Chapter 486 Qingzhou Variables
As summer arrives in Qingzhou, shouts of killing can be heard everywhere.
The cavalry from Da Qi and Cao Yuan were constantly fighting here.
Cao Cao had no intention of admitting defeat or surrendering, so Xu Huang insisted on fighting him to the end.
At this point, both sides are strategically helpless against each other and can only rely on local tactical competition.
In this regard, Cao Cao has a clear advantage.
Because compared with Xu Huang and Xun You who need to coordinate the overall situation, Cao Cao has more powerful generals and advisers under his command, and the initiative is also in his hands.
But this does not mean that Cao Cao has completely gained the upper hand.
The absolute advantage in military strength cannot be eliminated in any way.
Especially under Xun You's planning, the Qi cavalry gave up the small road and changed to one person riding two horses.
Cao Cao's losses in each battle have begun to show an upward trend, and the frequency has begun to decrease.
The casualty ratio of both sides gradually remained at around two to three. It seemed that Xu Huang was at a disadvantage, but it was Cao Cao who had a headache.
If this continues, there will be no chance of breaking the siege of Qingzhou unless all of his cavalry are killed.
The balance of victory was steadily but firmly moving towards Da Qi.
Not only Qingzhou, but also Yanzhou, where Xun Yu and others were defending with great difficulty.
Zhao Yun's ability to lead troops was extraordinary. Xun Yu, Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren used all means to resist with great difficulty.
No matter how critical the situation was, Xun Yu never sent any letter for help to Cao Cao, but always persisted.
This is an asymmetrical battle.
The more Cao Cao and Yuan Shao fought, the more desperate they became.
The Qi army's advance was always so slow and its response strategy was always so rigid.
But this kind of fighting method of building a strong stronghold and fighting a stupid battle made them feel extremely powerless.
All the ingenious tactics that were once envisioned are still so powerless now, because the enemy does not follow their rhythm at all.
The main idea is that you fight yours and I fight mine.
"Benchu, this is not a solution." Cao Cao, who was exhausted, said in a deep voice.
In a month, he fought in dozens of battles, big and small, and was either fighting or on the way to fight, which made him exhausted.
Not only him, but also Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Xiahou Yuan and others were the same.
The seemingly very good casualty ratio was entirely based on their desperate efforts. No matter how brave they were, some of them could not hold on.
Even though they could rely on their spirit to support their bodies, the actual situation did not develop in a direction that was favorable to them.
It is simply impossible to completely annihilate a cavalry force of more than 3,000 in the absence of an absolutely advantageous terrain.
The enemy's reaction speed is very fast and they are very keen on seizing opportunities. In every battle, it is considered good if 20% of the enemies can be left alive.
The blockade of Qingzhou has not been relaxed at all, and the defenders of Qingzhou are now on the verge of collapse.
Cao Cao could clearly feel the increasingly low morale of the defenders who went out of the city to provide assistance during these attempts.
Willpower alone cannot change the absolute gap in strength.
"Meng De, do you have any good ideas?" Yuan Shao asked in a deep voice.
When the battle reached this point, even he couldn't help but feel despair.
The gap is really huge!
It was so big that he no longer saw any hope of winning.
"Jiangdong!" Cao Cao said in a deep voice.
"If Jiangdong comes to our aid, we may still have a chance of winning."
When it comes to determination, perhaps only Liu Bei can compete with Cao Cao in this world.
No matter how hopeless the situation was, Cao Cao never gave up hope. Maybe if he persisted just this once, there would be a turning point?
"I have sent several waves of envoys to Jiangdong, but they were all turned back. Jiangdong is not something that Sun Bofu can completely control. He would never take action unless he was forced into a desperate situation." Yuan Shao sighed.
After drinking a glass of strong liquor, Cao Cao threw the glass to the ground fiercely and said bitterly: "Sun Bofu, he will regret it sooner or later!"
……
Just when Cao and Yuan were in despair, the battle in Yizhou was settled.
The first people to receive the news were not Cao Yuan, but Xu Huang and Xun You.
"Good! He is worthy of being called Junyi. I didn't expect that Boyan, at such a young age, could defeat Liu Bei. He really has the qualities to be the Marquis of Huaiyin!" Xu Huang said excitedly.
"If Yizhou is secured, the world will be completely worry-free."
Xu Huang looked at Xun You, but saw that Xun You's expression was a little solemn.
"Military Advisor, what's wrong?"
Xun You smiled faintly and said, "Nothing. This is a happy event for our Great Qi, but from now on, the pressure on you and me will probably be much greater."
"Why?" Xu Huang asked puzzledly.
Xun You took a deep breath and looked towards the southeast with a gloomy gaze: "Because of Sun Bofu, I'm afraid he will have to join the war soon."
"Notify Xingba and Gongji and let them prepare early."
When a large army fights, what matters is military discipline and logistics.
What Xun You is most worried about now is their logistics problem.
During the preparations for this battle, the conservative faction led by Chen Gong had been attacking the radical faction led by Cheng Yu.
Of course, this is due to the different ideologies of both sides, but the key fact is that the treasury of Da Qi is now empty.
In this kind of battle, the logistical pressure on the attacking side is far greater than that on the defending side, and the food and fodder allocated by the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of War cannot last for too long.
If the war escalates again, I am afraid that the duration of the war will be compressed again.
Since the start of the Qingzhou Campaign, Gan Ning's navy had ostensibly been heading south to attack Yuan Shao, but in fact it had focused more on maintaining the blockade around northern Qingzhou and transporting grain and fodder.
Not many troops were actually put into the battle, it was just to contain Yuan Shao and create pressure.
Once Sun Ce joins the battle, Gan Ning will be forced to meet the enemy, and the logistical pressure on his side will become increasingly difficult.
With tens of thousands of cavalrymen, the amount of food and clothing required for them and their horses is simply astronomical.
It would be fine if the battle was decided by one battle like the one between Xiliang and Gongsun Zan before, but now it is a stalemate, and the battle is deep in the enemy camp.
The logistical pressure is maxed out.
"Ask the Ministry of War for help and send another 100,000 logistics troops from Jizhou." Xun You said calmly.
The war has come to this point. If they give up just like that, they will suffer a huge loss.
After nearly two months of blockade, the morale of the troops in various cities in Qingzhou has been weakened. If they can hold on for another month or two, I am afraid that a large number of enemies will surrender without a fight.
By then, all the food and fodder, as well as the defensive places, will be in their hands. As long as they can hold off the final counterattack of the princes in the Central Plains, Qingzhou will be completely taken.
No matter what, we have to get through this period.
"promise!"
Although Xu Huang was not clear about Sun Ce's situation, he believed in Xun You's judgment and was also aware of the huge impact that Sun Ce's participation in the war would have on the war situation.
Looking at Xu Huang's departing back, Xun You couldn't help but sigh.
After this battle, I'm afraid Gongtai and the others will report me.
(End of this chapter)
