Cao Cao sat behind the table, his face sinking like water.

Great drought.

Locust.

These two disasters seem to have been deliberately designed by nature to explain to human beings what it means to be a disaster......

After the drought, the water level is lowered, the soil is solid, which is more suitable for locusts to lay eggs, and the vegetation after the drought is reduced, on the one hand, the remaining plants have less water, and the locusts ingest plants of the same quality will naturally have higher nutrients, which will make the locusts more vigorous; On the other hand, due to the reduction of vegetation, a series of ecological degradation has led to a decrease in the natural enemies of locusts, and eventually locust infestations.

The locusts go east and south, chasing more plants and more food, but the interesting thing is that the locusts cannot reproduce in areas with more than 50% vegetation, that is, the more plants and food there are, the more locusts will perish.

But Cao Cao did not see the destruction of the locusts, and he only saw that he was about to face extinction now.

The locusts in the sky have flown away, leaving behind the locusts to gnaw on the wooden stakes, stones, and loess, and these Cao Cao's soldiers are also unable to gnaw away.

Cao Cao also ordered to catch locusts and eat, but the locusts moved quickly, and the whole army could not catch a few, as if they were tearing off a few hairs of the giant locust, and the locusts still ate everything they could eat in a hurry, and then flew away in the sky.

Originally, the surrounding areas of Puyang were all fertile fields, but now they first encountered soldiers, and then encountered locust plagues, and the fields were destroyed. Not only that, the locust plague spread throughout Yanzhou, resulting in Cao Cao's only remaining control area, and Juancheng, Fanxian, Dong'e and other places had no food and grass to supply.

The army is out of food!

Originally, the whole situation in Yanzhou was precarious, if he couldn't defeat Lu Bu and retreated after running out of food, I am afraid that the only remaining places such as Juancheng Fan County would also be immediately turbulent!

Cao Cao desperately needs victory, at least one victory!

However, there was not even a single ......

When Lu Bu rushed to Juancheng at the suggestion of Chen Gong, Guo Gong had already withdrawn. In the face of the strong Juancheng, Lu Bu was powerless, and at the same time, he was unwilling to lose his soldiers under Juancheng in vain, so he retreated.

If you want to barely count it, there is only this one victory.

For the rest, there are none.

Cao Cao led his troops back to help, but was caught by Lu Bu and cleaned up a few times, first defeating Cao Hong, then Xiahou Yuan, and then Cao Cao......

Qingzhou soldiers, clean up the Xuzhou soldiers, like Lao Tzu cleaning up his son, and then when he arrived here, he turned upside down, Lu Bu led the Yanzhou county soldiers, and cleaned up Cao Cao's Qingzhou soldiers, just like Lao Tzu cleaned up his son, and Cao Cao had no temper at all.

Lu Bu's tactics are actually not complicated, that is, to use cavalry to bully Cao Cao's infantry formation, constantly pulling left and right, where can the Qingzhou soldiers who have just been transferred from the Yellow Turban Thief quickly change their formation to deal with it?

And once Cao Cao's army array revealed its flaws, it was immediately caught by Lu Bu, and the vertical cavalry burst forward, instantly destroying Cao Cao's array, and then expanding the results of the battle and defeating Cao Cao's army formation.

Although Cao Cao knew Lu Bu's tactics, he had no ability to resist, he couldn't stop it, and after losing Xiahou Yuan's only cavalry, when facing Lu Bu's cavalry, he was always at a passive disadvantage, and he couldn't keep up with the changes in Lu Bu's cavalry; If you want to fight, you can't win, except for Dian Wei, few people can resist Lu Bu head-on, but Dian Wei is a foot general, and he is always missing four legs, Lu Bu can easily kill the other part of the Cao army in front like a dog, and Dian Wei can only chase after him with soldiers and horses......

The most dangerous time, Lu Bu even broke through Cao Cao's home camp!

If it weren't for the fact that Sima Louyi gave up his war horse to Cao Cao, Cao Cao might have lost it in that battle......

Because of this battle, Cao Cao even burned his palm, and then learned that Cao Cao was injured, and after spreading the falsehood, the whole army was shaken, and almost immediately fell apart!

Cao Cao had no choice but to hold on and inspect the whole army, which can be regarded as re-stabilizing the morale of the army......

On the battlefield, whoever occupies the initiative will be more calm, and now, Cao Cao has no initiative at all, he must defeat Lu Bu, at least to redeem the impact of repeated defeats on his army and Yanzhou.

However, Lu Bu, who was located in Puyang, no, should be Chen Gong, a strategist in the city, also knew this, so after the locust plague, he collected his troops and returned to Puyang, no longer fighting Cao Cao in the field, defending the city, and waiting for Cao Cao's army to collapse on its own.

Because outside Puyang City, there is nothing worth fighting for......

There is a desolation everywhere, even if it is all given to Cao Cao, Cao Cao will not be able to get any food supplies, it is better to enter Puyang City to reduce the daily consumption of soldiers.

Undoubtedly, Chen Gong's strategy was correct.

Although it is said that the current barracks have been built under Puyang City, Cao Cao has no advantage at all, especially when the current military rations have been cut off.

In addition to the predicament on the battlefield, there are also things that make Cao Cao even more uncomfortable on the table......

It's this bowl of meat.

A bowl of dried meat and boiled meat give it a dark red color.

The boiled in white water, because Cao Cao asked for it, added a little salt, and other than that, there was nothing. Condiments or spices, thinking too much, after the locusts cross the border, they can't even see a little green, what else can be used as condiments?

To eat or not to eat?

Cao Cao looked at this bowl of meat and was silent.

Who is Cao Cao?

Although he has been criticized by the scholars for his origin, it has to be said that whether it is Cao Cao's grandfather or Cao Cao's father, he is still quite good at making money, so Cao Cao has not had a hard life since he was a child, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is brocade clothes and jade food, but at the moment, let alone brocade clothes and jade food, even the most basic and coarse grain cannot be guaranteed......

Everyone in the tent looked at Cao Cao.

These meats are rat meat sent by Dong Cheng Yu. The food is gone, but there is still meat, rat meat. None of you are stupid, and you all understand what kind of rat this so-called rat meat is.

Cao Cao knew it even better.

"Big brother!" Cao Hong couldn't bear it, glanced at everyone in the tent, and said loudly, "Big brother doesn't have to be like this, everyone said that this meat is rat meat, who dares to ......"

"No......" Cao Cao raised his palm, which was still wrapped in cloth, and stopped Cao Hong's words, "Shuai is the courage of an army, if you don't eat, how can the whole army be willing to eat it?" Zilian doesn't need to say much. ”

After speaking, Cao Cao picked up the bowl and devoured it in a big gulp.

It was already a bit of cold meat, in addition to some meat aroma, there was also a strong smell of blood, Cao Cao didn't dare to chew it, he hurriedly bit a few times and swallowed it, when he swallowed it, he felt like he was swallowing a piece of hard thick phlegm, smooth and strong, causing a burst of discomfort in his throat......

Cao Cao endured it and ate the piece of meat.

It's not impossible to do it like Cao Hong, anyway, it is declared that this is rat meat on the surface, and then it is distributed and eaten by the soldiers......

But the problem is that Cao Cao's army has Qingzhou soldiers in it.

The current Cao Cao troops are demoralized, and there really can't be any more accidents, if there is any more turmoil, it will fall apart immediately!

Therefore, although Cao Hong's approach is simple, there are hidden dangers. Therefore, Cao Cao had to eat, and he ate it, which is equivalent to resisting all the responsibilities and subsequent criticisms this time, whether it is Cheng Yu's or ordinary soldiers', Cao Cao bears it alone!

General Pingdong has eaten rat meat, what gossip do the rest of the people have?

Cao Cao slammed the empty bowl on the table, his throat moving up and down, as if he was suppressing something, and after a long time, he said in a dumb voice: "...... Zilian ...... A certain has been eaten...... Distribute it and replenish the military! ”

"Yui!" Cao Hong tearfully surrendered his hand and took the order.

Inside the tent, there was silence.

"Lord......" Guo Jia arched his hand, breaking the embarrassing atmosphere, well, now he should still be Xi Zhicai, then turned his head to look at Xiahoudun, and said, "...... There is a strategy, or it can break the enemy...... This is also the work of General Xiahou......"

………………………………

Inside the hall of Puyang County.

"What? Is the food and grass gone? Lu Bu frowned and asked in a deep voice.

Puyang Tian bowed down under the hall, lowered his head, and said tremblingly: "Back to Wenhou, the city is ...... Indeed, there is no food in the city...... The four granaries in the north of the city are now empty......"

Cao Cao has a large number of people and consumes grain and grass quickly, while although Lu Bu has fewer people, his consumption is not much less than Cao Cao's, because in addition to the soldiers, Lu Bu also has a lot of livestock with a big appetite......

"Wen Hou!" Puyang Tian eagerly moved two steps forward and said, "There is indeed no grain in the granary in the city......

"Enough!" Lu Bu slapped on the table with a bang, came to Tian in a few steps, grabbed Tian, and carried Tian into the air like a chicken, and shouted, "How many times have you sent grain and grass to your home since you managed the public warehouse?" At present, there is no food in the army, what do you have to eat at home? If it is usual, a certain person is too lazy to pay attention to your behavior, and at this critical juncture, you still dare to say that there is no food available?! Could it be that it is not good to bully a knife? ”

Tian's face turned pale, and he couldn't say a word.

"Get out!" Lu Bu swept Tian back to the ground, and then said, "Before noon tomorrow, send the military rations to the camp, dare to excuse the neglect...... Humph......"

“…… The villain doesn't dare, he doesn't dare...... Yes, sir...... Obey the order...... Puyang Tian grinned and endured the pain, and crawled away.

"Silverfish!" Lu Bu frowned and scolded.

"Wen Hou...... Hey...... This is ......" Chen Gong, who came in a hurry, bumped into the Puyang Otoda clan who was hiding his face and left, and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "I don't know why it's so ......."

"Eh, isn't it just about preparing military rations......" Lu Bu roughly talked about Fang Cai's affairs, and then said, "Gongtai is here, I don't know what's going on?" ”

"Oh......" Chen Gong frowned, tilted his head slightly and looked in the direction of Tian's departure, "...... Wen Hou, Cao Bing has withdrawn! ”

"Really?" Lu Bu suddenly became interested, "Let's go, go up to the city tower and have a look!" ”

The two came to the gate tower of the city and looked at the Cao army camp in the distance.

"If you really retreated...... Lu Bu said with a laugh.

"There are no particles left outside the city, there is nothing to eat, if you don't retreat, it will be a situation where the whole army will be defeated...... Chen Gong stroked his beard and said, "Most of the Cao army retreated to Juancheng...... Cao Pingdong is also a decisive person, when he retreats, he retreats, and our plan to lure the army will not be fully successful, and it is also a pity to ......"

Once Cao Cao retreated to Juancheng, Chen Gong's original plan to let Zhang Miao cover Cao Cao's flank was basically determined to be in vain. After all, leading a sneak attack and a head-on confrontation are two completely different concepts, Zhang Miao's ability and guts, that's it, you can't expect anything in particular.

"It's okay!" Lu Bu stared at the direction of Cao Jun's retreat, and said proudly, "Wait for a certain to break it again!" ”

"Marquis Wen, Cao Jun retreated in an orderly ......manner," Chen Gong frowned, and said, "I'm afraid to be prepared...... It is not advisable to chase it...... However, from Puyang to Juancheng, most of them are Pingchuan, where can it not be attacked? Wen Hou can be a little restless...... When Cao's army retreated, it must be slack, and even if there was an ambush, it could not stay for a long time...... When its ambush is exhausted, Wen Hou can lead the cavalry to attack it, and it will definitely be broken! ”

"Hmm......" Lu Bu nodded, laughed and said, "What the public platform said is very agreeable!" Come! Send out scouts! Keep an eye on Cao Jun's movements! ”

………………………………

In the Puyang Tian family's house, the dim lights flickered, and two figures were reflected on the window lintel, big and small, left and right, shaking like ghosts.

"Tian Langjun......" A voice lowered his voice, and he could only vaguely hear a few words, "...... Tomorrow...... Out of town ......"

Tian groaned. The flickering lights cast dark colors of different sizes on Tian's face, so black that it seemed to be able to drip ink......

In the past few days, in order to supply Lu Bu's army with grain and grass, Tian had to dig up his own old bottom, watching the grain mountain in his warehouse decrease little by little, and finally disappear, Tian's heart was like a knife, dripping blood all the time!

If this continues, maybe Lu Bu may not be defeated, and the Tian family will be finished first!

So, there is only one way to go.

Tian shook his heart and beckoned, asking the other person to come closer......

On the lintel, two shadows met in one place, dancing and dancing, like evil spirits celebrating.

………………………………

As Chen Gong expected, after Cao Cao's rear army withdrew, the scouts reported that one or two teams of men and horses had withdrawn from the ambush and returned from the east.

Lu Bu immediately led his troops to attack, after all, two legs could not outrun four legs, and Cao Cao's rear army was soon caught up by Lu Bu......

In Lü Bu's original plan, after these Cao Cao rear troops saw their cavalry, they should be defeated at the touch of a button, and then Lü Bu could drive these routed troops, and then crush them all the way, just like driving a flock of sheep on the grassland, and completely defeat Cao Cao's army.

But the situation in front of him was beyond Lu Bu's expectations.

Cao Cao's broken army was surprisingly strong, and after being chased by Lu Bu's cavalry, it didn't rout, but immediately contracted the array and gathered together, even if it was killed by Lu Bu's cavalry in the periphery with bows and arrows, they were also strong and gathered in one place, not chaotic, it seemed that they would rather die in battle than retreat one person......

Leave this group behind and move on?

Or do you want to eat these people and then pursue them?

Lu Bu frowned, sitting on the red rabbit horse, a little hesitant.

It is not easy to replenish war horses, so it is not absolutely necessary, and Lu Bu generally does not let the cavalry attack the infantry array that is densely packed in one place head-on. Because only when chasing and raiding the flanks of the infantry formation, or weak points, can the cavalry exert full lethality, but like in the face of the current dense infantry battle formation, a hard attack is not necessary, but there will also be a lot of damage.

Just as Lu Bu was weighing the gains and losses, suddenly the smoke and dust were billowing from the rear, and Lu Bu hurriedly sent someone to investigate, but found that it was Chen Gong who led the troops to come......

"Gongtai!" Lu Bu said dissatisfiedly, "You don't defend the city in Puyang, why are you looking for something?" ”

"Huh......" Chen Gong was also a little puzzled, and said, "Didn't Wen Hou send someone to pass the order, saying that he had broken the Cao army, and ordered a certain person to come to clean up the battlefield and drive away the Cao army......

"When will it be ......" Lu Bu was only halfway through speaking, and just like Chen Gong, his color suddenly changed.

At this moment, suddenly the sound of war drums sounded in the east, south, and north directions, and the billowing smoke and dust were like huge walls, squeezing towards Lu Bu and Chen Gong's troops!