Cao Cao's heart was extremely clear: " Jia Xu is like a poisonous snake. He can only use his strategy to extract its venom to use it as medicine or to defeat the enemy. He must not be with him forever. If my son Cao Chong is still alive, he might still be able to shock this person with his wisdom, and Cao Pi never has the ability to control this person. When I return to heaven, it is best to take this person away and bury him with his utmost so that Pi'er and Zhi'er will be held hostage by him and become the next emperor of Han."
At this moment, Cao Cao guessed that Jia Xu would definitely want to attack Jiangdong first, but he just didn't say it. It is because he can see through the cunning like Jia Xu that he always suppressed Jia Xu and his forces, and instead tolerated Cao Zhi and Jiang Gan made mistakes repeatedly. Only by relying on this kind of checks and balances can Cao Pi and his sect not be able to overwhelm Cao Zhi's camp, nor will Jia Xu be able to bully his master and do whatever he wants in the future.
Although Jiang Gan lacks talent, he can further motivate Cao Zhi to be independent and save himself and make a difference. Unfortunately, the two sons can only know the reason for these strategies of controlling people now, and it is difficult to understand the mystery of them, otherwise he would not have to go all out and make a hundred steps away from chess.
So, Cao Cao insisted on piercing the window paper and asked softly: " article and (Jia Xu's character) should be far-sighted, right?"
Jia Xu was shocked. He guessed that Cao Cao would definitely want to attack Jiangdong first by taking advantage of the good situation and high morale to pacify the north, but he felt that Jiangdong had a natural danger, which was different from his previous opponents, Yuan Shao , Yuan Shu , Lu Bu and others. Besides, the army has been fighting for years and the people are in great difficulty. It is indeed appropriate to rest first.
But what made him the most difficult was that he and Cao Cao were both guessing each other, and Cao Cao did not want him to see through his mind, so whether he said or not made him embarrassed. He said that he must have made plans and Jiang was good at it, and Cao Cao would definitely not like it. He also understood Cao Cao's intention to repeatedly suppress him and support Jiang Gan, so he must always be low-key and tolerant; if he doesn't say it, he always makes Cao Cao think that he is hypocritical and cunning.
If this continues, why wouldn’t Cao Cao lose all his confidence in him and have murderous intentions? Every day, he was like a deep abyss and walking on thin ice, and he had to grasp every word and action without any bias, which made him feel more difficult than climbing to the sky. What's even more bitter is that this inner torment cannot even be told to his master Cao Pi. Now, Cao Cao pointed out his general, obviously trying to verify whether his guess and judgment of Jia Xu were correct. But his mind was clearly different from Cao Cao - he believed that the time was immature and opposed the current crossing of the river. How should I say that I am so resistant to Cao Cao’s intention? Telling the truth will definitely make Cao Cao feel miscalculated and even more jealous; but telling lies will make Cao Cao realize that it is even more dangerous.
weighed the trade-offs. Finally, he decided that the safety probability of telling the truth was higher at this moment, so he politely advised: "I have been talking to Cao Pi for a few days. We all think that Liu Bei rats are not worth mentioning. According to the report, Jingzhou Mu Liu Biao is critically ill. His two sons Liu Qi and Liu Cong are both weak and incompetent and vulnerable. Our army should work hard and conquer Jingzhou first, and then use Jingzhou resources and the navy trained by Liu Biao to rest and rest the military and civilians, stabilize the land and people of the newly occupied city, and first put Jingjing first. If the state governs well and the people live and work in peace and contentment, they can use the achievements of Jingzhou governing to encourage and attract the people of Jiangdong to surrender. This is the so-called "soldier who defeats others without fighting" in military art. "
Jia Xu's suggestion surprised Cao Cao a little, but at this moment he was thinking about how to conquer the world, thinking secretly: "Jia Xu's idea is too cautious, this is the usual style of this person. However, this person's words are hidden everywhere, and he is afraid of taking risks, and he pulls Cao Pi back; he is afraid of speaking biasedly, and he uses military art to suppress others, which really makes me unable to find his handle." He stroked his long beard without expressing his opinion.
Everyone argued for a long time. Finally, Cao Cao waved his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and said, "What you said makes sense, let me think about it again and again."
Jia Xu knew that Cao Cao did not pick on his words like before, so he knew it.
——From Xiao Yongge's "Three Kingdoms Absolutely Evil", the picture comes from the Internet
