Chapter 40 Liu Wu and Zhuge Liang discuss the general situation of the world, Part

Although Zhuge Liang did not think that other princes in the world except Sun Quan and Cao Cao were worthy of his attention.

However, that was Zhuge Liang’s courage and wisdom, and he dared to say this.

Can Liu Wu really speak so arrogantly?
Not only did Zhuge Liang feel that Liu Wu’s words were a bit too harsh, but Xu Shu on the side also looked at Liu Wu with some suspicion.

Xu Shu believed in Liu Wu’s ability. He also knew that Liu Wu was not the kind of person who would talk nonsense. He understood that Liu Wu should have some plan in mind.

Sure enough, as Zhuge Liang finished speaking, Liu Wu laughed and said:
“I wonder if Mr. Kong Ming has heard of a story about my cousin?”

Liu Wu’s question made Zhuge Liang narrow his eyes slightly, but he understood that what Liu Wu just said was probably not just a casual remark.

“Please give me some advice, sir!” said Zhuge Liang.

Liu Wu did not neglect it either. He met their gazes and said:
“A few years ago, Cao Cao was very powerful and used the emperor to control the princes. Although my cousin Liu Bei was forced to surrender to Cao Cao because of the emperor’s uncle, he was weak and had to hide his strength and bide his time to prevent Cao Cao from plotting against him. He planted vegetables in the backyard to hide his tracks.”

“One day, Cao Cao sent Xu Chu and others to invite my cousin to a small pavilion to drink plum wine. During the meal, Cao Cao and my cousin talked about heroes in the world. Cao Cao first asked my cousin who could be called a hero in the world.”

“At that time, in order to conceal his own ambitions, my cousin deliberately mentioned some people that he thought Cao Cao would not approve of, such as Yuan Shu in Huainan, Yuan Shao in Hebei, Liu Biao in Jingzhou, and Sun Ce in Jiangdong. However, Cao Cao was quite disdainful of these people, thinking that they were either superficial or had no ambitions, and were not worthy of being called heroes.”

“After his cousin’s answers failed to satisfy Cao Cao, Cao Cao finally expressed his own opinion: “A hero is one who has great ambitions, good plans, and the ability to contain the universe and swallow up the world.” Then, he went straight to the point and said: “There are only two heroes in the world today, you and I!” The cousin was so surprised when he heard this that he dropped the chopsticks in his hand.”

“Let’s not talk about the fact that my cousin was keeping a low profile and hiding his shortcomings, not daring to compare himself with Cao Cao. Just look at Cao Cao, who has great ambitions and good plans. He has the ambition to contain the universe and swallow up the world. He is a strong enemy of Nanyang.”

“Cao Cao regards the princes of the world as dead bones in a grave. If I want to revive the Han Dynasty and restore its glory, I must fight against Cao Cao. If I, Liu Wu, regard the princes who Cao Cao regards as dead bones in a grave as my great enemies, how can I talk about competing with Cao Cao and defeating him?”

“If you have no confidence and cannot even match Cao Cao’s courage, how can you talk about reviving the Han Dynasty?”

Liu Wu bluntly used the story of Cao Cao and Liu Bei drinking green plum wine to express his ambition.

Hearing Liu Wu’s words, Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang in the room were both stunned, looking at Liu Wu who was full of fighting spirit.

I just feel that Liu Wu is a man with great ambitions.

“What a talk of drinking plum wine. How can you talk of reviving the Han Dynasty if you can’t even match Cao Cao’s courage? You have great courage, young master.” Xu Shu clapped his hands and laughed, obviously pleased with Liu Wu’s broad-mindedness.

Zhuge Liang’s impression of Liu Wu also increased dramatically.

In fact, this is what Zhuge Liang also likes to watch. As a person who supports the Han Dynasty, how could he be afraid of Cao Cao and dare not compete with Cao Cao.

However, Zhuge Liang was still not satisfied with Liu Wu’s answer and said:

“Since you consider Cao Cao to be your great enemy, why did you say that Sun Quan of Jiangdong was also a strong enemy? Cao Cao should look down on Sun Quan, right?”

“Whether it’s Liu Biao of Xiangyang or Liu Zhang of Yizhou, their power is greater than Sun Quan’s, right?”

Zhuge Liang asked Liu Wu with his eyes slightly narrowed.

Liu Wu listened to Zhuge Liang’s words and sneered:
“Sun Quan is certainly a great enemy. His geographical advantage and strength in Jiangdong are unmatched by any other prince in the world.”

“For example, the geographical advantage: Jiangdong region has a dangerous terrain, and the Yangtze River provides a natural defense barrier, which enables the Jiangdong regime to develop relatively stably in troubled times. This geographical advantage is an important basis for Sun Quan to establish his own territory and dominate Jiangdong. It can be said that as long as the Yangtze River is controlled, the outside princes cannot attack Jiangdong, while Sun Quan can send troops out of the Central Plains to attack Jingzhou.”

“And the foundation of strength: Sun Quan inherited the foundation of his father and brother. After years of development, the economy of Jiangdong region was prosperous and the army was strong. Sun Quan not only had many capable generals, such as Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Cheng Pu, Taishi Ci, etc., but also a group of wise counselors, such as Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong. Such a foundation of strength provided a strong guarantee for Sun Quan to gain a foothold in troubled times, as well as the power to expand outward.”

“And Liu Biao of Xiangyang is too old, his bones are in the grave, and he has lost his ambition. He only knows how to defend the city. How can he compare with the enterprising Sun Quan?”

“Although Liu Zhang of Yizhou is a member of the royal family, he inherited his father’s business and is just a dog guarding the house. He has not shown enough political talent and ambition. Even Hanzhong was taken away by Zhang Lu. How can he be called a hero?”

In the thatched cottage, Liu Wu spoke in a steady and powerful voice, combining his own knowledge with what later generations had seen, and blurted out his evaluation of Sun Quan, Liu Biao, and Liu Zhang.

After a pause, Liu Wu thought of Zhuge Liang asking himself what he should do to restore the Han Dynasty and revive its glory?

Without waiting for everyone’s reaction, Liu Wu continued, “Wu has taken over the great responsibility of reviving the Han Dynasty for his brother. He should always raise the banner of reviving the Han Dynasty, recruit and employ all loyal Han talents, be kind and righteous to the people, and clearly distinguish rewards and punishments!”

Liu Wu stopped talking after he finished speaking, bowed to Zhuge Liang, and said:

“What Wu said is what Wu thinks in his heart. If there is anything wrong, please feel free to tell me, Mr. Kong Ming. Wu is not a stubborn person. If I am wrong, Wu will correct it immediately.”

quiet!
In the thatched cottage, Xu Shu, Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun were all shocked when they heard Liu Wu’s remarks.

Zhuge Liang looked at Liu Wu with his eyes shining brightly. It must be said that what Liu Wu said made Zhuge Liang very relieved, because Liu Wu had a sharp vision and his analysis of the potential of Sun Quan of Jiangdong was exactly his inner evaluation of Sun Quan of Jiangdong.

Moreover, Liu Wuyan wanted to always hold high the banner of reviving the Han Dynasty, win over and make use of all loyal talents, be kind and righteous to the people, and be clear about rewards and punishments. This also comforted Zhuge Liang very much. He thought that this was what a prince should do.

What is even more rare is that he always holds high the banner of reviving the Han Dynasty.

It was rare that Liu Wu could see so clearly.

“You are truly a hero. You were able to resolve the crisis in Xinye within a year and establish yourself in Nanyang County. I admire you!”

Zhuge Liang spoke, and what he said made Liu Wu breathe a sigh of relief.

Obviously, he passed Zhuge Liang’s test.

“Mr. Kong Ming, thank you very much. To be honest, I came here to seek your advice.”

“At the beginning, we made a plan for the four families to attack Cao. But Yuan Tan was deceived by the position of general and Marquis of Ye given by Cao Cao, and attacked Yuan Shang. Only my Nanyang and Jiangdong Sun Quan’s two families united. Cao Cao launched a large-scale attack, and Sun Quan might not be able to break through the important town of Hefei. Then, only Nanyang was left to face Cao Cao’s overwhelming army. Mr. Kong Ming, please teach me how to deal with the current crisis?”

Liu Wu did not hesitate. After answering Zhuge Liang’s questions, he asked Zhuge Liang for advice.

This is the main purpose of his visit today.

One is to recruit Zhuge Liang, and the other is to ask Zhuge Liang for a solution.

Liu Wu’s words made Xu Shu and Zhao Yun look at Zhuge Liang.

Liu Wu seemed to have passed Zhuge Liang’s test, but what about Zhuge Liang himself?

You know, ministers choose their kings, and kings also choose their ministers.

When Zhuge Liang asked Liu Wu for advice, he waved his feather fan and did not answer for a moment. Instead, he looked at Liu Wu and threw the question to him, smiling leisurely:

“Sir, you have a detailed understanding of the general situation in the world, and you know all the princes like the back of your hand. I wonder, sir, what is the best strategy to deal with Cao Cao now?” Zhuge Liang threw the question to Liu Wu again.

Liu Wu, Xu Shu and Zhao Yun all frowned.

Liu Wu didn’t say anything, but began to think about what was the best strategy to deal with Cao Cao.

However, after thinking about it, Liu Wu went back to the beginning, shook his head and smiled bitterly:
“To be honest, Mr. Kong Ming, I’m sorry for my stupidity, but I still feel that the best strategy is for the four families to attack Cao.”

“Please give me advice, sir!”

Now, Zhuge Liang no longer hesitated, and stood up and walked to a map of the power of the Han princes in the room.

The feather fan pointed at Cao Cao and drew a circle on Cao Cao’s forces.

“It is actually correct strategically for the four families to attack Cao. However, the eldest son of the Yuan family, Yuan Tan, and Yuan Shang have conflicts with each other, and the brothers are at odds with each other, which makes the strategy of the four families to attack Cao full of uncertainty.”

“Liang thought that since we were going to unite all the clans to attack Cao, we didn’t have to stick to the Guandong area, nor did we have to stick to the four clans of Yuan Tan, Yuan Shang, Wancheng, and Jiangdong Sun Quan.”

“Oh? No need to stick to the Guandong area? No need to stick to Yuan Tan, Yuan Shang, Wancheng, and the four families of Sun Quan in Jiangdong?” Liu Wu and Xu Shu in the thatched cottage were both shocked, and then quickly turned their attention to the other princes and places other than Guandong.

At that moment, Xu Shu’s eyes were fixed on Guanzhong.

Liu Wu’s gaze also turned towards Guanzhong at this time.

The situation in Guanzhong was that before the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao dispatched the Inspector of the Imperial Capital, Zhong Yao, to garrison Guanzhong in order to appease Ma Chao, Han Sui, Cheng Yi, Li Kan, Yang Qiu and other Guanzhong heroes and stabilize the various separatist forces in Guanzhong to avoid being attacked from both sides.

With the cooperation of Zhang Ji and others, Zhong Yao completed the task brilliantly and ensured the stability of Guanzhong.

Therefore, the entire Sili actually belonged to Cao Cao’s territory.

Zhuge Liang saw that Xu Shu and Liu Wu were both looking at Guanzhong, so he smiled and said:
“The Guanzhong area actually nominally belongs to Cao Cao’s sphere of influence, because Ma Teng and Han Sui both sent hostages to Guanzhong, and Ma Teng and Han Sui were both recruited by Cao Cao.”

“However, Ma Teng and Han Sui are both ambitious people. Although they have some loyalty to the Han Dynasty, being sent as hostages to obey Cao Cao’s orders is definitely not what Ma Teng and Han Sui want.”

“Ma Teng and Han Sui may not dare to fight Cao Cao openly, but with a little external force, Ma Teng and Han Sui will definitely resist Zhong Yao.”

“And this external force is right here!”

Zhuge Liang pointed his feather fan at Bingzhou in the north of Guanzhong and said with a smile.

“Bingzhou, Gaogan!” Liu Wu and Xu Shu’s eyes sparkled.

“Haha, Gao Gan is Yuan Shao’s nephew. Yuan Shao appointed him as Bingzhou governor. Needless to say, Yuan Shao is very grateful to Gao Gan and trusts him.”

“Yuan Shao’s three sons, Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shang, may become enemies because of the dispute over succession, and temporarily ignore Cao Cao, their enemy.”

“However, as long as the young master contacts Gao Gan, he will certainly lead a large army southward to Guanzhong to respond to Ma Teng and Han Sui. At that time, considering the importance of Guanzhong, Cao Cao will certainly send a large number of troops to Guanzhong.”

“Therefore, Cao Cao’s troops were divided into two groups: one to Hefei to guard against Sun Quan in Jiangdong, and one to Guanzhong to stabilize the situation and fight against Gao Gan, Ma Teng, and Han Sui. Cao Cao’s ability to attack Nanyang would inevitably be greatly reduced.”

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, shook his head and said:
“In fact, if any of the princes can resist Cao Cao’s main attack, Cao Cao will be in real danger this time.”

“Cao’s army is fighting in three places: Guanzhong, Hefei, and Wancheng. If Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shang don’t put aside their personal fights and attack Cao together at this time, I’m afraid they are really crazy.”

“Because, at that time, Cao Cao was not far from defeat. No matter whether it was Gao Gan or Yuan Xi who came forward, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang had to temporarily put aside their personal fights and join forces to attack Cao Cao!”

Zhuge Liang sighed, feeling that Cao Cao was really close to a catastrophic disaster.

In Zhuge Liang’s view, this was simply the best time to destroy Cao Cao.

In the four northern states, Yuan Shao’s three sons and one nephew all had grudges against Cao Cao.

In the Guanzhong area, the forces of Ma Teng, Han Sui and others were only appeased rather than merged into the rest of the country, so there is still a great possibility of recurrence.

In the south, Sun Quan had just inherited the throne from his elder brother Sun Ce. Wanting to prove himself, he could not wait to break through the important city of Hefei and enter the Central Plains.

same.

Liu Wu occupied the imperial hometown of Nanyang County and wanted to revive the Han Dynasty in the name of being a relative of the Han Dynasty.

All signs indicate that if it were possible to mobilize the princes from all sides to attack Cao Cao together.

Even if Cao Cao had thirty-six arms, he couldn’t stop the attack.

Inside the thatched cottage, Liu Wu, Xu Shu and Zhao Yun all had shining eyes as they listened to Zhuge Liang’s new speech on attacking Cao.

It seems that Zhuge Liang’s plan is more reasonable and reliable than the previous four plans to attack Cao.

Liu Wu knew clearly that Ma Teng and Han Sui were both ambitious people and they had never trusted Cao Cao.

In history, in March of the 211th year of Jian’an ( AD), Cao Cao sent Zhong Yao and Xiahou Yuan, the general of the Western Expedition, to attack Zhang Lu in the west. This action triggered a rebellion among the generals in Guanzhong. Ma Chao, Han Sui, Cheng Yi, Li Kan, Yang Qiu and other generals in Guanzhong rose up against Cao and confronted Cao’s army at Tongguan.

Finally, Cao’s army and Ma Chao’s army fought a decisive battle. Cao Cao attacked the central army with his infantry and attacked with his cavalry, defeating them and killing Cheng Yi and Li Kan. Ma Chao and Han Sui fled to Liangzhou, and Yang Qiu fled to Anding.

In the end, Cao Cao completely cleared the Guanzhong territory.

It can be said that if he contacted senior officials and had them lead the army south to Guanzhong, Ma Teng and Han Sui would surely rebel, and Cao Cao would be trapped in a battle in Guanzhong, or he would have to give up Guanzhong.

Faced with the battle of dividing the troops, Cao Cao was stuck in the quagmire of war. If Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang did not stop their private fights, they would be real fools. It is very likely that these three would join the siege of Cao Cao.

“Well, Mr. Kong Ming is truly a talented person. I have memorized the battle against Cao by heart.” Liu Wu said to Zhuge Liang excitedly.

Immediately, Liu Wu did not hesitate, and stood up and said solemnly to Zhuge Liang:

“I have great ambitions, but I lack counselors. Please lend me a hand, sir. I am willing to be at your side.”

Xu Shu and Zhao Yun both looked at Zhuge Liang expectantly.

With just a few words, Zhuge Liang made them understand the strategy against Cao and the situation clearly. There was no doubt that Zhuge Liang was a real talent. If he could recognize Liu Wu as his master and become a member of Nanyang, then their camp would have a powerful strategist.

(End of this chapter)