Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms
Chapter 1000: Yingchuan Emergency Array to Block the Heroes
Lü Bu, upon receiving the imperial edict, was secretly delighted; this was exactly what he had in mind. He feigned a military expedition, making a grand gesture of marching towards Yingchuan, successfully deceiving Cao Cao. Cao Cao, concerned about the situation in Dongjun, saw that Lü Bu had followed the edict and set off with confidence. Meanwhile, Cao Ang and Ma Yunlu, commanding 10,000 Xiliang cavalry, hurried to lift the siege of Qiaojun.
Lü Bu ostensibly headed for Yingchuan, but after only half a day, he found an excuse to camp. As night fell, he took advantage of the cover of darkness and secretly led his troops back to Xudu. Xudu, at that time, was empty due to Cao Cao's departure and the transfer of some of his troops.
At midnight, Wang Yun arrived to seek an audience with the Emperor. Puzzled, Liu Xie met him, only to be surprised to find Lü Bu standing behind him. Confused, he asked, "Marquis Wen, weren't you headed for Yingchuan? Why are you here?" Wang Yun then stepped forward and respectfully explained, "Your Majesty, this is simply to deceive Cao Cao. You are unaware of Cao Cao's ruthless ambitions. After he helped you ascend the throne, he seized power and treated us, his veteran ministers, with the utmost cruelty. Your Majesty, you are under his control and face countless threats. He seeks to use you as a puppet and manipulate the government at will. Now, taking advantage of this opportunity, with Xudu now empty, we are determined to protect Your Majesty and eliminate this treacherous villain."
Liu Xie, hearing Wang Yun's words, could not help but shed tears. He clutched the sleeves of Lü Bu and Wang Yun tightly, saying mournfully, "During this national crisis, I, too, have suffered at the hands of Cao Cao. You are truly loyal subjects of the Han Dynasty!" He could not help but burst into tears.
Lü Bu hurriedly consoled him, "Your Majesty, please do not cry. I, Lü Bu, am here to protect you from further persecution. Your Majesty, please remain at home for the next few days and ensure your own safety. Cao Cao hasn't gone far yet. In a few days, when the battle is at a stalemate, we will capture Xu Du in one fell swoop and make Cao Cao a destitute. Then, we'll see how arrogant he can be!"
Liu Xie was both moved and worried after hearing Lü Bu's words. He was touched by the loyalty of Lü Bu, Wang Yun, and others, but he was concerned about whether this move would succeed. If it failed, the consequences would be disastrous. But at this point, he seemed to have no better choice but to pin his hopes on Lü Bu.
In Xudu, the people slept soundly, unaware of the impending crisis. Though the defenders were wary of Cao Cao's departure, no one anticipated Lü Bu's sudden return. Xudu, at this moment, felt like a powder keg about to explode...
Meanwhile, Cao Cao was racing tirelessly towards Dongjun. Preoccupied with how to counter Yuan Shao's attack and rescue the Xiahou brothers, he was unaware of the dangers lurking behind him in Xudu. On the Dongjun frontier, the Xiahou brothers led their men in a bloody battle, struggling to withstand Yuan Shao's fierce assault. Meanwhile, in Yingchuan, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei launched a ferocious offensive, increasing the pressure on Cao Cao's defenders. Across the Central Plains, the struggle between various factions intensified, the situation becoming increasingly complex. A major shift that would determine the fate of the world was quietly unfolding...
Ten days later, the situation on the Yingchuan battlefield grew increasingly dire. Cao Ren and Cao Hong's forces, under fierce attacks from Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, as well as Wen Pin, were steadily losing ground. Cao Ang, tragically, was severely wounded in the battle and was in critical condition. However, to their dismay, the long-awaited reinforcements from Lü Bu had yet to arrive.
Cao Ren had already sent two waves of troops to request reinforcements, but neither had any response. Worried, Cao Ren discussed with Cao Hong, "This is bizarre! Wasn't it agreed that Marquis Wen would come to support us? Why is it that after ten days, there's not even a sign of reinforcements? We've sent two waves of troops, yet there's still no sign of them."
Cao Hong frowned and snorted coldly, "Hmph, Lü Bu is a fickle villain. I'm afraid he bears a grudge against us. He wanted to take Xuzhou, but we didn't let him succeed. He must have been holding a grudge. I'm afraid he's deliberately not coming to our rescue this time, hoping to make a fool of us."
Cao Ren's concern grew. He said, "We're defending our camp, not daring to fight, yet we're still struggling to withstand the onslaught of Liu, Guan, and Zhang. Zilian, you've been seriously injured, and this isn't an option. If all else fails, we must withdraw. First, save the lives of our soldiers, and then we can make further plans."
Cao Hong was a man of strong character. Upon hearing this, his eyes widened and he shouted, "Brother, how can we withdraw our troops? How can we face our lord if we just go back like this? As a general, if I keep losing cities and territories, how can I live in this world with dignity? It would be better to repay our lord's trust with my own death!"
Cao Ren watched Cao Hong's resolute expression with mixed emotions. He knew Cao Hong's loyalty and understood that withdrawing at this moment would be extremely detrimental to morale and the overall situation. But as he watched the soldiers continue to fall before him, as well as the gravely wounded Cao Ang and Cao Hong, he simply couldn't bear to see his brothers die in vain.
Cao Ren sighed deeply and said, "Zi Lian, I don't intend to withdraw. However, the situation is critical now. Lü Bu's reinforcements have not arrived, and our army has suffered heavy casualties. If the stalemate continues, I'm afraid we will be annihilated. We must consider the lives of our soldiers and preserve our strength for our lord."
Cao Hong remained silent after hearing Cao Ren's words. He knew Cao Ren's words were reasonable, but his inner loyalty and stubbornness made it difficult for him to make the decision to withdraw his troops.
As the two hesitated, the shouting and fighting outside the camp intensified. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Wen Pin seemed to sense Cao Cao's predicament and intensified their offensive.
Cao Hong, hearing the thunderous cries of battle outside, was consumed with anxiety. Regardless of his injuries, he was about to rush back to the battlefield. Cao Ren quickly reached out and restrained Cao Hong, saying, "Zilian, rest assured. They haven't been able to break through the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation I've set up for two days. Don't worry. I'll go and direct the formation and stabilize the situation."
Although Cao Hong spoke toughly, as if he would rather die than surrender, he was still very worried about Cao Ren's safety. He looked at Cao Ren with a hint of worry in his tone and said, "Brother, you must be extremely careful on this trip. If you really have to..." Cao Hong said this, but did not say anything else, but his eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and determination.
Cao Ren nodded slightly and said with a firm look in his eyes: "Don't worry, Zi Lian. If it really doesn't work, we brothers will retreat, withdraw from Yingchuan, and return to defend Xu Du. We will never let these villains succeed." After that, he no longer hesitated, turned around and strode out of the tent, heading towards the battlefield.
Cao Ren arrived at the battlefront, only to see the dust billowing and the cries of battle deafening. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, along with Wen Pin, were leading their troops, charging wave after wave like a tidal wave against the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. Cao's soldiers fought fiercely within the formation, their cries of battle mingling with the cries of agony. Cao Ren knew that despite the ingenuity of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, it would not hold out for long against formidable generals like Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. He had to find a way to stall for time, await reinforcements, or find an opportunity to defeat the enemy.
Cao Ren stood on a high ground, loudly commanding his soldiers to adjust their formations and utilize the variations of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation to resist the enemy's attack. He observed the enemy's offensive while thinking about countermeasures.
As expected, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's attack on the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation was once again thwarted. Liu Bei returned to the formation with a solemn expression, uttering no words, his face as gloomy as the sky before a storm. Guan Yu, too, remained silent. He silently patted Wen Pin, whose face was also covered in blood, his eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and fatigue.
Wen Ping panted heavily and looked at Liu Bei, saying, "Lord Xuande, do you have a good plan to break this formation? Otherwise, Yingchuan County City is about to be captured by us, but we have been blocked by this formation for three whole days. It is really frustrating." Liu Bei looked helpless, but he still forced himself to cheer up and comforted everyone, saying, "Everyone, please be patient. Let us think of a solution."
At this moment, Pang Tong, who had been immersed in the sand table and map deductions within the formation, suddenly looked up and burst into laughter: "Got it, got it, I know how to break it!" Everyone heard this and turned their eyes to the excited Pang Tong. Zhang Fei, always outspoken, muttered disdainfully: "If you could break it, you would have done it two days ago. Why haven't you broken it yet after all these casualties?" Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's eyes suddenly became sharp and he glared at Zhang Fei fiercely. Zhang Fei was frightened by this look and dared not speak again.
Liu Bei quickly took two steps and approached Pang Tong, eagerly asking, "Shiyuan, have you figured out how to break the formation?" Pang Tong, still immersed in his excitement, confidently declared, "Rest assured, my lord. Tomorrow, I will deploy my troops and generals. This Eight-Gate Golden Lock Formation will undoubtedly be broken!" Liu Bei, observing Pang Tong's determined expression, felt a glimmer of hope. Although Pang Tong's usual behavior was somewhat unruly, his wisdom was universally recognized. Liu Bei nodded and said, "Okay, Shiyuan, I'll leave everything to you. We'll cooperate fully."
That night, Pang Tong battled in his tent by lamplight. Based on the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation's characteristics and his previous observations, he developed a detailed plan to break it. He knew that the formation was ever-changing, and to break it, he had to seize its key flaw and strike with a single blow.
Elsewhere, Cao Ren, after commanding the day's defense, returned to the camp. Cao Hong hurriedly approached and asked, "Brother, how was the enemy's offensive today?" Cao Ren frowned slightly and said, "The Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's offensive remains fierce, but fortunately, the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation can hold off for now. However, while this formation is sophisticated, it's hard to guarantee it won't break down over time. I'm worried they've already noticed its weakness." Cao Hong's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he asked, "Then what should we do? Brother, should we send someone back to Xu Du to urge for reinforcements?" Cao Ren pondered for a moment, then said, "Let's wait and see. The situation in Xu Du is unclear right now. Sending anyone back rashly would only expose our predicament. Let's prepare our defenses and bide our time."
On the Yingchuan battlefield, both sides prepared for the impending battle to break the enemy's formation. On one side, Pang Tong confidently plotted a strategy to break the formation, while on the other, Cao Ren cautiously guarded the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. The tense atmosphere was like a fully drawn bowstring, ready to explode at any moment. Meanwhile, in Dongjun, the war between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao reached a fever pitch, with both sides committing massive forces and the situation at a stalemate.
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