Guan Yu returned to the city victoriously and rewarded his troops, and there was laughter throughout Bowang City.
In the lobby of the government office, Guan Yu personally raised his glass to congratulate Wei Yan. Young generals such as Guan Ping also had flushed faces, immersed in the joy of victory.
They had been following Liu Bei, but had been defeated in numerous battles, and were chased by Cao Cao like a stray dog. They felt scared when they met Cao's troops. After these two great victories, everyone regained their confidence.
While we were having the feast, we suddenly heard a loud laugh from outside the door: "Congratulations to you all for your victory."
Guan Yu recognized it was Liu Qi's voice, and hurriedly stood up with his generals to greet them. He saw Liu Qi and Xu Shu arriving, with Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Gan Ning and other generals standing behind them, looking very majestic.
Zhang Fei laughed and said, "Congratulations, second brother, for another victory."
Guan Yu stroked his beard and said, "Today's great victory is entirely due to Wei Yan's killing of generals and enemies, so he should be credited with the greatest achievement."
Wei Yan clasped his fists and said, "It is only thanks to General Guan's might that Cao's army is terrified."
Liu Qi smiled and said, "You don't have to be modest. From now on, we must strictly enforce military discipline and clearly distinguish rewards and punishments so that everyone can work together. Cao's army is powerful and we must not be careless. We must know that arrogant soldiers will be defeated!"
Everyone nodded, welcomed Liu Qi into the mansion, set up a banquet again, and discussed military affairs together.
Gan Ning offered a suggestion: "Cao's army has just been defeated and their morale is low. Why not raid their camp at night?"
Since Gan Ning arrived in the army, Liu Qi named his troops the Jinfan Army, gave each soldier a set of armor and weapons, and awarded them 500 pieces of silk cloth, making the Jinfan Army look brand new and eager to make contributions and serve the country.
Xu Shu shook his head and said, "Xiahou Dun has been in battle for a long time, so he must be prepared."
Liu Qi laughed and said, "How can Xiahou Dun alone stop all the powerful generals from coming out together? Why not use their own tactics against them?"
Xu Shu's eyes were slightly stern, and he nodded and said, "General, what you said is absolutely right."
Liu Bei abandoned Xinye and went to Fancheng because there were only a few thousand soldiers in Xinye. Even if Zhuge Liang had extraordinary abilities, he could not do anything without the necessary resources.
In the face of absolute strength, all tricks are in vain.
But the situation is different now. Liu Qi has Jingzhou as his backing, and Nanyang has integrated 100,000 troops, which is enough to deal with Cao Cao.
When the disparity in military strength is not too great, the strength of generals and counselors will determine the direction of the battle, and defeating a larger force with a smaller one is no longer a fantasy.
Liu Qi looked at the hall full of famous generals and was full of confidence when facing Xiahou Dun's 100,000 troops.
When it comes to charging into battle, Guan, Zhang, Zhao and Gan Ning are all good players. As long as they are properly deployed, they can defeat the enemy like a log.
Seeing that Liu Qi had decided to send troops, Guan Yu ordered his men to cancel the banquet, stop drinking in the army, and have the troops in each camp eat their fill and wait for orders.
Zhang Fei asked anxiously, "General, what brilliant plan do you have? Tell me now."
Liu Qi said: "If Xiahou Dun is prepared, he must have set a trap in the outer camp. General Guan must go there to lure the enemy and pretend to be defeated. When Cao's army relaxes its vigilance, we can raid the camp and succeed."
Guan Yu knew that Xiahou Dun would not take it lightly if he did not go, so he stroked his beard and said, "I will go!"
Liu Qi smiled and said, "Please ask the military advisor to plan the details, and I will mobilize the troops."
Liu Qi is well aware of his position. His advantage lies in his ability to predict history and know how to use people.
After all, it is still in the early stages of entrepreneurship, and his position is more like a company planner, who is only responsible for planning and scheduling, while the specific execution is handed over to more suitable people.
The big boss is usually only responsible for making decisions and signing papers, and usually just travels, drinks tea, and picks up girls.
Firstly, he really didn't understand the art of war, and his random interference could easily backfire; secondly, giving Xu Shu and others room to perform would give them a sense of presence and accomplishment.
If Zhuge Liang could come and take over the planning position, wouldn't it be nice to be a hands-off boss
If I have a female secretary in the future, she will do the work when necessary and...
That is the enjoyment of an emperor!
Xu Shu thought for a moment and said with a smile: "Since we are going to send troops, why not capture Xiahou Dun as well?"
Zhang Fei laughed and said, "That's exactly what I want. Last time I managed to get away with Cao Ren, this time I will definitely capture Xiahou Dun."
After Xu Shu completed the deployment, Liu Qi divided his troops into three groups, with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and Gan Ning each leading an army, and they were ready to set out after three o'clock in the morning.
Add to that Wei Yan and Chen Dao who were lying in ambush outside the city, and this luxurious lineup would cause a lot of trouble wherever they went.
…
In the Cao army camp, Xiahou Dun sat in the central army tent, one of his eyes was bloodshot, rolling around, listening to the situation outside at any time.
The front parts of the three camps were all empty, and the troops were on full alert in the back camps. No matter which camp the enemy attacked, the other two routes could be dispatched at any time to outflank and destroy them.
After the third watch, the spring wind became stronger, and the sound of the wind blew the flags and tent corners like the howling of ghosts and wolves.
Xiahou Dun became a little anxious in the tent, fearing that Guan Yu would attack, but also afraid that he would not come.
If we wait in vain all night, the soldiers will be exhausted tomorrow and won't even have the strength to fight, let alone attack the city.
Boom—
At this moment, a drum sound was suddenly heard, short but very clear. Xiahou Dun's heart skipped a beat and he stood up as if he had been electrocuted.
This was an early warning of an enemy attack. The enemy had arrived in front of the camp, so they immediately picked up their swords and left the camp.
A fire started in the front camp and quickly spread under the influence of the southeast wind, and shouts of killing came against the wind.
"Beat the drum!" Xiahou Dun was greatly encouraged. He jumped on his horse and led his troops straight to the front camp.
I saw figures running around in front of me. Sure enough, the enemy quickly retreated after discovering that it was an empty camp. Ambush troops from both sides came out and engaged in a melee.
Under the firelight, there was a man with long flowing beard riding on a tall horse. It was Guan Yu.
"Guan Yu, don't run away!" Xiahou Dun shouted and urged his horse to catch up.
Guan Yu was commanding his troops to retreat when he saw Xiahou Dun coming. He turned his horse around to meet the enemy, and the two men fought in the firelight.
After fighting for more than ten rounds, although Xiahou Dun was unable to defeat Guan Yu, the morale of Cao's army was greatly boosted and they surrounded and attacked Guan Yu from all sides. Guan Yu had no intention of fighting and led his troops to break through and escape.
Xiahou Dun pursued relentlessly and joined forces with Generals Yu Jin and Han Hao to pursue the victory. If they could break into Bowang City in one go, they could completely turn the tide of the battle.
Just when they were halfway through the pursuit, they saw the flames of Bowang City in the distance. Suddenly, a group of people were approaching quickly in the front, and torches were like a long dragon, covering the mountains and plains.
The enemy troops let Guan Yu pass. The leading general was like an iron tower, holding his spear in his hand and shouting, "Zhang Yide from Yan is here. Who dares to fight?"
"Zhang Fei?" Xiahou Dun was startled and stopped his horse to observe.
Han Haoyan said: "Reinforcements must have arrived in Bowang. The enemy's strength is unclear, so we should stop when the time is right."
Xiahou Dun was indignant and snorted coldly, "Why should I be afraid of Zhang Fei? He was also killed by me in Runan and fled in panic."
Zhang Fei laughed and said, "Xiahou Dun, if you can't see clearly with one eye at night, come back tomorrow!"
"Butcher Zhang, you are going too far!" Xiahou Dun was furious and was about to rush forward to fight.
Yu Jin hurriedly advised: "Zhang Fei deliberately provoked the enemy. He must have made preparations ahead. This great defeat of Guan Yu will boost morale. It will not be too late to attack the city tomorrow to avenge our grievances."
Xiahou Dun glanced ahead and saw torches dotted around. He had no idea how many troops there were, so he solemnly ordered the men to retreat slowly.
When they returned to the camp, the defenders had already put out the fire. Xiahou Dun was still furious, so the two generals rested early and the entire army would attack the city at noon tomorrow.