Ju Fu asked in confusion, "We have won a great victory today. It is already dark. The soldiers are resting and preparing to march forward. How can they be lazy?"
Yan Yan said: "Morale is high now, and Cao's army is in disarray. We should make persistent efforts and capture another city."
Ju Fu suddenly realized, "Master, what you mean is that Cao's army has lost one camp, so their morale must be scattered. If we raid the camp at night, we will succeed?"
Yan Yan stroked his beard and smiled, "That's right! It's getting late now, so he must have thought that our army would rest and march out tomorrow. Dai Ling had been defeated before, so he must have asked his troops to recuperate and prepare for the battle. But he didn't expect that I would march out at night and kill him by surprise."
Ju Fu suddenly came to his senses and said, "Master, that's a good idea."
Zhang Yi laughed and said, "As expected, old people are more experienced. When the lord left, he said that an old man in the army is like a treasure. Now that we have two old generals in our army, we will definitely chop off Xiahou Yuan's head."
Yan Yan stroked his beard and smiled, "We are the vanguard, so we should clear the way and defeat the enemy. It will be enough if we can successfully advance into Jigu this time. Xiahou Yuan will be left to Huang Hansheng!"
The three men laughed. Zhang Yi clasped his fists and said, "I am willing to lead the troops in the front. Xiaoxing will follow and support me. Old General, please listen carefully."
Yan Yan shook his head and said, "We should attack the camp quickly this time. If Cao's reinforcements arrive, we will be trapped in the mountains in the dark, which will be counterproductive. I will lead the troops myself."
Zhang Yi immediately called two lieutenants from Cao's army and asked them about the deployment of the Qinglongtan camp. The three of them discussed together how to defeat the enemy.
At three o'clock in the night, the Han army left the camp and followed the mountain road to Qinglongtan. The moon was setting in the west, the mountain wind was howling, and the pine waves were rustling.
It was seen that Cao's troops were indeed resting, with only a dozen men guarding the gate. The sentries on the arrow tower were leaning against the railings, drowsy. It was obvious that they had not expected the enemy to launch a surprise attack overnight.
Yan Yan hid behind a huge rock and ordered, "Watch me shoot down the lanterns at the camp gate later. Xiaoxing will go to the east to set fire. Bogong will charge straight into the camp. I will provide support from behind."
The two generals received the order and divided their troops to prepare. Yan Yan looked at the two lanterns lit at the entrance of the village, walked forward a few dozen steps, drew his bow and arrow, waited for a team of patrolling soldiers to pass by, and shot two arrows one after another.
Under the hazy moonlight, the two lanterns fell to the ground almost at the same time. There was a slight bang, which alarmed the guards at the door. Several of them cursed, thinking that the wind had blown down the lanterns, and prepared to pick them up.
Boom—
A sound like muffled thunder was heard, and Zhang Yi led 500 cavalrymen and rushed straight to the camp gate. The Cao army at the gate was caught off guard and was hit head-on by the cavalry, and screams were heard.
The soldiers on the arrow tower hurriedly beat the drums. After only two beats, Yan Yan fired several arrows and killed the defenders on the high ground.
There was chaos in Cao's camp. At the same time, Ju Fu set fire to the east and led his troops to charge forward. The Qinglongtan was filled with shouts of killing and smoke, which frightened the birds and beasts in the mountains and made them scream and flee far away.
"Kill!" Yan Yan raised his sword and mounted his horse. His white hair and beard fluttered in the night wind, but he did not look old at all. He shouted and led his troops into the camp.
Zhang Yi led his troops straight to the central army camp, and the defenders were caught off guard. Although Cao's troops tried to resist along the way, they were all dispersed and fled in panic.
Dai Ling was sleeping soundly in the tent when he was awakened by the shouting and killing. He hurriedly put on his clothes and went out. He saw people and horses fleeing in the firelight. He didn't know how many enemy troops were coming.
Not only Dai Ling, but the Cao army that was awakened was also unable to react. Some of them were killed by the rushing Han army before they even left the tent.
Amid the raging fire and the sound of killing, Dai Ling hurriedly found a horse and fled along the road. Along the way, many soldiers did not even have time to put on their armor and ran wildly with their bare chests.
Ju Fu raised his knife and charged forward. Every time the blade cut through his flesh and bones, the clear sound and splattering blood made his blood surge and his whole body seemed to be filled with strength.
Cao's army was unprepared and Dai Ling fled in panic. He was attacked by three men together and was no match for them. They killed them so badly that they fled in panic. In less than an hour, they captured Qinglongtan.
Yan Yan immediately ordered to put out the fire. These were all newly built camps, and most of them were still usable. It was a good opportunity to station troops here to guard against a counterattack by Cao's army.
Zhang Yi praised: "As expected, a good teacher produces good students. I have also benefited a lot from it."
"How dare I!" After several battles like this, Ju Fu had grown very fast and had a lot of insights in his heart. He said with emotion: "In my opinion, my lord is still good at using people, while Xiahou Yuan pales in comparison. If the situation is reversed and Cao's army attacks, how should we deploy our defenses?"
Yan Yan nodded with satisfaction and said, "Xiaoxing is always prepared for danger in times of peace, and can draw inferences from one example. He is truly a teachable child!"
Dai Ling fled back in a panic, and Liu Zhu hurried to inform Xiahou Shang. Xiahou Shang was furious and came to the village from Baxiantai early in the morning, intending to behead Dai Ling.
Liu Zhu pleaded, "The old villain Yan Yan has many tricks and we have been frustrated repeatedly. Now is the time to use him. We can ask him to make up for his crime and make meritorious service."
Xiahou Shang said angrily, "You failed to defend Qingsongyuan before, and now you have lost Qinglongtan. What else do you have to say?"
Dai Ling said hurriedly: "The Han army has won many victories, so they must be arrogant. As the saying goes, arrogant soldiers will be defeated. Qingsongyuan has a wide terrain. I am willing to rob the camp tonight to atone for my sins."
"This plan is feasible!" Xiahou Shang nodded and said, "The army that mourns will win. If this battle is successful, we can defeat the enemy in one fell swoop and take back Qingsongyuan."
He then ordered Dai Ling to rest, and Liu Zhu to gather the remaining troops and integrate the forces to prepare for battle. At night, the two generals went to raid the camp together, and Xiahou Shang personally guarded the Qibu Cliff and waited for news.
The next day, the Han army had already set up camp again and rested and was on standby. If Cao's army attacked the camp, they would fight with them.
At noon, a reinforcement force of 300 people suddenly arrived. It was the military officer Ma Liang who came under orders. Yan Yan welcomed him into the camp.
Ma Liang said with emotion: "My lord heard that you had won the first battle and ordered me to come and discuss military affairs. I didn't expect that the old general would capture two camps in a row. My light cavalry couldn't catch up. He is really as brave as Lian Po!"
"Ji Chang, you are too kind!" Yan Yan said with a smile, "I wonder what military orders the lord has given?"
Ma Liang said, "My lord knows that the old general is both wise and brave, and is very good at using defense as an attack. He did not give us too many instructions, but only told us to be careful. The army is still in Bao Valley, so there is no need to take risks."
"Yan Ding has lived up to the lord's expectations." Yan Yan was deeply moved.
Liu Qi trusted him so much, and when he thought of Liu Zhang's fear and rejection of him, he suddenly felt a sense of bitterness in his heart. If he could have met such a wise leader thirty years earlier, why would he have worried about not achieving fame and success
Ma Liang asked about the military situation, and Ju Fu told him that there was a camp ahead, only three miles away from Baxiantai, and the camp could be seen from the mountain.
This place is called Qibu Cliff. There is a narrow section of the canyon that is only seven steps wide. One man can block the passage of ten thousand men. Cao's army deployed heavy troops here and there were scouts on the high cliff, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack.
Yan Yan stroked his beard and said, "Cao's army has been defeated repeatedly. I think Xiahou Shang, a descendant of the Cao clan, must be unwilling to accept this. This place is only ten miles away from Taibai Mountain, but he did not come to attack today. There must be a trick."
Ju Fu's mind moved, and he asked, "This place is open, and troops can be deployed from both the north and south banks of Qinglongtan. Could it be that Cao's army also wants to raid the camp?"
Yan Yan nodded and said, "Xiaoxing and I have the same idea."
Zhang Yi laughed and said, "As expected of a master and disciple, they are so in tune with each other. If Xiahou Shang dares to send out troops, it will be a good opportunity to send him back to reunite with his brothers."
Ma Liang said, "Xiahou Shang set up three camps in a row, intending to wear down our army's morale. He will gather his strength and counterattack and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop. Cao's army is eager to win, so we can take advantage of their trick."