Wei Xiaobao's Three Kingdoms Adventure

Chapter 16 Breaking into the enemy camp at night
Zhang Liang kept Wei Xiaobao in the tent and ordered his men to bring wine and food. He drank and chatted with Wei Xiaobao while waiting for Tang Qin.

After a while, Tang Qin returned to the tent.

Zhang Liang said, "Lu Zhi's central army has set up camp outside the city. Tonight, I will lead my troops to attack their camp. You two must take advantage of the chaos and hide in the enemy camp. When I withdraw, you can pretend to be captured."

When Wei Xiaobao heard this, all the chewed meat in his mouth fell to the ground.

Wei Xiaobao thought that sneaking into the enemy camp was like infiltrating the Yellow Turban Army, and pretending to be a soldier of the Central Army to infiltrate Lu Zhi's army. Only then did he realize that the so-called sneaking into the enemy camp meant being captured as a prisoner.

Wei Xiaobao knew nothing about marching and fighting, let alone the strict military system. The Han Dynasty's army was organized into squads of five men, two squads into a platoon, five platoons into a platoon, two platoons into a troop, two platoons into a division, five divisions into a school, and two schools into an army. The officers at each level were squad leader, platoon leader, captain, officer, clerk, lieutenant, lieutenant commander, lieutenant commander, military commander, military commander, and lieutenant commander. Each level of command was intimately familiar with the superiors and subordinates, thus forming a strong command and combat system.

If you want to destroy the enemy's command and combat system through spies and undercover agents, the commonly used tactics are feigning surrender and instigating rebellion.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion was an uprising against the imperial court. It was almost impossible to persuade officers of the central army to rebel in front of the two armies. Ma Yuanyi's bribery of the eunuchs was also planned in advance.

As Wei Xiaobao thought, disguising himself as a member of the Central Army to sneak in was only a method that a scoundrel like him could think of. Zhang Liang would naturally not be so foolish.

But this scared Wei Xiaobao so much that he almost peed his pants. Not to mention whether he could escape after contacting the eunuch, he was afraid that he would be beheaded before he even saw the eunuch.

Zhang Liang's strategy was also a risky one. Having fought Lu Zhi several times, he knew that Lu Zhi was not a man of great courage, having imprisoned captured Yellow Turbans in places like Yecheng and Pingyuan. Zhang Liang also knew he was gambling: that Wei Xiaobao would survive his capture and that Wei Xiaobao's cunning could outwit Lu Zhi.

Zhang Liang continued, "Since Lu Zhi entered Ji Province, he's fought us seven or eight times, both large and small. Although we've lost more than we've won, we've also lost a significant number of his troops. The central army is currently defending Guangzong, and Lu Zhi needs to replenish his forces and understand the city's defenses. Therefore, after you two are captured, you must relay the details of the city's defenses to Lu Zhi and gain his trust."

Wei Xiaobao understood most of it by now, thinking, "You old fellow, you're trying to imitate Huang Gai's feigned surrender. No, Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu's burning of Red Cliffs must have happened later. It seems everyone back then would resort to feigned surrender. No wonder you asked Tang Qin to go with me. His idiot brother has already become a traitor, so it's only natural for him to become one too."

Zhang Liang said, "Tang Qin, even if it's just to make you feel wronged, I'm going to be a traitor for once."

Tang Qin said, "I will follow the general's orders."

Zhang Liang said, "Alright! I know you're still resentful of Tang Zhou's rebellion, so I've asked you two to feign surrender this time so we can get rid of Tang Zhou. In a few days, the eunuch sent by the imperial court to oversee the army will arrive at the front. Tang Zhou is very familiar with the Yellow Turbans, so I'm sure he'll come along too. Then, you and the eunuch will eliminate Lu Zhi together, and then kill the traitor Tang Zhou!"

Tang Qin was shocked and said nothing.

Wei Xiaobao thought to himself, "Aren't you afraid that Tang Qin will really become a traitor? Then you, the eunuch general, will be left with no one else but the eunuch. Why the eunuch? Because all your subordinates have become eunuchs, so aren't you still a eunuch general?"

Thinking of this, Wei Xiaobao unconsciously revealed a sarcastic smile on his face, but then he started to get scared again: "What if he really becomes a traitor, then I'm finished. In this gambling game, I have the smallest number of points, and the opponent can win with any number of points." Zhang Liang was still at ease with Tang Qin. After all, Tang Qin was not as greedy as his brother Tang Zhou, so Zhang Liang was very confident in his plan.

Wei Xiaobao was trying to find an excuse to avoid this disaster when he heard someone reporting outside the tent.

The guards who had accompanied Shuang'er on their departure came in. One of them said, "General, Madam Wei has been placed in the County Magistrate's residence in the east of the city. She has two maids to serve her. Two teams of soldiers have also been stationed outside the residence to guard it day and night to prevent anyone from disturbing her."

Wei Xiaobao's heart sank. He thought, "Master Hong has taken my two wives hostage, and his ancestor, that bastard Zhang Liang, has also taken my good wife hostage. It seems Master Hong has not only mastered your magic. It seems I have to take this gamble. As long as I keep a close eye on Tang Qin, I still have a chance to make a comeback."

Wei Xiaobao thought that since there was no other way, he might as well give himself some courage, so he picked up the bowl of wine in front of him and said, "Kill Lu Zhi, kill Tang Zhou. If I, Wei Xiaobao, am afraid at all, I'll be a coward."

Although he spoke bold words, Wei Xiaobao's hands holding the bowl could not stop shaking.

Zhang Liang laughed heartily, poured a bowl of wine and handed it to Tang Qin, then picked up his own wine and drank it with the two of them.

The three of them drank for a while in the tent until it was too dark to see the distant hills. Then Zhang Liang selected two teams of men and horses to sneak out of the city and head towards Lu Zhi's camp.

After the Central Army entered Ji Province, it engaged the Yellow Turbans in several battles, winning each one decisively. However, the Yellow Turbans were numerous and roving. Despite their successive victories, the Central Army failed to annihilate the main force of the Yellow Turbans. Instead, their relentless pursuit of the Yellow Turbans caused their own forces to become disconnected. Fortunately, they were able to finally trap Zhang Jue's main force in Guangzong County.

After days of fighting and a long march, the troops were already exhausted. Lu Zhi wanted to rest his troops and wait for the rearguard to catch up, but he realized that the Yellow Turbans, having been chased all over Jizhou by him, must be losing morale. Thus, the Central Army stationed outside Guangzong City, from Lu Zhi, the commander, to the patrolling soldiers, could never have anticipated that the Yellow Turbans would raid their camp on the very first night they fled to Guangzong.

The two teams led by Zhang Liang were not discovered until they were less than five miles away from the central army.

The sound of drums rang out in the central military camp. Zhang Liang's soldiers heard the drums and kept charging back. They lit the torches in their hands, shouted and rushed into the enemy camp, heading straight for food and grass.

Wei Xiaobao and Tang Qin, who were mixed in the team, also found the right moment to hide in the grain stacks. Wei Xiaobao even took the opportunity to grab two handfuls of blood from the dead soldier beside him and smeared it on his face.

Although the central army was not on guard, they did not panic too much and soon drove Zhang Liang's troops out of the camp.

When Zhang Liang was setting the fire and marking the place, he had already seen Wei Xiaobao and the other two hiding in the grain stack. Now that the task was accomplished, he took advantage of the fact that the central army had not yet caught up with them and retreated to Guangzong County with his men.

(End of this chapter)