Three Kingdoms

In Yuan Jun's Chinese army tent, Yan Liang sat silently behind the table. Even though he had changed his clothes, he was still in shock. His eyes were wandering, and it was obvious that he was thinking about something rapidly in his mind.

This copycat was the same one where the senior officials had set up an ambush to deceive the Zhengxi Military Academy.

Yan Liang's frontline camp failed, and because the grain and grass supplies of the two or three subsequent camps were diverted, only this camp, because the road was far away, did not have time to transfer, so some grain, grass and baggage were left by chance, and it became a relatively small camp. An ideal place to stay.

Under Jia Qu's pursuit, Yan Liang had to abandon the first two strongholds and was forced to retreat here before he could fully gain a foothold. Because of this, not only did he lose his troops, but he also had a large amount of food, grass and baggage burned, and at the same time caused During this period, Yuan Jun's advance was basically ineffective, and he gave up two built mountain strongholds to the soldiers of the Western Expedition. The losses were heavy.

Yan Liang never imagined that Jia Qu would be so ruthless if he didn't take action. If he hadn't been more clever and brave, he might have been killed in the Taihang Mountain Road!

The stronghold was broken down and burned down, and Jia Qu chased them all the way. In the end, only more than a thousand Yuan's troops arrived here. Even Yan Liang himself was injured. Although it was not serious, there was a gash on his arm, which looked scary. , but bandaging it is basically not a big problem, but it will still have a huge impact on the overall morale. It is conceivable that if Yan Liang dies, the entire army may collapse instantly.

Now there are two roads placed in front of Yan Liang.

One is to withdraw the troops immediately. The soldiers and food in Yan Liang's hands now are enough to support him back to the starting point, and because the mountain road is fair to both sides, if Jia Qu leads the Zhengxi soldiers in pursuit, on the one hand The lengthening of the front line will mean supply problems. On the other hand, they may also encounter ambushes. Therefore, once the troops withdraw, Yan Liang's overall safety will not be a big problem, but it also means that Yan Liang will return with a complete defeat. , all the glory belongs to the previous senior officials, and he will become a huge joke, and he will face the looks of regret or contempt from countless people.

The other way is to stick here, wait for the follow-up reinforcements, look for opportunities to continue the fierce attack, recapture the original mountain fortress, and even kill some soldiers and generals who conquered the west, in order to wash away their own shame mark, and even improve the morale of the soldiers. Of course, the most basic requirement for this is to have reinforcements and money and food. This method is relatively risky, but once successful, the rewards are quite generous.

Fight or withdraw, these are two words that hover in Yan Liang's mind, making him uneasy.

…………………………

Puyang City.

Security is tight.

The flags on the top of the city were strong and loud in the wind, and the swords and guns of the soldiers were shining with cold light. Every soldier of Cao's army seemed to have a solemn expression and a serious face, as if a great war was about to begin.

Most of the soldiers here have just returned from the front line. During the battle with Yuan Shu, many of Cao's army's recruits saw blood and became veterans. These veterans formed a structure and then filled it with new soldiers to establish Come out with a brand new team. On the one hand, he can eliminate the bad and keep the good, on the other hand, he can support war with war. Cao Pingdong, who is in the place of the Four War, is like a snowball and begins to grow stronger.

These retired veterans had their own understanding and perception of the battle formation. After seeing the various changes in Puyang City, they gradually realized that they might be facing a new battle, and naturally they gradually became nervous.

The news from Yecheng finally came.

The cavalry under the command of Zheng Xi made a surprise attack on Yecheng and achieved great results. They not only burned a large amount of baggage, but also killed many Yuan Jun soldiers, which shocked Jizhou and terrified the nobles.

If Yecheng can be attacked, is there any safe place on the ground in Jizhou?

Now that most of Yuan Shao's soldiers are concentrated on the front line, the battle at Yecheng has exposed the emptiness of Yuan Shao's back. Ren Zhengxi's cavalry can come and go freely, as if there is no one in the land. For the people of Jizhou, Undoubtedly, after the victory of the war with Gongsun Zan, a basin of ice water was poured down on him, and he started to feel cold when he fell from the top. The person who was a little dizzy from the heat also began to gradually calm down...

Can the current situation really bring peace to the world in one fell swoop?

If not, should we consider long-term operations?

A long-term war is a very frustrating thing for anyone, because it not only means being in the process of long-term losses, but more importantly, the benefits will also be greatly reduced, which is very important for Jizhou. For the noble nobles, this is undoubtedly a huge bad news.

Even Xiahou Dun and others in Puyang had to think and reconsider again.

Xiahou Dun stood on the city gate tower, looked into the distance, and said: "If we follow the footsteps, the Zhengxi Cavalry should have returned by now, but there is no trace of the Zhengxi Cavalry yet... Wen Ruo really believes that the Zhengxi Cavalry will return. Xi will go back from here?"

Xun Yu was frowning in deep thought. After hearing Xiahou Dun's words, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile: "General Xiahou, the soldiers who are marching to the west are not familiar with the geography of Jizhou, and the food and grass they carry must be limited. It is the best policy to turn back as soon as possible... From Jizhou back to Bingzhou, It’s nothing more than taking Hanoi or Hongnong. Comparing the two, it is naturally the most likely way to cross the river and cross Puyang and take the Heluo route... After all, we have a good relationship ahead... But the commander-in-chief of Zhengxi dares to go alone. If you go deep, you must be a bold person, and Yu is not sure that he will go here..."

Xiahou Dun did not express any other dissatisfaction because of Xun Yu's uncertainty. He nodded slightly and said: "What Wen Ruo said is true, but...the battle of Yecheng shocked the world...I never thought of conquering the West with today's force." So tyrannical! According to this, it may not be difficult to block Zhengxi's retreat and intercept and kill such tired troops, but I may be evil to Zhengxi. In the future..."

Xun Yu put his hands in his sleeves and said: "If we let the soldiers of Zhengxi go, will they never make enemies in the future? If Zhengxi is so powerful that he can compete with the generals, there will be no need to do this. The cavalry rushes forward and makes a surprise attack on Yecheng! Therefore...if we can wipe out this group of cavalry from the Western Expedition, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages for us."

Xiahou Dun was silent for a moment and nodded.

In fact, Xiahou Dun generally agreed with Xun Yu's approach, otherwise he would not have ordered the entire army to be on alert. On the battlefield, there are no outright friends and enemies. One moment he is a friend, and the next moment he may be a friend. They will become enemies, and allies will turn against each other and annex each other. It is not a too bizarre operation to let the Zhengxi soldiers go over first and then wait for them to come back.

After all, it is more in line with Xun Yu's overall strategic layout to force Yuan Shao and Zheng Xi into a pair and make Yuan Shao trapped in the quagmire of Bingzhou unable to extricate himself. If the battle between Yuan Shao and Fei Qian lasts too short, Regardless of the outcome of the battle, Yuan Shao will inevitably turn his attention to the south...

Xun Yu also tried his best to gain more space and time for Cao Cao's development.

"Miaocai is already in place...just waiting for the Zhengxi soldiers..." Xiahou Dun took a long breath and said slowly, "I also want to meet this Zhengxi general who made a surprise attack on Yecheng!"

…………………………

Taishi Ci has now led his troops to the Zhenze area and is hiding in the swamp.

In the Han Dynasty, the climate was still very humid, and there were many marshes, or wetlands, everywhere. Just like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's Daze, and Wuchao Ze in the Battle of Guandu...

This kind of place is densely covered with water and grass, and there are also many wild vegetables, birds and animals, which can be used as a temporary source of food supplement for the army. But the problem is that Taishi Ci knows this, and others also know it, so if he stays for a long time, sooner or later he will still Someone will find this place.

Although the surprise attack on Yecheng was brilliant, it was not without losses.

There were three thousand cavalry at the time of departure, but now there are only 2,340 left, a loss of about 20%. Some of these cavalry were sacrificed in battle, and some were accidentally left behind or injured midway.

If General Fei Qian had not used horseshoes this time, most of the hooves of these big guys would have been worn out after long-distance attacks, and it was possible that more than half of them would even be broken.

Thinking about it now, the Battle of Yecheng still had some luck involved.

Perhaps if Yuan Shang was not in charge in Yecheng, the results would have been different.

Is it strange?

Not surprising at all.

After all, Yuan Shang is just a novice with little battle experience. He is like a keyboard warrior in later generations. Behind the screen and on the keyboard, he can do anything in the sky and on the earth. It is common for others to be so angry that they can't take care of themselves, but really If something happened in reality, I would probably be left dazed, wincing, and then Ah Q would call it quits...

Yuan Shang is not even as good as Ma Su. At least before Ma Su, before Jieting, his theoretical attainments in the art of war were simply invincible in Shu. Otherwise, Zhuge would not have risked promoting Ma Su as commander-in-chief. Ma Su at least has a theory, but Yuan Shang doesn't even read the theory.

Here in Zhenze, it can only slow down the consumption of grain and grass, but it cannot completely solve the problem of grain and grass. After all, big animals cannot solve their belly problems by chewing green grass every day. Although Bingzhou horses are hard-working, it can be done in a short time, and it will definitely last for a long time. Will affect the physical strength of the war horse.

But now, if he wants to withdraw, normally there are two ways in front of Taishi Ci.

One road passes through Dangyin, then goes to Chaoge, then goes to Wen County, all the way west, across Hanoi to Hedong; the other road takes Liyang, passes Yanjin, or Baimajin, passes Puyang, Luoyang, and returns to Hangu close.

Neither road is easy to follow.

There are heavy troops stationed in Chaoge Wen County, not only Yuan's army, but also Hedong County soldiers. Although these soldiers are not equipped with many cavalry, they can adequately defend the city, leaving Taishi Ci without any replenishment along the way. There is a possibility of being attacked by surprise. If you accidentally fall into an ambush...

Taishi Ci didn't think Cao Pingdong would be so easy to talk to. The journey from Dongjun to Heluo was longer, and the problems faced were no less than those traveling through Hanoi.

If an army goes deep alone and attacks thousands of miles without logistical supplies, it will face the danger of losing the entire army if it is not careful. Taishi Cihe is now immersed in the scene, so he is naturally deeply touched.

However, it is not Taishi Ci’s style to kill at the slightest provocation. The adventurous factor is in Taishi Ci’s blood. What’s interesting is that these seemingly crazy actions of Taishi Ci have actually been considered and measured over and over again. The risk is controlled within a certain range...

Just like now.

Taishi Ci reached out to call over a scout who had gone to investigate before, and asked about the surrounding situation. Then he lowered his head and used a branch to draw a sketch on the ground, thinking about something.

War is nothing more than two major aspects: tactics and strategy, and Taishi Ci is undoubtedly the leader in tactics. He looked for a while, then closed his eyes and thought for a while, then looked again. From time to time he shook his head, as if sighing, and sometimes smiled slightly, as if he had discovered something.

After thinking for a long time, Taishi Ci wiped off all the outlines on the ground with his feet, and then stood up. He called the scout sentry and gave a few instructions. The scout bowed down to accept the order. It didn't take long, and dozens of horses The cavalry rushed out of Zhenze, divided into several groups, and dispersed.

Taishi Ci looked at the scout's retreating figure, narrowed his eyes, and then raised his head to look at the darkening sky in the distance, his eyes gradually becoming sharp.

…………………………

"Report!" A Yuan Jun scout, his face covered with dust and sweat, rushed to Chunyu Qiong's camp near Wen County. Regardless of his dry throat, he loudly reported the report in a hoarse voice, "Report to General, Yanjin appears to march to the west. Cavalry traces!”

"Yanjin?" Before Chunyu Qiong said anything, another military commander on the side couldn't help but said, "Then who are the people over there?"

"Could it be that the Zhengxi troops were divided?"

"How is that possible? We were already going deep alone, so if we split up again, wouldn't we be seeking death?"

Chun Yuqiong arranged a pocket in the entire Hanoi area, and Chun Yuqiong was located at the bottom of the pocket, waiting for General Zhengxi's partial army to fall into the trap. However, he never expected that the sentries placed on guard outside would come one after another. , all claimed that they had discovered traces of the soldiers who conquered the West...

Lie about military intelligence?

It is basically impossible for someone to be so stupid as to be so stupid, so there must be something wrong with the partial army in the expedition to the west.

However, Dangyin is in the north and Yanjin is in the south. Which path should this army choose to conquer the west?

Chunyu Qiong looked at the embarrassed scouts, and suddenly her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly asked the scout from Yanjin: "When did Yanjin discover the traces of the Zhengxi soldiers? Didn't the Zhengxi soldiers stop you? ?”

The scout replied: "It was three days ago... It turned out that the road was blocked during the expedition to the west. Chen Junhou sent three batches in succession, but they were all intercepted and killed on the way... We later took advantage of the soldiers of the expedition to the west to turn around and were unprepared, and then rushed in. from……"

Chunyu Qiong waved his hand again and asked someone to ask the scouts who had come from Dangyin before. Soon the guard turned around and reported: "The people who came from Dangyin said it was two days ago, but the soldiers of the Expedition to the West did not stop the scouts from Dangyin..."

The Yanjin scout suddenly felt a little aggrieved. Why could the gangsters report the news safely, but they had to risk their lives to rush out?

Chunyu Qiong was thinking about another issue. According to the sequence, it should be that the soldiers who conquered the west arrived at Dangyin in the north first and then turned south. Therefore, they did not intercept the messenger soldiers in Dangyin. Then they arrived near Yanjin, but they stopped them. What do you want to do by intercepting and killing the scouts in Yanjin?