Although Ping Cao Cao led the defeated soldiers back to Pingyuan City, there was no danger after all. This night attack was not as good as the loss of the previous siege day, but because the opponent killed resolutely and suddenly, it almost endangered the life of the coach, which seemed threatening. In addition, the seven-day siege was suspended, which also wiped out previous efforts.

After returning to the plains, many scattered troops also returned one after another, and the generals of Cao's army were noisy and shouted and demanded to be killed again, except for this breath.

Yuan Xi is just a soft persimmon in their eyes, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shang, and Yuan Tan have been defeated under Cao Jun, how can this Yuan Xi set off any waves? But I didn't expect that this battle of Nanpi was dignified, neither surprising nor ingenious, so it was crushed and let him withstand it to the death. The last night attack, to be honest, even if it didn't, Cao Jun would have to retreat if he continued to fight like this, but it was not so embarrassing.

Cao Cao summoned many strategists who were still in Yecheng overnight, and everyone brainstormed to see how to conquer Nanpi.

Some say that Yuan Xi is also at the end of the crossbow, and if he continues to mobilize troops to attack the city, he will definitely be able to take it easily.

Some said that it was better to bypass Nanpi and go north from Xindu to take Yijing, cutting off Yuan Xi's back road.

Others said that they simply persuaded the other party to surrender.

"Persuasion?" Cao Cao didn't say a word, if he was attacking the city a few days ago, he could still say that he was defeated so badly now, who could still accept persuasion to surrender? Moreover, Yuan Xi had sent people to persuade them to surrender in turn and let them hand over Yecheng. At the time, I thought it was arrogant, but now that I think about it, I am afraid that it was intentional, deliberately provoking them.

Just as the dispute was over, Yuan Xi's messenger sent another letter.

Cao Cao thought that he was ridiculing his letters, so he forwarded them to a group of advisers to read. But I didn't expect Cheng Yu, who was closest to him, to see it, and suddenly shouted: "Lord, it's a good thing." ”

Cao Cao turned his head and only heard this subordinate say: "Yuan Xi asks for peace!" ”

"Summation?" Cao Cao was a little unexpected, when the siege war was so tragic, he didn't ask for peace, what kind of peace did he ask for at this time?

Cheng Yu said: "The letter said that Nanpi could let him out, but he would send Yuan's family, including Zhen, back, and then canonize him as the king of Youzhou and guard the north forever." ”

Ripping the Ground and Sealing the King? Cao Cao's eyebrows twitched, and he muttered, "He's a lion's big mouth." ”

Even if it is a clan surnamed Liu, it is a fantasy to occupy the entire Youzhou as the king. What's more, it's just the son of a prince like Yuan Xi, and his official position is at most Youzhou Thorn History, which is far from Wang Na.

Cheng Yu said: "In his letter, he said the reason, the land in the northern frontier of Youzhou, foreign Hu is rampant, and he is willing to defend the land for the country and expel Hu Lu." ”

Cao Cao snorted coldly: "This is a scene, without him, I can also send someone to guard one side." How can the side of the couch allow others to snore, he guards in Youzhou, hanging over our heads all the time, when the time comes, take advantage of us to go south, stab us, who can stand it? ”

There is one sentence he didn't say, Yuan Shao and Yuan Tan both died at his hands, with Yuan Xi's identity, is it possible that the revenge of his father and brother will not be avenged?

The strategists said, "Exactly, exactly." ”

So everyone put down Yuan Xi's letter of request for peace and continued to study countermeasures.

A few days later, a carriage stopped at the foot of Plains City, and a thin young man wearing a brocade hat and mink fur came out of the carriage. He looked at the snow outside the city, stunned.

Not far away, the sound of horses' hooves sounded, and where Seven or Eight rode by, a white snow powder flew. I saw Cao Cao leading Xu Chu and a group of guards to dismount nearby, and said immediately: "Fengxiao, you are finally here." ”

This young man is Guo Jia, who is in his early thirties, but he is deeply valued by Cao Cao.

Guo Jia arched his hand and said, "How can the boy go out of the city to greet him?" ”

Cao Cao took his hand and said, "If it weren't for the tight war, I really didn't want you to run around in illness." ”

Guo Jiadao: "It's just a sick body, but it's still the war as the priority. What about Nanpi? ”

Cao Cao said: "It's not ideal, let's get in the car and say, don't catch a cold." ”

The two of them got into the carriage, and the carriage was specially made, very spacious, covered with fur all around, and sat softly, and there was a small charcoal basin emitting heat, which made the carriage very warm.

Cao Cao and Guo Jia sat in together, rubbed their hands, and said, "How is Fengxiao's health?" ”

Guo Jia said: "A little illness made the lord smile." In fact, even if you go out with the army, it is not a big problem. ”

Cao Cao said: "It's better to be cautious." Nanpi was defeated......"

Guo Jia was stunned for a moment, grabbed a bottle beside him, and shook it, but found that there was no wine.

Cao Cao knew that he was a heavy drinker, so he said: "When I get to the plain city, I will give you a taste of the local wine." ”

Guo Jia smiled and said, "The doctor said that it is not advisable to drink alcohol during illness. Then he changed the conversation and said: "I heard that the war in Nanpi was not going well, but I didn't expect it to be so urgent. ”

Cao Cao said: "It was all my carelessness that fell for Yuan Xi'er's scheme." I don't know where he found a helper, but he actually claimed to be Gao Shun, a general under Lu Bu who had died. ”

Guo Jia frowned and said, "Isn't this person dead?" ”

Cao Cao said: "I didn't die, I guess I hid early in the morning, and now I am working for Yuan Xi, just to seek revenge on us." ”

Guo Jia said: "Lord, please tell me the details of the siege of Nanpi. ”

The wheel rolled forward, leaving two clear notches.

Nanpi was in full swing at this time, and many soldiers of the People's Army were working shirtless in the cold wind, and their morale was high.

The besiegers patted their butts and left, and the defenders had to deal with the aftermath. Bury the dead comrades, gather the bodies left by the other party and burn them. Otherwise, when the spring of the next year comes, it will easily cause the plague. In addition, it was necessary to dig deep trenches and build high walls to prepare for the next arrival of Cao's army.

This time the siege of the city was fought beautifully, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time, their morale was greatly boosted. Cao's army went all the way north, and when they reached Nanpi, they finally suffered defeat. This gave a sigh of relief to the people on Yuan Xi's side. The people's army is okay, and there are some of the original defenders of Nanpi, when they saw the tide of Cao Jun coming, they were once frightened and breathless, but at this time they also felt that it was nothing more than that.

Yuan Xi and the General Staff were still deducing the battle situation, and they had no doubts about Cao Cao's comeback. It's just a matter of when.

Tian Chou said: "Although the enemy army has suffered heavy losses, there are many of them, and the foundation is still there. For every one of us who dies, there is one less. If Cao's army comes, it may not be so easy to repel it, and our losses will be even greater. ”

Yuan Xi said: "If you want to repel them, you naturally have to pay some price. ”

Tian Chou said: "But what about after the repulsion? Cao Cao's troops were numerous, and they could recruit people at any time. But those of us not only have a long training time, but also have too few soldiers. ”

This is the weakness of the people's army's compliance with the policy of elite soldiers, and the cost of a single soldier is too high. Just like the soldiers under Xu Dayan's command, the time required to form an army is too long, just like steelmaking, it is tempered thousands of times, but when it comes to the battlefield, even if it can be defeated by one enemy and ten, it is not worth dying.

So, if there is a war of attrition, it will definitely not be able to consume. On Yuan Xi's side, what is needed is to decide the outcome of a battle, completely defeat Cao Cao, and let him never turn over.

But this kind of difficulty is too great, in the history that Yuan Xi knows, Cao Cao is Xiao Qiang who can't be killed, and he has been chased by the enemy several times to cut his beard and abandon his robe, he just can survive. In addition to being excellent in battle command, there is no ambiguity in escaping. Just like this time, Gao Shun's trapping camp launched a surprise attack and almost succeeded. If it does, it's done once and for all. Pity.

Tian Chou still saw farther, and when others were happy about the current victory, he had already seen the future with anxiety. From a fundamental point of view, it is still too difficult to fight Cao Cao with the strength of Youzhou.

Yuan Xi said: "Let's continue to consume, the advantages we have are also what Cao Cao does not have." ”

"What advantages?"

"Time."