Xiao Xiao said: "I have never broken through. After the Nanyang infantry opened the defense line in the south of the city, they retreated to Zhongmu City. ”

"In other words, in Zhongmu City, there are still tens of thousands of foot soldiers of the Nanyang Army? What does this mean? The judge puzzled, "Abandon the car to protect the handsome?" ”

No one could answer the question of matching, and even Cao Cao's thinking at the moment was in confusion.

He Xian broke through? Is Zhongmu City short of food or not short of food after all? Will the Yuan Cao coalition continue the siege and eat the tens of thousands of Nanyang troops, or will they retreat and fight again next time?

Cao Cao did not mention the retreat for the time being, and returned to the camp to discuss with Xi Zhicai. Yuan Shao was angry at Wen Chou's death and decided to take revenge on the Nanyang army and stormed Zhongmu City. Yan Liang personally led the troops to the city, and after a day of fierce fighting, the casualties on both sides were not small, but Zhongmu City was still not broken.

Two days later, Chen Liu came with bad news!

Instead of fleeing back to Yingchuan, the flying cavalry led by He Xian made a big circle and raided Chen Liucheng! Chen Liushou held on to Xia Houen and tried his best to ensure that Chen Liucheng was not lost. He Xian couldn't capture Chenliu, so he turned around and attacked more than a dozen other counties in Chenliu County. He didn't kill many people, but he specialized in the grain and grass of the county town and burned the houses of the people. Xun Yu was raising grain and grass in Jiyang County at that time, and after Jiyang City was destroyed, Xun Yu's whereabouts were unknown, and he was probably taken away by He Xian's flying cavalry army......

Chen Liu's attack confirmed that the Nanyang Army was actually not short of grain and grass, otherwise He Xian's first choice for breaking through should be to return to Yingchuan to raise grain and grass and mobilize reinforcements.

After getting the bad news, Cao Cao relapsed again and became unconscious. Xi Zhicai led the Cao army without saying a word, and the whole army withdrew to Chen Liucheng.

Yuan Shao sent people to ask for grain and grass, but Xi Zhicai was burned by the Nanyang army with Chen Liu's grain and grass, and he was unable to raise it, so he only gave Yuan Shao's whole army three days' food. Yuan Shao was furious and wanted to raise all the Yuan troops under his command to attack Chen Liu, but was dissuaded by the group of strategists led by the trial. In the end, Yuan Shao left Zhang He to lead 30,000 Jizhou foot soldiers to break off, and he hurried to Guandu under the escort of Yan Liang and fled to Jizhou.

Jia Xu tried his best to design this big game, how could Yuan Jun escape easily? He ordered Wei Yanqin to lead 20,000 Fucha troops and closely pursue the 30,000 Yuan troops after the break. He personally led the remaining 20,000 Nanyang troops, with all the grain and grass, gave up Zhongmu, and marched into Chen Liu!

It is said that after He Xian found out that Cao Cao had seen through Zhongmu's deception of lack of food, he really changed his strategy and led the flying cavalry army to pretend to escape, but in fact, he broke into Chenliu County and wreaked havoc, and spread the news to Yuan Cao's two armies, causing panic. Sure enough, Cao Cao suddenly fell ill, and Xi Zhicai retreated to Chen Liu for safety, and also revealed the fact that there was a shortage of food and grass, which caused Yuan Shao to be very angry and hurriedly retreated.

He Xian took the opportunity to evacuate from Chenliu and went to Guandu to intercept Yuan Shao. It's a pity that Yuan Shao ran too fast, and He Xian's 10,000 flying cavalry troops only had time to block the 30,000 Jizhou soldiers led by Zhang He. There was a strong enemy in front, there were chasing soldiers in the rear, and there was not enough food and grass in the camp, Zhang He organized the Jizhou soldiers to break through several times to no avail, and the 30,000 Jizhou soldiers were sharply reduced to 20,000, and the army's spirit was scattered, and they were unable to fight again. Zhang He dismounted and begged to surrender, and He Xian gladly accepted.

In August of the first year of Jian'an (196 AD), the Sino-Mu War, which had been deadlocked for five months, finally decided the winner. Yuan Cao's two armies retreated in a hurry because of the lack of food and grass, and were seized by the Nanyang army and beaten hard. Yuan Shao had 80,000 soldiers, and less than 30,000 returned to Jizhou safely. The generals Wen Chou and Han Meng died in battle, Zhang He and Fu Zhu surrendered to the enemy after being captured, and the rest of the unknown young generals suffered countless losses. After returning to Yecheng, Yuan Shao was furious and fell ill on the bed. The two sons under his knees, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, launched an open and secret struggle to inherit the foundation of Jizhou, and the power of the Yuan family declined from prosperity to decline.

In Yanzhou, after He Xian and Wei Yan subdued Zhang He's 20,000 Jizhou soldiers, the more they fought, the more they fought, and the number of troops reached 50,000. Coupled with the 20,000 Nanyang troops led by Jia Xu and Wen Ping, the number of troops besieging Chen Liucheng reached 70,000. In Chen Liucheng, Cao's army had less than 30,000 troops, and the more serious grain and grass hoarded by Chen Liucheng was consumed too much in the Battle of Zhongmu, and it could not last for another month.

Chen Liucheng, Governor's Mansion. The candle shadow swayed, and everything went dark.

"The lord is awake!"

Cao Cao woke up from a coma and saw Xi Zhicai, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren and other important ministers by his side, waiting anxiously.

"How's the war going?" Cao Cao asked.

"The Yuan army was defeated, and the Nanyang army of 70,000 besieged Chen Liucheng." Xi Zhicai replied bitterly.

"How long can my army's food and grass last?"

"A month!"

"Alas......" Cao Cao sighed and said, "After all, I still fell for He Xian's trick!" Inform the whole army and prepare to break out! ”

"The lord ......" Xi Zhicai choked up and was speechless. Cao Junzhong, as Cao Cao's chief think tank, Xi Zhicai is to blame. And once Cao Jun gave up Chen Liu, he gave up Yanzhou and gave up the base on which he joined the army to survive. This was a devastating blow to Cao Jun.

"The military advisor doesn't need to blame himself, this is his fate!" Cao Cao was relieved, "After this battle, there is no place for our army in Henan. The military advisor needed a letter and sent someone to Yecheng quickly, asking Yuan Shao to temporarily lend the plains to our army to rest and continue to fight against the Nanyang army. ”

"Miaocai, after breaking through, you led 3,000 light cavalry all the way to the east to collect the soldiers, gather grain and grass, and take the civil and military generals who are still willing to follow our army, and retreat all the way to Linji Port in Beihai. Board a boat from Linji Port to cross the river to Gaotang, and finally meet in the plain. I led the main force with my army to fight and retreat, crossed the river from Puyang Dunqiu Port, and headed for the plain. Those who are unwilling to follow our army, Cao will not be reluctant; If you are willing to follow, we will tide over the difficulties together, and after gaining a foothold in Hebei, we will counterattack Henan! ”

"We are willing to follow the lord and never give up!" In the hall of the governor's mansion, all the civil and military generals were Cao Cao's henchmen, and they all expressed their determination to follow him to the death.

In September of the first year of Jian'an (196 AD), Cao Cao gave up Chen Liu, and the whole army broke through.

The Nanyang army advanced, and the counties of Chenliu changed banners one after another and accepted the rule of the Nanyang army. He Xian pursued Cao Jun all the way to Puyang. Under the city of Puyang, the Nanyang army met with fierce resistance from the Cao army. A month later, the Nanyang army captured Puyang City at the cost of tens of thousands of casualties, and the Puyang defender Cao Ren died in battle, and the Cao army in the city had all been killed. Cao Cao, under Cao Ren's desperate resistance, fled from Dunqiu to Jizhou.

At the same time, He Xian ordered the Xuzhou guard general Fengyi Zhonglang to lead 30,000 Danyang soldiers to the north into Qingzhou. Cao Hong, who was guarding Qingzhou, was defeated and retreated, and finally joined Xiahou Yuan from the west, gathered 30,000 Cao troops and a large amount of baggage grain and grass to cross north to Linji, and arrived at Gaotang Port in Pingyuan County.

Yuan Shao heard that Cao Cao was chased and killed by He Xian all the way, and was driven out of Yan and Qing Prefectures, and his condition worsened. Before falling into a coma, Yuan Shao told Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang to join Cao Cao to fight against He together. Pingyuan County became Cao Cao's temporary base.