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

Chapter 237 Xuzhou is not enough, we must drink from the Yellow River! Xiao He is an immortal, joining Liu Bei is a blessing in disguise!
Xiapi, the prefecture capital.

An urgent report from Hebei has been delivered to Liu Bei.

"Bowen, you are truly a prophet!"

"Cao Cao suddenly led his army back to Ji Province, and the officials of Ye City defected in an instant."

"Bian and Cao Zhi were afraid of Cao Cao's cruelty and feared that he would kill them. They had no choice but to follow Bowen's instructions and abandon Ye City and head east to Qingzhou. It seems that they wanted to come and seek refuge with me."

Liu Bei looked at Xiao He with admiration and gently raised the silk scroll in his hand.

The room immediately erupted in discussion and became abuzz with excitement.

"That Lady Bian is Cao Cao's legal wife, and Cao Zhi is her eldest son. The fact that this mother and son have taken the initiative to come and join the Duke of Chu is a heavy blow to Cao Cao's reputation and the morale of the Cao Wei people!"

"Lord Chu, this is a blessing from heaven!"

Pang Tong jumped up and, with a delighted expression, explained the benefits.

Liu Bei stroked his fine beard, nodded slightly, and smiled.

Even without Pang Tong pointing it out, how could he not see the implications?

Even your own wife and children betrayed you, Cao Cao, and traveled thousands of miles to join your enemy. How unpopular would you, Cao Cao, be?

How would your officials and people in Cao Wei view you, Cao Cao?

If the capture of Xuzhou was a heavy blow to Cao Cao's hard power, then the surrender of Lady Bian and her son was a fatal blow to Cao Cao's soft power!
"The return of the Bian family mother and son is certainly a good thing, but I believe they may not be able to escape into Xuzhou smoothly."

At this moment, Zhang Liao stepped forward and said:

“Cao Cao would never allow this mother and son to come and seek refuge with the Duke of Chu; he would certainly send a large force to pursue them.”

"I predict that Cao Cao will order Cao Zhen to block all passages between Xuzhou and Qingzhou to prevent them from heading south to Xuzhou."

"The Bian family, mother and son, have at most a few thousand men, and most of them are a rabble. Even if they escape into Qingzhou, Cao Zhen will block their way south, and pursuers will be hot on their heels. It will be no easy task for them to escape into my Xuzhou."

Liu Bei's smile vanished abruptly, and he nodded slightly.

“Wen Yuan is right. If Bian’s mother and son cannot escape to Xuzhou alive, the good fortune that Shi Yuan mentioned will probably just be nothing but a pipe dream.”

The joy on Pang Tong's face faded, and his brows furrowed.

The excited atmosphere in the hall gradually cooled down after Zhang Liao poured cold water on it.

"Of course Cao Cao would not let Bian and her son go. He would definitely pursue them from behind and block them from the front. With the strength of Bian and her son, it was impossible for them to escape from Cao Cao's grasp on their own."

"Therefore, they need Lord Chu to intervene and help them enter Xuzhou."

Xiao He, who had been sipping his tea leisurely, suddenly spoke up unhurriedly.

Everyone's expressions brightened, and their eyes all turned to look.

"Bowen, do you mean...?"

Liu Bei's eyes lit up, and he quickly looked at Xiao He.

Xiao He put down his teacup and slowly said:
"Now that Pengcheng has fallen, Cao Cao's southern expedition has ended in complete defeat. He will surely withdraw all his troops and retreat to the line of Dongwu, Xiaopei, Qiaoyang, Pingyu and Yexian, and then switch from defense to offense."

"Although our army has captured Xuzhou, the soldiers are exhausted and their morale is low, and the provisions prepared by the garrison troops are about to run out."

"Furthermore, Xuzhou has just been pacified and the people's hearts have not yet been settled. At this time, it is clearly not advisable for our army to continue a large-scale northward campaign."

"Cao Cao should also be aware of this."

Changing the subject, Xiao pointed north:
"Although it is not advisable for our army to launch a large-scale attack, it is still possible to mobilize 20,000 to 30,000 troops to fight against the puppet Wei."

"Currently, the main force of the Wei army is mostly concentrated along the Yan-Yu line, leaving Qingzhou with the weakest military strength."

"I believe that the Duke of Chu should stay in Xiapi to appease the people and allow the soldiers to rest and recuperate. I will personally go north to meet with Gan Xingba and lead 20,000 troops north to Langya, under the pretext of supporting the Bian family and Cao Zhi, and take advantage of the situation to launch an attack on Qingzhou."

"In this way, we can both rescue Lady Bian and her son, and seize Qingzhou with the fewest troops. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's expression became excited.

Xiao He's ambitions extend beyond Xuzhou; he intends to use the arrival of Lady Bian and her son in Xuzhou as an opportunity to seize control of Qingzhou.

"If we can seize the opportunity to take over the entire Qingzhou and push our eastern border to the Yellow River in one fell swoop, this strategy of Strategist Xiao would be perfect."

"Even if we cannot recover the entire territory of Qingzhou, if we can recover Beihai, Donglai, Qijun and other eastern counties of Qingzhou, we can form a barrier in northern Xuzhou and ensure that Xuzhou will not be attacked from two sides."

"Lord Chu, I believe that what Military Advisor Xiao said is insightful and far-sighted, and indeed feasible."

Pang Tong was the first to understand Xiao He's deeper meaning and immediately offered his support.

"It would be best if we could recapture Qingzhou with tens of thousands of troops."

Liu Bei nodded slightly, but then said:

"However, although Qingzhou's military strength is weak, Cao Zhen still has more than 20,000 troops under his command. He has now retreated to the Dongwu line, blocking the northward and southward routes of Qingzhou and Xuzhou."

"Bowen, if you personally lead the attack and join forces with Xingba to attack Qingzhou in the north, I believe that Cao Zhen will be no match for you and will surely be defeated by you."

"But now, Lady Bian and her son are being pursued by Cao Cao from behind, and Cao Zhen has blocked their way south. Their situation is extremely precarious."

"I fear they won't last until you, Bowen, defeat Cao Zhen, storm Qingzhou, and welcome them south into Xu."

Everyone nodded in agreement; Liu Bei's words resonated with them perfectly.

"Lord Chu, there's more than one land route from Qingzhou to Xuzhou..."

Xiao He smiled knowingly.

Not just one land route?
Liu Bei looked blank, unable to grasp the meaning for a moment.

Pang Tong's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he said with delight:

"Qing and Xu are not only connected by land, but also by sea. If Cao Zhen can block the land route, can he also block the sea route?"

"Strategist Bowen's idea is to send my navy to land at Qingzhou by sea and bring Bian and her son to Xuzhou!"

A single sentence was enough to enlighten me.

The hall erupted in excitement once again.

Liu Bei suddenly understood, and all his worries vanished:
"I forgot that there is a sea route from Qingzhou to Xuzhou. My navy was able to launch a surprise attack on Qu County by sea before, so why can't we land in Qingzhou by sea and bring back Cao Zhi of the Bian clan?"

"Very well, very well, Bowen, you are indeed very thoughtful!"

Xiao He simply smiled faintly and continued:
"Our mission in this battle is to capture Cao Zhi of the Bian clan, but that is only one of our objectives. Our ultimate goal is to use this opportunity to insert our Chu banner into Qingzhou."

"Therefore, in addition to the navy, Wen Yuan's cavalry will also be needed for this battle."

"My plan is..."

Without further preamble, Xiao He immediately unfolded a map and laid out his entire tactical plan to Liu Bei.

The look in everyone's eyes gradually turned from surprise to admiration.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei gasped in shock and looked at Xiao He in disbelief:
"A month ago, Pengcheng had not yet fallen, yet you, Bowen, had already planned so far ahead of time, making such a layout to take Qingzhou?"

Xiao He smiled faintly and said self-deprecatingly:
"Lord Chu, you flatter me. I have no profound plans or foresight. I just thought that Xuzhou and Qingzhou are connected by land and sea, and my navy is just sitting idle anyway. It would be great if we could make a difference."

"Therefore, the opportunity to capture Qingzhou today is largely due to the internal strife in the pseudo-Wei state, which brought together various opportunities and created this god-given chance."

"It can only be said that Lord Chu is blessed with destiny, and even the heavens are helping him."

Xiao He was already very familiar with interpersonal relationships and social customs, so he naturally took the opportunity to flatter Lao Liu a few times.

Everyone loves to hear nice things, and Liu Bei was no exception.

Then he laughed heartily and said happily:
"Very well, Bowen, now that you have devised a plan, I can rest easy!"

"I hereby grant you the authority to act as an imperial envoy. All the cavalry in my army are at your command, and the navy and all the armies north of Xiapi will be under your command."

"In this battle, Bowen, you may fight however you wish!"

Xiao He gladly accepted the order.

So, in front of Liu Bei, Xiao He issued several orders and made a series of arrangements. Zhang Liao, Su Fei, and other generals all acted according to the orders.

Afterwards, Xiao He bid farewell to Liu Bei and left Xiapi under the cover of night, heading north straight for Langya.

...

Qingzhou, Pingyuan County.

South of the Yellow River, at Gaotang Ferry.

One by one, the boats slowly sailed across the Yellow River and entered this most important ferry crossing on the lower reaches of the Yellow River.

More than three thousand loyal followers of Cao Zhi disembarked and landed one after another.

At this time, the Wei army in Qingzhou was all gathered at the border of Qingzhou and Xuzhou. The troops in the counties within Qingzhou were empty, with only a small number of county soldiers with low combat effectiveness remaining.

Cao Zhi's three thousand troops could be considered a "large" army in the context of the various counties of Qingzhou.

The hundreds of Wei soldiers at Gaotang Ferry, though they had received Cao Zhen's order to block the ferry crossing beforehand, scattered like birds and beasts upon seeing thousands of troops approaching from the opposite bank.

Cao Zhi and his men landed safely without bloodshed.

"Zijian, quickly give the order to burn all the boats and this ferry crossing."

“Even if your father catches up to the north bank, it will take several days to gather boats and rafts to cross the river. Every day we can hold him off is a day we can.”

Bian, who had disembarked, pointed to the raft behind her and explained.

Cao Zhi sighed, his face filled with worry, and said:
“Burning the ships can delay Father for a few days, but if we want to enter Xuzhou, we still have to get past Cao Zhen.”

"We just learned from the captured ferry guards that Cao Zhen has ordered the ferry to be sealed off. This shows that he has no regard for our past relationship and is determined to obey my father's orders to prevent us from heading south to Xuzhou."

"I'm just worried that Cao Zhen has now blocked all the passes and roads between Qing and Xu, and we're afraid we'll be trapped in Qingzhou and won't be able to escape."

Bian's expression hardened.

She understands political maneuvering, but she knows nothing about military competition.

She had previously thought that as long as she could shake off her pursuers and enter Qingzhou, she would be safe and could easily head south to Xuzhou.

After hearing Cao Zhi's words, she realized that she had been too optimistic.

"Then...then what should we do?"

Lady Bian panicked and looked nervously at Cao Zhi.

Cao Zhi looked worried and was at a loss for what to do.

Just as he and his mother were feeling anxious, Ding Yi arrived and claimed that a scholar named Deng Zhi had been waiting for them at Gaotang Ferry for a long time on Xiao He's orders.

Lady Bian and Cao Zhi were taken aback and quickly exchanged a glance.

The two men immediately ordered Deng Zhi to be summoned to meet them.

A moment.

A young scholar stepped forward calmly, cupped his hands in a respectful bow:
"Zhi greets Madam and Young Master Cao."

"I am here on the orders of my master, Military Advisor Xiao, to welcome Madam and Young Master Cao on their journey south to Xuzhou."

"I have been waiting here for ten days, and finally the lady and young master Cao have arrived. Without further ado, let us set off immediately."

Upon hearing this, Lady Bian and Cao Zhi's expressions changed drastically.

Has Deng Zhi been waiting for ten days?

Ten days ago, the mother and son were still in Yecheng, not like they are now, fleeing eastward like stray dogs.

From that time onward, Xiao He actually sent Deng Zhi to wait in Gaotang.
"Mr. Deng, could it be that your strategist Xiao predicted ten days ago that my son and I would fail?"

"He also predicted that we would flee east to Qingzhou as he said, and that we would pass through Gaotang Ferry?"

Bian suppressed her surprise and asked.

Deng Zhi looked on with respect and sighed:

"To be honest, when I accepted the assignment from Military Advisor Xiao, I also had my doubts."

"Looking at it today, it is indeed true that my strategist Xiao is incredibly insightful and has already foreseen everything, just as you said, Madam."

Lady Bian gasped, her astonished gaze fixed on Cao Zhi.

She had heard of Xiao He's prowess before, but only from Cao Cao and his ministers, particularly Cao Zhi.

The saying goes, "Hearing is believing, seeing is believing," so it's inevitable that doubts will arise.

At this moment, Lady Bian witnessed Xiao He's uncanny foresight firsthand and realized that the rumors were true.

“Mother, I have said before that Xiao He is an immortal. It is a blessing from heaven that Duke Chu has such a person to assist him. Father is no match for him.”

"Today, Mother should finally believe that her son is not merely cowardly and afraid of the enemy like a tiger."

Cao Zhi sighed with emotion, feeling a sense of relief that his injustice had been cleared.

Bian seemed to understand something, and then smiled wryly:

"Now it seems that our failure and surrender to the Duke of Chu was actually a blessing in disguise."

"If you were to actually sit on the throne of the Duke of Wei, I'm afraid you would be no match for the Duke of Chu in the future, and sooner or later you would become a ruler who would bring about the downfall of his country, losing your life in vain."

The mother and son were both filled with emotion and relief.

After the two of them had finished expressing their feelings, Deng Zhi reminded them:

"Madam, Young Master Cao, we should not linger here. Let's set off immediately."

The mother and son calmed down and returned to the present moment.

Cao Zhi's face darkened again, but he said:
"Then Cao Zhen must have received my father's order to block all the passages from Qingzhou into Xuzhou. Mr. Deng, how do we get into Xuzhou?"

Deng Zhi smiled and replied casually:
"Naturally, they would travel south by sea to Xuzhou."

This statement came out.

Lady Bian and Cao Zhi were taken aback at first, but then their faces lit up with ecstasy.

...

Two days later, on the north shore.

Cao Cao stood on the north bank, his brows furrowed, staring at the thick smoke billowing from the Gaotang Ferry across the river.

"Reporting to Lord Wei, the Fourth Prince and his group fled to Gaotang two days ago. After landing, they burned all the boats along the coast for thirty miles, including the Gaotang ferry."

"I have dispatched troops to search for boats and rafts, but it will take at least two days to find enough boats and rafts for my 20,000 troops to cross the river."

Lu Qian rode back, bringing back bad news.

Cao Cao clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Seeing this, Xu Chu comforted him, saying:
"Lord Wei, please calm down. Cao Zidan, acting on your orders, has already sealed off all the passages from Qingzhou into Xu. Even if the Fourth Prince and his men manage to shake us off for a few days, they will not be able to escape Qingzhou."

Cao Cao glanced at him and asked in return:
“Since that wretched woman and rebellious son have already secretly communicated with Liu Bei, they will surely contact Liu Bei when they flee south. Please, you big-eared thief, send troops to meet them.”

"I expect that the big-eared scoundrel will resort to his old tricks again, sending his navy north by sea to meet that wretched woman and rebellious son. What use is it for you to block the land route south?"

Xu Chu suddenly realized something, and his expression changed:
"If that's the case, what should we do? Won't that let them escape?"

Cao Cao's lips curled into a sarcastic smile as he sneered:
"Don't worry, that wretched woman and unfilial son won't get away!"

"I had anticipated that they would escape by sea, and I had previously secretly ordered Zidan to lead troops to intercept them at Jiaoxian Port, which is closest to Xuzhou."

"I will not only intercept that wretched woman and her rebellious son, but also take advantage of the situation to annihilate the Chu army that landed at sea, and win a long-awaited victory to boost the morale of our army!"

(End of this chapter)