Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3824 Who Says the River is Wide?
In late autumn, the Yellow River, though not as turbulent as in the height of summer, still surges with turbid waves, carrying loess washed down from upstream, like a defiant yellow dragon rushing eastward.

Most of the vegetation on both banks of the river has withered.

On the distant mountains, many trees are left with only bare branches, trembling in the gradually chilling autumn wind.

The closer one gets to the ferry crossing, the more desolate it becomes.

Unlike the man-made landscapes and gardens of later generations, there was little environmental awareness in this era. The desolation at the ferry crossing was partly due to the needs of war, and another reason was that, even without war, the passing civilians would casually loot it year after year…

At dawn, on the Cao army's watchtower at the Shanjin Ferry, the soldiers on night duty rubbed their sleepy eyes, shook their heads, and tried to perk themselves up. They were then astonished to find that, north of the river, a cloud of dust had risen up, obscuring the sky!

"Clang! Clang clang clang!" The night watchman, Cao Jun, who was almost scared to death, frantically banged on the gong.

"The Flying Cavalry! The Flying Cavalry is here!"

Urgent alarms quickly spread throughout Cao Cao's camp.

Upon hearing the report, Xun Yu, who was in the central command tent, immediately got up. Without even putting on his armor, he wore only a dark-colored casual dress and, under the protection of his personal guards, ascended the highest watchtower beside the ferry.

The autumn morning light pierced through the thin mist, reflecting on the turbid river surface and illuminating the scene on the opposite bank.

Thousands of cavalry soldiers and laborers were seen chanting in unison as they transported large logs and bundles of bamboo to the ferry crossing on the north bank.

Under the direction of craftsmen, some people began to go into the water to fix the wooden piles, while others assembled the bridge components on the bank. A rough but clearly structured pontoon bridge was extending towards the center of the Yellow River at a visible speed.

The sounds of clanging, shouting, and flowing water mingled together, faintly echoing across the wide river.

"This is... a pontoon bridge!" Xun Yu's adjutant gasped, swallowing hard from his roujiamo (Chinese hamburger). "The enemy is actually trying to force their way across!"

Xun Yu's gaze was calm as he kept a close eye on the progress of the project on the opposite bank, his mind racing with calculations.

There were many cavalry vehicles on the opposite bank, carrying a lot of timber. With all this clanging and banging, if Cao Cao's army were allowed to do as they pleased, they could probably build the basic structure of a pontoon bridge in one or two days, or at most three days, and then spend another two or three days laying down the planks...

Xun Yu frowned.

but……

How could Cao Jun just stand by and watch without making a move?
Xun Yu couldn't understand it.

It's impossible that the Flying Cavalry didn't discover Cao Cao's army in this area, so why did they do this?
When there was no news of the Flying Cavalry, we hoped for news, but when the Flying Cavalry actually arrived, we were filled with headaches.

Why did the Flying Cavalry choose to build a pontoon bridge at Shanjin? Was it because the river was relatively calm there, or did they have other plans?
Is it a probing attack, or the prelude to a full-scale offensive?
If the Flying Cavalry appeared in Shaanxi and Tianjin, would there also be Flying Cavalry in Xiaopingjin and Mengjin?

Shanjin is located to the west, near Tongguan. Strictly speaking, it was a ferry crossing in Hongnong County, while Xiaopingjin and Mengjin were the northern gateways to Luoyang.

North of Luoyang City lies Beiman Mountain, with its highest peak being Shouyang Mountain.

Yes, many places call it Shouyang Mountain, and the Beiman Mountain range is not very high. It seems like a dam that nature built arbitrarily to prevent the river from running wild.

North of Beiman Mountain, the Yellow River has two alluvial sandbars that are relatively easy to cross: Xiaopingjin and Mengjin. Generally speaking, when traveling north from Heluo into Hanoi County, Mengjin is the main crossing point, while Xiaopingjin is west of Mengjin and requires a detour.

Back then, Dong Zhuo bypassed Xiaopingjin and attacked the Hanoi army...

"Someone! Immediately send a signal to Xiaopingjin! Inquire about the situation!"

Xun Yu issued the order.

Thanks to the cavalry...

Well, by learning from the General of the Cavalry, Xun Yu has mastered quite a few new techniques, especially long-distance communication.

In the past, besides fast horses that could travel hundreds of miles, the only other means of communication in the Han Dynasty were beacon fires.

Later, Fei Qian introduced methods of transmitting information over long and short distances, such as mirrors, flags, horns, and bronze whistles. Xun Yu and the Flying Cavalry fought for a long time and learned some of these methods as well.

For example, right now, they use flags during the day and campfires at night. When visibility is good, they can get feedback on messages in a short time by relaying them.

Across the river, the cavalrymen, artisans, and laborers were bustling about, while Xun Yu stood anxiously on the watchtower.

Only after receiving a report from Xiaopingjin that nothing unusual had been found did Xun Yu finally feel somewhat relieved...

"Order the artillery to prepare," Xun Yu said, his voice remaining relatively calm. "Aim at their bridgehead and extensions. Wait until they've penetrated deep into the river and haven't firmly established themselves, then fire immediately! The goal is to destroy their fortifications in one strike and blunt their momentum!"

"Yes!" the soldier answered loudly.

The catapults that Cao Jun originally brought with him are now scattered in various places, so they can't compare to the momentum they had at Yique Pass. However, they are still quite effective at dealing with fixed large targets like pontoon bridges.

The order was passed on quickly.

On the catapult positions set up by Cao's army, the soldiers operating the catapults were nervously adjusting the counterweights and firing angles of the cannons.

The stone projectiles were also dragged and moved into place, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

The cavalry on the opposite bank seemed oblivious to, or rather, unconcerned about, Cao Cao's preparations, and continued to work diligently.

The pontoon bridge, like a greedy centipede, stretches out its long legs into the water, then slowly crawls towards the center of the river...

When the bridge had extended about a third of its length and was about to enter the main current area, it began to sway noticeably under the impact of the water. A glint flashed in Xun Yu's eyes, and he decisively waved his hand: "Fire!"

"call out--!"

The dull sound of the cannon arm swinging and the sharp whistling of the stone projectiles cutting through the air suddenly rang out!
More than ten stones of varying sizes ripped through the autumn sky, carrying the scent of death, and slammed into the fragile pontoon bridge in the Yellow River.

Most of the stones fell into the river, but one or two hit the pontoon bridge!
"Bang!"

*Snap! Crash—!*

Wood chips flew everywhere like a torrential rain, and large pieces of wood broke, jumped, and tumbled under the force of the impact.

The newly secured bridge structure was easily torn apart and destroyed by the stones, falling into the river amidst the splashes of the remaining stones, bobbing up and down...

A clear cry of alarm and commotion came from the opposite bank. The cavalry soldiers and laborers who were working on the project hurriedly retreated, dodging the flying wood and stones.

"It's a winner! It's a winner!"

"It's destroyed! The pontoon bridge is destroyed!"

"Well done!"

"Oh oh oh oh..."

A deafening cheer erupted from Cao Jun's position as soldiers brandished their weapons, their faces beaming with excitement and pride.

The frustration that had been suppressed by the Flying Cavalry for days seemed to be released at this moment.

The deputy general, unable to hide his joy, bowed to Xun Yu: "Your strategy is flawless! The enemy's efforts have been in vain, resulting in losses for both men and soldiers, greatly boosting our morale!"

"Men! Whoever hits the stone cannon on the pontoon bridge will be rewarded!" Xun Yu also took the opportunity to order a reward to boost morale.

Another cheer erupted from the soldiers.

Looking at the driftwood floating on the river and the somewhat disheveled scene on the opposite bank, Xun Yu's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and a faint smile crept onto his lips. This was undoubtedly a small victory, at least thwarting the enemy's blatant attempt to cross the river, which would greatly help boost his own troops' low morale.

Previously, Xun Yu tried various methods but failed to boost the morale of Cao Cao's soldiers much. However, this stone projectile destroyed the pontoon bridge of the Flying Cavalry Army, which boosted morale even more than Xun Yu had previously spent money and provided extra food!
Xun Yu suddenly had some insights...

Why is the Flying Cavalry so "elite," "fierce," and seemingly "invincible"? It's not because the Flying Cavalry are truly made of steel and iron, or have three heads and six arms. Rather, it's because from the moment Fei Qian marched north to Bingzhou, they accumulated victory after victory, forging the Flying Cavalry's strong spirit!

And what about the souls of Cao Jun?
Perhaps there was some difference when fighting the two Yuan brothers, but now...

However, Xun Yu quickly regained his spirits. As long as he could defeat them once, that's right, as long as he could completely defeat the Flying Cavalry once, the massive military force that Fei Qian had accumulated, and the spirit hidden in the army, would be defeated and scattered!

After the invincible golden body of General Fei Qian was damaged, countless ideas would arise from the vast territory, diverse ethnic groups, and complex population base of the current Flying Cavalry. At that time, the Flying Cavalry would no longer be strong steel, but rather a fat grease!
Was Xun Yu wrong to think this way?

That's right.

Why do later generations like to bring someone down from their pedestal?
Why are people so keen to seize on a single mistake and repeat it over and over again?
Isn't it because this way we can overturn everything with one mistake and cover everything up with one black spot?
For example, the line in the poem about boxing, "Leaving aside my mistakes, aren't you also without fault?", reflects the same thought pattern...

Xun Yu knew exactly what kind of people those old gentry and powerful clans of the Han Dynasty were. Don't be fooled by the fact that Guanzhong and Hedong, especially Sichuan, are now peaceful and undisturbed. That's because General Fei Qian's prestige is extremely high and cannot be easily shaken!
But what if there's a hole in the golden body of this cavalryman?

Those rats and insects would definitely be the first to dig and expand!
At that time, Fei Qian will have to deal with those who outwardly comply but inwardly defy him in Shandong and the Central Plains, while there will inevitably be gossip, whispers, and all sorts of deception and fraud behind the scenes...

However, Xun Yu's smile did not last long.

Because the cavalry on the opposite bank of the river did not seem to have suffered any damage from the stone projectiles and thus did not retreat. Instead, after a period of turmoil, they quickly regrouped. Contrary to Xun Yu's plan, they did not retreat directly or organize a force to attack Cao Cao's catapult positions. Instead, they seemed to recover quickly from the initial chaos and began to quietly clean up the mess, dragging the undamaged timber back to the bank, clearing the area, and even...

Are we going to have to start building the pontoon bridge all over again?!

"Hmm?!" Xun Yu frowned again.

The reaction of the Flying Cavalry seemed too calm.

With so much material destroyed and so much manpower wasted, and the initial battle suffering a setback, logically, even if one is not furious, the construction of the pontoon bridge should be temporarily suspended, the troops reorganized, the situation reassessed, and then corresponding adjustments made, such as sending soldiers across the river, or setting up catapults to bombard Xun Yu, etc.

Regardless of the other party's intentions, Xun Yu was prepared.

Cao Cao's archers were hidden on the shore.

The catapults were hidden behind the small hills.

There are also reserve troops in the loess plateau...

No matter what measures the cavalry of the Hedong region on the north bank take, Xun Yu can quickly counter them.

But Xun Yu never expected that the Hedong Cavalry had done nothing but simply repeat the construction of pontoon bridges...

If we build it halfway and then launch another round of catapults and stones, wouldn't that be a waste of time?

But why is the other party so persistent in this seemingly futile action?
The shouts from the opposite bank rang out again, and right under Xun Yu's nose, the Flying Cavalry actually began the second round of pontoon bridge construction!
Although the pace was slower, the pontoon bridge was still being built, as if the devastating blow from Cao Cao's army had never happened...

"Stubborn fools!" the lieutenant sneered. "My lord, it seems the enemy has made a foolish mistake! Once they rebuild, I will certainly destroy it again with cannon fire, and see how much timber they have left to burn!"

Xun Yu did not agree; his doubts, like vines, gradually climbed and grew.

Xun Yu ordered his deputy to guard the catapult position and await orders.

Something is wrong!

Xun Yu observed every detail on the opposite bank even more carefully.

The Hedong Cavalry seemed solely focused on building pontoon bridges, doing nothing else. Some even seemed obsessively dedicated to the task, seemingly unconcerned about the possibility of further stone attacks from Cao Cao's army after its completion…

The reason for this pontoon bridge construction is that the location of our catapults could not be determined before, so this pontoon bridge construction is to make it easier to determine the location and launch a counterattack.

But something's not right...

Xun Yu scanned the opposite bank but did not see the catapults of the Flying Cavalry.

To defend against the artillery of the Flying Cavalry, Xun Yu deliberately positioned catapults—long-range weapons capable of indirect attacks—behind the hills. Furthermore, Xun Yu could change positions; unless the Flying Cavalry launched a sweeping counterattack immediately after Cao Cao's artillery barrage, what would be the point of repositioning?
Should we bring the catapults over tomorrow?

Xun Yu did not think that the General of the Cavalry would be so foolish.

Xun Yu then ordered the catapults to attack, and the cavalry on the opposite bank seemed helpless and could only passively endure the attack.

Cao's soldiers were extremely excited after hitting the enemy once, but gradually stopped cheering and even began to mock the "stupidity" and "stubbornness" of the enemy on the other side.

Is this an attempt to demoralize our troops?

Xun Yu pondered, but that didn't seem right either!
As the sun sets, it dyes the surface of the Yellow River a blood-red hue.

The cavalry on the opposite bank finally stopped this seemingly hopeless project, retreated a bit to the north, and lit a campfire to rest.

Even at night, Xun Yu insisted on personally inspecting the defenses of the ferry crossing.

The autumn night was chilly, and the river murmured.

Xun Yu stood on the observation platform, gazing at the scattered lights in the darkness on the opposite bank.

The cavalry did not launch a night raid...

This made Xun Yu even more uneasy.

"My lord," the lieutenant said, thinking Xun Yu was assessing the situation on the opposite bank. His voice low and barely concealing his eagerness, he volunteered, "The enemy army is weary from their daytime labors and must be exhausted at night. Their defenses are so lax; this is a golden opportunity! I am willing to lead five hundred daredevils to cross the river under cover of darkness, burn their remaining timber, and harass their camp. We will surely achieve a great victory!"

Xun Yu remained silent, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the thick darkness of the night to see the true nature of the other side.

The river breeze ruffled his beard and hair, bringing a chilling sensation.

If the night raid is successful, it can indeed deal a heavy blow to the enemy.

but……

Isn't all of this all too natural?
The 'stubborn' construction of the pontoon bridge during the day, and the 'obvious' relaxation at night, doesn't this seem like a carefully set trap?

Are we just waiting for Xun Yu to send someone to trample on it?
As his thoughts raced, Xun Yu slowly shook his head. "No. This must be a trap set by General Huo Qubing to lure the enemy. By feigning weakness, how can we know they may be hiding a fierce attack? The situation north of the river is unclear. If a large force is lying in wait, a hasty attack from our army would be like lambs to the slaughter, a one-way trip… We must be on high alert and not act rashly!"

Upon hearing this, the deputy general felt it was a pity, but seeing Xun Yu's resolute attitude, he dared not insist any further.

The following day, the autumn sky was clear and the view was excellent.

As expected, the cavalry on the opposite bank began a new round of 'pontoon bridge operations' just like yesterday.

However, in addition to the soldiers, craftsmen and laborers who were originally building the pontoon bridge, Cao Cao's scouts also noticed smoke and dust rising from behind a distant earthen slope on the north bank, which seemed to be a sign of troop movement...

"An ambush! It's definitely an ambush!"

"Your Excellency is truly a man of divine wisdom and foresight!"

"Thank goodness we didn't launch a night raid!"

The surrounding military officers and soldiers exclaimed in amazement and praise, and looked at Xun Yu with awe.

However, Xun Yu's face showed little smile.

His entire focus was on the cavalrymen on the opposite bank who were still busy at work.

This time, he set aside the slight distraction brought on by his previous victory and examined them with the calmest and most critical eye...

Xun Yu was carefully observing every movement of the engineers and soldiers on the opposite bank.

They were moving the timber rather slowly...

There were repeated errors in coordination during the assembly process, and the craftsmen failed to promptly reprimand and correct them...

Some people even hesitated and dreaded the rushing river...

This is absolutely not the performance expected of the well-equipped and well-trained elite cavalry that caused Xiahou Wei so much suffering at Tongguan!
Xun Yu's gaze suddenly fell on the river!
In the river, scraps of materials used to build a pontoon bridge are drifting downstream...

Cold sweat instantly seeped from Xun Yu's forehead!

He got it!

This is a case of feigning a "floating bridge" while secretly using a "Chencang" strategy!
The broken pieces of wood in the river were the 'signals' sent by the Hedong Cavalry!
The wood floated and sank with the current.

Xun Yu's heart also felt uneasy!

This was a brilliant way of transmitting information; he never expected the Flying Cavalry to use this method to send messages!
A thunderous thought exploded in Xun Yu's mind!
The Flying Cavalry is downstream!

All of this before my eyes—

The persistent construction of the pontoon bridge, the low work efficiency, the deliberately exposed "ambush" forces, the "laxity" at night...

It was all just for show; it was a huge scam!

The purpose was to convince Xun Yu, and Cao Cao, who might be paying attention to this area, that the main attack direction of the Flying Cavalry was in Shanjin!
This will firmly tie down their main force here!

"Mengjin!"

"Koheijin!"

Xun Yu whirled around, abandoning his usual composure, his voice trembling with urgency, "Quickly! Send an urgent message! Report to the Prime Minister as quickly as possible! Inform the Prime Minister that the enemy at Shanjin is highly suspicious, likely sending messages to the Flying Cavalry! The main force of the Flying Cavalry may launch an offensive downstream of the Yellow River! I urge the Prime Minister to quickly investigate the military situation on all sides, paying particular attention to any unusual activity at the Mengjin and Xiaopingjin ferry crossings! Be on high alert for a surprise attack by the main force of the Flying Cavalry! Go now! The sooner the better!"

Knowing the gravity of the matter, the messenger rushed out after receiving the order.

Xun Yu stood alone on the watchtower, the autumn wind blowing his wide sleeves, but it could not dispel the heaviness in his heart.

He gazed at the cavalry on the opposite bank, still putting on a show, and felt that beneath that tricolor flag lay layers upon layers of murderous intent.

He only hoped that his warning could reach Cao Cao before the true thunder of the Flying Cavalry struck...

(End of this chapter)