Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3919 If the Way is not followed, I will float on the sea on a raft (Bonus Chapter)
Xun Yu wanted to cry but had no tears.

The reinforcements that had been painstakingly gathered not only failed to achieve any good results, but also made the situation worse.

It's like some students who receive their exam papers at the end of the semester, staring wide-eyed at the exam paper, wondering what this is, what that is, what is everything?

I seem to recognize all the words on the paper, but when they are put together, I don't understand them.

When it comes to military and political affairs, Xun Yu couldn't possibly be unfamiliar with them, but the current situation is indeed chaotic and unclear.

It's one thing for the Han Dynasty to be corrupt, but why has its hometown, Yingchuan, also become like this?
Is this still the place he has worked so hard to manage, painstakingly maintained, and preserved?

Where have all those local gentry and powerful families who patted their chests and thanked him repeatedly gone?
Xun Yu did not understand.

Of course, if Xun Yu really knew everything and understood everything, he probably wouldn't have insisted on returning to Yingchuan and Xu County to defend.

This inherent weakness of the petty bourgeoisie is something that even later generations couldn't overcome, let alone in the Han Dynasty. How could Xun Yu possibly figure it out and solve it on his own?

Guan Yu didn't actually go very far.

When Guan Yu captured some deserters from Xu County and learned about the current situation in Xu County from those who had come to "join" him, he was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Truly, Heaven is helping me!"

Unfortunately, we arrived a step too late...

Although Guan Yu's eight hundred elite cavalrymen galloped back and utterly destroyed the remaining reinforcement camp outside Xu County, routing the rabble, Xun Yu, fearing problems arising from the internal strife within Xu County, closed the four gates in advance to carry out the purge. This meant that Guan Yu naturally had no opportunity to take advantage of the chaos outside the city to drive away the rebels and seize the city gates.

But no matter what, Guan Yu once again displayed his overwhelming power and swagger in Xuchang!
On the city wall, Xun Yu, his face ashen, forced himself to rally, and in a hoarse voice, issued a series of orders: "Bows, crossbows, siege stones, rolling logs—all in place! Guard the four gates strictly; no unauthorized personnel are allowed near! Anyone who violates this rule will be executed without mercy!"

Xun Yu is not worried about Guan Yu attacking the city with cavalry outside, but he is more worried about certain people inside the city taking the opportunity to cooperate with him from the inside!
Therefore, some of Xun Yu's crossbows were actually aimed towards the city...

This is truly ironic...

Xu County was once again shrouded in Guan Yu's imposing presence.

Although the cavalry outside the city still numbered only eight hundred men, a truly frightening number, the morale and fear within Xu County were even lower and greater than before!
An even more fatal blow followed.

The news that the reinforcements outside Xu County were first in disarray and then defeated by Guan Yu, making them utterly vulnerable, and that Xun Yu had to retreat back into the city, spread far and wide along with the routed reinforcements.

This gave those who were already hesitant and observing a new reason to remain indecisive. Even some self-proclaimed capable young heroes who had already made their way through the journey saw all their hopes and enthusiasm instantly extinguished upon hearing this undeniably bad news, and their resolve began to waver…

"Xu County... Xun Wenruo, with his fortified city, couldn't even subdue eight hundred men? Instead, he was slaughtered back and forth? A whole round trip?!"

"Reinforcements? A mutiny?! What... what happened? How can we defend now?"

"Previously, two or three thousand men couldn't stop the Flying Cavalry... Now, with our small force, if we go to the walls of Xu County, I'm afraid..."

"Our fate is sealed! Our time is up, and human effort... it's beyond our control! It's not that I'm unjust, but medicine and medicine are futile, and we are powerless to reverse it! Preserving our fortified village is the most important thing!"

"..."

As a result, these secondary reinforcements, which could have potentially become additional forces for Xu County, all halted their advance, either disbanding on the spot or returning directly.

Most people wouldn't be willing to fill a bottomless pit.

The small number of "loyal and brave" people were basically wiped out after the first alliance of the sour dates.

The soldiers and officers that Xun Yu subsequently sent out to urge the troops mostly returned empty-handed.

Some messengers never returned, whether due to some accident along the way or because they sensed the danger and even the soldiers themselves sought another way out...

The night was dark.

Xun Yu sat alone at his desk, the solitary lamp illuminating his increasingly haggard face.

Externally, Guan Yu was watching them with predatory eyes, and his iron cavalry surrounded them; internally, there were remnants of defeated soldiers, and the people were filled with fear and unease, like birds startled by a bow.

With external support cut off and local powerful families watching coldly, the land of Yingchuan seemed to have completely forgotten him and this isolated city...

Just as Shandong and Zhongyuan considered Xiliang and Bingzhou to be a burden back then, Xu County has now become a similar "burden"!
It felt great when the boomerang flew out, and I clapped and cheered. But now it came whistling back and slammed into my head with a thud, leaving me a bloody mess and feeling like my liver and gallbladder were about to burst!

Although Xun Yu knew that Guan Yu's eight hundred cavalrymen outside the city could not cause any significant damage to the defenses of Xu County, since Guan Yu had not yet reached the level of being able to split the city gates with his sword, the morale of the people inside the city had plummeted to the edge of a precipice!

We are not afraid of powerful external enemies, but we are afraid of internal collusion with the outside!
Even if you are defeated by a foreign enemy, you will have no regrets, because you have done your best.

But if you get stabbed in the back by your own people while fighting a foreign enemy, that really hurts...

The pain was so intense that Xun Yu could barely breathe.

Is it possible that the ideals he upheld throughout his life, and his efforts to maintain the last vestige of the Han dynasty, will collapse silently amidst this endless infighting?

Just as this suffocatingly darkest hour arrived, an unusual commotion arose once again from outside the city!
"My lord! My lord! Great news! Great news! Reinforcements have arrived!"

The messenger rushed over, shouting at the top of his lungs, his face beaming with joy.

The guards inside and outside the hall were also thrilled upon hearing this.

Xun Yu was filled with doubt and suspicion, almost thinking it was an illusion. The next moment, he suddenly stood up, but because he moved too fast, his vision went black for a moment. He quickly reached out to hold onto the table, took a breath, and then hurriedly climbed the city wall with his guards to look out.

In the darkness north of Xuxian, countless torches lit up and slowly approached the county!

Under the torchlight, what fluttered in the wind was not the heart-stopping tricolor battle flag, but the Cao family's general's flag!

It's Cao Cao's army!
The flames covering the mountains and fields are truly Cao Cao's reinforcements!

At this moment, the defending troops in Xu County couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and cheered loudly!
Guan Yu's army outside Xuxian City naturally saw Cao Cao's army approaching early on.

However, with the night deep in the sky, the scouts could not immediately determine the exact number of Cao Cao's reinforcements. But judging from the torchlight spreading across the mountains and fields, the scale of the force was indeed enormous...

Having received repeated instructions from the captain, the junior officer, now having spent considerable time with Guan Yu and gained some understanding of his character, advised him, "General, your mighty might shakes Shandong, and Cao Cao's army is terrified, hence the large army sent to your aid! Your name will surely resound throughout the Central Plains! It is an honor for us to follow you in this battle, and we would have no regrets even if we died a hundred times! However… we have heard that you have left a pledge of military discipline. If we continue fighting here, we will inevitably suffer heavy losses, and I fear that this pledge… Furthermore, our army's supplies are almost exhausted, and we do not know whether our rear is secure… I hope you will have mercy and allow us to retreat and regroup for a while. Only then can our troops catch their breath, advance or retreat as needed, which is the mark of a true general! We can wait until we ascertain the strength of Cao Cao's army before engaging in battle again! When your banners point, we will follow you bravely!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu narrowed his eyes, seemingly remaining expressionless on the surface, but in reality, the fur on his body seemed to become slightly slippery...

Tigers also belong to the cat family.

If you stroke it in the same direction, it's like letting someone touch you; if you do it the other way around, well...

Moreover, what the junior officer said was true. With few men and running out of supplies, they were not in a position to fight. To force an attack without knowing the enemy's situation would be an irresponsible and foolish act.

In addition, there was indeed a pledge...

Given the unclear situation, Guan Yu ultimately chose to temporarily avoid Cao Cao's army.

As soon as Guan Yu retreated, jubilation erupted throughout Xu County.

Before long, Cao Cao's vanguard arrived at the city.

Xun Yu shouted from the city wall, "Which general is coming?"

The vanguard soldiers below the city walls responded, "It's the Protector-General!"

"Cao Zilian?" Xun Yu was taken aback. "How could it be him?"

Xun Yu thought it was Cao Ren who had arrived, but it turned out to be Cao Hong. Regardless, the siege of Xu County was finally lifted!
……

……

After daybreak, Xun Yu noticed something was amiss.

Although Cao Hong set up a large camp, however...

The camp was empty.

Xun Yu couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

When Xun Yu met Cao Hong, he became even more certain, because Cao Hong showed no joy whatsoever, and even his polite greetings to Xun Yu were perfunctory.

Cao Hong's face seemed to be etched with deep wrinkles by the elements and fatigue, and his dark circles were clearly caused by tension, anxiety, and lack of sleep under high pressure.

Cao Hong gave Xun Yu a casual bow as a greeting, saying, "Wenruo, let's skip the formalities! We'll talk about it inside the city!"

The group hurriedly entered the city, and Xun Yu led Cao Hong to the council hall.

Before the servants could bring him hot soup, and before Xun Yu could even begin to explain the perilous situation in Xu County, Cao Hong plopped down and said bluntly, "Wenruo, I came to Xu County not to relieve the siege..."

Cao Hong's words were cold and direct, like a chilling knife cutting between the two men: "Ji Province has fallen, and the General of the Cavalry has crossed the Yellow River southward! The situation in Chenliu is extremely critical! I have been ordered by my lord to take command of the military affairs of Yan Province! My purpose in coming here is to gather grain and provisions from various granaries and transport them to Chenliu at full speed to replenish the army's supplies! If Chenliu falls, not only will we be cut off from east and west, and north and south, but my lord will also have no way out! I order you to immediately mobilize all available soldiers, provisions, and weapons here to accompany me northward to reinforce Chenliu!"

Cao Hong's words were like a bolt from the blue, striking Xun Yu squarely on the head!

Xun Yu's face grew paler and paler. Even though he had expected it, hearing it with his own ears was still hard to accept.

Xun Yu took a deep breath, trying his best to persuade Cao Hong, "General Zilian, this is absolutely unacceptable! Xu County is the foundation of Yingchuan, the location of the Han capital, and the focus of the world's attention! Although Guan Yu has temporarily retreated, his cavalry are still lurking around, their strength undiminished, and they could return at any moment! If we withdraw the troops and supplies from the city now, Xu County will become an empty shell, in danger of collapsing in an instant! If Xu County falls, Yingchuan will be lost, then Yan and Yu will be shaken, and the morale of the people in Guandong will completely collapse, with no chance of recovery! At that time, even Chenliu..."

"Enough!" Cao Hong slammed his hand on the table in front of him, stood up abruptly, and rudely interrupted Xun Yu.

Cao Hong took off his helmet and threw it onto the table with a thud, sending dust flying and scattering across the surface. Underneath the helmet, Cao Hong's head was covered in mud and sweat, matted together with his unwashed hair.

Cao Hong stared intently at Xun Yu, veins throbbing on his forehead. "I only know that our lord's orders are absolute! If Chenliu falls, our lord will lose his way out, and everything will be over! At that time, the world will collapse. What use will this Xu County be then? What use will Yingchuan and Guandong be?! If our lord lives, the Han Dynasty lives! If our lord does not live, we are all fish on someone else's chopping block, prisoners awaiting death! What use will the walls of Xu County be, no matter how high or thick, no matter how many soldiers and provisions are in the city?!"

"I'm not discussing this with you!" Cao Hong ignored Xun Yu's pale face and summoned his trusted guards, issuing a stern order: "Listen to my command! Immediately inspect all the treasuries in Xu County! Register all transportable grain, weapons, arrows, and horses, and load them onto wagons! Leave the elderly and weak to guard the city gates! All able-bodied men will be incorporated into the marching force and accompany me north! We will depart precisely at dawn tomorrow! Anyone who delays, conceals supplies, or resists will be executed without mercy, regardless of who they are!"

"Cao Zilian! You...you're cutting off your own flesh to mend a wound, drinking poison to quench your thirst!" Xun Yu was heartbroken, feeling a metallic taste rise in his throat. He forced it down, attempting a final struggle to reason with him, "Xu County and Yingchuan are our fundamental strongholds. If the rear is in chaos, our foundation will be shaken. How can the soldiers at the front fight with peace of mind? This is destroying our own Great Wall!"

"Xun Wenruo!" Cao Hong turned his head, his eyes burning with a hungry wolf-like glint. "You held troops and provisions in Xuchang, yet you were helpless against Guan Yu's eight hundred cavalry, watching him come and go as he pleased! And now you come to teach me how to wage war? How to weigh the priorities?! Our lord is currently at Sishui Pass, with only a depleted and exhausted army, single-handedly resisting tens of thousands of fierce and ruthless cavalry! That is the place where life and death are decided! Xuchang, heh... what is that?!"

Having said that, Cao Hong gave Xun Yu no further chance to argue. He picked up his helmet and, with his generals, strode out of the council hall to take over the military provisions and treasury of Xu County.

Cao Hong felt that Xun Yu was being completely unreasonable!
When Cao Hong first arrived last night, he didn't know much about Guan Yu. But when he learned that Guan Yu had "only" eight hundred soldiers, Cao Hong couldn't help but wonder if Xun Yu was deliberately putting on such an "incompetent" act.
How come they couldn't even stop eight hundred soldiers and were all in such a sorry state?

This is unreasonable!

Therefore, Cao Hong's attitude today is naturally simple, crude, and even somewhat cruel and ruthless.

Moreover, if one were to side with Cao Hong, in the face of the life and death of the entire political group of Cao Cao, Cao Clan, and Xiahou Clan, on the scales of fate at Sishui Pass, the survival of Xu County, or rather the gain or loss of Yingchuan, and even the support or opposition of the people of Guandong, had become relatively minor issues...

Survival comes first, then everything else!
Cao Ren led his troops to Sishui Pass, and now the Flying Cavalry is advancing on Chenliu County. Cao Hong is determined to fight to the death to stop them!
Having just "defeated" Wei Yan, Zhao Yun has arrived!

The question was asked: Could Cao Hong defeat Zhao Yun?

Even Cao Hong himself wasn't confident!
Even if you're not sure you can succeed, you have to block it!

Cao Hong came to Xu County to gather soldiers and provisions before heading north, with a heart set on fighting to the death!
What's the point of the capital city, or the tremor of the people's hearts if Cao Cao is finished and the Cao family group collapses?

Cao Cao and Cao Hong both needed to gather every possible force, even if it meant squeezing out the last bit of marrow from the rear, to converge on that last crumbling line of defense!

Even after squeezing every last bit of war potential out of Xu County, almost to the point of exhaustion, Cao Hong still had to ensure the safety of Cao Cao and his men's rear ends first...

As for Xun Yu's position in Xu County, whether he was truly unable to hold them off or was just putting on an act, or whether there would be any problems in Xu County and Yingchuan after the troops and provisions were diverted, Cao Hong had no time to worry about that now.

So, aside from some old, weak, sick, and disabled people whom they really couldn't stand, and some clumsy things, all the able-bodied men in Xu County, the grain in the granaries, the unrusted armor, and the pack animals and carts of the people...

All of them were ruthlessly registered, loaded onto vehicles, organized into formations, and confiscated by Cao Hong's soldiers...

Cao Hong's actions naturally sparked resentment in Xu County.

But Cao Hong didn't care. Like a madman or a prostitute after taking money, he turned his back on everyone.

Several troublesome aristocratic youths were either killed or put in shackles, and Cao Cao's soldiers, looking menacing, were ready to raid their homes at any moment. As a result, the aristocratic families in Xu County fell silent.

The next day.

early morning.

The wind was biting cold.

Cao Hong, mounted on his horse, stood outside Xu County. Without looking back once more, or even exchanging a few more pleasantries with Xun Yu, he simply waved his hand and ordered, "All troops, advance!"

The army slowly started moving, its wheels rolling over the frozen ground, its footsteps hurried, heading north.

On the city wall of Xu County, Xun Yu leaned against the battlements and gazed into the distance.

He stared blankly at the dust cloud trailing away from Cao Hong's army, which gradually lengthened, faded, and finally dissipated on the horizon...

After an unknown amount of time, Xun Yu finally withdrew his gaze and looked back at Xu County.

This great Han capital has now become unusually empty and desolate, as if all life and vitality have been drained away, leaving only a decaying shell.

There were hardly any pedestrians on the streets. Even those one or two who had to go out looked flustered and hurried past, hiding in the shadows.

The market was deserted, and seven out of ten shops had closed down.

Yes, those doors that were opened were broken open a couple of days ago, by someone who must have been robbing and smashing them...

On the city wall, a few scattered old and weak soldiers, clutching their spears, shivered in the cold wind, their eyes vacant.

Xun Yu leaned against the battlements, as if he had become part of the city wall. He felt dizzy and his head was buzzing.

This is the Xu County that he tried to preserve with all his heart and soul, even at the cost of infamy.
This is the result of his efforts to maintain the status quo, even at the cost of breaking with his own family, in an attempt to save the overall situation.
He knew that his war, and everything he had stood for, was perhaps coming to an end.

It ended sadly in a way that he could neither accept nor resist.

"Uh... Pfft!"

Xun Yu felt a surge of metallic sweetness in his throat and couldn't hold back any longer. He spat it out, and the world spun around him!
"My Lord!"

Several guards nearby rushed forward in a panic.

In the dim, reddish light, Xun Yu saw the banners of the Han Dynasty fluttering helplessly above his head...

Those faded and broken Chinese characters are like his own colorless soul.

Wishing all my dear readers a happy new year! May your troubles disappear instantly, good luck arrive immediately, money fill your pockets immediately, and happiness keep coming your way!