Lu Bu: My wife comes from two thousand years later

At the same time, Cao Cao saw that the chariot formation had moved away and had just sent out the reserve troops to support Xiahou Dun when he received the news that he had been killed.

Cao Cao was shocked and heartbroken, and immediately realized that with the death of Xiahou Dun and the departure of the chariots, the gap in the southern battlefield had been completely opened. If the Tang army sent cavalry to attack his main camp at this time, his situation would still be very grim.

Although the chariots in the north were still there, the infantry formation in front had been completely conquered by the Tang army, and the cavalry on both wings were also killed and collapsed. Without the cover of the army formation and cavalry, the chariots that could not even move were now a pile of rotten wood.

Without cavalry, Cao's army was in a completely passive position on the battlefield. The Tang army would sooner or later wipe out his infantry by hunting.

From the beginning of the war to now, except for the initial defeat of Qu Yi's 10,000 men by using chariot formations, Cao's army suffered defeats in all other battles. Several formations were broken by the Tang army. Xiahou Dun, Li Dian, Liu Yan, as well as Cao Ren and Cheng Pu before them, were all killed in the battlefield, and the 30,000 cavalry were almost wiped out.

What can we do now? We can only hope that Yu Jin can defeat Lü Bu and the Flying Bear Army. Perhaps there is still a chance for a comeback.

However, before that, Cao Cao had to preserve the remaining troops.

And, your own life!

Thinking of this, Cao Cao immediately ordered his soldiers to blow the horn to retreat, and he himself quickly retreated to the camp behind him.

The 30,000 reserve troops were not far from the main camp, so it was easy to withdraw them. As for the scattered soldiers who were killed and defeated on the field, as many as could escape would be counted. The more troublesome thing was the 50,000 archers. They were far away and had no cavalry cover. If the Tang army came to chase them, there would be almost no possibility of escape.

Cao Cao could only pray that Zhang Mo had forgotten about these tens of thousands of archers because she was worried about Lu Bu.

"My lord, the Tang army has sent cavalry to pursue us!"

Cao Cao was silently praying when Xun You hurried over to report, "The Tang army has dispatched over 10,000 cavalrymen in pursuit in three directions. Zhang Liao's advance in the south is a bit slower, but the Golden Eagle Guards in the center are almost at the chariot formation in the west. Xu Huang, formerly a subordinate of Qu Yi, is leading 4,000 cavalrymen to intercept from the east."

Xun You paused, his face grim. "Also, Gao Shun's troops, who were supposed to attack our reserve troops, are now surrounding the crossbow formation..."

The crossbow formation was mainly composed of archers with almost no protection, so the consequences of being broken into by cavalry can be imagined.

Cao Cao was a bit confused by the enemy's swift action. What should he do now? Should he send out 30,000 men to fight the enemy to the death or abandon the 50,000 men outside?

Can Yu Jin successfully surround and kill Lu Bu?

But, with Amo around, would the Tang army be in chaos even if Lu Bu really died?

The answer is obvious, no!

Amo is not a woman standing behind Lu Bu, but walking side by side with him, or even surpassing Lu Bu. Lu Bu is in charge of military affairs, while she is in charge of politics, economy and military affairs. If Lu Bu did not have a son, with her current prestige, not many people would object to her becoming an empress.

At this moment, Cao Cao suddenly came to his senses. His decision to move Yu Jin's chariot formation was a big mistake. If the chariots had not moved, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun would not be able to escape. Even if Lu Bu attacked the central army, even if the tens of thousands of people in the central army were killed, as long as he was not dead, the severely damaged Tang army would find it difficult to launch a decent attack again. It is better for both sides to suffer losses than to be chased unilaterally now.

Ultimately, it was his fear of Lu Bu that caused him to make the wrong decision, leading to the current dilemma.

No, it wasn't a dilemma, it was inevitable defeat. Regardless of whether they sent out troops or not, they couldn't save the 50,000 archers. After the Tang army wiped out those people, they could rest for three to five days before launching another attack on the main camp. How could a mere 30,000 men hold such a large camp? Even if the enemy surrounded them, they would be trapped to death.

He has completely lost Yanzhou.

"My lord, the sun is about to set. Wait for news from Wen Ze. We can take advantage of the chaos and leave after dark!"

Xun You obviously understood that the situation was no longer under their control. Even if Yu Jin and his men chased and killed the Feixiong Army and Lu Bu, the horses would probably not be able to move when they returned. The Tang army could easily send out a cavalry unit and shoot and kill the more than a thousand war horses and charioteers.

Ultimately, the defeat was due to a shortage of war horses. As long as the enemy's soldiers still had the strength, there was a steady supply of reserve war horses for them to replace, and fighting for a day and a night was not a problem. However, they spent huge manpower and financial resources to build chariots, but they could only be used once when there was a lack of horses.

"Leave? Where to?" Cao Cao looked a little confused.

Once Yanzhou is lost, Xuzhou in the east will also be lost. Can the remaining Yuzhou and Nanyang County in Jingzhou be preserved?

If Liu Bei had not lost Yizhou, which was adjacent to him in the west, he could have retreated to Nanyang or Yuzhou. But now Hanzhong County was also in the hands of the Tang army. The troops of Yongzhou, Yizhou and even Liangzhou of the Tang Dynasty could be continuously transported from the Mian River Valley. The checkpoints adjacent to Sizhou in the north were all in the hands of the enemy. When he wanted to attack, the gates were open, and when he didn't want to attack, the gates were closed. In addition, the cavalry came and went freely. What could he do to him?

This battle almost exhausted all the war horses. Without cavalry, retreating to that side would only be a way to survive.

If it weren't for the fact that the Tang Dynasty's strategy was contrary to that of the major aristocratic families and powerful people in the Central Plains, the other states and counties would have surrendered as soon as Yanzhou was lost, and he would not even have a chance to survive.

"My lord, there is still a chance..." Xun You's voice was a little low, obviously just words of comfort.

"Why don't you go to Jiangdong, Lord Cao? If you and I work together and take advantage of the natural barrier of the river, we can still protect ourselves." Sun Ce persuaded.

Self-protection?

Cao Cao's lips curled up slightly, a smile filled with bitterness. Had Cao Mengde really fallen to the point of living under someone else's roof just to protect himself? He had risked everything, and in the end, it was just to save his own life?

He was afraid of death, but he was more afraid of living a life of dependence on others. Moreover, if Yan, Xu and Yu provinces were all lost and Jingzhou surrendered, how many years could the remaining Dongwu protect itself?

Rather than being defeated by Lu Bu again on someone else's territory, he would rather fight to the end in his own home!

"First, retreat to Yingchuan and join forces with Miaocai, and then make a long-term plan!"

"Yes!" Xun You received the order and hurried out to make preparations.

Cao Cao looked at Sun Ce and asked, "Bofu, do you still want to stay with me?"

Sun Ce hesitated for a moment, then bowed, "Since Lord Cao has given up Xuzhou, I would like to take over Guangling County for Lord Cao while Lü Bu still has some strength left."

Cao Cao nodded. "Indeed, I would rather give it to Bofu than to Lü Bu. Tang's policy is unpopular, and Lü Bu will have to struggle in Yanzhou and Xuzhou for a while. Besides, as long as I don't destroy it, your Dongwu will remain safe. You still have a few years to prepare."

Sun Ce bowed again and said, "Thank you very much. I will take my leave now. I will leave a thousand cavalrymen to escort Cao Gong. Farewell!"

This war seems to be over now, but is it really over?