Chương 214: The Mechanical Operation of Youzhou

Liu Ce shook his head and said, "No need. The Elite Battalion needs to participate in the ambush and cannot be dispersed. Don't worry, I have Dian Wei and Xu Chu to protect me, Luo Cheng and Taishi Ci to charge, the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun to clear the way, and three thousand Jingsai Iron Cavalry—with this lineup, even if the Xianbei royal court is an impregnable fortress, I will still make a hole in it!"

Seeing his resolute attitude, everyone knew they couldn't persuade him otherwise.

Dian Wei patted his chest and said, "Brother, don't worry, with me here, no one can hurt you!"

Xu Chu also said, "Anyone who wants to harm our lord will have to get past me first!"

A hint of a smile flashed across Luo Cheng's cold face: "This humble general's spear hasn't tasted blood in a long time."

Taishi Ci clasped his hands and said, "I will swear to protect my lord to the death!"

"alright!"

Liu Ce clapped his hands and looked around at everyone: "Four armies, missions clear! The grassland ambush team will try to wipe out the main force of the Xianbei, the Liaodong interception team will cripple the Goguryeo, the Youzhou garrison team will defend the country, and the strike-the-home team will take down their stronghold!"

He took a deep breath, his voice echoing throughout the council chamber:

"In this battle, we want more than just to repel the invading enemy! We want to completely crush the ambitions of the Xianbei and Goguryeo! To prevent them from daring to take another step south for decades! To make the Xianbei and Goguryeo tremble at the mere mention of the name 'Youzhou Army'!"

"Gentlemen—do you have confidence?!"

"have!!!"

The roar was deafening.

Liu Ce nodded in satisfaction, and added one last thing:

"By the way, the battle is over. The spoils of war—aside from the portion handed over to the prefecture, the rest will be distributed according to merit! Whoever kills the most enemies and loots the most will get the most!"

"Aww!!!"

Even the strategists were excited – although they weren't on the front lines, their advice was still a contribution!

With the plan finalized, Liu Ce waved his hand and said, "Go and prepare! In half a month, we will let the Xianbei and Goguryeo know—to provoke Youzhou, to provoke Liu Bolue, will pay a bloody price!"

"promise!"

The generals responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

Outside the council hall, the June sun shone brightly on the land of Youzhou.

Liu Ce stood at the entrance of the governor's mansion, looking at the azure sky, a smile playing on his lips.

"Xianbei, Goguryeo... don't you want grain and ironware?"

Come on.

"I have prepared an even better gift for you."

"Swords, spears, halberds, bows, crossbows, armor, and the warm hospitality of 30, 000 iron cavalry."

"You'll be satisfied."

......

Once the military order was given, in the days that followed, the entire Youzhou region sprang into motion like a sophisticated machine.

Military camp outside Zhuoxian County.

Xu Da stood on the command platform, looking down at the 20, 000 cavalrymen below. They were all dressed in bright armor, which gleamed in the sunlight. Their warhorses were strong and powerful, and their horseshoes clattered on the ground. The cavalrymen carried swords at their waists and composite bows on their backs, exuding a murderous aura.

"Gentlemen!" Xu Da's voice boomed, "Forty thousand Xianbei cavalry will march south to plunder Youzhou around July. Our mission is to intercept them and wipe them out before they enter Youzhou!"

"In this battle, our lord's order is to annihilate them as much as possible! But my goal, Xu Tiande's goal, is..."

He suddenly raised his voice: "Annihilate them all! Leave no one alive!"

"Roar! Roar! Roar!" The cavalrymen struck their spears with their swords, the sound echoing across the fields.

Five generals, Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, Yuwen Chengdu, Yuchi Gong, and Gongsun Zan, stood on either side, each eager to fight.

Jia Xu and Cheng Yu stood behind Xu Da, one with a sinister smile and the other expressionless—but those familiar with them knew that when these two "poisonous strategists" got together, the Xianbei were in big trouble.

Meanwhile, at another military camp.

Xue Rengui looked down at the 24, 000-strong mixed infantry and cavalry force below the platform—the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry, their black armor gleaming, the Mo Dao Battalion's broadswords gleaming coldly, the Jin She Battalion's composite bowstrings taut, and the Trapped Camp's heavy armor as thick as a mountain...

"Twenty thousand Goguryeo soldiers are coming to Youzhou to plunder," Xue Rengui sneered.

"Then let's prepare a 'surprise' for them—Chief Guo, Registrar Xi, what brilliant plans do you two have?"

Guo Jia, carrying a gourd filled with Zhang Zhongjing's specially prepared "medicinal wine"—ostensibly for improving health—chuckled and said, "Simple! Zhongde said the Goguryeo people are greedy, so let's cater to their desires. Set up a few fake granaries on the border, sprinkle some real grain on top, and wait for them to come rushing in to plunder..."

He made a fire-lighting gesture: "Boom! Roast them like pigs!"

Xi Zhicai added, "We can also ambush them on the way. The Goguryeo army is of average quality; they're fine when they have an advantage, but they'll fall apart if ambushed. If we're well-prepared, we'll first rain down arrows, then charge with cavalry, and finally use our long-handled swords to cut them down—out of 20, 000 men, if a thousand manage to escape, they'll be lucky."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and said, "Strategist, your plan is brilliant. I am willing to lead an army to ambush on the left flank."

Zhang Fei shouted, "I'm going to the right wing!"

Qin Qiong laughed and said, "Then I, Qin, will lead the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry in a frontal charge."

Huang Zhong, though old, was still vigorous: "The elite archers will fire three rounds first, and we'll make sure they're all knocked down."

Gao Shun was a man of few words, and only uttered two words: "Charge into battle."

But everyone knows that once the Trapped Camp is deployed, it will be a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

The counties and prefectures of Youzhou were also making preparations in full swing.

Xun Yu and Fang Xuanling personally took charge, organizing the people to fortify their defenses and clear the fields.

"Fellow villagers! The Xianbei are coming! They will steal your grain, your ironware, and your wives and daughters!"

The village leaders beat gongs and ran around the countryside shouting.

Upon hearing this, the people's eyes turned red.

"Those damned Xianbei! I'll fight them to the death!"

"Move the grain into the city! Leave them not a single grain of rice!"

"The well? Poison it! Poison those bastards!"

Men carried grain, women moved clothes, and the elderly and children were not idle either, helping to dig pits and set tripwires.

Outside the border town, the crops in the fields have already been harvested once—potatoes and sweet potatoes can be harvested around June, and now is the perfect time.

The militiamen began digging a pit: one zhang wide and one zhang deep, with bamboo sticks inserted at the bottom and straw mats laid on top to cover it with soil.

"Dig more! Let the Xianbei cavalry fall into the pit!"

"Stretch a few more tripwires over here! Make sure they're sturdy!"

"Tie stones to the tree, and when they come, cut the rope and smash them!"

The wisdom of the people is boundless. Soon, the border of Youzhou was transformed into a vast trap.