After reading the secret letter, Cao Cao showed a helpless and bitter smile in his eyes. Cao Rui was able to regain the trust of the emperor in this way, which made him, a veteran of power and plot, feel a little incredible.

"After that's my daughter." Cao Cao sighed, put the secret letter on the light and lit it. Seeing the letter paper curled under the tongue of fire, Cao Cao's eyes gradually became brighter with the fire.

Cao Cao knew what consequences would be if he betrayed the emperor. Regardless of whether the emperor was Liu Xiu's son or not, offending the emperor would not be a good thing. Liu Xiu might have this confidence, but it doesn't mean that Cao Cao has it.

Liu Xiu is grateful to him now, but what about the future? If the emperor is really Liu Xiu's bloodline, would Liu Xiu help the emperor get rid of him, a general who holds heavy troops for his son's sake?

Cao Cao was hesitant because he didn't know if the little emperor was Liu Xiu's bloodline. If not, the revenge between Liu Xiu and the little emperor would be impossible to resolve. He helped Liu Xiu fight against the emperor, and even helped Liu Xiu usurp the throne in the end. It seemed like a huge profit, but in fact it still contained great risks.

If Liu Xiu can dominate the country, will he not be able to eliminate him?

Cao Rui's intelligence lies in her seeing that Cao Cao's reaction at that time was a helpless decision. When there was no guarantee of long-term interests, he could only make choices among the interests in front of him, even though he knew that this was not a wise choice. Now Cao Rui used her intelligence to win back the trust of the emperor. No matter how much this trust was true, it was better than always letting the emperor hold a grudge.

However, Cao Cao was reluctant to let him hand over ten thousand elite cavalry to show his loyalty. After thinking for a long time, Cao Cao went to discuss with several of his advisers, Cheng Yu, Mao Jie and Chen Gong.

The starting points of the three people were slightly different, but the result was the same: use Liu Xiu as a shield and write a letter to reply to the emperor. If Liu Xiu handed over the cavalry, we handed over it. Anyway, if Liu Xiu's cavalry was going to Jizhou, we would also leave from our defense zone. Then we would just leave with him. If Liu Xiu didn't hand it over, the emperor would not be able to punish us. What if Liu Xiu handed over it? Then we handed over it too, otherwise it would be like confronting Liu Xiu and the emperor at the same time.

So, this troublesome problem was transferred to Liu Xiu's hands.

Cao Cao received a secret letter from Cao Rui in advance, and Liu Xiu also received Xun You's report in advance. He knew that the little emperor had used new tricks. He couldn't help but feel ridiculous. However, this excuse was difficult to find. In Runan, Yuan Wei was defending the city. The cavalry was indeed useless. It seemed that it made sense to send him to Jizhou to deal with Yuan Shao. But how could Liu Xiu hand over his personal guard cavalry? He would hand over his personal guard cavalry today. Will he be given to the Tiger Soldier Camp again tomorrow?

It is impossible to make a deal, but how can you find an excuse to make the emperor and Cao Cao say nothing? This is the key issue.

"Dad, this is not easy to deal with." Liu He handed over a cup of tea, leaned on Liu Xiu's back, and glanced at the secret letter.

"Is that so? Why is it not easy to deal with?" Liu Xiu shook the letter paper disapprovingly and threw it aside: "Girl, can you give my father an idea?"

"I, I can't do it." Liu He shook his head repeatedly, leaned his face on Liu Xiu's shoulder, and said with a giggle: "I have never been able to compare with him since I was a child. Now he is the emperor, why am I his opponent?"

"The emperor can do nothing." Liu Xiu patted Liu He's little hand hanging on his chest: "Tell me, it's okay, you can't do it, you're still here, I'm afraid of him."

Liu He held Liu Xiu's neck, his long eyelashes fluttered. After thinking for a while, he said, "I can't give it to him. If even the personal guards give it to him, then he will ask for something else in the future, should he give it or not?"

"Well, there's more."

"But it's not okay if you don't give it to me. If my father doesn't agree, then he will blame my father. Cao Cao will also make a fuss and pretend to be a good person."

"Yes, my daughter is so smart. Then, do you think my father will give it or not?"

"Hehe, according to me, Liangzhou has already transferred 10,000 cavalry, which is considered my father's. Cao Cao only has 10,000 elite cavalry in total, so he can't give it all. My father just wanted to send three or five thousand people, and then force Cao Cao to hand over the troops. If he doesn't hand over, he will be the one who is in the wrong."

Liu Xiu laughed. Liu He's method was a solution. He gave three or five thousand people perfunctory. He didn't give any of the most elite guards. It makes sense, but after all, he was a little soft. No matter how few or weak the cavalry were, as long as he gave it, it would be like a hole. He gave three or five thousand this time, and what should he do if he had to do ten thousand next time?

Seeing Liu Xiu laughing, Liu He felt unsure. He turned his head, grabbed Liu Xiu's beard under his jaw, and said with shame: "I said I won't say it anymore, but my father insisted that I say it, and my father laughed at me again."

"No, Daddy is not laughing at you." Liu Xiu laughed and said, "Dad is just thinking, is there too few three or five thousand? It seems that Daddy is a little bitch, girl, let's give him a big gift package, how about it?"

"Dad, don't you want to give him all 20,000 cavalrymen?"

"Twenty thousand? Twenty thousand is not enough." Liu Xiu reached out and pinched Liu He's nose: "Dad gives him a big tribe."

"Big Tribe?" Liu He's eyes rolled: "Dad is saying...Niu Head Tribe?"

"My daughter is just smart, she thinks of it when she thinks about it." Liu Xiu laughed.

"That's great. I haven't seen A Niu for a long time. Humph, this wild boy is crazy on the grassland, and I don't know how to come back to see his sister. When I see her, I will slap him in the butt."

"I want to fight, this wild boy who doesn't know how to go home should indeed fight."

The next day, the emperor sent the imperial edict. The emperor spoke very tactfully, not talking about cavalry, but just saying that I was worried that Yuan Shao would attack. He had Wuhuan people as his helper, and the number of cavalry was the upper hand. What should you do if you think of General Cavalry? Liu Xiu was very pleased. He said that, of course, cavalry is the most suitable for dealing with cavalry, but I still have the use of these 20,000 elite cavalry. I prepared another 30,000 elite cavalry for Your Majesty, and stayed in Youzhou. I immediately wrote a letter, and they would obey Your Majesty's orders. At that time, Cao Cao's elite cavalry was in the south, and they were attacking from the north and south, and Yuan Shao would be defeated.

In front of the envoy, Liu Xiu wrote a letter in person, ordering Lu Bu and the Niutou tribe who were fighting against the Xianbei king and the company on the grassland to immediately turn around and enter Youzhou, cooperate with Zhao Yun and Gongsun Zan to attack Zhongshan and Hejian, so that Yuan Shao could not move.

When the young emperor received a reply from Liu Xiu, he was amused and laughed. Liu Xiu gave him 30,000 cavalry. But he didn't give any of them, and in turn he even sent Cao Cao's army. Liu Xiu could have a substitute. What kind of product Cao Cao used to replace him? If you don't give it, what would Liu Xiu think? Haven't their little thoughts been seen through by Liu Xiu?

Cao Cao was so angry that he gritted his teeth, but he had no choice but to order Cao Ren to lead 5,000 elite cavalry to Qingzhou to cooperate with Guan Hai's battle, which was to assist the emperor in preventing Yuan Shao.

The little emperor finally took nothing. But the comfort came. The cavalry general Han Sui arrived from Liangzhou with 10,000 elite cavalry and joined the emperor's imperial guard camp. At the same time, he also brought more than 10,000 best war horses, solving the shortage of war horses in the three cavalry battalions in the Five Northern Army Colleges.

Everything was ready. The young emperor left Huangfu Song to command Dong Zhuo and Yin Duan, a total of 10,000 infantry and cavalry guarding Liyang, and he led 20,000 infantry and cavalry into Yingchuan. After integrating thousands of troops from the Southern Army General Zang Min, the army entered Runan and rushed straight to Dingying. Han Sui and Zang Min joined forces and bravely entered the Hepingyu of Dingying, setting up a blocking and aiding. Then the young emperor surrounded Dingying County. Under Duan Jing's command, the army set up camp outside Dingying County, creating siege equipment and shouted to Dingying County to persuade him to surrender.

The situation suddenly became tense, and anyone could see that the court was coming to be serious this time. He would never retreat easily without taking down the entire Runan. Yuan Wei was anxious, but he did not dare to urge Yuan Shao to take action. He had to use his own efforts to exhaust the spirit of the official army, so that Yuan Shao had the opportunity to succeed in the sneak attack and then reverse the situation.

Yuan Wei didn't know at all that Yuan Shao was even more nervous than him at this moment. Yuan Shao failed to lure the enemy and lost Li Yang in vain. Yecheng faced Huangfu Song's attack directly, and his pressure also increased sharply. In order to stabilize the morale of the army, he transferred all the families of his generals to Handan, and led the main force to defend in Yecheng. This tense situation was difficult to maintain. In the end, it was either collapse or slack. No matter which one was, it was not something Yuan Shao could accept. For this reason, he had to relieve the pressure on the generals every day, and not let them relax too much. The scale in the middle was very difficult to grasp.

Tian Feng came up with a clever plan, but unfortunately no one was deceived. Now that the court has all the elite troops, the gap in strength is getting bigger and bigger. The Xianbei king and Lian were defeated by the Rift Wind of Lu Bu and Niu Tou Tribe. They repeatedly asked to withdraw the Xianbei cavalry who helped Yuan Shao to go back to help. Yuan Shao thought of countless excuses and dragged them down, but they also paid a heavy price. These Xianbei cavalry regarded themselves as reinforcements, not only had to eat and drink, but also often violated military discipline, which caused great disgust among the people. Even the generals under Yuan Shao had no good impression of these cavalry. If the war could not be resolved in the short term and sent these plague gods away, Yuan Shao could not stand it.

Under such circumstances, the imperial court's suppression army advanced into Runan and began to attack Dingying, opening the prelude to the war, which was like a relief for Yuan Shao.

It finally started.

Yuan Shao immediately ordered the thunder cavalry in Youzhou to arrive in Yecheng as quickly as possible. All counties and counties began to recruit civilians and prepare for rushing to harvest. All the harvested food was uniformly allocated. Those civilians were not allowed to disband and join the defenders of each county.

With this order, the entire Jizhou became a large military camp, and almost all the people were forcibly dragged into wartime control. From now on, they are no longer free people, but are reserves on standby at any time. They not only have to hand over their own food, but also have to bear heavy labor. When necessary, they may also have to pick up weapons and fight for the destiny of the Yuan family.

In early July, after more than half a month of careful preparation, the young emperor, accompanied by the Grand Marshal Duan Bing and the General Song Feng, climbed to the command platform. With an order, 20,000 imperial guards launched a tide-like attack on Dingying County. On the city, drums were sounding loudly and arrows were rushing together. Teams of soldiers rushed towards the city wall under the cover of the arrow formation. Rolling stones and wood were thrown down on the city wall, pouring down the boiling oil, and shooting out sharp arrows.

Unfortunately, in front of the imperial guards who had been replenishing their strength for more than 20,000 years, these city guards, formed by more than 3,000 soldiers and a large number of Dingying people, were vulnerable. Just one hour later, the infantry captain Xia Yu personally committed suicide on the top of the city.

Dingying County was defeated.

The emperor issued an edict, ordering General Liu Xiu of Cavalry to attack Xincai, Shenyang, and General Cao Cao of Guard to attack Nandun and complete the siege of Pingyu. After receiving the edict, Liu Xiu immediately began to act and ordered Xu Rong to lead Huang Zhong to surround Shenyang, and lead 30,000 infantry and cavalry to forcing Xincai. (To be continued) Please search Piaotianwen, the novel is better and faster!!!
Chapter completed!