In Anqing County, Liu Bei was pacing back and forth on the school grounds, an anxious look filling his brows.
The problem of food and grass was temporarily solved. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei raided twelve cottages during this period and brought back more than 20,000 stones of food and grass, as well as a lot of gold and cash.
But to this day, there is still no news from Lu Bu, and there are no signs of troops in Jiujiang. He knows that his last hope is probably gone.
And the bad things don't stop there. Xiahou Dun, the vanguard of Cao's army, is less than 120 miles away. Normally, they would have killed them at noon the day after tomorrow.
The vanguard army was not that large. According to the reports from the scouts, it should be about 5,000 men. It was terrifying that there were 2,000 cavalry among Xiahou Dun's 5,000 vanguard army. This shows that these must be the elite of Cao's army.
"Brother, it's okay if the servants of the third surname don't come. Xiahou's men are only five thousand men and horses. We have ten thousand troops, so why should we be afraid!" Zhang Fei snorted coldly, his eyes widened, and he was full of fighting spirit.
Liu Bei frowned, and he was so upset that he didn't even answer.
Ten thousand versus five thousand sounds like a double comparison in terms of numbers, but there are six thousand people on our side who are Cao's old troops. Let's not mention whether they will rebel against the enemy. At the moment, it seems that they have no intention to fight at all.
Therefore, the only people Liu Bei can trust and rely on are the four thousand veterans he brought out from Peicheng.
The only good news is that there are more than 1,300 cavalry in his army. These are the horses captured when he defeated Liang Gang in the battle of Kuxian.
But if he really had to go head-to-head with Xiahou Dun's elite with this small number of troops, Liu Bei would probably be crushed.
"Brother, Cao's army has come a long way. If we take the initiative to go north to attack them head-on, we may not be able to catch them off guard." Guan Yu stroked his long beard. He also agreed to confront Cao's army this time.
Liu Bei finally stopped pacing, stopped and looked at his two younger brothers, and smiled bitterly, "What about after defeating Xiahou Dun?"
Guan Zhang looked at each other and remained speechless.
Yes, although the scouts did not detect the location of Cao Cao's army, according to his usual military habits, Xiahou Dun acted as a vanguard and raised his own army to suppress the formation.
God knows how many people Cao Cao brought this time.
"If my third brother and I lead the cavalry to stop Xiahou Dun, my eldest brother will lead the infantry south first. Once they cross the river, Cao Jun will have no choice but to retreat." After much thought, Guan Yu felt that this was the most reliable method.
"Okay, I have to stab Xiahou this time!" Zhang Fei excitedly swung his snake spear.
Liu Bei sighed and his shoulders slumped, "What will Anqing do if I leave?"
Guan and Zhang didn't understand why, so Liu Bei continued: "If Cao Cao comes to invade, I'm afraid the Xuzhou tragedy will happen again. If he massacres the city, tens of thousands of people in Anqing will suffer unreasonable disasters."
Yes, the two brothers suddenly realized that they had forgotten that Cao Cao would massacre the city.
Even though I am in danger, I can still think about the people. My eldest brother is really a true hero who stands upright.
"I'm going to persuade the county magistrate to post a notice. I am willing to lead the infantry and the people south. Even if I die, I will do my best for them."
"Brother, I will go with you!" It was Liu Bei who made wine with Cao Cao. If it were Guan Yu, he would have said without hesitation that my eldest brother is the only hero in the world.
"I'll go too!"
Before the three of them left the school grounds, Sun Qian ran over in a hurry, "Lord, here comes! Zhang Liao is here!"
Is it finally here?
The faces of Liu, Guan, and Zhang showed the expressions of surviving a disaster, "How many soldiers and horses did he bring?"
"two thousand."
"two thousand?"
All three of them are tactical retreats. Are you here to rescue or to watch a show?
"Lead the way." Liu Bei's hope that he had just raised was shattered again. He didn't understand what Lu Bu was thinking. He sent two thousand people. Could it be that he was perfunctory because of the blood edict?
When a group of four people hurriedly arrived at the council hall, Zhang Liao was already waiting there.
"Uncle Liu Huang, Yun Chang, General Zhang." Zhang Liao saluted with clasped fists.
Among the three brothers, Zhang Liao was the only one who fell in love with Guan Yu. In addition to being from the same hometown in Shanxi, the two of them also admired each other's heroic spirit, so he called Guan Yu by his first name.
"General Wenyuan, does Marquis Wen agree to assist? Why did he only send two thousand people?" Liu Bei was so anxious that he didn't even ask for tea and asked straight to the point.
"Back to Uncle Liu Huang, Marquis Wen has indeed agreed to the rescue, but he only arrived in Jiujiang the day before yesterday. The army has not yet had time to reorganize and prepare for war, so he can only ask me to lead two thousand people to escort the military supplies."
The three brothers looked at each other, and finally Guan Yu spoke directly, "Wen Yuan, when I personally handed you my eldest brother's letter, didn't you promise me to immediately prepare the army for war? Why do you use this as an excuse today?"
Zhang Liao looked troubled, sighed, shook his head and said: "To be honest, the soldiers and horses in Jiujiang are all Yuan Shu's old troops, and their combat power is weak. Our elite troops are in Guangling and are unable to return reinforcements in time.
Marquis Wen did indeed have people lead the Bingzhou cavalry to arrive, but the rapid march of hundreds of miles was tiring for both men and horses, and they still needed to rest and recuperate. "
This sounds even more unreliable.
Since you can come from Guangling, it proves that you are willing to get involved. No matter how weak the 20,000 Huainan Army is, it has been trained by you Zhang Wenyuan for more than half a year. It can't be worse than the Moth Thief, right?
The thought was just to get a share of the pie while Cao Jun was fighting with him, depending on the situation.
Ha. It's Lu Fengxian's style.
Liu Bei was disdainful.
"The thieves are all at the door. It's very useful to send military supplies without troops and horses!" Zhang Fei shouted at the top of his voice.
"General Zhang, don't be impatient."
Zhang Liao smiled and explained: "These military supplies are not ordinary things, and they may help you defeat Cao Cao."
Zhang Fei sneered and refused to listen. Guan Yu also shook his head helplessly. Only Liu Bei still had some patience and asked, "What does General Wenyuan mean?"
Zhang Liao smiled and handed the bamboo slip out, "Your Majesty, please take a look at the letter my nephew Yunwen sent you."
After taking the letter doubtfully, Liu Bei hesitated for a while before opening it.
Then, Liu Bei's expression became quite interesting. He was startled at first, then frowned, and finally suddenly enlightened.
Zhang Liao was not surprised by this, because when Lu Bu took out this letter in Yangyuan (the county town at the junction of Anfeng and Jiujiang), the expressions of everyone in the hall were like Liu Bei's.
"Excellent, excellent, this is probably the only way to defeat Xiahou Dun!"
Liu Bei carefully put away the bamboo slips and said attentively: "The good nephew Yunwen you mentioned just now is Lin Yunwen, the good son-in-law of Marquis Wen?"
"That's that boy." Zhang Liao had a somewhat arrogant look on his face, and even his title changed from nephew to boy.
"Marquis Wen has such a person as his assistant. No wonder he is a great talent in the land that spans two states." Liu Bei did not hide the envious look on his face, and he felt very unworthy of me.
"Uncle Emperor, Marquis Wen has something else for me to bring."
Probably because he was really thirsty, Zhang Liao ignored Liu Bei's silence and walked to the table beside him, picked up the teapot and took a big sip, which made Liu Bei blush.
"Marquis Wen said, please do what the letter says. When Cao Cao's vanguard retreats, our people will have arrived at the front line to set up a stronghold. We will not let the emperor stand alone against Cao Cao."
"Okay, okay."
Liu Bei said three good words in a row, nodded and said: "Please tell Marquis Wen, I will act according to this strategy, and thank Cao Cao in person for your kindness in rescuing him."
"must!"
Zhang Liao nodded and added: "By the way, all the military supplies are stationed at the gate of Xicheng. Uncle Emperor, please rush to Anfeng County for deployment as soon as possible. I have to return to Yangyuan first."
"Thank you, General Wenyuan, I'll take you out of the city." Liu Bei made an invitation gesture and led Zhang Liao out.
After bidding farewell to Zhang Liao, Liu Bei looked at the five large carriages full of military supplies and issued the military order to go to Anfeng.
Seeing Liu Bei's army filing out, the Anqing County magistrate breathed a sigh of relief.
Good guy, he's finally gone.
"Brother, do you really believe this idiot's nonsense?" Zhang Fei complained with some dissatisfaction on the way.
He felt that it was ridiculous that he had to take orders from a child he had never even met.
"There is nothing we can do now."
Liu Bei's eyes were firm, and he seemed to have confidence in Lin Mo. He turned to Zhang Fei, "Third brother, it was this yellow-mouthed boy who helped Lu Bu stabilize Xuzhou and seize the three counties of Jiujiang, Lujiang and Guangling. Do you still think he is? Are you telling nonsense?"
"If it's useful, it doesn't matter if I apologize to him in person. If it ruins big brother's affairs, huh, don't blame my Zhangba Snake Spear for bullying his youth!"
Liu Bei and Guan Yu looked at each other and smiled, he is Lu Bu's son-in-law, he can't be stabbed by you.
Thirty miles outside Anfeng City, a team of thousands of people was advancing south.
Their marching method is quite strange. Three thousand infantry are arranged in three square formations, and two thousand cavalry are wandering behind the square formations. Sometimes they are slightly scattered, sometimes they can be condensed, and they have a sense of being dispersed.
"Zihe, after passing through the valley in front of you, you will find a flat river. Then you can go straight to Anfeng." Xiahou Dun pointed at the mouth of the valley ahead with his whip.
"Brother, the scout said that Liu Bei suddenly transferred back to Anfeng from Anqing a few days ago. This is quite strange." Cao Chun said rather suspiciously.
"When he first arrived in Anqing, the county magistrate only treated him as the emperor's uncle. But after learning about our military front, it is understandable that they are not compatible." Xiahou Dun's analysis can be regarded as an analysis of human nature, and Cao Chun deeply agreed.
Not long after walking, just as they were about to leave the valley entrance, a shower of arrows suddenly shot from the hill on one side, killing hundreds of people immediately.
There is an ambush!
"Cover the shield soldiers, retreat to the left!" Xiahou Dun roared, and the infantry in the square formation began to move. A row of sergeants held up their shields to block the front. The army behind them began to retreat to the stream on the left, and soon withdrew. The effective killing range of the arrow.
Cao Chun looked around curiously. It was strange that although there were hills here, it was not a terrain with a line of sky. It could not form an effective ambush at all. Why would Liu Bei choose to set up an ambush here.
Before he could finish his surprise, banners were erected on the hill. A large banner with the word "LV" was particularly conspicuous, accompanied by bursts of fighting sounds.
It's Lu Bu!
After Xiahou Dun and Cao Chun looked at each other, they raised their weapons and shouted: "Brothers, meet the enemy!"
With an order, the entire army quickly changed their formations. The infantry formed a large square formation, while the cavalry retreated between the two wings, waiting for them to rush down from the mountain.
The killing sounds were loud, but no one was seen rushing out. Xiahou Dun's gloomy eyes turned, wondering what the soldiers were planning?
He waved his hand and shouted: "Cai Yang, lead the people to charge up the hill!"
"Here!"
Cai Yang, who was puffy and fat, held a big sword and led three hundred people to rush towards the hill.
After climbing a short distance, there was a rumbling sound from the mountain. Cai Yang, who was also a veteran on the battlefield, immediately understood what was happening and shouted: "There are rolling rocks, find cover!"
The three hundred people showed no signs of panic and moved extremely quickly. They either hid behind trees, hid in ravines, or used rocks as cover.
A burst of rolling stones and logs knocked down only more than 20 Cao soldiers who had not been able to find bunkers in time.
Cai Yang continued to climb up again. This time, their speed was much slower, worried about rolling stones and wood that might fall at any time.
After he finally led the people up the hill, he found that it was empty except for the flag.
Damn it!
Cai Yang cursed and ran away. Xiahou Dun was also confused after hearing this. What kind of fuss was going on?
Test?
Xiahou Dun, who didn't care too much, could only order to move on.
Finally, the army left the valley mouth, and now it was a smooth plain. Although it was delayed for some time, it did not have much impact on the whole.
Not long after walking, we suddenly saw cavalry rushing towards us in the distance on the undulating grassland. It seemed that there were not many people coming, only six or seven hundred cavalry.
As the opponent's cavalry approached, there was no flag, but the leader Xiahou Dun was very familiar with the red-faced and long-bearded Guan Yunchang.
"Array up!"
The army moved again, with shields in the front row standing and spears like a forest of death, crossbowmen in the back row strung their bows, and tiger and leopard cavalry guarding the two wings.
In such a formation, not to mention his mere six or seven hundred men, even if six or seven thousand cavalry charged forward, they would be killed.
But after Guan Yu rushed to a stone's throw, he suddenly stopped, raised the Qinglong Yanyue Sword and pointed it at Xiahou Dun, "You man, you dare to fight with me in front of the battle array!"
Xiahou Dun snorted coldly and looked at Cao Chun, who knowingly led a group of cavalry directly towards Guan Yu.
Guan Yu withdrew in time, but all the tiger and leopard cavalry were good horses. They were as fast as the wind, and they quickly picked off Liu Jun's slower cavalry one by one.
Within four or five miles, seventy or eighty cavalrymen were killed.
Worried about an ambush, Cao Chun did not continue the pursuit. When he turned his horse and returned to the army halfway, he encountered Zhang Fei with six to seven hundred cavalry approaching tentatively.
Cao Chunyi was not afraid and pursued him again.
Xiahou Dun, who was waiting at the same place, saw Cao Chun not coming back. His heart sank, and he said to Li Dian beside him, "Mancheng, please lead the remaining tigers and leopards to ride up and see what happened."
"Here!"
Li Dian led the remaining cavalry in the direction of Cao Chun's pursuit, while Xiahou Dun continued to stand ready.
I don't know how long it took, but I finally saw Cao Chun and Li Dian coming back, and their organization was intact, and they obviously didn't encounter an ambush.
"Why have you been here for so long?" Xiahou Dun said with a bit of impatience.
"Brother, don't be surprised. When I was chasing Guan Yu, I encountered Zhang Fei leading hundreds of cavalry to attack. I was worried about being attacked from both sides, so I divided my army into formations, which took a while."
"They didn't fight you head-on?"
"No, you're just pestering me from a distance!" Cao Chun couldn't vent his anger.
Xiahou Dun thought for a moment, looked at the setting sun, and his eyes widened in an instant, "Damn it, the ambush and the entanglement between these two thieves delayed us for more than two hours. It is probably the big-eared thieves who want to run away, so let them contain them!
Don't worry about this and march towards Anfeng County! "
"Here!"
Along the way, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led their cavalry several times to pretend to charge, but Xiahou Dun ignored them and just asked the tiger and leopard cavalry to guard the flanks to ensure that there would be no trouble.
When we arrived at Anfeng City, it was already past Shen Shi. Although it was still bright, it was almost dusk.
Facing the huge empty city, Xiahou Dun knew that he had been tricked and wanted to continue the pursuit. However, he saw that the soldiers behind him entered combat mode several times and marched rapidly all the way. Even the elite could not hide their fatigue at this moment.
"Enter the city, bury pots to make rice, rest for a while, and then pursue him all night long!" Xiahou Dun was determined to hunt down Liu Bei.
Anyway, they are just a group of infantry. At worst, in tonight's pursuit, I will lead the tiger and leopard cavalry one step ahead, and let Li Dian lead the infantry behind.
In the distance, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei looked at each other as they watched Cao's troops entering the city one after another.
"Hey, what that kid said was quite accurate. He's really entering the city." Zhang Fei grinned. It seemed that there was no need to poke Lin Mo.
"I have never seen this cavalry of Cao's army before. It is so powerful that it can overwhelm Lu Bu's Bingzhou cavalry."
Guan Yu sighed distressedly, "In just a short time of pestering them, I lost hundreds of horses."
Zhang Fei then remembered and nodded: "I was just supporting them, but they killed more than fifty riders. Just now I couldn't help myself and charged back single-handedly, and I was almost surrounded by them." .”
"This cavalry is not simple." Guan Yu narrowed his eyes and was still staring at the tiger and leopard cavalry guarding the flanks.
"Whatever, I tricked them into the city, and these more than a hundred riders are worth it!"
Zhang Fei didn't want to think too much and said carelessly: "Let's go, second brother, the eldest brother is still waiting."
(End of chapter)
