Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3564: Plan Exposed?

People are always prone to hallucinations.

For example, "The other person likes me" or "I will definitely win this time."

These psychological mechanisms are actually adaptive strategies shaped by natural selection, and their roots lie in the trade-off between survival and reproduction in ancient environments. After all, when information is incomplete, human evolution tends to choose errors with smaller costs.

If you overestimate the other person's interest in you, you may be embarrassed by misjudgment, but if you are right, you will get a partner; if you underestimate the other person's hostility, you may die by misjudgment. So humans are more naturally inclined to make the former mistake.

After all, in an ancient environment with scarce resources, individuals who dare to take risks are more likely to break through the status quo and explore new territories. Even if the probability of success is low, discovering new resources may change the fate of the group. Hunting large animals is dangerous, but a successful hunt is enough to feed the entire group for several days, or even for a long time without having to go out again. Overestimating one's own attractiveness or ability helps to take the initiative in courtship or power struggles.

Therefore, the strategic choices made by Cao’s military academy also fully demonstrated this law.

Is it more dangerous to fight the Hussars face to face, or is it more dangerous to chase after these "defeated" Hussars?

If you want to gain benefits and get these swords, spears, and banners as trophies, is it easier to rush forward, bend down and pick them up, or is it easier to actually kill the Hussars and then get them from their bodies?

Cao's military school rushed out, and soon more Cao's soldiers rushed out.

Even if you know there is a problem, or in other words, you know that "the other person is unlikely to like you" and "buying a lottery ticket is a waste of money", why not give it a try? If it works, wouldn't you make a fortune?

Cao Jun's military school was probably one of the more sober people. After rushing out for a while and picking up some swords, spears, and flags, he slipped away...

The other Cao army soldiers who rushed up with him might not be as sober as him.

When most of Cao's soldiers saw that the people in the front had gained the upper hand, they could not help but rush forward as well. All the swords, spears, flags and other things nearby had been snatched away, so naturally they had to go to places farther away to pick them up.

The hussars shouted and ran in a seductive manner.

The Cao army soldiers were also shouting and yelling. They were a little nervous at first, but they became more relaxed as time went on. After all, this thing was like that. The first time they bent over and licked the capitalists, they felt it was a shame, but later they felt that 996 was a pie in the sky...

Cao's soldiers are also human beings. They also desire victory. Moreover, this desire has existed for too long and has been suppressed too much.

Even if it is a temporary, false sense of happiness, the dopamine secreted by the brain is still enough to drive Cao's soldiers to forget the danger and forget everything!

At the beginning, Zhang Liao's vanguard cavalrymen were trying to use luring attacks to make the Cao army soldiers feel free to chase forward boldly, such as turning around 180 degrees and shooting into the air, recreating the scene of Cao army's previous defeat and reduced attack power in panic. However, they found that there was no need to do so, as Cao army couldn't stop chasing!

Because of the distance, the general of Yique could not see the details of the battlefield directly. He could only see that the Hussars were defeated, and the Cao army ambushed on the mountain picked up swords, spears, armors and flags during the pursuit, causing the ranks to be in disarray. He could not help but be very angry. He grabbed the drumstick and hit the war drum hard, "Pass the order! Do not stop! Do not pick up! Disperse these Hussars! Keep charging!"

The urging sound of war drums rumbled, but who knew whether it was to encourage Cao's army or to urge them to die?

As the sun began to set, the hussars, who had feigned defeat, retreated to their designated location.

The running cavalry school stopped and began to command the soldiers to rearrange their clothes and armor that had been deliberately scattered, and threw more debris into the loess gullies.

He looked up and saw flags waving on the slopes on both sides.

Cao's army spread out along the ravines like a swarm of insects.

"Push it down!"

With an order, a two-wheeled cart loaded with some incendiary materials was set on fire and then pushed down the slope.

Flames were burning in the car.

Thick smoke rose up.

The incendiary materials stuffed in the cart bounced and scattered, and the Cao army soldiers were cut into several pieces amid screams.

It was not until this moment that the Hussar Army's true killer move was revealed.

Those "fleeing" hussars picked up their weapons again from their designated positions, bared their fangs and sharp claws, formed a solid formation, and pushed back towards Cao's army. On the slopes, there were archers looking down from above, shooting arrows at Cao's soldiers.

The troops pretending to be defeated and other ambushed hussars cooperated with each other in military schools, like a gate knife, quickly cutting through the ranks of Cao's soldiers and crushing them.

"Help!"

"I've been fooled!"

"There's an ambush!"

The Cao army soldiers howled in disorder.

Yes, they should have thought of it earlier, should have stopped earlier, should have been like that military academy, just take some things, don't rush so far, don't be so greedy...

But most of the time, we know it but cannot do it.

It's just like the stock market in later generations. Everyone knows that buying on dips and selling on highs will definitely make money. However, most of the time, people buy at the bottom halfway up the mountain. When they can't help but sell at a loss, the market starts to rebound. Seeing it go up all the way, they swear that they will never chase high prices. After one, two, or three days, they can't help but rush in, and are trapped at the top of the mountain again...

Chives are available every year and grow continuously every year.

Before rushing out, Cao's army thought that the opponents were the weak ones. But when they found themselves being surrounded, it was too late for them to run away.

……

……

Zhang Liao stood on a high slope in the distance, watching the black smoke rising from the ravine and the screams drifting in the wind, and felt a little relieved.

"Have the defenders of Yique Pass come out?"

Zhang Liao asked.

The scout quickly reported, "General! Cao's troops at Yique Pass have not moved!"

Zhang Liao turned his head and looked towards Luoyang in the northeast. "Is there any movement in Luoyang?"

He deliberately set out late and attacked late today to give Yique time and a channel to ask for help from Luoyang City.

The guard then sent an inquiry signal to the scouts in the distance.

A moment later, the message relayed back from the distant scouts also stated, "There is no movement in the Luoyang direction!"

Zhang Liao frowned.

It is understandable that Yique did not go out to fight, but Luoyang did not come out either. Did he see through Zhang Liao's strategy of luring troops?

If the Cao army defenders in Luoyang City really do not go out to fight, then Zhang Liao will have to change his original plan and take over Yique first!

But the Yique Yishui is a bit troublesome, and the key is the dam. If it is not handled properly...

Zhang Liao looked up at the sky, which was gradually setting.

In any case, today's battle has basically come to an end.

Unfortunately, neither Yique nor Luoyang were able to lure Cao’s army out.

"Pass the order, soldiers take turns to rest." Zhang Liao ordered, "Send more scouts, spread out light and dark, to prevent Cao's army from attacking at night!"

The guard took the order and went down.

Today's attack went smoothly, it was successful, but it was not completely successful.

This was the original plan on the battlefield.

It is impossible that all enemy forces will move as imagined.

Zhang Liao had set up two or three contingency plans in his original plan. For the offensive against Yique Pass, if Cao's army did not pursue, then he would increase the intensity of the attack on the Yishui Dam to force Cao's army to attack. If Cao's army on the mountain moved a lot, Zhang Liao would go around and kill these Cao's soldiers on the mountain. If Cao's army at Yique Pass could not help but rush out, then Zhang Liao would lead the team to raid Yique Pass!

There is also a plan for Luoyang...

However, for some unknown reason, the Cao army defenders in Luoyang and Yique Pass did not attack, so Zhang Liao could only keep his troops in place, hide, and have his men continue to investigate the battlefield and wait for subsequent changes.

When the sun set, the Cao army soldiers who were chasing them were already lying down in a mess.

Although the earth slope was not very high, the loess gully itself was not an ideal ambush site, at least much worse than the mountains around Yique Pass. If Cao's army insisted on rushing up the earth slope, they could have rushed out, but the burning baggage carts that were pushed down became the decisive factor.

The flames and black smoke intensified the panic of Cao's soldiers, so that they did not even think about rushing up the low earth slope to fight the hussars, but only wanted to escape.

The Cao army soldiers who were originally ambushed in the mountains at Yique were lured out and most of them were killed, and the rest were scattered. However, the two parts at the Yique Dam and the Cao army camp in Yique Guanzhong were not able to take advantage of the situation and were instead preserved.

Therefore, one of Yique's original three arrows was now broken, and Zhang Liao was also prepared to take down the other two arrows with as little casualties as possible...

……

……

On the other side, Man Chong in Luoyang City also received the news that Zhang Liao was marching towards Yique Pass.

"What should I do? What should I do?!"

These three words appeared on the faces of Cao's soldiers and generals in Luoyang City.

The same is true for Man Chong.

He had indeed tried his best.

Victory was once so close to them, but in the battle of Hedong, when the General of Cavalry Fei Qian appeared, they failed again.

After a hard battle, they finally retreated here.

This place used to be the pride of the Han Dynasty and the symbol of the dynasty, but now neither the soldiers nor the officials in Luoyang City have the will to fight.

Deserters and escaped officials, even if Man Chong hung people's heads on the city walls and piled them on the side of the road, there were still people who would take risks.

It can be said that what Man Chong is facing now is a desperate situation!

Logically speaking, although Luoyang is not as strategically located as Guanzhong, it is also surrounded by passes for protection. Liu Xiu of the Eastern Han Dynasty chose to establish his capital here because his location allowed him to control Guanzhong on the left and Shandong on the right, thus extending the life of the dynasty for nearly two hundred years.

However, like most feudal dynasties, after the founding generation fell in the face of time, the second and third generations gradually lost their initial determination and perseverance, and began to distance themselves from the common people. By the end of the feudal dynasty, almost all descendants of the emperors were, without exception, raised like pigs by the aristocratic families and powerful people.

This was certainly due to the strategy of the aristocratic families, but it was also due to the incompetence of these emperors' grandsons.

Therefore, at the moment, if Man Chong wanted to defend Luoyang, he would not only have to face the vanguard of Zhang Liao's army, but also the stabs from the sons of the nobles behind him. For these sons of the nobles who had long wanted to escape from Heluo, Luoyang belonged to the Han Dynasty and the emperor's face, not theirs, and had nothing to do with them.

The big man is about to be finished!

They will shout, but when asked to do something, they will throw up their hands and say, "What does this have to do with me?"

Although Luoyang has not yet recovered to its former glory, it does not mean that it is completely undefendable.

After all, after nearly two hundred years of continuous construction, reinforcement and expansion, the capital of the entire Eastern Han Dynasty was still bigger than a horse, even a lean camel.

In a short period of time, Man Chong made great efforts to repair the city's defense facing the west and patched some loopholes on the other three sides. If the Hussars did not come with a large-scale army and did not use firearms on a large scale, they could still rely on the city walls to defend for a period of time and wait for the subsequent reinforcements to arrive.

But will the Hussars honestly use conventional tactics?

Obviously impossible.

Therefore, Man Chong was forced to make some arrangements in advance, hoping to use these arrangements to delay the time for the Cavalry Army to capture Luoyang.

For example, Yique Pass.

The question now facing Man Chong is whether Zhang Liao knew the secret of Yique Pass or just happened to come across it?

If it was just a coincidence, then if Man Chong attacked now, he might be counterattacked by Zhang Liao.

It would be fine if he defeated Zhang Liao, but if he led the army to attack and lost, it is possible that the people in Luoyang would immediately scatter like monkeys when the tree falls, and all the defense systems and fortifications that had been built before would be in vain!

But if we don't go to war and let Zhang Liao take Yique Pass first, then the arrangements made at Yique Pass will be completely useless...

To defend a place, one needs not only a perfect city defense, sufficient defensive equipment, and sufficient food, but also a water source that will not be cut off. If there is no way to collect firewood, there must be firewood, and there must be enough and capable defenders. There must also be a buffer around the defense area, and reinforcements can also come to assist through these supporting areas.

And now, Man Chong relies on the arrangements at these passes around Luoyang!

If Yique fights without assistance, will the people of Taigu and Huanyuan Pass still have strong faith?

If all the passes around Luoyang were lost, how long could Luoyang alone be defended?

Once the retreat is cut off, the supply will also be cut off.

And the key is to have people’s hearts and morale!

No one knows where the reinforcements are. Even someone as determined as Man Chong would not dare to say that he can hold the isolated city of Luoyang for a few days!

On the city wall, the flags of Cao’s army fluttered in the wind, and the surrounding soldiers were all looking at Man Chong.

Man Chong placed his hands on the battlements of the city wall. The dark purple lines on the cracked blue bricks seemed to be the blood that had seeped in. Man Chong's face and body no longer had the unrestrained and romantic look he had in Yingchuan. His face was covered with dust, and his hair was sticking out of his crown. Everyone could see that Man Chong was very tired, but his waist was still straight and did not collapse.

This is also one of the reasons why even though Man Chong was hunting down those deserters, there were still Cao Jun soldiers willing to follow him...

Man Chong scanned Luoyang City again and again, scanned his soldiers, scanned the fortifications outside Luoyang City, as well as the Beimang Mountain in the distance and the Yique Pass in the south.

From the perspective of the battlefield, it made no sense for Zhang Liao to march to Yique Pass. After all, from Hangu Pass, he could follow the Gushui River directly to Luoyang, and then set up camp at the confluence of Luoshui and Gushui River, and then march to Luoyang. Normally, Yique Pass was hidden behind Luoyang, after all, it was a little distance away and the Yishui River was a strategic point.

But the problem is that Zhang Liao has crossed the Gushui River and the Luoshui River and is heading straight to attack Yique Pass!

Then what should be done?

On the surface, there was a distance between Zhang Liao's vanguard and the center army of the cavalry. Now that Zhang Liao was attacking Yique Pass, it was equivalent to exposing his rear to Man Chong in Luoyang!

If Man Chong’s profession was an assassin, he would probably not be able to resist launching a backstab right now!

What a great position!

but……

Could it be that once he led his army to attack, Zhang Liao's cavalry would attack immediately? Was this actually a flaw that Zhang Liao deliberately exposed?

Or should we hold on here and do our best to block the route of the Hussar Army to the east, isolating Zhang Liao and the Hussar Army on both sides, and wait for the reinforcements from Shandong which may or may not come?

Of course, if he continued to stay here, Man Chong could imagine that he would most likely be attacked from both sides!

If Mengjin in the north is also lost, then three sides will be in danger!

Double or even triple the surprise!

By then, even if Man Chong wanted to defend it, he would definitely not be able to do so! Who knows, those nobles in the city who have long been dissatisfied with Man Chong might secretly surrender the city gate!

The guard beside Man Chong whispered, "Sir, what should we do now? If Yique cannot be defended, the Cavalry can attack from both the west gate and the south gate! Our defense of the west gate is OK, but the south gate Luoshui...if the Cavalry really comes from the south, then our boats left in Luoshui...how about we move the boats first?"

Man Chong gritted his teeth and said, "How can we move? Everyone is watching me now. If we move, Luoyang City will immediately change its flag to that of the Hussars! If the boats we left on the Luo River are discovered by the people in the city, do you believe they will flee on the same day?! The Luo River will be blocked and it will not flow! By that time, the situation in Luoyang will be hopeless! All our previous efforts and preparations will be in vain!"

The guard was speechless and said after a while: "But, my lord, will we have reinforcements?"

Man Chong sighed softly and whispered, "It will come... The sky is about to fall. Although we dare not say that we can save it alone, we can at least hold on for a while, even if it is just for a while!"

The guard looked up at the sky, "My dear, what if... what if I can't hold on to this sky?"

Man Chong smiled, "If you can't hold on, then you will die... People will die sooner or later! Send the order!"

Man Chong's voice became firm, "Order the troops at Taigu Pass to march out immediately, attack the flank of the cavalry vanguard, and rescue Yique!"