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

Chapter 246: I will harm Heaven but not Wenhe, for I am the most poisonous being in the world! Xiao He: I am blessed with good fortune, and I am immune to all poisons!
"Wenhe, what good plan do you have? Tell me quickly!"

Upon hearing that Jia Xu had a plan, Cao Cao's spirits lifted immediately.

Jia Xu then asked the Tiger Guards to bring the map and spread it out in front of Cao Cao.

"Lord Wei, please look around. Linzi City is surrounded by lakes and rivers. The rivers include the Zi River, the Shi River, and the Zhuo River, and the lake is Juding Lake. It can be said that it is surrounded by water on all sides."

“In another month, spring rains will fall, and the water levels in these lakes and rivers will surely rise significantly.”

"My plan is for Duke Wei to lead three thousand infantry and cavalry to retreat west of the Ji River. This will prevent him from being besieged by the Chu army in Linzi, and allow him to wait for reinforcements."

"Duke Wei can select a general to lead 7,000 elite troops to defend Linzi City and keep Xiao He's Chu army firmly tied down under the walls of Linzi City."

"Although Xiao He was victorious, his army numbered only over 20,000. Without capturing Linzi, he would certainly not dare to cross Linzi and continue his advance into the northern prefectures of Qing.

"The Duke of Wei then used Linzi City as bait. When the Chu army surrounded the city from all sides, he sent light cavalry to dig up all the surrounding lakes and rivers, including Juding Lake, Zishui River, and Shishui River."

"At that time, the flood will sweep across Linzi from all directions, and will surely drown the Chu army outside the city in one fell swoop!"

"In this way, Duke Wei can fight fire with fire and use the flooding strategy to severely damage the Chu army without lifting a finger."

"Afterwards, our army will take advantage of the victory and advance eastward, and will be able to recover all the lost territory in Qingdong in one fell swoop with overwhelming force."

Jia Xu pointed to the map and offered Cao Cao a detailed plan.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his buttocks, Cao Cao jumped up and excitedly scanned the map.

His eyes grew increasingly agitated, and the veins on his face twitched more and more frequently…

Suddenly, Cao Cao slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent plan to flood Linzi!"

"This plan is remarkably similar to the one Xiao He used to flood Fancheng back then."

"Wenhe, Wenhe, I knew you must have some brilliant plan in your mind. If I don't ask, you won't tell me, will you?"

Cao Cao couldn't stop smiling; the gloom on his face vanished, and he looked at Jia Xu with a gaze that held both praise and reproach.

Jia Xu quickly bowed and said self-deprecatingly:

"Lord Wei, you flatter me. I am paid by the state of Wei. How dare I harbor schemes yet remain silent, failing to share the burdens of my lord?"

"I was inspired by Xiao He's plan in the Battle of Weishui. I recalled that the terrain of Fancheng was quite similar to that of Linzi, so I just came up with this plan."

Cao Cao was in high spirits and would never truly blame him; he simply smiled magnanimously.
"Alright, alright, there's no need for you to panic and make excuses. I was just trying to provoke you."

"It seems my provocation worked. You immediately came up with this brilliant plan to achieve victory in one fell swoop."

"Very good, very good! If this plan succeeds, you will be the greatest contributor to my recovery of Qingzhou. I will promote you to the rank of Marquis!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals looked on with envy and turned to look at Jia Xu.

Throughout the entire state of Wei, the highest-ranking noble was Xiahou Dun, the Marquis of Gaoxiang; to this day, no one had been granted the honor of being a county marquis.

Once Cao Cao spoke, Jia Xu could become the first person in Wei to be granted the title of county marquis.

He was still a subject from another family.

Everyone understood that Cao Cao desperately needed a great victory, so much so that he was willing to break with convention and reward the meritorious minister who could make his dream come true with the title of county marquis.

Jia Xu was not pleased; on the contrary, he was quite surprised.
“It is my duty to share the burdens of my lord’s bounty, and I dare not hope for such a great reward.”

"I dare not accept this title of county marquis."

Jia Xu wanted to decline, but Cao Cao waved his hand, leaving no room for argument:

"I have been repeatedly defeated by that Xiao He. If you can help me to defeat this villain, you will help me shatter the myth of that sorcerer's infallible strategies. The gains will not only be the recovery of lost territory, but also the eradication of the fear of Xiao He among our troops!"

"Such extraordinary achievements, you, Jia Wenhe, are not worthy of the title of mere county marquis!"

"It's settled then, don't try to back out now!"

Seeing that Cao Cao was determined to do so, Jia Xu could no longer refuse and could only reluctantly bow and express his gratitude.

Seeing an opportunity to decisively defeat Xiao He and recover lost territory, the generals' dejection vanished and their spirits were greatly lifted.

“Lord Wei, Qi County is the most prosperous county in Qingzhou. Although it is small, it is densely populated.”

“Besides Linzi, there are several counties within a radius of seventy li, including Dong'anping, Anxi, and Bochang. The number of people in this city, plus the people in the surrounding countryside, is at least fifty or sixty thousand.”

“If we use Jia Taizhong’s strategy, we might alert the enemy. We will not be able to relocate the people of various counties, and we will not even be able to issue a warning.”

"In this way, once these lakes and rivers are dug up, Qi County will be submerged into a vast swamp. Wouldn't all fifty or sixty thousand people be drowned by the flood without any warning?"

"These people are all subjects of my Wei Kingdom."

"Therefore, I believe that Duke Wei should carefully consider whether to implement Jia Taizhong's plan."

Amidst the excitement, Jiang Ji poured cold water on the situation.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The generals, who had been discussing the matter heatedly, immediately fell silent.

"Ahem, what Jiang Zitong said is exactly what I said at the beginning, that this plan goes against the will of Heaven."

"Although this plan benefits the country, it harms the people and disrupts the harmony of nature, and may be criticized by the world."

"Whether or not to use this plan, I urge Lord Wei to think it over carefully."

Jia Xu quickly echoed Jiang Ji's sentiments, and in a few words, he passed the buck to Cao Cao.

The plan was mine, but as I said, it was insidious, against the will of Heaven, and would damage your reputation, Lord Wei.

Whether you use it or not, think carefully about the consequences and make your own decision.

As for whether I will be infamous in the future, that is none of my business.

Cao Cao's smile vanished, his expression darkened again, and he hesitated for a moment.

Seeing this, Xu Chu dismissively shouted:

"What do you mean by offending Heaven and the people? What do you mean by damaging Lord Wei's reputation? Why are you so worried?"

"Back then, that big-eared scoundrel boasted of his benevolence and righteousness, yet he still managed to breach the Han River and flood Fancheng to deal with us. Why should we be so hesitant and worry about so many things?"

Jiang Ji sighed bitterly and said helplessly:
“General Xu, things are different now. Back then, Liu Bei flooded Fancheng because the Duke of Wei had already forcibly relocated all the people from the counties north of the Han River to the north, so Liu Bei had no worries.”

Xu Chu suddenly realized what was happening and was speechless for a moment. He could only look helplessly at Cao Cao.

Cao Cao frowned deeply, but his gaze swept over the generals.

He certainly didn't want to bear the infamy of flooding his own people unless absolutely necessary.

At the very least, he can't be left to bear the brunt of the criticism alone; someone has to help him share the burden.

At this point, he needed a minister to step forward and strongly advocate for the implementation of this plan, rather than someone like Jia Xu or Jiang Ji who tried to smooth things over.

The generals weren't stupid either; Zhang He, Sun Li, and others all silently lowered their heads and remained silent.

"Lord Wei, I believe that we should prioritize the overall situation and implement this plan!"

One bravely stepped forward, breaking the silence.

It was Cao Zhen.

Cao Cao's eyes lit up, and he was secretly pleased. In critical moments, he still had to rely on his own people.

Cao Cao then waved his hand, signaling Cao Zhen to continue.

"Duke Wei loved the people like his own children; this is a fact known to everyone in the world."

“Flooding Linzi could indeed harm the people of Qi County, and Duke Wei is naturally extremely reluctant to do so.”

"However, if we do not use this plan, with our current strength, we will certainly not be able to stop Xiao and that sorcerer from advancing unimpeded. The land south of the Yellow River in Qingzhou will then fall entirely into the hands of the pseudo-Chu."

"Liu Bei appears benevolent on the surface, but is actually cruel. If he were to swallow up Qingzhou, he would force the people of the province to serve as soldiers, turning them into his henchmen for conquering cities and territories. Countless people would be buried far from home, their families destroyed."

"If that is indeed the case, then Duke Wei has lost sight of the greater good for the sake of petty righteousness, disregarding the lives of the people of an entire province, and even the lives of countless citizens of our Great Wei!"

After Cao Zhen's impassioned speech, he bowed deeply.

"Therefore, I implore Your Majesty to consider the well-being of the people of this province and the survival of our Great Wei, and to absolutely employ Jia Wenhe's plan!"

Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief, a look of satisfaction and pleasure appearing on his lips.

Cao Zhen's offer to him was far too convenient.

Everything is for the Great Wei!
I had to sacrifice tens of thousands of people in Qi County to protect the millions of citizens of Wei. It was a sacrifice of personal righteousness for the greater good!

Cao Cao then took a deep breath and sighed helplessly:

"Zidan's words have truly reminded me and made me realize my mistake."

"So be it. For the sake of the people of Qingzhou, and for the lives of the people of my Great Wei, we can only make the people of Qi County suffer."

"Even if there is infamy, let me bear it alone." Cao Zhen praised Cao Cao's wisdom.

Seeing that Cao Cao had made up his mind, Jiang Ji knew that further persuasion would be useless, so he remained silent.

The plan has been decided; the next question is who will defend Linzi.

The generals fell silent once again.

Leading a small, isolated army of seven thousand, he was besieged by the Chu army in a lonely city, and also had to endure the devastation of a flood…

Everyone knew that this was a dangerous mission with unpredictable risks, where lives were at stake.

"Lord Wei, I am willing to defend Linzi to the death and serve as this bait!"

Cao Zhen volunteered for the battle.

Cao Cao was pleased, but he was also hesitant.

Cao Zhen is, after all, one of our own. If we succeed in this battle, it will be a great achievement; if we fail, we will surely die.

The Cao family has already shed enough blood.

"It is my dereliction of duty that led to the fall of Dongwu Gaomi, which allowed Xiao He and that sorcerer to advance unimpeded and invade my Qingzhou."

"I am ashamed before Duke Wei and guilty before the state."

"Please, Lord Wei, give me a chance to redeem myself. I will certainly not fail your trust!"

Cao Zhen delivered a passionate speech, explaining his motivation for volunteering.

He felt guilty and wanted to use this battle to make amends, wash away the shame, rebuild his prestige in the Wei army, and silence those who questioned him.

After careful consideration, Cao Cao concluded that this important task indeed required a capable general who was also absolutely loyal to the State of Wei.

My adopted son is indeed the most suitable candidate.

After careful consideration, Cao Cao readily agreed:
"This time, no one but Zidan can shoulder this heavy responsibility."

"Very well, I grant your request and order you to lead seven thousand elite troops to defend Linzi."

"Within a month, I will surely flood the Chu rebels and lead a large army to join you. Together we will reclaim Qingzhou!"

Cao Zhen was overjoyed and readily accepted the order.

With the plan settled, Cao Cao led 3,000 infantry and cavalry to retreat towards the Ji River that very night, and issued an edict to the Ji and Yan provinces to quickly send reinforcements to aid Qingzhou.

Cao Zhen then led 7,000 Wei soldiers to reinforce the city's defenses day and night, waiting for the Chu army to attack.

At this time, Xiao He had already led 20,000 infantry and cavalry across the Wei River to the west, rushing towards Linzi.

Along the way, the cities of Yingling, Juxian, Guangxian, and Dong'anping all surrendered without a fight.

The Chu army captured all the counties of Qi Commandery without bloodshed, and the main force crossed the Zi River to begin the siege of Linzi City.

Within two days, encirclement camps sprang up on all sides, completely surrounding Linzi City.

With the siege over complete, the Chu army immediately launched a fierce attack on Linzi.

Cao Zhen is indeed quite capable.

With his military command skills, Cao Zhen led 7,000 Wei soldiers in a desperate battle, managing to withstand seven fierce attacks from the Chu army.

After a prolonged siege, the Chu army failed to break through, and Xiao He, in order to avoid unnecessary loss of soldiers' lives, ordered a halt to the attack.

The siege thus entered a stalemate.

Ten days have passed in the blink of an eye, and the first spring rain has finally arrived as scheduled.

Inside the Chinese military tent.

Xiao He and his generals were gathered around a sand table in Linzi, discussing strategies for capturing the city.

"According to my scouts, Cao Cao has now retreated to Linji City on the north bank of the Ji River, and reinforcements from the Wei army in Ji and Yan provinces are also gradually gathering in the direction of Linji."

"Within fifteen days at the latest, Cao Cao will be able to regroup his troops and may even cross the Ji River to the east to attack Linzi."

"Now it seems that Cao Cao left Cao Zhen to defend Linzi precisely to use this city to hold us back and buy time for him to send reinforcements."

"If we cannot capture Linzi within fifteen days, Cao Cao will lead his army back, and our army will face a situation of being attacked from both inside and outside."

"At that time, I'm afraid we'll have to give up the attack on Linzi and retreat to Dong'anping City on the east bank of the Zi River, where we'll be facing Cao Cao across the river."

Zhang Liao recounted all the intelligence he had recently obtained.

The generals immediately began to discuss the matter.

"Cao Cao, is your intention truly as Wen Yuan claims...?"

Xiao He gently stroked his chin, muttering to himself.

Just then, a guard came to report that the newly appointed governor of Qingzhou, Sun Qian, had personally escorted the grain supplies into the camp.

"Sun Gongyou has arrived! Please come in quickly!"

Xiao He's eyes lit up when he heard that an old acquaintance had arrived, and he immediately put aside the battle at hand.

A moment.

The curtain was lifted, and Sun Qian strolled in.

"Recently, spring rains have fallen extensively, making the roads much muddy and hindering the movement of grain carts. That's why the supplies were a few days late. Hopefully, this didn't delay the military intelligence."

Sun Qian smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and apologized.

"Not too late, not too late, just in time."

Xiao He cupped his hands in greeting and smiled:
"It's just that I feel really bad that Governor Sun personally escorted the grain supplies."

Sun Qian hurriedly waved his hand and laughed self-deprecatingly:
"With Qian's talent, how could he be worthy of the post of governor? It was because of Wei Gong's old friendship that he made Qian the governor of Qingzhou."

"It is my honor to serve as a military advisor in the campaign against Cao Cao, and to contribute my meager strength. There is no question of hardship."

Sun Qian was from Qingzhou, and it was from Qingzhou that he began to follow Liu Bei.

According to the avoidance system, people from this prefecture were not allowed to serve as the prefect of this prefecture.

However, Sun Qian had made great contributions, remaining by his side for more than ten years, even in life and death.

It was precisely because of his merits that Liu Bei made an exception and appointed Sun Qian as the governor of Qingzhou, allowing him to enjoy the glory of returning home in triumph.

Xiao He saw through it but didn't say anything, and just laughed it off.

There weren't many people from Qingzhou in the Chu army, and now that Sun Qian, a "native" of Qingzhou, had arrived, Xiao He naturally wanted to pull Sun Qian aside to discuss the current battle situation.

"Military strategy is not Qian's forte, and I'm afraid Qian can't be of much help to Military Advisor Xiao."

"However, I believe that no one can match the local customs, mountains and rivers of Qi County."

Sun Qian, with a hint of arrogance on his face, pointed to the map and said:
"Linzi City is a treasure land with good feng shui. To the east are the Zi River and the Zhuo River, to the west is the Shi River, and to the north is the Juding Lake. The land is fertile and there are good fields everywhere."

"The produce from the fields surrounding Linzi alone is enough to feed my 20,000-strong army; there is no need to transport any more grain to the front lines..."

Sun Qian described Linzi and the surrounding mountains and terrain in great detail, while Xiao He's eyes gradually focused.

Spring rains fell heavily, making roads muddy and rivers swell, leaving Linzi City surrounded by water on all sides…

Various clues gathered in Xiao He's mind, gradually outlining a clear plan.

"boom!"

Xiao suddenly slammed his fist on the sand table:
"You treacherous Cao Cao, what a wicked scheme you devised!"

Sun Qian, who had been interrupted, looked at Xiao He blankly.

Gan Ning, Zhang Liao, and the other generals were all stunned and looked at Xiao He with surprise and confusion.

Xiao He waved his hand and said sternly:

"Immediately issue an order to the magistrates of all counties in Qi Commandery to relocate all the people under their jurisdiction to higher ground."

"Pass down the order: each battalion must rush to build bamboo rafts and construct new camps on nearby high ground, ready to move to higher ground at any time!"

This series of inexplicable orders left all the generals bewildered.

"Military Advisor Xiao, please forgive my ignorance, but I do not understand the purpose of your two orders?"

Zhang Liao finally came to his senses and hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting to ask.

Xiao He looked north and gave a cold smile:
"Because someone gave Cao Cao a vicious plan: he wanted to dig up all the lakes and rivers in the vicinity, turning Linzi and even the entire Qi Commandery into a vast swamp!"

"If I don't issue these two orders, my 20,000 troops and tens of thousands of people in this county will all be fed to the fish!"

Upon hearing this, the generals were greatly alarmed.

(End of this chapter)