Chapter 291, I can only count on the bandit Zang Ba
For the next two days, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun both restrained their troops and guarded against Cao Ren and Liu Bei, and attacked their armies from front to back.
It's just that Liu Bei didn't seem to have any intention of relieving Cao Ren, nor did he realize that Cao Ren was short of food and was about to run out of food.
Zhang Liao and Gao Shun adjusted their military formations and still cut off Cao Ren's food route. When they saw the city, they were about to be unable to withstand it.
Stone Walled City, Hou Village is located in Fangshan Mountain, and Gao Shun's troops are deployed in the mountains. Even though there are troops deployed in the mountains, there are still Cao Ren's sentry scouts who can break out of the huge Fangshan Mountains.
Just when Cao Ren was running out of food and grass and was thinking of a fight to the death, a news from a sentry sent Cao Zixiao, who was usually calm, to kick the desk in front of him to the ground in the tent.
"What, Liu Xuande and his chariot soldiers are only twenty miles away from here, and they have been camping for two days? But they are not coming to relieve the siege?"
"Big-eared man, what do you want? Datong said that this person's character is not right. Originally, I only believed it five percent, but now I fully believe it!"
"Is he going to wait for our army to be shattered here before fighting with Lu Bu's army?"
It was rare for Cao Ren to lose his temper, and Niu Jin beside him also gritted his teeth in anger, and the sound was heard.
Just when the two of them were dizzy with anger, outside the tent, the sentry sent to Zang Ba's army ten days ago to ask for food returned to the city with a look on his face and his armor was in tatters.
"General, the troops of General Zang Ba and the people of Dongjun have already set off from Tai'an with supplies. General Zang said it will take up to three days to get here!"
"Mount Taishan is hundreds of miles away from here. Zang Ba has to cross mountains and ridges, and he also has to bring food. How can it be so simple? I didn't see Liu Xuande, who was twenty miles away, but he just didn't come over?"
"Having been dormant for two days, it's only twenty miles. Even if you crawl, you should crawl to the bottom of the city! This brother, with his good looks and ugly looks, deceived the lord's trust. To act like this, he is nothing more than a charlatan!"
After hearing Zang Ba's words, Cao Ren gradually calmed down.
After all, he is the most emotionally stable general around Cao Cao and can act independently.
After careful consideration, Cao Ren knew clearly that Zhang Liao's cavalry was waiting for him to leave the city for a decisive battle.
The hills of Qingzhou are not too rugged, and the large horses in the state can clash easily. How can his small army resist the armored cavalry in the hills and wilderness?
To go to war is to seek death!
Cao Ren took a deep breath, stood up, and looked east, in the direction of Taishan County.
He knew that Yuan Shao's eldest son, Yuan Tan, was harassing Taishan counties with his surprise troops. It was still unclear whether Zang Ba could free his hands and come east, or whether he was like Liu Bei, with ulterior motives and light words and letters, but it was still unclear whether he could calm his heart.
Cao Ren was different from Fang Guang in the civil and military affairs of East County, and he did not have much dealings with Zang Ba. In his mind, the descendants of local aristocratic families in Taishan were closely related to the Taishan bandits, and were actually part of the Taishan bandits.
Zang Ba is nothing more than a bandit and a general of Caotai.
I don't know why, thinking of Zang Ba, Cao Ren suddenly had the image of Fang Guang in Xuchang, who was always sure of everything and had a calm demeanor, appear in his mind.
Thinking of Fang Guang, Cao Zixiao's chaotic mood slowly calmed down.
"Liu Bei can't count on it. If the army is short of food tomorrow, they will have to eat bark and grass stems to satisfy their hunger!"
"If this happens for up to three days, the soldiers may not even have the strength to pick up their weapons!"
"Despite this, I still believe in Zang Ba. No one else. This person is the one who regained Datong. I can trust Datong's vision and pattern!"
"At this point, our army can only count on Zang Ba, the local leader of Mount Tai!"
Cao Ren's voice was low, and he finally decided to defend and never go to war.
He didn't know that although Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and Zang Ba's troops were unaware of Zang Ba's arrival, they both felt uneasy for no reason and had already decided to attack Cao Jun first.
The target chosen by Zhang Liao to attack was not the already exhausted Cao Ren tribe, but Liu Bei, who was twenty miles away and was habitually camping in the lush mountains and wild vegetation.
Big Er has been fighting without rules all his life, and he can barely rely on his second and third brothers when rushing into battle.
Camping and marching, which test the most profound knowledge of an army leader, are Big Er's weakest points.
When Liu Bei set up camp, he loved places with lush vegetation in mountains and forests. Whether it was the cold weather in early winter in Qingzhou, or the hot summer days in Yiling, Da'er always set up his tent in the mountains and forests.
One day later, Fangshan became the most densely forested area. In early winter, the ground was covered with dead trees that could ignite fires.
A group of infantry headed straight towards Liu Bei's camp. Several miles away to one side of the infantry, Zhang Liao personally led the sharp cavalry through the mountains and forests, approaching Liu Bei's camp.
It is common sense in the art of war not to allow cavalry to enter the forest.
Wen Yuan went in the opposite direction. Liu, Guan, and Zhang were waiting to see Cao Ren's joke. How could they be wary? There would be cavalry crossing the mountains and attacking this place.
In the hall of Liu Bei's camp, Da'er was stroking his second brother's green jersey and thinking about the mysteries of cotton, when he heard Zhou Cang coming to report that a group of infantry, carrying the flag of the trapped camp, was coming from afar from the valley.
Gao Shun's troops are elite and well known to everyone in the world. When he heard that he was trapped in the camp, Che Zhou's face was full of horror. He opened and closed his mouth several times, as if he didn't dare to say anything.
"How many people are there in Gao Shunbu? Who is the general?"
When Guan Yu heard the word "trapped camp", his eyes that had been half-closed all day suddenly opened. The second brother looked at Zhou Cang, full of force!
"General Guan, the invading troops of Lu Bu's army are only five to six hundred men. They may not have discovered such a hidden camp of our lord!"
"The leader of the army is just an ordinary school captain. When I was plundering the Han River, not when I was farming and studying in Jingzhou, I developed good eyesight and I am sure I will not make a mistake!"
Zhou Cang let it slip and almost exposed a bit of his dark history.
Guan Yu only thought that this sword-wielding guy was useful, so why did he care about Zhou Cang's past?
Hearing the fat man talking about the soldiers trapped in the camp, there were only more than 500 soldiers, and the leading general was the ordinary school captain. The second brother's murderous intent suddenly burst out.
Liu Bei and Zhang Fei also looked at each other and secretly smiled when they saw the darkness in each other's eyes.
"Order your troops, order your troops quickly!"
"From today on, everyone in the world should know that my three brothers have nothing to fear from being trapped in the camp!"
"Hmph, today I will kill Gao Shun's wings first, and tomorrow it will be time to kill him and Zhang Liao!"
Liu Bei mastered the style of the famous generals and recruited new soldiers in the chariots and armours. It took half an hour to organize the queue amidst the commotion.
Who doesn't want to have the reputation of defeating Gao Shun? Zhang Fei and others were impatient. When all the troops came out in formation, Zhang Yide of Yan and Guan Yu joined forces and headed straight towards the trapped soldiers.
In the mountain road, there were two thousand enemies, with a strength advantage of more than ten times. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led their troops to rush forward. Gao Shunbuqu, seeing such a large formation, had no intention of fighting, so he turned around and headed towards the camp.