Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3760 Master Ke is in harmony, not in the crowd.

Once upon a time, Cao Cao also said that he had "many soldiers and generals, and a large number of people," but now he has to be careful with his money and calculate every single soldier.

It turns out to be——

Look, my great Han people from Shandong and the Central Plains, we may not have much else, but we have a huge population!

Now it is—

Why aren't there more of these peasants...?

There's nothing we can do; times have changed.

Cao Cao was no exception.

Anyway, Lao Cao didn't feel embarrassed or awkward about changing his tone or wording.

As long as you don't feel embarrassed, it's always someone else who feels embarrassed.

After a brief rest, Cao Cao confirmed that Yique Pass was indeed his "victory" and not Fei Qian's prior "plan." He then summoned his generals and issued the next instructions.

Old Cao surveyed the assembled generals, saying, "Fei Ziyuan is now managing the Heluo region, allowing it to recuperate and restore production. This area is gradually becoming the foundation for his eastward expansion and a source of grain and fodder... If this situation is allowed to remain stable, Shandong will never have peace!"

Cao Cao's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. "I will take advantage of their main force's northward advance to utterly destroy this land! Let their Heluo region become scorched earth again! Even with the wealth of Guanzhong, they will have to undertake a long and arduous journey eastward, their supplies dwindling! Even if Luoyang remains in their hands, what good will it do? It will be nothing more than an isolated city and a barren wasteland! Their attempt to conquer Shandong again will be futile!"

This was Cao Cao's objective.

He was acutely aware that, given the current strategic disadvantages, occupying Heluo or even Luoyang was an unrealistic fantasy.

The greatest achievement was the maximum destruction, turning Heluo back into a strategic buffer zone, a barren land incapable of providing any supplies to the attackers, thereby delaying or even stifling Fei Qian's future strategic ability to advance eastward.

"Issue the order!" Cao Cao's voice turned stern. "Each army shall dispatch elite squads, led by colonels and military commanders, to disperse in all directions! Burn their houses, destroy their crops, plunder their grain and livestock, and drive out their people! The land of Heluo shall be utterly desolate, leaving not a single chicken or dog alive, a thousand miles of barren land!"

Now that we've almost slaughtered Xuzhou, what's the problem with having another governor of Henan?
"As you command!"

The generals agreed.

In an instant, dozens of Cao army squads, ranging from dozens to hundreds of men, swarmed out of Yique Pass and rushed towards the Heluo Plain.

Thick smoke began to rise on the horizon in all directions, and cries and snarling laughter replaced the usual crowing of roosters and barking of dogs.

The golden wheat fields were trampled by iron hooves and set ablaze by torches, turning into towering black smoke and ashes.

The village was burning, and the granaries were looted and then reduced to ashes.

The people fled in panic, and those who refused to leave were mostly slaughtered.

Cao Cao's will was being carried out ruthlessly. He wanted to systematically erase the vitality of the Heluo region, not only to make Heluo fall into ruin again, but also to completely cut off Fei Qian's supply lines, like breaking the axle of Fei Qian's chariot, forcing it to stop.

……

……

Meanwhile, in Chang'an, Guanzhong, Fei Zhen and Xun You stood on a high platform, gazing eastward.

After his initial communication with Xun You, Fei Zhen put aside his worries about the Heluo region being invaded by Cao Cao's army again. However, he also realized that the game between the two sides in the Heluo war was not limited to the soldiers on the surface, but included some deeper things.

These were things Fei Zhen had never even considered...

In Fei Zhen's previous understanding, warfare was simply a matter of cavalry mounting, infantry mounting, archers mounting, and artillery mounting—basically, it was all about charging, charging, and killing...

In the autumn wind, Xun You, his long sleeves fluttering, calmly said: "If Cao Mengde were to halt his troops at the pass, the grain of the He and Luo regions would ripen in the fields and become unharvestable, what then?"

Fei Zhen's eyes flickered slightly: "So you let them fall into the trap?"

Xun You nodded and said, "Cao Mengde is inherently suspicious; how could he easily fall into a trap? This is precisely where our lord's skill in employing people shines through… Our lord once said, 'The way to employ people is to maintain a single-minded focus. Utilize their strengths, and also utilize their weaknesses. Encourage the best, seek out the average, and prepare for the worst.' Do you, my lord, understand this?"

Fei Zhen took a sip of the vegetable sandwich.

Sunlight streamed down, falling on the two of them.

Xun You slightly raised his head, his gaze profound, "My lord's strategic brilliance is akin to that of a master craftsman wielding his axe..."

Fei Zhen pondered for a moment, "Could it be what Zhuangzi said about the man from Ying smearing chalk on the tip of his nose?"

"Indeed." Xun You clapped his hands. "Zao Zijing is a native of Ying. He is skilled in farming and knowledgeable in all matters, however..."

Xun You smiled slightly, "Even a speck of chalk on the tip of the nose cannot be removed by anyone but a skilled craftsman."

……

……

In Luoyang City, Zao Zhi is facing a difficult choice.

"Grand Minister of Agriculture! Cao Cao's vanguard has already reached Yanshi. If a decision is not made soon, the autumn grain will all become enemy supplies!"

Zao Zhi looked out of the city wall.

The fields in the distant suburbs are golden, a harvest of the people's hard work over the past six months.

He recalled the calloused hands of the old farmers when he personally supervised the seed selection; he recalled the hardships the people endured carrying water to irrigate the seedlings when the spring rains were late.

"Wait a little longer..." Zao Zhi's voice was a little hoarse and hesitant, "These crops aren't fully ripe yet..."

"We can't wait any longer!" Cong Lai said urgently. "Cao Cao's spies have already spread rumors in the city that General Huo Qubing has abandoned the Heluo region! Yesterday, some even incited the ignorant masses to storm the granaries!"

Du Ji suddenly spoke up, "Does the Grand Minister of Agriculture remember the saying in Mencius, 'Fish and bear's paw'?"

Zao Zhi shuddered.

According to the original course of history, Zao Zhi's military talent was clearly no match for Cao Cao's.

Historically, Zao Zhi was a military commander who garrisoned cities and defended against Lü Bu's attacks. However, he did not directly confront Lü Bu himself; he most likely only faced Lü Bu's subordinate troops. Therefore, while his military ability cannot be said to be entirely nonexistent, it was probably less than half that of Cao Cao. If Cao Cao's military ability was set at 100, then Zao Zhi would have originally only scored 40-50 at most.

However, innate talent is one aspect, while learning after birth is another.

In the original history, Zao Zhi had no opportunity to study any military books, nor could he access any command secrets. These things were secrets passed down among families in the Han Dynasty and would never be easily revealed. But now...

He had the "blessing" of the Flying Cavalry.

The Heluo Plain, which should be a bountiful harvest season with golden waves of rice and drooping ears of millet, is now shrouded in the shadows of war and the smoke of battle.

The smell of burning grain replaced the fresh fragrance of crops. The billowing black smoke rising from the distant village and the frantic figures rushing to harvest in the nearby fields created a desolate and tense scene.

Cao Cao's massive army pressed in, and the numerous small squads he dispatched scattered like venomous bees, their targets clear and ruthless.

They burned the fields and destroyed the crops that were about to ripen, turning the land of Heluo into scorched earth and extinguishing the cavalry's hope of finding food.

Cao Cao ordered that looting was secondary, and the main task was destruction.

However, the old habits of Shandong once again caused a slight deviation in the tracks of Cao Cao's chariots.

At first, Cao Cao's soldiers were able to follow his orders and focus on destruction, but unknowingly, they became addicted to looting...

The lack of pay for the soldiers caused these Cao army soldiers to want everything they saw.

Pure destruction was clearly not enough to satisfy the desires of Cao Cao's soldiers. They stopped to loot and plunder, and only after they had finished did they set fire to the ruins.

This naturally resulted in the Cao army's destruction not proceeding as swiftly and rapidly as Cao Cao had imagined...

This gave Zao Zhi and the others more time to prepare.

"Cao Cao's army is vicious, aiming to destroy our foundation!" Zao Zhi made no attempt to hide his anger and anxiety. He pointed towards the outside of the city, "The people have toiled for a year, and the harvest is almost here. How can we let it all be destroyed in an instant! Passive defense is futile; we must take the initiative and attack instead of defending!"

Zao Zhi ordered Huang Zhong and Du Ji to each lead three hundred cavalrymen out of the city to actively wipe out the sabotage squads sent by Cao Cao.

……

……

Huang Zhong personally led a cavalry unit, patrolling the plains west of Luoyang City like a whirlwind.

Although his leg injury had not yet healed, he sat astride his warhorse with his back straight as a pine tree and his eyes flashed like lightning as he scanned the columns of smoke rising in the distance.

Soon, a scout rode up to report: "General! At Li Family Village, five li away, about several dozen Cao cavalrymen are setting fire!"

"Speed ​​forward!" Huang Zhong roared, spurred his horse, and charged ahead.

Without needing orders, the cavalry behind them automatically deployed into battle formation, spreading out like a net to flank from both sides, like a well-coordinated wolf pack.

Lijiazhuang was engulfed in flames and chaos. Cao Cao's cavalry laughed wildly as they hurled torches at the piles of hay and the grain silos that had not yet been moved. Villagers cried out and fled in all directions. Huang Zhong led his troops, cutting into the village entrance like a sharp blade.

Horses and men galloped swiftly, bowstrings twanging.

Even with a bow and arrow that weren't exactly his best, Huang Zhong's skill was such that dealing with these ordinary Cao army soldiers and officers who were still caught up in the looting and hadn't fully realized what was happening was like shooting at a fixed target—he hit every single one of them!

Three Cao army scouts who were about to turn around and call the police fell from their horses!
The thunderous sound of horses' hooves and the trembling of the earth startled Cao Cao's army within the village, who hastily engaged in battle.

"Enemy attack!"

"Quickly form ranks!"

Cao's soldiers shouted and yelled.

Huang Zhong took the lead, his long sword drawing a chilling arc, and a charging Cao army leader was sent flying along with his sword!
"Form ranks! Form ranks now!"

A garrison commander in Cao's army shouted, trying to stabilize the situation.

However, the cavalry's charge was too fast and too fierce!
It gave the enemy no chance to form a battle formation. Like a red-hot dagger cutting into butter, it instantly shattered Cao Cao's army formation.

These cavalrymen were all highly trained and outnumbered, so their individual martial skills and teamwork were far superior to those of ordinary Cao Cao's troops.

Amidst the flashing blades and splattering blood, Cao Cao's troops fell to their deaths, resulting in an almost one-sided massacre.

Huang Zhong was even more unstoppable; wherever his long sword went, no general could withstand him.

He specifically sought out and killed officers in Cao Cao's army, further exacerbating the chaos among the enemy.

The battle started quickly and ended even faster.

In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, dozens of Cao cavalrymen had been killed or wounded. Even the few Cao cavalrymen who tried to escape were quickly caught up by the Flying Cavalry and killed on the ground, with none escaping.

Huang Zhong reined in his horse, looked at the corpses of Cao Cao's soldiers on the ground and the terrified villagers, and said in a deep voice to his deputy, "Leave one platoon to take stock of the spoils, organize the people to put out the fires, and salvage the grain! The rest of you, follow me to continue searching for Cao Cao's troops!"

"only!"

Huang Zhong didn't feel that leaving behind a small force was too few, and the squad leader who stayed behind didn't feel that he couldn't manage so many people from Lizhuang.

The cavalrymen arrived with a roar, and then vanished in a flash.

If it weren't for the devastation and the corpses of Cao Cao's soldiers lying scattered on the ground, the people of Lizhuang would have thought they were dreaming!
After Huang Zhong led most of his troops away, the people calmed down from their fear and burst into tears.

"All able-bodied men, come to me! Let's all fight the fire and salvage the grain!" the cavalry sergeant shouted. "Old, young, women, and children, hurry home to pack up! We're leaving for Luoyang before sunset! You, you, and you! What are you standing there for?! Get moving! There's no time for crying! Are we waiting for Cao Cao's army to come again?! Instead of crying, you should help collect the corpses so your loved ones and neighbors can rest in peace!"

The once chaotic Lizhuang began to have a leader.

With tears in their eyes, the people began to move under the command of the cavalry sergeant.

……

……

Meanwhile, beside another main road leading to the grain-producing area, Du Ji was quietly lying in wait in a dense elm forest.

The terrain he chose was extremely treacherous, with a sharp bend in the road, lush trees on both sides, and a shallow ditch that was perfect for hiding men and horses.

Based on the clues and reconnaissance reports, this is an area where a Cao army arson squad is frequently active.

"Hide yourselves and be quiet! Follow my orders!"

Du Ji gave the order in a low voice. His men dispersed and hid behind the trees and ditches. The warhorses with their bells removed were gently soothed. The entire forest seemed to be empty, with only the rustling of the wind through the leaves.

The wait didn't last long.

The road was filled with the chaotic sound of horses' hooves and the unrestrained laughter of Cao Cao's soldiers.

A force of about five hundred Cao soldiers appeared, driving carts laden with cattle and horses that they had looted from a village. They were laughing and joking, clearly heading towards their next target.

Just as most of their men entered the ambush range, Du Ji suddenly swung his arm: "Fire!"

Suddenly, a dense chorus of bowstrings rang out from the forest!
The first precise volley burst forth from the trees on both sides, targeting the unprotected flanks and horses of Cao Cao's cavalry!

Screams instantly replaced laughter!

Twenty or thirty of Cao's cavalrymen were immediately struck by arrows and fell from their horses. The frightened horses neighed and ran around wildly, throwing the ranks into chaos!
"There's an ambush! Charge out!"

The Cao army leader screamed in terror and desperately urged his horse to rush across this deadly path.

But would Du Ji give them that chance?

"Follow me and kill!" Du Ji raised his ring-pommel sword and led his cavalry out of the woods.

The cavalry, like tigers descending a mountain, charged down from both sides, completely dividing and surrounding Cao Cao's army, which was already disoriented by the long-range attacks.

There was almost no suspense in the battle.

Although Cao Cao's army outnumbered Du Ji's forces, Cao Cao's army formation on the march was like a piece of pork belly laid out on a chopping board. The Flying Cavalry could cut it into pieces or slices as they pleased, whether it was thick slices or thin strips, short or long strips, with equal ease.

The surviving Cao army attempted to resist, but they were unable to utilize their numerical advantage on the narrow road; in fact, they were at a disadvantage. Instead, they were defeated one by one by the well-coordinated and powerful cavalry squads.

Although Du Ji usually appeared as a scholar, he was now also dressed in military attire, leading troops into battle. However, he didn't indulge in the bloodshed, but focused more on command: "Left flank, push forward! Those two on the right, don't let them regroup! Rear ranks, archers, keep an eye on anyone trying to escape!"

Apart from a small number of Cao Cao's troops who managed to escape in the chaos at the beginning, the vast majority of Cao Cao's troops were surrounded and devoured by the even smaller Flying Cavalry.

Du Ji wiped the blood splattered on his face, surveyed the battlefield, and ordered: "Clean up the battlefield, collect usable arrows and armor! Be quick! Cao Cao's reinforcements will likely arrive soon!"

A squad leader, wiping blood from his knife, chuckled, "Brilliant strategy, sir! These bastards didn't even realize what was happening before they were dead! It's just a shame about this excellent ambush spot!"

Du Ji smiled. "Who says it's a pity? We'll circle back after Cao Cao's reinforcements have gone through their ranks!"

The team leader's eyes lit up. "Oh? You can do that?"

Du Ji laughed heartily, "Of course! Quickly! Move faster! We still need to cover our tracks! We can't linger!"

……

……

Their activity areas have always been closer to mountainous and complex regions.

He made full use of his advantage of being extremely familiar with the Heluo region.

His squad did not stay in one place to ambush, but moved like ghosts, using hills, streams, and abandoned villages as cover, moving at high speed and constantly changing positions.

"Captain, there's smoke coming from near Baishiyu, about ten miles to the northeast!" the scout reported.

His gaze sharpened: "Baishiyu? Let's go! Take the shortcut, go around the narrow slope, and get ahead of them!"

He didn't take the main road at all, but led the team directly onto a mountain path that was almost completely covered by bushes.

When they burst out of the ravine like divine soldiers descending from the sky, Cao Cao's squad, who were cooking, stared at them in disbelief, bowls and chopsticks in hand...

Did these cavalrymen emerge from underground?

"kill!"

Without a single unnecessary word, he pointed his spear forward and charged ahead.

The Cao army soldiers, who were holding bowls and chopsticks, immediately scattered in chaos, running all over the place.

Comparatively speaking, traditional tactics place more emphasis on utilizing the terrain.

Sometimes he would take advantage of the sudden drop in elevation on the high plateau to cut off the enemy's advance; sometimes he would feign defeat to lure the enemy deeper into his territory and then turn around to surround and kill them; on one occasion, he even deliberately let his squad expose a weakness to attract a group of Cao Cao's troops to chase after him, which led them into a dangerous area between two mountains, where he easily annihilated more than 800 of Cao Cao's soldiers.

In a river valley, Zong Lai had just led his troops to ambush and kill a small group of Cao Cao's soldiers and was taking a short rest.

His subordinates were full of admiration for his precise guidance: "Captain, how do you know every single ditch and creek around here so well? If it weren't for you leading the way, how could we have stopped those bastards so quickly!"

He smiled, but there was a hint of complexity in his smile.

This is his hometown. He knows every road and every river here. He should have been one of the rulers of this place, but now...

He shook his head, dispelling those inappropriate thoughts, and said solemnly, "How could I not be familiar with this land and its rivers? This is precisely the time for us to serve. The Grand Minister of Agriculture has ordered the three of us to split up and launch a coordinated attack to wipe out these wolves that are ravaging the crops, precisely to utilize our respective strengths. General Huang excels at frontal assaults, Military Advisor Du is skilled in ambush and surprise attacks, and I am merely taking advantage of the terrain. We are all acting under the orders of the Grand Minister of Agriculture."

As the sun set, three elite cavalry squads, like three nimble razors, darted back and forth across the vast Heluo Plain, cutting down one after another the large and small forces sent by Cao Cao to wreak havoc in Heluo.

Their combat efficiency was higher than Cao Cao's army, and even when facing a larger number of Cao Cao's troops, they achieved an overwhelming advantage in certain areas.

Cao Cao's arson and sabotage operations were greatly curbed and had to be slowed down. Many Cao Cao's small units no longer dared to disperse and, without Cao Cao's explicit orders, instinctively began to assemble into larger groups. However, this reduced the efficiency of their sabotage and made them easier for the cavalry scouts to spot, thus making them more vulnerable to ambushes.