Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 294 Sighing across the river
Since Cao Cao heard about the sudden change in the war in Guanzhong, he wanted to withdraw his troops from Xiakou.

The night was dark, the moon was bright, a few clouds covered the moon, and the night became darker.In the silent night, only the insects kept chirping.

The Cao Jun camp camped outside Xiakou City was brightly lit, with horses standing outside, tall trees and watchtowers, patrolling sergeants constantly coming and going, and tight security.

In the reed swamp, Gan Ning pushed aside the vegetation and observed Cao Jun's camp through the dark night.

"General, Cao's army is heavily guarded and cannot attack at night. Why don't we just return to the army and return our orders to our lord," Zhang Shun said.

Gan Ning glared at Zhang Shun and said, "My lord and the military advisor ordered us to rob the camp. How can we return without success?"

Not only did Cao Cao get news from Hanzhong, Liu Bei also received news from Zhang Fei.Zhuge Liang judged that Cao Cao might withdraw his troops, so he asked Gan Ning to lead [-] elite soldiers across the river to rob the camp to see if he could take advantage of it.

"Our troops are several miles away from Cao's camp. Three thousand soldiers are marching at night. It is difficult to cover up their footsteps and torches. They will inevitably be discovered by Cao's troops on the watchtower. It is very difficult to rob the camp tonight." Zhang Shun said.

Gan Ning licked his chapped lips and said, "Three thousand soldiers can hardly succeed, but what if a hundred brave men rob the camp?"

"A hundred men robbed the camp?"

Hearing this, Zhang Shun looked horrified and said, "Cao's army has a large number of soldiers and horses. Even at night, there are thousands of soldiers on patrol. How dare the general rob the camp with a hundred men?"

Gan Ning observed Cao Jun's camp carefully and asked impatiently: "Let me ask you if you can do it?"

Zhang Shun calmed down and said: "Hundreds of people rob the camp. Without torches, they advance slowly under the cover of night. They may be able to break into the camp from a weak point. However, Cao Jun's military management is rigorous and the general must not stay in the camp for a long time if he robs the camp with a hundred people." in order to avoid being surrounded and killed by Cao’s army.”

The level of Cao Cao's march and fighting should not be underestimated. Even though he was concerned about the relationship and wanted to withdraw his army, the fortress was still tight and it was difficult for outsiders to successfully attack at night.

Gan Ning pointed his finger at Cao Cao's camp under the shady curtain and said: "The scouts said that Cao Cao's army was weakly defended in the northwest corner. I led a hundred cavalry into the camp to scare Cao Cao. Then I fought out from the west gate. You met me outside the gate."

"This~"

Zhang Shun wanted to say something else, but Gan Ning directly interrupted him and said: "Just obey your orders. Cao Cao drinks his horse in the Yangtze River, and our army is stationed in the south of the Yangtze River. If we don't show off our power now, will Cao Cao look down on me, Sergeant Wu Chu."

Nowadays, there are too many civil and military generals in Liu Bei's account. Even Zhang Fei was forced to go to Hanzhong to make contributions and get involved. Now Gan Ning also has to fight bravely.Of course, Gan Ning was also a brave general who was not afraid of death. Boldness and bravery were synonymous with him.

At night, Gan Ning selected a hundred warriors who were brave and brave from the five hundred who accompanied him. He took a hundred white goose feathers and put them on their helmets as numbers. They were all wearing armor and equipped with good horses.

Gan Ning summoned a hundred knights, and with a serious face, he lectured: "You and Ning have received great kindness from our lord, and you must repay it. Today, Ning and you will rob the camp. I will be the first, and you will follow. I am not afraid of death. I don't know. Are you afraid of death?"

"I would like to follow the general to rob the camp." Baiqi said in a deep voice.

"Now that I have said this, anyone who is timid will be killed without mercy!" Gan Ning said sternly.

"promise!"

At about Yin hour, Gan Ning led a hundred cavalry to march at night, with coins in their mouths and horses wrapped in hooves. Under the cover of night, they headed towards Cao's camp.

The sky was getting brighter, and Cao's soldiers, who had been patrolling all night, were very tired. They were thinking about when it would be dawn and they could go back to the camp to rest.

"What is that?"

Cao Jun's sentry stood on the watchtower and saw someone outside the camp who seemed to be walking around in the night, so he pointed and asked.

The sentry dozing next to him said vaguely, "Perhaps there are wild beasts. If the enemy attacks, there will be bright lights."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw several riders rushing out of the night, using flying hooks to catch the antlers of the deer, resist the horses, pull them down, and clear the way into the camp.

Then dozens of horsemen emerged from the dark night, with Gan Ning leading the way, quickly passing through the torn horse-rejecting passage, and then driving their horses to jump over the deep and wide ditch deployed outside the camp, and followed the camp gate to kill.

The sound of horse hooves was loud, and through the dim firelight, Gan Ning's cavalry could be seen clearly.The sentry's head suddenly shook, he pushed his dozing colleague beside him, and shouted: "Sound the horn!"

"Enemy attack!"

The sergeants guarding the camp gate were caught off guard when they saw hundreds of cavalry rushing out of the darkness, and they all shouted: "Someone has stolen the camp, Chu soldiers are coming!"

Immediately afterwards, the sound of drums signaling an enemy attack was sounded from the watchtower, which spread throughout Cao Jun's camp.The sleeping soldiers of Cao Cao woke up from their sleep and looked for armor, swords and spears in the tent to prepare for battle.The elite troops on the periphery were sleeping in their armor, and Gan Ning entered the camp to attack at night. Under the shouts of the officers, he hurriedly prepared for battle.

Hundreds of cavalry rushed in. Gan Ning wielded his long spear, stabbed several people to death, and rushed into the camp.

Gan Ning rushed into Cao's camp and tried to penetrate deep into the camp. However, he saw Cao's soldiers holding spears and gathering one after another. There were hundreds of people watching.Moreover, the drums of the Chinese army camp in the distance were like thunder, Cao Jun's torches were shining like stars in the night, and Cao soldiers were guarding every passage.

After Gan Ning stabbed Cao's soldiers to death, he shouted loudly: "Cao's camp is well prepared, so don't be reluctant to fight."

"promise!"

At this time, the Chinese army camp, Cao Cao walked out of the camp barefoot, looking nervous, and asked: "How many troops are coming, but Liu Bei's army is huge?"

Xu Chu, who was standing at the tent door, shook his head and said, "Prime Minister, you only know that the enemy invaders are coming from the northwest corner, but you don't know how many troops there are?"

Cao Cao looked at the brightly lit camp, as if facing a formidable enemy, and said: "Liu Bei is stationed in the south of the Yangtze River and will not fight with our army. Now there is a sudden night attack. We should have a plan and strictly order all the troops to be on guard so that the enemy cannot take advantage of it."

With the experience of attacking and burning at Chrysostom at night, Cao Cao was much more cautious when setting up camp at night.And when fighting Liu Bei, he was almost always alert to Liu Bei's night attacks.Now Gan and Ning hundreds of cavalry robbed the camp, which really mobilized Cao Cao's entire army.

However, if Cao Cao knew that Gan Ning only led a hundred men to attack at night, what would he think?
Xu Chu held the hilt of the sword in his hand and said, "Prime Minister, please rest assured. If any enemy invades the central army, Chu will definitely lead his army to defeat them."

Cao Cao patted Xu Chu on the shoulder and said, "Let's greet the left and right for discussion!"

"promise!"

Cao's army was well prepared, so Gan Ning did not dare to fight. He ordered his cavalry to charge along the passage outside the camp, heading straight to the west gate.On the way, horses' hooves were raised, swords and spears were waved, blood was flying, and Cao's soldiers fled in fear.

Sweat broke out on Gan Ning's forehead. The tightness of Cao's camp was beyond his imagination. After casually stabbing the enemy soldiers to death, he saw Zhang Shun leading the sergeant to meet him outside the west gate and shouted: "Come out of the camp with me, take your head and leave."

"promise!"

Galloping in front of the west gate, Gan Ning saw that Cao Jun was chasing him. He laughed a few times, became angry and shouted: "Gan Xingba led a hundred cavalry to visit the prime minister at night. I wonder if Chrysostom is okay?"

With that said, Gan Ning commanded the cavalry on the left and right, and shouted in unison: "Goodbye Chrysostom, how is the Prime Minister?"

"Walk!"

After finishing his trash talk, regardless of whether Cao Cao heard it or not, Gan Ning rode on.Baiqi had already cleared the west gate, and dozens of Cao's soldiers lay dead around them.

When he came to the 'Cao' flag, Gan Ning took advantage of the situation and cut off the flagpole with his sword, grabbed the 'Cao' flag in the air, waved it in the air a few times, and left with satisfaction.
-
Dusk has passed, and the sun is rising in the east, shining brightly.

Jiangnan, Snake Mountain Camp.

In the big tent, Liu Bei paced back and forth, occasionally looking outside the tent and asking, "Is there any news about Xingba?"

Ma Liang shook his head and said, "Last night there was a huge fire in Cao's camp. It must have been General Gan's night attack."

Liu Bei stopped and said worriedly: "Could it be that Xingba failed to attack Cao Cao's camp at night and was defeated by Cao Cao?"

Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan and said: "Xingba is extremely courageous and agile, and is especially good at water warfare. Even if the enemy fails to attack Cao Ying, he can still survive."

"I hope so!" Liu Bei ordered his men to cross the river and search for Xingba's traces.

"No!" the attendant was ordered to come out of the tent.

However, after a while, the attendant quickly ran in and said happily: "My lord, General Xingba has returned to camp victorious." "What was the result of the battle?" Ma Liang asked.

"Last night, Cao's camp was heavily guarded and it was difficult for the army to attack at night, so General Xingba chose a hundred cavalry to attack the camp. Each of the hundreds of cavalry made some gains, and General Xingba returned with the flag. No one on the left or right was killed or injured," the attendant said.

Liu Bei's face showed joy and he walked out of the tent and said, "Xing Ba is so brave. Please follow me out of the camp to watch Xing Ba's majestic appearance."

"go!"

The camp gate was wide open, and the sergeants were lined up on the left and right. Liu Bei led Zhuge Liang, Zhao Yun and more than a dozen civil and military personnel on the left and right.But he saw Gan Ning holding a flag in front of him, followed by hundreds of cavalry on the left and right, each carrying the heads of Cao's soldiers or golden drum flags.

When Gan Ning saw Liu Bei coming to greet him, he handed the "Cao" flag in his hand to his subordinates and hurriedly dismounted to pay his respects.

Liu Bei stepped forward, helped Gan Ning up, and said with a smile: "A hundred cavalry robbed the camp, and their daring to achieve hegemony is extraordinary."

As he said this, Liu Bei looked to his left and right and said with a smile: "The momentum of Cao's camp last night was enough to scare the old thief."

Then Liu Bei held Gan Ning's hand and warned: "I know the strategy of promoting hegemony and hegemony very well. However, you are now a general and in charge of the navy, so you cannot take risks alone. Cao Cao was heavily guarded last night and could not rob the camp, so he should withdraw his troops." , Why use hundreds of horses to rob the camp?"

Gan Ning looked solemn, cupped his hands and said: "In the past, Ning killed officials and ran away, but was not tolerated by Huang Zu, so he was appreciated by his lord and entrusted with important tasks. Ning dare not forget the great kindness in the past. Now Cao Cao drinks the water of Ma River and shows his power in the north of the river. People in Wu and Chu are terrified. How dare you not worry about your lord? You should lower Cao Cao's reputation in order to promote your lord's name."

Liu Bei was very moved. He took Gan Ning's arm and said with emotion: "With Gan Xingba alone, why worry about Cao Cao's invasion to the south!"

"Come here and give me two thousand bolts of Xingba silk and a hundred catties of silver." Liu Bei ordered.

After hearing this, Gan Ning saluted Liu Bei and said, "My lord, I wonder if I would rather give up the reward in exchange for the opportunity to join the army?"

"Please!"

Gan Ning cupped his hands and said, "My lord has made a plan to separate the north and the south. Now Wu and Chu are in control, leaving only Bashu. When my lord conquers Bashu, he would rather be the vanguard, break through the Three Gorges, and enter Ba."

"Ha ha!"

Liu Bei laughed a few times and said, "How can I deny Xingba's request? Xingba comes from Ba County and is now rich. If he doesn't return to his hometown, he will be walking at night in brocade clothes."

While talking, Liu Bei took Gan Ning into the tent and said, "Guzhun Xingba is the vanguard, but Xingba cannot accept the reward for robbing the camp."

"Thank you, Lord!" Gan Ning said gratefully.

Everyone followed Liu Bei into the tent. Liu Bei sat high on the couch and ordered people to give him wine and Gan Ning, and then discussed military affairs with the civil and military officials around him.

Zhuge Liang stroked his feather fan gently and said: "My lord, the territory of Guanxi is thousands of miles wide, Xuchang is governed by the emperor, and Cao Cao has been watching it for a long time. Today Han is dead, Ma Chao is defeated, and the northwest is in turmoil. Cao Cao will lead his troops to the west of Guanzhong to sweep away Guanxi. Generals."

After a pause, Zhuge Liang said: "We should take advantage of this opportunity to attack Bashu from the west, seize Yizhou, and form a separatist regime between the north and the south. We can also divide our troops to support Zhongmiao and capture Hefei from the north."

"Enter Bashu and take Hefei?"

Liu Bei pondered for a while and said: "Kong Ming's words are not unreasonable. Cao Cao's army will be frustrated if hundreds of cavalry prosper and rob the camp. With the current turmoil in the northwest, Cao Cao will enter the pass sooner or later."

After a pause, Liu Bei said: "Zhongmiao is in Wancheng, and he is afraid that he has no intention of attacking Hefei. Moreover, there are three generals Zhang Liao, Li Dian, and Zhu Guang guarding Hefei. There are about [-] soldiers and horses in the city, and there are no less than three soldiers and horses in Shouchun and Jianghuai. , [-], it may be difficult to break through now."

Huo Jun stayed in Ruxukou for a long time. Thinking of the three women giving birth, he asked Liu Bei for instructions, made military arrangements, and returned to Wancheng.

Zhuge Liang gently shook his feather fan and said, "Zhongmiao has wanted to take Hefei for a long time. Why don't my lord send someone to Wancheng to report the war in Jiangxia and Hanzhong to see Zhongmiao's decision."

"Can!"

Liu Bei's eyes fell on Ma Liang and said, "I'm sorry Ji Chang rushed to Wancheng to explain to Zhongmiao the current situation of the war and inquire about the attack on Hefei."

"No!" Ma Liang replied.

"My lord, General Yide captured Hanzhong, surrendered Zhang Lu, and killed Han Sui. It is appropriate to reward him," Zhuge Liang reminded.

Hearing this, Liu Bei patted his head and said jokingly: "Yide has been thinking about General Zhengdong for a long time. Now I can make him General Zhengdong, which also puts an end to his worries. He also worshiped Zhang Lu as General Zhenxi and Marquis of Langzhong. .The rest of the generals’ awards will be drawn up by Kong Ming.”

"No!" Zhuge Liang responded.

Not to mention that Liu Bei was discussing the future development direction in the south of the Yangtze River, but Cao Cao in the north of the Yangtze River was angry because Gan and Ning's hundreds of horses robbed the camp.

Cao Cao was not so angry when Gan Ning's hundreds of cavalry robbed the camp, but what Gan Ning said about the old man of Chrysostom made Cao Cao very angry.

In the Battle of Chrysostom, Gan Ning falsely surrendered to him, resulting in the defeat of the Zhouling army. Every time he thought about it, it made him feel ashamed and angry.Now Gan Ning's hundreds of cavalry robbed the camp, frightening the army and putting them on alert. This made Cao Cao even more angry with Gan Ning.

Cao Cao took a look at the generals and said in a deep voice: "Last night, the army was disturbed by hundreds of cavalry, and Gan Ning was allowed to attack the camp. This crime must not go unpunished. The night patrol captain of the Northwest Camp will be dealt with according to military law and strict military discipline."

When the generals saw Cao Cao speaking, they felt relieved and hurriedly said: "We are not guarding the camp strictly, please be punished by the Prime Minister."

Cao Cao said with a cold face: "It's not your fault, there's no need to do this."

After a pause, Cao Cao said: "There is turmoil in Guanzhong today. Starting tomorrow, all armies will advance westward one after another to guard against Liu Bei's pursuit. Don't let Gan Ning take advantage of him again."

"promise!"

"Prime Minister, if our army marches westward to Guanzhong, we are afraid that Liu Bei and Huo Jun will look for opportunities to go north. Xiangfan and Hefei should be on tight guard," Sun Quan suggested.

Cao Cao stroked his beard and thought about it, and said: "Xiangfan has a son who is guarding it filially. I have added [-] troops and asked him to hold on to the city. With the strength of the two cities of Xiangfan, even a hundred thousand soldiers and horses will be difficult to break."

"Prime Minister, Hefei is far away from the Central Plains, hanging alone in the north of the Yangtze River, and is close to Ruxukou. Once Hefei is lost, Shouchun and Zhongli will be in danger!" Liu Ye said worriedly: "Huo Jun has an unparalleled military strategy and is afraid of Jianghuai. Now he is stationed in the north of the Yangtze River. The Prime Minister must be careful!"

Cao Cao stood up and walked around and said, "Hefei is guarded by three generals: Zhang Liao, Li Dian, and Zhu Guang. There are eight thousand elite troops in the city, which are enough to control Huo Jun's troops. If Liu Bei recruits Huo Jun, Jianghuai and Xuzhou can send troops to rescue him."

"Hefei is close to the left side of the Yangtze River. It is easy to attack but difficult to defend. The enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered. We are afraid that Huo Jun will surround Hefei and attack the reinforcements. If Hefei is defended for a long time without fighting, Wu Chu will increase his troops and the city will be destroyed in time." Liu Ye said.

Cao Cao stroked his beard and said: "The three generals Zhang, Li, and Zhu are all capable of fighting against those who are good at fighting. If Huo Jun besieges Hefei and attacks the Jianghuai reinforcements, with the bravery of the three generals, he will definitely be able to send troops inside and outside with the reinforcements to defeat Huo Jun."

"Ye has long heard that generals Zhang and Li have always been at odds with each other. If the enemy is still like this, how can we work together to defeat the enemy?" Liu Ye said: "Prime Minister, we need to let the two generals Zhang and Li put aside their old grudges and concentrate on Defend the enemy!"

Nodding slightly, Cao Cao agreed and said, "What Ziyang said is not unreasonable."

"Come, please send a letter to Hefei."

"promise!"

The scribe copied what Cao Cao dictated and asked his attendants to deliver the messenger to Hefei.

Looking at the back of the messenger, Cao Cao said to his left and right: "Hefei may have no worries when this letter is delivered."

"Prime Minister is wise!" Liu Ye praised.

……

Before the army retreated north, Cao Cao climbed up the hill, looked at the rolling Yangtze River, and saw the boats cruising on the river. He sighed: "Liu Xuande's climate is perfect!"

　One more chapter tonight

　　
　
(End of this chapter)