Free Web NovelChapter 246: Yanzhou Incident of Cao Cao
"My Lord, our immediate priority is to reassure the people within the city to restore Chang’an’s vitality and recreate its former prosperity."
"At the same time, we should gather talented individuals and heroes to strengthen our own forces."
Jia Xu stroked his short beard and spoke softly.
Unexpectedly, Long Chen shook his head slightly and murmured, "What Wenhe says makes sense, but I have no intention of lingering in Chang’an."
Jia Xu looked surprised and asked, puzzled, "My Lord, if not in Chang’an, then where? Perhaps Luoyang?"
"After all, Luoyang is an ancient capital, gathering the dragon’s energy from all over the world. However, Luoyang was turned into ashes after Dong Zhuo’s actions."
"If my Lord wishes to return to the ancient capital of Luoyang, artisans would need to be dispatched to rebuild and renovate once more."
Upon hearing this, Long Chen chuckled and waved his hand repeatedly, saying, "Wenhe, you misunderstand. I neither wish to stay in Chang’an nor relocate to Luoyang."
"I intend to welcome the Emperor back to Yangzhou and establish the capital in Moling (modern-day Nanjing, capital of Eastern Wu)."
Upon hearing this, Jia Xu fell into contemplation.
He had assumed Long Chen would choose Chang’an or Luoyang out of habitual thinking.
These two cities were deeply rooted in the tradition of ancient emperors founding their capitals there.
However, Long Chen’s desire to leave these historical ties behind and return to Moling in Yangzhou was quite unexpected.
In the past, after Dong Zhuo seized Emperor Liu Xie, he did not return to his old nest in Liangzhou but continued to develop in Luoyang.
Long Chen did not follow Dong Zhuo’s path...
Seeing Jia Xu’s expression of surprise and contemplation, Long Chen spoke to clarify, "Do you know about the campaign of the nineteen warlords against Dong Zhuo?"
With these words, Jia Xu immediately understood the key points.
Rather than staying isolated and helpless in the Commandery, it would be better to return to Yangzhou for stable development and growth.
Yangzhou was Long Chen’s birthplace and offered far greater security than the Commandery.
"My Lord’s deep consideration humbles me," Jia Xu said sincerely, "but if we return to Yangzhou, the effectiveness the Emperor can wield will be limited."
Jia Xu’s words were reasonable, but he didn’t know that Long Chen possessed the Imperial Seal, which bestowed immense imperial authority, regardless of the capital being in Luoyang or Chang’an.
After discussing this matter, Long Chen immediately turned to discuss how to handle the defeated soldiers from the Western Liang.
"Wenhe, although the soldiers of the Western Liang are physically fit and capable warriors, their hearts are not yet settled. If we incorporate them under my command, I fear there may be mutinies or it could compromise the purity of the army."
Upon hearing this, Jia Xu paced back and forth in his cell, then stopped and solemnly said, "If we want to resolve this matter, it’s simple."
"We only need to win over the leaders of the Western Liang troops and have them conduct ideological work within the army. This way, we can easily gain control of over ten thousand soldiers from the Western Liang."
Pausing for a moment, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Jia Xu’s eyes as he continued, "My Lord, since you have the Blood Curse skill, why not use it on one of the leaders of the Western Liang rebels? Even if they don’t obey initially, they will eventually obey."
"Wenhe’s words are indeed wise... However, the execution of Blood Curse has certain conditions and restrictions," Long Chen replied.
If we want to use this skill, it can only be done a month later.
In that case, let’s leave Chang’an and return to our main camp in Yangzhou in a month!
After all, Yangzhou is guarded by strategists like Xi Zhi Cai and other capable commanders, ensuring its safety without any problems.
"And during this month, Long Chen can also reassure the people in Chang’an, post notices, to gauge public sentiment."
"As for the candidate for the leader of the Western Liang army, Long Chen already has someone in mind..."
...
...
In Yanzhou, tens of thousands of li away from Chang’an.
Yanzhou is located roughly between the ancient Yellow River and the Ji River, in what is now the western part of Shandong Province, northeastern Henan Province, and southeastern Hebei Province.
The soil here is fertile, with vast plains and abundant farmland, providing nearly half of the empire’s grain and fodder.
These geographical conditions have led to a dense population in Yanzhou, making it a populous province.
Another prominent figure in Yanzhou is none other than Cao Cao, also known as Cao Mengde, who recently defeated the hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban rebels in Qingzhou.
Not long ago,
Qingzhou had gathered hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban rebels, rekindling like a phoenix from the ashes, causing great suffering to the people of Qingzhou.
They had hoped for imperial troops to rescue them, but at that time, Long Chen was preparing to battle Li Jue and Guo Si—where would reinforcements come from?
They were simply unable to do so.
Finally, Cao Mengde, stationed in the eastern county of Yanzhou, saw an opportunity and sent troops to Qingzhou, intending to crush the Yellow Turban rebels there.
There were many reasons for sending troops.
Firstly, to enhance his reputation and make his name known throughout the empire.
Secondly, to gain population and military resources; the Yellow Turban rebels in Qingzhou numbered in the tens of thousands, and in troubled times, population was as valuable as gold to warlords.
Naturally, Cao Cao would not miss such an excellent opportunity.
As expected,
Cao Cao pursued and dispersed the Yellow Turban bandits from Qingzhou, all the way to Jibei.
In the end, tens of thousands surrendered.
Cao Cao immediately used these surrendered bandits as vanguards; wherever his troops went, they all surrendered and obeyed.
In just over a hundred days, more than thirty thousand surrendered troops were gathered, with over a hundred thousand men, women, and children.
From then on,
Cao Cao’s reputation in Yanzhou grew day by day.
After receiving the news in Chang’an, the court bestowed the title of General Who Pacifies the East upon Cao Cao as an encouragement.
Those who performed meritorious deeds, especially those who contributed to the Han Dynasty, must be rewarded.
One reason was to buy the hearts of the people; the second was to promote the Emperor’s legitimate status.
Only the Emperor could confer titles and rewards. If you accepted the Emperor’s reward, it showed respect for the Emperor’s decree. frёewebηovel.cѳm
If you did not accept the Emperor’s reward, you would be considered a rebel, hated and killed by all.
After careful consideration, it was still better to recognize Liu Xie as Emperor; it was more in line with his own interests.
Cao Cao stayed in Yanzhou, training the elite troops of Qingzhou daily, improving their combat effectiveness.
At the same time, he recruited talents and heroes from across the country or within Yanzhou.
One day,
Cao Cao, dressed in a majestic scarlet robe embroidered with black characters between the sleeves, sat solemnly in the study of his mansion, handling the day’s affairs.
Just at this moment,
A black-armored guard suddenly burst in, clasping his fists and reporting, "My Lord, there are two people outside requesting an audience. They say they seek an official position to assist my Lord in governing and pacifying the world."
Cao Cao frowned. Since he issued the call for talents, he had indeed attracted many talented individuals.
Unfortunately, among the literati who came, there were very few with genuine talents and learning.
Most likely, the two individuals outside were seeking fame and reputation; such talents... it would be better not to see them!
Just as he was about to decline their audience, Cao Cao suddenly recalled the teachings his mentor, Qiao Xuan, had imparted to him.
"Mengde, as a leader, you must have patience. In dealing with various matters in the future, you will need to remain calm, objective, and analytical..."
Oh well... Those seen before were mediocre talents, but that didn’t mean those outside the mansion were.
Immediately waving his sleeve robe, Cao Cao said in a deep voice, "Escort the guests to the reception hall; I will be there shortly."
"Yes, my lord!" The guard bowed and left.
After straightening his attire, Cao Cao proceeded to the reception hall. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Only upon seeing the two individuals inside did Cao Cao stand in stunned silence.
These two were uncle and nephew.
They hailed from Yingchuan, Yingyin, surnamed Xun, given name Huo, style name Wenruo, sons of Xun Gun.
Originally affiliated with Yuan Shao, they had now abandoned him to serve under Cao Cao.
After exchanging words with them, Cao Cao was greatly pleased.
He clasped Wenruo’s hand firmly and solemnly said, "Wenruo, truly you are like a son to me!"
Thus, Xun Huo was appointed as the marching marshal in the army.
As for his nephew Xun You, style name Gongda, renowned scholar throughout the realm, who had once served as a Yellow Gate Attendant, later resigned his office to return home, and now joined his uncle in serving under Cao Cao.
Xun You’s talent was also of the highest caliber, and naturally, Cao Cao did not neglect him.
He was appointed as the military strategist.
After serving tea, Cao Cao discussed future plans with Xun Huo and Xun You.
Xun Huo bowed respectfully and said, "My lord, what is needed now is the recruitment of talents and brave generals to strengthen our forces."
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao’s face showed a trace of bitterness as he said helplessly, "Wenruo, you may not know, but this policy has always been my priority. However, I struggle to attract individuals with genuine talents and learning."
"It is fortunate that I have met you two today..."
Upon hearing this, Xun Huo smiled and bowed, "My lord, do not worry. I have heard of a talented scholar in Yanzhou whose whereabouts are currently unknown."
"Who is this person, that even Wenruo values him so highly?"
Cao Cao asked curiously.
Xun Huo continued, "This man is from Dong’e in Dongjun, surname Cheng, given name Yu, style name Zhongde."
Cao Cao slapped his thigh and exclaimed loudly, "I have also heard his name for a long time!"
He immediately sent someone to inquire in the village.
Finally, they found him studying in the mountains. Cao Cao personally went to visit Cheng Yu in the mountains, seeking to invite him down.
Seeing Cao Cao’s extraordinary presence, his dignified and courteous demeanor, and his faint aura of a hero, Cheng Yu immediately submitted.
It must be noted that such a charismatic figure as Cao Cao had a charisma score of at least 95 or even higher.
With just one meeting, Cheng Yu was deeply impressed. Moreover, Cao Cao had personally visited him in the mountains without caring about any inconveniences.
This would have been impossible with Yuan Shao.
This also had to do with their respective backgrounds and other factors. Yuan Shao was born into a family of high-ranking officials from generation to generation.
His inherent pride was extremely high, making it impossible for him to do anything that would damage his reputation.
Cao Cao, on the other hand, was different. Although his father held a high position, he was an eunuch, a subject of ridicule.
Therefore, Cao Cao developed great resilience from a young age, laying the foundation for his later high adaptability.
Cheng Yu finally arrived, greatly pleasing Cao Cao, who immediately arranged a banquet in his mansion, inviting several key strategists to dine together.
