Chapter 214 Chapter Twenty-Nine

Cao Cao said: "Zhongda, I understand what you mean, but the soldiers are indeed miserable. What I saw today: the tragedy is shocking. I can't bear it." Liu Ye said: "Your Majesty, please accept Zhong Da's words. If there is no sacrifice, what a big deal! Hanzhong Sanchuan, no matter what, we can't give up to the other party." Cao Cao pondered for a long while, his expression was a little dazed. Recently, his camp was full of water and puddles. Although the soldiers dug the earth to build a high platform for him, and set up the tent again, he was old and suffered a lot.

Cold, flooding, and occasional migraines, my health deteriorated, my energy was not concentrated, and as a result, my political affairs seemed inefficient and my thoughts a little confused. Liu Ye saw that his body was shaking, so he asked his soldiers to support him and persuade him to rest. Cao Cao waved his hand, forced himself to sit still, and said: "Quickly urge food and grass, otherwise the morale of the army will collapse." After finishing speaking, he couldn't hold on anymore, and fainted. Liu Ye and others hurriedly called the doctor accompanying the camp to come for diagnosis and treatment, and carried him to the couch.It took a lot of effort for the doctor to bring Cao Cao back to life.

Cao Cao looked at the nervousness and concern of the people surrounding him. In order to comfort everyone, he tried to squeeze out a smile and said: "It's not in the way, it's not in the way. Please go back to your respective camps and encourage the soldiers to tide over the difficulties." He only left Liu Ye to talk about military affairs.At this time, there was a burst of cheers outside the camp.The soldiers came to report, and Cao Zhang came.Cao Zhang conquered Wuhuan in the north in the 23rd year of Jian'an, and the 24th year of Jian'an Back in Yecheng, it was the time when Cao Cao was struggling to support Hanzhong. Hearing that Hanzhong was in danger, he led his troops to support his father and king on the front line.

Cao Cao ordered Cao Zhang to meet him.Cao Zhang opened the curtain and entered, his yellow beard was covered with crystal drops of water.Before Cao Zhang came to Cao Cao's camp, he heard that his father had fainted suddenly, and he was worried. In a hurry, after entering the house and seeing that Cao Cao was fine, he was relieved. He stepped forward a few steps, knelt down to pay his respects and said: "Father, my son heard that you are not in good health, and I am very anxious. Are you feeling better now?" Cao Cao beckoned him to get up, sat down beside the bed, and said: "My son came all the way from thousands of miles to help his father, and he was very happy, and his serious illness is gone."

Cao Cao was happy at the moment, and his migraine disappeared unknowingly.The father and son talked about their daily life, and they did not fall asleep until after three o'clock. Cao Zhang's arrival did not change the situation, the rain was still torrential, and food and grass were still insufficient.At the beginning of Cao Yingli, a small number of soldiers deserted secretly. After a few days, there was a small The small group of troops fled en masse.Zhang He killed several soldiers, and hung their heads on a high flagpole at the gate to show the public, in order to "kill one as an example" and prevent the soldiers from fleeing.but

, The hungry soldiers had already put their lives in disregard, and they risked their beheadings, but they still looked for opportunities to escape. The grain and grass stored in the army were completely exhausted, half of the army horses were killed, and the grain in Guanzhong still hadn't arrived.Zhang He led some soldiers and horses to the edge of the Han River, took the long spear, and salvaged the upper reaches of the river. The carcasses of dead cows, sheep, and pigs that floated down.These things are limited, and what they salvage is just a small snack for the army. But Liu Bei's troops here are another scene.

The food he brought from Yizhou was abundant, and he was not burned by the other party.A large number of goats and cattle were continuously sent from the rear from Bazhong.They saw that Cao Jun was so hungry that his water swelled The corpses of dead horses and cows were also regarded as treasures, so Liu Bei asked the soldiers to drive all the cows and sheep to the south bank of the Han River and slaughter them. Live and jumping goats and cattle were killed one by one, skinned and disemboweled.Then hang on the poplar branches on the bank.The stomachs of cows and sheep were all dumped into the Han River, and the Han River instantly

In a short time, the hearts, lungs, and livers of the cattle and sheep were swallowed up, and the river surface was just malicious whirlpools. After the cattle and sheep were slaughtered, when the rain stopped, the Shu soldiers on the south bank of the Han River brought dry firewood from the camp, hit the flint on sparks, ignited the firewood, and stripped the naked The slippery fat sheep and lean beef are roasted. Cooking smoke curls up, and the smell of meat hits people.The Shu soldiers were making noise and shuttling back and forth, their faces were particularly rosy under the light of the fire because they were full of food.

The beef and mutton are cooked, and the mouth-watering aroma of meat floats on the hundred-foot-wide Hanshui. "Smells! Smells!" The Shu soldiers tore off fat pieces of lamb leg, sat cross-legged, and munched on it facing the north bank. north shore.Cao Bing, who was salvaging dead animals, had already put down his long spear.When they saw Shu soldiers randomly throwing strings of cow and sheep hearts into the water, they felt as if they were their own hearts. Dirty, my own intestines, my own flesh and blood fell into the water. When the smell of meat came, they were hungry and swallowed their saliva. The sound of swallowing the saliva was not inferior to the sound of the Han River.

"Smells! Smells!" "Hungry! Hungry!" Only a hundred feet away, it is a different world. A few hungry and fainting soldiers, whether they lost their minds or passed out completely, "plop! plop" jumped off the Han River, but after a few whirlpools, the spikes of human hair disappeared shadowed. 214 Cao Cao heard that Liu Bei was slaughtering sheep and cattle on the opposite bank, drinking heavily to disintegrate his troops, and he was very disturbed.I also heard that Liu Bei sent troops from the upper reaches of the Western Han Dynasty to cross the river , To attack his beleaguered army, he thought that the weak soldiers were unable to cope with the war, and the thought of withdrawing occupied the entire space in his brain.

It was very late at night, and Cao Cao was still thinking. The cook Wang Yu brought in a bowl of chicken soup.Due to the shortage of food and meat, only Cao Cao can eat some meat dishes, but a chicken is still eaten in three days. Cao Cao looked at the chicken ribs in the bowl and imagined: "Xia Houyuan failed my great trust, lost food and danger, and led to a situation where the army was defeated. Alas, I only blamed me for not listening to Sima Zhongda's words, and not entering Yizhou after pacifying Zhang Lu. Now Children weaving mats drink Mahan water, so there is no such thing as the same day. " Cao Cao took a sip of the chicken soup, but he didn't know its taste. In the past few days, Liu Bei's face always appeared in his mind, and he always remembered the scene of cooking with Liu Bei and discussing heroes more than ten years ago.At that time, he and Liu Bei were only in their forties. In his prime of life, he has the ideal of conquering the world and unifying the world.At that time, Liu Bei asked him what he thought of the heroes of the world who dominated one side. He once called Huainan "Huainan" in a tone of heroism and conclusion. Yuan Shu is "a dead bone in a grave"; Yuan Shao in Hebei is "a stern man, and he forgets his life when he sees benefits"; Liu Zhang in Jingzhou is "a dog who guards the household"; And Liu Bei are the heroes who harbor the myriad opportunities of the universe and swallow the ambitions of all directions. However, Liu Bei said that he "has little generosity and strategy" and dare not be called a hero. Thinking of this, Cao Cao couldn't help but smile wryly. "Hero! Hero! Me? Liu Bei? Zhixi kid used to be a wolf, but now he talks and laughs freely. What about me..." Cao Cao thought to himself with some self-mockery.