Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3125 Core Strength

The Semu people are indeed very brave when fighting alone. In other words, most barbarians become particularly ferocious when they disregard life and death. The same was true for the Xiongnu back then, and the same was true for Shanyue in the south.

These Semu people don't know what tactics are, and they don't know what a queue is, but in a place like the Black Stone Forest, which is divided into small sections by woods, they have surprisingly outstanding combat effectiveness. These individual fierce Semu people, waving Tomahawks and wooden clubs collided and trampled on the bodies of Cao Jun's soldiers, running wildly and roaring. Even if they were injured, they were still roaring and fighting.

This fighting mode, similar to that of a berserker, was very difficult for Cao Jun to adapt to.

When the blood of these lustful people surged to their heads, the more they were beaten, the more ferocious and irrational they became. They were like unconscious beasts, causing Cao Jun's soldiers to suddenly endure tremendous pressure, especially psychological pressure.

The casualties of Cao Jun's soldiers suddenly increased greatly, which made many Cao Jun soldiers suddenly become frightened, especially some ordinary Cao Jun soldiers. When they saw these lustful men rushing in like madmen, biting and fighting with blood, even at the grassroots military academy. Under the order, he still felt a little weak, ready to escape at any time.

Zhang He on the other side had already circled to the other side of the Black Stone Forest and started to form a team.

Zhang He raised his spear high and shouted with his soldiers, "The Hussars are victorious!" 』

"The hussars are victorious!" 』

Zhang He's soldiers roared with blue veins exposed, seeming to have stimulated their last potential. However, Cao Jun's soldiers thought that they were outflanked by Zhang He and the Semu people, and they couldn't help but feel fear and panic in their hearts.

Zhang He pointed his spear forward, "Kill!" 』

Zhang He's soldiers also shouted together and rushed forward with Zhang He.

The original direction of Cao Jun's main defense fortifications was against the Changshan Army in the south, but now the Semu people rushed in from the northwest, and Zhang He went around to the east and north of the Black Stone Forest, causing Cao Jun to be unable to defend for a while. The fortifications reversed direction to deal with Zhang He's advance. The most critical point was that Cao Jun's original camp was set up in a relatively northern area of ​​the Black Stone Forest. Now it was attacked from two sides, and it was immediately disrupted.

In a war, speed, time, the number of opponents, the enemy's attack method, your own morale and training, and the cooperation and tacit understanding between all levels will become the key factors in a battle, or the key points that determine victory or defeat. .

Zhang He caught Cao Jun off guard.

The lack of information, coupled with the barbarism of the Semu people, caused Cao's army to rush to the battle with an irregular formation and insufficient preparations. This finally led to a rush and made it too late for Cao's army to use many of the things he had originally prepared...

Why did General Cao Chun say that the enemy was in the south?

At a certain time, Cao Chun cursed the soldiers of Cao's army countless times in his heart, and then he began to feel that since it was Cao Chun's fault, it was within the bounds of justice that they could not withstand the attack of Zhang He and others. .

…

…

At first, Cao Chun didn't know that Zhang He had stolen his home until he saw the black smoke rising in the sky over the Black Stone Forest.

From the early morning departure until now, after a long journey and a fierce battle for nearly an hour and a half, even Cao Chun himself was somewhat dulled by the blood and exhaustion.

To put it simply, too much blood sugar is consumed and cannot be replenished for a while.

Just like a mountain climber must reserve some high-calorie food, the human body will inevitably experience a period of fatigue after high-intensity and high-concentration exercise.

Cao Jun was not aware of this problem, so he did not make any preparations.

In fact, Cao Chun still has many things that he is not ready for, but this is a normal feature of war.

No one will wait for the other party to have everything ready before taking action.

Cao Chun rode his horse and ran, but for some reason he suddenly felt uneasy.

This seventh sense is actually very common among ordinary people. For example, when you arrive at a strange place, you suddenly feel familiar, or you suddenly feel uncomfortable under a tall building. Just after you leave, a wall brick falls...

Cao Chun looked up fiercely and found that in the black stone forest, thin smoke had been rising from nowhere, and it seemed to be getting bigger and bigger!

At this moment, Cao Chun's original complacent mood suddenly disappeared, replaced by the feeling that he was being targeted by a cunning hunter in a hidden place, and a cold chill suddenly passed through his body.

Suddenly, Cao Chun suddenly opened his mouth and shouted loudly: "Stop!" The whole army stops! 』

The guard was stunned. He didn't understand why Cao Chun issued this strange order here.

The surrounding Cao Jun soldiers also looked at Cao Chun with incredible eyes, as if they were looking at a madman. Even if it is a large infantry force, it cannot be stopped just by stopping. Cao Chun's troops are rushing towards the Black Stone Forest, and now they suddenly have to stop. This order will not only make the order contradictory, but will also affect the morale of everyone, and will inevitably cause a small chaos. What is the purpose of Cao Chun's order?

The uneasiness in Cao Chun's heart became more and more intense. He pointed in the direction of the black stone forest in the distance, "Did you see the black smoke?" ! 』

For a while, some people said yes, and some said no.

Some people are sensitive to color, some people are sensitive to light and darkness, but most people are dull. This is a kind of talent, just like the game of chicken in later generations. Some people yell clearly, and some people yell where I can't see...

Cao Chun suddenly remembered Su Li and Mo Huba's previous lazy battle.

What if Su Li and Mo Huba are not actually sitting on the fence, but have already fallen to Zhao Yun's side?

Cao Chun gave the Suli Gold Book, which is equivalent to a sunk cost. As for sunk costs, most people will find it difficult to let go and will be dragged away by these sunk costs in many cases. For example, there are always some clothes in the closet at home that are never worn all year round, but they still fill up the closet space, leaving no room for other clothes.

It was not until Cao Chun suddenly realized that if Su Li and Mo Huba turned to Zhao Yun, then the arrangement of Black Stone Forest would be leaked, and not only would there be heavy losses, but even escaping would be a problem. He knew that his army was more than enough to defeat Hu soldiers and horses like Su Li, but it was probably too powerful to deal with Zhao Yun's Changshan army.

Zhao Yun's plain face suddenly appeared in Cao Chun's mind, making Cao Chun shiver.

"The whole army stops!" ” Cao Chun ordered again, “Immediately send someone to the Black Stone Forest to investigate! 』

Looking at Cao Chun's almost cannibalistic eyes, the guards were horrified and immediately ordered the entire army to stop. Immediately, rapid and low orders were passed. Fortunately, although Cao Chun's soldiers caused some confusion at the beginning, they were still well-trained. They immediately slowed down under the command of military academies at all levels and faced the situation. Make adjustments.

After a moment's delay, the black smoke in the black stone forest in the distance became more and more obvious.

Changshan's army in the rear was gradually approaching.

"General, we are catching up from behind... what should we do?" 』

Cao Chun turned around and seemed to be able to see the three-color flag fluttering in the smoke and dust, with the red tassel jumping high and high like blood.

Cao Chun's heart was as cold as falling into an ice hole.

…

…

Zhao Yun saw Cao Chun using part of his troops to block him, while the main force began to rush towards the Black Stone Forest. He couldn't help but improve his evaluation of Cao Chun. He was determined to cut off his arm very quickly.

The obstruction was to delay Zhao Yun again, and the main force rushed to the Black Stone Forest to either solve the problem in the Black Stone Forest as soon as possible, or to gather the remaining troops to retreat...

And such a decision needs to be made in a very short period of time.

Cao Chun made the right decision.

He is indeed the best cavalryman under Cao Cao.

Because cavalry moves faster than infantry, decisions must be made faster. Otherwise, the battle between cavalry may have been over by the time the general makes a slow decision.

In later generations, dynasties dominated by infantry in the Central Plains were often defeated by nomads, and they often failed to keep up with the pace. Coupled with the nature of class rule in feudal dynasties, dynasties with strong civilian attributes will strictly guard against the "arbitrariness" of military generals. If they make some changes, they will be killed on the spot by the supervisory army. This can block the more flexible It would be strange to become a cavalry.

Zhao Yun and Zhang He failed to contact each other, but they had a cooperative effect. This may be called a coincidence. It seemed like an unexpected surprise, but in fact, it was Zhao Yun, as an excellent cavalry general, who Under what circumstances, how to use cavalry to exert maximum power.

The cavalry seems to be very powerful, but in fact the cavalry is also very fragile.

Cavalry consumes logistics. Even Mongolian horses cannot be beaten at any time of the year. During the rise of the Yuan and Qing dynasties, there were not many military horses. When the number of real war horses increased, their military strength began to decline. The Yuan Dynasty wanted to turn all the land in the world into a horse farm, while the Qing Dynasty was a racehorse, enclosing land, and eating people.

Fei Qian controlled the expansion of the cavalry. In Changshan New City, the requirements for soldiers were also very strict. Many of the Hu people who wanted to join the Changshan Army were rejected. Without a period of training and assessment, they It is impossible to become a qualified hussar just by riding on horseback.

In this way, on the one hand, it ensures the eliteness of the hussars, and on the other hand, it enhances the sense of honor of the hussars, and all of this is based on a good military system and logistical support.

And these gaps, no matter how hard Cao Cao and Cao Chun try, cannot be made up in a short time.

Therefore, when Cao Chun tries hard to do the right thing, he may not get positive feedback.

For example, in this battle, the total number of people on both sides seems to be large, but the decisive factor is still the core strength of both sides.

The core part.

At this location, Zhao Yun's core is stronger, especially more stable.

Zhao Yun sent Zhang He to attack from the side for "stability".

Zhao Yun's naturally cautious character would not allow Zhang He, a "surrendered general" who could command troops and horses, to take any uncontrollable risks. Even Xinpi, who stayed at Changshan Camp, still had a stable and reliable Ganfeng as a balance.

This is not to say that Zhao Yun does not trust Zhang He, but to reduce the losses caused by Zhang He's rebellion.

A general does not think about winning, but thinks about defeat first, that's how it is.

Although Zhao Yun can generally determine that the possibility of Zhang He's rebellion is very low, why take the risk if you can reduce the risk as much as possible?

Let Zhang He command the partial army and flank Cao Jun. Whether Zhang He and Cao Jun are really separated from each other, or there is some emotional disconnection, and whether it can succeed in the end, it doesn't matter much, because from the beginning Cao Chun decided to Camping in the Black Stone Forest had already doomed him to failure.

The point is not the coal in Black Stone Forest, nor its traps, but the "timing". Under such circumstances, Cao Chun's geographical advantage is obviously insufficient.

In the land of Yuyang, with Yanshan Mountain as a barrier, you may still feel that the cold wind, ice and snow in the Northern Desert are nothing. Of course, this may also be affected by the warmer climate in the Han Dynasty and before the Han Dynasty, but since Zhao Yun took up the position of Protector of the Northern Territory, he has been constantly counting the cold ice and snow conditions in the cold winter every year, and understands that the overall temperature is declining. Yes, so once a large-scale cold wind comes from the north, the first ones who can't stand it will definitely be Cao Jun whose camp is farther north.

In addition, in terms of information, the connection between Zhao Yun and Guanzhong is obviously stronger and smoother than Cao Chun.

This is also more stable than Cao Chun.

Pang Tong's trust in Zhao Yun, or Qingqi Feiqian's trust in Zhao Yun, inspired Zhao Yun's stronger fighting spirit and courage. Coupled with the fact that the carrier pigeon conveyed the news of Guanzhong Wuyou, Zhao Yun dared to take action without waiting for Zhang He to appear.

In fact, when Zhao Yun nailed Cao Chun to the Black Stone Forest, Cao Chun was already defeated.

Sooner or later.

It would be best if Zhang He could attack the Black Stone Forest. If he couldn't, it wouldn't matter much.

If Cao Chun dares to attack head-on, Zhao Yun will fight back without mercy. If Cao Chun divides his troops to sneak attack Changshan, Gan Feng who stays in Changshan will let Cao Jun know how terrifying the combat effectiveness of the heavy cavalry near the supply base is...

If it continues to develop, Cao Chun will either be defeated by Zhang He, defeated by the weather, or fail because the route to transport grain is longer than Zhao Yun and consumes more.

In order to make up for these shortcomings, Cao Chun has been trying to lure Zhao Yun into jumping into the pit. However, unlike Cao Chun who racked his brains and tried various strategies to make up for the gap in strength, Zhao Yun only needs to stabilize his troops. , it is already in an invincible position.

Most battles in the history of war are neither beautiful nor tortuous, and can even be said to be frustrating to death. There are no brilliant strategies or quick wits on the spot, only smooth fights, victories and defeats. . And the shining points shown in most of these unsightly battles truly belong to the soldiers, rather than relying on the counselors.

Cao Chun is actually not stupid. It can be said that he grew up in the Central Plains without much professional cavalry training, and there is no inheritance of cavalry commanders in the family. Now he has grown into a man worthy of Zhao Yun to deal with it openly. Being a general is already very difficult.

It's just that Cao Chun is still not strong enough, at least not as strong as Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun's tactical arrangement is very simple. He uses this method to force Cao Chun to choose tactics that are easier to accept and can directly see the results. Once Cao Chun chooses these tactics, it means that Cao Chun can only choose between worse and worse. The one with the worse choice is like Cao Chun who repeatedly chose to send troops to stop Zhao Yun...

There is nothing wrong with these choices, and they can even be said to be the most appropriate choices under the circumstances.

The courage of a strong man to cut off his wrist, the determination to abandon his chariot to save his commander.

Only by preserving strength can we have the capital to fight.

Because the cavalry commanded by Zhao Yun are not ordinary cavalry, they are the most elite cavalry among the Han cavalry at present. They have enough experience, abundant logistics, and a strong commander. They overwhelmed Cao Chun's cavalry in every aspect. , so if Cao Chun comes up and fights Zhao Yun head-on, there is no possibility of winning.

Unless the Hu people really cooperate with Cao Jun...

But the Hu people were distracted and had a tacit understanding among themselves that they wanted to see the Han people fight each other, so Cao Chun was sold.

Therefore, under the current situation of Zhao Yun's frontal oppression, Cao Chun had no choice but to cut off his flesh again and again to preserve the whole, but as a result, the overall strength was continuously reduced, just like the Six Kingdoms cutting land from Qin.

The more you want to protect yourself, the less likely you are to protect yourself. However, if you risk your life to fight, you lack the courage to make a comeback. The important thing is that even if you risk your life, you may not be able to win...

"careful……"

"Raise your shield!" 』

Following the order from the military academy, I saw a dark cloud of arrows roaring into the sky and falling towards Zhao Yun and others.

Zhao Yun casually took off the shield from the horse's belly.

Dancing with guns and flowers to fire arrows is naturally very beautiful and majestic, but it consumes far more energy than simply raising a shield.

With Zhao Yun's caution, he didn't even want to waste this extra energy, so he chose the most simple and unpretentious way to block the arrows with his shield.

The hussar-style riding shield is equally simple.

Cao Jun's cavalry was located in the north and had an advantage in the wind, so Cao Jun took the lead in firing.

The rain of black arrows made a strange shriek in the wind, like blood-eating insects, flying towards them.

"Bang... bang..."

This is the sound of arrows falling on armor and shields.

The momentum is great and the sound is not quiet, but the effect is very poor.

The winter uniform armor of the Hussars is made of three layers. The outer layer is iron, the inner layer is mainly cowhide, and pigskin is also used. The inner lining is made of cotton and fur grown in Guanzhong and Longyou. It has certain Warmth-retaining and good defensive effect.

When the arrow penetrates the cowhide in the gap between the armor, it loses most of its power, and the soft cotton or fur lining makes the damage of the thrown arrow basically disappear at the end. Most hussars only need to use their shields to protect themselves and their horses' necks.

The cavalry left by Cao Chun to stop Zhao Yun knew that arrow shooting was not effective, but they still had to shoot because this was the only advantage they could take advantage of...

The distance between the two sides quickly shortened. After the second round of arrows was fired, Cao's cavalry had to start accelerating and had no chance to fire the third round of arrows.

After Zhao Yun blocked the second wave of arrows from Cao Jun, he hung up his shield, swung his spear, and gave the command to accelerate the charge.

"The hussars are victorious!" Won victory! 』

The Changshan cavalry responded in unison, and their roars instantly surpassed the roar of their horses' hooves.

Will you sink into a nightmare forever, or struggle for a glimmer of hope?

Now it depends on how Cao Chun responds.

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