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

Chapter 270 269 Cao Cao: You saved me and the three armies
As the gateway to Yizhou, Hanzhong has been under the rule of Zhang Lu for many years.

However, unlike other states and counties, what is implemented here is the integration of politics and religion.

After all, Zhang Lu's grandfather was Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism, who was also known as Zhang Tianshi in later generations. If ranked down, Zhang Lu was the third generation successor of Tianshi Sect.

This is an identity familiar to later generations, but in fact Zhang Lu was able to break away from Liu Zhang's rule and become independent of Hanzhong, and dealt with him undefeated for many years. In addition to the Tianshi Sect's ability to attract people, the more critical reason is that Zhang Lu Family heritage.

Zhang Lu was the tenth-generation grandson of Zhang Liang, the founding father of the Han Dynasty. In this era where family background was important, this status gave him a dazzling aura.

However, in recent years, as the law of the integration of politics and religion has taken root in the hearts of the people, this identity has gradually been forgotten, and the leader of the Tianshi has become an iconic identity.

In the Sichuan and Sichuan areas, Zhang Lu's Tianshi Cult has a very strong appeal, and because you need to pay five pecks of rice to join the religion, it is also called the Five Pecks of Rice Cult. Even many people from other counties in Yizhou came to join.

This directly made Zhang Lu's implementation of the integration of politics and religion smoother.

To what extent it goes smoothly, Hanzhong has no such positions except for reporting to the court and calling the officials the magistrate and county magistrate when paying tribute.

Here, there are only three types of people, the leader headed by Zhang Lu and his brother Zhang Wei and other disciples, the second type is offering wine, and the third type is ghost soldiers.

All those who join the Five Dou Rice Cult are ghost soldiers, including ordinary people, poor men and even sergeants in the army.

The people who manage these ghost soldiers are not county magistrates, captains, or school captains, but Jijiu.

Different sacrificial wines manage different groups of people. The sacrificial wines in the military are one category, and the sacrificial wines promoted by government orders are another category.

It is conceivable to what extent the Tianshi Cult has spread throughout Hanzhong.

In this era, it is much more convenient to use dogmatic beliefs to manage people than to use decrees and regulations.

Because every once in a while, there will be a treacherous order Jijiu responsible for summoning a group of ghost soldiers to write down the crime, that is, what bad things you did during this period, such as bullying others, not following etiquette, stealing or even robbing, as long as If you write, you can still be given a lighter sentence.

If you don't write it and are accused again, you'll be embarrassed, and you'll definitely be arrested and sacrificed to heaven.

Not to mention, after this practice was implemented in Hanzhong, not to mention not picking up lost items on the road and not closing the house at night, public security cases were definitely the rarest in the county under the rule of the Han Dynasty.

The disadvantages are also obvious. There are no doctors here. When you are sick, you can ask the leader for talisman water. Drinking the talisman water will definitely make you better.

Are you getting better?
That must be something hidden in your confession. You deserve to die. God will never let you go.

Because there is no clear definition of ghost soldiers, Zhang Lu declared to the outside world that he had 12 soldiers, because he really had 12 young and strong ghost soldiers, but the real number of sergeants was actually only more than 3.

Over the years, Zhang Lu has been obsessed with spreading the teachings and has no interest in fighting for power or land outside the country. He just wants more people to receive the blessings of the Tianshi Sect.

Therefore, when Cao Cao's letter of war was delivered, Zhang Lu was not too shocked. The worst he could do was surrender. Anyway, he also showed that he could still continue to preach in Hanzhong and even spread the Tianshi religion to other countries. place to go.

But if his younger brother Zhang Wei doesn't do it, who is Cao Cao?The people who were beaten to death by Lu Bu have now gone to Jingzhou and still can't drive Liu Bei away. Instead, he has set his sights on coming to Hanzhong. Do you really think that the ghost soldiers under his command are just decorations?
Then hit!
So, Zhang Wei led more than 3 people to Yangping Pass, preparing to fight Cao Jun here.

Yangping Pass connects the Qinling Mountains to the north, Daba Mountain and Micang Mountain to the south, and the Jialing River Cutoff. Cao Jun had to take the middle road to conquer.

Although it is not as good as Jianmen Pass, where one man can guard the gate and ten thousand men can't open it, Cao's army cannot give full play to its advantage of troops and horses here, and each attack can accommodate no more than 3000 people.

The only drawback is that Cao's army cannot be allowed to cross the Qinling Mountains and thus take a detour.

Therefore, Zhang Wei left 5000 men and horses behind Yangping Pass. He personally led 8000 men to garrison three villages in the Qinling Mountains north of Yangping Pass, arranged in a "pin" shape.

In this way, you can't break into Yangping Pass, and the road around the Qinling Mountains is also impassable. Although there are only 3000 people, it is enough to reach the 20-strong army.

If the armies from all over the country were gathered together, including the Jingzhou army, Cao Cao could really gather 20 troops, but you are not Lu Bu, you are just Zhang Lu, can you do it?

So Cao Cao led an army of [-] people and arrived at Yangping Pass in a hurry.

Among the 5 people, [-] are his old team brought from Xuchang, and [-] are the Jingzhou Army. After all, he can't all lead his own people, nor can he all lead the Jingzhou Army. This configuration can be considered well thought out.

Bingzhou has been lost. He urgently needs a victory to stabilize the hearts of Jingxiang. Hanzhong is the best choice.

Because once Hanzhong is obtained, it can directly threaten Yizhou, which not only facilitates later expansion, but also gives people the illusion of a sudden increase in strength.

The ten tribes from Guanzhong entered the three counties of Guandong to suppress Lu Bu, and he took Hanzhong to expand his power and stabilize Jingxiang while gaining the strategic initiative. This was the strategic policy that Cao Cao closed himself up to meditate on after the death of Xiahou Dun.

He himself firmly believed that this was the only way to break the situation.

At the same time, he also had full confidence in taking advantage of Zhang Lu. After all, his subordinates had lost a lot of battles in the past few years, but they were still considered elite troops. On the other hand, Zhang Lu's ghost soldiers had rarely done anything except write confessions over the years. Participating in the war, what kind of fighting power can you say?

I have fought with Liu Zhang several times, but there have always been victories and defeats. Think about it, how can a fool like Liu Zhang fight a [-]-[-] army, how can he be his opponent?

Therefore, Cao Cao came to Yangping Pass in person with great satisfaction and almost contempt.

But when he got to the border and took a look, he was confused.

But seeing that Yangpingguan City is more than four feet high, the terrain in front of the pass is narrow and can accommodate only about [-] people. The Qinling Mountains to the north are steep and precipitous, with large scrolls with the word "Zhang" written all over them. The Jialing River to the south is as fast as a flood, which is daunting.

How the hell are you going to fight like this? Just by looking at it, you can tell that it is a place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack.

"I have long heard that Sichuan is difficult and dangerous, and now I see it is true!" Cao Cao looked at Xiongguan and couldn't help but sigh.

To be honest, if allowed, he really wanted to turn around and go back.

But the current situation is that this battle must be fought, and it must be won, because Jingxiang is still waiting for his good results.

Can't afford to lose again.

"Sikong, I will ask you to lead people to attack the key!" Looking at Cao Cao's sad face, Dian Wei couldn't help but bow his hands.

"I'll go too!" The two heroes, Tiger and Ben, have always advanced and retreated together, and Xu Chu also stood up.

Cao Cao slowly shook his head.

In such a terrain, no matter how brave or invincible you are, there is no use for you.

"Only by conquering the mountain stronghold defenders from the Qinling Mountains can we break through the dangerous pass from a high position. There is no other way." Attacking the mountain stronghold from above is actually disadvantageous to the army. It can only be said that compared with Yangpingguan, the mountain strongholds in Qinling can still be used. People see a glimmer of hope.

After Xun You finished speaking, Cao Cao raised his eyes to the Qinling Mountains and said in a deep voice: "These strongholds are the horns of each other. No matter which direction we attack from, there is always the risk of being flanked by the other two strongholds. I underestimated Zhang Lu. "

That said, the fight must still be fought. After hesitating for a moment, Cao Cao finally issued the military order, "Let's attack at night. Make food tonight at the second watch and leave the stronghold at the third watch. You two will attack with three thousand troops." This camp is to the south."

"Here!"

After the two people bowed their hands, Cao Cao continued: "Gong Ming, uncle is here."

"The general is here!" Xu Huang and Chen Dao stepped forward.

"The two of you lead three thousand soldiers to meet us on the mountainside."

"Here!"

This type of attack is actually necessary. Firstly, it is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the Hanzhong Army. Secondly, it is also to test the difficulty of climbing. At the same time, it is also possible to take the opportunity to explore whether there is a suitable position for confrontation on the mountain.

That night, Dian Wei and Xu Chu began to climb the Qinling Mountains with three thousand infantry.

When it comes to understanding the terrain in the Yangpingguan area, Zhang Wei is obviously better. Zhang Weijun knows exactly where there are slopes, cliffs and gentle terrain on the way up the mountain. The sergeant in charge of the ambush pushed the rolling stones and trees in time. When Cao Cao's troops fell, they suffered heavy casualties.

Logically speaking, a sneak attack focuses on taking the enemy by surprise, and they should be evacuated immediately after being discovered.

But Dian Wei is a tough general. He won't talk about this with you, and he will focus on being reckless.

The most important thing is that Xu Chu, who was with him, raised his hands in agreement. The two of them were ambushed twice but did not retreat, and continued to charge upward with more than 2000 people.

Zhang Weijun did not expect that Cao Jun would be so brave and fearless. After firing two rounds of arrows, he began to retreat up the mountain.

In the end, Dian Wei and Xu Chu rushed to a buffer zone two miles away from Zhang Weijun's camp at the cost of more than 200 killed.

Xu Huang and Chen Dao also came forward, and now there were 5000 people. Dian Wei planned to charge again, so according to Cao Cao's instructions, Xu Huang and Chen Dao were responsible for taking over, while Dian Wei and Xu Chu continued to charge.

The difference is that their team has recovered to 500 people and is capable of fighting in a battle.

However, after entering the military stronghold, the situation predicted by Cao Cao occurred. No matter which side they attacked, Zhang Weijun would come out from the other two strongholds to sneak attack on the flanks.After an hour of fierce fighting, more than half of Cao's army was lost, and Dian Wei had to lead his men to withdraw from the battle circle.

Fortunately, Zhang Weijun did not dare to rush out of the guard area of ​​the Pin-shaped cottage, and the two sides formed a confrontation for a while.

After dawn, Cao Cao received the battle report sent by them, and attached a clear deployment map.

"The terrain here is like the belly of a gourd. The location of Dianwei's camp is still open, but as long as they rush in, they will enter the eye of the gourd. The terrain becomes narrow, and the three military strongholds can support each other, making it difficult to break through." After finishing the map, Cao Cao made a summary and gave the map to Xun You to see.

Guo Jia didn't come because the terrain in this area was difficult to walk on and his body might not be able to withstand it. Cao Cao's preference for him remained the same as before.

This also resulted in the only person left in front of the battle who could give Cao Cao detailed advice, Xun You.

"This terrain is really strange. Place these three military strongholds in that direction. The defense at Yangping Pass is not weak. Zhang Weizhi knows his troops." Xun You couldn't help but sigh, twirling his white beard.

The most important thing is that in such terrain, there is no use for a large number of people, and many tactics cannot be used in such terrain.

The geographical advantage was clearly played by Zhang Wei.

Cao Cao rubbed his temples, looking very melancholy.

He did not take the initiative to ask Ji Xunyou because the word "headache" was written on his face.

Just think about it first, then think about it, and then think about it some more.

This thought lasted more than half a month.

The two sides were confronting each other on the mountain. Zhang Weijun was not in a hurry to drive them away, because when the crossing was in their hands, Cao Jun was destined to be unable to make any achievements.

As for Dian Wei, he and Xu Chu also tried to attack several times. No matter how brave they were, they could not break into the three military strongholds.

The Hanzhong army's arrow rain alone was enough for them to drink a pot.

Dian Wei was so angry that he even recruited people to recruit the ace tiger warrior in the army.

There are not many people in this team, only around [-]. They are all wearing heavy armor, with swords in their left hands and shields in their right hands. They are similar to those in the trapped camp, and were trained by Chen Dao.

In addition to being less mobile, the Tiger Ben Rui has first-class defense and offense. It can even parry the flying arrows, so it is very appropriate to launch it at this time.

But Cao Cao disagreed. He knew very well how difficult it was for him to train this group of people. Like the tiger and leopard cavalry, they were all selected from a hundred generals and did not dare to use them unless necessary.

Another reason is that although the two sides are confronting each other, there is still a certain slope. If the Zhang Wei army uses rolling stones and wood, even the defense of the tiger warriors will be broken.

Of course, during this process, Cao Cao and Xun You were not idle. They looked at the map every day and thought of various ways to defeat each other.

We originally stationed troops in the mountains, but now it's time to enter the dog days. The fire attack is very good, but this terrain cannot be burned at all. Moreover, they have also cleaned up the surroundings of the mountain stronghold and prepared fire zones. Obviously they have thought of this problem. .

"Gongda, is it really God who wants to kill me?" Cao Cao was so discouraged that he said such words.

If Yangping Pass is not broken, Hanzhong will be monolithic.

This time they mobilized an army to attack Zhang Lu. Before taking the oath, they made wild claims to defeat Zhang Lu. In the end, they failed in vain. Even Jing and Xiang could not be saved.

"As long as one of the three villages is destroyed, the other two will be in chaos." Xun You murmured with narrowed eyes.

Cao Cao just nodded subconsciously, but did not look at Xun You. Everyone knew this. How to solve the problem? The other two military camps need to help.

"Sikong, the only plan for now is to drive the generals' oxen and horses up the mountain and use the fire ox formation to defeat the enemy. As long as one of the villages is broken through, Dian Wei and Xu Chu can take advantage of the situation and lead their troops to press forward."

Hearing this, Cao Cao first slowly glanced at Xun You, and then looked down at the map. In such a narrow Hulukou, they were able to block the sergeant's charge because the sergeant would be timid.

And even if they charge forward, it will be difficult to withstand their attacks from different directions.

The situation is different with the Fire Bull Formation. Once those beasts are burned by fire, they will forget the pain and rush forward. If one of them is broken, both of them will die!
After realizing this problem, the gloom in Cao Cao's eyebrows instantly dissipated, "This method is wonderful, it will definitely defeat the enemy!"

Cao Cao was so excited that he even stood up, reviewed the idea in his mind, and after confirming that the success rate was very high, he pressed his hands heavily on Xun You's shoulders, breathed a long sigh of relief, and said in a deep voice: "Gongda, you Save me, save the three armies!"

"Sikong Yan is serious!"

"If we win this battle, you should take the lead!"

After issuing the declaration of thanks, Cao Cao immediately took action.

5 people marched. In addition to some dried meat and grain, there would also be chickens, cattle and sheep captured alive for celebration.

The number was not large, but at least more than 100 cattle could be gathered. In order to make up for the gap, another [-] horses were added.

That night, Dian Wei and the others followed Cao Cao's military orders and tied sharp knives to the horns of the ox. At the same time, they hung awning poles on the ox's and horse's tails. When the third watch came, they lit the awning poles.

Hundreds of animals began to run forward because their buttocks were heated, just like Jia Xu used during the Qingzhou War, with overwhelming momentum.

Because Cao Jun made many night raids, Zhang Weijun always had many people on duty at night.

However, no one told them that a group of animals with their butts on fire would rush out.

Although Zhang Wei ordered the arrows to be released, the rain of arrows as dense as locusts poured down and indeed shot down hundreds of horses. However, the skin of those fire oxen was extremely hard, and only the weak belly could be penetrated, because it could not kill with one blow. , the fire bull, under the pain of eating, rushed forward even more crazily.

When a cottage at Daokou became the target of this group of fire oxen and fire horses, after rushing in, the soldiers stepped forward one by one with knives. After encountering them, they reflexively avoided it, so that they could be in the military camp. The rampage set fire to many tents and haystacks.

"Quick! Cut their legs and control them!"

At this end, the people in the village were still dealing with the sudden arrival of animals, but below, Dian Wei, Xu Chu, Xu Huang and Chen Dao had already raised their troops to kill them. Even Cao Cao's ace infantry, the Tiger Guards, had come up.

Their goal was clear, and they rushed to another mountain stronghold, which was guarded by Hanzhong General Yang Ren. His people originally planned to rush to rescue the burning Zhongzhai, but they were caught off guard after encountering Xu Chu and others.

"Knock them down!" Yang Ren rushed to the front with a big knife.

Now, anyone can intimidate him. He must not be timid in fighting. He will be a brave soldier.

Yang Ren's recklessness did play a certain role. After a brief period of astonishment, the soldiers followed him with howls.

Chen Dao personally picked up a spear and fought with Yang Ren. Before he could reach the third place, when Yang Ren was fighting fiercely, a small halberd flew over from the darkness and hit him in the chest.

The huge penetrating force tore the armor and even knocked Yang Ren to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood and then stopped moving.

Dian Wei didn't care whether it was dark or not, so he cut off Yang Ren's head and shouted: "I am the royal general of the imperial court. Your generals are dead, and those who surrender will not be killed!"

As Xun You said, if one stronghold is broken, the other two will perish.

Because no one can assist from the flank, this group of ghost soldiers is no match for the one-sided fight between Cao's army and Hanzhong's army. Not to mention that Yang Ren was killed by Dian Wei when he came up. He would not die and had no geographical advantage. The Hanzhong Army, which had gained an advantage, was completely unable to withstand Cao's army.

What's more, behind them were six hundred fierce warriors, killing them with overwhelming force.

If we really compare the military strength, Cao's army only invested 6000 people in this battle, while Hanzhong's army had [-], but the two armies never had more people when facing each other.

From Huo Niu breaking the formation to Dian Wei and the others entering the side camp, the whole process actually only took a quarter of an hour.

If the Hanzhong army can hold its ground and the whole army gathers together, it will still be able to fight.

But the current situation is that there is a fire in the Zhongzhai, and the war drums and horns of Cao's army are heard in the Dongzhai. For a moment, the morale of the Hanzhong army is swayed, and they are running around. Even the "sacrificial wine" in charge of them has abandoned his armor and ran away. .

Before daybreak, the Hanzhong army on the Qinling Mountains had completely collapsed, and Cao Jun's large banners were planted all over the hills.

The first ray of sunshine in the morning shone on the floating word 'Cao', and Cao Cao could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Gongda, do you think Dian Wei can kill Zhang Wei in formation?" Cao Cao put his hands on his hips and puffed out his belly, looking quite arrogant.

"Zhang Wei's death or not will not affect the overall situation. The Qinling garrison has been defeated and the natural danger of Yangping Pass has been lost. Our army can march straight into Hanzhong."

Cao Cao patted Xun You on the shoulder and laughed loudly: "That's right! Hanzhong is obtained, Jingxiang is stable!"

(End of this chapter)