The Three Kingdoms: The Cold Gate World

Chapter 213
After the battle, clean up the battlefield and count the casualties.

The Taiping Army won a complete victory, killing nearly [-] enemies. On average, every soldier who went to battle killed three enemies.

Although a surprise attack can be used tactically, the results are too jaw-dropping.

Yan Yan was the one who got the result immediately, and he came to the hall with a happy face to report to Gan Ning and Pang Tong.

"Hahahaha, military advisor, General Gan, Cao Jun was defeated in the first battle. It seems that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are no different. It is a fantasy for them to enter Guanzhong."

Yan Yan laughed and sat down. The tea on the table was already cold, but he didn't care.

Pang Tong and Gan Ning, who were sitting aside, lowered their heads as if they were preoccupied, looking thoughtful.

Yan Yan was in high spirits, but he didn't get any response. Monk Zhang Er couldn't figure it out, his eyes flicked back and forth between Gan Ning and Pang Tong, and he asked suspiciously, "Why are the military advisers and generals not happy but worried?"

Pang Tong and Gan Ning raised their heads at the same time, and they looked at each other. Pang Tong asked first, "General Gan, please explain the whole process of the battle in detail, without missing anything."

Gan Ning recalled it first, and then told it in a wordless manner, and then, Yan Yan also detailed what he saw and knew about the battle situation.

After hearing this, Pang Tong closed his eyes and sighed, stood up from his seat silently, and walked out the door.

After an hour, Pang Tong returned to the hall.

Gan Ning felt that Cao Jun's defeat was strange.

It wasn't that Cao Jun's defeat seemed to have been arranged, but that Cao Jun didn't seem to have the slightest ability to resist.

They killed nearly [-] enemies, and those were nearly [-] corpses.

There is no doubt that this cannot be faked.

Gan Ning had a bold guess, but he didn't dare to say it because it was too ridiculous.

Yan Yan Nao didn't know what the situation was now, they had won the battle, and it was a big victory, why did Gan Ning and Pang Tong seem unhappy instead?
The answer was not revealed until Pang Tong returned.

"Cao thief is really cunning. He really wants to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight!"

After Pang Tong returned, the first sentence he knelt down was this exclamation.

Hearing what Pang Tong said, Yan Yan didn't know why, but Gan Ning somewhat confirmed his guess, and asked tentatively: "What the military master said, could it be that Cao Cao deliberately sent the fifty thousand troops to die?"

Gan Ning's thinking was like this, if Cao Cao didn't intentionally let the [-] troops die, then there is no reason why they would win so easily and unbelievably.

Pang Tong said with a wry smile: "Yes and no."

Victory in the battle was expected, but nearly [-] enemies were killed, and the Xiahou brothers fled for their lives and retreated directly, which was a bit beyond Pang Tong's expectations.

According to Pang Tong's vision, it is already an unbelievable result to kill nearly [-] enemies by robbing the camp. If Cao's army is weaker, it is reasonable to expand the result to [-].

But now that he got an exaggerated number of kills, Pang Tong was not happy but surprised.

There must be a demon in everything that happens.

"Can the military advisor help me? Why is it, and why is it not?"

Gan Ning looked down on literati when he was young, but later, under the influence of Guo Jia, he was in awe of literati and wise men from the bottom of his heart.

Because warriors kill with swords, literati kill with heart.

Scholars should never be underestimated, they are ruthless, and they are absolutely impossible to guard against.

Pang Tong packed up his lost mood, and said lightly: "Just now I went to check it out. Most of Cao's soldiers who died in battle were elderly or skinny people. If I guessed correctly, these [-] Cao soldiers, It is definitely not the regular army under Cao Cao's command, but the old, weak, sick and disabled army that Cao Cao temporarily recruited."

Gan Ning heaved a sigh of relief, while Yan Yan was dumbfounded, and asked nonchalantly, "Cao Cao sent such an army to fight? Isn't this asking for death?"

Pang Tong shook his head slightly, and then said: "I'm afraid Cao Cao didn't expect our army to dare to come out of the city to fight. After all, he has 20 soldiers and horses coming to the pass, Wuguan has only [-] defenders, and Yuan Shao has [-] at Hangu Pass. When soldiers and horses knocked at the pass, Cao Cao thought that my lord would stick to Hangu Pass with all his strength, and here at Wuguan, as long as the defenders don't drop to less than [-], they can stick to it."

Gan Ning let out a long sigh, and the joy of victory was swept away.

What won was not Cao Jun's regular army, but a miscellaneous army of old, weak, sick, and disabled. It can't even be described as an army, it's just the weak among ordinary people wearing armor.

"Cao thief encouraged Yuan Shao to attack Guanzhong. He sent [-] troops. I am afraid that Yuan Shao deliberately asked for it. Otherwise, Cao Cao would not be able to recruit such a forceless army to paralyze Yuan Shao. This time, Cao Cao won, regardless of Guanzhong's victory. No matter how defeated, the strength of the lord and Yuan Shao has either been greatly reduced, or the pace of prosperity has been delayed. However, Cao Cao only used such a mixed army of [-] in exchange for several years or even more long-term benefits. Cao Cao is worthy of being a hero in the world."

Pang Tong couldn't help but sigh.

Today's battle, he has a lot of emotion.

He thought he had figured out the motives and intentions of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, but he didn't expect that there was still a gap.

Cao Cao had even more troops a few years ago than he has now with [-] troops.

At that time, when the Qingzhou Army was surrendered, Cao Cao had more than 20 soldiers and horses, and even approached [-].

But Cao Cao had to reluctantly reduce his army at that time, because he could not support so many troops.

Later, when Yuzhou was taken down and the farmland was implemented, he was able to securely support [-] troops.

For Cao Cao, recruiting soldiers is not a problem, the problem is whether they can afford to support them.

Therefore, it is easy for Cao Cao to recruit soldiers, and it is even easier to recruit a group of old, weak and disabled soldiers.

The intention is very obvious. If young and strong men are recruited as soldiers, they must be turned into a new army. You can recruit old, weak and disabled soldiers. It is impossible for Cao Cao to spend money and food to support them and equip them.

There is only one purpose, to use the [-] miscellaneous troops to paralyze Yuan Shao, and at the same time to station troops in the east of Wuguan. Cao Cao's strategic instructions to the Xiahou brothers are to confront each other and build momentum without attacking the city.

As long as troops are stationed here, Wuguan can be deterred.

If Gan Ning and Yan Yan hadn't led the army to rob the camp at night, and Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan had built a solid wall and built defensive measures, I am afraid that outsiders would not know the reality of Cao Ying at all.

Pang Tong suddenly realized now: he still underestimated the heroes of the world.

Cao Cao can take risks, but Cao Cao set up the battle in Guanzhong, so how could he put himself in danger?
If [-] soldiers and horses were transferred from Xuchang, how could Xuchang, which only had [-] soldiers and horses left, be able to defend against the joint attack of Lu Bu and Yuan Shu?

Yuan Shu and Lu Bu are both capricious and mercenary villains. Will Cao Cao really give them an opportunity?

Pang Tong, who was belatedly aware of this, secretly blamed himself. If he could have thought of this, he would definitely not send an urgent report to Guo Jia asking for reinforcements.

Looking at it now, it was a coincidence that Cao Cao must have not suffered any injuries in this victory, but the soldiers of the Taiping Army suffered from running around.

"Military division, how do you think Cao Cao and Yuan Shao will respond next? Is Wuguan still in danger?"

Gan Ning didn't know Pang Tong's inner monologue, and even if he knew it, he didn't take it to heart. Looking at the overall situation, his personal feelings were insignificant. No matter what Cao Cao's original intention was, the next strategy is the key point.

Let the past be the past, the present and the future are matters of life and death.

Pang Tong was shocked, and after pondering for a moment, he still said uncertainly: "Cao's army defeated Wuguan. When Yuan Shao learned about it, he either reprimanded Cao for his ineffective operations. In order to prevent Yuan Shao from withdrawing his troops in a rage, Cao Cao either turned to Yuan Shao to fight. Wuguan, or regroup and return to Wuguan, no matter what, Wuguan will face a truly powerful enemy next."

Pang Tong's words were just speculation, if Cao Cao were here, he would definitely scoff.

Cao Cao must have said to Pang Tong: You don't understand Yuan Benchu ​​at all!
When Yuan Shao's soldiers came to Luoyang, when he sent Zhang Jai and Chunyu Qiong's soldiers to attack Hangu Pass, the battle between Yuan Shao and Guanzhong was inevitable.

Cao Jun's defeat at Wuguan only gave Yuan Shao a chance to ridicule Cao Cao, but it did not make Yuan Shao have the idea of ​​​​withdrawing the army at all.

Because Cao Cao is not the one who can control the overall situation, Yuan Shao thinks he is.

Cao Cao's defeat has nothing to do with the overall situation.

"Since that's the case, let's send an urgent report to the lord, and ask the lord to determine the next move of Jinfan Army."

Gan Ning said in a dejected manner.

Yan Yan's [-] troops will be stationed in Wuguan no matter what, and now only Gan Ning's Jinfan Army is mobilized in Wuguan.

Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan withdrew their troops in embarrassment. They brought their personal guards to Luoyang to meet Cao Cao in person and plead guilty.

Cao Cao sat on the main seat without anger and prestige, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, while Xun You and Cheng Yu knelt on both sides of the hall and remained silent.

Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan tied themselves tightly, knelt in front of Cao Cao, bowed their heads in silence, feeling ashamed.

"Okay, okay, good defeat. Hehehehe, Miaocai, Yuan Rang, you have made another contribution."

Cao Cao laughed without warning.

Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan opened their eyes wide, looking at Cao Cao who was laughing in amazement.

"My lord, if my lord is concerned about past affection, there is no need to be like this. The last general is the general of the defeated army, and I will let my lord deal with it according to the military law."

Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan thought that Cao Cao couldn't bear to punish them.

They have followed Cao Cao since he was young, and Xia Houyuan even helped Cao Cao to be punished for his crimes.

Cao Cao tilted his body, sat lazily on one side, closed his eyes, stroked his beard with one hand, and said inscrutablely, "My soldiers and horses were defeated at Wuguan, what do you think Yuan Shao will do?"

Brother Xiahou was dazed by Cao Cao's abnormal performance, and couldn't figure out what Cao Cao was thinking at this moment.

Cheng Yu has followed Cao Cao for many years, and now he can guess what Cao Cao is thinking, but he doesn't point it out, just laughs without saying a word.

"Master? What does this have to do with Yuan Shao?"

Xia Houyuan asked in a daze.

Cao Cao laughed loudly, leaned forward, stared at the Xiahou brothers, looked at their bewildered looks, and said loudly: "Yuan Benchu ​​will use this opportunity to prove that he is better at fighting than me! Wonderful, Yuan Let, you help me dig Yuan Benchu's grave again!"

(End of this chapter)