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

"A floating...floating bridge?"

Cao Cao slumped onto the cold ground, his voice hoarse as if rusty iron pieces were rubbing against each other, his eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.

His expression was one of utter astonishment and disbelief, as if he had heard the most unbelievable thing in the world, and he was completely shocked.

The Han army actually built a bridge over the Wei River?

how can that be!

Although the Wei River is not as wide as the Yellow River or the Yangtze River, it is not a small river either.

How could a pontoon bridge be built over such treacherous waters?
Cao Cao's eyes widened, and he froze on the spot.

"Your Majesty, we've fallen into a trap!"

Jia Xu was the first to recover from the shock. He jumped up, his body trembling, and waved his hands wildly in the air, trying to calm himself down.

Clearly, this cunning strategist had lost his composure.

"Xiao He's intention was indeed to secretly cross the Wei River."

"But he knew that if troops were to be transported across the river by warships, at least a hundred warships would need to be mobilized."

"Such a large-scale operation will inevitably arouse His Majesty's vigilance, and His Majesty will certainly send elite troops to follow the Han army fleet at any time."

"Once the Han army crosses the river, our army can immediately attack them while they are halfway across, and then the Han army's plan to cross the river will surely fail."

As Jia Xu spoke, he walked to the front of the hall, his steps unsteady, as if he were stepping not on solid ground, but on a trap that could collapse at any moment.

"That's why he came up with the idea of ​​building a pontoon bridge!"

"He only dispatched about twenty ships, assuming that we would not be too vigilant and would not send a large force to follow us on the south bank."

"These twenty-odd boats can be used to build a pontoon bridge on the Wei River."

"With a pontoon bridge connecting the north and south, Zhang Fei's ten thousand troops can cross the Wei River in the blink of an eye and establish a foothold on the south bank!"

"By then, it will be too late for us to send troops to intercept them!"

Jia Xu was so emotional that he shouted these words almost hoarsely, each word seemingly filled with endless despair.

Cao Cao swayed as if struck by lightning, his whole body trembling and shaking as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.

His hands gripped the armrests of the dragon throne so tightly that they cracked as if he were about to crush them.

At this moment, his eyes were empty and lost, as if he had lost all hope.

In Cao Cao's mind, the terrifying scene of hundreds of thousands of Han soldiers surging in like a tidal wave after successfully crossing the river had already appeared.

Jia Xu staggered forward, his face contorted in misery, his voice trembling with tears as he said:
"Your Majesty, my fears have come true. Xiao He has indeed come up with another ingenious scheme!"

"We've been tricked by him again, just once more~~"

At this point, Jia Xu's legs went weak, and he knelt down on the ground.

This seasoned ruthless strategist, who had seen it all, completely lost his composure at this moment. He was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, buried his head between his hands, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Cao Cao swayed and slipped off the dragon throne, landing hard on his backside.

His helmet had fallen to the ground, his hair was disheveled and scattered across his forehead, and his eyes were filled with fear and despair.

"Your Majesty~~"

Xu Chu was startled and rushed forward to help Cao Cao up.

He gripped Cao Cao's arms tightly with both hands, as if afraid that Cao Cao would collapse and never be able to stand up again.

When Cao Cao was helped back onto the throne, he was drenched in a cold sweat, his face contorted with extreme grief and fear.

He was repeatedly tricked by Xiao He, each time thinking he could see through the other party's conspiracy, but each time he fell into a deeper trap.

This feeling of being manipulated filled him with unprecedented humiliation and anger. And fear, like an icy tide, completely overwhelmed him.

He sensed the impending doom of his kingdom!
The Wei River defense line has become a mere formality, and the last barrier has completely collapsed.

For the Han army, Chang'an and even the entire Guanzhong region were now flat plains.

More than 300,000 Han troops will be able to cross the Wei River without hindrance and march straight to Chang'an.

What can he use to block it?

With the fall of Chang'an and the fall of Yongzhou, the countdown to the demise of the Wei Kingdom has begun!
"Sima Yi—"

After the initial fear subsided, Cao Cao turned around and angrily roared at Sima Yi, demanding an explanation.

The sound was like a thunderclap, echoing in the hall and making everyone's eardrums ring.

now.

Sima Yi was already covered in cold sweat and trembling all over. Hearing Cao Cao's roar, he shuddered in fright.

Shame, regret, fear... countless negative emotions overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

He knew that Cao Cao was blaming him for miscalculating again and failing to foresee Xiao He's plan to build a pontoon bridge!

With each miscalculation, Cao Cao's patience with him had reached its limit.

At this point, it's not impossible that Cao Cao, in his rage, might kill him.

He must save himself, or else an abyss of no return awaits him.

Sima Yi's eyes darted around like shuttles, and he quickly knelt down with a thud, cupping his hands and saying:

"Your Majesty, we have not lost yet, we still have a glimmer of hope."

"Although the Han army crossed the river using a pontoon bridge, Zhang Fei's force only has 10,000 soldiers. If Your Majesty personally leads a large army to intercept them now, it is possible to drive Zhang Fei off the pontoon bridge and dismantle it!"

"Your Majesty, this is our last chance to turn the tide. Please depart immediately!"

Sima Yi's solemn and dramatic remonstrance concealed his urgency and panic, suggesting he was trying to change the subject and get Cao Cao out of the way immediately.

"Sima Yi, at this point, how dare you still harbor any illusions!"

Yang Fu, unable to bear it any longer, jumped out.

His eyes were wide open, like burning flames, staring intently at Sima Yi, as if trying to see through his guilty conscience.

"Your Majesty, we can mobilize at most 30,000 troops, while Zhang Fei has more than 10,000 troops and has already set up camp."

"Moreover, the Han army also possesses numerous powerful weapons such as the Mo Dao and the Repeating Crossbow. Even if we had three times the strength in a head-on confrontation, we might not be able to win, let alone if the enemy is on the defensive and we are on the offensive?"

As Yang Fu spoke, he jumped up and rushed to the dragon table, his emotions running high.

"The tide has turned. We cannot hold Weikou, and we certainly cannot hold Tongguan either. We must not make any more pointless sacrifices."

"Your Majesty, please issue an order immediately to withdraw all troops from Weikou and Tongguan, and retreat to Chang'an before the main force of the Han army crosses the river!"

Yang Fu's voice echoed, each word filled with helplessness and indignation.

Because he knew that the State of Wei was now at a critical juncture of life and death.

If Cao Cao continues to listen to Sima Yi and fails to make the right decision, he will truly face utter ruin.

In order to persuade Cao Cao, he was willing to break ties with Sima Yi. He was determined to convince Cao Cao no matter what.

Cao Cao slumped onto the dragon throne, staring blankly ahead, his mind a complete mess.

At this moment, he was completely flustered and didn't know whose advice to listen to—Sima Yi's seemingly hopeful remonstrance, or Yang Fu's seemingly rational suggestion to retreat. (End of Chapter)