On the sixth day of the ninth month, late at night, Yancheng.

The huge "Yuan" character Daxu was bathed in the hazy *night*, flying in the air. Yuan Shao stayed under Ma Cheng, stared blankly for a while, and finally couldn't control his emotions and burst into tears.

Fate is so cruel and ruthless, it gave itself a fatal blow when victory was within reach. The Central Plains War was defeated, all dreams and hopes were shattered, and the imminent success of the king's hegemony had turned into a pile of powder under the ravages and trampling of the iron cavalry in northern Xinjiang. From this moment on, I will have to fight for survival.

There were only a dozen guards who fled back with Yuan Shao, and they called open the city gate. When Liu Biao, Feng Ji, Xu Xuan and others heard that Yuan Shao had suddenly returned, they immediately realized that there had been an earth-shattering upheaval on the front line. Several people were terrified, and Pegasus rushed to the city gate to greet Yuan Shao.

Seeing Yuan Shao and more than a dozen guards walking into the city gate miserably, everyone looked exhausted and grief-stricken, Liu Biao and the others were all shocked, and their souls flew out of the sky.

The atmosphere in the hall was very bleak.

After listening to Yuan Shao's account, Liu Biao looked up to the sky and sighed, "Who of us would have thought that Li Hong would be mad and requisition Hu Qi from the desert to go south to the Central Plains. The Dahan Society is in danger. ”

Feng Ji looked blankly at the flickering candle flame beside him, silent. After a long time, he asked softly: "I wonder if the 60,000 horses of the vanguard army can fight their way out of the encirclement?" ”

Yuan Shao shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "Impossible." There are too many iron horses, too many to imagine, and they can't escape the fate of the total annihilation. This battle was lost too badly. ”

Liu Biao was heartbroken and sighed, "What should I do now?" Will it withdraw overnight, or will it wait for news from the forward army? ”

"Don't leave it to chance." Yuan Shao waved his hand sadly, "If nothing happens, tomorrow morning, the iron cavalry army in the northern Xinjiang will be killed under the city." ”

"Withdraw immediately?" Liu Biao obviously couldn't give up his soldiers, and immediately asked again, "Don't you wait for a day?" ”

"No waiting." Yuan Shao said very resolutely, "Urgently inform all departments to withdraw to the front line of Yanjin and Sujube overnight. In addition, he told Cao Cao to lead his army to hurry south and stick to the line of Zhongmu and Junyi to ensure that the army blocked the northern army on the south bank of the chasm. Yuan Shao paused slightly, and then said, "After this defeat, the goal of the Northern Xinjiang Army will definitely be Luoyang, so whether or not Hanoi can be held now will be directly related to the safety of Luoyang." ”

He looked up at Feng Ji, who was hanging his head, and barely squeezed out a smile, "Yuan Tu, write a letter to the Gao Gan Gao Rou brothers, asking them to stick to Hanoi." Even if it is fiercely attacked by the Northern Xinjiang Army, I must defend Huaicheng, otherwise Luoyang will be attacked on both sides, and the situation will be precarious. ”

Feng Ji nodded, and immediately sat down at the desk. Yuan Shao saw that everyone was depressed, so he comforted him: "Although we have been defeated this time, we only need to block the Northern Xinjiang Army in Hanoi and Henan before winter comes." Then wait until next spring, we can launch a counteroffensive. ”

"It is impossible for Li Hong's Hu cavalry borrowed from the desert to stay in the Central Plains for a long time, and Hebei does not have such a strong financial strength to supply food to an army of hundreds of thousands of iron cavalry for a long time, so I estimate that Hu Qi will return to the desert before the heavy snow comes. Hu Cai left the Central Plains, the strength of the Northern Xinjiang Army plummeted, and the Northern Xinjiang Army, which had been fighting continuously for half a year, would lose its strong attack power because of Hu Cai's departure, and had to stop for a temporary rest. Yuan Shao slapped the case hard, "Don't be discouraged, you lords, we still have a chance to defeat the Northern Frontier Army." ”

Liu Biao, Feng Ji, Xu Xuan and others looked at each other, smiling bitterly and speechless. It is indeed commendable that Yuan Shao can pick himself up from the devastating blow in such a short period of time and regroup his mood to clean up the mess. But everyone knows that after the defeat of this battle, both Yuan Shao and the coalition army have lost their self-confidence and the strength to compete with the northern Xinjiang, and the next days will be very difficult, and all forces will have to experience the bloody war in the painful torment.

"Where's Xuande?" Liu Biao asked in a low voice, "Do you want him to return to Xuzhou immediately?" ”

"Yes." Yuan Shao nodded, "Please ask him to immediately lead the army to withdraw across the Yellow River and return to Xuzhou with his men and horses." At this moment, if Li Hong sends an army to attack Xuzhou for a long time, Xuzhou will be in danger. ”

"It seems that Zang Ba and Chen Deng are also more than lucky." Xu Xuan sighed, "After this battle, Li Hong may occupy both Qingdao and Yanzhou at the same time, and ...... in the future."

"There will always be a way for us to defeat him in the future." Yuan Shao sneered, "Li Hong borrowed the power of the Hu people to attack the Central Plains, kill the Han people, and endanger the community, he will definitely be angry and spurned by the people of Hebei, and he is not far from death." Then he stood up suddenly, waved his hand and said, "Quickly tell Yuan Tan and Duan Xuan in Guanzhong, Chun Yuqiong in Guanxi, and the defeat of the Central Plains War, please withdraw from the Hedong battlefield as soon as possible, stick to Guanzhong and Guanxi, and ensure the safety of Guanluo." ”

"The letter told Yuan Wei in Luoyang, Xun Chen in Yuzhou, and Yuan Xi in Nanyang that they immediately dispatched the recruited recruits to the Eight Passes of Gyeonggi, Yingchuan, Chen, and Liang in Henan and Yuzhou, and resolutely blocked the Northern Xinjiang Army from Hanoi, Henan, and Yuzhou."

"Ladies and gentlemen......" Yuan Shao's gaze swept over everyone's faces one by one, "At this moment, please make concerted efforts to fight rebellion and revitalize the society." ”

On the seventh day of the ninth month, in the early hours of the morning, Yuan Shao and Liu Biao led the army to withdraw from Yancheng and rushed towards Yanjin by taking advantage of the night.

Soon after the army withdrew, the two received a surprising and painful news that Kuai Yue, Xin Ping and Wen Ping had fled back with more than a hundred people.

Kuai Yue was hit by two arrows, and his blood-stained robe was stained. If it weren't for Wen Ping's desperate efforts to rescue him, he would have been trampled into a meatloaf by the Northern Xinjiang Iron Cavalry. Xin Ping was disheveled, embarrassed, and in a trance, as if he had not yet come out of extreme terror. Feng Ji asked several times about the battle situation, and he repeated one sentence, too terrible, too terrible, endless, endless iron horseman.

Among the three people, only Wen Ping was relatively normal, but his body and mind were still immersed in the bloody battlefield, his speech was intermittent, and his eyes showed chilling fear from time to time. "60,000 people were encircled and disappeared in the blink of an eye, and in the blink of an eye, they were swallowed up by the surging and earth-shattering waves, and we had no ability to resist at all, not even a chance to escape."

"Where's Jiang Qi?" Yuan Shao asked nervously, "Did he break through with you?" ”

"He's dead." Wen Ping said sadly, "When we broke through, we encountered the Youzhou Iron Cavalry, and Master Jiang and his personal guards were all killed, and none of them escaped. ”

"What about Liu Pan? Where is he? Liu Biao didn't see his nephew, so he immediately became anxious, and asked repeatedly, "Where is Liu Pan?" ”

Wen Ping was speechless.

"Dead? Is he dead? Liu Biao grabbed Wen Ping's arm and shouted at the top of his voice, "Is he dead?" ”

"I don't know." Wen Ping's expression was gloomy, "We were scattered, maybe ......" Wen Ping didn't say any more, and what he said was in vain. Under the frantic pursuit of the Northern Xinjiang Iron Cavalry, there was no chance of surviving at all.

Liu Biao wailed, hugged his head and sat on the ground, wanting to cry without tears.

Yuan Shao looked at him sympathetically, wanting to comfort him, but he couldn't say a word. At the beginning of the defeat, he was very angry with Liu Biao, if it wasn't for Liu Biao's unauthorized order to attack, and he didn't resolutely follow his orders to delay without fighting, how could he have suffered today's fiasco? But immediately thinking of the overwhelming army of iron cavalry on the battlefield, he felt that his resentment was not justified. The army's food and grass were on the verge of running out of food, and the delaying strategy could no longer be implemented. And since Li Hong requisitioned Hu Qi from the desert to the south, whether he took the initiative to attack or not, he would use his superiority in strength to launch a fierce attack. I was not in the Pingyang Pavilion fiasco, but in the Guandu fiasco. This defeat seems to have been doomed as early as when Li Hong decided to recruit Hu Qi to attack the Central Plains.

Yuan Shao sighed and looked up at the dim starry sky, miserable. I hope that Xiahou Yuan and Guan Yu can escape. After the defeat of the war, all sides needed to build stronger alliances and rebuild stronger armies in order to counter Hebei. Otherwise, in two or three years, Li Hong will be able to break through each and take the whole world. Yuan Shao now urgently needs these fierce generals to come back alive, and with the presence of these people, the strength of the coalition army can be quickly restored.

"Order all the troops to speed up the retreat." After Yuan Shao learned the news of the annihilation of the vanguard army, his heart calmed down. He gave orders in succession, urging the army to retreat with all its might.

Lu Yi and Yu Shi led the soldiers of the Northern Army to rush to the vicinity of Yancheng for seventy miles, and Lei Zi led the army to meet. The two armies merged into one and surrounded Yancheng in the early morning, but the rebels had already withdrawn first, and Yancheng was an empty city.

The soldiers of the Northern Army were exhausted from continuous fighting, and many generals asked for a day off to allow the exhausted soldiers to regain their strength.

Koji Yi was also worried about an accident in the army, so he urgently wrote to the general Li Hong. Li Hong agreed to rest the infantry army in Yancheng for a day, and at the same time ordered Zhao Yun, Yan Wuxing, and Lei Zi to lead the iron cavalry to pursue the enemy in separate ways, and be sure to intercept the rebels on the first line of the chasm water, and divide and surround them, so as to completely annihilate the rebels.

On the morning of the seventh day of the first month of September, Lei Zi was ordered to lead the army to kill Yanjin and Suojube on the front line, and followed the rebels to chase and kill.

At noon on the seventh day of September, Zhao Yun led his army to Yancheng, and was immediately ordered to go south to Wuchao and capture Fengqiu before the rebels, so as to cut off the rebels' route from Fengqiu to the south.

At noon on the seventh day of the ninth month, Yan Wuxing was ordered to lead the army to kill the ditch water, and preemptively launched an attack on the two cities of Yuanwu and Yangwu, striving to block the rebels north of the Jishui River and divide and encircle.

The three-way iron horse roared down and swept towards the land of Henan.

On the seventh day of the first month of September, the mound was sealed.

When Cao Cao learned of the defeat at the front and the annihilation of the 100,000-strong army, he couldn't help but be dumbfounded, and he was stunned for a while.

Before Yuan Shao set out from Yancheng, he ordered Cao Cao to divide his troops south to reinforce Junyi and Zhongmu, and block Yan Rou's iron cavalry army under the city. Cao Cao had the intention of going south to Xuzhou, so he did not follow Yuan Shao's orders, but still stationed troops in Fengqiu, always inquiring about the battle situation on the front line, so as to withdraw when the time was right.

Who knew that just one day later, the battle situation was turned upside down, and the coalition army was defeated in Pingyang Pavilion, and 100,000 horses and horses were wiped out.

Although Cao Cao had been plotting to capture Xuzhou and planned to make a comeback, he had absolutely no intention of letting the coalition forces be defeated. If the coalition forces are defeated and the Central Plains are lost, it will be difficult to defeat Li Hong again. This is also an important reason why Cao Cao has not turned against Yuan Shao so far. In Cao Cao's heart, the most ideal outcome of the Central Plains War was that the coalition army defeated Li Hong, and Yuan Shao suffered heavy losses and was unable to take the Central Plains. In this way, he can take advantage of the excellent opportunity of the inability of all parties to fight again after the Central Plains War, first swallow Xuzhou, and then occupy Yanzhou. After he regained some strength after taking Yan and Xu without bloodshed, the next step was to defeat Zang Ba and capture Qingzhou. With the land of Yan, Qing and Xu as the foundation, he can stand with Li Hong, Yuan Shao, Liu Biao and others. In the future, not only will you survive without worry, but you will also be more likely to make a name for yourself in history.

However, the annihilation of the 100,000-strong coalition army yesterday completely destroyed his dream. Even if he takes Xuzhou now, he will directly face an attack from the direction of Yanzhou, and the existential crisis is getting bigger and bigger.

In the battle of Dingtao, he lost Cao Ren, and in the battle of Pingyang Pavilion, he lost Xiahou Yuan again. In just a few months, his two brothers and tens of thousands of troops disappeared without a trace. Cao Cao was not only sad and indignant, but also disheartened, and suddenly lost the confidence and courage to compete for the world.

"My lord, what are you thinking?" Xun Yu saw that Cao Cao was speechless, and urged urgently, "Let's go south to Xuzhou immediately, go south immediately, and there can be no delay for a moment." ”

"Your Excellency, give the order." Cheng Yu patted the case hard, "The Northern Xinjiang Iron Cavalry is killing at a rapid pace, if we hesitate, we will definitely be surrounded by those murderous brutes, the situation will be irretrievable, and Sheji may be overturned." ”

Cao Cao was stunned for a moment, then he was furious, and smashed the bamboo slip in his hand to the ground, "Now go south to Xuzhou, and the Northern Xinjiang Army will rapidly advance westward from the line of Fengqiu, Junyi, and Zhongmu, and surround Yuan Shao and Liu Biao on the line of Yanjin and Suzao, and the last bit of the coalition army will also be wiped out." Yuan Shao and Liu Biao are both dead, what resistance does the Northern Xinjiang Army have? They will leak down, successfully occupy Henan, and then kill Yuzhou directly, and force Luoyang, in less than a year, they will be able to sweep the world. In this case, what is the point of us occupying Xuzhou? Even if we occupy Xuzhou, how many days can we hold on? ”

"Yuan Shao can retreat directly from the direction of Suozao and Yuanwu to cross the Bianqu, and garrison the few remaining troops in the line of Xingyang, Chenggao, and Guancheng, so that he can cross the river to support Hanoi in the north, support Yuzhou in the south, and defend the tiger prison in the west. Although Henan lost half of it, Luoyang was still unharmed. Guo Jia hurriedly persuaded, "My lord, after the Northern Xinjiang Iron Cavalry enters Henan, it will have to face several rivers such as Yingou Water, Jishui River, Gulf Water, Bianqu, Langtang Canal, etc., and all advantages will be lost, and it will be impossible to complete the encirclement of the coalition forces in the shortest possible time." As long as Yuan Shao and Liu Biao can correctly judge the direction of the Northern Xinjiang Army's outflanking, give up going south and turn westward, and withdraw their troops directly from the Bianqu area, they will definitely be able to turn the crisis into safety. ”

"At present, the infantry army of the Northern Frontier Army is limited in numbers, and in the absence of its iron cavalry army, they have to attack the city and conquer the fortress, but also constantly move south to capture more cities to consolidate the battle line, so they will certainly not be able to deal a greater blow to the remnants of the coalition army. In addition, Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Liu Bei still have seventy or eighty thousand horses in their hands, and there are newly recruited soldiers in Luoyang and Yuzhou. ”

"Indeed, Bonghyo has a very good point." Xun Yu pointed to the map on the desk and said, "The Northern Xinjiang Army will start attacking south from Baima and Puyang on the banks of the Yellow River, and their army will sweep across the line of Yanjin and Suzao, the line of Junyi and Zhongmu, the line of Kaifeng and Chenliu, and then enter the line of Yingchuan, Chen and Liang in Yuzhou. Look, how many roads are there from the south bank of the Yellow River to Yuzhou? At least more than 700 miles. The Northern Frontier Army, both in terms of physical strength and food and grass, had reached its limit, and could not support them to continue attacking. ”

"My lord, if we stay on the battlefield in the Central Plains and help Yuan Shao and Liu Biao delay the attack speed of the Northern Xinjiang Army and stabilize the front in Henan, there will be only one consequence, that is, to lose Xuzhou." Cheng Yu said loudly, "We will be trapped on the battlefield in the Central Plains, and Cao Chun and Jian Yong are fighting again because of the occupation of Xuzhou, Cao Chun has no reinforcements, and he cannot occupy the entire territory of Xuzhou with his current strength." Under such circumstances, how could the Northern Frontier Army miss the opportunity? Once Li Hong stabilized the battle line, he would definitely requisition troops south to kill Xuzhou as quickly as possible. In addition, we must also take into account that after Zang Ba learned of the great victory of the Northern Xinjiang Army in the Central Plains, it is very likely that he will defect again, shake hands with the Northern Xinjiang Army, and the two sides will join forces to attack Xuzhou from the direction of Beihai. ”

Cao Cao calmed down, he thought about it carefully, and sighed helplessly. "Okay, I'll listen to you and go south to Xuzhou. However, before leaving, we wrote a letter to Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Liu Bei, telling them of our idea of retreating south to Xuzhou. As soon as we have surrendered the flank of the battlefield, the iron cavalry of the Northern Frontier Army will quickly occupy the line of Fengqiu, Junyi and Zhongmu, and ask them to immediately withdraw west to Bianqu, and not to retreat southward again, so as not to fall into the encirclement of the Northern Frontier Army and suffer the fate of annihilation of the whole army. Second, tell Liu Bei not to go south, and take the army to guard in Henan or Yuzhou. I don't want to take the initiative to provoke infighting at this time, let Li Hong pick up a big bargain for nothing, and let Sheji be defeated because of this. ”

Xun Yu, Cheng Yu and Guo Jia looked at each other, and they all nodded, agreeing with Cao Cao's idea.

In the past, Cao Cao's plan to go south to capture Xuzhou was based on the defeat of the Northern Xinjiang Army by the coalition army and the sudden increase in Yuan Shao's strength. At that time, Cao Cao's main purpose was to protect himself, to escape Yuan Shao's execution, and secondly, to make a comeback. But now it's different, now that the coalition forces have been defeated, Hebei's strength has increased sharply, and everyone wants to save their lives and support the crumbling Han Sheji, they must work together to fight against Li Hong. At this time, if everyone still wants to cause infighting, it will not only kill themselves, but directly overthrow the society.

Cao Cao's move south to Xuzhou under such a critical situation was entirely aimed at securing Xuzhou before the Northern Frontier Army in the overall situation. Although Cao Cao was suspected of preserving his strength, it was also urgently needed by the coalition forces. At present, in the coalition army, the only one who can rush to Xuzhou in time and hold Xuzhou is Cao Cao's army. If Yuan Shao could think of the danger of Xuzhou during the retreat, he could only let Cao Cao lead the army to defend Xuzhou.

Xun Yu immediately wrote a letter, giving a detailed analysis and explanation of Cao Cao's southward journey to Xuzhou and many things that might have been beneficial to the coalition forces. Cao Cao ordered the messenger to set off immediately, and rushed to Yanjin as soon as possible.

In the afternoon, Cao Cao, Cao Hong and others led a large army and quickly retreated south.

On the seventh day of September, Handan.

The news of Pingyang Pavilion's victory was delivered to Handan as quickly as possible, and Handan was suddenly boiling.

The eldest princess cried with joy, holding the newspaper and crying bitterly. It's been ten years, since I left Luoyang at the age of eleven, it's been ten years, and today I finally see the hope of Sheji Zhongxing.

Zhongshu ordered Liu Fang, Assassin Shi Guo Ce, Wei County Taishou Ding Li and other Jizhou officials to come to congratulate, and the line was full of joy, and the drums shook the sky.

After the eldest princess calmed down her excitement, she immediately summoned the ministers to discuss post-war matters.

After the Central Plains battlefield sent a letter of victory, it immediately sent a note from the general. In the recital, the general reported on the strategy of attacking after the war, believing that judging from the current amount of grain and grass, it would be difficult to ensure that the army could take Hanoi within a month, occupy most of Henan, and force Luoyang. Therefore, the general suggested that the desert Hu cavalry should be withdrawn immediately, so as to save money and ensure that the army could complete the intended attack target to the greatest extent.

Under the circumstance that the decisive battle of the Central Plains has been won and the army has completely controlled the situation in the Central Plains, the immediate repatriation of the desert iron cavalry is not only conducive to the stability of the Central Plains but also conducive to the security of the border fortress, and can save a lot of money for the imperial court. At the beginning, Her Royal Highness the eldest princess tried her best to defy public opinion, and even personally rushed to the desert to recruit Hu Qi to go south, which was also a huge risk. Now Hu Cai's goal of going south to the Central Plains has been completed, although Hu Cai's participation in the war is only a short three days, but this is enough.

The eldest princess immediately issued an order, ordering the general of the left guard, Xian Yufu, the northern capital of Mobei, Yan Wudaunt and other generals of northern Xinjiang, to obey the general's order, and quickly lead the army to withdraw from the Central Plains battlefield in the near future and return to the desert in a hurry.

At the end of the recital, the general talked about the reward of the soldiers. The general made it clear that he was against the restoration of the fifth-class knighthood system. The restoration of the fifth-class title system has its potential huge threat to the community, and the reason why the Great Qin Shi Huang abolished the fifth-class title system in the first place is precisely because this threat has endangered the safety of the community. In the past 400 years, the 20th rank of military merit has been practiced, and its advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, and there is no need to revise it. However, considering that most of the generals in the northern frontier of the imperial court are liehous, and they can no longer be rewarded in terms of official titles, the general suggested that the imperial court increase the food of liehous.

After more than ten years of war, coupled with continuous disasters, it is a fact that the population has plummeted, and as the army recovers more and more states and counties, there is more and more land, especially the ownerless land, which is countless. The general asked the eldest princess that in the case of the extremely tight financial resources of the imperial court, increasing the food of the princes was the best and most convenient and affordable way to reward. Not only did it not conflict with the new field system implemented by the imperial court, but it also contributed to the growth of wealth and the recovery of the population for a long time. By analogy, junior officers and ordinary non-commissioned officers who have received meritorious service should also receive corresponding land rewards according to the size of their merits, and this will play a tremendous role in promoting the consolidation and improvement of the new military system.

The general's recital caused a stir in the big tent.

The restoration of the fifth-class title system has been spread in Hebei as early as after the death of the Son of Heaven and the succession of the new emperor. Last year, Shangshu Zuo Cheng Dong Zhao wrote a special letter to the imperial court on this matter, and wrote a long letter in detail, elaborating on the advantages of adding a fifth-class high title to the 20th rank of military merit. At that time, there were many responders in the court, and they followed closely to write letters of advice, even including many generals in the Northern Xinjiang Army, but the eldest princess resolutely refused. Originally, everyone thought that the great general Li Hong would support this recital, because the Central Plains War was about to begin, and if the eldest princess could be forced to agree to restore the fifth-class title system before the war, it would definitely boost the morale of the soldiers in Northern Xinjiang. However, to everyone's surprise, the general Li Hong did not express any opinion on this.

Many ministers speculated that the reason why the general did not publicly support this recital was probably because he was worried that this matter would anger the opponents in the court and lead to the failure of the Central Plains War. If the fifth-class title system is restored, with the great merit of the general and his prominent position in the court, he will be at least a duke. And with the pacification of the world, the general's exploits are getting bigger and bigger, and he may be crowned king in the future. The ancestor of this dynasty once said that he could not be crowned king with a different surname, but today's Han Dynasty, the general holds the male army, and the power is tilted towards the government and the opposition, even the former Dong Zhuo and him cannot be compared. If the general wants to crown himself king, will the Son of Heaven dare not do it? Once the general is crowned king, what will happen later, who dares to think about it?

Opponents' fears may put them on the back burner. Judging from the ups and downs of the past ten years, there are too many such people. Even if the general doesn't think about Sheji and Hebei, he has to think about his own life, so his silence is a normal performance. However, once the Central Plains War was won, the imperial court recovered Qingzhou and Yanzhou, and established the advantage of pacifying the world, would the general continue to remain silent?

Today's general recitals finally let the people up and down Hebei see the general's true thoughts, and he held opposing views. And like the eldest princess, the opposition is very thorough and crisp, and there is no room for negotiation and compromise.

The eldest princess has actually been worried about this matter all the time. The Central Plains War was won, and reward was a headache. If the fifth-class title system is restored, the consequences are unpredictable, and it is very likely to shake the foundation of the society, and she will not agree to it no matter what. Although her tone had softened before the war, it was all to stabilize Hebei and boost morale, and she didn't want to give in to this matter.

After the victory of the general in the decisive battle of the Central Plains, his prestige reached the extreme in the court and in the Northern Xinjiang Army. At this time, he came forward to openly oppose the restoration of the fifth-class title system, and proposed to reward military merit with land and money, and there would be very few opponents. Even if there are still people who think that the court's reward is too light, but under the deterrence of the general, I believe that no one dares to jump out again and threaten to restore the fifth-class title system, which is tantamount to working against the general.

The eldest princess was overjoyed, and wrote a reply letter to the general, and the words were even more affectionate.

After the end of the war, the government was even busier, and the eldest princess did not dare to continue to delay in Handan, so she hurriedly returned to Jinyang the next day.

Fengxue did not leave with the eldest princess, she stayed in Handan, and was about to go south with her, crossing the river and rushing to Dingtao City in Yanzhou to meet the general.

On the eighth day of September, Yanjin.

Yuan Shao and Liu Biao led their troops all the way and quickly rushed to Yanjin to prepare to join Liu Bei's army. But before they could catch their breath, the scouts hurriedly came to report that the iron cavalry of the Northern Frontier Army was chasing after them, and there were only fifty miles left from Yanjin.

Yuan Shao was helpless and urgently told Liu Bei in Hanoi that Yanjindu was about to be lost, so he should stay in Hanoi for the time being and not cross the river. Liu Bei was blocked in Hanoi, and if he wanted to cross the river and go south, he could only withdraw to the line of Pinggao and Huaicheng first. But in this way, the time for him to go south to Xuzhou will be greatly delayed, and Xuzhou is very likely to fall.

Just when Yuan Shao was at a loss, Cao Cao's letter arrived. After reading the letter, Yuan Shao shook his head and smiled bitterly and handed the letter to Liu Biao. "Brother Jingsheng, Meng De has already gone south to Xuzhou."

Liu Biao had long known that Cao Cao was going south, but he didn't expect Cao Cao to ignore the safety of tens of thousands of troops of the coalition army at this time, and turn around and run first. "This Cao Heizi, he wants us to die. We're all dead, how many days will he be able to hold on? Does he want to take refuge in Li Hong and be a house slave for Li Hong? He scolded angrily as he read the letter, "In that case, what else can we do?" Let Liu Bei stay in Hanoi for the time being to resist the Northern Frontier Army, and let's withdraw directly to Ao Cang. ”

Yuan Shao sighed, "Cao Cao arrived in Xuzhou, and Xuzhou was his." He won't let it out. ”

Liu Biao sneered, "Not only Xuzhou is his, I think Jiujiang and Lujiang counties will also be his sooner or later." Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are a little careless, and it is estimated that even Jiangdong is his. But it's okay to ...... like this," Liu Biao looked up at Yuan Shao, "With Meng De sticking to Xuzhou, Li Hong can only stop at the border of Yan and Xu, and it will be difficult for him to break in." ”

"Yuzhou, the key now is Yuzhou." Yuan Shao said worriedly, "If Yuzhou is captured by the Northern Xinjiang Army, and Yingchuan, Chen and Liang are lost, then not only Luoyang is in danger, but even Jingzhou is under the attack of the Northern Xinjiang Army." ”

"Where's your defense?" Liu Biao looked at Yuan Shao and asked, "If you decide to give up Zhongmu and Junyi and return to the front line of Xingyang, Aocang, and Guancheng, then your current strength will be enough." I can quickly go south to Yuzhou, so that I can save some food. After the total annihilation of the army of 100,000, we now have enough food. The current grain stock could last tens of thousands of troops until this winter. ”

Yuan Shao felt a pain in his heart, and lowered his head and lamented, "Our troops are insufficient, and defending the whole line is equivalent to dispersing our troops, so we can only let the commander of the Northern Xinjiang Army drive straight in, so we can only concentrate on a few key cities." After you go south, rendezvous with Xun Chen, garrison heavy troops on the front line of Yingchuan Xuchang, Chen Guoyang Xia, Liang Guo Suiyang and Peiguo Xiaopei, and get in touch with Meng De as soon as possible to stop the pace of the Northern Xinjiang Army going south as much as possible. ”

Liu Biao accepted Yuan Shao's suggestion, and together with Xu Xuan, he took the Jingzhou Army and the rest of the Runan Army with about 20,000 people, and took the lead in retreating to Yuanwucheng through Sujube, and then rushed to Xingyang along the Jishui River.

After Yuan Shao waited for Liu Biao to leave, he hurriedly wrote to the defenders and officials in the city such as Yuanwu, Yangwu, Junyi, and Zhongmu, and after receiving the letter, they immediately withdrew to Guancheng, Guancheng, and Xingyang to assemble, preparing to resist a new round of attacks launched by the Northern Xinjiang Army.

On the eighth day of September, Junyi City.

Cao Cao withdrew to Junyi, replenished the grain and grass, and then commanded the army to go south to Chenliu.

At this moment, Xiahou Yuan, Cai Yang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others fled back. The group galloped day after day, and the people were sleepy and tired, and they were so tired that they almost fell off their horses.

Cao Cao was excited, hugged Xiahou Yuan and roared, tears welling up in his eyes. After everyone's mood calmed down a little, Cao Cao said to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei: "I am ordered by the imperial court to immediately support Xuzhou to block the attack of the Northern Xinjiang Army. I wonder if the two adults are willing to go to Xuzhou with me? ”

Guan Yu was surprised, "My lord wants to abandon the line of Junyi and Zhongmu?" ”

"The iron cavalry of the Northern Xinjiang Army has launched a full-line pursuit, and they will soon cross the river from the direction of the ditch water and march westward, dividing their troops into several ways to divide and encircle the coalition forces. Yuan Shao and Liu Biao did not have enough time to lead their troops south to retreat to the line of Junyi and Zhongmu, so they could only withdraw west from the direction of Yuanwu to Bianqu and stick to the line of Xingyang and Guancheng to ensure the safety of Luoyang. ”

"What about Chen Liu? Chen Liu, too? ”

"We can't hold it." Cao Cao smiled very sourly, "In the battle of Pingyang Pavilion, the 100,000-strong army was completely annihilated, and with our current strength, it is very difficult to hold on to Luoyang, Yuzhou, Xuzhou and other places. If the Northern Xinjiang Army still had enough grain and grass, they would definitely do their best to capture the whole of Hanoi and Yingchuan in Yuzhou before winter came, so as to complete the encirclement of Luoyang. ”

Guan Yu looked up to the sky and sighed. Xiahou Yuan, Zhang Fei and others were in a heavy mood and at a loss.

"If nothing else, it will be difficult for Lord Liu Bei to cross the river to the south in the near future, and in the face of the fierce offensive launched by the Northern Frontier Army in Hanoi, he can't leave if he wants to." Cao Cao said, "As soon as the Northern Xinjiang Army is discharged, the primary target of attack is not Luoyang, but Yingchuan, so I estimate that Lord Liu Biao will soon lead the army south to defend Yuzhou." If you don't want to go with me, you can go south to Xuchang to join Lord Liu Biao's army. ”

Guan Yu looked up at Zhang Fei.

"I'm not going to Xuzhou." Zhang Fei glanced at Cao Cao with disdain, waved his hand and said, "If we want to take revenge, we will go to Yingchuan." It is impossible for the Northern Xinjiang Army to reach Xuzhou in the short term, and the Prime Minister has to rush to Xuzhou with the army under the pretext that the imperial court has a will, which is nothing more than to preserve his strength. Since the prime minister is afraid of death, then you should go to Xuzhou and hug the woman happily. ”

Cao Cao's smile froze, and he was furious. Dian Wei, Xu Chu and others immediately held the handle of the knife and stared at it. Xun Yu was in a hurry and grabbed Cao Cao, "If there is no Yide, our family will be in danger." ”

Cao Cao snorted coldly, bowed slightly at Zhang Fei, and said with a stubborn expression: "I want to thank Master Zhang for this matter." ”

"Phew......" Zhang Fei glared at Cao Cao's face, "If Lao Tzu didn't kill the enemy, he would go to Changyi to save your family?" You dream about it. This was followed by a series of vicious curses.

Cao Cao trembled with anger. Why Zhang Fei and Cao Chun made a feud, Cao Cao knew best in his heart, but Zhang Fei, this kid, turned his face and didn't recognize anyone, and insulted himself in front of everyone, he couldn't swallow this breath no matter what. He was about to order Zhang Fei to be arrested, but Guan Yu spoke, "The Prime Minister is going to Xuzhou at this moment, I'm afraid it's not to block the Northern Xinjiang Army, right?" ”

"Hehe...... Cao Cao sneered a few times, "Yun Chang, what do you want to say, I know." Okay, I'm not going to Xuzhou now, I'll let you and Zhang Fei go back, but can you keep Xuzhou? How many people do you still have in Xuzhou? Chen Deng went to Jizhou with 5,000 people, and there was almost no chance that he would withdraw safely. Cao Bao still has 5,000 people in his hands, but these people are stationed in Langya Kingdom, Donghai County and Pengcheng respectively, and these 5,000 people can't stop the Northern Frontier Army at all. Jian Yong still has 5,000 newly recruited pawns in his hands, what can these people do? Once the Northern Xinjiang Army occupies Xuzhou, how many days do we have to live? ”

Guan Yu was speechless.

"Yun Chang, you can follow me to Xuzhou. When you arrive in Xuzhou, Jian Yong and Cao Bao will listen to you, and Xuzhou's 10,000 troops can still play a role. When we hold Xuzhou, we can launch a counteroffensive, attack Yanzhou in the north, and contain the forces of the Northern Xinjiang Army, so as to help Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Liu Bei block the attack of the Northern Xinjiang Army on the three battlefields of the Central Plains, Hanoi, and Yuzhou, so that the coalition forces can quickly stabilize the front and gain all the time to restore their strength. This is the only way to change the unfavorable situation at present, and I hope Yun Chang can understand my painstaking efforts. Cao Cao paused for a moment and then said, "As for Xuzhou, I can swear to you here, as long as Lord Liu Bei is still the pastor of Xuzhou, as long as Lord Liu Bei returns to Xuzhou as the pastor of Xuzhou, I will immediately leave Xuzhou with the army." If this oath is violated, heaven and earth will be destroyed. ”

Everything that should be said was told to Cao Cao, and the worry in Guan Yu's heart also gave Cao Cao an oath and said that it was gone. He no longer hesitated, and immediately made a decision, "Okay, I'll go to Xuzhou with you." ”

Cao Cao was overjoyed, and his eyes fell on Zhang Fei, who was standing behind Guan Yu. Zhang Feili ignored him, shook his hand, turned around and left, "Lao Tzu will go to Xuchang." ”

Guan Yu wanted to shout to stop Zhang Fei, but he thought for a moment, then held back, and let Zhang Fei rush away with his personal guards.

On the ninth day of September, Yuan Shao led his army to withdraw to the original Wucheng.

The scouts repeatedly reported urgently. The iron cavalry of northern Xinjiang has crossed Yanjin and Suojube, and is killing towards the water of the ditch, and another iron cavalry has crossed the river to surround Yangwu City. Zhao Yun, the general of the Northern Xinjiang Army, led his army to take Fengqiu, and was crossing the river from the direction of Sanling Pavilion and killing Guandu. At the same time, news also came from Zhongmu that Yan Rou of the Northern Xinjiang Army had led his army across Junyi City and was attacking Zhongmu City.

Yuan Shao was shocked, and hurriedly ordered all departments not to rest, and immediately retreated to Xingyang City.

The ninth day of September, Hanoi.

Liu Bei, Gao Gan and others were shocked when they learned of the defeat of the coalition forces at Pingyang Pavilion.

Liu Bei was very sad. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and more than 10,000 Xuzhou soldiers are estimated to be wiped out, and there is no hope of survival. He originally planned to cross the river from the direction of Yanjindu to the south to Xuzhou, but who knew that the iron cavalry in the northern part of the country was extremely fast, and before he could prepare to cross the river, Yanjindu was lost. Liu Bei was worried about the safety of Xuzhou, and then said goodbye to Gao Gan, Gao Rou and Zhu Ling, and turned west with the army, intending to cross the river from the direction of Huaicheng and go south.

As soon as Liu Bei's army left Huojia, Gao Gan sent people to ask for help.

On the ninth day of the first month, Wen Chou, Wang Dang, Zhang Liao, and Zhang Xiu led their troops to Qingshui River and met Peng Lie and Mustafa. Under the command of Wen Chou, the army quickly crossed the Qingshui River and captured Jicheng. The high-ranking cadres were insufficient, and the morale of the army was also weak, so they couldn't hold it at all, so they had to retreat and get the reward.

Liu Bei did not hesitate, resolutely gave up the south and returned to Xuzhou, and instead led his troops to meet the northern Xinjiang army. If Hanoi is lost at this moment, the Northern Xinjiang Army can fight all the way to the north bank of the Yellow River in Heyang Chenbing, attack the Mengjin and Xiaopingjin passes of the Eight Passes of Gyeonggi, and threaten Luoyang. Compared with Xuzhou, Luoyang's safety is more important. If Luoyang is lost, Yuan Shao is defeated, and the fate of the remaining forces can be imagined when their foothold is not stable.

Fierce fighting ensued between the two armies in the vicinity of Hukka.

The morale of the Northern Xinjiang Army is like a rainbow and is unstoppable, while the morale of the coalition forces is low, and they lack the courage to fight to the death. Coupled with the loss of Yanjindu, the Northern Xinjiang Army could come from the other side at any time, and Liu Bei had no choice but to order to retreat to Huaicheng.

On the ninth day of September, Xuzhou, Pengcheng.

After Cao Chun received Cao Cao's secret letter attacking Xuzhou, he immediately wrote to Manzhong, Liu Xun, and Xiahou Ba, who had secretly assembled in the small city of Dangshan, and asked them to lead their troops to Pengcheng to meet in a hurry.

Three days later, Man Chong, Liu Xun, and Xiahou Ba arrived in Xiao County, which was more than 100 miles away from Pengcheng.

On the ninth day of the first month, Cao Chun rushed to the city and told Jian Yong that he had received a letter from Cao Cao and wanted to lead his army north to the battlefield in the Central Plains. Before leaving, a feast was specially set up in the camp to thank Jian Yong and many Xuzhou officials for their recent care for the Yanzhou soldiers. Jian Yong was not easy to refuse, and rushed to the Cao army camp with a group of Peng subordinates from Xuzhou Mansion.

Cao Chun, Ren Jun and others were very enthusiastic and repeatedly persuaded them to drink. Jian Yong is very restrained, stops after tasting it, and does not dare to drink too much and make mistakes. A group of government officials have worked hard for several months in order to raise food and grass for the Central Plains battlefield, and they have a rare opportunity to indulge, drink heartily, and get drunk.

In the middle of the night, Jian Yong was about to say goodbye and leave, Cao Chun said with a smile: "Where is Brother Xianhe going?" ”

Jian Yong thought that Cao Chun was drunk, so he said a few perfunctory words and wanted to leave. Cao Chun grabbed him and said with an embarrassed expression: "Brother Xianhe, I'm really embarrassed." I am ordered by the Prime Minister to arrest you. ”

Jian Yong smiled: "Zihe, you drank too much, rest early." ”

Cao Chun smiled bitterly, "Brother Xianhe, when I was drinking just now, Bo Ning and Zitai had already led people to take the opportunity to take Pengcheng, this ...... It's ......."

The smile on Jian Yong's face gradually dissipated, and his slightly alcoholic mind flipped countless times in the blink of an eye, probably guessing the cause and effect. The anger in his eyes grew stronger and stronger, as if he was about to spew out and burn Cao Chun alive.

"Cao Zihe ......" Jian Yong wanted to scold, but he couldn't find a suitable sentence in his eagerness, "The Central Plains is in a big war, and the society is in danger, you ...... You're ......"

Cao Chun faced Jian Yong's angry face, speechless with shame. In the past two years, Yanzhou and Xuzhou have formed an alliance and helped each other, and Xuzhou has given Yanzhou a lot of help in terms of money and grain. Especially when fighting Yuan Shu, Xuzhou almost undertook all the money and food, and the relationship between the two sides was very harmonious, however......

Ren Jun waved his hand at the few guards behind him, "Take Master Jian to the military tent and let him rest well." ”

On the tenth day of September, Yanjin.

The general Li Hong arrived at Yanjin with an army of 70,000 foot soldiers.

At the military meeting, Sima Fujian reported the latest battle situation to the generals and generals.

After the decisive battle, the iron cavalry of all units was ordered to launch a pursuit.

Lord Lei Zi led the iron cavalry of his department to occupy Yanjin, Suozao, and Yuanwu in turn, and now the army is stationed on the front line of Bianqu.

Lord Yan Wuxing led his iron cavalry directly to the ditch water, crossed the river and captured Yangwu. We originally intended to use Lord Yan Fearless's iron cavalry to block the rebels on the north bank of the Jishui River, and form a front and rear attack with Lord Leizi. However, due to the timely change of the direction of retreat of the rebels, they withdrew directly from the original Wucheng to the west, from Bianqu to Xingyang, resulting in the failure of our encirclement and annihilation strategy. Now the army is stationed in Yangwu City on standby.

Lord Zhao Yun led his iron cavalry to occupy Wuchao and Fengqiu in turn, and then crossed the ditch water from the direction of Sanling Pavilion, directly killed the north bank of the chasm water, and attacked the Guandu and Zhongmu lines in the north and south with Lord Yan Rou. Now the army is approaching Guancheng and directly threatening Xingyang.

Lord Yan Rou led the iron cavalry to occupy the three cities of Xiaohuang, Junyi and Zhongmu in turn, and the army is currently moving south along the Langtang Canal, and it is estimated that Kaifeng and Chenliu will be taken in these two days. Due to the problem of the supply of grain and grass, after Lord Yan Rou's iron cavalry went south to Chen Liu, he had to stop for a temporary rest to wait for the replenishment of grain and grass ordnance.

On the battlefield of Hanoi, Wen Chou, Wang Dang, Zhang Liao and other lords have successfully taken Jicheng and won the award, and are currently advancing to Huaicheng.

The news from the battlefield in Xuzhou has not yet been delivered. According to the time calculation, Lord Chen Gong of Rencheng has received our order, and it is estimated that he is leading his army south to Pengcheng. Lord Zang Ba of Qingzhou estimates that he will receive our orders in the next two days, and at that time he will lead a large army to kill Langya Kingdom and Donghai County, and strive to meet Lord Chen Gong in Pengcheng.

"For this decisive battle in the Central Plains, Hebei's financial losses are amazing. It will be difficult for us to launch a large-scale attack in the short term, so we must take advantage of this excellent opportunity to inflict heavy losses on the rebels to complete the encirclement of Luoyang to the greatest extent, so as to form a favorable situation in the near future and prepare for the attack on Luoyang next year. Jia Xu stood in front of the map, looked at the generals of Northern Xinjiang who looked excited, and continued, "In order to completely encircle Luoyang, we must take Yanzhou to the east of Luoyang, Hanoi to the north of Luoyang, Yingchuan to the south of Luoyang, and Guanzhong and Guanxi to the west of Luoyang. ”

"After the decisive battle of the Central Plains, we have taken Yanzhou completely, approached Henan, and completed the encirclement of the east of Luoyang. In addition, we intend to take the whole of Hanoi and the north bank of the Yellow River by this winter to complete the encirclement of Luoyang to the north. Jia Xu pointed to Yingchuan in Yuzhou on the map, "Due to problems such as grain and grass, troops, etc., it will be difficult for us to capture Yingchuan this year." So what the general means is that we won't fight Yingchuan this year, and next spring, we will fight Yingchuan again. ”

"What about Guanzhong? When is it playing? Koji Yi asked with a smile, "We have been fighting in the Central Plains for a few months, and the results are brilliant, and it is estimated that the eyes of the nine-headed bird and He Maniac and others are red." ”

A light-hearted laugh rang out from inside the tent.

"Whether we can attack Luoyang next year or not, the key lies in Guanzhong." Jia Xu turned his head to look at Xiliang on the other side of the map, his face was worried, "If Guanzhong can't be taken for a long time, the Central Plains battlefield will have to stop due to financial problems, so that the time for us to attack Luoyang will be delayed." ”

"Yuan Shao has been beaten to the death of by us, and the nine-headed bird has sent troops to attack the west several times this year, and Chun Yuqiong in Guanxi has been beaten to a pulp." Lu Yi said indifferently, "Now that the battle is in the pass, Yuan Tan will not get support, and his defeat is imminent, so there is nothing to worry about, unless he ......"

Li Hong, Zhang Yan, Jia Xu and others looked at Liyi at the same time.

Koji Yi seemed to think of something, and hesitated, "Mr. Wenyue won't turn against us at this time, right?" ”

With Koji Yi's words, the relaxed atmosphere in the big tent suddenly became solemn. Since the first year of Zhongping, Bian Zhang, Han Sui, Beigong Boyu, Li Wenhou and others have risen in Xiliang when the Yellow Turban Incident in the Central Plains has been in Xiliang for fifteen years. In the past fifteen years, Bian Zhang, Beigong Boyu, Li Wenhou, and later Wang Guo, Ma Teng, who were later involved in the Xiliang army, have died one after another, and now only this ambitious and intelligent Mr. Wenyue dominates the west.

Since the spring of the sixth year of Zhongping, after General Huangfu Song inflicted a heavy blow on the Xiliang army in Chencang, the army of the imperial court has never entered the territory of Xiliang again. And Xiliang has maintained stability for ten years under the sole support of Mr. Wenyue. This is inseparable from his outstanding intelligence, but will Mr. Wenyo's lofty ambition make him choose a different path at this critical moment? In his opinion, a road that can keep Xiliang stable for a long time, and let the people of Xiliang live and work in peace and contentment for a long time?

Seeing Li Hong and the others' serious expressions, Koji Yi couldn't help laughing and said, "General, it's not the first time we've fought with Han Wenyue, which time has he won against us?" What are you afraid of him? If he dares to turn his face, we will beat him and beat him all the way to the West Sea, haha......"

Li Hong looked at the arrogant Koi Yi and smiled lightly, "Yuntian, who beat you to the head back then?" Have you forgotten? ”

Ko Yi's smile froze, and he glared at Li Hong fiercely, "General, that's a fraud, it's a fraud, didn't Han Wenyue fall into your trap and return defeated." ”

"Haha......" Jade laughed. Among the generals of Northern Xinjiang who are now here, Xian Yufu, Yushi, Yan Liang, Fan Li, Zhang He, Gao Ran and others are all people who participated in the Muyuan War that year. Thinking of the past more than ten years ago, everyone was full of emotion. After so many years, he is still fighting and making peace with Han Sui, when will Xiliang's matter be completely resolved.

"Yuntian, do you think Mr. Wenyue will turn against us at this time?" Li Hong asked solemnly.

Koji Yi sighed, "General, in the final analysis, we are enemies with Han Sui, not friends. The so-called friends are just personal friends. No matter how good a personal relationship is, even if it is a friend of life and death, once it involves the interests of Xiliang, Han Sui will immediately turn his face and deny people. For more than ten years, Han Sui has been rebelling constantly, and he was appeased when he was defeated, when did he settle down? His official is getting bigger and bigger day by day, and his power in Xiliang is also getting bigger day by day, how can he hand over his life and his Xiliang to the imperial court? The reason why he took refuge in the imperial court was not for the sake of the Han Dynasty, but for the sake of Xiliang. Or to say a little more ugly, a little more thorough, he is for himself. Now Xiliang and him have become one, and they are not separated from each other. ”

"In the Central Plains War, we won, but we also exhausted Hebei's wealth. The generals were anxious to fight Luoyang, just as they were in a hurry to attack the Central Plains, and they all wanted to take advantage of the rebellious people's vitality to give them a fatal blow, so as to pacify Sheji in the shortest possible time. Although this method is suspected of quenching thirst by drinking doves, judging from the results of the Central Plains War, this method is still acceptable. Even if Hebei will have to pay a heavy price in the future, it is compared to the continuous war and the suffering people. We still prefer to choose this kind of attack strategy of quick and decisive victory, but the problem is that Hebei is very vulnerable before taking Luoyang, and once it falls into a protracted war on the Luoyang battlefield, the consequences will be unimaginable. ”

It was impossible for Yuan Shao not to know this, and Han Sui was equally clear. If he joins forces with Yuan Shao and turns against us, the problem in Guanzhong will be complicated. Lu Yi pointed to his nose and said, "If I were Han Sui, I would definitely take advantage of the panting time of Hebei and Luoyang after the end of the Central Plains War, take Guanzhong first, gain absolute superiority, and then turn my hands into clouds and cover my hands for rain, and play Hebei and Luoyang in the palm of my hand." In this way, none of you can drive me back to Xiliang, and occupying Guanzhong and relying on Guanzhong to stabilize and develop Xiliang has always been Han Sui's greatest wish. Lu Yi looked at Li Hong, who looked depressed, squinted his eyes and asked, "The general's wish is Zhongxing Sheji, if you have the opportunity to achieve your wish, are you willing to give up in vain?" ”

Li Hong smiled, shook his head, turned to Sima Yi and said, "Zhongda, immediately write to the imperial court, ask His Royal Highness and Lord Taiwei to keep an eye on Xiliang, and send someone to Yicheng to meet Han Sui as soon as possible." Write another letter to Lord Yang Feng of Hedong, asking him to pay attention to the movements in Guanzhong at all times, and as long as there is a slight abnormality in Guanzhong, he will immediately send troops without the slightest hesitation. ”

"In addition, I will write to Lord Li Wei that the Central Plains War has come to an end, and Hu Qi is about to return north to the desert, and ask him to transfer the grain and grass to the Hedong battlefield as much as possible to prepare for the Guanzhong War."

Jia Xu then arranged the deployment of troops and the return of Hu Cai to the north.

Lord Koyi led the Northern Army south to Kaifeng and Chenliu, and joined the iron cavalry of Lord Yan Rou into Yuzhou to attack Yingchuan. Some of these iron cavalry will continue to go south to the line of Chen and Liang, and take back all the cities belonging to Yanzhou.

Lord Lu Bu led the southern army into the front line of Zhongmu and Junyi, and attacked Guancheng and Xingyang.

Lord Yan Liang led the armies of Zhang He and Gao Lan into Yuanwu and Yangwu City, forced Bianqu, and threatened the front line of Xingyang and Aocang.

After the armies of each division arrive at the predetermined position and the iron cavalry units complete the handover of garrisons, the Hu cavalry units will withdraw from the battlefield one after another and return to the border fortress and the desert.

Lord Xian Yufu of the Left Guard General, Lord Huyan Fearless of Mobei Du, Lord Tie Yue of Jin Xueyuan, Lord Lei Zi of the Wuyuan Battalion, Lord Wei Jun of the Yunzhong Battalion, Lord Li Su of the Macheng Battalion, and Lord Xian Yuyin of the Yuyang Battalion will take about 100,000 Hu cavalry north in the near future.

After the Iron Cavalry Army left, there were still two battalions of the Northern Army on the battlefield in the Central Plains, one battalion of the Southern Army, one battalion of Yang Ming's Duliao Iron Cavalry, and Jiang Wu's one battalion of Ula Iron Cavalry of about 20,000 horses. This will greatly alleviate the grain and grass crisis of the Northern Xinjiang Army.

Gao Shun and Xu Huang immediately commanded their troops to enter Changyi City and Lu State in Shanyang County to guard the southern border of Yanzhou.

"Before Hu Qi leaves the Central Plains, I want to give a banquet to Liu Bao, Lou Lu, and Bang Dun, the three big single Yu and the vassal kings of each department." Li Hong smiled and said to Lu Yi and Lu Bu, "The two adults are temporarily staying in Yanjin, and when the banquet is held, please come forward to accompany you." ”

"General, you won't reward all the spoils to the Hu tribes, right?" Koji Yi looked at Li Hong vigilantly, and said with a serious face, "General, I will say ugly things in front, you don't want to favor one over the other." This battle can be won, although the Hu people have made great efforts, but the main battles are cut by our soldiers one by one, you can't give them all the good things. ”

Li Hong pondered for a long time, and suddenly asked: "Yuntian, do you say that money and silk are good, or land is better?" ”

Lu Yi was stunned for a moment, and looked at Xian Yufu, Zhang Yan, Lu Bu and others, all of whom looked suspicious, "General, what do you mean?" You want to ask the court to give land as a reward? ”

"Okay?" Li Hong said with a smile, "I have already given it to His Highness." The reason why His Highness hurriedly returned to Jinyang was precisely for this matter. ”

"Is there such a good thing?" Koji asked in surprise. The generals in the tent were also very surprised.

"What about the soldiers? Do they have it? Koji hurriedly asked, "Is the pension for the fallen soldiers also replaced by land?" ”

"Yes." Li Hong said with certainty, "After more than ten years of war and disasters, Yanzhou's population is no longer large, and it must move south in large numbers from Jizhou and Bingzhou. In this way, Hebei's land shortage can be alleviated, and the southward migration population can also be properly resettled in Yanzhou, Qingzhou and other places. ”

Rewarding money is one-time and is gone, but rewarding land allows the recipient to receive money year after year. Everyone likes this kind of good thing, and the atmosphere in the big tent suddenly became warm.

In mid-September, Xuzhou.

When the battlefield in the Central Plains gradually quieted down, the battlefield in Xuzhou suddenly burst into smoke.

After Cao Chun and Ren Jun led their troops to capture Pengcheng, Man Chong and Liu Xun immediately led the army to kill Bupi.

At this moment, Chen Gong suddenly led his troops to capture Peiguo Xiaopei, and went south along the Surabaya River to kill Pengcheng. Cao Chun was shocked, and while urgently asking for help, he led the army to block it. Before Manzhong returned to Pengcheng, an urgent report was sent from Langya State, and Qingzhou Zang Ba led the army to attack the city all the way and quickly killed to Kaiyang. At this moment, the minister of Langya did not know that Xuzhou had changed hands, and still asked Jian Yong to send troops to support as soon as possible in the letter.

Cao Chun made a quick decision, abandoned Langya State, and let Xiahou Ba lead his army to Tancheng in the East China Sea to defend it. He met with Man Pet and Liu Xun and went all out to meet Chen Gong.

The two sides fought fiercely near Ruseong on the banks of the Surabaya River.