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

Xuchang, the Grand Commandant's residence.

When the sun was high in the sky, Xiao He opened his eyes and stretched comfortably.

When I put my hand down beside me, I realized that Cao Jie was nowhere to be found.

Looking up, Xiao He couldn't help but smile.

The bride had gotten up at some point and was now kneeling in front of the dressing table, applying makeup and putting on her hair in front of the mirror.

Xiao He then got off the bed, tiptoed closer, and suddenly gently pulled her close from behind.

Cao Jie was startled at first, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was her husband.

"My lord, when did you wake up? You were so quiet! You scared me to death!"

Cao Jie spoke coquettishly, her fair hand gently caressing her chest.

Xiao He remained silent, looking at her unfinished makeup. Suddenly, he became interested and took the eyebrow pencil to draw her eyebrows himself.

This unexpected move left Cao Jie both surprised and embarrassed.

So she sat still, smiling shyly, and let Xiao He draw her eyebrows.

At this moment, Cao Jie couldn't help but fantasize, wishing that time could stand still forever.

"It's finished. What do you think?"

Xiao He put down his eyebrow pencil, leaned back slightly, and admired his masterpiece with satisfaction.

Cao Jie stared at the bronze mirror for a long time, then nodded and smiled:
"I never imagined that my husband was not only so intelligent, but also so skilled at drawing eyebrows!"

Xiao smiled, about to say a few sweet words between husband and wife.

Suddenly, Deng Ai's excited shout rang out from the doorway:
"Grand Commandant, good news! Great General, good news!"

Xiao He's eyes lit up.

The Battle of Yanling appears to have come to a conclusion, and a rather positive one at that.

Knowing his place, Cao Jie immediately got up and quickly helped Xiao He wash and dress.

A moment later, the door opened.

After a perfunctory greeting, Deng Ai presented the battle report in his hand:

"The battle report just arrived this morning from Yanling Ferry. The General, following the Grand Commandant's plan, has indeed inflicted heavy losses on the Wei army on the banks of the Wei River."

"In this battle, our army killed 7,000 enemy soldiers and captured nearly 30,000. The 50,000 Wei troops who marched south were almost completely wiped out."

"Cao Cao was like a dog with its tail between its legs, fleeing in disarray towards Chenliu."

"General, please urge the Grand Commandant to immediately mobilize all the troops in Xuchang, march north to join him, and together we will take Chenliu!"

Deng Ai spoke fluently and in his excitement, his tongue suddenly became fluent.

Xiao He's eyes quickly scanned the battle report, which was basically the same as Deng Ai's description.

The Battle of Xudu wiped out Chen Qun and other defectors with ulterior motives, completely eliminating internal threats.

In the Battle of Wei River, Guan Yu inflicted heavy losses on 50,000 Wei troops, forcing Cao Cao to flee in disarray.

This plan to lure the snake out of its hole can be described as a perfect ending!
Xiao He laughed heartily, then waved his hand and said:

"After such a crushing defeat, let's see how Cao Cao will defend Chenliu."

"Quickly issue an order to all generals to mobilize all troops in Xuchang and march north to join the Grand General."

Deng Ai accepted the order and left.

Upon hearing of Cao Cao's crushing defeat, Cao Jie was overjoyed and hurriedly inquired about what had happened.

Now that she was his woman, Xiao He had no need to hide anything, so he revealed the whole plan.

Cao Jie suddenly realized what was happening, and her gaze towards her husband was filled with even deeper respect.

"My husband's military prowess is truly unpredictable. I'm afraid even all the strategists of Wei combined would be no match for him."

"With a husband as divine as myself as my advisor, it would be truly an injustice if the King of Chu did not restore the Han Dynasty and unify the world..."

Xiao He took Cao Jie's hand and looked directly into her eyes, asking:

"My plan has ruined your father Cao Cao's plans."

"As your husband assisting the King of Chu, the one we must destroy is your Cao family's Wei state, Jie'er, you—"

Before Xiao He could finish speaking, Cao Jie said seriously:

"My husband need not worry about me. I have said before that when he sent people to assassinate me and my two children, and we were almost killed, I severed all ties with him and his father."

“I am now merely a person of the Cao family, and have no connection with Cao Wei whatsoever. I am just a citizen of the Chu state, and your concubine, my husband.”

"That's all."

Cao Jie expressed his intentions.

Xiao He had known her feelings for a long time, but hearing her say it herself made him feel even more relieved.

"I understand. Then let's not dwell on these past events."

Xiao He pulled Cao Jie into his arms and gently stroked her black hair, saying:
"You can rest assured, now that you are my wife, I will protect you for life."

"Whether it's your mother or your brother, as long as they remain loyal to the Great Chu, the King of Chu, with his magnanimity, will naturally ensure their continued wealth and prosperity."

Hearing Xiao He's promise, Cao Jie felt both moved and relieved. She softly called out, "Husband~~," and buried her face deeply in Xiao He's embrace...

The next day.

Xiao He left Zhang Bao, Ma Liang, and others to guard Xudu, while he himself led an army of over 20,000 north to Yanling to join Guan Yu.

The father-in-law and son-in-law, together with an army of 70,000, marched north in a grand procession, heading straight for Chenliu.

...

Suiyang City.

Outside the city, at the main camp, on the drill ground.

Liu Bei stood with his hand on his sword, observing the soldiers' drills.

"Your Majesty, good news! The General has good news!"

Pang Tong, holding the paper battle report high, excitedly climbed onto the general's platform.

"Grand Commandant Xiao's plan to lure the enemy out of their hole has succeeded. We can now mobilize our entire army and retake Chenliu!" Pang Tong's face was filled with undisguised joy as he presented the battle report with both hands.

Liu Bei's eyes gleamed, and he quickly took the document to examine it closely.

In the Battle of Xudu, surrendered officials such as Chen Qun and Du Xi rebelled, but all of them were suppressed, and Chen Qun and his traitors were all executed...

In the Battle of Yanling, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun launched a two-pronged ambush, severely damaging Cao Cao's 50,000-strong army. Cao Cao escaped to Chenliu with only a thousand or so men.

Guan Yu has already joined forces with Xiao He, and their 70,000-strong army is marching north. He requests that Xiao He quickly raise 100,000 Chu troops to advance westward along the Sui River and jointly attack Chenliu…

"Bowen is truly a divine being; even if the God of War were to be resurrected, he would be no more than this!"

"Guan Yu fought a truly magnificent battle!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed and laughed heartily, praising him highly.

Pang Tong then cupped his hands in greeting, his face full of confidence, and said:

"After such a great defeat, Cao Cao has only about 50,000 men left in Chenliu who are of no use and are no longer capable of fighting."

"Your Majesty, let us raise an army immediately!"

"With my two armies totaling 170,000, pacifying Chenliu will be a piece of cake!"

Liu Bei laughed heartily, waved his hand, and shouted:
"By my order, the army of 100,000 shall depart immediately and head north to Chenliu!"

When the good news arrived, the entire army was in high spirits, and morale was greatly boosted.

The 100,000-strong army broke camp again and marched north along the Sui River in a mighty procession.

The Chu army, with a combined force of 170,000 men, marched straight towards Chenliu.

...

Chenliu City.

Inside a pavilion, Sima Yi was drinking with Cao Pi.

"Zhongda, what do you think the chances are of victory for Father leading the army south this time?"

Cao Pi personally poured Sima Yi a full glass of wine, his words revealing a hint of worry.

Clearly, the repeated defeats of his Cao family to Liu Bei over the years had cast a shadow over his mind.

"Liu Bei has retreated to Suiyang, and Guan Yu is attacking Xinzheng. Xuchang has only 30,000 troops, of which 5,000 or 6,000 are surrendered soldiers of Chen Qun and Du Xi..."

"Moreover, Xiao He is holding a grand wedding banquet, inviting all the generals of the pseudo-Chu in the city to the banquet, which will create a brief gap in the defense of Xudu. This is a golden opportunity for a surprise attack."

"Judging from all these conditions, Your Majesty's chances of success in this surprise attack on Xuchang should be extremely high."

Sima Yi sipped his wine, calmly analyzing the situation.

Cao Pi's hidden worries vanished, and he then asked, puzzled:

"If that's the case, Zhongda, why did you hint to me not to express my opinion during the military council?"

"Since Cang Shu is strongly opposed to Father's southward journey, if I confront him head-on and support Father's southward journey, wouldn't Father look at me even more favorably if he wins?"

Sima Yi put down his wine cup and said earnestly:

"Has the Second Young Master forgotten Yi's words again? To be without fault is to have merit. It is understandable for a subject to strive for promotion and advancement, but the Second Young Master is vying to become the Crown Prince!"

"The struggle for the crown prince is not about who has the greatest merit, but about who has made the fewest mistakes. Do you understand, Second Young Master?"

After being lectured by Sima Yi, Cao Pi finally came to his senses and nodded repeatedly.
“Zhongda is right. Being without fault is a merit. I suffered because I was too eager to claim credit, which almost led to my father’s complete neglect.”

"It's better not to claim this credit, since Cang Shu can't get it anyway, so I'm not at a loss."

Cao Pi repeatedly agreed, then turned his gaze southward, a slight smile playing on his lips:
"Xiao He is too arrogant and conceited. He dares to be so brazen as to try to take my sister as his concubine and humiliate my father in front of the whole world."

"If it weren't for his outrageous and humiliating act, Father might not have been so thoroughly enraged and might not have made up his mind to launch a surprise attack on Xudu."

"If he dies at the hands of his father this time, then it will truly be his own fault."

A sarcastic sneer flashed across Cao Pi's face.

Sima Yi, who was sipping his tea, was startled by Cao Pi's casual remark, as if he had suddenly realized something.

"Enrage the king! Enrage the king..."

Sima Yi muttered to himself, his expression gradually becoming serious, a sense of foreboding quietly rising within him.

Footsteps sounded, and Zhu Shuo, a trusted confidant, rushed in, looking flustered.

"Young master, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"

Zhu Shuo knelt before Cao Pi, his voice trembling as he cried out:
"The king was ambushed by Guan Yu at Yanling. His 50,000 troops were almost completely wiped out, and he only managed to escape back to Chenliu with a few thousand men."

"Also, news came back from Xudu that Chen Qun and Du Xi's mutiny was noticed by Xiao He, who had arranged troops in advance to suppress it."

"The heads of Chen Qun and Du Xi were all beheaded by Xiao He and hung below the city gate!"

Bang!

Sima Yi's hand trembled, and the teacup fell onto the table.

Cao Pi was struck dumb, and in his excitement, he jumped up, grabbed Zhu Shuo, and asked in astonishment:
"What did you say? Say it again!"

Zhu Shuo had no choice but to recount the whole story with a bitter expression.

"Boom!"

Cao Pi slumped down, his soul seemingly shattered, and his whole body trembled.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?"

"Father's plan should have been a sure victory, so how could it have ended in such a crushing defeat?"

"These 50,000 troops are gone just like that?"

"This, this, this..."

Cao Pi murmured in surprise, his voice trembling and hoarse, completely flustered and at a loss for what to do.

"Just as I expected, this is indeed another of Xiao He's tricks..."

After regaining his composure, Sima Yi sighed helplessly:
"Your Majesty has been outmaneuvered by Xiao He again. With 50,000 troops lost, I'm afraid Chenliu will not be able to hold out."

"The tide has turned, the tide has turned..." (End of Chapter)