Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3694 A feint attack concealing a desperate measure; a hidden trap in the game of chess.

The continuous rain soaked the southern foothills of Mount Song, and the muddy ground made marching extremely difficult.

But at this moment, unexpectedly, Sima Yi received news that Wancheng was under siege.

Sima Yi did not immediately send troops to rescue them, but instead frowned and pondered.

It's impossible to save them, after all, Wancheng is too far away.

In ancient warfare using cold weapons, determining the authenticity of a distress call was crucial to survival on the battlefield. Lacking modern technology, communication often couldn't be achieved simply by making a phone call; it had to rely on human relay, a process fraught with uncertainty.

When Huang Zhong was besieged in Wancheng, he naturally sent a message immediately, sending it in two directions at the same time: one to Wuguan and the other to Sima Yi at Songshan.

Sima Yi looked at the sealing wax on the bamboo tube, carefully examining its patterns and the shape of the seal. He also felt the slight wear and tear caused by the long-term transmission. He then turned the bamboo tube upside down to check if there were any signs of it being pried open at the bottom. Finally, he took out a small knife, opened the sealing wax, and took out the paper inside.

Huang Zhong was not a general under the command of the General of the Cavalry; he was merely a guest general. Therefore, the letter Huang Zhong wrote did not follow the agreed dynamic password, nor did it contain any coded language or even basic date calculations. It simply stated that Wancheng was besieged and that the garrison inside Wancheng numbered only two thousand and could not hold out for long.

The only definitive proof that it was written by Huang Zhong himself is a letter from Huang Zhong that Sima Yi had previously kept; the handwriting roughly matches. Also, Huang Zhong's seal on the paper is slightly off-center to the left…

If the messages were being relayed within the Flying Cavalry, there would be many coded messages. For example, "Renxu Transport of Grain" doesn't actually refer to grain supplies, but rather to reinforcements. Furthermore, the dates in the letters would match specific algorithms; for instance, "March 21st" actually refers to April 5th, and there would be other specific coded phrases, etc.

Unfortunately, Huang Zhong's letters did not contain the coded language used within the General of the Cavalry.

So this means...

It is very easy to counterfeit.

But this time, it doesn't seem like a fake.

This made Sima Yi even more troubled.

Sima Yi had forged Cao Cao's plea for help, and he knew all too well how unreliable such letters without any secret codes were. However, the problem was that Huang Zhong's position at Wancheng was quite important. If they were linked together, they could erode and intimidate Jingzhou. If they didn't come to the rescue...

How many soldiers does General Huang have under his command now? How much food is in the city?

Sima Yi looked at the letter, but his eyes glanced at Huang Zhong's subordinate, and he spoke as if it were a casual conversation.

The messenger answered each of them.

"Oh..." Sima Yi put down the letter and nodded. "I understand. You must be tired from your journey. Go and rest now."

Huang Zhong's messenger bowed and withdrew, but just as he reached the tent flap, Sima Yi stopped him again. "Oh, right, I just remembered something... I heard that General Huang's son was wounded. I wonder if his arrow wound has healed? I still have some excellent medicine for wounds from the General of the Cavalry; I can share some with General Huang later..."

Huang Zhong's subordinate was taken aback. "Young Master is injured? Wasn't he in Chang'an? How could he be injured?"

"Ah, perhaps I made a mistake..." Sima Yi waved his hand, signaling the messenger to leave.

Sima Yi watched the messenger's departing figure, lost in thought and remaining silent.

A trusted aide stepped forward, "General, this... could it be a fake?"

Sima Yi shook his head, "No, it's most likely a real messenger..."

The confidant asked again, "So... what is the general's doing...?"

Sima Yi frowned deeply.

"Is Cao Cao's army besieging the city?"

Sima Yi frowned, his eyes filled with doubt. "Cao Mengde's troops are unpredictable. Just a few days ago, they marched in full force to Xiangyang, relieving the siege of Xiangfan… and now they've turned around and besieged Wancheng? This troop strength… right now…"

Sima Yi picked up the letter again, read it once more, and then said, "This messenger... When Cao Cao's army besieged the city, how could they not send scouts and riders to search the surrounding area? Moreover, now that this fortress has been captured... yet this 'request for reinforcements' letter was able to be delivered unimpeded to somewhere... Has Cao Cao's army stopped even setting up regular scouts at the fortress?"

"Is there nothing suspicious about this?" Sima Yi summoned the scouts again and inquired carefully about the encounter with Huang Zhong's messenger and the situation on the way to Wancheng and Xiangfan.

Even though Huang Zhong's subordinates had verified all the information and his identity was genuine, Sima Yi still harbored doubts.

On the battlefield, where information is severely hampered by rain and distance, any easily obtained "intelligence" may conceal a deadly trap.

Sending more people to Wancheng to investigate and verify the intelligence was clearly unrealistic, but Sima Yi also felt it was inappropriate to send reinforcements.

Sometimes, life decisions are made in the blink of an eye.

Sima Yi suddenly noticed the cannons set up in the mountains and smiled.

Why should I be so cautious?

With such a powerful defensive weapon, what is there to fear from Cao Cao's army?
Since we suspect that Wancheng's request for help is a trap, let's play along!
Since Cao Cao's army wants Ghost Cry Pass, then they might as well pretend to rescue Wancheng and actually seize Flying Fox Fortress!

With artillery in hand, what can Cao Cao's army do even if they come?

Having made up his mind, Sima Yi dispatched a "rescue force," but this force did not act with the urgency of saving lives; instead, it moved rather slowly...

……

……

Meanwhile, inside Cao Cao's army camp, Xun Yu was also deep in thought amidst the sound of rain.

The continuous drizzle pattered against the roof of Cao Cao's army camp tents, forming thin streams that dripped along the edges of the tarpaulin onto the muddy ground with a dull thud.

Inside the central command tent, the dim light illuminated Xun Yu's calm yet slightly weary face.

His gaze fell upon the endless rain outside the tent, as if he could penetrate the barrier of moisture and see his opponent, who was also deep in thought, in the cavalry camp opposite Mount Song.

The messenger from Wancheng requesting reinforcements was indeed deliberately sent by Cao Cao's army.

Xun Yu knew that Sima Yi was very cunning, so any fake letter or messenger was very likely to be seen through by Sima Yi. Therefore, the only strategy that could be used was to use a real messenger.

The messenger is real, but the roads he travels on are not necessarily 'safe'...

"Sima Zhongda is cunning and suspicious, fond of unconventional tactics, and doesn't follow the usual methods," Xun Yu analyzed to his generals. "When Wancheng is in dire need, he will become suspicious and won't send his entire force to its aid. However, Wancheng is a crucial town, and he can't completely ignore it. Given his nature, the most likely scenario... is that he will send a detachment to feign a rescue, firstly to test our reaction, and secondly, perhaps to lure us into dividing our forces to intercept him, while he holds his position. A third possibility..."

Xun Yu guessed half of it correctly.

He correctly guessed Sima Yi's actions, but his judgment of Sima Yi's actions was based on the wrong evidence.

It's like doing a math fill-in-the-blank question; you randomly fill in ±1, the result is correct, but the process is wrong.

Xun Yu felt that Sima Yi was still young, and young people are inevitably impetuous, lack composure, and may act rashly and greedily...

In reality, if Fei Qian hadn't sent Sima Yi four cannons, Sima Yi might have remained steadfastly guarding Guiku Pass like a tortoise, without taking any action.

Artillery enhanced Sima Yi's power, but it also fueled his ambition.

Just like when a US-listed company forms a song and dance troupe for escort services, it may not be unaware of the risks and dangers involved, but it still does it anyway... While Xun Yu was making his deductions, Cao's soldiers reported that they had detected Sima Yi's troop movements. The number of soldiers sent to provide relief was indeed just as Xun Yu had judged; it was not the entire army that was mobilized, but only about a thousand soldiers.

Cao Yi was overjoyed and immediately jumped out, asking to lead the army to ambush the soldiers Sima Yi had sent to Wancheng.

Cao Xi was truly humiliated before, and even his pants were almost ripped off by Sima Yi. If it weren't for Xun Yu's arrival to command and coordinate, not only would the Feihu Fortress have been lost, but the entire Songshan defense line would have collapsed!
Now that Sima Yi has fallen into the trap, and with such a cheap benefit right in front of him, Cao Yi naturally wouldn't hesitate to take it!
Xun Yu glanced at Cao Yi, pondered for a moment, and nodded. He ordered Cao Yi to lead two thousand infantrymen to build simple fortifications along the vital passage that Sima Yi's reinforcements would inevitably pass through, using the terrain to create a diversion by setting up numerous flags and banners, and to use the terrain to ambush them with crossbows, rolling logs, and stones...

Although the power of bows and crossbows was greatly reduced in the current rainy conditions, and rolling stones and logs needed to be stockpiled in advance and were not something that could be obtained at will, Cao Yi naturally felt that there was no problem with the ambush, as the goal was not to annihilate the enemy. He happily accepted the order and left.

Xun Yu pondered for a moment and then gave Han Hao another thousand soldiers to stay on Cao Yi's flank. This was to prevent Sima Yi's reinforcements from suddenly changing direction and turning into a surprise attack on Feihu Fort, and also to allow Han Hao to pursue them if they were defeated.

Han Hao naturally accepted the order and withdrew.

After Cao Yi and Han Hao had both mustered their troops and left, Xun Yu looked at Xun Yun and asked, "What strategy do you think Sima Yi will devise now?"

Xun Yun stood by, still processing his father's accurate assessment that Sima Yi had only sent a thousand or so reinforcements to Wancheng. This assessment was completely consistent with the scouts' reports, which filled him with awe at his father's insight, but also a faint sense of unease—could Sima Yi really be seen through so easily?

"Father," Xun Yun's voice was muffled by the sound of rain, "that scoundrel Sima only sent a thousand or so men, which is insufficient to relieve the siege of Wancheng and is easily intercepted by our army... What exactly is his intention? Could it be... that he has seen through the fact that the messenger was deliberately sent by our army, and is therefore using this as a pretext?"

Xun Yu nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes. 'Sima does indeed have some doubts… but it's by no means a mere 'perfunctory' response…'

Xun Yu's voice was deep and powerful, "Wancheng is a strategic point. If Huang Hansheng is truly trapped, how could he sit idly by? This villain's actions, seemingly risky and frivolous, are actually all carefully planned. He knows that our army sending out messengers must have a follow-up plan. These thousand-odd soldiers are just one of the stones he has thrown."

"Throwing stones to increase distance?" Xun Yun's eyes lit up.

"That's exactly right." Xun Yu smiled slightly. "Then, what do you think this pebble signifies?"

"Firstly, it could be a test of our army's reaction. To see if we will launch a full-scale attack to intercept them, or remain inactive. If we are eager to annihilate this force, our troops will inevitably be redeployed, leaving our camps vulnerable. Secondly, it could also be a feigned weakness. To make Cao Cao, and even... us, think that he, Sima Yi, is nothing special, easily swayed by the urgent plea for help from Wancheng, and thus unable to advance or retreat." Xun Yun quickly replied.

"What is the third one?" Xun Yu pressed.

Xun Yun's eyebrows twitched. "Thirdly, they might be using a counter-strategy to plot against us..."

Xun Yu nodded. "If that's the case, where do you think this thief's 'plan' lies?"

Xun Yun frowned in thought, 'Since Sima Yi isn't really going to the rescue, then his true objective is...'

Xun Yu did not urge him, but simply closed his eyes and waited quietly.

Cao Yi and Xun Yun didn't do very well in their time at Mount Song...

If it were an ordinary person, they would most likely have already been executed by now, under strict laws.

After all, whether it's defeat or falsely claiming credit, which one isn't a crime punishable by death?

However, both Cao Yi and Xun Yun are still alive and well, and the past has been left unmentioned.

After criticism and education, is he still a good comrade? It's not easy to cultivate cadres!

The children of those in positions of power have a greater margin for error.

This has always been true, regardless of time or place...

Just like now, Xun Yu could even use the Battle of Songshan to nourish Xun Yun and provide him with valuable experience for growth...

At worst, we can just consider it as losing a few small goals.

The second-generation Xun, on whom high hopes were placed, pondered for a long time, then got up, walked to the map, and pointed to a spot on it.

It is located at the strategically important "Flying Fox Ruins".

"This place, lost and regained, fought over many times, is truly a vital link. Now in our hands, it is a thorn in Sima Yi's side, a thorn in his side. If he truly wants to open up the connection between Songshan and Wancheng, or seek an opportunity to severely damage our army, this place is the key."

Xun Yun paused slightly, as if organizing his thoughts, "Sima Yi sent these thousand-odd reinforcements as bait to lure us into dividing our forces to intercept and ambush them... He anticipates that we will send troops to respond, either to block the reinforcements or to attack the Ghost Cry Pass... This is a calculated move... Therefore, once this scoundrel learns that our army has been divided... he will surely send men to attack this fortress!"

Xun Yun analyzed the situation, then was startled by his own analysis. He took a sip of his Runan fried pancake. "Father... how dare this scoundrel be so audacious? Taking advantage of our forces being tied down, he launched a full-scale attack on the abandoned military fortress?! He... he dares to take such a risk? Our army is already prepared at the abandoned military fortress!"

"What wouldn't he dare to do?" Xun Yu's eyes flashed with a hint of seriousness. "He breached the fortress in the same way last time... This man is bold yet meticulous in his military tactics, adept at seeking victory through risky maneuvers. The continuous rain, while unfavorable for marching, also obscures visibility, facilitating a surprise attack. Our newly constructed fortifications are not yet stable, and the continuous rain has softened the soil and rocks, making them easier to climb. We have both the opportune moment and the favorable terrain... How could he possibly let this opportunity pass?"

Although Xun Yu had never fought against Sima Yi before Mount Song, based on Sima Yi's past behavior patterns, especially in the previous battle for the military fortress, Cao Yi's great defeat was precisely because Sima Yi saw through his recklessness, lured him into a deep attack with a feint, and then attacked him from the side with his main force. This time, Sima Yi "showed weakness" and only sent a small number of reinforcements, while his remaining main force must be waiting for a chance to strike, preparing some kind of backup plan.

Moreover, the strategic value of the abandoned military fortress is beyond doubt, making it a must-win location for both sides.

This place is an unavoidable obstacle for Sima Yi if he wants to open up the southern front or severely damage Cao Cao's army.

The heavy rain, while bringing difficulties, also provided cover.

Xun Yu judged that Sima Yi would take advantage of this to launch a surprise attack, and even predicted that Sima Yi would predict his prediction.

Sima Yi wouldn't fall for a trick easily, so the first step, "rescuing Wancheng," was a feint, designed to draw out Cao Cao's army and expose their weaknesses...

"Then... why did Father still allow General Han to lead his troops away from the fortress?" Xun Yun asked worriedly.

"If General Han hadn't left, why would Sima Yi have attacked the fortress?" Xun Yu's voice was steady, carrying a hint of decisiveness. "If we don't send troops, Sima Yi will become suspicious, either remaining inactive or seeking other strategies, which would be disadvantageous for us. Sending Cao Cao and Han Yi to intercept them is to reassure him, making him think the first step has succeeded, thus luring his main force out. Secondly... once he learns that Flying Fox Fortress is undefended..."

Xun Yu looked at Xun Yun, his eyes gleaming, "If I were to order you to defend this fortress, what would you do?"

"Me?" Xun Yun swallowed hard, took a few breaths, then raised his head and said proudly, "If I were to garrison the area... my first priority would be to reinforce the stockade, stockpile plenty of tinder, logs, and stones on the inner side of the fortress walls, paying particular attention to the weak points of the newly built earthen walls! The garrison should take turns resting to conserve their strength. We should appear relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside, feigning weakness to the enemy and making it seem as if our main force has been diverted!"

Secondly, send a message to General Han, instructing him to leave a few flags as a show of force upon reaching the designated position, while the main force immediately retreats stealthily along the predetermined mountain path! They must secretly ambush and await orders in the mountain hollow behind the abandoned military fortress! The march must be conducted with utmost secrecy, avoiding open areas, and scouts must be deployed in double numbers to eliminate any enemy intelligence!

"The infantry in the camp will move in three waves to the high ground on the left and right flanks of the abandoned fortress! Most will carry bows and crossbows, and lie in ambush within the pre-prepared trenches. They are not to move without orders! Only when the Sima's main force launches a full-scale attack on the main gate of the abandoned fortress and their formation falls into disarray will they be allowed to emerge on command, and from their higher ground, unleash a fierce barrage of fire on the enemy's flanks and rear!"

"In this way, we can surround him from all sides and annihilate that scoundrel Sima!"

After saying that, Xun Yun looked at Xun Yu with a somewhat excited expression.

Xun Yun's strategy, or rather, the core points of his deployment, were generally sound.

On the surface, they feigned weakness to lure the enemy, revealing the inadequacy of the abandoned fortress's forces and the departure of its commander. In reality, they concealed their murderous intent, strengthened their defenses, and prepared for lethal attacks such as fire attacks. They also secretly brought Han Hao back, making him a key ambush soldier. Furthermore, they dispatched Cao army soldiers from the main camp to the high ground on both sides of the fortress to ambush the enemy.

When the crucial moment arrives—that is, when Sima Yi's main force is fully committed to attacking the abandoned army fortress, and the formation is deployed and locked in a stalemate—the ambush is launched, creating a pincer attack from all sides.

If Sima Yi truly fell into the ambush, then it is indeed possible to annihilate Sima Yi's main force...

However, success or failure hinges on whether Sima Yi's scouts can be deceived and whether a fatal blow can be launched at the most opportune moment.

Xun Yun himself felt that even if this strategy couldn't be called a divinely inspired plan, it was still a brilliant one. However, after he finished speaking, he looked at Xun Yu and noticed that Xun Yu's face didn't show any smile, which made him feel a little uneasy...

"Father... Father?" Xun Yun felt that something was wrong with his strategy, but after thinking about it carefully, he couldn't think of any specific problem.

Xun Yu looked at Xun Yun, his eyes showing neither satisfaction nor complete disappointment, but rather a hint of expectation, and said, "This is still not enough! You... haven't you considered how to feign weakness on the outside while being strong on the inside, how to make this fiend deeply entangled and unable to extricate himself? And... are there any other strategies?"

"Others..." Xun Yun was momentarily at a loss. "Other strategies?"