Chang'an, Baqiao.

Since Cao Cao entered Guanzhong, he stationed troops on Baqiao to supervise the battle in Guanzhong.

At this time, it was already December. After a light snow, Ba Bridge was blocked in the snow, revealing a different style. Cao Cao led his horse out of the gate and walked slowly above Ba Bridge. Looking east at Mount Li, the scenery is like a poem. Looking back at Chang'an, you will see the setting sun, full of ancient charm.

Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh, feeling that although the scenery of Ba Bridge was beautiful, it exuded a sad look.

"Master, why sigh?"

Dong Zhao stepped forward to ask, but Cao Cao smiled and did not answer.

If it were in the past, Cao Cao would have given Dong Zhao an answer with great enthusiasm. But now, he really is not in a slight mood...

Ten days ago, he received the news from Xu Du.

When he learned that Cheng Yu had died in Liang Qi in battle, he couldn't help crying.

"As soon as Zhongde leaves, I will lose my heart from now on."

Although Cheng Yu is not prominent among the five major planners, he is indeed extremely important in Cao Cao's mind.

After he cried, he cursed Liu Chuang again. But neither crying nor scolding, Cheng Yu could be resurrected, which made Cao Cao's mood particularly heavy.

The battle in Guanzhong is still in a state of anxiety.

The Cao army could not enter Liangzhou, and the Han army could not enter Guanzhong. The two sides repeatedly tug-of-war on Qingshian and Fengxian County, forming a protracted war. At the same time, the Hedong, which Cao Cao had high hopes, failed to achieve satisfactory results. The Wei family raised an army, but was suppressed by Du Ji in time. Although it made Hedong chaotic and turbulent, the Cao army was still blocked from Longmen Mountain and could not enter Hedong half a step...

At the same time, Yang Lie and Yan Xing repelled the Northern Xiongnu in Mobei, keeping the connection between Shuofang and Liangzhou open.

In this way, the Lingzhou Captain Yang Jian did not need to continue to station in Shizui Mountain, so he rushed south and stationed in the northern county, and looked at the last gap in Guanzhong and Liangzhou. It was blocked, making Cao Cao helpless for a while. Now, as Liu Chuang thought, he was advancing and retreating. Going westward to Liangzhou? Not to mention that Longguan and Wating are easy to defend but difficult to attack, even if Cao Cao attacked and occupied Wating, he was unable to continue to move westward. If he could not advance westward, Wating would lose its meaning. Why bother to lose his troops and lose his generals?

Liu Chuang also spent a lot of effort in Liangzhou.

Xu Shu was in charge, and the four generals gathered in Liangzhou, which was enough to fight against Cao Cao.

What's more, Liu Chuang opened the Hexi Corridor and further strengthened his ties with the powerful Liangzhou.

The most significant thing is the cooperation between Huangfu Jianshou and Liu Chuang. Previously, although Huangfu Jianshou surrendered to Liu Chuang, he never took any further action. However, as Liu Chuang gave up the interests of the Hexi Corridor, Huangfu Jianshou's attitude changed immediately.

That's right, Huangfu Jianshou is a famous scholar and disdains to speak of profit.

However, since Huangfu Song's death, the power of the Huangfu family has been greatly reduced and they have almost lost their status in Liangzhou.

If it weren't for this, Huangfu Jianshou wouldn't have left Liangzhou and went to Luoyang to look for opportunities. The hundreds of Huangfu family members needed an opportunity to revive their family reputation. Liu Chuang's recruitment and the interests of the Hexi Corridor made Huangfu Jianshou unable to continue to persist.

Even Huangfu Jianshou began to cooperate with Liu Chuang, let alone others?

Under such circumstances, Cao Cao also knew that an emerging Liangzhou interest group centered around Liu Chuang was quietly forming.

If you want to shake this group, Cao Cao has to make more profits.

But the problem is, Cao Cao can't take it out!

It is impossible for him to give up the interests of the Central Plains family to the powerful Liangzhou... In that case, the Central Plains family would rebel immediately.

To advance, you cannot advance; to retreat, you cannot retreat!

Cao Cao couldn't help but feel bitter, but he didn't expect that one day he would be forced to this extent by his son-in-law.

He looked at Mount Li in the sunset and suddenly asked, "Wen Ruo has a letter to come?"

"There has been no letters for three days."

Without news, the best news.

To be honest, Cao Cao is really afraid to hear Xun Yu send people to come. The situation in the Central Plains is really beyond Cao Cao's imagination. Jizhou retreated in an all-round way, and Qingzhou was opened by Liu Chuang again. Cao Xiu's last words were written in words and sent to Cao Cao. Cheng Yu was right. Since his confrontation with Liu Chuang, he has always been at a disadvantage whenever he was led by Liu Chuang.

It is precisely because of this that Cao Cao had to work hard to deal with it.

Liu Chuang's climate is getting stronger and stronger, and the generals sent out are more and more difficult to deal with...

For example, Xu Shu is said to be only in his thirties, but he is calm and calm in the face of things and deals with them very appropriately, which makes Cao Cao return several times without success. Hedong prefect Du Ji is also a powerful character. I heard that Du Ji was originally just an official in the Xudu Posthouse, but he did not know that he had such ability, which really surprised Cao Cao. Liu Chuang always expected the enemy to be the first, and every time he hit Cao Cao's weakness, which was closely related to the capable people under his command. But many of these people were originally under his command... When Cao Cao heard about Du Ji's experience, he was also shocked and regretted it.

There was once a talent under him, but he knew nothing.

This also made Cao Cao feel an inexplicable sense of frustration in his heart.

How could he be so lucky to Liu Chuang? He was trapped in Xudu, but he took away his own talents...

Thinking about it, it seems reasonable that Liu Chuang can achieve today's achievements. If you don't say anything else, just talking about his wise eyes will be better than him!

"Let's go, let's go back to the camp."

I originally wanted to come out to relax, but I didn't know that I became more and more bored.

Cao Cao immediately took Dong Zhao and others back to Baqiao Camp. However, he sat down and saw Xu Ding come to ask about his order tonight.

"Small ribs!"

Cao Cao blurted out and sent Xu Ding away.

Xun You looked at Cao Cao thoughtfully and had a rough understanding of Cao Cao's thoughts.

Cao Cao probably wanted to withdraw his troops... But the problem is that he came in a mighty way, but he failed to make any progress and was blind. So he is now in a difficult situation and wants to withdraw his troops, but he can't find a suitable excuse, so he feels bored.

Yes, the situation in Guanzhong is like a waste of money.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That night, Cao Cao was flipping through the classics in the big tent, but he was a little absent-minded.

He couldn't tell what kind of mood he felt... If he retreated now, it would be like giving in to Liu Chuang. He really couldn't erase his face.

More importantly, the outcome of this war is not optimistic.

Liu Chuang's victory in Jizhou this time will inevitably make Xu Du's monsters and monsters even more rampant.

Cao Cao held a volume of "Records of the Grand Historian", but his mind was not on the book at all. His eyes narrowed into a slit, thinking about the next countermeasures. Liu Chuang now lives in four states. His momentum is especially better than Yuan Shao back then. However, he has suffered consecutive defeats, and he is indeed a little severely damaged. He cannot stay in Guanzhong forever, otherwise the situation in Xudu will become more complicated. However, how should he withdraw from Guanzhong? It is another troublesome thing... Zhongde said that he must seize the initiative. He can take the initiative... But where is this opportunity?

Thinking of this, Cao Cao was upset and threw the book in his hand onto the table.

The book overturned the cup on the table, and the water inside suddenly wet the map... Cao Cao hurried over to clean up, but his eyes suddenly stopped and fell on the map.

Just then, I suddenly heard someone outside the tent report: "Lord, Mr. Gongda is here."

"oh?"

Cao Cao came back to his senses and quickly stood up and said, "Please come in."

Xun You hurried into the tent and presented a letter to Cao Cao with both hands.

"Lord, Wenruo sent someone to send a letter and asked me to forward it to the Lost."

“Submit it quickly.”

Cao Cao took the letter and opened it to read it. The gloomy look on his face suddenly disappeared.

"Wen Ruo's plan coincides with me."

"oh?"

Cao Cao laughed and said, "Does Gongda know which Shijun Zhang?"

"Zhang Shijun?" Xun You was stunned for a moment, then reacted and hurriedly said, "What the lord said, is that Zhang Lu, Zhang Gongqi in Hanzhong?"

Cao Cao nodded, "It's this person!"

Zhang Lu, whose courtesy name is Gongqi, was from Fengguo, Peiguo.

His grandfather Zhang Ling, also known as the famous Tianshi Zhang Daoling, Zhang Ling, lived in Bashu and founded the Five Dou Rice Sect. After Zhang Ling died, his son Zhang Heng took over. After Zhang Heng died, Zhang Lu took over the Five Dou Rice Sect... At that time, Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou, first came to Bashu. He appointed Zhang Lu as the governor of Yi Sima, and ordered him to lead troops with other Sima Zhang Xiu to lead his troops into Hanzhong and attack Su Gu, the prefect of Hanzhong.

This Su Gu is also from the Su family in Zhongshan.

However, Zhang Lu and Zhang Xiu were full of conflicts.

After several conflicts between the two sides, Zhang Lu attacked and killed Zhang Xiu in anger, and took away Zhang Xiu's troops, becoming the prefect of Hanzhong...

However, Zhang Lu did not expect that Zhang Xiu was Liu Zhang's friend.

After Liu Yan's death, Liu Zhang was the governor of Yizhou, so he killed Zhang Lu's mother and his family on the pretext that Zhang Lu did not listen to the order. This completely angered Zhang Lu, and the two of them turned against each other. Zhang Lu promoted the Five Dolphins of Rice Sect in Hanzhong, sected the people with ghost Taoism, and called himself "Shijun".

When Xun You heard Cao Cao mention Zhang Lu, he immediately understood Cao Cao's intentions.

"Master, isn't it..."

Cao Cao nodded and said, "Wen Ruo also thinks so.

Zhang Lu, a man who has never had great ambitions and likes ghosts, also used this to govern Hanzhong.

I want to send people to Hanzhong to lobby Zhang Lu... At that time, I can agree to him to promote the ghost path in the Central Plains in exchange for him to send troops to Liangzhou. Now the Qiang Di in Wuduan, who is in the grace of Wei Duan, is unwilling to surrender to Liu Chuang. At that time, let Zhang Lu join forces with Qiang Di, and will definitely cause turmoil in Liangzhou."

After saying that, Cao Cao looked up at Xun You, "What do you think Gongda thinks?"

To be honest, Xun You didn’t like this saying of ghosts and gods very much, because the lessons of Taiping Road are still there.

However, from the current situation, joining forces with Zhang Lu is undoubtedly the best choice. He hesitated and said softly: "But the Five Dogs of Rice Sect..."

“I know what Gongda is worried about, but there is no need to worry.

Unlike Zhang Jiao, Zhang Lu has no ambitions. He wants to promote the Five Dogs of Rice in the Central Plains, and he must act under my nose. At that time, what he does is under my control. If anything is wrong, he will eradicate those religious people and will not cause them to harm the Central Plains."

The nature of the Five Doks of Rice Sect and Taiping Dao is actually not much different, but it depends on the person in charge.

Since the Taiping Dao Rebellion, all regions have attached great importance to such religious matters, but they are not particularly rejected. For example, in Jiangdong, Sun Quan relied on letting those Taoist priests and alchemists act, and on the other hand, he strictly regulated them, making it his help to appease Jiangdong.

Can Sun Quan do it, but can Cao Cao not do it?

Seeing that Cao Cao had made up his mind, Xun You knew it was not easy to persuade him.

At this moment, he asked softly: "But I don't know who the lord wants to send to Hanzhong?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian to vote for recommendations, monthly votes, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile phone users please go to m. Read.)

ps: Two updates today, and four updates tomorrow.
Chapter completed!