In mid-April, Cao Cao arrived in Luoyang.

At this time, Zhong Xuan, Zhang Ji, Pei Mao, Wei Qi and others had been driven from Guanzhong to Luoyang.

Luoyang is now dilapidated, but in the early years, Liu Biao had sent people to the north to repair the palace slightly, and at this moment in the original palace in Luoyang, in a ruined wall, Cao Cao summoned everyone.

During the time of Cao Yingying in Kuangcheng, strategically Mao Jue tended to take the initiative to defeat the Kwantung coalition army and prevent the Kwantung coalition army from threatening Cao Cao's left flank on the western front.

Dong Zhao believes that the key to defeating the Kwantung coalition army is to first break through the high cadres and Taosheng to prevent them from joining forces inside and outside.

Guo Jia speculated about the psychology of the Kwantung coalition and believed that they could use counter-tactics to break up their alliance.

Although Xun You didn't make a plan, he followed Cao Cao to find a way to defeat Gao Gan Tao Sheng tactically, and then continued to follow Mao Jue, Dong Zhao, Guo Jia's ideas.

This is another joint plan of Cao Cao's strategists.

Dong Zhao and Mao Jue are responsible for the strategic direction, Guo Jia is responsible for guessing the enemy's psychology, and Xun You is responsible for the implementation of the specific plan.

So at least in terms of strategy and tactics, Cao Cao still found the initiative.

After he arrived in Luoyang, he told everyone about the strategy discussed by many strategists in Cao Ying, and Zhong Miao and others felt that it was very reasonable, so they made suggestions one after another to improve the details of this strategy.

Zhang Ji, Pei Mao, Wei Qi and others all volunteered to lobby the Kwantung generals, while Zhong Xun You helped Cao Cao plan to defeat Gao Gan Taosheng.

The specific strategy is also very simple.

Since the enemy is not moving, they will take the initiative to attack and lure the enemy to attack, so as to turn the passive into the active, and turn the static battle of the confrontation between the two sides into a mobile war, and they will always be able to find the enemy's flaws.

Cao Cao felt that it was very reasonable, so in late April, he sent Yu Ban to lead 5,000 people to cross the Yellow River from Juan County, and did not take care of Yuan's army in Wudehuai County, but directly took the north, attacked Xiuwu, Huojia, Jixian and other places, pretending to attack Yecheng by surprise.

Of course, Gao Gan and Tao Sheng would not be stupid enough to think that Cao Jun would really attack Yecheng, but their grain route was in the rear, and Cao Jun was used to liking to cut off people's grain routes, so they immediately led troops to rescue them, wanting to repel this Cao army.

But Cao Cao personally led the army to cross the river, and met Gao Gan Taosheng in the field in the area of Xiaoxiuwu, and the two did not know that Cao Cao was there in person, and thought that it was just a Yu Ban, so they took the initiative to attack.

Clinker Cao Cao commanded to a certain extent, the Chinese army was as solid as a rock, the left and right flanks were suddenly outflanked, and in the case of little difference in numbers, Gao Gan and Tao Sheng were directly annihilated.

In this battle, Cao Cao's personal guard leader Xu Chu slashed Tao Sheng, so frightened that Gao Gan fled in panic, and the army collapsed directly, killing and capturing countless people.

By the beginning of May, Cao Cao personally led the army to Xin'an.

At this time, in fact, the Kwantung coalition army did not attack because they were short of food and grass.

According to Wei Qi's later letter to Xun Yu, there were more than 100,000 families in Guanzhong who fled to Jingzhou and tens of thousands of families in Hanzhong, and countless people died, and the population of the entire Guanzhong Basin was less than one.

Basically, even if there is a population, it is occupied by the generals of Guanzhong, that is, Han Sui, Ma Teng, Hou Xuan, Yang Qiu, Li Kan, Zhang Heng, Cheng Yi, Ma Wan, Liang Xing, Cheng Yin and others.

These people have a certain number of people under their rule, each with tens of thousands to thousands of soldiers, and they can barely survive by relying on these people to farm.

However, if they travel a long distance to Kanto, the supply line of grain and grass will be extremely long, and 50,000 or 60,000 people, plus auxiliary soldiers, people, craftsmen and horses, will consume tens of thousands of stones of grain and grass every day, and the grain and grass will naturally not be enough.

Therefore, while they stationed troops in Shaanxi County, waiting for the follow-up grain and grass to arrive, they sent people to urge Gao Gan and Tao Sheng, so that they could send grain from Yiguan to Yucheng through Wangwu Mountain, and then send grain from Yucheng to Dayang County.

As a result, Cao Cao personally arrived in Luoyang, led his troops and horses to defeat Gao Gan and Tao Sheng, and then led the army to Xin'an and attacked them.

For a time, the Kwantung Coalition Army suddenly had different thoughts, and each had a ghost.

In mid-May, after a period of investigation, Cao Cao sent Zhang Ji, Pei Mao, Wei Qi and others to Ma Teng, Yang Qiu, Zhang Heng, Cheng Yi, Liang Xing and others to camp in a targeted manner.

The reason for this arrangement is because Ma Teng and Han Sui have a feud and can be divided.

The rest of the candidates, Li Kan, Ma Wan, Cheng Yin and others are from Hedong, they themselves are from Hedong, they are all stationed in Dayang County, they can transport grain nearby, and there is no worry about food.

Yang Qiu, Zhang Heng, Cheng Yi, Liang Xing and others are from Xiliang, and the territory they occupy in Guanzhong is not in Hedong County, and the transportation of grain and grass is very far away, so the grain and grass have bottomed out at this time.

Zhong Xuan and others analyzed that the coalition forces from all walks of life are not of the same mind, and others may not necessarily give them food, so Yang Qiu and others will inevitably be shaken in their hearts, and they are objects that can be fought for.

Cao Cao approved their suggestion and sent people to lobby them.

Two days later, Zhang Ji arrived at the Ma Teng military camp.

At this moment, Ma Teng's mood is also relatively bad, because he actually doesn't have much food and grass.

He promised Yuan Shao, first of all, Yuan Shao was powerful and prestigious. Secondly, Yuan Shao promised to give him food and grass subsidies, so he came over.

Gao Gan and Tao Sheng's mission in Hanoi was to contain Cao Cao's western front and to transport grain and grass to the generals of the Guanzhong coalition army.

As a result, the first batch of grain and grass was delivered, helping them defeat Duan Xuan, but the second batch of grain and grass had not yet arrived, but Gao Gan and Tao Sheng had already been wiped out, and in the blink of an eye, they were alone.

You must know that this is not a battle in Guanzhong, the soldiers need to cross the Qinling Mountains to send out the Hangu Pass, the straight-line distance along the line is more than 200 kilometers, the road is winding and winding, the actual distance is more than three or four hundred kilometers, and it is rainy along the Qinling Mountains, and the logistics supply and transportation are very difficult.

Without Yuan Shao's support, they would have bottomed out in two months, so Ma Teng was very worried now.

Hearing that Zhang Ji, the envoy of Cao Jun, was coming, he sent people to his tent.

"General."

After Zhang Ji came in, he smiled and bowed his hand to Ma Teng, he had been the Xinfeng County Commander for several years, and he knew all these Guanzhong princes.

When Ma Teng saw him coming, he pretended to be an old friend and laughed again: "It turned out to be De Rong, I haven't seen you for a long time, since you abandoned the official and left, you have disappeared, but I didn't expect to go to the imperial court, where are you now?" ”

Zhang Ji said with a smile: "General Tuo was worried, returned to Chendu last year, met His Majesty, and was appointed by the imperial court as Hongnong Taishou. ”

"Oh."

Ma Teng nodded and asked, "In that case, what is De Jong doing in my camp?" ”

Zhang Ji said: "I want to ask the general, I don't know how much food there is?" ”

Ma Teng raised his eyebrows and said, "Could De Jong come to our army?" ”

"Of course not."

Zhang Ji said eloquently: "The general came from afar, and the grain and grass must rely on Yuan Shao, but Yuan Shao's soldiers and horses in Hanoi have been defeated by Cao Gong, and the food cannot be supplied, can it be stalemate for how long?" ”

Ma Teng was silent, his food was indeed running out, and the next batch of grain and grass did not know how long it would take, and once there was no new grain in another month, he could only retreat.

Zhang Ji knew what was going on when he saw him, so he immediately said: "The general has a grudge against Han Sui, does the general plan to give up?" ”

Ma Teng looked at him and said, "De Jong wants to instigate me and turn against Han Sui?" ”

Zhang Ji shook his head and said: "That's not the case, I want to remind the general that this battle is a war between Yuan Shao and Cao Gong after all." What is the reason why the general put the enemies around him and did not guard against them, but came from afar to attack Cao Gong? ”

"Right now, the general is short of food, and it is easy for Cao Gong to defeat you. But the general is an enemy of Cao Gong, and the benefits are Yuan Shao's, what can the general get? ”

"So it's better to ally with us and defeat Han Sui together. The general can take revenge, and get the entire Guanzhong and Xiliang, and the court is also willing to reward the general, wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone? ”

An alliance with Cao Cao?

Ma Teng hesitated, lost in thought.

His current predicament is a lack of food and grass, and Zhang Ji is right.

It was easy for Cao Cao to destroy them, as long as he waited patiently for more than a month, and when they retreated from the army due to lack of food, they would be easily defeated.

At that time, even if Yuan Shao took advantage of Cao Cao's absence on the front line and defeated Cao's army, what would they get?

I suffered a big loss, but Yuan Shao took all the benefits, why?

So to a certain extent, this is equivalent to working for Yuan Shaobai, and at the risk of losing troops or even being wiped out, it is not worth it at all.

It's just that.

It's just that Ma Teng is also very hesitant.

In fact, he couldn't defeat Han Sui, his total strength was only more than 10,000 people, and Han Sui had 30,000 or 40,000.

There was Zhong Xuan and others in the middle before, and they were barely eliminated by Han Sui.

Later, Han Sui forced him to agree to an alliance with Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shao was indeed strong and could be attached to, so the alliance would attack the Guanzhong Lords.

If he rebels now, he is mainly afraid that he will not be able to defeat Han Sui, and once he does not eliminate Han Sui and let him escape back to Guanzhong, he will encounter it at that time.

Therefore, Ma Teng hesitated for a moment.

Zhang Ji looked at him and asked, "What else does the general have to worry about?" ”

Ma Teng smiled bitterly: "I don't have enough troops for Han Sui, I'm afraid I won't be able to defeat him." ”

Zhang Ji said with a smile: "With Cao Gong here, why should the general have such worries?" It only needs the general to send protons to Chendu and join forces with us to eliminate Han Sui, and this pass is all owned by the general! ”

"Hmm."

Ma Teng finally made a decision, gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I will agree to form an alliance with Cao Gong." ”

Zhang Ji was overjoyed and saluted: "The general is wise." ”

He immediately went back to report it.

And the same statement also appeared in the tents of Yang Qiu, Zhang Heng, Cheng Yi, Liang Xing and others.

Many of the envoys sent by Cao Cao analyzed the pros and cons to them, explaining the dilemma they were facing and the dangers of continuing to operate with Cao.

Everyone was not of the same mind, but after being analyzed, they were persuaded and agreed to form an alliance with Cao Cao.

At this time, one-third of the soldiers and horses of the Kwantung Coalition Army were encircled by Cao Cao with a counter-strategy.

On the night of May 21, Cao Cao agreed with them to raise fire to attack Han Sui's camp and wipe out Han Sui in Shaanxi County!

There's one more chapter later

(End of chapter)