Chapter 337: Battle of Jizhou (Part )
Late November.

The Yizhou army and the Jingzhou army arrived at the battlefield one after another.

Cao Ren held out for half a month, and was defeated only when Wei County, Weijun, was reduced to an empty city.

Zhou Yu, the commander-in-chief of the two armies, entered the city and saw the tragic situation inside. He ordered his men to behead Cao Ren and other generals on the spot and display their heads to the public. He also issued a proclamation to inform all counties in Jizhou.

The manifesto accused Cao's army of being inhumane and hoped that the people in the city would not be deceived again, saying that the Southern Army was a righteous army.

This was not all. Zhou Yu specially sent out dozens of fast horses to post the manifesto everywhere in several southern counties of Jizhou.

No matter how many people believe it, as long as we can cause trouble for Cao Cao, we will win.

Zhou Yu was also quick in action. He commanded three armies to attack Cao Cao of Qinghe State from three directions and surrounded him.

Qinghe State, Ganling County.

When Cao Cao learned the news of Cao Ren's death, he was heartbroken.

"Zhou Yu! I cannot stand against you!"

At the beginning, Jin Mao did not kill Cao Ren, but Zhou Yu dared to execute him first and report later. Cao Cao did not hate Jin Mao, but hated Zhou Yu.

The victor makes you a king and the loser is a bandit. As long as Cao Cao still wanted to fight for hegemony, he felt that dying on the battlefield was not shameful. However, Cao Ren had clearly opened the city and surrendered, but he still wanted to kill him. How hateful Zhou Yu was.

"Somebody come!"

"Ready your horse!"

Cao Cao seemed to have gone mad, and shouted: "Zixiao is dead! I would not be a gentleman if I don't take revenge!"

Xun Yan and Cheng Yu heard the noise and rushed out to stop them.

"My Lord! Do not raise an army out of anger!"

Xun Yan said: "The dead are gone. If you raise an army for personal reasons, I'm afraid the army will lose its morale once it leaves this gate."

Cheng Yu, a tall and strong man, grabbed the reins of Cao Cao's warhorse and nodded in agreement, "Think about it, if we bury the two Xiahou generals and Zilian, will our lord not live?"

Cao Cao was just doing it for others to see. Even if he felt sad, it didn't matter.

After a series of defeats, the army lost more than half of its troops, and was worse off than when they had not crossed the Yellow River. Now their morale and combat effectiveness were all gone, and they had reached rock bottom.

If Cao Cao wants to create an army of pathetic soldiers, he must act more realistically.

"Don't stop me!"

Cao Cao shouted: "I am not just seeking revenge for Zixiao, I have over 26,000 soldiers!"

"They are all my brothers and sisters, I want to avenge them!"

Xun Yan and Cheng Yu both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Cao Cao just yelled loudly but did not take any actual action.

Cao Cao made a fuss all day long and only returned to his tent when it got dark.

Different from the rage outside, Cao Cao now exudes a sinister aura, and the air in the tent seems to have dropped several degrees.

"Why didn't Chen Gongtai show up all day?"

Cao Cao almost gritted his teeth and said, "Where did he go?"

Cheng Yu clasped his fists before everyone else and said, "I'll go find him."

It was not until late at night that Cheng Yu brought Chen Gong to see Cao Cao.

"Gongtai, where are you going?" Cao Cao looked at Chen Gong suspiciously and asked, "Why haven't I seen you all day?"

Chen Gong took out a piece of paper manifesto from his sleeve without haste. It was the one that Zhou Yu had spread throughout southern Jizhou.

"What is this?" Cao Cao looked at the paper carefully and his expression suddenly changed. "Where did you get this?"

Chen Gong didn't care what Cao Cao was thinking and asked directly, "Have you ever done any of the things listed here?"

Cao Cao took the letter, read it for a while, and his pupils shrank suddenly. He smiled and said, "This is just Zhou Yu's trick."

However, Chen Gong still noticed the abnormality in Cao Cao's expression, and he felt disappointed. He thought he had found a wise leader, but it turned out that he was even worse than Jin Mao.

At least Jinmao is really nice to its subordinates, and is only strict with its top management.

"This matter is not good for me." Cao Cao changed the subject and asked, "Can you guys find a way to stop it?"

Cheng Yu bowed and said, "Don't worry, lord. This kind of manifesto is just one of the enemy's psychological tactics, intended to shake our army's morale. We should remain unchanged in the face of all changes. First, we need to find out how this manifesto spread here and stop it from spreading further at the source. At the same time, lord, you can issue a counter-manifesto to denounce its false words and show that our army is a righteous army. With the support of the people, we will naturally be able to break their tricks."

Xun Yan continued, "Military Advisor Cheng is right. We can write a counter-proclamation together. We must make sure that every word is powerful and let the world know Zhou Yu's hypocrisy and our army's integrity. In addition, you can strengthen the military camp to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack. Only by improving both internal and external defenses can we be sure of victory."

Cao Cao nodded, his eyes flashing with determination. "Okay! Let's do as you two say. Chen Gong, you go and investigate the source of the manifesto immediately, and make sure it is detailed. Zhongde, Youruo, you two start preparing a counter-manifesto, and make sure this fake manifesto becomes a powerful weapon for our army to counterattack. As for military affairs, I will make proper arrangements to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

After saying this, Cao Cao stood up, put his hands behind his back, and stared at the flickering candlelight, his mind was clear. He knew very well that this battle was not only a military contest, but also a game of people's hearts and wisdom. He had to show extraordinary calmness and decisiveness to remain invincible in this war without gunpowder.

At this time, Chen Gong looked at Cao Cao's determined back with complicated feelings in his heart, but he finally went down to do his job.

The next day, when Cao Cao learned that several nearby counties had issued manifestos, he felt something was wrong and once again summoned his advisers to discuss countermeasures.

However, after discussing for a long time, no one had any good ideas.

Even if you tear it off, what can they do? If someone can stick one copy on it, they can stick ten copies on it. It's impossible to get rid of it.

Cao Cao wanted to retreat and said, "I intend to go north to join Brother Benchu ​​and preserve my strength."

Now the Southern Army has been blocked for a month. If Yuan Shao has not eliminated the scattered enemies in the north, Cao Cao can justifiably ask Yuan Shao for reinforcements.

He blocked the fierce attack of an army of 150,000!

Mid-December.

When Yuan Shao met up with Cao Cao, he could not hide his anger: "Cao Cao! Why are you withdrawing your troops before the agreed time and handing over the four southern counties of Jizhou to others?"

Cao Cao said confidently: "I held off an army of 150,000 for nearly a month, and what about you?" "You couldn't even get rid of 30,000 people!"

"If you are so incompetent, the task of defending the Southern Army will be given to you. I only need 10,000 cavalry to destroy this group of Hu cavalry."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's face turned pale and blue, and he laughed in anger: "Cao Mengde, you think you can turn the tide by yourself? The chaos in the northern border is complicated and cannot be solved in a day. Although I failed to quell the scattered enemies in a short period of time, I am also making full efforts to stabilize the rear to prevent you and me from being attacked from both sides. You rashly withdrew your troops and ignored the overall situation. If I hadn't dispatched them in time, I'm afraid the entire Jizhou would have fallen!"

"Besides," Yuan Shao said in a more serious tone, "you and I are allies, working together for a great cause. We should support each other instead of blaming each other. If you, Cao Cao, really have such confidence, why don't you shoulder the responsibility of the Northern Expedition alone, and why do you need to join forces with me, Yuan Shao? Now is not the time to argue about who is right or wrong, but to discuss together how to recover lost territory and boost morale!"

Cao Cao's eyes were sharp, and he did not flinch at Yuan Shao's questioning. He said in a deep voice: "Benchu ​​is right. I, Cao Cao, am not ignorant of the overall situation. But the current situation is urgent. Although the chaos in the northern border has not been quelled, the loss in the south cannot be ignored. I am withdrawing my troops to lure the enemy deep into my territory, and take advantage of the vast hinterland of Jizhou to wait for an opportunity to counterattack. As for dispersing the enemy, I have a plan. Once the time is right, I will be able to annihilate them in one fell swoop."

"As for cooperation," Cao Cao changed the subject, his tone revealing an unquestionable determination, "I, Cao Cao, have never thought of fighting alone. But I hope that Lord Yuan can pay more attention to the pressure and sacrifices our army has borne, and in future operations, I hope that we can cooperate more closely and overcome difficulties together. After all, our goal is to unify the world, not the gains and losses of a mere city or a pond."

Yuan Shao's anger subsided a little after hearing this. He knew that what Cao Cao said was true, and although the two of them had frictions from time to time, their common enemy was more powerful. So, he took a deep breath and said slowly: "Okay, Cao Mengde, since you and I are allies, we should stick together. I will speed up the handling of the affairs of the northern border, and at the same time I will dispatch more troops to support you in recovering the southern county. I hope that you and I can realize our wishes as soon as possible and create a great cause together."

"Thank you very much, Brother Benchu!" Cao Cao was waiting for this sentence. He almost jumped up with joy and said, "I don't want more. Just give me 10,000 cavalry."

Yuan Shao frowned, and Cao Cao quickly explained: "Although the Southern Army is large in number, it lacks cavalry. This is its biggest flaw. I only need 10,000 cavalry to make the Southern Army unable to advance or retreat!"

"If Brother Benchu ​​really cannot give up, then please go and personally resist the Southern Army."

Yuan Shao thought about it and felt that it was not reliable for him to go, so he asked: "How many cavalry do you want?"

Cao Cao stretched out his palm and said, "Five thousand!"

Yuan Shao scolded, "Why don't you just go and rob it?"

Cao Cao heard this, his smile did not diminish, instead he said more sincerely: "Brother Benchu, you have misunderstood. It is not that I am greedy, but the situation is urgent, and every bit of strength is crucial. The Southern Army has the advantage in numbers, and its commander is no ordinary person. If our army cannot quickly gain a local advantage, we may fall into a protracted war, and then food and morale will be a problem. In addition, the cavalry is highly mobile, and 5,000 elite soldiers are enough to disrupt the Southern Army's position, making it difficult for them to take care of both ends. Only in this way can we gain a precious opportunity to defeat the enemy for our army."

"I know that you have many soldiers and horses under your command, but it is not easy to train excellent cavalry. I am willing to compensate you with equal value of supplies or military merits in future battles, and I will not let you suffer any loss." Cao Cao paused, his eyes flashing with determination and confidence. "Furthermore, if we can win this time, not only can we break the siege of Yanzhou, but we can also take advantage of the situation to move south and expand our sphere of influence. By then, you and I brothers will share the world, wouldn't it be wonderful?"

After hearing this, Yuan Shao's expression eased a little. He knew that what Cao Cao said was true. If the Southern Army could really be trapped, it would have a profound impact on the entire northern situation. He pondered for a moment and finally made a decision: "Okay! I'll give you 5,000 cavalry. But you must remember that you can only win this battle, not lose!"

Cao Cao felt relieved when he heard this. He bowed and said, "Thank you for your trust, Brother Benchu. I will live up to your expectations and swear to hold back the Southern Army!"

After that, the Southern Army did not break through Julu County again and kept wandering around Qingping State and Wei County.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhou Yu sent out all his navy, carrying 90,000 soldiers, to the north along the waterway to meet up with Zhao Yun. He only left the third and fourth battalions on the front line, with the main forces of the two battalions and 20,000 soldiers, for a total of 32,000 troops.

The battlefield began to shift from south to north.

Yuan Shao never expected that just after he lent troops to Cao Cao, Zhou Yu would make a feint to the east and attack in the west and head straight for him.

Now, with the loss of 5,000 cavalry, Yuan's army, which was already unable to deal with Youzhou's 30,000 cavalry, was even more helpless against this enemy.

By the time the 110,000-strong Southern Army marched northward along the coast, the offensive and defensive situations had changed.

Late December.

The Youzhou counterattack officially began.

Yuan Shao sent Yan Liang and Wen Chou to lead 10,000 infantry and cavalry each to engage in direct confrontation with Youzhou's 30,000 cavalry.

Zhao Yun killed Yan Liang in the battle, Wen Chou was shot to death by the strong crossbow battalion led by Huang Zhong. More than 5,000 of the 20,000 infantry and cavalry were killed or wounded, more than 10,000 were captured, and 4,000 defeated soldiers fled into the barren land in the north.

When Yuan Shao heard the news, he was so angry that he fell ill.

The news soon reached Yu Fan's ears. After drifting in Bohai for two months, Yu Fan had long wanted to take revenge.

"There must be some fraud involved!"

Yu Fan, however, believed that this was Yuan Shao's strategy to lure troops, and that he wanted to annihilate the Youzhou cavalry before the main force of the Southern Army arrived.

If the Youzhou cavalry cannot be eliminated, neither Yuan Shao nor Cao Cao will be able to escape.

Sure enough, Yuan Shao pretended to be sick.

Seeing that the fish was not taking the bait, Yuan Shao prepared to make a last-ditch effort and break through to the north.

As long as the northern desert is connected, the world at our disposal will be much larger, and even if we fail, there will still be room for maneuver.

The first year of Jian'an (196), the first month.

Fifty thousand troops of the Southern Army landed in Bohai County.

Zhou Yu nominally sent an army of 110,000 to the north, but in reality there were only 50,000. The most amazing thing about it was that he created an illusion and deceived Yuan Shao and Cao Cao into thinking that there was no main force in the south.

In fact, after taking Qinghe State and Wei County, Zhou Yu could go directly north from Bohai County. Why would he take a detour? It was nothing more than a tactical deception.

When Yuan Shao joined forces with Cao Cao to attack, he was stunned.

Although the Southern Army had only 90,000 soldiers, they were all elite and their morale was high. In contrast, the Yuan-Cao coalition suffered a series of defeats, and only 100,000 of the 150,000 soldiers were left.

Using 100,000 remnant soldiers to attack a 90,000-strong army is like hitting a rock with a soft weapon.

The battle lasted for three days.

Yuan Shao suffered heavy casualties again, Gao Lan was killed in battle, and Zhang He was captured.

Cao Cao had learned his lesson and did not act rashly, just watching Yuan's army fight to the death.

Yuan Shao was so angry that he went to Cao Cao to argue: "Cao Cao! Although you and I are allies, fighting against the enemy of Wu together, why did you sit back and watch our army suffer heavy casualties without helping us? General Gao Lan died bravely, and General Zhang He fell into the hands of the enemy. Such losses make me, Yuan Shao, heartbroken. How could you just sit back and watch?"

Cao Cao heard this without changing his expression. He said slowly, "Brother Benchu, calm down. It's not that I don't want to help, but the situation is complicated and we need to judge the situation. Zhou Yu is very wise and his tactics are changeable. If I send troops rashly, it may play into his hands and put our army at a disadvantage. Moreover, although our army still has enough troops, the soldiers are exhausted after days of fighting and need to rest and wait for the opportunity. Besides, our army and Yuan's army joined forces to check and balance Dongwu. If we have internal strife, wouldn't it be the enemy who will reap the benefits?"

After hearing this, Yuan Shao's anger subsided a little, but he still asked unwillingly: "Then according to your opinion, what should we do?"

Cao Cao smiled slightly, with a gleam in his eyes: "The current plan is to stabilize the defense line first to prevent the southern army from taking advantage of the victory to pursue. At the same time, send more envoys to test their strength, perhaps we can find a turning point."

Yuan Shao pondered for a moment and felt that what Cao Cao said made sense, so he nodded and agreed: "Well, let's do as you say. But remember, although we are allies, we must have trust and tacit understanding between each other, otherwise, this alliance may not last long."

Cao Cao cupped his hands and said, "Brother Benchu, rest assured. I will do my best to help you achieve the overall goal."

(End of this chapter)