The night was dark, the darkness swallowed up the city of Xuzhou, a pair of lanterns in front of the state minister's mansion swayed in the autumn wind, the light was bright or dark, the street in front of the door was empty, empty and lonely. The two guards at the gate obviously couldn't bear the cold of this autumn night, and shrunk their necks and cuffs, shivering in the autumn wind. The older soldier looked at the sky and sighed, "Look at this wind, it seems that the sky is about to change." ”

The pottery merchant appeared at the corner of the street in a hurry, and walked briskly towards the governor's mansion, his face pale and solemn, and his heart was heavy.

The two soldiers hurriedly straightened up, bowed and saluted, "The eldest prince—"

The potter frowned, ignored them at all, and hurried straight to the study.

The candles in the study were bright, Tao Qian was splashing ink with great interest, seeing the pottery merchant coming in, Tao Qian smiled slightly and said: "Shang'er, you came just in time, today you are sitting with Kang Chenggong for your father and discussing calligraphy, you have a lot of experience, do you see if your father's words have grown?" ”

The potter didn't pay attention to the words on the case at all, and said eagerly: "Father, something is wrong!" ”

Tao Qian stopped his pen and raised his head, only to find that the potter had a solemn expression, and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

The potter said solemnly: "Duwei Zhang Min escorted Cao Cao's father Cao Song's family to Yanzhou, passing through Hua and Fei counties, coinciding with heavy rain, and staying overnight in the mountain temple. Seeing that they were rich, Zhang Min and others killed Cao Song's entire family in the middle of the night, robbed their property, set fire to the temple, and fled. ”

Tao Qian was stunned when he heard this, and the brush in his hand fell on the desk, splashing ink, staining a large piece of white paper. The potter hurriedly hugged his trembling father. Tao Qian was speechless for a long time. With dull eyes, he sat down on the seat and muttered to himself: "Zhang Min misunderstood me...... Xuzhou is in danger ......"

Cao Cao was in the limelight in Yanzhou at this time. Liu Dai, the assassin of Yanzhou, advanced lightly in the battle to exterminate the Yellow Turbans and was killed by the Yellow Turbans, and Bao Xin, the prime minister of Jibei, and others welcomed Cao Cao as the pastor of Yanzhou. Cao Cao then joined forces with Bao Xin to attack the Yellow Turban, and later Bao Xin was also killed in battle, and Cao Cao collected his people and occupied Yanzhou alone. Although the Yellow Turban Army is powerful, it is just a rabble, how can it be Cao Cao's opponent. Cao Cao was just a little subterfuge. broke the yellow turban thief. Wherever the soldiers and horses go, they can overcome everything. Cao Cao duly played the banner of avoiding death for those who surrendered, and within 100 days, the Yellow Turban forces in Yanzhou were wiped out in one fell swoop. More than 300,000 soldiers were recruited. Millions of men and women. Cao Cao chose its elite among them. Compiled as "Qingzhou Soldiers", the court commended his merits, and crowned Cao Cao as the general of Zhendong.

Cao Cao's status rose. Defectors are like clouds, Yingchuan celebrities Xun Yu, Xun You's uncle and nephew, Dongjun Cheng Yu Zhongde, Yingchuan Guo Jia Fengxiao, Zhunnan Liu Ye Ziyang, Shanyang Manpet Boning, Wucheng Lu Qianzike, Chen Liumao Xiaoxian, Taishan Yu Banwen Rule, and Chen Liudian Wei all came to vote, Cao Cao's account of the famous generals such as clouds, Weizhen Shandong, and Yuan Shao of Hebei have a tendency to fight against each other.

After gaining a firm foothold in Yanzhou, Cao Cao thought about bringing his father back to enjoy Qingfu. Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, was the adopted son of Cao Teng, who served as a lieutenant when he was Emperor Ling, and later resigned due to illness and returned to his hometown. Later, because Cao Cao attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo, he was summoned by the court, and Cao Song's family moved from Chenliu to Langya for refuge. Cao Cao has been busy begging Dong Zhuo to recruit the Yellow Turban to recruit rebels and expand his territory, and he has no flawless care for his father.

Cao Cao was once held up as filial piety, so he threw his father in Langya Mountain for a few years, which is indeed criticized by the world, whether Cao Cao is out of reputation or he really misses his father, and sent Taishan Taishou Yingshao to Langya to pick up Cao Song. Cao Song was also very happy, his son had a chance and became a prince of the dominant side, there was no reason to hide in the poor mountains and remote areas of Langya, so he packed his bags and set off to live in Yanzhou.

To say that this Cao family is also an official eunuch of the past dynasties, of course, the foundation is not thin, there are more than 100 attendants, hundreds of gold and silver fine and soft carts, and the line set off in a majestic manner. Cao Song is also a brainless person, what kind of world is it now, it is difficult to get through the market like this, and it is difficult not to attract death.

Xuzhou Mu Tao Qian is very jealous of the strong rise of Cao Cao, there is a tiger on the side of the couch and no one dares to be careless, Tao Qian thought about it and Cao Cao to get along, there is no reason, I heard Cao Song crossing, it is a generous courtesy, a large feast. Two days later, Cao Song wanted to go, Tao Qian personally went out of the city to see him off, and sent the commander Zhang Min to lead 500 troops to escort him out.

Tao Qian wanted to befriend Cao Cao from the bottom of his heart, but what he never expected was that the use of non-human people would cause a tragedy, and stealing chickens would not lead to rice. Zhang Min was originally born as a Yellow Turban thief, and he was too poor to accept Zhao'an, when the thieves were used to being free, he was not happy under Tao Qian, and when he saw the amount of gold and silver in Cao Song's family, he was greedy, and his subordinates were combined, most of these people were also born in the Yellow Turban, so they naturally hit it off, killed Cao Song's whole family, robbed the property, and went up the mountain and fell into the grass.

Taishan Taishou should fight to the death, thinking about the murder of Cao Song's family, but his own dereliction of duty, if he really went back to Yanzhou to see Cao Cao, Cao Cao would definitely kill himself in a rage, thinking about it, he must not go back to Yanzhou, but the sky of the world, where should I go? Xuzhou is definitely not good, the revenge of killing his father is not shared, and Cao Cao will soon be a soldier in Xuzhou. Fang today, the only person who has the ability to fight against Cao Cao is Yuan Shao in Jizhou, thinking that he and Yuan Shao still have a little friendship, Ying Shao went to Yuan Shao overnight.

It was a few days after Cao Cao got the news of Cao Song's murder, and Cao Cao cried to the ground.

Everyone hurriedly beat their chests and backs, and Cao Cao woke up for a long time, cried bitterly, gritted his teeth and said: "Tao Qian killed my father, this hatred is not shared!" Today, I will raise a large army, slaughter Xuzhou, and cut out Tao Qian's liver and heart, so that I can sacrifice my father's spirit in the sky! ”

The generals of Xiahou and Cao Ren were all bearded, clenched their fists, and shouted: "Swear to kill Tao Qian!" Revenge for Mrs. Cao! The crowd was full of emotion and righteous indignation.

Cao Cao wiped away his tears and immediately ordered the purchase of white clothes and white armor, all erected white flags, and the whole army was vegetarian to hang filial piety for Cao Taigong. Ling Xia Houdun was the vanguard, Yu Ban and Dian Wei were the deputy vanguards, and led 50,000 troops to attack Xuzhou. He personally commanded an army of 150,000 and then marched, and only ordered Xun Yu and Cheng Yu to lead 30,000 soldiers to stay.

Cao Cao ordered that all the counties and counties, regardless of men, women, old and children, should be slaughtered and killed, and no chickens and dogs should be left, and the three-light scorched earth policy should be fully implemented.

Cao's army carried out Cao Cao's orders to the letter, and the soldiers were invincible, capturing more than ten cities one after another, slaughtering the old and young in the city, and the vanguard came straight to Pengcheng. Cao's main force Qingzhou soldiers, originally the Yellow Turban Army in the Qingxu area, was defeated by Tao Qian in the early peace years, and fled north to Yanzhou to recruit Cao Cao.

When the news reached Tancheng, Tao Qian was frightened, vomiting blood and crying: "I was guilty of heaven, and let the people of Xuzhou suffer this great calamity, my sin." "Urgently summon the people to discuss the countermeasures.

Xuzhou Don't drive Mi Zhu worriedly said: "Cao's army has many generals, and it is menacing, and my Xuzhou soldiers are few and weak, so it is not suitable to fight with them, and it is necessary to close the city and defend the city." ”

Cao Bing was cruel and tyrannical, and the civil officials in Xuzhou almost lost their courage when they heard it, and there was still the courage to confront Cao Bing.

Cao Bao, the captain of Xuzhou, stepped forward and said: "Cao Bing has arrived, so there is a reason to be tied up, and there is a strategy to retreat from the enemy!" ”

Cao Bao is the military chief of Xuzhou, but also the most powerful general under Tao Qian's account, Tao Qian heard it, a little peace of mind, is sent Xuzhou troops to the west of Pengcheng, vowing to fight to the death with Cao Jun.

Tao Qian is not a native of Xuzhou, but a Danyang people, Danyang mountain danger, the people are fierce, good martial arts, Tao Qian's young character is very Danyang people's strong wind, wild and uninhibited, in the Zhongping period had worshiped Yang Wu Lieutenant, under Zhang Wen to conquer Beigong Boyu, Tao Qian was extremely contemptuous of Zhang Wen's character and ability, and openly humiliated Zhang Wen at the banquet of 100 officials, highlighting the wild side of his character. Later, he took charge of Xuzhou, pacified the Qingxu and Huang Chaos, and in the situation that the world was full of chaos and hunger, Xuzhou was full of people, and the grain and rice were sealed, and the displaced people returned to it, which shows that Tao Qian's military and political ability is indeed good.

But there is always a twilight time for heroes, Tao Qian is old, he is sixty-three years old, he has passed the age of sixties, and Tao Qian feels powerless against the sudden flying disaster and the fierce Cao Cao.

Although there was the help of Danyang's soldiers, Tao Qian's army still returned with a crushing defeat in the Battle of Pengcheng, Cao Ren beheaded Lu You, and killed the red-eyed Cao soldiers like frost and snow, overwhelming the sky and the ground, unstoppable. Tao Qian was defeated and returned to Tancheng, vomiting several liters of blood, and he couldn't afford to get sick.

Cao Cao urged the army, surrounded Tancheng, adopted ant attachment tactics, swarmed, Cao Cao personally supervised the battle, and vowed to leave Tancheng without an inch of grass.

Although the offensive of the Cao army is very urgent, but the army and people of Xuzhou are united, put it to death and then live, the whole city of old and young, regardless of men and women, all go to the city to help the war, no knives and guns, hoes can also be used as weapons, no bows and arrows, masonry can also be used as weapons, Cao's brutal behavior aroused the anger of the people, in the shadow of the city is broken is death, every soldier and civilian in Xuzhou City have fought for their lives, and strive to protect the city is not lost.

Cao Cao was unable to conquer it, and plundered the counties of Juling, Xiaqiu, including Pengcheng and Fuyang, and the five counties were slaughtered, and the chickens and dogs were exhausted, and the floating corpses in the entire Surabaya blocked the river, and the river was also dyed red.

Tao Qian lingered on the sickbed, hearing Cao Jun's atrocities, sobbing and struggling to get up.

"Cao Cao was tyrannical and brutalized the people of Xuzhou, and it was because of my sin. And help me up, I should tie myself up, go to Cao Ying to let him cut it, and exchange the peace of the people of Xuzhou with my death. ”

Someone among the subordinates said generously: "There is a certain plan, but you can break Cao Bing!" (To be continued......)