Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

The Han River rushes down from its upper reaches, passes through the narrow Miankou, and then flows directly into the Yangtze River. In March, the water is calm, but here it becomes somewhat turbulent.

On the left bank of the Miankou River, Wang Qi's Wuwei Army had already been transferred away by Cao Zhen, while Li Ji's troops were still cleaning up the battlefield. Wang Qi had urgently reported the military situation on the river to General Cao Zhen. Upon hearing that the battle at Miankou was in dire straits, Cao Zhen led five hundred cavalrymen from the attacking forces east of Queyue City to come and see for himself.

That was the general commanding 10,000 troops of the Great Wei, the key position in the naval battle, and the Prince of Yongqiu of the Great Wei, the son of Emperor Wu! For decades, Cao Zhen had had no contact with Cao Zhi due to their conflicting stances, and even harbored considerable dislike for him. But today, with the war raging and them fighting to the death, what past grievances could they possibly hold onto?
Five hundred cavalrymen escorted Cao Zhen to the mouth of the Mian River. Cao Zhen reined in his horse and looked intently into the river, only to be so astonished by what he saw that he opened his mouth in surprise:

Three tall and wide warships turned around at the mouth of the river and gradually lay sideways. Dozens of naval soldiers on each ship first threw mooring ropes at the bow and stern, and then connected them with iron chains that had been prepared in advance.

At the same time, the three multi-story ships simultaneously anchored and knocked down the wooden axles of their side spars, causing them to fall into the water and act as anchors. Meanwhile, sailors from nearby boats dragged ropes toward the water's edge, tightly wrapping the thick ropes around the large rocks standing nearby. As the ships drifted slightly eastward with the current, the three multi-story ships gradually stabilized in the mouth of the Mian River under the combined action of the anchors, spars, and ropes!

Upon seeing this scene, Quan Cong's face darkened considerably.

In terms of military strategy, talent, and courage, Quan Cong was never among the top generals of Wu, far inferior to Lu Meng and Lu Xun, and even a step behind Zhu Huan and Zhu Ran. Since the Taihe era of Wei, many famous generals of Wu had died one after another. Lu Xun betrayed Wei, and Zhu Huan, Pan Zhang, Zhu Ran, Sun Shao, Zhang Cheng, and others died in battle one after another. It was fate that brought them together, and in the end, Quan Cong came to do this as Sun Quan's last henchman and right-hand man.

In terms of the process, it seems that no one could have done better than Quan Cong.

Quan Cong had certainly heard of Sun Quan's past success in sending generals Gan Ning, Ling Tong, and Dong Xi to launch a strong attack on Miankou, but he never expected that Cao Zhi would use the same tactics that Huang Zu employed!
There is no distinction between good and bad tactics, only between appropriate and inappropriate tactics, and who uses them.

The Wei Kingdom's warships were larger and wider than Huang Zu's warships of yesteryear. Three warships were placed horizontally to completely shield the entire passage from the Miankou to the Yangtze River, blocking the passage between the left and right banks of the Miankou and Turtle Mountain like a city wall, inspiring awe in all who beheld them.

Quan Cong did not hesitate for a moment, nor did he issue any order to stop.

The ships had already picked up speed. Eight warships, more than twenty large warships, and dozens of small boats, totaling more than 5,000 men, the Wu navy used the warships as their spearheads, and like cavalry charging into battle, they sailed in a wedge shape across the Han River toward the mouth of the Mian River.

Upon seeing this scene, Cao Zhen couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, his right hand gripping the whip so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Judging from both banks of the Miankou River, the Wu ships were moving with great momentum, and the Wei ships did not seem to have the advantage. The soldiers of Li Ji's Wuwei Army here were almost all staring intently at the battle, while the Wu crossbowmen on Turtle Mountain on the right bank, who had been firing crossbow bolts, were firing more sparsely and haphazardly, all focused on the battle.

The crossbowmen opposite the Miankou Pass have been completely wiped out by the Wei soldiers, and just now so many Wei ships passed through the river. There were hundreds of tower ships, warships, and fighting vessels, undoubtedly more numerous than the Wu navy!
These Wu crossbowmen were extremely nervous... Wu had few soldiers in Wuchang and Xiakou, and almost all the soldiers capable of fighting had been incorporated into the navy. Except for the city of Queyue in the north, where a thousand soldiers and laborers were stationed, the cities of Lushan and Xiakou were just for show.

The only hope for the war now is that the navy in the Han River can destroy the Wei ships as soon as possible!
All eyes were focused on the center of Miankou, their minds captivated by this place.

Lieutenant General Li Ji seemed to be deep in thought.

As the son of Li Tong and a key general in the Wuwei Army, Li Ji and his colleagues, including Dian Man, were qualified to command 5,000 or 10,000 troops on the border. The reason they were still only lieutenant generals was because they were in a key position in the central army and could not be promoted further. Watching the navy achieve merits in the Han River and the Yangtze River, Li Ji pondered for a few seconds, and then personally ordered the generals on his left and right to bring the drums and carry them to the riverbank.

Li Ji held the drumstick in his right hand and struck it down with all his might.

Just as Li Ji was beating the drum, Quan Cong's navy almost simultaneously rammed into Cao Zhi's warships.

With a sudden thud, the sound of war drums rang out on the north bank of the Miankou River. Cao Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and he turned to look at Li Ji.

Li Ji did not stop for a moment, and then there was a second, a third... The sound of the Wuwei Army's war drums quickly spread throughout the entire battlefield, and the Wu army crossbowmen on the right bank of the Miankou River all looked over at once, with different expressions.

"Victory!" Li Ji pounded the drum more than a hundred times, then raised his right arm and shouted sternly.

This shout ignited the near-boiling battlefield around Miankou, and the various commanders, officers, and captains of the troops responded to their general's shout, all yelling "Victory!"

Quan Cong, of course, heard the drums and shouts of the Wei army. Standing on the warship, his face turned pale, but he forced himself to remain calm and directed the ships to board.

What made Quan Cong pale was not only the Wei army's momentum, but also the fact that his four vanguard warships failed to ram and scatter the Wei army's warships!

The only option now is to fight to the death with bare hands.

On the left bank of the Miankou River, two thousand soldiers of Li Ji's Wuwei Army raised their long weapons high and shouted "Ten Thousand Victories!" to cheer on the warships in the water. These shouts of "Ten Thousand Victories!" spread like wildfire from the narrow hills on the left bank of the Miankou River, reaching the troops of Wang Qi, Dian Man, and Huan Fan…

Xiahou Wei's troops, positioned a few hundred paces from the mouth of the Mian River as the general reserve force, were not allowed to move without orders. The Wu army had not yet broken through the mouth of the Mian River, and Xiahou Wei was unable to provide assistance due to military orders. However, nearly ten thousand naval soldiers on the fleet joined the infantry on land and shouted in unison.

For a time, on the vast battlefield connecting Miankou and Xiakou by land and water, the Wei army was in high spirits, and the Wu army was momentarily demoralized.

If we examine the details, the three pieces of land where the Miankou River flows into the Yangtze River, standing across the river, are the site of the three towns of Wuhan in the future.

The garrison of the three small cities of Queyue, Lushan, and Xiakou immediately became fearful. They knew better than anyone how weak their city defenses were, and they knew better than anyone what would happen to them if the Great Wu navy could not win.

The Wei army's momentum today seems even more ferocious than in legends.

On the high ground on the right bank of the Mian River, the sensible men among the five hundred Wu crossbowmen, seeing from their vantage point that Quan Cong's forces had failed to shatter the Wei army's warships, had already begun to consider fleeing. When the Wei army began shouting "Ten thousand victories!", they could no longer suppress their panic and scattered in all directions.

One by one, then two by three, and then in groups of five or ten, they fled down to the high ground. The Wu army commander in charge there, seeing that the situation was beyond saving, also abandoned his flag and joined the fleeing crowd.

Seeing this, Cao Zhen did not hesitate any longer. He led his personal guards and rode up to Li Ji's side. Sitting on his horse, he looked down at Li Ji and pointed towards the battle in the water below the hill:
"Li Ji! Are you afraid of death?!"

"How could I, a mere general, fear death? My life is only for serving my country!" Li Ji stood tall and proud, replying, "General, please give me your orders, and I will have no objection!"

"Good!" Cao Zhen nodded: "The boats of all sizes are blocking the river, and the battle is in chaos. Your troops should quickly remove their heavy armor, take up their swords, and enter the water to seize the boats from the shore one by one! This is a crucial point in the battle. The warships are in danger and cannot be lost!"

Li Ji nodded, clasped his hands in a salute to Cao Zhen, and left without saying a word. As soon as he turned around, he took off his helmet and threw it on the ground, shouting loudly to his guards: "All units, remove your armor and take short weapons, follow me to rescue the ships!"

"Yes, sir!" The guards roared in response. Except for the few who relayed the order, the rest helped each other remove their armor on the spot. Then, without stopping for a moment, they rushed up the steep slope towards the riverbank below the hill.

Their general, Li Ji, has already charged ahead with his sword drawn!

Meanwhile, on the left bank of the Han River, forty li upstream from Miankou.

"There's no time to build a pontoon bridge, and the shallows here aren't very shallow either, reaching about a person's neck; only horses can cross..."

After personally inspecting the water level, Right Feathered Forest General Cheng Xi rode to the rear army to report the military situation to the emperor.

Cao Rui, however, did not seem surprised. He chuckled a few times and said, "What's wrong with crossing on horseback? Minister Cheng, you cross first, and I will follow."

Cheng Xi anxiously clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is of noble birth. It is one thing to accompany the army on a raid in the rain, but how can you cross the river in such a wild place? I hope Your Majesty will reconsider!"

"This is an imperial decree!" Cao Rui frowned. "Minister Cheng, go and wait for me on the other side! Do not disobey the decree!"

Cheng Xi hesitated for a few seconds, but having no other choice, she bowed and left in a hurry.

Apart from Li Tong's three thousand Imperial Guards cavalry, only Liu Ye, the Deputy Privy Councilor, accompanied the emperor. Last night, when assigning military duties, generals such as Cao Zhen, Lu Xun, and Cao Tai all advised the emperor not to follow the cavalry on their raid, but Cao Rui stopped them one by one.

Cao Rui told his generals that as the Emperor of Wei, he was with 13,000 elite cavalry in the central army of Wei. Where in the world could be safer than this place? It had nothing to do with the phrase "risking one's life".

Cao Rui also had reasons why he had to go.

The overall military situation was unclear. It was unknown whether the Wu-Shu allied forces in Jiangling had joined the battle in Jiangxia. Although Cao Rui had confidence in Lu Xun's navy, even with confidence, he still had to consider the objective facts.

Moreover, the terrain here is too fragmented, with the Han River and the Yangtze River dividing the land into three sections. Cao Zhen is in command of the battle on the left bank of the Miankou Pass, while Lu Xun is in command of the battle in the middle of the river. Both generals are capable and have sufficient strategic acumen. Furthermore, a flanking maneuver is needed to encircle and outflank the Miankou Pass and the right bank of the Han River. Thirteen thousand cavalry should be dispatched, but the specific military objectives on the Miankou Pass and the right bank of the Han River are still unclear and require contingency planning.

Cheng Xi is a capable general, but in this large-scale battle involving 100,000 Wei troops and at least 50,000 to 100,000 Wu troops, he is not yet ready to assume command of a region, and there is no more suitable commander for the time being...

Under these circumstances, Cao Rui himself seemed the most suitable candidate. The reason why everyone tried to dissuade him was simply because, at this point in time, it was almost unheard of for an emperor to personally lead ten thousand cavalry into battle, as it seemed inconsistent with the identity of an emperor.

Throughout the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, even Emperor Gaozu of Han never personally led ten thousand cavalry in a major battle. If it were a hundred or two hundred years later, this would likely have become more common.

This put Liu Ye, the Deputy Privy Councilor, in a difficult position, as Cao Rui had to bring him over. However, this was no time to consider Liu Ye's health.

Cao Rui laughed and said, "Minister Liu, cross the river with me!"

Liu Ye nodded emphatically in agreement: "When we attacked Liaodong in the fourth year of Taihe, I led eight thousand cavalry on a raid for more than twenty days and we were safe. Although I am old, I can still lead the way for Your Majesty!"

"Excellent!" Cao Rui nodded in response. Cheng Xi's Right Wing Army of the Imperial Guards, totaling ten thousand cavalry, was currently the largest assault force on the entire battlefield, and even in the entire Great Wei. Wang Mi's troops crossed first, followed by Wang Shi's troops, Su Shang's troops, Dong Bi's troops, Li Long's troops, and finally, the troops of Li Tong, the captain in charge of the emperor himself.

Having already crossed the river, they barely stopped, and then rushed down the right bank of the Han River, heading towards the Wu army's naval camp and Lushan City.

The battle at Miankou became increasingly chaotic. Cao Zhi's three large warships remained firmly anchored in the river, with thousands of Wei and Wu soldiers fighting hand-to-hand on board, unafraid of arrows. Most of Li Ji's two thousand Wuwei soldiers had entered the river, either to reinforce the defenses on Cao Zhi's warships or to seize ships and fight the rest of the bloodthirsty Wu navy in the river.

Soldiers would sometimes fall into the water, and after being rescued by their comrades, they would not be afraid and would continue to charge forward with the weapons they had taken from themselves or from the corpses of others.

Further back on the Miankou bank, three thousand soldiers from Dianman's tribe had been drawn from the vicinity of Queyue City and were lined up in battle formation, ready to be removed from their armor and reinstated at any time upon Cao Zhen's command.

Upstream from Miankou, several large warships that had been fighting against Quan Cong's forces temporarily broke free from the Wu army's ships and headed downstream to provide relief.

Quan Cong sighed and looked up at Lushan City on the right bank not far away. The tall flag on the watchtower of the city was still in place, signifying that he, the King of Wuyue, and General Quan Cong Quan Zihuang had still failed to break through the mouth of the Mian River.

Quan Cong was aware of the strength of the Wei navy and the number of ships. If he could not quickly break through the Miankou Pass, Sun Quan's 20,000 naval forces at Yingwuzhou would be 100% unable to withstand Lu Boyan's fleet.

In other words, if Quan Cong cannot break through the Miankou Pass quickly, the battle here will end. He has cover here, but Sun Quan's Parrot Island has no cover! After the Wu ships at Parrot Island are destroyed, the crippled Wu will be finished anyway! Breaking through later will be useless!
"Qin Huang, order all soldiers on this ship to follow behind me and board the central warship."

Qin Huang, who had served in the army, was a long-time subordinate of Quan Cong. Five years ago, during the Battle of Xiangyang, Quan Cong's son Quan Xu was killed in battle, and Quan Cong fainted. It was Qin Huang who helped Sun Quan carry Quan Cong back to camp.

Although Quan Cong appeared calm, how could he not see that Quan Cong had already resolved to die?

Qin Huang did not hesitate and clasped his hands, saying, "Yes, sir. Rest assured, General, I will die before you."

"Do you wish to die for my favor, or for the sake of the Great Wu?" Quan Cong asked.

Qin Huang said, "If death is inevitable, then so be it. Why think about it? I am not like those cowards in Jianye who surrendered without a fight!"

"Indeed," Quan Cong muttered to himself. "How could those cowards possibly understand loyalty and righteousness?"

Quan Cong lowered his gaze and stared at Qin Huang's face for a few moments, as if trying to memorize the man's features. He nodded slightly, then, as the King of Yue, personally charged forward. At this moment, Cao Zhi, on the opposite warship, had also led dozens of his personal guards to join the defensive battle. The King of Yongqiu's armor was of exceptional quality, protecting him from swords and arrows while also drawing Wu soldiers toward him like a torch on the battlefield.

During a brief lull in the fighting, Cao Zhi stood on the deck, holding a halberd and panting heavily. He spoke to Handan Jia, who was also armored but not fighting, beside him:
"Emperor Wu... Emperor Wu recruited soldiers in Yangzhou and passed through Longkang. At night, the soldiers rioted, and Emperor Wu killed dozens of them with his sword. The late emperor practiced martial arts from childhood and was proficient in all kinds of weapons, including knives, swords, spears, and halberds. Today, I fought to the death here and killed four people with my own hands. Only then did I realize the hardship of Emperor Wu's founding of the dynasty and the heavy burden that my elder brother carried back then."

"After returning home from the war, I will not only pay homage to Yang Dezu, but also to the late Emperor! I wish to write an article to pay homage to the late Emperor again!"

Handan Jia nodded solemnly: "General, you fought to the death today and are worthy of the title of descendant of the Cao family! After today's battle, there will be no one in the world who can criticize your past deeds."

"The Wu bandits are coming from the other side again, General, be careful!" Handan Jia pointed to the Wu army troops attacking from the side.

"It's alright." Cao Zhi straightened his helmet. "Today I will hold this ship firmly and will not retreat a single step!"

Quan Cong's troops surged in like a tidal wave, but ultimately failed to break the rocks on the shore, turning into specks of silver that spilled into the river and disappeared.

Meanwhile, on the river surface beside Parrot Island.

The naval battle here occurred slightly later than at the mouth of the Mian River, but it was just as fierce. Lu Xun's 30,000 naval troops faced Sun Huan's 15,000. At first, the battle was evenly matched, but then Lu Xun quickly gained the upper hand, and once the critical point was crossed, the battle became unstoppable.

Sun Quan waited and waited, but the large banners hanging on the walls of Lushan City remained unchanged, and there was no sign of a naval attack from the rear at the point of naval battle on the river. All the evidence indicated that Quan Cong and his 20,000-strong navy had failed to break through the mouth of the Mian River.

Sun Huan and Xianyu Dan were almost defeated; if Quan Cong were trapped in the Han River, it would be tantamount to total defeat...

If the navy is defeated, Jiangxia will be lost. Once Jiangxia is lost, how long can these wretched places like Jiangling, Jingnan, and Jiaozhou hold out against the Wei army? At that time, no matter how vast the world is, there will be no place for Sun Quan! He was once the emperor of Wu, who ruled over a territory of thousands of miles from Xiling to Wujun. How could he have fallen to such a state today?

"Zhang Liang," Sun Quan's face was ashen, his heart filled with a death wish, and he gritted his teeth and whispered, "Go, send out troops, follow me to attack Lu Xun!"

Zhang Liang glanced at Sun Quan's face, pondered for a moment, then knelt down on the deck again and said, "Your Majesty, we should have rescued General Sun and General Xianyu when they were in dire straits; perhaps the battle could still have been turned around. Now, General Sun's ship's flags have fallen, General Xianyu's ship is surrounded by Wei ships, and more Wei ships are rushing towards us. How can we attack? Your Majesty, we should not fight now!"

Sun Quan angrily said, "Zhang Liang, you wanted to fight just now, but now you're not. Why are you so afraid of death?"

Zhang Liang kowtowed repeatedly: "To fight now would be tantamount to suicide! I have been promoted from a lowly Sima to a high-ranking official thanks to Your Majesty's great kindness. How could I fear death? It is only because this trip is not to fight for victory, but to die! I will take the ships and do the dying thing!"

Zhang Liang, ever the persuader, continued, "Your Majesty, do not go to your death. Your Majesty should go to Jiangling, where the Grand General and the Crown Prince are still! Your Majesty should go and find the Crown Prince. Your Majesty, please think of the Crown Prince!"

After Zhang Liang finished speaking, he kowtowed repeatedly.

Sun Quan hesitated for a few moments, his eyes almost turning bloodshot.

The choice between life and death is extremely difficult, not to mention that tens of thousands of troops in Jiangling were still there, and his eldest son Sun Deng was still alive! Zhang Liang's persuasion pulled Sun Quan back from the brink of suicide.

Sometimes living seems harder than dying.

"What do you intend to do?" Sun Quan asked.

Zhang Liang said, "Your Majesty is leading four warships upstream towards Jiangling. I will lead the remaining ships to intercept you. I am willing to die here for Your Majesty!"

Sun Quan bit his lip hard, almost drawing blood, and took off Zhang Liang's helmet. He then put his own gold-inlaid helmet on Zhang Liang's head. After that, he turned around and, without saying a word, disembarked from the warship and led his personal guards toward a large warship.

Zhang Liang shouted loudly, drew his sword, and called upon his generals to meet the Wei ships that were attacking this area.

The events of the past thirty years flashed through Sun Quan's mind: the river flowed east, the warships went west, going against the flow of the great river.

After countless twists and turns, they ultimately fell silent.

Thirteen thousand cavalrymen, who had crossed the river upstream, made a long-distance raid and easily stormed into and captured the poorly defended Quancong Water Village. They then marched eastward along the riverbank, besieging Lushan City. Lushan City surrendered without resistance, and then reached the right bank at Miankou.

Although Quan Cong's desperate charge against Cao Zhi's ships with his elite troops was ineffective, and the newly appointed King of Yue of Wu himself died in the chaos, the situation here remained difficult, as the 20,000 Wu soldiers could not be wiped out in a short time.

The mouth of the Mian River was too narrow, and the warships on the west side ran aground to the point of almost capsizing. The right bank was full of cavalry, and the left bank was full of infantry. The Wu army's naval forces were on board and were unwilling to surrender. Even though their commander was gone, they still insisted on continuing to break through the mouth of the Mian River and enter the river according to their organization.

The current situation is similar to what happened before, but due to the lack of unified command, it's even more chaotic now...

Although Cao Rui's own ability to maneuver over a hundred miles did not play a significant role in the battle... but who knew this before the battle? Just do your best.

Cao Rui stood on his horse on the riverbank, just like Cao Zhen on the opposite bank, his eyes lowered as he watched the chaotic battle unfolding in the river. It was past noon, and the fighting at the mouth of the Mian River had been going on for a long time. Everyone was exhausted, and there was nowhere to go in the river, so they were fighting to the death.

"Should we..." Cao Rui pointed to the river, turned to look at Liu Ye, and was about to ask Liu Ye whether he should bypass Lu Xun and give the order for Cao Zhi to release this remnant army into the river so that Xiahou Wei's troops could continue to wipe them out, when Liu Ye whispered out.

"Your Majesty, look over there!" Liu Ye's voice rose several octaves as he pointed to a warship sailing downstream, its red banner fluttering in the wind: "Lu Boyan has won! Your Majesty, Lu Boyan has won!"

Without further hesitation, Cao Rui pointed to the river and said, "Issue my decree: have the King of Yongqiu untie the mooring ropes and allow the remnants of the Wu army to cross over, where Xiahou Wei's troops will annihilate them!"

"As you command." Liu Ye bowed and replied, then quickly said, "Your Majesty, the river is indeed crucial, but since the Wu army has suffered a great defeat and Sun Quan has no sign of being at Miankou, he must be with the Wu navy at Parrot Island! Since he has been defeated, the traitor Sun Quan will surely flee upstream!"

"Lu Boyan has decided to send men to pursue them on the water, and cavalry should also be sent on land to pursue them!"

Cao Rui composed himself but did not reply immediately. Instead, he dismounted, stood beside his horse with the reins in his hand, and looked towards Miankou, the Han River, the Yangtze River, and the three cities of Queyue, Lushan, and Xiakou.

Nestled against mountains and beside water, with a superior geographical location, it is truly a beautiful place!
"Send Li Tong," Cao Rui said. "Let him pursue Sun Quan and let him decide his own fate!"

"Yes," Liu Ye replied, but before he could say anything more, Cao Rui spoke up again.

"The scenery here is superb, and today we have decisively defeated the Wu bandits here, truly a victory that quelled the chaos." Cao Rui said in a deep voice, "The victory that quelled the chaos is called 'Martial.' Minister Liu, please have the army make preparations later. Tomorrow morning, I will offer sacrifices to Emperor Wu here! To honor Emperor Wu's ambition to pacify the world in the past!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Liu Ye nodded emphatically. (End of Chapter)