Koto.
In the lobby of the Sheriff's Mansion, Sun Jian was kneeling in the center with a gloomy expression. Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were there, and people like Cheng Pu, Zhu Zhi and Gao Dai on the left and right all looked very heavy.
"Tell me, what should we do with the Gu family?" Sun Jian said in a deep voice.
They were discussing how to deal with the Gu family, and the Gu family's problem became a big problem for everyone.
Sun Jian holds tens of thousands of elite Jiangdong warriors in his hands, and has already controlled all counties in Wu County. He has sufficient troops and food, and the destruction of the Gu family is only a matter of seconds. However, Sun Jian may not be able to bear the consequences of the destruction of the Gu family.
But Yuan Xi didn't have the same concerns as the Sun family and his son, because the Yuan family was the largest family, bar none. That's why the Sun family, which comes from a poor family, wants to check and balance the aristocratic family.
Because his power and foundation are still a bit weak, if he had a background like the Yuan family, the Sun family would not have to be like this. Those aristocratic families would rush to join him.
It is easy to destroy the Gu family, but offending the aristocratic family is an unwise choice. The aristocratic family is not just a matter of words. In this era at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the aristocratic family controlled most of the world, including public opinion, land, population... influence too big.
To put it bluntly, if Sun Jian kills the Gu family, the dying Lu family will definitely take the lead and unite the entire Jiangdong to resist the rule of the Sun family. Not only will wars break out in Wu County, but the soldiers and horses of Danyang in Kuaiji will also be killed. Enter Wu County.
But now that Gu Zhou has revealed his identity, it is absolutely impossible not to deal with the people who assassinated the Sun family. Without a tough attitude, the Jiangdong family will only become more arrogant. How to control this degree has become a headache for Sun Jian.
Everyone scratched their heads and fell silent, unable to think of a reason, so the atmosphere in the lobby was a bit gloomy.
"What's wrong with you? You're all mute. Speak!" Sun Jian was helpless, his eyes widened, and he growled: "Gong Jin, tell me."
"Uncle, there's no need to rush this matter, I'm also thinking about it!" Zhou Yu sat close to Sun Ce and smiled bitterly. He couldn't control this matter regarding the Gu family.
What's more, Mei Zhoulang's general ability is better than his political ability. To be honest, Yuan Xi is more powerful among his peers in terms of politics. Zhou Yu and Sun Ce are still young.
"Lord!" At this time, a guard from the county guard's office walked in, knelt down on one knee, and reported: "There is a man outside, named Zhang Zhao, who wants to seek refuge with the lord. He claims that he can relieve the lord's current worries."
"Zhang Zhao? Where does this person come from? He has such a loud voice!"
When everyone heard this, they were slightly angry. They had been discussing for a long time, but no one agreed. However, a stranger said that he could solve the problem, and they were suddenly a little angry.
"What do you think his name is?" Sun Jian was overjoyed when he heard this. He looked at the guard sharply and asked hurriedly: "Answer me quickly!"
"He said his name is Zhang Zhao, with the courtesy name Zibu." The guard was stunned and said hurriedly.
"Zhang Zhao, Zhang Zibu? Hahaha... please, no, this person has Xiao He's talent, I will welcome him personally!" Sun Jian laughed, but he did not expect that the Zhang Zhao he had been looking for would come to his door automatically. Come.
Although Sun Jian sent Sun Ce to help Zhang Zhao secretly before, due to the uncertainty of the current situation, Zhang Zhao temporarily lived in seclusion in Wu County until the Sun family and his son came to Wu County.
Sun Jian settled in Wu County and opened the gates of his palace. Although there were a few people who came to seek refuge, they were all just talented people who were the masters of a county. None of the top counselors were seen.
Two flowers bloom, one on each side, this side of the Central Plains.
Cao Cao, with a group of personal followers, was marching on the road more than twenty miles away from Chenliu.
The chaotic sound of horse hooves came from ahead, and more than two hundred horsemen rushed to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao and others were surprised when they saw each other clearly. It turns out that the person coming towards him is Cao Ren, and he is secretly about to suffer.
Cao Ren had his head drooped, his armor was stained with mud, his face was slashed with blood marks, and his iron stomach was gone.
"Zixiao! What's going on?" Cao Cao asked in shock.
"My subordinates are incompetent. When they met Lu Bu's cavalry, they were defeated!" Cao Ren said in shame.
"Ah!?" Everyone was shocked. The name of the flying general should not be underestimated. In this era, Lu Bu's name was known to everyone.
"Brother, where are the two thousand cavalry?" Cao Hong asked anxiously.
"Seven to eight hundred cavalry were killed in the battle, and Zihe is gathering the remaining soldiers who have strayed." Cao Ren glanced at Cao Hong and replied.
"With Lu Bu's help, Yuan Shu won't be able to win!" Cao Cao worried. After all, cavalry combat is no better than infantry combat. The person with the best ability to control cavalry in this era is none other than Lu Bu. There is no other capable general in the world.
Xun You suggested: "There is no need to confront him head-on. Our army has brought ten days of food and fodder, and Yuan Shu's army is probably out of food. As long as we set up camp and defend ourselves, Yuan Shu's army will definitely collapse without a fight."
Cao Cao took a breath and said helplessly, "As Gongda said, the entire army will hold on to the stronghold!" However, this also inspired Cao Cao's ambition to form a cavalry. Later, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry became powerful in the world, and it started here. of.
■■■
Yuan Xi and others followed the army and advanced to the capital of Langyayang. By this time, the pioneer battalion had set up camp and began searching for nearby villages that had not been relocated.
Zhang Liao and Guan Hai, who arrived first, rode their horses to Yuan Xi and others, dismounted and saluted Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi saw Guan Hai with his head hanging down and his armor and shirt stained with filth, and thought something must have happened.
"General Wenyuan and General Guan, are they under enemy attack?" Guo Jia asked uncertainly.
Guan Hai's face turned red and he hesitated. Zhang Liao cupped his fists and said: "My lord, military advisor, the defense of Yangdu County is not simple. The hundreds of cavalry in the vanguard were attacked on the road, and the infantry behind were also attacked. General Guan Hai saw that the opponent only had a few hundred cavalry, so he led his men. We pursued, not wanting to encounter another ambush, and our army lost hundreds of people."
"Do you know who the guard of Yangdu is?" Yuan Xi asked.
"Taishan Zang Ba, this man has been famous in the Yanzhou and Xuzhou areas for his bravery since he was young." Gu Yong was very clear about what happened in the Qingxu area, so he responded aloud.
"Zang Ba!" Yuan Xi is still familiar with this name. Historically, he assisted Lu Bu and attacked Cao Cao's army many times. Later, in the Battle of Guandu, Zang Ba's elite brigade entered Qingzhou and restrained Yuan Shao's right wing. Yuan Tan doesn’t want it.
"Yuan Tan, what do you think of Zang Ba?" Guo Jia asked. He was good at analyzing personalities and then making decisions based on people.
Gu Yong thought for a while, then briefly recounted Zang Ba's deeds, and then said, "When Zang Ba was eighteen years old, he learned that his father was imprisoned, so he led dozens of followers to intercept the robbery halfway on the mountain road and rescue him. His biological father later fled to Donghai County with his father. After this incident, Zang Ba’s reputation for filial piety and bravery spread throughout the countryside." Everyone sighed, what a brave man!
Yuan Xi picked up the reins and said in a deep voice, "You guys, please come with me to explore the city defense of Yangdu." Yuan Xi took the lead.
Zhao Yun, Tai Shici, Guo Jia, Gu Yong, Xu Chu, Zhu Gongdao and others, together with a group of tiger guards, received the order and rode their horses to follow Yuan Xi along the Yangdu city wall to inspect.
On the city wall, a military commander saw Yuan Xi and others, so he asked the soldiers to go down and report.
After a while, Zang Ba, who had a square face and a thick beard and a rough look, came to the city wall and asked, "Wu Dun, what's the enemy?"
Army Sima Wu Dun pointed to Yuan Xi and others in the distance and said, "It seems that the enemy general is investigating the strength of our army."
Zang Ba smiled boldly and did not take it seriously, "With the reinforcements sent by Tao Shijun, Yangdu has nearly 8,000 soldiers. The city walls are strong and the soldiers are well-equipped. It will not be a problem to defend it for a year and a half."
As Zang Ba stretched out his hand, the soldier next to him understood and handed over a strong bow. He planned to give Yuan Xi and others a showdown.
The bow string was drawn like a full moon, and the cold light struck at Guo Jia who was pointing at the city wall. It turned out that the person was someone with a special status.
Xu Chu had been following Yuan Xi and Guo Jia closely. As soon as Zang Ba showed his figure, he could see clearly. Take out the shield, throw it out, and hit the arrows, a series of precise movements are carried out instantly.
Just when Yuan Xi and others reacted, Tai Shi Ci had already taken the lead. He drew his bow, took an arrow, and fired in one go, and also fired back in the direction of Zang Ba.
Zang Ba felt the cold light and hid on the battlement to the right, but the arrow still hit his left shoulder armor, which he had no time to cover. It made him break out in a cold sweat.
After Yuan Xi and others under the city were in danger, they did not panic. They just rode their horses farther away from the city wall. Emperor Taizong Li Shimin had done similar things to Yuan Xi. He often fought with Fang Xuanling, Yuchi Jingde and others. Observe enemy dynamics at close range, collect accurate information, and make the most accurate and objective judgment.
"The city defense is very strong, but it seems that it is not easy to fight!" Yuan Xi sighed, and Zang Ba is also very capable, so it seems that this bone is not easy to crack.
"Zang Ba is indeed brave and strong. The city of Yangdu is strong and it is not suitable to attack by force. Our army should go around and take the East China Sea as planned before." Guo Jia continued to suggest to Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi thought carefully now and felt that a quick attack on the East China Sea was too risky. The army only had half a month of rations. If he could not attack the East China Sea, there would be a risk of the entire army being destroyed. But I have decided that I can only continue to gamble with Guo Jia.
Once Emperor Taizong Li Shimin personally conquered Goguryeo, Li Ji, like Guo Jia, also suggested a strategy of bypassing the fortified city and directly conquering Pingxiang. However, he was persuaded by Changsun Wuji and did not adopt it. In the end, he failed to achieve complete victory, which was a pity.
Because Li Shimin was already the emperor at that time, the involvement was very big, and he could no longer take risks as he did when he was young. In the former Qin Dynasty, Fu Jian did not easily get rich, and he would not be defeated, so the choices he made when he was a king and a general were also different. , but Yuan Xi can currently use it. After all, he is still just a general, right.
"The troops need speed, it won't last long. Rest for a night and continue marching tomorrow to attack Qushan County in the East China Sea and outflank the City of the East China Sea!" Yuan Xi followed Guo Jiadi's strategy and ordered.
"Zang Ba will definitely send troops and report to the East China Sea and other places. He can send General Wenyuan and his cavalry to control the passage to the East China Sea and wait for our army to outflank him from Qu County." Guo Jia suggested.
Yuan Xi sneered and said, "Let Wen Yuan set up ambushes and monitors. Zang Ba knows that our army is attacking the East China Sea and may go to the rescue."
■■■
Under Chenliu City, Cao Cao's army camped.
Yuan Shu threw the iron helmet to the ground and said angrily, "Those soldiers are not trying their best. This small fortress can't be taken down even after a long attack! What are these people doing for a living?"
Yang Hong looked at the furious Yuan Shu and couldn't help but shake his head. Such a strategy of dividing the troops into two sides was simply to make the soldiers die. But he didn't dare to say anything. Yan Xiang was already imprisoned for admonishing him.
The two brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu are really similar in some aspects, and they are indeed worthy of being so. .
A trench was dug in front of Cao Cao's camp. Yuan Shu's army could not suppress Cao Cao's army with crossbows and had to attack by force. The soldiers of Cao Cao's army, who had no shortage of food, feathers and arrows, took the opportunity to shoot arrows and kill the soldiers of Yuan Shu's army who climbed up.
The trench has become a natural moat blocking Yuan Shu's army. Even though the trench was filled with corpses under the driving force of the supervisory team, the spears of Cao Cao's soldiers blocked them again.
Lei Bo and Chen Lan, who were directing the soldiers to attack from the front, were not happy either. They felt that they were the ones who pushed the soldiers to death with their own hands.
Lei Bo couldn't stand it any longer, so he rushed to Yuan Shu's side and persuaded him, "My lord, if you fight like this, the soldiers will die in vain! Isn't it time to withdraw?"
Yuan Shu had a bad temper at this time and said angrily, "Send yourself to death? It's because you were not in a good position to supervise the battle!"
Lei Bo knelt down and begged, "Lord, my brothers have not eaten for a long time, and they have been fighting for a long time. They are all exhausted. How can they continue to fight!"
Yuan Shu's face turned green and red, and he said awkwardly, "If we don't defeat Cao Cao and take back the grain, what else can we do?"
Yang Hong sighed and said: "Gather the soldiers and go to Hanoi. Let Zhang Yang, the prefect of Hanoi, borrow some food. Then we will return to Yuzhou from Hanoi. We will make plans after we regain our strength."
"Zhang Yang? He once colluded with Yuan Benchu. Can he borrow food and grass?" Yuan Shu was a timid person after all and had to leave a way out for himself.
"Otherwise, Zhang Yang and Yuan Shao have been friendly for a long time. If my army presses in, he will definitely betray the honor of my lord. Besides, if he doesn't give it to us, why can't we get it ourselves?" Yang Hong advised.
Yuan Shu gritted his teeth and said decisively, "Let Ji Ling and others return to the camp to rest, and then send an order to Lu Bu to retreat, and the others will evacuate to the west!"
Lu Bu was riding on a red tug horse, watching the battle between Yuan Shu and Cao Cao's army from a distance.
He stared coldly at Yuan Shu's messenger and said, "Go back and report to Yuan Houjun. I will try my best to break off the rear, but I don't know how long I can hold it off."
The herald was frightened by Lu Bu's fierce and bloodthirsty eyes, so he thanked him and hurried back to his life.
"Is it worth it? Cut off Yuan Shu's queen!" Cheng Lian said angrily.
Lu Bu had his own thoughts. If his infantry wanted to retreat unscathed, they would have to frighten Cao Cao's army that was chasing them. Otherwise, Yuan Shu's defeated army might not be able to escape.
You can question Lu Bu's character, but never doubt his keen judgment on the battlefield. How could he survive in the late Han Dynasty without a few brushes?
"Gao Shun, Cheng Lian, and Song Xian, you three will protect the baggage and evacuate to Hanoi first! The rest will follow me and lead the cavalry to the rear."
After speaking, Lu Bu took the more than two thousand cavalry and formed an array on the high ground in the west, preparing to attack the chasing Cao Cao army.
Cao Cao, Xun You and others were also at the height of the camp, watching the fighting in front. After seeing Yuan Shu's army retreating, Xi Zhong hurriedly said: "Part of Yuan Shu's army is slowly moving westward. They may be fleeing!"
Cao Cao squinted his eyes and watched carefully for a while, then ordered, "The formation is in chaos, it means defeat! Order the whole army to attack and completely defeat Yuan Shu!"
The horn sounded, and all the infantry of Cao Cao's army left the camp and penetrated into Yuan Shu's army's camp.
The vanguard, headed by the Xiahou brothers, quickly cut off Yuan Shu's soldiers who had no time to retreat. Lu Bu, who was on the high ground, watched all this with an indifferent expression. He had no need to save these soldiers for Yuan Shu.
There were more than 30,000 soldiers of Yuan Shu's army who had no time to leave. Their morale had long been exhausted. Cao Cao's army surrendered immediately as soon as they arrived at the camp.
Cao Cao left Cao Ren to deal with it, and at the same time led his elite troops to chase Yuan Shu who had escaped.
On the high ground to the west, Cao Cao asked the soldiers to stop.
Lu Bu rode his horse out and faced Cao Cao's army alone. He was not afraid and raised his hands and said, "Is this General Cao in front of you? How about that?"
Cao Cao, escorted by the Xiahou brothers, also came to the front of the team and returned the courtesy, "It's Mengde. I haven't seen you for more than two years. Things have changed, but Wenhou's style remains the same."
Lu Bu laughed wildly and said, "In just two years, General Cao has become the lord of a state, but he is in such a state of poverty that he can only rely on Yuan Hou's army to beg for food. But the kindness must be repaid. Now that Yuan Hou's army is in danger, please ask Cao Cao General, give Lu Bu some face, how about letting him go?"
No wonder Lu Bu was able to pull off the trick of "shooting a halberd at the gate" in history. It turned out that he had a criminal record before.
Cao Cao also laughed loudly, "I respect Marquis Wen as a hero in the world, how can I protect a villain like Yuan Shu? The sky is high and the sky is high, there are many places for Marquis Wen to go. Today I accept Marquis Wen and let Yuan Shu go."
"Lord!" A group of generals shouted anxiously. They wanted to capture Yuan Shu directly.
Xun You guessed Cao Cao's intention, stopped everyone, and said, "What my lord has done has profound meaning, please don't say too much."
Cao Cao nodded and asked the generals to restrain the soldiers and stop advancing. He had his own thoughts.
Lu Bu waited for a while longer and asked Cao Cao: "We had a misunderstanding and fought with General Cao's cavalry. Is that young general okay?"
Cao Cao knew that he was asking about Cao Chun, so he said, "I'm sorry to hear from Marquis Wen that he's fine."
Lu Bu laughed wildly again, "Tell him, his qualifications are good, but his experience is still young. Riding on horseback is not a child's play. Looking at the world, there is no cavalryman who can beat me and Liang's cavalry yet!"
After speaking, Lu Bu rode back to the team, and then slowly chased Yuan Shu. With the power of one man, Cao Cao's army was restrained from pursuing. Is Lu Bu a fool? Are you kidding? It's just a small thing at most.
Everyone was angry at Lu Bu's rudeness and held down Cao Chun who was about to get angry behind him. After all, they were unsure of facing Lu Bu's cavalry.
Cao Cao hummed and asked, "Do you think we should pursue him? Even if we catch up, how will we deal with Lu Bu's cavalry?"
Xiahou Dun held his breath and said: "With those two thousand cavalry, our infantry will advance together, so we may not be afraid of him!"
But he himself felt that he was not confident enough. If they were to fight in formation, 20,000 to 30,000 infantry could certainly handle 2,000 cavalry. If they want to pursue, if they encounter highly mobile cavalry, they are simply looking for death.
Cao Chun felt humiliated like never before and said bitterly, "I, Cao Zihe, will definitely train a cavalry that is best in the world to avenge today's shame! Lu Bu, just wait for me."
Xun You explained: "Generals, there is no need to be discouraged. My lord has a reason for doing this. Yuan Shu's army fled and was captured in large numbers by our army. It no longer poses a threat. Who would benefit the most if we catch up and kill him? Yuan Shao!"
"My lord wants to take advantage of the fact that the Black Mountain bandits and the remaining Xiongnu troops are not alert, give them a surprise blow, and kill them first." Xi Zhong also revealed another layer of Cao Cao's plot.
Cao Cao nodded and smiled at Cao Chun, "Zihe, don't you want to train a fine cavalry? There is a cavalry waiting for you to command."
Cao Chun was startled, and then suddenly said: "Hongnu cavalry!"
Stones from other mountains can attack jade, that's all.
