Cao Thief

Chapter 230 Chapter 214 Race Against Time (22)

At dawn, the sun rises.

The head of Quyang City and the outside of Quyang City are surrounded by the tranquility of the early morning, but in the tranquility, there are endless murderous intentions...

The wind was soft and gentle, and wrapped in a faint smell of blood.

Chen Deng walked out of the military tent, stretched his waist, and was about to put on his armor when he saw a little boy running up to him in a hurry.

"Military division, the general invites you."

Chen Gong nodded, but didn't care too much.

When he thought about it, Cao Xing came to him early in the morning, probably to discuss today's war.

Although Qu Yang is tenacious, he is at the end of his strength.Judging from yesterday's final performance, the number of soldiers and horses in Quyang City is around a thousand.Some of them are novices, and their fighting power is not strong.Chen Gong believed that Quyang would be defeated in a short time.

So, he put on his armor, and Shi Shiran came to the big tent of the Chinese army.

But as soon as he walked into the military tent, Chen Gong immediately felt an unusual atmosphere, very depressing, even a little dignified.

"Shulong, what's going on?"

"I just got the news that Chen Deng, the prefect of Guangling, crossed the Huai River last night and broke through Huaipu."

Excited, Chen Gong gave a chill.

"What did you say?"

Cao Xing lowered his voice, "Chen Deng sent troops and captured Huaipu last night...According to Tanma's news, more than 3000 people were dispatched from the direction of Guangling, and they were crossing the Huai River. Starting from Huaipu, about [-] people are expected to arrive in Quyang before you time...Gongtai, Chen Deng has sent troops! Even if we break through Quyang, it will be of no avail..."

The sword in Chen Gong's hand fell to the ground with a clang.

Standing blankly in the military tent, he didn't say a word for a long time.

Chen Deng sent troops?Where did Chen Yuanlong come from so bold to send troops across the Huai River?Previously, Chen Deng had been very tactful. Although he did not submit to Lu Bu, he also showed enough respect and cooperation.Now, he actually sends troops, isn't he afraid of Wen Hou's revenge?

Chen Gong, after all, is Chen Gong.

No matter how later generations evaluate this person, he is one of the top figures in this era after all.

As soon as he thought about it, he immediately connected many scattered clues together.

The reason why Chen Deng dared to send troops was definitely not because of Haixi.With only one Haixi, he, Chen Yuanlong, did not dare to tear himself apart from Lu Bu.

If it's not Haixi, then only...

"Cao Cao, have you sent troops yet?"

"What did you say?" Cao Xing was taken aback, and quickly got up to ask.

"If my guess is right, Chen Deng, who has always been a man of both sides and refused to show his attitude, suddenly sent troops to cross the Huai River this time because of Cao Cao."

"Cao Cao?"

"Cao Cao... is going to send troops!"

Cao Xing is not a fool, so he couldn't understand the meaning of these words.

That's right, if Cao Mengde hadn't sent troops to Xuzhou, where would Chen Deng have the courage to fight against Lu Bu?If he really had the guts, he would have broken up with Lu Bu a long time ago, why did Wei Wei promise to be respectful earlier?There is only one possibility for him to send troops, that is, Cao Cao will also send troops to Xuzhou, and it is even possible that Cao Cao has already sent troops, and at this time the troops have already sent troops to Xuzhou, approaching Xiapi.

How to do?
Cao and Chen Gong looked at each other speechlessly.

After a while, Cao Xing said with difficulty: "Gongtai, let's withdraw our troops."

It was extremely difficult to export these words.

It lasted two days, and the soldiers were lost.Seeing that Quyang was about to be breached, he had no choice but to withdraw his troops and leave without success.In other words, the previous attack on Haixi had become a joke.He thought that Haixi could be obtained at his fingertips, but he didn't realize that he didn't get a million dendrobium grain and grass, but he lost nearly ten thousand soldiers and horses in vain.This kind of thing would be unbearable to anyone, let alone Cao Xing?
He even secretly blamed Chen Gong in his heart.

It's so easy to fight Haixi County, but now it's in a dilemma.

Just retreat like this?
It is ridiculous for no reason...

But Cao Xing had to secretly admire Chen Gong's foresight: If it wasn't for Gongtai, how would he know that little Haixi is so strong?Thanks to the attack on Haixi this time, we knew the root cause.Otherwise, when he confronts Cao Cao in the future, if Haixi launches an attack, the lord will surely suffer from the enemy.

Although he didn't take down Haixi, but now that he knows its advantages and disadvantages, he can at least take precautions...

Whether Cao Xing or Chen Gong, at this moment, each has his own thoughts.

After a while, Chen Gong said in a soft voice: "Retreat, let's withdraw immediately."

"I'll go down immediately and give orders."

"slow!"

Chen Gong thought for a while and said to Cao Xing: "Shulong, Chen Deng crossed the Huai River, don't let the army know about it, otherwise the army's morale will be confused. Let's retreat, but we can't retreat casually. We need to continue to attack Quyang."

"Continue to attack Quyang?"

Cao Xing looked at Chen Gong in amazement, a little confused about the mystery of this.

"If we retreat like this, with Cao You's ability to learn, it's hard to guarantee that he won't see the clue.

At that time, if he led his troops to pursue, wouldn't we be in trouble?Therefore, we must fight first, so that Cao Youxue cannot react.Then discard all the luggage and quickly evacuate Quyang.Before noon, the last group of people left Quyang, and then quickly returned to Xiangxiang.Also, inform Wen Yuan and order him to abandon Xu County and move closer to each other quickly, so that we can join forces.

When the time comes, Xiapixia will respond to each other from a distance, which can also distract Cao Cao... Whatever tricks he Cao Youxue used this time, I will return it to Cao Cao. "

"Very good!"

Cao Xing nodded repeatedly.

It has to be said that Chen Gong responded quickly.

From the battle of Quyang, it has quickly shifted to the battle of Xiapi.

"Then, it's up to me to cut it off."

Chen Gong said: "Zishan and I will go back to Xiapi directly, please make preparations early. After Shulong retreats to guard the prime minister, he needs to join Wenyuan as soon as possible."

"Here!"

"Then we will split up immediately."

————————————————————————————

On the seventh day of September in the third year of Jian'an, the sun was particularly bright.

The gentle breeze blows on the body, which feels quite comfortable.It is not an easy task to encounter such good weather before the cold winter is coming.But under the city of Quyang, I didn't feel any comfort at all, and it was even bloody.

boom!
A boulder hit the city wall.

Standing at the top of the city, Cao Peng could feel the ground trembling slightly under his feet.

"It's not right!"

Suddenly Cao Peng stood up and raised his eyes to look down the city.

In the distance, the Xiapi army was in order, and almost all the trebuchets were concentrated outside the west gate, with more than [-] catapults.

It seems that after the fierce battle last night, the Xiapi army changed their minds and put all their troops and siege equipment outside the west city gate.

That posture is to storm the west gate.

But Cao Peng didn't dare to easily transfer troops from the east gate, because they couldn't keep them all together, and Chen Gong would make another attack.

Therefore, Pan Zhang, Deng Fan, and Zhou Cang all concentrated at the head of the east gate, and at the same time ensured that there were 4-500 soldiers and horses.

This made the troops on the head of Xicheng relatively reduced.

Fortunately, after an experience last night, those recruits have calmed down a lot.

In other words, it is impossible to become a good soldier without experiencing the flames of war.Of course, the rookies are still far from the standard of "good soldiers" in Cao Peng's mind, but at least they will not panic when the Xiapi army launches an attack, adding to the chaos.

"Young master, be careful."

Chu Ge swung his spear and knocked away a arrow that was flying towards Cao Peng, reminding him loudly.

Cao Peng waved his hand, as if he didn't care much about these arrows.He stared and observed, and after a while he shouted: "Ziyou, come here."

Xia Houlan quickly came to Cao Peng's side with the dragon scales of Zhang Er.

"Sir, what are your orders?"

"It's a little bit out of the ordinary."

Before the words were finished, a boulder crossed the top of the city and was hitting the gate of the entrance hall above the city gate.

The stone was covered with withered grass, and the fire was raging.After rolling into the hallway, a small fire was immediately caused, but Chugo commanded his hands to put out the fire.

"Today's attack by the Pigou was messy."

"is it?"

Xia Houlan glanced at the smoking hallway, which meant she was asking Cao Peng: If it is still messy, what does it mean to be not messy?

"Don't ask me, I just feel that Xiapigou's attack doesn't seem to have any pressure."

It stands to reason that after a night's rest, the Xiapi army's attack should be very violent.

But judging from the current situation, Cao Peng did not feel the suffocating oppression of yesterday or the day before yesterday.It must be said that the Xiapi army did not attack fiercely.Judging from the density of their arrow array and catapult ejection, it seems that they are more fierce than the previous two days.

The problem is that the soldiers of the Xiapi Army seem to lack the kind of fearless temperament.

Every time they approached the top of the city, they retreated quickly after shooting arrows down the city, without any intention of charging at all.

This made Cao Peng feel that the Xiapi army was dealing with it.Moreover, the stones thrown by the trebuchet seemed dense, but their lethality was far inferior to that of the previous two days.Previously, [-]% of the stones of the Xiapi army could be concentrated at the top of the city, or flew over the top of the city.Today, it seems less than [-]%.Many stones began to fall before flying to the top of the city, and most of the stones fell directly outside the west city gate.

Could it be that the trebuchet also had a problem?
"Get ready, throw!"

Seeing the Xiapi army swarming again, Wang Xu shouted orders.

"slow!"

Cao Peng's sudden words to stop them made Wang Xu and Xia Houlan uncontrollably suspicious.

Sometimes, a man's sixth sense is also very keen.Cao Peng took a shield and stood on the top of the city to block the incoming arrows, carefully observing the actions of the Xiapi army.Gradually, he frowned... The Xiapi army approached unhurriedly, but before they could counterattack from the tower, they stopped and began to retreat.In other words, didn't they plan to attack by force?
"did you see that?"

Xia Houlan and Wang Xu can also be regarded as battle-tested figures.

They didn't notice this before, but now they were reminded by Cao Peng, and they immediately saw the clue.

"Xiapigou, do you want to consume our arrows?"

Wang Xu mentioned a possibility.

But Xia Houlan immediately retorted, "Impossible... If you want to consume arrows, we didn't meet them just now, so they should charge forward."

Raising his head, Cao Peng looked at the blue sky, and suddenly yelled after a while.

"No, they're going to run!"

"run?"

"They are preparing to retreat..."

Xia Houlan and Wang Xu looked at each other, not knowing why.

At this time, in the camp of the Xiapi army, there was a sound of copper gongs, and the Xiapi army called gold to withdraw their troops.

Cao Peng couldn't tell the reason, but vaguely felt that Xiapi Army's abnormal behavior today seemed to be very problematic.

In his previous life, Cao Peng was also influenced by model operas, so he was very impressed.

There is a movie called "Southern Expedition and Northern War" in the model play. There was a plot in it. When one side was about to retreat, they started to fire cannons indiscriminately. There was no target at all in the mountains and plains.How similar is the scene in front of you to the one in the movie?
However, why did the Xiapi army retreat?

Cao Cao...

Cao Cao must have sent troops!
Although Cao Peng couldn't remember exactly which year Cao Cao killed Lu Bu, he remembered that the killing of Lu Bu seemed to have happened after his third conquest of Wancheng.Now, the third battle of Wan has ended, so the next step is to attack Xuzhou.

Counting the days, the autumn harvest is over.

Xu Du's farming this year is also a bumper harvest, so Cao Cao doesn't need to worry about the shortage of food and grass... Then the conquest of Lu Bu is imminent.

Yes, that's the only way...

Cao Peng suddenly thought of the key point, and couldn't help punching the battlements excitedly.

Chen Gong, are you stealing the chicken this time?Want to attack Haixi, but lose troops and generals under Quyang City?
"I ordered Pan Zhang, Zhou Cang, Deng Fan and three men to recruit two hundred elite soldiers.

Ziyou, you should also rectify your troops and dispatch a hundred elite soldiers to wait for dispatch... Wang Xu assembled troops and horses to prepare to defend the city. "

"My lord, what are you going to do?"

"Xiapigou wants to escape, how can I just let them go?"

"But……"

"Don't ask why, just follow my orders."

"Here!"

Since Cao Peng issued the military order, Xia Houlan and others couldn't stop it.

Scooping a bowl of clear water from the bucket, Cao Peng drank it all in one gulp... After being attacked by Chen Gong for two days, Cao Peng also felt very uncomfortable in his heart.Now, the war has turned around!Cao Cao finally sent troops to Xuzhou, how could Cao Peng let go of such an opportunity?
"Pursue?"

After Zhou Cang and others listened to Cao Peng's order, they looked at a loss.

They looked at the smoke rising from the camp of the Xiapi army outside the city, and looked at Cao Peng with some doubts.

"I don't know how to explain it to you, but I can be sure that the Xiapi dog has already started to retreat. We are catching up now, and we can beat the dog in the water..."

"But, they're obviously burying the pot to make a living!"

Zhou Cang pointed to the barracks outside the city, which meant: "Look at the smoke, how could it be the withdrawal of troops?"

"Otherwise, I will take someone down to investigate first?"

Xia Houlan hesitated for a moment, then said softly.

Cao Peng knew that if these people were not convinced, he might not try his best to attack.He thought about it, nodded and agreed...

Immediately, Xia Houlan took fifty elite soldiers and hung them from the top of the city, approaching the Xiapi barracks.

Cao Peng said: "Let's go down too."

"But……"

"Ziyou has already gone down. If something happens, we can also respond. We will wait at the bottom of the city. If there is no one in the barracks, we will immediately pursue it; if there are soldiers and horses guarding us, we can also go to the city quickly. By the way I can still take care of Ziyou."

Zhou Cang and the others exchanged glances and agreed to Cao Peng's idea.

More than 200 people were hanged from the top of the city. When Cao Peng landed on his feet and was about to order his men to form an army, Xia Houlan appeared at the gate of the Xiapi army barracks.

"Young master, it's an empty camp, it's an empty camp!"

"Fuck me..."

Cao Peng couldn't help cursing, "I knew that Chen Gongtai would get out of his shell, and it really did...Brothers, making achievements is just around the corner, follow me immediately."

(End of this chapter)