Yuan Shao was dead. Great General Yuan Shao was really dead. Cao Cao made a great announcement and made the whole world mourn. Cao Cao even personally collected Yuan Shao's corpse and carried the coffin for Yuan Shao, burying him with the rites of a feudal lord.
Yuan Shao was posthumously given the title of King of Bohai. Yuan Shao's wife, Madam Liu, also followed him after Yuan Shao jumped off the city wall. Cao Cao buried the two together and found a place in Bohai County. This place was chosen by Yuan Shao in order to prepare for his death after he passed away. Even Yuan Shao wanted to move the capital to Bohai County after he pacified the world.
He didn't manage to move the capital, but in the end, he was buried in Bohai County.
Cao Cao personally went up the platform and commented on Yuan Shao's life. When he talked about how the two got along, Cao Cao sometimes felt joy and sometimes grief. The entire Hebei people spontaneously wore mourning clothes for Yuan Shao. The streets and alleys of the city shed tears as if they had lost a loved one.
"Milord, restrain your grief!" Xu Huang, Le Jin, and the others didn't understand why Cao Cao would grieve for Yuan Shao. Only Cheng Yu knew that Cao Cao's grief wasn't just for Yuan Shao, his childhood friend, but also because Cao Cao wanted to win the hearts of the people.
When Yuan Shao was in Hebei, he was the one who saved Hebei from the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He was the one who let Hebei have enough food and clothing. The people all learned from his good deeds. Yuan Shao died at the hands of Cao Cao, so the people naturally hated Cao Cao. However, Cao Cao's actions had won the hearts of many people. Cao Cao was generous to his enemy. Not only did he win the hearts of the people, but he also won the hearts of the nobles. Many scholars began to seek refuge with Cao Cao.
Fanyang City was broken and Yuan Shao was dead. It could be said that the entire Hebei had been swept clean by Cao Cao.
The nobles in the world began to worry because once Cao Cao swept Hebei, this behemoth finally came out and revealed a covetous look in his eyes. His bloody mouth seemed to want to swallow someone.
Therefore, everyone was trembling with fear. They were afraid that if they provoked Cao Cao, Cao Cao would be the first to plot against them.
Among them, the most worried person was not the King Of Shu, Liu Mang, but the King of Liaodong, Gongsun Du.
Gongsun Du had been walking back and forth in the main hall of his mansion dozens of times. His tightly knitted brows did not loosen. This was because he was afraid and worried.
Originally, Gongsun Du dared to do business with the King Of Shu, Liu Mang because Cao Cao was far away. No matter how much power Gongsun Du had, he was still the local emperor of Liaodong. Even if he wanted to beat him, he could not do anything. Not to mention the terrain was good, there was also the Yuan family in front of him. At least, with the Yuan family in front of him, Gongsun Du was not afraid. No matter what, the Yuan family's brothers would be able to stop him until he died.
However, he did not expect the Yuan family's brothers to be so disappointing. Even Gongsun Du wanted to replace Yuan Shao to beat his unfilial sons to death. The entire Hebei was given away in two years. If he squandered for another year, he would be able to defeat a province. Then, he would be able to hold on for four years. Now, it was half and half.
The Yuan family's brothers were finished. Gongsun Du panicked.
"Father, father, let's ask His Highness the King Of Shu for help!" Gongsun Kang, the future successor of Liaodong, suggested to Gongsun Du.
"Let the King Of Shu, Liu Mang, send troops to Liaodong." Gongsun Du's eyes lit up. This was a good idea. In any case, Cao Cao's main enemy was not him. As long as His Highness the King Of Shu sent troops to Liaodong to stop Cao Cao, it would be fine.
However, Gongsun Du immediately shook his head. Not to mention that the situation was urgent and distant water could not put out a nearby fire. Even if Yangzhou's army came to help Liaodong resist Cao Cao, Gongsun Du would have to give them a city to station in. What if Yangzhou's army refused to leave Liaodong? Then Gongsun Du would cry.
"Then father, let's join Prime Minister Cao!" Gongsun Kang was worthy of being an educated man. If the King Of Shu, Liu Mang, couldn't do it, they could just switch sides and join Cao Cao. Gongsun Kang was afraid of Cao Cao because he was enemies with Cao Cao. If he joined Cao Cao, it would be fine.
"No!" Gongsun Du also shook his head. If he could join Cao Cao, he would have done it long ago. In the past, Cao Cao had even given him the title of King Of Liaodong so that Gongsun Du could fight against the Yuan family's brothers. But now it was different. Cao Cao had defeated the Yuan family's brothers. Gongsun Du was no longer of any value.
What's more, when Cao Cao was blocked by the Yuan family's brothers in Fanyang City, half of the credit was due to Gongsun Du.
It was Gongsun Du who became a middleman, buying weapons and armor from Yangzhou and selling them to the Yuan family's brothers. It was because of these weapons and armor that Cao Cao's army suffered heavy losses. It could be said that there were many people in Cao Cao's army who couldn't wait to devour him. If he joined Cao Cao, wouldn't he be delivering himself to Cao Cao's door?
Gongsun Kang said to his father, Gongsun Du, "Father, if we go directly, it is very likely that we will be beaten to a corner by Prime Minister Cao as you said. He might even directly refuse to let us join him. However, if we come with sincerity, it will be different!" Gongsun Kang said to his father.
"Sincerity?" Gongsun Du froze for a moment. "You're saying that we should send gifts?" Gongsun Du shook his head with a bitter smile. Would Cao Cao's army lack money?
"Father, why did Prime Minister Cao stop in front of Fanyang City?" Gongsun Kang asked Gongsun Du.
"First, Fanyang City's walls are high. Second, Yuan Xi is a talent. Third, I'm afraid it's because of the weapons and armor produced in Yangzhou!" Gongsun Du had to admit that Yangzhou's weapons and armor were really useful. Gongsun Du looked at the original heavy armor with disdain. If it weren't for the fact that Yangzhou's weapons and armor were too expensive, Gongsun Du might have already changed all his subordinates to those things.
"Prime Minister Cao must want those weapons and armor produced in Yangzhou. Father, what if we give those weapons and armor to Prime Minister Cao as gifts?" Gongsun Kang said to Gongsun Du with a smile.
"Give those weapons and armor to Cao Cao?" Gongsun Du thought for a while. It wasn't impossible, but it would still hurt Gongsun Du's heart. One must know that the weapons and armor in his army were bought with money. Liu Mang didn't care if you sold them to the Yuan family's brothers or you bought them yourself, the price would be so high.
"Will these be enough?" Gongsun Du was still worried. His army only had three thousand sets of armor and five thousand new swords. Would Cao Cao be interested in these things? One must know that Cao Cao had three hundred thousand soldiers under his command. When Hebei was pacified, he would definitely expand his army. Three to four thousand sets of armor and swords were nothing to him.
"Father, although we don't have many sets of armor and swords, there is one place where we have a lot of them!" Gongsun Kang said to Gongsun Du with a smile.
"You mean?" Gongsun Du stared at his son with wide eyes.
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