Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1017 Bluffing and Pretending to Be Powerful

The three armies faced each other in this airborne standoff, the atmosphere tense as if at a fully drawn bowstring, poised to explode at any moment. Zhang Fei, standing nearby, impatience seized upon him. He gave his black horse a sharp kick at its belly, and the horse neighed and dashed towards Liu Bei like an arrow from a bowstring. Zhang Fei, clutching his Zhangba Snake Spear tightly, his eyes wide, shouted, "Brother, why bother with this brat? Let me fight him in a duel. I'll definitely slay him!" Guan Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on Cao Ang in the opposing formation like a hawk, his expression stern and silent.

Liu Bei's face shifted between moods as he weighed the pros and cons. He knew Zhang Fei was a formidable warrior, but a hasty battle at this point would leave his side uncertain. Cao Ang, watching Zhang Fei eager to fight, groaned inwardly. If a fight broke out, his bluff would surely be exposed, and he would be in danger. He calculated rapidly in his mind, yet maintained a composed expression.

After much deliberation, Cao Ang looked back, only to see that Lü Bu's army had not retreated to Xu Du but had instead camped there. An idea struck him. He coughed lightly, squeezed his horse's belly, and, taking a few steps forward, declared, "Lord Xuande, since we've come to this, there's no point in saying more. Let's have a good fight!" Zhang Fei, upon hearing this, flew into a rage and shouted, "Boy, we brothers are here, and you dare to act so arrogantly? Let me challenge you and show you the power of my Zhangba Snake Spear!" He then charged forward.

Cao Ang was not afraid at all. Instead, he shouted loudly: "Come, come, come! Come on, General Lu will be here soon. Let's see whether your snake spear is more powerful or his Fang Tian Hua Ji is better!" Seeing that Zhang Fei was about to rush out of the battle regardless of everything, Liu Bei hurriedly reached out and grabbed Zhang Fei, saying: "Third brother, don't be anxious!" Zhang Fei was grabbed and his face turned red with anxiety. He shouted: "Brother, why are you stopping me?" Liu Bei said: "Look into the distance." Zhang Fei looked in the direction Liu Bei pointed, and saw a striking "Lu" flag fluttering in the wind in the distance.

Zhang Fei said in surprise: "Isn't that Lu Bu's flag? Could it be that Lu Bu..." Zhang Fei was puzzled and muttered: "Didn't Lu Bu say that he wanted to overthrow Cao Cao with us? How come..." Pang Tong was also secretly thinking in his heart, then stepped forward and said: "Three generals, calm down. Lu Bu is a fickle person. He may not really join us to overthrow Cao Cao. Judging from the situation, I'm afraid he is still thinking about himself, or even working for Cao Cao." Liu Bei nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on Cao Ang and Lu Bu's camp in the distance, and fell into deep thought.

Liu Bei pondered, if Lü Bu had truly allied himself with his side, why would he be seen behind Cao Ang now? Lü Bu paused, clearly waiting for a clash between his own side and Cao Ang so he could reap the benefits. Liu Bei subconsciously cast his gaze towards Pang Tong, his eyes filled with inquiry and inquiry.

Pang Tong understood and said softly, "My lord, the situation is unclear at this moment. A rash attack would play into Lü Bu's hands, allowing him to reap the benefits. Lü Bu is holding back, presumably hoping to let us fight to the death first so he can conserve his strength. Also, look at the troops behind Cao Ang; they are all elite cavalry, and their presence is impressive. If we charge rashly, we'll probably suffer considerable losses."

Zhang Fei was so anxious that he cried out, his face flushed red. He shouted, "Brother, this opportunity cannot be missed! If we miss this opportunity, we can capture Cao Ang and make Cao Cao afraid to act rashly!"

Seeing their pensive expressions and Zhang Fei's eagerness at being pulled, Cao Ang grew more reassured. He continued loudly, "Lord Xuande, you are a renowned hero. Why are you so hesitant? With your army already here, why are you standing still? Are you afraid of our mere Cao forces?" The more Cao Ang challenged them, the more alarmed Liu Bei and Pang Tong grew. They felt that Cao Ang, so confident, must have something to rely on, perhaps even ambushing a large force nearby.

At this critical moment of the stalemate, a cloud of dust suddenly rose in the distance, and another group of cavalry came rushing in from afar like a gust of wind. It turned out that after Ma Yunlu brought the Cao family to a safe place, Cao Ang had not yet arrived to reunite with him. Worried about his lover's safety, he led the cavalry to rush to meet them.

The cavalry approached rapidly, the thunderous clatter of hooves and the imposing presence of the force. Ma Yunlu led the way, a dashing presence, her longsword gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Her arrival instantly complicated the situation. Liu Bei, Pang Tong, and the others' expressions changed upon seeing the sudden arrival of the cavalry, secretly speculating on the impact this reinforcement would have on the situation. Cao Ang, on the other hand, was overjoyed to see Ma Yunlu leading the cavalry, and his confidence grew stronger.

The Western Liang cavalry, led by Ma Yunlu, charged forward with overwhelming force like a black torrent. Seeing this, Cao Ang was secretly delighted and immediately shouted, "Lord Xuande! Let's fight now! Lord Xuande, our Western Liang reinforcements have arrived. Let's fight now! What are we waiting for?"

Liu Bei glanced sideways, beholding thousands of cavalrymen charging forward with overwhelming force. He carefully examined the army's equipment, noting the preponderance of Western Liang equipment. A female general led the charge, aloft, carrying the flag of Western Liang, its large "horse" (马) standing out prominently. Liu Bei was secretly astonished. The Western Liang army had always been renowned for its fierceness and prowess in battle, but the arrival of these reinforcements undoubtedly made the situation even more unfavorable.

Lü Bu also saw the cavalry approaching from a distance behind him and thought to himself, "No wonder Cao Ang is so confident. It turns out reinforcements are arriving. This situation is becoming increasingly complicated. I can't act rashly. I need to see how things develop."

Cao Ang watched Ma Yunlu approaching, fearing she might accidentally expose his bluff, so he hurriedly shouted, "Yunlu, how long will it take for your brother's troops to arrive?" Ma Yunlu was puzzled at first, but her mind raced, realizing Cao Ang might be scheming. She responded loudly, "My brother has already led 50,000 cavalry and is expected to arrive soon. I'll go ahead and meet you!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei and Pang Tong became increasingly vigilant. If the 50,000 Xiliang cavalry really arrived, they would be in great danger. Although Zhang Fei was reckless, he couldn't help but frown upon hearing this news, realizing the seriousness of the situation. Liu Bei pondered for a moment and whispered to Pang Tong, "Shiyuan, the situation has suddenly changed. What do you think we should do?" Pang Tong's face was solemn, and he slowly said, "My lord, we must not act rashly at this time. The enemy's reinforcements are coming, and they have a large number of cavalry and strong mobility. Our army has traveled a long way, and if we rashly engage in battle, our chances of victory are slim. It is better to hold our troops in place for the time being and find a strategy to defeat the enemy."

Ma Yunlu rode his horse like the wind and quickly joined Cao Ang. Seeing this, Liu Bei wanted to test their strength and said to Ma Yunlu, "Who are you, the female general across from you?"

Ma Yunlu pulled the reins, stood upright on her horse, and replied loudly, "I am Ma Yunlu, sister of Ma Chao of Xiliang. Nice to meet Lord Xuande."

Liu Bei nodded slightly and continued, "Your brother and I are fellow apprentices. I wonder how your brother is doing now?"

Ma Yunlu's mind shifted, and he continued the momentum Cao Ang had created, saying, "My brother will be here shortly, and will have a chat with Lord Xuande."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was already certain that Ma Chao was nearby. Furthermore, he was wary of Ma Chao's reputation and the rumored imminent arrival of 50,000 Xiliang cavalry. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided it was not appropriate to rush into battle. After a moment's deliberation, Liu Bei turned to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and said, "Brothers, don't act rashly. Let's withdraw for now and make a decision later."

Zhang Fei, though unwilling, obeyed Liu Bei's orders. He simply gripped his Zhangba Snake Spear tightly, staring at Cao Ang and Ma Yunlu with wide-eyed anger, muttering, "Hmph, that brat got away with it! I'll make him pay next time!"

Guan Yu nodded slightly and said, "Brother, you are absolutely right. We shouldn't fight head-on at this moment."

Seeing this, Liu Bei ordered his army to retreat slowly. Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps and horse hooves echoed through Liu Bei's ranks, and the soldiers began to retreat in an orderly manner. Cao Ang watched Liu Bei's army gradually recede into the distance, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. He knew that his ability to frighten Liu Bei away was thanks to Ma Yunlu's timely arrival and his acting, but it only temporarily resolved the crisis.

Ma Yunlu rode up to Cao Ang and whispered, "Zixiu, what happened just now? Why did you tell me to lie and say my brother was approaching with a large army?" Cao Ang smiled wryly and briefly recounted the situation and his plan. Ma Yunlu couldn't help but smile. "It seems your contingency plan is quite effective. However, Lü Bu is still lurking in the rear. What should we do next?"

Cao Ang gazed solemnly at Lü Bu's camp in the distance and spoke slowly, "Lü Bu saw Liu Bei's army approaching, but instead of attacking, he retreated. He then paused, clearly observing the situation from behind. In this situation, we must remain calm and composed, not letting him see any flaws. Furthermore, Liu Bei is also hesitant to act rashly, suggesting they must be out of touch. If that's the case, we might as well exploit their tactic."

Ma Yunlu frowned slightly, his eyes full of thought, and asked: "What are you going to do?"

Cao Ang gazed solemnly at Lü Bu's camp in the distance and continued to speak to Ma Yunlu, "Brother Liu Bei has been deterred by our bluffing. They won't attack easily anytime soon. Since we haven't yet engaged Liu Bei in battle, Lü Bu must be filled with suspicion."

A flicker of determination flashed in Cao Ang's eyes, and he said to Ma Yunlu, "Lü Bu will undoubtedly be suspicious. We might as well turn our army around and deploy our forces to press towards his camp. This way, Lü Bu will undoubtedly be unsure and he won't dare to engage us rashly. If Lü Bu chooses to retreat, we will follow him. Liu Bei won't be able to gauge our strength and will certainly not dare to pursue us rashly. As soon as Lü Bu retreats, we can leave at our leisure."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yunlu's eyes flashed with admiration, and he nodded, saying, "This is a brilliant plan. We can exploit Lü Bu's suspicion and Liu Bei's caution to buy us a chance to escape. However, when mobilizing a large army, we must proceed with caution and not show any signs of panic."

Cao Ang's expression turned stern, and he immediately issued an order to the entire army: "Listen up, slowly turn around, and deploy an offensive formation towards Lu Bu's camp. Be steady and don't panic!" The military order was like a mountain. The Xiliang cavalry acted quickly. The sound of horse hooves was neat and orderly. The soldiers looked serious and quickly changed their formation. Like a beast ready to attack, they slowly pressed towards Lu Bu's camp.