Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 8 Xun Yu Goes South

Yuan Shao spoke,

Guo Tu was the first to step forward.

He bowed slightly and said, "My lord, Cao Cao is a man of great ambition.

If the position of Dongjun prefect is given to him easily, I am afraid he will be difficult to control in the future.

Moreover, Dongjun is a prosperous place with a vital strategic position.

If Cao Cao were allowed to occupy it, it might become too powerful to be controlled and backfire on him.

Why should we make wedding clothes for others? It is better to send one of our own to serve as the governor of Dongjun. This way, we can ensure that Dongjun is firmly under our control."

Shen Pei also stood up and echoed, "What Gongze said is absolutely right.

Although Cao Cao and the lord are old friends, in this chaotic world, human hearts are the most unpredictable.

We cannot leave endless hidden dangers because of past friendship.

The matter of Dongjun is of great importance to the overall situation and requires careful consideration. No rash decision should be made."

At this time, Ju Su stepped forward, bowed and said:

"While what you two said makes sense, the current situation is extremely complex and presents numerous dangers for the lord.

The Montenegrin army is powerful and has always been a major concern for us.

The fact that Cao Cao was able to defeat Bai Rao's troops in Dongjun proves that he had certain abilities.

If we recommend him as the governor of Dongjun, he will certainly go all out to fight against the Black Mountain Army and help us contain the Black Mountain Army and even the enemies in the entire south.

Moreover, Cao Cao is on good terms with us, and if we reject him, it might damage the relationship.

If he turns to someone else out of anger, it will be even more disadvantageous to us, adding insult to injury!"

Who are the others?

Although Ju Su did not say it explicitly,

But everyone knows in their hearts,

The "others" he was referring to were Yuan Shao's number one enemy - Gongsun Zan.

Now Gongsun Zan's strength surpasses Yuan Shao, which makes Yuan Shao feel more pressured.

If he forced his younger brother to join the enemy, he would probably be surrounded by enemies and be completely finished.

Tian Feng also stood up at this time. He naturally supported Ju Su.
“Gong Yu is right.

Our main enemy now is Gongsun Zan, and the Black Mountain Army is always causing trouble in the rear. We need someone to help stabilize the rear.

Cao Cao has established a foothold in Dongjun and can serve as a barrier for us.

Furthermore, the imperial court is now controlled by Dong Zhuo.
We recommend Cao Cao as the governor of Dongjun.

It also shows our power to the court.

At the same time, it can also enhance the lord's prestige, so why not do it?"

Yuan Shao's camp was clearly divided into two factions.
One faction, led by Guo Tu and Shen Pei, opposed giving Cao Cao the position of prefect of Dongjun.

One faction, led by Ju Su and Tian Feng, supported giving this position to Cao Cao.

The two factions each held their own views and argued endlessly.

Yuan Shao sat in the main seat, listening to everyone's argument, his brows furrowed, hesitant.

Guo Tu and Shen Pei's faction have always advocated strengthening their own power and remaining highly vigilant against external forces.

The factions of Ju Su and Tian Feng, on the other hand, paid more attention to strategic layout and were good at considering issues from the overall perspective.

Just when the two sides were arguing most fiercely, Xu You slowly stood up.

He bowed to Yuan Shao, a confident and calm smile on his face, and said, "There's no need to argue. In my opinion, Cao Cao can be given the title of Governor of Dongjun!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao leaned forward slightly and asked, "What do you think, Ziyuan?"

Xu You bowed and replied, "Cao Mengde's occupation of Dongjun can help us resist the enemies from the south and east.

In this way, we can concentrate our forces for a decisive battle with Gongsun Zan.

As long as the lord defeats Gongsun Zan and takes Youzhou, he can then unify Hebei!
By then, how could Cao Cao, who only controlled a small county, pose any threat?

Besides, we can also place some of our own spies in Dongjun in advance to keep an eye on Cao Cao's movements..."

Xu You's words made Yuan Shao and everyone else fall silent.

Yes!

As long as we can defeat Gongsun Zan and unify Hebei,
That insignificant Cao Mengde,

It's just a guard dog of yours, what's there to be afraid of?
Seeing that he was probably completely defeated, Guo Tu snorted coldly and said nothing more.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Shao immediately made a decision: "Let's do as Ziyuan suggested. Send a letter to Cao Cao and tell him that I will recommend him to the court as the governor of Dongjun."

Afterwards, Yuan Shao said to Xu You, "The task of arranging personnel to secretly monitor Cao Cao is now entrusted to you." Xu You bowed and said, "I obey your orders!"

Cao Cao had also made preparations long ago.

After receiving Yuan Shao's reply, he began to work on moving the capital without waiting for the imperial appointment document to arrive.

The people of Puyang City, who had just been besieged by the Black Mountain Army,
Naturally, many people were willing to follow Cao Cao and move to Dongwuyang.

Although there were still many Black Mountain troops north of the Yellow River, they believed that Cao Cao could protect them.

more importantly,
Cao Cao promised them,

As long as they went to Dongwuyang, he would allocate good farmland and houses to them and reduce the land tax.

Driven by both fear and interests, most of the people in Puyang were willing to follow.

……

December, the second year of Chuping (191 AD).

All the people in Puyang have been relocated.

Cao Cao really kept his promise.

New fertile land and houses were allocated to the people of Puyang, and even to the refugees who came here for the honor.

He also posted a notice to reduce or exempt all land taxes for the people of Dongwuyang.

Cao Cao's good deeds gradually spread.

People from all over the country also started talking about it.

At this moment they realized that there was actually someone like Cao Cao who did not treat the common people as insignificant.

He really cares about the people and seeks their welfare.

For a time,

Whether it is the people of Wei County,

Or the people from other states and counties in Yanzhou,
Even the people of Qingzhou,

Some people came from far away to join Cao Cao.

Heavy snow fell for three days.
Ice floes have begun to appear on the surface of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and some places have even been frozen.

In this bitter cold,

Many people died on the long journey to Dongjun.

The desire in their hearts to find a better life was buried forever in the loess along with their bodies, turning into endless sorrow on this land.

Xun Yu helped up an old man who had fallen to the ground.

He gave the last half of the frozen dry food in his arms to the old man's grandson.

He encouraged her gently, "Old man, hold on. Thirty miles south is Dongwuyang! There you will find your new home and a new life waiting for you."

The old man bowed repeatedly, tears of gratitude welling up in his eyes: "Thank you so much for your help, sir! Thank you so much, sir!"

Xun Yu did not stay for long.
Along the way,
He has helped those who need to help.
But there were too many refugees, and he was unable to handle it alone.

Perhaps that person is the only one who can truly help these poor people!
That’s right! Xun Yu went south this time to investigate Cao Cao!

When Dong Zhuo entered the capital and took control of the government, Xun Yu resolutely resigned from his official position and returned home.

He told his fellow villagers, "Yingchuan is a place of war on all sides. Whenever there is unrest in the world, it is often invaded by war. Although Mi is small and fortified, it is not strong enough to withstand a major disaster. We should flee it immediately."

But most of the villagers miss their hometown and are reluctant to leave.

When Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou, sent people to pick up Xun Yu, there was no one to accompany him.

Xun Yu then moved his clan to Jizhou to seek refuge.

Jizhou was later acquired by Yuan Shao, who met Xun Yu and treated him as a guest of honor.

Xun Yu saw through Yuan Shao’s fatal flaw of being “generous on the outside but cautious on the inside, and fond of making plans without making decisions.”

We know that although Yuan Shao was respectful to wise men and humble to officials, his actual decisions often deviated from the advice of his advisers. For example, he was hesitant when facing the threat of the Black Mountain Army, which was in sharp contrast to Cao Cao's decisive decision to relocate the capital and station troops.

This trait of "being able to gather people but not being able to use them" made Xun Yu foresee that it would be difficult for him to achieve hegemony.

Cao Cao was completely different from Yuan Shao.

When Yuan Shao and others wanted to support Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, as emperor, Cao Cao said, "You all face north, and I will face west."

This made Xun Yu, who was loyal to the Han Dynasty, feel like he had found a like-minded person.

Coupled with the series of benevolent policies implemented by Cao Cao in Dongjun, Xun Yu realized that Cao Cao was the hidden dragon in the abyss.

When the time is right, you can roar like a dragon and soar into the sky! !

(End of this chapter)