My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 604 Allied Forces Break Through the Camp
Since Cao Ang had already made his decision, Zhang Wei and Yan Pu did not try to persuade him any further.

After discussing it, the two decided that Zhang Wei would lead 6,000 soldiers to fight alongside Cao Cao's army, while Yan Pu would command the remaining county soldiers to defend key points such as Fucheng and Zitong.

In addition, Hanzhong sent 7,000 soldiers to serve as laborers for the army, transporting military equipment and provisions.

Sima Lang had just reached an agreement with Liu Zhang, so Cao Cao's army naturally couldn't trust Liu Zhang unconditionally. Moreover, Liu Zhang was not like Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, whose real power was now entirely in Cao Cao's hands.

If Liu Zhang were to betray the alliance, Cao Cao's army would still have the Hanzhong army to supply them with provisions, and might even be able to besiege Luocheng first.

This time, however, Liu Zhang was determined, and judging from his current situation, cooperating with Cao Cao was indeed the most advantageous choice for him.

In order to put Zhao Wei to death, Liu Zhang not only bowed to Cao Cao's army, but also secretly sent a secret letter to Huang Quan, asking him to cooperate with Cao Cao's army and make sure to wipe out Zhao Wei's entire army under the walls of Chengdu.

Meanwhile, Liu Zhang also secretly mobilized the troops in Chengdu.

In addition to the more than 10,000 Dongzhou soldiers, Liu Zhang also mobilized 2,000 of his personal guards and another 5,000 to 6,000 men under his control. As for the other Shu troops, Liu Zhang was somewhat worried about leaks, so he did not mobilize them in advance.

If this battle results in a major victory over Zhao Wei, the troops within the city will naturally be able to be mobilized, and then it will be timely to send them out of the city to expand the gains. Not only Cao Cao's army coveted Zhao Wei's more than 40,000 troops, but Liu Zhang himself was also extremely eager to take them.

Cao Ang led 16,000 of his own troops, along with Zhang Wei's 6,000 soldiers, traveling by day and hiding by night. Four days later, with Huang Quan's assistance, they quietly entered Luocheng. By this time, Huang Quan in Luocheng had also completed preparations and provided Cao's army with an additional batch of food and weapons.

After the two armies joined forces, Cao Cao's army and the Hanzhong army prepared to rest for a day, so they set the time for the surprise attack for two days later.

Huang Quan then sent someone to relay this message back to Chengdu.

At this time, Zhao Wei's troops were swarming into the main camp east of Chengdu, and even the scouts had retreated. As long as the messenger took a slightly detour, there was no need to worry about him being intercepted by Zhao Wei and his men.

While the Cao army, the Shu army, and the Hanzhong army were making intensive preparations, Zhao Wei was completely unaware.

At this moment, he was still raging in the camp, complaining to Li Yi, Pang Le, Du Yue and others, and the target of his accusations was naturally Lu Xun.

Zhao Wei was furious at Lu Xun's practice of only allocating three to five days' worth of rations each time. He had assumed that with a single order, the Left Army would supply him with at least ten to fifteen days' worth of provisions. Zhao Wei even harbored a plan to stockpile a batch of grain before heading north to Shu to plunder resources and able-bodied men from various cities, thereby strengthening his own power.

But now, Lu Xun is withholding supplies, leaving Zhao Wei feeling powerless to act.

On this day, Zhao Wei once again sent someone to Lu Ying to demand grain and fodder, and at the same time sent his confidant to Jiangzhou to complain to Liu Feng.

Zhao Wei was unaware that Cao Ang had already led his army, traveling by day and night, and quietly arrived at Xindu. This place was less than twenty li from Chengdu and only fifteen li from Zhao Wei's camp.

As dusk fell, the soldiers of the three armies, having eaten their fill of battle food, each carrying dry rations and water, bound their armor and gagged themselves, and set off towards Zhao Wei's camp under the cover of night.

Sima Yi, on horseback, said to Cao Ang: "Zhao Wei's troops number forty thousand, with their camp stretching for ten miles. However, his troops are a motley crew, and there are more than ten thousand wounded and sick. They are not worth fearing. Now, with the combined forces of our three armies, we should defeat them with thunderous force. In my opinion, my lord should implement a strategy of containing the two flanks and attacking from the center."

Subsequently, Sima Yi explained the details of the plan, which involved using the Hanzhong army and the Shu army as the two wings to contain the Zhao army in the north and south, preventing them from returning to reinforce. Meanwhile, Cao Ang would personally lead his main force to drive straight to Zhao Wei's main camp, capturing the leader first, and defeating Zhao Wei's central army to decide the outcome of the battle.

Cao Ang was overjoyed and nodded in approval. He then ordered the plan to be communicated to Zhang Wei, Huang Quan, and all the generals of Cao's army.

The army continued its march, and by the time the moon was setting in the west, they had arrived outside Zhao Wei's camp.

Cao Ang ordered the entire army to rest. By the fifth watch, the sky was as dark as ink, and there was no sound from Zhao Wei's camp across the way. This was the time when the soldiers on night watch were most tired and lethargic.

While Cao Ang had his soldiers rest, drink water, eat, and replenish their strength, he also sent out elite scouts to investigate the strength and weaknesses of Zhao Wei's camp.

Before long, Shi Huan led scouts to report that Zhao Wei's army was very lax. There were only about a hundred people at the camp gate, half of whom were on the gate tower and half inside. Most of them were already asleep, and only a very few were still on guard.

As for the interior of the camp, although the whole picture was not available, it was clear that the morale of the troops was low and the soldiers had no will to fight. Various kinds of debris and garbage were piled up on both sides of the road, even blocking most of the main battle road, which showed how chaotic the military discipline in the camp was.

However, this was a great thing for Cao Cao's army.

Cao Ang waited patiently until the sky turned from black to white, and it was already the third quarter of the Yin hour, when Sima Yi finally nodded.

"My lord, the time has come!"

Cao Ang was overjoyed and immediately stood up to look at his generals.

Cao Ang's gaze first fell on Cao Chun, and he called out, "Uncle Chun."

Cao Chun stepped forward, his face as hard as stone, and replied in a deep voice, "Your subordinate is here."

As if infected by Cao Chun's composure, Cao Ang's anxiety and unease vanished instantly: "Uncle Chun, in addition to your own troops, I have also gathered all two thousand cavalry and assigned them to you. I have also transferred a battalion from Commandant Jia's command to you, for a total of six thousand men. Uncle Chun has two tasks: first, to attack the Zhao army's main camp from the south; and second, to guard the south, divide the battlefield, and prevent the Zhao army in the south from sending troops to rescue the main camp."

Cao Chun immediately accepted the order: "Young master, rest assured, as long as I have a breath left, I will never allow a single soldier from the Southern Camp to enter the main camp."

"good!"

Cao Ang gave a low compliment, then turned his gaze to Cao Xiu: "Wenlie."

"The general is here!"

Cao Xiu was shrewd and capable, skilled in riding and archery, and was looking at Cao Ang with an eager expression.

Cao Ang did not disappoint him, and immediately ordered: "You shall lead your own troops, along with the two battalions under Commandant Yin, to attack the camp from the north. I have only one request for you: the operation must be swift. After entering the camp from the north, you must outflank the main camp from the rear, and you must not let Zhao Wei escape."

Cao Xiu was overjoyed and quickly agreed.

Then Cao Ang looked at Generals Shi Huan and Yin Shu and said, "Colonel Shi and Colonel Jia, you two will lead your troops and follow me. We will take the central route and head straight for Zhao Wei's command tent."

Shi Huan and Jia Xin immediately clasped their hands in agreement.

Cao Ang originally had 20,000 elite troops under his command, but he left Cao Ding with 4,000 men to guard Tianxiong Pass. Cao Ding's main force only had 2,000 men, and the other 2,000 men were a battalion drawn from Yin Shu's command.

This troop deployment was made in accordance with Sima Yi's advice. Shi Huan's troops were the strongest, and he himself was the most capable among the three colonels, so Cao Ang naturally followed suit and placed him by his side.

After the generals were assembled, Cao Ang gave them a final pep talk: "Gentlemen, this battle will surely be a complete victory. I will petition the court, the emperor, and the general for credit on your behalf!"

Cao Ang and the others were thrilled upon hearing this, and immediately bowed in response, then split up to carry out their orders.

The allocation has been decided, and dawn is breaking in the east.

Shi Huan personally led two hundred elite soldiers to sneak up to a spot thirty meters outside Zhao Wei's main camp.

Shi Huan made a few simple hand gestures, and his two hundred elite soldiers immediately dispersed. Twenty skilled archers each took up advantageous positions and aimed at the dozen or so Zhao soldiers who were still awake around the gate. The other eighty men lined up in a row, took out their powerful bows and crossbows, and waited ready.

Finally, the hundred or so men, in groups of ten, quietly followed Shi Huan to the front and removed the deer-antler barriers outside the gate one by one.

Before long, Cao Cao's elite troops, having dismantled the barricades and horse-drawn embankments, regrouped.

Shi Huan lit a torch and waved it three times behind him.

On the tower, a Zhao soldier suddenly saw a glimmer of light in the darkness. He instinctively stuck his head out to look, but a cold arrow pierced his throat the next moment.

The Zhao soldiers clutched the arrow shafts in agony, struggled twice, and then fell headfirst off the tower.

The sound immediately startled many of Zhao's sentries, but by then it was too late.

Shi Huan's sharpshooters struck repeatedly, not only killing the Zhao soldiers who had awakened on the tower, but also keeping the Zhao soldiers inside the gate from approaching.

It wasn't until then that the Zhao soldiers, caught off guard and suddenly attacked, realized what was happening and hurriedly shouted warnings.

The nearby Zhao Jun patrol team was also awakened and rushed over to provide support.

At this moment, the archers that Shi Huan had previously laid an ambush rushed up and, at the pre-set angle, unleashed a barrage of crossbow bolts into the gate, directly causing the arriving Zhao army reinforcements to fall to their deaths.

Immediately afterward, Shi Huan shouted, stood up, and took the lead in rushing forward, throwing the grappling hook in his hand onto the tower.

The elite Cao army soldiers who followed Shi Huan to seize the gate were all dressed in light leather armor. They quickly climbed the tower, killed the remaining Zhao soldiers, and then followed Shi Huan down the tower to open the gate from the inside.

At this moment, heavy footsteps sounded outside the camp, and countless Cao soldiers rushed out of the darkness, charging into the Zhao army's main camp through the passage opened by Shi Huan.

At this moment, the east was faintly white, and the sky began to brighten.

Around the same time as the central battlefield, fierce battle cries erupted on both the northern and southern battlefields.

Not only Cao Jun's northern and southern routes, but also Zhang Wei in the far north and Huang Quan in the south launched attacks.

For a time, the entire south of Chengdu was filled with the sounds of battle, but most of the shouts came from Cao Cao's army, Shu army, and Hanzhong army. Zhao's army was caught off guard and was suppressed at the beginning of the battle.

Cao's army, organized into units, charged inwards along the roads within Zhao's camp, simultaneously dividing and encircling Zhao's forces, preventing them from uniting to resist.

By the time Zhao Jun established a systematic defense, Cao Jun had already penetrated more than 300 meters into the main camp.

Zhao Wei was fast asleep in his tent when he suddenly heard a deafening shout of battle. He quickly put on his clothes and went out of the tent.

Flames soared into the sky in the camp, and Cao Cao's soldiers charged back and forth in battle.

Zhao Wei shivered from the cold wind, and his legs went weak as he looked at the camp that resembled a living hell.

Just then, Pang Le led a squad of armored soldiers and rushed over, shouting to Zhao Wei, "My lord, enemy attack!"

Zhao Wei asked tremblingly, "Who...who attacked?"

Pang Le, his face covered in blood and only wearing his armor, shook his head and said, "I don't know. Judging from his accent, he's not from Sichuan."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wei was terrified: "Could it be that Lu Boyan has raised an army to attack?!"

Pang Le was furious and disgusted by Zhao Wei's current cowardly appearance, but he still replied, "Why do you say that, my lord? If Lu Boyan were to raise an army, he would come from the west. Why would he detour through the east gate?!"

Before he could finish speaking, the sounds of battle outside the camp grew even louder.

Just then, a group of routed soldiers came running up, crying out, "The enemy cavalry has broken through the central army, my lord, retreat quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wei turned ashen-faced and collapsed into his tent.

Pang Le quickly stepped forward to protect him, and then ordered his men, "What are you waiting for? Quickly escort our lord away!"

Zhao Wei's personal guards then realized what was happening and rushed forward to help him up, fetching his armor to put on.

Pang Le then ordered his personal guards to intercept the fleeing soldiers and incorporate them into his ranks.

Once Zhao Wei was properly dressed, Pang Le immediately escorted him to the rear camp, intending to leave through the west gate and seek help from Lu Boyan south of Chengdu.

Cao Cao's army swept through Zhao Wei's forces as if they were in an empty field, leaving them powerless to resist and utterly routed.

On the other hand, the Shu army in the south, under the command of Huang Quan, had also broken into the camp and forced Li Yi to retreat in defeat. Li Yi could only hold his camp and wait for reinforcements, with no power to fight back.

The Hanzhong army in the north, however, made little progress, facing the Ba King Du Yue and his Ba warriors.

The number of Cong warriors was only about six thousand, far fewer than the number under Li Yi's command in the south. However, Zhang Wei's offensive was very unsuccessful, and he was even counterattacked by Du Yue, who almost recaptured the camp gate.

However, at this point, Cao Cao's army had gained a decisive advantage and had breached Zhao Wei's central command. Zhao Wei himself was forced to flee in disarray under Pang Le's protection, with no chance of turning the tide.

Li Yi's desperate struggle was nothing more than a death throes, while Du Yue's fierce counterattack was merely a mirage, a fleeting moment.

By dawn, Zhao Wei's main camp had completely collapsed, and the fleeing soldiers swarmed towards the west gate.

Li Yi in the southern camp was also on the verge of collapse. Although Du Yue in the north was fighting Zhang Wei to a standstill and was not at a disadvantage, he was just a lone pillar and could not support the overall situation.

Just as Cao Cao's army was about to turn around and launch a flanking attack on the north and south camps, a great victory seemed imminent, a rumbling sound suddenly rose from the west of Zhao Wei's camp.

"not good!"

On the high ground east of Zhao Wei's camp, Cao Ang looked west and cried out in alarm. Sima Yi beside him also looked grim.

In their sight, a dark-clad army was rapidly advancing from the west, bathed in the rising sun. The first thousand or so riders, like long, silver-scaled snakes, cut between Zhao Wei's central camp and the southern camp.

At this time, most of Cao Chun's elite cavalry had already stormed into Zhao Wei's camp. Only about 500 cavalrymen were stationed outside the camp by Cao Chun, with the intention of pursuing the fleeing enemy and capturing Zhao Wei alive.

No one expected that such an uninvited guest would suddenly appear just as a great victory was about to be won.

(End of this chapter)