Chapter 309

Chapter 309

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 9: The Calamity of Drought and Locusts, Flying Troops to Liaodong Chapter 309: Capturing Gongsun Three Times

This successful use of the Paiguan was all about exploiting an information gap.

The subordinates from Youzhou and Liaodong Commandery thought their ship’s weapon was only for attacking city walls, but in reality, it was most effective in close-quarters naval combat, smashing enemies to pieces before they could even get close.

Lu Lingju absolutely loved this thing, even though the axle could be a bit problematic if mishandled.

But compared to the destructive power it unleashed, that was a minor issue!

Seeing the Liaodong pursuers’ numerical advantage crumble before their warships’ rampage, even the usually composed Lu Yi and Tai Shici couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

However, amidst this excitement, Lu Yi remained observant.

Listening to the chaos among the enemy’s retreating troops, he suddenly caught a fleeting cry of “Prefect.”

He immediately shouted to the soldiers and the ginseng gatherers stunned by the Paiguan’s power, “Quick! Capture that person over there! There’s a big fish!”

At the mention of a “big fish,” Lu Lingju quickly grabbed the telescope handed to her by a subordinate and looked over. She spotted a figure clinging to a plank, swimming away from the wrecked ship, clearly dressed differently from the others and surrounded by loyal subordinates.

Hearing Lu Yi mention the “Prefect,” her eyes lit up.

This title couldn’t belong to a mere county official in Xi’an Ping; it had to be the top authority in Liaodong Commandery.

Gongsun Du!

Capturing people was more effective than seizing territory in this special situation, a strategy they had planned before arriving.

But when Gongsun Du actually appeared, especially on Lu Lingju’s side, she couldn’t help but grip the ship’s railing, her fingers tightening as if she wanted to jump into the water herself and join the soldiers capturing the “bandit leader.”

Lu Yi reminded her, “Don’t forget Zhuge Liang’s plan,” which helped calm her down a bit.

It wasn’t surprising she was so excited. Last time, they had only captured Lu Su, a mere registrar from Xuzhou. This time, they were about to capture Gongsun Du, who aimed to declare himself king in Liaodong.

But Lu Yi was right. This overwhelming victory didn’t mean their campaign in Liaodong was over.

Gongsun Du’s appearance only meant their plan to lure him out had succeeded ahead of schedule. The real challenge lay ahead.

If they couldn’t make Gongsun Du admit defeat, their plan to have him and Zhang Liao attack Gongsun Zan from both sides after taking Liaodong would fail.

If Gongsun Zan managed to escape or counterattack, their entire naval assault on Liaodong would be meaningless!

They couldn’t just kill Gongsun Du.

Regardless of his actual abilities, in his five years as Liaodong’s Prefect, he had built up his own power base and loyal followers.

Even if they killed him, they couldn’t simply replace him and take over Liaodong without causing chaos. So…

They had to follow Zhuge Liang’s plan, which Qiao Yan had approved.

But looking at the battlefield, Lu Lingju couldn’t help but feel proud.

Sure, Zhuge Liang proposed the plan, but it was her who executed it. The credit for capturing Gongsun Du was hers!

When Gongsun Du was dragged onto the ship, he saw Lu Lingju sizing him up with an almost shameless gaze, as if assessing his worth.

Gongsun Du: “…”

His growing authority in Liaodong had made him less timid than when Dong Zhuo first appointed him. Even the county’s residents had started presenting auspicious signs to flatter him, showing his legitimacy. It had been a long time since anyone had looked at him so boldly.

Even as he was dragged onto the ship, looking like a drowned dog, he still saw himself as the powerful Prefect.

But now he was a prisoner, and no matter how much he disliked it, he couldn’t voice his complaints. He could only watch Lu Lingju, Lu Yi, and Tai Shici, wondering if he could manipulate his way out if they tried to take Liaodong.

Naval superiority didn’t guarantee success on land!

First, they didn’t have enough horses, and Youzhou’s cavalry could rival that of Liang and Bing provinces.

But Lu Lingju’s first words surprised him.

Instead of demanding his surrender, she said, “Prefect Gongsun, I assume you wouldn’t want others to know you were defeated so miserably by us, especially by a bunch of youngsters. If this news reaches Tadun in Liaodong or Gongsun Zan to the west, it wouldn’t be good for you.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be good!

The law of the jungle in the north applied to Youzhou as well.

If Gongsun Du hadn’t built up his power in Liaodong, Gongsun Zan, who had taken over as Governor of Youzhou after defeating Liu Yu, would have loved to kick Gongsun Du out of Youzhou.

Gongsun Du looked at Lu Lingju and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Nothing much. As you can see, we only need to take some people. Since you tried to stop us, we had to retaliate.”

The result of the retaliation was Gongsun Du’s capture.

Lu Lingju shrugged, acting as if she had no choice. “Now that we have you, instead of killing you, we can both benefit.”

“We can overlook your resistance and release you, ensuring the results of the battles in Tashi and Xi’an Ping don’t reach the wrong ears. But we need more manpower. Since you’re here, this should be easy.”

The word “easy” didn’t comfort Gongsun Du; instead, it filled him with dread.

Then he heard Lu Lingju say, “Kidnapping is too inefficient. Why don’t you issue an order to transfer some warhorses and soldiers from Xi’an Ping to us, and we’ll let you go.”

“As for the specifics of the fair trade, that’s up to you.”

Lu Lingju’s gaze clearly conveyed that Gongsun Du had stumbled into their trap, and while fairness was out of the question, they were at least polite bandits, allowing him to ransom himself.

Hearing this, Gongsun Du felt his head spinning.

He was furious at her casual tone!

But her words made him even more certain that these attackers, despite having a female general and young leaders, were likely Yuan Shao’s men.

Qiao Yan had just entered Luoyang and shouldn’t lack manpower. Transporting people from Liaodong to Donglai in Qingzhou would be easier than moving them to Qiao Yan’s controlled territories, allowing for repeated shipments.

Moreover, the demand for warhorses suggested it wasn’t Qiao Yan, who reportedly had many Ferghana horses, but Yuan Shao, who was at a disadvantage in horse resources due to Gongsun Zan’s control of Youzhou’s horse-producing regions.

With this mindset, Gongsun Du became even more convinced of his judgment.

But in his current state, dripping with seawater, he wasn’t in a position to negotiate.

The fishermen of Zhangzi Island and Guanglu Island had no choice but to submit, and neither did he.

At least they didn’t plan to hold him hostage long-term, so he still had a chance to retaliate later.

It wasn’t over yet!

He could just give them a small concession.

He clenched his jaw and said, “Fine. Let two of my subordinates take my handwritten letter to nearby cities to mobilize resources and personnel.”

Gongsun Du couldn’t help but feel like he was cutting off a piece of himself by handing over his hard-earned horses and soldiers.

But if he refused, they might not release him.

He hadn’t reached his position solely through his subordinates, so he quickly devised a plan.

In the letter, he slightly increased the number of horses and soldiers beyond what the ships could carry.

Lu Yi glanced at the numbers and thought the Liaodong Prefect still hadn’t learned his lesson, trying to play games even now.

But this move was exactly what they wanted.

Gongsun Du’s little trick actually made things easier for them.

“After we receive the first batch of soldiers and horses, we’ll release Gongsun Du,” Lu Yi said to Lu Lingju after stepping away. “Send a message to Zhuge Liang. Since Gongsun Du’s men are here, we can withdraw the troops from Tashi and have some ships return to Zhangzi Island to prepare for Gongsun Du’s next surprise.”

Lu Lingju immediately dispatched a small boat, unnoticed by Gongsun Du, to head west while the rest of the fleet returned to Xi’an Ping with their hostage.

As they sailed into the Yalu River and approached Xi’an Ping, Gongsun Du’s subordinates had already delivered the news of his capture and the need to exchange resources for his release.

The city’s defenders, who had initially hoped for Gongsun Du’s victory, were now deeply disappointed.

But seeing the warships that had twice attacked their city, they had no choice but to prepare the ransom as instructed.

Horses, being difficult to transport by ship, were indeed a hassle to hand over.








The horses, now driven out from the stables, were securely locked in separate compartments within the ship’s hold.

Gongsun Du watched this scene, his heart bleeding.

With a bitter face, he then saw the strong, armor-less soldiers from the city being herded onto the warships, while the civilians who couldn’t fit on the ships were sent ashore. This sight felt like a great humiliation to him.

Fortunately, the “bandits” knew better than to make him appear in public at this moment, sparing him the embarrassment of being captured in front of everyone.

“Prefect Gongsun is quite generous, not only sending soldiers but also their families,” Tai Shici suddenly spoke, interrupting Gongsun Du’s internal curses.

To ensure his successful escape, Gongsun Du could only reply, “Isn’t this to prevent the soldiers from refusing to board and causing unnecessary chaos? If that happens, it won’t benefit either side.”

Under Tai Shici’s playful gaze, Gongsun Du maintained a calm demeanor, almost swearing to the heavens that he was sincere in this matter.

Only when he started sweating did he hear the other say, “You’re right. Go ahead, and have the remaining horses and people board the ship when we come next time.”

Gongsun Du breathed a sigh of relief, as if granted amnesty.

But upon realizing what Tai Shici meant, he began to doubt his ears.

Were they really letting him go?

Although he had hoped for this, he had already prepared a speech in his mind to persuade the other party when the deal was halfway done. Now, it seemed completely unnecessary!

Regardless of whether the other side had repeatedly defeated him and his subordinates, or whether they were getting carried away with the benefits they had already gained, as long as he could return to his original safe state, it was enough.

Gongsun Du stepped back onto the ground, his legs still feeling weak.

In the previous naval battle, the paiguan had almost grazed his face, nearly splitting his head open, leaving him with a lingering sense of fear.

Fortunately, it was all over now.

He glanced at the distant warships, a flash of malice crossing his face.

“Deploy troops! Bring more warships from the surrounding areas. To take so much from under my nose and retreat unscathed, what kind of people are they? I must teach them a lesson!”

Liu Yi, his trusted subordinate who had accompanied him, wanted to stop Gongsun Du’s impulsive decision.

After all, if those people were really Yuan Shao’s generals, providing support to the attacking force wouldn’t be difficult. While Gongsun Du might vent his anger, it could also invite greater trouble.

But seeing Gongsun Du’s furious expression, Liu Yi knew that persuading the Prefect, who had consolidated power in Liaodong Commandery, to change his mind was likely impossible.

He merely asked, “In the Prefect’s view, how should we deal with the paiguan?”

If they couldn’t effectively counter this naval weapon, talking about teaching the enemy a lesson might just be empty words, and whether they could truly turn the tide remained uncertain.

Liu Yi continued, “Although the time we’ve prepared for this battle might be equivalent to the enemy’s round trip from Xi’an Ping to Donglai, the paiguan isn’t just a wooden pole with a boulder. Equipping our ships with such a weapon might not be so easy.”

Having participated in battles with Gongsun Du, Liu Yi had a keen eye for such details, and Gongsun Du had to admit that Liu Yi’s point was valid.

After some thought, Gongsun Du replied, “You see, whether it’s the enemy’s hook bridges or the paiguan, they all require close-range action. What if we attack from a distance instead?”

Gongsun Du pointed to the nearby Xi’an Ping city walls and said, “Have enough catapults installed here. When they come to pick up the remaining people and horses, give them a surprise. Now, immediately order enough stones to be prepared.”

He was determined to fight a triumphant counterattack!

But what Gongsun Du didn’t know was that while he thought Lu Lingju’s fleet was taking the first batch of spoils back to Qingzhou, they had actually left the soldiers on Zhangzi Island, provided them with enough food, left Sima Yi to guard them, handed the warhorses to Zhuge Liang and others who had received the message and met them there, and then turned the ships back towards Xi’an Ping.

Not to mention whether Xi’an Ping was adequately prepared for long-range attacks against these formidable enemies, Lu Lingju and her team had no intention of attacking in the same way as before.

Before the catapults were improved, achieving accurate hits wasn’t easy. Therefore, when the tower ships suddenly advanced towards Xi’an Ping again, before the catapults on the city walls could attack, the divine bows on the ships launched a long-range strike first.

Gongsun Du had no idea where he had leaked the information, causing the enemy, who should have come to collect the spoils, to not enter the range of the catapults defenselessly but to strike first.

What he didn’t expect even more was that the attacks from these divine bows were all fire arrows!

The arrowheads, wrapped in oil, sulfur, and strong liquor, were ignited before being shot, and with the terrifying force of the divine bows, they were launched high into the city.

It was summer, and although Xi’an Ping was built near water, making the air not too stuffy, the dry and flammable nature of summer was still evident.

A great fire immediately broke out in the city.

The paiguan smashing the walls during the first siege and the paiguan smashing the ships during the second naval battle had fixed Gongsun Du’s thinking, making him fail to realize that since these enemies came from the same place, if Tashi had suffered fire attacks, so could Xi’an Ping.

Even though many citizens had been taken hostage by Lu Lingju or released by Gongsun Du after his ransom, there were still many people living in the city.

Once the fire started, with the city filled with cries for firefighting, who could still focus on the catapults?

When small warships moved along the moat, forming a mobile encirclement, the catapults couldn’t achieve the results Gongsun Du had hoped for.

Amidst the sounds of firefighting in the city, he saw a long arrow from the approaching tower ship kill a soldier operating the catapult beside him. Lu Lingju, holding the bow, looked at him and smiled, “It’s impolite not to return the favor, Prefect Gongsun. I think we need to make another deal.”

The might of this arrow struck Gongsun Du’s mind like a thunderbolt.

No, this was very wrong!

This behavior was too similar to someone in the rumors, so much so that one couldn’t help but suspect that they had learned the essence from that person.

None other than Grand Marshal Qiao Yan!

The smell of strong liquor fueling the fire in the city undoubtedly aided this deduction.

But at this moment, confirming whether these were Yuan Shao’s or Qiao Yan’s subordinates didn’t seem to hold much significance for Gongsun Du.

Because he had once again put himself in danger!

With the enemy having twice besieged the city, breaking through Xi’an Ping’s walls a third time didn’t seem too difficult.

The phrase “make another deal” sounded like they still didn’t intend to kill him but offered him a chance to exchange for freedom. However, Gongsun Du could easily guess that due to his uncooperative behavior, Lu Lingju might not let him off so easily.

But if his foundation in Liaodong was completely uprooted, even if he survived today, tomorrow he might face rebellion from forces in Liaodong or sneak attacks from Gongsun Zan and Tadun.

So he couldn’t submit now; he had to escape!

Even if it meant sacrificing the remaining defenders in Xi’an Ping, he had to flee from here.

Once he returned to the inland, no matter how advanced or fierce the weapons on those warships were, the advantage would still lie with him, the local power in Liaodong!

Gongsun Du did manage to escape.

But when he fled far enough to no longer hear the pursuing troops and looked back at Xi’an Ping, he saw the still-burning flames and black smoke, starkly visible in the sky.

Liu Yi, who had escorted him out of the city, was now nowhere to be seen, likely intercepted by the besieging forces.

This scene couldn’t help but evoke a sense of sorrow in him.

But now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts, nor to ponder why Qiao Yan had sent troops to Liaodong.

He needed to return to Xiangping quickly, mobilize the cavalry from the rear, and use his strengths to counter the enemy’s weaknesses.

This was the effective way to regain his standing!

But what he didn’t know was that the cunning enemies he had encountered had only fought along the coastline to guard against this move. However, the situation was different now; they could change their strategy because they already had a batch of warhorses.

A batch that might not be enough for large-scale battles but was certainly sufficient to intercept his return to Xiangping.

Zhuge Liang, who had already completed the handover of supplies with Lu Lingju, led his men to disembark from the northern coast of Liaodong near Zhangzi Island. While Lu Lingju and Lu Yi besieged Xi’an Ping, they had already intercepted the road from Xi’an Ping to Xiangping.

Gongsun Du, anxious to return to Xiangping, was in a state of fierce determination on the way out but now in panic on the way back. Suddenly encountering an opponent who clearly understood his movements, he was completely overturned in this ambush.

This time, unlike the battle at Xi’an Ping, there was no heroic subordinate to save him. Only his opponent, showing no mercy, tied him up and brought him before them.

Gongsun Du’s face turned green.

Because he found that the leader of the team that captured him was still a young man, at most appearing calm and composed, looking slightly older than his actual age, but certainly not over twenty.

This young man, who called himself Zhuge Liang, slowly spoke, confirming Gongsun Du’s earlier judgment before leaving Xi’an Ping—that they were indeed Qiao Yan’s subordinates.

He was the one Qiao Yan had praised as the “Crouching Dragon”!

Despite this, Gongsun Du couldn’t feel any joy.

This meant that after five years of accumulating power in Liaodong, he had repeatedly lost to a few kids.

What kind of absurdity was this!

While Zhuge Liang still showed him some respect, when he was brought back to Xi’an Ping, Lu Lingju didn’t mind rubbing salt in his wounds.

She circled the tightly bound Gongsun Du twice, her expression a mix of regret and感慨, “Prefect Gongsun, how did you end up in our hands again?”