Han Ji

Liu Bei stood up, walked to the table, and looked down at the map. He pointed to the location of Wuchao and then traced a line along the Yellow River.

"How do we get to Wuchao from here?"

Qian Zhao said, "Going west from Guandu, along the small path on the north bank of the Yellow River, you can bypass Yuan Shao's main camp. But you have to cross the Yellow River. There are Yuan Shao's sentry posts at the ferry crossings on the north bank of the Yellow River, one every five li, with about a dozen people at each post."

Liu Bei asked, "Is it possible to go around it?"

Qian Zhao said, "We can get around it. I know a few ferry crossings without checkpoints. The water is shallow enough to wade through. Yuan Shao doesn't know about these crossings."

Liu Bei raised his head and looked at Qian Zhao. His eyes lit up.

"Are you sure no one knows about the ferry crossing? And are you sure about the garrison strength at Wuchao?"

Qian Zhao said, "Brother, don't worry, the special operations battalion's informants won't make mistakes."

Liu Bei straightened up. He took two steps, walked to the tent entrance, and then walked back. He tapped the table twice with his hand.

"Summon Jia Xu."

When Jia Xu entered, he was still holding the chess piece in his hand. He glanced at the parchment map on the table, then at Liu Bei's face.

"My lord, is there an opportunity to attack?"

Liu Bei pointed to the map. "Excellent, look here, Wuchao. Yuan Shao's supplies are all here. The garrison commander, Chunyu Qiong, has ten thousand men, but their defenses are lax. Qian Zhao has already thoroughly investigated the terrain, the crossings, and the defenses."

Jia Xu looked down at the picture for about fifteen minutes. His eyes scanned the picture again and again.

"Does Your Excellency intend to attack Wuchao?"

Liu Bei said, "If we burn Wuchao, Yuan Shao's 100,000-strong army will have no food and will collapse in three days."

Jia Xu said, "The risk is very high. We need to go around to Wuchao from the north bank of the Yellow River, which means passing through Yuan Shao's defense zone. If we are discovered, our five thousand cavalry will be trapped on the north bank and will never be able to return."

Liu Bei said, "The risk is great, but the reward is even greater. Yuan Shao has been fighting us at Guandu for half a year. He has more soldiers and more supplies than us. If this continues, we will be the first to give up. Right now, all his supplies are piled up in one place, the garrison commander is a drunkard, and there is a huge gap in the defenses. This is the best opportunity we've had in the past six months. It may also be the only opportunity."

Jia Xu remained silent for a while. He placed the chess piece in his hand on the table, and it rolled once before stopping.

"You are right, my lord. This battle is worth fighting."

Liu Bei turned to look at Qian Zhao. "What weaknesses remain in the defense of Wuchao?"

Qian Zhao said, "Their camp has no arrow towers. There are no deer antlers outside the moat. The fence is made of willow wood and is not very sturdy. Apart from the two patrol teams, the guards sleep in their tents at night. Chunyu Qiong's main tent is in the middle, and he drinks every night and snores when he's drunk."

Jia Xu asked, "When do you plan to make your move, my lord?"

Liu Bei said, "The sooner the better. Tonight."

Jia Xu said, "Tonight is too rushed. We need to select soldiers, make preparations, and notify each camp. Tomorrow night."

Liu Bei said, "Alright. Tomorrow night."

The next morning, Liu Bei summoned his core generals to his main tent. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Qian Zhao, along with Jia Xu and Jian Yong, were all present.

The tent flap was lowered, and guards stood on both sides, forbidding anyone from approaching.

Liu Bei recounted the events at Wuchao. Yuan Shao's entire grain supply was stored there, and the defending general, Chunyu Qiong, with ten thousand men, had been lax in his defenses. He decided to personally lead elite cavalry in a night raid on Wuchao to burn Yuan Shao's grain supplies.

The tent was quiet for a moment.

Guan Yu was the first to speak. He had just come from the left camp, his shoulder guards still on, his hand resting on his sword hilt. "Brother, our forces are insufficient for the surprise attack on Wuchao. If Yuan Shao's main force returns to reinforce, five thousand men on the north bank will be in great danger. This humble general requests permission to go in your place."

Liu Bei said, "Yun Chang, I'll go to this battle. You stay and guard the front camp. If Yuan Shao discovers we've made a move, he might launch a desperate attack on the front camp. The front camp is in your hands; you must hold it. If you fail to hold it, I won't be able to return even if I burn down Wuchao."

Guan Yu remained silent for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Don't worry, brother."

Zhang Fei stood up. Before Liu Bei could finish speaking, he started to walk out, but after two steps he turned back and slammed his fists on the table. "Brother, I want to lead the charge!"

Liu Bei said, "Yide, don't worry, I'll let you lead the charge this time. But remember, once you're inside, set fire to the haystacks first, then the grain stores. Burn them as quickly as possible, and then retreat."

Zhang Fei's eyes widened, and the stubble on his face stood on end. "Leave it to me!"

Qian Zhao unfolded the sheepskin map and described the terrain around Wuchao, the location of the ferry crossing, and the distribution of the guards.

"From Guandu, head west along a small path. Thirty li later, there's a shallow ford where the water only reaches a horse's belly. I'll lead the advance team across the river first and clear out all the sentries patrolling the north bank of the Yellow River. The crossing must be done discreetly."

Zhao Yun had been listening silently. After Qian Zhao finished speaking, he stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "This humble general will lead the cavalry to escort them. After burning Wuchao, Yuan Shao will surely pursue us. This humble general will set up an ambush south of Wuchao to intercept the pursuers."

Liu Bei looked at him. "How many people?"

Zhao Yun said, "Two thousand cavalry is enough. More than that will only clog the roads."

Jia Xu finally stood up. "My lord, there is one more thing. This time, the entire elite force has been deployed, and the vanguard has been depleted. If Yuan Shao discovers this, the vanguard will be under immense pressure. General Guan Yu must set up more flags in the vanguard, make the fires burn brighter, and ensure that the night patrols continue as usual. No one is allowed to reveal the slightest flaw."

Guan Yu said, "Wenhe, rest assured. The vanguard is in my hands."

Jia Xu said, "There's another plan. If we burn Wuchao, Yuan Shao's army will be thrown into chaos. But what will be thrown into chaos is their supplies and rear; his three elite battalions in the vanguard are still intact. At that time, we need to launch a feint attack in the vanguard to entangle them and prevent them from turning back to rescue Wuchao."

Guan Yu said, "I am here."

He had prepared an escape route east of Wuchao, having his deputy lead 500 axemen to build a pontoon bridge at an abandoned ferry crossing between Wuchao and Guandu. The pontoon bridge was constructed from empty grain carts and wooden planks, allowing passage for people but not horses. However, this foresight ensured that in case of danger, someone could pull the wounded across.

Liu Bei walked to the front of the map and drew a circle around the location of Wuchao with his finger.

"If Wuchao is burned, Yuan Shao's 100,000 men will run out of food. Without food, soldiers will scatter within three days. Yuan Shao can only turn the tide if he can conjure up food."

Jia Xu placed the chess piece on the map, at the location of Wuchao.

"My lord. Yuan Shao's military campaigns rely entirely on his large numbers of men and ample supplies. If either of these two factors is lost, he will be unable to command his troops."

Liu Bei said, "Pass down the order. Everyone prepare. We will depart tonight."

Throughout the day, the camp appeared to be operating as usual. Those on sentry duty were on duty, others were training, and still others were cooking. Jian Yong and his men were neatly stacking the newly arrived grain sacks in the granary.

Smoke rose as usual from the chimneys. Anyone standing on the distant hill looking this way would see a military camp undergoing normal rest and recuperation.