Three Kingdoms

Dahan, the first year of Taixing, June, Yiyou.

After the Han Hussars captured Sichuan and Shu, they began to prepare to march into the Western Regions. According to the old Han practice, they established the so-called Western Regions Protectorate and sent soldiers to the Hexi Corridor. News reached Xu County.

According to the news, Fei Qian sent Lu Bu as the Protector of the Western Regions, and now his troops have reached Dayuezhi, and there has even been a fight!

"I wonder how many hussars were lost in this battle?" Cao Cao felt his forehead and temples jumping and felt very uncomfortable, but he still held on and asked.

This is very important. The Western Region is too far away. Even if Cao Cao has some ideas, there is no room for them to be used. However, if General Fei Qian lost a large number of soldiers in this battle, it means that his strength will be greater. A period of decline.

Xun Yu pondered, and his usually calm expression could not help but appear a little absent-minded.

The Hussars General always surprises people. He suddenly turned to the Western Regions, which even Xun Yu didn't expect. Just like Fei sneaking into Sichuan and Shu before, it was astonishing.

In the previous Battle of Sichuan and Shu, Xun Yu originally thought that Fei Qian would engage in a war of attrition in the middle of Sichuan, but he did not expect that the entire battle would be over before Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao.

War means huge losses.

Just like Cao Cao himself, although he won the battle with Yuan Shao, he also suffered heavy losses, especially on his soldiers. The veterans originally recruited in Yanzhou have basically been used up, and even the Qingzhou soldiers have suffered a lot. Now Cao Cao is urgently recruiting refugees to replenish the army. Of course, it sounds like recruiting, but in fact it is to recruit strong men. As long as they are Every man over the age of sixteen and under the age of forty counts as one, and if caught, he is considered to have "voluntarily surrendered to the army."

Of course, such "recruitment" activities are not in Yingchuan, nor near Xu County, but in Nanyang, Xuzhou, Qingzhou, and even Yangzhou and other surrounding marginal areas. Anyway, for Cao Cao, the people in these marginal areas The population can't bring much tax to itself, and it may still be left to hostile forces, so we just don't stop doing anything and completely empty it out, which can be regarded as a strategic level of clearing the country.

This is for soldiers, and it also consumes a lot of food and grass.

In order to make up for the vacancy in grain and grass, Cao Cao is now vigorously promoting farming. In addition to the previous farms, Cao Cao opened up more acres of land, and even arranged for soldiers to conduct military camps. He replaced Xiahou Dun as the military commander and was in charge of logistics and military resources. He appointed Cao Xiu as the chief officer of the farms and Song Hang as his literary officer. Zuo, he also hired Zhou Zhang, a famous agricultural scholar who came to Xu County with Liu Xie, as the captain of the field...

But the strange thing is that even though Cao Cao generally followed Fei Qian's method, there seemed to be some problems after all. It was like the nobles in Guanzhong were so cooperative, but here...

During these times, there were gradually some voices of dissatisfaction in Xu County. These children of noble families believed that these farmlands belonged to the country and the court in name, but in fact they belonged to Cao Cao. Therefore, it was tantamount to Cao Cao occupying so many fields by himself and living alone!

Due to the way information was disseminated in the Han Dynasty, for many things, the princes outside Fei Qian knew that Fei Qian did certain things, but the same thing, done differently, naturally led to different results. So whether it was Cao Cao or Xun Yu, what they didn't know was that they were both farming, but they also had different methods. The key is that even if they knew the difference, they might not be able to learn it if they really wanted to.

The first is the ownership of the fields. Fei Qian stipulated that the fields allocated to the refugees must be cultivated for three consecutive years before they can be regarded as belonging to these refugees. He also stipulated that the refugees are not allowed to buy and sell freely within ten years. This guarantees Normally, these settled refugees will provide Feiqian with a relatively stable supply of food and grass taxes within more than ten years.

Cao Cao can't do it, are you kidding me? Give the ownership of the land directly to the refugees?

Not to mention the Jue Tian system that was implemented in Guanzhong.

Fei Qian gave a considerable part of the land as a reward to the veterans and some generals who had followed him for many years. Although these acres could be sold and traded, only the part of the land was subject to low taxes, and once sold, it was equivalent to losing the land. Tian Welfare, so it also maintains a certain degree of stability.

Cao Cao couldn't do it either, not just Cao Cao, but all the princes who relied on gentry surnames to make their fortunes.

Because the most critical point is that Fei Qian's clan has a small population, so when Fei Qian does this, no one in the clan opposes it, and the strength of people outside the clan is weak. Unlike Cao Cao, no matter how outsiders look at it, It's like Cao Cao flipping from his left hand to his right hand. Anyway, the person who benefits is either the Cao family or the Xiahou family. There is no difference at all. Naturally, no one will think that Fei Qian controls a large amount of land and does not profit from it...

And even if Cao Cao knew this, he still couldn't do it. Cao Cao must first protect the interests of his own Cao family and Xiahou family, otherwise he will not be able to suppress other noble families. Therefore, in essence, it is the same farming system, but Cao Cao and Fei Qian's directions are completely different.

Cao Cao hoped that Fei Qian would definitely lose a lot of elites in this battle, but he did not expect that after Xun Yu was silent for a moment, he said with a little helplessness in his voice: "The Hussars have not moved the army in Guanzhong and merged with the north... Not much damage…”

In fact, strictly speaking, Fei Qian did not dispatch Guanzhong soldiers and Bingzhou soldiers at all, but because the number of soldiers dispatched was relatively small, they were ignored.

"This..." Cao Cao was stunned, and couldn't help blurting out, "First we took Sichuan and Shu lightly, with very little loss. Now we are fighting in the Western Region, with very little loss... this...this..."

I think back then, when he received the news that Fei Qian had basically taken control of Sichuan and Shu, Cao Cao was stunned for almost an hour. His emotions were rolling and he couldn't calm down for a long time. But now...

It seems that everything in Fei Qian is so easy, why is it so difficult here for me?

Are all Fei Qian's soldiers so tough?

Or is it that there were strong soldiers in Longxi before?

Or are these people in the Western Region too soft?

Or is there something else that I don’t know about?

At such a moment, several thoughts swirled in Cao Cao's mind, and then turned into a sigh...

"However, the internal and external disputes between the Western Qiang have been going on for a long time since the Qin Dynasty..." Xun Yu said softly, "In addition, there are many barbarians in the south, and it is easy for the hussars to capture them, but it is difficult to defeat them... My lord, there is no need to worry, even if it is temporarily defeated. The losses are quite small, but they accumulate over time..."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and nodded slightly.

I hope so.

"In this case...the matter in Jizhou..."

Cao Cao pondered and stopped mid-sentence.

Killing him while he is sick is not just a matter of words. Yuan Shao is now seriously ill, and Cao Cao has naturally gotten the news, so he is also a little moved. It would be great to take advantage of Fei's latent attention to the Western Regions to bring Jizhou to Jizhou.

"Jizhou, it's better to slow down..." Xun Yu understood what Cao Cao was thinking and suggested, "After years of fighting, the warehouses are empty and there is no way to fight anymore... In addition, Yuan Benchu's three sons are on one side, and sooner or later there will be chaos. Lord There’s no need to rush, we can wait until after the autumn harvest to make a decision..."

Although Yuan Shao was defeated this time, the centipede was still alive.

In addition, Cao Cao's army is also in dire straits. If they attack Yecheng but cannot attack, the rear and flanks will be completely blank. If the war is prolonged and there is no food for the troops, then Yuan Shao will counterattack and may be ruined. The current situation.

"Wen Ruo's words make sense." Cao Cao thought for a long time, finally nodded, and then he was silent, his eyes wandering westward.

Xun Yu guessed what Cao Cao was worried about. After all, the threat from General Fei Qian was too great, which made everyone feel uncomfortable. Just like now, if you rush to attack Yuan Shao urgently, then no matter whether Cao Cao wins, or both you and Yuan Shao suffer losses, or Yuan Shao wins, in the end it will be Feiqian who will benefit. And if you drag on with Yuan Shao, the stalemate continues. Still, Fei Qian could sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight, with the same result.

"My lord, Liu Jingsheng's son is trapped in Badong..." Xun Yu said slowly, "This is the hussar's strategy to check and balance Jingzhou... However, like a double-edged sword, it also has its disadvantages..."

Cao Cao stroked his beard, his eyes flickered, and said, "Wen Ruo means..."

"Liu Jingsheng, although he has the help of two Kuai, is still talking about cruelty. Now is a time of chaos and no peace, so I also ask for the help of everyone to achieve his great cause. I can help him..." Xun Yu slowly understood He said, "This will create a situation where the north and the south are pinned down. If the lord takes Jizhou again, recruits talented people, and accumulates military supplies. In time, the food supply will be solid and the army will be strong, covering the north and south, and it will be easy to defeat Guanzhong... The prosperity of Guanzhong will be easy." , this is the trend of wealth and goods, if Hangu is isolated... it will not last long..."

Xun Yu meant a certain amount of relief, but there was also a certain truth to it. I just want to persuade Cao Cao not to think so much. Now is not the time to make enemies on all sides, and he doesn't have the capital, so he should first win over everyone who can be winned over, and then accumulate strength. He will first take Jizhou as a stable rear, and then rely on the land of Shandong to dominate the Han Dynasty. The advantages accumulated over the past two hundred years have naturally made them invincible.

In the eyes of most people of the Han Dynasty, a place like Xiliang could not be stable for a long time. Back then, the entire Han Dynasty was dragged into the quagmire of war. Could it be that General Fei Qian was an exception now?

Therefore, if chaos breaks out in the Western Region, what will happen even if Fei Qian is sitting in Guanzhong?

Even if Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty is a waste, he doesn't need to be used as an example. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was powerful enough at that time. He used the money accumulated from the Wenjing rule to defeat the Xiongnu, and he also wiped out the old man. Fei Qian then Amazing, can it be compared with Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty? When the trade chain is blocked, can it be said that Fei Qian can resist the rebellion of Xiliang with only a small amount of wealth?

Cao Cao nodded slowly and said: "You Ruo's words are very... However, in my heart... this... this strategy is too slow, and there may be changes..." Although Xun Yu said there is a certain truth in what he said. , but Cao Cao still felt that he might not be able to trap Fei Qian's hands and feet.

It turns out that in Cao Cao's strategic vision, even if Fei Qian can rise, it will not be so fast. After all, Guanzhong has been desolate for a long time, and all the best of the Han Dynasty is in Shandong, and Shanxi is barren, both economically and culturally. This was the case, so he really didn't care at first. When he defeated Yuan Shao and looked back, he was shocked.

Cao Cao thought he was running fast enough, but found that Fei Qian was simply flying on grass...

Why not just fly into the sky?

Simply waiting for chaos in Xiliang, waiting for Liu Biao and Fei Qian to turn against each other, and waiting for Xianbei to attack Yinshan in the north would be too passive and not very controllable, and there is no strategy to slow down Fei Qian's development, and then give himself How about fighting for some opportunities to grow?

Xun Yu was silent for a moment and said: "Lord, if this is the case, there is a plan... But this plan is just like the old story of Zheng Guoqu... It may have both advantages and disadvantages..."

The reason for the Zheng Guo Canal was that South Korea was afraid of the power of Qin at that time, so it deliberately sent a water conservancy engineer named Zheng Guo to Qin to offer advice on building the canal, saying that it would increase Qin's per-acre output, thereby consuming Qin's manpower and resources and weakening Qin's army. , but did not expect that this move would be counterproductive and would instead make Qin stronger.

In fact, Zheng Guoqu's strategy cannot be regarded as South Korea's stupidity, but South Korea did not expect that in the more than ten years since Zheng Guoqu was built, South Korea not only failed to seize this opportunity to defeat Qin, but its own strength was further reduced. , which is equivalent to sending a clean hydraulic engineer Zheng Guo to Qin.

Cao Cao laughed and said: "Is there any perfect plan in the world? Wen Ruo doesn't need to worry, just tell me!"

"If you want to reduce the strength of the hussar," Xun Yu said with cupped hands, "then promote his reputation in the Western Regions!"

Now Fei Qian's behavior of lurking in the Western Regions has not been reported or publicized. In Xun Yu's eyes, this is a move that Fei Qian can make or retreat from. It is also normal. However, if this matter is confirmed through the court, , then it means that this has become a political achievement of Fei Qian, which naturally has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that Fei Qian can be put up, and it is not so easy to get down easily. The disadvantage is that some of the things that were done to smear Fei Qian have been done before. The hidden work will be in vain, and some people who don't know the situation will yearn for it...

Cao Cao was silent.

Xun Yu also waited quietly.

To be honest, at this stage, Cao Cao can only rely on Liu Xie's name to target Yu Feiqian, but the power of this name is actually very limited. Just like Cao Cao cannot make Yuan Shao surrender with just Liu Xie's decree. Likewise, we can only make decisions in name only.

However, if Fei Qian can really be attracted to the west, then Cao Cao will naturally have more time and space to operate...

"Just Yi Wenruo!" Cao Cao said decisively, "Qiao Qi may be Zhao Zheng, but he is not Huan Hui!"