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

Outside Runan City, a dozen soldiers dressed in short clothes and carrying only short swords moved through the woods under the cover of grass and trees, and then dispersed in all directions less than five hundred paces from Cao's army camp.

In less than half an hour, more than ten people regrouped in the bushes.

One of the leaders, a tall and burly man, was Pei Yuanshao.

He quickly counted the number of people, then waved, and the group disappeared into the woods.

"My lord!" Not long after, Liu Bei, who was sitting in the city tower of Runan, finally received Pei Yuanshao.

Liu Bei quickly got up, went down to the hall, and helped Pei Yuanshao up. Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun followed closely behind.

"How is it? Have you ascertained the true strength of Cao Cao's army?"

Pei Yuanshao stood up, nodded, thought for a moment, and replied, "We arrived outside Cao Cao's camp before 3 PM for three consecutive days, just as Cao Cao's army was setting up their cooking pots and preparing meals."

Liu Bei held Pei Yuanshao's hand as they walked and listened.

"Judging from the movements of Cao Cao's army, they added about 500 cooking fires in three days."

"Oh?" Liu Bei immediately became nervous upon hearing this and asked, "Has Cao Cao's army really reinforced itself?"

"No! As you say, it is indeed a feint!" Pei Yuanshao said with unusual seriousness.

"Tell me the details!"

"I noticed that the soldiers coming and going from the morning and evening meals of Cao Cao's army were very different, so I paid special attention and found out that they were eating from the new stoves and abandoning the old ones."

"Although there were many stoves, only about forty iron pots were used in rotation, so the smoke from each stove was short-lived and the sound of firewood popping was rare."

"Upon our careful inspection, we found that four out of ten of their stoves were merely for show, used only for burning firewood to boil water, and not for cooking rice or grains."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei exclaimed, "Brother, Man Chong's plan is indeed a feint; there's nothing to fear!"

Liu Bei waved his hand, signaling Zhang Fei not to rush: "So, Cao Cao's army here is less than two thousand men?"

Pei Yuanshao nodded repeatedly: "That's right." After speaking, he took out a bamboo scroll, which meticulously recorded the changes in the number of stoves and pots in each of Cao Cao's camps.

After sitting down and examining the body carefully, Liu Bei looked up at Zhang Fei.

"Brother! Do you want me to go out of the city to meet the enemy?" Zhang Fei was already impatient.

It has been more than half a month since Man Chong led his troops to set up camp under the city of Runan. He has asked to fight almost every day, but his elder brother has refused each time.

"Yes and no," Liu Bei suddenly said casually.

"What does the lord mean?" Not only Zhang Fei, but Zhao Yun on the other side also felt puzzled.

Liu Bei remained silent for a moment, then stood up and said, "Man Chong's actions must have been at Cao Cao's behest."

"Now that Yuan Shao's army is eyeing Guandu, Cao Cao has few troops to spare for us. Therefore, he sent Man Chong with a small force to make us suspicious and dare not rush north."

"If that's the case, why not break through it? Since the Duke returned, there are already six or seven thousand people in the city. What is there to fear from the likes of Man Chong?" Zhao Yun pressed.

Liu Bei glanced at the crowd and said, "Man Chong is not the same kind of person as Cao Hong or Xiahou Dun. He is brave and resourceful, and he is very strict in disciplining his troops. When he was stationed in Runan, the local soldiers and civilians were all wary of him. I had already heard about him when I was in Xuchang."

"Then what do you mean by what you said, brother?" Zhang Fei stepped forward and asked.

Liu Bei said, "I was able to escape from Hebei this time thanks to the letter that Gongyou requested from Liu Jingsheng. I will personally go to Jingzhou."

"Firstly, I want to express my gratitude in person; secondly, Jing Sheng is of the same clan as me, and if we can get his help, we will have nothing to worry about; and thirdly, we also need to find out his intention to attack Cao Cao."

After Liu Bei finished speaking, Zhao Yun understood and nodded slightly.

Upon hearing that his elder brother was about to travel, Zhang Fei hurriedly asked, "When will you depart, brother? I'll go with you!"

Liu Bei shook his head and said, "We are able to have this city as our refuge thanks to the efforts of Generals Gong Du and Liu Pi, as well as the other generals. It was hard-won and should not be abandoned lightly."

"The garrison in this city must not be moved rashly. Zilong, you can come with me. Yide, you should stay here with Generals Gong and Liu to guard the city. Under no circumstances should you let your guard down."

"Sigh!" Zhang Fei had finally reunited with his elder brother, only to be separated again. His disappointment was palpable.

"I have another important task to entrust to my third brother. Can you do it?" Liu Bei had long anticipated Zhang Fei's reaction.

"Yes, yes! Just give the orders, brother!" Zhang Fei was excited when he heard that there was something for him to do.

"Alright!" Liu Bei took Zhang Fei's hand and led the group to the city wall, pointing to Cao Cao's camp.

"Zilong and I will set off for Jingzhou tonight. Starting tomorrow, Yide will lead a thousand soldiers out of the city every day to challenge them to battle. Man Chong has too few troops and will certainly not dare to fight."

Why is that?

"If Man Chong knows that our lord has left, he will surely notice something. This move will make Man Chong suspicious and prevent him from acting rashly," Zhao Yun said, explaining Liu Bei's purpose.

"Indeed, if Man Chong can use this feint, why can't I? Third Brother, if you do this well, it will be a great achievement," Liu Bei said with a smile to Zhang Fei.

"I understand now. No wonder you said it was neither here nor there. I thought you were confused." Zhang Fei finally understood his brother's complete plan.

He then clasped his hands in a fist salute and nodded solemnly: "Brother, you can go to Jingzhou with peace of mind. Leave this matter to me!"

"Okay, there are two more things."

"Please speak, brother!"

"Firstly, regarding the defense of the city, you must consult with Generals Gong Du and Liu Pi frequently, and not act arbitrarily."

"Of course!"

"Secondly, send men to Xuchang every day to inquire about the whereabouts of Yun Chang and the others. If there is any news, send someone to Jingzhou immediately to report to me!"

Upon hearing his elder brother mention his second brother, Zhang Fei's feelings became complicated again. At this moment, he still firmly believed that his second brother had surrendered to Cao Cao, otherwise why hadn't he heard anything from him for so long?

Furthermore, Jian Yong, Zhou Cang, and Sun Qian all went to Guandu one by one, and there has been no news of them since. Zhang Fei even suspects that they have long been captured by his second brother and handed over to Cao Cao for a reward.

Before Man Chong arrived, Zhang Fei had even requested to lead a cavalry unit straight to Guandu to confront his second brother and demand an explanation. However, Liu Bei firmly told him that his second brother could not have changed his mind, suppressing his anger.

"I understand. If there is any faithless person..." Zhang Fei began, but seeing his elder brother glaring at him, he quickly changed his words: "If there is any news about my second brother, I will inform my elder brother first."

Liu Bei nodded and went with Zhao Yun to make preparations for their departure.

At this moment, on the main road south of Xudu City, Zhou Cang and the other two hid their horses not far away, keeping a close eye on the movements on the road.

"Oh! Mr. Gongyou!" Zhou Cang sat under the big willow tree, slightly raised the brim of his hood, and called out to Sun Qian.

Sun Qian paced back and forth on the road, which greatly annoyed Zhou Cang, but he couldn't directly say that the novel tells of Guan Yu resigning his post and returning the gold to Cao Cao, who ultimately magnanimously let him go...

"Mr. Gongyou, please rest for a while! Your Excellency and your two ladies must be well!"

Sun Qian himself was also annoyed. He had been waiting for two hours, and there were only a few scattered pedestrians on the main road.

Hearing Zhou Cang's words, he put his hands on his hips, stroked his beard, and complained to himself, "Alas... although there is the agreement at Tushan, everyone knows how cunning and unpredictable Cao Cao is!"

Liao Hua, who was sitting under the willow tree, remained silent most of the time.

Suddenly, Liao Hua's gaze fell upon what appeared to be a blurry figure slowly approaching from afar.

"Look, gentlemen! Is that Lord Marquis?"