Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3779 Lenientness tempers severity, severity tempers leniency

"Find a different path?"

Zhang Liao and Wei Yan both looked at Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun's strategy broke free from conventional thinking: "Gentlemen, don't forget, many people from Ji Province have previously defected to You Province..."

Wei Yan quickly understood and immediately praised, "Zilong's plan is excellent! Even if it can't make these bastards surrender, at least they won't get in our way!"

Zhang Liao also suddenly realized, but then frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

Having resolved the issues in the surrounding counties, the three refocused their attention on Ye City.

"Although Ye City is fortified, Cao Cao's army has been exploiting it for days. Surely there are cracks within its walls? Reports from spies indicate that the north and south of Ye City are worlds apart. The aristocratic officials and gentry of the north enjoy luxurious lives, perhaps temporarily united by their family interests and bound to Cao Cao. But what about the common people of the south? They already suffer greatly from exploitation and forced labor; now, with the outbreak of war, they are even more impoverished and starving, their suffering unbearable… The hearts of the people are like water; they should be used!"

Zhao Yun focused his gaze on the map, gesturing with his hand. "First, send small teams to clear out all Cao army outposts, beacon towers, and small camps around Ye City, eliminating their spies and making it an isolated city, cut off from all communication... However, our current force of over ten thousand is insufficient to besiege the city, so we'll simply surround it without actually besieging it!"

Sweeping away the surrounding area was the proper course of action, and Zhang Liao and Wei Yan naturally had no problem with it.

However, this phrase "surrounding without surrounding" is somewhat difficult to understand...

"Protector..." Wei Yan said, frowning, "Without besieging the city... it's unlikely we can cut off their communications..."

Zhao Yun laughed and said, "Why sever all ties completely? Besides, we can produce a large number of silk documents and order the best soldiers in the army to shoot them into the city."

"To persuade him to surrender with a written document?" Zhang Liao pressed.

Zhang Liao roughly understood Zhao Yun's thoughts.

Zhao Yun, clearly confident, announced: "First, proclaim the order to the General of the Cavalry! This campaign will only punish the Cao family's traitors, sparing innocent soldiers and civilians. All citizens of the Han Dynasty who disobey will be pardoned. Second, announce the specific policies! Anyone who offers grain, surrenders a city, or captures Cao family officials to surrender will be rewarded with money, silk, land, or employment according to their merit! Any civilians in Ye City who provide information about the city's defenses or act as internal agents will be richly rewarded and their property preserved after the city falls! Third, it must be emphasized that the Cavalry is aware of the plight of the people in the southern part of the city; if Ye City is captured, the granaries will be opened to provide relief to the people."

Wei Yan raised an eyebrow: "Those powerful clans probably won't easily believe such a promise."

"There's no need for them to believe immediately," Zhao Yun said calmly. "The primary purpose of this strategy is to stir up people's hearts. Like stagnant water, it will inevitably create ripples. If people's hearts are unsettled and filled with suspicion, the city's defensive strength will be halved."

"Furthermore," Zhao Yun pointed to the north of Ye City, "we will surround the city on three sides and leave one side undefended. Our main force will display its flags, signals, and drums on the north, east, and west sides, but will leave the south side undefended..."

The strategy of "surrounding three sides and leaving one open" is not a sophisticated tactic. It's similar to ambushes or striking while the enemy is crossing a river. Almost everyone understands this, but the key is how to use it and how to use it effectively.

Cao Pi and others held firm in the northern city, facing pressure, but at the same time, the General of Chariots and Cavalry was causing trouble in the southern city.

If Cao Pi does not increase the number of troops controlling the southern city, then if the southern city falls into chaos, the northern city will suffer even if it does not collapse.

If Cao Cao's army wanted to deploy troops and supplies to suppress or appease the enemy in the south, they would also have to divert and deplete the defensive forces in the north...

This plan seems pretty good.

Wei Yan and Zhang Liao both agreed.

Zhao Yun looked at Zhang Liao, "General Wen Yuan, the task of patrolling and arresting criminals around Ye City is entrusted to you."

Zhang Liao nodded and accepted the order.

Then Zhao Yun looked at Wei Yan, "General Wenchang, your crucial task lies in securing this 'lifeline' to the south. Lead your elite troops, lower your banners and drums, and proceed to a strategic location ten miles south of Ye City to set up several ambushes. If those who escape are scattered soldiers, you can recruit or annihilate them as appropriate; if they are Cao Cao's generals, officials from Ji Province, or civilians willing to provide intelligence from within the city, you must capture or provide them with support… If any powerful clans are truly considering secretly contacting our army, this 'lifeline' to the south is their only option… Wenchang, simply open the trap, wait for them to walk right into it, and then seize the opportunity to infiltrate and obtain intelligence from within the city. Only then can you exploit their weaknesses and capture the city in one fell swoop!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yan's face lit up with an excited smile. He rubbed his hands together and exclaimed, "Brilliant! This plan is excellent! I'll go to the south gate and give these guests from Ye City a proper 'hospitality'!"

With the strategy decided, the three immediately split up and took action.

Starting the following day, the atmosphere around Ye City changed abruptly.

The cavalry no longer conducted pointless probing attacks, but instead launched large-scale cavalry sweeps.

Zhao Yun commanded the central army, while Zhang Liao led elite cavalry, sweeping through the outskirts of Ye City like a whirlwind.

All the outposts, beacon towers, and small camps established by Cao Cao's army melted away like snow under the sun under the swift attack of the elite cavalry of the Flying Cavalry. Any sporadic resistance was crushed without mercy. In less than three days, all of Ye City's eyes and ears were completely eradicated.

The silk documents covered with writing were shot into the city by powerful crossbows and scattered throughout the streets and alleys. Some were even deliberately shot into the crowded slums of the southern city.

Although Cao Cao's army ordered that no one was allowed to collect these silk documents and that they must be handed over immediately if found, driven by hunger and curiosity, some people still tremblingly picked up the silk.

The contents of the document...

"Only the Cao family is guilty; the innocent are not implicated..."

"If the city surrenders, taxes will be waived for one year..."

"Offer grain and city as tribute, and be rewarded with fields and houses..."

"Knowing of the famine in the southern city, the General of the Cavalry breached the city walls and opened the granaries to provide relief..."

Yes, these are indeed "easy to understand," but Zhao Yun overlooked one thing: while "easy to understand" might be sufficient for the literate cavalry, it might be difficult for the illiterate and impoverished people of Ye City to understand even a single character, let alone the entire sentence...

Zhao Yun was not a professional strategist after all.

However, these arrows were more lethal to the north of Ye City than to the south.

In the northern part of the city, most of the residents were military academy students, officials, and sons of local gentry.

These people began to whisper among themselves, and their eyes held a different kind of look as they looked at the government officials.

Such arrow-shaped messages were naturally presented to Cao Pi very quickly.

"Spreading heresy and misleading the masses! Disrupting the morale of our army!" Cao Pi, enraged, tore the silk cloth to shreds, his face ashen. "Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! Anyone who possesses or circulates this silk scroll will be considered a traitor and executed without mercy! Each ward will be subject to collective punishment; if one person violates this rule, the entire ward will be punished!"

Tiger Guards and law enforcement teams frequently entered and exited various neighborhoods, and anyone suspected was immediately arrested. For a time, everyone was in danger and kept silent.

Chen Qun noticed the problem and had Cao Pi step in to appease and even commend a few officials in the northern city who had reported others...

While the problem may seem to have been temporarily suppressed, the foundation of trust has begun to crumble.

The collapse of trust is not something that can be achieved overnight, just as the ice three feet thick is not formed in a single day.

At the same time, the cavalry's strategy of "surrounding three sides and leaving one open" seemed to be starting to show results...

On the north, east, and west sides, the banners of the cavalry were fluttering, and the drums beat day and night. Soldiers took turns advancing, making various preparations for the siege. Although the efforts were more bark than bite, they put enormous psychological pressure on the defenders on the city walls, leaving them exhausted.

The south side, however, was unusually quiet. The cavalry camps were far away, and the patrols were much sparser, as if a huge gap had been deliberately left.

This unusual phenomenon immediately aroused extreme vigilance from Cao Pi and his advisors.

"The cavalry is cunning; they must have set up a heavy ambush on the south!" Chen Qun issued the order decisively. "This is a trap! Order that the defenses of the south city not only not be weakened, but doubled! No one is to open the south gate without authorization! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

However, in order to achieve absolute control over the southern city and to lure the Flying Cavalry into a trap, Chen Qun actually used the Flying Cavalry's strategy of "encircling three sides and leaving one open" to launch a counterattack...

Thus, Wei Yan's ambush outside the south city began to yield results. Small groups of Cao Cao's garrison soldiers were found deserting!

That's right, the first to flee were actually the Cao army's garrison soldiers in Ye City!

These Cao soldiers naturally ran headlong into the trap set by Wei Yan.

These Cao soldiers said that they tried every means possible, either by rappelling down from the city wall or by secretly building rope ladders, risking their lives and going through great hardships, to escape Ye City under the cover of darkness...

Some say they were indignant because they saw the disparity between the rich and poor in the north and south of Ye City, while others say they wanted to abandon their allegiance to the cavalry after witnessing their strength...

Wei Yan treated these people relatively well, and inquired carefully about the city's defenses, morale, and food reserves.

These scattered pieces of information, when put together, gave the cavalry a deeper understanding of the predicament within the city.

Then the real "big fish" started to take the bait.

One night, several men in black quietly slid down the south city wall. Unlike ordinary refugees, they did not panic. Instead, they made a clear incline towards the direction of the Flying Cavalry and were soon "invited" to Wei Yan's tent by a patrol.

The visitor was a military officer from Cao's army in the southern part of the city.

He brought extremely important intelligence...

With food supplies running low, the garrison in the south of the city was filled with resentment and on the verge of mutiny. He even revealed that some powerful figures dissatisfied with Cao Pi's rule were secretly conspiring to contact the General of the Cavalry, willing to act as inside agents when the time was right, but requiring more concrete guarantees from the General of the Cavalry.

"What kind of guarantee do they want?" Wei Yan asked coldly.

"They...hope that the General of the Flying Cavalry will personally sign the pardon and promise to preserve their property and titles, and that they can still serve as officials in Ji Province afterward," the officer replied cautiously.

Wei Yan laughed heartily, "A pardon from the lord? How easy you think that! Everyone in the General of the Cavalry is judged by their merits! If you want to preserve your family's wealth and official position, instead of seeking this pardon, you should think about how to earn merit! Don't say you can't do anything! If you can't, then just wait to be trapped and die with that traitor Cao!"

Negotiations, of course, cannot be completed overnight.

A hidden passage leading to the heart of Ye City seemed to have opened up before Zhao Yun and his companions.

The news was quickly relayed back to the central command.

Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, and Wei Yan reunited.

Zhao Yun listened to Wei Yan's report and examined the "Defense Map of Ye City" sent by Cao Cao's military officers. He then looked at Wei Yan and Zhang Liao and asked, "What do you two generals think?"

This time, the three people could not completely agree on their opinions.

Wei Yan slapped the map of Ye City's defenses, drawn on rough sheepskin and stained with brownish-black bloodstains, his voice ringing with the force of metal striking stone, "Here! The South City Water Gate! The Zhang River dries up in autumn and winter, and this map appears! Furthermore, that military academy officer said he has an inside agent in the South City, willing to light a fire tonight at midnight as a signal to open the gate and surrender! This is a godsend, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, how can we miss it?!"

"Tonight! Midnight!" Wei Yan's gaze swept intently between Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao's faces. "It's almost 9 PM! What are you two waiting for?!"

Wei Yan had been to Ye City and even stormed into it.

He knew this so-called "insider" might be problematic, but he didn't think attacking Ye City would be that difficult...

It's just a matter of how many people were killed or injured.

Wei Yan had already planned it out. As long as Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun agreed, he could use himself as bait to let Zhao Yun or Zhang Liao launch a sneak attack from the north city!
With attacks from both the north and south, how could Yecheng not fall?
However, it is clear that Zhao Yun did not like to risk the lives of his soldiers.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun remained calm and composed. He silently picked up the oil lamp beside him and let the dim light flow across the sheepskin map as his gaze followed.

After a moment, Zhao Yun pointed to the markings on the map and said, "Wen Chang, take a closer look... This indicates a permanent garrison, but the smoke rising from the stoves at dawn and dusk, as observed by our scouts, was thin and faint... This is one point of suspicion."

"Furthermore..." Zhao Yun's finger didn't pause as he pointed to several other places he was concerned about. "The sluice gate, the so-called 'secret passage,' according to the map, its entrance is hidden beneath the banks of the Zhang River... But since it dries up in autumn and winter, it will inevitably accumulate silt in spring and summer. If it's not dredged year-round, how can it be used for military purposes? If it can't be used for military purposes, why choose such an unsuitable location? And this place... it's said to lead directly to the north city, but upon closer inspection, it seems the original map has been altered. This should still be beneath the south city..."

Zhang Liao, who had been standing to the side, nodded slightly, agreeing with Zhao Yun's cautiousness.

Zhang Liao turned to look at Wei Yan and said, "General Zilong's concerns are exactly what I suspect. Looking at this map, the sheepskin is indeed old, but there's some new ink... And even if it was recently drawn, how could a mere military academy student obtain it so easily? Cao Cao and Chen Changwen, while perhaps not exceptionally shrewd or decisive, have managed Ye City for many years. How could they have revealed the city's hidden fortifications, crossbows, and other crucial defensive points to others? And why were they so unprepared for this map, stealing it so easily? I believe we should carefully investigate Cao Cao's military academy students."

Wei Yan raised his voice in rebuttal, seemingly somewhat angered, "What you two say is far too cautious! In the art of war, how can one expect perfection in everything, deluding oneself into a situation where no mistake is made? Before, I had fewer than a thousand soldiers and no fine horses, yet I still stormed into the city, coming and going as I pleased! Now, we are strong and well-equipped, yet we are so cautious and hesitant. If I had been so hesitant before, how could we have broken into the city?!"

"Wen Chang's previous achievements were indeed extraordinary," Zhao Yun said calmly, unaffected by Wei Yan's words. "However, times have changed. Our army is pressing in, and the city has been besieged for months. How could Cao Cao's army be unprepared? Sending this map now is exactly what they want. Wen Chang's bravery is commendable, but if he rashly advances, he will surely fall into an ambush."

The flickering lamplight reflected in Zhao Yun's deep-set eyes, adding to his somber expression. "This map came far too easily… the claim that the commander surrendering the city was seriously wounded… is hardly credible. I have already ordered my military advisor to secretly investigate. Who knows if this isn't a carefully orchestrated ploy?"

Zhang Liao then took a wooden slip from his robes, placed it on the table, and said in a deep voice, "What the Protector-General says is not without basis. This morning, I personally led a patrol of the city and captured a messenger from Cao Cao's army in the shallows of the lower reaches of the Zhang River, where we found this wooden slip."

Zhang Liao pointed to a vermilion seal at the end of the wooden slip, "This is the signature seal... The slip clearly states, 'Anyone who presents the heads of officers of the General of the Cavalry will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold'... Wen Chang, the map you hold is probably one of the baits for this 'thousand pieces of gold'!"

Wei Yan frowned, clearly displeased. "Even if there's an ambush, so what? Our soldiers are all elite! What ambush are we afraid of?! Gentlemen, are you underestimating our troops?! Even if there is an ambush, we can still storm it!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun's face darkened. "Wen Chang!"

Wei Yan shut his mouth.

Zhang Liao, standing nearby, advised, "Although our army is elite, if we are careless, many soldiers will inevitably lose their lives!"

"It's not doubt, but caution," Zhao Yun said, his gaze sharp as he looked directly at Wei Yan. "War is a matter of vital importance to the state; it is a matter of life and death, a road to survival or ruin. It is imperative to examine it carefully."

Before Wei Yan could answer, a rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from outside the tent.

A scout rushed into the tent, knelt on one knee, and urgently reported: "Reporting to the generals! A burst of flames has suddenly shot into the sky from the direction of the south city water gate!"

The three exchanged a glance, then left the tent and looked up into the distance.

Wei Yan clenched his fist, the armor plates clanging loudly. "This must be a signal! The city has already made its move!"

"Wait a minute!"

Zhang Liao reached out and grabbed Wei Yan's arm, his strength steady. "Wen Chang, look again! The location of the fire is quite different from the water gate location marked on your map! Moreover, the fire is concentrated and doesn't disperse! It's clearly a decoy fire lit by Cao Cao's army! Intended to disrupt our deployment and lure us into an attack!"

Zhao Yun had already made his decision and immediately gave the orders: "Wen Yuan, you immediately lead a thousand cavalry to a point one mile outside the water gate. Launch a feigned attack to lure the enemy out, making a great show of force to draw Cao Cao's army into battle. But engage them and retreat immediately; do not advance too far! Wen Chang, you lead your elite troops to ambush in the reeds of the Zhang River. When the water gate defenders attack and pursue Wen Yuan, intercept them from the waist down!"

Wei Yan seemed quite anxious as he said, "Why is Wen Yuan going to the water gate? It should be me going to the water gate! Wen Yuan is lying in ambush on the Zhang River!"

Zhao Yun shook his head and said, "Wen Yuan, go to the water gate! This is a military order!"

Zhao Yun was somewhat worried that Wei Yan might lose control and impulsively charge in.

The moment the military order was given, the atmosphere instantly became tense and oppressive.

Zhang Liao patted Wei Yan on the shoulder and left first.

Wei Yan lowered his head, answered "I accept the order," and left the tent.

After walking a few steps, Wei Yan's anger vanished. He glanced back at the main tent and the direction Zhang Liao had left in, his eyes darting around before he sighed and muttered under his breath, "...boring..."