Yuan Shao's navy was getting closer and closer. From the conversation with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao could only hear his voice. Now, he could almost see the ferocious look on the enemy's face. It would be a lie if Cao Cao said that he was not nervous. After all, the difference in strength was too big. He only had 30,000 navy troops, while Yuan Shao had 100,000!
Although Yuan Shao's navy was a second-rate navy, Cao Cao's own navy was not elite. Yuan Shao's navy was made up of fishermen from Qingzhou and Jizhou. Among these people, less than half of them had been on the battlefield. Cao Cao himself was not much better. He was making up for the army. Although these 30,000 people had been on the battlefield, a lot of them were landlubbers a few months ago! You can't blame Cao Cao. Cao Mengde had always been fighting land battles. From attacking Xuzhou to attacking Yuzhou, from fighting Tao Qian to fighting Escapist Liu, which battle was not a land battle? When did Cao Cao fight a water battle? Previously, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao in Hebei were so close that they almost wore the same pants. How could they guard against their own people? The two sides of the Yellow River were connected. Cao Jun could use Cao Cao's banner to directly cross the river without the need for Guan Die's notice. Yuan Shao's army might even provide provisions. The alliance of the two people forcibly resisted the alliance of Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, and Yuan Shu. Now, Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, and Yuan Shu were all dead. Xuzhou and Youzhou were also divided between Lao Cao and Yuan Shao. A mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. If Yuan Shao wanted to conquer the Central Plains, he must go through Yanzhou and Xuzhou. These two places were in Cao Cao's hands.
Cao Mengde had the heart of a tyrant. How could he give up the territories in his hands? Then let's fight!
"Fengxiao, if Cao Cao is defeated and dies, please return to Xudu and bring Cao Cao's wife and brothers to join us!" Cao Cao originally wanted to let Guo Jia take his family to one of the warlords. But after thinking about it, Cao Cao suddenly smiled bitterly. The Emperor's family was heartless. He, Lao Cao, had worked hard for most of his life, but there was no one he could rely on. All the warlords had been thoroughly offended by Cao Cao.
The neighbors nearby, Liu Bei, could not be trusted! Cao Cao treated Liu Bei like a brother, but was betrayed in the end. Moreover, Cao Cao had just chased Liu Bei out of Xuzhou. There was also Zhang Xiu from Wancheng. Haha! Zhang Xiu killed his eldest son. Lao Cao even had the heart to kill Zhang Xiu. Moreover, Lao Cao had slept with Zhang Xiu's aunt. There was no way the Cao and Cao families could resolve this matter. Then there was the Lvbu's Army! Haha, Cao Cao's Xudu residence still had that weapon called the Sky Piercer hanging in it. The Red Hare was given to Guan Yu by Lao Cao. Lao Cao and Lü Bu had been fighting for many years.
Jingzhou's Liu Biao? Liu Biao was afraid of him. But if his family fell into Liu Biao's hands, Liu Biao would not be merciful. Jiangdong's Sun Ce? Cao Cao was not familiar with him. Cao Cao knew his father, Sun Jian. However, his father had been dead for many years. How could he have any relationship with Sun Ce? If there is a possibility, then it would be him! Cao Cao thought. Cao Cao did not know why, but he thought of the ordinary-looking young man in golden armor.
"Milord, there is no need to say such inauspicious words. I, Cao Jun, will win this battle!" Guo Jia's eyes were very firm. Indeed, today was the last battle for Cao Jun. If they lost, then Cao Cao's Army would have to leave this chaotic world. Cao Cao was on this ship. If they lost, everything would be over. If they won, they could still spend some time with Cao Cao. Because this might be the final battle, Guo Jia also boarded the ship. If they lost, then they would sink to the bottom of the mother river together with Milord Cao Cao!
"Haha, that's right. I, Cao Jun, will win!" Guo Jia's firm expression also affected Cao Cao. Cao Cao also pulled himself together. Who was Cao Cao? He was a man who would never give up. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he was besieged by a large part of the Yellow Turban Army. It was because of Dong Zhuo's improper command and the Great Han Army's sudden change of generals that led to the defeat. If it was not for his two brothers, he would have drowned in the chaos. Later on, when he pursued Dong Zhuo, he was almost killed by Dong Zhuo's troops. If Cao Cao did not dismount his warhorse, he would have died. Later on, there were many battles where he was on the verge of death. For example, the battle at Wancheng and the sudden rise of Lü Bu in Xiapi. However, didn't Cao Cao survive each time? It was not that Cao Cao could not die, it was that Cao Cao could not die. His strong desire to live always allowed him to display his extraordinary strength.
"Fengxiao, I said if, if you are really hungry, go and find that person in Shouchun!" This was the last sentence Cao Cao said to Guo Jia before the battle. Because the next battle would be a life-and-death battle.
"That person!" Guo Jia also knew who that person was, but he did not know why his lord kept mentioning that person. Guo Jia did not have time to think about it. Yuan Shao's troops were approaching Cao Jun.
"Capture Cao Cao alive and grant him the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households!" Yuan Shao's army issued a military order, 'Marquis of ten thousand households'. This was really a good thing. One could feed ten thousand households and be conferred the title of Marquis. This was the foundation of a Marquis for ten thousand generations. Yuan Shao had really invested a lot in this.
With this stimulation, Yuan Shao's troops broke out with amazing fighting strength. The warships under them were unexpectedly long. One by one, they surged towards Cao Jun.
In the eyes of those Yuan Shao's soldiers, Lao Cao was now a promotion and wealth. If they captured Cao Cao, they would be able to get married and have children. From then on, they would be able to break away from their civilian life. After one or two generations of hard work, as long as they did not squander, they would definitely become nobles.
"Marquis of Ten Thousand Households? That depends on whether you have the life to take it or not! " Cao Cao was very cold. In front of Guo Jia, he was able to show his weak state of mind. But in front of the soldiers, Cao Jun's soldiers, he always showed a kind of perseverance. He wanted to tell these people that he, Cao Jun, was invincible and victory would belong to Cao Jun. As a lord, he naturally could not panic. The role of a lord was to raise the morale of an army.
1000 paces, 900 paces, 800 paces, 700 paces, 500 paces, 400 paces, 300 paces. Finally, Ju Shou, who was on Yuan Shao's flagship, felt relieved. This was because Cao Cao's navy couldn't escape. 300 paces, Cao Cao's warships couldn't escape at all. Moreover, even if there was an ambush, it would be impossible for them to join the battle. It can be said that the outcome of the battle was already decided. As long as they rushed forward, they would be able to board those warships.
Ju Shou's idea was good. Indeed, as long as Cao Cao boarded those warships, then Cao Cao would be finished. Under the attack of 100,000 soldiers, 30,000 soldiers wouldn't be able to hold on for long. But even so, they still needed to get close to the enemy.
"Cao Jun has already given up!" It was already 300 paces, but Cao Cao's army still didn't move. The impact of the warships wasn't small. The first wave of impact of a warship could determine the outcome of a battle.
2810 paces. "Load the bows!" Cao Cao's order was issued. The flag signals on the flagship were raised and all the warships moved. From these warships, a huge object was carried out. Each warship carried three objects.
"What is that?!" Ju Shou and Yuan Shao were looking at Cao Jun's movements. That huge object?
"Ballista!" Yuan Shao and Jushou glanced at each other. They both recognized this thing. How could Yuan Shao not recognize this thing? Many cities outside the Great Wall had this thing. This thing was invented during the Qin and Zhao Dynasties. It was mainly used for military purposes in the frontier. The impact of a ballista was huge for foreigners. Generally, the ballista's huge arrow could skewer dozens of people like candied haws. Therefore, the ballista became a sharp weapon in the frontier. However, that was more than 100 years ago. Nowadays, cavalry was more popular in the frontier. Huo Qubing and Wei Qing made the name of the Great Han Dynasty awe both inside and outside the Great Wall. At the same time, the Great Han Dynasty thought that cavalry was the only way to deal with these nomads. Although the Han Dynasty's cavalry wasn't as good as the foreigners who were born on horseback, the Han Dynasty's people had their own command. They turned from light cavalry into heavy cavalry. There was also the compass, which could help them find their way in the desert grasslands. Moreover, since Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, the Great Han Dynasty had a martial spirit. Therefore, the generals of the Great Han Dynasty all wanted to be like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. As a result, there were always good generals and elite cavalry in the frontier. For example, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, the White Horse Following Righteousness, and the Xiliang Cavalry. These heavy cavalry were tempered by the battles against the foreigners. Huo Qubing and Wei Qing made the Great Han Dynasty awe the people inside and outside the Great Wall. Huo Qubing and Wei Qing also made the Great Han Dynasty think that cavalry was the only way to deal with the nomads. Although the Han Dynasty's cavalry wasn't as good as the foreigners who were born on horseback, the Han Dynasty's people had their own command. They turned from light cavalry into heavy cavalry.
Therefore, the ballista was not as useful. It was more of a deterrent than a practical one. There were ballistas in both Bingzhou and Youzhou. However, the oldest one was from 40 years ago. The metal on it had rusted, and the wood had started to rot. Only the general frame was left there.
Now, Cao Cao's ship had such a thing. Yuan Shao couldn't help but feel strange. What was Cao Cao trying to do? Using the ballistae to deal with his navy? Cao Cao's brain must have been flooded with water! The ballistae were huge and heavy, occupying the displacement of a warship. Moreover, it took a lot of effort to pull the bowstring of a ballista. It required dozens of strong men to pull the bowstring. The ballistae outside the Great Wall could only shoot a hundred paces away, and their power could only injure a dozen soldiers. It took so much effort to launch a ballista, so it was better to use bows and arrows. Yuan Shao sneered.
Cao Cao immediately told Yuan Shao that he wasn't out of his mind. After 250 steps, Cao Cao's eyes narrowed. A murderous aura rose. "Release!" Cao Cao himself was a general and had fought many battles. He even personally went to the battlefield to kill the enemy. He knew martial arts. How could he dare to assassinate Dong Zhuo if he didn't have martial arts? Dong Zhuo was also a general and had personally gone to war many times. However, he was now middle-aged and his spirit wasn't as good as when he was young. Therefore, he gradually withdrew from the battlefield. However, this didn't affect Cao Cao's murderous spirit.
The ten warships in the first row immediately cut the bowstrings on the ballistae. Giant arrows were shot out with a buzzing sound.
Ten warships were equivalent to thirty ballistae. Thirty giant arrows were fired at once. These giant arrows revealed a ferocious face as they flew towards Yuan Shao's warships. The ballistae in Cao Cao's hands were only a simple and incomplete version. This was because the person who designed it was already in Shouchun. Guo Jia only had a blueprint. It was very difficult to find an artisan to copy it. Therefore, whether it was the range or the penetrating power of the arrows, it was inferior to the ballistae in the Lvbu's Army. Even the ballistae in the hands of the Jiangdong Navy and Jingzhou Navy were inferior. If Liu Mang was using the third generation ballistae, then the ballistae in the hands of Jingzhou's Liu Biao and Jiangdong's Sun Ce were the second generation ballistae. Both sides might have their own experts who modified the ballistae to the second generation. Cao Cao's ballistae could only be considered as the first and a half generation ballistae. It could load two giant arrows and had a range of 250 steps. Its penetrating power was also not as high as the ballistae. At best, it was much stronger than the old antiques outside the frontier. Since it was the first and a half generation ballistae, it was naturally stronger than its predecessors.
The first wave of arrows told Yuan Shao and Yuan Benchu one thing. Even if it was an antique that had faded from the stage of history for hundreds of years, it could still make Yuan Shao suffer.
The first wave of arrows consisted of thirty giant arrows. Although it wasn't able to take down a warship with three arrows like the one in the Yangtze River basin, its power was beyond Cao Cao's expectation. The thirty giant arrows directly hit the three fastest warships of Yuan Shao's army. On average, each warship was hit by ten arrows. Not to mention Yuan Shao's unmodified warships, even Jiangdong's sealed warships and Jingzhou's Zhuge Liang's warships would not be able to withstand such damage. They would sink to the bottom of the river to feed the turtles, let alone Yuan Shao's unmodified warships. The surging pale yellow water of the Yellow River directly poured into the three warships. Their hulls were completely destroyed by the giant arrows. The three warships sank into the Yellow River before they could even fight the enemy.
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