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

Chapter 186: The Cao family is the king of scams. After scamming your father, they scam your uncle! Xiao He: Are you surprised? Are you surprised?

Ten days later, Hefei City.

Xiahou Yuan, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Liao, and Cao Pi, who had just fled to Hefei to avoid the limelight, gathered together.

Several people sipped tea while listening to the personal guards reading a secret letter in public.

That was the "letter of surrender" that Liyang Magistrate Bu Zhi had just asked his confidant to deliver.

"Zhang Zibu, this Bu Zhi intends to surrender to the Prime Minister. How credible do you think it is?"

After listening to the whole text, Xiahou Yuan glanced at Zhang Zhao.

Zhang Zhao put down his tea, took the secret letter, and looked at it carefully again before he made up his mind.

"Bu Zhi was one of the earliest Jiangdong rebels to surrender to Liu Bei. Given Liu Bei's ability to employ talented individuals, he would certainly entrust him with important tasks."

"And now, according to what he said in his letter, Liu Bei demoted him to a county magistrate because Guan Yu deliberately suppressed him. It is understandable that he would be resentful of Liu Bei."

"As for his sister's engagement with Xiao He, Zhao had heard Lu Su mention it before, so it must be true."

"And now Xiao He has married Guan Yu's daughter. It's understandable that he is wary of Guan Yu and his daughter, so it's understandable that he breaks his promise and enriches himself."

"If I have carefully verified what Bu Zhi wrote in his letter, that he surrendered to the Prime Minister out of anger because of the injustice he suffered, I believe it is about 80% true."

Zhang Zhao stroked his half-white beard and analyzed it incessantly.

The suspicion in Xiahou Yuan's eyes gradually disappeared, and he waved his hand and said:
"If that's the case, you should immediately pass on the order and have the spies conduct a thorough investigation."

Zhang Zhao hurriedly accepted the order.

After joining Cao Cao, Zhang Zhao used his network of connections in Jiangdong to incite many of Sun's former officials to defect and act as spies for Cao Cao to gather information.

All the intelligence that Cao's army obtained about Liu's army in Jiangdong came from Zhang Zhao's intelligence network.

Now, in order to prove whether what was written in Bu Zhi's secret letter was true, Xiahou Yuan naturally had to rely on Zhang Zhao.

"What a pity! Bu Zhi is only a county magistrate, and Liyang City is far away from Hefei, so it's impossible to defend it."

"Even if it's proven to be true, we can only ask him to take the people of Liyang and migrate north. There are only a few thousand people left."

Xiahou Yuan's words showed a certain contempt for the surrender of Bu Zhi, a small character.

At this time.

Cao Pi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly jumped up, rushed to Zhang Zhao in a few steps, and snatched the "letter of surrender".

Everyone looked at the second son of the Cao family, all confused by his sudden unusual behavior.

There was a hint of excitement in Cao Pi's expression. He scanned the silk book carefully and finally found the information he wanted between the lines.

"May God bless my father and my Cao family!"

"Hahaha--"

Cao Pi danced with joy while holding the letter of surrender, and laughed wildly with excitement.

Everyone opened their mouths wide, staring in amazement at the suddenly "crazy" second son of the Cao family.

"Zihuan, what are you laughing at? What do you mean by God bless the Cao family?"

Xiahou Yuan put down the bowl of soup and asked suspiciously.

"Uncle Miaocai, look at this..."

Cao Pi came closer, held the letter of surrender in front of Xiahou Yuan, and pointed at it with trembling hands.

"That scoundrel Guan Yu threatened Zhi that if he failed to serve the Empress and the Prince of Jiyin well when they went to Liyang to reward the troops, after he captured Hefei and returned, he would report to Liu Bei and punish Zhi for the crime of disrespect..."

Xiahou Yuan's eyes suddenly widened, and his expression changed from confusion to surprise.

He understood why Cao Pi suddenly laughed wildly.

King Jiyin Liu Xi!
In his letter of surrender, Bu Zhi actually mentioned that Prince Liu Xi, who was "kidnapped" by Liu Bei, was going to Liyang to reward the troops!

He was Liu Xie's only son and the legal first heir to the throne of the Han Dynasty.

Cao Cao dreamed of taking it back, establishing him as the new emperor, and regaining the banner of holding the emperor hostage to control the princes!

And now, this "rare commodity" will soon be headed to Liyang, a small city in the north of the Yangtze River, less than a hundred miles away from Hefei.

Isn’t this a pie in the sky?

"Uncle Miaocai, Liyang City is only a hundred miles away from here. If we march day and night, we can reach the city in two days at most."

"Uncle, why don't you have Bu Zhi report the time when the Prince of Jiyin will leave for Liyang, as well as the strength of Liu's army in the city? Then, before Guan Yu's army arrives, we can lead our troops to attack Liyang unexpectedly and easily capture the city."

"Then my uncle will be able to recapture the Prince of Jiyin, and my father will be able to establish him as the new emperor. Then my father will be able to mend the situation and still hold the banner of serving the emperor and punishing the disloyal!"

Cao Pi spat wildly and excitedly pointed out what Xiahou Yuan was thinking.

The hall was immediately in an uproar.

Both Zhang Liao and Zhang Zhao were shocked. They quickly stood up and walked forward to take a closer look at Bu Zhi's letter of surrender.

Xiahou Yuan rushed to the map in a few steps, his eyes quickly scanning between Hefei and Liyang, silently calculating the distance in his mind.

"Zihuan, you're really quick-witted and saw this good opportunity."

"Yes, yes, this is indeed a great opportunity for us to take back the King of Jiyin."

Xiahou Yuan tapped the map with his fingertips, excitement surging between his brows.

Obviously, the commander of the Hefei Legion had been persuaded by his nephew and had the idea of ​​rushing to Liyang to rescue Liu Xi.

"General Miaocai, I think we should be cautious about this matter."

Zhang Liao, who had remained silent all this time, now said calmly:

"Guan Yu's main force has now reached Chao County and may accelerate its march at any time and attack Hefei City directly."

"Liyang City is more than a hundred miles away from Hefei City. What if the enemy's main force suddenly advances and reaches the city gates while my army is leaving?"

This reminder made Xiahou Yuan's excitement fade away and his mood calmed down a bit.

"Furthermore, according to intelligence from our spies, it was Xiao He who escorted the Empress and the Prince of Jiyin south to Jiangdong. This man's extraordinary foresight is known to everyone in the world."

"Over the years, we've fought against Liu Bei, and we've been defeated by Xiao He's schemes. Haven't we seen enough examples?"

"Liao believes that launching a surprise attack right under Xiao He's nose is too risky. We must be extremely cautious."

Zhang Liao analyzed the pros and cons, and did not hide his fear of Xiao He in his words.

Then he bowed and said seriously:

"So Liao believes that since the Prime Minister has given us the task of defending Hefei, we should stay in Hefei and not do anything unrelated to defending Hefei!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Pi became anxious before Xiahou Yuan made any statement.

The emperor died in his hands, and the empress and her son also slipped away from him. Now he is burdened with the infamy of regicide and was driven out of Xu Du by Cao Cao and sent to Hefei, a remote place. It can be said that he has almost no chance of becoming the heir to the Cao family.

The only way to turn the situation around is to quickly accomplish a great deed for the Cao family, make up for his mistake, and win Cao Cao's favor again.

At this time, Liu Xi, the emperor's bloodline, is close at hand. This great achievement is almost at his fingertips. Should he really keep silent and refuse to take it?

"Zhang Wenyuan, my father often praised you for your courage and strategy, saying you have a vision superior to that of ordinary generals. I never thought you would be so short-sighted."

Cao Pi glared at Zhang Liao and said sternly:
"Liu Xi is the late emperor's only son. It is most legal and legitimate for him to inherit the throne. Only then can my father silence the people's complaints and continue to hold the emperor hostage to command the princes under the banner of justice!"

"This banner of righteousness is far more important than the mere city of Hefei, ten times or even a hundred times more important!"

"You ignored the opportunity to recapture this flag, and instead were content to defend Hefei. Aren't you a mere figurehead, a short-sighted person?"

Zhang Liao was so embarrassed that his face turned red and he was speechless for a moment.

"Uncle, Xiao He is indeed cunning and deceitful, but he is also a man who forgets his loyalty when he sees profit. Otherwise, why would he betray Bu Zhi in order to curry favor with Guan Yu, forcing him to secretly surrender to our Cao family out of resentment?"

"Even the wisest man can make mistakes, and Bu Zhi was one of his miscalculations!"

"I don't think he could have guessed that Bu Zhi had secretly defected to us and could reveal to us the itinerary of the Queen and her son, as well as the true situation of Liyang City."

"If that's the case, he would never have expected that we would suddenly send a large army out of the city, attack Liyang, and seize Liu Xi before Guan Yu's army reaches Hefei!"

Cao Pi was full of confidence and bowed generously to Xiahou Yuan:

"Uncle, you are a great general of the imperial clan. You should always consider father's long-term plans. How can you be like these outsiders who just sit there and do nothing?"

"Uncle, you must not miss this God-given opportunity to recapture the King of Jiyin!"

Xiahou Yuan's hesitation and concerns were instantly shattered by Cao Pi's passionate words.

The blood in his heart suddenly ignited, Xia Houyuan waved his hand and said sternly:
"Zi Huan is right. The bloodline of the late emperor will never fall into the hands of the big-eared thief. Now that I've stumbled upon it, how can I not take it back?"

Cao Pi breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face.

Zhang Liao was naturally unhappy about Cao Pi's sarcasm, but seeing that Xiahou Yuan had been convinced, he dared not raise any more objections.

Xiahou Yuan had made up his mind and immediately ordered Zhang Zhao to reply to Bu Zhi and accept his surrender. He also instructed Bu Zhi to promptly report the Queen and her son's itinerary for settling in Liyang, as well as the strength of the city's defenses.

Three days later, Bu Zhi sent back news that the queen and her son had arrived in Liyang, and reported the strength and weakness of the military deployment in the city.

Xiahou Yuan made a prompt decision, leaving Zhang Liao and Cao Pi to lead 10,000 troops to guard Hefei, while he himself led 20,000 elite troops out of the city at night and headed straight for Liyang City.

...

At dusk, Liyang City.

In the inner courtyard of the county government, Empress Fu, Princess Changle Liu Man, and Prince Jiyin Liu Xi were leisurely sipping tea.

As usual, Xiao He came to greet her and her two children on time.

"From Wancheng to Jiangdong, Xiao Qing has made very thoughtful arrangements along the way. Thank you for your concern."

Queen Fu nodded slightly, her words full of gratitude.

Xiao He hurriedly bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, your words are too kind. I, your Majesty, have ordered you to escort your Majesty and the two Highnesses back to Moling. This is my duty."

After a few more polite words, Xiao He was about to take his leave.

At this moment, Deng Ai rushed in excitedly and reported that the scouts had reported that a large group of Cao's troops were spotted in the northwest direction of Liyang City and were attacking the city.

Xiao He smiled.

As he expected, Xiahou Yuan took the bait and ran towards the queen and her two children.

"Send a message to Tan Zhi, order him to lead his troops onto the city walls and prepare for battle."

"Send the order to the water camp and tell Xingba to get ready. Wait for my signal to fire and then attack immediately!"

Xiao He issued two orders in succession, then turned and bowed to the Queen:

"Your Majesty, as you have just heard, my plan to lure the enemy has been successful. Xiahou Yuan is leading Cao's army towards Liyang."

"Please sit down for a moment, Your Majesty and Your Highnesses. I will report the victory to Your Majesty after I have defeated the Cao army that has come to your door."

After saying that, Xiao He turned and left.

"Military Advisor Xiao, wait a minute!"

Princess Changle Liu Man jumped up, a look of hatred burning on her pretty face, and she stood up and said:
"I will go with Military Advisor Xiao. I want to see you kill Cao's army with my own eyes and avenge my father!"

Xiao He's heart trembled slightly.

They had been together for nearly a month from Wancheng all the way to Jiangdong. In his eyes, the young princess Liu Man always looked weak and delicate.

Unexpectedly, when the battle was about to begin today, Princess Changle suddenly showed her resolute and cold nature.

Xiao He looked at Queen Fu.

Queen Fu nodded slightly.

Since the queen had nodded, Xiao He naturally had no reason to refuse. He immediately took Liu Man and headed straight for the south gate of Liyang City.

When they climbed to the top of the city wall, Liu Jun was already ready for battle.

Guan Ping personally commanded 3,000 elite soldiers and stationed them at the south gate. "Military Advisor Xiao, you previously said that Cao's army would attack Liyang City from Hefei. So, they must be attacking from the north."

"If that's the case, why didn't Military Advisor Xiao take charge at the North Gate, but came to the South Gate instead?"

Liu Man climbed up the city wall and looked at Xiao He with confusion.

Xiao He's eyes lit up slightly.

The fact that she could express such views clearly showed that Her Royal Highness the Princess was quite knowledgeable and had some understanding of military affairs.

"Xiahou Yuan's purpose for this trip was not to capture Liyang, but to seize His Royal Highness the Prince of Jiyin."

"Then his biggest worry is naturally that we would see Cao's army attacking and escort the Prince of Jiyin out of the city through the south gate, into the water camp, and take a boat to the river..."

Before Xiao He finished explaining, Liu Man's eyes lit up and she spoke first:
"I understand. So Xiahou Yuan wants to block the South Gate first, cutting off our retreat to the Yangtze River, and then trap us in Liyang City?"

Xiao He smiled, cupped his hands and praised:

"Your Highness is so quick to understand. He is truly intelligent and worthy of being a descendant of the royal family."

Liu Man smiled bitterly and sighed:

"What do you mean by 'descendant of the royal family'? I'm just a weak woman without a father to protect me. From now on, I will have to rely on Military Advisor Xiao to take care of me."

At this time, Liu Man returned to her weak and gentle appearance.

Xiao He knew his state of mind, so he smiled and comforted him:
"Don't worry, Your Highness. My Lord is the uncle of the late Emperor. He will definitely treat Your Highness well and protect Her Highness. The same goes for the Empress and His Highness the Prince of Jiyin."

"Like my master, I will naturally fulfill my duties as a minister and do my best to respectfully serve and protect the Empress and the two Highnesses."

After hearing Xiao He's promise, Liu Man felt a little relieved.

Just as he was about to speak again, Deng Ai suddenly pointed to the west of the city and shouted:
"Military Advisor Bo Wen, there's dust and fog approaching from the west of the city. It must be Cao's army!"

Xiao He no longer paid attention to Liu Man and looked towards the west of the city.

really.

I saw rolling dust and fog, covering the sky and sweeping along the north bank.

From this situation, it was obvious that Cao's army was heading towards the south gate.

Xiao He then took out a telescope and observed carefully.

In the field of vision, the figures of Cao's infantry and cavalry and the flag of "Xiahou" were clearly visible.

The number of enemy troops is at least more than 20,000.

In other words, Xiahou Yuan mobilized nearly 70% of the troops defending Hefei to launch a surprise attack on Liyang.

Xiao He raised the corner of his mouth and shouted softly:
"Send a message to Xingba, tell him to hold his composure and wait until the majority of Cao's troops reach the south gate before taking action. Don't alert the enemy!"

Deng Ai immediately issued an order, and the command flags on the top of the city walls fluttered like the wind.

Liu Man, who was standing beside him, looked at the "strange thing" in Xiao He's hand, and a look of deep curiosity appeared on her face.

"This Xiao Bowen is truly unique. He is completely different from my father's ministers and Cao Cao's counselors..."

Liu Man's eyes flickered, and she was amazed.

South of Liyang City, on the north bank of the Yangtze River.

Twenty thousand Cao's infantry and cavalry were already rolling in, bringing with them a cloud of dust.

Xiahou Yuan galloped on his horse, his ferocious eyes fixed on the direction of Liyang's south gate.

What he was most worried about was that the defenders in the city would see that the situation was not good and escort Liu Xi to escape from the south gate, enter the water camp and escape to the Yangtze River.

In this way, he had traveled over a hundred miles in vain and came up empty-handed.

Fortunately, the drawbridge at the south gate had not fallen and the city gate had not been opened. It was obvious that the defenders in the city were in great chaos and had no time to react.

We have arrived at the South Gate!

Xiahou Yuan swung his sword and shouted:
"Ignore the enemy troops in the water camp. Block the south gate and don't let a single soldier escape!"

According to the "intelligence" sent by Bu Zhi, Liu's army in the water camp had only a thousand people, and most of the dozens of warships were empty, posing no threat.

Based on Bu Zhi's intelligence, Xiahou Yuan naturally chose to ignore Liu Jun's water camp and concentrated all his efforts to block the south gate, and broke through Liyang in one go.

As a result, the Cao army, which was rolling in, quickly assembled and formed a battle array outside the south gate of Liyang, but their flanks and rear were completely exposed to the direction of the water camp.

"Big-eared thief, do you think you can make Liu Xi emperor, or learn from my brother to use the emperor to control the princes?"

"Today I will snatch Liu Xi away from you, leaving you with nothing!"

Xiahou Yuan looked at the sparsely scattered soldiers on the city wall, and a sarcastic sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Then, with murderous intent ignited, he brandished his sword and shouted:

"All troops, listen to my command! Attack immediately and flatten Liyang!"

"After you capture the city, kill everyone except the queen, her mother, and her son!"

"I want to massacre Liyang with blood!"

The order was passed down and the war drums sounded.

Cao's army roared like wild beasts and rushed towards the south gate of Liyang City.

On the city floor.

Liu Man was frightened by the momentum of Cao's army. Her body trembled slightly, and a hint of fear involuntarily flashed in her bright eyes.

When he saw Xiao He standing there calmly, his fear was greatly reduced.

So Liu Man took a deep breath, stepped forward and stood side by side with Xiao He. The fear in his eyes turned into hatred as he looked down at the Cao army rushing towards the city.

The enemy is approaching.

Xiao He glanced at his brother-in-law Guan Ping.

Guan Ping understood and raised his sword:
"Brothers, stop hiding and show yourself!"

The horn sounded on the city wall.

The three thousand Liu troops hiding under the battlements suddenly stood up and filled the line of the South Gate in an instant.

The Cao army, which was rushing forward, saw that the city wall, which was originally sparsely populated by soldiers, was suddenly densely populated by Liu's army. Their faces changed and they subconsciously slowed down their pace.

Xiahou Yuan's expression also changed.

According to Bu Zhi's intelligence, the troops escorting the queen and the other two, plus the defenders of Liyang City, totaled no more than 5,000 people.

Now, there are nearly three thousand people appearing at the South Gate at the same time. It is obvious that they have been lying in ambush for a long time and suddenly appeared.

This kind of formation clearly shows that the defenders were well prepared.

"Could it be that…"

Xiahou Yuan shuddered, and an extremely ominous premonition surged in his heart.

On top of the city.

Xiao He had locked onto Xiahou Yuan through the telescope and could clearly see his stunned and uneasy face.

"Xiahou Yuan, are you surprised? Are you surprised?"

Xiao He smiled coldly, waved his hand and shouted again:
"Light the signal fire and send the order to Gan Xingba to deploy the ambush troops."

After the order was passed down, three smoke signals were quickly lit on the south gate tower.

Inside the water camp.

Gan Ning, who had been preparing for battle for a long time, gave an order and the soldiers of Liu's army who were hiding in the cabin broke out of their cages like wild beasts.

Tens of thousands of Liu's soldiers rushed off the warships and out of the water camp like a tide, and attacked Cao's army from behind as they were forming a battle array to attack the city.

"General Xiahou, a large group of Liu's troops are charging out from the water camp!"

The screams of the soldiers woke Xiahou Yuan up.

Looking back quickly, he gasped and his face was stunned with shock.

According to Bu Zhi's intelligence, aren't there only a thousand or so Liu troops in the water camp?
How come so many Liu troops suddenly rushed out, at least more than 20,000 in number?

Xiahou Yuan's face was filled with shock and astonishment, his eyes darted around like shuttles, and he suddenly shuddered. Three words popped into his mind:
Fell into a trap!
Bu Zhi must be pretending to surrender!

The purpose was only to provide him with false information, use the Prince of Jiyin as bait, and lure him and his army from Hefei to Liyang.

Liu Jun in the city was well prepared and on high alert.

There must be ambushes of Liu's army hidden in the warships of the water camp, waiting for Liu to be caught off guard and line up to attack the city with his back to the water camp, and then suddenly attack and kill him by surprise.

All of this is a strategy to lure the snake out of its hole, just to annihilate the main force of his Hefei Legion!
Liu Jun’s real target is still Hefei!

"Xiao He? Could it be that Zhang Wenyuan's prediction came true? Is this all just another scheme by that demonic being?"

Xiahou Yuan exclaimed, his voice hoarse and trembling.

Just as he was stunned and dazed, Gan Ning's 20,000 ambush troops had already attacked.

The Cao army, which was lined up with its backs to the enemy and had no time to turn its guns, was rushed and thrown to the ground in an instant, and its formation was in chaos.

Wailing, screaming, exclamations... echoed across the riverbank.

Xiahou Yuan finally woke up at this moment, gnashing his teeth and stamping his feet, cursing:

"Zihuan, ah Zihuan, I shouldn't have been instigated by you and fell into the evil scheme of Xiao and the demon. You have caused me so much trouble~~"

After complaining, Xiahou Yuan's fighting spirit collapsed, and he shouted anxiously:

"Retreat, the entire army will immediately withdraw to Hefei—"

The panicked Cao army turned around and fled like a frightened bird.

It's too late.

The south gate burst open.

Guan Ping commanded three thousand Liu troops and rushed out from the south gate like a tide.

Under the pincer attack from the north and the south, the 20,000 Cao troops completely collapsed. Like lambs to be slaughtered, they were killed to pieces by Liu's army, and blood flowed like a river.

On top of the city.

Xiao He held up a telescope and admired this exciting ambush battle.

"Good kill, good kill!"

"Military Advisor Xiao, you must have your soldiers kill all of Cao's henchmen to comfort my father's spirit in heaven!"

The originally weak Liu Man was now so excited that she clapped her hands and cheered.

She clenched her fists and looked so excited, as if she couldn't wait to go into battle and kill the enemy herself to avenge her father.

"Use this to see more clearly."

Seeing this, Xiao He smiled and handed the telescope to her.

Liu Man was slightly startled, then she took it carefully, full of curiosity, and held it in front of her eyes, imitating Xiao He's behavior.

After just one look, Liu Man's eyes immediately widened and she exclaimed:

"What kind of magical object is this? It's like a clairvoyant, and it can see so far away?"

Xiao He smiled but did not answer, turning back to Deng Ai and saying:

"Shi Zai, light the second signal fire and pass the order to Zilong. Tell him to lead the White Horse Guards to intercept the fleeing enemy. Do not let Xiahou Yuan retreat back to Hefei!"

"Send a message to my father-in-law and tell him to march north and seize Hefei!"

(End of this chapter)