Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 169 The Trapped Camp: Liu Bei Knows Gao Shun Exists in the World (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Having received the benefits, Zhang Miao immediately left Yuan Yi's stronghold and returned to his own.

If it were anyone else, Zhang Miao could have simply sent one person.

However, Gao Shun was different; he was a general recruited by Zhang Miao from the Gao clan in Chenliu.

His personality is extremely stubborn and meticulous. If someone were to be sent directly to give the order, Gao Shun might consider him a petty person who dares to discuss military affairs and punish him according to military law.

After all, abandoning one's own advantages to fight Zhao Yun is inherently frivolous.

However, Zhang Miao believed it was worth it to covet the four thousand soldiers of Yuan Yi and his men.

As expected, Gao Shun refused Zhang Miao's request outright: "My lord, war is not child's play. It's either fight or defend. How can we act rashly out of momentary courage?"

Zhang Miao thought to himself that this was indeed the case, and could only feign grievance: "Father, you must also consider my difficulties. Now, the generals of Yanzhou were first frightened by Lü Bu, and then by Zhao Yun, and they are all afraid to fight."

"Yuan Yi and Qiao Mao sent two unknown juniors to their deaths, which only increased Zhao Yun's fame. Lü Qian, under Zheng Sui, was wounded and fled. I must find a way to capture or kill Zhao Yun or make him lose heart and leave, so that the generals will have the courage to face Liu Bei."

Gao Shun fell silent.

Among the Gao clan of Chenliu, Gao Shun was an anomaly. He disliked classical texts but was fond of military affairs. He was kind and unpretentious, stubborn and meticulous. He neither accepted gifts nor drank alcohol, and was extremely unsociable.

Zhang Miao was ambitious and took a liking to Gao Shun at first sight. After several visits, he finally managed to persuade Gao Shun to come out of retirement, and he was grateful to Gao Shun for recognizing his talent.

Seeing Zhang Miao so aggrieved, Gao Shun couldn't bear it and sighed, "I'll try my best."

Zhang Miao was overjoyed: "With filial piety and the brave warriors of the Vanguard Camp leading the way, we will surely not be defeated!"

Upon hearing the words "Trap Camp," Gao Shun couldn't help but add, "My lord, the Trap Camp requires all its armor to be refined and complete before it can be fully formed."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Miao felt a headache coming on.

When Gao Shun first wanted Zhang Miao to prepare fish scale armor, Zhang Miao was shocked and jumped up: "Ordinary soldiers using fish scale armor? Are you crazy?"
Seeing that Zhang Miao could not provide it, Gao Shun then settled for having all the elite soldiers of the Trapped Camp wear two-piece armor, but this request was once again rejected by Zhang Miao.

In fact, if Zhang Miao were to provide the Trapped Camp with two sets of armor, he could do so, but the price would be that everyone except the Trapped Camp members, including Zhang Miao's personal guards, would have to wear leather armor.

The thought of Gao Shun commanding a fully armored force of several hundred men sent chills down Zhang Miao's spine.

Even though Gao Shun offered to let Zhang Miao serve as his personal guard in the Trapped Camp, Zhang Miao was still unwilling.

Loyalty is paramount for personal guards; ferocity is secondary. Zhang Miao dared not easily agree to replace his personal guards.

Therefore, the armor project has been delayed again and again. To this day, Gao Shun has only equipped the Trapped Camp with a few dozen taels of armor, most of which are leather armor.

This is why, when Lü Bu was displaying his power, Gao Shun could only maintain the formation and not charge directly in the opposite direction.

If they were to truly deploy a fully equipped elite force, even Lu Bu would have to kneel before them.

"When we have extra armor in the future, I will definitely prioritize the Vanguard Camp." Zhang Miao started his persuasive mode and urged Gao Shun to go into battle.

With a sigh, Gao Shun selected fifty warriors from the Trapped Camp who were wearing two-piece armor, and they descended the mountain with steady steps.

The reason for having fifty men was not because Gao Shun was arrogant, but because he did not want the unarmored elite soldiers of the Trapped Camp to die in vain.

Zhang Miao hurriedly returned to Yuan Yi's main camp and triumphantly summoned everyone to the open space at the camp gate to watch the battle.

"Prefect Zhang is really lucky. The Gao family of Chenliu and my Yuan family are related by marriage, yet you beat me to it." Yuan Yi was both envious and jealous.

Chenliu Gaogan was Yuan Shao's nephew and had a close relationship with the Yuan family.

Normally, Yuan Yi would have the greatest advantage in recruiting Gao Shun.

Zhang Miao appeared smug, but inwardly he was contemptuous: Even if you don't steal, do you have the discerning eye to recognize talent?

Down the mountain.

Seeing Gao Shun and his fifty elite warriors approaching in neat formation, Zhao Yun's gaze also turned serious.

The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

To judge the strength of an army, the first thing to look at is its appearance, then its weapons and armor, and finally its physique.

With their neat military bearing, excellent weapons and armor, and robust physiques, they could not possibly be a weak army!
"I am Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong, a captain of the Lingyan Army under the command of the Imperial Uncle. Your Excellency is exceptionally brave and skilled. May I ask your name?" Zhao Yun raised his hand in a salute.

While Zhao Yun was sizing up Gao Shun and the elite soldiers of the Trapped Camp, Gao Shun was also sizing up Zhao Yun and the cavalry behind him.

An expert can tell the difference in strength at a glance.

With just one glance, Gao Shun understood: he could not stop Zhao Yun and the cavalrymen behind him!

The Trapped Camp was composed of infantry. According to Gao Shun's judgment, if he wanted to keep Zhao Yun's fifty cavalrymen, he would need at least three times that number.

If Zhao Yun could hear what Gao Shun was thinking, he would probably trigger the "Zhao Yun's fury" mode without Gao Shun having to say anything.

I was actually underestimated like this. Three times the number of people thought they could keep me here?

"I am Gao Shun, the father of Gao Xiaofu, a native of Chenliu, and a commander of the Vanguard Battalion under the command of the Prefect of Chenliu."

Gao Shun wouldn't have given his name to anyone else, but he felt that Zhao Yun was imposing and the cavalry behind him were exceptionally brave. Moreover, Zhao Yun spoke politely, so out of respect, Gao Shun agreed to give his name.

Just as Gao Shun was pondering how to fight Zhao Yun to dampen his spirits, he heard Zhao Yun exclaim in surprise, "You are Gao Shun from Chenliu?"

Gao Shun was slightly surprised: "Lieutenant Zhao knows me?"

Zhao Yun's tone turned solemn as he shouted, "I am the sworn brother of the Imperial Uncle, and I often discuss the heroes of the world with him. One day, the Imperial Uncle told me that there was a man from Chenliu named Gao Shun, who was honest and kind, extremely skilled in training soldiers, and a rare talent among generals in this era."

"As for his ability to train troops, he can be compared with Wu Qi, who created and trained the Wei Wuzu during the Warring States period. I originally thought that my uncle was exaggerating because he cherished talent, but after seeing him today, I know that what my uncle said is true."

“When the Imperial Uncle was in the Western Garden Army, he had the intention of recruiting Gao Duwei, but he was afraid that his status was too low at that time, and even if he recruited Gao Duwei, he would not be able to use him. Therefore, he often regretted it.”

"I came here to challenge them on behalf of my Imperial Uncle, to see if there was a Commandant Gao among the rebel generals of Yanzhou. I never expected to actually encounter him."

"You were born a hero, why did you become a thief?"

Gao Shun was shocked to hear this. He had just carefully observed Zhao Yun and found that there was no falsehood in his tone or expression. He was even more astonished.

Does the Imperial Uncle know that there is a Gao Shun in the world?
Upon hearing Zhao Yun's words, "You were originally a hero, why did you join the bandits?", Gao Shun couldn't help but feel ashamed.

If not forced by circumstances, who would willingly become a thief?

Meanwhile, Yuan Yi and the others watching the battle were stunned by Zhao Yun's sudden praise during the battle.

"Prefect Zhang, you're quite lucky. If you hadn't acted first, Gao Shun would have been recruited by Liu Bei." Yuan Yi's tone was somewhat strange, and it sounded sarcastic.

After all, Gao Shun was going down the mountain to fight Zhao Yun. Before the fight even started, Zhao Yun praised him to his face and even compared Gao Shun to Wu Qi.

To be fair, if Yuan Yi were praised so much, he wouldn't have the fighting spirit to fight Zhao Yun.

Zhang Miao was both annoyed and angry. Because Gao Shun was stubborn and not very sociable, most of the Gao clan members also thought that Gao Shun was an oddball who did not learn about human relationships and only knew how to study strange skills and tricks.

Even if they use ingenious and unconventional techniques, they still choose the most uncommon methods of training troops, and even in the process of training troops, they still study the most uncommon types of troops.

He always chooses the least popular path, so calling him an outlier is not an exaggeration.

Zhang Miao seized upon this point, praising Gao Shun's skill in training troops and promising to help Gao Shun establish the Trapped Camp, which is how Gao Shun was able to join.

Now, Zhao Yun is praising him even more effusively.

Not only did it compare Gao Shun's ability to train troops to that of Wu Qi, but it also mentioned the Wei Wu Zu, which is to say that the Trapped Camp was an elite force like the Wei Wu Zu.

Based on Zhang Miao's understanding of Gao Shun, if Gao Shun were to draw his sword now, Zhang Miao would consider himself to have lost!

"Heroes cherish heroes, which shows that Gao Shun is no less than Zhao Yun." Zhang Miao forced an ugly smile, but his heart was bleeding.

My four thousand soldiers!

Gone!

As expected, Gao Shun was unwilling to fight such small-scale battles where he had no advantage. After being praised by Zhao Yun and asked a question, his fighting spirit immediately dropped to zero.

Not knowing how to return and report, he could only stare blankly at Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun saw Gao Shun's predicament, so he cupped his hands and shouted, "Commander Gao is a man highly regarded by the Imperial Uncle. I will not fight with Commander Gao."

"I know that a general of Gao's caliber would not want our brave soldiers to die in vain under wrong orders. Let's call it a day and meet again."

Subsequently.

Zhao Yun reined in his horse, turned around, and led his cavalry away.

Watching Zhao Yun leave, Gao Shun felt a pang of resentment and envy.

With a sigh, Gao Shun led his troops back.

Yuan Yi and the others who were watching the battle congratulated Zhang Miao, but their congratulations were either gloating or encouraging him to sow discord.

As for the five hundred soldiers that had been promised earlier, no one mentioned them again, and Zhang Miao was too embarrassed to ask for them back.

Glancing at the ill-intentioned crowd, Zhang Miao flicked his sleeves, snorted coldly, and hurriedly returned to the camp.

Seeing Gao Shun standing there in a daze, Zhang Miao's eyes darkened even more.

“Father, why didn’t we fight just now? Do you know how humiliated I was in front of Yuan Yi and the others? Zhao Yun deliberately shouted every word as if he was afraid we wouldn’t hear him. It was truly hateful.” Zhang Miao said indignantly.

He added, "Don't forget. The Gao family of Chenliu is related to the Yuan family by marriage. Even if Liu Bei valued you before, so what? Now that our positions are clearly friend or foe, do you think Liu Bei would still use you?"

"You must remember that Liu Bei is a traitor who forged an imperial edict and helped the false emperor kill the young emperor. For such a treacherous minister as Liu Bei, it is not an exaggeration to exterminate his entire clan! Don't forget your identity!"

Gao Shun remained silent, letting Zhang Miao vent his anger.

Seeing Gao Shun's continued silence and refusal to retaliate, Zhang Miao was even more frustrated and could only leave in a huff. He then sought out Chen Liuweizi, a general in the camp, to discuss the matter.

"Gao Shun is a very honest and kind man. He would never betray his lord because of a few words from Zhao Yun. Right now, the generals of Yanzhou are only superficially united, and Liu Bei has sent troops to rescue Xiaopei. I'm afraid it will be difficult to succeed this time."

While analyzing and thinking, Weiz then said:

"In my opinion, the generals of Yanzhou have the advantage of the mountains and the terrain, while Tao Qian and others have the advantage of the water and the terrain. Only Yuan Shu has no advantage of terrain. If I were Liu Bei, I would definitely defeat Yuan Shu first."

Zhang Miao said bitterly, "So when Zhao Yun said there were only two thousand men, he really meant it. He came here as a diversionary force to hold us back! It's hateful that no one was willing to advance, otherwise Zhao Yun wouldn't have been so arrogant."

Wei Zi reassured him, "Your Excellency has been working tirelessly for the General of Chariots and Cavalry, with the intention of helping him defend the Yanzhou defense line and preventing Liu Bei from taking advantage of the General's battle with Gongsun Zan to advance north. Now that everyone is at odds, it would be better to prioritize preserving our strength."

"Yuan Shu is a great enemy of the General of Chariots and Cavalry. If we can eliminate Yuan Shu with the help of Liu Bei, it will be beneficial to the General of Chariots and Cavalry. If Liu Bei confronts Yuan Shu, even if he wins, he will suffer some losses. You can stay in the camp to conserve your strength and wait for the right opportunity."

Although Weiz's analysis hit the nail on the head, Zhang Miao did not dare to send Chenliu troops to fight Zhao Yun one-on-one and let everyone benefit.

Since no one wanted to lose strength, Zhang Miao wouldn't be foolish enough to exhaust Chenliu's troops.

Zhang Miao wasn't the only one with this idea.

None of these powerful governors and chancellors of Yanzhou were easy to deal with.

They're not good at fighting, but they're all experts at political maneuvering and intrigue.

In Xiaopei City.

Seeing the banner that read "Imperial Uncle Liu Bei" flying high, Cao Cao hurriedly rode out of the city to greet him. Before he even got close, he enthusiastically shouted, "Since we parted in Luoyang, Imperial Uncle has become even more... hmm?"

Staring in astonishment at Ma Chao and Fa Zheng under the banner, Cao Cao asked in surprise, "Where has the Imperial Uncle gone?"

"The rebels are powerful, so my master decided to defeat Yuan Shu first, and thus led his troops south." Fa Zheng stepped forward and whispered, "My uncle said that after we enter the city, Commandant Lü can challenge Tao Qian and others, while Commandant Cao of Yanzhou and Commandant Ma will jointly defend Xiaopei."

Cao Cao was also a military strategist, and he immediately understood Liu Bei's plan. He then laughed heartily and said, "It is thanks to the Imperial Uncle's rescue that I was able to escape danger this time."

They entered the city covertly, and Ma Chao and Fa Zheng set up a large tent in the city, forbidding anyone except Cao Cao from approaching it.

Cao Cao, meanwhile, was inside his tent, laughing loudly from time to time.

soon.

News then spread through the city: "The Imperial Uncle and Cao Yanzhou are bosom friends and even sleep in the same tent." "The Imperial Uncle and Cao Yanzhou have decided to first defeat the generals of Yanzhou to help Cao Yanzhou take control of Yanzhou." "The Imperial Uncle has 40,000 troops under his command, which is enough to help Cao Yanzhou defeat the generals of Yanzhou."

There were already spies from the generals of Yanzhou and Xuzhou in Xiaopei City, but they were unable to enter or leave because the city gates had been closed previously.

With the city gates of Xiaopei now open, allowing the city's inhabitants to leave to gather firewood, farm, or return home, these spies also returned one after another.

Upon learning of the rumors circulating in Xiaopei, even Wei Zi, who had predicted that Liu Bei might attack Yuan Shu first, began to doubt his earlier assessment.

Cao Cao's betrayal of Yuan Shao was related to Liu Bei, and Liu Bei's rescue of Xiaopei was also due to Cao Cao's request for help. It is also reasonable for Liu Bei to help Cao Cao seize Yanzhou.

Unable to discern Liu Bei's true intentions, the generals of Yanzhou dared not act rashly.

Meanwhile, Tao Qian's side also heard the rumors circulating in the city.

"Liu Bei wanted to attack the generals of Yanzhou, but he was afraid that we would attack his rear. Therefore, he sent Lü Bu with two thousand troops to challenge him. This was just a feint attack." Tao Qian sneered repeatedly, with a hint of disdain.

Zang Ba, Zhou Gan, Yin De, Liu Kui, Ji Lian, Kong Rong, and Yuan Zhong in the tent all agreed. Kong Rong then asked, "Since we know that Lü Bu's attack is feigned, why don't we concentrate our forces and defeat Lü Bu first?"

Tao Qian laughed loudly: "Prime Minister Kong, there's no rush to defeat the enemy. Those people in Yanzhou aren't exactly benevolent either. Nine armies have come to attack a small Pei County. Do you really think they're here to fight Cao Cao?"

(End of this chapter)