Cao Cao's military order to Liu Bei was to use all his strength to relieve Cao Ren's siege.
Liu Bei's words were all about waiting and seeing. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were used to their elder brother's methods, and they didn't feel dissatisfied at all. They nodded in agreement almost at the same time. Only Che Zhou, whose face was full of doubts, couldn't help but boldly spoke. .
"General Zuo, my lord's intention is to fully assist General Zixiao. Xuande's intention is not to attack Zhang Liao and Gao Shun?"
"What if General Cao is defeated, or if Zi Xiao makes any mistakes?"
"Che Zhou, why are you panicking? My elder brother didn't say he wouldn't save you, but he just wanted to tell you some strategies!"
"You, a little bragging captain, dare to question my elder brother's intentions even though you are just helping me? You are seeking death!"
Zhang Fei has a domineering character. When Che Zhou is slightly suspicious, he clenches his fist loudly, which is quite similar to when he was warming up before beating the governor.
Che Zhou thought of the horrific stories of the third general, and then of the second master's love from his lord, and finally of the name of Big Er's benevolence, he immediately lowered his head, not daring to argue another word.
Liu Bei glared at Zhang Fei fiercely, walked to Che Zhou with a warm smile on his face.
He gently patted Captain Yangwei on the shoulder, and a black light flashed in his eyes.
"Chief Lieutenant Che Xiao, listen to me, everything is for the great cause of the lord and for the glory of the great man. Since you and my brothers are three brothers, you can no longer care about the gains and losses!"|
"This is how I think about this matter..."
Liu Bei's ups and downs voice seemed to have a magic spell. Che Zhou was frightened in his heart, but after listening to a few words, he slowly calmed down.
Unknowingly, Liu Bei's troops, chariots and soldiers had been resting in the mountains and forests for two hours.
Just when the sergeants were wondering why General Zuo and Marquis Shouting didn't urge everyone to march today, Che Zhou was completely immersed in Da Er's preaching.
South of Qingzhou, in the land of Dong'anqiu in Beihai County, in the fertile fields of Qingzhou covered with dense hills, a stone walled city is particularly eye-catching.
The city is backed by the eastern foothills of Fangshan Mountain, and has the advantage of Wenshui River in the south. The city is built close to the mountains and rivers, so there is no risk of water being cut off. The location is very dangerous and exquisite.
This place has been a battleground for military strategists since the Spring and Autumn Period. There are rough stone broken walls hidden in the mountains and fields.
Cao Ren led his troops to guard this place and guard against Yuan Shao's Qingqi. He crossed Yanzhou from the east and built a city here. He could control hundreds of miles of land.
Cao Zixiao used his troops and most believed that Sun Wu was invincible and was waiting for the enemy to find a way to win.
When leading troops to build a city, the camp crossings were very particular.
Zhang Liao's cavalry and Gao Shunrui's soldiers were so powerful that they attacked thousands of Cao Ren's troops with ten thousand soldiers.
Zixiao stayed calm in the face of danger, retreated from the city to defend the city, and forcibly surrendered the state to Jiama, preventing all the horses from going east. It can be said that he made a great contribution.
Naturally, Lu Bu did not expect that Yuan Shao would be defeated in Guandu so quickly, and he was half a beat too late in gathering his army.
Although Cao Ren blocked Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, and his troops were stuck in the throat of Qingzhou, he was still surrounded. How could he defeat Wen Yuan and Gao Shun after several conflicts?
The two armies were in a stalemate, and Cao Ren's army was slowly running out of food and grass. No matter how well-known Cao Ren was for defending, he could not survive three days.
On this day, Cao Renpi's general Niu Jin saw Gao Shun's troops transporting Xuzhou's grain and grass. They sneaked out from Shicheng Houfangshan with sharp soldiers and flanked Lu Bu's army and horses. For a time, in the land of Anqiu, the cry of killing resounded through the sky!
Although Niu Jin is not well-known in this part of the world, he is actually above the history books. In later generations, he was a famous general under Sima Yi, and he was even promoted to a later general.
In folklore, the cow succeeds the horse, and he is the protagonist.
Today, in front of Cao Ren, hundreds of dead soldiers under Niu Jin's command and Gao Shun's soldiers were killed inextricably. In front of the world-famous warriors in the battle, he was not at any disadvantage for a moment.
Gradually, not only more and more troops were trapped in the formation, but also Zhang Liao's cavalry began to attack Niu Jin.
On top of the city, Cao Ren, who had always been a strict man, saw that his favorite general was about to die, and he could no longer bear it.
During the Fang Guang period, Cao Zixiao, a wayward knight, was known for his calmness among Cao Cao's nephews.
Cao Ren, who was in his mid-twenties and in his prime when he saw that Niu Jin was hit by a big ax trapped in the camp's armor, still gritted his teeth and kicked the ax handle off, and fought to the death in blood.
With his eyes filled with blood, Cao Zixiao's inherent stability instantly dissipated, and Fang Guang's willful and bloody courage filled his body.
"Take my chain and hammer it, and I will rescue General Niu!"
Cao Ren's favorite weapon was the chain hammer rarely seen in the Eastern Han Dynasty in arcades of later generations.
Amidst the clang of armor and swords, the gate of the stone city opened. Cao Ren swung his hammer and rushed to Niu Jin's side, knocked down several Gao Shunbu, pulled Niu Jin onto his horse, and strode back towards the city.
Niu Jin was pinned on the horse's back by a big hand. From the corner of his eyes, he watched the dead soldiers under his command fall under the sword of Zhang Liao's iron cavalry who came over. On top of Cao Ren's mount, he struggled vigorously and howled.
"General, let me go and fight. My brothers are all dead. How can I live alone!"
"General, let me go down!"
Niu Jin roared loudly, but Cao Ren's expression did not change at all. The ranger back then had been by Cao Cao's side for a long time and had become a general with an iron heart.
He lowered his head and spoke in a deep voice to the struggling Niu Jin, who immediately stopped struggling.
"Lord, if you let me and you station troops between Qingxu and Qingxu, our lives will already belong to Yanzhou and Dongjun!"
"It's easy to die, but it's extremely difficult to protect the foundation of Datong. The two of us are here for a day, and Lord Dongjun, Datong will be safe for a day. Just think about it!"
Niu Jin knew in his heart that what the general said was right. Even if the army coming from the east was defeated and nailed here, Lu Bu would not care about the whole army coming from the east.
When he gritted his teeth, Cao Ren had already rescued him. All the troops he had taken away died in Anqiu without being able to grab a grain of food.
Cao Ren didn't know that Liu Bei was actually only twenty miles away from him at this time. Big Er was timid and deliberately did not send troops to rescue the siege, just to use Cao Ren's army as bait and a ladder to achieve his reputation as a good warrior.
Cao Ren rescued Niu Jin. In Lu Bu's formation, a man with a white face and a long body, Shen Yi, and a man with a black face stood side by side in the distance. Looking at Zi Xiao's heroic appearance, they couldn't help but nod slightly.
"I didn't expect that a random person under Cao Cao, who is not well-known but is only a close relative of the clan, would have such a military strategy!"
"When it's time to break, it's time to break, when it's time to retreat, it's time to retreat. If you are so decisive, our army will be able to achieve a great victory. Is this what Fang Datong taught them?"
In Zhang Liao's heart, the figure of Fang Guang with disheveled hair under Juancheng, fiercely attacking his subordinates, was always lingering and could not be forgotten.
Later, when Fang Guang, Xia Houen, Xu Chu, and Dian Wei defeated Lu Bu, Fang Guang's figure was not replaced by Juancheng Fang Guang's in Zhang Liao's heart.
Gao Shun had always been a man of few words, but after hearing Zhang Liao's lament, he rarely spoke in agreement.
"If we are all like Fang Datong, how can we win this battle?"
Fang Guang is probably the only person in the world who can make Gao Shun say eleven words in one breath.
Zhang Liao's eyes narrowed slightly, and when he was about to speak again, behind him, a sentry under his command came rushing towards him, bringing news, which instantly made Zhang Liao's expression serious.