Overthrowing Wei: Starting with Cao Cao's "I'd rather betray the world than surrender

The stalemate continued, and more than a month had passed since Liang and Chen began their patrol.

On this day, the lights of the Chen Kingdom's eastern camp remained lit. The night wind brushed against the deer antlers, and the banners hung heavily in the darkness.

The general, still in his armor, stood inside the camp gate, gazing south. A mile south of the boundary marker, the Runan cavalry flag remained unmoved, and three hundred riders took turns on night patrol, maintaining their formation.

The lieutenant whispered, "They'll be practicing as usual tonight."

The general sneered, "Who are we putting on a show for? We won't back down, and they won't back down either." Despite his words, he was far from at ease.

After more than a month of patrolling, the soldiers in the camp were showing signs of fatigue, and the food and fodder were being consumed faster than expected. The supply convoys had to cross two woodlands and a shallow river to travel back and forth, which was difficult at night.

He originally thought Runan would be in chaos first, but in fact, Runan was more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.

Just then, a short horn blast suddenly came from the north.

The horn wasn't used in the camp; its tone was harsh and strained, yet piercingly urgent. The general's brow furrowed instantly. Before he could ask a question, a scout rushed into the camp gate, nearly falling off his horse: "General, the north granary is on fire!"

"How is the fire? What caused it?" the general demanded.

"The fire has spread to three stacks of warehouses. The granary guard reported that the Yellow Turbans are attacking!"

The camp fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a clamor.

The North Granary is twenty li away from here, located on a low slope behind the forest, with rows of wooden sheds and stacks of grain piled high.

The night wind blew through the forest, most feared by fire arrows. The general turned around abruptly and said sternly, "Send two cavalry squads back to Beicang! The rest remain stationary!" The deputy general hesitated for a moment: "South of the boundary marker—" The general gritted his teeth and said, "We can't control Runan anymore!" The two cavalry squads rushed north, and the troops in front of the boundary marker were greatly reduced.

When the first rocket landed over the Beicang area, the soldiers guarding the granary thought it was a stray arrow.

The second bundle fell, and the tarpaulin caught fire.

The third bundle of grain, right in the center, was engulfed in flames that billowed up in the wind.

Suddenly, figures appeared in the darkness, their heads wrapped in coarse cloth, wielding spears, wooden shields, and machetes. Their shouts were chaotic yet unified, chanting, "Heaven shall rise!"

The troops defending the granary were caught off guard and before they could even form a battle formation, the fire had already spread high into the sky.

Some tried to put out the fire with buckets, but were knocked down by stones flying from the shadows; others tried to form a battle formation, but were stabbed down by spears after taking only two steps forward. In less than half a quarter of an hour, the wooden frame of the warehouse door collapsed, and the fire spread southward along the wooden shed.

When the rescue cavalry arrived at the edge of the forest, they were ambushed, and the firelight illuminated half of the forest.

The Yellow Turbans did not engage in a direct confrontation; instead, they cut off the cavalry route. The forest was covered with broken wood and tripwires, which hindered the horses' hooves. Two riders in the lead fell to the ground, and a rain of arrows flew from the shadows, targeting the vanguard and the signal flags.

The cavalry could not form a battle formation and could only spread out in the clearing outside the forest.

The general arrived from afar and saw that the fire had spread far and wide; his heart sank. The deputy general whispered, "I'm afraid it's too late." The general did not reply. The enemy was not attacking the camp, but cutting off their food and reinforcements. The Yellow Turban Army had a grand scheme this time.

At almost the same time, the Liang Kingdom's camp also caught fire. The grain carts in the South Granary had just been delivered when the North Ridge reported that the rear camp was on fire.

When Liang, fully armored, stepped forward and heard the report of "over a hundred men," his expression turned cold. Over a hundred men were not enough to attack the camp, but they were enough to set it on fire.

He did not immediately order a pursuit, but instead looked up at the night sky to the north, where the firelight had spread out with the wind, and the direction where the grain carts were located was faintly red.

Before the defending troops could form ranks, the figures in the forest had already dispersed, and arrows were falling, targeting the carriage shafts and packhorses.

Liang slowly exhaled, "They've come to cut off our food supply."

He paused, his gaze falling on the route the grain carts had taken. "The situation remains unclear tonight. All units must hold their positions. Anyone who disobeys will be executed. We will make a decision at dawn."

On the city wall of Runan, the night wind suppressed the distant firelight, which was faintly reflected on the horizon.

Xun You gazed at them for a moment, then whispered, "Someone is harassing their rear."

Lu Ding did not answer immediately, but silently watched the firelight. After a long while, he said, "It seems to have been premeditated, not a surprise attack."

The fire raged on the northern horizon, turning the clouds red. It was a fire that no random soldier could have started on a whim.

He turned his gaze away and looked towards the camp below the city.

"There won't be just one place tonight," he said.

Xun You's brow twitched slightly: "What does the young master mean—"

"If the grain is moved, the camp will be in chaos. Chaos will inevitably lead to turmoil." Lü Ding said calmly, "The Yellow Turbans won't just burn one granary; they must have some other plan."

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Xu Huang.

"There might be a night battle tonight."

Xu Huang clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Lu Ding continued, "The boundary markers will remain in place, but the camp must be prepared. Oil the bowstrings, fill the quiver to the brim, and keep the men in their armor and the horses saddled."

Xu Huang's gaze darkened: "Understood."

"The scouts have been extended half a mile outwards," Lü Ding added, "not to pursue the enemy, but only to defend Runan City."

Xu Huang turned around and gave the order.

A moment later, the atmosphere in the camp subtly changed.

The lights had not been lit, the drums had not sounded, but the armored soldiers had already changed positions in an orderly fashion, the bowstrings were gently pulled back to test their strength, and the horses neighed softly in the darkness.

North of the boundary marker, Chen Guo's two cavalry units were forced to split into three groups: one group rushed straight to Beicang, one group protected the grain carts, and the other group attempted to clear the forest.

The Yellow Turbans in the forest did not engage in a direct confrontation, but instead cut off their cavalry route, burned their cart shafts, and shot down their signal flags, keeping them circling amidst fire and smoke. Once the cavalry formation had stabilized somewhat, a sudden commotion arose from behind the forest, as a second wave of Yellow Turban troops charged down the flank.

The lieutenant's expression changed drastically: "There are more ambushes!"

The general made a decisive decision: "Retreat to the river mouth! Form ranks!"

However, the river mouth was low-lying, making it difficult for the horses to maneuver. The Yellow Turbans used the smoke from the fire as cover and aimed their shots specifically at the horses' bellies.

In less than half a quarter of an hour, more than twenty of Chen's cavalry had been killed. The fire line was getting closer, and the drumbeats in the forest continued.

Standing on the high slope at the river mouth, Chen looked at the formation that had been cut into pieces by the smoke and dust, and the hesitation in his heart finally dissipated.

The Yellow Turban rebels did not come to burn a few stacks of grain. They surrounded the area without pressing them, cut off their roads without engaging in battle, intending to drag the returning reinforcements to their deaths in the forest.

He gritted his teeth and turned around abruptly.

"Bring me my seal."

The guards were stunned for a moment.

"General?"

"Go to Runan City." His voice was extremely low, yet remarkably steady. "Tell Lü Ding—the northern supply lines are cut off, and the Yellow Turbans are encircling and blocking our way. Please send reinforcements immediately."

He paused, then untied the seal from his waist and stuffed it into the arms of his personal guard.

"Take this letter and explain the situation. I only request reinforcements and will not discuss anything else."

The guard was taken aback: "General, what about the patrol—"

"What's the point of talking about patrols now?" His gaze was like iron. "If you can't make it through tonight, then collect my body tomorrow."

He raised his hand and patted the guard's shoulder armor heavily.

"Go quickly."

The guards mounted their horses and galloped away through the narrow path in the side woods.

The firelight illuminated his departing figure, casting half of Chen Jiang's face in light and half in shadow.

-

Downstream from the river mouth, the sound of the Yellow Turban drums suddenly became rapid.

They discovered that Chen's army's formation was in disarray and began to encircle them at the river mouth. Torches were thrown into the shallows, billowing smoke, and horses neighed in fright. Chen's cavalry were forced to dismount and fight on foot, their lines retreating inch by inch.

Just as the encirclement was about to close, a series of deep but orderly hoofbeats suddenly rang out from the southern treeline.

In the darkness, a dark figure slid out from the edge of the forest. The cavalrymen didn't shout battle cries or sound drums; instead, they unleashed a volley of arrows from thirty paces away. The first volley of arrows wasn't aimed at anyone, but rather at the direction from which the drumbeats came.