Chapter 1039 After the War
After a long while, Cao Cao calmed down and looked up at everyone. Seeing that everyone looked concerned, he said, "It's okay, Zixiu, order everyone to board the ship first. Arrange all the gentlemen and their families on board first. After the ship leaves, we will lead the troops to break out and leave Changyi."
Cao Ang was about to turn around and leave, but Sima Yi suddenly said, "My lord, it will be dark in two hours."
Cao Cao was stunned and looked up at the sky, then suddenly realized that Sima Yi was reminding himself that the Eastern Expedition Army had 30,000 to 40,000 cavalry outside the city. If he led the troops to break out during the day, it would be more dangerous. It would be better to wait until it was getting dark, and maybe more people could escape in the chaos. You know, his soldiers are more familiar with the terrain around Changyi than the Eastern Expedition Army.
Cao Cao nodded thoughtfully, then turned to look at Cao Ang and said, "Zixiu, you lead 5,000 Qingzhou soldiers to escort Mr. Xun and his party and all their family and finances. Leave by boat first. After crossing the river, you will go to Rencheng. Your father will lead the army to break out and leave."
Cao Ang wanted to say more, but was stopped by Cao Cao's stern eyes. In desperation, he had to lead 5,000 Qingzhou soldiers to escort Xun Yu and his party and the property transported out of the city on board and leave the water gate.
After Cao Ang and his party left, a soldier soon reported that a large army of the Eastern Expedition Army appeared in the northwest direction outside the city. Cao Cao did not hesitate and immediately sent 5,000 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry out of the city. With the help of the soldiers on the north wall, he forced the Eastern Expedition Army troops that appeared in the northwest corner back.
With the resistance of Cao Cao's soldiers in the city, when several troops approached the north city of Changyi, the sky had gradually darkened. With the help of this hour, Cao Cao gathered nearly 10,000 troops.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Cao Cao led the army to break out from the north gate. However, when leaving, he once again sent dozens of soldiers into the tower. After the army left the city gate, he also destroyed the gate of the city gate, leaving the generals of the Eastern Expedition Army in the city with nothing to do but sigh.
However, even so, although the army in the city could not follow behind, the army outside the city was ready to intercept. When Cao Cao led his army to the northeast corner outside Changyi City, Huangfu Li's army had already arrived here with 20,000 troops to intercept. Cao Cao had anticipated this situation. Under his command, Cao Zhen led 8,000 tiger and leopard cavalry to launch a desperate attack on the intercepting Eastern Expedition Army.
Although the army of Huangfu Li tried their best to intercept, and with the support of 20,000 cavalry, Cao Cao still led his troops to break through. However, Cao Cao's army suffered heavy losses. In the end, only less than half of the 8,000 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry successfully broke through, and more than 20,000 infantry lost more than 10,000. In the end, Cao Cao's army broke through with less than 20,000 soldiers, and this was in addition to the 5,000 Qingzhou soldiers of Cao Ang who broke through with the remaining ships.
It must be said that Cao Cao grasped the timing very well. Soon after the army broke through the interception of Huangfu Li's troops, it was completely dark, and the cavalry of the Eastern Expedition Army had to give up the pursuit and return to Changyi City.
Although Cao Cao finally broke through and escaped, the loss was huge. Of course, after a big battle, the losses of the Eastern Expedition Army were also astonishing. In the more than one month of attacking Changyi City, the losses of the Eastern Expedition Army's battle barracks exceeded 20,000, and the losses of the guards exceeded 30,000. In addition, the thousands of cavalry and nearly 10,000 infantry lost when Cao Cao's breakout troops were intercepted, and the losses of the entire Changyi war reached nearly 70,000 soldiers.
However, the gains from this battle were not small. First of all, Cao Cao's base camp was captured. Changyi was the capital of Yanzhou. Since Cao Cao took office as the governor of Yanzhou, he had always used it as his base camp. This battle was able to capture Changyi, which was a huge blow to the morale of Cao Cao's army.
Another point is that most of Cao Cao's most elite Qingzhou soldiers and tiger and leopard cavalry were eliminated. There were 30,000 Qingzhou soldiers and 10,000 tiger and leopard cavalry in Changyi City at first, but in the end, less than 10,000 Qingzhou soldiers successfully broke through and left, and only more than 3,000 of the 10,000 tiger and leopard cavalry arrived in Rencheng.
It can be said that Cao Cao suffered heavy losses.
The gates on the west and south sides of Changyi City were finally opened when it was almost dark. At this time, the Cao Cao army's defeated soldiers in the city had been completely cleared out, and the Zhengdong Army had controlled the entire city, so Huangfu Chaobo ordered the army to enter the city for the night.
In Changyi City, in the Yanzhou Mu Mansion, Huangfu Chaobo did not call everyone to discuss matters overnight, but sat alone in the meeting room where Cao Cao used to be, looking at the map hanging on the city wall, thinking about the arrangements after the war. The Changyi War caused a lot of losses to the Zhengdong Army. At least in the current situation, it can no longer fight, so the next thing is to digest the newly occupied territories, and then consider the subsequent wars.
It has been more than two months since the war started in March, but for this war, I have been preparing for more than a year. If it weren't for the surprise troops from Yuzhou and the use of the killer of the Digging Army, Qi would have easily obtained the five counties under Cao Cao's rule.
Yes, it was easy. You know, except for the last battle of Changyi, which caused the Zhengdong Army to lose tens of thousands of troops, the battles in the other counties can be said to be very easy to win, and the total loss of troops was less than half of the Changyi War.
It was just that this last battle also allowed Huangfu Chaobo to witness the true combat power of Cao Cao's army. It also made Huangfu Chaobo realize that the war potential of his own forces was not as strong as he imagined. Not only that, it also made Huangfu Chaobo truly understand the difference between offense and defense.
Thinking of this, Huangfu Chaobo couldn't help but sighed. It seems that he must rest for a while in the next period of time. There are many newly occupied territories. Although he also lost the two counties of Qingzhou, it is not a bad thing for him. An enclave will not be able to support if something happens. However, the two port cities are a troublesome thing. The most important thing is the two docks, one special and one advanced, but they have cost him countless efforts and money to build.
Without the support of the two counties, I don't know how long the two port cities can support. If it doesn't work at that time, I will move to Leting. In short, the dock can be built again if it is gone, and the shipbuilding craftsmen must be kept anyway.
In addition to these, there are dozens of cities in the newly occupied five counties, and all the personnel need to be arranged. Although the personnel arrangement at the county level is made by Tian Feng and others to make a rough arrangement first, and then confirmed by themselves, the personnel arrangement at the county level must be considered by themselves. In addition, each county needs to build a new war barracks, which involves the problem of personnel.