At the foot of Mount Feilong, beneath a century-old pine.
The rain seemed to stop but not quite, falling in wisps. Amidst the circling mountains of Feilong, even these gradually diminishing raindrops seemed to take on a greener hue.
Drips of rain slowly fell from the pine, filling the entire mountainside with a fresh scent!
At this moment, Tong Yuan stood here, hands clasped behind his back. His Feilong Spear was plunged into the ground, leaving deep imprints on the earth! His eyes were closed, filled with profound depth.
This pine, this rain, this person… inexplicably rendered the atmosphere here exceptionally heavy and somber.
Only when Yuan Fang arrived did Tong Yuan’s voice utter.
“Status uncertain!”
“What does that mean?”
“Senior is asking? General Yan Liang?” Yuan Fang countered.
“Asking what you already know!”
“That trick you learned from Shui Jing won’t work on me!”
Tong Yuan’s tone remained frigid, as if each word was quenched with ice.
“Senior, I also don’t know if General Yan Liang is alive or dead…” Yuan Fang murmured. “But even if he is alive, I fear he has fallen into the hands of ‘Yin Lin,’ and his life is in imminent danger!”
“So you want to use my hands to deal with Yin Lin for you?” Tong Yuan continued to ask.
“I wouldn’t dare!” Yuan Fang’s attitude remained humble. Before the Spear God Tong Yuan, his title of “Demon King” carried little weight.
“Junior is merely stating facts…” Yuan Fang’s tone turned serious. “My family has intricate ties with Madam Yan’s family… I don’t want my aunt to be sad! Of course, I also have selfish motives, wanting to invite Elder Tong out of seclusion to let that Yin Lin experience what absolute crushing strength truly is!”
“And to allow Father to find a sliver of breathing room in an extremely unfavorable situation! Cao Cao rose to prominence because of Yin Lin. With Yin Lin around, Father is no match for Cao Cao. But… if Yin Lin were to fall into Elder Tong’s hands, then… for Father, and for Madam Yan, it would surely be a welcome sight, wouldn’t it?”
*Phew…*
Remarkably, Yuan Fang’s words caused a slight twitch on Tong Yuan’s cheek.
Indeed, his heart was considerably stirred!
Truth be told, he had long since retreated from the world and didn’t care much for worldly disputes.
But!
First, there was the “father-killing hatred” between his fourth disciple, Lu Lingqi, and “Yin Lin”;
Then, there was the Young Master of the Yuan family, Yuan Fang, who so eloquently reasoned the advantages and disadvantages!
How can Yin Lin be everywhere?
*Hmph…*
Tong Yuan’s lips twitched slightly, and he had made his decision.
*Stomp!*
Yuan Fang only noticed Tong Yuan lifting his left leg.
But the next moment, Tong Yuan was already beside him, with that same “ghostly” movement, that same “ghostly” footwork!
Simultaneously, Tong Yuan placed a hand on Yuan Fang’s shoulder.
“In my life, I, Tong Yuan, have never been a tool for others!”
This…
Hearing this, Yuan Fang was stunned. He had been meticulously careful with every word, fearing… that Tong Yuan would think the Yuan clan was using him.
What he feared, happened!
Yuan Fang was about to explain further…
But he only felt his shoulder go limp. He hadn’t seen Tong Yuan make a move, but it was as if all his strength had been stripped away. His entire arm lost all its power, slumping down limply!
At the same time, Tong Yuan’s voice followed immediately.
“Yuan Fang, you are the first to make me break my rule!”
With these words, Tong Yuan picked up his spear and moved swiftly… already five paces away from Yuan Fang.
Fast… too fast.
Tong Yuan’s movement was as swift as lightning.
But Yuan Fang knew that if he went by his master, Mr. Shui Jing’s, evaluation, Tong Yuan’s spear techniques were ten times faster than his footwork!
When facing him, often in the time it took for the opponent to throw one move, Tong Yuan’s spear would have already produced dozens of variations.
Of course, that wasn’t the main point.
The main point was… Tong Yuan had agreed!
“Ahem…” Yuan Fang coughed lightly. “How could junior have such influence? Senior is breaking his rule because of Madam Yan…”
“Heh heh…”
Hearing this, Tong Yuan paused.
Without looking back, he simply uttered two words.
“Transparent!”
With that said, he intended to leave.
Yuan Fang, enduring the pain in his arm, hurried after him, shouting as he went.
“That Yin Lin is named Lu Yu, a Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, commander of the Dragon Cavalry. Currently… he is in Guandu, surrounded by countless generals. While Elder Tong may not fear them, it would be bad to alert the enemy unnecessarily.”
“And in Yanmen, Yanmen of Bing Province has… a legion. Their leader is named Yang Xiu. Besides him, there is a red-robed masked figure of unparalleled martial skill. That Yang Xiu is Yin Lin’s disciple. In my opinion, that red-robed masked figure must also have intricate ties with Yin Lin. Elder Tong… Elder Tong…”
Yuan Fang was still shouting.
He wanted to persuade Tong Yuan to capture Yang Xiu and the masked figure. In Yuan Fang’s mind, direct threats were never the most terrifying; it was the hidden blades behind them that inflicted the most grievous wounds!
However…
Tong Yuan was nowhere to be seen!
“Elder Tong, Elder Tong…”
Yuan Fang was still calling out… but on the mountain path, in the tavern, no matter where he looked… he could no longer find him!
After the rain, the plants began to quietly peek out, at the tree roots, in the bushes, at Yuan Fang’s feet… quietly spreading a subtle green, like faint watercolors.
But… Yuan Fang’s mood remained unsettled.
Did Elder Tong… did Elder Tong truly hear what he said!
Besides that…
Yuan Fang rather hoped that the Yan Liang whose “status was uncertain”… would be thoroughly “dead”!
Let there be no more unforeseen events.
The Yuan clan could no longer afford any more upheavals!
…
…
South of the Yellow River…
Yan Jin City was already a scene of ruin.
Flooded by water, the torrents were immense…
Countless houses and city walls were destroyed!
The bodies of countless Yuan soldiers floated on the water, coupled with the putrid smell and the crimson color… a sight that would make one nauseous!
Fortunately, Yuan Shao’s army was too large. Stationing them in Yan Jin City was difficult…
Over half of the four hundred and fifty thousand men were gathered inside and outside the city. Before the floodwaters hit, sensing the threat… many legions had already evacuated the city in cooperation.
Of course, some of these people were lucky, escaping to higher ground… saving their lives.
Others were unlucky. Just as they reached higher ground, they encountered the Cao camp’s Tiger and Leopard Cavalry who were already waiting in formation, meeting their demise with wails… and sending their heads in vain!
As the saying goes, escaping one danger only to fall into another!
As the heavy rain gradually subsided, the water began to recede.
The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry “collected heads” almost all night…
Their arms were sore…
Killing people was also tiring!
With only a few thousand men, the Yuan soldiers they killed overnight probably exceeded ten thousand…
Of course, even if ten thousand pigs had their necks extended for someone to chop, chopping all night… a person would surely be exhausted!
As dawn broke.
Xiahou Yuan and Cao Chun ordered their soldiers to retreat.
Don’t be greedy, take the profit when it’s good!
At this moment, Xiahou Yuan sat on his horse, took out some dry rations from his waist, and put them in his mouth. Chewing, he sighed, “Truly pitiful. After this night’s flood, of Yuan’s hundreds of thousands of soldiers, we killed ten thousand, but those drowned probably exceeded ten thousand, didn’t they?”
Cao Chun, looking at the tragic scene of Yan Jin City not far away, laughed.
He then replied to Xiahou Yuan.
“Since when did ‘Miaocai’ become so conservative? Be bold! This time, the Yuan army drowned no less than a hundred thousand men! And the impact of this battle will surely extend beyond that.”
Xiahou Yuan pondered for a moment, then nodded. “You are right. People say water and fire are ruthless. Shields and ramparts can defend against swords and spears, but they cannot block these natural disasters. Just the Bian River alone could turn Yuan Shao’s arrogant hundreds of thousands of soldiers into fish and turtles in the water. The power of the flood is far greater than our Tiger and Leopard Cavalry!”
“And after this battle, let alone the heavy losses of Yuan’s army, their morale alone is bound to plummet to the bottom. This is the most fatal point! As Lu Yu said, the turning point… is coming!”
Speaking of which…
Xiahou Yuan sighed repeatedly. “Heh, how come I couldn’t figure it out… how could Lu Yu predict so accurately, as if he were inside Yuan Shao’s stomach? How could he be so sure that Yuan Shao would enter this Yan Jin City!”
Xiahou Yuan repeatedly expressed his doubts. Of course, he was in a good mood.
These were happy doubts!
He casually offered some of his dry rations to Cao Chun.
“Zihe? Are you hungry? Have some?”
Cao Chun shook his head and teased Xiahou Yuan. “Why eat this? Although Situ Lu is the primary contributor to this battle, our Tiger and Leopard Cavalry also played a significant role. With such merits, shouldn’t we brothers go back to drink and eat meat? Why eat these hard dry rations and flatbreads? Don’t eat it… let’s go back, there’s meat to eat in Guandu!”
After a night of encirclement, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry all retreated.
Crossing the rain-soaked, drizzling official road, in the pre-dawn light, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry galloped like phantoms… the sound of the receding floodwaters continuously washing against the city walls grew distant.
Every soldier of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry had a flush on their faces.
This operation was almost a complete victory. With almost no losses for Cao’s army, they utilized their understanding of the environment, took advantage of Yuan’s army’s unpreparedness, and caused artificial flood backflow.
An annihilation…
With the cooperation of the floodwaters and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, this battle was an annihilation. As for how many Yuan soldiers died, Xiahou Yuan and Cao Chun were curious, but only heaven knew the exact numbers.
…
…
Dawn had just broken, the morning light had arrived!
The citizens of Guandu, who had been disturbed all night by the roar of the heavy rain and felt uneasy, emerged from their homes!
Most of them lived here, born and raised here.
They were too familiar with the locations of the Bian River and Guandu.
Often…
When heavy rain struck, their biggest worry was the dike being breached!
And it was truly fortunate that such heavy rain last night did not lead to tragedy!
They began to go out…
To repair their houses, to tidy up the houses and courtyards ravaged by the heavy rain. But before they could even start working, they saw large numbers of refugees migrating from Baima and Yan Jin. They were discussing something amongst themselves.
Upon listening closely, they realized.
It turned out that last night, the Bian River had breached its banks… and flooded into Yan Jin City. Hundreds of thousands of Yuan soldiers had become fish and turtles in the water, with countless drowned!
This…
No wonder Guandu was not flooded, it turned out that the Bian River’s water had all poured into Yan Jin City!
Countless Guandu citizens gasped in disbelief…
How fortunate!
This was Heaven protecting Guandu!
It was “Yan Jin” that had taken the blow for “Guandu”!
And the refugees who had been relocated to Guandu also gasped in disbelief. They did not know that the floodwaters flooding into Yan Jin City were caused by the Tiger Cavalry digging channels, by Xiahou Yuan’s order to breach the dikes, and by Lu Yu’s overall plan.
They only thought…
That it was… it was this Chancellor of the Han Dynasty who had once again displayed his “Yin-Yang School” esoteric arts, calculating the heavenly rain, the breaching of the dikes, and the flood backflow.
It was him… it was him, it was him!
It was he who had saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of living beings!
They remembered… a few days ago, Situ Lu had ordered the evacuation of all citizens to Guandu. Many of them had cursed Lu Yu, and some had even compared Lu Yu to Dong Zhuo who had “relocated the people of Luoyang to Chang’an”!
Honestly, who would want to abandon their homes and go to a strange land?
But…
Today, their faces were slapping themselves!
If it weren’t for Lu Yu… under the floodwaters, let alone their homes, whether they could even save their lives was a huge unknown!
As for Yuan Shao’s hundreds of thousands of soldiers who had become fish and turtles in the water, who the hell cared about them…
They deserved it, they absolutely deserved it!
*Pat…*
On the street, some people were already kneeling… not to thank the gods, not to pray to heaven, but to thank Lu Yu… for saving their lives, this was a life-saving grace!
Uh…
Of course, Lu Yu felt a bit awkward.
Even though his skin was thick, he couldn’t be… this “thick,” could he?
It was his plan… that flooded Yan Jin City, destroyed countless people’s homes, and forcibly relocated the populace from Yan Jin to Guandu. He also did it to prevent any citizens from reminding Yuan Shao to beware of the river dikes on such a rainy day.
Yet, in the end…
The people still had to thank him, Lu Yu, and hail him as a living Buddha!
It was truly… a complete feeling of “selling the crutch” from the Spring Festival Gala…
…
…
Guandu, Governor’s Office!
“Report, Yuan’s army has reorganized in disarray, abandoning Yan Jin and Baima City Forts, and has retreated north of the Yellow River to Liyang City.”
“Report, according to preliminary estimates, over thirty thousand Yuan soldiers drowned in Yan Jin City, and over fifty thousand died from trampling each other and being trampled by horses!”
“Report, it is heard that… Yuan Shao is ill, and a flag of truce is flying outside Liyang City!”
Numerous urgent reports poured in.
Lu Yu, seated at the head of the table, nodded gently. As expected… Yuan Shao had temporarily halted his southward advance. The first half of the Battle of Guandu had concluded!
One should know, according to ancient texts and records…
The entire Battle of Guandu lasted nearly two years!
But… many later internet novel writers wished they could have finished it in three days, with the beheading of Yan Liang, the execution of Wen Chou, and the surprise attack on Wuchao!
Whenever Lu Yu saw such internet novels, he felt a sense of awkwardness.
According to ancient texts and records…
Guandu was divided into three stages: probing, confrontation, and decisive battle!
And the confrontation stage also included “mutual home invasions” and “mutual grain road attacks,” and this stage alone lasted for a full year!
Currently, at best, both sides’ “probing” had ended, and the “confrontation” stage had just begun.
And based on Lu Yu’s understanding of Yuan Shao, even if he was ill…
He would not easily admit defeat in this Battle of Guandu!
How proud was Yuan Shao? He couldn’t shift the blame this time. Without salvaging his reputation, how could he return to the northern territories? How could he face his disciples and former subordinates!
“Issue a decree…” Lu Yu commanded. “For the abandoned Yan Jin and Baima City Forts by Yuan’s army, no unit of our army is allowed to occupy them… or even approach them! Violators will be dealt with according to military law.”
Hmm, this…
Xiahou Yuan, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow and immediately scratched his head. He didn’t understand.
Wasn’t fighting a war about recapturing cities?
Why was it that after Yuan’s army retreated, Lu Yu forbade them from occupying the cities?
Could it be… waiting for Yuan Shao to recover from his illness and retake these strategic points?
One should know…
Although Cao’s army had also lost cities before, each lost city had cost Yuan Shao tens of thousands of soldiers’ lives. This time… it was handed over voluntarily!
This inevitably made Xiahou Yuan puzzled…
He immediately intended to inquire further.
Unexpectedly, Xu Shu spoke first.
“Does Situ Lu still intend to set the decisive battle for the fate of the world in Guandu?”
As he spoke, Xu Shu slowly stood up and walked to the table, reaching out to point at the map on the desk!
The map was not particularly detailed…
It only meticulously depicted the battlefield from Guandu to Xudu, and from Guandu to Liyang!
Among them, located upstream of the Hong Canal, on the banks of the Bian River, Guandu was situated in the center of this map, and it was a name Lu Yu had previously emphasized.
“That’s right!” Lu Yu smiled faintly. “The place for the decisive battle must be Guandu…”
With that thought, he glanced towards a location west of Yan Jin, east of Guandu.
– Wuchao!
That’s right… it was Wuchao.
If the decisive battle between Cao and Yuan was on the northern bank of the Yellow River in Liyang.
Or in Yan Jin, Baima on the southern bank of the Yellow River…
Then… Yuan Shao’s supply line and grain route would not be far. Even transporting grain from Jizhou would not be a problem!
But if it were Guandu, this was practically the gateway to Yanzhou!
It was almost adjacent to Yanzhou’s crucial grain storage area – Puyang City!
Cao’s army’s grain pressure would be greatly reduced…
… And similarly, the pressure to transport grain from Jizhou to here would be great, even immense. Once the grain route was intercepted and the supply line cut off… the impact on Yuan’s army would be fatal.
Therefore, Yuan Shao would inevitably transport a large amount of grain to the front lines in preparation for the unexpected.
And for him, choosing a “hidden” and “safe” grain storage location would become extremely important.
It was precisely for this reason…
Even if he had to wait, Lu Yu would wait for Yuan’s army to advance south again.
Wait for Yuan’s army to station its large forces in the “sandy dune” area opposite Guandu!
Wait for Yuan Shao to choose this grain storage location in Wuchao!
It was hidden, and there was only one passage. It was simply the most advantageous place for grain storage. As long as Yuan Shao performed normally… the situation would still be under control!
This…
Hearing this, Xiahou Yuan once again tapped his forehead. His eyes followed Liyang, then Baima, then Yan Jin… and then looked towards Guandu. It was like a line, an attack route that Lu Yu had pre-planned for Yuan Shao.
However…
Forget it, Xiahou Yuan stopped thinking. This reading comprehension was too difficult!
He even felt, for a moment, that fighting with Lu Yu boiled down to two words – easy!
You didn’t need to use your brain at all, just charge forward.
Just then.
Lu Yu spoke again.
“I forgot the main business.”
“General Xiahou, please write up the battle report and send it to Xudu City via flying horse. Also, be sure to… in the victory report, the merits of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry must be greatly praised! The brothers of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry have been busy for so long, digging canals in the rain… and last night they stayed up all night to encircle and kill the enemy. They have worked quite hard!”
This…
Xiahou Yuan was stunned. The more Lu Yu asked him to praise them greatly, the more he felt that this credit should be greatly attributed to Lu Yu!
If not for his strategy…
Where would this complete victory come from?
The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry would not have earned any merit at all!
Remembering the source of the water…
“By the way…”
At this moment, Lu Yu added again.
“General Xiahou, when writing this battle report, be sure to add great merit to one more person. This is extremely important for Chancellor Cao, and for future planning!”
Uh… another person?
Who could it be?
This time, it really piqued Xiahou Yuan’s curiosity!
…
…