At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 295 Cao Chun died in battle, pretending to be destiny

Cao Cao's calmness in the face of danger was like a needle anchoring the sea, which once again boosted the morale of Cao Cao's soldiers.

Seeing that Cao Cao was unwilling to leave, Yu Jin immediately drew his sword in his hand and shouted sternly: "Cao Cao is a noble person and is not afraid of death. How about me?"

"All armies listen to the order and line up to meet the enemy. Whoever kills Ma Chao will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins and promoted to the third level!"

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

What's more, Cao Cao was as stable as Mount Tai and never gave in when facing a strong enemy; Yu Jin was brave and prudent, taking the lead and leading his soldiers to meet the enemy behind.

When infantry faces cavalry, their biggest enemy is fear.

Otherwise, as long as the cavalry rushes into the infantry formation, their speed will continue to decrease. If the horse is unfortunately injured, the knight will lose its combat effectiveness.

When soldiers face cavalry, as long as they overcome the fear in their hearts, they may not be able to fight.

"kill!"

Faced with the double encouragement and the generous reward promised by Yu Jin, Cao Jun's soldiers followed him one after another and fought with the Xiliang cavalry without fear of death.

"Avoid its sharp edge and cut off the horse's legs first!"

With Yu Jin's continuous command, more and more horses of the Xiliang cavalry were injured. When the cavalry had to dismount, that was when the other party died.

Even though Ma Chao was brave, Yu Jin led Cao Cao's most elite personal guards to block the opponent's charge.

And this time.

Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Chun, Cao Hong and others also knew that Cao Cao was in crisis, and immediately led their troops to rescue him regardless of risk.

If they wait until reinforcements arrive and surround the Xiliang cavalry, these three thousand people may not be able to escape.

Ma Chao rushed left and right, killing dozens of people in a row, but was still unable to break through the defense of Cao Cao's soldiers. They all risked their lives to stand in front of Cao Cao.

Seeing that the cavalry offensive was blocked, those Cao Jun infantry who had been scattered just now also gathered around.

Ma Chao had no choice but to abandon Cao Cao and lead his troops to break out towards another weakly defended position.

Cao Cao looked at the soldiers in front who had suffered heavy casualties in order to resist Ma Chao. He was actually extremely frightened in his heart, but he remained calm on the surface.

It wasn't until Ma Chao led his troops to break through that Cao Cao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time, the clothes behind Cao Cao were already wet with cold sweat, but You Zi laughed and said: "The horse escaped, it's nothing more than that, all the armies should pursue it together, and whoever beheads him will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins, and he will be promoted to the third level." ; Whoever captures Ma Chao alive will be rewarded with tens of thousands of gold and be granted the title of Thousand Households!"

After Cao Cao finished speaking, the morale of Cao's army increased again, and they roared forward to pursue the Xiliang army.

However, he is a cavalryman. Once he breaks out, the infantry cannot catch up.

"Tap Tap!"

At this moment, Cao Chun led three thousand tiger and leopard cavalry, and was the first to rush over for reinforcements.

Cao Cao couldn't help but be overjoyed when he saw this, and shouted: "The horses are already frightened. Zi He quickly leads the tiger and leopard cavalry to pursue the defeated army, and we will definitely defeat them!"

When Cheng Yu saw this, he advised: "Ma Chao is brave. Although the Xiliang army has retreated and is still in chaos, it may not be appropriate to pursue them rashly. If there is an ambush, General Cao Chun may make a mistake."

Cao Cao smiled and said: "Zhongde is overly worried. Just now Ma Chao fell into an ambush and was almost in a deadlock. There are still no troops to rescue him. How can there be an ambush?"

"Look at Ma Chao. If he is brave, he is brave. He is just a reckless man. How can he think so long-term?"

Cheng Yu heard this and stopped trying to persuade him.

The reason why Cao Cao insisted on chasing Ma Chao was not only because he thought he could defeat him, but also because he couldn't swallow the bad breath in his heart.

He originally set up an ambush to lure the king into a trap, and then broke it in one fell swoop.

never thought.

Ma Chao's bravery was beyond imagination. Not only did he fail to trap him, he almost lost his life.

If he didn't give the Xiliang army a lesson, Cao Cao wouldn't be able to think clearly.

The words are divided into two parts.

But after Ma Chao led his troops to fight Cao Jun, Pang De and Yan Xing each led [-] cavalry and found a hidden place to ambush.

While the two were in ambush, a scout suddenly came to report that Major General Yan had fallen into an ambush by Cao's army and was in critical condition.

After Yan Xing learned the news, he hurriedly came to meet Pang De and asked, "Meng Qi fell into Cao Cao's treacherous plan and was trapped in a tight siege. Should we go to rescue him?"

Pang De frowned and thought for a long time, then shook his head and said: "The Major General is brave and good at fighting. He is not an easy person."

"Besides, we have speculated before that Cao Jun may have an ambush, and we have an agreement with the Major General. If we need support, just let someone blow the trumpet."

"Up to now, the Major General still hasn't asked anyone to blow the trumpet for help. He must have his own countermeasures."

"We just need to send people to pay close attention to the war. If the Major General is really unable to support us, it will not be too late to send troops for rescue!"

In this way, the two men still led their troops to ambush in a hidden place, waiting for Ma Chao's horn for help.

never thought.

Ma Chao never asked for help, but as time passed, the scouts actually reported back. Major General Yan led [-] cavalry and drove Cao's army to pieces.

After the two of them got the news, they both breathed a long sigh of relief.

But after Ma Chao broke through, Cao Chun received orders from Cao Cao and led three thousand tigers and leopards in pursuit.

At this time, Xiliang's cavalry had lost nearly a thousand men, and the remaining cavalry were also in a state of embarrassment.

If it were normal, Ma Chao would definitely lead his troops back, kill and retreat the three thousand tiger and leopard cavalry led by Cao Chun, and then continue to withdraw.

But now, he remembered Pang De and Yan Xing who were ambushing behind him, so he immediately pretended to be defeated and led his troops to escape.

Cao Chun led his army in hot pursuit.

While walking, a horn sound was suddenly heard coming from the fleeing Ma Chao army.

"Tap Tap!"

The ground suddenly trembled slightly, but two lines of cavalry shot out from the stab. The cavalry led by Pound cut the tiger and leopard cavalry into two pieces directly from the middle.

The cavalry led by Yan Xing cut off the tiger and leopard cavalry's retreat.

"kill!"

At the same time, Ma Chao shouted loudly and led his Xiliang cavalry, who were fleeing, to turn back and kill the tiger and leopard cavalry.

As the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, Cao Chun was originally at the forefront.

At this time, Ma Chao suddenly led his troops to kill the meeting, and happened to confront Cao Chun.

If it were normal times, even if Cao Chun was defeated, he would still be able to escape from Ma Chao with the protection of tiger and leopard cavalry on his left and right.

But now, not only was the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry cut into two pieces, but their retreat was also cut off, and the morale of the army was in chaos.

This time Ma Chao led his army to fight back, which was the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely defeating the newly formed Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

Cao Chun shouted sternly, wanting the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to fight without fighting.

However, many tiger and leopard cavalry soldiers were recruited from the Xiliang army. At this time, their loyalty was still in doubt, and no one would listen to Cao Chun's command when the disaster was approaching.

It was precisely because Cao Cao tried to stabilize the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and fought to the death against the Xiliang Army that he missed the best opportunity to escape.

But he saw Ma Chao raising his spear and heading straight for Cao Chun.

Cao Chun hurriedly raised his spear to block, but before the battle was over, he was directly stabbed under the horse by Ma Chao.

Ma Chao beheaded Cao Chun, hung it on his horse, and then led his cavalry to charge forward, killing the tiger and leopard cavalry and returning in defeat, with countless surrenders!
  The news was passed back to the army. When Cao Cao learned that Cao Chun had died in battle and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were completely defeated, he couldn't help crying and said to Cheng Yu: "I regret not listening to Zhongde!"

But it was said that Ma Chao's majestic performance in the first battle immediately caused Cao's army to be frightened, morale was low, and all the generals were also afraid. Someone advised Cao Cao: "The Xiliang army is brave and invincible. Moreover, all the tiger and leopard cavalry were wiped out. There is no cavalry under Duke Ming that can compete with the Xiliang cavalry."

"For the present plan, it is better to evacuate to Yi County."

"In the past, Dong Zhuo stationed money and grain here and built the city wall of Xi County like a copper wall and an iron wall. The Xiliang army was not good at attacking the city. As long as we hold the city and defend it, it won't be long before the Xiliang army will collapse without a fight."

When Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help but feel excited.

Obviously, the Xiliang army has super mobility. It is not a good idea to fight Cao Jun in the wild without his tiger and leopard cavalry.

Cheng Yu advised: "Ming Gong must not withdraw his troops!"

Cao Cao asked: "Why did Zhongde say this?"

Cheng Yu said seriously: "The Xiliang army has been surrounding Chencang for two months. If Ming Gong withdraws his troops at this time, the hearts of the defenders in the city will inevitably change, and Chencang will not be saved."

"If Chencang falls into the hands of the Xiliang army, they can plunder the Sanfu territory if they advance, and defend Chencang if they retreat."

"Although the city of Xi County is tall, it still cannot be compared with Chencang."

"If Ming Gong stationed a large number of troops here, not only would it consume a lot of money and food every moment, but it would even affect Ming Gong's strategy in other directions."

"If we don't station heavy troops here, the Xiliang Iron Cavalry can reach the city in two days. At that time, it may be too late for Ming Gong to send troops to support."

"Once Yixian is lost again, the Xiliang army can march straight in and plunder the three auxiliaries. At that time, there have been continuous wars and wars. Guanzhong, which has just made some improvements, may become ruins again."

"At that time, Chang'an was in danger! Guanzhong was in danger!"

"Guanzhong is the foundation of Ming Gong. If it is lost, where can we evacuate to?"

When Cao Cao heard this, he suddenly woke up, then drew his sword in his hand, cut off the case, and shouted sternly: "I have made up my mind. I must fight to the death with the Xiliang army. Anyone who dares to say retreat will be punished like this!"

At this time, although Cao Cao was a little afraid of the Xiliang army's front, he also knew that he could not show cowardice, otherwise he might let his officers and men take chances.

He has now made his attitude clear. Even if the generals are afraid, they will adjust their mentality and fight to the death with the Xiliang army.

After the generals dispersed, Cao Cao left Cheng Yu and Guo Jia alone, and said helplessly: "Our army was defeated and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were almost destroyed. How can we compete with the Xiliang army?"

When Guo Jia heard this, he said: "Ming Gong can first withdraw his troops ten miles away, set up camp on the east bank of Lianshui River, and rely on the river to block the Xiliang army."

"This place is only thirty miles away from Chencang. As long as Ming Gong stationed his troops here, the soldiers defending the city would not be in chaos, and Ma Teng and Han Sui would not dare to attack the city with all their strength."

"Liangzhou is a bitterly cold place with a lack of food and grass. As long as the war is delayed until winter, the Xiliang army will inevitably collapse without a fight."

"At that time, Duke Ming will lead his troops to pursue us again, and we will definitely defeat him!"

Cao Cao was overjoyed when he heard this and immediately adopted Guo Jia's strategy.

The location Guo Jia mentioned is the junction of the Wei River and the Lishui River. It is not only surrounded by mountains and rivers, but also has dangers to defend. The Xiliang Army really cannot exert much combat effectiveness here.

As long as they hold on here, it is impossible for the Xiliang army to continue to advance eastward.

With this army by its side, it can continue to maintain pressure on the Xiliang Army, which is equivalent to resolving the crisis in Chencang in disguise.

as predicted.

Since Cao Cao did not withdraw his troops, the soldiers and civilians in Chencang were united and defended the city. The Xiliang army was worried that Cao Cao would lead troops to attack the city, so they did not dare to attack the city with all their strength.

The two sides persisted for several months, but the weather suddenly turned cold, and the Xiliang army was in short supply of food and grass. Ma Teng and Han Sui had no choice but to retreat.

Cao Cao led his troops to pursue him, repeating Zhou Qi's move to destroy the kingdom here in the past, and finally forced Ma Teng and Han Sui to retreat all the way into Liangzhou.

All the generals said that the weather was cold, and it was also bitterly cold in Liangzhou. The soldiers were tired from fighting for a long time, so they should stop their troops and fight again next year.

However, Guo Jia advised: "The reason why Han Sui and Ma Teng were able to succeed was largely due to the help of the Qiang tribes. This year's severe cold, many livestock of the Qiang tribes will definitely freeze to death."

"Furthermore, the Xiliang army has been on the campaign for half a year. People ate horse chews and consumed a lot of food and grass. It was difficult for each tribe to protect themselves. They must have no fighting spirit. This was when Ma Teng and Han Sui were at their weakest."

"If Ming Gong withdraws his troops at this time, it will give the two of them a chance to breathe. After they get through this winter, they will definitely be in serious trouble again in the coming year."

"Mingzheng took the opportunity to go deep into Liangzhou, wipe out the Qiang, kill Ma Teng and Han Sui, and pacify Xiliang!"

After hearing what Guo Jia said, Cao Cao hesitated for a long time, but finally made up his mind to enter Liangzhou to fight in the winter, and decide the outcome in one battle.

At this time, the world structure has basically taken shape. If Cao Cao wants to expand his power, he must capture Longxi.

However, Ma Teng and Han Sui, who have been entrenched in Xiliang for many years, are not easy people. If they don't seize this opportunity and defeat them in one battle, it won't be long before Zhou Qi, who has been in the south, will take advantage of Longxi.

Cao Cao was unwilling to become a foil in this troubled world, so he decided to make a desperate move.

As expected by Guo Jia, after the Xiliang army retreated, it immediately fell into pieces and the Qiang people from various tribes left one after another.

Cao Cao took the opportunity to conquer several cities in succession, using both kindness and power. In addition, he activated many Xiliang generals who had caused trouble in Guanzhong in the past, and used food and grass as a temptation, and actually lured several Qiang tribes to surrender.

With the Qiang people coming to surrender, Cao Cao once again formed a cavalry force and fought many battles with Ma Teng and Han Sui in Liangzhou, winning consecutive battles.

Han Sui and Ma Teng had no choice but to join forces again and lead their troops to fight Cao Cao.

Liangzhou is deserted and has few cities.

Han Sui and Ma Teng once again faced off with Cao Jun near the open sand.

Cao's army had recently arrived and was not yet stable. Ma Chao repeated his old tricks and continued to lead his cavalry to attack the camps that Cao's army had not yet established.

In addition, the soil here is mostly sandy and lacks stickiness, making it difficult to build a strong camp. As a result, Cao's army suffered heavy casualties under Ma Chao's sneak attacks for several days, but the camp could never be built, and many soldiers froze to death.

When Cao Cao was worried, his general Lou Gui suggested: "It's cold today. We can build a city out of sand and fill it with water. It will turn into ice in a moment and become as solid as iron stone. If the work is not done until dawn, hundreds of blocks will stand. Even though there is a golden soup It’s so solid that it can’t be passed.”

Cheng Yu heard this and added: "The two sides have been fighting for many days, and there are many casualties. You can build the bodies of the soldiers from both sides in the ice city, and pretend that the gods and ghosts will help you."

"The Qiang people fear ghosts and gods. They will be horrified when they see Ming Gong rising up in the ghost town overnight. They can defeat it in one battle at that time!"

Cao Cao accepted his words and built an ice city with sand, corpses, and cold water overnight.

The next day, Ma Chao led his cavalry to attack Cao Cao's camp, but he was horrified to find that a strong and huge ice city had appeared overnight where Cao Cao originally established his camp.

Within the city wall, you can vaguely see broken and hideous corpses.

Even as brave as Ma Chao, seeing this scene, he couldn't help but feel chills running down his spine and fear in his heart, let alone other Qiang people.

"Ami Amira!"

Just when Ma Chao and his soldiers were horrified, the gates of Bingcheng suddenly opened wide, and they saw a group of cavalry riding war horses and wearing skull masks, muttering incantations that others could not understand, and heading straight towards Xiliang army has always been there.

At the same time, a wizard holding a staff appeared on the city wall, shouting loudly: "The ghost soldiers of hell gathered the energy of the dead and used the corpses to build a ghost city for General Cao overnight."

"Today there are a thousand ghost riders to wipe out the enemy for General Cao!"

The Xiliang army, who were already horrified, heard the wizard's eerie voice and were immediately frightened to the point of crying for their fathers and mothers. They did not listen to Ma Chao's command at all and threw away their weapons and fled.

Ma Chao was also frightened and did not dare to fight the ghost soldiers, so he drew his horse and left.

Cao Cao took the opportunity to open the city gate and mobilized all his troops, following the ghost soldiers directly towards Ma Teng and Han Sui's camp.

The news that the ghost soldiers helped Cao's army build the city overnight soon spread to Ma Teng and Han Sui's camps, causing great panic.

When the ghost soldiers arrived, the chiefs of each Qiang tribe either knelt down and surrendered, or led their tribal warriors to flee in panic.

Seeing that the situation was over, Ma Teng and Han Sui had no choice but to lead a few soldiers and horses under their command to flee to Jincheng, where they were eventually surrounded by Cao's army.

Cao's army besieged the city for three months, and the food and grass in the city were exhausted. Ma Teng and Han Sui had no choice but to open the city and ask for surrender.

Cao Cao was overjoyed. Not only did he not pursue Ma Chao's killing of Cao Chun, but he rewarded Ma Teng, Han Sui, and Ma Chao greatly, and then brought them back to Chang'an, where they were all given the title of marquis.

At this point, Liangzhou was pacified and was captured by Cao Cao.

(End of this chapter)