Gao Shun... Gao Shun was truly a loss!
In my previous life, I was a Three Kingdoms fan, so I had some knowledge of the famous generals and strategists of the late Han Dynasty.
In history, after the fall of Xiapi, Gao Shun was captured along with me.Cao Cao tried to persuade him to surrender, but when he failed, Cao Cao angrily executed him!
From that moment on, even in the midst of fierce battles, we would never hear again:"Charge forward with the will to die!"
Sending someone to be a death warrior wasn't something I could easily do.Aside from my trusted inner circle, most of the soldiers under my command were nothing more than deadweight!
Want them to fight for their lives? Not a chance!
So, if I was really going to send someone to deliver a message to Gao Shun, I'd trust someone from Gao Shun'sXian Zhen camp to do it!
After a moment, Gao Shun arrived in the room as he had been summoned.
Gao Shun was around thirty years old, tall and sturdy, his posture firm and upright.Wearing armor, he exuded a chilling presence as he walked into the room.
"Lord, I am at your service. What urgent matter do you wish to discuss?"Seeing Lü Bu sitting calmly in the study, Gao Shun cupped his fists and spoke first.
"Xiao Fu, the situation in Xiapi is dire. I wonder if the soldiers in Xian Zhen are still ready for battle?"
"If you have an order, I will have the soldiers of Xian Zhen give their lives immediately to follow your command!"Gao Shun's character could be described as a rare gem in these troubled times.
Most soldiers were used to fighting battles where their lives hung by a thread. After one battle, they might end up dead on the battlefield the next day.As a result, many generals would spend their days drowning in wine, surrounded by women and indulging in their desires.
Even Lü Bu himself was often like this!
But Gao Shun was different: a man of integrity, no drinking, no gambling, no womanizing.
He was the kind of person who didn't fit into the corrupt atmosphere of the times!
This was precisely why, despite knowing that Gao Shun was loyal, the original host never used him to his full potential.Instead, he preferred to rely on those who flattered him and ignored the quiet loyalty of Gao Shun.
After having Gao Shun sit down, Lü Bu slowly began to explain the plan he and Chen Gong had discussed."So, there are two things that need Xiao Fu to handle immediately."
"First, select ten death warriors from the army and somehow send a message to Wen Yuan."
"Second, prepare for a secretive breakout and be ready to fight when the time comes!"
Gao Shun was silent for a moment before speaking: "A few days ago, Hou Cheng's prized horse, Wu Yun Ta Xue, was recovered, and Wei Xu and Song Xian held a celebratory feast. But you, my lord, severely punished the three of them."
"Could it be that this punishment was to prepare for this plan? To make them deliberately cause a rebellion and create chaos inside the city?"
What? Hou Cheng and the others were celebrating before I even crossed over! This wasn't something planned in advance!
But seeing the puzzled look in Gao Shun's eyes, Lü Bu pretended to be deep and said, "Indeed, that's the plan!"
Chen Gong spoke up: "The situation in the city is deteriorating day by day. Hou Cheng and the others' resentment towards the lord is growing stronger.If nothing unexpected happens, it's likely that they will act within the next few days!"
"As long as Wen Yuan successfully receives the message and, in the midst of the chaos, leads his troops to strike at the enemy's rear, the enemy's formation will definitely fall into disarray. Then Xiao Fu can lead the Xian Zhen warriors as vanguard, charge out from the East Gate, and engage in a decisive battle!"
The Xu Zhou troops that just defected to Cao Cao weren't very strong.But if Gao Shun led the Xian Zhen warriors forward, they would definitely be able to break through!
Once the battlefield was moved outside the city, Cao Cao's army would be surrounded, and they would be defeated!
Gao Shun thought for a moment and replied: "If the strategist's plan works, the possibility of defeating the enemy is indeed very high."
"But now, it's the dead of winter, and it's freezing cold. Once we leave the city, without a camp, we won't be able to stand up to Cao Cao's forces."
"Once the enemy regroups, how will we deal with them then?"
From Gao Shun's perspective, the greatest instability inside the city came from Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and Song Xian.
If we just execute those three, the rest of the soldiers would naturally fight to the death to defend the city.
But no matter how bad the floods outside, at least inside the city, we could use the walls for defense.Once we leave the city, there would be no cover at all!
Lü Bu spoke seriously: "I don't want to give up the city walls, but have you considered, Xiao Fu? How much longer can the walls of Xiapi hold?"
"Once the walls collapse, the civilians and the gentry in the city will panic and try to flee. By then, the army will be in disarray, and the city's terrain is completely unfavorable to cavalry."
"How can we fight against Cao Cao's army with only foot soldiers who are not even loyal to us? So breaking out is just the first step. After we succeed, we must move immediately!"
Inside the city, there were about five thousand soldiers left, and about two thousand of them were cavalry, loyal veterans from Bingzhou.The remaining three thousand were mostly foot soldiers recruited locally from Xu Zhou.
Their loyalty was questionable, and their combat abilities were average.Relying on them to fight Cao Cao's elite soldiers was impossible!
So Lü Bu's plan was to break out of the city and immediately join forces with Zhang Liao's cavalry to escape.
As for the foot soldiers who couldn't keep up, Lü Bu decided he couldn't worry about them!
Seeing that Lü Bu had made up his mind, Gao Shun suddenly stood up.He gave a deep bow and said: "If that is the case, I will go immediately and make the arrangements!"
"Xiao Fu! Have you ever regretted following me?"Seeing Gao Shun about to leave, Lü Bu finally couldn't hold back the question.
In Xiapi, any of the generals could betray him, but Gao Shun wouldn't!Yet the original host had always been reluctant to trust him because of his demeanor.
Lü Bu felt guilty about not properly valuing Gao Shun before!
Gao Shun spoke calmly: "Tian Heng died with his five hundred death warriors for the cause. But Zhou Wang was cruel, and even Bo Yi and Shu Qi wouldn't eat from Zhou's table."
"I, Gao Shun, am a general under the lord's banner. I will follow you to the death!"
"I have regretted it before, many times. But no matter what, I have never completely lost hope in the lord!"
Lü Bu spoke earnestly: "I have indeed been unfair to you, Xiao Fu, and to the old brothers who followed me from Bingzhou. But as long as we can survive this, I will change my ways and make amends! Please, no matter what, help me with these two tasks!"
Gao Shun laughed: "If we survive this, I will break my vows and drink with the lord!"
Lü Bu said with gusto: "After we defeat the enemy, I will personally set up a feast to celebrate with you, Xiao Fu!"
Once the plan was decided, Gao Shun immediately left the room and stepped into the snowstorm!
Meanwhile, ten miles east of Xiapi, in Cao Cao's main camp.
This time, Cao Cao's army was filled with talents!
On the military side, there were Xu Chu, Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, Chen Deng, Yu Jin, Li Dian, and others.On the strategist side, the two main military advisors, Guo Jia and Xun You.
Knowing the situation, Cao Cao was well aware that Lü Bu was now like a trapped tiger, with no way out!
So, inside Cao Cao's military tent, the mood was much lighter compared to the tense situation in Xiapi.
After sipping his ginger tea, Cao Cao gently rubbed his hands and then turned to Guo Jia:"Fengxiao, how much longer do you think the walls of Xiapi will hold?"
Guo Jia smiled: "The walls will likely hold for another ten days to half a month, but to breach the city, two or three days is more than enough!"