Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3431 Mutual Trust
Xu Chu was shocked when he received the news that his two wings had been ambushed, and immediately ordered his soldiers to pause.

Xu Chu initially deliberately slowed down the speed of the central headquarters. His original purpose was actually to outflank Cao's army and completely wipe out this wave of Cao's troops that had left the Zhongtiao Mountain camp. However, he did not expect that Cao's army had anticipated his arrival and had set up an ambush in advance!

The ambush of Cao's army also caused certain losses to Xu Chu's troops on both wings.

According to the reports from the soldiers on both wings, Cao's army took the lead in occupying the top of the slope of the gully, and then launched an attack when the cavalry reached the ambush site...

Xu Chu took out the map and identified it under the firelight.

Although the destination of Xu Chu and others this time was very clear and easy to judge, Cao's army was still able to accurately ambush on the ditch on the road chosen by the Cavalry Army. This shows that Cao's army was either very familiar with the terrain in this area, or had already sent soldiers to sneak to the ambush site before attacking Suoyang Pass.

Both possibilities are possible, or even exist at the same time.

This forced Xu Chu to re-examine his original battle plan.

Cao's army predicted Xu Chu's move to lock Yangguan Pass, so did they also make advance preparations in other areas?
If this is true, then Xu Chu's original plan involving the Zhongtiao Mountain camp had a major flaw.

The opponent is not rigid and will not respond passively. He will also actively seek a turnaround.

"General!" The guard saw Xu Chu looking at the map for a long time without saying anything, and couldn't help asking, "What should we do now?"

Cao's army had already discovered the arrival of Xu Chu and others, and the effect of the attack to break the invisibility was no longer there.

Xu Chu's gaze lingered on the map, thinking.

Although one team suffered heavy losses and retreated in defeat, the other flank team suffered less losses and even killed and repelled Cao's ambushing soldiers.

what does this mean?
Xu Chu raised his head and looked towards the two wings.

One direction is heavily guarded, while the other direction is relatively weak?
Cao's army had ambushes on both wings, so was there no preparation at all where the majority of Cao's army was stationed at Suoyang Pass?

This is obviously impossible.

So……

Is it true that the flank direction, which suffered greater losses, is the focus of Cao's defense?

The losses on the other side were smaller, perhaps meaning that Cao's army did not deploy many soldiers there?

Everyone wants a bird's eye view, which would save a lot of trouble, but most of the time, we can only rely on limited information to make inferences, and it is absolutely impossible to use full-map cheats to defeat the opponent.

Xu Chu had to consider whether Cao's army would ambush him a second time since they had ambushed him once.

As the art of war says, be realistic and unreal.

Everyone knows this sentence, but when it comes to practical problems, which side is false and which side is real?

There is no doubt that Suoyang Pass is the place that Xu Chu must rescue, but now there are three directions.

One is to go straight along the road and head straight for Suoyang Pass, but Xu Chu concluded that there was most likely an ambush on this road, and it was not far in front of Suoyang Pass. Although the terrain might not be as good as on the two wings, in the dark, even if it was just some small holes dug to trap horses' legs, it would be enough to put Xu Chu in trouble.

The other direction is to go in the direction where Cao's army defeated his flank. If Cao's army defeated his flank in this direction, it means that there are things or people that Cao's army must defend in this direction, or Cao's army does not want Xu Chu to choose this direction, so if Xu Chu does the opposite, he may get good results.

Of course, it is also possible that he just kicked the iron plate.

The third direction is the direction where the flanks have made some breakthroughs. In this direction, Cao's ambush troops were repelled by their own flank soldiers. According to general inference, it should be the most appropriate direction of advance, but what if Cao's army consciously lured troops in this direction?

Xu Chu pondered.

"Keep marching!"

Xu Chu didn't hesitate for long.

Although he and Lai had no friendship or relationship before, but now that they were in the same camp, he couldn't just stand by and watch him die!
Of course, this is actually another special effect of the Military Academy.

In the Military Academy, even the General of Cavalry would publicly display his strengths and weaknesses in battle. So, as subordinate generals, what reason did they have to keep their battle plans and on-the-spot decisions secret?

These secrets during combat, once time passes, become examples for others to learn from, or lessons learned.

If Xu Chu chose to shrink back and give up everything at that moment, he would inevitably face more troublesome accountability in the post-war records unless Xu Chu had sufficient reasons to show that the situation at that time required such a decision.

"General, which direction should we march in?"

The messenger asked.

Xu Chu raised his hand and pointed in the direction where his flank had been breached.

If he needs to choose who to trust, Xu Chu would rather choose to trust his subordinates!
Believe in the Hussars, believe in the soldiers of the Hussars, because you are one of them!
Do not exaggerate or falsify information.

No falsehood, no vanity.

Trust is mutual. Since the soldiers under your command trust your judgment, you should also trust the information they deliver back to you!

If you believe that it was a real defeat, rather than Cao's army pretending to escape or be defeated!

Then the choice is simple.

Xu Chu gave the order to his soldiers to turn to the flank and advance from the flank to break through Cao's ambush.

……

……

The flank was attacked by the Hussars. The attack was successfully intercepted on one side, but the news of the Hussars counterattacking and killing on the other side was also hurriedly sent to Cao Hong.

Cao Hong couldn't help but jump up and down and curse the military school that was broken through by the cavalry on the flank, calling them useless idiots and fools. He cursed whatever he remembered, completely forgetting that the military school was also like Zhang Tiansheng before, and Cao Hong once patted his shoulders and said, "Do a good job! I believe in you!"

If the ambush on both wings was successfully intercepted, the reinforcements of the Cavalry Army would inevitably stop for a while, or perhaps wait until dawn to make subsequent arrangements. This would give Cao Hong time to occupy Suoyang Pass and make subsequent arrangements.

Although it was a bit rushed, it was still in time. However, the ambush on the flank was not completely successful, and the Hussars might not wait until dawn to take action. They might very well advance along the defeated flank!

This means that the original plan made by Cao’s army may fail!

How to do?
Cao Hong was suddenly caught in a dilemma.

Cao Hong was greatly surprised by the tenacity of the Hussars at Suoyang Pass. If he were in Suoyang Pass, facing a pincer attack and multiple breaches, he would most likely evacuate and flee. How could he fight to the death and retreat to the inner city?
If the outer city of Suoyang Pass is not very solid and majestic, how steep can the inner city be?

But the cavalry troops at Suoyang Pass did just that!
On the one hand, the flank ambush that he had painstakingly arranged failed to achieve the perfect interception effect. On the other hand, the tenacity of the hussars at Suoyang Pass exceeded his expectations. This made Cao Hong very embarrassed and caught in a dilemma.

As a general, every move you make will involve the lives of countless soldiers.

A decision may bring glory and victory, or it may just result in the destruction of thousands of lives.

"Gather your guards!" Cao Hong gritted his teeth and said, "Bring me my armor! I will personally take the head of this thief general!"

Let’s settle new and old grudges today!

"General, your injury..." Cao Hong's guards hesitated.

Cao Hong was furious, "Do you think I'm a wimp who cries and cowers just because I'm hurt?!"

The guards had no choice but to get the armor and put it on Cao Hong.

Cao Hong felt that since he finally had the chance to wipe out this cavalry unit, how could he give up so easily?

The soldiers of the Hussars are so persistent, tenacious and strong. If the Cao army cannot fight back, they may lose the qualification to stand on the same level as the Hussars forever!
A general fights a hundred battles, but he will die in the end!
But if you are timid and run away, then perhaps a hundred years later, you will still be the laughing stock of others!

……

……"when!"

With a loud roar, Cao Hong slashed at the shield with his sword.

Lai groaned, unable to withstand Cao Hong's strength, and took two steps back involuntarily. The sword in his hand also lost its accuracy and failed to hit Cao Hong.

Even though he was injured, Cao Hong's martial arts skills were still unmatched.

Cao Hong succeeded in his first strike and did not show any mercy, slashing three times in a row.

I kept getting cold sweat on my back and had no time to fight back. I could only hold up my shield and take the attack.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The almost continuous sound of hammering iron makes people's teeth ache.

He was unable to withstand Cao Hong's fierce attack, and the shield in his hand was chopped to pieces. He staggered backwards and almost fell to the ground.

Cao Hong subconsciously wanted to rush forward, wanting to take advantage of Zeng Lai's imbalance and chop off his head with one knife. However, when Cao Hong took a big step forward, he forgot that the wound on his leg had not healed yet. He groaned, paused, and failed to rush forward. His face twitched in pain.

In terms of martial arts, Cao Hong crushed Cong Lai, but Cao Hong was injured. If he killed Cong Lai on the spot, Cong Lai would not be able to resist. However, Cao Hong wanted to kill Cong Lai quickly, and his injured leg became an obstacle.

Even so, the injured Cao Hong was still extremely ferocious. Even when ordinary hussars came forward to besiege him, Cao Hong was still not afraid. With his sword and shield, he forced Conglai and others to retreat continuously.

But the good times did not last long. After most of the Hussars retreated into the stone fort under the cover of Cong Lai and Cong Lai also crawled into the stone fort, it was not so easy for Cao Hong to attack again.

Just as he poked his head into the doorway, seven or eight long spears came towards him and hit his shield. Even if Cao Hong was very strong, he could not fight against seven or eight people at the same time. He could not stand still and could not rush in!
Several Cao army soldiers who rushed in at the risk of their lives were soon strung together like a candied haws of blood and flesh.

The corpses blocked the doorway, so even if Cao's army wanted to rush in, they had to pull out the corpses first before they could have a better foothold.

After a while, a tug of war began.

"General, the rocks in the stone fort are too big to pry open right away!"

A Cao soldier who was trying to tear down the stone wall of the stone fort shouted.

After all, Cao's soldiers didn't know any Western magic, and didn't know how to use stones to knock stones to create magnificent buildings. So it was not an easy task to simply rely on swords and guns to pry the stones on the stone walls of the stone fortress.

"Car crash! Car crash!"

"Where the hell can I find a car crash now?!"

"Take out the ladder!"

"It's not thick enough..."

"Never mind, just go get it and try it!"

The Cao army soldiers were shouting in a disorderly manner, but they also showed the embarrassment of not being able to break through the stone fortress in a short time.

"Surrender your weapons and we will not kill you!" Cao Hong stood up and shouted towards the stone fortress, "You are surrounded and have nowhere to escape! If you don't surrender, you will be killed without mercy!"

"Those who surrender will not be killed! Those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

Cao Hong's personal guards also shouted loudly.

The small stone fort in the inner city of Suoyang Pass was almost the last position of the Hussar Army.

This kind of small stone fort is very common in various military fortresses.

It can be round, square, or depending on the terrain, there can also be diamonds, polygons, etc.

The shape is not the point. The point is that this kind of stone fortress often exists as the last resistance, so the narrow stone windows, curved and narrow stone stairs, and even various anti-human designs are all for better defense.

Although nearly half of the hussars stationed in Suoyang were killed, after retreating to this stone fort, they had relatively sufficient manpower due to the narrow corridors and stone stairs, and they could take turns to fight. Therefore, even if Cao Hong led his personal guards to charge, he could not capture the small stone fort in a short time.

In most cases, narrow passages and terrains like these cannot be taken by a fierce attack. Sometimes they can only be captured through fire attacks or some other means at a relatively small cost in casualties.

But what Cao Hong lacks most now is time!
That was why Cao Hong had people shouting into the stone fortress. Even though he hated Conglai to the core, he had to declare that as long as they surrendered their weapons, he would promise not to kill Conglai and the others.

As for whether this promise would be effective in the long run or what would happen in the future, Cao Hong did not say it, and everyone knew that it would be useless to say it. Cao Hong was speaking more to the ordinary hussars. If these hussars were willing to surrender, then even if they were unwilling, they would not be able to resist for long.

However, Lai Lai and others were not frightened by Cao Hong's momentum. Instead, they all laughed in the stone fortress.

This reaction made Cao Hong's soldiers look at each other in bewilderment.

Suoyang Pass itself is not big enough. After Cao Hong broke in, Lian Lai and others did not choose to escape, but continued to retreat to the small stone fort, which was almost equivalent to trapping themselves in a dead end, with no possibility of escape.

Under such circumstances, Cao Hong was willing to give them a way out, but these hussars were so fearless!
Cao Hong's face turned pale.

If it had been under normal circumstances, not only would Cao Hong not have said nothing about surrendering their weapons, he would have even asked people to collect wood. Even if he couldn't break in, he would have burned, roasted, or smoked these hussars alive!
But now...

Suoyang Pass is not big enough, which was originally a disadvantage for Lai and others, but now it has become a disadvantage for Cao Hong.

If the reinforcements of the cavalry really came to attack, not only would Cao Hong not be able to eat the last bite of meat, he might even have to vomit out what he had originally eaten with interest!
"General!" the guard whispered, "Even if we kill them, the loss will be heavy. If the cavalry attacks our army from the flank, we won't regret dying, but the general's safety..."

Cao Hong's face became uglier and uglier. He wanted to roar, "I have nothing to fear," but the pain in his leg told him, "Stop showing off..."

Standing on the stone fortress, half of his body was exposed in the firelight, he pointed at Cao Hong and laughed: "Old man! Do you dare to come up and fight? !"

The veins on Cao Hong's forehead were throbbing.

If he hadn't been disabled just now, he would have killed the guy with a single blow of his sword. How could he have tolerated his arrogance?
Cao Hong's guards took the opportunity to shoot as soon as they showed their heads.

He had always been prepared and hid behind the mound of earth after shouting.

Cao Hong's guard arrow hit the mound beside Conglai with a "puff" sound, which made Conglai laugh even louder.

The pumping of adrenaline, this chemical, can make people breathe faster, speed up heartbeat and blood flow, dilate pupils, provide more energy for physical activities, make reactions faster, but also make the spirit a little twisted and excited. At this moment, he even felt the pleasure of jumping back and forth on death.

However, whenever he was happy, Cao Hong felt uncomfortable.

Cao Hong's face turned pale, and he raised his hand and ordered, "Bowmen, shoot at the doors and windows!"

The crossbowmen immediately stepped forward and fired at the door and windows of the stone fortress.

The effect is good. At least no one dares to show up and mock us anymore...

But that's about it.

Although he was arrogant, he didn't dare to come out and fight Cao Hong. Anyway, he and the hussars in the stone fortress had the same idea, which was to delay!
This kind of behavior of twisting and struggling on the brink of death was absolutely impossible to do in Cao's army before, but now I don't know why, I always feel calm and adapted to it, as if it is supposed to be this way.

Cao Hong was just about to give an order to have his men climb the stone wall regardless of the consequences, just like climbing the outer wall of Suoyang Pass, but he heard the piercing sound of a golden gong as a warning outside Suoyang Pass!

Cao Hong stared at the small stone fort in extreme anger. He howled loudly towards the stone fort and then quickly retreated with his men.

The Cao army soldiers retreated in frustration.

However, Conglai and others in the stone fort were cheering.

The Cao army outside the stone fortress, although occupying almost the entire Suoyang Pass, seemed to have lost everything.

The cavalry in the stone fort, although scarred and badly damaged, were in high spirits, as if they had won the final crown.

It was the first quarter of the morning, the darkest time before dawn.
Yin represents a fierce tiger roaming in the wild.

Tiger Maniac, Xu Chu, here we are!