Xiahou Mao straightened his clothes and said dissatisfiedly: "I studied the art of war so hard in order to defeat Liu Qi and avenge my previous humiliation. Why did the king use his poem?"
Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled, "Since Zilin has studied the art of war, hasn't he heard that knowing yourself and the enemy will lead to victory in every battle? Since we are taking Liu Qi as our enemy, we should know his strengths and weaknesses so that we can defeat him."
"Your Majesty, this is a good idea!" Xiahou Mao suddenly realized something and said happily, "I will write this poem down tomorrow and hang it on the wall to encourage myself."
Cao Cao frowned slightly, feeling that Xiahou Mao did not seem to understand his deep meaning, but he did not want to discourage his enthusiasm. He walked to the desk to look through the military books, and unexpectedly found his "Meng De's New Book". He could not help but feel secretly happy.
Cao Zhen glanced at Xiahou Mao from the side and said, "Brother, are you also reading Meng De's New Book?"
Xiahou Mao secretly observed Cao Cao and said solemnly, "This is the result of your majesty's summary of the strategies of military strategists throughout the ages. Mastering the mysteries is equivalent to reading ten military books. How can I miss such a profitable opportunity?"
Seeing that he compared learning to business, Cao Zhen felt disdainful and asked, "Although your Majesty's military book covers a wide range of topics, there is one thing that is extremely important and runs through the entire book. Do you know about this, brother?"
"It's the spirit!" Xiahou Mao tidied up his messy hair and replied calmly, "When two armies fight, if the spirit is not excited, they will be clumsy, clumsy will lead to failure, and failure will lead to defeat. If the spirit is not excited, they will be intimidated, intimidated will lead to lack of courage, and lack of courage will lead to defeat."
Cao Zhen's eyes were slightly stern: "What's the use of being angry?"
Xiahou Mao calmly replied: "When gathering troops, the focus is on boosting morale; when approaching a border, the focus is on encouraging morale; when fighting a day, the focus is on ending morale; when fighting today, the focus is on extending morale..."
Cao Cao pretended to flip through a military book on the side and listened to the conversation between the two people with a smile on his face. "Meng De's New Book" was his proudest work. Now that someone praised it so much, he felt more satisfied than being promoted to the title of king.
Cao Zhen asked several more questions, including a difficult question that he had asked Cao Cao before. Xiahou Mao was able to answer them fluently without thinking. Finally, he exclaimed in admiration: "It is true that when a scholar has been away for three days, he should be looked at with new eyes!"
Cao Cao was satisfied, but his expression was very calm. He stroked his beard and taught: "Warfare is a trick! The key to using troops is to respond to circumstances, otherwise it is just empty talk. Although Zilin is familiar with the art of war, he should not stick to the rules and make a fool of himself."
Xiahou Mao clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, my king. The changes in the army are not the same. You should anticipate the enemy in your heart and observe the opportunity with your eyes."
This is also a line from military books. Cao Cao finally couldn't help himself and stroked his beard and laughed, "You two are truly my sons of the unicorn and my sons-in-law of the dragon! With so many talented people coming out, there will be successors. Why should I be afraid of Liu Qi and Sun Quan?"
Xiahou Mao and Cao Zhen hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."
Cao Cao said, "Since you have read the Art of War, you should put it into practice. The country is in trouble now, and it is time to use people. From now on, you should stay by my side and assist me in military affairs."
Xiahou Mao had been worried that Cao Cao would pursue the Guanzhong issue after his return, but he did not expect that Cao Cao would not even mention it and even wanted to keep him with him. He could not help but burst into tears of gratitude and knelt down and said, "I will not refuse the king's advice even if it means sacrificing my life."
Cao Cao said generously: "Get up, we are all family, there is no need to be like this."
The next day, Cao Cao brought Xiahou Mi back to Handan and convened civil and military officials in the Wei Palace to discuss how to attack Sun and Liu and recover the Central Plains.
Sima Lang advised: "Sun Quan sent envoys to seek peace, and the war in Huainan has subsided. Liu Qi will not dare to act rashly. Don't use force rashly. The Central Plains is in turmoil now. We have to use troops for years. We should keep the people safe and raise the troops so as to seek long-term strategies."
Cao Zhang said in a clear voice: "Liu Qi took advantage of my father's absence to launch a surprise attack and seize our territory. How can I not avenge him? Chang'an and Luoyang were captured by Liu Qi, and the people of the world are shocked. I am not talented, but I am willing to lead a group of soldiers to attack Luoyang, capture Wei Yan and Ma Chao, and take back the two capitals."
Dong Zhaoyan said: "Liu Qi is currently visiting Jiangdong, and the two families are still on good terms. If the Central Plains mobilizes troops, Sun Quan may raise troops from Huainan to attack, and we will be unable to protect both ends."
Cao Cao gritted his teeth and said, "Bi Yan'er is fickle and has a heart of wolf even worse than Sun Ce. I will kill him sooner or later."
Generals such as Cao Hong and Cao Zhen all advocated going to war. The generals had just returned from the northern expedition and their morale was high. The powerful Xianbei cavalry was wiped out in front of them and did not even take the troops from the south of the Yangtze River into consideration.
Ever since Cao Cao learned that Liu Qi went to Jiangdong, he has been feeling uneasy. Now that Liu Qi occupies half of the country, if he joins forces with Sun Quan, the situation for the Wei State will be greatly unfavorable.
If he doesn't send troops, Guan Yu is eyeing him covetously and may invade Yanzhou at any time, and the Central Plains will be in danger. If he sends troops, it may lead to the two families joining forces. He can't make a decision for the time being.
While he was hesitating, someone reported that Cao Xiu had returned from Xuzhou with important military intelligence to report, so he hurriedly ordered someone to summon him for an audience.
Seeing Cao Cao again, Cao Xiu was also very excited and reported: "Your Majesty has returned to the court, and the people of Xuzhou are all happy. Now there is also a change in Jiangdong. This is God's help to Your Majesty!"
Cao Cao's heart moved, and he asked hurriedly: "Is it possible that Sun and Liu are not getting along?"
"It's more than just a disagreement. Liu Qi has turned the tables. This is a shocking change!" Cao Xiu presented the secret letter from Sun Fu and his brothers, saying, "Uncle received this letter and was about to send someone to discuss it with the prince. When I heard that the king had returned to the court, I ordered this general to rush here to report the news."
"Is this true?" Cao Cao was shocked. He quickly opened the letter and read it. The shock on his face gradually turned into joy. Finally, he looked up to the sky and laughed, "God is helping me!"
The ministers below were already in an uproar and gathered around Cao Xiu to inquire about the news. When they heard that Sun Quan had appointed Liu Qi to take charge of Jiangdong, they were all shocked.
Cao Cao read the letter again and was about to order the troops to go out, but suddenly he narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Is this Liu Qi's trick?"
He then circulated the letter to everyone, asking them to pool their wisdom and decide whether the conspiracy between Sun Fu and his brothers to rebel was true or false.
Dong Zhao said after reading it, "Given Sun Quan's character, he is most likely to plot against Liu Qi. Although we don't know what happened in Ganlu Temple, now that Liu Qi has counterattacked, Jiangdong will surely be in chaos. Your Majesty can prepare troops first and order General Cao Ren to closely monitor the movements in Jiangdong. Once Sun Fu and others raise an army, it will not be too late to take Huainan with lightning speed!"
Cao Cao thought for a moment, nodded and said, "You are right! But Guan Yu is eyeing the Central Plains, and I am afraid that Zhang Liao cannot handle it alone. I want to go to Huainan to supervise the battle myself. Who can support Wenyuan?"
Cao Zhen clasped his fists and said, "I am willing to go!"
Xiahou Ba asked for the order, saying, "My father is imprisoned in Luoyang, and I am restless day and night. I am willing to be the vanguard and capture Guan Yu to redeem my father."
Cao Zhang also said: "Guan Yu is old and not a concern. I am willing to offer his head to you."
Cao Cao saw several of his disciples were asking for battle in the hall, and they were as fierce as tigers. He couldn't help but feel heroic and laughed, "A blessing in disguise. With the five of you, we will surely conquer the south of the Yangtze River and accomplish our great cause."
He then appointed Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu, Cao Zhang, Xiahou Ba and Xiahou Mao as the Five Tiger Generals of the Wei Dynasty, and appointed Cao Zhen as the General of Pingnan, and sent him and Xiahou Ba to Yanzhou to support Zhang Liao.
He left Cao Pi to guard Hebei, while he led the army to Xuzhou to take charge of the overall situation. If the war in the Central Plains was not going well, he could provide support at any time. Once civil strife did occur in Jiangdong, with the support of Sun Fu and others, he could take over the south of the Yangtze River in one fell swoop, capture Liu Qi and Sun Quan, and decide the fate of the world in one battle.