"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The war drums of the Yanzhou Army's assembly sounded, and more than 4,000 cavalry formed a queue. The leader, Lu Bu, was holding a Fangtian painted halberd, and bloodthirsty and cruel killing intent burst out from his eyes.
"Everyone in the Xiaoqi camp, mount up!" Zhao Yun ordered, waving his spear and pointing at it.
"No!" "No!"
"Danyang Camp, grab your spears!" Mi Wei was also gathering his troops.
Zhang He even shouted for the crossbowmen to line up.
Although the Jizhou Army no longer had any worries about drinking water, their morale was undoubtedly low at this time.
Seeing this situation, Yuan Xi couldn't help but smile bitterly. He finally tasted the taste of defeat. He sighed in his heart, how could he be bright when he was born with Yu! When it comes to military decision-making, Cao Mengde is no better than me!
The war horses whirred and the Yanzhou cavalry rushed forward like an overwhelming force. Although there were many Jizhou soldiers by the water, they seemed to be just fish on their chopping board, just allowed to be slaughtered!
"Shoot!" Zhang He shouted angrily, and the crossbowmen of the Jizhou Army fired arrows continuously. Although they killed and injured many enemy cavalry, they could not stop the Yanzhou cavalry's crazy attack.
"Get out of the queue!" Zhang He shouted again.
"Whoa! Whoa!" A row of spearmen stood in front, using their bodies to resist the iron hoofs.
Zhao Yun waited for the opportunity and immediately led his cavalry to rush out from one side and severely cut off the Yanzhou soldiers, slowing down their offensive. Even so, as long as the Yanzhou cavalry made several roundabout charges, the Jizhou army could no longer block it.
Yuan Xi knew that the defeat was certain, but he was not afraid. As long as he led his elite troops to rush out, there was still a great chance of a comeback.
It’s not like Xiang Yu who didn’t cross the Wujiang River. If he had to start over again, huh, the outcome is not yet known!
"Woo! Woo!" The Wuhuan people's unique horn bugle sound sounded, and a large cloud of smoke rushed towards the Yanzhou soldiers.
"It's the Wuhuan cavalry!" "Reinforcement is coming!" Jizhou soldiers said in surprise.
"Victory or defeat depends on this, our army will win!" Seeing the arrival of reinforcements, Yuan Xi took the opportunity to shout loudly.
"We must win! We must win!" The Jizhou Army shouted one after another. As long as they give people hope of survival, they will unleash unlimited potential. This is what Jizhou soldiers are like now.
At this position, Cao Cao was surprised, and then became annoyed. If they had been given another two quarters of an hour, they could have eaten the vanguard of the Jizhou Army, but the follow-up troops of the Jizhou Army arrived at this time.
Is it difficult for the Yuan family to survive? ? ?
Tens of thousands of Wuhuan cavalry were divided into two teams to outflank the Yanzhou Army's main formation. The two generals leading them were Yan Liang and Wen Chou.
"Lord, our army has been tired after fighting hard for a long time. We should take advantage of the victory and retreat." Xun You quickly suggested.
Although Cao Cao was upset and unwilling to give up, he also knew that he should take advantage of it and give it up. "The rear army is covering, and the whole army is ordered to withdraw to the camp!"
After giving the order, the Yanzhou Army slowly retreated to the southern camp in an orderly manner.
Yuan Xi was still frightened by this battle, but also felt very lucky. After all, the troops of the headquarters were not completely defeated.
"Lord! The general's rescue is too late." Sima Yi, Yan Liang, and Wen Chou rushed to the water's edge and saluted quickly.
"My subordinates arrived late with their troops, which frightened the lord." Sima Yi stepped forward and bowed.
Yuan Xi shook his head and said with emotion, "Hey, you are right. This is all my fault. I didn't notice Cao Cao's trick. Cao Cao's army is full of capable people. It seems that we can't be careless."
"I didn't notice it either, alas!" Guo Jia said angrily.
"Cao Cao's army's plot unfolds one by one, and no one can see through it immediately. They are prepared and unprepared." Guo Tu was finally able to share the same hatred with the enemy for once.
"If possible, I would like to meet this person who is responsible for the plan." Sima Yi said surreptitiously.
"It must be Xun You and Cheng Yu. They are indeed resourceful. After Xi Zhicai's death, they should be Cao Cao's right-hand men." Guo Jia said, and he recognized both Cheng Yu and Xun You.
"I have talents such as Fengxiao, Wenhe, and Zhongda. What's the point of Xunyou?" Yuan Xi said with a smile. He knew that in order to boost his own morale at this time, he must not be afraid of Cao's army.
Hearing this, several people laughed and said nothing. After the soldiers finished cleaning up the camp, Yuan Xi led them into the camp again.
"My lord, now Cao Cao's army has a small victory. Next, they should be unable to move out." Jia Xu said.
"If he doesn't come out, we will try our best to force him out.
I'm afraid I won't be able to fight. The only way is to send a surprise force to harass his rear, cut off his food routes, and make Cao Cao lose sight of one thing and have to divide his troops to attack! What can you do? "Yuan Xi said slowly.
"Zang Ba and Zhou Cang are good at fighting bandits, but it's a pity that the East Route Army has not yet joined forces in the future," Jia Xu said.
Guo Jia smiled and interjected, "Have you forgotten that there is a former rebel leader here?"
After Guo Jia reminded them, everyone looked at Zhang Yan.
"General Zhang was very brave in fighting against the Yanzhou Army this time. I have already recorded this feat, but I wonder if the general dares to take on the important task of raiding?" Yuan Xi looked at Zhang Yan and asked.
Zhang Yan clasped his fists and promised, "As long as the general gives me an elite army, I will be able to disrupt Cao's army's food routes and make their transportation difficult!"
"Oh? How many people do you want?" Yuan Xi asked again.
"In roving warfare, it's not about the number of people but the quality of the troops. Please ask the general to allocate elite troops and add more mules and horses. I will divide them into teams and attack one after another. I will definitely disturb the peace in the rear of Cao's army!" Zhang Yan said confidently! .
"Okay! General Zhang, I will give it to the cavalry, and you can choose other weapons and equipment as well!" Yuan Xi said happily.
"Here!" Zhang Yan accepted the order readily.
"You need to worry about building the fort. You must take strict precautions and never allow mistakes to happen again!" Yuan Xi said solemnly.
"General, the people from the baggage camp are here, and the Si Jin Cao Di Majun you mentioned have also arrived with the army." Jia Xu reported.
"Okay, it's just in time. Let's go right now and see what kind of stone-shooting cart he can improve!" Yuan Xi stood up and said happily.
As Yuan Xi led his entourage to the supply camp, the soldiers in the supply camp were busy building camps and distributing food and water supplies.
Coming to the side of the camp, there was a young man in his twenties, leading more than a dozen soldiers to assemble equipment.
"General!" All the soldiers saluted.
Yuan Xi nodded in greeting, waved for them to do their work, and then stepped forward and said, "Ma Jun, the improved catapult I told you about last time is this kind of thing?"
"Yes." Ma Jun's answer was short and direct. He was not good at words and answered all questions most of the time.
"How far can it go?" Yuan Xi then asked.
"Small stone, four steps." Ma Jun replied, with a hint of joy finally showing on his face.
"Four steps!" Yuan Xi and everyone else were slightly surprised. The range of the Thunderbolt Chariot presented by Liu Ye before was three hundred steps, but it is rare for such a medium-sized trebuchet to have such a range.
If there really is such a range. Then the enemy's stone carts and crossbows pose no threat to it at all.
"Okay, come here, set up a manhole and stone cart opposite Cao's camp, attack their camp fiercely, and then send soldiers to garrison around it to prevent them from coming out to destroy it!" Yuan Xi ordered.
"No!" The ordering soldier took the order and left.
"Now, our army has the advantage in terms of strength, equipment, and food, and the areas such as Baima in the rear are firmly occupied by our army. This way, our army should be in an invincible position!" Guo Tu said happily.
"Don't be arrogant and underestimate the enemy. Our army has been defeated for a while. If we are not careful, we may lose everything. Go and see those poisoned soldiers!" Yuan Xi said and led the guards to the back of the camp.
After a hard battle, many Jizhou soldiers were injured, and more than 2,000 soldiers were poisoned by drinking water. Their conditions ranged from mild to severe.
The doctor accompanying the army was busy preparing the decoction. Other soldiers also helped take care of the wounded. Yuan Jun was very aggrieved this time.
It was clear that they started with a good hand, but they didn't expect to be beaten into this situation. Everyone had some doubts in their minds.
Yuan Xi and others looked over and saw that Hua Tuo and Zhang Ji were also busy preparing medicine and decoction, so they did not disturb them.
"General!" Zhang Ji shouted from a distance when he saw Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi stepped forward and said comfortingly, "Mr. Zhong Jingku. What's the matter?"
"There is a shortage of medicinal materials. I wonder if the general can ask someone to send another batch?" Zhang Ji said anxiously.
"Just tell Yuan Chang if you need anything, and I will send extra manpower to transport the medicinal materials and luggage." Yuan Xi replied.
"Well, it would be nice if there were fewer military disasters." Zhang Ji sighed and turned around to continue treating the wounded soldiers.
Cao Cao sat dumbly and his commander's tent was burned. Although after Yuan Jun crossed the river, he fought many battles and was defeated many times. He almost never fought a single battle.
He won the battle for the first time, but the big battle situation was indeed not in his favor.
In the past few days, Yuan Jun was barking like a mad dog every day. Cao Cao only asked the soldiers to hang up their battle-free cards and ignored them.
Think about the first battle between Yuan and Cao. Didn't I turn defeat into victory in the face of adversity? Human beings, whoever can grit his teeth and persevere until the end is the winner. Whoever's heart is shaken is doomed to lose for life. Wait, wait for the opportunity, victory or defeat is only a matter of thought!
Yuan Jun dug a hill in front of Cao Jun's camp and fired arrows at the camp. Cao Jun fired back with stone carts. But Yuan's army's stone-throwing chariot was more powerful than Cao's army. It had a longer range, more power, and the stones it fired were larger and faster, so Cao's army suffered a lot.
The most terrible thing was the giant ballista commanded by Guo Huai. It fired three times every day in the morning, noon and evening to carry out long-range strikes, destroying Cao Jun's camp and shooting Cao soldiers who were eating from a distance of a hundred feet. It made people angry and exhausted, but there was nothing they could do. Cao Cao still tolerated it.
The opportunity came. Half a month later, the smooth implementation of Cheng Yu's plan gave him a shot in the arm. He seemed to have found a life-saving straw and was able to swim ashore. He smiled and said to Dian Wei: "The Yuan family has exhausted its strength and cannot be restored by human power."
Everyone didn't understand why and thought the prime minister was confused.
Peiguo.
Because Peixian County is the hometown of Emperor Gaozu, it is widely known throughout the Han Dynasty. Between Pei County and Wei County is the Daweiling Mountains. Along the Daweiling Mountains, you can reach Changyi, Shanyang County. At this time, a Yanzhou army of tens of thousands was marching in the mountains and streams.
Man Chong and Le Jin directed the soldiers to march in sequence. and inspect the surrounding terrain. Arrange an ambush to prevent enemy soldiers from pursuing you.
"General Le, wait a minute!" More than a dozen riders came running from behind the mountain stream, and the one leading them was Cao Cao's confidant Chewei.
Man Chong and Le Jin stopped. They meet the car stomach.
Chewei jumped off his horse and asked urgently: "You two. It's enough that Duke Cao ordered us to abandon Pengcheng and Tancheng. Why do you want to go through the mountain stream of Daweiling? When can you reach Changyi?"
"I know that General Che is unwilling to give up Tancheng to the Qingzhou Army, but our army is small and we have to do that. Otherwise, if the Qingzhou Army attacks Chenliu, Cao Cao's side will be in danger." Man Man Chong explained.
"Abandoning Xuzhou allows the Qingzhou Army to disperse their troops to guard Xuzhou, so that our army can concentrate its forces to resist their westward advance." Le Jin continued.
"In that case, we can take the highway on the Pei County side. Wouldn't it be faster to reach Changyi?" Chewei asked confused.
Le Jin said angrily: "The enemy is outnumbered and we have many cavalry, and our army is almost all infantry. If the two armies encounter each other on the plains, and the enemy uses cavalry to attack us, there is no doubt that our army will be hard-pressed." Escape from catastrophe."
Man Chong sighed: "Qingzhou soldiers are already on the battlefield first, and our army has to carry baggage. If we meet on Pingyuan Avenue and they just plunder our supplies and take them away, our army will collapse without a fight. We can only march from the mountains. In this way, even if we meet the enemy halfway, we can defend according to the danger and prevent the enemy's cavalry from displaying their strengths."
"I see, then I urge my subordinates to follow them quickly!" Chewei said.
"Report, Qingzhou soldiers have been found at the entrance of the valley ahead!" the messenger came running and said.
Man Chong's expression changed, and he sighed, "Let them find out, this Zang Ba is really not simple!"
"Damn it, I'm going to break through their obstruction!" Le Jin said and ran forward with his gun and soldiers.
As soon as Le Jin arrived at the mouth of the valley, he couldn't help being surprised. The side of the valley was densely covered with Qingzhou soldiers, and the crossbowmen were shooting arrows to block the advance of Yanzhou soldiers.
"There is only one way out ahead. If you are advancing or retreating, fight for me!" Le Jin shouted.
After saying that, Le Jin led more than 800 Yanzhou soldiers to approach, holding shields on one side and guns on the other.
"Shoot them all for me, shoot these Yanzhou brats!" Zhou Cang's rough voice echoed in the valley. "Kill!" "Whoosh! Whoosh!" A hail of arrows hit the Yanzhou soldiers who were approaching. Although they were protected by shields and armor, some people were still hit by arrows.
"Stand it, otherwise we will have no way out!" Le Jin shouted again.
Man Chong arrived with his troops and took advantage of the opportunity created by Le Jin to let the soldiers pass through the valley quickly.
"I want to leave!" Zhou Cang shouted, leading a swordsman to fight with Le Jin.
"Don't let the traitors run away!" The morale of the Qingzhou army was high. With shouts and shouts, he besieged Lejin's men and horses who had cut off their rear.
Happy to play
He opened Zhoucang's long sword, turned his horse's head and fled quickly with his soldiers.
"General, are you pursuing me?" the deputy general asked.
"Commander Chen told me not to chase in the mountain stream, otherwise I will be ambushed by the Yanzhou bastards!" Zhou Cang waved his hand, "Continue walking from the mountain and go to the next valley ahead of them!"
With a shout, Qingzhou soldiers climbed up the mountain one after another. Continue to chase Yanzhou soldiers.
On the mountain, Zang Ba and a young man about thirty years old were inspecting the terrain.
"Commander Chen. General Xuan Gao, I intercepted and killed them for a while, but still let them escape." Zhou Cang said with regret.
Zang Ba waved his hand and expressed understanding and said: "The morale of the Yanzhou soldiers is high, and they are trying their best to seize a retreat. Therefore, everyone is brave, and it is not so easy to eat."
Because of the hot weather, the young man in his thirties had his clothes open, and there was a bit of arrogance on his face. It was Chen Deng, the military advisor of the Eastern Route Army. Chen Deng smiled and said: "If it was so delicious, our army would not have been blocked in Xuzhou for so long. Those people in Man Chong Lejin are all generals who can stand alone."
"That's not to say that you can't escape the military advisor's plan." Zhou Cang said disdainfully.
"That's because our army has the upper hand. We are stronger than them in terms of troops, horses, and the entire battle situation. Otherwise, it would not be so easy to force them here." Chen Deng said objectively.
"Then how should we defeat the enemy? We can't just watch them arrive in Changyi, right?" Zhou Cang asked.
Zang Ba's expression tightened and he said in a deep voice, "Now the competition is about who is faster. As long as our cavalry can get to the mountain pass on the other side as soon as possible. There is a flat plain there, and it will not be difficult for our army to defeat the enemy."
"But they don't run very slowly in the mountain stream. We can't ride horses in the mountains, so it's hard to stay ahead!" Zhou Cang was confused.
"So the infantry must be divided into several groups. Take turns to intercept them in the valley and hold them back as long as possible," Chen Deng said.
"I know, let's take the infantry to the next two valleys!" Zhou Cang turned around and ran away as soon as he cupped his fists.
"Where is Taishi Ci marching?" Chen Deng asked.
"Most of the cavalry are still behind, and the horses are not moving fast on the mountain." Zang Ba answered truthfully.
"You have to get in front of the Yanzhou Army no matter how fast, otherwise you can only sit back and watch them escape." Chen Deng thought about it, and suddenly said: "If it doesn't work, let half the cavalry dismount, and then transfer them to me. This time we are going to play with the earth." .”
"Well, the general knows." Zang Ba knew that Chen Deng wanted to use a trick, so he sent the order.
