Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3392 Tan

In this world, without order, human beings would be unable to move forward. However, once there is order, human beings will use order to greedily plunder and dominate others.

At Gubeikou, the order of Cao's army collapsed.

The cause of collapse is not at this moment, but at that moment.

Zhang He did not stay at Gubeikou for too long. Almost immediately after Cao Chun retreated, he followed Cao Chun and launched his troops to pursue him.

The pursuit mode is still desert-style.

The various ministries pursued each other, stopping for thirty miles, all the way south.

As soon as the Gubeikou node was broken and Cao Chun retreated, the entire Cao Jun defense line in Youzhou was forced to retreat.

In fact, near Gubeikou, there are still many Cao Jun detachments that dispersed like Lei Zhong before and were stationed in Yanshan. They were originally to guard against the infiltration of the Hussars, but now they are also going crazy from Yanshan. Withdrawing from the middle, it was like a drowning person grabbing a broken board on the water. Even though they knew that the small piece of broken board could not provide them with much buoyancy support, they would still hold on tightly, life and death. Don’t let go.

During the retreat, Cao Jun inevitably encountered various problems...

Fighting for roads, killing each other, etc. are all commonplace.

Just like Yuan Jun back then.

As long as you can escape, you don't care who is killed or injured behind you?

Everyone knows that order is important. If there is order, even if the hussars cannot resist, at least more of Cao's soldiers can escape.

Everyone is cursing why no one stopped the Hussars, why no one sacrificed themselves, why no one took the overall situation into consideration...

Zhang He had been watching coldly, and finally sighed softly and waved his arms.

The bronze whistles and horns among the hussars were blown almost at the same time. Hundreds of cavalry, roaring and rolling with hooves, came from Yanshan and seemed to be sweeping the world!

Zhang He sent three military academies, one old Han military academy and two barbarian military academies, to form a pinzi structure and launched a pursuit and raid around Gubeikou.

Zhang He himself continued to clear the Gubeikou passage while waiting for the arrival of Zhao Yun's army.

Zhang He was somewhat surprised that he could capture Gubeikou in a short period of time.

This may be luck, or it may be...

But no matter what, Cao Jun seems to be no longer what he used to be.

This is "Yan" in the land of Yan and Zhao!

Is Yan weak?

There are many generous people.

So is Youzhou weak?

It was once a leg of a big man!

Judging from the two foundings of the Han Dynasty, Youzhou has always been strong.

In the two hundred years of the Western Han Dynasty from the emperor Liu Bang to the usurpation of the throne by Wang Mang, although the war against the Huns in the early Han Dynasty failed, and the war against the Huns during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made brilliant achievements, it is true that the development of the land of Youyan was not outstanding at the beginning, but as the After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty shifted the focus back to internal development, the Youyan area also began to prosper with the development of the Han Dynasty.

In the earliest days, Youzhou governed the area from the Bohai Sea to Liaodong, from Mongolia in later generations to North Korea...

With the rise of Liu Xiu in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the king was weak in the world and the local area was strong. Liu Xiu's victory in the world basically relied on three forces. One was the fortifications of Jizhou, which was the Jizhou Crossbow, then the Youzhou Cavalry, and then the Bingzhou Cavalry. Finally, he overcame Guanzhong and Xiliang and unified them again. The big man.

As for the land of Nanyang, which belongs to Yuzhou, basically during Liu Xiu's period, it was for logistical support, money, food, manpower, and utensil manufacturing. At that time, Liu Xiu had money, food, soldiers, horses and equipment, so the resurgence of the Han Dynasty was not an empty talk.

But now, whether it is the order of the Western Han Dynasty or the order of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it has disappeared in the land of Youyan.

Zhang He immediately rode up Mount Yan. Looking back, he saw towering mountains.

In front of us, a vast land slowly unfolded...

…

…

The hussar army broke through Gubeikou, like a thunderbolt from the blue, which shocked everyone who heard it and stood on the spot.

Cao Chun rushed all the way back to Yuyang. As soon as Gubeikou was lost, Yuxi and Guangping in the north of Yuyang bore the brunt and became the front line.

Cao Liang, who was originally the second line, now suddenly became the commander of the first line. His face was blue and white, red and green.

Cao Chun said that he believed in Cao Liang, but Cao Liang wanted to shout that he didn't believe in himself...

If the first line is lost, can the second line be held?

From Gubeikou to Yixi, Guangping, Yuyang, and Jixian behind Yuyang, it seems that it has become a battlefield destined to have a bloody battle.

When the news came that Gubeikou had been breached, Cao Chun came in a hurry, and then fled in a hurry. Cao Liang, the general of the Cao army stationed in Qi Xi and Guang Ping, felt chilled. He didn't know whether he should praise Cao Chun for being well prepared, with one man and two horses coming and going like the wind, or should he fearfully welcome the hussars that followed!

As Cao's army retreated in disorder, many places were set on fire.

There seemed to be beacon fires everywhere, and war clouds were densely hanging over the land of Youyan.

Cao Chun still has a way to retreat, but Cao Liang's retreat has been cut off.

Fighting with foot against cavalry is nothing more than using a dense phalanx to fight, but this requires good training, sufficient supplies, and the most critical issue -

order.

If there is good order, many of these veteran soldiers in Youyan have experience in fighting against cavalry, and it is even possible that there is no need for the Cao army generals to give special orders, and these veterans will automatically organize the infantry squares one by one.

For the cavalry, if they want to attack an infantry formation with large shields and spears head-on, in the era of pure cold weapons, it is undoubtedly a matter of self-destruction even if they win.

However, Cao Liang, who was stationed in Xixi and Guangping, could not see this kind of order. All he saw were the panicked eyes of the fleeing Cao army soldiers, and all he heard were the panting and chaotic shouting with fear. It was like these Cao army soldiers, whose spirits had been stretched to the extreme before, were cut off by the cavalry at Gubeikou, and then fell into a mental breakdown.

The order in Xixi and Guangping was still intact, but Cao Liang knew that the current situation was actually because the Cao army soldiers had become accustomed to obedience, which made them still hold on here with inertia. However, as long as the cavalry came, a slight touch would cause the seemingly intact state to collapse immediately, and it would be out of control!

Every general basically knew that there was a battle called "fighting with one's back to the water".

But now if he really had to fight with his back to the water cut off, Cao Liang really couldn't expect these Cao army soldiers in front of him to have much combat effectiveness!

Could it be that now, while the cavalry didn't come, they would also flee like Cao Chun?

Seeing this situation, the remnants of the Cao army who fled desperately without a mind also made Cao Liang panic.

And he looked around and found that the ordinary Cao army guards around him also had a livid face.

Not good!

If this goes on...

At least we have to think of a way!

The cavalry seemed to know the fear of Cao's army now. Even the cavalry scouts in groups of three or two dared to show off their power outside the arrow-shot range of the two counties of Xi and Guangping, and they came and went, treating the Cao's guards in Xi and Guangping as air!

Xi and Guangping counties, one on the left and one on the right, one in front and one behind, were stuck on the official road from Gubeikou to Yuyang, supporting each other. Under normal circumstances, the cavalry had to besiege Xi and Guangping counties at the same time to have the possibility of breaking the city and defeating Cao's army. Now, with the morale of Cao's army collapsing, Cao Liang didn't know how long he could hold on...

You can't defend the city alone.

This is also the key to the art of war.

After thinking about it, Cao Liang felt that it was reasonable to fight these cavalry scouts at the stone bridge outside the city before the cavalry brigade arrived.

First, these cavalry scouts are too arrogant and annoying, and second, there are not many of them for the time being...

In addition, Cao Liang also knew that if he didn't boost morale, he wouldn't be able to hold on for long even if he stayed in the city!

'Huang County Magistrate,' Cao Liang said to Huang Si, the magistrate of Xi County, 'How about you and I each lead 500 soldiers to challenge the cavalry troops at this stone bridge? '

Huang Si shook his head subconsciously, 'Not appropriate, not appropriate. '

'What's wrong? 'Cao Liang said, 'It's right at the stone bridge... Look at this stone bridge, even if the cavalry wants to rush over, they can only line up three or five... And the key is that the cavalry army hasn't come yet, we can take the opportunity to line up here to challenge, and the enemy army will most likely not respond, so we can naturally boost morale a little, otherwise if it goes on like this...'

'The enemy army won't respond? 'Huang Si asked.

Cao Liang nodded.

A small stone bridge across the river

This side of the bridge is closer to the county town and is easily hit by arrows and crossbows, so the cavalry scouts usually move on the other side of the river and rarely come to this side of the stone bridge.

'Right here?' Huang Si seemed to confirm again and again whether it was safe, 'The enemy will not come?'

'If you were the enemy, would you attack this stone bridge, or wait for the main force to come?' Cao Liang asked.

'Well...' Huang Si pondered, then nodded slowly.

His idea was different from Cao Liang's.

Cao Liang was surnamed Cao after all, and he was thinking about how to prolong the battle, improve the morale of his own soldiers, and slow down the pace of the cavalry, but Huang Si thought that if... well, not just if, but if they must retreat, then at least they have fought a battle, no matter how they say it, it will be better than retreating without a fight!

'Okay, okay! ......'

The two agreed, and immediately sent troops to line up on this side of the stone bridge.

Not far from the city, in theory, there is a small river and a stone bridge in front of it, and the city behind it as support. Even if it cannot win a battle, at least it should not be a problem to create some momentum in the mist.

But something went wrong...

The first cavalry vanguard to arrive at Xixi and Guangping was the Tuoba military school who liked to flatter.

No one is born to like to be servile.

The Tuoba clan is no exception. The reason why he has become like this now is just because he is a Tuoba clan.

That's right, the Xianbei Tuoba.

The Tuoba clan was once powerful and once famous in the desert.

But...

It was like a flash in the pan.

The glory faded, the reputation fell, and the Tuoba clan went from being a wise king to exile.

Losers, if they want to survive, have no right to be proud.

The Tuoba clan didn't want to perish with those royal families, so he surrendered. Back then, he bore the name of the Tuoba clan, but did not enjoy much benefit from the Tuoba clan, but now he has to pay off his debts for the Tuoba clan. He wagged his tail at anyone in authority to prove his harmlessness and loyalty, but he couldn't just wag his tail.

So when Tuoba saw Cao Liang and Huang Si lining up on one side of the stone bridge, he did not wait for the arrival of Zhang He's army or contact other military academies. Instead, he quickly made a decision and began to explore attack.

The stone bridge was obviously a key defensive location. The Tuoba clan sent out five or six elite cavalry and wandered around the stone bridge for a while. They found that they could not attack it at all. Because there are not only spears and shields on the opposite side of the stone bridge, but also horses and crossbows. A frontal attack is indeed difficult and will cause a lot of damage.

Even using a grenade will not have any good effect.

First, the bridge deck is not wide. If you want to get into the distance where you can throw grenades, it means entering the range of Cao Jun. Even a desperate attack, an attack with self-destruction grenades, destroying one or two resisting horses will be of no avail.

Another one is the restriction of river topography...

By the way, the river!

"Go up and down the river and have a look!" Tuoba was unwilling to give in, "It's autumn now, and the river must be shallow somewhere!" 』

Tuoba's unwillingness to give up harmed Cao Liang.

Cao Liang was originally just showing off and taking the opportunity to boost his morale. Now, although it is true that the forwards of the Hussars cannot be defeated for a while, to a certain extent, he has initially achieved the preset goal. But he didn't expect that the Tuoba clan was frustrated and refused to retreat. He still stood on the opposite bank of the river and looked at it coldly. He also sent a scout team to test the depth of the river upstream and downstream!

this……

"Withdraw your troops, withdraw now!" 』

Huang Si broke out in sweat.

"Wait a minute," Cao Liang also hesitated, but he felt that the situation was still under control. If the troops were withdrawn just because the Hussars were trying to cross the river, wouldn't the previous actions to boost morale be in vain?

Cao Liang was unwilling to retreat, "The water here is very fast upstream and downstream. How can we get through it so easily... When it gets dark, we will retreat slowly. The hussars will not dare to advance in the dark. Only then can we be considered safe." achievement! 』

Huang Si didn't say anything more, but his face didn't look good. He looked at Cao Liang shouting to encourage the morale of the soldiers, but he quietly retreated back with his men...

The two sides were in a stalemate across the river.

Time gradually passed with the river.

When the setting sun disappeared in the mountains and night gradually enveloped the earth, Cao Liang slowly exhaled.

He felt he had won the bet.

"Someone is coming!" Go to the stone bridge, throw out torches, and press the archers..."

Before Cao Liang finished his order, he heard an "exclamation" coming from somewhere: "The hussars have crossed over!" The Hussars are coming! 』

What? !

Cao Liang was shocked!

But he soon realized that the shouting did not sound like it was coming from his own array, but seemed like it was coming from the other side of the river!

Moreover, he also sent sentinels upstream and downstream. If the Hussars really crossed the river, shouldn't the first ones to report back be the sentinels? How could it be the people here shouting?

"Don't believe it!" Cao Liang shouted, "The hussar didn't cross the river!" 』

But unfortunately, Cao Liang did not believe that the Hussars could cross the river silently, but some people believed...

Amid the chaotic shouts, someone moved among the ranks of Cao's army.

The person who moved was not any of the soldiers in Cao's army array, but Huang Si who was at the back of the array!

However, any selfish person, no matter how talented they are, is not suitable to be a leader, because when such people often encounter anything, they must first consider themselves and cherish themselves the most. Even if these people have done some public deeds, most of them are mixed with other selfish desires. Even if there are good results, they are just short-lived and they often immediately turn to the evil side.

For Huang Si, this is the case.

Huang Si served as the county magistrate under Cao Jun. He swore loudly under the banner of the Han Dynasty, saying that he would surround the prime minister closely, obey the orders of the Emperor of Han Dynasty, and benefit one party as soon as he served as an official. In order to improve the happiness index of the people of Youzhou And make unremitting efforts and struggle for life...

The words sounded nice, but when I actually encountered the hussars and found that the swords and guns were almost pointed at my nose, the most important thing became Huang Si's own life!

As for what benefits and what happiness is, just listen to it. Whoever takes it seriously is a fool!

Facing the pressure of the hussars coming towards him, he was already so frightened that he couldn't control himself. However, Cao Liang was still calm, so Huang Si held on, not daring to show his timidity for fear of being laughed at by others.

When life is not threatened, face is important.

And when Huang Si felt that his life was threatened, was he just trying to save his face?

Just kick it!

After finally staying up until it was about to get dark, Huang Si was already eager to return to the county seat. Unexpectedly, he suddenly shouted, "The Hussars have crossed the river." The string that tightened in Huang Si's heart was The card suddenly stopped. He was originally farthest from the river bank, closest to the city, and in a relatively rear position. Now he just ignored it, without even saying hello to Cao Liang, and just withdrew his troops and left!

The cold wind on the autumn night made Huang Si even more frightened.

Before he even reached the city, he shouted: "Open the gate! The cavalry is coming! Let me in!"

The shout was sharp and shrill.

The general is the courage of the army, especially in Shandong.

If the commander is calm, the soldiers under his command can hold on for a while even if they are unbearable. But once the commander panics, the morale of the whole army will collapse instantly.

Huang Si's running and shouting immediately led the other Cao army soldiers!

The Cao army soldiers who were originally lined up neatly turned their heads and found that Huang Si was leading the way. If they didn't run, wouldn't they fall behind others and might not be able to survive tonight!

Running one step earlier now may give you a chance to survive!

One person runs, a team runs!

In the blink of an eye, the Cao army formation collapsed across the board!

Cao Liang was so angry that his hands and feet trembled when he saw this scene. He was blocked by a surge of evil air in his throat. With a sound of gurgling, he spurted out a mouthful of blood and fell backwards!

Tuoba Shi on the other side of the river watched with wide eyes. He had never expected that the posture of Cao Jun would be like a flash of a flower. Just like that, he suddenly had an idea and asked people to shout, and they fled directly!

"This... Haha!" Tuoba Shi waved his arms, "Attack, attack! The cavalry will win!

"The cavalry will win!

"A thousand wins, a thousand wins!

This time, the cavalry really crossed the river...

Was the farce on the stone bridge by the river considered a "cause" or a "result"?