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

However, Gu Rubing, who was sitting in the main seat, frowned instantly after listening to the report. His face did not relax at all; instead, it became even more solemn than before.

He slowly stood up, walked to the huge map of northern Yizhou, and scanned it with eyes like a hawk.

"Cao Jun... is by no means a person who speaks without reason."

Gu Rubing spoke in a deep voice, breaking the slightly relaxed atmosphere in the hall.

"Since they divided their forces into 20,000 and chose such a seemingly insignificant route, there must be a deeper meaning behind it. It is definitely not a futile effort."

His finger moved slowly across the map, first touching Yangping Pass, which was being threatened by Xu Huang's 5,000 vanguard troops, and then moving to Baishui Pass, where Cao Cao's second army was approaching.

Although separated by mountains and rivers, from a strategic perspective...

Gu Rubing suddenly drew a circle on the map, encompassing Yangping Pass, Baishui Pass, and the core area of ​​Linjiang City where he was located!
His pupils contracted slightly, and his voice carried a hint of sternness.

"Look, everyone! Xu Huang has 5,000 men approaching Yangping Pass, while 20,000 men on this route are taking Baishui Pass! If either of these passes is lost, Cao Cao's army can advance unimpeded and their forces will directly target our heartland!"
Even more dangerous is that if these two Cao armies successfully join forces, they can form a pincer attack from the east and west against our outer defenses along the river!

He turned around abruptly, his gaze sweeping over the generals inside the tent.

"At that time, our army will be forced into a passive situation of fighting on two fronts! Even though Linjiang City is fortified, it will be attacked from both sides! Cao Cao is trying to use the least amount of money to disrupt the entire Yibei war situation! His intentions are despicable!"

After Gu Rubing's meticulous analysis, the generals suddenly realized the truth, and a cold sweat broke out on their backs! It turned out that this seemingly flanking force of 20,000 men actually concealed such a vicious murderous intent!
"My lord! This humble general is willing to lead a force to intercept this Cao army. We must not allow them to threaten Baishui Pass and coordinate with Xu Huang!"

A brave and valiant general stepped forward, clasped his hands, and requested permission to serve.

"Give me ten thousand cavalry, and I will intercept them outside the border, preventing them from crossing the line even a step!"

Gu Rubing looked at the general who volunteered for the battle, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, but he did not immediately agree.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

"General, your courage is commendable, but... the enemy outnumbers us. The enemy's 20,000 troops are all elites. If we only send 10,000 cavalry to meet them head-on, even if we can temporarily stop their advance, our own casualties will be heavy, which may damage our army's strength."

Furthermore, cavalry are adept at raids and field battles, but not at holding strategic passes. If an attack fails and the cavalry becomes bogged down, then Baishui Pass will be in grave danger.

His concerns were quite obvious.

Insufficient manpower, too great risk.

Linjiang City already has a small troop strength, and it also has to guard against Cao Ren below the city. Every soldier must be used wisely.

At this moment, Lu Su, who had been standing quietly to the side, deep in thought, stroked his beard, stepped forward, and spoke.

"My lord's concerns are absolutely correct. Rather than going deep into enemy territory alone and taking a risky gamble, it would be better to... use their strength against them and overwhelm them with our momentum."

Gu Rubing turned his gaze to Lu Su.

"What good plan do you have, Zijing? Tell me quickly."

Lu Su walked to the map and pointed to the area around Baishuiguan.

"My lord, please take a look. Although Baishui Pass does not directly face Cao Ren's main force like Yangping Pass, there are still several cities under our control within a hundred miles around it. Each city has a garrison of three to five thousand troops, or as few as one or two thousand."

If the garrison forces of these cities were integrated, although they would not be a threat if they fought individually, if they could unify their commands and launch coordinated attacks…

He made a clasping gesture with both hands and continued.

"We do not need to engage in a direct battle with them using our main force. Instead, we can send messengers to secretly instruct the generals of these cities to dispatch their elite troops to ambush and harass Cao Cao's army along their route, cutting off their supply lines and attacking their flanks, taking advantage of the familiar terrain."

The goal is not to annihilate the enemy, but to exhaust them, hinder their advance, and slow their progress!

At the same time, the garrison at Baishui Pass can be ordered to adopt a scorched-earth policy and hold their ground while awaiting reinforcements. In this way, Cao Cao's 20,000 troops will be like those trapped in a quagmire, struggling to advance. Once their army is exhausted and their morale is low, our army can then seek an opportunity to rest and prepare for a decisive victory!
Although this plan is somewhat time-consuming and requires the mobilization of multiple forces, making coordination difficult, it is the most prudent strategy under the current circumstances that can both resolve the crisis and preserve our military strength to the greatest extent possible.

After listening to Lu Su's plan, Gu Rubing's eyes gleamed and his face showed approval.

This plan suited him perfectly, avoiding a direct confrontation with Cao Cao's elite troops and making full use of his own geographical advantage and the strengths of his allies, thus turning a potential decisive battle into a protracted war of attrition.

"Excellent! Zijing, this plan is brilliant! Let's proceed accordingly!"

Gu Rubing made the decision immediately without further hesitation.

He immediately returned to his desk, personally wrote several secret orders, affixed his seal, and summoned several of his most astute and reliable confidants who were familiar with the local terrain.

"You are to take this secret order and depart immediately, each heading separately to the three cities surrounding Baishui Pass: Anding, Longxi, and Xiabian! Make sure you personally deliver this order to the garrison commander!"

Gu Rubing solemnly instructed.

"Inform all generals that Cao Cao's army of 20,000 is attacking, intending to encircle our army together with the enemy at Yangping Pass. Order them to act immediately upon receiving the order, each dispatching mobile units to harass and block Cao Cao's army, and to delay their movements, thus buying time for the defense of Baishui Pass!"
All actions must be conducted secretly and swiftly, with close coordination. Specific battle plans can be decided by them on the spot! This battle concerns the overall situation in Yibei; I hope all generals will unite as one to defeat this powerful enemy!

"Yes, sir! I will not fail you!"

Knowing the weight of their responsibility, the messengers received the secret orders, hid them close to their bodies, bowed solemnly to Gu Rubing, then turned around and quietly and quickly left the government office, disappearing into the night and speeding towards their respective destinations.
-
Inside Linjiang City, Gu Rubing's countermeasures began to operate at high speed, like precise gears.

He knew that he had to take a multi-pronged approach to break Cao Cao's pincer attack.

In response to the second squad of Cao's army approaching Baishui Pass from the southwest, Gu Rubing did not rely solely on harassment from the surrounding cities.

He was well aware of the advantages of waterways and decisively gave the order.

"Order the naval commander to immediately lead 10,000 naval troops in warships down the Yangtze River and strike directly at the flank of Cao Cao's second squadron!"
There's no need for a direct confrontation. Simply patrol along the river, feigning an impending landing to cut off their retreat or supply lines, and launch a feigned attack on their rear! This will force them to divide their forces and return to defend, disrupting their marching rhythm and compelling them to abandon their original route!

"promise!"

The messenger left quickly.

On the Yangtze River, countless sails raced. The Han navy, vast and mighty, sailed down the river, banners waving, a magnificent sight.

This move indeed put enormous psychological pressure on Cao Cao's second squad, which was marching on land.

Its commander had to send out several thousand troops to closely monitor the movement on the river and to shrink the defensive line backward. The marching speed slowed down significantly, and cracks appeared before the encirclement could be formed.

At the same time, Gu Rubing did not relax his efforts to block the land route.

He summoned one of his generals, known for his bravery and resourcefulness, and gave the order.

"I hereby order you to lead eight thousand elite light cavalry, each on two horses, to Luoying Slope outside Baishui Pass at top speed! This is the only way for Cao Cao's second squad to reach Baishui Pass. Use the terrain to give me a good thrashing, delay them for as long as you can!"

"The last general takes command!"

The general clasped his hands in agreement, a fighting spirit flashing in his eyes, and immediately turned to muster his troops for the march. After arranging the blocking forces on the eastern and western fronts, Gu Rubing's gaze once again turned to Yangping Pass, which was under immense pressure.

On Deng Ai's side, they faced Xu Huang's 5,000 elite vanguard troops, and their situation was the most critical.

"The defense of Linjiang City shall be temporarily entrusted to Zijing! Yide and Mengqi shall accompany me on the expedition!"

Gu Rubing suddenly stood up and put on his armor.

"Gather 20,000 infantrymen and set off immediately with me to reinforce Yangping Pass!"

"Brother, it should have been done long ago! My Zhang's eighteen-foot spear has been itching for a fight for a long time!"

Zhang Fei roared excitedly.

Ma Chao also paused with his silver spear and solemnly replied.

"The last general is willing to be a pioneer!"

Gu Rubing was anxious to save the day. After the army set off, in order to speed things up, he personally led a 3,000-strong elite infantry as an advance assault group, breaking away from the main force and rushing along a relatively remote but faster path to Yangping Pass.

Zhang Fei and Ma Chao are both included in this list.

However, as the art of war says, haste makes waste.

Gu Rubing was focused on getting there, but he didn't expect that Xu Huang was extremely shrewd and cautious in his military tactics. While leading the main force to Yangping Pass, he left behind an elite force of about two thousand men to lie in ambush near several key roads leading to Yangping Pass in order to guard against possible reinforcements from the rear. They were responsible for covering the rear and keeping watch.

Gu Rubing's advance force crashed right into the ambush area of ​​this rearguard!
"Whoosh whoosh—!"

As the first few scouts rounded a bend in the mountain, countless arrows suddenly shot out from the forests on both sides! Immediately afterwards, shouts of battle arose, and the ambush troops emerged, cutting off Gu Rubing's three thousand-strong force in half!
"There's an ambush! Protect our lord!"

Zhang Fei reacted extremely quickly, roaring as he wielded his eighteen-foot spear with impenetrable speed, deflecting the incoming arrows.

Ma Chao also wielded his silver spear, striking down several Cao soldiers who tried to approach.

The commander of the advance force sensed something was wrong. The enemy situation was unclear and the terrain was unfavorable. He made a decisive decision and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Form a circular formation! Break through to the rear and rejoin the main force!"

Although the Han soldiers were startled, they remained calm and quickly retreated, forming a tight defensive formation. Fortunately, Gu Rubing was surrounded by battle-hardened elites. Although the attack had disrupted their formation, they did not collapse and fought their way back.

The commander of the rearguard of Cao Cao's army was shocked to see this, not expecting the Han army to react so quickly and be so powerful.

He originally intended to wipe out this "reckless" enemy vanguard in one fell swoop, but now that he saw that it was difficult to succeed, he wanted to consolidate the front line and at the same time immediately sent someone to report the military situation in the area to the commander-in-chief Xu Huang.

However, his intentions were seen through at a glance by the astute Gu Rubing!
Despite being in a dangerous situation, Gu Rubing remained calm and composed.

He observed that the ambush force did not seem to be very large, and that its messenger was trying to slip away in the chaos.

He immediately realized that he absolutely could not let the news reach Xu Huang's ears!

"Yide! Mengqi!"

Gu Rubing shouted sternly.

"The enemy is trying to send a message! Follow me and charge back to intercept the messenger and rout this enemy force! We must not let them get the message out!"

"As ordered!"

Zhang Fei and Ma Chao echoed in unison.

"All troops, heed my command! Follow me and kill—!"

Gu Rubing drew his long sword and took the lead, no longer retreating. Instead, he led his troops like tigers descending a mountain, launching a counter-charge against Cao's rearguard that had just regained its footing!
This completely caught Cao Jun off guard!

They had assumed the Han army would continue to retreat and were preparing to consolidate their defenses, waiting for the main force to return or to pursue them when the opportunity arose. They never expected that the enemy would dare to turn around and launch a fierce attack after being ambushed!

Having lost the initiative and psychological advantage, Cao Jun was immediately put on the defensive.

Zhang Fei was like a fierce god, and Ma Chao was like a white dragon. The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, were like two sharp knives, instantly tearing apart Cao Cao's army formation.

Gu Rubing commanded from the center, and the Han soldiers, seeing their lord's bravery, were greatly encouraged and charged forward with great courage.

The messengers who tried to deliver the message hadn't gone far before they were caught up by Ma Chao's accurate archery and Zhang Fei's cavalry, and all of them were killed!

The battle was almost entirely one-sided.

Cao's rearguard was already outnumbered and lost the initiative. Their command was exposed, and after their commander was killed and their messenger was intercepted, they quickly collapsed and scattered. Except for a few fast runners, most of them were annihilated.

Gu Rubing quickly cleared the battlefield, eliminating this potential threat and completely severing Xu Huang's connection with his rear.

"keep going!"

Without pausing, Gu Rubing ordered the troops to regroup briefly before setting off again for Yangping Pass.

After this battle, he became even more convinced that Yangping Pass, where Deng Ai was located, must be shrouded in war clouds at this moment, becoming a target that Cao Cao's army was determined to take, and the focus of the entire Yibei battle!
Meanwhile, on the other side, the general who was ordered to go to Luoyingpo to intercept Cao's second squad had led 8,000 light cavalry and arrived at his destination at an astonishing speed.

Upon arriving at Luoyingpo, he immediately began to survey the terrain without taking a break.

As expected, this place lived up to its reputation. The two sides were steep and difficult-to-climb slopes covered with shrubs and rocks, with only a narrow, winding passage in the middle that could only accommodate a few riders side by side. It was shaped like a natural gourd mouth, making it an excellent place to set up an ambush!

"Excellent! This place is truly the burial ground for Cao Cao's army!"

The general's face lit up with joy, and he immediately began to make meticulous plans.

He first ordered two thousand archers to carry a sufficient number of arrows and secretly climb up the slopes on both sides of the hill, using rocks and bushes to conceal themselves and take up advantageous shooting positions.

Next, he ordered his soldiers to collect boulders and logs from the hillside and make a large number of logs and stones to be rolled and piled up at a pre-arranged location at the top of the hill.

Finally, he divided the remaining six thousand cavalrymen into two groups.

One team, led by him personally, numbered about four thousand men and lay in ambush outside the entrance of the passage, using a small grove of trees to conceal their tracks; the other team, numbering two thousand men and led by a deputy general, circled around to the other end of the passage and lay in ambush near the exit.

His tactics were very clear.

"Once the majority of Cao Cao's army enters the tunnel, listen to my signal cannon! The ambush troops at the entrance will immediately attack and block their retreat! Arrows and stones will be fired from the hillside to strike the enemy fiercely! The ambush troops at the exit will block their way! We must trap and kill these 20,000 Cao Cao's troops in this Luoyingpo tunnel!"

Eight thousand soldiers obeyed orders, swiftly disappearing into the mountains and fields, like hunters laying nets, waiting for their prey to step into the deadly trap. Inside and outside Eagle Falling Slope, a murderous aura filled the air, and a suffocating silence descended. (End of Chapter)