noffsinger Chapter 46 Yuan Shao: Cao Cao recruited Xu Rong? Is that fake news?
Chapter 46 Yuan Shao: Cao Cao recruited Xu Rong? Is that fake news?
"My lord, in my opinion, on the surface, you should be on good terms with Liu Dai."
"This man is ambitious but lacks talent, and his mind is extremely narrow."
"If our lord were to refuse Liu Dai outright, he would instead see him as a thorn in his side."
"If that's the case, given Liu Dai's status as the governor of Yanzhou and a member of the Han imperial family, the situation will become somewhat unfavorable for our lord."
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao nodded and said:
"Ziyi is right."
"I have heard that the conflict between Qiao Mao and Liu Dai is not actually an irreconcilable feud."
"But Liu Mao was impulsive and quick-tempered, and found it hard to swallow this insult."
"After several accumulations, it eventually became an intractable grudge."
Su Yu smiled and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:
"Therefore, my lord should maintain a superficial relationship with Liu Dai."
"Distract Liu Daizhi's attention to Bao Xin, Zhang Miao, and others."
"At that time, our lord will secretly accumulate strength and maneuver between Liu Dai, Bao Xin, and Zhang Miao."
"When the time is right, we will unify Yanzhou in one fell swoop!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao nodded and said:
“What Ziyi said is very true.”
"Times have changed. I, Cao, should strive for self-improvement and proceed cautiously step by step."
Su Yu had mentioned this to Cao Cao before.
However, at that time, the coalition had only been established for a short time, and the situation was not as clear as it is now.
Time passes.
Just days after the allied forces disbanded, Wang Kuang and Qiao Mao, two former feudal lords, died.
The various warlords in the Guandong region were truly trembling with fear, each feeling insecure.
Cao Cao, naturally, also embarked on a path of expansion.
after all.
In chaotic times, being a good cook is the original sin.
Stagnation in strength is akin to waiting for a slow death!
After discussing the issue of Yanzhou, Cao Cao looked slightly embarrassed and said:
“Ziyi…”
"It seems that our army only has enough food for twenty days."
"What... should we do?"
Compared to the troubles in Yanzhou, the problem of food supplies was Cao Cao's biggest concern.
The autumn harvest season is long over.
Cao Cao did not leave much grain in Dongjun.
With the addition of Xu Rong's more than 10,000 troops, Cao Cao's food supplies became quite strained.
Furthermore, the harvest in Yanzhou has been poor in recent years.
Unless Cao Cao suddenly controls three or four counties, he simply wouldn't have been able to support an army of nearly 20,000.
Su Yu laughed heartily.
He laughed for a full half minute before stopping.
Cao Cao, enraged and humiliated, said:
"Ziyi, you can't just abandon me, Cao!"
"If Xu Rong's more than 10,000 men were to stage a mutiny, I'm afraid none of us would escape!"
Seeing Cao Cao feign anger, Su Yu stopped laughing and replied seriously:
"My lord, if we rely on honest farming, we can only make a living at best."
"After all, the harvest in Yanzhou is really bad."
"If you want to get rich, you have to find new sources of income from outside sources."
Cao Cao was completely bewildered by what Su Yu said, and he quickly pressed for an answer:
"What does Ziyi mean by open source?"
Su Yu smiled and said:
"Has my lord forgotten Han Fu and Pan Feng?"
A glint of light flashed in Cao Cao's eyes.
Of course he hadn't forgotten that!
It should be noted that Pan Feng is still alive because of the secret help from Su Yu and Cao Cao.
Otherwise, Pan Feng would have been killed by Yuan Shao's poisoned wine long ago!
"My lord, Pan Feng's vigilance towards Yuan Shao has reached its peak."
"But Han Fu is indecisive and blinded by old feelings."
"If Pan Feng were to propose taking action against Yuan Shao, Han Fu would certainly not allow it."
"In this way, Pan Feng will surely secretly amass weapons and armor in preparation for any eventuality."
"As a general of Ji Province who was deeply trusted by Han Fu, Pan Feng had the right to procure weapons and armor on his own."
"My lord, we can sell some of the weapons and armor we obtained from Hulao Pass to Pan Feng, if necessary."
"At the same time, Yanzhou is a land of iron production."
"Why not exchange our weapons for the provisions in Pan Feng's hands?"
"You bastard!!!"
Cao Cao gasped.
Su Yu's schemes were so intricately linked that they were even more terrifying than a sow wearing a breastplate!
The armor and weapons obtained from Hulao Pass were indeed of good quality.
But armor can't be eaten.
Cao Cao could have done as Su Yu suggested and offered a portion of it in a deal with Pan Feng.
Pan Feng is short of soldiers and armor, while Cao Cao is short of provisions. Pan Feng will definitely agree to this deal!
after all.
Jizhou is a major grain-producing prefecture.
There was so much food that we could hardly eat it all.
This is equivalent to Cao Cao using armor to exchange for a large amount of grain at a premium!
With these provisions, let alone an army of 20,000.
Even if there were more, Cao Cao could still afford to support them.
I should mention this.
Why is grain listed before "noon" in the idiom "粮晌粮晌"?
the reason is simple.
Grain can be exchanged for copper coins and silver coins, but copper coins and silver coins cannot necessarily be exchanged for grain!
Let alone the end of the Han Dynasty.
Even during the Ming and Qing dynasties, some emperors still distributed grain as a form of salary to their officials.
This move was met with no objection from the public, and many even welcomed it.
During the feudal dynasties, grain was far more valuable than currency!
So stop worrying about what currency each dynasty used or what the exchange rates were.
Those things will change over time.
A truly unchanging hard currency.
Only food!
“Ziyi…”
"Cao, I really don't know how to thank you."
"To show my sincerity, I, Cao, will find you a few more beautiful women!"
Seeing Cao Cao's grateful expression, Su Yu was momentarily lost in thought.
Boss Cao is such an honest and kind man!
Men know men best.
What does Su Yu love?
Of course, it's a beauty!
Just like food is a form of hard currency.
Beautiful women are also a valuable commodity for Su Yu.
……
North Bank of the Yellow River
Yuan Shao stayed here and did not rush back to Bohai Commandery.
"Report!"
"Cao Cao has apparently incorporated Xu Rong's troops and has already arrived in Xingyang!"
Upon hearing this report, Yuan Shao looked surprised and said:
"Cao Cao? He incorporated Xu Rong's troops?"
"Are you kidding me?"
"Cao Cao only had less than 10,000 men in total, so how could he possibly recruit more than 10,000 men from Xu Rong's forces?"
Faced with Yuan Shao's questioning, the sentry broke out in a cold sweat.
But he was just a sentry; how could he know all the intricacies involved?
Xu You, standing beside Yuan Shao, also looked displeased.
If we're talking about the person who looked down on Cao Cao the most, it has to be Xu You.
Especially after being rebuked by Su Yu last time, Xu You harbored even more resentment towards Cao Cao and Su Yu, the ruler and his subject.
At this moment, I heard the news that Cao Cao had incorporated Xu Rong's troops.
Xu You immediately jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, saying:
"This news must be fake!"
"Explore again!"
Guo Tu sneered:
"Brother Ziyuan, please don't get so agitated."
"The spies sent this time are all the elite of the elite."
"Even if the information they gather is occasionally wrong, how far off could it be?"
"But Brother Ziyuan, why are you so agitated?"
"Could it be that you believe Xu Rong, being the descendant of a eunuch, can genuinely assist Cao Cao?"
Before he finished speaking, Guo Tu immediately bowed to Yuan Shao, who was standing to the side, and said:
"My lord, in my opinion, this matter is nothing to worry about."
"No matter what tricks Cao Cao uses to subdue Xu Rong, he is not worthy of being a worry for our lord!"
……