The three of them were chatting happily when they saw a fast horse galloping towards them. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

"There's news." Guo Jia said, "Let's see what other tricks Yuan Shao has." ”

"What other tricks can he have besides waiting for the Jingzhou army to go north?" Wang Ling scoffed, "After General Gao Changgong supported Pinggao, Gao Rou and Zhang Nan were gradually unable to attack because of insufficient troops. General Liyi held Cheng Gao and stuck Yuan Xu's neck, so that this talented and beautiful son could only stand on the tiger prison and sigh. In the direction of Aocang, because Yuan Shao divided his troops to the south to support Zhongmu, he lost the advantage in terms of troops, and he could only confront each other across the river. ”

"The reason why Yuan Shao was repeatedly restrained on the battlefield in Henan was mainly because he did not have an absolute advantage in terms of troops, in order to preserve his strength, he did not dare to fight a decisive battle with us, but once the Jingzhou army went north, he had an advantage in troops, and he could immediately launch a fierce attack." Guo Jia shook his horsewhip and said leisurely, "Yuan Shao is a tiger, don't be mistaken, treat him as a timid and docile cat." ”

"Tiger?" Wang Ling turned his head to look at Zhang Fei and grinned, "The tiger is here, and Yuan Shao is just a wolf at best." ”

Guancheng reported urgently that Jingzhou's Wenpin army was found in Yuanling, more than 100 miles south of Guancheng.

This army numbered about twenty thousand men and marched slowly. The scouts kept tracking and found that they had been camping and resting in the afternoon for two consecutive days, as if they were not in a hurry to rush to Guancheng to cut off the back route of the Northern Frontier Army.

"Wenpin?" Zhang Fei handed the letter to Wang Ling and said coldly, "During the Jizhou War, let him run away." I don't know what his luck will be this time. ”

"People who know how to run on the battlefield always live a little longer." Guo Jia joked, "You see that he attacked north and Henan this time, and he is still more than a hundred miles away from Guancheng, and he has already begun to advance at a rapid pace." ”

Wang Ling hurriedly read the letter and said cautiously: "In my opinion, it is better to be careful." I'll take some of my men and retreat first. ”

"It's fine." Zhang Fei nodded and said, "There are only three thousand people in Guancheng, and Xingyang is almost an empty city, and once there is an accident, we will be surrounded." Although it looks majestic when it is bluffing, when we are really surrounded, we are completely exposed, and life and death hang by a thread. ”

"I'll leave tonight." Wang Ling said, "I won't bring the grain and grass, and I will go directly to Guancheng to replenish it." ”

"Don't go into the city." Zhang Fei thought for a moment, and then said cautiously, "The situation on the battlefield in Henan, Wen Ping should be very clear, he must be famous for advancing at such a rapid pace, be careful that he shows weakness in the open, but secretly does the trick of sneak attack." ”

Wang Ling glanced at Zhang Fei and asked, "Does the general mean to let me lead the army to lurk outside the city, echoing Hou Cheng inside and outside the city?" ”

"Yes." Zhang Fei sneered, "Regardless of whether Wenpin attacks openly or secretly, it is a dead end." ”

………………

Jiyin County, Yanzhou, unjust sentence.

The city is on the north bank of the Jishui River, two hundred and fifty miles away from Chenliu in the west and one hundred and thirty miles away from Dingtao in the east.

Due to the concentration of all the iron cavalry in the north of the Jishui River on the plain south of the Jishui River, Cao Cao and Liu Bei's army was blocked, and it was difficult to advance an inch, and there was no chance to rush to the area of Dingtao and Changyi to rescue.

Cao Cao immediately made a decision to cross the Jishui River to the north and attract a part of the northern Xinjiang iron cavalry to the north bank of the Jishui River.

Under the obstruction of the Jishui River, the Northern Xinjiang Iron Cavalry was immediately divided into two parts, unable to support each other in time. Cao Cao's army was relatively numerous, and Cao Cao thought that with the advantage of troops, he might be able to advance eastward to rescue the army trapped in Dingtao.

But to do so, you need Liu Bei's help. Liu Beijun must contain the main force of the Northern Xinjiang Iron Cavalry in the area of Bo County, otherwise Cao Cao still has no chance.

As soon as Cao Cao crossed the river into the city of injustice, the scouts came to report that Zhao Yun of the Northern Xinjiang Army had also led iron cavalry to cross the river sixty miles away.

"The ghost is not gone." Cao Cao was so angry that he smashed his fist on the table and scolded.

After Zhao Yun inflicted heavy losses on Xiahoudun's vanguard army in Cao Ting, he immediately led the iron cavalry to keep a distance from the main force of Cao's army, and followed suit, looking for an opportunity to attack again.

Cao Cao urgently summoned Cao Hong, Xi Zhicai and others to discuss countermeasures.

"At present, the army is seriously short of food and grass, and it needs to be replenished urgently." Ren Jun said, "After Man Boning arrived in Xuchang, I don't know if he wants to get grain and grass. ”

The grain and grass of the Cao army were mainly stored in Dingtao and Changyi, and now these two cities are surrounded by the Northern Xinjiang army, and the army cannot be replenished. The attack on Dingtao had to fight with the iron cavalry in northern Xinjiang, and there were many bloody battles along the way, and if the army wanted to continue to advance, it was necessary to obtain sufficient food, grass and ordnance. As time continues, Cao's army will gradually run out of food and grass, and the army will become more and more difficult.

Cao Jun couldn't solve it himself, so he could only pin his hopes on Yuan Shao and Liu Bei. Yuan Shao's army is currently fighting fiercely with the Northern Xinjiang Army on the four battlefields of Baima Puyang in Henan, Guanxi, Hanoi, and Yanzhou, and the consumption of grain, grass and ordnance is very large, and it is unknown whether it can help Cao's army.

Originally, Liu Bei could still provide some of the Cao army, but now Zhu Ling's army and the Northern Xinjiang Army are fighting fiercely in Langya County, and Liu Bei's army is fighting on two battlefields at the same time, and the consumption of grain and grass is very large, and it may be difficult to support Cao Jun in a short time.

Taking a step back, even if Liu Bei is willing to support, it is difficult to transport the grain and grass to the north bank of the Jishui River for a while, one is that the grain road is not safe, the iron cavalry in the north is haunted, and the slightest carelessness will be wiped out, and the second is that Liu Bei must first ensure that his army needs, and it will take time to transport grain from Xuzhou to Yanzhou, and when Liu Bei sends the grain and grass to the north bank of the Jishui River, Dingtao is estimated to be finished.

When Cao Cao led his army north from Bo County, he told Chen Liu in a letter that he was about to enter the front line of Jiyang and Jiyang, and asked the defenders stationed in Chen Liu to send grain and grass immediately. Cao Cao was very confident that Yuan Shao would not only agree to his conditions, but also could not wait to send grain and grass.

Seeing Ren Jun's sad face, he said indifferently: "Don't worry, the grain and grass will arrive soon." The priority is to attack, to attack immediately. ”

"Now the number of iron cavalry in the north of the north of the Jishui River is not many, it is the time to attack Dingtao, once the northern army has conquered Changyi, the iron cavalry on the plain south of the Jishui River will quickly rush to the north bank, at that time, not to mention that the grain and grass are sufficient, even if there is more than double the force, it will not be able to fight."

Xi Zhicai got up and dissuaded: "Lord, the army is going north from Jianghuai, traveling hundreds of miles a day, exhausted, coupled with the lack of food and grass, and low morale, at this time it is urgent to rest and recuperate, and you must not rush to attack." Yuan Rang's defeat in Cao Ting, doesn't it still explain the problem? With the wisdom of Zhongde, Zixiao and Miaocai, Dingtao and Changyi will be able to hold on for a long time. The lord is a little restless. ”

After thinking about it, Cao Cao reluctantly accepted Xi Zhicai's suggestion, and planned to take a temporary break for two days in the grievance, urging Chen Liu to ask for food, and at the same time inquiring about the news of Dingtao and Changyi.

The next morning, the scouts who went down the Jishui River by boat to investigate the news were very lucky to save several messengers who were being chased by a team of northern iron cavalry and jumped into the river to escape.

Cao Ren's letter was quickly delivered to Cao Cao. Changyi has been lost. The left and right armies of the Northern Frontier Army have converged under Dingtao City. Now it is necessary to seek a dead end by risking a breakthrough, and ask the prime minister to quickly rush to the rescue of Dingtao to meet the breakthrough of the army.

Cao Cao has a mixture of joy and sorrow. Sadly, Changyi was lost, the life and death of his family were unknown, Cheng Yu, Li Tong and others were captured, and thousands of soldiers died on the battlefield. Happily, Wei Yuanjin rushed to Dingtao first, and Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Ba and Cai Yang also successfully withdrew to Dingtao, which made Dingtao's defensive strength reach 25,000 people.

With this strength, it is simply impossible for the Northern Xinjiang Army to lay a solid foundation in the short term. Cao Ren also said in the letter that although the Northern Xinjiang Army attacked for two consecutive days, it was all tentative, and it was obvious that they were not willing to take the heavy cost of attacking Dingtao.

Opportunity, opportunity is at hand.

Cao Cao didn't care about anything and resolutely ordered an attack.

Changyi has been lost for four days, and as he crossed Jishui north and stationed in Yiju City, the number of troops threatening Dingtao and Changyi from the front line of Chengwu and Liangqiu City was reduced, and the northern Xinjiang iron cavalry on the plain south of the Jishui River would also quickly rush to the north bank of the Jishui River to prevent him from rescuing Dingtao.

That night, the 800-mile fast horse came galloping.

Yuan Shao sent Cao Cao a holy decree to reward the soldiers of Dingtao and Changyi, and told Cao Cao that the grain and grass that Cao Cao had given to Cao's army was on the way to Jiyang City.

At the same time, Yuan Shao, in the name of the Son of Heaven, explained in detail the strategy set by the imperial court to deal with the war, and in view of the current situation, he begged Cao Cao to give up Dingtao and Changyi, withdraw his troops to the line of injustice and Jiyang, and buy time for the coalition forces to defeat Zhang Fei on the battlefield in Henan and establish two lines of defense.

Cao Cao smiled bitterly and was speechless.

Yuan Shao actually didn't need to plead with him to withdraw his troops from Dingtao and Changyi, one of these two cities had already been lost, and the other was also in the pocket of the Northern Xinjiang Army. Now it should be that he should beg Yuan Shao to do his best to quickly establish a second line of defense in the area of Fengqiu and Chenliu, otherwise, not only will he become a homeless outcast, but even Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Liu Bei will be defeated one after another, and the Han Sheji will also be overturned.

Putting down the letter, Cao Cao said: "Tell Liu Bei to ask him to launch an attack on the front line of Jishi and Boxian as a containment, and plan for our army to attack and kill Dingtao." ”

………………

Jiyin County, Yanzhou, Jishi City.

Liu Bei and his soldiers were indeed frightened by the mighty Hu Iron Cavalry.

When the Hu iron cavalry withdrew, Liu Bei did not hesitate at all, led the army to retreat overnight, retreated eighty miles, and returned to the territory of Peiguo in Yuzhou.

Liu Bei knew that Changyi was finished, and it was estimated that Dingtao could hold on for only a handful of time, so the top priority was to immediately join the armies of Yuan Shao and Liu Biao and block the attack of the Northern Xinjiang Army in the area of Chenliu.

Just as Liu Bei was about to tell Cao Cao his opinion, Cao Cao's letter arrived, Cao Cao said that he was going north to cross the Jishui River and rescue Dingtao from the north bank of the Jishui River. (To be continued.) )