Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Can’t a strategist ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, The Young Phoenix’s Clear Voice, Chapter 17: Midnight Encirclement

Book:


Can’t a strategist ascend the throne?

Chapter 17

Cao Cao couldn’t help but smudge a bit of ink at the beginning of the letter as he thought about it.

But then he thought again, whether it was Qiao Gongzu’s grandson or granddaughter, in the face of the Yellow Turban’s fierce attack, it didn’t seem so important. What was more important was to repel this attack and uphold the Han Dynasty’s legitimacy.

In the Han Dynasty, restrictions on women were not as severe as in later generations.

The Han Dynasty inherited many systems from the Qin Dynasty. One interesting law from the Qin stone inscriptions was, “If a husband strays, killing him is not a crime,” meaning if a husband was unfaithful, his wife could kill him without breaking the law.

Although the Han Dynasty didn’t strictly enforce this, in an environment where women could be household heads and participate in social production, aside from the nine empress dowagers who ruled, many women from scholar-official families also had considerable political acumen and often indirectly participated in political activities.

Cao Cao rarely met Qiao Yu, but he knew Qiao Xuan’s strong and righteous character well. It wasn’t surprising that his granddaughter would make the decision to infiltrate the enemy camp and plan a counterattack against the Yellow Turbans.

Don’t underestimate women…

“What is Mengde thinking about?” Huangfu Song noticed Cao Cao’s hesitation and asked.

Since Qiao Yan hadn’t revealed her identity, Cao Cao felt no need to disclose it for her. He simply said, “I was thinking, if it weren’t for Qiao Gong’s support, I wouldn’t have met Xu Zijiang and received that evaluation. Now that Qiao Gong is critically ill, it’s a regret that I’m not in the capital. Knowing that his grandson is in the Yellow Turban camp, I can’t just think of the saying—’How can one let a traitor go for the sake of one life?'”

People of the time valued loyalty and righteousness, and Cao Cao’s words were indeed appropriate.

Huangfu Song stroked his long beard and replied, “Mengde is right. Winning against the rebel army is one thing, but ensuring the safety of Qiao’s descendant in the camp is another. If we win but he dies, how can I face Qiao Gongzu when I return to Luoyang?”

He looked around, considering whether to send someone to protect Qiao Yan. Tian Yan quickly said, “Don’t worry about the young master’s safety. Our Tian family has recruited Dian Wei, a strongman from Chenliu, who is now guarding him. Dian Wei has the strength to withstand ten thousand men. With him around, no ordinary person can get close to the young master.”

Huangfu Song inquired about Dian Wei’s grip and arm strength. The numbers Tian Yan provided convinced him that Dian Wei was indeed a rare warrior. Moreover, Qiao Yan mentioned in her letter that she had Cheng Li from Dong’e by her side. If there were any strategic oversights, they could complement each other. Feeling reassured, he let the matter rest.

Tian Yan, under the gaze of several generals, felt almost suffocated by their battlefield-hardened, high-ranking presence. Only after receiving the letter detailing the signal and time, descending the city wall in a basket, and returning to the camp under the cover of night did he feel a sense of relief.

The cold sweat on his back chilled him further in the wind.

The Little Ice Age during the late Han Dynasty meant that even in April, the weather was far from warm.

“Follow me,” a familiar voice suddenly came from his side.

He turned to see Cheng Li holding a black-cloth-covered lantern, looking at him.

The faint light wasn’t conspicuous in the camp but brought Tian Yan some peace of mind.

At least it would prevent him from getting lost in the dark due to nervousness.

He had already been to Changshe City. If something went wrong now because of such an accident, it would be too unfair!

Fortunately, everything was going according to plan.

The letter he carried was handed to Qiao Yan after he met her.

Qiao Yan read the letter word by word before passing it to Cheng Li.

She asked, “We still have a day. Can Zhongde make some more preparations?”

Cheng Li had seen the contents of the letter Qiao Yan sent and was somewhat confident she could persuade Huangfu Song to launch a surprise attack. But when he actually held the letter agreeing to cooperate, he couldn’t help but feel pleased.

At Cheng Li’s age, he was past showing emotions easily. He wouldn’t feel proud just because the person he persuaded was the Left General of the Han court, the commander on this route against the Yellow Turbans.

From a strategist’s perspective, he deeply felt that reaching this point was no small feat.

Qiao Yan had previously explained the principle of “attacking with five times the force” to Liang Zhongning during the siege of the Tian Family Fortress. The same logic applied now.

The Yellow Turban Army outnumbered the Han forces five to one. Even if Huangfu Song launched a surprise attack at night, catching them off guard, not everyone in the army had Lü Bu’s prowess to break through encirclements. Moreover, since Bo Cai had surrounded Changshe, any attempt by the city to break out would be quickly countered. So, if Huangfu Song did lead an attack, he was essentially entrusting his life to Qiao Yan.

And to Cheng Li as well.

For a moment, Cheng Li’s face showed a flicker of confidence under the candlelight, but it was quickly replaced by a composed expression. He bowed to Qiao Yan, “I will do my utmost.”

“Then I leave it to Zhongde. But I must remind you,” Qiao Yan tapped the table, “on the night after tomorrow, please don’t wander around. I’ll need your horsemanship to carry me.”

“…” Being entrusted with a task requiring physical prowess for the first time made Cheng Li a bit uncomfortable.

Dian Wei, standing nearby, asked in confusion, “What about me?”

His foot combat skills were excellent, and he wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with horsemanship. Yet Qiao Yan, instead of using him as a guard, had Cheng Li act as the bodyguard.

Even though Dian Wei’s relationship with her was temporary and he had done tasks like delivering letters that required no special skills, he still felt a subtle frustration.

However, the next moment, Qiao Yan looked at him seriously and said, “I have a more important task for you.”

As Dian Wei left the tent, he muttered to Tian Yan, “Sometimes I really dislike these smart people.”

Qiao Yan was indeed a bit excessive. She said she had an important task for him but refused to tell him what it was.

She said it would be revealed after tomorrow, but this kind of teasing without explanation really made Dian Wei feel anxious.

“Yeah, I dislike it too,” Tian Yan whispered back.

Qiao Yan hadn’t assigned him any tasks, giving him, the big hero, a chance to rest.

But after narrowly escaping death and meeting so many important figures of the Han Dynasty, he had to wait until tomorrow to know how to achieve victory—

Tian Yan could already foresee that he would be lying awake until dawn.

The two exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.

Feeling that the other was just as clueless as themselves, a pair of brothers in confusion.

Fortunately, during the day, there were no new攻城 tasks to distract them.

The previous failure at Changshe was undoubtedly a blow to Bo Cai.

Not wanting Liang Zhongning to share his功劳, he needed to take Changshe before Liang could fully understand the city’s situation.

Especially since he had acted based on the经验之谈 that after being besieged for days, the officials would make mistakes in their haste.

He never expected that even with numerical superiority, his opponents were seasoned generals who wouldn’t give him such an opportunity.

For him, the real trouble was安抚 the Yellow Turban Army after攻城.

These militarily inexperienced people wouldn’t see that in the突围之战 led by Liang Zhongning, Cao Cao had used a诱敌之策. If Bo Cai hadn’t withdrawn early, Liang Zhongning would have been badly beaten.

All they saw was that their leader seemed ineffective against the Han Army’s resistance, while Liang and his men appeared英勇.

This对比 inevitably led them to recall previous rumors about军营布置.

Qiao Yan had to admit that luck was on their side this time.

Cheng Li, entrusted by Qiao Yan, would take advantage of this opportunity to stir up emotions in both camps.

This time, instead of激化矛盾, he aimed to诱导向往的情绪.

Qiao Yan had carefully taught Liang Zhongning along the way, creating a contrast between the Yanzhou and Yuzhou Yellow Turbans, which now proved useful.

The system felt its processing power slightly overwhelmed and decided to be a good气氛组, quietly observing Qiao Yan’s maneuvers.

While Cheng Li stirred up emotions in the camp, Qiao Yan wasn’t idle either.

She gave Liang Zhongning another lesson, this time on人心.

This seemingly profound yet vague lesson made the system cry foul.

But how could Liang Zhongning think his军师 was deceiving him?

At most, he thought it was like astrology or预言, something beyond his grasp.

Among the高深道理, there was one easily digestible point that stood out and was thus easily remembered.

Qiao Yan said that after conflict,糖衣炮弹 often turned out to be traps.

In fact, there was no need to complicate the Yellow Turbans’ thoughts.

Just like the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans, who, after Bu Ji and Zhang Bo’s deaths, could still eat well, even better than before, and were content under Liang Zhongning’s leadership, the Yuzhou Yingchuan Yellow Turbans also向往 better行军 conditions.

But under Qiao Yan’s brainwashing, Liang Zhongning thought differently.

[He’s really been led astray by you!] The system sighed, [He must think he’s the chosen one by the stars, while Bo Cai is plotting against him, even sending his men to show goodwill first.]

“Those above set the tone, and those below follow. The same goes for dislikes,” Qiao Yan replied.

She walked out of the tent, surveying the seemingly orderly but实际上 full of漏洞 camp, confirming everything was going as planned before looking away. “Besides, even if he’s been deceived badly… he still has the option to surrender, right?”

The system was puzzled, then heard Qiao Yan softly recite, “When the world is in chaos, cities become ruins, mothers can’t protect their children, wives lose their husbands, thanks to Huangfu, peace is restored.”

The system found this颂歌 in its database, referring to Huangfu Song.

But this song emerged after Huangfu Song massacred the surrendered Yellow Turbans at Guangzong, turning 100,000 corpses into a pyramid of skulls, and was promoted by the Han court to维护统治地位 after he奏请免除冀州一年田租.

“The 60,000 who died at Guangzong wouldn’t hear of ‘peace restored,’ and Huangfu Song, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, still guarded the Han borders, probably never imagining the五胡乱华 a hundred years later.”

Qiao Yan’s tone was hard to read, and she quickly added, “Enough of this. Huangfu Song’s merits and faults aren’t for me to judge. At least, the current Huangfu Song hasn’t, after eight months of fighting, committed such massacres.”

In fact, Huangfu Song’s震慑之举 didn’t stop the Yellow Turban remnants from rebelling across the Han provinces after Zhang Jiao’s death.

For example, in the初平 year (192 AD), the青州 Yellow Turban remnants invaded Yanzhou, seizing Dongping and Rencheng, even killing the then Yanzhou Governor Liu Dai.

When they did this, they showed no fear that their heads might one day join the pyramid of skulls at Guangzong.

Now, only two months since the Yellow Turban Rebellion began, and less than a month since Huangfu Song joined the battlefield, the defecting Yellow Turbans still had a chance to negotiate their survival with the Han Army.

Qiao Yan wouldn’t share these thoughts with Cheng Li.

After all, people of this era couldn’t imagine that the Yellow Turban Rebellion was just the beginning of a century of warfare.

She knew enough in her heart.

For now, focus on the battle at hand!

The fortress攻坚 was just a small skirmish, hardly a battle.

Eliminating Bu Ji and Zhang Bo and consolidating the Yellow Turban forces under Liang Zhongning was more of an assassination than a soldiers’ clash.

But this time was different!

No matter how much玩弄挑唆人心 and里应外合偷袭计划 were involved, this was undeniably a battle involving tens of thousands.

Watching the攻城战 unfold, Qiao Yan felt her heart stir, and now even more so.

Because in this battle, she was the one moving the pieces, and the尘埃落定 was near!

On the night of the appointed day, a wind rose.

In April and May, Yuzhou often had north winds, and today was no exception.

Bo Cai didn’t realize the problem with setting up camp south of Changshe, but for Huangfu Song, it was an opportunity.

Qiao Yan had provided the conditions for victory in her letter, stating that he needed to penetrate Bo Cai’s camp and cause chaos.

The letter also included the best entry points, based on Qiao Yan and Cheng Li’s observations over the past few days.

Her requests didn’t trouble Huangfu Song.

On the contrary, he believed that里应外合 only made sense with both sides cooperating.

Huangfu Song wasn’t one to躺赢.

Moreover, in Qiao Yan’s letter, which portrayed her as a future pillar, she subtly praised Huangfu Song.

Phrases like “I have no doubt that General Huangfu can recognize talent and seize opportunities” were excellent, understated compliments for a general.

With both a goal and the admiration of a younger generation, Huangfu Song was naturally motivated.

Whether it was historical inevitability or Qiao Yan’s suggestion to use硝石流火之箭 as a signal to Changshe, Huangfu Song still chose火攻.

When Fu Xie and Zhu Jun led the vanguard into Bo Cai’s camp, Huangfu Song, in light armor, ascended the city wall.

His father, Huangfu Jie, had been the雁门太守, and his uncle, Huangfu Gui, the度辽将军. In his youth, memories of confronting foreign enemies dominated.

This unusual experience for a洛阳高官 gave him exceptional冷静 in facing the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

As he saw the first flicker of firelight, he raised his hand.

The soldiers on the city wall, already prepared…








The soldiers preparing for battle followed his orders, tying blazing torches to the top of the city walls, almost forming a sea of fire burning fiercely in the wind.

At almost the same time, Fu Xie, who was the first to break through the Yellow Turban camp’s fence on horseback, flung a torch from his hand.

Bo Cai’s camp at the foot of Changshe City, due to last year’s drought and this year’s lack of rain, although emphasizing the sturdiness of the camp, was more like “setting up camp by the grass.”

Even if it didn’t lead to a massive fire spreading through the camp, it was enough for the torch Fu Xie threw to ignite the moment it landed on a tent.

The startled soldiers of Bo Cai’s unit, just stepping out of their tents, were met with a gleaming long spear.

Fu Xie, charging on horseback with his spear, pierced through one’s throat.

As if in response to his action, war drums sounded from the top of Changshe City at that very moment.

Huangfu Song had given the order to beat the drums!

The sound of war drums echoed through the night, resembling thunder.

This sound, accompanied by the clatter of hooves, startled people, causing an unexpected palpitation.

The Yellow Turbans, lucky enough not to encounter Fu Xie’s sudden attack, walked out of their tents with weapons in hand, only to see multiple fires burning within the camp.

If that were all, in the half-asleep state, people would inevitably look towards the direction of the most unusual sound.

But what they saw was shocking.

In the confusion, these inexperienced Yellow Turbans did not realize it was the direction of Changshe.

From above the tents, all they saw was a sea of fire and red clouds on the horizon.

In the heat brought by the wind, they almost thought the fire was not on Changshe’s walls but was burning towards them!

When the first cry of alarm sounded in the camp, panic quickly spread.

However, the situation was not as dangerous as it seemed.

The fires in the camp did not cause many casualties, and the number of defenders in Changshe City meant the attacking soldiers were few, with a low proportion of cavalry. If Bo Cai’s men had realized the situation earlier, they could have contained it, as the Han army was not invincible.

They could have used their numbers to turn the tide and eliminate the intruders.

But at that moment, someone suddenly shouted in the night, “Where is the Rebel Leader?”

Where is the Rebel Leader?

Bo Cai, sensing something amiss, quickly armed himself and began gathering his trusted men to prepare for the enemy.

However, with Qiao Yan’s insider guidance, the men led by Zhu Jun and Fu Xie were some distance from Bo Cai’s location, so the shout went unanswered.

In the chaos of the night, where it was easy for a camp riot to break out, and with unclear observations of the enemy, it was hard not to have a distorted sense of time.

The Yellow Turbans, running around with weapons in hand, unsure where to go, felt as if a long time had passed in just a moment.

So when the person who had shouted earlier yelled, “Let’s go find Liang Zhongning!” almost no one thought it was a bad idea, but rather a feasible one!

Fu Xie reined in his horse, noting the “mole” among Bo Cai’s men to avoid friendly fire during his charge.

But the mole didn’t need his help.

This guy, chosen by Qiao Yan from the Tian and Xue groups for his agility, was the first to dash towards the Yanzhou Yellow Turban camp at the suggestion of finding Liang Zhongning.

If Fu Xie hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have understood why, with their leader still present, his men would flee towards another camp.

But Huangfu Song, standing on the city walls with more battle experience, could guess the reason—

Because of comparison.

In the chaos, the Yellow Turbans, a group of blindly gathered bandits, might have some intent to resist, but most were “fools” waiting for their leader to guide them.

And these people would naturally choose the place that felt safer!

Since the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans arrived at Changshe, they had been sending such signals.

This undoubtedly led them to think of Liang Zhongning’s more stable and orderly camp, which was also more aggressive in attacking Changshe, in this “crisis.”

But this instinct for self-preservation, in the face of a non-lethal threat, led them to run towards Liang Zhongning, only to fall into a trap.

When Bo Cai realized their movement and furiously ordered them to return, the mole, who had already infiltrated the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans two days earlier, was leading people over the fence between the two camps.

And all this happened in a very short time!

Not even long enough for the fires in Bo Cai’s camp to burn brightly enough for Liang Zhongning to see clearly.

In fact, it was just after the muffled thunder woke him, and shortly after he left the camp to investigate, the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans, led by the mole, had already reached the edge of the two camps with their confused comrades.

Bo Cai’s desire for credit meant the two camps were not parallel outside Changshe City, but Bo Cai’s unit held the front line, with Liang Zhongning’s camp on the periphery.

But this arrangement also meant the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans did not immediately realize the noise and chaos came from the Han army in Changshe.

All they saw was, in the red shadows of the night, Bo Cai’s soldiers, armed with weapons, crossing the fence, their figures blurred by the light, looking fierce and menacing.

This scene did not look like they were seeking help, but rather like the words Liang Zhongning had said under Qiao Yan’s influence the day before—”Beware of their ill intentions”—had come true!

They were indeed launching a night raid!

And no one knew where, from among these people, an arrow suddenly shot out, striking a Yanzhou soldier in the chest.

This arrow instantly escalated the conflict between the two sides, starting the night battle.

Before Bo Cai’s men could react to the sudden turn of events or even call for help, they were met with a “self-defense” attack from the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans.

This was even a well-prepared attack.

Qiao Yan’s arrangement for night patrols in the camp was in the direction the mole led the people, which was also where Liang Zhongning’s men could quickly mobilize for battle at night.

In this initially mistaken, later real fight, it undoubtedly gave the Yanzhou side an advantage.

Bo Cai’s men already thought Liang Zhongning’s side was a strong force, and now, being met with a fierce counterattack, only deepened this impression.

In terms of combat ability, it was hard to say which side was stronger, but in this hasty engagement, morale was a crucial factor.

The side that gained the upper hand first would likely continue to build on that momentum.

But this was not enough!

At least not enough for what Qiao Yan wanted to achieve!

In the night raid, the torches lit in the Yanzhou Yellow Turban camp reflected two pools of blood in her eyes.

As her gaze swept, ensuring the fight between the two sides was going as she had planned, the blood in her eyes took on a sharp edge.

There was no plan in the world that was completely foolproof, and she needed to do a bit more.

She would not miss, in the sounds of battle she heard, the faint cries of “misunderstanding,” which would eventually reach Liang Zhongning’s ears.

Liang Zhongning, though a bit foolish, was not deaf!

Qiao Yan couldn’t be sure if he would order his men to stop upon hearing such pleas.

He even took a few steps towards the front line, clearly feeling confident in his advantage.

But this also made him more likely to hear those voices.

This was not good.

With the numbers of the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans, if they were to act as reinforcements for Bo Cai’s men, the advantage Fu Xie and Zhu Jun had gained would be lost in an instant, and the panic Huangfu Song had created with the night fires would no longer be effective if the trick was seen through.

So she needed to do something more.

This was what she had said the day she received Huangfu Song’s reply, to have Dian Wei take on a crucial task.

Besides having a mole infiltrate the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans, she had also obtained a set of armor that would make the wearer unrecognizable—pieced together from two soldiers of Bo Cai’s unit.

This armor might be a hindrance to others, but not to Dian Wei.

At Qiao Yan’s subtle signal, Dian Wei suddenly charged into Bo Cai’s ranks, quickly becoming one of them, then suddenly stepped forward and grabbed a spear thrust towards him.

Even without armor, this fierce warrior would dare to do such a thing, let alone now!

The spear he grabbed was wrenched from the attacker’s hands with a roar.

They might remember Dian Wei’s bravery, but the night’s cover prevented them from realizing it immediately, and Qiao Yan had sent him away from Puyang for a while, blurring their memory of him.

Besides, if they had a fierce general like Dian Wei, why couldn’t Bo Cai have a hidden trump card?

The sudden change gave them no time to think.

The armored figure spun the spear around and hurled it back towards the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans.

As it struck and injured several, he charged forward with unbelievable speed and force—

Straight towards Liang Zhongning.

As he approached, Liang Zhongning vaguely recognized something familiar about him.

But their previous encounters, one with his men blocking, the other with a trap, had not prepared him for how quickly a close combat with Dian Wei, well-fed and focused on today’s success, would end.

At the moment he saw the man’s eyes up close, he recognized him, but it was too late!

Dian Wei’s large hand came down on him.

He didn’t crush his head.

But knocked him out cold.

Then, in the light of the fires, everyone saw this still-unidentified armored figure hoist Liang Zhongning onto his shoulder and run towards Bo Cai’s camp.

“…”

This was the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans, whose leader had just been taken.

“…”

This was the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans, completely baffled as to why one of their own would kidnap the enemy leader and run towards danger.

Both sides were stunned.

But in this momentarily frozen scene, a young voice broke the silence with a shout.

Qiao Yan shouted, “What are you waiting for? Get our leader back!”

If that wasn’t enough, her next line was even more direct, “Can Bo Cai feed you?”

The Yanzhou Yellow Turbans, whose leader had just been kidnapped, snapped out of it.

They looked towards the voice and saw Qiao Yan, riding on Cheng Li’s horse.

Before they could react, she had already made a move to chase.

Of course, they would listen!

Because of Liang Zhongning, Qiao Yan had extraordinary prestige in the army, and her words still followed her usual tactic of “winning hearts by catering to their desires.”

While Bo Cai’s men, in comparison, felt Liang Zhongning’s side was stronger, had the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans under Liang Zhongning’s command not made the same comparison?

Perhaps inevitably, they had.

And in this comparison, they clearly saw their own advantage.

Liang Zhongning, following Qiao Yan’s advice, after Bu Ji and Zhang Bo’s deaths, to prevent a mutiny, had decisively distributed some of their food stores.

The local magnates of Yanzhou, having been defeated or persuaded to cooperate, had also handed over a considerable amount of food.

Compared to Bo Cai’s men, who had been fighting at Changshe for a long time, being able to eat their fill was the most compelling reason for them to hold their heads high.

This undoubtedly made them feel Liang Zhongning was someone worth following.

But now, their leader had been kidnapped in the chaos!

In the face of this sudden turn of events, they had no time to figure out why he wasn’t killed on the spot but was instead carried away.

Taking someone hostage to control the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans was theoretically possible, but practically troublesome.

They had already subconsciously followed Qiao Yan’s line of thought.

Compared to Liang Zhongning, Bo Cai was indeed lacking!

With this realization, Qiao Yan’s plan to frame Bo Cai went smoothly.

Using her prestige in the Yellow Turban army and her effective slander of the enemy, she quickly sealed the deal.

And in this leaderless state, she took over command!

Being on horseback made it much easier.

From this elevated position, the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans saw her stern expression, exuding a natural leadership aura that made them instinctively want to follow her orders.

She pointed towards Bo Cai’s camp and clearly gave the order to attack.

“We came all the way from Yanzhou, enduring hardships, and a few days ago, we fought fiercely to take the city. Bo Cai, this traitor, harbors ill intentions and has taken our leader. What should we do?”

A voice replied first, “Eliminate the traitor!”

Then came a chorus of voices, almost like a roaring wave—

“Eliminate the traitor!”

Cheng Yu, acting as Qiao Yan’s “driver,” couldn’t help but admire her smooth operation.

Strictly speaking, the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans and the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans were both Yellow Turban bandits, so how could one “eliminate the traitor”?

But as the slogan spread among the crowd, it took on an inexplicable sense of righteousness.

She might indeed be a natural orator.

In playing with words to obscure key information and make people overlook logical flaws, she was clearly skilled.

But Cheng Li didn’t dwell on it, instead urging the horse over the fence, carrying Qiao Yan and the Yanzhou Yellow Turbans she had incited, straight towards Bo Cai’s camp.

Almost at the same time, Huangfu Song and Cao Cao stepped out of Changshe City.

In full armor, weapons in hand, they mounted their horses, leading the orderly soldiers out of the city, also heading straight for the same target!

The goal: Encirclement!