I, Zhou Cang, am the number one tank in the Three Kingdoms.

In the city of Hefei at night, Zhou Cang, with bandages wrapped around his head, sat alone on the still unrepaired South City Water Gate wall, carrying a jug of fine wine captured from the Jiangdong army camp.

It has been more than half a year since I woke up from Woniu Mountain. If I had to say what the biggest change in myself has been in the past six months, besides having four times the physical strength of a normal person, it would be my alcohol tolerance.

After all, alcohol can both enhance the mood and relieve worries, and it can also sweep away the bloody smell of frequent battles.

This time, being struck by the boulder was the first time Zhou Cang realized that even his secret could be unreliable. If he hadn't used his hand to block the blow, his head would have been smashed open, and it might have all been over.

Thinking of this, Zhou Cang took a sip of wine.

This is rice wine brought from Kuaiji by the Jiangdong army. Compared to the rice wine and apricot wine they had drunk in Runan, this rice wine has a unique and mellow flavor.

In his previous life, Zhou Cang disliked wine the most, but he found that of all the drinks he had tried this time, wine was still his least favorite.

When they first attacked Zhang Xiu's Wancheng, after the city was opened to the public, Zhou Cang and his generals tasted the wine that Zhang Xiu had brought back from Xiliang. Although it was sweet, it was only sweet. Perhaps it was a favorite of scholars, but Zhou Cang, Guan Yu, Liao Hua and others could not get used to it.

"Hmm..." After taking another big gulp, Zhou Cang let out a satisfied groan.

"Yuanfu, how are your injuries?" Pang Tong's voice came from behind Zhou Cang.

"Ah, strategist!" Zhou Cang hurriedly tried to get up and bow, but Pang Tong pressed him down with one hand.

"He's out of danger and can go into battle tomorrow!" Zhou Cang said to Pang Tong, who was sitting next to him.

"When I was in Jingzhou, I always carried a wine jug with me. I often wandered through the mountains and forests with Yuanzhi and others, indulging in wine and pleasure." Pang Tong looked at the wine jug beside Zhou Cang and suddenly began to recall the past.

Zhou Cang did not respond, but listened quietly.

"Since accepting the invitation from my lord to come out of seclusion, I still love wine. However, due to the hard work day and night, my taste in wine has changed quite a bit," Pang Tong muttered to himself.

After Pang Tong finished speaking, he casually grabbed Zhou Cang's wine jug and took a big gulp—

"Kuaiji rice wine! Fine wine! Excellent wine!" Pang Tong immediately recognized the origin of this wine.

"I wonder what kind of wine Yuanfu likes to drink the most?"

"Uh... I am just a simple warrior, and I do not have your refined taste. All I love is rice wine," Zhou Cang said softly.

"Oh? Why?" Pang Tong became interested and asked.

"Back when I was a bandit on Woniu Mountain, this was the only wine available in the mountains. At that time, Pei Yuanshao and I often robbed people on the road."

"When we're lucky, we might rob a wealthy family and celebrate with drinks. But when we're unlucky and encounter a tough opponent, we'll return to the mountain in a sorry state and drink to mock ourselves..." As Zhou Cang spoke, the original owner's memories became clearer in his mind.

Pei Yuanshao was now following the three generals; it was unknown whether his martial arts skills had improved...

"Gathering in the mountains and forests is truly delightful, hahahaha." Pang Tong suddenly burst into laughter, then grabbed the wine jug and drank it all in one gulp.

Zhou Cang was speechless. How could this guy be so shameless? He actually swiped all the wine he brought. A soldier hurriedly rushed up the city wall—

"Report! Strategist, General Guan has sent a messenger!"

"Oh? General Guan's envoy? Could it be that Jiashi Pass has been breached?! Take me there immediately!" Pang Tong's eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly got up and left. Zhou Cang didn't dare to delay and quickly followed.

Gan Ning, Liao Hua, Chen Lan, and others were already waiting in the hall when they heard that an envoy had arrived.

"Military Advisor Pang! General Guan has led two thousand cavalry and three thousand infantry and has passed Jiashi Pass. He should arrive in Hefei by tomorrow evening. This is a letter from Military Advisor Xu Shu. Please take a look!" After the messenger finished speaking, he handed Xu Shu's letter to Pang Tong.

Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this, for they had finally waited for the army to arrive!

Pang Tong read Xu Shu's letter in one breath, then laughed and said, "Xu Yuanzhi has a cruel heart, hahahaha."

"All generals, return to your camps and rest well. Be here promptly at dawn tomorrow to await orders!" Pang Tong read Xu Shu's letter with high spirits.

"Yes, sir!" the generals responded loudly.

The next day, when the generals arrived in the hall, Pang Tong had already placed a huge map of Chaohu in the center.

Chaohu Lake is shaped like a plump crescent moon. The north bank is concave inwards, while the south bank is a relatively smooth arc. The heads of the crescent moon at the east and west ends connect to the Ruxu River and the Shi River, respectively. As mentioned earlier, the Ruxu River connects to the Yangtze River, while the Shi River connects to Xiaoyaojin and Hefei.

The mouth of the Shishui River is on the southwest bank, leading to Shucheng, which is the route that Liu Bei and Xu Shu's troops are currently traveling.

The northern shore of Chaohu Lake is almost entirely marshland, making it impassable not only on land but also very easy for boats to run aground when they reach the north shore.

The situation on the south bank was slightly better, with some paths in the reed beds and shallows, but it was still completely unsuitable for a large army to march or set up camp. The remnants of the Jiangdong army fled along the Shi River to the south bank of the Chaohu River estuary, intending to wait for reinforcements there.

Once everyone was assembled, Pang Tong cut straight to the point: "This place in Chaohu is connected to three waterways: the Shi River, the Shu River, and the Ruxu River. We have now discovered that the remnants of the Jiangdong army have fled here along the Shi River." As he spoke, Pang Tong pointed to a location on the map.

"Gan Ning, how many usable warships have been abandoned by Jiangdong at Shishui and Xiaoyaojin?" Pang Tong asked Gan Ning.

"There are about thirty warships of various sizes, but the river is blocked by the wreckage of the warships, making it difficult to move. It will probably take another two days to deploy them all to Chaohu Lake," Gan Ning said with difficulty.

"How many soldiers do you currently have dredging the river?"

"About five hundred people."

"I'll give you another thousand soldiers, and you're to clear the river by tonight." Pang Tong looked at Gan Ning with an unquestionable gaze.

"Yes, sir!" Gan Ning immediately rushed out.

"Zhou Cang!"

Pang Tong turned around and looked at Zhou Cang.

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You shall lead the remaining eight hundred armored soldiers and one thousand archers, along with ten trebuchets and enough provisions for half a month, to Xiaoyaojin to wait."

"Once Gan Ning has lured the warships into the river, board them immediately and sail downstream to Juchao tonight. Make sure you capture this city!"

"Upon arrival, make sure to have the warships sailed back to Xiaoyaojin."

As Pang Tong spoke, he pointed to Juchao, located on the north bank of the mouth of the Ruxu River and Chaohu Lake.

"Remember, after capturing the city, all troops must lie in ambush within it. If any Jiangdong naval forces enter Chaohu Lake via the Ruxu River, they must not be detected!"

"Once the Jingzhou navy arrives, you must work with them to blockade the Ruxu River. Do not fail to do so!"

"Yes, sir!" Zhou Cang accepted the order and quickly left.

"Liao Hua!"

"Here!" Liao Hua quickly stepped forward.

"You shall lead the remaining thousand cavalry and one thousand infantry in the city, carrying mostly metal, stone, drums, and other weapons. After dusk, proceed to the encampment of the remnants of the Jiangdong forces, and use the dense fog to create a false impression of strength, driving them towards the muddy area on the south bank of Chaohu Lake."

"Yes, ma'am!" Liao Hua jogged out and immediately went to prepare.

"Chen Lan, Yang Hong!"

"exist!"

"You two work through the night to continue making the trebuchet and arrow chariot; I will need them in a couple of days."

"Yes, sir!"

After everything was arranged, Pang Tong entered the inner room to await the arrival of Zhang Liao and Guan Yu's armies.

Before nightfall, Gan Ning's troops finally cleared a navigable waterway from the wreckage of the warships blocking Xiaoyao Ford, and more than a thousand people collapsed from exhaustion on the riverbank.

Zhou Cang immediately led his troops onto the ship, while Liao Hua's troops also led their forces, carrying torches, eastward along the Shi River in search of the remnants of the Jiangdong army.

After traveling for more than ten miles, they finally saw a simple camp in the distance, with some firelight visible. Liao Hua concluded that this was where the remnants of the Jiangdong army were encamped.

Liao Hua immediately summoned the cavalry and infantry leaders and instructed them:

"Pass down the order: have all infantrymen take out all the stones they carry! When they hear the drums, hurl them at the enemy!"

"You shall lead your cavalry to circle around to a point a hundred paces to the south. Upon hearing the drums, run back and forth, and engage in hand-to-hand combat with your swords!"

The men obeyed and left. A moment later, Liao Hua gave the order: "Beat the drums! Beat the drums!"

"Boom boom boom boom! Boom boom boom boom!" Three drums, far apart, sounded one after another!

The deafening drumbeats not only woke up the sleeping Jiangdong army, but also startled Guan Yu's troops who had just arrived in Hefei.

The Jiangdong army assumed it was a night raid by the Hefei garrison and hastily got up—

"Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter!" The rain of stones fell straight down!

"The riot police are coming again! Run!"

"Run! It's raining stones again!"

Terrified of being hit by stones, the Jiangdong army immediately began to howl and run in all directions.

Then, shouts of battle came from the south, and the sounds of clashing swords filled the air.

Many Jiangdong soldiers fled in panic towards the south bank of Chaohu Lake without even taking their weapons.

After Liao Hua and the others had thrown enough stones, he shouted, "Kill!"

Then the infantrymen also shouted at the same time, but the scene was a bit comical. Liao Hua's troops only shouted "Kill!" but walked forward slowly as if taking a stroll.

Of course, that was enough. The Jiangdong army that was fleeing nearby quickly passed through the distant camps, howling. Before long, the entire temporary camp was deserted. No matter how Cheng Pu and the others shouted, they could not stop them and could only run away together.

Seeing that the enemy was running too fast, Liao Hua led his men to quicken their pace and follow behind the Jiangdong army, shouting as they did so, while also picking up stones from the ground and throwing them forward.

They chased him for five miles before stopping.

After the Jiangdong army had been running for a long time, Cheng Pu grabbed a panting soldier and angrily demanded, "Why did you abandon your camp and flee?!"

"General, the Hefei army launched a night attack, and they even have trebuchets!" the soldier said fearfully.

Zhuge Jin frowned and asked, "This road is so muddy, how can the trebuchet travel on it?"

Zhou Tai asked, "Could it be that we've fallen into the enemy's trap?"

Zhuge Jin parted his lips slightly, about to answer, when suddenly someone came running from behind.

"Report! The Hefei army has not pursued us; they seem to have retreated!" Finally, a brave soldier went back to investigate.

"Now that we've come this far, there's no turning back. Order all the troops to rest here. If nothing unexpected happens, our lord's fleet should arrive tomorrow, and we'll wait here to disembark," Zhuge Jin said helplessly.

During the Jiangdong army's escape, Zhou Cang, taking advantage of the thick fog and Liao Hua's drumming, quietly brushed past them on the opposite bank.

Because the capacity of the thirty ships was very limited, the 1,800 people were divided into two groups before they all arrived at Juchao. By then, it was already broad daylight and the thick fog on the water was about to dissipate.

Zhou Cang immediately ordered everyone to hide inside the city and not to reveal even half of the flag.

Less than a quarter of an hour after the warships set sail to return to Xiaoyaojin, the sound of the water flowing in the distance changed slightly. A slightly muffled sound reached Zhou Cang's ears, familiar yet different.

Has the fish taken the bait?

Zhou Cang cautiously peeked half his head out towards the Ruxu River, and his pupils widened in shock!

A colossal object slowly approached; it looked like… a multi-story ship?!