Xiahou Dun gathered his defeated troops and retreated northward. When he encountered Cao Cao's Chinese army again, it was already dusk the next day.
Both he and Cao Chun had darkened faces and were dejected. After walking into the Chinese army tent, they knelt down to apologize.
"Yuan Rang, how many troops and horses have been lost?" Cao Cao, who was sitting on the commander's chair, was not surprised. He just looked at Xiahou Dun calmly, without even asking what happened.
"There were 2,100 infantry, 827 tigers and leopards, and all the food, grass and baggage were destroyed."
More than half of the 5,000 vanguard troops were lost, and not counting the wounded, this level of casualties could be regarded as a rout. Cao Cao stood up suddenly, and could no longer calm down.
What was handed over to him was the most elite troops in Cao Camp, which could be called spearhead-level pioneers, especially the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, who were all the best in the world. They could be supplemented by hundreds of generals. This was not something that could be assembled casually.
To put it bluntly, any person picked out from the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry would be above the level of a village commander. He would lose more than 800 yuan in one breath, and Cao Cao's heart would bleed.
"What's going on?" Cao Cao squinted his eyes, and his voice was low but oppressive, making Xiahou Dun dare not look directly.
Cao Chun lowered his head and explained the cause and effect of the incident one by one, which made everyone in the military tent speechless and looked at each other in shock.
How is this possible?
How could he, Liu Bei, be treated like he is today if he has such means?
When he was in Xuzhou, Liu Bei was barely surviving between Lu Bu and Yuan Shu.
No one wants to believe that such a person can lay such an exquisite plan.
"Could it be that Liu Bei found an expert in Huainan and got his help?"
Cheng Yu just sighed briefly, but Cao Cao said coldly, "What kind of expert assistance is it? It's him, Lin Mo, who is behind the scenes!"
"Why is Sikong so sure?" Dong Zhao, who had gray beard and hair, asked.
"Even if there are experts behind Liu Bei, how can you explain the existence of those saltpeters, charcoal and poisons that can be buried in so many houses? The amount is not small. Liu Bei would not be able to get it together unless Lu Bu had someone transport him." It was Guo Jia who explained it.
After such analysis, everyone will understand.
Afterwards, everyone couldn't help but murmur that Lu Bu's son-in-law was indeed a thief. The army came like a gust of wind just to take care of Liu Bei before they could react.
Unexpectedly, they could help Liu Bei resolve the pursuit of the vanguard army in this way without sending troops.
Seriously.
"Get up!" Cao Cao waved his hand, signaling Xiahou Dun and Cao Chun to get up.
He also understood that the two of them could not be entirely blamed for this matter. In that situation, a normal person would choose to go into the city to rest before pursuing him.
But in this way, it would give Lu Bu enough time to reorganize his military affairs. Presumably, if he attacks Liu Bei again, most of them can send troops at any time.
Before Cao Cao could calm down, he saw two scouts running in.
"Report! Liu Bei led the remaining troops to retreat to Ankou County and stationed there!"
"Report! Lu Bu led more than 10,000 troops out of Yangyuan, and his vanguard general Wei Yue led 5,000 people to camp at Panxi Au, thirty miles northeast of Anfeng County!"
Cao Cao turned sideways and snorted coldly, as he expected.
One is stationed in Ankou and the other is stationed in the wilderness. This means that they will form a dichotomy to jointly fight against themselves.
He sat down again, dug out the topographic map of this area from the pile of bamboo slips in the corner of the handsome case, and looked at it carefully, while also mentally calculating the opponent's strength.
Ankou is just a Baili Xiaoguo, and he marked this place before he came. Although there was no military disaster and the city was relatively intact, the city defense will not be so strong that it is difficult to penetrate. At least, if he attacks with all his strength, he is confident that he can break through within two days. .
What is really disturbing is the 20,000 troops led by Lu Bu. Cao Cao knew that Lu Bu's most elite infantry should be in Guangling, and he had to transfer the cavalry over, but these people were all fresh troops, and after his own defeat, Their morale will also rise accordingly, plus a monster boy.
Moreover, they are now in a difficult situation. After they form a horned force, no matter who they attack, they will withstand the crisis of a sneak attack from the other side.
This battle is not easy to fight.
"Sikong, General, please lead 10,000 troops to conquer Ankou. If we fail, I will be willing to serve as a military commander!"
Xu Chu, who was like blocking a city wall, couldn't hold it in any longer and stood up directly to ask for orders.
Cao Cao just glanced at him and laughed dryly, but did not express his position.
Among the many generals in Cao's camp, Cao Cao loved Dian Wei and Xu Chu the most. In addition to their loyalty, he also valued their straightforward personalities and their inability to hide things.
Such people can be trusted absolutely.
However, his suggestion can only be regarded as a way to vent his anger.
Forget it, the vanguard army was severely defeated by Liu Bei's weak division, which had a considerable impact on the morale of the army. In addition, they had traveled hundreds of miles and had to work far away. No matter what, it was better to rest and recuperate now.
Cao Cao slowly closed his eyes, feeling regretful in his heart. He originally planned to take down Liu Bei in one go, but once his troops were frustrated, all kinds of shortcomings would be exposed.
The defeat of this vanguard army had a great impact on the army's combat deployment.
"Sikong, let's consider moving the camp first."
Cheng Yu reminded him, and Cao Cao came to his senses. After saying "Oh," he pointed to a plain on the map and said, "Just station here."
The location pointed by Cao Cao did not have a place name, but it was forty miles away from Lu Bu's army camp and more than forty miles away from Ankou County, so it was a midline location.
From a strategic point of view, it is certainly a passive position, but for future troop deployment tactics, garrisoning here is the most flexible.
The camp location for tomorrow has been decided. Once the camp is set up, it means that this triangle area will become the battlefield that determines the final victory.
The night is already deep.
There was a lot of silence in Cao's camp.
A shocking fire defeated the vanguard army that Cao Jun was proud of, and only less than 2,000 of them were killed. The disastrous defeat of this team that was endowed with invincible attributes made the entire Cao army The sergeants in the battalion were a little frightened.
The night in Huainan was quite chilly. As he walked among the scattered military tents, Cao Cao couldn't help but tighten the brocade robe he wore tightly. He didn't know whether it was the cold night that hit him, or whether it was the military appearance that made him feel lost.
Cao Cao, who was not sleepy, walked among the soldiers under the protection of Xu Chu, hoping to boost their morale.
Unknowingly, I arrived at Guo Jia's military tent.
Fengxiao was not asleep yet.
Seeing the flickering candlelight in his tent, Cao Cao, who was originally depressed, couldn't help but step in.
Inside the tent, Guo Jiazheng was sitting on his knees in front of a table with more than a dozen bamboo pieces and small flags placed on it.
Obviously, he was doing tactical deductions.
Seeing Cao Cao entering the tent, he stood up quickly. The former just pressed his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be polite.
After taking a look at the deduction on the table, Cao Cao sat aside with an expressionless expression.
He picked up the dark red wine gourd on the counter and shook it, without drinking or speaking.
Drinking was forbidden in the army during the war, but Guo Fengxiao seemed not to follow the rules. Cao Cao had always turned a blind eye.
Listening to the reverberation of the wine hitting the inner wall of the gourd, Cao Cao began to mutter to himself.
"Lu Bu is here. This battle is not going to be easy. Lin Yunwen has been too dazzling for more than a year, so he dares to confront me head-on without restraint."
Thinking back to a year ago, he, Lu Bu, was nothing. He had not yet mobilized troops, but issuing an imperial edict to suppress thieves was enough to scare the soldiers and people of Xuzhou.
But now, he dared to rush from Guangling to Anfeng for Liu Bei.
Cao Cao smiled bitterly.
"The current situation is that our army has come a long way and is exhausted. Even if the two of them charge head-on without any scheming, I am not sure of victory."
Cao Cao tossed the wine gourd with his left and right hands and continued: "It is true that Ankou is a small town, and Liu Bei only has a few thousand weak troops, but Anfeng gave us a head-on blow, and it also made me sober up a lot.
It's just like what Zhong Kang said, ten thousand powerful troops attack fiercely, and the rest prepare for Lu Bu's sneak attack. I'm afraid it may not be feasible.
God knows if Lin Yunwen has prepared a second clever plan for Liu Bei, it should not be underestimated. "
Cao Cao seemed to be talking to himself or recounting his sufferings to an old friend. He said to himself, "I just went to Yuan Rang's camp. Did you know that we have less than two thousand people back, including wounded soldiers?" Out of a thousand people, only more than 800 came back intact.
Some of the tiger and leopard cavalry were injured, some were injured by arrows, and some were poisoned and fell unconscious.
Lin Yunwen is so awesome. "
Seeing Cao Cao so melancholy, Xu Chu felt very uncomfortable.
How he wished that he could take Sikong's worries away.
Cao Cao opened the lid of the gourd and raised it high. The yellow wine poured into his mouth.
It seems that at this time, all military disciplines and regulations can be put aside for the time being.
Guo Jia finally stood up. With an expressionless face, he walked up to Cao Cao holding a piece of bamboo in each hand. He smiled slightly and said, "Please Sikong choose one."
Cao Cao looked suspicious and looked up at Guo Jia, "What does it mean to be filial?"
Guo Jia still held up two pieces of bamboo and said firmly: "Sikong will know after you choose one."
Cao Cao hesitated for a moment, looking at the two pieces of bamboo in his hand, not knowing why, and finally picked up one casually.
After turning it over, there is a word "LV" written on it.
What does this mean, so, does another piece of bamboo say 'Liu'?
Under Cao Cao's puzzled eyes, Guo Jia took the piece of bamboo in his hand, walked back to the table, put it directly on the oil lamp to roast, and said calmly: "Didn't Sikong always say that Lin Yunwen is a unique genius, isn't Lu Bu Do you want to rely on this good son-in-law to act unscrupulously? Well, let’s take action on Lin Yunwen.”
He said the harshest words in the softest voice. If someone else said these words, Cao Cao would even think that he was talking nonsense.
But he always believed that Guo Fengxiao was as good as Lin Yunwen.
Just this sentence was enough to make Cao Cao's messy heart calm down instantly. He took a deep breath and looked at Guo Jia, "What do you want to do?"
"Lead Lu Bu's men out of the camp, gather them in the wilderness, and annihilate them."
Surrounding the area for support?
Cao Cao subconsciously thought of sending a force of troops to attack Ankou as a siege. After the news reached Lu Bu's camp, they would definitely send troops to rescue them, and then intercept them halfway.
After thinking for a moment, Cao Cao also felt that this plan was indeed feasible.
However, I only have a few soldiers and horses. If I send them all out to intercept and kill them, then the camp will definitely be empty.
The camp must not be lost. Once the supplies of food and grass are destroyed, even if Lu Bu and Liu Bei are defeated, more than 20,000 people will be in a crisis of food shortage, and in the end they will even be cannibalized by their remaining armies.
"How to do it specifically?" Cao Cao asked attentively.
"Please Sikong lead 10,000 people to Ankou County, and decide whether to attack the city based on the situation in front of the formation. I would like to request an army to ambush at Donglinkou to intercept and kill Lu Bu's reinforcements."
Donglinkou is a small road that Lu Jun's camp must pass when rushing to Ankou County. It is surrounded by dense forests to the west and mountain valleys to the east. Both sides can ambush troops, so Cao Cao is no stranger to this name.
Although Donglinkou is not as natural an ambush point as Xianxiantian, thousands of people can be ambushed in such terrain without leaving any trace.
Cao Cao nodded slowly, but there was no excitement on his face, "Fengxiao, with this move, the camp will be empty. If Lu Bu concentrates his forces to attack the camp, we will be in a desperate situation."
Guo Jia stood up, clasped his fists and bowed: "Sikong, please believe me. They will definitely go to rescue Liu Bei. I am fully confident."
To be honest, if the opponent is you, Guo Jia's extremely risky approach may not work. No matter what tricks you play, they will definitely attack your camp.
The most critical question is that encircling a point for reinforcements is not a clever method. Is this method really used by Feng Xiao and Lin Mo for surgery? Is it just a bit of a joke, or is there something else that I haven't been able to fully understand.
When Cao Cao was in doubt, Guo Jia bowed again and said with some doubts: "Using troops means using danger. Without danger, how can you get surprise troops? Could it be that Sikong doesn't trust me?"
Hearing this, Cao Cao was startled at first, yes, what's wrong with me? I just suffered a small defeat, how could I become so indecisive?
Then he laughed loudly, "Starting from the ambush outside Peicheng, Lu Bu, with the assistance of Lin Mo, crossed the two states and was undefeated in five battles. Of course I believe that Feng Xiaoqian is the one who ended Lin Mo's winning streak. .”
He put his big hand on Guo Jia's shoulder and said with determination, "Everything will go according to your plan. This time, you want the world to know that Lin Mo is not invincible. You, Guo Fengxiao, are still there in this world!"
"Please rest assured Sikong!"
"If Donglinkou is the main battlefield, then I'll let you order generals first."
Cao Cao sat down again. He never thought that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei beside Liu Bei could turn the tide on the battlefield.
The bravery of ten thousand enemies is true, but it also depends on who uses it.
On the other hand, Lu Bu is a very tough guy. Whether he was surrounded by three heroes at Hulao Pass or six generals attacked together in the battle of Puyang, they all proved that his title of invincibility was not just trumped up.
"I only need Xu Chu, Le Jin and Cao Chun, but..."
Guo Jia paused, and Cao Cao smiled and waved his hands: "But it doesn't matter."
"I want all the remaining Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to participate in this battle."
The training of tiger and leopard cavalry began when the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans were gathered together, and a total of three thousand cavalry were trained.
In the battle of Anfeng, 800 people were killed and more than 600 injured, and they were broken in half at once. Cao Cao couldn't help but feel heartbroken when he mentioned it again.
He breathed a long sigh of relief, nodded and said: "Okay, the remaining 1,500 tiger and leopard cavalry in the army will be deployed by you!"
Cao Cao spent a lot of money this time and was determined to bring down Lu Bu and end his legend of Lin Yunwen being undefeated.
"Thank you very much Sikong Chengquan, I won't dare to disappoint Sikong!"
Cao Cao smiled happily, then stood up and threw the wine gourd back to Guo Jia, "Drink less."
After giving a symbolic warning, he left with Xu Chu.
Guo Jia looked at the bamboo slices still burning on the oil lamp, his eyes a little blurry, take the move, Lin Yunwen.
(End of chapter)
