In the great tent of the Yuan army before the Guandu fortress, Cheng Yu strode in.
It seemed that, in his eyes, the戟士, with their heavy halberds and stern, vigilant gazes, as he passed through the Yuan army, did not stir even the slightest ripple in his heart.
Inciting enemy generals to defect…
He had performed such tasks too many times to count; it was second nature. Setting aside the fifty thousand enemy soldiers this time, in Cheng Yu's view, it was no different from every other persuasion he had undertaken.
Familiar recipe, familiar taste.
"Dragon Soaring Camp, Cheng Yu pays respects to Generals Zhang He and Gao Lan…"
The familiar clasping of hands in greeting, the familiar opening…
Even the words he would say next, and their reactions, Cheng Yu had them all figured out.
"Sima Cheng of the Dragon Soaring Camp, it is an honor to finally meet you…" Zhang He's eyes narrowed, showing no hint of negligence… after all, the reputation of the envoy sent by the enemy was too great.
However…
Could he surrender? How could that be possible?
Although they had failed to break through the formation in a single night, and although the supplies at Wuchao had been burned, in terms of troop numbers, Cao Cao's army might not be able to withstand this desperate gambit of the reinforcements!
"Not at all, not at all…" Cheng Yu appeared unhurried.
"I have long heard of Sima Cheng's skill in inciting enemy generals!" Zhang He continued. "In the past, you incited Xu Huang in Luoyang, leading to the fall of Yang Feng. You incited Liu Xun in Lujiang, causing the 'Little Hegemon' to flee. You incited Xu Chu and He Yi in Runan, resulting in the decapitation of the Sky-Splitting Yaksha He Man. You incited Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Army in Bingzhou, leading to the capture of the Bingzhou Governor Gao Gan. I must say, Sima Cheng, you possess formidable means…"
Upon saying this…
Zhang He paused, then puffed out his chest and continued, "But I wonder how Sima Cheng plans to incite General Gao and myself today? We eagerly await!"
Before Zhang He could finish his words…
"Hmph…" Gao Lan let out a cold snort. "General Zhang speaks elegantly, but I, Gao Lan, am a simple man. To tell you the truth, no matter how glib your tongue may be today, my brother and I will never abandon Yuan and defect to Cao, becoming traitors!"
Uh… this…
The reactions of Zhang He and Gao Lan were somewhat beyond Cheng Yu's expectations; the rhythm was off!
In the past, when Young Master Lu sent him to persuade enemy generals, it was often a smooth process, met with enthusiastic welcomes. Why was it so confrontational and combative today?
Was this going to be a more difficult challenge?
…This situation was unprecedented.
However… this was precisely how inciting and persuading enemy generals ought to be!
The atmosphere in the tent suddenly turned cold…
Were it someone else, they might have felt some tension, but Cheng Yu remained calm and composed… no matter what Zhang He and Gao Lan said, he remained as serene as a gentle breeze brushing a mountain ridge, or the bright moon illuminating a vast river.
"I did not expect that you two would preempt everything I intended to say. Nor did I expect you to be so confident! Then…"
Cheng Yu kept them in suspense.
This made both Zhang He and Gao Lan curious…
"Then what?"
Gao Lan, being impatient, quickly asked.
Cheng Yu, however, smiled slightly. "It matters not, let us wait and see… the situation is always changing. If you two generals do not wish to abandon Yuan and defect to Cao, becoming traitors today, what about after half an incense stick, or a full incense stick? What about after today? What about after tomorrow… Haha, as I said, the situation is always changing!"
As the saying goes, life is unpredictable, and stomachs are sometimes full of intestines!
Cheng Yu's meaning was obvious: let's stall… we'll stall.
Of course, this seemed somewhat incomprehensible to Zhang He and Gao Lan. For a moment, they even wondered if… this was how Cheng Yu had always persuaded enemy generals?
Stalling?
Was there no skill involved?
"Does Sima Cheng not plan to leave?" Gao Lan asked…
"If I leave? And you wish to surrender later? Whom will you seek out?" Cheng Yu smiled slightly. "Haha, Generals, I have an impolite request. My legs have not been well lately. Could you two generals provide a wooden stool so I can sit and wait?"
Heh…
This was practically treating the Yuan camp as his own home!
Zhang He and Gao Lan exchanged glances. A large question mark appeared between their brows. Where was this utter confidence coming from?
"Guards, bring a seat…"
After a moment of thought, Zhang He still signaled for a wooden stool to be brought.
Gao Lan was brash, but Zhang He was meticulous. He couldn't be too absolute. Moreover… Cheng Yu was too confident, so confident that it made him feel… as if something was about to happen.
Just then.
"Report… report…"
A knight rushed in, dismounting his horse at the camp gate, and burst into the central command tent, panting.
Seeing Generals Zhang He and Gao Lan.
The knight quickly knelt, intending to report… but upon seeing Cheng Yu again, he swallowed all his words.
Zhang He understood his intent. He glanced at Cheng Yu.
Cheng Yu, however, smiled slightly.
"Do you wish for me to leave?"
"No need!" Zhang He coldly replied. "Fumbling and mumbling, what is there that cannot be said? Report it directly…"
Hearing this…
The knight withdrew his gaze and reported truthfully, "General Zhang, General Gao… I… I just heard in the central command tent… Duke Yuan… Duke Yuan, having believed Guo Tu's slander, has already sent people… sent people to escort you two generals. I dared not delay and came immediately to report."
This knight was formerly a soldier under Han Fu, the Governor of Ji Province, and had served in the same unit as Zhang He.
After Yuan Shao took Ji Province, Zhang He defected to Yuan Shao, and this knight also followed. Of course, thanks to Zhang He's promotion, he had become a captain.
This time… upon hearing Guo Tu's slander and Yuan Shao's roaring, knowing the gravity of the situation, he dared not delay and immediately reported to Zhang He.
Coincidentally…
It was precisely his words that caused Zhang He and Gao Lan's expressions to change drastically. They looked at each other.
Their eyes flashed with coldness and sharp glints.
—Slander…
—Guo Tu's slander.
This news sent a chill down their spines.
Having followed Yuan Shao for so many years, they understood Yuan Shao's character better than anyone. Yuan Shao always believed Guo Tu's words implicitly. Moreover, given the current situation, with Wuchao burned and their army stalled, it was easy to infer that if they were escorted back, there would be no shortage of punishment.
At such a time, it seemed… it seemed…
Zhang He and Gao Lan's gazes simultaneously turned towards Cheng Yu.
Heh heh…
They inwardly laughed, a bitter, ironic laugh, more painful than crying.
Moments before, they had sworn they would never betray their loyalty, never abandon Yuan and defect to Cao. Now, in front of Cheng Yu, they were being slapped in the face repeatedly!
Although Zhang He and Gao Lan were both mere warriors, they were not blindly loyal. Especially when facing such an unreliable lord and deceitful ministers.
What kind of situation was this! Fighting a war while waiting for their lord to doom them!
This…
This…
Zhang He and Gao Lan's morale was on the verge of collapse!
"Ahem…"
Seeing Zhang He and Gao Lan's complicated expressions, Cheng Yu cleared his throat at the opportune moment.
"As I said, the situation is constantly changing. Perhaps a moment ago, you generals did not wish to abandon Yuan and defect to Cao, but in the next moment… the development of the situation leaves you no choice!"
"Alas… it's too stifling to sit. My old bones are stiff. It's better to stand up and feel refreshed, haha… Generals, you don't have much time left. I'll wait outside the tent!"
Saying this, Cheng Yu stood up…
And walked towards the outside of the tent, step by step.
His steps were not heavy, but with each one, Zhang He and Gao Lan's hearts skipped a beat!
Hoo…
Heavy breaths echoed through the military tent.
The atmosphere here also became silent.
Finally, Gao Lan could not stand the excruciating atmosphere. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Jun Yi, you are my elder brother, and the person I have respected all these years. What should we do, my brother? Your word is my command, and I will follow you!"
Alas…
Zhang He sighed with helplessness. "What else can we do now? Our lord does not trust us. If we return, we will surely die. Now… we can only defect on the battlefield! Hmph, since those villains consider us their enemies, then don't blame us brothers for striking first. When patience runs out, there is no need to endure further. We will defect to Cao!"
"I have been waiting for you to say that!" Gao Lan clenched his fists, looking at Zhang He's determined eyes, and nodded.
Exchanging glances…
The two walked quickly out of the great tent.
Gao Lan spoke first, "...We hope that Sima Cheng can introduce us. My fifty thousand armored soldiers will abandon darkness and embrace light, defecting on the battlefield!"
Hearing this, Zhang He nodded heavily.
"If Sima Cheng or Situ Lu does not trust us, then… we will immediately send people to push all the siege equipment to the forefront and burn them all. We can also organize our soldiers to lay down their weapons and surrender wholeheartedly!"
Zhang He was more meticulous.
After all, they had fifty thousand men…
More than double the number of Cao Cao's troops stationed at Guandu at the moment…
Anyone would find it hard to believe that so many people would surrender!
Even with Cheng Yu's introduction, some gesture was needed. Burning the siege equipment was such a gesture.
Here, Zhang He spoke with utmost sincerity, but Cheng Yu quickly waved his hand.
"Absolutely not…"
"Generals, you absolutely must not burn those siege weapons! Commander Lu sent me precisely because he feared you generals would worry and do such foolish things. Generals, you only need to follow me, Cheng, to surrender. With Young Master Lu present, all the civil and military officials of Cao Camp will trust you generals!"
This…
Zhang He and Gao Lan exchanged glances.
Then, in unison, they said, "Good…"
Immediately, the entire Yuan army raised flags of surrender…
The originally fluttering "Yuan" banner, which had been waving in the wind, was now replaced by white flags!
And Zhang He and Gao Lan, leading their subordinate generals and fifty thousand armored soldiers, followed Cheng Yu through the "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation" towards Guandu!
This scene stunned Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong.
What… what was going on?
The Yuan army, which had been desperately trying to break through the formation all night, had just… just surrendered?
After all, they had fifty thousand men. Although they did not have the advantage in the situation, in reality, the initiative was still in their hands. They couldn't be playing a trick… a conspiracy, feigning surrender to pass through the "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation," and then launching a strong attack on Guandu, catching them off guard!
But precisely…
All these Yuan camp soldiers had disarmed themselves and surrendered with their hands bound – this was full of sincerity!
Xiahou Dun scratched his head, disbelieving.
"Zi Lian? What do you think…"
"What can I think? I can only stand and watch…"
Cao Hong also scratched his head; he didn't understand these things…
However, Xun You immediately spotted Cheng Yu. "Generals, quickly look, it's Sima Cheng… he's signaling us. The fifty thousand Yuan troops have surrendered!"
This…
Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong were still incredulous.
Xun You sighed repeatedly, "It seems that Young Master Lu's composure throughout the night was because he was waiting for internal strife within the Yuan army, waiting for the disintegration of the entire Yuan camp. Such an attack on the enemy's morale is quite in line with his usual style!"
Speaking of this…
Seeing that Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong were still hesitant, Xun You loudly proclaimed, "Generals, do not doubt. This is a golden opportunity! Quickly open the city gates, then muster your troops… the situation has reversed. It is time for us to counterattack Yuan Shao and annihilate the remnants of the Yuan army in one fell swoop!"
As soon as Xun You finished speaking.
"Thump, thump, thump…"
Urgent footsteps echoed from behind them.
Everyone turned to see Dian Wei. Without hesitation, he shouted, "Situ Lu has ordered the city gates to be opened to accept the surrender of the Yuan army! Then, each camp will muster its troops to attack the Yuan army's great camp… the tide has turned!"
This time, no one doubted anymore!
After all, Cao Cao had given the order that everything in Guandu was to be directed by Lu Yu.
And the facts proved that Lu Yu's choice was correct. Zhang He and Gao Lan sincerely surrendered, and even… these fifty thousand troops, upon hearing that Yuan Shao intended to arrest their two commanders, became enraged… clamoring to defect!
"Hahaha…" Xiahou Dun burst into laughter. He quickly shouted, "Zi Lian, it's been a whole night. This old brother's hands are itching…"
"Who isn't!" Cao Hong also laughed heartily.
"Muster the troops and march to capture Yuan Shao!" Xiahou Dun roared. Countless knights mounted their horses. At this moment, the entire Cao camp exuded an unstoppable aura!
…
…
On the southern bank of the Yellow River, along the winding official road stretching for more than ten li, countless men were locked in combat.
Cao Cao, Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Dun, and Cao Hong led their troops, charging towards Yuan's hundred-li-long encampment.
At this moment, they were all bloodthirsty, and they could clearly realize that the Yuan army before them was at the end of its rope. They were making their last desperate resistance, attempting to form squads of elite troops to hold back Cao's army!
However.
These were all ultimately futile!
With Wuchao burned, Zhang He and Gao Lan leading fifty thousand troops to surrender and defect, and such news returning…
There was not a single soldier in the Yuan army whose heart could remain calm.
Fear, confusion, despair…
All these negative emotions were like the last straw that broke the camel's back. Yuan Shao's vast, hundred-li-long main camp was in utter chaos, riddled with holes.
At this moment…
Let alone resisting Cao Cao's offensive, the soldiers around him were constantly at risk of mutiny.
Yuan Shao was filled with grief and anger. Yesterday… he still had countless troops under his command, but today, he had no one to rely on…
The soldiers had lost their morale. Before the enemy even attacked, the defeat was already decided!
"What to do? What to do?"
Yuan Shao was filled with despair…
At this moment, he felt pain in his heart, and his liver, lungs, and all his internal organs ached, making him wish he were dead!
"Father… Zhang He and Gao Lan have surrendered. If we remain here, we will surely die! The urgent matter is to withdraw from Guandu first. As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn!"
Yuan Shao's son, Yuan Tan, earnestly advised.
At this moment, there were no civil or military officials around Yuan Shao, only his three sons.
"Father…" Yuan Xi also consoled, "Although we have lost this battle, we still have troops in Qing, Ji, You, and Bing provinces… With just two months, I can mobilize another fifty thousand from You Province. Although we lost this battle… we… we can still fight! In the struggle for hegemony between Chu and Han, Han Gaozu Liu Bang could not defeat Xiang Yu overnight!"
At this moment… Yuan Xi feared that his father would emulate Xiang Yu and commit suicide at Wujiang… slit his own throat!
This…
Yuan Shao looked around blankly. It was a desolate scene. Even though there were still personal guards, their faces were filled with panic and terror…
How could they fight a battle like this?
Flee…
They could only flee!
"Alright… alright… quickly… quickly help your father onto his horse! Let's return… return north of the Yellow River!"
Yuan Shao uttered a sentence, and the sounds of battle from outside the tent grew louder…
"Da da da…"
The sound of horse hooves resounded…
Yuan Shao, with his three sons, and a group of light cavalry, quickly fled north. At this moment, he only wore a headscarf, and the beads of sweat on his forehead were clearly visible.
It could be said that it was strange…
Yuan Shao was always hesitant and indecisive in the face of crises, but when it came to fleeing, he was faster than a rabbit, like a gust of wind! It was quite akin to Liu Bei, the "running Liu," in his true tradition!
And behind them…
—"Kill without mercy!"
Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, and Xiahou Dun led their cavalry, charging back and forth through the Yuan camp.
At this moment, they no longer needed to show mercy. They wanted to use the most ruthless methods to ensure victory in this battle: "Kill without mercy, leave no one alive!"
—"Kill without mercy!"
The shouts of battle pierced the sky, shaking heaven and earth.
Seeing their lord flee, the surrounding Yuan troops became even more chaotic, with no will to fight… The sound of Cao Cao's cavalry hooves, footsteps, even the drums and shouts, made them flustered.
Many times, before they could react, their heads were already separated from their bodies!
…
…
On the banks of the Yellow River, the surging river water still flowed eastward.
However, the armored soldiers lying eternally on the beach could no longer return home.
Dark crows flew back and forth in the sky. As if finding food, they cawed excitedly!
They did not know… that the land beneath these corpses had changed owners!
The confident Yuan Shao had suffered a heavy blow, and his vital forces were rapidly disintegrated…
As one side declined, the other prospered.
Cao Cao and the Cao camp became stronger than ever before!
Cao Cao, who was originally at a disadvantage…
Relied on his trust in Lu Yu time and again, and on Lu Yu's arrangements and gambles time and again, to ultimately win this battle!
It had to be said that Cao Cao was a gambler… but he was also a heroic gambler. His greatest gamble was to entrust Guandu entirely to Lu Yu's deployment!
He entrusted all twenty thousand of Cao Cao's troops, and his own life, into Lu Yu's hands.
Cao Cao asked himself.
Looking across the land, no other lord could achieve such a feat, nor could any other Cao Cao possess such magnanimity!
Even… if Lu Yu was his son!
Hoo…
After the great victory, Cao Cao's army had begun to clear the battlefield. Cao Cao faced the Yellow River and let out a long sigh of relief. He had won… He, Cao Cao, was the one who won this battle that would determine the ownership of the world for the next five hundred years!
"Heh heh…"
Cao Cao finally smiled.
He recalled this Battle of Guandu, this perilous and life-threatening battlefield of Guandu!
If…
If Yu'er had not cured his headaches?
If Yuan Shao's arrow towers had not been smashed by Yu'er's catapults?
If, at the Battle of Baima, Yu'er had not captured Yan Liang?
If… Wen Chou's subordinates had not been so greedy and rushed to snatch gold and silver treasures?
If Yu'er had not flooded forty-five thousand Yuan troops at Yanjin City with water…
If Yu'er had not borrowed the "dog eats sun" on the first day of the ninth month from the heavens…
If Yu'er had not appointed Cao Ren and Xu Shu to set up that Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, forcing Zhang He and Gao Lan to turn against them and defect!
In the end… would the final victor still be Cao Cao?
The Battle of Guandu involved too many coincidences, yet Yu'er had somehow used a single thread to connect these coincidences, forming a certainty. Fate… perhaps this was fate!
Hoo… hoo…
Cao Cao exhaled deeply.
At this moment, Cao Cao was filled with emotion.
Fortunately… fortunately, twenty-two years ago, he had planted this seed in Dunqiu County, Puyang. Today, this seed could take root and sprout, grow vigorously, and allow Cao Cao himself to find shade under its tree!
—"Kirin child… this is my Cao family's Kirin child!"
—"The entire Cao family, even Grandfather, is not as outstanding as this Kirin child!"
Cao Cao proclaimed his inner cry to the Yellow River.
Of course…
After the great victory at Guandu, everyone was exhilarated.
Only Lu Yu, located at Guandu, was frowning despite the "great victory."
Because… he was thinking more, and farther!
One must know that in historical records, Cao Cao's biggest stain was several massacres! Even the title of "No. 1 Butcher Knife of the Three Kingdoms" was for him!
Admittedly, Pengcheng in Xuzhou was the first massacre!
But the most brutal was at Guandu…
Historically, Cao Cao's treatment of the surrendered Yuan soldiers was summarized in three words: "buried them all alive!"
It was also because of this mass burial of Yuan soldiers that Cao Cao became the third universally recognized "god of slaughter" after Bai Qi's mass burial of surrendered soldiers in the Battle of Changping and Xiang Yu's mass burial of Qin soldiers in the Battle of Julu, making the world shudder.
And tracing the source…
What was the biggest reason for Cao Cao's mass burial of Yuan soldiers?
Grain…
Yes, it was grain!
Wuchao was burned, and then hundreds of thousands surrendered at once. Each person had a mouth to feed. Where would the grain come from?
It was for this reason that Lu Yu's brow was tightly furrowed.
While others were still reveling in the great victory at Guandu, he had to consider the feeding problem of these hundreds of thousands of people!
Precisely…
This matter was immense…
This matter was extremely urgent! If handled poorly, Old Cao would once again become the "No. 1 Butcher Knife of the Three Kingdoms"!
…
…