The Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Tan, intercepted Guo Jia's...

Chapter 23 One Bigger Move

Outside Dongwu Castle, at the port.

Yuan Tan and Zhang He stood side by side, facing eight hundred carefully selected elite soldiers.

Everyone was in high spirits and had sharp eyes. Although they were dressed in coarse cloth, they could not hide the fierce and valiant air of battle-hardened soldiers.

The armor, crossbows, and flammable materials were all properly sealed and loaded onto the Zhen family's ships.

"My lads!"

Yuan Tan's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice deep and resolute.

"This journey is fraught with peril, yet we will achieve great deeds and establish our reputation today! On the day of our success, we will be richly rewarded!"

"I am willing to die for my lord!"

Eight hundred men roared in response, their voices drowning out the ocean tide.

Zhang He clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tiger-like eyes gleaming with authority: "My lord, everything is ready!"

"Board! Depart!"

Using both sails and oars, several ships sailed into the vast sea under the cover of night, heading south along the coast.

The experienced helmsman sent by the Zhen family was indeed very familiar with the waterway and skillfully used ocean currents and wind direction to make the ship travel very fast.

Moreover, the coastline is unlike the banks of the Yangtze River, and it lacks layers of beacon towers.

The small boats sailed south without being questioned by anyone.

Yuan Tan wondered to himself, if his move succeeded, it would be like opening Pandora's box.

In the future, the feudal lords along the coastline may also use the same method to launch surprise attacks on him.

Moreover, this method is indeed difficult to prevent. If beacon towers are built extensively, it will not only deplete the manpower and military strength, but may also lead to a shortage of troops at the front line.

However, there is currently no financial capacity to establish a naval force.

Yuan Tan's thoughts were racing, but Zhang He's loud shout brought him back to reality.

"My lord! Look at land! We've arrived at Tancheng!"

Looking around, Yuan Tan saw that the light boat had reached a secluded beach.

This place is far from the main road, overgrown with reeds, and extremely convenient for concealment.

Yuan Tan issued the following order:

"The entire army shall remain concealed, and scouts shall be dispatched to keep a close watch on the official road leading from Tancheng to Langya!"

The eight hundred elite soldiers quickly disappeared into the reeds and waited patiently.

Half a day later, the scout rushed back with a report:

"My lord! A large convoy of grain wagons, escorted by about a thousand men, is heading north along the official road from the direction of Tancheng!"

Yuan Tan and Zhang He exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement in each other's eyes.

"Junyi, proceed according to plan! Swiftly resolve this!"

"promise!"

Zhang He immediately mustered five hundred elite troops, who, like tigers released from their cages, rushed straight towards the official road!

The grain transport team never expected to be attacked in their own territory, and was thrown into chaos!

Zhang He charged ahead, displaying unstoppable bravery, and in an instant, he scattered the guards.

Yuan Tan arrived with his rear guard and gave the following order:

"Pour oil and burn all the grain and fodder!"

In an instant, flames shot into the sky, and the large amount of grain and fodder that Lü Bu's army had painstakingly collected was reduced to ashes!

Mission accomplished. Zhang He counted his men; casualties were minimal. He then said:

"My lord, the supplies have been burned. We cannot linger here. We must return to the ship immediately!"

go back?

Now that we're in Xuzhou, why not pull off an even bigger heist?

"Junyi, how many days' worth of dry rations do we have left?"

Zhang He thought for a moment, then reported in a muffled voice:

"Eight days is manageable! If we eat sparingly, it should last for about ten days!"

"good!"

Yuan Tan looked at the raging fire and laughed:

"Since we have more than enough food, why don't we go and plunder Xuzhou?"

Zhang He was startled upon hearing this:

"My lord, this plan is far too risky! Venturing deep into enemy territory, if we are discovered..."

"Put yourself in a do-or-die situation, and you will survive!"

Yuan Tan said decisively,

"While Xuzhou is still caught off guard, let's pull off another big heist. As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is often the safest!"

If we can plunder Xuzhou, Lü Bu will be thrown into chaos, and the siege of Langya can be lifted! General Zhang, are you perhaps afraid?

Provoked by this, Zhang He felt his blood rush to his head:

"Your humble servant obeys!"

……

Xuzhou, Xiapi.

The news of the burning of the grain supplies did not cause much of a stir.

Inside the prefect's residence, Gao Shun and several of his subordinates were discussing matters.

"They are just petty thieves taking advantage of the chaos, or remnants of soldiers sent by Zang Ba of Langya, who are trying to disrupt our rear."

Xu Si waved his hand dismissively.

"General Gao, there is no need to worry. I have already dispatched troops from the prefecture to suppress the rebellion, and the rebellion will be quelled soon."

Gao Shun frowned. He had a feeling that this matter had been handled cleanly and efficiently, unlike what ordinary bandits would do.

However, Tancheng is located in the heart of Xuzhou. If a large-scale army were to arrive,

It's impossible for frontline sentries to go without any notification.

"Uncle Gao!"

The tent flap was lifted, and Lü Lingqi, dressed in a fiery red military uniform, burst in.

"The burning of the grain supplies in Tancheng must be a trick by that scoundrel Zang Ba! Father is fighting a bitter battle at the front; how can we allow such villains to cause trouble at home? Send your niece with troops to Tancheng, and we will surely capture those rats and tear them to pieces!"

Gao Shun frowned as he looked at Lü Lingqi in front of him.

Lu Bu had a bit of a headache dealing with this wild girl who loved swordsmanship since she was a child.

But this wild girl happens to be the only girl in the Lü family, and she is usually spoiled by Lü Bu.

They're fearless, no matter what they do.

If she gets involved with you, you'll be in big trouble.

Gao Shun put down the military report, his face calm and composed.

"Please calm down, Miss. The matter of Tancheng will be handled by the county troops. Marquis Wen has ordered you to stay here and not leave without permission. The battle at the front is critical, and we must not cause any unnecessary trouble."

Lü Lingqi grabbed Gao Shun's arm and said in a coquettish voice:

"Uncle Gao, please let me go! I want to try taking the head of a general amidst a sea of ​​soldiers!"

"Nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Shun immediately swung his arm and jumped three zhang away.

Although Lü Lingqi's martial arts skills were three points better than those of Song Xian and Hou Cheng.

However, the current situation regarding the interception of grain is rather strange, so it would be better to let those cannon fodder county soldiers test the waters first.

Otherwise, if Lü Lingqi were to rush there without thinking, and something were to happen, I would really have to apologize to Lü Bu with my head in my hands.

"Maintaining order in the city is also a very important matter for the young lady!"

"I don't care! Uncle Gao, let me go! Let me go!"

Lü Lingqi pouted and continued to act coquettishly.

"Uncle Gao, you're always the best to me~ You'll definitely say yes, right~"

"Stop fooling around!"

Gao Shun, too lazy to pay any more attention to Lü Lingqi, glanced at his advisors and gave the order.

"Meeting adjourned! Back at your posts, everyone must fulfill their duties! No mistakes allowed!"

"promise!"

The staff responded enthusiastically.

Lü Lingqi huddled alone in a corner, clutching the hem of her clothes:

"Hmph! If they won't let me go, I'll just sneak off!"

……

Meanwhile, on the shores of the East China Sea.

Yuan Tan's fleet, guided by the old helmsman of the Zhen family, quietly landed in a secluded river bend.

Their original intention was to plunder Xuzhou, disrupt the rear, and force Lü Bu to retreat.

However, when the scouts sent by Yuan Tan reported back, his heart sank.

The scout, crawling on the ground, urgently reported:

"My lord, Xuzhou's defenses are very strong, and patrols are frequent. If our army launches a forceful attack, it may be ineffective and we could easily be surrounded!"

Yuan Tan and Zhang He exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

Clearly, Chen Gong's defenses in the rear were far more robust than anticipated, rendering the plan to launch a surprise attack on Xuzhou futile.

"My lord, it seems a direct assault is no longer feasible. Perhaps we should burn down the nearby granaries and retreat immediately?"

Zhang He suggested.

Yuan Tan frowned, feeling resentful.

Is this long-distance expedition going to end so abruptly?