Cao Shuo led the army to hurry up, but it was still a little late.

When they came to the outside of Xiangping City, the nearby villages had already been looted by the Liaodong army, and they could not find even a single grain grain.

In order to escape the scourge of the war, the people who had been robbed of food moved north.

When the army arrived, many villages were empty.

Passing by a village where no one was around, Cao Shuo said: "Gongsun Yuan is not just doing this to clear the wilderness, he is simply fishing in the dry water. ”

"Gongsun Yuan probably never thought that he could defeat Gongzi." Guo Jia said: "He is planning to fight to the death with our army, no matter whether he wins or loses, the Xiangping area has become a barren land." ”

"With such courage at a young age, Gongsun Yuan is really not an ordinary person." Cao Shuo said: "People like him really can't be allowed to live. ”

He then instructed the side: "Send out scouts to inspect the people left behind in various places, and distribute food to anyone we find, and wait until there are enough people to send them to various places for refuge." ”

"Childe." Guo Jia reminded on the side: "Our army's military rations are not very much. ”

"We don't need much food for the people." Cao Shuo said: "As long as you can keep them from starving, you can send them to a place to survive." The world is chaotic, and it is much better to have one more person alive than to watch one person starve to death. ”

Guo Jia also instructed the soldier: "While settling the people, don't forget to urge the local government to supply grain and grass to the army, and whoever dares to neglect the military rations, let them come to see them." ”

The soldier retreated.

On the way to Xiangping, Cao Shuo saw many villages where no one was there.

These villages were only on his way, and the other directions should be the same.

Cao Jun soldiers searched for villagers who had not left all the way.

Most of the people fled, leaving few villagers behind.

Some of them simply burrowed into the mountains in search of wild animals and edible mountain fruits to sustain themselves.

At first, Cao Jun did not find many people.

Food rations were distributed to the men, and some of them volunteered to lead the way for Cao Jun in search of other villagers.

More and more villagers came to the vicinity of Xiangping and set up tents next to Cao's military camp.

The increase in civilians also increased the burden of Cao's army's military rations, and the military rations allocated from various localities were heading to Xiangping.

At the head of Xiangping City, Gongsun Yuan looked at the Cao family's military camp, with a touch of pride on his face.

He said to Lun Zhi and Beiyan on the side: "It is said that Cao Zi is melted, I think he is also very usual, and the rations in the people's homes were collected by me, but he left everyone behind." These people need to eat, they need to be dressed, they have a place to sleep, and I want to see what kind of situation Cao Zirong can settle them into. ”

"Childe's doing this can indeed cause a lot of trouble to Cao Zirong, but it has lost the hearts of the people." Lun Zhi said: "If Cao Zirong takes Xiangping, don't say it, if he can't take it, there will be no people near Xiangping, and it will not be easy to recruit soldiers in the future." ”

"If the enemy invades the territory and can take care of the present, who can take care of the future?" Gongsun Yuan said: "People are everywhere, give them some benefits in the future, and the vicinity of Xiangping will gradually become popular." But there is only one Xiangping, and if we lose here, we will have nowhere to retreat. ”

"Childe is right." Bei Yan took his words and said: "Cao Zirong's army is short of food, and it will not be long before it can be supported, as long as our army sticks to the city, he has no way." ”

"All I want is to spend time with him." Gongsun Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly: "When he runs out of military food and plans to withdraw, our army will go out of the city to pursue again, and maybe we can even take his head." ”

"Childe is wise!" Honest and humble bow to the Tao.

More and more civilians are coming to the vicinity of the barracks.

In the tent, Cao Shuo was studying how to break through Xiangping as soon as possible, and Zhu Ao came to the tent: "Prince Qiyu, I counted the number of people just now, and the people accommodated by our army have exceeded 2,000 people. ”

"There are only 2,000 civilians near Xiangping?" Cao Shuo asked outside.

"It's not." Zhu Ao replied: "Most of them have already fled, and these two thousand people have not been able to leave in time, and they can't leave if they want to." ”

"There will be a big war here, and the people can't stay too long." Cao Shuo instructed: "Two thousand people is already a lot, let them be sent to Xuansu County and handed over to the government there to settle down." ”

Zhu Ao should leave.

It didn't take long for the people stationed in the camp next to the Cao Jun military camp to learn that they were about to leave Xiangping and packed their bags and prepared to travel.

Their home is in Xiangping, and when they learn that they are about to leave, many people are surging with reluctance in their hearts.

However, the Liaodong army robbed them of their food and destroyed their homes, and although the Cao army provided them with rations, the officers and men of the army also had to eat, so it was impossible to keep them here for too long.

Most of the people silently packed their bags and waited for the escort to arrive.

There are also some who are reluctant to leave, crying and crying very sadly.

There were also a few elderly people who refused to leave the tent even crying.

It took a lot of effort for the Cao army to persuade them, and they just didn't listen to what they said.

There was really no way, and the officer in charge of transferring the people reported to Zhu Ao at this time.

Knowing the situation, Zhu Ao came to Cao Shuo's tent again.

After listening to Zhu Ao's reply, Cao Shuo asked, "What do you think should be done?" ”

"I don't know." Zhu Ao replied: "After all, the people are not prisoners, if they dare to make such a fuss, they can be killed directly." But these people ......"

"If you are not captives, do you want to get used to them?" Cao Shuo said: "There are many kinds of people, and the most clear classification is the good people and the bad people. If it is a good people, of course we must protect it with all our might. However, when you meet Diao Min, there is no need to be so polite. When they refused to go, they threw their belongings outside the camp and left them to fend for themselves. We don't drive them out of the house, but we don't let them stay in the camps, and we don't distribute rations anymore. ”

"If they do, they will starve to death." Zhu Ao replied.

"Make it clear to them and tell them that I saved them in the hope that they would live. When the war in Xiangping is over, I will not ask whether they choose to come back or stay where they moved. But now that the war is urgent, and the military rations are insufficient, they must unconditionally support the army. Cao Shuo said: "Anyone who stirs up trouble at this time is no longer protected by the army, and we don't care if it's life or death." ”

"I'll go." Zhu Ao stepped down.

Cao Shuo lowered his head and continued to look at the map of Xiangping City on the table.

Arriving at the camp where the people were sheltered, Zhu Ao conveyed Cao Shuo's order to the officer in charge of the resettlement.

(End of chapter)