Chapter 648

Consequently.

Ju Gu spoke:

"As long as the Grand Marshal is willing to dispatch troops."

"My Grand General can cede the two commanderies of Liaoxi and Yuyang to the Grand Marshal."

Hearing this.

Cao Cao raised his eyebrows without changing his expression.

Liaoxi and Yuyang, these two commanderies were both located in Youzhou and were very close to Liaodong.

For Cao Cao, they were precisely the territories he very much needed.

But for this result, Cao Cao was not particularly satisfied.

Between Yuyang and Liaoxi, there was still a Youbeiping Commandery in between.

(PS: This period was called Youbeiping Commandery, it was only later renamed Beiping Commandery)

Youbeiping Commandery was a truly big piece of fat meat.

Its total wealth and population were probably much more than Yuyang and Liaoxi combined.

It counted as one of the rare, prosperous, large commanderies in the Youzhou region.

Historically, Gongsun Zan relied precisely on the land of Youbeiping Commandery to contend with Yuan Shao for nearly ten years.

If he couldn't take Youbeiping Commandery and only wanted the two commanderies of Liaoxi and Yuyang.

For Cao Cao, the strategic value would be greatly discounted.

Consequently.

Seeing Xun Yu, who was to the side, spoke on Cao Cao's behalf:

"Ju Gu, if my lord dispatches troops to support Jizhou, he holds the risk that our Qingzhou might fall."

"Taking out only Yuyang and Liaoxi is probably not enough, right?"

When discussing interests.

Even someone as gentle as Seeing Xun Yu became worldly for a moment.

Ju Gu's brows locked tightly.

The most valuable thing in the entire Youzhou was Youbeiping Commandery.

If this land were to be made cheap for Cao Cao, it would be a major loss for the Yuan camp.

But... the only one left with the strength to save Yuan Shao was Cao Cao.

If they couldn't block Gu Yi and lost their base, Jizhou.

Even if they retreated to Youzhou, for Yuan Shao and the Jizhou aristocratic families, it would just be "forcibly moving the ancestral graves."

Therefore.

After a psychological struggle.

Ju Gu spoke:

"Youbeiping Commandery and Liaoxi Commandery can be gifted to the Grand Marshal."

"But Yuyang Commandery cannot continue to be gifted."

"Besides this, the Grand Marshal must prepare an army of over 70,000 within ten days and rush to Jizhou to support us."

This was the final bottom line Ju Gu brought out.

At the same time, this was also the bottom line for Yuan Shao and Ju Shou.

Hearing this.

Cao Cao and Seeing Xun Yu looked at each other and smiled.

Their goal had been achieved.

Taking Youbeiping Commandery, the most prosperous in Youzhou, and Liaoxi Commandery, which bordered Liaodong, had quite extraordinary significance.

As for the matter of dispatching troops to support Yuan Shao.

Even if Ju Gu hadn't come here today.

Cao Cao wouldn't have sat idly by and watched Yuan Shao be defeated by Gu Yi.

When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold.

If Yuan Shao were destroyed, the next one to suffer would certainly be Cao Cao.

However.

Due to the deterrence of Zhao Yun and Zhang Song.

Cao Cao could not manage to take out his entire military strength to support Yuan Shao.

He didn't even dare to easily leave Qingzhou himself.

After thinking it over.

He decided to dispatch Cao Ren to take command.

The Confucian general Li Dian would serve as Cao Ren's deputy general.

The position of military advisor would be handed to Man Chong.

There was no help for it; apart from Cao Cao himself.

The only commander the Cao camp could dispatch now was Cao Ren.

Over these years, in a series of wars with Gu Yi.

Cao Hong, Xia Houyuan, Xia Hou Dun, and others were captured one after another.

Le Jin, Cao Chun, and Li Tong died in battle, and Yu Jin surrendered.

Looking at the interior of the Cao camp, the only one qualified to take command was Cao Ren.

Moreover, Cao Ren was skilled in defense and had a resolute personality.

Cao Cao trusted him one hundred percent.

Little did he know.

It was precisely because of these characteristics in Cao Ren that he was about to be led toward total destruction.

……. ===== CHAPTER 649 =====