Three Kingdoms.

Chapter 3437 The gentleman under the wall

What kind of system determines what kind of combat effectiveness.

This is not a new argument only found in later generations, but a truth that has been demonstrated time and time again in practice in ancient times, even in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

In ancient times, divine power and royal power coexisted. During the Shang Dynasty, the competition between divine power and royal power became fierce. Neither the king of Shang nor the king of Zhou was willing to let the divine authority usurp the royal power, but they adopted different strategies. The King of Zhou learned the lessons from the King of Shang and did not directly conflict with them. Instead, he spread the method of divination, namely the Book of Changes, to the people, dispelling the mystery of witchcraft.

After breaking the shackles of witches, the Zhou Dynasty exploded with productivity and adopted a new system that allowed the Zhou Dynasty to last for eight hundred years.

The Han Dynasty broke the shackles of the old nobles and gave the Han Dynasty a life span of three to four hundred years.

Most people in Shandong are scholars, so it is impossible for them not to understand this. They may not understand the definition of class, but they can experience these changes.

But when it was their turn to do it themselves, they still liked to put shackles on others, and they began to become class-like.

The system of Cao's army also determines the combat effectiveness of Cao's army.

The core force of Cao's army was composed of veterans of hundreds of battles recruited in the early stage and Qingzhou soldiers gathered in the early and mid-term.

These Qingzhou soldiers did have a certain advantage against the soldiers of the princes in other areas of the Central Plains.

This advantage, to some extent, is also brought about by the system.

The princes in other places will not allow the "yellow scarf thieves" to survive.

There are many reasons why Yuan Shu initially surrendered to the people, but later rebelled against him. One of them was that the village elders in Runan were dissatisfied with Yuan Shu's association with the Yellow Turban bandits in Runan. Even though Yuan Shu said Just eating fast food now and then won’t do either.

This attitude can be seen from the fact that after the Yellow Turbans were wiped out, the whole world praised Huangfu for his rightful killing and his rightful killing.

Yanzhou's rebellion against Cao Cao was not only because Cao Cao refused to give him a position, but also because Cao Cao dared to negotiate peace with Qingzhou.

At the same time, part of Shandong's malice towards Guanzhong is due to the fact that Fei Qian has gathered a large number of "thieves" under his command, even more than Cao Cao!

Xiliang thieves, Baibo thieves, Heishan thieves...

Therefore, Fei Qian is a thief chieftain, which is almost what people in Shandong believe.

Previously, Cao Cao's troops swept across the Central Plains, defeated the two Yuan Dynasties, invaded Qingzhou, Xuzhou and Jingzhou, incorporated soldiers from other princes, and reorganized many troops. Although these troops have many elite soldiers, relatively speaking, they do not get along well with the core of Cao's army. At the same time, these earlier Qingzhou soldiers also caused Cao Cao a big headache, and they repeatedly robbed and caused trouble in the countryside.

Therefore, it is obvious that Cao Jun's system has problems, but a problematic system will only expose its shortcomings when there is certain external pressure. Just like the problems exposed by Cao Jun at Suoyang Pass now, Cao Hong suffered a big loss.

Is it because Cao Jun's equipment is in disarray?

Not really.

Is it that the old and the weak are more numerous than the strong and strong?

Neither.

But when it comes to confronting the hussars, they just don't have firm confidence and will.

When you have the upper hand, you fight smoothly, but when you are at a disadvantage, you fight harder and harder.

Cao Cao himself knew these issues very well.

However, it is of little use to him alone.

In his early days, like Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, Cao Cao rose to power with the help of aristocratic families and local power, so it was impossible to completely get rid of the imprint of powerful aristocratic families. In this regard, he may have been influenced by Yuan Shao and followed Yuan Shao's old path. By the time Cao Cao himself discovered that something was wrong, it was already difficult to change.

Unless the flesh is cut and blood is exchanged...

Before the layout and planning, Cao Cao was worried about gains and losses, but after it was implemented, Cao Cao no longer tossed and turned. His heroic nature was reflected. He acted in accordance with the planned plan and looked at the **** chaos he had caused with his own hands, without any regrets in his heart. Compassion is soft.

Cao Cao wanted to reform the system very early.

Xun Yu always disagreed.

Cao Cao's emotions towards Xun Yu were very complicated, so in the end, Cao Cao still didn't break his face.

But now, Xun Yu could no longer shirk it.

The order and system of the Han Dynasty that Xun Yu hoped to restore are gone forever.

So this time, Xun Yu was forced to agree to the restructuring. But just because the Xun family in Yingchuan did not mean that the Central Plains gentry also agreed to the change and agreed to cut their flesh and blood.

unless…

Does it hurt to cut off flesh and exchange blood?

Nowadays, Cao Cao feels heartbroken almost whenever he thinks of the deaths and injuries of his brothers and clan members in the war. However, on the surface, he is still calm. In addition to receiving reports from various places and reviewing them carefully every day, he also arranges evacuation matters and transfers personnel. When he went to sleep after finishing his work every night, even though countless people died every day because of him, Cao Cao didn't even have a nightmare.

Cao Cao is already moving as much as possible in everything now.

But there are still surprises popping up...

"Zi Lian went to Suoyang Pass?" ! ” Cao Cao frowned, thought for a moment, then slammed the table, “Confused! Come on, please pass quickly..."

Halfway through his words, Cao Cao stopped.

When the messenger arrived outside the tent, he didn't hear the second half of the sentence. He couldn't help but moved his feet in embarrassment, lowering his head and not daring to look at Cao Cao.

"Lege Wenqian is ordered to march to Yusaka Road immediately!" Be sure to stop the Hussars from leaving Heluo! 』

…

…

If Cao Hong knew the plan he had made, but it ultimately led to an accelerated slide into the abyss of failure, would he still struggle?

The answer is, it still will.

It's like a person falling into a swamp. Although they know that the more they struggle and the harder they move, the more likely they are to fall deeper and sink, but there will still be people desperately grabbing and fishing, trying to catch the last bit. Straw.

Suoyang Pass was like the straw in Cao Hong's hand. He grabbed it, but it was so light that he couldn't bear the strength at all.

In the south, Xu Chu attacked fiercely, and in the north, Zeng and others were wreaking havoc. It was like there was a tiger at the front door, a wolf at the back door, and a cliff outside the window...

The morale of Cao Jun was visibly collapsing.

"General!" Come up with an idea! 』

the military academy urged.

"General!" I can't stay here any longer! 』

The guards were also shouting eagerly.

Whether it means making up your mind or not being able to wait, it actually means the same thing.

retreat.

As the saying goes, the sky is brighter when you take a step back, and it can also be said that a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. Anyway, you can say it.

But Cao Hong knows better than anyone what retreat means!

Once retreating, it is not too difficult. As long as Cao Hong immediately turns around and mobilizes the troops from the south to kill Changchun and others, he will definitely be able to either kill Changchun and others at the North Pass, or they will be forced to do so. Flee again and make way for the North Pass. So Cao Hong could go straight to Heluo along the Beidaokou.

But then...

Cao Hong will probably survive, but he will leave too many things behind.

The first is to lead the move.

Qian Zhao led the troops to come to the rescue in a hurry, but Cao Hong escaped first to show respect?

This is not just a moral issue, but represents the complete collapse of Cao Jun's credit system!

Although I don’t have much credit anymore…

But you always have to have a pair of underwear, not just a headscarf or socks. Anyway, with a little covering, you can calmly show that you are not naked. At least you can wear one, right?

But if we don't retreat, the south will have to resist Xu Chu, and the north will have to divide its troops to wipe out the traitors. Now that the morale of Cao's soldiers has collapsed, can they really complete the task of fighting on both sides?

Cao Hong thought it was possible before, but now he finds it difficult.

"General!" ” Cao Hong’s trusted guard fell to the ground and said, “Xiao Ke has been kind to the general for many years, but he has nothing to repay... This matter is urgent, and Xiao Ke is willing to defend Suoyang Pass on behalf of the general!” It is difficult to walk from the north to the south. You can follow the remaining path on the rock wall and rappel down the mountain! 』

Let the substitute stabilize the morale of the army, and then walk on the rocky wall by yourself? Although the remaining path on the rock wall has been demolished and burned before, it only requires a rope to climb down from the top, which is far easier than climbing up from below.

This is indeed a solution. Because the confidant has been with Cao Hong for many years, he is familiar with Cao Hong's habits and so on. Putting on the armor and mask, it is difficult for people who are not familiar with Cao Hong to tell whether he is the real person or the substitute.

Just like Cao Cao's previous substitute.

Cao Hong was stunned for a moment, then immediately supported his confidant, "How can I bear to let you take risks?" 』

"General, the hussars are attacking from both sides. The general's morale is in chaos. If the general's flag rarely changes, the whole army will collapse!" The little ones who have received the kindness of the general can borrow the general's armor to stabilize the morale of the army! ” The confidant guard said sincerely, “To get the best of both worlds, the only way is to stabilize the whole army here, and quickly rush down the rock wall to the Zhongtiao Mountain camp, and then send troops to help, otherwise it will really happen. Being flanked by the Hussars from the north and south, and trapping the Lord here, not only his personal safety was in danger, but also the Nakajo Camp was in danger! As the saying goes, a gentleman does not stand behind a dangerous wall, so please, general, think twice! 』

"This..." Cao Hong hesitated.

The confidant kowtowed again, "General!" Don’t hesitate any longer and make a decision quickly! I don’t ask for anything else, I just ask the general to take care of my wife and children! 』

That's right, the condition for dying for someone else is to entrust your wife and children to the care of the other person.

This may seem unbelievable in later generations, but it is very common among the Han people now.

In later generations, most common people have names, but in the Han Dynasty, most ordinary people don't even have first names, only nicknames, and they don't even have surnames!

Because their ancestors had no celebrities or high-ranking officials, they did not deserve surnames.

Therefore, in the minds of some people in the Han Dynasty, sacrificing yourself in order for your children to have a name and a brighter future is undoubtedly the right thing for parents to do for their children and family.

Cao Hong was silent for a long time, and finally looked up to the sky and sighed, "Don't worry, your wife, I will take care of her!" 』

The confidant guards kowtowed deeply.

…

…

Compared with Cao Hong's hesitation and concerns, Xu Chu seemed much more determined.

When he was in Anyi, Cao Hong had tricked him. Although Xu Chu later returned Cao Hong's sword, he finally let Cao Hong run away. Now that Cao Hong was blocked at Suoyang Pass, Xu Chu did not give up easily. reason.

At the beginning, Xu Chu's main attack direction was the door passage of Suoyang Pass.

On the city gate passage, Xu Chu also met Cao Jun's military academy who dared to challenge him.

In the land of Shandong, among Cao's troops, there were also many brave and burly men. There was a military academy called Cao Army, which was just like this. He relied on his size to be bigger than Xu Chu, so he tried to challenge Xu Chu in a one-on-one fight.

This man may have been a good fighter under Cao Hong, but when he faced Xu Chu, he couldn't withstand Xu Chu for a few rounds and was killed by Xu Chu's sword.

The soldiers of Cao's army who came with this tough man made an uproar, turned around and ran away.

Being big does have some advantages at certain times, but it also requires the coordination of combat skills.

Xu Chu's offense also requires skill.

At first, Xu Chu and others wanted to follow Cao Jun, cover up Cao Jun, and rush forward. However, they encountered fierce shooting from Cao Jun near the mountain gate. Even with shields, many hussars were wounded by rounds of arrows and crossbows.

Seeing this, Xu Chu could only temporarily withdraw from Cao Jun's range.

Although Xu Chu could also infer that Cao Jun's arrows were running out, using human lives to try them bit by bit was not an option. Xu Chu looked around, and immediately changed the direction of the attack, avoiding the shooting range of Cao Jun's archers above the city gate hole, and chose to build a human ladder to climb up the earth wall connected to the outer wall of Suoyang Pass...

Coincidentally, this was also the route Cao Jun took to capture Suoyang Pass.

When Xu Chu chose a multi-line attack, Cao Jun couldn't stand it, just like he had never been able to withstand Cao Jun's multi-line attack before. Suoyang Pass is small, and the overall defense structure belongs to the model of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It is simply unable to adapt to the new war model that has evolved a lot. Both Cao Hong and Cao Hong can only work **** software, but there are no limitations on hardware. No matter what, I can't break through.

Cao's army's outermost defense quickly collapsed, and swarms of swarms retreated to the second layer of defense.

Perhaps because the defense area of ​​the inner circle was smaller, the density of Cao's army increased, or perhaps the soldiers of Cao's army saw Cao Hong still standing with a sword at a high place, so the two sides entered a brief stalemate stage.

"Follow me!" 』

Xu Chu, who had retreated slightly to rest, saw that the advance of the battle line was blocked, so he immediately picked up the sword again and led his men to break forward.

In this current situation, whoever breaks through first will be able to snowball and gain an advantage!

The stalemate between the two sides was actually on a small slope.

Cao Jun occupied the upper end of the slope. Due to the advantage of the height difference, when the hussars attacked upward, the vital parts of the head and face would be directly exposed to the attack range of Cao Jun. However, Cao Jun just had to guard against being attacked by the hussars. Just cut off the legs and feet.

"Why not use grenades?" 』

Xu Chu rushed to the front line and asked.

In a stalemate like this, most people used to fight with shield soldiers, but now there is an additional option.

"We're almost out of grenades!" There aren’t many left! Leave it to the general...just in case..."

The military academy answered hesitantly.

If we really need to retreat, it would be good to have a few more grenades to clear the way for Xu Chu.

The military academy means well.

Grenades, like arrows, are consumables, and the number of grenades is even smaller than arrows.

Previously, the Hussars used grenades to blow up Cao Jun's infantry line and defeat Cao Hong's arrangement. However, they also consumed 7788 of the grenades they carried. They used another batch when they broke through the outer wall of Suoyang Pass. There are basically few left now.

"Confused!" Use it first! I am important, but the soldiers are not important? ! 』

Xu Chu made a decision quickly.

The military academy responded, but still didn't use them all, so they secretly saved two.

The grenade was thrown up, and Cao's army array on the **** was in chaos.

Xu Chu took this opportunity to cut out a small clearing with his sword.

When we first climbed up the slope, with a small number of enemies and a large number, the most important thing was to stabilize the line and let our soldiers follow behind.

Although Cao Jun was guarding the slope, how could they stop Xu Chu?

More hussars came forward.

The soldiers of Cao's army were all veterans. Even if their morale was low, they still had the instinct to fight, and the layout was not bad. A group of Cao soldiers came from the other side, all holding spears, and they were poking at Xu Chu and others. Behind this group of Cao soldiers, there were several archers, staring at Xu Chu with a round of arrows. greet.

At this time, Xu Chu's ability was revealed.

But Xu Chu had already picked up his shield and stood in front of him.

If it were during the climbing process, it would indeed be difficult to block, but now that it has climbed up, it is naturally different. In addition, Xu Chu's shield skills are considered to be at the master level. The thick shield in his hands can operate flexibly and easily, and he constantly changes the angle according to the direction of Cao Jun's attack. Not only does he cover himself tightly, but he can also take care of those around him. comrades.

Cao Hong and other soldiers of Cao's army believed that the hussars were powerful on horseback, and if they dismounted, their combat effectiveness would be reduced. This may be true for ordinary hussars, but it is an exception for Xu Chu.

Xu Chu originally took the route of fighting on foot, learning riding skills and fighting from the cavalry general Fei Qiancai, but what he was better at was fighting on foot!

This time Cao Jun retreated to Suoyang Pass, thinking that he could weaken the combat effectiveness of the Hussars, but unexpectedly gave Xu Chu a full stage to show off!

In addition, the pass of Suoyang Pass has been beaten back and forth several times. Even the insidious fortifications and killing methods that were originally there have been basically destroyed. Now the two sides are competing to see who is more brave. , whoever is tougher and has stronger hand-to-hand combat skills will be able to take more advantage after the two armies collide.

When two armies meet, the brave one wins.

Xu Chu's bravery in foot combat was naturally near-class, and Cao's army simply couldn't resist him!

Ordinary people might be faced with the array of Cao's soldiers, and they would be in a hurry, focusing on one thing and the other, but Xu Chu only needs to glance at it to know which side he should move to, which side to dodge, block that part of the sword and spear, and then let the other part The sword and gun failed.

Xu Chu also noticed the figure of Cao Hong above Suoyang Pass. He seemed to be still standing on a high place, directing the battle. This is also an important factor why these Cao Jun soldiers are still resisting and persisting.

What kind of trap did Cao Jun set up above?

However, the structure of this Suoyang Pass is simple, and it is almost clear at a glance. No matter what Cao Jun's actions, what traps there are, or what Cao Hong's plans are, as long as he rushes straight into the center and kills him, all major events will be settled!

Xu Chu believed that Cao Hong might have seen the reinforcements coming, and might have used them to entangle him. When his back collapsed and had to retreat, he would then pursue and outflank them.

For this reason, Cao Hong did not hesitate to use his body as bait!

In this case, Xu Chu was going to swallow the bait directly!

As long as Cao Hong is killed, not to mention Cao's army at Suoyang Pass will collapse, even Zhongtiao Mountain can be overthrown!