Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 7 And if a brave man doesn't die, all is well! If he dies, he will surely make a name for himself!
Inside Shouchun Palace, amidst the flickering candlelight, Yuan Shu lightly tapped the imperial seal with his knuckles, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

Although there is no solution on the chessboard, we still have to be wary. Yang Hong specially sent Li Feng with Ji Ling today, which is a reminder to him.

If Sun Ce were to follow the old ways of Lü Bu and Dong Zhuo, his few lackeys might not be able to stop this little tyrant of Jiangdong!
Therefore, we urgently need a fierce general to protect us closely and keep us on guard at all times.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shu smiled. Coincidentally, there really was such a top-notch bodyguard near his city of Shouchun!
It was Xu Chu, Xu Zhongkang, from Qiao County, Yuzhou!

At this time, he had not yet joined Cao Cao. He was still leading the local militia to protect his family in a fortified village outside Qiao County. In fact, given his kinship with the Cao family, he could have easily joined them without waiting until now.

Clearly, he's still hesitating!
According to Yuan Shu's recollection, Xu Chu joined Cao Cao's service approximately two years later in 197 AD. At that time, Cao Cao held the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, occupied Yan, Yu, Sili and other places, and his ambition to dominate the world was already evident.

But right now, Cao Cao had just lost Yan Province to Lü Bu, and at one point he only had three cities left. He was still fighting Lü Bu in Yan Province, and his future was uncertain and his fate was uncertain. Xu Chu naturally dared not gamble his family and life in such a situation.

This was precisely the opportunity that Yuan Gongzi, whose students and former officials were spread all over the world and whose family had held high positions for four generations, could seize!

Today, Cao Cao, you are a descendant of a eunuch, a lackey, and you are in dire straits. What do you have to compare with me, who has a large army and abundant food supplies and is in control of Huainan?

Although Qiao County is nearby, it is still Cao Cao's territory. If he wants to recruit Xu Chu, he will need to make some further plans.

"Ji Ling, Li Feng!"
"You two will take three thousand trusted elite cavalrymen, each with two horses, and follow me to attack Qiao County early tomorrow morning."

what!
Ji Ling and Li Feng, who had just arranged for the executioners to leave and were also planning to take their leave, were both shocked to hear this.

"My lord, please reconsider!"
Qiao County is the ancestral home of the Cao family. Although Cao Cao was busy fighting Lü Bu for control of Yan Province and couldn't spare any attention, such an important place couldn't possibly be undefended. A mere three thousand men would probably be insufficient to handle it.

Ji Ling was an upright man. After offering his opinion, he still intended to obey orders, saying, "If my lord truly wishes to attack, that is fine, just send me more troops."

Li Feng, however, found the whole thing unreliable and whispered a reminder, "My lord, have you forgotten? We're supposed to launch an attack on Liu Yao in five days to help Prince Sun cross the river and rescue his mother. Attacking Qiao County now might be risky."

Before he could finish speaking, Yuan Shu's gaze fell on him, and he smiled meaningfully.

"Don't worry, one person on two horses, traveling day and night, changing horses but not riders, we can get back within five days."

Li Feng was stunned when he heard this. No, what I'm worried about is whether I can make it back in time.
Moreover, five days is only enough for a round trip. Doesn't it take time to attack a city?

However, under Yuan Shu's gaze, and recalling the events he had personally experienced today, Li Feng realized that his lord had changed so much since obtaining the Imperial Seal. Even Sun Ce was forced to sweat profusely. How could Li Feng dare to say anything more?

He could only bow his head and agree, indicating that he and Ji Ling would go and take care of the matter.

Two days later, late at night.

The banners on the city wall of Qiao County were lowered. Suddenly, a bugle call to warn of an enemy attack broke the silence. Xiahou Dun, dressed in armor, stood up abruptly and rushed to the city wall.

"General! Scouts report that enemy troops have set up camp thirty li away."

Following the soldier's direction, he narrowed his eyes and saw that on the distant horizon, the scattered lights connected together, resembling a fire dragon winding its way in.

Judging from the continuous stream of people, a rough estimate suggests that tens of thousands have entered the camp in this short period of time, and the number is still increasing.

Xiahou Dun's heart sank!
He never expected that after losing an eye in the battle with Lü Bu and being sent to his hometown to recuperate by his lord, he would still encounter battle again.
"Do you know whose general these people are?" "Reporting to the general, the scouts saw the character 'Ji' on the banner of the leader."

The character 【纪】?

"It must be Ji Ling who has arrived. He is Yuan Shu's top general and is not to be trifled with. The fact that he has been sent here shows that Yuan Shu is serious this time. He is taking advantage of our lord's predicament in Yanzhou to plunder him."

As he spoke, he waved his hand to give the order!
"Issue my military order: martial law throughout the city! Bring all nearby troops to my command for defense. Prepare rolling logs and stones; laborers must immediately move defensive equipment."

"General, they have set up camp now and must be resting for the night before attacking the city tomorrow morning. Why don't we take advantage of their unstable footing and launch a night raid on their camp?"

"A raid on a camp? It's all about surprise attacks."

Xiahou Dun looked at him with annoyance, “Ji Ling is no nobody. He is well-versed in military strategy. Even you know that the enemy has just arrived and can be attacked while they are still unstable. How could he not know that?”

Look at the well-organized layout of his camp; he is no easy opponent. To attack rashly would be to abandon our advantage in defending the city and use our weakness to attack our strength.

Moreover, Yuan Shu's attack is fierce, and he now has tens of thousands of troops. Even if our night raid succeeds, it will be difficult to achieve significant results. But if we fail, our already stretched forces will find it even more difficult to defend the city. If we are careless and lose Qiao County, what will happen to our lord's family?"

Seeing that the faces of his generals around him were somewhat grim upon hearing the news, Xiahou Dun laughed heartily.

"Don't panic, everyone. My lord sent me here for this very moment."

He had anticipated that Yuan Shu, that traitor, might take advantage of his predicament in Yanzhou, and therefore left behind contingency plans in case of unforeseen circumstances.

As he spoke, he began to make arrangements and direct the group.

"Gentlemen, prepare yourselves well. When the army attacks the city tomorrow, you are only allowed to lose, not win. Lure them into the city!"

Although we are outnumbered, our lord has prepared a large quantity of oil and flammable materials here. We only need to ignite them to isolate the city from the outside world, trapping any army attempting to enter.

While Xiahou Dun made a series of arrangements, waiting for the enemy to attack the city and fall into the trap, Ji Ling, the general whom he deeply feared in Yuan's army camp, was complaining bitterly.

He'd lost count of how many times he'd done this. How despicable! Taking advantage of the darkness, they went in and out, and with only three thousand men, they managed to create the impression of tens of thousands.

He was allowed to openly restrain the garrison of Qiao County, while his own lord and his personal guards, including Li Feng, had disappeared without a trace.

Outside the city, in the Xu family's fortified village, an uninvited guest arrived tonight.

“A true man should wield a three-foot sword and achieve unparalleled feats. What great achievements can one accomplish by hiding in one’s family and wandering in the countryside all day?”

A loud shout broke the tranquility of the fortified village. Yuan Shu dismounted and stepped forward to greet Xu Chu, who was coming to see him, with a smile in his eyes.

"And if a brave man doesn't die, so be it! If he dies, he will surely make a great name for himself!"
Does Zhongkang agree?

(End of this chapter)