Chapter 199: Second Battle, Testing Each Other
Zhu County.

Jin Mao arrived with 20,000 infantry and cavalry and 6,000 nurses.

The remaining 2,000 naval sword and shield soldiers under Guan Yu were replaced by 1,000 heavily armored shield soldiers, 2,000 fully armored sword and shield soldiers, and 2,000 spearmen.

This is another recognition of Guan Yu by Jinmao. Most people can understand it, and those who don’t understand will understand it after others explain it to them.

So, Guan Yu became the "public enemy" again.

After experiencing the battle, Guan Yu's mentality changed and he became more confident. He was able to turn the hostility of others into motivation to move forward.

Zhu County does not have a city wall, it is just a larger population gathering area.

Before Jin Mao arrived, Guan Yu followed orders, requisitioned Zhu County, and rebuilt an effective defense circle.

That is to say, they requisitioned houses outside the city, blocked the small roads with earth and wood, and left only the main road for entry and exit.

Zhu County Government Office.

Jin Mao is listening to Guan Yu's battle report.

Guan Yu set up camp ten miles north of Zhu County, while Cao Cao set up camp ten miles south of Xiling County. The two counties were more than fifty miles apart.

After so many days of investigation, Guan Yu has already figured out the basics of Cao Cao.

There were at most 5,000 men and horses, and the camp was set up in a very organized manner.

Even though we haven't seen it with our own eyes, Jinmao still needs to pay enough attention to it.

"Yun Chang, you did a great job!"

Jin Mao changed the subject and said, "But we still have to be careful. We can't be careless until the enemy is completely eliminated!"

Guan Yu said solemnly: "Yes!"

The vanguard army changed its soldiers but not its generals, and Jinmao didn’t know whether any major problems would arise.

He then instructed: "Yun Chang, I will give you ten days to get familiar with your new subordinates."

"During this period, your only mission is to guard the front camp."

"Tsk!"

Jin Mao smacked his lips and said, "What if the enemy launches an attack during the shift?"

This requires cavalry to intercept enemy scouts.

Thinking that he didn't seem to have many cavalry generals under his command, Jin Mao shouted helplessly: "Zhang Yide!"

"I'm here!"

Zhang Fei jumped up excitedly, thinking there was some major combat mission.

"I will give you 500 cavalrymen to kill any enemy sentinels between the vanguard camp and the central army."

"Can it be done?"

Suddenly, Zhang Fei looked bitter. It turned out that he was just being Guan Yu's bodyguard. This was too cheap.

Seeing Zhang Fei's expression, Jin Mao said calmly: "If you don't want to, it's okay."

“Who is willing to take on this responsibility?”

Seeing Ling Cao, Dong Xi and others eager to try, Zhang Fei became anxious: "Sir! I didn't say I didn't want to!"

Jin Mao smiled, as if his evil plan had succeeded.

"This is what you said, don't go back on it!"

Zhang Fei patted his chest loudly and dared to issue a military order to guarantee it.

"Okay, I know what you're capable of."

Jin Mao reminded him, "Yun Chang told me that Cao Cao has two strong generals under his command. If you encounter them, do you know what to do?"

Zhang Fei's eyes lit up, and the first question that came to his mind was, "Sir, how much military merit are these two heads worth?"

Jin Mao's face was full of surprise.

Among the strong generals under Cao Cao, he only knew Xiahou Dun, whom he met in the game.

I have some impression of the others but cannot remember their names. I only know that the Cao family has several talented people, and the Xiahou family also seems to have several powerful people.

Two have already appeared, there may be two more.

It would be really exciting to think that Cao Cao would lose four generals at the beginning.

So Jin Mao said: "If you kill one general in the battle, you will be promoted one level, and two people will be promoted two levels!"

"If you kill four generals in battle," Jin Mao tempted, "I'll set a precedent for you and directly promote you to the second-level colonel!"

"Envoy, you must keep your word!" Zhang Fei was very excited and his face turned red like Guan Yu.

Zhang Fei couldn't help but be excited.

There were only three colonels in the entire army, Bai Shi, Huang Gai and Guan Yu, all of whom were first-class colonels.

If Zhang Fei can establish merit for Qi this time, he will become the number one in the entire army!
Not only Zhang Fei was in high spirits, the other generals also wanted to get a piece of the pie and asked for battle one after another.

"Silence!"

Jin Mao's head hurt from the noise, and he picked up a small loudspeaker and yelled to stop the situation.

"The first rule of military discipline is to follow orders in all actions!"

Jin Mao said angrily: "Don't be blinded by extraordinary achievements. Anyone who fails to do his job well will be executed immediately, no matter who it is or how great his achievements are!"

After hearing this, the generals became much more obedient, and even Zhang Fei regained his sanity.

It seems that this great achievement is not easy to earn.

After arranging everything, Jin Mao looked at the counselors on the left: "Do you have anything to add?"

The three of them looked at each other, and the two military advisors were trying to give way to each other. Zhou Yu couldn't bear it, so he stood up and clasped his fists and said, "My lord's arrangement is in line with the rules, and it is a responsible move by Lao Chi."

Jin Mao waved his hand and said, "No need to say anything about the compliments. If Gongjin has any suggestions, just tell me directly."

Zhou Yu swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth. Who praised me? This is derogatory!

But the person in front of him is his lord, and if he says such words, he will be the one who is in trouble.

After a while, Zhou Yu said, "Warfare is the art of deception."

"Our army is twice as large as theirs. Why don't we set up a battle formation and ostensibly surround and annihilate them?"

"If the enemy shows weakness, the entire army will move forward to force them to make a decision."

"If the enemy attacks, use your superior forces to pin down the enemy's vanguard, and then send a surprise force to go around and attack the enemy commander."

"It can be decided in one battle!"

After listening to this, Jin Mao felt that it made a lot of sense.

I am so strong now, but I am still stuck in the old way of thinking, afraid of this and that. It is really wrong.

but!

What if the other party also sent a surprise attack to take his head? How should he respond?
However, these words cannot be said out loud, otherwise it will be a fatal blow to morale.

Jin Mao turned his head and looked at Xun You and the others and asked, "What do you two military advisors think?"

Xi Zhicai pondered for a moment and said, "Zhou Gongjin's strategy is indeed feasible, provided that the enemy has only half the strength of our army."

"But we still don't know how many troops the enemy has."

"Launching an attack without knowing the situation is a taboo in military strategy!"

Jin Mao couldn't help but nod his head. This was a perfect solution to his worries.

"Then let's find out the truth first."

"Order!"

"The deputy admiral of the navy, Guan Yu, led 5,000 soldiers to take charge of the change of guard."

"Yes!" Guan Yu accepted the order.

"Assistant Army Commander Zhang Fei leads 500 cavalrymen to check the enemy's strength and eliminate their scouts."

"Yes!" Zhang Fei was a little happy. He was not worried about the new task, but more excited.

"Admiral Huang Gai will lead 2,000 naval forces to investigate the strength of the Jingzhou navy. If necessary, he can decide whether to launch an attack."

"Yes!" Huang Gai clasped his fists and accepted the order.

"Captain of the First Battalion Ling Cao will lead his troops, plus 3,000 soldiers, to assist Admiral Huang Gai in defending the river."

"Here!"

"Second Battalion Captain Dong Xi led his troops to protect the right wing of the central army to prevent the enemy from passing through the mountains and forests and raiding the rear."

"Here!"

With this arrangement, Jin Mao still had 1,000 personal guards, four battalions and more than 3,000 combat soldiers. With a total of more than 6,000 soldiers stationed in the central army, Jin Mao felt that even if Cao Cao sneaked into the camp, he would not be unable to stop it.

On the contrary, it is very likely that Cao Cao will fall into his hands.

After all, the strength of these soldiers in the hands of various generals is still limited, about 80% to 90%, but in Jin Mao's hands they can exert 120% of their power.

After thinking for a while, Jin Mao added: "Once we find out the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, all units will switch from defense to offense and wait for an opportunity to find a fighting opportunity!"

Being steady is not everything, the key is to kill with one strike.

After hearing Jin Mao's last order, the generals responded loudly. This is the life a general should live!

...

South of Xiling County, Cao’s army camp.

Cao Cao's troops have already been re-equipped, with a total of 3,889 cavalry and less than 1,000 infantry.

"Report!"

The scout arrived at the gate of the central army camp, then he rolled off his horse, rushed in, knelt on one knee and clasped his fists, saying: "The enemy has begun to move, and thousands of troops are reinforcing the enemy's vanguard camp!"

Cao Cao frowned and asked, "How many thousands is a few thousand?!"

The scout lowered his head and said, "Captain, I don't know."

He quickly said, "The enemy has elite cavalry who are trying to kill us. I am the only one who has returned."

Cao Cao was furious: "Then why did you come back?"

"Drag him away and behead him!"

"Captain, I tried my best!" The scout was held up and couldn't help crying out, "I really tried my best!"

"what!"

With a scream, Cao Cao glanced at Cai Mao, who was looking pale, and continued to give orders: "Cao Hong!"

"The general is here!"

"You lead a hundred cavalrymen to find out the truth." Cao Cao said sternly, "If you still can't do it, don't come back!"

Cao Hong smiled confidently and said, "Don't worry, Captain. I will not only find out the enemy's strength, but also urinate in the enemy's vanguard camp!"

"Shut up!" Cao Cao shouted sternly, "There is no joking in the army! This will not happen again!"

Cao Hong was embarrassed and bowed, saying, "Yes."

After Cao Hong received the order, Cao Cao turned around and said to Cai Mao in a friendly manner, "I am sorry that the military discipline has been broken, Degui will be embarrassed."

Cai Mao quickly stood up and said he dared not.

"Meng De's rule is so strict that it really makes me ashamed."

Cai Mao flattered him and said, "If the navy of Jingzhou had half the size of your army, I would have the confidence to stop the governor of Yangzhou here!"

Cao Cao was speechless. He had tried his best to underestimate his teammates, but he didn't expect them to underestimate him even more.

"Alas~" Cao Cao sighed and said, "I have no choice but to punish him severely."

"Degui doesn't know that the governor of Yangzhou is very strict in managing his army. Our army is newly established. If we are not stricter than the Yangzhou army, I am afraid we will not be able to defeat them in one fight."

Cai Mao was horrified: "Is it really that serious?"

Cao Cao nodded and said, "It is that serious!"

"I sent out a team of scouts this morning, but only one person came back. Doesn't this prove the seriousness of the problem?"

Cai Mao was terrified and asked tremblingly, "Why are you still sending your men? Aren't you sending them to their deaths?"

"The Art of War says, if you know yourself and your enemy, you will win every battle." Cao Cao said helplessly, "How can I defeat a strong enemy if I don't even know how the enemy is deployed?"

"Degui, now I am weak and the enemy is strong."

"If you don't have the determination to win, even defense is just a pipe dream."

Cao Cao asked again: "Do you think Xiling County can compare with the city walls of Danyang County?"

"Can the soldiers under my command match the city defense strength of Danyang's elite soldiers?"

Cai Mao knew that Cao Cao was talking about Zhou Xin, the former governor of Danyang County, who was forced to death by Jin Mao while defending the city.

"What can I do?"

"What can I do?"

Seeing Cai Mao’s mental breakdown, Cao Cao knew the time had come.

"For now, only if you and I work together in harmony can we overcome this difficult time."

Cai Mao grabbed Cao Cao's hand as if he had grasped a life-saving straw and refused to let go: "Meng De, the day before yesterday, I promised to fully cooperate with you."

What else do you want?

Cao Cao patted Cai Mao's hand and reminded him, "You are the commander of an army. There are some things that the people under you may pretend to obey but secretly disobey. They may say one thing on the surface and another behind the scenes."

"It's fine at normal times, but in a life-and-death situation, a small mistake can destroy the entire army!"

Cao Cao said meaningfully: "Sometimes, killing a chicken to scare the monkey is very effective."

Cai Mao certainly didn't understand the hidden meaning of Cao Cao's words.

To put it bluntly, today's drama is all Cao Cao covering up for Cai Mao on how to properly govern the army.

The social customs of the aristocracy are useless in times of war.

The more urgent the situation is and the side with stricter military discipline is more likely to wait for the dawn of victory.

Cao Cao was reminding Cai Mao that he had to make a choice.

Should we continue to use the aristocratic system or be obedient and strictly implement it?

If the result was different, Cao Cao would have taken different actions.

If Cai Mao had chosen the aristocratic approach, Cao Cao would have certainly been passive and lazy.

If the latter is chosen, Cao Cao doesn't mind going crazy with Cai Mao.

After the battle with Guan Yu, Cao Cao deeply realized how unfathomable Jin Mao was.

What kind of enemy is the scariest? The enemy whose background is unknown is the scariest!
Cao Cao must find out Jin Mao's background so as to make plans for the future.

This is an important long-term matter!
To this end, Cao Cao could sacrifice a lot, of course not including himself and the four brothers of the Cao and Xiahou families.

Finally, Cai Mao made a decision: "Meng De, give me 500 cavalry and another day."

"I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer!"

It’s not that he was brainwashed by Cao Cao. If Cai Mao was a fool, he wouldn’t have understood the hidden meaning.

Similar to Cao Cao's purpose, Cai Mao also wanted to take this opportunity to completely control the Jingzhou navy.

No matter how poor the Jingzhou navy is now, the foundation of 10,000 regular troops is still there.

If he could use Cao Cao's deterrent power to establish Cai Mao's prestige in the Jingzhou navy.

In the future, a well-trained navy of 10,000 people will be able to roam the Yangtze River. Even if they are not invincible, they will definitely have no problem protecting themselves.

As troubled times were approaching, Cai Mao also wanted to have some capital.

There is another important reason.

If we can’t subdue the Jingzhou navy.

Cao Cao must run away.

By then, Jingzhou would fall into Jin Mao's hands, or become a battleground between Jin Mao and Yuan Shu, and become devastated.

Cai Mao became an insignificant little person, not even a chess piece.

This was really hard to accept for the young and energetic Cai Mao.

Might as well give it a try!
The next day.

I don’t know if Cai Mao got it, but after a day of reorganization, there was only one voice left in the Jingzhou navy.

Cao Cao couldn't help but be curious, so he asked Xiahou Dun who he sent over to inquire, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

It turned out that Cai Mao simply took advantage of Cao Cao's bad reputation and scared all the cowards in the Jingzhou navy.

After all, Cao Cao had stripped this group of people clean not long ago, and was able to fight Jin Mao on equal terms. These young soldiers had never seen such a fierce man, and they were more obedient than children.

Seeing that his friendly forces were so cowardly, Cao Cao made up his mind to sacrifice them when he escaped.

Then he began to arrange the deployment of the two armies.

"Degui, the original plan remains unchanged. You command the archers on the river, and I will make arrangements for the other part of the Jingzhou navy."

At the last moment, Cao Cao softened his heart and did not let Cai Mao die.

(End of this chapter)