Chapter 15

"Defeating Dong Zhuo is easy, but reviving the Han Dynasty is difficult!" Cao Cao sighed. After the wine-drinking discussion with Li You and Liu Bei, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, repeatedly pondering Li You's words, the more he thought, the more he felt that the current situation of the world was on the brink of danger!

"Indeed! Do the various warlords really lack the strength to punish Dong Zhuo? The Yuan brothers not only keep their generals at home but also repeatedly create obstacles for Sun WenTai!" Li You mercilessly exposed the intentions of the Yuan brothers, "They might also want to defeat Dong Zhuo and enter Luoyang to control the government! But they lack the confidence to overwhelm the other seventeen warlords, so they simply don't want anyone to succeed! They just want to parade in front of Hulao Pass and gain enough reputation for their loyalty to the Han Dynasty!"

"If it weren't for Wenjie's help today, I might have suffered the same fate as Sun WenTai, suffering a great defeat at Hulao Pass!" Thinking of his impulsiveness today, Cao Cao wiped a sweat. According to his character, even if he had broken through Hulao Pass, he would definitely have pursued Dong Zhuo. At that time, if the Yuan brothers ordered the other warlords not to assist him, he would surely have been defeated during the pursuit!

"Those who follow the righteous path will have many helpers, while those who stray from it will have few. Although many of the warlords have ulterior motives like Yuan Shao, there are also loyal and brave warriors like Sun WenTai and Liu Xuande!" Li You consoled, "Let's rest for the night and wait until we gather the defeated troops before pursuing them!"

"Unfortunately, this gives Dong Zhuo a chance to catch his breath. Luoyang has high walls and is difficult to capture!" Cao Cao sighed.

"I believe Dong Zhuo is now like a dog that has lost its home and will not stubbornly defend Luoyang! The terrain around Luoyang is flat, making it easy to attack but hard to defend. Chang'an, on the other hand, has the natural barrier of the Hangu Pass and is close to Liangzhou. Dong Zhuo is very likely to flee to Chang'an with the officials and people of Chang'an!" Li You revealed this in advance!

"How dare he!" Regardless of whether he truly cared for the people, Cao Cao put on a good show, his eyes bloodshot, and he shouted fiercely,

"Fortunately, gathering the people will take time. If we can set out tomorrow, Dong Zhuo won't have that time!" Li You waved his hand and said, "At this point, Mengde should send a trusted confidant ahead!"

"Is Wenjie planning to buy off Dong Zhuo's confidants?" Cao Cao instantly understood Li You's intention. He walked around Li You, "Li Chui, Guo Xi, and others are bold but lack strategy and are not to be feared. Only Li Ru is cunning and treacherous and cannot be underestimated. Dong Zhuo's entry into the capital, the persuasion of Lü Bu, and the dethronement of the emperor were all Li Ru's plans. This man is indeed our greatest enemy!"

Li You smiled, perhaps recalling his own painful past when he attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo with a seven-star sword but was foiled by Li Ru, "Li Ru is a smart man. He should understand that Dong Zhuo is no longer viable. As Dong Zhuo's son-in-law, if he wants to survive, he must join Mengde!"

"If Li Ru surrenders, I can petition the emperor to appoint him as the Governor of Liangzhou, and Dong Zhuo's old subordinates will still be under his command!" After a moment's thought, Cao Cao said. He knew that with Li Ru's suspicious nature, he needed something substantial to persuade him. So he reluctantly decided to let him off for now, "This way, Li Chui and Guo Xi can also survive!"

"There is one person Mengde must not overlook!" Li You warned, "This person's abilities surpass even Li Ru's!"

"Oh? Who is this person Wenjie speaks of?" Cao Cao asked.

"Jia Xu, Jia Wenhe!" Li You slowly revealed this name, which was still little known at the time! According to the normal course of history, after Dong Zhuo was killed by Wang Yun's stratagem, Wang Yun purged Dong Zhuo's remaining forces. At that time, Li Chui, Guo Xi, and others were uneasy and planned to flee. Jia Xu intervened, uniting these disunited generals to counterattack Chang'an and achieve a great victory, not only saving their lives but also eliminating Wang Yun and his allies.

Emperor Xian was held hostage by Li Chui and Guo Xi, and the warlords in the east took advantage of the chaos to begin large-scale territorial expansion, strengthening their own power. Before this, the various warlords did not dare to act so openly. It was Jia Xu's suggestion that plunged the Eastern Han into unprecedented chaos. If not for Jia Xu's actions, the Han Dynasty might have continued to limp along. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that the Eastern Han fell because of Jia Xu.

This is also why Li You dared not immediately pursue the crimes of Li Chui and Guo Xi. The coalition's forces were few, and the morale was low. If these people were driven to desperation, they would be difficult to deal with. It would be better to let them off for now and deal with them later. Wang Yun's haste cost him his life.

"Who is this person that Wenjie holds in such high regard?" Cao Cao frowned, trying to recall this person from his memory but could not find any information.

"Jia Xu, from Guzang in Liangzhou! In his youth, he was unremarkable, but the famous scholar Yan Zhong praised him as having the wisdom of Liang and Ping!" Hearing this, Cao Cao was taken aback. He had heard of Yan Zhong's reputation, and to be compared to Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, Jia Xu must be extraordinary. Stopping Cao Cao's questions, Li You continued, "Jia Xu was initially recommended as a filial and honest official and became a court official. He resigned due to illness and returned west to Qian. On the way, he encountered the Di people. All his companions were captured, but Jia Xu falsely claimed to be the nephew of Grand Commandant Duan Gong, and the Di people did not harm him, releasing him. None of his companions survived."

"Using power to achieve one's goals, this is a prime example!" Cao Cao was deeply impressed by Jia Xu, "If this person held a high position, Dong Zhuo would not be easily defeated!"

"Fortunately, this person is currently just an auxiliary general under Niu Fu and is not in Luoyang. Mengde might send someone to persuade him to surrender!" Remembering that Jia Xu later joined Cao Cao after Zhang Xiu's defeat, if Cao Cao's army could capture Luoyang, kill Dong Zhuo, and show goodwill to Jia Xu, he would definitely not resist with Niu Fu!

For these strategists, there is nothing more tragic than dying before their talents can be fully utilized. And for the time being, Jia Xu could not find a better lord than the cunning and ruthless Cao Cao. Therefore, Li You was not worried that Cao Cao would fail to persuade him!

"I will send Li Dian to persuade Li Ru and Jia Xu!" At this point, Cao Cao deeply felt the lack of capable subordinates. He had brave generals like the Xiahou brothers and the Cao brothers, but he lacked strategists. It was a pity that he had driven Chen Gong away by killing the Lu family. If Chen Gong were still here, he would be the best person for this task. Now, he could only use Li Dian, who was principled and respected scholars, as a substitute!

"Li Ru is one thing! If Jia Xu refuses to surrender, Mengde must not be merciful, or he will suffer greatly in the future!" Jia Xu had defeated Cao Cao twice while serving under Zhang Xiu and killed his eldest son Cao Ang, his nephew Cao Anmin, and his beloved general Dian Wei.

"Thank you for your advice, I will remember it!" Cao Cao bowed in gratitude to Li You, but he was puzzled as to why such a talented person was not under his command.