activa-t Chapter 71 It is truly a blessing from heaven that Sikong has found such a worthy son-in-law!
Chapter 71 It is truly a blessing from heaven that Sikong has found such a worthy son-in-law!
Chapter 71 It is truly a blessing from heaven that Sikong has found such a worthy son-in-law!
This Gu Family Repeating Crossbow was commissioned by Gu Cheng to Zhou Tai, using the Zhuge Lian blueprints awarded by the system, for the Gu family's armory to forge. Now that it's being sold to the Cao family, it naturally needs to be renamed Gu Family Repeating Crossbow; otherwise, explaining it would be too troublesome. "Actually, given my relationship with the eldest young master, giving him this Gu Family Repeating Crossbow wouldn't be a big deal." "However, forging this crossbow requires materials and hiring craftsmen, all of which cost money." "Selling this crossbow to the eldest young master will only earn me a small profit, just enough to break even." Gu Cheng complained to Cao Ang.
Cao Ang was stunned for a while before he realized that his strategist brother-in-law was trying to make money off the Cao family. "My brother-in-law really doesn't forget about business at any time..." Cao Ang smiled bitterly to himself, but asked with a puzzled look, "Brother Gu, what's so special about this Gu Family Repeating Crossbow that it was able to help us defeat Yan Liang with fewer troops?"
Gu Cheng anticipated his questions and said, "Come on, Zhongkang, carry the repeating crossbow and let's show the young master what it's like." Gu Cheng then took the repeating crossbow and went to the training ground with Cao Ang.
Thirty paces away, a straw figure covered in iron armor was erected. Gu Cheng then gave Xu Chu a look.
Xu Chu then picked up the repeating crossbow and aimed at the straw man. After a few breaths, Xu Chu suddenly pulled the trigger. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" In a flash, ten sharp arrows whistled out, hitting the dummy squarely. Piercing through the iron armor, the dummy was instantly riddled with arrows. "Ten shots with one arrow?" Cao Ang exclaimed in surprise, his curiosity instantly replaced by ecstatic joy. Gu Cheng smiled faintly, "Young Master, now you should understand the wonderful use of this repeating crossbow I sold you. This repeating crossbow fires ten arrows at a time; with only a thousand crossbowmen, it can be equivalent to ten thousand."
"If our army is equipped with this crossbow, our detachment will only need a few thousand men, enough to catch Yan Liang off guard without arousing Yuan Shao's suspicion!"
Cao Ang excitedly revealed Gu Cheng's deeper meaning. "Young Master is clever, I admire you!" Gu Cheng gave a thumbs-up in praise, then asked with a smile, "My Gu family's armory has already forged a thousand repeating crossbows. I wonder how many Young Master intends to buy?"
"Of course I want them all!" Cao Ang said without hesitation. "As for the price..." Gu Cheng wanted to bargain.
Cao Ang waved his hand generously: "Such a divine crossbow is priceless. Price is not an issue. I've made the decision for my father: Brother Gu, no matter how expensive this crossbow is, our Cao family will take it!"
"The eldest young master is indeed a straightforward man." Gu Cheng smiled and then said, "Zhong Kang, quickly send a message back to tell Youping and the others to travel day and night to deliver the repeating crossbow to the eldest young master in Guandu."
"Yes, sir!" Xu Chu accepted the order. At this moment.
After his initial surprise, Cao Ang suddenly remembered something and asked suspiciously, "Brother Gu, where did you obtain such a marvelous crossbow?"
"Well..." Gu Cheng's eyes darted around, and he casually said, "When I'm bored, I like to tinker with weapons and machinery. This repeating crossbow was something I figured out by accident."
"A lucky accident?" "Did you just figure it out by accident?" Cao Ang gasped, looking at Gu Cheng with surprise, his suspicion only growing stronger.
"Such an ingenious crossbow couldn't have been invented by mere guesswork. My brother-in-law must not only possess extraordinary wisdom but also be proficient in mechanical engineering!"
"My brother-in-law is truly omniscient and unfathomable. I wonder how many other amazing skills he has hidden away—" Cao Ang thought to himself in amazement.
Without asking any further questions, he hurriedly took the repeating crossbow and excitedly headed to see Cao Cao. "My lord, I'm also very curious. Did you really come up with this Gu family repeating crossbow by chance?" Xu Chu couldn't help but ask.
"Ugh, I'm so tired after traveling all day. I'll take a nap first." Gu Cheng yawned and strode away.
Xu Chu muttered to himself, full of suspicion, but he had no choice but to follow them to the central command tent of Guandu City.
Cao Cao was discussing matters with Xun Yu or Guo Jia.
"Minister, Yu Jin has sent an urgent report from Baima: Yuan Shao has dispatched Yan Liang, the top general of Hebei, with 10,000 vanguard troops who have crossed the Yellow River and are now besieging Baima City."
Reported by Guo Jialin.
"The number one general in Hebei..." Cao Cao frowned slightly, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
"Minister Sikong, I have heard that Yan Liang possesses the bravery of Lü Bu."
"It is said that Zhang Liao, a former general of Lü Bu, also served as Yan Liang's deputy general, and together they besieged Baima." "These two, commanding troops together, should not be underestimated," Xun Yu added.
Cao Cao nodded slightly, but said, "Baima City is not a fortified city. Yu Jin only has three thousand soldiers. I'm afraid he can't hold out for long. It seems that I must lead a large army to relieve the siege."
"If Sikong goes to Baima, it will play right into Yuan Shao's hands!" Xun Yu's tone suddenly became stern.
Cao Cao was startled and asked urgently, "What do you mean by that, Wenruo?"
"Yuan Shao's main army did not cross the river, but instead sent his most valiant general to cross the river alone to besiege Baima. This move was clearly intended to use him as bait to lure our main force to Baima, so that he could take advantage of the situation to cross the river with his main army and force our army to fight a decisive battle at Baima!"
Xunzi succinctly revealed Yuan Shao's motives.
"Yuan Shao's forces are indeed full of strategists; this is indeed a vicious plan," Cao Cao realized, and couldn't help but sigh.
Changing the subject, Cao Cao then hesitated, saying, "But Yu Jin is still trapped in Baima. How can I sit idly by and not rescue him?" "Rescue him? Of course, we must rescue him."
"I think it would be better for Sikong to lead his army to Yanjin, pretending to cross the river to flank Yuan Shao from the rear." "This would surely throw Yuan Shao off balance, causing him to lead his main army westward to intercept our forces." "Sikong, on the other hand, should send a detachment to secretly head straight for Baima, and take advantage of Yan Liang's loss of reinforcements to defeat him in one fell swoop." "In this way, the siege of Baima will be lifted!" Guo Jia offered a plan with a sly look on his face.
Cao Cao's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he said with delight, "Fengxiao's plan is excellent and feasible." As soon as he finished speaking...
Xun Yu, however, hesitated and said, "Sikong's detachment must not have too many troops, otherwise it will arouse Yuan Shao's suspicion. But if the troops are too few, it seems that none of our generals can defeat Yan Liang with fewer troops!"
Cao Cao's joy immediately turned to sadness.
"Lord Xun's concerns are reasonable. Unless one of our generals can kill Yan Liang by surprise, we can defeat Yuan's army in one fell swoop. It's just a pity that none of our generals seem to have the strength to decide the outcome on their own..." Guo Jia muttered to himself, his brows furrowing.
Cao Cao and his ministers fell silent for a moment. At this moment, the tent curtain was lifted, and Cao Ang stepped into the tent.
Cao Cao's eyes lit up, and he said urgently, "Ang'er, you've come at the right time! Yan Liang is currently besieging Baima. Go quickly and consult your brother-in-law; does he have any good strategies?"
"Is Yan Liang really besieging Baima with his troops?" Cao Ang was startled and blurted out a surprised question.
"Yu Jin just sent back an urgent report: Yuan Shao has sent Yan Liang with 10,000 vanguard troops across the river to besiege Baima." Cao Cao's eyes flashed with suspicion: "Ang'er, why are you so surprised?" "He really predicted it correctly. Yuan Shao's every move is under his control..." Cao Ang was shocked and sighed inwardly.
Taking a deep breath, Cao Ang calmed himself and bowed, saying, "Father, I just returned from my brother-in-law's place. He had already predicted that Yuan Shao would send Yan Liang's troops to besiege Baima!"
Cao Cao's body stiffened, and a strange light suddenly appeared in his eyes. Guo Jia and Xun Yu also showed a hint of surprise on their faces.
Xun, unaware of the details, asked in surprise, "Who is this brother-in-law the eldest young master speaks of? How could he have known about Yan Liang's siege of Baima before us?"
Cao Ang looked at Cao Cao, but without his permission, he dared not reveal the truth. Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "Wenruo is not an outsider. Zixiu, tell Wenruo the whole story of Lailong." "Yes, Father." Cao Ang cupped his hands and smiled at Xun Yu: "Lord Xun, the brother-in-law I mentioned is my sister Cao Jie's husband, who is also the extraordinary hermit you all speak of. His name is Gu Cheng."
Upon hearing this, Xun Huo's expression changed drastically, as if he had heard a fairy tale. Cao Ang calmly and slowly revealed the secret. Xun Huo suddenly understood and exclaimed in surprise, "I never imagined that the Minister of Works had known this Young Master Gu for so long, and had even taken the pretense to heart, marrying my young lady to him so early on!"
"This government has no other choice but to do this in order to persuade him to come out of seclusion."
"Besides, what father wouldn't want to marry his daughter to such an extraordinary man as Li Heng?" Cao Cao stroked his beard and laughed, his face beaming with pride.
"So, he's actually the Minister of Works' son-in-law. That's truly unexpected..." Xun Huo sighed, unable to calm down for a long time. Suddenly...
His mind suddenly cleared, and he exclaimed, "If this Young Master Gu is indeed that extraordinary hermit, then his deduction that Yuan Shao would send Yan Liang's troops to besiege Baima makes sense."
Cao Cao nodded slightly, then asked with a smile, "Zixiu, what else did your brother-in-law say?"
Cao Ang hurriedly said, "My brother-in-law also said that Yuan Shao's move was to use Yan Liang as bait to lure Father into leading a large army to relieve the siege, so that Yuan Shao's army could cross the river and force Father to fight a decisive battle at Baima!"
Guo Jia and Xun Yu were startled and couldn't help but exchange another glance.
"He could easily deduce that this was Yuan Shao's scheme simply by calculating; such wisdom is truly beyond our reach..."
Guo Jia and Xun Yu felt the same sentiment. "As expected of my son-in-law—" Cao Cao thought to himself with secret pride, and then asked, "Since your brother-in-law saw through Yuan Shao's scheme, did he say how to break it?" "My brother-in-law said that Father should personally lead our main force straight to Yan Jin, pretending to cross the river to threaten Yuan Shao's flank and rear."
"At that time, Yuan Shao will surely lead a large army westward to intercept Father at Yan Jin." "And then, Father will send a detachment straight to Baima, catching Yan Liang off guard!" Cao Ang recounted Gu Cheng's plan in detail. Cao Cao smiled, his pride deepening, and stroked his beard as he looked at his two advisors. "The solution we've been racking our brains to find has already been known to him. This wisdom is truly..." Guo Jia and Xun Yu exchanged glances again, both overwhelmed with the same shock.
Even though Guo Jia knew Gu Cheng's identity and had witnessed his wisdom, he still couldn't remain calm at this moment.
Xun Yu thought of something and said, "But has that Prince Li Heng considered that there is a flaw in his plan?" "Of course my brother-in-law has considered it." Cao Ang nodded: "My brother-in-law said that if the number of flanking forces is too large, it will easily arouse Yuan Shao's vigilance, and if the number is too small, it will not be enough to defeat Yan Liang."
Xun Yu gasped, amazed that Gu Cheng had even figured out the weakness of this plan. "If that's the case, how do we defeat Yan Liang and lift the siege of Baima?" Guo Jia pressed.
Cao Ang smiled, said nothing, and simply ordered his personal guards, "Go and bring in that Gu family repeating crossbow." The guards obeyed and left the tent.
Cao Cao and his two companions exchanged bewildered glances. A short while later, a strangely shaped repeating crossbow was brought into the tent.
Cao Ang placed the crossbow on the table, pointed at it, and said, "This is a secret weapon that my brother-in-law made beforehand. He said that if our army were equipped with this crossbow, three thousand soldiers would be enough to defeat Yan Liang and lift the siege of Baima!"
Cao Cao's eyes lit up, and he eagerly examined the repeating crossbow with delight. Guo Jia and Xun Yu also had curious expressions in their eyes as they circled the Gu family's repeating crossbow. "What kind of repeating crossbow is this? What's so ingenious about it that it allowed our three thousand soldiers to defeat Yan Liang?" Xun Yu clicked his tongue in amazement, his eyes filled with doubt.
"This crossbow can fire ten arrows in succession, powerful enough to pierce armor!"
"With this crossbow, a thousand crossbowmen can be worth ten thousand, and we'll surely catch Yan Liang off guard!" Cao Ang's eyes gleamed with excitement as he revealed the secret of this repeating crossbow. "Ten arrows in a row?"
Cao Cao and his two companions exclaimed in unison, their faces instantly filled with boundless astonishment. "That's right."
Cao Ang said seriously, "At first I didn't quite believe it either, but later my brother-in-law went to the training ground and demonstrated it to me personally, and then I was completely convinced."
Cao Cao and his two advisors suddenly realized what was happening, and their surprise instantly turned into delight. "Minister Guo, if this crossbow is truly so miraculous, our flanking force can indeed achieve a victory against overwhelming odds and defeat Yan Liang by surprise!" Guo Jia exclaimed, his voice hoarse with excitement. Cao Cao picked up the crossbow, his face beaming with uncontrollable joy, and laughed loudly, "This repeating crossbow is truly a divine weapon for defeating the enemy!" "Where did that young master Li Heng obtain such an exquisite weapon?" Xun Yu asked curiously after his initial surprise.
Cao Ang said, "I asked him too, and my brother-in-law said that he just tinkered with it when he was bored." Xun Huo was taken aback.
Cao Cao and Guo Jia also looked up sharply, their eyes wide with surprise as they stared at Cao Ang.
Cao Ang knew what the three of them were thinking, and said with a wry smile, "I didn't believe it at the time either, but that's what my brother-in-law said. I figured he's always been unfathomable and must be proficient in some kind of craftsmanship or mechanical arts, so it wasn't surprising."
"Minister Cao!" Xun Yu looked at Cao Cao and exclaimed in admiration, "It seems that your son-in-law, Minister Cao, is far more than just a man of extraordinary wisdom. It is truly a blessing from heaven that you have such a worthy son-in-law!"
Cao Cao laughed, a hearty laugh.
"Yuan Shao, you think you can destroy Cao Cao with an army of 100,000?" "In this first battle at Baima, I will use my son-in-law's secret weapon to give you a good blow and dampen your arrogance!" The domineering and sarcastic shout echoed in the tent.
On the north bank of the Yellow River lies the important town of Liyang.
One hundred thousand Yuan troops were encamped on the north bank, their battle flags obscuring the sky.
Inside the central command tent.
Yuan Shao was hosting a grand banquet, discussing strategies with his advisors.
"South of the Yellow River is all plain, flat as a pancake, with no natural defenses."
"That Cao traitor should know that once our army crosses the Yellow River, his tens of thousands of troops are no match for our lord's hundred thousand army." "His only chance is to block our army north of the Yellow River, so he will definitely come to the rescue of Baima City with his entire army!" "As long as he dares to come to Baima, our lord's army can quickly cross the river and force him into a decisive battle." "This southern campaign will be won in one battle!" Xu You stroked his short beard, his face filled with extreme confidence, and eloquently outlined his plan for Yuan Shao. A cold smile curled at the corner of Yuan Shao's lips, and he seemed to already see the scene of him defeating Cao Cao in one battle. "While Xu's plan is brilliant, don't forget that Cao Cao is not without strategists around him." "Moreover, that Gu Cheng is very likely to come out of seclusion and serve as Cao Cao's military advisor. With him around, Xu's brilliant plan may not go undetected."
Ju Shou, however, remained calm, pouring cold water on Xu You's enthusiasm. Xu You frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing across his face. He swallowed, about to speak.
At this moment, a guard rushed in, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, our spies have sent word that Cao Cao led his main force north yesterday, heading straight for Yanjin Ferry!"
This news caused everyone in the tent to change their expressions. Even Ju Shou looked surprised and puzzled.
Yuan Shao frowned and said in a deep voice, "Why is Cao Cao leading a large army to Yanjin Ferry instead of coming to the rescue of Baima City?"