The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 259 Guan Yu Floods the Seven Armies
Meanwhile, Cao Cao suffered setbacks in his campaign in Hebei and lost the initiative to launch attacks elsewhere.

Therefore, Cao Cao had no choice but to turn his attention to the south.

It is hoped that Cao Ren can gain the upper hand on the Runan battlefield.

If Cao Ren can suppress Guan Yu in Runan, then Liu Bei, who is in the north, will surely lead his troops back to reinforce the south.

This would alleviate Cao Cao's operational pressure in Hebei.

According to Cao Cao's plan, the worst outcome would be a draw between Qi and Wei, with victory at Runan.

Both sides cease hostilities for a short rest, and will fight again next year.

The best outcome would be for Liu Bei to lead his troops back to reinforce the area, allowing Cao Cao to seize the opportunity to reclaim the lost territory.

In short, the Runan battlefield was crucial to the overall war situation between Qi and Wei.

After careful consideration, Cao Cao immediately made the following arrangements.

He ordered Du Xi and Yue Jin to each lead their respective troops south immediately to support Cao Ren.

Then he ordered the Yanzhou army, the Yuzhou army, and the Qiaopei military army to cooperate with Cao Ren's movements at any time.

There is nothing more important than winning the battle of Runan!
After deploying his forces in the southern battlefield, Cao Cao also intensified his defenses in the north.

He ordered the commanders of each battalion to fortify their defenses and clear the fields, holding their ground and refusing to engage in battle.

Soon, Cao Cao's strategic plans were relayed back to Liu Bei's camp by spies from the State of Qi.

Liu Bei hastily gathered his civil and military officials to discuss the matter, and said to them:

"Currently, Cao Cao's campaign in Hebei is unfavorable, and he intends to lead a large army to Henan."

"In my opinion, the situation in Hebei is now settled."

"I wish to lead my troops back to Xuzhou. Firstly, so that I can support Guan Yu at any time, and secondly, so that I can alleviate the pressure on the transportation of food and provisions at the front."

What do you all think?

Liu Bei expressed his desire to return to Xuzhou.

This was to support Guan Yu's southern campaign and alleviate the pressure on food and fodder transportation.

Of course, what Liu Bei was most worried about was the transportation of grain and fodder.

He still trusted his second brother's abilities.

Liu Bei brought 30,000 troops from Xuzhou.

The water and land transportation within the Qi state was already considered excellent, but even so, it still required about 60,000 to 80,000 laborers to support it.

This is not a small number.

That's why they say it's not about the quantity of soldiers, but their quality.

Sometimes, having too many soldiers can indirectly increase logistical pressure.

Back in the day, when Yuan Shao was invincible, he had an army of 110,000 men at the Guandu front alone.

Even though Yuan Shen's family was large and powerful, trouble still broke out in his backyard.

At that time, Ye City was engulfed in numerous rebellions.

Even in the capital, a large number of people rebelled, which shows that Yuan Shao was under tremendous pressure to maintain such a large army on the front lines.

Liu Bei deployed nearly 80,000 troops in Hebei and crushed his way through, which was certainly very satisfying.

But the price of this pleasure is the rapid depletion of the nation's once-prosperous treasury.

Previously, when the war broke out, Liu Bei was able to grit his teeth and hold on.

Now that they have gained the upper hand on the Hebei battlefield, Liu Bei believes it is time to slightly reduce the number of troops deployed in Hebei.

"...Hey! No way!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yi was the first to stand up and object.

"Now that Hebei has gained the upper hand, it is the time to take over the Wei territory."

Why is Your Majesty retreating at this time?

Liu Bei then said:

"Cao Cao fortified his camps and ordered them to hold their ground and not fight, clearly indicating that he was prepared for a stalemate."

“Our Hebei army is large, and if we stay here for too long, it will only waste our food and supplies.”

"It would be better to withdraw my troops and engage Cao Cao in a stalemate."

Liu Bei couldn't help but recall the Battle of Guandu.

Their Henan allied forces also used a stalemate strategy to slowly fight Yuan's army to the last moment.

Now Cao Cao is resorting to the same old trick, trying to replicate the stalemate of the Battle of Guandu in order to force Liu Bei's army to retreat.

Liu Bei's solution was to first reduce the number of troops stationed in the north.

This way, they wouldn't have to fear Cao Cao's protracted war.

Then, after Guan Yu achieves victory on the Runan battlefield, Cao Cao will only be able to choose between Hebei and Runan.

"As long as General Guan wins in Runan, Cao Cao will surely lead his army back to rescue him."

"At that time, Your Majesty will be able to take over the land of Hebei in one fell swoop, which is in line with our army's initial strategy."

"If Your Majesty withdraws your troops now, all our previous efforts will be in vain."

Li Yi earnestly advised him.

It is precisely because Guan Yu had a chance to win that we should concentrate our efforts on Hebei.

Then, when the time is right, we can swallow up all of Hebei.

Old Liu, now that you've taken your troops away, do you know how much effort it will take to rely on the remaining troops from Hebei?
Hebei was now the military and political center of Cao Wei.

Unlike other cities, which can be taken and then forgotten.

This political center was almost entirely tied to the Cao Wei regime.

For every territory you conquer, you must leave a large army to guard it.

Otherwise, it would be very easy to incite a rebellion.

Liu Bei hesitated for a moment, then opened his lips and asked Li Yi in a slow voice:

When I first arrived in Hebei, the Prime Minister said to me: —

"The Hebei army alone is sufficient; I wish the king to remain and garrison Qingzhou."

"Now that Hebei is powerful, I wish to return to Xuzhou to raise troops."

"Why does the Prime Minister obstruct him again?"

When I first came to Hebei, you complained that the soldiers from Hebei alone were enough.

Hebei's advantages are now very obvious, and I want to go back to Xuzhou, but you won't let me.

Why is there such a contradiction and inconsistency in their actions?
Li Yinai explained methodically:

“In the past, when the situation was unclear, we requested that the king reside in Qingzhou to provide support.”

"This is the way of acting by suspending power."

"Now that we have gained power, we should use the benefits to control the situation."

"In the present world, the only person Cao Cao fears is Your Majesty."

"With the king present, Cao Cao will be attacked from both sides."

“If the king leaves, they can concentrate their efforts on conquering the south.”

"General Guan may be brave and resourceful, but if Cao Cao were to mobilize all his troops from the Central Plains, wouldn't Runan be in grave danger?"

To put it bluntly, why didn't Cao Cao dare to allocate all his resources to Runan?
It's all because you stayed in Hebei, Lao Liu.

Cao Cao dared not personally go to rescue Runan because he was afraid of you.

If you leave, Cao Cao will immediately mobilize resources to pour into the south.

By going back and forth like this, you're putting the cart before the horse.

It would be better to take advantage of our current favorable situation and stay in Hebei.

Out of fear, Cao Cao dared not act rashly and could only remain in Hebei to keep an eye on you.

In this way, Cao Ren will have limited resources in Runan, so it's best to leave them to the Second Prince to manage himself.

Whoever makes the first move will be throwing their own team into disarray.

In fact, a similar situation can be seen in the historical Battle of Xiangfan.

At that time, Guan Yu was in Xiangfan, helping Liu Bei to contain Cao Wei for a year and a half.

However, Liu Bei chose to return to Chengdu at this time.

Where was Cao Cao at that time?
In Chang'an.

Why was Cao Cao able to remain calm even after Guan Yu had defeated Cao Ren so badly at Fancheng?
Because Liu Bei was in Hanzhong at the time.

Cao Cao feared that Liu Bei, taking advantage of his great victories on the Hanzhong and Xiangfan fronts, would launch a direct attack.

If Cao Cao leaves, he won't even be able to hold onto Guanzhong.

Therefore, even though the Xiangfan battlefield was extremely unfavorable, Cao Cao still had to stay in Chang'an to maintain control.

For no other reason than to keep an eye on you, Liu Bei.

As a result, Liu Bei returned to Chengdu.

Cao Cao immediately dispatched Yu Jin, Xu Huang, and a group of others to the south to support Cao Ren.

Because he knew that Guanzhong was safe now, he could devote all his resources to attacking Guan Yu.

From Liu Bei's perspective, why did he want to return to Chengdu?

The reason for this was that Hanzhong could not afford to support so many soldiers.

In order to fight the Battle of Hanzhong, Liu Bei almost mobilized the entire nation's resources to resist Cao Wei.

It has reached the point where "men should fight and women should transport supplies."

Under these conditions,

If Liu Bei doesn't return to Chengdu after declaring himself king, it might incite popular uprisings and military mutinies.

Therefore, Liu Bei's choice to withdraw his troops and return to Chengdu was not problematic.

The real problem is that Liu Bei, the King of Hanzhong, has also returned to Chengdu.

The army can retreat to Chengdu in batches, reducing the consumption of food supplies.

But you absolutely cannot leave behind the symbolic image of the King of Hanzhong.

As long as Liu Bei doesn't leave, Cao Cao will have to stay in Guanzhong to guard against you.

You can then play a huge restraining role.

Cao Cao would worry that you were going to attack Guanzhong, and that you would go down the Han River to support your two brothers.

You remain in Hanzhong.

How could Meng Da and Liu Feng not send troops to support Xiangfan?
As soon as you left, Cao Cao even transported all the newly recruited soldiers to Xiangfan.

Therefore, we often say,
In ancient times, the emperor's personal command of a military expedition was the most powerful way to boost morale.

The current situation is actually quite similar to the Battle of Xiangfan in history.

As long as Liu Bei, the King of Qi, remained in Hebei, Cao Cao would not dare to make any rash moves.

The second master will be able to play his cards better in Runan.

As for Liu Bei's concern about the depletion of grain supplies...

Simple,
Just withdraw the troops you brought back to Xiapi in batches.

But the symbolic image of you, King Qi, must remain in Hebei.

Your presence in Hebei has greatly boosted the morale of the military and civilians there.

This would further intimidate Cao Cao, making him hesitant and constantly on guard against the Hebei front.

Upon hearing Li Yi's analysis, Liu Bei adopted his suggestion.

He then ordered his 30,000 troops to withdraw to Xiapi in batches.

To alleviate the pressure on the supply of food and provisions to the front lines.

On the other hand, he asked Li Yi if they needed to do anything on the Runan battlefield.
Li Yi then said:

"With General Guan's bravery and strategy, taking over Runan would be enough."

"Your Majesty need only wait quietly for news."

Li Yi was full of confidence in the victory on the Runan battlefield.

Even if you are a Shu hater, someone who doesn't like Guan Yu.

You can take a look at the surroundings of Guan Yu.

Guan Yu was the commander-in-chief, and Zhao Yun was the deputy commander-in-chief.

Chen Yuanlong was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Huainan naval forces, with Gan Ning and Jiang Qin as vanguards and Chen Jiao as the military advisor.

Zhuge Liang was stationed in Xuzhou to oversee the transport of grain.

Lu Su was in charge of foreign affairs and oversaw the international situation.

With this setup, Li Yi really couldn't think of any reason to lose.

For now, all we need to do is wait quietly for news from Runan.

……

Runan, the main camp of Guan Yu's army.

Guan Yu stood outside the camp, quietly gazing at the surging Huai River before him.

It is now late summer and early autumn, a time of frequent rain.

It has been raining heavily for ten days, and the river is rising rapidly.

Guan Yu calmly stroked his beard, and a few more whiskers appeared in his hand.

He had about a hundred long beards, and every autumn he would lose three or five of them.

Guan Yu was afraid that his beard would grow thin and sparse, so every winter he would wrap it in a black gauze bag.

To prevent the beard from falling out.

At that moment, a person walked up from behind.

Guan Yu looked at him and saw that it was Chen Yuanlong.

Chen Deng handed a piece of brocade to Yun Chang, saying:

"General Guan can use this gauze to wrap his long beard to protect the roots."

Guan Yu then said:

"Thank you for your kindness, Yuanlong, but I am accustomed to wrapping my beard with a black gauze."

Chen Deng then laughed and said:
"General Guan is now a General of the Vanguard, holding the imperial insignia to oversee military affairs in the south."

"Why be so frugal, wasting even a single piece of silk?"

Guan Yu then said:

"It is not that I am frugal, but this black gauze was a gift from the King of Qi."

"I wrapped it up as if I were seeing my brother's face, and I really couldn't bear to throw it away."

Therefore, the old gauze was still used to protect the beard.

Upon hearing this, Chen Deng couldn't help but sigh deeply:
"You are truly a righteous man of the world!"

After saying this, he handed the silk brocade to Guan Yu and advised him:
"This brocade was a gift from the King of Qi."

“Just now, a royal envoy arrived and instructed me to hand over this gauze to you.”

"This fully expresses the king's longing for him."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu placed both hands on the silk gauze.

He bowed facing north, repeatedly expressing his gratitude.

Next, remove the old soap and wrap the long beard with new gauze.

Chen Deng praised him as the "Gentleman with a Magnificent Beard".

Guan Yu then said:

"The King sent people all the way from Hebei, not just to deliver this silk brocade."

"I suspect there's something else going on."

"……good."

Chen Deng nodded. "His Majesty sent word that General Guan can focus on the war in Runan."

"The matter in Hebei has been pacified by Your Majesty and Prime Minister Li."

"Apart from the 30,000 troops brought by Yu Jin, Cao Wei can hardly mobilize any more troops."

it is good! !

Guan Yu was overjoyed; he had finally waited for this day.

"I didn't expect the war in Hebei to be progressing so smoothly."

"...Yes, I heard that General Huang killed Cao Wei general Xiahou Yuan at Beiqiu."

"The state of Wei was shaken, which enabled the Qi army to achieve initial victories and repeatedly suppress the Wei army."

Huang Zhong?

Guan Yu stroked his beard; he had heard of this name before.

Although Huang Zhong was also a member of Liu Bei's camp.

However, Huang Zhong joined Liu Bei's camp as a commoner and started from the bottom.

Compared to when Guan Yu first joined, he was already worlds apart.

Not to mention comparing him to Guan Yu, who had already been promoted to the rank of General.

It's understandable that Guan Yu didn't have a strong impression of Huang Zhong. He then asked, "What official positions were these men appointed to?"

Chen Deng touched his chin, seemingly finding it somewhat strange as well.

"...King Qi overruled the objections of the majority and appointed Huang Zhong as General of the Rear."

"In addition, Ma Chao, the governor of Bingzhou, was appointed as the Left General."

"Now all the generals in the four directions have been appointed."

what! ?

Guan Yu frowned, his brows furrowed, and he stroked his beard repeatedly.

"...My brother Zhang Fei possesses the courage of ten thousand men, and it is entirely reasonable for him to be ranked alongside me."

"Ma Chao came from a distinguished family, with generations of dukes and marquises."

"In the Battle of Hedong, Bingzhou was captured in one battle, and the prestige of the city shook the world."

"It is not inappropriate to place him on the same level as someone else."

"But who is Huang Zhong? How dare he be ranked alongside me?"

Guan Yu flicked his sleeve and snorted:
"How can a true man associate with an old soldier!"

Historically, Guan Yu also refused to be ranked alongside Huang Zhong, reasoning that a great man should not be ranked alongside an old soldier.

This also shows how many plot holes there are in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

The novel *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* contains a fictional story about Guan Yu's battle at Changsha.

At this point, Guan Yu and Huang Zhong had already developed a mutual respect for each other.

Why did Guan Yu act as if he didn't recognize Huang Zhong later, and even criticize him as an old soldier?
In the end,

Historically, Guan Yu and Huang Zhong had very little interaction and were not familiar with each other at all.

Guan Yu was an extremely arrogant person, and he had every reason to look down on Huang Zhong.

For example, Guan Yu was a commander-in-chief who single-handedly guarded Jingzhou.

In Guan Yu's eyes, Huang Zhong was nothing more than a veteran soldier who charged into battle.

Even taking Huang Zhong's pride and glory as an example, his bravery is something to be proud of.

Guan Yu charged into the midst of a massive army and beheaded Yan Liang.

Isn't that more impressive than Huang Zhong's slaying of Xiahou Yuan, who had only four hundred elite soldiers by his side?
Therefore, from Guan Yu's perspective, Huang Zhong was inferior to him in every way and was still an old soldier.

Yet he wanted to be ranked alongside himself as one of the four generals.

It's only natural that Guan Yu felt resentful.

Guan Yu was simply straightforward and liked to express his dissatisfaction directly.

After all, he was in Jingzhou and hadn't personally witnessed Huang Zhong's impressive feat of beheading Xiahou Dun.

In Zhuge Liang's words, it is:

"Ma and Zhang were nearby and witnessed their achievements firsthand, so they can be used as examples."

"Guan Yao will surely be displeased upon hearing this."

This means that Zhang Fei and Ma Chao witnessed Huang Zhong beheading Xiahou Dun at Dingjun Mountain, so they definitely admired Huang Zhong.

Guan Yu, being far away, would certainly feel resentful.

"...General, you are mistaken."

Chen Deng advised, "In the past, Xiao He and Cao Can were the closest to Emperor Gaozu when they jointly carried out important tasks."

"Han Xin was a general who had fled from Chu, and Chen Ping was also a fugitive who arrived later."

"However, when it comes to the ranks, Han Xin is superior, and there is no record of Xiao He and Cao Cao having any grudges over this."

"Now the King of Qi has made a great contribution to the Han Dynasty with his temporary achievements."

"He regarded General Guan as one body, as close as a brother."

"The general is the King of Qi, and the King of Qi is the general."

"How could the general be the same as the others?"

"Since the general has received such great favor from the King of Qi, he should share the joys and sorrows and the fortunes and misfortunes with him, and should not concern himself with the difference in official rank."

"But I regret this action, for I fear I will regret it in the future!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu suddenly understood and bowed to thank Chen Deng, saying:

"I was confused just now, but fortunately Yuanlong enlightened me."

"If it weren't for your insightful opinion, I would have almost made a grave mistake."

Chen Deng thought to himself, "The king has already sealed it, how can I not advise you?"
Now that I have been ordered to assist you in the battle of Runan, I naturally hope that you will focus all your attention on Runan.

Instead of getting caught up in these official titles.

Since you and the King of Qi are as close as brothers, how could the King of Qi treat you unfairly?
Chen Deng was also filled with mixed feelings. He had been stationed in Huainan for nearly ten years.

I thought the King of Qi would entrust him with the southern campaign.

In the end, Guan Yu was still sent to act as a proxy, thus protecting himself.

Ugh……

In the end, it's still your own brothers who are trustworthy.

But Chen Deng thought again,
Guan Yu was the head of the military officials in the State of Qi, and Li Yi was the head of the civil officials in the State of Qi.

Both men opposed Huang Zhong being appointed as a general.

However, Liu Bei ultimately overruled the objections and gave the position of General of the Rear to Huang Zhong.

I wonder what Huang Zhong was thinking at that moment?

In another dimension,

Perhaps, just as described in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," Huang Zhong said to Liu Bei before his death:
"I am a warrior, and I am lucky to meet Your Majesty!"

Although Liu Bei had not yet declared himself emperor when Huang Zhong died in history.

But it was precisely Liu Bei's trust and promotion that allowed Huang Zhong, this gem, to shine brightly in the last few years of his life.

Without Liu Bei, Huang Zhong might have remained an ordinary warrior forever.

Just then, a scout rushed by with news:

"Cao Cao appointed Yu Jin as general, leading seven routes of elite troops to arrive."

"They have already stationed themselves in Anyang!"

Guan Yu hurriedly asked for specific information.

The scouts reported that Yu Jin had come in a show of force, beating drums and gongs, and striding forward like a tiger.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu's expression changed drastically, his magnificent beard fluttered, and he roared in fury:

"All the heroes under heaven who hear of my great name tremble with fear."

"Cao Ren led the troops of Runan and they were all defeated and subdued by Guan Yu."

"They cowered in the new city, not daring to go out and fight."

"Yu Jin, you lowly scoundrel, how dare you be so arrogant and underestimate me!"

Chen Deng, standing to the side, said:
"General Guan, there is no need to worry. Wei has already suffered setbacks in its war in Hebei."

"Cao Ren was trapped in Xincheng again. Yu Jin was a general who was skilled in battle and proficient in military strategy."

"Therefore, the purpose of making a big show of it is to boost morale and create a powerful impact."

"Ignore him and focus on attacking the new city."

Guan Yu resolutely declared:
"Does he really intend to undermine Guan's reputation built up over the past twenty years?"

"In this battle, I will surely capture Yu Jin and kill Cao Ren!"

"What countermeasures does the general have?" Chen Deng asked.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Gan Ning came running up.

He shouted repeatedly:

"Commander! The water level is rising! The water level is rising!"

Chen Deng quickly stopped him, saying:

"Xingba, proceed slowly! No loud noises are allowed in the military camp!"

Gan Ning apologized and explained:

"...Your Excellency may not know this, but these past few days have seen torrential rains, causing the Huai River to overflow its banks."

"Water has seeped into our camp, and the soldiers' shoes are soaked and they are in great distress."

"I saw that my soldiers were in distress, so I came to report to the commander."

Guan Yu led the group out of the camp to investigate.

Sure enough, the Huai River had overflowed and flooded the camp.

So Guan Yu ordered the main camp to move up the hillside.

Taking advantage of the relocation of camp, he also said to Chen Dengdao:

"Yuanlong, follow me to a higher place to observe the Wei camp."

Chen Deng accepted the order, immediately mounted his horse, and led a dozen or so riders with Guan Yu to look towards the high ground.

All that could be seen in the new city were troops stationed there.

The Huai River was flowing very swiftly, and it looked like it was about to submerge the flat land.

Guan Yu looked at it for a long time, then said happily:
"Yu Jin will surely be captured by us!"

Those around him asked how to capture Yu Jin.

Chen Deng then said:

"Could it be that they are diverting water from the Huai River to irrigate Runan?"

Guan Yu was overjoyed and repeatedly said:

"That is exactly what I meant."

"The sweltering summer heat has not yet subsided, and the autumn rains continue."

"The rain has been falling for ten days in a row. If this continues, the Huai River will surely overflow."

"At that time, all that is needed is for someone to block the water outlets at each location."

"When the water rises, take a boat to a high place and release the water to flood the area."

"...Heh heh, the soldiers in all parts of the new city are like fish and turtles in the water!"

Water attacks are generally used to trap or imprison the enemy.

The city was surrounded by water, and the people inside could only wait to die.

For example, Cao Cao flooded Xiapi.

But at this moment, Guan Yu had an even bolder idea.

Historically, water attacks involved directly breaching dikes and dams to flood the city.

But the weather has been kind to us lately, with torrential rains falling for several days in a row.

If water were diverted for irrigation, it could potentially destroy Anyang City, where Yu Jin was located.

The city walls during the Three Kingdoms period were mainly rammed earth walls.

When faced with the impact of a large flood, they may be directly swept away.

Guan Yu had just climbed to a high place and looked into the distance when he discovered that Anyang City, where Yu Jin was located, was far less fortified than the new city.

After all, the number of fortified cities in the Three Kingdoms period was very limited.

It is also easy to understand why Yu Jin led seven armies to garrison in Anyang.

Anyang is not far from Xincheng, where Cao Ren is located, and the two cities can protect each other from a strategic angle.

They echoed each other and offered mutual support.

But Guan Yu keenly sensed the opportunity to capture Yu Jin first.

"...Although the water level has risen sharply, it will not be easy for the general to directly divert the water to flood Anyang."

Chen Deng pointed out the difficulties in Guan Yu's battle plan.

Water attacks are effective, but they come with many prerequisites.

First, you need to build a canal to bring in the water.

Second, you need to build dikes to prevent the water from flowing away and direct it to where you want it to flow.

Both of these projects are extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming.

This is usually something the attacking side dares to do when they have a huge advantage.

Otherwise, if city people come out and harass you, you won't be able to work in peace.

Therefore, flooding a city usually takes time.

Guan Yu's face was filled with excitement at this moment. He said to Chen Deng:
"Yuanlong, do you still remember what Prime Minister Li did in Huainan eight years ago?"

Eight years ago?
Chen Deng frowned and thought carefully.

Eight years ago, it was still the honeymoon period between Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

The two sides joined forces and together destroyed the arrogant Yuan Shu.

Then the two families divided Huainan among themselves.

Later, with Li Yi's help, the Cao and Liu families cooperated to build a great project.

"Shaopi River Channel!"

Chen Deng felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and almost blurted it out.

Eight years ago, at Li Yi's suggestion.

The Cao and Liu families built numerous canals upstream from Shaopi.

It connects the Huai River, the Guan River, and the Ying River together.

At the time, Li Yi's actions were criticized by many in Liu's camp.

The reason is that although the Xiushaopi can irrigate farmland in Huainan.

However, the results are quick to appear, but the project is extremely large.

This will cause Liu's camp to lose the initiative in future conflicts between Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

Li Yi's solution was to cooperate with Cao Cao to repair the structure, thereby reducing costs.

Once the Shaopi River channel is repaired, both families will use it together.

This approach once again drew opposition from the public.

Because Cao Cao controlled the most waterways; the entire Yuzhou and Huainan water system were almost entirely under his control.

If the two sides cooperate to build it, Liu Bei will suffer a great loss.

However, Li Yi still overruled the objections and persuaded Liu Bei to cooperate with Cao Cao to repair the river.

Ultimately, Liu Bei adopted Li Yi's suggestion and chose to cooperate with Cao Cao to repair the river at an extremely high cost.

At that time, Cao Cao was overjoyed to see Liu Bei willingly take the fall.

Eight years have passed, and the Shaobei River channel has long been completed.

And all the weirs along the Huai River were in perfect working order.

Most importantly, with the help of Chen Yuanlong's Huainan navy, Guan Yu had already seized control of the Huai River.

Next, all he had to do was dig up the dikes along the Huai River.

They could then use the Huai River as a battering ram to breach Yu Jin's Anyang city in one fell swoop.

Thinking of this, Chen Deng couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaim:
"Could it be that Prime Minister Li foresaw this day eight years ago?"

Guan Yu stroked his long beard, his eyes filled with respect, and sighed:

"If it were someone else, I would never believe that they possessed such great abilities."

"But if we talk about you, sir, you are a master strategist who can win battles from afar."

“Yuanlong has worked with him for more than ten years, how could he not know his extraordinary abilities!”

Chen Deng was startled and subconsciously looked to the north.

He felt a deep admiration for Li Yi.

Ten years ago, he cured his illness.

On his advice, they switched to eating sea bream.

Chen Deng is still in good health today, all thanks to Li Yi.

“…Ziyu, Ziyu, I am so lucky to have a friend like you in this life.”

Chen Deng felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

I feel like I haven't seen Li Yi in so long, I really miss him.

Soon after, Guan Yu and Chen Deng immediately devised a battle plan.

Then he ordered that all officers and soldiers prepare more boats and rafts and pack water equipment.

Gan Ning and Jiang Qin were both excellent swimmers and skilled surfers.

Upon learning of Guan Yu's battle plan, they were overjoyed.

He said privately:
“We are used to playing with water, and we have always lived in Huainan. We have never had water in our lives.”

"General Guan's diversion of water to irrigate Anyang deserves some credit for this!"

……

(End of this chapter)