I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 440 Zhao Zilong of Changshan!
"General Lü! This is a treacherous scheme by the Yuan family!"

Zhuge Liang approached, and Zhao Yun stepped forward behind him to stand guard.

Lu Bu was completely bewildered: "What treacherous scheme?"

"It's a tactic to lure the tiger away from the mountain!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu was both surprised and delighted.

"Kongming! Did those red-faced men and little black-haired men not die in battle?"

Zhuge Liang smiled wryly, after all, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had given Lü Bu quite a few unpleasant nicknames in front of him.

After boarding the boat, he greeted Lü Bu and explained the situation in Liaodong. Lü Bu's face turned pale and then ashen.

"But Liu Bei did indeed send an envoy..."

"Does that man carry the seal of the Prince of Yan?"

"No, it's just that Chen Yuanlong said the envoy was overturned by the waves and lost many things..."

Lu Bu's voice gradually weakened, but his breathing became increasingly heavy.

Even if Lü Bu were slow-witted, he would have figured out what had happened!
"Chen Yuanlong!"

Zhuge Liang had now guessed what Yuan's preparations in Qingzhou were.

"Now it seems that the Yuan family wants to take advantage of this opportunity to seize Qingzhou, or even to ambush the General at the ferry while he is not on guard, so as to wipe out all of the General's elite troops in one fell swoop."

After gathering all the known intelligence, Zhuge Liang meticulously analyzed the situation and roughly guessed Yuan's army's plan.

Lu Bu, worried about his family in Qingzhou, also looked troubled: "In that case, we should return to Qingzhou immediately!"

"General, please wait."

Zhuge Liang suspected that Lü Bu was somewhat unable to understand human speech.

It has been said that Yuan Jun's goal at this time is likely to annihilate Lü Bu's forces, so why would Lü Bu still charge headlong into it?

"This is the only plan you have now..."

------

Qingzhou.

After Chen Gong led Lü Bu and the families of his generals and officers to escape from Linzi, he found himself in a dilemma.

Given the current situation, Chen Gong's best course of action is to head south and seek refuge with Zang Ba, who is stationed in Langya.

However, scouts reported that traces of Yuan's army had been discovered to the south.

Moreover, Chen Gong did not believe that Chen Deng would leave him a way out to the south with his wisdom, so after careful consideration, Chen Gong decisively chose to send everyone to the east!
"The general crossed the sea from Jiaodong, and he will return from Jiaodong sooner or later!"

"At that time, His Majesty dispatched soldiers from Langya to provide reinforcements, which enabled us to win the battle!"

After Chen Gong pointed out the direction, they headed towards Yingzhou.

Initially, it was less than two thousand soldiers who escorted Lü Bu's family forward.

But soon, more and more people gathered there with their families.

Only after asking did I learn that the Wuhuan people in the rear were plundering everywhere, and their ferocity even surpassed that of the Yellow Turban rebels of the past!

"The Yuan family, father and son, have truly committed atrocities!"

Before the battle began, the Han side had already learned of Yuan Shao's mobilization of the Wuhuan cavalry.

At the time, the Han army only thought that these Wuhuan cavalry would appear in the Central Plains to carry out sweeping and plundering missions as the flank of Yuan Shao's army. Zhou Yu's tactics of clearing the fields and defending with fortified villages in the Central Plains could perfectly counter them! Who knew that Yuan Shao would entrust such elite Wuhuan cavalry to Yuan Tan! After all, no matter how you look at it, the Central Plains is the battlefield more suitable for large-scale cavalry battles.

Apart from Linzi and Beihai, Qingzhou is mostly mountainous terrain. Yuan Shao's decision to send Wuhuan cavalry into Qingzhou was tantamount to cutting off his own arm!
As Chen Gong rode on his horse, he began to ponder the purpose of the Wuhuan cavalry appearing in Qingzhou.

However, news from the north quickly made Chen Gong understand Yuan Tan's true intentions.

"Yuan Tan has successively defeated all the troops in northern Qingzhou! Generals Wei Yue and Cheng Lian escaped with their lives and fled to Langya!"

Chen Gong then realized that the reason he was able to escape was not because he ran fast, but because Yuan Tan had first eliminated the garrison in northern Qingzhou and opened up the passage between Qingzhou and Hebei.

At the same time, Yuan Tan's unhurried attitude led Chen Gong to make a vague guess.

"Is Yuan Tan not only interested in seizing Qingzhou, but also in annihilating the General's entire army in Jiaodong?"

To make the enemy come of their own accord is to benefit them; to prevent the enemy from coming is to harm them! Therefore, if I can make the enemy appear but myself remain formless, then I am focused while the enemy is divided. If I am focused as one, and the enemy is divided into ten, then I can attack one of them with ten, thus I am numerous while the enemy is few; those who can use their numbers to attack the few are the ones I can fight!
Luring the enemy to our pre-arranged battlefield is a result of offering them advantages; preventing them from reaching their designated battlefield first is a form of coercion. Therefore, we should strive to make the enemy reveal themselves while our forces remain hidden. This allows us to concentrate our forces while dispersing the enemy's. If our forces are concentrated at one point, while the enemy's forces are scattered in ten places, we are essentially attacking with ten times the enemy's strength. This creates an absolute advantage of numerical superiority on local battlefields. Since we can achieve this advantageous situation of overwhelming the enemy, they will find it difficult to accomplish anything.

Yuan Jun's current tactic is to cut Qingzhou in half, dividing it into eastern and western parts, and then attack them separately!
At this time, Chen Gong had already led the people of Qingzhou to Laizhou.

If Lü Bu were to receive the news and arrive, he would likely land here.

But after understanding Yuan Tan's tactics, Chen Gong was conflicted.

If that's the case, why did Yuan Tan force them towards Jiaodong? Wouldn't that just be giving Lü Bu reinforcements for nothing?

unless……

"Yuan Tan, are you perhaps planning to besiege the city and attack its reinforcements?"

Chen Gong had this idea vaguely in his mind.

Zang Ba is currently stationed in Langya, which is the gateway to Qing and Xu provinces. As long as Zang Ba holds his position firmly, Yuan Tan will never be able to break through Langya and truly threaten Liu Miao's Pengcheng, thus preventing Yuan Shao from forming an encirclement of Pengcheng on the main battlefield.

Unless some method can be used to lure Zang Ba out of Langya...

Is Lü Bu enough bait?

As a warlord who controlled the Qing and Xu regions, as a general of the Han Dynasty, and as the emperor's father-in-law, Lü Bu undoubtedly had the qualifications.

only……

Using Lü Bu as bait?
What incredible courage that must be!

Does Yuan Tan have the courage?
If Yuan Tan didn't exist, then what about Yuan Shao?
Chen Gong was in a state of turmoil, but he could only wait anxiously in place, hoping to discuss the matter in detail with Lü Bu.

pity.

It wasn't Lü Bu's fleet that arrived first, but rather the pursuing troops from behind.

A small group of Wuhuan cavalry charged into the crowd like venomous snakes, tearing and biting everywhere. The already exhausted people of Qingzhou were powerless to resist and could only cry and flee eastward.

Seeing this, Chen Gong was furious, but he couldn't go forward to fight him and could only continue to retreat.

Just then! The sound of horses' hooves broke the dawn in the east!

The officers under Lü Bu's command were taken aback at first, but were soon overjoyed!
Who else could Dongfang be but one of their own?

Who else but Lü Bu could have a well-organized cavalry unit?

But when the sound of hooves drew closer, Chen Gong realized that the person approaching was not the mighty and imposing Lü Bu.

The leader was dressed in silver robes and wielded a silver spear. He was imposing and dignified. Although he was not as domineering as Lü Bu, he was still a rare and formidable general!
"Who is coming?"

"Changshan Zhao Zilong!"

(End of this chapter)