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

Chapter 245 Crushing Cao Cao, Driving Him Crazy! First Losing Xuzhou, Then Qingzhou, Is the Area South of the Yellow River Going to Collapse?
Overturned, swept away, drowned...

Before the raging torrent, the Wei army was utterly defeated, and like autumn leaves swept away by the wind, countless soldiers were swallowed up in an instant.

Most of the Wei soldiers were not accustomed to swimming. When they were swept into the flood, they could only struggle desperately and cry for help in terror.

Those comrades who managed to escape to the shore were already terrified and no longer cared about their own lives; they simply scrambled away from the Wei River.

East bank.

The 20,000 Chu soldiers, arrayed in formation, stared wide-eyed, both surprised and horrified, as the 40,000 Wei soldiers were routed.

Even as enemies, everyone was horrified by the terrifying power of the flood.

Everyone's gaze turned back to the top of Gaomi City, and to their strategist.

"Is our strategist Xiao truly a celestial being descended to earth? Otherwise, how could he conjure up such a flood that drowned the Wei soldiers?"

The unsuspecting Chu soldiers were all filled with the same suspicions.

The eyes of the soldiers were filled with awe.

In the blink of an eye, the floodwaters had swept past.

The Wei army was thus broken into three sections.

Of the more than 10,000 who managed to escape to the west bank, 7,000 to 8,000 were cut off on the east bank, and the remaining nearly 20,000 soldiers were all killed in the Wei River.

The Chu soldiers only then realized what was happening and immediately cheered excitedly.

"Military Advisor Xiao single-handedly defeated Cao Cao's 40,000-strong army in the blink of an eye."

"Lord Chu was right after all; a single strategist is worth a million soldiers..."

As Gan Ning gazed at the crumbling Wei army, he was filled with emotion, and his eyes showed even more admiration.

Behind us, on the walls of Gaomi City.

The more than a thousand soldiers defending the city cheered and jumped for joy, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.

"Strategist, it's a success! Your plan has succeeded!"

Deng Ai shouted excitedly, and in his excitement, even his stuttering disappeared.

Xiao He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled faintly:
"This tactic, like the Fire Ox Formation, can only be used once. Cao Cao will definitely be on guard next time."

"However, if it can help Duke Chu take Qingzhou with just one use, then this plan is worthwhile."

Having said that, Xiao He raised his hand and pointed:
"Send the order to Xingba to attack and deal with the Wei troops who are stuck on the east bank."

On the city wall, command flags waved and war drums thundered.

Seeing that the situation was settled, Xiao He was also tired, so he yawned and went down the city wall.

outside the city.

Seeing the command flag waving, Gan Ning's emotions turned into murderous intent, and he brandished his sword and roared:

"All troops, listen to my command! Charge forward in one fell swoop and drive the Wei invaders who have landed into the Wei River!"

Wuwuwu——

The trumpet sounded.

The 20,000 Chu soldiers, with their morale soaring, swept towards the Wei army like wild beasts that had been gathering strength for a long time.

The seven thousand Wei soldiers on the east bank were still reveling in their luck at not being swept away by the flood, grateful to have escaped with their lives.

As they watched their comrades wailing in the torrent, still shaken by the experience, the deafening battle cries behind them jolted them awake.

Looking back, the Chu soldiers, arrayed in formation, were already sweeping in like another torrent.

Lü Qian was greatly alarmed and hurriedly brandished his sword, shouting:

"All troops, listen to my command! Form ranks and meet the enemy immediately!"

"We have no way to retreat; only by fighting with our backs to the wall can we have a glimmer of hope!"

Lü Qian was quite capable; he wanted to emulate Han Xin and fight a desperate battle with his back to the river.

Unfortunately, he was not Han Xin, and his soldiers were not the Han army of yesteryear.

The torrent that descended from the sky behind them, and the annihilation of nearly 20,000 comrades, had destroyed the morale and fighting spirit of these 7,000 Wei soldiers.

Faced with the sweeping Chu army, they had no will to fight, only retreating step by step.

Before the army could form a battle formation, the Chu army had already swept in.

Slashed, smashed, stabbed...

In an instant, the seven thousand Wei soldiers were scattered and slaughtered, their cries of agony echoing through the land.

"All troops, listen to my command: retreat northward along the riverbank and cross the river elsewhere—"

Lu Qian had no choice but to abandon his illusion of fighting with his back to the river, and he neighed as he turned his horse to flee.

It's too late.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Gan Ning, alone with his sword, cleaved through the waves, charging straight towards the center of the enemy ranks like a god of war.

"Wei dog, where do you think you're going!"

With a roar, Gan Ning stood like an iron tower in front of Lü Qian.

His long sword, billowing with blood and dust, swept across with the speed and power of lightning.

Lu Qian's eyes bulged, and a look of fear burst forth from them. He instinctively raised his knife to defend himself.

Before the knife was even drawn, a cold glint of light was already upon him.

"Crack!"

Lu Qian's head flew off, and his body, spraying blood, crashed to the ground.

Kill with one sword!

The Wei army, whose morale was already broken, lost even the will to flee when they saw their commander beheaded.

"I am willing to surrender to Chu—"

"I am willing to surrender to Chu—"

The Wei soldiers abandoned their weapons and knelt down in droves, crying and begging to surrender to the Chu army.

The Wei army that landed on the east bank, numbering over seven thousand, was completely annihilated.

West bank.

Surrounded by Xu Chu and his men, Cao Cao fled ashore like a stray dog.

He was still in shock and ran more than twenty steps in one breath until he was sure that the flood could no longer reach him, and then he stopped.

When Cao Cao, panting heavily and still shaken, looked back, his body instantly froze.

Nearly 20,000 soldiers have disappeared into the raging torrent.

The number of soldiers who escaped to the west bank was less than ten thousand, and they were all in disarray, like stray dogs.

On the east bank, the more than 7,000 soldiers were being surrounded and killed by the Chu army, and all the "Wei" banners had fallen.

He could even vaguely see his soldiers laying down their weapons and kneeling before the Chu army, begging for mercy.

Seventy percent of their forces were wiped out in a short period of time?
Xiao He, without losing a single soldier, inflicted such a crushing defeat on him.
"why?"

Why did I suffer such a crushing defeat?

Why do I repeatedly lose to that rustic villager?

"what is this?"

Cao Cao sat stiffly on his horse, his expression one of utter despair and bewilderment, muttering to himself as if he had fallen into a state of confusion.

The generals on either side, including Jiang Ji, Xu Chu, and Cao Zhen, all sighed and looked dejected.

"Damn you, God, you're blind!"

"Since you delivered Xiao He to my door, why did you let him abandon me and go to that big-eared thief?"

"You're blind! You're so blind!"

In his grief and confusion, Cao Cao, having suffered a severe blow to his spirit, suddenly went mad and began to curse the heavens.

"Lord Wei, this flood came quickly and went quickly. Once the water level drops, the Chu army will surely take advantage of the victory and come after us."

"Chang'an City cannot be defended either. I believe we should quickly go to Linzi and rely on the Zi River to hold Qi County while waiting for reinforcements."

Jiang Ji disregarded the risk of angering Cao Cao and forcefully offered his advice, interrupting Cao Cao's frantic cursing.

The words have not yet fallen.

Cao Cao glared angrily at Jiang Ji and said hysterically:

"Today's battle was not a mistake. I still have 10,000 men and 4,000 iron cavalry. Why should we retreat?"

"I will set up camp on the west bank of the Wei River and wait for reinforcements. I want to see how those country bumpkins can possibly conquer the Wei River—"

Before the word "water" could be uttered, a thunderous roar suddenly rang in my ears.

The ground beneath their feet trembled.

"Riding... cavalry—"

Xu Chu's voice was hoarse and trembling as he pointed south.

Cao Cao turned his head shakily, his body trembling, and the ferocious rage on his face was once again replaced by horror.

From the south, billowing dust rose, obscuring the sky.

Countless cavalry figures and countless "Chu" banners appeared and disappeared in the dust and mist.

Tiger Cavalry!
Zhang Liao's elite Chu cavalry, the Tiger Warriors, were advancing from the west bank of the Wei River, sweeping in from upstream.

Cao Cao's mouth gaped open, his eyes once again filled with confusion.

Xiao He actually sent three thousand cavalrymen to secretly cross the Wei River upstream!

The key point is, how did these three thousand elite cavalry arrive so timely?
He had just been swept away by the flood when this cavalry arrived right on time.

“Lord Wei, Xiao He must have ordered Zhang Liao to lead three thousand iron cavalry to secretly cross the Wei River upstream, and it was these three thousand enemy soldiers who built the sandbar.”

"That signal fire just now was meant to tell that traitor Zhang Liao to dig open the sandbar and then rush along the west bank to catch us off guard when our army was in disarray after our crushing defeat!"

Jiang Ji revealed the secret.

Cao Cao suddenly awoke with a start, his body shuddering again as a chill rose abruptly from the soles of his feet.

"Wei army, we cannot withstand Xiao He's second move no matter what. Let's retreat immediately!"

Jiang Ji pleaded earnestly, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets with anxiety.

He would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned Xiao He, but mentioning him only provoked Cao Cao more.

"So what if there are only three thousand cavalry? I still have Zhang He's four thousand iron cavalry. What do I have to fear?"

Cao Cao's face contorted in a ferocious grimace again as he drew his sword and shouted:
"Order Zhang He to engage the rebels for me. The infantry shall immediately form ranks and follow me in battle—"

Jiang Ji's expression changed drastically, clearly not expecting Cao Cao to be provoked to such an extent that he lost his mind.

Zhang He had four thousand cavalrymen, and in a normal confrontation, he might even have the upper hand.

But what's the situation now?
With over 20,000 troops wiped out, the cavalry remaining on the west bank, though not severely damaged, suffered a major blow to morale.

Morale and morale are the foundation of victory.

Your morale is gone, and your army is in chaos. Even if you had 40,000 iron cavalry, you still couldn't stop the Chu army, let alone 4,000 cavalry!
Jiang Ji was filled with bitterness, but dared not offer any further advice.

With Cao Cao's order issued, Zhang He had no choice but to lead his four thousand demoralized cavalrymen to meet the enemy.

In an instant, the two cavalry forces clashed and engaged in fierce combat.

The scene that Jiang Ji feared still happened.

Although the Wei cavalry had a numerical advantage, and Zhang He's cavalry fighting skills were no less than Zhang Liao's, they could not make up for the inferiority in morale. In less than a quarter of an hour, the Wei cavalry, having lost the will to fight, began to scatter and flee, collapsing without a fight.

Zhang Liao charged forward relentlessly, his long sword flashing wildly as he reaped the heads of Wei soldiers.

The three thousand Chu cavalry charged forward without hesitation, breaking through the Wei cavalry and heading straight for the Wei infantry formation.

Cao Cao's rage and madness had vanished, and his hand gripping the sword began to tremble slightly.

"Lord Wei, the situation is hopeless, retreat quickly."

"If we don't leave now, we will be wiped out here!"

"We ministers care not for dying in battle, but for Duke Wei, his fate rests on the shoulders of the state. If anything happens to him, our Great Wei is doomed—"

Jiang Ji pleaded again, so anxious that tears were about to fall.

Xu Chu panicked and shouted:
"What are you waiting for? Quickly escort Lord Wei to retreat—"

The Tiger Guards disregarded their duty to obey orders and, together with Cao Cao, fled westward.

"I will not leave! I will fight that rustic villager to the death! I will not leave!"

Cao Cao screamed hysterically.

Despite his stubbornness, his actions betrayed him, allowing the Tiger Guards to forcibly carry him away without any resistance.

With their ruler gone, the ten thousand Wei soldiers had no will to fight anymore and scattered like ants in a collapsed nest.

These frightened birds, abandoning their armor and weapons, fled westward towards Linzi.

Zhang Liao then urged his elite Tiger Cavalry to pursue and kill their way through the enemy like tigers and wolves chasing sheep.

The plains stretching more than ten miles west of the Wei River were all stained with blood…

Gaomi City, an inner room of the county government building.

Bu Lianshi had just changed Cao Jie's dressing on the bed.

"Miss Cao's injuries are healing very quickly. In at most ten days, she should be able to get out of bed and walk around."

"However, during this period, you still need to rest and recuperate."

As Bu Lianshi helped her put on her clothes, she gently comforted and advised her.

Cao Jie was deeply grateful and naturally expressed his gratitude once again.

"I haven't thanked Military Advisor Xiao yet. Once I'm able to settle down in a few days, I will definitely go and thank him in person."

Mentioning Xiao He, Cao Jie's face showed even more gratitude.

Bu Lianshi smiled and comforted him:

"My husband has been busy with military affairs lately. After the battle is over today, he should be able to come and visit Miss Cao when he has some free time."

Cao Jie's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked what was going on.

Bu Lianshi did not hide anything and told her the truth about Cao Cao's attack on Gaomi with 40,000 troops and Xiao Hezheng's command of the Chu army to meet the enemy.

"So, the Wei army outnumbers the Chu army by two to one? Doesn't that mean the battle is a huge mismatch? What about Military Advisor Xiao...?"

Cao Jie frowned, and couldn't help but worry.

If the Chu army is defeated and the Wei army invades Gaomi City, his ruthless father will surely slaughter Gaomi to the last man.

She, her mother, and her brother ultimately could not escape their fate.

“Miss Cao, don’t worry. My husband has won countless battles with far greater disparities in troop strength than this. This one is nothing to worry about.”

"Don't worry, with your husband here, no one can hurt you and your daughter."

Bu Lianshi calmly comforted him, her words revealing her trust and admiration for her husband.

Cao Jie was slightly relieved.

Recalling the various rumors she had heard about Xiao He while she was in Wei, she suddenly realized that perhaps her worries were indeed a bit unnecessary.

In her memory, her father, who was a brilliant strategist, had never seemed to gain any advantage over Xiao He.

Just as I was lost in thought, footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Miss Cao, how are your injuries now?"

Xiao He walked in with a caring smile on his face.

Lady Guan Yinping followed closely behind.

When Cao Jie saw Xiao He arrive, his eyes lit up and he made a move to get up.

Xiao He stepped forward, pressed her down, and said gently:
"Your injuries haven't healed yet, so don't move around too much. You should stay in bed."

As he spoke, he gently tucked the blanket around her.

This thoughtful gesture warmed Cao Jie's heart slightly, and a faint blush crept onto his face.

"My husband has returned so early. Could it be that the battle outside the city has been won?"

While asking him questions, Bu Lianshi served Xiao He a cup of tea to relieve his fatigue.

Before Xiao He could speak, Guan Yinping smiled and said:

"What you're saying, sister? This battle is being led by my husband himself; how could we possibly lose?"

"You had no idea how spectacular the scene was. My husband didn't lose a single soldier, and yet..."

Guan Yinping, with a proud tone, vividly recounted the events of Xiao He's flooding of the Wei army.

Bu Lianshi seemed to have gotten used to it, and was only slightly relieved, though her emotions remained relatively calm.

Cao Jie, however, was shocked, his bright eyes filled with disbelief.

She had no doubt that Xiao He would win this battle, but she had not expected that he would defeat Cao Cao by flooding the Wei army.

“Brother is right. Xiao Bowen’s military tactics are unpredictable and divine. Even if Han Xin and Bai Qi were to be resurrected, they would be far inferior. With such a divine man assisting the Duke of Chu, how could Father possibly be a match for him…”

Cao Jie was filled with emotion and sighed inwardly.

After Guan Yinping finished describing the battle, she smiled and looked at Cao Jie:

“Miss Cao, my husband has defeated the traitor Cao, avenging you for this sword wound. How do you plan to thank him?”

Cao Jie snapped out of his daze, his bright eyes filled with gratitude, and he hurriedly tried to get up to thank her.

"Miss Cao..."

"I have no way to repay the kindness of Military Advisor Xiao. Please accept my deepest bow."

Before Xiao He could stop him, Cao Jie struggled to get up and bowed to Xiao He while lying on the couch.

"You are injured, you should not move around lightly, lie down quickly."

Xiao He hurriedly reached out to help him up.

Cao Jie's grand gesture must have aggravated his wound.

She felt a tearing pain in her back, a wave of dizziness, and her body suddenly became weak and powerless, so she collapsed towards Xiao He.

Without thinking twice, Xiao He quickly reached out and pulled her into his arms.

When Cao Jie came to her senses and opened her bright eyes, she found herself nestled in Xiao He's arms.

The words my mother had spoken that day suddenly echoed in my ears…

Cao Jie's face immediately flushed, her eyes filled with shyness, and she was momentarily at a loss as she nestled in Xiao He's arms.

Guan Yinping and Bu Lianshi immediately noticed Cao Jie's expression and realized what was going on, so they exchanged a glance.

Guan Yinping frowned slightly.

She had only meant to joke with Cao Jie, but she never expected that it would inadvertently lead to such an intimate act between him and her husband, which made her feel somewhat regretful.

"I told you, you are injured and should not move around lightly."

"Remember, you can talk to me about it in the future. There's no need to kneel down and thank me like this."

Xiao He helped Cao Jie lie down and gave him some more serious instructions.

Cao Jie's face was flushed, and he remained silent, only nodding repeatedly.

After settling Cao Jie in, Xiao He looked up and saw the two ladies staring at him with seemingly meaningful looks in their eyes.

There seemed to be a slight sour smell in the air…

"I got up really early today to prepare for this battle, and I'm so tired! I need to go back and catch up on some sleep~~"

Xiao He pretended to be sleepy, got up, yawned, and lazily left.

Guan Yinping and Bu Lian exchanged another glance, let out a helpless sigh, and had no choice but to follow them out.

Cao Jie, lying on the couch, watched Xiao He's departing figure, her pearly teeth lightly biting her red lips, a subtle meaning flickering in her shy, bright eyes.

...

Qi Commandery, Linzi City.

Cao Cao led over 10,000 defeated Wei soldiers westward, abandoning seven cities in the process, and finally arrived at the seat of Qi Commandery.

Upon learning that Zhang Liao had not pursued them across the Zi River, the Wei rulers and ministers finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Although Zhang Liao did not pursue them across the Zi River, Xiao He's army will surely cross the Wei River and head straight for Linzi."

"With our current troop strength, even with the Zi River as a barrier, we cannot stop the Chu army from crossing the river."

"If Duke Wei continues to command the army in Linzi, he will inevitably be surrounded by the Chu army, and the situation will become extremely dangerous."

"In my opinion, Linzi is likely already difficult to defend, and Qingzhou is also difficult to hold. The wisest choice now is to retreat all the way to Huang..."

Jiang Ji analyzed the situation with a somber expression, but then dared not continue.

Cao Cao's face was ashen, and his bloodshot eyes were glaring at him.

His intention was clearly to abandon Qingzhou south of the Yellow River and retreat to Pingyuan County north of the Yellow River, using the Yellow River as a natural barrier to stop Xiao He's northward advance.

Having first lost Xuzhou, and then abandoned Qingzhou in less than two months, Cao Cao could not accept such a devastating defeat.

Upon hearing Jiang Ji's suggestion, he was naturally enraged, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

Jiang Ji dared not continue speaking.

The generals exchanged glances, not daring to utter a sound, but their eyes showed that they all agreed with Jiang Ji's proposal.

"I will never hand over Qingzhou to that big-eared thief!"

"Anyone who dares to abandon Qingzhou will be punished according to military law!"

Cao Cao slammed his hand on the table and roared angrily.

Jiang Ji and his generals all trembled, lowered their heads, and dared not utter a sound.

Compared to the disheveled state of the other generals, only Jia Xu remained calm and composed.

There was no other reason than that when Cao Cao was pursuing the Bian clan and passed through Linzi, Jia Xu used the excuse of feeling unwell to stay in Linzi to recuperate.

This is why the strategist was spared the humiliation of the Battle of Wei River.

However, in Cao Cao's view at this time, this old fox seemed to have anticipated his defeat and therefore made an excuse not to advance eastward with the army, so as to keep himself out of the mess.

"Jia Xu!"

Cao Cao was furious, so he called him by name and said sternly:

"You are fed by me, how can you not share my burdens?"

"I need you to devise a plan right now to help me defeat Xiao He and turn the tide of the battle!"

Jia Xu was slightly startled. Seeing Cao Cao's angry expression, he realized that Cao Cao had given him a death order. If he didn't come up with a plan to turn the tide today, Cao Cao would probably not let him off the hook.

After pondering for a long time, Jia Xu stroked his beard and coughed dryly, saying:
"Your Majesty, I have indeed come up with a plan, but I fear it may offend the will of Heaven!"

(End of this chapter)