Overlord!

Chapter 292
It was surprising enough that Zhou Yu sent messengers hundreds of miles to rush to deliver military information. What surprised Sun Ce even more was that the envoy he sent was actually Zhuge Jin!

This is Sun Ce's envoy to Yuan Shao's camp!Just like Zhuge Liang in the Battle of Chibi, he suddenly ran back from Soochow, which was enough to shock his own side no matter what.

Sun Ce also looked solemn when he saw him, and asked: "Why did Ziyu return to the army at this time? Could it be that the war ahead has changed?"

This was unimaginable to Sun Ce. Both Yuan and Cao's armies had about 8 troops. Even if Cao's army was smaller, it would not be less than [-].

A war of this level, and both sides are famous generals in the world, should be undecided for many years.

Xu Huang led Jiangdong's elite troops to attack Cao Ren with more than [-] men. However, he only won in three days when Cao Ren's troops rebelled.

But that's a battle!Both armies were fiercely attacking each other.

Yuan Cao was defending the territory with a large number of forts and fortifications. It was really difficult for him to suffer a large-scale defeat, not to mention that the morale of Cao's army had been shaken by the rear.

Under this situation, Sun Ce really couldn't imagine how Yuan Shao could lose?
Zhuge Jin did not dare to delay, and immediately and solemnly handed over his hands and replied: "General, there is indeed a huge change on the front line of Yuan Cao's confrontation, which may affect the direction of the entire world. It is difficult for me to say what the situation will be like at this time. I can report it to the general under the stars at night, and I hope he will make a clear decision. There are two pieces of news on the front line, one good and one bad."

In the past, Sun Ce would have heard the good news first.

But today is related to the direction of the world's current situation. Sun Ce must know any adverse changes and make arrangements in advance to prevent them.

"The bad news first."

"The bad news is that Cao Cao personally brought more than [-] elite infantry and cavalry, defeated Yuan's general Han Meng and more than [-] defenders at the front line of Pucheng, burned nearly a million stones of Yuan's food and grass, and Yuan's frontline supplies were almost exhausted."

Sun Ce frowned. These generals appointed by Yuan Shao were really embarrassing for them!

Tens of thousands of defenders were actually defeated by Cao Jun's five thousand elites. Even if these elites selected by Cao Jun were veterans of many battles, it would not be impossible for Yuan Jun to hold on for even a day, and reinforcements could not wait!

Sun Ce asked: "Such a military important town was attacked by Cao's army. Wouldn't Yuan Shao send reinforcements?"

Zhuge Jin sighed and said: "Sent. Of course we did. There were many far-sighted counselors in Yuan's camp who urged Yuan Shao to send troops for rescue. Yuan Shao then sent Jiang Qi and led [-] troops to rescue, but he also wanted to help Cao Cao. Defeated."

It would be better not to send reinforcements!It would be even more embarrassing to send.

The [-]-strong army was defeated by Cao's [-] elite troops. As the Hebei counselors said, the northern troops were numerous but not as effective as the southern troops.

The situation was already like this, and Sun Ce had no time to sigh, and then asked: "What is the good news?"

"The good news is that there are still hundreds of thousands of stones of grain and grass in the rear of Yuan's army, which are divided into Puyang and Yangping areas. The grain and grass can be transported within a few days. So Yuan Shao ordered his generals Zhang He and Gao Lan to storm Cao's main camp. Cao's main camp was already there With less than [-] soldiers and [-] out of [-] injured, the main force was taken away by Cao Cao. Gao Lan and Zhang He attacked fiercely for nearly a day and night and successfully defeated Cao Jun's camp."

After Zhuge Jin finished speaking, Jia Xu hurriedly walked into the camp.

Regarding the situation, Jia Xu immediately said hastily: "What kind of good news is this? This is obviously bad news! In this case, Cao's army will be defeated. And it was defeated by Yuan Shao with one force. Yuan Shao will be famous for this. In less than a year, we will We will fight again soon!"

"Moreover, Cao Cao's nearly 4-strong army was divided into two groups, the east and west, with [-] and [-] men each. If they have not found their homes, they may eventually cause disaster and become a serious concern for us."

Sun Ce also quickly realized that it was natural that Cao Cao would be defeated in this battle!Jiangdong's civil and military ministers, talents and heroes never doubted that they would eventually win this battle.

Sun Ce was convinced of this from the moment he launched his Northern Expedition.

Historically, Cao Cao was able to win the Battle of Guandu. Although it was a matter of luck. He encountered two rebel generals in Yuan's camp one after another, and Yuan Shao frequently made mistakes. But in the final analysis, he was not far behind Yuan Shao in terms of strength.

Yuan Shao nominally owned four states in Hebei, but he only occupied the southern part of Youzhou, and Bingzhou had already been invaded by Zahu. At the time of the Han Dynasty, there were only one or two counties under his control. Yuan Shao Even if he exerts his might, he can only occupy Shangdang and Taiyuan. The other places of Jiuyuan, Shuofang, Hexi, Dingxiang, etc. have nothing to do with him.This place has disappeared since Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty was still on the throne.

Therefore, the only places where Yuan Shao could provide strength were Jizhou and Qingzhou, and millions of Yellow Turbans from Qingzhou fled to Yanzhou, making Cao Cao not much weaker than Yuan Shao.He also has the princes of the four states of Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Xuzhou and Sili.

The population of Yan, Yu, and Xu declined because of his massacre and cruelty. He was weak and could not belong to others.

Under such circumstances, he was lucky enough to win the Battle of Guandu, which is actually nothing to be commended for.

It can only be said that Cao Cao was blessed with good luck.

But now the rise of Sun Ce has greatly interfered with the situation in the Central Plains.

Especially since Sun Ce did not die at the hands of the assassins, the Southern Army launched the Northern Expedition with all its strength.

Cao Cao actually used Yanzhou and Yuzhou to fight against the eight states of You, Bing, Ji, Qing, Xu, Jing, Yang, and Jiao!

However, Yanzhou was ruined and rebellion broke out in Yuzhou, forcing Cao Cao to divide his troops to guard various places to resist the rebellion.

This can be regarded as Cao Cao using the land of one state to fight against the country of nine states.

The whole world is turbulent, and they want to kill Cao Cao in this battle.Then Cao Cao's defeat is doomed!

He used the land of the four states to fight against Yuan Shao, and their strength was roughly equal, so he could win by chance.

But he was pitting one state against the world. The disparity in strength and power meant that even if he accumulated a series of small victories, he could not reverse the situation.

To win with more is the principle of military strategists since ancient times.

Cao Cao's repeated victories are not enough to turn things around, but one defeat will cause disaster!

This situation is vividly demonstrated in this battle. Yuan Shao's huge strategic advantage allows him to have a very high fault tolerance rate in tactics. Even if he fails again and again, he can still maintain a strategic offensive posture and not be completely defeated.

Especially after recuperating for nearly two years, his troops and food and grass were very abundant. Cao Cao could burn hundreds of thousands of Yuan's army's food and grass, and Yuan's army could still have supplies shipped up.

But if Cao Cao loses once, he loses everything.

Because he had no room for retreat, his central army camp was breached, and the army could not even retreat to regroup.

Because the army of the Jiangbei Expedition has approached the front line where he and Yuan Shao are fighting!
His left and right armies were in panic and were attacked by Yuan and Sun's armies. They would collapse in an instant, and the troops fleeing south would be completely dispersed.

However, Sun Ce thought he would defeat Cao Cao, but he did not expect to defeat Cao Cao under such circumstances.

Instead of rebelling, the generals of Yuan camp, Zhang He and Gao Lan, fought desperately and defeated Cao Jun's main camp in one battle.But under the current situation, the coalition forces of Yuan and Sun had an overwhelming advantage. Cao's army was destined to be defeated. Even the emperor did not dare to send troops, let alone the two Hebei generals?How could they give up their advantage and surrender to Cao?
Sun Ce looked at the map, his eyes narrowed slightly, and said: "After all, the emperor does not have the courage to revitalize the country! If he decisively sends troops to Hanoi, causing Yuan Shao to rush back for reinforcements, when the army is defeated, and we can defeat Cao Cao and cut off supplies, the world will be ruined. It can be established!"

With Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang's two-pronged advance, Cao Jun's supplies were almost completely cut off.

Under the current situation, the most favorable situation for Jiangdong is undoubtedly that Yuan defeats Cao Sheng, and then Jiangdong's Northern Expedition army defeats Cao Cao and cleans up the mess.

Then Sun Ce will use the power of victory to wipe out the world in one fell swoop.

It's a pity that the emperor is not a time traveler after all, and he doesn't have the courage to make such a desperate move.

Most of the officials in the imperial court are conservative and decadent. They can only live a good life and are very afraid of taking the initiative to change.Not to mention having the courage to use oneself as a yardstick to participate in this chess game where the world belongs.

Therefore, the situation actually developed as Sun Ce expected. The imperial army gathered in Hanoi and seemed to have the intention of watching the provocation and taking action.But the imperial court did not have the courage to make the Northern Expedition, and ultimately missed the opportunity.As a result, Yuan Shao will become a powerful force sweeping the world.

Jia Xu continued: "General, in my humble opinion, Cao Cao's defeat is inevitable at this time. The small area left behind is not enough to support his army. The general should quickly send envoys with chariots and horses to welcome him and accept him as a vassal." . Otherwise, if he joins others, he will eventually become a big trouble for me."

"Become attached to others?" Sun Ce asked in surprise, "What does Jia Qing mean by this?"

Jia Xu strode to the front of the map, pointed to the western part of the map, and said: "Yuan Shao's army has broken through the center of Cao's army and divided Cao Cao's army into two parts. Cao Cao's left part is connected to the Yellow River above and Henan to the west. It has not yet been defeated. You know!"

Still unknown!

In other words, besides surrendering to Sun Ce and Yuan Shao, Cao Cao had other places to go!

Sun Ce suddenly came to his senses and asked, "What does Jia Qing mean by his words, is that Cao Cao may lead his troops to join the emperor?"

With Yuan Shao's petition against Cao Cao and the long-lasting blood feud with Yuan Cao, Cao Cao certainly wouldn't dare to bet on the outcome after he surrendered to Yuan Shao.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, these princes were a little less ambitious. When Cao Cao fought with Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao for Yanzhou, he wiped out all three tribes who had grown up and were old friends!
He used himself to save others, even if he did, he would not dare to surrender to Yuan Shao.

Including Sun Ce, he also felt that if Cao Cao surrendered, Yuan Shao would most likely use his head to increase his power.

Therefore, if Cao Cao does not lead his troops south and return to Sun Ce, he will have no choice but to march west and join the emperor!It just so happened that his left army was also within easy reach of Henan.

After going around in circles, history has returned to its right track. Cao Cao may have met the fate of obeying the emperor's orders and disobeying him again.

With Cao Cao's cunning, he could still gain control of the government even if he fought for political power, not to mention that he brought tens of thousands of troops to surrender.

Jia Xu immediately nodded and said: "I am deeply worried about this. If Cao Cao and Liu Bei both lead their armies to defend Guanxi, the emperor will have no less than [-] people. They have the danger of tiger prisons, the wealth of Guanzhong, and the elite soldiers." If he is fierce, he will eventually dominate Guanxi. But Liu Zhang is secretly weak, and it may be difficult for him to disobey the imperial order. If Yizhou returns to the imperial court, Guanxi will gain strength."

Sun Ce secretly took a breath, good fellow, these Cao Wei are going to become the Western Wei!
Sun Ce remembered that Yuwentai of the Western Wei Dynasty seemed to have implemented the land equalization system, established the Guanlong military group, and then dominated the world.

This is really similar to Cao Cao. It depends on whether Cao Cao should cultivate the land to equalize it.

Guanzhong has a unique advantage in equalizing land. There is a large amount of abandoned land in the area. As long as a hundred acres of land are given to the refugees, it will soon be restored to life.

Sun Ce regretted not taking Zhang Hong's advice. Zhang Hong and Xun Yu both advised him to accept Cao Cao as a vassal. Unfortunately, he was deeply influenced by the ideas of later generations and was unable to do so.

Xu County has been conquered, and Cao Cao's three clans have been almost wiped out. In this case, even if he sends chariots and horses to greet Cao Cao, the possibility of him joining is slim.

Sending envoys over at this time can only be regarded as a way to remedy the situation.

Sun Ce immediately made a decision and said: "Quick horse to send a message to Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, asking them to march with all their strength to seize Yanzhou counties. Then send envoys to Cao's army camp to welcome him back south."

If Cao Cao is willing to surrender, Sun Ce will not hesitate to lend him Chenliu, Jiyin, and Changyi to support his troops and raise food and grass.

Sun Quan lent Jingzhou to Liu Bei, and he lent Yanzhou to Cao Cao!

Here, Sun Ce ordered the envoys to report quickly, and at the same time personally asked the army to march north with all its strength.

While walking on the road, messengers from all directions came quickly to report.

The effect of Zhang He and Gao Lan's victory over Cao Cao's camp has quickly emerged, and people with insight have already seen that Cao Cao's defeat is inevitable.

First, the officials in Cao's camp near the battlefield surrendered to Yuan Shao in large numbers.

Long before Yuan Shao went south, these people were afraid of Yuan Shao's power and secretly offered letters of surrender.

Now that Cao Cao's main camp was defeated and his army was divided into two, the situation was over. These people immediately surrendered. Jiyin, Jibei, and Dongping counties all surrendered their cities to Yuan's camp.

Even the prefect of Chenliu wanted to join Yuan Shao, but Zhou Yu made a decision immediately. He abandoned the army's baggage and led more than [-] light cavalry. He doubled his advance and rushed into the panicked Chenliu city and took control of the Chenliu prefecture.

Lu Qian and others who were confronting Zhuge Liang directly led their troops to surrender, allowing Zhuge Liang to quickly seize Dingtao, the seat of Jiyin County.

Not long after Zhuge Liang's army entered the city, Yuan Jun's soldiers rushed outside the city and asked Jiangdong's army to withdraw from Yanzhou.

A fight broke out between the two sides, and Wei Yan immediately took action and beheaded the general of Yuan's army.

Since the two sides are still allies, it is naturally impossible to launch a battle formation and fight in a majestic formation.

Therefore, whoever is more ruthless and can kill the enemy general more decisively will have the advantage.

The leader of Yuan's army was beheaded, and the three armies were shocked and forced to retreat for more than ten miles to wait for the general's order.

This is of great strategic significance, otherwise Wei Yan would not have taken the huge risk to directly kill the allied generals.

The withdrawal of Yuan's army from Dingtao means that Jiangdong's army has stationed on the Jishui line. In the future, the boundaries between the Yuan and Sun families will inevitably be divided into north and south along the Zizao and Dingtao lines, facing each other across the Jishui River.

The tens of thousands of troops on Cao Jun's right flank were too late to be captured by Sun Ce. They were too close to Yuan Jun. In addition to more than [-] troops who fled south, nearly [-] Cao Jun's elite troops surrendered to Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao's victory over Cao Cao this time really boosted his prestige. Cao's generals and generals all thought that Yuan Shao was good at using soldiers like a god and that he was the hero of the north, so they all joined him one after another.

(End of this chapter)