I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 328 Awakening of Insects (1 words)

Zhang He and Gao Lan also hoped that their heavy cavalry could crush Cao Cao in one fell swoop!
Even though the two were only in the central army and had not moved forward, they could still feel the gloomy howling of the wind as it whistled past their ears!
At this moment, the two armies finally clashed head-on!
In an instant, the world seemed to fall silent!
The enormous sound did not strike everyone's ears like a heavy hammer, but instead became a sharp and chilling whisper that traveled from the chest to the throat, where it blocked the flow of time, a fleeting moment that felt like an eternity.

"boom!"

In an instant, the black and white were restored to color.

The first thing to be affected was not the blue of the sky, nor the yellow of the earth, but the red of blood.

The heavily armored cavalry and the heavily armored infantry clashed, and the two strongest walls of the city merged into one, just as the two battlements of the Great Wall were slammed together by a huge force, crushing everyone and everything in between into pieces!

Of the hundreds of heavily armored infantrymen at the forefront of Cao Cao's army, were only one in ten or one in a hundred survived? Or perhaps, not a single one was alive?

But this was clearly not the time for Cao Cao to be cautious.

Because he saw it with his own eyes.

Right after that deafening roar, which seemed to send the world back into chaos, the heavy cavalry slowed down!

Heavy cavalry lost its prized speed!

"Push forward! Move forward!!"

The warriors behind them, wielding sharp weapons and axes, continued to charge forward, stepping on the flesh and blood of their comrades!

The sharp spears and great axes slashed heavily towards the heavily armored soldiers! Even the fully armed heavy cavalry were forced by instinct to dodge, actively breaking away from their original formation and splitting into several, a dozen, or even dozens of groups!

Le Jin, who had been hiding at the back and not noticed by anyone, finally led his vanguard to charge into the formation of these heavily armored cavalry.

Those who climb first need the greatest courage!

No matter if arrows, molten iron, stones, or torches rain down from the city walls, we must charge forward against them!
In comparison, the iron hooves of these heavily armored cavalrymen did not seem to be anything to be afraid of!
Le Jin crouched down and hid among the enemy soldiers' horses' legs. When he saw any exposed areas, he immediately slashed at them with his knife!

A streak of blood flew out, and the warhorse fell to the ground, throwing the cavalryman above it off.

Upon seeing this, the surrounding Cao soldiers rushed forward, slashing and stabbing with their swords, but they could not harm him in the slightest.

Someone else went over and pinned him to the ground, desperately tearing off the armor protecting his neck, then raised his longsword and killed him with a single blow!
Just the same thing!

Completely disregarding the cost, Le Jin led his soldiers to kill the entire small group of heavily armored cavalry in front of him, like bloodthirsty ants devouring all the rotting flesh on a skeleton before moving on to find the next target.

The situation on the main battlefield was fully observed by the commanders of both sides.

Zhang He and Gao Lan never expected that Cao Cao would actually use such an ingenious tactic to break through the heavily armored cavalry!
Cao Cao then burst into laughter: "I have won!"

Upon seeing this, Zhang He and Gao Lan immediately led Yuan's army forward, forcefully suppressing the morale of Cao's army!
Although Cao Cao's heavy cavalry was defeated, Yuan Shao's army still far outnumbered Cao Cao's army!

Zhang He and Gao Lan dared not be defeated here, so they directly sent their soldiers forward to engage Cao Cao's army in a prolonged battle!
One life for one!
One wound for another!
The casualty ratio was exactly one to one, but Zhang He and Gao Lan didn't feel the slightest bit distressed!
Having a large number of soldiers means that Yuan's army can afford to hold out!
But what about Cao Cao?
Zhang He stared intently at the city of Xuchang standing not far away.

"If Cao Cao doesn't retreat, we'll wear down his entire army here!"

"With Cao Cao's army gone, Xuchang will be left undefended, and we will still be the victors!"

Zhang He saw things clearly, and Cao Cao was not confused either.

Seeing that Yuan Jun had launched a full-scale attack and was advancing towards him, Cao Cao immediately sounded the retreat!

"Heavy armor cavalry, I'll break through for you!"

Cao Cao pursed his lips: "You should have finished what you were supposed to do these past few days!"

Cao Cao ordered his soldiers to drag away all the heavily armored cavalrymen who had died in battle, and then he prepared to return to the city.

Zhang He and Gao Lan went to give chase, but as soon as they reached the walls of Xuchang, they were met with a dense barrage of arrows that blocked their path, preventing them from pursuing the enemy.

"Cao Mengde!"

Although Cao Cao, this ferocious beast, was put back in his cage, no one would forget the shocking scene they had just witnessed.

Cao Cao actually managed to block the heavily armored cavalry head-on with his infantry!
Although Cao Cao's army suffered casualties perhaps several times greater than Yuan Shao's army, it is undeniable that this was indeed an unprecedented first!

"A ferocious beast devours people! This kind of thing happens when we let our guard down for even a moment."

While reporting the battle results to Yuan Shao, Zhang He and Gao Lan began digging trenches around Xuchang.

They will not give Cao Cao a second chance!
------

Cao Cao's desperate gamble in Xuchang made everyone believe that Liu Miao would definitely make a move.

Even Yuan Shao saw through Liu Miao's intentions, which is why he ignored Cao Cao and focused on confronting Liu Miao.

But from beginning to end, Liu Miao remained as steady as Mount Tai.

If it weren't for Yuan Jun's scouts keeping a close eye on Wuyang and also seeing that Wushui was still constantly transporting grain and supplies these days, Yuan Jun would have thought that Liu Miao's camp was empty!

"Liu Miao... could he be dead?"

This is not a curse.

Yuan Jun and his men were truly baffled by Liu Miao's actions.

Cao Cao made a desperate gamble, and everyone knew this was a golden opportunity for Liu Miao!

This was almost Liu Miao's only chance to turn the tide and defeat Yuan Shao in alliance with Cao Cao!

But Liu Miao... just watched this opportunity slip right through his fingers?

Even Guo Tu, who considered himself the most familiar with Liu Miao in Yuan's camp, asked in bewilderment, "Liu Miao, do you really think that dragging this out will lead to victory?"

Now, apart from the Central Plains, spring plowing has begun in Hebei, Jiangdong, Jingzhou, and other places that have not yet been affected by the war.

Only the land of the Central Plains remains largely barren, with bare earth stretching as far as the eye can see.

Even Guo Tu couldn't help but wonder if Liu Miao had also seen that spring plowing was impossible in the Central Plains, so he wanted to take advantage of his easier access to supplies compared to Yuan's army and thus try to wear down Yuan's army.
If Liu Miao really thinks that way, then Guo Tu will be very disappointed!

Yuan Shao's pursuit of a swift victory was his own intention, but it doesn't mean that the reserves in Hebei were truly insufficient to support Yuan Shao's campaign in the Central Plains.

In any case, Hebei's grain and forage production far surpasses that of Jingzhou and Jiangdong.

If Liu Miao wanted to compete with Yuan Shao in terms of perseverance and wealth, he had undoubtedly chosen the wrong opponent.

Although Guo Tu didn't think Liu Miao would be so foolish, this was almost the only explanation for Liu Miao's deathly silence!

Over time, even Yuan Shao came to agree with this view.

"If Liu Miao really thinks that way, then Cao Cao has truly been blind, actually risking his life for such a person."

Yuan Shao was completely unconcerned that Cao Cao had broken through the defenses of the heavy cavalry.

Because Yuan's army cleaned up the battlefield afterward, they determined the casualty ratio between the two sides.

On Yuan Jun's side, only a little over 150 heavily armored cavalrymen were lost.

However, Cao Cao's heavily armored infantry was completely wiped out!
Moreover, heavy infantry is less mobile than heavy cavalry. Cao Cao used it once, and the generals of Yuan's army were not fools; they would never give Cao Cao a second chance.

In other words, Cao Cao exhausted all his strength, used up all his trump cards, and sacrificed so many soldiers, but he changed nothing and accomplished nothing.

At this moment, even Yuan Shao felt sorry for Cao Cao.

"Aman, your judgment is just like my foolish brother's—so wrong it's laughable!"

……

……

It wasn't just Yuan Jun who couldn't understand Liu Miao's inaction.

Even Liu Miao's own soldiers were somewhat dissatisfied with his recent silence.

During the time Cao Cao was breaking out of Xuchang, fearing that Liu Miao was unaware of the situation, he sent envoys and scouts to Liu Miao's camp to explain the situation to him.

Although Liu Miao treated the Cao army scouts to lavish meals, his behavior remained unchanged. He continued his usual routine of patrolling the army, handling official business, and practicing archery and horsemanship...

Completely exhausted and looking withered, Zhang Liao finally arrived at Liu Miao's tent once again.

This time, Zhang Liao did not come alone.

Behind him, a warhorse was being dragged.

Zhang Liao's own warhorse.

In this cat-and-mouse game with Yuan Shao, many of Zhang Liao's heavy cavalrymen have already run their horses to their deaths!
Just yesterday, Zhang Liao's own warhorse also died from exhaustion.

Zhang Liao dragged his warhorse, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground.

Upon arriving at Liu Miao's tent, Zhang Liao knelt down with a thud.

Zhou Tai and Chen Wu rushed over to help him up, but Zhang Liao remained kneeling on the ground.

"Please trouble you two to inform our lord."

"I, Zhang Liao, am willing to die, my horse is willing to die, my soldiers are willing to die! But I still want my lord to tell me if what we are doing is worthwhile!"

Zhang Liao's eyes reddened.

He no longer expects Liu Miao to let them rest or give up.

All he wants now is for Liu Miao to tell him that everything he has done has been worthwhile!
Otherwise, Zhang Liao would not be at peace if he really died!
Zhou Tai and Chen Wu exchanged a glance, wanting to persuade him further, when they suddenly heard a voice from inside the tent: "Wen Yuan, come in."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao hurriedly tried to get up, but his weak legs caused him to stumble and almost fall to the ground.

Zhou Tai and Chen Wu rushed forward to help him, but Zhang Liao pushed them away forcefully and entered Liu Miao's tent.

"vomit!"

But as soon as he entered the main tent, Zhang Liao couldn't help but feel nauseous!

Smelly!
It smelled so bad it was almost unbearable!

Zhang Liao, being a northerner, couldn't stand the stench, so much so that his stomach started to clench involuntarily as soon as he entered.

"Wen Yuan is here?"

Liu Miao greeted Zhang Liao warmly, but Zhang Liao's eyes were filled with disbelief as he looked at Liu Miao.

Liu Miao was sitting on a folding chair, weaving some toys that looked like lanterns with bamboo strips.

These toys had filled Liu Miao's entire tent, leaving no room to even step.

In addition, there was a large vat of murky liquid piled up in Liu Miao's tent, and the stench that Zhang Liao smelled came from this vat.

Zhang Liao thought that Liu Miao's camp might be in a terrible state.

But I never expected that Liu Miao's camp would be in such a terrible state!

"My lord... what are you thinking?"

Zhang Liao originally wanted to question Liu Miao, but after seeing and hearing such a shocking scene, he himself was at a loss for words.

Especially when Zhang Liao looked at Liu Miao's fingers and found that there were countless tiny wounds on them, he tilted his head and looked at Liu Miao in astonishment.

"My lord, this is..."

"Thank you for your hard work, Wen Yuan."

Liu Miao did not explain to Zhang Liao, but instead led Zhang Liao to the rear army.

Zhang Liao then discovered that the place was filled with the same kind of toys that had appeared in Liu Miao's tent!
Now Zhang Liao couldn't help but start to doubt: "My lord, could this thing... possibly be used to subdue the enemy?"

Liu Miao smiled slightly: "It's just a toy! How can it possibly defeat an enemy?"

Hearing Liu Miao admit that the thing was just a plaything, Zhang Liao felt a pang of pain in his heart again.

Instead of devising strategies to defeat the enemy, Liu Miao indulged in these frivolous pursuits. How could he face his soldiers and the people?
Liu Miao seemed oblivious to the subtle change in Zhang Liao's gaze, and instead asked Zhang Liao, "Wen Yuan, how late is it now?"

Zhang Liao exclaimed in surprise, "Quickly, it's noon..."

"I'm asking about the solar terms!"

"My lord, the day after tomorrow is the Awakening of Insects."

"Awakening of Insects..."

Liu Miao took a deep breath: "The second month's solar term is when all things emerge from the 'Zhen' trigram, which represents thunder, hence the name 'Awakening of Insects.' It means that hibernating insects are startled and come out!"

Liu Miao picked up a toy from the ground and held it in his hand, carefully bending its bamboo frame as if to test its sturdiness.

"Are there any customs related to the Awakening of Insects in Wen Yuan's hometown?"

"There are no special customs, it's just that we use incense and mugwort to fumigate the four corners of the house to keep out mosquitoes."

Zhang Liao was now impatient: "My lord, what is it? Is it the Awakening of Insects? Then why are we making these toys?"

Liu Miao put down the toy he was picking up: "Wen Yuan, do you really want to know?"

"miss you!"

Zhang Liao was resolute.

"Okay, come with me to Wufeng Mountain. I'll tell you after this is over."

Hearing that Liu Miao suddenly wanted to leave the camp for Wufeng Mountain, Zhang Liao was even more confused, but thinking that the answer was within reach, he still chose to follow Liu Miao to Wufeng Mountain.

As the highest point in the vicinity, and having been the target of a major attack by Chunyu Qiong dispatched by Yuan Shao, Liu Miao's army naturally built a camp on the mountain to monitor and defend against Yuan Shao's troops.

But when Zhang Liao arrived, he was surprised to find that Zhuge Liang was also there!

As a close advisor to Liu Miao, and having previously gone to Youzhou alone to assist Gongsun Zan, Zhang Liao was somewhat aware of Zhuge Liang's standing in Liu Miao's heart.

Seeing Zhuge Liang here now, Zhang Liao was even more puzzled: "Could it be that he is going to launch a charge from Wufeng Mountain?"

Unfortunately, no one paid any attention to Zhang Liao.

Liu Miao approached Zhuge Liang and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Foolproof!"

Zhuge Liang smiled and raised his right hand, while Liu Miao also raised his right hand. A moment later, Liu Miao smiled easily at Zhuge Liang.

Zhang Liao, who was behind him, was practically scratching his head in frustration!

He tried to put his hand in the air like Zhuge Liang and Liu Miao, but it was empty and there was nothing there!

What puzzled Zhang Liao even more was that Liu Miao climbed up Wufeng Mountain, met with Zhuge Liang, and then wanted to return to the main camp.

"Lord..."

"You'll find out when you get back."

Zhang Liao was disgruntled and had no choice but to follow Liu Miao back to the camp.

In the short time it took for Zhang Liao to go back and forth, he discovered that all the toys that had been piled up in Liu Miao's camp had changed!
It is no longer a bare circle of bamboo strips, but has a layer of wrapping material on the outside.

"This is...paper?"

"To be precise, it is the paper that the Zhen family improved."

Liu Miao corrected Zhang Liao.

Liu Miao leaned closer to Zhang Liao and flicked the paper with his finger.

"This kind of paper is very tough and lighter than other papers. Without this kind of paper, it would be impossible to make this thing."

Zhang Liao looked at Liu Miao with resentment.

Clearly, Liu Miao was giving an irrelevant answer.

Liu Miao then mentioned something, formally introducing it to Zhang Liao.

"Everyone else calls this a flying lantern, but I usually call it a Kongming lantern."

Liu Miao showed Zhang Liao the device below.

"If you stuff some paraffin wax here and then light it, it will be able to rise into the air."

Zhang Liao touched the Kongming lantern and finally confirmed one thing—

"Isn't this just a toy?!"

Although the ability to take off sounds incredibly magical, kites, paper kites, and the legendary wooden bird created by Mozi that could soar through the sky were not enough to surprise Zhang Liao too much.

"It's a nice toy, but who says toys can't be used for fighting?"

Liu Miao then walked to the large vat filled with fish oil, gently picked up a pinch, and brought it to his nose to smell it.

"Wen Yuan, look inside that Kongming lantern."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao looked up through the hole below.

"This is……"

"The device inside was something Ziyang worked hard to develop."

"The fish oil is placed inside, and because it is blocked at a low position, it will not spill; but once the lantern rises into the air and is blown by a strong wind, the fish oil inside will spill onto the surrounding lampshade, igniting the entire Kongming lantern and causing it to fall."

"Oil floats on water, and once ignited, it is extremely difficult to extinguish."

Liu Miao put down the Kongming lantern in his hand: "So, Wen Yuan, do you understand?"

Zhang Liao looked at Liu Miao in surprise: "My lord, do you intend to use fire attack?"

However, Zhang Liao quickly retorted, "Yuan Shao is stationed between the two rivers, where the water is plentiful. Even if they set fire to his camp with oil, as long as Yuan Shao digs up the Kun River, he can flush all the fish oil downstream, which will not cause much damage to Yuan's army!"

Liu Miao smiled mysteriously: "That's not necessarily true!"

Yes!

If Liu Miao's purpose was merely to conceal the Kongming lanterns and the fish oil, why would he have made Zhang Liao so exhausted during this period?
Zhang Liao wanted to ask more questions, but Liu Miao stopped him, saying, "The matter was accomplished in secrecy."

"Wen Yuan, this battle... has only just begun!"

The next day.

Liu Miao's camp, which had been feigning death for several days, finally launched its first offensive!
Zhou Yu and Taishi Ci personally led their troops to charge into Yuan Shao's camp.

But when they reached the Kun River, instead of leading their soldiers across, they began to set countless arrows ablaze and shoot them at Yuan Shao's camp.

Such an attack seemed as childish and laughable as a child playing with fire to Yuan Shao!
However, Yuan's soldiers soon discovered that the arrows shot by Liu Miao's army were different from ordinary arrows.

After it landed, it was still burning and continued to burn.

Someone picked up an arrow and smelled it closely: "It smells so good!"

"Are you starving or what?"

"No! It smells really good! The arrows seem to be coated with... fish oil?"

When Yuan Shao heard the news, he laughed so hard he almost choked!

"Did Liu Miao deliberately send us some oil because he saw that our army's rations were lacking in fat?"

Oils and fats have always been considered precious.

If Jiangdong hadn't started fishing in the nearshore waters and obtained a large amount of fish oil, they probably wouldn't even be able to meet the oil needs of their own people.

When they saw Liu Miao using such a precious item on the battlefield, everyone in Yuan's army wondered if Liu Miao was completely desperate and had just thrown money away for nothing.
Instead of being disgusted, some of Yuan's soldiers went out of their way to find the arrows shot by Liu Miao's army and licked the fish oil off them clean!

Only Guo Tu felt something was amiss.

He advised Yuan Shao: "Jiangdong is rich; perhaps it really has enough oil to be used in the war!"

"If Liu Miao really spills this oil and sets it on fire, it probably won't be easy to extinguish!" Yuan Shao's strategist Xin Ping comforted him, "It's alright!"

"By simply widening the river mouth a little, the river water can wash away all this grease. If Liu Miao really thinks he can break the formation this way, then he's just dreaming!"

Upon hearing that the river mouth needed to be widened, Guo Tu immediately became alert: "Could Liu Miao be using water attack instead of fire attack?"

Xin Ping laughed heartily, signaling to Guo Tu to rest assured.

"The Kunshui and Zhishui rivers are both small rivers with little water to begin with, and this year the water volume is even lower! Moreover, the upper reaches of both rivers are under our military surveillance, so please don't worry unnecessarily!"

Both the Kunshui and Zhishui rivers originate from Lushan, and Yuan's army sentry posts were set up near Lushan. There was no trace of Liu Miao's soldiers there, so it was impossible for Liu Miao to build a dam upstream to store water for water attack.

Guo Tu then ordered scouts to head towards Lushan. Only after confirming that there was no news of Liu Miao's soldiers moving upstream did he feel relieved.

Across the Kun River.

After harassing Yuan Jun's camp for a period of time, Zhou Yu and Taishi Ci returned to their own camp.

At this time, there were about 10,000 soldiers standing in Liu Miao's camp, each holding a newly made Kongming lantern.

Liu Miao was among them.

When Zhou Yu saw Liu Miao, he immediately stepped forward.

"My lord, even now, I still have some concerns."

"Although Kongming said there would definitely be a southeast hurricane tonight, but..."

"Now that things have come to this, what is Gongjin still hesitating about?"

"..."

Liu Miao is now incredibly determined!
Zhou Yu felt that Liu Miao was completely out of place right now!
That resolute expression!

That upright back!

Those bright, clear eyes!
Now, Liu Miao is completely unreliable in every way, whether in his words, actions, or tone!

Those familiar with Liu Miao felt like they were about to go crazy looking at him!
But Zhou Yu knew that it was precisely this incongruity that filled the tens of thousands of troops and soldiers in this area with confidence in Liu Miao!
As one of the few people who knew Liu Miao's entire battle plan, Zhou Yu suddenly laughed: "Our lord is truly the most brilliant swindler imaginable."

Upon hearing this, Liu Miao remained noncommittal.

"I will become whatever the people need me to be."

"If everyone needs a conman to lead them to victory, then I wouldn't mind being that conman!"

As Liu Miao watched the setting sun gradually disappear, he raised his hand in the air once more.

Zhou Yu also stirred slightly: "Is the wind picking up?"

The wind ruffled the hair on Zhou Yu's forehead.

For some reason, Zhou Yu always felt a strange familiarity with this wind.

"Moreover, it's a southeast wind."

Liu Miao added to Zhou Yu's points.

"Get ready."

"Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night!"

As the sun sets into the mountains to slumber, the jade rabbit leaps from the jade cassia tree in the Guanghan Palace, completing the relay.

The sky gradually darkened, and clouds drifting in from the south greedily blocked the moonlight, plunging everything into silence.

But the sound of the wind followed closely behind!

Heaven and earth will never allow any dark cloud to completely obscure the light that should be showered upon everyone!
The flags fluttered in the wind.

The copper bell hanging below was blown up and then fell back down, producing a clear yet silent sound, over and over again.

Liu Miao never returned to his own camp.

He stood there the whole time, standing with his soldiers.

Only when the wind began to rustle the crimson robe behind the golden and silver scale armor did Liu Miao finally raise his head and look north—

"ignition!"

At a command, all the soldiers, in groups of three, quickly lifted the Kongming lanterns and lit the precious paraffin underneath, the source of which was unknown—whether it was from Sichuan or Jiaozhi—and a flame rose.

Although the flames were invisible, it was clear that the initially deflated Kongming lantern was gradually expanded and filled... until it was lifted into the air.

At this moment, thousands upon thousands of Kongming lanterns slowly rose from the camp.

Whether they were learned scholars, illiterate cooks, or soldiers who lit and raised the lanterns themselves, at this moment, everyone stared wide-eyed at the rising Kongming lanterns.

The twinkling lights, reflected in everyone's eyes, were even more dazzling than the starry sky.

"It's so beautiful."

Even a rough man like Zhou Tai, who always talks about his mother's mother, couldn't help but express such sentiments at this moment.

It's now.

Right here.

Together, we created a galaxy!
Liu Miao also looked at these Kongming lanterns.

He thought he wouldn't be so shocked by what he saw.

But as it turns out, the pursuit of beauty is something that is eternally etched into the very bones of humankind.

To settle down, start a family, live a good life, stay healthy, and enjoy happiness...

These pursuits remain unchanged, no matter how much time has passed or how many generations of people have come and gone.

The starlight in everyone's eyes solidified many things in Liu Miao's mind!
But at this moment, what Liu Miao was waiting for was not this Milky Way!

Rather, it was the endless flames that erupted when the Milky Way fell!
One by one, Kongming lanterns flew into the sky.

Just as they seemed about to pierce the sky, a violent and powerful wind caused them to sway and dodge in the air, giving rise to plumes of falling fire!
"This is what you've been waiting for!"

"Just as Kongming estimated, these Kongming lanterns will fall near Yuan Shao's camp!"

Zhang Liao now understood many of Liu Miao's plans and couldn't help but feel excited!
"My lord, shall I lead the troops to Yuan's camp?"

Even though he was exhausted, Zhang Liao was confident that he could charge again as long as Liu Miao did not give up!
"Why go to Yuan's camp!"

Upon seeing the Kongming lanterns begin to fall, Liu Miao immediately shouted, "The entire army, proceed to Wufeng Mountain immediately! Hurry!!!"

"Five? Five Peaks Mountain?"

Zhang Liao stood there, stunned.

"If you don't want to stay here and wait to die, then get out of here!"

Waiting to die?

Zhang Liao only realized what was happening at this moment, and looked at Liu Miao in disbelief.

"gone!"

After months of silence, Liu Miao suddenly looked up to the sky and roared, his voice shaking the mountains and rivers!

"Let Yuan Shao savor the aftermath himself!"

------

Yaoshan.

Jia Xu and Huang Zhong led their soldiers to this place.

Huang Zhong gasped for breath: "Wenhe, I still feel that this action is against the natural order!"

"Ah."

Jia Xu did not comment on the matter, but simply responded calmly. His thoughts then drifted back to when he first began corresponding with Liu Miao.

[Lord Jia, you have long resided in Nanyang. Now I lead my troops here to fight Yuan Shao, but our forces are gradually weakening. We are considering a water attack. Do you think this is feasible?]

When Liu Miao asked Jia Xu, he quickly gave a negative answer.

Although Nanyang has a low-lying terrain, its river channels are extremely flat. Furthermore, because Nanyang was the southern capital of the Han Dynasty and the place where Emperor Shizu rose to power, it has been repaired and maintained throughout history, making it difficult for water to flow.

But Liu Miao did not give up.

When I crossed the Xiaoshan Mountains, I saw that the mountain streams were plentiful. Couldn't we divert them to Nanyang?

Jia Xu responded—

The waters of the Xiaoshan Mountains flow from east to west into the Central Plains, making it difficult for them to reach Nanyang. If the battlefield were in the Kunyang or Wuyang area, perhaps a water attack could be launched.

Jia Xu thought that Liu Miao should stop now.

Unexpectedly, Liu Miao directly mobilized the Jiangdong troops, joined forces with Kunyang, and forced Yuan Shao to withdraw from Nanyang and fight a decisive battle with Liu Miao in the Central Plains.

The biggest risk was that Yuan Shao would retreat to a high ground like Xuchang, but fortunately, Yuan Shao ultimately chose Kunyang.

When Jia Xu later met Liu Miao, he asked Liu Miao about this matter, but Liu Miao firmly replied, "Although I have never thought of relying on Cao Mengde, Yuan Shao certainly does not think so."

"Moreover, Yuan Shao is a friend of Cao Cao and knows of his reputation for military prowess, so he would never dare to fight me under Cao Cao's nose... Therefore, the place Yuan Shao would choose is nothing more than Kunyang!"

Just as Zhou Yu was able to move Yuan Tan to Hedong, Liu Miao, based on his understanding of Yuan Shao's character, also managed to send him to the place he wanted him to go.

After Liu Miao forced Yuan Shao to move the battlefield to Kunyang, he once again asked Jia Xu for a plan to defeat the enemy.

"Now, Master Jia, you should be able to tell me the method to defeat the enemy, right?"

Only then did Jia Xu finally reveal a secret that few others knew to Liu Miao—

"It is true that the Zhi River originates in Lushan."

"However, its largest tributary, the Pengshui River, originates from the southern foot of Yaoshan Mountain!"

"The Pengshui River is called the Little Zhishui River by many locals because of its huge flow, which sometimes even exceeds the flow of the real Zhishui River."

"Therefore, as long as we block the Peng River at the southern foot of Yaoshan Mountain and build dikes, we can still cause the Zhi River to flood in the future!"

"Even so, we must not allow the floodwaters to enter Yuan Shao's camp."

"Because the Zhi River is, after all, a small river, and there is the Kun River to the south, its flow is likely to be greatly reduced by the Kun River, so..."

Liu Miao's idea at the time was to have Yuan Shao voluntarily dig up the river channel.

But Yuan Shao wasn't stupid. How could he voluntarily dig up the river channel and leave himself vulnerable to being swept away by the water?

This is a problem that neither Jia Xu, nor Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Zhou Yu, nor Pang Tong could solve.

Just when Liu Miao thought it would be another fruitless attempt, he suddenly remembered Kongming lanterns and wrote to Liu Ye asking him to make one. He then asked Chen Yu to bring it to him to test its feasibility.

"Is Zhongshan planning to use this to launch a fire attack on Yuan Shao? Isn't that too risky?"

"Who would use this thing to attack? Does Gongwei think I'm a fool, or does he think Yuan Shao is a fool?"

The purpose of the Kongming lanterns was not to cause a fire in Yuan's camp, but to bring fish oil into the camp.

Yuan Shao, who had fought in the south and north, once received the praise from Gongsun Zan that "Yuan's achievements are like those of ghosts and gods," so he naturally understood what it meant to have a large amount of scattered oil in his camp.

To be on the safe side, Yuan Shao would definitely use the water flow to wash away this luxurious fish oil.

Thus, all the conditions for a water attack were met.

The next step was to conceal this from Yuan Shao and secretly carry out operations in Yaoshan.

To this end, Liu Miao did not hesitate to let Zhang Liao constantly exhaust himself, and to expose his heavily armored cavalry, which he had painstakingly built up, in advance, so that Yuan Shao's attention would always be focused on the front line.

At the same time, Liu Miao was certain that Cao Cao would not admit defeat so easily.

With his eyes on Liu Miao to the south, Cao Cao to the north, and even distracted by actions in other parts of the east, Yuan Shao had no time to pay attention to the west.

After all, the west side was full of towering mountains, which did not look like a place where a large army could pass through.

Little did they know, the west was the real meal Liu Miao had prepared for Yuan Shao!
Even Jia Xu felt a headache coming on when he thought about all the planning and scheming Liu Miao had done to accomplish this final move.

"My lord, you are truly a master strategist."

"But the lord said he was not good at military affairs."

"A skill in deception is a skill in warfare."

Seeing that it was about time, Jia Xu stood up and said to Huang Zhong, "Let's begin!"

"Yuan Shao is going to be trapped and die in Kunyang!"

at this time.

In Yuan Shao's camp.

One by one, other people also saw the streaks of fire in the sky.

When the report was sent to Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao did not believe it.

What nonsense are you talking about?
Could Liu Miao really throw heavenly fire into my camp? If so, I might as well just hand over Hebei to him! Why bother getting entangled with him for so long?

But gradually.

Even Guo Tu was so terrified that he prostrated himself before Yuan Shao, finally allowing Yuan Shao to put on his clothes and leave the tent with a slight limp.

The next moment, Yuan Shao witnessed a scene he would never forget in his life!
Countless fireballs fell from the sky at once!
Beautiful! Luxurious! But also dangerous!

"how is this possible?"

Even Yuan Shao couldn't help but panic at this moment!
"Skyfire?"

Still Kunyang!

A meteor fell into the camp at night, and clouds like a collapsing mountain appeared during the day.

This account is unforgettable, and no one dares to forget it!

This is an omen of the Mandate of Heaven for Emperor Shizu!

Yuan Shao was confident that he too had a destiny in his heart!
but……

Shouldn't these fires be raining down on Liu Miao's camp? Why are they heading straight for our camp?
Yuan Shao, who believed in the Mandate of Heaven, was now in a state of utter confusion!
Before Yuan Shao could prepare himself, the fire from the sky began to fall on his soldiers!
Yuan Shao's pupils contracted, thinking he was about to suffer divine punishment, but suddenly he saw a miraculous scene!
Surprisingly, those streaks of fire didn't even hit their own camp!
At this moment, a strong wind arose, blowing the thin streams of fire northward. Only a few scattered sparks fell into Yuan's camp, igniting a few tents.

"May Heaven bless Lord Yuan!"

"May Heaven bless Lord Yuan!"

Guo Tu and others also witnessed this amazing scene!
Watching the fiery storm about to crash down on his head suddenly being blown away by a gale – what else could this be but divine intervention?
Yuan Shao stared blankly at the heavenly fires that brushed past him, and his body went limp.

"what."

A chuckle.

"Hahahahaha!!"

The laughter gradually grew more and more rampant!

Yuan Shao believed it!
He himself truly has a destiny!

Otherwise, why would even the flowing fire avoid me and not harm me in the slightest?
"Hahahahaha!"

Yuan Shao laughed loudly, and Guo Tu had already verified the true nature of those heavenly fires.

"Lord Yuan! Just like the arrows shot by Liu Miao's soldiers during the day, these fires are covered with a lot of fish oil!"

Fear comes from the unknown.

After confirming the authenticity of the heavenly fire, Yuan's soldiers were no longer afraid. Instead, they began to curiously discuss how Liu Miao had sent the heavenly fire into the sky and then let it fall down on them.

Yuan Shao was even more delighted when he found out!

"So Liu Miao actually intended to use fire?"

"Pouring fish oil, unleashing heavenly fire... Interesting! Interesting! But in the end, he wasn't protected by destiny!"

Liu Miao's plan has been perfectly analyzed by Yuan Shao!
Liu Miao wanted to use fish oil and this heavenly fire for a fire attack!

Unfortunately, in the end, they were still one step behind!
Guo Tu and the others also realized this and congratulated Yuan Shao.

"Lord Yuan is indeed destined for greatness!"

"The fate of the Han dynasty has truly run its course!"

"I wonder how angry Liu Miao will be if he finds out! Hahahaha!"

"..."

Among the praise, there are also some wise people.

Xin Ping advised Yuan Shao: "We do not know if Liu Miao can summon heavenly fire again. Although our camp has not suffered much damage, there is fish oil everywhere. If Liu Miao sets fire again now, I am afraid the fire will be difficult to control."

"Therefore, I request that Lord Yuan widen the Zhi River and Kun River channels to cleanse the camp and prevent Liu Miao from succeeding!"

"allow!"

The fish oil that fell from the sky was not only flammable, but also brought a fishy smell that was hard for northerners to bear.

Yuan Shao also couldn't stand the smell, so he ordered Xin Ping to lead his soldiers to the upstream river to widen it and divert water to the camp to wash away the fish oil.

Xin Ping led the people upstream.

Xin Ping was initially very cautious, but when he saw that the flow of the Zhi River was so small that there were only a few streams, he was relieved and ordered his soldiers to dig open the river channel.

Just then, a loud rumbling sound in the distance startled Yuan's soldiers!

Xin Ping was initially startled, but quickly calmed down.

"Today is the Awakening of Insects, so a little thunder is nothing to worry about."

When Xin Ping hears the name Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects), he thinks of sour apricots, which are suitable for eating in spring, and his mouth gradually becomes full of saliva.

"Suck it!"

Xin Ping swallowed his saliva and looked at Zhishui again, suddenly feeling that something was wrong.

"Was the breach opened too wide? How come the water level rose so much all of a sudden? Quickly fill it in some more!"

But soon, Xin Ping's serious composure turned into panic.

In the mountains to the west.

A silver dragon was rampaging wildly, like a giant axe that split the heavens and earth in two!

Mountains collapsed and the earth cracked; heaven and earth were turned upside down!
Xin Ping looked down at his feet, at the river mouth he had just dug, and his eyes went blank.

"It's over."

"It's all over!"

　Bad news: It's over for tonight.

　　Good news: More chapters tomorrow!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)