Chapter 18 I Am Zhao Zilong from Changshan
Seeing this situation, a sense of foreboding welled up in Cao Cao's heart.
Just as he was considering whether to withdraw the troops or not, Lu Bu showed his great prowess and drove Xiahou Dun back in defeat continuously. Helplessly, Xiahou Dun had to retreat. His retreat caused the army's morale to waver, and the soldiers also retreated in panic.
Lu Bu seized this opportunity and launched a fierce attack. The generals of the Cao Army were no match for Lu Bu at all, and for a moment, no one could stop him.
Seeing Lu Bu approaching, Dian Wei, holding a pair of halberds, stood in front of Cao Cao and roared, "My lord, retreat quickly! I'll cover the rear for you!"
Without hesitation, Cao Cao turned his horse around and led the remaining troops to gallop towards the direction of Xingyang.
With Cao Cao's defeat and flight, the Cao Army was completely defeated. Countless soldiers fled towards the rear in a scramble. In the chaos, countless people were killed by the Xiliang Army, and many more died from being trampled on.
...
The night was deep, and the moon was as bright as day.
Cao Cao fled to a barren mountain before he stopped to reorganize his troops. After a count, of the original ten thousand troops, only a little over six thousand remained. The rest of the soldiers were either killed in battle or got separated in the chaos.
Looking at the dispirited soldiers, Cao Cao felt sad and couldn't help but sigh.
If only I had listened to Lin Yu's words instead of being so stubborn!
Before Cao Cao and the others could catch their breath, shouts of battle rang out again. Looking closely, a troop of soldiers charged out from the side.
"I am Xu Rong, a general in front of the Prime Minister's tent. Cao Aman, you should die quickly!" Xu Rong, the general, held his long spear high and led a group of ambush troops to charge out.
The already demoralized Cao Army became even more panicked.
"My lord, retreat quickly! Leave this place to us!" Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Dian Wei shouted in unison.
They led the soldiers to charge forward bravely and fought desperately to hold back Xu Rong's troops.
However, before Cao Cao could escape, Lu Bu personally led the Xiliang Army to pursue from a distance.
Seeing this scene, Cao Cao felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and his face was full of despair.
Is it that Heaven wants to destroy me, Cao Mengde?
Just at this moment of despair, a clear shout rang out: "Don't be so rampant, you villains!"
A young general in white robes and on a white horse was seen galloping over from the west.
It was Zhao Yun, Lin Yu's sworn brother.
He was like a sharp arrow, shooting straight into the battlefield and arriving in front of Xu Rong, who was rampaging through the Cao Army.
Xu Rong had just stabbed a Cao Army soldier to death with his spear and instinctively sensed a hint of danger. Looking up, a glint of cold light cut through the night sky and was stabbing towards him. Xu Rong was startled and hurriedly twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the spear.
Taking a closer look, he saw a young general in white robes.
"Who are you? I don't kill nameless nobodies!" Xu Rong calmed himself down and asked with a sneer.
"I am Zhao Zilong from Changshan!"
After reporting his name, Zhao Yun didn't waste any words and continued to spur his horse forward. The long spear in his hand burst out thousands of cold glints, enveloping Xu Rong.
Xu Rong was almost dumbfounded.
He never expected that this young general with a somewhat immature face would have such superb spear skills, not inferior to his own at all!
He couldn't afford to fight head-on!
Xu Rong didn't dare to be careless. He vigorously waved his long spear to parry Zhao Yun's weapon and then yanked the reins to retreat to the rear.
But how could Zhao Yun let him escape so easily?
A glint of cold light flashed first, and then the spear shot out like a dragon.
Before everyone could react, Xu Rong was stabbed in the back by Zhao Yun's spear and fell off his horse.
Seeing that the enemy general Xu Rong was killed, the morale of the Cao Army was immediately boosted, and cheers rang out like thunder.
Cao Cao was overjoyed.
Lin Yu's third brother, Zhao Zilangoing to, was really amazing!
The morale of the Xiliang Army soldiers immediately declined.
Lu Bu, who was engaged in a fierce battle with Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan, looked over in this direction after hearing the commotion.
After seeing Xu Rong's body being lifted by Zhao Yun, he couldn't help but be greatly surprised.
Xu Rong was dead just like that?
At this moment, he also noticed that in the distance under the night, shadows were flickering, as if many Cao Army soldiers were coming to support.
He was no match for Dian Wei and Zhao Yun, and now that Cao Cao had reinforcements, he had to retreat!
Thinking of this, Lu Bu didn't hesitate. He made a feint with his Fang Tian Hua Ji and then led his army to retreat.
Seeing the Xiliang Army retreating, Cao Cahad no intention of pursuing and immediately ordered to gather the troops and retreat towards Luoyang City overnight.
...
After a night of long journey, Cao Cao finally returned to Luoyang City before dawn.
When he saw Lin Yu waiting in front of the camp gate, Cao Cao was almost on the verge of crying.
He dismounted quickly and ran forward, grasping Lin Yu's hand tightly, and said with a choked voice, "Sir, you are really my savior!"
If Lin Yu hadn't sent Zhao Yun to meet him, he might have died at the hands of Lu Bu and Xu Rong last night.
"Lord Cao, you are being too polite. This is what I should do. The army has been on the march all night and must be tired and hungry. I have ordered people to prepare the meals. Please go in and have a rest." Lin Yu said with a smile.
Cao Cao didn't insist anymore and led the troops back to the camp.
After having enough food and drink, they counted the remaining troops again. Of the original more than ten thousand troops, only a little over five thousand remained.
Knowing this result, Cao Cao's face looked a bit gloomy.
Lin Yu, who was standing beside, comforted him, "Victory and defeat are common in military affairs. Lord Cao, don't take it to heart."
"You are right."
Cao Cao took a deep breath, cheered up again, and looked at Lin Yu and asked, "In your opinion, sir, what should we do next?"
Last night, Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, asked Qiao Mao, the governor of Dongjun, to lend him some grain. Qiao Mao refused, and Liu Dai actually led his troops to rush into Qiao Mao's camp, killed Qiao Mao, and then incorporated his troops.
The other feudal lords saw that the situation was not good and were afraid that something else might happen, so they each led their troops and left.
The so-called allied forces had already fallen apart.
Lin Yu looked around the tent. Besides him and Cao Cao, there were also several generals such as Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Cao Hong.
These people were all Cao Cao's trusted generals and were extremely loyal.
So, he lowered his voice and said slowly, "What Lord Cao should do next is very simple. I have nine words for you: Build high walls, accumulate abundant grains, and delay proclaiming yourself king."
After seeing the feudal lords' hidden motives and experiencing the disastrous defeat last night, Cao Cao also realized that what Lin Yu had said before was quite right.
Nowadays, the heroes are carving up the land, and the world is in chaos. The Han Dynasty's fate is coming to an end.
To restore order and stabilize the world, the only way is to accumulate strength first and take things slowly.
The nine words "Build high walls, accumulate abundant grains, and delay proclaiming yourself king" contain profound truths and are concise and to the point.
Cao Cao's eyes sparkled, and he almost slapped the table in admiration.
"With your help, sir, great things can be accomplished!"
Cao Cao saluted Lin Yu solemnly.
"It's my honor to serve Lord Cao." Lin Yu replied with a smile.
With his knowledge of history and thoughts that are a thousand years ahead of the ancients, why should there be a situation of dividing the world into three parts?
He could completely help Cao Cao rise to power, unify the whole country, and create a peaceful and prosperous era, so that he could also enjoy a comfortable life.
"However, having said that, where should we develop?" Cao Cao stroked his chin and said worriedly.