The day after the retreat of the Liangzhou army, the camp on the east, south and west sides outside the city of Luxian was advanced to more than 1,000 steps outside the city.

When the Liangzhou army marched in parallel and set up camp in three directions, the Cao Liu coalition army at the head of Lu County could only watch, but did not dare to go out of the city to attack.

Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sima Yi, Guo Jia and others only thought that this was the Liangzhou Army's "anti-guest-oriented" plan, but they didn't think much about it, but chose to wait and see.

Since the Liangzhou army re-encamped, seven days have passed, all of which have not moved, without the slightest sign of wanting to attack the city.

The strange behavior of the Liangzhou army naturally aroused the suspicion of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sima Yi, Guo Jia and others, but the Cao Liu coalition army did not dare to go out of the city to harass easily.

During this period, Cao Cao sent several groups of scouts to investigate the intelligence of the Liangzhou army under the cover of night.

But the next day, the Cao Liu coalition army was waiting for ...... the corpses of coalition scouts; Other than that, they didn't even get any useful information.

What the Cao Liu coalition army didn't know was that in these seven days, the Liangzhou army dug countless trenches in the camp under the cover of the big tent.

These trenches, excavated from the east, bypassing the south, and extending to the west of Lu County, formed a semi-ring shape, completely blocking Lu County.

In these trenches, the Liangzhou army laid down horizontal and vertical thorns; Above the trenches, the Liangzhou army was covered with a thin cover.

If you don't look closely, you can't see it at all, this is the trap laid by the Liangzhou army.

At the same time, the Liangzhou army arranged fire oil, dry firewood, rags and other fire-burning things in all the camps.

After nightfall on the seventh day, the main force of the Liangzhou Army of the Third Route outside the city of Luxian retreated five or six miles back; Then, it was encamped overnight.

The Liangzhou army left in the front camp only had a few thousand people, and their main task was to lure the Cao Liu coalition army and take the opportunity to set fire.

Just when the three-way Liangzhou army on the south bank of Surabaya was busy setting traps......

The Liangzhou army on the north bank of Surabaya, under the command of Jiang Wei, Zhang He, and Wang Ping, built an earthen wall along the north bank of Surabaya, laid down antlers, rejected horses, and lined up a large array of well railings to prevent the breakthrough of the Cao-Liu coalition army.

It is worth mentioning that the Cao-Liu coalition army on the north bank of Surabaya, after retreating back to the south bank, destroyed all three pontoon bridges over Surabaya.

In this way, the Cao-Liu coalition army cut off the road to the north to break through, and the only directions they could escape from were east, south, and west.

………………

Since the siege of the city by the Liangzhou army, every day, all the civil and military forces of the Cao-Liu coalition army have to sit in the hall to discuss the retreat.

However, at every time the military was discussed, the Cao and Liu coalition forces could not discuss a feasible plan.

In the government of Lu County, a solemn atmosphere was once again permeated, and the civil and military forces of the coalition army once again endured the torment in their hearts.

After a long time......

"Lord, Liu!"

Guo Jia, who had a solemn face, looked in the direction of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, and his tone was full of lifelessness, "Our army's grain and grass can't be supported for long!" ”

Cao Liu allied with all the civil and military forces, and their hearts were shocked, they looked at each other, and lowered their heads with withered faces.

"How many more days?"

Secretly sighed, Cao Cao, who was already a little frightened in his heart, nodded slightly, but he couldn't see how worried he was.

"Three days at most!"

After that, Guo Jia paused for two or three breaths, and then muttered: "The people who fled are in a hurry, and they don't have much food with them, and they ran out of food three days ago.

In the past few days, their food has been provided by the army. Even so, they are complaining and indignant......"

The vast majority of the "fleeing people" in Guo Jia's mouth are people from powerful families; There weren't many of the real coolie people.

This situation, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and the civil and military forces of the coalition army, are naturally clear.

No matter how strong the army is, if it has no food, it is useless; What's more, the combat power of the Cao-Liu coalition army is far less sharp than that of the Liangzhou army.

If it is delayed, when the grain and grass in the city are exhausted, there will be no need for the Liangzhou army to attack, and the soldiers of the coalition army will starve to death. 163

Hearing what Guo Jia said, Cao Cao, who seemed to have thought of something, two fleeting cold lights swept past his slender eyes.

After a while, Cao Cao muttered: "How long can it last to eat only two meals a day and reduce everyone's food by half?"

"Seven or eight days at most!"

After a rough estimate, Guo Jia, who still looked solemn, said in a hoarse voice: "The forage for the war horses in the army is about to run out; The firewood for cooking is also gone. ”

Hearing such the truth, the hearts of the civil and military forces of the Cao Liu coalition army were shocked again, they were going to be trapped alive in the city by the Liangzhou army!

"My lord!

Since there is a shortage of food and grass in the army, there is nowhere to find usable forage; Instead of starving the horses, it is better to slaughter most of them.

First, these war horses can be used as food in the army; Second, the saved forage can be used for the rest of the war horses...... When you break through, you won't be left without horses! ”

Sima Yi, who had a solemn face, said in a gloomy voice: "As for the lack of firewood...... Houses in the city can be demolished to provide firewood. ”

Cao Liu Lianjun nodded silently, but they also felt that Sima Yi's measures were feasible.

"The problem of firewood and forage is according to Zhongda. It's just that...... The problem of food needed in the army is not easy to solve! ”

Liu Bei, who sighed again and again, stopped talking a few times, and finally groaned: "Since the siege of the city by the Liangzhou army, especially after the sunrise of the city, the morale of the army has been unstable, and the morale and fighting spirit of the soldiers have been eliminated very quickly......

Reducing the rations of the soldiers will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the soldiers, and if this continues for a few days, the soldiers are afraid that a mutiny will occur. ”

Only eat two meals a day, and each meal is halved, so that ordinary people can't stand it for three or five days, let alone soldiers who eat more?

"As soon as a mutiny is provoked...... The consequences are unimaginable! Hundreds of thousands of soldiers mutinied, and we are afraid that it will be ......"

Cheng Yu's words were not finished, but the meaning was already expressed, and everyone in the tent naturally understood it.

"I have my own way to solve the problem of food!"

Cao Cao, who has already made a decision in his heart, is confident.

"Meng De said clearly!"

While everyone was overjoyed, they couldn't help but be surprised, and Liu Bei asked hurriedly.

"Before the army retreated, the grain officers filled their pockets and embezzled the grain and grass in the army. If you want to calm the anger of the people, you can only kill the grain officer! “

Cao Cao, who had made up his mind, said in a deep voice: "Only in this way can we suspend the anger of the soldiers." Other than that, there is no other way! ”

"How so?"

Liu Bei couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart, and the grain officer didn't make a mistake, how could he harm a life in vain.

"My lord! What Cao Gong said is reasonable! It only takes one person to die to stabilize the morale of the army, so why not?

Before Liu Bei could continue to make trouble, Cheng Yu was busy and comforted, "Now is an extraordinary time, the lord doesn't want the kindness of a woman!"

If the heart of the coalition army collapses, the army will collapse without a fight, and once the city of Lu County is lost, the army will be annihilated!

If that time comes, the grain officer will also die, rather than this...... It's better to let him die worthwhile. ”

"Gong Liu, what Zhong De said is very true!"

"Lord, focus on the overall situation!" ……

Cao Liu's allied army was full of civil and military forces, and they were busy consoling in unison.

"That's it...... That's it! ”

Liu Bei, who had a solemn face, looked around at the civil and military circles and laughed at himself.

Thinking of him Liu Bei, he raised troops for the sake of pacifying the troubled times and the common people in the world, but in the end, he had to compromise!

What an irony!