"There are emergencies in the south. The Yellow Turban bandits conquered two cities in seven days."
After reading the information sent by Wu Anguo, Kong Rong's face was so gloomy that he felt like dripping water.
After being silent for a long time, he leaned over and looked around at everyone and asked: "At this time, whether the country is going to survive or not, do you have any good suggestions? I am all ears and listening."
The people who had been talking loudly just now were silent. You looked at me, I looked at you, and they looked at each other for a long time, but no one said a word.
After a long time, Kong Rong sighed in disappointment and looked directly at Wu Anguo: "Anguo, in your opinion, what is the purpose of the Xuzhou King's current offensive?"
After hearing this, Wu Anguo raised his head and glanced at Kong Rong. Seeing that his eyes were hot and urgent, he couldn't help but shake his head secretly. After this saint, a famous person in the country can sometimes be so naive that it's ridiculous.
Xuzhou has already launched an offensive, but they still ask, "What does it mean?"
Obviously, Kong Rong had a subtext that he didn't ask.
What he wanted to ask was whether Wang Zheng's deployment of troops and horses from Langya Dongwu to the south of Beihai Kingdom was a tentative attack or a general attack.
"Wang Yukou is different from other yellow turban bandits."
After pondering for a while, Wu Anguo said: "Looking at his military actions in the past two years, except for the early attack on Linzi and some counties in Qingzhou, which was a bit eager and a little green, he later raided Langya and fell into Pengcheng.
, to conquer Xia Pi, there is always a plan before taking action. Whenever an attack occurs, it will affect the whole body. Just like this, before Dongwu launched the offensive, there had actually been a small group of harassment and testing for more than a month. It should have been premeditated.
.”
"Have you planned it beforehand?"
The implication is that this is the prelude to the general attack on our Beihai Sea?
Kong Rong knew in his heart that Wu Anguo was right. But he still couldn't help but be disappointed, and the anger that he had suppressed surged up again.
"The Xuzhou king's thieves have already planned it, but didn't the prime minister also issue an edict a long time ago, ordering the troops to defend the strategic areas and prepare their troops and formations to prepare for it?"
Kong Rong stood up and started walking back and forth with short and impatient steps. As he paced, he murmured to himself: "Anguo, before you said that there might be hidden worries in the south, I actually agreed to your request and specially sent five hundred reinforcements."
The cavalry went to Gaomi County, but why did it end up like this?"
"Why did we still lose two cities in a row within seven days under such circumstances?"
Wu Anguo was silent for a while and then said: "The enemy took advantage of being surprised and unprepared. We had warned them in advance. I'm afraid the defenders of the two cities were still slack..."
"Second thing..." After a pause, Wu Anguo looked at Kong Rong and sighed: "Not to mention that the enemy's general took the lead in attacking first, Luo Zhen was beheaded before even ten rounds in his hands.
, so morale collapsed and it was inherently a disastrous defeat."
"What?"
Hearing this, Kong Rong's eyes widened with disbelief on his face: "Is the intelligence wrong? How could Luo Zhen be so miserable?"
Luo Zhennai was the general who was specially arranged to go there when he was sent to reinforce Gaomi. He was originally Wu Anguo's deputy, and Kong Rong and Wu Anguo knew his abilities well.
At that time, the Eighth Route Army of the princes allied to attack Dong Zhuo, but were blocked by Lu Bu at Hulao Pass. Wu Anguo used his hammer to fly out, and fought with Lu Bu for more than ten times, but his wrist was cut off by his halberd.
He abandoned his hammer on the ground and walked away. It was Luo Zhen who stepped forward in time, forced his horse to meet him, and blocked Lu Bu for two or three rounds. After that, the Eighth Route Army soldiers all came out, and Wu Anguo was saved.
After this battle, Lu Bu's unrivaled reputation was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and Wu Anguo and Luo Zhen also proved themselves.
Although they were in great embarrassment, at least they managed to hold on for a few rounds and escaped with their lives from the hands of Marquis Wen.
Such Luo Zhen didn't last ten rounds in the hands of the enemy general this time?
Doesn't that mean that this man's bravery is unmatched by all men, and is close to that of Lu Bu?
He only heard a snapping sound, but in his confusion, Kong Rong overturned the tea cup in front of the case and water flowed all over the floor. However, he did not care about the etiquette at all, pointed at Wu Anguo and shouted: "What is the enemy general's name?" name?"
A capable person with such bravery cannot be unknown, and Wang Zheng had never had such a brave general under his command before. Kong Rong was thinking more now. He was very afraid that there was someone else standing behind Xuzhou this time. ...
For example, Yuan Shu was said to have formed an alliance with Wang Zheng.
Wu Anguo understood Kong Rong's reaction very well. When he first heard the news, the same thought flashed through his mind.
"This man's name is Huang Zhong." Wu Anguo said slowly: "Based on my understanding, this man may be a brave general selected by Wang Zheng from Xuzhou during this period. After all, in the hometown of the Overlord, it is not unusual for such fierce men to exist among the people. .”
"Prime Minister, the most urgent thing right now is to discuss countermeasures. The two countries are at war. After all, the power of one person is limited and has nothing to do with the overall situation."
Hearing this, Kong Rong looked at Wu Anguo blankly. After a while, he sat back down and asked in a hoarse voice: "If you have any countermeasures, please tell me quickly."
When an enemy country attacks, the response strategy is nothing more than peace or war.
Since Xuzhou took the initiative to launch this offensive and had planned it for a long time, peace talks were naturally impossible, so the only way left was to challenge it.
How to respond?
In the Wu'an Kingdom, it has always been nothing more than water coming to cover the ground, soldiers coming to block it, and just deploying the troops and generals.
"Deploy Yingling, Chun Yu's soldiers and horses can go south to assist Chang'an." Wu'an National Road: "The Xuzhou army has gone to Pingchang and Gaomi, and then they can either go to Yi'an, where they can go east to take Donglai, or continue Going north threatens Pingshou, and now our troops cannot be dispersed. We have to choose one of the two, and we still have to choose Chang'an!"
"This city is dangerous due to rivers, so we can rely on it. If we have good generals and soldiers, and we arrange them properly, we still don't know who will be killed."
Having said this, Wu Anguo took the initiative to invite Ying and said: "This time, I will go there in person!"
Kong Rong looked at Wu Anguo and his expression softened slightly.
Since he entered the Beihai Kingdom, he has done a lot of things. He established cities and schools, wrote letters, expressed Confucianism, and recommended virtuous people...
But these things cannot be said to be useless in troubled times, at least if we just do these things, it will not work.
But in history, in the most critical military affairs, this descendant of Confucius did nothing.
The so-called ‘just sit high and do nothing’!
When the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou caused trouble, he sat back and ignored them.
When the fierce battle between Yuan Tan and Tian Kai was in full swing, he was also hanging high.
Even when Liu Bei, who had the grace to rescue him, asked for help at a critical moment, Kong Rong... actually ignored him.
Fortunately, he still has a good eye for recommending and selecting talents. The three subordinates he promoted during his tenure, one is Yi, the other Peng Qiu, plus the Wu Anguo in front of him, are all very talented people, one in civil and one in martial arts. Finance has managed to sustain the overall situation of Beihai.
But Wu Anguo can still manage to deal with the internal thieves, but his opponent is Wang Zheng, who has become famous in recent years...
Kong Rong didn't dare to think about it anymore. At this time, he couldn't help but think of another person.
The man who once saved a building from collapsing and saved Kong Rong from danger was also a man of courage that would be unworthy of all men.
It's a pity that Ziyi may not come to rescue me this time...
Putting down the annoyance and regret in his heart, Kong Rong thought for a while and asked: "Why choose one of the two? Send part of Dong'anping's garrison to Yi'an..."
Before he finished speaking, Biwu Anguo categorically rejected it: "This is absolutely impossible!"
"Not only can the garrison of Dong'an State not be transferred, but additional troops must be sent!" Wu Anguo said categorically: "Prime Minister, Yuan Shaojun is also ambitious, and we need to prevent Yuan Tan from taking advantage of the situation."
Dong'an State was the western gateway to Beihai State before seizing the county. When the news of Yuan Tan's attack on Linzi and the burning and killing of Tian Kai first reached Beihai, Wu'an State immediately asked for orders to send additional reinforcements to the city to prevent any unexpected events.
"Yasukuni..."
Kong Rong was about to say more, but when he saw Wu Anguo's determined face, he could only smile bitterly and said: "In that case, I'll let you do it."
At this time, the sky was covered with clouds and there was thunder.
The mountains are undulating, the rivers are rushing, Qingzhou and Xuzhou, and countless people are looking up at the sky at the same time.
A storm is coming.
...
The heavy rain poured down like a torrent, and the downpour swept across the entire North Sea.
The white rainwater was pouring down from the sky to the ground, like the Milky Way pouring backwards, making a chaotic sound. It fell from the walls, tents, and treetops, bubbled, and gathered into streams and rapid rivers.
When you look up, there is water, and so is the earth.
The clouds in the sky were so low that it felt like you could reach out and touch them. The already gloomy and gloomy scene was obscured by the dense rain curtain, blocking everyone's sight, making it difficult to see clearly from a little further away.
Everywhere you looked was gray, and from time to time there was lightning, like a fiery snake, tearing the sky apart. In a flash, the sky and the earth were bright, and the outline of the mountains and the city were just visible.
The rain started falling yesterday, and it didn't stop for a whole day and night. Instead, it got heavier and more violent.
Affected by the rain, large chunks of soil collapsed on the mountain and turned into mudflows, flowing freely. The post road had long been muddy, and people and horses could step on it and sink half of their legs. Many trees were struck by lightning and lay in a mess.
The ground was planted on the road, making it increasingly blocked and making it difficult to walk.
Outside Gaomi City, the camp of Xuzhou Army.
Zang Ba opened the curtain of the handsome cowhide tent and looked outside. He saw a strong wind and heavy rain. The big raindrops seemed to have penetrated every crack, pouring down on half of his body, freezing him to the bone. He shivered and hurriedly shrank away.
He went back, took off his helmet, touched his bald head, wiped the rain off his face, and murmured a curse: "God, it's pouring rain, and it keeps falling. It's raining so hard, I'm suffering from convulsions."
Can’t do it?”
When it rains, the weather becomes humid. Charcoals are burned in the tent to remove the moisture.
Several generals gathered around the brazier. Two of them, who had probably just come out of the rain, took off their clothes and were warming themselves naked. One of them said, "No, I haven't seen such heavy rain in many years."
I just patrolled the camp. The west side is fine, but the east side is close to the sea and the terrain is low. The brothers’ tents are full of water and cannot be used."
Another person on the side said: "Fortunately, I chose a good place when I set up camp. Otherwise, not only the tents would have accumulated water, but the entire military camp might have been flooded. Just yesterday, I went to Chayun Mountain to see the animals.
With my war horses, I saw that many of the villages near the river were flooded."
Zang Ba frowned when he heard this: "How is the Chayun Mountains and Waters? Are the horses placed there not intrusive?"
"Don't worry, chief." The general was an old man next to Zang Ba. The situation was similar to the relationship between Wang Zheng and Wu Sheng. When Zang Ba rescued his father from prison, he was one of them, but now he has joined Zang Ba.
Although he was in charge of Wang Zheng, he was often very casual in private: "It doesn't matter, it's just that the heavy rain has brought down a lot of soil. To be on the safe side, I have already ordered the soldiers who are looking after the war horses to move them to another place to keep them in order to prevent rocks from falling. Before starting the battle, we must first
The army horse was injured."
Zang Ba nodded, a little relieved.
As thieves and bandits, what they lacked the most in the early years was equipment and horses. The more they lacked, the more they liked it. Since starting with Tao Qian, whenever Zang Ba goes into battle, his first consideration is always the placement of cavalry and horses. This
Although the proportion of cavalry in the first attack on Beihai was not large, it was still the same.
Looking at the middle-aged man who remained silent, Zang Ba smiled and said, "Brother Huang, what are you thinking about?"
That person was Huang Zhong. At this time, he was listening to the sound of rain beside the brazier, with a serious expression on his face:
"General Zang, before we set off, the state pastor gave us an order, telling us to practice battle within a month so that we can train the new army in preparation for its use. At the same time, we should make an all-out offensive posture to turn Beihai's attention to the south.
Covering operations to the west."
"But now that we have just captured two cities, it rains heavily. I think the rain may not stop for a while. If this delays the war, we will be in trouble."
"We just launched an attack and conquered two cities in a short period of time. We must say that the momentum is already quite large." Zang Ba pondered for a while and said: "The so-called spring rain is as precious as oil, and this rain is coming so fiercely. Let's see, maybe
It will clear up in less than two or three days, and this battle will not be delayed. Brother Huang does not need to worry."
Due to his contribution to Tan City and the fact that he brought his troops and horses to join him, Zang Ba's current official position is naturally far higher than that of Huang Zhong. However, during this period of time, Huang Zhong's ability has completely impressed Zang Ba and the others.
He was so personal that even his titles became intimate.
Another person echoed: "What the leader said makes sense. Brother Huang, from my point of view, the rain is not all bad. If it goes according to plan, what we will fight next is Yi'an. This place is no better than the plateau.
The city is large, there are many people, and there is enough food and grass. There were originally a lot of defenders. I heard from the sentries that some troops and horses have recently arrived. It can be said that the troops and horses are strong. Although we are not afraid of it, after all, most of the troops are new soldiers. After fierce battles, they are already exhausted.
, it’s also good to take advantage of the rain and take a rest. It’s just in time to recharge your batteries, which will be helpful for fighting again in the future.”
"Brother Xu." Huang Zhong shook his head and said, "The reason why I am worried is precisely because there are too many new soldiers in our army."
Zang Ba was startled when he heard this: "How do you say this?"
"The Art of War goes like this: one burst of strength will be exhausted again, and three times it will be exhausted. The new soldiers rely on their momentary courage to fight. They have not been trained enough. In the past half month, they have suffered nearly a thousand casualties. If the delay lasts for a long time, let them come back to their senses.
, it is inevitable that we will lose courage and become timid and afraid of fighting. I am afraid it will be detrimental to future attacks on the city."
This makes sense, Zang Ba thought while pacing in the tent: "What should we do? Should we follow the example of Zhou Mu who attacked Linzi in the rain and attacked the city in the rain?"
"The two are not the same."
Huang Zhongdao: "Zhou Mu took the lead at that time, but it took a group of elites like Tianzhuying to break the formation together, so that they could conquer the city in one battle. How can we copy it and use these new soldiers?"
"Besides, cities are different from city to city."
"Linzi had been besieged for many days at that time. After a long battle, we were already exhausted. It was our first battle to attack Yi'an at this time. The enemy could not slack off. In such a heavy wind and rain, it was difficult to even walk, let alone attack the city. It’s difficult. Not to mention that the city wall is slippery, the field of vision is narrow, and the bow and arrow cannot be fired, it will definitely not work.”
"If God is not kind, what can we do?" Zang Ba sighed: "We can only wait patiently. Zhou Mu has always been open-minded and will be considerate. It is expected that he will not blame us for not being able to do it at the right time..."
Before he finished speaking, the conversation suddenly changed and he cursed directly: "Amon, what are you building to block the water? It's all poured in and wet Naigong's feet!"
The corridor in the camp outside the commander's tent was full of water. At this time, the soldiers were building a circle of earth and stones along the commander's tent as a barrier.
It's just that when the water accumulated high, it overflowed and soaked the ground inside the tent. Many puddles were formed in the potholes. Zang Ba just happened to step into one accidentally. Fortunately, the leather boots he was wearing were not soaked. , it just splashed a lot of muddy water on the armor.
Amon was the captain of his personal soldiers. He was standing outside the tent in the rain. He heard the order and responded loudly. He ordered people to raise the water barrier again, then took lime and firewood ash and sprinkled it finely inside the tent. On his armor Wherever there is water, it spreads or drips, making the ground white in the east and black in the west.
Zang Ba became even more unhappy and kicked him on the butt, scolding him: "Clumsy! Why do you think I'm so handsome? What's the use of you if you can't do this job well?"
Amon touched his butt and ran out of the tent, while replying with a playful smile: "I know the leader is irritable, and the little one can be beaten or scolded with his skin. It is also a blessing for him to calm the leader down."
While running, I accidentally knocked over two stones that were blocking the water. The water outside the tent suddenly found an outlet. In the blink of an eye, it filled the tent and was half a finger deep.
Lime and firewood ash spread out, along with the black charcoal, and for a while, the tent was in a mess.
Now Zang Ba was really angry. In a rage, he picked up his riding crop and rushed forward to deal with this useless subordinate.
At this moment, a loud shout suddenly sounded from beside him:
"Yes!"
What's there?
Zang Ba looked around in confusion, only to see Huang Zhong standing up and clapping the case, staring at him with joy on his face, his eyes shining brightly.
"General, I have an idea."
"Even if the rain doesn't stop, it can still destroy the city!"