ATPnovel Chapter 72 My son-in-law wiped out your 1-strong army with a flick of his finger!
Chapter 72 My son-in-law wiped out your 1-strong army with a flick of his finger!
Chapter 72 My son-in-law wiped out your army of ten thousand with a flick of his finger!
"My lord!" Ju Shou suddenly realized and said urgently, "Cao Cao has seen through our army's plan to lure us into a trap. Instead of rescuing Baima, he's heading towards Yanjin. He intends to cross the Yellow River and attack our flank and rear!"
Yuan Shao's body jolted, and he suddenly understood. "Bang!"
He punched the table, his face contorted with rage.
Yuan Shao led an army of 100,000 south, confident of his overwhelming advantage and believing Cao Cao would only be able to defend himself. However, Cao Cao not only refused to be led by the nose, but also launched a surprise attack, attacking Wei to relieve the siege of Zhao. A humiliation!
In Yuan Shao's eyes, this was a blatant humiliation, how could he not be furious? "My lord!" Xu You's eyes darted around, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Since that's the case, let's play along. My lord, lead the main army westward immediately to Yanjin Ferry, and launch a surprise attack on Cao Cao while he's crossing the river. That way, we can finish him off in one battle!"
Yuan Shao's eyes flickered, his anger turning into murderous intent. Ju Shou, however, hurriedly said, "My lord, Cao Cao's military tactics are cunning. We must not be led by the nose. I think we should simply cross the river with our main force, seize Baima, and march straight towards Xuchang. Then Cao Cao will inevitably have no choice but to retreat to defend himself!"
Upon hearing Ju Shou's plan, Yuan Shao hesitated again, unable to make up his mind.
"Father, the garrison commander of Baima City, Yu Jin, is a veteran general of Cao Cao's camp. Even if your army besieges it, you may not be able to take it down in a short time."
"If Cao Cao were to take advantage of the situation and cross the river at Yan Jin, and invade Hebei, it would shake the morale of our army and damage Father's reputation. The eldest son, Yuan Tan, immediately stood up to oppose this."
Upon hearing the words "damage to one's reputation," Yuan Shao's brows furrowed. Xu You seized the opportunity and continued, "Capturing Baima is merely gaining a city; how can it compare to intercepting Cao Cao and severely crippling his army? I urge my lord to reconsider!"
Xu You was a member of Yuan Tan's faction, and the two of them, working together, immediately refuted Ju Shou, a strategist from Yuan Shang's faction, leaving him speechless. "Bang!" Yuan Shao slammed his fist on the table and stood up, arrogantly saying, "Tan'er is right. I led an army of 100,000 south, but I haven't even captured a single city of Cao Cao's, yet he has invaded Hebei instead. Where is my reputation now!"
Having made up his mind, he immediately led a large army westward along the north bank of the Yellow River to intercept Cao Cao at the Yanjin line. A military order was also sent to the south bank, ordering Yan Liang to lead the vanguard army to launch a rapid attack on Baima.
Outside White Horse City.
The battle cries shook the heavens, and the drums thundered. Nearly ten thousand Yuan troops had besieged Baima City like an iron wall. At this moment, countless Yuan soldiers were vying to attack the city. In the central army, Yan Liang stood proudly on his horse, sword drawn, surveying Baima City with arrogance.
After three days of continuous attacks, Cao Cao's army at Baima City seemed to be at its last gasp, on the verge of collapse. "Unexpectedly, Cao Cao didn't fall for the trap." "Very well, since Cao Cao dares not come to Baima's aid, I will take it directly. This will be my first merit in leading my lord south!" Yan Liang sneered, brandishing his sword and ordering his entire army to advance. Inside Baima City, only Yu Jin's two thousand Cao Cao soldiers remained.
He was confident that with his abilities as the top general in Hebei, he would surely be able to break through Baima and kill Yu Jin. "General Yan!" Zhang Liao rushed over, cupped his hands and said, "My scouts have spotted a Cao army ten miles southwest of Baima City, rushing towards Baima."
"Cao Cao's army?" Yan Liang's eyes widened, and he frowned. "Didn't Cao Cao lead his army to Yan Jin? Why are they back at Baima?" "The Cao army that came only numbered three thousand or so; it shouldn't be Cao Cao's main force," Zhang Liao added. "So it's a detachment." Yan Liang's brow relaxed, and he sneered disdainfully. "It seems that Cao Cao hasn't given up on Baima after all. Unfortunately, he underestimates me, Yan Liang. He only sent three thousand soldiers, yet he dares to dream of relieving the siege of Baima!"
He turned his horse around and arrogantly shouted, "Zhang Wenyuan, you lead four thousand troops to continue the siege of Baima. I will personally lead six thousand infantry and cavalry to annihilate this Cao army!"
Seeing Yan Liang's arrogance, Zhang Liao was startled. He then warned, "General Yan, Cao Cao knows that we have 10,000 troops, and that General Yan is in command, yet he still only sent 3,000 soldiers to relieve the siege. This is highly suspicious. I believe we should not be careless."
"Zhang Liao!" Yan Liang glanced at him with disdain. "You are also a son of the North. Why are you so afraid of Cao Cao's army? A mere three thousand enemy soldiers make you so wary. Could it be that you were scared by Cao Cao when you followed Lü Bu?"
The sarcasm in his words was obvious. Zhang Liao frowned, a surge of anger rising in his heart.
As a former general of Lü Bu, Zhang Liao had faced discrimination from Yan Liang and other generals in Hebei more than once when he first came to join Yuan Shao. Now, facing Yan Liang's sarcasm, he could only swallow his bitterness. After calming himself, Zhang Liao said solemnly, "Cao Cao is known for his cunning and treacherous military tactics, especially with Gu Cheng strategizing behind the scenes. Gu Cheng's methods are unpredictable and beyond belief. Although the enemy has three thousand men, General Yan, you must not underestimate them!"
"Hmph, I'd like to see just how powerful that Gu Cheng is, that he can make three thousand Cao soldiers defeat my six thousand!" Ignoring Zhang Liao's advice, Yan Liang led six thousand infantry and cavalry southwards. Dusk fell.
Five li south of Baima City, Yan Liang arrayed his seven thousand troops. A cloud of dust billowed from the south as three thousand Cao Cao's soldiers charged in. The two armies formed a battle line three hundred paces apart.
Central Army.
Cao Ang stood with his spear held high, while Zhao Yun and Dian Wei stood to his left and right respectively.
Cao Ang volunteered for the battle, but Cao Cao was worried and appointed Zhao Yun as his deputy, ordering Dian Wei to accompany him and protect him. "My brother-in-law is indeed a prophet! Yan Liang is indeed arrogant and has led his army to meet us head-on!" Cao Ang said with admiration as he looked at the approaching Yuan army.
"Young Master, is the Gu family's repeating crossbow truly as powerful as you say?" Zhao Yun's gaze fell upon the thousand crossbowmen hidden within the formation.
Cao Ang countered, "Zilong, you and your brother-in-law have a close relationship. Do you still doubt his abilities?" Zhao Yun suddenly realized, and the doubt on his face immediately vanished.
He then brandished his silver spear and said with delight, "Young Master Liheng's plans are flawless. Today, I will witness the power of this divine artifact he has forged!"
Three hundred paces away, Yuan's army formation.
A sinister sneer also appeared on Yan Liang's face.
"A mere three thousand infantrymen and a few hundred cavalrymen dare to challenge me, Yan Liang? Today, I will show you the power of my Youyan Iron Cavalry!"
Yan Liang scoffed dismissively and slowly raised the long sword in his hand.
"The iron cavalry of Youyan will lead the way, followed by the infantry. Follow me to crush Cao Cao's army and display the might of Yan Liang!" The bugle sounded.
Yan Liang spurred his horse, sword in hand, and charged out like a black lightning bolt. Two thousand iron cavalry from Youyan surged forward like a burst dam. Four thousand fierce soldiers from Hebei broke through their ranks and poured out in a massive, overwhelming wave. Yan Liang's infantry and cavalry launched a preemptive charge, aiming to crush Cao Cao's army in one fell swoop. Dust billowed, and the earth shook.
Among the two thousand Youyan cavalry, there were also five hundred heavily armored cavalrymen charging forward like arrowheads. These five hundred heavily armored cavalrymen were built by Yuan Shao at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, and even Zhao Yun's White Horse Cavalry and Gao Shun's Trapped Camp could not withstand them.
The three thousand Cao soldiers were all sweating bullets at the sight of such a charge. Even Zhao Yun and Dian Wei frowned and gripped their weapons tightly. Cao Ang remained calm and shouted, brandishing his spear, "Break formation! Crossbowmen, appear!" The command flags waved.
The shield bearers swiftly parted, and a thousand crossbowmen, wielding Gu's repeating crossbows, surged forward. The Cao army's sudden change in formation was clearly visible to Yan Liang, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. But the surprise was fleeting, quickly replaced by disdain. "So they were hiding crossbowmen! A mere thousand crossbowmen, how could they possibly harm my heavily armored cavalry!" Yan Liang laughed arrogantly, urging his cavalry onward with unbridled fury. Forty paces.
Yuan Jun's iron cavalry had already rushed close to the optimal killing range of the repeating crossbows. "Brother-in-law, you have always been a master strategist. This time, you will surely not miscalculate again!" Cao Ang took a deep breath and pointed his spear: "Repeating crossbow battalion, fire!" The drums suddenly sounded.
Almost simultaneously, a thousand crossbowmen pulled the triggers. A chorus of birdsong suddenly erupted.
In an instant, ten thousand crossbow bolts whistled out, forming a dense net of light that crashed towards the oncoming Yuan army cavalry. "How can there be so many arrows?" Yan Liang, in the midst of the charge, suddenly turned pale with horror, as if he had seen a ghost. It was too late.
The next instant, a rain of arrows descended. Countless pillars of blood shot into the sky, and screams drowned out the thunder of a thousand horses.
The charging Yuan army cavalry were instantly riddled with arrows, falling like horses to the ground. Even the heavily armored cavalry were no exception; their armor was pierced, and lives were claimed in an instant. In a flash, the Yuan army suffered a devastating blow!
Within a radius of less than a hundred paces, Cao Cao's army unleashed ten thousand arrows at once! The speed, density, and force were unimaginable. Yuan Shao's army had no time to dodge, and two thousand cavalry, including heavy cavalry, were instantly slaughtered, with most being killed. This scene left Cao Cao's soldiers completely dumbfounded.
They had already gripped their swords and spears, resolving to fight to the death, ready to meet the onslaught of Yuan's iron cavalry. Unexpectedly, the brothers of the repeating crossbow battalion, with just one volley of arrows, had routed the once invincible Yuan cavalry, sending them flying in disarray. Such terrifying crossbow power was something they had never seen before. Thousands of Cao's soldiers were all dumbfounded, utterly shocked by the power of the repeating crossbow. "Young Master Liheng's repeating crossbow is actually this powerful..." Even Zhao Yun gasped, his eyes filled with astonishment. His gaze involuntarily turned to Cao Ang.
Cao Ang smiled faintly, "Zilong, I told you long ago to trust my brother-in-law. Wasn't I right?" Zhao Yun realized what he meant and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Young Master Liheng is indeed a rare genius. To be able to create such a divine crossbow is unbelievable, truly unbelievable!"
"With such a divine son-in-law as my father, how dare Yuan Shao dream of destroying my Cao family! What a fool!" Cao Ang scoffed, then arrogantly shouted, "Zilong, lead the White Horse Cavalry to flank us! The rest of the infantry, follow me to sweep away Yuan's army from the front!" The horn of counterattack sounded.
Zhao Yun, rousing his spirits, spurred his horse forward, leading three hundred White Horse Cavalry to attack the flank of the chaotic Yuan army. Cao Ang, meanwhile, urged three thousand infantrymen, their battle cries deafening, to charge head-on at the Yuan army. In the blink of an eye, two Cao armies had arrived.
Yan Liang's cavalry suffered heavy losses, and the subsequent infantry charge was halted, resulting in a chaotic and disorganized mass, with their formation and morale in shambles. Zhao Yun's White Horse Cavalry arrived first, unleashing a volley of mounted archery that sent the enemy's artillery packing. Immediately afterward, Cao Cao's infantry charged forward head-on.
In an instant, Yuan's army was routed and on the verge of collapse. At this moment, Yan Liang had been struck in the arm by an arrow, his blood staining his armor.
As he pulled out the arrow and looked up, Cao Cao's army was already rolling in. "Could it be that Cao Cao dared to send three thousand troops to relieve the siege of Baima precisely because of these divine crossbows?" Yan Liang's arrogance crumbled, and he finally realized the truth. But it was too late.
His 6,000-strong army had been utterly routed by Cao Cao's forces, fleeing at the mere sight of them. The foremost general of Hebei, who had never suffered a defeat in his life, had today suffered such a devastating loss.
Yan Liang was filled with shame and indignation, unable to accept this cruel reality. "Where did Cao Cao get such a divine crossbow that can fire ten arrows at once?" "Could it be that Gu Cheng that Zhang Liao mentioned again?" Yan Liang suddenly realized, guessing the name Gu Cheng, and couldn't help but shudder. "Yes, it must be this Gu Cheng."
"I heard that in the Battle of Hanoi, it was he who advised Cao Ang to capture the Second Prince alive." "Cao Cao's divine crossbow must also be the work of this man!" Yan Liang was instantly terrified, his remaining fighting spirit vanished. "Retreat! The entire army must retreat to Baima Ferry immediately!" He dared not fight any longer, and shouted hoarsely as he turned his horse and rode away.
From the flank, the White Horse Cavalry surged forward, cutting the collapsing Yuan army in half. Zhao Yun, wielding his silver spear, slaughtered countless Yuan soldiers like weeds in his wake. "Zhao Yun is here, Yan Liang, where do you think you're going!" he roared, spurring his horse forward, spear in hand, charging straight at Yan Liang. In an instant, Zhao Yun arrived like a dazzling rainbow, his silver spear transforming into hundreds of streaks of cold light, engulfing Yan Liang in a blanket. Yan Liang felt a chill run down his spine; without thinking, he hastily drew his sword to block.
Normally, with Yan Liang's martial arts skills, taking Zhao Yun's earth-shattering blow would have been a piece of cake. But with his arm wounded and his fighting spirit severely damaged, he didn't even have time to gather the strength to parry with his longsword. Before the sword could even rise, the spear was already upon him. "Thud!"
A streak of silver light pierced Yan Liang's heart. "Zhao Yun—" Yan Liang gritted his teeth and groaned, his face contorted with resentment and pain. Zhao Yun sheathed his silver spear.
Yan Liang let out a bloodcurdling scream, his long sword slipped from his grasp, and he fell backward to the ground with a thud. The fiercest warrior of Hebei was instantly killed by Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun, his silver spear dripping blood, suddenly held it horizontally, arrogantly surveying the routed Yuan army. "General Yan has been killed by Zhao Yun!"
"That was the fiercest warrior in Hebei, and he killed him in a single move!"
"General Yan is dead! What are you waiting for? Run!" The Yuan army, terrified by Zhao Yun, scattered like frightened lambs. Zhao Yun let out a long roar and spurred his horse back into the enemy ranks. The Yuan army was left in a bloodbath, corpses strewn everywhere.
The surviving Yuan soldiers, terrified, fled towards Baima City.
Cao Ang pressed his advantage, urging his victorious army to pursue Baima. At that moment, outside Baima city...
Zhang Liao was urging four thousand Yuan troops to continue their relentless assault on Baima City. On the city walls, Yu Jin commanded over a thousand Cao soldiers, fiercely resisting the Yuan army's attack. However, Baima City was not a fortified city; the Yuan army's relentless assault over the past few days had reached its limit. The city was on the verge of falling.
"I hope that if I capture Baima and do Yuan Shao a service, he will treat me a little better..." Zhang Liao secretly hoped. Suddenly...
A rider galloped in, shouting, "General Zhang, General Yan has been utterly defeated by Cao Cao's army and has been killed in battle by Cao Cao's general Zhao Yun! Cao Cao's army is marching towards Baima City!"
"What did you say?" Zhang Liao's face changed drastically, and he said urgently, "General Yan has six thousand soldiers, two thousand iron cavalry, including five hundred heavy cavalry. How could he be defeated by Cao Cao's army?"
"Although Cao Cao's army was small in number, they were equipped with a divine crossbow that could fire ten arrows at a time, with enough power to pierce through iron armor. That's why General Yan was caught off guard!"
The scout cried out in a trembling voice, "A divine crossbow?"
"Ten arrows fired at once?" Zhang Liao was astonished, his eyes wide as if he had heard a fairy tale.
"Cao Cao's victory was so unbelievable; this is definitely Gu Cheng's style! It must be his doing!" "Yan Liang, I warned you long ago that Cao Mengde had Gu Cheng, this strategist, and he shouldn't be underestimated. But you wouldn't listen and ended up losing your life!"
Zhang Liao pondered the matter, and the more he thought about it, the more terrified he became, breaking out in a cold sweat.
South direction.
The battle cries shook the heavens, and billowing dust rose as Cao Cao's army swept in. Zhang Liao, snapping out of his shock, immediately ordered his entire army to withdraw from the siege of Baima and flee north to the ferry crossing. Too late.
Yu Jin of Baima City suddenly opened the city gates and led Cao Cao's army in a counterattack. With the help of the enemy, Cao Cao's army quickly overwhelmed Zhang Liao and his Yuan army in the surging tide of troops. Three hundred miles away, at Yanjin Ferry.
Cao Cao stood on the pier, watching his army board the ships, pretending to cross the river to the north. However, his gaze was not on the north bank, but rather he kept glancing southeast towards Baima.
"Minister Sikong, Prince Liheng's plans are flawless. Since he dared to offer the repeating crossbow, he must be confident of victory!" Guo Jia saw through Cao Cao's thoughts and comforted him with a smile.
Cao Cao nodded slightly: "I have great faith in Li Heng, but Yan Liang is the number one warrior in Hebei. If we really fight, I'm afraid we won't be able to finish our sentence."
"Good news! Good news from Baima!"
Cao Hong rushed over, waving a battle report, and shouted with wild joy, "Reporting to the Minister of Works, the eldest son has severely damaged Yuan's army, beheaded Yan Liang, captured Zhang Liao, and lifted the siege of Baima!"
At the ferry crossing, Cao Cao's soldiers erupted in cheers and jubilation. Cao Cao also breathed a sigh of relief, a smile of relief spreading across his face.
Guo Jia exclaimed with delight, "Minister Sikong, Prince Liheng's plan has dealt a heavy blow to Yuan's army in the first battle, greatly boosting our morale!" "Liheng, Liheng, you have truly never disappointed me!" Cao Cao laughed and sighed, but his sarcastic gaze turned to the other side of the Yellow River.
He could almost see Yuan Shao leading his army, lying in ambush on the north bank, waiting to ambush him while he was crossing the river. "Yuan Shao, my son-in-law can slay your general and annihilate your ten thousand vanguard troops in the blink of an eye!" "I really want to see what kind of expression you'll have when you hear this terrible news," Cao Cao laughed heartily on the pier.