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

Chapter 347 Isn't this like taking off your pants to fart? The Chu army is far stronger than ours. Let's do our best and leave the rest to fate!
Sun Li chickened out.

Guan Xing woke him up with just one move, making him realize his own level.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Guan Xing had already come close, so how could he possibly let go of such an opportunity to achieve merit and gain merit?

After all, with the passing of Wei's famous generals, there are fewer and fewer generals who can be ranked, and the opportunities to kill generals and make merits are naturally becoming fewer and fewer.

Although Sun Li's fame and status were not as high as Zhang He's, he was still a well-known Wei general.

Even a mosquito bite is still meat, no matter how small...

"Sun Li, you can't leave here. You're going to leave your life here today!"

Guan Xing let out a contemptuous shout and unleashed his second strike.

Sun Li didn't have time to escape the battle. Knowing there was no way to avoid it, he could only take a deep breath and swing his sword with all his might to block again.

The two swords clashed, and another deafening roar shook the heavens.

The power of the second strike was even greater than the first, so much so that Sun Li felt a tightness in his chest and almost passed out.

A trickle of blood had seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Before he could even savor the pain, Guan Xing's third strike came crashing down with the force of a thunderbolt.

Ignoring the excruciating pain from his internal injuries, Sun Li braced himself, his veins bulging, and mustered all his strength to bravely parry the attack.

"boom!"

Another deafening roar, like the sky collapsing and the earth sinking, resounded.

Sun Li was so shocked that his eardrums almost ruptured.

The overwhelming force, like Mount Tai pressing down, forced his arms to bend, and the blade knocked off his helmet, causing him to spit out a spurt of blood.

Between the three strikes, Sun Li was already severely injured, his helmet fell to the ground, and his hair was disheveled...

"This kid is incredibly strong..."

Sun Li gritted his teeth, his heart filled with extreme fear.

All of Cao Cao's orders and the dignity of the Wei generals vanished in an instant.

Sun Li only wanted to go home to find his mother, to retire from the military and live a quiet life serving his elderly mother...

How could Guan Xing possibly give him that chance?

After three heavy blows, the crescent blade danced swiftly like the wind, layer upon layer of blade shadows descending from the sky, enveloping Sun Li's mangled body.

Sun Li had no time to regret it. Driven by his will to survive, he could only desperately swing his long sword wildly, making a haphazard and desperate last stand.

"You worthless wretch, die!"

Guan Xing suddenly let out a contemptuous roar, and his crescent blade slashed diagonally like a blood-red lightning bolt.

The sword shadows dissipated, and the battle ended.

With a scream, a spurt of blood gushed out.

Guan Xing stood proudly with his sword drawn, his imposing presence like a mountain.

Sun Li lost his grip on the long sword, which slipped from his hand and fell to the ground, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.

He lowered his head tremblingly and saw a long, bloody gash that had run from his shoulder down to his abdomen.

"you you you…"

Sun Li looked up at Guan Xing with a sorrowful and terrified expression, trembling, unable to utter a single word.

"Those who try to sell their prizes by simply placing a sign at the top are utterly pathetic!"

Guan Xing snorted coldly and swept his crescent blade across.

Sun Li's head was immediately severed.

A few steps away.

Chen Tai, who was still struggling, witnessed Sun Li being beheaded by Guan Xing.

The severed head flew a few steps away and fell in front of his horse.

“Sun…Sun Li—”

Chen Tai let out a trembling cry of alarm, his liver and gallbladder shattering in an instant.

"Retreat! Abandon the right flank and retreat to Ye City!"

With a hoarse shout, Chen Tai picked up Sun Li's head and spurred his horse toward Ye City in the northwest.

The last vestige of morale in the Wei army crumbled with the execution of Sun Li and the panicked flight of Chen Tai.

A complete rout!

One after another, the camp gates were smashed down, and rows of camp walls were cut down. 100,000 Chu troops flooded into the Wei camp like a tidal wave.

Flags bearing the character "Chu" were raised above the Wei camp.

Central Army Department.

As Liu Bei watched the Chu banner rise, a relieved smile finally appeared on his face.

"Send down the order: take all the wine and meat to reward my soldiers."

"Let everyone rest and recuperate for two days, and then we will break through Cao Cao's left camp."

"I want to see if Cao Cao will still have the courage to continue defending Ye City to the death at that time!"

All the generals laughed.

While the Chu king and his ministers laughed heartily, Cao Cao, atop the city walls of Ye, remained deeply troubled, his brow furrowed.

"Your Majesty, the Chu army has already breached my right camp. The situation is hopeless. Quickly issue an edict ordering Sun Li and his men to abandon the camp and retreat back to Ye City."

Sima Yi, standing beside him, pointed to the right camp and shouted.

Cao Cao stiffened and stared intently, and sure enough, he saw that the Chu army's battle flag had been raised in the right camp.

This means that the camp walls have been breached and the Chu army has entered the camp.

Cao Cao's inner turmoil and resentment instantly crumbled, and he cried out in desperation:
"Immediately issue the order to Sun Li to abandon the right flank and save the soldiers!"

"He must bring those 20,000 soldiers back to me—"

Atop the city wall, the sound of metal rang out, and the signal flags for retreat were already hoisted high. But it was too late.

The Chu army, like tigers and wolves, swept into the right flank of the Wei army. The Wei soldiers, who failed to abandon their camp in time, were relentlessly pursued by the Chu army and slaughtered, their blood flowing like a river…

Of the 20,000 soldiers, countless were killed or wounded, and less than half escaped back to Ye City.

When Chen Tai carried Sun Li's head up the city wall and knelt before Cao Cao with a face full of grief and indignation, all the Wei officials around him gasped in shock and were filled with fear.

“Deda… I should have ordered you to abandon the camp sooner. It was my fault, my very fault…”

Looking at Sun Li's head, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel tears welling up in his eyes, and he shook his head in self-reproach.

Ten years ago, Sun Li wouldn't have even been ranked among the many brilliant generals of Cao Wei.

Such a minor character died, and Cao Cao wouldn't even flinch.

But things are different now. Sun Li has long since risen to become a pillar of the Wei Kingdom; otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted him with the important task of guarding the right flank.

This pillar of the family lost his life because of his momentary hesitation!

Cao Cao was naturally both heartbroken and filled with remorse and self-reproach.

As everyone stared at Sun Li's severed head, they seemed to see their own fate reflected in it, and they trembled with fear, a chill running down their spines.

“Give Deda a proper burial.”

Cao Cao sighed softly, calmed his emotions, and waved his hand, saying:

"Everyone, come back to the palace with me to discuss our next strategy for defending against the enemy."

With Xu Chu's support, Cao Cao's desolate body descended the city wall in sorrow.

Cao Chong, Jia Xu, Zhang He, and the others all sighed inwardly and silently followed them down the city wall.

Cao Pi also wanted to follow them down the city wall, but Sima Yi stopped him.

"Second Prince, there will be a meeting in the palace later. I will recommend you to the King to go to Chang'an to take charge and oversee the military affairs of Yong and Liang. You should be prepared."

Sima Yi lowered his voice.

Cao Pi was taken aback and asked in confusion:
"Zhongda, I don't understand why you want me to leave Yecheng and have my father send me to Guanzhong?"

Sima Yi frowned deeply and sighed in a low voice:
"Ye City is the capital and the central hub of the Great Wei. Unless absolutely necessary, would Yi allow you, my lord, to leave?"

"Given the current situation, it is uncertain whether this central government can be preserved, or even whether the entire Ji Province and Hebei Province can be preserved."

"If it really comes to that, Yongliang will become the foundation of our Great Wei. It's better for Yi to send the Second Young Master to oversee things in advance so that we can make arrangements ahead of time."

Cao Pi stiffened, suddenly realizing the truth.

Sima Yi's implication was that Ye City was likely indefensible, and even Hebei Province would be lost.

If Hebei is lost, Cao Cao will eventually have to retreat to Guanzhong and move the capital to Chang'an.

If he goes to Chang'an to take charge in advance, he can win over the scholars of Yong and Liang, cultivate his own power in Guanzhong, and make arrangements in advance.

"Zhongda, if you believed that Yecheng could not be defended, why did you oppose Jia Wenhe's strategy in the first place?"

Cao Pi asked in bewilderment, his words tinged with a hint of complaint.

Sima Yi sighed, his face bitter, and said:
"Jizhou is a fertile land, the primary source of grain and soldiers for our Great Wei, and the foundation of scholars like myself in Hebei. For both public and private reasons, how can I allow Your Majesty to abandon it so easily?"

"But after today's battle, Yi realized that the Chu army not only has a large number of soldiers and generals, but its combat strength is far superior to our army."

"This defeat has brought Ling Yi to her senses, and she no longer dares to have much hope for the defense of Ye City."

"Now Yi must make two preparations: on the one hand, do everything possible to defend Ye City, and on the other hand, get the Second Young Master away from this dangerous place and make arrangements in Guanzhong as soon as possible."

"Now that things have come to this, we must think about a way out."

Cao Pi's doubts vanished, and he understood Sima Yi's predicament. He fell silent.

After a long pause, Cao Pi, clinging to his last glimmer of hope, asked anxiously:

"Zhongda, is it really true that Ye City cannot be defended? Is there really no hope?"

Sima Yi was silent for a moment, then sighed:

"Yi dares not make any guarantees. Yi can only say, do your best and leave the rest to fate."

Cao Pi could only sigh again.

So the two of them secretly devised a plan before rushing back to the palace.

Inside the Wei King's Palace.

Cao Cao sat listlessly on his throne, looking dejected and powerless, and asked his ministers how to defend against the enemy.

As previously agreed, Sima Yi immediately advised Cao Cao to send Cao Pi to Chang'an to oversee military affairs in Yong and Liang provinces.

The stated reason was to replace Xiahou Dun in guarding Chang'an, allocate grain and troops to Tongguan, and provide support for Xiahou Dun.

The ulterior motive was to remind Cao Cao to prepare for the possibility of losing Hebei and retreating to Guanzhong in the future.

Cao Cao naturally understood Sima Yi's implication. After careful consideration, he granted his request and ordered Cao Pi to go to Chang'an with imperial credentials to oversee the military affairs of Yong and Liang provinces.

Cao Pi breathed a sigh of relief and immediately accepted the order, hastily fleeing the troublesome city of Ye.

"Your Majesty, I believe that after Liu Bei captures my right camp, he will surely attack my left camp within three days."

"If the left camp is lost again, Ye City will be cut off from its left and right arms. At that time, the big-eared thief will be able to use his 300,000 troops to encircle Ye City from all sides."

"If that day comes, Your Majesty and our 100,000 soldiers will all be trapped in an isolated city by that big-eared scoundrel!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao couldn't help but shudder.

Sima Yi then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said in a solemn tone:

"At that time, it was alright for us to be besieged in Yecheng. It was just a matter of fighting to the death for Your Majesty. Even if we died for our country, we would have no fear."

"But Your Majesty is the ruler of our Great Wei. If you are trapped in an isolated city, the officials and soldiers of various prefectures and counties will not receive Your Majesty's edicts and messages, and the morale of the army will surely be low and the people will collapse."

"At that time, the big-eared bandit did not need to conquer Ye City. He only needed to issue a proclamation, and all the prefectures and counties would surrender without resistance."

"If it really comes to that, everything will be over, and the Great Wei will perish!"

Cao Cao was greatly alarmed and hurriedly demanded:
"Zhongda, then tell me, what should I do?"

Sima Yi calmed himself down slightly, then said seriously:
"I believe that Your Majesty must not personally remain in Ye City to avoid being trapped in an isolated city. You should withdraw immediately!"

(End of this chapter)