Chapter 43: Clever Strategy Defeats Zhang Liao (Part 2)

  "The General's personal letter"

  I, a humble commoner from the wilderness, was born in a lowly position. However, I was fortunate enough to receive the guidance of my uncle Cao Gong and obtained a minor official post. Along with General, we went hunting at Wu Yan. I did not dare to compete with General. Although this time I had a small victory, it was just my luck. Now that General has five times more troops than me, I am deeply intimidated and uneasy.

  I wish to return Wei Xu's general and three thousand soldiers. Once the two armies have formed their battle arrays, I will pretend to be weak in order to lure your army into attacking. My only hope is that after my defeat, you will spare my life. I knock my head to the ground a hundred times and beg for mercy.

  The Book of Cao Pi

  At this moment, Zhang Liao crumpled up the letter and a hint of silence flashed across his face, but he was one who sat in the council hall, silent for a long time.

  Zhang Liao had just received a letter from Chen Gong, which said that Military Advisor Cao was cunning and unpredictable in his use of troops, and warned him to be on his guard...

  However, judging from this letter sent by Cao, it is clear that the other party is just a timid and cowardly child.

  Zhang Liao was not a careless person, and he also repeatedly pondered the meaning of this letter, but ultimately couldn't figure out that if Cao Xin was really an extraordinary person, why would he write such a letter.

  Moreover, Zhang Liao couldn't understand that even if Cao Pi really wanted to fight to the death with him, how could a small army of over a thousand people defeat him?

  Is it to defend the city and wait for a change in circumstances? Or as he said, two armies will confront each other, and Cao Xin's remaining forces will be defeated at once?

  Zhang Liao is not Hou Cheng, nor is he a descendant of Song Xian and Wei Xu. He has followed Lv Bu for many years, deeply understanding the key points of military strategy, and his 5,000 Yan Yun cavalry are also brave warriors who have been trained in the northern border. Is it possible that Cao Xin was really afraid?

  He looked at the letter again and again, Zhang Liao suddenly noticed the name Wei Xun. One thousand people plus three thousand captives?

  No.

  Cao Xin would not be so foolish as to incorporate the 3,000 men into his own troops, after all, prisoners of war have the risk of turning against their captors on the battlefield. In other words, Cao Xin's truly effective fighting force consisted only of the less than 1,500 cavalrymen behind him.

  It seems like this...

  Zhang Liao made up his mind at once and hastily ordered the halberd-wielding guards outside the door, "Bring that messenger in!"

  Before long, a loud noise came from outside the door. Xu Chu, as an envoy, was suddenly lifted up by four burly men. He struggled and shouted: "The two armies are at war! Do not kill the messenger!"

  "Let go!" Seeing that the newcomer's bones were still quite hard, Zhang Liao suddenly fixed his eyes on him.

  However, what he saw was a sturdy man with a height of only nine feet, standing with his eyes wide open, and surprisingly, he had a few tiger-like qualities.

  Zhang Liao was taken aback for a moment, and he couldn't help but curiously smile: "You're Xu Chu?"

  "That's right."

  "Indeed a mighty warrior! Are you the most formidable one in the army?" Zhang Liao continued to ask.

  At this time, Xu Chu heard these words and remembered the words that Cao Xin had instructed before his departure. Upon hearing this, he nodded immediately and said, "Exactly!"

  "Oh..." He fell silent for a moment, as if deep in thought. Zhang Liao suddenly became interested in Cao Xing and asked: "I wonder... what kind of person is General Cao Xing from your family?"

  When he heard this, Xu Chu paused for a moment, as if in thought, and then made a disdainful expression. "Cao Xin is just a spoiled child, thinking that he has won a few small victories, and is proud of himself, but in fact it is not the result of our brothers' desperate efforts, what merit does he have!"

  Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao still had a poker face and didn't dare to be careless. He continued: "But I heard that... Cao Xin once cleverly used a divisive tactic to help Cao Ang capture Rencheng during the suppression of the rebellion in Rencheng?"

  As he spoke, Zhang Liao looked at Xu Chu's expression on his face, seemingly with a playful tone.

  However, the other party burst out laughing upon hearing this, with an even thicker expression of disdain on his face. He sneered coldly: "Hasn't the general heard... about the reputation of Yan State's Ah Xin being at a loss for tears? Haha... cleverly using a divisive plot? How ridiculous! The general actually believes such rumors?"

  At this, Zhang Liao's cold and stern face suddenly showed a hint of surprise, but it was just a thoughtful expression. He couldn't help but sneer at Xu Chu again: "So you're saying you want to betray your lord? Hmph, what use are traitors like you in this world?! Come on!"

  "Ah!" Four big men suddenly rushed out from the side, and in an instant, they locked down Xu Chu's joints before he could even react.

  "Drag him out and behead him!" Zhang Liao commanded with a cold hum.

  At this time, Xu Chu felt surrounded by the four of them, but he was not flustered. With a fierce gaze and a loud shout, he said: "If you want to kill me, then kill me! What can your lord do to me afterwards?"

  "Hold on!" He waved his hand and stopped the four strong men from dragging him out of the door.

  Zhang Liao's face cleared of doubt, and he couldn't help but laugh: "Let him go!" He then said to Xu Chu: "You'd better return to your general's side. You still have some backbone. I don't want to kill you, so let your general deal with you instead!"

  He snorted and said with a clenched fist: "Permit me, Xu Chu, to take his leave."

  "Hold on!" Just as he was about to be stopped again, Zhang Liao's expression turned serious and he said in a stern tone: "Tell your general that I will lead 5,000 elite cavalrymen to confront him. When the time comes, release our captured soldiers immediately, and I will spare your general's life!"

  He bowed his fist in response and Xu Chu didn't say another word, striding out of the door with large steps.

  Looking far away at the departing back of his opponent, Zhang Liao also felt a great relief at this moment. A clever expression appeared on his cold and stern face, and he immediately ordered those around him: "Immediately order all the Yan Yun riders in the city to gather in the east city! Fight a decisive battle with Cao Xin!" As he said this, a fierce glint suddenly flashed across Zhang Liao's eyes, and he added: "No matter whether the opponent surrenders or not, kill them all!"

  "Hello!"

  Two hours later.

  Ten miles of flat plain outside the saltless city.

  The two armies stood facing each other at a distance of one hundred paces, and compared to Cao Xin's thousand cavalrymen and the motley crew, the distant Yan Yun cavalry had an entirely different aura of northern frontier ferocity, yet they seemed to have undergone some tempering.

  In the gentle breeze, the mighty military might shook in another corner of the prairie, forming a stark contrast with Cao Xin's side.

  Zhang Liao rode alone in front of the formation, wearing a white robe and silver armor, with a yellow dragon hook knife shining brightly in his hand, coldly staring at the enemy formation.

  When he first saw this scene, Cao Xing rode his horse back and forth in front of the formation. At the same time, he looked at the five thousand cavalrymen on the opposite side and couldn't help but praise them. He muttered to himself: "Zhang Wenyuan really understands the way of military strategy, the formation is neat and tidy, and every move reveals a killing intent..."

  Cao Xin smiled and made a gesture to Dian Wei, who immediately understood and urged the group of captives to gather slowly in front of the formation.

  At this time, Cao Xing also laughed loudly: "But Zhang Liao, General Zhang Wenyuan!"

  In front of the enemy formation, Zhang Liao did not stop waving his horse and shouted angrily: "Less nonsense, release our army's prisoners first! Otherwise, our army will immediately charge over!"

  Nodding his head, Cao Xin also seemed to have grasped the timing and hastily shouted: "Brothers! It's time to release them!"

  This loud voice could be heard clearly even a hundred steps away, but at this moment Zhang Liao's gaze became more serious, carefully guessing Cao Xin's every move, afraid that the other party would play another trick.

  But little did he know, Cao Xin's hands were already soaked with sweat at this moment...