Xiahou Dun was about to mount his horse.
Xun You could not stop him.
He wanted to persuade, to analyze rationally. The immediate priority was to capture "Anding City," and Anding City was the vital artery to the west, towards Yongliang. Its position was crucial!
But then... how could he persuade him?
Others did not know Lu Yu's identity, but Xun You did...
Let alone a single Anding City, the entire Xiliang was insignificant compared to him. Lu Yu could not be in danger!
But...
Xun You was certain that since Lu Yu dared to lead his troops to the rear of Anding City, he must have anticipated the fiercest counterattack, even a desperate gamble.
Then...
With Lu Yu's methods of attacking the mind, would he not have defenses?
Or perhaps... this was just a part of his plan. Was it intentional?
Thinking of this, Xun You's eyes firmed, and he once again blocked Xiahou Dun's horse.
"General Xiahou, even if we attack, we should take Anding City first! Rashly going to rescue Marquis Nanshou might ruin Marquis Nanshou's plan!"
Xiahou Dun had already made up his mind.
"Anding City is already an empty city. Military advisor can take it. This general only wants Ziyu to be alive now!"
With that said, Xiahou Dun urged his horse forward...
Outside the camp... Cao Hong had already assembled seven thousand cavalry. Although it was a small number compared to the twelve thousand Xiliang iron cavalry, every man's gaze was sharp.
They knew... this time, they were going to do something big...
Something big, to rescue the Dragon Soaring Camp...
"Get up, get up..."
"Da da da..."
With the neighing of warhorses, their hooves thundered forth.
Xun You frowned, "Aren't they afraid?"
Li Dian, the commander of the infantry beside him, instinctively replied, "Military advisor means... afraid of the Xiliang iron cavalry?"
"Haha, if it's the Xiliang iron cavalry, then it seems... there's nothing to be afraid of. After all, the Dragon Soaring Camp has never lost in so many years. These knights will mostly be fortunate to fight alongside the knights of the Dragon Soaring Camp! In my opinion, the Xiliang iron cavalry should be the ones to tremble in fear, shouldn't they?"
This...
Xun You exhaled, his heart filled with emotion.
He didn't care about this so-called "fighting alongside," nor did he want to know if the Xiliang iron cavalry would "tremble in fear"...
What he wanted to know most was, what was Lu Ziyu really planning?
Just then, a fast horse arrived.
The scout on the horse saw Xun You and immediately dismounted.
"Military advisor, this is an urgent dispatch from Marquis Nanshou, instructing it to be delivered to General Xiahou immediately."
Hmm...
Evidently, the scout had already learned that Xiahou Dun was on his expedition, so he could only hand the letter to Xun You.
Xun You hurriedly opened it.
And the more he opened it, the wider his eyes became.
Lu Yu's letter was simple, just four words – Rock Solid!
Hoo...
Rock Solid?
Xun You murmured, looking towards the northwest. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know what to say!
...
...
On a hill connecting the vital route between Yongliang and Guanzhong.
Countless armored soldiers of the Dragon Soaring Camp had already mounted their horses, weapons at the ready, their eyes fierce...
One could say, they were all stirred up!
It was Cao Xiu who repeatedly tried to maintain the soldiers' morale.
"Everyone, don't get excited, don't get excited. Commander Lu will order an attack soon."
"Merits will come, sooner or later. There's no need to be too excited. Calm down, calm down a bit."
Once upon a time, the military merits of the Dragon Soaring Camp were tied to land. This made the armored soldiers of the Dragon Soaring Camp see the enemy as so much arable land.
The Dragon Soaring Camp was different now.
Talking about grain and money was vulgar!
They had been sublimated...
Because, at some point, the soldiers' military merits had inexplicably become linked with honor.
Everyone tacitly stopped fighting for kills, and cared more about the Dragon Soaring Camp as a whole.
This was because...
Throughout Great Wei, whether it was in the prefectures, counties, or even cities, as long as it was known that your son was a member of the Dragon Soaring Camp, the county magistrate, prefect, and even the governor would personally visit, proactively offer fertile land... and inquire about their well-being.
The reputation of the Dragon Soaring Camp was too resounding.
This also made those who joined the Dragon Soaring Camp later, with fewer merits, feel a bit guilty.
Clearly...
They hadn't done much, yet they could... they could be treated so...
Because of this, the state of every soldier in the Dragon Soaring Camp had completely sublimated.
They weren't just aiming to ensure the "undefeated" status of the Dragon Soaring Camp, but to let the Dragon Soaring Camp continue to win as always, and to write even more brilliant chapters.
A while ago, Zhang Wenyuan's eight hundred Dragon Soaring soldiers defeated Sun Quan's hundred thousand, which once again elevated the Dragon Soaring Camp to a new height.
To elevate it further, ordinary minor victories were no longer meaningful.
There had to be a great victory...
There had to be a famous battle, a great battle that would be talked about by future generations and passed down for centuries!
Because of this...
When they heard that the enemy had twelve thousand men, the soldiers of the Dragon Soaring Camp were all in an uproar.
Although the numbers were somewhat lacking compared to Zhang Baibai's defeat of Sun Shiwan, Zhang Baibai had defeated infantry, while these twelve thousand were cavalry. The value here was different.
For a time, all the soldiers of the Dragon Soaring Camp had green eyes...
Grinding their sabers!
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the direction of the main tent, as if waiting for orders to be issued from there!
And then, as usual – a wolf entering a flock of sheep!
At this moment.
In the main tent of the Dragon Soaring Camp, Lu Yu sat upright.
To his left were Guo Jia and Ju Shou, and to his right were Dian Wei, Gongsun Zan, Qu Yi, Xiahou Mao, and others.
Xiahou Yuan's four sons were seated at the very end. They had just joined the Dragon Soaring Camp and, strictly speaking, were not yet qualified to participate in such important discussions. However, their martial arts were extraordinary, and they were skilled in strategy... They were promoted by Cao Xiu to the position of Ya Men General.
Lu Yu raised his teacup from the table and took a sip.
Immediately...
His gaze was firm, and he only uttered two words: "Continue."
In the middle of the tent, several scouts were reporting hastily.
"Reporting to Commander Lu, the dispatch has been delivered to General Xiahou..."
"Reporting to Commander Lu, the Xiliang army abandoned Anding City an hour ago and charged at our army in a desperate gamble, a total of twelve thousand troops, raising dust and smoke. Within two hours, the vanguard led by Ma Dai will arrive!"
"Reporting to Commander Lu, the enemy vanguard consists of seven thousand men, half of whom are Qiang people, and half are people with high noses and blue eyes, seemingly not Han... led by Ma Dai."
One by one, voices emerged.
The various scouts within the Dragon Soaring Camp... worked in cooperation, gathering different intelligence and focusing on different aspects!
Therefore, the reports were all different...
Some investigated the enemy's movements, while others investigated the enemy's troop types.
"Qiang people? People with high noses and blue eyes?"
Lu Yu, seated at the head of the table, narrowed his eyes.
Speaking of Ma Chao's Qiang army, he was not unfamiliar...
Although Ma Chao's ancestor was General Fubo, Ma Yuan, a descendant of the noble family of Fufeng Maoling, according to the "Dian Lue," Ma Chao's grandfather "lived mixed among the Qiang. His family was poor and he had no wife, so he married a Qiang woman and gave birth to Teng."
From this, it can be seen that Ma Chao had at least thirty percent Qiang blood.
Even recorded in ancient texts.
After the Battle of Tong Pass, Yang Fu advised Cao Cao to cut the weeds and eliminate the roots.
"Chao has the courage of Xin and Bu, and greatly wins the hearts of the Qiang and Hu. If the great army returns, and no strict precautions are taken, the prefectures of Longshang will not be of the state." Here, "Xin, Bu" refers to Han Xin and Ying Bu of the Western Han Dynasty, both of whom were unparalleled famous generals.
This was Yang Fu praising Ma Chao's courage...
And "greatly wins the hearts of the Qiang and Hu" was Yang Fu's fear of Ma Chao's influence.
This was because of Ma Chao's unique bloodline.
Of course...
According to Lu Yu's understanding of Ma Chao, apart from this "extremely martial" Qiang tribe, the so-called "blue-eyed, high-nosed" army...
Was the little-known - "Roman Legion"!
It should be known that Ma Chao's army was deeply influenced by "Rome." Whether it was the "javelins" used or the "formations"... Roman military thinking was prevalent throughout the Ma family army!
The reason for this...
Was that Ma Chao had a "descendant of Rome" army under his command.
Ancient texts mentioned - "Chao's army had many people with high noses and deep-set eyes!" This referred to this legion...
And the origin of this "Roman army" was a long story...
It began with the epic uprising of Spartacus in Rome...
In Roman history, Spartacus's uprising eventually failed, and he was suppressed by Crassus, one of the three triumvirs of ancient Rome, known for his "wealth" and "greed."
It was this Crassus who, after defeating "Spartacus," intended to profit from the other two triumvirs by avoiding their sharp edge...
So he led his army to conquer the East, preparing to gain prestige and recruits by conquering the nomadic peoples of the East!
Who would have thought that Crassus underestimated the fighting power of the Eastern nomadic peoples, who viewed death as returning home.
As a result... Crassus suffered a disastrous defeat and died in a battle on the Parthian steppe.
However, his subordinates were not completely annihilated. Two contingents returned to Rome, while the largest contingent had its retreat cut off and was forced to continue deeper into the East.
Because they had no place to live and no food, this Roman legion once became mercenaries for the Xiongnu.
Afterward, the Han dynasty campaigned against the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu were defeated, and this Roman legion was, and again, and again, and again homeless.
Therefore, they requested protection from the Protectorate of the Western Regions of the Han Dynasty.
At that time, the Han court was quite enlightened and accepted them with broadmindedness. Under the request of the Protector of the Western Regions, Ban Chao, they were treated with great leniency, even allowed to build their own city and station there.
Thus...
The Romans established their own city in the Hexi Corridor, named Lixuan...
These people with high noses and blue eyes, the Romans, multiplied and lived there.
And this "Lixuan City" was precisely Ma Chao's main city...
Therefore...
Ma Chao had a large number of "descendants of Rome" under his command, and had even formed a Roman legion of over five thousand men. Ma Chao's formations also incorporated the tactics of the Romans.
Unlike the Qiang people, this was a technologically oriented army adept at coordinated combat.
This was also why, in historical records, Cao Cao, when campaigning in the west, was very unaccustomed to Ma Chao's army. Thus, he suffered consecutive defeats in encounters, even having to cut off his beard and abandon his robe... appearing quite disheveled.
And when Xu Chu protected Cao Cao in his water escape, it also exposed the weakness of these "Roman legions," which was that they lacked powerful long-range weapons, excelled at javelins... but not archery!
Thinking of this...
Lu Yu narrowed his eyes and murmured, "How many Qiang people are there among Ma Dai's seven thousand troops? How many are high-nosed?"
The scout reported truthfully, "About twenty percent are Qiang people, mostly those with high noses!"
"I see..." Lu Yu's eyes remained deep...
However, soon, his lips curved slightly, revealing a smile of profound meaning.
He did not rush to give orders but turned his gaze to Guo Jia.
"Fengxiao, how is that matter handled?"
Hmm... that matter?
As these words escaped, everyone was stunned.
That matter? Which matter?
Ju Shou was also confused. He looked at Guo Jia questioningly, feeling... isolated. As a fellow military advisor, why did he know nothing?
"Haha..."
It was Guo Jia who suddenly became serious. "That matter is on its way, but... it requires an appropriate time! And it will take some time!"
This...
Confusing.
Not only Ju Shou, but all the civil and military officials in the tent were bewildered.
On the other hand, Lu Yu smacked his lips, then narrowed his eyes.
"I understand!"
With that said, Lu Yu immediately gave orders.
"Order Cao Xiu to take two thousand Dragon Soaring cavalry to meet the enemy!"
This...
Ju Shou was slightly startled and quickly reminded, "My Lord, although the enemy's vanguard of seven thousand cavalry is insignificant, but... this time Xiliang has a total of twelve thousand cavalry, which will surely be one wave after another. Once we are caught in a protracted battle... even if the Dragon Soaring Cavalry fights bravely, I fear..."
As these words escaped...
Lu Yu was about to reply, when Guo Jia preempted him, "Brother Ju worries too much. How could the Dragon Soaring Camp be caught in a stalemate?"
As he said this...
Hahaha...
A group of generals laughed, amused by Ju Shou's underestimation of the Dragon Soaring Camp.
Now, Ju Shou felt a bit awkward.
Logically speaking, two thousand against seven thousand... it shouldn't be possible to determine victory or defeat in half a quarter of an hour, right?
Just then.
Xiahou Mao requested to fight, "My Lord, your subordinate requests to fight... to annihilate the enemy within fifteen minutes!"
Gongsun Zan and Qu Yi cupped their hands.
"Your subordinates are also willing to fight!"
"No need for fifteen minutes, we can annihilate the enemy corps in a day and a night!"
It was ironic to say that Gongsun Zan and Qu Yi spoke almost in unison. It should be known... in the Battle of Jieqiao back then, it was Qu Yi's "Pioneer Death Squad" that ambushed them and almost annihilated the entire White Horse Yi Cong corps in a single night!
Fate is unpredictable... Today, they both volunteered!
Ju Shou, hearing this, broke out in a sweat. He felt that everyone here had completely gone mad...
Fifteen minutes...
A day and a night.
Even if eight thousand knights stood there for you to cut, you couldn't annihilate them in fifteen minutes, could you?
This time... their boasts were a bit too big.
On the other hand, Lu Yu...
He slowly stood up and walked towards Ju Shou.
"Mr. Ju most likely saw through the enemy's scheme. The enemy wants to use a war of attrition to wear down our Dragon Soaring Camp..."
"But... the so-called war of attrition requires continuous flanking and consumption, constant offensive thrusts. What if our Dragon Soaring Camp doesn't give them this opportunity?"
With these words...
A fierce glint flashed in Lu Yu's eyes...
The Dragon Soaring Camp... this legendary Dragon Soaring Camp that shook all nine provinces and was invincible throughout the land, was actually... never a complete entity.
Or rather, the enhancement of the steel halberds and steel armor to the Dragon Soaring Camp was limited. The strongest aspect of the Dragon Soaring Camp had never been revealed...
This time, let's give these Qiang people, these descendants of Rome, a generous gift!
- Ula!
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