"Two million shi of grain hoarded at Wuchao! It will fail? And fail miserably?"
This...
Yuan Fang's words cast a dark shadow over Yuan Shao's complexion. If it were anyone else, Yuan Shao would have slapped them.
But... these words came from Yuan Fang, and that was another story.
No one knew how outstanding Yuan Fang was as a son better than Yuan Shao!
He was the leader of the Eight Wonders of Shuijing, and also a disciple of Zuo Ci, one of the Eight Eccentrics of Nanhua. He was known as the "Demon King" among his fellow disciples, and his words... Yuan Shao would not take them lightly.
"Fang'er? Why do you say that?" Yuan Shao immediately asked...
Without hesitation, Yuan Fang blurted out, "Because, Yin Lin..."
"Father doesn't seem to have learned his lesson. Previously... after several consecutive defeats, was it because Father's troops were insufficient? No! Was it because Father was careless and underestimated the enemy? Not entirely!"
"Tracing back to the root, it was actually Yin Lin who predicted Father's actions, predicted Father's plans, and deployed accordingly. Father was manipulated at will like a chess piece! And predicting the enemy's moves, attacking their minds, and having flawless plans – aren't these the very things Yin Lin has shown over the years?"
"Considering all this... Father hoarding grain at Wuchao must also be a trap set by Yin Lin. He specifically chose Guandu as the battlefield, which seems quite significant!"
As he spoke, Yuan Fang's expression remained stern, and his tone became meticulous.
Ultimately, it was the reputation of Yin Lin that had resonated so strongly over the years. Yet... even though the common folk spoke of Yin Lin as almost divine, as someone who could predict everything, when confronting him, few lords paid attention to this.
This was a battle of the mind...
No one would admit that their thoughts, their actions, had been foreseen!
This was the root of the defeats suffered by Li Jue, Guo Si, Yuan Shu, Lu Bu, Zhang Yang, and other lords.
A single "accurate prediction" might be a coincidence, but many consecutive ones meant he truly possessed this ability, this ability to divine the enemy's inner thoughts.
Precisely, it was this ability of Yin Lin that Yuan Fang paid particular attention to.
"This..."
Yuan Shao frowned, his face darkening. He sighed, "Wuchao Valley has only one entrance, and it is extremely hidden. It also has ample space, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It can be said that south of the Yellow River, besides Wuchao, it is hard to find another suitable place for storing grain!"
Yuan Shao said this.
But Yuan Fang continued to pour cold water on his words.
"Therefore... rather than saying that Father chose Wuchao Valley, it's more like Yin Lin chose it for Father in advance. This might be Cao Cao's only chance of victory in Yin Lin's eyes!"
"Then..." Yuan Shao's brow furrowed tightly. "Fang'er, tell me, how should these two million shi of grain be stored?"
This...
The question was thrown back to Yuan Fang. Yuan Fang's eyes gradually narrowed as he surveyed Wuchao Valley under the moonlight.
Indeed, it was very hidden and tranquil...
It was indeed an excellent place for storing grain.
However...
"Father, in my opinion, these two million shi of grain should still be stored here at Wuchao!"
Yuan Fang's words were decisive.
Ah... ah...
Yuan Shao was a little confused. He found his son’s actions incomprehensible.
"What exactly are you... are you saying?"
"Heh heh..." Yuan Fang slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Since I predict that Yin Lin will anticipate this grain storage location, he will surely take action! Then... we can use his own plan against him and set up an ambush here in the valley!"
"As this action concerns the victory of the decisive battle, Yin Lin can only dispatch the Dragon Cavalry Camp. And for such an operation, to ensure absolute certainty, Yin Lin will surely come personally!"
Having said this, Yuan Fang paused.
"Wuchao Valley is indeed Father's grain storage place, but it can also become the burial ground for the Dragon Cavalry Camp and Yin Lin! It will bury the undefeated myth of the Dragon Cavalry Camp! And bury the legend of Yin Lin's invincibility!"
Yuan Fang's voice was not loud, but each word was colder than the last!
By the end, his eyes were fixed, his gaze as cold as if it had been tempered in ice for ten thousand years.
This...
Yuan Shao was slightly taken aback.
"Fang'er, you are using our two million shi of grain as bait! But if anything goes wrong, not only will the Dragon Cavalry Camp and Yin Lin be buried here at Wuchao, but our two million shi of grain will also turn to nothing! This is completely contrary to the 'complete victory' mentioned in 'The Art of War'!"
"Don't mention 'The Art of War'!" Yuan Fang waved his hand. "Father lost repeatedly to Yin Lin precisely because he read too much of 'The Art of War.' How formidable is this opponent? Father probably still doesn't fully comprehend it. If a mere 'The Art of War' could defeat him? Then Cao Cao wouldn't have conquered the Central Plains and contended for the world with Father!"
Speaking of this... Yuan Fang clenched his fist.
He was well-versed in military strategy and possessed great ambition, but... he utterly disdained 'The Art of War,' especially its concepts of 'complete victory' and 'subduing the enemy without fighting'!
Heh heh...
Everyone wanted to achieve the greatest victory with the least cost!
Was that possible?
Victory was achieved through strategy, through blood and darkness...
With this in mind, Yuan Fang continued speaking.
"In my opinion, trading a million shi of grain for Yin Lin's life is a profitable deal, very profitable indeed!"
Ho...
Seeing Yuan Fang's resolute gaze, Yuan Shao's brow slightly moved.
He was never a man skilled at making choices, but... his son Yuan Fang's decisive voice seemed to make it unnecessary for him to make any choices.
The grain storage location remained Wuchao...
But similarly, what could be done with this "Wuchao" was an entirely new story.
Upon careful consideration, exchanging two million shi of grain for Yin Lin's life... seemed like it wasn't a loss!
...
...
In June of the fourth year of Jian'an, Yuan Shao adopted a strategy of building camps on both flanks and advancing step by step, with his main force approaching Guandu and setting up camp against the "sand dunes"!
The army camps stretched for tens of miles from east to west, and the total number of troops exceeded the population of a small county town.
What was even more terrifying was...
Yuan Shao spent a full two months establishing numerous watchtowers between Guandu and Yan. From day to night, soldiers were almost constantly observing from these towers.
The purpose of this was seemingly to monitor Cao's camp's movements, but in reality, these watchtowers were intended to observe Wuchao's dynamics at all times.
To ensure that they could discover any Cao army attack on Wuchao immediately.
And then... take action!
As for the specific actions, Yuan Shao's deployment was extremely meticulous.
In addition to Chunyu Qiong, who was formerly one of the "Eight Colonels of the Western Garden" alongside Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, guarding Wuchao, he also arranged for Zhang He and Gao Lan's troops to be on standby.
As soon as there was any disturbance at Wuchao, the Yuan army would immediately take action to block Wuchao Valley, ensuring that the Cao army would have no return!
Of course...
That wasn't all. Wuchao Valley itself held hidden secrets!
This was considered a great gift from Yuan Fang to Lu Yu in his plan!
It could be said that Yuan Shao, in a rare instance, heeded correct advice. Following Yuan Fang's suggestion, they made thorough preparations this time.
...
...
In the central command tent of the Guandu fortress.
A military map was laid out on the table, marking Yuan Shao's marching routes, encampment locations, and... those extremely peculiar towers!
There was a tower every few hundred meters, and from above, the view was unobstructed...
It could be said that the entire terrain between Yan and Guandu was laid bare!
At this moment...
Lu Yu, Xu Shu, and Cheng Yu were carefully studying the map. Cheng Yu had arrived recently. Previously, he had gone to the northern territories to incite the Black Mountain Army, and his mission was completed.
However... it was difficult to return.
One had to know...
At that time, Yanmen was almost sealed off by Yuan's troops from Bingzhou, especially at the border between Bingzhou and Henei. Countless armored soldiers were on high alert. Cheng Yu's return... could be considered enduring ninety-nine and eighty-one hardships!
However, with his fearless and wise nature... it was not an insurmountable problem!
It was still Cheng Yu who, looking at the map, immediately sensed something was amiss.
"Spending so much financial and military power to build so many towers, what is Yuan Shao's objective?"
Cheng Yu frowned and posed this question.
Xu Shu, stroking his beard, said loudly, "Regardless of the objective, there is no doubt that the area between Guandu and Yan has been fully illuminated. Doesn't this indirectly restrict our army's movements?"
Xu Shu's statement was "knowing only one aspect and not the other!"
Of course, this was not Xu Shu's fault!
Except for Lu Yu, who else could know that there was a "Wuchao" between Guandu and Yan, and that this "Wuchao" held hidden secrets! And that Yuan Shao's millions of shi of grain were stored there!
"This is difficult..."
Lu Yu looked at the map and shook his head slightly. Since Yuan Shao had "illuminated" the map, then... this was greatly different from the records in ancient texts.
One had to know...
According to the original historical progression, Yuan Shao would hoard grain at Wuchao, and naturally... he would send heavy troops to guard it, and also deploy scouts along the way to prevent accidents!
However... scouts were scouts, but weren't these "towers" a bit exaggerated?
Now, with this map illuminated, forget raiding Wuchao, even if Lu Yu farted between Guandu and Baima, those towers might smell it.
This was a bit awkward!
For a moment, Lu Yu felt that the course of history was deviating.
He even muttered to himself, could it be that because of him, Lu Yu, Yuan Shao's intelligence had suddenly come online!
One had to know...
Lu Yu wasn't afraid of a normally performing Yuan Shao, but a Yuan Shao performing exceptionally well was a bit much...
Lu Yu blinked his eyes and continued his orders.
"General Wenlie, I trouble you to find a way to scout again, and make sure to locate the 'Wuchao' valley... and observe the movements within. That place is extremely important for this battle!"
"Yes!" Cao Xiu nodded.
This was already the countless time Lu Yu had asked him to send scouts to ascertain the situation of Wuchao Valley...
Although he didn't know why Lu Yu was so fixated on this "Wuchao."
However... in fact, because of these towers, the difficulty for scouts to reach Wuchao was immense, perhaps... it would take a great deal of time, and the duration was unpredictable.
"Does Young Master Lu also feel that Wuchao holds hidden secrets?"
Xu Shu added meaningfully...
Lu Yu nodded, then shook his head. "It's not that it holds hidden secrets, but that it hides deadly traps!"
Although he said this, in his heart, Lu Yu felt that Yuan Shao was not simple this time, and... Yuan Shao had presented him with a major challenge.
Wait...
Suddenly, Lu Yu thought of something. "General Wenlie, I trouble you to send a team from the Dragon Cavalry Camp to Xudu city to pick someone up for me!"
"Who?" Cao Xiu asked...
Lu Yu beckoned him closer and whispered the name into Cao Xiu's ear.
Speaking of which, Lu Yu originally didn't want to ask him to come out of seclusion, but... the problem was that if he didn't ask, it wouldn't work. Since he couldn't figure it out... he might as well invite this "true · predictor of all outcomes" to help!
Besides...
This sworn brother, after years of having fun chasing girls and drinking heartily! It was time for him to contribute when he was needed, right?
Heh heh, as for the saying "If Zhicai lives not, Guo Jia appears not," to hell with it!
If this great brother still doesn't show up, then he won't be allowed to chase girls or drink anymore!
Lu Yu had already made his plans.
"Yes... I will send someone immediately." Cao Xiu agreed and withdrew from the main tent...
Unexpectedly, as soon as Cao Xiu exited.
"Young Master Lu..."
A rough voice echoed, and Dian Wei hurriedly rushed into the main tent.
"Has Commander Cao arrived?"
Lu Yu thought Cao Cao had arrived with reinforcements...
According to the schedule, old Cao should have arrived around today!
"No... Commander Cao!" Dian Wei replied, his voice carrying a slight tremor.
This was rare; there were few things that could make this "ancient Fierce General" tremble from the bottom of his heart.
"What?" Lu Yu frowned subconsciously.
"The soldiers are all crowded at the camp gate looking out. The Yuan army... the Yuan army quickly completed their encampment last night, directly opposite the Guandu camp," Dian Wei said...
What was so special about this?
It was just setting up camp, wasn't it?
Lu Yu was puzzled, but seeing Dian Wei's solemn expression, he still stepped out of the main tent to the camp gate to investigate!
At this moment, within the camp gate, Cao's soldiers were gathered.
It turned out that overnight, Yuan Shao had completed his encampment outside Guandu.
Gazing at Yuan Shao's military camps, it was truly awe-inspiring.
Even Lu Yu, having lived two lives, was astonished by the scale of these military camps.
Leaning against the "sand dunes," this must have stretched for hundreds of miles!
Looking again at the cooking smoke rising from the camps, the scale of this smoke alone... was probably several times that of Cao's army.
Six hundred thousand...
It seemed that the water content in these six hundred thousand Yuan troops was not very high!
On the other hand, his own ten thousand men, plus the ten thousand that Cao Cao was about to send in reinforcement!
Two hundred thousand against six hundred thousand, a one-to-three ratio...
Originally, the number alone did not make Lu Yu feel a significant gap, but... with such a formation appearing before his eyes, a sense of pressure arose.
Just as Lu Yu was sighing.
"Swish swish swish..."
Suddenly, a volley of arrows descended from the sky, shooting directly towards the gathering soldiers at the Guandu camp gate.
Fortunately, Dian Wei reacted swiftly, swinging his gauntlets and blocking an arrow that was about to strike Lu Yu. A group of Dragon Cavalry Armored Soldiers quickly formed a human wall to escort Lu Yu back.
The sound of "crackling" was incessant, countless arrows shot against the fine steel armor of the Dragon Cavalry Armored Soldiers. Even if they couldn't penetrate, each volley of arrows caused them to feel a piercing pain.
And Lu Yu was almost scared to death...
—"Damn it!"
He couldn't help but curse...
My goodness, a dark mass of arrows, right before his eyes, shooting down wave after wave... like a waterfall.
Even if they didn't hit him, his little heart was pounding wildly. If Lu Yu had even a slight heart condition, he would have been scared to death!
"Thud..."
"Thud thud thud thud..."
The continuous footsteps of the Dragon Cavalry Armored Soldiers resounded.
Within the thick human wall, surrounded by countless shields, Lu Yu glimpsed through the gaps... the innumerable tall towers within Yuan's camp...
They were actually mobile tall towers. It was these mobile towers that constantly shifted and changed, in turn shooting arrows into Cao's camp!
"Commander Lu, please don't look, return to the main tent quickly!"
Huang Zhong was also present...
He pointed at the moving "tall towers" that had sprung up in Yuan's camp and said.
Of course... calling them "tall towers" was not entirely accurate. These towering "arrow towers" were like floodgates, capable of firing arrows from above... from Yuan's army camp towards Cao's camp!
"I was still wondering earlier, Guandu is not a city, but a military camp. What are Yuan's camps preparing these floodgates for? I didn't expect... that they would be used to station archers and shoot into our camp from a distance!"
Huang Zhong's words burst out...
Ah... ah...
Several armored soldiers beside him were already shot dead by arrows!
At this moment, Xiahou Yuan began to roar.
"All armored soldiers, raise your shields above your heads, quick... quick..."
In fact, without his command, armored soldiers with shields had already raised them high, but even so, under the covering fire of the arrows, hundreds of them were still engulfed and shot dead!
"Damn it, that scoundrel Yuan the Loudmouth..."
Lu Yu thought of his own near-death experience and witnessed so many armored soldiers being shot through, and he instinctively cursed, completely disregarding his image!
—"Yuan the Loudmouth, I bought that last year!"
Just then, a group of Dragon Cavalry Armored Soldiers escorted Lu Yu back to the main tent. Xu Shu and Cheng Yu also returned with them...
And Cheng Yu's arm was wounded by an arrow, and the blood flowed, dyeing his sleeve, and even his clothes were stained red.
"Division Commander Cheng? You're wounded?"
Lu Yu noticed Cheng Yu's arrow wound...
"It's nothing... just a flesh wound!" Cheng Yu frowned, appearing quite resilient. This minor injury was insignificant compared to the wounds inflicted by mechanisms and arrows during his past expeditions to plunder tombs!
"Quickly summon the medical officer..." Lu Yu immediately ordered.
However...
The few medical officers who arrived also failed to dodge the endless arrows, and half of them were shot like hedgehogs!
Hoo...
The medical officers who had saved their lives did not hesitate. They quickly entered the tent, pulled the arrow from Cheng Yu, and stopped the bleeding, while Lu Yu's eyes narrowed tightly.
He felt that within his heart, ten thousand mythological creatures were galloping by!
So many brothers shot dead!
Even the medical officers were not spared, and Division Commander Cheng...
Even... even he, Lu Yu, had almost been shot dead!
Damn it...
Lu Yu's brows were almost furrowed into an inverted V.
"Where is Lord Liu? Where is Kongming? The things I need... were sent a month ago, and they still haven't reached Guandu now?"
"What are they doing?"
Angry...
At this moment, Lu Yu was furious. People say that a common man's anger can spill blood five steps, but Lu Yu's anger was more than just five steps of blood spilled!
...
...