In the evening, Zhu Huan received Ji Ling's first military newspaper.

Zhu Huan was a little uneasy when he learned that Ji Ling was forced to fight under the pressure of Sun Guan and others and the fact that Dong Gun had to fight. As the governor of Rencheng, Ji Ling could not command Sun Guan and others and could not obey orders. This was a very dangerous signal. He originally planned to speed up the marching and arrive at the battlefield as soon as possible, but was dissuaded by Lu Jue.

Lu Yi said that if Sun Guan and others were in a hurry, they would be blamed and it was not worth taking risks for them. It was going to be dark and the marching at night was too dangerous. What if Dong Zhao’s target was not Sun Guan, but General? He had an army of 50,000. Even if he kept some people to defend the city, he could mobilize at least 40,000 troops, which was still more than us. Once he was in a hurry, he would be inconvenient to command in the dark, and casualties would be severe.

Take a step back and say that even if you want to save him, you have to wait until Sun Guan and others are in a hurry before saving him, so that they will not suffer any hardship. This hidden danger will always be there. Sun Guan and others’ life and death are not enough, and the general should be worried about Ji Ling. As the Shangguan of Sun Guan and others, Ji Ling is unlikely to refuse to save him. Compared with Sun Guan and others, Ji Ling, the Rencheng Governor, is obviously more valuable, and Dong Zhao will not ignore this possibility.

Sun Guan can die, but Ji Ling cannot die. Ji Ling saves Sun Guan, and we save Ji Ling.

Zhu Huan agreed deeply, so he immediately ordered the entire army to maintain speed, eat immediately, and ensure physical strength. After receiving the order, the soldiers took out the dry marching food - also known as the wife's cake - some were eaten directly, and some were soaked in water. This dried steamed bun is resistant to storage, has noodles and meat, has good taste, and is very popular among the soldiers. Eating while walking can save time and physical strength in burying the pot to make rice. Before the battle, all soldiers would eat a steamed bun every once in a while, maintaining an eight-point full state so that they could have the energy to maintain a long battle after the battle began.

In the middle of the night, Zhu Huan received Ji Ling's second military newspaper and the official seal of Rencheng Governor. When he saw the official seal, Zhu Huan was both angry and funny. It is said that among the nine governors, Ji Ling was the most low-key, but he didn't expect to play this trick. He arranged for Zang Ba to retreat to Kang's father and hand over the official seal, so he naturally expressed that he would fight with Dong Zhao at all costs. He did not ask Zhu Huan for help, and it was up to Zhu Huan to decide whether to save him or not. It seemed very considerate, but in fact it gave Zhu Huan a difficult problem.

If Ji Ling had an accident, one of the Nine Governors would be killed, and if Zhu Huan, the chief general, did not take any action, he would be to blame.

Holding Ji Ling's military newspaper, Zhu Huan was indignant. "Who said Ji Ling is loyal? I think he is a traitor."

Lu Gong didn't say anything. How could Ji Ling be an incompetent person if he could become one of the Nine Supervisors? He took the opportunity to win over people's hearts. If he could save Sun Guan, of course it would be best. With the grace of saving his life, Sun Guan and others would not blame him for taking the ruthless action. If he could not save Sun Guan, he would do his best, and no one could say anything about him. If Zhu Huan came to support, he might be able to attack Dong Zhao and make great contributions.

However, Lu Yi did not tell Zhu Huan about this. Zhu Huan was extremely brave and had a slight lack of strategy. Sun Ce sent him to be Zhu Huan's army to prevent major mistakes. Small problems and personal understanding depended on Zhu Huan himself. He could not be the one who asked him to take action and interfere with the affairs.

Zhu Huan also knew this. He asked Lu Yi, who was younger than him, not only for his lack of face, but also forsaken the efforts of the King of Wu. So if he had a private matter with Lu Yi, he would take the initiative to make his own suggestions first, and then add them to Lu Yi. If there was a military discussion with other people, the others would first say it, and he would finally make a summary speech and choose the best.

Facing Ji Ling's second military newspaper, Zhu Huan repeatedly considered it and decided to send the navy to continue advancing, cooperate with the cavalry, and the infantry set up camps to rest on the spot. The battle was north of the Ji River, and with the assistance of the navy, the cavalry could cross the river smoothly, reinforce Ji Ling in time, and maintain contact.

The soldiers rested, but Zhu Huan did not dare to rest. He lie down with his clothes and kept getting up at any time. After fighting with Sun Ce for many years, he knew very well that Sun Ce did this. Every time he fought, he rarely had a sleep. Leading the army to fight not only considers human intelligence, but also human physical strength.

——

On Jinxiang Mountain, Ji Ling sat on a big rock and looked at the position below the mountain.

Dong Jen set up a triple formation at the foot of the mountain, blocking the route of Sun Guan and others to withdraw into Jinxiang Mountain. Dong Zhao was further away, and the southernmost end of the formation was almost at the north bank of the Ji River, and he should be guarding against reinforcements coming from Dingtao.

It was already dark and he couldn't see Dong Zhao's formation clearly, but he could confirm it. If Dong Zhao really wanted to kill Sun Guan, Chang Xi would have succeeded long ago. The reason why he waited until now was naturally for a larger prey, either him or reinforcements sent by Zhu Huan. As for Zhu Huan himself, Ji Ling didn't think too much about it, which was unlikely. Zhu Huan has always been conceited. He was just a central military captain in the Battle of Rencheng, but was criticized by the King of Wu for his competing for merit. Now he has become a general responsible for the entire Yanzhou war. How could he be condescending to save him?

I don’t know who it will be. Judging from the familiar terrain and opponents, Man Chong is the most likely. Man Chong’s army has 10,000 people. If all of them come, plus his nearly 10,000 people should have the power to fight. If there are cavalry and navy, the grasp will be even greater.

"Governor, look." A personal guard pulled Ji Ling's sleeve, with surprise in his voice.

Ji Ling turned his head and looked west along the guard's hand. However, where the eyesight was within reach, there were several highlights gathered and dispersed. It seemed messy, but there were rules to follow. Ji Ling thought about it, and suddenly a light of inspiration appeared. He remembered that this was the way the cavalry warned at night and sent messages. It was said that it was created by Yan Xing. The King of Wu sent the meaning of various signals to the governors. He also received a copy, but he had never used it and could not remember it clearly.

At this moment, looking at the clutches and light spots, Ji Ling was both excited and regretful. What was excited was that not only were cavalry coming to support, but also so fast, which meant that Zhu Huan had reacted after receiving his first military newspaper. What was regretful was that he did not do his homework well. At this moment, he saw these signals, but he did not understand the meaning of the signals. He did not know who Zhu Huan sent, how many soldiers he had, and what plans he had.

Ji Ling thought about it and gave up the plan to send scouts to the contact. Dong Zhao didn't know that he was here yet, but he would definitely arrange a warning around him. Once the scout was caught by him, his position would be exposed and an attack would be launched immediately. He believed that Sun Guan and others were also looking up high and would see the signals of the cavalry. As for whether they could understand, he didn't care. As long as the arrival of the cavalry could give Sun Guan and the others the courage to persevere.

Dong Zhao must have seen these signals, what would he do? Ji Ling suddenly became a little curious. If Dong Zhao wanted to wait for a bigger prey, then the hope of Sun Guan and others would be greater. If Dong Zhao was afraid, he would likely launch an attack directly, kill Sun Guan before reinforcements arrived, and then withdraw back to Changyi City.

Ji Ling ordered the entire army to prepare. If Dong Zhao wanted to fight quickly, he would not be able to save him when he was killed.

As expected, Sun Guan and others who were trapped at the foot of the mountain soon discovered the existence of the cavalry, and earth-shaking cheers erupted from the formation. Ji Ling could feel the ecstasy of their escaping from death on the mountain.

——

When Dong Zhao received the report, he quickly walked up to the looking building, looking at the highlights in the distance, and frowned.

He didn't know what these highlights mean, but he believed that they must be conveying some kind of agreement. Reinforcements came, but he didn't know where these reinforcements came from. Before sunset, he received news from the scouts. Zang Ba, who followed Sun Guan and others, retreated. Ji Ling left the camp, but soon lost his trace. The last location was on the eastern foot of Jinxiang Mountain. It might have entered Jinxiang Mountain or passed Heshui. The specific situation was unknown.

If these highlights were messages sent by Ji Ling, it wouldn't matter. If it was reinforcements from Dingtao, it would be a bit troublesome.

Dong Zhao carefully calculated the time in his mind, and felt that it was more likely that Ji Ling was. Dingtao's reinforcements would not come so quickly, even some cavalry scouts would not play any role. Based on the time when Sun Guan was in trouble, even if Ji Ling asked for help in time, Zhu Huan responded quickly, and the main reinforcements would not arrive tomorrow afternoon. He had at least half a day to defeat Sun Guan, or even bite Ji Ling. After defeating Ji Ling, he would return to block Zhu Huan, and he would have more time to transfer the supplies and hostages in Changyi City and arrive in Wuyan.

Dong Zhao sent someone to send news to Dong Guai, asking him to prepare for the attack. At the latest, early tomorrow morning, whether Ji Ling came or not, he would attack Sun Guan, resolve Sun Guan before noon and end the battle.

At the same time, Dong Zhao sent people back to the city and asked the soldiers left behind in the city to prepare for the battle. If the person who came was Man Chong or Lu Fan, he would go out to the city to stop them. As long as he persisted until the evening, he could return to Changyi and defeat the reinforcement with his superior forces. If the person who came was the main force of the central army led by Zhu Huan, he would withdraw his troops and confront Zhu Huan to provide cover for the retreat of the baggage.

Dong Zhao issued several orders in a row, and he was still very uneasy. As soon as the war began, the process exceeded his expectations. The appearance of the giant stone thrower destroyed most of his preparations, forcing him to give up Changyi and retreat to Wuyan and Zhencheng, which was equivalent to giving up most of Yanzhou. God knows what other killing weapon Zhu Huan would have. As a native of Jiangdong, Zhu Huan received the key support from Sun Ce, and this situation was not impossible.

No matter how perfect the plan or how clever the power of the plan is, it is a joke in front of the giant stone thrower.

How can I fight this? All hope is based on Sun Ce’s lack of enough food. What if Sun Ce finds a solution to the food?

Jizhou is over, Yuan Tan is over. Even if he wins for a while, Shandong is still Sun Ce's. If he wants to survive, he can only go to Bingzhou, Guanzhong, or go to Yizhou like Cao Ang and Chen Gong. Only the mountains can stop Sun Ce's progress.

Dong Zhao stood on the tower, looking at the stars in the sky, feeling depressed.

.
Chapter completed!