Lu Fan, whose courtesy name was Zi Heng, was currently the governor of Xuzhou in the Eastern Wu Dynasty. He managed Xuzhou after Sun Ce went west and Lu Su went north.
Zhang Xiu's troops marched day and night across the Qingzhou border and entered Xuzhou. The secret could not escape, but the secret messages kept coming and going, which attracted Lu Fan's attention. The appearance of an unknown troop at this main stall made him heartbroken. disturbed.
He then sent Sun Shao to lead a thousand soldiers and horses to the East China Sea to find out where the soldiers and horses came from. If they were bandits, they would be destroyed directly. If they were foreign enemies, they should stand firm and wait for reinforcements.
Outside Donghai City.
Zhang Xiu and the others went deep alone and had no logistical support. They could only pretend to be grain merchants near the city and buy large quantities while investigating the movements of Wu Jun.
The person responsible for escorting the grain and fodder today is the Qiang cavalry general E Huan.
The Ehuanqiang people are nine feet long, have a ferocious face, hold a square halberd, and have the courage of ten thousand men. According to later records, in order to capture E Huan alive, Zhuge Liang sent Wei Yan, Wang Ping, and Zhang Yi to work together to capture him, which shows his superb martial arts and strength.
The Jingguo adopted a welfare policy for foreigners, which provided living conditions for the Qiang people who were in dire straits. The Qiang people regarded Zhang Xiu as their leader. Also because the Qiang people had killed local officials indiscriminately before, Zhang Xiu selected the best among the Qiang people. Five thousand men and horses were selected. In this battle, Zhang Xiu led the most elite thousand men, led by E Huan.
Having just purchased enough food and grass, E Huan led five hundred merchants dressed as soldiers and horses out of the city and headed towards the farm thirty miles east. The farm has been purchased and has become a temporary location for Zhang Xiu's army. There are clear sentries and secret guards outside the farm.
E Huan had just left the city less than five miles away when he heard the thunderous sound of horse hooves behind him.
His heart felt cold, and the flesh on his black face was open. He glanced at the carriage with the weapons hidden in his sharp eyes, but he did not take action. Instead, he calmed his mind and rode forward calmly on the horse. He thought to himself, According to the art of war taught to him by the emperor, this is called: responding to all changes by remaining unchanged.
The person who came was Sun Shao, the general of Soochow who was looking for the troops.
I have been searching for them in Donghai County for seven or eight days, but I haven't even seen the shadow of the soldiers and horses. Lu Fan was afraid that the soldiers and horses would threaten Xuzhou, so he ordered Sun Shao to find the existence of the soldiers and horses within ten days. It has already passed. It's been seven or eight days, but nothing has been found.
I heard some news today and came here for inspection, and happened to meet E Huan's grain team.
At first, Sun Shao didn't pay attention to them. After all, there were many such grain transport teams in Xuzhou, so he rode his horse and led his troops to pass them. But at this moment, Sun Shao suddenly had a strange intuition that something was wrong with this grain transport team. .
But I couldn't tell what was wrong for a moment, so I stopped.
He reined in his horse and turned around, scanning the 'merchants' who were transporting grain with a scrutinizing gaze. Only then did he realize that something was wrong. These people transporting food are all strong men. Everyone is very vigilant, their steps are steady, and their feet are vigorous. At first glance, they are all people with martial arts skills. With so many people together, there is an invisible powerful momentum.
Sun Shao was secretly shocked.
This is not a food transport team. This is simply the best of the best!
When he reined in his horse and turned around, he could clearly feel the cold murderous intent flowing in the eyes of the people opposite.
Especially when his eyes met E Huan, he instantly felt as if he was being stared at by a beast, as if he had encountered a natural enemy. E Huan's sharp and cold eyes made him feel like he had fallen into an ice cave. A cold sweat broke out.
Sun Shao swallowed his saliva and did not dare to act rashly, so he asked: "Where did you come from as a food transport team?"
An old man next to E Huan said: "Come back to the army, we are a grain team from Wei State. We have just purchased grain and are going back."
Sun Shao: "Have you noticed that there are soldiers and horses in this area?"
The old man: "Except for today's military master, I have never seen other soldiers and horses."
Sun Shao nodded and glanced at E Huan: "Okay, if you find anything, be sure to report it." Then he turned around and gave the order: "Keep going!"
The moment Sun Shao turned around, a cold light flashed in E Huan's eyes. He turned around and pulled out the square halberd hidden under the carriage. The war horse raised its hooves and rushed behind Sun Shao. "Soochow rat! A certain E Huan is here." This! Die!"
Sun Shao originally planned to appease them first so as not to alarm the enemy. When they returned, they followed the clues and found this group of soldiers and surrounded them. They never expected that the other side would strike first.
At this moment, he was alert and felt a chill on the back of his neck. When he looked back, E Huan frowned and swung the Square Heavenly Halberd to kill, as fast as lightning, accurate and hateful. Sun Shao had no chance to react, and there was a flash in his eyes. With a look of panic and despair, E Huan beheaded him.
The moment E Huan took action.
All the elites pretending to be businessmen quickly dismounted from the carriages and drew steel blades, and quickly surrounded the soldiers and horses. Their murderous intent was revealed, and the hot air suddenly became filled with murderous intent.
Sun Shao, the commander-in-chief of the Wu army, was beheaded without even passing a single turn of the enemy. Seeing E Huan's face full of murderous intent and ferocious look, he suddenly lost the courage to resist and abandoned their swords and dismounted to surrender.
E Huan knew that today's attack had exposed his position, so he ordered the army to return to camp quickly.
After returning to the farm, E Huan quickly reported the matter to Zhang Xiu.
Zhang Xiu was very calm, because the sixth team had just received information that they would arrive at the mouth of the Yangtze River in three days. The navy had already arrived at the designated location, so there was no need for them to hide. Although hiding can catch the enemy by surprise, but now he can't hide anymore, so he simply won't hide anymore.
Sun Ce's main force has arrived at Peiguo County, while Xuzhou only has 30,000 troops from Lu Fan.
E Huan had just wiped out 5,000 people, and Lu Fan only had 25,000 left in his hands. If the soldiers and horses guarding the city were included, the number would not exceed 40,000 at most. As long as they were not surrounded and deprived of food and water, Lu Fan's Forty thousand people are really no match for the four thousand people in Zhang Xiu's hands.
"If you fight like this outside Donghai City, we will be exposed!" Zhang Xiu stared at the huge map of Xuzhou hanging up. "Exposed, just exposed. Go down and order the army to reorganize. Each person prepares three days of food and grass. We will prepare Set off."
Tulichen asked: "Your Majesty, where are you going?"
Zhang Xiu pointed to Qu County in the east: "Let's go to Qu County."
"Qu County?"
Turichen and Armand looked at Qu County.
Quxian is a small city by the sea. It is at least fifty or sixty miles away from them. Why go to Quxian? Everyone looked confused.
Zhang Xiu said: "Go and carry out the order! I want to play a game of cat and mouse with Lu Fan, but it depends on who the cat is and who the mouse is."
"Here!"
The three of them ordered to go out and prepare.
That night, the six thousand troops prepared food and grass, burned the excess, and all headed east. At the same time, the clothes of the Wei army on the five thousand Wu troops were circled in a large empty military stronghold, and the military flag was hung high outside.
