My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 627 Zhongda's Poisonous Scheme
Cao Ren ignored him and continued speaking: "The Shu army is now demoralized. Although generals such as Zhang Ren, Liu Gui, Leng Bao, and Huang Quan are loyal, they cannot reverse the Shu army's decline. Not to mention that many powerful clans and gentry in the city have long harbored secret intentions to join forces with the Left General."

Cao Ren's words are quite reliable. This is what Cao's army observed after entering the city, and it is not just unfounded rumors.

"This……"

Yang Xiu couldn't think of a reasonable explanation for the time being.

Cao Ren sighed, his voice tinged with weariness, and said, "If our army withdraws from Chengdu, Liu Zhang and the Shu army will likely surrender without a fight. Even if we take the most optimistic view, and the Shu army refuses to surrender even at the cost of their lives, how long can they hold off General Zuo? Once Chengdu either surrenders or falls, do you think General Zuo will stand still in the city?"

Cao Ren's two questions stumped Yang Xiu.

It wasn't that Yang Xiu was foolish enough to not be able to figure out the answer, but rather that the answer was too cruel.

Once Liu Feng captures Chengdu, he will inevitably raise an army and advance eastward to continue pursuing Cao Ang's main force. Perhaps by then, the Shu and Dongzhou troops, who are currently allies, will also appear in the Left Guard Army's ranks.

"Zhongda, what are your thoughts?"

Cao Ang suddenly spoke up and asked Sima Yi a question.

Sima Yi had remained silent until now, letting Yang Xiu and Cao Ren argue. But Cao Ang's question drew everyone's attention to him.

“What Dezu said is indeed a poor strategy, but it can only be done as a last resort.”

Sima Yi rejected Yang Xiu's suggestion immediately, but Cao Ren had already made his point very clear, and Yang Xiu would not argue with Sima Yi any further.

Then, Sima Yi said, "What Li Feng said makes sense, but it is only a middle-ground strategy, not the best one."

Cao Chun and Cao Xiu's eyes flashed with a strange light. Cao Ren's position in the Cao family group was second only to Xiahou Dun. Now, Cao Cao had appointed him as General Xinglifeng, in charge of commanding the army. He was the first person in the Cao family group to be promoted based on military merit.

At this time, Cao Ren's status was much higher than in the original timeline. In the ninth year of Jian'an (204 AD) in the original timeline, Cao Ren was only a subordinate general, two or three ranks lower than his current title of miscellaneous general.

The reason for this change is that Liu Feng's emergence meant that although Cao Cao's territory was not as large as before, his strength was no less than before.

Although Liu Feng seized Rencheng Kingdom from Yanzhou, the harmonious relationship between Cao Cao and Liu Feng allowed Yanzhou to recover and thrive, preventing it from being further weakened by years of war.

Because of Liu Feng, Sili was restored earlier and was much better off than in the original timeline. It was also able to provide Cao Cao with more soldiers, weapons, food, cloth and other supplies.

At the same time, thanks to the strong support of Liu Bei and his son, Cao Cao was able to obtain some taxes and provisions from Xu, Yu, Yang and even Yuan Shao in Hebei.

Although these taxes and provisions are negligible compared to the usual peacetime, every little bit counts, especially considering that this is over 100,000 shi of grain and wealth.
Cao Cao's total income now far exceeds that of the same period in the original timeline, which allows him to support more troops and even has the surplus capacity to produce some military equipment and armor.

Consequently, Cao Cao's army saw a significant increase in size. Furthermore, due to the reduction in several major defeats—such as the loss of nearly ten thousand elite troops in the Battle of Wancheng and the loss of over ten thousand more in the Battle of Xuzhou and Xiapi—Cao Cao's army not only increased in strength but also ensured the quality of its soldiers.

With the increase in troop strength, the lengthening of battle lines, and the expansion of strategic directions, Cao Cao could no longer handle everything personally. He had to promote trustworthy members of the imperial clan to higher official positions and command more troops, while also allowing them to take on important responsibilities in strategic directions.

In this situation, Cao Ren was undoubtedly the first to be recommended by Cao Cao as General Li Feng. General Li Feng was a miscellaneous title, but because Cao Ren had served as Li Feng Colonel for a long time, he inherited the title of Li Feng.

Therefore, when Sima Yi spoke of "Li Feng" at this time, it was a respectful title for Cao Ren.

Upon hearing that Sima Yi seemed to have a superior strategy, Cao Ang, Cao Chun, Cao Xiu, and others' eyes lit up. Even Cao Ren did not feel offended because Sima Yi rated his suggestion as mediocre; instead, he urged them on.

"Zhongda, what good idea do you have? Please tell me quickly."

Sima Yi knew this wasn't the time to keep things mysterious, so he readily agreed and said, "In my opinion, Chengdu is not a place to hold out for long."

Cao Ren and the others were somewhat puzzled. Chengdu was not a place to be defended for long. Did they have to abandon Chengdu?
Isn't that the suggestion that Yang Xiu made?
However, no one interrupted, and they patiently waited for Sima Yi to continue.

"From Chengdu to Luocheng, and even to Fucheng, it is all flat land. General Zuo can send out cavalry to harass our rear supply lines. Now that Jiange and Tianxiong have been lost, our army can no longer obtain supplies from Hanzhong and Guanzhong. We are relying on the reserves in Fucheng, Mianzhu, Luocheng and other places. Every bit lost is a bit less."

Cao Ang and the others nodded slowly. Once the Left Army cavalry was mobilized, their side would inevitably lose if they held out for too long. A single mistake would be an irreparable loss. Moreover, even without battle casualties, the cost of transporting supplies along the way was a real concern.

However, if the troops were moved to the Luocheng line, the situation would be much better. Not only would the supply line be shortened, but Luocheng, Fucheng, and Mianzhu would also have stockpiled a lot of supplies, so there would be no need to carry out conscription and forced labor for transportation once the troops were stationed there.

Sima Yi continued, "Therefore, in my opinion, the best course of action is to persuade Liu Yizhou to take the troops and supplies of Chengdu and retreat with us to Luocheng. This is the best course of action."

Cao Ang, Cao Ren, and the others' eyes lit up immediately, as if they had suddenly understood something, and they also discerned some of the unspoken meanings that Sima Yi had not directly said.

Chengdu has a population of over 100,000, which is a huge amount of food consumption. If an empty city with only people is left to the Zuo Mu army, it will invisibly add over 100,000 mouths to feed for the Zuo Mu army.

As a result, the logistical pressure on the Left Army has more than doubled.
The immense logistical pressure would inevitably prevent the Left Guard Army from continuing its eastward advance, thus buying more time for Cao Cao's army. This could be considered killing multiple birds with one stone, and could indeed be called a superior strategy.

"I have long heard of Zhongda's strategic brilliance, but I thought people were exaggerating. Today, I have seen him and he is truly a man of great wisdom and talent."

Cao Ren was the first to praise Sima Yi, which clearly meant that he affirmed Sima Yi's insights and was quite satisfied with the strategy.

Cao Ang also smiled and praised, "Uncle, you may not know this, but Zhongda is my good teacher and friend. He has helped me a lot, but he is low-key and does not like to make a fuss. Therefore, few people know that he is exceptionally talented and full of wisdom."

Cao Chun, Cao Xiu, and the others nodded slowly. Cao Chun, in particular, was calm and composed, with a deep and calculating mind. He had always maintained a stable position and was praised by Cao Cao as having the demeanor of a great general. Had he not died young, Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen would have been considered his younger brothers, and even then, only pseudo-younger brothers.

Even he is now smiling at Sima Yi, which shows how popular Sima Yi's plan is.

Although Yang Xiu felt a little jealous, this was only human nature, and it didn't mean he was a villain. Besides, even though he felt jealous, he also acknowledged Sima Yi's talent and admitted his inferiority.

However, Sima Yi's plan was good, but it had one prerequisite: Liu Zhang's attitude.

If Liu Zhang had refused to leave Chengdu with them, things might not have turned out so well.

However, although everyone present had thought of this problem, no one spoke up. This was clearly because Sima Yi's status had greatly improved in everyone's eyes, and no one present wanted to antagonize him.

Of course, given Cao Ren, Cao Chun, and the others' personalities, they wouldn't let personal matters interfere with public duty. They were waiting for Cao Ang's reaction. If Cao Ang didn't grasp this point, they would naturally try to remind him. Fortunately, Cao Ang was also very capable and quickly realized this.

However, Cao Ang was puzzled to see that no one spoke.

"Zhongda, we don't know if Liu Yizhou will agree to stand with us through thick and thin. If he cares about the people of Chengdu and refuses to leave, what will we do then?"

Forcing himself to suppress his doubts, Cao Ang voiced his concerns and asked Sima Yi what solutions he could offer.

Sima Yi then held up two fingers: "I have two strategies, one superior and one inferior."

"oh!?"

Cao Ang was overjoyed. In his view, this was undoubtedly an extremely difficult problem to solve, but he did not expect that Sima Yi not only had a solution, but also two solutions.

"Appreciate further details!"

Sima Yi raised his index finger and said, "The first method is to win over Pang Xi and others. Currently, there is considerable conflict between the troops of Dongzhou and the troops of Shu in Chengdu, and Liu Zhang is in a position to play both sides. Most of the people of Dongzhou are sojourners from Guanzhong and Nanyang, and their hometowns are all under the rule of the court. They must have long yearned to return to their hometowns, which is perfect for us to persuade them."

Cao Ang, Cao Ren, Cao Chun, and the others exchanged glances and slowly nodded, finding Sima Yi's words to be quite reasonable.

“Once Pang Xi and others are willing to return east, Liu Yizhou will not be able to rest easy without the support of the people of Dongzhou.”

Sima Yi revealed a smug smile as he said this, clearly enjoying the feeling of manipulating people's hearts and controlling the fate of others.

Sima Yi concluded with certainty: "Among the troops of Yizhou, generals such as Zhang Ren, Liu Gui, and Leng Bao are utterly devoted to Liu Yizhou. Although they are from Yizhou, they are blindly loyal to Liu Jiyu. As long as we persuade Liu Yizhou to return east, even if Zhang Ren and the others oppose it in their hearts, they will eventually lead their troops to follow him once Liu Yizhou makes up his mind."

Cao Ang clasped his hands in praise and said, "Zhongda is truly a genius strategist."

Sima Yi smiled modestly and declined, saying, "My lord, you flatter me. In fact, this method also has its drawbacks. Because we need to consider the feelings of Liu Yizhou and the generals of Yizhou, it may be difficult to collect grain and fodder in Chengdu."

Cao Ang and the others all nodded, and Cao Ren even laughed and said, "Zhongda's plan is definitely the best one."

Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "Li Feng is wise; he truly cannot be hidden from your discerning eyes."

Cao Ren burst into laughter.

With Sima Yi's feasible plan, the desperate situation began to turn around, and the tense and worried mood of everyone improved significantly.

Cao Xiu, trying to be witty, pressed on, "Zhongda, what is your worst strategy?"

Sima Yi did not refuse and immediately continued, "The worst option is for our army to withdraw from Chengdu alone, but before we withdraw, we must burn all the grain and fodder warehouses in Chengdu."

All the food in Chengdu has been burned. If General Zuo had taken a little slower to take over, people could have easily starved to death.

Unlike people in later generations, most urban dwellers in this era did not have much food stored at home. The better-off families would buy food once a month, while the worse-off families would buy food once a week. Many of the poorest families did not even have enough food to last the next day. Only farmers, or more precisely, large and small landowners and free farmers, could store a relatively large amount of food.

hiss……

All four Caos and Yang Xiu gasped in shock, demonstrating the insidious and ruthless nature of Sima Yi's plan.

However, Cao Ren quickly realized that he had followed Cao Cao through piles of corpses in Yanzhou, and during the most difficult times, everyone was eating Cheng Yu's dried meat.

Although Sima Yi's plan was ruthless, it was indeed very effective. Cao Ren exclaimed in admiration, "This is truly a brilliant plan!"

Sima Yi shook his head and said, "This plan is a poor one. If Liu Zhang had not been so determined not to return east, and if his attempts to persuade Pang Xi, Wu Yi, and Fei Guan had not failed, this plan would not have been appropriate."

Cao Cao and Yang Xiu all nodded in agreement, understanding Sima Yi's unspoken meaning.

Although Sima Yi said that it should not be implemented unless absolutely necessary, doesn't that also mean it should be implemented if necessary?

After everyone agreed on a plan, they began to arrange the division of labor.

Cao Ren was responsible for contacting Huang Quan, Sima Yi and Yang Xiu were responsible for contacting the leaders of the Dongzhou faction, and Cao Chun and Cao Xiu were responsible for contacting the generals of the Yizhou faction.

As for Liu Zhang, Cao Ang personally went to persuade him.

After everyone had assigned their tasks, they immediately placed the messenger under house arrest and strictly prevented any information from leaking out. At the same time, they also sent messages to Li Zheng, the garrison commanders of Luocheng and Mianzhu, instructing them to block the roads and strictly prohibit the defeated troops from coming west.

While these actions might not completely block out the news—after all, Chengdu is a plain with countless paths and trails, and the forces Cao Cao left in the rear simply couldn't maintain complete control—the longer the news could be kept under wraps, the better.

All we need to do is buy Cao Ang and his men enough time to persuade Liu Zhang.

"My lord, we must act swiftly now."

When discussing when to take action, Cao Ang originally planned to wait a few days to make some preparations before proceeding.

Sima Yi, however, advised him to go today, for a simple reason: news of changes in the rear was not something only they could know.

Cao Cao and Yang Xiu all realized that Sima Yi was right. The victorious Left Guard Army was likely to receive the news soon, and it was even possible that they had already received the victory report.

If the Left Guard Army were to strike first and Liu Zhang were to learn of this information in advance, it would undoubtedly make it more difficult for Cao Ang to persuade Liu Zhang.

Cao Ang could no longer sit still. He immediately sent someone to the prefectural government to inform Liu Zhang and request an audience. Meanwhile, he, Cao Ren, Sima Yi, Yang Xiu, and others were in the study discussing how to persuade Liu Zhang.

(End of this chapter)