Han officials

Chapter 284 The Lion Fights the Rabbit [4.5K]

The river flows swiftly southward.

If you travel south along the Yi River from Tancheng for 150 li, you will reach Xiapi City.

The area between the two cities is flat and easy to access by both land and water.

In fact, both Xiapi and Tancheng originally belonged to Donghai Commandery.

After Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu passed away, Emperor Ming changed Linhuai Commandery to Xiapi State in the fifteenth year of Yongping. It had seventeen cities, 136,389 households, and 611,830 people, making it a major commandery in the Central Plains.

After all, the entire Xuzhou region only has five prefectures and kingdoms.

Aside from Donghai Commandery, which had a population of 700,000, Xiapi State had the largest population.

Of course, this is household registration data before the Yellow Turban Rebellion; the data is probably less today.

However, compared to the provinces of Yu and Yan, which were repeatedly ravaged by war, Xuzhou was in a much better situation.

Since Tao Qian quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Xuzhou, there have been virtually no major disasters in the region.

After several years of recuperation, Xuzhou's total population is roughly around 2.5 million.

Therefore, Cao Cao's strength would greatly increase even if he occupied only half of Xu Province, let alone the entire Xu Province.

Perhaps this is why Cao Cao's two massacres of Xuzhou in the original history caused such great casualties.

Cao Cao's army occupied only five counties, yet they slaughtered hundreds of thousands of men and women, leaving no chickens or dogs alive, and the Si River ceased to flow.

Alas, in chaotic times, the dense population of Xuzhou might also be a sin!
However, even though Xuzhou was worth two Qingzhou, it still didn't hold much weight in Wei Zhe's heart.

After leaving Tancheng, he did not go to the rescue of Xiapi as Mi Zhu and others had thought, but instead headed southwest.

……

In the evening, after the army set up camp...

Mi Zhu finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked Wei Zhe about the marching route.

"Pengcheng Kingdom!"

Wei Zhe did not hide anything and told him frankly.

"Pengcheng?" Mi Zhu looked completely bewildered upon hearing this.

Xi Zhicai smiled without saying a word upon hearing this, clearly indicating that he already knew about it.

Seeing this, Mi Zhu couldn't help but feel a little anxious and said:

"Now that Xiapi is in imminent danger, why do you intend to go to Pengcheng, my lord?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe stroked the Han sword at his waist, his eyes deep and thoughtful as he said:

"Since Cao Mengde has Xuzhou as his prey, why can't I take it as my prey?"

Cao Cao was indeed greedy, but Wei Zhe's appetite was even greater.

It's just the Kingdom of Xiapi, isn't it? Give it to him!

Anyway, he doesn't care where Cao Cao attacks now; Wei Zhe is only prepared to cut off his retreat.

If we could kill Cao Cao, this ruthless warlord, in Xiapi, it would be worth it even if we lost the entire Xuzhou!

Of course, it would be inconvenient to say such things in Tancheng.

Firstly, it would be detrimental to the ability of the counties and prefectures of Xuzhou to defend themselves, and secondly, it was necessary for the sake of secrecy.

After all, the Chen family of Xiapi had been operating in Xuzhou for three generations, and who knew how many spies that old fox Chen Gui had?

Wei Zhe didn't want his battle plan to be announced one day and his tactics to appear on Cao Cao's desk the next.

From this perspective, Cao Cao made a serious strategic misjudgment this time.

It wasn't that he misjudged the situation, but rather that he misjudged the person.

Cao Cao severely underestimated his importance in Wei Zhe's eyes, which is why his strategic focus remained on Xuzhou.

It can only be said that life is unpredictable, and Tao Qian's death triggered too many changes.

Cao Cao had no choice but to plan ahead for Xu, and Wei Zhe also had to devise a plan to strangle Cao Cao on short notice.

The saying "a single hair can affect the whole body" perfectly illustrates this principle.

However, Mi Zhu frowned upon hearing this.

He tried hard to recall, but couldn't remember any deep-seated hatred between Cao Cao and Wei Zhe.

If he remembers correctly, the two should have a deep connection and a close friendship.

It is said that Wei Zhe participated in the coalition against Dong Zhuo at the invitation of Cao Cao, which is why he traveled a great distance to attend the meeting.

But whatever the reason, seeing that Wei Zhe seemed eager to get rid of him, Mi Zhu wisely refrained from further persuasion.

As the army approached Pengcheng, Wei Zhe took the opportunity to inquire about the local customs and culture.

To be honest, although Mi Zhu was from Donghai, he knew the local customs and products of various counties in Xuzhou like the back of his hand.

As a wealthy merchant from Xuzhou, he immediately introduced them in great detail:
“The eight counties of Pengcheng are all fertile lands with rich fields and fertile soil, and are crisscrossed by rivers, making them the granary of Xuzhou.”

"Therefore, since the capital was plunged into chaos by Dong Zhuo, people have migrated eastward, mostly settling in the Pengcheng area, but..."

At this point, Mi Zhu paused slightly, then couldn't help but shake his head and sigh:

“This place is deeply influenced by Buddhist monks. Since the death of Emperor Shizu and the establishment of the White Horse Temple in Luoyang by Emperor Ming, the doctrine of Buddhist monks has been circulating here. Many gentry and officials believe in it. It was here that Ze Rong found an opportunity for deceit.”

Others might not know, but Mi Zhu, Tao Qian's confidant, was well aware of Zuo Rong's methods.

This guy never believed in Buddha or Bodhisattva when he was in Yangzhou; he only started doing this after he came to Xuzhou.

Because Tao Qian had entrusted him with overseeing the grain transport in the three prefectures of Pengcheng, Xiapi, and Guangling, this fellow had resorted to all sorts of means to extort money from them.

In reality, the worship of Buddha was a pretense; Zuo Rong used it as an excuse to plunder wealth.

After all, if he truly believed in Buddhist teachings, he wouldn't have committed so many cruel acts against the people.

Now, the White Horse Temple in Luoyang has been burned to ruins by Dong Zhuo, and the three counties of Xiapi have the most Buddhist followers in the world.

The following day, in the western suburbs of Pengcheng, Pengcheng Chancellor Ji Lian also confirmed Mi Zhu's statement.

This made Wei Zhe frown slightly, realizing that the news from Pengcheng probably couldn't be kept secret for much longer.

However, he did not say anything, but only asked Ji Lian to prepare ten days' worth of provisions for the army.

After Ji Lian returned, Wei Zhe finally spoke:

"Where is Boyuan?"

Although the incident was sudden, Wei Zhe still issued a transfer order to Qingzhou after leaving Ye City with his light cavalry.

However, it would take time to gather troops in Qingzhou, and the speed of the 30,000-strong army could not compare with that of the cavalry-based Fubing.

“We have arrived at Dongguan County in Langya State.” Xi Zhicai knew what Wei Zhe was worried about, and immediately explained, “Dongguan is adjacent to the Yi River. It takes two days to reach Tancheng by going downstream, and we will definitely appear outside Xiapi City within three days.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe immediately and decisively replied:

"Tell Boyuan that the Battle of Xiapi is not about the gain or loss of a single city or place, but about containing Cao Cao."

After the messenger left, Wei Zhe pondered for a moment and then gave the following instructions:
"Order General Wei Muhua to lead the Bohai navy south, enter the Huai River from the East China Sea, and cooperate with Boyuan's actions."

However, even after setting up two nooses, Wei Zhe still felt somewhat uneasy.

Although Cao Cao may not be considered a true dragon, he was definitely a hidden dragon.

Wei Zhe felt that no amount of seriousness was too much in order to subdue such a dragon.

After much deliberation, Wei Zhe gritted his teeth and said:

"Issue an order to Ye City, commanding Zhang Liao to lead the remaining troops of Jizhou Prefecture south immediately to attack Dongjun; Taishi Ci to lead 20,000 troops of Youzhou Prefecture to attack Jibei Kingdom; and Xu Rong of Bingzhou to lead his troops into Yanzhou to attack Chenliu."

"The first battle will be the decisive one. This time, I will leave Cao Mengde with nowhere to escape!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the tent were greatly surprised.

After all, this would mean that the Wei army would have to mobilize at least 100,000 troops.

Since entering Xuzhou, the generals knew that Wei Zhe valued Cao Cao, but they had not expected him to value him this much.

However, after his initial surprise, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but slowly nod:
"Indeed, the first battle is the decisive battle; this is an excellent statement!"

Even a lion needs to use all its strength to fight a rabbit.

Since we've already made our move, we really shouldn't give Cao Cao's army any chance to retaliate.

As orders were issued from Pengcheng, Wei Zhe also casually made a move.

……

Guangling Prefecture, Jiangdu County.

In an ordinary-looking mansion, a handsome and dashing young man with a sunny smile stood tall.

No one knows what he said, but it made a middle-aged woman with elegant manners under the eaves cover her mouth and laugh.

Beside the woman, a boy with a high nose and blue eyes was exchanging winks with the girl behind her. For a moment, the small courtyard was filled with a harmonious and joyful scene.

After a long while, the woman couldn't help but sigh:

"It's a pity your father passed away early and he couldn't enjoy this kind of family happiness."

Indeed, this person is Wu, the widow of Sun Jian, and the young man in the courtyard is naturally Sun Ce.

Seeing that Lady Wu suddenly became sad, Sun Ce immediately comforted her:
"Without our father's hard work and struggle, how could we enjoy such a legacy?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wu nodded in agreement:
"That's not wrong... it's just a pity he followed the wrong person."

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce was immediately speechless.

The young Sun Quan, standing to the side, couldn't help but show his resentment.

When Sun Jian was recommended by Zhu Jun to serve as the Assistant Military Advisor in the campaign against the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he left his family in Shouchun.

In the sixth year of Zhongping (189 AD), after Sun Jian participated in the campaign against Dong Zhuo, Sun Ce moved with his mother to Shuxian County, Lujiang Commandery.

However, Sun Jian died unexpectedly in battle in the third year of the Chuping era, so Sun Ce, who was only seventeen years old at the time, had to move with his family to Jiangdu County in Guangling Commandery to observe mourning and take care of his family.

After all, looking at the surrounding area, only Xuzhou is relatively peaceful.

However, when Sun Ce finished his mourning period last year and wanted to ask Yuan Shu to return his father Sun Jian's former troops, Yuan Shu changed his mind.

Not only did they not return a single soldier to him, they didn't even give him a single copper coin in military expenses.

It only indicates that he has appointed Sun Ce's maternal uncle Wu Jing as the governor of Danyang and his cousin Sun Ben as the commander.

What did Yuan Shu mean by saying that?

The implication was simply that he no longer owed Sun Jian anything, so the troops Sun Ce wanted were naturally gone.

Frankly speaking, given Yuan Shu's character, it's not surprising at all that he would do something like this—turn his back on someone so ruthlessly.

Even so, Sun Ce had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

However, this incident was a huge blow to the Sun family.

It should be noted that Sun Jian's accumulated strength over the years was almost entirely based on his old troops.

If Yuan Shu withheld the money and refused to return it, it would be tantamount to Yuan Shu embezzling Sun Jian's inheritance for the Sun family.

This is why, even a year later, Sun Quan was still indignant when the matter was brought up again.

Even Wu, a mere woman, couldn't help but sigh that Sun Jian had followed the wrong person.

Even though so much time has passed, Ms. Wu still can't help but feel a pang of emotion:

"Your father once fought alongside the General of the Cavalry to defeat the Yellow Turbans."

"It's a pity that he was too proud and missed this opportunity; otherwise, his achievements today would probably not be lower than those of Taishi Ci."

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce didn't say anything, but Han Dang, who was guarding in the corner, couldn't help but smile bitterly.

To be honest, Wu is not the only one who regrets it now.

It should be noted that he was also in the Han army when the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled, and fought alongside Wei Zhe.

He even came from the Han clan of Lingzhi, making him a relative of Wei Zhe.

If he had chosen to follow Wei Zhe instead of Sun Jian, his achievements would probably be far greater than they are now.

After all, Han Zhong had managed to rise to the rank of colonel in the Wei army, so he believed he was no worse than Han Zhong.

However, their current statuses are completely different.

Han Zhong had already risen to the rank of Colonel, while Han Dang was merely a retainer of the Sun family, temporarily serving as a servant and bodyguard.

It can be said that Wu's unintentional remark instantly left Han Dang battered and bruised.

However, she didn't notice and continued to look at Sun Ce with a pained expression, saying:
“Bo Fu, I know you have lofty aspirations, but many things in this world are not so simple.”

"Opportunity and ability are both indispensable."

"Even with your father's talent, a single misstep could have led to defeat and death; how much more so for you?"

Lady Wu was not a sentimental person. The reason she suddenly brought up the old story of Sun Jian was to tell her son a lesson: choice is more important than ability.

Take Sun Jian for example. He died on the battlefield because he chose the wrong person, and even after his death, Yuan Shu exploited him to the point of having no descendants.

In comparison, Wei Zhe's past actions were clearly much more sophisticated than Yuan Shu's.

At this point, Lady Wu slowly took out a jade pendant from her sleeve and handed it to Sun Ce.

Seeing Sun Ce's puzzled expression, Lady Wu shook her head and smiled with a complicated look in her eyes:

"Your father probably never had the nerve to tell you about this."

"After the Han army decisively defeated the Yellow Turbans at Xiaquyang, your father tried to recruit Wei's General of Chariots and Cavalry as his subordinate. When the general refused, your father gave him this jade pendant, promising that if he ever encountered any difficulties in the future, he could come to Shouchun County for help!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce couldn't help but chuckle.

Sun Quan and Sun Shangxiang, who were standing nearby, were also speechless as they heard about this for the first time.

For a moment, they didn't know whether to praise their father for his good judgment or to overestimate their abilities.

You should know that even those of them far away in Jiangdu had heard of Wei Zhe's reputation.

The thought that their own father was trying to recruit such a powerful ruler as his retainer made them feel a little...

Well, all I can say is that their father has an excessively good eye for talent.

However, Sun Ce quickly realized what was happening and turned to look at his mother in surprise.

Seeing this, Wu then took out a letter of recruitment and handed it to her son.

Sun Ce opened the app, glanced at it quickly, and was immediately stunned.

Because this recruitment notice was issued by the General of the Cavalry's headquarters, Wei Zhe exceptionally recruited him as "Commander of the Vanquishing Army," granting him the authority to command the troops of Guangling Commandery and ordering him to cooperate with Zhong Hu in attacking Cao Cao's army in Xiapi.

This left Sun Ce momentarily speechless.

After all, his father Sun Jian's former title was "General Who Destroys the Enemy".

Now that Wei Zhe has appointed him as "Commander of the Vanquishing Army," it is clear that he hopes he can inherit his late father's prestigious reputation.

At the same time, seeing Sun Ce's appearance, Lady Wu thought for a moment and simply said:
“My elder brother is not a visionary; he does not have the courage to betray Yuan Shu and assist you.”

"Even though he is now the governor of Danyang, you still won't get much help if you go there."

“His surname is Wu, not Sun; the interests of the Wu family are his primary concern.”

"In that case, instead of wasting your life in Danyang, you might as well follow General Wei and make a name for yourself. Even if things don't go well, given General Wei's character and your father's relationship, he probably won't treat you badly."

It must be admitted that although Ms. Wu was a woman, her insight was still very sharp.

In the original history, after being rejected by Yuan Shu, Sun Ce sought refuge with his uncle Wu Jing.

However, although Wu Jing was the governor of Danyang at that time, he only managed to recruit a few hundred men for Sun Ce.

This number seems like a lot, but compared to Wu Jing's status, it looks rather meager.

It should be noted that when Zhou Ang was the governor of Danyang, he did not hesitate to provide Cao Cao with more than 10,000 Danyang soldiers.

Seeing that his mother had spoken so bluntly, Sun Ce couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile.

"Mother, please don't say any more. I will do as you say."

Although Sun Ce was eager to make a name for himself, he didn't have any concrete plans at the moment.

At the moment, having just turned eighteen, all he could think about was not disgracing his father's reputation.

Besides that, he probably also harbors the thought that he will settle accounts with Yuan Shu sooner or later.

Therefore, when Wei Zhe's offer of service was presented to him, Sun Ce hesitated for a moment but then naturally accepted it.

Thus, before the fierce tiger of Jiangdong could even be released from its cage, it had already been brought under Wei Zhe's command.

But to be honest, Wei Zhe did not have any elaborate schemes against Sun Ce.

He only thought of adding more trouble for Cao Cao because Sun Ce happened to be in Guangling County.

As for what Sun Ce could achieve, Wei Zhe didn't really have high expectations.

After all, no matter how brave Sun Ce is, he is only eighteen years old!

Although Wei Zhe thought this way, Sun Ce did not underestimate himself at all.

After accepting Wei Zhe's offer of service, he was even eager to try his hand at challenging Cao Cao.

The first thing Sun Ce did after receiving his orders was to immediately write a letter to his good friend Zhou Yu.

The message is simple, roughly summarized as: "I'm going to chop someone up, are you coming or not?"

Zhou Yu, on the other side of the Yangtze River, was equally eager. After reading the letter, he immediately led 500 of his personal soldiers, along with boats, provisions, weapons, and ammunition, and rushed to Jiangdu overnight.

And so, unbeknownst to Cao Cao, two young men of similar age from Jiangdong began to stir up trouble...

(End of this chapter)