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

Chapter 344 Yang Xiu: Oh no, that old thief is going to kill me!
Below Huanyuan Pass, on the general's platform, Cao Cao looked at the Yuan army's defensive line, which seemed to be running out of steam time and time again.

Looking at the hidden dangers of chaos emerging in his own army formation due to the assassination attempts, he knew all too well that Yuan Jun's intentions were malicious.

Without further hesitation, he ordered the retreat to begin.

"What's the meaning?
When Guan Yu and Xu Huang went to demand the man, they immediately dispatched troops. But when Wei sent someone to demand the man, not only did they disappear without a trace, but he also ordered me to withdraw my troops.
Didn't I tell the Prime Minister that as long as we launch another offensive, we will surely capture Xiahou and defeat the enemy army?

In the center of the battlefield, Wei Yan, who had just defeated another Yuan army squad that came to Xiahou Dun's rescue and was about to continue the pursuit to take Xiahou Dun's head, heard the sound of the retreat signal and stood there with his sword drawn, feeling bewildered.

The others, including Guan Yu and Xu Huang, who were still engaged in battle, did not know why their troops had sounded the retreat. They knew that the Yuan army had reached its limit and that with a little more effort, they would surely achieve a great victory.

On the battlefield, military orders come first. When you hear the sound of the retreat signal, even if your sword is already at the neck of the enemy commander and you are just one step away from beheading him, you must stop and withdraw your troops.

Because you have no idea that if your own commander's signal to retreat is actually a ploy to spare the enemy commander's life and carry out another plan, your greedy act of striking will ruin the entire scheme.

Fortunately, Guan Yu and his men were seasoned veterans and not without strategy. Although it was a pity to let Cao Cao's army lose their current favorable situation on the battlefield, they did not hesitate any longer since the order had been given.

Immediately, they mustered their forces and reorganized their troops. In an instant, all 100,000 Cao soldiers, large and small, regardless of how fiercely they had fought before, began to reorganize their troops and slowly retreat to disengage from the battlefield.

Within the Han army ranks, beneath the commander's banner, two men dressed as common soldiers were discussing matters.

Yang Hong also heard the sound of Cao Cao's army sounding the retreat, and frowned, saying:

"This is bad. Cao Cao's army is regrouping and preparing to flee."

Lu Xun observed the retreat of Cao Cao's various battle groups and felt sorry for them.

"It's a pity. If this battle could have been dragged out for another half a day, not to mention paralyzing all of Cao Cao's lower-ranking officers, even if only a third of them were killed or wounded, it would have caused them to collapse and fall into chaos, and we could have won in one battle."

It seems that this old scoundrel Cao Cao, who has fought for half his life and achieved what he has today, is no ordinary person. He actually saw through my plan.

Otherwise, if we could defeat Cao Cao in one battle before the teacher arrives, the result would be a tremendous achievement, wouldn't it?
If we seize the opportunity and break through Huanyuan Pass, it will be two tremendous achievements, and my position as a Star Lord this year will be secure.”

"Boyan is indeed worthy of being the King of Han's disciple. His way of leading troops has deeply grasped the essence of our king's wisdom."

With an army of 60,000 against Cao Cao's 100,000, he was still able to devise a plan to win with fewer troops, a move akin to a snake swallowing an elephant, which was no ordinary feat.

"Today, we've already achieved a great victory by repelling Cao Cao's army. We can break through their defenses today, and again tomorrow, and again and again. Eventually, this old scoundrel Cao Cao will be unable to withstand us."

Lu Xun nodded and smiled, then said no more and hurriedly ordered the Han army at the front to stop their performance and fight with all their might.

As soon as his orders were given, the Cao army, which had suffered heavy casualties from the assassination of many low-ranking officers such as Chen Ying and Bao Long, immediately revealed its command failures. During the retreat, various mistakes were made, and the Cao army quickly became entangled with Yuan's army and could not escape.

Fortunately, Cao Cao noticed in time and sounded the retreat before Lu Xun gave the order. When the army was regrouping and retreating, the scene still showed that Cao Cao's army had the upper hand.

Therefore, apart from those lower-ranking officers who suffered heavy losses and were targeted and engaged in fierce battles by Yuan's army, the vast majority of troops took advantage of Cao's army's superior strength and calmly withdrew.

Until this moment, looking at the few thousand-man corps left behind by Yuan Jun's sudden attack, they saw...

Only then did Cao Cao's generals, such as Guan Yu and Wei Yan, suddenly realize that beneath their advantage lay hidden dangers and deadly threats.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that many low-ranking officers in various armies had been assassinated, with all sorts of bizarre causes of death.

There was even a lieutenant general whose cause of death was that his subordinate military commander was persuaded to surrender by Yuan's military commander during a battle.

According to what Yuan Junjun said, the head of a Cao army lieutenant general is worth one mid-level merit.

If he could be brought back, he could rise from a commoner to a noble rank of five levels in the Han Kingdom, be granted fertile land, and be bestowed with gold and silver. From then on, he would have no worries about food and clothing, return home in wealth and honor, and become a person above others.

That Cao army lord had served in Cao's army for most of his life, but not only did he not receive a noble title, the court often delayed paying the wages of his men.

Upon hearing that he had betrayed his own side and taken the head of his subordinate general, he would become a fifth-rank nobleman in the Han Kingdom. How could he not be tempted?

In addition, his brothers were also greedy for wealth and status, and they all advised him against it, so he had no doubts.

At that moment, the two military commanders and the Cao and Yuan armies fighting under their command immediately understood each other and pretended to fight, secretly moving closer to the Cao army's subordinate general.

In the midst of the fierce battle, how could that lieutenant general have imagined that in such a bloody battle where it was either you kill me or I kill you, someone could be persuaded to surrender?

Caught completely off guard, the unfortunate lieutenant looked blankly at the Cao and Yuan armies beside him, who had just been locked in a life-or-death struggle, when suddenly they launched an attack and charged at him simultaneously.

Lieutenant: "???"

No, am I with Cao Cao's army or Yuan Shao's army? Why are both of your forces coming for me?
The lieutenant died on the spot, his eyes wide open in death.

Fortunately, the deputy general noticed the mutiny in time, took control of the army, and quelled the rebellion of the Cao-Yuan alliance; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

At that moment, when the generals of Cao Cao's camp who had been killed or wounded in this battle heard the cause of death of this subordinate general, they all felt a chill run down their spines.

It is conceivable that during the great battle, while engaging in bloody battles, Yuan's army also tried to persuade people to surrender and bewitch them, and this was not the only force involved.

However, this military commander lacked resolve and was a fickle villain like Lü Bu. He was actually swayed and defected while the battle was raging.

The lieutenant was unlucky; he failed to detect and defend himself in time and was killed.

But this is a case of Yuan Jun successfully turning his troops against his side. How many others failed, or were discovered after being turned against their side and were suppressed and eliminated by their superiors?

Thinking further, is it possible that among the military officers, captains, and lieutenants who withdrew from our own forces, some had actually been turned against us by Yuan's army, just like the military officer in the case?

However, they hid themselves even deeper, not immediately turning against Cao Cao, but harboring a deeper scheme, continuing to lie in wait within Cao Cao's army, awaiting even greater achievements.
Even more likely, these lurkers were on the scene, right among them?

The thought was truly terrifying. The generals looked at their colleagues and felt a chill run down their spines.

It seems that some of them, like the Cao army commander in the case, might suddenly turn against them while pretending to fight Yuan's army.

A chill ran down everyone's spine, and they dared not think any further. However, most of them kept their eyes fixed on Wei Yan.

If we were to say who among them is most likely to infiltrate and defect, it would undoubtedly be Wei Yan, given his prior record.

In the past, he was able to betray Liu Biao and assist Cao Cao in order to make contributions and establish his career, thus gaining his current position and control of the Jingzhou army.

Even now, his former superior, Wen Ping, is still imprisoned in Luoyang. If it weren't for Cao Cao valuing his talent and intending to win him over, he would probably have been beheaded along with Liu Biao long ago.

This man is treacherous by nature. He betrayed Liu Biao and Wen Pin once for the sake of establishing merit. Who knows if he wouldn't betray Cao Cao and them for even greater achievements?
Wei Yan: “???”

Seeing the strange looks people were giving him and the distance they were subtly keeping away, Wei Yan was completely baffled.

What do you mean?

If Guan Yu and Xu Huang hadn't diverted our troops first, preventing Cao Cao from sending reinforcements, I would have already killed Xiahou Dun.

Cao Cao, seated high on the main seat, surveyed the entire scene and noticed the growing estrangement and distrust among his generals. He then considered the countless instances of similar suspicion and distrust among his 100,000 troops, from generals to sergeants, centurions, and even ordinary soldiers. Only then did he realize the ruthlessness of Yuan Shao's army.

He now suspects that the Cao army commander who defected at the last minute might have been a plant who had been bribed by Yuan's army and was deliberately trying to sabotage him.
Otherwise, in the midst of fierce battles, with every strike drawing blood and the shouts of battle shaking the heavens and the earth, how could one possibly persuade others to surrender and bewitch them?

Is Yuan Jun's ability to bewitch people truly terrifying?
"Alright, everyone, do not doubt it, this must be Yuan Gonglu."

Cao Cao knew that at this moment, regardless of whether the matter was true or false, whether it was a planted by Yuan's army, or whether there were more Yuan's army spies in his army, he had to characterize the matter as a Yuan army scheme.

He was about to blurt out something to Yuan Gonglu, but then he remembered that Yuan Gonglu hadn't arrived yet.

As everyone knows, Yuan Gonglu is currently busy attacking the State of Qi, and any schemes he devises are aimed at Qi and Lü Bu first.

While it's acceptable to force the blame onto him as the greatest schemer of the Han Dynasty, it still feels somewhat far-fetched and not conducive to calming people's hearts.

Thinking of the intelligence about Yuan's high-ranking officers outside Huanyuan Pass, he immediately continued speaking without changing his expression.

"This must be a scheme devised by Lu Boyan, a student of Yuan Gonglu!"

Cao had long heard that Lu Boyan was Yuan Gonglu's eldest disciple. At such a young age, he had already mastered Yuan's teachings and had the air of Gan Luo, who became prime minister at the age of twelve.

Today's events must have been a covert scheme, orchestrated by someone who bribed our military commander beforehand to stage this defection on the battlefield in an attempt to sow discord among the troops.

Cao Cao laughed loudly to reassure everyone.

"Do not worry, everyone. Since this plan has been seen through, there is a way to break it."

To outwit one's master and surpass one's teacher is still not entirely certain.

As he spoke, he then sought advice from the assembled wise men, asking, "Do any of you gentlemen have a good strategy to offer me?"

Although he asked the question, he stared intently at Yang Xiu, signaling him to respond.

Yang Xiu was adept at understanding people's hearts and knew what Cao Cao wanted at that moment. Just as he was about to show off in front of everyone and had guessed Cao Cao's thoughts, he quickly stepped forward and replied:
"What the Prime Minister says is very true."

What Lu Boyan meant by our army was nothing more than high-ranking official positions, generous salaries, fertile land, noble titles, and a life of wealth and honor.

If Yuan's army can give it, why can't our army give it too?
In the past, Shang Yang's reforms made the Qin state powerful, and the other six states followed suit, with many implementing reforms and their national strength increasing.

The defeat of the six states was not due to the failure of reforms; those who failed to reform died, and the laws themselves fell into chaos.

Yuan Shu followed the Qin system, implementing a twenty-rank military merit system, with titles awarded based on the number of enemy heads taken. As a result, many soldiers fought to the death, while many enemy soldiers surrendered.

Why not learn from Yuan's strengths to counter him?

Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction, and surprisingly got up and walked down, shaking Yang Xiu's hand with delight.

"With Emperor Dezu by my side, what do I have to fear from Yuan Shu?"

As Dezu said, we can also implement a merit-based system in our army, and the conditions I have offered are twice those of Yuan Shu's!
If a soldier earns half the merit of the head of a soldier in Yuan's army during battle, he can be promoted to a higher rank in our army.

In our army, the benefits and rewards corresponding to each rank of nobility are twice that of Yuan's army.

The matter was then entrusted to Emperor Dezu to draft a memorial, which was immediately sent to Luoyang to report to the Emperor.

From this day forward, military merits based on the number of enemy heads taken shall be tallied according to this standard. Upon the arrival of the Emperor's decree, the three armies will accumulate merits and be granted titles and ranks to be bestowed upon the entire realm, thus demonstrating the wisdom of the Han Emperor.

Upon hearing this, the generals were overjoyed. They never expected that the Prime Minister, provoked by Yuan's army, would offer such a benefit to the entire army.
As the saying goes, "A great reward will surely attract brave men." With such a reward, wouldn't it be as easy as turning one's hand to defeat Yuan's army outside the pass?
As for the speculations and doubts just now, such as being persuaded to surrender and go into hiding by Yuan's army, that's just a joke!

Even if there are indeed a large number of spies in the military, these fickle and opportunistic individuals driven by self-interest will only be driven by even greater interests.

When Cao Cao's army offered twice the terms of Yuan Shao's army, it was easy to imagine that Cao Cao's army would be united and its morale would soar to unprecedented heights.

The generals present seemed to already envision the scene of a crushing defeat of Yuan Shao's army, followed by their collective promotion and ennoblement. Their excitement was barely contained, and they hurriedly bowed to Cao Cao, saying:
"We thank the Emperor for his great favor and the Prime Minister for his generous gifts."

Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!
Long live the Prime Minister!

Cao Cao was also pleased with the scene and laughed heartily, looking up at the sky.

After laughing, he took Yang Xiu's hand and said to him:
"Today, thanks to Emperor Dezu, we have broken Yuan's schemes and united our three armies. Defeating Yuan will be just a matter of days."

"One should not trouble two masters with one matter. Since this plan was devised by Emperor Dezu, the rest is entrusted to you. Informing the entire army and compiling the military achievements are all your responsibility."

He gave instructions, then suddenly his expression turned serious, and he gave further instructions.

"I trust you, which is why I have entrusted you with such an important matter. You should do your best and not let me down."

"You must be fair and impartial. If you dare to engage in favoritism, corruption, or embezzle soldiers' merits, don't blame me for being ruthless and holding you accountable."

Yang Xiu: "."

No, this is very wrong.

He was sweating profusely at this point.

Although Cao Cao looked at him with kindness, held his hand, and gave him instructions with a smile, as if he regarded him as a confidant.

But Yang Xiu knew that he was not one of Cao Cao's confidants at all!

Can you imagine that just two days ago, someone suddenly launched an attack, coldly asking themselves:
[Is Yuan Shu's nephew someone who has connections with Yuan?]

Today, I can be entrusted with such an important matter.

You must know that once the news of this strategic advice coming from yourself, and the subsequent task of compiling statistics on the number of enemy heads and military achievements, is passed on to the entire army, it will be clear that you have been in charge of it.

Yang Dezu's prestige among Cao Cao's 100,000 troops will likely be at its zenith.

Damn it, is this old thief trying to kill me?
At this moment, Yang Xiu wished he could slap himself. What had he been showing off? He had gotten himself into trouble.

[Using a clever tactic to outwit the master, surpassing the master's skill.]

Cao Cao has given such an obvious hint. Are you the only one here who can guess Cao Cao's thoughts, and everyone else are just stupid fools who can't understand the hidden meaning?
Obviously not.

But he foolishly stepped forward to answer the question and guessed the self-evident answer Cao Cao was asking.

But things had already come to this point, and Cao Cao was holding his hand tightly, afraid that he would run away, so how could he refuse?
Yang Xiu gave a wry smile and bowed deeply.

"I will certainly live up to the Prime Minister's expectations."

(End of this chapter)