Cao Thief

Chapter 338 Yanjin Great Retreat (13) [-]
Jian'an five years, February.

In the original history, the prelude to the Battle of Guandu had only just begun.

But in this time and space, the prologue is coming to an end... Cao Cao and Yuan Shao fought a tragic game on the Yanjin battlefield.From the Battle of the White Horse to the present, it has lasted for nearly fifty days.The losses of both sides were quite huge. It is not an exaggeration to describe the city of Suanzao as being littered with corpses.

Starting from late January, in addition to Yanjin, several battlefields have been opened up.

Zang Ba guarded Qi County and fought fiercely with Yuan Tan.Both sides have invested a lot of manpower and material resources, but they are evenly matched, and it is difficult to tell the winner.

In history, Yuan Tan is also an underestimated figure.

He also has counselors like Xinpi Xinpi under him, which puts extremely heavy pressure on Zang Ba.

But in Donghai County, Xia Houyuan and Lu Qian showed a destructive power.At the beginning of February, the Haixi Army officially launched an operation... Trusting Haixi Captain Bu Zhi, under the command of Xuzhou Inspector Xu Yu, the troops divided into three groups and advanced into the East China Sea.King Pan Zhang led 500 men each, conquered Siwu and Yicheng, beheaded Liu Bei's general Liu An, and stationed in the lower reaches of the Shu River; after Zhou Cang landed in Qushan, he joined forces with Deng Zhi and approached Yushan ; Xiahouyuan occupied Lanling, and his second son Xiahouba stationed troops in the second room pavilion; Luqian sent troops from Langya to occupy Licheng and Jiqiu.The four armies joined forces and advanced step by step towards Tan County, which made it difficult for Liu Bei to continue.

On the sixth day of February, after receiving a letter from Zang Ba, Chang Xi surrendered in Xiancheng, Xiangben.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Liu Bei immediately abandoned Tan County and led his troops to flee to Pengcheng County...

Neither Xia Houyuan nor Xu Yu thought that Liu Bei would abandon Tan County so decisively that they were caught off guard, causing Liu Bei to pass between them and escape without a trace.On the eighth day of the second lunar month, Wang Mai crossed Shushui, and his troops approached the city of Tan County.At this time, Tan County has become an empty city.However, Wang Maide Buzhi persuaded him not to enter Tan County, but only camped outside the city, waiting for Xia Houyuan to arrive.

So far, the war in the East China Sea has completely subsided.

Liu Bei only persisted in Donghai County for [-] days before he was defeated and left.

It cannot be said that Liu Bei is incapable, it can only be said that Liu Bei is unlucky.Donghai County is surrounded by enemies on three sides, with the sea on its back.Originally, Liu Bei hoped to gain a foothold in Donghai County by taking advantage of the prestige of the Mi family.But the problem is that after experiencing the suppression of Haixi, the Mo family has already become decadent, and its influence is not as good as before.Although Chang Xi is the prefect of Donghai County, after all, he was born as a bandit and did not have a deep foundation in Donghai County.

In contrast, Hai Xi's influence is far greater than Chang Xi, the prefect of Donghai County.

Whether it was Deng Ji before or Bu Zhi today, they are obviously more accepted by the people, so Liu Bei's defeat will be sooner or later.

According to historical records, in the fifth year of Jian'an, Liu Bei was stationed at Xiapi.

Chang Xi also rebelled, which caused Xia Houyuan a lot of headaches.At that time, Liu Bei's reputation in Xuzhou was not bad, and the Mi family was not hit too hard, so Changxi was able to succeed.But now, the Mi family is in decline, and Liu Bei is wandering around, unable to support Chang Xi at all.With just a small Donghai County, failure is a matter of time.The difference is that in history Chang Xi was not killed by Cao Cao after this rebellion; but this time, after Chang Xi surrendered, Xia Houyuan looked at his head without saying a word.

Doing so is also a warning to Zang Ba!
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"Sikong, isn't it a bit vicious for Youxue to do this?"

In Suanzao City, Dong Zhao couldn't help asking Cao Cao.

He got news that Cao Peng was killing people in Duting.There were only more than 800 soldiers and horses in total, and Cao Peng killed nearly a quarter of them in one fell swoop.

Now in Duting, there are four army Sima.

Among them, the flying beasts can be eliminated, and the black beasts are not easy to count.

Of the four armies of Sima, only two were fully staffed... Cao Peng's deeds in Duting really aroused controversy among many people, saying that he killed too much.

Cao Cao couldn't help laughing, "The defeated army is not available.

How can Youxue rule the army if he doesn't use thunderous means?In my opinion, he did nothing wrong.At least for now, Duting's side is very calm, and the situation is no longer scattered.I heard people say that Duting trained soldiers all day long, and the morale of the soldiers was very high.Isn't that a good thing? "

"The strength of Keduting..."

"This matter has been reported by Guorang.

You Xueyan would rather take five hundred elite soldiers than mobs.It makes sense to think about it, he doesn't need too many soldiers and horses stationed there, it just depends on whether the soldiers are well-trained.I think this is the end of this matter... Since I handed Du Ting over to him, I don't want to ask any more questions. "

The meaning in Cao Cao's words is very clear, this matter stops here, there is no need to pursue it further.

Dong Zhao has followed Cao Cao for a long time, how could he not understand his thoughts?
Now that Cao Cao recognized what Cao Peng did, it would be useless to pursue it further.Two hundred soldiers?What is it?

There are more than two hundred people killed and injured by wild jujube every day.

But it can also be seen from this that Cao Cao loves Cao Peng very much.

Dong Zhao came out of the hall, but he was thinking about another matter: Since Sikong trusted Cao Peng so much, shouldn't he get closer?
He thought for a while, then turned around and followed the corridor to the front hall, government office, and office.

A middle-aged man is dealing with paperwork.Hearing the sound of footsteps, the man looked up, saw that it was Dong Zhao, and hurriedly got up to meet him.

"Brother, why are you here?"

The middle-aged man's name is Dong Fang, and he is Dong Zhao's younger brother.

However, unlike Dong Zhao who joined Cao Cao at the beginning of Jian'an, Dong Fang had worked under Zhang Xiu before, and only defected to Cao Cao with Zhang Xiu last year.Today, Dong Fang takes over Tian Yu's position in Sikong's mansion, and is the chief secretary of Sikong for the army.He asked Dong Zhao to take a seat, and then asked respectfully.

After Dong Zhao sat down, he pondered for a moment and said, "Yuanmou, there is something I want to ask you to do."

"what's up?"

"Captain Duting Cao Peng, you know that."

Dong Fang laughed and said, "But that Cao Babai who burned the white horse, beheaded Yan Liang, punished Wen Chou, and captured Gao Lan? How could I not know him?"

"He is a son of the lord, but he lived in Nanyang in his early years.

You have a good relationship with Zhang Boluan, can you ask Zhang Boluan to give Cao Peng a name?It can be regarded as a good relationship between you and me. "

"Fame?"

Dong Fang was stunned and puzzled.

Dong Zhao said: "Although Cao Peng is a son of the lord, his native place is in Wuyin, Nanyang County.

You also know that there are many people in the lord's clan, so it may not be easy to get fame from Qiao County.But if there is no fame, it must be a great pity for Cao Peng.Whether he needs the fame is one thing; but whether he has the fame is another matter... Since Qiao County can't give him fame, why not ask Zhang Boluan to recommend him a name of filial piety?He grew up in Nanyang County, so being recommended by Nanyang County is also in line with the rules.Moreover, Cao Youxue wrote "Eight Hundred Characters" for his father, which can also be called a great filial act today. "

Dong Fang is not a fool, although his reaction was a bit slow, but after hearing Dong Zhao's words, he immediately understood...

"This matter is not difficult. In fact, Zhang Boluan has been panicking about what happened to him during the Wancheng battle earlier. If there is such an opportunity, he will definitely not refuse it. Anyway, Nanyang County has nominations every year. This year Just recommend Cao Youxue."

"Well, you need to do this quickly.

After this battle is over, someone will definitely think of this matter.Rather than being asked for this friendship by others, it is better for us to obtain it ourselves.You have just attached to the lord, although I am taking care of you, you are a bit weak after all.Cao Peng is well-known and well-connected.From the looks of it, the lord's trust in him is no less than that of others.In this case, you should establish a relationship with him as soon as possible, and you will take care of him in the future. "

"Brother, write a letter immediately and have someone send it to Wancheng today."

Dong Zhao nodded, chatted with Dong Fang, got up and wanted to leave.

At this moment, a small school came in from outside the door, "Director Dong, Xudu hastened to six hundred miles."

"Oh?"

Dong Fang hurried forward and took the letter box from the schoolboy.

He turned his head to look at Dong Zhao, and saw Dong Zhao frowned, and stepped forward to take the letterbox, "I'll go to see the lord immediately, Xu Du is six hundred miles away, there must be something important."

Dong Fang nodded, and hurriedly went through the handover procedures with Dong Zhao.

Dong Zhao hurried back to the flower hall with the letter, but saw Cao Cao was about to go out.

"My lord, Xu Du hastened."

When Cao Cao heard this, he hurried forward to take it and took out the letter.

After a while, his brows gradually relaxed, and a happy smile appeared on his face.

"Immediately call all the generals and come to discuss the matter."

"Here!"

Dong Zhao didn't dare to neglect, and turned around quickly to leave.

But I heard Cao Cao say, "By the way, send someone to Duting and ask Youxue to come."

It seems that the lord really attaches great importance to that Cao Peng.To be honest, a small Captain Duting is not enough to attend the meeting.

But Cao Cao called Cao Peng at this time. Doesn't it mean that he attaches great importance to Cao Peng?
Dong Zhao felt that his previous decision was not wrong.

Perhaps, should be more intimate?
"My lord, why don't I go to Duting personally?"

"Alright."

Dong Zhao immediately took the order and left. Cao Cao stood on the steps, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a dignified one.

Finally, it's time to start?

——————————————————————————————

It was drizzling, and in February, the spring rains continued.

Dong Zhao walked along the official road with his entourage, and saw green willows swaying on both sides of the road.

After leaving Suanzao, he went straight to Duting.When passing Xiaotan, I saw a military camp standing beside the lake, and the sound of horns came from the camp.Teams of soldiers and horses pulled out from the battalion.Soldiers braved the drizzle and practiced in the open field.

Their drills are not like routine drills.

Instead, amidst a series of voices of passwords, the formation was constantly changing.

A general is sitting on a horse, dressed like a soldier.

Beside him, several small schools kept waving command flags and passing passwords...

Dong Zhao recognized this general, who seemed to be Han De.

He used to work in Changshuiying before, and followed Xia Houshang... Later, he was transferred to Cao Peng's command, and now he should be an army commander.

"Believe it."

Dong Zhao greeted and urged the horse to go forward.

Believe it is Hande's word.

Hearing someone shout, Hande turned his head to look.

Seeing that it was Dong Zhao, he hurriedly rode his horse to meet him, cupped his hands on the horse and said, "Dong Jijiu, why are you here?"

"I was ordered to go to Duting, and I have something to see your captain.

Why, you have to perform as usual in this kind of weather? "

Han De laughed and said, "The sacrifice of wine is a joke, what kind of performance is this? It's just to come out and do some activities so that they don't have nothing to do.

The real rehearsal is still at the Duting camp.

The captain's practice is much more ruthless than this..."

Dong Zhao frowned, and looked at the soldiers who were practicing formation in the drizzle, a little confused.

However, he did know that this formation was a method of training soldiers created by Cao Peng.When Dian Wei and Xu Chu were fighting, Dian Wei relied on this method of maneuvering to knead a group of temporarily recruited elite soldiers into a whole in a short period of time, and their combat power was extremely strong.

Later, this kind of queue exercise was adopted by many people.

Tiger and leopard riders are also trained in this way, and it is said that the effect is very good.

It's just, can this shouting of 'one two one' really work?At least in Dong Zhao's view, there is no benefit.

After talking to Hande for a few words, Dong Zhao took the people away.

Along the way, he was thinking about the reason why Cao Cao called Cao Peng over.

Could it be that……

Dong Zhao scratched his head, as if he had thought of something!
When we arrived at Duting Camp, the rain had stopped.

But Dong Zhao was stopped outside the camp by soldiers.

The one guarding the gate and in charge of vigilance is the black man under Hao Zhao's department.

"It's not because of villains who refuse to let them go, but there is an order from the captain, no one is allowed to enter or leave the camp without permission."

"Then trouble you to report on your behalf."

Dong Zhao was not angry, but nodded slightly in praise.

He said to his entourage: "I didn't expect Cao Youxue to be like Zhou Yafu."

After Hei Xuan entered the camp, Tian Yu ran out after a short while.

Dong Zhao couldn't help being a little angry, Cao Peng's airs were a little too big.Although you are a descendant of Sikong, I am Sikong Jijiu, and I am several ranks older than you in terms of official position.I'm here to deliver an order for Sikong, so it's fine if you block me, why don't you even greet me?
Tian Yu saw Dong Zhao's displeasure, and after entering the gate, he said softly, "It's not that the captain didn't welcome him, but the captain is practicing soldiers and horses, and he can't get out..."

"Oh?"

When Dong Zhaowen heard this, he couldn't help being curious, "Then can you take me to observe it?"

"This... is not a problem, it's just that the environment over there is a bit bad, I'm afraid the sacrificial wine was neglected."

Dong Zhao laughed out loud, it doesn't matter if you keep talking.

Tian Yu took him straight to the Houying school grounds.The Houying campus has a large area and is adjacent to the riverside.On a muddy open space, groups of soldiers were walking in formation, shouting passwords loudly.Puddles, mud puddles, seem to be completely ignored in their eyes.Under one banner, Cao Peng stood on a chariot, holding a sword in his hand, with a serious expression, staring at the parade of soldiers performing.

"Why don't you go forward? Why stop?"

I saw a group of soldiers suddenly stopped by the river.

A young general rushed out on a flying horse from behind Cao Peng, came to the team of soldiers, and roared sharply.

"Marquis, if you go any further, you will enter the water."

"Then get into the water!"

The military marquis had a grim face, and he slammed the short stick in his hand at the captain, "The lieutenant didn't change the password. Since you haven't changed the password, you have to move on. Don't talk about entering the water, even if there are mountains of swords and seas of fire in front of you, you Can't back down either."

As he spoke, he snatched the order flag from the captain's hand.

"Listen to my password and move forward."

Under the leadership of this military marquis, a group of soldiers ignored the big river in front of them and marched forward.

Standing on the edge of the school field, Dong Zhao couldn't help being dumbfounded when he saw the scene in front of him... What kind of military exercise is this?
(End of this chapter)