The coalition forces attacked at the same time, intending to take advantage of the superiority in strength to tear apart the defense of the Northern Frontier Army.

Yuan Xi was worried about the safety of Yancheng and Fengqiu, and supervised the onslaught. In his opinion, if he can take Chen Liu in the shortest possible time, and then divide his troops to rush to Yancheng, he still has hope to complete the important task assigned by his father, which may be able to alleviate his father's anger towards him. The consequences of disobeying his father's orders are unpredictable, and this is a provocation to his father's authority. Yuan Xi was unwilling to give up this newly acquired opportunity, and he longed to return to Luoyang.

The Hu cavalry battalion led by Zhao Yun used to be the Black Panther Yicong Battalion, which was the elite of the elite of the iron cavalry in Northern Xinjiang, and the soldiers were all battle-hardened soldiers. Although they lacked experience in defending the city, and the defense was very chaotic at the beginning of the battle, and the city wall was once full of dangers, these black panthers were skilled in the battle formation, sharp in attack and defense, sharp, accurate and fast in archery, and there were plenty of bows and arrows in Chen Liucheng, which greatly made up for their lack of experience in defending the city. After several fierce battles, the soldiers of the northern frontier gradually stabilized their positions and firmly held on to the city wall.

During the interval of the battle, Zhao Yun leaned against the wall alone, looking up at the sky, his expression was extremely cold.

The priest quietly walked up to him, looked at him timidly, and stopped talking. Although he and Sima Yi captured Chen Liucheng, the methods used were too bloody and cruel. Zhao Yun obviously couldn't accept this kind of attack, and since he entered the city, he hadn't shown a trace of a smile on his face, ignoring himself and Sima Yi.

Sima Yi knew that his attack had violated the taboo of the Northern Frontier Army. For so many years, under the strict management of the army by the general, the Northern Xinjiang Army never dared to burn, kill, and plunder the people. At that time, Zhang Liao dug embankments on the battlefield in Hanoi and poured out Huaicheng, because he was worried that he would be charged with slaughtering people, he took a great risk and drove all the people within dozens of miles of Huaicheng to Pinggao City with his cavalry. I was eager to make a meritorious contribution this time, and I just wanted to achieve my goal, and I had already left these unwritten rules behind. It's okay for General Hutou to kill and surrender, and of course it will be fine for me to attack Chen Liu in the name of burning, killing and plundering, but now it seems that I have thought about this matter simply. He is not a tiger head general, and with his qualifications, even if he has made meritorious contributions to the city and land, I am afraid that he will not be able to escape the scourge of being punished by the general. Looking at Zhao Yun's face, he knew that he didn't think about this matter and did it too impulsively.

However, Sima Yi kept a hand. He knew that he had a great deal of success in this method, and the credit would definitely be great, but if he took the credit alone, the reward would be limited. Because he was not a close confidant of the general, the credit for capturing Chen Liu would fall to Zhao Yun, so he pulled the sacrifice forward.

Sai Feng is the son of the northern Xinjiang warrior Karasuma people Heng Sai. In his early years, Heng Sai followed the generals to fight in all directions, and many generals in northern Xinjiang were friends of life and death. After Sai Feng arrived in the Northern Xinjiang Army, he was deeply loved by the generals and many generals, and a few years later he sat in the position of the commander of the Black Panther Righteous Battalion. The imperial court implemented a new military system, and the Black Panther Yi was merged into the Northern Army from the battalion and reorganized into the Hu Cavalry Battalion. Sai Feng then became one of the youngest lieutenants of the Northern Army with a rank of 2,000 stone in the imperial court. Many generals of the Northern Xinjiang Army have been fighting for more than ten years but are just captains, and many people complain about this. Therefore, helping Sai Feng to get more merits has become the consensus of Heng Sai's friends before his death, which can not only make the general happy, but also stop the mouth of the dissatisfied, and everyone is happy.

In Hebei, people who were close to the generals were in high positions at a young age. Wen Youtian Chou and Fu Gan. Tian Chou is considered Li Hong's relative because of the relationship between Mrs. Xiaoyu and Tian Chong. Fu Gan is the son of Fu Xie, the Marquis of Zhuangjie, and Fu Xie and Li Hong formed a deep friendship in Xiliang during his lifetime. Wu Youyan Liang and Zhao Yun. It is normal for martial artists to form brotherhood because of their temperament. Sai Feng is Li Hong's son and nephew, and in this generation, except for Fu Gan, it is Sai Feng who likes Li Hong the most.

Sima Yi thought to himself, if I take Chen Liu with Sai Feng, the reward will definitely be great, and I can also get Li Hong's favor and appreciation because of this, and I can get more opportunities for meritorious service. However, it backfired, this move offended Zhao Yun, and it is estimated that there is no hope for the reward, so it is better to seek credit first. Zhao Yun has a prominent reputation in the Northern Xinjiang Army, is honest and humble, honest and self-disciplined, loves soldiers like children, governs the army gently, has excellent popularity, and has a very high prestige. Sima Yi was weak-hearted and wanted to probe Zhao Yun's tone, so he privately persuaded Sai Feng to admit his mistake to Zhao Yun first and see if things could turn around. Although Sai Feng and Zhao Yun have always been very close, it was the first time he saw Zhao Yun so angry, and his heart was extremely uneasy.

Sai Feng mustered up his courage, and just as he wanted to speak, Zhao Yun said first, "Go and call Zhongda." ”

Sima Yi stood in front of Zhao Yun nervously.

Zhao Yun looked at him, sighed, reached out and took the battle helmet in Sima Yi's hand, and slowly put it on his head, "You are Shangguan, you must look like Shangguan." I see that you like to hang around with a battle helmet when you have nothing to do, did you learn this habit from General Tiger Head? ”

Sima Yi was originally very nervous, but he was overjoyed when he heard this, knowing that Zhao Yun was not really angry, his mood suddenly relaxed, "General Hutou said to me, don't put your head in an iron can all day long, you must often take it out to let it out, and stay awake, otherwise you will suffocate to death." ”

Zhao Yun frowned, turned around and walked forward. Sima Yi smiled and hurriedly followed.

"When you came to the Central Plains battlefield, it was the general who personally named the chief minister." Zhao Yun said unhurriedly, "The general likes you very much. He once told me that you would be the only one who could replace him as a general in the future. ”

Sima Yi looked at Zhao Yun in disbelief, almost suspecting that he had heard it wrong, and the extreme excitement made him tremble involuntarily.

Zhao Yun stopped, turned his head to look at him, and said in a very serious tone, "Do you know why I told you? ”

Sima Yi suddenly understood what Zhao Yun meant. After the excitement, extreme remorse immediately overwhelmed him, leaving him in pain. I wanted to make meritorious contributions so much that I even did whatever it took to bury my good future.

"Sai Feng is a Karasuma man, and there are many reasons why he commands the Hu cavalry camp. The Hu Cavalry Battalion used to be the Black Panther Righteous Battalion, which was the general's personal guard iron cavalry, which was the main reason why Sai Feng served as the eighth lieutenant of the Northern Army. In the future, no matter how much merit he has, he is also the captain of the Hu Cavalry Battalion, a great official with a rank of 2,000 stones, and he will not leave the Hu Cavalry Battalion. In other words, even if you share the credit for capturing Chen Liu with him, you will not get the opportunity to be promoted, on the contrary, you will harm yourself and the priest. ”

"After the matter is reported to the imperial court, the ministers of the DPRK and China, including many generals in the army, will definitely play for impeachment. It is not that the imperial court is opposed to harming the people when necessary, but it is strictly forbidden for generals from Hu people like Sai Feng to harm the people. The court will make an example of each one and will not tolerate it. After this battle, the general can save his life, and it would be good to let him continue to stay in the Hu cavalry camp. ”

Sima Yi suddenly thought of something, and his face suddenly changed drastically.

Zhao Yun smiled bitterly, "You have asked for a lot of cleverness in this matter and made a lot of mistakes. You originally wanted to win over the priest and curry favor with the general, but you unexpectedly harmed the priest. The court's punishment of the priest would implicate the Hu cavalry battalion, and the soldiers of the Hu cavalry battalion were all righteous servants of the general in the past, and were extremely loyal to the general, which would make the general feel threatened and feel that the imperial court was deliberately using this matter to weaken his military power. The punishment of the priest was caused by your attack strategy, and you are not a close confidant of the Great General, so your purpose in doing so is obvious. ”

Sima Yi's forehead was already sweating. greedy for fame and impulsiveness, the consequences may be the life of the entire family and the shock of the entire Jinyang court. Sima Yi stood on the city tower with his head down, discouraged for a while, and depressed to the extreme.

"Zhongda, leading the army to fight is not about whether you have completed the target of the attack, but whether you have preserved the interests of the majority of people in the process of completing the target." Zhao Yun walked slowly and said in a low voice, "If you win the battle, but you cause the interests of many people to suffer, your fault will be far greater than your credit." If you have read history books, you should know that many generals in history who were able to fight well did not die well, and one of the most important points is that they only consider their own merits and interests, or understand the purpose of the conquest one-sidedly from their own perspective, completely ignoring the overall interests of the war. ”

"Conquest is a part of national policy, and conquest must conform to national policy, and conquest must follow the offensive and defensive strategies of the imperial court in military affairs. Only when you are consistent can you be invincible. ”

"Up and down, you know?" Zhao Yun stretched out his hand and patted Sima Yi beside him, and asked solemnly.

Sima Yi nodded.

"Tell me about it."

"The general wants us to attack Chenliu and surround Chenliu, so as to achieve the goal of cutting off Cao Cao and Liu Bei's grain routes and retreats, and dragging Yuan Shao's army, but he did not let us capture Chenliu."

"After we captured Chenliu, the iron cavalry immediately lost its maneuver, and the advantage became a disadvantage."

"We hold on to the city, and the rebels only need to surround us with one part, and most of the rest can safely march east to rescue. In this way, not only did we fail to cut off Cao Cao and Liu Bei's grain routes and retreats, and dragged Yuan Shao's army, but we made the rendezvous of the two rebel armies faster. Once they meet, they will be able to block the advance of the main force of our army, and we will not be able to rescue for a long time......"

Sima Yi looked up at the soldiers around him, and he was so painful that he almost cried. These are all Black Panther servants who have followed the general for more than ten years, and they are all soldiers who have participated in the Battle of Sunset Plain, if they die in Chen Liu senselessly like this, the general will go crazy, and he will never let himself go.

"My lord, why did you go into the city? Why do you want to order a large army into the city? Sima Yi was completely desperate, he grabbed the battle helmet on his head, glared at Zhao Yun and shouted loudly.

Zhao Yun touched his short beard, looked up at the rebel battle formation with flags fluttering under the city, and his handsome face showed a trace of perseverance and a hint of murderous aura.

"We will hold Chenliu, just wait for the army to kill under the city, and the rebels will withdraw, so that we will advance to the line of Fengqiu and Chenliu in the shortest possible time, so that we will get more time, we can gain a firm foothold in Yanzhou, and we can quickly form a decisive battle with the rebels."

"This is the only chance you and the priest Feng can get away with their crimes and make meritorious contributions." Zhao Yun said calmly, "As for the responsibility for killing and injuring the people, resisting the order to seize the city, and harming the righteousness, I will bear it alone, so you will be fine." ”

"My lord......" Sima Yi looked at Zhao Yun gratefully, tears almost falling.

"Don't be grateful to me. I did this not to exonerate you, but for the stability of the court. If we win the Central Plains War, we will begin to pacify the great cause of the world, and if we lose, we will make every effort to conquer the south again. And to do all this, we need a court that works together, we need great generals. Zhao Yun glanced at Sima Yi lightly, "Zhongda, you are too young. This lesson will give you an idea of what it means to fight. The bloody battlefield and the thrilling killings are nothing but a continuation of national politics. The gains and losses of a city or a place, or the victory or loss of a battle, cannot determine the outcome of the war, and it is the national government and the imperial court that really determine the outcome of the war. If you have never understood how to link national politics with war, the court and the battlefield, you will never become an excellent general of this dynasty, let alone sit in the position of a great general of this dynasty. ”

Sima Yi bowed down to be taught.

"I'll keep it a secret." Zhao Yun finally showed a smile on his face, "My personal reputation and honor are nothing, I just hope you don't disappoint the general." ”

"My lord, do you think we can keep Chenliu? Will you be able to hold out until the army comes to help? Sima Yi asked apprehensively. Zhao Yun's words shocked and impacted him very greatly, almost destroying all of Sima Yi's self-confidence in just a few moments.

"Have faith." Zhao Yun once again put the helmet on Sima Yi's head, "Faith can allow us to overcome fear and defeat all opponents. ”

"Knock knock ......" war drums sounded, and the enemy attack began again.

Zhao Yun looked at the enemy soldiers who rushed up like a tide under the city, sneered lightly, and waved his hand back. "Drumming ......"

On the second night of the Battle of Chenliu, the coalition army camp.

Scout Pegasus reported that the main force of the Northern Xinjiang Army crossed the Jishui River, and within one day connected the two cities of Jiyang and Dongdu, and was rapidly advancing towards Chenliu.

Yuan Xi was shocked and urgently summoned Tian Feng, Xu You, Liang Qi, Wen Ping and others to discuss the matter.

"Is it the main force of the Northern Xinjiang Army, or is it part of the Northern Xinjiang Iron Cavalry that surrounded Dongdui and Jiyang some time ago?" Xu You panicked and shook his head again and again, unable to believe the scout's report, "Cao Cao and Liu Bei returned to Yanzhou with an army of 70,000, even if Liu Bei went to support Guan Yu in Xuzhou, they still had an army of 60,000. According to our exploration, the Northern Xinjiang Army got rid of the troops left in the Changyi area, and the Dingtao area was no more than 60,000 or 70,000 horses, what advantage did Li Hong have to defeat Cao Cao and Liu Bei in such a short period of time? Where did the two of them's armies go? All eaten by leopards? ”

Everyone was dumbfounded, and they also thought it was incredible. The speed of the Northern Xinjiang Army's advance was too fast, and it was less than a month since the attack began to cross the river to now the troops forced Chen Liu, and the Northern Xinjiang Army actually advanced thousands of miles, attacking the city all the way into a no-man's land.

"Yuan Hao......" Yuan Sheng patted Tian Feng, who had a very bad complexion, and asked anxiously, "How to deal with it?" Are Cao Cao and Liu Bei finished? Annihilated? ”

"No, it won't." Tian Feng half lay on the seat, and said weakly, "In the Dingtao area, Cao Cao and Liu Bei have 50,000 or 60,000 horses, and if Li Hong wants to fight them, he can only fight a decisive battle, but such an early decisive battle is extremely unfavorable to the Northern Xinjiang Army." The decisive battle will cause the Northern Xinjiang Army's troops to be damaged too quickly and too much, and it will be difficult for them to quickly occupy Yanzhou if they have insufficient troops, let alone gain a foothold in Yanzhou. Unable to gain a foothold in Yanzhou, the Northern Xinjiang Army would not be able to continue the Central Plains War. In order to achieve the goal of seizing the Central Plains, the Northern Frontier Army must seize the opportunity to win the decisive battle in the whole territory of Yanzhou before the armies of all our sides join forces to counterattack, so as to win the opportunity to win the decisive battle. From this point of view, Li Hong did not have the determination to fight a decisive battle for the time being. ”

Cao Cao and Liu Bei were also unwilling to fight a decisive battle. They defeated all the men and horses, and defeated the Northern Xinjiang Army to the point of losing their troops, which is equivalent to giving Yanzhou and Xuzhou to us. Will they be so generous? ”

"No, it won't." Tian Feng asked himself and continued, "Cao Cao and Liu Bei must have retreated. They want to lure the Northern Xinjiang Army to Chenliu and let us fight against Li Hong, so as to consume our troops. ”

"Then why didn't the scouts find Cao Cao and Liu Bei's army?" Yuan Xi asked, "Where did they go?" ”

Tian Feng closed his eyes and frowned in contemplation. Could it be that they went north and withdrew to the area of Yancheng and Changyuan on the line of the Pushui River? There are more than 200 miles from Dingtao to Changyuan, and the infantry cavalry of the Northern Xinjiang Army will then cover up, and Cao Cao and Liu Bei's army may collapse. Going north is a dead end, and Cao Cao and Liu Bei will not kill themselves. Where will they retreat?

"Shall we divide our forces and march east?" Yuan Xi saw that everyone didn't speak, so he asked.

"You can't divide the troops, or fight Chen Liu." Xu You hurriedly waved his hand to stop, "No matter whether Cao Cao and Liu Bei are wiped out or where they are withdrawn, it is a fact that the main force of the Northern Xinjiang Army is rushing to kill. If we want to block the Northern Xinjiang Army, if we want to block the Northern Xinjiang Army in the second line of defense, we must recapture Chenliu. We don't have time to attack day and night. ”

If Chen Liu couldn't take it back, he would throw it away in a daze, and Xu You's good days would come to an end, so he strongly opposed Yuan Xi's suggestion.

"The Northern Frontier Army in the city is very powerful, the defense is quite tight and strong, and our losses are too great." Yuan Xi thought that the siege of the city was blocked today, and the idea of continuing the attack became weaker and weaker. Concentrating his forces to attack Chen Liu, he had already disobeyed his father's orders. Now the battle situation has changed again, the life and death of Cao Cao and Liu Bei's army is uncertain, once he fails to take the city before the Northern Xinjiang army kills Chen Liu, and falls into the predicament of being attacked by the enemy, not only will he lose his troops, but it is more likely that the defense of Junyi and Kaifeng will collapse instantly because of the serious shortage of troops. His father's plan to block the Northern Xinjiang Army in front of the second line of defense would also fail completely, and Luoyang would directly face the threat of the Northern Xinjiang Army.

You're going to die, don't want to bury me with you. Yuan Xi looked coldly at Xu You's mouth that opened and closed up and down quickly, and didn't listen to a word. It was not his fault that Chen Liuliu lost it, but if he lost his troops and lost his generals, followed Xu You and lost Junyi and Kaifeng, and opened all the doors to Henan, it would be his own fault.

"Divide the troops immediately." Yuan Xi said loudly, "Order Jiang Qi and Meng Dai to lead the army to cross the Bishui River overnight, enter Xiaohuangcheng, and block the Northern Xinjiang Army. ”

"The two adults, Herald Zhan Zhan and Han Juzi, led the army back to Junyi overnight. Once the Northern Frontier Army conquers Xiaohuangcheng, they will face a frantic attack by the Northern Frontier Army. If Junyi falls, the Northern Xinjiang Army will cross the chasm and directly kill Zhongmu City and enter the hinterland of Henan. Therefore, whether Junyi can hold it will be directly related to the safety of Luoyang, please two adults must guard Junyi to the death, and they are not allowed to take a step back. ”

"Lord Wen, please lead the army across the Langtang Canal and enter Kaifeng City." Yuan Xi arched his hand and said to Wen Ping, "Chenliu has been lost, and after the main force of the Northern Xinjiang Army enters Chenliu, it will immediately cross the Langtang Canal to attack Kaifeng." Once Kaifeng falls, the Northern Xinjiang Army will be able to go north and kill Zhongmu directly. Adults shoulder heavy responsibilities and must not slack off. ”

Wen Ping bowed down to receive the order, "Chen Liu is lost, and the only ones who can stop the Northern Xinjiang Army from entering the hinterland of Henan are Junyi and Kaifeng." Rest assured, even if my Jingzhou soldiers fight to the last man, they will never take half a step back. ”

Yuan Xi turned his head to look at Tian Feng. Tian Feng nodded and agreed with his deployment. At this moment, insisting on attacking Chenliu by force, the army suffered too much loss. In addition, the Northern Xinjiang Army is approaching overnight, and once it is dragged by its main force, the losses will be even more astonishing if it is attacked by the enemy on its belly and back. In the case of insufficient troops, it is almost impossible for the army to hold Junyi and Kaifeng and firmly block the Northern Xinjiang Army from the second line of defense. After weighing the pros and cons, there is only one way to abandon Chen Liu, and instead stick to the two cities of Junyi and Kaifeng behind Chen Liu.

Xu You sighed, his face like ashes. Yuan Sheng grabbed his long beard with a sluggish expression.

On the third day, Yuan Xi retreated ten miles with an army of 20,000 and stationed troops on the west bank of the Bishui River to make a final fight.

Yuan Xi planned to take advantage of the danger of the river to block the Northern Xinjiang Army on the west bank of the Bishui River. In the case of insufficient food and grass and unclear battle conditions, the northern frontier cavalry in the city either broke through the city, or killed horses to feed their stomachs and continued to hold on. The Northern Xinjiang cavalry broke through the city, and Yuan Xi could naturally pick up a bargain. If they held the city, Yuan Xi would count on follow-up reinforcements to arrive at Chenliu to attack. At present, there are 30,000 Jingzhou reinforcements, reinforcements from Runan Xu Xuan who came from Yuzhou, and reinforcements from Sun Ce and Zhou Yu from Jiangdong. There is no news of these three reinforcements, only Sun Ce and Zhou Yu of Jiangdong, and the other two armies are getting closer and closer to the Central Plains.

In the evening, Yuan Xi received a message from Jiang Qi from Xiaohuangcheng. The vanguard infantry army of the Northern Xinjiang Army has already arrived at the foot of Xiaohuangcheng, and there will definitely be a fierce battle tomorrow.

The situation on the battlefield in the Central Plains is becoming more and more severe.

In the evening, Yuan Xi suddenly received good news.

Xin commented that Cao Cao and Liu Bei, under his response, had led the army to withdraw from Changyuan City, crossed the Pushui River, and successfully arrived at Yancheng.

Yuan Xi, Tian Feng and others were surprised and excited. Cao Cao and Liu Bei's army, surrounded by the Northern Xinjiang Army, miraculously withdrew safely. Luck, good luck befell the coalition forces, which made the coalition troops suddenly smell a breath of victory.

"Quick, tell the news to all the troops of the army." Yuan Xi ordered repeatedly, dancing happily.

Although Cao Cao and Liu Bei suffered heavy losses under the city of Dingtao, they chose to retreat in time and unexpectedly chose the most dangerous route of retreat north. This unexpected move disrupted the deployment of the Northern Xinjiang Army, making them unable to catch up, and missing an opportunity to severely damage Cao Cao and Liu Bei in vain. After Cao Cao and Liu Bei arrived at Yancheng with an army of 40,000, the defense line of Yancheng and Fengqiu, which Yuan Xi was most worried about, was consolidated, and the coalition army could block Yan Liang's attack. The crisis on the battlefield in the north of the Central Plains was lifted, which greatly alleviated the grim situation on the battlefield in the Central Plains, and also reassured Yuan Xi, who was restless. His own hesitation at the front delayed a lot of military aircraft, and his father must blame himself for his incompetence and cowardice. However, the first line of Yancheng and Fengqiu is now firmly controlled by the coalition forces, and Henan is temporarily worry-free, and the blame of my father will be much lessened.

On the fourth day, the vanguard iron cavalry of the Northern Frontier Army appeared on the bank of the Bishui River.

The war is about to begin, and Yuan Xi is getting more and more nervous. At this time, another piece of good news came from Bocheng, which greatly boosted Yuan Xi's fighting spirit and filled him with the belief that he would win.

Zhang Fei and Jian Yong of Xuzhou, and Yang Ping of Yanzhou Rencheng took advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness to enter Changyi and recapture the families of Cao Cao and many other Yanzhou officials. Then, before the enemy could close the siege, they quickly withdrew to a safe place on the south bank of Heshui. Now the families of Cao Cao and other Yanzhou officials have been sent to Pengcheng, Xuzhou. After Xun Yu, Zhang Fei, Yang Ping, Cao Chun and other Yanzhou and Xuzhou armies converged, they had already rushed to the area of Bocheng and Kaocheng to block the Northern Xinjiang Army. Guan Yu in Xuzhou and Ji Ling in Yangzhou will also arrive at the front line of Bocheng in a few days. The blocking army on the battlefield south of the Central Plains quickly formed and possessed a strong offensive and defensive force, which no one expected.

Yuan Xi once again ordered his subordinates to tell the good news to all the troops of the army.

Tian Feng's body suddenly improved, he walked vigorously, and his speech was loud and powerful. After careful discussion with Yuan Xi and others, he believed that the second line of defense to block the Northern Xinjiang Army had been formed, and there were enough troops to fight the enemy in the three battlefields of the Central Plains. Although the loss of Chenliu, the center of this defense line, caused certain difficulties to the blocking of the middle battlefield, because Chenliu, Junyi, and Kaifeng were full of rivers and ditches, the northern Xinjiang iron cavalry could not use their own advantages to help the northern Xinjiang infantry army to attack the city, so the difficulty of blocking the middle battlefield was less than that of the north and south flank battlefields.

Tian Feng advised Yuan Xi to withdraw from the Bishui River and retreat to the west bank of the Langtang Canal, where he was stationed at Longting between Junyi and Kaifeng City. In this way, the army can rely on the danger of the Langtang Canal to support Junyi in the north and Kaifeng in the south, thus forming a solid line of defense.

Yuan Xi followed Tian Feng's advice and led his army to retreat to Longting.

In early May, Koji Yi led the northern army to conquer Xiaohuangcheng. The general Li Hong led the Xiongnu iron cavalry, and Lu Bu led the southern army into Chenliu.

The main force of the Northern Xinjiang Army advanced to the first line of Suishui River and Langtang Canal on the whole line, and the troops were under the city of Junyi and Kaifeng.

Chen stayed outside the city, on the bank of the Suishui River, the general's camp.

Li Hong's face was pale, and he looked at Zhao Yun, Sima Yi, and Xian Feng who were kneeling in front of him with murderous anger, his tall body trembling slightly, trying his best to suppress the anger in his heart.

Lu Yi, Lu Bu, Yushi, and Fan Li stood around the three of them, looking at Li Hong worriedly, and no one dared to say anything to dissuade them.

Wei Yan stood behind the general, his face was pale, his heart was beating violently as if he was about to burst out of his chest, and the strong feeling of suffocation made him involuntarily open his mouth wide, trying his best to lower his voice and breathe.

"How much Chen Liu has done me now, you can see now." Li Hong suddenly grabbed the map on the case, smashed it in front of the three of them, and shouted, "How much effect does capturing Chen Liu have for me?" ”

"Why didn't you obey the order and take the city on your own? Why? Li Hong was furious, raised a foot and chopped it on the table. clicked ......", the case was interrupted and divided into two. Li Hong still didn't understand his hatred, picked his leg is a kick, kicked half of the case into a roar, and directly tore the tent and flew into the air.

Lu Yi, Lu Bu and the others were shocked and took a step back.

"General, things have already happened...... Yushi and Li Hong came out of Lu Longsai together, it has been more than ten years, and it is the first time to see Li Hong angry to the point of hysteria.

"Eight hundred and seventy-two brothers, you made me lose eight hundred and seventy-two brothers...... Li Hong pointed at Zhao Yun, his eyes were about to split, "They didn't die in Biansai, they didn't die in Sunset Plains, they died in such a meaningless city, why did you do this?" You are already General Long Xiang, and you are already one of the ruling Jinwu, why are you still not satisfied? How much do you get in return compared to your dead brother? How many feats and glory have you received? Why do you still want to take credit? You have killed 872 battle-hardened brothers for your own selfishness, where is your conscience? Where is your conscience......"

"General, Zilong is also for the ...... of the battle situation" Jade took a quick step, supported Li Hong, who was trembling with anger, and persuaded in a low voice, "You don't know Zilong's personality?" ”

"I have immense trust in you, but you ...... You're ...... I personally commanded Shan Yuting's iron ride, don't you know why? Now the Huns did not burn and plunder, and the world-famous black panther Yi Cong battalion actually burned, killed and plundered. You made my efforts come to naught in an instant, do you know how much you delayed? ”

"In order to transfer troops from the desert to the south, in the past two years, I have exhausted my efforts, but the opposition in the court is extremely fierce, why? Aren't you worried that the Hu people will burn, kill, and plunder in the Central Plains? And today? What did you do today? You let the Black Panther righteous Hu people burn and plunder, and you made the worries of the court become a reality. The black panther who has been fighting in northern Xinjiang for more than ten years has not changed its ferocity, burning, killing and plundering, not to mention the iron horsemen of the Hu tribe on the desert? How can this soldier be transferred? How do you convince me to send troops south? ”

"The reason why I personally led the iron cavalry of Shan Yuting to fight in the Central Plains is to tell the court that the Hu people are not ferocious barbarians, and the iron cavalry of the Hu tribes will not harm the people of the Han Dynasty. I want to use this fact to convince the imperial court to requisition more iron horsemen from the desert to the south of the Central Plains, but what about today? What do you want me to use today to convince the imperial court? ”

"The armies that can enter the battlefield of the Central Plains are all here, we have no reinforcements, and the only reinforcements are the Hu iron cavalry on the desert. Open your eyes and see, with the existing forces, can we capture the Central Plains? How can we fight a decisive battle without more troops? ”

"You have paid such a heavy price for a small Chen Liu, for an insignificant achievement. The Central Plains War may be lost. Zilong, Zilong...... You ......"

Li Hong laughed miserably, shook his head again and again, and suddenly tilted his body and fell to the ground with his head up.

Jade Shi's eyes were quick, and he hugged him, "General...... The Great General......"

Blood came out of Li Hong's mouth.

The jade soul flew out of the sky and shouted, "Zimin, Zimin, what's wrong with you...... You open your eyes...... People......

Lu Yi, Lu Bu, and Fan Li hugged each other, and Zhao Yun, Sima Yi, and Sai Feng hurriedly got up from the ground, and got together and drilled into the cracks. Wei Yan ran two steps, and as soon as he got close to the crowd, he saw Li Hong spewing out a mouthful of blood from his mouth in Jade's arms. Jade Shi hugged Li Hong's head, stared at a pair of bloody eyes, and howled hoarsely, "Go call the doctor, go call the doctor......"

Wei Yan's mind was blank, he felt that he was going to die, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his legs in an instant.

The Great General fell, and the Great General actually fell at this time.

"Quick...... Go and call the healer......"

Wei Yan tried his best to take a step, but his legs seemed to lose sensation and fell to the ground.

"I'll go, I'll go......" Sima Yi burst into tears, screaming while rolling and crawling, turning around and running out of the tent.

Suddenly, a powerful hand grabbed Sima Yi's neck like pincers, causing him to scream in pain.

"Don't move anyone...... "Koji Yi yelled, pushing Sima Yi to the ground with force, "Whoever moves, I will kill whom." ”

"Yuntian ......" Lu Bu looked at the murderous Koji Yi in surprise, and his right hand slammed into the hilt of the knife.

"Don't move." Koji Yi roared again, pointing his finger to the front, "Stand at the door of the big tent for me, and no one is allowed to come in." ”

Sai Feng spread his blood-stained hands and looked at Koji blankly.

"You're stupid." Koji Yi rushed up and kicked the priest to the ground, "Stand at the door, no one is allowed to come in." ”

"Yuntian, the general is still vomiting blood...... "Jade shouted, "Call the healer." ”

"There are all officials here with a rank of more than 2,000 stones, and whoever calls the doctor will cause suspicion and panic." Koji Yi shook his hand, "Don't panic, stabilize first." ”

He pulled off his helmet and slapped it in his hand a few times.

"Go and call any of you, quick, quick......" Lu Yi pointed to Wei Yan lying on the ground. Don't cry with a sad face. The general is not dead, but he is so tired that he vomits blood, no big deal. Laugh a little. Wei Yan hurriedly got up and barely pouted. Koji was furious, "Are you crying or laughing?" Wei Yan ignored him and ran out.

Lu Yi turned his head to look at Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, Fan Li and the others, and said with a solemn expression, "First of all, the general's illness must not be leaked in the slightest, so as not to shake the morale of the army. The second thing is that until Feiyan arrives, I will be in charge of the front line command for the time being. The third thing is to immediately take Feiyan to Chen Liulai, and he is in charge of the front-line command. The fourth thing, after Feiyan left Handan, Wen He was in charge. The fifth thing, before the general gives an order, no one is allowed to secretly report this matter to the imperial court, otherwise it will ......" Lu Yi glared at Lu Bu and Sima Yi, and said word by word, "There is no forgiveness for killing." ”

Everyone nodded in unison. Once the news of the general's illness reached the imperial court, there could be many unforeseen changes that could lead to the defeat of the war. After all, when the general fell, the court was decided by the eldest princess alone, and the extraordinary methods of this eldest princess made Liyi, Lu Bu and others feel very frightened.

"Get up and write me some letters." Ko Yi stretched out his leg and kicked Si Yi who was sitting on the ground, "You kid is so forbearing, General Zilong suffered for you, and you were scolded by the general so much that you didn't react at all, as if you were fine." ”

"I was wrong." Sima Yi was remorseful and cried out loud, "I didn't know things would be like this......"

"Crying for what?" Koji gave him a head look, "I underestimated you." You're a big boy and you're big and thick, but you're very smart. No wonder the general is full of praise for you, and would rather scold Zilong than say a word about you. The last time you were in Hanoi, this time in Yanzhou, you played well, it's a piece of material. ”

Sima Yi was even more heartbroken when he heard this, and tears flowed non-stop. Previously, when Zhao Yun said that the general appreciated him, he thought that Zhao Yun was comforting himself, but now after listening to Lu Yi's words, he was sure that the matter was true. It's a pity that he was young and ignorant, and he buried all his good future. Zhao Yun's character is well known, and no one will believe that Zhao Yun will disobey the general's orders, drive Hu Qi to kill the people without authorization, and then seize Chen Liu. I was smart this time, but I was mistaken by my cleverness, and I was in endless trouble.

At this time, the thief Cao arbitrarily rushed into the big tent, and saw the general lying on the seat, and Jade and Zhao Yun were wiping the blood on his face for him.

"What do you want to do?" Koji Yi had a cold face, pointed at him and said, "The general is so tired that he vomited blood." ”

Holding half of the war knife in his hand, his eyes swept over everyone's faces one by one with very vigilant eyes, as if he was facing a great enemy.

"You don't think that a few of us are in the nest and conspired to hurt the general, right?" Koji sneered, "Two things. One, don't stretch, how to protect the general's tent or how to guard, just don't let people into the tent. Second, immediately send a guard to call the best healer, and say that you are not feeling well and sick. ”

He bowed down arbitrarily to receive the order, and then ran to the general to take a closer look, and then hurriedly ran out.

"Wipe away your tears." Lu Yi patted Sima Yi's head, "Don't blame yourself too much, take this opportunity to atone for your guilt." The Great War of the Central Plains had just begun, and although the general had fallen, he was not dead and could continue to command the Great War. If you can help him, think a little more about such a good plan as capturing Chen Liucheng, we can win this battle. Bad things can be turned into good things. ”

Sima Yi's spirits suddenly perked up, wiped away his tears, turned over and stood up, "Your Excellency is still willing to give me such an opportunity?" ”

Lu Yi and Lu Bu looked at each other and nodded at the same time.

"The general only scolded General Zilong, but did not scold you, which shows the general's intentions." Koji Yi waved his hand and said, "You and Wen Chang stay here, taking care of the general while thinking about the strategy of attack. After Lord Zhang Yan arrived, he immediately reported it. ”

Sima Yi nodded again and again, walked to Zhao Yun's side and whispered, "My lord, go get busy." I'll take care of the general. ”

Zhao Yun sighed, stretched out his hand to pat the grief-stricken jade, and pulled him to stand up.

The general was unconscious, vomited blood twice in the middle, and the man was already dying. Although the medical craftsmen in the army tried their best to rescue them, they had little effect and did not improve in the slightest.

In the past, when the general attacked Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju on the battlefield of Youzhou, he also fell ill, but he got better soon. This time the situation was so serious that Lu Yi, Lu Bu and others were worried and at a loss.

Although the general is sick, the battle will still be fought.

In the middle of the night, Koji Yi convened a meeting of the generals in the side tent.

"We have completed the primary goal of the Central Plains War, and we have basically occupied all the counties and counties in Yanzhou, and what we have to do now is to stabilize the battlefield on the front line of Fengqiu, Junyi, and Kaifeng, so as to form a decisive battle situation in the shortest possible time." Lu Yi stood in front of the map, looked at the generals and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please see, the current battle line starts from Yancheng in Yanzhou East County, and goes south to Fengqiu and Junyi in Chenliu County, Kaifeng in Henan, and then to Yongqiu, Xiangyi, and Kaocheng in Chenliu, and Bocheng in Liang State. ”

Koji Yoshi's hand drew a large arc along this battle line on the map, "The rebels have formed an arc blocking formation, and we have formed a cone attack formation. ”

"Obviously, this kind of battlefield will be very bad for us. The distance between our army in the middle and the armies on the left and right is too large, and if the rebels decisively attack from the two flanks of our army in the middle, that is, Fengqiu in the north and Yongqiu in the south, we may be encircled. Of course, there is a premise for this, that is, the rebels can block the attacks of Yan Liang and Yan Rou on the left and right, and then there are enough troops to outflank them from Fengqiu and Yongqiu. ”

Koji Yi looked at the generals and said with a smile: "Let's make a bet, you adults guess, do the rebels have so many troops?" I guess not, who guesses there is? ”

"My lord, what's the bet?" Yu Poison asked loudly.

"Wine." Koji said as a matter of course, "I guessed it, each of you invited me to a drink." ”

"My lord, what if you guessed wrong?"

"Again, each of you invited me to a drink." Koji Yi said without thinking.

The generals burst into laughter.

"My lord, how can there be such a reason?" Zhang Zhen smiled, "Are you still unreasonable? ”

Koji Yi smiled, "Otherwise, what would I do as your Shangguan?" You have to do me some good. It's been so long since I've seen any of you bribe me. Since you are all so incorruptible, then forget it, I won't take the initiative to ask for bribes, let's bet. Whether I win or lose, I have a drink to drink, and someone to drink with me. If the general is held accountable, everyone will be held responsible. ”

The generals laughed.

"My lord, the general is in the big tent next to him, he will hear it." Mustafa burst out laughing.

"The general is not here, he went out to patrol the camp, saying that he was thinking about how to fight to Luoyang." Then he suddenly changed his face, his face was like frost, "Be serious, be serious." This matter is settled, and there is no repentance. ”

Koji Yoshiki continued to line up his troops.

"In order to prevent trouble before it happens, the Huqi Battalion and the Changshui Battalion will be sent to Fengqiu and Yongqiu to intercept them." Then he pointed to Lu Bu, who was sitting next to him, "Lord Lu and I will continue to attack on the battlefield in the middle to suppress Yuan Shao's main force and force the rebels to concentrate more forces in the areas of Zhongmu, Junyi and Kaifeng, so that we can help the left and right armies to advance quickly to narrow the distance between them and us." The closer they get to us, the less worries we have, the more concentrated our forces are, and the more fierce our attacks become. ”

The military discussion dispersed, and the generals went to the battlefield.

Lu Yi, Lu Bu, Yushi, Fan Li, and Zhao Yun hurriedly walked into the big tent.

The general woke up, weak and weak. Koji Yi briefly explained the arrangements he had made and the strategy of attack, "What does the general have to explain?" ”

Li Hong said a few words with all his might, and his voice was very quiet. Koji Yi put his ear to his mouth and barely heard clearly.

"I know that I have asked Zhong Da to write a letter, informing Zhong Yuan of what happened to Chen Liu, and asking him to make arrangements in Jinyang as soon as possible." Koji Yi comforted, "General, you better rest, if you continue like this, you will die." If you die, what hope is there for the great cause of ZTE? Everyone finished playing together. ”

Jade glared at him dissatisfied, "Can you say something nice?" ”

"If it's more serious, can he listen to it?" Koji Yi complained angrily, "He's tired." Today I was lucky, I fell in the big tent. One day, if we suddenly fall on the battlefield, the army will collapse, and we will not find a bone when we die. ”

At this time, Li Hong spoke again. Koji Yi didn't bother to listen, turned his head and ignored him, "You can rest." What's the use of thinking a lot like this? ”

Zhao Yun was so angry that he pushed him away and leaned over to listen.

"What did he say?" Seeing Zhao Yun's nervous face, Lu Yi hurriedly asked.

The general said that if we want to stabilize the front and form a decisive battle situation as soon as possible, the key is to attack the left and right battlefields, especially the right side of Lord Yan Liang, we must quickly seek a breakthrough, and then capture Yancheng, directly kill the first line of Yanjin and Suojube, and threaten Henan. If there is no progress on the left and right and the rebels are blocked, the attack in the middle is bound to be frustrated. The rebels have gained time and will immediately switch from defense to offensive and begin a counterattack on all fronts. ”

Koji Yi's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he exchanged glances with Lu Bu and Yushi, and the three of them felt that it was very difficult. After Cao Cao and Liu Bei's army withdrew to Yancheng, the rebels' defensive strength increased greatly, and Yan Liang encountered great resistance. If he wants to break through Yancheng and kill in the area of Yanjin and Suojube, it will be difficult.

Li Hong raised his finger and pointed at Zhao Yun, and shouted two words vigorously, "Zilong ......"

Koji Yi comprehended, looked at Zhao Yun and said, "The general wants you to go to the right battlefield to help." Now the 10,000 iron horsemen of Liu Ming, the right virtuous king, and Lan Rong, the left big danghu, are in Pingqiu and Changyuan. You go with an iron horseman. Then he remembered something, and solemnly warned, "Zilong, the general is not here, you have to suppress those Huns." If there is another incident of Hu people burning, killing, and plundering, the trouble will be out of control. ”

"I know." Zhao Yun sighed in a low voice, "It won't happen again." ”

"Zhang Falcon, who sent an order to the Southern Army, immediately rushed to Pingqiu and Changyuan with the Southern Army's iron cavalry to garrison the first line of Pingqiu and Changyuan, in case the rebels crossed the Pushui River to attack our grain road." Lu Yi turned to Lu Bu and said, "Let them go with Zilong, be fast." ”

Lu Bu nodded, and immediately issued an order.

Li Hong looked at Zhao Yun, nodded slightly, then closed his eyes and fell asleep.