Three Kingdoms: The Peerless Strategist of Wei

Chapter 76 It's been three months, Brother Gu, hasn't your decisive moment arrived yet?

Cao Ang laughed and said, "There's no need to worry about that. Young Master Gu anticipated that Yuan Shao would use earthen mounds and had already built dozens of Divine Thunder Cannons in advance, which will be transported to Guandu City within three days."

Upon hearing this, the men in Cao Cao's camp were greatly shocked. "This Mr. Gu actually foresaw Yuan Shao's plan to build an earthen mound?"

"Such brilliant strategies are truly beyond the reach of even gods and ghosts. This Mr. Gu is indeed an extraordinary person. I must have the opportunity to learn from him!"

Liu Ye was secretly amazed.

"As expected of Li Heng, he can always anticipate the enemy's moves—" Cao Cao thought to himself, and then laughed heartily: "Good, as long as these divine thunder cannons arrive, we will give Yuan Shao a big surprise." Three days later, the thunder cannons were delivered.

The south gate of Guandu had been dismantled, widening the entrance to the city. As the sun began to set, rows of Shenlei cannons arrived at Guandu as scheduled and were pushed along the northern city wall. More than forty Shenlei cannons were now deployed.

The generals in Cao Cao's camp were ecstatic, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to vent their pent-up frustration from being suppressed by Yuan Shao's army for days. Outside the city.

Yuan Shao was riding slowly towards the earthen hill, intending to inspect it and boost morale. It was less than fifty paces from the north city of Guandu, within range of Cao Cao's crossbows. However, Yuan Shao was completely unprepared and swaggered confidently to the foot of the hill.

Cao's army was suppressed by his earthen mound archers to the point that they dared not show their faces, posing no threat to him whatsoever. As he climbed the earthen mound and looked down at the Cao soldiers huddled in fear behind the shields on the battlements, Yuan Shao couldn't help but let out a smug, cold smile.

"My lord, with Cao Cao's army being suppressed like this, their morale will not last long and they will surely collapse. At that time, Guandu City will surely fall without a fight."

Xu You, standing beside him, spoke with a beaming smile, his face radiating smugness. Yuan Shao laughed and praised, "Ziyuan, your plan is indeed brilliant! When I one day defeat Cao Cao, you will surely be the one to deserve the greatest credit!" Xu You, brimming with pride, showed no humility, stroking his beard and laughing, readily accepting Yuan Shao's praise. His arrogant attitude, however, caused Yuan Shao's brow to furrow slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. Yuan Shao did not react, turning his gaze to Guandu, continuing to admire the disarray of Cao Cao's army.

Suddenly, he noticed the unusual movement of Cao Cao's army.

Inside Guandu City, Cao Cao's army was pushing massive vehicles towards the city wall, aiming them at his earthen mound. "What is Cao Cao doing?" Yuan Shao frowned, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

Liu Bei, with his sharp eyes, immediately saw through the deception and exclaimed, "Lord Yuan, that Cao traitor must be planning to use a catapult to bombard my earthen hill!" Yuan Shao was taken aback.

Ju Shou pulled Yuan Shao, saying urgently, "My lord, retreat quickly! If the earthen mound collapses, you will be in danger!" Yuan Shao immediately felt guilty and tried to retreat. Xu You, however, sneered disdainfully, "My lord, don't panic. Our earthen mound is thicker than a city wall. Catapults can't even break down ordinary city walls, let alone our earthen mound."

These words immediately enlightened Yuan Shao.

He conquered Hebei, seizing cities and territories, and he had used catapults before, so he was well aware of their power.

"Yes, Ziyuan is right."

Yuan Shao regained his composure and coldly snorted, "Cao Cao is simply at his wit's end, foolishly trying to use catapults to collapse my earthen mound. What a pipe dream!"

At that moment, Yuan Shao did not retreat, but instead hid behind the earthen mound to avoid being hit head-on by the stone projectiles. Inside Guandu City.

The 150-pound boulder was already loaded and in place. Cao Cao's murderous gaze shot towards the earthen mound outside the city, and he cracked his whip and shouted, "Divine Thunder Cannon, fire!" The drums suddenly sounded.

More than forty divine thunder cannons were immediately activated.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

A thunderous roar shook the heavens.

Forty massive stones soared into the air, passing over the north city of Guandu, and hurtled towards the earthen mound of Yuan's army. In an instant.

The earth shook and the sky and earth changed color.

The four earthen hills directly in front of them were struck in the middle by boulders and collapsed instantly. Dozens of archers on the hills were either crushed by the boulders or fell to the ground, turning into a bloody mess. Blood splattered everywhere, and screams of agony echoed throughout the air.

The divine thunder cannon fired continuously, and countless stone projectiles rained down from the sky like meteors, easily collapsing earthen hills as if they were made of paper.

In the blink of an eye, more than 30 earthen hills were destroyed.

Of the seven thousand archers in Yuan's army, countless were killed or wounded; the survivors, their will broken, scrambled down the hill. "What happened? What on earth happened?"

"How could Cao Cao's catapults possibly collapse my earthen hill? How is this possible!" Hiding behind, Yuan Shao was completely flustered, letting out a terrified and bewildered cry. Another deafening crash. The hill behind him was flattened by the boulder, and the blood of his soldiers splattered all over Yuan Shao. He suddenly snapped out of his daze and roared at Xu You, "Xu You, didn't you say Cao Cao's catapults couldn't collapse the earthen hill? Why is this happening?!"

"I can't understand it either. How could a catapult be so powerful? It doesn't make sense!" Xu You stammered, utterly astonished. "Lord Yuan, have you forgotten the repeating crossbows outside White Horse City?"

"That traitor Cao must have some extraordinary people helping him to build such a powerful catapult!" Liu Bei shouted at Yuan Shao, his face pale.

Yuan Shao shuddered and exclaimed, "The extraordinary person you speak of, could it be that Gu Cheng again?" "I'm not sure either!" Liu Bei shook his head, but gritted his teeth and said, "But I really can't understand it. Besides Gu Cheng, who else under Cao Cao could possess such skill!"

"Gu Cheng, Gu Cheng, you've ruined my plans again! How hateful, how hateful!" Yuan Shao gritted his teeth, his face flushed red with rage.

Ju Shou, however, held back Yuan Shao, pleading, "My lord, this mound could collapse at any moment! You must retreat to the main camp immediately!" "I will not retreat!" Yuan Shao pushed him aside, angrily shouting, "How can I be toyed with by that brat surnamed Gu again? I will never retreat—" Before the word "retreat" could be uttered, a huge boulder struck the mound. The mound collapsed with a deafening roar, catching Yuan Shao, Liu Bei, and the others off guard, all tumbling down the slope. "Crack!" A piece of gravel rolled down, landing heavily on Yuan Shao's leg. "Ah—" Yuan Shao, his mouth full of dirt, let out a scream, nearly fainting from the pain.

"Quickly save our lord!" Ju Shou cried out in terror and rushed towards Yuan Shao.

The soldiers from Yuan Shao's left and right sides rushed forward and moved the rubble aside. Yuan Shao's left leg had been smashed, and blood was flowing freely.

Ju Shou shouted, "What are you all waiting for? Quickly carry our lord back to the camp for treatment!" The crowd snapped out of their panic and hurriedly lifted Yuan Shao, fleeing in a panic towards the camp.

With their lord gone, Yuan's army completely collapsed.

The surviving archers abandoned all the earthen mounds and scrambled to escape to the main camp. Inside Guandu City, Cao Cao's cannons continued their relentless bombardment. Only after more than thirty earthen mounds had been leveled did Cao Cao order the bombardment to cease. Peace returned to the land.

Cao Cao stroked his long beard, observing the scene with great interest from afar. The earthen mound belonging to Yuan Shao's army had been leveled, and the ruins were littered with the corpses of at least four or five thousand Yuan soldiers. This battle was a great victory!

Cao Cao laughed heartily, "Cao family soldiers, there's no need to be afraid anymore, stand up!" The Cao army soldiers who had been huddled under the battlements finally dared to stand up and look out of the city.

stunned.

Then, a deafening cheer erupted from the city wall. "The power of this Divine Thunder Cannon is truly beyond imagination. That Mr. Gu is a divine being!" Liu Hua exclaimed, his face filled with deep admiration.

Cao Cao gazed towards Yuan Shao's camp and sneered, "Yuan Shao, your earthen mound plan has been foiled by my son-in-law. Let's see what other tricks you can pull!"

Hearty laughter echoed over Guandu.

Cao Cao's army cheered, while Yuan Shao, with his broken leg, was scrambled back to his camp for treatment. Seeing the earthen mound destroyed and Yuan Shao return wounded, the morale of Yuan Shao's troops in the camp was immediately shattered. It wasn't until late at night that Yuan Shao's condition stabilized.

Ignoring his injuries, he immediately summoned his advisors to the main tent for a meeting.

Xu You, who usually stood at the front, was now hiding in the back, holding his breath and bowing his head, afraid of being recognized by Yuan Shao. "Xu You!" Yuan Shao glared at him angrily and said sternly, "Is this your brilliant plan? Not only did it fail to force Cao Cao to retreat, but it also caused me to lose a leg!"

"My lord, I never expected that Cao Cao would build such a powerful catapult. I really..." Xu You stammered, his forehead already covered in cold sweat.

"Father, as Lord Xuande just said, this catapult was most likely the work of Gu Cheng. That man is truly unpredictable, so we can't entirely blame Xu Ziyuan!"

Yuan Tan also hurriedly tried to comfort Xu You. "Gu Cheng, Gu Cheng."

"After I destroy Cao Cao, I will exterminate your entire clan and make you regret being my enemy!" Yuan Shao's anger shifted to Gu Cheng, and he cursed through gritted teeth.

Xu You breathed a sigh of relief and quickly lowered his head to the side.

Yuan Shao's anger subsided slightly, and he asked in a deep voice, "Now that the earthen mound has been breached, and thousands of archers have been lost in vain, what other strategies do you have to defeat the enemy? Speak up now!"

Xu You dared not utter another word.

Yuan Tan also lowered his head, and the tent fell silent.

"My lord, it seems our only option now is to change our strategy and prepare for a long-term standoff with Cao Cao," Ju Shou said in the midst of silence. Yuan Shao waved his hand, signaling him to continue.

"I think that our lord should send someone back to Ye City to inform the Third Prince, and order him to transport all the grain stored in the four prefectures to the front lines as much as possible to support the protracted war."

"My lord should also send out a detachment to continuously harass Cao Cao's rear."

"At the same time, my lord should issue proclamations to all provinces and counties, calling on them to rise up in rebellion against Cao Cao, so that his rear is in turmoil and he can hardly eat or sleep in peace."

"If we do all this and show enough patience, we can fight for at most half a year, and Cao Cao will surely fall into chaos without a fight!" Ju Shou offered his plan in a grand and eloquent manner. Yuan Shao's anger gradually subsided, and he regained his domineering and cold demeanor as the number one warlord in the land. He pondered for a long time.

Yuan Shao arrogantly declared, "Your words are reasonable. I possess the four prosperous provinces of Hebei, while Cao Cao's central plains are all devastated. I will simply wear him down and see who gives up first!"

Ju Shou breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly praised Yuan Shao's wisdom.

Liu Bei's eyes darted around, and he seized the opportunity to say, "Lord Yuan, I have heard that Liu Pi, a member of the Yellow Turbans in Runan, is gathering a crowd to rebel against Cao Cao. I am willing to go to Runan in your stead to join forces with Liu Pi and threaten Xuchang from the south, thus diverting Cao Cao's forces from your side!"

Yuan Shao readily agreed, "In that case, I'll trouble you, Xuande."

Liu Bei said solemnly, "To eliminate the traitor Cao is my bounden duty." With the plan settled, everyone dispersed.

Xu You walked out of the tent dejectedly, and only when no one was around did he let out a long sigh.

"That Gu Cheng really got me into trouble. Luckily, my lord didn't blame me, but I still lost face—" Xu You sighed inwardly and was about to leave. Just then, a person hurriedly came towards him and entered the tent.

Xu You felt the face looked familiar, and after thinking about it carefully, he realized that it was Shen Pei's confidant.

Shen Pei was a member of Yuan Shang's faction, and they had always been at odds since their time in Ye City, often engaging in open and covert struggles. Thinking of this relationship, Xu You instinctively didn't leave, lingering outside the tent to eavesdrop. "Reporting to the lord, Shen Pei has confirmed the allegations. Xu You, abusing his official position and power, allowed his family members to accept bribes and embezzle military funds in Ye City."

"Prefect Shen, upholding the law impartially, has arrested all of Xu You's clansmen according to the law, and they are now at the Lord's disposal!" Upon hearing this, Xu You couldn't help but shudder, cursing inwardly, "You bastard Shen Pei, how dare you lay a hand on my family while I was away from Yecheng!"

He became nervous and continued eavesdropping.

"Xu You is incompetent! Not only did he cause me to lose a leg, but he also dares to condone his sons' favoritism and corruption! He's utterly despicable!" Yuan Shao's furious voice rang out. "Go back and tell Shen Pei not to touch Xu You's family yet. We'll settle accounts with him after I've wiped out Cao Cao!" Xu You broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to linger any longer, and hurriedly left. Back in his tent, Xu You drank several cups of tea before he could calm himself down a little.

"It seems my repeated failures in offering advice have completely eroded Lord Yuan's trust. With Shen Pei further framing me from behind, I fear even the eldest son cannot protect me."

"With Gu Cheng's strategic advice, Cao Cao is likely doomed to defeat in this decisive battle between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao." "That big-eared scoundrel Liu Bei must have seen through this, which is why he used the excuse of going to Runan to escape. How could I, Xu You, with my wisdom and strategy, stay and be buried with the Yuan family!"

Xu You slammed his fist on the table, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"I have a past relationship with Cao Cao. After leaving Yuan Shao, I can only go to him for refuge. But if I go empty-handed, I'm afraid I'll be treated coldly by him."

"Hmm, I need to find an opportunity to go and join Cao Cao with a generous gift, so that I can have a place in Cao Cao's camp in the future!" Xu You nodded his forehead with his fingertips, a playful sneer already curling up at the corner of his mouth.

The battle at Guandu began. Yuan Shao, relying on his large army, sent out 30,000 troops to harass the enemy.

Cao Cao's forces were limited, and he dared not divide his troops. He could only strictly order all counties to close their gates and hold their positions, forbidding them from engaging in battle, leaving Yuan Shao's army to plunder and pillage the countryside. At the same time, Yuan Shao sent out a series of proclamations to various prefectures and counties, inciting widespread rebellion. The Yuan family had held high office for four generations, and their protégés and former officials were scattered throughout the land. Many officials in the Central Plains outwardly submitted to Cao Cao, but secretly harbored feelings for Yuan Shao.

Now that Yuan Shao's army has marched south and appears to have the upper hand, his proclamation immediately garnered countless responses. In a short time, more than ten counties under the jurisdiction of Chongzhou, Yuzhou, and Sizhou saw their governors and magistrates openly rebel and respond to Yuan Shao.