Chapter 714

"Wen Yuan, Feng Xian, Zilong, your progress is indeed rapid."

"But this army led by the Prime Minister himself has no place to be useful."

Inside Lin Zi City.

Gu Yi joked to the three.

The original plan was for Zhao Yun to be the vanguard and be the first to break into Lin Zi City.

Afterward, wait for Gu Yi to lead the main force to arrive here, then converge with the two generals Lu Bu and Zhang Liao, and together launch the final encirclement of Qingzhou.

But... things progressed even beyond Gu Yi's expectations.

The three generals Zhao Yun, Lu Bu, and Zhang Liao were almost at the point of pushing Qingzhou horizontally.

Now.

The places still holding out were just Beihai City and Donglai Commandery near the Bohai Sea.

"Speaking of which, this Cao Mengde doesn't seem to intend to retreat to Liaodong?"

Looking at the map placed on the table, Fa Zheng raised the doubt in his heart.

In the previous year and a half, Cao Cao took advantage of Gu Yi pacifying the south, led a portion of his army across the Bohai Sea to attack Liaodong, and beheaded Gongsun Kang.

Since then, Liaodong became Cao Cao's rear area.

This time, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao forcibly expanded their troops, and Youzhou and Liaodong were also their top priorities.

Actually.

Judging from the current trend, Cao Cao simply couldn't hold Qingzhou anymore.

But his army had no tendency to move toward Liaodong.

This shows that either Cao Cao didn't intend to flee to Liaodong, but chose to hold Qingzhou.

Or he had other plans.

But now that it had reached this point, facing Gu Yi's army pressing at the borders, what other good methods could Cao Cao have?

"Xiaozhi, Cao Cao might not have any other plans."

"He just wants to hold out here."

"But some people under his command might not necessarily think so."

Gu Yi smiled slightly.

He thought of a piece of intelligence he had heard recently.

It is said that Cao Cao's strategy of rapid troop expansion was carried out under Sima Yi's suggestion.

It wasn't that Cao Cao was stupid, but besides rapid expansion, he had no other path to take.

And for Sima Yi, what benefit did Cao Cao implementing the rapid expansion strategy have for him?

The Sima family was considered a top-tier aristocratic family of the time.

But the conflict between them and Gu Yi could no longer be resolved.

Under such circumstances.

The Sima family naturally could only pin their final hope on Cao Cao.

Once Cao Cao was defeated, the Sima family would also face a life-and-death crisis.

But after practice proved it, it could be clearly discovered.

The so-called rapid expansion strategy did not play its intended role.

On the contrary, after merging these new soldiers who had no fighting will, the combat effectiveness of the old veterans seemed to have been dragged down.

This appeared quite awkward.

Originally, the purpose of the rapid expansion strategy was to make the number of combat-ready soldiers under Cao Cao more than the original basis.

But now.

The saying "better to be elite than numerous" was thoroughly certified in a disguised way.

However.

Gu Yi was not in a hurry to capture Beihai City now.

Vaguely, he felt that within Cao Cao's territory, some unpredictable things would happen.

Beihai City.

Sima family mansion.

After learning the news that the three important towns had fallen consecutively and tens of thousands of troops had been defeated, Sima Fang sat paralyzed on the stool blankly.

For a time, he didn't even know what to use to express his current mood.

"Zhongda, Zhongda, where are you, kid?"

"Come over to your father quickly!"

Sima Fang shouted toward the outside of the house.

But Sima Yi didn't seem to be in the mansion now.

Responding to Sima Fang and walking into the house was Sima Lang.

Sima Lang, Sima Yi's eldest brother.

In original history, Sima Lang was the first in the Sima family to serve Cao Cao.

Out of returning the favor and gratitude for Sima Fang's recommendation, Cao Cao first took Sima Lang into the Sikong Mansion to serve as an official.

Later, after advancing to Duke of Wei, he gave him the position of Inspector of Yanzhou.

But Sima Lang eventually died in the 22nd year of Jian'an due to a plague.

After he died, Sima Yi and Sima Fu became the two pillars of the Sima family in the Cao camp officialdom.

Later, in the era of Cao Rui, Sima Yi reached the rank of the Three Excellencies.

Sima Fu was also one of the Nine Ministers.

However.

Compared to Sima Yi.

Sima Lang's personality appeared more honest.

At this moment, hearing what his father Sima Fang said, he hurried in to check the situation.

"Boda, where is your second brother?"

"Where did he run off to?"

Sima Fu asked urgently.

Seeing his father so anxious, although Sima Lang didn't quite understand, he responded:

"Half an hour ago, my second brother was called away by the lord."

The "lord" in Sima Lang's mouth referred to Cao Cao.

Unexpectedly.

After listening to Sima Lang's answer, Sima Fang's wrinkled old face immediately twisted into an ugly mess.

"It's bad!"

"Your second brother is probably going to be in danger of his life."

Sima Fang slapped his thigh hard and said with lingering fear.

Hearing this, Sima Lang couldn't help but be a bit bewildered.

Why would his second brother be in danger of his life after being called over by the lord?

This... is father really not alarmist?

Seeing that his eldest son hadn't realized the severity of the matter, Sima Fang felt even more anxious.

"Lang'er, the act of forcibly conscripting able-bodied men was precisely suggested to Cao Mengde by your second brother."

"But now, three consecutive major defeats have proven that your second brother's method simply doesn't work."

"Although Cao Mengde was grateful to your father for the favor of recommending him for filial piety."

"But now?"

"This favor was already repaid after taking in our Sima family."

"But the idea your second brother gave him not only failed to work but also caused Cao Mengde to lose three important towns consecutively, and even Beihai City is now in imminent danger."

"At this time, if Cao Mengde doesn't take your second brother to the knife, how can he boost the morale of the remaining soldiers?"

Sima Lang's personality was just relatively not so bad, but that didn't mean he was a fool.