On the occasion of Cao Cao's urgent dispatch of envoys from Xudu to Xuzhou.

Night.

Pengcheng.

In the distance outside the city, the enemy army retreated like a tidal wave.

On the city wall, there are ruins and broken walls everywhere.

On the city wall, some of the tired soldiers were cleaning the corpses on the city wall, and some were kneeling in front of the severed limbs and cries.

Blood was pouring everywhere.

Among the busy soldiers, Zhao Yun, Tian Yu and Chen Jiao led a group of generals to appease the soldiers while urging the soldiers to dispose of the corpses and repair the fortifications.

The armor of a group of generals was also covered in blood.

Everyone's face was crawling with exhaustion and numbness.

Chen Jiao looked at Zhao Yun beside him, and said in a hoarse voice: "Captain Zhao, I'm afraid this Pengcheng can't be defended." ”

"We've had three sieges now."

"There are too many enemy catapults and arrow towers, carefully prepared."

"There are a lot of people."

"Moreover, there are six thousand cavalry eyeing each other."

"The next siege, this city wall may not be able to hold on."

"Once the enemy storms the city and opens the gates, then we will die without a place to bury."

Chen Jiao, a member of the Chen family in Guangling, after Chen Deng and Lu Yi discussed, he was directly promoted from a white body to the county guard of Pengcheng.

Although he is very young, during the time he guarded Pengcheng, everything in Pengcheng was thriving.

Who knows, Yuan Shao's army arrived, and all the hard work turned into nothingness.

However, Chen Jiao still completed what Chen Deng had instructed him at the beginning: when Pengcheng could not be defended, all the people of Pengcheng and Xiapi were moved south to Guangling County, especially the Chen family.

Zhao Yun stopped and looked out of the city.

His hands were clenched and clenched.

He was unwilling!

He defected to Wu Hou, and Wu Hou overrode public opinion, directly promoted him to the captain of Xuzhou, and entrusted him to protect the safety of Xuzhou, what a trust!

Now, in the first battle, I can't hold it.

Moreover, almost all the soldiers and horses in Xuzhou were transferred by him, nearly 30,000 soldiers.

After defending the city several times, there are now less than 20,000 soldiers left.

However, in the face of Yuan Shao's army outside the city, it fought so fiercely.

But although he was unwilling, looking at the corpses of soldiers lying on the city wall, and listening to the heart-rending cries of some soldiers for the loss of his father or brother, Zhao Yun closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice: "How are the people of Pengcheng and Xiapi retreating?" ”

Chen Jiao said: "The retreat has been completed." Now, there are only us soldiers left in Pengcheng. ”

Zhao Yun did not immediately respond to Chen Jiao's words, but came to the edge of the city wall, pressed his hands on the city wall, looked at the retreating army outside the city, and fell silent.

Behind him, Chen Jiao, Tian Yu, Que Ze and other generals did not speak again.

After a while, Zhao Yun turned around, squeezed out a smile at everyone and said, "Okay, I know what to do." ”

Looking at Que Ze, Zhao Yun said: "Derun, you lead three thousand soldiers and Chen Jiaojun to retreat to Guangling County." Remember, you must protect the safety of Chen Jiao's guard. ”

Que Ze glanced at Zhao Yundao with a somewhat gloomy expression: "Huh! ”

Zhao Yun looked at Tian Yu again and said: "Guorang, you lead 15,000 soldiers to retreat to Xiapi, defend the city wall of Xiapi, and drag Yuan Shao's army as much as possible." ”

"The intelligence should have arrived in Wu County by now, and Wu Hou should have been thinking of a way to send reinforcements to arrive."

"The reinforcements from Guangling County should also be on the way."

"When they arrive, we may be able to keep the south of Xiapi."

Tian Yu hurriedly asked, "What about you, Duwei Zhao?" ”

Zhao Yun sighed, turned to look outside the city and said, "Marquis Wu entrusted me with a heavy responsibility, but I failed to live up to his expectations. I can only fight to the death to repay the grace of Wu Hou. ”

"When you see Wu Hou in the future, remember to help me tell Wu Hou that Zhao Yun will not be able to repay his great kindness in this life, and he will repay him in the next life."

The generals wept one after another.

Tian Yu's eyes were red and said: "Zhao Duwei, stay in the green mountains without worrying about running out of firewood." I believe that Wu Hou hopes that you can live! ”

Zhao Yun squeezed out a smile and said, "No, besides, there must be someone behind the palace." Otherwise, they will all go, and the Yuan army will attack them, and no one will be able to leave. ”

"I'm the commander-in-chief, and I should do it."

Zhao Yun looked at the night sky and said with a long sigh: "The general died in a hundred battles, and the horse leather shroud was returned, which can be regarded as a well-deserved death." ”

At this moment, a soldier came running quickly from the city, and as he ran, he said, "Where is the captain!" Where is the captain! ”

Zhao Yun and the others turned their heads and looked over.

Someone said to the soldiers: "It's not far from the city wall in front." ”

Soldiers rushed up the steps of the city wall.

Looking left and right, and seeing Zhao Yun and the others, the soldiers rushed over and said: "There is a large army from outside the West Gate City, thousands of cavalry, about 5,000 bow infantry, claiming to be Wancheng Zhang Xiu's army, and coming to meet with the commander on the order of Wu Hou to jointly protect Xuzhou!" ”

Que Ze hurriedly stepped forward and snatched a piece of cloth from the soldier's hand.

The cloth was full of words.

It is Lu Yi's handwriting, and it is also stamped with the seal of Wu Hou.

Que Ze hurriedly handed the strip of cloth to Zhao Yundao: "It's true, Wu Hou's handwritten letter, although I have only read it once, but I remember!" Wu Hou's notes are very special. Moreover, this seal can't be faked! ”

Tian Yu glanced at everyone blankly: "Wancheng Zhang Xiu? Why is he here? He is not an attachment of Jingzhou Liu Biao? ”

Chen Jiao groaned: "It doesn't matter what his reason is, let him in first." However, to tell the truth, in this situation, only 1,000 cavalry and 5,000 infantry archers will not help. ”

Zhao Yun looked at the content on the cloth strip and immediately walked down the city wall.

Leave nothing else at that.

Since it was someone sent by Wu Hou, it was natural to talk about it after seeing it.

The generals watched Zhao Yun leave and followed.

The group rode their horses to the west gate of the city.

Zhao Yun motioned to the soldiers defending the city to open the gate.

Outside the city, Zhang Xiu rode a war horse alone and stood at the forefront.

Behind him, Hu Che'er and other generals followed.

One thousand cavalry and five thousand archers were at the end.

Zhang Xiu's face was very serious.

On the way over, he encountered a large number of fleeing people.

After inquiring, I learned that Yuan Shao's army had already arrived in Pengcheng.

He could only speed up the march.

Along the way, he was also trembling.

It's not that I'm afraid of war.

He has already experienced dozens of battles, big and small!

Since he was a teenager and went out with his uncle, there has not been a year in which he has not fought.

What he was afraid of was Zhao Yun.

According to Wu Hou, the master has already gone immortal, leaving only two junior disciples for him.

There are no eyes on the battlefield.

Thinking that the little junior brother who met this time might have died on the battlefield, he suddenly became a little restless.

He has no relatives.

The two junior brothers are his only relatives now.

Fortunately, he rushed to Pengcheng non-stop, and Pengcheng had not yet been breached.

Zhang Xiu stood on the other side of the moat, looking nervously at the city gate.

Finally, seeing the city gate drawbridge lowered, the city gate opened, and dozens of figures rode out of the city.

Zhang Xiu motioned to Hu Che'er and the others not to move, and he rode up by himself.

The two sides met each other.

Zhang Xiu first hugged his fists and said: "Wancheng Zhang Xiu, on the order of Wu Hou, came to meet Zhao Yun, the commander of Xuzhou!" ”

Zhang Xiu's heart raised his throat and looked nervously at the dozens of figures in front of him.

Who will be his little brother?

Seeing this, Zhao Yun replied with a salute and said, "Zhao Yun, the commander of Xuzhou's cavalry, come to greet General Zhang!" ”

Zhang Xiu looked at Zhao Yun in a daze.

Is it this tall, burly, handsome young man in front of you?

Behind Zhao Yun, Tian Yu, Chen Jiao, Que Ze and others watched Zhang Xiu staring at Zhao Yun with some doubts.

What's the situation?

Do the two know each other?

Zhao Yun also asked blankly, "General Zhang?" ”

When Zhang Xiu heard this shout, he came back to his senses, with tears in his eyes, and said in a trembling voice: "A little cold light came first, and then the gun came out like a dragon!" ”

Zhao Yun's dazed face was instantly stunned, his face was full of disbelief, and his voice trembled with excitement: "Even if the enemy is outnumbered, I can still take the head of the enemy general in the army of ten thousand!" ”

Tian Yu: "."

Chen Jiao: "."

Que Ze: "."

Zhang Xiu listened to Zhao Yun's reply, almost rolled off the war horse, opened his hands, tears in his eyes, and wailed: "Little junior brother! ”

Zhao Yun also hurriedly got down from the war horse, greeted him, held Zhang Xiu's arms tightly, knelt down, and said with red eyes: "Senior brother! ”

Everyone: "."

Zhang Xiu hurriedly picked up Zhao Yun and choked up: "Little junior brother, I finally saw you!" Wu Hou didn't lie to me, although the old master has gone immortal, he left me two junior brothers! ”

Zhao Yun's tears also rolled down like a flood that burst the embankment at this time, and said: "When the master was alive, he always advanced the senior brother and the second senior brother. However, until Fang Cai, I couldn't believe that the senior brother Zhang Xiu in the master's mouth was Zhang Xiu, a famous general in Wancheng! ”

Zhang Xiu laughed, patted Zhao Yun's shoulder heavily and said, "What bullshit celebrity?" ”

Zhao Yun said with a smile: "Senior brother doesn't need to be humble, although this is the first time I have met senior brother, but I have heard a lot of your deeds. In the battle of Wancheng, you killed Cao Cao and threw away his armor! ”

After a pause, Zhao Yun hurriedly said, "By the way, senior brother, why are you here?" You're not Jingzhou Liu Biao—"

Zhang Xiu wiped the tears on her face, laughed a few times and said, "You don't know, Wu Hou has already taken Jingzhou!" Now, junior brother and I, you are all listening to orders under Wu Hou's account! ”

Tian Yu, Chen Jiao, Que Ze and others exclaimed.

"What? Took Jingzhou? ”

"We don't have any news here!"

"How much time has it been? Jingzhou actually belongs to us? ”

Zhang Xiu said with a smile: "The specific reason will be talked about when I am free." ”

Looking at the blood on the armor of Zhao Yun, Tian Yu and others, as well as the tired expressions, Zhang Xiu's expression turned cold and said: "I came all the way, I heard that General Yuan Shao Wen Chou led the army to detain the customs and bully the junior brother?" ”

"As a senior brother, if I don't give the junior brother a field, what face do I have?"

Looking at Zhao Yun, Zhang Xiu said: "Little junior brother, immediately take us to the north gate of the city, and then give Yuan Shao's army a war letter." ”

"Tomorrow morning, I, Zhang Xiu, will fight them to the death!"

(End of chapter)