Silver Fox of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 147
When Cai Yang died, Cao Jun collapsed instantly.

Shen Chen and Gan Ning scattered Cao's army and withdrew back to Yingyin City.

After a day's rest, they did not continue to stay, but withdrew from Yingyang and Xiangcheng to Kunyang.

At this moment, the defenders from Xiangcheng and Linying all went south to Suiqiang County to deal with Liu Bei's main force, and it was very safe along the way.

On July [-]th, Cao Cao finally got the news of Shen Chen's attack, but it was after Shen Chen retreated on the night of July [-]th, and the information was lagging behind.

Since the situation on the front line at Guandu was more critical, Yuan Shao had already confronted him, so Cao Cao had no way to lead the troops south himself, but ordered Cao Hong to rescue him.

In history, Cao Cao was sent by Cao Ren. Cao Ren could be regarded as a pillar-like existence in the early or middle and late stages of Cao Wei. In the Battle of Guandu, he attacked Han Meng in the north and defeated Liu Bei in the south, guarding the rear for Cao Cao.

Now that Cao Ren died in Nanyang, and Xiahouyuan and Xiahoudun had other battlefields to deal with, so Cao Hong was the only one of the four most trusted generals of Cao Cao who was still able to act.

So Cao Hong, who was originally in the area of ​​Jiluo Mountain in Mi County to prevent Yuan Jun from detouring southward from the west line of Luoyang to attack Xudu, was transferred to Yingchuan to come back to defend.

However, it was two days later when he came back, and at that time Shen Chen had already returned to Kunyang City to rest.

So Cao Hong immediately went south to Liqiang to rescue.

At this moment, Luiqiang County.

Liu Bei still besieged the city. Three days ago, the scouts observed Cai Yang leaving to the north. Liu Bei immediately guessed that it was Shen Chen who was attacking Xudu. powerful.

It's a pity that his soldiers and horses are pure mobs. In history, after he defeated Cai Yang, he was quickly defeated by Cao Ren. You can see that the combat effectiveness of the army he summoned was actually very poor.

After two days of siege, not only the city was not shaken, but even the morale of the army dropped a lot, and a large number of deserters appeared in the team.For example, Li Tong's army was not an army loyal to Liu Bei's army. Not only did it not help, but it added to the chaos, and half of them ran away in a few days.

On July 30th, Cao Hong arrived in Xudu, only [-] kilometers away from Liqiang.At the same time, Liu Bei's camp also received a letter from Shen Chen.

All the soldiers gathered together.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Tai Shici, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Shi Ren, Liu Yan, Yuan Wei, Xia Houzuan and other generals and advisers gathered together.

Liu Bei put down the letter from the messenger sent by Shen Chen just now, and said with a worried expression: "I have failed Mr. Xiao. Originally, I wanted to go two ways, take down Liqiang County as soon as possible, and have a round with Mr. Xiao in Xudu. He has already fought to the west city of Xudu, and was finally retreated by the reinforcements, but I am still here."

"I just said that kid is no good, he can't get in even after he beat Xudu outside the city."

Zhang Fei shouted.

He was very upset with Shen Chen's attitude towards him back then.

The main reason is that Shen Chen is not a son of a noble family, but a low-level commoner.

Zhang Fei has always respected scholars and looked down on villains. It is normal to look down on Shen Chen, but Guan Yu respects Shen Chen very much.

So after hearing Zhang Fei's words, before Liu Bei scolded him, Guan Yu said: "Mr. Xiao is brave and resourceful, and has defeated Cao Jun many times. Third brother, don't be rude to him!"

"Second brother."

Zhang Fei was about to say something.

Liu Bei scolded: "Sir, shut up, Mr. Xiao has been very intelligent since he was a child, and when he grows up, he is even better at planning, loyal and hardworking. There is no other hero in the world. From now on, you must treat him like me."

"I even saved his life, obviously he was rude to me first."

Zhang Fei muttered something in a low voice and stopped talking.

Jian Yong said at this time: "My lord, you don't have to blame yourself for not breaking through. After all, Shen Chen is a small army that is lightly armed and raided Xudu. We are dealing with the main force of the enemy, and we are still attacking the city. We cannot overcome it in a short time. It's normal, the most critical thing now is the morale of the army."

"Yes."

Liu Bei nodded and said: "Mr. Xiao said in the letter that it is not good to attack Xu. Cao Cao will definitely send reinforcements. We must make plans as soon as possible. He invited us to go to Kunyang and station in Wuyangye County and other places, waiting for the opportunity."

"withdraw troops?"

Everyone looked at each other with a hint of worry in their eyes.

Why don't they know what the soldiers and horses under their command are like in the army these days?
After Liu Bei was defeated by Cao Cao, he fled to Hebei alone. At that time, it happened that Zhao Yun came to vote, so he asked Zhao Yun to recruit [-] strong men.

In addition to these 500 people, Yuan Shao gave him two or three thousand elite soldiers, which is probably Liu Bei's best family property.

In addition, it is the remnant of the Yuan family in Runan. These people, including more than 2000 people from Man Chong who stayed in Ningbo, are all considered to be the remnants of the old Yuan family. Liu Bei is only the leader in name. It is controlled by the old officials.

At present, the main force in the army is these people. If they choose to withdraw their troops, Liu Bei's order may not be effective.It is very likely that those former officials of the Yuan family will not agree, and it would be bad to part ways with him at that time.

Then there were Li Tong's soldiers. After a few days, nearly half of these soldiers had run away. Although they had been strictly guarded, these people were not loyal at all, and they would never go to Nanyang with Liu Bei.

And even the soldiers Yuan Shao gave may not be reliable.

They are all from Hebei, and they are only on a business trip with Liu Bei temporarily. Their families are all in Hebei. It would be fine if they stay in Nanyang for a short time, but if they stay for a long time, the morale of the army may be unstable.

Therefore, after such an analysis, even if the troops are withdrawn to Nanyang, it is still unknown how many soldiers and horses they can bring in the end.

"We still need to discuss with those powerful families."

Liu Yan said.

Although he is from the state of Lu, he is well aware of the situation in Runan.

Most of Yuan Shao's disciples and old officials are powerful officials from local counties, and their roots are all in Runan. It may not be easy for them to leave Runan.

Liu Bei nodded and said, "Xianhe and Gongyou, please go to each camp to lobby."

"only."

The two stood up and took orders.

It is indeed a strange thing for the dignified general to lead the soldiers to evacuate and lobby the generals of the battalions.

But there is no way.

To put it simply, most of the Yingchuan aristocratic families supported Cao Cao at that time, so Cao Cao put his foundation in Yingchuan.

Yuan Shao was from the Yuan family in Runan, and the Yuan family was deeply rooted in Runan. Most of the wealthy families in the counties had deep entanglements with the Yuan family, so when Yuan Shao went south, they responded immediately.

The Runan aristocratic family supported Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei used Yuan Shao's order to unify them when he came here, and they gathered under Liu Bei's command for a short time.

But their roots and clan soldiers are all in Runan, so it’s okay to let them fight in Runan, but they may not go there if they leave Runan, so we can only let Jian Yong and Sun Qian be lobbyists, hoping that they can follow Go to Nanyang by yourself.

The rhetoric is also simple.

That is when Cao Cao's reinforcements arrived, they first went to Kunyang and stationed in Wuyang, and then waited for Yuan Shao and Cao Cao's decisive battle at Guandu to attack Xudu.

But things are still not going well.

The powerful families of various families heard that Liu Bei wanted to withdraw the army to Nanyang. Although it was only in the Ye County area at the entrance of Nanyang's gate, these powerful families still resisted very much.

It's not that they don't want to continue serving Yuan Shao, but once they leave, what if Cao Jun attacks their clans and fields in various counties?
Everyone has their own concerns.

The foundation of the aristocratic family in a county is in that county, and the land and population they own are all in that county. If they leave Runan, they will leave their own roots. It is normal to have concerns about this.

For this reason, Jian Yong, Sun Gan and others tried their best to persuade them to leave, and told them that this was only a short-term transfer. Once the news of the victory came from the front line of Guandu, Cao Jun's front line was tight, and when the rear defense was empty, they could immediately attack Xudu. If you can really win Xudu, it must be a great achievement.

It is a pity that most people still do not have such awareness and foresight, no matter how much they persuade them, they will not listen.

In the end, Liu Bei had no choice but to dawdle for another day, taking the two or three thousand soldiers given by Yuan Shao, plus a small number of people who listened to the persuasion and were willing to leave, a total of more than 6000 people were ready to evacuate.

However, it was because of this extra day of delay that Cao Hong was already at the top of his game.

When he defeated Han Meng in the area of ​​Jiluo Mountain in the north, he had 5000 troops. In addition, he recruited Cai Yang's defeated soldiers and Han Hao's soldiers, a total of more than [-] people, and marched southward to Luiqiang County.

Originally, Liu Bei's total force was only 1000 to [-], and more than [-] people fled and some died in battle. Now it is only about [-].

But Xia Houyuan and Li Dian still had 5000 troops in the city.

In this way, there is almost no difference in military strength between the two sides, and there is a world of difference in the quality and elite level of the troops.

As a result, before Liu Bei set off, Cao Hong launched a fierce attack on his camp.

The next day.

At three o'clock in the morning, Liu Bei planned to head west to Dingling with more than 6000 people who were willing to follow him after breakfast.

But at this moment, Cao Hong has also crossed the river, and he is only a short distance away from Lu Qiang.

Cao Hong is no stranger to this city.

Last year, the local powerful Zhubi rebelled in Liqiang. Cao Hong and Xu Huang came to put down the rebellion and killed all the Zhu family.

The army crossed the river in mighty force. Cao Hong sent his cavalry to Luiqiang County to inform Xia Houyuan and Li Dian of his arrival and get them ready for battle.

At the end of the meal, Liu Beijun had just finished his breakfast and was about to assemble, abandon the camp outside the city, and head to Dingling.

At this moment, scouts came to report that a large group of Cao Jun appeared in the north of Liqiang.

"what?"

In Liu Bei's camp, he was packing up his things and preparing to leave. When he learned that at this time, he secretly cried out that something was wrong, and said, "Jun Cao came so fast."

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Tai Shi Ci and others are not in the camp now, but are leading the troops and preparing to evacuate.

Only Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Mi Zhu and others were in the tent, and Sun Qian said, "My lord, the enemy is coming, and we must deal with it."

"Damn."

Liu Bei patted the table, and said bitterly: "If it weren't for those powerful families from Runan who looked forward and backward, we would have arrived at Dingying long ago, so what happened today."

Mi Zhu said: "My lord, we can't retreat now, we can only stay where we are."

"Ah."

Liu Bei agreed with Mi Zhu's point of view and said: "Quickly inform the battalions to make them guard carefully. Let's be serious first and act according to circumstances."

"only."

The people immediately went out to convey orders to the battalions.

Soon the entire Liu Bei army was in chaos, and every battalion was boiling everywhere.

No one expected the sudden arrival of the main force of the Cao army, causing chaos in the unprepared battalions.

Because Liu Bei had already planned to retreat westward to Kunyang, those aristocratic families also planned to retreat back to Runan County with their soldiers to stand firm.

As a result, everyone did not make sufficient preparations for the sudden arrival of a big battle.

As a result, when Cao Hong's main force crossed Yingshui and reached the north of Luiqiang City, less than four or five miles away from Liu Bei's camp, there was still no formation of troops here.

There were even those who retreated before the battle. Many members of the clans and clans did not come out to meet the enemy with their soldiers, but fled in a panic, causing the camp to be in chaos.

Soon, Cao Hong arrived at the city of Luiqiang.

From a distance, he saw soldiers running around in chaos inside and outside Liu Bei's army camp, just like a scene of chaos, he did not hesitate at all, and immediately ordered: "The whole army goes out and kills Liu Bei!"

"woo woo woo woo!"

The high-pitched horns sounded for a long time, the drums were beating, and the sound of shouting and killing shook the sky.

Cao Hong's army of more than [-] people was divided into several queues, led by Han Hao, Cao Xiu and others, and launched a fierce attack on Liu Bei's camps.

However, Liu Bei's main camp was attacked by Cao Hong himself, and then Xia Houyuan, Li Dian and others led people to help.

All of a sudden, the sound of shouting and fighting, the sound of weapons fighting with ping ping bang bang, and the muffled groaning and hissing of people when knives and guns were piercing flesh filled the entire battlefield.

Originally, even if Liu Beijun was a mob assembled impromptu, it was more reluctant to bully Xiahouyuan and Li Dian, who were few, but now they met Cao Jun's main force, which was still the same number, and they were defeated almost instantly.

The camps were not defended for a long time, and were soon disrupted. Liu Bei personally led the troops and stood by his own camp.

However, his teammates were not strong enough. When it was just after noon, the soldiers and horses of the surrounding aristocratic families were dying, fleeing, and surrendering. Li Tong's surrender was the first to strike back. Only Liu Bei, the lone army, remained on the battlefield.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Tai Shici, Zhao Yun and others fought hard to kill, but they were outnumbered and struggling to support.

Guan Yu led the army alone at that time, and the camp was broken. He had to break out and wanted to go to the general's camp to find Liu Bei, but there were too many enemies in the general's camp, so he couldn't kill him.

The same was true for Tai Shici, who was located in the south and was beaten to the south.

However, Zhang Fei led about two to three hundred cavalry, and rushed to the general's camp, but in the evening, the general's camp was finally breached, and Zhang Fei was almost overwhelmed by Cao's army. .

Liu Bei led two to 3000 elite troops in his headquarters, and retreated while fighting. With the help of Zhao Yun, Chen Dao and others, he escorted his wife and children, and broke through to the west with difficulty.The people were scattered and separated on the battlefield.

　The poor uncle is either being beaten or on the way to be beaten, miserable.

　　Some people say that the protagonist is not tired of attacking his subordinates so much that he rebels.Pay attention, the protagonist spent two days walking more than 70 kilometers and did not reach Xudu.I walked more than 40 kilometers on the first day and more than 30 kilometers on the second day.Both Sima Yi and Xia Houyuan are faster than the protagonist. This is because the Gan Ning army is dragged down. Otherwise, if the protagonist only leads the Huangmenting soldiers, the speed will be faster.The most important thing is that it is common for our army to run more than 100 kilometers a day. Like the protagonist, he walks 30-40 kilometers a day. Excluding eating and sleeping, it takes 12 hours to travel, and the average speed is actually only about 3-4 kilometers per hour. It's impossible to tire the subordinates to rebel.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)