Records of Military Preparation, Volume 23, Examination of Strategies, Eastern Han 1

An extremely clever strategy for absorbing the enemy.

Yi Li Yi was once again blocked from receiving aid, and he saw that his letters of allegiance were effective. He presented them to Guangwu. Guangwu then made Yi's letters public, allowing Zhu Wei to know of them. Wei was furious and sent an assassin to kill Yi. Because of this, the city turned against Wei, and many surrendered.

When Zhu Wei heard that Guangwu had gone north, he saw that Henei was isolated. He ordered the General of Subjugation, Su Mao, and the deputy general, Jia Qiang, to lead over thirty thousand troops to cross the Gong River and attack Wen. When the call to arms arrived, Kou Xun immediately ordered his troops to ride out. He also sent messages to the surrounding counties to mobilize their forces and meet at Wen. His subordinates all advised him: "Currently, the troops from Luoyang are crossing the river in an endless stream. You should wait for our entire army to assemble before you move out." Xun replied, "Wen is the shield of the commandery. If Wen is lost, the commandery cannot be defended." He then galloped to the site. The next morning, they joined battle, and just as the General of the Guard, Feng Yi, sent reinforcements, the troops from the various counties arrived. The soldiers...