Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 306 Heavy armor combined with my brilliant plan, taking the world will be a piece of cake!

"Heaven is my witness, and the white horse is my proof!"

"Where righteousness leads, I will follow even unto death!"

A silver spear and a white horse gallop across the plains, followed by a thousand riders.

Yan Tong roared with killing intent, slaying one of the "generals" with his spear, letting the blood drip down the shaft, and laughed as he looked up at the sky.

"Hebei Tingzhu is nothing special!"

Wen Chou? How could he possibly be a match for me in a single blow?

"You fart!"

Behind the cavalry, a lowly soldier looked up to the sky and cried out in despair.

"Wen Chou is here!"
"You cowardly rats, dare to fight!"

"A nobody like you, don't say a word."

"I'll spare your life today, and I'll go kill Wen Chou!"

Meanwhile, the "general" being chased by Yan Tong was already terrified. "General, spare my life! I am not Wen Chou, but just an unknown soldier!"
General!
You said it yourself, "We don't kill nameless people!"

“You, Wen Chou, merely honor your great name and dare to call yourself a famous general?”

Even facing death, they still dare to argue!

As Yan Tong led his cavalry in a rampage beneath the city walls, successively slaying over thirty Wei generals in embroidered robes and golden armor, the drums on the city tower thundered!

The army beat drums and shouted:
"May the general be victorious!"
"May the General be victorious!!!"

"My General Yan Tong is unparalleled in the world!!!"

General Yan Tong!
We are willing to follow each other through life and death!

However, at that very moment, a scholar walked out of the Wei army formation in a grand manner.

He held his head high with pride, waved his feather fan lightly, and regarded Yan Tong as a dead man, and the entire army as nothing more than weeds!

He waved his fan and ordered, "The capture of Yijing is today!"

"Heavy cavalry, heed my command! Form ranks and meet the enemy!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous sound of Wei drums rang out, followed by rows of heavily armored cavalrymen in formation.

Yan Tong looked up upon hearing the sound, his face turning pale with shock.

It should be noted that while Xu You may have cut corners in the construction of this heavy armor, its presentation was top-notch; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to fool Yuan Shao.

Three thousand heavy cavalrymen were seen, their black armor gleaming, each painted with ferocious qilin. Even their horse armor was painted with qilins as if they were ink-dyed.

This is also why Xu You noticed that the iron plates were all connected with leather. Last time, when Yuan Shao observed the drill ground from afar, nothing happened. However, if he were to observe it up close before the battlefield, it would inevitably be noticed by those with ulterior motives.

So, with the spirit of craftsmanship and striving for excellence, after recruiting leather craftsmen, he also brought in a group of painters to participate in the production process of the heavy armor cavalry.

The painting of ferocious scales covered the heavy armor, concealing the joints of the leather, making it look even more like heavy armor than real heavy armor!

Even if Yuan Shao were to observe closely, he would only be intimidated by the imposing presence of the heavy armor, and would not have any suspicions.

What if the color fades when it rains?
Just make up some excuse about the armor being repaired, and send it back for touch-ups.

Xu You was very satisfied with this and named the army the "Zhenglin Army" to conceal his true intention in painting the heavy armor.

When the appearance of the [Zhenglin Army] was revealed, not only Yuan Shao saw it and felt that the army was imposing and greatly admired it.

Even Yan Tong, who was on the battlefield below the city, was terrified.

He had witnessed Zhao Yun's heavily armored cavalry firsthand; a mere hundred riders were enough to make an army of ten thousand seem like nothing, charging into enemy lines with ease.

And what did he see before him?
Three thousand heavily armored cavalrymen, spears and halberds in hand, were arrayed and facing him!

In particular, Zhao Yun's heavy armor was just plain and simple black armor, but the three thousand men in front of him had fierce armor and rode horses that resembled qilin. Just by looking at them, one could tell that they were extremely powerful.

Yan Tong's only consolation right now is that the white-robed scholar who stepped forward to command in the enemy camp was far too arrogant.

If neither gods nor ghosts know, they can quietly form ranks and then send three thousand heavily armored soldiers to charge.

How could I possibly survive at this moment?

However, he underestimated us too much. Before forming ranks, he made a big fuss by beating the drums loudly to boost our morale. Now, taking advantage of the enemy's formation, Yan Tong immediately gave a loud order.

"withdraw!!!

"Stop fighting and retreat with me back to the city immediately."

In any case, this battle has already resulted in the killing of more than thirty "Wen Chou" (a type of enemy general), which not only thwarted the enemy's strategy but also greatly boosted the morale of the army.

Returning to the city now, Yan Tong felt that he could defend Yijing again.

Without hesitation, he led his army into the city and fled.

In the Wei camp, seeing that Yan Tong was about to lead his troops to escape, under Xu You's command, the [Zhenglin] army, which had been slowly forming ranks, quietly sped up its formation.

With Xu You's command.

"Charge and kill the enemy!"

Three thousand heavily armored soldiers, their horses thundering like lightning, their ferocious unicorns seemingly alive, their ink-black hues painting the entire battlefield!

"A horse tramples a unicorn, ink stains the world!"

Three thousand heavily armored cavalrymen, their battle cries echoing all day, crushed and overwhelmed the fleeing "White Horse Cavalry," their imposing presence chilling to the bone.

Yan Tong, who had managed to lead the main force back to the city by sheer luck, stood on the city wall and witnessed this scene, his eyes filled with lingering fear.

That was close! I almost died. With three thousand heavy cavalry under his command, Yuan Shao could sweep across the world. Who could stand against him?

Across from him, Xu You wore an arrogant expression, but in reality, he was equally apprehensive.

That was close; I almost got caught.

His [Zhenglin] army is best at frontal charges, and can only charge frontally.

But what is the current situation?
Tens of thousands of Wei soldiers were in disarray outside the city, while Yan Tong led several thousand "White Horse Cavalry" to maneuver among them.

This kind of terrain and battlefield is very unfavorable to the performance of the [Zhenglin] army. Once Yan Tong discovers their own weakness, he can use the routed soldiers to maneuver and attack from both sides.

Wouldn't my defeat be inevitable by then?

Therefore, just as he had thought when he created these two suits of armor, if he were to encounter such a situation, he would naturally rely on Xu Ziyuan's strategy to deal with it.

Sure enough, isn't this giving the [Zhenglin] army a boost in morale and reputation?
"With my brilliant plan, overturning yin and yang, reversing heaven and earth, will be as easy as turning one's hand!"

A short while later, Xu You returned to Yuan Shao's camp to report.

"Benchu, this battle is a great victory!"

Without Xu You needing to reply, everyone could see that the [Zhenglin] army that Xu You had created had just entered the fray and had already routed the enemy army that had been invincible under the city walls, demonstrating a great victory.

Yuan Shao hurriedly asked him:

"What were the results?"

Xu You answered proudly, "I killed 180 enemy generals!"

Yuan Shao: "???"

No, you made such a big show of force, with three thousand heavily armored soldiers chasing after people, and you only killed a hundred or two hundred enemies?
Guo Tu, who had been scolded for his failed plan, immediately sneered as if he had found an opportunity to drag others down with him.

"A mere 180 men dare to claim a great victory?"

"Xu Ziyuan, stop trying to play tricks and fool our lord!"

Yuan Shao: "."

Xu You looked down on Guo Tu and laughed, saying:
"Compared to Lord Guo, who lost more than thirty generals, You killed one hundred and eighty enemies. How can this not be called a great victory?"

Having said that, he didn't say anything more to Guo Tu, but simply cupped his hands to Yuan Shao and said:

"I, the King, am wise and discerning!"
Before the battle, Youyan said that with his methods, taking Yijing would be a piece of cake.

Unexpectedly, my methods were so powerful that they frightened the enemy into not daring to engage in a direct confrontation.

As we all know, heavy armor is strong, but it is not good at long-distance pursuit.

The enemy troops who came out of the city were all light cavalry, and they were also accompanied by the White Horse Cavalry, so they were famous throughout the world for their speed.

"They fear my methods and are determined to flee for their lives; even the strongest heavy cavalry will find it difficult to catch up."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao frowned and pondered deeply, then realized that it made sense!

That’s right!

The enemy light cavalry were determined to escape, and no matter how strong their heavy armor was, they couldn't catch up with their speed.

Moreover, today, due to Guo Tu's plan, the city was on the verge of defeat. Fortunately, Xu Youzhi led the heavily armored troops into battle and turned the tide of the battle.

It was indeed a resounding victory!

Yuan Shao then nodded and said:
"The [Zhenglin] army created by Ziyuan is truly extraordinary."

In today's first battle, the renowned White Horse Cavalry has been utterly routed, losing all their armor and weapons.

"I shall prepare wine and meat to reward the [Zhenglin] army for their merits." "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

While expressing his gratitude, Xu You had already raised his chin high, looking down at the assembled advisors with disdain.

Compared to Guo Tu, whose strategy backfired, and Ju Shou, who failed to win Yuan Shao's favor, Xu You has achieved a "great victory" in this tent today, enjoying immense glory.

He then arrogantly said to Shao:
"Benchu, see my brilliant plan!"
My heavy cavalry will not act unless absolutely necessary, but when they do, they will surely achieve a great victory.

Next time, I will prepare a battlefield in advance where the White Horses have nowhere to escape and can only fight me head-on. I will surely slaughter them all and spread the name of [Zheng Lin] far and wide.

This was Xu You's way of planting a seed of discord. As long as he said this, he could be seen as preparing this plan to "leave the white horse with nowhere to escape" in the short term, and thus avoid being conscripted by Yuan Shao.

Avoid sending your heavy cavalry to fight in every terrain. After all, no matter how impressive they look, if you keep intimidating them, they will eventually be exposed.

And what about a short time later?
If all else fails, just say you haven't found a suitable opportunity to act.

Moreover, with battles raging every day, if we can find an opportunity to use a stratagem to force the enemy to engage us in a head-on confrontation, the [Zhenglin] army can achieve another great victory.

"it is good!"

The [Zhenglin] army had just triumphed on the battlefield, striking fear into the hearts of the White Horse, so Yuan Shao had no doubts and immediately agreed.

"I will wait for Ziyuan to conquer the world for me."

After Xu You withdrew, Yuan Shao looked once more at the formidable city on the banks of the Yi River, Yijing, a city that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

He sought advice from wise men.

"What should we do now?"

Guo Tu, with a shameless grin, stepped forward to offer his advice.

"Your Majesty may proceed with the plan again!"

The enemy's decision to engage in open battle outside the city today was truly unexpected.

The plan was further refined: tomorrow, when the hundred Wen Chou besiege the city, Zi Yuan should order the [Zheng Lin] army to form a battle formation in front.

Then they will not dare to leave the city again, and our plan will be foolproof!

Xu You originally wanted to stay in the game for a few more days before finding a suitable location to achieve a great victory, so he was unwilling to listen to Guo Tu's plan now.

He immediately advised Yuan Shao against it.

"Don't listen to this foolish plan, Benchu!"

You had lost count of how many times Guo Gongze had said his plan was foolproof.

I initially thought Guo Tu's words made sense. Since an unexpected situation occurred today, we can make improvements in advance tomorrow to avoid this unexpected situation.

But upon hearing Xu You's words, he realized that what he said made perfect sense.

Guo Tu has been foolproof several times already, so who knows if his plans will have any new surprises tomorrow?

Shaking his head, Yuan Shao could only turn his gaze to Ju Shou and say with a forced smile:

"I regret not heeding the advice of Duke Ju."

"What advice do you have for me now, Lord Ju?"

Ju Shou replied.

"Regardless of how the enemy should respond, our lord only sent soldiers to attack the city like ants. Our army numbered over 300,000, while the enemy numbered only 20,000 to 30,000."

Under the overwhelming force of the tide, what city cannot be breached, what enemy cannot be crushed?

It will just take some time.

Seeing that Guo Tu's plan was unreliable, Xu You said he was waiting for an opportunity. Yuan Shao had no choice but to follow Ju Shou's plan.

The following day, the Wei army attacked the city day and night with great force.

However, after Yan Tong retreated to Yijing, he gained great prestige by defeating more than 30 generals, including Wen Chou, in a single battle!
The white horse took him as its faith, the soldiers took him as their leader, the army's morale was stronger than a rock, and the masses were ready to die for their cause.

After that, seeing that the Wei army stopped playing tricks, they also stuck to their posts and refused to come out.

Although people die every day and arrows will eventually run out, until then, Yi Jing is indestructible!

Ju Shou, who witnessed this scene in Yuan's camp, also frowned.

His original plan was to send 300,000 troops to the border and fight a fair fight for a few days. However, with daily casualties and no reinforcements, the city would be running out of resources and the morale of the people would collapse within half a month.

That will be the day the city falls!

But some people, instead of doing their proper work, insist on causing trouble for themselves.

How could someone send thirty generals to help the enemy unite their troops?
He sighed softly, seeing that the daily sieges were not only consuming a lot of food and supplies, but also causing heavy casualties among the soldiers.

Ju Shou then advised Yuan Shao to order his soldiers to build an earthen mound, erect a tall tower on top, and shoot arrows into the city to counter the defenders' arrows.

Yuan Shao then agreed.

Before long, earthen mounds and tall buildings were erected. Yuan Shao climbed a tower and looked out over Yijing, laughing as he said:

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Fire arrows!!!"

With a wave of his hand, arrows rained down.

Seeing that the soldiers and civilians were all afraid, Yan Tong personally braved arrows and stones, and raised his shield to defend the city.

He stood there holding a gun and called out:

Yan Tong is here!
"You cowardly rat, do you dare to fight?"

At this time, the Wei army only sent soldiers to attack the city. Wen Chou was certainly not here, but he was seen defending the city alone with his silver spear.

This reminded the generals of that day when the general rode alone through the army, unstoppable, and killed more than thirty generals.

People's morale was greatly boosted!

The crowd shouted:

"Where righteousness leads, I will follow even unto death!"

So one by one, the crowd took turns holding up shields, drawing bows, throwing stones, and slashing at the enemies on the city walls.

The commander was not afraid of death, and the soldiers followed him to the death!
On this day, blood stained the walls of Yijing, and the casualties were unprecedented.

However, as the sun set and the last rays of the setting sun shone, this blood-stained city still stood firm as a rock, blocking the Wei army's path.

On this day, Yuan Shao was so angry that he smashed a cup in his tent. He no longer maintained his usual respectful demeanor and only stared coldly at his ministers.

"I will breach the city tomorrow!"
"Which of you can offer a plan?"

Knowing that Yuan Shao was truly enraged, they knew that whoever came up with the plan this time would be severely punished if there were any further oversights, unlike last time when they were treated leniently.

Xu You lowered his head and pretended to be racking his brains for a good plan.

Guo Tu quietly took a few steps back, subtly shielding Ju Shou in front of him.

Seeing that all the strategists had shrunk behind him, with him as their leader, Ju Shou smiled helplessly, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and offered his advice, saying:

"The casualties in the city today are heavy; if this continues for a few more days..."

"How many days? How many days has it been?"
Guo Gong then devised one perfect plan after another, and you continued to do so every few days.

"Ju Gongyu, I have already given you plenty of time."

Yuan Shao stared intently at him, "Break the city tomorrow, this is the king's order!"

Ju Shou, are you disobeying orders?

Ju Shou sighed deeply and then advised him, saying:

"If my lord does not require a quick and ingenious plan, we can secretly dig a tunnel to the foot of the city wall."

With a pincer attack from both sides, the city can be breached.

However, this is not something that can be achieved overnight.

When Yuan Shao heard this, he was not angry at all; instead, he held Ju Shou's hand and laughed.

"I was just joking."

"Why didn't you speak of this excellent plan sooner, Lord Ju?"

Ju Shou sighed:

"No matter how ingenious a scheme or plan is used, there is always a way to break it."

A decisive siege is inevitable; there is truly no solution.

Yuan Shao comforted him, saying, "Lord Ju is overthinking things. Who can thwart your plan?"

“I have heard that Yuan Gonglu’s strategist, Fengxiao, is currently under Zan’s command. If he is in the city, my plan will fail and I will be controlled by him instead.”

Fortunately, during this period, he first tested Guo Tu's strategy, and then attacked the city for several days to explore, and guessed that there were no wise men in the city.

Therefore, my lord, you may now employ your plan.

(End of this chapter)