Let's say that here Li Dian and Man Chong led the army to meet Guo Jia, and obeyed Guo Jia's orders to ambush Hua Xiong, so that the troops pursued by Hua Xiong lost hundreds of people. (.) Fortunately, Ma Chao arrived in time and successfully retreated. And Cao's army did not pursue, but retreated to Yang Zhai, the magistrate of Chichuan County, to join the main force led by Cao Cao to the north. At this time, Yang Zhai City was too guarded in the mansion.

Guo Jia, Zang Ba, Sun Guan and others pleaded guilty to Cao Cao on the throne. I saw Guo Jia say first: "My lord, Jia is incompetent, not only failed to help the army defeat the enemy, but caused a great defeat to our army, and lost the army, please punish the lord lightly!" Later, Zang Ba, Sun Guan and others also echoed: "Please punish the prime minister!" ”

Cao Cao heard this, but he was not as angry as Zang Ba thought, but said with some solemnity: "When the two armies are fighting, how can they be undefeated. Xuan Gao was ordered to protect the army from defeat, and Feng Xiao's clever plan to let the army retreat successfully, so that the merits would be offset. Ben Xiang is going to start a war with Zhang Xiu now, only you here can be regarded as having really fought with Zhang Xiu's main force, can you know the details of the enemy army? ”

Zang Ba saw Cao Cao's 8 lights coming, and Guo Jia in front of the saint also let his figure pass, so he took a step forward and arched his hand: "Prime Minister, forgive Ba for being blunt, our army is not as good as Zhang Xiu in terms of combat power!" ”

Seeing Zang Ba's affirmative look, Cao Cao couldn't help but let out a light "oh", and then sat down. Next to him, Li Dian, Man Chong and other Cao generals also had solemn faces, and the Yuan generals such as Yan Liang and Wen Chou were dignified and a little more surprised. You must know that Cao Cao was able to migrate Yuan Shao at the beginning, in addition to using Xu Yu's strategy, Cao Sergeant Nian was stronger than Yuan Sergeant's combat power, and the Yuan generals and strategists who surrendered later also admitted this.

The weakness of the Yuan family's soldiers is actually seen from Yi Jingke, who fought Gongsun Zhan to the death, with the large number of Yuan troops, he fought against Yi Jing for a whole year, and many weapons were used in it. On the other hand, the Cao army took about a month to attack Xiangcheng, although the defense capability of Xiangcheng cannot be compared with Yi Jing, but this alone shows the gap in combat power between the Cao army and the Yuan army.

The general of the Yuan family heard Zang Ba's words, how could he not show surprise. Although the Taishan soldiers led by Zang Ba did not belong to the elite of the Qingzhou soldiers that Cao Cao used to start, the combat effectiveness of the Taishan soldiers was definitely not inferior to the Qingzhou soldiers, and the Qingzhou soldiers who fought in the mountains may not be as good as the Taishan soldiers.

Seeing that everyone's eyes were focused on him, he coughed and said, "Prime Minister, what Zhang Xiu used to charge the battle is a black?" Cavalry. This black-armored cavalry was heavily armored and armed with maces, although there were only a thousand people. However, this cavalry was invulnerable, and their combat power was overwhelming: "Even the halberds can't stop the charge!" Even if our troops shoot with crossbow arrows, they will shoot dozens of people. If Ba guessed correctly, this black-armored cavalry should be the most elite troops in Zhang Xiu's hands, and these soldiers should also be Zhang Xiu's strongmen selected from the army, otherwise it is impossible for everyone to wear heavy armor and hold heavy weapons such as maces, and this black-armored cavalry prime minister must definitely be cautious! ”

When Zang Ba spoke, the people in the hall were even more shocked. What is the combat power of the Euphorbia, whether it is the old general of Cao Ying or the general of the Yuan family, they all know it in their hearts, and now they can't stop them when they hear it, and the surprise in their hearts can be imagined. But Cao Cao was silent at this time, just staring at the tyrant, waiting for him to continue talking.

Seeing this, Zang Ba hurriedly continued: "As for the tens of thousands of cavalry under Zhang Xiu, the combat power is not trivial.

It was divided into three parts of the attack, the front was resisted by the Danyang soldiers and the halberd soldiers, and it could withstand it at the beginning, but when General Zhang was killed, the Danyang soldiers were defeated and retreated, and finally they were even more defeated, and only the halberd soldiers withstood it. On both flanks, one side was led by the enemy general Ma Chao, and the right flank of our army was invincible, and the whole line was defeated. On the left flank, the last general and Zhongtai joined forces to defeat the enemy's general Huadui and not to be defeated, but the Taishan soldiers could not stop the enemy's iron cavalry. ”

Zang Ba said Zhang Xiujun's combat strength in one breath, and the generals in the hall frowned. With this level of combat power, even if it is replaced by the main force of the Qingzhou soldiers of Cao Cao's lineage, Luo Guo is afraid that it is not much different.

After Cao Cao listened, he let out a light "um" and waved his hand, asking Zang Ba, Sun Guan and the others to retreat to the side of the seat. Then he asked Guo Jiadao: "Fengxiao, what do you think our army should do under such circumstances?" ”

Guo Jia saw that after the defeat of his troops, Cao Cao was the first to ask, knowing Cao Cao's trust in him, he was grateful, and said: "Lord, now the hinterland of Yanqing and Xu Sanzhou has been exposed to the enemy's soldiers. Under such circumstances, Zhang Xiu can garrison his troops, and if our army confronts Zhang Xiu, every point of delay will cause our army's losses to be greater. Cao Cao heard this, and asked in a condensed voice: "In this way, our army is going to take the initiative to attack?" ”

When Guo Jia heard this, he shook his head and said: "Lord, at the beginning, Zhang Xiu sent cavalry to Yanzhou to harass and cut off the grain route, forcing our army to confront it head-on, and finally it was defeated. If the lord takes the initiative to attack and fights with him, he is afraid that he will fall into the trap set by Zhang Xiu. ”

Cao Cao listened to this, his brows furrowed, he had never encountered this situation before. Since the princes of the Eighteenth Route fought against Dong, compared with other princes, Cao Cao also took the route of elite soldiers. Therefore, whether it was against Lu Bu, Liu Bei, Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao and others, Cao Cao was either superior in strength or superior in combat strength.

But the current situation is very bad, Cao Cao has a slight advantage in terms of troops, but it is equal to the combat power, in fact, Cao Cao is at a disadvantage. In terms of generals, Cao Cao is actually at a disadvantage. And now strategically, Cao Cao seems to be going to attack and is in the initiative. In fact, he was attacked by Zhang Xiutong and was in a passive offensive state.

Cao Cao had already begun to feel that it was not good, this situation was too far worse than he expected before the war, and Zhang Xiu's strength was far beyond Cao Cao's original thoughts. In fact, in Cao Cao's mind, Liu Bei and Zhang Xiu's fight, especially the battle of Jiangzhou, can take advantage, and Cao Cao feels confident in dealing with Zhang Xiu in comparison.

But what Cao Cao didn't calculate was that Liu Bei's troops were first trained by Chen Zhi, and the first battle of Jiangzhou was also Zhuge Liang's first use of troops, and Zhang Xiu didn't understand it before he got started. Then there is the war with Liu Bei, Zhang Xiu used foot soldiers, Zhang Xiu's troops discussed combat strength, and Zi Mushroom was a cavalryman. Zhang Xiu's cavalry is the iron army of Pingliangzhou, Dingxi Regions, Zhu Xiongnu, and Xianbei, this iron cavalry is fighting in the south and the north, and most of Zhang Xiu's financial resources are invested in building cavalry, and the combat power is naturally not 11-oo Cao Cao used his previous experience against Liu Bei to compare with Zhang Xiu, of course, there is a large gap. Although he was attacked by Ma Chao for thousands of miles last year, it can be regarded as a handover, but the battle was too hasty, and Cao Cao did not fully understand Zhang Xiujun's combat strength. Now that I know most of it, it is obvious that the result is very different from what Cao Cao had expected.

And Zhang Xiu himself does not have the same big shortcomings as Yuan Shao, and Cao Cao is also because he has known and grown up with Yuan Shao since he was a child, and he knows Yuan Shao's temperament very well. For Zhang Xiu, Cao Cao obviously didn't have a deep understanding of Yuan Shao, he only knew that this person was not simple.

In this way, Cao Cao did not have an advantage in front of all aspects, and Cao Cao began to feel that he was in Liu Bei's place. But after thinking about it, Cao Cao felt that this time he and Liu Bei were indeed right. Zhang Xiu's strength far exceeded Cao Cao's expectations, and this time they joined forces to attack Zhang Xiu, which was the best opportunity to weaken Zhang Xiu's strength. And if you miss this opportunity, I'm afraid that Zhang Xiu will become stronger and stronger.

In fact, neither side was completely ready this time, Cao Cao had just returned from the northern expedition, and Zhang Xiu had just captured Yizhou. If he rests for a few years, Cao Cao's combat power may increase a lot. However, a few years was enough for Zhang Xiu to send troops to destroy Liu Bei, and without Liu Bei to contain Zhang Xiu in Jingzhou, it was obviously not good for Cao Cao. Neither side was prepared for this battle, and the fight could only be regarded as an equal battle.

Now that the war has come to this, Cao Cao has found himself at a disadvantage in both the whole and all aspects. Although I am troubled in my heart, how can there be an undefeated general in the world, who seems to be inferior but it is difficult to guarantee that there is no opportunity to draw salary from the bottom of the kettle, and the battle of Guandu is the best example.

Cao Cao's own advantages and disadvantages are still very obvious, when the wind is smooth, Cao Cao will be careless and cause a big defeat, but under unfavorable circumstances, let Cao Cao deal with it with all his might, and often be able to turn defeat into victory.

After settling down, I heard Cao Cao ask: "Do you think our army should deal with this battle situation at this time?" ”

Cao Cao's solemnity was also reflected in the body of a group of generals and strategists, and everyone in the hall bowed their heads in contemplation at this time. Xun Youqing coughed and said, "Lord, now there are only 30,000 iron horsemen in the embroidery tent." In order to meet our army, it must withdraw its scattered forces, and it is thought that our army can first concentrate its forces to deal with one of Zhang Xiu's men. ”

After hearing this, Manzhong's eyes lit up, and he said: "According to what Mr. Xun said, Zhang Xiu only has 30,000 horses, why don't I take Zhang Xiu's headquarters directly...... "No!! ”

Before Man Zhong finished speaking, Zhong You, Guo Jia, Liu Yan and Sima Yi shouted in unison. Xun You heard Guo Jia and Liu Yan speak, and he was not too surprised, Xun You knew the talents of the two very well. Although Liu Mo is not allowed to be reused by Cao Cao because of the relationship between the Han family, he is like Xun You and Xun Yu; These two people who are loyal to Han Shu have a close relationship with Liu Ye. However, Sima Yi also spoke out, but he was out of Xun You's expectations, but at the same time, Xun You also looked up to Sima Yi, and faintly felt that this person's talent was by no means below him.

However, at this time, it was not the time to investigate Sima Lao's talent in detail, and Xun You was still speaking, when he shouted, but it attracted the daylight of everyone. Looking back at Cao Cao, who was silent, Xun You explained: "Zhang Xiu's army has won consecutive victories, and the morale is high, even if our army is pressed together, it may not be able to win." And Zhang Xiu only needs to hold on and wait for the rest of the armies to converge, and then our army will only waste precious fighters in vain. Now Zhang Xiu's headquarters is like a tree trunk, and the scattered troops are like cane leaves, the enemy is strong and I am weak, at this time, we should first cut off the branches and leaves to let the tree decay, and our army will attack it again! ”

When Cao Cao heard this, he also knew that what Xun You said was reasonable. Zhang Xiu is strong and he is weak, it just so happens that Zhang Xiu is in a state of division of troops at this time, of course, it is to concentrate his forces to break all the way first, and it is wonderful to cut Zhang Xiu's strength. After hearing this, Cao Cao raised his eyebrows and asked suspiciously: "Yanzhou? Xun You shook his head and said, "Tiger Prison! Cao Cao heard this, his pupils shrank, and he high-fived and said, "It's extreme!" This is Zhang Xiu's weakness!

Cao Cao and Xun You suddenly played a dumb riddle, and everyone was puzzled when they heard it, only Guo Jia, Liu Ye and Sima Yi had a smile on their faces after listening to it. Seeing that everyone was puzzled, Cao Cao laughed and said, "Gongda, let's talk about it in detail." ”

Xun You heard this, smiled slightly, and said: "Zhang Xiu's subordinates now only have 30,000 horses, and in the face of the lord's army, Zhang Xiu is not a stupid person, and he will definitely expand back the divided forces to resist our army." Therefore, its men and horses in Yanzhou will definitely be recruited. However, even if this army is recruited, Zhang Xiu's strength will only be tens of thousands, and it will be slightly insufficient against my 150,000 army. And at this time, Zhang Xiu had the advantage of "He can delay time to wait for Nanyang to recapture Xiangcheng, and then flank our army with the Nanyang army, in this case, Zhang Xiu does not have to fight with our army, just stick to the camp." And cavalry training is not easy, Zhang Xiuzi will not let the cavalry come to defend the camp. If it is not bad as expected, Zhang Xiu will inevitably transfer some troops from the Tiger Prison and Bishui Erguan to join him. You must know that now our army is facing against it, and we can't divide our troops to attack Tiger Prison and Bishui, so it is a bit of a waste to arrange the army in the two passes, so it is also reasonable to transfer part of the two passes to join it step by step, and the goal of our army is this army! After speaking, Xun You's face was full of smiles.

At this time, more intelligent people such as Man Chong and Li Dian probably understood Xun Yu's strategy. First of all, this army is a year of steps, and Cao Jun does not suffer a loss. Secondly, if this army is defeated, Cao Junzhi will no longer be so passive, at least in attacking the camp, Cao Cao is very willing to use his infantry to exchange for Zhang Xiu's cavalry.

Seeing that everyone understood, Cao Cao Huan glanced at everyone and asked in a condensed voice, "Do you still have a plan?" When they heard this, they shook their heads. Cao Cao Hui smiled, then stood up, his face turned serious, and shouted: "In this case, Cao Zhang's order is that you are the main general, supplemented by Li Dian, and Mu Yanliang, Wen Chou and the 50,000 army set off lightly, advance quickly, and after finding out that the two Guandong troops are out to support Zhang Xiu's troops, they will attack immediately, so as to defeat this people!" ”

Cao Zhang heard that Cao Cao pointed out that he was the main general, but he was overjoyed, and he and Li Dian joined the three of them and answered loudly: "Nuo ......"

Cao Cao nodded, turned to look at Xun You and said, "Gongda, since this plan was made by you, you will serve as the military advisor of the army." Xun You heard this, and also arched his hand and said: "You take the order." ”

Cao Cao nodded and then turned to look around at everyone, and shouted: "The rest of the people, wait for the rest of the people, go to Guancheng with the prime minister, and make the enemy Zhang Xiu!" The rest of the people below listened and agreed in unison.