Liu Ze's army marched all the way and soon reached the Jinshan Mountain north of Tancheng. Due to a delay of a few days in Zhucheng, the army led by Qingzhou Thorn Shi Tian Kai and Beihai Taishou Kong Rong arrived at Jinshan in advance. This time, Tian Kai and Kong Rong each sent 10,000 troops south to rescue Xuzhou, but Cao Cao's troops were huge, and Tian Kai and Kong Rong did not dare to act rashly, so they had to go down far at the foot of the mountain.

After Liu Ze arrived at Zhangshan, he also went down to the mountain. After camping, he was about to go to Tian Kai and Kong Rong's military camp to discuss the military situation, when suddenly the soldiers came to report, and Tian Kai and Kong Rong asked to meet. Liu Ze personally went out of the camp and welcomed Tian Kai and Kong Rong into the camp.

Tian Kai and Kong Rong saw that Liu Ze's military camp was heavily fortified, the camp was deep and heavy, the camp was well organized, and the camp tents of each part were scattered, interlocking, dense and strict, both of them were people who had commanded the army and fought in battle, and they couldn't find a single flaw in Liu Ze's camp, and they couldn't help but be secretly surprised.

Kong Rong was grateful for Liu Ze's previous dispatch of troops to rescue Beihai, and even said that he was grateful: "If there is no Runde to help each other, my Beihai may be broken by thieves, and the kindness of Runde, the people of Beihai will never forget." ”

Liu Zehan said with a smile: "Brother Wenju is too polite, you and I are officials in the same state, and we should watch and help each other. ”

Talking about the military situation in Xuzhou, Tian Kai said with a worried face: "Cao Cao led an army of 200,000, all of which were tigers and wolves, and Cao Cao was a very good use of soldiers. And our army is small, and we don't dare to advance lightly, how can we solve the danger of Xuzhou, I don't care about Wenju, just wait for Runde to come and discuss again. ”

Kong Rong also said: "Our army has just arrived. Cao Cao was furious at that time, tore up the letters, beat the messenger I sent out the sticks, and threatened to share the sky with Tao Qian, and whoever dared to rescue Tao Qian would be his undying enemy. It seems that persuasion and peace have been exhausted, and it is difficult to solve the danger of Xuzhou without using swords. ”

Liu Ze groaned: "Since Cao Cao believes that Tao Qian is his father-killing enemy, how can he be willing to stop the army and make peace. Cao Cao besieged Xuzhou. Cut off from inside and out. Tao Gong didn't know that the reinforcements had arrived, and Xuzhou might not be able to hold it for a long time. The only way to do this is to lead an army to break through Cao's camp and enter Xuzhou to join the Tao Guild. Then discuss the plan of the internal and external cooperation to break the Cao army. ”

Tian Kai and Kong Rong were overjoyed. Said: "According to Runde's opinion." ”

Next. Liu Ze personally led 3,000 archers, with Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei as generals, preparing to raid Cao's camp.

Cao Cao's army surrounded Xuzhou on all sides. Cao Cao's camp was stationed in the west of Xuzhou, the north camp of the city was garrisoned by Xiahoudun and Lejin, the camp in the south of the city was garrisoned by Cao Ren and Li Dian, and the camp in the east of the city was garrisoned by Mao Jue due to the ban. Cao Cao's village must be well defended, Xiahoudun and Lejin are both famous for their fruits, and the detour to the south of Xuzhou is a long way, and the plan of the raid is likely to be seen through by Cao's army, so Liu Ze chose to break through from the east gate camp guarded by Mao Jue.

However, Yu Ban ranked third among the five good generals in Cao Wei's army, ranking only after Zhang Liao Lejin, and before Zhang He and Xu Huang, the most resolute and good at defense, and it was not easy to break through from him.

Therefore, before preparing to raid the east gate, Liu Ze ordered Guan Yu, Xu Rong, and Zhang He to lead 10,000 troops to feint and attack the northern camp of Cao Juncheng to attract the attention of Cao Jun. In order to cooperate with Guan Yujun's actions, Liu Ze also asked Tian Kai and Kong Rongzhu to put on a posture to attack Cao's army's northern camp.

Tian Kai, Kong Rong and Liu Ze were stationed in Zhangshan, and Cao Cao naturally couldn't ignore it and ordered all battalions; Strengthen your defenses. However, although Cao Cao had an army of 200,000, he set up four large camps around Tancheng, and had to defend against Tao Qian's army in Xuzhou City, and also had to defend against the rescue army in the direction of Qingzhou.

Just when Guan Yu, Zhang He, and Xu Rong led their troops to attack the Beida Camp, Tian Kai Kong Rong waved his flag and shouted cheers, taking advantage of the fact that Cao Jun's attention was focused on the Beida Camp, Liu Zeqin led 3,000 cavalry to break through from the junction of Cao Jun's Beida Camp and the East Camp, and rushed towards the east gate of Xuzhou City.

For this battle, Liu Ze equipped half of the archers with bayonet guns, led by Zhang Fei, as the first attack echelon. The remaining 1,500 cavalry were still armed with longbow compound bows and three-stone steel-stringed heavy crossbows, commanded by Zhao Yun, as the second attack echelon. The mission of this attack was very simple, Zhang Fei led the lancers to tear through the defense line of the Cao army with strong impact force, and Zhao Yun's archers responded in the rear, giving medium and long-range shooting support.

Liu Ze's cavalry has been trained for a long time, although he is good at riding and shooting, but the spear cavalry is also a compulsory training subject, and it is not difficult for the archers to switch roles with bayonets at this time.

After the Cao army invaded Surabaya and slaughtered the three counties in the south, this was the second siege of Xuzhou Prefecture to govern Tancheng, and the last siege of Tancheng was not captured for more than ten days, and the shortage of grain and grass supply became a shortcoming of Cao's army. Although Cao Cao recruited a large number of Qingzhou soldiers, he was short of food and grass, so that he could not feed so many troops at all, so he had to cut half of the Qingzhou soldiers he had to collect, leaving only the strong soldiers. The expedition was very hasty, and there was not enough food and grass to raise at all, so it could only be maintained by fighting and relying on killing and looting.

But although Xuzhou is known as the anointing land, but the main money and grain are concentrated in Tancheng and several county smelting cities, although Cao Bing broke through Pengcheng and other cities, but the gain is limited, after all, to supply 200,000 troops of grain and grass It is not a small amount, so Cao Cao's first strong attack on Tancheng is not a gram, because of the shortage of grain and grass, so he had to go south to plunder the three counties, after getting some supplements, Cao Cao's second attack on Tancheng is to prepare to take Tancheng in one go.

Now the grain and grass in Cao's camp are not enough for ten days, and if he can't take Tancheng within ten days, even Cao Cao can't believe how much combat power the soldiers still have after the food is cut off. Therefore, the Cao army attacked Tancheng for the second time, and there was no intention of fighting a protracted siege war, so although the Cao army besieged the city on all sides, the defense outside was very weak, and there were neither high fences and deep trenches, nor enough antlers to resist horses.

Moreover, the gap between the Beida Camp and the Eastern Camp was the blind spot of Cao Cao's defense, and Zhang Fei led the lancers to break through from this position without encountering much resistance at all. Zhang Fei took the lead, and the lancers broke through the defense line of Cao's army like a flood that broke the embankment.

Yu Ban was patrolling the camp, and suddenly received a report that the enemy was attacking the camp, and immediately led the army to meet the battle, stopped Zhang Fei, and pointed at Zhang Fei with a steel gun: "Where are the madmen!" Hugh is rampant! ”

Zhang Fei didn't say a word, he lifted the Zhangba snake spear and took it straight to the ban, and the two fought in one place. Before the battle was counted, Zhao Yun rushed to the horse, Mao Jue also rushed up, and two pairs of generals on both sides fought in one place. Liu Ze Longyuan Tai'a had two swords in his hand, waved his army to cover up, Yu Ban Mao Jue couldn't resist the enemy, and the wolf bèi left.

In the East Camp under the jurisdiction of the Ban, the newly surrendered Qingzhou soldiers were the mainstay, and Cao Cao's original elite troops were all by Cao Cao's side and were arranged in the West Camp. Soon after the Qingzhou soldiers surrendered, they lacked training and combat experience, and they were not much stronger than the rabble of the Yellow Turban Army, after Yu Ban and Mao Jue were defeated and fled, the Dongda Battalion became a plate of scattered sand, and the Qingzhou soldiers were scattered, Liu Ze instructed Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun not to pursue and kill Cao Bing, and looked straight at the east gate of Xuzhou.

Xuzhou lieutenant Cao Bao is patrolling the city, suddenly there is a sergeant to report the chaos of Cao Ying, Cao Bao climbed the enemy tower to watch it, but saw a cavalry in Cao camp in the waves of chopping waves, Cao soldiers can not resist the enemy, have retreated, a red flag is extraordinarily swaggering, a white circle on the top, a big book Liu character. Cao Bao was still wondering where this was the rescuer, and someone under him reminded him: "Didn't the former Chen Deng go to the plains to move the main soldiers of the world, isn't this the people and horses of Liu Ze who are too guarded by the plains?" ”

Cao Bao groaned and ordered his soldiers to pass the word to Tao Qian.

Cao Bing was wreaking havoc on the boundary of Xuzhou, Tao Qian's illness was getting worse day by day, and he didn't think about tea and rice, and described it as withered. The potter took the porridge and persuaded him to eat a little more by the couch, but Tao Qian just shook his head.

At this time, the herald hurriedly reported to Tao Qianyu: "Report! Qi Yu Tao envoy Jun, a support army appeared in the northeast direction, playing the banner of Liu Zi, and has now broken through the Cao army company camp, and the soldiers have arrived at the east gate of Tancheng! ”

The potter said happily: "Father, the rescuers are here!" ”

When Tao Qian heard this, his spirits were lifted, his face was slumpy, his illness was seven points better, he jumped down from the couch, and said eagerly: "Hurry up, help me to the East Gate Tower." ”

The potter said embarrassedly: "My father is just recovering from his illness and is not suitable for traveling, so I will let my children greet him." ”

"No, I'm going to do it myself!" Tao Qian is categorical. The pottery merchant had no choice but to help Tao Qian to the top of the East Gate Tower.

At this time, Zhang Feima was fast, and had rushed to the east gate, at this time Xuzhou was naturally the city gate locked and the suspension bridge was hanging high, Zhang Fei shouted loudly under the city: "Listen to the people in the city, I am the people of Liu Taishou in the plain, I have come to save you Xuzhou, open the door quickly!" ”

When Tao Qian heard this, he was very happy and said: "Yuanlong really lives up to my expectations, if you move to the plain to rescue the soldiers, come here, quickly open the city gate!" ”

When the army heard the order, they were about to open the door, but Cao Bao stopped him and said: "Don't worry, be careful of deceit, and it's not too late to open the door after my interrogation is clear." Tao Qian agreed, Cao Bao poked out half of his head on the city wall, and said loudly: "Who is the general?" ”

Zhang Fei replied: "I am a Yan person, Zhang Fei is also, open the city quickly!" ”

"The general claims to be a subordinate of Liu Taishou of the Plains, does he have any credentials?"

Zhang Fei was stunned for a moment, he just led the troops to fight, what credentials did he bring there, he couldn't help but be a little annoyed, and shouted: "I am the righteous brother of Liu Taishou in the plains, what more credentials do I need, isn't it a credential that I killed so many Cao soldiers?" ”

Cao Bao said with a pleasant face: "The general has no credentials, how do we know that the general is Liu Taishou's person?" Perhaps Cao Cao sent someone to earn the city is unknown, and it is difficult to open the city without evidence. (To be continued......)