Cao Cao led his men in a hurry, and halfway through, Cao Hong sent someone back to deliver the message.
"My lord, Yan Liang has occupied Puyang, and the banner of Yuan Shaojun has been put on the city."
"What?"
Although everyone had expected these words, they were still surprised.
Lu Qian's eyes turned red and he roared angrily, "Yan Liang, I can't believe that you are doing it for Puyang City. It's really hateful."
Cao Ren stepped forward and held up his hands, "Lord, since Yan Liang dares to occupy Puyang, we will take it back."
Cold sweat broke out on Cao Cao's forehead, and his heart suddenly hung up. Although he heard everyone's conversation, as if in a dream, a voice always echoed in his mind.
Lu Bu has entered the game!
Yuan Shao also entered the game!
What to do?
When Lu Bu enters the game, Cao Cao still has a way to deal with it. However, when Yuan Shao enters the game, it will be a disaster!
Because, in history, Yuan Shao was killed by himself. How could he not avenge this revenge?
Yan Liang's occupation of Puyang is probably the first step in Yuan Shao's revenge?
What’s next?
Cao Cao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said slowly, "Don't panic. Let's go to Puyang to have a look. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding."
Although everyone was unhappy, since Cao Cao had given the order, they could only follow the army and continue to rush towards Puyang.
When the group arrived outside Puyang City, Cao Hong had already stepped forward to greet them.
"Lord, look, Yuan Shaojun's flag is already flying on top of the city."
Cao Cao looked at the big flag on the city wall, and the word "Yuan" billowing in the wind looked particularly dazzling.
Cao Hong cupped his hands and asked, "Lord, what should I do?"
Cao Cao waved his hand, clapped his horse and shouted at the city wall, "Where is General Yan Liang?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Liang walked out slowly from the city gate tower next to him. A smile appeared on his stubbled face, "Mr. Cao, long time no see. How good it has been lately."
Cao Cao said slowly, "General Yan Liang, why do you praise my city?"
Yan Liang cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Cao, what you said is different. Before the last general set off, my lord had ordered that Puyang was occupied by Lu Bu, so that the last general could snatch it back.
If he had known that Puyang was in the hands of Duke Cao, how could Wan Hong dare to come?
The general is just following orders. Please forgive me, Mr. Cao."
Cao Hong gritted his teeth and shouted, "Yan Liang, since this is a misunderstanding, then you are leaving the city now?"
Yan Liang shook his head, "General Cao, I am ordered to occupy Puyang City. It is the Lord's order. If you are not convinced, you can go to Jizhou to meet the Lord and explain the matter clearly. As long as the Lord speaks, the general will definitely give up Puyang City." Lu Qian hurriedly stepped forward, raised his hands and said, "General Yan Liang, this place is far away from Jizhou. Is it possible to use it universally? First give up Puyang, and then the lord will definitely send someone to meet with Benchu Gong to discuss this matter. Yan Liang will never let him go."
Embarrassing."
Yan Liang cupped his hands toward the north with an apologetic look on his face, "Mr. Cao, I'm so sorry. Without the lord's order, the general will not dare to make the decision."
Cao Hong was furious, gritted his teeth and shouted, "Yan Liang, what are you saying about meeting the lord? I think you are deliberately unwilling to give up Puyang and want to embarrass our army."
Hearing Cao Hong's angry shouting, Yan Liang put away the smile on his face and sneered, "Cao Hong, do you think this general is afraid of you? If it hadn't been for the Lord's order, I would have gone to the city to take your head. How could you be here?"
This clamor."
Yan Liang’s eyebrows are full of pride, he has the right to be arrogant!
Yan Liang is the leader of Yuan Shao's Four Pavilion Pillars, and can be called the best general in Hebei. With a broadsword in his hand, he has defeated countless opponents.
Cao Cao's famous general Xu Huang was very powerful in martial arts, but under Yan Liang, he was defeated without even being able to hold on for ten moves. You can imagine how powerful Yan Liang is.
Cao Hong's military strength is not as good as that of Xu Huang, and Yan Liang can easily kill him.
Cao Cao raised his head and looked at Yan Liang on the city wall, and suddenly said loudly, "General Yan Liang, you don't have to be embarrassed. I and Lord Ben Chu are close friends. If he knew that Puyang was occupied by so and so, he would definitely let you give up Puyang City.
”
Yan Liang shook his head, "Mr. Cao, please don't embarrass me. If you want to take back Puyang, please discuss it with your lord. I can't make the decision."
At this point, Yan Liang cupped his hands and said loudly, "Mr. Cao, it's getting late now. I'm a little tired and need to rest. Please do what you can!"
When the generals of Cao's army saw Yan Liang being so rude, they were furious and said, "Lord, please order an attack on the city. We must recapture Puyang and kill this hateful boy Yan Liang."
Cao Cao was about to speak when he suddenly heard the sound of horse hoofbeats in the distance. Not long after, a tantric man hurried back.
"Reporting to my lord, Lu Bu's army has left the camp and is heading here."
"What?"
Cao Cao was taken aback and asked hurriedly, "How far away are we from Ju?"
"The Bingzhou cavalry is still 40 miles away from us. As for Lu Jun's infantry team, the distance is not yet known."
"Bingzhou Iron Cavalry!"
When everyone thought of the strength of the Bingzhou cavalry, they couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.
"Lord, what should I do?"
Cheng Yu stepped forward and cupped his hands and said, "My lord, Puyang has been occupied by Yan Liang, and there are pursuers behind."
Having said this, Cheng Yu sighed and handed over his hand again, "Lord, why don't we retreat?"
At this moment, Cao Cao knew that Master Yuan was also in the game, and he was already in a mess. Hearing Cheng Yu's suggestion, he asked with a wry smile, "Retreat, where should we retreat?"
Cheng Yu said slowly, "Xuzhou, we can only be safe if we retreat to Xuzhou as soon as possible!"
Cao Cao had no idea at the moment, so he nodded immediately, "Give me the order and retreat to the direction of Xuzhou."
Following Cao Cao's order, Cao Jun's soldiers, who were already exhausted, once again took heavy steps and rushed towards Xuzhou.
On the city wall, a deputy general saw Cao Jun leaving and hurriedly stepped forward to suggest, "General Yan Liang, Cao Jun is retreating at a time when people are panicking. It is better for our army to attack and catch him off guard."
After hearing this, Yan Liang snorted coldly, "Pass the order, the army only needs to hold on to the city. Anyone who dares to neglect will be killed without mercy."
The deputy general did not dare to say anything more, so he responded hurriedly, turned around and hurriedly gave the order.
Yan Liang turned his head and looked at the direction Cao Jun was leaving, but his brows gradually wrinkled.
To be honest, even he, the commander-in-chief, didn’t know why Puyang City was attacked, let alone others.
When Yuan Shao originally asked him to lead troops to Yanzhou, he thought he was going to join forces with Cao Mengde to attack Lu Bu. However, he never expected that this was the order?
Yan Liang knew very well that his lord valued Cao Mengde very much and had always wanted to win him over to his subordinates, but Cao Mengde had always refused to agree.
Logically speaking, the relationship between the two is very good, and this kind of thing should not happen, but it happened again!
Yan Liang suddenly felt a headache when he thought of this mess, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"This is my lord's business. Why bother? Just obey your orders!"
……
More than half an hour later, bursts of horse hooves suddenly came from the darkness.
Ta-ta-ta!
Zhang Liao took the lead and came to the city. When he saw the flag on the city wall, his expression suddenly changed and he secretly screamed.
Could it be that Cao Mengde and Yan Liang are really in the same group?
Just when Zhang Liao was confused, he suddenly heard a loud shout coming from the city wall.
"Are these people coming from Lu Bu's army?"
Zhang Liao stepped forward, and under the light of torches on the city wall, he saw a burly man standing on the edge of the city wall like an iron tower. He suddenly felt something in his heart, clasped his fists and shouted.
"The man on the city wall is the powerful General Yan Liang in Hebei?"
When Yan Liang saw that the other party recognized him, he felt a little proud and said with a smile, "That's exactly me. The person opposite is General Zhang Liao, the commander of the Bingzhou cavalry?"
Zhang Liao handed over his hand again and said, "That's right."
Yan Liang laughed loudly, "General Zhang came here this time to look for Cao Mengde?"
Zhang Liao was stunned, "General Yan Liang, is Cao Mengde in the city?"
Yan Liang waved his hand, "General Zhang, you are a step late. Cao Mengde saw our army occupying the city and has already gone south. If you had come a step earlier, you might have met us."
"Facing south?"
Zhang Liao's expression changed and he shouted loudly, "General Yan Liang, is this true?"
Yan Liang smiled proudly, "General Zhang, am I a liar?"
Zhang Liao frowned and pondered for a moment, and was about to speak when Cheng Lian caught up from behind and said loudly.
"Old Zhang, since Cao Mengde went south, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and chase him!"
Zhang Liao hesitated for a moment and nodded, "Okay, let's go after him. I tell everyone to be careful and don't fall into an ambush."
Cheng Lian snorted coldly, "Cao Mengde lost his troops and defeated his generals. It was too late to escape, so how could he think of setting up an ambush?"
After finishing speaking, Cheng Lian waved to the cavalry behind him, "Brothers, come with me to chase Cao Mengde. If anyone can catch him, it will be a great achievement."
When everyone heard these words, their morale was immediately boosted, and they followed Cheng Lian on his horse and chased southward.
On the city wall.
The Bingzhou cavalry passed under the city wall like a torrent of steel. Although they were running fast, their formation was not disordered. Although they were not fighting, there was a chilling air contained within them.
When Yan Liang saw this scene, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes and he murmured.
"The Bingzhou Cavalry truly deserves its reputation."
"If you are going to face Bingzhou cavalry in the future, you have to be careful!"
Zhang Liao and Cheng Lian led Bingzhou Tieqi to rush all the way. Half an hour later, the spies came to report.
"Reporting to General, Cao's army is more than ten miles ahead and heading south."
Hearing the news, Cheng Lian was overjoyed and roared, "Brothers, Cao Mengde is right in front. The time has come to make contributions. Come with me."
Zhang Liao frowned slightly and looked in front of him. He saw that there was a plain with no dangerous areas. Then he felt relieved and led his troops to rush away.
At the same time, Cao Cao's troops also got the news, and the Bingzhou Army came after them.
When everyone heard that the Bingzhou Cavalry was coming, they were immediately surprised.
On the plains, the Bingzhou Cavalry is almost like a symbol of invincibility.
Under the fierce charge of the cavalry, if there are not enough pike teams, it is almost impossible to stop the cavalry charge.
Moreover, the Bingzhou Cavalry is not an ordinary cavalry, it is the most prestigious cavalry team in the world.
The Bingzhou cavalry are not only powerful in charge, they are also excellent in long-range strikes.
Even if there are enough spearmen, they can't stop the rain of arrows thrown by the Bingzhou cavalry.
Bingzhou Wolf Rider!
This is the name given by the foreign tribes to the Bingzhou Iron Cavalry, because when fighting, the Bingzhou Iron Cavalry is as fierce as a wolf and as cunning as a wolf.
The Bingzhou cavalry will not be the first to launch a charge like ordinary cavalry teams. Instead, they will first use bows and arrows to open the passage, and then take advantage of the enemy's confusion to launch a fatal blow.
Cao Hong suddenly stood up and said loudly, "Lord, let the last general stay to block the Bingzhou cavalry and buy time for everyone."
Only then did the generals react, and they all came forward to ask for orders, wanting to stay and break up the rear.
Seeing the performance of the generals, Cao Cao nodded with satisfaction, then waved his hand and suddenly sneered.
"I have heard for a long time that the Bingzhou cavalry is invincible. Today, I am going to see if the Bingzhou cavalry is invincible!"
When everyone heard this, they were immediately surprised and hurriedly tried to persuade them, "My lord, you must not do it. We will stay behind, and your lord can lead others ahead!"
Cao Caoyao shook his head and asked slowly, "Even if you stay, can you stop the Bingzhou cavalry?"
Cao Hong stepped forward and cupped his hands, gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, even if the Bingzhou cavalry is extremely powerful, if you want to pass, you have to step over the last general."
Cao Cao laughed loudly, "Everyone, why are you so pessimistic? Today I will show you how the Iron Knights of Bingzhou were defeated."
……
Ta-ta-ta!
Amidst the rumble of horseshoes, Bingzhou cavalry ran out of the darkness and ran towards Cao Jun.
Zhang Liao and Cheng Lian took the lead and arrived not far from Cao Jun's formation. Seeing Cao Jun waiting in formation, Zhang Liao hurriedly waved his hand, and the Bingzhou cavalry behind him immediately stopped from rushing.
Cheng Lian was a little dissatisfied and asked in a loud voice, "Old Zhang, what's going on? Cao Jun is right in front of you, why don't you rush over and defeat them?"
Zhang Liao shook his head, but kept looking at Cao Jun's camp, "Lao Cheng, do you think Cao Mengde is a fool?"
Cheng Lian was stunned, "Of course not, he is very cunning!"
Zhang Liao pointed to the opposite camp, "If you lead the infantry and want to block the cavalry, what formation will you use?"
Cheng Lian waved his hand, "Of course we use the spear formation, is there any other way?"
Having said this, Cheng Lian's eyes suddenly widened when he looked at Cao Jun's camp, filled with disbelief.
"How could this be?"
Under the moonlight, although the sight was not very good, the two of them could still see clearly that at the forefront of Cao's camp, those standing at the forefront were not rows of spearmen, but soldiers with swords and shields.
No wonder Cheng Lian was surprised. In any battle, as long as it was against cavalry, no one would use swords and shields in the front.
Rows of spearmen stood in front, using their spears to stop the cavalry's charge and curb the cavalry's furious speed. Only then could they stop the cavalry.
Spearmen have spears, but what do sword and shield soldiers have?
Are they going to use the daggers in their hands and the small shield in their hands to block the cavalry charge?
Cheng Lian can responsibly tell everyone that no matter how strong the shield is or how sharp the dagger is, it cannot stop the cavalry charge.
Is this why he was surprised?
Cao Mengde was not stupid, on the contrary, he was very smart. However, knowing that there were cavalry chasing behind him, he chose to use such a formation to block the cavalry's charge.