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

"Zhongda, what Xiao He's plan? What exactly is going on?"

"How could Father have fallen for that sorcerer's treacherous scheme again?"

Cao Pi grabbed Sima Yi, his face full of bewilderment and astonishment, and asked.

Sima Yi let out a long breath and asked in return:

"Has the Second Young Master ever considered why Xiao He chose to hold his wedding during this time of war between the two countries, rather than earlier or later?"

"Doesn't the Second Young Master think that Xiao He's actions are rather inappropriate?"

Cao Pi was taken aback, failing to grasp the underlying meaning in Sima Yi's words.

Sima Yi's expression was resolute as he said in a deep voice:
"I suspect this is a provocation by the thief. He wants to use this marriage to humiliate and anger Your Majesty, and then lure Your Majesty into leading your army south to attack Xuchang."

"Only in this way will the king fall into the trap he has set!"

Cao Pi was startled, and vaguely understood some of what he had heard.

Sima Yi stopped beating around the bush and spoke directly:
“Xiao He’s ambitions were never limited to Xuchang; he wanted to take over Chenliu and drive us north of the Ji River.”

"If he wants to take Chenliu, he must weaken my troops in Chenliu."

"That's why Liu Bei withdrew to Suiyang, Guan Yu led his army out of Xudu to feign an attack on Luoyang, and surrendered officials such as Chen Qun and Du Xi were given military power."

"In this way, the king saw that Xudu was weak and that Chen Qun and others had troops that could act as internal collaborators, so he mistakenly thought he had found a good opportunity and led a large army south to attack Xudu."

"Guan Yu and Xiao He then cooperated from within and without. Xiao He eliminated Chen Qun and other internal collaborators in Xudu, while Guan Yu led his army south from the Wei River and preemptively ambushed the king at Yanling to inflict heavy damage."

"Second Young Master, from beginning to end, we have been led by the nose by Xiao He and manipulated by him!"

Cao Pi released Sima Yi's hand, slumped back down, his mouth agape, his expression one of utter astonishment.

His stunned expression suggested that the information Sima Yi had calculated was too vast for him to process in a short time.

After a long, stunned silence, Cao Pi suddenly shivered and gasped, saying:
"Zhongda, do you mean that Chen Qun, Father, Cheng Yu, and Xin Pi all fell for Xiao He's scheme to lure the snake out of its hole?"

"He orchestrated such a flawless and unpredictable scheme just to cripple our main force and then seize Chenliu?"

Sima Yi let out a weak sigh and nodded heavily.

Cao Pi shuddered again, a chill running down his spine.

This plan allowed Cao Cao to grasp his thoughts firmly, and also revealed the intentions of Chen Qun, Cheng Yu, and other scholars from Henan.

From Liu Bei to Guan Yu, from Suiyang to Xinzheng, from Chenliu to Yanling…

Favorable timing, geographical advantages, and popular support were all incorporated into the planning.

Could a human possibly lay down such a comprehensive and unpredictable trap?
"Xiao He, this Xiao He, who exactly is he...?"

Cao Pi muttered to himself, trembling all over.

Sima Yi took a breath, forced himself to remain calm, and comforted him:
"Although Your Majesty's plan has failed, it is undoubtedly a heavy blow to our Great Wei."

"However, for you, young master, it may not be a bad thing. At least it proves that you, the second young master, are blessed with good fortune."

Cao Pi was taken aback.

My Cao family has been beaten so badly by Liu Bei, losing 40,000 to 50,000 elite soldiers in just a few days. Yet I still have good fortune.
"Zhongda, even if you want to comfort me, it's not this easy..."

Before Cao Pi could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed, and he gasped.

When Cao Cao launched his surprise attack on Xuchang, he almost couldn't resist standing up to support it during the initial military discussions.

Fortunately, he held back; otherwise, with Cao Cao suffering such a severe blow, wouldn't he be unable to escape responsibility?
His prodigy brother, Cao Chong, happened to voice his opposition at the time.

This comparison highlights Cao Chong's wisdom and contrasts sharply with Cao Chong's foolishness.

If Cao Cao were to become enraged and appoint Cao Chong as his heir, wouldn't all of Cao Cao's efforts be in vain?
The absence of faults is itself a merit; that's the principle at hand...

After understanding this, Cao Pi couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead:
"Fortunately, I remembered your instructions, Zhongda, and I did not rush to urge my father to launch a surprise attack on Xudu."

"In this light, as Zhongda said, I, Cao Pi, do indeed have some luck."

Sima Yi interpreted the funeral as a joyous occasion, and Cao Pi, going along with it, turned his fear into relief.

Footsteps sounded, and the personal guards hurriedly entered, announcing that Cao Cao had entered the city and summoned his important ministers for a meeting.

Sima Yi and Cao Pi exchanged a glance and hurriedly got up to go over.

The two left the mansion and mounted their horses.

Just as he was about to spur his horse on, Cao Pi suddenly asked:

“Zhongda, as you just said, with Father suffering such a severe injury, Chenliu City is probably beyond our control.”

"If Chenliu falls, and hundreds of thousands of Chu troops take advantage of the victory to march north, even if we retreat north of the Ji River, can we withstand them?"

"I'm worried that, not only will Yuzhou be hard to protect, but even Yanzhou will be lost, and the entire Henan region will fall into the hands of the big-eared thief."

Sima Yi remained silent, his eyes shifting unpredictably.

After a long while, he took a deep breath and sighed:
"If Yanzhou is lost, Henan will fall into Liu Bei's hands, the Chu army will be able to drink from the Yellow River, and our Great Wei will be in danger of losing its foundation."

"The situation has come to this point, it seems we can no longer remain silent, nor can we continue to believe that avoiding mistakes is a virtue."

Cao Pi looked blank.

Sima Yi then leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying:

"During the later military council, His Majesty will surely inquire about countermeasures. Could you say something like that, my lord…?"

Cao Pi's eyes lit up, and he suddenly understood the meaning of Sima Yi's words.

"If Father uses this plan, it can indeed temporarily delay the Chu army's northward advance, giving us time to recover our strength and rebuild our defenses."

"Zhongda, it's fortunate that you're here. Otherwise, who would be able to clean up this mess for the Cao family?"

Cao Pi patted Sima Yi on the shoulder, clicking his tongue in admiration.

Sima Yi then cupped his hands and solemnly said, "I am supported by Wei and have been entrusted with great trust by you, my lord. You have made me your trusted confidant. I will do my utmost for Wei and for you, my lord, until my dying breath!"

Cao Pi was delighted by this declaration of loyalty, and his furrowed brows finally relaxed a little.

"Zhongda, Cao Pi is fortunate to have you, and the Great Wei is fortunate to have you."

"In my opinion, Cheng Yu, Jiang Ji, Xin Pi and their ilk are all far inferior to you in terms of intelligence and strategy."

"In this world, the only one who can rival Xiao He is you, Sima Zhongda!"

Cao Pi's eyes were full of expectation, and he praised Sima Yi highly, elevating him to a position comparable to Xiao He.

Sima Yi's lips curled up slightly, but he then said self-deprecatingly:
"Young master, you flatter me. Xiao He's schemes and calculations are like those of a celestial being. How could I possibly compare myself to him?"

"All I can do is to do my best for my Great Wei and for the young master."

The two men, ruler and subject, exchanged a knowing smile, understanding each other perfectly.

The two men immediately spurred their horses and headed straight for the government office.

A quarter of an hour later, in the main hall of the government office.

Supported by Xu Chu, Cao Cao staggered into the hall with a somber expression.

The officials hurriedly paid their respects.

Cao Cao sat back down in his seat and glanced at Cheng Yu, Xin Pi, and the others.

The Henan advisors all stiffened, their faces showing shame and fear, and silently lowered their heads.

"Zhongde, you all—"

Cao Cao wanted to blame Cheng Yu and the others, but he swallowed the words back.

"Ah~~"

After a helpless sigh, Cao Cao waved his hand and said:

"Since things have come to this, what's the point of blaming you all? Let's not talk about it anymore."

"In the battle of Yanling, my 50,000 troops were almost completely wiped out. Now, the big-eared bandit is marching towards Chenliu with two armies. What do you think I should do?"

Cheng Yu, Xin Pi, and the others looked at each other, none of them daring to utter a sound.

Cao Chong stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
“Father, given the current strength of our army, Chenliu is definitely not going to be able to be defended.”

"Your subject believes that it is time to make a tough decision, abandon Chenliu and retreat north to the north of the Ji River, where we can rebuild our defenses."

Cao Cao remained silent.

At this point, he had been completely defeated by Guan Yu and Xiao He, and had no courage to fight anymore.

His silence signified his acceptance of Cao Chong's proposal.

Cheng Yu, Xin Pi, and other strategists from Yingchuan and even Henan dared not raise any further objections.

If they hadn't been acting out of self-interest, in order to protect Yingchuan and Yuzhou, and instigating Cao Cao to launch a surprise attack on Xuchang, how could they have fallen into Xiao He's trap and suffered such a crushing defeat?

Now that things have come to this, what face do they have left to stop Cao Cao from abandoning Chenliu and retreating north?

They could only accept the fact that their ancestral land had fallen into the hands of the Chu state, and that they themselves had become rootless water, wandering ghosts.

“Your Majesty, Chenliu is indeed difficult to defend. I also believe that what Prince Cangshu said is very true. We should retreat to the north of the Ji River.”

"only…"

Sima Yi stepped forward, then changed the subject:
"Even if we abandon Chenliu, if Liu Bei is greedy and continues to march north, we still cannot stop him with our current forces."

"If Chenliu can't be defended, how can other cities be defended?"

"We've retreated again and again, where else can we retreat to? Are we supposed to retreat back north of the Yellow River and abandon Yanzhou altogether?"

Cao Cao's expression changed drastically, his brows furrowed, and he slammed his fist down on the table.
“Zhongda is right. The Da-er bandit has an army of 170,000, which is a huge advantage in terms of manpower. If it were me, I would not stop at Chenliu. I would take advantage of the victory and continue to pursue northward to take Yanzhou into my own hands.”

"With my current military strength, how can the Ji River, which stretches for seven hundred miles, possibly stop the Big-Eared Bandit!"

"Hateful, hateful~~"

Inside the hall, murmurs of surprise arose, and the ministers of Wei were immediately thrown into a panic.

At this moment, Sima Yi secretly gave Cao Pi a meaningful look.

Cao Pi understood and quickly stepped forward, saying:
"Father, I have come up with a plan that may delay Liu Bei's continued northward advance, giving our army enough time to recover and rebuild our defenses."

A glimmer of hope flashed in Cao Cao's gloomy eyes, and he hurriedly asked:
"Zihuan, what good plan do you have? Speak quickly."

Cao Pi then ordered the Tiger Guards to bring the map, took a deep breath, and pointed:
“The Ji River originates in Xingyang in the west, flows east through Dongjun, Chenliujun, and Jiyinjun, flows into Juye Marsh, and then flows east through Dongping Kingdom, Jibei Kingdom, and Le'an Kingdom before entering the Bohai Sea.”

"This water flows from west to east, roughly dividing Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Qingzhou, and Xuzhou to the north and south."

"Since ancient times, there have been four major rivers in the world. The Ji River is one of them. Although its water flow is the weakest, it is still far superior to ordinary rivers."

"Your subject believes that Your Majesty should dig up the entire Ji River and Juye Marsh, and submerge all the counties and kingdoms along its southern bank into a vast marshland."

"In this way, we can quickly form a barrier of Hongze, tens of miles wide, south of Yanzhou, which will surely stop the Chu army from invading Yanzhou from the north!"

A glimmer of hope appeared in Cao Cao's gloomy eyes. He stood up involuntarily, staring wide-eyed at the map, his face gradually brightening with joy.

"Zihuan, your plan is quite..."

"Father, Second Brother's plan is absolutely unacceptable!"

Cao Chong interrupted Cao Cao sharply, his face grave, and said:

“The counties and prefectures along the Ji River are all densely populated areas. Once Second Brother comes up with this plan, I don’t know how many houses and fields will be flooded, and how many people will be ruined and killed.”

"If Father uses this plan, how will history record Father in the future?" (End of this chapter)