Chapter 98 - Lu Bu uses one of the 36 Stratagems. (1/2)

Chapter 98 – Lu Bu uses one of the 36 Stratagems.

(Inflict injury on oneself to win the enemy's trust)

Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto

Huangzhou city front door has opened, Jiangxia's army one by one flushed out of the gate. The opposite Lu Bu’s army is observing them real close.

“Hohoho, going on the offensive, eh?!” Lu Bu hits his horse to look at those 2,000 troops go out of town. “With this, I am pretty sure that Jiangxia's army has changed its commander-in-chief!” Lu Bu shows a faint smile. Jiangxia's army troops have a total of 15,000 with 10,000 infantry and 5,000 naval units.

Actually with this number, they can play a defensive battle in the city, waiting until Lu Bu’s army exhausted their grain and provisions which would result in their retreat from the frontline.

But now, Jiangxia's army broke their routine from being defensive to going on the offensive.

“Humph, a few days before, they were hiding in the city like turtles, they did not dare to fight with us. Now, they are unexpectedly becoming offensive, those soldiers are waiting for death to claim them!” Zang Ba licked his lip and then half-kneeled toward Lu Bu with one hand on his chest. “Milord!!! Zang Ba requests to join the battle! Give me 1,000 soldiers, I will make sure that Jiangxia's army will not be able to return ever again!”

Those words are said by Zang Ba, because he wanted to prove himself in front of Lu Bu again. Even though currently Zang Ba is Lu Bu’s personal bodyguard he is tired of being a mere bodyguard.

He is Zang Ba, he is one of Lu Bu’s eight great generals. So right now, he longed to have his own division back, to announce to the world that he is still a fearsome general.

“Xuangao, this time you need to stand down, it is my turn to be in action! Milord, Zhang Liao requests to join the battle!” Zhang Liao also half-knelt toward Lu Bu.

His Bing Province Heavy Cavalry are stuck because this place is littered with wetlands and rivers, so he cannot rampage like usual. Therefore he has been suppressing his bloodl.u.s.t in his belly. Now there is an opportunity, how he cannot jump into battle?

“Wenyuan, you and me should not fight over who is going to be deployed. Your division is cavalry. This kind of land is not suitable for large-scale cavalry charge!” Zang Ba and Zhang Liao are staring at each other.

Only Gao Shun who kept silent all the time did not want to bicker on who is going to be deployed, he only awaited for his lord's order.

TL: Oh boy, two of eight great generals of Lu Bu’s army is bickering on who is the one should fight, shouldn't they be scared?

“Cavalry are mounted infantry, cavalry soldiers are also made from infantry! Even if my boys dismounted, they can become elite infantries!”

”But you....!”

“Knock it off!!!” Lu Bu tweaked both of his generals’ ears, to stop their quarrel “Xuangao, are you determined to do battle with them?!”

“Yes sir, Ba is willing to bring enemies severed heads to Milord!” Zang Ba’s heart is really happy, so he did not suspect anything about Lu Bu’s intention. He really thinks that Lu Bu is moved by his determination.

Using 1,000 troops to vanquish 2,000 enemy troops. This is not Zang Ba’s arrogance but his self-confidence.

On training soldiers, Huang Zhong’s ability and Zang Ba’s ability is on par.

”3000!” Lu Bu stretched out three fingers” I will give you 3000 troops! ”

“No, no, Milord, 1000 troops are enough!” Said Zang Ba eagerly “If those 1000 troops cannot take those 2000 Jiangxia soldiers, please take my head!”

“I neither want your head nor do I want you to defeat these 2000 Jiangxia army!” Lu Bu shook his head and said the strangest thing in his career as a warlord. “I want you to be defeated, I want you to go back to our camp with shame!!!”

“Eh???” Zang Ba is looking at Lu Bu with a disbelief expression. From time to time, the commander-in-chief always requested his subordinates to personally lead a battle to win, never has any occasion happened where the commander-in-chief asked for his subordinate to be defeated.

1000 troops are not enough to draw troops, so you must use 3000 troops?

Does Milord want to entice the enemy so they fight to the death? Zang Ba who only had talent in battle as a senior general, suddenly he wanted to understand Lu Bu’s stratagem.

“Milord, please do not do this!” Whether it is to entice or not to entice the enemy, where a defeat is certain, no military general likes to smear his own battle record.

“Hey, you said you wanted to do it already!” Said Lu Bu.