binnovel Chapter 250 Fierce Battle
Chapter 250 Fierce Battle
Chapter 250 Fierce Battle
"Zhongkang!"
When Xu Chu was full of hope, the middle-aged man hurried up and said with a look of fear and trepidation: "Dong Zhuo has sent reinforcements again."
Xu Chu's face was as hard as steel, but he remained calm and asked, "How many people?"
The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "It's too dark, the tribesmen can't see clearly. I estimate that there are at least 5,000 or even 10,000!"
Xu Chu's eyes were bloodshot and looked ferocious.
With 20,000 soldiers and horses, it is impossible to defend the small Qiao County!
There are thousands of Xu clan members in Qiao County, almost all of their clansmen!
The middle-aged man looked around and whispered, "Zhongkang, it's not too late to leave now. They haven't surrounded the city yet. You can still get away with some of your people."
Xu Chu was not stupid, and said: "They don't want us to escape because they don't want us to be surrounded. There are countless eyes outside these four gates. Once we leave the city, no one will survive!"
The middle-aged man didn't understand these things. He thought about it for a while and said through gritted teeth, "Then let's fight them. As many as can survive are better than waiting for the city to fall and not a single one will survive!"
"Three days, three days at the latest!"
Guo Si drank the wine and said solemnly, "Brother Zhang, you don't know that Xu Chu is already quite famous in Runan and other places. His clan has thousands of people who have fought in many battles. They are not ordinary people. I have attacked the city many times but failed. Moreover, I did not besiege the city, but they did not flee. Obviously, they are not ordinary nobles."
Guo Jia lay there, thinking for a moment, and said, "It's hard to say. The general's move will inevitably arouse suspicion from the court and the public. The key is still in the palace."
Zhang Ji smiled at the three of them, but his smile froze when he heard the subsequent report from his personal soldiers.
Cao Cao's 10,000-strong army was resting and waiting for Xiahou Dun's reply.
The personal soldiers around him were stunned by his question and were speechless.
Zhang Ji stood aside, calm and composed, like an outsider, without any sign of nervousness or anxiety.
But he couldn't blame anyone. After chopping a soldier, he roared to the three self-proclaimed lieutenants in front of him: "Continue to attack the city tomorrow. If you can't break through, I, the Lieutenant General, will chop you down with my own hands!"
"General Zhonglang, there are 1,327 casualties." said the personal soldier.
Xu Chu did not say anything, but just held the spear in his hand and looked towards the south firmly.
Guo Jia drank the wine, enjoying the pleasure of surviving a catastrophe, and said with a smile: "There is no difficulty now. The general's trouble is in the future."
This made Guo Si's face extremely gloomy, his chest heaving, and he was filled with anger and hatred.
At this point, if you want to run away, you really won’t be able to escape.
Guo Si said: "So, tomorrow, I would like to ask Brother Zhang to attack the east gate, either to break in or force them to flee out of the city."
Zhang Ji didn't care about the loss of his soldiers. He said in amazement, "This Xu Chu is indeed worthy of his reputation."
The other members of the Xu clan were perhaps intimidated by Xu Zhu's aura, and their wavering thoughts disappeared, and they once again worked hard to defend the city.
The middle-aged man saw that Xu Chu was stubborn and was determined to wait for Cao Cao to die. He knew that he could not persuade him, so he could only sigh heavily and turn around to make arrangements.
After taking a sip of the wine, Guo Jia felt alive again, his strength was mostly restored, and he became much more sober.
Seeing that things were hopeless, the middle-aged man pulled Xu Zhu and said urgently, "As many as we can leave, we can't let our Xu family die out!"
Zhang Ji knew what he was thinking, so he shook his head and smiled, saying, "Brother Guo, Master Dong sent me here, don't you understand the meaning?"
Guo Si and Zhang Ji both saw it clearly, so they worked even harder and urged their soldiers to attack.
His only hope was that Cao Cao would keep his promise and come as agreed.
Zhang Ji raised his glass and said, "Brother Guo, you are too polite."
After noon, Guo Si and Zhang Ji attacked the city again. This time, they did not attack both gates at the same time, but concentrated their troops and attacked the east gate.
This brought tremendous pressure to Xu Chu. The city gate was almost broken open, and the top of the city wall changed hands many times. The attack and defense were extremely brutal.
Xu Chu's expression shifted, and then his eyes turned bloodshot, his face was as hard as iron, and he said, "Keep guarding!"
The city gate beneath my feet kept shaking and could collapse at any time.
Guo Jia was already in poor health, and at the moment he was lying under a big tree, avoiding the glaring sun. He picked up the wine jug with trembling hands and took a sip.
On the top of the city wall, Xu Zhu waved his spear, and even though he was covered in blood, he still refused to retreat.
Guo Si and Zhang Ji's troops, who had gathered their strength, launched a fierce attack at dawn the next day.
At this moment, in a dense forest twenty miles away from Qiao County.
"Yes, yes, yes!" The three captains raised their hands in horror and responded with cold sweat on their faces.
After waiting for a while, Cao Cao took the bowl of food handed over by Cao Hong, and sat down next to Guo Jia without any sign of a general, eating with big mouthfuls, and said: "Feng Xiao, do you think this battle will be difficult?"
Guo Si personally supervised the troops at the east gate, wielding a sword and shouting loudly, urging the attack.
If Cao Cao were to capture Dong Zhuo, the message that would be conveyed to him would certainly mean that the imperial court was preparing to take action against him. Dong Zhuo, who had always been "obedient", would likely make some major moves, triggering most of the situations in the southern states.
The personal soldiers responded and went to investigate in a panic.
It’s not that he believes in Cao Cao, but that they have no other way out.
On the top of Qiao County City, Xu Zhu had already made preparations.
It was the first time that the middle-aged man saw Xu Zhu's expression. He felt very clearly that if he said one more word, Xu Zhu would really kill his uncle!
He looked towards Qiao County, waiting for news from Xiahou Dun.
Xu Chu did not explain much. Now he was in a desperate situation and could only defend. Once he left the city, it would be exactly what Guo Si wanted!
He brought 5,000 men to attack the east gate, which would put tremendous pressure on Xu Zhu in the city. Perhaps the city would be captured tomorrow.
Xu Zhu was defending the city in the most primitive way. In the absence of equipment, the losses from defending the city and attacking the city were almost proportional!
Zhang Ji was also a little surprised and asked, "Neither flee nor surrender?"
Xu Chu broke free of him, put his spear to his chest, and shouted, "Whoever dares to leave will disturb the morale of the army. I, Xu Chu, will be the first to kill him!"
Bodies were being carried on the city wall, and arrows were raining down from below.
On the top of Qiao County City, the Xu family members breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay." Guo Si said. He was too lazy to use any tactics before and just kept attacking. Now he had to stop and use some tactics.
Guo Si naturally didn't want to end up like Zhang Ji, so he said coldly: "Brother Zhang, I am determined to attack by force tomorrow, what do you think?"
Dong Zhuo sent Zhang Ji here, apparently as a warning of some kind.
Xu Chu remained steadfast and said, "As long as we hold on for three days, General Cao will arrive and we will be saved!"
"Two more days..." Xu Zhu said to himself, his heart feeling heavy, as if a huge rock was pressing on it.
This battle lasted from noon to dusk, and Qiao County, which was on the verge of being conquered several times, actually held on.
Guo Si and Zhang Ji agreed to rest for a night, and then early the next morning, they deployed their troops and prepared for an attack.
However, the small city wall of Qiao County was obviously about to be occupied by the troops of Guo Si and Zhang Ji, and the city’s fall was imminent.
Cao Cao paused for a moment and continued to eat.
Qiao County is a strategic location located at the junction of Yingchuan, Runan and Peiguo. Dong Zhuo is determined to obtain it!
Zhang Ji didn't care at all and said with a smile: "Brother Guo, don't worry. Qiao County is too far away from Yanzhou and Runan. Yingchuan doesn't have many soldiers and horses. There won't be any government troops to rescue. If we drag it out, the city will be captured in no time."
"Yes!" The personal soldiers responded, and the army slowly retreated.
Guo Si's face became increasingly gloomy, and he said, "If this drags on, I won't be able to negotiate with Mr. Dong!"
This time, they attacked the four gates at the same time, determined not to give up until the city was conquered.
Guo Si and Zhang Ji attacked for an hour but failed to break through. Instead, they suffered heavy losses and had to withdraw their troops.
In Qiao County, there was mournful silence.
Guo Si snorted coldly and said, "Send someone to find out the truth!"
The houses in Qiao County were demolished everywhere, and rubble, rolling stones, and logs were thrown down from the top of the city wall continuously, blocking the attack of Guo and Zhang's troops.
They arrived half an hour ago. Having traveled day and night, the soldiers were very tired and in need of rest.
Facing Guo Si's fierce attack, Zhang Ji used almost all the means he could.
Cao Cao is their only hope.
Cao Cao took Guo Jia's wine flask and took a sip, then ate the rice. He looked calm as usual and said, "I think so too. However, I guess your majesty will probably agree."
After packing up, he went down the tower. The middle-aged man pulled him over and whispered, "Zhongkang, there is not much food left in the city."
The most serious incident was last year, when Cao Cao was transferred back to Beijing and remained "idle" in the Grand Marshal's Mansion for more than a year.
Xu Chu had a blank expression on his face as they cleaned up the battlefield together.
Xu Chu had known this for a long time. He took a deep breath and said, "We should be able to hold out for three days. Uncle, control yourself and make sure we hold out for three days!"
Zhang Ji saw this and said, "Brother Guo, use the technique of tiring the enemy out, day and night."
After saying this, Guo Si said: "Order the whole army to rest and prepare food. After noon, we will continue the attack!"
Guo Si naturally didn't want to drag it out and appear incompetent. He stared at Qiao County and thought for a while. Suddenly he became alert and turned his head sharply and asked, "How much food is left in Qiao County?"
Cao Cao ate a rather ordinary meal and said, "I have already requested an imperial decree to control the two counties of Yingchuan and Runan. Fengxiao, I would like to ask for your opinion. Will the court agree?"
Both sides took an emergency rest. That night, Guo Si led the cavalry and marched around the four gates to tire out the enemy in Qiao County.
Once Cao Cao breaks his promise, the Xu family will most likely be destroyed in Qiao County!
Guo Si ignored him and walked away.
Guo Jia turned sideways, thinking about the young emperor he had met once, took a sip of wine, and said thoughtfully: "General, I think you don't need to make things difficult for His Majesty all the time."
But Cao Cao will inevitably invite a fierce attack from Dong Zhuo!
Xu Chu said with a sullen face, "No matter what, we must hold out for three days. If we can't, we will all die!"
It was not because Dong Zhuo sent reinforcements, but because the reinforcements were Zhang Ji!
Because Zhang Ji's nephew Zhang Xiu rebelled and defected to the imperial court, Zhang Ji's position in Dong Zhuo's court became very awkward and he was marginalized.
Under Xu Zhu's command, the young and strong men on the top of Qiao County roared continuously, never retreated, and fought hard to defend the city.
The middle-aged man looked at Xu Zhu's expression, sighed even more, and said: "At this point, this is the only way."
But the soldiers of Guo Si and Zhang Ji were like a tide, endlessly flowing in, and the city wall of Qiao County was in danger.
Xu Chu brandished his spear and fought back and forth on the top of the city wall like an invincible god of war, killing enemies as easily as killing chickens.
Although Zhang Ji was marginalized, he was happy and at ease. He had the clarity of an outsider and asked in confusion, "Brother Guo, it's just a small Qiao County, and there are no government troops. Why have we made no progress after attacking for so many days?"
He had lost his former vigor and did not care about the loss of soldiers, so he acted casually.
Guo Si frowned, thought for a while, and his expression became increasingly uglier.
Xu Zhu did not sleep all night and ran around the four gates. He was really afraid that Guo Si would attack the city overnight.
Seeing that Xu Chu would not listen, the middle-aged man cursed angrily, but he could do nothing and could only leave in hatred.
Guo Si's attack was fierce, and they had no weapons such as bows and arrows to defend themselves, so they suffered heavy losses.
Guo Si was relieved to see that Zhang Ji did not shirk his responsibility. He raised his wine glass and said, "Thank you, Brother Zhang!"
Yuan Shu's defeat had the greatest impact on Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo, who had been taking his time at first, suddenly took action, constantly building fortresses in various places and seizing some important locations.
Although Cao Cao was nearly forty years old, he was stronger than half the young men and was tireless.
The middle-aged man collected the bodies of several tribesmen, came to Xu Zhu, and sighed: "Three thousand people, plus the ones from the past few days, almost half of the tribesmen are gone."
Cao Cao ate a few mouthfuls and did not continue Guo Jia's words. He looked at Qiao County with his narrow eyes, his face cold and said: "If I take Qiao County, with the support of Runan and Yingchuan counties, and the support of the court, I am confident that I will destroy Dong Zhuo within two years!"
Guo Si looked a little gloomy. He toasted Zhang Ji for a while before saying, "Brother Zhang, Mr. Dong, you are not dissatisfied with me, right?"
Seeing that Xu Chu was still waiting, the middle-aged man stamped his feet anxiously and said, "Zhongkang, why do you trust Cao Cao so much! If we don't leave now, no one in our Xu family will survive..."
The middle-aged man had no choice but to sigh and continue to defend the city.
Outside the city, Dong Zhuo sent Zhang Ji, who was meeting up with Guo Si.
"Okay." Zhang Ji said without hesitation.
The middle-aged man was only a few years older than Xu Chu. Hearing this, he said hesitantly, "The people in the city are in a panic. If we control it again, I'm worried that something will happen."
Guo Si was supervising the battle, and he killed without hesitation any soldier who fled or retreated, forcing the soldiers to move forward and attack the city.
"Let's go!"
Similarly, this also put Liu Bian in a difficult position many times. He was unable to protect Cao Cao several times and could only "punish" him.
If Lu Zhi had not misunderstood Cao Cao and tried hard to cultivate him before his death, Cao Cao's days in Luoyang would have been very difficult.
All along, Cao Cao's actions were actually completely inconsistent with the style of the contemporary literati, and his behavior was quite "violent", which also attracted constant criticism and impeachment from both the court and the public.
Xu Zhu patrolled the city back and forth, rolling the log in his hand with great force, pushing down Guo Si's soldiers who were climbing up.
Zhang Ji couldn't laugh anymore. He brought 5,000 men with him, and the loss of 1,300 was really a big loss.
Guo Jia did not say anything. He did not quite understand why Cao Cao had to take Qiao County and why he confronted Dong Zhuo so soon.
Unable to guess Cao Cao's purpose, Guo Jia still fulfilled his role as an aide and said, "General, two years is too short."
Dong Zhuo was destroyed in just two years, and the court was so terrified that they were afraid that Cao Cao would be destroyed as well.