Chapter 437 The drunkard's intention is not to drink
The last battle to kidnap the emperor, Cao Cao and Tao Shang only had a brief taste of it, and there was no thorough confrontation. However, even though it was just a small battle, anyone with a discerning eye could roughly see the strength of Xuzhou Army and Cao Army.
Both armies are strong soldiers who are accustomed to fighting, and they can be said to be evenly matched.
After that fierce battle, not only Cao Cao, but also the generals under his command also knew that the Jinling Army was actually the strongest army in the world, and the Tao family in Xuzhou was probably the most powerful obstacle to Cao Cao's army in conquering the world.
Most of the generals under Cao Cao are fierce and fierce generals with fierce blood and evil spirits. These people have followed Cao Cao in the north and south for several years. Most of them are brave enough to defeat the three armies. One against ten, they are almost afraid of no one.
However, the powerful army under Tao Shang and the generals of Jinling City made them dare not look down upon them.
In particular, Lian Xia Houyuan, Xun Yu, Xun You and others fell into trouble one after another.
"The pottery merchant did not go to our county but came to Lu Valley instead. This can be said to be extremely bold, but it can also be said to be extremely shrewd. Mengde, how do you plan to deal with the pottery merchant?" Xiahou Dun asked Cao Cao.
Cao Cao did not answer but asked instead: "The potter's little thief is very resourceful. How does Yuan Rang think he should be dealt with?"
"Bring the map!" Xiahou Dun ordered.
Unlike other generals in Cao's army, Xiahou Dun is well-read in poetry and books, has a calm personality, and is very strategic in his mind. He is completely different from Xiahou Yuan, who has a fiery temperament. He is known as the supporter of the army in Cao's army.
Besides, he is the most trusted military strategist of the clan.
The soldiers of the Liger Army brought the map, and Xiahou Dun unfolded the map to look at it.
"The general's intention is to arrange arrangements here to ambush the other army."
Lu Valley is not just a narrow passage, but a hilly valley. It is a very special existence in Xuzhou, a place with many mountains and few plains.
The place Xiahou Dun pointed out was a valley with a high and narrow terrain, which was easy to defend but difficult to attack!
"Mengde, before we marched to the Lu Valley, the last general had explored the terrain and found that this place is extremely dangerous! As long as our army lays an ambush here, sets up many rolling logs and rocks, and tightly guards the key points here, we will definitely be defeated.
Even if the Jinling Army cannot defeat all of Tao Thief's troops, it is not difficult to defeat them!"
Cao Cao nodded after hearing this, then turned to look at the other generals and said, "Yuan Rang wants to set up an ambush. Do you generals have any other suggestions? You might as well tell them all."
Everyone admired Xiahou Dun's military skills and abilities. Naturally, they had no objections when they heard this and everyone nodded in agreement.
Seeing that no one had any objections, Cao Cao didn't say anything else, so he asked the generals headed by Xiahou Dun to go out and make preparations.
After Xiahou Dun left, Cao Cao ordered people to invite Jia Xu over.
Since Cao Cao replaced Liu Dai as the commander-in-chief of Yanzhou, he has always reused people from Yingchuan led by Xun Yu, Xun You, Xi Zhicai, etc. Cao Cao has not reused Jia Xu, a rare breed from Liangzhou.
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And Jia Xu had no intention of self-recommendation. It was not until after the major mistake of losing the emperor that Cao Cao seemed to have an enlightenment. He suddenly saw the importance of Jia Xu, entrusted him with important tasks and took him into his confidant.
In terms of his willingness to obey his advice, he even had the potential to surpass Xun Yu.
However, Cao Cao also knew that Jia Xu did not want to be famous and did not want the world to know about his strategy, so Cao Cao only used his tactics but did not show off his achievements. He only rewarded Jia Xu in private.
Now that Jia Xu is in charge of the Eagle Snake Mansion, he is living like Cao Cao's shadow.
Frankly speaking, Jia Xu likes this way of living very much.
Cao Cao asked the generals to go out to prepare, and then summoned Jia Xu to his commander's tent and said to him: "Wen He, just now the spies came to report that the potter's army and horses are less than a hundred miles away from Lu Valley.
Already."
After Jia Xu heard this, he was a little stunned at first. After thinking about it and understanding it, he smiled softly.
"Although I have never seen this boy, he is truly amazing... In today's world, there is no other young hero who dares to make such a huge bet. Apart from him, I am afraid there is no other young man."
Cao Cao stroked his beard and said, "What do you mean...Cao seems to be no longer young?"
Jia Xu smiled slightly and said: "Sikong has great ambitions. He is young and old, so what's the problem?"
Cao Cao laughed heartily and said: "Cao is really not used to hearing your flattery... Just now Yuan Rang came up with a plan for me and pointed out the important place in Lu Valley, and asked Cao to place his troops and horses there to ambush the pottery merchants.
...Although this method is appropriate, it is too formal and I am afraid that it may not be able to deal with the pottery merchant."
Jia Xu smiled and said: "Since the pottery merchant can count on Sikong Tun to station troops in Lu Valley, how can he not know the dangers in Lu Valley? This method will indeed not be able to deal with the pottery merchant."
Cao Cao heard this and said hurriedly: "In that case, does Wen He have any plan to deal with the pottery merchant?"
Jia Xu shook his head gently and said: "Sikong, you are one of the smartest people in the world, and I am not stupid... Compared with Sikong, the pottery merchant does not give in too much, but his subordinates Guo Jia, Chen
Deng and others are also the top wise men in the world, and they can be said to be matched against each other... In such a formation, it is too difficult for the two sides to take advantage of each other before the battle."
Cao Cao lowered his head and thought for a long time, then sighed: "Wen He is right, Cao is worried."
Jia Xu chuckled and said: "Besides, the point of the trap I set for the pottery merchant this time is not about Yuan Yao and his group. Liu Xun has now agreed to join Sikong, even if he can only accept the Lujiang army from Liu Xun's hands."
, it is not a disadvantage for Sikong... We compete with the pottery merchants for the Huainan Army just to attract the energy of Tao Thief and Guo Jia, so that things in the northeast can go smoothly, even if this time the pottery merchants can get everything
The people in Huainan, Sikong and the pottery merchants only started at 5-5, so what's the pity? If you include Liu Xun's group's surrender, it's not an exaggeration to say that Sikong won a great victory."
Cao Cao chuckled and said: "Cao still trusts Wen He's strategy. Cao also admires the two moves you made this time... It's a pity that you can't completely defeat Tao Thief. Cao is really unwilling to do so."
of."
Jia Xu said unhurriedly: "Sikong, a human being needs to be content. After this battle, the situation in the Central Plains is very good for Sikong. There are some things that we have to slow down and not be too greedy."
Cao Cao raised his hand to Jia Xu and said: "Cao will remember Wen He's suggestion. If Cao doesn't do what he wants, just have a good fight with the potter here."
Jia Xu stroked his beard and nodded with satisfaction.
Suddenly, Jia Xu seemed to remember something. He was about to open his mouth to ask Cao Cao, but in the end he closed his mouth... and did not ask.
The question Jia Xu wanted to ask but didn't was very simple. He just wanted to know what it meant that Cao Cao specially arranged for Zhang Ji to serve as Yan Xing's deputy general. What was the reason for this?
…
At this time, Tao's army and horses, led by the pottery merchant, had approached the land of Lu Valley.
The Xuzhou army was like a sharp arrow killing Benlu Valley. The road was dusty and dusty, and it was full of momentum.
"Uu~!"
The potter waved his whip and stopped first, squinting his eyes and carefully observing the terrain of Lugu in the distance.
Under the command of Pei Qian, the Tiger Guard soldiers held large shields and surrounded the pottery merchant, Guo Jia and others to prevent sudden accidents.
Guo Jia was beside the potter, squinting for a long time, and finally focused on the valley mouth not far away and said: "The valley road inside is the only way for us to pass through. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and the terrain is dangerous. If
No surprise, Cao Jun will definitely ambush his next army here, so we still need to be careful."
After Tao Shang knew that Guo Jia had become the head of the school affairs office, he had already roughly explored the topography of Xuzhou.
"Brother Fengxiao, can you draw the terrain of the broken valley road for me to take a look at? Let me see how dangerous it is."
Guo Jia smiled: "That's easy to say!"
After saying that, Guo Jia jumped off his horse, picked up a tree branch from the ground, and sketched on the sand. In a short time, he had sketched out the general image of the valley road.
Guo Jia's original intention was to paint a unique landform with two walls facing each other, the gap visible above is like a line of sight, and the narrow mountains and high terrain are dangerous.
The potter stared at the painting painted by Guo Jia for a long time, and then he asked doubtfully: "Is this... the butt crack you painted?"
Hearing this, Guo Jia couldn't help but feel a little angry.
Damn it, your sister!
"Taifu, please open your eyes and take a closer look. I call this a line of sky! It's not a butt! No!" Guo Jia's face turned red with anger.
This is clearly an insult to Guo’s painter!
The potter looked at the terrain of the sky and felt troubled.
It wouldn't be easy to rush in like that.
But if you don't kill the general and go in, and you have made such a big bet to compete with Cao Cao, do you have to look at each other with big eyes and small eyes?
Just when the pottery merchant was hesitant, You Luzi reported in person that the scouts from the school affairs office had discovered from the front that a group of refugees who had fled from Yuzhou to Xuzhou were heading towards them from the direction of Lugu.
The pottery merchant thought for a moment and said, "Go quickly and send someone to invite them over. Go quickly!"
You Luzi immediately took the order and rode away. After running a few steps, he turned around and said, "There are more than a hundred of them? Should we all invite them over?"
The pottery merchant was stunned when he heard this and said, "Why don't you invite everyone here?"
You Luzi was very considerate: "If we invite everyone here, wouldn't it be too wasteful for the Grand Tutor to arrange rewards for so many people?"
The potter suddenly realized.
"What you said is... thorough! Then just bring a leader over."
When I was young, You Luzi brought an old man over.
It was said that it was being carried, but in fact it was no different than being carried. The old man only weighed a hundred or so kilograms at most, and being held in You Donkey's hand was like carrying a chicken.
The potter was a little dumbfounded.
This guy, You Luzi, is a bit rude in what he does.
Guo Jia seemed to have seen through the potter's thoughts and said in amusement: "He is such a bear. If he wasn't such a bastard, how could he aim at Guo's head with a crossbow every day? Such is his nature."
"Nonsense! Didn't I ask you to invite me here politely?" The pottery merchant couldn't laugh or cry. You Luzi is really a reckless man. Looking at the old man almost scared him to death.
You Luzi immediately apologized to the pottery merchant, and then stretched out his hand to throw the old man to the ground.
"Don't throw it away! Put it down gently!" the pottery merchant shouted.
Only then did You Donkey act as ordered.
After the old man landed smoothly, he looked at the pottery merchant in front of him with his cloudy old eyes.
But seeing that this young man had a graceful demeanor. Although he was protected by armor, he still had an air of elegance about him, which was different from those murderous and bloodthirsty soldiers. This made the old man feel relieved.
"My father-in-law, don't worry. I'm just asking about the situation in Lugu ahead. Tell me everything you know about the specific terrain inside. I won't treat you badly... Look, this is for you."
After saying that, the pottery merchant took out some five baht coins and gave them to the old man.
The old man took the five baht tremblingly, thought for a moment, and corrected the potter's idiom: "You just wanted to call me father-in-law, right? You can't call me father-in-law."
Upon hearing this, the pottery merchant was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said: "I'm sorry, that's really wronging your girl."
The old man calmed down for a while, but then chatted with the pottery merchant about the topography of Lugu Nei.
When talking about the line of sky painted by Guo Jia, I heard the old man say: "The terrain of that line of sky is steep and steep, with steep cliffs and insurmountable terrain! Ordinary people like us would be frightened to go there.
This trip almost scared me to death...I once heard that before the Han Dynasty was established, countless people died there, and there were endless injustices. It was eerie all year round..."
The pottery merchant didn't want to listen to the old man's nonsense, so he immediately changed the subject and said, "When you came, did you see any soldiers in the valley?"
The old man thought for a while and said: "Yes! There are sporadic ones. They never made it difficult for us, they just asked us to leave quickly."
Tao Shang suddenly nodded after hearing this. It seems that since he has arrived, Cao Cao also knows that he has been exposed, but he is not afraid of leaking the news. Otherwise, how can these refugees survive in front of Cao Jun?
Tao Shang understood now that if he wanted to rush in directly, it would be impossible...but he had to find a way to lure Cao Cao out, right?