Chapter 297 Cutting off the Food Supply This water attack plan is quite clever. There are many places where ambushes can be set up along the way from Xiaopingjin Ferry to Qinshui River in the north. As long as our side is a little anxious, we will definitely fall into the trap. But in Xun You's eyes, this plan was not very effective. Duanhe is just a tributary of the Yellow River. There is a severe drought now. Although we have been hit by a flood, our losses are still within an acceptable range. Although Zhang He was eager to rescue the Qinshui camp, he was biased in terms of marching speed and defense against attacks, but the superior quality of his soldiers made up for the shortcomings. In this battle, Zhang He reacted very quickly and handled the situation very appropriately. Although they suffered considerable losses due to fatigue from the rapid march and the strength of their opponents, they still managed to hold their ground. You know, they were facing almost the strongest lineup under Cao Cao. But in Xun You's eyes, this seemed extremely unreasonable. "Cao Cao? He is naturally stationed in the rear." Zhang He said with some doubt.
Xun You shook his head: "According to the information we have, Cao Cao himself is one of the best commanders in the world. If Cao's army's plan is to attack them halfway across the Duanhe River, Cao Cao will definitely lead the troops himself." "Besides, what do you think of Cao's army's combat effectiveness in this battle?" "They are quite brave, but their strength and coordination are still lacking. They have no chance of shaking our army at all." Zhang He said in a deep voice. "Although our army suffered heavy losses in this battle, Cao's army also suffered heavy losses." Xun You said, looking at the corpses of soldiers scattered on the ground not far away. "Most of these soldiers are wearing leather armor, and there are few cavalry. If Cao's army really attacks our army with all their strength, their combat effectiveness should not be so poor." This is not to say that Xun You is belittling himself. The general is the courage of the soldiers. Although the soldiers under Cao Cao's command are not strong in combat, their generals are brave. He would certainly not be afraid of a single Zhang He, but the opponent has more people and they are shoulder to shoulder! With a lineup of two Caos and one Xiahou, even Zhang He felt a lot of pressure. "Military advisor, what you mean is that Cao Mengde's plan to ambush us this time is still just a feint attack, and his intention is not to attack our army." Zhang He murmured. "If their target is not our army... bad! Qinshui camp!" Zhang He said immediately. In his mind, the surrounding red dots on the "small map" had begun to retreat and were besieging the Qinshui camp, leaving only a few to harass and block along the way. Xun You waved his hand and said, "I have just notified the scouts to inform the Qinshui camp of this matter and ordered them to strengthen their vigilance. I also asked Youping to continue to keep his troops in place and help defend the Qinshui camp." "Military advisor, I'm afraid it's a little late! This battle lasted for most of the day. Before the battle, we informed the Qinshui camp of the ambush by Cao's army. The camp guards and Youping soldiers must have come to rescue, but they might be ambushed by Cao's army!" Zhang He said urgently. "It's already dark now, and it will probably take another day for the news to reach Qinshui and Youping. We must prepare our troops as soon as possible and go to rescue them." "Otherwise, if the Qinshui camp is lost, the battle in Luoyang will undoubtedly be lost." Xun You waved his hand and stopped the anxious Zhang He. "Junyi, calm down! Especially at times like this, the more you need to stay calm!" Seeing the calm look in Xun You's eyes, Zhang He felt as if he was poured with a basin of cold water and quickly calmed down. "How long do you think the Qinshui camp can last if 10,000 soldiers are left behind and on guard?" Xun You asked. Zhang He was silent for a moment after hearing this: "It should be enough to hold out for at least half a month."
The Qinshui camp was built by him personally, taking advantage of the terrain and using a lot of cement. It has all the necessary defenses. Even facing the siege of tens of thousands of troops, it should be able to hold out for a month without any problem. The reason for dividing it in half was to take into account the possibility that the soldiers in the camp might be unprepared. "You are very clear about the quality of our soldiers. Tian Gang, who stayed behind, is a very steady person. Even if he sends troops to reinforce, he will leave enough troops to defend the Qinshui camp." "After all, he knows the importance of the Qinshui camp very well. As long as we are prepared, we should be able to garrison there for half a month without any danger." Xun You said. The strongest point of their army is its stability and high tolerance for errors. He was indeed unable to cope with the all-star lineup of Cao Cao alone, but the strength of the enemy and us had not undergone any qualitative changes. Even though he was being led by the opponent, as long as he didn't make any big mistakes, there was no possibility of losing. "What do you think the chances of us being defeated are if we march hastily and are attacked again?" Xun You's simple words made Zhang He feel like he had been enlightened. "Military Advisor, you mean..." "I'm not sure either, but judging from the current situation, we might be the most vulnerable point," Xun You said. "Once we are defeated, Xiaopingjindu and Qinshui Camp will become isolated troops, and with morale in disarray, they will be more vulnerable to attack." "Then we will rest here for a day and then slowly march towards the Qinshui camp. As long as we don't give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage, we will win this battle." Zhang He said. Xun You looked at the map on the wall and pursed his lips slightly: "Why do we have to follow their ideas and go to help the Qinshui camp?" Zhang He was stunned: "Military Advisor, what do you mean?" "Cao's army doesn't know about Youping's existence." Xun You said in a deep voice. Why did he sit back and watch the fall of Xiaopingjindu and Mengjindu? It was to wait for Zhou Tai's reinforcements. "Twenty thousand elite troops are enough to influence the entire battle situation. Youping's army is mostly infantry and archers, so their marching speed is definitely not fast." "Once you receive my second order, you will continue to stay around the Qinshui camp and provide support once the situation becomes clear." "And we can turn our guns around and take back Mengjin Ferry!" Xun You pointed to the location of Mengjin Ferry on the map. "Mengjin Ferry is an important food supply route for us, but it is also the only food supply route for Cao Cao's army." "We have already sent troops to capture the Yewang area east of the Qinshui camp. Cao Mengde is heading north to attack the Qinshui camp, so the logistics must be transported through Mengjin Ferry." "He took such a risk, led his army deep into the enemy territory and moved around so erratically that the food and fodder he brought with him must have been very little." "As long as we take over Mengjin Ferry, no matter how Cao Mengde pretends to be, unless he can capture the Qinshui camp, he will be blocked in Hebei!" Xun You's eyes flashed. Since ancient times, the strategy of warfare has been "to unite the forces with the right tactics and to win with the unconventional ones." The advantages and disadvantages of Cao Cao's desperate strategy were too obvious. Although they were unable to resist in the early stages, they would be in danger of being wiped out as long as their weak points were caught. "If they cut off our food supply, we will also cut off theirs. Let's see who collapses first!" Zhang He couldn't help but sigh when he heard this: "The military advisor is truly a genius!"
The next day, after reorganizing the army, Zhang He led his troops south to Mengjin Ferry. At this time, Cao Cao, who was attacking the Qinshui camp, received the news and was shocked. (End of this chapter)