Three Kingdoms: The Peerless Strategist of Wei

Chapter 64 The Death of Sima Yi

Outside the Gu residence.

Sima Yi cracked his whip and roared, "Listen up, all of you! Anyone who escapes, kill them all, leave no one alive!" Three hundred Yuan soldiers gripped their swords and spears, their killing intent palpable. Suddenly...

From the direction of the dense forest, shouts of battle erupted, and countless figures appeared like ghosts, rushing forward. "What's going on? Where did this group of people come from?" Sima Yi's expression changed, his confidence turning to astonishment. More than a hundred guards surged forward, charging towards them.

Sima Yi finally realized that the group of people were not dressed in Cao Cao's army armor, but were all in the uniforms of Gu Jia's guards. "How is this possible!"

"The Gu family's guards were all inside the mansion; they should have been burned to death. Why did they suddenly emerge from the woods?" Sima Yi was dumbfounded, his incredulous gaze as if he had seen a ghost. After the initial shock, he suddenly came to his senses and shouted, "Turn around! Change formation to meet the enemy!" The three hundred Yuan soldiers hastily turned around. It was too late.

Before their formation could shift, the Gu family guards had already charged forward. Lü Lingqi took the lead, her halberd sweeping across, cutting down three Yuan soldiers like blades of grass. The three hundred Yuan soldiers were instantly routed, thrown into chaos. With their formation broken, the outcome was already decided.

What followed was a one-sided slaughter by the Gu family guards. Vast numbers of Yuan soldiers were cut down, and the survivors, their morale shattered, scattered in disarray. "Why? Why is this happening?"

"Could it be that Gu Cheng anticipated my fire attack and ambushed his men in the woods beforehand?" "That doesn't make sense either. There were at least a hundred guards who attacked; that should be all his men. So where did the men who were burned to death in the mansion come from?"

Countless questions, like thunderclaps, bombarded Sima Yi's mind. Looking at his defeated subordinates, he stood frozen, utterly dejected. "Sima Yi, you dare to dream of outwitting my Gu Lang? You're courting death!" a contemptuous shout rang out.

Sima Yi looked up sharply and saw a female general wielding a halberd charging fiercely towards him. "A halberd?"

"She's Lu Bu's daughter! How did she become Gu Cheng's subordinate?" Sima Yi's eyes were filled with deep shock once again.

The next instant, he suddenly came to his senses, hastily turned his horse around, and tried to escape. But it was too late.

Lu Lingqi moved with lightning speed, catching up to him the moment he turned around. With a furious roar, her halberd thrust out. "Crack!" Sima Yi's shoulder was pierced through. "Dismount!" Lu Lingqi shouted, raising her halberd with fierce force.

Sima Yi let out a scream as his massive body was launched into the air, flung high into the sky. "Bang!"

Sima Yi crashed heavily seven paces away, countless bones shattered, blood gushing from his mouth. Ignoring the pain, he gripped the ground, struggling to get up. Lü Lingqi spurred her horse forward, its hooves slamming into his hands. "Crack!" Sima Yi's hands shattered, emitting a bloodcurdling scream. Lü Lingqi looked down at him coldly and said, "Tie this bastard up and await the young master's judgment!" The Gu family guards then swarmed forward and bound Sima Yi tightly.

Lu Lingqi's gaze pierced the remaining Yuan soldiers, and she shouted fiercely, "You still want to burn Gu Lang to death? Today, none of you will live!" She brandished her halberd and charged at the enemy once more. With each swift movement, countless Yuan soldiers were slaughtered like ants. As dawn broke, the carnage ended.

Of the three hundred Yuan soldiers, almost the entire army was wiped out, with very few escaping. Meanwhile, the fire at the Gu residence was gradually dying down. In the woods.

Having witnessed the carnage, Gu Cheng leaped onto his snow-white horse, the Black Jade. Zhang Chunhua, however, was still reeling from the shock, unable to calm down for a long time. Gu Cheng grabbed her arm, gently but forcefully lifted her onto the horse, placing her in front of him. Only then did Zhang Chunhua come to her senses, a blush instantly spreading across her face.

She dared not move, and could only lower her head in embarrassment as she rode out of the woods with Gu Cheng on a single horse.

They trod over the corpses scattered everywhere and arrived before Sima Yi.

At this moment, Sima Yi, his hands crippled and severely injured, lay on the ground, panting heavily. Seeing him like this, Zhang Chunhua found herself feeling no pity whatsoever. Recalling the day Sima Yi abandoned her and fled alone, a strange sense of satisfaction welled up within her. "Sima Yi, we've finally met."

Gu Cheng, on horseback, let out a sarcastic sneer.

Sima Yi's body stiffened, and he shakily raised his head, his eyes widening instantly. He saw Zhang Chunhua.

The woman who was supposed to be his wife was now riding alongside Gu Cheng, their bodies pressed tightly together. "Zhang Chunhua, you slut!" he struggled to his feet, letting out a hysterical roar. Lü Lingqi's brows furrowed, and she swung her halberd backhand. The halberd struck Sima Yi squarely in the face.

With a muffled thud, Sima Yi coughed up blood and was knocked to the ground. Seeing his miserable state, Zhang Chunhua's excitement intensified. She coldly said, "Sima Yi, that day you were being chased and abandoned me to save your own life. You heartless, cowardly wretch, what right do you have to criticize me!"

"Zhang Chunhua, you, you—" Sima Yi, lying on the ground, gritted his teeth, his face a mixture of shame and indignation. He was filled with resentment, but dared not utter another curse, fearing that Lü Lingqi would knock out a few more teeth. Gu Cheng looked down at him, asking curiously, "Sima Yi, I know very well that I have no grudge against you. What got into you that you insisted on sending Wang Yue to assassinate me?"

Sima Yi swallowed several mouthfuls of blood, suppressing his shame and anger, and finally calmed down. His eyes darted around a few times before he said, "Gu Cheng, if I tell you, will you spare my life?" He had finally chickened out and wanted to live. "Of course not," Gu Cheng replied decisively, retorting, "I've already wiped out your entire family. Do you think I would leave you alive to create a future problem?"

Sima Yi shuddered, a sense of despair welling up in his heart.

Gu Cheng's meaning was crystal clear: whether he spoke or not, he couldn't escape the knife to his neck. "If I reveal the identities of Bian and her son, I still can't escape death; it's just that the mother and son will do the killing." "If I don't speak, I can keep Bian and her son alive to continue being his enemies, and perhaps they'll still have a chance to avenge me!" "But if I die, everything will be gone. Who can avenge me? What's the point?" Sima Yi's thoughts churned, caught in a dilemma. "Forget it, I don't care to know." Gu Cheng, disdainful of further words, waved his hand: "Kill him." Sima Yi's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said, "Gu Liheng, I have something to say—" Before he could finish speaking...

Lu Lingqi's halberd swung down. "Crack!" Sima Yi's head fell to the ground.

Chaoge City, County Government Hall.

Yuan Xi was pacing in the hall, waiting for good news from Sima Yi.

"That Gu Cheng, if he can't be used by my Yuan family, we can't leave him to Cao Cao either. Killing him will eliminate future troubles..." Yuan Xi's thoughts raced, his eyes filled with sinister hatred. Guo Tu smiled and comforted him, "Second Young Master, I think Sima Yi seems quite confident. He might have already beheaded Gu Cheng. You just need to wait patiently."

Yuan Xi sat down and nodded slightly: "This Sima Yi is brave and resourceful, a real talent. I should recommend him to my father."

Before he could finish speaking...

A guard rushed in, his voice trembling, and said, "Reporting to the Second Young Master, Sima Yi has been defeated and captured. Of his three hundred men, less than ten escaped; the entire army was almost wiped out!"

Boom!

A thunderclap seemed to echo through the lobby. "What?!"

Yuan Xi's expression changed drastically, and he slammed his hand on the table, leaping up in alarm.

Guo Tu was also extremely shocked and exclaimed, "Sima Yi took away three hundred elite troops, yet he couldn't kill a commoner—and was even captured alive?"

The guards then fled, and Sima Yi launched a fire attack on the Gu family, only to be killed by Gu Cheng in retaliation. The details of the attack were recounted. "Sima Yi's fire attack was indeed unexpected, yet Gu Cheng managed to break it?" "Could it be that he was prepared, anticipating Sima Yi's revenge?" Guo Tu gasped, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Bang!" Yuan Xi slammed his fist on the table, his face contorted with deep hatred.

"That arrogant brat is so cunning and treacherous. If he stays in this world, he will surely become a great scourge to my Yuan family sooner or later!" Guo Tu also shuddered, a deep sense of apprehension creeping into his eyes. "Hahaha—" Just then, a military officer in the hall suddenly burst into laughter. There was a hint of sarcasm in that laughter.

Yuan Xi frowned, displeased, and said, "General Ju, what are you laughing at?" "This humble servant is laughing. The Second Young Master is making a mountain out of a molehill, giving that Gu Cheng far too much credit." General Ju Yi stroked his black beard, his eyes burning with arrogance. His words carried a strong sarcasm. Yuan Xi was displeased, but couldn't show it. Ju Yi was no ordinary general.

In the Battle of Jieqiao, if Ju Yi hadn't defeated Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry, the Yuan family would have been wiped out by Gongsun Zan long ago.

Ju Yi was truly the most meritorious official of the Yuan family. Even Yuan Shao showed him some leniency, let alone Yuan Xi.

"This Gu Cheng is almost demonically intelligent and unparalleled in his cunning. Does General Ju not take him seriously?" Yuan Xi suppressed his anger and asked with a smile.

"Lord Yuan commands four prefectures in Hebei, with over ten thousand armored soldiers—ten times the size of Cao Cao's army!" "When his army marches south, it will be a crushing victory, invincible and unstoppable!" "With such absolute superiority, any conspiracy or trickery will be futile!" "Let alone the exaggerated rumors about Gu Cheng; even if he were truly Zhang Liang reborn, how could he possibly turn the tide!" Ju Yi's words were utterly domineering. Yuan Xi's body trembled, as if awakened by Ju Yi's arrogance; the last trace of apprehension in his heart vanished. "That's right!" A smug gleam shone in Yuan Xi's eyes as he declared sharply, "My Yuan family is strong and well-equipped, possessing an absolute advantage. What is there to fear from a mere Gu Cheng!"

"That's right!" Ju Yi nodded in satisfaction and praised, "This is the confidence that the son of Lord Yuan should have!" Yuan Xi was somewhat flattered to receive Ju Yi's praise.

He then took the opportunity to ask, "General Ju, how should I, this young master, deploy my troops now?"

"Is there even a question? Our army is nearly twice the size of Cao Cao's, and with my vanguard battalion following us, we can naturally advance westward at full speed and force Cao Ang into a decisive battle!"

"As long as that brat dares to confront us head-on, I, Ju Yi, and the Vanguard Camp will surely defeat him for you, young master, and capture Cao Ang alive!" Ju Yi boldly volunteered, seemingly regarding Cao Ang as nothing. "Good!" Yuan Xi slammed his hand on the table and stood up again, declaring boldly, "Pass down the order: the entire army shall immediately advance westward. I want to capture that brat Cao Ang alive!" The order was issued.

Seven thousand Yuan troops left Chaoge City and marched towards the heart of Hanoi Commandery. Yuan's army was extremely powerful, advancing westward at breakneck speed, and within three days they reached Wude City. With this city as the dividing line, half of the cities in Hanoi Commandery had fallen into the hands of Yuan's army.

Cao Ang could no longer stand idly by, so he decided to lead his entire army to fight Yuan's army to the east of Wude City. That evening, the setting sun was like blood. Five thousand of Cao's soldiers arrayed themselves outside the city.

Four thousand infantrymen were positioned in the center, while over a thousand White Horse Cavalrymen were arrayed on the flanks.

"Zilong's White Horse Cavalry could even break through Lü Bu's Bingzhou Cavalry. With him here, we will surely be able to defeat Yuan Xi in this battle."

Cao Angyuan gazed at Zhao Yun's figure, his face radiating confidence. Dust billowed, coming from the east.

In the blink of an eye, seven thousand Yuan troops marched into battle.

"Yuan Xi, do you think you can underestimate me just because you have two thousand more soldiers? Today, I'll show you the power of the White Horse Cavalry!"

Cao Ang let out a cold laugh and brandished his longsword: "Beat the drums! The White Horse Cavalry, attack!" The war drums suddenly sounded. On the left flank.

Zhao Yun let out a long roar and spurred his horse forward, spear in hand. A thousand White Horse Cavalrymen charged out of the formation, attacking the flank of Yuan's army.

The strategy was to outflank the enemy, use mounted archers to disrupt their formation, seize opportunities to break through their lines, and then launch a frontal assault with the main infantry force. This was the tactic Guo Jia devised for Cao Ang.

The White Horse Cavalry moved with the speed of the wind, closing in on the enemy's flank by 150 paces in the blink of an eye. The arrow was already on the bowstring; just fifty paces closer, and Zhao Yun would unleash his mounted archery. In the enemy ranks, Yuan Xi sneered, "That scoundrel Zhao Yun, he really did surrender to Cao Cao, and even trained a White Horse Cavalry for the Cao family. Too bad, my Vanguard Camp is born to be the nemesis of your White Horse Cavalry!"

His eyes narrowed, and he cracked his whip, giving the order. The command flag in the center of the army waved. The left flank infantry of the county army immediately retreated, and eight hundred shield bearers emerged to form a line in front of the battle. Behind the shield wall, eight hundred powerful crossbows were already aimed at the White Horse Cavalry. Yuan Shao had used the same formation to break Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry in the Battle of Jieqiao.

Today, Yuan Xi intends to repeat his old tricks, using the Vanguard Camp to once again defeat Zhao Yun's White Horse Cavalry.

Cao's army was in formation. Cao Ang hadn't yet noticed, but Guo Jia's expression changed drastically. He cried out urgently, "This is bad! Yuan Xi has actually led Ju Yi's vanguard! Young Master, sound the retreat immediately and order Zilong to withdraw!"

First to the camp!

These three words immediately sent a chill down Cao Ang's spine.

The Battle of Jieqiao, where the Vanguard broke through the White Horse Cavalry—such a famous battle was well-known to Cao Ang. "Sound the retreat! Order the White Horse Cavalry to withdraw immediately!" Cao Ang roared without hesitation. "Clang clang clang—" The sound of metal clashing echoed across the battlefield. On the left flank of Yuan's army, before the retreat even began, the enemy changed formation, and Zhao Yun immediately recognized the change. He had personally witnessed the power of the Vanguard Battalion in the Battle of Jieqiao. His old enemy had reappeared; how could Zhao Yun not recognize him? "I didn't expect Ju Yi to be here too!" Zhao Yun gritted his teeth, brandishing his spear and shouting, "Retreat! White Horse Cavalry, retreat immediately!"

A thousand White Horse Cavalrymen, before they could even reach the range of the Vanguard Battalion's crossbows, immediately turned and swept past the enemy lines. Yuan Xi frowned, his voice low and menacing. "They actually saw through my Vanguard Battalion! How hateful!" Guo Tu laughed, "So what? The enemy is retreating in the face of battle; their morale is low. This is the perfect time for our army to seize the opportunity and launch a counterattack." A murderous glint flashed in Yuan Xi's eyes, and he roared with laughter, "That's right! Beat the drums! All troops, attack!" The sound of war drums shook the heavens.

Seven thousand Yuan troops surged forward like a torrent, sweeping towards Cao Cao's army. (Cao Cao's army formation.)

Guo Jia cupped his hands and advised, "Yuan Jun has brought the Vanguard Battalion, and the White Horse Cavalry is no longer of use. Young Master, Wude City cannot be defended. Let's retreat west to Wen County immediately."

Cao Ang clenched his fists, but his eyes were filled with resentment.

Guo Jia smiled and comforted him, saying, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Young Master, there is no need to take it to heart. If we are defeated today, we can fight again another day." Cao Ang was relieved and then said, "Issue the order for the entire army to retreat west to Wen County!" The golden voice rang out again.

Five thousand Cao soldiers hastily retreated, heading west.

Two days later, Cao's army suffered 800 casualties and retreated to Wen County.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Yuan Jun advanced rapidly, capturing Huai County and Pinggao, and nearly 70% of the Henei Commandery fell into Yuan's hands. In the main hall of the Wen County government, Cao Ang and his generals discussed countermeasures.

"Fengxiao, Wen County is the seat of Hanoi Commandery; we cannot retreat any further." "Your strategies are unparalleled; have you devised a brilliant plan to defeat the enemy?"

Cao Ang looked at Guo Jia with expectant eyes.

Guo Jia frowned and said, "With the Vanguard Camp here, the White Horse Cavalry will have no use. Yuan's army is twice the size of ours. I need to think about this strategy for defeating the enemy more carefully."

Clearly, Guo Jia had no good solutions in the short term. A shadow fell over Cao Ang's face. The generals in the hall remained silent.

Sudden.

Zhao Yun stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master, isn't Young Master Gu on the south bank? Why don't you go and ask him for advice?"