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Lü Bu's expression fluctuated between dark and light as he lightly tapped the Fangtian Halberd against his saddle. After a moment of contemplation, he finally tossed his cloak aside and commanded, "Withdraw from Dingtao!"
The army changed direction, and Chen Gong secretly sighed in relief, yet he did not dare to let his guard down. He glanced back at the forest and murmured to himself, "Cao Cao, where exactly do your schemes lie?"
Upon returning to the camp, Cao Cao learned that Lü Bu's forces had turned back as they approached. A cold smile crept onto his lips. Standing before the Central Tent, he gazed toward the dense woods in the distance and waved to summon his generals.
"Lü Bu is a man riddled with suspicion. His retreat is not out of fear of me but rather because he fears an ambush in the woods," Cao Cao said lightly, as if commenting on a careless chess player. "If that is the case, let him believe that there are indeed hidden troops here."
Xiahou Dun, hearing this, asked in a rough voice, "What brilliant plan does my lord have?"
Cao Cao pointed toward the forest. "Go into the woods and plant more banners so that he sees our army concealed tightly. He will surely be unwilling to retreat and will likely come to set fire to the forest tomorrow to force us out."
The generals understood at once. Li Dian clasped his hands and asked, "If Lü Bu truly comes to burn the forest, how should our army respond?"
Cao Cao smiled without answering and turned to point at a section of Long Dyke near Zhai Xi. "There is no water flowing beneath that dyke; it is an ideal ambush spot. Command the Elite Troops to hide within the dyke and wait for Lü Bu to attack the forest before cutting off his retreat. With no way forward into the woods and no way back for his troops, he will find it impossible to escape!"
The generals responded in unison, "A brilliant plan!"
Cao Cao nodded slightly and then instructed, "Leave fifty drummers in the camp to continue beating the drums to intimidate the enemy. Also, gather all the men and women captured from the village into the camp and let them make loud noises so that Lü Bu believes we are still here."
Xu Chu laughed heartily, "My lord's plan requires no soldiers at all; it will lead Lü Bu right into our trap!"
Cao Cao waved his hand. "Prepare yourselves; do not let there be any mistakes."
That night, the Cao Army was busy yet orderly, with banners fluttering in the wind amidst the forest, illuminated by the moonlight. The sound of drums was steady and powerful, echoing under the night sky, making it seem to the distant enemy like a large army was stationed there. The villagers captured from the nearby village gathered in the camp, some crying, some praying, and others wearing worried expressions, but they were coerced by the Cao Army with swords and had no choice but to pretend to be noisy.
Outside the camp, Cao Cao stood by Long Dyke, overlooking the hidden troops in the darkness. Hundreds of Elite Troops lay concealed beneath the embankment, silent and still, their blades glinting faintly in the night. Cao Cao smiled slightly and whispered to Xiahou Yuan beside him, "In tomorrow's battle, Lü Bu will have no chance to turn things around."
Xiahou Yuan gazed at the tranquil forest in the distance, admiring Cao Cao's foresight. He tightened his grip on his long sword and said softly, "I hope Lü Bu brings about his own defeat, sparing us a hard-fought battle."
Cao Cao's expression darkened as he looked up at the pitch-black sky and murmured to himself, "What fate has in store will be revealed tomorrow."
Lü Bu returned to Dingtao, filled with resentment. As soon as he entered the main tent, he thrust his Fangtian Halberd heavily into the ground and shouted angrily, "Cao Cao is cunning; he has set such a deceptive trap that I cannot make a move! Chen Gong, do you have any good strategies?"
Chen Gong furrowed his brow and replied quietly, "General, Cao Cao is full of schemes; we must not underestimate him. Although there are many banners in the forest today, it does not necessarily mean there are hidden troops; we cannot take risks lightly."
Lü Bu scoffed disdainfully and said, "Hidden troops? Hmph! If there are indeed soldiers in that forest, I will force them out with fire tomorrow. No matter how many tricks Cao Cao has up his sleeve, he cannot escape my grasp!"
Hearing this, Chen Gong's expression grew serious, and he ultimately refrained from further persuasion. He sighed and clasped his hands respectfully. "In that case, please leave Gao Shun to guard the city while you proceed with caution."
Lü Bu waved his hand dismissively. "You just focus on guarding Dingtao; I will return shortly!"
***
The next day, Lü Bu personally led his army towards Cao Cao's camp with great momentum. Riding on Red Hare, he spotted numerous banners in the forest from afar and sneered. "It seems Cao Cao really has hidden troops!" He raised his Fangtian Halberd high and commanded loudly, "Set fire! Burn the forest!"
The archers around him quickly sprang into action, igniting fire arrows aimed at the woods. Soon after, fierce flames erupted into the sky, thick smoke billowing upwards like a storm cloud. Lü Bu narrowed his eyes in anticipation of seeing the enemy scatter in panic. However, as the flames spread outwards, he saw not a single soldier in sight.
"What’s going on?" Lü Bu frowned in confusion. Just then, a thunderous drumbeat suddenly resonated from afar within the Cao Army's camp. Lü Bu's heart tightened as he reined in his horse and instructed his soldiers around him urgently: "Quickly mobilize our cavalry; charge into Cao's camp!"
He was about to change direction when suddenly he heard the booming sound of cannon fire behind him. Turning around, he saw a cloud of dust rising from the embankment as countless Cao Army Elite Troops surged forth like a tide. Generals such as Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Chu, Dian Wei, Li Dian, and Le Jin charged forward on horseback, each wielding their weapons with the ferocity of tigers descending from the mountains.
Lü Bu's expression changed, and he gritted his teeth in anger, shouting, "Cao Cao is indeed treacherous!" He swung his Fangtian Halberd and charged straight into the enemy ranks. The Cao Army generals fought fiercely against Lü Bu but could not suppress this formidable warrior. Xu Chu and Dian Wei teamed up, attacking while trying to drag Lü Bu into chaos.
As Lü Bu fought on, panting heavily, he realized that his forces were gradually faltering. He knew they could not stay here much longer. Suddenly, he swung his Decorated Halberd and shouted, "Retreat! All troops return to Dingtao at once!"
At his command, Lü Bu's army began to scatter in flight. However, the Cao Army pursued closely behind. Le Jin aimed at a general named Cheng Lian and drew his bow. The arrow flew through the air and struck Cheng Lian in the throat. With a terrible scream, Cheng Lian fell from his horse and died.
Lü Bu turned back to see this and his face darkened like iron, but he felt powerless to change the outcome. He led the remnants of his troops back to Dingtao.
***
Inside Dingtao City, defeated soldiers poured in one after another, and the atmosphere in the tent was extremely oppressive. Chen Gong hurried over and saw Lü Bu looking exhausted; he asked urgently, "General, the Cao Army is pursuing us to the city gates. How shall we defend?"
Lü Bu furrowed his brow, his hand gripping the Fangtian Halberd trembling slightly. He gritted his teeth and said, "Even if I have to expend my last soldier, I will defend Dingtao!"
Chen Gong shook his head with a sigh and said, "General, the Cao Army is like a hot knife through butter; it is difficult to defend an empty city. It would be better to abandon the city and save your family so that you may have a chance to rise again!"
Lü Bu fell silent for a moment before stamping his foot in frustration and biting out, "We leave!"
He led the remnants of his army to protect his family as they fled the city under cover of night. Behind them, the Cao Army quickly breached Dingtao City with overwhelming force.
Seeing that all was lost, Zhang Miao chose to defect to Yuan Shu; Zhang Chao refused to surrender in humiliation and set fire to his residence, dying in flames. Cao Cao stood atop the city wall, gazing at the billowing smoke with a resolute expression as he spoke in a deep voice, "Dingtao has fallen; Shandong is finally mine."
Lü Bu fled with his defeated troops all the way to the coast, where scattered soldiers were like waves crashing everywhere, their morale utterly shattered. Standing on a high ground overlooking his remaining forces, Lü Bu's face was grim as he felt the Fangtian Halberd tremble slightly in his grip from rage.
Soon, the generals began to arrive one after another. Gao Shun stepped forward first, kneeling and clasping his fists, saying, "General, although we were defeated by Cao Cao, I, Gao Shun, am willing to follow you, Lord, to regroup and fight the Cao bandits again!"
A spark of fighting spirit ignited in Lü Bu's eyes as he raised his hand to help Gao Shun up. He looked around, scanning the faces of each of his subordinates. In a voice like thunder, he declared, "Everyone, though Cao Cao is strong, I, Lü Bu, have not yet lost! With Red Hare by my side and the Fangtian Halberd unbroken, how can a man of honor easily speak of retreat!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Gong slowly stepped forward, a hint of worry in his expression. He said solemnly, "General, Cao Cao's forces are like a mountain; it is not the time to confront them head-on. Our army is shattered and morale is low. If we force a confrontation, it may only lead to our complete destruction."
Lü Bu frowned and turned to coldly look at Chen Gong. "Gong, are you suggesting that I concede defeat?"
Chen Gong shook his head slightly, his tone softening a bit. "Not at all. A man of honor can bend and stretch. The most important thing now is to find a safe place to temporarily avoid the enemy's sharpness. Once we gather our strength again, we can contend with Cao Cao for the world; that would be the best strategy."
Lü Bu fell silent for a moment, his knuckles white as he gripped the Decorated Halberd. He asked quietly, "If we avoid Cao Cao, where should we go?"
Chen Gong pondered for a moment before raising his head and saying, "General, Yuan Shao controls Ji Province; he has many troops and has long been at odds with Cao Cao. If you are willing to submit to Yuan Shao, you could leverage his power to regroup and later pursue greater ambitions."
Lü Bu's gaze flickered as he contemplated. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. "Yuan Shao... that is indeed a path. However, he may not accept me."
Chen Gong smiled slightly and confidently replied, "There is no need for concern. We can send someone to Ji Province first to gather information. If Yuan Shao is willing to accept you, then you can set out without delay."
Lü Bu nodded and sighed deeply. "Very well then; let us first gather intelligence. If Yuan Shao truly intends to take me in, I will take root on his territory once more."
He turned his gaze toward the distance, his eyes filled with both unwillingness and a hint of resolute perseverance. "Cao Cao, one day I will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold!"
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