— A blind spot!
In ancient times, lamps were made of candle flames and trays. When lit, due to the presence of the tray, the light emitted by the lamp would be blocked, creating a dark area beneath it. This is what is known as a blind spot!
Of course…
Whether the blind spot existed or not was not important to Yuan Shao… What was important was what Yuan Shao understood from Yuan Shang’s reminder.
— “Well said, a blind spot!”
— “Dispatch orders to the entire army! Set off immediately for Cangting to the south. In the past, Cao Aman raided my grain supplies, leading to my great defeat. Today, I will raid his grain supplies and make him suffer immensely!”
Upon hearing this…
Yuan Shang immediately cupped his hands, “Father Commander, you are mistaken…”
Yuan Tan, however, frowned deeply. He had a vague premonition, but dared not speak. He knew his father’s temperament too well; once a decision was made, even eight horses could not pull it back!
…
…
Dark clouds covered the moon. The window of Cao Cao’s residence moved, and a faint sound passed through the window into the room.
In the dim darkness, Cao Cao suddenly sat up, threw off the bed, and his eyes narrowed.
“Thump, thump…”
Cao Cao walked as if carrying a chilling frost. Xu Chu seemed to sense something and followed closely. Finally, Cao Cao stopped at Xun You’s residence!
The elite guards would go to inform him, but this time, they did not use the main entrance, but the back door.
Not long after, Xun You hurried over.
Before he could speak, Cao Cao said in a low voice, “Yuan Shao has moved!”
Only these four words.
But Xun You’s eyes suddenly brightened. He pondered for ten breaths, then his eyes opened. “As expected, Yuan Shao has fallen into the trap! Hehe, it seems that the eldest son has sent not only fifty thousand ‘large yellow croakers’, but also a ten-pronged ambush!”
Xun You did not refer to Lu Yu as “Minister Lu,” but directly as “eldest son!”
He knew that Cao Cao liked him to address him this way, and in private, he would also do so.
Of course…
The strategy in this matter was laid out by Xun You. Xun You was unsure if the “fake grain” looted from Taishan Commandery would reach Yuan Shao’s ears, but he was certain that the whereabouts of the “real grain convoy” could be deliberately exposed to Yuan Shao…
Indeed, Yuan Shao was indecisive, but after suffering so many losses at the hands of the “eldest son,” he should have made some progress, right?
Xun You was anticipating Yuan Shao’s anticipation!
“Lord Cao, there is no time to delay. It is time to cast the net!” Xun You said loudly.
“Hahaha…” Cao Cao laughed heartily, then waved his hand. “Send orders to Yuan Rang, Zi Xiao, and Zi Lian, and tell them to prepare the ambush! In this battle, I want Yuan Benchu’s head!”
“Yes…” Xu Chu agreed and sent the elite guards to relay the message.
…
…
Donghai Commandery. Lu Yu had left this place for a full day.
As the merchants… no, to be precise, as the “Jiangbei Alliance” withdrew, this place returned to its silence.
After seeing off the great Buddha known as “Lu Yu,” Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, Cheng Lian, and Song Xian felt incredibly relaxed…
At this moment…
Hou Cheng was too tired and had drunk some wine, so he went to the yamen to rest.
Wei Xu, Cheng Lian, and Song Xian were still drinking heartily. It seemed that once they reached Hou Cheng’s territory, they would not be satisfied unless they drank several large jars of wine!
“Hahaha… Come, cheers!” Wei Xu took the initiative to raise his wine goblet, drinking as he sighed, “This ‘Marquis of Baima’ is truly remarkable. He has only been in Donghai Commandery for ten days and has raised over three million piculs of grain. It’s like picking wheat and opening a mill, a business with no cost and endless profit!”
“Do you know what makes Marquis of Baima most brilliant?” Cheng Lian took a sip of wine and sighed meaningfully.
“What is it?”
Song Xian and Wei Xu quickly asked, their curiosity piqued.
“It’s the national debt,” Cheng Lian explained carefully. “Marquis of Baima borrowed national debt on behalf of Lord Cao to support Cao’s northern expedition, but the seal was affixed by the Imperial Seal of the Great Han Dynasty. Hehe, in the future, if Marquis of Baima and Lord Cao want to renege on their debt, the national debt held by these merchants will be a piece of waste paper, yet they dare not speak out in anger!”
Yes…
If the Great Han borrowed the national debt, why should I, Lu Yu, repay it?
Repaying it would be a favor;
Not repaying it would be a matter of course;
Nothing is taken for granted!
In Cheng Lian’s opinion, there would be great changes in the future for this five-year national debt, but… the only certainty was that these merchants might suffer huge losses, or at best, make a small profit, but Marquis of Baima would never lose!
Moreover, this national debt could be issued again in the future…
As long as the “interest” for the first few installments was paid as usual, who among the merchants in other prefectures and counties, driven by greed, would not want to get involved?
It seemed that three years’ worth of grain for Cao’s northern expedition had been raised, but this method almost guaranteed that Cao’s army would not have to worry about grain and fodder for a long time!
Leeks are harvested batch by batch, and after being cut, they always grow back!
Speaking of which…
The three brothers could not help but admire, but… admiration aside, this had nothing to do with them!
“Alas, let’s not talk about Marquis of Baima!” Song Xian raised his hand. “Let’s talk about our own business. Since Marquis of Baima has left, the new round of head tax is due. How much do you brothers plan to submit this time?”
“Old rules,” Wei Xu said without thinking. “For fifty thousand head tax, report half of it, and the rest we’ll keep for ourselves…”
Speaking of this, Song Xian blinked his eyes. “Right, over the years, the head tax we’ve embezzled, Commander Hou Cheng has also secretly recruited many bandits, and they are now hidden. Should our next operation begin?”
The upcoming operation that Song Xian mentioned was a major one that the four of them had jointly planned!
A major operation to amass wealth.
In fact… just by embezzling the head tax, they had already made a fortune, but who would ever have too much money? Moreover, the four of them were all greedy for wealth, and the embezzled head tax could no longer satisfy their appetites.
Seeing how Lu Yu had so easily earned so much money from the merchants this time…
How could the four of them remain indifferent?
Therefore, the operation that Hou Cheng had previously proposed was something they four intended to undertake.
As for this operation, it was to privately raise bandits and pirates within Xuzhou, in their own territory…
The plunder of civilians was one aspect;
Demanding money and grain from the imperial court or the Governor of Xuzhou for suppressing bandits was the second aspect;
The third aspect was… fundraising, jointly raising money with local gentry to pay off the bandits!
Finally… at worst, the gentry’s money would be returned in full, and the civilians’ money would be divided into an eight-two split, with the four of them taking the “eight” and the gentry the “two,” for a win-win cooperation!
Greed, after all, is often endless.
Who isn’t looking at what’s in the pot while eating what’s in the bowl?
“Hahaha… Let’s drink this toast, and then we’ll do this operation!”
Wei Xu, Cheng Lian, and Song Xian raised their wine goblets.
Who would have thought…
As soon as they raised their wine goblets, they suddenly felt an unbearable pain in their stomachs, as if… their internal organs were violently churning, and every organ in their bodies was slowly rotting!
“This…”
A voice was heard, but it was abruptly cut off…
The seven orifices, the seven openings on their faces (two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, one mouth), all began to bleed.
This was the so-called bleeding from the seven orifices!
“Poison… poisoned wine?”
A faint voice…
All of this happened too quickly.
So quickly that they didn’t even have time to make a sound…
One breath, two breaths… In just ten breaths, their eyes were covered with blood… Where was the breath in their nostrils?
Dead, they died so silently…
All that was visible was the wine in the wine goblets, dripping onto the ground, with faint foam rising!
At the same time… the blood flowing from their seven orifices was dark red and purplish!
Meanwhile…
Dark clouds covered the moon. The window of Hou Cheng’s residence moved, and a dagger pried open the window. With a leap, in the dim darkness, the dagger was directly aimed at the bed… at Hou Cheng’s throat.
Ugh…
In an instant, the entire bedding was stained bright red.
And the assassin seemed to be very skilled. She took out a silk cloth from her embrace and wiped her blood-stained hands!
“Hmph…”
A pleased cold snort. Under the bright moonlight, only a graceful figure was left…
Following closely was a faint, low female voice.
“Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, Cheng Lian, Song Xian… four are dead, three are left!”
Just then…
A voice came from outside the window.
“Young lady, hurry… someone is coming.”
As she spoke…
The graceful figure ascended the eaves, and the escape route had already been prepared!
Only half an hour later…
“Ah…”
A scream echoed in the Donghai Commandery yamen!
Within this Donghai yamen…
Wei Xu, the prefect of Langya Commandery, Song Xian, the governor of Guangling Commandery, and Cheng Lian, the governor of Dongguan Commandery, were found dead from poisoning, while Hou Cheng, the governor of Donghai Commandery, was assassinated, his throat sealed with a sharp dagger!
…
…
On the banks of the Yellow River, a hundred li away from Guandu, in the Pingqiu area.
This was a valley, and the Long Xiao Camp was escorting baskets of “large salted fish” through this area…
Because of the large number of “salted fish,” they were not moving fast. Tonight, they would set up camp here…
Under the moonlight… the guards at the camp gate seemed to be drowsy.
Suddenly, not far away, there seemed to be a faint sound, like the sound of horse hooves. Although this sound was extremely faint, it startled a large number of sparrows that were sleeping on the branches.
Immediately after…
With a “boom,” the flames soared into the sky!
“Tadada…”
Hasty and resounding hoofbeats followed.
“Enemy attack…”
“It’s an enemy attack!”
“Protect the grain, retreat… retreat…”
The soldiers of the Long Xiao Camp reacted and immediately covered the grain convoy’s retreat. They kept looking back, and under the moonlight, amidst the torches, thousands of Yuan banners fluttered in the wind.
The strong wind roared, fiercely slapping against the banners, and the rustling sound was like Yuan Shao’s current rage!
— He who strikes the enemy with his weapon shall be struck by his own weapon…
In the past, how did Cao’s army pass through checkpoints? How did they burn Wuchao? This time… Yuan Army’s twenty thousand troops did the same!
Wasn’t it taking advantage of the darkest hour before dawn?
Wasn’t it wrapping rough cloth around the horses’ hooves and putting muzzles on the horses?
Wasn’t it… each soldier biting a fire starter, ready to set fire at any moment?
Once upon a time, how did Cao Cao do it? Today… he, Yuan Shao, would repay him tenfold!
At this moment, the flames in Yuan Shao’s eyes roared… his command flag was held high!
Fifty thousand large yellow croakers? Large salted fish?
Hehe…
Tonight, with a single fire, Cao Aman, I will send you fifty thousand roasted fish!
And the Long Xiao Camp… this nightmare that haunted Yuan Shao’s dreams, today—
— Blood debt must be repaid with blood!
“Kill! Those who burn the enemy’s grain will be rewarded with a thousand gold! Those who kill any Long Xiao knight will be rewarded with a hundred gold!”
Yuan Shao roared loudly!
Suddenly…
The entire valley was filled with deafening shouts of killing!
“Kill…”
“Burn the grain!”
“Execute the Long Xiao cavalry!”
Infantry, cavalry, archers, halberdiers, spearmen…
Twenty thousand Yuan Army soldiers, as if seeking to avenge past grievances, furiously charged towards the grain convoy escorted by the Long Xiao Cavalry…
It seemed…
The Long Xiao Camp was in a panic!
But, to say they were in a panic so arbitrarily would be inaccurate, because… the leading Huang Zhong, Zhang Liao, and Gao Shun were smiling!
Although they were restrained, they simply couldn’t stop smiling!
Especially Huang Zhong…
Who would have thought that at such an old age, he could laugh so heartily!
“Old Master Huang, restrain yourself a little. Don’t let Yuan Shao see through it with this smile!” Zhang Liao advised.
“Haha…” Huang Zhong continued to gallop his warhorse, laughing without ceasing.
But he didn’t seem to take the Yuan Army seriously at all. Instead, he stroked his beard and said with a smile, “Generals, do you know? How were these fifty thousand salted fish made?”
Ah…
Gao Shun was a little confused. What time was it, and Old Master Huang was still talking about salted fish.
You must know…
Their situation here was dangerous. If they made one wrong move, they would truly become salted fish.
Gao Shun thought so…
But Huang Zhong was still talking: “I guess you don’t know either, haha. These salted fish are pickled with refined salt and can be stored for half a year. And this refined salt was refined by my son, Huang Xu, in Donghai Commandery. I heard that Commander Lu specifically set up a salt workshop, and my son is in charge! Look, isn’t he amazing!”
Hey…
Zhang Liao and Gao Shun were stunned. What time was it!
Still praising his son… Yes, your son has achieved merit, your son is amazing!
But now… it’s not the time to brag!
“Old Master Huang, let’s think about our current situation!”
Gao Shun added…
“What are you afraid of!” Huang Zhong waved his hand. “Isn’t this all within expectations? When the large yellow croakers pickled by my son were transported, I heard that Zhao Zilong also brought a brocade pouch!”
“You don’t know, but I know very well! The brocade pouch only had two sentences…”
— “Long Xiao Camp lures the enemy deep!”
— “Lord Cao’s ten-pronged ambush!”
At this point, Huang Zhong took down the bow from his back. “Isn’t all of this within Lu Yu’s plan?”
Saying that, he turned his head, drew his bow, and shot an arrow… “swoosh”… at the sky.
“Clang…”
This was a signal arrow!
The arrow made a crisp sound… It seemed that this sound quickly disappeared into the sound of horse hooves, but… it also seemed that in the valley, new hoofbeats gradually sounded.
— “Dong dong dong!”
At this moment, the first war drum sounded. Xiahou Yuan on the left and Gao Lan on the right emerged with their armies!
— “Dong dong dong!”
The second war drum sounded. Yue Jin on the left and Yu Jin on the right emerged.
— “Dong dong dong!”
The third war drum sounded. Li Dian on the left and Xu Huang on the right emerged!
Following closely were the fourth, fifth, and sixth drumbeats.
Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun…
Countless Cao camp generals emerged one after another!
Ten routes…
A total of ten routes of troops emerged from ten directions. This was precisely Xun You’s plan of “ten-pronged ambush”!
— Long Xiao Camp lures the enemy deep!
— Lord Cao’s ten-pronged ambush!
Lu Yu’s words, delivered by Zhao Yun to Cao Cao, made Xun You instantly… design a perfect plan!
Lay a grand trap!
“Kill…”
“Kill!”
“My sons, charge!”
The ten routes of Cao Army emerged together, occupying the advantageous terrain, with high morale…
Kill…
Kill…
Earth-shattering roars echoed in the valley!
Here, twenty thousand Cao Army soldiers were ambushed, set up last night…
And the forty thousand Yuan Army at Guandu did not move, all to avoid the leak of information!
When the Long Xiao Camp and the so-called “grain supplies” lured the Yuan Army into the designated location, everything ended…
At this moment, twenty thousand Cao Army soldiers, like tigers descending from a mountain, with heroic and brave spirits shaking the heavens, the surging killing intent spread out, making all Yuan Army soldiers breathe rapidly!
Under the dark night, amidst the flames.
The sharp edges of long spears and battle halberds were dyed with a thick layer of golden light by the moonlight.
The collision of countless weapons…
The most dazzling sparks flickered continuously under the night sky.
Whether it was terrain, morale, individual combat strength, or equipment, the twenty thousand Cao Army was in a complete victory compared to the twenty thousand Yuan Army – in two words: complete victory!
This was a massacre…
A one-sided massacre by the Cao Army!
“How could this be? How could this be…”
The unfavorable situation of the battle made Yuan Shao cry out, “Doesn’t Cao’s army have no grain? Isn’t Cao’s army already rationing grain in small quantities? How could… how…”
— Kill!
— Kill!
Before Yuan Shao could finish speaking, he saw the weapons of his own generals… being cut, torn, and smashed by Cao Army’s steel halberds!
In the clash between the two armies, the Cao Army charged downhill, taking advantage of the momentum, and the advantage of their weapons was maximized…
Countless Yuan Army soldiers were instantly cut down, their blood spilling onto the battlefield!
This battle lasted for a day and a night…
Twenty thousand Yuan Army soldiers were either dead or crippled!
Only Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shang managed to break through a bloody path, escorting their father Yuan Shao to escape.
A familiar feeling…
It was exactly the same as at Guandu, the familiar feeling returned!
Tragic…
Looking at the battlefield, how can the word “tragic” be enough to describe it!
…
…
Not far away, on a high mountain valley, Cao Cao was witnessing the battlefield!
Besides him were only three people: Xu Chu, the commander of the elite guards, and Xun You and Guo Jia…
Guo Jia was specifically summoned by him!
This young man had left a deep impression on him during the battle of Guandu!
“Congratulations, Lord Cao, congratulations, Military Advisor Xun!”
Guo Jia spoke first…
Cao Cao’s eyes narrowed slightly, and before he could speak… Xun You replied first, “Feng Xiao? What is there to congratulate?”
“Gongda, you have caught the tortoise in the urn, and your ten-pronged ambush has depleted Yuan Shao’s entire reserve in one battle. From now on, there will be hardly any soldiers capable of fighting in the northern region. Is such merit not worth congratulating?” Guo Jia replied with a smile.
“Feng Xiao, don’t praise me too much.” Xun You waved his hand. They were both talented individuals from Yingchuan, acquainted since childhood… so they spoke more directly.
“Others may not understand, but you should!” Xun You said with a smile. “The decisive battle between Lord Cao and Yuan Shao ended the day these fifty thousand salted fish were delivered! It ended with no room for maneuver!”
Hoo…
Speaking of this, Guo Jia let out a soft sigh.
“Hahaha!”
Cao Cao reached out and patted Xun You and Guo Jia on the shoulders. “Although Situ Lu’s effort in raising grain is commendable, Gongda, do not be too modest. You also played a part in this ten-pronged ambush!”
Speaking of this, Cao Cao turned to look at Guo Jia.
“Feng Xiao, you just congratulated me, Cao Cao? What do you mean by that?”
Upon hearing this, Guo Jia’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Does Lord Cao really want to hear?”
“Speak…”
Upon receiving Cao Cao’s affirmative answer, Guo Jia’s tone suddenly became much more serious. After a few breaths, he uttered four words that were earth-shattering—
— “Yuan Shao, is dying!”
Whoa…
Yuan Shao is dying?
Cao Cao and Xun You’s eyes widened instantly!
Of course, they naturally did not know that if history’s wheel turned, Guo Jia, Guo Feng Xiao, had a renowned title—Ghost Strategist!
— A ghost strategist can determine life and death!
…
…