moment. It is absolutely forbidden to divert troops and horses to turn around and endanger the food roads. Therefore, I think that Changshan, Anping, Qinghe, Hejian, Zhongshan, Zhaojun and other places should be ordered to conduct strict investigations. In the local area, soldiers and armor are on alert to cope with unforeseen changes, and soldiers from Yuzhou are mobilized to suppress the rebellion... This is a way to stabilize the situation within and eliminate it from the outside. 』

Cao Pi's eyes narrowed slightly.

Chen Qun, who was on the side, narrowed his eyes and said, "Mr. Cui!" How can the soldiers of Yuzhou save fire from afar? 』

"oh? If the minister is not skilled in military affairs, he cannot share the worries of the young master..." Cui Yan said softly, "Since Chen Shijun has a perfect plan, why not go out on the battlefield for the young master and defeat the thieves in the wild? 』

"you! ” Chen Qun raised his eyebrows.

Cui Yan smiled slightly.

The two of them exchanged just a few words, and there was a flash of sword and shadow.

Different from the nonsense Chen Lin said, Cui Yan did provide an "effective" strategy, but the key point of interest in this strategy was not Cao Cao, but Jizhou.

Before Cao Pi could figure it out, Chen Qun had already realized that this was Cui Yan's strategy to divert trouble, and immediately refuted it. After all, Chen Qun's butt was in Yuzhou.

But Cui Yan immediately returned the blow to Chen Qun, and even more viciously...

"Snapped! 』

Cao Pi slapped the table.

Cui Yan and Chen Qun were fighting openly and secretly before, and Cao Pi felt quite happy. After all, only when two people fight can the importance of Cao Pi's mediation be shown. But now that the two people continue to fight, Cao Pi really can't stand it, but the problem is They have been fighting before, will they immediately cooperate sincerely because of Wei Yan's attack this time?

Are you kidding me?

Although Cui Yan and Chen Qun immediately admitted their mistakes on the surface, in fact they were just paying lip service and remained unyielding. Jizhou wanted Yuzhou to make some efforts, and Yuzhou wanted Jizhou to suffer even more. In any case, their own interests were the most important. Otherwise, how will I explain it to the major shareholder Big Capital later?

"Nakaji!" ” Cao Pi named Xin Ping, who had been silent all the time, and asked, “What do you think? 』

Xin Ping didn't want to get involved in this kind of trouble at all, so he always tried to attract no attention as much as possible. But now that he was called out by Cao Pi, he couldn't pretend to be an old fool like Chen Lin, so he could only bite the bullet and said: " Young Master...I have always lived in Youzhou and just returned to Yecheng. I don't know the geography of the mountains and rivers, so I dare not speak nonsense...However, this hussar has always been full of tricks. If there are only thieves here, whether it is with the power of Jizhou or with the All the soldiers in Yuzhou can be defeated, but if Youbei also moves... Therefore, I think that where Zi and the general are, they should strictly guard against the hussars and Mobei cavalry going south..."

"hiss……"

As soon as Xin Ping said this, everyone present changed their expressions.

Facing Wei Yan's sneak attack, I am definitely nervous, but if I am afraid, I am naturally more afraid that if the Youzhou defense line collapses and the Mobei cavalry goes from the north to the south and attacks Hebei, then it will be really...

Just imagining it like this made Cao Pi's hands tremble, "Yes!" What Zhongzhi said is true! 』

Some people may have thought that Cao Cao's cavalry could compete with the hussars before, but after Cao Chun's defeat in the Mobei battle, not only Cao Chun himself was frustrated, but also people inside had a certain fear of the hussars. Especially now, if Zhao Yun from Youbei rushes out to disrupt the situation again, then it is really...

Although Youzhou Cao Chun still retains part of his troops and the overall defense line is still complete, what if? Just like who would have thought that Wei Yan could actually break through the Taihang Mountains and reach the land of Jizhou? Before Wei Yan appeared, weren't there people who said that the land of Jizhou was infallible?

Thinking of this, Cao Pi once again resorted to the method he wanted and wanted, patted the table and said: "Youzhou cannot be lost!" Jizhou cannot be defeated! Now that the soldiers on the front line are bleeding, how can we be safe? ! Zhongzhi! 』

Cao Pi called his name.

Xin Ping quickly lowered his head and handed over his hands.

"I order you to return to Youzhou immediately, and guard Youbei with General Zihe. You must not let the soldiers from Mobei go even half a step south!" 』

Xin Ping took the order. Although he had just returned and had to travel again, Xin Ping still felt that Youzhou was more comfortable than messing around in the Shura fields of Jizhou guys and Yuzhou guys.

Maybe it's more "safe"...

Cao Pi looked at Chen Lin again and said, "If you want to build a war, money and food come first." Since thieves have committed crimes in Jibei, they must be eliminated, and the matter of logistics, food and payment is left to Kong Zhang..."

Although it is said that Chen Lin is old and will mess around when things happen, he is still qualified to be in charge of money and food bags. At least his seniority is there, and no one will deliberately trouble Chen Lin.

Chen Lin naturally accepted the order and didn't mention it.

Cao Pi finally looked at Cui Yan and Chen Qun, and felt that his head was throbbing like classmate Cao.

He understood why classmate Lao Cao deliberately left Cui Yan and Chen Qun in Yecheng, and also knew the meaning of the advice his mother, Mrs. Bian, gave him.

Cui Yan, Chen Qun, Chen Lin, Xin Ping and others are all talents, just like horses with their own ideas and temperaments. Only by taming these horses and tying them to the chariot can the Cao chariot run faster.

If Cao Pi couldn't conquer Cui Yan and Chen Qun, how could he conquer so many talents under Cao Cao?

"Long article!" ” Cao Pi said in a deep voice, “Immediately deploy soldiers and horses from Jizhou prefectures and counties, and set up a boundary in Anyang, south of Yecheng, to prevent the rebels from invading and causing internal chaos! 』

Chen Qun happily accepted the order. It's just defense, not letting him actually go into battle to destroy Wei Yan, so there's no problem.

Seeing that Cui Yan on the side seemed to have something to say, Cao Pi did not wait for Cui Yan to speak, but directly ordered again, "Ji Gui quickly goes to Yuzhou, mobilizes Yuzhou troops and horses, and leads the troops with Ren Zhonglang!" In this way, with Changwen in the north, Jigui in the south, cooperation between the north and the south, Taihang in the east, and Daze in the west, we will definitely be able to strangle this beast in Chaoge! 』