Deception Surrender (3)

  Du Yuan, twenty-five or six years old, with a rough face and a short, hard beard, stared at Liao Hua with his round eyes and called out: "Liao brother, the Earth God General is getting better and better to you, even giving you the imperial wine that was robbed. I've never had imperial wine in my life, since someone invited me, I won't drink it for nothing! Bian brother, are you going or not?

  He was about thirty years old, with a somewhat sinister appearance, short and lean, wearing clothes and iron armor that seemed to be on a skeleton, with a pointed mouth and a sly look in his eyes. When he heard Du Yuan's question, he smiled slyly twice, revealing a cunning glint in his eye, and said slowly: "I've never been to the imperial palace, nor have I stolen this royal wine. Since Brother Liao is so enthusiastic about inviting me, let's go together!"

  He Xide was indeed a thief, who had stolen on the rivers and lakes in those years. He was a habitual offender of wandering crimes, and every time he stole, no matter how strict the other party's defense was, he could take away what he wanted to steal with ease, and was considered a god of theft. Later, he met Zhang Jiao, who traveled all over the world, and after being deceived by Zhang Jiao, he resolutely joined the Taiping Taoist sect. At the beginning of the rebellion, he stole many properties from rich merchants in various places to buy horses and purchase iron, which made this branch of the Yellow Turban Army in Quyang City the most elite team.

  Liao Huajian saw Du Yuan and Bian Xi both nodded in agreement, then cupped his hands and said: "Two generals, please!"

  Du Yuan and Bian Xi followed Liao Hua to his room, and before they even entered the door, they smelled the fragrance of wine. The brightly lit room had a table with all sorts of dishes on it, the aroma of wine mixed with the smell of meat, stirring one's appetite, making one's mouth water uncontrollably.

  "Liao brothers, you're so extravagant, it seems like you've made a fortune in this period of time!" Du Yuan stepped across the threshold and saw the sumptuous feast on the table, which was even more luxurious than the one Zhang Jue had set up during the uprising. He couldn't help but envy Liao Hua while teasing him.

  He was delighted to see the lavish feast, but there were indeed very few people who could host such a banquet in the Yellow Turban Army. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed such a sumptuous feast since the outbreak of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He couldn't help but let out sighs of envy.

  Liao Huaxiao smiled and cupped his hands, saying: "The two generals have seen through me. In fact, this is all the intention of General Digong. General Digong has always felt that the two generals are laborious and meritorious, but have not been rewarded. Tonight is a special day, so General Digong specially asked me to host a banquet for the two generals here. Otherwise, how could I, as a small flag owner, set up such a sumptuous dinner? Please take your seats, gentlemen!"

  Du Yuan and Bian Xi did not have the slightest suspicion, as they both considered themselves to be meritorious. However, during Zhang Jiao's lifetime, he had never rewarded them, so they often harbored discontent in their hearts, but they also dared not openly express it. It was only a few months since the uprising began. After the two sat down, they saw that there were five sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table, and they wondered who else could have the qualifications to attend Zhang Bao's banquet besides them?

  Du Yuan was quick-witted and straightforward, and immediately asked: "Liao brothers, are there still two people who haven't arrived?"

  Liao Hua nodded and said: "Right, and Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao haven't arrived yet."

  "Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao? What kind of guests are they? I really don't understand why General Di Gong would invite these two people, Zhou Cang has surrendered to the Han army, and Pei Yuanshao is just a kitchen manager. Are they worthy of sitting here?" Du Yuan said with disdain.

  "Brother Du, don't be impatient, General Digong has arranged it this way, there must be a deep meaning behind it."

  Liao Huaxiao said, "General Bian is indeed clever. Although Zhou Cang has surrendered to the Han army before, it was also inevitable. Now that the Han army is pressing in with a large force, General Di Gong is using people at the right time. Zhou Cang is one of the top generals in the Yellow Turban Army, so naturally he wants to win him over with all his might. As for Pei Yuanshao, this is my younger brother's personal preference. Although Pei Yuanshao is just a kitchen manager, without him, we wouldn't be able to enjoy such delicious food."

  Du Yuan listened to Liao Hua's explanation and felt slightly relieved. He immediately said, "Whatever General Digu says is what it is, we absolutely have no complaints!"

  Just as they were speaking, Zhou Cang and a short, fat bald man walked in. As soon as they entered the door, they cupped their hands and said: "Greetings to General Du and General Bian!"

  "Don't be polite, sit down!" Bian Xi laughed and said.

  Zhou Cang and Da Qiangtou sat down beside Du Yuan and Bian Xi. After they were seated, Da Qiangtou said: "This is specially made according to General Zhu's instructions, you all try some, if there's anything that doesn't taste right, just let me know and I'll make improvements."

  Liao Hua said to Da Guangtou: "Pei Yuanshao, pour wine for the two generals. Everyone is aware of your skills."

  That big bald head is Pei Yuanshao, a fellow townsman of Zhou Cang, several years younger than Zhou Cang, and about the same age as Liao Hua. His family was originally in the wine business, his father was a chef, at the age of nine, his father was killed by a local tyrant, he was so angry that he used a kitchen knife to kill the tyrant, after being caught by the authorities, because of his young age, he was spared from death and subjected to tonsure, shaving off his hair. He felt ashamed, and from then on, he left home and wandered the rivers and lakes, coincidentally arrived at the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, where he was taken in by a monk, and from then on became a novice monk who did chores for the temple. Later, when there was a great drought, the White Horse Temple had no surplus grain, and the monks also went out to beg for alms, Pei Yuanshao arrived at Jizhou when he coincidentally met Zhou Cang, heard that joining the Yellow Turbans would get him food, so he joined the Yellow Turbans, because of his good cooking skills, he became a quartermaster, and also developed his current chubby physique. Although he participated in the Yellow Turbans, he never kept his hair, people who knew him called him Pei Bald Head.

  Pei Yuanshao nodded, picked up a wine jug, poured a bowl of wine for Du Yuan and Bian Xi, then poured another bowl for Zhou Cang and Liao Hua, before sitting back in his original position.

  Liao Huai raised his cup and said loudly: "General Du, General Bian, I have a sentence that I don't know whether it should be spoken or not."

  Du Yuan and Bian Xi said in unison: "Brother Liao, go ahead and speak your mind."

  Liao Hua said: "Both of you are old men in the Yellow Turbans, and at the beginning of the uprising, both of you had merits. The reason why you followed Da Xiong to stir up the Yellow Turbans is just for food and clothing... But looking at the current situation, first Da Xiong was killed, then General He was killed in battle, and the tens of millions of Yellow Turbans who dominated the north of the river are now only ten million people. If General He loses again, it will be a situation where there is no leader among the people. I would like to ask you two generals what should we do?"

  Du Yuan and Bian Xi exchanged a glance, vaguely feeling that today's meal was not so simple, both of them were muttering to themselves, thinking that Zhang Bao was afraid of their powerful army and wanted to get rid of them.

  Du Yuan said bluntly: "Liao brother, if you have something to say, just say it straight out, don't beat around the bush. Is it that General Digu is worried that we will rebel and wants to take away our military power?"

  Liao Huadao said: "Exactly! Although I don't have a close relationship with the two generals, we are all brothers in arms. I also don't want to see the two generals die miserably on the streets..."

  "Is General Dìgōng going to kill us?" As soon as Du Yuan heard the word "death", his face changed, and he said loudly, "We are all people who have followed Master Liang through life and death. If it's for military power, we can hand it over, but why does General Dìgōng want to kill us?"

  Bian Xixi thought for a moment, and his sensitive ears seemed to hear a very light footsteps, many people were rushing here. After being a thief for so many years, intuition was the most important thing, after feeling something wrong, he immediately knelt on the ground. He took off his waist knife and put it aside, kowtowing to Liao Hua: "Brother Liao... no, General Liao! I'll hand over the military power right now, I just ask you to spare my life!"

  Before Pan Xi's words had fallen, a number of knife-wielding men with gleaming long knives flashed out from outside the door. They were all strong and robust, quickly rushing into the room and surrounding the people at the wine table.

  Du Yuan's face was shocked, he had never dreamed that this was a feast of Hongmen, and he saw Liao Hua, Zhou Cang, and Pei Yuanshao flash behind the knife hand. More than 20 knife hands surrounded him and Bian Xi, and outside the door, many knife hands holding torches surged out, and more and more gathered. Seeing that things were not going well, he immediately drew his waist knife, thinking to himself that he would die sooner or later, and it was better to kill a few people, and even if he died, he would take someone with him as a backing.

  The crowd saw Du Yuan draw his sword and rushed up together, only to hear a mournful cry, and Du Yuan was killed by the chaotic knives, falling into the pool of blood, with his body even more bloody and blurred.

  "General Liao, spare my life! General Liao, spare my life!" Du Yuan's blood splattered onto Bian Xi's face, and he was even more frightened. Seeing himself surrounded, no matter what, he couldn't escape, so he could only beg for mercy, praying to be spared from death.

  Liao Hua did not kill him after all. He immediately dismissed the crowd of knife-wielding men, flashed out from among them, pulled Zhou Cang out and said to Bian Xi: "Bian Xi! Zhou Cang, Pei Yuanshao and I have already secretly defected to the government army. Although Di Gong Jiang has come out of the city, by now he is probably surrounded by the government army. Are you willing to surrender to the government army?"

  "I'm willing, I'm willing! Just spare my life and let me do whatever you want. Actually, I had intended to surrender to the government army long ago, but Du Yuan was in the way. Even if General Liao didn't kill him, I would have killed him myself. Since we're all on the same page, please spare my life, General Liao. I'll definitely persuade my subordinates to defect to the government army with me!"

  Liao Hua smiled and said, "I won't kill you, it's precisely for this reason. The troops in the city are all under your and Du Yuan's control, so I can only kill one to warn a hundred. Get up, come with me to gather all the troops, and let's surrender to the government army together. This way, everyone will be reunited again, isn't that great?"

  "Yes, yes, yes! General Liao said so, whatever General Liao says I will do. I'll go gather the whole army now, whoever disobeys will be killed." Bian Xi hurriedly got up from the ground and bowed his head to Liao Hua.

  Zhou Cang saw Bian Xi and immediately understood, then burst out laughing and said to Liao Hua: "Brother Liao, this plan of yours is truly flawless! I admire you greatly!"

  After finishing the sentence, Zhou Cang took his weapon and walked to Bian Xi's back, pushing him out of the door. Liao Hua, Pei Yuanshao and others followed closely behind, leaving only a table of sumptuous wine feast in the house that no one asked about, and a corpse with blurred blood and flesh.

  Zhang Bao led 30,000 cavalry out of the city, with men holding their breath and horses wrapping their hooves, under the leadership of Guan Yu, they advanced thirty miles under the cover of night.

  "Halt!" Guan Hai suddenly shouted loudly.

  Zhang Bao's horse arrived at the front of the troops and asked loudly: "Guan Hai, why did you shout to stop?"

  "General, this place is already very close to the government army's camp. We can't keep running at such a rapid pace, or else the government army will detect us."

  Zhang Bao thought for a moment and said: "Alright, let's proceed slowly, pass on the order..."

  "General, the government army is stationed on Niutou Ridge, which is a highland with slopes on all sides. If our army launches a surprise attack from only one direction, it will be difficult to achieve the desired effect." Zhang Bao was immediately interrupted by Guan Hai.

  Zhang Bao didn't doubt much either, thinking that what Guan Hai said was indeed reasonable, so he asked: "What do you think?"

  Gan Ning said: "The government army's grain and fodder are stored on the west side of the main camp, guarded very tightly. Even if we launch a surprise attack, it will be difficult to achieve significant results. I think we can divide our troops into four directions, General, you first send people from the east, south, and north sides to launch an attack, attracting all the soldiers in the main camp. In this way, General only needs to send out a small number of soldiers to burn the grain and fodder. Once the grain and fodder are burned, the government army will be in chaos, our army can take advantage of the situation to wipe them out, and achieve success at once!"

  Zhang Bao's face lit up with great joy, and he immediately laughed: "Indeed it is a wonderful plan. Guan Hai, after we defeat the government troops, I will surely reward you heavily."

  "General, I am only a guilty man seeking to redeem myself through merit. My sole desire is to wipe away the shame of Guangzong; I dare not covet rewards!"

  Zhang Bao turned his head and shouted: "Gao Sheng, Yan Zheng!"

  Two riders rushed up from behind and bowed their hands, saying: "What are your orders, General?"

  Zhang Bao said: "You two each lead 10,000 men, and circle back to the east and south sides. When you see the main force launch an attack from the north, you two will follow me in a fierce assault on the government army's camp!"

  Gao Sheng and Yan Zheng replied in unison: "Yes!"

  Zhang Bao said to Guan Hai, "Guan Hai, I'll give you 5,000 men. Lead the troops in a surprise attack from due north. Whether or not we can avenge the shame of Guangzong will be decided tonight!"

  Mohe said: "I will make it clear, General, rest assured!"

  The orders were given, and the four of them immediately dispersed. Zhang Bao went westward in a roundabout way, Gao Sheng and Yan Zheng went eastward in a roundabout way, while Guan Yu led 5,000 men slowly and leisurely towards the Han army camp.

  The remaining journey was very slow, and although Guan Hai had 5,000 Yellow Turbans with him, he knew that his task was to lead Zhang Bao and the others into the ambush point. The reason for proposing to divide the troops was also based on Gao Fei's plan to break through each other.

  Now the Han army camp is just an empty camp, and all the grain and soldiers have been moved to another place. Although there are also lights on Niutou Ridge, and people can be seen guarding it, they are just straw men arranged by Gao Fei.

  Guan Hai led the 5,000 Yellow Turbans for about ten miles before stopping and saying to those behind him: "Wait here for a moment, I'll go ahead and take a look at the road."

  The Yellow Turbans behind also did not raise any suspicion and stayed in their original place, allowing Guan Yu to ride his horse forward alone.