Cao Jun set up an ambush in Lu Valley, but the pottery merchants did not fall into his plan.
The terrain of Yixiantian was too dangerous, and there was no need for him to go in and risk his own defeat. The two sides just faced off against each other.
After Xiahou Dun laid a good ambush under the terrain of a line of sky, seeing that the pottery merchant failed to fall into the trap, he immediately sent his soldiers to report back to Cao Cao.
After Cao Cao learned about it, he was not surprised.
He laughed and said: "The Tao family's little thief is not an ordinary person. Yuan Rang's strategy may be effective for others, but it will not work for the Tao family's son. In the current situation, Tao Shang's son is sure that Lu Gu is in danger.
, cannot easily advance troops, and the valley road of Lu Valley is continuous and the border of Yu is difficult to encircle and block, so we can only hold on to a stalemate... In the current situation, I can't do anything to him, and he can't do anything to Cao."
Beside Cao Cao, Li Dian pondered for a while and admonished him: "Sikong, even if you say this, if the stalemate continues in the long run, it will not be very beneficial to both the pottery merchants and us. Liu Biao and Yuan Shao are still threatening each other.
Now, long-term confrontation is not good for the potters, but it is not the best policy for us."
Cao Cao comforted Li Dian with a smile and said: "Cao also knows what Man Cheng said. Cao actually has no intention of spending time with the pottery merchant here, but it still needs some time... You go tell Yuan Rang and let him continue.
Arrange an ambush in the first line of sky... every ten days. Within ten days, if the Xuzhou army enters the first line of sky, Nalu Valley will be the burial place of Tao. If Tao merchants are still in a stalemate with our army after ten days, then Cao Cao
I will personally stop the troops and engage in a fierce battle with the Tao thieves."
"promise!"
…
In the pottery camp, the pottery merchant was also resisting the pressure of the generals and requesting to send troops.
The pottery merchant took his time and cut open the oranges in his hand one by one, smiling as he listened to the advice of the generals below.
Ji Ling originally surrendered to the pottery merchants mainly for the sake of Yuan Shu's orphan Yan Xiang. Now that Cao Cao has sent troops to the western border of Xuzhou, it is clear that he wants to harm Yuan Yao. How can Ji Ling persist?
But when he saw him striding out of the battle, he raised his hands to the pottery merchant and said: "Master! Cao Cao has stationed his troops in Lu Valley and cannot hold out. How long will it take if we continue to fight him like this? How long will it take for our county to do this?
How can Zhao Yun and others over there hold on? The last general is incompetent. He has not made any achievements since he joined the Taifu's tent. This time, he is willing to be the vanguard and enter the valley first to capture the head of the Cao thief for the Taifu.
!”
The potter threw a piece of orange into his mouth, nodded, and said nothing.
Gan Ning was also a little anxious.
"Master, if we continue to wait like this, when will it be over? Ji Zhonglang is right. We changed the route of marching the army and drove the troops here. Instead, we ended up in a stalemate with Cao here without fighting. If the stalemate continues like this, we will not be able to fight.
How long does it take to wait until Cao Cao comes out? It is better to kill the general and go in!"
The potter gently rubbed his nose and continued eating oranges: "Does anyone else have anything to say?"
Seeing that Tao Shang was not interested in Ji Ling and Gan Ning's advice, he couldn't help but hold back the words of the other generals and lieutenants who wanted to fight.
Among the generals, a young captain who was in the last class thought for a moment and stepped forward.
"Master, I have a few words of advice...but I don't know if it's possible to say it?"
This voice was a little unfamiliar in the tent, and everyone turned to look, but it was Xu Sheng, a native of Ju County who came to join the army when the recruitment center was set up in Wu County. Now he has been promoted to Sima of another department.
Xu Sheng, like Pan Zhang, Ling Cao and others, has been secretly listed as a key training target by pottery merchants in recent years. He has been on duty on the front line for more than two years, and has successively served as Xu Chu, Xu Huang, Xu Rong, Zhou Tai, etc.
He has participated in all the major battles of the Jinling Army.
After two years of training, Tao Shang transferred him to the Xuzhou Central Army and served as Sima of another department in the name of military merit.
Among the generals who are now qualified to participate in Tao Shang's political discussions, Xu Sheng is the youngest and has the least experience in fighting, so he has hardly spoken.
But today, this young Sima from Bebubu finally spoke for the rare occasion.
Although the pottery merchant is only a few years older than Xu Sheng, his secret attention to him over the years is really no less than that of a biological father.
Mr. Taiping believed that he was born to be a father to others.
"If Wen Xiang wants to say something, just say it directly. Don't be embarrassed... everyone here is relatively thick-skinned." The pottery merchant said to Xu Sheng encouragingly.
After everyone heard this, their expressions were not very good.
The thickest one is yourself, okay?
After hearing Tao Shang's words, Xu Sheng calmed down. He gratefully bowed to Tao Shang and said: "The general believes that although Cao Cao is far away, he has elite soldiers and powerful generals and many advisers, and there is no shortage of good people."
According to the plan, if we attack by force now, there may be an ambush, and I am afraid that the gains will outweigh the losses... It is better to wait and see what happens. Cao Cao will definitely not be able to hold on for long. Although the Central Plains he occupies is also a land of abundant grain production, it has been in decline since the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
After that, there were many fields that were uncultivated and large areas were barren, far less than the yield of double-crop rice cultivated by the Grand Tutor in the south of the Yangtze River in the past few years."
Xu Rong listened at the side, frowned, and said, "Wen Xiang's words are unrealistic. Cao Cao used Zao Zhi's farming method to obtain millions of dendrobium, so he may not be short of food."
Xu Rong was the chief commander in the army. Xu Sheng did not dare to be disrespectful to him and said hurriedly: "Although Cao Cao obtained a lot of food from his farming, in recent years he has expanded his military equipment, conquered the north and south, and moved his headquarters to Yuzhou.
Recruiting defeated troops and generals from all directions has the intention of not being able to make ends meet, so the general is sure that he will not be able to hold on for long, and sooner or later he will have to confront our army."
Tao Shang looked at Xu Sheng with a smile and said, "Wen Xiang means that you want me to wait?"
Xu Sheng hurriedly shook his head and said: "Of course not. Next, I asked Taifu to separate two groups of troops. One group went to my county to support General Zhao, and the other group sent troops to Yuzhou to harass Cao Cao's reclamation in the rear. Cao Cao himself
He is short of food, but our move can indirectly force him to go to war."
Tao Shang nodded when he heard this and said: "But I still have to confront Cao Cao himself. There are not many soldiers and horses, so the two groups of people must be wise and brave generals, especially the one that bypasses Yuzhou.
But it’s extremely dangerous.”
Xu Sheng took the initiative to invite Ying and said: "The method was proposed by the general, and he is willing to go!"
The pottery merchant looked at Xu Sheng deeply for a while, and then said: "It's so difficult to support a tree alone, so I have to send you a deputy, so I can rest assured."
Xu Sheng thought for a while and said: "The last general recommends Zhu Huan, I wonder if it is okay?"
Zhu Huan is also a newcomer who has just been recruited in recent years, and he is also a rising star like Xu Sheng.
The pottery merchant knew that Xu Sheng was one of the few "supervisors of ten thousand people" in Soochow in history. He was second to none in the entire Soochow in terms of military use and talent recognition. Such a character was now being trained by him intentionally or unintentionally under his command.
After two years, it's time for him to show his talents.
"Okay, then I will give you three thousand troops. You and Zhu Huan will be the vanguard and take a detour to Cao Cao's rear. Remember to be careful. You are only allowed to harass Cao Cao's farmland, but not to hijack his grain roads. Cao Cao is a treacherous man.
, the best at judging people’s food channels, and the best at protecting their own food channels... Do you understand?"
Xu Sheng cupped his hands and said: "No!"
The pottery merchant looked around the generals and said: "As for the people who are going to our county to assist Zhao Yun..."
"I'm willing to go!" Ji Ling suddenly shouted with a loud voice that almost shook the pottery merchant from his seat.
He rubbed his ears, gave Ji Ling a dissatisfied look, and said, "You have a strong personality. You can only be a deputy general, not a main general."
After saying that, the pottery merchant glanced around at the generals under the tent, and suddenly raised his hand and pointed at one person.
"you go!"
Mi Fang, who was among the generals, acted as if nothing had happened. When she saw the pottery merchant suddenly pointing at her, she couldn't help but be stunned.
Everyone looked at him with astonishment.
Everyone knows that although Mi Fang is Bijia Mi Zhu's younger brother, when it comes to military skills, he is still far inferior to everyone here.
What does it mean that the potter appointed him as a general?
Mi Fang's face suddenly turned red.
However, he and the pottery merchant are old friends after all, and he can be regarded as the pottery merchant's first good friend after he returned to the late Han Dynasty.
Mi Fang dared to ask some things that others didn't dare to ask.
At that moment, Mi Fang was heard to say: "Master, have you disliked me recently and want to deliberately punish me?"