Several generals have more or less discovered the problem of the Jizhou soldiers' combat effectiveness. In their opinion, the Jizhou soldiers are not as good as their Qingzhou soldiers, but on weekdays they dare not say so casually.
After hearing what Zhang He and Taishi Ci said, several civil servants had to re-evaluate the strength of both sides.
"The strongest among the Jizhou army is probably Ju Yi's camp first, followed by Wuhuan's cavalry. The remaining guards of Yuan Gong, Han Meng, Gao Lan and others may be able to compete with our army. Than." Zhang He said bluntly.
"Did you see it during the battle against Gongsun Zan?" Yuan Xi asked. There was a feeling of anxiety in his heart. I thought Jizhou soldiers were no less powerful than Yanzhou soldiers. Historically they have simply been poorly directed. Unexpectedly, due to military discipline and other issues, the combat effectiveness of the Jizhou soldiers was not as good as that of the Yanzhou soldiers.
"During the crusade against Gongsun Zan, the two sides mostly engaged in offensive and defensive battles between cities. At that time, the battle was based on the advantage of equipment, so it was not obvious." Zhang Liao replied.
Yuan Xi smiled bitterly in his heart. Even if they saw it, could they still publicize it? Even if he knew it in advance, could he still give advice on Yuan Shao's method of commanding troops?
The backbone of the Jizhou Army was the old Xiyuan troops when Yuan Shao was in Luoyang. After the annexation of Jizhou, most of the soldiers of the Xiyuan Army were promoted to middle and lower-level generals of the Jizhou Army.
While in Luoyang, the Xiyuan soldiers and horses had many shortcomings, including lax military discipline and lax training, as well as bad habits such as gambling, drinking, and cheating, which were all brought into the Jizhou army. How could the Jizhou Army's combat effectiveness not be greatly compromised?
Although Yuan Xi also borrowed Jizhou soldiers to make his fortune, at that time, under the control of Xu Huang and others, the situation was slightly better. After the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans were incorporated, the original Jizhou soldiers were gradually sent back to work in farming.
These generals Yuan Xi conquered helped him train the Qingzhou soldiers into direct lineage. In this way, Yuan Xi's own will is permeated in all aspects of Qingzhou's military establishment, military orders, and operations. The Qingzhou standing army trained in this way will naturally have first-class combat effectiveness.
"Are you saying that if it were a field battle, the Jizhou Army wouldn't have much of an advantage?" Yuan Xi asked.
Everyone was silent for a while, which was regarded as acquiescence.
Yuan Xi sighed in his heart that Cao Cao's victory in history was not accidental. Quantity does not represent absolute combat power, but the comparison of strength between the two sides. It is not as disparity as recorded in history.
"Young General, you want to say that Cao Cao will trick us into going out to fight in the field?" Zhang Xiu asked. He was also very good at grasping battlefield situations. After all, he came from a military family.
"If I were Cao Cao and I didn't have the advantage in attacking and defending, but my soldiers had the upper hand, I would definitely lure the enemy to attack and mobilize them to run back and forth. Then I would look for opportunities to hit the critical point!" Yuan Xi said.
"Be strong and prepare for it, be angry and irritate it, be humble and arrogant. Work hard for it." Guo Jia said: "If I were Cao Cao, I would also mobilize the Jizhou army to divide the troops to attack, and then defeat them one by one."
"Ah! Then don't we need to report it to Mr. Yuan as soon as possible to prevent us from falling into Cao Cao's trick?" Gu Yong exclaimed.
Yuan Xi shook his head, "If there is no complete evidence, my father will not believe it. Firstly, he may attack Baima with all his strength, and secondly, he may divide his troops to deal with Cao Cao's guerrilla army outside. But no matter which response method is used, it will be harmful to us. They are all huge disadvantages. So we need to analyze what tricks Cao Cao will use, and then discuss ways to deal with them and stop him in advance."
"It's not easy for us to attack. As the saying goes, the enemy must be saved before attacking." Guo Jia said and asked the guards to put down the marching plan.
Everyone looked at the march map modified by Yuan Xi and guessed that Cao Cao's army would attack that important place.
"Baima Jin!" Guo Jia pointed to the south bank of the river with the tip of his feather fan.
"Li Yang!" Jia Xu said almost simultaneously.
Guo Jia smiled: "There are few soldiers in Yanzhou, but Cao Cao still refuses to give up Puyang. He also strengthens the city defense and places many soldiers and horses. I dare say this is a secret move of his. Puyang is away from Baima Jin It's very close. If we capture Baimajin, it will cut off our way back to Hebei. Although there are many ferries along the Yellow River, the morale of the army will definitely collapse by then, and I don't know how many people can survive across the river."
At the beginning, Yuan Shao also sent troops to attack Puyang as a test, but found that the city there was very strong and difficult to attack. In addition, the Jizhou Army mainly attacked the Chenliu front line, so they arranged for 10,000 troops to be stationed at Baimajin for surveillance, and then ignored Puyang.
Tian Yu pointed to Liyang in Hebei on the march map and said: "Baimajin is not far from Baima after all, and our reinforcements can arrive in just one day. But Liyang is different. If we capture it by surprise, we will be across the river. Our army wants to It will take time and effort to recapture it. And once the food route is cut off, how long can we continue to fight?"
"I don't think Cao Cao necessarily wants to cut off my retreat and destroy all our troops. His plan should be to cut off our supplies and then let us collapse without a fight." Yuan Xi said, he always believed that Cao Cao would attack Tun Liang. point.
"If you want to cut off my retreat, you must defend Baimajin and Liyang. But if you just want to cut off my food supply, you can escape with one blow, then return to defend Baima, and wait until our army retreats without food." Liu Ye analyzed .
"If they set up an ambush on the road, wouldn't our reinforcements be in trouble?" Guo Huai exclaimed. Encircling the points to call for reinforcements, Zhang He, Guo Huai and others were used a lot when they attacked Tian Kai in Qingzhou.
"I think what the young master said is reasonable!" Jia Xu, who was sitting aside and said little, finally spoke, and then continued, "We have no way of knowing where Cao Cao attacked, but his calculation was very good. If our army If we send back a large amount of reinforcements, he will set up ambushes halfway and defeat each one. If our army returns a small amount of reinforcements, he will take advantage of the situation and occupy Baimajin and Liyang to block my retreat."
"Ju Yi and Gao Lan are stationed in Baimajin. Who is stationed in Liyang and responsible for escorting grain and fodder?" Gu Yong asked.
Ju Yi's Xiandeng camp is good at attacking fortresses, so Yuan Shao has transferred him to the Baima front line.
"Chun Yuqiong!" Yuan Xi said with a strange expression. He lamented the habit of history. In a circle, the time and place had completely changed, but Yuan Shao still sent Chunyu Qiongtun to garrison in the rear. I wonder if Yuan Shao saw that Chunyu Qiong was not good at attacking, so he gave him the task of garrisoning and defending.
"The young general should try his best to state Cao Cao's intentions so that Mr. Yuan can be prepared, or send some of our troops to help defend Baimajin and Liyang." Tian Yu suggested.
"Tai Shi Ci, Duan Pixi! You will kill the Wuhuan soldiers. Send out the best scouts to monitor the surrounding areas of Baimajin and Puyang!" Yuan Xi ordered.
"Here!" "No!" Taishi Ci and Duan Pixian came out to receive orders.
Yuan Xi looked at the civil and military personnel below and asked. "I'm going to discuss this matter with my father! But I asked you all to come up with a solution. If my father doesn't agree to immediately increase the number of troops in Baimajin and Liyang, how should our army respond?"
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"What! Cao Cao is going to attack Liyang?" Yuan Shao asked in surprise.
"Yes, the boy was stationed at Cao Cao's army and reported back that they will have a big operation in the next two days." Yuan Xi replied.
"My lord, our army has the advantage in Baima, and Cao Cao knows that we cannot defend it. He must either retreat to Chenliu, or use a trick to lure our army into chaos. So the second young master said that we must be on guard!" Jushou said.
Yuan Shao looked at Jushou with complicated eyes, although he did not hold his subordinates accountable for their fault in the battle across the river, and even commended Jushou Yuan Xi. But there was always a grudge in Yuan Shao's heart, as if Ju Shou was always taunting him, saying that he did not listen to advice, resulting in the loss of ten thousand troops.
"Well, what you said makes sense. Send an order from my general to have Chunyu Qiong and Gao Lan guard against the Yanzhou Army's sneak attack!" Yuan Shao ordered.
"Father, Cao Cao has stationed an unknown number of troops and horses in Puyang. There must be a big move there. I'm afraid Chunyu Qiong and Gao Lan's troops and horses alone may not be able to handle it. Why don't we also send our cavalry to investigate." Yuan Xi suggested.
"Second Young Master, this is too much to make a fuss about!" Guo Tu said slyly: "Cao Cao only has 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers and horses, and we have at least 30,000 soldiers on the opposite side of the chain. How many soldiers and horses can he spare to attack in a sneak attack? Liyang, Baimajin?”
"The troops are not numerous but fine. Cao Cao wants to attack secretly. Who can predict what tricks he will use?" Yuan Xi said.
"What the Second Young Master said is, it's not about ten thousand, but just in case. Anyway, we have a lot of troops, so it doesn't matter if we send a few thousand cavalry to guard against it." Feng Ji agreed.
"We are talking about Cao Cao's military strength. If he mobilizes a large number of troops, we will definitely be able to detect it. If he mobilizes a small number of troops, are the more than 20,000 troops in Liyang and Baimajin just decorations?" Yuan Tan asked maliciously. He said: "Or do you think, second brother, that more than 20,000 Jizhou warriors can't even defeat thousands of Yanzhou soldiers?"
"It is not appropriate to divide our troops at this time. Dividing our troops has been a taboo for military strategists since ancient times. If Cao Cao really attacks our rear, Chunyu Qiong and Gao Lan's more than 20,000 soldiers and horses are enough to handle it. And we should concentrate our forces to capture Baima in one fell swoop, and then Chase to Chenliu and completely annihilate the main force of Cao Cao!" Guo Tu suggested.
Yuan Shao was still very confident about his "Heshuo elite soldiers" and said: "Gong Yu is right. After capturing Baima, if Cao Cao leads his troops to escape back to Chenliu, then he will send cavalry to pursue him. From the rear. Twenty thousand troops and horses are enough to deal with the Yanzhou army in Puyang, so it is not appropriate to divide our troops to weaken our strength."
"Father, Cao Cao has many tricks, so you must be on guard!" Yuan Xi said anxiously.
"Haha! Xianyi, haven't you been in battle for a long time? Why are you so afraid of Cao Cao's troops?" Yuan Shao said with a smile: "Even if Cao Cao plays some tricks, as long as our army advances steadily, we can rely on our advantage. Defeat him!"
Yuan Xi still wanted to persuade him. But Xu You kept giving him winks. Yuan Xi knew that Yuan Shao had made a decision. Any further remonstrance will only increase the evil feeling.
Feng Ji and Xu You sent Yuan Xi to the camp of Jizhou Army, where Xu Chu was located. Guo Jia, Jia Xu and others have been waiting for a long time.
"Second Young Master, I am not just saying this, but you are really making a fuss out of a molehill. How many troops can Cao Cao mobilize to attack my rear? Just give Chunyu Qiong and Gao Lan a warning. Why insist on asking for more troops against Duke Yuan's wishes? What?" Xu You said. He also didn't believe that a small number of Yanzhou soldiers could succeed in a sneak attack if they knew it in advance.
"Yes, the young master should consider how to take the lead in capturing Baima, and preferably capture and kill Cao Cao. In this way, with military merit we can mention the matter of establishing the heir apparent to the lord," Feng Ji said.
Yuan Xi told the situation analyzed by his counselors. Under the doubtful eyes of the two people, he said: "I would like to ask two gentlemen to help me with something."
"Young master, that's what you said." Feng Ji agreed immediately.
"Don't we have to send troops every five days to escort the grain and grass from Baima Jin to Baima? This time, all my Qingzhou soldiers will be arranged!" Yuan Xi said.
Feng Ji and Xu You expressed their understanding, and Feng Ji was also in charge of mobilizing troops and horses, so this matter could still be done.
After Feng Ji and Xu You returned, Guo Jia looked at the stars in the sky and asked, "I wonder if you have ever learned astrology?"
"I have read the classics on this subject, but I don't understand it well."
Guo Jia pointed to a star in the night sky and said: "There are Wenqu Star and Wuqu Star in the dim place. It must be that two heroes, one civil and one military, are about to perish."
If it were in his previous life, Yuan Xi would have scoffed at it, but now he is doubtful.
Yanjin.
The river roared and boats filled the surface of the river. The densely packed soldiers and horses boarded the ferry, which looked spectacular from a distance but also had a chilling air.
Li Dian shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Is this called repeating the same old tricks?"
Xia Houyuan looked at the soldiers and horses constantly crossing the river and said: "The art of war has always been about virtuality and reality. Meng De's old trick is repeated, and I'm afraid no one in the Jizhou army could have expected it."
"I've suffered two losses before. I'm afraid the Jizhou army is on guard." Li Dian said worriedly.
Xia Houyuan smiled boldly: "With these five thousand elite soldiers, what if he is on guard? Besides, Chunyu Qiong is the one stationed in Liyang."
"How long did it take you to understand Chunyu Qiong?" Li Dian asked.
Xia Houyuan smiled brightly: "I met him several times in the capital in the past. This man likes to talk nonsense and is good at flattering horses. Although he is one of the eight captains of Xiyuan, he was appointed by Yuan Shaogong. At that time, he was just a lackey of Yuan Benchu. And a big drunkard.”
"Even so, we can't underestimate the enemy." Li Dian said.
Xia Houyuan nodded and said, "I have been so angry at the Jizhou Army these days! Let's teach the Jizhou Army a lesson first. The rest of the drama will be left to Mengde and the others."
The Jizhou Army was not a fool. After being attacked twice, they no longer doubted whether the Yanzhou Army dared to cross the river to fight back, so they set up checkpoints along the river.
After crossing the river in Yanjin, more than 5,000 elite soldiers of the Yanzhou Army, led by Xia Houyuan and Li Dian, first went north, then moved eastward when they reached the first line of Dangyin, and then went south to Liyang.
Five thousand elite soldiers except two thousand cavalry. The infantry also mounted mules and horses. So the marching speed is extremely fast. Each of them carried a bunch of firewood and used the captured Yuan army flag.
Xia Houyuan calculated the time of his march extremely accurately, and after half a day's rest, he took advantage of the night to approach Liyang.
"Stop! Which battalion are you from?" In the dark night. The Jizhou soldier on the checkpoint shouted.
"I was previously in General Wen Chou's camp, but now I'm ordered to go to Baima!" The respondent spoke with a strong Hebei accent.
"Wait! Let's go down now." The soldiers above shouted.
A hundred-man general passed by. There are also more than a dozen Jizhou soldiers.
The hundred-man general smelled of alcohol and cursed with red eyes: "Damn it, this is really hard work. Every time a car or horse passes by, you have to check it!"
"What are you talking about!" Li Dian, who was pretending to be Yuan Junxiao, said angrily: "We are also acting under orders. If we delay our schedule, I will chop your head off!"
The hundred-man general saw Li Dian's attire and immediately said solemnly: "I'll check it out now."
The hundred-man general and the others looked around and saw nothing wrong, so they let the soldiers at the checkpoint pass. Not to mention at night, even during the day, you may not be able to find out anything.
Because the five thousand elite soldiers wore Jizhou army robes and armor, and the weapons they used were all Jizhou standards.
In fact, after previously capturing thousands of Jizhou soldiers, Cao Cao deliberately selected some of them, and coerced and lured the surrendered soldiers to surrender to Cao Cao. He also deceived the Jizhou Army for them.
Five thousand elite soldiers passed the level quickly. Xia Houyuan breathed a sigh of relief. "We're almost to Liyang. I don't know how many checkpoints there are ahead."
Li Dian looked at the flag in front of him. Said: "No matter how many of them there are, it doesn't matter if they rush over now."
Xia Houyuan laughed and said: "We can't rush in and burn Chunyu Qiong out!"
Liyang was already very close to the river. After being robbed, burned and killed by Lu Bu, Liyang was already a deserted city. The Jizhou army built a camp next to the deserted city, and the grain and grass sent from the direction of Yecheng were stored in the camp.
Every five days, the Chinese army would send people to collect grain. At that time, nearby civilians would be recruited to help transport grain across the river. Therefore, except for the two thousand soldiers and horses stationed at the ferry, the remaining soldiers and horses were stationed in the camp.
Xia Houyuan looked at the flag again, and then led his men to occupy the upwind position. The soldiers were well prepared and had firewood and grease in their hands.
"Go and clear out the sentries!" Li Dian ordered.
Several elite scouts received the order and took advantage of the night to approach him.
In the camp, several generals gathered in the commander's tent.
Chunyu Qiong held a wine jar and said cheerfully: "We won't go home until we get drunk tonight!"
"General Chunyu!" a cavalry captain said cautiously: "Yuan Gong sent people to guard against the Yanzhou Army's sneak attack, but we still drink as usual. Is there anything wrong with this?"
Chunyu Qiong glared at him and said with a big tongue: "You, what do you know! I'm afraid that Cao Cao won't dare to come... I sent so many people to investigate... As long as he dares to come, I will let him taste me Chun Yuqiong It’s awesome!”
"Yes! With so many people sent to patrol, if the Yanzhou Army came to make a sneak attack, they would have been discovered ten miles away." Another cavalry captain agreed.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Chunyu Qiong poured the wine for his subordinates himself, "When you are full, you will have the strength to fight if you drink enough. What do you think? Come on, drink this bowl!"
As soon as the generals raised their pottery bowls, they heard shouts from the soldiers outside.
"There's a fire!" "The enemy is attacking!" "Someone is coming quickly!"
Chunyu Qiong opened her red eyes and came to the tent to take a look. Sure enough, a raging fire broke out outside the camp, and the fire blew all the way into the camp along with the wind.
Chunyu Qiong was excited and shouted: "It's really a fucking enemy attack! Bring my gun quickly, and the men of Heshuo go out to meet the enemy!"
