The Supreme Call of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 434 Cao Cao's plot

Let's talk about Liu Xiao, who led a hundred thousand elite soldiers to rush all the way to the south. In just over a month, he took the entire Jiangdong into his pocket. Famous generals, for each of them to attack a precarious prefecture with a shortage of major generals, there is no difficulty at all for them, and it is absolutely impossible.

From Wu County to Kuaiji County, from Danyang County to Luling County, all fell into the hands of Liu Xiao's army. Whether it was Gao Chong, Dianwei, or even Zhao Yun, they were all ready. The army went south, even Jiaozhou. After all, Liu Bei is now blocked in Changsha by Cao Cao, and the entire Jiaozhou has no leader. Taking Jiaozhou is only a matter of a month or two.

However, when the generals were gearing up one by one, Liu Xiao's military order arrived. All the soldiers stopped sending troops to the south and began to gather the army to the west. The target is Changsha!

Groups of troops, under the leadership of the generals, began to quickly gather towards the southwest of Lujiang River, preparing for the arrival of a new battle.

Liu Xiao knew very well that Jiaozhou was a piece of chicken rib. Even if he snatched it, it would not add much help to his own strength. Instead, he had to send a force to garrison Jiaozhou to disperse his energy. What's more, the main force he led was all recruited from the north, and they drove straight all the way to take Jiangdong, and serious dissatisfaction with the water and soil began to appear.

In the past two months, more soldiers in the army have fallen ill or even died due to acclimatization to the soil and water than those who died on the battlefield. Some areas are uncivilized, ignorant and barren land, full of smog. When they arrive in Jiaozhou, the soldiers of the Central Plains may be even more uncomfortable. Even if they win Jiaozhou, the loss outweighs the gain in the end. The bottom line!

Don't pay for the state, go for Jingzhou!
Liu Xiao made up his mind straight away, that is, he wanted to wrestle with Liu Bei, Cao Cao and even Li Shimin, grab food from the tiger's mouth, and take Jingzhou!
Liu Xiao is trying his best to assemble the army, Changsha, Cao Cao is now waiting for Sima Yi's reply.

Not for profit, but for righteousness!
This is Sima Yi's ingenious plan for Cao Cao. In the name of the emperor, Liu Bei was recruited into Xudu, and he was given a high position to assist the emperor!
Cao Cao was overjoyed when he saw Sima Yi's letter. During this period of time, he had repeatedly tormented Liu Bei. It can be said that Liu Bei's misfortune was all on him. It was harder to let Liu Bei surrender himself than to kill him. Since Liu Bei is unwilling, then surrender in the name of the emperor!

Cao Cao once again sent Hua Xin into Changsha City to persuade Liu Bei to surrender. This time, not in the name of Cao Cao's messenger, but in the name of the emperor's envoy, he granted Liu Bei the title of Pingyuan County Marquis, Sili Xiaowei, and Da Sikong, and entered the court to assist in the government.

Today's Liu Bei is no longer the high-spirited Liu Bei who sits in Jingzhou and Jiaozhou in Jiangdong. After successive defeats, the entire Jiangdong has been occupied by Liu Xiao. The entire Jingzhou has now fallen except Guiyang and Changsha. Trapped in Changsha City, completely cut off contact with Guiyang.

The end of the road, for Liu Bei, now is the end of the road!
A bloody battle with Cao Cao to the end?
Now Liu Bei doesn't have such strength at all, even if he has such strength, so what, Cao Cao retreated, and Liu Xiao, who won the entire Jiangdong, will definitely march westward and snatch Jingzhou again.

Surrender to Cao Cao?

fart!
Not to mention Liu Bei, even the soldiers under Liu Bei's command hated Cao Cao to the bone, much less than Liu Xiao!
It is because of Cao Cao's treachery, repeatedly, that he put Liu Bei's bones in the hole, and the elite troops in his hands were defeated by Liu Xiao's army one after another. There is one Jiaozhou that I can't directly control, so I don't even think about surrendering to Cao Cao!

But if you can't fight, and you don't want to surrender, is there a third way?

Just when Liu Bei and Pang Tong and Xu Shu were at a loss, the envoy sent by Cao Cao arrived again. This time, it was not the envoy of Cheng Xinxin, but the envoy of the court. Hua Xin, as an important minister in the court, came here on a festival!

"Mr. Hua, I have already said twice that it is absolutely impossible for me to surrender to Cao Cao. I would rather fight to the death and die at the head of Changsha City!"

Seeing Hua Xin, Liu Bei got angry and shouted harshly.

Hua Xin smiled lightly and said, "You misunderstood me, this time Hua Xin came here not according to the prime minister's order, but according to the imperial court's order, so Mr. Shijun always regards himself as a Han minister, and as the emperor's uncle. Xu, now that the imperial edict is here, the envoy won't want to accept it, will he?"

Liu Bei was shocked. He slowly looked at Hua Xin and asked in a deep voice: "Edict from the Emperor? Mr. Hua, please don't make fun of the Emperor. Otherwise, the sword in Liu Bei's hand will not recognize people. The Emperor is far away in Xudu. How can the edict be sent so quickly?"

Hua Xin said with a smile: "Master Shijun is no different than others, he is the clan of the Han Dynasty, the emperor's uncle of the Han Dynasty, and his every move is under the close attention of the emperor. The prime minister just surrounded Changsha with troops, and the emperor's edict was sent out. As early as three days ago, the imperial decree had already arrived in the army, today, Hua Xin came here specially to announce the decree, so that your lord, set up the incense table, and get ready to receive the decree."

Liu Bei didn't dare to be negligent, and quickly ordered someone to set up an incense table, and knelt down on the ground.

"The emperor ordered that Liu Bei, the shepherd of Yangzhou, is the clan of the Han family. For many years, he has pacified the place, suppressed the rebellion, and made great achievements. , Jingzhou military and political affairs, and subsequent matters, all should be entrusted to the Prime Minister Cao Cao to adjudicate, hereby!"

Hua Xin put down the imperial decree and said with a smile: "Congratulations, Mr. Envoy, please also hand over the seals of Yangzhou and Jingzhou, and go to Xudu to meet the saint soon!"

"You told us to go to Xudu, are we going?"

Zhang Fei on the side shouted sharply.

"Third brother!"

Liu Bei stopped talking in a deep voice.

Cao Cao posed a problem for himself, the real problem, he wanted to serve the country with loyalty to the emperor, and boasted of helping the Han family, but now he was at the end of the road, the emperor came to invite him to meet him in Xudu, and he couldn't find anyone to refuse Why can it still be excused by the extermination of the Yellow Turban Army?Now Cao Cao is blocking Changsha City. Once he refuses, Cao Cao can disturb his army's morale and take down Changsha City in one fell swoop. Even if he kills himself, there is no place to complain!

"Mr. Ziyu, Liu Bei naturally did not dare to neglect the edict of the Son of Heaven. However, the soldiers under Liu Bei followed Liu Bei to fight in the east and west, and scattered like birds and beasts, wandering in the rivers and lakes. I really can't bear it. Let Liu Bei report to the Ming court and take them away. Go back to Xudu!"

Liu Bei said in a deep voice.

"No need!"

Hua Xin said with a smile: "Since the Son of Heaven summoned you back to Xudu, he will naturally make arrangements for the adjutant officers and generals in the army. Xu Yuanzhi is the order of Xudu and is in charge of general affairs of Xudu; Crusade the rebels Liu Xiao and Li Shimin; Guan Yunchang is the general who conquers the south, Zhang Yide is the general who conquers the east; Huang Hansheng is the general who conquers the west; Wei Yan is the general who conquers the east; all stay in Jingzhou and obey the prime minister's orders!"

(End of this chapter)