Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, bandits have sprung up all over Kyushu, and they are too numerous to be eradicated.
Among them, the Black Mountain Army in Hebei and the Taishan bandits in Xuzhou were the most famous, while the bandits in the Central Plains gathered in Funiushan, but they were not subordinate to each other and did not form a powerful force.
In the valley at the end of the Funiu Mountains in the upper reaches of the Baihe River, there is a well-known Evil Tiger Village. The bandit leader, Wang Laohu, is a ferocious man who does not abide by the moral code of the underworld and has committed many evil deeds.
Although the nearby strongholds condemned his behavior, no one wanted to offend him for fear of getting into trouble. Until a month ago, a red-faced hero came to pay a visit to the mountain, and Sanhe hacked Wang Lao Hu to death and seized the stronghold.
When the news spread, he was greeted with applause, and heroes who came to visit him for competition came in an endless stream, but they all were defeated by him.
In just one month, this man was invincible in Funiu Mountain. He was also generous and upright, so he was nicknamed "Red-faced Yama".
A snake cannot survive without a head, and a bird cannot fly without a head. Over the years, the villages in Funiu Mountain have been getting worse and worse because they are unwilling to submit to each other and restrain each other.
Now that a person who can command the support of the people has emerged, everyone hit it off and decided to nominate him as the leader to jointly strengthen the power of Funiu Mountain.
When several respected leaders came to the mountain stronghold again, they found that the stronghold was deserted and the force of 500 people disappeared overnight.
One of them sighed: "Red-faced Yama is a great hero, this small temple can't accommodate him!"
The other person crossed his arms, looked around, and felt lost: "A great hero must do great things. If I can find out the movements of the Red-faced Yama, I am willing to follow him."
"Yes, we have been hiding in the Funiushan Mountains for more than ten years. Master and his people died of old age in the mountains without achieving anything. I don't want to continue living like this."
"They must not have gone far. Immediately contact all our friends and find out the news about this hero. Then we will follow them immediately."
"You're right. With his abilities, he will definitely achieve great things. If we don't share his hardships now, don't blame us for not recognizing us when he becomes successful in the future."
After discussing the matter, several leaders hurried back to their villages and sent out skilled men to gather information everywhere.
This famous Red-Faced Devil was none other than Wei Yan. Following Liu Qi's orders, he led his troops to disguise themselves as bandits and hide in the mountains, waiting for the right opportunity to deal a fatal blow to Cao's army.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Wei Yan led his troops across the Baihe River and came to the dense forest southwest of Bowang City. He found a cave behind the vines, lit a fire and entered it.
A group of bats flew out in fright. The further they went in, the wetter it became. Soon they found traces of fresh digging. The soil was slippery and even dripping.
The cave twists and turns. After walking for who knows how long, we finally reach the end. It looks like a dry well. Wei Yan ordered his men to climb up along the hole and investigate the situation.
Soon the soldiers gave a signal and everyone filed out. They saw that it was a deserted yard and the surroundings were in a mess. Most of the things were discarded clothes. Cao's army used this place as a garbage dump.
Wei Yan quietly climbed onto the roof, looked around, let out a long sigh, and murmured: "Bowang City, I, Wei Wenchang, am back again!"
It turned out that after Liu Qi captured Bowang City, he ordered people to secretly dig a tunnel in the city and connected it to the cave in the back mountain. Wei Yan was in charge of this matter at that time.
At first, Wei Yan thought that Liu Qi was preparing a retreat route so that he could retreat calmly if surrounded by Cao's army. Later, he realized that he was preparing for this moment.
After the arrival of Cao Cao's army, the two armies had won and lost alternately. Now they are confronting each other in Nanyang. Wei Yan feels a little regretful that he was unable to participate in the battle. However, he knows that he has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, and he will completely turn the tide of the battle tonight.
The sound of the third watch drum could be heard in the wind. Wei Yan ordered his soldiers to put on Cao's armor and sent people to investigate the situation in the city and look for places to store food and fodder.
Two days ago, they had discovered in the mountains that Cao's army was transporting grain. When the grain arrived at Bowang, they left the mountain stronghold and sneaked into the city to burn the grain.
After confirming that the food and fodder were piled up in the west of the city, Wei Yan took advantage of the fact that no one was around and led his troops onto the street. Holding in his hand a captain's badge that he had seized earlier, he was able to pass through unhindered.
At this time, Cao's army in Bowang City had been busy for most of the night. They transported food and grass during the day, and Cao Hong led the wounded soldiers to treat the wounded and vacate the camp at night. They were very busy.
Dong Heng and Dong Chao, who were responsible for delivering food and fodder, were driven out of the city and camped outside the South Gate, each of them filled with resentment.
When Wei Yan led his troops over, the soldiers guarding the camp were leaning against the wall and complaining. They saw that the streets along the city wall were full of grain carts, which would have to be transported again the next day. Only the mules and horses were unloaded, and the vehicles were not moved.
Wei Yan stepped forward and held up his badge: "General Cao knows that you have been working hard, so I will take over. Brothers, go back and rest early!"
Cao's army was overjoyed. They casually glanced at the badge, did not suspect anything, and left in a noisy manner.
Wei Yan left twenty men to patrol outside the gate, and the other soldiers formed teams of five and entered the grain carts separately, spreading out everywhere, waiting for the fourth watch drum to sound before setting fire together.
In the dead of night, the clear sound of a drum was heard from the watchtower. The soldiers worked together to light the firewood that had been secretly piled in one place, and then quietly retreated.
The fire spread with the wind and initially there were a few wisps of smoke, which the defenders did not notice until the fire rose into the sky and thick smoke billowed. The defenders on the city walls were the first to see it and immediately beat drums and shouted.
Suddenly there was a commotion in Bowang City. Cao's army thought they were attacked by the enemy, so they picked up their weapons and left the camp. When they saw the red flames in the west city, they realized that there was a fire.
The Cao army nearby came to put out the fire, but the Cao army far away did not care. They thought it was just a house fire and none of their business, so they went back to sleep.
"Fire, help come quickly!" Wei Yan divided the soldiers into three teams, holding torches and shouting everywhere.
The Cao army was confused by their instructions. Some went to look for wooden barrels, some went to fetch water, but only a few actually made it to the grain carts.
"Someone come, put out the fire!" Wei Yan observed the situation and stuffed torches into the grain cart while shouting.
It was midsummer, the weather was dry and the firewood in the vehicles would catch fire as soon as it came into contact with fire. The laborers who were transporting grain were all resting outside the city and were unable to enter the city to put out the fire.
In a blink of an eye, the grain carts in almost every corner were set on fire. Wei Yan called on his men to gather at the West Street entrance and quickly retreated the way they came.
At this time, the city was in complete chaos. Cao's army was running around looking for things to put out the fire. The people brought by Wei Yan were disfigured by the smoke and fire, and they were not afraid of being recognized by Cao's army.
When Cao Hong woke up from his sleep and ran to check, half of the city had turned into a sea of fire. Not only were the grain carts burning, but the surrounding houses were also on fire.
"It's over, completely over!" Cao Hong sat down on the ground with a pale face.
Xun You came later and saw this scene with a serious expression. He said, "Seal off the entire city and don't let anyone escape."
Cao Hong reacted suddenly and ordered the people guarding the grain and grass to be brought over, and the whole city to search for suspicious people. The spy must be found and an explanation must be given to Cao Cao.
"Sir, what should we do now?" Cao Hong asked in a trembling voice after completing the assignment.
This batch of food and fodder was the life-saving material for the 300,000 troops at the front. It was finally transported to Bowang City, but turned into ashes. He was more worried about the soldiers mutiny than Cao Cao's punishment.
Xun You said: "The only solution now is to withdraw the troops as soon as possible. Send someone to report to the Prime Minister and order Dong Heng and Dong Chao to deploy troops in the Bowangpo area to prevent pursuit."