Riding and cutting the imperial pirates of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 662
Cao Cao shook his head when he heard the words, "No."

"Why? My lord, what do you think?"

"Wen Ruo, come and take a look." Cao Cao caressed the thin beard under his lips, squinted his eyes slightly, and pointed to the map, "Linxiang is in front, and Hanshou is in the back. The two cities form horns, just like two people. Arms echo each other, but now that Linxiang has been suppressed, only Hanshou remains, which is equivalent to breaking an arm in the front line of the Jingzhou Army. On the one hand, it limits the room for Wenpin to maneuver, and on the other hand, it allows the Yangzhou Army to have flexibility Opportunity to maneuver."

Xun Yu pondered for a moment when he heard the words, then said thoughtfully, "What does your lord mean?"

"Look here again." Cao Cao pointed to the northeast of Hanshou and said, "This is the Dongting Lake in Changsha County. Although Dongting Lake is wide, it is not impossible to cross the country. After passing this lake, if you go to To the west is Wuling County, to the east is Jiangxia County, if you continue to the north, hey."

Xun Yu was startled, and blurted out, "That's Nanjun!"

"That's right, if Wang Zheng ordered Xu Fangbu to give up Hanshou and not to fight, instead bypassing Dongting Lake and inserting into the plain above," Cao Cao said in a word: "Then not only entered the hinterland of Jingzhou Nanjun, but also went to the south of Jingzhou. Entering the cities of Nanjun will cut off the way for Wenpin's army to retreat!"

Xun Yu thought so, "My lord's words are not impossible."

"Wen Ruo, come and see," Cao Cao pointed to the area of ​​Luo County to the east of Hanshou, "this city is now under the control of the Yangzhou army. If you don't take the waterway of Dongting Lake, you can also start from Linxiang and turn around. Daoist Tang, crossing the Yuanjiang River, Yuhui to the north of Wuling County, if the Yangzhou army really implements this strategy, it will first capture the weak hills, and then conquer Jiangling in the north. the road!"

Speaking of this, he said solemnly: "This is a series of consequences of the fall of Linxiang, because this has led to the initiative being in the hands of Wang Yukou. Even if Wenpin sees the clue, he can only prevent it all the way. Finally, there will still be another gap left! "

"This..." Although Xun Yu is a civil servant who is proficient in internal affairs, he is not completely ignorant of military affairs. He remained silent for a while, "What do you think, my lord, how to deal with it?"

"I don't know either." Cao Cao sighed, "Actually, these two possibilities are not the most dangerous to me."

"Ask my lord, what might be the most dangerous thing?"

Cao Cao was silent for a while, and clicked the positions of Dongting Lake and Luo County, and then moved to Linyuan, west of Hanshou, "divided into three groups, and first crossed Dongting Lake with a partial division, and inserted into the northern part of Wuling County. , harassing the rear of Hanshou's army, and then using another army to mobilize the army, pretending to attack Linyuan, forcing Hanshou's Wenpin to send troops and horses to rescue. Finally, another elite army passed through Luo County and crossed the Yuan River. Make a detour to Hanshou, and make a long drive to the north!"

"At this time, Hanshou's Jingzhou army was already in a situation where they were losing sight of the other, and most of the main force was dispatched to Linyuan. Not only was it difficult to return quickly, but there were also bandits in the rear who were disturbing the rear. They were attacked on three sides, and it would be difficult to rescue them. If so" But he didn't go any further.

"My lord's strategy is very ruthless!"

But Xun Yu understood it completely, and was immediately moved: "If so, Jiangling is in danger, and Nanjun is in danger!"

After thinking about it, it was a bit unbelievable: "However, if it is as expected by the lord, Wang Zheng will need to use 13 to [-] soldiers and horses if he divides his forces into three groups. According to the front line report, the existing generals of Xu and Yangzhou The army strength is about [-]. Except for the defenders in various places, the field army that can really be called is less than [-], of which there are more than [-] sailors, [-] infantry, and about [-] cavalry. If it is in Changsha Using nearly [-] troops here will inevitably draw most of the elite from the rear, will Wang Zheng have the guts to make such a desperate move?"

"If this plan is sold, maybe we can go straight to Huanglong and take down Nanjun, but if the Jingzhou army is aware of it, and we have prepared in advance, and the battle is stalemate, let the lord and other princes be aware of this juncture, and take the opportunity to attack the rear, maybe not only If Jingzhou cannot be taken, even Xuzhou and Yangzhou cannot be kept."

"It's hard to say." Cao Cao said in a deep voice, "I think that Shuzi usually seeks safety when he uses the army, but the more critical the moment, the more he dares to take risks. Wen Ruo, let's think about it, if he is really safe Zha, how can we have today's foundation in just a few years?"

"Whether he dares to put all his eggs in one basket or not, I really can't say for sure, but."

Speaking of this, Cao Cao suddenly smiled mockingly and said: "He has achieved great success in his previous adventures, since this is the case, the possibility of taking another risk is very high. I also hope that he can do it again." One shot at a time!"

Xun Yu was startled at first when he heard the words, and then suddenly got something, he also smiled and said: "I understand, my lord has been prepared for a long time."

"Oh?" Cao Cao asked sideways, "What preparations are you going to have?"

"Since Cai Mao's letter, the lord has recalled Zhongda, but at the recent court meeting, the minister has never seen his figure, presumably he was sent out by the lord again, and it is of great use." While speaking, Xun Yu leaned forward, staring at the map on the table for a while, then suddenly clicked to the east: "Is it here? Or here?"

"Haha." Cao Cao didn't answer directly, but just smiled and said: "Wen Ruoye, who knows me, yes, Zhong Da and Hubaoqi are in ambush in one of these places."

"Since my lord has guessed Wang Zheng's intentions, is it now time for this strange army to move?"

"At present, you and I are still guessing, and when the Yangzhou Army really makes a big move northward, it won't be too late to move."

Cao Cao smiled slightly, "Don't forget, Yangdi Guo Jia, whom you strongly recommended before, is now Wang Zheng's number one mastermind."

"This person can catch your eyes, and he is also a genius. Wang Zheng is reckless and aggressive, but he may be on guard. Zhongda alone may not be able to play a big role. I would like to send this person. A great gift requires two more preparations."

"Oh?" Xun Yu asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, there's someone behind you?"

"Wen Ruoke remembers how Wang Zheng captured Yangzhou?"

"Taking the opportunity of suppressing Sun Ce, the army went deep into the hinterland of Yangzhou. This is a false way to destroy Guo. He also used Xu Du and the emperor as bait to lure Yuan Shu to go to Yuzhou. This is to divert the tiger away from the mountain. Doubling the road, taking Shouchun directly, and at the same time joining forces with the lord, Liu Biao, to attack Runan, and Yuan Shu was destroyed!"

Xun Yu said in a deep voice: "Since Yuan Shu is destroyed and Shouchun is under, the rest can be passed on."

"good."

Cao Cao sneered and said: "It's useless to use false ways to destroy Guo, but if Zhuzi's behavior is as I expected this time, it can be regarded as diverting the tiger away from the mountain. Such a god-given opportunity, I would have used my son's spear to attack Guo. Shield of the Son!"

Cao Cao's predictions were right, Wang Zheng did take another risk this time, and wanted to surprise Jiangling with a single army.

However, what Cao Cao never expected was that Wang Zheng's adventure was not only planned, but even his lord was personally involved!
Without him, it is precisely because before Wang Zheng seized Linxiang, even before the Yangzhou army marched south, Guo Jia took precautions and reminded Wang Zheng to always pay attention to the safety of the rear and guard against the neighboring princes, especially Cao Cao and Chen Guo in Yanzhou. Liu Bei is even more important!
In view of this, Wang Zheng did not mobilize too many troops even if it was a risky operation, and unlike Xun Yu's estimation, this group of surprise soldiers heading for Jiangling actually only had more than [-] people.

Twilight darkened, turning into night.

In a mountain range to the northwest of Linxiang City, a large group of cavalrymen quietly came out of the mountain under the cover of night.

Thousands of horseshoes wrapped in cloth galloped, although there was not much movement, but the rolled up dust still filled the air. If one looked at it during the day, it must be extremely spectacular and difficult to cover up, but it is night now, and with this cavalry Many scouts were sent in and out as a warning, so even though they had traveled a long distance in Changsha, not many people noticed their existence.

This army was the cavalry led by Wang Zheng himself to attack Jiangling. They were from Linxiang the night before yesterday. They marched overnight and arrived at Luo County first. They did not enter the city, but rested outside the city for a day. , And set off northward, rushed to Yuanjiang away.

Since it is a raid, secrecy is the most important thing. Walking at night and staying at dawn will be the basic operation. Of course, the scale of the cavalry march of 5000 people is actually not small. No matter how secret it is, it will inevitably leak out and be discovered.

But don't leave if someone finds out, as long as the detectives are able to catch everyone who sees their whereabouts, whether it is the common people, business travelers, or the enemy's detectives, it is still a perfect secret operation, and this kind of detectives, Naturally, there is no shortage of troops under Wang Zheng's personal command.

So they entered the territory of Wuling silently.

Wuling County is a plain outside Tang County.

"Lord."

Gan Ning caught up from the rear, urged his riders to come to Wang Zheng's side, looked ahead by the moonlight and said, "Wuling's Zuo Tang is ahead."

"Well," Wang Zheng was noncommittal, but only asked, "What time is it?"

"It's almost three o'clock."

Wang Zheng nodded, then looked at the guide behind him, and asked gently, "Brother Li, can we reach the upper reaches of the Yuan River before dawn?"

The guide was originally a Dubo of the Changsha Army. After being defeated and captured, he was surrendered to the Heavenly Army. Hearing this, he hurriedly said respectfully: "I report to Zhou Mu that after passing Zuotang, it is less than forty years away from the Qingtang River (the upper branch of the Yuanjiang River)." It’s gone, it’s hard to say if it’s another army, but your army oh no, it’s not a big problem with our army.”

"Oh?" Wang Zheng didn't care about his slip of the tongue, and just asked, "How do you say it?"

"To the north of Zuotang are mostly hills, and the terrain is rough, which is not conducive to cavalry marching. If the [-] miles of land are ordinary military horses, it will take at least four or five hours to walk." Speaking of this, the guide showed admiration and said: "However, Zhou Mu's subordinates are all tigers, and everyone's riding skills are superb, so I think we will be able to arrive before dawn!"

"Did you hear that?" Wang Zheng smiled, and said to Gan Ning who was beside him, "I tell my brothers, work harder, make sure to get to the riverside around five o'clock, cross the river first and then take a rest, in order to prepare for the fierce battle that is about to begin. .”

Now it’s wartime, the Yuanjiang River runs through Hanshou, Linyuan, Zuotang and other cities. There must be guards along the river, but the Yuanjiang River is very long, and it is impossible for Wenpin to deploy troops everywhere. He used to be a pioneer Huang Zhong, who was in charge, had already found out that there was a relatively hidden river crossing point in the north of Zuo Tang that was unguarded.

Gan Ning nodded, and said again: "My lord, I received the military report from Linxiang in the morning, saying that General Huang Zhong's feigned crossing of Dongting Lake yesterday morning has already attracted the attention of the Jingzhou army, and there was a small battle. In addition, General Xu Fang He also led the main force of our army and launched an offensive against Linyuan yesterday morning.

"Wenpin, as the lord expected, dispatched troops separately, all the way to aid Linyuan, and all the way to aid Dongting Lake. The current situation is very beneficial to our plan of 'secretly capturing Jiangling'!"

"What do you mean as I expected?" Wang Zheng shook his head, jokingly said, "That's Fengxiao's plan. Why, does Xingba think he will be the kind of person who will steal the merits of his subordinates for himself?"

"The end will not dare."

Gan Ning laughed dryly, and said again: "However, according to the military newspaper, the two reinforcements sent by Wenpin only totaled 2 people, which means Hanshou has at least garrisoned nearly [-] Jingzhou troops. My lord, after we cross the river, once Wenpin finds out about the weak tomb, it will be a little troublesome to rush to help."

"Jiangling is a big city, and there are at least a few thousand defenders, plus these 1 horses, it is three times the strength of my army. In order to penetrate deep into the enemy's rear, our troops are all light cavalry and plain clothes, and the food and fodder they carry is only ten days. Once you can't speed it up"

"What?" Wang Zheng glanced at Gan Ning with a half-smile, "Is Xingba timid when the battle is approaching?"

This sentence immediately aroused Gan Ning's arrogance, and he shouted unhappily: "If the lord is not here, the last general will lead the army alone, let alone 1 horses, even 5 horses, the last general will dare to give it a go!" "

"That's fine."

Wang Zheng smiled slightly when he heard the words, patted the magic sword on his waist, and said lightly: "Don't say that Wenpin has fallen into the strategy of serving filial piety, and divided his troops to help Linyuan in Dongting. The sword is in command, no matter how many tens of thousands he has, he can come and go freely, win without losing, can you believe it?"

The domineering tone of these words made Gan Ning's blood surge, and he subconsciously nodded heavily: "My lord is mighty, so I will naturally believe it!"

"Haha."

After a while, before dawn, the sentry captain came from the flank, and immediately gave a military salute to Wang Zheng, and reported: "General, five miles ahead, we will reach Tingshan Mountain. After passing this mountain, Qingtang River It's not far away."

"Well, there are enemy secret operations on this road?"

"Three batches were arrested today, with a total of 15 people. Some of them looked like civilians, some of them looked like merchants, and a few of them were quite suspicious. Because they were on the march, they couldn't identify them in time, and they didn't have time to keep them in custody, so they all killed them." Said: "Other than this, there is no other abnormality."

Compassion does not command soldiers, at this time it is natural that there will be killings and never let them go, Wang Zheng nodded slightly, and asked Gan Ning again: "Didn't you send two small teams to cross the river first to test, is there any news?"

"A copy was delivered half an hour ago, saying that everything on the other side is normal."

"Then speed up the march, rush to the river first, rest for a while, and then cross the river."

Quietly passed Tingshan Mountain, the Tianjun traveled about ten miles, and the night wind gradually became moist.After walking for a few miles, I could already hear the faint sound of the river lapping on the bank in the distance ahead.

"Order the three armies to slow down."

While looking into the distance, Wang Zheng ordered: "A person with a bell and a horse with a bell, don't let a single sound come out!" Seeing that there was still a faint light in the front line, he immediately raised his eyebrows: "Also ask the leaders in front to put out all the torches! "

With an order, thousands of light cavalry suddenly became silent. The soldiers not only extinguished the torches, but also tiptoed around, even rolled up the flags and folded them into their arms.

(End of this chapter)