The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 176 Cao Cao seizes Cangting Ferry, Yuan Shao is harmed by wine and women (1st update)
In March, the Yellow River flows gently, making it an ideal time for smuggling.

The valiant generals and fierce soldiers under Cao Cao's command were all veterans who had been on the battlefield for a long time, and were far superior to newly trained soldiers.

Under the cover of night, five thousand infantry and cavalry stealthily made their way to the north bank from the shallow water.

On the north bank of Cangting Ferry, although there were soldiers on patrol along the riverbank, Gao Fan, the governor of Wei Commandery, was drinking heartily in his camp.

The close associates and confidants of the school were using extremely flattering words.

"Lord Gao is so powerful, Xiahou Yuan is powerless to help."

"If it weren't for Xu You and others framing Shen Jianjun in the past, how could the Grand General have suffered a defeat at Guandu? Now that Shen Jianjun has been given important responsibilities by the Grand General again, defeating Cao Cao and avenging our humiliation is just around the corner!"

"Gao Fujun is the person that Supervisor Shen trusts the most. After we defeat Cao Cao, the General will surely reward Gao Fujun handsomely."

"It is our honor to fight alongside Lord Gao."

"."

Listening to the flattery and sycophancy of his trusted officers, Gao Fan felt a surge of pleasure rising from his heart and throat. He laughed loudly and exclaimed, "I see that Cao Cao's generals are all like clay chickens and earthen dogs. If I had been in Wuchao back then, I would not have lost our supplies."

All the schools raised their glasses in a toast and shouted in unison, "May the Prefect be mighty!"

During this period, Gao Fan was ordered to garrison Cangtingjin, while also cooperating with Shen Pei and Feng Ji in carrying out their harassment missions.

Under Cao Cao's deliberate forbearance, Xiahou Yuan was played like a monkey by Shen Pei and Feng Ji, which made Gao Fan look down on Xiahou Yuan and despise Chunyu Qiong as a good-for-nothing who was promoted through connections.

They couldn't even defend Wuchao, yet they dared to boast that they were generals under Cao Cao and Yuan Shao?

Scholars despise one another, and so do military men.

This disdain is especially pronounced when people belong to different factions.

While they were drinking.

A soldier entered the tent and reported: "Reporting to the lord, there is movement on the river. I suspect that Cao Cao's troops may be sneaking across the river at night."

Gao Fan frowned and stared at the soldier: "Who are you?"

The soldier was taken aback, but seeing Gao Fan's displeasure, he quickly said, "I am Fang Yu, the squad leader of the scout battalion, in charge of tonight's mission."

Before he could finish speaking, Gao Fan slammed the wine cup down on the squad leader, Fang Yu, and roared, "A mere squad leader dares to speak ill of important military matters and ruin my drinking mood! Men, drag this liar out and give him twenty strokes of the cane!"

This poor scout battalion sergeant was first hit on the forehead by Gao Fan's wine cup, and then dragged out and beaten with twenty lashes. He felt both aggrieved and resentful, and couldn't understand why he had suffered such a misfortune tonight.

After seeing Fang Yu receive twenty lashes, the other scouts on duty in the scout battalion dared not enter the tent anymore.

Why bother being dutiful when you only have a few bowls of plain soup and rice a day?

In Gao Fan's camp, there were quite a few soldiers who shared this idea.

After the crushing defeat at Guandu, Yuan Shao was short of money and supplies. The aristocratic families were unwilling to lower their living standards, so they could only be as harsh as possible on the lower-class soldiers and civilians, to the point that many soldiers had to rely on mulberries and red dates to fill their stomachs.

The main reason Yuan Shang was unwilling to give Liu Bei 200,000 shi of grain was that the treasury was in dire need of supplies.

It's no wonder Yuan Shao acted this way. His soldiers were so poor that they had to eat mulberries and dates to fill their stomachs, but Yuan Shao didn't even take the lead in saving money. Instead, he was indulging in debauchery in Ye City.

Yuan Shao refused to lower his standard of living, and the noble families below him were naturally unwilling to do the same. People like Gao Fan, who relied on their status, insisted on having wine, meat, vegetables, and soup at every meal.

In contrast, Cao Cao, even after winning battles, led by example in frugality. He preferred to live simply and share the savings with his meritorious soldiers. The soldiers who followed Cao Cao admired his frugality and followed suit, and were also pleased with his rewards and generously supported their soldiers. As a result, many were willing to fight to the death for Cao Cao.

Due to Gao Fan's drunken carelessness, Cao Cao's soldiers encountered almost no resistance and reached the land on the north bank of the Yellow River. Was this a feint attack while the enemy was crossing?

That would require someone to organize troops to attack.

Looking at all the soldiers who had crossed the river, Cao Cao smiled and said, "Gao Fan is indeed an arrogant fellow. The defense of Cangting Ferry is so lax!"

Without any hesitation.

After a brief rest, Cao Cao personally led his troops to attack Gao Fan's camp, charging straight in with great fanfare.

Yuan's troops were already lax in their defenses, and when they were caught off guard by Cao's troops, they were all terrified.

Upon hearing the commotion, Gao Fan in the tent immediately jumped up and shouted at his men, "Why are you making such a racket?"

Before he finished speaking, the military tent was dragged down by a grappling hook, and Gao Fan and his trusted officers were all covered under the tent.

"Who dares!"

Gao Fan, still not understanding the situation, shouted angrily, emboldened by the alcohol.

However, the response was a barrage of wildly thrusting spears. This Wei Commandery Prefect, who boasted that he regarded all the generals in Cao Cao's camp as mere chickens and dogs, died without ever seeing who had defeated him.

With Gao Fan dead, the remaining troops lost their command and were at a loss, and were captured in a short time.

Cao Cao then ordered his men to strip the surrendered Yuan soldiers of their clothes and drive them all out of the camp as a form of humiliation.

Gao Fan's head was placed in a small box and given to Yuan's soldiers to take back.

Overnight, Cangtingjin changed hands.

The next morning, Feng Ji, who was stationed in Dongwuyang, was both shocked and furious when he saw the Yuan soldiers outside the city who had been stripped naked.

Upon learning that Gao Fan's drunkenness in the camp had led to laxity in defenses, Feng Ji was furious: "That idiot Gao Fan has ruined our great plan!"

Although the raids on Yanzhou by Shen Pei from the left and right sides during this period were quite effective, the raids were still just raids. They neither captured any strongholds nor gained much. At most, they kept Xiahou Yuan of Yanzhou busy.

As a result, Cao Cao launched a counterattack, beheading Gao Fan, seizing Cangting Ferry, and even stripping the prisoners of their clothes and sending them back to Dongwuyang as a form of humiliation.

If Yuan Shao found out about this, no matter how eloquent Feng Ji was, he would be reprimanded by Yuan Shao.

Before Feng Ji could come up with a solution, Xiahou Yuan led his cavalry and fired an arrow at Feng Ji on the city wall, startling him into retreating.

Upon closer inspection, they saw that the arrows were bound with silk cloth.

Xiahou Yuan, laughing tauntingly from below the city walls, said, "Listen up, those on the city walls! Quickly deliver this message to Yuan Shao. The decisive battle in April is approaching. The Minister of Works has already arrived at Cangting Ferry, awaiting Yuan Shao's arrival! If he's afraid, let Yuan Shao bind his own hands and come to Cangting Ferry to surrender to the Minister of Works. Considering our past friendship, the Minister of Works will surely treat him leniently. Hahahaha—"

The unrestrained mockery and arrogant laughter filled Feng Ji with rage, and he spat out a malicious taunt between his teeth: "Cao—traitor—!"

Feng Ji slammed his fist hard on the city wall. He was both angry and helpless, and could only send someone on horseback to Ye City to ask for help.

Upon hearing the news that Cangting Ferry had been seized, Yuan Shao, who was drinking and making merry in the arms of a beauty, was so angry that he kicked over the wine table in front of him, pushed away the beauty in his arms, and roared: "Shen Pei and Feng Ji, those two idiots, how dare they lose my Cangting Ferry!"

However, no sooner had Yuan Shao finished his angry shout than he felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and another mouthful of blood gushed out.

Sensing something, Yuan Shao came to the bronze mirror and looked at his haggard reflection. He couldn't help but shrink his pupils: "I have been harmed by wine and women, and I have become so haggard?"

　Update 1 is here!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)