The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 236 Observing Li Yi's use of troops, he skillfully combined feints and real attacks, and employed both orthodox and unorthodox methods, demonstrating a strong grasp of the strategies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi.
Meanwhile, Li Yi, having obtained Guan Yu's troops from Qingzhou, immediately marched towards Liaodong to demand an explanation.

The emperor issued a decree to the outside world, stating that only Gongsun Du would be punished, and that all others would be left unpunished.

Upon receiving the news, Gongsun Du felt a sense of apprehension.

They then gathered everyone to discuss whether they could use a delaying tactic to keep Li Yi in check.

After all, the longer Li Yi's expedition to Liaodong was delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.

The crowd then asked how to keep Li Yi calm.

Gongsun Du said:

"I sent someone to inform Li Yi that I intend to behead the two Yuan brothers and asked him not to send troops to invade the territory."

"As long as Li Yi temporarily halts his advance, I will reorganize my troops and send troops to defend Liaosui."

According to Gongsun Du's idea, this delaying tactic was used to temporarily stall Li Yi.

As a result,
He had time to prepare, could deplete Li Yi's supplies, and could also use the two Yuan brothers to defend Liaodong for himself.

It can be said that it kills three birds with one stone.

Once the plan was agreed upon, Gongsun Du instructed everyone to proceed accordingly.

As everyone withdrew, news spread like wildfire that Gongsun Du intended to "kill" the two Yuan brothers to curry favor with Li Yi.

Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi believed it to be true and immediately gathered their men to discuss it.

Yuan Shang secretly told Yuan Xi:

“Gongsun Du has never respected the Yuan family. Now that we are living under someone else’s roof, he wants to kill our friend Liu Bei.”

"If we don't strike first, we will surely be harmed by Gongsun Du!"

Yuan Xi hesitated for a moment, then said tentatively:
"However, the Liaodong army numbers in the tens of thousands, while we have less than two thousand men at our disposal."

"If you intend to plot against them, it is by no means a safe course of action."

Yuan Shang continued:

"It is precisely because Liaodong has tens of thousands of troops that it is able to contend with Liu Bei."

"Now is the perfect time to kill Gongsun Du and seize his territory, and then build up our strength to resist the Central Plains."

"The recovery of Hebei is hopeful."

After the agreement was reached, the two went to see Gongsun Du.

Gongsun Du temporarily kept the two at the post station, but someone informed him that the two Yuans were planning a rebellion.

Gongsun Du was startled and said in a ferocious voice:

"I kept Yuan'er in order to use him to counter Li Yi."

"This traitor is so ungrateful, he wants to seize my territory!"

Therefore, he harbored the intention to kill the two Yuan brothers.

He then hid the executioners and axemen in the wall and summoned the two Yuan brothers to see him.

After the formalities were completed, they were invited to sit.

The weather was bitterly cold, and Yuan Shang, seeing that there were no mats or cushions on the bed, said to Gongsun Du:

"I'd like to spread out a mat to keep warm."

Gongsun Du glared at him and said:

"Your two heads will be sent ten thousand miles away; what use is a mat for them?"

Yuan Shang was greatly alarmed, realizing that his plan had been exposed. He drew his sword and shouted:

"Kill the thief!"

The men on either side immediately drew their swords, eager to rush forward and fight.

Gongsun Du was unprepared and simply sneered:
"Why don't you make your move!"

As soon as he finished speaking, axemen appeared from all sides.

They hacked all of Yuan Er's men into mincemeat, and then beheaded Yuan Er, storing his head in a wooden box.

The warrior presented the wooden box to Gongsun Du, who looked down at the head inside and said disdainfully:

"You petty thief, you tried to harm me, but little do you know that I can kill you two as easily as killing weeds?"

Yang Yi, Liu Yi, and the others entered and urgently asked what should be done since Yuan'er was dead.

Gongsun Du explained:
"I did not intend to kill these two, but they plotted something sinister."

"If we have no choice but to kill him now, we can send his head to Li Yi so that he may temporarily halt his advance."

The crowd followed his advice and sent the heads of Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi to Li Yi.

When Li Yi advanced his troops into Liaodong, he had just crossed the Xiaoliao River when he received the heads of the two Yuan brothers from Gongsun Du.

Li Yi ordered his men to check, and indeed they were the heads of the two Yuan brothers.

In this way, the Yuan family in Hebei either surrendered or died.

They were basically eliminated by Li Yi.

Having obtained the heads of the two Yuan brothers, some people advised against it, saying:
"Liaodong is bitterly cold, and there is no benefit in conquering it."

"Now that we have captured the heads of the two Yuan brothers, why don't we lead our troops back to Ji Province?"

Li Yi immediately retorted:
"...Otherwise, Gongsun Du has been ruling Liaodong for several years and has long harbored ambitions of becoming the king of Liaodong."

"If we do not eliminate it now, it will surely become a problem later."

"Now that I have stationed my troops here, I swear I will not return to Ji Province until I capture Gongsun Du."

Therefore, he dismissed Gongsun Du's envoy.

He then ordered that the heads of Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi be sent back to Ji Province and given a proper burial in Hebei.

Then, defying all opposition, he continued his advance, determined to punish Gongsun Du and recover the entire Liaodong region.

That night, the moon was bright and the wind was gentle.

Li Yi, draped in frost, stepped out of his tent and gazed at the Liao River.

"...What are you thinking, my lord?"

Xu Shu came out from behind, holding a fur coat, and draped it over Li Yi's shoulders.

Li Yi didn't turn around, but tightened his fur coat and sighed deeply.
"I'm just worried about the Pingliao matter."

"...Oh? Could it be that Your Excellency lacks confidence in this battle?" Xu Shu asked.

Li Yi's eyes flickered, his gaze lingering on Xu Shu, and he smiled gently:
“Since I joined General Liu in raising an army, I have fought dozens of battles and never doubted myself.”

"However, Gongsun Du is no ordinary man, and there may be unforeseen circumstances in this battle."

The night was long, and Xu Shu's curiosity was piqued by Li Yi's words, so he asked:
"Is what you, my lord, are worried about—that Gongsun Du will abandon the city and flee?"

Li Yi nodded and praised Xu Shu:
"Yuanzhi's insightful eyes are as clear as seeing fire."

"To be honest, since I raised an army in Bohai, I have not worried about being attacked by the enemy, but I am afraid that the enemy will flee."

"If Gongsun Du defends Liaodong to resist our large army, even a million men are not a threat."

"However, if they burn Xiangping City, they will flee eastward."

"Then my army's journey here has been in vain, and I have no face to return to see General Liu."

Li Yi wasn't afraid of not being able to defeat Gongsun Du, but rather that Gongsun Du himself would run away out of fear.

Li Yi is now facing the same predicament as Napoleon's invasion of Russia.

If Gongsun Du had done what the Russians did, burning Moscow down and implementing a scorched-earth policy.

Then it was distributed to the people of Goguryeo and Buyeo.

That was absolutely a brilliant move, and it was the last thing Li Yi wanted to see.

Because Li Yi's objective in this operation was to capture Gongsun Du, the "King of the Northeast".

With his death, the various prefectures of Liaodong can be pacified by issuing proclamations.

My biggest fear is that he'll become a nuisance and run away to hide somewhere else.

Li Yi's army, having traveled as far as Liaodong and cut off from supplies, could not remain there indefinitely.

Once Li Yi leaves, he will be able to use his accumulated wealth to "restore the kingdom".

After hearing Li Yi's concerns, Xu Shu comforted him, saying:
"Only the wise can assess the situation and measure their own abilities."

Therefore, it is advisable to sacrifice small gains in order to achieve total victory.

"Gongsun Du has occupied Liaodong for a long time. He is arrogant and relies on his strength and the masses. His eyes are clouded by pride."

"In my opinion, their wisdom is not up to par with this."

“If we abandon Xiangping, we will destroy the foundation we have built over the years.”

"Du will certainly not do this."

"Furthermore, with our army on a distant expedition, supplies will be difficult to maintain."

"Therefore, they neither abandoned the city walls and moats, nor abandoned the people of Liaodong."

"We must exhaust the resources of Liaodong to resist our royal army."

Xu Shu methodically analyzed the situation for Li Yi, concluding that Gongsun Du would definitely not leave.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi was overjoyed and grasped Xu Shu's hand to express his gratitude:

"Yuanzhi's words truly made me feel as if the clouds in the high sky had been lifted, and I could look up at the brilliance of the sun and moon."

"If Gongsun Du does not abandon the city and flee, he will surely be captured by me!"

With Xu Shu's reassurance, Li Yi's confidence was greatly boosted.

The following day, he ordered the slaughter of cattle and sheep and held a grand feast for the soldiers.

Then he ordered Lü Bu and Ma Chao to be the vanguard, and they set up camp in Liaodong.

When Gongsun Du learned that Li Yi had refused to negotiate, he immediately mobilized all the troops in Liaodong and also gathered the troops of the various elders.

They also dispatched troops from Goguryeo and Buyeo to assist them.

A total of fifty to sixty thousand infantry and cavalry.

Gongsun Du appointed Han Zhong and Liu Yi as generals, leading tens of thousands of troops to defend Liaosui.

Before leaving, he gave the two more instructions:
"...If Li Yi attacks, then do not engage him in battle."

"They have come from a thousand miles away, but their supplies are running low, and they cannot hold out for long."

"When their supplies run out, they will naturally retreat."

"When he retreats, I will launch a surprise attack, and Li Yi can be captured."

Even when facing the renowned Li Yi, Gongsun Du dared not be negligent in the slightest.

They were on high alert and fully prepared to dampen the spirits of this military genius, Liu.

Shatter the myth of Li Yi's invincibility.

Having assumed their important mission, Liu Yi and Han Zhong led a large army to Liaodong to repel the enemy.

A trench was dug outside Liaosui City, stretching for more than twenty li.

Following Gongsun Du's instructions, they indeed fortified their walls and built high ramparts, refusing to engage in battle.

When Li Yi arrived at the trench, he ordered his men to inquire about the Liao and Sui troops. The reply was that there were fifty to sixty thousand.

To appease the army, Li Yi built a tall building and climbed up to look out with a mirror.

When he was young, he went downstairs and said to his generals:
"Although the enemy forces are numerous, most of them are foreign soldiers and will certainly not fight to the death for Gongsun Du."

"As for the local troops in Liaodong, in my opinion, there are no more than five thousand who are capable of fighting."

"Those who can be considered elite number no more than three hundred."

"I hope you gentlemen will not have any doubts."

This means that Li Yi believed that Gongsun Du had mobilized tens of thousands of troops.

But only about five thousand of them were truly capable of fighting.

Only about three hundred people were considered to be of relatively strong combat ability.

Because Li Yi had a high reputation in the army, everyone believed his words and spread them to all the armies, which greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers.

Having rallied the soldiers, Li Yi ordered that more flags be planted south of the trenches.

Everyone thought that Li Yi was going to attack Liaosui from the south.

Unexpectedly, Li Yi only ordered people to plant flags, without sending more troops south.

The generals were puzzled and asked Li Yi why he did this.

Li Yinai explained:

"Now the enemy has fortified their camp and built high walls, intending to exhaust our troops and deplete our supplies."

"If we launch a full-scale attack, we will fall right into their trap, and I do not wish to do so."

As the ancients said, "Even if the enemy has high walls, they will still have to fight us if we attack what they must defend."

It means that if the enemy has built deep trenches and high walls, they will not engage in battle.

Then let's attack the place he has to go to rescue, forcing him to fight.

Li Yi continued:
"With so many thieves here, their lair is now empty."

“If I go straight to Xiangping, people will be filled with fear.”

"If they are afraid and seek war, they will surely be defeated."

Li Yi's move was called a reverse "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," also known as a feint to the east while attacking the west.

The main force of Liaodong is currently in Liaosui. If he can deceive the enemy and secretly move the army to Xiangping.

Therefore, Liu Yi and Han Zhong would definitely abandon Liaodong and return to rescue it.

In this way, not only can they conquer Liaosui, but they can also keep Liu Yi and Han Zhong busy running around.

It can be described as killing two birds with one stone.

Upon hearing this, all the generals were filled with admiration.

So they acted according to the plan, planting a large number of flags on the southern front, pretending to attack the trenches.

Upon seeing this, Liu Yi and Han Zhong indeed mobilized a large number of troops on the southern front to prepare for Li Yi's attack.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Yi used boats to cross the Liao River and head north, directly threatening Xiangping City.

Upon reaching the shore, they reorganized themselves, formed ranks, and advanced slowly.

Someone had already informed Liu Yi and Han Zhong, and the two generals were greatly alarmed.

“Li, knowing that we have few soldiers in Xiangping, secretly crossed Chencang and attacked our old camp.”

"...If Xiangping falls, we will have nowhere to go, and there will be no point in staying here any longer!"

After discussing the matter, the two had no choice but to abandon Liaosui and return to rescue Xiangping.

Someone had already informed Li Yi, and Li Yi laughed and said:
"The thief has fallen into my trap."

"Therefore, we do not attack their camp, but rather seek to achieve this goal; the opportunity must not be missed!"

When the army reached Shoushan, Li Yi ordered his men to organize the troops and form ranks.

He then ordered Guan Yu to lead the Qingzhou troops and Lü Bu to lead the Bingzhou troops, each with a thousand men, to lie in ambush on both flanks of Shou Mountain.

He told the two men, "When the enemy arrives, both of us will attack at the same time, and the enemy can be defeated."

The two followed the plan and went.

They soon saw Liu Yi and Han Zhong leading their troops.

Whenever Liu Yi encountered Li Yi, he would raise his whip and hurl insults:

"You treacherous general, cease your tricks! Do you dare to fight?"

Li Yi smiled and said:

"Your army outnumbers mine several times over, why don't you dare to attack my formation?"

Liu Yi was furious and immediately ordered his troops to launch a surprise attack.

At the sound of a bugle, troops from both the left and right wings marched out.

Guan Yu on the left and Lü Bu on the right charged out together.

The Liaodong army was thrown into chaos, and Liu Yi, having lost the will to fight, was about to turn his horse and return.

He ran headlong into a general and shouted sternly:

"You traitorous general, do not flee! Lü Bu of Wuyuan is here."

Having said that, he spurred his horse, brandished his halberd, and charged straight at Liu Yi.

Liu Yi hastily engaged in battle, but after only two exchanges, he was stabbed off his horse by Lü Bu's halberd.

Liu Yi's army was in complete chaos, trampling on one another.

Li Yi seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

Generals such as Ma Chao, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Zhang Liao all marched out.

Unable to withstand the attack, Han Zhong fled.

That night, Li Yi reined in his horse on the bank of the Liao River and saw that the rebel army had not retreated from Xiangping City and was still holding their camp.

He then ordered his troops to press on and raid the enemy camp under cover of night.

The people on both sides offered their advice:

"The Hu cavalry are fierce and have suffered a defeat today. They must be prepared, so we should not advance rashly."

Li Yi drew his sword and shouted:

"I am ordered by General Liu to conquer Liaodong. Are they trying to thwart the royal army with their wolfish tactics?"

"Tonight I observed the celestial phenomena and saw a strong wind breaking the Liaodong army flag, which is an auspicious sign."

"Our army will surely win this battle."

"After defeating their main force, we can drive them all into Xiangping City."

"In this way, Liaodong will be entirely under our control!"

Therefore, he ordered the three armies to advance at night with their weapons sealed.

That night, a strong wind blew, and Li Yi ordered his soldiers to carry torches and advance with great fanfare.

Han Zhong suffered a defeat today and lost Liu Yi, which is a time of great distress for him.

Suddenly, they heard shouts outside the village and asked in surprise what was going on.

The guards replied, "Li Yi has raided the camp under cover of night!"

Han Zhong was greatly alarmed and had no choice but to don his armor, mount his horse, and hastily engage in battle. Li Yi, with his hand on his sword, personally supervised the battle.

The generals and soldiers rushed to attack Han Zhong's stronghold, and then Tian Jia set it on fire.

Han Zhong suffered a major defeat and led his defeated troops into Xiangping City, where he locked himself in and held out.

When Gongsun Du saw Han Zhong return, he hurriedly asked about the battle situation.

Han Zhong looked ashamed and bowed, saying:
"...Amazing, absolutely amazing!"

"Li Yi's strategies are indeed well-deserved."

"In this battle, not only did our great general Liu Yi perish."

"The Yi Army lit fires at night like stars, and at dawn they arrayed themselves like snow."

“When our soldiers looked at them, two or three out of ten arrows fell to the ground before the blades even met.”

"When I fought against them, I was defeated in all three battles."

"Now the morale of the three armies is low, and they tremble at the mere sight of our banners. Who would dare to fight again?"

Han Zhong couldn't help but sigh, "Since they left the Central Plains and came to Liaodong, they've been bullying the local natives."

It can be said that he was dominant for a time.

However, when they faced the Central Plains army again, they found that they were no longer keeping up with the strength of the current version.

Perhaps this is because they've been stomping noobs in low-elo games so much that they've forgotten how to play in high-elo games.

Li Yi, in particular, fought two battles in a single day.

The urgency of his military campaign was unprecedented in Han Zhong's entire military career.

Gongsun Du frowned, pondered for a long time, and sighed:

"I never imagined that Li Ziyu's military strategy would be so divinely aided!"

The crowd asked Gongsun Du what to do now, whether to abandon Xiangping and temporarily seek refuge with the Goguryeo people.
This is a pragmatic suggestion, as long as they destroy Xiangping City and flee to Goguryeo.

Li Yi's efforts in this battle were in vain.

After all, with the war having progressed to this point, it was impossible for Li Yi to continue his advance into Goguryeo.

After much deliberation, Gongsun Du finally sighed.
"Since I raised my army, I have campaigned against Goguryeo in the east and Wuhuan in the west, and my prestige has shaken the world."

"The people of Liaodong all fear me."

"If we abandon Xiangping now and flee to Goguryeo instead..."

"Won't I be ridiculed by the Liao people?"

Gongsun Du ultimately couldn't let go of his pride after being the "King of the Northeast" for so many years.

They decided to hold Xiangping and fight Li Yi to attrition.

So he ordered the city to be defended to the death, and to remain inside the city gates.

Li Yi then ordered his army to surround Xiangping City.

Because of his small number of soldiers, Li Yi worried that he couldn't completely surround Gongsun Du, allowing him to escape by chance.

He then ordered his men to dig moats around the city.

In this way, it would be difficult for people inside the city to escape.

The army then besieged Xiangping City for a month.

It was late spring and early summer when a heavy rain fell.

It rained for half a month, causing the Liao River to swell to several feet.

It even submerged the entire Zhongliao Commandery.

As a result, the soldiers who were sent to conquer Liaodong were filled with fear, lest they be drowned in the flood.

Everyone was restless and went into the tent to tell Li Yi:
"Now that the rains continue, the camp is muddy and impassable."

"We might as well move the main camp to higher ground to avoid the flood."

Li Yi was furious and shouted:

"Capturing Gongsun Du is imminent. If we move our camp, the enemy will be prepared."

"All the efforts of my army over the past month have been in vain!"

Anyone who dares to suggest moving the camp again will be executed on the spot!

The group had no choice but to retreat in silence.

To prevent further complaints, Li Yi personally moved his command tent to a lower location.

He ate and lived with the soldiers.

Because the ground was damp, Li Yi's shoes were full of mud and water.

The soldiers, grateful for Li Yi's kindness, stopped complaining.

On that day, the grain transport ships from Mizhu arrived.

Li Yi hurriedly asked Mi Zhu:
"When the former governor transported grain to the Liaodong vassal state, the round trip took two months."

"Today my army has marched to a much farther distance, yet you, Prefect, have delivered the military provisions in just over a month?"

Mi Zhu explained:

"Only because of the rain, the water level rose several feet."

“My grain transport fleet does not need to land; it can enter directly from the mouth of the Liao River and reach the city of Xiangping.”

Everyone who heard this was amazed.

No wonder Mi Zhu's fleet was so fast this time; it turns out they didn't even need to land, and sailed directly inland.

The climate in Liaodong is truly remarkable.

Even Li Yi was secretly thinking to himself, no wonder the development of Northeast China was so difficult in ancient times.

Given this awful weather, what feudal ruler would want to cause trouble here?
Wouldn't it be nice to go back to the warm south?

The north is too cold, and winter precipitation accumulates as ice and snow.

Because of low evaporation, there is also less rainfall in spring.

Ice jams can only be formed by the melting of ice and snow.

Ice jams occur along the river.

This resulted in people dying from flooding in areas with rivers and from drought in areas without rivers.

This was also the main reason why Liu Bei strongly opposed launching a large-scale military campaign in Liaodong.

In Liu Bei's view, even if you recover Liaodong and cultivate the land there, it will be of no use.

However, it is still necessary to transport supplies and soldiers from here out by sea.

Otherwise, no matter how well you cultivate your land, you still have to travel over the 400-mile-long Liaoxi Corridor by land.

Let alone Liu Bei,

Imagine who would be willing to go through all that trouble, crossing no-man's-land and investing so much manpower and resources to pacify Liaodong?

Li Yi was also under immense pressure in this battle.
If they fail, all the reputation they've built up over the years could be wiped out.

Therefore, he was in a bad temper during this period and often got angry and criticized his subordinates.

According to the servants' recollections, since he began serving Li Yi, he had never seen him so emotionally intense.

Fortunately, they received the latest batch of grain and fodder transported by Mi Zhu ahead of schedule.

This gave Li Yi more confidence, and he ordered the siege to continue and forbade the troops to move.

When asked why they didn't launch a direct attack, Li Yi replied:
"Xiangping was built by Gongsun Du using all the resources of Liaodong, and it is as solid as a rock."

"The city's strategic location makes it advantageous for defense but not for offense."

"Our army consists mostly of cavalry. If we were to forcibly attack fortified positions, we would only lose our elite troops, which would not be a wise move."

"If we attack it hastily, the officials and people in the city will fear the destruction of their home and will surely unite to resist us."

"It would be better to dig deep trenches and build high walls to cut off their supply lines and wait for them to collapse on their own."

"In this way, Xiangping can be captured, and Liaodong can be pacified with a single proclamation."

The crowd bowed in submission and, following Li Yi's advice, continued the siege.

Li Yi had just received the grain and fodder, and ordered that wine and meat be distributed to the soldiers.

Everyone cheered, and morale soared.

The soldiers guarding the city walls saw the troops outside the city slaughtering cattle and sheep, drinking and making merry.

Everyone secretly envied them.

After Xiangping was besieged, Gongsun Du strictly ordered the warehouses to be sealed off.

A strict grain distribution system was implemented.

The priority is naturally given to the soldiers guarding the city, with the civilians inside the city taking a backseat.

Even so, a large number of soldiers still did not get a full meal every day.

A few bolder individuals approached the herdsmen in the city and asked them to donate their cattle and sheep, which they then shared to fill their stomachs.

The herders, who had also suffered greatly from the siege, said one after another:
"If the generals are willing to let us out of the city, we can herd cattle and horses, and gather firewood."

"Once the cattle are fat and the horses are strong, we will slaughter them and eat them together."

The Xiangping soldier said:

“Now, outside the city, there are Li Yi’s soldiers everywhere.”

“If you dare to leave the city, you will surely be captured.”

The herdsmen all said:

"Leaving the city means death, leaving the city also means death."

"Instead of waiting to die, we might as well take a gamble and give the cattle and horses a good meal."

For herders, livestock is their lifeline.

Because of the city's blockade, cattle and horses could not graze freely and could not eat the fresh and juicy pastures outside.

The herders' hearts bleed as they watch their cattle and horses lose weight every day.

Moreover, firewood in the city is becoming increasingly scarce, and the people don't even have enough firewood to start a fire and cook.

So I'd rather take a gamble and try my luck outside the city.

The soldiers were moved by the sincerity of the people, so they secretly let some of the herdsmen go out of the city to gather firewood and graze their cattle and horses.

The sentry was overjoyed to see a large number of cattle and sheep appear in the field, but dared not take them without permission.

He then reported this to Lü Bu, who, upon hearing it, immediately led his wolf cavalry to prepare to seize it.

As the knights approached, they suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves behind them.

A general arrived carrying a token; it was Guan Ping, the son of Guan Yu.

"Lord Wen, please slow down!"

Lü Bu reined in his horse, his halberd hanging low, and asked:

"Young Master Guan, what can I do for you?"

Guan Ping took out the token and said to Lü Bu:

"I am acting on the orders of Marquis Tan to invite Marquis Wen back."

go back?

Lu Bu was taken aback, thinking that Li Yi had something important to discuss with him, so he summoned him back.

It's impossible that they let him go back because they knew he was going to plunder the cattle and sheep.

This is what Lü Bu thought.

After all, it's perfectly normal for war to involve robbing the other side of their property.

If someone doesn't let you take something, they're not being kind; they're just plain stupid.

Lu Bu glanced back at the cattle and sheep on the open field, sighed, and said only one word: "What a pity." Then he was about to lead his troops back to camp.

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves came from behind, and another troop of cavalry arrived.

It was Ma Chao.

Lü Bu then asked, "General Ma, what brings you here?"

Ma Chao explained:
“My scouts reported that a large number of cattle and sheep have appeared on the mountain.”

"He specially led his troops to plunder and seize the spoils to feed his soldiers."

Lü Bu hurriedly replied, "I also wish to do this!"

The two of them were thinking the same thing.

These military generals, who came from the border regions, were quite astute in their ability to seize nomadic cattle and sheep.

Therefore, these two were the first to discover and react.

Upon seeing this, Guan Ping said to the two men:

"Generals, there is no need to argue. It is the Marquis of Tan who has given the order."

"You are not allowed to seize the cattle and sheep of the herdsmen in the city without permission. Let them go as they please."

Ma Chao and Lü Bu were both puzzled upon hearing this.

In war, how can you not plunder the enemy?

You can't just not rob people because they're ordinary citizens, can you?
It should be noted that the cattle and sheep of these civilians would eventually be used as military livestock when they returned to the city.

Letting them go now would be tantamount to aiding the enemy!

Lu Bu and Ma Chao were both puzzled by Li Yi's actions.

They then returned to the main camp and asked Li Yi why.

“We saw cattle and sheep everywhere on the mountain and were about to rob them.”

"Why does the Marquis of Tan refuse to allow us to advance?"

As soon as Lü Bu entered the tent, he questioned Li Yi.

Because Li Yi's attitude had changed, Ma Chao dared not speak loudly, but instead spoke from Li Yi's perspective:
"Could it be that Lord Tan is worried about losing the hearts and minds of the people of Liaodong?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu immediately retorted:

"The honor, disgrace, life and death of the three armies now rest entirely on the shoulders of Lord Tan."

"How can we, with a woman's compassion, allow the people of Xiangping to go unchecked?"

"The key to besieging a city lies in cutting off its food and provisions."

"To allow the people to gather firewood, collect grain, and graze their livestock is to destroy our long-term strategy!"

"...This move by the Marquis of Tan is beyond Bu Shi's comprehension!"

Lu Bu was filled with resentment, and plundering the people was one of his greatest hobbies.

Previously, Li Yi had stopped him from robbing the people.

The people on the other side are herding livestock for the enemy, and you're still stopping them.

This naturally displeased Lü Bu.

Li Yi calmly and methodically explained to the two of them:

"You only know one aspect, not the other."

"They only know the surface, but not the essence."

"When we previously conquered the vassal states of Liaodong, we had little food but many soldiers, so a swift victory was our advantage."

"Now we have more Liao soldiers than we have fewer, and we have more food than the enemy."

"The thieves are hungry while we are full; why bother attacking them?"

Li Yi patiently explained the situation to Lü Bu and Ma Chao.

"When I defeated the Wuhuan, I lost more than half of my soldiers, but I did not regret it."

"It is essential to secure the grain supply route, and this is something we must do."

"Now that our forces are twice as numerous as ours, and we hold our ground in a strategic location, it will not be easy to take them down quickly."

"However, their granary reserves are actually inferior to ours."

"He is sitting in a trapped and dangerous city, and there are plenty of grains waiting for him."

"It was raining heavily, and my enclosure was not yet complete."

"If you suddenly kill woodcutters and herdsmen and plunder their livestock."

"It means to drive them away."

"If Du leaves, what benefit will there be in gaining Xiangping in vain?"

This is what is meant by "fighting for a rabbit's head, losing one's shoulders and back"!

Li Yi explained, "You've now stolen their cattle and horses."

Once Gongsun Du runs out of supplies, he will definitely abandon the city and flee.

However, Li Yi was caught in a heavy rain and was unable to completely surround Gongsun Du.

Therefore, not taking their cattle and horses was to give Gongsun Du hope, so that he could continue to defend the isolated city.

Everyone who heard this was full of admiration.

Li Yi's ability to predict people's hearts has reached a level of consummate skill.

After a slight pause, Li Yi glanced at Guan Ping beside him again.

Since Guan Yu entrusted this boy to him, Li Yi couldn't help but say a few more words, which was considered as instructing him.

"Warfare is based on deception."

"One should adapt to changing circumstances; how can one sacrifice a grand plan for petty gains?"

“Your father entrusted you with this task; you must remember it well.”

"In matters of war and in matters of conduct, one must have a broad vision and a global perspective; how can one act like a colt under a yoke!"

Guan Ping listened attentively, then gratefully bowed to Li Yi and said:

"I will never forget my uncle's wise words!"

……

(End of this chapter)