(PS: The double monthly pass has begun, ask for a monthly pass!) ）

After confirming that Boss Cao was about to die of illness, Deputy Director Tao, who had already won the victory, suddenly ordered to abandon the sneak attack and forbade the second army of Zhao Yun and Wei Yan, which was less than three miles away from Cao's camp, to attack, and led the 40,000-strong army to hover outside Cao's camp for more than half an hour.

Why do you want to do this, Deputy Director Tao has not explained to the generals, seeing that Deputy Director Tao is not good, the Xuzhou generals did not dare to ask, until the Xuzhou army successfully withdrew to the camp of the army, and the team returned to their respective camps to rest, and the generals of Xuzhou gathered again in the commander's tent of the Chinese army, waiting for Deputy Director Tao's explanation.

As a dictator with sole power, Deputy Director Tao certainly has the right to refuse to answer all the purposes of his actions, but the decision made by Deputy Director Tao this time is too big, and the impact on the development of the war is also very far-reaching, so Deputy Director Tao thought about it for a long time with a melancholy expression, and finally said to the civil and military ministers of Xuzhou who had already arrived: "Princes, generals, you must be very strange, we sent troops to rob the camp this time, and the enemy was clearly unprepared, why did I suddenly order to abandon this operation?" ”

"I'm not going to hide it from you." Deputy Director Tao cleared his throat and said calmly: "Because I have received reliable information, our enemy's commander, Cao Cao Cao Mengde, is already terminally ill and will lose his breath tonight, maybe he has lost his breath at this time, so I decided to order the retreat." ”

Deputy Director Tao's words seemed to have thrown a thunderbolt into the big tent of the Chinese army, and the big tent of the Chinese army exploded immediately. Except for a very small number of people in the know, almost every Xuzhou civil and military officer was speechless, and then exclaimed, "Lord, Cao Thief is going to die?" Really? If it's true, such a good opportunity, why did you give the order to stop the offensive? ”

"Quiet, quiet." Deputy Director Tao waved his hand to silence the accomplice lackeys, and then said expressionlessly: "To be honest, I also feel a little impulsive now. Because I received information that Cao Cao was likely to die tonight. It's not that Cao Cao will definitely die tonight, maybe Cao Cao survived tonight, and his condition will improve tomorrow, and such a situation is not impossible. But. I have no regrets about the decision I made. ”

"My lord. What do you mean by that? Why did the last general get more confused the more he listened? Wei Yan asked suspiciously, "Since the Cao thief is likely to lose his breath tonight." Our army has the upper hand and can win as long as it launches an attack, so why did you order the attack to stop, my lord? Why do you say that even if the thief survived tonight, he didn't die tonight. You also never regret your decision to stop attacking? ”

"Two reasons." Deputy Director Tao replied: "First, people are not plants and trees, who can be ruthless? When I was in Xuzhou City, Cao Cao once let me go once, and also used a fake oil pot to help me, and then although he and I have been not sharing the sky, each other gnashing teeth and hating, but this kindness, I have always remembered in my heart, so in order to repay him for this kindness, I decided to let him go through the last night of his life with peace of mind, so that he does not have to die under the sword of our army, and does not have to worry about the loyal and brave soldiers under his command when he is dying. ”

When Deputy Director Tao first crossed, those things that happened with Cao Boss in Xuzhou City have been spread all over the world over the years, and of course everyone knows about Xuzhou's civil and military ministers, and he usually laughed at Cao Boss in private for letting go of the tiger and returning to the mountain, digging his own grave, and even cursed Cao Boss's head for entering the water, raising tigers, giving Deputy Director Tao the opportunity to harm the world - for example, before returning to Deputy Director Tao, Jizhou was a general. So after hearing Deputy Director Tao's explanation, Xuzhou Wenwu also closed their mouths, in addition to continuing to regret missing this God-given opportunity, they also found for the first time that Deputy Director Tao, who was known for being black-hearted, also had a little human touch.

"The second reason is that I have to let Cao Jun's team understand my intentions." Deputy Director Tao said calmly: "Everyone knows that Cao Cao led the army into Kou Xuzhou and slaughtered more than 20 cities, and this blood debt has not been completely liquidated. In order to tell them that I don't care about what happened back then, I have already forgiven them, so I ordered to stop the attack and let them understand that I can forgive even the culprit Cao Cao, let alone them? ”

Almost all the civil and military forces in Xuzhou continued to refuse to keep silent, only Qin Yi, a veteran of the party's frequent defeat, stood up and said cautiously: "Lord, you really don't plan to pursue the blood debt of the Cao thief?" Back then, our northern cities in Xuzhou were too miserable to be plagued by Cao thieves. ”

"When is the time for retribution? Let him pass the past. Deputy Director Tao sighed: "It's easy for me to kill Cao Cao tonight, and it's not hopeless to kill all Cao Cao's subordinates who participated in the Xuzhou massacre in the future, but if I do this, the soldiers and civilians of Xuzhou who were slaughtered back then will be able to come back to life?" Speaking of blood debts, who among the people here, including me, does not have more or less blood debts for human life? Are we going to destroy all those whom I have slain, so that there will be no future troubles? The blood debt in Xuzhou, let's go, no one will mention it in the future. ”

Qin Yi was speechless, and some tears appeared in the corners of his eyes, Jia Lao, who was in the first column of civil officials, saw Qin Yi's thoughts, so he stood up and comforted Qin Yi: "General Qin, the lord is not a woman's benevolence, he is thinking about the overall situation, if our army takes advantage of the fire to rob and kill Cao Cao tonight, then Cao Ang, who has been established as Cao Mengde's son-in-law, will inevitably collude closely with Liu Bei in order to avenge his father, and the core backbone of the Cao army who is worried about our army settling old accounts will also support Cao Ang to join forces with the big-eared thief, and then work together with the big-eared thief to resist our army." ”

"If that's the case, the consequences are serious." Jia Lao Poison added: "At that time, not only will the officers and men of our army increase a lot of senseless sacrifices, but the war of our army to dominate the world will inevitably be delayed for a long time, because the rest of the Cao army has no choice but to closely unite with the big-eared thieves." Even willingly swallowed and annexed by the big-eared thief, when the big-eared thief's strength will increase greatly, there is a granary in Hanzhong to gain a foothold, and there is a natural danger in the Qinling Mountains to hold, and if our army wants to eliminate him, it will be even more difficult, and the army and people all over the world will suffer more suffering because the big-eared thief cannot be eliminated for a long time, and the war cannot be calmed down for a long time. ”

Speaking of this, Jia Lao Poison sighed. And said: "General Qin." You can cry because the lord is unwilling to avenge the murdered companions and the people, which is enough to prove that you are a person who values feelings, so in order to let you Xuzhou old people vent their anger for a while, the people of the whole world have suffered from the war for a long time. How can you bear it? ”

Qin Yi finally cried. Deputy Director Xiang Tao knelt down on his knees. Kowtowed and said: "My lord, the last general will no longer avenge his own brothers, nor will he avenge his colleagues and subordinates back then." The lord's good intentions are all understood by the general. The generals of Xuzhou also knelt down together and praised Deputy Director Tao's hypocritical virtues.

Deputy Director Tao sighed, first asked the generals to get up, and then personally picked up Qin Yi, and said very guiltily: "For the sake of the overall situation, I can only let down you old people left by your father, but you can also rest assured that I will compensate you in the future, and I hope that General Qin can send a letter to the old people in Xuzhou, inform them of my hardships, and persuade them to understand what I have done like you." ”

Qin Yi nodded tearfully, and promised to immediately send a letter to Lu You, Xu Tan and Zhang Xu, the old people of Xuzhou, to defend Deputy Director Tao, and Deputy Director Tao ordered Qin Yi and the old people of Xuzhou to be promoted by one level and increase their Yi by fifty, so as to appease the old people left by their cheap father. In the end, Deputy Director Tao ordered the army to raise the banner of serving the country and the people, strictly prohibiting Xuzhou soldiers from indiscriminately killing innocents, and saying that those who killed one person in vain would pay for their lives, so as to strictly enforce military discipline and buy the hearts of the people in Guanzhong.

It was also at the end that Qin Yi asked Deputy Director Tao again: "Lord, there is another question, why do you say that if Cao Thief does not die tonight, and even his condition improves, you will not regret giving up the attack tonight?" ”

"It's simple." Deputy Director Tao replied: "If Cao Cao doesn't die tonight, he must understand that I am repaying his kindness for his life back then, and I am also releasing goodwill to his soldiers. At the very least, Cao Cao would not let his team still fight to the death with our army after his death. ”

The night passed quickly, and in the early morning of the next day, the Xuzhou scout Pegasus, who had been sent to reconnoiter the movements of Cao Jun's camp, reported that he had found that Cao's camp was already half empty, and only Zhang He led the rear army to clean the camp and transfer all the baggage that could be taken away to Hangu Pass. Upon learning of this situation, Deputy Director Tao, who had already spared Cao's team once, did not hesitate any longer, and immediately ordered Zhao Yun to lead the army to attack Zhang He's palace team, and specially explained to capture more prisoners, so as to grasp the enemy's situation.

When Zhao Yun's team rushed to the front of the Cao army camp, it encountered almost non-existent resistance, and the Cao army team led by Zhang He was completely unwarlike, and immediately fled into the Hangu Guangu Road, and also piled some heavy baggage in the valley road and lit it, blocking Zhao Yun's team from pursuing with fire, Zhao Yun easily took the Cao army camp, and captured some Cao soldiers who had not escaped into the valley, and when the interrogation was added after the kind words of comfort, the Cao army soldiers truthfully explained that the Chinese army was full of crying last night, and then the Cao army had begun to retreat during the fourth watch, but whether Boss Cao is dead or not, these ordinary Cao soldiers have no idea.

Zhao Yun sent the news back to the camp, and Deputy Director Tao was also afraid that the treacherous old man was playing tricks to lure the enemy to death, so he did not immediately raise troops to attack Hangu Pass, but only sent scouts to reconnoiter Cao's movements. A day later, soon another report came, saying that the Cao army only left a small number of troops to hold the Hangu Pass, and the main force had withdrawn from the Hangu Pass and fled westward, and the main force of the Cao army withdrew from the Hangu Pass Valley Road to the open area in the west, the army immediately raised the white flag, and the mourning shook the ground, and the deputy director Tao lamented when he heard the report, and finally believed that the old man had been killed by himself.

Lamentation and lamentation, before confirming the attitude of Cao Boss's successor Cao Ang, Deputy Director Tao did not dare to take it lightly, and immediately ordered Ma Yan to lead the army to attack Hangu Pass, and sent a messenger to inform the commander of the partial division Zang Ba that Cao Boss had died, and ordered Zang Ba to step up the attack on Jiguan, and make every effort to pursue the Cao army that might abandon Jiguan at any time and retreat to Hedong, and not give Cao's army a chance to concentrate on Tongguan and hold on.

When the Xuzhou army attacked Hangu Pass, it was met with the stubborn and abnormal resistance of the Cao army team that stayed at Hangu Pass, and Xiahou Shang, who was ordered to stay behind, personally put on the battle and led the Cao army to frantically resist the Xuzhou army to attack the pass, and the Ma Yan team still did not capture Hangu Pass in the daytime of the day under the cover of thick smoke. It wasn't until late in the evening that Deputy Director Tao sent Wei Yan to lead the absolutely elite Danyang hooligan soldiers to reinforce the attack, and only then did he enter Hangu Pass after it was completely dark. What shocked the Xuzhou soldiers was that there were only more than 1,200 Cao soldiers guarding the Hangu Pass, and Xiahou Shang, who was in charge of staying behind, still refused to surrender after being killed alone and surrounded by the Xuzhou legions, shouting the slogan that I want to hold on for three days, and killed in the dense area of Xuzhou soldiers and fought to death. Deputy Director Tao sighed again when he heard the report, which made Xiahou Shang fall into the coffin. Good life burial.

was blocked by Xiahou Shang for a day. The Xuzhou army also lost the best opportunity to pursue the main force of the remnants of the Cao army, although Deputy Director Tao sent Zhao Yun to lead the army to pursue overnight, but the Kunhan Road west of Hangu Pass was narrow and slender, and it was inconvenient to pursue. Therefore, Zhao Yun's team still failed to catch up with the enemy's main force before Cao's army withdrew to Xin'an. Zhang Liao's main force of Cao Jun, who was temporarily the commander-in-chief, drove lightly. Escorting Boss Cao's coffin all the way to the west, traveling hundreds of miles a day, Zhao Yun was afraid that the lone army would go too deep. I had to send someone to report to Deputy Director Tao and ask for advice on whether to insist on pursuing to the end?

After the herald sent by Zhao Yun sent the news to Deputy Director Tao, Deputy Director Tao, who had just led the army to Hangu Pass, had an unsightly face, and wanted to chase it to the end, but Jia Lao Poison persuaded Deputy Director Tao to give up the pursuit, because Jia Lao Poison, who had accompanied Dong Boss to and from Cuihan Road for many years, knew the geography of Guanzhong very well, and pointed out that the mountain and road of Cuihan Road were high and narrow, and there was almost no room for detours. It is also possible that he was ambushed by mistake because of the unfamiliar geography and the in-depth lone army, and Deputy Director Tao, who could listen to the persuasion, had no choice but to order Zhao Yun's team to suspend the pursuit, station on the spot, and wait for the main force to move west to rendezvous.

At this point, the first phase of the Xuzhou Army's westward expedition was declared over, although the Xuzhou Army failed to seize the opportunity to annihilate the main force of the Cao Army to the west of Tongguan, but also survived the Cao Army's commander Cao Boss, and achieved a decisive victory, forcing the main force of the Cao Army without a leader to abandon Hangu Pass and Kei Pass, and withdraw to Tongguan to reorganize the defense. At the same time, the Xuzhou division led by Zang Ba also performed well, after the Cao army partial division Ren Jun led the main force to abandon the Kei Pass, he quickly waved his division to force the Cao army to stay in the pass to surrender, and launched a timely pursuit to bite the tail of Ren Jun's team, which can basically ensure the completion of the task of not giving Ren Jun's team to retreat to Tongguan, and Ren Jun, the brother-in-law of Cao Jun, who was closely pursued by Zang Ba, did not dare to risk crossing the Yellow River, so he could only lead the army to Anyi to seek to defend the city with Cao Jun's Hedong Taishou Pei Mao, and the remnants of the Cao army were forced to disperse.

Survive the death of Cao Boss, there is another benefit to the Xuzhou army, that is, the Cao army team is about to face a crisis moment of power transition, and at the same time, Cao Ang, the only successor designated by Cao Boss before his death, is also the only son of Cao Boss who has a good impression of the Xuzhou army, and his succession is naturally far better than Cao Pi, Cao Zhi and others who hate Deputy Director Tao, and the Xuzhou army has the hope of recruiting the rest of the Cao army in theory. Therefore, after taking Hangu Pass, Deputy Director Tao not only passed on the local officials of Cao Jun to surrender in various parts of the pass, but also immediately arranged for Jiang Gan, who was the most fearless of death among the strategists under his command, to attack, under the pretext of hanging filial piety for Cao Boss to rush to Chang'an, and took the opportunity to contact Cao Ang and Xun Yu and others to try to surrender.

When the news of Cao Boss's death reached Hanzhong, Uncle Liu Huang laughed proudly and rejoiced that one of the sworn enemies, Cao Boss, died tragically, and immediately used the excuse of reinforcing his ally Cao Jun's team, leaving Xu Shu and Guan Ping to guard Hanzhong to supply grain and grass, and personally led Pang Tong, Zhang Fei and other civil and military forces and 30,000 troops to the north to disperse the pass, and quickly rushed to Chang'an to 'rescue' the rest of Cao's army.

In order to prevent Cao Ang, who stayed in Chang'an, from resisting and misunderstanding his good intentions, Uncle Liu Huang, in addition to not daring to take the Meridian Valley shortcut to Chang'an, had already sent an envoy to Chang'an before departure, telling Cao Ang that the purpose of the self-army was to help Cao's army resist the Xuzhou army, and he was ready to take a short rest in Chencang, and waited until it was confirmed that Cao Ang agreed to march eastward from the army, and then it was not too late to march to Chang'an - anyway, the main force of the Xuzhou army would definitely not be able to march fast in order to ensure the supply of grain and grass. However, Uncle Liu was soon pleasantly surprised to find that his worries were simply wasted, because when the main force of Uncle Huang's army was still marching the rugged mountain road of Chencang Road, Cao Ang had already sent a messenger for help, asking Uncle Liu to send troops to Guanzhong as soon as possible to help his army resist the offensive of the Xuzhou army.

"Okay, okay." After reading the letter written by Cao Ang himself asking for help, Uncle Liu Huang's much fatter face suddenly turned into a flower, and he smiled happily to Pang Tong and Zhang Fei on the left and right: "Cao Angxian's nephew is so eager to ask for help, it seems that we can't rush to Chang'an to rescue as soon as possible, and order the whole army to speed up the march, and be sure to rush to Chang'an before the pottery thief arrives at Tongguan, so as to make Cao Angxian's nephew feel at ease." ”

Pang Tong and Zhang Fei laughed and agreed, and then Zhang Fei personally went to give orders to the army, but Pang Tong mysteriously leaned into Uncle Liu's ear and whispered: "Lord, Cao Pi and Cao Zhi sent people to send a wire report respectively, Cao Ang immediately sent an envoy for help this time, it was the idea of Cao Ang's henchman Sima Yi, although Xun Yu came forward to oppose it, Cao Ang also hesitated for a while, but Sima Yi didn't know what to say to Cao Ang behind his back, Cao Ang skipped Xun Yu and sent an envoy directly for help. ”

"Sima Yi?!" Uncle Liu Huang was first stunned, and then smiled happily, and said: "I have never had the opportunity to tell Shiyuan before, in fact, I have known Sima Yi for a long time, when the Son of Heaven was deceived by Yang Hong's traitors and coerced south, there was no food on the way, Sima Yi, who was burned down by Li Guo's rebels, gave the secret food stored at home to the Son of Heaven, and was coerced by the ungrateful Xuzhou thief army to go south together, it was I who rescued him from the clutches of the pottery thief, kneeling in front of me is a thousand thanks to crying and crying, swearing to repay me, I can't imagine that this kid still does what he says, Really repaid me. ”

"It turns out that the lord and Cao Ang's henchman Sima Yi still have such a relationship?"

Uncle Liu's city is very deep, Pang Tong is the first time to learn about this from Uncle Liu's mouth, after the surprise, Pang Tong is inevitably overjoyed, and said: "Cao Zhi and our army married, Cao Pi took the initiative to move closer to our army, Cao Angyan's obedient henchman Sima Yi also received the great grace of the lord, it seems that we went north this time to rescue the remnants of the Cao army, but we are really invincible." (To be continued......)