Han Xiang

Chapter 453

Everyone was talking and laughing until the messenger finished his report.

Cao Cao's face fell down first, and the rest of the people immediately changed their smiles, and everyone showed serious expressions.

Not only did Cao Ren fail to break through Wancheng, but his eight-door golden lock array was easily broken, and he had already retreated to Bowang and waited for orders.

"Zi Xiaoyou is good at battle, and now the eight golden locks have been broken. Could it be that the villager is real?"

Before Cao Cao could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped talking, and asked the messenger eagerly, "Is it true that Zhuge Liang is using troops in Wancheng?"

"General Zixiao asked questions before the battle, but neither the soldiers in the city nor the city responded. General Zixiao is still sending people to investigate. I believe there will be results soon."

"Understood, let's go down."

"only."

The more unknown something is, the more people feel that there is no bottom line.

Zhuge Liang was boasted to be amazing before, and now there are some masters in Wancheng who defeated Zhang He and Cao Ren. Cao Cao felt more and more uneasy, thinking that he hadn't paid attention to Liu Bei for a long time, why would he become so stubborn again?
While Cao Cao was thinking, Cao Xiu muttered to himself:

"Zixiao's eight-door golden lock formation is infinitely varied. He has rarely shown it in battles these years. Zhuge Liang breaks the formation so easily, is it really a genius in the world?"

"I guess it must not be Zhuge Liang."

Xia Houyuan's casual response brought the pensive Cao Cao back to reality.

"Tell me."

"Forehead"

Xia Houyuan looked surprised, he swallowed, and replied seriously: "The meaning of the last general. Then Zhuge Liang compared himself to wind music in a thatched hut, and now he broke Zixiao's eight-door golden lock formation, he should be very proud to show off his talent." Yes, it shouldn't be hidden"

"Makes sense."

Before Xia Houyuan could finish speaking, Cao Cao interrupted the affirmation, and then frowned again: "Since it's not Zhuge Liang, and Liu Ye and Guan Yu have both gone to Wudang, who can Liu Bei keep in Wancheng?"

"The sergeant Shicai has something to say, Zhao Yun personally led the troops into the army formation, could it be that Zhao Yun broke Wancheng alone without anyone else?" Seeing Cao Cao shaking his head, Xia Houyuan became more and more confident, and his voice became smaller and smaller.

"I asked someone to check Zhao Yun. He is Liu Bei's general in Hebei. Although he has the ability to lead a battle, he has no ability to take charge of one side. Moreover, he is not qualified enough now. How can he take charge of the military affairs of Wancheng alone on behalf of Guan Yu? I'm afraid Neither Shi Ren nor Yuan Chen can command."

After Cao Cao finished speaking, he turned to Guo Jia. At this time, he still had to rely on his brains.

Guo Jia clapped his hands and replied: "In recent years of wars in the Central Plains, many people have sought refuge in Jingzhou, and Liu Biao is running a school in Xiangyang. Zhuge Liang is not the only talented person in Jingzhou. Liu Bei may also invite other capable people."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about." Cao Cao affirmed, stroked his beard.

Guo Jia nodded and added: "Sun Tzu said, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be imperiled in a hundred battles'. Now that Yuan Shao hasn't caught the trick, why don't Minggong go and see for himself? Anyway, Kunyang is not far from Wancheng. No matter Zhuge Liang or Zhuge Dark, we must find out the truth. It's a good way to deal with it."

"I do too."

After Cao Cao said he would not stay in Kunyang, he immediately led his troops to Bowang.

The army marched to Duyang intending to rest their horses, but they saw the gates of the city wide open and the streets empty, not to mention the county officials coming out to meet them, not even a watchman in the city.

After autumn, the weather is still sweltering.

Cao Cao walked for most of the day with dry mouth and tongue. Seeing this situation, he couldn't help but be suspicious of Zhuma, and ordered people to go to the city to inquire.

After a while, the scouts returned.

Bringing the news that the people in Duyang had been evacuated, Cao Cao immediately thought of Cao Ren's previous military report, and thought that Cao Zixiao had successfully recovered Bowang and Duyang.

What's the use of taking back a county without people?

Seeing Cao Cao's eyebrows raised, Guo Jia immediately guessed what Cao Cao was thinking, and quickly cupped his hands and advised, "Duyangli Bowang will have to march for half a day, and it will be dark in two hours, why not just rest here for the night?"

Cao Cao responded with a stern face: "Guan Yu had a precedent of plundering people last year. I didn't expect this mysterious person to be more ruthless than Guan Yu, and he moved away all the people in Duyang. I am worried that Bowang will be the same as Duyang. The more people we go to Going to the front line will increase the pressure on the transportation of military rations. It was originally a feint to attack Nanyang, and I don’t want to recruit civilians at this time.”

"What Duke Ming said is very true."

Guo Jia nodded in agreement first, and then made a suggestion: "Our feigned attack is for Yuan Shao to see. In fact, it is enough to come to Duyang, so that people can go to Bowang to understand the situation, and it will not be too late to find out about the defender of Wancheng. Ruo Ming My father came to the front line and was noticed by the enemy. If Liu Biao and Liu Bei dispatched a large army to resist, it would affect the plan to capture Hebei."

"Ah."

Cao Cao's face eased a little, he then ordered troops to enter the city, called Xia Houyuan and Xu Huang, and said: "Judging from Duyang's current situation, the enemy of Wancheng is a hard stubble, and Zi Xiaochao is not in Bowang. Meaning, you lead your troops to respond, if Bowang is also looted, and Zixiao discovers the situation in Wancheng, let him withdraw his troops, and if he wants to be stationed, he should also be stationed in Ye County."

"Wei." Xia Houyuan and Xu Huang responded in unison.

They each led a battalion of soldiers and horses, and rushed to Bowang overnight to meet Cao Ren.

The situation in Bowang was exactly as Cao Cao thought. Apart from Cao Ren's several thousand cavalry, there were no civilians in the city, and there was not even a single wild dog left in the city.

Welcoming Xia Houyuan and Xu Huang into the Bowang County Government, Cao Ren took the chair and began to introduce them.

"The opponent I met this time is more hateful than Liu Beijun in Runan. They evacuated the two counties of Bowang and Duyang, leaving the two hundred miles between Ye County and Wancheng uninhabited. No, this is not a good thing for attacking Jingzhou in the future."

"If it's too far away, I won't talk about it."

Xia Houyuan shook his head slightly. After speaking to Cao Ren, he looked at Zhang Yun again, and said meaningfully: "Zixiao and Junyi have run into walls in Wancheng one after another. Is it really the Zhuge villager who is causing trouble?"

"Zhuge Liang? No."

Cao Ren's tone was firm, and then he sighed: "According to what I've found in the past two days, the person in charge of Wancheng is named Xu Shu, who seems to be Liu Beibai's military advisor, and it's this person who broke my eight-door Golden Lock Formation."

"Xu Shu? Never heard of it."

After Xia Houyuan finished speaking, he looked at Xu Huang, who was even more dazed.

Cao Ren echoed: "It's the first time I've heard that my lord has asked you two to come. Do you have any new instructions?"

"My lord's intention is in Hebei. The attack on Wancheng is just a feigned attack. Bowang has no supplies in the empty city. We are going to take Zixiao back and find out about the situation in Wancheng by the way." Xia Houyuan clasped his fists and told the truth.

Cao Ren nodded and responded, "Since we've found out it's Xu Shu, shall we go back tomorrow morning?"

"It's hard to come here, do you want to be more cautious?" Xia Houyuan suddenly looked at Xu Huang, as if asking for advice.

Seeing this, Xu Huang was flattered, and said to himself that you and General Cao agreed, what can I say as an outsider?But he did have ideas in his heart.

After thinking about it again and again, Xu Huang clasped his fists and replied: "The final general will be arranged by you and General Cao, but if my lord asked us to bring troops to Bowang, would there be any other meaning? General Cao brought cavalry, which is not necessary at all. Send us to pick it up, just send a rider to notify."

(End of this chapter)