Han officials

Chapter 293 The Student Surpasses the Master [5.6K]

"Woo——"

As the drums and horns of the Wei army sounded in unison, a highly penetrating military order resounded through the sky.

Before the infantry at the front of the central army could advance, cavalry on both flanks began charging towards Cao Cao's army in loose formations, their lances and halberds held at an angle.

At first, they rode slowly, then ran faster and faster, and gradually became excited. After all, these elite cavalrymen who charged into battle were also known as "dare-to-die warriors".

People with small hearts simply cannot perform at their normal level in such situations.

"kill!"

At the very tip of the vanguard cavalry, Zhao Yun raised his spear and let out a roar.

Then this fellow charged headlong into the front of Cao's army, and with each thrust and slash, blood and flesh flew everywhere.

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

The Youyan cavalry following closely behind suddenly became as excited as if they had taken a super tonic, their faces flushed with excitement.

So these men from Yan and Zhao, raising their spears and halberds in response, charged into the enemy ranks without hesitation.

However, Cao Cao's army soon unleashed a dense rain of arrows at them.

In an instant, horses, struck by arrows, reared up in terror, neighing and falling to the ground.

Wei cavalrymen were constantly struck by arrows and fell from their horses, forced to watch helplessly as others passed by them with great confidence.

Those who are unlucky might even be killed by their own horses and turned into mincemeat.

But that's how the battlefield is; casualties are unavoidable.

Although the Wei army's cavalry on both flanks suffered some casualties, they successfully broke through Cao Cao's main formation.

The Crane Wing Formation, as the name suggests, involves the central army positioned at the rear, with its wings spread out to the left and right like those of a crane, thus flanking from both sides.

The advantage of this formation lies in its ability to both attack and defend, and its ability to freely open and close its flanks.

It can be used to flank the enemy's flanks or to jointly attack enemies who have broken into the center of the formation.

The downside is that it tests the commander's battlefield command ability and places high demands on the cavalry on both flanks.

Because while the flanks are mobile and flexible, the central army must also closely coordinate and launch fierce attacks; otherwise, the objective cannot be achieved, and the cavalry on the flanks may even be put in danger.

Fortunately, the Wei army had no shortage of either of these aspects; in fact, they were even excessively well-equipped.

Even with the Wei army's successive battles in Ji Province, the existence of the three treasures of cavalry had long become an open secret.

However, the fighting strength of the Wei cavalry was undoubtedly still among the best in the Han Dynasty.

Wei Zhe possesses the best quality cavalry and the best horse farms.

Most importantly, he also possessed the largest scale of land reclamation and the highest grain production.

In this situation, the Wei cavalry was superior to those of the Central Plains forces in both hardware and software.

It was only because Tao Qian died too hastily this time that the Hebei cavalry were able to charge so far that Cao Cao was in despair.

that's the truth.

Before the Wei cavalry on both flanks could even engage, they skillfully drew arrows from their quivers and fired continuously.

Most importantly, their accuracy in mounted archery was quite good, no less than that of foot archery.

In comparison, Cao Cao's cavalry archery skills were rather disappointing.

At present, Wei Zhe can even declare without any hesitation that the orthodox way of horse archery is in Hebei.

In this respect, even the nomadic people of the grasslands have to admit it, because their infrastructure is inferior.

……

At the same time, Cao Cao's expression became extremely solemn under the banner of Cao Jun.

He was naturally very familiar with the Crane Wing Formation, so he adopted a defensive strategy and directly countered it with the Curved Formation.

However, the fighting strength of Wei Zhe's elite cavalry was somewhat beyond his expectations.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he unhesitatingly dispatched all his cavalry to patrol the outer perimeter of the formation, leaving only five hundred personal guards on his left and right.

After all, cavalry is useless if it doesn't move, and it's an easy target if it can't pick up speed.

Despite not having any experience in the northern frontier, Cao Cao's understanding of cavalry was no less than that of veteran generals.

Soon, as a cloud of dust rose from the field, the cavalry of Cao Wei and his side clashed.

However, as the two horses passed each other, many empty horses suddenly appeared and ran around wildly.

Those who fell from their horses included both Wei and Cao cavalry, but overall they were mainly Cao cavalry.

After only a brief exchange, Cao Cao's cavalry dwindled significantly, which made Cao Cao's situation in the rear even more precarious.

Even if he didn't want to admit it, Cao Cao had to face a reality.

That is, Cao's army seemed to be inferior to Wei's army in every aspect, and as a result, they were at a disadvantage in everything.

Even Cao Cao's elite infantry, which he considered his trump card, did not gain an advantage when facing the Wei army's garrison.

Within moments, the civil and military officials around Cao Cao turned ashen-faced.

After an incense stick had burned, Cao Hong hurriedly returned to the central army with a look of urgency on his face.

His armor was torn, his face was covered in blood, and there was even a broken arrow stuck in his arm; he looked utterly wretched.

There was no other way; Zhao Yun had charged too fiercely just now, almost breaking through Cao Cao's army formation.

If Cao Hong hadn't risked his life to lead his troops to hold off the Wei cavalry's attack, Zhao Yun's arrows would probably have already reached Cao Cao's horse.

But Cao Hong didn't care about any of that. After wiping the blood off his face, he hurriedly came to Cao Cao's side.

"Brother, we can't keep killing like this!"

In this battle, they didn't use any tricks; it was a pure head-on clash.

It was precisely because of this that Cao Hong realized they were not tough enough.

At least for now, they are certainly not as tough as the Wei army!
"Brother, let's retreat!"

Meeting Cao Cao's cold gaze, Cao Hong said earnestly:

"This place is only sixty li away from the Huai River. If one were to ride alone, it would only take an hour to get there."

"Although Chen Yangzhou is dead, I know many of his former students and officials, and I will definitely not let anything happen to my brother."

Cao Hong wasn't bragging; he and Chen Wen were indeed old friends.

When Cao Hong went to Yangzhou last time, Chen Wen, the governor of Yangzhou, helped him recruit 2,000 elite soldiers from Lujiang.

However, Cao Cao immediately rebuked him sternly upon hearing this:
"Never mention this again! If it continues to demoralize our troops, you will be executed without mercy!"

After saying this, Cao Cao angrily ordered him to take command of the vanguard and defend against the Wei cavalry's attack.

Seeing this, Cao Hong had no choice but to accept the order and leave.

However, after Cao Hong left, Cao Cao quietly changed his tactics and completely switched to a defensive posture.

He piled up a large number of supply wagons on the perimeter, forming simple defensive fortifications with the temporary trenches he dug.

Cao Cao's cavalry also abandoned the initiative on the battlefield and completely withdrew to the central camp, where they remained entrenched and refused to engage.

When Cao's army abandoned their original positions and retreated to the rear of their defensive fortifications, a round hedgehog appeared in front of Wei Zhe, making him frown.

Even though the Wei infantry and cavalry charged forward fiercely, relentlessly thrusting with spears and halberds, they gained little against the infantry's large shields and supply fortifications, and their offensive quickly came to a standstill.

After all, the sudden shift from open field battles to siege warfare was somewhat unsettling for the well-trained Wei army.

Even though Zhao Yun was still brave, he could not break through Cao Cao's tortoise-shell formation in a short time.

Upon seeing this, Wei Zhe pondered for a moment and then ordered Wuwei Colonel Mao Kun to lead his elite daredevils as the vanguard.

It's difficult to say for sure who is the most capable fighter among the Wei army.

But if we're talking about who's least afraid of death, then Mao Kun is undoubtedly the one.

Since joining Wei Zhe's ranks, this fellow has served as the vanguard in almost every one of the hundred or so battles, big and small.

There were many fearless warriors in the Wei army, but Mao Kun was the only one who enjoyed the thrill of suicide.

Sure enough, before the messenger had even finished speaking, Mao Kun excitedly jumped up.

"My lads, follow me and kill!"

Mao Kun led over a thousand armored elite soldiers, charging towards Cao Cao's camp like wild boars.

The impact of the heavily armored infantry caused the Cao army's defenses, which had been as solid as a rock, to shake instantly.

However, before Mao Kun could achieve his goal, Wei Zhe sent out Jiao Shan and Wu Zhong, who were by his side.

In the blink of an eye, two more large brown bears, heavily armored, appeared in front of Cao Cao's army.

A wrought iron rod and an iron mace were swung around by the two men like straw, making a whooshing sound.

Meanwhile, the Wei cavalry on both flanks continuously circled the formation, unleashing bursts of arrows from horseback, causing screams of agony in the center of Cao's army's position, forcing them to constantly change the direction of their shields to dodge the arrows raining down from the sky.

The pressure on Cao Cao's army suddenly increased significantly, and casualties began to rise rapidly.

Even so, with Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren and others leading the charge, Cao's army fought to the death and refused to retreat.

For a time, the Cao army and the Wei army were locked in a stalemate.

From noon to evening, although the two sides shouted battle cries continuously, their positions remained unchanged.

Of course, casualties among Cao Cao's army were inevitable.

Of the original army of over 10,000, only a few thousand remain.

If it weren't for the fact that most of the officers and soldiers in the army were members of the Cao and Xiahou clans, the Cao army would probably have collapsed long ago.

This can be considered one of the great advantages of clans; the bond of blood does have some use after all.

As the sun set, Wei Zhe's expression gradually darkened upon witnessing this scene.

Xi Zhicai suggested, "My lord, why don't we try winning hearts and minds?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe thought it made sense and nodded slightly.

He then ordered his men to select over a hundred soldiers with loud voices to stand in front of the battle lines and to shout insults at them, trying to provoke them into going into battle.

"You spineless eunuch, since you have no guts to fight, just kill yourself to avoid disgracing your ancestors!"

"Even eunuchs have more guts than men like them, yet cowardly women dare to lead troops?"

"You women, hurry up and serve your master, and perhaps you'll be rewarded with some prostitute's fee!"

"Yanzhou has already surrendered, and Cao Mengde's wife and daughters are all prostitutes. Why don't you all surrender sooner, so we can all enjoy them together!"

"If we don't surrender now, when will we?"

……

As these men launched into a tirade, a torrent of vulgarities filled the air.

It must be admitted that some people are simply gifted in certain areas. The sheer variety of their insults is something even a scholar like Xi Zhicai couldn't conceive or write.

Not to mention the Cao army soldiers on the other side, even the generals and officers on the Wei army side felt a headache coming on after hearing this.

Of course, that didn't stop them from joining in the mockery.

So, the battlefield, which had been fiercely fighting just moments before, was suddenly filled with laughter and cheers, a truly bizarre scene.

However, the Cao army soldiers behind the shields were all red with anger.

Xiahou Dun endured it for a long time, but in the end he got so angry that he ripped off his helmet and slammed it to the ground.

"Damn it, that's incredibly vulgar!"

After saying this, Xiahou Dun, his face flushed, asked Cao Cao for permission to fight:

"Brother, let me go and kill those bastards!"

However, Cao Cao waved his hand and, instead of getting angry, burst into laughter.

"The Wei army is resorting to such ruthless means, they must be furious. Why are you all angry? We should be happy!"

Cao Cao then waved his hand with a grand and imposing gesture and said:

"Go, make them shout even louder, and say they can't hear you!"

Seeing Cao Cao's composure, even though the civil and military officials beside him were furious, they couldn't help but admire him.

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Dun scratched his head sheepishly, thinking that what his elder brother said seemed to make sense.

After Cao Cao's words spread, the frustration of his soldiers was indeed greatly reduced.

The more enthusiastically the Wei army on the other side cursed, the more pleased the Cao army inside became.

Upon learning of this reaction, Wei Zhe couldn't help but frown.

Seeing this, Huan Wei, who was mixed in with the personal guards, suddenly had a bold idea.

However, this plan was against the natural order, and Huan Wei was unsure whether he should speak of it or not.

It was Xi Zhicai who noticed something was wrong with him and immediately spoke up:

"Boyan, if you have a brilliant plan, please speak freely."

Meeting Wei Zhe's surprised gaze, Huan Wei hesitated before saying:
"My lord, Qiao County isn't too far from here. Why not send someone to dig up Cao Mengde's ancestral graves?"

“We can send a detachment to dig up his grave right in front of him. Cao Mengde will certainly not dare to sit idly by and will have no choice but to take the initiative to fight. Otherwise, how can he survive in the world?”

It has to be admitted that fellow villagers know best how to deal with fellow villagers.

After all, the two counties are only a hundred miles apart, and Huan Wei had heard a lot about the Cao family of Qiao County since he was a child.

The moment the idea of ​​provoking Cao Cao was mentioned, Huan Wei immediately thought of this underhanded trick.

To be honest, this tactic is quite in line with military strategy, as it is "to attack where the enemy must defend!"

However, as soon as Huan Wei said this, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but frown.

Wei Zhe shook his head, his face darkening, and said:
"Will the one who started this have no descendants? Let's not mention this again!"

Even though Wei Zhe knew that as time went by, the lower limit of war would inevitably be broken again and again.

But he still hoped the process could be slower, or at least not started by him.

Wei Zhe did not want the chaos of future warring states to lead to the most despicable tactic of each other digging up each other's ancestral graves.

If that's the case, then no matter how secretly Wei Zhe was buried after his death, he would probably be dug up by victims throughout history, his bones crushed and his ashes scattered, thus trapping himself in his own web.

Even if we take a step back and say that digging up someone's ancestral graves is not a good thing, it can easily leave a bad reputation for generations to come.

If possible, Wei Zhe still wanted to save face for himself.

However, Huan Wei's words gave him inspiration, and Wei Zhe immediately had an idea.

He immediately summoned the terrified Huan Wei and gave him a few instructions.

No one knows what he said, but Huan Wei immediately perked up and confidently accepted the order.

After an incense stick had burned, Xi Zhicai saw Huan Wei appear before Wei Zhe, holding a set of clothes and sweating profusely.

"This……"

Xi Zhicai thought the face looked familiar at first glance and wondered if he had mistaken it for something else.

However, when Wei Zhe unfolded the clothes with great interest, Xi Zhicai was immediately stunned.

Is this really a set of eunuch attire?

Xi Zhicai immediately asked in surprise, "Where did you get this?"

Upon hearing this, Huan Wei immediately chuckled and said:

"Xiao Huangmen Suo Jun is from this village. Because he is a low-key person and has not done any evil, he has been spared."

"After the late emperor died, his family fortified themselves in a fortified village and have survived to this day."

"Having lived here for a long time, I know a little about the local customs and traditions, so I came to borrow a set of clothes."

At this point, Huan Wei shook his head regretfully and said:

"It's a pity there wasn't enough time, otherwise I should have gone to Qiao County to borrow a set of Zhongchangshi's robes."

"No need, this is just right."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe stroked his beard and smiled, saying with satisfaction:

"My grandfather was a high-ranking eunuch, so it would be perfect for me to be a minor eunuch."

After saying this, Wei Zhe casually tossed the clothes in his hand to Huan Wei and said with a smile:
"Find two long spears, prop them up, and send them to Cao Mengde along the way."

"Just say this is my congratulatory gift, congratulating him on inheriting the legacy of his ancestors... he has no manliness left at all!"

Upon hearing this, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but shake his head with a laugh.

"Your words are too narrow-minded."

Xi Zhicai actually wanted to say something unethical, but ultimately he was too embarrassed to say it.

However, Xi Zhicai had to admit that Wei Zhe had used the provocation tactic to its fullest extent.

Let alone a regional warlord like Cao Cao, even an ordinary commoner would probably not be able to tolerate such humiliation.

The Wei generals who saw eunuchs swaggering by all thought the same thing.

So as soon as the eunuch's clothes were sent in, the Wei army's front line immediately began preparations.

Meanwhile, when the eunuch's attire was delivered to Cao Cao's camp, anyone who recognized it immediately went wild.

Even ordinary soldiers who didn't recognize the uniform understood what it was from the whispers around them.

Immediately, every single soldier in Cao Cao's army, regardless of whether their motives were genuine or feigned, appeared filled with righteous indignation.

Everyone knows that Cao Cao's grandfather was a powerful eunuch.

It is an indisputable fact that the Cao family of Qiao County rose to prominence entirely because of his grandfather.

The Wei army sent this clothing to humiliate Cao Cao... For a moment, even the generals of Cao Cao's army did not know whether it should be called "humiliation," after all, their lord's grandfather had indeed worn clothes back then.

Sometimes, the ultimate humiliation is like this: even the most capable person is left speechless when insulted.

For example, Cao Cao is doing just that right now.

If he sees this as a humiliation, it undoubtedly shows that he has always been ashamed of his grandfather.

As a result, Cao Cao could not escape criticism for being unfilial and ungrateful.

But if he accepts it willingly, it would be tantamount to openly admitting that he has no eggs, and then what about morale?
It can be said that Cao Cao is now completely stuck in a rut, unable to succeed on either front.

Even if Zhuge Liang from another world knew about Wei Zhe's move, he might still praise him, saying that the student has surpassed the master.

However, Cao Cao does not currently have the same advantages as Sima Yi.

When faced with Zhuge Liang's sarcasm, Sima Yi could have used the pretext of requesting permission from the emperor to launch a delaying tactic. This would have prevented a blow to morale and also avoided a hasty attack, thus thwarting Zhuge Liang's attempt to provoke him.

But now Cao Cao has nowhere to consult. Could he possibly ask his ancestors for instructions?
Looking at the young eunuch in his robes, Cao Cao felt incredibly frustrated.

Getting furious won't work, and neither will feigning happiness.

His face turned pale and then flushed, and his veins bulged; he looked like he was about to suffer a stroke.

Fortunately, Cao Hong reacted in time and snatched the clothes, putting them on casually.

"If my grandfather can wear it, why can't I? It's just a way of showing respect to my grandfather!"

After saying that, he deliberately paced back and forth in his clothes, and shouted loudly:

"The world is vast, but can anything be greater than filial piety?"

It has to be said that Cao Hong, despite his burly appearance, is surprisingly quick-witted when it matters.

Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials present breathed a sigh of relief and praised Cao Hong for his filial piety.

Because Cao Hong could do this, but Cao Cao could not.

Cao Hong has now taken the blame with his witty remarks, thus allowing Cao Cao to escape unscathed.

Cao Cao understood the reasoning behind this, and after a soft sigh, he immediately closed his eyes in anguish.

After all, wearing these clothes was a humiliation for him, and it was also a humiliation for Cao Hong.

Forcing a hot-blooded man like Cao Hong to voluntarily wear eunuch clothes and even accept the evaluation of inheriting the "ancestral tradition" would undoubtedly be more cruel than killing him.

However, for the sake of Cao Cao, Cao Hong resolutely endured it.

However, Cao Cao was truly disgusted by Wei Zhe this time.

After finally managing to smooth things over, Cao Cao ordered his troops to ignore the Wei army.

No matter what they say or do, ignore them and don't report it.

……

"You can tolerate this?"

Xi Zhicai, commander of the Wei army, was greatly surprised to see that there was no movement at all in Cao's camp.

Xun Chen and the others were also astonished, never expecting Cao Cao to be so composed.

Wei Zhe was more curious about how Cao Cao resolved this dilemma.

However, Cao Jun is clearly no longer going to satisfy his curiosity.

As darkness fell, Wei Zhe had no choice but to temporarily cease hostilities.

But after withdrawing his troops, Wei Zhe immediately gave the following instructions:

"Order Zhang Zhao and Zhong Hu to abandon their baggage and get here as soon as possible."

As the messengers disappeared into the afterglow of the setting sun, a sense of desolation crept into the desolate wilderness of Gaixia, as if the tragedy of five hundred years ago was about to be repeated...
-
I underestimated this plot point; it's still unfinished.

Sigh, I guess I'll just have to try again tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)