When Pan Zhang's siege vehicle lowered the wooden bridge and hooked the city, Ji Ling gathered the guard battalion and launched a counter-charge. Ji Ling took the lead, jumped on the battlements with a spear in his hand, roared, the spear pierced a shield, and then pierced the armor of the soldier behind the shield, and with a flick of his wrist, he threw him out.

The sword and shield hand screamed and fell to the ground with a dull loud thud, spitting blood from his mouth, and after two twitches, he did not move.

In this moment, Ji Ling killed three people in a row and blocked the attack of Cao's soldiers. Seeing this, Pan Zhang was furious, raised his knife to fight, used his shield to open Lu Jiling's spear, swung his knife and slashed, and chopped three times in one breath. The shaft of the spear was cut off by him, Ji Ling threw away half of the hilt of the spear, drew his sword, rushed onto the wooden bridge, and fought with Pan Zhang in close combat on the shaky wooden bridge.

After a series of crisp sounds, the war knife in Ji Ling's hand was cut off by Pan Zhang again, and one was caught off guard, he was stabbed by Pan Zhang's thigh, staggered back two steps, and almost fell. The guards hugged him and dragged Ji Ling back. Ji Ling returned to the battlements, shook his arms and pushed away the guards, snatched an axe, and slashed the plank. The fixed iron hook was cut over by him, and the wooden bridge shook twice, Pan Zhang was startled, rushed over, and slashed again with a knife.

Ji Ling danced his axe to face the battle, and the two were inseparable. Ji Ling blocked Pan Zhang, and at the same time ordered the guards to cut the bridge. The guards slashed their axes and quickly cut off the iron hooks on the wooden bridge. The wooden bridge tilted, Pan Zhang stood unsteadily, fell, gnawed a mouthful of mud, scolded angrily, turned over and climbed up, and rushed towards a siege vehicle not far away.

"Pour oil, set fire!" Ji Ling ordered repeatedly, poured down a few pots of boiling oil, and threw down a few torches, the oil immediately ignited, and the flames were overwhelming. The soldiers who fell down avoided one after another, but a few were still burned by the fire, shouting in panic.

Taking advantage of the panic of the Cao army, Ji Ling gathered the remnants, ran down the city, turned over his horse, ran towards the south gate, and withdrew from Lu County. By the time Pan Zhang attacked the city, he couldn't even see Ji Ling's shadow, the city was empty, and even the defenders couldn't see a few. Pan Zhang was so angry that he scolded, but he had no choice but to send someone to inform Cao Ang.

Cao Ang climbed to the top of the city and walked along the city wall with Chen Gong, and the more he looked, the more uneasy he became. Including the time of Yuan Tan's siege, it took them ten months to take Lu County, paying nearly 10,000 casualties. Lu County was also crippled, damaged many times, corpses and blood stains can be seen everywhere in the city, iron woks used to boil oil, wood just removed from the house, and people with vegetables on their faces, and despair everywhere.

Pan Zhang's intentions are still unfinished. "Ming Mansion, give the order to pursue, Ji Ling's dog slave must not have run far yet."

Cao Ang turned to look at Chen Gong. "Brother Gongtai, are we going to pursue?"

Chen Gong shook his head and said unhurriedly: "Poor Kou Mo chase." We have suffered many casualties, and the city is in such a dilapidated state that it must be repaired as soon as possible. Sun Jian is on the side, once he comes to attack, we may not be able to defend it, and the past few months have been in vain. ”

Pan Zhang scolded indignantly. Although he landed in the city first, he failed to catch Ji Ling, so he could only watch Yu Ban, who was guarding the south of the city, pick up the cheap. Chen Gong glanced at him, undisguised his disgust.

Cao Ang scratched his head, his eyes were helpless. He held the battlements with both hands, looking at the undulating peaks in the distance, and inexplicably had a feeling of being deceived. Yuan Tan gave him the exploits of Lu County, but after taking Lu County, he was like this. If the attack continues from Lu County to the east, passing through Bian County and Nanwuyang, and attacking Xuzhou, it will be an even more arduous offensive battle. Deep in the mountains, logistical replenishment will be a disaster.

If you want to attack the state, it is a more reasonable route to take Kangfu and Fanghe, but it is only relative. Sun Jian was stationed in the area of Xiao County, and he would not let him pass easily. If it weren't for Sun Ce's previous gift of Lu Guo to Tao Qian, he would have played against Sun Jian by now. For this father's fierce general, Cao Ang did not dare to have any negligence. Without Yuan Tan's support, it was impossible for him to compete with Sun Jian alone, whether it was military strength or material resources, he had no advantage.

In a word, he can't stand on his own feet without Yuan Tan, and it is just a distant dream to become the master of Xuzhou, and whether it can be realized depends on the outcome of the game between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shao, and it is not up to him to decide.

In the evening, news came from Yu Ban that Tao Ying led his troops to help, and there were only more than 20 miles left from Lu County. Cao Ang did not dare to slack off, leaving Chen Gong and Le Jin to defend the city, and personally led the main force to reinforce Yu Ban.

——

Tao Ying restrained his mount, looked at the embarrassed Ji Ling, Chang Feng and others, and gritted his teeth with remorse.

One step too late, Lu County was lost.

But he can't blame Ji Ling. Ji Ling's ability to keep it up to now has exceeded their expectations. The responsibility for the loss of Lu County is his father Tao Qian, if it weren't for Tao Qian's refusal to form an alliance with the Sun family's father and son, things would definitely not have developed like this. He seemed to have forgotten that Lu County was originally from Yuzhou, and it was given to their father and son by Sun Ce.

Of course, now it seems that Sun Ce definitely didn't have any good intentions. If Lu County was not given away at that time, it would not be their father and son who started a full-scale war with Yuan Tan, but the father and son of the Sun family. The battlefield will not be Qingxu, but more likely Yuzhou. However, with Tao's understanding of Sun Ce, Sun Ce may directly abandon Lu County and avoid fighting with Yuan Tan. Anyway, after Yuan Tan captured Lu County, the biggest threat was Xuzhou.

Who is not who to send, for Sun Ce, giving it to their father and son is a send, and giving it to Yuan Tan is also a send.

Tao Ying had been with Sun Ce for a while, and he felt that he could understand Sun Ce's train of thought. If it were him, he would do the same. It's just that now it's him who is being trapped, and he really can't be happy.

"Brother Ziyi, when will General Sun's reinforcements arrive?" Tao Ying sighed and said to Jiang Gan.

Jiang Gan shook his horsewhip, his expression was relaxed, and he was even a little excited. He had told Tao Qian before that he would make an alliance with Sun Ce, but Tao Qian refused to agree. asked him to ask Sun Jian for help, but Tao Qian pretended to be deaf and dumb again, for fear that the Sun family would refuse to leave as soon as he entered Xuzhou. Now retribution is coming, Lu County is lost, and Xuzhou is facing the danger of being hit in the heart.

"The young general doesn't have to worry, although Lu County is lost, Mount Tai is still there, and it is unlikely that Cao Ang will attack from this road, but it is more dangerous in the area of Qi County. If you still don't agree with our Yuzhou army entering Xuzhou, even if Sun Zhengdong has a million soldiers, he won't be able to help. ”

Tao Ying was helpless. He heard the implication of Jiang Gan's words, it was no longer just a matter of entering Pengcheng, but also to expand the scope to the entire Xuzhou. His father Tao Qian was worried about this result at first, but now that the situation is pressing, and if he does not agree to Sun Ce's conditions, Sun Jian is unwilling to ride and fight, Tao Qian really can't stand it.

"Then bother Brother Ziyi to repair the book, and ask Sun Zhengdong to help me guard Father Kang, Fang and Kongdao, so that my father and son can stop Yuan Xi with all their might."

"Okay." Jiang Gan agreed.