Chapter 388

"General Yuanrang, immediately concentrate the troops from all cities in Yanzhou to Chen Liu City."

"We need to rely on Chen Liu to block the enemy's advance."

Xun Yu pointed at the map laid out on the table and analyzed for Xia Hou Dun.

Upon hearing this, Xia Hou Dun nodded repeatedly.

In fact, Xun Yu was not just a simple strategist.

He possessed a certain level of command ability.

Moreover, he also had a quite sharp intuition for judging the situation on the battlefield.

Compared to him, Xia Hou Dun's ability to command troops and fight battles was relatively average.

Don't look at how Cao Cao particularly trusted Xia Hou Dun.

But historically, when Xia Hou Dun led troops to fight battles on his own, he truly had never won!

Even when Lu Bu attacked Yanzhou, Xia Hou Dun was captured by Lu Bu because of his defeat.

It was just that he later found a way to escape back.

Otherwise, if Xia Hou Dun had really died at the hands of Lu Bu, I fear Cao Cao would definitely have cried himself to death.

However.

One must say what is true.

Although Xia Hou Dun had never won a battle, his abilities in other areas were quite good.

Especially his internal affairs ability, which could be called commendable.

Calling him the best among the generals at handling internal affairs was absolutely without any fault.

Besides this.

Xia Hou Dun's martial arts value was also not low.

Although it hadn't reached the level of a top general.

But among the generals of the Cao camp, apart from Dian Wei and Xu Chu, no one could defeat him.

And at present.

Facing the battle report of Yuzhou being lost.

Xia Hou Dun's thoughts were the same as Xun Yu's.

Yuzhou could be lost, but Yanzhou absolutely could not be lost.

This was Cao Cao's old nest and the place where he started his rise.

No matter what, Xia Hou Dun and Xun Yu had to hold out until Cao Cao returned to Yanzhou with his main force from Xuzhou.

However.

To hold onto Yanzhou was not an easy matter.

Gu Yi possessed at least 100,000 troops.

And the garrison troops within Yanzhou, added together, totaled only a little over 20,000.

Under such circumstances.

For Xia Hou Dun and Xun Yu, concentrating all troops in Chen Liu City for a desperate defense was the only strategy to break the situation under helpless circumstances.

Peng Cheng

Inside the Cao Army camp

Looking at the crumbling Peng Cheng, which was in imminent danger.

A trace of a smile appeared in Cao Cao's eyes.

After the fierce attack by the Cao army soldiers, Peng Cheng would fall in at most three days.

There was no help for it.

In the Cao camp, capable generals like Cao Ren, Cao Chun, Li Dian, Lü Qian, and Li Tong were all present.

There were also strategists like Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, and Chen Qun.

The commander-in-chief was even Cao Cao himself.

The military strength also had an advantage.

Looking at the other side, Peng Cheng.

The commander was Cao Bao, the strategist was Chen Deng, and the troops were the old, weak, sick, and disabled.

To be honest, the reason Peng Cheng could hold out until now.

Was mainly because the Cao army lacked siege equipment, and because of some strategies Chen Deng used to block the enemy.

Otherwise.

If only Cao Bao had led the troops, I fear Peng Cheng would have long since been breached by Cao Cao.

But even so.

Chen Deng's patching up was, in the end, just barely extending the time until Peng Cheng's fall.

The war had progressed to this point.

All the dust seemed to be about to settle.

Just as Cao Cao intended to command the Cao army to launch another wave of siege.

Suddenly, two messengers from the direction of Yanzhou came galloping toward the Cao army camp.

Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a sudden "thump" in his heart.

The next moment.

These two messengers handed Xun Yu's handwritten letter to Cao Cao.

After just one glance, Cao Cao was so shocked that he almost threw the letter away on the spot.

Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, Chen Qun, and others on the side, seeing this, hurriedly asked Cao Cao:

"My lord, what happened in Yanzhou?"

Cao Cao remained silent, only handing the letter to the strategists.

After reading it, everyone's expressions sank.

Guo Jia even apologized to Cao Cao with a look of regret:

"My lord, it is my dereliction of duty."

"If I hadn't suggested at the time that you should 'gamble' a bit, I fear the situation wouldn't be this bad."

Cao Cao waved his hand and sighed:

"Fengxiao, this is not your fault."

"Blame it on the fact that Yuzhou was lost too quickly."

"I don't know how Miaocai is doing now."

Cao Cao had no intention of blaming Guo Jia.

In fact, even if Yuzhou had held out for ten more days, Cao Cao would likely have been able to completely settle Peng Cheng within ten days.

And as long as Peng Cheng was taken, the remaining commanderies of Xuzhou would likely soon surrender at the mere sight of him.

It was equivalent to Cao Cao achieving victory in this war.

But now.