The flames are like ever-changing mountains, sometimes with thousands of peaks rising, sometimes with a single peak protruding; the flames are like a majestic forest, sometimes roaring, sometimes lingering and whispering. The magnificent flames are colorful and beautiful, and the dazzling flames make the sun in the sky lose its charm.
But this dazzling beauty ruthlessly demands fresh life.
The fire burned people's faces so much that they hurt all over, and the thick smoke choked people so much that they couldn't open their eyes.
Xia Houchun and Cao Hong stood dumbfounded on the top of Duyang City, staring blankly at the flames below, feeling the scorching temperature, but their hearts were as cold as ice cubes in the twelfth lunar month of winter.
Cao Hong gritted his teeth: "Zhang Xiu is really a cold-blooded and cruel person! It's pity that tens of thousands of Wei people died tragically here!"
Xia Houchun just stared down coldly.
rear.
When the fire was soaring into the sky and thick smoke was billowing, Guo Jia and Cao Cao's eyes widened in horror, completely unaware of what was happening ahead.
Not long after, Tan Ma reported the situation ahead truthfully.
Cao Cao asked in surprise: "Is there a general of our army inside?"
Tan Ma murmured: "Dian... General Dian Wei is inside..."
There was a buzzing sound in Cao Cao's head, and he felt like the world was spinning in front of him and he was about to faint. Guo Jia's eyes were quick and his hands were quick to support him, and he called eagerly: "Your Majesty!"
Cao Cao shed tears and said with great sorrow: "I am deeply saddened to lose my beloved general!"
The soldiers and guards next to him all lowered their heads and shed tears.
Guo Jia thought for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, Zhang Xiu is holding on to Duyang City and it is difficult for our army to win. Only by leading him out of Duyang City can we have the possibility of victory. Kuang Xizhicai has already gone south. Although his whereabouts are uncertain, he must be hiding. Somewhere, he is preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Zhang Jing. Liu Bei is also watching from the south, and Zhang Xiu's actions today are really to anger the emperor and intend to fight decisively."
At this point, Guo Jia paused for a moment, waiting for Cao Cao to think at his own pace.
Cao Cao suppressed the heaviness in his heart, thought rapidly, and motioned for Guo Jia to continue.
Guo Jia: "Zhang Xiu wants to fight for two purposes: one is to draw out Liu Chu's actions, or to end the battle quickly without giving Liu Chu a chance; the other is to draw out the hidden Xi Zhicai ; We will use our tactics to fake defeat and retreat. As soon as we retreat, Zhang Xiu will pursue us, and the offensive and defensive momentum will instantly reverse!"
Liu Chu had been silent for so long, so he must be holding back his big move.
As long as Zhang Xiu is lured out, Liu Bei will definitely unleash a big move that catches Jing's army off guard. Coupled with Xi Zhicai's troops, the situation in Nanyang will become complicated in an instant, and they can manage it.
Cao Cao nodded: "Okay! Just use the words of filial piety!"
Immediately, Cao Cao ordered Guo Jia to take control of the overall situation, and ordered Cao Hong and Xia Houchun to be ready to fake defeat at all times.
Guo Jia was ordered, with an icy cold light in his eyes.
In order to defraud Zhang Xiu's trust, he had to pay a heavy price for this fraud.
…
The fire burned for a full three hours before it gradually extinguished. The thick smoke was still billowing. The surrounding earthen walls were burned black with carbon, and some were even burned off. The sight of burnt corpses that had almost lost their human shape strewn about the ground made people feel horrified.
The man who was burned stretched his fists and stretched his legs, his facial features were distorted, and the pit smelled terrible.
"Bang!"
With a muffled sound, Dian Wei broke open the burned-hard and fragile wall and emerged from inside. His clothes were still burned to tatters, his scalp was frizzy, and his face was covered in charcoal black. But his eyes were fixed on the non-human figures in front of him who were hardened by the heat.
This was to protect several of his personal guards who were burned to death.
Dian Wei knelt down in front of them and choked with sobs, saying, "Brothers, go with peace of mind! From now on, your family will be my family, Dian Wei. I will never forget this life-saving kindness!"
After saying that, he got up and headed towards Duyang City.
On the top of Duyang City, the Wei army looked at the nearly 30,000 people who were burned to death in horror, and felt a sense of fear.
"Why--!"
Suddenly, a soldier seemed to have seen something and couldn't help shouting.
This sound attracted the attention of others. Following the man's gaze, he saw a figure walking through the black coal that had just been extinguished.
Cao Hong and Xia Houchun also noticed it, looked at it intently, and immediately shouted with joy: "It's General Dian Wei, it's General Dian Wei, hurry! Follow me down to rescue General Dian Wei and come back!"
He said yes and had already rushed down.
The Wei army rushed down with shields to meet Dian Wei.
"boom!"
At this moment, there was a loud noise from the other side of the earth city wall, dust flew up, and then there was the rumble of horses trampling the ground. Cao Hong and Xia Houchun had just picked up Dian Wei. Before the three of them had time to be happy, they were startled by the movement behind them.
He looked around hurriedly and saw the Jingjun cavalry charging out of the flying dust.
It turned out that when the fire burned the ground, Zhang Xiu ordered the army to start digging a gap in Tucheng. The purpose was naturally to recapture the Duyang City wall in front. Originally, the excavation of the earthen city should have been dusty, but the fire in front attracted everyone's attention, and no one noticed Jing Jun's movements behind.
At this moment, as a gap suddenly opened in the earth city wall, they reacted.
Cao Hong, Xia Houchun and Dian Wei's expressions changed drastically: "Quickly retreat!"
The three of them hurriedly retreated towards Duyang City.
As soon as they turned around, they instantly felt their scalps numb and a layer of cold sweat broke out all over their bodies. Before, they were in a hurry to attack the city and did not pay attention to all the fatal details. Now the three of them looked back, only to find that the steps leading up to Duyang City had long been changed into a long slope.
Although the long slope is a bit steep, riders with good horsemanship can still gallop up it easily.
In other words, Duyang City is not safe.
Jingjun performed a set of combos. Due to the rage of Cao Cao and Wei Jun, they ignored the fatal details and fell into the combos that Jingjun had prepared long ago.
This was the serial plan that Pang Tong had prepared for the Wei army.
When the Wei army saw the Jing army cavalry dispatching, all their courage was burned out by the fire, and they hurriedly retreated from Duyang City. Some climbed down the ladder, and some jumped directly.
Cao Hong, Xia Houchun and Dian Wei quickly retreated to the city. The guards opened a road for them and got down to the city as quickly as possible. There were more than a dozen war horses waiting outside the city.
Zhang Xiu, armed with a spear, actually went into battle himself, followed by Wei Yan and Pang De, followed by Gao Shun and Liu Bao. Fifty thousand cavalry rushed out of the dug gap in order and headed towards Duyang City.
Those Wei troops who had no time to leave the city stared in horror at the approaching Jingguo cavalry.
Zhang Xiu maintained the speed of charging and rushed up the long slope of Duyang City. His spear was dancing flexibly in his hand, charging the lives of the Wei army. The Wei army on the top of the city was even more chaotic. You squeezed me, I squeezed you, and many people were squeezed. Then he fell from the top of the city.
In the end, the Jing army successfully boarded the city, and the Wei army was all driven back.
Zhang Xiu reined in his horse and stopped at the top of the city, looking coldly at the completely defeated Wei army outside.
