My Three Kingdoms is not right

Taishan Army.

That was the most ruthless armed force in northern Xuzhou. They had been entrenched in the Taishan Mountains for many years, each controlling a county and several townships, making them the most powerful local bullies.

Because of his lack of strength, Lü Bu's relationship with them was more of an alliance than a command. He could hardly command them on a daily basis, and it was already a feat to maintain a state of non-aggression.

For this reason, Cao Cao did not pay much attention to the Taishan Army before he set out.

If it were only Lü Bu, Cao Cao was confident he could win in one battle. However, if the armies of Mount Tai and Lü Bu formed a pincer movement from the north and south, Cao Cao's army would be unable to defend both ends.

Regardless of victory or defeat, if the supply route is cut off by the Taishan Army, the 30,000 troops will be trapped on the banks of the Sishui River, with fortified cities in front and enemy troops behind, and the entire army will be in danger of being wiped out!

"When did Lü Bu become so close to those bandits from Mount Tai?" Cao Ren asked incredulously.

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold." Cheng Yu frowned. "The soldiers of Mount Tai are all shrewd. They know that if our army defeats Lü Bu, they will be next. Rather than waiting to be killed, we should join forces and fight while Lü Bu is still alive."

"At least five routes. The number could be as high as six or seven thousand, or as low as two or three thousand." Xiahou Yuan calculated quickly, his face growing even uglier. "Adding the garrison in Xiapi under Lü Bu, the total force is probably over thirty thousand."

Thirty thousand men—even without considering the difference in the level of elite troops on both sides, the enemy's strength was already comparable to Cao Cao's main force.

And if we also consider the invincible Lü Bu himself, the balance of power has begun to tilt in her favor.

"What's the panic?"

Cao Cao's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a bucket of cold water that extinguished the growing restlessness in the tent.

She had already ascended the steps of the general's platform, but now she stopped, turned around, and surveyed the assembled generals. Her phoenix eyes held no trace of hesitation, only a resolute, almost reassuring composure.

"Lu Bu is brave and the troops of Mount Tai are fierce, but they have a fatal weakness: they have never fought together."

"Lu Bu is a swift cavalryman from Bingzhou, skilled in frontal charges and decisive victories. The Taishan Army, on the other hand, are veterans of mountain warfare, adept at raiding and harassing, but not good at head-on battles. Putting these two forces together will not allow them to cooperate, but rather hinder each other."

As she said this, a slight smile even appeared on her lips: "Lü Bu looked down on the rough and unruly nature of the Taishan Army, and the generals of Taishan also disobeyed Lü Bu's orders. There was no unified command among them, and no proper communication. Lü Bu thought that reinforcements had come to attack me from both sides, but in my opinion, they were just sending a bunch of rabble to me so that I could defeat them one by one."

"Pass on the order—"

She resumed issuing commands, each sentence as clear as if it had been prepared in advance: "Xiahou Dun and Yu Jin will continue to face Lü Bu head-on. Remember, only defend, do not attack. Just hold off Lü Bu's cavalry and prevent them from breaking through the lines. Do not engage Lü Bu in one-on-one combat."

"Cao Ren and Cao Hong led their own 5,000 troops to the north to meet Zang Ba. Zang Ba is the main force of the Taishan Army, with the most soldiers and the bravest generals. If we defeat her, the morale of the other four armies will be greatly diminished."

"promise!"

"Xiahou Yuan will lead 2,000 light cavalry to intercept Sun Guan and Wu Dun's two routes. They have fewer troops but are familiar with the terrain, so we cannot fight them head-on. You need to use speed to harass and delay them, and prevent them from heading south to join forces."

"promise!"

"Li Dian and Yue Jin, withdraw the cavalry on the left and right flanks. You go and deal with Chang Xi and Yin Li. Remember, although these two armies are numerous, they are the most cowardly in battle. Just set up a formation to force a stalemate; you may not need to fight to the death."

"promise!"

Orders were issued one after another, and the generals in the tents received their commands and departed. The sound of their footsteps gradually faded away outside the tents, only to be swallowed up by the clamor of larger-scale troop deployments. Cao Cao's war machine was redistributing its forces with astonishing efficiency.

Cao Cao suddenly stopped speaking at this point.

After a moment of silence in the tent, she turned to a mark on the map.

"There's another route." She pointed to an inconspicuous spot on the map. "Zhao Shu and Li Zou, a total of about four thousand men, are taking the eastern route. They were originally bandits from the Pengcheng area, and only joined Lü Bu last year."

She frowned slightly as she said this.

All suitable generals have been dispatched. Xiahou Dun is unable to confront Lü Bu head-on. Cao Ren has gone to meet Zang Ba's main force, Xiahou Yuan has gone to intercept Sun Guan and Wu Dun, and Li Dian and Yue have gone in to restrain Chang Xi and Yin Li. Currently, the only forces available are Xu Chu's imperial guards and…

Her gaze lingered on the blank space on the map, and she remained silent for a long time.

The strategists in the tent remained silent. Cheng Yu wanted to say something, but Guo Jia gently tugged at his sleeve from under the table.

They all knew what Cao Cao was hesitating about.

Although Zhao Shu and Li Zou's forces are weak, they cannot be ignored, otherwise, if they were to attack from the rear, it would jeopardize the entire operation. However, if Cao Cao were to divide his forces to deal with them, he would have no reserves left.

The right person was in the tent, but Cao Cao was unwilling to speak up.

From that day in Pengcheng onwards, Cao Cao never spoke to Liu Xun again.

It's not that I hate him.

On the contrary, she didn't know how to face Liu Xun.

What angered her even more was that, despite being so defied by him, she couldn't muster even the slightest bit of hatred.

The same applies now.

Everyone in the tent knew that there was still a contingent of 1,500 imperial guards that hadn't been mobilized. Although the contingent was small in number, they were all carefully selected sons of good families and descendants of nobles, well-trained and highly motivated, more than capable of dealing with bandits like Zhao Shu.

But Cao Cao simply wouldn't speak.

Liu Xun stood in the corner of the tent, observing everything. He saw Cao Cao's fingers tracing back and forth across a small blank space on the map, saw her lips move slightly before tightening again, and saw the inner turmoil in the depths of her phoenix eyes.

Are you concerned about saving face?

He sighed softly to himself.

Cao Sikong, a ruthless and decisive ruler who traverses the world, is sometimes also the girl who would argue with herself over a single dumpling she made badly.

Liu Xun took a step forward.

"Minister Cao," he bowed respectfully, his voice low but clear, "leave Zhao Shu's journey to me."

Cao Cao suddenly raised his head.

Eyes facing each other.

This was the first time she had looked at him properly since that night in Pengcheng.

She was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Be careful."

In all these days, the first thing she said to Liu Xun was these three words.

Liu Xun paused for a moment, then smiled.

"it is good."

……

He stepped out of the military tent, where Zhao Yun and the Sun sisters were already waiting. Upon seeing Liu Xun emerge, the three of them went to greet him.

"The military order has been issued," Liu Xun said solemnly. "Lü Bu has contacted the various armies of Mount Tai, one of which, led by Zhao Shu and Li Zou, is attacking from the east with about four thousand men. I am prepared to lead the Imperial Guards to meet them."

Zhao Yunfeng's eyes blazed with fighting spirit: "Yes, sir!"

Liu Xun mounted his horse. "In this battle, we don't need to annihilate them completely. We only need to rout them so that they dare not go south to join forces with Lü Bu."

"Order Xu Huang to lead the main force to form a battle formation to meet the enemy; Zilong to lead two hundred elite cavalry as the vanguard to scout the enemy's situation; Shangxiang and Sun Yi to each lead a portion to protect the two flanks."