Chapter 192: Laughing Out Loud
In Xudu, the weather is getting colder.

After Cao Cao withdrew his troops, he enjoyed a few rare days of peace and happiness with his family.

Unable to sit still, he went on a tour of the camps in the eastern suburbs. He sat upright in the carriage with the well-behaved and lovely Cao Chong in his arms.

Many ministers followed him on the trip, and Yang Biao was in the front row of the team, with no expression that showed his emotion.

Yang Biao's son Yang Xiu is currently Cao Cao's chief clerk and close follower.

Yang Xiu listened to the conversation between Cao Cao and Cao Chong in the car and couldn't help but grin.

The six-year-old Cao Chong had mature logic and spoke like a teenager. Cao Cao also spoke to Cao Chong in the tone of a little adult, and the friendship between father and son was very deep.

When the caravan passed by the Elephant Park, Cao Chong, who liked to watch elephants, suggested it, and Cao Cao immediately changed direction and entered the Elephant Park.

There are currently only three elephants in the elephant park, two of which were presented by the Western Regions in May, and one was presented by Sun Quan in August.

"Auntie, Third Brother said that the Jiangdong giant elephant is heavier than the two elephants in the Western Regions. Fourth Brother disagrees. Who do you think is right, Auntie?"

Cao Chong stood by the carriage, holding onto the railing and looking at the giant white elephant in Jiangdong. Cao Cao raised his hand and rubbed Cao Chong's head, "How can I know? What do your elder and second brothers say?"

"My second brother said that elephants would freeze to death in the winter, so it would be better to slaughter them and weigh the flesh and blood."

Cao Chong didn't even turn his head, but just stood on tiptoe to look at the elephants. The officials in charge of the elephant park were feeding the elephants steamed millet cakes mixed with finely chopped green hay.

The elephant ate happily, calling loudly from time to time.

Cao Cao asked again: "What did your elder brother say?"

"Big brother said he doesn't like to discuss this matter."

Cao Chong turned back and looked at Cao Cao eagerly: "Ah, is it possible to calculate their weight without killing the elephants?"

"Maybe, you need to figure it out yourself. If you think of it, I will give you a carriage and two horses."

Cao Cao was worried that Cao Chong would not like it, so he guided him by saying: "When the weather gets warmer, you can go out to play and take a ride to wherever you want."

Cao Chong listened and nodded repeatedly. Seeing Cao Chong's happy look, Cao Cao also laughed and was in a good mood.

When he was young, he was short and had a big head, and he didn't look very good, so no one in his family liked him.

There are many brothers in the family, and some of his half-brothers are more loved by their father than he is.

He was still able to fight when he was young, and as his half-brother grew older, he gradually became taller than Cao Cao and became more united, so Cao Cao could not defeat him even if he wanted to.

They had to change their strategy. After all, he was the legitimate son. The Cao and Ding families had been intermarrying for generations. With his mother, Ding, still around, he was betrothed to his cousin, Ding.

Therefore, Cao Cao's position could not be shaken, and his younger brothers, who were older, did not dare to confront him.

But later, his father and mother Ding gave birth to a younger brother for him, but this younger brother had a handsome face and a strong body.

So after Cao Cao was selected as a filial and honest official and took up official duties, he basically separated from his father.

By now, his love for Cao Chong was no longer just a father's love for his well-behaved little son.

He began to understand his parents a little.

There are so many children out there, and it is normal to find one that looks like you and loves the way you imagine.

What is owed to children during their youth cannot be compensated anymore and can only be compensated double to the children.

He accompanied Cao Chong to watch the elephants for a while, and then went to inspect the military camp.

After inspecting the camp, Cao Cao returned to his Sikong Mansion.

After taking off his slightly cumbersome official uniform, Cao Cao sat cross-legged by the fire and read various official documents.

Official documents from various aspects were of slightly lower importance, and he mainly read official documents from Guanzhong and Taiyuan.

The chief clerk Yang Xiu accompanied him and copied the important documents thrown by Cao Cao from time to time.

Cao Cao frowned tightly: "Wang Qian's son has given me a difficult problem. Cai Bojie is gone, but his collection of books has given Wei Duan a reason."

Does Wei Duan, a native of Duling and the governor of Liangzhou, dare to lead Liangzhou to turn against Black Bear?
He definitely wouldn't dare because the cost is too high. Black Bear could wipe out the Wei Duan clan with just a wave of his hand.

It's not just Wei Duan, but also Geng Ji, the court attendant and a native of Maoling. Although he was in the court, he really didn't dare to offend Black Bear.

Wei Duan had a high reputation in Liangzhou and was greatly supported by the people of Tianshui.

The cost of hastily replacing Wei Duan is too high. If it succeeds, it will be fine. If it fails, Wei Duan will hate him, and the people of Tianshui will become alienated from the court.

When Wang Can dug up Cai Yong's posthumous writings, Wei Duan and his two sons, who were both calligraphy enthusiasts, went to see them together. Wei Duan even brought a group of scholars from Liangzhou with him.

Needless to say, Cao Cao also knew that Liangzhou under Wei Duan's rule had become a vassal of Guanzhong, and Guanlong had become one. The strategy of attacking Guanzhong from both sides had failed before it even began.

Yang Xiu took up his pen and copied down the key information in the official documents. He was able to grasp Cao Cao's mentality and knew what was crucial and what was trivial.

In the past two years, he has served Cao Cao very well, and Cao Cao has gotten used to using him.

Although he knew that the affairs of Xizhou involved Yang Xiu, he was reluctant to replace him.

This change represents distrust. Yang Biao and his son Yang Xiu have great influence in Xizhou.

It would be bad if he ran away too.

As for killing Yang Biao and his son, Cao Cao had tried it before, and immediately drew a warning from Kong Rong.

Since he dared to kill people, Kong Rong dared to go into the mountains with his hair untied and become a savage, turning his Xudu court into a makeshift team.

So at this moment, Yang Xiu must be used.

Since you have enjoyed the benefits brought by the court, you must bear the complex relationships of the court. Cao Cao's good mood today has been ruined, and the integration of Guanzhong and Long is full of hidden dangers; Yuan Shang is in a desperate situation, and now he is allowing Black Bear to conquer the Xiongnu in Hedong and Taiyuan. When the war is over, won't these two counties also fall into Black Bear's hands?
By that time, the Taihang Mountains separated them.

Even if he successfully captured Liyang and besieged Yecheng, Yecheng and the satellite cities surrounding Yecheng would fight to the death.

Because their reinforcements can arrive at any time!
What’s even more terrifying is that reinforcements can really arrive at the critical moment.

Judging from Black Bear's own experience, the other party will definitely wait for the opportunity to use Yuan Shang's city to wear down his own spirit and vitality.

He was in such a bad mood that he picked up a report from Xiahou Dun, glanced at it, and then handed it to Yang Xiu weakly.

Yang Xiu took it silently, glanced at it, then picked up the pen and wrote "Zhang Baiqi of Hongnong surrendered to Gan Ning and stationed in Shanjin. The governor of Hongnong County, Linghu Shao, moved west to Hu County."

Yang Xiu was very clear about the terrain of Hongnong. This military intelligence meant that Linghu Shao had become a puppet. If he dared to resist Gan Ning, he would be immediately attacked by Gan Ning and Zhang Sheng.

The supplies that Linghu Shao had stored in Huayin in the early stage were robbed by Gan Ning, who almost emptied the city of Huayin; the supplies that had been stockpiled in Shaanxi and Tianjin must have fallen into Zhang Sheng's hands now.

These supplies were all borrowed from the wealthy families in Hongnong. After two consecutive losses, Linghu Shao's credibility has been destroyed, and it is difficult for him to raise supplies from the wealthy families in Hongnong again.

In other words, Linghu Shao was finished. He was just a nominal county magistrate and had lost his influence on the local area.

Unless Linghu Shao could stay in Hongnong and make compensation bit by bit, he could regain the trust of the people of Hongnong and restore his prestige.

Cao Cao continued to look through the official documents and finally saw a secret report.

The content was brief, with more than a hundred words, and mainly read, 'On the Xinyou day, the left wing pretended to surrender, but because the right wing refused to surrender, they made noise and rioted that night, and all of them were buried alive.'

Cao Cao looked through the secret report again and saw that it was sent by Sun Zi. The secret report had been passed through many hands and it was estimated that this happened eight days ago.

He handed this secret report to Yang Xiu: "How many Huns have been killed now?"

Yang Xiu took a deep look and memorized it, then he looked up at the roof, recalled various data, integrated and offset them: "In terms of heads alone, there are about 27,000 heads. The Shanyu Royal Court and the Zuobu Royal Court are almost destroyed."

"Three thousand cavalry entered Hedong and started this chaos for the daughter of Cai Boqi. In about a month, they beheaded 30,000 people."

Cao Cao laughed instead: "Should I be happy that he went to Hebei, then to Jingzhou, and finally to Guanzhong? Or should I be worried and anxious?"

The White Goose Thief broke out in Liangpei, but had no intention of becoming bigger and stronger, instead moving quickly.

It appeared in the Central Plains, went to Hebei and then turned back to Jianghuai. It can be said that it passed through the Central Plains twice without entering.

Looking back now, I am still angry at the local officials for not being able to put out the epidemic.

But look at the enemy's current battle record. They did not bring their headquarters, but took the troops that were forced to land in Guanzhong to Hedong, and managed to achieve the same decapitation record as in the Wei Huo period.

Cao Cao couldn't help but wonder whether the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, on which he had high hopes, could stop the enemy's cavalry units.

After laughing, Cao Cao calmed down and continued to read other official documents.

There were hurried footsteps in the corridor outside the hall. Du Xi, who had just joined the Sikong Mansion, came in quickly with a stack of sealed documents in his hand: "Mingsir, secret report from Taiyuan!"

Cao Cao knelt upright and calmly reached out to take it. Seeing that the mud seal was intact, he immediately took it to the fire pit, cracked it open, and took out the silk book inside.

After seeing that the two wooden slips mixed with the silk book had no words written on them, he threw them into the fire pit and burned them.

Cao Cao spread out the silk book, looked down at it and smiled, then stopped smiling and looked up again, and when he looked down again the smile reappeared.

Du Xi stood at the side with his head bent and saw nothing. Yang Xiu, who was sitting next to Cao Cao and copying important information with a pen, glanced at it but quickly forgot about it.

Every time Cao Cao wanted to read this secret report carefully, he couldn't help laughing.

Finally, I couldn't help laughing: "Haha, hahaha!"

The laughter stopped, and his eyes shone with a cold light: "You are really a good son-in-law of Cai Bojie!"

He rolled the silk book into a ball and threw it in front of Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu spread it out with both hands and saw that it said: On the Jiazi day of the beginning of winter, the Black Town attacked from the north with 10,000 cavalrymen. The right wing set up an ambush in the south of Gengyang and was defeated. They fought again in the west of Yuci and were defeated again. They chased to the north of Jinyang and captured all the women, children, cattle and horses. They communicated with the Xiongnu and executed the three clans of Prince Shi. Their coffins were broken and burned.

Yang Xiu also looked over it twice before he confirmed that it was the right wing that set the ambush, and it was also the right wing that suffered two consecutive defeats.

He frowned and picked up a few secret reports that he remembered and started reading them.

Gengyang is located in the north of Fenshui Swamp, and Black Bear sent troops to launch a surprise attack from the north of the swamp.

However, these secret reports related to Liu Qubei showed that Liu Qubei took the route south of the swamp and communicated back and forth between the two sides.

It seems that Black Bear deceived Liu Qubei, and Youbu also deceived Liu Qubei.

The right wing guessed, or really got accurate intelligence, so they set up an ambush in the north, but were still defeated.

Yang Xiu flipped through the silk book again and looked at the handwriting. Seeing that it was similar to the secret memorial related to Liu Qubei, he guessed that it was Liu Qubei's secret memorial.

Glancing at the two pieces of wood burning in the fire pit again, Yang Xiu's face remained expressionless.

Looking at the silk book again, it’s no wonder that Cao Cao lost his composure.

Even I myself, at first glance, thought that the black bear's sneak attack had failed and it had crashed into the ambush circle on the right.

Cao Cao calmed down and said to Yang Xiu: "Write to the Shangshutai and send an imperial envoy to Chang'an to appoint this man as the General of Zhenbei. After his meritorious service in defeating the Xiongnu is reported, he will be granted a title by imperial decree."

"Here."

Yang Xiu bowed in response, knowing that this was truly a surrender.

First pull the other party into the court system, and then make detailed plans.

At least after being brought in, they can intervene in the exchange of official documents and the transfer of scholars and county-level officials.

Yang Xiu was also curious about how many heads he could take in this battle.

(End of this chapter)