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

Chapter 281 Old Cao, I want to take your daughter as my concubine, are you coming to the wedding banquet? Cao Cao: Xiao He, you've gone too far!
"The Bian family mother and daughter are making firewood? Grand Commandant, Ai... Ai doesn't quite understand?"

Deng Ai scratched the back of his head, looking completely bewildered.

Xiao He slowly stood up, handed him the teacup, and smiled:

"Shizai, you're in luck again, kid. You'll get to attend my wedding banquet again..."

Deng Ai's eyes widened, her expression growing increasingly bewildered. Holding the teacup, she stood frozen in place, completely at a loss.

Xiao He didn't explain further, but got up and walked out of the hall, ordering his guards to invite Bian and her daughter in.

A moment.

The familiar figures of the mother and daughter then came into view.

"Madam Bian, Miss Cao, what brings you to Xudu?"

Xiao He greeted him with a smile.

Bian hurriedly took her daughter's hand and stepped forward.

"This humble servant greets Grand Commandant Xiao."

"Jie'er pays her respects to Grand Commandant Xiao~~"

The mother and daughter bowed in greeting.

"We're all family, no need for such formalities."

Xiao He waved his hand to indicate that Bian Shi should dispense with the formalities, but then reached out and gently helped Cao Jie up by her slender arm.

Seeing Xiao He's affectionate gesture towards her daughter, Madam Bian was overjoyed, her smile widening uncontrollably.

Cao Jie trembled, a slight blush rising to her cheeks, feeling both shy and secretly delighted.

Xiao He then welcomed the two into the hall, offered them seats and tea, and inquired why they had come to Xudu.

Lady Bian then claimed that this was Liu Bei's decree, stating that she and her daughter were both northerners and not accustomed to the climate of Jiangnan. Considering that they had lived in Xuchang for a long time, she granted permission for them to follow the army to the north and move back to Xuchang.

"So it was Your Majesty's grace. Your Majesty's thinking is indeed thoughtful."

“The south is hot in summer and damp and cold in winter. You really can’t get used to living there. It would be much better to go back to Xudu.”

Xiao He nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Cao Jie, asking about her old injury.

Seeing that Xiao He cared about him so much, Cao Jie was secretly pleased and quickly said:

"During the festival, Madam Bu often came to check on me and prescribed many remedies to help me recover. Now my injuries are no longer a problem."

Xiao He was relieved and then offered words of comfort and concern.

Cao Jie smiled shyly, saying nothing, but simply nodded silently.

Bian, who was standing nearby, felt increasingly relieved.

"Grand Commandant Xiao, it's like this."

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Madam Bian coughed lightly a few times and said with a smile:

"In fact, the King of Chu's edict also mentioned the marriage agreement between Grand Commandant Xiao and Jie'er."

"The King of Chu once said that after conquering Xuchang, he would arrange your marriage, so..."

Bian was too embarrassed to continue, and glanced at Xiao He.

When Cao Jie heard his mother mention his marriage to his face, he felt extremely embarrassed and his face flushed even more. He quickly lowered his head and began to rub his silk handkerchief.

Xiao He was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized what was going on.

Old Liu's decision to relocate her and her daughter to Xudu was not merely a gesture of kindness; it also stemmed from his concern for his marriage to Cao Jie.

According to Bian, it seems that Lao Liu wants him and Cao Jie to get married in Xudu City.

Fearing that Xiao He might not believe it, Lady Bian quickly took out Old Liu's imperial edict and handed it over.

"I must say, Old Liu's part-time matchmaker is really quite competent..."

Looking at Lao Liu's handwriting, Xiao He couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

When Bian saw that Xiao He was in a daze and did not express his opinion, she became worried and thought that Xiao He had objections to the marriage.

Cao Jie, who was originally shy, became nervous. She secretly glanced at Xiao He with her bright eyes, and quietly clenched her handkerchief into a ball.

"Grand Commandant Xiao, what do you think about this marriage between Jie'er and you..."

Bian had no choice but to ask again cautiously.

Xiao He then came to his senses and smiled:
"Since Your Majesty acted as matchmaker for this marriage, and He himself promised it back then, we should keep our word."

"If Madam and Miss Cao are willing, I think seven days from now would be an auspicious day for our wedding. How about we get married then?"

A huge weight was lifted from Bian's heart, and she felt relieved.

Cao Jiesu loosened her grip on the silk handkerchief and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Since His Majesty is the matchmaker for this marriage, it should not be too simple. I would like to hold a grand celebration and invite all my colleagues in Xudu to come and offer their congratulations. What do you think, Madam?"

Xiao He added with a smile.

Bian was overjoyed.

What mother doesn't want her daughter's wedding to be grand and spectacular?

Originally, she thought that given her daughter's special status and the fact that she was going to be a concubine rather than the principal wife of the Xiao family, the wedding could not be too grand.

Unexpectedly, Xiao He not only wanted to hold a grand celebration, but also invited all the high-ranking officials and dignitaries of Xudu to come and offer their congratulations. This was giving Cao Jie and her, as the mother-in-law, a lot of face.

"Very good, very good. We will leave everything to Grand Commandant Xiao."

Bian was overjoyed and nodded hurriedly, trying her best to suppress her excitement.

Xiao He turned his gaze to Cao Jie.

Cao Jie pursed her lips slightly and turned her face away, too shy to look directly at Xiao He.

Xiao He laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying:
"Shizai, I'm entrusting this marriage of mine to you. Remember, it should be a grand and spectacular affair."

Deng Ai gladly accepted the order.

With one matter settled, Cao Jie felt ashamed to linger any longer and took his leave with Bian Shi.

After seeing Bian and her daughter off, Xiao He lay back down in the beanbag chair, leisurely sipping his tea. Deng Ai, however, remained rooted to the spot, scratching the back of his head, muttering to himself again.

"Shizai, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and get ready! You'll have a lot to write just for these wedding invitations. Hurry up and get things done."

Xiao He glared at him and urged him on.

Deng Ai hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but say:
"Grand Commandant, there's something I don't understand. You just said that Lady Bian and the others have arrived, and the time is right. What...what do you mean by that?"

He still remembers it.

Xiao He smiled meaningfully and asked in return:
"Imagine if you were Cao Cao, and you learned that your mortal enemy was openly and brazenly taking your daughter right under your nose, what would you do?"

Without hesitation, Deng Ai blurted out:

"If it were me, I wouldn't be able to swallow this...this insult! I would definitely lead my army to attack...I would absolutely—"

Before he could finish speaking, Deng Ai was startled, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

He got it.

Xiao He was adding fuel to the fire for Cao Cao.

With the fall of Xuchang, the killing of Cao Chun, and the betrayal of Xun Yu, Cao Cao was naturally filled with resentment and was determined to avenge his defeat and reclaim Xuchang.

King Liu Bei of Chu withdrew his offensive at Chenliu and retreated to Suiyang.

Guan Yu then led his main force north to Xinzheng, intending to capture Luoyang.

Xu Du had only 30,000 Chu troops left, including several thousand surrendered Wei soldiers, and Wei generals such as Chen Qun who had surrendered were willing to act as inside agents.

How could Cao Cao not be tempted by such a golden opportunity?

At this moment, Cao Cao's impulse to launch a surprise attack on Xuchang was probably burning fiercely in his heart.

Xiao He's marriage to Cao Cao's daughter was like adding fuel to the fire of anger in Cao Cao's heart.

Enraged, Cao Cao would surely be determined to mobilize all his troops in Chenliu to launch a surprise attack on Xuchang while the city was vulnerable.

Then he took the bait.

Xiao He's "old trick" of luring Cao Cao into the pot worked, didn't it?

"I understand, I understand!"

"The King originally betrothed the Grand Commandant and Miss Cao to each other. Now that Miss Cao has arrived in Xuchang, the Grand Commandant should take the opportunity to hold a grand wedding, so that the whole world knows that the Grand Commandant will take Cao Cao's daughter as his wife, in order to provoke Cao Cao to make up his mind to come and die."

"The Grand Commandant's wisdom and strategy have truly reached the point where he can do whatever he wants and use his wits to solve everything!"

Deng Ai, suddenly realizing his mistake, clicked his tongue in amazement. In his excitement, he even slurred his words.

Xiao He smiled and waved his hand, saying:
"Alright, alright, stop flattering me. You're usually not very articulate, but you're really good at sucking up."

"If you really want to film, you should film our King. If it weren't for the King's decree ordering Bian and her daughter to move to Xudu, I wouldn't have had the chance to use this plan."

"What does this mean? It means that the Great Heaven is under the Mandate of Heaven."

Deng Ai was taken aback at first, but then quickly agreed.

With her doubts dispelled, Deng Ai happily went to arrange Xiao He's wedding.

Overnight, more than a hundred wedding invitations were sent to high-ranking officials and dignitaries throughout the city.

Those who had surrendered from Wei, including Chen Qun and Du Xi, also received wedding invitations.

The news that Xiao He wanted to take Cao Cao's daughter as a concubine spread like wildfire throughout the city.

The next day, one of Chen Qun's trusted confidants carried the message and traveled north overnight, heading straight for Chenliu.

...

Inside Chenliu City.

Having recovered from his fainting spell that day, Cao Cao was now gathering his advisors to discuss whether they should march south and launch a surprise attack on Xuchang.

Among the ministers, they were roughly divided into two factions.

Cheng Yu, Xin Pi, and other scholars from Yingchuan and Henan naturally advocated leading the army south to launch a surprise attack on Xuchang.

The reason is also very good.

Firstly, Liu Bei had retreated to Suiyang, greatly reducing the pressure on Chenliu, allowing Cao Cao to free up his resources to launch a southward military campaign.

Guan Yu led the main force north to Xinzheng, leaving Xuchang City somewhat vulnerable in terms of military strength.

The third point is also crucial:

Chen Qun, Du Xi, and other Wei officials who were forced to feign surrender to the State of Chu had 7,000 troops under their command and were willing to act as inside agents in collusion with Chu.

With the right timing, location, and people, this is a golden opportunity to turn the tide and reclaim Xuchang. How could we possibly miss it?

Those who remained silent included Cao Pi, Sima Yi, and Jia Xu.

The opponents were Cao Chong and Jiang Ji.

The two of them had only one reason:
Xiao He is in charge in Xudu!
Regardless of whether Xudu is militarily weak or whether Chen Qun and others are acting as inside agents, as long as Xiao He is in Xudu, he should avoid their sharp edge.

Rationally, Cao Cao naturally preferred to retake Xuchang, but emotionally, he was psychologically traumatized by Xiao He's schemes and dared not act rashly.

For a moment, Cao Cao was caught in a dilemma.

"Your Majesty, a trusted confidant of Attendant Chen has delivered an extremely urgent report!"

Xu Chu stepped closer and presented a secret letter.

Cao Cao took it and eagerly unfolded it to examine it closely.

His eyes widened, bloodshot veins filling his pupils, his lips began to twitch, and veins on his forehead started to bulge and throb…

The letter was short, but its contents were explosive:

Lady Bian has arrived in Xudu. Xiao He will hold a grand wedding banquet on the ninth day of this month to marry Miss Cao Jie, inviting all the civil and military officials in the city to offer their congratulations. At that time, Xudu will surely be less vigilant.

This is a golden opportunity. We urge Your Majesty to lead your army on a swift southward attack. We are willing to act as your inside agents, seize the city gates, welcome Your Majesty into the city, capture and kill Xiao He, and recapture Xuchang.

"Xiao He, you country bumpkin, you freak, how dare you humiliate me like this!"

Cao Cao flew into a rage, threw the secret letter on the ground, and shouted:
"By my order, assemble the troops immediately. I will personally lead the army straight to Xuchang. I swear to kill Xiao He, that country bumpkin!"

(End of this chapter)