Chapter 380: Collaboration with foreign enemies, Yuan Shao's defeat However, Xun Chen suggested that Yuan Shao send an envoy to persuade Cao's army to surrender, so Yuan Shao sent this envoy as an envoy into the city of Chang'an. Since Yuan Shao crossed the river, Xiahou Dun entered the city, took up the flag of Cao's army, and became the leader of the city. He was famous for his bravery, but he never forgot his studies. He was frugal by nature and would give away any surplus money he had, which made him deeply trusted by Cao Cao. Therefore, Xiahou Dun enjoyed a very high prestige among the generals in Cao's camp, which is why he was still able to mobilize the generals after Cao Cao's death. As he retreated into Chang'an, almost all the civil and military officials of Cao's army gathered in the city. In terms of literature, a number of core civil officials such as Xun Yu, Lou Gui, Zhong Yao, Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and Dong Zhao are all here, while the military generals are led by Xiahou Dun, Xu Huang, Yu Jin, Shi Huan, Xu Chu and other leading generals. Not to mention the number of second-tier civil and military officials under his command, such as Jia Kui, Zhang Ji, Du Ji, Yang Xiu, Xiahou Shang and others. This configuration, coupled with an army of 60,000, can directly turn Chang'an into an impregnable military fortress. However, the concentration of civil and military forces at this time represented that Cao's army had reached its end. Under the siege of three parties, it had almost no chance of counterattack. So after entering Chang'an City, Xiahou Dun summoned all the civil and military officials and showed him the suicide note Cao Cao had given him: "As you all know, Ma Teng, Han Sui, Yuan Shao and others are at the gates of the city. Our army has no way to retreat."

"According to Brother Meng De's will, we are to defend the city until Liu Bei comes north and surrender to him." "So I intend to hold the city firmly and wait for Liu Xuande to surrender. What do you think of this proposal?" It was also because Cao Cao died suddenly and did not openly announce that he would entrust his son to Xiahou Dun, so when he said this, people like Xun Yu, Jia Xu, Guo Jia were fine, but the rest of the civil and military officials were in an uproar. You know, the reason they have reached this point today is closely related to Liu Bei's relentless pursuit. As a result, now that Yuan Shao and his men are at the gates of the city, they have to hold their ground and wait for Liu Bei to come according to Cao Cao's last will. This arrangement was not only confusing to Lou Gui and others, but also to a series of second-tier civil and military officials. Yang Xiu stepped out and said: "There are still 60,000 soldiers and horses in the city, as well as money, food and fodder that can sustain them for several months. The soldiers are all willing to fight to the death, so why should we surrender?" "Besides, even if we surrender, Lord Yuan is closer now. Why don't we surrender to Lord Yuan instead of Liu Bei?" "Although this is Lord Cao's will, please forgive me for speaking frankly. Even if Liu Bei came, he might not be able to defeat Lord Yuan." Yang Xiu was the son of Yang Biao. He came from a family of scholars. He was studious and talented. He was selected as a filial and incorruptible official during the Jian'an period. Because Yang Biao retreated to the second line, Cao Cao promoted Yang Xiu to be his chief clerk and valued him very much. However, although he held an important position, Cao Cao did not let him participate when he wrote his will. Seeing Xiahou Dun taking out the suicide note, he naturally began to doubt the authenticity of the note. But Xiahou Dun just glanced at him after hearing this, then put the suicide note on the table, looked around at everyone and said: "This is not my intention, but Brother Mengde's. I have been entrusted with the important task of taking care of your orphan, so I must follow your orders and cannot disobey you." "Except for Yang Dezu, do you have any objections? If not, we will follow your orders." This time he gathered everyone together not to get the opinions of Yang Xiu and others, but to get the opinions of Xun Yu, Jia Xu and others. Because although Yang Xiu was talented, he was only a second-tier civil official and was far from being able to shake the will of their entire army. But Jia Xu, Xun Yu and others all hold important positions. If one of them disagrees, they will have to discuss it again. However, Xiahou Dun's doubts were obviously excessive, because their core circle had no reason to oppose this proposal at all. Although Guo Jia resented Liu Bei for killing Cao Cao, he would absolutely obey Cao Cao's last will and would not object.

Jia Xu and Xun Yu had already prepared themselves mentally, so they naturally would not slap Xiahou Dun in the face at this time. Apart from these three, Lou Gui and Yu Jin were both lone ministers who did not form cliques for personal gain, and it didn't matter whether they joined Yuan Shao or Liu Bei. As for Zhong Yao and Dong Zhao, one had close contacts with Chen Qun and others, and the other had an old grudge against Yuan Shao, so neither of them would defect to Yuan Shao. Xu Huang and Shi Huan were pure military generals with no family interests. They were also centrists and had no obvious preference for Yuan Shao or Liu Bei. After all the calculations, no one in the core circle of Cao's army would support Yuan Shao. Instead, more people would support surrendering to Liu Bei or following Cao Cao's will. Facing Xiahou Dun's gaze, everyone was naturally silent, except Guo Jia who stepped out with an expressionless face and said: "The lord's will is here, how can we not respect it? Since the general has entrusted us with the orphan, we will all obey the general's orders!" As soon as he finished speaking, Xun Yu and Jia Xu looked at each other, then stepped forward and said, "We second the motion." As soon as the three expressed their opinions, everyone else came out to second their motion, leaving Yang Xiu alone standing on the field with a mixed look on his face. Seeing this, Xiahou Dun said to everyone, "Since this is the case, everyone go down and prepare, each doing their own thing, and we will wait for Liu Bei to come." Upon hearing this, everyone left the hall one after another. Only Yang Xiu saw this and sighed for a long time. He returned to his house and thought to himself: "My Yang family has three dukes in four generations. Since my father retired, I am the only one who is struggling here. If I surrender to Liu Bei now, how can I ever make a breakthrough in the future?" "Mr. Yuan and I are related. If I submit to him, he will be of great importance to me. I must find a way to invite him to come!" As for Yang Xiu, although he had extraordinary talents, he was extremely utilitarian, otherwise he would not have been involved in Cao Cao's family affairs and was killed. Considering the interests of his family at this time, he simply gritted his teeth and walked towards the Sikong Mansion. After entering the mansion, he went straight to find Cao Pi. Although Yang Xiu was Cao Zhi's loyalist in history, he had a good relationship with Cao Pi. As soon as he saw him, he said: "Now, my lord, have you heard that Xiahou Yuanrang wanted to surrender to Liu? I wonder what your opinion is on this?" Cao Pi was still young at this time, and was not as decisive as Emperor Wen of Wei in the future. Upon hearing this, he frowned and said: "I have also heard a little about it. Since it is my father's last wish, I should obey it. What else can it mean?" When Yang Xiu heard him say this, he immediately pretended to cover his face and cry. When Cao Pi asked him a question, he sighed and said: "It's a pity that the young master is so filial that he didn't think he would be used by others like this. I was the bookkeeper of Princess Cao, and I have never seen Cao Gong's will." "How could Xiahou Yuanrang, who was thousands of miles away, gain Cao Gong's trust? This must be their conspiracy." "In my opinion, surrendering to Liu Bei is fine, but I am worried that Cao Gong is dead, leaving you and your wife alone and weak." "In the future, Xiahou Yuanrang and others will be honored for their achievements, but I wonder how you and Madam will raise a son together?" "I heard that before Cao Gong passed away, he asked you to earn your living by weaving mats and selling shoes. In the future, they will all prosper, and the Cao family will probably decline!" Cao Pi was only sixteen years old at this time and had not yet had any experience. He was still young and immature. After hearing Yang Xiu's bewitching words, he felt sad when he thought that he and his mother would have to weave mats and sell shoes for a living in the future. "Although I know this, I am not in charge of the city. What can I do if this happens?" Seeing this, Yang Xiu continued, "Although Lord Cao has left, the mistress is still in charge. If the young master is having trouble making a decision, why not ask the mistress to step in?" "If the mistress agrees, they can surrender if they wish, and you and the mistress can join Lord Yuan's army." "Since Lord Yuan and Lord Cao are friendly, they will not be harsh on their children. They will be taken care of for a few years until the young masters grow up." "In the future, they can support their children with their own strength and will not need to rely on others. Isn't it better to just let them do what they want?" Upon hearing this, Cao Pi couldn't help but think to himself that compared to joining Liu Bei, it was obviously more in the interest of his family to join Yuan Shao.

After all, although Yuan Shao and Cao Cao had a great battle, they were old friends after all, and they would definitely treat each other well. And Liu Bei was just an outsider from the beginning to the end. He had never even met them. Who knew how he would treat these old enemies? After thinking about it, he figured out the reason, and said to Yang Xiu: "Brother Dezu, go ahead. I will tell mother about this matter!" After receiving a positive answer, Yang Xiu was overjoyed. He nodded and left in agreement. Cao Pi returned to his mansion to think. He thought that this matter was neither big nor small. If he went alone, Mrs. Ding would definitely not allow it, so his mother had to step in. After thinking about it, he called Cao Zhi to discuss it. After the two brothers made a plan, they went to find Bian to persuade her. Seeing that the two sons were worried, Bian Shi hurriedly advised them, saying that Xiahou Dun and others would not treat them badly, but Cao Pi said: "Whether it's okay or not, it's all just a matter of words. Mother, just go and talk to Grandmother. If Grandmother doesn't complain, I won't force it." Bian was originally a virtuous woman, but she could not resist her children's pleading, so she went to find Ding and explained her intention. Unexpectedly, it would have been better if she hadn't said anything. As soon as she said it, Mrs. Ding flew into a rage and pointed at Mrs. Bian and shouted: "How can a woman's opinion be so unwise? Your husband must have a purpose for making such an arrangement. How can you interfere?" "Even if your husband has made a mistake, wouldn't Xun Wenruo, Guo Fengxiao and the others know about it? Could it be that as a woman, you can be better than all the civil and military officials in the court?" After being scolded by her, Bian ran out ashamed, thinking to herself, this makes sense. Others would harm them, so could it be that Cao Cao would harm them? Since Cao Cao has decided that they should surrender to Liu Bei, it means that Cao Cao has already thought about what will happen after his death. What are they worried about! After thinking it through, Bian returned to the inner courtyard and found Cao Pi and others to reprimand them, asking them to go back to the mansion to reflect and not mention it again. Seeing that his persuasion was futile and knowing that Ding would not change her ways, Cao Pi simply gave up and stopped thinking about it. While he had given up the idea, Yang Xiu was still unaware of it. He returned to the mansion and waited for news. Unexpectedly, he heard someone come to report that Yuan Shao's envoy had arrived. Upon hearing this, Yang Xiu thought that it was God's help for him, so he sent a letter to the post station to inform the public, saying that everyone in the city had agreed to surrender to Liu Bei, and if they wanted to succeed, they had to persuade Ding. Before Xun Chen entered the city, he thought it would be easy to persuade Cao's army this time, because he felt that Cao Cao and Liu Bei were mortal enemies, while Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were former allies. So no matter what, Xiahou Dun’s priority for surrender is Yuan Shao, and he only needs to guard against the remnants of Cao’s army defending the city. As soon as he entered the city, someone told him that Xiahou Dun had decided to surrender to Liu Bei. What should he do? Although he didn't know the identity of the messenger, he thought that the other party should have no reason to lie to him. Since it was said that Xiahou Dun was going to surrender to Liu Bei, the news was most likely correct, and he must try to stop it. That night, he thought hard all night and came up with a countermeasure. When he met Xiahou Dun this day and saw that he did not surrender, he said bluntly: "Now I heard that Lord Cao's sons are still alive, and even though the other sons are young, they also have wives here. Why do you make such a decision without asking the wives' opinions?" If Xun Chen had mentioned other reasons, Xiahou Dun would naturally not have been shaken, but when he mentioned Cao Cao's orphan, Xiahou Dun hesitated. Because Ding was Cao Cao's legal wife, he needed to go and inform her of the matter, but he happened not to ask for Ding's opinion this time. Therefore, he let Xun Chen go back to rest first, and then went straight to Sikong Mansion. When he met Ding, he told her everything again. But when Mrs. Ding heard this, she became angry again and said, "Since my husband has entrusted the general with important matters, the general can do as he sees fit. Why bother asking a woman for her opinion?" "Ms. Bian just came to talk about this matter today, and the general came to talk about it again. Could it be that you all disregarded your husband's orders and valued the opinions of women?" Speaking of Ding, she was definitely one of the heroic women in the late Han Dynasty. In the original story, she broke with Cao Cao directly because of the death of Cao Ang.

And in this timeline, since she had not broken with Cao Cao, she felt that everything should be based on Cao Cao's will. Now everyone came to make suggestions regardless of Cao Cao's last will. In her opinion, this was not a good thing for the Cao family. After all, Cao Cao's intention was to let the Cao family fade out of the court, and she must not let everyone be involved in it again. After he said this, Xiahou Dun felt ashamed and quickly apologized and left. But after returning home, Xiahou Dun felt that something was wrong. Since it was Xun Chen who came to ask him to seek help from Ding, there should be no reason for Bian to go and seek help specially. There must be a connection between the two. This was not good news for them, as it meant that there was an accomplice of Yuan Shao in the city who could cause harm at any time. Moreover, this insider could directly communicate with Cao Cao's mansion, which was a huge hidden danger. After thinking about it, he summoned Xun Yu, Guo Jia and others to discuss the matter. Everyone was shocked when they heard this, and then Guo Jia said, "Yesterday when we were discussing matters, I saw that Yang Dezu seemed to be acting strangely. This man is on good terms with Cao Gong's sons, so he must have spread the slander." "You can ask the servants in the mansion. If Yang Dezu was in the mansion yesterday, we can know whether this person intends to collaborate with the enemy!" When Xiahou Dun heard about it, he sent someone to inquire, and he received a reply saying that it was indeed Yang Xiu who entered the mansion to persuade him. Xiahou Dun was furious when he saw this, and he wanted to take people to arrest Yang Xiu and bring him to justice, but Xun Yu said: "Yang Xiu is a third-rank official in his generation. We should not capture him lightly. Since he has already communicated with Yuan Shao, we might as well pretend to respond to him first, lure Yuan Shao into the city, and defeat him first." "In this case, if the person continues to persuade, he can be imprisoned according to the crime. If he does not persuade, then we can let him go without any further concern." Xiahou Dun thought that if they were to surrender to Liu Bei now, they would become enemies with Yuan Shao sooner or later. In this case, they might as well pretend to surrender first, which would make it easier for them to act later. After thinking for a while, he followed Xun Yu's plan, summoned Xun Chen, explained everything to him, and expressed his willingness to surrender to Yuan Shao, and invited Yuan Shao to come and accept the surrender. Upon hearing this, Xun Chen did not suspect anything and immediately returned to Yuan Shao's army to tell him about the matter, and presented the letter of surrender and seal written by Xiahou Dun. Yuan Shao was overjoyed when he heard the news. After accepting the letter of surrender, he led his troops directly to Chang'an. When he reached the outside of the city, he saw the civil and military officials and then led his troops into the city. As a result, when they were halfway there, they suddenly saw the "people" in the city taking up their weapons and rushing towards them. Yuan Shao was shocked and asked, "You surrendered insincerely, why did you send troops here?" Upon hearing this, Xiahou Dun raised his spear and rode towards Yuan Shao, shouting, "We are Han officials. How can we surrender to Han thieves?" At his command, soldiers rushed out from all directions. Yuan Shao saw them and had no time to escape. Fortunately, Gao Lan stepped forward to block them, allowing Yuan Shao to leave the city. When Xiahou Dun saw Yuan Shao fleeing, he became furious, and ordered his troops to surround Gao Lan, and then led his troops to attack. Yuan Shao's troops were caught off guard and were immediately defeated. In this battle, Yuan Shao's general Gao Lan was killed in the city. Yuan Shao lost thousands of soldiers and generals, and then retreated to the camp and cursed Xun Chen. The next day, the man was angry about Xiahou Dun's fraud, so he stopped hesitating and led his troops to join forces with Ma Teng and Han Sui to attack Chang'an City. They were unable to capture the city for two days in a row, but at this time, news came from the east that Guan Yu had raided Henei and had reached Hedong County. (End of this chapter)