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

Chapter 263 It's not that we're incompetent, it's that Xiao He is too cunning! Liu Bei: Cao Cao's life is hanging by a thread? Is there such a good thing?

"what--"

A series of agonizing screams, like those of a pig being slaughtered, rang out.

"Father!"

Cao Pi scrambled to his feet and lunged at Cao Cao.

Xu Chu also realized what was happening and rushed up to Cao Cao. The group worked together in a flurry, dragging and lifting Cao Cao away from the foot of the earthen hill.

Cao Cao's left leg was broken, and being dragged like this caused him excruciating pain all the way, almost causing him to faint.

at last.

The men dragged Cao Cao for more than twenty steps, finally managing to get him out of the range of the Divine Thunder Cannon.

Cao Pi and the others breathed a sigh of relief before daring to look down and examine Cao Cao's injuries.

The group gasped, their expressions changing drastically.

Cao Cao's left leg was broken, not only was it a bloody mess, but even the bone was faintly visible. The injury was so terrible that it made everyone's hair stand on end.

Cao Cao suffered a truly miserable defeat in this battle.

The Chu army killed few, but the earthen mound was completely destroyed, and at least three thousand soldiers were killed or wounded.

Even Cao Cao himself lost a leg!

This was the second time Cao Cao had suffered a serious physical injury in his battle against Liu Bei, following the time his front tooth was shot out years earlier.

"Father, this, this..."

Cao Pi was thrown into a panic and didn't know what to do.

Xu Chu, Cheng Yu, and other surviving strategists and generals were all terrified and at a loss for what to do.

Only Jia Xu, who had fled earlier, remained remarkably calm and hastily offered a reminder:
"Gentlemen, what are we waiting for? Quickly carry the King back to the camp for treatment!"

Xu Chu and the others then realized what was happening and hurriedly carried the wailing Cao Cao back to the main camp.

The sound of the retreat rang out immediately afterward.

Inside the chariot formation, on the earthen hill, and in the passageway, the Wei soldiers fled like startled birds at the mere sight of the wind.

The Chu army on the walls of Suiyang mocked and cursed the fleeing enemy, sending them off with arrows.

After leaving behind thousands of corpses and collapsed hills, the Wei army finally fled in disarray.

Jia Xu stopped his horse and looked at the huge rock that had flown from Suiyang City, then let out a long sigh.

"Just as I expected, Liu Bei's countermeasures were indeed not so simple."

"Luckily I came down early, otherwise I'm afraid I would have lost my life on this hill."

"I wonder who built these catapults for Liu Bei? Could it be the work of Xiao He again?"

"If that is indeed the case, I'm afraid King Wei's southern expedition will be more likely to end in disaster than good."

"Ah~~"

Jia Xu muttered to himself, a deep worry creeping into his brow.

...

The night is deep.

The agonizing screams from inside the king's tent finally stopped.

The officials waiting outside the tent breathed a sigh of relief and entered the inner tent one after another to visit Cao Cao.

At this moment, Cao Cao was reclining on the couch, covered in sweat, his face as pale as paper.

The broken left leg had been bandaged, and there was blood everywhere on the bed.

Seeing Cao Cao's miserable state, all the ministers felt a pang of sorrow.

"Zhang Qing, how is my leg? Is there any hope of saving it?"

Cao Cao, panting, asked Zhang Zhongjing.

Zhang Zhongjing hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and sighed:

"Your Majesty, I have done my utmost, but the leg injury is too severe. Even if it heals in the future, I'm afraid I will be unable to leave the house without crutches—"

Zhang Zhongjing didn't dare to continue.

Cao Cao's lips twitched, and a chill ran through him.

The expressions of Cao Pi and his brother, along with generals such as Cheng Yu, Xu Chu, and Zhang He, all changed drastically.

Zhang Zhongjing's implied meaning was so clear that even a fool could understand it.

Even if Cao Cao's leg heals, it will still be a limp, and you'll probably have to spend the rest of your life with crutches.

"boom!"

Cao Cao grabbed the jade pillow and threw it hard on the ground, his face full of grief and indignation, his teeth clenched in hatred.

It was bad enough that Liu Bei shot out his front teeth, and it was bad enough that Liu Bei shot him in the buttocks, but now he has also lost a leg!

The mighty King of Wei has become a crippled cripple!

Where is their face, their dignity, their authority?!

In the eyes of the people of the world and the subjects of the Great Wei, what an ugly and laughable image he would have.

How could Liu Bei not be so enraged by these repeated humiliations that he was about to vomit blood?
"Big Ear Thief~~"

"I swear to heaven, if I don't kill you with my own hands, may I die a horrible death!"

Under extreme provocation, Cao Cao made a solemn oath in a fit of madness.

Cheng Yu and the others dared not utter a sound.

Especially Cao Chong.

The plan to build the earthen mound was proposed by him, and Cao Cao ended up in this predicament, ultimately he could not escape the responsibility for the miscalculation.

Seeing Cao Cao's fury, Cao Chong felt ashamed, and cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Didn't you say that the earthen mound strategy was foolproof, and that Liu Bei, without trebuchets, could never break it?"

"The catapults in Suiyang City are far more powerful than trebuchets. Where did that big-eared thief get them?"

"Answer me!"

After swearing the oath, Cao Cao turned his attention to his ministers.

This question was clearly directed at Cao Chong.

However, in front of all the officials, Cao Cao still gave Cao Chong face and let everyone share the pot with him.

"Father, your son..."

Cao Chong stammered, unsure how to answer.

Cheng Yu, Jiang Ji, and others were also full of confusion and couldn't understand the reason.

"Your Majesty, I have heard that the fake Chu Mo Dao was forged by Xiao He for Liu Bei, which proves that this villain is also a master of weaponry."

"The catapults of the pseudo-Chu are unprecedentedly powerful. I dare to speculate that they may also have been invented by Xiao He?"

In the ensuing silence, Sima Yi suddenly spoke. Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat, and his face, which had just calmed down, was once again filled with hatred.

"Yes, it must be this sorcerer!"

"If it were not this thief, who else under Liu Bei could have created such a divine weapon!"

"Xiao He, that fiend, how hateful, how hateful!"

Cao Cao pounded the bamboo bed with gritted teeth, his resentment mixed with a deep sense of helplessness.

Sima Yi's eyes flickered slightly, and he then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying:

"Although Prince Cangshu's plan was miscalculated, he failed to anticipate that Xiao He would create such a divine weapon, causing our army to suffer this setback, and the king was also injured."

"Fortunately, Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune. At the critical moment, Prince Zihuan bravely stepped forward and saved Your Majesty from the fatal blow of the falling rocks."

"This shows that Your Majesty is blessed by Heaven, and even Heaven is protecting you."

Sima Yi showered Cao Cao with lavish praise, forcibly interpreting a bad thing as a good thing.

Praising Cao Cao was secondary; his real purpose was to subtly highlight Cao Chong's failed plan and Cao Pi's selfless act of saving his father.

The intention is self-evident.

as predicted.

Cao Cao glanced at Cao Chong, and although he did not say anything to blame him, the disappointment in his eyes could not be hidden.

When he turned to look at Cao Pi again, a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

“Zijian, back then in the Battle of Wancheng, your elder brother sacrificed his life and gave up his horse to save your father.”

"Today you risked your life to save your father, just like your elder brother. You are both exceptionally filial sons."

"I am so pleased, so very pleased..."

In front of all his ministers, Cao Cao praised Cao Pi.

They even compared him to Cao Ang, who had died many years ago.

Cao Pi was overjoyed.

Who is Cao Ang? He is their elder brother, the eldest son of the Cao family, Cao Cao's favorite son, and the undisputed heir apparent to the Cao family's legacy.

Cao Cao's comparison of him to Cao Ang can be considered a great affirmation.

This signifies that Cao Cao's attitude towards him had quietly undergone a qualitative change.

Cao Pi was secretly overjoyed.

However, under Sima Yi's signal, Cao Pi dared not show any emotion and hurriedly replied with sincere words such as "This is my duty."

Cao Pi's sincerity and humility pleased Cao Cao even more, and he nodded repeatedly.

Cao Chong, however, looked ashamed and had no choice but to kneel on the ground:

“Father, it was my mistake. I failed to foresee that Xiao He could build such a powerful catapult.”

"Our army has been defeated, and Father has been seriously injured. I cannot shirk my responsibility. I beg Father to punish me!"

Cao Chong wasn't stupid either.

These words, seemingly an apology, were actually a subtle reminder that it wasn't my incompetence, but rather that Xiao He was too wicked.

Cao Cao sighed and waved his hand, saying:

"That's enough. You've done your best. This defeat can't be entirely your fault."

“Xiao and that sorcerer are indeed full of tricks. Not to mention you, even among all the resourceful men under my command, none of them could have foreseen this.”

"Cang Shu, you don't need to blame yourself too much, get up."

Cao Chong breathed a sigh of relief and silently got up.

"Gentlemen, although the plan to build the earthen mound has failed, we must still take down Suiyang City."

Cao Cao forced himself to stay alert and glanced at his advisors:
"Which of you has a good plan that can help me share my burdens and solve my problems? Tell me quickly!"

The ministers were immediately abuzz with discussion.

Suiyang was a fortified city. Although the Wei army had more troops than the Chu army, its elite troops were not as good as the Chu army. In terms of pure combat strength, the two sides were actually evenly matched.

Under these circumstances, launching a direct attack on Suiyang would be asking for trouble.

Furthermore, Suiyang is conveniently located by waterway, allowing supplies from the rear to be transported directly to Suiyang via Pengcheng without the need for transshipment.

Without the transport of grain supplies, they naturally lost the opportunity to emulate the Battle of Guandu, burning Wuchao and winning by raiding the Chu army's grain camp.

They discussed it back and forth, but couldn't come to a conclusion.

"Among so many wise and resourceful men in my Great Wei, is there not a single one who can share my burdens?"

Seeing that his ministers were at a loss, Cao Cao couldn't help but let out a disappointed sigh.

This sigh of disappointment made all the strategists feel ashamed, and they all lowered their heads in shame.

As the chief strategist of the Wei state, Cheng Yu was naturally under immense pressure at this time, with cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

After his eyes darted around for a long time, a sudden glint of light flashed in Cheng Yu's eyes, and he cupped his hands and said:
"Your Majesty, do not worry. I believe that we should take advantage of today's defeat and Your Majesty's injury to devise a plan to lure Liu Bei out of his hole!"

...

Several days later, in Suiyang.

The Chu army was still basking in the excitement of their victory the day before.

The soldiers throughout the camp were discussing the divine power of the Thunder Cannon and mocking the Wei army's disheveled state that day.

Inside the royal tent.

A small banquet is underway.

Liu Bei's smile remained unchanged as he drank with his ministers and discussed the next military strategy.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, why don't we retaliate in kind and build earthen mounds to approach the Wei camp, then bombard them from above with divine thunder cannons?"

"The range of our Divine Thunder Cannon is far greater than that of the Wei army's Thunderclap Chariots. Cao Cao will not be able to do anything to our earthen mound."

"If we bombard them relentlessly for a month, the morale of the Wei army will surely collapse, and they will crumble without a fight!"

Lu Xun had a sudden inspiration and offered a plan.

The tent immediately erupted in a frenzy.

Zhang Fei slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed excitedly:

"Great idea, Lu Boyan! Let's make that traitor Cao lift a rock only to drop it on his own foot, and let him taste what it feels like to piss and shit on his face!"

Everyone laughed.

Liu Bei nodded slightly, then looked at Xiao He with a smile, seeking his opinion.

Xiao He was about to speak.

At this moment, Chen Dao rushed into the tent excitedly and said:
"Your Majesty, my scouts have just reported that some Wei troops have begun to break camp and retreat north."

"According to my scouts' interrogation of the captured Wei soldiers, Cao Cao was severely wounded by my divine thunder cannons in the battle of Tushan the day before yesterday, and is now on the verge of death. The Wei army had no choice but to retreat north!"

(End of this chapter)