I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 812: The two sides' military advisors fought, Su Yao defeated the enemy with one move (5K)

"Are there any pursuers coming out of the pass?"

Three days later, in the northeast of Yanmen Pass, around Pingcheng, Bingzhou (now Datong), the autumn wind blew up dust, which flew wantonly across the vast land.

Just as Ma Teng's army was withdrawing.

Ma Teng, wearing armor and riding on a horse, was discussing the next action plan with his military officer Shi Fugan, his eldest son Ma Xiu and others. At this time, he suddenly received an urgent report from the scouts, and his face changed immediately.

"Who leads the troops? How many people are there? Where are they going?" Ma Teng asked in a deep voice.

The scout gasped and replied:

"Reporting to the envoy, the pursuers are carrying a large flag with the word 'Su' on it. It is the ceremonial guard of the general. It should be led by Su Yao himself. There are about 3,000 cavalrymen, one man with multiple horses. They are all elite and very fast. They are less than 150 miles away from our army!"

"Su Yao came in person?!" Ma Teng was shocked when he heard this, and his face instantly became solemn.

Although he expected Su Yao to come to Yanmen, he did not expect that he would come so quickly and lead the troops in person.

Ma Teng knew very well how powerful Su Yao was. After being thankful that he walked quickly, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

At this time, Ma Xiu quickly stepped forward and said, "Father, although Su Yao is strong, he only has about 3,000 cavalrymen chasing us lightly, while our army still has nearly 30,000 infantry and cavalrymen, and there are more than 8,000 cavalrymen alone. What is there to be afraid of?"

——"Xiu'er, don't underestimate the enemy!"

Ma Teng frowned and rebuked:
"Su Yao is a man of unrivaled bravery. It is said that he is braver than ten thousand men. He is best at defeating the enemy with a small force. He always takes the initiative to seize the enemy's advantage. He is absolutely incomparable."

Fu Gan also nodded and agreed:

"Your Excellency is right. Su Yao must have something to rely on if he pursues us personally."

"Although our army has the advantage in numbers, our morale has been low due to the continuous retreat. In addition, our infantry is slow and cannot compete with Su Yao's cavalry. If we rush into battle, something unexpected may happen."

Ma Teng took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Then according to your opinion, how should we deal with it?"

Fu Gan stroked his beard, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he said slowly:

"Although Su Yao's pursuit is fast, his forces are limited, and they are exhausted after a long journey. Our army can adopt the strategy of 'waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out', setting up an ambush first to dampen their spirit, and then wait for an opportunity to counterattack."

"Wait for the enemy to tire themselves out? Ambush? Where do you get this from, sir?" Ma Teng asked anxiously.

Fu Gan gathered the people, took out a very simple map, pointed to the terrain around Pingcheng, and explained:

"There is a valley on the Yinshan Road northeast of Pingcheng, named 'Eagle's Beak Gorge', which is the only way to the grassland to the north. The terrain is dangerous, with a flat river valley in the middle and high mountains and dense forests on both sides, which is a perfect place to set up an ambush."

"We can first withdraw the infantry to Pingcheng for garrison, while the cavalry can split up and pretend to retreat, first take the valley to set up defenses, lure Su Yao into the valley, and then ambush him, which will surely inflict heavy damage on his army."

After hearing this, Ma Teng's eyes flashed with joy and he nodded repeatedly: "Great idea! Great idea! Let's follow your plan, sir."

Immediately, Ma Teng ordered the entire army to speed up, and Ma Xiu led the infantry to retreat to Pingcheng for defense.

He himself, along with Fu Gan and other generals, led the remaining cavalry at full speed to set up an ambush in Yingzui Gorge.

"General, the enemy troops have split up and fled. What should we do?"

In the afternoon, in the southeast of Pingcheng, among the Han army, Xu Huang asked for instructions.

Su Yao closed his eyes and opened the map in the system. He saw dense red dots in the direction of Pingcheng and Yinshan Road. It was exactly the same as the report from Xu Huang's scouts. Ma Teng had indeed divided his troops into two groups:

"One army entered Pingcheng, and the other army fled north. What do you think Ma Teng's intention was?"

Upon hearing this, the generals under his command began to whisper to each other and discuss the matter.

At this time, Zhang Fei was the first to speak. He held up his snake spear and clasped his hands together:
"General, this Ma Teng is a coward!"

Zhang Fei's face was full of disdain:

"Look at the baggage he abandoned along the way. It's clear that he fled in a panic. He first threw those disabled infantrymen to Pingcheng nearby, just hoping to use the city wall to delay our army. Those infantrymen are useless pawns."

"And he himself, with his light cavalry, evacuated northwards, trying to escape back to Yunzhong Dingxiang and other places. It's really ridiculous! In my opinion, we just need to pursue the cavalry fleeing north with all our strength, and we will definitely defeat them in one fell swoop!"

Zhang Fei's words made Guan Yu frown slightly: "Third brother, don't underestimate the enemy."

"Although Ma Shoucheng is not a man of both wisdom and courage, he is definitely not an incompetent person who would easily abandon his troops."

"I'm afraid he has other plans for dividing his troops this time. I think the cavalry fleeing north may not really want to escape. They may be bait to lure us in. The infantry in Pingcheng may be his key."

As he spoke, Guan Yu pointed to the beautiful map provided by Su Yao and said:

"Look here, the valley of Yinshan Road is only fifty or sixty miles away from Pingcheng. A light cavalryman can reach it in about an hour, and even an infantryman can reach it in half a day."

"According to the scouts, we saw cavalry entering and leaving the valley entrance earlier. Apparently there was a delay."

"What are they waiting for? In my opinion, Ma Teng has already set up an ambush in the valley, waiting for us to take the bait."

Zhang Fei snorted disapprovingly, "Second brother, you are too cautious. What conspiracy could Ma Teng have? He has been beaten to a pulp by the general, so how could he have the energy to set a trap? I don't believe he has the ability to do that!"

Guan Yu shook his head and stopped arguing with Zhang Fei. He just turned his gaze to Su Yao, waiting for his decision.

At this time, Xun You took a step forward, cupped his hands and said, "General, in my opinion, what General Guan said makes a lot of sense."

"Ma Teng's surprising move this time is most likely to set up an ambush on the route of escape to the north and lure our army deeper. The infantry in Pingcheng can serve as his backup and also contain our army's actions."

"Once we go deep into the valley, they will set up an ambush and light a beacon fire. They can remotely control the infantry in Pingcheng from a distance and attack us from both sides. Our army must be on guard."

"So what do you mean?" Su Yao asked.

Xun You bowed slightly, his eyes twinkled, and he said with a smile: "General, since we have seen through Ma Teng's plan, our army will naturally not follow his wishes."

Then, at Su Yao's signal, Xun You revealed his plan:
According to Xun You's strategy, the current focus should be on Pingcheng. By encircling the city with a large army and setting up defense lines, the connection between Ma Teng's cavalry and Pingcheng infantry in the valley should be cut off first.

Then, wait for the arrival of the rear infantry and advance steadily to besiege Pingcheng.

If Ma Teng dares to come to rescue us at that time, we will fight a decisive battle with his cavalry. With the advantage of our cavalry, we will certainly not be afraid and will be able to inflict heavy damage on him.

If he dared not come to rescue, he would eat up the infantry in Pingcheng, and then go north into the valley, advancing step by step and not giving Ma Teng any chance to take advantage.

Ma Teng only has so many troops this time. If we can wipe out his infantry all at once, it will be difficult for Ma Teng to gain a foothold in Bingzhou again. Our side can then calmly remove them one by one and drive him out completely.

It has to be said that what Xun You proposed was a very stable strategy, which could deal with ever-changing situations by remaining unchanged, and had a very high success rate.

Immediately, Guan Yu, Xu Huang and others all agreed.

However, Su Yao did not agree, but asked in return: "In that case, Ma Teng must be in that valley with his cavalry?"

Xun You was slightly startled, then nodded and said, "General, according to my speculation, Ma Teng is very likely to be in charge of Yingzui Gorge and lead the cavalry to set up an ambush."

"Firstly, Ma Teng knows that the key to this operation lies in the decisive battle in the valley. His personal command can ensure the smooth implementation of the plan. Secondly, if something unexpected happens, he can escape to the north calmly and avoid being trapped in an isolated city and being wiped out."

Su Yao raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a confident smile: "If that's the case, then what else is there to say? Let's go straight to the Eagle's Beak Gorge and capture the leader first!"

"what?"

"what?"

"To Hawkman?"

"General, please listen to me."

While everyone was in a daze, Su Yao had already pointed his spear, spurred his horse and rode away.

In the afternoon, Eagle's Beak Gorge.

"Oh? Are they really coming?"

Ma Teng stood high up in Eagle's Beak Gorge, looking at the flying dust in the distance, a hint of pride flashed in his eyes.

"Just as you expected, Su Yao fell into the trap!" Ma Teng laughed and turned to Fu Gan beside him and said.

Fu Gan smiled slightly, stroked his beard, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes: "Envoy, although Su Yao is brave, he is young and hot-tempered after all. This time he underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly. It is a great opportunity for us to defeat him in one fell swoop."

Ma Teng nodded, a fierce look flashing in his eyes: "Pass the order, all troops are ready, when Su Yao enters the canyon, we will immediately launch an ambush, and we must annihilate him completely here!"

"Yes!" The generals around him responded in unison, and then quickly passed the order down, and the ambush troops in the entire Eagle's Beak Gorge immediately entered a state of high alert. At the same time, the 3,000 cavalry led by Su Yao were galloping over.

The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and dust was flying, as if a giant dragon was galloping on the grassland, and it only stopped at the entrance of the canyon.

"General, Eagle's Beak Gorge is ahead. There might be an ambush. Should we send scouts to investigate first?" Xu Huang rode his horse closer to Su Yao and reminded him in a low voice.

"There must be an ambush. The remaining question is how to break them."

At the mouth of the valley, Su Yao was riding on his horse, pinching his chin, and fell into deep thought.

It was not until he saw the terrain before him that Su Yao realized that he might have underestimated Ma Teng.

At this time, Xun You took another step forward and said solemnly:
"General, the terrain here is dangerous. The mountains on both sides are as steep as walls, the valley in the middle is narrow and winding, and the road in the valley is rugged and difficult to travel. It is indeed a place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack."

"If our army forces its way into the valley, the enemy can just stand on both sides and attack us with boulders and arrows. Our army will be caught in a dilemma. Even if we win in the end, I'm afraid we will suffer heavy losses."

Everyone looked in the direction Xun You pointed, and saw towering peaks on both sides of Yingzui Gorge. Although not as steep as the mountains in front of Hangu Pass in the past, the mountains here were still steep and covered with dense forests. There was only one rugged path for the army to pass.

The road is narrow and can only accommodate three horses running side by side. There is a lake on the right. The water is deep and the waves are cold. The shore is overgrown with weeds and the terrain is slippery. If the horses are not careful, they may slip and fall into the lake.

On the left side is a steep cliff with vines crisscrossing on it. From time to time, gravel rolls down, making crisp sounds, as if issuing a warning of danger.

Guan Yu frowned and said, "General, in this kind of terrain, our cavalry advantage will be difficult to display, and will be controlled by the enemy."

"If the enemy cuts off our front and rear and attacks us from both sides, our army will be in danger."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Even Zhang Fei no longer had his usual temper and seemed to be scratching his head.

"But we're already here, we can't just go back like this, right? That would be too embarrassing."

Xu Huang shook his head and said, "General Zhang is wrong. War is a matter of great importance to a country. How can we take risks just for the sake of face?"

"Our army has been running all the way and is already exhausted, while the enemy is well-rested and has the advantage of terrain. Attacking at this time is not a good idea. It is better to retreat for the time being, look for an opportunity, and then make plans."

After seeing the terrain here in person, everyone basically agreed with Xun You's previous strategy. It would be better to pick the weak one first and take Pingcheng first.

Su Yao nodded upon seeing this, but did not order a retreat. Instead, he retreated three miles and set up camp to rest and restore the troops' strength.

"Are we exposed?"

As time passed, when the sun set in the west, Ma Teng didn't see Su Yao enter the valley for a long time, and he couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Don't worry, sir."

Fu Gan stroked his beard, a trace of thought flashed in his eyes, and he said slowly:
"Although Su Yao is young and energetic, I think he still has some capable people under him."

"Given the current situation, I'm afraid they are alerted by the dangerous terrain. However, since he has already led his troops here, he is obviously unwilling to give up easily."

"In my opinion, he might be waiting for follow-up troops or looking for other routes of attack."

Ma Teng nodded, but the uneasiness in his heart did not completely dissipate.

General Su Yao was a frequent winner in defeating the odds with a larger force. If he found a way to crack his plan, his carefully planned ambush would probably fail.

"Isn't this bad? In your opinion, sir, how should we deal with it?" Ma Teng asked in a deep voice.

"Don't panic, sir."

Fu Gan's eyes gleamed:
"As long as we are in this forest, we will have an absolute advantage."

"For now, we should adopt the strategy of remaining unchanged in the face of ever-changing circumstances, strengthen our vigilance, and closely monitor Su Yao's every move."

"Not to mention that this place is dangerous, he, an outsider, cannot find a way to break through. Even if he does have a way to break through, he will definitely take action."

"When the time comes, we will be at our leisure, respond calmly, and strike at his weaknesses."

Fu Gan talked for a long time, but what he actually just said was "wait".

Ma Teng was naturally quite dissatisfied with this.

He had discarded too much baggage along the way, and as a result, the enemy had captured more than he carried with him. If he really wanted to wait in this forest, he would need food and fodder transported from Yunzhong and other places in the rear.

Obviously he couldn't stay in this pit for too long.

In response to this, Fu Gan came up with another plan. If Su Yao really did not attack for a long time, he would send someone to pretend to be impatient, launch a surprise attack, and then return after pretending to be defeated.

At this point, Ma Teng was slightly satisfied and decided to wait for two days to see. If it didn't work, he would use this strategy of feigning defeat.

Therefore, Ma Teng asked the ambush troops to be careful to conceal themselves, arranged shifts during the night rest, and sent more scouts to monitor to ensure that Su Yao would not get a chance to take advantage of the situation. On the other hand, he sent people to speed up the transportation of food and grass in the rear to cope with a possible protracted war.

However, his efforts were in vain.

This protracted war is simply impossible.

Because Su Yao is here.

The next day, the moon was dark and the wind was strong.

Su Yao was wearing black and black armor, standing by the lake, and his figure was almost invisible in the night.

Behind him, including Xu Huang, there were at least a hundred warriors dressed like him, standing together, ready for battle.

"Tonight the weather is fine, with no stars or moon in sight, so it's time for us to get started."

Su Yao raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said:
"Everyone, pay attention. Follow my footsteps closely. Walk one step at a time. Don't deviate from them."

"This lakeside looks like a grassland, but in fact, there are many swamps and wetlands hidden inside. Once you step into it, your life will be in danger."

Then, under the leadership of Su Yao, everyone held hands and moved forward cautiously, passing through the wetlands by the lake and quietly sneaking into the valley.

"General Guan, General Zhang - why didn't you stop him?"

"It's a dark and windy night, and you can hardly see your hand in front of you. What should we do if something happens to the general?"

At the Han army camp at the valley entrance, Xun You learned that Su Yao was leading only a hundred men for a night attack through the wetlands by the lake. He was so shocked that he jumped up from his bed.

However, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both gave a bitter smile. Guan Yu was the first to say, "We have certainly tried to persuade him, but you know the general's temper. Once something is decided, even eight oxen cannot change it."

"Yes, it's too late to say anything now. Let's get ready to meet the enemy." Zhang Fei slapped his thigh.

"Meet the enemy?"

Xun You was startled for a moment, then he reacted, looked at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei with sharp eyes, and asked anxiously:
"General Zhang, what you mean is that... the general's intention is to lure out Ma Teng's ambush troops and lure them out in full force?"

"Yes, the general can't just go and fight with a hundred men."

Zhang Fei said anxiously:
"Before leaving, the general had already instructed me and my second brother to mobilize the soldiers in advance and wait for his signal."

"Tonight, all the Ma Teng thieves will come out in full force. Don't let any of them escape."

"This"

Xun You was confused.

With only 100 people, you want Ma Teng to come out in full force? How big a hornet's nest do you have to stir up?
Seriously speaking, wouldn't his mere one hundred men have to be trapped in that dense forest?
Xun You couldn't figure it out, but he had no other choice but to follow orders and instruct Guan and Zhang to make preparations and set up ambushes around the valley entrance.

While the army was moving quietly, Xun You was still wondering what tricks the general was going to play.

Not long after, when he saw the sudden burst of flames, Xun You suddenly realized:

"Fire attack, it's a fire attack!!"

"No wonder he had to wait until today!"

"Today is the southeast wind!"

In the dense forest, flames shot up into the sky and thick smoke billowed in the canyon. The fire spread rapidly with the wind and soon engulfed a large area of ​​forest.

The fire lit up the night sky and also reflected the panicked faces of Ma Tengjun.
(End of this chapter)