In mid-April of the sixth year of Jian'an, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, the armies of Cao and Yuan met in Cangting.
Yuan Shao has about 70,000 troops, while Cao Cao only has 50,000 troops. Judging from the number of troops, Cao and Yuan Shao have 20,000 fewer troops.
There is no numerical advantage, but in terms of combat effectiveness, both sides are about the same.
In front of the confrontation between the two armies, no one dared to attack first.
After the last disastrous defeat in Guandu, Yuan Shao learned his lesson this time.
If Cao Cao doesn't move, he won't move. If Cao Cao moves, he will move again.
In the tent behind the battle, Cao Cao looked at the terrain map calmly. Beside him, Ma Xiaoquan, the Master of Shangxian, was leisurely holding a cup of tea and sipping it. On the other side, Guo Jia closed his eyes and seemed to be thinking.
matter.
"Lord Immortal, Yuan Shao has 20,000 more troops than I do. Do you think it's okay to fight?"
Ma Xiaoquan took a sip of tea and said, "Xiao Cao, you mean you want to have a decisive battle with Yuan Shao?"
Cao Cao nodded: "That's what I meant. Not long after Yuan Shao established his army, although he has 70,000 soldiers, how can he be the opponent of my 50,000 elite soldiers?"
Ma Xiaoquan said: "Xiao Cao, even if you win, think about how much you can have left?"
Guo Jia opened his eyes and continued: "My lord, even if our army defeats Yuan Shao, it will definitely be a lose-lose situation for both sides. If Liu Biao and others from Jingzhou suddenly attack at that time, wouldn't we be able to capture him without help?"
Cao Cao nodded: "Master Shangxian, Fengxiao, what do you mean?"
Ma Xiaoquan winked at Guo Jia and asked him to speak.
Guo Jia understood and continued: "Isn't Yuan Shao cautious at every step and not taking the initiative? Then we will lure him out..."
After listening to Guo Jia's strategy, Cao Cao made some improvements and summoned Xu Chu into the tent. After giving several orders, Xu Chu came out.
After receiving the order from his lord, Xu Chu came to Yuan Shao's camp with a long halberd and cursed him.
Although Xu Chu was known as the "tiger idiot", his ability to curse people was not crazy at all. After a few words, Yuan Shao couldn't sit still in the tent.
What Yuan Shao hated most was for others to mention his birth, but Xu Chu just "played into his own favour" and chose Yuan Shao's birth to criticize.
From the time Yuan Shao was born to his younger wife, he continued to scold his three sons. In the end, even the dead Yuan Shu and Xu Chu were compared with Yuan Shao.
...
"Isn't this reasonable?" Yuan Shang couldn't help it and asked Yuan Shao for a tassel, "Father, let me go out and have a party with Xu Chu!"
After Yuan Shang finished speaking, he put on his armor and helmet and rushed out.
Yuan Shao shouted: "Stop!"
Yuan Shang was furious, so he forced his father to say: "Father, please let the child go out to fight!"
Yuan Shao loved his youngest son very much, and privately, Yuan Shao also planned to pass on the mantle to his youngest son.
How is Xu Chu like a human being? Tiger idiot, this tiger idiot is not worthy of his reputation. Yuan Shang is young and vigorous, and his martial arts is average, how can he defeat Xu Chu?
However, it is not a bad thing to let the youngest son Yuan Shang exercise for a while, as long as... his safety is protected.
Yuan Shao grunted, and ordered his generals to go out with Yuan Shang to fight, and repeatedly told him to protect Yuan Shang.
Yuan Shang rode his horse vigorously. There were two teams of men and horses beside him to protect him.
After seeing Xu Chu, Yuan Shangxian insulted him unceremoniously.
Xu Chu laughed loudly and shouted: "My legitimate son, do you dare to challenge me to a duel?"
Yuan Shang roared loudly and rushed out to challenge.
At this time, a general stopped Yuan Shang and said: "My lord, wait a minute, let me meet Xu Chu!"
Yuan Shang nodded and agreed.
This general raised his gun and rushed towards Xu Chu with a roar, and struck his face with a sweeping sweep.
Xu Chu didn't even look at it. He raised his head slightly and blocked the halberd in his hand. With a sound of "dang", he firmly blocked the Yuan general's attack.
General Yuan took a look at it, quickly changed his moves, picked it lightly, and then stabbed it.
Xu Chu laughed and easily dodged the stab with one side of his body. Then, with one arm, Xu Chu knocked the Yuan general off his horse.
"Traitor, seek death!" Before General Yuan could react, Xu Chu threw out his halberd, hitting General Yuan in the chest.
"Uh" This Yuan general was easily killed by Xu Chu in less than two rounds.
"Pfft" Xu Chu took out the halberd from General Yuan's body, made a "poof" sound, and shouted to Yuan Shang, "My youngest son, you only have so much ability. Can you send a capable person to fight with me, grandpa?"
Ah, otherwise, you might as well go back and be a coward with your father."
Yuan Shang was so angry that he immediately ordered the entire army to attack and kill Xu Chu.
Xu Chu felt happy when he saw it. He quickly turned his horse's head and pretended to run away according to the instructions of his lord Cao Cao.
Yuan Shang saw Xu Chu turning around and running away, thinking that Xu Chu was afraid of him. No wonder, when Xu Chu came out to call for formation, he brought less than 2,000 soldiers and horses, but for his own side, his father gave him nearly 10,000 in one go.
Yuan Shang thought: I don't believe it anymore. I can't kill Xu Chu?
"Chase me and kill Xu Chu, and he will be promoted to two ranks! He will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins!"
Yuan Shang's words carry more weight, because Yuan Shao has never revealed once that he will pass the mantle to Yuan Shang in the future. Therefore, if Yuan Jun hears this, how dare he go there without working hard?
In front of Yuan Jun's formation, Yuan Shao saw his youngest son chasing Xu Chu impulsively and yelled, so he had no choice but to dote on his youngest son, so Yuan Shao had no choice but to lead the army and follow him.
At this time, his subordinates came to report that Cao Cao was fighting against the enemy.
Yuan Shaoyi laughed loudly when he heard this and said: "In the past, Xiang Yu could win in a single battle, but today Cao A will definitely win if he can't hide it!"
One of his subordinates asked: "Lord, why is this?"
Yuan Shao pointed into the distance and said: "Cao Cao only has 50,000 men, but I have 70,000 horses. Each of us can drown half of his men by spitting..."
The counselor advised: "Lord, there are not many soldiers..."
Yuan Shao waved his hand: "In the old days of Guandu, my numbers, soldiers, and supplies were superior to Cao Cao's. I still suffered a disastrous defeat, so I have to know how to fight!"
Upon hearing this, the counselor quickly flattered the horse: "My lord is wise! We will definitely win this battle..."
Yuan Shao burst out laughing.
As for Cao Jun, while Xu Chu was going to lead Yuan Shao's main force, Cao Cao mobilized his troops and moved the army to the river bank.
Looking at the long river bank behind him, Cao Cao smiled bitterly and said to Ma Xiaoquan: "Master Shangxian, I really have to fight with my back against the water, haha."
Ma Xiaoquan laughed and said: "Xiao Cao, are you sure of winning against Yuan Shao?"
Cao Cao frowned: "Although my troops are better than Yuan Shao's, I don't have the advantage in terms of numbers. If we force it, both sides will lose. Lord Shangxian, do you have any good suggestions?"
Ma Xiaoquan waved his hand and looked at Cheng Yu.
Cheng Yu understood and quickly took out the bag of tips that Ma Xiaoquan had given him before, opened it and took a look. Cheng Yu was overjoyed and quickly suggested to Cao Cao: "Lord, we can have an ambush from all sides!"
"House of Flying Daggers?"
Cheng Yu thought for a moment, nodded and said: "My lord, please give me 10,000 troops, divided into ten groups, each with 1,000 men, to ambush from all directions..."
Cao Cao asked: "What about the other two?"
Cheng Yu chuckled and said, "The other two will have to be entrusted to the Immortal!"
"Me?" Ma Xiaoquan said in surprise, "Didn't I say that I will not participate in the disputes in the world like you?"
Cheng Yu smiled and said: "Master Shangxian misunderstood me. Master Shangxian doesn't need to do anything for these two troops. You just need to stand there. Oh, by the way, you have to stand as high as possible."
Ma Xiaoquan thought for a moment and said with a smile: "Oh, Cheng Yu, Cheng Yu, you old boy want me to be a living target for you, right?"
Cheng Yu blushed and acquiesced.
Ma Xiaoquan shook his head: "Forget it, I am immortal anyway, and I want to see how you come to fight this battle. Since you invited me like this, Cheng Yu, it is not a good thing. However, I agreed.
"
...
When Ma Xiaoquan left the tent, Cheng Yu pushed the high platform cart he had prepared in front of Ma Xiaoquan and invited him to come up and take charge.
Ma Xiaoquan nodded, and while getting in the car, he secretly took out a boiled egg, crushed the shell and ate it.
At the same time, Cao Cao ordered his generals to lead a team each to ambush in all directions, waiting for Yuan Shao to enter the ambush circle.
After everything was ready, Cao Cao began to feel nervous.
On the high platform, Ma Xiaoquan looked ahead and told Cao Cao in the audience about the progress.
"Oh, Xu Chu can do it. We have already lured that boy Yuan Shang over."
"Oh, okay, that guy Yuan Shao is also here with his army..."
"Oh, not bad, then Yuan Shao..."
Before Ma Xiaoquan finished speaking, Cao Cao from the audience interrupted: "Master Shangxian, you have been talking for a long time, why haven't I seen them?"
Ma Xiaoquan coughed twice: "Well, I was teasing you."
Cao Cao: "..."
After a while, Ma Xiaoquan said again: "Xiao Cao, get ready, Yuan Shao has appeared!"
This time it was Cao Cao's turn to laugh: "Master Shangxian, are you joking?"
Ma Xiaoquan waved his hand: "Listen!"
Cao Cao lay on the ground, listened with his ears to the ground, and jumped up immediately.
"The whole army obeys my order! Prepare to meet the enemy!"
"Prepare to meet the enemy!"
"Prepare to meet the enemy!"
"Prepare......"
Cao Jun's orders came one after another, and soon reached the ears of every Cao soldier.
As for Yuan Shaojun, Tan Ma saw a high trolley far away.
On the high trolley, there was a purple-haired man sitting.
Tan Ma reported to Yuan Shao that Cao Cao had built a high-cart, and a purple-haired man was sitting in the car.
"The one with purple hair?" Yuan Shao was stunned for a moment and said to himself, "I remember that after the highway gave me that object, another letter came. The letter said that there was a man with purple hair who was looking for that object.
The object...hmm, could it be him?"
Yuan Shao shook his head and said: "It's better not to think about it now, wait until I kill Cao Cao!"
After that, Yuan Shao also ordered the entire army to attack.
At this time, Xu Chu had successfully introduced Yuan Shao into the ambush circle. Now, as long as Cao Cao gives an order, ambush personnel from all directions will attack.
But...Cao Cao held back.
There was no way, Cao Cao wanted to give the order, but Ma Xiaoquan refused.
On the high carriage, Ma Xiaoquan shouted to Cao Cao in the audience: "Xiao Cao, wait a minute, Yuan Shao hasn't come in yet... um... ok, ok, almost...
....Soon......"
In the audience, Cao Cao was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. Seeing that Yuan Shao's army was about to attack him, Master Shangxian refused to give the order. There were only a few people...
Just as he was thinking about it, Ma Xiaoquan suddenly shouted: "Xiao Cao, hurry up and give the order!"