Xuchang. Prime Minister Cao Cheng's house.

Cao Cao was wearing plain clothes and held a memorial ceremony for Yuan Shao.

When the news of Yuan Shao's illness and death reached Cao Cao, Cao Cao was stunned for a long time. You must know that Cao Cao has been fooling around with Yuan Shao since he was young, and the two can be said to have played since childhood, and the relationship between the two has always been very good. Because of Liu Yu's existence, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao did not have much conflict of interest, but became allies, and their relationship was not bad.

Unexpectedly, today he heard the news of his friend's death, Cao Cao was a little uncomfortable, and he was at the age when his friend left.

Cao Cao held a memorial service for Yuan Shao, sacrificed Yuan Shao in Xuchang, and wrote to Liu Xie to apply for a nickname for Yuan Shao. Of course, Liu Xie would not refuse, and generously gave Yuan Shao the title of Duke of Bohai, and gave him the nickname "Lie" in recognition of Yuan Shao's achievements. The ministers did not object, Yuan Shao's is dead, there is no need to care too much about a dead person. The ministers are now more worried about whether Yuan Shao's heir can withstand Liu Yu's attack. If Liu Yu annexed Hebei, then there would be no one who could stop Liu Yu from winning the world, including Cao Cao and Liu Xie.

Cao Cao knew about this. He also has some plans. However, due to the existence of Ma Chao and Jia Xu on Chenliu's side, Cao Cao never captured Chenliu and could not meet Hebei from Yanzhou, so he took the army from Xuzhou and met Hebei through Qingzhou.

However, Cao Cao needs a certain amount of time, and Yuan Shao's son needs to be able to resist Liu Yu for a while, so he can take Hebei. As for who Yuan Shao's heir is, he doesn't care. Cao Cao felt that Yuan Shao should not have any omissions in the matter of heirs. For Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang, Cao Cao has all seen it. Among these three, Cao Cao is the most optimistic about Yuan Shang, and his personal charm and style are very similar to Yuan Shao, if nothing else, it should be Yuan Shang who will succeed him.

Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi, Cao Cao is not very optimistic. However, Cao Cao received Yuan Xi's resistance to resist Liu Yu's frenzied attack of tens of thousands of troops for so long with the strength of a city, and his opinion of Yuan Xi was completely changed. Although Yuan Xi committed suicide in the end, Cao Cao still recognized him, believing that Yuan Xi was a bloody person who lived up to the name of the Yuan family, the third prince of the fourth world.

In fact, just as Cao Cao expected, Yuan Shang inherited Yuan Shao's position.

Therefore, Cao Cao was absolutely confident that Yuan Shang would be able to resist Liu Yu and buy time for Cao Cao.

Looking at the font of "Han General Bohai Lie Gong Yuan" written on the spiritual seat, Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh that time flies.

After paying tribute, Cao Cao came to the conference room to discuss the situation in Hebei with a few advisers.

As soon as he sat down, Cao Cao spoke: "Yuan Benchu died of illness, and the situation in Hebei has become very delicate. Our army must enter Hebei as soon as possible, otherwise Yuan Shang alone will not be able to stop Liu Yu for long. Do you have a solution? ”

"My lord, although Liu Yu has been laid out for a long time, cutting off the connection between our army and Hebei, and even occupying the western part of Youzhou and Jizhou, there is a huge hidden danger. That is, the land he occupied is in ruins, the people's livelihood is withering, and he must stabilize the current situation, and he is unable to attack Yuan Shang anymore. Xun Yu analyzed Liu Yu's situation and came to a conclusion.

Xun Yu added: "Liu Yu defeated Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shao also died of illness because of this, and it seems that the trend of Liu Yu annexing Hebei is irreversible. It's a pity that Liu Yu has suffered serious damage to his strength after the last defeat with our army, and now he needs to absorb the occupied territory and beware of other people's plans against him, so standing still is his best strategy. ”

Cheng Yu was insidious, but he thought of Cao Cao's benefits, and said: "Yuan Shang must not be able to resist Liu Yu, and the Hebei scholars under him will definitely be able to see the situation after Liu Yu stabilizes his position." Therefore, the lord sent troops from Xuzhou to Hebei this time, Yuan Shang would definitely not object, and he still wished that the lord would help him. However, we can plan in this regard, and it may not be possible to get involved in Hebei. ”

After listening to the analysis of the three of them, Cao Cao was in a good mood and said: "In this way, this is the hand of God to send Hebei to Lonely." ”

"The lord is wise!" Cheng Yu gently patted Cao Cao's ass.

"Good! Order Yuan Rang to speed up the entry from Xuzhou into Qingzhou, cross the Yellow River, and help the bereaved nephew defend against foreign enemies! Cao Cao happily gave the order.

Everyone else in the room laughed knowingly.

Guo Jia hurriedly came with a book brief, and said with an anxious face: "Lord, there is an emergency in Hebei!" ”

"What?" Cao Cao took the book, read the contents of the book at a glance and ten lines, and finally his face was very ugly.

"Lord, what's going on in Hebei?" Xun Yu asked puzzled.

Everyone else is the same intellectual curiosity.

Cao Cao said with a heavy face: "Qingzhou Yuan Tan publicly announced his separation from Yuan Shang and sent troops to fight against Yuan Shang!" ”

"This—" The strategists in the conference room were shocked by this message.

"Lord, the situation is extremely urgent, Liu Yu is not standing still now, he is watching the fire from the other side. If Yuan Tan and Yuan Shanghuo merge, Liu Yu will benefit the most. Please send troops quickly! Cheng Yu immediately suggested.

Guo Jia sighed and said to Cheng Yu, "It's too late." Yuan Tan has already waved his troops westward, and I am afraid that this meeting has already fought with Yuan Shang. ”

Cao Cao said to everyone: "Immediately inquire if Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang have started to merge." There is also an order that Yuan Rang cannot directly cross the Yellow River and enter Qingzhou after delay! ”

"My lord, if our army rashly enters Qingzhou, it may cause Yuan Shang's disgust." Xun Yu said worriedly.

"Lone knows such things. But in case Liu Yu gains Hebei, what will our army do? It's better to enter Qingzhou now to help defend against Liu Yu and win Qingzhou in the name! Cao Cao said his purpose very simply.

Xun Yu was speechless, but the others felt that Cao Cao's method was the best way.

A day later, Yuan Tan broke through several cities, and the news that Yuan Shangqin led a large army to defeat Yuan Tan reached Cao Cao.

Cao Cao was so angry that he slapped the table and scolded: "These two bastards, how could Yuan Benchu's first generation give birth to these two wastes." They didn't think about Liu Yu staring at him? Are they all pig brains! In the beginning, what sins did you do in your last life? ”

After scolding, Cao Cao said decisively: "Pass the Gu order and send troops to Hebei!" ”

Cao Cao decided that Hebei could not be allowed to fall into Liu Yu's hands, and he had to stop it.

However, Liu Yu had already guessed that Cao Cao would intervene, and he had already ordered Ma Chao and Jia Xu to launch an attack in Yanzhou.

At the same time, he ordered Zhang Liao, who was in Baima Port, to abandon Baima Port and march to Yanzhou Dongjun, doing his best to block Cao Cao.

Zhang Liao has already joined Zhang He and Zhang Ji, and the number of troops has reached 30,000. Zhang Liao left Zhang Ji to stay in Baima, and he and Zhang He led 20,000 soldiers and horses to kill the Yellow River and landed in Dongjun.

For a time, Yanzhou became very dangerous.

Cao Cao was stunned, he knew that this was Liu Yu's containment of him, so that he could not send troops to Hebei.

"Bastard!" Cao Cao felt that his head hurt a little.

After thinking for a while, Cao Cao said: "Tell Yuan to return to Yanzhou, and Miaocai and the others will try their best to stop Ma Chao's actions in Yanzhou." ”

"Lord, what about Hebei..."Cheng Yu asked. If Cao Cao does not send troops, then Hebei will end up in the hands of Liu Yu.

"Let's defend Yanzhou first!" Cao Cao reluctantly made the final decision.

The strategists also distinguish between the important and the important, and compared to Hebei, Yanzhou is an important barrier for them.

Cao Cao said to himself in his heart: "His son must not be the same as Yuan Shao's son, he is simply a pig's head!" ”