田丰为什么会这样回答呢？田丰到底死了没有呢？我们先来总结一下袁绍这场战争为什么要失败，然后就来回答这个问题。
袁绍这场战争为什么会失败呢？因为他这一场战争不正义。
Why did Tian Feng answer this way? Is Tian Feng dead or not? Let’s first summarize why Yuan Shao’s war was defeated, and then answer this question.
Why did Yuan Shao fail in this war? Because his war was unjust.
沮授和田丰反对袁绍发动这场战争的主要原因就在这里，他们都向袁绍提出了这场战争的正义性问题。沮授说，现在天下大乱，民不聊生，我们的皇帝也刚刚才安定下来，你这个时候发动这个战争有道理吗？没有。我们现在已经获得了冀州、青州、幽州、并州四州之地，消灭了在北方的公孙瓒，我们应该向皇上报捷，我们应该把我们这么多年来安定国家、统一国家做的这些事情向皇帝报告。如果曹操他拦住我们，不让我们报告，那我们就趁机告他曹操一状，说他阻塞王路。同时，我们可以采取运动战、游击战、持久战的方式来对付曹操，我们可以不停地出兵骚扰他，让他不得安宁，让他疲于奔命，然后我们再来对付他。
The main reason why Ju Shu and Tian Feng opposed Yuan Shao’s launching of this war was here. They both raised the issue of the justice of this war with Yuan Shao. Ju Shu said, “Now that the world is in chaos and the people are struggling, our emperor has just settled down. Is it reasonable for you to launch this war at this time?”? No, “We have now acquired the four prefectures of Jizhou, Qingzhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou, and eliminated Gongsun Zan in the north. We should report to the emperor for victory. We should report to the emperor these things we have done over the years to stabilize and unify the country.”. If Cao Cao stops us and doesn’t let us report, we’ll take the opportunity to accuse him of blocking Wang Lu. At the same time, we can adopt the methods of mobile warfare, guerrilla warfare, and protracted warfare to deal with Cao Cao. We can constantly send troops to harass him, make him restless, and make him exhausted. Then we can deal with him again.
这个意见是正确的，第一，先把曹操放在不义的这样一个位置上，把曹操的政治优势变成他的政治劣势，这叫做有理。以强抗弱，以逸待劳，用运动战、游击战、持久战的办法来对付曹操，成本低、风险小、效益大，这叫做有利。步步为营，循序渐进，见好就收，掌握时机来消灭曹操，这叫做有节。有理、有利、有节，这样的谋略就是一个好的谋略。
This opinion is correct. First, it is reasonable to first place Cao Cao in an unjust position and turn his political advantages into his political disadvantages. “Fighting the weak with strength, waiting for work with ease, and using mobile warfare, guerrilla warfare, and protracted warfare to counter Cao Cao have the advantages of low cost, low risk, and high efficiency. This is called advantageous.”. “Step by step, step by step, stop when things are good, and seize the opportunity to eliminate Cao Cao. This is called festival.”. A strategy that is reasonable, advantageous, and disciplined is a good strategy.
袁绍不听，听谁的呢？听郭图的，听审配的，审配和郭图都主张按照袁绍的决定，立即集结十万精兵，向许都挺进。那么审配和郭图为什么要这样主张呢？我个人看法，在于审配可能是糊涂，郭图就是拍马屁，因为郭图这个人他很清楚袁绍是急功近利，好大喜功，自以为是，刚愎自用的。袁绍他现在很牛啊，他觉得他气壮山河，他可以气吞万里如虎，他现在求胜心切，他不耐烦搞什么运动战、游击战、持久战，还磨蹭三年，才能把曹操干掉，他不耐烦，他不痛快，他不潇洒呀。郭图是知道袁绍这个人的性格的，郭图说，这个用不着了，兵书上说十则围之，五则攻之，敌则战之，什么意思？就是我们的力量如果十倍于敌人，我们就把他围起来；如果五倍于敌人，我们就去进攻；如果和敌人正好相当，我们就可以打他一仗。现在我们的军队是曹操的十倍啊！我们为什么还要做这种小动作呢，什么运动战、游击战、持久战？以我们袁公之英明、神武，以我军之战无不胜、攻无不克，消灭一个小小的曹操那不是易如反掌吗！
Yuan Shao won’t listen. Whose will he listen to? Those who listened to Guo Tu, those who listened to the trial, both the trial and Guo Tu advocated immediately assembling 100000 elite troops and advancing towards Xudu in accordance with Yuan Shao’s decision. So why did the judge and Guo Tu advocate this? “My personal opinion is that the trial may be confusing, and Guo Tu is just flattering, because Guo Tu is a person who knows very well that Yuan Shao is eager for quick success and instant benefit, enjoys great achievements, thinks himself right, and is stubborn.”. Yuan Shao is now very arrogant. He thinks he is powerful and can swallow thousands of miles like a tiger. He is eager to win. He is impatient to engage in mobile warfare, guerrilla warfare, and protracted warfare. He still has to wait for three years to kill Cao Cao. He is impatient, unhappy, and unrestrained. Guo Tu knew the character of Yuan Shao. Guo Tu said that it was unnecessary. According to the military book, ten measures were taken to encircle him, five measures were taken to attack him, and the enemy was taken to fight him. What does that mean? If our strength is ten times greater than that of the enemy, we will surround him; If we are five times larger than the enemy, we will attack; If we match the enemy exactly, we can fight him. Now our army is ten times as big as Cao Cao! Why do we still do such small maneuvers, such as mobile warfare, guerrilla warfare, and protracted warfare? With the wisdom and martial arts of our Yuan Gong and the invincibility and invincibility of our army, it would be easy to eliminate a small Cao Cao!
