At this time, a general platform was set up on the outskirts of the city. All civil servants and generals from Qingzhou gathered here. Nearly 30,000 soldiers selected by the elite were also waiting in formation, all waiting for Yuan Xi's order.
In fact, the vanguard of the Qingzhou Army has already set off first, with Zhang Liao as the main general and Zhang Xiu as the deputy general. These two cavalry generals command 2,000 Qingzhou elite cavalry and more than 3,000 Danyang infantry. The main general is his brother-in-law Mi Fang. Mi Wei is the deputy general.
There are more than 25,000 Qingzhou troops left, all carefully selected elites. In addition to more than 2,000 Suwei Xiaoqi, 3,000 Wuhuan sudden cavalry, and more than 20,000 mixed cavalry. Among them were two thousand heavy armored infantry "Euphorbian Soldiers" and Yuan Xi's three thousand guard infantry.
Yuan Xi stepped onto the general stage and asked Xu Chu, who had a loud voice, to read out his appeal to Cao. Then it was announced who would go out and those who would stay behind. Tian Feng still stayed in Qingzhou and took charge of Qingzhou's various government affairs.
General Xu Huang was in charge of Qingzhou's defense, assisted by Hao Zhao, Zhou Cang, and Lu Kuang. The remaining civil servants such as Guoyuan, Zhong Yao, Chen Qun, and Wang Xiu assisted Tian Feng in handling government affairs.
The generals who accompanied the Qingzhou Army on the expedition included Zhang He, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Tai Shi Ci, Zhang Xiu, Guo Huai, Duan Pixi, Guan Hai, Lu Xiang, etc. Civil servants include Guo Jia, Jia Xu, Gu Yong, Liu Ye, Tian Yu, etc. Although there are not many soldiers in Qingzhou, the civil and military lineup is very gorgeous.
Yuan Xi handed the seal to his subordinate Tian Feng and said solemnly, "On the occasion of Xianyi's expedition, Qingzhou will be entrusted to Mr. Xianyi!"
Tian Feng solemnly took the seal. Guaranteed, "With Tian here, we can ensure that nothing happens in Qingzhou. The young master can just let go of his hands and feet and fight against Cao Cao. I will definitely ensure that the young master's army is constantly supplied."
Hearing this, Yuan Xi felt relieved. For Qingzhou, Tian Feng was Xun Yu on Cao Cao's side. With him in charge of the overall situation, the rear was still very secure. Then the king of Tang Dynasty, Li Cunxu, lacked someone like Tian Feng. Talent is slowly declining.
Yuan Xi waved his hand. The soldiers killed three animals to sacrifice to the flag. Then the Qingzhou Army raised troops along the river and advanced towards Puyang, Dongjun.
When the Central Army of the Jizhou Army was stationed in Neihuang County, it received unfavorable news about the defeat of the vanguard ahead.
Yuan Shao learned about the defeat of Wen Chou's army on the march. With more than 5,000 soldiers and horses in the vanguard and more than 10,000 soldiers in the rear, almost the entire army was wiped out. Only Wen Chou and a dozen cavalry fled to Neihuang.
Yuan Shao was so angry that his eyes darkened and he almost fell off his horse. Several soldiers carried Wen Chou to Yuan Shao and asked him to deal with him.
Looking at his beloved general, Yuan Shao was furious, suppressing his red face and said angrily: "Wen Chou, Wen Chou! I have always regarded you as a general who is worthy of great use. I didn't expect that as a pioneer officer, you were beaten before you left the borders of Jizhou. The whole army was routed! You really betrayed my trust."
Wen Chou looked weak and ashamed. He raised his hands and wanted to defend himself, but the words could not come out. After all, it was his own negligence that led to this tragic defeat.
Yuan Shao pointed at Wen Chou, his body trembling with anger: "I told you before we sent out the army that Cao Cao might surprise our Jizhou army. You'd better not take any precautions at all! I'm so angry!"
Wen Chou was in trouble and couldn't express his pain. After Yuan Shao received the document report from Yuan Xi. I didn't believe that Cao Cao would cross the river and go north, so I just mentioned it. But Wen Chou didn't care either, but he didn't expect that Yuan Xi and the others had guessed it right. This loss made him feel very depressed.
Yuan Tan, who was accompanying the Chinese army on the expedition, stepped out and said: "Father, the collapse of the vanguard will inevitably affect the morale of the army. Proper measures should be taken to stabilize the morale of the army."
Hearing this, Yuan Shao's face was ashen and he asked: "My son Xiansi, do you have any way to win me back?"
Yuan Tan paused and then said: "The Yanzhou army is seeking death by crossing the river to Hebei. We should send the elite cavalry to attack quickly to prevent them from escaping back to the south bank of the river."
Then he rolled his eyes and continued, "In addition, you must strictly enforce military orders. Use authority to subdue the soldiers."
Yuan Tan and Wen Chou are not at odds with each other. He thought Wen Chou was a vulgar person due to his poor background. Furthermore, Wen Chou was a martial artist. He was inevitably arrogant in his daily life. He had offended Yuan Tan when he was in Luoyang. In addition, Wen Chou had a good impression of Yuan Xi, so he was naturally labeled as one of Yuan Xi's party.
Yuan Shao's face turned pale. Although Wen Chou failed in his duty and was defeated, he was his confidant who had been with him for many years and he couldn't bear to kill him.
Guo Tu observed Yuan Shao's face and thought something was wrong. Having followed Yuan Shao for many years, I naturally know his temperament, but Yuan Tan violated Yuan Shao's original intention.
"Father, unclear rewards and punishments are not enough to overwhelm the three armies. You should deal with this matter decisively to appease the morale of the army. Please tell me, father." Yuan Tan wanted to plot Wen Chou to weaken the power of Yuan Xi's party, but failed to notice that he could not The eye-catching Guo Tu.
Yuan Shao frowned, looked at all his subordinates, and asked, "Tell me, everyone, how do you think Wen Chou should be dealt with?"
"As a general, he underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, resulting in the casualties of five thousand soldiers and horses. According to the military order, he should be executed to inform the three armies." Cui Yan replied. He has no grudge against Wen Chou, but he is an upright and conscientious person, and he will try his best to answer the legal punishment.
Wen Chou was so ashamed and angry that he tried to stand up, but the wound caused him to grin and he could not speak.
"My lord, my lord!" A general on a war horse shouted loudly in the distance. After arriving in front of Yuan Shao, the general jumped off his horse. It turns out that this general is Yan Liang.
Yan Liang was seen kneeling on the ground and said: "General, I heard that Wen Chou was defeated in the battle, but I would like to ask my lord to remember his past military exploits and let him perform meritorious service. Now is the time to employ people, so please think twice."
Yuan Tan finally saw Guo Tudi's gesture, but he had to hold on to the end, so he sneered: "Do you deserve meritorious service? You are so injured that you don't even have the strength to lift a gun. How can you do meritorious service!"
Yuan Shao was upset when he heard everyone arguing. He was angry at Wen Chou's defeat. He wanted to vent his anger but couldn't bear to kill this confidant.
"My lord, the attack of Cao Cao's army was indeed sudden. Coupled with Lu Bu's bravery, General Wen's defeat is excusable. Please let him return to Yecheng to recuperate, and then he will be punished and meritorious service in the future. Our army has just sent out troops, if there is still Killing the general before crossing the river is not an act of self-destruction?" Feng Ji advised. Because Wen Chou had a good relationship with Yuan Xi, he wanted to save Wen Chou.
Yuan Shao pointed at Wen Chou. He said in a cold voice: "Since you have made great contributions in the past, I will spare your life for the time being. Now I will strip you of your military position and send you back to Yecheng to recuperate. You will be punished and meritorious in the future."
Wen Chou's eyes overflowed with tears, and he lay on the stretcher with his hands clasped in his fists: "Wen Chou, thank you so much... my lord!"
Yuan Shao looked upset and waved his hand for the soldiers to carry him away.
"Order the entire army to attack Liyang. Be prepared for an attack by the Yanzhou Army!" Yuan Shao ordered.
The soldiers will receive the order and send out multiple groups of scouts to search for traces of the Yanzhou Army and march towards Liyang in large numbers.
Yan Liang quickly returned to Baimajin to supervise the battle. He was relieved that his sworn brother's life was saved.
In the next few days, Yan Liang's vanguard troops and Yu Jin's and Xiahou Dun's troops faced each other near Baima Jin. They fought many fierce battles in the wilderness, with each side winning or losing, but no one took advantage.
It's not that Yan Liang won't lead troops to fight because of his high force value. As long as the generals don't make big mistakes, there is military control, and as long as there are no tricks, Yan Liang won't lose too miserably for a while.
Seeing Cao Cao leading his troops to fight, Yuan Shao followed Feng Ji's words and stationed his army in the Liyang area, waiting for Cao Cao's changes, waiting for opportunities to seize opportunities, and planned to delay the change.
Liyang County is not a big town, with only more than a thousand households. It is not an exaggeration to say it is a small town. But the geographical location of Liyang is quite important. On the other side of the river is Baimajin. It is an important crossing of the Yellow River waterway. Although there are many ferries in the Yellow River waterway, there are not many places where the water flow is slightly gentle and the terrain is slightly flat.
Baimajin and Yanjin are two important crossings in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. As long as you cross the river from Liyang and Baimajin, you can attack Baima to the south and Puyang to the east.
At this time, Liyang County was a scorched earth, and the corpses and limbs of civilians could be seen everywhere. The surviving civilians sat on the ground. Standing still or crying, Tuoba Gui, Emperor Daowu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, did the same thing as Cao Cao when he attacked Hou Yan, just to destroy the morale of the enemy army, and finally made Murong Chui angry to death.
Yuan Shao was riding on a war horse. He smelled the stench of burnt houses and corpses, and walked over the ruins to inspect Liyang.
A large number of civil and military personnel also followed Yuan Shao. The generals were fine, but some civil servants turned pale.
"Damn Yanzhou Army, damn Lu Bu!" Jiang Qi cursed. The soldiers of the Jizhou army also committed robberies and robbery on a daily basis. When food and wages were not paid, killing and stealing goods was commonplace.
However, they had never done such extreme destruction. Their own territory was ruined and ravaged. Naturally, the generals of the Jizhou Army were disgraced. As the attackers, they were dug out of their nests by the enemy.
Yuan Shao was also affected by the tragedy and said angrily: "I will definitely capture and kill the two traitors Cao Cao and Lu Bu to comfort the heroic spirits of our Hebei soldiers!"
"Lord, all the ferries have been burned. I have sent people to make preparations." Gao Lanzong came to report.
"My lord, Cao Cao has heavily occupied Baimajin on the other side. If we attack by force, wouldn't we be willing to suffer a loss?" Guo Tu said.
"Then how do you think we should cross the river?" Yuan Shao asked coldly.
Guo Tu rolled his eyes and persuaded, "In the past, Han Xin's wooden poppy crossed the river to level Wei, and he used the method of far and near, virtual and real. We might as well imitate it."
When Han Xin was pacifying Wei, he first led his troops to Linjin Pass, but there were Wei soldiers on the other side of the river and could not cross. So Han Xin ordered ships to be built quickly and asked Guan Ying to pretend to cross the river from close range and attack by force. On the other hand, Han Xin himself and Cao Shen led their troops to a place called Xia Yang upstream of the river.
When Guan Ying led his troops to feign an attack to attract the main force of the Wei army, Han Xin and Cao Shen crossed the river on a raft made of wood and tiles. Then Han Xin and Cao Shen attacked the Wei Bing camp in a roundabout way and defeated the enemy in one fell swoop.
Guo Tu explained this strategy and said: "Baimajin is heavily defended by Cao Cao. Our army will have to pay a huge price to attack it. And Yanjin upstream is our Xia Yang!"
Listen to Guo Tu’s analysis. Yuan Shao was very moved and asked: "What Gongze said makes sense, but with Cao Cao's cunning and cunning, how can we not beware of Yanjin?"
Guo Tu laughed and said, "Cao Cao recently won a great victory because of his arrogant soldiers. Naturally, their small number of soldiers were afraid of a decisive battle with our army on the ground, so they could only stick to the dangerous position. There were heavy troops stationed in the direction of Baimajin, and Yanjin could still How many soldiers are stationed?"
"If Cao Cao is not like Wei Bao, will he make the same mistakes as his predecessors?" Jushu asked rhetorically.
Guo Tu couldn't help but sneer: "My lord and sir, let's talk about how to cross the river to avoid unnecessary losses."
Ju Shou cupped his hands and said: "Our army has many soldiers, so it is better to force the enemy to fight on a plain and on a smooth road. Cao Cao's soldiers are small, so we cannot win without surprise. If our army makes dangerous moves, the result may not be greater than a direct confrontation. Once defeated, it may be possible." It will affect the overall situation and reverse the strength balance between the two sides. I hope my lord will be cautious."
"Cao Cao is a man who is good at coming up with strange schemes and tricks. My lord really has to be on guard." Xu You also suggested.
Yuan Shao looked at Guo Tu. Looking at Jushou again, he asked: "How many troops and horses can Cao Cao mobilize at most?"
Feng Ji, who was in charge of collecting the information, thought for a while and replied: "According to reports from spies, Cao Cao has mobilized about 50,000 to 60,000 troops, including no less than 10,000 troops stationed in the direction of Puyang."
"Didn't I say before that there are only 40,000 troops and horses at most? With the two states of Yan and Henan, Cao Cao can still muster 50,000 or 60,000 troops? How is that possible?" Yuan Shao asked in surprise.
Yanzhou and Yuzhou were both war-torn places. Cao Cao was able to manage the two states as well as Hebei in just two or three years. In this case of lack of military rations. There are also 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers and horses that can be mobilized. This was beyond Yuan Shao's expectation.
All the civil and military personnel had expressions of surprise. The original intelligence was inaccurate and their confidence increased after they underestimated their opponents. However, the vanguard experienced a setback and the number of enemy troops increased, making them feel vaguely uneasy.
"Lord, we can station ourselves in Liyang. The second young master's Qingzhou soldiers march westward along the river. In that case, won't the Qingzhou soldiers seize the ferry and cover us to easily cross the river?" Jushu said.
After hearing what Ju Shou said, Yuan Shao's eyes lit up and he nodded and said, "Well, this is indeed a sound method."
Guo Tu and Yuan Tan both looked cold. If so, Yuan Xi could easily accomplish a great feat. This is what they don't want to see, and why Guo Tu suggested seizing Yanjin.
"Wait for the second son to come. Cao Cao's army must be prepared. Although they can cross the river, they cannot raid Cao Cao's camp to avenge the shame of sneak attack on our vanguard!" Guo Tu encouraged Yuan Shao and said.
When Yuan Shao heard "The Shame of the Pioneer", his blood surged. He valued face the most and said he would attack Cao Cao. However, Cao Cao attacked the vanguard before they could cross the river. How could he swallow this breath?
"What you said is very consistent with the art of war. We will not only cross the river, but also severely attack Cao Cao's arrogance!" Yuan Shao said coldly.
Now he is still stepping on the scorched earth and broken walls of Liyang. If he doesn't take revenge, he will lose all face. Moreover, he was defeated the first time he launched his army, which made him restless and impatient. Murong Chui did the same thing later.
"Lord! It's better to play it safe!" Jushou advised.
Yuan Shao rode forward and said impatiently: "What is safe or not? There is no such thing as a foolproof military strategy."
"This is really detrimental to our army. Your lord cannot listen to my advice. The three armies are really in danger!" Jushou paused and said.
"What did you say!" Yuan Shao stopped his horse. said angrily.
Jushou looked directly at Yuan Shao without fear: "Although we have many soldiers in Jizhou, they are not as elite as Yanzhou's army. Yanzhou's army is elite, but its food and grass supply is not as good as ours. In this way, we must camp step by step and press forward closely! The soldiers move in danger. This is the work of the weak. As long as we play it safe, we can win. Why should our army take risks?"
"How come our soldiers from Heshuo are not as good as Yanzhou's soldiers? How can you mess up the morale of our army?!" Yuan Shao said unconvinced.
Jushou couldn't explain it clearly, but he was defeated miserably in the first battle, which explains the problem.
"This method of marching is really inappropriate. I don't want to risk crossing the river with the army!" Jushou said. His temper was also aroused.
Yuan Shao continued to sneer and said decisively, "Gao Lan and Ju Yi, you two will lead ten thousand soldiers. Build a lot of ships here. Set up a posture to attack Baima Jin and support Yan Liang. The rest of the troops will follow me to attack Yanjin! You and I will not agree with each other. Are you willing to take risks with the army? Then wait here and see how I can win unexpectedly! Huh!"
Seeing that Yuan Shao finally chose their opinion, Guo Tu and Yuan Tan looked at each other proudly. They took the lead and took the lead.
Since Yuan Shao's army stood still, Cao Cao was not in a hurry to fight decisively. He also stationed the main force in the Changyuan area, divided his forces to resist the flanking armies of Gao Lan and Ju Yi, and held on to each county in order to find opportunities to deliver a fatal blow to Yuan's army. , reversing the disadvantage in military strength. For a time, the battle situation fell into a stalemate.
Five days later, Li Yang.
Jushou looked at Cao Cao's army camp on the other side of the river. He saw flags flying high inside and soldiers coming and going.
"Sir, are you still observing the enemy's situation? Have you discovered anything?" Gao Lan, who was left behind, came to Jushou's side and asked.
Jushou frowned and replied: "It's too far to see clearly! General Gao, can you send soldiers to scout the enemy camp at night?"
Gao Lan nodded and explained: "Mr. gave the order the day before and sent out three waves of scouts, but only one team had just returned. They said that Cao Cao's army camp was heavily guarded and could not be approached at all. Moreover, their troop mobilization was also difficult. Extremely frequent.”
Jushou frowned and thought deeply. He felt there was something wrong, but he couldn't explain it for a while.
"By the way, sir, there is something very suspicious. They said they saw a group of soldiers patrolling in the morning, but they came out to patrol again at night." Gao Lan said in time.
"Ah!" Jushou shouted and said in a panic, "Isn't this a trick to suspect the enemy? The other side may be just like us, it is a bluff. Cao Cao's main force is no longer on the other side!"
At this time, Ju Yi also hurried to the river bank with a look of excitement and said: "There is something very suspicious. Some villagers came to report that there were suspicious soldiers and horses in the Huaimipo Mountain east of here two days ago. "
"Suspicious soldiers and horses?" Jushou asked in surprise: "Didn't the scouts have already checked the area? Why did they only find out now?"
Ju Yi frowned and said displeasedly, "It's not like my scouts scouted it!"
"General Ju Yi, can you send someone to Huaimipo to investigate?" Gao Lan also asked with a frown.
Ju Yi nodded and said, "I wouldn't have told you if I hadn't verified it. The people sent there said that there were traces of more than two thousand war horses."
"It's broken!" Jushou said after a meal, with cold sweat coming from his back: "My lord has fallen into a trap!"
