Only one day later, the Galchinling decided to send troops again to attack Xue Shao's second line of defense.

Before sending troops, Garqinling personally analyzed the enemy situation for the generals, and he said: "Xue Shao is bold, he actually dares to put the same army formation twice. His second line of defense is still the Taibai Camp Formation. ”

As soon as this remark came out, some people were stunned and some people sneered. On Gongren said: "Father, the same Taibai Camp Formation, what is the difference between this second formation? ”

"That's a good question." Garqinling rarely showed a hint of approval, and said: "The other party uses the same formation, and even the guard general Cao Renshi is still the same, but the geographical difference is very different. Compared with the previous camp, the second checkpoint set by Xue Shao is more difficult and the terrain is more dangerous. He relied on the mountain to build a two-zhang high pass, like the wall of a large town in the Central Plains, the trees around the pass have been cut down, and the river mud is half a foot thick on the pass, and the fire attack is ineffective against him. The Central Plains army has always been good at defending cities, and Cao Renshi can show his strength just by relying on this pass. And the cavalry of our army will have no advantage at all in the face of such a pass. At that time, this will definitely turn into a tragic battle of attack and defense of the city! ”

"Father, please go to war!" On Gongren's high-spirited work, he asked for his life.

Garqinling pondered for a moment, "I will send you two thousand more crossbowmen, you must seize the highest points of the mountains on both sides of the enemy's pass as soon as possible, and condescendingly attack the enemy with strong bows and crossbows." In this way, there is a chance of breaking the formation! ”

"Yes!"

This time, the battle began at dawn.

The two thousand crossbowmen under the command of Gong Ren abandoned their horses and turned into infantry, and took advantage of the darkness to touch the mountains on both sides of the pass. Cao Renshi had already set up a defensive base here, but because the preparation time was too hasty, the geographical advantage he occupied was really limited, and the rolling wood cannon stones prepared in advance were also very scarce. After initially forming a powerful suppression of the enemy, the sneak attack turned into an encounter.

At the same time as the battle of the mountains on both sides began, Non Gongren also launched a fierce attack on the pass. This time he suffered a lot, because before the pass, Cao Renshi dug a lot of horse traps, and buried a lot of tribulus terrestris in them, and all the people and horses who stepped on it would be wasted if they did not die. When the Tubo people attacked the pass, the arrows in the sky were like rain, and they were killed and wounded before they reached the city. Many "dovetail torches" made of reeds and straw were lit and thrown down from the big pass, and the narrow mountain road was suddenly filled with fire and impassable. The catapult lifted up piles of boulders bigger than a human head and smashed them down with a bang.

On Gongren attacked this wave, and almost didn't even touch the edge of the city of Da Pass, so he had to retreat back temporarily.

Xue Shao took Guo An, Wu Ming, Yuenu and several other personal guards to climb to the top of a mountain a little farther away, and watched the battle with a self-made telescope.

Seeing that Gong Ren had withdrawn his troops, Xue Shao's frowning brow stretched slightly.

"Retreat, retreat!" The Moon Slave watched from afar as the ant colony's enemies retreated, letting out a cry of surprise.

Wu Ming said: "Master Cao Ren has eaten a trench and grown wise, and he has not let the Tubo people easily approach the camp. Of course, the location here is crucial. ”

Xue Shao didn't speak, but set up a telescope again to look at the mountains on both sides, and said: "The siege is temporarily suspended, but the battle on the mountains on both sides is in dire straits. Garqinling is really old and spicy, he knows that it is too difficult to take such a pass head-on, so he seeks to open a breakthrough from the flank. Now, his men are fighting for the high ground. Once successful, the geographical advantage of the pass will no longer exist. On the contrary, our army will be attacked by the enemy's condescending arrows and crossbows. ”

"Master Cao Ren shouldn't ignore that kind of fatality, right?" Wu Ming asked.

Xue Shao nodded, "He is an experienced general, and he will not make such a fatal mistake." But the question is whether he can hold on to the high ground. ”

Guo An hurriedly said: "Xue Shuai, did you order to send troops to help?" ”

"Nope." Xue Shao's voice sank, "Even if the second line of defense falls, I still have five behind." We can't be stuck in the gains and losses of one city and one place, let alone let the Garqin Mausoleum lead us by the nose. At present, the troops and horses of all units are performing their duties step by step, so that our entire defense system will not be chaotic. When the time comes, the Jumping Army will take action. ”

"Yes!"

Xue Shao took a deep breath, set up a telescope again, and said in his heart: Master Cao Ren, don't blame me for being ruthless. It's not that I'm not willing to help you, it's that there will definitely be casualties in the war. As a manager, I can only look at the big picture!

Four days have passed, and Gong Ren has not yet been able to overcome the second line of defense of the Zhou army. The corpses in front of the big pass were full of blood and fireworks, like hell on earth. The corpses of the dead could be seen everywhere on the mountains on both sides, and the two sides were inseparable.

Cao Renshi sent his lieutenant back to the city to ask for Xue Shao and ask for reinforcements. Xue Shao did not send reinforcements to Cao Renshi, but he gave an order: if you can't hold it, you will retreat, and the jumping army will come to respond!

On Gongren was called back by the Garqin Tomb and scolded in public, and was almost beheaded in front of his stern father. In the end, Garchinling sent 500 crossbowmen to Lungong Renga, and ordered him to capture the second level within three days. Otherwise, you don't have to come back!

The battle is raging again, and it's even more intense than last time. Although Cao Renshi had a way back, he didn't want to be defeated again at all, so he gave up his life to defend the city pass, and even personally went to the city to lift cannons and stones to smash the enemy army.

On Gongren, there was no way out, so he asked the lieutenant general to lead the army to attack the pass, and personally led the crossbowmen and his own personal iron vanguard to capture the top of the mountain.

This battle lasted almost three days and three nights without stopping.

In the end, Cao Renshi was dragged down the city by Xue Chuyu and withdrew behind the third line of defense with the remnants of the army. Gong Ren tried his best to finally finish the second level.

Cao Renshi came to Xue Shao with an injury, knelt on the ground and cried. In this battle, he almost wiped out all the troops under his command.

"It is a miracle that General Cao can still fight like this in the face of a strong enemy trapped and in a desperate situation." Xue Shao hurriedly comforted him, "General, don't be too sad, you not only have no faults but also merits." ”

"What Cao asked for, is it his own work?" Master Cao Ren couldn't cry, "Eight thousand soldiers, almost all dead!" ”

"War, how can there be immortals? In terms of Gong Ren's casualties, they are no less than yours. Xue Shao said, "Compared with the last period, our army has made great progress. Don't you notice the change? ”

Cao Renshi stopped crying, nodded, and said: "Last time, I was attacked by Gong Ren in three days, and four or five thousand soldiers and horses were wiped out in an instant, and his loss was probably less than a thousand. ”

"It's called, one goes down and the other goes up." Xue Shao comforted Master Cao Ren with a smile and said, "I will immediately gather all the generals of the army to listen to General Cao explain in detail the experience of this battle and all his mental and moral experiences. This cost tens of thousands of lives in exchange for combat experience, and we must learn it all! ”

Cao Renshi nodded, and only then did he finally understand Xue Shao's intentions - he was exchanging death and blood for the experience and lessons of war. It sounds cruel, but it's the only way to turn defeat into victory on the battlefield.

Xue Shao's thinking in his heart was even clearer, in the face of a strong enemy like Garqinling, it was impossible to find a way to defeat him without paying a little "tuition" first. As the old saying goes, failure is the mother of success. Only those who can afford to lose will win!

"Someone!" Xue Shao shouted, "Treat General Cao's injuries first, and just bring good wine and food." I'm going to give General Cao a cup in person! ”

A special banquet was held in Xue Shao's camp to celebrate the defeat of Cao Renshi. No one expressed the slightest disrespect for Cao Renshi in the defeated battle, on the contrary, all the generals, including Xue Shao and Lou Shide, turned into "students" and listened to Cao Renshi's lectures patiently and modestly. Xue Shao also called three scribe envoys to write down all the events and contents of today's meeting from the sidelines to the notekeeping room.

Such experiences and lessons are in themselves the most practical art of war.

This banquet lasted all night.

At the same time, there was also a heavy and solemn atmosphere in the camp of the Garqin Mausoleum. Instead of the joy and joy of the last time they captured the first battle, they all felt heavy as if they had lost a battle.

"That's a defeat!" Garqin Ling pointed at his son, and reprimanded him angrily, "A small mountain camp fought for seven days, and thousands of elites were killed and wounded before they could barely take it. The other party is just an ordinary general under Xue Shao's command, and the soldiers and horses led by him are also uneven, and most of them are farmers who have joined the army in Helong. On Gong Ren, you are fully responsible for the defeat of this battle! ”

"Yes......" Gong Ren responded lifelessly.

"Someone!" Garchinling let out a loud shout.

Immediately, several handsome tent guards rushed in, and they stripped him of the battle armor and military robe from Gong Ren's body, stripped him naked, and then tied a fluffy fox tail to his forehead and covered his face.

"Push it out and swim all over the camp to show its humiliation!" Garqin Ling ordered in a deep voice.

On Gongren was immediately dragged out.

Wearing a fox's tail on his face and parading it was the most vicious punishment for the defeated in the eyes of the Tibetans. In contrast, they were even willing to be put to death. On Gong Ren, as the chief general and the biological son of Garqinling, the other generals were all afraid to come out, and they were all silent.

Garqinling pointed at the generals and said angrily: "This marshal has warned you a long time ago, don't underestimate the enemy, don't underestimate the enemy!" Now you have all seen that in less than ten days, Xue Shao's army has undergone tremendous changes. He's getting stronger, and we're still arrogant and arrogant! If this continues, in another ten days, Ben Shuai's head will fall into Xue Shao's hands! You are all dead and have no place to be buried! ”

No one dared to say anything, not even a single bit.

"Bang!"

With a loud bang, Garqinling almost collapsed the entire thick pear wood table with a single punch.

He snapped: "Who dares to fight the third formation?!" ”

"Me!"

All the Tibetan generals stood up.