Overlord!

Xu Sheng, as a Jiangdong warrior, was known for his heroic deeds and bravery against enemies. He was a fierce general who was very good at fighting tough battles.

He once defended the city with less than 1000 men. Cao Ren's tens of thousands of troops attacked the city for more than two months but could not defeat it.

But now that the offensive and defensive forces are different, Xu Sheng led a large number of elite soldiers to the city wall, and it was time for him to fight!
Xu County, as the seat of Cao's army, was too big.

A huge city is defenseless. Even if there are tens of thousands of troops, it is not suitable to defend such a city.

In the original battle of Chang'an, even if the famous general Lu Bu was forced to defend Chang'an, it fell within ten days.

Cao's army lost the confidence to go out to fight in the field, and guarded this huge city with thousands of ragtag troops. A large number of defenders were scattered on the four walls.

The defense on Xu Sheng's side was very weak. Xu Sheng fought hard and killed more than ten people, and finally gained a firm foothold on the city wall.

But before he could take a breath, Cao Ren led the remaining elites in the city and rushed over to drive him out of the city.

When enemies meet each other, they are extremely jealous.

Cao Ren roared angrily: "I will kill you here today!"

As he pointed his spear forward, the dense crowd of Cao's soldiers behind him immediately rushed forward.

Thick spears covered this city wall, and the cold blades reflected countless blood and wreckage, making people feel horrified all over.

And Xu Sheng also shouted: "The soldiers are fierce and the battle is dangerous. Now is the time for us to wait for the dead soldiers to serve the Lord of Wu! Brothers, go forward to the death, and make great achievements in this battle."

This is also the most dangerous moment to be trapped first!
Although the garrison on the city wall was thin, there were still nearly a thousand people. Under the command of Cao Ren, a large number of people surrounded and killed the more than ten dead soldiers who climbed up the city wall.

Densely dense blades came down in chaos, and the dozen or so people under Xu Sheng's command could only feel the spears coming from all directions.

And Xu Sheng was worthy of Lu Meng's high hopes for him. When other Jiangdong banners on the city wall fell one after another, his banner remained standing. Faced with siege from all directions and the enemy's blades falling, he carried it on his back. He fought bloody battles against the city wall, suffered more than ten wounds, and killed six or seven people in a row.

The dead soldiers behind him were also fighting for their lives, one after another. Even if they were killed as soon as they climbed the city wall, they were not afraid of death and attacked fiercely.

The military situation was such that they could not be allowed to retreat.

They are dead soldiers!The meaning of death warrior is that if you don't die on the front line, if you retreat, you will be beheaded immediately in public.Is it an act of loyalty to retreat in the face of battle even though you have received a huge salary to pay for your life?

These dead soldiers were the first to enter the battle, and each of them received one hundred thousand coins if he survived, and double the amount if he died in battle.At this moment, all their salarymen are gone!

The title of prince and general means that we will fight here, which is by no means an empty lie.

Under the heavy reward, there must be a brave man, and the effect is also very significant.

The front team of Xu Sheng's troops died in the battle, and the rear team followed and fought to the death. For a whole hour, Cao Jun did not immediately kill these dead soldiers who climbed onto the city.

On the contrary, these dead soldiers repelled two attacks at the cost of more than 40 deaths.

47 elite soldiers!

This casualty cost would be extremely tragic even if it were applied to the entire army.

A force of 1 people killed 47 elite black armor soldiers, and the commander had to pay attention.

So many of the 1000-man troops died in the battle, their muscles and bones were damaged, and one of their fingers was broken.

If Xu County cannot be defeated in this battle, the assessment of heavy casualties will definitely be inevitable.

Therefore, as the siege commander appointed by Sun Ce, Lu Meng personally paid attention to this place.

There are not many Jiangdong red flags still flying around the city wall, and Xu Sheng's place is undoubtedly the longest.

At the bottom of the ladder, there were not many dead soldiers waiting to attack the city, and there were still more than 50 people left.

If after these dead soldiers boarded the city, they all died in battle and still could not take down the city wall, then Lü Meng would have no elites to use in this battle. He would have to wait to regroup and then select elites to break through the enemy's defense.

The brutal siege battle lasted until noon. Sun Ce also approached the front line, looked at the city where the fierce battle was taking place, and said to Lu Meng: "No wonder the art of war since ancient times has said that attacking the heart is the top priority, and attacking the city is the bottom. How were the casualties in this battle?"

Lu Meng raised his hands with a solemn expression and replied: "More than [-] people have attacked the city, and no less than [-] have been killed. The total number of casualties may exceed [-]."

This rate of casualties has exceeded the casualties caused by hot weapons in many countries in later generations.

If the brutal siege continues until late at night, and tens of thousands of people are fighting, the number of soldiers killed may be close to 500!
In order to capture this city, Jiangdong has paid a bloody price.

Sun Ce sighed: "The soldiers are already full of flesh and blood, and they will definitely be able to capture this city. How is the progress?"

As a subordinate, what you fear most is that the monarch asks for results.

Glancing at the dozen or so Jiangdong red flags fluttering on top of the city, Lu Meng gritted his teeth and said, "We, the Jiangdong elite, have been fighting at the top of the city for nearly three hours. The enemy troops will also suffer heavy casualties! I beg the general to allow me to give the order. Riding together and attacking together, we can conquer with one drum!"

With today's bloody battle, Lu Meng believed that the defenders on the city wall had reached their limit.

At this time, Lu Meng could only gamble once. A large number of infantry and cavalry lined up from the mound and went directly to the city, trying to squeeze the defenders down!

The city wall in Xu County is very tall, more than two feet wide, and horse racing at the top of the city is definitely not a problem.

But fighting together on foot and on horseback means that if this battle is not successful, it will be a success!

If he failed to capture the city and suffered heavy losses, Lü Meng would also have to bear the responsibility.

But as long as the battle is won, no one will care how many soldiers died. The successful victory over Xu County is one of the greatest achievements of the Northern Expedition.

Sun Ce turned to look at the red flag that had been flying on the top of the city, and asked, "Is that Xu Sheng's command?"

Lu Meng nodded and replied: "Yes. This unit fought hard from early morning to noon, and nearly suffered all casualties. In my humble opinion, the enemy must have suffered heavy casualties, and it was the end of a strong crossbow. If the three armies are brave, they will be able to defeat them with one blow."

"Yes!" Sun Ce took a deep breath and said, "Since you are the governor of the city, I naturally believe in your decision. I will beat the drum myself to help you!"

The victory over Xu County in this battle was worth it even if Lu Meng died in the battle!

Sun Ce didn't want to hear how many casualties there were, he just wanted Xu County!
As long as Cao Cao is wiped out, the remaining thieves in the world will not be a problem.And conquering Xu County was the key to Cao Cao's downfall.

Hearing Sun Ce's words, Lü Meng immediately became very energetic, and he personally put on his armor and led his army to attack the city.Under the protection of his personal guards, he rode directly onto the city, with the big banner flying high on the city wall.

When the bright red flags of "Chasing the Rebellious General, Anting Marquis, and Lu" were clearly seen by everyone, the tired Jiangdong soldiers immediately became energetic.

Countless people rubbed their eyes vigorously and looked at the city in disbelief, finally confirming that their generals had already entered the battle in person!

Up and down the city wall, tens of thousands of soldiers suddenly shouted long live!

Huge cheers shook the city.

Cao Ren, who was fighting bloody battles, was also drawn to look at the enemy troops coming up from the narrow slope like a tide in the distance.

His eyes were cracked and he was furious. Even if the defenders had thousands of arrows and fired randomly at the slope from left and right, the enemy would suffer heavy casualties and collapse and flee. How could they dare to attack with such a big fanfare?
But the tragic reality is that the defenders are really at their wits end. Not to mention thousands of arrows, even hundreds of defenders Cao Ren can't get them out.

Seeing the loud beating of the opponent's drums, he could only give up Xu Sheng, who was about to kill him, and led his troops to besiege Lu Meng, who had just climbed the city wall. If he could kill the enemy general, he would be able to severely damage the enemy's morale and reverse the situation.

Under Cao Ren's order, Cao's army, which had almost collapsed, once again surrounded Lu Meng from the left and right.

But Lu Meng also showed his absolute loyalty and bravery. He held a sword in his left hand and a spear in his right hand, slashing and stabbing straight. Instead of holding on, he stormed forward, driving Cao's army back step by step.

He Lu Mengke was never a Confucian general.

A fierce general was sent to the army. Lu Meng's background could no longer be humble. At first, he was just a big-headed soldier with only a long sword. He rose to prominence because he was not afraid of death. He personally climbed the city and captured the powerful Wubao. The road to war began.

His military exploits were all achieved by himself. Before he was promoted to general, he often went into battle first and led his troops to charge.

Now he personally encourages his soldiers to move forward bravely, and his bravery may not be weaker than that of Cao Ren, the number one general in the Cao clan.

The two armies fought to the death, with rivers of blood flowing on the city walls. Finally, the war that had been fierce and anxious for several hours took a turn for the better!

Cao Ren really underestimated Xu Sheng's bravery and fearlessness. As soon as he transferred the main force, Xu Sheng immediately counterattacked bravely with the remaining ten or so dead soldiers.

Cao Jun, who was confronting him, had already regarded him as a ghost. Seeing this fierce and brave general, covered in blood, come out again like a tiger out of its cage, the frightened Cao Jun immediately ran away.

These remaining Cao troops really did not believe that they could kill this enemy general.

Especially when Xu Sheng swooped forward and stabbed to death a hundred generals of Cao's army who were out of step with their advance and retreat, causing Cao's army to completely lose their will to resist.

The defenders here collapsed, and the siege army followed and swarmed up the city in dense numbers. Instead, they surrounded Cao Ren's troops from the rear!
This was completely unacceptable to Cao Jun. Their biggest reliance on being able to defend the city before was that the enemy troops would be surrounded on the left and right if they climbed onto the city wall, with swords coming down from all sides.

Otherwise, why would they kill so many elite soldiers under Xu Sheng's command?

If there is a confrontation between the majestic formations, these one hundred soldiers may kill all Cao's troops on the entire city wall!

But now the main force of Cao's army was trapped in a dilemma of being attacked from both sides, and finally Cao's army began to collapse on a large scale.

After an hour of fierce fighting, Cao Ren was unable to escape and was killed by the formation!
At night, Jiangdong's army finally broke into the city.

This is already the critical moment for victory. Even if he fights at night, Sun Ce must win Xu County at all costs!
So Jiangdong sent tens of thousands of troops into the city, and the volunteers and bandits were mobilized in full force. The three armies raised fire like stars and were as bright as day!

Due to the extremely poor military discipline of the rebels, after pouring into the city from all sides, they set fire to the city, burned, killed and looted, committing all kinds of evil.

But the fires raging everywhere did accelerate the collapse of Cao's army. Even if the men, women, old and weak of all Cao and Xiahou clans fought desperately, they could not prevent the city from falling.

Entering the second half of the night, all resistance in Xu County was crushed.

However, numerous atrocities were also inflicted on the city. In particular, almost all the relatives of Cao Cao and the Xia princes were ravaged by bandits.

Many of Cao Cao's wives and daughters were abused by the rebels, and all of his children were killed in their infancy, including Cao Cao's beloved son Cao Zhi, who was also directly killed by the bandits.

It wasn't until dawn that Jiangdong's army took complete control of the city's treasury, arsenal, barracks and important streets. They drove out the bandits who were making trouble everywhere, and tortured and killed a group of treacherous tyrants who took advantage of the chaos. The cunning people finally restored order in the city.

After being besieged for so long and with so many casualties, it was impossible for a ragtag group of rebels and bandits to maintain military discipline as strict as Jiangdong's. They vented their anger as a way to restore morale.

Before attacking the city, Xu County's success or failure was related to the direction of the world's current situation. Sun Ce was not even sure whether he could capture the city. Everyone needed to fight hard, so naturally there was no way to restrain their military discipline.

Even with this level of venting, the bandits were still dissatisfied and complained, and even had many conflicts with the Jiangdong army who maintained order.

In order to stabilize the morale of the army and continue to fight against the main force of Cao's army, Sun Ce, like Liu Bei, ordered the city's treasury to be opened, allowing the soldiers to take it all.

As long as the soldiers did not rob the people or burn the granaries, Sun Ce allowed them to follow him and share Cao Cao's wealth.

When the sun rose in the east, order was finally restored in the city, and the three armies began to put out the fire and count the gains and losses.

Zhang Hong led his troops into the city to count the household registrations and atlases of Cao's army, while Lu Meng began to count the prisoners and punish them.

Sun Ce personally paid attention to this aspect and sent someone to ask Lu Meng about Xun Yu's whereabouts.

Soon Lu Meng sent someone to reply. Xun Yu, the chief counselor of Cao's camp, had swallowed gold and hanged himself at home after breaking the city.

Only one of his wife and daughter was humiliated by the rebel army, and the rest were captured by Jiangdong's army.

Xun Yu's death made Sun Ce very regretful, and his interest in the others in Cao Ying waned.

If Xun Yu died without swallowing the gold, it would be extremely difficult for him to avoid being punished by Ming Zhengdian, and there would be no way for others to survive.

At noon, Fenwu General Xiahou Dun, Diannong Zhonglang General Ren Jun, many of the Cao family's descendants, and more than [-] officials in the city who were captured in Cao's camp were all beheaded in the south of the city.

Surrounded and surrendered without mercy, these people relied on danger to hold on and resisted stubbornly. Naturally, they must be beheaded and punished in a canonical manner.

On the other hand, Sun Ce originally planned to select a few of Cao Cao's descendants and send them to the court, but unfortunately they were killed by the rebels.

This can be regarded as Cao Cao's retribution. He led beasts to eat people, broke coffins to expose corpses, and poisoned people and ghosts. This end can be regarded as a blessing from heaven.

Of Cao Cao's heirs, only Cao Ang and Cao Pi, who followed him in the army, remained.

The capture of Xu County means that Cao's army has completely lost the front line of Yuzhou, and his army's logistics, soldiers and families are all in the city. If Xu County is lost, the morale of his army will be chaotic!
Sun Ce left Zhang Hong to guard Xu County, and he personally led the army to march towards Chenliu, hoping to hunt with Yuan Shao in Jishui.

However, as soon as the army left Yingchuan and the news that he had captured Xu County had not reached the front line, Zhou Yu's urgent messenger arrived at Sun Ce's camp first and delivered an urgent battle report. (End of chapter)