Three Kingdoms: The Peerless Strategist of Wei

Chapter 78 Gu Cheng, is he a man or a god?

The generals in the tent, witnessing Cao Ang kill Xu You, all felt a surge of satisfaction. "Ang'er is indeed decisive and ruthless, just like me..." Cao Cao nodded slightly, secretly praising him. The blood-stained sword was sheathed. Cao Ang cupped his hands: "Father, Young Master Gu's strategy is flawless; this is his decisive plan for the Cao family. Please give the order!"

"Since it's his plan, what is there for me to hesitate about!" Cao Cao slammed his fist on the table and stood up, shouting, "Dian Wei, Cao Hong, Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, listen to my command!" The four generals of Cao Cao's camp stepped forward in unison.

Cao Cao, concealing his ruthlessness, roared, "You four, leading five thousand elite infantry and cavalry, will accompany me tonight to raid Wuchao and burn Yuan Shao's grain supplies from four provinces to the ground!"

"We are willing to fight to the death alongside Sikong!" The four generals readily accepted the order. "Father!"

Cao Ang's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "This battle requires bypassing Yuan's camp and penetrating deep behind enemy lines. Father, isn't it too risky to go personally?" Cao Cao resolutely replied, "This battle concerns the life and death of my Cao family. Only by going myself can I inspire the soldiers to fight to the death. You only need to hold the Guandu camp and wait for my triumphant return!"

Cao Ang was startled, then immediately understood Cao Cao's predicament. At that moment...

His passion was rekindled, and he declared resolutely, "Father, rest assured, your son and the generals will defend Guandu to the death!" The decision was made. Before they knew it, night had fallen. The gates of Guandu were wide open, and Cao Cao personally led his elite infantry and cavalry, including the White Horse Cavalry, the Trapped Camp, and the Repeating Crossbowmen, quietly leaving Guandu and heading northwest towards Wuchao, where Yuan Shao's camp was located.

Five thousand Cao soldiers, all dressed in Yuan Shao's armor, encountered Yuan Shao's outposts along the way, claiming to be Wen Chou's troops on their way to reinforce the grain supply camp. The entire army marched swiftly, covering more than seventy li. As dawn broke, Cao Cao leaped onto a hillside. In the dim morning light, the Wuchao grain supply camp came into view.

"Master, we've arrived at Wuchao! Young Master Gu's calculations were correct; Yuan Shao's grain supplies are indeed all stored here!" Zhao Yun shouted excitedly, pointing his spear at the enemy camp.

Cao Cao gazed intently into the distance and saw hundreds of domed military tents within the enemy camp, clearly for storing grain. Judging by the number of granaries, this camp held at least a million jin of grain. This amount was roughly equivalent to the grain reserves Yuan Shao had amassed from the four provinces, as reported by his spies. In other words, all of Yuan Shao's grain was stored here.

"My dear son-in-law, your father-in-law is truly curious. How did you calculate that Yuan Shao's grain from four provinces was all stored in Wuchao?"

Cao Cao stroked his long beard, his heart filled with mixed emotions. "Minister Cao, what are we waiting for? Let's make our move!" Zhao Yun eagerly volunteered for battle.

Cao Cao's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He drew his sword and pointed, "All troops, advance! Attack Wuchao! The first to enter the enemy camp will be richly rewarded!" With the reward announced, the morale of Cao Cao's soldiers soared, and they roared in battle. "Boom!" Five thousand Cao Cao's troops surged like a torrent towards the enemy camp at Wuchao. Wuchao Camp, main tent.

Chunyu Qiong, a veteran general of Yuan's camp, had just arrived at Wuchao after escorting a grain convoy from Hebei. Inside the tent, Yuan Tan, who was in charge of guarding the grain camp, hosted a banquet for Chunyu Qiong. "Judging from your appearance, the eldest son seems to have something on his mind," Chunyu Qiong asked, sipping his wine.

Yuan Tan sighed, "Xu You's plans have repeatedly failed. Not only has my father neglected him, but he has also taken his anger out on me, exiling me to guard the grain camp. How can I be happy about that?"

"I see."

Chunyu Qiong then explained, "This Wuchao camp holds a million bushels of grain, which is the lifeline of my 90,000-strong army. Guarding the grain camp is of great importance. The fact that the lord has entrusted the eldest son with this heavy responsibility shows his trust in him."

Yuan Tan was startled, then nodded as if he understood, saying, "What the old general said seems to make sense." "Right now, our lord and Cao Cao are locked in a fierce battle at Guandu. In the end, it will come down to who has more supplies." "If the eldest son guards the supply camp well, when our lord defeats Cao Cao, the eldest son will have made the greatest contribution. At that time, what qualifications will the third son have to compete with the eldest son for the Yuan family's heir?" Chunyu Qiong said with a smile.

Yuan Tan suddenly realized what was going on and couldn't help but sneer, "Old ginger is spicier, General. You've thought things through more deeply than I have. Come, this cup is for you, General."

His gloom vanished, and he laughed heartily, raising his glass. The two chatted and laughed, drinking to their hearts' content. Suddenly...

A thunderous battle cry erupted outside the tent, as if a thousand troops had suddenly charged in. Yuan Tan and his companion exchanged a glance, their expressions changing drastically.

"Young Master, Cao Cao's army has launched a surprise attack on our camp! Our troops were caught off guard and are about to be overrun by Cao Cao's army!" The guard rushed in, shouting in a trembling voice.

"What?"

Yuan Tan's face changed color in shock. He exclaimed, "Wuchao is far from Guandu. How could Cao Cao's army suddenly launch a surprise attack?" "Young Master, don't panic," Chunyu Qiong said calmly. "The Wuchao grain camp is a matter of great importance. Not many people in our army know about it. It's impossible that Cao Cao deliberately came to raid the camp. Perhaps it was just a small group of Cao Cao's troops who stumbled upon it by chance."

Yuan Tan was slightly relieved and immediately mounted his horse, charging straight towards the camp gate. In the morning light, the camp gate was already in complete chaos. Outside the camp walls, thousands of Cao Cao's soldiers had already cut down deer and reached the base of the walls, desperately pushing down the palisades. Outside the main camp, Cao Cao's elite white-horse cavalry galloped back and forth, continuously firing arrows, felling swathes of Yuan Tan's hastily arriving troops.

Yuan Tan's face changed drastically, and he cried out in alarm, "This is no small force of Cao Cao's troops! It's clearly Cao Cao's elite army! This traitor Cao Cao has deliberately come to raid my grain camp!"

Chunyu Qiong could no longer remain calm and cried out in a trembling voice, "Young Master, quickly order the soldiers to defend the camp walls and send someone to the main camp at Guandu for help!"

The words were not spoken.

The enemy's fish-scale formation crashed into the camp gate. With a deafening roar, the gate collapsed. The camp gate was breached.

Cao's army surged in like a flood, attacking the panicked Yuan army defenders.

The fall of Wuchao is imminent.

Yuan Tan panicked and shouted, "The grain from these four provinces is all here! We cannot afford to lose it! Hold it! Hold it to the death!" Chunyu Qiong also snapped out of his daze and urged the soldiers transporting the grain to rush towards the camp gate, trying to block the breach. Just then...

The White Horse Cavalry surged in, felling Yuan's soldiers who blocked their path to the ground in droves.

Zhao Yun charged ahead, his silver spear like the blade of death, reaping the lives of Yuan soldiers. His eagle eyes immediately locked onto Chunyu Qiong. "Zhao Yun is here! You old dogs of the Yuan army, prepare to die!" With a long roar, Zhao Yun wielded his silver spear, cutting a bloody path as he charged straight at Chunyu Qiong. Chunyu Qiong's body jolted, and when he looked up sharply, he saw a Cao general already rushing towards him like a silver streak. The silver spear shot out like lightning. "Zhao Yun?" Chunyu Qiong cried out in alarm, instinctively raising his sword to block. It was too late. Zhao Yun's spear moved like a dragon, striking the enemy's head before his sword could be raised. "Boom!" Chunyu Qiong's head exploded, and his mangled body crashed to the ground.

Seeing Chunyu Qiong killed in one move, the morale of Yuan's soldiers collapsed, and they fled in disarray. A dozen paces away.

Yuan Tan was deathly pale and stood there dumbfounded.

How exactly did Cao Cao know that Wuchao was our army's grain depot?

"This million bushels of grain is the lifeblood of our army. If I cannot defend it, our 90,000-strong army will collapse. How can I face my father then!"

Yuan Tan muttered to himself, a deep sorrow and indignation welling up on his face. Suddenly.

His eyes widened, he gritted his teeth, and roared angrily, "Hold on to the death! No retreating! Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy!"

Yuan Tan's loud shout attracted Zhao Yun's attention. "That must be Yuan Tan."

"Yuan Shao, you forced General Gongsun to his death. Today I will capture another one of your sons alive to comfort General Gongsun's spirit in heaven!" Zhao Yun's eyes blazed with fire as he spurred his horse and brandished his spear, charging straight at Yuan Tan.

Seeing Zhao Yun charging towards him with no one able to stop him, Yuan Tan's resolve to defend to the death instantly vanished. "Stop him! Stop him!" Yuan Tan hoarsely ordered his personal guards, then turned his horse around, trying to flee. But it was too late.

Zhao Yun's spear danced like the wind, slicing through Yuan Tan's personal guards like weeds. Before Yuan Tan could even accelerate, Zhao Yun had already caught up. "Zhao Yun!" Yuan Tan gritted his teeth, suddenly thrusting his spear in a backhand strike towards Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun's eyes were disdainful; his silver spear whistled through the air. "Clang!"

Yuan Tan's spear was knocked away and fell to the ground. Before he could even be surprised, Zhao Yun's second spear, as fast as lightning, pierced his shoulder. "Dismount!" Zhao Yun roared, and with a swift movement, he lifted his arms.

With a scream, Yuan Tan's large body was thrown into the air, flung away, and crashed heavily to the ground.

The killing ended as dawn broke.

The Yuan army at the grain camp suffered more than half its casualties, with over a thousand captured and the rest scattering and fleeing. Cao Cao, head held high, spurred his horse and entered the grain camp.

"Minister of Works, Yuan Tan is here. Please deal with him as you see fit!" Zhao Yun dragged Yuan Tan forward and threw him in front of Cao Cao.

Yuan Tan raised his head shakily, and the moment he saw Cao Cao, he trembled, his eyes filled with both astonishment and fear.

"Seven thousand elite troops couldn't even hold a single grain depot. Yuan Shao's sons are all dogs and pigs!" Cao Cao mocked.

Yuan Tan, filled with shame and indignation, couldn't help but shout, "Cao Mengde, you stumbled upon my Wuchao grain camp by sheer luck!

"A lucky accident?"

Cao Cao sneered, "Yuan Tan, today I'll let you die in peace. Zilong, tell him how we stormed Wuchao! Yuan Tan, listen up!"

Zhao Yun shouted, "It was our young master Gu who predicted that your father, Yuan Shao, would store grain at Wuchao, which is why the Minister of Works personally led elite troops to raid it. You were defeated by Gu Liheng's brilliant strategy!"

The truth came out.

Yuan Tan swayed, his face contorting in utter horror, as if he had heard a fairy tale. "Gu Cheng, it's that Gu Cheng again!"

"How could he possibly have predicted the location of my supply depot? There's no way someone with such wisdom could exist in this world. Is he a man or a god? Is he a man or a god...?"

Yuan Tan muttered to himself, completely disoriented and terrified.

Cao Cao, disdaining to waste words with him, brandished his whip and shouted, "Men, behead Yuan Tan! Order the surrendered soldiers to deliver his head to Yuan's camp to intimidate his army!"

At the command, Dian Wei drew his sword and stepped forward.

Yuan Tan was terrified and cried out, "I am Yuan Shao's eldest son. My father controls four provinces. Even if you burn the grain supplies at Wuchao, you cannot defeat my father. Do you dare to kill me?"

Before the word "I" could be uttered, Dian Wei's blade had already severed Yuan Tan's head.

Cao Cao then ordered the release of the more than 1,000 prisoners, instructing them to take Yuan Tan's head and flee back to Yuan's camp at Guandu.

"Minister, we've counted them, and these warehouses are indeed filled with grain, at least two million bushels!" Cao Hong rode up and excitedly reported.

Cao Cao laughed heartily and said with delight, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's set fire to Yuan Shao's two million bushels of grain and burn them to ashes!"

The generals received the order and instructed the soldiers to set fires separately.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of granaries were ablaze, and the entire Wuchao was transformed into a sea of ​​fire. "Let's go, back to Guandu!" Cao Cao roared with laughter, spurred his horse, and rode off. Five thousand Cao soldiers galloped away in an instant.

Guandu, Yuan's camp.

"The fifteen counties of Yanzhou have announced their change of flags and allegiance to our lord."

"Ten counties in Yuzhou have killed Cao Cao's grain collection officials, raised an army, and openly rebelled against Cao Cao." "Sizhou..." Feng Ji reported the good news from each of the provinces.

Yuan Shao stroked his white beard, a satisfied smile appearing on his aged face.

"My lord," Ju Shou said confidently, "rebellions are erupting across the Central Plains, and Cao Cao's rear is in turmoil. He won't be able to hold out for long; his army will surely fall into chaos." "That will be the time for our army to launch a major offensive and capture Guandu in one fell swoop." "Good!" Yuan Shao exclaimed.

Yuan Shao laughed heartily and praised, "You and I truly are worthy of being my strategists. The day we defeat Cao Cao, you will be the one who achieves the greatest merit!" Ju Shou hurriedly rose, intending to offer a few words of modesty. Just then, General Gao Lan rushed in, cupping his hands and saying, "Reporting to my lord, the eldest son has sent an urgent report from Wuchao: a force of Cao Cao's elite troops is launching a surprise attack on our supply camp. Please send troops to reinforce us immediately!"

Inside the large tent, an uproar immediately broke out.

Yuan Shao's expression immediately changed, and he exclaimed in surprise, "How is this possible? How did Cao Cao know that my provisions would be stored at Wuchao?" "Reporting to my lord, I am also puzzled, but the eldest son's urgent report is true. Cao Cao's army is indeed launching a fierce attack on Wuchao!" Gao Lan said helplessly.

Yuan Shao, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt, frowned and said, "The Wuchao grain camp is a secret; very few in the army know about it. Does Cao Cao have divine insight?" All the civil and military officials in Yuan Shao's camp were filled with surprise and confusion. Ju Shou, however, leaped up and said in a deep voice, "The Wuchao granary holds grain from four provinces; it concerns the survival of our army. My lord, please lead the army to its aid immediately!"

Yuan Shao stiffened, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation, and was about to give an order on the spot. At this moment.

Feng Ji objected, saying, "My lord, with the eldest son of the Cao family in Wuchao, even if Cao's army launches a surprise attack, how could they possibly break through in a short time? Now is actually a golden opportunity to seize Guandu!"

He advocated against rescuing Wuchao, but instead attacked Cao Cao at Guandu. Yuan Shao's eyes flickered, and he was immediately persuaded, changing his mind. Ju Shou said sternly, "Cao Cao dared to attack Wuchao, so he must have prepared a countermeasure at Guandu. If we fail to capture Guandu and lose Wuchao as well, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

For a time, Feng Ji and Ju Shou each held their own version of events, and the argument reached a stalemate. It was at this moment...

Wen Chou, his face filled with grief and indignation, rushed into the main tent, carrying a blood-stained bundle. "My lord," he cried, "over a thousand soldiers from Wuchao have just escaped. They claim Cao Cao explicitly stated that he used the Gu Cheng strategy to capture Wuchao, burn all our supplies, and even murder the eldest prince, sending his head back to the main camp!"

As he spoke, Wen Chou opened the blood-soaked bundle.

Yuan Tan's head was clearly visible. The main tent was deathly silent.

Yuan Shao stood up shakily, staring blankly at his eldest son's severed head, completely stunned. "Tan'er—" Yuan Shao suddenly let out a heart-wrenching cry, vomiting a mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground. Everyone was shocked. Ju Shou urgently shouted, "Quickly summon the physician to heal our lord!" The tent immediately descended into chaos.