The main battle zone between Cao and Yuan was along the line of Liyang, Yanjin, Baima, Guandu, and Xudu.
Along this line, the Yellow River flowed from southwest to northeast.
Liyang was on the north bank of the Yellow River, at the upper end. Southeast of Liyang City, on the south bank of the Yellow River, was Baima. To the southwest of Liyang was Yanjin.
These three places formed an irregular triangle…
A little southwest of Yanjin was Guandu, and between Yanjin and Guandu was a place called "Wuchao".
Further southwest of Guandu was Xudu!
It could be said… the decisive battle between Cao and Yuan was entirely arranged along the Yellow River's southwest-to-northeast flow!
At this moment…
In Yanjin, on the south bank of the Yellow River, the Cao army, led by Xiahou Yuan, was creating a false impression, making it look like they were going to force a crossing of the Yellow River and fight Yuan Shao decisively!
Yuan Shao's response was entirely as expected… he led a large army to set up heavy defenses on the north bank of Yanjin, establishing three encampments, waiting for the Cao army to cross the river and engage them in a decisive battle!
For a time, the north and south banks of the Yellow River… the Cao army was sharpening their blades, seemingly ready to cross at any moment.
The Yuan army, on the other hand, was in a state of readiness, just short of shouting—"Come at us!"
The two armies were thus stalemated…
Exceedingly bizarre yet exceptionally tacit!
Until… the eight hundred Dragon Riders arrived at the Yanjin battlefield!
Indeed, according to Lu Yu's orders, the target of the eight hundred Dragon Riders was to rescue the Baima outpost. However, Yanjin was a necessary passage for rescuing Baima.
At the same time…
Zhang Liao and Cao Xiu also had to bring Lu Yu's instructions!
"Your subordinate greets General Xiahou…"
Upon seeing Xiahou Yuan, Zhang Liao and Cao Xiu bowed their hands in greeting…
Xiahou Yuan led them into the great tent, his face stern… and stated directly, "Elder Brother has sent an urgent dispatch, instructing my army to create a diversion of forcing a crossing of the Yellow River to fight Yuan Shao decisively. Furthermore, Elder Brother said that I am to obey the dispatch of Situ Lu. What are Situ Lu's orders?"
In Xiahou Yuan's view…
Both Zhang Liao and Cao Xiu were generals under Lu Yu, and their arrival must have been with a mission and orders.
"Cavalry…" Cao Xiu blurted out without hesitation, "Situ Lu wants all the cavalry of Yanjin… to accompany us in rescuing Baima!"
Ah… ah…
Xiahou Yuan was stunned. One must know that Yanjin was currently garrisoned by over a hundred thousand armored soldiers, with the cavalry alone numbering over ten thousand, including elite units like the Tiger Riders and Leopard Riders!
If they were to rescue Baima, they could have dispatched them earlier, why… wait for these eight hundred Dragon Riders?
"This…" Xiahou Yuan instinctively opened his mouth, his heart filled with some hesitation and doubt.
Zhang Liao, seeing his suspicion at a glance, immediately explained.
"Commander Lu's strategy is 'feint in the east, attack in the west.' For these past few days… the Yellow River banks outside Yanjin have been tense, and Yuan Shao has already moved the majority of his troops here! In this manner, Yan Liang's force has become an isolated army! In Commander Lu's plan, our army is to annihilate this isolated army!"
Ho…
Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yuan suddenly understood. What a magnificent "feint in the east, attack in the west" strategy!
However… this plan seemed a bit audacious, didn't it?
A big question mark appeared between Xiahou Yuan's brows.
"It's not surprising that Commander Lu could judge Yuan Shao's army to be gathered, but… how could he judge that the Baima outpost could hold out until reinforcements arrived?"
This was Xiahou Yuan's greatest doubt.
As soon as the Baima outpost was surrounded, he had wanted to dispatch troops for rescue immediately, but was stopped by Cao Cao's letter… The letter merely instructed him to create a diversion in Yanjin and absolutely forbade him from going to rescue Baima!
This… this could it be?
All because… because Elder Brother was betting on Lu Yu?
But…
On what basis did Elder Brother, or rather Lu Yu, believe so strongly that the Baima outpost could hold out for more than ten days?
"We don't know either!" Facing Xiahou Yuan's question, Zhang Liao also shook his head. "However, since Commander Lu said so and made these arrangements, the Baima outpost is bound to hold!"
Clearly…
With such brilliant examples before them, Zhang Liao treated Lu Yu's deployments, strategies, and words as divine pronouncements…
Lu Yu did not mention "the fall of Baima outpost"!
Then… the Baima outpost would definitely be able to hold out until their reinforcements arrived.
Of course…
Xiahou Yuan would not know, and Zhang Liao and Cao Xiu would also not know.
Lu Yu was confident in the defense of the Baima outpost.
Because, the one defending the Baima outpost was none other than the former governor of Dong Commandery, Liu Yan!
Speaking of Liu Yan, readers might be quite unfamiliar, but… according to historical records, this "big brother" faced Yan Liang's army, which was ten times his size, and held the Baima outpost for a full two months until Cao Cao dispatched troops to relieve it.
Historically, Guan Yu's ability to slay Yan Liang was not unrelated to this "big brother's" tenacious defense!
According to Lu Yu's analysis…
Yan Liang's forces were all cavalry, skilled in open-field battles but not in siege warfare. As long as Liu Yan, this "big brother," performed normally, not to mention ten days, holding out for another month would be no problem.
On this point, Lu Yu was quite confident.
It was precisely for this reason that Lu Yu, with such confidence, had woven a net of celestial traps.
And now, as the fish entered the net, it was time… to reel it in!
"Alright!" After much deliberation, Xiahou Yuan agreed to Cao Xiu and Zhang Liao's request, handing over over ten thousand cavalry to them, and not forgetting to add a final reminder, "The rest is up to you!"
"Rest assured, General Xiahou." Zhang Liao raised his crescent halberd… and mounted his horse, "General Xiahou, do not forget Commander Lu's instructions. Continue to deploy heavy troops along the Yellow River bank as usual, to confuse Yuan Shao and also to prevent Yuan's army from crossing!"
"Naturally!" Xiahou Yuan nodded.
"Get moving…"
The neighing of warhorses filled the air, and immediately Zhang Liao and Cao Xiu went to muster the troops… and galloped towards the Baima outpost!
…
…
"Da da da…"
"Da da da…"
A sound of extremely heavy hooves echoed across the land.
Black and green armor, sharp halberds, stern warriors… and the large characters "Dragon," "Tiger," and "Leopard" hanging high on the banners!
Without a doubt, this army of over ten thousand people charging forward was the most valiant three cavalry units in the Cao camp—the Dragon Riders, the Tiger Riders, and the Leopard Riders!
Their combined might represented the pinnacle of Cao's fighting strength!
Where their hooves passed, stones flew and dust billowed!
Speaking of which, the distance from Yanjin to the Baima outpost was only a few dozen li. With the cavalry galloping, they could reach it in less than half a day.
Likewise, along the way, there were numerous scouts and outriders belonging to Yan Liang.
However…
The range of their reconnaissance was not large. It was only when they were ten li away from the Baima outpost that this cavalry corps was discovered.
The scouts' reaction was not slow.
But… they were running, and the Cao army was also running, and even… the Cao army was running faster than them!
As soon as these scouts entered the military camp, the Dragon Riders, Tiger Riders, and Leopard Riders, numbering over ten thousand… had already followed and attacked!
At this time… it was spring, full of vitality…
Yan Liang, the noble son of the renowned Yan family of Hebei, was living a very comfortable life.
He wasn't wearing armor. Having been pampered since childhood, he maintained his usual habit, having his subordinates hold a golden embroidered satin umbrella, while he reclined under the umbrella, commanding his soldiers, looking mighty and smug!
This umbrella… was a ceremonial canopy umbrella used by great generals in ancient times, equivalent to the later Yellow Dragon Umbrella, offering excellent sun protection and a highly impressive aura!
However…
This item appeared too flashy in the midst of the army, too easily becoming a target for the enemy!
Even now…
Yan Liang was still lying on a bamboo chair under the canopy umbrella, sighing incessantly, "Invincible, how lonely it is!"
Yes…
The Baima outpost had been completely surrounded, and just this morning, news had arrived from Yanjin that Cao Cao's main army had gathered at Yanjin, clearly abandoning the Baima outpost.
Based on Yan Liang's intelligence, he could understand this.
After all, Cao Cao had fewer soldiers… facing Yuan's army, which outnumbered him several times, he had to contract his defenses and concentrate his forces to have a chance!
Moreover… Liu Yan, who was defending the Baima outpost, acted like a timid turtle all day long, leaving Yan Liang alone, empty, lonely, and cold! No wonder he felt that being invincible was so lonely!
And in his loneliness…
Yan Liang thought of his two elder sisters!
—Yan Yun, Yan Yu!
These two sisters were extremely good to their younger brother. Even after they married "Number One Halberd under Heaven" Li Yan and "Spear God" Tong Yuan respectively…
They still always wrote letters, showing concern for their younger brother, and even… copied some martial arts techniques and sent them to their brother!
Yan Liang benefited greatly from this…
His martial arts undoubtedly contained shadows of Li Yan's "halberd techniques" and Tong Yuan's "spear techniques."
However, in the end, he only learned the superficial aspects!
"It's been a long time since my sisters sent a letter. I wonder how they are doing?"
Yan Liang murmured to himself.
While others think of romance when they are well-fed and warm, he thought of his sisters when well-fed and warm… Who would have thought that Yan Liang, one of the two great heroes of Hebei, had such a pampered side!
Just then.
A scout galloped over… without even dismounting, he immediately shouted!
"Report… bad news… bad news!"
"The enemy is attacking!"
What?
Yan Liang was stunned, and then…
"Enemy attack, enemy attack…"
Shouts of "enemy attack" spread throughout the entire army…
Yan Liang turned his head and saw that it was indeed true. A knight in black armor was already charging into the formation!
The unprepared army was instantly torn open by a rift, and as this rift widened, more and more enemy riders poured in…
They were like gods of war, continuously hacking at the "knights" within the camp who had not yet managed to mount their horses…
Blood splattered…
In an instant, the entire formation was drenched in blood, turning into a one-sided slaughterhouse!
It is said that if the soldiers are weak, the commander is weak, and if the commander is weak, the entire army is weak!
Given Yan Liang's laxity, let alone his knights… who were originally basking lazily in the sun, who would have thought that death had quietly arrived!
The combat power of a knight could only be displayed on horseback, but… with the enemy riders charging in, where would they have the time to find their horses? Let alone mount them, they couldn't even grab their long weapons… their waist swords? How could they be a match for the Dragon Riders, Tiger Riders, or Leopard Riders?
"The canopy umbrella?"
At this moment, Guan Yu was leading the charge. He saw the position of the canopy umbrella in the formation.
His eternally impassive face twitched slightly…
He murmured to himself that whoever was under this canopy umbrella was likely Yan Liang…
"Slaying Yan Liang! I can earn the first great merit! And then I can leave Cao's camp!"
With this thought, he raised his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, urged his warhorse, and actually rode alone towards the canopy umbrella!
"Not good…"
Cao Xiu saw Guan Yu… and cried out, not out of concern for Guan Yu's safety.
But… Cao Xiu remembered Commander Lu's instructions. First, he was to give Guan Yu some credit, which was irrelevant… but the crucial part was the second point: Yan Liang must not be killed!
Although he didn't know why Commander Lu had made such arrangements, seeing Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade swing towards the canopy umbrella, Cao Xiu frowned deeply.
On the other hand, Zhang Liao beside him was calmer.
He swung his crescent halberd, killing a Yuan soldier in front of him, and then loudly reassured, "No need to worry. Young Master Lu mentioned that Cloud Chang might not be able to slay Yan Liang!"
Indeed, these words were casually mentioned by Lu Yu.
As for the reason…
Zhang Liao and Cao Xiu didn't know, but Lu Yu had analyzed it with big data!
Historically, Guan Yu had recorded twenty-five single duels.
Among them, thirteen were won within three rounds, including Cheng Zhiyuan, Xun Zheng, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Kong Xiu, Meng Tan, Han Fu, Bian Xi, Wang Zhi, Qin Qi, Yang Ling, Xiahou Cun, Cheng He, Jiang Qin, Pan Zhang!
Most of these were one-round instant kills!
Those with no clear round count, described as "a few rounds" or "dozens of rounds," were four matches: Hua Xiong, Guan Hai, Wang Zhong, Cai Yang. Among these, apart from Wang Zhong who was captured alive, the rest were beheaded.
And the others, Guan Yu fought Ji Ling for thirty rounds, fought Xiahou Dun for ten rounds, fought Huang Zhong for a hundred rounds, fought Pang De twice, once for a hundred rounds and once for fifty rounds. These were all considered draws…
Even in the second encounter with Pang De, he was shot by an arrow!
According to big data statistics…
Guan Yu had a total of twenty duel victories and five draws, with a winning rate of 80%, and never lost a duel in his life.
Of the twenty duel victories, sixteen involved beheading opponents, with a beheading rate of 80%!
And of the sixteen opponents beheaded, 43.5% were killed in one round, and 86% were killed within three rounds! And if it exceeded ten rounds, Guan Yu's possibility of beheading the opponent was 0!
Under big data, what did this mean… it meant that Guan Yu was a hero who relied on explosive power!
Especially the first three strikes, each one heavier than the last, with skillful and unpredictable blade techniques.
In terms of the first three strikes, under heaven at this time… perhaps no one could match him.
This was precisely the characteristic that when dealing with weaker opponents, or those who underestimated him, he would often finish them within three strikes, resolving them cleanly and swiftly, with Wen Chou and Hua Xiong as representative figures!
However, as long as one could withstand the first three strikes, it was another story. Guan Yu's "explosion" would end, and he would enter the "charging" phase, accumulating strength, and would strive to explode again within ten rounds!
Therefore… many generals whose martial arts were inferior to Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Hua Xiong could actually last longer, with Ji Ling and Guan Hai as representative figures!
If one could truly survive past ten rounds, then Guan Yu would no longer be terrifying!
Of course…
Among these, Yan Liang, who was killed in one round, was an exception, simply because he hadn't had time to equip his weapons and armor. However… this was also related to Guan Yu's "explosive" power!
Historically, Guan Yu was able to slay Yan Liang in one blow because Guan Yu's Red Hare horse was fast.
Also, because Yan Liang's life was too luxurious, using such a lavish decoration as a canopy umbrella, he instantly became Guan Yu's target!
According to historical records…
Guan Yu's Red Hare horse was too fast. When he galloped to Yan Liang's front, Yan Liang had just mounted his horse and hadn't yet picked up his weapon…
The outcome was naturally—"Yu spurred his horse and pierced Liang amidst the crowd, beheading him and returning!"
But now… the situation was different.
The Red Hare horse belonged to Lu Bu. Guan Yu was riding only an ordinary horse.
In terms of gravity acceleration, no, it was the speed of the horse's gallop. By the time he reached Yan Liang, Lu Yu reckoned that Yan Liang would have already picked up his weapon and be ready…
And Yan Liang, in such an unfavorable situation, would not dare to underestimate the enemy. By going all out, enduring Guan Yu's first three strikes, and even the first two rounds of his ten-round burst was possible!
Once it exceeded ten rounds, Guan Yu's possibility of taking down Yan Liang would be almost zero!
One must know that for a general, especially a first-class general like Yan Liang, whether he had a weapon or not… made a world of difference. On this point, one could refer to the ancient evil-doer Dian Wei!
"Let's go…"
"Good!"
Zhang Liao called out, and Cao Xiu nodded.
The two of them, leading eight hundred Dragon Riders, shot out like arrows from a bow, carrying the sharpest glint of cold steel… and charged towards the canopy umbrella!
—To capture the king, capture the ringleader…
"Da da da…"
"Da da…"
The sound of hooves grew louder and more deafening!
The Dragon Riders acted separately from the Tiger Riders and Leopard Riders. The Dragon Riders, like a gust of wind, charged furiously towards the enemy's head, while the other Tiger Riders and Leopard Riders cleared the surroundings, carving a path straight to the canopy for the "bloodthirsty sharp dagger"!
And… at this very moment.
Right before Cao Xiu and Zhang Liao's eyes!
Guan Yu had reached the foot of the canopy umbrella…
The Green Dragon Crescent Blade swept through the air in an arc… and chopped down from above!
Although the horse wasn't fast enough, Guan Yu's blade was heavy, powerful, and precise!
… This strike's explosive power seemed not easy to resist!
…
…
On the official road from Xudu City to Yanjin.
Inside a four-horse carriage…
Lu Yu and Xu Shu were both seated. Lu Yu was calculating the time, wondering… if the Dragon Riders should have arrived at the Baima outpost by now?
However…
He wondered if student Yan Liang was as high-profile as recorded?
And whether student Yan Liang could withstand Guan Yu's three strikes?
Even more so…
Could he withstand Guan Yu's second burst within ten rounds?
These… Lu Yu was very curious about, but he was rather timid… and "cherished his life." Going to the front lines was too dangerous. It was better to stay in the rear honestly. As the saying goes… curiosity killed the cat!
"Is Lu Situ calculating the situation at Baima outpost?" Xu Shu saw through Lu Yu's thoughts and asked.
Lu Yu smiled slightly and sighed, "Indeed… this is the first battle, and a great victory in the first battle is too important for a campaign!"
Xu Shu nodded.
Then he asked, "Looking at Lu Situ, you seem a bit worried!"
"To be frank, Mr. Xu." Lu Yu shook his head and continued to lament, "I'm afraid Guan Yu's blade is too fast, and Wenyuan and Wenlie won't be able to stop him. If he really chops off Yan Liang, it would be a pity!"
This…
Upon mentioning this topic, Xu Shu asked with great interest…
"Young Master Lu? Why… do you insist on keeping Yan Liang? It seems… according to Young Master Lu's deployment, the next target is the other of the two great heroes of Hebei—Wen Chou. Young Master Lu did not order to keep Wen Chou's head!"
This question escaped his lips.
Lu Yu blinked his eyes…
Heh, this is a good question…
If Xu Shu didn't know what "Journey to the West" was, Lu Yu would have wanted to ask him back, why did Monkey King kill some demons with one blow and spare others?
To put it simply…
It still depends on whether that demon has a backing in heaven, the Taoist sect, or the Buddhist sect!
People say a monkey is cunning… a monkey is very cunning!