Chapter 572

Discussing military strategy ability alone, among the several strategists in the Cao camp, Seeing Xun You is the undisputed number one.

But can Seeing Xun You play the same role as Seeing Xun Yu?

The answer is no.

The positioning and division of labor of the two are completely different.

As for Cheng Yu, he actually served as a "Cao camp general" for a period of time.

Even, during the Battle of Guandu in original history, Cao Cao specifically sent Cheng Yu to station at the most difficult-to-defend East River.

What he was aiming for was precisely Cheng Yu's resoluteness, steadiness, and decisiveness in the face of changes.

The last one is Guo Jia.

His positioning is significantly different from the previous three.

Among the generals in the Cao camp, the one with the best relationship with Cao Cao must be Xia Hou Dun.

No matter how many times Xia Hou Dun lost in battle, Cao Cao would never blame him, but would instead keep promoting him and giving him raises and wealth.

This led to Xia Hou Dun dying of excessive vomiting of blood due to longing after Cao Cao passed away, in just two months.

No way, the feelings were too good.

Without Cao Cao, Xia Hou Dun didn't want to live either.

And looking at all the strategists in the Cao camp, who is the person with the best relationship with Cao Cao?

That must be Guo Jia!

As the person who accompanied Cao Cao to brothels and drank flower wine, Guo Jia knew many of Cao Cao's private secrets.

Then the question arises.

Why, among the strategists in the Cao camp, is the person who accompanied Cao Cao to brothels and drank flower wine Guo Jia, and not Seeing Xun Yu, Seeing Xun You, Cheng Yu, and others?

Because only Guo Jia could make Cao Cao truly "open his heart"!

Seeing Xun Yu and Seeing Xun You both came from the Yingchuan Xun family.

And the Yingchuan Xun family is Cao Cao's most important partner.

This layer of relationship destined that the two of them could not become Cao Cao's closest friends.

As the saying goes, guard against fire, theft, and partners.

This is just like those "joint-stock limited companies" in later generations.

Besides guarding against external enemies, the major shareholder must also have a sense of vigilance against those shareholders within the company.

Otherwise, if one day by accident, a sudden change of dynasty comes, I fear the major shareholder would have the heart to die!

And putting it here with Cao Cao and the Xun family, it is the same principle.

Except for close relatives, no one will be good to anyone for no reason.

The Xun family is not stupid.

Since they chose to invest in Cao Cao, they must have needs.

The so-called "friendship of gentlemen" is only a very, very small situation.

For the great aristocratic families in the late Han era, this set of friendship of gentlemen is completely unworkable.

Perhaps, in private, the friendship between Seeing Xun Yu and Cao Cao was also quite good.

But on the issue of work stance, it was destined that the two would have a certain vigilance against each other.

But among all the strategists in the Cao camp, only Guo Jia and Cheng Yu did not possess or were not worth Cao Cao's deliberate vigilance!

Cheng Yu did not come from an Yingchuan aristocratic family, but from a fallen wealthy family in Yanzhou.

However.

When Cheng Yu joined the Cao camp, he was already over fifty years old.

His age was even several years older than the old fox Jia Xu.

At this age, he was almost catching up to Cao Cao's father, Cao Song.

Naturally, there was a certain generation gap with Cao Cao.

This led to Cao Cao trusting Cheng Yu very much and affirming Cheng Yu's ability very much.

But with Cheng Yu's age placed there, Cao Cao could never treat Cheng Yu as his closest friend.

This feeling is actually the same as "making friends" in later generations.

When we make friends, we often choose people of similar age, or people whose age difference is not large.

Friendships across generations do exist, but they are very few.

And what about Guo Jia?

Although his age was slightly younger than Cao Cao's.

But Guo Jia's uninhibited behavior and unkempt style of doing things were deeply to Cao Cao's heart.

You must know.

When Cao Cao was in his twenties, he was not some "good child" either!

As one of the most well-known playboys in Luoyang city, Cao Cao would occasionally do things that only the "playboy class" would do with Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and others.

(PS: This image of Cao Cao in his youth is an evaluation in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, not made up by the little author.)

Among all the strategists in the Cao camp, Guo Jia and Cao Cao had the most similar interests.

Therefore, Guo Jia often acted as Cao Cao's "private friend."

Look at those deeds of Guo Jia in history.

We can clearly discover that Guo Jia seemed to have done many things, and seemed to have done nothing.

Predicting that Sun Ce would die before the Battle of Guandu.

The Ten Victories and Ten Defeats theory during the Battle of Guandu.

Suggesting Cao Cao to expedition to Wuhuan before he passed away, and the legacy plan to pacify Liaodong.

These three major events that Guo Jia participated in, rather than strategy, played more of a role in encouraging Cao Cao and inspiring people's hearts!

For example, the legacy plan to pacify Liaodong.

This matter, strictly speaking, should have been formulated by the strategists of the Cao camp unanimously.

You can know by thinking with your brain.

If there was no permission from Seeing Xun Yu.

How could Cao Cao easily gather the huge logistics needed for the expedition?

If there was no "strategy" from Seeing Xun You.

Why would Cao Cao change his original arrangement and suddenly set Zhang Liao as the vanguard?

According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the role Seeing Xun You played in Zhang Liao becoming the vanguard was crucial.

And what about Guo Jia?

What kind of role did he play in this?

Rather than saying the expedition to Liaodong was Guo Jia's plan.

It is better to say that Cao Cao first discussed with Seeing Xun Yu, Seeing Xun You, and others, and set the plan for the expedition to Liaodong.

Afterward, he asked Guo Jia as a private person whether he could expedition to Liaodong.

Let's put it this way.

What Cao Cao wanted to hear was a good omen.

He wanted Guo Jia to tell him personally that the expedition to Liaodong was completely feasible and would inevitably achieve a great victory.

This is like "divination" before an expedition.

But Cao Cao didn't need a diviner here, because Guo Jia could concurrently serve as a diviner.

Precisely because of this.

Cao Cao would ask Guo Jia whether it was feasible before major events.

What he wanted to hear was actually Guo Jia telling him personally, "This matter is feasible"!

In this way, Cao Cao's sigh at the Battle of Chibi, "If Guo Fengxiao were here, I would definitely not have suffered this defeat," had a reasonable explanation.

Cao Cao missed Guo Jia, not because he missed Guo Jia's strategic ability.

But because he missed Guo Jia's role as a "diviner"!

Precisely because Cao Cao was defeated at Chibi, he missed Guo Jia even more.

When reviewing afterward, Cao Cao felt that if Guo Jia could have lived to participate in the Battle of Chibi, he would definitely have been able to avoid risks for him and bring some pleasant "omens."