Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3217 What is the purpose of escaping?

 Jinyang.

Huang Cheng had been to Jinyang before, but that once prosperous and majestic city was now in ruins.

On the city wall, bricks and stones are scattered, and among the broken walls and ruins, the scenery of the past is gone.

The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder smoke and scorched earth, as if it also echoed with the lingering sound of war drums and the neighing of cavalry.

 On both sides of the street, the remains of shops are scattered on the ground, wooden beams are broken, and tiles are broken. The once bustling and lively scene has been reduced to ashes.

Although most of the corpses have been cleared under the city walls, in the city gates, and on the streets, the blood-stained soil and bricks still seem to tell the cruelty and ruthlessness of war.

In the city streets, there are sounds of crying and mourning from time to time, which makes people feel the heart-rending pain contained in them.

　　It takes at least ten years for a person to grow from birth to adulthood, from toddler to strong running. However, under the sword and gun, it may only take a moment to be destroyed.

Huang Cheng sighed slightly.

 Fortunately, the hussar soldiers insisted on not killing the people of Jinyang on the city wall, and now they have received some rewards. After the defeat of Cao's army, although Jinyang City was in dilapidated condition, the restoration of overall order had begun to be carried out in an arduous and orderly manner.

 Among the ruins, some people were grieving and pulling bricks and wood that could continue to be used.

 Under the broken eaves and broken walls on both sides of the street, temporary sheds began to be built using half of the walls.

Under the corner, a simple stove surrounded by a few bricks and stones is cooking gruel, providing a little warmth to the people whose homes have been destroyed.

On the streets far away from the battle and with less damage, shops opened their doors one after another. Even if there were not many goods in the shops, they seemed to be using this method to make the streets and the market more vulnerable. The square has regained some vitality.

Hussars also began to patrol the city to ensure the safety and stability of the city.

However, it is clear that the wounds of war cannot be healed overnight.

 Many families have lost loved ones, and their hearts are still filled with grief and sadness.

Huang Cheng doesn’t expect to be able to restore everything in Jinyang in a short time, but at least he can reduce their pain in the process and help them forget the pain as much as possible...

At the crossroads of the central street, on a platform simply made of stone and wood, there were not only a few loud-voiced hussar soldiers, who were loudly preaching the "in and out" of the battle, but also guiding the suffering people. Register and distribute living allowances.

Many people are ignorant, but even the most ignorant people still have emotions. They couldn't tell the difference between what Cao Jun said and what the Hussars said about righteousness, but they could tell which side had heavier supplies in their hands. They really just want a simple life, but even such a simple wish is still a very difficult thing in troubled times.

 Huang Cheng arrived at the inner city of the city.

Several soldiers were at the gate of the government office, picking up the military flags and various arrangements left by Cao's army before, and cleaning up the remaining waste. When they saw Huang Cheng and his party, they immediately backed away.

Huang Cheng dismounted, nodded slightly at the soldiers, and walked inside.

Fei Qian’s attitude towards soldiers also affected Huang Cheng and other generals who were relatively close to Fei Qian.

Hence, even if Huang Cheng can't be said to love soldiers as much as his sons, at least he won't be unruly and beat or scold him at will.

Sitting in the hall, Huang Cheng frowned and thought for a moment, then ordered the leader of the Baishi Qiang to come...

 Yesterday’s battle in Jinyang City had its merits and shortcomings.

 In one day, they captured Jinyang's majestic city and forced Xiahou Dun to retreat. This is enough to write a colorful chapter in the history of Qing Dynasty.

 The power of artillery was also fully demonstrated in this attack.

 The original offensive and defensive structure of the Han Dynasty underwent earth-shaking changes after the emergence of artillery.

 Offense and defense in war are like spears and shields.

Originally, the city wall was an indestructible shield for most cold weapons, but in front of artillery, this shield lost its shielding effect, and this was not the end of hot weapons, and this new change would also Produce more tactical changes...

 This change also caused Huang Cheng to make mistakes in this battle.

Perhaps it was because Huang Cheng focused his main attention on Jinyang City, or perhaps because Huang Cheng was still unable to adapt to the huge changes brought about by artillery, so that Huang Cheng himself could not imagine that he could do it in one day. The city could be breached within a few seconds, making Xiahou somewhat unprepared when he fled.

Huang Cheng originally arranged for Bai Shiqiang to roam outside. One of the purposes was to maintain the transparency of the battlefield, and the other was to prevent Bai Shiqiang's people from disrupting his offensive rhythm and harming the people in the city. Unexpectedly, Jinyang City was defeated. It went so fast that Huang Cheng's originally prepared follow-up troops were not used for the second wave of attacks...

As a result, when Xiahou Cheng appeared on the battlefield wearing a golden helmet, Bai Shiqiang, who basically didn't know Xiahou Dun, mistook Xiahou Cheng for Xiahou Dun, which triggered a large army to pursue Xiahou Cheng, causing Xiahou Dun to finally escape in the chaos. .

 This is Bai Shiqiang's problem, but it is also Huang Cheng's problem.

It is the responsibility of the Qiang and Hu to guard the outside, cover the battlefield, and roam around the periphery. Obviously, when facing Xiahou Dun's golden cicada, Bai Shiqiang fell into the trap, which also affected the hussars and horses under Huang Cheng.

The leader of Baishi Qiang came with a look of shame on his face.

He knew that something was wrong with his men. Although he cut off Xiahou Cheng's head, he let the bigger fish escape, which led to mistakes in the Battle of Jinyang, which Huang Cheng might have achieved great success.

Even this flaw was not something he wanted or caused on his own initiative, but it was also caused by his subordinates...

 ‘General…’ The leader of Baishi Qiang didn’t know what to say, ‘This…’

　　"This matter..." Huang Cheng waved his hand, "I don't blame you. Sit down. 』

 To be honest, Huang Cheng also wanted to abandon everything in Jinyang right now, and then go after Xiahou Dun who had escaped.

 But he couldn't do that.

If this were replaced by a greedy and dissatisfied general, I would definitely want them all, not only to ensure the recovery of Jinyang, but also to appease the surrounding people, to capture and kill Xiahou Dun, and by the way, to further conquer Fukou Xing...

Huang Cheng closed his eyes and thought about what General Fei Qian would do in this situation?

 After a moment of silence, Huang Cheng decided that he should do the things in front of him first.

Bai Shiqiang's combat effectiveness is not too strong. It can be said that the combat effectiveness of most Hu Qi today is closely related to their leader. For example, when the leader is Maodun Tan Shihuai, he is extremely powerful, but once he changes If he becomes the leader of the Baishi Qiang whose name Mahou even forgot, then he is really a bunch of weaklings. Being able to achieve what he is now can be regarded as having the bonus of fighting in the local area.

I want the Baishiqiang people to chase and kill them all the way along Fukouxing...

“Chief, I have a question, have you noticed it? Huang Cheng said slowly, "You have warriors under your command, but... there are not many warriors. Most of them are relatively... ordinary, right?" 』

The leader of Baishi Qiang felt a thump in his heart and quickly wanted to explain, "General... I... my sons and sons are all good..."

"Don't panic," Huang Cheng said slowly, trying his best to remember and imitate Fei Qian's tone and tone, "This is not an accusation, but a fact... The level of the people under your command is actually very different. ...are you right? The same is true for our previous soldiers. The good ones are very good, but there are also many that are relatively poor... When a fight begins, they bravely rush to the front, but the ones behind them often cannot keep up. What's the result..."

 ‘Uh…’ The leader of Baishi Qiang didn’t know what to say.

Can he say that he brought his whole family here just to get a few more bowls of rice?

But if you dare to brag and say that one is worth a hundred... Well, a warrior who is worth ten is just to wander around the camp. What kind of warriors can those old-fashioned people who can't even wield a knife and the little cubs who are waiting for food be considered? past and future?

“There is a difference between who is good at what he does...” Huang Cheng continued, “There is nothing wrong with brave people going to war, but what will happen if timid people go to fight too? Just like in Jinyang City, there are so many people inside, are they all brave? When a timid person encounters Cao Jun, he will definitely hide aside. But when a brave person sees a timid person hiding aside, will he still rush forward? 』

Huang Cheng looked at the Baishi Qiang leader and said, "That's the problem." Originally, when Cao Jun was escaping, as long as a few people blocked Cao Jun first, Cao Jun would not be able to escape. But what would most people do? I will follow the warriors in front to see what they do, and then they will follow suit..."

The leader of the Baishi Qiang brought so many people, old and young, in large numbers, which seemed very majestic, but in fact there were not many that could be defeated, and most of them were ordinary herdsmen.

 Huang Cheng knew why Bai Shiqiang did this. After all, when he came, he could eat Huang Cheng's food, at least some of the rations were indispensable. If you can eat more yellow food, you can naturally save some of your own food. But letting these Baishiqiang eat and drink together is obviously not what Huang Cheng wants.

The leader of Baishi Qiang couldn't help but nodded when he heard this, "The general is right!" What do I do now? 』

　　　『You separate the brave from the timid! Huang Cheng slashed with his hand, "The brave ones should fight!" For those who are timid, let them herd! In this way, no matter which side you are on, no one will complain about you, and you will be able to maximize your effectiveness! You do this now. I hope that before the sun rises tomorrow, you can prepare brave men to pursue Cao Jun with my soldiers! 』

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Separate? ”The leader of Baishi Qiang hesitated.

Huang Cheng's words seemed to make sense, but the leader of Baishi Qiang vaguely felt that something was wrong. He is actually more like a businessman than a warrior or a tribal leader. Although there were a lot of men and horses this time, they did not have much organizational discipline and their combat effectiveness was low. They were defeated by Xiahou Dun once before in Erhu Village, and this time they were broken through by Cao Jun outside Jinyang City...

Huang Cheng nodded, "Although spring came later this year and the weather is not good, we still have to take care of the pasture at home, right?" No matter how great your achievements are, they are only temporary, but those big and small guys in your family are the ones who will last forever, right? 』

"right! The general is right! "The leader of Baishi Qiang couldn't figure out what was wrong with Huang Cheng's words, so after thinking for a moment, he nodded in agreement, and then said a little embarrassedly, "General, then... this, this first-level achievement... Huang Cheng laughed loudly, "This feat is indispensable!" You can go to the military merit officer tomorrow to check your merits... However, I suggest you select some warriors first. After all, there are greater merits waiting for you. If you go late, you will really run away! Are you right? 』

"right! right! The general is right! ” The leader of Baishi Qiang slapped his thigh, “I’ll do it right now!” 』

"good! ” Huang Cheng said, stroking his palms, “Tomorrow we will gather together and hunt down the thieves with elite soldiers and warriors! Great work! 』

 …

 …

 Cao Jun camped at Zhongtiao Mountain.

On the desk in front of Cao Cao, there was a map of Hedong counties, in which the mountains, rivers, roads and cities were quite detailed.

However, most of the Han atlas have the same problem, that is, they have a somewhat freehand style.

From the perspective of a work of art, these maps are quite good. The mountains and rivers are folded, the rivers are smooth, the compositions are simple and generous, the lines are integrated, and there are even some details in the patterns that reflect the exquisite skills of the painters.

It’s a pity, if only this wasn’t an atlas for marching and fighting...

It is not that the information about Hussars General Fei Qian's use of the sand table has not spread to Shandong, but it is extremely difficult to do such a seemingly small thing as the sand table...

These are two completely different concepts, from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. Because there is no foundation in this area in Shandong, it is very difficult to follow up. In most cases, Cao Cao still has to use this old Han method. Tu Yu came to fight.

Cao Cao raised his hands and played with the war chess, arranging the beautifully carved infantry, horses, and camps one by one on the Hedong Basin.

With each step he advanced, he moved the camp forward.

 This is a "step by step" strategy, which Cao Cao had discussed with Guo Jia before setting off for the expedition.

Cavalry is flexible and changeable, but it is obviously impossible for infantry to keep up with the pace of cavalry. Rather than chasing for their lives, it is better to stay step by step.

 In history, this is how Lao Cao dealt with the Xiliang cavalry...

It's just that in Cao Cao's heart, he was not as calm as he seemed on the surface.

He stared at the desk, looking at Hedong, but thinking about Shandong.

 The sycamore tree at home has begun to shake.

Cao Cao originally thought he could hold on. After all, he was the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people.

Even if there are some people in Shandong who want to cause trouble, as long as the war is over, the great power of throwing heaven will be enough to cover up all the merits and demerits.

But the problem is here, Cao Cao needs "a great achievement", and other people in Shandong may not want such a "great achievement" from Cao Cao...

What's more, now that the great success has not been achieved, the backyard is already a little uneasy.

 Two days ago, Cao Cao got some gossip...

In Shandong, some people are secretly uniting to make trouble in the name of Cao Cao's prolonged war and the fatigue of the people. On the surface, it is similar to causing some kind of natural disaster, and then in accordance with tradition, they will remove the three princes...

 But the actual signs still point to Cao Cao.

 This title is of course very magnanimous, after all, this is the tradition of the Han Dynasty.

The natural disaster is the fault of the Three Dukes, not to mention that as long as everything is sacrificed, it is for the people of the Han Dynasty, everything is for the sake of the Han Dynasty, everything is for the future of the Han Dynasty...

With all three, as long as you shout, then you are righteous.

Lao Cao squinted his eyes.

He himself has often said this before. Although the specific words may be slightly different, the meanings are similar. But he didn't expect that it would be his turn today.

　　I was too soft-handed and allowed these guys to live too comfortably.

Lao Cao gritted his teeth.

Thinking again of the silence of the gentry disciples in Hedong Pass here in Fei Qian, Cao Cao suddenly felt uncomfortable in his heart.

 Perhaps, it’s not quiet either?

 Should we continue to persecute the gentry in Hedong?

 Should Guo Jia’s strategy continue?

Damn, I’m so enviable...

However, if Cao Cao was asked to choose again, Cao Cao would still choose to be in Shandong instead of raising troops in the north like Fei Qian.

Envy is envy, even if Cao Cao had to do it, he still couldn't do it like Fei Qian did.

 The world war is not something anyone is qualified to play.

Cao Cao frowned slightly. The three major battlefields are not going well now, and there are cats and dogs jumping up and down in the backyard, which is disturbing people's thoughts.

Now that the battle is going like this, Cao Cao seems to be unable to spare any effort to deal with these guys, and these guys also take this opportunity to disgust Cao Cao.

If Cao Cao wins, they will come up to please Cao Cao as if nothing happened. On the contrary, if Cao Cao loses, it will definitely be a storm...

 Where there is power, there is politics.

If we comprehensively analyze this big battle today, all political situations are unfavorable to Cao's army.

 In the court, there was intrigue and intrigue.

 In the battlefield, the soldiers were exhausted.

 However, all these disadvantages boil down to one point, which is victory.

As long as we can win, we can rely on victory on the battlefield to suppress all remaining political crises...

 Are good days easy to come by in this world?

　　『Report! Jingzhou expedited for 800 miles! 』

Outside the big tent, there were sudden sounds of rapid footsteps, and then a voice interrupted Cao Cao's thoughts.

Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat and his face remained calm, "Bring it in!" 』

 The guard received the urgent report and entered the account.

"read. 』

The guard responded, opened the emergency report, looked down, and was stunned, but he did not dare to delay, and whispered: "The Sichuan-Shu army defeated Jiangdong in Yufu... Jiangdong fled all the way to Jiangling... Sichuan-Shu sent generals Xu Gongming led more than 10,000 naval troops to counterattack...Jiangdong General asked the Prime Minister for reinforcements..."

 He spoke very slowly and shook his head subconsciously, suspecting that he was dreaming.

 But he knew this was not a dream.

Cao Cao looked gloomy and remained silent.

 The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly became gloomy, like an invisible boulder weighing down people who couldn't even lift their heads.

　　　『Preaching filial piety, Gongren came to discuss matters. 』

 Cao Cao ordered.

The guard responded, took a deep breath, turned around and hurried out.