Chapter 5: The Soldiers Rescue Wu Chao

Yuan Shang's expression suddenly became quite contorted, looking as bad as it could: "Mr. Ju, you must be joking, right? If Cao Cao were to attack Wuchao, he would surely lead a force of elite soldiers. You want me to take my group of inexperienced soldiers to confront him head-on? Isn't that courting death? Moreover, to act without orders is tantamount to defying military commands. How could you come up with such a terrible idea? I have no enmity with you, do I?"

Ju Shou was taken aback upon hearing this, and then he lowered his head with a bitter smile

Let him in

Yuan Shang was rendered speechless upon hearing this, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant

After a considerable amount of time, Fang Jianju gently shook his head, casting aside his doubts. Whether it was Yuan Shang's own idea or not was of no consequence. The urgent matter at hand was to find a way to stabilize the declining situation and not to give the enemy any opportunity to exploit.

After a short while, a burly man dressed in dark, hard armor, with a face full of thick beard, strode into the tent. He knelt on one knee before Yuan Shang and said in a loud voice: "I am Guo Yuan, the subordinate general, here to pay my respects to the young master! May I ask what urgent matter has summoned me here?"

Ju Shou looked at Yuan Shang for a while with a hint of doubt, every pore on his face shimmering deeply with suspicion and disbelief

Yuan Shang's eyelids twitched slightly, and he said: "Hebei is full of talented individuals; apart from me, there is no one else, right"

Although shouting "The situation is dire" while pounding on the wooden bars of the prison may seem overly passive, it indirectly indicates that Jiu Shou is someone who understands the current affairs. His intelligence is indeed among the top in Yuan Shao's army

This is Yuan Shang; had it been Yuan Shao, he would have been killed a thousand times over

Guo Yuan lowered his head and silently counted in his heart, then cupped his hands and said: "In response to the Third Young Master, our camp currently has three hundred cavalry from the Tushuma army, one thousand infantry, and five hundred archers, along with the personal guards under your command, totaling nearly two thousand people."

"Third Young Master! Xu You has defected to Cao Cao. What is the Lord's attitude towards this matter?" Ju Shou pounded on the wooden block for quite a while, then finally raised his head, his complexion pale as if he had been poisoned with two pounds of arsenic

What is the matter

What one thinks oneself

Xu You, although greedy, is not lacking in intelligence. On the contrary, his keen and ruthless insight is unmatched in Hebei. His current allegiance to Cao must be based on some form of support. As I have anticipated, he will certainly offer strategies to Cao Cao

Issue a command to have these two thousand soldiers immediately start a fire and prepare food. After dark, all will march out of the camp with me

After some thought, he added: "If it is a general under Cao Cao who is seizing supplies, Young Master can certainly do his best to delay them. However, if it is Cao Cao himself, even a thousand of the Third Young Master would not be his match. At that time, I advise Young Master to prioritize retreating for the sake of preserving your life"

Good weather is not a blessing for him. As the saying goes, a dark moon is a night for murder, and a windy day is a day for arson. No matter how fine the weather is, it has nothing to do with him, for tonight he is engaged in the business of fighting and killing. A bright sky is inauspicious.

"Two thousand men" Yuan Shang sighed inwardly; he had never fought in battle himself and did not know how the number and combat capability of these two thousand men measured up to the Cao army.

Why not simply go and tell Ju Shou, asking him to consult the almanac and calculate the dates for another day

Your Excellency is confused! So confused! Truly confused! It is unclear whether Jushou is naturally indiscreet or simply reckless, but he dares to speak ill of Yuan Shao without hesitation, which can be said to greatly impress Yuan Shang.

The Third Master remained silent for quite some time before finally speaking slowly: "To speak honestly, this battle is indeed arduous. I truly do not wish for the Third Master to be placed in a perilous situation. Although I am a civil official, if I were outside of prison or had even one trusted confidant, I would never allow the Third Master to go. However, there is simply no other way!"

Seeing Yuan Shang's unfriendly expression, Ju Shou continued to persuade him: "Knowing that it is impossible yet still attempting it can sometimes be a strategy, Third Young Master. The situation is urgent at this moment, and we cannot afford to hesitate! Since the Lord is unwilling to send troops to Wu Chao, we have no other options. Rather than waiting to die, it would be better for you to lead your troops to Wu Chao tonight. This time, it may not necessarily lead to a direct confrontation with Cao's army. You could employ tactics of deception, provoke them, or delay them. In any case, as long as we can hold Cao Cao in check for a while, once we receive the report from our scouts, the Lord will surely send a large army to support us, and then we can turn the tide and launch a counterattack together."

How to resolve the crisis? Hearing this, Jushou could not help but smile bitterly: "Even if I have a thousand good strategies, what use are they if the lord refuses to send troops?"

Guo Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this and asked in surprise, "What is the reason for the young master to mobilize troops in the middle of the night?"

There is no need for you to be overly suspicious, what I just said was purely my own thoughts and has nothing to do with others

Third Young Master, has Cao the Thief discussed the strategy of a surprise attack on Wuchao with the Lord?

The man of the Han dynasty is named Guo Yuan, currently serving as a subordinate general under Yuan Shang, managing the troops of his headquarters.

Go to Wuchao

After Ju Shou pondered deeply for a long time, he finally slammed his hand on the wooden railing and, looking at Yuan Shang, said in a low voice: "At this point, there is only one method that may be worth a try! It involves * diagrams * and * books *"

"Are we just going to watch Wu Chao come to an end like this?" Yuan Shang asked anxiously, filled with deep reluctance.

Understood, if I could devise a strategy, I wouldn't need to. Unfortunately, there are no women in the army; otherwise, using a beauty ploy would be excellent. I've heard that Cao Cao is quite fond of that sort of thing

Yuan Shang returned to his camp with a furrowed brow, instructing the guards to summon his subordinate general. He then sat on the bed, lost in melancholy.

Yuan Shang nodded solemnly: "I did say it, but the problem is that my father did not take my advice to heart and completely disregarded it. Moreover, none of the strategists in the tent stand by my side. That is why I came to see Mr. Ju. Given the current situation, is there any way to resolve this crisis?"

What method?

"Third Young Master, may I ask who taught you what you just said?" Ju Shou fell silent for a moment, and ultimately, out of curiosity, he asked this question.

As a renowned minister from Hebei, Ju Shou possessed exceptional intelligence and strategy, with a broad vision that could not be compared to the self-serving individuals like Feng Ji and Guo Tu.

This statement is indeed accurate; currently, there are truly no others. Looking across Hebei's literary and martial talents, those with genuine ability have either been killed, died, imprisoned, or driven away. The remaining individuals are either overly self-interested or merely seeking to protect themselves. The number of those capable of taking on significant responsibilities is indeed pitifully small, especially among the generals. Yan Liang and Wen Chou died on the battlefield, and the general Qu Yi was arrogant and was eliminated by Yuan Shao before the southern campaign against Cao Cao. Now, in the vast expanse of Hebei, apart from Zhang He and Gao Lan, there is not even one capable and assertive military talent to be found, which is truly an endless sorrow.

Entrusting the fate of hundreds of thousands of troops to a mere youth who has not yet reached maturity, and in the face of despair, there is truly no other option; it is a case of treating a dead horse as if it were alive.

Ju Shou, with a serious expression, sighed and said: "The Cao army is fierce and brave, and our soldiers are already at a disadvantage, being outnumbered ten to one. Young Master, with fewer troops, it is crucial to rely on strategy. Any tactics such as feints or delaying actions are acceptable, but we must never engage in a head-on confrontation!"

"Young Master, General Guo requests an audience." As Yuan Shang was feeling frustrated, the voice of the guard reporting from outside the tent came through.

Yuan Shang interjected, "A surprise attack on Wuchao!"

With a sigh, Yuan Shang slowly walked towards the tent entrance, saying as he walked, "Whether it succeeds or not, I can only try my best. Mr. Ju, please rest assured and wait for news here."

Yuan Shang first instructed him to rise, then asked: "Guo Yuan, how many soldiers are currently in the camp under the direct command of this young master?"

In the matter of Xu You defecting to Cao, Ju Shou's reaction far surpassed that of anyone under Yuan Shao's command

It was simply because he never expected that among all the generals and strategists under Yuan's command, the first person who could resonate with him, apart from Tian Feng, would actually be the young man Yuan Shang, who was barely of age.

His father did not care much. Yuan Shang pondered for quite a while and felt that only by using this term could he express it in a somewhat tactful yet appropriate manner

Although it is said that rescuing in an emergency is as urgent as putting out a fire, Yuan Shang has not yet reached the point where he must personally lead troops into battle. Going to the battlefield is not like strolling down the street, casually engaging in a little skirmish and then leaving at will. It is a matter of life and death, involving real weapons and serious work. If one is not careful, one’s life could be lost in an instant.

As I stepped out of the confined and desolate encampment, the sky was gradually darkening, and the sun was sinking behind the western mountains. A gentle evening breeze swept through, carrying the cool fragrance of flowers and grass, along with the scent of books, refreshing the spirit. It was evident at a glance that tonight would be exceptionally clear and bright

The Third Young Master! Ju Shou called out to Yuan Shang.

Yuan Shang's frantic efforts to escape were solely for the sake of survival, but now, with Ju Shou urging him to risk his life to confront others, it has completely exceeded his initial expectations

If the lord is unwilling to reinforce the troops and replace the generals at Wuchao, then it falls to you, the Third Young Master, to rescue it on your own! Your main force should have at least several thousand troops, right? You shall lead the troops to save Wuchao!

At this moment, he finally understands why Yuan Shao despised Ju Shou. The words may be well-intentioned, but is that how one should speak? A thousand of oneself cannot compare to a single Cao Cao? Is that how one should express oneself? Although I do not know what the original Yuan San Gongzi was like, I can assure you that I am quite excellent in my own right now

# # # # #

The third son, who usually appeared arrogant, overbearing, and boastful in his eyes, surprisingly hit the nail on the head with a single remark

Having a trusted confidant would prevent me from going; why does this sound so awkward? When the tiger is not in the mountain, the monkey claims the throne? Or is it just picking the tallest among the short ones?

Yuan Shang frowned, feeling quite displeased. Why does everyone ask the same question? What do you mean by who taught me? Clearly, I came up with this myself! Is my intelligence really so insignificant in your eyes?

No!

Yuan Shang

Moreover, the opponent is none other than Cao Cao! It is that Cao Cao, who is a master of military strategy and commands awe across the world! How are we supposed to fight this battle?

Nevertheless, having at least two thousand people is certainly much better than having none at all

As soon as the words were spoken, Ju Shou's expression suddenly changed dramatically. He looked at Yuan Shang with a face full of astonishment, as if he had been talking to thin air all along and had only just now noticed him.