Wei Xiaobao's Three Kingdoms Adventure

Chapter 94: Formations, Stratagems, and Weapons
Early the next morning, Cao Cao, Dian Wei and Xu Zhu led a thousand soldiers holding sickles and carrying bags to the city of Puyang.

Lu Bu and Chen Gong on the city wall discovered that Cao Cao was collecting grain under the city, and hurriedly ordered the archers to shoot.

Cao's army was well prepared. They had large bags filled with caltrops. When they saw the enemy shooting arrows, they squatted behind the bags.

After Lu Bu's army fired a round of arrows, the soldiers on Cao Cao's side stood up and started cutting millet again.

While Lu Bu was shooting arrows, Cao's army was hiding behind their pockets.

The day passed like this, and Cao Cao did not receive much food. Instead, Lu Bu wasted a lot of arrows and did not hurt many of Cao's soldiers.

That night, Cao Cao's army was discussing matters and everyone burst into laughter when they talked about Lu Bu's furious look on the city wall during the day.

Cao Cao was worried that Lu Bu would attack at night, so he arranged for Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan to patrol at night before letting everyone disperse.

Nothing happened during the night, and at dawn the situation was the same as yesterday, except that Lu Bu no longer ordered the archers to shoot, but stood on the city wall and observed quietly.

The next day, on the ridge of a field outside Puyang City.

Cao Cao said to Dian Wei and Xu Zhu, "Lü Bu is leaving the city today. Don't fight him later. As soon as Lü Bu's cavalry emerges, we will retreat to the pontoon bridge. I'm sure Lü Bu won't dare pursue us any further. Pass the word down that the caltrops cannot be used today."

When Dian Wei and Xu Zhu came back, Lu Bu led his cavalry out of the city just as Cao Cao had expected.

Wei Xiaobao and Guo Jia were watching from the watchtower. Seeing Lü Bu leave the city, Guo Jia's heart tightened and he asked, "Sir, is the lord in danger?"

Wei Xiaobao asked back, "Do you want to know what the gentleman in the teahouse said? Or do you want to know what I think?"

Guo Jia asked, "What's the difference?"

Wei Xiaobao said, "The gentleman in the teahouse never mentioned this, or I wasn't there when he said it."

Guo Jia looked a little embarrassed.

Wei Xiaobao added, "I don't think there will be any danger today. Lü Bu has no real intention of pursuing Cao Cao, and the cavalry he led out of the city didn't even have a hundred men."

Guo Jia nodded and said, "As expected, I was so concerned that I didn't even notice it."

Horse hooves raised dust outside Puyang City, and in the farmlands behind the military camp, there was even more fog and dust mixed together.

Lu Bu stopped in front of the Pu River Floating Bridge, looked around and then returned to the city.

Lü Bu chased him, and Cao Cao ran away. Lü Bu returned to the city, and Cao Cao took his soldiers to harvest millet.

This went on and on for another day.

On the third day, in the farmland outside Puyang City.

Cao Cao said to Dian Wei and Xu Zhu, "Lü Bu made several attempts yesterday, and he saw that the millet on the south bank had been largely harvested. He must be ready to strike today. Pass the order down. Have the soldiers carry their sacks upside down on their backs, holding the openings in their hands. Once we cross the pontoon bridge, I'll give the order and everyone will dump all the caltrops on the road."

After everything was settled, Cao Cao's thousand elite soldiers began to pretend to cut millet, holding the bag in one hand and waving the sickle with the other.

When the sun was high in the sky and the figures under his feet were almost invisible, Dian Wei said, "My lord, we have been holding the bag for a while and our hands are exhausted."

Cao Cao said, "Give the order to rest."

As Cao's army sat down, the gates of Puyang City opened and deafening shouts of killing were heard.

Cao Cao hurriedly ordered: "Retreat!"

Dian Wei and Xu Zhu protected Cao Cao and ran in front.

Although Cao Cao's thousand men were not far from the Pu River, two legs couldn't outrun four. Fortunately, they were all elite soldiers, and although they didn't have time to reach the bridge, they bravely crossed the river. As soon as Cao Cao crossed the bridge, he ordered the caltrops to be thrown.

These caltrops were prepared after the last defeat in Puyang, and they are all forged from fine steel.

Lu Bu's cavalry was careless for a moment, and the row of horses in the front stepped on the caltrops and were injured.

Lu Bu ordered the cavalry to be careful and evade, but because of this delay, Cao Cao had already run far away.

After passing through the caltrop formation, Lu Bu's cavalry galloped in pursuit. Just as they were about to catch up, Cao's soldiers suddenly pushed out dozens of rows of chevaux de frise from both sides to block their way.

Lu Bu suddenly felt that something was wrong. Before he could order a retreat, arrows rained down from the sky.

Cao Cao was riding on horseback behind the chevaux-de-frise formation, watching Lu Bu's cavalrymen constantly waving their weapons to block the arrows. In a short while, both the men and their horses fell down.

Cao Cao laughed heartily and shouted at Lü Bu, "My little bastard Lü Bu, today I will make sure you never return!"

Lü Bu was startled and turned his horse around and ran away.

Cao Cao waved the whip in his hand, and dozens of whistling arrows flew into the air behind him.

Lü Bu had fought the Xiongnu on the frontier for many years and knew that the whistling arrows were the instruments used by the Xiongnu army for communication. He immediately shouted, "Oh no! I'm afraid we've been ambushed by Cao Cao!"

Before he could finish his words, ambush troops emerged from the Pu River Canal, and the generals in front of the battle were none other than Xiahou Dun and his four men.

Lu Bu wanted to turn around and fight Cao Cao to the death, but Dian Wei and Xu Zhu had already arrived behind him.

Six generals led their troops to besiege Lü Bu.

Only after his cavalrymen risked their lives to rescue him did Lu Bu abandon his armor and flee in panic.

Cao Cao led his troops to attack Puyang, and the whereabouts of Chen Gong and Zhang Miao were unknown.

Cao Cao was furious and ordered his men to pursue Lu Bu, Chen Gong and the others. In the end, he only caught up with Zhang Miao's brother Zhang Chao and members of the Zhang family near Dongjun.

Cao Cao ordered the execution of Zhang Chao and his clansmen, but also gained an unexpected benefit.

When Zhang Chao was besieged by Cao Cao, he asked for help from his good friend Zang Hong, the prefect of Dongjun.

However, Yuan Shao ordered Zang Hong not to clash with Cao's army, so Zang Hong broke with Yuan Shao.

Although Cao Cao did not take back Dongjun, he accidentally destroyed Yuan Shao's strength and happily returned to Chenliu.

Cao Cao's series of troop deployments and military strategies for attacking Puyang opened Wei Xiaobao's eyes.

On the way back, Wei Xiaobao was bored and started to speculate in his mind: "Compared to Cao Cao and Wu Sangui, who is more skilled in fighting? If Xiao Xuanzi came to fight Lu Bu, would he have so many strategies? But Xiao Xuanzi has great generals like Zhao Liangdong, and the navy also has Shi Lang. I'm afraid that even Cao Cao and Sun Quan combined may not be able to defeat Xiao Xuanzi. After all, the Shenwu cannons have thrown everything into chaos. It seems that fighting a war requires good weapons. If it weren't for the chevaux de frise and caltrops today, Cao Cao wouldn't have won so easily."

After Cao Cao returned triumphantly, he sent some food and fodder to Yuan Shao's reinforcements as a thank you, and rewarded the soldiers according to their merits. Even Wei Xiaobao was given some silk.

After Cao Cao turned around, Wei Xiaobao quietly asked Guo Jia, "What did you tell him?"

Guo Jia said, "I will tell my lord that I have sent people to bring the emperor back to Chenliu."

Wei Xiaobao asked, "Such a big thing, doesn't he have any doubts at all?"

Guo Jia said, "I told my lord that Ju Su and Guo Tu and Chun Yuqiong were at loggerheads over whether to welcome the emperor, causing unrest in Yuan Shao's camp. That's why they secretly brought the emperor back to Chenliu."

Wei Xiaobao cursed in his heart, "Damn it! You even deceived your own master!"

(End of this chapter)