Outside Shouchun City, fifteen li away…
Dust billowed, and a tattered banner bearing the character "Zhong" caught the eyes of countless people. Nearly fifty thousand troops, led by General Zhang Xun, personally appointed by the Zhong family's Son of Heaven, began to move.
Their marching speed was not fast, but they advanced cautiously, step by step.
At the same time.
“Report, General Yue.” A scout hurried over. “Five li from our army, there are a large number of enemy infantry, advancing slowly, vast and covering the sky and earth!”
Upon hearing this, Yue Jin’s brows twitched slightly.
Xiahou Mao, on the battlefield for the first time, was eager to prove himself.
He held the rank of Vanguard General, a position granted by Cao Cao to boost the morale of the entire army.
In this situation, he still had to listen to Generals Cao Hong and Yue Jin.
“Haha…” Seeing Xiahou Mao’s eagerness, Cao Hong grinned. “Don’t get excited, you’ll have a chance to earn merit later.”
Yue Jin remained expressionless. “Fifty thousand infantry, Zhang Xun’s central army is likely to be the first to attack, Yuan Shu’s armored corps.”
The central army, for the most part, consisted of infantry, advancing steadily.
Xiahou Mao was familiar with this tactic. At this moment, he was like a student, respectfully observing the command of the two seniors.
“Scout again!” Yue Jin said calmly.
“Yes!” The scout agreed and quickly departed.
Cao Hong’s gaze fell on Yue Jin. “General Yue, shall we proceed according to my elder brother’s and Lu Sinong’s plan?”
Yue Jin nodded, a rare smile gracing his lips.
“The fish are almost on the hook!”
This…
Xiahou Mao was a little confused.
In fact, fifteen days prior, even before Xiahou Mao reached the military camp, Cao Cao had specially briefed Cao Hong, detailing his and Lu Yu's plan.
Of course, Cao Cao had also sent word of this plan to Yue Jin at the front lines.
Now…
It was almost time to reel in the net!
Only… Xiahou Mao was completely unaware.
“Generals? I have heard that in warfare, there is a principle of ‘advancing with one impulse, waning with a second, and exhausted with a third.’ Do you two generals intend to attack only when the enemy has made their third attempt, striking when they are weak and we are strong, thus conquering them?” Xiahou Mao asked proactively.
Hearing this, Cao Hong and Yue Jin exchanged a glance.
Indeed, they were impressed with Xiahou Mao.
However…
Advancing with one impulse and striking when they are weak and we are strong was merely one method!
But… Cao Sikong and Lu Sinong’s method was undoubtedly far more ingenious!
“Does Young Master Mao know what Lu Sinong’s greatest strength is?” Yue Jin asked casually while waiting for the fish to bite.
This…
Suddenly mentioning Lu Sinong, Xiahou Mao tapped his forehead. “Isn’t my teacher’s greatest strength his mastery of military strategy and secret martial arts manuals?”
He was thinking of the strategy Lu Yu had proposed to defeat the Yellow Turbans, and… the secret manual of the “Thirty-Six Routes of Yang Family Spear” that he had imparted.
But…
“Haha…”
“Hahahaha…”
Yue Jin and Cao Hong burst into laughter.
They laughed for a full ten breaths.
Then, Yue Jin spoke, “You are wrong, completely wrong! You still call Lu Sinong your teacher, yet you do not know that his greatest strength lies in attacking the enemy’s mind! In that regard, even ‘attacking strategy before attacking war’ is slightly inferior.”
This…
Xiahou Mao was still utterly confused.
Meanwhile, Yue Jin and Cao Hong both roared with laughter. Here, Zhang Xun’s fifty thousand troops were galloping towards them, yet they remained in high spirits, completely unfazed.
“Dong dong…”
“Dong dong dong…”
If the footsteps of a thousand men sounded like a soft patter, then the footsteps of Yuan’s fifty thousand men were a resounding “dong dong,” like the beat of a drum.
In stark contrast to Yue Jin and Cao Hong’s composure, Xiahou Mao felt a chill creep down his spine for the first time.
The enemy outnumbered them, and… the other enemy forces had not yet revealed themselves.
Three thousand against twelve thousand – this was a tough battle!
“Report…”
Just then, two more scouts arrived in a hurry.
One of them reported, “Three li to the west, Chen Ji and Lei Bo’s legions have been spotted, advancing rapidly!”
As soon as this was said, the other continued to report, “To the east, Chen Lan, Li Feng, and Liang Gang are leading cavalry, seemingly intending to attack our army from the flanks!”
Neither scout reported the enemy’s numbers, clearly indicating that, apart from Zhang Xun’s central army in the front, Yuan Shu’s other five divisions had appeared quite suddenly.
Before the scouts could ascertain the exact numbers, they rushed to report.
Visibly, large beads of sweat streamed down the foreheads of the two scouts, indicating that these were likely not just thousands, but tens of thousands of attacking soldiers.
“Generals, the enemy is vast. Perhaps we should… retreat to our camp and counterattack from behind the defenses!” Xiahou Mao suggested. “Even if we are surrounded by Yuan’s army, as long as we can hold on for two days, my uncle’s hundred thousand troops will arrive, and then we can attack from both inside and outside…”
Before he could even utter the word “attack” in “attack from both inside and outside”…
“No need for such trouble!” Yue Jin replied immediately, his tone as calm as ever.
Not only him, but Cao Hong also nodded repeatedly, a hidden smile playing on his lips.
This…
Xiahou Mao was starting to panic. He had dedicated his life to martial arts since childhood and had never seen such a situation. It was absurd, utterly absurd!
As he was about to persuade them further.
His uncle, Cao Hong, spoke first. “Old ‘Yue,’ what do you think we should eat at the victory celebration tonight?”
“Lamb dumplings, perhaps!” Yue Jin replied with a smile. “We’ve specially transported a hundred sheep from Chen Guo, perfect for rewarding the army! It will be cold tonight, and a bowl of dumpling soup will be just right.”
Upon hearing about lamb and the fact that it was free, Cao Hong’s eyes lit up. The allure of free lamb was indeed great.
As for Xiahou Mao… his face turned green.
Mad?
Are they mad?
Have the two generals completely lost their minds?
With six armies surrounding them, their three thousand Cao troops seemed to have become “turtles in a jar”…
It seemed they were about to “wilt”…
“Generals? In my opinion… the enemy is powerful. We should first avoid their sharpest thrust, or perhaps… strike unexpectedly and with one concerted effort take down one division, rather than sit here and await death?”
Xiahou Mao felt like he was going mad…
He wasn’t afraid of fighting, nor of fighting outnumbered, but with them on the verge of being surrounded, why, why… were the two generals so calm and collected?
Whether to fight or retreat, they should make a decision!
Of course…
Xiahou Mao’s thoughts were not his alone; they also represented all the Cao soldiers behind him, and even the thoughts of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.
These over thirty thousand soldiers were actually panicking internally.
Yuan Shu’s six armies were forming a encirclement. Were they really going to fight? If they fought, there would be no survivors!
“Look at how anxious the child is.”
Cao Hong patted Xiahou Mao’s shoulder. “It’s your first time on the battlefield, and it’s understandable, but… you need to learn to stay calm!”
“During the Battle of Xingyang, your uncle was shot and fell from his horse. At that time… everyone was in a panic, unsure of what to do, but only I, Cao Hong, remained calm and went to his rescue immediately! I even offered my horse to my elder brother and stayed behind to cover the retreat!”
Speaking of this, Cao Hong patted his chest, as if this incident was something he could boast about for a year.
If it weren’t on the battlefield, he would have certainly recounted this to Xiahou Mao in detail, especially that line – “The world can be without Hong, but it cannot be without Gong!”
Thinking back, it was so impressive!
“Heh, kid, although your spear technique is good, you still need to learn a lot about leading troops and fighting from your uncle, hahaha, just wait and see the show!”
Cao Hong rambled on and on…
Xiahou Mao’s heart was in his throat.
“But…”
“Relax.” Cao Hong continued to comfort him. “By the way, nephew, have you ever touched a woman in your life? Can you last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn?”
It seemed that to ease Xiahou Mao’s tension, Cao Hong had deliberately changed the subject.
“No… no…” Mentioning women, Xiahou Mao thought of a sad past event.
Strangely, the tension in his heart lessened considerably.
“After this battle is over, your uncle will take you to Shouchun City…” He trailed off, leaning closer to Xiahou Mao, and whispered the last two words, “to whoremonger… haha! To whoremonger!”
“Haha, your uncle will take you to have a good time! And he’ll teach you how to last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn under those young girls!”
Uh…
Xiahou Mao shook his head abruptly. “My teacher said, ‘Without women in the heart, the spear will naturally be divine!’ I, Xiahou Mao, am dedicated to pursuing the highest spear techniques and will absolutely not be interested in women!”
His implication was, “I have the Jin Ping Mei, why do I need women’s tears!”
Heh…
Cao Hong was amused. As expected, this nephew was just as the legends described, pure-hearted, silly, and naive.
Were the prostitutes in brothels and pleasure houses women? They were mere tools!
Here, Cao Hong and Xiahou Mao were chatting enthusiastically.
On the other side… Yue Jin remained silent, his eyes narrowed, listening to the approaching footsteps and hooves of the enemy, deep in thought.
It seemed he was waiting for something from the beginning?
They were getting closer, they should be very close now.
…
…
“Report… General Yue, General Cao!”
Not long after, another scout rushed over. This time… his tone was unusually urgent, and his expression was not solemn, but incredibly complex.
This also put the mood of all the armored soldiers on edge.
Was it true? Had they been surrounded?
Xiahou Mao frowned…
The enemy numbered twelve thousand troops. In this terrain, to completely surround them with six divisions advancing simultaneously, it seemed… no matter how they deployed, the three thousand Cao troops had no chance of winning.
Xiahou Mao’s most direct feeling was that it was over, completely over… He, he was not reconciled, he had only just… just touched the threshold of the Yang Family Spear, and had not yet reached that supreme realm.
Would he die on this battlefield?
Just then, the scout’s voice continued.
“The five Yuan armies on the left and right flanks have begun their charge, but… their direction of charge is not towards us, but rather… rather…”
Even the scouts, accustomed to all sorts of grand scenes, choked up at this moment…
He tried to calm his racing heart and reported truthfully, “They are charging towards the Yuan army’s central army led by Zhang Xun, and the Yuan army seems to be… fighting amongst themselves!”
This…
Xiahou Mao’s eyes widened. This news was like a bolt from the blue.
Had it come? Had it finally come?
The Yuan army was fighting amongst themselves?
Not only Xiahou Mao, but all the Cao soldiers, upon hearing this report from the scout, widened their eyes in disbelief, unable to believe their ears.
Heh…
Heheh…
Only Yue Jin and Cao Hong exchanged meaningful glances and chuckled.
Finally, this general, appointed by Yuan Shu, had fallen into the trap that Cao Cao and Lu Yu had set for him long ago.
—Chen Ji, Lei Bo, Chen Lan, Li Feng, Liang Gang!
Heh, these five Yuan armies were never surrounding the Cao army, but… Yuan army’s main force!
It was the Zhong family’s Son of Heaven’s most trusted general, his most relied-upon armored army.
And the three thousand Cao troops were merely bait.
It had come, it had finally come. Although a bit late, it had not been absent.
The Yuan army’s central army was in chaos, being attacked by friendly forces, their morale plummeted to the lowest point!
At this moment, Xiahou Mao and the other Cao soldiers’ minds were still buzzing…
They still had no idea what had happened.
But not far away… the Yuan soldiers were fighting amongst themselves…
The shouts, screams, and groans were incessant!
And these sounds awakened every Cao soldier, who then became excited.
“Good heavens…” In a corner of the Cao army formation, Guan Yu, Guan Yun Chang, who was usually calm and composed, suddenly changed his expression and exclaimed, “Good heavens!”
Liu Bei’s expression was even more exaggerated. Since the sudden turn of events, his pupils had widened, his mouth agape, making him appear extremely unrefined.
Fighting amongst themselves, so… so these generals under Yuan Shu had already defected to Cao?
“So it was, so it was…”
Liu Bei murmured, having figured it all out.
Indeed, the reversal of the situation left him dumbfounded, beyond belief.
But… what was even more terrifying was not the reversal of the situation, but… but Cao Cao, no, to be precise, it was Yin Lin… Yin Lin had laid out a chessboard for Cao Cao, just waiting for Yuan Shu’s twelve thousand troops to fall into it!
This battle would be enough to prevent Yuan Shu from ever rising again.
It would be enough to plunge Yuan Shu’s army morale to the lowest ebb.
The situation had changed. The original prey had become the hunter, and the original hunter had become the prey.
A massacre was about to begin…
“Damn it, what kind of crap are Yuan Shu’s subordinates? They’re fighting among themselves! Haha, it’s killing me with laughter.” Zhang Fei, brandishing his Azure Dragon Spear, chattered incessantly.
For this kind of battle, was there even a need to fight? Even a dog could win if it were ordered to command!
Zhang Fei’s round eyes looked towards Yue Jin and Cao Hong, still shouting incessantly, “Quick, give the order to charge… if you don’t give the order soon, that little Yuan will run away!”
Yue Jin and Cao Hong were waiting for this very situation…
Yue Jin turned and glanced at the eager soldiers, sternly ordering, “In the Yuan army, anyone wearing a green hat is our ally, all others… kill without mercy, leave none alive!”
The order-carrying soldiers rode their horses around the thirty thousand armored troops, frantically repeating General Yue Jin’s words.
“Kill… kill…”
In an instant, the thirty thousand Cao troops, like untamed wild horses, charged furiously towards Yuan Shu’s army.
The shouts of killing shook the heavens, piercing the clouds.
And Zhang Fei, Xiahou Mao, and others led the charge, like enraged bulls, breaking into the enemy ranks and slaughtering them indiscriminately.
As veteran Cao soldiers, those who had survived to this day were all hardened veterans!
When should they advance?
When should they retreat?
When should they risk their lives to snatch merit, none of the Cao soldiers were unaware of these things.
And now, it was a heaven-sent opportunity to snatch merit, snatch heads, and earn glory!
“Kill… kill… kill…”
The shouts of killing grew louder and louder. The addition of the thirty thousand Cao troops was undoubtedly the last straw that broke Zhang Xun’s army. The fifty thousand Yuan troops were instantly overwhelmed.
The wind roared, fiercely beating against the banner bearing the character “Cao,” and emitted a cracking sound!
For a moment, the sound echoed for miles around.
And even louder than this sound were the groans of Yuan soldiers. At this moment, the hollow outside Shouchun City, fifteen li away, had become a hellish slaughterground!
Countless streams of blood converged into rivers, turning everything crimson!
…
…
“Great General” Zhang Xun was dumbfounded. He had never seen such a scene. He had originally muttered… Cao army only had a mere thirty thousand, yet they dared to confront their twelve thousand strong army head-on!
A mantis trying to stop a chariot, seeking its own destruction…
How laughable!
However, before Zhang Xun’s laughter could even stop, the five routes of Yuan army, as if making dumplings, suddenly charged towards his central army.
At first, Zhang Xun thought he was hallucinating…
He even pinched his arm hard, but… soon, when the “bloodthirsty scythes” of the five armies began their furious slaughter, he realized that this was not a hallucination, but a fact. Dafen Novel.
Chen Ji, Lei Bo, Chen Lan, Li Feng, Liang Gang… they… they had betrayed them!
Heavens.
Why not betray earlier, why not betray later, but to betray precisely at this moment…
Zhang Xun was completely panicked, bewildered, and utterly distraught.
“Retreat… retreat…”
He roared incessantly, quickly sounding the gong to withdraw, but the Cao army and the five routes of Yuan army… had already surrounded him.
Damn it… it was indeed a situation of “turtles in a jar” today.
But who would have thought that the turtle was actually Zhang Xun himself!
It was over…
Upon seeing the blood-stained Azure Dragon Spear, the cold gleam of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, the double-edged treasured swords beneath the sharp edges, and the countless Cao troops charging forward!
Zhang Xun knew, it was over… The Zhong family’s Son of Heaven’s dream had ended!
He… this founding general also…
Also completely chilled.
Bloody slaughter…
Defeated like a mountain collapsing!
At this moment…
On a high slope not far away, Cheng Yu, Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, and Cao Anmin stood watching the situation below.
It seemed… everything was going well.
The four of them were in high spirits.
“Sima Cheng? Old man, I truly admire you…” Huang Zhong, who had been quite tense, removed his long bow from his waist, stroked his long beard, and sighed with emotion, “I never thought you would succeed in inciting Yuan Shu’s five generals. This time… when it comes to merit and rewards, you deserve the greatest credit!”
“General Huang is too kind,” Cheng Yu waved his hand. “Inciting enemy generals is hardly my credit; it was a task assigned to me by Young Master Lu in advance. He gave me a list and asked me to send people to contact these enemy generals.”
“To be honest, this time I didn’t even need to visit them personally to incite them. As soon as our spies expressed their intention to surrender, these generals eagerly offered their ‘tokens of allegiance.’ Where is my credit in this? It is clearly Young Master Lu’s discerning eye!”
“And this battle today is merely a play that Young Master Lu had prepared for Yuan Shu long ago.”
Speaking of this, Cheng Yu paused and continued, “Young Master Lu is truly benevolent. Knowing that the Zhong family’s Son of Heaven is heading towards destruction, he even specially sent him to watch such a play!”
“Perhaps this is called unparalleled benevolence!”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Yu couldn’t help but laugh.
Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, and Cao Anmin also chuckled…
In fact, if it weren’t for Lu Yu’s instructions to let others have some credit this time, they would never have appeared here.
These enemy heads at the foot of the mountain were all great merits!
As the saying goes—
—What a benevolent and unparalleled Young Master Lu!
He had it under control. This decisive battle for hegemony in the Central Plains was completely under the control of Young Master Lu, who was thousands of miles away.
Attacking the enemy’s mind!
This could be considered Young Master Lu’s standard operation, right?
…
…