When Cao Cao returned to XuDu, someone came to report that Duan Simmer had killed Li Dai, and Wu Xi had killed Guo Feng and raised his head to offer it. At the same time, Duan Simmer escorted more than 200 old and young members of the Li Daihe clan into Xudu. Cao Cao issued orders to behead at each gate, and passed on the first order, and the people were quick for a while.
Tianzi ascended to the temple, held a feast for wen and wu, and set up a Feast of Taiping; Feng Duan was made the general of Lang Kou and Wu Xi was the general of the Martyrs, and each led an army to guard Chang'an, and the two of them went away. Cao Cao then went to Zhang Xiu to make a rebellion, and when he wanted to raise an army to fight, Tianzi personally drove Luan and sent Cao Cao out of the division. At this time, it was the summer and April of the third year of Jian'an.
Cao Cao left Xun Yu to guard Xu Du, dispatched his troops, and set off with a large army. When marching, they saw that the wheat fields were ripe all the way, but the civilians were far away because of the arrival of the soldiers, and did not dare to come to cut the wheat. Cao Cao then sent people to exhort the fathers and elders of the villages near and far, as well as the officials guarding the border everywhere, saying: "I have sent troops to seek rebellion and eliminate harm for the people under the clear command of the Son of Heaven. When Fang Jin's wheat was ripe, he had no choice but to raise an army, and all the generals and generals, who crossed the wheat field but trampled on it, were all beheaded. The military law is very strict, and the people should not be alarmed. "When the people heard the edict, they all rejoiced and praised, and prayed to the marching army in dust and cover the way. When the officers and soldiers passed through the wheat fields, they all dismounted and supported the wheat with their hands, and passed by each other, not daring to trample on it.
Cut your hair to replace the head
Cao Cao was on his horse, when suddenly Tanaka startled a dove. The horse, unaware, sneaked into the wheat field and trampled on a large piece of wheat field. Cao Cao then summoned the marching master book and proposed his crime of trampling wheat. The Master bookkeeper said, "How can the Minister discuss the sin?" Cao Cao said, "I make my own fa, but I break it myself, so why should I serve the people?" "Then he drew out his sword and tried to kill himself, and the crowd hurried to stop him.
Guo Jia said, "The meaning of the ancient Spring and Autumn: the law is not added to the honor. How can the army of the Prime Minister kill himself (qiāng)? Cao Cao sighed for a long time and said, "Since the Spring and Autumn Period has the meaning of not being honored, I will avoid death." Then he cut off his own hair with his sword and threw it on the ground, saying, "Cut your hair and act as the head." He also asked people to send a message to the three armies, saying: "The beggar is practicing wheat, and he should have ordered the beheading, but now he will cut his hair instead of the head." So the three armies were horrified, and they all obeyed the military orders.
When Zhang Xiu heard that Cao Cao had led his troops, he hurriedly sent a letter to Liu Biao to make him a response to the future; on the one hand, he and Lei Xu and Zhang Xian'er generals went out of the city to meet the enemy. When the two armies faced each other, Zhang Xiu threw out his horse and lashed out at Cao Cao and scolded: "You are a person of false benevolence and false righteousness, and you have no shame, how different from animals and beasts!" Cao Cao was furious and ordered Xu Chu to get out of his horse. Zhang Xiu ordered Zhang Xiu to engage zhang first, only three times, Xu Chu beheaded Zhang before the horse, and Zhang Xiujun was defeated.
Cao Cao's army pursued him to Nanyang City. Zhang Xiu entered the city and closed the door. Cao Cao besieged the city and attacked, but he saw that the trenches were very wide and the water was deep, and it was difficult to get close to the city in a hurry. So he ordered the sergeant to transport soil to fill the trench, and then mixed it with soil cloth bags and firewood and grass, and piled them on the edge of the city as a ladder stool; at the same time, he set up a ladder to spy on the city; Cao Cao personally rode around the city to watch.
So for three days, Cao Cao ordered the soldiers to pile up firewood on the West Gate Corner, gather the generals, and prepare to go to the city there. When Jia Xu in the city saw such a situation, he knew Cao Cao's intentions and wanted to make a plan.
Jia Xu said to Zhang Xiu, "I saw Cao Cao in the city and watched for three days. When he saw the color of the bricks and earth in the southeast corner of the city, old and new, and most of the antlers were destroyed, he deliberately attacked the city from here; but he deliberately piled up firewood and grass in the northwest, deceitfully trying to coax me to withdraw my troops to defend the northwest, and the Cao army would climb the southeast corner into the city in the dark of night. Zhang Xiu said, "Then how is it good?" Jia Xu smiled and said, "This matter is extremely easy." In the coming days, the elite soldiers, full of food and light clothing, could be hidden in the houses in the southeast; and then the people were told to pretend to be non-commissioned officers and defend the northwest. At night, Cao Bing was allowed to climb the city from the southeast corner, and when he climbed into the city, a cannon sounded, and the ambush troops rose up, and Cao Cao could capture it. Zhang Xiu was overjoyed and obeyed his plan.
Defeated Cao Jun
Early on, some detectives reported that Cao Cao had withdrawn his troops to the northwest corner and shouted to defend the city, but the southeast was very empty. Cao Cao said happily, "I have already been counted!" "So he ordered the army to prepare shovels and jué climbing equipment. During the day, Cao Cao only led the army to pretend to attack the northwest corner, and at two o'clock in the night, he led his elite troops to climb through the trench from the southeast corner and cut off the antlers, and there was no movement in the city, and Cao's army rushed in.
Suddenly, a cannon sound was heard, the ambush troops were everywhere, and the Cao army retreated sharply. Behind Zhang Xiu personally led the brave army to kill, cao army was defeated, withdrew from the city, and ran for dozens of miles. Zhang Xiu killed until dawn before he collected the army and returned to the city. Cao Cao counted the defeat of the army, with more than 50,000 soldiers and countless losses; Lü Qian and Yu Ban were both wounded.
When Jia Xu saw that Cao Cao was defeated, he urged Zhang Xiu to write to Liu Biao and ask him to raise an army to intercept Cao Cao's rear road. Liu Biao got the book, and was thinking of the soldiers, when he suddenly spied on Ma Lai to report to Sun Ce Tun Bing lake mouth. Qu Liang said, "Sun Ce Tunbing Lake Mouth is Cao Cao's plan." Now that Cao Cao has been defeated, if he does not take advantage of the situation and attack, there will be trouble. Liu Biao then ordered Huang Zu to hold the pass, and while commanding his troops to Anzhong County to intercept Cao Cao's rear road, he also sent someone to inform Zhang Xiu.
Zhang Xiu heard that Liu Biao had raised an army, and immediately led his troops with Jia Xu to pursue Cao Cao.