Chapter 207 Heading South

As the person who said Cao Cao arrived, Cao Cao's curses had a significant effect.

"Prime Minister, we have a secret report from Jiangdong."

When Xun You came in, he saw Cao Cao, whose face was so black that water could drip from his eyes.

And the two maids and concubines were fighting, their foreheads touching the ground, shaking like chaff.

"Gongda!" Cao Cao's face became much brighter.

But after taking the secret letter from Xun You's hand and looking at it hastily, he couldn't help but said angrily:

"Why not pass on this information earlier!"

After that, Cao Cao stuffed the secret letter written by Xia Houyuan and Jiang Dong's secret letter into Xun You's arms.

Lying back on the couch, Cao Cao's voice was filled with unconcealable fatigue:

"Hey! Liu Bei... a mistake in his original thoughts actually made him so powerful!"

Xun You first picked up the information handed over by Jiang Dong. The content was complicated, but he summarized it in just four pieces:

Liu Bei is conquering Yizhou, and Jingzhou's defenses are empty;

Liu Bei's civil servants gathered for three months, even at the expense of traveling to and from Yizhou;

There is a water power plant in Jingzhou that improves people's livelihood, and the iron is smelted well, and the cast iron is astonishingly sharp and tough.

Sun and Liu were as close as one family, and Zuo Bozhi's secret recipe and iron smelting method were donated to Jiangdong.

Xun You saw Liu Bei attacking Yizhou at the first sight. No wonder the prime minister was so angry!

After all, Liu Jiyu showed his goodwill more than once or twice. In the eyes of the prime minister, Yizhou was already meat in the pot. As long as Hanzhong was taken, wouldn't it mean that he could get everything he asked for?

But in the end, Liu Bei used the power of his poor land to attack Yizhou!

However, these contents are not unacceptable to Xun You. After all, Liu Bei is indeed not a law-abiding master.

Now that Sun and Liu are allied, and Jiangdong has Jiangling as a gift, Liu Bei will be despised by the world if he counterattacks Jiangdong, and Yizhou seems to be the only choice.

It is said that it is extremely difficult to enter Shu from Yiling Road.

I wonder how Liu Bei was defeated?

However, Xia Houyuan's secret letter made Xun You completely lose his composure, and he immediately gave the highest praise:

"This is a serious problem, we should get rid of it first!"

Cao Cao nodded in agreement while lying on the couch.

But...how to fight?

If we go through Guanzhong and attack Hanzhong, the road will be difficult, and Yongliang has not yet been pacified.

What if we go south from Xiangfan? Going south, the terrain is all the way up, so the attack is already at a disadvantage.

Wen Qian's previous defeat against Cao Cao was clearly remembered. The loss of thousands of people made Cao Cao unable to sleep well for several days.

Xiangfan... is not easy to fight either.

On the contrary, it had been prepared before, and Jiangdong's preparations looked promising.

After all, Zhou Gongjin is dead, who can stop me?

Therefore, Cao Cao was caught in a dilemma for a while.

Xun You saw his lord's hesitation and said:

"The navy still needs training, but Liu Bei now holds the land of Tianfu and the foundation of his career. If he doesn't get rid of it, he will have trouble sleeping and eating."

"It is advisable to increase troops to Xiangfan to suppress Jiangling, and to mobilize troops to assist General Xiahou Miaocai. The decision of Yongliang cannot be delayed any longer."

Cao Cao nodded slowly. What Xun You said was reasonable and just what he thought.

And one thing the two of them knew tacitly was that it was Hanzhong!

The true foundation of Yanhan's hegemony has now easily fallen into the hands of someone named Liu?

Is it true that this man’s destiny is not yet fulfilled?

But this confusion only existed for a moment. For Cao Cao, he and Liu Bei had been fighting to the death for a long time.

This destiny...can it stop the iron cavalry?

Cao Cao felt that he had a little expectation and excitement in his heart.

After reaching a consensus, Cao Cao looked at other descriptions in the intelligence and continued to discuss with Xun You:

"This piece of Lu said that the fall of Yangping Pass was due to Liu Bei's new siege weapons. Is this a shirk?"

"Just wait for the follow-up secret message from General Xiahou Miaocai. Since Hanzhong has fallen, there will definitely be rebels. The details should be known from the mouths of the rebels who fled to Guanzhong."

"This secret meeting on March 1st seems to be too strange." Cao Cao hesitated.

It is extremely unusual to observe the three-month period even if you don't hesitate to travel from Yizhou.

"Just continue to inquire." Xun You set the direction.

"Then this method of smelting iron and making paper..." Cao Cao was greedy for both.

The method of smelting iron is extremely important, and the method of making paper... Although there is Zuo Bo Paper, I am too embarrassed to grab it openly.

Xun You smiled:

"These secret recipes have been sent together with the secret letter, and they have been sent to verify the authenticity as soon as possible."

Cao Cao finally laughed out loud, feeling that there was a rare bit of good news today.

Liu Bei was kind and righteous, and he had no secrets towards Jiang Dong, his uncle.

What belongs to Jingzhou belongs to Jiangdong, and what belongs to Jiangdong... belongs to Cao Cao!

Xun You breathed a sigh of relief, but felt that when he mentioned Hanzhong and Yizhou just now, the Prime Minister's expression was indescribable.

It's like a young man admiring his love, only to find out that his sweetheart is already married.

At this time, a guard walked in quickly:

"Prime Minister, there is news from Xudu that Xu Shu has absconded and is missing."

In the blink of an eye, Xun You understood the prime minister's expression.

Well... this time, the young lady who was forced to marry a newbie climbed over the wall to escape and have a private meeting with her lover.

…

In a small boat on the Yingshui River, Dong Jue, Shi Tao, and Xu Shu, dressed slightly, were sitting on the bow of the boat, sipping tea and watching the scenery.

It's only the beginning of February now, and although the winter in Xudu is not cold, it is inevitably bleak, and it's hard to say there's much to see here.

But as the saying goes, the world is broad and the mind is broad. After experiencing the drastic changes in the family and Xu Du's four wasted years, Xu Shu felt like he could breathe again for the first time.

Therefore, the bleak scenery also became a highlight in his eyes. The temperature difference was like wine, and he could talk about it clearly by pointing at the shore.

After reading the letter, Xu Shu made a quick decision. Leaving was inevitable, but the question was how to leave.

When he came to serve his mother, Shi Tao volunteered to accompany him, so he had to leave together.

Therefore, he spent some time waiting until the first month of the year, and found Shi Tao's time to report on his work in Xudu before he got in touch again.

And for Shi Tao, it was no problem. How many years had it been since the last time the four friends of Nanyang parted?

Dong Jue gently drank a cup of warm tea and said with a smile:

"The military advisor has a plan for the return to the south. It seems that he has considered it more than once."

Xu Shu smiled, dipped his fingers in some tea and wrote and drew on the table, and said casually:

"If the lord is in Chengdu, there are only three or four ways to return to the south."

"The closest one is naturally the way you came from Gong Xi, and return the same way, but..."

Xu Shu shook his head, with a smile on his face:

"Since they have easily taken Yizhou, with Kong Ming Shi Yuan here, they will definitely plan to attack Hanzhong."

"Attack them by surprise. At this time, Hanzhong is either being attacked or has already been captured."

"In either case, there is Xiahou Yuan stationed in Chang'an and the Tongguan checkpoint, which is even more difficult."

Dong Jue nodded in approval.

Xu Shu then turned to the south, as if he had seen the serious bearded general with his own eyes:

"General Guan is stationed in Jiangling, and he once defeated Le Jin. Moreover, the land of Jingxiang has been heavily guarded since the Battle of Chibi, so it is even more impossible to go there."

This road is the shortest, but Dong Jue never thought that Xiang, Fan, and Wan are all military outposts along the way. Taking this road is simply a trap.

"The water route is different."

Xu Shu was in high spirits. This was also his way to escape from the cage!

"From Xudu, enter Yingshui, Yingshui enters Huaishui, and then enters Feishui."

"Go down the river all the way. If it is not the dry season, you can travel a thousand miles a day!"

Speaking of this, Xu Shu was silent. He had almost unconsciously thought about this route too many times when he was in Xudu.

Because of his uncooperative attitude, he and Shi Tao were almost forgotten in Xudu. The empty position of six hundred stones had a taste of survival of the fittest, and even became a joke after dinner for a while.

The counselor that Prime Minister Cao brought back with great fanfare only lived in idleness with six hundred stones!

But now standing at the bow, watching Xudu flying away behind him, Xu Shu felt a little happy.

Talent and strategy are like precious swords, and only when entrusted to a wise master can they benefit the world.

Put the sword back into the sheath and hide its brilliance, and rather hide it than be used by thieves.

The day of Xudu's return is not far away!

The three people at the bow were silent for a while, until Dong Jue raised his hand and asked:

"Are those people refugees?"

There was a group of people on the shore. Dong Jue saw them kneeling in the ground, digging something in the soil with their hands, and no one looked up at the passing ships on the water.

Shi Tao took a look and turned his head:

"Tunmin."

Dong Jue repeated the word in his mind, and then realized that it was the people of Tuntian.

"What are they looking for?"

"Food." Shi Tao said very coldly:

"If you find it, you live; if you don't find it, you die."

Dong Jue was a little bit unbelievable:

"The Lord once told us that Cao Cao set up military farms and collected five out of ten taxes, so the taxes of the people under the jurisdiction of Jingzhou and Yizhou should not exceed this number."

"Five out of ten taxes, how can it be reduced to such a field."

Shi Tao was a little curious: How did Liu Bei know the data of military farms under Cao Cao's rule?

But after looking at Dong Jue's example, he understood: using spies is very good.

But Shi Tao still shook his head and said:

"How can it be five out of ten taxes? Six out of ten taxes is the norm, and the most is eight out of ten."

Then Shi Tao just shook his head and didn't want to say more, and Dong Jue also knew not to ask again.

He still remembered Shi Tao's position under Cao Cao's rule: Dian Nong.

I think it should have touched some bad memories of him.

And now it is not the spring farming season yet, but there are already hungry people...The three of them fell silent.

Life on the boat where you eat, drink, defecate and urinate is not pleasant, but it is bearable for Xu Shu.

Although they are going down the river quickly, the three of them know that they cannot relax.

In Xu Shu's view, he and Shi Guangyuan only have 1,200 shi in total. In the face of the current situation of renewed war, it is difficult for Cao thieves to mobilize troops to capture them.

But Xu Shu did not dare to gamble and did not want to gamble. After all, he really did not want to go back to Xudu, which was cramped, difficult to breathe, and reminded him of his mother.

After leaving Yingshui and merging into Huaishui, the speed of the boat increased significantly, and after entering Feishui and passing Chaohu, it was Ruxukou of Dongwu.

Dong Jue had many identities on him. After Ruxu verified their identities as needed, the three smugglers from the north successfully entered the territory of Dongwu.

"Take a break." Xu Shu's face turned slightly pale.

Even if they entered Jiangdong, they would have to take a boat to go to Jingzhou next.

But at least they were safe now. Xu Shu planned to take a short rest here and take a look at what the prosperous Jiangdong looked like.