Chapter 302 Pang Tong's Study
"Zhang Liao, you bastard! What a coward!"
After learning that Zhang Liao had escaped and was heading towards Yanzhou right under their noses, Cao Cao was immediately overwhelmed and furious.
Cao's rice bowl reappears again.
Xi Zhicai couldn't help feeling a little frustrated at this time.
He anticipated the strategy that Guo Jia might take.
But he couldn't stop it because Guo Jia had too many options to choose from and it was hard to guard against.
If he had been on guard all the time, his plan to besiege Zhang Liao would not have been successful.
So he had no choice but to gamble, but in the end, he lost.
Guo Jia had no pressure when gambling because he had a lot of money and betting small amounts was just for fun.
These two sudden attacks dealt a heavy blow to both Cao and Liu.
"My lord, now is not the time to be angry. Yanzhou is now empty. After Zhang Liao led his troops to attack, the local defenders were completely unable to stop him. We must rush back to Yanzhou as soon as possible to stop him!" Mao Jie said in a deep voice.
Zhang Liao's entry into Yanzhou was no different from a mouse entering a honeypot.
The local people were forced to relocate at will, and millions of people were easily dragged away in half a month.
After all, under Tian Ze's rule, population migration was a compulsory course for soldiers, and Yanzhou was too close to Jizhou, with a flat terrain just across the Yellow River.
"That's right, my lord. The area under our rule can no longer withstand any more turmoil." Xi Zhicai also advised.
For Cao Cao today, population is of vital importance. If another million people are taken away, he can directly declare his withdrawal from the fight for supremacy in the world.
"But even if we want to stop them now, can we really stop them?" Cao Cao said helplessly.
Zhang Liao's army had elite soldiers, and their marching speed was faster than theirs. Now they were so far behind, how could they possibly catch up?
"My lord, I will lead the light cavalry and we will definitely be able to stop them!" Xiahou Yuan stepped out and said.
But Cao Cao did not speak.
He didn't want to attack Xiahou Yuan, but the fact was that if Xiahou Yuan went to intercept him, there was a high possibility that he would be caught up, but there was also a high possibility that he would be defeated.
Although his cousin was loyal and brave, he was too careless and reckless. He could deal with ordinary generals, but facing Zhang Liao who had an absolute advantage in military strength, he would be killed if he rushed forward.
"My lord, our only option now is to send troops to Yanzhou to intercept them while attacking Yecheng." Xi Zhicai said in a deep voice.
"This is the only way."
When gambling, be prepared to lose.
The bigger you gamble, the bigger your loss.
Cao Cao had deployed Yanzhou's elite troops, so he had to be prepared for the loss of Yanzhou.
When you can't catch up, you can only resort to the old-fashioned method of attacking and rescuing.
Cao Cao frowned.
Attack on two fronts, but both sides require a lot of troops, otherwise it will not only be ineffective, but there is even a risk of destruction.
"In this case, isn't it equivalent to handing Luoyang over to Tian Chengshou?" Cao Cao said unwillingly.
"Things have come to this, we have no better solution," Mao Jie advised.
boom!
The Cao rice bowl was completely smashed to pieces.
Cao Cao's face calmed down: "Let's follow this plan. Withdraw the troops and give up Luoyang."
He lost the bet again.
In order to have a chance to win, he made a mistake and handed Luoyang to Tian Ze, which made the battle end in a whimper. "My lord, why don't we let Liu Xuande stay in Luoyang, so..." Cao Ren suddenly said.
Cao Cao shook his head: "Liu Xuande can't defend it, and he doesn't know how to defend it."
Cao Cao knew very well that Luoyang was still a bit far from Nanyang. For Liu Bei, it was just an enclave. There was no value in occupying it and it would only add to his troubles.
Even if Liu Bei took the overall situation into consideration and stationed here, it would not make much sense to say how long he could hold out, because Liu Bei had no way to stop Tian Ze from attacking Hangu Pass.
"Luoyang's eight passes are only valuable if all of them are under control. Liu Bei obviously does not have the ability to occupy all eight passes."
"Let alone other things, Liu Bei cannot take back Xiaopingjin Ferry and Mengjin Ferry which are in Zhang He's hands. This place is very important to Tian Chengshou, but it is useless to us."
Mao Jie explained to the generals on behalf of Cao Cao.
"However, after Tian Chengshou took control of Luoyang, the pressure on us was relieved a little. After all, it is no longer just us and Yuan Benchu who will be facing his army head-on, but also Liu Xuande." Xi Zhicai comforted.
Filled with resentment and powerlessness, Cao Cao led his troops to evacuate Luoyang and rushed back to Yanzhou to clean up the mess.
After hearing the news, Liu Bei also sighed helplessly.
This trip to the north achieved nothing. Not only were they fooled by Guo Jia, but they also lost some troops. It was a complete defeat.
Standing in the ruins of the imperial palace in Luoyang City, Liu Bei looked at this former capital with mixed feelings.
Luoyang at this time is very similar to the present Han Dynasty, devastated and about to change hands again.
This battle made Liu Bei clearly feel the gap between himself and Tian Ze.
With just three generals, cooperating with Guo Jia and Xun You, they were able to suppress most of the forces under him and Cao Cao, and even played a trick on them.
You have to know that Tian Ze was still focusing his main energy on internal affairs at this time, and he only used one hand to deal with him, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.
If Tian Chengshou really meant it, they wouldn't even have the chance to fight back.
"My lord, everything depends on human efforts. Although Tian Chengshou is strong, he may be defeated." Pang Tong saw that Liu Bei was in a low mood and comforted him.
Liu Bei smiled faintly.
He has experienced countless setbacks and failures in his life, so this little thing is nothing and cannot shake his state of mind at all.
It's just that I feel some emotion in this Luoyang city.
"Shi Yuan, after fighting with Tian Chengshou, Cao Mengde and others, I realized how big the world is. If we want to win, we still have to work hard!"
Pang Tong's eyes were full of fighting spirit, and he clenched his fists: "This time it was my mistake. I was tricked by Guo Fengxiao."
"If I had been more cautious and thought a little more, I wouldn't have been ambushed, and Zhang Wenyuan wouldn't have gotten away. Next time, I will definitely win back!"
Seeing this, Liu Bei smiled slightly and patted Pang Tong on the shoulder: "I believe that one day you, Shi Yuan, will surpass Guo Fengxiao. I will wait and see!"
Instead of being blamed, Pang Tong received such affirmation from Liu Bei. He was deeply moved, but also felt under tremendous pressure.
Thinking about the books that he had copied from the Jixia Academy, Pang Tong gritted his teeth.
Study, you must study!
Guo Jia is older than him. If he grows up step by step, it will be difficult for him to surpass Guo Jia due to the gap in experience. Only through diligent study can he overtake Guo Jia.
Previously, as the chief of the military strategists, he had secured many interests for the strategists and therefore gained a lot of benefits.
Many treasured and rarely-revealed military books were opened to him, but he was proud of what he had learned and was busy with the wars under Liu Bei, so he did not pay much attention to them.
Now it seems that I have to pick it up again.
(End of this chapter)
