Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 207 Tonight's battle will break the backbone of Jingzhou!
what?
He did it on purpose!

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, but then they suddenly understood.

Yes, now everything makes sense. It turns out he did it on purpose!

No wonder General Xing's horse never stumbles, but at this crucial moment, it caused him to lose his footing and fall from his horse.

No wonder General Xing, despite having heard Sun Quan's warning that Yuan Shu's army might be lying in ambush nearby, still insisted on leading his troops into battle, resulting in an immediate defeat.

Could it be that General Xing Daorong, on whom the nine commanderies of Jingxiang placed high hopes, was a good-for-nothing who would be captured as soon as he stepped out of his house?
Could it be that Xing Daorong, the last general of Jingzhou, was ignorant of military strategy and tactics, and thus fell into an ambush and suffered defeat even after being reminded by someone?

However, if we say that all of this was originally part of Xing Daorong's calculations and plans, then it all makes sense.

Inside the main hall, Xing Daorong stood solemnly and calmly, observing that everyone looked thoughtful, clearly believing his words to some extent.

He quickly seized the opportunity and offered a confident explanation.

"That's right, I did it on purpose."

As you all have guessed, Xing deliberately allowed himself to be captured by Yuan's army.

Upon hearing this, everyone hesitated and remained unsure, so Cai Mao quickly asked him why.

"General Xing, why are you doing this? Why would you deliberately allow yourself to be captured by Yuan's army?"

On the way back, Xing Daorong had already prepared his explanation. He answered calmly without changing his expression.

"Just now I led ten thousand troops to launch a surprise attack on Yuan's vanguard of three thousand men. I did not expect Yuan's army to be so strong. I knew that they were no match for the Jingzhou soldiers who had not been in battle for a long time."

Seeing that we could not quickly defeat their vanguard, and that Yuan's army was strong, we, with 70,000 troops, defended this city.

I fear they will be unable to withstand the onslaught of Yuan's army. Even if they are lucky enough to win, they will suffer heavy casualties, which may be exploited by other warlords.

Therefore, Rong devised a plan. He deliberately feigned weakness and, while fighting against the Little Conqueror Yuan Ce, pretended to stumble and be captured so that he could be seen by the traitor Yuan.

Upon arriving at the central command tent, I uttered my name, startling him. Even that traitor Yuan knew of my reputation, saying to me, "If Shu had a son like General Xing, what more could he ask for!"

When Xing Daorong said this, everyone present was shocked. "What? That traitor Yuan actually wants to take you as his adopted son?"

"Exactly!"

Xing Daorong spoke with righteous indignation and a sense of justice, saying, "I, Xing, will not hesitate to accept him as my godfather."

He was overjoyed and promised to let me return. He asked me to light a fire that night as a signal so that we could work together from the inside and outside to open the city gates and have the whole prefecture surrender.

If this matter is successful, he will agree to give his daughter to me in marriage, and I will become his son-in-law.

Mr. Xing readily agreed, which is why he was able to return here to see you all again.

As soon as the whole story was told, the entire audience erupted in uproar and discussion.

"What! Xing Daorong, since you've already acknowledged that traitor Yuan as your adoptive father, how dare you come back and spout such nonsense? Do you think Jingzhou has no one to rely on?"

"Very well, very well, you betrayed your master for personal gain, Xing Daorong, we never expected you to be this kind of person."

"You dare to so brazenly surrender the entire prefecture to Yuan in exchange for the wealth and status of your son-in-law?"

Fortunately, Kuai Yue was present and immediately interrupted their random discussions and accusations, loudly rebuking them.

Stop talking nonsense!

Think about it carefully. If General Xing really wanted to become that traitor Yuan's adopted son-in-law, he could have done it secretly, with inside help. Why would he need to say it out loud?

His words silenced everyone, and he then looked at Xing Daorong, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"General Xing, if I'm not mistaken, you did this on purpose, so that you could use the fire as a signal tonight to lure Yuan's troops into an ambush?"
Previously, General Cai Mao always said that you had many plans and schemes on how to deal with Yuan's army, but I only thought of you as a military man and did not take it seriously.

Today, I am amazed that he could devise such a plan: to feign capture, surrender, and defect to the enemy, pretending to cooperate from within and without, while in reality he was lying in ambush with a large army to wipe out the traitor Yuan in one fell swoop.

General Xing is also a rare and invaluable strategist. With you in Jingnan, our lord can rest easy in Xiangyang.

"Mr. Kuai is indeed worthy of being our lord's strategist; he saw through Xing's plan at a glance."

It can be said that Xing Daorong's plan at this moment is indeed as he originally thought. Although this plan was not his original idea, he had no other choice but to follow it step by step to this point.

Without this reason for collusion from within and without, he would have no value and would not be able to leave Yuan's camp alive.

Without a reason to ambush Yuan's army, he couldn't explain how he escaped, and therefore couldn't leave the council hall alive.

As for whether it's a coordinated attack from within or without, or a feigned surrender, we'll have to wait and see tonight to see the outcome.

If Yuan's offensive is difficult to withstand, then he is Xing Daorong, Yuan Gong's adopted son.

If the ambush is a great victory and Yuan's army is routed and flees, he will be the Lingling General Xing Daorong who saves the day and protects Jingzhou!
Xing's plan is enough to ensure his invincibility.

However, just as he was feeling smug, seeing that everyone believed his lies, Sun Quan stepped out from the crowd and said to Kuai Yue:
"Sir, do not trust him too easily."

I know Yuan Gonglu's cunning well; he will never let people leave easily.

Although General Xing has now revealed everything, who knows that he has already surrendered to Yuan and become his adopted son-in-law?

What he's saying now is nothing more than a deliberate attempt to gain our trust, preparing a signal for his attack from within and without.

Upon hearing this, Kuai Yue frowned in deep thought, "What Zhongmou said is indeed something we must be wary of."

Before he could finish speaking, Xing Daorong's expression changed drastically. "You brat, if I had surrendered to Yuan, the first thing I would have done upon returning today would have been to kill you on Yuan's orders. So why are you standing here now, acting so aggressively?"

Do you know that the only instruction Yuan gave me before he left was to kill you as soon as he returned to the city?

Seeing your cautious and resourceful nature today, it's no wonder that Yuan Shikai is so wary of you.

However, Xing's plan will defeat Yuan in one fell swoop, and that will happen tonight!

Rong has done everything in his power to persuade you. If you trust me, then come and join me in this ambush. If you don't trust me, then take my head if you wish.

Seeing Xing Daorong's impassioned and righteous speech, no one dared to say anything more. However, Kuai Yue offered a word of comfort to Sun Quan.

"Now that things have come to this, Yuan Jun's momentum is unstoppable. If we do not follow General Xing's plan and resort to risky and unconventional tactics, we may find it difficult to defeat the enemy."

"Zhongmou, rest assured. We will carry out the ambush together with him. We will have men keep an eye on his every move, and even if he harbors malicious intentions, we will never give him the chance."

As Kuai Yue spoke, he looked at Xing Daorong and said, "General Xing, you haven't been cleared of suspicion of colluding with Yuan Shikai yet. You shouldn't mind, right?"

If Yuan's army does indeed follow your plan tonight and is ambushed in the city, then the suspicion will naturally be cleared, and at the victory banquet, I will again offer you wine and apologize.”

Xing Daorong hadn't planned to cause any trouble, and being upright, he agreed to the matter without batting an eye.

This situation only fueled Sun Quan's suspicions. Having spent a long time in Yuan Shu's camp and often heard his elder brother complain, he was the person in the area who knew Yuan Shu the most.

In his opinion, if Xing Daorong did not sincerely surrender to Yuan, how could Yuan Shu, with his control, possibly let him escape?
But if Xing Daorong was secretly colluding with Yuan, how could he dare to do it so openly, allowing Kuai Yue to arrange surveillance, acting as if he had a clear conscience?

But things have come to this point. The people of Jingzhou are already overwhelmed by Yuan Shu's overwhelming ferocity. How can they possibly hold back when they hear Xing Daorong's brilliant plan to defeat Yuan Shu in one night?
Moreover, as long as they keep a close eye on Xing Daorong, who is suspected of being a suspect, they can handle the ambush themselves. Even if Xing Daorong does indeed harbor ulterior motives, they will only have set up a trap and laid an ambush in the city. Even if it fails, what harm could it possibly cause?

Faced with this situation, Sun Quan was of low status and his words carried little weight. Even Kuai Yue did not heed his advice, so no matter how much he said, he could hardly change the overall situation.

In the end, he proposed to Liu Pan that if everyone followed Xing Daorong's plan, he would take precautions and deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

Liu Pan also thought that having an extra precaution wouldn't hurt, so he granted Sun Quan five thousand troops to advance.

It was the dead of night, outside Quanling City.

Yuan Shu led his army swiftly, their hands clenched, and lay in ambush outside the city, waiting for the opportune moment.

Under the moonlight, Sun Ce looked at the city walls, which were completely dark, and couldn't help but ask why.

"Father, will Xing Daorong follow the plan and open the city gates?"

Yuan Shu waved his hand dismissively, "It would be best if things went well. Even if Xing Daorong refuses to set fire to the city and open the gates, we won't suffer any losses."

In fact, the plan had already succeeded after Xing Daorong returned to Quanling City.

After all, nothing would be more beneficial for us to capture Lingling than letting Xing Daorong return to be their commander.

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce recalled Xing Daorong's tactics during their several encounters and couldn't help but sigh, rubbing his forehead.

Father is right. Capturing or killing a commander like Xing Daorong would be like eliminating a scourge for Liu Biao of Jingzhou.

Not long after, as the father and son were talking, they saw a man on the city wall of Lingling raise a torch three times, which was the secret signal they had agreed upon with Xing Daorong.

Yuan Shu no longer hesitated and led his army closer, but kept his distance from the arrows fired from the city walls, waiting patiently.

He knew that if his prediction was correct, an ambush had already been set up in Quanling City, and it was definitely not his side that was in a hurry at the moment.

Hunters who have set up traps are more anxious than the prey when they see it stop outside the trap and not move forward.

On the contrary, if he acted more cautiously at this time, as if he did not completely trust Xing Daorong and was suspicious in his heart, it would make him seem more like the true reaction of the prey, so that the people in the city would not suspect anything.

After all, he had become suspicious of the prey, and the people in the city were naturally thinking about how to gain his trust so that he would quickly jump into the trap.

How could they possibly doubt him, this weak, pitiful, and helpless little prey who was even worried about being deceived and harmed by Xing Daorong?
As expected, the sudden stop of Yuan Jun's troops caused an uproar among the people of Quanling City.

Cai Mao asked anxiously, "What should we do? Why aren't they moving forward? Should we open the city gates to show our sincerity?"

Kuai Yue glared at him, annoyed. "Since Yuan Gonglu obtained the imperial seal, he has become cautious and suspicious. Things are going too smoothly now, so it's understandable that he's suspicious."

If you were to suddenly open the city gates wide for no reason, in the darkness of night, with the gates wide open and silent, who would dare to enter?

Cai Mao was speechless after being confronted, and for a moment he didn't know how to refute it, so he only asked:
"What should we do now? If he doesn't come, how can we carry out the ambush?"

Xing Daorong, who didn't want to be watched and guarded by everyone, chuckled softly.

"If you ask me, this is an easy matter."

Yuan's suspicions arose because no one believed him.

I promised him that the first thing I would do after returning to the city was to cut off Sun Quan's head to vent his hatred.

If Mr. Kuai were to cut off Sun Quan's head and throw it out, Yuan Shao would surely believe us.

As he spoke, he looked at Kuai Yue and Sun Quan with a playful gaze. Although this was his own plan tonight, as long as he successfully ambushed Yuan's army, Xing Daorong would clear his name and become a great hero who saved Jingzhou.

But he really didn't expect that everyone would be so wary of him just in case.

What about trust between people? I rendered meritorious service to Jingzhou! Is this how you guard against General Xing, who proposed the plan to destroy Yuan in one fell swoop?

Of course, it was impossible for Kuai Yue to throw Sun Quan's head out. After a moment's thought, he gave Xing Daorong a deep look and a smile appeared on his lips.

"General Xing, the time has come to prove your loyalty to Jingzhou."

Immediately afterwards, General Xing, who was secretly being pointed at by countless crossbowmen, personally went up to the city wall and lit a fire.

In the darkness, the glow of the torch illuminated his face. As he personally raised the torch to signal to Yuan's army that they were on the safe side and to proceed according to plan, the gates of Quanling City slowly opened.

Gazing at the dark and deep city gate before him, which seemed like a giant beast opening its gaping maw to devour its prey, Yuan Shu's eyes were cold and unwavering.

Then let's give it a try. Tonight, we'll see who's lying in wait and who's the real prey. In the end, we'll have to see who makes the final move.

"Where is my son, Bo Fu?"

"The strategy is here!"

"I now order you and Xu Chu to each lead three hundred Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and three hundred Black Armored Soldiers into the city."

After entering the city, they first cleared out the crossbowmen lying in ambush, disrupting the enemy's formation.

As for the other generals in the city, the rest are of little importance, but Liu Pan must be captured and killed without fail.

According to the intelligence revealed by Xing Daorong when he was captured during the day, he is currently the only remaining general in Quanling City.

Aside from Xing Daorong and Sun Quan, who were both incompetent, Cai Mao was in charge of the navy, and only Liu Pan had the ability to lead troops.

In tonight's battle, Quanling City fell, and tens of thousands of Jingzhou soldiers perished. Regardless of whether Xing Daorong lives or dies, he can no longer serve as the commander-in-chief of the army.

Once Liu Pan is captured and killed, and Wen Ping and the others are delayed in Jiangxia by Zhang Xun, then Liu Biao will have no other generals to use besides Sun Quan!

Sun Ce and Xu Chu immediately accepted the order, saying, "Yes, sir!"

Seeing the two of them lead their troops away, Yuan Shu gave another order.

Where are Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Huang Gai?

The three replied in unison, "Your subordinate is here!"

"I order the three of you to each lead three thousand elite troops, enter the city in three separate missions, and make sure to capture this gate and bring it under our control."

"We will certainly not disappoint Mr. Yuan's high expectations."

The three men withdrew, and Yuan Shu gave another order: "Where is Zhou Tai?!"

Zhou Tai stepped forward from Yuan Shu's side, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Zhou Tai is here!"

"I order you to lead 20,000 troops to launch a surprise attack on the north gate. After you break through the gate, come to our aid immediately and join forces with my main force to attack the enemy forces at this gate from both sides."

"Thai obeys!"

Seeing that all the generals had been properly instructed, Yuan Shu smiled and looked at the dashing man beside him, who was wearing a feather fan and a turban.

"Tonight, I thank you, Gongjin, for your efforts in directing the remaining 30,000 troops to hold back the enemy forces in the city. Once General Zhou breaches the city, we can coordinate an attack from within and without to break the backbone of Jingzhou in one battle."

(End of this chapter)