Cao Shang is the grain transport officer who came here from Yecheng.
An ordinary little officer.
When Cao Chun set out with his large army, although he said he was carrying food and grass, he still had to constantly transport supplies from the rear to replenish them.
The grain team arrived at the main camp on the back road before evening. By the time they loaded the grain and weapons into the warehouse and completed the delivery, it was already almost dark.
Cao Shang and several of his men got together to discuss it, and they all felt that there was no time limit for their return anyway, so they might as well just rest here for two or three days before going back.
Seeing that Cao Chun is about to engage in battle with the barbarians, maybe everyone can win a fight.
Cao Shang still has this idea in his heart. If he can get some meritorious service, maybe he will no longer have to be a small grain transport officer and can move up?
After all, not all people with the surname Cao are relatives of Cao Cao. If you want to make progress, you always have to pay something.
Moreover, from another perspective, the grain transport team is also tired and really needs to rest.
Since last month, they have begun to transport food and grass here in advance, rushing back and forth, barely taking a day's rest during this time, and now everyone is terribly sleepy and exhausted.
Although there are relatively few barbarians around now, and it is not as if they were robbed by some hungry refugees on the way, but running back and forth, coupled with being on duty during the day and at night, everyone is as tense as if they were full.
Just like a bow, if you don't rest, there will inevitably be a risk of the bow breaking and the string breaking.
But if he wants to stay, it is not Cao Shang who has the final say alone.
Cao Shang had to come forward to negotiate with Xia Houshang, the general manager of the rear army camp, to see if he could find a resting place for the grain team in the camp.
Although both are called Shang, their status is completely different.
Xiahou Shang didn't see Cao Shang at all, but sent a clerk to deal with it. The clerk was also a little embarrassed. There was originally an open space for the food team to rest in the camp, and there were dozens of large tents, but now it was almost the same.
They have all been occupied by other grain transport teams that have gathered from all directions in the past few days. At the moment, there is really no way to satisfy Cao Shang's request.
However, considering how many people were named Cao, the clerk could not say that he had gone too far, so he finally coordinated and freed up two tents for Cao Shang...
The question is what can two tents be used for?
Who should be allowed to live in the tent?
What should people who can't live in tents do? Do they still use the covers and the ground as beds like they did on the road?
What else do you call trimming?
However, the clerk had no choice but to spread his hands and said that he had tried his best. If it didn't work, let him go to Xia Houshang again.
It seems that this can only be done like this. Two tents are just two tents, it is better than nothing.
Cao Shang then sent some of the weaker and older soldiers to the tent, while he and others squatted in a sheltered mountain col outside the camp.
Doing this naturally caused two different kinds of feedback. Some people complained that Cao Shang was pretending to gain fame, while others said that Cao Shang was responsible and would be considerate of his soldiers...
Anyway, Cao Shang knew very well that he didn't have much capital now, and naturally he couldn't have the same connections as Xiahou Shang. He could only rely on these soldiers.
The rear army camp covers a large area.
According to the three-cai array, there are two small camps on the left and right, and a large camp in the middle.
Cao Shang and others had no way to enter the camp to rest. It was a small mountain col three or four miles away from the camp. It was relatively far away from the camp, but fortunately it was sheltered from the wind. Then they used some branches or something.
I had to cover myself with an oilcloth, and put some hay and blankets on it, which was pretty good. After all, on the road, I sometimes had to sleep in the open air, and it felt really...
There is nothing we can do, there are people nearby.
After all, the food delivery team is not just Cao Shang.
As midnight approached, Cao Shang woke up as a habit and prepared to go on a patrol.
After he stood up in a daze, he realized where he was now. It seemed that he no longer needed to check the post.
Fell asleep.
But after all this trouble, it became difficult to fall asleep, so I simply stopped sleeping and walked a few steps to climb out of the col.
The night wind howled.
There were still some fires flickering in the back camp in the distance.
The night wind howled.
Dots of stars were dotted on the sky, flickering brightly and dimly with a cool light.
Everything seems normal.
But Cao Shang's heart suddenly jumped.
There seemed to be some subtle sounds, vaguely mixed in the night wind.
After a while, between the pitch-black sky and earth in the distance, a little red light suddenly flashed past, and then little bits of fire exploded like water thrown into a boiling oil pan, and instantly spurted out a stream of fire.
Blockbuster.
Almost at the same time, a series of alarms sounded in the distant camp, the jingling sounds became a series, and urgent orders came one after another.
In less than half a moment, the gate of the rear camp suddenly opened, and two teams of soldiers rushed out of the door. They quickly cleared the several barriers set up at the door to clear a passage, and soon a group of cavalry rushed out of the camp.
He galloped towards the direction of the firelight like lightning...
Cao Shang knew that this was a survey and a test, and it could even play a role in mitigating resistance, but looking at the fire in front of him, I'm afraid there were some shortcomings.
"What if..." Cao Shang murmured, "This is for the food and grass in the camp... What if there is no food and grass... General Cao is in the north..."
Although Cao Shang's voice was not loud, it frightened the soldiers following him.
Who is not afraid when there is no food in hand?
If there is no food and grass, whether it is a general or a big boss, they will have to be ashamed to do it!
The soldier on the side shook his head, as if to get rid of the terrifying thoughts in his mind, "Chang Qu, there are thousands of people in the camp, and there are nearly ten thousand civilians. Even if they are attacked,
It’s always okay to defend for a while, isn’t it? As long as we defend for a few days, it will be enough for General Cao to come to the rescue!”
Cao Shang did not comment on his words. He frowned and just looked at the situation of the camp in the distance carefully. Then he cast his gaze into the firelight further away. He nodded and shook his head thoughtfully for a long time, and then turned his head.
I looked at the warning lantern upstairs, as if waiting for something.
Of course, in a large camp with tens of thousands of people, it’s impossible for them all to huddle together in one place.
But these two small camps on the left and right...
I'm afraid it's dangerous.
After a while, the ordering soldiers ran out of the camp, shouting: "The general has an order! All soldiers outside will form their teams immediately and enter the camp to wait for orders!"
Running and shouting all the way, some people suddenly ran out from everywhere and headed into the camp.
Cao Shang looked at it, his face suddenly changed, and he blurted out: "It's broken! This idiot!"
Cao Shang jumped up fiercely, "Hurry! Follow up!"
The temporary gathering place for these soldiers outside the camp is of course the supply camp deep in the rear camp.
The baggage camp had already received the order, and dozens of tents for civilians were demolished one after another to clear out a space to receive people. Several stewards and bookkeepers in the baggage camp led people to run back and forth to coordinate, and everyone was so busy that they were hoarse and their heads were full.
He was sweating, but he still couldn't hold back the chaotic influx of people. In addition, it was difficult to confirm the ownership for a while in the dark night, and it was chaos!
In this area, there are naturally some soldiers arranged to maintain order, but how many soldiers are there for this small group? Once overwhelmed by the chaotic flow of people, it suddenly became in disarray.
Cao Shang was among them with a few soldiers. He held on to the crooked Douchi and pushed forward with all his strength.
There were people everywhere around, and it was so chaotic and noisy that even if they were not far apart, it was hard to hear what the other person was saying.
Cao Shang's face was ashen and his expression was unusually serious. He kept pushing through the crowd and looking around, trying to find the military academy or officials in charge of the rear camp. But at this moment, something suddenly appeared in the camp.
The bright fire light then expanded rapidly in the blink of an eye!
"You're gone... you're gone!"
Someone in the crowd screamed, and then surged even more crazily, almost making Cao Shang stagger.
"It's over..."
Cao Shang looked at the increasingly chaotic scene and couldn't help but sigh.
By this time, the back camp was already in chaos.
There were many civilians here responsible for transporting baggage, and most of them had never been on the battlefield. It was already a chaotic situation, and with the sudden fire, the camp was immediately destroyed.
Some people crawled into the tent when they saw it, some grabbed something to cover their heads with their buttocks sticking out, some knelt on the ground numbly and howled, and even more people were like headless chickens.
Bumping around, following others and running aimlessly...
The surrounding soldiers also became confused. Although some officers were shouting and trying to restrain them, they were rushed by the scurrying civilians and became confused again. Many soldiers subconsciously ran away with the civilians, and several
No matter what the captain was, scolding and scolding had no effect at all. Later he pulled out his knife and chopped down several deserters and civilians, but it was still a drop in the bucket and he couldn't suppress them.
When the rear was in chaos, the front was also in chaos. The soldiers formed in front were distracted and their hands softened. The array was broken into several pieces by the opponent's cavalry. Then they saw the cavalry roaring and heading towards here.
Come!
"It's Hu Qi!"
Although Cao Jun's cavalry tried their best to intercept and block, Hu Qi's innate ability to disrupt the situation did not require any special orders, and they did not confront Cao Jun's cavalry head-on.
He hid, and then when he saw that Cao's cavalry had dispersed, they immediately surrounded him and started a group fight.
Cao Jun's cavalry in the rear camp were originally not as elite as the forwards, and with the commander Xia Houshang, they couldn't take care of their butts. They were confused about how to advance and retreat, and were stabbed on both sides...
Cao Shang climbed onto the grain truck nearby and looked around. He saw soldiers and civilians running around with their heads in their arms, but he didn't see a flag giving orders. He listened carefully to hear if there was a bugle order to regroup, but he couldn't.
Unfortunately, apart from the loud shouts of killing in front of him and the chaotic screams and howls around him, he couldn't hear a single order to rectify his situation.
"Idiot! Idiot..."
The army was defeated like a mountain, and the army was in chaos. It was useless to say anything at this time. The first thing was to find a favorable terrain to stabilize the team, and then talk about other things...
There were already fires and smoke everywhere in the camp.
The Huqi were scattered everywhere, with dozens of them crisscrossing around the camp. Some even took advantage of the chaos and rushed into the camp, cutting down and burning the tents when they saw anyone, and trampled on them as they pleased.
Cao's soldiers had no orders, so it was difficult for them to rely on each other for support. They could only fight in clusters here and there. In addition, the chaotic civilians were howling and rushing. Sometimes, they didn't even wait for Hu Qi to arrive, and they were already in chaos.
He was like this, and when he was charged by the enemy's cavalry, he fell into pieces like wheat. His arms and legs were broken, and his flesh and blood flew everywhere. His head and limbs were kicked by human legs and horse hooves and rolled all over the ground.
Of course, there are also some brave Cao soldiers who are not afraid of death and rush towards Hu Qi. They drag the enemy off their horses at the risk of their lives. Without weapons, they hold the enemy and roll under the horse's hooves. Even if they die, they still drag the man's leg and the horse's leg.
Let go...
It's a pity that these are just sporadic resistance and cannot serve as the mainstay.
Until Cao Shang stood up and raised his banner during this process...
Going back in time a little, Cao Shang passed through the chaotic flow of people and found the rear camp. However, in the rear camp, in order to prevent being attacked by these civilians who were running around in confusion, a cordon had been set up.
The soldiers stood solemnly at arm's length from each other. Each one of them looked cold and expressionless, with their swords unsheathed and their bows strung as if they were facing a powerful enemy. They watched the crowds coming over without asking, but just stabbed them with a spear pole if they got closer.
He just used the back of the knife to hit him randomly. He didn't use the blade of the spear directly. He had already left a note for his subordinates. When he saw Cao Shang coming, he knew clearly that Cao Shang was wearing a military uniform and had some status. He was also rude and pointed his spear at him and shouted:
"What are you doing? Go back!"
Cao Shang stopped and shouted loudly: "I am Cao Shang who belongs to Yecheng! Call your commander over! I have something to say!"
"Cao what..." If an ordinary person came, the squad leader would not even pay attention. But when he heard the word "Cao", he looked at Cao Shang, said "wait", and turned around to report.
After a while, a military lord came out of the formation. He stretched out his head and looked Cao Shang up and down. He did not introduce himself and asked directly: "What's the matter?"
"Send someone to clean up the situation immediately! We can't let the chaos in the rear camp continue like this! Soldiers and civilians must form separate teams! Rush the mules, horses and livestock together and assign special personnel to take care of them! Let the civilians pull all the vehicles over and block the front! Hurry! The barbarians are very fast.
They will rush into the camp and everything will be over by then!』
The military lord's eyes narrowed, "Who are you?"
The order received by the military princes is to stick to the center of the formation. Doing more and making more mistakes is not only among political officials, but also in military academies.
"A certain surname is Cao! This is a certain waist card!" Cao Shang had no choice but to use the tiger skin as a banner, "If the chaos cannot be settled quickly, the prime minister will blame you, and General Xiahou will not be able to protect you!"
"..." The military lord took advantage of the firelight and looked at his waist badge, then raised his head and stared at Cao Shang.
The waist card can only prove Cao Shang's identity, but it does not prove Cao Shang's right to mobilize troops.
Cao Shang gritted his teeth and remained motionless.
"...I have a military order with me. I am on duty here and cannot go over..." The military prince stared at Cao Shang and said, "The most I can do is give you some men...I will transfer a team to you..."
"No, at least two teams! Move quickly! If you wait any longer, it will be too late!"
The Junhou hesitated for a moment and finally nodded.
When Cao Shang finally pulled out a formation with his troops and came out, more than a dozen Huqi rushed out of the darkness and ran directly into them...
Fortunately, Cao Shang had people set up a circular array with the chariot array as the center. The gaps in the outer chariot array were filled with shields, spears and straight knives. If the enemy shot an arrow, he would raise his shield. If he dared to get close, he would be slashed with his sword.
After stabbing with the spear, the injured person retreated into the inner circle, and naturally someone stood up to take his place. Some archers were also sent by Cao Shang to the roof of the car to shoot at Hu Qi.
Hu Qi circled the car formation several times, but failed to gain any advantage. He tried to charge several times but failed to hit the car formation. Instead, he suffered a few casualties. He knew that this bone was not easy to chew, so he turned his horse around at the sound of a whistle.
The head suddenly withdrew.
This group of enemies had just retreated, and before Cao Shang and others had time to breathe, another group of Huqi chased some civilians and broken soldiers and rushed over from the other side...
"Go around behind the formation!"
Cao Shang, who was in front of him in the formation, only had time to shout before he saw some civilians who couldn't keep their pace and had already crashed into the formation of cars!
"Go behind the formation! Kill those who collide!" Cao Shang shouted. This is not the time for mercy!
After more than a dozen people were hacked to death on the spot, the civilian husband realized what he was doing and hurriedly avoided the front of the circle formation and went around to the back.
This group of enemies came and went as fast as they came. They rushed back and forth in a circle twice to see if they could get through. The leader of the Hu Cavalry waved his sword, and a group of Hu Cavalry screamed and ran away.
Seeing that there was a gap, Cao Shang ordered his generals to expand the formation and constantly accommodate the chaotic soldiers and civilians. However, the continuous fighting never stopped. Sometimes a group of barbarian cavalry came up to harass and test, and sometimes two or three
Groups of Hu cavalry came over at the same time to fight together. Several times, the situation was extremely critical. The formation was broken and people were killed in an instant. Fortunately, more and more soldiers of Cao's army gathered here. After all, being organized and being unorganized are two different things.
The circular formation was protected from being breached.
The chaotic night gradually passed, and the barbarian cavalry also retreated when the darkness left, just like jackals in the night who dare not show their bodies at dawn.
Seeing that there were no longer large groups of enemies near the camp on the back road, occasionally someone showed up in the distance, looked around for a few moments and then turned around and left. Cao Shang knew that the current catastrophe was more or less over for the time being.
As soon as his heart relaxed and the breath that was held in his chest was released, Cao Shang felt that his whole body ached terribly, his arms felt as heavy as lead, and it seemed that he could not lift the sword in his hand...
Cao Shang held the knife in his hand and slowly slid to the ground, opening his mouth wide and gasping for air.
A moment later, there was the sound of weapons falling to the ground, and there were the sounds of heavy breathing, retching, and suppressed crying everywhere.
The inexplicable appearance of the Hu cavalry brought not only casualties to the rear army camp, but more importantly, a lot of food and grass were burned, which directly affected Cao Chun's "grand plan"...
