Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3808 Fear and Regret (Bonus Chapter)
The autumn wind is bleak.

Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao were on the southern outskirts of Ye City, a hundred li outside the city, welcoming the "General of the Cavalry".

Although Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao both knew that the person who came to Ye City was a stand-in, they still had to go all out with their act.

In the vast wilderness, the sky is high and the clouds are wide, and the withered yellow grass waves undulate in the wind, stretching all the way to the horizon.

Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao led their elite cavalry to stand silently on both sides of the official road.

The black armor reflected the slightly bleak autumn sunlight.

The tricolor battle flag fluttered.

The spears and halberds stood tall, pointing straight to the sky.

Occasionally, the snorting of warhorses would break the silence, only to be swallowed up by the wind.

Zhao Yun, clad in silver armor and a white robe, stood on the left side of the road, his posture upright like a pine tree, his hand on his sword.

Zhang Liao, dressed in black armor, stood with his arms crossed beside Zhao Yun.

The two were naturally delighted to have captured the southern part of Ye City, but their joy was accompanied by growing worries.

Food doesn't just fall from the sky...

Seeing the mountains of food being consumed every day, the initial joy gradually faded.

But now, the southern part of Ye City is like a piece of meat held in one's hand; no one wants to just give it up.

"They're here," Zhang Liao said in a low voice.

Zhao Yun nodded slightly.

A moment later, a vanguard flag appeared on the horizon, leaping and flashing in the sunlight.

Immediately, a black line slowly appeared in the distance, carrying clouds of dust, and surged towards Ye City like a rolling tide.

The thunderous sound of hooves approached from afar, causing the earth to tremble slightly.

The first thing that caught the eye was thirty-six heavily armored cavalrymen, both men and horses clad in heavy armor, exuding an extraordinary aura. These heavily armored cavalrymen were tall and strong, divided into two ranks, guarding the central army's high-flying banner.

Beneath the great banner, a man sat upright on a pure black warhorse, clad in golden armor and a red robe, his figure bearing a striking resemblance to the real General of the Cavalry.

Of course, Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao knew in their hearts that these were doubles, which is why they felt a 70-80% resemblance. But for the other cavalry officers, this was enough...

The moment the "General of Chariots and Cavalry" appeared, the soldiers and officers surrounding Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao couldn't help but shout in unison...

"May the cavalry be victorious!"

Victory!

"Oh oh oh..."

Loud cheers and the sound of horses' hooves mingled together, rumbling and spreading in all directions.

Zhao Yun was slightly stunned.

He could tell that the cheers of these cavalrymen came from the heart, and were completely different from the rigid, rhythmic welcoming shouts.

Zhang Liao glanced at Zhao Yun and nudged Zhao Yun's arm slightly.

Zhao Yun came to his senses and took the lead in riding forward. When he was a hundred paces away, he dismounted and went to meet him.

The central army of the Flying Cavalry slowly stopped a hundred paces away, while the great banner continued forward, escorted by thirty-six riders, until it reached a point twenty or thirty paces in front of Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao.

A rider emerged from beside the main banner. Pang Tong, dressed in a greyish-blue scholar's robe, still had a dark, plump face, a slight smile playing on his lips. "No need for formalities… just head straight for the military camp."

Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao exchanged a glance and simultaneously bowed in agreement.

At a command, the bugle sounded.

The two sides joined together, moved as if by an extension of their own limbs, turned around in unison, and guarded the central army banner as they marched toward Ye City.

The armor clanged, and their steps were synchronized.

The sound of horses' hooves flying and drums and horns blaring seemed to make the land tremble with every step.

The autumn wind was still biting, but in the face of this torrent of steel, it could only bow down and become gentle.

Surrounded by the army formation, the banner of the cavalry fluttered in the wind, marching proudly forward, as if nothing, no matter what, no difficulty could stop it.

……

……

The Bronze Sparrow Terrace stands in the northern part of Ye City.

The autumn wind swept across the pavilions, bringing a chill more biting than usual, and also carrying the deafening cheers and thunderous hoofbeats from outside the southern city.

Cao Pi and Chen Qun stood side by side beside the high railing of the pavilion, trying their best to maintain their posture, but their eyes betrayed their inner panic.

As the conspicuous banner of the Flying Cavalry, surrounded by countless elite knights, slowly approached like a moving mountain, finally merging outside Ye City into an even larger and more unstoppable torrent of steel, Cao Pi couldn't help but tremble. Even with his best efforts, he couldn't stop it.

Cao Pi secretly reached out and pinched his thigh hard.

At first, he couldn't feel any pain and continued to tremble uncontrollably.

A moment later, Cao Pi felt the pain, and the trembling in his legs seemed to be somewhat suppressed.

But this did not make him feel at ease, because the perfectly synchronized steps outside the city, the gleaming armor, and the chilling aura rising into the sky all reminded him of a cruel reality...

In Cao Pi's view, the main force of the Flying Cavalry, or at least a powerful fresh force capable of changing the balance of the battlefield in Ye City, had already besieged the city!
Cao Pi subconsciously glanced at Chen Qun beside him and noticed that Chen Qun's expression was as solemn as the leaden clouds of autumn. Chen Qun's once meticulously combed hair now appeared somewhat disheveled in the bleak autumn wind.

Chen Qun seemed to notice Cao Pi's gaze, but he didn't turn around. Instead, he pointed to the location of the General of the Cavalry's banner and said, "Your Highness! Look over there!"

"Where? Their... formations are well-ordered, their armor is gleaming..." Although Cao Pi was unwilling to admit it, the military strength displayed by the Flying Cavalry outside the city was indeed far superior to that of Cao's current army.

"No, Your Highness, I didn't mean for you to see those..." Chen Qun pointed, "The General of Chariots and Cavalry... is in the back... while Zhao and Zhang are in the front... there seems to be something wrong with that..."

Cao Pi's face immediately regained some color. "Chang Wen! Could there be a trap? These aren't fake reinforcements, but just some ragtag soldiers in disguise?!"

Chen Qun couldn't help but turn to look at Cao Pi, 'This... such elite troops, how could they be mere rabble?'

The last glimmer of hope was ruthlessly shattered, and Cao Pi's face, which had just regained some color, instantly turned ashen.

Cao Pi withdrew his gaze, unwilling to look again at the glaring military might, and turned to face the city, taking a deep breath of the cold air, trying to suppress the surging fear in his chest. 'Even if their reinforcements arrive, so what?'

Cao Pi forced his voice to become steady, seemingly carrying an almost bluffing force: "My northern city is as solid as a rock, and our provisions are sufficient for several months! They are besieging our fortified city, and after a prolonged siege, their troops are exhausted and weary; the outcome is still uncertain!"

These words seemed to be addressed to Chen Qun, but they also sounded more like a pep talk to encourage himself.

Chen Qun remained silent for a moment, then echoed, "What the Crown Prince says is absolutely right. The terrain of the North City is far superior to that of the South City. Our army only needs to unite as one, hold our ground, and wait for their morale to be exhausted, or... or for the Prime Minister's reinforcements to arrive, and the situation will surely turn around."

Although Chen Qun's words maintained a calm and analytical tone, even he himself could sense a lack of confidence. Where, then, was the so-called "Prime Minister's reinforcements"?

Both men knew that at this moment, they had to stick together and maintain this last shred of dignity and order. Cao Pi was the leader, and Chen Qun was the strategist; any panic in either of them could cause the already precarious defenses of the northern city to collapse from within. So, after an awkward silence, Chen Qun took the initiative and said, "Your Highness, there might be some hidden dangers within the General Cavalry..."

"A hidden danger?" Cao Pi raised his head.

Chen Qun gestured, "Zhao and Zhang will go first, with the main banner following behind... The cavalry will stay close to the heavily armored cavalry guards..."

Cao Pi was taken aback. "This...this..." Chen Qun pondered for a moment. "Perhaps...the Protectorate General of the Northern Regions...is indeed true...otherwise, why wouldn't this General of Chariots and Cavalry stay with his guards? Why isn't he traveling with Zhao and Zhang? Could it be...that he's already on guard?"

Cao Pi exchanged a glance with Chen Qun, then took a deep breath of his donkey meat sandwich, feeling a sense of calm returning to his senses. "It must be so! Zhao Zilong's achievements are now great! The Fei family is small, what if… we absolutely must be wary of Fei Ziyuan! Spread this message quickly!"

That's why I say, how could the Flying Cavalry not have internal strife?

With the south city lost and the cavalry army approaching, how could the people in the north city feel at ease?
Now that we have this pretext, let's spread it out first, regardless of whether it's true or not, to calm people down.

Regardless of whether others believed it or not, Cao Pi believed it anyway.

Cao Pi even found some self-comforting reasons for Ren Jun's earlier death. It wasn't that his judgment was wrong, but rather that the timing was off; if the General of Chariots and Cavalry had arrived a moment later, they might have succeeded…

Cao Pi straightened his slightly askew crown and robes, took a step forward, and, finding his legs had stopped trembling, tried to regain his usual composure and demeanor. "I'll go inspect the city first! Let the soldiers and officials see! I am still here, and Ye City is still here!"

Cao Pi now understood that he had to demonstrate the determination to live and die with the city, even if that determination was fraught with fear.

Chen Qun nodded slightly and followed half a step behind Cao Pi.

When Cao Pi and Chen Qun appeared on the north city wall, the soldiers guarding the city still bowed according to etiquette, but many of them could not hide their fear and unease in their eyes.

After all, the oppressive feeling brought by the cavalry not far away was very real.

Cao Pi forced himself to remain calm, uttering empty words of reassurance such as "the soldiers have worked hard," "reinforcements will arrive soon," and "those who hold fast will be richly rewarded." He even personally tightened the bandages of a wounded veteran, attempting to demonstrate that he shared the hardships with his soldiers.

However, Cao Pi's somewhat unfocused gaze might not be able to completely deceive those veterans struggling on the edge of life and death.

As Cao Pi passed through areas where officials lived, he noticed that behind the doors and windows of some houses, eyes were secretly watching, filled with scrutiny, worry, and even...

"A long story," Cao Pi said in a low voice, almost spitting out the words during a break in his patrol, "...some opportunists within the city...are probably up to something again..."

Chen Qun's gaze swept over the seemingly peaceful neighborhoods below the city walls, and he said in a low voice, "Your Highness is astute. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I will increase the number of trusted confidants to closely monitor the gatekeepers, especially... those not from Qiao and Pei... and the officials in the various government offices within the city... If there are any changes, I will act swiftly and decisively... to deter the wicked..."

Cao Pi nodded heavily. He understood Chen Qun's meaning. Under immense external pressure, internal cracks are most likely to widen.

Those Hebei gentry who were not originally united with the Cao family, and those opportunistic officials, after seeing the cavalry army approaching the city and feeling the disparity in strength between the two sides, may well have second thoughts, and may even secretly collude with those outside the city!
Chen Qun continued, "Currently, within the Generalissimo's army... there are two problems: first, the generals and commanders are at odds; second, there's the issue of supplies... If even one of these weaknesses emerges, it will be our golden opportunity..."

Cao Pi pursed his lips tightly and nodded.

……

……

The autumn wind swept through the southern part of Ye City, carrying with it the aroma of rice porridge and the scent of ruins and dust, and drifted toward Pang Tong and his men.

Pang Tong brought troops and supplies, but the problem was still not completely solved. He stood on the makeshift watchtower, his dark, plump face revealing little expression, except for a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

Pang Tong originally thought that Ye City would not be captured so quickly.

How many days has it been?

During the Warring States period, sieges between the State of Chu and the Three Jin states often lasted for several months.

Even when Yuan Shao besieged a lone city with 100,000 troops, it remained unconquered for years.

Speed ​​has its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages.

For example, the cavalry was indeed unprepared for the current residents of the southern part of Ye City...

In the distance, among the soup kitchens, were countless people from the southern city, their eyes filled with longing.

The people of Yecheng didn't really care how many cavalrymen had come; all they cared about was when they would get a spoonful of porridge in their empty bowls...

Misappropriating military provisions for the people of the southern part of Ye City is only a temporary measure and cannot last.

This is a huge problem.

Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao stood beside Pang Tong, but the two of them hadn't come up with any good strategy beforehand.

Although Pang Tong has brought some reinforcements and supplies, temporarily relieving the immediate crisis, everyone knows that sitting around and living off one's savings is not a long-term solution.

Thirty thousand mouths to feed—the daily food consumption is staggering, not even counting the medicine needed for the wounded and sick, or the winter supplies. Ye City, like a tortoise shell, has indeed had its outer layer pried open and been breached, but if the supply problem isn't resolved quickly, it might not bring benefits, but rather drag them down.

"The people of Nancheng are, after all, subjects of the Han Dynasty..."

Pang Tong spoke slowly, his voice tinged with seriousness, "Now that our army has entered the city, we cannot stand idly by and watch them suffer from hunger and cold. However, our army's food reserves are not inexhaustible; if this continues, I fear disaster may ensue."

This sets the tone.

Cao Cao's army was the enemy, but the people under Cao Cao's rule were not the enemy.

Fei Qian had emphasized this point to Pang Tong many times before, especially in terms of overall strategy, before finally deciding on the current deployment strategy to target Cao Cao's main force.

Unfortunately, not everyone considers people who live on the same land, under the same sky, drink from the same river, and speak the same language to be one of their own…

Sometimes, even the actions of one's own people can be more insidious.

Because our own people always know exactly where our greatest weakness lies...

Pang Tong waved his hand, "Let's return to camp first and discuss this further."

Although they remain optimistic about the overall war situation, the immediate food problem still acts like an invisible shackle, binding their hands and feet.

Just as the three were discussing, a guard suddenly came and said that someone was requesting an audience.

The newcomer was a minor leader of a Xiongnu tribe who had been under the command of the Flying Cavalry for some time, named Luandi Amo. He was robust, dark-skinned, and wore standard Flying Cavalry armor, but still sported a felt hat. He first respectfully bowed to Pang Tong, Zhao Yun, and the others with a hand on his chest, then spoke in somewhat broken Chinese: "Honorable strategist, general… I… I see the army is troubled by food shortages, and I am anxious… I have… I have a somewhat immature idea… I wonder if I may speak of it…"

Zhao Yun glanced at the Hu chieftain, frowned slightly, and did not respond immediately. He always maintained two attitudes towards these Hu people who had submitted to him: wariness towards the Hu chieftains and tolerance towards the Hu herders.

Zhao Yun remained silent, and Zhang Liao naturally wouldn't overstep his bounds.

Pang Tong smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

Seeing that no one in the tent was reprimanding him, Luandiamo seemed to grow bolder and continued, "There are too many people in this city, too many mouths to feed... and the northern city can't be taken anytime soon... why not... why not let them fight for it themselves?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere inside the tent immediately froze.

Zhao Yun's face darkened, his hand on the table tightened slightly, and a fierce look appeared in his eyes.

To drive starving people to attack a city is an act of cruelty and inhumanity!
He was about to rebuke them, saying that such remarks were detrimental to morale and damaged their reputation; they were simply...

"Zilong, calm down..." Pang Tong spoke calmly, raising his hand to stop Zhao Yun from uttering a rebuke. He looked up at the Hu leader, his face twitching slightly, and said indifferently, "Oh? Let them fight it out themselves? That's interesting... How should they fight? Tell me in detail."

Seeing that Pang Tong seemed interested, Luandi Amo perked up, even showing a hint of smugness on his face. He leaned forward, lowered his voice, and spoke more fluently, "I, I know what you're worried about... reputation, you know. Just arresting people and sending them to their deaths, isn't that bad for your reputation...?"

Luan Di Amo quickly glanced at Pang Tong, then at Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao. Seeing their silence, he realized he was right; otherwise, they wouldn't have tacitly agreed. He then brandished his paws, emphasizing his point, "Actually… I have a way. We don't need to give the order directly… that would be too ugly, would it ruin the generals' reputations? Not good, not good! So, we can first organize them into a… um, oh, right, let's call it the 'Market and Ward Association,' the 'Market and Ward Association'!"

"Find some influential and obedient people in the market wards to be their leaders. Then, have these ward leaders request... oh, no, no, 'invite' the able-bodied men in the market wards to attack the North City!" Luan Di Amo said with a grin. "We can promise them that if they take the North City, all the grain and wealth they seize will be theirs!"

"The Market and Neighborhood Association?" Pang Tong repeated, seemingly showing some interest. "Then how can we guarantee that the people in the Market and Neighborhood Association will listen to us?"

"Simple," Luan Di Amo said almost without thinking, "Child! Child!"

"The child?" Pang Tong asked.

Luan Di Amo nodded, "That's right, find those with children! As long as they have children, they're easy targets! Gather them all together, then you can make them do whatever you want!"

Luan Di Amo laughed and said, "For example, let them 'organize' the able-bodied men in the market to 'voluntarily' attack the North City! That way, these people will go 'voluntarily,' and the organization will be done by their own market association. It won't have any direct connection with our cavalry army!"

Luan Di Amo grew increasingly smug as he spoke, "Even if... even if there are too many casualties, or if we can't take the city, those people will only resent the city's guild members, not us! And if they become too resentful, we can just grab a few guild leaders, say they're bad people... and behead them in public! That will both appease their anger and demonstrate our fairness! Isn't that... ah, a win-win situation?"