The surrounding area of ​​Jingxiang was originally rich and the cities were continuous, and the army could rely on the cities. However, Cao Cao moved the people of Jingzhou to the north and made the entire Jingbei into a few people, thus forcibly limiting the route of Jingzhou's invasion to the north to the river.
This approach is undoubtedly correct. If it weren't for this, just using the ability of Leijin and Mai Chong, I'm afraid that he might not be able to fight Guan Yu for a long time without any distinction.
But any plan must have advantages and disadvantages. Jingxiang is so deserted that when Cao Cao wanted to dispatch a huge amount of troops to move south, supply and garrison were also troublesome.
Cao Cao led his troops south from Wancheng, Nanyang. In the first few days, the army was able to rely on the management of the Nanyang Diannong Commander in Jiyang, Jingyang and other places. However, after entering the scope of Xinye County, it was desolate and dilapidated. Because of the flood, human and animal corpses were piled up in many places, which was terrible, and many well water could not be drunk due to the soaking of corpses.
Because the coalition forces in Jingzhou and Jiaozhou were approaching Jingxiang and were so powerful that they were very powerful, from north of Fancheng to Yexian and Kunyang, many cities were in martial law. At this time, even if the army passed by the city, important figures in the army had to switch defense areas and re-organize them. Various operations were very troublesome.
Therefore, when the army was discussing a few days ago, Cao Cao and his staff and generals had already agreed that the army would not enter the city to station further south, so they simply approached the Han River along the east bank of the Qingshui River, first echoing Cao Xiu's troops in Lumen Mountain.
On the north of Lumen Mountain, there is a dense distribution of Qingshui tributaries. On that day, Cao's army planned to take the initiative to attack the enemy's troops, so camps were set up on the dams and ports on the tributaries, and thousands of people were placed in each camp. It was prepared to dig the dike and release water together at the critical moment.
Who knew that human calculations were not as good as heaven's calculations. Before the King of Wei decided to take action, suddenly heavy rain fell in the sky. Han River, Bishui, Pure Water, Tuo Water, Bun Water and other rivers all surged overnight. The water broke through the embankment along the way and poured downstream. In this way, the Cao army soldiers arranged on the embankment were in great danger and most of them were lost to the flood. Even their camps were destroyed.
When Cao Cao discussed with his subordinates, he did not decide to set off immediately. Therefore, Liu Ye only sent someone to send a message to Cao Xiu, asking him to rectify various camps and prepare to accept the army of the King of Wei. In addition, he had to defend both sides of the east and west to ensure that the scattered forces of the Jiaozhou Army were expelled from afar, so as not to disturb the King of Wei and the nobles in the army.
Unexpectedly, when the King of Wei heard that Guan Yu was still there, he suddenly made up his mind to go south overnight?
This way, the preparations made in the early stage are not enough.
Liu Ye was anxious, his expression remained unchanged, and he bowed and said, "As long as the king's order, I will make arrangements now."
After leaving the central army tent, he immediately summoned his subordinates to prepare various plans for marching and fighting. He also sent a capable subordinate to take the fast ship south immediately without having to inform Cao Xiu. He directly urged the camps along the Bengshui to prepare and choose a suitable location for the army to station.
This person is a native of Nanyang, who is about twenty years old and has a good appearance. This person was originally a minor official in the county. When the King of Wei was in Nanyang a few years ago, Zhoutai was a village director, so he was valued by Liu Ye and was brought to his subordinate. It was precisely because he was born in Nanyang and was familiar with the surrounding terrain that he was suitable for Liu Ye to communicate.
Zhoutai received the order and immediately led his horse to travel, picked up the clutch again, and set off overnight.
Not far from the camp gate, suddenly his companion turned around and pointed at the camp and said, "Entertain, look!"
Everyone looked up and saw that under the deep night, the lights in the camp were lit one after another, and the horses were mobilized again and again. After closer inspection, they could see that under the fire, soldiers wearing pure black iron armor and fine iron poles were lined up. With their neat steps, their bodies were undulating like waves.
Zhou Tai quickly said to the boatman: "The King of Wei is ordering troops, we must do it as soon as possible!"
That night, the boat was straight along the river. The boatman didn't sleep all night, and Zhoutai and several companions also took turns rowing. The next morning, the group arrived at the mouth of the Bangshui River.
Looking east from here, I saw the Han River, the clear water was vast and there was a small hill standing by the water, which was Deng Se, occupied by Guan Yu.
After the flood, countless trees, mud, and even corpses washed down from the water above the water were piled up at the intersection of the two waters, forming a natural mudflat. The mudflat was cut into dozens of strands by wood and stone, and flowed through the middle of the mudflat.
When they arrived here, the ships were no longer accessible. Zhoutai and others abandoned their boats and landed on the shore and went upstream along the river, intending to seize the time to investigate whether several camps along the Bangshui River were available.
Ce Qi ran not far away and ran into a team of soldiers picking up firewood.
Zhou Tai shouted, "Which department are you soldiers? Where are your bosses?"
Seeing that Zhou Tai and others were so arrogant, the soldiers did not dare to neglect them. They knelt down and reported, "We are the subordinates of Liu Yan Fan Dubo."
Zhou Tai frowned: "Brother Fan Du? Who is this?"
He is Liu Ye's subordinate, and he can read military bamboo slips in daily life. After thinking about it, he asked again: "Isn't the guards of Liuyan Lao Xuan?"
The soldiers quickly explained.
It turned out that when the flood came, the Cao army camp near the Bingshui was washed away countless times, and many soldiers became wandering souls in the water. At that time, General Lao Xuan of Ji Liuyan was not in the water, and he didn't know where the corpse had gone.
Fortunately, Lao Xuan's subordinate, Du Bo named Fan Deng, was very smart and capable. He led his subordinates to try his best to maintain the situation and fill the gap in the embankment. He actually saved the camp in the flood. Later, he successively collected many soldiers washed down from the upstream and restored the scale of the camp in the Juliuyan.
After hearing the soldiers say this, Zhou Tai suddenly became interested: "Let me lead the way quickly and take me to the Jiliuyan to take a look."
Fan Deng is naturally Deng Fan.
Among the Jingzhou Army and the Jiaozhou Army, there were too many warriors from Jingxiang, and some of them were not ordinary reckless men, but wise and brave. Such people were naturally suitable to hide their identities and infiltrate the Cao army to use their strange plans.
In the Jingzhou army, Liao Hua had done this and took Xiangyang with it. But Liao Hua probably never expected that Captain Deng in the Jiaozhou army would act earlier than him, have deeper means of beating down, and have a bigger appetite than him, which is so big that it is unimaginable.
Deng Fan has been working as a Du Bo on Liuyan for more than a month. He became more and more familiar with him and became more and more enjoyable.
And these Cao's soldiers who met Zhoutai were indeed true.
After the flood that day, Ren Hui, Jiang Li and other troops took the order to withdraw and participated in the besieging Cao's army around Lumen Mountain. It was useless to resist Liuyan's estimation, so Deng Fan should have left.
But after thinking hard for a night, Deng Fan wrote a letter and asked Ren Hui to bring it to Lei Yuan. He took more than 20 subordinates carefully selected by the headquarters to stay in the same place, saying that this place may have unpredictable uses in the future.
Deng Fan is a rookie in the army whom Lei Yuan has been very trusting in recent years. Although Ren Hui's position is higher than that of him, it is difficult to force him. He also knows that this young man has many ideas and has to lead his troops.
Deng Fan started Du Bo here as if he was a decent person.
When he was a young man, he was a subordinate of the Diannong Commander of Runan. He was familiar with the routines of Cao's prefectures and counties. Later, he interrogated Cao's army who was refusing Liuyan. He also obtained several Cao's army's talismans from the commander Cao Xiu's tent and sued him for documents.
At this moment, the Cao army was in chaos after the flood, and countless camps collapsed. Even if Deng Fan blew harder, no one would have the heart to ask, let alone he was just a little Du uncle?
Deng Fan slowly gathered his men on the Liuyan and became a Dumai Cao army like a decent man. No one expected that he had another identity. Just the day before yesterday, Cao Xiu sent his subordinates to patrol the surrounding area, urging local Jiaozhou troops to invade, and also praised the Dumai Fan.
As a result, Fan Dubo became more and more popular with his subordinates. The Cao army soldiers led Zhoutai to Jiliuyan. Along the way, they bragged about Fan Dubo's deeds of rescuing his comrades in the flood.
Chapter completed!