Cao Cao's actions also stimulated Xuzhou's aristocratic families to a certain extent. In the face of life and death, there was no need to worry about intrigues. The most important thing was to defend Xuzhou.
Cao Cao, wearing sackcloth and mourning, appeared in front of Pengcheng. He pointed his riding whip at Tao Qian and said, "If you harm my family, all officials and people in Xuzhou will be buried with you!" Cao Cao also displayed the envoy's head in front of the army.
Xun Yu and other counselors were shocked when they heard what Cao Cao said. If Cao Cao's words were spread, the soldiers in the city would definitely fight to the death. Pengcheng is a fortified city in Xuzhou, and the soldiers in the city would definitely have a death wish when frightened by such a scene.
, Cao Cao's army has 80,000 soldiers, and it may be difficult to capture it.
The corners of Tao Qian's eyes trembled slightly. Since ancient times, the two armies fought without killing the envoy. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao ignored it and the anger in his heart was aroused. He said: "Cao Mengde, you killed the people of Xuzhou because of family affairs. You will definitely not end well. You are a big man."
A general of chariots and cavalry, because of his own selfish interests, attacked the minister's state and county without authorization. Where did this put the Holy One? I have informed the general of Chang'an about this matter!"
"Although our army in Xuzhou is weak, there are fifty thousand people in the city. I swear to live and die with this city!"
Tao Qian's righteous and awe-inspiring words excited everyone who heard them. The governor of Yizhou spoke such generous words and was not afraid of death. What else could the generals and officials under his rule say? Going to Cao Cao is a dead end, and resisting to the death is also a dead end. Why not fight to the death?
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"Fight to the death! Fight to the death!" The Xuzhou soldiers on the city roared in unison. Under the angry flames, their voices became louder and louder. Their morale was also raised to the top. Many of them had never even been on the battlefield.
But he was full of passion. Cao Cao's bloody methods made them fearful, and at the same time, the fighting spirit in their hearts was greatly aroused.
Xi Zhicai saw the situation of the Pengcheng defenders, with a worried look on his face. It is undeniable that Cao Cao's massacre of the city was a bit extreme, but it brought no food support to the army. Yanzhou was in vain, and the same was true in Qingzhou. Cao Cao led one hundred thousand
When a large army fights, it is difficult to guarantee food and grass. In the land of Xuzhou, the people are well-off. After the looting, the food and grass crisis is alleviated. After thinking about this area, Xi Zhicai no longer dissuades you. As for the opinions of the world, he does not take it seriously. He has always done so since ancient times.
A successful king or a defeated bandit, Jia Rong was so unbearable in the eyes of the aristocratic family back then, but he became the largest prince in the world.
"Lord, the morale of the defenders in the city has been greatly inspired by Tao Qian. It may be difficult to capture Pengcheng." Xi Zhicai carefully examined the movements in the city and said slowly.
"There is no need to worry. We have more than 80,000 troops. They are all elite soldiers who have fought in hundreds of battles. The Xuzhou army is negligent in military affairs and will definitely not be able to stop it. Even if Pengcheng cannot be captured in a hurry, the army can directly attack the state Mufu." Cao Cao stroked his chin.
He wore a beard and his face was still angry.
Xi Zhi then saw that Cao Cao could see the current situation clearly, and his worry a little lessened.
Mi Zhu looked over the letter in his hand again, his face was excited, and even his hands holding the letter were trembling slightly.
"Mi Biejia asked for an audience late at night. I wonder what's going on? Could it be that Cao's army is attacking the city?" Tao Qian learned that Mi Zhu asked for an audience and got up in a hurry. Now that the situation in Pengcheng was in danger, Tao Qian finally fell asleep.
"No." Mi Zhu said, "I have been doing business in various places over the years and have had some dealings with the Xiliang Army. I must have heard about it."
A strange look flashed in Tao Qian's eyes, but the enemy army was currently in front of him. The Xiliang army was far away in Chang'an and couldn't reach Xuzhou, so he didn't take it to heart. "Oh, Zizhong said specifically, business matters are also unavoidable.
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"General Jia Rong couldn't bear the misfortune of the people of Xuzhou at the hands of Cao Cao, so he was willing to provide Xuzhou with sophisticated weapons. General Jia Rong defeated Xianbei, and his warehouses were empty. He could not lead his troops to come to the rescue in person. He cared about the millions of people in Xuzhou, and let his humble position go to Xuzhou.
Your Majesty, please plead guilty."
Tao Qian pulled Mi Zhu excitedly, "Is this true?" Jia Rong supported the troops. Tao Qian was a little wary. After all, the matter of Bingzhou was there before, but the supporting weapons were different. The Xiliang army could dominate the world.
For many years, the army's weapons must be the best choice, and the name of Chang'an's craftsmanship workshop is well known all over the world. With such rare items as the crossbow chariot, it is certainly easy to defeat Cao Jun. Xuzhou does not pay much attention to military affairs, and the combat effectiveness of the soldiers is compared to Cao Jun.
I don't know how much of a weakness it is, but with elite weapons, the gap in the quality of soldiers can be reduced to a certain extent, and the possibility of defending the city becomes greater.
Mi Zhu nodded affirmatively. As for the weapons mentioned in Jia Rong's letter that needed to be purchased by Xuzhou, they were directly filtered by Mi Zhu. No matter how much money they spent, Tao Qian and Xuzhou's business family were willing to contribute. When their lives were threatened, these personal belongings
, and will not be taken seriously, except by extreme misers.
"Zizhong, you are responsible for purchasing weapons, armor and other items from the general. No matter how much it costs, as long as Xuzhou can be saved, you should be the first to contribute." Tao Qian's wrinkled old face was full of ruddy, and this letter from Jia Rong was no different.
So the drowning person suddenly grasped a life-saving straw.
"No!" Mi Zhu cupped her hands and said.
"Sir, the general once said that Liu Bei, who is under the command of Pi, can help my lord defend Pengcheng against Cao's army."
Tao Qian was overjoyed and said: "Fortunately, I have a general, otherwise I would have forgotten this man. I will send someone to Xiapi tomorrow or tonight to invite Liu Bei."
Cao Cao had a hatred of seizing territory, so he received a big boost from the Xuzhou Army.
Suddenly having so many guarantees, Tao Qian felt full of hope, and Cao Cao was no longer so scary.
After Mi Zhu left, Tao Qian was completely sleepless. Under the leadership of his guards, he walked tremblingly towards the city wall.
The night watch officers on the city saw Tao Qian arriving and hurried forward. Tao Qian was the prefect of Xuzhou, and it was rare for soldiers to see him. You can imagine the excitement in their hearts when they saw Tao Qian during the night watch. Everyone gathered around him.
Tao Qian's left and right.
Tao Qian said: "Cao Cao is unkind and recklessly kills the people of Xuzhou. All officers and men must guard the city carefully and not give Cao Cao an opportunity to take advantage of him."
When the soldiers heard this, they were all moved and expressed their willingness to fight the enemy bravely and defend Pengcheng. The soldiers were very simple, and the general was resolute. Moreover, it was for the sake of their relatives behind them. What should they hesitate to do? They sharpened their swords and went to Cao Jun.
After Cao's army rested outside Pengcheng for three days, they began to attack the city. Every day, most of Cao's army formed troops outside the city, which put great pressure on the Xuzhou army. Tao Qian continued to climb the city wall to appease the soldiers.
Xiahou Dun, holding a long sword and riding a war horse, proudly walked to the front of the battle formation and shouted: "Is there anyone in the Xuzhou army who dares to go out of the city to fight?"
There was a brief commotion in the city. The fighting generals in front of the formation could stimulate the morale of the soldiers to a certain extent, and they all turned their attention to Tao Qian. Civil Wu was the first, and Wu Wu was the second. Although Cao's army showed strong momentum, the generals
They were also holding a sigh of relief in their hearts. They were both warriors, and no one wanted to admit that they were inferior to others.
Cao Bao cupped his fists and said: "Sir, I am willing to lead the troops out of the city to fight, so that Cao Jun can see our Xuzhou Army."
Tao Qian said: "It's better to be careful. If you can't win, go back to the city. Xuzhou's safety depends entirely on the general."
Cao Bao looked excited, knelt down on one knee and clasped his fists, saying: "Don't worry, sir!"
The city gate slowly opened. Cao Bao was wearing armor, a general's helmet, and carrying a long sword. He looked majestic.
After a thousand infantrymen left the city, they quickly formed a formation.
Seeing that Cao Bao was about to step forward to fight, Sun Guandao said: "General, there is no need to kill a chicken with a sledgehammer. I am willing to go and fight with my humble position."
Cao Bao glanced at Sun Guan and nodded in agreement. Sun Guan was also a fierce general in the Xuzhou army. He used a big sword to kill the Yellow Turbans in Xuzhou and fled. He was very important under Cao Bao's tent.
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"You can use your name when you come," Sun Guan yelled, reining in his horse.
Xiahou Dun didn't answer. He slapped his horse and raised his sword to kill Sun Guan.
Sun Guan was furious at Xiahou Dun's rudeness. He clapped his horse and came forward, raising his sword to greet him.
"Keng" The two swords intersected, and sparks flew everywhere.
Sun Guan felt that half of his arms were numb, and the tiger's mouth was cracking. The look he looked at Xiahou Dun also contained a hint of awe. On the battlefield, the strong were respected, and Xiahou Dun's strength was beyond imagination.
After the first move, Xiahou Dun did not make any pause, reined in his horse, turned around, and struck again with his sword. The whole process was done in one go, which shocked everyone who watched. With such superb riding skills, he was worthy of being a member of Cao's army.
Sun Guan was shocked and hurriedly parried.
Xiahou Dun was powerful, and Sun Guan relied on his exquisite sword skills to make a "clang" sound that was endless. The soldiers on both sides shouted for their generals in unison.
After making ten moves, Sun Guan felt that the usually light sword became heavier in his hand. Knowing that another move would definitely put his life in danger, he rushed back to the formation.
Xiahou Dun did not pursue him, but stood proudly on the spot, laughing loudly and saying: "The general of the Xuzhou Army is nothing more than that, hahahaha..." Cao's soldiers behind him shouted in unison.
Cao Bao's face was gloomy, he picked up his spear, slapped his horse and killed Xiahou Dun, who was laughing arrogantly. His momentum was much stronger than that of Sun Guan.
Xiahou Dun stopped laughing, raised his sword slightly, clamped his legs, and the war horse under him understood, neighed, and headed in the direction of Cao Bao.
One person wields a gun and the other uses a knife. The fighting scene is extremely exciting. The soldiers on both sides stared at the two men with wide eyes. It is impossible to see such a battle on weekdays.
Xiahou Dun was born with great strength and exquisite sword skills. After twenty rounds, Cao Bao could no longer resist and was defeated back to his own formation. He lost two formations in succession. The soldiers of the Xuzhou Army lowered their heads.
Xiahou Dun took the opportunity to lead his soldiers to cover up the enemy.
The soldiers who went out to fight were the elite of the Xuzhou Army, and Xiahou Dun did not get much benefit. Both sides suffered casualties.
Although the generals failed, the fighting between the soldiers made Xuzhou's army less afraid. Cao's army was also a human being, and would die even if it was injured. There was no need to be afraid. We also had the advantage of the city. It was not easy for Cao's army to attack.
The rumbling drums sounded from the Chinese army, and Xiahou Dun led his soldiers to slowly retreat towards the Chinese army, waiting for orders.
Five thousand soldiers marched slowly towards Pengcheng with neat steps. Each soldier carried a cloth bag in his hand, which was filled with soil, sand and other materials. The moat needed to be filled in bit by bit by Cao's army.
