Chapter 219 The Ultimate Nightmare
In Sikong Mansion, Cao Cao and a group of military advisers studied the accumulated battle reports together.

Liu Qubei was already dead, and the group of Xiongnu nobles gathered around him were almost wiped out.

Wang Ling and Guo Huai have been missing for a long time and there is no news of them. Many people who were in contact with them are in the process of evacuating or marching and have lost contact with Xudu.

Therefore, the battle reports sent to Xudu mostly came from marginal sources, and were not as detailed as the reports of victory sent by Zhong Yao in an open and aboveboard manner.

In the warm hall, Cao Cao gestured at the map, replaying Black Bear's combat strategy of advancing into Hedong.

He had a strong impression of the Yellow Turban Army. As long as they could not be killed and wiped out in one go, they would always revive and draw in more Yellow Turban Army.

In particular, the coercion and incitement of the lower-class Huns and slaves was almost identical to the Taiping Dao.

So 3,000 cavalry entered Hedong, spending 3,000 gold to turn it into 6,000 cavalry; that night they attacked the Chanyu's army, captured and killed them, and forced them to surrender, almost annihilating them all.

The size of the army expanded further, and with Qian Zhao's indulgence, they attacked the Chanyu royal court in Pingyang and captured more slaves and huge wealth.

Qian Zhao, who wanted to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between the two tigers, completely miscalculated and lost control of the surrounding situation.

When he finally reviewed the situation and saw the annihilation of the Wuhuan coalition force of more than 20,000 people, Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh, feeling very regretful.

If there were no Wuhuan, the captured Xiongnu would have certainly been executed.

In this case, the Huns as a whole would be unable to recover.

With no hope of revenge and unable to defeat the Guanzhong soldiers, it is very likely that they will all integrate into the Xianbei next year, allowing the Xianbei and Guanzhong soldiers to fight against each other.

As a result, the Huns have now become Guanzhong's vassal and will naturally help Guanzhong to shield itself from invasions from the north.

The only person in the west who has a conflict with Guanzhong at present is Han Sui, but a man like Han Sui has probably already sent people to Guanzhong to apologize and make amends, and put the blame on Yan Xing.

To a certain extent, Guanzhong was in an invincible state, that is, no enemy dared to actively attack or threaten Guanzhong.

There is no need for passive defense, Guanzhong has the option of active offense.

The opponent's two heavyweight allies, Hebei and Jingzhou, are actually in a passive defensive state of contraction.

If Guanzhong starts to advance towards Luoyang next year, the manpower and material resources of the entire Central Plains will be involved.

The defending Hebei and Jingzhou are very likely to launch a counterattack, which will be fatal to the Central Plains.

No matter where the battlefield takes place, even if the defenders here win the final victory, they will often suffer a loss, it depends on whether it is a big loss or a small loss.

If the homeland is destroyed, the positions of many of our people will be shaken and changed.

If nothing unexpected happens, Guanzhong will definitely send troops to attack Luoyang next year to support its allies.

Cao Cao felt very passive and thought about various countermeasures.

Lou Gui came to see Cao Cao with a plate of bamboo slips in his hand: "Mingsir, here are all the military information of Nanyang."

"Zi Bo, do you think Yuan Tan still wants to serve the court?"

Cao Cao collected his thoughts and picked up the bamboo slips on the plate to read them. Yuan Tan led more than 4,000 people from Qingzhou to Bingzhou, and then passed through Guanzhong and Wugu Pass to arrive in Nanyang.

This large-scale strategic shift made Cao Cao very distressed.

Especially Yuan Tan, who has been adopted by Yuan Ji and has a strong appeal in the Runan area.

The most hateful thing is that when Yuan Tan left Guanzhong, Black Bear actually gave Yuan Tan more than 4,000 horses. Even if there were only 1,000 of them as war horses, it would be enough to bring about a qualitative change in Yuan Tan's 4,000 men.

During the Battle of Bowangpo, if Liu Bei or Black Bear had another thousand cavalrymen, not to mention Xiahou Dun and Yu Jin, even Li Dian's three thousand clan soldiers might have stayed there.

If they could persuade Yuan Tan to rebel and return to Qingzhou, they could fight to the death with Yuan Shang and seize Hebei.

This would directly cut off one of Liu Bei's arms and also maximize the weakening of Yuan Shang.

Lou Gui sat aside and thought carefully about the feasibility and necessary conditions of this matter, and said: "Mr. Mingshen, Yuan Tan has been wandering around in various states and has lost his ambition. Now he is attached to Liu Xuande, like a stray dog ​​meeting his old master. It will be difficult to shake his determination in the short term."

After thinking for a while, Lou Gui said, "According to the report from Taiyuan, Zhao Zilong, a favorite general under Liu Xuande, is quite respected by Black Bear, and he wants to reward his merit with 5,000 cavalrymen of Wuhuan captives. When Zhao Zilong leads 5,000 cavalrymen to Nanyang, Liu Xuande will be like a tiger with wings. By then, Yuan Tan's ambition will be firm and it will be even harder to shake him."

"Five thousand cavalry..."

Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a toothache. He sucked his teeth and frowned, "Who is Zhao Zilong? How could he be rewarded with 5,000 cavalry?"

When the stalemate at Guandu was at its most intense, Zhong Yao used all his tricks and said all the sweet words to squeeze out two thousand horses from Guanzhong for Cao Cao.

Lou Gui, who was in charge of collating intelligence on Jingzhou, said, "This man is from Zhending, Changshan. When Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan were fighting, he led his fellow villagers to join Gongsun Zan. Later, Liu Xuande valued him and asked Gongsun Zan for money, and made him his chief cavalryman and guard. When Liu Xuande was defeated in Xuzhou and fled to Hebei, Zhao Yun recruited several hundred soldiers in Changshan."

Cao Cao couldn't help but frown as he listened. Now he had some impression of Zhao Yun.

I also thought of Dian Wei who died in battle, and Xu Chu who was on duty on one side. Could it be that these two people also have the potential to lead troops and guard one side?

Zhao Yun followed Black Bear into Guanzhong as a guest soldier and guarded Lantian in the early stage, which was an inconspicuous but very important position.

Later, he was mobilized and assembled more than 3,000 cavalrymen to cross the river at Fenglingdu, but he did not have any independent combat achievements during this period.

His only military achievement was during the decisive battle, when he was one of the main cavalry generals.

Many things can be faked, but the genuine reward for five thousand Wuhuan knights cannot be faked.

This shows that Zhao Yun definitely had some special achievements that outsiders were not aware of, and that he deserved such a generous reward.

Seeing such a man returning to Liu Bei with 5,000 cavalry, Cao Cao felt a little itchy in his stomach, as if he would be pierced by Zhao Yun.

Cao Cao raised his hand and tapped his abdomen, then asked, "The little thief is as brave as a wild dog, even more savage than Sun Ce. Seeing his killing of the three clans of Prince Shi and moving the big families to enrich Guanzhong, he is no different from Dong Zhuo. I don't know what the people in Jingzhou think, can you explain it to me, Zi Bo?"

Lou Gui didn't think it was an exaggeration to compare the black bear to a mad dog.

After all, Black Bear’s extermination of Wang Yun’s three clans was truly excessive. How could one exterminate three clans in this way?

When a person dies, his debts are settled. If everyone follows the example of Black Bear, how can they serve the country and govern the country?
Lou Gui thought for a moment and said, "The people of this state are also deeply afraid of the harm, and are also afraid that the enmity will bring about this disaster, which is like feeding a tiger."

Cao Cao listened and nodded: "I think so too. I am afraid of being harmed by the tiger when feeding it, and I am also afraid that the tiger will bite me when it is hungry. I am even more afraid that the tiger will be difficult to feed after it becomes strong, and eventually it will be eaten by the tiger."

After a long sigh, Cao Cao asked, "Is there no wise man in Jingzhou?"

"I am far away, and I don't know the intentions of the heroes of this state for the time being."

Lou Gui paused, then said, "Since the price of tea has skyrocketed, there have been many disputes in this state over tea mountains and tea houses. I heard that Ma Shoucheng has retired to Nanshan and sent people to Nanxiang to collect tea trees and tea seeds. Many people in this state hate his greed and insatiable desire."

Cao Cao frowned as he listened. He was also very interested in the management of tea mountains and tea houses.

He was only the Sikong of the imperial court. Under the current wartime system, he dared not move things from the national treasury into his home.

All forces are watching closely. Even though he dominates the court, what belongs to the Cao family is the Cao family, what belongs to the court is the court, and public and private finances are two separate lines.

He also has his own estate, but he has so many wives and concubines. What can he do with the salary of a Sikong in name only?
Not only Cao Cao himself was interested, but also his clan relatives, wives and concubines, families, and fellow villagers, who wouldn't be envious?

Looking at Lou Gui, Cao Cao suggested: "Can Zibo return to his hometown? First, concentrate on running the industry, and second, collect good seeds for the court. As for the third, I don't ask for anything. I don't ask Zibo to be an enemy of Guanzhong. If he can collect all kinds of information for the court, it will also be a great contribution."

Seeing that Lou Gui was silent and not very willing, Cao Cao also knew that it would be dangerous to go back directly.

Lou Gui was in Xudu, and the Lou clan members in Nanxiang could still take advantage of the situation to keep the small tea shop that Lou Gui had inherited from his ancestors. If he went back like this, it was very likely that he and the tea shop would be eaten up by others.

Therefore, Cao Cao said: "Nanxiang Yi Ji is not good for Liu Biao. If we can get rid of him, we can cut off the communication between Guanzhong and Jingzhou."

"Mingsir, if the plan is just to expel Yi Ji, I still have some confidence."

Seeing that he could not stop the situation, Lou Gui said, "Nanxiang and Jingzhou are weak troops, and it is difficult for them to resist the fierce troops in Guanzhong. The only way I can do is to borrow Liu Biao's power to expel Yi Ji. As for the rest, I am powerless."

Seeing Cao Cao nod, Lou Gui said: "This journey is dangerous. I need to bring more servants and many properties need to be sold. I hope Cao Gong will give me a few days."

Cao Cao still nodded: "Yes, this journey is dangerous. Zibo's youngest son can stay in Xudu, and I will raise him at home, with Zihuan and other brothers as companions. If anything happens in the future, I will treat him as my own son."

"Then I'll leave it to Meng De."

Lou Gui stood up and bowed, looking at Cao Cao with a complicated expression, and couldn't help but say: "My Nanxiang soldiers are weak, and we have a strong neighbor like Liu Xuande. Even if there are changes in the future, my Nanxiang can't control it."

"I know that if anything unexpected happens in the future, it won't be Zibo's fault. It's me who has failed Zibo."

Cao Cao stood up and supported him, and seeing Lou Gui's distant expression, he didn't say anything more.

Lou Gui sighed again and took his leave. Cao Cao saw Lou Gui out. Looking at his back in the corridor, Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh again.

I don’t know if it is cost-effective to exchange Lou Gui for Yi Ji.

Once Yi Ji was eliminated, the fragile trust between Liu Qi and his son Liu Biao would inevitably collapse.

With a dangerous Guanzhong nearby, Liu Bei would not sit idly by. Add to that Sun Quan, and the intentional or unintentional intensification of these three forces would involve all aspects of Jingzhou. This was not something that Liu Biao and his son could decide.

As soon as Lou Gui left, Du Xi arrived, bringing an urgent letter that had just arrived from Guanzhong.

Cao Cao flipped through the book and frowned, "What does Zhong Yuanchang want to do?"

This was the report that Zhong Yao sent openly, mixed with reports from the imperial envoy team.

The imperial envoy team that was previously appointed as the General of Zhenbei is currently staying in Tongguan. Now Zhong Yao reports Hei Xiong's achievements and begins to ask for a title.

Ask for a heavyweight title openly, don't just settle for an ordinary county marquis.

Du Xi bowed: "Mingsir, Lord Yuan Chang's concerns are quite reasonable. Now the troops in Guanzhong are all maintained by the black bandit alone, and there is no need to borrow the official position of the court. If he refuses to resign the official title, how should the officials of Yongliang and the counties deal with it?"

Should he join the bandits, abandon his official position, or raise an army to fight against the black bear?
Cao Cao tilted his head and squinted at Du Xi. Du Xi's expression remained unchanged as he calmly recounted: "Yongliang and Bingzhou are all owned by the black thieves. If he refuses, it will not damage his foundation, but will only make things difficult for Yuan Changgong and others. If he sets up another position, should the court attack him or pretend to be ignorant?"

Du Xi bowed again and said, "I beg you to think twice."

At this time, Xun You also came in, patted Du Xi on the shoulder and signaled Du Xi to leave, and then said to Cao Cao: "The black bandit is at the peak of his power. If he refuses the imperial reward, the imperial court will be in a dilemma."

“I am also aware of the changes.”

Cao Cao clenched his fist and said angrily: "Yuan Chang actually asked for a high title for him! If we give him a high title, the court will lose face!"

The last person who was forced to give out the title was Sun Ce, Marquis of Wu. Yuan Shu's declaration of emperorship forced the court into chaos. In order to instigate Sun Ce to rebel and disintegrate Yuan Shu's organization, the court gave out the title of Marquis of Wu.

It was almost equivalent to tacitly approving Sun Ce to establish his own kingdom. As long as he did not follow Yuan Shu, the court would tacitly approve Sun Ce to establish a state of Wu.

No matter how intrusive the Wu State was, it was still a vassal state of the Han Dynasty.

Seeing that Cao Cao's face turned pale with anger, Xun You sat down beside him and patted Cao Cao on the back, as if he was stroking a donkey's back.

Cao Cao calmed down a bit and said, "Even though the bandits are rampant, the court can still make concessions. What makes me angry is Yuan Chang, who actually disregards the dignity of the court!"

Xun You remained silent and did not argue with Cao Cao.

Zhong Yao is a single man without even a child, and now he is more afraid than anyone else of Black Bear becoming independent.

When Hei Xiong declared himself emperor, the officials of Yongliang and the three states and counties immediately collapsed.

In this case, Zhong Yao and Wei Duan’s base would be gone.

There won't be anyone so stubborn as to raise an army to attack the black bear. After more than a decade of chaos, there aren't many such people left.

Besides, when the Later Han Dynasty moved its capital to Luoyang, who among the scholars in Xizhou would not bear grudges?
It’s just that there has never been a good opportunity, but now the opportunity is right in front of us.

In order to seek revenge, the scholars of Xizhou might really follow the black thieves to completely overthrow the Han Dynasty and establish a new country.

When it comes to conquering various countries, the ancestors of the scholars in Xizhou were professionals.

It’s not that the loyalty of the Xizhou scholars is cheap, but that the head of the Huns chopped off by the black bear cannot be fake.

Since the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, the black bear has the highest number of external beheadings.

The cost of war is shockingly low, and the war dividends are insanely high.

Zhong Yao had already sensed the signs of the next disaster, so he simply abandoned Cao Cao.

It’s that simple, and this is the key to Cao Cao’s sadness and anger.

It was Zhong Yao's attitude change that made Cao Cao feel abandoned.

The last time he had this feeling was when Chen Gong refused to surrender and asked for death.

While Cao Cao was trying to calm down his anger, Guo Jia also arrived.

Seeing Cao Cao's sullen face, Guo Jia took out a stack of silk books from his sleeve and handed them to him with both hands, whispering: "Mingsong, this is a secret report from Jingzhou, and it is of great importance. Because I don't know whether it is true or not, I have been withholding it until now."

Cao Cao felt that this was definitely not good news, and he looked at Guo Jia suspiciously. Guo Jia lowered his head and did not dare to look at him.

It was really just a piece of unimportant information, but at this critical juncture, Guo Jia didn't dare to continue hiding it.

Cao Cao picked up the silk book and opened it. He saw that it was written by Kuai Yue, the military advisor of Zhennan. The content was very simple. It was about that during a banquet between Liu Qi and Liu Biao, father and son, Liu Qi revealed the details of the black bear.

He is a descendant of the Liu family of Liang State.

There are Liu family members everywhere. If Black Bear says that he is a royal family member, who can prove it now?

Since Black Bear wholeheartedly supported Liu Bei and Liu Qi and considered himself a member of the royal family, then this behavior was really reasonable.

There is also the Yangzhou governor Liu Fu. How much is this guy involved?

Cao Cao thought he was dazzled and tried to look carefully. One by one, the characters were broken down into radicals and began to fly around in circles.

He shook his head, raised his hand to rub his eyebrows and eye sockets, and looked with his dry eyes, only to feel his vision dark and his breathing difficult.

It seemed difficult to catch his breath.

Xun You stretched out his arm and stroked Cao Cao's back. Cao Cao opened his mouth with difficulty to catch his breath and said in a lost voice: "How could...how could this be!"

A strong fear surged from the ground to my feet, and quickly spread to my body and head.

Cao Cao's face turned pale again, and when Xun You saw it, his expression also stiffened.

(End of this chapter)