Outside Wuyin City, the tinkling sound of gold from the Xiliang army resounded throughout the wilderness.
The soldiers panicked and threw away their helmets and fled for their lives.
Obviously Zhang Xiu seriously misjudged his own strength and the strength of Cao's army, which led to the outcome of this defeat.
The wilderness is full of fleeing Xiliang troops, covering the mountains and plains. If you look down from a high altitude, you can see densely packed black spots galloping towards the rear.
Cao's army strangled and outflanked the Xiliang army from three directions. Zhang Xiu rode on horseback and quickly fled to the rear. Cao Hong was still pursuing behind him.
"Zhang Xiu, why are you running away? Come and fight me again."
Cao Hong shouted.
Zhang Xiu turned a deaf ear and fled quickly on his horse. There were dozens of knights around him to cover his retreat.
The two sides chased and fled for more than ten minutes before Cao Hong's deputy general shouted: "General, stop chasing. There was a sound of gold from behind. It was Sikong who ordered the withdrawal of troops."
"hateful."
Cao Hong also heard the sound and immediately retreated.
When he returned to the outside of Wuyin City, he saw that Cao Cao was already arranging his troops and horses. The three armies outside the city were quickly forming their formations, as if they were going to fight a big battle.
"Zi Lian."
Seeing Cao Hong coming back, Cao Cao waved for him to come over.
Cao Hong asked: "Brother, why did you win the gold? I'm still a little short of catching up with Zhang Xiu."
Cao Cao frowned and said: "There has been no news about Zixiao and Wen Qian. I am very worried about them. Zhang Xiu's army has been defeated. It is a waste of time to pursue the defeated army. It is better to reorganize the three armies and attack Wancheng."
"Are we going to fight back to Wancheng?"
Cao Hong asked.
Cao Cao nodded and said: "Well, firstly, it is to support Zixiao and Wenqian, and secondly, after taking Wancheng, the bodies of Dianwei and Zixiu Anmin can also be recovered."
"I see."
Cao Hong nodded and immediately came to his general's phalanx, marshaled his team and prepared to set off.
It is naturally not that simple to dispatch the three armies. If the large army was allowed to pursue Zhang Xiu wantonly, it would easily cause the troops to disperse, and it may take a long time to regroup.
Therefore, we must withdraw our troops, reorganize them, and march to Wancheng in a marching posture.
Cao Cao also stayed in Wuyin for a few days. Needless to say, Dian Wei, Cao Ang, and Cao Anmin had already died in the battle. There was nothing that could be done about it.
However, there was no news about Cao Ren and Le Jin, which made Cao Cao very worried, so he decided to regroup his troops and fight back to Wancheng.
Zhang Xiu helped in this battle. Originally, the morale of Cao's army was greatly reduced in the Battle of Wancheng, and all the sergeants and soldiers were dejected, and the morale of the army was unstable.
As a result, after this battle, Zhang Xiu's Xiliang army was no more than this, and their morale was as high as a rainbow for a while.
After reorganizing his troops, Cao Cao immediately sent his troops westward, with the main force heading towards Wancheng. At the same time, he sent another 2,000-man team to Jiyang to meet Le Jin's troops.
In the afternoon, Zhang Xiu gathered up some of the defeated soldiers. There were more than 8,000 soldiers left, and there were still more than 6,000 soldiers left. The losses were very heavy, and he retreated towards Wancheng overnight.
The distance between Wuyin and Wancheng is still very far. It is equivalent to more than 20 kilometers from Nanyang City to Sheqi County in later generations. The total distance is more than 140 miles. Even if you walk 40 kilometers a day, you have to walk
Two days.
So Cao Jun set out that day and camped in the wild at night, probably in the area of Sheqi County in later generations.
However, Zhang Xiu was chased urgently and had no choice but to escape overnight.
By the time it was getting dark, he was already less than 20 kilometers away from Wancheng and expected to return to Wancheng before noon.
As a result, an army suddenly appeared in the wilderness in the distance, which shocked Zhang Xiu.
But soon the scouts reported back that they were Gan Ning's troops.
This made Zhang Xiu breathe a sigh of relief.
About half an hour later, Gan Ning came in a hurry. At this time, he was only surrounded by generals Lou Fa, Shen Mi and Shen Chen.
Deng Hong returned to Xiangyang but had not returned. After defeating Le Jin, Gan Ning followed Shen Chen's wishes and went north to meet Zhang Xiu.
At this moment, they met at the Xiangting Pavilion, less than 20 kilometers away from Wancheng, and the two parties quickly moved closer.
"General Zhang."
"General Gan."
Zhang Xiu ordered the army to rest where they were for a while, and brought some of his cavalrymen over to join them.
The place where they are currently located is called Hongniwan Town in later generations. It is a vast plain area with densely populated farmland and villages in the wilderness. Only in the west is a tributary river bank flowing from the Meishui River, which raises a hill.
Everyone met at the foot of the hill. Gan Ning saw that all the Xiliang troops in the distance had abandoned their helmets and armor and were exhausted, so he asked: "General, why is it so embarrassing when the general attacks Wuyin?"
Zhang Xiu said awkwardly: "I wanted to take advantage of the victory to pursue Cao Cao, but unexpectedly he was ambushed and defeated miserably."
Shen Chen said solemnly from the side: "General, I have reminded you before that although Cao Cao has been newly defeated, his strength cannot be underestimated. The attack on Wuyin should be done with caution. How can you not listen to good advice?"
Zhang Xiu remained silent. These words actually made people feel uncomfortable, but Shen Chen was not one of his generals. He was still attached to Liu Biao, so there was nothing he could say.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Shen Chen said again: "Now Cao Jun is probably preparing to turn around and attack us."
Zhang Xiu complained: "I asked you to go attack Wuyin with me, but you didn't listen. Why are you blaming me now? If you were here, this kind of mistake wouldn't have happened."
Seeing that he was not happy, Gan Ning was not happy anymore, and said: "General Zhang, do you think we are waiting and watching? Don't you know that Le Jin and Cao Ren are in the rear? If we hadn't defeated Cao Ren first, and then went to Jinan to eliminate Le Jin, I'm afraid We are about to be attacked from both front and rear by Cao Cao Lejin, and the entire army will be wiped out."
"You eliminated Le Jin?"
Zhang Xiu was very surprised.
"That's natural. Half of his troops crossed Feishui and arrived at Jiyang. Jiyang is only two days away from Wuyin. We defeated him the day before yesterday. Without us, the general would not have simply retreated today. "
Gan Ning told the whole story.
"Well"
Zhang Xiu fell silent again. In fact, he also knew about Le Jin and Cao Ren. After all, Anzhong and Huyang came under his nose.
But at that time, Cao's army was newly defeated and he pursued urgently, but he forgot about this.
Thinking about it now, I can't help but feel cold sweat. If Gan Ning hadn't defeated Le Jin, Le Jin would have blocked his rear. When Cao Cao attacked him from both sides, he would have lost half his life.
Shen Chen thought for a while and said: "But this is not the general's fault. I heard that there is a wise man in the general's army. Logically speaking, even I can see it. Why didn't he persuade the general?"
Zhang Xiu scratched his head and said, "Uncle did not persuade me. He even said that we could pursue him and urged me to move forward."
"Mr. Wenhe said we can pursue him?"
Shen Chen's face changed slightly, and he thought quickly in his mind. Then he looked left and right and said to Zhang Xiu: "General, please take a step to speak."
He turned over and dismounted. Although Zhang Xiu didn't know why, he also dismounted, and the two of them walked to the side of the cliff nearby.
"What's wrong?"
Zhang Xiu asked.
Shen Chen said: "General, if my prediction is correct, Mr. Wenhe may ask the general to be wary of Liu Shijun."
Zhang Xiu was surprised: "How did you know?"
Shen Chen said: "Because I know that Mr. Wen He has always wanted to surrender to Cao Cao. He should have been the one who pushed for the general's surrender to Cao Cao."
Zhang Xiu remained silent. He had only met Shen Chen a few times and didn't know what he was capable of.
But now I see it.
It was actually considered that Jia Xu said bad things about Liu Biao to him.
Shen Chen continued: "Mr. Wenhe only wants to rely on the strong. Cao Cao uses the emperor to control the princes, and he will become a great weapon in the future. Therefore, he must make the general feel that Liu Shijun is unreliable before he can persuade the general to surrender to Cao Cao. "
"I am no longer at odds with Cao Cao. Does he think he can still persuade me? Besides, if I kill Cao Cao's favorite general and nephew, he will not accept me."
Zhang Xiu laughed at himself.
It's not that he didn't want to surrender, it was because Cao Cao was indifferent and he was forced to do nothing.
Shen Chen said: "What if Cao Cao is in a critical moment? Yuan Shao is about to annex the north and will inevitably fight Cao Cao in the future. Then it will be the best opportunity for the general to surrender to Cao Cao."
"Yeah?"
Zhang Xiu asked suspiciously: "Will he accept me then?"
Shen Chen smiled and said: "Of course I will accept you, but between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, if Yuan Shao wins, the general will still be alive. He can just surrender to Yuan Shao when the time comes. But if Cao Cao wins, the general will not be able to survive. ."
Zhang Xiu asked in confusion: "How do you say this?"
Shen Chen pointed to the north and said with a smile: "Cao Cao has eliminated Yuan Shao, his biggest opponent, and conquered the entire north. Can't we avenge the hatred of Dian Wei and his nephew? By then, it will be nothing more than destroying the generals and the three clans. It’s a matter of one sentence.”
Zhang Xiu suddenly felt creepy, and a cold air rose from the soles of his feet.
Yes.
If Cao Cao surrendered to Yuan Shao while he was fighting with him, he would definitely accept it happily.
Because then his strength will be increased and his chances of winning will be increased.
But what about after the fight?
When you see him again, will you think of the hatred between Dian Wei and his son and nephew?
When the time comes to annihilate the three Zhang clans, isn't it just a matter of words?
"Unless the general wants to gamble with his life."
Shen Chen added: "Bet Cao Cao will not kill the general afterwards, then the general can listen to Mr. Wenhe and surrender to Cao Cao. But don't forget that when the general's family annihilated three tribes, Mr. Wenhe will not be implicated. After all, Mr. Wenhe will not be involved." It was not him who killed Dian Wei, Cao Ang, and Cao Anmin."
Zhang Xiu felt his scalp numb and couldn't help but said: "How do you think my uncle will definitely let me surrender to Cao Cao?"
"If the general doesn't believe it, Mr. Wen He will definitely continue to persuade the general to stay away from Liu Gong and get closer to Cao Cao. On the eve of the war between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, Mr. Wen He will persuade the general to surrender to Cao Cao."
Shen Chen said: "I just told the general with good intentions. The general may not believe it, but he will know for himself when the time comes. You can also pay attention in daily life to see if Mr. Wenhe is belittling Liu Shijun and praising Cao Mengde. If one day in the future he When I really persuade the general to surrender to Cao Cao, the general only needs to remember what I said today."
"Is that so?"
Zhang Xiu said silently: "I understand."
He actually knew in his heart that Shen Chen was trying to sow discord between him and Jia Xu.
But if he understands, what can he do?
Because Shen Chen told the truth.
After Jia Xu told him about Liu Biao that time, he secretly guessed that Jia Xu still wanted to surrender to Cao Cao.
It's just that Zhang Xiu was very uneasy deep down, so he pretended not to know.
Now that Shen Chen is told what may happen in the future, he will feel more relaxed and he will understand many things.
But he couldn't completely believe Shen Chen's statement, so he could only let it go.
Let’s see then.
Let’s see if Jia Xu will continue to persuade him to surrender to Cao Cao as Shen Chen said.
Zhang Xiu thought to himself.
In the afternoon, the Xiliang army returned to Wancheng.
On the second day, when he learned that Cao Cao's army was attacking again, Zhang Xiu evacuated toward Anzhong Rangcheng.
After Cao Jun occupied Wancheng again, he continued to pursue southward.
At this moment, Cao Cao didn't know that the partial division he sent had encountered the remnants of Le Jin's troops retreating to the north. He had already learned the news of Le Jin's death, and was now quickly approaching him to report the matter.
However, he does not know the news yet. He himself has led the main force to Nirvana.
Niyang is located on the right bank of the Turbulent River. Like the Feishui River, this river originates from Funiu Mountain and joins the Feishui River in Xinye. It is a small and medium-sized river.
And Anzhong is located on the left bank of Turbulent River, very close to Niyang, with only about 20 kilometers between the upstream and downstream.
Cao Cao was riding on horseback and looked into the distance. He saw countless wheat fields on both sides of the rushing water. It was at the end of February, when the wheat was about to ripen. The green wheat ears were swaying in the wind, and smoke was rising from the villages in the distance.
"Report!"
At this moment, a scout came to report: "Sikong and Zhang Xiu are reorganizing their troops at the bridge on the left bank of the rapids, and they seem to be going to fight us to the death."
"snort."
Cao Cao snorted coldly: "Yesterday he left me a message saying that the bodies of Dianwei Zixiu Anmin and others had been taken away by him, and he asked me to go and get them myself. It turned out that he wanted to set up an ambush in this rushing river and attack me before I crossed the river."
Cao Hong stood up and said: "Brother, I am the vanguard and I will defeat his army."
Cao Cao waved his hand and asked: "Is there any other place to cross this river?"
Yu Jin said: "When I came here, I asked the local people that there is a bridge more than ten miles north of Niyang that can be crossed."
"Um."
Cao Cao nodded and said: "Wen Ze, you lead three thousand troops and go around from upstream. We will attack from both sides."
"only."
Yu Jin accepted the order and left.
The army continued downstream along the rapid water, and after walking for about seven or eight miles, they saw a bridge on the river.
Opposite the bridge, there are several high and undulating hills, but they are more like hills than hills. The highest is only more than ten feet, or more than twenty meters in height, which is not very steep.
At the foot of the hills, about thousands of Xiliang troops were gathering in formation. Looking from a distance, it seemed that the number of soldiers was not as large as expected, only three or four thousand.
"Zhang Xiu must have set up an ambush in the mountains."
Cao Cao pointed to the hills in the distance and said: "We don't want to cross the river yet. It will be forbidden to cross the river, and then we will attack from two directions."
Cao Hong glanced at Yu Jin, who had just left, and said, "Brother, I'm afraid it will take an hour or two for Yu Jin to take a long detour. If he doesn't go there for so long, will they get suspicious and leave directly?"
The Yujin Detour is more than ten miles north of Niyang, and this is seven or eight miles south of Niyang. This adds up to more than twenty miles of road, which is ten kilometers when converted.
But that's a one-way trip, a round trip of twenty kilometers. If we speed up the march, it will indeed take two to four hours.
If they didn't take any action during this period, and Zhang Xiu on the other side of the bridge chose to walk away or simply destroy the bridge, it seemed that they could only watch.
Cao Cao thought about it and thought: "What Zi Lian said makes sense, then send two thousand people across the river first to seize the bridgehead, and I will pretend to cross the river slowly to delay time."