On the third day, the sun had not yet reached its highest point.
Ke Bìnéng rode a majestic white horse, surrounded by numerous Xianbei cavalrymen on white horses, and arrived at a place two hundred steps outside the southern gate.
An Xianbei envoy had already announced that Ke Bìnéng wanted to meet Tian Yu alone, with a maximum of one attendant.
The southern gate of Miyang City began to open slowly, and Tian Yu and Cao Xian walked slowly towards the direction of the Xianbei with their blades and armors on.
If there was anything different, it was that Tian Yu had a dark yellow bow slung on his horse, and Cao Xian carried a long spear.
The two men and their two horses came to a halt gradually at a distance of about 100 steps from the city gate. Ke Bìnéng and Yù Zhùjiān also rode white horses out of the Xianbei army formation.
Just as Ke Bìnéng was about to speak, Tian Yu, with a cold face, directly asked: "Ke Bìnéng, why did you kill Xia She?"
"Xia She? Is he the one that the Lord Tian grew up with among the Xianbei?" Ke Bìnéng showed a look of surprise and turned his side face to Yù Zhùjiān. "What's going on, did you kill Officer Xia?"
Yù Zhùjiān widened his eyes and showed a look of confusion. For a while, he couldn't say whether it was because of Ke Bìnéng's question or his pretending to be confused.
"I..." Yù Zhùjiān was about to speak when he realized something was wrong and said instead: "Great King, it was my own decision…"
As soon as Yù Zhùjiān finished speaking, Ke Bìnéng swung his horsewhip and gave Yù Zhùjiān a series of harsh lashes on his back, cursing as he struck.
Tian Yu coldly watched the two Xianbei people's somewhat clumsy comedy. After Ke Bìnéng struck Yù Zhùjiān nearly ten times with his whip outside Yù Zhùjiān's leather armor, he reached out and stopped Ke Bìnéng.
"Save your strength," Tian Yu whispered. "For nearly ten years, I have suppressed you, and I know what kind of temperament you have."
"Ke Bìnéng, today you have surrounded me here, what do you want?"
Ke Bìnéng's expression also became serious, and he spoke slowly: "Lord Tian, I really don't understand. You are an official of the Great Wei, and isn't the Attached Kingdom I, personally appointed by the late emperor, also an official of the Great Wei?"
"Bu Dugēn, Xiè Guīní, Sùlì... Are these Xianbei people not supposed to be under my jurisdiction? Why does Lord Tian repeatedly protect them, allowing them to settle within the territory of the Great Wei?"
Tian Yu looked at Ke Bìnéng's sincere expression and then shook his head and smiled.
He knew that Ke Bìnéng, who succeeded Tuanduoxie Yue and had unified the western Xianbei, was the most powerful force in this grassland.
If he allowed Ke Bìnéng to grow stronger, it would not be a blessing for the Great Wei. Even if Ke Bìnéng's abilities were not as great as those of Tanshi Hua, the harm he could cause would certainly not be less.
"At present, Wu and Shu have not yet been settled…"
Tian Yu took a deep breath and looked at Ke Bìnéng, asking: "Ke Bìnéng, do you know the current situation in the world today?"
Ke Bìnéng replied, "Lord Tian, are you trying to tell me that the current emperor has fought a great victory against Wu in the south? Someone has already told me about this!"
"The whole world has been in conflict for decades, who doesn't know who? I haven't seen any time when the Great Wei truly defeated Wu and Shu."
At this point, Ke Bìnéng smiled: "Lord Tian, do you know that there are still people from Shu who want to find me and invite me to fight for Liangzhou together?"
Tian Yu's voice grew colder, and his gaze was like that of a person looking at an inanimate object, fixed on Ke Bìnéng's face: "What did the people from Shu say to you?"
Ke Bìnéng looked up at the sky, took a few moments to speak, "Shu wants me to fight with them for Yongzhou, saying they will give me all of the Xiongnu land in Beidi and the upper region."
"I certainly refused! I haven't been able to absorb all the Xianbei people in my own ethnic group, how can I have the strength to fight for Yongzhou?"
Seeing that Tian Yu was still frowning, Ke Bìnéng said, "Lord Tian, just hand over Sùlì to me. Since Sùlì is selling horses to the Great Wei, I can also sell them! Sùlì, Bu Dugēn, Xiè Guīní, these people are guarding the border for the Great Wei! I can also guard the border for the Great Wei!"
"You?" Tian Yu looked at Ke Bìnéng's face and sneered, "Ke Bìnéng, it seems you are determined to make enemies with the Great Wei."
"Lord Tian, what you say is not true!" Ke Bìnéng raised his finger with solemn assurance: "If Lord Tian hands over Bu Dugēn, Xiè Guīní, Sùlì, and puts them under my jurisdiction, the western Xianbei will be forever loyal to the Great Wei!"
With the words said to this extent, there was no need for Tian Yu to continue speaking with Ke Bìnéng, so he coldly snorted and turned to leave.
As Tian Yu turned around, Cao Xian noticed that Ke Bìnéng's expression instantly became ferocious.
Ke Bìnéng was not carrying any weapons. Just as Yù Zhùjiān reached out to the bow slung on the horse's side, Cao Xian also lifted the spear with one hand.
Cao Xian said sternly, "Lord Tian is so upright, I advise you not to be a small person, and return immediately!"
Ke Bìnéng shook his head at Yù Zhùjiān. After confirming that Cao Xian did not have a bow, the two of them finally reined in their horses and returned.
After returning to the city of Mayi, Tian Yu sat in the camp and asked He Xin beside him, "Have all the things needed for sending up the signal smoke tomorrow been prepared?"
He Xin replied, "They are ready! Many horse dung and dry branches have been dried over the past two days. They are enough to be used for four or five times if used as signal smoke tomorrow."
"That's good," Tian Yu said to Cao Xian. "Zhao Bo, call Sùlì and Tídǔ over to me! I will be giving instructions on tomorrow's battle involving Sùlì's department and Wuhuan loyalists."
"Understood." Cao Xian bowed before stepping out as well.
"…"
The next morning, when the sky was just beginning to light up, Sùlì, following Tian Yu's orders, led the remaining more than three thousand Xianbei cavalry out of the southern gate to assemble.
Ke Bìnéng was not capable of digging as many ditches, anti-personnel traps, and fortifications as Cao Cao did when he attacked Yelang City. He merely set up camp at the four gates of the city to serve as surveillance.
Each camp had around 5,000 people, with the remaining 10,000 horsemen led by Ke Bìnéng, stationed to the east, closer to his retreat route.
Just as Sùlì's department was gathering outside the southern gate, scouts from the Xianbei camp outside the southern gate rushed to inform Ke Bìnéng of this.
Ke Bìnéng instinctively realized that Sùlì was trying to retreat! If Sùlì ran away, would he have any reason to continue besieging Tian Yu here?
Although Ke Bìnéng was now doing things that were against the Great Wei, he would never admit it in his mouth.
Ke Bìnéng stood up abruptly and ordered his close attendants, "Send someone to tell Yù Zhùjiān at the west city that he must immediately intercept Sùlì's escape route to Loufán! Tell Lí Lǐ at the south gate to block the entrance so that Sùlì cannot return to Miyang City. The camps at the north and east gates remain unchanged!"
"I will lead the troops to capture Sùlì myself!" After the guards received their orders, they galloped away. Ke Bìnéng also put on his armor and mounted his horse, shouting in the camp to prepare for assembly, ready to set out to intercept Sùlì.
Sùlì was the meat bun thrown out, or more elegantly called bait.
Even with the 3,000 soldiers from Yueming County led by Liu Xie and Mǔqiū Jiǎn as assistance, the total force on the Wei side was only 15,000, which is half of Ke Bìnéng's 30,000 cavalry.
However, this is already the best situation!
The Xianbei people are poor.
In this era, even the Central Plains is suffering from scarcity of resources, let alone the northern borderlands.
For these Xianbei light cavalry, many Xianbei people only had one round-headed knife. Those who could wear leather armor were mostly the direct descendants of Ke Bìnéng's troops.
Tian Yu's own army of 2,000 outer troops had been stationed on the border of Youzhou for many years and were highly skilled, with every soldier equipped with helmets and armor. Although they were all foot soldiers, there were also 400 archers and 200 crossbowmen among them.
They are enough to withstand their opponents.
After seeing through Ke Bìnéng's deployment from the city walls, Tian Yu spoke to He Xin beside him, "Send up the signal smoke! Inform the troops from Yueming County!"
"Let Tí Dú lead the 3,000 Wuhuan righteous soldiers, gather from the Western Gate, and chase Yù Zhùjiān. Chase after the Xianbei people coming south from the west! Tell Tí Dú that today is the day to avenge his father and brother's blood!"
"He Xin, follow me and the rest of our army to form a line and attack the Xianbei people blocking the entrance!"
Seeing that Cao Xian had something to say, Tian Yu laughed loudly and slapped Cao Xian's shoulder, "The whole army is out. The victory or defeat depends on this battle. Miyang City is already useless. Zhao Bo, follow me and charge into the battlefield!"
"Yes!" Cao Xian bowed and said with an excited expression.
If viewed from a high altitude, the city of Miyang standing on the plain had become a massive buffer.
At Ke Bìnéng's command, the two Xianbei camps on the east and north sides of the city stayed in place to defend and prepare to intercept the Wei troops from the east and north gates.
These two camps, totaling 10,000 people, were left idle outside the battle, accounting for a third of Ke Bìnéng's forces.
Perhaps they will be called back by Ke Bìnéng. However, this time gap is enough for Tian Yu.
At the Western Gate, Yù Zhùjiān's 5,000 Uluu horsemen galloped south to block Sùlì's retreat route southwest to Loufán. Ke Bìnéng's own 10,000 troops were ready to rush to the southern part of the Sangqian River in Miyang City.
Either to encircle Sùlì's forces completely or to launch an attack when they are halfway across.
At this time, Ke Bìnéng himself felt that his command was not at fault.
Interestingly, when a person is unaware of their own mistakes, they are often about to face the moment of being crushed by their opponent.
Mǔqiū Jiǎn wore his helmet and armor, slung a bow and carried a sword, riding with Liu Xie on a hill three miles away from Miyang City.
Even Liu Xie, who had not worn armor near the Wu'an City, put on a layer of leather armor after the signal smoke rose above Miyang City, following Mǔqiū Jiǎn's repeated urging for protection.
"Can we go now, Liu General?" Mǔqiū Jiǎn looked towards Liu Xie.
"Wait a bit longer. Wait until these Xianbei people get closer and the battle starts before we go out," Liu Xie said in a low voice.
After a while, when the Uluu Zhùjiān troops from the Western Gate of Miyang City were seen encircling Sùlì's forces preparing to cross the south, Liu Xie turned to Mǔqiū Jiǎn and nodded.
"It's two li away from the Xianbei. I'll go to General Feng's position. Charging into the battlefield is dangerous, Zhonggong, take care of yourself." Liu Xie said.
Mǔqiū Jiǎn laughed, "A few Xianbei people? Can they be any more difficult to charge through than the Wu army at Wancheng that day?"
Liu Xie nodded lightly and rode back to the forest behind the mound. There, Feng Pō's 3,000 Yamen County troops were fully armed and ready to go.
The 100 Yue Horse Camp riders who followed Liu Xie and Mǔqiū Jiǎn from Luoyang to the north and had traveled all the way here, rode out in silence from behind the mound under Mǔqiū Jiǎn's command.
They accelerated in silence, lifting their lances in silence.
They charged into the Xianbei horsemen among Yù Zhùjiān's troops.
For Mǔqiū Jiǎn, it was not necessary to cause much damage. Penetrating through Yù Zhùjiān's loosely arranged army and causing chaos among them would be enough to achieve the tactical goal.
At this time, the battle between Yù Zhùjiān's troops and Sùlì's forces had already begun.
Yù Zhùjiān wanted to intercept. The more than 3,000 miscellaneous soldiers of Sùlì's forces, who wanted to escape, fought on a tight frontline with Yù Zhùjiān's troops driven by their desire for survival.
Roars, hoofbeats, and the sounds of weapons continuously echoed in the ears.
At this time, Yù Zhùjiān was leading his personal guards to urge his horsemen to quickly intercept Sùlì's forces and cut them in the middle.
"A leader, a leader, look to the south!" a close guard shouted.
Yù Zhùjiān furrowed his brow, leaned forward on his horse to look, but could not see clearly at first. He shouted to his attendants, "Quickly come and support me! I want to ride on the horseback to see!"
As two attendants helped Yù Zhùjiān stand up, Mǔqiū Jiǎn's 100 middle-level troops galloped through their own loosely arranged cavalry line like sharp arrows.
But this was not what surprised Yù Zhùjiān the most.
From the north, the 3,000 Wuhuan righteous soldiers were charging from the direction of the city's west.
From the south, the 3,000 soldiers from the Yanmen County were forming their ranks and slowly approaching from their side.
And from the east, the flag of King Ke Bìnéng was at least two li away from him, with Sùlì's forces in between!
Even with the support of two attendants, Yù Zhùjiān still couldn't stand steady and fell off the horse! (Chapter ends)
