Watching the team marching with flags covering the sky, Dong Cheng's eyes couldn't help but flash a trace of happiness.

Cao Cao finally defeated Chen Liu's Zhang Miao, and in the middle of October, the army returned to the court—a result that was both expected and unexpected.

What is expected is that Zhang Miao is difficult to support alone, and he will definitely lose to Cao Cao's army. What was unexpected was that Cao Cao took only one month to fully recover Chenliu County.

In fact, this battle can be completely included in the classic art of war of the late Han Dynasty campaign tactics, as a research material: Cao Cao, when he had an absolutely dominant position, did not rush down and attack Chen Liu. Instead, he took Xiahou Yuan as a partial teacher, attacking the grain road around Chen Liu. And Cao Ren's main force firmly restrained Chen Liu's main force, dragging Zhang Miao exhausted. In the end, Cao Cao's army was still watching from the sidelines, making noise and making noise, and using psychological warfare to the fullest. When the entire Chenliu County army was in mourning and the city mutinied, Cao Cao's three-way army went down with a drum and directly captured Zhang Miao.

And at this time, Cao Cao did another thing that shocked the world. After the complete recovery of Chenliu County, Cao Cao did not massacre the Zhang family. Instead, he wrote to the Son of Heaven to pardon Zhang Miao's rebellion and join Xuchang to serve as the councilor. For this reason, Yuan Shao was very dissatisfied with Cao Cao, and scolded Cao Cao as a 'treacherous person who does not know life or death'.

Yuan Shao made such insults to Cao Cao, not once or twice. Until Cao Cao established the Son of Heaven and had a sharp weapon against Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao still did not put Cao Cao on the same level as an opponent. And Zhang Miao can be said to be the culprit who caused Yuan Cao's rebellion.

Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Zhang Miao have been friends since childhood, and Zhang Miao helped Yuan Shao plan to punish Dong several times, but after the Ma family opened a big chapter in the era of competing for heroes, Zhang Miao was dissatisfied with Yuan Shao's practice of separating one side, and accused Yuan Shao many times, which made Yuan Shao dissatisfied. After Yuan Shao supported Cao Cao's entry into Yanzhou, he asked Cao Cao to kill Zhang Miao, but Cao Cao always politely refused. After Cao Cao defeated Zhang Miao this time, instead of currying favor with Yuan Shao, he even abandoned his personal grudges, which naturally caused Yuan Shao to be even more dissatisfied with Cao Cao, claiming to crusade against Cao Cao, a usurper.

It can be said that the Yuan Cao family has finally entered the moment of tearing their faces apart.

And the reason why Yuan Shao dared to do this was because he already had free energy, but it was completely put on top of Yanzhou - Gongsun Zan of Youzhou, who raised fire to his grave, and the forces of Youzhou completely fell into the hands of Yuan Shao!

At that time, Gongsun Chan was huddled in the Yijing City Tower, and Zhang Yan and Gongsun Xu led 100,000 troops to rescue Gongsun Chan in three ways. Before the reinforcements arrived, Gongsun Chan secretly sent a letter to Gongsun Xu, asking him to lead 5,000 cavalry in the north and raise torches in response, and Gongsun Chan went out from the city to fight. But he didn't want to, this secret letter was robbed by Yuan Shao, and he raised the torch as scheduled. Gongsun Zhan thought that the rescue had arrived, and led the troops to attack. Yuan Shao set up an ambush to attack Gongsun Zhan, who was defeated and returned to the city to hold on.

At the same time, the 100,000 troops that were calling each other from afar were temporarily withdrawn by the Xianbei tribe of Budugen, which made Zhang Yan stop halfway. Yuan Shao was overjoyed, dug a tunnel to the downstairs of Gongsun Zhancheng, destroyed its watchtower, and gradually reached the central mound. Gongsun Zhan expected that he would be defeated, so he first killed his wife, children, and sisters, and then set himself on fire.

This victory, for Yuan Shao, is tantamount to picking up a pie that fell from the sky - if there is no sudden withdrawal of Bu Dugen, Zhang Yan's three-way army will be together, and the two families will definitely fall into a stalemate for a long time. But things took an unexpected turn, so that Yuan Shao almost effortlessly got rid of the big trouble in his heart.

As a result, Yuan Shaozhi was complacent, and while recovering the remnants of Gongsun Zan all the way, he scolded Cao Cao in Yanzhou more than once - on the surface, Yuan Shao was still as arrogant as usual, but in fact, Yuan Shao's focus strategy had shifted to Yanzhou, and what he did was just Yuan Shao making excuses for Cao Cao to conquer Cao Cao in the future.

Unfortunately, it was winter at this time, and both families were in a period of post-war weakness. Except for a war of words, no real tricks have been used. However, the sky in Jiyanxu Sanzhou at this time was already covered with clouds, like a winter blizzard, which was coming soon!

It can be said that Cao Cao, who returned to Xuchang, should be in an extremely uneasy mood.

Therefore, at this time, everyone in Sikong Mansion was talking, but everyone did not dare to talk out loud. Doubt, anger, joy and confusion are intertwined in Xu Du's big ding, and the heat contained in the water temperature in the ding slowly rises. The reason why this water has not yet boiled is because Cao Sikong, who is sitting upright, has not yet spoken a word.

For the Cao family, Yuan Shao's rebuke this time was by no means as simple and easy to deal with as usual.

It can be said that Cao Cao took advantage of Yuan Shao's flawless doppelganger to squeeze all the oil and water he could squeeze from Yuan Shao. And for Yuan Shao, there has never been a trace of return, this time Yuan Shao is already about to stabilize the north, and fools can think about what Yuan Shao will do to the Cao family next.

Everyone is waiting to see how Cao Cao will deal with this difficult situation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a hard time." Cao Cao looked at the people below and said calmly. There was no trace of fear and worry in his demeanor, but there was a kind of conspiracy that succeeded.

The people who are qualified to be in this room are all the Peng Cao Chongchen, the generals and the local governors of the nearby counties who were left in Xudu by the Cao family. Everyone waited solemnly and apprehensively for Cao Cao's next words, and the room seemed very quiet. Cao Cao looked around, and his majestic eyes made everyone who touched it feel a chill in their hearts. Subsequently, his eyes finally fell on Xi Zhicai.

It was not until this time that everyone found that Xi Zhi's face was also extremely calm. There is no urgency that the mountain rain is about to come, and it seems that he is waiting for Cao Cao's next news.

"Zhicai, how is the investigation of Zhang Yan's sudden withdrawal of troops?"

"Back to the lord, Zhang Yan's withdrawal was entirely because of Bu Dugen's detachment. And Budugen's immediate detachment was due to turmoil in his base camp. Xi Zhicai raised the information in his hand, and his tone was always unhurried.

"Oh," Cao Cao nodded, not commenting, waiting for Xi Zhicai's next explanation.

"On the second day of Budugen's expedition, the Tuoba Department, which had always been friendly with Budugen, suddenly sent troops to attack the Budugen tribe, swallowing up many small tribes on the edge of Budugen in one go, and even secretly assassinated the families of many senior generals in Budugen. The battle between the two families began without warning, and Budugen had to return to the army to rescue. ”

"If I remember correctly, this Tuoba Tribe, which was not famous two years ago, has snowballed into the second force in the grassland of Bingzhou since accepting the support of the Ma family, right?" At this time, Cao Cao finally got a little interested, looked up and asked.

When everyone heard this, they all looked at each other a little: Cao Sikong didn't consider Yuan Shao's monstrous anger, why was he so interested in the northern Yirong Di?

"Yes, the Tuoba Department is as ferocious as a wolf and as vicious as a snake, and all the tribes have implemented the strategy of Shunchang's rebellion, and in just one year, they have risen in the territory of the Xiongnu. Subsequently, the forces gradually penetrated into the Budugen Xianbei tribe. Now it is reasonable for the two sides to go to war. ”

"Yes, everything makes sense, except that the timing is a little too weird." Cao Cao laughed twice, ignored the surprised eyes of the people below, and continued: "I don't understand, why that tribe would fight back when Gongsun Zhan was dying and dying? ”

"Naturally, it is a hair that moves the whole body, if Weichen guesses well, it is Ma Chao who secretly helped Yuan Shao and killed Gongsun Zhan!" Xi Zhicai still sent these words out without waves, but in the entire hall, he couldn't help but let out a burst of inhalation at the same time!

It seems that the matter in front of him is far more serious than Yuan Shao's desire to destroy the Cao family!