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

Inside the northern camp of Wancheng, Xu Shu finished writing another letter and handed it to the messenger.

The letter was given to Chen Dao. Its contents were extremely simple: the Battle of Wancheng was imminent, and Yancheng must hold out for ten days.

After that, Xu Shu mentally rehearsed the battle scenario countless times, but still felt it wasn't safe enough.

After much deliberation and hesitation, he finally picked up his pen and wrote the last transfer order.

Having completed all the arrangements, Xu Shu stretched and stepped out of the tent, only to be met with an astonishing scene.

It was nearly 7 PM, but the entire camp and the gates of Wancheng were still brightly lit.

Countless people are queuing up in the cold wind, waiting in an orderly fashion to enter the city for refuge.

At this time, Lord Liu Bei was dressed in plain clothes and was distributing rice porridge to the people one by one at the door with his soldiers.

"Thank you so much, General!"

"Thank you, Liu Bei!"

"Thank you, General Wen!"

The people accepted the porridge, nodding and bowing in gratitude, completely unaware that the person serving them the porridge was Liu Bei himself.

"My lord..." Xu Shu walked over, but before he could utter the words "My Lord," Liu Bei raised his hand to interrupt him and quickly stepped forward to help.

With such a wise and benevolent ruler who loves his people so much, how could we possibly lose this battle?!

As Xu Shu sighed, he handed a bowl of rice porridge to a child.

"Strategist, what's your decision?" After finishing his work, Liu Bei pulled Xu Shu aside and asked.

"My lord, I believe that Bowang is indefensible and should be abandoned," Xu Shu said decisively.

"Well, in that case, we have no choice but to ask General Wenping for help," Liu Bei said, frowning.

"Why don't we go and request an audience with General Wenping first thing tomorrow morning?"

"Well, if that's the case, how should we arrange the withdrawal from Bowang?" Liu Bei asked again.

"I have ordered Zifang to escort the remaining 5,000 people to Wancheng as soon as possible overnight, and ordered Zilong to cut down all the trees along the way to block the road."

"I'm afraid we won't be able to delay Cao Cao's army for long," Liu Bei said worriedly, stroking his beard.

"It will only take three to five days," Xu Shu whispered.

The next morning, Liu Bei and Xu Shu met with Wen Ping and explained their purpose.

Wen Ping smiled and said, "When the three passes fell a few days ago, I sent an envoy to request the lord to send troops. I expect the lord's military order is already on its way."

"Regarding Nanyang, Jingzhou and Your Excellency will naturally advance and retreat together. Please rest assured, Your Excellency."

Just then, a messenger from Xiangyang arrived; it was none other than Yi Ji, who had recently had a pleasant conversation with Liu Bei in Jingzhou.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!" Yi Ji smiled and bowed to Liu Bei.

"So it's Mr. Ji Bo!" Upon seeing his old friend, Liu Bei's worries dissipated.

"Sir, do you have any orders from the lord?" Wen Ping asked hurriedly.

Yi Ji nodded and said, "When the lord heard that the traitor Cao was marching south, he ordered me to inform the general and do everything in my power to help the lord repel the enemy."

"In addition, the lord has dispatched his nephew Zhang Yun with three thousand elite troops, and also sent Mr. Kuai Liang to escort money, grain and supplies to provide assistance. They have already set off from Xiangyang and are heading north along the Yu River. They will arrive in Wancheng in a few days."

"Oh? Brother Jingsheng is so generous!" Liu Bei exclaimed in surprise.

"Uh..." Yi Ji said awkwardly, "My lord has another message for me to convey to the envoy."

Xu Shu smiled to himself, thinking that Liu Biao must have something on his mind.

"Our lord says that Fangcheng Pass and Ye County have always been the gateways to Nanyang, and he is willing to fight alongside you to reclaim the lost territories of Jingzhou."

After Yi Ji finished speaking, seeing Liu Bei's expression instantly change from joy to worry, he immediately added, "My lord naturally understands that this matter is not easy and there is no need to rush."

Seeing that Liu Bei's expression was not good, Xu Shu said, "Don't worry, everyone. Since I was able to capture three passes from him once with a small force, I can capture them twice in the future. This is not difficult."

Hearing this, Liu Bei was somewhat relieved, even though Xu Shu was completely boasting...

The following day, Zhao Yun finally led his troops to abandon Bowang City and return to Wancheng.

At the northern camp, Xu Shu began making preparations for the decisive battle.

"Generals, this battle is a life-or-death struggle between our army and Cao Cao. If we win, we will have hope of restoring the Han Dynasty; if we lose, all the achievements of the past six months will be in vain. From this day forward, the entire army shall not remove its armor and shall take turns guarding the city day and night."

After Xu Shu finished speaking, he looked solemnly at the generals in the tent. Seeing that they all showed no fear, he softened his tone and continued, "This battle is no small matter. I will be at the Gualijin watchtower to command from the flag at any time. If you hear the drums, you must act according to my command flag."

Everyone replied, "Yes, sir!"

"Zhou Cang, listen to my command!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You shall lead one thousand armored soldiers and two thousand infantrymen to firmly defend the main camp north of the city, and not allow Cao Cao's army to approach the city even a step!"

"Your humble servant obeys!"

"Mi Fang, listen to my command!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You shall lead two thousand troops to guard the western side of the main camp north of the city, towards the Wuguan Pass. Upon seeing my yellow command flag, withdraw your troops back to the west of the city! Upon seeing my green command flag, reinforce Zhou Cang's forces!"

"Your humble servant obeys!"

"Zhao Yun, listen to my command!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You shall lead two thousand cavalrymen and ambush at the Wuguan Pass west of the city. Upon seeing my red command flag, charge straight at the central army, and do not let a single soldier or general escape!"

"Your humble servant obeys!"

"Zhang Fei, listen to my command!"

"Zhang Fei is here!"

"You shall lead your 1,000 cavalry and 500 garrison troops from the Guali Fort camp to Guali Fort. Upon seeing my blue command flag, charge straight towards the Wanluo Road and intercept Cao Cao's army!"

"Zhang Fei obeys!"

"My lord!"

"Liu Bei is here!"

"Please lead two thousand soldiers to wait on the city wall. If you see my purple command flag, then charge out of the north gate and support Zhou Cang."

"Yes, Liu Bei obeys!"

"General Wenpin!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"In this battle, I request General Wenping to lead two thousand troops to wait at the west gate of Wancheng. If General Mi Fang retreats to the west gate, then we will support Mi Fang and block the pursuit of Cao Cao's army."

Xu Shu nodded; these were the only cards he could play at the moment.

Zhou Cang will hold off Cao Cao's fierce attack head-on, while Liu Bei will serve as a reserve force to provide support at any time. Mi Fang will be used as a mobile force to encircle Cao Cao's army on the front or lure them to the Wuguan Pass. Zhao Yun will then complete the assault and encirclement, and Zhang Fei will pursue them.

"Strategist, there's only one thing I feel is slightly amiss," Liu Bei suddenly said to Xu Shu.

Xu Shu frowned slightly and asked, "My lord, please speak freely."

"When the strategist first attacked Wancheng, he took Gualijin first, and used it as a key to finally capture Wancheng."

"Now that Cao Cao's army is attacking, it is not appropriate for Liu Bei to leave only Yide with 1,500 men at Guali Fort."

"If the military advisor personally goes to the watchtower to command, in case the camp is lost..." Liu Bei looked at Xu Shu seriously.

When Xu Shu said that he was commanding the entire army from the watchtower, Liu Bei had mixed feelings.

On the positive side, the watchtower was indeed the best choice for overlooking the entire battle situation. Xu Shu could command from there and have a clear understanding of the ever-changing battlefield.

On the downside, the Gualijin camp could only accommodate a limited number of soldiers. If the watchtower fell, not only would the strategist they relied on be in danger of losing his life, but the entire battle would be over.

"I understand what you mean, my lord. Guali Pass is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and our three generals are the bravest in the army. I'm sure there will be no problem." Xu Shu finished speaking and nodded solemnly to Liu Bei.

After the tent was closed, everyone began preparations according to Xu Shu's instructions. It was highly unlikely that reinforcements from Jingzhou would arrive in time, so Xu Shu had not taken that into account at all.

"Strategist, why don't we send another two thousand troops from the city to garrison Gualijin?" Liu Bei was still not entirely at ease and suggested to Xu Shu again.

Xu Shu shook his head: "My lord, do not worry. If we are to win this battle with fewer troops, only my strategy is feasible."

Liu Bei thought for a moment and nodded helplessly.

Cao's army broke through the roadblocks along the way from Bowang even faster than Xu Shu had anticipated.

When Cao Cao saw the trees covering the road, he laughed and said, "A trivial skill." But in his heart, he was extremely anxious.

Xu Shu's actions all pointed to him making a show of force in Wancheng and sending reinforcements to Wuguan Pass.

If Wancheng is not captured, Liu Bei's troops and supplies from Jingzhou can be continuously sent to Ma Teng's army in Chang'an, and the possibility of Zhong Yao being besieged and Chang'an falling will continue to increase.

The most terrifying thing is not the fall of Chang'an, since Tongguan has been newly built and Guanzhong is still secure.

The most frightening thing is that there was already Zhang Xiu who surrendered after being besieged. If another Zhong Yao were to be besieged and surrender, then the people's hearts would probably be completely lost.

Cao Cao divided his entire army into three teams, working day and night to remove roadblocks. Finally, two days after capturing the empty city of Bowang, he cleared the road to Wancheng.

Scouts had already informed Liu Bei, and the entire city of Wancheng immediately entered a state of pre-battle readiness.

Xu Shu even moved directly to Gualijin, monitoring the surrounding area daily.

Finally, one morning, Cao Cao's army launched a full-scale attack from Bowang, bringing with them 15,000 elite troops from Xuchang, 2,000 former troops of Li Tong who surrendered and returned to Cao Cao's army, and garrison troops drawn from the vicinity of Ye County, totaling 20,000 men, and marched in a mighty force toward Wancheng.

The already narrow Wanluo Road was packed with Cao Cao's army, stretching for miles.

Xu Shu beat the war drums from the watchtower. After the drums finished beating, all the troops, as arranged by Xu Shu, were in position, waiting for Cao Cao.

Before long, Cao Cao's army, covering the entire mountainside, faced off against Liu Bei's army from afar.

"Liu Bei, I have treated you well, why have you betrayed the court time and time again?" Cao Cao shouted at Liu Bei from the front of the battle, pointing his horsewhip at him.

"Cao Cao! You have seized the emperor and usurped power, you are a traitor! I have a secret edict hidden in my belt, and I have come today to execute you!" Liu Bei, on horseback, held up the secret edict in one hand and pointed at Cao Cao with the other.

"What arrogance these mat weavers and sandal sellers have! Whoever helps me take this thief's head will be granted a fiefdom of ten thousand households!"

Xiahou Yuan shouted, "I'll go!" and spurred his horse forward.

Zhou Cang, who was standing beside Liu Bei and was still studying Cao Cao, the epitome of a treacherous hero throughout history, saw this and drew his sword to meet him.

A fierce general who strides across Guanzhong? Let me experience it!

Liu Bei then returned to Wancheng.

"The black-faced thief from Runan!" A soldier immediately recognized Zhou Cang and shouted.

Cao Cao asked, "Who is this person?"

Cao Hong, Xu Huang, and other generals who had fought against Zhou Cang exchanged glances.

Xu Huang said, "Prime Minister, this man is named Zhou Cang. In Runan, he single-handedly resisted a hundred of my men without retreating. When Guan Yu betrayed us, it was this man who captured Yuan Rang alive in the water."

Cao Cao squinted and said, "So it seems that Liu Bei has quite a few skilled warriors under his command. You must not underestimate them."

As the two horses crossed paths, Xiahou Yuan's broadsword slashed straight at Zhou Cang's face, but Zhou Cang forcefully parried with both hands wielding his long-handled broadsword—

With a loud "clang!", the force was so great that it sent the broadsword flying back, and Xiahou Yuan's arms immediately felt sore and numb.

Before Xiahou Yuan could catch his breath, Zhou Cang swiftly struck the hilt of his sword with his elbow, swinging the sword in a circle in the air and then forcefully slashing it down at him.

Xiahou Yuan quickly raised his sword to parry—

"Clang!" Another sound rang out, sparks flew everywhere, and Xiahou Yuan's hands were so jolted that his tiger's mouth split open and blood gushed out.

Realizing they were outmatched, Xiahou Yuan quickly spurred his horse back to camp, while Zhou Cang also reined in his horse and rode back, preparing to meet Cao Cao's army's charge.

"Kill them!" Cao Cao, seeing Xiahou Yuan fall behind after just two rounds, directly commanded his army to charge, and Liu Bei's army also beat their war drums.

Clearly, Cao Cao's army had also devised a targeted strategy: Xiahou Yuan's and Xu Huang's troops charged directly at Zhou Cang's forces, while Cao Ren and Li Dian attacked the flank where Mi Fang was located.

Another team led by Yu Jin charged straight towards Gualijin, east of the main camp!

"A three-pronged attack—Cao Cao's military strategy is indeed different," Xu Shu muttered to himself, feigning composure as he intently observed the battlefield situation.

Zhou Cang's 1,000 armored soldiers were at the forefront, followed by 500 archers who fired arrows at Cao Cao's army positions.

Although time was limited, Zhou Cang, having gained experience from training troops in Xiakou, had already raised the combat level of the armored soldiers by one level within ten days.

Armored soldiers, holding long swords, stood close together, forming a solid human wall outside the northern camp.

Xiahou Yuan and Xu Huang led their cavalry to flank the enemy, but they gained no advantage whatsoever, and their cavalrymen were constantly being cut down by longswords.

Mi Fang's troops on the flank were in a much more difficult position, as they were facing Cao Cao's most elite forces.

Mi Fang was stabbed in the arm by Cao Ren in less than five rounds and had to retreat. The soldiers at the front were also scattered by Cao Ren's cavalry.

"Strategist, shall we raise the flag?" Liu Yan looked at Xu Shu from the watchtower.

"No, the rear guard of Cao Cao's army has not moved yet, we cannot wave the flag." Xu Shu said expressionlessly.

Mi Fang seemed to sense Xu Shu's pressure from afar, and with a ruthless heart, he immediately beheaded two fleeing soldiers before regaining his footing and continuing to fight Cao Cao's army hand-to-hand.

Zhou Cang's armored soldiers were exceptionally strong, having withstood the combined assaults of Xiahou Yuan and Xu Huang's two or three units without yielding an inch.

As Xu Shu was praising Zhou Cang as a truly excellent general, Liu Yan hurriedly shouted, "Strategist! Something terrible has happened! There are enemies at the Yu River!"

"What?!" Xu Shu was so shocked that he turned his head sharply and saw that, sure enough, dozens of small boats were rushing downstream towards the Gualijin camp.

Xu Shu had planned everything meticulously, but he hadn't anticipated that the Gualijin camp was actually orchestrated by Jia Xu, who was acutely aware of Gualijin's importance.

As soon as Cao Cao arrived at Bowang, Jia Xu gathered all the ships on the banks of the Yu River and formed a special assault fleet to target Gualijin.

The commander-in-chief was Zhang Liao, who was urgently summoned from Xudu on his way to Yancheng.

Zhang Liao led a thousand soldiers from Bowang, which is the uppermost part of the Yu River, all the way to Gualijin.

The dozen or so leading ships were all loaded with flammable materials, and Liu Yan discovered them when they were almost at the gate of the water fortress.

Zhang Fei was leading his troops to meet Yu Jin's forces in front of the camp.

Yu Jin positioned his infantry, shields and spears at the forefront, while his cavalry protected the flanks. They formed an almost impenetrable formation to meet Zhang Fei's Xiliang cavalry and steadily advanced towards Gualijin.

Zhang Fei's army charged several times, and each time they broke through Yu Jin's formation, infantrymen immediately stepped in to maintain the formation.

The space between Yu Jin's troops and Gualijin was getting smaller and smaller, and Zhang Liao's fleet was also approaching from behind. The Gualijin camp was in danger of being surrounded by Cao Cao's army.

To everyone's surprise, Xu Shu glanced at Zhang Liao's fleet and then ignored it completely, continuing to keep an eye on the battlefield at Wancheng.

By this time, Mi Fang's troops in the distance could no longer withstand Cao Ren's onslaught. Xu Shu, watching from afar as the number of troops on his flank dwindled, ordered, "Quickly! Beat the drums! Wave the yellow flag!"

Mi Fang was already wounded in three places when he saw the yellow flag signal. He was relieved and organized his soldiers to retreat to the west of the city.

Cao Ren's troops immediately gave chase. Upon seeing this, Wen Ping, who was in the city, immediately led his army out to attack, allowing Mi Fang to enter the city and engage in battle with Cao Ren's troops.

Seeing the significant progress made on his flank, Cao Cao shouted, "Cao Hong!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Lead my personal troops and charge in from the flank! Break through Zhou Cang's defenses!" Cao Cao roared.

"Yes, sir!"

As the horn sounded, Cao Hong led half of Cao Cao's elite troops to charge towards Zhou Cang's flank.

Suddenly, a gap was breached in Liu Bei's army's previously impenetrable formation north of the city.

"Quickly! Beat the drums! Wave the purple flag!" Xu Shu hurriedly ordered.

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei, who was on the city wall, quickly led his troops out to support the flank.

Xu Shu was calculating the number of troops in Cao Cao's central army, waiting for the time to send Zhao Yun's troops to attack, when suddenly Liu Yan shouted, "Strategist! The gate of the water camp is in danger!"

"Boom!" More than a dozen warships burst into flames and crashed directly into the gate of the water fortress. The flames instantly burned through the ropes, and Zhang Liao's fleet was about to break through the camp.

"Strategist, quickly evacuate this place!" Liu Yan grabbed Xu Shu's sleeve and started to go downstairs.

Xu Shu drew his sword with his sweaty hands and shouted, "As long as I live, the flag will stand! Anyone who dares to talk about retreating—"

cut!"