Chapter 8: Regulations on Grain Storage

What Yuan Shang said is not incorrect; the troops sent by the Cao army to attack Wuchao this time can indeed be considered the elite among the elite of the Cao army. The leading vanguard cavalry is precisely the elite iron cavalry under Cao Cao, who dominates the Central Plains and looks down upon all rivals.

What fault has this third son committed? Discontent with the abundance of his own grain, he actually has the leisure to set fire to it for amusement? Could it be that upon seeing the Cao army approaching, he has given up on himself, lacking even the courage to resist?

Chunyu Qiong's face turned bright red, his teeth chattered loudly, his nostrils flared and contracted, and he breathed heavily like a bull in a fit of rage

"The Wuchao is on fire?" Zhang Liao muttered to himself, somewhat surprised

Wait a moment; this is not the time for rash actions

Xu Chu, a man of unparalleled bravery and strength, is renowned among the generals of the three armies. In battle, he has always been the first to charge forward, never retreating. During the night raid on Wuchao, he once again led the charge, placing himself at the forefront of the troops. Even the elite cavalry of the Tiger and Leopard Riders, skilled in swift mounted assaults, were left far behind by him.

Yuan Shang rolled his eyes in exasperation, looking at Chunyu Qiong with deep sorrow, and said, "General Chunyu, I truly feel that I cannot communicate with you. I asked you to burn the supplies, but I didn't mean for you to burn everything. Just a small portion of the granary would suffice to create some black smoke. Do you really have nothing better to do than to burn all the provisions?"

Upon hearing this, Sui Yuanjin was about to turn around to make arrangements, but he suddenly saw Yuan Shang raise his hand to stop his movement

Chunyu Qiong turned around in astonishment to look at Yuan Shang and said anxiously: "Third Young Master, the Cao army has already reached our doorstep at Wuchao. What are we waiting for? If we do not arrange our troops soon, are we just going to watch them trample the supplies in Wuchao?"

Yuan Shang, Chunyu Qiong, and others climbed one after another to the watchtower in the camp. Under the moonlight, they gazed into the distance and saw, several miles south of Wuchao, a cloud of dust billowing majestically and profoundly, as if the wind were sweeping away the remnants of clouds, rapidly rushing towards their side.

The Battle of Wuchao between Yuan and Cao thus gradually unfolded.

Xu Chu was taken aback upon hearing this, and then his expression changed. He let out a heavy "hmph" and raised his hand to slap the horse's hindquarters, urging it to continue moving forward, but its speed was noticeably much slower than before

Chunyu Qiong hesitated as he looked at Yuan Shang, and after a long pause, he finally murmured, "But even if the Third Young Master burns the supplies, although it may hasten the arrival of the Lord's reinforcements, what use is it if the supplies are gone? Without provisions, we will still be unable to defeat Cao Cao in the future"

Hello! Xu Chu waved his hand fiercely and said impatiently, "What use is it for you and me to speculate here for half a day? We might as well hurry and send troops over to take a look. If it really is a case of the crow's nest leaking, we can take advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack, which would save us a lot of effort!"

Xu Chu felt a wave of discouragement upon hearing this, turning his head in silence. Speaking with Zhang Liao was indeed more exhausting for him than fighting or killing; just a few words would leave him at a loss for words.

Chunyu Qiong scratched his head and cautiously asked Yuan Shang, "Third Young Master, what did you just say? Could you please repeat it? I didn't quite catch that."

What? Everyone present was taken aback upon hearing this, as if they had not clearly understood what Yuan Shang was saying

Zhang Liao smiled gently, as if bathed in a spring breeze: "Zhong Kang, how can you be so impatient in advancing the troops? Look at your eagerness; the soldiers of the Tiger and Leopard Camp have fallen far behind you. The lord had previously issued a strict order, commanding us not to be overly aggressive and to avoid getting too far from his reinforcements. If something were to happen, it would be difficult for the two armies to support each other."

Yuan Shang closed his eyes in contemplation, his mind racing as thoughts flashed through his mind, only to be immediately dismissed one by one

I say we burn the grain! We should burn our own grain, only then can we set up a confusing array for Cao Cao, making it difficult for him to discern what we are truly doing. Moreover, by burning the supplies and creating black smoke, my father in the main tent at Guandu will know that Wuchao is in trouble, allowing him to expedite the dispatch of troops for rescue in the shortest time possible. This is far quicker than sending swift horses to deliver the message.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other, their hearts filled with doubt. Can this idea truly be considered a brilliant strategy

One is Zhang Liao, who is revered by later generations as the foremost among the Five Great Generals, while the other is Xu Chu, who commanded the Tiger Guard for Cao Cao and is known to the world as the "Tiger Madman".

After a considerable amount of time, Yuan Shang finally opened his eyes wide, revealing a sharp glint of intelligence in his gaze

Yuan Shang shook his head and said: "In terms of combat alone, Cao's troops are inherently much stronger than the Hebei army. Moreover, the attack on Wuchao is of great significance, and Cao Cao must have made meticulous arrangements. The forces coming to seize the grain must be the elite among Cao's army. This move can be considered a brilliant strategy in this game of chess. In a direct confrontation, I estimate the chances of victory are very low"

Not far ahead, the once tranquil and serene Wuchao camp is now suddenly engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke billowing upwards. The bright red flames instantly illuminate the entire night sky, creating a striking and alarming scene

In just that fleeting glance, Zhang Liao's expression suddenly changed dramatically

Chunyu Qiong, upon hearing this, became anxious: "Even if our chances of winning are slim, the Cao army is still coming for us! If we don't fight, do you expect us to just run away? Young Master, what do you plan to do?"

Xu Chu also wore a puzzled expression and asked, "Could it be that the lord sent troops to raid the camp before you and me?"

Yuan Shang raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and said, "It is still the same saying; direct confrontation is not a viable strategy. I have only one word for my defense strategy"

# # # # #

At a critical moment, Chunyu Qiong's performance was quite valiant, living up to the illustrious title of a renowned general from Hebei

From ancient times to the present, in battles between two armies, the commanders leading their troops have always focused on how to burn the enemy's supplies and cut off their supply lines. The idea of setting fire to their own provisions is truly unheard of.

The vanguard general leading the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry is among the few exceptional talents and fierce warriors under Cao Cao's command

I am not sure which character you are referring to, young master

"Water leakage?" Zhang Liao responded with a bitter smile: "In such a crucial granary, how could there be a water leak? Even if the Yuan army is in dire straits, they would not commit such a childish mistake"

Such a young master is indeed too weak and too wasteful

Zhang Liao saw Xu Chu turning his head and ignoring him, and couldn't help but chuckle. He stroked his beard and turned to look in the direction of Wu Chao

If it is said that the horse urine just now has sobered Chunyu Qiong by three parts, then at this moment, this fool from Wucao should be at least nine parts sober.

Issue the order, take action immediately, burn the grain! Burn our own grain!

Having said that, Xu Chu suddenly clamped his legs tightly, disregarding Zhang Liao's advice, and abruptly urged his horse towards Wu Chao.

Cao Cao was a formidable hero of his time; ordinary methods would likely be ineffective against him. To confuse and delay him, one might need to resort to some drastic measures

Zhang Liao pondered for a moment and shook his head, saying: "No! Our troops are inherently fewer than Yuan Shao's. The abduction of Wuchao is of great significance, and the lord has no reason to disperse the troops in such a manner. This action does not conform to the principles of military strategy; this fire absolutely cannot have been set by our army"

Zhang Liao smiled helplessly, then rode forward alongside Xu Chu. As they walked, he said: "Zhongkang, ahead is Wuchao. Once we reach Wuchao, you must avoid being impulsive. We need to attack from both sides, charging in from the east and west. Do not ask about anything else, just focus on burning the supplies"

The generals looked at me, and I looked at them, all feeling greatly puzzled

Xu Chu scratched his head, pondered for a moment, then laughed heartily and said, "Damn it, could it be that the soldiers rebelled and fled in the middle of the night? The commander of Yuan's army is truly useless"

Understood! Xu Chu rudely interrupted Zhang Liao's words, expressing his dissatisfaction: "You have repeated this at least three to five times along the way, as if I have a poor memory and cannot remember. My ears have developed calluses from listening to you!"

Guo Yuan furrowed his brows and said: "Third Young Master, even if m.hetushu.com can quickly inform the lord about the situation at Wuchao, how should we resist the Cao army on this side"

Zhong Kang! Do not be so impatient!

Zhang Liao had a very good temper; upon hearing these words, he did not get angry but simply smiled and said: "I am not worried that you might forget. Tonight's matters are crucial to the lord's great enterprise. As long as there are no mistakes, what does it matter if I develop a few calluses? At worst, I can find someone to help you treat them in the future"

Chunyu Qiong was taken aback upon hearing this, then let out a chuckle, fully displaying his shameless nature: "Young master, please do not take offense; I am still a bit dazed from the wine and my head is still somewhat muddled"

Mong!

Xu Chu suddenly pulled the reins of his horse, looking displeased at Zhang Liao who was blocking his way, and said in a simple-minded manner: "Why are you stopping me?"

As Xu Chu was charging forward, a rider on horseback suddenly appeared, blocking his path. The man who obstructed him had an elegant appearance and an extraordinary presence. His pair of slender eyes shone like stars, resembling a refined gentleman well-versed in literature. His demeanor was composed and restrained; had it not been for the armor he wore and the long iron saber he held, no one would have guessed that he was the renowned general Zhang Liao of the Cao Wei dynasty.

Zhang Liao called out several times, but Xu Chu did not turn his head. In helplessness, he could only raise his whip and gallop after him.

The night is deep and silent, the surroundings of the dark nest have fallen into complete stillness, as if the mountains and forests have also entered into a dream.

Tiger and Leopard Cavalry

With a sudden slap on the wooden railing, he shouted hoarsely at Sui Yuan behind him: "These audacious Cao thieves, not content to guard their camp in the dead of night, dare to invade my Wuchao. Their arrogance knows no bounds! I vow to annihilate them! Inform my general, prepare the troops, and march out of the camp to meet the enemy!"