The Three Kingdoms: The entire Cao Cao camp thought I was weak and frail.

Previously, I had only heard of the story of how my lord cried and claimed to Yuan Shao that he had tricked his way into the position of governor of Dongjun. Today, I have witnessed it with my own eyes, and it is indeed true that his reputation is well-deserved.

Xun Hao thought to himself: I used to only read about Liu Bei's skill in social maneuvering in books, but now it seems that my Boss Cao is also exceptionally talented in acting.

If they were born in modern times, these two would probably fight tooth and nail for that little golden statuette.

"What? Do you think I'm heartless?" Xun Hao turned his head slightly and looked at Guo Jia.

"All warfare is based on deception. Zilong is a tiger general of our time. To release him back to Youzhou would be a waste of his talent." Although Guo Jia couldn't shake off his jealousy of Zhao Yun for the time being, he still gave an objective assessment.

"Let's go. It's time for us, the subjects, to share the burdens of our lord." Xun Hao suppressed his thoughts and followed the others into the council hall.

Acting skills aside, the crisis is very real.

"The Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou claim to number a million, but in reality, they probably number at least three hundred thousand." Cao Cao's voice was deep, each word like a stone striking the hearts of the crowd. "And our army has fewer than ten thousand soldiers capable of fighting. Gentlemen, what good strategies do you have?"

"Three hundred thousand against ten thousand—a vast disparity in strength. Although the Yellow Turban army is scattered across various counties in Yanzhou, they should not be underestimated. Our advantage lies in our fortified cities and our elite troops. The enemy's weakness lies in their disorganized and undisciplined nature; moreover, they have come from afar, and their supplies will not last long." Xun Yu broke the silence first. "The only course of action now is to fortify our defenses and scorch the fields. We must relocate all the civilians outside the city into the city and gather all the grain. Relying on the high walls and deep moats of Puyang, we must hold our ground and not venture out. The Yellow Turban army is not adept at siege warfare; given enough time, their strength will inevitably wane. At that point, we can seek another opportunity to defeat them."

"I have a plan."

"What brilliant idea does Fengxiao have?" Cao Cao asked, his eyes burning with interest.

Guo Jia smiled slightly and uttered three words: "Fire Ox Formation".

"A fire ox formation?" Xun You frowned slightly. "Tian Dan and Qi gathered all the oxen in the city, painted them with colorful dragon patterns, bound sharp blades to their horns, and tied oil-soaked reeds to their tails. Now that our army is besieged, although we have oxen in the city, there's probably not enough time to paint them with dragon patterns and make these strange costumes. Besides, oxen are dull-witted. If they get startled, instead of charging towards the enemy camp, they might turn around and charge at our city gates, wouldn't that be suicide?"

Xun You's concerns were not without merit. Tian Dan's counterattack was a long-prepared desperate move, while they were now caught off guard.

Guo Jia was in no hurry to refute. He leaned lazily against the coffee table, playing with a teacup in his hand.

"Who said we were going to draw dragon patterns?" Guo Jia chuckled, his voice carrying a hint of nonchalant arrogance. "The Yellow Turban rebels are still human. Humans are afraid of fire, afraid of unknown monsters. In the pitch black, if hundreds of raging bulls with knives on their horns charged in, who would have the mind to tell what they were? As for whether the bulls would turn back..."

Xun Hao took over the conversation, his voice clear and calm: "When the ox's tail is burned, it will run wildly in extreme pain. As long as we shoot its wings with powerful crossbows the moment it leaves the city, and then add the shouts of gongs and drums, the frightened ox will have no choice but to move forward."

Upon hearing this, Xun Yu's body stiffened slightly.

He turned his head and looked at his younger brother. The floodgates of memory were instantly opened. Ten years ago, on the official road outside Jinan Prefecture, those two burning carriages rushing towards the bandits, and the innocent child's voice that ordered the fire without hesitation, overlapped with the young man calmly planning the fire ox formation in front of him now.

Ah-Hao was only ten years old at that time.

"Soak reeds in kerosene and tie them to the tails of oxen." Xun Hao ignored his brother's complicated expression and continued, "Not many, a hundred will suffice. Send the vanguard to disrupt the enemy formation, and then send another cavalry unit to follow closely behind, focusing on killing the leaders. We will surely win the first battle."

"Yanruo understands me best," Guo Jia murmured softly, his tone filled with affection.

Xun Yu watched the two of them working in perfect harmony, their unspoken understanding leaving no room for anyone else, which both troubled and frustrated him. He sighed and finally nodded: "There are still over five hundred oxen in the city; I'll go arrange for them. But... oxen are the lifeblood of the people..."

"My lord!" Xun Hao suddenly interrupted Xun Yu, turning to Cao Cao, "After this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, the people must be compensated double with oxen. If there are no oxen to compensate, then the captured Yellow Turban soldiers will be made to plow the fields for the people!"

Cao Cao, who was listening with great enthusiasm, waved his hand and said, "Of course! Not to mention double, even triple would be enough to compensate!"

The plan has been decided; all that remains is to execute it.

Just then, Zhao Yun, who had been silent all along, stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Lord Cao, after the ox formation, the cavalry charge is the most crucial. I am willing to lead the White Horse Cavalry as the vanguard of the army, to directly attack the enemy chieftain!"

Cao Cao was overjoyed by his statement and stepped forward to support Zhao Yun, saying, "With Zilong here, I have nothing to worry about!"

Xun Hao watched this scene and smiled, his goal achieved.

But he didn't notice that Guo Jia, standing beside him, tightened his grip on his teacup the moment he heard Zhao Yun volunteer and Xun Hao showed a satisfied expression.

After the meeting, everyone filed out.

Guo Jia deliberately lagged behind a few steps, walking alongside Xun Hao.

"The way Brother Wenruo looked at you just now seemed like he wanted to say something but couldn't."

"Brother, you're probably remembering the time I burned the carriage when I was a child." Xun Hao straightened his sleeves and habitually moved closer to Guo Jia.

"Oh?" Guo Jia became interested. "Is that so? Tell me about it."

"That was ten years ago..."

The two walked away talking in hushed tones, their shadows merging together in the moonlight.

The next day, everyone went about their business. Xun Yu was in charge of collecting oxen and pacifying the people. The Xiahou brothers, along with Cao Ren and Cao Hong, were responsible for organizing the troops and preparing for a night attack.

Xi Zhicai was pulled by Guo Jia to inspect the terrain in various parts of the city and make final plans for the Fire Bull's attack route.

On the evening of the third day, the setting sun, like blood, stained the walls of Puyang city red.

Outside the city, a dense, dark mass of people surged in from the horizon.

"It's truly magnificent." Xi Zhicai leaned against the battlement. His long-term illness had made him unusually broad-minded and plump.

No one ignored him.

Cao Cao placed his hands on the city bricks, leaned forward, and gazed at the massive camp that was gradually taking shape below.

Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, mingling with the twilight and shrouding the entire battlefield in a hazy mist. Behind him, the generals all wore solemn expressions.

Zhao Yun had been stationed on the frontier for a long time and was used to seeing the barbarian invasions from the south, but this was the first time he had witnessed such a large-scale internal strife.

The Yellow Turban army's camp was set up haphazardly and without any order, the only thing they had in common was its size. In the center of the camp, several campfires burned particularly brightly, and the shadowy figures could be vaguely seen, presumably where the leaders were located.

"Although the rebel army is numerous, it is like a heap of loose sand. The connection between the central army and the front and rear camps is loose, and there are not even decent trenches or deer antlers. Bai Rao, who is in charge of the troops, is completely ignorant of these things." Xiahou Yuan spat, his face full of disdain.

"My lord, it is getting late, and the enemy has only just arrived. They will certainly not attack the city tonight," Xun Yu stepped forward and said softly. "The wind is strong on the city wall. Please, my lord, return to your residence first."