Baima is on the south bank of the Yellow River, opposite Liyang, a military town. As the north-south passage of Yuan and Cao territories, the ferry between Baima and Liyang has an extremely important geographical position. In February of the fifth year of Jian 'an (AD 200), Yuan Shao entered Liyang, sent general Yan Liang to attack Baima on the other side, and sent general Wen Chou to attack another important place-Yanjin. Yan Liang's offensive was sharp, and the white horse defenders couldn't stay up. They sent messengers to ask Cao Cao for help. The white horse must be saved, and the problem before Cao Cao is how to save it. On the advice of counselor Xun You, Cao Cao made an action plan. Subsequently, the soldiers received an order to fight Yanjin, and Cao Cao ordered them to quickly win Yanjin at all costs. In Cao Cao's camp, there were also Yuan Shao's spies, and Cao Jun's every move was transmitted to Yuan Shao's camp through secret letters. Yuan Shao called a meeting of counselors, and everyone agreed that Cao Cao's next plan was to take Yanjin as a stronghold and copy Yuan Jun's posterior approach. A close call. Lombardi immediately sent troops to reinforce Yanjin. However, on the way, Cao Cao suddenly sent a team of elite soldiers to copy the path and pounce on the white horse. The generals headed by him are Zhang Liao and Guan Yu. Guan Yu jumped on his horse and stabbed Yan Liang to death and beheaded him in thousands of troops. Yuan Jun was defeated and dispersed, so he solved the siege of the white horse. After this war, Cao Cao changed from passive to active, which laid a good foundation for the future Armageddon.
Cao Cao's tactics of introducing the East to the West are very common in ancient and modern wars. The key point is how to win the trust of Yuan Shao with false news. Yuan Shao is also a talented person, so you can't trust any information you get. The first thing to do is to be decent. Cao Cao's attack on Yanjin was false. He and Xun both know this matter, and the less others know, the better. Although Guan Yu is going to lead Yan Liang, Guan Yu should not know the inside story. In this way, it is thought from top to bottom that we are going to fight Yanjin. Only when enemy spies see the situation and hear the news can false information be sent back quickly. There is also the need to be tight inside and loose outside in defense, and to prevent spies and leaks at ordinary times. At this time, it is necessary to open a channel intentionally or unintentionally to escort enemy spies. A well-designed false news can completely lead the enemy by the nose and let his plan be implemented smoothly. This technique of fishing in troubled waters is not uncommon in contemporary commercial wars.