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

Chapter 239: Who would believe that Old Liu wasn't destined for greatness? The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is; the father-in-law is pressuring him to have a baby!

It's too late.

The Tiger Cavalry, with the force of a cataclysmic upheaval, charged into the Wei army like tigers among sheep.

Slash over, smash over, crush over...

In an instant, the Wei army was slaughtered like paper, their cries of agony echoing through the air.

The one-sided slaughter began.

This cavalry-infantry battle, a near-overwhelming massacre, lasted from dusk till nightfall.

Of the more than 10,000 Wei soldiers, more than half were killed, wounded, or surrendered.

Cao Zhen led less than 5,000 Wei soldiers and fled Gaomi in panic.

After a crushing defeat, Cao Zhen was like a frightened bird, hastily crossing the Wei River upstream and retreating westward to Chang'an.

A terrified and distraught Cao Zhen sent a messenger south to order Sun Li to abandon Dongwu City and retreat westward, while simultaneously riding swiftly to Cao Cao, who was pursuing Lady Bian and her son, to deliver the message.

...

Ju County.

As night fell, Cao Cao led more than 20,000 Wei troops and hurriedly entered the capital of the Beihai Kingdom.

Before he could even sit down properly or take a bite of his hot meal, Lü Qian had already sent Cao Zhen's urgent report, which was supposed to travel 800 li in total, aloft.

"Could it be that Zidan has already intercepted that wretched woman and her rebellious son?"

"Snap!"

Cao Cao, who was shoveling rice into his mouth, suddenly looked up, his face beaming with joy.

Lü Qian hurriedly unfolded the silk scroll and read it aloud to the crowd:
"I was ordered to lead troops to Jiaoxian to intercept them, but unexpectedly the Chu army landed at Xiami instead and took away the lady and the fourth prince."

"The Chu army then sent Zhang Liao with 4,000 light cavalry to seize Gaomi first. I fought bravely but was no match for them and could only retreat to Chang'an."

"With the supply route to Dongwu cut off, I have no choice but to order Sun Li to abandon Dongwu City and retreat the entire army to the west of the Wei River."

"I beg Lord Wei to send a large army to our aid immediately, and to punish me for my dereliction of duty!"

With a trembling voice, Lü Qian read aloud Cao Zhen's urgent report.

Inside the hall, an uproar erupted.

Zhang He, Du Xi, Jiang Ji, and other military generals and strategists all changed their expressions drastically.

"Bang!"

Cao Cao's expression changed drastically, and he turned the rice upside down on the table:
"Give it to me right now! Give it to me!"

Lu Qian hurriedly got up and presented Cao Zhen's silk scroll.

Cao Cao snatched it away and eagerly began to read it.

Xiami fell, Gaomi fell, Dongwu fell, Bian and Cao Zhi successfully escaped, and Qingzhou was left wide open...

Every word and phrase was like a sharp blade cutting into Cao Cao's heart.

"Why would that big-eared thief land near Jiaoxian to pick up that wretched woman and her child, instead of taking such a long detour to land at Xiami?"

"He took in that vile woman and her child, so why did he then attack Gaomi?"

"In one night, the big-eared bandit stormed into Qingzhou, and everything east of the Wei River was his."

One question after another, like knives, cut into Cao Cao's heart.

Cao Cao grew increasingly alarmed and furious as he thought about it, clutching his chest in a sharp pain.

"Lord Wei, I dare to speculate that Liu Bei's appetite is not just to receive the Lady and the Fourth Prince, but also to undermine the morale of our Great Wei."

"Liu Bei's purpose must be to take this opportunity to march north and seize my Qingzhou!"

"This plan not only anticipated that Duke Wei would send General Cao to ambush and intercept them in Jiaoxian, but also anticipated that the cavalry could seize Gaomi first. Such a plan, which anticipates the enemy's moves and is intricately linked, is very much like the work of Xiao He."

"I suspect that Xiao He is no longer in Xiapi, but is commanding troops in Langya, controlling the various Chu armies in Xubei?"

A young strategist stepped forward to offer his advice.

The speaker was Jiang Ji.

After the deaths of Liu Ye and Xun You, Cao Cao felt that his team of strategists was lacking in talent, so he promoted many young faces.

Jiang Ji was summoned to Cao Cao's residence by Wei Gong for his meritorious service in assisting Xiahou Dun in devising a plan and saw through Fa Zheng's scheme to lure the enemy.

Jiang Ji's reminder startled Cao Cao, who broke out in a cold sweat.

He suffered countless losses at Xiao He's hands.

The Chu army's series of deployments indeed resembled the work of Xiao He.

That would make the problem serious.

He originally hoped to take advantage of the pursuit of Bian Shi and Cao Zhi to launch a surprise attack on the Chu army, and then take advantage of the situation to move south from Qingzhou, attack Langya, and plant a sword on Liu Bei's head.

Who would have thought that Liu Bei shared your intentions and also wanted to take advantage of welcoming Lady Bian and her son to seize Qingzhou?

They ended up colliding.

It was Xiao He who personally led the army and broke through the southern gate of your Qingzhou in one fell swoop, taking over the two counties east of the Wei River, causing you to lose both your wife and your territory.

How to do?
Cao Cao slowly put down the silk scroll, his expression shifting from shock and anger to solemnity, and his gaze swept over the crowd:

"I never expected that the big-eared thief would have such a big appetite, actually daring to try and seize Qingzhou."

"Given the current situation, what do you think I should do?"

No one uttered a sound.

Cao Cao's face darkened, and his gaze shot towards Jiang Ji:

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

Jiang Ji hesitated to speak.

Cao Cao waved his hand, his face full of magnanimity, and said:

"I have always appreciated those who offer honest advice. If you have any good ideas, please speak freely."

Jiang Ji was then reassured and said:

"In my opinion, our army suffered heavy losses in the battle of Xuzhou. At present, we should focus on restoring our strength and recuperating. We should avoid the Chu army's sharp edge and not fight them again."

"Now that Gaomi has fallen, the fall of the area east of the Wei River is a foregone conclusion. I believe it would be better to order General Zidan to lead the Qingzhou army westward to the territory of Qi County west of the Jumei River."

"In this way, we can use the Bohai Sea to the north and Mount Tai to the south as barriers, and with 20,000 to 30,000 troops, we can block the Chu army east of the Jumei River."

"No matter how cunning Xiao He is, we will only remain unchanged in the face of all changes. In this way, although we have lost the two prefectures of Beihai and Donglai, we have preserved most of the prefectures in the west of Qingzhou."

"Our Great Wei still possesses eight provinces. With just a few years of recuperation, we will surely be able to recover our strength and restore our military might."

"At that time, whether Duke Wei waged war against Chu to recover Xuzhou or the two commanderies of Qingdong, he would surely be invincible!"

Cao Cao's brows furrowed. Jiang Ji meant he was being forced to swallow this bitter pill.

He stopped pursuing his wife and son, gave up the Imperial Seal of the State, and readily handed over the two commanderies of Qingdong...

Just kidding, do you think I, Cao Cao, don't have any pride?
I had just lost a province to Liu Bei and hadn't even recovered when Liu Bei abducted my wife and children and took two more counties with me.

I, the dignified Duke of Wei, the number one overlord who reigns supreme in the north, have been bullied by Liu Bei to this extent and I dare not fight back.

Cao Cao took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

“Zitong, what you said only shows that I lost two mere counties, but you did not see that if I did not take them back, it would be tantamount to admitting to the world that Chu is strong and Wei is weak, and let the people of my great Wei see that I fear Liu Bei like a tiger.”

"If that happens, we will lose more than just two counties; we will lose the confidence of the people and soldiers of our Great Wei, and we will lose my prestige in their hearts."

"I will never allow this situation to happen!"

Jiang Ji felt a chill run down his spine.

Cao Cao was enraged and humiliated, prioritizing face over substance, and wanted to fight again to save face.

"Wei Gong——"

"You don't need to persuade me anymore!"

Cao Cao waved his hand to interrupt Jiang Ji, and said arrogantly:

"Although Zidan was defeated at Gaomi, he still has 15,000 soldiers. Combined with the troops I brought, we have 30,000 to 40,000 men."

"The Chu army that marched north, plus the troops that landed by sea, numbered at most 20,000 infantry and cavalry."

"Even if Xiao He were to lead the troops, I would have enough strength to reclaim the lost territory and drive that sorcerer Xiao He out of Qingzhou!"

Cao Cao decided to continue his eastward military campaign.

He immediately issued an order for the entire army to head east and rush to Chang'an City to join Cao Zhen's forces.

The two armies joined forces and advanced eastward along the Wei River, heading straight for Gaomi.

...

In the southern border of Qingzhou, there is Dongwu City.

More than 13,000 Chu troops marched into this city, the southern gateway to Qingzhou.

Inside the county government building.

When Xiao He and Gan Ning entered the government office, they found it in complete disarray.

One can imagine how disheveled and hasty Sun Li was when he abandoned the city and retreated westward.

"Ning fought Cao Zhen for several months without gaining the slightest advantage. But as soon as Strategist Xiao arrived, he used a few tricks to kill Cao Zhen, causing him to lose his troops and territory and flee in disarray."

"I have heard that Pang Tong once praised the strategist as a god of war, and I think this title is truly fitting."

Gan Ning was completely convinced, and sighed repeatedly.

Xiao He chuckled: "Xingba, Xingba, it's been months since I last saw you. What's wrong with your horse—"

The words have not yet fallen.

Deng Ai rushed in excitedly from behind, saying happily:
"Strategist Bowen, Zhang Wenyuan has sent a message from Gaomi... saying that Lady Bian and Cao Zhi are already on their way to Gaomi."

"Zhang Wenyuan said that the Bian family mother and son brought the Imperial Seal with them when they came to surrender, intending to present it to our Chu... Duke Chu!"

Xiao He's eyes suddenly lit up.

That's the Imperial Seal of the State!

Carved by the First Emperor Ying Zheng, it was passed down for four hundred years during the Qin and Han dynasties and is a symbol of the divine right of kings!
Shouldn't this thing be in Cao Cao's hands? How did it end up in the hands of Lady Bian and her son?
Xiao He's eyes darted around, and he immediately understood.

The Bian family mother and son were clever; they knew the value of this item and decided to take it out of Ye City as a gift to Liu Bei in his surrender.

By presenting such a generous gift, Bian and her son were essentially granted a lifelong guarantee of wealth and honor.

"No wonder Cao Cao personally led his army to Qingzhou. It turns out that he was not only after killing Cao Zhi of the Bian clan, but also after the Imperial Seal of the State."

"His wife and son ran off with their mortal enemy, and they even stole their prized possessions. Old Cao is really unlucky..."

Xiao He sighed inwardly, then smiled contentedly:
“Our Duke of Chu already holds the rightful throne, and now he has obtained the Imperial Seal. Who would believe that the Duke of Chu is not the chosen one?”

Gan Ning laughed heartily and repeatedly agreed.

Xiao He then ordered Gan Ning to pass down the order that the army would rest for one night in Dongwu City, and then set off north to Gaomi to personally welcome Bian Shi and her son, as well as the Imperial Seal of the State.

Upon receiving the order, the two were delighted and ordered a banquet to be prepared for them to enjoy a few drinks.

As the lanterns were hung high in the sky, Xiao Hecai, slightly drunk, returned to his military tent with the help of Deng Ai.

Upon entering the tent, two beautiful figures came into view.

Lady Guan Yinping and Lady Bu Lianshi were chatting and laughing in the tent, just like sisters.

Xiao He was taken aback.

When the two women saw Xiao He return, they both got up and came forward to help him sit down.

Seeing this, Deng Ai wisely withdrew.

The two women, one serving tea and the other bringing a hangover remedy, were very attentive in their service.

"Yinping, Lianshi, why are you here at the Dongwu front line instead of Yingtian?"

Xiao He held a teacup in his left hand and a bowl of soup in his right, looking puzzled.

"It was Lord Chu who summoned me here, saying that my husband is leading the army alone in the field and needs someone like me, who knows medicine, to take care of his daily needs, lest he fall ill and have no one to look after him."

Upon hearing Bu Lianshi's reply, Xiao He felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

According to custom, female generals are not allowed to bring female relatives to the army, but Liu made an exception for himself, which is truly touching.

"Yinping, then why did you come to the front lines?"

Xiao He then turned his gaze to his wife.

Guan Yinping snorted and said resentfully:

"It was my father who wrote, saying that you, my husband, are on the northern expedition with the Duke of Chu, and who knows when you will be able to return. We are always separated like this, and he doesn't know when he will be able to hold his grandson. That's why he called me..."

At this point, Guan Yinping suddenly realized what she had said, her face flushed red, and she was too embarrassed to continue.

Xiao He was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.

Well, that martial arts master father-in-law is urging his daughter to come to the front lines to reunite with him and his wife, and to give him a grandson.

"It's true what they say, the emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is..."

Xiao He shook his head and sighed.

Guan Yinping's almond-shaped eyes flickered, and she asked with a bewildered expression:

"What do you mean by that, my husband? And who is this eunuch?"

(End of this chapter)