Chapter 10: Yuan Shao's Military Campaign

At a critical moment, that old rascal Guo Tu once again stepped forward with great enthusiasm, waved his large sleeves, and bowed respectfully towards Yuan Shao.

A faint response was heard, lacking a strong momentum and powerful fighting spirit; what remained was only the concealed maturity and composure. Then, a warrior clad in dark black armor stepped forward.

He has a resolute appearance, exuding a latent explosive power ready to spring into action at any moment. Coupled with his slightly furrowed sword-like eyebrows and piercing gaze, his face remains calm and unruffled. However, those who know him can discern that beneath his composed and aloof exterior lies a fierce character, akin to that of a predatory tiger or leopard.

Yuan Shao stood in a daze for a while, his mind replaying the scenes from earlier today when Yuan Shang had earnestly advised him to strengthen the defenses of Wuchao, with cold sweat dripping audibly from his forehead

The sound of shouting was hoarse and exhausting, and it turned out to be the clamor of people in the tent. Everyone turned their heads in surprise, only to see Yuan Xi standing outside the tent, his face filled with anger as he looked back and forth at the crowd. His eyes were wide open, his lips tightly pressed together, and he was grinding his teeth back and forth, clearly in a state of extreme anxiety. It was unclear what had happened to cause him to be so flustered.

The two individuals exchanged opinions, and Yuan Shao pondered that perhaps he could still derive some meaning from it. However, a group of people was creating chaos and confusion, which led Yuan Shao to completely break down, his head buzzing with pain.

The flames soared into the sky in the direction of Wuchao, with the lives of hundreds of thousands of Yuan troops at stake. One must ask, who among us can still sleep soundly at such a time, devoid of any compassion?

I, the humble general, wish to accompany General Zhang.

The Guandu camp, which is so bright that it can be clearly seen from forty miles away

At a critical moment, Yuan Shao began to waver again, feeling indecisive in his heart. At one moment, he thought Zhang He’s opinion was correct, and at another moment, he felt that Guo Tu’s suggestion was good

At this moment, the scene inside Yuan Shao's command tent was not much better than that outside.

My lord, Zhang He’s words are entirely based on conjecture and cannot be taken seriously. The opportunity to capture Cao's camp at Guandu is indeed a gift from heaven. If we do not seize it today, it will be too late for regret. I implore you, my lord, to make a wise decision

In the distance, the dark nest still blazes with fierce flames, resembling a lurking monster that mocks the dullness of this quiet and desolate night with its own burning

This little rascal, he must have thought that since I did not send troops, he could lead his own forces to assist at Wuchao, right? If that is truly the case

Quiet, quiet, everyone take a moment to rest, let me think it over carefully

The burning fire of the black nest is so dazzling and so brilliantly bright in the night.

What is it?

Zhang He and Gao Lan exchanged a surprised glance at each other

Upon hearing this, Guo Tu's face immediately turned bright red

Although Yan Liang and Wen Chou are dead, there are still Zhang He and Gao Lan remaining, who can be regarded as the pillars of Hebei. It is indeed appropriate for the two of them to go to rescue Wu Chao this time

What should be done in a situation like this www.hetushu.com.com

Yuan Shao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally felt a slight sense of relief at this moment

Your Excellency, please wait!

Such individuals essentially live out their lives to the end

Yuan Xi nodded affirmatively.

Within the camp of Yuan Jun, the soldiers and officers were in a state of chaos, running about and informing one another, creating a noisy uproar; it could be said that the disorder was as great as it could possibly be.

On the other side, Jiao Chu, Zhang Nan, Ma Yan, Zhang Kai, and others began to sing a different tune: "We earnestly request the lord to send troops to Guandu"

Zhang He clasped his fists and said: "My lord, Guo Tu's strategy is unwise. The urgent matter at hand is to prioritize the rescue of Wuchao."

The humble general is willing to go forth

The night is dark and ominous, the pitch-black sky is profoundly terrifying, with only the bright moonlight illuminating the entire earth with its pure white glow

I command you both to be the vanguards, and you shall assemble five thousand iron cavalry to swiftly march to Wuchao under the stars and defeat Cao's army! I will personally lead my main forces to follow and provide support, ensuring that we seize Wuchao in one decisive strike

Yuan Xi stepped forward decisively, knelt on one knee before Yuan Shao, and anxiously said: "Father, something major has happened!"

No! The general will set off immediately.

As Guo Tu's words fell, Zhang He let out a dismissive smile and calmly said: "Mr. Guo, I must respectfully disagree with your statement. In the past, Sun Bin surrounded Wei to rescue Zhao, using the troops of Qi to alleviate Zhao's predicament. Even if Handan fell, it had little impact on Qi itself. However, the current Wuchao is the lifeline of our army; how can it be compared to the Handan city of old, which was surrounded as per the saying 'surround Wei to rescue Zhao'? Moreover, Cao Cao is highly strategic and will certainly have precautions in place when he goes out. If we attack Cao's camp tonight and achieve nothing, Wuchao may instead fall. I wonder if Mr. Guo has any brilliant strategies to resolve this?"

Without the skill of a master craftsman, one should not attempt delicate tasks; without genuine knowledge and expertise, who would dare to easily take on the monumental task of rescuing the nest of a crow?

Upon thinking of this, Yuan Shao couldn't help but shiver. He then suddenly slammed the table, stood up, and shouted angrily: "Zhang He, Gao Lan, heed my command!"

Yuan Shao was in a state of indecision, while the group of civil and military officials beneath him were sweating profusely with anxiety. At such a critical moment, every moment of delay increased the danger to Wuchao. Making a prompt decision was of utmost importance.

Fortunately, there are still some capable generals under Yuan Shao's command, and at critical moments, there are indeed individuals available for use

Xian Yi

As soon as the conversation reached this point, Yuan Shao suddenly erupted in anger. He slammed the table forcefully and exclaimed, "Guandu, Guandu! All you know is Guandu! If we take Guandu, can it bring my son's life back?! I have made up my mind! The army will set out immediately, fully committed to rescuing Wuchao!"

Yuan Shao furrowed his brow; he truly could not withstand any greater storms at this moment

I will not be able to assist you!

As Zhang He stepped forward, another renowned general from the Four Pillars of Hebei, Gao Lan, also unwilling to remain in the shadows, strode forward to report.

After a thunderous roar, Yuan Shao's body tilted to one side, nearly causing him to lose his breath.

Guo Tu, upon hearing this, became anxious and hurriedly stepped forward to report: "My lord, you must not act as hetushu.com suggests. Going to rescue Wu Chao is of no benefit; the only proper course is to concentrate all efforts on attacking Guandu. This opportunity is truly rare; if we do not seize it today, we will regret it in the future."

Thus, the people below were also not idle. Led by Gao Lan, Han Meng, Jiang Qi, Lu Kuang, Lu Xiang, and others, they stood up one after another and said in a loud voice: "We support General Zhang's intention and earnestly request the Lord to quickly send troops to Wu Chao"

This is Zhang He

Just as Yuan Shao was in a state of turmoil within the tent, wavering back and forth, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed from outside the command tent

In that case, I would trouble Generals Zhang and Gao to lead five thousand cavalry to rescue Wuchao

Everyone be quiet!

The night was deep and serene, a time when one should enter the realm of dreams and sleep peacefully. However, the camp of Yuan Jun was filled with noise and chaos, and almost no soldier within the camp had the heart to sleep.

All the generals, you look at me, and I look at you; most of you do not dare to respond to this call. The matter of Wuchao is of great significance, and it can be said that pulling one hair can move the whole body. Such a heavy responsibility is certainly not something that can be easily addressed with mere words

My lord, I have a strategy that can defeat Cao's army in a matter of days. This time, Cao's army has come to seize grain, which must have been planned for a long time. I anticipate that Cao Cao will certainly go in person. Since Cao Cao is going himself, the camp at Guandu must be left vulnerable. Rather than sending troops to rescue Wuchao first, it would be better to attack Guandu first. If Cao Cao hears of this, he will surely return. This is akin to Sun Bin's strategy of surrounding Wei to rescue Zhao.

Yuan Shao sat pale-faced in the main seat, his usual elegance and demeanor completely vanished, replaced by an undeniable sense of panic and fear that could not be concealed, no matter how hard he tried

Yuan Shao clearly did not expect that his usually dull and honest second son would actually lose his temper in such a situation. For a moment, he forgot his anger and simply looked at Yuan Xi in astonishment

Regrettably, the dazzling fire of Wuchao, in the eyes of Yuan's army, holds no semblance of beauty or grandeur. Instead, it resembles an endless black hole, deeply drawing in the hearts and morale of Yuan's soldiers, ruthlessly crushing, trampling, and scattering them into oblivion

What major event is happening

Zhang He spoke without the slightest regard for his face, immediately leaving Guo Tu speechless. Guo Tu, being a narrow-minded person, secretly began to harbor resentment against Zhang He from that moment on

Third Brother and the main troops within his camp have stealthily left the encampment at an unknown time. Now his camp is empty, with only a dozen or so patrolling soldiers remaining inside, and no one else is present

After all the civil and military officials under his command had gathered, Yuan Shao heavily slapped the table, disregarding any need for eloquent remarks, and urgently exclaimed: "Gentlemen, there are flames filling the sky to the north of the main camp; it must be Cao Cao's forces launching a surprise attack on Wuchao. If Wuchao falls, our army's defeat will not be far off! The situation is critical; who among you dares to lead troops to rescue it?"

Xie Fu, he is not in the camp? After a long while, Yuan Shao finally came to his senses. The repeated blows had left him looking dispirited, completely devoid of the heroic demeanor he usually displayed when pointing out the affairs of the world.