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

The strategy of launching a military campaign against Hebei was thus finalized.

The next thing to discuss is how to carry out the attack.

The ministers were once again engaged in heated discussions.

To conquer Hebei, we must first cross the Yellow River.

There are many places to cross the Yellow River in its middle and lower reaches, such as Puyang, Cangting, and Gaotang, with at least a dozen ferry crossings of varying sizes.

However, the number of ferry crossings that could accommodate large armies was actually quite small, and most of them were concentrated in the Yanzhou area, with only one large ferry crossing in Gaotang, Qingzhou.

It's not impossible to attack Hebei from Qingzhou, but the eastern part of Jizhou lacks north-south rivers, making it difficult to transport supplies by water and thus hindering the logistics of large armies.

Moreover, the best of Ji Province, such as Ye City and other important towns, are concentrated in the central and western parts of Ji Province.

If the Chu army wanted to directly attack Yecheng and seize the heart of Hebei, crossing the river at Yanzhou would be the shortest route and the most convenient for transporting supplies.

After careful consideration and comparison, the final strategy was to cross the river at Baima, first capture the important town of Liyang, open the southern gate of Hebei, and then send the army north to directly attack Yecheng.

"Liyang is the gateway to Yecheng and a major town on the north bank of the Yellow River. If Cao Cao finds out that our army intends to attack Liyang, he will surely mobilize a large force to garrison Liyang."

"After Cao Cao appointed a large number of gentry from Hebei to serve as governors of various prefectures, he gained the full support of the gentry in Hebei, who donated grain and soldiers, and the military strength has been restored to some extent."

"Our army can mobilize more than 300,000 troops for this northern expedition to Hebei, while Cao Cao can mobilize at least 150,000 troops."

"Although our army is twice the size of the Wei army, if Cao Cao concentrates his entire army in Liyang and holds it, it will not be easy for our army to break through to the north bank."

"In my opinion, the most important thing in recovering Hebei is to find a way to cross the river smoothly and establish a foothold on the north bank."

Lu Su pointed at the sand table, habitually "cooling down" the high-spirited crowd.

“Zijing’s words make sense.”

Liu Bei nodded slightly and pointed to the sand table, saying:
"Although our army has the advantage of naval power, it cannot transport our 300,000 troops to the north bank at the same time. Our transport capacity is always limited."

"Cao Cao could concentrate his superior forces and attack our troops halfway across the river, thus giving the Wei army a numerical advantage in the local battlefield."

"How to successfully reach the north shore and establish a foothold is something that really needs to be carefully considered."

The confident and exuberant atmosphere in the hall gradually cooled down, and the ministers gathered around the sand table to discuss the matter again.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, it is not difficult for our army to cross the river and establish a foothold on the north bank."

"We just need to repeat the same trick once more."

Amidst the discussion, Xiao He casually remarked something.

Inside the hall, all was silent once more. Everyone's eyes lit up as they turned to look at Xiao He.

"Bowen, what do you mean by repeating the same old trick?"

Liu Bei asked with delight in his eyes.

"To be precise, my plan is a repeat of an old trick, combined with a diversionary tactic and a counterattack—three strategies in total..."

Xiao He then pointed to the sand table and explained his plan in detail.

The curiosity on everyone's faces gradually turned into surprise, and finally settled into admiration.

The atmosphere in the main hall became lively once again.

"Grand Commandant Xiao's plan is truly imaginative and unpredictable."

"That traitor Cao thought we were going to use the same old tricks, but he never expected that we would lure him away from his mountain stronghold. Our real target is Liyang!"

Lu Su was overjoyed.

"The essence of Grand Commandant Xiao's plan is still to take advantage of our naval strength and the convenience of transporting troops via the Yellow River."

"The Grand Commandant's military tactics truly demonstrate an unparalleled mastery of the terrain, utilizing its advantages at will..."

Pang Tong nodded repeatedly, expressing his admiration.

"Very well, very well, what a clever trick! Luring the tiger away from the mountain, and then launching a surprise attack!"

Liu Bei clapped his hands in praise, his confidence soaring instantly, and said happily:

"Bowen's plan is so ingenious that it's beyond the comprehension of even the gods and ghosts; it's bound to succeed!"

"It's settled then. We'll use Bowen's plan to march into Hebei and besiege Liyang!"

With the plan finalized, Liu Bei immediately issued an edict, ordering his ministers to act accordingly.

The imperial edict from Xudu was quickly relayed to all the Yingyang Prefectures.

The officers of the Eagle Banner Colonel immediately began to intensify the training of the soldiers during the off-season for farming, and ordered them to seize the time to prepare their weapons and armor.

At the same time, a large number of warships were transported from the south through various waterways and successively entered the Yellow River, settling at ferry crossings such as Gaotang, Cangting, Puyang, and Baima.

Countless spies were also dispatched to the Guanzhong and Hedong areas to gather intelligence on the Wei army's strength and weaknesses.

The preliminary preparations for the campaign against Wei have already been secretly laid out.

As soon as the autumn harvest is over, the army will head north immediately.

The various plans of the Chu army were quickly relayed to Ye City by spies.

...

Ye City, the Wei King's Palace.

"You have all seen these intelligence reports. I judge that as soon as the autumn harvest is over, the Big Ear Bandit will immediately send troops to invade our Great Wei."

"This battle to defend against the enemy is a matter of life and death for our Great Wei. We must not repeat the mistakes of the Battle of Yanzhou."

"How can we resist the big-eared thief and protect our Great Wei? Let us all speak freely."

Cao Cao threw the intelligence report in his hand onto the table and glanced at his ministers.

Discussions arose in the hall.

"Zhongda, why aren't you saying anything?"

Cao Cao's displeased gaze fell on Sima Yi.

With Cheng Yu, the former strategist, dead, Jia Xu retreated back to Hebei and went into a state of feigning deafness and dumbness.

Cao Cao had no choice but to promote many scholars from Hebei to supplement his advisory group, partly to show his intention to win over and value the people of Hebei, and partly because he was indeed lacking in strategists.

People such as Jia Kui from Hedong, Tian Yu from Yuyang, and Cui Yan from Qinghe were all recruited into the hegemon's household to serve.

Although Sima Yi was from Sizhou, the Henei Commandery was geographically located north of the Yellow River, so Sima Yi could also be considered half a Hebei native.

Furthermore, since the Sima clan was wiped out by Liu Bei, Sima Yi had an irreconcilable hatred for Liu Chu, and his loyalty to Cao Wei was beyond doubt.

Considering all these factors, Cao Cao then heavily relied on Sima Yi, seemingly indicating that he was to be his chief strategist.

At this critical moment when the Chu army was invading, Sima Yi did not make a statement, which naturally made him dissatisfied.

"Your Majesty, I was actually thinking that with the current state of our army's recovery, as long as we hold our ground, fortify our defenses, and implement a scorched-earth policy, it should be no problem to stop the Chu invaders."

Sima Yi finally spoke, but then changed the subject:
"However, I believe the key to this battle lies primarily in determining the direction of the Chu army's attack: whether they intend to attack Guanzhong or invade Hebei."

“If the pseudo-Chu attacks Guanzhong, its main attack direction will definitely be Tongguan and Hedong. If it wants to attack Hebei, I believe its main attack point will definitely be Liyang.”

"We need to make accurate predictions in order to concentrate our main force to fight against the Chu invaders."

Cao Cao nodded slightly, deeply agreeing, and then asked:

"In your opinion, Zhongda, does the 'Big Ears' bandit intend to attack Guanzhong or Hebei?"

"Well, I'm not sure yet..."

Sima Yi pointed out the direction, but no conclusion was reached.

Upon seeing this, Cao Pi suddenly remembered his secret conversation with Sima Yi the previous night and was about to speak.

Sima Yi shook his head slightly and gave a subtle wink.

Cao Pi had the words on the tip of his tongue, but he had to swallow them back.

"Father, I believe that Liu Bei will definitely attack Guanzhong!"

Cao Chong spoke first, his tone resolute. Cao Cao's eyes flickered slightly, and he waved his hand, signaling Cao Chong to continue.

"Before the Chu army invades, they will surely send out many spies to investigate our army's strengths and weaknesses."

"Your Majesty, I have carefully reviewed the recent reports from the garrison troops in the two regions. The number of Chu spies captured in Guanzhong is about two to three times that of those captured in Hebei."

"This shows that the number of spies planted by the pseudo-Chu regime in Guanzhong is far greater than that in Hebei, which suggests that Liu Bei is very likely to attack Guanzhong."

After a pause, Cao Chong continued:

"In addition, I have carefully reviewed the reports recently submitted by my spies. Although the Chu army is simultaneously transporting grain to Luoyang, Puyang, and Baima, the number of grain ships and carts heading to Luoyang is far greater than those heading to Puyang and Baima."

"As the saying goes, 'An army marches on its stomach,' so it can be deduced that the main force of the Chu army must be heading towards Guanzhong."

After listening to Cao Chong's analysis, Cui Yan and the other officials all nodded in agreement.

Cao Cao's gaze was also fixed on Guanzhong, specifically on Tongguan Pass.

"Therefore, based on various intelligence reports, I deduce that Liu Bei will most likely resort to the same old tricks."

"The Chu army will gather along the line of Baima, Puyang, and Gaotang, pretending to attack Hebei. In reality, they will take advantage of their naval strength and the Yellow River waterway to transport their troops westward up the river to Luoyang with lightning speed."

"Then the army marched west out of Hangu Pass and headed straight for Tong Pass!"

"If our army garrisons a large number of troops on the north bank of the Yellow River and neglects the defense of the Tongguan Pass and the east bank of the Yellow River, we will surely repeat the mistake of the fall of Luoyang!"

Cao Cao gasped and shivered violently.

Then, leaning on his cane, he quickly descended the steps and arrived at the huge map hanging on the wall.

The painful memories of the fall of Henan Province inevitably surfaced in my mind.

In that battle, Cheng Yu misjudged the main direction of the Chu army's attack, causing him to concentrate his troops along the Cangting line.

As a result, Xiao He took advantage of the navy, and his army directly crossed Cangting, marched thousands of miles to Mengjin, and captured Luoyang in one fell swoop!
"Cang Shu is right. The pseudo-Chu has the advantage of a navy. They can travel swiftly along the Yellow River and their army can be transported from Puyang to Tongguan in less than four days!"

"Xiao He, that sorcerer, is known for his cunning and treacherous nature. This old trick is indeed his style!"

Cao Cao gritted his teeth and pointed his cane at Tongguan on the map:
"Indeed, I've predicted that the Big-Eared Bandit's attack will be directed towards Tong Pass!"

He immediately issued an edict ordering General Xiahou Dun to lead 30,000 troops from Guanzhong to be ready to garrison Tongguan at any time.

He then ordered Xu Huang to lead 20,000 troops into Hedong Commandery to reinforce the defenses of Dayang, Maojin, and other ferry crossings on the north bank of the Yellow River, in order to prevent the Chu army from crossing the Yellow River northward and attacking Hedong, and then from Pubanjin into Guanzhong.

At the same time, he ordered General Cao Ren to lead 30,000 troops to advance and garrison Liyang ahead of others.

Cao Cao led nearly 90,000 of his main force to Ye City, ready to act at any time. The Chu army, however, assembled in large numbers and immediately marched south to Liyang to join Cao Ren.

Once Cao Cao discovered that the Chu army was repeating its old tricks, he quickly led his main force westward, passing through Henan and Jiguan Pass into Hedong, and then reinforced the defenses of Guanzhong.

After the military council concluded, the officials received their orders and all took their leave.

Half an hour later, Sima Yi appeared at Cao Pi's residence.

“Zhongda, last night when we met, you personally judged that the Big Ears bandit was very likely to attack Guanzhong.”

"If that's the case, why did you lie and say you hadn't dared to make a decision yet during the military council, and didn't advise your father?"

"If you didn't speak to the King, fine, but why did you also imply that I shouldn't speak either, and then Cang Shu spoke first and stole the credit?"

Before Cao Pi could even settle into his seat, he began to complain with a puzzled expression.

Sima Yi poured Cao Pi a cup of tea and sighed:
"Second Young Master, as you said yourself, I only judged that the Big Ear Bandit was highly likely to attack Guanzhong, but I was not certain."

"After all, Xiao He and that sorcerer are unpredictable in their military tactics. Who can guarantee that they can definitely guess the sorcerer's intentions?"

"If we rashly offer our opinions and end up like Cheng Zhongde, wouldn't that be a losing proposition?"

Cao Pi was startled, and the doubt on his face vanished in an instant.

Cheng Yu's initial misjudgment led to the fall of Luoyang, which in turn caused the fall of Yanzhou, resulting in the collapse of the entire Henan situation.

Out of shame, Cheng Yu devised a plan to defend Puyang to the death and perish with Liu Bei.

As a result, Liu Bei failed to kill him, but Liu Bei himself was dismembered and died without a burial place.

Sima Yi had suffered too many losses at the hands of Xiao He and had lost absolute confidence, fearing he might follow in Cheng Yu's footsteps.

Therefore, he played the role of a neutral party in today's military council, merely guiding Cao Chong to express his conjectures without making a conclusion himself.

By the way, I should be able to get some credit for it.

If that's wrong, then the responsibility lies entirely with Cao Chong.

“Zhongda’s concerns are not without merit, but if your judgment is correct, wouldn’t it just be letting Cang Shu steal the limelight again for nothing?”

Cao Pi sighed, clearly unwilling to accept the situation.

Sima Yi poured Cao Pi a cup of tea and said meaningfully:
"Second Young Master, can't you see? The King has already decided to make you his heir. Otherwise, why would he give me such an important position?"

"This little bit of attention is not enough to change the king's inclination, but it takes a huge risk. If Prince Cangshu wants to show off, let him. We should focus on stability."

Cao Pi seemed to understand something.

...

In the autumn of that year, a proclamation against the traitor Cao Cao, written by Xun Yu, was first disseminated to various prefectures and counties of Wei.

Immediately afterwards, King Liu Bei of Chu held a rally in Xudu, declaring that he would mobilize the entire army of the state to destroy the puppet state of Wei.

The troops from Qing and Xu prefectures quickly assembled in the direction of Gaotang and Cangting.

The troops from Yan and Yu prefectures also split up and headed north to meet at ferry crossings such as Baima and Puyang.

Soldiers from Jingzhou and Yangzhou in the south also continuously marched north.

Within a month, nearly 320,000 Chu soldiers gathered on a battlefront stretching over 700 miles from Yanjin in the west to Gaotang in the east, in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.

Late autumn.

King Liu Bei of Chu personally led the central army northward from Xudu and advanced to Baimadu.

At this point, the Chu army's strategy to attack Wei seemed to be clear, and even a blind man could see that Liu Bei's military might was headed towards Hebei.

Upon hearing the news, Cao Cao personally led his main force to Liyang, forming a situation where he faced Liu Bei across the river.

At this moment, the Chu army along the Gaotang, Cangting, and Puyang line suddenly abandoned the shore and boarded ships.

Thousands of warships of various sizes carried tens of thousands of Chu soldiers downstream, traveling westward up the river day and night.

After leaving 20,000 troops to garrison Baima, Liu Bei led the main force of the Chu army westward along the river under cover of night, crossing Xingyang and Hulao Pass, heading straight for Luoyang...

North bank, Liyang City.

The night is dark.

Cao Cao, who was sleeping soundly, was awakened from his sleep by his ministers.

"Your Majesty, an urgent report has arrived from the south bank, which is eight hundred li away."

"The Chu army along the Cangting, Gaotang, and Puyang line boarded ships last night and is now sailing westward up the river."

"The spies from Baima also sent back intelligence, saying that Liu Bei led his main force towards Xingyang last night."

"Cang Shu's judgment was correct. The big-eared thief was indeed feigning an attack on Hebei while actually attacking Guanzhong!"

Cao Ren presented a stack of intelligence reports.

Cao Cao's spirits lifted, and he carefully perused the book, a sarcastic smirk gradually creeping onto his lips.

"Cang Shu has truly done a great job this time!"

Cao Cao clapped his hands in praise, then sneered:

"Zixiao, you guard Liyang. I will personally lead the main force to Guanzhong immediately!"

"Xiao and that sorcerer are trying to use the same trick again. How can I possibly suffer two defeats in the same place!"

"In this battle, I will never lose to that big-eared thief again!"

"Absolutely not~~" (End of Chapter)