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

Chapter 362 Now we can make Xing Daorong suffer the consequences!

From then on, Ji Ling led 3,000 men and defeated Guan Yu's 10,000-strong army in one battle, pursued them for a thousand miles, and then defeated Cao Cao's 100,000-strong army. He burned and looted a large amount of supplies and rescued countless civilians.

After this battle, Ji Ling of Nanyang became invincible, an unparalleled divine general, whose might shook the world!
The common people revere him as if he were a god!
.

When the news reached Yuan Shu, all the officials were filled with awe and fear of Ji Ling's military achievements.

Yuan Shu was the only exception.

Upon hearing of Cao Cao's cruel treatment of the people, how could the King of Han not shed tears?

"The traitor Cao is tyrannical and cruel; killing him is the only way to appease public anger!"

The King of Han, filled with resentment, drew his sword and said:

"I swear to kill the traitor Cao and restore the Han Dynasty!"
Are there any gentlemen willing to help me?

The assembled officials and the vast army were all deeply moved; two hundred thousand men drew their swords in unison, pointed to the heavens, and swore an oath:
"To uphold the Han Dynasty, I would gladly die ten thousand deaths!"

The King of Han then led his armies in hot pursuit of Cao Cao's army.

On that day, Cao Cao saw Yuan Shu pursuing him to the rear of his army, and ordered Wei Yan to block him again.

Wei Yan understood and fired rockets at his own supply wagons again. In an instant, the supply wagons, large and small, were engulfed in flames, and the cries of the people could be heard to the heavens.

Although Yuan Shu's army was large, it was often hindered by the fire and busy with the rescue of the people, thus slowing down its progress.

The generals advised against this, saying:
"Now that the bandits are fleeing, they will use fire as a strategy. Whenever they catch up, they will use fire to block the way and use civilians as shields. Even though our army is large, it will be difficult to pursue and annihilate them."

"That is indeed the case. Why does Your Majesty prioritize the pursuit of the traitor Cao? If the traitor Cao dies, the people will naturally be saved."

By pursuing and rescuing in this manner, Cao Cao gradually sheds the burden of the people, and his marching speed increases daily. Meanwhile, the more we relieve the people, the heavier our burden becomes, and the slower our march slows down. We fear that Cao Cao will escape, and then it will be too late for regrets.

"I hope Your Majesty will prioritize the overall situation and the affairs of the state. The most urgent task is to eliminate the traitor Cao and rescue the Emperor."

Why should we care about a few ordinary people?
If Cao Cao dies and the emperor returns, the nine provinces will be settled and the world will be at peace, and all the people will be saved.

Compared to these hundreds of millions of ordinary people, what does it matter if a mere hundred thousand laborers die?

Hearing everyone's advice, Yuan Shu sighed softly.

"The tyrant Cao is tyrannical, and I am benevolent; the tyrant Cao harms the people, and I save them; the tyrant Cao holds the emperor hostage and commands the feudal lords, and I, as the King of Han, uphold righteousness."

This is why Cao Cao suffered repeated defeats, fleeing like a stray dog, while I won every battle and became rich and powerful.

Why didn't you come to the rescue?
All people are my subjects, and all families are my adopted children. This is why all people believe in the Yellow Heaven and enjoy peace.

If we abandon it now, how can the people believe in the peace and prosperity of Heaven?

To Yuan Shu, were these laborers still ordinary people? They were nothing more than devout followers of the Taiping Rebellion.

This time, they were saved from the fire, and in the future, they will not be fanatical believers in the Taiping Church.
And since more than 100,000 people have relatives and friends, it will affect even more people.

At that time, relatives and friends will pass on the message to each other, and friends will pass it on to each other. When the banner of peace and prosperity is planted all over the land, and all people pray to the heavens for salvation, then...

What about Cao Cao and Yuan Shao? Some people are alive, but they are already dead, nothing more than dry bones in a tomb.

The more than 100,000 laborers in front of us are the foundation of the Yellow Heaven Taiping Sect's followers in the Central Plains.

Why didn't you save them?!
Seeing that the ministers seemed to have more to say, Yuan Shu chuckled and said to them:

"No problem!
I have just heard that the reason Cao Cao fled in such a panic was because Yuan Shao had already marched south from the north, intending to steal the fruits of my victory and seize the Central Plains.

How can I allow others to covet the spoils of war that I and my soldiers risked our lives to win?

Where is Ji Ling?

"The general is here!"

Ji Ling hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting, awaiting orders.

"I hereby order you to lead three thousand heavily armored cavalry and one hundred thousand men to take control of Luoyang, seize the territory of Sili, and guard it to prevent Yuan Shao from taking over the counties and prefectures."

Furthermore, the people we rescued this time will be settled near Luoyang, and their land will be rented for cultivation.

"The last general takes command!"

Yuan Shu nodded and then gave the following instructions:

"Where are Yang Hong, Lu Xun, Xu Chu, Taishi Ci, Chen Dao, Xu Sheng, and Zhou Tai?"

The crowd stepped forward and answered:

"We are here!"

Yuan Shu then ordered him:

"Yang Hong, I hereby appoint you to assist Ji Ling in stabilizing the people's livelihood and governing the recovered territories."

Lu Xun appointed you as military advisor, to command the three armies and generals, in order to devise a strategy to defeat Shao.

Xu Chu, Taishi Ci, Chen Dao, Xu Sheng, and Zhou Tai, I hereby order you to each lead troops to assist Ji Ling in conquering the Sili region and establishing your rule in the Central Plains.

All the generals obeyed the orders without hesitation.

Thus, Yuan Shu's army split into two, with one side consisting of 100,000 men, commanded by Ji Ling, to seize Luoyang and annex Sili, while defending the Central Plains and blocking Yuan Shao.

The other side, numbering approximately 80,000, was personally led by Yuan Shu, with his generals Xiahou Dun (General Who Guards the North), Xiahou Yuan (Deputy General Who Guards the North), Yue Jin (General Who Guards the East), Li Dian (General Who Guards the West), and Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, Jia Xu, Pang Tong, and others, continuing to pursue Cao Cao's more than 40,000 men.

As a result, the more Cao Cao's army fled, the more Yuan Shu's army pursued them. Whenever they were close to catching up, Cao Cao would abandon the rear guard's supplies and the civilians and burn them to stop Yuan Shu.

The King of Han was compassionate and cared deeply for the people, always doing his utmost to save them, which slowed down his journey.

As a result, Cao Cao's reputation became increasingly tarnished and infamous, while the King of Han's reputation grew ever stronger, and his name of benevolence and righteousness spread far and wide.

Meanwhile, as Cao Cao and Yuan Shu were pursuing and fleeing, Cao Cao's army at Wuguan Pass, not far away, had also abandoned the pass and fled.

It turns out that not long ago, Zhang Xiu, together with generals such as Xing Daorong and Cai Mao, ordered the Jingzhou army to attack Wuguan. He originally intended to make a great display of his skills to enhance his reputation as an adopted son and to strive for a higher position in the Heavenly Stars next year.

But who would have thought that he was so eager to try, wishing he could fight the enemy.

However, they ran into Cao Ren at Wuguan, who stubbornly defended the city and refused to come out no matter how much they argued.

He had tried to forcefully attack the city, but the Jingzhou army was of questionable strength, with each soldier prioritizing self-preservation. They were no match for the Huainan soldiers under his adoptive father.

It is evident that a bad soldier is just one bad soldier, and a bad general makes a bad army. With a general like Xing Daorong in Jingzhou, there will be a bad army in Jingzhou.

Cao Ren was also extremely skilled at defense. Although there were only 30,000 Cao troops at Wuguan Pass, he defended it like an iron barrel.

Despite Zhang Xiu's daily attacks and taunts, he has yet to achieve anything significant.

Upon hearing the military intelligence reports from Huanyuan Pass, it was clear that either Lü Bu had been ambushed, suffering countless casualties and fleeing back to Langya, or Xiahou Yuan had led his army to surrender and become a general in the campaign against Cao Cao.

In contrast, what about ourselves? We're fighting the Wuguan Pass without any progress, putting it off until tomorrow.

How could Zhang Xiu not be anxious about this?
If Huanyuan Pass is captured by then, but I am still blocked outside Wu Pass with no progress, I will be in trouble.

How could he, Zhang Xiu, face the King of Han again? How could he face his adoptive father who entrusted him with the entire Jingzhou army, placing such trust and high hopes on him?

Zhang Xiu urged him on more urgently, but Cao Ren defended the city more firmly, without revealing the slightest flaw. As a result, Zhang Xiu, despite having an army of 100,000, was blocked by the pass and could only cry out in despair.

On that day, Zhang Xiu consulted with the wise men and spoke of Cao Ren's firm defenses and the difficulty in breaching Wuguan Pass.

"Gentlemen, our adoptive father has entrusted us with the important task of breaking through Wuguan Pass, which is a sign of his trust in us."

But Cao Ren is currently on high alert, giving us no chance to take advantage of the situation. What can we do?
If the King of Han breaks through Huanyuan Pass and enters Luoyang to welcome the Emperor and control the Sili region, while we are still outside Wuguan Pass, waiting for our adoptive father to send troops to help us, we will be laughed at by the world.

By then, not only will Xiu Hui disappoint her adoptive father, but you will also have failed the King of Han's trust and lost the opportunity to make a name for yourselves.

Zhang Xiu spoke earnestly, pressing him to say:
"If any of you gentlemen have any good ideas, why not offer them up?" The crowd looked at each other, and finally all their eyes fell on the strategist Kuai Yue. Zhang Xiu also looked at him.

"If the strategist has any good ideas, why not teach them to me?"

Kuai Yue: "."

He gave a wry smile and replied:
"Cao Ren is willing to be a coward, undisturbed by external things, and leads 30,000 elite troops to defend Wuguan Pass. He trusts those he employs and does not employ those he distrusts. He lives as long as the pass is there, and he dies if the pass falls. No one under his command does not believe in him."

Under his command, Cao's army was united and determined. Moreover, Cao Ren was well-versed in military strategy and tactics, and his troop deployment was meticulous.

Now, unless we exhaust his food supplies in Guanzhong, or besiege the city with several times the number of troops, day and night, regardless of the cost, to completely wear him down, it is truly difficult to force a breakthrough.

Zhang Xiu frowned upon hearing this; this was certainly not the answer he wanted.

If it were such a foolish method, why would he need a strategist's advice? He himself knew this all along.

However, neither prolonged delay nor excessive troop depletion was acceptable to him.

The worst thing is to compare things. If it were Huanyuan Pass, they would have taken almost no losses and easily breached the pass.

With so many eyes watching, compared to this, Zhang Xiu might not only fail to advance further in his position at the Lingyan Pavilion next year, but he might even lose his status as the adopted son of the King of Han.

Therefore, he stared coldly at Kuai Yue, his gaze intense.

"Mr. Kuai, your wisdom and strategy are renowned throughout Jingzhou. You are known for your exceptional wit and discernment, and your reputation has spread among famous scholars."

Why is it that today, when all Xiu asked was for you to come up with a plan to break through Wuguan Pass, you made all sorts of excuses and only offered some well-known and useless strategies?

Are you looking down on me?

Before Kuai Yue could answer, Zhang Xiu interrupted and pressed him, saying:
“I am the adopted son of the King of Han, and my family has held high office for four generations.”

Now, by the imperial decree of the King of Han, I will lead you all to break through Wuguan Pass, restore the Han Dynasty, and rescue the Emperor!

Kuai Yue, let me ask you a question.

Do you consider me lowly, and therefore refuse to discuss matters with me?

Kuai Yue: "???"

No, I was just venting my frustrations, why are you trying to kill me?

To look down on you? To consider Zhang Xiu contemptible?
You are the adopted son of the King of Han! Who would dare to look down on you?

Let alone the King of Han, I cannot bear the thought that his other adopted sons might dislike me because of this.

Was it because I was unwilling to offer you advice?

It's just that Cao Ren is too tough a nut to crack, there's no way to start. Even the most skillful cook can't make a meal without rice.

But Zhang Xiu had already put it this way, so Kuai Yue had no way to refuse.

Even if they racked their brains, they could only come up with a passable plan to deal with the immediate situation.

After a moment's thought, Kuai Yue spoke.

"If Cao Ren continues to hide at Wuguan and does not come out, then no one can do anything to him. If you really want to break through Wuguan, you may try to lure the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiu's eyes lit up, and he urged her to inquire further.

"How do we lure the enemy now? Strategist, please tell us quickly."

Kuai Yue stroked his beard and smiled, then began to explain in detail.

"Perhaps it could be a ruse involving self-inflicted injury!"
The general, relying on his status as the adopted son of the King of Han, treated his generals as if they were summoned at will and dismissed at will.

General Xing Daorong was displeased by this and complained in his heart, but his complaints were reported to the general by a scoundrel.

The general was furious and publicly whipped him as a warning to others.

General Xing Daorong boasted that he had rendered countless merits to the King of Han, and that without him, how could the King of Han have obtained Jingzhou?

I never imagined I would end up like this, not only failing to gain the status of the King of Han's adopted son, but also being publicly whipped and humiliated by you, the King of Han's adopted son.

Harboring resentment, he secretly sent a letter to Cao Ren through Wuguan Pass, intending to defect to Cao Ren from within and without, thus achieving unparalleled merit in battle!

Kuai Yue had only intended to offer a casual plan to deal with the current crisis, but the more he explained it, the more reasonable it seemed. Thinking himself clever, he laughed and said to everyone:

"If the general uses this opportunity of a coordinated attack from within and without to utterly defeat our army as bait, how could Cao Ren not fall for it?"

At that time, as long as we lure him out of Wuguan, we will cooperate with General Xing Daorong to defect again and again on the battlefield.

Why worry about not being able to wipe them all out in one fell swoop? First, break through Wuguan Pass, and you will achieve an unparalleled feat!

Xing Daorong: "???"

At this point, no one paid attention to Xing Daorong's ideas. Zhang Xiu, upon hearing this plan, thought it was very reasonable, but he had some doubts:

"What if Cao Ren doesn't believe me?"

Kuai Yue spoke with righteous indignation, saying, "If you say that others would defect in the face of battle, Cao Ren might not believe it."

But if it were said that General Xing Daorong would defect in the face of battle, how could Cao Ren not believe it?

Xing Daorong: "."

Zhang Xiu also found this reasonable, and thus decided to proceed with the plan. He then said to Xing Daorong:
"General Xing, I'm sorry to have troubled you this time, but this plan is impossible without you, we can't do it without you."

General Xing, please rest assured, when this plan succeeds and Wuguan Pass is breached, I will report your achievements to my adoptive father in full and personally recommend you for credit.”

Xing Daorong gave a wry smile. What could he say? He could only accept the order willingly.

"This humble general, Xing Daorong, respectfully obeys the general's orders!"

As a result, internal conflicts arose within Zhang Xiu's army, and Xing Daorong was whipped, causing widespread panic and creating an atmosphere of impending infighting.

He deliberately lowered his guard, allowing Cao's spies to relay the message back to Cao Ren.

Soon after, when everything went smoothly, Xing Daorong's earnest letter to Cao Ren was placed before Cao Ren, and all the generals in Cao's camp were overjoyed.

Cao Hong slammed his fist on the table in excitement, exclaiming, "Heaven is on my side!"

Xing Daorong was renowned and was the top general in Jingzhou. No general in Jingzhou was not his friend.

Although Zhang Xiu is now commanding 100,000 troops from Jingzhou under the orders of Yuan Shu, it is still unknown how many of these 100,000 are former acquaintances and subordinates of Xing Daorong!

Furthermore, it is said that Cai Mao of Jingzhou is Xing Daorong's sworn brother. If Xing Daorong were to defect in battle, how could Cai Mao possibly escape unscathed?
If we can get Xing Daorong's help this time, and coordinate with him from within and without, wouldn't breaking through Yuan's army outside the pass be a piece of cake?
If Cao Cao could annihilate Yuan Shu's 100,000 troops in a single battle, the pressure on him would be greatly reduced.

Cao Hong continued talking to himself, and was surprised to see that Cao Ren remained silent for a long time.

"This is a golden opportunity!"
Assisting Cao Cao in achieving great things is the chance today.

Zixiao, what are you still hesitating about?

However, Cao Ren shook his head at this.

"Cao Cao ordered me to defend Wuguan Pass for him no matter what."

Instead of ordering me to defeat Yuan's army outside the pass, I was instead tasked with achieving a great victory for him.

Now is the opportunity to decisively defeat Yuan's army, yet Wu Guan is placed in danger.

Mediocre people scheme for it, but wise people do not!

Cao Hong: "???"

Why does it feel like you're insulting me?
(End of this chapter)