Speaking of Liu Biao, many people think that he is just a talkative person. On the whole, Liu Biao's main goal is in the south, such as fighting with Yizhou, Yangzhou and Jiaozhou, and he has little interest in the north. For example, when Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were at loggerheads in Guandu, including Cao Cao's long-distance attack on Wuhuan in three counties, Liu Biao, who was the shepherd of a state and supported 100 thousand troops, did nothing. Could this be him? Sit down? The biggest source of headlines. Liu Biao is not interested in the north, and Cao Cao is interested in Jingzhou, so he and Liu Biao will not mention the tug-of-war around Nanyang counties. Cao Cao also wrote an article about the rear of Jingzhou. On one occasion, Cao Cao's confidant wrote a letter to him. It revealed some strategies about Cao Cao's suppression of Liu Biao. Generally speaking, it is to win JIAOZHOU and Yangzhou to Jingzhou and help them surround Jingzhou. The following small series will talk about this matter.

The Historical Background of Xia Houyuan's Mission to Historical Records Ze Shu

And the history of letters, in the "reflection? Wu Shu? Sun Bolu's biography is called "Xia Houyuan Fu Shi Weize". The full text has been lost, only keep it? Sun Ben got Changsha, Max Zhang got zero and got Gui? These two sentences, from Zhi Lin, contain little information. According to Zhi Lin, this letter was written after Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao. Maybe it was in the fifth year of Jian 'an (that is, AD 200)? Battle of Guandu? It is also possible that Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao again in the sixth year of Jian 'an (AD 20 1). Battle of Cangting? Or Yuan Shao died angrily in the seventh year of Jian 'an (AD 202). In short, at least five years after Jian 'an, the threat of Hebei has been basically lifted, and Cao He has changed from defense to expansion.

Battle of Guandu? After Yuan Shao, although not to the point of collapse, he was already weakened. Battle of Cangting? You can see it; Then Yuan Shao died, leaving Yuan Tan, Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi and Gao Qian to control Qingzhou, Jizhou, Youzhou and Bing respectively, and their forces were weaker and unable to concentrate; At the same time, Sun Ce, the leader of Jiangdong Group, was assassinated and his position was passed on to Sun Quan. Sun Ce changed the strategy of Jiangdong Group before he died and left? Be careful not to cross the north? The legacy is probably to warn Zhang Zhao, Sun Quan and others not to rush to compete with Cao Cao. Sun Quan also fulfilled this strategy, expressing his submission to Cao Cao. ? Cao Chong is an elephant? In the story, Sun Quan paid tribute to elephants, probably in the early days when Sun Quan ruled Jiangdong. Cao Cao also expressed his desire for peace. He expressed that Sun Quan defeated the enemy as a general and led his troops to take the position of prefect until the 13th year of Jian 'an (that is, in 208 AD)? Battle of Red Cliffs? Everything was calm before.

At this time, the remaining two have obvious hostile relations with Cao Cao, one is Hebei Yuan Shao or Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, who have split; One is Liu Biao, occupying Jingzhou with Liu Bei as the barrier. Cao Cao's expansion has two directions. He once hesitated between Liu Biao and Yuan Shikai, and had a plan to attack Liu Biao south. Finally, because of the dispute between the two Yuan families, he focused on Hebei. However, whether attacking Jingzhou or destroying the Yuan family, it is beneficial to Cao Cao to fight against the Jingzhou rear area. The former makes Liu Biao irreparable. The latter made Liu Biao think twice, so Cao Cao used the political influence of Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty to let Sun Ben compete for Changsha County. Let Zhang Jin compete with Lingling County and Guiyang County to contain and weaken Liu Biao's power.

The Relationship between Cao Cao and Zhang Jin and Sun Ben

So who are Max Zhang and Sun Ben? Why did Cao Cao choose these two men? First of all, let me talk about Max Zhang. Zhang Jin appeared as early as six years in Zhong Ping (AD 189). At that time, Emperor Han Ling died, and the big backer of the eunuch group fell. Yuan Shao ordered Zhang Jin, a public figure, to persuade General He Jin to take the opportunity to destroy the eunuch clique. Zhang Jin was in Luoyang at that time and was a guest of Yuan Shao. However, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao have a close relationship. According to historical records, the connections between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao are quite coincident, so it is speculated that Cao Cao and Zhang Jin may have a certain friendship.

Later, Zhang Jin made a secretariat of Jiaozhou. According to the reflection? Shu Shu? According to Xu Jing Biography, when Xu Jing took refuge in Jiaozhou, he wrote to Cao Cao for help because he could not enter Yizhou from the north and south of Jingzhou. Zhang Jin was mentioned in the letter. What do you think of Max Zhang? It is also a buffer zone for a country, and the first step is foreign aid. ? Although this letter may have been destroyed (or not destroyed) by Zhang Xiang, an envoy of the Eastern Han Dynasty who was estranged from Xu Jing, Cao Cao could not have only Xu Jing as an information channel; According to "Southern Vegetation", Max Zhang contributed Jiaozhou specialty to Cao Cao in the eighth year of Jian 'an (AD 203). A purple zongzi; According to the Book of Jin? According to geographical records, Zhang Jin and Shi Xie set up Jiaozhou Administrative Region in the eighth year of Jian 'an (there was no Jiaozhou at that time, and Zhang Jin was supposed to be a cross-toed secretariat). With the consent of Cao Cao, Zhang Jin was appointed as Jiaozhou Pastoral. It can be seen from these records that the relationship between Zhang Jin and Cao Cao should be very harmonious. Max Zhang expressed support and submission to the Han Dynasty dominated by Cao Cao, so he was wooed by Cao Cao.

Followed by Sun Ben. Sun Ben is the imperial clan of Sun Shi. He is the son of Sun Jian's brother Sun Qiang, in other words, Sun Quan's cousin. Sun Ben followed Sun Jian, Yuan Shu and Sun Ce successively, and was appointed as the prefect by Sun Ce. Zhang Yu County is connected with Changsha County. Liu Biao once ordered his son Liu Pan to attack Zhang Yu from Youxian County, Changsha County, or to attack Changsha from Zhang Yu across Jiangdong Group. It is in the interest of Jiangdong Group to eliminate Liu Biao and compete for the first pole of the Yangtze River. In addition, Cao Cao and Sun Ben are still children in-laws. Battle of Red Cliffs? Before that, Sun Ben had intended to send his son as a token to take refuge in Cao Cao, but was later dissuaded by Zhu Zhi. There is a saying that Sun Ben's loyalty to Sun Quan is limited, and Cao Cao wooed Sun Ben to divide Jiangdong Group while containing Liu Biao. Bian Xiao declined to comment.

The result of Cao Cao's strategy of containing Liu Biao

In order to contain Liu Biao, Cao Cao wooed Zhang Jin, the secretariat of Jiaozhou (or state animal husbandry), and Sun Ben, the satrap of Zhang Yu of Jiangdong Group, as foreign aid, and attacked Lingling County, Guiyang County and Changsha County in the south of Jingzhou. About whether Sun Ben competes with Liu Biao in Changsha, in the History of the Three Kingdoms? Wu Shu? There is no record in Sun Benzhuan; In fact, besides Sun Ben, the military commander who is adjacent to Changsha and poses a military threat to Liu Biao from Changsha is also a Jianchang surname. Neither Taishi Ci, the first captain of Jianchang County, nor Cheng Pu, who is suspected to be the second captain of Jianchang County, has any record of actively attacking Changsha County (Taishi Ci fought back passively). Therefore, Bian Xiao thinks that Cao Cao's strategy should not work in Sun Ben or Jiangdong Group.

Zhang Jin is not. According to the reflection? Wu Shu? General Manager Xue's evaluation of Max Zhang in the Biography of General Manager Xue:? This is the gap between Liu Mu and Jingzhou. The soldiers are weak and the enemy is strong, and the army is growing year by year. It can be known that Zhang Jin and Liu Biao fought a very high-intensity war in the south of Jingzhou and the north of Jiaozhou, so that they reached? Year after year? The degree of. This may be because Cao Cao ordered him to compete for the power of attorney of Guiyang and Lingling. However, Max Zhang's strength is weak, and Jiaozhou's sense of identity with the Central Plains regime is not strong. Zhang Jin frequently went to war with Liu Biao, which aroused the dissatisfaction of Jiaozhou people and was finally killed by his subordinates. Liu Biao took the opportunity to send Lai Gong as the secretariat of Jiaozhou with the intention of controlling Jiaozhou. Generally speaking, Cao Cao provoked the fight between Zhang Jin and Liu Biao, which may have distracted Liu Biao to some extent. However, due to Zhang Jin's poor strength, he was killed, which led to Cao Cao's containment of Liu Biao's chess pieces, which did not have a very obvious effect.