"However, that was the beginning of Xi Yu's entry into our Jizhou land."

"Ahem, ahem, ahem......"

Yuan Shao coughed heavily, and his eyes were full of cruelty.

Yuan Shao said in a deep voice, "However, now I really haven't really lost, I still have a plan, as long as I succeed, the world will definitely fall into strife again!" ”

……

Liyang, in the camp.

In the past few months, Xiahoudun and Cao Ren have been attacking from Dongjun and Yanjin, and the two have continued to cooperate with each other, winning victories one after another, and now they have captured Baima, occupied the city near Liyang, and approached most of Wei County.

Since then, however, it has been difficult for the two men to make progress in the war.

On Yuan Shao's side, the defense of Liyang City was quite effective, because the grain and grass of Wuchao were burned by Cao Cao's soldiers and horses, and Yuan Shao's army was now short of food, so he could only wait for grain and grass to be transported from all over the place, for this reason, Liyang Yuan Shao's army had to shrink the scope of defense.

Therefore, in the past few months, thousands of recruits have been collected from the territory every month, and then sent to various battlefields to ensure the number of soldiers.

As a result, Cao Cao's attack on Liyang was very difficult, and it was difficult to capture it for a long time.

In this way, the longer Yuan Shaojun's army in Liyang City held out, the more unfavorable the situation was for Cao Cao.

Once the war in the south could not be resisted, or the war was tight, Cao Cao would inevitably be unable to insist on attacking Liyang, so he could only temporarily abandon Liyang and had to withdraw his troops.

At this time, in Cao Cao's military camp, a meeting had just ended, and the generals left one after another, but Cao Cao asked Zhu Ling to stay alone.

"Zhu Ling, you have been by my side for a long time, and now I am about to fight against Yuan Shao, but I don't want to use you for the time being, you go back to Xuchang for the time being."

Cao Cao didn't give a chance at all, and directly relieved Zhu Ling of his military power.

"My lord! Why is that? ”

Zhu Ling's face suddenly changed drastically, and he was even more frightened, "My lord, I have always been absolutely loyal to my lord, and I will never secretly communicate with the enemy army, and I will seek glory from the buyer!" ”

"Hehe, I know this matter very well...... Cao Cao patted Zhu Ling on the shoulder with a light smile, and said, "In the early years, when I conquered the Yellow Turban Thieves, you had already followed me, but I also understood that you have always been kind to Yuan Shaonian, after all, he was kind to you, and you can't get rid of this matter." ”

"In this way, if I let you go to attack Yuan Shao now, wouldn't it be a place of treachery for you, and now that the war ahead is stable, you go back to the rear first, so that you can guard Xuchang, and I will definitely record such a credit for you."

Between the words, Cao Cao smiled, his expression was very sincere, and there was no hint of joke at all.

Cao Cao really thinks that if Zhu Ling stays in the current war, it will indeed have almost no impact on the war situation.

"My lord is very right." Cao Cao's words moved Zhu Ling very much in his heart, and he immediately knelt down in front of Cao Cao on one knee, clasped his fists and saluted, and said in a deep voice, "I will leave immediately and return to Xuchang immediately." ”

After saying that, Cao Cao patted the main beam with great satisfaction, and Zhu Ling turned around and left the camp tent and went to rectify the soldiers and horses in order to quickly withdraw to Xuchang.

At this moment, Cao Ren happened to pass by, just passing by Zhu Ling, Cao Ren walked into Cao Cao's tent very curiously, and said in a deep voice, "Big brother, Fengyi has already told you to persuade Niche not to let Zhu Ling go, don't you remember?" ”

"Hehehe, it's okay to do this, it's Fengyi thinking too much."

"Big brother, you're about to start that romantic idea again."

"You don't learn to speak in Fengyi! Is it difficult for you to understand this war now? ”

"Big brother, Fengyi persuaded the elder brother, let's listen to it, big brother, this Zhu Ling used to be Yuan Shao's general."

"Because of this, I let Zhu Ling go, and I gave him 2,000 infantry, in this way, Zhu Ling can't have another chance, I will let him go back, don't worry, Zhu Ling is in Xuchang, 1,200 infantry, can't afford any wind and waves."

The two chatted about the military situation until it was almost time to eat.

Cao Ren and Cao Cao talked about military affairs for a long time, until it was time for dinner.

At this moment, Zhu Ling returned to his tent, he sighed very much, and took out a letter from his arms......

This letter is from Yecheng, Jizhou.

After reading the letter, Zhu Ling muttered, "I don't know how I can save you from hardship now, you had the grace of knowing me at the beginning, such kindness, I Zhu Ling can't help but pay it back." ”

"At the beginning, all the women and children in my family died at the hands of Gongsun Zhan, no matter what, it was you who avenged this revenge for me......

Zhu Ling's face was very surprised, and then immediately urged the soldiers and horses to set off, and now the core people of the soldiers and horses under his command have more than a hundred people who are ten captains, the level of centurions.

Although these people do not have real power in Cao's military camp, only more than 1,000 soldiers and horses on the side, but plus veterans and officers, as long as Zhu Ling wants to do things, he can still have soldiers and horses on the side, more than 1,000 people, plus they are all veterans or officers, he Zhu Ling can still do a lot of things, such as cutting off the grain and grass behind Cao Cao, or even destroying it directly.

In this letter, Yuan Shao talked about his kindness to Zhu Ling in the past, and also mentioned that he had been his adoptive mother for several years, which inevitably moved Zhu Ling's heart, but he did not shirk it.

Otherwise, Zhu Ling felt deeply guilty.

And if Yuan Shao can stabilize, Zhu Ling thinks that he can also go back.

In this way, Zhu Ling thought that Cao Cao would win, but at this time, Zhu Ling had a good chance to get out.

From the beginning of the war to the present, Zhu Ling always thought that Cao Cao would win, but at this moment, Cao Cao relieved himself of military power and only gave him a few soldiers and horses so that he could meet Xuchang, which just gave him a good reason to get out and became a free man in the army.

Coming out of Cao Cao's camp, Zhu Ling led the soldiers and horses all the way to Xuchang, and on the way, there were many grain stations.

Zhu Ling thought to himself, he only needed to take a detour from the grain station to Xuchang in the name of Cao Cao, and then faint the grain and grass to Huaxian County, and then pass through the two roads in Jun County, smoothly detour to Cao Cao's military camp, and then seize Cao Jun's military rations, so that Zhu Ling could go back to Yuan Shao's side and help Yuan Shao solve the crisis in Liyang.

……

This night, Cao Cao's camp, very quiet, now the summer is about to pass, this year, Cao Cao has been staying in the Guandu camp, he has never returned to Xuchang, the whole person is very tired.

Yuan Shao was sad for the army of Liyang.

"It's a pity that Wen Chou can't be compared with Yan Liang after all, if Yan Liang is still there, with his courage alone, he can deliberately side him out and get rid of him directly."

"However, Wen Chou doesn't have much strategy, but when he executes his strategy, he is very honest and reckless, and he executes all orders without change, which is very rare."

At this moment, it was in front of Cao Hong and Yu Ban that Cao Cao could say the confusion in his heart so calmly.

However, in front of other generals, Cao Cao has always been a very optimistic image, and at the same time constantly encourages his soldiers, and often gives them good hopes, so Cao Cao has always avoided his bad mood from affecting his soldiers.

Cao Cao wanted to convince his soldiers that as long as he captured Liyang, he would step into the land of Jizhou with both feet.

Liyang City is the southern barrier of Wei County, and it is the largest county in the south of Jizhou.

Up to now, Cao Cao has led his army to attack for half a year, but he has not been able to capture this place.

If it weren't for Cao Cao's insistence on military orders and various encouragement strategies to keep his soldiers and horses sticking to it, Cao's military camp would have been in turmoil long ago.

For war, the ancients said: one blow of strength, then decline, three and exhaustion.

The soldiers and horses in Liyang City, the same, the defenders of Liyang City have been holding the city for more than half a year, and they are no longer as firm as they were at the beginning, if there is no continuous supply of grain and grass and the encouragement of Wen Chou and others, the defenders in the city have already entered a state of exhaustion.

"My lord, in my opinion, the situation is just right now." Cheng Yu said, "In the past half a year of our attack on Liyang, it can be regarded as buying a lot of valuable time for the drama master, so that he can develop his reputation in Leling County." ”

"Nowadays, many ordinary people know that Leling County is practicing benevolent government, there is money and food to be earned, and a large number of displaced people have climbed mountains and waded to Leling, and almost at the same time, there have been many rebellions in the land of Quang Binh generation, although they are rumors of displaced people, but I think these rumors are absolutely credible."

"Yuan Shao, now the internal and external troubles are no different from the original Gongsun Zhan's situation?"

"I thought that at that time, Gongsun Chan was besieged in Youzhou and couldn't go south, but he couldn't go north, it should be Yuan Shao like this now, internal and external troubles, dilemma, so, the lord will be able to completely defeat Yuan Shao now!"

"Hehehe......"

Hearing this, Cao Cao felt an inexplicable bitterness in his heart, and it was even more strange: the same internal and external troubles were similar to Gongsun Zhan at the beginning.

Thinking about it, there is a bit of retribution, maybe how Yuan Shao forced Gongsun Zan to death in the first place, and now he will also be forced to a dead end.

"I know this, but I have been thinking about it for a long time, and I don't know why." Cao Cao took a sip of cold water and said in a deep voice, "I really don't understand, now that it's like this, why does Yuan Shao still hold on and not withdraw his troops?" ”

"The terrain of this Liyang City is not high, it is very difficult to defend it, and the loss is very large, even if there is a fierce general like Wen Chou, it is difficult to hold on for a long time!"

"If it drags on like this, for Yuan Shao, it will only lose more, and by this winter, Yuan Shao will definitely lose more than 30,000 men and horses, if my eldest sister Jia attacks hard, even at the cost of the consequences of the next few years, and attacks Yuan Shao's defenders very fiercely, Yuan Shao's losses will definitely exceed 100,000."

"At the same time, the men in Liyang City and even Jizhou will flee from Liyang and even Jizhou in order to avoid military recruitment!"

"If I was Yuan Shao, I would never defend in Liyang, but should have already retreated to Wei County, this place is the largest city in Wei County, and there are countless money and important roads in the city, so I would have retreated to Wei County a long time ago, and it is the largest city in the entire Wei County!"

"In this way, Yuan Shao must be waiting for something, maybe something that made me have to withdraw from the army."

Cao Hong and Cao Ren glanced at each other and asked blankly, "What are Yuan Shao waiting for?" ”

"Ridiculous, if I know what Yuan Shao is waiting for, why do I need to ask you two?!"

Cao Cao glared at Cao Hong and Cao Ren.

Now this matter of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao can't understand it the most, and the rest of the things, he washes and wants to understand.

At this moment, it is almost the second half of the night.

Cao Cao asked Cao Hong to go back and deploy night patrols and defenses, leaving a few more people in the camp to be on standby at any time.

It didn't take long for everyone in the camp to be startled by the sound of footsteps.

At such a point in time, none of the soldiers had already fallen asleep, only the sentry guards remained, and at this time there was a sound of footsteps, which must have happened for a reason, and as for the good and bad times, everyone did not know, and could only look in the direction from which the sound came.

When everyone saw it, the person who came was actually General Gao Shun in the trapping camp.

At this moment, Gao Shun was holding a burden in his hand, but the burden was constantly oozing blood.

Cao Cao has been on the battlefield for decades, and his experience tells him that the burden in Gao Shun's hand is likely to be a human head.

But Cao Cao really couldn't guess whose head it was.

Despite this, Cao Cao immediately paid attention to it, he immediately stood up, very puzzled, and after Gao Shun walked in, he asked, "Why did the general kill people late at night, could it be that there were assassins?" ”

"It's not an assassin, this is Zhu Lingxiang's head." Gao Shun said coldly.

Gao Shun never said much, and rarely interacted with people, but this person has always been strict in governing the army and has never made any mistakes, which has always been very admirable.

Therefore, at this time, although Gao Shun came to the camp late at night, Cao Cao did not think that Gao Shun had bad intentions.

However, Xu Chu did not relax his vigilance, he pulled out his sword and looked at Gao Shun very vigilantly.

"Since I'm not an assassin, I want to hear why General Gao killed one of my favorite generals?"

Cao Cao looked at the table, the head was indeed Zhu Ling, and Zhu Ling was indeed dead.

But in this way, where are the more than 1,000 veterans under his command now?

Cao Cao was even more puzzled, there were more than 1,000 veterans around Zhu Ling, and how Gao Shun succeeded in killing Zhu Ling.

Could it be that Gao Shun is a fierce general who is deeply hidden?

Gao Shun walked in, knelt on the ground, bowed deeply, and said in a calm and deep voice, "Back to the lord, the last general will be entrusted by Lord Xi, first, the Lord is in charge of the casting and use of the giant crossbow, and obeys the dispatch, and second, he will pay close attention to Zhu Ling's movements." ”

"Last night, Zhu Ling mobilized his troops and horses and went south, and when he was camping in Wulidi, he said that he was ordered by the prime minister to send back the grain and grass to prevent Yuan Shaozhi's sneak attack."

"But the last general knows very well that our army is short of grain and grass, and the grain and grass in the army are only used for three days, and when the grain station arrives, the follow-up grain and grass also need to be delivered through the grain station."

Gao Shun explained in great detail.

"Master Xi once told us that the establishment of a grain station seems to be invulnerable, but if there are spies inside, then the grain and grass will also be cut off, and it will be difficult to resist when we go back from where we came."

Gao Shun was fearless, and truthfully stated this purpose, and even took out a letter from his bosom and said, "This letter was obtained from General Zhu Ling's personal place, please check it yourself." ”

"Present the letter." Cao Cao immediately looked at Xu Chu and said.

"Hmm......" Xu Chu came to Gao Shun and suddenly felt that this person was very murderous, and he was a rare person in the army.

From this point of view, if this son is asked to kill someone, I am afraid that there will be no hesitation, and he will go up and kill the person directly.

Xu Chu took the letter from Gao Shun's hand and handed it to Cao Cao.

However, there was still blood on the letter, and the blood had soaked the letter, and some of the handwriting on the letter had become blurred, but fortunately it could be carefully recognized.

Cao Cao only read a few paragraphs of the letter, and concluded that this letter was written by Yuan Shao, and then said in a deep voice, "This letter is indeed written by Yuan Shao himself, hehe, in this way, Yuan Shao wants to put me to death......"

Suddenly, Cao Cao suddenly felt a chill in his back.

Since Yanzhou, he has warned himself that he must be a corporal of Lixian and use people without doubt, and it is precisely because of this strategy that although Cao Cao has been in danger several times, he can always be protected by loyal people, so he has turned danger into a disaster to this day.

But Cao Cao really didn't expect that he was almost killed by the person he once trusted.

Fortunately, Zhu Ling had no intention of assassination, in Cao Cao's opinion, perhaps Zhu Ling's conscience was uneasy, and Cao Cao's courtesy to him was impeccable, and he took him with him and gave him some advice.

When attacking Shouchun and exterminating the puppet emperor, Zhu Ling also had a lot of credits, and he did not destroy his future and what he insisted on in his heart, but to assassinate him.

Or perhaps, Zhu Ling is jealous of Xu Chu's fierceness and loyalty, after all, Xu Chu guards Cao Cao day and night, and he will definitely not leave easily.

Thinking of this, Cao Cao concluded that Zhu Ling did not want to kill him, but wanted to help Yuan Shao with food and grass.

Cao Cao knew that Zhu Ling knew that there was a shortage of grain and grass in the army, and if the grain and grass did not arrive within three days, Cao Cao would definitely send someone to check it, and he knew that he was urging the grain to be sent.

If Zhu Ling's move is successful, when Cao Cao finds out, he is afraid that Zhu Ling will already leave with grain and grass.

And he Cao Cao will be counterattacked by the soldiers and horses of Liyang, and in the end he can only have no choice but to retreat, or kill the horses to satisfy his hunger, otherwise, the soldiers and horses under his rule are likely to mutiny!

If there is a lack of food, there is naturally no strength for any army.

Cao Cao secretly said in his heart: Yuan Benchu, it can really be said that he is scheming, and he actually placed such a person by my side eight years ago.

It's really worthy of you Yuan Benchu, eight years ago, you were ruthless and far-reaching, compared to you today, you are much more powerful.

Fortunately, such a plan seems to have been seen through by Xi Yu.

Cao Cao remembered that a few years ago, Xi Yu began to warn him to beware of Zhu Ling.

But Cao Cao finally moved his heart of compassion and treated Zhu Ling with the courtesy of a countryman, but Cao Cao never thought that he wanted to let him go back to Xuchang, but how did he know that Zhu Ling was so betrayed.

Fengyi, this time you saved my brother's life again!

Cao Cao stared at Gao Shun for a long time, but Cao Cao didn't speak for a long time, and after a while, Cao Cao sighed and said, "Gao Shun, since you have beheaded Zhu Ling for me, are you willing to continue to stay on my side?" ”

At this moment, Cao Cao stood with his hands on his shoulders, admiring Gao Shun's ability very much.

Standing in Cao Cao's hands, it seems that this person is brave and loyal, such a first-class and powerful general, very rare, if any battlefield in the future is helped by Gao Shun, it will definitely get twice the result with half the effort.

Gao Shun bowed deeply, not daring to look at Cao Cao, and said in a deep voice, "Ming Gong solicited, I naturally won't refuse." ”

"But when the last general came, Master Xi once said that if Ming Gong knew that Zhu Ling would rebel, the lord should think of a countermeasure, otherwise, Zhu Ling's death would be wasted."

"What does the lord think of this?"

(End of chapter)