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

Chapter 200: I can’t take care of both, so I’ll have to suffer for my brothers first! Liu Bei was surprised: Bian came to beg me without Cao Cao’s knowledge?
Inside the Chinese army's tent.

Cao Cao had already sat down, gulping down soup and tea to calm his anger.

Cheng Yu and the others were so frightened that they dared not even breathe a word, and all looked at Cao Cao anxiously.

After a long time.

Cao Cao's anger had just subsided. He sighed deeply and waved his hand towards everyone:

"The war in Huainan has reached this point, it's a foregone conclusion. How should I respond? Do you have any good plans?"

The counselors looked at each other, and no one said a word.

There are only two choices now.

One is that Cao Cao withdrew his troops eastward to rescue Huainan.

With the main force of Cao's army numbering over 100,000 approaching Huainan, Liu Bei naturally dared not covet Shouchun anymore and would have to retreat without a doubt.

But this means that the battle to pacify Guanlong will be abandoned halfway.

The Ma-Han coalition forces entrenched in Huaili may counterattack Chang'an at any time, and the Sanfu area that had just been recovered may be lost again and fall into the hands of the bandits in Liangzhou.

The second way is to continue attacking the two bandits Ma and Han and never withdraw troops until the entire Guanlong territory is recovered.

Then in the Huainan direction, Cao Ren needs to gather the defeated troops and defend Shouchun with the existing forces at hand.

No one can guarantee whether it can be defended.

If Shouchun is lost, the entire Huainan region will fall into Liu Bei's pocket, and Liu Bei's minions will extend to the Central Plains!

Xuzhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou will all face the threat from Liu Bei.

Besides, there is Cao Ren, the Cao family's number one general. If something happens to him and he dies in Shouchun, who would have the courage to take the responsibility?
The counselors were all smart people and chose to remain silent.

"Zhongde, tell me, what should I do?"

Seeing that his advisers remained silent, Cao Cao had no choice but to point out the person's name.

Cheng Yu was helpless. After coughing a few times, he could only say:
"Huainan borders the Central Plains and is closely related to the safety of the three states of Yan, Yu, and Xu. Naturally, we cannot ignore it."

"However, the success or failure of Guanlong is also related to whether the Prime Minister can unify the north and whether he can have no worries in the future and devote all his energy to the southern expedition to wipe out Liu Bei. It would be a pity to give up halfway now."

"According to the latest military reports, although the General Zhendong suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Hefei, he still has 30,000 troops available, combined with the troops Zhang Wenyuan withdrew from Chengde."

"With the talent of General Zhendong, the bravery of Zhang Wenyuan and Li Mancheng, and the strategic planning of Liu Ziyang, coupled with the fortifications of Shouchun City, it would be best if we could hold out for several months until our lord pacifies Guanlong and the army returns south to provide relief."

"However, Liu Bei's army is three times larger than ours. He currently has numerous powerful generals under his command, and he is assisted by men like Xiao He. It is difficult to say whether General Zhendong can withstand Liu Bei's siege and defend Shouchun City."

"The current situation is indeed a dilemma, and it's not easy to make a decision..."

Cheng Yu's eloquent speech only analyzed the situation clearly and put it before Cao Cao, but he did not advise Cao Cao on what choice to make.

Although he did not express his opinion directly, Cao Cao could hear that Cheng Yu was privately inclined to pacify Guanlong and asked Cao Ren to hold on in Shouchun for a few months.

It’s just that the matter is of great importance, Cheng Yu doesn’t dare to take this responsibility, and can only induce and hint him with words.

Cao Cao stood up and stood in front of the map with his hands behind his back, his eyes wandering between Guanlong and Huainan, and he remained silent for a long time.

After weighing the pros and cons for a long time.

Cao Cao slammed his fist on the map and said firmly:

"I have failed twice in my southern expeditions, both due to the Liang Province bandits holding me back. Now the situation for pacifying Guanlong is very favorable. How can I give up halfway?"

"For the long term, I have decided to pacify Guanlong first, and then save Huainan!"

Cao Cao turned around, his face as determined as iron, and waved his hand, saying:

"Send a message to Zixiao immediately, telling him to defend Shouchun to my death at all costs, and never give up Huainan!"

Cheng Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Cao Cao's decision was exactly what he had in mind.

All the counselors had no objection.

Only Sima Yi seemed to hesitate to speak several times.

"Sima Zhongda, do you have any objection to my decision?"

Cao Cao's eyes were so sharp that he could tell at a glance that this young strategist who had recently been summoned to the prime minister's residence had something to say.

"The Prime Minister is truly far-sighted and far-sighted."

Sima Yi first complimented him, then changed the subject:
"However, I believe that, for the sake of safety, even if the Prime Minister does not lead the main force back to rescue Huainan, he should still deploy troops south to divide Liu Bei's forces and relieve the pressure on the General Zhendong."

Sima Yi stood up and pointed at the map:
"Yi believes that the Prime Minister should order Zang Ba Sun Guan to lead the Qingxu garrison troops south from the Sishui River to attack Xuyi, threatening to cut off the Huai River and forcing Liu Bei to transfer heavy troops to Xuyi."

"To the west, the Prime Minister can withdraw 5,000 garrison troops from Xudu and send them to Nanyang under the pretext of escorting grain. Then, they can suddenly change course and march south along the Ying River directly towards Yingkou City."

"Liu Bei thought that my main forces were in Guanzhong and Nanyang, and that I couldn't withdraw troops from the northwest to rescue Shouchun, so the Yingkou line must be under-defended."

"If this surprise force of mine can recapture Yingkou in one fell swoop, it will open up a passage from Xudu to the south of the Huai River, and put pressure on Liu Bei from upstream, forcing him to send a large force to recapture it."

"Liu Bei has only 80,000 soldiers and horses. If we divide them into two groups, the number of soldiers needed to besiege the city will be no more than 50,000."

"With the ability of General Zhendong, with 30,000 soldiers and horses resisting the attack of 50,000 enemy troops, how can you not resist?"

Sima Yi gave his views on the situation and offered a plan.

Cao Cao's eyes lit up, and he showed admiration. He stroked his beard and nodded slightly:
"Sima Zhongda, among the eight Sima brothers, you are the most virtuous. The rumors are indeed true."

"Well, your plan is very much what I want, very good."

Sima Yi did not dare to be complacent at all after gaining Cao Cao's attention, and was busy being humble.

Cao Cao then adopted Sima Yi's suggestion. The next step was to decide who to send to lead the special forces from Xu Du to recapture Yingkou.

The problem now was that he was fighting on three fronts, and most of his capable generals had been deployed to garrison the four fronts. In Nanyang were Xu Huang, Xiahou Shang, and others; in Guanzhong were Zhang He, Le Jin, and others; and Cao Ren, Zhang Liao, and Li Dian were in Shouchun.

In Xudu, only Xiahou Dun was left who could take on the important task.

But Xiahou Dun is also responsible for guarding the capital, so how can he act rashly?

For a moment, Cao Cao found himself in a situation where no one was available.

"Father, my brother-in-law Xiahou Zilin is well versed in military tactics and is extremely brave and skilled. He has the same style as my talented uncle!"

"I recommend Xiahou Zilin to lead the army to attack and capture Yingkou."

Cao Pi took advantage of the situation and stepped forward to recommend him to Cao Cao.

The brother-in-law he was referring to was Xiahou Mao, the son of Xiahou Yuan.

The reason, of course, is that selfishness outweighs public interest.

Xiahou Mi was a descendant of the Xiahou family and had been friends with him since childhood, so he could be considered one of his men.

If Xiahou Mi can make great contributions in this battle, he will be highly valued by Cao Cao and will have a place among the royal family generals, which will naturally be beneficial to him.

"Zilin is indeed a child of his father's style. The five thousand troops dispatched from Xudu should be led by a member of the royal family. Only then will I feel at ease..."

After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, Cao Cao said:

"Okay, the person you recommended is excellent. It's settled. I will secretly order Zilin to lead the army and attack Yingkou."

Cao Pi was secretly pleased with himself and looked back at Sima Yi.

Sima Yi frowned slightly and shook his head secretly, obviously disagreeing with Cao Pi's recommendation of Xiahou Mi.

But the water that had been poured out could not be taken back, so Cao Pi had no choice but to pretend to ignore Sima Yi's hint.

"Prime Minister, although Xiahou Zilin has his father's style, he is still young and lacks combat experience."

"Yu believes that it would be safer to choose an experienced general as his deputy."

Cheng Yu couldn't help but remind him.

Cao Cao thought about it and realized that it made sense. His eyes rolled around and he racked his brains to think of who else could be used in Xudu.

After thinking for a while, Cao Cao thought of someone and said:

"Then appoint Zhang Yan as Zilin's deputy general and assist him in attacking Yingkou."

Zhang Yan was originally the commander of the Black Mountain Army. After Cao Cao captured Ye City, he led 100,000 Black Mountain troops out of the mountains to surrender.

Although Cao Cao appointed Zhang Yan as General Pingbei to set an example, he was always wary of his Black Mountain bandit background.

So after pacifying Hebei, he stripped Zhang Yan of his troops, gave him a high-ranking official position and generous salary, and kept him in Xudu, no longer allowing him to lead troops.

Zhang Yan was able to command 100,000 Black Mountain troops and deal with powerful men like Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan in Hebei for more than ten years. His military talent is naturally beyond doubt.

When there were no generals available, Cao Cao thought carefully and had no choice but to re-employ Zhang Yan to assist his son-in-law in attacking Yingkou.

The decision was made, and the messenger immediately headed straight for Xudu with Cao Cao's secret order.

Cao Cao's thoughts then turned back to the battle between him and Ma Chao and Han Sui.

Just now, Cao Pi wanted to offer a plan to capture Huaili, but was interrupted by Bian's unexpected intrusion.

After Sima Yi's reminder, Cao Pi hurriedly bowed:

"Father, I know you and Han Sui had some friendship when you were in Luoyang. I think, why don't you try to sow discord..."

...

Huainan, Shouchun.

More than 80,000 Liu troops have begun to set up camp around the city and launch a siege on Shouchun City.

Inside the central military tent, a Shouchun sand table had been placed.

Liu Bei, Xiao He and other counselors and generals listened to Ding Feng's description of the city's defenses while discussing strategies to break the city.

While they were discussing, Chen Dao hurried in and whispered something into Liu Bei's ear.

A strange look flashed in Liu Bei's eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he ordered the military meeting to be temporarily ended, leaving only Xiao and Pang Tong in the tent.

Xiao He and Pang Tong looked at each other, curiosity flashing in their eyes, wondering what Chen Dao had said that caused Liu Bei to suddenly interrupt the military meeting.

"Shuzhi, let that person come in."

Liu Bei sat back in the upper seat and gave the order with a wave of his hand.

After a moment, a mysterious man in a black robe and a gauze hat, who was covering his face, walked into the tent.

The man took off his mask and bowed to Liu Bei:
"My name is Yang Xiu, and I'm here to meet Lord Xuande."

Yang Xiu?

A look of surprise flashed in Xiao He and Pang Tong's eyes at the same time.

Yang Xiu, a descendant of the Hongnong Yang family, was Cao Cao's chief clerk?
After escaping the battle of Huaiyin last time, didn’t this guy go back to Xudu to report the news on Cao Ren’s orders?
How could he suddenly come to visit his lord in such a mysterious manner at the critical moment when Shouchun was under siege?

Xiao He's eyes turned, and he immediately guessed that Yang Xiu's visit must be related to Cao Zhi.

"Yang Xiu, you are a minister of the traitor Cao, why do you come to see me at this time?"

There was also deep curiosity in Liu Bei's eyes.

Yang Xiu took a deep breath and bowed, saying:

"Reporting to Lord Xuande, Xiu is here on the orders of our Lady Bian to come and ask Lord Xuande if you can spare the life of our Master Zijian."

(End of this chapter)