Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3293: The Unchanging Items in the Changes

In the middle of the night, Cao Xiu rushed back to Gufeng Mountain.

When they were almost at Gufeng Mountain, Cao Xiu deliberately stopped on the slope for a moment.

He looked up.

There is a unique beauty in Lonely Peak Mountain under the moonlight.

In the middle of the Yuncheng Basin in Hedong, Gufeng Mountain stands relatively abruptly above the earth. Under the night sky, it looks like a thinker, quietly thinking about something.

As night falls, the sky, unpolluted by later generations, is pure and transparent. Stars dot the deep sky, as if the gods have sprinkled countless sparkling gems on the night sky.

Gufeng Mountain is not high, but because of the current angle, Cao Xiu feels like it is a tower to heaven, or a bridge between the world and the sky, connecting reality and dreams.

The night view of Gufeng Mountain is a peaceful and profound painting, which tells the beauty of nature and the harmony of life in a unique way. Here, time seems to be frozen, making people forget the hustle and bustle of the world and just want to indulge in this tranquility and beauty. War is cruel, but the beauty of this moment is heart-warming.

"if……"

A subtle thought suddenly popped up in Cao Xiu's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.

Is this what he wants?

Before attacking Guanzhong, he thought this was it.

However, after marching to Hedong and suffering setbacks, Cao Xiu gradually began to think. There was a subtle voice in his heart, like a seed that had fallen years earlier and was now sprouting under the watering of flesh and blood.

Are you fighting for the Emperor of Han?

Or are you fighting for the people of the world?

  Or for something else?

When Cao Xiu looked at the Solitary Peak Mountain not far away, he felt as if he saw a silent giant, who was looking back at him at this moment.

Clouds flow in the night sky, sometimes covering the moon and making the outline of the mountain hazy. When the clouds disperse, the moonlight shines on the rocks again, outlining soft lines. Every stone and every tree on Gufeng Mountain at night seems to have life. They are sleeping quietly under the comfort of the moonlight, waiting for the arrival of a new day.

And what about Cao Xiu’s new day?

Or, in other words, a new day for Cao’s army?

Or, a new day for Shandong Province?

Cao Xiu's eyes and cheeks twitched involuntarily.

"call……"

Cao Xiu took a deep breath, put those disturbing thoughts behind him, and continued to ride forward.

The war situation cannot remain unchanged.

The camp at the foot of the slope was quickly destroyed by Fei Qian, which brought about changes in the entire battle situation.

The original plan now looks like...

Even Cao Hong didn't dare to make a promise.

Therefore, if Cao Hong really could not stand in Anyi and could not withstand the sharp attack of the cavalry, then Cao Xiu’s so-called pincer attack strategy would become a colorful bubble, illusory and beautiful but empty and powerless.

Therefore, Cao Hong and Cao Xiu had to respond to changes in the battle situation and make timely adjustments. Even if these adjustments seemed a bit hasty and not thorough enough, for the moment, it was the best they could do.

Hard work, struggle, hardship and endurance are not a problem.

The issue is……

Cao Xiu rode his horse forward. The sound of the horse's hooves, which he had deliberately muffled, was slightly dull, like the beat of a drum pressing on Cao Xiu's heart.

After turning around the ravine at the foot of Solitary Peak Mountain and passing the guard checkpoint, you can see a number of bonfires faintly lit on the slope in the southern valley of Solitary Peak Mountain.

Cao Xiu's camp was hidden in these valleys.

Because of the need for concealment, Cao's army camp was not built in a square shape, but was loose and fragmented along the shape of the valley.

The bonfire was the only cheapest warmth that Cao's soldiers could get at night.

Cao Xiu dismounted and left his warhorse to the soldiers to take care of and feed, while he and his guards walked up the less obvious slope.

In the night wind, the gossip of Cao's soldiers below could be heard.

The bonfire had not yet been completely extinguished, and the remaining flames flickered, illuminating the melancholy faces of the Cao army soldiers.

They were either sitting or lying down, or sitting in circles, whispering something.

"How many months have you been out? Half a year, right?"

"Yes."

"This battle... when will it be over?"

"I don't know. But... I miss my mom, and the soup noodles she made..."

"Alas. I miss the food at home too. Eating only earth and soup every day is not a life for human beings."

"I heard that across from Emei Mountain is Linfen Pingyang. If we take Pingyang, we can go home."

"Haha, take Pingyang? What are we going to use to fight?"

"Stop talking... go to sleep!"

The night breeze blew gently, carrying their conversation away in the wind.

As the war progressed more slowly and unfavorably, the atmosphere in Cao's camp became increasingly heavy. Even the most noisy soldiers on weekdays gradually became silent.

Suddenly, there was a sound of leaves blowing, melodious and sad, as if telling the homesickness in everyone's heart.

Leaves are the simplest and oldest musical instruments.

During the Han and Tang dynasties, it was even the music of the imperial court. It was also called "Xiao Ye". It is said that musicians who are good at blowing leaves can even blow two leaves at the same time, without the help of fingers, and can still play a moving tune.

As soon as the music sounded, the soldiers of Cao's army listened attentively and stopped talking.

The people who played the flute in Cao's army were ordinary soldiers who had not received any vocal training. The tones were not so varied, but the simple emotions they contained were common.

In later generations, people's hearts are too complicated and chaotic, so not only colorful pictures are needed, but also intense music, and even provocative actions are needed to make some people in later generations feel interesting, and those simple music will only make them feel like noise.

In the relatively entertainment-deficient environment of the Han Dynasty, music was definitely not something that ordinary people could enjoy. Therefore, having this kind of simple music could make these Cao army soldiers forget their current sorrows and think of the golden wheat fields, the winding river, and the familiar small village in their hometown.

The music gradually stopped after a while.

The Cao army soldiers were silent.

"When the war is over, let's go home together." Someone suggested.

"good! 』

"That's natural!"

Everyone responded in unison. Although they knew the road ahead was unknown, this promise seemed to give them some comfort in this night. In this long night, their dreams were entrusted to the night wind, drifting towards that distant land.

Cao Xiu stood there, silent, like a stone on a solitary mountain.

They needed to hide and not attract the attention of the cavalry. This kind of music would undoubtedly bring uncertain risks to Cao Xiu and others...

Originally, Cao Xiu's guards wanted to step forward and stop these Cao army soldiers from talking and playing, but were stopped by Cao Xiu.

Although Cao Xiu's surname was Cao, his family was not good and he suffered many disasters in his early years. He rose from the bottom of society and had more understanding and tolerance for these Cao army soldiers. After a moment of silence, Cao Xiu walked away quietly without stopping the unknown performer.

Perhaps among these ordinary soldiers of Cao's army, there is still an idea, or a fantasy, that after a period of fighting, they will definitely win, and then after the cavalrymen are defeated, they can return home...

As for the changes in the entire battle situation, these ordinary Cao army soldiers had no idea at all.

Those who are aware of the war situation will definitely not say anything to these ordinary Cao army soldiers.

Just like Cao Xiu, he only talked to his trusted guards at most. As for the ordinary Cao army soldiers, Cao Xiu only told them two words -

carried out.

  They are separated. Cao Xiu has tried his best to understand what kind of generals the lower-level soldiers need, but can Cao Xiu, a general of the Cao family, change the current state of the Cao army?

What's more, some habits are difficult to correct. Even if Cao Xiu feels a little emotional at the moment, what will happen in the next moment or in a new day?

Now the entire Han Dynasty has undergone new changes under the leadership of Fei Qian, but in this change, there are still some people who stubbornly try to stand still.

After a moment, Cao Xiu said nothing and continued to walk up.

"General, you have worked hard..." Cao Xiu's confidant stepped forward to greet Cao Xiu. He secretly glanced at Cao Xiu's face in the moonlight, and then his heart sank. He quickly handed over the water bag, "General, please don't rest first..."

Cao Xiu drank two sips of water, glanced at his confidant, and said, "The camp below the slope has been destroyed."

"What?!" Although everyone had a premonition that the camp at the bottom of the slope would be breached sooner or later, it was still surprising that it was breached so quickly. "It's not... two days?"

Cao Xiu snorted.

He didn’t say that he couldn’t even last a day, or that was just too…

"Could it be that... they were too lazy and didn't build the fortifications properly?" Cao Xiu's confidant tried to find another excuse for the collapse of the camp at the foot of the slope.

This way of finding reasons and excuses is actually to cover up one's own anxiety and fear.

Cao Xiu did not comment.

At this point in the war, victory seemed further and further away, and Cao Xiu did not have the heart to break the illusions of his confidants.

"General, then shall we ambush the Hussars here now?" asked the confidant.

Cao Xiu put the saddle behind him and lay down. "No, tomorrow morning, we will prepare to move the army... Let's leave some decoys here..."

"Then... where are we going?" the confidant asked.

"Wenxi."

In an era, individuals are often deeply influenced by the era and social environment in which they live. Their behaviors and choices are not only a reflection of their personal will, but also a reflection of the characteristics of this era.

When everyone feels that morality has nothing to do with them, then the whole society will lose morality. When everyone feels that the responsibility lies with others, then the whole society will also lose any sense of responsibility.

Cao Xiu still has a sense of responsibility. But unfortunately, his problem is still the habitual problem of Shandong, he can't communicate with the soldiers at the bottom.

  Did no one in Cao's army notice the change in the battle situation?

No, but these Cao army soldiers may have limited understanding of the entire battle situation and are not sure whether they are in an advantageous position. As for the high-level military academy, they use false information to deceive these Cao army soldiers, making it impossible for them to make corresponding judgments and they can only blindly follow the main force.

……

……

Similarly, there are people in Hedong who are completely in the dark and don’t know what they should do now or in the future, as well as the people in Wenxi.

Zhang Xiu drove away and killed some Cao's soldiers and destroyed the Cao's camp in Wenxi, but he had no effective means to destroy Lu Zhao's camp, so he could only withdraw his troops first.

Likewise, Lu Zhao had no way to deal with Zhang Xiu's cavalry in the wild...

The two sides were like men shouting at each other on the street.

"Come out if you dare!"

"Come in if you dare!"

Then the two of them parted unhappily.

Zhang Xiu retreated to Emei Mountain and Lu Zhao hid in the camp.

After making sure that the cavalry had left, Cao's soldiers divided into many small teams, and like border shepherds driving away a scattered flock of sheep, they drove back those "cattle and sheep" that had escaped but not gone far.

These "cows and sheep" mooed and bleated, and it was obvious that they were not much weaker than the Cao army soldiers, but they still huddled together and squeezed together, and then came back again, returned to the camp built with simple fences, and returned to the fence they had escaped from.

Lu Zhao didn't even bother to look at these "cattle and sheep" that were driven back.

Lu Zhao wouldn't care how many "cattle and sheep" were killed or injured in this incident, and neither would Cao Cao.

Even those scholars and poets in Shandong who shouted "people's will" every day were unwilling to write two more words in history...

"Corpses piled up on the road" is perhaps the most serious description of the casualties among the people by these people. What's interesting is that this kind of description is often created to highlight the cruelty of some people. Otherwise, it would be simply "tens of thousands dead", "countless deaths" and "many casualties".

  Therefore, Lu Zhao simply ignored the casualties of these "cattle and sheep", and even the "cattle and sheep" themselves were also numb and ignored. Isn't this normal?

What Lu Zhao was more concerned about was Zhang Xiu's troops that "disappeared" on Emei Mountain.

He stared at the pitch-black Emei Mountain in the distance, which looked like a black wall, with hesitation and doubt surging in his heart.

"General, the scouts reported that no traces of the Hussars were found in the direction of Emei Mountain, but some ashes of campfires were found, which clearly shows that Hussars had stayed on the mountain not long ago." His deputy reported, "General, should we send more people to Emei Mountain for a thorough search?"

Lu Zhao shook his head and said, "How many people do we need to send to take care of such a large piece of land? And they have horses... Forget it."

Lu Zhao wanted Zhang Xiu to attack his camp, but it was obvious that Zhang Xiu, who did not carry any artillery, did not want to attack Lu Zhao's camp head-on.

In fact, there was nothing wrong with Cao's army's strategy if the Cavalry Army consisted of only cavalry and infantry.

In history, when Cao Cao attacked Xiliang, the two sides just stared at each other all the way, and Cao Cao eventually wore down the Xiliang army. Cao Cao set up a strong camp, and Ma Chao couldn't defeat him, but as long as Cao Cao dared to fight in the field, he was beaten by Ma Chao and almost lost his life.

Things are different now. Fei Qian has better equipment, more advanced technology, and more complete logistics, while Cao Cao is caught in the same dilemma as Ma Chao in history. He can't get a fight, can't make peace, and can't retreat.

At first, Zhang Xiu was still wandering on Emei Mountain, and Lu Zhao did not dare to attack at will. However, after the soldiers of Wenxi County filled up most of the holes on the city wall, Zhang Xiu just walked away, leaving Lu Zhao and the Wenxi defenders staring at each other.

Wenxi garrison: "Are you coming again, sir?"

Lu Zhao: "......"

I'm not coming anymore. I feel uncomfortable all over. But I'm going to continue. My wallet... uh, I don't have enough manpower...

So Wenxi was very peaceful for two days.

The defenders of Wenxi seized the opportunity and worked desperately to repair their own loopholes, while Lu Zhao was busy capturing the fleeing civilians.

"Alas, it's all the fault of that loser from the Pei family!" Lu Zhao said angrily, "If that loser had a little more strength at that time, we would have taken down Wenxi long ago, and we wouldn't be so passive now!"

"General, do you want to... go to a place a little further away and recruit some strong men?"

Lu Zhao was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Just the ones nearby are fine, forget about the ones far away... I always feel that these bastards haven't gone far... If we don't go out, they won't show up either..."

"But General, we can't just keep shrinking like this!"

Lu Zhao smiled, "Don't worry, I've already sent people to the back... As soon as the reinforcements arrive, we can lure these grandsons out... Then, hehehe... tomorrow, tomorrow we'll start the siege, I don't believe it... These pigs have eaten for a few days in vain, it's time to put them to use."

"Wenxi has already patched up the hole, so we need to dig it out again..."

Lu Zhao laughed loudly, "How could I possibly use the method of that idiot Pei? This time, we have to use a new method..."

Outside Lu Zhao's camp, the civilians who were captured one after another stayed there obediently.

Even though countless people were killed and injured last time under Wenxi City, it seemed as if it was all over. They could not remember the hatred, nor did they feel much sadness. They were numb, as if they were not made of flesh and blood, but a shell made of earth, wood, mud and stones.

  This was the norm for the ignorant ancient Chinese people. How could people who didn't even know how to write or read the word "resistance" understand what class and struggle meant?

Lu Zhao's "new tactic" is indeed not to dig a hole, but to pile up a slope of earth.

The city walls of Wenxi are not high, so this tactic is also somewhat targeted.

During this period of time, there were many empty straw bags and grain bags in the Cao army camp, which were put to use now. If it was really not enough, the clothes of the dead bodies in the wild could also be used to wrap the soil and transport the soil. I believe that the dead people would not mind being naked.

Instead of digging holes under the city walls under the threat of arrows, rolling stones and battering rams, the common people could simply transport the soil to the city walls. This was obviously easier for the common people to accept, or at least seemed like a relief.

After Lu Zhao launched a new attack, a high mud pile was piled up outside Wenxi City in most of the day. Although it was loose, the gradually growing mud pile did put constant psychological pressure on the defenders in Wenxi City.

The scattered and damaged tools and weapons on the battlefield became the tools for these people to dig the soil. However, when these people were digging the soil, they never thought that these broken swords and guns, and half-broken shovels could also kill people...

The dead bodies were right there, including men, women, old and young.

After a few days, the corpses had begun to stink, and the entire battlefield was filled with a disgusting smell.

Flies, insects, scavenger birds and animals have treated this place as a grand banquet venue, inviting friends to come here for parties.

The fly is flying around wearing a veil and holding a wine glass high, making a buzzing sound.

The one with his head tilted up and wearing a tuxedo and breathing heavily is a vulture.

The jackal wearing fur is the one that smiles first when it sees people, revealing its eight large teeth stained with flesh and blood.

And those who are silent, numb, with their heads down, running back and forth, are still this group of people enduring pain and sorrow, and are still this group of hardworking oxen and horses.