Three Kingdoms: The Peerless Strategist of Wei

Chapter 85 In Gu Cheng's eyes, your army of 100,000 is nothing but ants!

"Forget it, what court, what important officials, it all sounds terrifying." Gu Cheng waved his hand hastily and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "I'd rather be a country bumpkin. I'm a coward, and I can't handle the grand scenes that the young master is talking about."

Seeing that his attitude remained unchanged, Cao Ang felt helpless and did not know how to persuade him any further.

"No matter what, this time Yuan Shang ran out of supplies, which allowed Father to quickly capture Ye City. The credit goes to Brother Gu. I raise this cup to Brother Gu, Cao Ang, and respectfully toast him."

Gu Cheng did not refuse and gladly drank a cup with her.

Only then did Cao Ang notice that there was an unfamiliar woman beside Gu Cheng. "Brother Gu, when did you gain another confidante? Congratulations!" Cao Ang said to Zhen Bi with a smile.

Zhen Bi's face flushed instantly, and he lowered his head.

"What confidante? Young master, you misunderstand. This is Miss Zhen. Zhongkang took it upon himself to kidnap her, so I had no choice but to take her in temporarily."

Gu Cheng gave a self-deprecating laugh and explained it this way.

"My brother-in-law already has a beautiful wife and concubine at home, and a beautiful bodyguard by his side. Now he's inexplicably taken in another one. His luck with women is truly enviable."

"However, it's only natural that a beautiful woman would fall for a man as extraordinary as my brother-in-law, and for her to throw herself into his arms. I only hope that my sister can be understanding and not hold any grudges."

Cao Ang sighed inwardly, his gaze fixed on Gu Cheng with a meaningful look. "Yuan Shang has run out of supplies, but it's probably too early for Lord Cao to easily besiege Ye City," Gu Cheng said, changing the subject.

"What do you mean by that, Brother Gu?" Cao Ang sensed the underlying meaning in Gu's words and became alert.

Gu Cheng said calmly, "Because Yuan Shang still has another force that can serve as external reinforcements." "External reinforcements?"

Cao Ang looked doubtful: "Yuan's army was completely wiped out at Guandu. The various prefectures did not have time to recruit new soldiers. Apart from the 10,000 troops in Ye City, where does Yuan Shang have any external support?"

"Black Mountain Army, Zhang Yan!" Gu Cheng raised his hand and pointed towards the Taihang Mountains to the west. Cao Ang's body trembled, and he suddenly realized what was happening.

"Zhang Yan is entrenched in the Taihang Mountains, commanding an army of 100,000. This man is quite shrewd; he surely understands the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.' If Yuan Shang asks him for help, does the eldest prince think he wouldn't lead his army to Ye City to assist in the battle?"

Gu Cheng countered with a question.

"Brother Gu is absolutely right!" Cao Ang jumped up, frowned, and said, "Zhang Yan is indeed someone we must be wary of. I will go and remind my father right away." As soon as he finished speaking.

A guard rushed into the tent, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master, the Minister of Works has summoned all civil and military officials to the main tent to discuss an urgent matter." "What urgent matter?" Cao Ang already had a premonition. The guard said, "It is said that Zhang Yan, the Black Mountain bandit, has led an army of 100,000 out of the Taihang Mountains and is marching towards Ye City. The Minister of Works has convened a military meeting because of this."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ang's body stiffened, and his admiring gaze involuntarily turned back to Gu Cheng. "He truly is a master strategist, a prophet of the heavens. Today I have witnessed it firsthand..." Zhen Mi, who had been listening quietly, was also surprised, glancing at Gu Cheng with a subtle hint in her eyes. "Indeed, nothing in this world can escape Gu Cheng's predictions." Cao Ang clicked his tongue in admiration, but frowned and said, "The 100,000 Black Mountain Army are not to be underestimated. It seems that Father's plan to easily take Ye City will not be easy."

"Although the Black Mountain Army is numerous, defeating them is not a difficult task," Gu Cheng said, offering a sip of tea, but he didn't seem to think so.

Cao Ang's spirits lifted, and he asked urgently, "Could it be that Brother Gu has a brilliant plan to defeat the enemy?" "I have no brilliant plan."

Gu Cheng chuckled, but said, "However, I can recommend someone who will surely defeat the Black Mountain Army." "Whom does Brother Gu recommend?" Cao Ang asked impatiently. Gu Cheng took a sip of tea and slowly uttered a name: "Zhang Liao."

"Zhang Wenyuan?"

Cao Ang looked doubtful: "He is indeed a fierce general, but what ability does he have to defeat the Black Mountain Army?" "Has the eldest son forgotten why I advised him to spare Zhang Liao's life?" Gu Cheng retorted.

Cao Ang thought for a moment and said, "I remember Brother Gu saying that Zhang Liao was a former subordinate of Lü Bu and was proficient in the tactics of the Bingzhou cavalry. He will be of great use in the future."

"It's good that you remember, Young Master." Gu Cheng nodded slightly, then asked, "Does the Young Master also remember who defeated the Black Mountain Army when Yuan Shao occupied Ji Province and was at odds with the Black Mountain Army, and couldn't do anything to Zhang Yan?"

"It's Lü Bu!" Cao Ang was suddenly enlightened and exclaimed with delight, "Brother Gu, are you perhaps referring to Zhang Wenyuan, who, emulating Lü Bu, used Bingzhou cavalry to defeat Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army?"

Gu Cheng smiled but remained silent.

The gloom on Cao Ang's face vanished, and he excitedly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Gu. I'll go see my father now!" Cao Ang took his leave in high spirits.

Zhen Bi, still stunned and in a daze, stared blankly at Gu Cheng. "Miss Zhen, what are you looking at? Is there something on my face?"

Gu Cheng touched his face and looked at her suspiciously. "N-nothing..." Zhen Bi blushed and quickly looked away.

"I've finally witnessed the cunning and scheming of Young Master Gu today. I finally understand why Yuan Shao was defeated by Cao Cao. My elder brother, that fool, dared to oppose him; he truly brought shame upon himself..."

Zhen Bi sighed with emotion, her bright eyes secretly glancing at Gu Cheng again. ...Cao Cao's camp, central command tent.

When Cao Ang entered the main tent, most of the strategists and generals, including Guo Jia and Cao Ren, had already arrived. "The Black Mountain Army has 100,000 troops, of which at least 10,000 are cavalry. They should not be underestimated." "I believe that the Grand Commandant should personally lead the army to defeat Zhang Yan before besieging Ye City without any worries," Guo Jia advised.

Cao Ren said proudly, "Although the Black Mountain Army has a large number of men, they are mostly a rabble and far inferior to the elite troops of my Cao family army. It should not be difficult to defeat them in one battle."

Guo Jia said, "General Zixiao is right, but from what I've heard, Zhang Yan's ten thousand elite cavalry are all elite soldiers, not a rabble. They should not be underestimated."

All the generals offered their advice and strategies.

Hiding in the crowd, Zhang Liao hesitated several times before finally swallowing his words.

Although burning the Zhen family's grain supplies earned him a great achievement, the victory was so easy that no one else could have lost it, so it was nothing special.

Knowing that he had just surrendered and had not yet established himself firmly in Cao Cao's camp, Zhang Liao, despite having his own opinions, dared not speak out easily in the face of such an important military meeting.

As they were discussing this, Cao Ang entered the tent. Seeing his son arrive, Cao Cao said, "Zixiu, you've come at the right time. We're discussing how to deal with Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army. What are your thoughts? Feel free to share them."

"Father!" Cao Ang cupped his hands and said loudly, "I recommend someone who can defeat the Black Mountain Army!" All the generals in the tent looked at Cao Ang with surprise.

Cao Cao asked with delight, "Zixiu, who do you recommend?" "Zhang Liao, Zhang Wenyuan!" Cao Ang suddenly turned around, pointing to one of the generals. The generals gasped in surprise, turning to look at Zhang Liao. Zhang Liao himself was also stunned, never expecting the eldest son of the Cao family to recommend him. "Zixiu, you want to recommend Wenyuan?"

A flicker of doubt crossed Cao Cao's eyes. Cao Ang declared loudly, "Back then, Lü Bu used Bingzhou cavalry to defeat Zhang Yan for Yuan Shao. Now that Lü Bu is dead, only Zhang Wenyuan knows the tactics of Bingzhou cavalry. He will surely be able to defeat the Black Mountain Army!"

He quoted Gu Cheng verbatim. Gao Shun suddenly realized and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Minister, Wen Yuan is proficient in the Bingzhou cavalry and will surely defeat the enemy. I also recommend him to lead the battle."

Cao Cao suddenly realized and couldn't help but laugh. With Zixiu's limited understanding, Cao Cao couldn't possibly have thought that far ahead. He saw through the deception and, realizing it was Gu Cheng's recommendation, immediately had no doubts. "Wen Yuan, Zixiu has recommended you. Are you confident you can defeat the Black Mountain Army?" Cao Cao looked at Zhang Liao.

With the opportunity to make a name for himself and gain a place in Cao Cao's camp right before his eyes, how could Zhang Liao miss it? He strode forward, cupped his hands, and said confidently, "This humble general is confident of victory and can defeat Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army!"

Cao Ren, however, cautioned, "Wen Yuan, the Black Mountain Army numbers 100,000, and Zhang Yan still has 10,000 elite cavalry. Are you truly confident you can defeat them?"

"The majority of the Black Mountain Army is a rabble, with lax discipline. The only truly capable fighters are Zhang Yan's ten thousand cavalry." "Once we defeat these ten thousand cavalry, the rest of the Black Mountain Army will surely collapse in morale and crumble without a fight." Zhang Liao had fought the Black Mountain Army before and knew their weaknesses and strengths intimately. Cao Cao nodded slightly and then asked, "So, Wen Yuan, how do you plan to defeat Zhang Yan's ten thousand cavalry?" "Naturally, I will use the Bingzhou cavalry tactics. First, I will use mounted archery to disrupt the enemy formation, creating openings, then use my cavalry to break through and behead their general!"

"With the enemy commander dead, even a million-strong army will surely collapse without a fight!"

Zhang Liao's voice was booming, and he exuded confidence.

Cao Ren couldn't help but question, "Slaying an enemy general amidst a vast army sounds easy, but it's incredibly difficult to actually do it. Wen Yuan, are you truly confident?"

"This is the essence of the Bingzhou cavalry's fighting tactics!"

Zhang Liao's eyes gleamed with pride: "Back then, Lü Bu relied on this very tactic to command nine hundred elite cavalry and dominate the north!" Cao Ren didn't say anything more and looked at Cao Cao. Cao Cao, however, looked at Cao Ang. Cao Ang nodded slightly, his eyes filled with unwavering confidence.

"From Zhao Yun to Gao Shun, my son-in-law's ability to judge character has never failed, and it certainly won't be this time either!" Cao Cao had no more doubts and said happily, "Very well, I will personally lead the army to meet Zhang Yan head-on and see how your Bingzhou cavalry will defeat the Black Mountain Army!"

Seven days later, west of Ye City. Dust billowed, and battle flags blotted out the sky.

One hundred thousand Black Mountain troops are marching in a mighty procession toward Ye City.

"Once Cao Cao learns that the Black Mountain Army has arrived, he will certainly not dare to besiege Ye City any longer. He will most likely retreat to Neihuang City to avoid being attacked from both sides by our lord and the Black Mountain Army. The crisis in Ye City should be temporarily relieved..."

Tian Feng thought to himself, his tightly furrowed brows relaxing slightly. "Mr. Tian!"

"Your lord promised that if I help him relieve the crisis in Ye City, he will allow me to plunder the counties west of Ye City. Does he keep his word?"

Zhang Yan, who was running, asked loudly. Tian Feng frowned, feeling extremely unwilling.

After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said with a wry smile, "My lord always keeps his word. As long as General Zhang can help the Yuan family defend the city, my lord will keep his promise."

A cold smile flickered across Zhang Yan's lips.

"When Cao Cao heard that our army was coming, he probably retreated and dared not besiege Ye City again."

"At that time, I won't even need to fight to plunder all the counties west of Ye City. This is truly a windfall!" Zhang Yan became more and more smug as he thought about it, and couldn't help but burst into laughter. Just then...

A scout on horseback galloped towards them.

"General, five li ahead, there are 30,000 Cao troops arrayed, seemingly ready to engage our army head-on!" Zhang Yan's laughter abruptly stopped, and his expression changed.

Contrary to Cao Cao's expectations, Cao Cao did not fear his 100,000 Black Mountain troops and dare not besiege Ye City. Instead, Cao Cao dared to take the initiative to meet him.

Was Cao Cao insane?

The thought flashed through Zhang Yan's mind in an instant.

"Thirty thousand soldiers dare to meet my hundred thousand troops? Cao Cao, how arrogant you are!" After recovering from the shock, Zhang Yan cursed with a sarcastic look in his eyes. "Why would Cao Cao take the initiative to fight? Could it be..." Tian Feng suddenly realized and said urgently, "General Zhang, Cao Cao cannot be confronted head-on. Please set up camp here and discuss the matter further."

"Are you joking?" Zhang Yan turned and glared at him, arrogantly saying, "Cao Cao has 30,000 troops, while I have 100,000. Do you think I'm afraid of him?" "Cao Cao's military tactics have always been cunning and unpredictable. Now, he clearly has fewer troops, yet he's taking the initiative to fight. It's highly suspicious." "Besides, he has Gu Cheng assisting him. This man's methods are unpredictable. If we're not careful, the consequences will be unimaginable!" Tian Feng became more and more anxious as he spoke, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. "Gu Cheng, huh? I have indeed heard of his extraordinary abilities." Zhang Yan's expression shifted slightly, but it quickly turned into disdain.

"But I just don't believe it. No matter how brilliant his strategies are, how could he help Cao Cao's 30,000 troops defeat my 100,000-strong army?" "Besides, I still have 10,000 iron cavalry!" Seeing that he didn't believe him, Tian Feng became even more anxious and hurriedly said, "General Zhang, that Gu Cheng has the strategies of Zhang Liang, so we must not underestimate him." "Mr. Tian, ​​there's no need to say any more!" Zhang Yan interrupted him and said arrogantly, "I just don't believe that Gu Cheng has three heads and six arms. I refuse to believe in such nonsense!" After saying that,

Zhang Yan brandished his long sword and shouted, "Cao Cao has come at the perfect time! Soldiers of the Black Mountain Army, follow me to capture Cao Cao alive!" The order was given.

The 100,000-strong Black Mountain Army, with their fighting spirit soaring, continued their march forward.

"This Zhang Yan has been holed up in the Taishan Mountains for too long; he's truly a frog in a well. How dare he underestimate Gu Cheng? He's probably going to suffer a big fall!"

Tian Feng stamped his feet and groaned in frustration, secretly complaining.

He had no choice but to follow the Black Mountain Army eastward. Dusk fell.

As expected, Cao Cao's banners appeared along the main road to the east. Thirty thousand Cao Cao infantry and cavalry formed a formidable line, blocking the way. Zhang Yan's order was given, and the one hundred thousand Black Mountain troops halted their advance, forming hundreds of battle formations to confront Cao Cao's army. On the surface, the Black Mountain army seemed to have the upper hand. Cao Cao's army was in the center. Cao Cao, however, pointed his whip at the enemy formation and sneered, "Wen Yuan, you were right after all. The Black Mountain army's banners are disheveled, their formations are completely disorganized; they are truly a rabble!"

Zhang Liao cupped his hands in greeting: "Minister, allow me to defeat the enemy army!" "Very well!"

Cao Cao cracked his whip and laughed heartily, "Wen Yuan, let me see the might of your Bingzhou Iron Cavalry!" Zhang Liao received the order and spurred his horse straight towards the cavalry formation.

He brandished his long sword and shouted, "Bingzhou Cavalry, follow me to crush the Black Mountain Bandits!" Zhang Liao roared out.

Behind them, a thousand Bingzhou cavalrymen charged out and rushed straight towards the Black Mountain Army's cavalry formation.

Zhang Liao knew very well that the 10,000 cavalrymen were the core of the Black Mountain Army; as long as they were defeated, the 100,000-strong Black Mountain Army would collapse without a fight.