Wei Xiaobao's Three Kingdoms Adventure

Chapter 92: Opening the Eyes of the Ancients
Wei Xiaobao thought about it all night but couldn't figure out whether it was a trap set by Guo Jia. The next day, when he went to the prefect's residence to discuss matters, he heard the news that Cao Cao had ordered to prepare to attack Lu Bu.

A number of counselors including Xun Yu and generals including Xiahou Dun all agreed. Guo Jia also suggested that Cao Cao borrow troops from Yuan Shao to ensure that Lu Bu was defeated in one fell swoop.

Cao Cao learned the lesson from the last attack on Puyang, and after hearing Guo Jia mention that Yuan Shao had many generals who were good at using siege weapons, he also had the idea of ​​borrowing troops.

Cao Cao said, "After Lü Bu fled Chang'an, he also defected to Yuan Shao and assisted him in defeating the Black Mountain Army, the remnants of the Yellow Turbans. If we borrow troops from him to attack Lü Bu, I'm afraid he won't be willing to help."

Wei Xiaobao thought to himself, "So Lü Bu went to Jizhou first. Fortunately, my godfather didn't agree to let Yuan Shao serve as his official, otherwise my beauty would have fallen into Lü Bu's hands again."

Guo Jia said, "Yuan Shao also sent people to assassinate Lü Bu after he fled, which shows that Yuan Shao had long intended to eliminate Lü Bu. Now Yuan Shao has occupied Dongjun and appointed his subordinate Zang Hong as the prefect. My lord, there is no hope of reclaiming Dongjun now. Why not give Dongjun to Yuan Shao and borrow troops from him?"

Cao Cao nodded and said, "Yuan Shao and I have known each other since childhood, and I cannot turn against him now. I will do as Feng Xiao said. I will write a letter, and Feng Xiao will trouble you to go to Yecheng for this matter."

Wei Xiaobao thought to himself, "You're nostalgic for the old times, but that's simply because you know you can't defeat Yuan Shao, so you can only suffer in silence. This old fellow is so patient, no wonder he's achieved great things."

Guo Jia said, "Feng Xiao recently received news that the emperor might be in Jizhou. I will also go to Yecheng to investigate."

Cao Cao said, "The emperor is in Ji Province, and Yuan Shao will worry about it. The most important thing now is to defeat Lü Bu and recover the lost territory of Yan Province."

Cao Cao then said to Wei Xiaobao, "Sir, I almost injured you when we attacked Puyang last time. This time, please stay in the city and rest."

Wei Xiaobao thought to himself, "I didn't even want to go with you. By the way, are you worried that I'll come up with another clever plan to take Puyang, and that these officials under your command will be completely subjugated by me?"

Wei Xiaobao said, "The injury I sustained in Runan last time hasn't fully healed yet, so I'm recuperating at home."

After the meeting, Guo Jia and Xun Yu took Wei Xiaobao to a secluded place away from the eyes and ears of others.

Guo Jia said, "Sir, while I'm away in Chenliu, you must be careful not to go out, and don't let your family show up. I'll discuss this with you after I return."

Wei Xiaobao thought to himself, "I was just about to take advantage of Cao Cao's attack on Lü Bu to escape and take my wife with me to Xia Pi to seek refuge with my elder brother."

Wei Xiaobao asked, "Why?"

Guo Jia said, "The Lord has arranged for guards to monitor you, sir."

Wei Xiaobao replied, "I understand," and walked away, waving his hands.

On the way home, Wei Xiaobao thought to himself, "Cao Cao has enough food now. After defeating Lu Bu, he will have to attack Xia Pi. If I don't find the jade seal by then, I will have to take Zhang Jue and Shuang'er and flee. If I run again, we can only go to Shouchun. If I steal people's things and take my wife with me, if I fail, I will have no chance to escape. Actually, what Guo Jia said is right. I let Cao Cao take care of my wife for me, so I don't have to worry about it. This old guy is a pervert. I have to be more careful about him. But with Shuang'er and my concubine here, it should be fine."

Wei Xiaobao was worried that Cao Cao's men were monitoring him as Guo Jia said, so he simply stayed in his residence every day and didn't even go out.

Mu Jianping practiced calligraphy with Liu Xie every day, while Shuang'er and Diao Chan supervised Wei Xiaobao to read and learn to read. Although Wei Xiaobao occasionally slacked off, with Diao Chan's threat of a ruler and Shuang'er's kind advice, Wei Xiaobao actually persisted for some time.

Guo Jia's confidant still came to deliver things every now and then, and Wei Xiaobao also got some information from him.

Cao Cao first launched a surprise attack on the southern city of Jiyin County, which was controlled by Lü Bu. Wu Zi, the Jiyin prefect stationed in Dingtao, led his troops to defend the city with all his might. Lü Bu led his troops from Shanyang to rescue them. They met Cao Cao's army at Dingtao and engaged, resulting in a crushing defeat for Lü Bu's army, who retreated back to Shanyang. Later, the battle shifted to Juye in Shanyang County. Cao Cao dispatched troops to besiege Lü Bu's subordinates, Xue Lan and Li Feng. He then sent word of the situation to Lü Bu and ambushed the approaching reinforcements. Ultimately, this siege depleted Lü Bu's main forces and killed Xue Lan, Li Feng, and their men.

Every time Wei Xiaobao heard the battle report from the front, he would spend a long time studying on the map with Liu Xie. Originally, he did this to kill time and avoid Diao Chan and Shuang'er because they didn't want to study. But over time, he found marching and fighting very interesting.

Wei Xiaobao recalled how when Xiao Xuanzi had asked him to encircle and suppress the Wangwu faction, it was Zhao Liangdong who had explained the deployment of troops to him with a pile of books and a basket of copper coins, only then did he complete the task. Now, watching Cao Cao's army march and fight on blueprints, Wei Xiaobao was actually eager to try it out and regretted not following Cao Cao to the front lines.

Some time later, Guo Jia returned to Chenliu from Yecheng. The battle on Cao Cao's side was not over yet. Guo Jia knew that Wei Xiaobao was bored, so he came to keep Wei Xiaobao company every day.

Liu Xie had learned from Wei Xiaobao that Guo Jia already knew his identity as Zhang Jue. Instead, the three of them were honest with each other and spent the whole day studying Cao Cao and Lu Bu's troop deployments on the map, practicing them very well.

On this day, the three of them set up their battle formations on the map as usual. Guo Jia's army had already reached Wei Xiaobao's Puyang City, and Liu Xie's reinforcements had also arrived to support Guo Jia.

Wei Xiaobao spread his hands and said, "The reinforcements have arrived. They are all siege weapons. With a cannon attack, even Shenlong Island has been blown to pieces. How can we defend against you? I give up and surrender."

Guo Jia and Liu Xie asked curiously, "What is a cannon?"

Wei Xiaobao remembered that cannons should have been invented in the Yuan Dynasty. When he was listening to a story in a teahouse, he heard it mentioned in the early Ming Dynasty novel "The Story of Heroes".

Wei Xiaobao then told the stories he had heard about artillery, foreign missionaries such as Nan Huairen and Johann Adam Schall von Bell during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, as well as Emperor Kangxi's casting of the red-coated cannon and his own bombardment of Shenlong Island. He imitated the manner of the gentlemen in the teahouse and told the stories in a rhythmic, vivid and embellished manner. Guo Jia and Liu Xie were stunned and fascinated by what they heard.

Shuang'er brought a plate of fruits, which Guo Jia had brought specially today. After washing them, he presented them.

Shuang'er chuckled when she heard Wei Xiaobao telling the story, thinking to herself, "How amusing it is that this clever little idiot Xiaobao could actually frighten these two important figures into a daze."

It was not until Shuang'er invited them to eat some fruits that Guo Jia and Liu Xie came to their senses.

Guo Jia took a bite of the pear and said, "I never thought that there would be such a magical siege weapon in the future."

Wei Xiaobao took a sip of the wine on the table and asked, "What siege weapons did the Han Dynasty have?"

Guo Jia said, "There are battering rams and fire chariots for attacking the city gates, ladders for helping soldiers climb the city walls, and catapults and catapults for destroying the city walls."

Wei Xiaobao said, "If Cao Cao's marching route is as you expected, he should have captured Puyang by now."

Guo Jia shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it won't be that easy. Siege weapons aren't as portable as the artillery and red-coated cannons of your time. Aside from key components like ropes and rubber bands, they were all assembled on-site by felling trees outside the city. I suspect Chen Gong has already ordered Lü Bu to cut down all the trees outside Puyang. I'm afraid my lord will have to find other ways to break through the city."

Wei Xiaobao remembered that when he led his troops to attack Wangwu Sect, he first ambushed on both sides of the mountain road, preparing to capture the Wangwu Sect members alive, but ended up capturing Balangxing sent by Wu Sangui.

Wei Xiaobao thought of Zeng Rou again, and his heart was filled with emotions. He was in a trance for a while, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He said mysteriously: "I do have a good idea, but I don't know if it's too late."

(End of this chapter)