dognovel Chapter 68: Bao Xin and Yu Jin both join! Unification of Yanzhou is imminent!
Chapter 68: Bao Xin and Yu Jin both join! Unification of Yanzhou is imminent!
Bao Xin then took a seal out of his pocket.
"Mengde, this is Bao's official seal as the Chancellor of Jibei."
"From now on, this seal shall be entrusted to Mengde for safekeeping."
After saying this, Bao Xin actually refused to kneel down for a long time.
Ultimately, Cao Cao and Bao Xin had a fairly good relationship.
Moreover, Bao Xin was much older than Cao Cao, and Cao Cao always treated him with the respect due to an elder brother.
How could he possibly expect Bao Xin to kneel down before him on the spot?
but.
Even with Cao Cao's quick eyes and hands, he couldn't outrun Su Yu standing to the side.
Su Yu then grabbed Bao Xin's arm and said to him with a smile:
"General Bao, you may accept this seal of the Chancellor of Jibei."
“My lord and you have been friends for many years.”
"Although my lord is willing to become the governor of Yanzhou, he also hopes that you, General Bao, can continue to serve as the chancellor of Jibei."
What Su Yu said was also Cao Cao's opinion.
To be fair, Bao Xin was a good official.
During his years in Jibei, he did a very good job and truly loved the people like his own children.
Keeping Bao Xin in Jibei would not only increase Jibei's allegiance but also enhance the cohesion of Yanzhou.
of course.
The main reason was that Su Yu and Cao Cao had taken a liking to Yu Jin.
Historically, Yu Jin's seven armies were flooded by Guan Yu, which was quite a humiliating defeat.
However, this matter is not solely Yu Jin's fault.
Ultimately, Cao Cao at the time could not spare more troops or suitable generals to rescue Cao Ren, who was besieged in Fancheng.
Who is Cao Ren?
At that time, Cao Ren was second only to Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun in Cao Cao's military.
He is undoubtedly the third most powerful figure in the military.
Not long before the Battle of Xiangfan, Xiahou Yuan, the fourth most important figure in Cao Cao's army, was killed by Huang Zhong in the Battle of Dingjun Mountain.
The morale of Cao Cao's camp was greatly shaken.
If Cao Ren, the third-ranking figure, were to die, it would be disastrous, let alone the ordinary soldiers in Cao's camp.
Even Cao Cao himself couldn't bear such a loss!
Therefore, the generals sent to rescue Cao Ren must be qualified and have a solid ability to lead troops in battle.
Xiahou Dun, the second-in-command of Cao Cao's camp, is a man of great military leadership ability, as those who know him understand.
Sending Xiahou Dun with troops to fight Guan Yu would probably be no different from sending him to his death.
Moreover, Xiahou Dun was also responsible for guarding Xuchang and stabilizing Cao Cao's rear.
therefore.
They could only send Yu Jin, the fifth-ranking military officer in Cao Cao's camp at the time and the "top general outside the Cao family"!
Yu Jin was known for his strict military discipline when he commanded troops in battle.
At the same time, Yu Jin is particularly good at fighting tough battles.
Yu Jin participated in almost all of Cao Cao's campaigns to unify the north, and made outstanding contributions.
Cao Cao did not expect Yu Jin to defeat Guan Yu, but at least in his view, Yu Jin was someone who could stabilize the situation.
But Cao Cao forgot a rather serious problem.
Since unifying the north, Yu Jin has been out of practice for more than a decade.
Yu Jin had absolutely no understanding of the complex terrain of Xiangfan.
How could Yu Jin, who had lived in Xiangfan for more than ten years, possibly be a match for Guan Yu?
This is equivalent to Guan Yu fighting on home soil, while Yu Jin was an outsider.
In addition, many of the troops that Cao Cao gave to Yu Jin were newly assembled temporary troops.
To put it nicely, it's called the "Seventh Army".
This actually refers to 35,000 local troops. (At the end of the Han Dynasty, an army consisted of 5,000 men.)
With numerous advantages not being available, and with heavy rains and rising floodwaters in Xiangfan, they simply couldn't win no matter how they fought!
The question of whether Yu Jin surrendered to Guan Yu after being captured is one that cannot be explained in a few words.
The unspoken rule at the end of the Han Dynasty was that those who surrendered would not be killed, nor would their families.
What does this mean?
Because the middle and high-ranking generals of the seven armies that followed Yu Jin on the expedition all obeyed Yu Jin as their commander.
Only if Yu Jin chooses to surrender will the other mid- to high-ranking generals follow suit.
Otherwise, if they surrendered separately while Yu Jin did not, their families left in Xuchang would be executed according to Han law!
However, if most of the officers in an army choose to surrender from top to bottom, their families will not be executed.
By prohibiting such methods, Cao Cao's soldiers were given the opportunity to return home.
(After Lü Meng conquered Jingzhou, he released the Cao army that had surrendered along with Yu Jin because of the alliance between Cao Cao and Sun Quan.)
(But if Yu Jin hadn't surrendered, the families of these soldiers would probably have been executed according to Han law.)
Pound was the only exception.
He had only recently joined Cao Cao's ranks.
Her only son is only three years old.
Even so, it was after Pang De joined Cao Cao's camp that Cao Cao personally acted as a matchmaker for Pang De, leading to him marrying his second wife.
Such a Pang De naturally inspired Cao Cao with a strong desire to die for someone who understands him!
He understood that only by dying in battle could he live up to Cao Cao's high regard for him.
But Yu Jin and Pang De are different.
He is the commander-in-chief. His every move does not represent him alone, but rather the 35,000 Cao soldiers and their families!
Perhaps Yu Jin's surrender brought a huge stain to his life.
However, this should not negate Yu Jin's abilities or the outstanding contributions he made during his nearly thirty years in Cao Cao's camp.
now.
Su Yu and Cao Cao had already agreed to continue appointing Bao Xin as the Chancellor of Jibei.
But Yu Jin, he was to be requisitioned.
Bao Xin was quite sensible.
From this day forward, he and Cao Cao will have a ruler-subject relationship, and he will appoint Cao Cao as the governor of Yanzhou.
Generals like Yu Jin, who were originally under Cao Cao's command, would naturally be handed over to Cao Cao's direct control.
Bao Xin patted Yu Jin on the shoulder and instructed him:
"Wenze, from now on, you will follow Mengde."
"If you cannot serve Mengde properly, this general will also expel you from Yanzhou!"
Yu Jin first bowed to Bao Xin and said:
"Your subordinate thanks the general for his great kindness!"
Then, he turned and bowed to Cao Cao, saying:
"This humble general, Yu Jin, is willing to serve the Cao family for generations! I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Cao Cao quickly helped Yu Jin up.
Yu Jin's abilities are quite good.
Especially in terms of training troops, among Cao Cao's generals, only Xu Rong can currently compare to him.
Bao Xin and Yu Jin joined the team.
This means that the soldiers of Dongjun and the army of Jibei will from now on become close comrades-in-arms.
but.
The Jibei army felt somewhat embarrassed in the face of the Dongjun soldiers.
Just over half an hour ago, they were still pointing their knives at each other!
I never imagined we'd become comrades-in-arms.
But life is unpredictable, and sometimes it is just that magical.
From the moment Su Yu devised a plan to save Bao Xin, Zhang Miao and Chen Gong's defeat was already inevitable.
Although the two barely managed to escape back to Chenliu.
But with only two thousand soldiers left, they were no longer capable of achieving great things.
Right now, the most urgent task is to deal with the tens of thousands of Yellow Turban rebels from Qingzhou outside the border!
Just as Su Yu and Cao Cao were about to discuss countermeasures.
Zhao Yun, Xiahou Yuan, Yue Jin, and Cao Ren dragged the captured Dian Wei over.
Upon seeing Dian Wei, who had a fierce and menacing appearance, Su Yu's eyes lit up!