Chapter 230 Red Cliff (IV)

Gan Ning's arrival gave Zhou Yu, who was alone in Jiangling, the ability to take the initiative to attack and annihilate the enemy. Although the Jinfan Army encountered some setbacks, its vitality was still there. After more than 20 days of rest, Taishi Ci, Huang Zhong, Xu Sheng and other troops basically survived the exhaustion after continuous combat.

Making a risky decision before the time comes is not something a mature general can do, but being passively beaten and waiting for the enemy to make a move before breaking the move is just a lasting solution. After a long-distance retreat and hard-working persistence, Zhou Yu was finally able to free up his hands to find Cao Cao's weakness and wait for an opportunity to counterattack.

Although opportunities will not fall from the world, they can be delivered to you by others.

Just as Zhou Yu was thinking about a good plan to defeat the enemy, Jiang Gan, a former classmate, suddenly came to Jiangling.

As a strategist, Jiang Gan can only be considered a third-rate at best; as a spy, his performance is also unqualified.

After agreeing to take responsibility for the inner affairs, Jiang Gan did not send any valuable information, especially when Cao Cao attacked Jingbei, Jiang Gan had no premonition in advance. You should know that as a spy, the most important quality is intuition and perception. Just like Xu Wuming, he could judge the deep secrets contained in it from a seemingly ordinary news obtained by Chenliucheng, and this is the ability of an excellent spy.

What's even more terrible is that at the Xiangyang banquet, Jiang Gan's panicked behavior exposed his actions to Xun You and Cheng Yu. Faced with a crisis-ridden situation, Jiang Gan was ignorant and stupid and sent his servant to deliver a letter. Isn't this a gun hitting himself?

In the end, in the face of Xun You and Cheng Yu's plan, Jiang Gan was defeated. Without any other choice, he finally embarked on the path designed for him by others - to send a fake news that might not exist at all.

"Cao army will smuggle across the river in three days?" According to Xun You and Cheng Yu's plan, after Zhou Yu received this news, he would inevitably send elite troops to surround the south bank of the Yangtze River, so that Jiangling's defense would be empty, because Zhou Yu only had 10,000 troops in his hands, and it was impossible for him to stay too many soldiers. As long as Zhou Yu was caught in this plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain, Cao's army, who had already sneaked outside Jiangling City, could take the ease to take down Jiangling, the important military city of Jingxiang.

However, Gan Ning's arrival made Xun You and Cheng Yu's hard plan fail.

With the Jinfan Army that is invincible in the Yangtze River, Zhou Yu no longer needs to mobilize other troops guarding Jiangling City, nor does he need to work hard to surround Cao's army from the south bank. Because the Jinfan Army goes downstream, blocking the tactic in the river is obviously more lethal.

However, Zhou Yu did not intend to use this simplest method. After listening to Jiang Gan's hesitant statement, he told his subordinates with unprecedented confidence that he would lead his troops to ambush himself.

"Ziyi, thank you for your hard work. This time I will lead the troops to fight myself and wipe out the Cao army!"

Jiang Gan's expression was first happy, then worried. He asked, "Have you considered it clearly?" Jiang Gan's pleasure was that Zhou Yu was trapped. His wife and children in the family can ensure safety. He was worried that this time he harmed Zhou Yu and did such a bad thing. Will God take revenge on him?

"How can I not believe Ziyi's words? If Cao's army crosses the shore and cut off our army's food supply route, no matter how strong Jiangling is, our army will not be able to defend the lonely city." Zhou Yu looked at Jiang Gan's complex and changeable expression and said loudly.

"Okay. Please take care of me. I've been walking in secluded this time and I must go back quickly, otherwise I'll be discovered!" Jiang Gan bowed in shame, and turned around and went out like a escaping.

Zhou Yu looked at Jiang Gan's departure back and showed a smile on his face. He just said that he personally led his troops to ambush Cao's army. This was his true intention, but the ambush was not near Baqiu, but outside Jiangling City.

Just now, from Jiang Gan's uneasy words and deeds, Zhou Yu had already determined that the news of Cao's army crossing the river was mostly unreliable. Since the information was fake, the most likely purpose of Jiang Gan conveying this fake information was to mobilize himself to leave Jiangling. Because from Wulin's Cao army camp to Jiangling, it was only a hundred miles away, and it only took two hours for Cao's army, which had cavalry.

Jiangling and Jiangxia are like two portals tied to the Yangtze River. If Cao Cao wants to break Gao Chong’s chain defense, the best way is to take down these two cities. Perhaps this is the real reason why Jiang Gan came to Jiangling.

"Ganning, you can quickly send a scout boat to search in Baqiu area to see if there are any suspicious ships!" After a moment, Zhou Yu summoned the generals in the city to prepare for combat deployment.

"Huang Zhong, Xu Sheng, you will immediately rectify your troops and horses, prepare all the food and grass, and prepare to go with me!"

"Taishici, you lead the headquarters to stay and be sure to stay in the city and wait for me to return to the army!"

Taishici hesitated and said, "Grandmaster, it's not that Ci's intention to refuse, but Danyang's troops are only more than a thousand soldiers. I'm afraid that the guards of Jiangling are not as strong as possible!"

Taishi Ci was telling the truth. The battle in Huyang cost him a heavy price. This was not something that could be made up for in just a few months, and even if he recruited troops in Jiangling temporarily, he would not be able to restore Danyang's troops to his vitality.

"Ziyi doesn't have to worry. Even if the city is really in danger, I have a clever plan in hand!" Zhou Yu said with a smile.

An excellent commander must be good at finding out the enemy's true intentions in many chaotic and complex clues, and then planning strategies to break the enemy. Zhou Yu is not lacking in wisdom and courage.

In the confused battle situation, he seemed to have seen Cao Cao's helplessness and irritability.

In the west of Xiakou, the increasingly rapid rumbling drums of war turned out to the beginning of a fierce battle.

Retreat, retreat again.

Although Zhu Huan could not stop Cao Ren's attack with all his might, his troops still supported He Qi's arrival.

During the repeated and repeated continuous attacks, Cao's physical strength was almost extreme. The long-distance marching, the harsh climate and loneliness in a foreign land were all concentrated, which was enough to exhaust the most elite soldiers.

"Attack!" Cao Ren's voice was hoarse, his fighting spirit remained unabated, and although his body was still flexible, the war horses under his foot were exhausted.

"General, my subordinates are all killed-!" A blood-stained captain stumbled to Cao Ren and knelt down on the ground crying.

Cao Ren stared at the captain with red eyes, his eyes were filled with anger, and he shouted: "The soldiers are dead, why are you still alive? Stand up - use your knife and your arms to kill the enemy!"

"No, General, let's retreat!" The captain hugged Cao Ren's front legs desperately.

"You coward who is greedy and afraid of death, keeping you will only disrupt the morale of the army and kill!" Before Cao Ren could speak, a tall black war horse rolled over like a whirlwind, and the blade coldly slashed the captain's neck.

He has a golden armor and a black robe, a red face and a yellow beard. It is Cao Zhang.

"Continue attack!" Cao Ren nodded at Cao Zhang, raised his sword and shouted.

Even Cao Zhang, who had extraordinary divine power, could not bear it. He tried hard to destroy the tired war horses and led the last thousand soldiers to charge. The sword light was like snow, and the little bloody red color was set against the picture of ink. The generals in desperate situations, soldiers who were ready to die, lay down on the cold ground after shouts, and their bodies would eventually sink into the loess and become food for nourishing and fertile creatures.

Originating from the earth and returning to the earth, the cycle of life is slowly moving forward in this endless situation. Compared with this, all the fights seem so ridiculous.

"Ah!" After finally dodging the arrow shot from the front, Cao Zhang, who was almost out of force, was no longer able to avoid the huge rocks that fell in the air. A thrown stone hit Cao Zhang's door. In horror, the war horse raised its front hooves and knocked him down.

"Ziwen--!" Cao Ren exclaimed in pain.

Cao Zhang fell off his horse and witnessed the main general's injury, the Cao army soldiers quickly grabbed Cao Zhang, who was severely injured, but it was too late. Cao Zhang, who was brave and fierce, once led an iron cavalry across the land of Youyan, but he was also unable to make achievements in the swamp area of ​​Jiangnan with dense water nets. Because of the roundabout encirclement of cavalry warfare, the long-distance pursuit was completely useless in places where rivers and lakes intersected in the south.

"Kill!" Cao Ren raised his sword and shouted again.

Attack and attack again, even if the last person is fighting, Cao Ren cannot give up. As long as he defeats the enemy troops currently blocking and successfully breaks into Jiangxia City, Cao Cao's army stationed on the other side can cross the Yangtze River in a chaotic opportunity. Even if he fails to cross the country, he can burn down the baggage accumulated in Jiangxia and attack the enemy's morale.

Trenches and powerful crossbows, and sometimes there were arrows and stones flying from thunder chariots. Cao soldiers attacking the rain of arrows and falling stones kept falling down. The suicide squad that Cao Ren had finally organized was completely lost in this series of consumption. Not far away, Jiangxia's city walls were vaguely visible, but Cao Ren had no strength to move forward. There were only less than four hundred warriors left by his side.

In front, there was a large green color, which was the color of the armored clothes of the Jiangdong army soldiers. In comparison, a small cluster of Chu Huang on Cao Ren's side seemed so small.

"Cao Ren, you are no longer able to fight again, why not dismount and surrender early!" A shout with Wu Yin sounded, it was Zhu Huan.

"Chi! Surrender?" Cao Ren murmured to himself, a sarcastic smile appeared on his face.

"Put down your weapons, those who surrender will be spared from death!" The winner waved his weapons and shouted with might.

Cao Ren looked back at the soldiers beside him, and a feeling of sadness surged in his heart. These soldiers followed him to fight and fight, and each veteran had made military achievements. Their big swords had cut off countless enemies' heads, but today they themselves are about to become props for others to seek credit for their rewards.

"General, let's go quickly, we will protect you and fight out!" A close guard grabbed Cao Ren's war horse and shouted anxiously.

Cao Ren smiled sadly. The five thousand soldiers crossing the river either died of illness or died in battle on the battlefield and fled. What else can you do if you can return to Jiangbei by chance? What else can a failed general, a general who abandons his soldiers and flees? What else will be the case if you face a ridicule?

"Meng De, I'm going to say goodbye here!" Cao Ren took off his helmet, dismounted and looked at Jiangbei and worshiped him. Since Cao Cao took over the emperor and ordered the princes to take over the power, Cao Ren has never called Cao Cao so intimately. But at the end of life and death, what Cao Ren missed was not the powerful prime minister of the Han Dynasty, but Cao Mengde, who was flowing with the same blood clan and the same blood.

Cao Ren rode forward and rushed forward, and a beautiful arc of light passed through the blade in the air, but the light in this moment could not resist the dense arrows falling from the rocks.

"Shoot the arrows-!" Facing Cao Ren and the last four hundred Cao soldiers rushing up, Zhu Huan and He Qi also showed admiring eyes.

Although Cao Ren was defeated, he was worthy of respect.

On the north bank, Cao Cao, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, stood by the river in white clothes. Half an hour ago, Cao Cao, who was about to cross the river in chaos, received a report from the scout, and the shouts of killing from the Xiakou in the south bank had begun to fall.

"Zi Xiao--!"

"Give me Huang Xuer back?"

Cao Cao sighed and said in a trance, as if he could see Cao Ren and Cao Zhang still fighting unyieldingly.

However, why are there more and more enemy soldiers standing in front of them, and why no one goes to reinforce them? This battle has involved more troops in the cruel and bloody killing. Cao Cao, who has been struggling to find good strategies, does not understand why his subordinates are fighting in recent years, and his soldiers will become less and less confident of winning.

"Lord, General Cao Ren and Major General were killed!" Cheng Yu looked sad.

"Zhongde, is all this God's will?" Cao Cao asked to the sky. This sentence was not so much that he was asking Cheng Yu, let alone that he was asking about the sky.

Where is the law of heaven and what is the way of heaven? Cao Cao didn't understand.

"Lord, we still have a chance. Zhou Yu has already been tricked to lure the tiger away from the mountain. Tomorrow evening, as long as we ambush the troops outside Jiangling City, we can take this city in one fell swoop." Cheng Yu mustered up the courage.

"Zhongde, do you think this is another trap?" After losing streak, Cao Cao suddenly lost his former confidence.

"Lord, it's not a solution to consume this way. Instead of slowly falling to pieces, it's better to see this time." Cheng Yu said.

"Well said. War is a gamble. If we win the bet, we will be drunk. If we lose, we will never start over again!" Cao Cao spread his hands and laughed.

It was not Cao Cao's character to worry about gains and losses. He just learned about Cao Ren. After Cao Zhang died in battle, Cao Cao was in a mess for a while, but soon he cheered up again.
Chapter completed!