Chapter 146

A flash of cunning in his eyes.

Since the failure of the last Guandong coalition to crusade against Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao’s transformation can be said to be quite rapid!

Before, he still had fantasies about the Han court.

But now, he only wants to achieve his own hegemony as soon as possible.

In this crusade against Dong Zhuo, if he can win, he will win.

If he can’t win, he will try his best to maintain his own strength.

"What Mengde said is very true."

"As long as Gu Linzhi doesn’t take the initiative to leave the pass to fight you and me, there shouldn’t be too much loss in this battle."

Gongsun Zan responded to Cao Cao with a smile.

However.

Before the smiles on their faces could disappear.

Several messengers ran over quickly and reported:

"Something terrible has happened!"

"Hua Xiong has led 50,000 troops out of Sishui Pass and is rushing toward our army!"

"Thump!"

Hearing this, Gongsun Zan and Cao Cao almost fell to the ground.

They were just discussing whether Gu Yi would take the initiative to send troops out of the pass to fight.

I didn’t expect this scoundrel to come so soon!

"Sigh, it seems that losses are inevitable."

Cao Cao sighed slightly.

To be honest, he really didn’t want to fight Gu Yi now.

Last time, so many Guandong warlords couldn’t get any benefit from Gu Yi.

And this time, I’m afraid it will be equally difficult.

"Forget it, forget it, the arrow is on the string and must be fired."

"My Youzhou warriors have no cowards!"

Gongsun Zan said loudly.

Subsequently, he issued combat orders to several of his subordinate generals.

Cao Cao’s side followed closely behind.

Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, Yu Jin, Li Dian, Yue Jin, Cao Chun, and other Cao camp generals were soon in their respective positions.

However.

Just as Gongsun Zan and Cao Cao were ready to go.

Suddenly, several more messengers ran over quickly from not far away.

"Report!"

"Hua Xiong has led his army back to Sishui Pass."

"Huh???"

"What did you say???"

Gongsun Zan and Cao Cao looked at each other after hearing the messenger’s report.

The messenger also felt very innocent.

That scoundrel Hua Xiong had originally led his army down from Sishui Pass.

For some reason, he suddenly retreated back.

"Damn it!"

"Isn’t this just messing around?"

"How can you say you’re going to fight and then suddenly not?"

Gongsun Zan couldn’t help complaining.

He clearly didn’t quite understand the brain circuits of the Sishui Pass defenders opposite.

"Forget it, forget it, Brother Bo Gui."

"Since the Dong Zhuo army at Sishui Pass has retreated, let’s quickly let our soldiers make a fire, cook, and rest."

Cao Cao appeared much calmer than Gongsun Zan.

Although his intuition told him.

There is a high probability that there is something fishy about Hua Xiong’s sudden retreat!

But he couldn’t think of why Hua Xiong would suddenly retreat for a while.

At this moment, it was time to make a fire and cook.

Whether it was the soldiers under Gongsun Zan or the soldiers under Cao Cao, they were already hungry.

Two quarters of an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Just as Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan intended to let their soldiers eat.

Suddenly, several more messengers ran over from not far away and reported:

"Report!"

"Hua Xiong has led 50,000 troops out of Sishui Pass again and is heading straight for our army!"

"Bang!"

Hearing this.

The rice bowls that Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan had just picked up were instantly put down.

"Damn Hua Xiong! Are you going to fight or not?"

"Why are you coming over again?"

Gongsun Zan was so angry that his face turned red.

With his relatively straightforward personality, he really couldn’t understand what kind of tricks these Dong Zhuo soldiers at Sishui Pass were playing.

"That scoundrel Hua Xiong is just a brute; he definitely doesn’t have the brains for this."

"The person who ordered the Sishui Pass defenders to do this is nine times out of ten that Gu Linzhi."

Cao Cao analyzed.

However, even if he guessed that it might be Gu Yi messing with their minds, Cao Cao didn’t have any good response at the moment.

If he ignored it and let the soldiers continue to eat, what if Hua Xiong really attacked later?

By then, the soldiers of the Cao army and the Gongsun Zan army who were eating would instantly become live targets for the Sishui Pass defenders!

Therefore, Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan had no choice but to order the whole army to stop eating and pick up their weapons to prepare for battle.

However.

Not long after.

Another messenger came over and reported:

"Hua Xiong has led his army back to Sishui Pass."

Hearing this, Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan ordered again, letting their soldiers prepare to eat.

However, only two or three minutes passed.

Another messenger arrived and reported:

"Hua Xiong is leading his army to kill this way again!"

This time.

Not only Gongsun Zan, but even Cao Cao couldn’t help it.

He slapped the messenger who came to report across the face with a "smack."

"Can you look carefully before reporting?"

"Did that scoundrel Hua Xiong come or not?"

Cao Cao was about to explode with anger!

Although he was advising Yuan Shao yesterday to keep his reason at all times and not be clouded by anger.

But at this moment, he really couldn’t bear being messed with by Gu Yi and Hua Xiong like this.

It’s just the time it takes to eat a meal!

Playing so many tricks.

It’s clearly trying to make people uncomfortable!

Gongsun Zan didn’t say a word.

But the expression on his face, as black as the bottom of a pot, had already betrayed his true emotions.

If it weren’t for the fact that he and Cao Cao were shouldering the heavy responsibility of acting as a diversion.

He probably would have patted his butt and turned around to run away with his army.

But... the messengers were also very wronged.

They looked carefully every time before coming to report.

They didn’t expect to be slapped by Cao Cao.

"Hoo..."

Cao Cao let out a long breath to relieve his bad mood that was about to explode!

"Brother Bo Gui, I think you and I should let our soldiers maintain a state of combat readiness."

"In case Hua Xiong really attacks, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Cao Cao said to Gongsun Zan.

The latter nodded in response.

Subsequently, the two ordered the whole army to maintain a state of combat readiness again.

However... the hungry soldiers had already reached their limit.

The veterans were relatively better off.

The new recruits were filled with a desire for food at this moment.

If it weren’t for the existence of military discipline and rules.

These soldiers would probably have rushed up like hungry tigers.

Just like that.

Another half an hour passed.

A new round of messengers returned and reported:

"Report!"

"Hua Xiong has led his army back into Sishui Pass."

After the words fell.

Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan collapsed on the ground together.

Being messed with back and forth like this.

Let alone the ordinary soldiers, even they were starving to death at this moment.

They quickly picked up their rice bowls and ate a few mouthfuls.

Before Cao Cao could swallow the food in his mouth.

Several messengers ran over and reported:

"Hua Xiong has led his army to kill this way again..."

"Ahhhhhhh!!!!"

"I am so angry!"

"Bang!"

In a state of anger, Cao Cao slammed his rice bowl to the ground.

Gongsun Zan, who was on the side, also had his chest heaving with anger.

"My Lord, calm down, calm down!"

"Don’t be deceived by the treacherous schemes of that scoundrel Gu Linzhi."

Xi Zhicai and Cheng Yu, who heard the news, quickly came to persuade Cao Cao.

There are currently three military strategists under Cao Cao’s command.

The one serving as the chief steward of the Cao camp is naturally the head of the Yingchuan faction, Xun Yu.

The remaining two are Cheng Yu, a local from Yanzhou, and Xi Zhicai from Yingchuan, who came for his reputation.

(PS: Xi Zhicai is clearly recorded as being from Yingchuan, Yuzhou, not a Yanzhou person as set in some other novels.)

As for Guo Jia, Xun You, Man Chong, Liu Ye, and others.

They have not yet joined Cao Cao’s camp at this time.

The identity played by Xun Yu is similar to Li Ru.

When encountering war, he naturally needs to stay in the rear to coordinate.

Therefore, the heavy responsibility of advising Cao Cao on the front line fell on Cheng Yu and Xi Zhicai.

Hearing the persuasion of Cheng Yu and Xi Zhicai, the expression on Cao Cao’s face eased a little.

But he was still getting angrier the more he thought about it!

He wanted to grab all the messengers and chop them all!

Seeing that Cao Cao was about to be clouded by anger.

The gentle and elegant Xi Zhicai said:

"My Lord, this Gu Linzhi just wants to use such a strategy to break our army’s morale."

"Since that’s the case, why not do the opposite?"

"Let the soldiers finish their lunch and then continue to enter a state of combat readiness."

"Otherwise, the soldiers will not only be unable to raise any fighting spirit, but their hearts will also be full of complaints."

After listening to what Xi Zhicai said, Cao Cao thought about it, and it was indeed the truth.

Might as well be a little bolder.

Let the soldiers finish their lunch first.

After finishing lunch, even if Hua Xiong really leads his army to kill, the Gongsun Zan army and the Cao army can calmly deal with it.

Thinking of this.

Cao Cao immediately ordered the soldiers to continue eating.

Little did he know.

This time, Hua Xiong is really "the wolf is coming"!