Three Kingdoms: At the beginning, Lu Bu was mistaken for his father-in-law

Chapter 255 Chapter 254 End of the road, up the mountain

Just as Lin Mo guessed, Cao Cao arranged many secret agents in the Northern Kingdom to investigate the military situation.

In this era, the secrets deployed in an area were actually very sophisticated. A county usually had no more than five groups of ten people, and it had to be a strategically important county.

Of course, it's not that there are not enough people, but the cost of supporting these shadows is a huge cost.

They have been active behind enemy lines for a long time, risking their lives, and always have to carry a virtual identity. They cannot see their families all year round, and the cost is naturally not comparable to that of keeping ordinary sergeants in captivity.

Even in Jingzhou, the underbelly that Cao Cao coveted for a long time, only a hundred people were deployed. There is no way, Cao Cao is not rich enough to be able to do whatever he wants.

Especially in the past three years, although the territory has expanded a bit, there have been a lot of defeats. The lost soldiers, horses, grain, grass and ordnance have amounted to astronomical amounts of money. Therefore, even using hidden weapons has to be done.

However, in the northern country, Cao Cao spread 3000 secrets in just two states. Three hundred secrets were enough to feed an army of [-] people.

The expenses are staggering, but the benefits are also very intuitive. Xiahou Dun, who lives in Taiyuan, Bingzhou, can receive news about the North Kingdom as soon as possible.

For example, Zhang Yan sent 1 people to attack the two counties of Changshan and Zhongshan at the same time; for example, Lu Bu sent 2 people from the front to quell the chaos in the rear.

Zhang Yan changed his previous style this time. From Xiahou Dun's point of view, of course Xun You's ingenious plan has achieved miraculous results. After all, he is a great talent in Yingchuan, and it is really easy to handle a bandit.

As the governor of Bingzhou, Xiahou Dun not only took charge of the military affairs of guarding the border, but also had a crucial task, which was to check and balance Lu Bu, at least not to make him live too comfortably.

Even Zhang Yan started to move. How could he remain silent? Even if he wanted to send [-] troops to cross the Taihang Mountains and harass Zhao County and Guangping County, he could achieve a strategic contiguous effect with Zhang Yan and directly let Zhang Yan move. Half of Jizhou was in turmoil.

However, as the remaining governor, Man Chong suggested that it would be enough to send only two thousand cavalry from the city to harass the two counties.

Because the mission given to them by Cao Cao is to harass and contain Lu Bu, not to attack the city. Even if you can occupy a few cities at a small cost now, you will still have to evacuate when Lu Bu returns with troops.

Furthermore, Taihang Mountain is Zhang Yan's territory after all, and there are too many people going there. If Zhang Yan suddenly cuts off his retreat, he will be a shackle.

It is true that Xiahou Dun is a general who is often defeated, but he is not a fool. Apart from his impulsive personality, he is definitely a general who can be alone.

After careful consideration, he agreed to follow Man Chong's approach, so he sent chariots as the main general and Cao Zhen as the deputy general. He led the two thousand cavalry in Taiyuan City, crossed the Taihang Mountains, entered Zhaojun and Guanglingjun, and began to attack. range of harassment.

Che Zhou's luck is still very good, because if it weren't for Lin Mo's intervention that changed history, the grass on his grave would be more than one meter high now.

Compared with Che Zhou, Cao Zhen, as the only adopted son of the Cao family's Eight Tiger Cavalry who does not have the blood of the Cao family and the Xiahou family, has yet to accumulate actual combat experience, especially for an operation like this that goes deep behind enemy lines and requires making decisions on his own before the enemy. growth is still important.

At first, the chariots were still cautious. After the 2000 people entered Zhao County, they did not intend to attack the city or plunder, but just to scare Lu Bu's rear so that local officials could ask Lu Bu for help.

But after several actions, Che Zhou discovered that although Cao Zhen was young, he was definitely not a soft persimmon. On the contrary, he was brave and good at fighting. He also knew how to size up the situation and act according to the opportunity. He also had his own unique insights. In time, he would definitely become a leader at the Dajun level in the army. figure.

Therefore, in order to make the battle larger, Cha Zhou chose to allocate a thousand cavalry to Cao Zhen and let him enter Guangping to act alone, and only agreed on a date to withdraw.

Facts have proved that Cao Zhen's generals are indeed superior to chariots. In just ten days, he traveled to seven counties in Guangping County, causing panic in the entire county. Many county towns closed their gates.

There are also some big families who have a good impression of Lu Lin's son-in-law, but they can't do anything about Cao Zhen. He is very smart and has implemented Huo Qubing's blitzkrieg tactics. He is not greedy for any baggage, food, or seizures. He eats wherever he hits, and The route was often changed, so that the soldiers sent by several noble families to ambush had no effect, and they could only watch Cao Zhen act haphazardly.

In later romance films and TV dramas, Cao Zhen is a dandy who climbed to the position of Third Duke by virtue of his title as a relative of the Cao family. When in danger, he would only hold his head and shout: "Shuang'er, save me!"

In fact, Cao Zhen is very tough. In terms of military talent alone, he is not inferior to the five good generals.

Not to mention anything else, when Zhuge Liang left Qishan alone, his military exploits were enough to surpass Sima Yi.

The first time he took action, he defeated the partial divisions of Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi on the Xiegu Road. After the battle, he predicted that Zhuge Liang would make a fuss about Chencang when he left Qishan again, so he secretly ordered Hao Zhao to rush to repair Chencang and strengthen the city defense.

After the spring of the next year, Zhuge Liang's troops were indeed directed towards Chencang. However, because Hao Zhao was prepared to fight, the Shu army's food route could not be opened, which directly caused Zhuge Liang's second northern expedition to abort.

It's a pity that in movies and TV shows, Cao Zhen's extraordinary merit is given to Sima Yi.

In the scheduled fifteen days, Cao Zhen's victory was greater than that of Chao Jiao. When the two met, Chao Zhen's team lost more than 200 horses, but Cao Zhen's troops only lost 57 horses during the charge.

At this time, the two of them had also received Xiahou Dun's military order and retreated to Taiyuan along the same route.

In more than half a month, only two thousand cavalry were used to destroy the two counties of Jizhou. The prefects of the two places even sent three groups of fast horses to urgently ask Lu Bu for reinforcements.

But Xiahou Dun was eager for them to return, not because of this reason, but because reinforcements from the Lu army had arrived in the Zhongshan Kingdom, and even rushed directly to the Taihang Mountains and had several encounters with Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army.

"Zhang Yan has been struggling in the Taihang Mountains for more than ten years, and he failed three times in a row. What a waste!" In the council hall of Jinyang City, the Taiyuan County Office, Xiahou Dun, who was wearing armor, was furious.

He originally thought of mobilizing Lu Bu's army and leaving him exhausted in several counties. Who would have thought that only 2 people came and Zhang Yan fought all the way to the south and sent an urgent letter? He said that he could not stand it anymore and quickly transferred the soldiers and horses from Guangping and Zhaojun back, otherwise the retreat would be blocked.

You know, if his side is so vulnerable, the siege of Youzhou cannot be changed at all, and all his people must be withdrawn.

"Zhao Yun is the champion of the three armies, and Yan Liang and Wen Chou are the generals of the Northern Kingdom. It is not easy for these three to join forces."

Man Chong pinched his beard and muttered: "What's more, Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Bandits are just a bunch of rabble after all. How can they possibly defeat Lu Bu's most elite troops?"

He understood the truth, but Xiahou Dun really didn't want to watch this plan collapse.

Once Yuan Xi learns that he and Zhang Yan can no longer contain Lu Bu, even though there are tens of thousands of people in Zhuo County, their troops have no fighting spirit and they will be defeated sooner or later.

What he hopes to see more is that when he and Zhang Yan join forces, they can force Lu Bu's army back, at least 5 to [-] people. Only in this way will Yuan Xi have enough confidence to collide with Lu Bu head-on.

But from the current situation, it seems that Lu Bu only used 2 people to break Xun You's situation of exhausting Lu.

"Only by clearing up the 2 people on the Taihang Mountains can Lu Bu be forced to send troops back to aid."

Xiahou Dun walked around in the hall and sat back on the handsome chair. His eyes were condensed and his cheekbones were highlighted, "We must not let Lu Bu annex Youzhou so smoothly. Otherwise, not only Bingzhou will have a broken city." In this crisis, the Central Plains will also fall into the direct threat of Lu Jun."

Youzhou is very important. It is the most critical place to restrain Lu Bu from becoming bigger.

When they were in Xuchang, Guo Jia, Xun You and Xun Yu all said that although Lu Bu had gained Ji and Qing states, You and Bing states were not in his hands, so he was always strategically passive.

Especially in Youzhou, unlike Bingzhou, it is blocked by the Taihang Mountains and faces Ji and Qingzhou. Once this worry is solved, Lu Bu's strategic flexibility will be greatly improved in the future.

"General, have our scouts witnessed the battle between Lu Jun and the Black Mountain Bandits?" Man Chong asked suspiciously.

"No."

Xiahou Dun shook his head, "But seven villages along the way were burned down, which is confirmed."

"It seems that Lu Bu's elite troops are being used this time."

Man Chong did not think that there could be any connection between Zhang Yan and Lu Bu, because in his opinion it was unwise. If they wanted to unite, they should have surrendered long ago, and it would not have been delayed until today.

What's more, anyone with a discerning eye can see that Zhang Yan can't get any benefits by surrendering to Lu Bu. There was an old grudge between the two that led to a life-and-death battle.

He just hoped to judge Lu Jun's combat power from the information from the scouts, but unfortunately, he found nothing.Simply making a choice based on the overall strategy of the Northern Kingdom, Man Chong also supported Xiahou Dun to go to the Taihang Mountains to fight the Lu army. After all, if Lu Bu was allowed to annex Youzhou too easily, it would be difficult for this corner of Bingzhou to resist their multiple attacks.

Moreover, Zhang Yan has 3 or 2 people on hand, and he is now in a state of defeat. As long as Xiahou Dun leads the army to set up an ambush at a designated location, and Zhang Yan attracts Zhao Yun and others to the ambush circle, he will cooperate with the inside and outside, and take the [-] people. It is not difficult for people to swallow it.

"How many people does the general plan to take?"

Hearing Man Chong's question, Xiahou Dun knew that the two of them had agreed on their opinions, so he immediately said, "This battle is related to the overall situation of the Northern Kingdom. I want to send out all the troops to capture and kill Zhao Yun and Yan Liang Wen Chou!"

"No no no!"

Hearing this, Man Chong raised both hands anxiously, "General, Zhang Yan's Black Mountain bandits are no less than [-]. Our army does not need so many people. Besides, our army is waiting for work this time. General, please leave thousands of troops behind." , at least be on guard against Huchuquan plundering Bingzhou."

Xiahou Dun stood up again, stroking his beard and pacing back and forth.

It is true that the whole territory of Bingzhou is now in his hands, but right now the people's hearts are still unstable, and the aristocratic families in various places have not completely changed their minds from the rule of the Yuan family.

If the Xiongnu were allowed to plunder like this without any performance, it would probably trigger civil strife.

In addition, what Man Chong said makes sense. After all, Zhao Yun only had 2 people. After chasing him all the way, he had become a weak army. He led more than [-] people up the mountain to set up an ambush in advance, and then cooperated with Zhang Yan's people to defeat his entire army. Subversion is no problem.

"Okay! Then leave 5000 people for you to guard the border, and I will bring 5000 people to the mountain to set up an ambush, how about it?"

Man Chong nodded repeatedly when he heard this, "Very good, very good. However, cavalry cannot be used in mountainous battles. I would like to ask the general to leave the cavalry with me."

"This is natural." Of course Xiahou Dun understood this truth, so he agreed happily.

After the two of them agreed on the military strategy, Xiahou Dun took Man Chong to the sand table nearby and began to plan the ambush.

According to Zhang Yan's letter, Zhao Yun's people are still on the mountain range on the border of Zhongshan Kingdom. It is most suitable to set up an ambush in Guangping, because it is still more than 500 miles away from Zhongshan Kingdom. He has plenty of time, but at the same time, he I was worried that Zhao Yun might not dare to pursue him so deeply.

To be conservative, Xiahou Dun decided to set up an ambush on the Taihang Mountains on the boundary of Zhaojun.

Although it is less than three hundred miles away from Zhao Yun's position, it does take some time to get there from Taiyuan, but there is no post road in the Taihang Mountains and their marching speed will not be too fast. As long as Zhang Yan can block the attacks step by step and slow down Zhao Yun's advance Bingfeng, there is still plenty of time.

Man Chong watched Xiahou Dun's deduction on the sand table and nodded in agreement from time to time. After changing the choice of several ambush locations, the two of them reached a unanimous suggestion to ambush in an area called Jianglonggang.

Perhaps because of the name of this area, Zhao Yun and Zhao Zilong asked him to subdue the dragon here.

After the agreement was reached, Xiahou Dun immediately wrote a letter and asked Zhang Yan's messenger to take it back to Taihang Mountain.

At this point, he also quickly went out to inspect the troops and horses, preparing to send troops to Taihang Mountain early tomorrow morning.

On Taihang Mountain, at the border between Zhongshan State and Zhao County, Zhao Yun, Yan Liang, Wen Chou and Zhang Yan looked at Xia Houdun's reply letter with different thoughts and even joyful expressions.

Zhang Yan, who is in her 40s, is even biting her nails in confusion. Damn it, they clearly didn’t ask me to write a letter asking for help. Instead, they asked me to write an emergency letter and asked Xiahou Dun to withdraw his troops. Why did he run away on his own initiative? He came to ask for an ambush. Can Lin Mo really predict the future?
Yan Liang, Wen Chou, with an expression of admiration on his face, captured Zhang Yan alive in one move, and 800 people defeated the Black Mountain bandits who had been stubborn in the North for many years. This was already a magical method in the eyes of the two brothers, and they were able to catch Xiahou Dun. It's really amazing.

But this is okay. As long as Cao Jun can be defeated here, the last hope of Yuan Jun in Youzhou will be shattered. When the time comes, the two brothers will shout like this at the city gate. Are you afraid that they will not surrender?
Zhao Yun had an indifferent expression on his face, and all he could think about was how to bring Xiahou Dun's head back to make Lu Bu and Lin Mo happy. As for the plan reaching this point, in his opinion, this was Lin Mo's normal operation, and there was nothing to make a fuss about. .

In the end, it was Zhao Yun who broke the silence first, "How far is Jianglonggang from here?"

Zhang Yan took a moment to come to her senses and quickly responded: "It's more than 200 miles away, and we're almost at the boundary of Guangping."

If he had been a little careful before, at this point, Lin Mo's unrivaled tactics and shocking tricks of playing tricks on himself and Xiahou Dun had completely suffocated him.

It seems that he is not bragging. Such a unique genius can indeed take me once or twice, but he still helped them deal with Xiahou Dun honestly. Now, there is no way out.

"so far"

It's not possible to ride horses on the mountain, and [-]% of the more than [-] miles can't be covered in ten days. It seems that there is no chance to survey the terrain.

"Do you have a map?" Wen Chou asked knowingly.

"We, a group of people, have been struggling in the Taihang Mountains for so many years, so why do we need a map?"

Zhang Yan smiled and then said: "But it is a mountain col, which is really suitable for an ambush. Although I don't have a map, I can roughly draw the landform of Jianglonggang, which can also be used as a reference."

The Montenegrin Army calls it an army, but they have never had such strategic supplies as maps and sand tables. Maps have long been in their hearts.

Fortunately, the Taihang Mountains, which stretch for thousands of miles, have been visited by them in more than ten years. Zhang Yan did not delay at all and drew the general appearance of Jianglonggang on the empty flat outside the village.

Zhao Yun crossed his arms and looked at the graphics on the ground without saying a word.

There are two risks here. First, he is not sure whether Zhang Yan is really cooperative and will cause trouble on this map. Second, from the topography, Jianglonggang is a valley-like place. The same open land, but the front and rear entrances and exits are very narrow, which is indeed suitable for ambushes. The problem is that it is not clear how Xiahou Dun will set up an ambush.

However, there is a wonderful advantage in the terrain. Once Xiahou Dun's men rush out, Zhang Yan leads the Black Mountain bandits to fight back. If he cooperates with his men, it will be a two-line attack. Xiahou Dun has no way to escape.

This is also the only thing that makes Zhao Yun a little excited.

It's a pity that Lin Mo is not around, and there is no one to guide him.

"Why, General Zhao doesn't believe me?" Seeing Zhao Yun's serious face, Zhang Yan smiled bitterly.

"I was just thinking about how to fight back." Zhao Yun did not move his eyes away from the ground.

"it is good!"

Zhang Yan said decisively: "If General Zhao trusts me, when our people flee in front, Xiahou Dun will wait for you to fully buy in, and then block the retreat, intending to eat all 2 people. At that time, the general can Reserve a group of people outside the post to provide support, so that we can ensure that Xiahou Dun’s body is buried here!”

In fact, Zhao Yun was thinking the same thing. Of course, the biggest risk was Zhang Yan.

If he really wanted to help sincerely, then Xiahou Dun would indeed have no way to survive, but what if he...
Zhao Yun took a deep breath and looked at Yan Liangwen and Chou brothers, who both nodded heavily, indicating that they also agreed with this method.

At this point, Zhao Yun tightened his fists and raised his eyes to look at Zhang Yan, "General Zhang, what you lost on the Taihang Mountains after this battle, Marquis Wen and Yunwen will make up for it."

"You and I are both true people. If you believe in me, I won't let you down." Zhang Yan just chuckled and didn't seem to care too much about Zhao Yun's promise.

Perhaps, in his opinion, Zhao Yun's trust in a bandit is more comforting than those big cakes.

The four of them returned to Dazhai, and from noon to dusk, they made detailed arrangements for the battle at Jianglonggang.

As for the result, we can only truly see it when we arrive at Jianglonggang.

In the evening, the wind howls on the hills, and it smells like the rain is about to come and the wind fills the building.

(End of this chapter)