The sky is bright, and Cao Shuo has already risen.

He was sitting in the tent eating the rice porridge sent by Cai Ji, and Wei Tu said outside the tent: "Young Master Qiqi, the scout has come with news that Zhang Fei led five thousand people to leave the enemy army. ”

"Leave?" Cao Shuo asked, "Have you found out where they went?" ”

"Nope!" Wei Tu replied: "Disappeared out of thin air. ”

Putting down the bowl, Cao Shuo said to Wei Tu: "You go and invite General Gao." ”

After a while, Wei Tu arrived with Gao Shun.

Entering the tent, Gao Shun asked Cao Shuo, "Childe looking for me?" ”

"The scouts sent back news that Zhang Fei had led five thousand men out of the enemy army." Cao Shuo asked, "Where do you think he will go?" ”

"Could it be that you want to make a detour back to the rear of our army?" Gao Shun said: "The enemy army is still more than us, in case it ......"

"I don't think so." Cao Shuo said: "Liu Xuande should be retiring from the army. ”

"Retreat to Xiapi?" Gao Shun said: "Without foreign aid, if he retreats to Xiapi, there will soon be a shortage of food in the city, as long as our army surrounds the city, he will not be able to escape." ”

"He withdrew just to lure me through." Cao Shuo said: "When our army was pursuing, Zhang Fei took us by surprise from the halfway point. ”

"It's a vicious ploy." Gao Shun said: "The soldiers of our army are elite, but except for the three battalions of Dragon Pattern, Flying Bear and Broken Formation, the other soldiers will still be a little chaotic. On the contrary, it made up for the shortcomings of the enemy's lack of training. ”

"That's what I said." Cao Shuo said: "So I asked you to come over in order to let the broken camp be responsible for its defense and guard against Zhang Fei's sudden killing." ”

"The broken camp will definitely not disappoint Childe." Gao Shun replied.

After Gao Shun left, Cao Shuo instructed outside the tent: "Pass the order, the army is ready, and prepare to go." ”

Cao Shuo and Liu Bei confronted each other near Xiapi, and Sima Yi and Lu Bu were also rushing to Xiapi with their soldiers and horses.

Only a few dozen miles away from Xiapi, Sima Yi asked Lu Bu: "General Lu, do you think Gongzi would prefer us to join him, or would he prefer us to take advantage of the situation to seize Xiapi?" ”

"It should be to seize Xiapi." Lu Bu said: "As long as he loses his chance, Liu Bei will be a lost dog, and it is easy to break him." ”

"That's what General Lu said." Sima Yi said: "Xiapi is Liu Bei's foundation, but I think Gongzi wants us to join him." ”

"Why?" Lu Bu didn't understand it, and asked him in surprise.

"General Lu doesn't believe it?" Sima Yi asked.

Lu Bu shook his head.

"Because we don't have a chance to take Pi at all." Sima Yi said: "Although the number of Gongzi's subordinates is small, it is very strong, and Liu Bei will definitely not get any benefit when he fights with him. There are only two choices in front of him, one is to die elsewhere, and the other is to be trapped in Xiapi. ”

"With Liu Xuande's greed, he should choose to trap Xiapi until he can't hold it anymore." Lu Bu finally nodded.

"That's it." Sima Yi said: "General Lu, you can't let Gongzi wait in a hurry. ”

"Speed up and join Childe as soon as possible." Lu Bu shouted to the team behind.

Sima Yi and Lü Bu were still on their way, and Liu Bei had ordered the soldiers to retreat in the direction of Xiapi.

The Xuzhou army withdrew, and Cao Shuo followed behind with the team unhurriedly.

"Childe, let's go a little faster, maybe we can catch up with Liu Bei." Chen Zhi reminded: "Once he enters Xiapi City, this battle will not be easy to fight. ”

"You can't get too close." Cao Shuo said: "If we chase fast, Liu Bei will escape fast." The scouts have already brought news that Zhong Da and General Lü are arriving with their troops and should be able to join our army before the enemy returns to Xiapi. The most favorable time for our troops is the moment when they arrive. ”

"Childe means to entangle Liu Bei at a critical moment?" Chen Zhi asked: "When Sima Zhongda is killed, our army will be able to annihilate him in one go?" ”

"That's what it means." Cao Shuo smiled slightly, and said to Sima Yi: "Liu Bei asked Zhang Fei to lead the troops to ambush, trying to hit us in an ambush, if we chase too fast, the enemy ambush will kill, although I have already deployed, but it is inevitable that I will not fall into a bitter battle." ”

Glancing back at the soldiers following behind him, Cao Shuo said: "Every soldier who goes with me is an elite, and I won't let them be ambushed by a group of old and weak soldiers and suffer heavy losses." ”

"Do you want to send more scouts?" Chen Zhi said: "Find out where Zhang Fei is, and send a team of soldiers and horses to destroy him." ”

"That's a good idea." Cao Shuo said: "It's just that the enemy army is more familiar with the environment of Xiapi than us, and the environment of the place where Zhang Fei is lurking must be very complicated. It should be no problem to find Zhang Fei and eliminate him, the key is that in a complex environment, our army's casualties will never be small. ”

"I said it." He smiled at Chen Zhi: "The soldiers who came here with me are all elites, and if I break one more person, I will be very painful." The most opportune time is to approach unhurriedly and push the enemy army into a corner, and then start a decisive battle with them! ”

Chen Zhi nodded and didn't say anything more.

The team is still moving forward at a not-so-fast pace.

Liu Bei, who fled to Xiapi, sent many scouts to investigate Cao Shuo's movements.

More than a dozen scouts returned in succession, and the news they brought back was the same.

Cao Shuo had no intention of speeding up the pursuit at all, but just led his troops to follow them unhurriedly.

After getting the news, Liu Bei frowned.

He asked himself that if he were to replace himself and the enemy retreated, he would definitely pursue it with all his might.

However, Cao Shuo had already taken the advantage, but he still followed them unhurriedly, which really made him wonder why.

There were still five or six miles away from Xiapi, and Liu Bei stopped.

He shouted to his soldiers: "Stand still and wait for the enemy!" ”

The Xuzhou army stopped one after another and lined up to meet the battle.

Liu Bei stopped, and it didn't take long for another scout to come to Cao Shuo.

"Qi Yu Gongzi, Liu Bei stopped no more than five miles away from Xiapi." The scout said to Cao Shuo: "The enemy army is lined up to meet the battle, as if they want to fight a decisive battle with Childe. ”

"The fox's tail is exposed." After receiving the report, Cao Shuo smiled and said to Chen Zhi and the others: "Seeing that I refused to speed up the pursuit, Zhang Fei's ambush could not work, Liu Xuande still couldn't hold back." ”

"Liu Bei and Gongzi are fighting for Xuzhou, which is simply blind to his dog's eyes." Mi Heng said: "With his ability, where will he be Childe's opponent?" ”

Looking at Mi Heng, Cao Shuo smiled and said, "Zhengping, compared with the past, you have changed a lot. ”

"Something has changed in me." Mi Heng was stunned: "Following Childe all day long, Childe can still see that I am no different from the past." ”

(End of chapter)