By the time Guan Yu led his troops to retreat, the battle at the foot of Baishan Mountain had come to an end.
After being flanked by Ma Chao and the Western Confederate Army, most of the Easterners in the south had given up resistance and were lowering their heads to accept the restraint and humiliation of the Westerners. Although it was difficult to count the number of people in a short time, looking into the distance, they were densely packed under the sunset.
The crouching heads were like the dark flocks of birds on the farmland in autumn. The general made a rough estimate and knew that the number of prisoners was more than 50,000.
But this is not all of the Eastern Army. Because the battle line is too long, the damage to the left and right wings of the Western Army is not trivial. Therefore, during the pursuit, some of the troops were exhausted and could only watch the Easterners leave. The intercepted troops from the east
Ma Chao's tribe only had a few thousand people, so it was difficult to cover everything, so many people from the east escaped from the south.
Among the soldiers of the Eastern Army who survived, the one with the highest official position was Xia Houyuan, the governor of Youzhou. He led a small number of infantry and cavalry followers, shuttled back and forth between the thorny hills, and finally got rid of the pursuers behind him. One after another, there were more
Many Dongfang people followed them with their horses. They walked in the woods at dusk, sometimes turning left and sometimes right, and soon lost their way. Since they did not find the road back to the camp, they had to go directly east according to the direction of the setting sun.
.Soon, the sound of fighting behind completely disappeared, and the setting sun also fell into the earth, shrouding darkness. In this dark night, there was no pursuit, only the sound of big birds flapping their wings could be heard overhead.
, they knew without looking that it was a vulture flying in the sky.
The cold wind hit, making the steps of the Easterners look particularly cold and miserable. Finally, they walked out of the dense forest and walked east along the path beside the forest. The sky was covered with thick clouds, and there were no stars or moon. I was afraid of the chasing horses, but I didn't dare to raise my fire.
I had no choice but to walk in the dark. Every few miles I walked, I stopped and looked around to avoid straying into a side road and going in the wrong direction.
Walking and stopping like this, they walked through the forest and passed the barrier, and suddenly an open plain appeared in front of them. The trees around them gradually became sparse, and it seemed like a smooth road. They knew the way back, but they were even more confused about the situation. They could not see the pursuer.
There were no friendly troops on horseback, and everyone was hungry, thirsty, and too tired to walk any longer, so they all stopped in unison.
After a while, the following people and horses followed one after another. When the team was counted, there were only 100 people and 200 horses. The soldiers were tired and frustrated, and they all collapsed on the ground.
Xia Houyuan was exhausted and haggard. Although he was extremely tired from the over-excited fighting, his spirit could not calm down. The result of the defeat was mixed with regret and disappointment, which was even more torturous. He looked around, wondering whether he should continue to run away or stop and wait.
Other Eastern Dynasty troops.
Darkness covers the earth and people's hearts.
At this time, the cavalry captain's stomach was next to Xia Houyuan. Xia Houyuan said to him: "I still have a three-foot knife in my waist. If I don't chop the enemy, I will kill myself. I can put an end to it. But guarding this night is worse than death."
!"
The left shoulder bone of Che's stomach was punctured by the sharp point of the iron. Although he was injured, his face was calm. He was well versed in classics and history. Seeing that Xia Houyuan had nowhere to vent his sorrow, he comforted him and said: "In ancient times, Ziyu of Chu State was defeated by Jin Wen in Chengpu. He was ashamed and angry on his way back.
Hanging yourself can be said to be a rash act. Meng Mingshi of the Qin State was captured by the Jin Dynasty, but was later released, and was still able to regain the army and avenge his previous humiliation. A gentleman's revenge is never too late in ten years. The king, the country, and himself should be patient for a while.
Yes."
After hearing this, Xia Houyuan felt that it made sense. He was thinking about when to get up, but at this moment, a thunderous sound suddenly came from the ground in the dark night. Although it was dark and could not see the dust from far away, for these soldiers in the old battle formation,
Xiu Di also knew that a large group of cavalry was coming on horseback. There was no obvious sound of weapons and armor clashing, indicating that this was a light cavalry unit. Everyone quickly braced themselves and stood upright, while those with horses panicked and grabbed their reins and stepped on their stirrups, ready to
Mount your horse to fight.
Not long after, the fire was shining, and a large group of troops came out from the forest. In the distance, they could hear the scornful and scolding sounds of the Westerners, and there was even the roar of hunting dogs, as if this was not a battle between two armies, but a hunter catching an animal.
It's a game like this. These Westerners who have a chance to win suddenly catch up with them, but how can the weak remnants of the Easterners resist?
Unexpectedly, Xia Houyuan's mood relaxed. He suddenly raised his head to the sky and roared, ordering everyone not to panic and shout, and all dismounted. He put the tip of the thorn upside down on the ground, slowly turned over and dismounted. He turned around and called Cangtou and several people to hurry up.
He took off the grain packages from Mashan and started cooking with everyone.
Seeing that their leader was so calm, all the soldiers from the east stopped panicking and said to each other: "It's not surprising that a horse dies on the battlefield after a lifetime. But if you don't eat a grain of rice all day long, you should be well fed even if you die!"
They all slowly gathered and sat down.
War horses and hunting dogs roared in the distance, but these people sat down and ate raw biscuits or cooked rice and grains. This made the Westerners' chasing horses confused. In the dark, and unable to discern the surrounding situation, the leader of the Army Sima was worried that there was something wrong.
There was an ambush, or there was a hidden crossbow trap, so I couldn't help but hesitate. The Westerners' horse hooves kept tapping the ground uneasily, but the military horses did not charge forward.
At this time, Xia Houyuan ate a few mouthfuls and said to the people around him: "How is death in my hometown different from death here?" Everyone shook their heads and said it was the same. So they finished eating calmly, ignoring the surveillance of the Westerners in the distance, and ordered people to unfurl the military flag and put out the bonfire.
, the horn sounded and retreated slowly.
Suspicious, the pursuers did not dare to press, but reined in their horses and followed slowly. Within a few miles, the Easterners put out their torches and disappeared into the dark east, while the Westerners' pursuers slowly stopped and turned their horses' heads.
They met at the river behind the shade of Mang Mountain.
This allowed Xia Houyuan and his party to successfully escape from the war. Going further east, he saw some separated Eastern soldiers, and the Eastern people also saw him. After the collapse, a still organized team was the beginning of reorganization.
, so the people around him came closer in unison, like streams converging into a river. When Xia Houyuan saw the Eastern Army camp, there were nearly ten thousand people following him.
He was not the only one who returned to the camp at this time. In addition to Xia Houyuan, Chun Yuqiong escaped from the left army. Wei Zhong, Shen Pei and Yu Jin survived from the right army. Cao Cao, Cao Zhen, Wen Ji, etc. were also present in the middle and rear armies.
Qu Yi, Han Hao, Xian Yutong and others escaped, but their reunion did not please everyone because there were more generals and officials who were missing than those who returned.
Among the eight Jiuwu generals who went out to fight, the life and death of three people, including Ju Sue, Gao Gan, and Xiahou Dun, were unknown. Cao Cao himself also suffered extremely serious losses from his relatives. Xia Houshang, Cao Chun, Cao Anmin, Cao Xiu and others died in the battle, and
Most of them were young heroes that Cao Cao was optimistic about. In time, they might have become famous generals in the country, but they all died here. There were countless other veteran generals who died in the battle. The one that everyone can recall for the time being is Dian Wei.
Wen Chou, Zang Ba, Le Jin, Li Zheng, Sui Yuanjin, Sun Guan, Wu Dun and others.
What worries Cao Cao the most is that Shangshu Ling Xun has not returned. After the Chinese army was attacked by Guan Yu, he was separated from Xun and his party. As a result, he has not received any news until now. It should be noted that in the Eastern Dynasty, it is possible to fight
There are many powerful generals on the battlefield, and there are also many counselors who plan clever strategies in the battle formation. However, like Xun Yu, he is the only one who can sit in the rear, draw up strategies, coordinate various ministries and stabilize people's hearts. But that person was the only one.
In the Bohai Sea, it was Xun You who, against all opinions, persuaded Cao Cao to prepare elite troops to fight against Liu Bei. No wonder He Bo asked to see him and praised him as "the talented person of Wang Zuo".
At this time, many people persuaded Cao Cao to save his troops and burn the camp first to retreat to Juyong Pass. However, Cao Cao insisted on his own opinion and insisted on holding on in the camp until the whereabouts of Xun Or were found out. Seeing that the people could not persuade him, they had no choice but to suppress their uneasiness and planned to dispatch a few soldiers.
The scouts returned to search. Fortunately, before the scouts left the camp, a messenger came to report that Shangshu Ling and others were back.
Cao Cao was overjoyed and quickly led everyone to the front of the camp to greet him. However, when he got closer, he did not see Xun He. He only saw Sima Yi, Zhu Le, Wu Zhi, Guo Yuan, Fei Yao, Dai Ling and others standing in a row with bewildered expressions.
, when he saw Cao Cao, he knelt down and bowed his head and cried loudly.
Hearing their hoarse cries, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel irritated. He waved his hands to let these people get up, and shouted loudly: "I just lost a battle, and I am still alive here. Why are you like this? Get up!" But!
Sima Yi and his party were still kowtowing and crying on the ground, unable to say a word.
Seeing them losing their composure, an ominous premonition surged into Cao Cao's heart. He quickly shouted: "Where is your lord? Didn't I say that your lord is back? Where is he?"
Sima Yi said with a tearful voice: "Marshal, Lingjun, Lingjun, he committed suicide!" When he said this, the people who were traveling with him burst into tears, and no one dared to look into Cao Cao's eyes.
Cao Cao felt as if he had been hit hard. He was dizzy for a moment and almost unsteady on his feet. He put his hand on Cao Zhen's shoulder, and then reluctantly asked: "Seriously? Where is his body?" Wu Zhi said: "It's right behind us.
"The horse." Cao Cao staggered over and saw Xun Yu wrapped in linen on the horse. This famous scholar from Wang Zuo had a short knife stuck in his chest, and most of his robe was stained with blood.
, but his expression was very peaceful. Even though his face was pale, he could not hide the relaxation between his brows and eyes, which showed that he had indeed thought about it before committing suicide.
Cao Cao recalled the days and nights he spent with Xun He, and his heart felt like a knife, and tears welled up immediately. He held the hand of Xun He's body, and turned to ask Sima Yi: "Your Majesty, did you say anything before you died?"
What?"
Sima Yi wiped his tears and replied: "Your Majesty said that once this battle is defeated, unification will be impossible. But as long as the marshal saves the people's wealth, works hard to govern, builds fortresses in Guangxi in the west, and swallows Yan and Liao in the east, he may still be able to separate the rule.
Protect yourself.”
When Cao Cao heard this, he immediately understood that Xun might have been buried because of his shattered ideals! He remained silent for a long time, covered Xun's face with linen, and slowly said to everyone: "Don't tell anyone about your death until you return home.
After that, we will report him and mourn him. Do you know that he died as a result of a Western thief?"
After everyone nodded, Cao Cao announced that he would burn the camp and go east. Under the light of the fire and the night, everyone looked extremely embarrassed. No one would have thought that of the mighty 200,000-strong army that came, only a few were left.
There are 50,000 people. And now, everyone can understand that the East people have completely lost this battle for national destiny.