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

Chapter 184 Cao Cao and Yuan Shang fight like snipe and clam, Liu Bei acts as the fisherman who picks up the scraps (4th update)
Instigated by Feng Ji, Yuan Shang decided to establish military prestige to convince his generals. Without further hesitation, he personally led the main force out of the city, advancing more than 20 li to the direction of Cangting Ferry, where he set up five camps less than five li from Cao Cao's camp.

The five camps were laid out like the Chinese character "田" (field): Yuan Shang led the central camp, while Feng Ji, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Liu Bei guarded the four camps on the sides.

Of the five strongholds, only Liu Bei's camp displayed the banner "Tao Sheng, the Chancellor of Changshan." The banners of the other four strongholds were clearly distinguishable.

The news quickly reached Cao Cao's ears.

Upon hearing that Yuan Shang had established five camps and added the banners of "Yan Liang," "Wen Chou," and "Tao Sheng," Cao Cao stroked his beard and laughed, "With the help of Yan Liang and Wen Chou, Yuan Shang's courage has grown greatly, and he has even dared to set up camp outside the city!"

After crossing the river for many days and waiting for a long time, the opportunity to fight has finally arrived. Not only did Cao Cao laugh heartily, but all the generals also laughed.

Everything went exactly as Guan Yu had predicted.

When Yuan Shang vomited blood and fell from his horse at the foot of the city, it was actually Cao Cao feigning the reaction of an ordinary general to deceive him. He also suffered two defeats in succession in order to lure Yuan Shang out of the city and into setting up camp.

Although Cao Cao was able to launch a surprise attack and cross the river to capture Cangting Ferry, he lacked sufficient siege equipment. As long as Feng Ji defended Dongwuyang strictly, Cao Cao would not be able to conquer Dongwuyang.

To win another great victory, the only option was to lure the garrison of Dongwuyang out of the city. Just when they were worried about not having a good opportunity, Yuan Shang eagerly delivered it to their doorstep!

Upon learning that Yuan Shao refused to come, Cao Cao immediately understood Yuan Shao's thoughts: Yuan Shao was afraid of death and dared not come because he was afraid of fighting and would be ridiculed by Cao Cao. Therefore, Cao Cao appointed Yuan Shang to lead the troops in his place.

If Yuan Shang wins, Cao Cao will suffer humiliation; if Yuan Shang loses, Yuan Shao can fight again. Regardless of victory or defeat, Yuan Shao's face and life will remain intact.

Unable to engage Yuan Shao in a decisive battle, Cao Cao opted for a less desirable option: capturing Yuan Shang alive. His subsequent defeats and retreat of thirty miles were all part of this plan.

"Now that Yuan Shang has come out, Mengde can feign a raid on the camp while secretly lying in ambush," Xu You coldly offered his advice from the side.

Although the plan was ingenious, his constant use of the title "Mengde" displeased Cao Cao's trusted officials in the tent: such address would make anyone who didn't know the situation mistakenly think that Xu You was the Minister of Works.

Cao Cao glanced around, taking in the expressions of everyone under his command, and then laughed loudly: "Ziyuan's plan is exactly what I was thinking! Back then, I disregarded my past relationship with Ziyuan and favored Shen Pei, which led to the defeat at Guandu; now that Ziyuan has offered another brilliant strategy, I will surely be able to capture Yuan Shang alive. If I hear that his son has been captured, I will definitely regret not standing up for Ziyuan back then."

On the surface, Cao Cao was praising Xu You, but in reality, he was warning the civil and military officials in his tent: Xu You is an honored guest, and they must not be disrespectful.

Seeing this, the civil and military officials in the tent could only treat Xu You's piercing shouts of "Mengde" as a gentle breeze brushing past their ears, and forcefully suppress the pent-up anger in their hearts.

Cao Cao had strong execution skills.

They immediately adopted Xu You's plan and deployed four ambushes.

Team 1: Xiahou Dun and Zhang Liao; Team 2: Yue Jin and Gao Lan; Team 3: Xiahou Yuan and Xu Huang; Team 4: Cao Hong and Zhang He.

After dark, the four teams advanced and ambushed the area around Cangtingjin where troops could be hidden.

At midnight, Cao Cao personally led Xu Chu, Yu Jin, Li Dian and other troops as the central army, and went straight to Yuan Shang's main camp, pretending to raid the camp.

The raiding army had only gone halfway when Yuan Shang noticed them.

Upon hearing the news, Yuan Shang was not alarmed but laughed: "Cao Cao thinks that my camp is not yet stable and wants to raid it under the cover of night. How foolish! Quickly send a message to the four camps. If you see the main camp on fire, immediately attack! Tonight I will capture Cao Cao alive to avenge the defeat at Guandu!"

Yuan Shang, like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, was quite bold. After realizing that Cao Cao had raided the camp, he even dared to let Cao Cao's central army advance to the camp gate!

This move was intended to use the main camp as bait to lure the two battalions of the front camp of the five camps in the "品" character pattern to surround Cao Cao.

Seeing the fire that had spontaneously combusted in Yuan Shang's main camp, Cao Cao couldn't help but sneer: "He dares to use himself as bait; this boy is bolder than Yuan Shao."

Cao Cao originally intended to enter the camp and set it on fire to lure the Yuan soldiers from the four camps together, but unexpectedly Yuan Shang took the initiative to set the fire, which saved Cao Cao the trouble.

"withdraw!"

Cao Cao did not hesitate and reined in his horse to run away.

To further deceive the enemy, Cao Cao ordered his men to shout, "We've fallen for Yuan Shang's trap!" and commanded his soldiers to abandon their armor and weapons to create an atmosphere of panic. Upon hearing this, Yuan Shang indeed became anxious.

On one hand, he urgently urged Feng Ji and Tao Sheng of the two rear battalions to launch an attack, while on the other hand, he personally led the main camp troops to pursue Cao Cao.

Meanwhile, in the "Tao Sheng" camp in Houzhai.

Upon receiving Yuan Shang's order to "attack immediately if the main camp catches fire," Liu Bei led 3,000 infantry and cavalry from his camp, unloaded their supplies and provisions, and lightly bypassed Cao Cao's main camp at Cangting Ferry.

Even dogs wouldn't obey Yuan Shang's military orders!

If Cao Cao's raid on the camp had been easily discovered, Chunyu Qiong would not have died at Wuchao.

On horseback.

As Liu Bei led his troops at full speed, he instructed Guan Yu: "There must be clerks accompanying Cao Cao's main camp. Keep a close eye on them, and if you see anyone you recognize, capture them immediately."

Both of them had lived in Xuchang and knew many of Cao Cao's civil and military officials.

At this moment, Cao Cao was unaware that while Yuan Shang was surrounded by troops on all sides, a contingent of soldiers had secretly gone to raid his own camp.

To avoid encountering Cao Cao's ambush, Liu Bei and Guan Yu carefully studied Cao Cao's ambush locations and even took a long detour, all in order to catch Cao Cao's main camp off guard.

Indeed, there were acquaintances of Liu Bei and Guan Yu in this village.

However, this acquaintance was not from Xuchang, but from Hebei, and was someone Yuan Shao hated intensely: Xu You!

After Xu You presented the ambush plan, he prepared fine wine in his tent.

Although he surrendered to Cao Cao, Xu You had no other pursuit in life except to avenge Yuan Shao and Shen Pei.

Without any ambition, Xu You could simply call out "Mengde" in his daily life, which is why he often drowned his sorrows in alcohol.

"Without me, Xu Ziyuan, Yuan Shao would not have won the Battle of Guandu; with me, Xu Ziyuan, Cao Cao is where he is today. I, Xu Ziyuan, am the greatest talent in the world! It's a pity that this world is full of fools and idiots! Otherwise, I, Xu Ziyuan, would be the most important of the Three Dukes!"

Xu You, drunk and boastful in his tent, was completely unaware of the impending crisis.

In Xu You's view, Yuan Shang has no way out tonight, and our stronghold is even less likely to suffer any mishaps.

Normally, Xu You's assertion was correct, and Yuan Shang's military order was indeed to surround Cao Cao with four camps. However, the unexpected variable of Liu Bei appeared.

"Who dares to trespass!"

A cry of surprise rang out at the camp gate, then abruptly ceased the next moment!

Then a burly man with a red face was seen wielding a knife and flicking the roadblock at the camp gate, sending the roadblock, which weighed over a hundred pounds, flying!

Then a group of "Yuan soldiers" rushed into the camp like wild beasts, and after entering the camp, they threw torches everywhere.

A red light rose into the dark night sky, startling not only Cao Cao's soldiers in the camp but also those who were besieging Yuan Shang.

"Yuan Shang actually secretly dispatched an army to launch a surprise attack on our camp?"

Cao Cao was incredulous as he looked at the burning fortress.

　Update 4 is here!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)