Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3728 The people are now without fortune, and their lives are in vain.
Perhaps, just perhaps, at the beginning, Cao Hong only wanted to "throw out a brick to attract jade" and let everyone express some opinions under pressure, so as to come up with a way to deal with the methods of the Flying Cavalry. But now, in this embarrassing silence, a surge of evil fire mixed with the stinging pain of betrayal suddenly rose from the bottom of Cao Hong's heart.

*Smack!*

He slammed his hand hard on the table again, causing the lamp flame to flicker violently.

"What? Have you all gone mute?!" He roared like a wounded beast. "When you're vying for credit and rewards, looting and plundering, you're all louder and faster than anyone else! Now, with a formidable enemy at hand and the Prime Minister's cause hanging by a thread, it's the time for you all to serve the country and share the Prime Minister's burdens! What? You've all become turtles hiding in their shells?! Not even daring to utter a sound?!"

Under Cao Hong's piercing gaze, which seemed to spit fire, Military Commander Wang felt his scalp tingle. He steeled himself, took a half-step forward, bowed respectfully, and his voice was dry and trembling: "General...General, please calm your anger! Please calm your anger! It's not that I'm afraid of death...it's just...it's just that the cavalry rebels, as you saw with your own eyes during the day, their defenses are so tight, practically impenetrable! The cavalry and infantry are like wolves and tigers, guarding the artillery like an iron barrel! Now...now even if we brothers were to risk our lives to charge, I'm afraid...I'm afraid we'd be shot dead before we even get close! Moreover...in this darkness, the enemy's situation is unclear, we are in the dark, I'm afraid...I'm afraid we'll achieve little! I...I'm afraid that the loss of brothers will be pointless, and will not help the overall situation..."

He spoke tactfully, even with a sob in his voice, but the core meaning couldn't be clearer—

This is pure suicide, I'm not going!
Lieutenant Li slightly raised his head. "General, you are wise... My men have been holding the earthen ramparts for days, and then they were bombarded by artillery fire today... Nearly 30% have been lost! The rest are mostly wounded, exhausted, and demoralized... This night raid is a risky move, like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth. Only the elite of the elite have a sliver of hope... I am truly... willing but unable..."

He dared not look Cao Hong in the eye, and his voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.

"That's enough!"

Cao Hong was well aware of the dangers of this mission.
Even a life-or-death situation is a luxury!
However, if they were trapped in the city and allowed Fei Qian's artillery fire to gradually crush the fortifications of Gongxian into dust, they would be doomed!
Was Cao Hong foolish?
No.

Just as he realized that the Great Han and Shandong were like a decaying ship on its last legs, he also felt a sense of regret that such a large ship was difficult to turn around...

But when it came to his own turn, he was just as "unable to turn back"!
Are you suggesting we abandon the defenses of Gongxian and the remaining retreat route through Sishui Pass, and instead lead our soldiers, shouting "Brothers, follow me!" without a care in the world?

No way, all he can do now is "Go get him!"
Over the years, under the wise leadership of Prime Minister Cao Zilian of Shandong, could these military academies not take Prime Minister Cao's decisions as the standard and adhere to the correct outlook on life and values?
Currently, the struggle against the Flying Cavalry is a mixed bag, with both sides winning and losing. Even if we are slightly at a disadvantage, as long as the Shandong region of the Han Dynasty firmly follows the path of Cao Mengde under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Cao, we can maintain the glorious tradition of the Shandong region of the Han Dynasty. Shouldn't we?

In fact, Cao Hong is now in a very contradictory situation. On the one hand, he knows where the problem lies, but when he tries to do it himself, he makes one mistake after another.

He hoped someone would "volunteer" to carry out his tactical plan, but those who survived had already been selected through several rounds of screening, so how could there be anyone "volunteer"?
Cao Hong suddenly stood up, his tall figure casting a huge shadow under the flickering lamplight, enveloping the people below.

He gritted his teeth, a mixture of resentment and a sense of humiliation at having his dignity challenged. "Fine! Very well! Everyone has their reasons! Everyone has their own excuses! None of you want to go, right?"

Cao Hong paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "This is not a discussion! This is a military order! Do you understand?! Military orders are absolute! I'm not begging you! I'm ordering you to obey!"

In Shandong, what is more important than 'execution'?

Cao Hong waved his hand, "Procrastinating and hesitating, cowardly as a tiger! Fine! Since none of you are willing to volunteer, let's draw lots!"

Everyone was stunned when they heard this.

And this kind of operation?

but……

That seems like a possible solution?
"Life and death are predestined, wealth and honor are determined by fate! Whoever is chosen, immediately muster your elite troops, and I will also assign you a squad from my personal guard! At three-quarters past midnight, sneak out through the water gate! Objective: Destroy the cannons! Burn the gunpowder! I will personally oversee the battle from the city walls, awaiting your triumphant return!"

"Draw lots! Every single officer present, including my personal guard captain Hu Biao, will be drawn!" Cao Hong glared fiercely at everyone's faces. "Anyone who doesn't want to draw, now! Immediately! Step forward! If you won't do it, plenty of others will! Military law tolerates no cowards!"

Originally, Cao Hong forced one or more of these people to "voluntarily" go to their deaths, but now it sounds like those who refused to die are all considered "cowards"...

This kind of lip-syncing, incoherent, and illogical behavior is all too common in Shandong.

It's like the perpetrator suddenly becomes the victim through a verbal exchange, and then those third parties who refuse to remain silent and speak out are made to bear the responsibility...

Can we say Cao Hong was stupid?
Can we say that Shandong people are stupid?
They're all very smart!
The main hall of the government office was deathly silent.

The air seemed to freeze.

No one moved, and no one dared to move.

Should one stand up and refuse the lottery?
That would be blatant disobedience to military orders, and you would immediately be dragged out and beheaded as a typical example of undermining morale!
Although drawing lots is cruel, at least there is a chance of luck.

There were seven or eight people present, including Hu Biao. The odds of being chosen were...

It seems acceptable?

Everyone clung to this slim chance, like a drowning person grasping at the last straw; no one dared to give up this 'opportunity'.

Hu Biao, the captain of Cao Hong's personal guard, stepped forward expressionlessly, carrying a lacquered tray. Inside were seven or eight smooth, uniformly sized bamboo strips. He deftly flipped all the bamboo strips over, obscuring their undersides. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the bamboo strips that would determine their fate.

Hu Biao carried the lacquer tray as if it were the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell, and walked to Wang Sima, Li Xiaowei, Zhao Duwei and others in turn.

Each person stretched out a slightly trembling hand, with an almost pious fear, and carefully picked up a bamboo strip, clutching it tightly in their palm as if they were holding the lives of themselves and their hundreds of brothers in their hands.

Finally, after everyone had taken the bamboo strips, only one lonely strip remained on the lacquer tray.

Hu Biao picked up the bamboo strip expressionlessly and flipped it over casually...

The back of the bamboo shoot is completely bare, with nothing on it!

Cao Hong's icy voice rang out again, breaking the eerie silence, "Stop secretly rubbing those bamboo strips... They were carefully drawn on with fine cinnabar mixed with fish glue, you can't rub them off... Turn them all out and take a look! Let fate decide!"

Wang Sima was the first to suddenly open his palm...

Smooth bamboo strips, without any markings!

His tense face relaxed instantly, and even the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily, as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

Lieutenant Li, Commandant Zhao...

The others also opened their palms one after another, looking at the smooth bamboo strips in their hands that symbolized peace and safety, representing life. Their faces showed a complex expression of relief, as if they had survived a disaster.

The atmosphere in the hall seemed to loosen a bit with the appearance of these "life" signs.

However, at the back of the crowd, near the shadows by the door, a figure stood frozen like a stone.

Military Commander Chen Mao was a man around forty years old, usually taciturn, and fairly strict in managing his troops.

He lowered his head, his body trembled slightly, and the veins on the back of his hand, which was gripping the bamboo strip, were bulging.

Under the gaze of everyone, he slowly and with great difficulty opened his palm.

In the dim light, on the bottom of the bamboo slip in his calloused palm, a bright and dazzling vermilion color, like fresh blood that had just flowed out and had not yet congealed, caught everyone's eye!
A fortune stick coated with cinnabar!

A dead end!

All eyes instantly focused on Chen Mao, their gazes containing sympathy, relief, indifference, and even a barely perceptible hint of...

gloat.

It's like someone who, despite their own family's difficulties, sees another family selling their children to make ends meet and displays an expression that reveals a secret sense of pride—knowing they should sympathize but also feeling a sense of accomplishment that they haven't fallen to such a state themselves.

Cao Hong's gaze was fixed on Chen Mao's ashen face.

"Commander Chen! It is Heaven's will!" Cao Hong's voice was resolute and brooked no argument. "Gather your elite troops, and I will allocate another squad from my personal guard for you! At three-quarters past midnight, sneak out through the water gate! Objective: Destroy the cannons! Burn the gunpowder! At all costs! I will await your good news here! Upon your successful return, I will personally petition the Prime Minister for your commendation!"

Chen Mao's body trembled violently, his lips shaking as if he wanted to say something, to argue, to plead...

But in the end, all his words caught in his throat, turning into a hoarse, desperate reply, like the grinding of gravel: "Your...your subordinate...accepts the order..."

He lowered his head deeply.

He gripped the cold bamboo skewer tightly in his hand, his knuckles making a slight cracking sound from the excessive force. The vibrant red on the skewer seemed to come alive, as if it would slowly seep out along the edge of the bamboo at any moment.

……

……

The hour is approaching.

The two hundred men that Chen Mao had managed to muster stood sparsely on the cold, muddy ground.

The so-called "elite" soldiers were mostly filled with fear, their eyes darting around. Many were disheveled, their fear from the daytime shelling still lingering, and they were being driven onto this almost certain-death night raid.

Their hands, gripping their weapons, trembled slightly, not from the cold, but from instinctive fear.

Who isn't afraid of death?

But this world just keeps forcing people to die!
Prime Minister Cao, General Cao paid the money, right? Having paid, they're now considered "consumers," aren't they? A "consumer" is practically equivalent to God, so Prime Minister Cao and General Cao ordering them to die is God's will...

Is that alright? What can God do if He wants them to die?

A deathly silence and despair permeated the ranks; even breathing seemed suffocating.

Behind this silent and subdued vanguard were ten of Cao Hong's personal guards, clad in fine armor and wielding swords and spears. Their eyes were much more alert, even somewhat fierce, like a small pack of sheepdogs watching a flock of sheep ahead.

Their presence was not the "support" Cao Hong claimed, but rather an oversight of the battle.

Any hesitation or retreat among the sheep will invite their merciless attacks.

Chen Mao stood at the front of the ranks, looking at the pale, desperate faces before him, his throat felt constricted. He tried to rally the troops, but his voice sounded exceptionally weak in the silent night, "Brothers...brothers...this battle...is extremely dangerous! A near-certain death! However...if we succeed, destroying one of the enemy's cannons will be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold! Burning their gunpowder will earn a promotion of three ranks! The Prime Minister will generously provide for their parents, wives, and children, ensuring they live a life of comfort and security!"

He tried to imitate Cao Hong's tone, attempting to depict that alluring prospect, but his words were hollow and powerless, and he couldn't even convince himself.

No one responded to him.

Only a deeper, more profound stillness.

They are not dogs, they are just sheep.

A hundred taels of gold? An official position? A generous pension?

These distant and illusory promises appear so pale and laughable in the face of the looming shadow of death.

How many times?

From the moment they were drafted into the army, similar promises have never ceased.

Returning home in glory? Living out one's days in wealth and honor?
The results of it?
It was a mountain of corpses, an ever-filling ration bag, and devastating news of abandoned fields and scattered families!
The credibility of the imperial court, or rather Cao Cao's credibility, had long been crushed by repeated empty promises, constantly changing orders, and even the despicable act of killing innocent people to claim credit.

Survival is the only, and most humble, prayer in everyone's heart at this moment.

But now, even this small wish will become a luxury...

Looking into the numb, despairing eyes of the crowd, Chen Mao felt a surge of immense powerlessness and a profound sense of shared misery. He gritted his teeth and said nothing more. It would be futile to say anything anyway.

"Set off!"

He let out a low growl, turned around first, and stepped into the entrance of the moat waterway next to him, which reeked of decay, through the cold, slippery mud.

It's like the lead sheep in a flock walking into the slaughterhouse.

The soldiers behind them looked at each other, their eyes filled with struggle and fear.

But under the watchful eyes of more than ten cold gazes behind them, they eventually fell silent and, one after another, stepped into the dark waterway that resembled the throat of a giant beast.

Habitual following, habitual silence, and habitually welcoming death seem to be their only "choice" at this moment.

Cao Hong's personal guard sergeant curled his lip and gave a silent, cold laugh.

With a wave of his hand, ten personal guards immediately lined up closely at the rear of the column like sheepdogs, their eyes scanning the backs of every soldier warily to prevent anyone from deserting.

The waterway was narrow, slippery, and foul-smelling.

The icy river water instantly submerged my calves, and beneath my feet lay slippery silt and rotten aquatic plants and garbage that had accumulated over countless years. Every step I took was a struggle to get out.

Above you are low, damp, vaulted stone walls dripping with cold water, creating an oppressive atmosphere that makes it hard to breathe.

The strong, pungent, putrid odor was almost solidified, drilling straight into the nostrils and making people nauseous.

The team made their way through the pitch-black darkness, relying on the blurry silhouettes of their companions ahead and feeling their way along the damp, cold walls to determine their direction.

Suppressed breathing, the occasional clang of weapons striking the stone walls, and the splashing sounds of wading through water were amplified infinitely in this deathly silent, enclosed waterway with its excellent echoes...

Chen Mao walked at the front. He could clearly feel the fear and despair that permeated the group behind him, and he could also clearly feel the more than ten cold, venomous gazes from behind the waterway.

That's a death warrant!
He knew that Cao Hong had no hope that they would succeed.

Their only purpose was to die, to create chaos, to wear down the enemy's morale, and to keep them up at night. Perhaps...

Perhaps this will make tomorrow's shelling a little less intense?
What a ridiculous, and cruel, value!
After trekking for an unknown amount of time in the darkness, a faint, almost imperceptible light finally appeared ahead.

That was the waterway's outlet, leading to a dense reed bed on the outer bank of the moat.

After passing through the reeds, you'll reach the riverbank, where you can get close to the outer perimeter of the camp that the Flying Cavalry has set up along the river!
The team paused briefly at the waterway exit.

Suppressing their breaths, they scrambled ashore on all fours and quickly hid in the dense reeds, which were taller than a person.

The night wind blew, and the reeds rustled incessantly, like countless ghosts whispering, temporarily masking their heavy breathing and chattering teeth.

The outline of the cavalry camp became clearer in the distance.

Campfires twinkled, the sound of watchtowers rang out clearly and rhythmically, and the outline of the camp appeared tall and sturdy in the night.

Chen Mao paused instinctively, and the soldiers following him also stopped.

Chen Mao looked at them, and they looked at Chen Mao.

Silence is like a cage.

Everyone wants someone else to pick up the window breaker...

Cao Hong's personal guard sergeant crouched low and approached Chen Mao. His voice was low but commanding: "Chen Sima, what are you dawdling for?! The bandit camp is just ahead! There aren't many lights, this is your chance! Quickly distribute your men! One team rushes straight for those big guys, the other team goes to the supply depot, especially the places with the wooden barrels and sacks, and sets them on fire! Be quick! Catch them off guard, rush in! Hurry! Light the fires! Slash! Make a huge commotion!"

As he spoke, he pressed his hand heavily on the hilt of the knife at his waist.

I almost told Chen Maoming to hurry up and go to his death so I could go back and report sooner!

As for whether Chen Mao and the two hundred men will be able to return alive?

who cares?
Before setting off, he had already received a hint from the squad leader Hu Biao. The general didn't have much hope for this night raid!
The key is harassment and attrition.

As long as they make some noise, making the cavalry tense up, strengthen their defenses, and exhaust their strength, their objective will be achieved.

Of course, there's always the chance that something might just happen by sheer luck...

That was an unexpected surprise.

Therefore, this team is essentially a expendable pawn!

Cao Hong's personal guard sergeant stared intently at Chen Mao.

If we could sacrifice ourselves before, why can't we continue to sacrifice ourselves now?

If you could endure hardship before, why can't you continue to endure hardship?
Cao Hong's personal guard sergeant gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "What's wrong? Still not convinced? It's an honor to make you a expendable item!"

It wasn't that Cao Hong and his men were stupid, knowing full well that morale was low, yet they repeatedly forced Chen Mao and the others to their deaths. Rather, Cao Hong and his men clearly understood that even with such exploitation, no one would dare to resist.

So why should we still consider the bottom line?
As long as the bottom line can be continuously lowered, then the original bottom line is no longer the bottom line.