The first snow in Tongguan fell this night.
In the Guan Nei Council Hall, Pang Tong was wearing a cashmere cloak and placed his hands on the fire pot to keep warm, but his expression was extremely heavy.
"Shi Yuan, Cao's army has come a long way and must be exhausted. I want to lead my troops to surprise his forward garrison. All I need to do is burn down all their giant trees. There are neither forests nor cities within a radius of dozens of miles. Tens of thousands of Cao's troops were slaughtered like camels in the wilderness.
But you think this is Cao Cao's destiny, and he must have made complete preparations. Okay, I will listen to you and give up the action. Why do you still look like you are facing a formidable enemy?
Today's Cao Cao is no longer so powerful, and I, Lu Bu, am not the Lu Bu of the past, so there is no need to look sad. "
Looking at Pang Tong's appearance, Lu Bu felt that it was unlucky as if he had lost a battle.
If both sides really fight, Lu Bu feels that he can crush Cao Cao.
"Forgive me, Marquis Wen."
Pang Tong hurriedly turned around and raised his hands to Lu Bu who was sitting on the handsome chair, "It's not that I look like I'm facing a formidable enemy, but we are facing a huge challenge in front of us, so I have to be cautious."
Lu Bu chuckled and glanced at Pang Tong, "You must be serious."
"Marquis Wen, Cao Cao is by no means an easy man to deal with. Now he is the only one in the world who can fight with Marquis Wen."
Pang Tong paused and said attentively: "Please imagine, Marquis Wen. Not only is Tongguan a natural pass, it is also an easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack place. A garrison of 20,000 people can stop Cao Cao's 80,000 people. But how many of us do we have?" ? Ninety thousand, but they are all elite troops under Marquis Wen. Cao Cao is still coming. What does this mean?
It shows that he must have a detailed plan. "
Hearing this, Lu Bu crossed his arms and savored the truth. After a moment, he slowly nodded and said, "There is some truth, so, what are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking if I were Cao Cao, how would I attack Tongguan?"
Seeing Pang Tong's serious face, Lu Bu became interested. Not bad, not bad. He was worthy of being a talent that Yunwen valued, and he seemed to have some sense of strategizing.
He stood up and walked to the brazier, took off the wine gourd from Pang Tong's waist and handed it to the other party's hand. He said calmly: "Then, tell me what you have thought of."
Unlike Cao Cao and Ma Teng, Lu Bu can make you speechless when he is domineering and coercive, but when he is casual, he can make you feel like you have been friends for years.
Pang Tong smiled and took a sip of wine, and then mused: "After much thought, there are only two ways to defeat it. The first is the lifeblood of the three armies. Marquis Wen should have seen the dangers of this during the Guandu War."
Lu Bu smiled disdainfully, saying that was just my son-in-law's method and had nothing to do with Cao Cao, but he nodded in agreement.
Pang Tong continued: "The two are alienation. The tactics used by Marquis Lanling to defeat the ten tribes in Guanzhong were exactly the alienation tactics. Marquis Wen should not forget that Ma Teng and the others are in the Pass at this moment.
One-third of our army belongs to the old Xiliang army. If there is a rift between the two sides, Cao Cao will provide support from outside the pass, and the city will be destroyed at his fingertips. "
Having said this, Lu Bu finally began to feel a little solemn.
This is indeed something that must be guarded against.
Ma Teng was different from others. He had just joined him, and there was absolutely no relationship. If there was any trouble, he would not hesitate to sell himself.
Moreover, they had to switch over because they had no choice. In addition, Ma Chao and Pang De were quite capable, and the Xiliang cavalry were also very powerful. If there really was an uprising, it would be really difficult.
In fact, this is also the reason why Lu Bu did not agree to let Ma Chao take people to Xiliang. These little tigers have not been fully tamed and are not enough to entrust them with important tasks.
Especially after Pang Tong reminded him like this, his suspicion became even more serious. He rubbed his fibrous roots and said in a deep voice: "There is no problem at the grain and grass camp. Although Zhang Yan was the leader of the rat earlier, his little cub and All the family members are in the Northern Kingdom, so they should not be instigated by Cao Cao to rebel.
What's more, Cao Cao was blocked outside the pass. How could he bypass Tongguan to attack grain and grass? Is it possible to cross the Yellow River north and then cross the Wei River? "
"Marquis Wen, this battle is of great importance. If we win, we can take advantage of the situation and take the two states of the Central Plains. Cao Cao only has Yizhou and a small half of Jingzhou left, which is the end of his strong crossbow;
On the contrary, if Cao Cao wins and all Sizhou is returned to Cao Cao, he can follow the example of Emperor Gaozu in those days and use the Kingdom of Tianfu to raise his army and send troops from the throat of the Three Qin Dynasty to conquer the world.
Therefore, I hope that Marquis Wen will not take the matter of the grain and grass camp lightly and send another five thousand troops there. "
Lu Bu frowned and looked at Pang Tong. He had already given Zhang Yan five thousand soldiers. Do you want to give him more?
His original intention was to attack Cao Cao head-on, and he was not willing to waste too much military power in the grain and grass camp.
But after carefully studying Pang Tong's words and thinking of Yuan Shao, Lu Bu finally nodded, "I'll listen to you and send five thousand more people over."
"Thank you Marquis Wen." Pang Tong breathed a sigh of relief.
What a counselor fears most is not that his opponent is powerful, but that his lord will not listen to his own opinions.
Of course he was very happy that a lord like Lu Bu, who was notorious for being a reckless man, could listen to him, a counselor who had just surrendered.
Only then can the position of military advisor and general be truly fulfilled.
"As for the Ma family you mentioned, we can't just drive the Ma family back to Chang'an just to be on guard against Cao Cao, right?" Lu Bu looked at Pang Tong in embarrassment.
"But it's not necessary."
Pang Tong smiled, after all, he had just finished the divorce plan, so of course he knew how to deal with it, "Just replace all the scouts in the army with the Northern Army, so that the Xiliang soldiers will not have a chance to spread the news;
Furthermore, the Ma family's residence must be monitored by a dedicated person, and all letters must go through the hands of Marquis Wen. This can eliminate possible suspicion of collaboration with the enemy. "
Pang Tong's move was considered well-intentioned. On the surface, he was guarding against the Ma family, but in fact, he was protecting them.
Under such circumstances, once Cao Cao used a divorce plan, Lu Bu would not be suspicious, at least not enough to provoke a conflict between the two parties by writing a few false letters.
"That's a good idea."
Lu Bu nodded with satisfaction and patted Pang Tong on the shoulder with his right hand, "Shi Yuan, do you know why I trust you so much?"
"I don't know." Pang Tong shook his head.
"Because Yunwen believes in you, there are not many talents that Yunwen can value. One is Jia Wenhe, one is Zhao Zilong, one is Xu Yuanzhi, and, by the way, there is also that guy Zuo Rong. All of them have made great achievements. "
Lu Bu didn't shy away from what he thought about this worldly genius.
Fortunately, in this world, sometimes the truth is more practical than flattery, especially for smart people like Pang Tong. He nodded heavily and said, "I will live up to the expectations of Marquis Wen and Marquis Lanling."
"By the way, you just said that Cao Cao must have been prepared before he dared to risk going north. You said that he was worried about an ambush in attacking his forwards, but you can't just waste it like this.
Our army is superior to Cao's army in terms of soldiers, horses, food and fodder, so there is no need to be afraid. Now Guan Nei is supervising the construction of thunderbolt chariots, and the tung oil is enough. I see, there is no need to compete with him on strategies, in the overwhelming strength In front of me, everything is in vain. "
What Lu Bu meant by this was that he was preparing to take the initiative and force him with a thunderbolt chariot. It all depends on how long Cao Cao can hold out.
Of course, there might also be a situation where thunderous chariots clashed with each other, but Pang Tong knew that Lu Bu didn't care. As long as the guardrail was damaged, the stronghold would be useless and he could give Cao Cao a fatal blow at any time.
Pang Tong shook the wine gourd in his hand. In the wilderness, Lu Bu personally led the army. It was indeed difficult to play any tricks.
Moreover, he couldn't just deny his lord's opinions. People also have a sense of face.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "Marquis Wen Mingjian."
"good!"
Lu Brown laughed loudly, "Your temperament is quite satisfactory to me."
Both Cao Cao and Fa Zheng were very surprised that Lu Bu did not come to rob the camp.
After all, Cao Jun had prepared a lot of fire oil, waiting for them to come and treat him to a fire, which would cost him thousands of horses, but he didn't come.
The village is the destiny of Cao Jun. I think Pang Tong must have been able to see this. What surprised a few people was not that Pang Tong could see the clues, but that a reckless man like Lu Bu, who came from nothing today, should have already used his nostrils. Seeing people.
Such a person prides himself on being brave. There are probably not many people in the world except Lin Mo who can persuade him, let alone Pang Tong who has just surrendered.
It's really weird.
Originally, it was intended to hurt Lu Bu in a battle, so that he could be honest for a while, but it wouldn't take long, about a month would be enough.
Now, what Cao Cao lacks most is time.
He must buy this time for Zhong Yao, Chen Dao, and Wu Yi, so that Fazheng's plan can be perfectly implemented.
Otherwise, with these 80,000 men, let alone tackling key problems, Lu Bu would be able to defeat them all even in a field battle.
Now that he has chosen to acquiesce to the fact that he is stationed, let's hold off.
It would be best if no one takes action during this period, just let it go and see who suffers in the end.
Cao Cao had full confidence in Fazheng's plan. The plan was as thorough and far-reaching as Lin Yunwen's.
"Sikong."
Outside the tent, Xu Chuhu stepped in, stepped forward and cupped his hands and said, "Lü Bu has come out of seclusion."
"How many people." Cao Cao's heart sank, but his face remained calm.
"I don't know. You can't see the end at a glance. Let's say at least 30,000. There are six or seven thousand cavalry alone, and there are also thunderbolt chariots."
After Xu Chu finished speaking, Cao Cao laughed and said, "Lu Bu is really different from what he used to be. He makes such a big show wherever he moves, and even brings a thunderbolt chariot."
"Sikong, the last general is asking for a fight. I am willing to kill Lu Bu in front of the two armies!"
After Dian Wei finished speaking, Xu Chu immediately added: "I'll go too!"
These two people can be regarded as the two heroes under Cao Cao's command, and they also have an absolute understanding of Lu Bu's martial arts.
During the battle at Xingyang, Dian Wei fought closely with Lu Bu; during the battle at Puyang, six generals fought against six of Lu Bu's generals, including Xu Chu and Dian Wei.
I dare to say such cruel words because the most recent battle between generals was the Battle of Puyang ten years ago.
Ten years, how many decades are there in life?
Not everyone can survive ten years at their peak.
Both Dian Wei and Xu Chu firmly believed that Lu Bu, who was approaching his fifties, would no longer be as fierce as Hulao Pass.
Challenged Ma Chao in front of the battle not long ago?
Of course they also know, but they don't know how capable Ma Chao is. God knows if he is just a piece of water-injected pork that cannot live up to his reputation.
What's more, Dian Wei and Xu Chu are both first-class warriors in the world, and they also have the capital to be arrogant.
"The general is willing to go with us!"
"The last general also invites you to fight!"
"The general will go too!"
As soon as Dian Wei and Xu Chu took the lead, everyone else started shouting.
Zhang He and Xu Huang also have some foundation in Cao Ying, so they can speak louder.
Wu Lan, Lingbao, Deng Xian and Liu Sui, who had just joined Cao's camp, also came out to bow.
Cao Cao laughed with satisfaction, "Everyone, it's not time to fight with Lu Jun yet, let's let them make noise for a while, and then make a decision after they lose their energy."
If we just talk about fighting generals, in fact, Cao Cao is not panicking now.
Because Zhong Yao has given himself all the old people on the opposite side, Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, and Gao Shun are not around Lu Bu. Yan Liang and Wen Chou are in Huainan again, and Zhang Xiu has gone to Xiliang. Cao Cao knows best the level of Man Chong.
As for Zhang Yan, he is just a bandit and is nothing to worry about.
Of course, there is another unknown being called Ma Chao. I heard that he is very powerful, but I have never seen him.
In other words, most of the people around Lu Bu now are just middle-level generals.
But on our own side, Dian Wei and Xu Chu are enough for Lu Bu to drink a pot. Xu Huang and Zhang He are not just decorations. In addition, Wu Lan and Lingbao, the Yizhou military generals who have just surrendered and are eager to perform meritorious service, swarm them when the battle is over. , Lu Bu’s fate is really unknown.
Even if Lu Bu cannot be killed, there is no problem in defeating him. It is not uncommon for the general to be defeated in front of the three armies and then pursue him.
However, Cao Cao also knew very well that this battle was his destiny.
If defeated, this land of the Central Plains will no longer have a foothold.
He didn't want to collide head-on with Lu Bu unless he had to.
What made him abandon Xuzhou and fight in Sizhou was that this territory was too important to him. It could not only break the three-sided attack, but also restore the channels for purchasing war horses.
The second one is that Fa Zheng's plan is extremely sophisticated.
Therefore, he knew very well that what he had to do was to stall for time and buy enough time for Zhong Yao to operate at the rear. The other small fights, winning one game and losing one, were not enough to determine the outcome.
Cao Cao just asked all his troops to prepare for the battle. Although he could not leave the stronghold, he still had to guard against the possibility of Lu Bu suddenly charging into the stronghold.
Next, comes the expected daily greetings to the three generations of ancestors.
What the hell are you looking at? Come out for a duel and hit me!
Ma Chao was the most energetic, waving the tiger-headed golden gun with a ferocious expression and striking four times in a row: "Cao thief, traitor, evil thief, rebellious thief!"
Of course, this method can't scold Cao Jun out of the camp, but now that the thunderbolt chariot has not arrived, you don't know what you can do if you don't scold them.
If you get too close, you will be greeted by a hail of arrows, so you can only pray for Cao Cao with lotus flowers.
After scolding for most of the day, it was only at Shenshi that the Pili cars began to arrive one after another.
There's nothing that can be done about it. This thing is dead heavy. It's thirty miles away from Tongguan. Even if it's a Pili car equipped with a hundred and ten people, it can only go so fast.
In fact, at this point, the energy has dissipated.
Apart from yelling and scolding for a long time and losing their physical strength on the road, they had only eaten the meal in the morning and had not eaten anything since.
If it were to be a full-scale fight, the party would definitely be at a disadvantage, but Lu Bu was not afraid at all and directly ordered the attack.
Eight Thunderbolt cars lined up and started blasting.
But there are also throwers in Cao Ying, and they were not given by Lin Mo at the beginning. They have been improved by Cao Ying's craftsmen, and now their power is not inferior to Lu Bufang's Thunderbolt Chariot.
During this period of fighting, the sergeants began to eat dry food.
Jars of kerosene were thrown at Cao Jun by thunderbolt carts, and boulders weighing dozens of kilograms were similarly thrown from the camp opposite.
But the accuracy is unmatched.
This is not to say that the long-range weapons of the two sides are completely different, but that the targets are different and the effects are naturally very different.
As long as Lu Jun's Thunderbolt Chariot doesn't hit the ground, it doesn't matter whether it lands on the fence or inside Cao's camp.
Cao Jun's thrower must hit Lu Jun's Thunderbolt Chariot to resolve the crisis, otherwise sooner or later, he will bore a hole in the village.
By the time the two sides reached a truce at night, Cao Jun's fence had been burned through more than a dozen holes and had to be repaired overnight;
On the other hand, Lu Jun's Pili Chariots only lost three units.
God knows if there will be new Perak cars delivered tomorrow.
The most terrible thing is that Lu Jun did not retreat just because it was dark, but buried pots and made rice a few miles away. This was insulting.
Cao Cao immediately called Fazheng and Cheng Yu to discuss whether it was okay to play like this.
Fa Zheng also had an idea. He immediately suggested sending people to carry water vessels to the Yellow River while it was dark. This move was bound to make Lu Bu uneasy. When he led his cavalry to charge, he took advantage of the situation and destroyed the Thunderbolt Chariot.
Cheng Yu suggested taking advantage of the darkness. Lu Jun had been tossing the whole day, and when the men and horses were exhausted, he would go out to attack the stronghold, and then divide a small group of people to burn the thunderbolt chariot.
Both methods have relatively high feasibility, but Cao Cao finally felt that this could only solve a temporary emergency.
After all, he is not sure if there are more Pili cars in Tongguan. You can use some tricks to destroy the ones in front of you. When you come back the next day, people will be on guard against you.
If it doesn't take ten or eight days, the village will still have to be destroyed.
After thinking about it, Cao Cao took the initiative to propose that tomorrow, let Dian Wei go out to fight with the generals and name them to fight Lu Bu. As long as he dares to fight, then Xu Chu, Zhang He, Xu Huang, and Wu Lan, who are more capable of fighting, will not be able to fight on any battlefield. After he behaved himself, a swarm of bees rushed up to fight with him.
Even if a miracle cannot be achieved with great force, self-protection is not a big problem after all.
In case of success, it feels quite reliable to let Lingbao, Deng Xian and others lead the army to kill.
Cheng Yu expressed his support, but Fa Zheng did not take a position.
After all, he didn't know much about Cao Ying generals such as Dian Wei, Xu Chu, Zhang He and Xu Huang. Even if he wanted to show his ambition, he wouldn't be careless.
Of course, if it can really be fought, this method is the most direct and effective.
And after a battle, Lu Jun would definitely be able to stay honest for half a month.
In this way, there will be ample time for action in the rear.
The only requirement is that even if you want to fight a general, you must consider that if you miss, the stronghold will be in danger. Therefore, the main focus of the deployment of soldiers and horses in the stronghold should not be attack, but defense.
A wise man does not think about winning, but thinks about defeat first.
Cao Cao agreed with this point. Anyway, he was not in a hurry and had to maximize the number of targets. When the cavalry came out in full force, they would eventually be able to cause considerable damage to Lu Jun's infantry.
The ultimate goal is just to delay Lu Jun's edge, and there is no need to pursue anything else first.
The next day, Cao Jun's fence was once again attacked by Lu Jun's thunderbolt chariot. Several pieces were even knocked out. The gap was two to three feet wide, which was enough for four or five cavalry to charge in parallel.
The price is that the tung oil has bottomed out and has to be transported from Tongguan. It doesn't matter, they don't dare to come out anyway, and Lu Bu is not in a hurry.
In fact, it is very risky to play like Lu Bu by pushing the Thunderbolt Chariot to the entrance of the opponent's camp.
First, the Thunderbolt car was expensive to build, slow in movement, and easily burned down by sneak attacks.
Another thing is that if the battle goes wrong, the infantry may not be able to run away, let alone these thunderbolt vehicles.
Therefore, it is almost not a crushing situation, and few people will adopt this method of play.
At noon, there finally started to be movement on the other side of Cao's camp.
A group of soldiers and horses rushed out, and the two armies formed a confrontation.
At the same time, the sergeants in the stockade were also putting out fires and repairing fences, antlers and the like.
I finally gave up.
Lu Bu breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling that a power was awakened in his body.
Ma Chao was equally excited. He also pointed out that he had made great achievements this time so that his status in Lu Ying could be mentioned.
Before Ma Chao could speak, a dark-skinned general on the opposite side rode forward on his horse with a pair of halberds and shouted angrily: "I am Chen Liu Dianwei, where is Lu Bu? Do you dare to fight me?"
Ma Chao became excited as soon as he heard this. Dian Wei, Cao Cao's guard general, right? I heard that Cao Cao called him the evil man from ancient times. Come on, come on, come and check with me.
(End of chapter)
