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

Chapter 248 Cao Cao: Admit defeat and sue for peace with Liu Bei! My method for unifying the world can help the Duke of Chu rebuild the Han Dynasty!
Xiao He turned around with a flick of his sleeve, his gaze fixed on the north.

Crossing the vast floodwaters, the Ji River lies a hundred miles to the north.

At this moment, Cao Cao is probably in Linji City on the north bank, waiting for the good news that his 20,000-strong army has been drowned.

Unfortunately, Cao Cao's wish was not fulfilled, and what awaited him was the tragic news of the fall of Linzi and the killing of Cao Zhen.

Xiao He's lips curled into a slight smile as he sneered:

"With Linzi fallen, Cao Cao is powerless to do anything more."

"Pass down the order: the entire army shall press on westward in victory and drive Cao Cao north of the Yellow River in one fell swoop."

The generals were filled with heroic spirit and readily accepted the order.

Therefore, Xiao He left more than 3,000 men to guard Linzi, while his 20,000-strong army, riding the momentum of their great victory, marched straight towards Linji.

...

At dusk, in Linji City.

On the east gate tower, Cao Cao was shading his eyes with his hand, gazing longingly at the south bank of the Ji River.

"According to my estimation, Zhang He should have flooded Linzi the day before yesterday, and good news should arrive by tonight at the latest. Lord Wei, please wait patiently."

Cheng Yu, standing beside him, smiled and comforted him.

Cao Cao then lowered his hand, but glanced at Jia Xu again:
"Wenhe, tell me the truth, how confident are you in the success of this plan?"

Jia Xu's robes twitched slightly.

After a slight hesitation, Jia Xu cupped his hands and replied:

"Your Excellency Wei, if this plan were to be used against anyone in the world, I would have at least a 90% chance of success."

"However, this plan is aimed at Xiao He, and I have no answer to that."

Cao Cao frowned slightly, clearly not satisfied with Jia Xu's ambiguous answer.

“This person is unpredictable and cannot be judged by ordinary standards, so I dare not make any wild guesses.”

Seeing Cao Cao's dissatisfaction, Jia Xu had no choice but to add further explanation.

Cao Cao's brows relaxed, but a hint of worry flashed in his eyes as he sighed:

“Wenhe’s words make sense. Xiao He is indeed a fiend who cannot be judged by ordinary standards. We have suffered far too many losses at his hands.”

What you have said is exactly what I have been worried about.

When the moment arrived and the outcome was about to be revealed, Cao Cao suddenly lost his previous confidence.

For some reason, the more critical the moment, the more uneasy he felt.

Over the years, those repeated near misses, those miscalculations, and those painful experiences of being defeated by Xiao He's schemes have been haunting me like a persistent ghost.

"Wenhe, if this plan fails, what should I do?"

Cao Cao lacked confidence and couldn't help but start planning his escape route.

After a moment of silence, Jia Xu sighed softly:

“If my plan fails, Linzi will surely fall, and all the counties south of the Ji River will fall into the hands of the false Chu.”

"Xiao He will surely take advantage of the momentum from the defeat of Linzi and advance northward, heading straight for Linji."

"Our reinforcements have only arrived with 10,000 men. When morale is severely damaged, they will inevitably be unable to withstand the Chu army, and Linji City will most likely fall."

"At that time, we will probably have no choice but to abandon all the land south of the Yellow River and retreat to the north bank, relying on the natural barrier of the Yellow River to block the advance of the Chu army."

A chill ran down Cao Cao's spine, his brows furrowed again, and his gaze returned to the south.

"If I, Cao Cao, truly have the mandate of heaven, then grant me the success of this plan..."

Cao Cao looked up at the blood-red setting sun and silently prayed.

The sound of hooves rang out, and a rider came from the riverbank, galloping into the city.

Cao Cao sensed that the news must be coming from Linzi, and his nerves tightened.

A moment later, the messenger, holding the silk scroll high, climbed up the city wall, panting.

"Reporting to Lord Wei, General Zhang has an urgent report to deliver—"

Before the messenger could finish speaking, Cao Cao snatched the silk scroll and hurriedly opened it to read it.

Jia Xu, Cheng Yu, Jiang Ji, Chen Qun…

Everyone present held their breath, their tense gazes fixed on the battle report in Cao Cao's hand.

After glancing at it a few times, Cao Cao's eyes suddenly widened, his hands trembled, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Before breaching the dike, the Chu army moved their camp to higher ground, then entered the water by rafts, seizing the opportunity to attack and capture Linzi. The entire 7,000-strong garrison was annihilated, Cao Zhen was captured, and drowned by Xiao He. Xiao He is now leading a large army straight towards Linji…

Each word was like a knife, cutting into Cao Cao's heart.

"Damn you, Heavens! Did you send down Xiao He just to kill me, Cao Cao?"

Cao Cao held up the battle report in his hand and questioned the heavens with grief and indignation.

Jia Xu and the others all felt a chill run down their spines, immediately sensing that something was wrong.

The battle report fluttered to the ground as Cao Cao staggered backward.

"Duke Wei!"

Xu Chu leaped forward and helped Cao Cao up.

Cao Cao slumped down as if completely exhausted, tears streaming down his face, and cried out in anguish:
"Zidan, Zidan, if I had known this would be the outcome, I shouldn't have let you guard Linzi, I shouldn't have..."

The crowd rushed forward, picked up the battle report that had fallen to the ground, and hurriedly gathered around to read it.

Everyone gasped, their eyes widened, and their expressions froze in shock and horror.

"Xiao He's wisdom is truly unfathomable; I am no match for him..."

Jia Xu shook his head and let out a helpless sigh.

This result was naturally due to Xiao He seeing through his plan, taking precautions in advance, and then turning the tables on him, taking advantage of the rising water level to sail up to Linzi.

His treacherous plan not only failed to annihilate the Chu army, but instead helped them capture Linzi.

At this moment, this cunning strategist could only admit defeat to Xiao and Gan.

"Unexpectedly, Wenhe's brilliant plan was still seen through by Xiao He, and even Cao Zidan..."

Cheng Yu sighed and bowed to Cao Cao:

"Lord Wei, the situation is hopeless. The Chu army's advance is unstoppable. Linji cannot be defended."

"For the sake of the overall situation, let's retreat to the north of the Yellow River."

Sitting on the ground, Cao Cao had already hurled his curses and shed his tears. Now, he was like a wilted eggplant, completely devoid of spirit.

After listening to Cheng Yu's persuasion and weighing the pros and cons briefly, he could only wave his hand weakly.

"Issue the order to abandon Linji and retreat the entire army to the north bank."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Chu then summoned the Tiger Guards, who helped Cao Cao down from the city wall.

Jia Xu, Cheng Yu, and the others hurriedly followed them down the city wall.

Only Chen Qun remained on the city wall, his gaze fixed on the direction of Xuzhou, a hint of barely perceptible regret flashing in his eyes.

"Lord Xuande, I never imagined that after more than ten years of wasted time, you would soar to new heights and become unstoppable."

"Could it be that I, Chen Qun, really chose the wrong person back then?"

A sigh echoed across the city walls.

On that day, more than 10,000 Wei troops abandoned Linji and fled north in panic to the north bank of the Yellow River.

At the same time, Cao Cao ordered all the people in the counties north of the Ji River and south of the Yellow River to be relocated to Pingyuan County on the north bank in order to create a scorched earth and a 50-mile-wide no-man's-land between the two waterways.

Three days later, Xiao He led his victorious army across the Ji River and occupied Linji City.

When the scouts reported that Cao Cao had retreated to the north bank of the Yellow River and moved all the people and residents of the counties north of the Ji River to the north bank, Xiao He then ordered the troops to cease fighting.

The counties of Jinan, Le'an, Qi, Beihai, and Donglai, located south and east of the Yellow River, have all been brought under the control of the Great Chu.

Cao Cao was left with only the plains north of the Yellow River.

Xiao He's strategic goal, set before the battle, of capturing most of Qingzhou and reaching the Yellow River, has been achieved.

The people of Qingzhou were not yet at peace, the soldiers were exhausted from long battles, the supply lines were too long, and the Yellow River was a natural barrier ahead.

Moreover, before Cao Cao retreated to the north bank, he used his usual tactic of relocating people to create a no-man's land.

Under these circumstances, forcibly advancing northward would clearly be unwise.

Xiao He then left Gan Ning, Su Fei, and other generals to lead troops to garrison Linji, Linzi, and Gaomi, while he himself set off south to Xiapi to report back to Liu Bei.

The Battle of Qingzhou thus came to an end.

Pingyuan County, Pingyuan City.

"Xiao and that sorcerer have finally retreated..."

Cao Cao examined the news of Xiao He's return to the south in his hand, and breathed a long sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Lord Wei, now that Xiao He has left Qingzhou, we request that you lead your army across the Yellow River, reclaim the lost territory of Qingzhou, and avenge Zidan!"

Cao Chun jumped up and angrily volunteered for battle.

Several members of the imperial clan and military generals jumped up and volunteered to fight, declaring that they wanted to avenge Cao Zhen.

At this time, the second reinforcement arrived, and the number of Wei troops on the plains had reached more than 30,000.

This gave Cao Chun and his men the confidence to fight the Chu army again.

Cao Cao, however, remained surprisingly calm. He was neither blinded by the fire of revenge nor swayed by the requests for battle from Cao Chun and others.

"I will naturally reclaim Qingzhou, and I will certainly avenge Zidan, but not now."

Cao Cao gestured for his generals to calm down, then continued:

"In the battle of Xuzhou, our army lost 70,000 men, and in the battle of Qingzhou, our army lost another 30,000 men."

"In these two battles, our army lost a total of 100,000 elite troops and also lost two states."

"Zihe, the balance of power has shifted. Do you really think it's wise for us to fight the pseudo-Chu again at this time?"

Cao Chun was speechless, his fighting spirit suppressed by Cao Cao's question.

The strategists, including Cheng Yu, Jiang Ji, and Chen Qun, looked at Cao Cao with delight.

They clearly did not expect Cao Cao to be so calm, and he even disregarded his reputation by openly acknowledging that the balance of power in offense and defense had been reversed.

In a daze, the humble and composed Cao Mengde returned once again.

After pacifying Hebei, Cao Cao became arrogant and overconfident, but Liu Bei repeatedly struck him down, bringing him back to his original state.

The disastrous defeat at Qingzhou served as a wake-up call for Cao Cao, forcing him to rediscover the weak mentality he had displayed when facing Yuan Shao.

"It is truly a blessing for our great Wei that Lord Wei possesses such clear-headedness and composure!"

Chen Qun was the first to stand up and offer high praise.

Cheng Yu, Jiang Ji, and others echoed this sentiment, showering him with praise.

“I have been reflecting on why I have been repeatedly defeated by Liu Bei. While it is certainly one of the reasons that he has Xiao He to assist him, in the final analysis, it is because I have underestimated him and been too careless.”

"Arrogance leads to defeat."

After blaming himself, Cao Cao said solemnly:

"I assure you all that from this day forward, I will never underestimate Liu Bei again. I will deal with Liu Bei in the same way I dealt with Yuan Shao."

"We must not repeat the mistakes of the battles of Xuzhou and Qingzhou."

Cao Cao's statement delighted Chen Qun and his advisors, who showered him with praise.

"You may all speak freely about how I should proceed next."

Cao Cao then adopted a humble and eager-to-learn attitude, asking his advisors for their advice.

The words trailed off.

Chen Qun's eyes darted around, and he cupped his hands in greeting:
"Lord Wei, in my opinion, the most important thing you should do right now is to send an envoy to Liu Bei to request peace."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the ministers changed.

Cao Cao frowned slightly, but did not show any surprise or anger, and gestured for Chen Qun to continue.

"Although our Great Wei still has six provinces and controls the fertile lands of the two rivers, its foundation is still deeper than that of the pseudo-Chu. However, the two battles of Qing and Xu resulted in the loss of 100,000 soldiers. Even with the strength of our Great Wei, it will not be able to recover its strength in a short period of time."

"What we need most now is time to recruit new troops, train soldiers, and revitalize our forces."

"I predict that Liu Bei will not give us a chance to recover. After he has pacified Qing and Xu provinces, he will surely launch another northward invasion, with his troops directly attacking Henan."

"Your Majesty, I request that you send an envoy to the puppet state of Chu to sue for peace. This is merely a delaying tactic to postpone Liu Bei's northward invasion and buy us time to recover our strength."

"If possible, we might be able to ask Liu Bei to return his wife and fourth son."

Chen Qun explained his motives in a lengthy and detailed manner.

Cao Cao understood Chen Qun's deeper meaning, his brows relaxed, and he began to ponder, twirling his short beard with his fingertips.

Cheng Yu, Jiang Ji, and the others all nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with Chen Qun's suggestion.

However, no one dared to agree; they were all on tenterhooks, anxiously looking at Cao Cao.

Whether Cao Cao has truly rediscovered his former composure and humility, or is merely paying lip service, depends on his attitude towards Chen Qun's advice.

After weighing the pros and cons for a long time.

Cao Cao chuckled lightly and waved his hand, saying:
"A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. Emperor Gaozu of Han once bowed to Xiang Yu. What's wrong with me asking Liu Bei for peace today?"

"Chen Changwen, you once served as Liu Bei's advisor. Since this plan was your idea, I hereby appoint you as an envoy to the puppet state of Chu. I hope you will not fail my trust!"

Chen Qun seemed to have been waiting for Cao Cao to say this, so he accepted the order without hesitation.

With the plan settled, Chen Qun traveled south to Xiapi as an envoy of the State of Wei.

Cao Cao left over 10,000 men to guard Pingyuan, while he led the main force back to Yecheng.

...

Seven days later, Chen Qun arrived in Xiapi City.

When Liu Bei appointed Tao Qian as the governor of Yu Province, he recruited him as the governor's assistant. Later, Tao Qian followed Liu Bei to take control of Xu Province.

After Lü Bu launched a surprise attack on Xiapi and Liu Bei lost Xuzhou, Chen Qun and his father went into hiding.

It wasn't until Cao Cao defeated Lü Bu and captured Xuzhou that Chen Qun took the initiative to meet Cao Cao and express his willingness to serve him.

This trip to Xiapi can be considered a return to familiar territory for him.

Liu Bei was always loyal and valued relationships, and he greatly admired Chen Qun's talent. Now that he heard of Chen Qun's arrival, he naturally treated him with great hospitality.

When old friends meet, it's natural to reminisce about the past and renew old friendships.

Having reminisced about the past and drunk enough of the welcoming wine, Chen Qun then steered the conversation to the main topic, stating the purpose of his visit:
He came to Liu Bei on Cao Cao's orders to sue for peace.

Cao Cao will relinquish the right to reclaim Qing and Xu provinces, acknowledge Liu Bei's legitimate possession of the two provinces, and the two countries will shake hands and make peace with the existing borders as the boundary, agreeing not to invade each other.

If Liu Bei agrees to make peace, Cao Cao will release the families of Wei soldiers captured in the Battle of Qing and Xu back to Chu, and will also give them 500,000 bushels of grain as a token of his sincerity.

Upon hearing Chen Qun's words, Liu Bei showed no surprise, but instead looked back at Xiao He with admiration.

As early as after Xiao He returned to Xiapi, he judged that Cao Cao would endure humiliation and send envoys to sue for peace in order to buy time for Cao Cao to recover his strength and revitalize his army.

Now it seems that everything was as Xiao had expected.

"The Han and the traitors cannot coexist, and the royal cause cannot be achieved by merely occupying a corner of the country."

"Since Cao Cao is a traitor to the Han, I will surely punish him!"

"The Emperor is the rightful heir of the Han Dynasty, and I should personally welcome him back to the old capital."

Liu Bei resolutely refused Chen Qun's request, and then said with an air of domineering arrogance:

"Please convey to Cao Cao that after this autumn, I will personally lead the royal army on another northern expedition to recover the Central Plains and destroy the false Wei!"

"If Cao Cao did not want to die with his name as a traitor to the Han Dynasty, his only way out was to give up his power and go to Yingtian to plead guilty to the emperor!"

Chen Qun stood tall and imposing.

He looked Liu Bei up and down, as if he could hardly believe that the domineering and fierce Duke of Chu before him was the Liu Xuande he knew back then.

After a long silence, Chen Qun gave a bitter laugh and sighed:
"More than ten years have passed since we parted. Duke Chu is indeed a different person from before. No wonder Duke Wei, who clearly dominates the nine provinces and has all the advantages, has been repeatedly defeated by Duke Chu."

Liu Bei scrutinized Chen Qun, whose tone had suddenly changed, and sensed a different meaning in his expression and words.

After his initial感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion), Chen Qun's expression turned solemn, and he lowered his voice, saying:

"Lord Chu, I possess something that can help you unify the world. May I ask if you may dismiss everyone so that I may present it to you?"

Liu Bei's expression changed, and he looked at Chen Qun with surprise and suspicion.

What's the situation?
Chen Qun, weren't you sent by Cao Cao to sue for peace with me?
Why the sudden change of tone? You're actually going to help me unify the world?
Liu Bei couldn't help but look at Xiao He.

Xiao He was equally curious, unable to guess what Chen Qun was up to or what he was trying to do, so he nodded slightly.

Liu Bei then dismissed all his ministers, leaving only Xiao He behind.

Chen Qun took a deep breath, took out a scroll from his robes, and respectfully presented it to Liu Bei with both hands, solemnly saying:

"This is a method for unifying the world that we have painstakingly created. If you, Lord Chu, have the courage to implement it, we are willing to abandon Wei and return to Chu to assist you in implementing this method, so as to unify the world and rebuild the Han Dynasty!"

(End of this chapter)