Chapter 184
: Madam Ding
Chapter 184: Madam Ding (Thanks to my brother Pinglanchu Tingyu for the codeword tool!)
"Join hands with Cao Cao?!"
Wei Xu’s eyes widened immediately.
He couldn't understand. Cao Cao had just attacked them a few months ago, and now his lord wanted to join forces with the enemy. Wasn't this too awkward?
Lü Bu was not surprised by Wei Xu's surprise:
“Although Cao Cao attacked us last time, he actually didn’t cause us much damage.
"But Cao Cao was defeated by Liu Bei twice, so he must have hated Liu Bei to the core!
"On the battlefield, there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.
"Now Cao Cao and I have the same interests. If we can join forces to eliminate Liu Bei, it will be a great thing for us!"
In Lu Bu's view, Cao Cao, whom he had defeated once, was far less formidable than Liu Bei's army, which had not yet fought against him and was assisted by Zhuge Liang.
After all, Liu Bei's army's previous military strength was much weaker than his.
Even with the support of Tao Qian in the rear, he still could not compare with him when he previously controlled ten counties.
But even so, the opponent was still able to defeat Cao Cao twice, which is enough to show how terrifying Zhuge Wuhou is!
Moreover, Liu Bei’s army has been recruiting talented people recently.
Top strategists and generals including Pang Tong, Xu Shu, Zhao Yun, and Taishi Ci were all absorbed by the other side.
In addition, Xuzhou is close to the sea and located in the Central Plains. It has an excellent geographical location and rich resources. It is definitely a basic place for dominating the world!
If Liu Bei's army is allowed to gain a foothold, it will become increasingly difficult to defeat them.
Although Zhou Yu and Chen Gong both advised him to first take Jiaozhou in the southernmost part, completely unify the south, and then attack the north.
But what they didn’t know was what kind of person Zhuge Wuhou of Liu Bei’s army was.
Only by defeating that guy can he attack the enemy with peace of mind and slowly take over the world!
After listening to Lu Bu's words, Wei Xu gradually accepted his idea and clasped his fists solemnly:
"No matter where you plan to attack, please let me be the vanguard. I will definitely live up to your trust!"
It is easiest to gain military merit by being a vanguard, and no one will compete with you for the credit.
Of course, high returns are often accompanied by high risks. If the first battle is unfavorable, it will also affect the morale of the main force.
Therefore, the pioneer position is not only a symbol of dignity, but also has a very important strategic position.
Many generals would compete to be the vanguard in order to gain the first credit!
Lu Bu nodded slightly and stopped hitting the other party:
"Okay, once the specific details of the attack are decided, the position of vanguard will be handed over to you.
"You go back first, and remember, next time you buy something, you are not allowed to not pay!
“As for other generals withholding soldiers’ pay, I will also deal with it seriously.
“Whether they are businessmen or ordinary soldiers, they all have great significance in their existence.
"We must not let them feel uncomfortable, as this will create hidden dangers for our army!"
Wei Xu clasped his fists in shame and admitted his mistake:
"I will never let Marquis Wen down again!"
After watching Wei Xu leave, Lu Bu ordered someone to call Liu Ba, who was proficient in business.
Ask the other party to bring people to sell the wooden chairs made by him to the local wealthy families.
After doing all this, he took his packed family and headed straight to Jiangxia.
We need to make adequate preparations for attacking Liu Bei and there is no need to rush.
He still needs to wait for Cao Cao's reply.
If Cao Cao is unwilling to cooperate with him, then this matter will have to be discussed in the long run. …………
Yanzhou, Chenliu County.
Cao Cao in the prefect's mansion was drawing his bow and shooting an arrow at a wooden target ten feet away!
"Boom!"
The arrow hit a target nearby accurately.
A hint of intense annoyance flashed across Cao Cao's eyes, and he threw the horn bow in his hand hard to the ground!
Mrs. Ding, who had a round and delicate face, looked at her husband so irritable.
She poured a cup of herbal tea for him, moved to his side with lotus steps, handed the herbal tea to him, and said softly:
"There are many things in life that are not as you wish. Husbands, do not be overly anxious because of a momentary mistake."
Cao Cao looked at his wife with long and narrow eyebrows and a round face, and his irritability subsided slightly.
He took a sip of herbal tea and slowly exhaled a breath of hot air:
"Madam, what you said makes sense, but before the problem is truly solved, how can I really let it go?"
Mrs. Ding showed a kind look on her face and wiped the sweat off Cao Cao's forehead with a silk towel:
“As the saying goes, a boat will straighten itself out when it reaches the bridge.
"If the problem cannot be solved, you might as well wait a little longer. Maybe the solution will come to you on its own!"
Just as Mrs. Ding finished speaking, Xi Zhicai, with a sallow face, ran over hurriedly with a letter in his hand, a look of deep surprise on his face:
"My lord, my lord! Lu Bu sent someone to deliver a letter that may help us turn the situation around!"
Madam Ding smiled at Cao Cao:
"Look, what I said was right, wasn't it? Just wait a little longer, and the opportunity will come to you!
"You two can chat first. I'll go see if Zixiu is studying seriously."
As she spoke, Mrs. Ding bowed slightly to Xi Zhicai and left.
Xi Zhicai also hurriedly returned the salute, then came to Cao Cao and handed him Lu Bu's letter.
After reading the contents of the letter, Cao Cao's expression was first happy, and then became solemn:
"This Lu Bu actually took the initiative to seek cooperation with us. Has he forgotten the battle of Jiangxia not long ago?
"In the battle of Jiangxia, if the master behind Liu Bei hadn't given them advice, they would have lost Jiangxia.
“Perhaps our current situation is completely different!
"And now Lu Bu is asking us to join forces to attack his benefactor. Is there something fishy going on here?"
Looking at Cao Cao's suspicious expression, Xi Zhicai immediately shook his head:
"No, no! In the battle of Jiangxia, Lu Bu's army was the victorious side.
“The winners often have a certain amount of contempt and pity for the losers.
"However, Liu Bei's army has been winning battle after battle recently, and their momentum has been rising too fast. Lu Bu must have felt a huge threat.
"So it's absolutely reasonable for them to seek our cooperation to destroy Liu Bei first!"
After listening to Xi Zhicai's analysis, Cao Cao finally put aside some of his doubts:
"So Zhicai thinks that we should accept Lu Bu's invitation and attack Liu Bei together?"
Xi Zhicai nodded solemnly:
"This is a godsend opportunity! Lu Bu's army has proven to us how powerful they are.
"Now that Lu Bu has taken Jingzhou, he has become the most powerful force.
“But even so, the other side is still wary of Liu Bei’s growing power, which shows how terrifying the threat of Liu Bei’s army is.
"If we can completely eliminate Liu Bei with the help of Lu Bu, we can not only recover the lost counties.
“It can also win back the hearts of the Yanzhou nobles and improve our relationship with Lu Bu’s army.
"My lord, you must not refuse this opportunity that can achieve three goals at once!"
Seeing Xi Zhicai's strong persuasion, Cao Cao also knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He was not as indecisive as Yuan Shao, and always seized the opportunity to turn the tables. He immediately agreed:
"Okay! Write back to Lu Bu and tell him that I, Cao Mengde, am willing to join forces with him to attack Liu!"
(End of this chapter)