"Summon troops."
"Advance from the camp."
Time was pressing. The sun was gradually obscured, and according to Lu Yu’s estimation, the absolute darkness would last for only one hour. Cao Cao and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry needed to pass through the layered watchtowers and enter Wuchao within this hour to seize it.
Every step of this operation, every moment, had to be precise to the millimeter. A slight oversight could lead to an irreversible situation.
It was a race, a race against time.
"Big brother… there is one matter I have been pondering for a long time, and I must report it to you?"
Xiahou Yuan reported something to Cao Cao at the last moment.
"What is it?" Cao Cao retorted.
Xiahou Yuan frowned and said, "Even if it is a 'dog eating the sun,' it should not be so dark that nothing can be seen. If… if the soldiers of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were wearing our Cao army’s armor? Then…"
Armor!
Although Xiahou Yuan did not finish his sentence, he introduced the concept of armor.
Hoo…
Cao Cao let out a sigh!
He had overlooked it, truly overlooked it.
Under such circumstances, if the five thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry could have worn Yuan Shao’s armor, the probability of success for this operation would have significantly increased.
Thinking of this, Cao Cao’s eyes narrowed.
Without a doubt, Xiahou Yuan’s remark cast a thick shadow over the impending surprise attack!
But…
There was no time for hesitation, the situation was critical.
"The plan is set. Even if Wuchao is a mountain of knives and a sea of flames today, we… we must charge in! This is our only chance!"
"Understood…" Xiahou Yuan nodded, deciding to take the gamble.
He gambled that in the darkness of the solar eclipse, the enemies on the watchtowers would not be able to see their faces clearly.
However…
This seemed like a self-deception.
At this very moment.
"Commander Cao, General Xiahou…"
A rough, resonant voice called out. A group of armored soldiers hurried over. The leader, broad-shouldered and stout, even more imposing than Xu Chu, could only be the "ancient ferocious general" Dian Wei!
"Commander Dian?" Cao Cao instinctively uttered.
Dian Wei had already walked up to Cao Cao. With a wave of his hand, hundreds of Long Xiao Camp riders behind him presented the armor they were holding…
Cao Cao’s eyes narrowed.
These armors were so familiar. Were these not the armors of Yuan Shao’s army?
Besides what each person held, there were dozens of carriages, packed with thousands of sets of these Yuan army armors.
This…
Before Cao Cao could speak, Dian Wei cupped his hands and said, "Originally, the Long Xiao Camp was assigned the mission of this surprise attack on Wuchao. Commander Lu had previously ordered us to hide the captured Yuan army armors within the army. I never expected… Commander Cao to take the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Therefore, Commander Lu wants me to quickly deliver these five thousand sets of Yuan army armors."
Yuan army armors! Five thousand sets?
So many?
Cao Cao was immensely surprised.
He couldn't even figure out where Yu'er had obtained so many armors!
As Cao Cao changed into his armor, he asked, "We haven’t heard of the Long Xiao Camp capturing the enemy before. Where did these five thousand sets of armors come from?"
"This…" Dian Wei paused slightly and reported truthfully. "Commander Lu did not order the Long Xiao Camp to capture the enemy, but… we participated in several missions to raid Yuan Shao’s supply routes. Although the grain on those supply routes was thoroughly burned, Commander Lu’s objective was not that, but these five thousand sets of Yuan army armors!"
After Dian Wei finished speaking.
Cao Cao’s eyes narrowed. He recalled.
Indeed… previously, their supply routes had been disrupted, and while over a hundred thousand shi of grain were plundered, there was also a report of the Long Xiao Camp attacking an enemy supply route, burning all the provisions.
At that time, Cao Cao had only thought that Yu'er’s objective was simply to intercept supplies.
At this very moment…
He finally understood that it was more than just intercepting supplies.
Whether it was plundered provisions or intercepted supplies, these were all preparations Yu'er had made for this solar eclipse on the first of September… As expected, all of this was still within Yu'er’s plan.
"Haha…"
Upon realizing this, Cao Cao laughed with relief.
He didn’t want to say too much praise, after all, he was his own son. And Cao Cao had long been accustomed to Yu'er’s excellence.
Moreover, this Guandu, this world, was being built for him, so there was no need to be sentimental!
Cao Cao turned his head and saw that all the elite cavalry were ready. He looked up at the sky… the previously clear sun was now only a sliver…
Cao Cao immediately waved his hand.
"Attack Wuchao, defeat Yuan Shao!"
"Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, mobilize!"
Countless warhorses stirred…
Cao Cao led the way, and the five thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry surged out of Guandu as the sky turned completely dark. Figures emerged from the darkness like ghosts.
…
…
Guandu Great Camp, Central Army Tent.
Lu Yu, having descended from the Seven Star Platform, was now pacing back and forth before a table, his brows furrowed.
He occasionally muttered something.
"The secret code is correct…"
"The path between the watchtowers is densely wooded, the towers definitely won’t be able to see clearly! Starting from here is also correct…"
Lu Yu’s eyes were fixed on the map.
His mind was still racing.
In fact, he always felt that something was missing… something was not quite right.
This night was too important, and what needed to be considered now was how to ensure Yuan Shao performed normally.
"Yuan Shao, indecisive and suspicious… how can he perform normally?"
Lu Yu muttered softly.
As he said this, Lu Yu’s eyes sharpened. That’s right… he suddenly thought of something.
"Wenlie, immediately have the brothers of the Long Xiao Camp… prepare a large number of grain carts, and fill them with straw… I need them immediately…"
This…
Cao Xiu was slightly stunned. Grain carts? What were the straw for?
Cao Xiu looked up at Lu Yu. At this moment, Lu Yu’s expression was extremely serious… Cao Xiu knew that the matter was of great importance!
"Understood…"
Cao Xiu did not dare to delay and immediately cupped his hands to make arrangements.
"Wait…" Lu Yu thought of something else and quickly called out, "Wenlie, go to General Yuan Rang and ask for some soldiers who can beat drums and blow horns. We are going to attack Yuan Shao’s camp!"
Ah… ah…
Hearing this, Cao Xiu was bewildered. What kind of operation was this?
Just like this… they were going to attack Yuan Shao’s camp?
Crucially, even if they were to attack Yuan Shao’s camp, they should… they should have chosen elite soldiers and strong generals!
Now, they were only asking for soldiers who could blow horns and beat drums? What could be done with that?
"Commander Lu…" Cao Xiu wanted to speak up and advise him.
Lu Yu, however, smiled slightly and said first, "Don’t worry, in this weather, if we dare to attack, Yuan Shao, with his personality, might not dare to come out…"
"Then… what if he does come out?" Cao Xiu continued to ask.
"Then we run!" Lu Yu said with a smile… "Even if Yuan Shao sends troops to attack, in such complete darkness? Would he dare to chase us if we ran?"
As he spoke, Lu Yu appeared completely relaxed and composed!
And his eyes gradually turned towards the sky…
The sky above was about to be plunged into complete darkness.
…
…
The sky was gradually covered by dark shadows.
The sun was also reduced to a mere sliver, like a downward-curving line, or even more like a very thin bow. The earth was plunged into darkness.
"Quick, quick… torches, torches…"
"Feng Xiao, let's continue drinking! We haven’t decided on a winner yet!"
Under the sudden celestial phenomenon, Chunyu Qiong called out to the armored soldiers to bring torches…
He was already somewhat drunk. He had been drinking with Guo Jia since last night and continued until dawn.
The appearance of the "dog eating the sun" seemed to have made him momentarily dazed. At first, he thought he was drunk, but after rubbing his eyes and seeing clearly, he realized it was truly a "solar eclipse"!
This made Chunyu Qiong even more fearless…
After all, who would launch a surprise attack during a solar eclipse? Such an inauspicious time, wasn't it practically suicidal?
Torches were gradually lit…
In the dark valley of Wuchao, scattered flames rose from the central military camp.
"After finishing this bowl, I'll have three more…"
Chunyu Qiong emptied his cup again as he spoke. His drinking etiquette was excellent; he would never cheat. Of course, Guo Jia wouldn’t either.
And Guo Jia was a heavy drinker. For years, he had been indulging in this distilled liquor. Even Chunyu Qiong, the "Drunk Immortal General," couldn't compare to his drinking capacity.
"Come… bottoms up!" Guo Jia easily drained his cup.
Strictly speaking, the alcohol content of these distilled spirits had long exceeded forty degrees, which was entirely different from the wines of about ten degrees that Chunyu Qiong had drunk before.
Perhaps he could withstand it for one or two days.
But…
After drinking with Guo Jia for three days and three nights, by now… Chunyu Qiong’s body could still endure it, but his liver couldn’t keep up!
"Drink… drink…"
With a "thump," Chunyu Qiong slumped onto the table, his eyes closed… He was clearly drunk, but he still mumbled incoherently, "Brother Feng Xiao, you’re truly a good brother… Old brother likes you, likes you…"
Uh…
Guo Jia scratched his head. Many women said the same thing after falling asleep…
Normally, he was used to it.
But it was precisely… a grown man saying "I like you" that felt a bit…
"Cough cough…"
Guo Jia coughed lightly, stood up, and shifted his gaze from Chunyu Qiong to the window.
He muttered to himself, finally getting the guy drunk, he was quite a handful…
Thinking of this, beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead. If it hadn’t been for the "training" in the winery over the past few years, he might not have been a match for this Chunyu Qiong!
A worthy opponent in strategy, a bosom friend in drinking!
Hoo…
With this thought, Guo Jia let out a long sigh and then strode out the door.
His steps were steady, as if he were completely unaffected by the alcohol, completely detached from the word "drunk." As the saying goes, "Born Guo Fengxiao, he loves wine above all else," it wasn't just for show!
"You, gather all the brothers…"
Stepping out of the central army tent, Guo Jia instructed the armored soldiers beside him.
Ah… ah…
The armored soldiers were stunned and were about to ask questions.
Guo Jia continued with a smile, "Brother Zhong Jian is drunk, but before he passed out, he specifically instructed that today is the 'dog eating the sun,' a sign of a truce between both sides. The brothers have worked hard guarding the camp these days, so there’s no need for defenses today. Let the brothers drink to their hearts' content! Open all five thousand jars of distilled fine wine… Until we are all drunk!"
Zhong Jian was Chunyu Qiong’s courtesy name. Guo Jia specifically used it to show a closer relationship.
Huo…
Upon hearing this, the entire camp erupted in cheers.
After all, these armored soldiers had been watching General Chunyu Qiong drink every day and had long been craving it. Moreover… this was a heavenly nectar they had never tasted before. Just the aroma alone, who wouldn’t want a taste?
Even further…
The order came from Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao! This was someone that General Chunyu Qiong himself called his "brother"! Chunyu Qiong had specifically mentioned that seeing Guo Jia in the military camp was like seeing himself. If Mr. Guo Jia ordered them to go east, whoever went west would be dealt with by military law!
Given this, if Mr. Guo Jia ordered them to drink? Who would dare to refuse?
Thinking of this…
Some of the minor leaders were ecstatic.
"Thank you, Mr. Guo…"
They cupped their hands and bowed, then hurried to fetch the wine. In just a moment, the entire camp was filled with the sounds of toasting and drinking fine wine.
Seeing this scene, Guo Jia’s lips curved into a faint smile.
He murmured softly.
"The time… is just right!"
As he said this, Guo Jia quietly withdrew from the drinking party and headed towards the entrance of the Wuchao valley.
Now, he could only hope that Cao Cao’s cavalry could successfully pass through the watchtowers.
Once they entered the Wuchao valley…
—Great things are to be expected!
…
…
On the southern bank of the Yellow River, it was pitch black.
"Dong dong dong!"
Outside Yuan Shao’s great camp, suddenly… the sound of drums echoed.
Numerous grain carts were covered with straw figures and straw… pushed by the Long Xiao Camp armored soldiers towards Yuan Shao’s military camp. However… in the darkness, no one could see clearly that these were grain carts, and on them were straw figures!
From afar, just the sound of drums and horns, it sounded like… the Cao army was launching a full-scale attack on Yuan Shao’s camp.
Lu Yu did not participate in this operation…
On the battlefield, even with meticulous deployment, Lu Yu would never put his head on the line to show off on the battlefield.
—Swords and blades have no eyes, cherish life, stay away from the battlefield.
"Dong dong dong…"
The sound of drums grew louder, accompanied by horns!
These grain carts were all manually pushed…
Cao Xiu, riding his horse at the rear of the grain carts, felt a chill down his spine… Fortunately, Xu Shu was by his side.
This was someone Lu Yu had specifically assigned to him…
"Mr. Xu…" As they drew closer to Yuan Shao’s camp, Cao Xiu’s eyes involuntarily narrowed. "Are we… really going to charge Yuan Shao’s camp?"
"Naturally…" Xu Shu smiled slightly.
Cao Xiu did not understand Lu Yu’s deployment, but Xu Shu saw it very clearly.
Cao Cao’s five thousand cavalry, even with their horses’ hooves wrapped in rough cloth, even in the darkness where they couldn’t be seen clearly… however… they could not achieve complete silence!
And the sounds of charging and drumming here were enough to attract the attention of Yuan Shao’s soldiers within a ten-mile radius. This could, to some extent, mask the sound of Cao Cao’s main cavalry’s hooves.
"General Cao, calm down… calm down!"
"Tell me, has Commander Lu’s strategy ever gone wrong?"
Xu Shu comforted him.
"It hasn’t…" Xu Shu’s words had the desired effect, and Cao Xiu felt a little more settled.
"Dong dong dong…"
"Ta ta ta…"
The sounds of footsteps and drums grew closer.
And at this moment.
An armored soldier from the Long Xiao Camp quickly reported:
— "Report, General Cao, Mr. Xu, we are only a bow’s shot away from Yuan Shao’s great camp!"
"Good!" Xu Shu smiled slightly. "Arrange all the grain carts in a line, facing Yuan Shao’s camp, beat the drums and issue challenges… All armored soldiers must withdraw beyond the range of arrows!"
"Understood!" The Long Xiao Camp armored soldier agreed and went to pass on the message.
Cao Xiu seemed to understand.
"Mr. Xu, are these straw figures… to attract the enemy’s arrows?"
"Hahaha…" Xu Shu just smiled and said nothing.
"Dong dong dong…"
The grain carts lined up, along with the straw figures on them, were indistinguishable in the darkness, illuminated by the distant torches. Only the deafening sound of drums could be heard for a long time.
And at this moment, Yuan Shao’s camp was in a state of panic.
"Alert, alert…"
"The entire camp is on alert!"
Gao Lan was diligently commanding his soldiers to guard the various camp gates. Without Yuan Shao’s orders, he could not attack!
At this moment, Yuan Shao walked out of the central army tent.
Zhang He reported, "My lord, Cao Cao’s army is attacking outside our camp gates!"
Yuan Shao’s expression stiffened. He looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowed. "The dog is eating the sun, and Cao Cao is using the cover of night to attack. This is an attempt to lure our army out of the camp and annihilate us! Does Yin Lin think this small trick can deceive my eyes! Hmph…"
Yuan Shao let out a cold "hmph."
"Pass down the order, do not engage the enemy!"
As Yuan Shao spoke, Guo Tu and Feng Ji cupped their hands and bowed, "My lord is wise!"
Yuan Shao’s eyes then shifted. "Pass down the order, order the archers and crossbowmen of each camp to shoot indiscriminately! This will surely repel that boy Cao Cao!"
"Understood!" Zhang He agreed.
"Wait!" Yuan Shao stopped Zhang He. "Let the drummers and horn players in our Yuan army also beat the drums and blow their horns… to boost the morale of our archers and crossbowmen!"
"Understood…" Zhang He agreed again.
This was Yuan Shao’s personality.
The team can lose, but Timo must die… Ah, no, the team leader can lose, but the momentum must be loud!
Yuan Shao’s camp’s drums were more than ten times that of Cao Cao’s camp. It was all about sound, about noise, to see who was louder.
…
"Mr. Xu, aren't we too close to Yuan Shao’s camp?"
"What did you say?"
Xu Shu could no longer hear Cao Xiu’s words…
Cao Xiu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Mr. Xu, aren't we too close to Yuan Shao’s camp?"
"Hahaha…" Hearing Cao Xiu’s words, Xu Shu burst into laughter. "General Cao, rest assured, Yuan Shao will not come out. He will only rain down arrows… shooting all the arrows at our straw figures!"
"—Shoot, shoot!"
The sound of arrows being fired from Yuan Shao’s camp could already be heard by Cao Xiu. In a short time, a volley of arrows… countless arrows shot into the grain carts, into the straw…
Dense…
"Oh!" Cao Xiu finally understood. "Commander Lu… is it to trick Yuan Shao into firing arrows?"
Ah…
Hearing this, Xu Shu smiled. Why was Cao Xiu so dense?
Before he could reply…
Cao Xiu continued to ask, "If it's to trick Yuan Shao into firing arrows, then… under such a dense rain of arrows, our armored soldiers won’t be able to drag those grain carts back either!"
"Hahaha…"
Hearing such a foolishly innocent question, Xu Shu stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "What do we need these grain carts for? What do we need so many arrows for? Commander Lu wants the sound of drums and horns! By dawn, we will abandon these grain carts and straw figures and withdraw!"
Saying this, Xu Shu paused and looked up at the sky.
It was as dark as a waterfall…
The entire earth seemed to be submerged in endless darkness.
"Heh heh…"
Xu Shu smiled, a smile full of joy. "General Cao, don’t be so stingy… After today, Yuan Shao’s arrows will become Cao Cao’s arrows, Yuan Shao’s grain carts will naturally become the Long Xiao Camp’s grain carts, and even more so, perhaps… Yuan Shao’s troops will also raise the banner of 'Cao'!"
As he said this, Xu Shu finally sighed.
—"As expected, ‘Nine Heavens Dragon Roar Shakes the World, Meeting the Hidden Dragon Transforms into a Dragon’!"
…
…