CHAPTER 78 FIGHTING FIRES WITH FIRE
Although Cao Jun did not abandon the ship from Wulin as recorded in the historical records, he now went ashore from the Baqiu section, and the distance from the Guyunmengze section was no shorter than the distance from the Wulin section. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ο½iqugeγ info Ge Liang had already sent someone to inquire and detective, and the road ahead of Cao Jun was still muddy, and the trees were overgrown with weeds, and when he got in, it was like drilling into the Savage Mountain.
Since Shi Zai Cao Cao walked out of Yunmengze and sighed that Liu Bei thought that it was too late for Wulin to set fire, then now that I, Ge Liang, have crossed over, how can I make such a low-level mistake? Otherwise, I don't dare to let Zhou Yu break away from the battle with the main force of Cao Jun now, and make a detour to Xiangyang to copy Cao Cao's back road.
Guan Yu had already given the order, and the sergeants were all looking for flints and sickles to prepare for departure.
According to the prior design, Guan Yu and Ge Liang led their troops to the vicinity of Huarong County and waited for Cao Cao's arrival.
After waiting for three days, there was no trace of Cao Cao's arrival, Guan Yu was a little impatient: "Did the military advisor miscalculate, could it be that Cao Cao has already passed?" β
Ge Liang shook his head and said, "It shouldn't be possible. We came by water, and the march was already faster than Cao Cao, and he was stuck in the mud, and there were not many horses, how could he run ahead of us. β
Guan Yu looked around: "I've been waiting here for so long, Ping'er should be able to come over." β
In the middle of the chatter, Guan Ping appeared: "Father, the child is back." β
Guan Yu and Ge Liang hurriedly greeted him: "How is the situation in Jiangling City?" β
Guan Ping reported: "Father, military advisor, everything is fine in Jiangling City, although Cao's army has besieged the city for more than half a month and launched many attacks, but they have all been repulsed. β
Jiangling is safe, the eldest brother is safe, Guan Yu is relieved.
Huang Yue is fine, Liu Bei is fine, Ge Liang is also relieved, the question now is why Cao Cao hasn't come yet, won't he fall into the swamp to feed the crocodiles, right? That's a lot of fun.
In the afternoon of the same day, the sentry finally came with the news: "The Cao army has been discovered, and it is expected to be about twenty miles away from here." β
Ge Liang immediately became excited, asked the sergeant to point out the position of Cao Jun, and found that Cao Jun was in the southeast direction at this time.
Hahaha! It's in the south of Lao Tzu again, Cao Cao, Cao Cao, these days I want you to taste the power of the north wind again, and fall into the wind and fire hell again! Ge Liang hurriedly instructed the sentry to reconnoiter again and come back at any time to report the news.
Cao Cao, Cao Cao, will you laugh three times as described in the romance, saying that Zhuge Liang is a little kid who doesn't know how to use soldiers, and if you ambush here, you can only be captured?
Cao Cao was not in the mood to laugh at all, he died of illness along the way, fell into the swamp and couldn't climb out of a large area, and finally launched a ruthless attack, using knives and guns to escort the old, weak, sick and disabled to explore the road in front, and ordered the sergeant to cut down trees and pave the road, and struggled desperately for so many days, and finally came here, and found that the ground was generally harder, so he relaxed a little, saw that it was late, and ordered to camp and rest.
The waiter carefully presented the dinner. Cao Cao didn't have the heart to eat, so he asked Cao Ren: "How many people have you lost along the way?" β
Cao Ren lowered his head and replied very sadly: "I'm afraid there are less than 30,000 left." β
"Alas, no wonder when Guo Jia was there, he said that there were many diseases in the south, and if he came to the south, he was afraid that he would not be able to go back." Cao Cao was caught up in endless reminiscences.
Cao Ren was very unwillingly defeated: "If it weren't for this damn plague, if we took this part of the road, where would so many people die!" Even when fighting the enemy in the Baqiu area, the army will not be without combat strength and the losses will be so great. β
Cao Cao felt that Cao Ren said it well, this can't be blamed on me, Lao Cao can't command it, it's all providence.
"You go out and order the lights to be tightened, and now we are camped in this forest, but don't cause panic due to fire." Cao Cao is now sensitive to fire.
In the middle of the night, the exhausted Cao Jun was sleeping soundly, and suddenly the sentry saw that the woods in the northwest direction were on fire, and in an instant they spread into a large area, which was burning towards him along the northwest wind.
"It's on fire! It's on fire! The sentry hurried back to the camp to report.
Cao Cao was having a nightmare, he dreamed that he was still riding on the Yangtze River, and suddenly the boat automatically burned, and when he looked back, he saw that all the sergeants of the boat were holding a torch, and they were lighting fires everywhere on the boat, and they shouted to themselves with strange faces: "Ignite the fire, ignite the fire, hurry up and light the fire." β
"How dare you collude with the enemy to rebel!" In a fit of rage, Cao Cao drew his sword and slashed at a sergeant, instantly splitting one of the sergeants in half from the middle.
The sergeant, who had been split in half, did not fall, and each half of his body continued to burn the sails with torches, and they all turned around and continued to shout at him: "There is a fire, there is a fire!" β
"Ahh Cao Cao rolled out of bed to the ground with a scream, only to realize that he was not on the boat, but he could clearly hear exclamations of "fire, fire" everywhere!
Xu Chu rushed in and reported: "Lord, the forest outside is on fire, hurry up and take shelter." β
Cao Cao didn't have time to put on his shoes, so he ran to the door of the camp tent to check, only to see the sergeants panicked, rushing out of the camp tent and scurrying around, while the raging fire in the northwest woods was already about to burn downwind.
It's over, I'm really going to be burned to death now! Cao Cao was not reconciled, returned to the camp and took out his sword, and rushed at a sergeant who escaped from the front with a swordβthis time he didn't cut it on the head, but on the neck, and he didn't know if he could speak if he split it in half.
Xu Chu immediately understood, raised his hand and slashed over one: "Don't run, stop me!" β
Cao Ren also rushed over, and also slashed one with a knife: "Stop me!" β
Cao Cao was hoarse: "Don't run around, prepare for me to put out the fire!" β
The strategists also came around, seeing that their lives were in danger, and in a hurry, someone finally came up with a way: "Prime Minister, quickly organize people to cut down trees in front and back, and then set fire to the rear first, and burn out a vacant land to escape!"
Yes, yes, this is the only way at present, Cao Cao hurriedly ordered Cao Ren, Le Jin and Man Chong to lead the people to carry it out.
After some desperate self-help, Cao Jun finally vacated the camp and burned an open field, although because the place was too crowded, many sergeants had been swallowed up in the flames, but after all, half of them survived.
Seeing that the fire dragon burned in the southeast direction, and finally got farther and farther away from him, Cao Cao stomped his feet and trampled out the ashes that almost burned the soles of his shoes - he almost died in the fire, it couldn't be Zhou Yu or Guan Yu again?
As Cao Cao was, he immediately felt that the crisis had not passed, and hurriedly ordered Cao Ren to organize the team and be ready to meet the enemy's attack at any time.
At this time, Ge Liangzheng and Guan Yu were inspecting the fire in the distance upwind: "Now Cao Cao will only have half a breath left if he doesn't die." β