Guandu, Caoying.
Xu You paced back and forth restlessly. These past few days were moments he would never forget. He had to deal with Yiyi carefully every day, and he wisely and cunningly interrogated Cao Cao and Xun You and Cheng Yu, so he could only tell half-truths and half-falsehoods about the situation in Hebei. And at night, he didn't dare to sleep soundly, for fear that the secret would be leaked while talking in his sleep.
Xu Youhe had ever wanted to die like Li Shiqi, but he had to do it because the evidence that he had accepted bribes and condoned his family's illegal activities for many years was in the hands of certain people. If he had not agreed to enter Cao Ying to die, Neither he nor his family could escape the disaster.
Suddenly, several soldiers rushed into the camp, separated Xu You's three followers, then grabbed Xu You and walked out.
"Presumptuous, what are you doing!" Xu You scolded.
But those Yanzhou soldiers ignored Xu You's yells and took him to the Chinese army's tent.
At this time in the big tent. The atmosphere was very strange. The civil and military officials in the tent were either angry or frowning. Cao Cao had a livid face and said nothing, but his eyes were bloodshot, as if he might choose someone to kill him at any time.
Seeing Xu You being brought in, Cao Cao took out the sword from his waist, grabbed Xu You's lapel and asked, "Xu You, you are really here to be a female servant. It's pity that my eight thousand fine cavalry are all ruined in your hands." Come on! I'm going to kill you to vent my hatred!"
"Meng De, if you have something to say, tell me first what the situation is! It's not too late to kill me!" Xu You said anxiously.
"How can I say it properly? You asked me to sneak attack Wuchao, but Yuan Xi's tens of thousands of cavalry arrived at the last moment, and all eight thousand fine cavalry were wiped out! Only a dozen cavalry escaped." Cao Cao said with sad eyes.
"Meng De, have you found out the situation? Don't accuse me unjustly!" Xu You shouted unjustly.
"Unexpectedly, the heads of Zihe and Lu Bu are hanging outside Yuan Camp opposite!" Cao Cao said, raising his sword to chop them off.
"Mengde, listen to me!" Xu You asked urgently at the critical moment of life and death: "Tell me first, have the grains in Wuchao been burned down?"
Cao Cao hesitated, then turned to look at a hundred-man general who had escaped and motioned for him to explain.
"Thousands of grain carts brought by White Horse were burned down, Chunyu Qiong was killed, and the grain in Wuchao camp was also burned." The hundred-man general replied carefully, fearing that Cao Cao would kill him in anger.
Xu You felt confident, adjusted his clothes, and said: "If Xu is careful, then Wuchao must be on guard. What's waiting for you is not Chunyu Qiong and those grains, but an empty camp!"
Xun You and Cheng Yu were also thinking hard about the details. They also couldn't figure out why Xu You wasn't setting an ambush in Wuchao in advance if he was sent by Yuan Xi to lure his elite troops into attack.
"Then how do you explain that Yuan Xi sent the cavalry to arrive so quickly!" Cao Cao said angrily.
"This is obviously a leak of the marching traces!" Xu You sneered. He said disdainfully, "But Xu has always been in the camp, and it won't be Xu who can spread the news."
After saying this, Xu You looked at the civil and military personnel beside him mockingly.
"Xu You, you have bad intentions, how can there be a traitor among us!" Cao Hong asked in a straight tone.
"I don't know if there is a traitor Xu, but when I was in Yecheng, I saw Yuan Xi receiving an unknown secret letter. If it weren't for Xu's instigation, you might not turn to Yuan Xi because of the power of Hebei. But everyone Where are the people under the general?" Xu You asked.
As soon as these words came out, everyone fell silent. Hebei was very powerful. In the eyes of some lower-level soldiers, Yanzhou could not resist the Hebei army. Therefore, it was not impossible for someone to secretly seek refuge with Yuan Xi. Cao Cao was a deadly person and was suspicious. .
After thinking about this, he now not only doubted Xu You, but also doubted some of the generals below. Or the generals under them, but Cao Cao would not show it. Cao Cao was almost suspicious of the Xiahou Dun incident before, let alone others.
"It's not necessarily true that we have a female cadre within our ranks. I think it's possible that we were discovered by Jizhou Army scouts while marching." Cao Cao said to himself, but he was actually trying to appease everyone.
"It is a pity that Zihe died in battle, but this sneak attack is not a complete failure. At least a large amount of grain and fodder for the Jizhou Army was burned. The Jizhou Army will definitely have difficulty in supplying these days!" Cheng Yu said with relief.
"Is there any news from Le Jin and Li Tong?" Cao Cao asked.
"The news came back that the progress was going well and they could protect the country, but the Jizhou army could not
Ship anything to Guandu! "Cheng Yu came out of the queue and replied.
"Okay! Send the news about the burning of Wuchao and the fall of Yecheng to the Jizhou Army. See if they can survive!" Cao Cao ordered.
"Report! The Jizhou army has come out of camp and formed a formation. Begin to attack our camp!" the messenger reported.
"Ah!" Everyone whispered, not expecting that the Jizhou Army would attack at this time.
Cheng Yu then thought about it. He said happily: "Yuan Xi can't sit still. He is concentrating his forces. He is trying to quickly defeat us in a short period of time."
"In other words, once these three or two days of vigor are exceeded, the Jizhou army will retreat?" Cao Ren asked.
Cheng Yu nodded, "Yecheng has been without food for many days, and the grain road to Baimawuchao has been cut off. At least it is impossible to supply food. Moreover, Yecheng has always been occupied by Yuan Shang. Although Yuan Xi did not show it, he must be anxious in his heart. , if Yuan Shang is allowed to integrate the forces in Jizhou, Yuan Xi's escape route will be blocked."
"So that's the case. No wonder Yuan Xi will march at this time. It turns out that he is jumping over the wall in a hurry!" Cao Hong said bitterly.
"As long as our army holds on for these few days, the Jizhou army's food and fodder will be exhausted. At that time, no matter how many Yuan Xi and others are, they can only flee. Our army may intercept and kill, or pursue them to the river, and cooperate with Yuan Shang to attack Yuan Xi!" Cheng Yu said.
"No matter what, we must guard these three days first!" Cao Cao ordered in a deep voice.
"No!" "Here!" Everyone accepted the order.
Han Meng looked at the official roads far and near angrily. The official roads between Baima and Wuchao were completely destroyed.
Every twenty steps there is a trench, and every place close to the mountain is filled with large and small rocks. It takes a lot of effort for the soldiers to fill the road, not to mention the Yanzhou soldiers who are waiting for an opportunity to ambush.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Feather arrows were shot down from the high ground, and the Jizhou soldiers retreated to the oars and shields behind them.
"Encircle them from both sides!" Han Meng shouted angrily.
"Kill!" The Jizhou army divided into two groups and surrounded the high ground, but once they reached the top, there was no trace of the enemy soldiers. t.
"General, let them escape again!" the deputy general said in frustration.
Han Meng clenched his sword tightly. He was very angry at such an attack, but he had no choice but to do anything. Although more soldiers were added to repair the road, more soldiers were also sent to guard the road.
However, attacks by Yanzhou soldiers were difficult to prevent. If troops were not sent to guard everywhere, roads would often be repaired during the day and dozens of trenches dug out at night.
Le Jin and Li Tong were also observing Han Meng and others from a distance. They had been living and eating in the mountain wilderness for the past two or three days. They were very thin, but they had achieved fruitful results and were very energetic. .
"Tens of thousands of Jizhou troops are coming from the south. Wen Qian, do you think it's time to withdraw our troops?" Li Tong asked.
"There's no rush. As long as we can hold back the Jizhou army's supplies, it's worth spending all three thousand soldiers!" Le Jin said firmly, "That's what my lord ordered before he came out!"
After speaking, Le Jin jumped out and led a group of soldiers forward.
Guandu.
More than 60,000 infantrymen from the Jizhou and Qingzhou armies came out of camp and formed a formation, and a stone machine and a simple ladder were set up. Groups of crossbowmen are also ready.
Yuan Xi, Ju Shou, Jia Xu and others personally commanded the second offensive in this formation.
"General, it's time to start." Jushou said.
Yuan Xi gently moved his hand, and suddenly thousands of arrows were fired, and bursts of arrows were thrown towards Cao Ying. It felt so good.
"Duh! Duh! Duh!" The arrows were stuck on the shield fence, and the reverberation they produced stimulated the eardrums of the Yanzhou soldiers.
Hebei is prolific in strong crossbows, and the Jizhou army is also equipped with many strong crossbows. The effect of the volley at this time was so shocking that it could not be described as airtight. It completely suppressed the Yanzhou Army in one fell swoop.
But the consumption of such arrows was also staggering. After three rounds of volleys, the crossbowmen switched to precise archery cover, and the attack on the camp officially began.
Except for a section of open space at the four camp gates, trenches were dug around the camp. The trench-filling trucks were limited, so the Jizhou Army had to fill the trenches with soil. so. Yanzhou soldiers can hide behind fences and earthen walls and shoot arrows.
Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin, Li Dian, Shi Huan, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Ang, Zhang Ji and others all went out to command behind the earthen wall. If the Jizhou army broke through the earthen fence, they would only die.
And this three-dimensional fortification with multiple trenches, fences, and earth walls can be effectively controlled as long as the command and operation are done properly.
, its defensive effect is no worse than that of a large city. This is why in many cases, the two armies have been at each other for a year without a winner.
The Jizhou Army was approaching fiercely, but it was difficult to fill the trench while resisting the Yanzhou Army's crossbow attack. Cao Cao's nearly 70,000 soldiers were also tenacious, and they relied on the fortifications to cooperate very well. The infantry took turns to fight. Always keep morale high.
Mi Wei rode his horse and rushed to the banner of the commander of the Central Army. He cupped his fists and said, "General. When can our Danyang camp attack?"
"Gather and stand by!" Yuan Xi ordered calmly.
"However, the battle situation ahead is stalemate. Why not send our elite troops to fight?" Mi Wei suggested with clasped fists.
"General, our euphorbia soldiers can also go out to fight!" Zhang He also asked for orders.
"Assemble and standby!" Yuan Xi said firmly.
Zhang He clasped his fists and advised: "It has been said by military strategists since ancient times that one can make a strong effort, then it will weaken again, and three times it will be exhausted. This is already the second attack. If it is delayed until the third time, there is a possibility of a stalemate."
"I didn't say that we must capture the enemy camp." Yuan Xi glanced at Zhang He and said calmly.
"Why is that? I don't understand!" Zhang He asked in confusion.
"General Zhang must also know that Han Meng and the others are rushing to repair the food road. Our army cannot supply food and fodder. We should retreat first to ease the difficulty in supplying food and fodder." Guo Jia explained.
"Then our army can send heavy troops to repair the grain road, and the rest of the troops can be left to suppress Cao Cao's army!" Zhang He said puzzled.
"It's like this. Cao Cao sent Xia Houshang to clear out the threats in his rear and was confronting Zang Ba and Zhang Yan in Chen State, so Cao Cao had no worries about his food supply. Moreover, Guandu was short and convenient from Chen State, Chenliu and other places. They supply food and fodder. And if our army retreats to the line of Baima, Cao's army's food route will be extended, and our army will have more places to attack." Jushou explained.
"So our army is obviously attacking, but in fact it is preparing to retreat, so as to catch them off guard!" Chen Deng echoed from the side.
"The confrontation in Guandu was Cao Cao's choice. His choice of this place must be extremely beneficial to them. However, our army is really passive and uneconomical to stand in a stalemate here, not to mention it's my turn." Yuan Xi said to everyone. Said: "As the saying goes, if you want to retreat, advance first, if you want to advance, retreat first. Our army wants to give Cao Cao an illusion, making him think that our army is short of food, so we retreat the white horse and lure him to take the bait!"
"But can Cao Cao come?" Mi Wei asked.
Guo Jia waved his fan and smiled and said, "The general spent so much food and fodder to burn for Cao Cao, can't he be tempted to take the bait? Besides, Cao Cao and his colleagues may think that our army's food, grass and baggage are insufficient." What Guo Jia did not say was , Yecheng fell, how could we not be in a hurry.
"Pass my military order, the Jizhou Army will break camp and retreat tonight, while the Qingzhou Army and the Cavalry Army will stay behind!" Yuan Xi ordered.
"Here!"
At night, the Qingzhou soldiers lit up torches and continued to besiege Cao's camp, while the Jizhou military camp was also brightly lit, and the soldiers were busy carrying supplies of food and grass under the arrangements of Jushou, Sima Yi and others. The Jizhou army was in good order and quickly withdrew towards Baima.
In the middle of the night, most of the Qingzhou soldiers also evacuated Guandu, leaving only 10,000 cavalry and some elite infantry led by Xu Huang, Zhang He, Guo Huai, Hao Zhao, Ji Ling, and Zhu Ling in the rear.
Yuan Xi evacuated with his Qingzhou Army.
By noon the next day. Most of the Qingzhou Army crossed Wuchao and reached the boundary of Baima Mountain.
More than 6,000 soldiers and horses on Baima Mountain transported bags of grain and fodder down the mountain. It turned out that most of the grain and fodder transported by Baima to Wuchao was hidden on Baima Mountain.
A horseman quickly ran up to Yuan Xi and others. It was Zhang Xiu, the general who had not been seen for a long time.
"My lord, I was ordered to garrison at Baima Mountain and never lost a single bag of food. I'm here to send you my order!" Zhang Xiu said, cupping his fists.
"Of course I can rest assured that General Bowei is stationed at Baima Mountain!" Yuan Xi said with a smile.
"What should the general do next?" Zhang Xiu asked.
"If the design is successful, Cao Cao's army will catch up soon. Bo Wei, please move the grain down quickly and don't let Cao Cao's army notice it." Yuan Xi ordered.
"Here!" Zhang Xiu took the order and left.
Guo Tur had an idea and suggested: "Why not let Zhang Xiu lead 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers to stay at Baima Mountain. When Cao Cao passes by, stab him in the back!"
"Cao Cao is suspicious. If he can't be killed with this stab, Cao Cao will definitely
Will notice. So it’s better to come as planned. Yuan Xi said cautiously.
"The best strategy for a military strategist is to avoid the real situation and to attack the enemy unprepared. The young master is right. It is better to follow the original plan." Guo Jia agreed.
Yuan Xi led everyone on the road again, and after another half-day of hurried march, they finally arrived at Baima.
At this time, Cui Yan and Han Meng came out to greet them, and most of the generals from Jizhou and Qingzhou also arrived. Jushou sent another elite force to respond, and finally Xu Huang, Zhang He and others were welcomed.
Xu Huang and Zhang He walked into the tent together. Xu Huang clasped his fists and said: "The rear army has safely retreated to Baima. Cao Cao's troops are only chasing closely and have not launched an attack."
"Suspicion is not far from caution. Cao Cao saw our army suddenly retreating. Of course he did not dare to pursue it in a large scale, but I think he will catch up within two days. If the general's strategy of luring the enemy is successful, the victory will be considered stable." Chen Den said.
"Now redistribute the garrison orders!" Yuan Xi took out the military talisman and ordered, "Order Zhang He and Feng Ji to guard Baima Jin with 20,000 people. Gao Lan and Ji Ling will guard Baima Jin with 10,000 people, and Jiang Qi and Zhu Ling will guard Baima Jin with 10,000 people. Guard Liyang, 20,000 men from Zhang Xiu and Chen Deng guard Juancheng, 30,000 men from Zhong Yao, Gu Yong, Han Meng, and Yuan Mai guard Puyang, and Duan Pixi and Wu Sang lead the Wuhuan cavalry to garrison between Juancheng and Puyang. Support."
"One hundred and ten thousand people are enough to defend the White Horse line. No matter how good Cao Cao is at attacking, he can't shake our defense line!" Cui Yan nodded first, and then said worriedly: "No food has been delivered to Yecheng for more than ten days. The soldiers will We all have private rumors that there is a problem in Yecheng. Although the suppression is suppressed, the food in Baima and other places is only enough for half a month, General, isn't it?"
"Half a month is enough to decide the situation of the war. As long as half a month later, Hebei will transport food again!" Yuan Xi said and smiled, "As for any rumors, they are all nonsense. You must appease your soldiers and generals, and don't transport food. It’s just shipped somewhere else.”
"Lord, Xu Sheng's navy is ready." Jia Xu reported.
"Okay, I'm afraid you all have doubts about why I retreated. To extend Cao Cao's retreat is one reason, but more importantly, to divert the tiger away from the mountain." Yuan Xi said confidently.
Except for a few people, the rest of the civil and military forces were shocked. Although they vaguely felt that Yuan Xi would make a big move, their predictions were only confirmed now.
Yuan Xi pointed to the marching map and explained to everyone, "Xiahou Shang's troops are restrained by Zhang Yan and Zang Ba. As long as Cao Cao's main force keeps up with the white horse, his rear will be the most empty!"
Guo Jia waved his feather fan and said, "In other words, our army can attack his hinterland in a roundabout way with surprise troops!"
