Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3663 A Lonely City Fishes for a Heavy Bait, Doubts Shatter the Nine Heavens

Wen County is definitely not going to hold out.

This was something that not only Cao Cao and Xun Yu knew, but Cheng Yu was also aware of.

It's just a matter of how long they can hold out.

Lure the Flying Cavalry to the north of the Yellow River as far as possible, then keep them tied up in Wen County for as long as possible...

This is Wenxian County's strategic goal.

Cheng Yu's speculation about "using a substitute to fish," combined with other considerations, made it difficult for Cao Cao to determine the location of the Flying Cavalry, and the direction in which the Flying Cavalry could attack remained uncertain.

Meanwhile, the internal instability revealed in Cheng Yu's report, along with the performance of the elite scouts of the Flying Cavalry in their ambush, made Cao Cao seriously doubt whether Wen County could hold out until reinforcements arrived.

Inside the central tent of the main camp, there was a faint, pungent smell of burning candle wax.

It smelled like something rotten.

Xun Yu felt the weight of Cao Cao's gaze; it was not just an inquiry, but a cold scrutiny.

Cheng Yu's military report was like a boulder thrown into deep water, stirring up not just ripples, but a whirlpool powerful enough to swallow everything.

"My lord," Xun Yu's voice was deep and clear, each word like a hammer blow on a cold anvil, "Wen County is now a desperate situation, beset by internal and external troubles... It cannot be defended by one person alone... Zhongde... is exhausted."

"Hmm..." Cao Cao narrowed his eyes.

The phrase "internal and external troubles" refers to Cheng Yu, but isn't it also a reminder to Cao Cao himself?

Xun Yu didn't directly say that Cheng Yu was in trouble, but the four words "exhausted" said it all.

Cao Cao stopped tapping, his sharp eyes narrowed slightly, and his pupils were filled with turbulent gloom.

He naturally understood Xun Yu's unspoken words.

What Cheng Yu delivered was not intelligence, but fragments of despair, signs of things spiraling out of control.

The confusion, anxiety, and even the subtle excuses in those words silently proclaimed one fact: Cheng Yu, as the commander-in-chief of Wen County, had lost the ability to control the situation and the wisdom to make calm judgments in the face of the dual pressures of "internal and external troubles".

Not everyone can be as resilient, persistent, and argumentative as a keyboard warrior. After all, keyboard warriors are separated by an internet connection, and not everyone is a hacker who can trace the clues. However, for Cheng Yu, all of Wen County's measures, including the scorched-earth policy and the ever-strengthened city defenses, could not stop the advance of the Flying Cavalry.

Cheng Yu understood this, and so did everyone else.

Therefore, when everyone heard Xun Yu say that Cheng Yu was "exhausted," a sense of shared sorrow arose in their hearts.

Cao Cao's gaze swept over the blood-stained silk cloth once more.

When Cheng Yu mentioned personally being wounded while conducting reconnaissance, it did not evoke Cao Cao's pity; instead, it felt like a cold thorn piercing his heart.

Taking such a risk is not the act of a commander!
Cao Cao sneered inwardly.

How could a qualified commander easily put himself in danger?

This can only mean two things: either Cheng Yu has no capable people left to use, or he has lost his composure and is trying to take a risky gamble!
Regardless of the cause, it signifies that Wen County has deteriorated to an appalling degree.

In Cao Cao's view, those so-called "stealing agents" and "fishing schemes" were more like excuses Cheng Yu made for his loss of control, or delusions born from confused thinking.

Cao Cao believed that the General of the Cavalry would not easily risk his life, so if the General of the Cavalry was indeed "fishing," he was not fishing for Cheng Yu, but for Cao Cao himself!
"My lord," Xun Yu continued, his voice steady yet resolute, "although our army is currently besieged in Wen, we also benefit from the short supply and the speed of reinforcements. The cavalry has come from afar; prolonged campaigning will dull their fighting spirit and weaken their morale, exhaust their strength in a siege, and deplete the national treasury if the campaign continues unabated. Therefore, the most crucial thing for Wen County right now is to delay." "However," Xun Yu continued, "judging from Zhongde's report, the morale within the city is wavering, rumors are rampant, spies are difficult to detect, and the officers and soldiers are disloyal… This is not a sustainable situation. Cheng Zhongde, I fear, is ill-suited for this task."

Cao Cao said in a deep voice, "Wenruo, do you think Zhongde can hold out for a few more days? Three days? Five days? Or... will the banner of the General of the Cavalry be replaced on the city wall tomorrow?"

These words were quite blunt, completely unlike Cao Cao's usual "habit".

Actually, Lao Cao has quite good speaking skills and is also very good at dealing with people.

Historical records show that Cao Cao repeatedly praised generals of different surnames in the presence of generals from the Cao and Xiahou clans.

For example, the Five Tiger Generals often received his verbal praise, and it was always in public...

After all, verbal praise is the easiest thing to keep...

But now, Cao Cao has not shown the slightest 'tolerance,' but instead offered scathing sarcasm. This almost shows that Cao Cao's patience with Cheng Yu has reached rock bottom, and he is so disappointed that he is almost unable to control his emotions.

Of course, it's also possible that the pressure is just too great right now...

Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, Man Chong, and others, as well as military generals like Yue Jin, Yu Jin, and Han Hao, were all commoners discovered and appointed by Cao Cao in the early stages of his career, serving as military officers.

Did Cao Cao promote people from humble backgrounds because he genuinely wanted to break down the powerful clans and bring joy to the common people?
Actually, no, at least not entirely.

We use students from impoverished backgrounds because they offer a higher "cost-effectiveness"...

Hmm, cough cough.

Therefore, Cheng Yu's value in Cao Cao's mind is collapsing at an unprecedented rate.

If Cao Cao had been more financially well-off before, he would naturally have been more magnanimous. However, now that it was almost a life-or-death battle, Cheng Yu's failure at the crucial moment naturally aroused Cao Cao's extreme dissatisfaction.

What is the purpose of a strategist who cannot provide accurate intelligence, cannot stabilize morale, and instead sends a bunch of reports that cause chaos? What is the purpose of a commander who cannot even control his own emotions and needs to pretend to be calm by "bathing and changing clothes"?

Cao Cao was inherently suspicious, and every contradiction in Cheng Yu's report became evidence of his doubts about Cheng Yu's loyalty and ability. Was he concealing worse news? Had Cheng Yu already harbored rebellious intentions?

Is this chaos what he wants to convey as "helplessness," an excuse to absolve Cheng Yu himself?

Then they can "gloriously retreat" and justify their withdrawal?

These thoughts were growing wildly in Cao Cao's mind.

Leaving all that aside, let's set that aside for now...

Cao Cao's voice was deep and resonant, like muffled thunder rumbling within the central command tent: "Zhongde has been investigating for many days, but where exactly is the main force of the Flying Cavalry?!"

This is the real core issue, the key to determining the fate of the entire Yan Province and even Cao Cao himself!

Cheng Yu worked hard and even bled and was injured, which were indeed "merits" that Cao Cao would not deny. However, the most crucial issue was vague and even contradictory in Cheng Yu's report!
This is Cheng Yu's most fatal dereliction of duty!

Cao Cao slammed his fist on the table. "Wen County is under attack! It's been under attack time and time again! All it does is 'attack'! They can't even find out where the enemy's main force is! Zhongde! Zhongde! What are you doing?!"

Why did Cao Cao send Cheng Yu instead of a military general to garrison Wen County?
Besides Cheng Yu's confident assertion before taking office, the most important factor was Cao Cao and Xun Yu's consideration of the overall strategy.

If it's merely a matter of military strength, then aside from a military boost, there are no other benefits. A mere false report could easily be used to deceive the authorities and gain entry to Wen County…

Cheng Yu was one of the few strategists under Cao Cao who had commanded military operations, understood logistics, and handled civil affairs—a true "all-rounder"!
But this "all-rounder" whom Cao Cao placed high hopes on submitted such a report...

The atmosphere inside the tent instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Cao Zhang, Xiahou Wei, and the others fell silent, even their breathing became soft.

Even Dian Wei's mountain-like body tensed slightly, his hand gripping the giant halberd beside him.

Xun Yu sighed inwardly, knowing that Cheng Yu had been marked as "unusable" or even "suspicious" in Cao Cao's mind.

"My lord, please calm your anger," Xun Yu spoke again, attempting to steer the conversation back to strategic matters. "The matter of 'General Huo Qubing fishing' reported by Military Advisor Cheng, though seemingly absurd, is chilling upon closer examination." Cao Cao also took a breath. "Wenruo, please speak."

"If the General of the Cavalry uses himself as bait to lure Zhongde out of the city, then his main force must have already laid a trap! The Black Stone Valley supply convoy... is poorly guarded? A place to store grain?" Xun Yu's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "This intelligence came suddenly, and it seems more like... another bait! Intended to lure us into diverting our troops to rescue him, or... to induce Princess Ming to make a misjudgment!"

"If the fishing incident was indeed orchestrated by a double of the General of the Cavalry..." Xun Yu rose, walked to the map beside him, and pointed to the General of the Cavalry's camp west of Gong County. "If there is one double, how can we be sure there isn't a second?"

Cao Cao took another sip of the Shandong steamed bun.

Xun Yu's finger traced from the Heluo region to Runan, pointing towards the Jingxiang area. "If the main force of the Generalissimo's cavalry has already quietly marched south from Yique Pass… their destination must be here! To break through Jingxiang, and then intercept Xu County! To head straight for the heart of Yingchuan… perhaps… even towards where you, my lord, are!"

This deduction caused Cao Cao's pupils to suddenly contract.

"In my opinion," Xun Yu patted the map lightly, his voice low, "the General of the Cavalry is notoriously cunning, therefore... wherever the General of the Cavalry appears, it is mostly a decoy! Right now, the main force of the General of the Cavalry is hidden in the He-Luo region. Only when they see where our lord is will they make their move!"

Xiahou Wei was somewhat confused and disoriented, not quite understanding what Xun Yu was talking about. One minute he was saying that the General of the Cavalry was lying in ambush in Wen County, the next he was talking about attacking Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and then he was saying that they were hiding in the Heluo region... Wasn't this just nonsense? Cao Cao had just said that he didn't know where the main force of the General of the Cavalry was, and now Xun Yu was spouting a bunch of nonsense about them possibly being here or there...

What exactly does this mean?
However, Cao Cao clearly did not mean that Xun Yu's words were nonsense; instead, he stared intently at the map, as if trying to discern the movements of Fei Qian's army through the markings on it.

Cheng Yu's chaotic intelligence, under Xun Yu's analysis, now outlined a larger and more dangerous picture...

A bait laid by the General of the Cavalry, and behind the bait, a shocking trap catalyzed by Cheng Yu's panic, ultimately aimed directly at Cao Cao himself!
Cao Cao squinted.

This is the true skill of the cavalry...

Now, Shandong pancakes were clearly not enough for Cao Cao to eat, so he had no choice but to stop eating and purse his lips tightly.

Previously, when Cao Cao marched into Guanzhong, he also detoured to Hedong, with the aim of forcing the main force of his cavalry to engage in a decisive battle.
That's right, the final battle!
Cao Jun appears to be engaging in a war of attrition, but what he is attriting is not the goal, but the means!

Fei Qian has a fatal weakness, and the appearance of the Piaoqi substitute is, to some extent, a way for Fei Qian to "make up" for this weakness, or perhaps a choice made out of desperation.

There is only one General of the Flying Cavalry!
Cao Cao dared to place Cao Ang, Cao Zhang, and even Cao Pi at key points on the battlefield, but would Fei Qian dare to do so?

The death of Cao Ang was indeed a devastating blow to Cao Cao, causing him immense pain. However, Cao Cao had other sons who could take his place. Even if they were not as capable as Cao Ang, if one was not enough, two could step up and fill the gap!
What about Ke Feiqian?

If Fei Qian, or Fei Qian's son Fei Zhen, were to die...

Cao Cao's lips curled up slightly, then quickly fell back down.

Therefore, the decisive battle is undoubtedly the sharpest weapon to resolve this mess in Guanzhong!

Of course, if Cao Cao could cut it off, he would win; if he couldn't, Fei Qian would win.

It's like a card being flipped at a gambling table, and then both sides stare at each other.

Cao Cao's previous actions, including Fei Qian's current arrangements, are all preparations for the final "flipping of the card," aiming to weaken the opponent's strength and expand their own advantages as much as possible.

Ji Province is undoubtedly the "piece of meat" that Cao Cao is now throwing to Fei Qian, a huge and sweet bait.

Wenxian is like the hook sticking out of the "bait," because it's necessary to confirm that the "bait" was indeed swallowed by Fei Qian, this big fish, and not just bitten by the claws of some crab or crayfish...

The gentry of Ji Province, the common people, and even everything Cao Cao had in Ye City were all chips on the gambling table.

Chen Qun undoubtedly "understood," or rather, he had a tacit understanding with Xun Yu. That's why he abandoned all other counties in Ji Province and focused solely on building Ye City, stockpiling grain, manpower, and resources, clearly preparing for a protracted war. Even with gunpowder and cannons, the Flying Cavalry would still face a great deal of difficulty in conquering the heavily fortified city.

Gunpowder can indeed blast open city gates, but if even the city gates are sealed with sand and gravel, the power of modern gunpowder is insufficient...

As for the explosives technology tree above black powder, nitroglycerin, picric acid, and then nitrocellulose, nitro starch, ammonium nitrate, etc., all of these can only be produced after the basic chemical technology tree has been developed to a certain stage. Without unlocking other prerequisites, just the question of how to stably produce qualified nitric acid can severely hinder the development of explosives!

As for the gentry and common people of Ji Province during this process, Cao Cao did not care about their lives or deaths.

Because, to some extent, Lao Cao's base of operations is Yuzhou, not Jizhou.

If it comes down to a choice between two options, Lao Cao's choice will be just like it is now; he will definitely only choose Yuzhou.

Meanwhile, in order to execute this strategy, Cao Cao and Xun Yu had even prepared a scapegoat.

That's right, it's Cui Yan.

If Cao Cao ultimately wins, then the blame for the deaths and injuries of the gentry and common people in Ji Province will ultimately fall on Cui Yan of the Cui family!

This is the fundamental reason why Cui Yan was able to leave "easily" despite some of his words and actions, and even some blatant ones, in Xu County...

In a feudal dynasty, the downfall of a "big shot" would never be solely due to lust and corruption.

If Cao Cao wins, then Cui Yan of the Cui clan will be the perfect scapegoat. But if Fei Qian wins, then the Cui clan will become the next "Xun clan," a crucial tool for the General of Chariots and Cavalry to control Ji Province...

Therefore, leading the main force of the Flying Cavalry to Ji Province to wreak havoc on the gentry and common people of Ji Province would undoubtedly be more beneficial than harmful to Cao Cao at the moment.

The problem now is that the cavalryman isn't taking the bait!
Xun Yu's analysis also clarified why the General of the Cavalry did not take the bait...

Just as Cao Cao coveted the head of General Huo Qubing, Fei Qian was also calculating how to obtain Cao Cao's head.

For the Flying Cavalry, taking Ji Province was clearly not as good as taking Jingzhou, Xiangyang, and Runan!
Although taking Ji Province would provide an opportunity to utilize the Flying Cavalry, Ji Province is well-connected, allowing the Flying Cavalry to roam freely and even potentially merge with the cavalry of You Province!
but……

What's the use?

While the Flying Cavalry could indeed roam freely in Ji Province, there was no need to fight at all in the counties and towns of Ji Province!

The moment the cavalry arrives, they will surrender immediately!
So, does it matter whether you gallop or not?
If they wanted to get to Yuzhou, they would have to cross the river. If they were blocked at the ferry by Cao Cao's army, even if the cavalry were running around in Jizhou, they wouldn't be able to walk on water. Moreover, the lower reaches of the river were unlikely to be frozen, so it was practically impossible for cavalry to cross the river on ice.

This back-and-forth gave Cao Cao a lot more room to maneuver!

At that time, it won't be Cao Cao with the long supply lines, but Fei Qian!

Should we send troops to garrison the newly occupied areas? Sending too few troops will be useless, and sending too many will inevitably disperse our forces! At that time, we only need to instigate one or two 'uprisings' or 'rebellions' to keep the cavalry running east and west and north and south across the land of Ji Province!
What a pity, what a pity!

The cavalry didn't take the bait of Wen County!
"Report—!!!"

A piercing, urgent report shattered the deathly silence within the tent, even more urgent than the previous intelligence from Wen County. A travel-worn messenger, his armor stained with blood, practically crashed into the tent, collapsing to the ground, holding aloft a bamboo tube adorned with three red-dyed feathers.

This is a top-level, urgent military report delivered by express courier!
"Reporting to the Prime Minister! Urgent report from Runan! The Sima clan, under the command of the General of the Cavalry... have suddenly entered Runan Commandery from the direction of Yique! Their army... over ten thousand strong! Heading straight for Jingzhou and Xiangyang! There are also disturbances in Wancheng! The Prefect of Runan, Cao Zicheng, has sent an urgent message!!"

The messenger's voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with sobs and extreme fear.

A sudden roar startled everyone in the tent.

Runan!

Nanyang!

Jingxiang!

This is the southern gateway to Xuxian County!
Xun Yu's deduction was instantly confirmed to be mostly true!
As expected, the main force of the Flying Cavalry was not in Hanoi!
Could it be that the Flying Cavalry perfectly concealed their true strategic intentions by taking advantage of Cheng Yu's panic and intelligence confusion?

Is this a feint from the north to attack from the south?!

Could it be that Fei Qian, by using Wen County as bait, not only lured Cheng Yu in but also lulled Cao Cao into a false sense of security?