On the 25th day of the fifth month of the sixth year of Jianning.

After several days of marching, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and others, leading 5,000 Imperial Guard trainees and 5,000 Northern Army soldiers, arrived at Shejin Village, north of Hanxiang City.

Following behind the Han army were a large number of scions of noble families, merchants, and adventurers.

After all, the Han army only had a little over 10,000 men, and they needed their help to completely occupy the area.

As the army entered the camp, command of the local garrison and the Han-controlled troops also fell into the hands of Cao Cao and others.

Inside the central command tent, Shejinlu, the commander of the Han army, was introducing the situation of the Himitai coalition to Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Yuan Shao, and Sun Jian.

"The four generals and the allied forces of Bimitai are stationed in the northwest, due north and northeast of our army respectively. In the northwest, there are 10,000 men from Cangjituo, 20,000 men from Bimitai in the due north, and 10,000 men from Guishan Valley in the northeast."

These three forces were all stationed on the hillside, holding their positions strategically and supporting each other. Our army was attacked several times, but without much success…”

As Shejinlu finished speaking, Cao Cao and the others also looked at the map hanging on the wall.

On the map, the three garrisons of Himitai are arranged in a triangle, with only about twenty miles between them. Moreover, they control the only route for the Han army to advance north, and are fully prepared to fight the Han army to the death.

After pondering for a long time, Cao Cao looked at Shejinlu and asked, "You've been locked in a stalemate for so long, have you figured out their supply lines?"

Shejinlu respectfully replied, "Reporting to the general, their provisions are all stored in the middle of the three tribes. If they try to destroy the provisions, they will surely be attacked by all three tribes!"

"Heh, these guys actually know quite a bit about military strategy!"

Cao Cao couldn't help but sneer, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his narrow eyes.

Yuan Shao, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but ask, "Mengde, in your opinion, how should our army proceed?"

"Attack one corner, then break through!"

As he spoke, Cao Cao turned his gaze toward the Guishan Valley tribe stationed in the northeast.

"A direct assault?" Yuan Shao asked, frowning.

Liu Bei and Sun Jian also cast puzzled glances at them.

Although the superior equipment of the 10,000-strong army could force its way in, some casualties would be inevitable.

"certainly."

Cao Cao nodded, a sly smile appearing on his face: "However, we still need to lure their garrison out!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei immediately understood Cao Cao's intention and turned his attention to the grain storage area in the center of the three parts of Himitai.

The two men exchanged a glance and nodded in unison, leaving Yuan Shao and Sun Jian, who were standing to the side, somewhat puzzled.

Cao Cao then turned to Shejinlu and said in a deep voice, "I order you to lead 7,000 Han troops to seize the enemy's supplies first thing tomorrow morning!"

Upon hearing this, Shejinlu was taken aback: "General... General, shall I go by myself?"

Cao Cao laughed and said, "Of course not. We will also lead our troops to follow behind. After they leave their camp, we will attack their camp and then send troops to support them!"

Shizutsu hesitated before saying, "However, I'm worried that we won't be able to withstand their combined attack, and if we suffer heavy losses..."

"If someone dies, just recruit another. Once you defeat them, why would you worry about not having enough soldiers?"

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes, his gaze flashing with cold light as he looked at Shejinlu, making no attempt to conceal his murderous intent.

"This humble servant is ready to obey the general's orders!"

Meeting Cao Cao's sharp gaze, Shejinlu trembled involuntarily and hurriedly obeyed.

Cao Cao then waved to Shejinlu: "Alright, then go and prepare!"

"This humble servant takes his leave!!"

Shejin Ritsu bowed deeply, then bent over, looked at the ground, and withdrew.

"Mengde, is what you're doing inappropriate? After all, they've made quite a few contributions before!"

Why use them as bait to go and die when you can simply let them lead the charge?

After Shejinlu left, Yuan Shao asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Because this is more advantageous for our army!!"

Cao Cao didn't bother to explain further to Yuan Shao; he simply left after saying this one sentence.

Liu Bei, standing nearby, explained to Yuan Shao, "These Han soldiers have been with our army for too long and have learned too much. If we keep them, there's no guarantee they won't cause us trouble in the future. It's better to replace them with a new batch!"

After saying this, Liu Bei also walked outside.

"Mengde and Xuande are indeed formidable; their foresight in considering problems is truly remarkable!" Sun Jian, standing to the side, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Yes, it seems I really can't compare to them!" Yuan Shao couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly.

"Haha~, what's the big deal? Anyway, the credit belongs to all four of us, so we can just bask in the glory!"

Sun Jian, however, saw through it all. He laughed heartily and then turned to walk away.

"Benefiting from the situation? Yes, I've actually become the one benefiting from it!"

Standing there, Yuan Shao looked at Sun Jian's retreating figure with a hint of confusion in his eyes, and his thoughts became somewhat chaotic.

Back in the Imperial Guard, Yuan Shao was the most dazzling one, with Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and others all surrounding him and receiving his care.

However, after graduation, with each battle and military leadership, Cao Cao and Liu Bei's talents began to emerge, and they were the ones who made the decisions in every military operation.

Although Sun Jian rarely used his brain, he earned the recognition and respect of his soldiers through his bravery.

This caused the limelight that originally belonged solely to Yuan Shao to be overshadowed by the three of them.

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