Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3668 The Truth and the Falsehood Shock Hanoi, the Truth and the Falsehood Trapped Wen County

Fei Qian's figure disappeared into the dust at the end of the official road, and the invisible pressure dissipated as well. However, the shock left in the hearts of Liu Heng and the others was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, the ripples of which were difficult to calm down for a long time.

The golden glow of the setting sun cast a final ray of light on the receding dust, and also reflected the complex expressions on the faces of Liu Heng and the others at the manor gate.

Shock, awe, and relief were ultimately replaced by a sense of shame and anger at being fooled.

"Cheng Yu, you old scoundrel!" Liu Heng's voice was filled with anger and lingering fear after being fooled. "First, you used the scorched earth policy to burn my fields and houses, damaging my hometown, and this grudge remains unavenged; now you're spreading such misleading rumors, almost causing us to make a grave mistake and lose a wise ruler! Do you think there's no one left in Hanoi?!"

"Brother Liu is absolutely right! How dare they spread such vicious rumors! If they hadn't witnessed it themselves, wouldn't they have been deceived by these traitors? The General of the Cavalry is truly a hero of our time, seeing through their treachery. He doesn't blame us; otherwise, wouldn't we be like those clowns, cutting ourselves off from the path of justice?"

These Hanoi youths, recalling what had happened earlier, couldn't help but feel indignant, their faces turning ashen and their breathing becoming rapid.

These young scholars, who considered themselves the "rising stars" of Hanoi, were quite ambitious. Their families had suffered losses due to Cheng Yu's scorched-earth policy, and they were already harboring resentment. However, they dared not speak out because of the overwhelming power of Cao Cao's army. Now, they had seen the General of Chariots and Cavalry...

Of course, they no longer have any doubts.

How could such a profound and majestic demeanor, and such insight far ahead of its time, possibly be displayed by a mere 'stand-in'?

Even if this really is a "double," if a "double" of the General of the Cavalry has such insight, then what kind of great talent and strategy must the real General of the Cavalry possess? At this moment, in their eyes, Cheng Yu's "double rumor" is not only a slander against the General of the Cavalry, but also an insult to the intelligence of the Hanoi gentry and a blatant scheme!
Liu Heng looked around at the Hanoi youths around him, who also had expressions of indignation and relief. Especially those young people who were usually frustrated and lacked resources in their clans, their eyes were now burning with flames of 'opportunity'.

Ladies and gentlemen!

Liu Heng's voice suddenly rose, filled with inflammatory rhetoric: "That old villain has adopted a scorched-earth policy, treating the people of Hanoi like mere weeds, burning fertile fields and destroying our homes—this is a blood feud! Today, he again attempts to sow discord between us and the General of the Flying Cavalry with rumors; his heart is utterly despicable! The General of the Flying Cavalry has the world in his heart, seeking talents with 'three realities' (practicality, integrity, and competence), without being bound by convention! This is precisely a heaven-sent opportunity for the outstanding talents of Hanoi, especially our generation of young and ambitious men, to break free from constraints, achieve merit, and bring glory to their families!"

From "old scoundrel" to "old thief," it only takes a blink of an eye.

"Brother Liu is right!" a Hanoi native exclaimed indignantly. "That old scoundrel is clearly trying to sow discord through rumors, keeping Hanoi in chaos so he can reap the benefits!"

"That's absolutely right!" another young scholar chimed in. "The General of Chariots and Cavalry has the world in his heart, is eager to seek out talented people, and desires to reform and revitalize the Han Dynasty! This is a golden opportunity for us to make our mark! How can we allow ourselves to be misled by that old villain and remain trapped in a state of despair? My family's land has already been destroyed by him. Rather than relying on others within the clan and watching those experienced and prudent elders hesitate and waver, it would be better to..."

"Why not join the army!" Liu Heng waved his arm, taking over the conversation with a resolute voice. "Now that we have discerned the truth, why not go to the front lines ourselves? Firstly, it will demonstrate the loyalty of the scholars of Hanoi to the General of the Flying Cavalry, clearing away any misunderstandings that may have arisen from the rumors. Secondly, Wen County is my hometown; I am familiar with its geography and customs, and can serve as a guide and strategist for the army! Thirdly..."

Liu Heng gritted his teeth, "Let the General see that Hanoi is not full of cowards, but also has heroes who dare to fight! And let's see with our own eyes what tricks that old scoundrel Cheng Yu can pull under the might of the General! If this grudge isn't avenged, I, Liu Heng, will be unworthy of being a man of Hanoi!"

These words resonated with everyone.

The young people of Hanoi, especially those eager to "overtake on a curve," were particularly excited.

For these young people who have not yet mastered the core resources of their families and are eager to prove themselves, they know that promotion is slow in a family that values ​​lineage. The "three realities" standard for personnel proposed by General Fei Qian, and the front lines of war when people are in need, are the best stage for them to show their talents and win fame!
Liu Heng's call to action immediately received a warm response.

"Brother Liu, your insight is brilliant! Let's go together!"

Count me in!

"My Zhao family also has manpower available!"

"Yes! Let that old scoundrel Cheng see the spirit of the sons of Hanoi!"

Driven by public outrage, the action was taken with extraordinary speed.

Relying on the prestige of the Liu family in Wen County and his influence among the younger generation, Liu Heng quickly contacted and organized more than ten ambitious young men from Hanoi, many of whom were proficient in literature, had some martial arts skills, or were familiar with the local routes and terrain.

Of course, some made a lot of noise, but when it came to actually setting off, they would delay and postpone their plans. However, some other young men ignored the advice of some elders in the clan to "wait and see" and, with some servants and provisions, came to join the army under the banner of "helping the army to serve the country, suppressing the rebels and pacifying the people".

……

……

On the other side,
Fei Qian and his party arrived in Mengjin.

At the Mengjin ferry crossing, boats were already waiting at the shore.

Fei Qian dismounted and gestured to his guards to take his warhorse onto the ship first.

Most warhorses are timid, but if you coax them with some roasted beans, they will willingly board the ship.

Fei Qian stood on the riverbank, glanced at the other "Fei Qian" not far away, sized him up, and then said to Huang Xu, "Now the young men of Hanoi will surely spread the news... they might even go to the front lines to serve... What should you do?"

Fei Qian told the Hanoi youths that he was "busy with military affairs," which was true, but his claim of "inspecting other places" was a lie. Fei Qian did not linger in Hanoi, but instead traveled day and night, reaching Mengjin as quickly as possible, and then crossed the river again to return to the Heluo camp.

The reason for this rush is simply that the "Shadow Clone" technique only has so much power.

It's fine to pretend from a distance, but when you open your mouth to speak...

Therefore, Fei Qian had to make this trip in person. In this way, the gentry of Hanoi would think that the General of the Cavalry was still stationed somewhere in Hanoi. This recognition that the General was "here" and the resulting awe and loyalty were among the gains of Fei Qian's trip.

Secondly, it's not good to keep avoiding the Hanoi youths. Now that they've met, these Hanoi youths will surely spread the news of Zhen Feiqian's arrival in Hanoi.

Thirdly...

When falsehood is taken for truth, even truth becomes falsehood; when truth is taken for falsehood, even falsehood becomes truth.

All Huang Xu needs to do next is bring this 'stand-in' back to Hanoi, which means the cavalry will 'still' be in Hanoi...

Cheng Yu, on the other hand, will soon receive a piece of information that will leave him bewildered and uncertain, its veracity uncertain...

Huang Xu glanced back at the obedient 'stand-in' standing in the distance. "My lord, if the sons of Hanoi join the army, I'm afraid... contact will be unavoidable..."

We can't make Fei Qian make the trip every time we meet, can we?

Fei Qian smiled. "A meeting? There won't be one... Couldn't you arrange somewhere for these people to stay?"

Huang Xu was taken aback. "Where are they going? Are they really going to send them to the front lines?"

Fei Qian laughed and said, "Why not?"

Huang Xu couldn't understand. "My lord, if we really go to the front lines... then many things in the army... will be exposed..."

On the northern front of Hanoi, Fei Qian actually deployed relatively few troops.

In the early stages, Jiang Jiong led about two thousand troops, then Zhu Ling brought more than a thousand, and later Huang Xu brought troops. All in all, it was just over three thousand. After deducting the casualties, deaths, and those wounded who retreated to the rear for treatment and recuperation, the total size was only a little over five thousand.

This force is sufficient for field engagements, but it's somewhat insufficient for besieging a city.

Fei Qian patted Huang Xu on the shoulder, "You've been around me for so long... there are advantages and disadvantages..."

Huang Xu, as Fei Qian's personal bodyguard, has followed Fei Qian from the time of the war against the Xiongnu and Xianbei until now. He has basically been an internal guard commander and rarely leads troops to fight outside. This is his advantage and also his disadvantage.

Now that Fei Qian's double has arrived, without Huang Xu's reminder and cover, he'd inevitably be exposed. Moreover, as the General of the Cavalry, it's inconceivable that he wouldn't have direct bodyguards, especially a close bodyguard like Huang Xu. Therefore, wherever the double is, Huang Xu must be there too. 'This guy's just an empty shell…' Fei Qian muttered, looking at the double. 'But if intelligence from the front lines comes in, we can't just ignore it, can we? You send someone back to Heluo, and then…'

Huang Xu nodded repeatedly, sweating profusely, "My lord, I...I'm worried..."

"I'm teaching you right now..." Fei Qian laughed. "Actually, the strategy here is quite simple... besiege the city. We don't have that many soldiers... so what should we do?"

Huang Xu frowned, thinking hard, "Then...we shouldn't surround it?"

"Not entirely correct..." Fei Qian gestured for Huang Xu to look at the "stand-in," "A mix of truth and falsehood, reality and illusion..."

"Understood!" Huang Xu wasn't stupid, but he had been too used to following Fei Qian's orders and rarely thought for himself. This time, however, he clearly had to make decisions instead of simply obeying orders. "We still need to surround the city, and it needs to be a 'proper' siege, but not a real siege. We need to put most of our troops outside..."

Fei Qian nodded and said, "And we also need to increase the number of cooking fires and reduce the number of soldiers."

"Yes, understood! This is to lure the city's defenders out!" Huang Xu slammed his fist against his palm. "If they come out, they won't be going back!"

"Yes, that's part of it..." Fei Qian said with a smile, "And the other part... I just mentioned that some of the Hanoi youths would come to join the army... It would be wrong to refuse them, so we'll send them to help at the siege camp in Wen County..."

Huang Xu suddenly realized, "This way they'll know the besieged camp is empty! Someone will be able to pass on the message!"

"That's right." Fei Qian chuckled and patted Huang Xu's arm. "See? Isn't it simple? You can easily tell who's genuinely loyal and who's just pretending. Those who are truly loyal stay, and those who are just pretending… you know what to do."

"Rest assured, my lord!" Huang Xu said in a deep voice, "If anyone still hesitates or acts treacherously... they will surely be taught a lesson!"

There will definitely be fence-sitters, so this is also a 'reason' to be presented to Fei Qian.

Fei Qian nodded and said, "What we need to be careful about is that these Hanoi youths might not send messages directly, but rather through family members who then relay them... So, where should we be on alert?"

"Key routes leading to Ji Province and Yan Province!" Huang Xu immediately said. "Send scout teams to infiltrate and disguise themselves in these areas. This will allow us to gather intelligence and also cut off these scoundrels' communications!"

"Very good," Fei Qian extended his hand and pointed in a direction, "One last question... The garrison in Wen County might launch a probing counterattack once or twice, perhaps from all four gates simultaneously, or perhaps a night raid... You need to prepare a plan in advance to avoid panic at the last minute..."

"The same applies to Cao Cao's reinforcements... The reinforcements might come from Ji Province in the north, or from the south of the Yellow River, or even be transferred from other places... Ji Province in the north is threatened by You Province above, so they can't spare many soldiers... As for the south of the Yellow River, according to reports, Prime Minister Cao has already moved his troops to Yingyin, so it's unlikely he'll send a large army there... The most likely scenario is that troops from Ji Province and other places will come together... Of course, if Prime Minister Cao really does send a large army, you should retreat..."

Fei Qian looked south. "But I think Prime Minister Cao isn't that foolish... So, you see, as long as you plan ahead, prepare in advance, and think through all the possibilities, isn't it quite simple?"

That being said, it is actually not that simple.

Fei Qian said this intentionally, partly to comfort Huang Xu and allow him to fully utilize his talents without becoming hesitant due to nervousness, and partly because, for Cao's army, the chessboard north of the river had been largely explored, leaving little room for further expansion...

Cao Jun's chessboard in Ji Province was already in disarray, and now with Wei Yan adding to the chaos, with You Province pressing in the north and Huang Xu and others plundering Hanoi in the south, trying to make another move in such a tight and small area would largely be tantamount to blocking his own lifeline.

After all, Ji Province only has one eye right now, and Ye City and Wen County can only be considered half an eye. Whether they can survive the robbery depends on whether they have enough loot...

Fei Qian knew this, and Fei Qian knew that Cao Cao also knew it...

So we've come full circle, haven't we?
After making the arrangements, Fei Qian gave Huang Xu a few words of encouragement before boarding the ship and heading towards the south bank. Although Fei Qian's methods for teaching Huang Xu—making contingency plans first and then arranging according to those plans—were somewhat dogmatic and bookish, Huang Xu had Jiang Jiong and Zhu Ling under his command, who were capable of automatically correcting and supplementing even if Huang Xu's instructions were not perfect.

……

……

The siege camp at the foot of Wen County.

Zhu Ling warmly welcomed Liu Heng and his group.

Zhu Ling received the message from Huang Xu. He also knew the value of these local gentry youths, not only in the small number of people and supplies they brought, but also in their in-depth understanding of Wen County and even Hanoi Prefecture, as well as the political significance of their allegiance. Naturally, he could not put on airs. Instead, he arranged for Liu Heng and others to work in the camp according to their strengths, such as assisting with paperwork, acting as guides, or appeasing the newly surrendered people.

These Hanoi youths quickly became active in the camp.

New converts always have high enthusiasm.

The sons of Hanoi were no exception; they hoped to integrate into the Flying Cavalry ranks as quickly as possible and accumulate merits through this method...

Although Cheng Yu implemented a scorched earth strategy, it could not continuously pollute like a nuclear warhead. Therefore, he only needed to haul timber and other materials from afar and clean up some biological pollution sources outside Wen County to gradually build camps to besiege Wen County.

It was initially established as a field camp, and then expanded into a semi-permanent camp.

Timber and tools were continuously transported from afar by carts and horses.

Some of these supply wagons were brought by the cavalry themselves, while nearly a quarter were brought by newly arrived Hanoi natives...

The camp cannot be completed in a short period of time, but it is during this period of construction that people's hearts are truly tested.

Zhu Ling, as the commander of the besieged camp, commanded and directed the operations with composure.

Under Zhu Ling's command, the camp gradually expanded and grew larger.

Camp, fence, watchtower.

As the cavalry's siege camp gradually expanded, Cheng Yu, in Wen County, naturally faced increasing pressure...

Banners fluttered in the wind above the city walls of Wen County.

Cheng Yu was dressed in military uniform, his gray hair and beard fluttering in the summer breeze.

It must be said that although Cheng Yu is quite old, his tall stature makes him look quite respectable in military uniform.

His gaze was fixed on the cavalry outside the city, who were busily building their camp.

"Only the Zhu family?" Cheng Yu muttered to himself, looking at Zhu Ling's general's flag fluttering above the camp. "That's not right... Only the Zhu family is here? Where are the others? Where's the General of the Cavalry?"

Outside of Wen County, the camps prepared for the siege were clearly quite large, with fences, trenches, and arrow towers taking shape at a visible speed.

People came and went, dust flew, and the noise was deafening. At first glance, it certainly looked like a major force that was going to besiege Wen County for a long time.

Looking at the bustling scene outside the city, many of the Cao army soldiers on the city walls showed signs of worry.

After all, the Flying Cavalry Army was renowned and possessed powerful gunpowder weapons. If the main force were to besiege the city, Wen County would be in grave danger.

Cheng Yu received urgent intelligence confirming that the person appearing in Hanoi was none other than General Fei Qian!

This was yet another piece of news that surprised him, but upon reflection, it seemed to make perfect sense!
Cheng Yu had previously suspected that the story of "Piaoqi fishing" was a mix of truth and falsehood, and the new information coming from Hanoi only confirmed it for him. Of course, confirming that Piaoqi was indeed there made Cheng Yu both worried and happy, and he was also uneasy.

At the very beginning of Zhu Ling's construction of the siege camp, Cheng Yu had been trying his best to find traces of the "General of the Cavalry," but after several days of seeing only the "Zhu" clan's battle flags and no one else appearing, Cheng Yu couldn't help but start to worry again...