Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 685: Dividing Xuzhou
Somewhere in Xiliang, Han Sui, with a large number of soldiers and horses, was fleeing in panic, abandoning their weapons and armor.

"How despicable! Liu He actually took advantage of my all-out siege to send the Xianbei cavalry to launch a surprise attack. This battle caused me to lose nearly 20,000 soldiers and horses for nothing. I will take revenge for this sooner or later!"

Yan Xing was also a little upset: "My lord, our army suffered too many casualties in this battle. I'm afraid it will be difficult to recover for a while..."

When Han Sui heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

"It seems that it is time to use my trump card..."

Xuzhou, Donghai County, Lanling County.

Several people swaggered towards the county government. The leader was Xiahou Yuan. At this moment, his face was flushed and he looked very proud.

"Haha... Sir, this is a really good idea. Let the Taishan bandits escape from Langya into Donghai County, and then go to Tao Qian to ask for the city and food. How can he not give it to you?"

"Now that our army has obtained Tao Qian's food and grass, and can be stationed in this city, we can use Xuzhou's food to feed our Yanzhou soldiers, and use his land to station our troops. Is there anything better than this in the world?"

Yu Jin next to him was also very happy.

Cheng Yu was different from them. He said solemnly, "General Xiahou, Lanling County alone is far from enough to fulfill the lord's wish. We must take control of the entire Donghai County."

Xiahou Yuan was a little surprised when he heard this: "Why is this?"

Cheng Yu explained: "Donghai County spans the east and west sides of Xuzhou, bordering Yuzhou and Yanzhou to the west, and the sea to the east. As long as we occupy this place, Xuzhou will be divided into two by our army. In this way, on the one hand, it will lay the foundation for the lord to seize the entire Xuzhou in the future. Secondly, if the court army wants to come to Xuzhou, or go to Yangzhou to quell the rebellion, it must pass through the territory where our army is stationed. In this way, if things change, our army can also take the initiative."

Xiahou Yuan suddenly realized.

"So that's how it is. It seems Meng De has already made a plan. Since it is Meng De's plan, I, Xiahou Yuan, will do my best to follow it."

"General Xiahou is indeed loyal. My lord can rest assured."

"Haha, Mr. Cheng Yu, thank you for the compliment." Xiahou Yuan replied, but then his expression suddenly changed.

"But it's not difficult for our army to occupy the counties of Donghai. We just need to explain to Tao Qian that we will divide our troops and station them in various places to prevent the Taishan bandits from plundering everywhere. He will definitely agree. But what if the Taishan bandits flee to places outside Donghai County? What should we do then?"

After he said this, several generals including Yu Jin also looked embarrassed.

However, Cheng Yu laughed.

"General, rest assured, the Taishan bandits will definitely act according to our army's needs."

Xiahou Yuan became even more puzzled: "Why is this?"

Cheng Yu smiled mysteriously: "These guys are just thieves. Isn't it easy to deal with them? The lord has already made arrangements."

Xiahou Yuan saw that he did not say it clearly, but since Meng De had made a plan, he would just follow it.

"That would be the best. Meng De is really a master planner. With this, are you still afraid that Tao Qian will not obey you?"

"Report..."

As they were chatting and laughing, a soldier ran over quickly.

"What happened?" Xiahou Yuan asked.

"Reporting to the general, our scouts have found that there is a troop heading towards this direction about 40 miles north of the city."

"An army? Where are they from? How many soldiers are there?" "Look at the flag. It has the word 'Liu' on it. As for the number of people, there are about 40,000. The leader is a man around 30 years old."

Xiahou Yuan was slightly surprised: "Liu? Could it be that Liu He came in person? The current emperor seems to be about this age. This is a bit troublesome."

If it was an ordinary general, even if it was Guan Yu himself, he could have fooled him. But Liu He was the emperor, and he was nominally a Han minister. In addition, Liu He had always shown wisdom and decisiveness. It was not appropriate and difficult for him to fool him. If he was not careful, he would end up making things worse, which would be a big trouble.

Cheng Yu lowered his head and thought for a moment: "It seems that there is no general named Liu under the command of the court. The emperor probably wants to conquer Xuzhou first, and then march to Yangzhou to quell the rebellion. The journey is long, and he is a little worried, so it makes sense for him to lead the troops here in person. However, the truth will only be known after we meet in person."

"But if the emperor comes and directly asks our army to withdraw to Yanzhou, how should we respond?"

Xiahou Yuan was a little anxious.

Cheng Yu said, "This is not difficult. The total strength of the Taishan bandits is 80,000 to 90,000. If it is indeed the emperor himself, it will not be easy for him to wipe out the Taishan bandits with his 40,000 troops, even if they are the elite of the elite. Besides, if they cannot defeat the enemy, won't they flee? With their familiarity with the terrain of Xuzhou, it is not difficult for the Taishan bandits to trouble the imperial army here for a long time. In this way, although the lord's plan to control Xuzhou has to be postponed, the lord's goal of delaying time and consuming the imperial court's strength can still be achieved. In any case, it is of great benefit to our army."

After hearing his explanation, Xiahou Yuan felt relieved.

"That's good. Come, follow me out of the city to welcome him. No matter if he is the emperor of Luoyang or someone else, we must show courtesy."

Cheng Yu praised: "No wonder the lord values ​​the general so much. The general is quick to understand and is truly a man of both civil and military talents."

"Haha, thank you sir for your compliment."

At the same time, in Yanzhou, Cao Cao was personally training the troops in the parade ground with Cao Ren and others.

"Meng De, these soldiers have been trained for a long time and have experienced many battles. They can be called the best in the world."

Cao Ren seemed very satisfied with the soldiers he trained.

Cao Cao nodded and said, "Well, Zixiao has always led troops well and punished them clearly. The soldiers you train are naturally excellent."

Cao Ren was very happy to receive his praise, but he didn't expect Cao Cao to change the subject immediately afterwards.

"However... although they are considered the elite of our army and are among the best among the many princes, they are still a little inferior to the several troops of the Luoyang court."

Cao Ren was very dissatisfied when he heard this: "I don't believe it. Although our army was defeated by the emperor in the west of Luoyang City that day, it was because he attacked us unprepared. If we face off head-on, I am absolutely confident that I can win."

Cao Cao shook his head, "No. The imperial court has several armies under its command. The soldiers are all strong and sturdy, with murderous eyes. Moreover, when fighting, they are chaotic but orderly, cooperating with each other, and seem to follow the formation. This is definitely not something that can be trained overnight. I have heard for a long time that the current emperor, as well as Gao Shun, Zhang Yong, and the Inspector Cui Jun under his command, are good at training soldiers. In the battle outside Hulao Pass that day, he easily defeated Yuan Shao and other princes with his own strength. In addition, he defeated our army outside Luoyang City, which is enough to prove this point."

"But..." Cao Ren was still a little dissatisfied, but after thinking about it, he couldn't think of any rebuttal.

At this time, Guo Jia stood up and said, "Among the emperor's soldiers, the core elite are the frontier troops stationed at Yanmen. They have been fighting with the Xianbei and Xiongnu for many years, especially after experiencing the great battle on the Shuofang grassland. They have been baptized, have unyielding wills, and are eager to fight. This is tempered in the sea of ​​blood, and it is definitely not something that can be trained in the training ground. It is already commendable that General Cao Ren has trained our army to this point. What we lack now is nothing more than war experience. Given time, he will surely lead a brave army that is not inferior to the imperial court."

"Well, Feng Xiao is right."

Cao Cao's affirmation made Cao Ren feel suddenly relieved.

At this time, Xizhong walked over and came to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao saw him and asked hurriedly, "Zhicai, did you receive the news?"

Xi Zhong nodded and said, "Yes, the news from all places has been reported back. I have come to report this to you, my lord."

Cao Cao hurriedly said, "Okay, let's go into the hall to discuss matters."

(End of this chapter)