Outside Xinye City, above Bowang Slope, giant hot air balloons were floating.
The massive spheres resembled flying pigs!
However, due to their limited numbers, there was no overwhelming visual impact.
Thus, the troops ambushing within Bowang Slope did not notice them.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Guan Ping, Mi Fang…
These ambushing troops were solely focused on the small path by the woods at the foot of the mountain.
For several hours…
Had Cao's army still not attacked?
This seemed different from the strategist's prediction!
…
…
In the sky, inside a giant wicker basket.
"Hiccup…"
Xiahou Dun woke up. He yawned, and after the yawn came a series of sneezes, "Achoo… Achoo…" He felt dizzy, as if air was seeping in from all directions, a cold wind whistling against his body.
Immediately…
He recalled something. It seemed he was about to lead his army into Bowang Slope, and Lu Ziyu had offered him two bowls of wine. It seemed… he had cleverly swapped one bowl with Lu Yu.
Then… then he had still fallen for it!
He had passed out.
Before his vision blurred, he remembered Lu Ziyu still… still wearing that harmless smile, gently saying—both bowls of wine were drugged!
—Damn it!
Thinking of this, Xiahou Dun suddenly stood up and looked around. According to his understanding, since Lu Yu had drugged him, he would surely be confined in a sealed place to achieve the purpose of delaying the army's southward advance!
—He's revolting, damn him!
"Lu…"
Xiahou Dun almost blurted out "Lu Ziyu," standing up abruptly, he found everything around him was a vast expanse of white.
It seemed… it seemed his hands were by the clouds, and he was about to be shoulder-to-shoulder with the sun…
He suddenly lowered his gaze and discovered he was in the air, with the entire landscape of Bowang Slope appearing before him.
This…
This…
He suddenly tapped his forehead. He remembered that back then… his elder brother Cao Cao had also flown, and he had ridden in some kind of hot air balloon.
Then…
Xiahou Dun's eyes widened…
Before he could exclaim, a voice came from behind. "Elder Brother Xiahou, don't just stand there foolishly. It's quite cold up here, hurry and sit down, cover yourself with a blanket!"
Uh…
This voice, Xiahou Dun was all too familiar with. Besides his virtuous brother who had made Xiahou Dun want to "fuck a dog," who else could it be?
"Lu! Zi! Yu!"
Xiahou Dun roared… He even had the urge to clench his fist and teach this virtuous brother a lesson.
Unexpectedly, Lu Yu's words were very calm, calm and collected.
"Elder Brother Xiahou, we are in a hot air balloon. Look down… Bowang Slope is a beautiful sight!"
Beautiful sight?
Xiahou Dun only felt betrayed, his heart ached, his liver also ached!
But he still instinctively leaned over the wicker basket and lowered his gaze.
Blue sky, white clouds…
Green mountains, clear waters. He instinctively thought Lu Yu was trying to change the subject, "Lu Ziyu, I'm telling you, this isn't over… When I get down, you'll have to…"
Before the word "see" in "you'll have a good show" could escape his lips, Xiahou Dun suddenly noticed something.
No… that is…
Although the trees and vegetation in Bowang Slope were small, they were visible to the naked eye. On the left side of Bowang Slope, in "Yushan," and on the right side, in "Anlin," two forces were ambushed.
The numbers were not large, but they were extremely hidden and scattered.
There was also… a main force of the enemy army at the front of Bowang Slope.
The road behind the main force was clear, indicating that they did not intend to confront the enemy head-on.
And also…
On both sides of Bowang Slope, there were several small units ambushed. These units had even fewer people, but… each unit contained a large amount of supplies, as if plotting something.
Could it be…
Were these Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang's ambushes?
"Ziyu? This is…"
Xiahou Dun pointed at Bowang Slope below the hot air balloon… "Are those ambushing troops Liu Bei's?"
"Naturally!"
"Then why are they so dispersed?" Xiahou Dun continued to ask.
Lu Yu explained, "The hot air balloon cannot descend further, so the supplies are not clear. However… in my opinion, those small enemy units are most likely preparing fire stones, fish oil, and firewood… they are preparing for a fire attack!"
Speaking of this, Lu Yu paused. He pointed at the enemy's main force. "Zhuge Liang likely wants to use a feigned defeat to lure Elder Brother Xiahou's army into a pre-arranged ambush circle, where reeds, firewood, and other flammable materials must have already been piled up!"
"If Elder Brother Xiahou leads the main army into it, Liu Bei's army will launch a fire attack. There will be a sea of fire from all directions, and with strong winds, the entire Bowang Slope will be ignited!"
"And by then, the troops ambushed in 'Yushan' and 'Anlin' will rush out to intercept our army's grain and fodder, cutting off our retreat. If it reaches this point, let alone fifty thousand troops, even one hundred fifty thousand or two hundred fifty thousand would not be enough for the enemy to burn!"
Lu Yu's eyes narrowed, his tone exceptionally serious. "This Zhuge Liang cannot be underestimated. This plan of burning Bowang Slope… is the only chance of victory he can find! Therefore… I boldly drugged Elder Brother Xiahou, otherwise… how many brothers would Great Wei lose in this battle!"
This…
Upon hearing Lu Yu's words, Xiahou Dun gasped for air.
He suddenly felt a chill all over his body…
He knew his own temperament best. Without this bird's-eye view, without being able to overlook the battlefield, he would certainly chase after the enemy's trap.
The enemy's numbers were too small, and Xiahou Dun had never looked down on his opponents!
And once he was truly led into the pre-arranged encirclement, under the raging fire, with the rear supplies being plundered and the roads blocked, the soldiers would trample each other. This battle… would be lost!
Fifty thousand Qingzhou soldiers would likely be burned to ashes overnight…
"Gulp…"
Instinctively, Xiahou Dun swallowed. His back, forehead, and face were covered in sweat. The fear… thinking about it now was truly frightening!
If not for his virtuous brother…
If not for this hot air balloon, he… he would still be kept in the dark.
Seeing Xiahou Dun's expression was not quite right, Lu Yu opened his mouth and said, "Elder Brother Xiahou… I have something on my mind, and I don't know if I should say it."
"As long as it is what my virtuous brother says, it should be said!" Xiahou Dun immediately replied.
As soon as he said that…
Lu Yu chuckled!
When angry, he called him Lu Ziyu, and when he came to his senses, he called him "virtuous brother." Xiahou Dun's change of face was too fast!
"Cough, cough…"
Lu Yu coughed lightly. "Elder Brother Xiahou, have you ever thought about why… in previous battles, whenever you led the army, you always suffered more defeats than victories? What is the crux of these successive defeats? While your command of the army is unparalleled in Great Wei, compared to my ever-victorious father-in-law, General Yue Jin, General Yu Jin, and Zhang Wenyuan, what exactly is Elder Brother lacking?"
This…
Xiahou Dun frowned, and in an instant, he remembered… many battles!
For example, the battle where Lu Bu attacked Yan Province.
Xun Yu, a mere scholar without the strength to even tie a chicken, could still defend Juancheng. Yet, Xiahou Dun fell into a trap, lost Puyang City to Lu Bu…
And was even taken hostage when counter-attacking Puyang…
In that battle, if not for Lu Yu, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
Afterwards, fighting with Lu Bu, and against his generals Gao Shun and Zhang Liao at Xiapi City, they had fought many battles.
Other generals were repeatedly victorious, but he… was a frequent loser!
The more he lost, the greater his achievements and the higher his official position became!
Although he never said it openly, Xiahou Dun knew it clearly in his heart. It was shameful… shameful!
This title of "Great General," while appearing high and mighty to others, felt shameful to him!
Immediately, he asked with utmost seriousness, "Virtuous brother, what is the crux of my repeated defeats?"
Lu Yu slowly stood up, facing the gentle breeze outside the wicker basket…
He softly chanted…
"Elder Brother Xiahou, why not take a look… at how we can defeat that big-eared thief in this battle of Bowang Slope without losing a single soldier!"
"After this battle, Elder Brother will surely be enlightened!"
Speaking of this…
Lu Yu winked at Zhuge Jun, who was piloting the flying ball. Immediately, he unfurled the red silk!
Instantly, over seventy flying balls flew out of the clouds simultaneously, descending at a visible speed…
The Battle of Bowang Slope officially began!
…
…
In stark contrast to the dense cluster of hot air balloons descending upon Bowang Slope.
A solitary hot air balloon, passing through layers of mist and lakes, silently flew towards Xinye City.
At the same time…
All eyes were focused on the front-line battlefield. No one expected that at noon, a flawless white jade beauty, clad in a straw cloak and wearing a bamboo hat, mounted on a white horse, would ride out of the city with countless chaotic people.
Her eyes occasionally glanced towards the blue sky, towards the white clouds.
—At 3 PM today, secretly arrive at the west city gate, near the Zuixin Pavilion by the Jing River!
Once upon a time…
Lady Gan was full of fantasies. She yearned for Cao Lang, whom she missed every night, to come riding on a multicolored cloud to pick her up…
And thus escape the sea of suffering…
To live a happy, blissful, and unrestrained life!
Although… it was a bit embarrassing to say, Lady Gan had always longed for this day to come.
"Giddy up… giddy up…"
Tightening the reins of the warhorse…
One person and one horse sped away. To be honest, she was not skilled at riding, but inexplicably, her speed this time was extremely fast!
As for why she learned to ride a horse?
It was all because Liu Bei always abandoned her and Lady Mi, forcing the two of them to learn this escape skill.
"Dada dada…"
The sound of hooves echoed on the official road leading to freedom.
However… her unusual behavior attracted the attention of another person.
"What is Sister Gan doing?"
A woman followed Gan Mei to the west city gate…
She softly chanted.
As early as this morning, she had noticed Sister Gan's strange behavior. However, today everyone's attention was on the Bowang Slope battlefield, so she couldn't report it.
But out of curiosity, she still followed.
"Sister Gan… she wouldn't be… wouldn't she be…"
Without finishing her sentence, this woman gritted her teeth, bit her red lip, mounted her horse… and also followed Gan Mei towards the Jing River.
…
…
As 3 PM approached, Bowang Slope, which had been on guard all morning, showed no movement.
No wind, very quiet!
The entire Bowang Slope remained in a state of war, yet it was too tranquil, so tranquil that a sense of oppression permeated the area.
Finally…
Figures stirred in the bushes.
—"Lord Liu, the scouts report that Xiahou Dun's army is arrayed at the entrance of Bowang Slope, but they have no intention of advancing."
This…
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's expression turned grim.
The enemy outnumbered them. If Liu Bei were in command, he would have ordered them to march through Bowang Slope and head towards Xinye City. Moreover, the opposing commander was Xiahou Dun.
Xiahou Dun, always known for his recklessness…
Arrayed at the valley entrance, but not attacking, this was not in his character!
Could it be…
That the commander was the Marquis of White Horse, Lu Ziyu?
Liu Bei shook his head slightly. He felt it was unlikely…
He had been in close contact with Lu Yu. Only through contact would he know that Lu Yu was not invincible; he also had weaknesses, his weakness being timidity and fear of death!
He would never place himself between two armies…
Moreover, macro-level planning and attacking the enemy's mind were his strong suits. When it came to arranging troops on the battlefield, he was far behind!
Liu Bei was skilled in mind-reading…
And those who were skilled in mind-reading were often good at observing others' states of mind. With only a few encounters with Lu Yu, even so, Liu Bei had keenly perceived his weakness!
But…
Why was Xiahou Dun, who should have attacked, now observing…
"My lord, General Guan and General Zhang have both sent people to urge…" a scout reported on horseback. "It's been a whole morning, and the enemy has shown no signs of movement. The two generals say the strategist must have miscalculated!"
"Do not panic!" Liu Bei showed an unusual calmness. "Continue the ambush. If Kongming said the enemy would attack, then they will surely attack. I trust Kongming!"
At the same time…
At the entrance of Bowang Slope, Guan Yu, ambushing in Yushan… had heard the sound of tens of thousands of enemy horses for several hours, but inexplicably, the sound of hooves suddenly stopped.
This was very strange…
Guan Yu's brows furrowed. "Could it be that this Xiahou Dun has seen something?"
As soon as this question was raised, Guan Yu shook his head vehemently. "Xiahou Dun is just a brute. Even if he sees our ambush, he will surely charge in fearlessly! Although the strategist is just a young scholar, he does not err in discerning the enemy commander's mind."
Clang…
The Green Dragon Crescent Blade struck the ground. Guan Yu stroked his long beard.
"Let's wait a little longer…"
In stark contrast to Guan Yu's calm demeanor…
Zhang Fei, ambushing in "Anlin," was on the verge of exploding. "Damn it… I knew it. Kongming, a young scholar, what does he know about military formations!"
"A whole morning, not to mention an enemy, not even half a bird has been seen… Big brother trusts him too much, thinking he is some 'Sleeping Dragon,' comparing him to Cao Cao's 'Hidden Dragon.' Hmph, in my opinion… this Sleeping Dragon of his is far from the Hidden Dragon!"
"Instead of this, it would be better to let me raise my spear and fight Xiahou Dun for three hundred rounds. Once my serpent spear pokes a hundred transparent holes in him, Cao's army will naturally retreat!"
Zhang Fei became more and more indignant the more he thought about it…
Fortunately, he was stopped by his personal guards who earnestly persuaded him.
"Damn it, I'm dying of impatience!"
Zhang Fei grumbled incessantly, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be ambushing…
Now, forget about ambushing; the birds and beasts in the surrounding forests were all startled, especially the birds flying away in all directions.
"A flock of birds! A flock of bird-people!"
Zhang Fei was still grumbling…
However, as he grumbled, he looked up at the sky.
Coincidentally, as soon as he looked up, Zhang Fei's eyes widened, and he almost couldn't catch his breath.
Because… in the sky, densely packed… he seemed to see several… no… dozens, even hundreds of flying pigs!
"Did I eat dog shit today!"
Zhang Fei grumbled, quickly rubbing his eyes, but in the sky, the "big pigs" descending from above were incredibly real. The big pigs were getting bigger and bigger…
As if they were going to flatten the entire Bowang Slope with their tonnage!
"Stop ambushing, all of you, come and see…"
"Are there big pigs in the sky?"
…
…
In the sky, in one of the ordinary hot air balloons, Ma Yunlu in the wicker basket looked down in shock!
She had jumped into a hot air balloon as it took off.
There weren't many people in that hot air balloon, and since they looked like allies, she didn't say anything.
Originally…
As the hot air balloon flew into the sky, Ma Yunlu was continuously amazed, as if she were living in a dream.
But gradually, she adapted to this feeling, this feeling of being in the clouds.
To be honest, she was naturally bold, and she always tried what ordinary women would shy away from.
This hot air balloon was no exception!
Later…
Because of the hot air balloon's descent, she also saw more enemy soldiers ambushing in this Bowang Slope.
This…
Ma Yunlu's eyes widened, and she felt like she was suffocating.
If…
Warfare was conducted like this, then… how could they possibly lose?
Before a battle even began, where was the enemy ambushed? How many people? What methods would they use? How did they plan to attack…
Looking down, it was clear and obvious…
It could be said that with this kind of warfare, the enemy had nowhere to hide!
It was too easy!
It was simply too easy!
Ma Yunlu, who was stunned in the air, pursed her lips. She gulped instinctively, and doing so helped the buzzing in her ears disappear into nothingness!
At this moment, she realized… why the Long Xiao Camp was that invincible legion?
She also realized how vast the difference in strength was between Yongliang and Great Wei, more than the difference between heaven and earth!
Just then…
"Hold onto the wicker basket firmly…"
The soldier of the Long Xiao Camp piloting the hot air balloon reminded her, and then the hot air balloon began to descend faster…
Ma Yunlu's eyes widened.
She muttered a question.
"What are we… going to do?"
"What are we going to do?" The pilot looked at Ma Yunlu with surprise. "Naturally, we are going to start our actions!"
—"Beacon fires link the camps, fire burns Bowang Slope!"
…
…