Chapter 415 Countermeasures

The weapons of the Guanzhong Army are more difficult to deal with than Cao Cao imagined, especially in the hands of people like Xu Rong. The opponent will not give you a chance at all. The Central Plains area is basically composed of plains, with occasional hills and mountains. It is difficult to have a strategic role.

Cao Cao retreated from Zhongmu, and Chenliu County was completely wiped out by this retreat. However, this was not the worst. After withdrawing from Chenliu County, Cao Cao received news that Gao Shun sent troops almost at the same time as Xu Rong, and Cao Ren led one hundred thousand troops. The soldiers and horses fought fiercely with Gao Shun three times in Yingchuan, and were defeated in three battles. In the end, they had to withdraw from Yingchuan, but they were almost made dumplings by Gao Shun and Xu Rong.

The 100,000-strong army also suffered heavy losses, and those who followed Cao Ren back were less than 30,000.

The loss of Yingchuan and Chenliu counties is not the most important thing. The most important thing is the feeling of powerlessness on the battlefield. Facing the encirclement and suppression of weapons such as Vulcan Cannon, Thunder God Crossbow, and Thunder Sky Thunder, the tactics and even the military strength are pale and powerless. .

What's more, even if the gap in weapons is put aside, the soldiers in Guanzhong are still well-trained. In addition, there is an even more fatal problem.

"Now that the Guanzhong Army is entering the city, it is strictly forbidden to harm the people. The Guanzhong Army can do almost everything. On the contrary, our soldiers will loot everywhere when the city is broken, making the people everywhere more willing to accept the Guanzhong Army!" Cheng Yu sighed.

In fact, there is still a certain rejection. After all, the Kwantung princes began to demonize Lu Bu and the Guanzhong Army more than ten years ago to maintain their own legitimacy.

After all, if the imperial power led by Lu Bu is demonized, they princes will have no meaning.

Although in the past ten years, with the rise of imperial examinations, news about Guanzhong has gradually become no longer a secret, but it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to change the perceptions they have cultivated for more than ten years.

But no matter how hard it is, Cao Jun can't resist his own soldiers from plundering his own people. Many times, it is not the demonized Guanzhong Army that causes chaos, but Cao Jun himself. On the contrary, the Guanzhong Army, which is regarded as a monster, does not commit any crime during the march. , and it is strictly forbidden to harm the people after the city is broken.

In fact, when the city was destroyed, rioters and riots, looting, smashing and beatings were not a big deal in these war-torn years. They were very common and were minor compared to massacres. After these years of war, the people of the Central Plains were actually less able to withstand such things. Quite high.

But he is afraid of comparison in everything. His own army was vandalizing, smashing and looting. The Guanzhong Army, which was regarded as a monster, came in and was ready to accept the fate of massacre. However, they followed the orders and prohibited them. Yu Minqiu did not commit any crime and even took the initiative to maintain public order. This happened one after another. The strong contrast directly shattered the demonized concept formed over more than ten years.

In particular, there are people in the Guanzhong Army who are responsible for reassuring the people and promoting Guanzhong, who specialize in introducing the Guanzhong system to the people. It is too complicated for the people to understand, and it is difficult to popularize it. Therefore, the Ministry of Civil Affairs specially streamlined these things.

For example, when it comes to taxes and land, compared to working as a tenant farmer for a wealthy family, where you have to work for a year without enough food to eat, working as a tenant farmer for the court, where you only have to pay 10% of the tax, and there are no other exorbitant taxes, is still very tempting.

Another point is to eliminate evil.

After the Guanzhong Army enters the city and stabilizes order, they will start to eliminate evil. It is not that all wealthy families are bad people, that is impossible, but in a county, there are always a few families who are ignorant, trouble-making, and bully men and women. The disciples have accumulated a lot of public grievances by doing bad things based on their family background. Although it is simple and crude to kill these people, the favorability of the people will rise immediately.

In fact, in the past, the local government offices did not know that these people hurt people's hearts, but basically the officials in a county had personal relationships with these people's families, and they might even be relatives. Most counties are controlled by several families, and the people's hearts are filled with these people. The family is somewhat resentful.

As for the new system in Guanzhong, the biggest resistance also comes from these families, so when the Guanzhong Army comes, it targets these local wealthy families.

Regardless of whether it is correct or not, the grievances in the hearts of the people can be dissipated through this method. If you let people enhance the atmosphere, the people's support will be improved.

Guanzhong's routine to win over people's hearts was obviously a targeted plan. While gaining people's hearts and minds in the shortest possible time, it also suppressed the local powerful forces and prepared for the future governance of the imperial court.

The opponent's method is very simple and can be understood at a glance, but there is no way to crack it. In general, the first people to win over in a war between princes are the local wealthy families. Just like when Cao Cao defeated Liu Bei and attracted the Chen family, Liu Bei almost conquered the situation overnight. They all lost, and they were defeated without even fighting.

Guanzhong's routine is exactly the opposite. They win over the most inconspicuous common people. Once they get there, they win the hearts and minds of the people by suppressing local wealthy families. This may seem stupid, but the benefits are more long-term.

Cao Cao could see this, and people like Xun Yu and Cheng Yu could also see it.

Of course, the disadvantage is that since you are isolated from the aristocratic family, the powerful families in the world will reject Guanzhong and Lu Bu even more, but is this a problem? Guanzhong has always done this. After many years of doing so, Guanzhong no longer has the concept of local tycoons.

Now the opposition of the world's aristocratic families is not a problem for Lu Bu. Even if the world's aristocratic families support Cao Cao, Cao Cao has no confidence in winning this battle.

In fact, when Guanzhong began to enter the Central Plains, the local wealthy people who usually did not obey orders spared no effort to support Cao Cao. They asked for food and people, and in short, as long as they could defeat Lu Bu.

The events in Jizhou have now spread all over the world, and they do not want to follow the path of the wealthy families in Jizhou.

So this time Cao Cao fought very richly, with an army of 240,000 in one battle. In the past, Cao Cao didn't even dare to think about it, but even so, the enemy troops were defeated in Zhongmou and Yingchuan, and the total enemy army was only eight Thousands of soldiers and horses, but chasing their 240,000 troops, there was almost no way to fight back.

"This bunch of untouchables, they have no moral integrity at all for just a small profit!" The counselor under the tent looked grave and snorted coldly: "If the people in the world can unite to resist Lu, and the Guanzhong army enters the city and fight for their lives, then Lu Bu will So what if we have a magical weapon?"

Cao Cao glanced at this man and ignored him.

It would be good if the people of the world don't help others beat you. In this matter, there is actually no right or wrong, and the positions are different. Lu Bu was rejected by the scholars from the beginning, so he followed the common people's line. This is not a simple issue of small profits. You Go to Guanzhong with a small profit and see if the people there will pay attention to you?

From the beginning, this was a matter of stance. Lu Bu stood on the side of the people, and they stood on the side of the scholars. Without weapons such as those Vulcan cannons, it was really not certain who would win. The people were actually very powerful. Limited, and easily exploited, just like the previous wars between princes.

Even if someone is good to the people, the most they can do is create a force like the Taiping Sect, which is huge and powerful, but will be destroyed in one attack.

But Lu Bu is obviously different. He has Vulcan cannons, thunder god crossbows, and sky-shattering thunder. More importantly, Lu Bu is not Zhang Jiao. He understands the art of war and has strategies. The result is two different things. He can't fight head-on. He can also calculate. Not only was Lu Bu surrounded by a group of powerful advisers, but his own strategy was not bad either.

"Yingchuan and Chenliu have been lost. Although our army currently has many troops, the good and the bad are mixed. In a frontal battle, the Guanzhong Army will not be our opponent!" Cao Cao looked at the crowd and said, "However, it is not without a chance."

"Lord, what's your plan?" Everyone asked with bright eyes.

"Retreat!" Cao Cao said flatly.

What kind of strategy is this?

Everyone was puzzled, but Cheng Yu and Xun Yu moved without speaking. This may be the only way at the moment.

"Lord, isn't this an active display of weakness?"

"You are already weak, so what's the use of showing off?" Cao Cao glanced at this man, shook his head and sighed: "The enemy has enough food and grass now, because they have the Tai Chi cart to transport food and grass, but after leaving Hulao Pass, the Tai Chi cart needs rails. We can only move forward. The further east we go, the harder it will be for the enemy to supply food and grass. We retreat to Xuzhou. First, we can use Xuzhou's vertical and horizontal water channels to block the enemy. Second, the longer the enemy's food channel, our army can send elite troops to harass them. Enemy food route."

Although the Central Plains does not have rolling mountains to block the enemy, it does have waterways that can even defeat the enemy with water.

Whether Gao Shun or Xu Rong, the further east they go, the weaker they will be. At that time, Cao Cao's military superiority can be fully utilized. After the enemy's army crosses the border, he can directly recapture the city behind the enemy's rear and trap the enemy's army to death. , and at the same time, a batch of enemy mines can be captured. With these, there is no need to be suppressed by the Guanzhong Army on the battlefield.

"Lord, can you please ask the Jingzhou army to attack Nanyang?" Lou Gui suddenly asked.

Lou Gui was a native of Wancheng, Nanyang. He was outstanding in learning when he was young. He made friends with Cao Cao when he traveled to Luoyang.

When Dong Zhuo appointed Liu Biao as the shepherd of Jingzhou, he went to Jingzhou with Liu Biao. Later, due to different ideas, he switched to Cao Cao. Under Cao Cao, his status was second only to Xun Yu and Cheng Yu.

Speaking at this time, he also hopes to use everyone who can be used now, not just Jingzhou. If possible, he also wants to invite Jiangdong to send troops together.

Hearing this, Xun Yu shook his head and said, "Lü Bu's plan this time is very big. Zi Bo must not forget that Shu is also under Lu Bu's rule."

Lou Gui was stunned when he heard the words, and then sighed. Back then, Lu Bu planned to plot the Shu territory, and the princes moved too late. If he could have intimidated Guanzhong from the beginning and prevented Lu Bu from daring to move lightly, now he would only be facing Guanzhong and Nanyang. , both Shu and Jingzhou can be used to restrict Lu Bu.

It's a pity that it's too late to say anything now. There is no movement in Jingzhou yet, which is actually good news. However, if the soldiers and horses of Shu leave Shu to attack Jingzhou, Lu Bu will be fighting on three fronts. Isn't he too arrogant? More?

"For now, let's take this as our guide. Let's fight while we retreat, and give the nobles from all over the place time to retreat. The Guanzhong Army is invincible!" Cao Cao looked at the crowd and said solemnly.

Now we can only let the aristocratic families from all over the country move eastward with their wealth to escape this disaster first, and then wait for the Guanzhong Army's front line to lengthen, cut off its food routes with elites, and slowly kill Xu Rong and Gao Shun. As long as By defeating these two men, not only can the Central Plains be retaken, but also Yuan Tan can be supported to capture Qingzhou!