At this time, Cao Ren led 20,000 people to Qian County and was a guest in Xiahou Yuan's mansion. After Xiahou Yuan received the news that Xiahou Shang was captured and Ren Jun was killed in battle, he couldn't help but jump like thunder.

Cao Ren asked why, and Xiahou Yuan showed him with a letter, and said angrily: "If the son does not die early, he will be captured by the enemy, and he will laugh at people in vain." ”

After Cao Ren finished reading the letter, he also frowned, and then persuaded Xiahou Yuan: "Why should Miaocai be like this, victory or defeat is a common thing in soldiers." Since you and I led the army, have we never suffered defeat? ”

Xiahou Yuan sighed: "If you are defeated, it will be fine, but you will be captured by the enemy, not to mention the death of Boda, and it will also cause Chen to lose his defense." What face do I have to see Meng Dehu? ”

Cao Ren said: "The matter has come to this, it is better to try to save Boren first." ”

Xiahou Yuan's heart moved, and said, "Zixiao has a good plan?" ”

Cao Rennai said: "There is no good plan, but." Speaking of this, Cao Ren glanced at Xiahou Yuan in embarrassment, but the next words were a little difficult to say.

Xiahou Yuan raised his eyebrows and said, "Zixiao, you and I are friends of life and death, why bother to swallow if you have something to say, although you come to it." ”

Cao Ren smiled bitterly: "Make people learn Zhang Yide, but you can protect Boren." ”

When Xiahou Yuan heard this, his heart suddenly became angry. Zhang Fei recruited Yuan Shu from Liu Bei back then, passed through Qian County, and took his niece captive, although he later also hired the media and had to be Zhang Fei's main room. But in Xiahou Yuan's opinion, this is the shame of the Xiahou family. It has never been allowed to be mentioned left or right. This is Cao Ren, otherwise if he were someone else, Xiahou Yuan would have been angry a long time ago.

Xiahou Yuan thought about it, he was really reluctant to give up this nephew, and snorted a few times, but he acquiesced. He and Zhang Fei once marched into Luoyang together, and they had a good relationship. Who knew that a few years later, Zhang Fei would rob his niece. This is also the reason why he and Xiahou are on fire.

Cao Ren saw that Xiahou Yuan stopped talking, knowing that he had listened to his words. So he said: "The one who heard through Chen Liuliu is Ma Chao, the son of Ma Teng in Liangzhou." On my way north, I don't know if I can see the horse. In his speech, he was full of self-confidence and disdainful of Ma Chao.

Xiahou Yuan thought for a while and said, "I should guard Yuzhou in case there is a change in Yangzhou." The cavalry of Liangzhou came and went like the wind, and the horses were super brave, Zixiao had to be careful on the way, and he should not underestimate the enemy. ”

The two gossiped for a while, and then dispersed.

Cao Ren raised his troops north to Yanzhou, and Xiahou Yuan finally wrote a letter to Xiahou Yuan, asking him to find Zhang Fei. Anyway, Zhang Fei is also the nephew of several of his brothers, and when he thinks of this, he feels inexplicably more comfortable.

Cheng Yu didn't guess wrong, Ma Chao did focus on Dingtao next. It's just that Dingtao is as Cheng Yu said, the soldiers are good enough to eat, and there are people who preside over the overall situation. There are no flaws, so Ma Chao wants to make a move, but there is no good way. Dingtao is the hinterland of Yanzhou again, and then use Chen Liu's method to surround the point to help, but it is not good.

After thinking about it, Ma Chao felt that it was difficult to make a difference in Jiyin, if it dragged on here for a long time, the army would be easy to be exposed, and the food would be difficult to sustain. It's better to retreat first.

Pang De put forward a bold idea, that is, to bypass Dingtao and go straight to Yanzhou Prefecture to govern Changyi. However, in the end, it was vetoed by Ma Chao. Even if you bypass Dingtao, and then go forward, you will be densely packed with cities. I'm afraid that before I get to the city of Changyi, I and the others will be surrounded.

If the cavalry can't give full play to the advantage of mobility, I'm afraid that this bit of men and horses will not be enough for the Yanzhou Cao army to eat.

In the end, Ma Chao decided to retreat first, and then look for fighters. Of course, looting is inevitable before retreating, and it is inevitable to set a few fires.

Cao Ren traveled to the territory of Jiyin, only to see the victims along the way in groups, can not help but be suspicious, the heart of the road did not hear that there is a drought in Yanzhou, why so, so people asked, after a while, there are fathers and elders come to cry, there is an enemy army in front of the road, drive them away from their homes, and then rob the money and food and set fire to the house, making them homeless. There were county soldiers who came to fight, but because the enemy soldiers were outnumbered, they were defeated and killed. And ask the general to call the shots.

When Cao Ren heard this, his spirits perked up, and he said in his heart that this would be harmful.

So they sent scouts to investigate. He led the army to find a place to hide.

Before long, a scout came to report, saying that the front was indeed the enemy army harming the people, and the county town was overwhelmed by the disturbance and the four gates were closed. Cao Ren heard this, and said angrily: "Horses dare to be so rampant! ”

He knew what Ma Chao meant, which was nothing more than to disturb the peace of the people outside the city, and then lure the county soldiers and horses to suppress him, and then he used the advantage of the cavalry to break them down. Dingtao's soldiers and horses did not move, and they were also forced to be helpless. But pity the people outside the city.

Cao Ren saw that there was a valley near the left, so he had a thought and a plan, so he called the general Niu Jin and ordered: "You lead the front battalion of 5,000 soldiers and horses to meet the battle." Then I was defeated here, and when the drums in the mountains sounded, I turned back and fought back, and broke it with me. ”

Niu Jin received the order and led the front battalion to find Ma Chao, while Cao Ren led the remaining troops and hid in the valley. Wait for the news of Niu Jin. Niu Jin led 5,000 men and horses to find Ma Chao, and the army marched dozens of miles, just when Ma Dai's army was setting fire to the house.

Niu Jin was furious when he saw this, so he led his army forward to attack him. Ma Dai had few soldiers, was caught off guard, and retreated. Liangzhou rode from afar, and hurriedly turned the horse's head and looked for Pang De and Ma Chao.

Ma Chao and Pang De were in another place, and when they heard that Ma Dai was defeated by Cao's army, they brought troops back. On the way, Ma Dai coincided, and Ma Chao said: "How incompetent! ”

Ma Dai was ashamed and said, "The enemy army is overwhelming, so it is defeated. ”

Ma Chao said: "If you lose, you will lose, so why say more." Having said that, he made up his mind in his heart to be angry for his younger brother, so he asked Ma Dai to lead the way in front to find the bad luck of the Cao army.

After Niu Jin repelled Ma Dai, he lined up to wait for each other. Seeing the sound of hooves in front of him, the smoke and dust were billowing, and the first three generals, thousands of tiger riders behind him, rushed forward, and their arrogance soared into the sky. Seeing this, Niu Jin couldn't help but secretly complain in his heart, how could his thousands of men and horses withstand the conflict of these thousands of horses? It is also necessary to insist on leading the enemy army to the general. Fortunately, I knew that I had to deal with cavalry, and I had more crossbows and arrows in my bow.

In the next battle, Niu Jin formed a defensive formation, and fought and retreated. In the array, the arrows rained down, but Ma Chao did not dare to rush forward. In this enemy territory where there is no replenishment, one less soldier dies under his command. He was really reluctant.

Seeing that the enemy army was like a hedgehog, Pang De said: "This Cao army is prepared, why don't you retreat?" ”

Ma Chao refused, and sneered: "Let's see how many arrows he has." He didn't believe it, could this Cao army shoot arrows all the time? Even if there were so many arrows, the archers in the array would not be able to bear it. As soon as his arrows are exhausted or his archers are exhausted, he can lead his cavalry to break through the enemy's outer defenses, and the archers in the array will be sheep to the mouth.