Chapter Seven, Strategy

Lü Bu suppressed the oppression in his heart, knowing that if Cao Cao was determined to launch an all-out attack at any cost, with only the limited troops he had at his disposal, at least at this moment, Lü Bu had no confidence whatsoever in being able to defend this city under such a significant disparity in forces

We still have a few catapults that are operational! Looking at the massive machines behind the Cao army formation, Lu Bu felt a sinking sensation in his heart; he must find a way to suppress these things.

"What is it?" Xiahou Dun was taken aback, looking at Cao Cao in confusion.

Cao Jun did not immediately launch an assault on the city, nor did he besiege the three gates while leaving one open. Instead, he advanced towards the city at a very slow pace, continuously building momentum to create psychological pressure on the defending soldiers, while also conserving the physical strength of his troops in preparation for a future offensive.

The damage caused by catapults to city walls and buildings is significant, but their impact on soldiers is actually not as severe. After all, a single projectile is only so large; even if it lands in a crowd, it can at most injure two or three individuals. Moreover, the catapults of this era had alarmingly low firing rates, resulting in relatively minor casualties. However, the earth-shattering effect they produced posed a serious test to morale.

Old fox! Soon, Lü Bu reacted, realizing that Old Cao was putting pressure on himself. Associating this with the information brought back by Hao Zhao earlier, if it were the old Lü Bu, it would not be surprising at all for him to make some irrational decisions under the pressure from both inside and outside.

"My lord, what should we do about the situation in the city?" Gao Shun looked at Lü Bu with concern, saying. Although it had been mentioned before that this was Cao Cao's scheme to sow discord, one could not be too cautious. If someone were to cause trouble in the city at this moment, it would be impossible to manage both internal and external affairs.

Wah ~ Wah wah ~

Zhang Guang!" Lu Bu said in a deep voice

"Yes, I shall take my leave now!" Hao Zhao bowed and withdrew

Gao Shun remained silent, and the rebellion of Hou Cheng and others not only caused a significant decline in the morale of Lü Bu's subordinates but also left Lü Bu's originally sufficient generals in a difficult position. If the four were still present, with their assistance, at the very least, the current situation of having no one available would not have arisen.

A young officer rushed over, his face displaying a look of panic, and said: "Your Excellency, the Cao army at the north gate, east gate, and west gate has mobilized; the Cao army has gone mad"

By the way, I strictly order all generals not to charge to the front lines; they should only command the troops in the siege. Lü Bu is now in a desperate situation! In the end, Cao Cao recalled something and frowned as he instructed, having already lost two major generals, he certainly does not wish to see any further losses among his commanders in the upcoming battles. Lü Bu's archery skills are exceptionally fierce, and given the current situation of being surrounded on all sides, if he is determined to take a few down with him in his final moments, it would be a disaster for Cao Cao.

"It cannot be investigated!" Lu Bu shook his head, pressing his hand against the city wall, his gaze directed towards Cao's camp, and said in a deep voice: "Let us not discuss whether this matter is true or not. Even if it is indeed true, a thorough investigation will only lead to instability in the morale of the troops, causing every general to feel anxious for their own safety. We have only just managed to raise a bit of morale, and we cannot afford any turmoil. Old Cao is probably waiting for us to create chaos in our ranks."

What should we do now? Should we stop?" Xiahou Dun said with a frown

We have been on campaign for several months, and the soldiers are growing weary of the war. Now, Lü Bu has sent a corpse, but he does not have good intentions; his aim is to undermine our morale. That young man was merely a minor general under Lü Bu, and his death would not affect him. However, to execute him would only vent our temporary anger, while it would be greatly detrimental to the morale of our army. How could I fall into his trap?" Cao Cao glanced in the direction of Xia Pi and sneered, saying, "However, from the expression of that young general just now, I have confirmed one thing."

In Cao Cao's view, the reason for Lü Bu's outburst this time, which included the beheading of Le Jin and Cao Hong, and even using the corpses of the Cao army to undermine the morale of his troops, was undoubtedly due to his excessive pressure, which had forced Lü Bu's potential to be unleashed.

"My lord." Zhang Guang quickly stepped forward

Stop? Cao Cao pondered for a moment before shaking his head and said: "We cannot stop, we must continue to fight, and we must fight fiercely. We cannot give Lü Bu any opportunity for excessive contemplation. The greater the pressure, the more easily a person becomes irritable. Issue orders to the three armies: from now on, each army will take turns attacking the city, and we must not give Lü Bu a moment to catch his breath."

"Hmm, understood," Lü Bu nodded silently, looking towards the direction of Cao's camp. After a long while, he smiled and patted Hao Zhao's shoulder: "As for this matter, you need not concern yourself with it. Now, I officially appoint Hao Zhao as a school captain, in command of one thousand troops."

"Having been busy all night, let the soldiers rest first," Lü Bu said with satisfaction as he looked at Hao Zhao and smiled

Indeed. Gao Shun nodded, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. Nowadays, Lü Bu increasingly resembles a wise ruler.

Quickly inform Zhang Liao and all the soldiers in the city to cancel their rest, mobilize half of the men to the city immediately, and have the others on standby at all times Lü Bu's face was as dark as water, this was the rhythm of a decisive battle, and Cao Cao was clearly trying to overwhelm Lü Bu in this manner

"My lord, why did you let him go?" Xiahou Dun asked in a low voice, feeling dejected as he accompanied Cao Cao back to the military camp

"Yes!" The young schoolgirl replied and quickly left.

"Chen Gongtai has been injured; no wonder we have not seen him these past few days. That young man is too inexperienced; with one deception from me, he has instead confirmed my suspicions." Cao Cao coldly snorted and said, "Lü Bu, though he possesses some intelligence, is inherently suspicious, headstrong, and self-willed. Now that he has lost the assistance of Chen Gongtai, we need not intervene. As long as that young man brings this news back, it will surely arouse Lü Bu's suspicion. Given that brash fellow's character, it won't be long before the city of Xiapi falls without a fight. Had I known this would be the case, I would not have felt the need to pressure so much, resulting in the loss of two of my generals."

My lord, it is as follows: there are likely spies sent by Cao's camp within our army. Please make a decision, my lord?" Hao Zhao recounted his encounter in Cao's camp and finally looked towards Lü Bu

Thank you, my lord! Upon hearing this, Hao Zhao's eyes flashed with a hint of excitement, and he quickly knelt down to express his gratitude

There are twelve aircraft, but we do not have many stones left for our catapults, Zhang Guang said in a deep voice

"Can Hao Zhao manage this?" Gao Shun frowned, questioning whether a newly promoted general possesses such capability

"Range?" Lü Bu suddenly paused, looking at the slowly moving formation ahead, a cold smile flickering at the corner of his mouth. He said to Zhang Guang, "Bring all the stone throwers and follow me. Also, have someone bring all the oil over!"

Is it a decisive battle

Nuo! Xiahou Dun nodded upon hearing this. Although he felt somewhat unconvinced in his heart, he also understood that Cao Cao's concerns were quite reasonable. Back in Puyang, it was only through the combined efforts of the six great generals of Cao's camp that they barely managed to force Lu Bu to retreat. No one dared to question Lu Bu's martial prowess any longer

Guo Jia nodded slightly, furrowing his brow as he looked towards the direction of the city wall. Although Lü Bu was often labeled as brave yet lacking in strategy by many, no one on the battlefield would underestimate him. His terrifying insight and grasp of the situation on the battlefield were unmatched by few across the land. Otherwise, he would not have once left his opponents in Puyang in such a disheveled state. Given the current situation, at the very least, Lü Bu should have led his cavalry out to diminish the morale of Cao's army. However, at this moment, the city seemed unusually quiet.

In the rear of Cao Jun's camp, Cao Cao, accompanied by Guo Jia and Cheng Yu, observed from a distance. As they looked at the still silent city walls, Cao Cao smiled and said to Guo Jia, "It seems that this fierce tiger, Feng Xian, has made some progress, but it is still quite limited."

As Hao Zhao departed, the smile on Cao Cao's face gradually faded. Looking at the bodies of Le Jin and Cao Hong on the stretcher before him, he felt a surge of pent-up frustration in his chest. Cao Hong was a member of his own clan, and his strength, whether in martial arts or military strategy, made him a rare and exceptional general. Le Jin was one of the earliest warriors to follow him, and both were considered his trusted generals. To lose two such important generals in a single day was something that would inevitably provoke Cao Cao's anger.

catapult

"My lord, should we immediately order a thorough investigation into this matter?" Gao Shun hesitated for a moment and looked at Lü Bu.

Meanwhile, Hao Zhao also returned to Xia Pi with his troops to report to Lü Bu

"Let Hao Zhao be responsible for the security within the city," Lü Bu snorted coldly and said sternly, "I will guard the south gate, you and Wenyuan work hard and take charge of the other three gates"

This is indeed a decisive battle with the books. Although Cao Cao primarily hopes to exert pressure on Lü Bu, causing him to lose his composure, if chaos truly ensues, this will be the final battle of Xiapi

"It must be done!" A resolute glint flashed in Lu Bu's eyes: "At this moment, the number of people we can rely on is already limited."

rumble rumble rumble

The desolate sound of the horn accompanied by the stirring beat of war drums echoed in the distance, as the troops of Cao's camp began to converge towards the city of Xiapi. Both Lü Bu and Gao Shun furrowed their brows simultaneously, gazing in the direction of Cao's camp. The sound of the horn today seemed different from that of previous days

Four massive square formations, dark and oppressive, advanced towards the southern gate, exuding a heavy atmosphere of oppression that caused both Lü Bu and Gao Shun to change their expressions simultaneously

Looking around, many soldiers displayed a golden hue on their faces, indicating that Cao Cao's psychological tactics were beginning to take effect. If this psychological pressure created by Cao Cao could not be broken, it was feared that before Cao Cao even launched his attack, the hard-won strength would diminish. Something must be done.

Indeed. Upon hearing this, Zhang Guang did not ask further and immediately went to gather the stone throwers. Just like modern artillerymen, stone throwers are also specially trained; they cannot simply be chosen at random.

I understand! After Gao Shun nodded, he headed straight towards the east gate

Lü Bu's gaze flickered; the stones that a catapult can launch are not merely any random rocks. They must be polished and shaped into a spherical form; otherwise, it significantly affects accuracy. Moreover, the range will vary depending on the weight of the stones used.

Lu Bu's gaze turned towards the direction of Cao's army, where four formations were arranged. Given this scale, it indicated that 40,000 men were simultaneously deployed, clearly showing that the old Cao regarded this southern gate as the main attack direction