A Feigned Defeat!

……

"Benchu, we are now at a critical juncture of life and death, and the annihilation of Yu She's army depends on this one move."

We absolutely cannot retreat!

Inside Yuan Shao's main tent, Cao Cao pulled Liu Dai aside and rushed over to earnestly persuade him.

"No refund?"

Yuan Shao looked at the two men before him and chuckled coldly to himself.

It's my Jizhou that got attacked, of course you don't want me to back down!

But if I don't retreat, even if I defeat Yu She, the foundation of Ji Province will inevitably suffer from Gongsun Zan's invasions, while Qing Province will be preserved, and Yan and Xu Provinces will be conquered.

Yuan Shao's mind was in turmoil, but he only pretended to hesitate on the surface.

"I am unwilling to help Meng Fei and want to withdraw halfway."

It was indeed that scoundrel Gongsun Zan who deceived me, tricked me, and attacked my rear.

If we do not retreat now, let alone anything else, even the transportation of supplies will likely be unsustainable.

Cao Cao quickly spoke up, "Regarding the grain supply, Lord Liu still has a considerable amount of grain stored in his camp, enough to supply Yuan Shao for more than a month."

Yuan Shao, please endure this hardship for another month, and we will quickly defeat Yu She's army.

Yu She's forces were inferior to ours, and after a series of defeats, he was swayed by the rumors we spread about "defection, defection, defection of defection," causing panic among his soldiers. They could not distinguish whether they were fighting against the rebels or helping them, and they were at a loss as to where to go.

This is the perfect time to seize the opportunity, advance with full force, defeat Yu She's main force, and establish a firm foothold in the world.

Now that Benchu ​​has left, Liu Shijun and I may not be able to defeat Yu She. If we are defeated, Yu She will swallow up all of Qingzhou. Once we get through this most difficult time, the situation of the world will change again.

At this juncture, Benzir must not hesitate.

Liu Dai: "???"

No, Cao Meng!!

You escaped here on your own, and it's one thing to stay in my place and eat my food, but now you actually want to drag Yuan Shao into eating my food too?

If Yuan Shu hadn't declared himself emperor and the situation hadn't become hopeless, and if I hadn't been unable to defeat the two of you, I would have already resorted to the plan of defecting!

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's expression shifted.

"Very well, I will first send Wen Chou and 50,000 troops back to defend Ji Province, and personally lead the remaining men to fight you for another month. If we still cannot defeat the enemy within this month, I will have no choice but to return to Ji Province."

Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he had temporarily appeased Yuan Shao. But what if he still couldn't defeat Yu She a month later and Yuan Shao wanted to leave again?

We'll coax you then~ Month after month, how many months are there?

……

After that, although Yuan Shao recalled 50,000 troops to Ji Province for defense, the offensives of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Dai and others became increasingly fierce, seemingly seeking a quick victory.

After the fierce battle in which 280,000 troops besieged Yu She's 150,000 troops, Yuan Shao now had 80,000 troops left in Beihai after he transferred 50,000 troops back to Ji Province. Cao Cao had 60,000 troops left, and Liu Dai had 40,000 troops left, for a total of 180,000 troops.

Yu She had 50,000 men left, and Liu Bei had 30,000, for a total of 80,000.

Yu She had to unite and appease his subordinates, including Lü Bu, Liu Bei, and Sun Ce, who had differing opinions, while also dealing with the ongoing defeats in the war. He felt exhausted and overwhelmed.

Fortunately, Zilong came to the rescue, and together with Lü Bu and Guan Yu, the three of them charged through the enemy ranks, managing to keep Yu She from breaking through the encirclement time and time again.

Yu She's army fought and retreated along the way, from Beihai back to Langya, and then from Langya back to the State of Lu.

Fortunately, as time went by, Yu She used the tactic of sacrificing territory to preserve people, constantly exchanging Langya with the State of Lu for time, waiting for the turning point in the north that Zhao Yun had mentioned.

Finally, when Yu She retreated to Pei State again, Yuan Shao, seeing the endless letters from Ji Province pleading for help, finally ignored Cao Cao's advice and resolutely returned to Ji Province.

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After all, in Yuan Shao's eyes, Yu She was no longer a significant threat, so it was best to leave him there to continue the battle between Cao Cao and Liu Dai.

After he led his army back to Ji Province and defeated Gongsun Zan, he could have taken advantage of the situation to swallow up Guanzhong, Yan Province and other places. Why should he waste his time here with Cao Cao and his men and lose his own troops in vain?

After Yuan Shao led his army away, they then went through a long pursuit battle from Beihai to Langya, then to Lu and finally to Pei.

Cao Cao had 50,000 troops left, while Liu Dai had only 20,000, for a total of 80,000 men on both sides.

Yu She had 30,000 troops left, and Liu Bei had 20,000, for a total of 50,000.

Despite the significant disparity in troop strength between the two sides, the moment Yuan Shao withdrew his troops presented the most precious opportunity to turn the tide in this desperate situation!

The so-called feigned defeat! Yu She had been planning this scheme with Chen Gong for a long time. They had been retreating all the way from Beihai to the present. Although it was called a feigned defeat, it was actually a real defeat. However, it was also possible to turn a real defeat into a feigned defeat.

……

On that day, Yu She did not lead his soldiers to flee in haste. Instead, he took out the last of the army's food supplies and fed the soldiers to their hearts' content. He then ordered the army to rest and recuperate in place, waiting for the opportune moment to decide their fate the next day!

He addressed his generals and soldiers:

"I and you gentlemen set out from Nanyang, attacked Jingzhou, destroyed Yangzhou, seized Yuzhou, and pacified Guanzhong!"

He fought in dozens of battles, large and small, donning armor and fighting across the north and south, never suffering a single defeat!

Since leaving Nanyang, we have been invincible. How did we end up like this?

I intend to fight the enemy to the death in Pei State, first to eliminate the traitors, then to overthrow the false emperor, and restore order to the world. This is the moment!

Are you all willing to die with me?

The three armies said:

"Since leaving Nanyang, I have been invincible. I am willing to follow the general, even unto death!"

"Since leaving Nanyang, I have been invincible. I am willing to follow the general, even unto death!"

"Since leaving Nanyang, I have been invincible. I am willing to follow the general, even unto death!"

……

Not long after, when Liu Dai's army pursued Yu She's defeated army, they saw corpses strewn all over the road, but they did not suspect anything.

Perhaps they were bandits and thieves killed by Yu Shejun along the way, or starving refugees who died, or civilians who died from disease during the chaos of war...

Such piles of corpses seen along the way are commonplace in this chaotic world, and they have long been accustomed to them.

They only regretted that their two legs had failed them, and that they could not quickly catch up with Yu She's defeated army, kill and plunder all their wealth and food, and take their heads to exchange for merit and rewards.

However, just as Liu Daijun was screaming and becoming increasingly excited as he launched his pursuit, suddenly, the scattered corpses of the refugees on the ground rose up violently!

"Resurrected from the dead?"

"Zhang Jiao's sorcery!"

"Great Teacher, spare my life! I was a Yellow Turban soldier before!"

……

Liu Daijun was terrified by the bizarre scene unfolding before him, his soul trembling with fear.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the "resurrected" refugees pretended to be covered in blood, with disheveled hair, and frantically brandished their hidden swords and knives as they attacked Liu Dai's army.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yu Shejun, who had been fleeing for his life, also turned around and attacked.

Liu Daijun was already panicked by these "resurrected" refugees, and when Yu She's army returned, he was immediately routed and fled in all directions.

.........