In March of the second year of Jian'an (197), Cao Cao, who was on the front line in Puyang, received an urgent report from Xun Yu in Xuchang. Yuan Shao sent an envoy to report his victory to the emperor, and asked the emperor for a title for his third son and his subordinate Wen Wu. When Xuchang City heard the news, undercurrents surged and there were signs of instability.
The disciples and former officials of the Yuan family even more conspired to rob the emperor and return him to Hebei. In the letter, Xun Yu asked Cao Cao to return to his army quickly to shock Xiao Xiao and calm people's hearts.
Cao Cao left Wei Zhong as the governor of Puyang and quickly returned to Xuchang. On the fifth day of March, Cao Cao left his kinsman general Cao Ren to lead the army and slowly returned to the army. Under the protection of Dian Wei, he hurried back to Xuchang on Qingqi Xingye. He could strategically despise Yuan Shao, but tactically he had to pay attention to Yuan Shao because he could not afford to lose.
After learning that Cao Cao had returned to Beijing, Xuchang officials, big and small, heard the news and rushed to Sikong Cao's Mansion to request an audience with Cao Cao. However, Cao Cao refused everyone's request because he was tired from traveling for days and told the officials, big and small, that he would go to court to pay homage to the emperor tomorrow.
Xuchang City, which was originally in a bit of chaos, quickly settled down with Cao Cao's return. The meeting hall of Sikong Cao Mansion. Although they did not meet those larger officials, the civil and military officials in the hall were no longer included in this list.
As soon as he returned to the mansion, Cao Cao, regardless of his physical fatigue, summoned his confidants who were staying in Xuchang to come to the mansion to discuss matters. Among the officials of the Han Dynasty, there were Xun Yu, the keeper of the Shangshu, Xun You, the military advisor, Cheng Yu, Mao Jie, Lu Qian, Dong Zhao, Xi Zhong and others. Military generals Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Yue Jin, Li Dian, Dian Wei and so on. They are all Cao Cao's confidants.
"Wen Ruo, what should happen today? Yuan Shao is so shameless, I want to take him down, but I can't bear the hatred, what should I do?" Cao Cao read the document handed over by the clerk, like a man in his forties, with a white face and a long beard. asked the middle-aged scribe.
This person is Xun Yu, whom Cao Cao calls my son. Xun Yu came out and said: "The winners and losers in ancient times have their own talents. Even if they are weak, they must be strong. If you are not the same person, although you are strong, you can easily be weak. The survival of Liu and Xiang is enough to see. Today, the only one who competes with Gong for the world is Yuan Shaoer. Shao is generous on the outside but cautious on the inside. He allows others to doubt his heart. He is fair-minded and open-minded, and only suits his talents. This is how he wins. Shao is late and focuses on few decisions, missing opportunities later. He is capable of deciding major events and has no ability to respond to changes. Fang, this is how to win. Shao's imperial army is lenient, and the laws are not established. Although the soldiers are numerous, it is actually difficult to use them. The public laws are clear, and rewards and punishments must be implemented. Even though there are few soldiers, they all fight to the death. This is the victory of martial arts. Shaoping The world's capital is to calmly display wisdom in order to gain reputation. Therefore, the few scholars who are incompetent and inquisitive are often returned to them. They treat others with fairness and benevolence. They promote sincerity and do not regard it as false beauty. They act prudently and do not begrudge those who have merit. Therefore, the world A man who is loyal and effective is willing to use him, and this is the virtue of victory. He assists the emperor with four victories and supports righteousness in the expedition. Who dares not to obey? What can he do if Shao is strong! My lord, please relax, it does not matter if Yuan Shao is strong .”
"What Mr. Wen Ruo said is true. Zhicai also has ten victories and ten defeats for your lord's reference." As soon as Xun Yu finished speaking, a voice came from outside the door. It was the commander of the Air Force, who was offering wine to his loyal friends and Zhicai.
His face was covered in dust, and his originally sickly complexion showed a hint of flushing, but it could not hide his eyes that exuded the light of wisdom.
"Zhicai, weren't you asked to return slowly with the army? Why are you rushing back in such a hurry? Your health is important."
It can be seen that Cao Cao attaches great importance to Xi Zhong.
"Thank you for your concern, my lord. Zhong's body knows that a little trouble can't do anything to me. Yuan's thieves are powerful, but they are not invulnerable. As the saying goes, when soldiers come, they will be blocked, and when water comes, the earth will cover them. Zhong has ten victories and ten defeats. I would like to dedicate it to all the gentlemen here. I also ask you all to listen carefully. Shao is rich in etiquette, and the public is left to his own devices. This is the way to win. Shao is rebellious, and the public is obedient. This is righteousness. Since Huan and Ling, the government has failed to be lenient, and Shao has been lenient. Be generous and generous, and the public will be fierce in corrections, and this will win; if you are generous outside, you will be taboo inside, and you will appoint many relatives. If you are simple outside, you will be clear inside, and you will only use people according to their talents. This is how you will win; if you have many plans and few decisions, the public will act at will. This is the way to win; Shao is dedicated to collecting reputations and treats people with sincerity, this is the virtue of victory; Shao cares about the near and sometimes far, and has all the public considerations, this is benevolence, which is the victory; Shao listens to slander and confusion, but the public cannot infiltrate, this is the clear victory; Shao is confused about right and wrong, and the public law is strict, so this is the victory of Wen; Shao is good at false power and does not know the key points of the army. The public uses a small number to defeat the crowd and uses troops like a god. This is the victory of martial arts. With these ten victories, there is no difficulty in defeating Shao. .”
"My lord, what Zhicai said is every word. You Shen agrees with it. Please make up your mind early." Xun You, another big plotter of Cao Cao, also added.
"Hahaha, Angel Wenruo is fair and generous, and his ambition is to help me. I am just around the corner to defeat Yuan. But what should I do today?"
"On the one hand, the Lord can make Shao a general, a Taiwei, and the governor of the four prefectures of Ji, Qing, You, and Bing. He can also make his three sons the prefecture shepherds to reassure him; on the other hand, he can seize the time to reorganize the army and train the soldiers. Arrange defenses in preparation for a war." Cheng Yu of Dongjun came up with a plan.
"My Lord, why don't you tell the Emperor of Tomorrow that Yuan Shao has great merit, please give me Jiuxi. Yuan Shao's three sons are all talented in literature, Tao and martial arts. My Lord, you can tell the Son of Tomorrow that Yuan Xi will be the general on the left, the Mu of Qingzhou, and the Marquis of Wuping. With Yuan Tan as the rear general, Youzhou Mu, Jihou, and Yuan Shang as the Jizhou Mu, former general, Bohai Marquis, Zhong once heard that Yuan Shao's three sons were fighting openly and secretly for the position of heir, and they couldn't make friends. As a close friend of General Yuan, of course the Lord We need to consider for the sake of our nephews and enhance the strength of their nephews, lest the nephew Yuan Tan loses to Yuan Xi due to lack of strength when competing for the heir, that is because the master, the uncle, did not take good care of him. ." Xi Zhong said rather playfully.
"Oh..." Cao Cao was stunned for a moment, then understood, and laughed while stroking his hands. "My lord, the elders of the Yuan family have not yet reached their thirties. If they are given the important position of state pastor at such a young age, I am afraid that the imperial court's majestic presence will make the princes of the world laugh at it." said the counselor with a white beard, who had recently taken office. Xu Duling was favored by many.
"Isn't Boning envious of the Yuan family? My lord can grant them the position of state shepherd, and he can naturally take it back." Xi Zhong said with a smile, "How can Boning be an ignorant person? Don't he understand the deep meaning of this."
Man Chong thought for a moment and said happily: "Bo Ning, I understand."
On the second day, the emperor went to court to listen to the government. Sikong, a general riding on a chariot, the chief officer listened to Cao Cao and presented himself to the emperor. The general, Taiwei, Yehou Yuan Shao, exterminated the traitor Gongsun Zan, and redressed the injustice of Taifu Liu Yuzhi to the world. His hard work has made great achievements. The fourth prince of the fifth generation of the Yuan family, who was a minister of the Han Dynasty, was loyal to the Han Dynasty. He begged the emperor to give Yehou Yuan Shao nine tins to inform the world, and summoned the three sons of Yehou to show his throne. The government and the public were in an uproar.
Although the emperor did not understand the intention of Cao Cao's move, he did not dare to go against Cao Sikong's wishes. He immediately issued an edict with Shaofu Kong Rong as his envoy to proclaim the edict in a strict manner. But when it came to the position of General Zuo, the emperor and Cao Sikong were at odds. Because it concerned his brother-in-law Yuan Xi, the little emperor still argued.
Cao Sikong immediately apologized to the emperor for his own lack of consideration. Then he suggested to the emperor that he should award Yuan Xi with the seal ribbon of General Zhendong that he once wore. Since General Zhendong was one level lower than General Zuo, in order to make up for Yuan Qingzhou and show the justice of the emperor, Lord Sikong Cao returned the seal ribbon of Wuping Hou and Please ask the emperor to grant the Marquis of Wu Ping to Yuan Xi, the general of Zhendong.
The emperor made a promise, and Sikong Gu invited him. This is the case for the third time. The emperor agreed, took back the seal of the Marquis of Wuping, and awarded it to Yuan Xi, the governor of Qingzhou.
In order to make up for Lord Sikong's sacrifice for the emperor, the emperor issued an edict to confer Cao Cao as the Marquis of Qiao, and gave Cao Sikong's eldest son Cao Ang the title of Duxiang Marquis, the second son Cao Pi as the Pingxiang Marquis, and the third son Cao Zhang as the Xixiang Marquis. At the suggestion of Shangshu Ling Xun Yu, the emperor allowed Cao Cao to record the affairs of the Shangshu and take charge of the government affairs.
Before Kong Rong set out with the imperial edict, he said to Xun Yu, the minister: "Shao's territory is vast and its army is strong; Tian Feng and Xu You are wise and strategizing men, and they plan for them; they are ministers who are responsible for judging and observing the discipline, and are loyal ministers. The thing is: Yan Liang and Wen Chou are brave enough to conquer the three armies and command their troops: it is almost impossible to defeat them!"
Xun Yu smiled and did not answer, and there was no need to answer.
In the second year of Jian'an (197), a terrifying war was brewing in the Han Dynasty.
Summer, April, the second year of Jian'an in the Han Dynasty (197).
The Marquis of Ye and the newly-appointed general Yuan Shao launched a massive campaign of troops from the four states of Ji, You, Bing, and Qing to attack Cao Cao, who was entrenched in the Central Plains, on the pretext of killing the rebels.
Bo Chen Lin, the leader of Yuan Shao, wrote a eloquent article accusing Cao Cao. He wrote, "The ambition of the jackal is to cause trouble, and it is intended to break the pillars, just for the hero. He also slaughters the civilians and kills the loyal." Make a fuss about Xuzhou and Xu County.
Yuan Shao gathered 60,000 soldiers from Jizhou and 20,000 soldiers from Youzhou in Yecheng. Xin Ping and Shen Pei were left to guard Yecheng.
The civil servants who accompanied the army included Jusue, Guo Tu, Feng Ji, Xu You, Xun Chen, Cui Yan, and Chen Lin. The military generals include Han Meng, Jiang Qi, Ju Yi, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Gao Lan, Jiang Yiqu, Qian Zhao, Zhao Rui and other generals. Going south along Dunqiu, they left Wei County in a mighty manner and rushed to Puyang, shaking the Central Plains.
In addition to the 100,000 troops from Jizhou, Yuan's army also sent out two groups of troops, echoing each other from a distance. One group was Bingzhou Gaogan, which went out of Hedong and entered Hanoi to harass the Henan area. The other group was Qingzhou Tianfeng Xuhuang, Chen Dengzangba. They harassed Langya and other places in Mount Tai.
Yuan Shao ordered, with Wen Chou as the vanguard and 2,000 cavalry and 3,000 infantry as the vanguard, they would open roads across mountains and build bridges across rivers, and cross the river at Liyang. Capture the white horse across the river. To open the way for the follow-up troops.
Several armies, totaling 170,000 people, said to be one million, were so vast that they meandered southward with flags covering the sky and dust covering the sun.
The people fled, taking the old and the young south to escape this unprecedentedly brutal war. Both sides of the Yellow River were deserted for a while, with no life in sight.
Groups of Jizhou Army infantrymen ran wildly on the official road, and the generals couldn't help shouting and cursing: "Grandma, you are so slow to imitate the bastard! If you delay, your grandpa and I will be beaten with army sticks, and you won't do it either." Better off!"
"Huangdan, are we in such a hurry?" A hundred-man general following behind couldn't help but ask.
The Jizhou Junya gatekeeper nicknamed Huangdan looked around and cursed: "I don't want to either. Why is General Wen so impatient? He made a bet with someone that he would capture the white horse in the south within five days. If he loses If we lose face, will the people below us be able to live well?"
"Damn, they are good! Of course four legs can run faster, how can we run on two legs!" The hundred-man general of the Jizhou Army also cursed.
Huang Dan chuckled: "Follow me. Let's go to the grain carriage..."
More than two thousand Jizhou soldiers galloped on the pipeline. Although the smoke and dust raised did not cover the sky and the sun, it was still extremely huge. They left the rear infantry behind for a full day's journey.
Wen Chou was wearing beautiful and dazzling bright light armor, and he held a spear on his shoulder with one hand. Holding the reins of the war horse with one hand. Behind Wen Chou was a lieutenant who was also wearing bright armor. He was in his thirties and had a black face and black beard. It was because of his failure to escort Cao Song that he went north to seek refuge with Yuan Shao.
"General Wen! General Wen!" Ying Shao kept shouting.
Wen Chou impatiently reined in the horse, slowed down the horse, and asked, "What's the matter?"
Ying Shao took a breath and said: "Gong Yuan did not give us any orders when to capture the white horse. The general does not need to march in such a hurry. The infantry behind can't keep up, and we can't attack the city!"
Wen Chou's round eyes popped up: "What are you talking about? Didn't you hear what Jushuo and the others said about "swift troops?" I said that if we capture the White Horse within five days, we can catch the Yanzhou people off guard. We Wouldn't it be nice to rush across the river and wait until the Yanzhou people fall asleep at night to cut their heads open and then sleep with their women? Haha!"
Ying Shao frowned. He had also heard the name Wen Chou since he came to Jizhou, but he didn't expect that the general Yuan Shao relied on could be so vulgar.
"General Wen, did you forget that before departure, Duke Yuan said that the Yanzhou Army might cross the river to attack Hebei?" Ying Shao reminded.
Wen Chou glared at Shao Shao angrily: "You are the deputy general. I am the commander-in-chief. It is your turn to speak! I have followed Yuan Gong in hundreds of small battles. How often has he not attacked in such a hurry? Vanguard, vanguard, do not run in. Why are we called pioneers in front!"
Ying Shao was angry, but he stopped arguing. He was not a direct descendant of Yuan Shao but a foreign general. As a deputy general, it was not his turn to decide on the march.
"General, Li Yang is ahead!" the scout reported.
"Just in time. When you get there, hurry up and cook to fill your belly. The general is so hungry!" Wen Chou shouted.
But just as Wen Chou finished speaking, smoke and dust rose from the highlands on the left and right, and the sound of horns and the sound of horse hooves were heard. Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" "Show police quickly!" The front scouts of the Jizhou cavalry suddenly became confused.
There were more than two thousand cavalry rushing out from the left and right sides. The soldiers were all wearing fish-scale armor, holding strong bows and sharp blades, and were extremely well-equipped.
Wen Chou gave a loud shout and shouted: "Don't panic! Hold the line for me!"
The Jizhou cavalry were also well-trained elite soldiers. Under the command of their respective team leaders, they formed a circular formation with difficulty to defend themselves.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Feather arrows kept attacking the Jizhou cavalry. Every shot is so precise.
Wen Chou was sweating on his forehead. With just two moves, he could tell that his opponent was extraordinary, and his skill was no less than Gongsun Zan's elite cavalry and his brave Hu cavalry.
Jizhou cavalry are equipped with small round shields. In order to maintain their formation, the cavalry raised their round shields for protection, and with the protection of their armor, they faced a sudden attack by a volley of arrows, and their casualties were not very large.
But after several rounds of simultaneous shooting, the opponent changed to killing freely, and his archery skills were extremely precise. The targets of his arrows were all the horses under the crotches of the soldiers.
Wen Chou knew not to be passively beaten, so he shouted and asked the soldiers to run away one by one and charge towards the enemy. After a while, the cavalry on both sides engaged in small-scale hand-to-hand contact.
However, relying on their superb riding skills and seasoned experience, the enemy troops kept changing their formations, gradually exposing Wen Chou's Chinese army at the front.
Wen Chou didn't care. He directed the soldiers to assemble into formation and asked them to charge forward with his horses. Wen Chou is worthy of being a fierce general in Hebei. The iron spear he wields is unparalleled in speed. The moves and strength with which he wields the spear are like using a fork with a weapon known for its strength. Even if the enemy cavalry in front of Wen Chou was wearing fish scale armor, none of them could withstand Wen Chou's fierce thrust.
However, just as Wen Chou was fighting excitedly, a fiery red shadow rushed out of the enemy's formation. Immediately, the general's eyebrows spread out, and his eyes were unruly and bloodthirsty. What is even more chilling is the sharp and heavy Fangtian Iron Halberd in his hand.
"Ah, Lu Bu!" Wen Chou exclaimed. He had a brief encounter with Lu Bu during the Battle of Hulao Pass. Although Wen Chou was brave and arrogant, he was still shocked by Lu Bu's sudden appearance here. I never expected that this peerless beast would willingly charge into battle for Cao Cao!
Lu Bu's bloodthirsty eyes were full of cruelty, and he shouted: "Are you the vanguard of the Jizhou Army? A bunch of rabble!"
"You're an ugly man, Lu Bu is here, how can I allow you to act wildly? You must accept your fate!" Lu Bu continued to shout arrogantly.
After saying this, Lu Bu galloped towards the two generals Wen Chou and Ying Shao who were in front.
Although Wen Chou knew that Lu Bu was extremely powerful, as a warrior he could not retreat. Only by constantly challenging the strong and fighting between life and death can a warrior's martial arts and realm be improved.
Wen Chou shouted and swung his spear away from Lu Bu's halberd. Even with all his strength, Lu Bu's iron halberd was only deflected by one foot, while Wen Chou's spear was also deflected.
After more than ten rounds of fighting with Lu Bu, Wen Chou felt timid, so he managed to pull himself together, brandished the iron gun in his hand, parried and blocked, and fought with Lu Bu.
The two rode their horses while running and fighting, going back and forth, excluding the soldiers next to them from the circle. In terms of technique, Li Chou is not as good as Lu Bu. In terms of strength, Li Chou is also inferior, but in terms of desperation, Lu Bu is slightly worse. After more than ten rounds, Lu Bu couldn't defeat Wen Chou.
Lu Bu cheered loudly, and then stabbed Wen Chou's face with the tip of his halberd. Wen Chou was also brave. He placed the shaft of his spear on the top of the crescent branch of the painted halberd to block Lu Bu's fierce thrust.
While the two were wrestling, Ying Shao on the side saw the right moment and rode forward on his horse to slash the back of Lu Bu's neck with his long sword.
Lu Bu sneered and barely avoided the blade. Then he turned sideways and moved Ying Shao to Wen Chou's side. He swung out his iron halberd and struck Ying Shao's neck straight with the halberd.
"Tsk!" A large ball of hot blood splashed onto Wen Chou's face. At that moment, Lu Bu followed him like a shadow, and slashed at Wen Chou's chest with his halberd.
Wen Chou could barely hold the moon branch of the painting halberd, but the tip of the moon branch had already scratched his armor, leaving a shocking blood mark.
At the critical moment of life and death, Wen Chou shouted loudly and pushed the halberd away with all his strength. Then he thrust forward, avoiding Lu Bu. As soon as he pulled the reins, he turned around and ran wildly.
