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

Chapter 122 Showing Weakness, Concealing Strength, Waiting for the Right Time

Langya Road.

Wei Xu's army was on its march.

Wei Xu, mounted on his horse, looked at the empty villages and fields on both sides of the road and spat.

"Everyone says Qingzhou is rich, but we haven't seen a single thing along the way. Yuan Tan is ruthless."

Vice Commander Song Xian stood to the side, his face grave.

"He implemented a scorched-earth policy, and he did it thoroughly. He was determined to have every grain of food for our 100,000-strong army transported from the rear. He wanted to deplete our supplies and wear down our morale."

"What are you afraid of?"

Wei Xu disagreed.

"After passing Dancheng, we'll reach Langya. Langya is a major prefecture in Qingzhou; how could it not be profitable? I heard Yuan Tan has evacuated all the people there, which is perfect; they must have plenty of grain. If we take the city, it'll be enough for us to eat for a while."

Song Xian shook his head:

"General Wei, you must not underestimate the enemy. Yuan Tan is no ordinary man. General Hao Meng was brave but was defeated by him; General Lü was cunning in his tactics and was once cut off from supplies by Yuan Tan across the sea, even the young lady..."

He paused.

"This young man is brave and resourceful. His subordinates Yan Liang and Zhao Yun are both capable of defeating ten thousand men, and Guo Jia and Jia Xu are shrewd strategists. Although our army is large, we must still be cautious."

Wei Xu frowned; Song Xian's words made sense.

He recalled Lü Bu's instructions before he left: use your power to intimidate others, and proceed steadily and surely.

"And what's your opinion?"

"To achieve the correct outcome."

Song Xiandao,

"Sun Ce will be the vanguard, and his former Jiangdong troops are eager for revenge. He can be ordered to launch a strong attack on Langya. Our main force will be stationed in Dancheng, forming a pincer movement with Langya. Firstly, this will cut off any reinforcements that Linzi might send; secondly, we can watch Sun Ce and Zhao Yun fight each other."

Regardless of who wins or loses, both sides will suffer heavy losses. At that time, our army, well-rested and ready, may be able to capture Langya in one fell swoop, or seize control of Sun Ce's forces while he is exhausted. Even if the battle goes against us, our main force is in Dancheng, allowing us to defend or attack as needed, without fundamentally damaging our defenses.

Wei Xu pondered for a moment, then nodded:

"Very well. Let Sun Ce go and test the tough nut of Langya first. Order Sun Ce to accelerate his advance, reach the walls of Langya, probe its strengths and weaknesses, and seize the opportunity to attack. Our main force will move to Dancheng to rest and reorganize."

"promise."

……

Linzi.

Governor's Office.

"Lu Bu's vanguard, led by Sun Ce, numbered about 20,000 and had reached Dancheng, but remained stationary. His main force, led by Wei Xu and Song Xian, numbered about 60,000 and had also encamped around Dancheng, not in a hurry to move north."

Jia Xu placed the latest intelligence on the table.

Guo Jia walked to the map and pointed to Dancheng:

"Gathering troops in Dancheng... allows us to threaten Langya if we advance, and to defend key routes if we retreat, blocking our reinforcements from Linzi. Wei Xu and Song Xian's strategy is indeed prudent."

Where will they focus their attack?

Yuan Tan asked.

There are only two places.

Guo Jia moved his finger.

"One option is to march north and attack Beihai, but Beihai is a fortified city with high walls and deep moats, making it difficult to capture quickly. The other option is to advance east and join forces with Sun Ce to launch a strong attack on Langya. If Langya falls, the gateway to Qingzhou will be wide open, and our army will be in a very passive position. In my opinion, Wei Xu will definitely choose Langya. Let Sun Ce attack first to wear down the defending army, and then when the time is right, our main force will advance."

Yuan Tan looked at the map.

Langya, it's Langya again.

Zhao Yun and Zang Ba, with over 20,000 men, had to face Sun Ce's 20,000 vanguard troops, as well as the 60,000 main force lurking in the rear. All the pressure rested on Zhao Yun's shoulders.

"How many reinforcements can be sent to Linzi?"

Guo Jia shook his head: "At most ten thousand. We still need to be wary of Cao Cao's movements in Taishan Commandery to the west, and we also need to send people to keep an eye on the north. We cannot move the troops in Linzi lightly."

Yuan Tan remained silent.

He trusted Zhao Yun, but the disparity in troop strength was too great, and defending the city would be a difficult task.

"Send a message to Zilong."

Yuan Tan finally said,

"I'm entrusting Langya to him. Tell him I trust him. As long as the city stands, I'll stand. I'll find a way to get reinforcements."

Zhao Yun, Zhao Yun, it seems the outcome of this battle depends entirely on you.

You're the legendary all-rounder!

You must hold on!

……

Dancheng.

Sun Ce's camp.

Sun Ce looked at the two travel-worn, ragged men before him and could hardly believe his eyes.

"De Mou? You Ping?!"

Cheng Pu and Zhou Tai knelt on the ground, their fierce eyes filled with tears: "My lord!"

Sun Ce rushed forward, pulled the two of them up, and hugged them tightly.

Surviving such a disaster feels like a lifetime ago.

After the initial excitement, the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive again.

Sun Ce's voice was hoarse:

"Gong Yi, he..."

Cheng Pu shook his head, his face full of grief and indignation:

"We were captured. We fought our way out and hid in the mountains for months before finally discovering that our lord was here..."

"It's good that they're alive, it's good that they're alive!" Sun Ce said repeatedly, leading the two into the tent and dismissing everyone else.

He briefly explained his plan to join forces with Lü Bu in order to seek revenge.

After listening, Cheng Pu remained silent for a long time before saying:

"Does our lord intend to use Lü Bu's power to avenge himself and seize his territory?"

"good."

Sun Ce's eyes burned with hatred.

"Lü Bu is brave but lacks strategy, Chen Gong is suspicious, and the generals under them each have their own agendas. I only need to achieve military merit and gain military power, then proceed gradually; I might be able to succeed. This time, in the attack on Langya, I will seize the greatest credit!"

"My lord, this road is probably impassable."

Cheng Pu slowly shook his head, uttering a startling statement.

Sun Ce was taken aback.

Cheng Pu looked at him, his gaze calm:

"Does Lü Bu not know of your abilities, my lord? How could generals like Gao Shun and Zhang Liao allow you to grow too powerful? The more you display your talents and achieve military merits, the more Lü Bu and his men will suspect and guard against you."

"To grant military power? Absolutely not. I fear that once the war is over, they'll be discarded like birds after the bow is used, and even a dog spared from death will be cooked."

Sun Ce's expression changed slightly.

Zhou Tai clenched his fist.

"What is your opinion, Demou?"

"Show weakness, conceal your strength, and wait for the right time."

Cheng Pu said, word by word,

"In this battle, Wei Xu will be the commander-in-chief. No matter how foolish his decisions may be, my lord, you only need to obey orders, not compete or fight, and not offer any strategies. In fact, you should appear mediocre. Let him attack, and let him be defeated."

"defeat?"

"Defeat is inevitable."

Cheng Pu affirmed,

"Yuan Tan is no easy opponent. Langya has Zhao Yun and Zang Ba; how could it be easily taken? Wei Xu and Song Xian appear to be playing it safe, but in reality, they underestimate the enemy and want to reap the benefits without lifting a finger. With such a mentality, how can they not be defeated? When they have suffered heavy losses, are unable to conquer the city after a prolonged siege, and are even in a major defeat..."

A cold glint flashed in Cheng Pu's eyes:

"If the front lines suffer a major defeat, Lü Bu will be in grave danger. At that time, he will have no one to rely on and will truly think of you, my lord, and will have no choice but to depend on you. That will be the time for you, my lord, to gain military power and realize your ambitions. This is the opportune moment to seize power while your lord is incompetent."

The tent fell silent.

The charcoal crackled and popped.

Sun Ce stared at Cheng Pu, his expression shifting from doubt to contemplation, then to sudden realization, and finally to a smile.

"Haha...what a clever scheme to seize power while the ruler is incompetent!"

Sun Ce chuckled softly, his laughter carrying a chill and a sense of decisiveness.

"A single word from Demou has awakened me from my dream. Good! In this battle, I, Sun Ce, will be the most obedient and incompetent vanguard under Lü Bu! Wei Xu tells me to attack, I will attack; he tells me to stop, I will stop. This 'first merit' can be claimed by whoever wants it!"

He looked at Cheng Pu and Zhou Tai:

"However, I would like to trouble you two to temporarily conceal your identities and serve as my personal guards."

Cheng Pu and Zhou Tai clasped their hands in greeting:

"I am willing to follow my lord!"

Sun Ce looked north outside the tent, his gaze growing increasingly deep.

Yuan Tan, I'll let you live a few more days.

Lü Bu, let me let you be smug for a moment.

When you are both severely weakened, that will be the time for me, Sun Bofu, to take back everything.