Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3493: South or North?

Even though Dong Zhao was fleeing towards Hanoi along the northern line of the Great River, he was still a little dazed along the way. He couldn't believe the current result and was unwilling to accept it.

Is the Zhongtiao Mountain camp over just like that?

The most important thing is, is Dong Zhao finished like this?

Until this moment, Dong Zhao still felt as if he was in a nightmare. The defense lines he carefully arranged, the traps he set, the gunpowder he buried, and the soldiers he deployed were all defeated and crushed by the Hussars' frontal penetration?

The tricolor flag fluttering in the darkness and firelight was still crackling in Dong Zhao's mind, as if slapping Dong Zhao in the face.

In fact, Dong Zhao also knew that he had little hope of winning by defending the Hussars in the Zhongtiaoshan camp, and he was also seeking victory in defeat and survival in death. Although about half of the soldiers left by Cao Cao were the Central Guards, they were still very weak.

But, but...

Under Dong Zhao's careful maintenance and arrangements, didn't they also repel Sima Yi and Hao Zhao?

At that time, Dong Zhao was very proud of himself, and he didn't care about the sacrifice of Lu Chang and others. He felt that it was the most important thing for him to strategize. Didn't Sima Yi, who was able to defeat Cao Hong before, also run away in front of him?

When a person is about to die, he will have a moment of sudden enlightenment.

The same phenomenon also occurs in the military or larger organizations.

But Dong Zhao didn't realize this.

As a result, just when Dong Zhao felt that he had more or less completed Cao Cao's entrustment and could withstand the attack of the Cavalry Army, at least for a period of time, the arrival of the Cavalry General Fei Qian defeated the Zhongtiao Mountain camp at the speed of lightning and gale!

It’s like a beautiful dream, and the pain of finally waking up!

If he had not won before and had not experienced so many beautiful things, Dong Zhao would not be so painful.

This time, he lost even more miserably than Cao Hong!

At that time, Cao Hong could still say that the siege equipment of the Cavalry Army was sharp and the artillery was beyond human power, but what could Dong Zhao say?

He said that he encountered inhuman cavalry soldiers, who ate human flesh and drank human blood, and that his soldiers were scared to death?

After digging so many traps and setting so much gunpowder, what was the result?

Only a small part was burned and a little bit exploded, the rest became decorations and waste!

Dong Zhao felt like crying but had no tears.

The Zhongtiao Mountain camp was defeated within one day and one night. No one had expected this before the battle, for both warring parties at that time!

In fact, there were already signs of everything...

Among the more than 10,000 soldiers left behind by Cao Cao, the core force was still the Central Commander and the Central Guard.

The most elite part was the two or three thousand people led by Cao Hong himself. As a result, Cao Hong and those two or three thousand people were killed in Suoyang Pass!

Unfortunately, Dong Zhao still thought he could continue to hold on.

Later, Dong Zhao commanded the Zhongtiaoshan camp and repelled Sima Yi. When the Cao army regained its strength, the hearts of the Cao army soldiers were already very tense. After the battle, they did not get any effective relief, no rewards, no incentives. It seemed that they should have won the battle, but they would be criticized for letting Sima Yi escape. In addition, the supply could not keep up...

So when Fei Qian arrived with his army, these Cao soldiers, who had been stretched to the extreme, exhausted, undersupplied, and unable to even get enough food, were naturally defeated by Fei Qian's elite troops in one fell swoop!

This is what they mean when you are in the mountain and cannot see the peak.

When the cavalry soldiers broke through the Hengshan Rock and smashed the inner circle defense of Cao's army in Zhongtiao Mountain, Dong Zhao really wanted to die. He really wanted to rush forward with his sword and fight these cavalry soldiers to the death!

However, the guards around Dong Zhao hugged Dong Zhao's thighs and refused to let him move forward.

Of course, that’s what Dong Zhao thought in his memory…

As Dong Zhao's guards, what happened in the Zhongtiao Mountain camp had nothing to do with them, but Dong Zhao's life and death was related to their lives and deaths.

If Dong Zhao could really win by charging forward, they might have followed suit. But by that time they knew the situation was irreversible. The Hussars had broken through their inner circle of defense with just a small detachment, and the large Hussar force in front had also broken through the middle circle. What was the point of fighting then?

Even if Dong Zhao rushed forward, he would only be giving his head to the cavalry.

So Dong Zhao's guards immediately pulled Dong Zhao away and fled, not caring about flags, central army, or main camp.

After all, if Dong Zhao escapes by himself, he may be able to escape before other Cao's soldiers can react. Otherwise, he will be blocked on the road by other Cao's soldiers and may not be able to escape!

On the way of escape, Dong Zhao regained some consciousness and asked the guards to avoid the ferry south of Zhongtiao Mountain, but turn east and take a detour to Heluo.

After all, the Tongguan camp was no longer safe. If they crossed the river directly from the southern ferry, they would most likely be handed over to the Tongguan troops of the Hussars. Moreover, once the Hussars took control of the Zhongtiaoshan camp, they would inevitably pursue southward along the mountain road, and they would most likely chase them to the ferry...

Therefore, we had to turn east and avoid the Cavalry Army's position before the Cavalry Army arrived, so that we would have a chance to return to Shandong.

Moreover, Dong Zhao thought that even if Cao Cao guarded the Qiaohan Pass this time, it might not be of any use. After all, Heluo was in decline. Although it was known as the Eight Passes of Luoyang, there was actually nothing to rely on. If the Hussar Army marched eastward, even if Luoyang had eighteen passes, it might not be able to stop it!

Cao’s army is finished!

Shandong, it’s over!

Dong Zhao was very sad, but his guards had no intention of being sad.

To be honest, as Dong Zhao's personal guards, the success or failure of the Zhongtiaoshan camp had little to do with them. As long as they sent Dong Zhao back to Shandong safely, they would have fulfilled all their duties!

Except for a few relatives of Dong Zhao, most of Dong Zhao's guards were recruited by Dong Zhao.

As a guard, he usually acts as Dong Zhao's tentacles and extensions, receiving and transmitting orders, but the most important thing is to save the life of the commander!

In times of crisis, the main general can escape. Even if Dong Zhao is punished or even executed for the defeat of the Zhongtiaoshan camp, Dong Zhao's guards will not be held accountable for this. On the contrary, there will be many other generals to choose from, and then they can join the new team...

As long as Dong Zhao's life is saved now, what happens to Dong Zhao in the future has nothing to do with them!

Everything they care about is Dong Zhao’s life and death.

As long as Dong Zhao was alive, they could live. If Dong Zhao died in battle and they survived, even if they survived and reached Shandong, they would most likely not have a good ending...

Dozens of people guarded Dong Zhao and fled eastward.

Dong Zhao's choice of escape direction was undoubtedly correct, because going east would avoid the collapse of Cao's army. Even if a few hundred people were chaotically crowded on a road, they could instantly block the originally smooth road, not to mention the possibility of thousands of people fleeing in defeat...

But at the same time, Dong Zhao, who was under severe emotional stimulation, has not yet been able to fully sober up, otherwise he would realize that his choice was actually wrong!

Although going east can avoid the crowds, it also makes the road bumpy!

The southern route of Zhongtiao Mountain, due to geographical reasons, is easier to walk on as it has fixed plateaus and gullies when going south. However, if you go east-west horizontally, you must cross these plateaus and gullies...

At the beginning, Dong Zhao and the guards did not notice anything wrong. After all, including Dong Zhao, most people were filled with fear, so those who climbed up and down were silent. No one spoke until a scream broke the silence!

A guard who was slightly behind pointed behind with a panicked look!

Dong Zhao and others looked back and saw smoke and dust rising in the distance, heading towards them!

At first, the guards under Dong Zhao thought that these pursuers were just a small group of scouts of the Hussars. After all, the smoke and dust were not very thick. They wanted to rely on their own bravery to stop the Hussars for a while. However, the thing that made Dong Zhao and others panic happened again!

Although these Cao army soldiers who were selected as guards could not be compared with those carefully selected tough generals, they were at least of above-average level. Plus, there were many gullies on the southern line of Zhongtiao Mountain, and the guards who went to block them would not stand foolishly in the open space and shout stupid things like this tree and this road. They must have chosen some hidden or even insidious corners to guard them, thinking that they could kill some pursuers and delay some time. But who could have thought that the guards who stayed behind to block the way would disappear silently in the blink of an eye like a drop in the ocean!

If Dong Zhao had not been sure that these guards would not rebel at this point, he might have thought that these guards had directly surrendered to the Cavalry!

Dong Zhao, who felt the approach of death, finally regained consciousness and said, "Go to the mountains!"

There is less vegetation on the river bank, so the traces are more obvious when walking. If you go into the mountains, you can rely on the bushes and trees in the mountains for cover, and it will be convenient to escape after nightfall.

Unfortunately, Dong Zhao woke up too late.

Xu Chu had finally set his sights on Dong Zhao, so how could he let him go so easily?

The fact that Cao Hong could not be captured before made Xu Chu sigh with regret every time he thought about it. Now that he knew Dong Zhao's location and had caught up to him closely, how could he possibly let Dong Zhao escape like this?

The whistling sound gradually became louder, and even though it was blocked by the trees and bushes, it reached Dong Zhao's ears.

"No! Let's split up and run!" Dong Zhao's trusted guard said anxiously, "My Lord! Give me the crown quickly! I will lead the pursuers away!"

Dong Zhao subconsciously untied his crown.

The trusted guard took it and put it on his head, "Master, take care! Quickly escort the master into the mountain! All of you, follow me south!"

Dong Zhao stretched out his hand as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he could only sigh.

They were his people, his confidants.

Geckos can indeed cut off their tails, but even after that, they still cannot satisfy the hunters...

Xu Chu chased to the place where Dong Zhao and others separated.

"All the way south, all the way north!" The experienced scout quickly came to the conclusion based on the traces on the ground.

To the south?

To the north?

Xu Chu frowned.

Normally, if you want to escape, the correct direction is south.

After all, Cao Cao and other large armies were all south of the river. As long as they crossed the river and fled to the Heluo area in the south, Xu Chu would basically be helpless.

but……

Although Xu Chu is portrayed as a big, strong man, even a fool in later games, he is not actually stupid. He is strong and sturdy because he has been a bodyguard for a long time. Whether in history or in the present, whether by Cao Cao's side or Fei Qian's side, a strong bodyguard will definitely be more competent than a skinny guard who will fall down at the slightest breeze.

Xu Chu made a decision.

Chase north!

"To the north?" The scout was a little confused, "The south is where the majority of Cao's troops are...these people heading north, could they be deserters?"

"Deserters?" Xu Chu shook his head. "Did you find any deserters among these people who escaped along the way?"

The scout shook his head.

Although Dong Zhao only had a few dozen people around him, they were obviously much more organized than the defeated troops in the Zhongtiaoshan camp, which was one of the reasons why Xu Chu chased and killed them. So no one escaped halfway, and now there were suddenly deserters, which was obviously unreasonable.

In addition, Dong Zhao originally did not choose to run directly to the ferry from the south road of Zhongtiao Mountain, so why would he run directly to the ferry now?

Seeing that Xu Chu had determined the direction, the other hussars did not say much and quickly followed the traces on the ground into the mountains, that is, to the north.

Regardless of whether Xu Chu had really thought it through carefully or was just guessing, it was not a good thing for Dong Zhao.

When Dong Zhao was trying to escape to the Zhongtiao Mountains to hide in the north, he suddenly realized a more fatal problem...

He doesn't have enough strength anymore.

After escaping from Zhongtiao Mountain, they had not had anything decent to eat along the way. They only had some dry food brought by the guards, which were barely shared by everyone. They even barely caught any birds or animals in the mountains and forests.

After all, it is winter now and most animals are in hiding.

Without replenishment and a good rest, coupled with the high-intensity walking every day, Dong Zhao was able to hold on until now, relying entirely on the state of great confusion he had previously fallen into, which made him completely ignore the physical fatigue. Now that he has escaped from that nightmare, he finds that reality is even more terrifying...

People are like this, once they realize something, it becomes more serious.

For example, if you hold a mobile phone for a long time without moving, you may not realize that your arm is sore and your little finger is deeply pressed with marks. But once you find that your fingers are shaking, you will feel overwhelming numbness and soreness!

The same thing happened to Dong Zhao. He didn't realize that he could still climb with the guards when he couldn't keep up with the physical strength. But when he began to feel too tired to breathe, there was almost no place on his body that didn't hurt!

Even his breathing began to quicken, his face turned pale, his hands and feet became soft as cotton, and he temporarily lost consciousness.

Seeing Dong Zhao like this, the guards came forward and carried Dong Zhao away. However, the guards were not in good physical condition and were tired just walking, let alone dragging Dong Zhao away.

They dragged on and couldn't walk more than a few hundred steps, and then everyone couldn't walk anymore.

The pursuers of Xu Chu and others were still looking for their traces, slowly forming a line of skirmishers from top to bottom and moving up the mountain.

"It's over..."

When Dong Zhao came here, these two words popped up in almost everyone's mind.

"Find a place...quickly...quickly find a place..." Dong Zhao panted, "Hide, hide...No, don't go forward, step back a little, step back a little...Quickly, find a place..."

They really couldn't walk anymore, so they could only hide.

Not long after, Xu Chu and others caught up.

There was no trace of Dong Zhao and others anywhere.

"General! The traces ahead are gone!" the scout reported, "Just a little further ahead, and they will disappear!"

"Disappeared?" Xu Chu didn't believe it. After chasing him to this extent, how could he let Dong Zhao escape?

"Look again! Spread out! Look around!"

Xu Chu gave the order.

The soldiers began to disperse in groups of three or four, searching on the hillside.

Perhaps it can be said that Dong Zhao was unlucky, or perhaps it can be said that Dong Zhao made too many mistakes on his escape route. After Xu Chu ordered the soldiers to disperse and search, two or three cavalry soldiers discovered something unusual and began to move towards the place where Dong Zhao and others were hiding.

If it were the karst landform in Shanyue, with caves interconnected and extending in all directions, it would be impossible to find them. Even Dong Zhao and the hussar soldiers who were looking for them might get lost in the caves!

But this is yellow soil. There are gullies, and there are many of them, but very few caves.

Dong Zhao had never been looking forward to the arrival of night as much as he was at that moment.

When he was young, night meant that he had to stop studying and take a rest.

The Han people don’t have any electric lights, and oil lamps cannot be lit for a long time.

His favorite time of the day is early morning, because it means a new day and a new beginning.

He had often told other people, especially the young and underachieving sons of the gentry, that if a person could not see the morning light of the morning, could not see the rising sun, and only looked forward to the coming of the night, then it meant that such a person was not diligent enough and did not deserve to have a dream...

But now, he just wants night to come!

Prayers, begging.

Unfortunately, neither the Five Gods nor any other gods responded to him. Instead, two or three hussars gradually approached him!

The guard was stuck in the shadow of the ravine and made a dying attempt to surprise a Hussar who was caught off guard, but another Hussar sounded the warning and blew the whistle!

The shrill and sharp sound of the whistle echoed among the mountains and forests!

Dong Zhao shouted anxiously, wanting the guards to snatch the bronze whistle or kill the hussar soldier quickly, but it was too late.

There were shouts from all directions responding, guiding, and then gathering together!

Dong Zhao swallowed his saliva, his hands and feet began to tremble, and even the sword in his hand seemed to tremble along with it.

This time it was not because of fatigue, but because he had to make another choice...

Would you rather die than surrender, or would you rather be a gentleman than stand under a dangerous wall?

Should I die heroically, or should I preserve some seeds of learning?

Dong Zhao's mind was in a mess.

When he was "persuading" others to sacrifice and volunteer, he could have many excuses and many reasons, but when he himself was facing life and death, he felt that no reason seemed to work, and no excuse seemed to go smoothly...

Dong Zhao and his men were discovered, and the fight began. Dong Zhao hadn't figured out what to do yet. It was not until he saw Xu Chu rushing towards him that he suddenly thought of something!

Xu Chu seems to be from Shandong!

This seems like something that can be taken advantage of!

Dong Zhao quickly shouted at Xu Chu, raising his hand to greet him, "Wait a minute...you and me...ah!"

After Xu Chu came down, he almost forcefully fought his way through a bloody path, rushed directly in front of Dong Zhao, and chopped him down with a knife.

After killing Dong Zhao with a single blow, Xu Chu asked the soldiers around him, "What did you hear him say just now?"

"I don't know... Didn't he raise his sword to resist?"

"oh……"

No one noticed that Xu Chu showed a mocking smile when he shook the blood off his sword.