Outside the cities and counties of Yanzhou, dust rolled and billowed, and a tattered "Cao" banner fluttered in the wind.
Under Cao Cao's leadership, a mere thousand elite cavalry from the Cao army charged into the ranks of the Yellow Turban army, which numbered in the hundreds of thousands...
After two rounds of mounted archery, in just half an hour, they departed, leaving behind only the corpses of Yellow Turban soldiers.
Guerilla warfare, again and again!
Along the official roads, by the bushes, and in the forests, scattered Yellow Turban soldiers were everywhere in Yanzhou.
The Yellow Turban army was utterly defeated...
Vast numbers of strong men were utterly defenseless against this "guerilla warfare"!
Beneath the boundless sky, the "Cao" banner flew, armor broken, robes stained with blood, horses galloping... Cao's cavalry continued their wild charge, relentlessly taking Yellow Turban lives... day and night, like Asuras from hell!
It was hard to imagine that such a thousand-strong force could make the Yellow Turbans, who outnumbered them tenfold, suffer greatly and scatter in all directions.
Great victory, five full days of continuous great victories!
The morale of Cao's camp was at its peak.
However, Cao Cao felt no excitement about this.
The repeated defeats he had suffered over the years had cast his heart in molten iron, making it difficult for him to feel joy or sorrow on the battlefield.
But...
His participation, and the "all-out offensive" of the imperial forces, undeniably... announced the turning of the tide in the conflict between Cao's army and the Yellow Turbans, and the complete reversal of the situation in Yanzhou.
The hit-and-run tactics were particularly effective against these disorganized, vast numbers of Yellow Turbans who had nowhere to go.
In just five days, the Yellow Turbans' mindset had completely collapsed.
Now, before their leaders was a large banner of text: "Hearts have scattered, the army is difficult to lead."
Damn it... their morale had completely shattered!
Now, when they saw the imperial troops charging towards them, the Yellow Turbans had completely given up resisting!
What was the use of resisting? They ran on four legs while their enemy chased them on two? Could they possibly catch up?
Whatever happens, it's just death in the end!
Under the pressure of the situation, the Yellow Turbans began to retreat continuously, but they had clearly underestimated Cao Cao's resolve and the power of guerilla warfare...
The last four words of "On Guerilla Warfare" were "When the enemy retreats, we pursue..."
Cao Cao, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and Li Dian each led their cavalry, pursuing the Yellow Turbans day and night...
The Yellow Turbans could no longer bear this "shameless" tactic; they were completely stunned!
Despair, suffocation, terror, collapse...
This invisible pressure was almost enough to crush this army of three hundred thousand.
They were leaving, leaving. If they couldn't stay in Yanzhou, they could return to Qingzhou, go to Xuzhou, or head north to Jizhou.
They couldn't afford to provoke Cao Cao, so why not pick on someone weaker?
Hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans, with their families in tow, had begun their final great escape...
Speaking of which...
In the past, Cao Cao had hoped these rebels would leave Yanzhou, but now Cao Cao's mindset had changed. He needed to find a way to recruit them.
As Lu Yu had said, Cao Cao's second piece of the puzzle was these three hundred thousand low-level Yellow Turban followers!
...
At the military camp in Qiaopei, inside the central command tent.
"Brother, the rebels still refuse to surrender!" Cao Ren reported truthfully. "Our army has sent a third envoy, but these rebels seem to have made up their minds, adamantly refusing surrender... They even... even wrote a letter to Big Brother, making preposterous claims!"
As he spoke, Cao Ren took out a bamboo slip from his embrace and handed it to Cao Cao.
This was a letter written by the Yellow Turban leaders to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao unfolded it, and as soon as he read it, he burst into laughter.
"The Han Dynasty's reign is over, and the Huang family shall rise. The Heavenly Son's great destiny cannot be preserved by your talent or strength!"
What did that mean?
The Han Dynasty's fate was sealed, and they, the Yellow Heaven, would replace the Han and establish a new order. This was the will of heaven, and not something that even Cao Cao could stop!
To think that even at this stage, these Yellow Turbans still believed in the so-called Yellow Heaven; they truly wouldn't shed tears until they saw the coffin!
"Haha..." Cao Cao laughed instead of getting angry, his smile laced with a hint of mockery. These Yellow Turbans were simply brainwashed, utterly foolish!
"I think we haven't hit them hard enough..." Xiahou Yuan, having seen the letter, immediately grumbled, "In my opinion, the rebels' morale is low, and their hearts are scattered. If our Cao army goes all out to annihilate them, it might not be impossible to eliminate them permanently and thus remove all future troubles!"
"At that time, I'd like to see where their so-called 'Yellow Heaven shall rise' will rise!"
As he spoke, Cao Cao immediately waved his hand. "Miaocai, have you forgotten the principle of not pursuing a cornered enemy and the fact that a desperate soldier will win?"
Cao Cao was a sensible man. Although they now held the initiative, the Yellow Turbans still outnumbered them tenfold, and their combat effectiveness could not be underestimated.
Furthermore, Sun Tzu's Art of War states, "The dispositions of the military are like water; the arrangements of water depend on the ground." A small decision could bury the current advantageous situation!
There were indeed many factors to consider.
"Brother? Are we just going to let them escape like this?" Xiahou Yuan asked urgently... "We still haven't avenged General Bao Xin!"
How miserably they had been defeated in Yanzhou back then, and how eagerly they now craved the complete annihilation of the Yellow Turbans!
Yes, completely!
"Miaocai," Cao Ren immediately stopped Xiahou Yuan. "Big Brother is right. As the saying goes, 'a desperate soldier will win.' The reason the rebels are in such a sorry state now is due to the 'guerilla tactics.'"
"The rebels also know that this kind of tactic can only harass and weaken them, but it cannot annihilate them in one fell swoop. Therefore, they still hold onto hope and do not fight to the death or counterattack with full force!"
"If, as you say, we go all out to annihilate the rebels, then... when it concerns survival, they will definitely fight to the death. Even if we win, it will be a pyrrhic victory! How will we then defend against the powerful enemies surrounding Yanzhou?"
Cao Ren spoke eloquently, with reason and order.
Hearing this, Cao Cao was greatly pleased.
What Cao Ren said was precisely what he wanted to say... It seemed that the baptism of guerilla warfare had not only affected the rebels but also improved his cousin's understanding of the situation, making it more detailed!
This was something that made Cao Cao, as the elder brother, very pleased. However, he was still at a loss as to how to deal with the current dilemma.
Attack? But they couldn't attack.
Let them go? But he was unwilling.
Cao Cao pondered, Yu'er had given him, his father, a difficult task. To achieve the great cause of kingship and hegemony, this second piece of the puzzle was indeed difficult to handle!
Just then, a guard burst into the tent. "Reporting to Duke Cao, General Cao Xiu has arrived with a convoy from Chenliu Commandery."
Hmm? Chenliu? Lu Yu?
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's spirits lifted...
The guard's report continued. "He said that Young Master Lu Yu from the Wei Mansion has an item to give to Duke Cao!"
An item?
Cao Cao pondered for a moment. He couldn't figure out what item Lu Yu would send at this time!
He immediately raised his hand. "Call him in, and bring the item into the tent!"
"Yes!" The guard took the order and went to help unload the "item" from the carriage, but... when he opened the carriage, he was stunned...
The item was a wooden basin, a huge wooden basin... to be precise, a huge wooden basin filled with black soil!
Is this a potted plant?
Young Master Lu Yu, traveling hundreds of miles, had General Cao Xiu send him such a potted plant to the front line?
The guard looked bewildered and could only look at Cao Xiu beside the carriage...
Cao Xiu also spread his hands, but his tone was firm. "Don't be surprised, it's this. I was very surprised at first too!"
"However... let's be careful not to damage this potted plant. The young master over there specifically mentioned that this 'potted plant' is related to the overall situation in Yanzhou!"
Heh...
A group of guards had black lines on their faces. This thing? A pot of flowers and plants? Could it affect the situation in Yanzhou?
Indeed, boasting doesn't require taxes!
...
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