Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3931 Haste makes waste; proceed step by step.

A stone led to a bloody tragedy.

Experts, professors, and keyboard warriors say, "Can't we just be more tolerant, be more understanding, and work together to build unity? Wouldn't that solve everything?"

This is true.

People who stand while talking will never feel back pain.

In recent days, too much negative emotion has accumulated in Sishui Pass, and now a small stone has become the outlet for it!
Interestingly, when these ordinary people or soldiers vent their negative emotions, they often target other people at the same level!

People's dissatisfaction often stems from relative disparities rather than absolute differences in circumstances.

Just as a migrant worker might envy the life of a wealthy person in Kyoto, but wouldn't harbor any direct hatred towards them. On the contrary, they might feel resentment towards their fellow villagers, thinking, "Why does he earn two hundred yuan more than me?"

Minor differences within the lower classes can be magnified in the fierce competition for survival, becoming the focus of jealousy and resentment.

When these ordinary soldiers and civilians at Sishui Pass feel angry and frustrated but are unable to directly confront the real sources of stress, they naturally tend to direct their anger toward safer and more accessible targets.

That is, neighbors or colleagues who are also at the bottom of society, or other vulnerable people from different groups.

Especially once they have a somewhat 'legitimate' excuse, they will immediately use other vulnerable people as safe targets for their anger.

Attacking other vulnerable people at the bottom of society is low-risk, quick to achieve results, and can also bring a temporary sense of control and emotional release.

Thus, in Sishui Pass, as stones fell, bloodshed became inevitable.

In an instant, screams, curses, pleas, the dull thud of weapons piercing flesh, the cracking of bones breaking, and the cries and trampling of people fleeing in terror all blended together!
The unarmed aristocratic sons could naturally overwhelm the low-ranking Cao army soldiers with their eloquence, but when faced with the swords and spears wielded by these soldiers, or even just fists and feet, the resistance of the aristocratic sons was weak and futile...

These aristocratic youths, lacking effective organization and gathered on a whim, were no different from lambs to the slaughter.

The previously orderly petitioning procession in the square instantly collapsed, turning into a chaotic mass of people running and trampling each other.

The battle ended quickly.

If this can be called a battle...

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, more than a dozen bloody heads were chopped off.

The head still bore the expression of the deceased at the moment of death.

Whether it was shock, fear, or disbelief...

However, these heads soon met the same fate, being hoisted high by Cao's soldiers with wooden sticks and spears, becoming "benchmarks".

Thick, fresh blood, like beads from a broken string, dripped onto the bluish-gray stone slabs, quickly pooling into dark red puddles.

The pungent, nauseating stench of blood, mixed with the chilly morning air, quickly spread, enveloping the entire square and drifting with the wind, permeating every corner of the fortress.

The remaining aristocratic youths, faced with the cruel and merciless swords and spears, finally realized their own weakness. Terrified, they knelt on the filthy ground, kowtowing repeatedly, tears streaming down their faces, begging for mercy to save their lives.

Cao Cao coldly surveyed the hellish scene below, looking at the heads hanging in the air, the kneeling noblemen, and the shouting Cao army soldiers. Suddenly, his eyes twitched...

Cao Cao discovered that these Cao soldiers had unexpectedly become more energetic!
His voice got louder, and his movements became more agile!

What's going on here?

Cao Cao did not have any prior plan in dealing with these troublesome aristocratic youths, but now he suddenly felt that it might not be so bad for these aristocratic youths to cause a ruckus.
Is it true, as the rumors say, that weapons must always be nourished with blood?

Cao Cao's mind raced, and he said in a deep voice, "All those involved in the disturbance, regardless of rank or whether they participated, shall be expelled from their original residences and incorporated into the Vanguard Death Squad, under strict surveillance! If anyone dares to whisper complaints, grumble, or conspire against others, once discovered, they shall be executed without further reporting!"

Cao's soldiers responded loudly, and then began to deal with the aristocratic sons who were crawling and kneeling on the ground.

The aristocratic youths wailed and tried to make their final plea, but they were brutally driven up by Cao's soldiers, tied together with ropes, and beaten and kicked, being dragged like pigs, cattle, and sheep to the suicide camp.

The square and streets quickly returned to 'calm'.

Corpses and blood became a blood-red painting.

The dozen or so severed heads hung on the wooden pole, swaying slightly in the cold wind.

Cao Cao slowly walked down from the high platform.

Cao Ren stepped forward, reeking of blood, and bowed respectfully. "My lord... such a course of action... may still harbor hidden dangers..."

Cao Cao nodded slightly. "Hidden dangers...heh, right now, can we even worry about hidden dangers?"

Cao Ren was stunned for a moment, then remained silent.

Cao Cao raised his hand and pointed to the Cao army soldiers escorting the aristocratic sons away. "Zixiao, didn't you notice... the morale of these young men seems... hmm?"

Cao Ren turned his head and looked over, pondering for a moment, "What does my lord mean..."

Cao Cao, as expected of a top-tier politician and military strategist among the native inhabitants of the Han Dynasty, keenly perceived the benefits of transforming "vertical contradictions" into "horizontal contradictions." However, this was merely a feeling, not yet a theoretical basis. Therefore, after a moment's thought, Cao Cao said, "Since the men enjoy seeing blood... let them see blood from time to time..."

Cao Ren frowned, still not quite understanding.

"Remove the surveillance over there..." Cao Cao said in a low voice, "Reinforce it near the city walls... Most of these people will still try to escape... If they get caught, they can't blame us..."

Cao Ren suddenly realized what was happening and bowed in agreement.

At this point, cruelty was no longer an issue; Cao Cao would do anything that could even slightly boost the morale of his soldiers.

Unfortunately, General Fei Qian did not give Cao Cao much time...

The day after the bloodshed at Sishui Pass, whether the Flying Cavalry received some information or it was originally planned, they began their operation early that morning...

At dawn, just as the eastern sky began to lighten with the first hint of white, thick, leaden-gray clouds eagerly covered it again, leaving only a few gray rays of light to fall upon the earth.

The morning mist that permeated outside Sishui Pass was like a tattered rag wrapped around a decaying corpse.

The outlines were blurred, and the view was blocked.

In the midst of this chaotic darkness, a muffled sound pierced through the fog and rushed straight towards the city walls of Sishui Pass!
"The cavalry is here!"

"Enemy attack!"

"It's over, it's over!" 』

"Ah ah..."

Cao's soldiers were alarmed, shouting in a chaotic manner, accompanied by the sound of warning gongs.

Cao Cao and Cao Ren also received the alarm and hurriedly climbed the city wall to look into the distance...

Unfortunately, while the fog outside the fortress wasn't pitch black, it only allowed visibility up to a hundred paces. Beyond that, everything was a grayish-white expanse...

Only sound.

Various sounds!

It's a complex, heart-stopping sound!
It sounded like the heavy footsteps of thousands, even tens of thousands, of feet in thick leather boots treading on the hard frozen earth and gravel...

There also seemed to be huge wooden-clad iron wheels, making a grinding, scraping sound as they rolled over the uneven ground, and a dull thud as they bumped along...

There were also sounds of metal colliding, rubbing, or knocking against soil and rocks...

And faintly audible were the low, brief sounds of commands being relayed...

The rustling sound of metal armor plates rubbing together...

All these sounds intertwined, wave after wave, like a powerful symphony produced by the coordinated operation of a giant war machine!

"Scouts! What are you all standing there for!" Cao Ren roared angrily. "Go down and investigate! Lower them down in a basket! Investigate immediately!"

Although the winter fog may dissipate after the sun has risen to a certain level, the military situation is urgent, so there is no way to just wait for it to dissipate.

And what if the fog lasts all day?
Several Cao army scouts, trembling, sat in a gondola and were lowered from the city gate. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, they crept into the fog...

Soon, the scout returned, pale-faced, practically scrambling onto the basket. Reaching Cao Cao, his voice trembling with panic, he cried, "Prime Minister! General! There's a large force of cavalry outside the pass! They're...they're...they're filling in the ground!"

A gust of cold wind swept by, causing everyone on the wall to shiver, but it also dispersed some of the winter fog.

Cao Cao and Cao Ren quickly stood at the edge of the fortified wall and looked into the distance.

The biting morning wind pierced through their robes and armor, bringing a chill to their very bones, but what chilled them even more was the sight that came into view...

Through the lingering, shifting mist, one could vaguely make out countless figures moving about on the ground beyond the pass…

A large number of soldiers, under the command of engineers and craftsmen, were deployed in an orderly manner in front of the walls of Sishui Pass...

This was the first time Cao Ren had witnessed such a scene, and he couldn't help but mutter, "What...what are they doing?"

"To lay the ground..." Cao Cao replied with a stern face.

Even though the fog was thick and the view was obscured, Cao Cao could almost see through it countless cavalry engineers, dressed in two-piece armor or leather armor for easy movement, working on the ground.

"What?" Cao Ren didn't understand. "What's this paving?"

Cao Ren had spent most of his time fighting in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and had never seen the Flying Cavalry operate like this before. Ordinary military reports would not mention such details. After hearing Cao Cao's explanation, he was somewhat stunned.

Laying the ground?

When did siege warfare require laying down ground in advance?
But after Cao Ren figured out why, he shuddered.

"Crazy... really crazy..." Cao Ren muttered, trying to peer into the fog.

As time went by, the sun rose, the fog dissipated slightly, and visibility improved a bit.

The scene of the cavalry laying the ground was spectacular and efficient.

Teams of strong auxiliary soldiers, chanting deep work songs, carried the large logs, stripped of branches and transported from the distant logging camp, to pre-marked muddy, soft areas, where they laid them parallel to form simple log raft roads.

Other teams pushed wheelbarrows, continuously transporting gravel and sacks filled with soil to fill the deeper ditches and potholes.

There are also specialized ramming teams that push four-wheeled carts loaded with ramming stones. Once they arrive at the designated location, they shout in unison as they pound the newly filled earth and stones with heavy, powerful strokes, producing dull thuds as they compact and flatten the soft ground...

Although the entire work area was crowded and busy, there was no sign of chaos.

The teams with different functions are clearly separated, their routes do not interfere with each other, and the materials are stacked neatly and orderly.

Triangular flags of various colors were placed at key points, clearly serving as signals for command and coordination.

As the fog dissipated, Cao Cao and Cao Ren saw more clearly, and their expressions grew increasingly grim.

They could easily imagine that once the cavalry had paved the ground in front of the pass, there would be not only a tidal wave of infantry and cavalry, but also massive, complex, and slow-moving heavy siege engines!

These channels can continuously transport the terrifying war energy of the Flying Cavalry to the area below the wall with minimal losses and maximum speed!

This is the cavalry laying a wide, flat, solid, and efficient offensive route!

This was also paving the way for Cao Cao's army to fail and die!

"Utterly shameless! Traitors!" Cao Ren's eyes blazed with fury, veins bulging on his forehead. He felt a surge of rage rush to his head, and could no longer contain himself. He slammed his fist into the cold, rough brickwork of the crenellations, making a dull thud. "My lord! They've broken their promise! They clearly agreed to meet in three days, yet on only the second day, they've so openly and ostentatiously begun laying roads and building fortifications, directly threatening the pass! They clearly think we're defenseless, treating us like nothing!"

Cao Cao did not respond to Cao Ren immediately, but continued to keep a close eye on the situation in front of the pass.

Cao Cao looked at it carefully, his mind racing with calculations.

Watching the cavalry soldiers, under the command of engineers and craftsmen, pass materials, work together to ram earth, and erect bridge planks...

Looking up further into the distance, in those still indistinct places shrouded in mist, I could almost see the vigilant cavalry, their ranks poised for battle...

He watched with such focus, as if trying to etch everything into his mind.

After a long silence, Cao Cao slowly said, "Zixiao, calm down. To be honest, it's not really an attack... just preparations before an attack... it's not a breach of promise... it's like drawing a bow to shoot..."

Cao Ren took a few breaths, suppressing his anger.

Or is it anxiety caused by other emotions?
After a moment, Cao Ren said, "My lord, I will lead the troops to burn and kill! We can't let these guys make such a quick getaway to the pass!"

That's true, but...

Cao Cao gave a wry smile, a complex and unfathomable glint in his eyes. "The Flying Cavalry had laid this trap once before… The Xiahou brothers launched an attack… but were ambushed by the Flying Cavalry…"

This is practically an open secret...

Cao Ren nodded, "This subordinate understands! This subordinate will certainly not pursue relentlessly; I will only obstruct your advance and then retreat back into the pass!"

Cao Cao nodded, then shook his head. "Zixiao...you didn't understand what I meant..."

Cao Cao pointed to the area where the Flying Cavalry was busy in the distance, "At that time, the Flying Cavalry sent out small groups of engineers, who retreated in an orderly manner when attacked, while the ambush troops attacked at the same time... Xiahou... alas, Xiahou was greedy for merit, and lost some warhorses again..."

That's right, Cao Cao didn't care about people, but he cared about horses.

What does it matter if someone gets hurt? It's the horse that's the real problem!

The most important thing is the fertile flower; what can a few weeds do, and how dare they do anything?

The previous ground laying by the Flying Cavalry was only a small-scale test and a drill that closely resembled actual combat.

The Flying Cavalry were testing the patterns, strength, and timing of Cao Cao's attacks, as well as practicing their own sappers' retreat procedures in case of an ambush, and the timing and coordination of their ambushes...

Undoubtedly, Cao Jun delivered a disastrous performance.

So now the cavalry are laying down the ground on a large scale...

Cao Cao let out a long breath, watching the white smoke quickly dissipate in the air. "The generals of the Flying Cavalry often follow this path."

"Let's test the waters with small-scale operations first, to verify our findings, gain experience, or perhaps discover loopholes and refine the details..." Cao Cao said slowly, his gaze deep and unfathomable. "Like a craftsman, we first make a sample, polish the tools... Once the time is right and the model is confirmed to be effective, we'll replicate and scale it up..."

Cao Cao sighed again, "It's not just about military matters... but also observe his actions in recent years in Guanzhong, the Three Auxiliary Regions, Longxi, and Hedong, his new land administration, his new examination system, and so on—it's all the same..."

Cao Cao recalled the astonishing political systems Fei Qian had mentioned during their previous meeting on the high platform…

The most common problem with the implementation of a new policy is the "one-size-fits-all" approach.

Those above want results, and those in the middle want promotions; who cares about the lives of those below?

Are they unaware of the dangers?
Obviously not. The Qin Dynasty's attempt to implement the prefecture-county system in one fell swoop resulted in huge problems. By the Han Dynasty, they had to revert to the prefecture-kingdom system, and the prefecture-county system has not been fully implemented to this day.

Cao Cao's earlier belief that Fei Qian's approach would cause major problems in Shandong and the Central Plains was based on the assumption that Fei Qian and his subordinates would only resort to a one-size-fits-all approach...

But now, Cao Cao's resolve began to waver.

Or perhaps, the wavering had already begun before, but now it's just clearer.

Just like the fog now, as it gradually dissipates, the world begins to become clear.

Cao Ren listened, somewhat stunned. He could vaguely sense the profound meaning in Cao Cao's words based on his years of battlefield intuition, but when asked to elaborate, he couldn't articulate it.

However, Cao Ren quickly abandoned those principles and focused on the immediate matter at hand.

Cao Ren shook his head vigorously, seemingly trying to shake off his complicated thoughts, then said urgently, "My lord! Putting all that aside... are we just going to sit here and watch the enemy build their fortifications? This humble general is willing to lead elite troops out of the pass. Even if we can't destroy all their materials, we will at least launch a fierce attack, curb their arrogance, delay their progress, and boost the morale of our defenders!"