Three days later, White Horse.
Zhang Yan's 10,000 men captured Baima in less than half a day.
At Guo Jia's suggestion, Yuan Xi surrounded Li Tong's army, fearing that it would leap over the wall. As expected, Li Tong finally escaped from the gap with more than a dozen cavalry soldiers. The Jizhou army killed nearly a thousand people in this battle, and surrendered the Yanzhou soldiers. More than 1,600.
Then, Yuan Xi ordered the strengthening of Baima's city defense, making Baima a stronghold for Jizhou's army to transport grain and crops.
"Lord! Sima's military advisor, General Zhang He, and General Zhang Xiu have gone to Baima and are asking for a meeting!" Xu Chuxun reported.
"Send them to the big tent, and inform Guo Jia and Zhang Liao to come together!" Yuan Xi nodded slightly and immediately ordered.
After a while. Most of the civil and military personnel of the Central Route Army gathered together.
Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Sima Yi, Feng Ji, Guo Tu, Cui Yan, Zhang He, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Zhang Xiu, Mi Wei, Mi Fang, Zhang Yan, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Han Meng, Chunyu Qiong, Yuan Mai, Zhao Rui, etc. People took their seats one after another.
Looking at Wen and Wu reunited.
Yuan Xi said happily: "Han Meng captured Wuyuan, Zhang He captured Juancheng. Zhang Xiu surrendered Puyang, and Sima Military Advisor led the Wuhuan cavalry to join them. Our army's planned goals have been achieved, and the next step is to wait. The Eastern Route Army advances together to attack Chenliu."
"Although he captured several important places in Yanzhou, Cao Cao's strength was not damaged. Chenliu and Xu County are both strong cities located in the enemy's hinterland. You still need to be careful!" Feng Ji reminded.
"Especially this time Cao Cao tried to sneak attack from the east of Baima Mountain. If the general hadn't been prepared, our army would have suffered a lot of losses." Cui Yan also said.
"The commanders of the Yanzhou cavalry this time are Cao Chun and Lu Bu. They have cavalry in the sneak attack. Their combat power is very strong, no worse than our elite cavalry. The general must be on guard." Zhang Liao reported.
"According to detailed information, Cao Cao has a total of about 8,000 cavalry. Although it is not as large as our army, as General Wenyuan said, its combat power is good and it is always a hidden danger." Jia Xu said.
"This time our army must guard against being attacked in the rear, especially to ensure that our army's food routes are open." Yuan Xi then ordered: "All the generals obey the order, the Chiang people will guard Liyang, the experts will guard Baimajin, and Zhong Yao will have 10,000 people. Defend Puyang, the remaining Juancheng and Wuyuan troops each send 2,000 men to guard, Han Meng and Cui Yan guard Baima, and the remaining 70,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry and 30,000 Wuhuan cavalry follow me to attack Cao Cao's main force - --Guandu!"
"No!" "No!" "No!"
"General, you seem to have forgotten that there should be a stronghold between Baima, Honggou Shui and Chenliu to store grain for the front line." Guo Jia reminded.
Yuan Xi nodded and looked at the generals below. When he saw Chunyu Qiong, he suddenly had an idea and said slowly, "General Chunyu, this time you will guard Wuchao! General, do you dare?"
"Ah, the last general has taken the order!" Chunyu Qiong said. He was surprised and couldn't help but feel proud. After all, he was a senior general in the Jizhou army and Yuan Xi's subordinate. He could still lead an army on his own.
"All generals will follow me to pull out the entire army tomorrow and head to Guandu to meet Cao Cao!" Yuan Xi ordered.
"No!" "Here!" Everyone took the order and left.
When the generals were almost gone, only a few counselors were left.
Jia Xu looked at Yuan Xi with concern and said: "General Chunyu Qiong is not a general who can act alone. Is it too rash for my lord to send him to guard important areas along the grain road? I hope my lord will think again."
Guo Jia waved his fan, smiled, and said knowingly, "Young master, this is a trick for Cao Cao to take the bait!"
Yuan Xi was also inspired by the historical Battle of Guandu. He thought that Cao Cao might attack the baggage, so he planned to take advantage of it. He explained, "Cao Cao's cavalry is always a scourge. If he sends cavalry and elites to cut off food, he can just encircle and annihilate him in one fell swoop." !”
"The price is too high." Jia Xu sighed.
"If you can annihilate Cao Cao's cavalry and elites, it doesn't matter if you don't need the food and grass. As long as his elites are eaten, there will be nothing Cao Cao can do." Yuan Xi said firmly.
"In fact, there is no need to use real grain, as long as part of it is real grain, and wood chips and firewood can be mixed in the middle." Guo Jiayin said with a smile.
"I just don't know how to lure Cao Cao to Wuchao. He is a master who doesn't let go of eagles when he sees rabbits." Guo Tu asked.
"Look at the right moment and let Chunyu Qiong escort a batch of grain.
When Cao Cao arrived at Wuchao, he sent the news to Cao Cao in advance. " Yuan Xi said.
"I'm afraid it will be difficult for Cao Cao to believe it." Feng Ji said worriedly.
"You don't need to worry about this, I have already made arrangements! But today's events must not be leaked, otherwise..." Yuan Xi said.
Guo Tu was horrified and secretly sighed that Yuan Xi was really cruel. Not only did he put a batch of grain and grass on the mat, he also treated Chunyu Qiong as an abandoned son.
"I just don't know why, but I feel in my heart that this matter won't go too smoothly." Guo Jia shook his head and smiled bitterly.
Guandu.
Guandu is an extremely small place name. If it were not for the famous Battle of Guandu in history, this place would have been lost in the vast river of history.
Guandu's location is very dangerous. It faces the Honggou River and is between Baima and Xu County. At the same time, it can interact with Chenliu and become an important line of defense for Xu County. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Daliang, the capital of the Wei State, was nearby.
If the enemy ignores Guandu and leads troops to attack Chenliu and Xu County, there will be a risk of being cut off from food routes and retreats.
Therefore, it is not unreasonable to say that Cao Cao would choose this place to stalemate with the Jizhou Army. The current situation is the same.
Waves of smoke and dust rose up, and more than 20,000 Jizhou troops on foot and cavalry rushed to Honggou Shui in front of Guandu in an orderly manner.
Yuan Xi rode on Jueying and looked at the flowing river and observed the surrounding terrain. The water in the chasm is not deep. It is not difficult for soldiers and horses to wade across the river, but it is just a bit laborious.
Cao Cao's military camp was located on a high hill a hundred steps away from the south bank, so as to prevent the enemy from being flooded.
Cao Cao's army set up camp here first, so they must have occupied the best terrain.
Yuan Xi looked at a place opposite Cao Ying and couldn't help but shake his head. He saw that it was close to the river and the terrain was low-lying and humid. It was not a suitable place to camp at all. If in history Yuan Shao wanted to be close to Cao Cao's camp so that he could attack with bows and crossbows and chose that place, then it is not difficult to understand why he was defeated in one blow.
This is the reason why military strategists in past dynasties have always chosen to seize the advantageous terrain when fighting against each other. During the Warring States Period, Zhao She occupied the advantageous terrain and waited for work, thus defeating the Qin army.
Yuan Xi pointed to a high ground two hundred steps away from the Honggou River, and said slowly, "Every army likes to be high and hates to be low. They value Yang and despise Yin. The high ground over there is Xiangyang, and they should set up their camps there."
"Yes, after the army has set up camp, they can pile up earth mounds opposite Cao's camp, place stone carts and deploy archers to attack their camp." Jia Xu suggested.
"Well, send the light cavalry out to scout the terrain. The infantry will set up camps!" Yuan Xi ordered.
"No!" "No!"
For a time, the Jizhou army was busy. The soldiers had to make fires to cook and build camps at the same time. It is even more necessary to dedicate a part of the soldiers to guard against the opponent's surprise attack.
On the fence of the Yanzhou Army camp, Cao Cao and a group of civil and military personnel were also observing the situation of the Jizhou Army opposite.
Cao Hong, Li Tong, and Yu Jin, who were defeated and fled, all came to join them. Except for Lu Zhao, who was guarding Yuan Mai in Hanoi, there were also generals Cao Ang, Cao Chun, Lu Bu, Xiahou Dun, Li Dian, and Shi Huan. Cheng Yu and Xun You also followed Cao Cao. behind.
"How many more people can our army mobilize?" Cao Cao asked.
"Most of the casualties in Juancheng, Puyang and other places were local garrison troops. Excluding the troops left behind by Chen Liu, Xu County and the two generals Zilian and Zixiao, our army could mobilize 60,000 people to Guandu, of which 8,000 The cavalry are the elite of our army." Xun You replied.
"I wonder what's going on with Zixiao. But there's news." Cao Cao asked worriedly.
"I've just come to report. General Zixiao retreated to Shanyang, and generals Lejin and Manchong guarded the Tancheng and Pengcheng lines to resist Zang Ba's attack." Cheng Yu explained.
Cao Cao frowned and said solemnly, "Our army can no longer disperse its forces like it did at the beginning. Send an order to Le Jin and Man Chong. Let them defend if they can, and if they can't, retreat and join Zixiao. Then send an order to Chen Liudi and Zhao Yan, let them He was on guard against attacks by the Jizhou army."
"Yes, I will do it now." Cheng Yu replied.
"Cao Gong, do you think you should attack Yuan Xi's camp while his footing is still unstable?" Lu Bu stepped forward and suggested.
Cao Cao looked at the Jizhou Army in the distance, shook his head and said: "Today's Jizhou Army is no longer what it used to be, and Yuan Xi and others are good at commanding troops. They must have been prepared. Our army will not gain anything by attacking rashly."
"Jizhou's army is strong and it has won several battles before.
. Our army's blind defense may dampen morale. What Marquis Wen said is not unreasonable. Our army must take the initiative to attack first. Injure its spirit to calm the hearts of the people, and then it will be easier to hold on. " Xun You said.
This is a common method used by military strategists to replace defense with offense. For example, Zhuge Liang's Liu Chu Qishan is the most famous example.
"Oh! Gongda, tell me how to attack?" Cao Cao asked.
"If we attack with great fanfare, the Jizhou army will definitely be on guard, but our army can bluff and then defeat the enemy with one blow! Then we will seek opportunities." Xun You said confidently.
In the dark night, the sky becomes darker after noon, and the gurgling sound of Honggou water can be clearly heard.
The Jizhou Army camp has been initially set up. Although it is only a vanguard of more than 20,000 people, the scale is quite impressive. If the two armies join together, the Jizhou Army will be even more powerful.
"Kill!" "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The Yanzhou Army's shouts of killing and the sound of golden drums rang through the night, as if they were rushing towards the Jizhou Army camp from all directions.
"Gather quickly, Yanzhou soldiers are attacking!" the generals shouted.
After rigorous daily drills, the Jizhou soldiers reacted very quickly. The soldiers picked up their weapons and got into position, waiting for further instructions from the general.
Yuan Xi was awakened immediately. He took Xu Chu, Zhu Gongdao and other guards and rushed behind the fence. At this time, Zhao Yun, Zhang Yan, Mi Wei, Mi Fang, Jia Xu and Guo Jia who were spearheading the front army also arrived.
Under the instructions of Yuan Xi, Guo Jia and others, the Jizhou army prepared for Cao's night attack early in the morning. The generals were in position and the bows and crossbows were loaded.
But the Jizhou army in the camp waited for a quarter of an hour, only waiting for the Yanzhou army to shoot sporadic arrows.
"Dong! Dong!" Drums sounded from all sides, and torches shot up one after another, making it difficult for people to see the reality.
"Lord, let the last general lead the attack!" Zhang Yan asked for orders.
"Wait a minute, it's pitch dark outside, and there are enemy soldiers walking around. I'm afraid there might be an ambush." Yuan Xi said.
Yuan Xi also encountered the weather at this time, which was similar to the weather when Zhuge Liang borrowed arrows from his straw boat during the Battle of Chibi, so he also hesitated.
"I'm afraid it's a trick to make our army tired. As soon as our army attacks, they will retreat immediately. This happens again and again, hoping to tire our army." Guo Jia speculated.
After a while, the sound of Yanzhou soldiers gradually stopped, leaving only a few scattered torches in front of the camp.
"It is not appropriate to leave the camp rashly now. We can only ambush soldiers and horses outside the camp tomorrow night. If they dare to come, we will punish them severely!" Yuan Xi ordered the generals: "Dedicate half of the soldiers to guard the night to guard against their several feint attacks. Then we really attack, and the others take turns to rest!"
After the arrangement was completed, Yuan Xi also returned to the camp with his guards.
In the second half of the night, Yanzhou soldiers raided twice more. It was not until dawn that there was gradually no movement.
"Lord, the situation is not good. The Yanzhou Army did not feign an attack last night!" Zhao Yun ran into Yuan Xi's tent to report.
Not long after Yuan Xi got up, he panicked when he heard what Zhao Yun said, and immediately followed Zhao Yun out to check what was going on.
As soon as he reached the fence, Yuan Xi was also shocked and took a breath of cold air. In front of the Jizhou Camp and on the left and right sides, there were trenches about ten feet wide and deep.
It turns out that the Yanzhou soldiers were bluffing to dig this trench! Yuan Xi secretly thought something bad.
He vaguely guessed what Cao Cao wanted to do, so Yuan Xi immediately ordered the generals: "Generals, listen to the order, assemble the entire army, and prepare the bows and crossbows. Guard the camp strictly to prevent the Yanzhou army from attacking!"
At this moment, thousands of Yanzhou Army crossbowmen had already moved to the flank of the river behind the trench. With the barrier of the trench, they were not afraid of the Jizhou Army cavalry charging from the front.
Guo Jia, Zhao Yun and others also gathered around Yuan Xi. They were also shocked when they looked at the trench in front of the camp.
"Is Cao Cao trying to prevent us from leaving the camp?" Guo Tu asked doubtfully.
"They want to prevent our army from leaving the camp from the front, offset the impact advantage of our cavalry, and then attack our army's camp from the flat terrain behind the camp!" Guo Jia said coldly.
"In this way, our army can only resist from behind the camp, or escape from the right. Their cavalry takes the opportunity to cover up! In the past, the Huns liked to use this method to attack our Han army's camp. It is estimated that the Huns soldiers in the tiger and leopard cavalry came up with this strategy. " Jia Xu explained.
"Can't this situation be resolved?" Guo Tu asked.
"Not long after our army set up camp, the fences and earth walls were broken.
The base is not high and all kinds of equipment are not fully prepared. This is the time when the camp is at its weakest. If it had been the case before, the cavalry could have been sent out to interrupt their attack. But at this time, their crossbowmen were scattered outside the camp, and it was difficult for the cavalry to break through for a while. "Guo Jia stroked his beard and said worriedly.
"Report! The rear of the camp is also filled with archers and crossbowmen of the Yanzhou Army. The main force of their infantry and cavalry are gathered behind, as if they are about to attack our army!" The scout knelt down to report.
Seeing that the situation was critical, Yuan Xi drew his sword and shouted loudly: "Our army is surrounded on three sides. Our army can only hold the rear camp to wait for reinforcements to relieve the siege. The soldiers can only save their lives by fighting to the death!"
"Swear to death to kill the enemy!" Zhao Yun was the first to shout.
"Fight to the death!" Xu Chu, Zhang Liao, Zhang Yan and others also shouted.
Yuan Xi waved his hand. He led everyone to the rear of the camp, where the infantry of the Jizhou Army were displaying their horses and antlers.
To prevent the Yanzhou Army cavalry from attacking. The soldiers behind the fence also picked up their shields and crossbows and stood ready.
"The thieves have dug trenches, and it is impossible to retreat from both sides. The only way for the soldiers to survive is to block the thieves' attack!" Yuan Xi shouted again.
Then Mi Fang, Zhang Yan, Zhao Yun and other generals also ordered their generals to guard and defend to the death.
Taizong Xuanwu Emperor Yuan Xi's military adaptability is indeed a little immature compared to Cao Cao, a hero in troubled times.
