Cai Mao was a little lucky underneath. He was glad that he listened to Kuai Yue and did not persuade Liu Cong to surrender.
Liu Cong continued: "I say it again, even if I die in battle, I will never surrender! General Gu went to Fancheng in person to boost morale! The only things that will greet Cao's army are knives and swords, blood and fire!"
"Pang Tong!"
"The end will be here."
"Immediately lead 35,000 troops and garrison Fancheng! All affairs in Fancheng will be decided by you."
"promise."
"Huang Zu!"
"The end will be here."
"I'll leave 20,000 people behind, and you'll be in charge of Xiangyang for me. Anyone who dares to do anything wrong doesn't need to ask for permission. They'll be killed without mercy!"
"promise!"
"My lord, Liu Bei's envoy, Sun Qian asks to see you!"
"Call in."
When Sun Qian entered, he bowed to Liu Cong and said, "Meet the Marquis of Chu."
"Gongyou, please rise. How is Uncle Liu Huang doing now?" Liu Cong asked directly.
"Uncle Huang, we are gathering the people to prepare to withdraw our troops to Fancheng. Please accept it from the Marquis of Chu."
"It's natural. Shi Yuan is about to lead his troops north. You should follow him to restore Uncle Huang's life."
"promise."
In the backyard of the Zhou Mu Mansion, Liu Biao was still holding on despite his weak body, as if waiting for the birth of his grandson.
"Father." Liu Cong called softly to Liu Biao who was basking in the sun.
"You're here." On the recliner, Liu Biao opened his eyes and propped himself up with Liu Cong's help.
Liu Cong nodded, and Liu Biao looked at his son with relief. He was really doing much better than himself.
"Cao Cao's hundreds of thousands of troops are marching south. What are your chances of winning?"
Liu Cong was also a little surprised. In history, Cao Cao only had 180,000 troops when he went south, so why did he mobilize so many troops this time? "To be honest, I don't know."
"Since you have decided to resist, you can only win, not lose. Otherwise, our whole family, including your unborn child, will die without a burial place."
"I know that Pang Tong has led his troops to Fancheng. In a few days, I will go too. I asked Huang Zu to stay. If anything happens, my father may need to come forward."
"Go and say goodbye to your mother and the others."
"promise!"
In Wancheng, a group of more than 5,000 cavalrymen filed out of the city. Two large flags with the Chinese character Cao fluttered in the wind.
"Brother Zixiao, wouldn't it be too hasty for us to go straight to Xinye now?" The person who spoke had a white face and no beard, and looked more like a scholar studying.
Cao Ren waved his whip and said, "Zihe (Cao Chun), the scouts said that Liu Bei is gathering the people. I think he is going to run away. Let's go to Xinye and take a look. Maybe we can rob tens of thousands of people in Xinye and go north."
"But if we just lead five thousand tiger and leopard cavalry, it might be inappropriate to go so deep." Cao Chun was still a little worried.
Cao Ren smiled heartily and said, "Hahaha, Zihe, don't worry. It's only a day's journey from Wancheng to Xinye with iron cavalry. Niu Jin from Wancheng can support us at any time. Besides, let's go to Xinye to have a look. Take advantage if you can, and retreat if it doesn't work. Can Liu Bei's ten thousand men stop our five thousand tigers and leopards?"
Although Cao Chun still hesitated, he had no choice but to continue southward because of Cao Ren's dignity.
Fancheng originally had 50,000 civilians. Pang Tong arrived with 35,000 troops, and nearly 90,000 troops gathered here.
"Shi Yuan, Cao Ren has become more and more aggressive recently. Tan Ma came to report that yesterday, there was a cavalry of 5,000 people in Wancheng, heading south to attack Xinye." Wenpin did not talk nonsense to Pang Tong, and directly told Pang Tong the latest situation.
"Where are the tens of thousands of people in Xinye? Have they arrived?" Pang Tong ignored Cao Ren and asked about the people in Xinye.
"Having arrived at Fancheng, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led their troops back again. It was said that Military Advisor Zhuge told them to give a big gift to the Marquis of Chu." Wenpin replied.
Pang Tong put a pen on his desk and wrote a hand-closing order, "Order Gan Ning to lead the navy immediately and lead the people to Xiangyang."
"Ah? After all, they are the people of Liu Bei's territory, right?"
"Xinye is a territory belonging to Jingzhou. When Liu Bei was given to him, it was just for temporary residence. Everything in Xinye belongs to the lord." Pang Tong said somewhat seriously.
"Then shall we send troops to Xinye?" Wenpin asked again.
"Didn't Kong Ming say that he wanted to give the lord a big gift? Let's wait and see." Pang Tong's dark face showed a bit of a bad smile, "General Wen, are you willing to make meritorious deeds on the battlefield?"
"But it depends on the military advisor's orders!"
"You and Liu Pan will lead 10,000 cavalry and go to Funiu Mountain to the north of Xinye to ambush you. Once there is a war in Xinye, you will lead the army and attack Xinye."
"The general will obey your orders!"
On the top of the city wall in Xinye, Zhuge Liang was sitting on the city wall, with two bookboys beside him and a furnace of rosin, calmly playing the piano.
The melodious sound of the piano drifted away with the wind and gradually dissipated.
"Drive!" "Hey!"
"General, Xinye City is empty. I only saw a scribe playing the harp on the top of the city."
"Brother Zixiao, I'm afraid there might be an ambush." Cao Chun became more and more worried.
Cao Ren snorted coldly: "It must be Zhuge Villager's plan to delay the attack. Let's go and take a look first."
"March!"
The war horses neighed, and the tiger and leopard cavalry were indeed Cao Cao's elite cavalry. When marching, the formation was not chaotic at all!
Zhuge Liang looked from the top of the city and saw a crowd of knights heading straight for Xinye, "Cao Ren."
Zhuge Liang raised a smile on his lips, continued to play the piano, and even closed his eyes.
"Hey!" "Stop!"
Cao Ren gave an order, and five thousand tigers and leopards mounted on horseback, halting their horses almost at the same time.
"Is this Zhuge Liang on top of the city?" Cao Ren shouted as he rode forward.
Zhuge Liang stood up and shouted to Cao Ren: "I don't think you, a villager in the mountains, can fall into the general's ears."
"Come down quickly and surrender. I will recommend you as the Third Duke in front of the Prime Minister!"
"I am following Uncle Liu Huang, and I have not yet thought of changing my master."
"Come in and capture Zhuge Villager alive!"
Cao Ren was about to lead his troops to charge, but Cao Chun grabbed him and said, "Brother Zixiao, there must be an ambush here, don't be reckless."
"How many ambushes can there be in the small county of Xinye? This Zhuge villager is shameless. I will tie him up and present him to the prime minister!" Cao Ren glared at Zhuge Liang at the top of the city fiercely.
"Zixiao, don't be reckless. Have you forgotten the lesson of your defeat at the hands of Xu Shu last time?" Cao Chun pulled Cao Ren a little anxious.
"In that case, you wait for me outside the city, and I will lead two thousand people in."
"No, Zixiao, you are the general in charge of the army, let me lead the troops in." After Cao Chun finished speaking, without waiting for Cao Ren's consent, he pulled the reins of his horse and sprinted towards the city.
"Zihe! Alas!" Seeing that Cao Chun could not be called back, Cao Ren could only wait anxiously.
"Kill!"
Suddenly there was a cry of killing, and Cao Ren was shocked, "Quick, rush with me, rescue Zihe!"
All the people in Xinye City have been evacuated, and the empty houses and streets and alleys are full of firewood, saltpeter and other flammable materials.
Zhuge Liang stood at the top of the city, shaking his feather fan and smiling as he looked at the city's lights.
Zhao Yun, who was beside him, said: "The military advisor is really clever. I am afraid that Cao Jun's five thousand tiger and leopard cavalry will be lost!"
After hearing this, Zhuge Liang felt a little regretful, "The cavalry are coming and going like the wind, I'm afraid I can't keep them. After Cao Ren's defeat, he won't go south easily. Next time, Cao Cao will lead the army."
"Herod!"
"Zixiao, hurry up, there is an ambush in the city!" Opposite Cao Ren, Cao Chun was a little embarrassed. He slashed the soldiers in front of him with a knife and galloped towards Cao Ren.
"Zihe?"
"Get out first, hurry up!" Cao Chun rode his horse towards the outside of the city without looking back.
"Alas!" Cao Ren was a little angry. He looked at Zhuge Liang who was leisurely at the top of the city and said bitterly, "Withdraw!"