The Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Tan, intercepted Guo Jia's...

Chapter 133 I'm not dead yet? And you're already wielding the baton here?

That night, at Lü Bu's army camp.

Screams and shouts of battle suddenly erupted from the northeast corner, and flames burst forth.

The patrol team was attacked, and several tents were set on fire.

"Enemy attack!"

The alarm blared. Soldiers hurriedly rose, took up their weapons, and formed ranks.

But the raiders came quickly and left quickly; in the darkness, only the sound of horses' hooves could be heard as they fled.

The commotion in the camp lasted for more than an hour before it gradually subsided.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, shouts and battle cries came from outside the southern camp again, and the flames reappeared.

"This is outrageous!"

Wei Xu drew his sword and stepped out of the tent, angrily shouting,

"It must be that cavalry! Order the archers to lie in ambush behind the palisades, and the cavalry to wait inside the gate. If they dare to come again, stop them!"

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers of each battalion mustered their spirits and lay in ambush, waiting.

However, until dawn, there was no further movement outside the camp.

The attackers were like ghosts and gods, striking and leaving without lingering.

However, Lu Bu's army was kept awake all night by these repeated harassments, exhausted, and their morale was increasingly low.

As dawn broke, a sense of oppression and panic permeated the camp. The soldiers had dark circles under their eyes and yawned incessantly.

Wei Xu stood in the central command tent, his face grim. Sun Ce, Cheng Pu, and others were also present.

"This is a tactic used by the enemy to wear down their troops."

Cheng Pudao,

"They harassed our troops with small elite units, preventing them from resting and demoralizing them."

"How many days do we have left for our supplies?"

Sun Ce asked.

"Save it for five days at most."

"The quartermaster said in a low voice."

"Xiaoguan Pass is in enemy hands, and the road back north is blocked. To the east are Zhao Yun's pursuing troops, to the west is Yuan Tan's main force, and to the south are the river and Gan Ning's navy..."

A general said in a hoarse voice,

"We're surrounded."

Wei Xu gritted his teeth:

"We must break through Xiaoguan Pass! It's our only way out!"

How do I get through?

Another will ask in return,

"Although the enemy forces in the city are few, they are holding their ground. Our army is exhausted and our supplies are running low. What price would a direct assault cost? And even if we take the city, could we hold off Zhao Yun and Gan Ning behind us?"

Wei Xu fell silent.

This is beyond his capabilities.

Sun Ce sneered inwardly; the more incompetent his general was, the more he could win people's hearts.

"Send men, send out more scouts, to search in the direction of Xiapi and see if there is any news of reinforcements."

Sun Ce finally said,

"Each battalion should strengthen its vigilance and take turns resting. Collect all food supplies and distribute them uniformly."

As orders were issued one after another, the tense atmosphere in the camp was finally relieved.

Only then was the army able to continue its march.

Wei Xu saw it all.

They were fortunate to have Sun Ce there, which prevented the army from collapsing, but they were also very dissatisfied with Sun Ce's overstepping his bounds.

I'm not dead yet!

So you're just going to start wielding the baton right here?

No, I have to find a way to trip you up, otherwise this army will be under your control.

……

Lü Bu's army broke camp and headed east, attempting to bypass Dancheng.

The soldiers were exhausted and their steps were unsteady.

The striker quickly fell into the trap.

Sharpened bamboo skewers sprang up from under the decaying leaves, piercing the soles of feet and calves.

Amid screams, the procession stopped.

"Search! Search thoroughly!"

The officer gave the order.

Their marching speed was as slow as a snail's pace.

Half a day later, Wei Xu urged them to speed things up.

Just as they picked up speed, another wave of traps was triggered, increasing casualties.

Sun Ce looked at the wounded soldiers being carried down and walked to Wei Xu's horse:

"If this continues, our troops will suffer losses even before encountering the enemy. We need someone to scout ahead and specifically handle any potential dangers."

"Who's going?"

Wei continued to ask.

"Select a squad of soldiers and offer them a large reward. The rear guard will carry weapons and supervise the battle; those who do not advance will be executed."

Sun Ce's voice was calm.

Wei Xu chuckled inwardly; this was the perfect opportunity.

He nodded repeatedly:

"General Sun's plan is excellent. You may choose the people to carry it out."

I rely on!

Sun Ce almost wanted to kick Wei Xu to death.

He came up with such an offensive idea, and ended up carrying it out himself.

If it weren't for the need to get back to Xiapi alive, I wouldn't care whether you live or die!

There's no way around it; a higher-ranking official can have absolute power.

I will endure!

Sun Ce clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys the order."

He returned to his unit, selected fifty soldiers who looked hungry, and gave each of them a bag of dry rations.

"If you scout ahead and discover a trap, you will be rewarded with one pound of meat and five hundred coins. If you return to camp alive, you will receive an additional reward."

He paused, then pointed to the guards behind him holding crossbows.

"They are behind. If they do not advance, or if they flee, kill them."

Fifty people, their faces pale, silently walked to the front of the line.

……

On the first day, the scouting team stumbled on seven traps, resulting in 23 deaths and 17 injuries.

The entire army marched forty miles under the shadow of bamboo spikes and death.

They set up camp at night, with half the men on guard duty, staring into the darkness.

Nothing happened that night.

The next day, it continued.

The exploration team lost more than a dozen men.

They marched for more than thirty li.

Even at night, vigilance remains.

Nothing happened.

The third day passed peacefully, without any traps encountered.

The tense nerves of the entire army relaxed slightly.

Someone whispered:

"Those Qingzhou cavalry, they've probably left, haven't they?"

They marched nearly fifty li.

At night, Wei Xu still ordered a state of alert, but the soldiers were drooping and the sentries were dozing off, leaning against their spear shafts.

After three consecutive days of forced marches and nighttime vigilance, exhaustion was etched on everyone's faces.

He can fall asleep standing up, but walks like a wandering ghost.

The fourth night, midnight.

In Lü Bu's army camp, snoring could be heard everywhere.

A few night watchmen moved mechanically, their eyes unfocused.

The sentry's figure swayed slightly in the torchlight.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle rang out from the darkness outside the camp!

Immediately afterwards, dozens of rockets were fired into the camp from different directions, landing on tents, haystacks, and supply wagons. The oil-soaked arrows instantly ignited everything.

Fire! Multiple fires!

"Enemy attack—!" The piercing siren tore through the night sky.

The sleeping soldiers were startled awake and scrambled out of their tents, only to be met with scorching flames and acrid smoke. Their figures stumbled about in the firelight.

"boom--!"

The barracks were smashed open, and the sound of iron hooves rolled in like muffled thunder.

The Qingzhou cavalry, clad in scale armor and wielding long spears, charged into the sea of ​​fire and began hacking and slashing without warning.

Slashing. Trampling. Screaming.

Some soldiers who were lying in ambush near the camp realized what was happening and tried to form a battle formation, but the camp was in chaos and orders could not be transmitted.

They watched helplessly as the cavalry galloped through the camp, stabbing and knocking down their panicked comrades in droves.

The sentries were taken out during the first wave of rockets.

This is a massacre.

At the moment when Lu Bu's army's physical strength, energy, and vigilance were at their lowest point.

Wei Xu mounted his horse under the desperate protection of his personal guards, roaring as he tried to rally his troops, but all he received in response was rout and screams.

Sun Ce had already assembled his troops, forming a circular formation, and was fighting and retreating as he moved eastward where the firelight was weaker.

The Qingzhou cavalry did not pursue the fleeing soldiers, but instead repeatedly attacked the core area of ​​the camp, burning supplies and provisions to further exacerbate the chaos.

These Qingzhou cavalrymen who kept harassing and ambushing were naturally Lou Ban's army.

He followed Yuan Tan and learned some groundbreaking military strategies.

What does it mean to retreat when the enemy advances and attack when the enemy is exhausted?

Coupled with the nature of the people of Louban Grassland, it can be said that they have taken this move to its extreme.

No matter how capable Sun Ce was, he was limited by not having commanded the entire army.

He had no jurisdiction over scouts or sentries.

He also lacked the ability to strategize effectively.

Naturally, they were repeatedly defeated by the Lou class.

As for Wei Xu himself, he was an expert at internal strife but an amateur at external conflicts.

Even with intelligence from scouts, it's still completely in the dark.

Lou Ban led his cavalry and spent the entire night killing and burning in Lü Bu's camp, only leaving at the crack of dawn.

All that remained was a chaotic military camp and a furious Wei Xu.

Another defeat.

Who should we blame this time?