Tiger Guards

Chapter 276 Pre-war Harassment
Cao Cao's army camp could only watch helplessly as Lü Bu bypassed the north bank of the Bian River to meet Zhao Ji upstream.

Crossing the river requires preparation, and even if you do cross, you can't simply block the road.

With fewer troops crossing the river, they will be overwhelmed by Zhao Ji's superior cavalry.

With more troops crossing the river, the loss of fortified camps actually made things worse.

As evening fell, Lü Bu retreated from upstream, with more than two thousand cavalrymen moving in a winding procession, driving spare horses, making the army appear exceptionally large.

Looking across the river, it seemed like there were more than three thousand riders.

Cao Cao climbed to a high place and looked around, his expression more solemn than ever before.

Lu Bu rode his horse up the earthen embankment on the north bank, facing Cao Cao across the river, about two hundred paces apart.

Upon seeing Lü Bu, Cao Cao immediately composed himself, placing his left hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist and his right hand behind his cloak, looking at Lü Bu with an air of calm and collectedness.

Lu Bu made a throat-cutting gesture, then roared to the sky, spurred his horse, and joined the cavalry.

After the cavalry on the north bank had passed through and Cao Cao had a general idea of ​​the size of the cavalry force, he descended from the watchtower.

Shi Huan, the military commander at the foot of the tower, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "My lord."

"Cook the beef and reward the officials and soldiers."

"Here!"

Shi Huan responded loudly, "If we win this battle, we will naturally not lack animal power."

But if they lose the battle, the carefully tended cattle and horses will surely be taken away by the enemy.

Rather than letting them be taken away, it is better to slaughter them immediately to increase the soldiers' physical strength and morale.

Moreover, the Yellow River is now rising, and the underground drainage system is also becoming more abundant, increasing the volume of the Bian River, which draws water from the underground drainage system; while the Sui River, which often dries up in spring and summer, will be fully connected in autumn.

Therefore, the recent autumn floods and the restoration of the Sui River's flow have enabled the resumption of grain transport in Chenliu, where Xiahou Dun was stationed, and Xiangyi, the grain storage area of ​​the front-line camp.

After Cao Cao dismissed the other commanding officers and captains, he led Dian Wei, Xu Chu, and dozens of elite warriors to inspect the various camps.

During his inspection of the camp, Cao Cao traveled by carriage.

We arrived at the front camp as the sun was about to set. At that moment, the setting sun was as red as blood, and the earth was dark and gloomy.

As the weather turned cooler, more mist began to slowly swirl around the ground.

Cao Cao stood and looked out at the distant Gexiang camp, where campfires had already begun to be lit.

A pontoon bridge was built north of Ge Township to allow knights to cross the river.

No matter how many promises Lü Bu brought back, it was difficult to inspire or fundamentally change the morale of his soldiers.

He brought not any blood oaths of allies, but two thousand knights and a thousand surplus horses.

Regardless of whether they were new or old soldiers, everyone was celebrating.

The knights assigned to Lü Bu were divided into three types. One type was immigrants from the northern border regions, who were already involved with Lü Bu's group.

The second type is the Xiongnu volunteer knights, selected from the volunteer knights assigned by the three royal courts. These volunteer knights are hired, and Lü Bu will need to pay for their maintenance costs later.

Unlike the immigrants from the northern part of the county, joining Lü Bu's forces could be seen as joining their hometown or as partners.

The third type of knights were the knights from various counties that Zhao Ji didn't quite find useful, as well as some knights adapted from the retinues of powerful families in Taiyuan.

The feel is relative. When Zhao Ji himself used it, he didn't find it very comfortable to use, so how could these people be willing to serve under Zhao Ji?

Rather than that, it's better to separate and pursue our own futures.

Even from a distance of more than ten miles, Cao Cao seemed to be able to sense the change in morale within Lü Bu's camp.

A qualified and battle-tested general must be keenly aware of changes in morale.

Mastering this ability will allow you to hold out until the very last moment before your army collapses... instead of foolishly being swept along by the fleeing soldiers, only to have your horse stolen or be killed by them.

Commandant Yue Jin, leading several officers, came to greet Cao Cao. Cao Cao immediately said, "Wenqian, the decisive battle is just around the corner."

"My lord, please rest assured, I am here, with no intention of retreating!"

Le Jin bowed deeply with his hands clasped, his voice loud and resolute.

"good."

Cao Cao came here specifically to check on Yue Jin's condition.

Feeling slightly relieved, Cao Cao returned to the central camp as night fell and the evening drums began to sound for the second time.

To prevent Lü Bu's elite cavalry from charging into the camp, his main camp consisted of a series of separate smaller camps.

Once Lu Bu's elite cavalry breaks through the outer fences and barricades, they will find it difficult to attack the smaller camps, and can only move between them... For the archers and crossbowmen inside the camps, they are easy targets!
To counter the cavalry, trenches were built inside the camp, and there were even trenches outside the camp for soldiers to pass through quickly.

By deploying troops through such trenches, they could avoid Lu Bu's detection and interception, as well as the charge and expulsion of cavalry.

The trenches connected the various camps, allowing them to support each other. From the beginning, Cao Cao was prepared to hold his ground and wear down his forces.

In order to further counter cavalry, Cao Cao's infantry were generally skilled at throwing short spears... at least those Cao Cao's troops who had experienced the battle for Yanzhou were good at this anti-cavalry tactic.

Lu Bu's cavalry was formidable, but the infantry under Gao Shun's command were even more powerful.

When the battle begins, it will depend on whether Yue Jin can withstand Gao Shun's powerful attack.

If Yue Jin can hold them off, and the various battalions can provide continuous support through the trenches, they can neutralize Gao Shun's fierce offensive. Once Gao Shun's troops are exhausted, they can successfully drive him out.

If even Yue Jin can't be stopped, you can't expect Xu Chu to lead the Zong army to stop Yue Jin.

Without the greater good of the imperial court, Xu Chu, a fellow townsman, could be trusted, but it would be difficult for Xu Chu to willingly risk his life.

When lives are at stake, whoever harbors selfish motives is doomed.

Therefore, Xu Chu at present is overshadowed by Dian Wei, and in a sense, Xu Chu is just one of the many generals under Cao Cao.

Xu Chu was specifically brought along on this inspection tour to give him some mental preparation.

When the battle situation is unfavorable, it is necessary to deploy Xu Chu's troops.

The surrounding armies lacked cohesion, and their commanders, such as colonels and captains, only commanded troops based on their official positions.

Unlike Xu Chu, who had a very strong bond with his soldiers and followers.

If Xu Chu were willing to fight desperately, his more than three thousand men could unleash sufficient fighting power!

Just as Cao Cao was about to return to the central camp, a bugle suddenly sounded from the west of the main camp, and many of the smaller camps lit their reserve campfires.

A messenger on horseback rode swiftly to Cao Cao's side and suddenly reined in his horse: "My lord! Enemy cavalry are attacking our camp!"

Cao Cao shouted sternly, "What's the panic! How many enemies are coming?"

"No less than a thousand cavalry!"

The cavalryman answered loudly, and Cao Cao glared: "It's just enemy troops harassing us. Order all camps to use bows and crossbows to repel them!"

"Here!"

The cavalry responded loudly, and Cao Cao's carriage continued towards the central army.

Dian Wei led the Tiger Warriors into the camp gate with the chariot, while Xu Chu led his guards back to his own small camp.

The military commander Shi Huan stepped forward and asked, "My lord, what is the gag order for tonight?"

"Cut the wheat."

After uttering two words, Cao Cao asked, "The enemy has attacked in large numbers. Does Gong Liu know the specifics of the battle?"

“The enemy cavalry made a disturbance, and among them were many archers.”

Shi Huan replied in a deep voice that, according to the intelligence he had received, the knights were harassing the area by raising fire and howling, while the real archers were the foot archers hidden in the shadows.

"Gong Liu, go and keep an eye on things. This is a trick to tire out the thieves. Make sure to arrange for the officers and soldiers to take turns resting."

"Here."

Shi Huan agreed, took the night curfew order, and then took his leave. After passing on the order, he led over a hundred personal guards to the western outer camp.

By this time, the archers in the camp had been suppressed, and the archers on the dozen or so arrow towers dared not fight back and were all pretending to be dead on the towers.

The crossbowmen, however, fired through the walls, targeting all the points they suspected.

Seeing this, Shi Huan shouted at the archers on the nearby arrow towers, "Why aren't you firing?"

The archer replied, "Guardian, the enemy's archers are divine. If we rise, we will die; there is no chance of survival!"

"You go."

Shi Huan pointed to a personal guard, who quickly climbed up and had just peeked out to observe the outside of the camp when suddenly his body trembled, an arrow struck his face, and he fell from the arrow tower, landing three feet away from Shi Huan.

Immediately, the other guards stepped back, making way for each other.

Shi Huan was speechless for a moment, then quickly walked towards the wall. Just as he was about to get close, a crossbowman seven or eight steps ahead was shot in the face with an arrow. His head snapped back violently, and he fell to the ground with his eyes wide open, reflecting the firelight as if he were staring at Shi Huan.

Shi Huanming stopped and asked a nearby military officer, "How many enemies are there?"

"The Hui Guard, about several dozen men, hid outside the camp, some as close as forty or fifty paces."

A military officer quickly replied, adding, "First, the enemy cavalry raised fires to harass us and draw our attention. When we fired arrows to drive them away, their archers got close and fired, wounding or killing more than fifty of our soldiers in just a short time!"

"Prepare to throw torches, and I'll call in some archers."

Shi Huan made arrangements: the other side had to be suppressed, or they wouldn't be able to rest tonight.

(End of this chapter)