Choose Liu Bei at the start, I am the only one who knows the plot of the Three Kingdoms.

They even came up with a conclusion: those explosive iron lumps couldn't hit the base of the city wall!
That's the safest place!
"Charge! Charge! Once we get to the city wall, they won't be able to blow it up!"

The junior officers of Cao's army brandished their swords and shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, the surviving Cao soldiers ran forward with all their might, using ladders and grappling hooks to climb up the city wall like ants!

Soon, some valiant Cao soldiers braved the rolling logs and rocks and successfully leaped onto the city wall! True close combat and bloody battles erupted instantly in every corner of the city wall!
"kill--!"

Zhang Fei roared like thunder, his eighteen-foot spear swirling like a black whirlwind. Wherever it passed, Cao Cao's soldiers who had just scaled the city walls were swept away like straw!
Ma Chao's silver spear moved like a dragon, its tip sparkling like cold stars, precisely piercing the throats of one enemy after another, firmly guarding a section of the city wall.

Gu Rubing's personal guards and the soldiers defending the city also displayed astonishing courage, engaging in fierce battles with Cao's army that had scaled the city walls.

Amidst the flashing blades and splattering blood, people fell every moment; the battle was incredibly brutal.

This fierce battle raged from dawn until afternoon. The soldiers on both sides were rapidly exhausting themselves, and the walls were piled high with corpses, their blood staining the bricks a dark red.

Seeing that his soldiers were exhausted and the offensive was failing to make any breakthrough, Cao Ren finally gave the order to sound the retreat.

"Clang clang clang—" The crisp sound of gongs rang out from the rear of Cao Cao's army.

The Cao army, which had surged in like a tide, retreated just as quickly, leaving behind only a scene of devastation and an overwhelming stench of blood.

As Cao Cao's army retreated, most of the defenders on the city wall collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Gu Rubing, however, frowned deeply. Standing behind the battlements, he watched as Cao Cao's army retreated, maintaining a relatively orderly formation, and his mind was filled with doubt.

"Cao Ren today... does not seem to have exerted his full strength."

Lu Su walked to Gu Rubing's side and whispered that he had also noticed something amiss.

"The offensive was fierce, but it was more like... a test and a way to wear them down."

Gu Rubing nodded slowly.

"good.

If he truly intended to capture the city in one fell swoop, he shouldn't have retreated so easily.

Moreover, the timing of the appearance of that Gu poison was quite strange.

This suspicion was confirmed over the next three days.

The second day, the third day... Cao Ren seemed to have programmed it all.

Every morning, the troops would launch a timely attack on the city, accompanied by the Gu clan's timely release of green poisonous mist. The defending army relied on Hua Tuo's medicinal powder and damp cloths for defense, and the two sides repeatedly engaged in a tug-of-war and attrition battle on the city walls.

Cao Jun's offensive remained intense, yet he always withdrew at just the right moment when the defenders were about to reach their limit, as if he were simply completing a daily task.

When the battle ended on the third day, Gu Rubing looked at the list of supplies consumed reported by the quartermaster, especially the stock of Hua Tuo's antidote powder, and his face instantly turned extremely ugly!

"The medicine powder... there's only enough for two days left?"

Gu Rubing's voice had a slightly dry quality that was barely perceptible.

"Yes...yes, my lord."

The quartermaster lowered his head, his voice filled with fear.

"At the current rate of daily consumption, we can only last for two more days at most."

As if a bolt of lightning had cleaved through the fog in his mind, Gu Rubing slammed his fist into the city wall, sending dust flying everywhere!
"I understand! What a clever Cao Zixiao! What a wicked scheme!"

A cold glint flashed in Gu Rubing's eyes.

"His attack on the city is a ruse; his real intention is to deplete our army's medical supplies!"

He knew that Hua Tuo's medicine powder was difficult to make and had a limited supply!
He intends to use this endless poisonous fog to deplete our antidote!

Upon hearing this, Lu Su's face turned deathly pale.

"My lord is absolutely right! Once the medicinal powder is exhausted and the poison spreads across the city walls, our soldiers... will collapse without a fight!"

Where are the reinforcements and supplies sent by Zhuge Liang?

Gu Rubing asked urgently.

"Reporting to my lord, according to the latest intelligence, although the light cavalry detachment transporting the medicine powder has been traveling day and night and has outpaced the main force, it will still take at least five days to arrive!"

Deng Ai reported in a deep voice, his tone heavy.

Five days! And the medicine powder only lasts for two days! The three-day gap in between will be the end of Linjiang City!

An atmosphere of despair seemed to instantly envelop the city walls.

Everyone knew that without understanding the poison powder, they were powerless to resist the all-pervasive Gu poison!

Gu Rubing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

His gaze swept over the faces around him, some weary, some desperate, some waiting for his decision. In the end, the hesitation and solemnity in his eyes were replaced by a resolute determination.

"Defend? Since it's destined that we can't defend it, then we won't defend it!"

Gu Rubing's voice was resolute, carrying a chilling murderous aura.

"To sit and wait for death is not my style, Gu Rubing! Cao Ren wants to wear us down, but we will not let him have his way!"

He turned around abruptly, looking at generals such as Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, and Deng Ai, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.

"Pass down the order! The entire army shall have a hearty meal and inspect their weapons and equipment! Tonight, rest well. At dawn tomorrow, open the city gates and follow me—out in battle!"

"kill--!"

With a deafening roar, led by Deng Ai and Wei Yan, the two peerless generals Zhang Fei and Ma Chao, like tigers released from their cages, led the elite defending troops who had been suppressed for several days, rushing out of the city like a flood breaking through a dam!

The target was Cao Cao's army outside the city, which had not yet fully deployed its formation!
This was completely unexpected by Cao Ren!

He never expected that, despite being at a significant disadvantage in terms of troop strength and facing the imminent depletion of antidote powder, Gu Rubing would not only choose to cower and wait for reinforcements, but would instead dare to take the initiative and launch such a desperate attack!
Caught off guard, Cao Cao's front-line troops were thrown into chaos!
Deng Ai and Wei Yan seized the opportunity, like two sharp knives, and fiercely drove into the enemy formation, charging left and right, cutting down countless enemy soldiers, trying to expand their gains and create greater panic.

"Don't panic! Form ranks! Form ranks to defend against the enemy!"

Cao Ren, who was watching from the rear, was both shocked and furious. He immediately roared and ordered his generals to hold their ground.

The brothers Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan reacted quickly and immediately stepped forward.

Xiahou Dun, his single eye wide open, brandished his long sword and roared as he charged toward Wei Yan, entangled with him tightly;
Xiahou Yuan then drew his bow and fired a barrage of arrows, accurately killing several of the most aggressive Han army generals and temporarily halting the Han army's advance.

Another general, Xu Huang, was even more unstoppable!

He raised his great axe high, like a war god descending to earth, and led a fresh force to counterattack Deng Ai's troops who were charging at the forefront! The great axe was swung with great force and heavy weight, and it actually blocked Deng Ai's attack!
In an instant, the focus of the battle shifted from the city walls to this narrow area outside the city gates.

The Han army wanted to widen the breakthrough and repel the Cao army; the Cao army, on the other hand, wanted to push back the Han army that had come out of the city, and even take the opportunity to seize the gate!
Swords clashed, blood and flesh flew everywhere; every step forward, every inch of land defended, came at the cost of lives.

Although Zhang Fei and Ma Chao were brave and fierce, their individual combat abilities were limited to some extent in such a dense and chaotic battlefield, forcing them to fight each other and struggle fiercely.

This fierce battle for the city gate lasted from dawn until sunset, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Corpses piled up like mountains near the city gate, blood stained the ground, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench of blood. In the end, neither side achieved their strategic objectives. The Han army failed to defeat the Cao army, and the Cao army failed to recapture the city gate or annihilate the Han army that had come out of the city.

Seeing that it was getting late and the soldiers were exhausted, Cao Ren and Gu Rubing gave the order to retreat almost simultaneously.

The Han army slowly retreated into the city and closed the city gates again. The Cao army also retreated and regrouped. The battlefield was temporarily quiet, leaving only a mess and silent corpses.

Upon returning to the city, Gu Rubing immediately ordered a headcount of the casualties.

When the quartermaster presented the statistics, he felt as if a huge rock had been placed on his heart, so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

"In four days... the total number of dead and seriously wounded is close to 50,000..."

Gu Rubing stared at the shocking numbers, his voice hoarse.

This is almost half of the troops he left to defend Linjiang City! Although Cao Ren's losses were certainly greater, possibly exceeding 60,000 to 70,000, Cao Ren had a strong financial foundation. Even if he lost 60,000 to 70,000 of his 200,000 troops, he could still maintain the offensive.

As for himself, after this depletion, he was already short of available troops!
What worried him even more was that since Cao Ren's "poisonous fog attrition" tactic in Linjiang City could be coordinated with Liu Zhang's Gu tribe troops, would Cao Cao's main force attacking Jiangzhou City on the southern front also use similar methods? Was Zhong Hui also facing the desperate situation of running out of medicinal powder?
The thought of the potential fall of Jiangzhou City sent chills down Gu Rubing's spine.

He gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Issue the order! Draw another 20,000 troops from the city, lightly armed and simply transported, to reinforce Jiangzhou. Place them under Zhong Hui's command! Tell him that Jiangzhou must not be lost!"

This order nearly drained Linjiang City of its last remaining mobile forces. The moment the order was issued, everyone in the room was shocked!

"My lord! This is unacceptable! There are only 40,000 soldiers left in the city who are fit to fight. How can we possibly withstand Cao Ren's next attack?"

Lu Su was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Brother! If we transfer another 20,000 men, can we even defend this city?!"

Zhang Fei also started shouting.

The generals all tried to dissuade him, feeling that this move was too risky and tantamount to cutting off one's own arm.

Gu Rubing was well aware that this was like drinking poison to quench thirst, but he had no choice! Jiangzhou was far more important than Linjiang City!

He could only gamble: gamble that Cao Ren wouldn't launch a full-scale attack immediately, gamble that Zhang Liao's surprise attack would succeed, and gamble that Zhuge Liang's reinforcements would arrive in time!
"My mind is made up! Execute the order!"

Gu Rubing's voice carried an undeniable authority, and even a hint of tired hoarseness.

Twenty thousand reinforcements were quickly mobilized and, under the cover of night, quietly left the crumbling Linjiang City.

Now, this northern gateway to Yizhou is truly left with only 40,000 exhausted garrison troops and a group of anxious generals.

In this atmosphere of despair, a scout from a crossbow captain, like a glimmer of light in the darkness, brought crucial intelligence!

"My lord! We risked our lives to infiltrate behind Cao Cao's lines and have finally located the enemy's grain depot!"

The scout presented Gu Rubing with a simple but clearly marked map.

"Right here, in a secluded valley about thirty miles from Cao Cao's main camp, there are about three thousand soldiers guarding the area!"

Gu Rubing grabbed the map and stared intently at the marked point. His previously gloomy eyes instantly lit up!

This is truly a case of "when you think you've reached the end of the road, a new path opens up!" At this crucial moment, the value of this intelligence is immeasurable!

His gaze slowly swept over the generals in the tent, and finally settled on Zhang Fei, who was already impatient and eager to fight!

"Yide!"

Gu Rubing called out in a deep voice.

"I'm here! Brother, is there a battle going on?!"

Zhang Fei suddenly stepped forward, his eyes gleaming, his voice booming like a bell.

"Not bad!"

Gu Rubing handed him the map, his expression solemn.

"This mission concerns the survival of Linjiang City, and even the entire war situation in Yizhou! I want you to lead five hundred of the most elite 'Iron Pagoda' soldiers to raid this place and burn Cao Cao's army's supplies! Remember, be fast! Be ruthless! Burn them and leave immediately, do not linger! Can you do it?"

Zhang Fei grabbed the map, stuffed it into his arms without even looking at it, and pounded his chest as he roared.

"Don't worry, brother! I, Old Zhang, am an expert at burning grain supplies! I guarantee I'll burn Cao Ren's manhood to the ground! If I fail, I'll offer my head in return!"

"Alright! Get ready immediately, let's depart at once!"

"Order!"

Zhang Fei shouted excitedly, turned around and rushed out, gathering five hundred heavily armed Ironclad Cavalrymen.

This team is as fierce as tigers and as powerful as dragons; they are the sharpest blade in Gu Rubing's hands!

Gu Rubing continued to be stationed in Linjiang City, personally climbing the city wall to confront Cao Ren's army outside the city, drawing their attention and creating an opportunity for Zhang Fei's surprise attack.

Zhang Fei led 500 Ironclad Cavalry, bypassing the main force of Cao Cao's army like ghosts. Following the map, they sped along and finally arrived at the hidden valley the following afternoon.

Just as the intelligence had predicted, the valley was piled high with grain and supplies, guarded by only three thousand Cao soldiers.

"Men! Charge with me! Burn these bastards' provisions!"

Zhang Fei roared and charged ahead like a black whirlwind, rushing straight into the valley!

Five hundred iron-clad cavalry followed closely behind, their heavy hooves thundering as they pounded the ground, their imposing presence astounding!
When Cao Jun's deputy general in charge of guarding the grain supplies saw the familiar "Zhang" banner and the burly, dark-skinned man charging towards them like a ferocious demon from afar, he was terrified!

That's Zhang Fei, Zhang Yide, who could take the head of a general from the midst of ten thousand troops as easily as taking something out of a bag! Fight him?

Isn't that seeking death?

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

The lieutenant general, without any hesitation, turned his horse around and fled with his personal guards, without even putting up a token resistance.

With their commander gone, the remaining Cao soldiers lost all will to fight and scattered like birds and beasts.

Zhang Fei charged into the grain storage area with almost no effort.

"Burn it! Burn it hard!"

Zhang Fei waved his hand.

The Ironclad soldiers immediately poured the kerosene they carried onto the grain stacks, then lit torches and threw them over.

"boom--!"

Dry grain and straw ignite instantly when exposed to fire, and the fire, fueled by the wind, spread rapidly, forming a towering inferno!

Thick smoke billowed straight into the sky! (End of Chapter)