The Strongest Lu Bu's Sweeping Thousands of Armies

Chapter 312 Sand Table Meeting
Cao Cao led an army of [-], and set off from Xudu to attack Pengcheng.

Yuan Shao is also dispatching troops and generals, preparing to march to Xuzhou.

The Yuan family's soldiers who sent troops first were led by Yuan Tan who set off from Qingzhou.

He had borrowed three thousand soldiers and horses to Liu Bei before, but he didn't expect Liu Bei to be wiped out by Pang Tong after he didn't stay in Mount Tai for a few days.

Mount Tai belongs to the southernmost county of Qingzhou.

After Mount Tai, it is the boundary of Xuzhou.

Yuan Shao divided his troops into three groups, while Cao Cao divided his troops into two groups. A total of five groups of troops advanced towards Xuzhou. As long as any one of them broke through the defense line, they could come to Pengcheng.

No matter which group of people arrived in Pengcheng, the battle to defend Xuzhou would most likely end in failure.

Although the other two groups of the Yuan family in Hebei had not set off yet, Lu Bu, who was in Xuzhou, had already figured out their intentions.

General's barracks in Pengcheng Barracks.

Lu Bu ordered people to make a large sand table in the barracks.

The sand table is a miniature version of Xuzhou.

At the bottom of the sand table is Huainan, which is adjacent to Xuzhou.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Huainan County belonged to the Yangzhou Governor's Department, which was the foundation of Yuan Shu's fortune.

It's a pity that Yuan Shu is a brainless person, and he doesn't have many capable people under him, yet he dares to presume to be emperor.

If Yuan Shu hadn't proclaimed himself emperor, relying on his foundation in Huainan and recruiting talented people in the name of supporting the big men, even if he wouldn't be as powerful as Yuan Shao in Hebei, at least he wouldn't be easily defeated by Cao Cao and his ilk.

Lu Bu, who came to this era and rewrote the trend of history, gradually strengthened his strength by defeating Yuan Shu.

There are small triangular flags on the sand table.

The flag is divided into three colors: white, black and green.

Most of the small flags on the sand table of later generations will be blue and red.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, red dye was very expensive, and only nobles and nobles could wear red clothes. Most of the clothes worn by the common people were dark clothes without dyeing.

The three colors of white, black and green are chosen because the cloth heads of these three colors are the easiest to find.

The brightest green represents the army under Lu Bu's command.

Black and white represent the armies of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao respectively.

The small black and white flags surrounded the green flag. From the sand table, the situation was very unfavorable for the green flag.

Those sitting in the barracks were all staff members of Lu Bu's subordinates.

When the staff came to the barracks, they were all taken aback.

It was the first time for them to see the sand table.

When they first saw the sand table placed in the barracks, the staff gathered around one by one, discussing the usefulness of this sand table.

It wasn't until Lu Bu walked into the barracks and told them that this sand table was a miniature model of various places where the war was about to take place, that the staff suddenly realized that the small flags on the sand table corresponded to the deployment of the two sides' military forces.

"Perhaps you may find it very strange why I asked people to make such a thing." The staff sat around the sand table in the barracks, and Lu Bu walked around behind them: "Please come here, not just to watch the sand table, It's not simply using it to analyze the enemy's situation. I plan to establish a system from today, a planning system before using troops."

Sitting facing the sand table, none of the staff said anything.

Since they came here, they found that Lu Bu didn't even invite a single general.

Everyone sitting here is a talented person who strategizes, not a general who charges into battle with bravery.

There were many people sitting in the barracks, but no one spoke.

Even wise men like Chen Gong and Pang Tong did not expect what Lu Bu would say next.

"In the past, in battles, we used advisors to cooperate with the generals. The advisors made suggestions, and the generals led the troops to fight." When he came behind Chen Gong, Lu Bu supported his shoulders with both hands, and looked around everyone's faces: "But today, I want to change this way of fighting, and I want to let you experience a new kind of combat deployment."

Everyone still didn't speak, they were all waiting for Lu Bu to speak.

"A powerful enemy is right in front of you." Letting go of the hand holding Chen Gong's shoulder, Lu Bu walked from beside him to the edge of the sand table, and said while supporting the edge of the sand table: "Today, I want to discuss with you a countermeasure, and discuss how to get out of various places. How to deal with the enemy's attack."

"Shiyuan." Looking at Pang Tong's face, Lu Bu said: "You were already at Mount Tai, and I invited you back to tell everyone how you defeated Liu Bei at Mount Tai, and what the situation over there is like." ?”

Pang Tong originally went to Mount Tai with Chen Dao.

They wiped out Liu Bei on Mount Tai, and after that they were preparing to meet Yuan Tan. Unexpectedly, Lu Bu sent someone there and invited him back.

The bewildered Pang Tong returned to Pengcheng, but before he could catch his breath, he was summoned to the barracks by Lu Bu again.

When he came to the barracks and saw the sand table, his reaction was exactly the same as everyone else's.

The novelty aroused his interest, and he looked around the sand table for a while, but Pang Tong didn't understand the use of such a thing in the barracks at that time.

Lu Bu called him to tell everyone about his experience in fighting on Mount Tai.

Pang Tong stood up: "Actually, I have nothing to say. I have only one feeling when fighting Liu Bei on Mount Tai, and that is that Liu Bei is too weak. If he is so weak that if he bumps into him, once the two sides go to war, he will be defeated and flee."

When Pang Tong said that, everyone whispered to each other and nodded in agreement.

Many of them had encountered Liu Bei on the battlefield, and what left the deepest impression on them was Liu Bei's best at escaping.

With the support of everyone, Pang Tong recounted how he realized that Liu Bei had no intention of a decisive battle at Mount Tai, and then said how he disrupted Liu Bei's deployment and judgment, forcing him to make the wrong decision to go south to Xuzhou.

Everyone listened silently to Pang Tong's narration, and when he finished speaking, all eyes turned to Lu Bu who was standing in front of the sand table.

Looking around at the crowd, Lu Bu asked, "How is it, did you hear everything clearly?"

Several aides responded, but many more remained silent.

"I can speak more clearly to you." Lu Bu said: "The success or failure of killing an enemy on the battlefield mostly depends on their intelligence. The intelligence of one or two people is limited after all. There will be omissions."

"Does Marquis Chu want us to gather everyone to discuss a resolution every time a big battle is approaching?" Chen Gong finally asked Lu Bu.

"It's better for the public to understand me." Lu Bu nodded with a smile, and said to everyone: "I just said that starting today, I will establish a system. Whenever a war is coming, all counselors must act in accordance with the system. "

"Marquis Chu has said so much, we still don't know what system it is." It was Chen Gong who asked the question.

After following Lu Bu for many years, Chen Gong didn't even think about what system he was going to propose.

Ever since everyone came to the barracks, Lu Bu has been playing tricks. He has been talking about establishing a new system, but he has never explained what the new system looks like.

"I want to subvert the previous way of fighting." Lu Bu said: "In the past, we used generals to cooperate with counselors. On the battlefield, generals were the main force, and counselors were secondary. Although it is possible to respond tactically to the enemy's deployment However, strategically, we have always been passive. Marching to fight a war is not just about having a tactical advantage, but about making corresponding adjustments in the entire strategic layout in order to achieve victory in all battles.”

After scanning everyone's faces, Lu Bu continued: "The system I want to establish is called the General Staff Headquarters System. That is, whenever there is a big war, people who can be called must be called here to discuss how to arrange troops. How to make corresponding adjustments to the enemy's deployment, and how to coordinate with each other in specific battles."

The staff headquarters system first appeared in the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty.

It was proposed by Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi, and the Song army used this system in combat.

Because its role in specific combat cannot be underestimated, it often determines the direction and success of the war, so it has been used by later generations.

It's just that Song Taizong himself was an excellent strategist, but he was a very poor tactician.

In the battles he commanded, the strategic deployments made in advance were often very good, but irreversible mistakes occurred in the final specific tactics, so that the Song army suffered repeated defeats.

Lu Bu intends to establish a staff headquarters system, of course he does not want to make the same mistakes as Song Taizong.

He had already made plans. After the establishment of the staff headquarters system, he still followed the specific combat methods in the past. Every conscripted army was followed by counselors to ensure the correct use of tactics.

All the people present were strategists. After Lu Bu's explanation, they probably already understood Lu Bu's intention.

Everyone sat upright, and Lu Bu stood beside the sand table, and then said to them: "I have decided to cancel the title of military division and replace it with the chief of staff. When marching, the chief of staff decides the specific deployment, and the chief general is only the specific executor. "

In all battles, the chief general is the final decision-maker, but Lu Bu subverted this.

He handed over the responsibility for the specific deployment of the combat strategy to the military division who was renamed the chief of staff, and instead turned the chief general into the specific executor of the strategy.

What kind of role this change can play in specific operations, everyone is still unclear, but they all know that it has made a subversive change to the previous combat method.

No one fully understood Lu Bu's intentions, and of course no one would open his mouth easily.

"Everyone should understand why I did this." Lu Bu went on to say, "I want to improve your status in the army and entrust you with the combat deployment, while the generals are only implementing Among them, there is a small right to modify the strategy. If you say advance, no matter how dangerous the situation is, the soldiers must move forward bravely. If you say retreat, no matter what advantages you have gained, the army must retreat. From now on, the chief of staff is the final decision-maker of the military's strategy, not the Lord's future decision."

"Chuhou." Chen Gong said again: "It seems to be against the rules to do this..."

"Rules are made by people, and they are also broken by people." Lu Bu said: "Of course, the rules will be different in different periods. The rules we make must conform to the interests of the current stage. Once the rules that have been set are not in line with The current interests must be broken."

Of course, the advisers would not raise objections to the staff headquarters system proposed by Lu Bu.

After all, under this system, they are the ones who get the most benefits.

They used to be just assistants in the army, but they will gradually become the main decision makers in the army in the future.

No one would object to the promotion of their own power, but the counselors present still hadn't recovered from the sudden change.

Lu Bu's decision simply subverted the way of fighting throughout the ages.

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The so-called staff headquarters, the most important thing is not to improve the status of the advisers in the army.

More importantly, every time there is a war, the strategists will gather together to hold a meeting to study how to deal with the enemy.

No one raised any objections, and Lu Bu said to them, "I have decided that from today onwards, all armies will implement the staff headquarters system. Whenever there is a battle, a combat meeting must be held first, and the chief of staff will preside over it."

All eyes fell on Lu Bu's face, waiting for him to continue the conversation.

Lu Bu went on to say: "Every large army must be equipped with a sand table to make specific combat deployment demonstrations. The name of the meeting is called the sand table meeting."

"The Marquis of Chu is wise!" Chen Gong, who had the most questions, was the first to stand up and express his support for Lu Bu's decision.

The counselors present also got up one after another, and shouted in unison: "The Marquis of Chu is wise!"

"The staff headquarters system is formally established. Next, we will discuss strategies to deal with the enemy's invasion and hold the first sand table meeting." Lu Bu first pointed to the direction of Mount Tai in the sand table, and said to everyone: "The scouts have sent news, Yuan Tan Leading an army of [-], he is heading to Mount Tai from Qingzhou. He has under his command Xin Ping, Xin Pi and other wise men, as well as Zhang Nan and other generals. It can be said that this time Mount Tai will deal with an extremely powerful enemy army. What do you think? , What kind of deployment should we make on Mount Tai in order to intercept and finally defeat the enemy army?"

"Qingzhou is very close to Mount Tai, and there will be no problems with their food, grass and ordnance at all." Pang Tong, who was ordered to lead an army to Mount Tai to intercept Yuan Tan, replied: "Even if we send troops to block the border between Mount Tai and Qingzhou to harass the enemy It is impossible to deal a fatal blow to their supplies with food and grass. Fortunately, the difference between the number of our army and the enemy army is not too much. I plan to rely on the terrain of Mount Tai, concentrate superior forces, and adopt the method of dividing and encircling the enemy army. Eat them one by one."

"Shiyuan, tell me, how do you divide the encirclement, and rely on the terrain of Mount Tai to eat up the enemy army one by one." Lu Bu lightly tapped the edge of the sand table, motioning him to go to the sand table and continue talking.

Pang Tong stood up and came to the sand table.

He pointed to the area around Mount Tai on the sand table and said: "There are many high mountains and mountains around Mount Tai. I just plan to hide the army in the mountains. When the enemy's vanguard arrives, I will eat their vanguard first. Without the vanguard, Yuan Tan can only delay the advance, while I can lead the army to rely on the mountain and completely block him on the only way from Mount Tai to Xuzhou."

"Do you think there are any omissions in this method or is there anything wrong with it?" Lu Bu asked the people present.

Everyone was silent, but Zhou Yu got up and said: "Shi Yuan's method is good, but I feel that something is missing."

"Tell me." Signaling Zhou Yu to come to the sand table, Lu Bu said to him, "Point out what you think is missing."

Zhou Yu responded, came to the sand table, and pointed to the place Pang Tong pointed out just now: "There is nothing wrong with Shi Yuan's deployment as a whole, but I remember that the Bai Yan Army followed him to Mount Tai this time. The Bai Yan Army is General Chen Shuzhi." The trained elites can be used against a hundred, and a thousand of them are equipped with continuous shooting crossbows. Wouldn’t it be a pity if they weren’t used?”

After hearing what Zhou Yu said, Pang Tong squeezed his chin and nodded.

Lu Bu raised his hand, motioning for Zhou Yu to continue speaking.

"The Baiyan army is well-equipped and well-trained, and General Chen Shuzhi is an enemy of tens of thousands of people." Zhou Yu said: "I think Shi Yuan can lead the army to block Yuan Tan's marching route, and then let the Baiyan army cross the mountains and circle behind the enemy. , into Qingzhou to seize the city and defeat the enemy."

"Walking around behind the enemy army, isn't it for the purpose of launching a sudden attack and destroying the enemy army?" Zhou Yu's proposal made Lu Bu feel a little surprised.

But Pang Tong suddenly realized: "Gong Jin's proposal is indeed a good strategy to defeat the enemy."

"Does anyone else have a different suggestion?" Lu Bu asked everyone.

"I second." Chen Gong stood up and was the first to express his second.

Others followed suit.

When everyone was seated, Lu Bu said again: "Mount Tai already has a preliminary strategy, and what I need to consider now is the strategy for me to lead the army to face Cao Cao."

When he saw Zhuge Jin, Lu Bu asked: "Ziyu, you will go with me, do you have any specific views on this battle?"

Zhuge Jin got up and replied: "The purpose of Cao Cao's coming this time is to crusade against Pengcheng. We only need to attack them head-on, and stop them where they are and cannot advance. When the enemy forces are defeated by other routes, Cao Cao will also have to retreat."

"We have an air force and soldiers to relieve troubles, so why are we still afraid of Cao Cao?" Lu Bu asked, "Why can't I lead the soldiers to fight head-on and wipe out Cao Cao on the edge of Xuzhou?"

"Although we have an air force and Jiefan soldiers, what Cao Cao brought this time is his Tiger Guards." Zhuge Jin said: "The Tiger Guards fought bravely, which is not something ordinary troops can deal with. The Jiefan soldiers may There is still the ability to fight, ordinary soldiers encounter them, it is good to be able to protect themselves. Therefore, to stop Cao Cao, it is precisely because the difference in military strength between the two sides is too large, and it is too difficult to defeat them, so we can only block them."

Lu Bu frowned slightly, looked at the others and asked, "Do you think I can defeat Cao Cao?"

"I don't think it's impossible." Another person stood up and said to Lu Bu: "The tiger guards led by Cao Cao are indeed elite, but my lord's soldiers and air force are not inferior in terms of excellent equipment and elite soldiers. For them. Although they are not superior in numbers, the lord still has more soldiers as backup. If the two armies go to war, as long as the two armies go to war, as long as they delay for a while, until most of the lieutenant soldiers of Cao Cao's army are exhausted, and then the army presses up, there may be a victory possible."

The person who got up to speak was Yan Xiang who had just rushed to Pengcheng from Xiapi.

Yan Xiang used to be an aide under Yuan Shu, and he was no less farsighted than a first-class aide. It's a pity that Yuan Shu believed Yang Hong and others at that time, and ignored his advice, so he became the target of everyone in the world because of arrogance and proclaiming himself emperor.

"I don't think it's a good way to press the whole line." Yan Xiang finished his sentence, and another person said: "Chuhou didn't have many troops to attack Cao Cao, and they were not as elite as Cao Cao. Even Cao Cao's army The lieutenant generals are exhausted, and it is not easy to win a complete victory. The whole army is likely to be counterattacked by Cao Cao, and then Cao Cao will be given a chance to defeat our army."

It was Liu Ye who joined Lu Bu from Chaohu who opposed Yan Xiang's proposal.

Before coming to the sand table, he pointed to the position of Pengcheng on the sand table and said: "The five enemy troops attacked Xuzhou, and Cao Cao's troops actually brought the greatest threat to the Marquis of Chu. Pengcheng is too close to Yuzhou, only separated by Xiao County. Cao Cao led the army from Xudu, advancing all the way to the east, and will definitely enter Xuzhou from Xiaoxian County. Xiaoxian County is only one or two hundred miles away from Pengcheng. The two sides fought there, and our army lost everything if it was not careful."

"What Zi Yang said is similar to what I think." Lu Bu said to him, "Go on."

Liu Ye agreed, and then said: "I think the Marquis of Chu should enter Yuzhou before Cao Cao reaches Xiao County, and open up the battlefield at Cao Cao's doorstep, instead of just fighting in our Xuzhou."

His proposal is undoubtedly very bold to everyone.

The Cao and Yuan families divided their troops into five groups, and all of them were marching towards Pengcheng.

Liu Ye actually mentioned at this time that Lu Bu should drive out of Xuzhou and fight Cao Cao in Yuzhou. No one really thought of it.

All eyes were on his face.

Chen Gong asked: "Zi Yang, where do you think the Marquis of Chu is suitable for a decisive battle with Cao Cao?"

Liu Ye moved his hands on the sand table.

When he moved to Xiao County, the sand table was almost at the edge.

But his finger continued to move to the side, and moved a little more, pointing to the edge of the sand table: "Just intercept the enemy here."

The place he pointed to was already outside the sand table, and it was impossible to see where it was.

Lu Bu asked, "What exactly is Zi Yang talking about?"

"Dangshan, Taiqiu, and Peiguo line." Liu Ye said: "The terrain here is complex, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is the best place for the Chuhou to deploy defenses. Moreover, here, the air force is suitable for taking off from the mountains, and can It is very beneficial to the Marquis of Chu to use the mountains to hide his tracks. The three places form a triangle, trapping Cao Cao in it. The Marquis of Chu only needs to deploy soldiers to defend, so that the air force will harass him every day, and the trouble-fighting soldiers will be the main force in the battle, fighting every time Don't love to fight, fight and leave. After several times, Cao Cao's army must be exhausted. Wait until they are exhausted, and then lead the army to attack, and it will be a success. Even if they fail to defeat the enemy in one battle, or are counterattacked by Cao Cao, because It is still far from Pengcheng, and the enemy will not be led outside Pengcheng, at least we have not yet organized defenses in Xiaoxian area again."

"I probably understand what Ziyang means." Lu Bu nodded. "I want me to defend the front line of Dangshan, defend with a large army, and then adopt elite tactics. The large army is used as a backup, and the Jiefan soldiers are the main force of the attack. Is that what you mean?"

"That's what it means." Liu Ye replied: "I think that only by doing this can the Marquis of Chu win a complete victory. Otherwise, we will be restrained everywhere, and it is impossible to form an effective resistance to Cao Cao."

"What do you think?" Lu Bu asked them, his eyes sweeping over everyone's faces again.

The Battle of Taishan was mentioned earlier, except for Zhou Yu pointing out Pang Tong's negligence in deployment, and suggesting that the Baijun army bypass Yuan Tan's troops and attack Qingzhou, and bring Yuan Tan back to the army to help, so as to achieve the goal of defeating the enemy, no one else mentioned it Objections.

When the discussion came to Lu Bu leading the army to face Cao Cao, several staff members put forward different opinions.

Several different opinions are very different. Previously, Lu Bu just asked casually, and did not express his position publicly.

It wasn't until Liu Ye put forward his opinion that Lu Bu agreed, and then asked everyone if they had anything to add.

After hearing Liu Ye's plan, everyone thought his proposal was the most suitable for Lu Bu to deal with Cao Cao's elite, so they all agreed.

Afterwards, Lu Bu discussed the other three strategies to deal with the enemy with everyone. The first sand table meeting of the General Staff Headquarters actually lasted for a whole day before finally finalizing the plan for the Five Route Army to deal with the enemy.

The sand table meeting lasted from early morning to early morning the next day.

When the meeting ended, the sky was still dark, but the morning star had already appeared in the eastern sky.

Walking out of the barracks, Chen Gong was by Lu Bu's side.

"The Marquis of Chu held a sand table meeting, can the court meeting be canceled in the future?" Chen Gong asked Lu Bu.

"Cancel the court meeting?" Lu Bu asked, "Why?"

"Doesn't Marquis Chu feel that with the sand table meeting, court discussions seem redundant?" Chen Gong asked him.

"Of course not redundant." Lu Bu said: "The sand table meeting is the meeting where the staff headquarters discusses the combat strategy before the war, and the content of the court discussion is more detailed. It is not only you who participate in the court meeting, but also involves The generals and some officials in charge of the local area. Different meetings have different purposes, and the content of the discussions is also different. When it comes to this battlefield, people from all walks of life still have to hold sand table meetings frequently. The specific changes in the battlefield determine whether the entire strategy is needed. Make adjustments accordingly."

"I probably understand what Marquis Chu means." Chen Gong nodded and responded.

"Pengcheng is our last foundation. If we lose this place, we will have no way out in the future." Lu Bu patted Chen Gong's arm lightly: "You are one of the first people to follow me. I also trust you. I will hand over Pengcheng to you, and you have to defend it for me. If there is any mistake here, no matter how wonderful we played in the front, Xuzhou will still be unable to defend."

"Don't worry, Marquis Chu, as long as I'm here, Pengcheng will never make any mistakes." Chen Gong responded.

The two of them hadn't gone far before Sun Ce came up to meet them.

Lu Bu stopped and said to Chen Gong: "Cao Cao has already set off, and I will also lead the army tomorrow morning, please take care."

"Marquis Chu, be careful in everything." Chen Gong bowed.

After greeting Sun Ce, Lu Bu turned and walked towards the gate.

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After convening the first sand table meeting, Lu Bu returned to the government, and the first thing he did was to announce some matters decided at the meeting to the army.

He did not announce the strategy to meet the enemy discussed at the meeting, but only announced that from now on, the position of the military division will be abolished in the army, and the military division will be changed to the chief of staff. All actions of the army will be mastered and controlled by the military division.

Cao Cao has led the army to leave Xudu and is heading towards Pengcheng.

Although Dangshan belongs to Yuzhou, it is much closer to Pengcheng than Xudu.

The sand table meeting decided on the location and strategy for Lu Bu to attack Cao Cao. Early the next morning, Lu Bu led his soldiers out of Pengcheng.

Zhao Yun and Sun Ce were by Lu Bu's side.

In addition to them, Huang Gai, Cheng Pu and other generals brought by Sun Ce from Jiangdong were also accompanying them on the expedition this time.

The army drove out of Pengcheng and marched eastward all the way.

After two days of walking to Xiao County, Sun Ce and others thought they would station here to wait for Cao Cao to arrive, but Lu Bu had no intention of ordering to stop at all.

The soldiers continued to move forward, Zhao Yun turned his head and glanced at Xiao County, where they had just passed.

"Isn't Marquis Chu stationed in Xiao County?" Zhao Yun asked Lu Bu.

"Why are you stationed in Xiao County?" Lu Bu asked him back.

"Passing through Xiao County is Yuzhou, which is no longer the territory of the Marquis of Chu." Zhao Yun said, "When we get there, there is no city to rely on."

"Xiao County is near Pengcheng, only one or two hundred miles away from Pengcheng." Lu Bu said, "If we intercept Cao Cao here, he has ten thousand ways to bypass us and enter Pengcheng. Instead of choosing Xiao County, which will make us passive, It would be better to enter the territory of Yuzhou and stop Cao Cao in other places."

"The Marquis of Chu wants to preemptively attack the city of Yuzhou?" Sun Ce also asked beside him.

"The gain or loss of a city or a place is not important, what matters is how many enemies we can annihilate." Lu Bu said: "The most important thing in conquering the world is people fighting on the battlefield. If we capture a city, we lose countless soldiers. For us, that battle is also defeated. The capture of the city must be done after the enemy troops have withdrawn, if they have not withdrawn, I would rather confront them in the wild."

Neither Zhao Yun nor Sun Ce attended the first meeting of the General Staff Headquarters, and of course it was impossible to know what decisions Lv Bu and his staff made at that meeting.

Zhuge Jin, who was following Lu Bu, came up and asked Lu Bu: "Mr. Chu, what should we do with the food and grass when we get to the place? We must know that food and grass are a difficult problem to deal with when the army is going to march."

"Don't worry about food and grass." Lu Bu looked back at the luggage behind the army, and said to Zhuge Jin: "The food and grass we carry are at least enough for the soldiers to eat for a year. Cao Mengde can't attack Xuzhou, so he probably won't last for a year. After all, he still has to worry about whether the Yuan family in Hebei will attack from behind."

Zhuge Jin also looked back at the luggage.

Based on his experience, although there is a lot of luggage, the food can only supply the soldiers for more than a month at most.

Lu Bu said that the grain and grass would be enough for a year, but he still didn't quite believe it.

"Did Ziyu not believe in food and grass enough for a year?" Seeing the unbelief on Zhuge Jin's face, Lu Bu asked him with a smile.

"It's not that I don't believe in the Marquis of Chu." Zhuge Jin replied, "I have also led troops to fight, and I know how much food and grass can last for a long time. Judging from the amount of luggage, I think it can only last for more than a month at most. Chu Hou said that it can be eaten for a year, which is really confusing."

"There will be many things that you don't understand in the future." Lu Bu chuckled: "When you get to the place and see our luggage, you will understand."

After speaking, he and Sun Ce looked at each other and smiled.

The corner of Sun Ce's mouth twitched, and he grinned noncommittally.

Of course he knew why Lu Bu said it with such confidence.

Lu Bu asked people to develop dry food earlier. After pondering for a while, those cooks came up with a dry food that completely evaporated the water.

If this kind of dry food is eaten dry, it will be very hard, and it will not even be swallowed.

But if you soak it in water, just a small piece can make a big bowl.

More importantly, this kind of dry food contains not only meat but also vegetables, all the nutrients needed by soldiers are contained in it, and it is easy to preserve, and the storage time is longer than that of uncooked food.

Lu Bu's luggage did not seem to be much, but most of the food in the luggage was this kind of dry food.

When he set off, he gave an order to provide some common food for the military to eat on the road, so the soldiers had never seen that new type of dry food, and even Zhuge Jin didn't know the existence of the new type of dry food.

Lu Bu didn't give an explanation, and Zhuge Jin felt even more puzzled, but he couldn't continue to ask, so he could only follow Lu Bu.

When the army entered the border of Yuzhou, the border guards of Yuzhou first investigated Lu Bu's military situation, and then passed the news to various cities, demanding that the gates of all cities be closed tightly, so that Lu Bu must not be given a chance to break the city.

Wherever Lu Bu's army passed by, there was panic everywhere, for fear that he would lead his army to turn around and attack the city.

But soon the defenders of the city discovered that Lu Bu had no intention of beating them at all, and it could even be said that he didn't pay attention to them at all, and led the soldiers directly past them.

"Chuhou really doesn't intend to take down one or two cities?" Zhao Yun, who was by Lu Bu's side, reminded: "If we don't take them down, if our battle is not very advantageous, we will have a lot of trouble when we return to the army. .”

"I never thought about retreating." Lu Bu said, "Cao Cao is going to completely wipe out Xuzhou this time. No matter where we retreat, he will not let it go easily. Rather than being chased and beaten by him, it is better to start From the very beginning, I have made an unwavering determination to fight him to the death!"

When Lu Bu said these words, everyone felt an inexplicable sense of sadness.

But for some reason, this sense of sadness did not make them experience desolation, but instead made them have more expectations for the upcoming battle.

Lu Bu turned his head and glanced at the soldiers following behind him. He slightly twitched the corner of his mouth and led the soldiers forward without saying anything more.

The soldiers who followed Lu Bu were also very puzzled that he did not attack the city along the way.

Although the soldiers didn't understand why Lu Bu didn't attack those cities, and didn't even plunder the villages and towns they encountered, they could only advance with the army.

After entering Yuzhou and walking for another four or five days, the army finally arrived at the Dangshan area.

Dangshan is located in the east of Yuzhou, adjacent to Xuzhou.

The terrain connected by nearby mountains and rivers is quite complicated.

Arriving at Dangshan, Lu Bu stopped his horse and looked around, pointing to a hilltop and giving an order: "We will camp there and wait for Cao Cao to arrive."

"There is a city nearby. I really don't understand how the Marquis of Chu would choose to camp on a mountain instead of taking down a city first." Zhao Yun immediately raised his question.

"I have already said on the way here that we have no way out to stop Cao Cao this time." Lu Bu said, "If I lead the soldiers to seize a city, the city will become a barrier that we think we can rely on. You know, in this world There is no city wall that can resist the enemy's attack, and the real barrier that can resist the enemy is the desire for battle and the belief in victory in each of us."

"It's better to die and survive than to survive. We thought we could catch him, but it was better to be dragged by him in the end." Having said that, Lu Bu turned his horse and faced the soldiers behind him.

He shouted to the soldiers: "Soldiers, let me ask you, I didn't give the order to attack the city along the way, do you feel very puzzled in your heart, wondering why I didn't take those cities that I can take with just a finger? Take it?"

What Lu Bu shouted was exactly what the soldiers were wondering about these days.

All eyes were on him, waiting for him to give a reasonable explanation.

With an army of more than 3 people, it is so quiet that people can hear each other's breathing.

After scanning the faces of the soldiers at the front, Lu Bu continued to shout: "I'm not afraid to tell you, I never thought that I would be able to go back alive after I failed in this expedition!"

His words undoubtedly threw a big stone into the calm water, and the soldiers suddenly boiled.

Many people showed signs of panic, and some even whispered about their views.

After waiting for a while, the reaction of the soldiers still did not calm down. Lu Bu raised his hand and pressed the button and said, "I hope you heard clearly just now. I didn't think about going back alive after failing this expedition, because I didn't think about it at all." It will fail!"

First he said that he could go back alive after failing without consideration, and then he said that he had never considered failure at all. These two magical words of Lu Bu made the soldiers unable to react for a while.

The soldiers fell silent again, their eyes fixed on Lu Bu, waiting for the words to come later.

"Some people say that Cao Cao's army is elite, because we are no match for them at all." Lu Bu shouted: "There is no other reason, just because you people are garbage with no military discipline. Facing a powerful enemy army, you There is no other choice but to run back with your head in your arms."

The words Lu Bu yelled were undoubtedly a humiliation to the soldiers, and the faces of many people suddenly showed indignation.

"To be honest, I really want to refute, I really want to yell at those who say you are trash, fuck you!" Lu Bu said, "But I really can't yell at them like that, because I have no confidence, The whole world thinks that you are indeed inferior to Cao Cao's Tiger Guards! Unless you can really win a few battles, people will see that the Tiger Guards are nothing more than scum to you!"

Lu Bu's shouting, which first suppressed and then raised, had already mobilized the soldiers' emotions a lot.

But the soldiers still didn't respond, they were all waiting for Lu Bu to say what he said later.

"I didn't give orders to attack the city along the way. Even though I got here, Dangshan City is nearby, but I still didn't let you fight. Do you know why?" Lu Bu finally called out the question that the soldiers were most concerned about.

The eyes of more than 3 people were focused on his face, waiting for him to give a reasonable answer.

Frowning slightly, Lu Bu showed a trace of sadness on his face: "I didn't ask you to take those cities, because I know that for you, taking those cities couldn't be easier. What I want is not for you to take those cities. Come down, because it is too easy for you to take them down. And after you take them down, you will think that even if we lose, we still have a city to rely on, and we will have a way out.!"

Speaking of this, Lu Bu paused, and raised his voice with a very serious face, and shouted: "I will not give you a retreat! I will not let you have any retreat! This expedition is either victory or death! I will ask you In a word, do you want to win or die?"

"Win! Win! Win!" All the soldiers raised their weapons high and shouted.

Lu Bu was very satisfied with the reaction of the soldiers. He smiled slightly and waved his hands at the soldiers: "Since you want to win, then work together with me. Don't think about retreat or reinforcements. It's up to us There is only one choice in front of you, to move forward! Besides moving forward, it is death!"

"The Marquis of Chu is mighty!" Zhuma stood beside Lu Bu, and Sun Ce felt very excited when he heard what he was shouting, and raised his weapon and shouted loudly.

The soldiers also followed Sun Ce, shouting loudly.

*****************************************
In the end, Lu Bu did not lead his soldiers to attack Dangshan City. He led his army up a hill, and stationed on the hillside, waiting for Cao Cao's arrival.

On the top of the mountain, the soldiers set up a tent, looking from a distance, it seemed that countless huge mushrooms bloomed on the mountain.

They had been stationed on the hillside for a day, and from the moment they settled down, the soldiers were busy preparing stones and rolling logs, planning to wait for Cao Cao to come and use these to block the way of Cao Jun's advance.

Lu Bu sat on a big rock and looked towards the direction where Cao Cao was coming.

He sent out many scouts, but so far none of them has brought him any news.

Zhuge Jin was standing behind him, also looking ahead, wondering what he was thinking.

Looking back at him, Lu Bu asked, "Ziyu followed me out this time, do you have any ideas?"

"I just think that Chuhou's thinking is peculiar, and it is really beyond the understanding of ordinary people." Zhuge Jin replied: "If I lead troops here, I will definitely take down all the cities along the way. Those city defenders will not be too big. Many, with the air force in the hands of Marquis Chu, it is almost effortless to take them down."

"After we win, we will divide our troops to garrison, and the soldiers will have hope in their hearts." Lu Bu said, "What I want this time is to cut off our retreat. After all, we are facing the mighty Cao Cao, and It’s not Yuan Shu who was already placed in the coffin. Cao Cao’s Tiger Guards have a large number of people, and one can count as ten. You also participated in the sand table meeting that day, and you should also know how stressful this battle is for us .”

"Of course I know." Zhuge Jin nodded, "For Marquis Chu, this battle can only be won but not defeated. If we lose, we will have no retreat at all. Even if we withdraw to Jianye, Cao Cao will also lead his army in pursuit."

"Cao Cao will not catch up, but I will give up a lot of things I already have." Lu Bu said: "I have invested too much in Xuzhou, and I have created many constructions that are not available in other places. If I Losing Xuzhou, no matter who gets it, it will be a great improvement in strength. But for us, it is a loss of things that have been painstakingly managed for a long time. If we want to manage those, one must have the necessary The second is to have the corresponding energy and money invested. I don't want to lose these, so I can only choose to carry on with them."

"May I ask Marquis Chu how likely we are to win this time when we intercept Cao Cao?" Zhuge Jin suddenly asked.

"Ten." Looking back at the direction Cao Cao was going to, Lu Bu said, "I know Cao Cao is very strong, and I also know that he is determined to capture Xuzhou this time. But I am also very strong, and even stronger than him. Ever since I returned to my youth that night, Cao Cao has been a dying old man to me. He is not as young as I am, as brave as I am, and not as brave as I am. The only thing he is better than me is that he has a deep foundation Some. But what is a deep foundation? A thousand-year-old tree, as long as we want to bring it down, we can also uproot it, let alone Cao Cao with a few years more roots."

From what Lu Bu said, Zhuge Jin heard that he didn't take Cao Cao seriously at all.

Zhuge Jin didn't say anything more, Lu Bu also stood up, and lightly patted his arm: "Call everyone together, let's hold a sand table meeting here, today's meeting will be presided over by you."

"I'll host it?" Zhuge Jin was taken aback: "Chuhou is here, why is it my turn to host the sand table meeting?"

"I have already issued an order that all strategies in the army are decided by the chief of staff." Lu Bu said to Zhuge Jin, "You are the chief of staff in the army. If you don't come to preside over it, is it possible that I will preside over it myself?"

Zhuge Jin was stunned and didn't know what to say.

Although he is the Chief of Staff, Lu Bu is their lord after all.

Could it be that the chief of staff has the final say on following the lord?
"Once the military order is issued, it must be carried out." Zhuge Jin was so surprised that he hadn't recovered, and Lu Bu said to him again: "Since I have issued an order and want you to be the chief of staff, you can Don't give me all kinds of excuses, the sand table meeting is convened by you and presided over by you. Including me, I have to listen to your deployment."

"I understand." Lu Bu said very decisively. Zhuge Jin knew that he was not joking, so he quickly replied: "I understand what Chuhou means. I will follow the Lord's suggestion before assigning tasks. Chuhou thinks it is feasible. I Redistribution. Marquis Chu thinks it’s not feasible, and we’ll discuss other ways to deal with it.”

"I asked you to be the chief of staff to let you think of ways to defeat the enemy, but you and I come to these official flattery." Lu Bu smiled and said to Zhuge Jin: "But you are right, if I If you think it’s not feasible, you still insist on going your own way, and if something goes wrong, you will be held accountable.”

"Marquis Chu, please enter the account first, and I will call the generals right away." Zhuge Jin sent Lu Bu into the tent before inviting the generals in person.

(End of this chapter)