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

Chapter 221: Who among the people of this state doesn't hate you, Cao Cao, to the core? Xiao He: Lure the thief into the trap, let's meet in Xia Pi!

My son's plan is so imaginative and brilliant!
Apart from Xiao He, who else has the ability to see through it?

Cao Cao's fists suddenly clenched, and a hint of embarrassment flashed through his shocked and angry eyes.

A hint of embarrassment from being slapped in the face.

Just a moment ago, he had praised his son to the sky, thinking that he had finally found Xiao He's nemesis.

In the blink of an eye, his son's brilliant plan came to nothing.

The attempt to steal the chicken from Xuyi failed, and instead Sun Guan lost a general, 8,000 elite soldiers, and Gongsun Gong.

This isn't bad enough.

Liu Bei's appetite was so big that he stole your Qu County and even wanted to take over Tancheng, take root behind you, and go straight to your Xiapi City.

This is no longer just slapping you in the face, but directly throwing your face to the ground and stomping on it unscrupulously.

"How strange, father, this is indeed a strange thing!"

Cao Chong was surprised, but a hint of doubt appeared between his brows.

"Strange? What's strange about it?"

Cao Cao suppressed the shame and anger of being slapped in the face and looked at Cao Chong.

After a moment's hesitation, Cao Chong said:

"That Xiao He is indeed a brilliant man. This plan is also modeled after his original plan of entering the sea from the Huai River and attacking our Huaiyin City."

"But his plan was successful because Liu Bei had a powerful navy with enough ships to launch a surprise attack from the sea into the Huai River."

"But our army has no navy. How could Xiao He, no matter how brilliant his strategists were, have predicted that my father would borrow the Gongsun clan's ships to help us launch a surprise attack on Xuyi?"

Cao Cao was awakened by his son and noticed something suspicious.

Yang Xiu swallowed and immediately felt guilty.

"So what do you mean, Cang Shu?"

"I suspect someone in my army is secretly communicating with Liu Bei and leaked my plan to him, which is why we are in this situation now!"

Cao Chong expressed his guess in a decisive manner.

Cao Cao's expression changed slightly, and his sharp gaze shot towards all the ministers present.

Xun You, Zhang He and others immediately became nervous, fearing that any sign of nervousness would arouse Cao Cao's suspicion.

Yang Xiu's heart beat faster, and his clenched palms were covered with cold sweat, but he tried his best to pretend to be harmless.

Cao Cao's eyes were as sharp as blades, sweeping across every face, and all he saw were expressions of clear conscience.

The more this happened, the more suspicious he became, and the more he felt that there must be a traitor hiding among the ministers present.

Otherwise, how to explain Cao Chong’s doubts?
Do you believe that Xiao He is really a god who has opened his third eye and can see clearly that he even relies on Gongsun family for support?

"Where is Yang Xiu?"

Cao Cao suddenly shouted loudly.

Yang Xiu shuddered, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down on the spot.

What does Cao Cao mean?
Could it be that he saw that he was guilty and guessed that he was the traitor who was secretly in contact with Liu Bei?

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty is here."

Yang Xiu's heart was in his throat, but he could only pretend to be calm.

Cao Cao waved his hands and said in a deep voice:

"I command you to immediately investigate whether any suspicious individuals have entered or left Xia Pi City since the day the plan was formed. I want you to uncover the traitor who is secretly in contact with Liu Bei!"

Yang Xiu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relieved.

It turned out that Cao Cao did not see through him as a "traitor", but wanted to order him, the chief clerk, to investigate who the traitor was.

After all, he is a professional in this area.

It was he who conducted extensive investigations and finally found out that it was Cao Pi who drove Xiao He out of Cao's camp, causing Cao Cao to miss out on a genius who could influence the situation in the world.

It was precisely because of this precedent that Cao Cao once again entrusted him with the important task of investigation.

Yang Xiu felt relieved and immediately bowed:

"Don't worry, Duke Wei. I will do my utmost to find the traitor who secretly communicated with Liu Bei!"

Cao Cao's gloomy expression finally eased a little.

Seeing this, Xun You dared to speak up:
"Duke Wei, no matter what, now that Sun Guan has surrendered, eight thousand elite troops have been annihilated, and the fall of Qu County is a foregone conclusion."

"If Tancheng falls again, Xiapi will be in danger, and our army will have to face the dilemma of being attacked from both sides by the Chu army."

"You believes that the most urgent task is to quickly dispatch a general to lead an army north to reinforce the defense of Tancheng. At the same time, order the general in front to quickly withdraw 10,000 to 20,000 elite troops from the central army to make up for the losses of our eastern army."

Cao Cao agreed with this and immediately prepared to mobilize troops.

Zang Ba volunteered to lead his troops to reinforce the defense of Tancheng and kill Gan Ning to avenge his brother Sun Guan.

"Okay, I'll allow you—"

"Father!"

Cao Chong interrupted and said,

"I believe that the countermeasures Xun Gongda suggested, while sound, will put our army in a passive position in Xuzhou."

"Liu Bei has occupied Xuzhou twice and has always been popular. Now our army has suffered a series of defeats, and the Chu army has landed in Qu County and marched into the heart of Xuzhou. The people of Xuzhou will surely be greatly shaken."

"I am worried that if we cannot win the battle quickly, the people in Xuzhou will change, and the consequences will be disastrous."

Cao Cao's expression suddenly changed.

Cao Chong's reminder sounded the alarm for him.

When he massacred people in Xuzhou twice, who among the people in the state did not hate him to the core? Whose family did not have a blood debt with him?
Later, the reason why Xuzhou was pacified was also due to the use of force and the leadership of local tyrants such as Zang Ba and Chen Deng.

It was for this reason that before the Battle of Guandu, Liu Bei captured Xuzhou twice, and the people of the state responded in unison.

Now that Liu Bei has fought back, based on the popularity he left behind, if the people of Xuzhou really see hope that Liu Bei can take back Xuzhou, who can guarantee that these people of Xuzhou will not rise up again and surrender to Liu Bei again?
"Cang Shu is right. We must fight the big-eared thief quickly and decisively!"

"At least we must drive Gan Ning into the sea. We must not let the big-eared thief take root in the heart of Xuzhou!"

Cao Cao slammed his fist on the table and spoke in a firm tone.

Cao Chong secretly breathed a sigh of relief and took advantage of the situation to say:

"According to intelligence from Donghai County, Gan Ning's troops number nearly 30,000, equivalent to about half of the Big Ear Bandit's Northern Palace Army."

"This means that the total number of Chu troops south of Xiaxiang City is no more than 30,000. The rest were given to Gan Ning by the big-eared thief."

"And we have over 50,000 men and horses in Xia Pi City, nearly twice as many as the enemy."

"I think we should mobilize all the soldiers in the city immediately and launch a surprise attack on the Chu camp, catching Liu Bei off guard and defeating his main force in one fell swoop!"

"Once Liu Bei is defeated, Gan Ning will definitely not dare to attack Tancheng again after hearing the news. He will definitely flee to the south in a hurry."

"In this way, our army can turn defense into offense, regain the initiative, march south to pursue the big-eared thieves, and seize Xuyi while we are victorious!"

Cao Chong offered a plan.

Cao Cao's eyes lit up, and the gloomy face suddenly cleared up.

"Duke Wei, I believe that Master Cangshu's plan is feasible."

"Liu Bei thought that upon hearing that Tancheng was in danger, we would immediately send troops to reinforce it. However, we did the opposite and launched a surprise attack on his main camp."

"In this battle, we will definitely be able to catch Liu Bei by surprise and turn the tide of the battle!"

Xun You also looked excited and agreed happily.

Cao Cao no longer hesitated, stood up and said proudly:
"Okay, let's follow Cang Shu's plan, mobilize the entire army, and immediately raid the Chu camp!"

"I will kill all the Chu soldiers and avenge Sun Zhongtai and his eight thousand soldiers!"

Zang Ba was overjoyed and accepted the order angrily.

All the generals stood up and accepted the order.

Only Yang Xiu's eyes flashed with an imperceptible anxiety.

"Duke Wei made this decision too hastily. I don't have time to warn Duke Chu. What should I do now..."

...

South of Xiaxiang City, in the Chu camp, the central army tent was filled with excitement and joy.

Liu Bei had a smile on his face, having received Gan Ning's victory report in his hand.

The naval interception of the Wei army was successful, with the Wei general Sun Guan killed and Gongsun Gong captured alive. Over 8,000 Wei soldiers were taken captive and sent to Yingtian for reorganization. Meanwhile, Gan Ning had already seized the opportunity and marched north to capture Qu County, and was now moving west to attack Tancheng as planned...

How could the series of victories not excite the king and his ministers of Chu?

"Bowen, your trick of turning the tables is really amazing."

"Xingba has now taken Qu County and marched straight into Tancheng, setting Cao Cao on fire in the heart of Xuzhou!"

"This time, I'll see how Cao thief responds."

Liu Bei raised the victory report in his hand to Xiao He with a smile.

All the generals laughed.

Xiao He smiled faintly, but with a special meaning:

"Lord Chu, Cao Cao must have heard of the fall of Qu County by now. I predict he will mobilize all the soldiers in the city and launch a surprise attack on our army tomorrow."

"This is a golden opportunity for us to seize the opportunity to strike a decisive blow to Cao Cao, capture Xiaxiang in one fell swoop, and march towards Xiapi. We must prepare as soon as possible."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was surprise in the tent and everyone looked at Xiao He.

Liu Bei's face was filled with surprise, and he asked hurriedly:

"Since Tancheng has been lost, Cao Cao should have sent troops to reinforce the defense of Tancheng. How can you be so sure that Cao Cao will mobilize his entire army to attack our main camp?"

Xiao He smiled and asked:
"Duke Wei, have you forgotten that before Xingba left, I told him to bluff and create the illusion that he had an army of 30,000?"

Liu Bei was stunned, his eyes blank, and he was unable to understand the deeper meaning of Xiao He's words.

Pang Tong rolled his eyes a few times, but suddenly realized:

"Could it be that Military Advisor Bo Wen's intention is to make Cao Cao think that half of my troops are in Qu County, and that there are less than 30,000 troops in the main camp?"

"This will lure Cao Cao into a trap and mobilize his entire army to attack our main camp. We can then take advantage of the situation and strike him head-on."

"In this way, we can seize Xiaxiang in one fell swoop and march north to take Xiapi?"

Liu Bei suddenly realized and said in surprise:

"So, Bo Wen, your instructions to Xingba that day were actually a well-thought-out plan, just to set a bait for Cao Cao today?"

Xiao He smiled.

Liu Bei no longer had any doubts and laughed happily:

"Alright, alright, let's do as Bowen says. Quickly gather all the generals and discuss how to strike back at Cao!"

...

The night is deep.

The south gate of Xiaxiang opened quietly and the drawbridge slowly descended.

Xu Chu led the Tiger Guard Cavalry, surrounded and supported Cao Cao, and rode out of the city first.

Behind him were tens of thousands of Wei soldiers, each holding a gag and their horses' hooves wrapped, as they filed out.

At the same time, in the corner camp outside the east and west gates, generals such as Le Jin and Zang Ba led their troops out of the camp and headed towards the Chu army in the south of the city.

At midnight, more than 50,000 Wei troops had divided into three groups and entered the attack position.

Cao Cao, hiding in the night, immediately held his sword and looked at the Chu camp from afar.

The lights were bright, and I could vaguely see teams of patrolmen, deployed as usual.

"Duke Wei, the Chu camp is on guard as usual and is not prepared for our night attack. It seems that Master Cang Shu's plan has succeeded."

Xu Chu's face was burning with excitement as he pointed at the Chu camp and shouted in a deep voice.

Cao Cao's expression was surprisingly calm, and he did not praise his prodigy son's brilliant ideas as usual.

The death of Sun Guan and the loss of Qu County had made him no longer blindly confident.

It's not that Cao Chong is not strong, nor that his strategy is not unique, but -

That Xiao He is too strong.

He was so strong that he often made Cao Chong's brilliant plans fail, and forced him to calm down and gradually realize that his genius son, although as dazzling as a star, still seemed to be three points dimmer in front of Xiao He.

"Don't underestimate the enemy until the last moment."

After Cao Cao sighed, he took a deep breath and slowly raised his whip:
"Pass on my order, light the signal fire, and attack from three directions!"

"Today I will crush the Chu camp and capture Liu Bei alive!"

Xu Chu hurriedly passed down the order.

In an instant, three beacon fires rose in the night sky.

Soon the sound of war drums began, and the sound of horns pierced the silence of the night.

More than 30,000 Wei soldiers in the central army, like a long-accumulated torrent, rushed towards the main camp of the Chu army with the force of the collapse of the sky and the splitting of the earth.

Cao Cao spurred his horse and led the Tiger Guards forward personally.

Almost at the same time, trumpets sounded from the west and east wings.

The other two Wei armies, in accordance with the agreement, launched an attack on the Chu camp at the same time.

Three groups of troops, 50,000 Wei soldiers, rushed forward.

Inside the Chu camp.

The Chu soldiers on duty saw the Wei army suddenly attack and scattered like frightened birds.

Upon seeing this, Zang Ba and other generals all became more determined and urged the Wei army to rush towards the camp wall like a tide.

Fifty steps, thirty steps, twenty steps...

Sudden.

The buzzing sound of thousands of birds flapping their wings was heard, and countless sharp arrows rose from the Chu camp and poured down on the Wei army.

The Wei army came specifically for a night attack and did not carry many defensive equipment such as shields. Faced with the sudden rain of arrows, they were completely defenseless.

Arrows rained down.

In an instant, screams rang out one after another, and hundreds of Wei soldiers were nailed to the ground.

The morale of the charging Wei army was immediately shaken, and their momentum was hindered and slowed down.

“Boom boom boom!!”

The sound of war drums then began.

In the Chu camp, countless torches were lit in an instant, illuminating the entire camp as bright as day for the entire night.

In the trenches outside the camp wall, tens of thousands of Chu troops appeared like ghosts and quickly formed an iron wall.

Immediately afterwards, the gates of the Chu camp opened wide.

Liu Bei, surrounded by his personal troops, walked out slowly and appeared proudly in front of the camp gate.

The sudden and drastic change caused the morale of the Wei army to fall sharply. They stopped and were crowded together.

Cao Cao, who was galloping on his horse, suddenly changed his expression and hurriedly reined in his horse.

When he saw the situation in the camp clearly, he took a breath and his face changed drastically.

The Chu army's posture clearly showed that they had anticipated their night attack and had made preparations for the battle in advance.

Looking at the number of Chu troops, a rough estimate is that there are at least 50,000 people.

In other words, Liu Bei's entire main force was here, and it was not at all as Cao Chong had speculated that there were only more than 30,000 people left.

"This, this, this..."

Cao Cao opened his mouth wide, his voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with shock and confusion, as if he had seen a ghost.

The next moment, a horrifying thought emerged in my mind:

Fell into a trap!
The 30,000 Chu troops in Qu County were just bluffing.

The purpose was only to bait him and lure his entire division to attack the Chu camp.

Liu Bei, however, took advantage of his rest and had made all preparations to give him a head-on blow!
Cao Cao was immediately startled and broke out in a cold sweat, and he shouted anxiously:
"Pass on my order, the three armies will quickly withdraw to Xiaxiang, retreat quickly—"

(End of this chapter)