Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3889 A Gentleman Should Not Be Steadfast

Jiyin County.

During the Han Dynasty, there were many ancient marshes in this area, forming areas of varying sizes resembling lakes.

For example, Dayeze spanned the Yellow River and Ji River basins for thousands of years. After the Five Dynasties period, the Yellow River breached its banks and changed its course, and the area gradually silted up, becoming Liangshanbo in the Song Dynasty, until it was basically silted up by the Yuan Dynasty.

Both warhorses and men need water, and this large marshland becomes an excellent source of water and fodder during the winter.

The camp of the Flying Cavalry was set up in this great marsh.

It was afternoon, and the north wind was still biting, sweeping across the marshland and swirling up countless withered yellow leaves that flew everywhere. Many of them hung on the newly erected wooden fences around the cavalry camp, like countless strips of cloth appearing out of nowhere, or as if the north wind was decorating the cavalry camp.

Wei Yan wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, feeling a strange chill seep into his bones.

Although the camp appeared temporary, it was well-organized, complete with trenches, barricades, and watchtowers.

The tents in the camp were neatly arranged, the passageways were clearly marked, and the patrolling soldiers were clad in bright armor and walked with steady steps.

A large flag bearing the character "Zhao" fluttered in the wind.

The three-colored battle flags, with their bright colors, injected a sense of solemn and tenacious vitality into this desolate winter scene.

only……

This well-organized and orderly scene presented a stark contrast to Wei Yan's army, which had just experienced a major battle, had its supplies destroyed, and was forced to retreat here in disarray.

Wei Yan was led to this place by Zhao Yun's scouts during the retreat.

Seeing this vibrant camp, which resembled a mirror reflecting Wei Yan and his men's current destitution and wretchedness, filled Wei Yan with a bitter feeling.

Wei Yan, accompanied by a guard from Zhao Yun, crossed the camp and headed towards the central command tent at the rear of the camp.

Outside the central command tent, there was a low fence and a squad of guards carrying halberds.

The halberd gleamed coldly in the winter sun, its red tassel fluttering in the wind like blooming blood flowers.

Wei Yan closed his eyes slightly, recalling the bursts of red that had appeared before his eyes earlier...

As he traveled, Wei Yan could feel the gazes coming from all directions...

There is concern, curiosity, scrutiny, and doubt.

This made Wei Yan somewhat uneasy, as if every step he took was on burning coals.

He instinctively raised his hand, wanting to straighten his crimson battle robe, which was stained with smoke and fire and covered in dark red bloodstains and grayish-black mud, but his hand froze halfway through...

No matter how much she tried to tidy herself up, she couldn't hide her disheveled state.

In the end, Wei Yan simply wiped his face vigorously a few times, as if he wanted to wipe away not only the grime mixed with sweat, blood, cement, and dust, but also the fatigue, frustration, and other negative emotions on his face.

Wei Yan stopped in front of the central command tent, took a deep breath, and then heard Zhao Yun's voice.

Please come in.

Zhao Yun's voice was steady.

Wei Yan lifted the thick felt tent flap and stepped inside.

The light inside the tent was slightly dimmer than outside, but the furnishings were simple and practical.

In the center, a small charcoal brazier burned quietly, emitting a steady warmth that dispelled some of the chill seeping in from outside the tent.

Inside the large tent, three or five tallow candles were lit, their flames steady, illuminating the interior fairly brightly.

It also illuminated a topographical map of Yanzhou and Yuzhou hanging at the head of the main tent.

The map is marked with great detail the mountains, rivers, cities, passes, roads, and ferries.

Wei Yan saw that a small red flag representing the Flying Cavalry had been newly planted at the Daye Marsh...

At this moment, Zhao Yun was not wearing a helmet, but his silver-threaded chainmail was still neatly worn, covered by a plain-colored battle robe. When his gaze fell upon him, Wei Yan felt as if his shoulders were being slumped, as if it were a physical weight.

Wei Yan stopped inside the tent, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Yun's composed face before quickly lowering again. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed deeply, swallowed hard, and said, "A defeated general greets the Grand Protector of the Northern Region."

Wei Yan did not use the title "Zilong" or any abbreviation; instead, he used Zhao Yun's more formal title.

On the surface, it seems like Wei Yan is belittling himself, but in reality...

Resentment.

Not reconciled.

as well as……

I did nothing wrong.

Or even if I am wrong, but...

Of course, Wei Yan couldn't possibly believe that his defeat was Zhao Yun's fault; rather, he believed it was due to bad luck or that he had been framed by a villain...

Zhao Yun's gaze fell calmly on Wei Yan, without much of the arrogance or scrutiny often found in superiors, but it was by no means simple sympathy either. It was more like a deep pool of water, calm on the surface, yet capable of reflecting everything about the person in question.

Zhao Yun nodded slightly and pointed to a stool covered with felt next to the charcoal brazier. "Wen Chang, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down."

Wei Yan sat down as instructed. The stool was soft, but his body was stiff, so he only sat on one side.

Zhao Yun personally walked to a simple wooden table to the side, picked up a pottery pot, poured a bowl of still steaming warm water, and turned to hand it to Wei Yan.

"First, give us some rice water. It has ginger in it to ward off the cold. The breakout journey was arduous; to have reached this place and saved so many lives is already a remarkable achievement."

Wei Yan suddenly felt a stinging sensation in the corner of his eye, and quickly got up to take the large, rough pottery bowl.

The warmth emanating from the bowl seemed to melt away some of the chill that had clung to Wei Yan's face all the way.

Wei Yan didn't say anything polite, and instead tilted his head back and gulped down the whole bowl of warm rice water.

The lukewarm water, carrying a hint of ginger's spiciness, slid over Wei Yan's parched throat and into his empty stomach, bringing brief relief and slightly diluting the lingering taste of blood and scorched earth in his mouth.

Wei Yan put down the earthenware bowl, hastily wiped the water stains from the corners of his mouth and beard, and exhaled a long breath of stale air with white mist. The originally stiff lines on his face seemed to soften a bit.

"Let me recount the events leading up to and following this southward journey in detail... No need to rush, let's start from the beginning." Zhao Yun did not take the seat of honor, but sat down on another stool, separated from Wei Yan by a charcoal brazier. He warmed his hands by the fire while calmly watching Wei Yan, adopting a listening posture.

Wei Yan composed himself, took another deep breath, and began to recount his story. He started from when he left Ye City and traveled south.

It describes how he used the mobility of his cavalry to roam the border area between Yan and Yu, eliminating small groups of Cao Cao's strongholds, plundering supply lines, and causing unrest in Cao Cao's rear.

Everything went smoothly at first, until Xiaohuang County...

Wei Yan recounted the death of Magistrate Xiao Huang, and then said that in order to gather military supplies, he began to move his troops eastward, where he encountered Zang Ba…

When talking about the messenger from Cao Cao's army that the scouts had intercepted a few days ago, and the "important intelligence" provided by Zang Ba, Wei Yan's eyebrows gradually rose, and his tone became increasingly impassioned.

Wei Yan stated that based on his information, he deduced that Cao Cao, due to setbacks in the battles of Heluo and fearing unrest in his rear, was secretly plotting to quietly relocate the emperor and some key officials to his hometown of Qiao and Pei counties to consolidate his power and launch another attack. He further explained how he judged the reliability of this intelligence, believing it to be a golden opportunity. He argued that if they could intercept the emperor en route, capture or even "rescue" him, it would shake the world and severely damage Cao Cao's morale.

When Wei Yan spoke of deciding to attack and selecting the ambush location, his tone became urgent, and the same excited and desperate glint rekindled in his eyes.

He described the appearance of the "Emperor's procession," the seemingly reasonable escort force, and the Cao army's "incompetent" rout at the beginning of the battle.

However, Wei Yan's voice soon lowered, filled with suppressed anger and regret, especially when he spoke of Zang Ba's sudden betrayal; his intense hatred was palpable...

Then, Wei Yan recounted how he made decisive decisions in battle, how he fought back fiercely, and how he killed Zang Ba in battle. However, during the subsequent counterattack against Cao Cao's army, he was ambushed by Zang Ba's infantry, who burned his supplies and provisions, forcing him to retreat...

"...If it weren't for that treacherous dog Zang Ba, who wavered and betrayed Cao Cao's army, committing such a despicable and shameless act! Burning our supplies and cutting off our retreat!" Wei Yan finished speaking, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, his eyes bloodshot, and he almost spat out the hateful words through gritted teeth, "If it weren't for this scoundrel, I would have surely crushed Cao Cao's army and won a great victory! Why did it have to come to this..."

Zhao Yun listened quietly, his face calm and composed. His gaze followed Wei Yan's narration, occasionally glancing at the map beside him, lingering briefly on the corresponding location, but quickly returning to Wei Yan's excited or indignant face.

He did not interrupt Wei Yan's narration, but only nodded slightly from time to time to show that he was listening.

Even after Wei Yan finished speaking and stopped, Zhao Yun remained silent, deep in thought, and did not say anything immediately.

Zhao Yun pondered, seemingly carefully analyzing every detail in Wei Yan's account and trying to unravel the logic within it.

After a long silence, Zhao Yun finally spoke, his voice still calm, but the words he uttered were as precise and sharp as his spear technique, hitting the nail on the head: "Zang Ba's fickleness, betrayal, and defection on the battlefield were indeed the key factors that triggered the turning point of this battle; his crime deserves death!"

"However..." Zhao Yun paused, his clear gaze fixed on Wei Yan, "Let me ask you, if Zang Ba hadn't existed, or if he hadn't rebelled and had still fought alongside you, based on your description of the battlefield situation... would you have been guaranteed victory? Or would you have avoided falling into Cao Cao's other traps?"

"This is when..." Wei Yan subconsciously wanted to answer, but he swallowed the words back.

Wei Yan frowned and began to carefully recall every detail of what had happened.

Without Zang Ba's defection, he might not have been stabbed so hard in the encirclement, and his formation might not have collapsed so quickly...

If Zang Ba's former subordinates hadn't burned the grain supplies, he might have been able to handle the situation more calmly...

but……

He will still fall for the trap!
Because the "Emperor's Carriage" is just too attractive!
This means that as long as a highly attractive lure appears...

A light sheen of sweat appeared on Wei Yan's forehead. His previous anger had been somewhat extinguished by the question raised by Zhao Yun, revealing the flaws he had exposed during the execution of the battle.

"From what you've told me... ever since Xiaohuang County, you've been indecisive..."

Zhao Yun stood up, walked to the hanging map, and pointed out several key points in Wei Yan's march. "Wen Chang, now that we've taken Xiaohuang, Junyi is within reach. Taking Chenliu, and then sweeping through Fengqiu and Yongqiu, we can connect with Henan, and naturally, our supplies will be plentiful..."

"But you've turned east..." Zhao Yun traced a line on the map. "Indeed, Qiao, Pei, and Liang are rich in provisions and are Cao Cao's heartland... If we seize them, it could indeed cripple Cao Cao's foundation and boost our army's morale... But Wen Chang, have you considered that since it's Cao Cao's heartland, how can we not take precautions? You think that Cao Cao's army is preoccupied with the war in Heluo and their rear is unstable, so you want to move to Qiao and Pei to solidify their base... Regardless of whether Zang Ba is involved, you've already decided that intercepting this imperial entourage is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that cannot be missed, and you're determined to go all out and succeed... Isn't that right?"

Wei Yan looked at the place Zhao Yun had pointed to, at the place names he knew all too well, the very battlefield routes he had been pondering and even regretting over the past few days.

After a moment of silence, Wei Yan slowly nodded, his voice lowering: "Indeed... Numerous intelligence reports corroborate each other, their logic is coherent, and they conform to common sense and reason. My judgment at the time was that if this opportunity were missed, it would be too late to regret it."

Zhao Yun sighed softly, "It makes sense... but it might not be true... Wenchang, you only see the unparalleled achievement of capturing the emperor, but have you ever calmly considered the matter?"

Zhao Yun turned to face Wei Yan, his tone sharpening, "Wen Chang, let me ask you, did Cao Cao's army know you were heading south? If they did, how could they so blatantly expose such a crucial figure as the Emperor to you at this critical juncture? Why did they choose to move the Emperor's route specifically towards Qiao and Pei? And what about Zang Ba and Zang Xuan Gao… Since you discovered their arrogance and the stubbornness of their followers, why didn't you decisively abandon them? At the very least, you could have taken their army and returned north! Why were you instead taken advantage of?!"

This series of sharp and precise rhetorical questions was like a bucket of ice water poured over Wei Yan's feverish head. Wei Yan sat there, his back gradually stiffening, sweat beading on his forehead. He swallowed hard and murmured, "At the time... at the time, I thought this barbarian might be familiar with the situation in Shandong and could act as a guide..."

Yes, Wei Yan had considered these questions raised by Zhao Yun at the time!
Especially when he first received the secret letter, and when Zang Ba offered his advice, he hesitated for a moment...

But what is the final outcome?
Isn't it because the allure of that "unparalleled achievement" is too dazzling?
Even though there are many illogical points, Wei Yan filled in the gaps in his own imagination!

He desperately wanted the emperor's procession to be real, so he subconsciously ignored the faint, discordant sounds and even actively sought plausible explanations for them. His eagerness for glory, coupled with the corroboration of intelligence, clouded his judgment and blinded him to the most basic vigilance a veteran of the battlefield should possess.

Seeing the change in Wei Yan's expression, Zhao Yun understood his feelings and softened his tone. He walked back to the stool beside the charcoal brazier and sat down, facing Wei Yan, and continued, "I ask you again, Wenchang, when you were ordered by our lord to march south from Taihang, and from Ye City, what was your fundamental reason? Did our lord give you any verbal or written orders, clearly stating the predetermined battle objectives he hoped you would achieve? Do you remember them clearly?"

Upon hearing Zhao Yun's question, Wei Yan couldn't help but take a deep breath...

Wei Yan was momentarily speechless.

Heading east out of the Taihang Mountains could be attributed to orders from Fei Qian, but heading south...

Indeed, when Wei Yan received the orders from General Fei Qian, they did not specify which city to capture or which unit to annihilate.

Fei Qian's instructions to Wei Yan were relatively broad, namely "act as you see fit," but this does not mean that Wei Yan could act without any combat objectives or plans!
The objective of the operation, as stated by Wei Yan and Zhao Yun, was to use the mobility advantage of cavalry to penetrate deep into the relatively sparsely populated border region of Yan and Yu provinces and even further east, to harass Cao Cao's rear, disrupt their supply lines, and tie down any troops that Cao Cao might send back or mobilize, thus coordinating with the main offensive on the Heluo battlefield.

Initially, Wei Yan, relying on the speed of his cavalry and his own bravery, swept across the land and indeed captured several poorly defended small towns, looted and burned many grain and fodder depots, causing panic and unrest in the rear of Cao Cao's army...

However, Wei Yan subsequently deviated from his battle objective.

Simply put, Wei Yan was greedy!

He wanted more, much more, and even more...

What specific effect would be needed to complete the mission of launching a southward campaign to harass Cao Cao's territory?
For example, could it force Cao Cao's army to withdraw a certain number of troops from Heluo, or completely paralyze a certain important supply line?

Wei Yan seems to have never set a target line at all...

There is no profit-taking line!
Therefore, there is no way to have a stop-loss line!

His actions were largely based on "acting according to circumstances," "making decisions in the face of the enemy," and "advancing when there is an advantage and retreating when there is no advantage." He had a certain boldness of "a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders," but he also had a great deal of randomness and unpredictability.

"This humble general... is heading south to harass Cao Cao's army's heartland, to tie down their forces, and to prevent them from supporting each other, thus benefiting the main battlefield in the Heluo region..." Wei Yan's voice lowered unconsciously, carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"How should we harass? To what extent? How many enemy troops should we tie down to be considered successful? What strategic effect should we achieve before we can withdraw, or should we adjust our strategy?" Zhao Yun's gaze was tangible, fixed on Wei Yan's flickering eyes, his questioning relentless. "And your determination to intercept the Emperor's procession—is this still within the scope of your initial southward harassment and containment? Is this a more effective way to tie down, attract, and deplete Cao Cao's main force on the He-Luo front? Or have you already been led by the nose by Cao Cao, luring him into a trap—a reckless battle?"

Every question Zhao Yun raised seemed to discard all the fancy tricks and directly cut through Wei Yan's previous vague and somewhat self-righteous "military achievements" and "flexibility," revealing the danger of his lack of core strategic resolve.

Wei Yan was utterly speechless, his face flushing red and then pale, sweat beading on his forehead and trickling down his temples. Even with Wei Yan's habitually arrogant nature, he had no choice but to bow his head in the face of Zhao Yun's layered analysis based on facts and strategic logic.

Wei Yan recalled his actions after heading south. The victories of capturing small camps, raiding grain convoys, and attacking weak cities seemed proactive and flexible, yielding abundant rewards. However, upon closer examination, it was more like he was being pushed along by the "opportunities" that appeared before him, and tempted by the desire to "achieve greater military exploits." He lacked a consistent, firm, and clear-headed strategic core as guidance and constraint!

Ultimately, while Zang Ba's betrayal was the direct trigger for Wei Yan's defeat in this battle, the real cause of his defeat had already been sown long before.

(End of this chapter)