Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 800: The old tricks are hard to use
The fierce Cao army soon retreated like the tide.

The Han army soldiers did not pursue immediately, but ran to Zhang Yong and helped him up.

"General Zhang, are you okay?"

"The Cao thief is extremely hateful. The general has ordered us to chase him and kill him. We must tear him into pieces."

"Yes, please give the order, General!"

Seeing the soldiers getting excited, Zhang Yong did not hesitate.

"Well, this opportunity is rare, the whole army will give chase, and anyone who captures or kills Cao will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins!"

The Han army soldiers were already extremely excited and their morale was high. When they heard that there was a huge reward of thousands of gold, they naturally became even more courageous and chased after them with roars.

Before they knew it, it was already bright. The Han army could clearly see the whereabouts of Cao's army running wildly not far away, and they gave chase. It wasn't long before they caught up with the rear of Cao's army.

"Kill..."

Every Han soldier bravely stepped forward, brandishing their weapons and charging forward.

However, the rear of Cao's army seemed to be well prepared. Before the Han army arrived, the Cao army suddenly changed direction and pointed their guns at the Han army.

"kill!"

The Cao army also shouted loudly, then formed an orderly line and rushed forward.

When the two sides first fought, although Cao's army was at a disadvantage, the cooperation between them seemed to follow some kind of battle formation, which greatly increased their combat power. Although the Han army was brave, they were unable to do anything to the enemy in a short period of time.

"General Zhang, your injury..."

A general asked Zhang Yong with concern.

Zhang Yong waved his hand: "It's okay. Just look at how the Cao army's combat power has increased so rapidly in the blink of an eye."

After his reminder, all the generals also discovered this peculiarity.

"Yes, if we look at the previous battle situation, our army of 20,000 to 30,000 people killed more than 70,000 of them and they were defeated step by step. Now we are dealing with a small part of the rear army, and the forces are roughly equal. We should be able to crush them like a dead tree and rotten wood, but we can only advance slowly. It's really strange."

"In my opinion, the rear of Cao's army is obviously commanded by a master, and they are not caught off guard by our army like before. Judging from their fighting posture, it is obvious that someone has set up a battle formation to launch a counterattack."

Zhang Yong listened to their suggestions and nodded slightly.

"Yes, among Cao's army, the only one who can do this is..."

Zhang Yong's expression suddenly became serious.

"Quickly send someone to find out who is leading the rear of Cao's army."

Many generals became confused.

"General, why do you attach so much importance to this man?"

Zhang Yong shook his head: "If my guess is correct, the commander of the rear army must be Cao Cao himself."

The generals were even more puzzled. "Wouldn't it be better if he led the troops to the rear? It would be convenient for us to charge forward and capture him directly."

"Nonsense." Zhang Yong shouted, causing several generals to lower their heads.

"My elder brother has mentioned to me many times that Cao Cao's ability to lead troops is better than mine and Gao Boping's. You see, he led Cao's army of less than 30,000 exhausted and demoralized troops, but he was able to fight almost on equal terms with our elite troops. Although our army had the advantage, it was difficult to completely wipe him out. This man is well versed in military formations and is skilled in using them. He is also very familiar with the art of encouraging troops before a battle. He is truly a formidable enemy."

The generals looked at the battlefield carefully for a while, then they slapped their heads and suddenly realized what was going on.

"If it weren't for the general's reminder, I and others would have found it difficult to think of this. Cao's army is well-rested and has high morale. It is certainly not worth bragging about that they were in such a situation after fighting with our army. But he was able to lead such a defeated army and block our way. His talent is truly extraordinary." The generals couldn't help but reveal a hint of horror in their eyes.

"But, the more this is the case, shouldn't we kill him here at all costs to prevent future troubles?"

Zhang Yong said with a serious expression: "At any cost? With such a situation, it will be extremely difficult for our army to kill Cao Cao. Even if we succeed, our army will inevitably suffer heavy losses. The enemy army also has Cao Hong, Cheng Yu and others leading more than 20,000 soldiers and horses. When the time comes, they will take advantage of the situation to counterattack and avenge Cao Cao. How can we resist them?"

"If our army is defeated, Cao's army will gather the remaining soldiers and dispatch troops from nearby cities to attack Hulao Pass directly. More than 90% of the troops in Luoyang will be transferred to various places to deal with this war. Your Majesty, the Queen, and the Queen Mother will be in danger by then, right?"

Upon hearing this, many generals lowered their heads and fell into deep thought.

Zhang Yong continued, "Moreover, Cao Cao and his four counselors are all resourceful. If we push them too hard, we can't guarantee that they don't have any schemes or tricks. Our army has just entered Yanzhou, so we must prioritize stabilizing the overall situation. Cao's army has been badly defeated and has been severely damaged. It's only a matter of time before we destroy him. There's no need to take risks now."

All the generals nodded at this moment, and the doubts on their faces disappeared.

At this time, the scout who went out to investigate ran back.

"General, the man guarding the rear of Cao's army is indeed Cao Cao himself."

Zhang Yong had anticipated this, so he was not surprised at all.

"As expected. Pass the order down, all troops stop pursuing and go to Xinzheng City to garrison."

"General, this..." Although the generals understood the reason, they were still somewhat unwilling.

"General, when your majesty was chasing Cao Cao in the west of Luoyang City, he was the one who covered the rear at first. Then your majesty pretended to retreat, causing Cao Cao to relax his guard and leave the rear. Your majesty then suddenly returned to attack. Why don't we follow his example today?"

When one of the generals proposed this strategy, it was immediately supported by everyone.

"No." Zhang Yong rejected him without hesitation.

"What kind of person is Cao Cao? How could he make the same mistake repeatedly? If we use this strategy against the enemy, I don't think Cao Cao will fall for it. Instead, he will use it against us and burn us. Well, don't hesitate, withdraw your troops immediately."

The Han army has always had strict military discipline. As the commander-in-chief, Zhang Yong had to issue the order and all the generals had to follow it, regardless of whether they were willing or not.

After watching the Han army retreat, Cao Cao felt relieved, but as Zhang Yong said, he did not go to the front army, but continued to stay in the rear army.

At the front of Cao's army, Cao Ang looked puzzled.

After seeing this, Cheng Yu stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Does the eldest master have any doubts?"

Seeing that he had come to ask in person, Cao Ang hurriedly returned the greeting, "Mr. Cheng Yu is polite. I just don't understand why Military Advisor Jia not only asked my father to guard the rear, but also said that no matter whether the Han army withdraws or holds on, my father must not leave the rear. The more he does so, the more likely the Han army will withdraw sooner or later. However, they are clearly much more powerful than our army, so how can we miss such a great opportunity?"

Cheng Yu did not answer directly, but looked up and down at the eldest son of the Cao family, his eyes full of satisfaction.

"Your Excellency is able to think this far, which shows that he is studious and diligent. The Lord will surely be happy to know this. In fact, the mystery here is not complicated. At the beginning, the Lord was chased by Liu He in the west of Luoyang City. At first, he personally guarded the rear and fought with Liu He. Liu He pretended to leave, and the Lord was careless and left the rear. As a result, Liu He made a surprise attack and defeated him immediately."

Cao Ang nodded: "Although I have never experienced this, I have heard my father talk about it."

"That's it." Cheng Yu stroked his beard. "Although Zhang Yong is extremely intelligent and experienced in many battles, he is cautious by nature. Moreover, he is Liu He's sworn brother and the uncle of the current emperor. There is no need for him to be greedy and reckless. Such a person will naturally not take risks. In their eyes, our army is already in their pocket. It doesn't matter whether they take it early or late. In this case, why should he risk the loss of his soldiers and come to chase and kill? The lord will personally lead the rear. If he fights with him, he will naturally retreat when he sees that he can't gain an advantage and guard the main road from here to Sili for safety."

After Cao Ang heard this, his face seemed to show some understanding.

"I see... I'm glad to hear your advice. Thank you, sir."

Cheng Yu smiled and said, "You are too polite. You are so eager to learn and have such a keen understanding. In a few years, you will definitely be a capable assistant to the lord. Liu He's son is still young. Even if the lord cannot defeat Liu He, you will definitely be able to defeat his son."

Cao Ang seemed to have heard the special meaning in these words, his face lit up with joy, and his eyes suddenly showed a little more yearning...

(End of this chapter)