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

Chapter 247 Yuan Shao is too confident; Liu Bei will surely be defeated tonight (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)
Yanjin.

A boat came from the north.

The soldiers on the watchtower immediately raised their flags to signal to the soldiers below.

A squad of archers then took their positions.

Then we saw the people on the boat raise their flags, waving them three times to the left and twice to the right.

"It's one of our own."

The corporal signaled to the sergeant in the watchtower to give the signal for the northern ship to dock.

"I am Xing Shan, a captain under Zhao Xiaowei of the Lingyan Army. Is Cao Ren, the garrison commander of Yanjin, here?" The newcomer was none other than Xing Shan, the valiant warrior who once single-handedly held off Zhang He and Gao Lan's four thousand men in Chaoge on Liu Bei's orders.

Because of his merits, Liu Bei promoted Xing Shan to the rank of Commandant.

The sergeant saluted and said, "Captain Cao is in the camp. Please follow me."

Not long after.

Xing Shan met Cao Ren, who had just been awakened, in the main tent and conveyed Liu Bei's military orders.

"Crossing the Yellow River at night?"

Cao Ren looked surprised and said, "Although it's not the flood season on the Yellow River right now, crossing it at night is very risky. Is it really necessary tonight?"

Xing Shan's expression was solemn: "If Commandant Cao has any doubts, he may ask Governor Cao of Yanzhou. Tonight, His Majesty will launch a decisive battle against Yuan Shao. Whether you can cross the river in time and arrive in Chaoge by dawn is the key to a great victory in this battle."

Cao Ren felt a chill run down his spine.

The troops from Yanzhou had been gathered at Yanjin and Baimajin for a long time, but had not received any orders to cross the river. They had only deployed a large number of ferries at the river mouth.

Cao Ren once thought that Liu Bei might not have even considered using the troops from Yanzhou.

It's no wonder Cao Ren thought this way; even Yuan Shao and Feng Ji thought the same way, which is why they didn't take precautions against the Yan Province region.

Or perhaps, Yuan Shao was also unable to prevent it, and could only send scouts every day to investigate whether any troops from Yanzhou were crossing the river.

"Lieutenant Xing, please wait a moment. Governor Cao of Yanzhou is currently in the rear city. I will go there to request instructions immediately." Cao Ren dared not be careless.

The risks of crossing the Yellow River at night and the key to Liu Bei's victory over Yuan Shao were not things that Cao Ren could bear alone.

Upon receiving Liu Bei's order, Cao Cao slammed his fist on the table and laughed loudly, "After waiting for so many days, Your Majesty has finally seized the opportunity to defeat Yuan Shao! Zixiao, hurry up and prepare, I will personally lead the troops across the river tonight!"

Cao Ren asked doubtfully, "My lord, not to mention the many risks of crossing the Yellow River at night, what if Yuan Shao's troops are hiding on the other side and attack us while we are crossing? How can we possibly stop them?"

Cao Cao was not worried at all, but was even more excited: "If there were no difficulty, how could it be the key to winning this battle? If you are afraid, you can stay in Yanjin."

Instead of asking for a reply, Cao Ren was provoked. Upon hearing this, Cao Ren's blood boiled instantly: "Why does my lord underestimate me? Tonight, I am willing to be the vanguard and cross the river first!"

"Good!" Cao Cao laughed and praised, "Zixiao, you are so brave and fierce, so I will appoint you as the vanguard. After dark, we will cross the river."

"Don't worry about ambushes. Chaoge is more than 60 li north of Yanjin. Yuan Shao will not specifically send troops to ambush us at Yanjin. At most, there will be scouts during the day to explore the area."

Cao Ren suddenly realized: "No wonder His Majesty ordered us to cross the Yellow River at night; this is the key to launching a surprise attack! I'll go prepare right away!"

Cao Cao laughed and told Cao Ren to go and make the preparations himself.

Even after issuing the military order, Cao Cao was still extremely unsettled.

Cao Cao had once been Yuan Shao's follower, but he had never formally clashed with Yuan Shao.

Now we finally have this opportunity!

Cao Cao wanted to say to Yuan Shao in person: You once said that I, Cao Cao, could not establish myself in Yan Province, but now I have not only established myself in Yan Province, but I have also crossed the river to attack you!

The crescent moon hangs like a hook, and the stars are hidden in the clouds.

Yanjin Ferry Crossing.

One ferry after another headed towards the other side of the river.

Although crossing the Yellow River at night is dangerous, it is not the flood season now, and the waves of the Yellow River are not large when crossing at Yanjin.

As long as you don't encounter an attack and are careful, you can generally cross at night safely. The biggest danger is that visibility is obstructed at night, making it easy to lose your way.

Cao Ren led twenty ferries across the river first, then quickly ran to the shore, lighting torches to guide the ferries behind him.

As more and more ferries crossed the river, Cao Ren's worries subsided.

Not long after.

Cao Cao also landed on the shore. Seeing Cao Ren's tense expression, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "Crossing the river is not the most difficult part. The most difficult part is that we have to travel more than sixty miles at night to reach Chaoge and then participate in the battle."

Cao Ren glanced at the waning moon and the dim stars in the sky, and said with relief, "Fortunately, we are in the flat land of Hebei. If it were a winding road, it would have taken more than one night to reach Chaoge."

Cao Cao looked towards Chaoge, his excitement still undiminished: "You will be the vanguard to scout ahead. We must reach Chaoge tonight. If we are late, His Majesty may have already defeated Yuan Shao without our help!"

Based on Cao Cao's understanding of Liu Bei, Liu Bei would not easily fall into danger, much less entrust victory to Cao Cao at Yan Jin.

Therefore, although Cao Cao's army was key to the great victory, it was not the key to the final victory.

If Cao Cao had arrived later, Liu Bei could still have defeated Yuan Shao, but he would have been less likely to achieve greater results.

After all, Yuan Shao had 100,000 troops.

Even if there are 100,000 pigs, it is still very difficult to slaughter them.

Even if all 100,000 soldiers surrendered, guarding 100,000 people would still be a troublesome matter.

If Cao Cao could not arrive in time, Liu Bei would most likely abandon the pursuit of a major victory and focus on driving away and defeating Cao Cao. However, if a major victory turned into a minor one, Cao Cao would be guilty even if he had not achieved anything.

Cao Cao had no intention of missing this opportunity to deliver a crushing blow to Yuan Shao.

Cao Cao had been longing for this day for far too long since his falling out with Yuan Shao!

Chaoge City.

Under the cover of darkness, the five battalions of Guan Yu, Dian Wei, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and Xu Chu quietly left the city, leaving only the Trapped Camp to defend it.

But it was not the fifth watch, but the fourth watch.

Liu Bei brought forward the start of the campaign.

According to the plan, two battalions would lead the ambush, and two battalions would follow to provide support. Dian Wei and Xu Chu were the vanguard in this battle!
"kill!"

"kill!"

Two deep roars, like those of tigers and leopards, rang out. Dian Wei and Xu Chu, both clad in heavy armor, took the lead and charged towards Yuan Shao's vanguard camp.

Inside the Chinese army's tent.

Yuan Shao, dressed in a brocade robe, tried to appear calm, but the unconscious tapping of his fingertips on the table betrayed his inner anxiety.

Feng Ji stood to one side, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, a cold smile playing on his lips, as if he had everything under control.

"Report——!"

The scouts hurriedly entered the tent.

"The vanguard camp has been attacked by enemy soldiers!"

Feng Ji's eyes lit up, and his tone revealed the joy of his successful plan: "Liu Bei did indeed bring forward the time of the raid! He deliberately told Tian Chou to launch the attack at dawn, just to catch him off guard. How could such a trick fool me?"

Yuan Shao stroked his long beard, his anxiety lessening somewhat after learning that the vanguard camp had been attacked. He wasn't worried about Liu Bei not sending troops; he was worried that Liu Bei would hide and not reveal when he would attack. As long as Liu Bei's troops appeared, he would have a chance to defeat him.

The battlefield deployment and scheduling had already been completed, so Yuan Shao no longer needed to issue separate military orders. He simply waited quietly in his tent for the scouts to report on the progress of the battle.

Meanwhile, inside Yuan Shao's vanguard camp.

The deafening battle cries tore through the deepest darkness as Dian Wei and Xu Chu, two fierce warriors, each led a battalion of Lingyan Army soldiers, charging swiftly into the fray.

Following Feng Ji's plan, Chunyu Qiong left an empty camp in front, but actually had troops lying in ambush on the left and right.

As soon as Dian Wei and Xu Chu charged in, Han Meng, Han Juzi, Lü Weihuang, and Sui Yuanjin rushed out from the left and right, shouting, "You've fallen into their trap!"
After entering the camp, Dian Wei and Xu Chu did not see any Yuan soldiers, so they made a guess. Instead of running away, they formed ranks on the left and right, each guarding one side.

As the ambush appeared, Xu Huang and Zhang Liao's two battalions also led their troops in a flanking maneuver, directly encircling the flanks of Yuan's two armies.

Shortly after they arrived, Generals Zhang He and Gao Lan also appeared with their troops, shouting, "We have been waiting here for a long time!"

Seeing that both raiding parties had encountered ambushes, Guan Yu's lips curled into a cold smile, showing no sign of panic at the appearance of the ambushes.

The hot breath from the red-horse seemed to mock Yuan Ying's camp.

Guan Yu's five camps were not the main target of tonight's raid; their purpose was to lure out Yuan Shao's ambush troops and contain them.

And on the other side.

The five battalions of Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, and Taishi Ci were ordered to attack Yuan Shao's left battalion.

Unlike the ambush set up by the central army, Meng Dai of the left army focused on a defensive strategy, commanding five generals—Zhu Ling, Jiang Qi, Jiang Yiqu, Wang Men, and He Mao—to hold their positions in the camp and utilize its terrain advantages for defense.

Although Yuan's army was not as elite as Lingyan Army, it had the advantage of numbers and strength. For a time, Zhang Fei's five battalions were unable to capture Yuan Shao's left camp.

Upon learning the intelligence, Feng Ji was overjoyed and congratulated Yuan Shao: "Liu Bei's troops are already tied down. We can quickly attack Chaoge City and Liu Bei's main camp, and we will surely achieve a great victory!"

This was Feng Ji's final plan: to take advantage of Liu Bei's army leaving the city and camp, and then directly bypass the city to attack Chaoge and Liu Bei's main camp.

Yuan Shao laughed and stood up: "Yuan Tu is indeed a brilliant strategist. Order Generals Wang Mo and Guo Zu to immediately attack Liu Bei's main camp; order Xianyu Yin, Qi Zhou, and Tian Chou to immediately attack Chaoge City!"

The military order was relayed to the camp.

Xianyu Yinmian looked troubled: "Are we really going to attack Chaoge?"

After all, the initial purpose was to surrender to Liu Bei, but now they are going to attack Chaoge. What if they actually take Chaoge?
Tian Chou pondered for a moment and said, "Fight! What we need to do now is to attack Chaoge according to Feng Ji's plan. We'll deal with everything else after we've fought!"

Tian Yu also said, "I also agree to attack Chaoge first, and then decide based on the situation."

As Xianyu Yin and his entourage left, a troop of soldiers appeared before Xianyu Fu, who was bedridden after being flogged, their expressions hostile.

Xianyu Fu was greatly alarmed: "Who are you?"

The leader sneered, "General Xianyu, forgive us, we are here to watch you under orders."

Xianyu Fu's face turned pale as he suddenly remembered Liu Bei's response.

If Xianyu Yin and the others disobey Feng Ji's orders and act on their own tonight, Xianyu Yin and the others may not die, but Xianyu Fu will definitely die!
“You are the ones who supervise the army!” Xianyu Fu said in a low voice.

However, the visitor did not answer, but simply stared coldly at Xianyu Fu to prevent him from escaping.

Meanwhile, outside Liu Bei's main camp, Generals Wang Mo and Guo Zu arrived with their troops.

The two generals were taken aback to find the camp empty.

"Could it be that Liu Bei has sent all his troops out? Or is there an ambush in the camp?" Wang Mo couldn't help but wonder.

Guo Zu glanced at the main camp and said, "We'll split up. I'll be responsible for burning down the camp, and you beware of ambushes."

After reaching an agreement, Wang Mo led his troops in and began setting fires.

As the fire broke out in the camp, no soldiers appeared. Wang Mo was overjoyed: "There are no ambushes. Burn the camp quickly!"

The fire at Liu Bei's camp served as a signal to attack. Generals like Meng Dai, who had been holding the camp to the death, abandoned their defenses and shouted, "Liu Bei's main camp has fallen! Come out and meet the enemy!"

Upon receiving the news in the central command tent, Feng Ji laughed excitedly and stood up: "Liu Bei has fallen for my trap and will surely be defeated tonight! Our lord's conquest of the world is just around the corner!"

Yuan Shao was also excited. After repeatedly confirming the scale of the fire at Liu Bei's main camp, he burst into laughter: "Big-eared scoundrel, you've finally met your match! Haha!"

four years ago!
They've been suppressed by Liu Bei for four years!

The Yuan family, a noble clan with four generations of high-ranking officials, was suppressed for four years!
This is a disgrace to Yuan Shao!

Yuan Shao always wanted revenge, but he always lost to Liu Bei.

Today, we have finally defeated Liu Bei!

"Charge the entire army! Don't let Liu Bei escape!"

As Yuan Shao's entire army pressed forward, both Zhang Fei's five battalions and Zhang Liao's four battalions chose to retreat towards Guan Yu's direction.

Throughout the entire battle, Guan Yu merely observed the battlefield with a cold eye, and none of his troops were mobilized.

Meanwhile, the nine battalions of Zhang Fei and Zhang Liao, who had retreated, lined up behind Guan Yu.

Chunyu Qiong shouted, "Your stronghold has been breached, do you still intend to resist?"

"whispering sound!"

Guan Yu stared disdainfully at Chunyu Qiong, then stood with his sword drawn, waiting for Zhang Fei's nine camps to retreat.

"We cannot allow the bandits to form a battle array!" Chunyu Qiong saw through Guan Yu's intentions and urgently ordered his men to launch a strong attack.

Chunyu Qiong was puzzled because Liu Bei's main camp had been burned down. Normally, even if Guan Yu and others did not collapse, they should have retreated to Chaoge City. Instead, they continued to line up in front of the camp!
Do you still want to fight to the death and launch a counterattack?
Thinking of this, Chunyu Qiong felt humiliated!
Five times the number of the enemy, with ten thousand clad in great armor, things are not what they used to be. I thought we could defeat hundreds of thousands with half the number of twenty thousand back in Xiaopei.
"We have all been underestimated!"

"Since they won't leave, let's leave them all here!"

Chunyu Qiong shouted the order!
Yuan Jun's generals also felt humiliated. A bunch of defeated soldiers, did they still want to resist?
As dawn broke, the battle continued.

Yuan Shao, in the central army, couldn't help but feel anxious, his initial excitement at having just captured Liu Bei's main camp only to have it burned down was gone.

"Why haven't they collapsed yet!"

"Why haven't Xianyu Yin and the others captured Chaoge yet?"

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

Despite having the upper hand, Yuan Shao was unable to deliver the final blow, which drove him crazy with frustration.

Feng Ji frowned, pondering the battle reports from tonight. Key points occasionally flashed through his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp them.

"Where exactly did things go wrong? My plans went smoothly, so why hasn't Liu Bei collapsed yet? Why are Liu Bei's troops still putting up such a stubborn resistance? That damned Liu Bei! That wretched Liu Bei! Liu the Traitor! Hmm? No, Liu Bei!"

Feng Ji stood up in shock, suddenly realizing a possibility.

"Yuan Tu, what happened?" Yuan Shao frowned when he saw the shock on Feng Ji's face.

Feng Ji's voice trembled slightly: "Wang Mo sent someone to report on the battle, but Liu Bei's main camp was empty, and no one was seen with Liu Bei's banner; Chunyu Qiong sent someone to report on the battle, but no one was seen with Liu Bei's banner either; Meng Dai and Xianyu Yin reported back from both places that no one was seen with Liu Bei's banner either."

"Such a major battle tonight, yet Liu Bei has not appeared. This is very unusual! So where is Liu Bei right now?"

Yuan Shao sneered: "It's normal that they didn't show up. Maybe they're hiding in Chaoge City, or maybe it's too dark to see the banners. They can't possibly be coming for me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Shao was stunned.

(End of this chapter)