Cao Cao,the Winner of Central Plain
Three Kingdoms 23
After defeated Lu Bu吕布, Yuan Shu's袁术 situation continued to deteriorate. By this time, he was already under Constant rebellion and his military power was so weak that he could not even pacify the rebellion. So in early 199 AD, Yuan Shu burned down the palace and fled with his family to the Qianshan潜山 to join his former general Lei Bo雷薄, but Lei Bo was unwilling to accept him.
The desperate Yuan Shu had to write to his big brother Yuan Shao袁绍,The guy who had once been the most hated and despised by Yuan Shu. And this time Yuan Shu no longer called Yuan Shao a home slave, he was humble and respectfully expressed his hope that Yuan Shao would become the emperor instead of him, He was willing to send the jade seal of the Empire to show his sincerity.
Yuan Shao agreed to accept him after seeing the letter, sending his eldest son Yuan Tan袁谭,the provincial governor of Qingzhou青州,to greet Yuan Shu to Qingzhou first.
When Cao Cao heard this, he immediately sent Liu Bei and his general Zhu Ling朱灵 to lead troops to intercept,so Yuan Shu could not pass through Xuzhou徐州 to Qingzhou and had to return.
In June 199, Yuan Shu arrived at Shouchun寿春, at that time, the heat was unbearable, and Yuan Shu wanted to drink a bowl of honey water to quench his thirst, but the food in the army was only some wheat shavings left. Yuan Shu sighed for a long time, and suddenly shouted:”How I Yuan Shu could have fallen to such a situation?”After saying that, he vomited blood and died, and most of his people also surrendered to Sun Ce孙策.
In the same year, Yuan Shao sent an envoy to Wancheng宛城 and asked Zhang Xiu张绣 to send troops to attack Cao Cao’s headquarters Xuchang许昌,however, his stragetist Jia Xu贾诩 persuaded Zhang Xiu to surrender to Cao Cao, and in the end, Zhang Xiu followed Jia Xu’s suggestion to visit Cao Cao in Xuchang.
Cao Cao was overjoyed, appointed Zhang Xiu as the general of Raising martial,letting one of his son married Zhang Xiu's daughter. Jia Xu was appointed as the chief of the Capital Guard, the marquis of Du village,the later provincial governor of Jizhou冀州(still belonged to Yuan Shao),and being the military advisor for Cao Cao, becoming an important member of Cao Cao's think tank.
199 AD was a magical year, when Gongsun Zan公孙瓒 of Youzhou幽州, Lu Bu of Xuzhou, Yuan Shu of Shouchun寿春 and Zhang Xiu of Wancheng,all withdrew from the stage of history at almost the same time. So Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, the two seeded players, also solved the trouble behind them at the same time and met in the semifinals. And the small fortress of Guandu官渡 was lying quietly along the Yellow River at this time, waiting for the arrival of the two heros.