My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Chapter 160 Is Xiao He really a god? Cao Cao: You killed my brother, beheaded my nephew, and blinded my son. Liu Bei, you are going too far!
"Wenyuan, the situation is hopeless. We can't recapture Ruxukou. Let's retreat."

Xu Huang beside him shook his head and sighed helplessly.

The cavalry suffered heavy losses, and although the 20,000 infantry suffered few casualties, their morale collapsed and they collapsed without a fight.

This retreat will have to be at least twenty or thirty miles.

By the time you gathered your defeated troops, reorganized your forces, and launched a comeback to attack Ruxukou, Liu Bei had already built a fortification, and his entire army had already crossed the river and established a firm foothold on the north bank.

What will you use to take back Ruxukou?

Zhang Liao's thoughts returned to the present, and he could only raise his whip helplessly:
"Retreat, first retreat back to Hefei, and wait for the Prime Minister to lead the army here, and then listen to the Prime Minister's decision."

The two men turned their horses and headed north.

As soon as the general's flag was removed, Cao's army collapsed and fled north along the Rushu River...

South bank.

On the watchtower, Guan Yinping was holding a telescope, staring intently at the battle on the north bank.

The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry hit a wall, and the White Horse Volunteers switched from defense to offense. The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry was defeated, and 20,000 Cao's infantry retreated...

The entire process of the Queyue Formation displaying its power was in full view.

"Bowen, your Queyue Formation is truly amazing! You defeated the attack of 5,000 enemy cavalry with only 800 men!"

"Huang Hansheng and his men have won. Uncle is already leading the army ashore..."

Guan Yinping's pretty face was filled with joy and she screamed excitedly.

But there was no response from Xiao He behind him.

Guan Yinping had no choice but to put down the telescope. When she looked back, she was stunned.

Xiao He, who was sitting on the lazy chair, had fallen into a deep sleep and was having a sweet dream without him noticing.

"Even if the sky falls, he can still sleep. He is still the same..."

Guan Yinping shook her head and smiled bitterly.

I originally wanted to wake Xiao He up, but seeing that he was sleeping soundly, I couldn't bear it and gave up the idea.

So he took off his cloak, tiptoed closer, bent down, and gently covered Xiao He with the cloak to prevent him from catching a cold.

Then Guan Yinping lay down beside him, quietly watching him fall asleep.

That handsome face is right in front of me.

As she looked, her heart began to beat faster. A bold idea suddenly flashed through her mind, and she couldn't help but feel dizzy.

After hesitating for a moment, she glanced around and saw that there were only the two of them on the watchtower. Deng Ai and other personal guards were all below and could not see what was happening above.

Guan Yinping then bit her red lips lightly with her pearly teeth, took a deep breath, and carefully moved closer to his face.

After a slight hesitation, she lightly touched Xiao He's face like a dragonfly skimming the water.

"Report to the military advisor, our army has won a victory, our army has won a victory—"

Suddenly, Chen Dao’s excited voice was heard from below the watchtower.

Guan Yinping was startled and jumped up suddenly. Her face turned red to her ears and her heart began to beat wildly.

Xiao He woke up from his sleep, stretched and sat up.

When I looked up, I saw Guan Yinping with a flushed face, holding her chest and breathing rapidly.

"Yinping, why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"

Xiao He jumped up, put the back of his hand on her forehead and tested the temperature.

This slightly "intimate" action made her feel shy, her face flushed more and her forehead became hotter.

"It's really hot, maybe I caught a cold..."

Xiao He muttered to himself, looking worried.

Guan Yinping quickly pushed his hand away and blushed, evading the question:

"What cold or fever? I don't understand what you're saying. I'm fine. It's just the river wind. Don't worry~~"

As she said this, she turned away, not daring to meet Xiao He's eyes, for fear that he would notice something.

"How can your face be blown so red by the river wind?"

Xiao He didn't believe it, so he turned her body over and tried her forehead again.

Chen Dao climbed up the watchtower panting and shouted excitedly:

"Military Advisor Bowen, your Queyue Formation was a success. General Huang and his men have joined forces to defeat the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. The 20,000 Cao family infantry have also retreated. We have captured Ruxukou!"

"General Huang Lao even shot Cao Cao's third son, Cao Zhang, in one eye, and General Zilong even killed Cao Xiu in battle!"

"Our army has won a great victory. My lord has asked me to report the victory to the military advisor and take him across the river to celebrate the victory!"

Xiao He's eyes lit up.

The Queyue Formation defeated Cao's army, which was within his expectations.

It was not surprising that Zhao Yun killed Cao Xiu.

Huang Zhong shot and blinded Cao Zhang, which was an unexpected surprise.

"Cao Cao actually sent his yellow-bearded son to Ruxukou. Hmm, he must have wanted to use this opportunity to train Cao Zhang. Unfortunately, this kid is not very lucky..."

Xiao He looked towards the north bank and sneered:
"With a nephew dead and a son blind, our Prime Minister Cao will be furious and ready to fight us to the death."

The blush on Guan Yinping's face had faded, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he snorted coldly:

"It's just right that Cao thief dared to come. Bo Wen, you can give your uncle another clever plan to destroy Cao thief!"

Xiao He smiled and said self-deprecatingly:
"How could Cao Cao be so easily defeated? If your husband could easily defeat Cao Cao with a single stroke of his hand, wouldn't I truly be a god?"

Hearing the words "I, your husband", Guan Yinping's face turned red again.

"We're not even married yet, how can you expect a smooth-talking husband like that~~"

Guan Yinping complained in her mouth, but her red lips were slightly pursed, and there was a shy smile in the corners of her eyes. It was obvious that she was secretly delighted by what was happening in her heart.

Chen Dao watched the two flirting and displaying affection in front of him, scratching his head awkwardly and saying, "Miss Guan, should I step aside for a moment and pick you up across the river later?"

Guan Yinping heard the hidden meaning in his words and turned back to glare at him:
"Why are you avoiding this? Since our uncle has summoned us across the river, there's no reason to delay."

Having said that, Guan Yinping hurried down the watchtower without waiting for Xiao He to speak.

"That's right, let's cross the river then."

Xiao He coughed a few times, then went down the watchtower with a smile.

A small boat sailed north.

...

Hefei.

Battle flags covered the sky, swords and spears were like a forest. Two hundred thousand Cao troops had just arrived in Hefei and were setting up camp outside the city for a short rest.

In the central army tent, before Cao Cao could even sit down, Li Dian arrived from the Ruxu front line.

"What did you say? Say it again?"

Cao Cao slammed the table and stood up, his eyes wide open, and asked in surprise.

Li Dian shuddered and had to repeat:
"Our army was defeated by Liu Bei at Ruxukou, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry suffered heavy losses. Cao Wenlie was killed by the enemy general Zhao Yun, and Master Ziwen was shot in the left eye. Our army had no choice but to retreat thirty miles and set up camp, awaiting the Prime Minister's arrival."

Inside the big tent, Cao's advisers and generals, who were already shocked, were in an uproar again.

Cao Cao fell down on his butt, his face filled with shock and horror.

"Wasn't Wen Lie captured by the Big Eared Bandits? How could he have died at Ruxukou?"

"Zihe brought 4,000 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry with him. Add to your original 1,000 cavalry, that's at least 5,000 cavalry. How could you be defeated by the big-eared thief?"

"Also, Ziwen is an extraordinary martial artist. Who can hurt him?"

Xiahou Yuan was the first to jump up and shouted at Li Dian excitedly.

Cheng Yu also came back to his senses and questioned:
"You command over 25,000 infantry and cavalry, yet how could you allow Liu Bei to easily capture Ruxukou and inflict heavy damage on him?"

"Given the combat effectiveness of our army and the talents of your generals, this shouldn't happen."

One martial artist and one scholar, they asked a series of questions.

Cao Cao suddenly came to his senses, slammed the table and shouted:

"What happened? How did you lose so miserably? Tell me!"

Li Dian, visibly ashamed, had no choice but to challenge Liu Bei to a battle. The three Cao uncles and nephews fell for Liu Bei's provocation, and their lord withdrew his troops, allowing Liu's army to cross the river. As a result, they were defeated by the enemy's crescent chariot formation...

Li Dian silently explained the whole cause and effect.

There was another uproar in the big tent.

Cheng Yu, Xiahou Yuan, Liu Ye, Le Jin...all the counselors stared wide-eyed and looked at each other, as if they had heard a fairy tale.

"Eight hundred enemy soldiers and a few chariots actually routed your five thousand cavalrymen?"

Cao Cao's eyes were filled with deep suspicion and naturally he couldn't believe it.

"We also found it incredible at the time, but after reviewing the situation, we discovered that the enemy's crescent-shaped chariot formation was actually a unique formation that could restrain our cavalry. This formation..."

Li Dian simply squatted down, drew the Queyue Formation, and outlined the entire battle in detail.

The more Cao Cao listened, the more engrossed he became. In a trance, he put the disastrous defeat out of his mind. His expression was full of novelty, as if he had discovered a new continent.

"Prime Minister, Liu Bei's Crescent Moon Formation utilizes the Yangtze River as its backing, preventing our cavalry from flanking us from the rear. It truly capitalizes on the terrain!"

"Not only that, his formation combines chariots, naval warships, lancers, crossbowmen, and even cavalry to perfection, seamlessly integrating them. It's truly ingenious!"

"This formation is truly the nemesis of cavalry. No wonder you and your friends were defeated!"

Cheng Yu saw through the subtlety of the Queyue Formation at a glance and couldn't help but marvel at it.

Everyone suddenly realized what was going on and started talking in the tent.

Cao Cao stroked his thin beard, squinted his eyes and stared at what Li Dian had drawn, nodded slightly and said:

"I didn't expect the Big Ear Thief to be able to set up such a strange formation. I wonder who offered it to him."

This statement came out.

Cao Cao and Cheng Yu were startled, as if they had suddenly thought of something at the same time, and they looked up at each other.

"Xiao He!"

The Cao family's chief ministers called out that name in unison.

Cheng Yu took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:
"Among all the counselors under Liu Bei, the one who could come up with such a unique formation is probably none other than Xiao He."

"But if that's true, then this person is not only incredibly calculating, but also proficient in formations. He's so hidden that it's terrifying!"

"Could it be that the rumors are true, and this person is truly the descendant of an immortal from another world? Otherwise, how could he be so omnipotent?"

Cheng Yu's voice trembled slightly, and he looked up at Cao Cao.

He had always believed in ghosts and gods but kept his distance from them, but at this moment he couldn't help but feel shaken and began to associate Xiao He with these vague things such as ghosts, monsters and gods.

"Xiao He, Xiao He..."

Cao Cao clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and an extremely complicated look appeared in his eyes.

Speculations aside, the fact is that the Huainan Army suffered a crushing defeat.

Cao Cao had no choice but to suppress his shock and anger, and ordered the entire army to stop resting and continue marching south without stopping.

Three days later, thirty miles north of Ruxukou, Cao Cao met up with the defeated Zhang Liao's troops.

Inside the big tent.

When Cao Cao saw his son who was blind in one eye, his heart felt as if it was cut by a knife and he suddenly felt a sharp pain.

"Father, you are finally here!"

Cao Zhang fell at Cao Cao's feet and shouted angrily:
"Father, please give the order. I will lead the charge back to Ruxukou and kill that big-eared thief with my own hands to avenge my arrow!"

(End of this chapter)