Chương 186: All-Out Attack

Liu Ce stood in front of the main seat and surveyed the crowd.

"Gentlemen," he said with a smile, "the fish has taken the bait!"

The strategists understood perfectly and nodded with smiles.

The military officers looked completely bewildered—what kind of fish? What kind of fish are we fishing for?

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and asked Zhang Fei in a low voice, "Third brother, what kind of fish is the lord talking about?"

Zhang Fei scratched his head and said, "I don't know either. Are we going fishing?"

Zhao Yun couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Brothers, the 'fish' our lord refers to is the Wuhuan people."

"Oh—" Guan Yu and Zhang Fei suddenly realized, then were puzzled: How did the Wuhuan people become fish?

Seeing everyone's reaction, Liu Ce smiled and explained, "The three Wuhuan tribes from Liaoxi, Liaodong, and Youbeiping have agreed to come to Lulong Pass for a meeting. They've brought over ten thousand cavalry and will arrive around early May. Our chance has come."

He paused, then said firmly, "This time, I'm going to wipe them all out! To eliminate any future trouble!"

The military officers then understood and became excited.

"Brother, is war about to break out?" Zhang Fei was the first to jump up.

"Attack!" Guan Yu's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.

"The Wuhuan have repeatedly invaded our borders; they should have been dealt with long ago!"

Lu Bu grinned and said, "Ten thousand cavalry? Perfect for my Flying Cavalry to practice on."

Liu Ce raised his hand to signal for quiet.

"This operation must follow three principles." He held up three fingers: "The plan must be simple, the fewest people should know about it, and the action must be swift."

He looked at the crowd: "Therefore, I don't plan to take too many people. Those whose names are called, come with me. Those whose names aren't called, stay behind in Youzhou, each fulfilling your duties without fail!"

The military officers immediately tensed up, straightening their backs and staring expectantly at Liu Ce.

Liu Ce cleared his throat and began calling out names:

"Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong led three thousand Xuanjia Iron Cavalry."

Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong stood up, clasped their hands in greeting, and said, "Yes, sir!"

"Cheng Yaojin led the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) battalion."

Cheng Yaojin grinned and said, "Don't worry, my lord, my Mo Dao Battalion is just waiting to chop off the horses' legs!"

"Huang Zhong, lead his elite archer battalion."

Huang Zhong clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys!"

"Zhao Yun and Lü Bu, lead their cavalry."

Zhao Yun and Lü Bu replied in unison, "Yes, sir!"

"Xue Rengui and Xu Da will accompany him."

Xue Rengui and Xu Da stood up: "Yes!"

"Jia Xu, military advisor."

Jia Xu slowly rose to his feet: "Wenhe accepts the order."

Liu Ce calculated: "Adding my eight hundred Dragon Cavalry... that's about fifteen thousand eight hundred men in total. That's enough."

As soon as he finished speaking, the military officers who hadn't been named protested.

Guan Yu was the first to speak, "Brother, why didn't you take me with you?"

Zhang Fei was so anxious he jumped up and down: "Brother! How could I, Old Zhang, be left out of such a great opportunity to fight the Wuhuan!"

Gao Shun, Yu Jin, Zhang He, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Luo Cheng, Yuwen Chengdu... those who weren't called on all stared longingly at Liu Ce.

Looking at this group of fierce generals roaring with excitement, Liu Ce was actually quite moved.

But his face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table!

"Bang!"

Wood chips flew everywhere.

"This is a military order!" Liu Ce shouted sternly.

"You will not be allowed to act recklessly! Those whose names are called, prepare to depart; those whose names are not called, remain to guard Youzhou, each with important duties! Anyone who dares to speak out again will be punished according to military law!"

The council chamber fell silent instantly.

The generals were all stunned. The lord was usually easygoing, but when he really got angry, his aura was... truly frightening.

Liu Ce looked around at everyone, his tone softening slightly: "Youzhou needs to be guarded. Yun Chang, Yi De... you are all great generals, you must guard your respective posts to prevent any unforeseen events. For this operation, the fewer people the better, and the more elite the better."

He paused for a moment and then said, "After we deal with the Wuhuan, there will be plenty of battles to fight. What's the rush?"

Although Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the others were unwilling, military orders were absolute, so they could only clasp their hands and say, "Yes, sir..."

Liu Ce nodded, then looked at his advisors: "Wenruo, Xuanling, Keming, Fengxiao, Zhicai... you will stay in the governor's mansion to handle government affairs and stabilize the rear."

Xun Yu and the others bowed and said, "Rest assured, my lord."

Having finished his explanation, Liu Ce said no more and turned to leave the council hall.

After he left, the strategists comforted the generals who had not been chosen.

Xun Yu approached, smiling as he comforted them, "General Guan, General Zhang... our lord values you, that's why he entrusted you with this task. If trouble breaks out in Youzhou, it's far more important than fighting the Wuhuan!"

Xi Zhicai added, "Yes, our lord often says, 'A house needs someone to look after it.' You are the ones who look after the house; it's a great responsibility."

Guo Jia said with a smile: It's good that you stay in Youzhou. You don't have to be exposed to the wind and sun, and you can drink and train your troops.

Guan Yu stroked his beard thoughtfully, then nodded and said, "Military orders are absolute, and we shall obey them."

Zhang Fei was still annoyed, muttering, "Next time you go to war, you have to take me with you..."

...

Early the next morning, outside Zhuoxian County.

More than 15, 000 troops have been assembled.

Liu Ce rode his black horse, wore black gold armor, had a horizontal sword at his waist, and held the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd in his hand, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.

Behind them, Xue Rengui, Xu Da, Dian Wei, and Xu Chu led eight hundred Dragon Cavalry, each clad in gleaming armor, exuding a chilling aura.

Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong's three thousand Xuanjia Iron Cavalry, clad in black armor and riding black horses, stood silently, their presence chilling and deadly.

Cheng Yaojin's Mo Dao Battalion consisted of three thousand strong men, each carrying a Mo Dao, looking imposing and awe-inspiring.

Huang Zhong's elite archer battalion was fully equipped with bows and crossbows, and their quivers were full.

Zhao Yun's three thousand elite cavalry and Lü Bu's three thousand flying cavalry neighed, eager to fight.

More than 15, 000 elite troops stood in formation, ready to fight.

Jia Xu sat in a carriage. He didn't like riding horses and insisted on riding in a carriage. Liu Ce had specially prepared a comfortable carriage for him, complete with tea sets and snacks.

As Liu Ce rode on his horse, looking at this elite army, he felt a surge of pride and joy.

He turned and bowed to Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the others who were seeing him off: "I entrust Youzhou to you all!"

Guan Yu clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Brother, rest assured! Take care on your journey!"

Zhang Fei, unusually serious, said, "Brother, come back soon! I'm waiting for you to drink!"

...

Liu Ce nodded and cracked his whip: "Let's go!"

The army set off, rolling towards Lulong Pass.

...

On the way, Liu Ce called Jia Xu to his side.

"Wenhe, explain the plan for this operation to Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin...," Liu Ce said.

"They are all fierce generals, but sometimes... their minds don't work as fast as yours."

Jia Xu nodded and said, "My lord wants them to understand that this time it's not a head-on confrontation, but a 'strategic victory'."

"Yes," Liu Ce said with a smile.

"Tell them how we set the trap, how the Wuhuan took the bait, and how we'll close the net... Explain it clearly, don't leave them confused."

Jia Xu accepted the order and went to the central army.

Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, Xue Rengui, Xu Da, and others were riding side by side when they saw Jia Xu approaching and all looked over.