Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 975 Game between all parties
Liu Zheng was a little unconvinced: "What's wrong with my ability? My third uncle also praised me for my promising young age. He also said that when he, my father, and my second uncle were my age, they didn't have the martial arts skills I have."

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Your uncle is right. When they were your age, their martial arts and knowledge were not as good as yours. But why don't you think about who your father and his family were facing at that time? They were just some bandits. And who are you facing now? They are the heroes who have emerged from the many princes. With your martial arts, it would be easy to deal with those bandits back then. But to deal with Cao thief is like hitting a rock with an egg."

"This..." Liu Zheng was also embarrassed when he heard it: "But...but Third Uncle is in trouble, I can't just not help him, right? Cao's thieves are attacking the city, I don't know how long Third Uncle can hold out, and my father is still in the tower and hasn't come out yet, this..."

Zhang Yu patted his head gently and said, "Your brain has gone to waste after reading so many books since you were a child. This matter cannot be solved with just your passion and martial arts skills."

Liu Zheng scratched his head and looked at Zhang Yu's eyes, which suddenly lit up: "Oh, by the way, mother has always been very talented and learned. Father often asks you for advice. Why don't you give me some pointers?"

Zhang Yu shook her head: "This is a national military matter. It is not convenient for my mother to interfere."

"Then...what should I do..." Liu Zheng was completely anxious.

"You, what can the Queen Mother say about you? Your father has made all the painstaking arrangements, but you don't even realize a bit of it."

Zhang Yu's words made Liu Zheng a little puzzled at first, but then he was extremely happy: "Father's arrangement? What arrangement? Mother, tell me quickly."

Zhang Yu said, "How can your father not know what kind of temper you have? He must find someone who can complement your strengths and weaknesses, so that things can be accomplished."

"Someone who can make up for one's shortcomings by learning from others' strengths?" Liu Zheng pondered for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Yes, how could I have forgotten him? Thank you, mother!"

He thanked Zhang Yu and then ran away.

Jinan County, Qingzhou, in Liu Bei’s army.

Zhang Fei paced back and forth in front of Liu Bei with an impatient look on his face: "Oh...oh...oh..."

Liu Bei waved his hand and said, "Yide, stop turning around and sit down. You're turning me around so much that I'm dizzy."

"Hey, big brother, since we have already raised our flags, why are we just lingering here and not taking action? I heard that Cao thief had already started attacking Shenyang City two days ago."

Zhang Fei rubbed his hands together, looking eager to try.

Liu Bei was not in a hurry. He picked up a cup of tea and took a sip: "Wow... good tea, good tea."

"Oh, brother..." Zhang Fei stepped forward and snatched the teacup.

"Hmm?" Liu Bei glanced at him and smiled helplessly.

"Third brother, when we talked about raising an army to purge the emperor, you were the first one to stand up and oppose it. You and I have been sworn brothers for more than ten years, and that was the first time you opposed me. Why are you so impatient to go to war now?"

"Hey, big brother, why do you ask when you already know the answer? This matter concerns your personal honor and disgrace. Since both of you brothers are personally involved, how can I fall behind? Big brother has always been loyal, righteous and benevolent. Although this uprising is in line with that bastard Cao Cao and seems like a rebellious act, it is still caused by treacherous people in the court. As a member of the royal family, it is reasonable for you to purge the emperor. What's more, big brother had submitted a memorial to persuade the emperor, but His Majesty was detained by treacherous officials when he entered the tower to pray. What's the point of not killing such evil thieves?"

When he said this, his expression was full of ferocity, as if he wanted to cut Man Chong, Xun Yu and others into pieces immediately to vent his hatred.

However, in a moment, Zhang Fei's face became firm again: "I am not like you who have read so many books of sages and understand so many truths. I only know one thing, since I acknowledge you as my brother, your words are mine. You said you want to clear the court, and I have no objection. But it is too dangerous to charge into battle. How can I trouble you to go in person when I am here? The imperial army is really strong. Once the war starts, it will be dangerous. I can die, but you must not die."

Zhang Fei spoke so sincerely that Liu Bei couldn't help but be slightly moved. He sighed softly and reached out to pick up the teacup. Seeing this, Zhang Fei hurriedly took it up first.

"Hehe...Brother, have some tea, have some tea..."

He handed the teacup to Liu Bei with both hands. Liu Bei looked at him, smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Alas, how can I not know what you are thinking, my dear brother?"

He took the teacup and held it in his hand, but did not drink any more. "Yide, relax. When the time comes to send troops, I will naturally use you to lead the charge. It's just that the time has not come yet."

Zhang Fei was confused: "Timing? What timing?"

Liu Bei patiently explained: "A few days ago, Cao Cao once again sent troops to attack the imperial army, and Yuzhou was once again plunged into war. Only if Cao Cao's army is defeated, our army can be dispatched. If the imperial army is defeated, our army must not move, and can only defend Qingzhou and not cross the border."

Zhang Fei was even more confused when he heard this: "Why is this? Although I have read few military books, I know this strategy of taking advantage of the opportunity. If the imperial court is defeated, isn't it the right time for our army to advance?"

Liu Bei showed an angry look on his face, "Nonsense. Who is Cao Cao? He is a traitor to the Han Dynasty. He held the emperor hostage and was cruel to people. I cannot coexist with him. But he is now against the court. Our army needs to purge the emperor, but it is inconvenient for us to help the court and suppress the rebellion. Otherwise, it will only benefit those treacherous officials. They will be greedy for the credit and seek favor, which will ruin the country of the Han Dynasty."

"However, if Generals Zhang Yong, Cheng Liang, Gao Shun and others can defeat Cao Cao and even seize Yuzhou and Jingzhou at this opportunity, Cao Cao's power will collapse and he will no longer be a threat to the court. At that time, I will join forces with Sun Wentai of Eastern Wu and make another military appeal. Firstly, it will not affect the court's important affairs. Secondly, hundreds of thousands of troops from Yuzhou will invade Jingzhou. Facing a surprise attack from our army, it will be difficult for them to stop it. This will be the best of both worlds."

"On the contrary, if Cao Cao wins and the imperial court is defeated, then Cao Cao's power will grow rapidly and threaten the ancestral temple. If we are not careful, I am afraid that the Han Dynasty will be destroyed. As a descendant of the Liu family, if I raise an army now, wouldn't it be the same as joining Cao Cao's rebellion and becoming a traitor to the Liu family?"

Zhang Fei nodded repeatedly after hearing Liu Bei's words: "Brother, you are right. This is a polite and fair act. Your loyalty and righteousness will be remembered forever."

"Haha, third brother won't be anxious this time, right?"

"No hurry, no hurry, haha, come, I will accompany you for tea..."

In Ancheng, Cao Cao was in the backyard of his mansion, admiring flowers with Cheng Yu and several other advisers.

"Haha, come, look at this one..." Cao Cao pointed to a solitary lotus in the center of the pond and said, "This flower is unique, standing tall and upright, with a huge flower. It is truly the king of lotuses." Cheng Yu pointed to another one and said, "My lord, I think this blue lotus is better. Although this flower is not as grand as the one you like, it is fresh and noble, and can be called a famous lotus."

"Haha, my lord and Zhongde, each of you has your reasons." Xizhong smiled and acted like a good guy.

Cao Cao looked at Guo Jia and said, "Feng Xiao, please give your comments as well."

Guo Jia accepted the order and glanced around the pool. Then he said, "The ones chosen by the lord and Zhongde are of top quality, but I think the one over there is more suitable for the lord."

Cao Cao looked in the direction of his finger, and saw a lotus flower not far in front of them. It was not growing straight, but rather a little tilted. Because of its tilt, it did not stand out among the lotus leaves and lotus flowers. In fact, when the wind blew, it was often covered by the lotus leaves next to it.

But at the same time, it was precisely because of this tilt that the other lotus was pressed down, making it unable to move. The bud of the pressed lotus was obviously larger than the one above, but the flower stem was bent, making it lack nutrients. This huge bud became a burden at this moment, lacking nutrients, and it was gradually withering.

Cao Cao's eyes lit up: "Wonderful... It is indeed wonderful, Fengxiao's vision is really unique, haha..."

"My lord." Cao Ren walked over and saluted.

"Oh? Zixiao is here. Let's go over there and sit down to talk." Cao Cao led everyone to a pavilion nearby and sat down.

Cao Ren said, "As you expected, Zhang Yong followed the route you had planned and sent troops to help Shenyang, but was ambushed by our army. However, Zhang Yong led the troops well, and although the enemy's morale was damaged, they did not flee. I think the two sides are still fighting a bloody battle."

"Well, that's fine." Cao Cao said calmly, "I didn't expect to capture and kill Zhang Yong. I just wanted to stop his reinforcements and let me capture Shenyang first. As for Zhang Yong's head, I have other plans to get it. What about Gao Shun, and Xu and Qian?"

"The troops and horses of these two places are exactly as the lord expected. Xu Huang and Qian Zhao led an army to attack Sun Jian, who wanted to purge the emperor. They originally had the upper hand, but at the critical moment, a general under Sun Jian named Zhou Yu led a navy to land on Chaohu Lake and attacked their rear. Xu and Qian led their troops to retreat temporarily and returned to Hefei to defend."

"As for Gao Shun, at dawn today, he personally led about 50,000 troops to Xinmang Valley."

"Good!" Cao Cao was overjoyed and stood up suddenly. "Liu He has always been known for his extraordinary intelligence. This time, I deliberately transported grain to Xinmang Valley in secret, pretending to have collected grain and grass from all over Yuzhou in recent days and stored them here, in order to lure Gao Shun to come. He really fell into the trap."

"Congratulations, lord. After this battle, we can not only join forces with the troops of Jingzhou, but also severely injure Generals Zhang and Gao. Then our army will take advantage of the victory to pursue and recapture the lost territory of Yuzhou in one fell swoop. It will not be difficult. My lord has a brilliant plan and is invincible."

Cheng Yu and everyone else were all delighted.

Cao Cao laughed loudly, but waved his hands repeatedly: "Hahaha...please don't praise me. Our army is short of food and grass, so we have to use such a risky move. If Gao Shun and Xun You find out, they will abandon Xinmang Valley and come straight to our Ancheng. There are only 30,000 soldiers in the city now, which is simply difficult to resist. Moreover, this plan is also thanks to your suggestions, otherwise how could I think so carefully?"

"drive……"

Gao Shun waved his whip and walked hurriedly.

Behind him, eight thousand cavalry and forty thousand infantry were marching in unison and at full speed.

Assisting Gao Shun in commanding these tens of thousands of troops were several generals under his command, including his only son Gao Yi.

Gao Yi had been seriously injured since the last bloody battle. Even though he was young and strong, it took him more than a month to recover.

Although Gao Shun seemed indifferent on the surface and always said things like "How can a man have a future if he doesn't get hurt or bleed?", Liu He knew that this general who had followed him for fourteen years had always been a man of sharp words but a soft heart.

Therefore, after Gao Yi recovered, Liu He issued an edict to transfer him from the commander of Shanyang County to the commander of Chenliu County, which meant that he was transferred back to the army where his father was serving.

Gao Yi's identity had been hidden for many years. Even several veteran generals in the army who had followed Gao Shun for many years only knew that Gao Yi used the alias Hao Yi and was serving in Xu Huang's army. Now that the truth has been revealed, everyone is greatly impressed by General Gao's impartiality and they also admire Gao Yi, the young talent.

During the march, many generals followed Gao Yi and kept asking him about some interesting stories over the years in order to relieve the boredom and loneliness during the march.

Although Gao Yi was not as frugal with words as his father, he was still annoyed by their questions: "Generals, the military situation is urgent now. It will not be too late to talk after the battle."

Everyone then remembered that they were too excited and had forgotten everything else in the conversation, so they all dispersed.

Gao Yi breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Gao Shun's back from afar. Just as he was lost in thought, a voice came from beside him.

"General Xiao Gao, what are you thinking about?"

Gao Yi came back to his senses and turned around to see who it was. It was Xun You. He hurriedly saluted and said, "I greet Governor Xun."

Xun You had just recently taken over Zhang Yong's seal as the Governor of Yuzhou from his post as the prefect of Yingchuan. He was responsible for governing the cities in Yuzhou, stabilizing the people's hearts, coordinating food and grass, etc.

Xun You looked at him as if he were a junior: "No need to be polite. I see that you seem to have something on your mind. Your father is not good at speaking. If you have something that is inconvenient to tell him, why not tell me."

Gao Yi bit his lip and plucked up his courage. "I don't understand. This Xinmang Valley is not close to Ancheng. It is about 70 to 80 miles away. Cao's grain transport team is not like our army, which has many ox carts, donkey carts, or even horse carts. They use more or less manpower to push carts. For such a distance, it may take two days to transport. Cao's grain and grass are not much left. Why do they go to such great lengths? Wouldn't it be more convenient to store them directly in the city?"

Xun You was relieved when he heard this. "You can think like this, which shows that you have some talent as a general. However, this matter was sent by His Majesty through the Flying Eagle Guard, so it must be correct. Cao thieves have always been treacherous and changeable. The so-called most dangerous place is the safest place. It is common for people to store food in the city, and they will naturally focus on the city. Because of this, he did the opposite, which is the safest. This valley is located to the east of Ancheng. After this valley, go another 20 miles and you will reach Xincai County. Now it is also under the control of Cao's army. It is very safe to transport food back and forth."

Gao Yi seemed to understand a little: "I see, thank you for your guidance, Governor."

Xun You smiled elegantly and said to him, "There are many mysteries in this battle, which are far beyond what I can explain in a few words at this moment. You should observe carefully and ponder carefully, which will be of great benefit to you."

(End of this chapter)