Chapter 647

Just like now.

These few mountain bandit leaders who accepted Ju Shou's recruitment, although they obtained the "miscellaneous general" positions enfeoffed by Yuan Shao's puppet court.

But the fate awaiting them.

Is probably highly likely to be annihilation by the soldiers under Gu Yi's command in some battle.

However.

For Ju Shou.

These few mountain bandit leaders could serve as an example.

At least, for pacifying the interior of Jizhou, the significance was still relatively significant.

Additionally.

Besides stabilizing the interior and recruiting people as much as possible.

Ju Shou also sent his son, Ju Gu, to personally go to Qingzhou to move reinforcements from Cao Cao.

……

After this period of development.

Cao Cao, who occupied Qingzhou and Liaodong, had recovered his strength quite well.

A year and a half ago, Cao Cao personally led his army to borrow a path from Yuan Shao, crossing the Bohai Sea to attack Gongsun Du of Liaodong.

After taking Liaodong with lightning speed, he even built Liaodong into a great rear area.

Actually, this measure was entirely copying Gu Yi's homework.

Gu Yi's original southward move to take Hanzhong and Bashu was also precisely out of consideration for building a great rear area.

Later.

Hanzhong and Bashu had also been continuously transporting grain, fodder, and a portion of troops to the front line.

And Cao Cao attacking Liaodong.

The purpose he held was precisely this.

Although, the degree of prosperity in Liaodong during the late Han era could not be compared to Bashu and Hanzhong at all.

But no matter what, Liaodong still possessed quite a few people.

Otherwise, how could the Gongsun Yuan of history have achieved "80,000 armored troops"?

Even, that Gongsun Yuan who occupied Liaodong in history was hailed as the fourth state outside the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu.

This naturally must be attributed to the fact that Liaodong's population resources were still quite good.

Actually, this point is also easy to understand.

The degree to which Liaodong was affected by the chaos of war was not very high.

For so many years, it had always been able to recuperate.

But the other provinces within the Great Han territory were not like this.

Land annexation, the increase in hidden households, and years of war and famine led to extremely serious population loss.

And this is the reason why the Seven Heroes of the Warring States period could produce so many troops, while by the late Han and Three Kingdoms period, the total number of troops plummeted.

In other words.

It is not that Liaodong's foundation was so very good.

But that the population numbers of other large provinces were all decreasing, and Liaodong was not affected too much, appearing prominent by relying on the contrast of its peers.

However.

Cao Cao, after taking Liaodong, although his strength was vaguely even stronger than Yuan Shao's.

But compared to Gu Yi, it was still far behind.

……

Qingzhou

Beihai City

In the council hall

Cao Cao and Seeing Xun Yu personally received Ju Shou's son, Ju Gu.

With the death of Feng Ji, a high-ranking member of the Hebei faction.

Ju Shou supported his own son, Ju Gu, to replace Feng Ji's position before his death.

Ju Gu could also be considered a talented person.

He inherited a portion of his father's talent.

Facing Cao Cao and Seeing Xun Yu, after Ju Gu finished bowing, he spoke straight to the point:

"Grand Marshal Cao, Mr. Xun."

"I have come this time to earnestly request Grand Marshal Cao to dispatch troops to support Jizhou."

"After Gu Linzhi defeated the coalition army launched by my Grand General."

"He has been stationing troops near Shangdang in Bingzhou, and may leave Bingzhou to attack Jizhou at any time."

"My Jizhou is now mired in a severe external crisis."

"If we cannot receive support in time."

"I fear... it will be difficult to block Gu Linzhi's military edge."

"At that time, Gu Linzhi will surely carry the momentum of his great victory southward, and I fear Qingzhou will also be difficult to keep safe."

Ju Gu recounted the current situation truthfully in front of Cao Cao and Seeing Xun Yu.

What he said was also the truth.

Since Gu Yi stayed in Shangdang, Bingzhou, instead of returning to Chang'an, this already explained many problems.

Without taking Jizhou, it was impossible for Gu Yi to withdraw his troops and leave.

However.

When discussing cooperation, one always needs to falsely report the price or deliberately lower the price.

Cao Cao naturally understood in his heart what kind of predicament Yuan Shao and Ju Shou were facing now.

But if he were to dispatch troops to help without saying a word.

It would not only appear very cheap.

But it would also yield no benefits.

Consequently.

Cao Cao frowned slightly and said:

"Ju Gu, it is not that this Grand Marshal does not want to support your lord and your father."

"But you also know."

"That scoundrel Gu Linzhi is very cunning!"

"Long before he left Chang'an."

"He had already arranged for Zhang Song and Zhao Yun, who were left behind in Xuzhou."

"To lead a force of elite soldiers numbering no less than 50,000, stationed at the border between my Qingzhou and Xuzhou."

"If this Grand Marshal dispatches troops northward to support your lord and your father."

"Then Zhang Song and Zhao Yun will surely immediately lead their troops to invade my Qingzhou."

"At that time, not only will this Grand Marshal not have helped your lord and your father."

"On the contrary, I will face the risk of having cities occupied by Zhang Song and Zhao Yun."

"Wouldn't this be helping in the wrong way?"

What Cao Cao said caused Ju Gu to fall into silence.

He understood that Cao Cao was right.

The 50,000 elite troops led by Zhao Yun and Zhang Song, who were left behind in Xuzhou, were clearly there to guard against Cao Cao.

Once Cao Cao made a move.

That side would one hundred percent immediately adopt "countermeasures"!

However, if Cao Cao did not help Yuan Shao.

With Jizhou's current military strength, they really couldn't block Gu Yi.

Therefore.

No matter what method was adopted.

Ju Gu had to ensure that Cao Cao could dispatch troops to support Jizhou today. ===== CHAPTER 648 =====