Chapter 307: Gaining Jingxiang, a great harvest [Subscribe]

In early December of that year, Liu Biao's youngest son, Liu Cong, officially took over Jingzhou.

Inside and outside Xiangyang, there were cries of grief and funerals were being held.

Cao Cao was actually a little anxious and wanted to annex Xiangyang.

Because of the information he has obtained, Liu Bei will take action.

Only by destroying Liu Bei's plan can he implement his own plan.

But no matter how urgent it is, you have to wait patiently for the funeral to take place.

Rushing to occupy Xiangyang at this time would be too unpopular among Liu Biao's old subordinates and would easily lead to changes.

Cao Cao waited patiently until early December.

Liu Cong formally submitted a letter of surrender and declared his surrender.

Cao Cao then led his troops from Nanyang County, south through Xinye, and marched along the river, approaching Fancheng and Xiangyang.

……

When the emperor heard that Jingzhou surrendered without a fight, he was stunned.

Then he angrily asked his attendants: "I am the Son of Heaven, I am the legitimate ruler and I am on the throne."

"I want to ask you, what did I do wrong? Why did Liu Cong lead Jingzhou to surrender to Cao Cao?"

"The person I sent to explain the pros and cons has told him that after some time, the parties can unite. Doesn't he even have the courage to wait for a while?"

The emperor became angrier and angrier as he spoke, and he swept the things on the low mat horizontally to the ground.

"Let Liu Jiyu come to see me!"

The envoy sent by Liu Zhang said:

"Your Majesty, the governor just sent someone to deliver the news.

Our Yizhou territory, which borders Jingxiang, may be attacked by Cao's army.

He was dispatching troops to reinforce the defense line and was unable to come to see Your Majesty. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Kong Rong bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, why should you be angry?

Your Majesty, do you remember that on our way here, there was a scholar named Xia Yu who was on good terms with the nobles of Jingzhou. He sent us some news. "

"what news?"

"Not all of Jingzhou will surrender to Cao. The relationships among Liu Biao's sons were not harmonious. He passed the throne to the youngest son instead of the eldest. His eldest son and second son each ruled different counties and cities. It was impossible for them to be in the same place with Xiangyang ruled by the youngest son," said Kong Rong.

Emperor: "Mr. Kong, do you mean that Jingzhou will be divided?"

Kong Rong: "Since Liu Cong has surrendered to Cao, it is impossible for Liu Qi and Liu Xiu to surrender to Cao again. This is certain.

It is not that easy for Cao Cao to occupy Jingzhou."

"Your Majesty, please write another imperial edict to Liu Qi and Liu Xiu. With their legitimate status, they will be more resolute in resisting Cao's army."

The emperor thought about the pros and cons and said: "Mr. Kong's suggestion is very good. I will write it down right away."

He wrote two imperial edicts and sent them to Jingzhou urgently.

----

Cao Cao led his troops to Xiangyang in late December.

On the top of the city wall, Cai Mao and others watched the approaching Cao army from afar.

The soldiers were in formation, and the spearheads they carried seemed to connect heaven and earth, and even from hundreds of feet away, one could sense the chill of murderous intent.

"Are they the famous Tiger and Leopard Cavalry of Cao's army?"

"Exactly."

"Looking at their military power, their blood and energy are sharp, they are indeed warriors who have fought many battles."

"I have always advocated joining Cao's camp as soon as possible. Is that wrong?" Cai Mao said with a smile to those around him.

On the top of the city wall, several people were talking in low voices.

When they saw the generals of Cao's army surrounding a figure riding on a tall horse, Cai Mao, Zhang Yun, Kuai Yue, Han Song, Wang Can, Fu Xun and others rushed down from the city wall.

A group of people had to go and open the city gate in person, and their behavior was very earnest.

It is said that the times are stronger than people.

Cao Ying’s advantage is too great.

Everyone felt it was hard to resist.

Therefore, choosing to surrender could not only preserve oneself, but also save Jingzhou from war.

"King Wei, I haven't seen you for many years, and I've been thinking about our childhood memories lately."

No one else could snatch Cai Mao away.

He was the first to open the city gate and walked quickly forward.

Cao Cao raised the corner of his mouth.

Cai Mao's choice to surrender was the result of assessing the situation and had nothing to do with the relationship between the two when they were children.

Cai Mao lacked loyalty and righteousness. Liu Biao was his brother-in-law and Liu Cong was his nephew.

Both of them treated him kindly.

If we really talk about feelings, Liu Biao and Liu Cong were much closer to him than Cao Cao.

But to be fair, Cai Mao advocated surrender, which allowed Cao's camp to capture Xiangyang. This was a great achievement and he should be rewarded generously to encourage others to join the army.

"I haven't seen Degui for many years. I am so happy to see you today."

Cao Cao took a gentle attitude and asked his soldiers to give up one of their horses so that he could ride side by side with Cai Mao.

Cai Mao was overjoyed and performed the ceremony, saying that he dared not do it.

"Please let the King of Wei into the city." The surrendered generals said in unison.

Cao Cao rode his horse Wang Jueying and entered the city leisurely.

The generals followed behind him, and the sound of their hooves hitting the bluestone on the long street was deafening.

Xiangyang is the capital of Jingzhou and a prominent city since ancient times.

However, it was obtained so easily without any fighting or using any soldiers.

As Cao Cao rode along, he talked with Guo Jia, Xun You, Cheng Yu and others beside him.

By obtaining Xiangyang and relying on it and Nanyang County, Cao Wei's southern defense line will become unbreakable.

This great achievement must be credited to the good advice of several people here.

A few years ago, they began to plan and pushed Zhang Xian, the governor of Changsha, to unite with Zhang Jin, the governor of Guiyang, Lingling, and Jiaozhou, to cause rebellion in Jingzhou, so as to contain Liu Biao during the Battle of Guandu and make him too busy to participate in the war.

This move freed Cao Cao from worries and allowed him to fight Yuan Shao with peace of mind.

In the next two years, Cao Ying secretly supported Zhang Xian, Zhang Jin and others from all sides, dragging Jingzhou into the quagmire of war.

It was because of internal and external troubles that Liu Biao became anxious and fell ill, and eventually died.

The internal and external difficulties undermined Liu Biao's confidence in resisting Cao Cao.

This series of plans, which took root several years ago, is the main reason why Xiangyang was acquired for nothing today.

These plans came from Xun You, Guo Jia, Cheng Yu and others.

Cao Cao's thoughts were in turmoil as he scanned the streets that were under martial law.

Xiangyang's wealth and strength were second only to three or five other cities, namely Luoyang, Chang'an and Yecheng.

The Governor's Mansion on the south side of the city was large and magnificent, like a royal palace. Liu Biao spent his entire life building up his family fortune, raising troops and recruiting talents.

But if you say he has hidden ambitions, he never expands them and is always focused on protecting his family.

Cao Cao soon arrived at the Jingzhou Mu Mansion.

Cao's army is taking over the city defense, palace defense and other internal and external defense lines.

Taishi Ci, Zhang Liao and Cao Ren did not travel with Cao Cao.

They led their troops to take over the defense lines in the Jingxiang area.

From now on, the areas of Jingxiang will be fully incorporated into Caoying's territory.

Cao Cao, wearing a black royal robe embroidered with dark gold patterns, came to the main hall of the Mu Mansion and took the first seat.

Behind him are Dian Wei and Xu Chu.

On the left and right are generals such as Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, Pang De, and Gan Ning.

Standing below were Kuai Yue, Han Song, Zhang Yun and other surrendered generals.

Liu Cong and Mrs. Cai also came.

When Cao Cao came to take over Xiangyang, he only brought 10,000 elite troops, less than one-third of the troops defending Xiangyang.

What courage and confidence this is.

He was not afraid of Jingzhou's rebellion at all. These 10,000 veteran soldiers were the ones who had followed him in the attack on Eastern Xianbei. Their offensive was so sharp that the Jingzhou army was no match even if three of them fought to one.

Cao Cao glanced around and asked, "Where is Degui?"

"What do you want, King Wei?" Cai Mao stepped out.

"I heard that the number of soldiers and horses in Jingzhou, including auxiliary troops, is as many as 250,000? And the number of warships is over 5,000. Is that true?" Cao Cao asked.

Cai Mao: "My king is wise, it is indeed so."

My king... changes his words very quickly.

Cai Mao continued, "Jingzhou has 100,000 soldiers who can fight, and about 150,000 auxiliary soldiers. If we can recruit them at full strength in wartime, we can have tens of thousands more."

"Jingzhou also has abundant food supplies, enough to support the soldiers for a year."

"However, our Jingzhou has a vast water system, and most of our troops are naval forces, with the ratio of naval forces to infantry being roughly 1:3."

Just tell me how good Liu Biao was at accumulating wealth. Although Jingzhou was large, such a rich foundation was enough to show his miserly nature.

Cao Cao couldn't help laughing.

More than 5,000 ships, what a huge fortune.

And the navy is exactly what he wants most.

Liu Biao worked hard for decades, but everything fell into the hands of Cao Cao in one day.

"Degui, you are proficient in naval warfare, so I will appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the navy and let you lead the training of the navy under my command.

You have brought Jingzhou to surrender, which is a great achievement. I will confer you the title of Marquis of Zhennan and grant you generous salary. I will also appoint Zhang Yun as the deputy commander-in-chief and train the navy with you. "

This was truly a generous gift. Cai Mao was overjoyed. He knelt down and saluted, calling him the King of Wei three times.

Others who surrendered also received corresponding rewards.

Cao Cao finally set his sights on Liu Cong.

Liu Cong was afraid of Cao Cao from the bottom of his heart. When he saw him looking at him, he immediately stepped out of the line and knelt down, saying, "Greetings, King Wei."

Cao Cao: "Let me ask you, you have a strong army in Jingzhou, with thousands of warships and 100,000 soldiers. Why don't you surrender without a fight?"

Liu Cong hesitated for a moment, then kowtowed and said, "We, the troops of Jingzhou, dare not resist the powerful army and brave generals under the King of Wei."

"I have heard many times in recent years that the King of Wei has swept across all directions and has been invincible. Your strategy is unprecedented and no one can match it.

Before my father passed away, he told me that only by surrendering to the King of Wei could I survive. If I resisted, I would eventually be defeated.”

Cao Cao smiled and said a few auspicious words, which showed his quick wit.

In history, after Cao Cao took Jingzhou, in recognition of Jingzhou's obedience, he appointed Liu Cong as the governor of Qingzhou and conferred him the title of marquis.

But this was just a show. They then imprisoned Liu Biao's widow, Lady Cai, and youngest son Liu Cong.

This is the mindset of a hero, but he lost some of the support of the people, which led to the instability of Jingzhou later and the loss of most of what he had gained.

As for the surrender of the city, Cao Cao had not promised to give Liu Cong the position of governor in exchange.

He directly ordered Liu Cong to move to Yecheng, but did not restrict his freedom.

According to Liu Cong's status, if he surrendered with a state, he would definitely be granted a title of nobility.

The salary he received from being a marquis was enough for him to live a wealthy life.

"The path to promotion under my command is clear. If you are willing to serve, you can tell me. If not, you can just live your life in leisure." Cao Cao was very generous in handling the matter this way.

He neither imprisoned nor killed Liu Cong and Lady Cai.

Because the two men do not have the ability or opportunity to repeat themselves and pose no threat, they have to be kept alive for show.

Cao Cao waved his hand and everyone else retreated.

Gan Ning immediately stepped out and said:
"King of Wei. Cai Mao, Zhang Yun and their ilk are nothing but flatterers. They are related to Liu Biao, yet they rebelled so easily. I will not accept the fact that I have allowed them to lead the navy and be above me."

It's not that this guy can't see the reason, but he just wants to be a troublemaker and step out to deepen Cao Cao's impression, so that he can be promoted in the future if there are benefits.

Cao Cao: "Cai Mao, who is Zhang Yun? How could I not know him?

You command my navy, and you are also the deputy commander-in-chief, which means you have control over it. If you make meritorious contributions in the future, you will be promoted."

"Don't use this kind of clever tricks anymore."

"The King of Wei is wise."

Gan Ning agreed loudly and stood up to return to his position.

Cao Cao issued another order, asking Jia Xu to spread the news that he, Cao Cao, had arrived and was going to target the nobles of Jingzhou and kill them all.

This order is puzzling.

Isn't this forcing people to flee or rebel?
Don’t you know that Cao Cao just wants to force some people to flee from Jingzhou?

When the gentry in Jingzhou heard that Cao Cao was coming, they knew they would be in danger of being killed, so it would be best for them to follow Liu Bei and flee to Yizhou, or they could also flee to Jiangdong.

Cao Cao was putting the blame on the aristocracy and shifted it to Jiangdong and Liu Bei.

The nobles each pursued their own interests, making it impossible to unify the government policies, and it would only cause trouble for whoever they were on the side of.

Jiangdong is already home to many aristocratic families, which is somewhat similar to Yuan Shao's situation back then.

Most of their troops were composed of nobles.

Jiangdong can fight a favorable battle, but after the Battle of Chibi, when they suffer a defeat, let’s see how Cao Cao will discipline them.

Cao Cao made successive arrangements in Jingxiang.

At night, he said to his trusted generals and advisers: "In the eyes of outsiders, we have just taken over Xiangyang and must stay here to stabilize the morale of the army. In fact, it is not the case. Let's go and attack Da'er."

That night, Cao Cao led his personal army and generals, secretly left Xiangyang and headed south.

It was enough to leave most of the troops in Xiangyang, with Guo Jia, Xun You and Cheng Yu in charge.

And south of Xiangyang, Liu Bei felt that his opportunity had come.

It was something he had been planning for a long time, and so far, it was going smoothly.

Liu Bei is carrying out his plan with all his strength.

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(End of this chapter)