Chapter 193: The authorities are confused, Zheng Xuan's power In history, the only real confrontation between Liu Bei and Cao Cao was the Battle of Hanzhong. Because most of the time in Cao Cao's eyes, Liu Bei was not considered a big enemy. He could not be killed, but he also could not cause much of an obstacle. However, on this timeline, Liu Bei made Cao Cao realize what a tough nut to crack twenty years in advance! You have to know that Cao Cao has been winning battles in succession since he took control of Dongjun seven years ago. Even if he suffered a defeat, it was because he was too arrogant or due to external factors. But now that Liu Bei had set foot in the Central Plains, Cao Cao felt that his invincible army had encountered an obstacle. Just like the two cities of Chen County and Xinping now, with only Liu Ye and Liang Xi, he feels like he can't handle it. Therefore, he asked this soul-searching question: Why did Liu Bei have such people to assist him? Since these people were going to assist Liu Bei, what were they doing before? Could it be that it was because Qin Zhen joined Liu Bei's army that Liu Bei underwent a qualitative change? Lao Cao couldn’t understand this! Did Liu Bei really have the ability to rise to power, or was it Qin Zhen who forcibly carried Liu Bei up?

If it's the former, it's a bit illogical. If it was the latter, then he would be in great pain! Because this means that his own rise was most likely pushed forward by Qin Zhen. Now that Qin Zhen is gone, Cao Cao’s banner is no longer effective! So when he said this, Lao Cao looked at Xun You with surprise and incomprehension. Xun You looked at Cao Cao's expression and shook his head, saying: "You must not underestimate Liu Bei. I heard that when Liu Bei was defeated, Mr. Cheng urged you to kill him." "Your Excellency respects heroes and is unwilling to kill them. Instead, you give them troops, horses, money and food. This is like letting a dragon go into the sea and a tiger return to the mountain." "Later Qin Zhen did not respect you and left. Even if the Minister of Works did not kill him, he should not have been forced to leave." "As the ancients said: If you let the enemy go for a day, you will suffer for eternity. This is the situation now." "But today's situation is not the result of Liu Bei's ability, nor Qin Zhen's strength. It is the combination of these two enemies, and the inclusion of wise men, which has become a threat!" "This is definitely not the work of one person. It is the result of the foundation of our Han Dynasty. There are talented people in the court and in the countryside." "They wanted Yuan Shu but couldn't use him, so Liu Bei promoted him, and so he was used by him!" He could see that Lao Cao was somewhat doubtful about his life, so he told Lao Cao directly that it was not the other party's problem, but that you had allowed Liu Bei to snowball and make the snowball bigger. Although this was an accusation against Cao Cao for his past mistakes, it also showed Cao Cao that although Liu Bei was powerful, he was not as powerful as you, Cao Cao. In the final analysis, if you, Cao, had not let Liu Bei go, all these talents would be yours! When Cao Cao heard this, he regretted it and thought that if he had known this, he should have killed this guy first when Liu Bei was defeated! Fortunately, he still felt that the world was too chaotic, and leaving Liu Bei behind would provide him with a helper in the future! As he pondered this, he felt his throat dry and his words were blocked: "Liu Bei has become a powerful figure now. It is too late to regret. Since Chen County and Xinping are difficult to capture, what can we do?" Xun You saw this and said to Cao Cao directly: "I have three plans, please choose one!" Cao Cao was overjoyed to hear that Xun You had a plan, and hurriedly asked for advice, whereupon Xun You spoke: "It is spring ploughing season now, so it is not the time to mobilize troops. I am sure Liu Bei is unwilling to make things difficult for our army. You can return to Chen County and invite Liu Bei to come and see us."

"Given the current situation, it is best to draw a border with Liu Bei, withdraw our troops, and become allies, one in the south and one in the north, with each other serving as the front and the back. "If you do not wish to form an alliance with Liu Bei, then withdraw your troops, return to Xu County first, and then take Xiliang." "While Yuan Shao has not yet moved south, we should seize the Yongliang area as our base and move the capital to Chang'an to eliminate future troubles. This is the middle strategy!" "If you don't want to form an alliance, and you don't want to move the capital, you can send more troops from Xu County, abandon the areas of Nanyang, and mobilize Cao Ren to go north and Cheng Gong to go south." "Join forces with me, first take Chen, then Ru'nan and Pei, and drive Liu Bei to Huainan. This is the worst strategy." "Of these three strategies, the best one is the best because Liu Bei is different from Yuan Shu. He respects the king's orders and is benevolent. As long as we form an alliance with him, it will be the right time for our army to take Xuzhou or Xiliang first." "With this man in the south, it will be easier for our army to fight against Yuan Shao in the future!" "The middle strategy is the second best. If we don't form an alliance with them, we need to station heavy troops in Xu County first and attack Xiliang first!" "Liu Bei wants to take Jiangdong. He will not make things difficult for our army within this year. Once Xiliang is taken, the capital will be moved to Chang'an, and then our army will have no worries!" "The worst option is the most urgent, because Liu Bei is now in power. Although Huainan has suffered from disasters, Chen State has food and supplies." "In addition, Qin Zhen, Liu Ye, Xu Shu and others under his command are all wise and resourceful, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are also brave. Even if our army launches an all-out attack, we may not be able to win." "On the contrary, if we are dragged here by Liu Bei and Yuan Shao and Liu Biao see the opportunity to attack our army from behind, our army will be doomed and it will be difficult for us to recover!" Cao Cao originally thought that Xun You had some plan to defeat the enemy, but he did not expect that Xun You's suggestion was to advise him to retreat! After hearing what he said, he frowned and said: "Could it be that Gongda thinks that our army is no longer viable in Chen State?" Xun You saw this and nodded: "That's right. Right now Chen County is being defended by Liu Ye, and Xinping is difficult to capture." "Liu Bei's reinforcements have not yet arrived, and our army is blocked here. If Liu Bei's reinforcements arrive, how can our army fight them?" "These two counties are difficult to capture, so this battle will be unprofitable. Considering our military situation, we should withdraw our troops!" In fact, he has always been against Cao Cao going to war with Liu Bei! Although he didn't know Qin Zhen, he knew Qin Zhen's style of doing things very well through various sources. This guy won't take action unless he is sure. The current situation seems to be that they have the upper hand, but in fact, they have already started planning for the State of Chen. Letting Liu Ye to help defend the State of Chen was most likely just the first step of Qin Zhen's plan. After that, there would definitely be a backup plan. The fact that their offensive has been blocked right now illustrates this problem. It can be said that from the very beginning, their dispatch of troops was most likely within Qin Zhen's expectations. In this situation, the situation is firmly controlled by Qin Zhen. What can you use to go to war with him? Therefore, the best way is to stop at the first attempt. If you can take the city, then attack. If you can’t, then retreat! Guo Jia and Cao Cao were in the middle of the situation and couldn't understand this problem. But he was outside the situation and had no involvement in intelligence work, so he could see it clearly! Now that they have tried and failed, it is natural for them to withdraw. When Lao Cao heard this, he was hesitant for a while. In fact, he could certainly understand the logic behind what Xun You said.

But the problem is, because he had been lenient with Liu Bei before, he allowed Liu Bei to become so powerful. Do we still have to wait for Liu Bei to continue to grow stronger? Apart from anything else, he couldn't swallow this breath alone! Thinking of this, he was silent for a while, then he asked again: "Does Gongda really think that our army must withdraw?" Although this was a question, it was also a relief. When Xun You heard it, he wanted to speak again. But at this moment, someone suddenly came to report: "Zheng Kangcheng has arrived outside the camp and wants to see the lord!" Hearing that Zheng Xuan had come to the camp in person, Cao Cao did not dare to be arrogant. Without waiting for Xun You to speak, he walked all the way to the camp. When he arrived at the camp gate, he saw Master Zheng standing at the gate with his back straight and his hands behind his back. Seeing this, Cao Cao hurriedly forced a smile and stepped forward and said: "I once submitted a petition to the emperor, asking Duke Zheng to serve as an official, but I have not yet been able to see him. I wonder why?" But as soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Xuan asked coldly: "What crime has the King of Chen committed that you wish to attack him?" When Cao Cao heard this, he was stunned and thought to himself, I didn’t hit Liu Chong, why are you asking me this, old master? But when he thought about it carefully, he realized it was a bad thing! He only regarded Liu Bei as his biggest enemy, and subconsciously thought that the State of Chen had been taken over by Liu Bei. Now the State of Chen is still nominally Liu Chong's fiefdom. His attack on Xinping last night was, in a sense, an attack on Liu Chong! Seeing Zheng Xuan's unfriendly expression, he racked his brains and said: "It was because Yuan Shu invaded, so I attacked him myself. Unexpectedly, Prince Chen was assassinated, and Luo Jun colluded with Liu Bei to prevent my army from advancing eastward." "So we want to attack the rebels, not the King of Chen!" But how could he hide his little thoughts from Master Zheng? Upon hearing this, Zheng Xuan sneered: "Who is the thief you are talking about? Is it Luo Jun? Liu Ye? Or is it Liu Xuande?" "I only know that Yuan Shu is a traitor who wants to assassinate King Chen and plot against his country." "People like Luo Jun and Liu Ye are all loyal and dedicated to their duties, without any rebellious behavior." "Liu Xuande is the governor of Yuzhou and the general of Zhengdong. Now he sees Yuan Shu invading and helps defend Chen State and sends troops to fight against the enemy. This is a good deed. Why is he called a thief?" "As for Lord Cao, when Yuan Shu came, I had not seen his troops. As soon as Yuan Shu left, Lord Cao arrived." "Why didn't you think of chasing Yuan Shu first, but instead seized the city of your friendly army?" When Cao Cao saw this, his face suddenly darkened. He thought Zheng Xuan had misunderstood something, but he didn't expect that he was taking sides! Now everyone is praising Liu Bei's good deeds, so the whole thing is his fault alone? The State of Chen should have been taken by Liu Bei, but not by Cao Cao? As he pondered, his expression suddenly became more unfriendly, and he squinted his eyes and said: "If what Lord Zheng said is true, then this is my fault. I wonder what Lord Zheng thinks I should do?" This is also where Cao Cao is different from Liu Bei. Liu Bei is a typical person who never shows his emotions on his face, and it is usually impossible to tell whether he is happy or angry. But Lao Cao was a man whose emotions were always revealed on his face, and now, just a few words from him could make people feel the murderous intent. If others saw this, they might take a step back, but Zheng Xuan said in a deep voice: "If you knew you had done something wrong, why didn't you withdraw your troops to Xu County and submit a memorial to the emperor to explain your fault?"

Lao Cao became even more angry when he heard this: "If I deploy my troops here and do not withdraw, what will the Duke of Zheng do?" But as soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Xuan pointed at him and shouted: "Cao Mengde, don't act rashly just because your army is strong. You must know that you are not the only one who has this might!" "You know you are guilty, but you refuse to withdraw your troops. Are you playing tricks on me?" "Do you really think that I am afraid of your power just because I am in your army? I know you are determined to rebel, but I tell you, either withdraw your troops today or kill me right here!" "If not, when I enter the court, I will investigate your crime!" "I want to see if Yuan Benchu, Liu Jingsheng and others will forgive your sins in the future if you kill me!" He was born in poverty, studied classics for decades, and had a righteous spirit. When he asked the question, Cao Cao's scalp went numb. Since Cao Cao started his rebellion, he has killed countless people, including many famous people, but he has never met a man as powerful as Zheng Xuan! Zheng Xuan's words made his heart tremble and he suddenly woke up. The person in front of me is not Bian Rang, this is Zheng Xuan, the master of Confucianism of our time! Even Yuan Shao had to act respectfully in front of Zheng Xuan, so what right did Cao Cao have to threaten others? Is he threatening with his life? Not to mention whether he could kill him, even if Zheng Xuan stuck his head out, he wouldn't dare to kill him! Because once he killed Zheng Xuan, his subordinates would immediately fall apart, and even Xun You, Guo Jia and others would probably abandon him! Yuan Shao would not miss this good opportunity, and Liu Biao would naturally send troops. By then, he would probably become the next Yuan Shu! Thinking of this, Cao Cao felt a chill on his back and hurried forward to bow and say: "Mr. Zheng is right. It was my fault just now. I hope Mr. Zheng will forgive me!" Seeing him being so arrogant at first and respectful later, Zheng Xuan said coldly: "I don't want to ask you about your crime. I just want to ask you one question: are you willing to withdraw your troops now?" When Cao Cao heard this, his heart sank. The problem now was not whether he should withdraw his troops or not, but that he could not accept these words! Because even if he wants to withdraw his troops, he must do so on his own initiative, not passively. If he answered this question now and let Zheng Xuan succeed, his authority would certainly decline further after returning to Xuchang! But he had no choice but to answer. Zheng Xuan was pressing so hard that he just wanted to kill his fighting spirit and would not let him maneuver at all. What should I do? Lao Cao lowered his head, not knowing what to do! However, at this time, Xun You followed out and saluted Zheng Xuan with a smile on his face: "The junior Xun You pays his respects to Lord Zheng. It has been many years since we last met. Lord Zheng is still as elegant as ever!" "Don't be angry, Lord Zheng. In fact, Lord Cao was already preparing to withdraw his troops, but he didn't make it clear. Why is Lord Zheng pressing the issue here?" Zheng Xuan's expression naturally eased a little when he saw Xun You leaving the tent. After all, he was of the same generation as Xun You's grandfather Xun Shuang, and they had a close friendship. Since they were old friends, he wanted to ease the atmosphere, so he didn't want to push them too much. He looked at Cao Cao coldly and said: "I wonder if what Gongda said is what Mengde meant?" Meng De's words gave Cao Cao a way out. Cao Cao raised his head and smiled when he heard it: "That's right. I was just joking with Lord Zheng just now. Please don't be offended, Lord Zheng!" Seeing him like this, Zheng Xuan nodded and stroked his beard, saying: "Since this is the case, I will not blame you. Just withdraw your troops as soon as possible!" Having said that, he looked at Xun You meaningfully, then turned and walked towards Xinping.

Xun You sighed when he saw this, and hurried forward and said: "Where are you going, Lord Zheng? Since you are going to Xu County, why don't you return with us?" But Zheng Xuan listened without turning his head and said: "You guys should withdraw your troops first, and I will go to Xu County from behind. We have different paths and cannot make plans together!" The sound came faintly from far away, and Xun You felt upset when he heard it. Cao Cao looked at Zheng Xuan with a cold expression. However, before Zheng Xuan could get far away, he saw a knight running from a distance, straight to the camp gate, and when he saw Cao Cao, he shouted: "My lord, urgent news from Runan: Liu Bei has killed Yuan Shu and is rushing to attack Nandun. Now Nandun has been taken by Liu Bei!" Hearing this, Cao Cao could no longer hold back, drew his sword and stabbed it into the ground, gritting his teeth and saying: "Big-eared thief, you have gone too far in bullying me. I swear I will kill you!" Upon seeing this, Xun You shook his head and sighed, saying that Liu Bei's reinforcements had not arrived yet. In fact, they have already started counterattacking! Qin Zhen is really the most worrying guy! (End of this chapter)