For if the situation really was as Sima Yi had described, rashly crossing the river would surely inflict devastating casualties on his army.
The consequences were simply unthinkable!
Sima Yi smiled. "No man is perfect. Your prowess in leading troops into battle is unmatched beneath heaven, Duke Wen. It is only natural that stratagems are not your strength, especially against an opponent as cunning as the Cao Thief."
"But with me here this time, these tricks of the Cao Thief will come to nothing. You may rest assured, Duke Wen."
Then Sima Yi turned to Wei Yue. "General Wei, you must send more scouts across the river to investigate and widen the search."
"If the enemy intends to strike us halfway across, they must have at least five thousand troops. Even if they hide in separate groups, they are bound to leave traces."
"So search every village, forest, mountain cave, and passing caravan on the opposite bank of the Yellow River. Do not overlook a single place!"
No matter how well the enemy hid, a more intensive search would surely uncover some threads of a spider's web, some traces of a horse's hoof.
He refused to believe the enemy could turn invisible!
At this, Wei Yue looked toward Lü Bu. Only after Lü Bu nodded did he cup his fist and answer, "Yes!"
Following Sima Yi's instructions, large numbers of scouts were dispatched to comb the opposite bank and its surrounding areas.
The search radius was also expanded to more than ten li.
With more men sent out this time, the scouts searched more thoroughly than before, even investigating upstream along the Yellow River.
Yet several days passed without a single discovery.
Inside the Central Army Camp.
Wei Yue reported to Lü Bu, "General, our scouts have searched all