Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 40 Taking the first step into Yanzhou!
Dongwuyang is only about fifty miles away from Cangtingjin.

Cao Cao led his cavalry ahead and reached the north bank of Cangtingjin in just half a day.

After arriving at the ferry, the soldiers began to get busy preparing to cross the river.

Zhao Yun and Xiahou Lan, on the other hand, seized every spare moment to intensify their training.

Three thousand cavalrymen moved back and forth, circled, and charged across the open ground, raising clouds of dust.

"Zilong, do you think there are any flaws in this formation?" Xiahou Lan reined in his horse and stopped at the foot of a slope.

Before Zhao Yun could reply,
Xiahou Yuan, who had been standing on the slope watching for a while, couldn't help but burst out laughing:
"Captain Zhao, did you learn this tactic from Gongsun Zan? The White Horse Volunteers and the Youzhou Cavalry's methods might not work in the Central Plains."

In Xiahou Yuan's opinion, the movements of these cavalrymen were a bit too flashy.

What are the advantages of cavalry?
Of course it’s speed and impact!

When you encounter an enemy, just speed up and charge forward with all your strength. Why do you need all these messy tricks?

Perhaps he was jealous of Zhao Yun, who was so young yet could lead an army alone.
Or perhaps he was unhappy, so Cao Yan did not give the cavalry to him but gave it to Zhao Yun.

Anyway, Xiahou Yuan always likes to find fault with Zhao Yun and pick on his flaws these days.

Zhao Yun originally didn't want to create any rift with his colleagues, so he had been tolerant.

But today Xiahou Yuan openly said that his cavalry tactics might not work, so Zhao Yun had to step forward.

At least he has to shut up, otherwise his constant chatter will not only affect the morale of the troops but also their mood.

Zhao Yun stopped at the hillside and called out to Xiahou Yuan, who was standing on the hillside: "General Xiahou, would you be willing to give me some advice?"

Xiahou Yuan's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he thought to himself, "Meng De told me not to start a fight, but you've brought it upon yourself!"

Then he picked up his bronze sparrow sword, jumped down the hillside, mounted his warhorse and said, "I've long wanted to experience Captain Zhao's silver spear!"

Upon hearing that the two cavalry commanders were going to duel, Cao's soldiers came to watch.

Xiahou Yuan and Zhao Yun faced off in the center of the field.

Xiahou Yuan's bronze sparrow sword shone with a cold light in the sunlight.

Zhao Yun lightly shook the bright silver spear in his hand, and seven spear flowers suddenly emitted bursts of cold light.

"Flashy but not practical!" Xiahou Yuan felt disdainful when he saw this.

Zhao Yun gestured for permission and said, "General Xiahou, please come in!"

"Watch out for the knife!" Xiahou Yuan shouted, and the warhorse under his crotch accelerated to full speed, and the Bronze Sparrow Knife in his hand chopped down at Zhao Yun's head!

The bronze sparrow sword slashed with a force that could split mountains and crack rocks.
Zhao Yun did not retreat but advanced.

The tip of the spear slid into the inner circle along the blade, and the tassel of the spear just brushed Xiahou Yuan's throat!

The two men passed each other on horseback, separated at the first touch, then turned their horses around and fought again.

The sound of metal hitting stone was as frequent as a sudden rain, but Xiahou Yuan became more and more frightened as the fight went on.

He originally thought that he would be able to force Zhao Yun to reveal his weakness within ten rounds, but Zhao Yun's spear skills were as fast as an antelope hanging from a horn and as lightening!

Every time he changed his tactics, the opponent's gun tip would be exactly on his attack route, blocking all his attack angles as if he had predicted it.

The battle lasted thirty rounds.

With a crisp "clang" sound, the bright silver spear and the bronze sparrow sword collided again.

This time, the Bronze Sparrow Sword was actually blown into the air by the spear tip!

Xiahou Yuan's jaws shook violently, and his entire arm trembled slightly.

With red eyes, he tried to grab the sword at his waist, but Zhao Yun pressed the butt of his spear against his throat: "General Xiahou, thank you for letting me go."

Outside the battlefield, Cao's soldiers were in complete silence.

It's only been thirty rounds.

Xiahou Yuan, who was always known for his bravery in Cao's camp, was defeated just like that! Cao Cao naturally saw what was happening here.

But he did not stop it in advance, but watched the show while eating millet cakes.

Cao Yan praised Zhao Yun's bravery in front of him many times, but after all, he had never seen it with his own eyes, so Cao still had some doubts in his heart.

Cao Cao was overjoyed to finally see this. "Even though Miaocai underestimated the enemy, Zilong clearly had some strength left. He's so brave at such a young age. His future is limitless!"

On the battlefield,
Xiahou Yuan sighed deeply, released his right hand from the sword, and then clasped his fists and said, "General Zhao, your spearmanship is magnificent. I admit defeat!"

Zhao Yun quickly put away his spear, clasped his fists and returned the greeting, saying, "General Xiahou simply underestimated the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yuan smiled heartily and said, "In martial arts competitions, victory and defeat are commonplace in the military! Now I have finally witnessed General Zhao's bravery; it is truly extraordinary!"

"General, you are so kind!"

Cao Cao then came up and shouted, "The ferry is here, everyone cross the river as quickly as possible!"

Xiahou Yuan waved his hand and shouted, "Let's go!!"

It seemed that losing a duel did not affect his mood at all.

After the army crossed the Yellow River, Cao Cao summoned everyone to the central military tent to discuss matters.

Pointing to the map hanging on the shelf, Cao Cao said, "Cangting Ferry is the throat of the northbound Dongjun. If the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou can break through this pass, they can march straight into Dongjun and form a link with the Black Mountain Army."

Then, he pointed his finger at Puyang and said with emotion:

"When Zi'an asked me to abandon Puyang and relocate the capital to Dongwuyang, I didn't quite understand. Now it seems that he was indeed foresighted!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in affirmation.

Cao Cao then added, "Liu Dai has been killed in battle for several days. Bao Xin only has 8,000 men and I'm afraid he won't be able to hold out for much longer. I intend to lead my army to investigate the Yellow Turbans' strength and, ideally, to crush them with a single blow."

After Cao Cao finished speaking, Xi Zhicai dissuaded him, saying, "My lord, Sima Ju was able to plot an ambush and kill Liu Dai, so he must be a knowledgeable military officer. It would be far too dangerous for you to go and investigate the enemy situation yourself."

Cao Cao wanted to argue again, but suddenly remembered what his brother Cao Yan had told him to remember before he left: "Don't take risks alone!!"

Cao Cao was suddenly startled and thought to himself, "Zi'an seems to be able to predict the enemy's moves first. I must take his words seriously..."

Thinking of this, Cao Cao gave up his idea of ​​going to investigate the enemy himself and asked, "Who is willing to go and investigate the Yellow Turbans?"

"My lord! I request your order to investigate the strength of the Yellow Turbans!" Zhao Yun was the first to stand up and ask for orders.

Xiahou Yuan, unwilling to be outdone, stood up, the clanging of armor piercing the ears inside the tent. "I am willing to go!"

One of them was wearing silver armor, and the other was wearing black armor, which formed an extremely strong contrast at this moment.

Zhao Yun continued, "When I was in the north, I was the scout captain. I am very familiar with gathering information about the enemy."

Cao Cao glanced at Zhao Yun and Xiahou Yuan, then made a decision: "Zilong, lead three hundred light cavalry to investigate. Be sure to ensure your own safety."

"I obey your command!" Zhao Yun saluted with his fists and turned to leave the tent.

After Zhao Yun had gone far away, Xiahou Yuan finally said, "Brother, this is Zilong's first time leading an army. Is this mission too dangerous?"

"Zilong has extraordinary potential. He only needs experience and will become a great man in the future!" Cao Cao replied with a smile, then asked curiously, "You just lost to him in a duel not long ago. Why are you worried about him now?"

Xiahou Yuan replied, "It's just a sparring match. Winning and losing are commonplace. Zilong and I are heroes who appreciate heroes, and we're colleagues. Isn't it normal for me to worry about him?"

"Good! This is my great talent!" Cao Cao couldn't help but give Xiahou Yuan a thumbs up.

Xiahou Yuan was a man of strong character and bravery, and he valued friendship and loyalty.

When Cao Cao was young, he committed a crime, and Xiahou Yuan took the blame for him and went to jail without saying a word.

During the famine, Xiahou Yuan gave up raising his own son and chose to raise his deceased brother's orphan daughter.

Cao Cao really didn't want Xiahou Yuan to have any rifts with other generals from other families, because this could very likely develop into a confrontation between factions.

Fortunately, Xiahou Yuan is still the same Xiahou Yuan, very straightforward and thick-skinned, so Cao Cao feels much more relieved.

(End of this chapter)