Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3890 Learning from the Virtuous

When Wei Yan first met Zhao Yun, he referred to himself as a "defeated general," but he did not actually think so.

Just like when someone calls themselves a "country bumpkin," is it really an expression of humility, or a self-reflection?

Obviously not.

Rather, it's about displaying a kind of 'pride,' indicating that even though they come from a 'country bumpkin' background, they can still be better than most 'city pigs,' managing to snag cabbages that even 'city pigs' can't get their hands on...

The same applies to Wei Yan.

Although he called himself a "defeated general," did he truly possess prudence and reflection? Before meeting Zhao Yun, he actually believed that his merits outweighed his demerits, or at the very least, that his merits and demerits could offset each other...

But now, under Zhao Yun's sharp analysis, Wei Yan has truly begun to realize his own problems...

"Our lord once instructed us in the military academy, saying, 'A general who commands thousands of troops cannot rely solely on bravery and strength. He must know why we fight, where we fight to, and when we will stop. With a comprehensive understanding and unwavering vision, he will not be swayed by temporary gains or confused by minor setbacks.'" Zhao Yun's tone softened, carrying a tone of quoting and instruction. "Your initial southward campaign was erratic and unpredictable, making you difficult for Cao Cao's army to track. This allowed you to frequently succeed and gain advantages..."

"However, once your opponent discerns your eagerness for glory and your penchant for risky moves, they can use this as bait! That 'Emperor's Procession' was definitely set up for you, Wei Wenchang!" Zhao Yun said decisively. "Cao Mengde, a man who deeply understands human nature and is cunning and calculating... even without Zang Xuangao's defection... Cao Mengde could still find other ways to create other bait! You weren't defeated by Zang Ba's betrayal on the battlefield, but by your own loss of purpose and impetuousness. Therefore, you were blinded, led astray, and ultimately fell into the enemy's trap without realizing it! This is your fundamental mistake. Does Wenchang understand?"

Zhao Yun's words struck Wei Yan's heart like a thunderclap.

Wei Yan's gaze sharpened.

He recalled the various stages of his journey south, the arduous rush he had undertaken...

Then I recalled how I went from being a hunter waiting for the right moment to becoming prey, lured step by step into a trap by a more skilled hunter...

He was proud and ambitious, and his early victories masked his shortsightedness and impetuousness at the strategic level...

Zhao Yun's analysis exposed Wei Yan's deepest problems to the light of day.

A longer silence fell inside the tent.

The silver charcoal in the brazier was burning brightly, emitting a steady and warm red light that illuminated Wei Yan's lowered face, which was filled with shifting expressions.

Wei Yan's once straight back had now unknowingly slumped slightly.

Wei Yan is somewhat like Guan Yu.

Or rather, like that 'country pig'...

They call themselves pigs, but they harbor tigers in their hearts.

If it were an ordinary person, Wei Yan would probably think these words were just another pig babbling, but the one saying these words now is another tiger!

After a long silence, Zhao Yun suddenly changed the subject, mentioning a seemingly unrelated person: "Wen Chang, you mentioned before... someone falsely claimed to be your old friend, named Wu Jing, and slandered you... How did you deal with that?"

Wei Yan was pulled back from his heavy thoughts and said in a muffled voice, "Kill him! That scoundrel was full of lies, trying to sow discord and disrupt our army's morale! After arriving in Yanzhou, most of what he said was completely fabricated. I ordered him to be dragged out of the camp gate and beheaded as a warning!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun sighed softly, a sigh tinged with regret and a hint of understanding. "Killing him would certainly be swift and decisive, ending it all. But has Wen Chang investigated further? Who exactly is Wu Jing acting on his orders? Is there another mastermind behind him? Although his words are all fabrications and framing, why did he appear at the right time, and why did he choose you, Wen Chang, as his target?"

"Wen Chang, your anger led you to kill him, which may have brought you momentary satisfaction, but have you considered," Zhao Yun said slowly, "that if we could have used a scheme against him, or used him to spread false information... or even... kept Wu Jing alive, perhaps we could have drawn out Zang Ba's malicious intentions..."

Wei Yan's eyes widened, and he fell silent again.

This time, his silence revealed a deeper understanding.

kill!

Click!

A head fell to the ground, blood gushing out!

Ah, how awesome!

At the time, Wei Yan only felt that Wu Jing was hateful and wanted to kill him to vent his anger. He never thought that there might be such a tortuous test and calculation behind it.
Killing is killing; use killing to prove the Way. If there is injustice, just kill!

But he never seriously considered that if even such a seemingly insignificant "little person" could become a pawn in the enemy's carefully laid chess game, then how deep must the waters of this war be?

How shallow and dangerous was my previous mindset of "relying on courage and acting according to circumstances"?
For a moment, the only sounds inside the tent were the rustling of the map being blown by the cold wind seeping through the gaps outside, and the steady burning of the charcoal fire.

Wei Yan sat on the stool with his head down, like a stone statue that had suddenly lost all its supporting strength.

Time passed slowly, but the storm raged fiercely within Wei Yan's heart.

Pride was crushed, mistakes were exposed, and thinking was led to strategic and psychological levels that had never been deeply considered before...

This process was undoubtedly painful and agonizing, but it was also like scraping the bone to remove poison, eliminating Wei Yan's deep-rooted flaws.

Finally, Wei Yan made his move.

He slowly raised his hands and removed the tattered, blood-stained, and dust-covered iron helmet from his head.

He held the helmet, which had accompanied him in battle for many years and perhaps symbolized his glory and authority, in both hands as if it weighed a ton.

He left the folding chair, took a step forward, knelt on one knee, solemnly placed his helmet on the ground in front of him, and then bowed deeply to Zhao Yun, his forehead almost touching the ground.

When Wei Yan raised his head again, the arrogance, restlessness, and resentment that had been in his eyes had been replaced by a complex expression that was a mixture of pain, clarity, and shame.

Wei Yan's voice was terribly hoarse, yet utterly sincere. "What the Grand Commander said today struck me like a thunderbolt! I... know my guilt! This defeat, the loss of soldiers, and the damage to our reputation, are all due to my impetuousness, greed for merit, and recklessness! We were taken advantage of by the enemy, and this is my own fault! The responsibility for this defeat lies entirely with me, Wei Yan! This humble general... has no face to repay the trust of our lord, no face to see the wounded and killed soldiers under my command! I beg the Grand Commander to punish me severely according to military law! I have no complaints!"

This bow and these words signified that the proud Wei Wenchang, at least for this moment, had truly lowered his head and begun to face his problems. Zhao Yun rose, took two steps forward, reached out to help Wei Yan up, and said gently, "Wenchang, please rise. If you can think this way, this defeat will not have been in vain. Your bravery and skill in battle, your decisiveness in the face of danger, are well known to our lord, who relies heavily on you and often calls you the sharpest blade in the army; otherwise, he wouldn't have let you lead the army alone deep behind enemy lines."

"This painful reflection, this cleansing of the mind, may well be the foundation for achieving greater feats and shouldering heavier responsibilities in the future! As for punishment," Zhao Yun's gaze was clear and serious, "this is the law of the military and the state, not something I can decide based on my personal will. Once the war here has calmed down and the situation is clear, you should personally go to the lord's headquarters, recount the entire course of this battle, frankly admit your mistakes, and ask the lord to judge according to the law... The most urgent task is not to wallow in past defeats and wallow in self-pity, nor to rush to seek revenge and repeat the same mistakes, but to clearly understand the overall situation of the war, discern the current weaknesses of both sides, and work together to achieve future success."

"Thank you, Protector-General!" Wei Yan felt Zhao Yun's sincerity. He stood up with Zhao Yun's help, and the confusion and dejection in his eyes gradually faded away, replaced by a clarity that came after the clamor had been washed away.

Wei Yan looked directly at Zhao Yun, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a deep voice, "This humble general will remember the Grand Protector's teachings!"

The two sat down again.

Wei Yan looked up at the hanging map, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Grand Protector, should our army pursue and annihilate Cao Cao's army now? I can act as bait to lure them in. If we can wipe out Cao Cao's army in Qiao and Pei, we can achieve complete victory!"

In fact, Wei Yan's hatred for Cao Zhang and Cao Zhen, as well as his desire to avenge himself, did not simply disappear. However, at least Wei Yan now understands the importance of asking questions, discussing, and cooperating, instead of acting unilaterally without saying anything as before, or making excuses while actually doing something else entirely.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun slowly shook his head.

He stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to place names on it. "Pursuing the fleeing enemy and annihilating the remnants may seem exhilarating, but it could actually lead to greater losses. Cao Cao's army has just won a victory against you, and their morale has somewhat recovered… Moreover, they have long been stationed in Yan and Yu provinces and are familiar with the terrain… If our army insists on pursuing their tracks, intending a decisive battle for revenge, they can use this advantageous terrain to either avoid battle and exhaust our forces, or set up an ambush and counterattack, waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. Such a protracted struggle will only waste our army's energy; what benefit will it bring to the overall situation?"

Zhao Yun's gaze lingered on the Chenliu region and the city names within its counties. "Now we must seize this place! Especially Pingqiu, Fengqiu, and Junyi—these are the crucial strategic points that must be contested!"

Zhao Yun's voice was calm, steady, and powerful: "This place is the gateway to the east from the Heluo region, bordering the Yellow River to the north and controlling the Sui and Bian Rivers to the south. The cities of Pingqiu, Fengqiu, and Junyi are crucial points controlling the Bian and Sui Rivers, historically a pivotal point for military operations in the Central Plains. If Cao Cao's main force wishes to retreat eastward from the Heluo region, whether to the heart of Yuzhou or to Qiao and Pei, they will likely pass through here by both land and water! If our army can seize this opportunity, capture this place, and control the key mountain and waterway routes, we can then wait in this heart of the Central Plains, in a state of rest and strength, for the enemy to arrive!"

Zhao Yun turned to look at Wei Yan, seemingly explaining, yet also instructing him, "The purpose of this campaign is twofold. First, to cut off Cao Cao's escape route eastward, leaving his remaining forces with nowhere to retreat! Second, to sever the connections between the various prefectures and counties of Shandong!"

Zhao Yun said in a deep voice, "My lord's military campaigns aim to pacify the four seas and restore order to the eight wastelands, not merely to kill and subjugate... Seizing the strategic location of Chenliu first will be a declaration to the world! The General's Cavalry will only target the rebel Cao Cao, leaving no trace of the others; all those who have abandoned Cao Cao and surrendered will be spared! If we capture Chenliu, we will cut off the east and west, leaving Cao Cao trapped in the Heluo region, lacking external support and internal supplies, his army's morale will collapse, and his defeat will be imminent! As for the governors, powerful families, and commoners of Shandong, seeing that our army only punishes the ringleaders and does not indiscriminately harm the innocent, their hesitation and will to resist will naturally disappear! In this way, the desire to surrender and submit will surely spring forth like ice melting in spring!"

Wei Yan listened intently. Compared to his previous focus on the "Emperor," "interception," "revenge," and "avenging," Zhao Yun's plan was undoubtedly on a higher level.

Zhao Yun's focus was on the key point of the entire Central Plains war!
The purpose of the battle is also more ambitious and grand in scale!
At the same time, Zhao Yun explained the logic behind each step of the battle to Wei Yan in a very straightforward manner. His explanation was clear, containing both a powerful military objective and a profound political strategy.

So this is what real war is like...

Wei Yan took a deep breath, truly feeling the strategic gap between him and Zhao Yun.

Faced with the strategy displayed by Zhao Yun, Wei Yan's lingering resentment and somewhat narrow-minded desire for revenge undoubtedly appeared insignificant, short-sighted, and even somewhat laughable...

So this is how far I've come!

It turns out there are even higher peaks ahead of me!

A brand new, and more profound sense of mission began to quietly grow in Wei Yan's heart.

Wei Yan's previous pride was mostly based on his martial prowess. After all, although there was a gap between his martial skills and Zhao Yun's, the gap was not that big. Therefore, Wei Yan believed that as long as he worked harder and accumulated more military merits, he could have the hope of becoming a regional governor like Zhao Yun!

Therefore, Wei Yan's focus was solely on military achievements, and more military achievements!

Wei Yan now realized that military prowess was only one part of a more important position, and what was more important was the ability to consider and measure things from a higher level, like Zhao Yun's!
If it were an ordinary person, upon realizing the significant gap between themselves and their goal, they might have the urge to give up, thinking, "I'm not good enough anyway, so I might as well just quit..."

But he is Wei Yan!
Historically, he was able to boast that he could conquer 100,000 troops, and the key point is that he not only said it, but he also did it!
Historically, in the Hanzhong region, Liu Bei himself endured immense hardship, and Huang Zhong risked his life to drive away Cao Cao's army. No one dared to take on this mess, this hot potato. Everyone believed only Zhang Fei was capable of the task, and even Zhang Fei himself thought so. However, if Liu Bei left Zhang Fei in Hanzhong, what would he do if something went wrong in Sichuan? Huang Zhong was barely alive after the Battle of Dingjun Mountain. Liu Bei dared not use Ma Chao, nor did he want to. Zhao Yun was a direct guard of the central army and was rarely sent far away. If anything happened, the safety of the central command would depend entirely on Zhao Yun. Therefore, Zhang Fei was the only one in Sichuan who could flexibly lead an army independently, making it impossible to leave him far away in Hanzhong.

It should be noted that Hanzhong had already been ravaged at that time. The people, supplies, city defenses, and fortifications were either taken away by Cao Cao's army or left in ruins. Even the Dongzhou faction and Jingxiang faction, who liked to fight for power, avoided this situation like the plague!

It was under these circumstances that Wei Yan stood out and rose to the challenge!

Now, Wei Yan felt the gap between himself and Zhao Yun, and realized the difficulty of improving himself. However, Wei Yan did not back down. Instead, his eyes rekindled with a burning fighting spirit!

He wants to go higher!
And the key point is that Wei Yan saw the road Zhao Yun took, and the direction he was going!

"This subordinate...understands!" Wei Yan's voice regained its strength, even more resolute than before. "I am willing to obey the Grand Protector's orders! How to capture Chenliu and secure the Central Plains, please instruct me! Even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, I will bravely advance, fight to the death, and never fail in my mission!"

"Very good." Zhao Yun nodded slightly. "Your troops have just fought a fierce battle, and your men and horses are exhausted, with damaged armor and weapons. You need to rest and replenish your supplies. I can allocate armor and rations from the camp, as well as some spare horses, to help you recover your fighting strength as quickly as possible."

Zhao Yun focused his gaze on the map again, pointing with his finger, "To take Chenliu, we can divide into two routes... One route, led by myself, will attack Xiangyi, Yongqiu, and other places with great fanfare to attract Cao Cao's attention and mislead them into thinking our main attack direction is... The other route..."

Zhao Yun pointed towards the area of ​​Chenliu County near the Yellow River, saying, "You, Wei Wenchang, will lead this force. After our troops have rested, we will lower our flags and advance swiftly and lightly, stealthily ascending the Bian River and striking directly at the strategic western flank of Chenliu County! The defenses here are relatively weak. If we can launch a surprise attack and capture it in one fell swoop, the western gate of Chenliu County will be wide open, and our main force can quickly follow, thus securing the overall victory!"

Zhao Yun pointed out, "If we capture Chenliu, we can connect with Hanoi to the north, ensuring a steady supply of provisions. We can also find opportunities to pressure Yingchuan and Qiaopei... At that point, we might be able to wait in comfort for Cao Cao's army to come to us..."

Wei Yan's gaze fell upon the Sishui Pass in the Heluo region. "What if Cao Cao's army flees east?"

Zhao Yun calmly replied, "If Cao Cao's army knows that I have captured Chenliu... they will most likely send troops here... In that case, wouldn't it save our army the trouble of searching everywhere...?"

Wei Yan suddenly understood Zhao Yun's meaning, and his eyes lit up!
Yes, if Wei Yan leads the army to attack Qiao and Pei, Cao Cao's army might take advantage of their familiarity with the terrain to roam around. In that case, Wei Yan would have to deal with the disobedience of local gentry and powerful clans on one hand, and the lack of understanding and support from the people of Shandong on the other. Under such circumstances, searching for and suppressing Cao Cao's roaming troops would undoubtedly be much less effective, and there is even a possibility that a second Zang Ba situation could occur...

But Zhao Yun's strategy was different!

It is not only safe, but also a way to attack the enemy's most vulnerable point!

Prudence is the prerequisite.

It was only after the Flying Cavalry had captured Hanoi and initially occupied Ye City, thus stabilizing the rear of Ji Province, that the attack on Chenliu was launched. This ensured the supply of provisions, soldiers, and armor, as well as sufficient strategic space.

Without these prerequisites, if Zhao Yun had blindly marched south like Wei Yan, then if he had suffered a setback, Wei Yan's small force could still rely on Zhao Yun for reinforcement and support, but if Zhao Yun's main force had been defeated, who would support them?
It's possible that the Jizhou man, who had already changed his flag, would take out Cao Cao's flag from the bottom of his box again!

Now, with a secure rear base, the cavalry's fangs will be even sharper!
At the same time, Wei Yan also learned from this lesson that the ultimate goal of cavalry guerrilla warfare is not guerrilla warfare, but a base!

The highest goal of a general is not just to win a single battle, but to win the overall strategic battle!