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

Chapter 94 You are nothing special! Zhou Yu was devastated: How should I explain this to Zhongmou?

"puff!"

There was a dull tearing sound, and a stream of blood spurted out.

Before Cheng Pu could make any move with his sword, Zhao Yun's spear pierced his right shoulder, and his huge body flew into the air like a kite with a broken string.

"what--"

Screams followed immediately.

Before Cheng Pu could see Zhao Yun's spear style clearly, he was knocked off his horse and fell heavily to the ground from mid-air.

"How could this old man be defeated by him in one move? Not even Bofu could do that!"

Cheng Pu lay on the ground, his shock and astonishment overshadowing the severe pain from his wounds, his face distorted as if he had seen a ghost.

Just as he was filled with horror and struggling to get up, Zhao Yun's towering body blocked his way.

"The leader of Jiangdong's three veteran generals is nothing special!"

Zhao Yun held the bloody tip of his spear in front of Cheng Pu's eyes, his eyes showing disapproval.

Cheng Pu was half-kneeling on the ground, filled with grief, indignation and shame, his old teeth clenched so tightly that they were about to break.

After half a lifetime of fighting, he faced danger many times, but he always managed to escape death.

He never thought that he would lose his integrity in his old age and become a prisoner.

What a shame!

Faced with Zhao Yun's contempt, Cheng Pu was so ashamed and angry that he wished he could kill himself on the spot to preserve his reputation.

The thought of dying had been swirling in his mind for a long time, but he never put it into practice.

After taking a few deep breaths and suppressing his shame, Cheng Pu endured the severe pain from his shoulder injury and stood up shakily.

"Zhao Yun, don't be so arrogant! If I were twenty years younger, I wouldn't allow you to act so recklessly!"

Cheng Pu launched into a flurry of verbal attacks, arrogantly saying:
"If you want to kill me or chop me up, do it now. I won't even frown!"

After saying this, he raised his head, closed his eyes, and put on a tragic and heroic look as if he was ready to die bravely.

If it were Guan Yu, he would have probably cut him down with one blow.

If it were Zhang Fei, he would have chopped Cheng Pu into seven or eight pieces long ago.

Zhao Yun, however, was calm, for he thought that Cheng Pu was a veteran of the Sun family for three generations and the chief military commander of Jiangdong, with a very high reputation and status.

Capturing such a person alive is far better than killing him, both in terms of merit and value.

Since I failed to kill him with one move, I might as well capture him alive and present him to Liu Bei to ask for credit.

"Whether you live or die is up to my master to decide."

Zhao Yun retracted his Dragon Gallbladder Spear and shouted:

"Come, tie up this old thief and take him to Xiakou, where he will be dealt with by the lord."

Several volunteers who were raiding the battlefield dismounted, rushed forward, and tied Cheng Pu up.

Seeing that Zhao Yun did not kill him, Cheng Pu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and a feeling of weakness quickly spread throughout his body.

The rough binding of his followers angered him again and he felt greatly humiliated.

"Who am I? You little rats, how dare you be so rude to me? Let me go, let me go~~"

Cheng Pu struggled again and kept complaining.

Zhao Yun disdained to argue with him, rode away with his spear in hand, and continued to pursue the defeated army of Jiangdong.

"Let me go, you ants, how dare you be so rude to me!"

Instead of restraining himself, Cheng Pu cursed even more fiercely.

Several people were so angry that they looked at each other when they saw Zhao Yun was far away.

"You old bastard, you've become my General Zilong's captive, yet you're still so arrogant! I'll teach you a lesson if you keep making any more noise!"

A Yicong took off his socks and stuffed them into Cheng Pu's mouth while cursing.

Cheng Pu had never suffered such humiliation before. His face turned purple in an instant and his eyes widened as if they were about to burst out of his head.

He was crying "wooooo" and struggling desperately, twisting his body like a madman.

But his followers did not tolerate him. They tore off a corner of his clothes and strangled the wound on his shoulder.

Cheng Pu felt the pain go straight to his bones. His eyes widened and bloodshot. He almost passed out from the pain. He collapsed to the ground and could no longer struggle.

So several people took action, put him on horseback, and escorted him to Xiakou.

Between Xiakou City and Shuiying, corpses were everywhere.

The river was stained with blood.

...

The setting sun is like blood.

Thirty miles east of Xiakou.

After confirming that the pursuers had retreated to Xiakou, the Jiangdong warships sailed into a nearby water camp one after another.

Zhou Yu sat in a four-wheeled cart on the pier, looking gloomily at the soldiers wearing red robes and ribbons, looking dejected, getting off the boat and passing by him one by one.

Out of more than 25,000 soldiers and horses, only 13,000 managed to escape here alive.

Excluding some soldiers who retreated eastward by land, nearly 9,000 people were killed in Xiakou, either killed in battle or captured by Guan Yu.

In addition, there were 5,000 naval troops led by Pan Zhang and Su Fei, who were blocked in the Han River by Guan Yu. I am afraid they have not received the news yet.

Most of those more than 5,000 people are likely to be in great danger.

This means that after one battle, at least 15,000 people will be killed.

Half of the troops were wiped out just like that!
Although Zhou Yu tried his best to appear calm, his heart was bleeding underneath.

"Zhongmou is still in Chaisang City, waiting for news of my victory in taking Xiakou. How should I explain this to him..."

Zhou Yu glanced in the direction of Chaisang and felt bitter and powerless.

"Gongjin, victory and defeat are common in war. I believe that with the magnanimity of our lord, he will certainly not blame us."

"Our army was defeated in this battle. Firstly, we were unfamiliar with the terrain around the Han River, and secondly, we underestimated Xiao He's wisdom."

"As long as we can learn from this lesson and give Xiao He enough attention, we will be able to regroup and fight again one day and take Xiakou back, avenging our previous humiliation!"

Lu Su initially reminded Zhou Yu and Sun Quan not to go to war with Liu Bei easily, and not to underestimate Xiao He.

Now that Zhou Yu suffered such a crushing defeat, he did not add insult to injury, but instead comforted and encouraged Zhou Yu.

However, mentioning the name "Xiao He" was like pouring salt on Zhou Yu's wound, causing him a burning pain.

"Xiao He, Xiao He, I, Zhou Yu, will always remember the shame of playing tricks on you twice..."

Zhou Yu gritted his teeth secretly, his nails digging into the armrests.

"Commander-in-Chief, Commander-in-Chief~~"

A mournful scream interrupted Zhou Yu's hidden resentment.

Looking up, I saw a wounded warrior covered in blood being helped up.

It was Jiang Qin.

Cheng Pu's assistant general!
"Gong Yi, where is General Demou?"

Zhou Yu struggled to stand up, supported Jiang Qin, and asked impatiently.

This is his biggest concern now.

Even if soldiers are killed, they can be recruited again. As Lu Su said, victory and defeat are common in the military and are nothing big.

But it is easy to get thousands of soldiers, but it is difficult to get a general!

What's more, Cheng Pu is a veteran minister of the Sun family for three generations, the chief military commander of Jiangdong, and a general with considerable influence.

If Cheng Pu died in Xiakou, he really wouldn't know how to explain to Sun Quan.

"Commander-in-Chief, General Cheng led us in a retreat eastward along the northern bank, but we were intercepted by the enemy general Zhao Yun halfway."

"General Cheng was knocked off his horse by Zhao Yun in one move, and he gave... gave..."

Jiang Qin hesitated for a long time before uttering the words "capture alive" through gritted teeth.

There was an uproar all around.

Zhou Yu's body stiffened, his face frozen in astonishment.

"General Demou was captured alive by Zhao Yun?"

"He is the chief military commander of Jiangdong and a veteran of the Sun family for three generations!" "This, this..."

The originally calm Lu Su was now in great panic and was so frightened that he was at a loss as to what to do.

Then, he and the other generals turned their gazes tremblingly to Zhou Yu.

"We have lost countless soldiers and generals, and General Demou has been captured by Liu Bei. How should the commander-in-chief report this to his lord?"

The same worry echoed in everyone's mind.

"what--"

Zhou Yu suddenly let out a mournful cry towards the sky, blood spurted out of his mouth, his body staggered back two steps, and then fell face down on his back.

"Captain!"

"Gong Jin!"

There were loud exclamations, and the Jiangdong army was in chaos.

...

Xiakou Water Camp.

Guan Yu had already disembarked, sat high on his Red Hare, and slowly walked into the water camp.

The victorious soldiers were happily cleaning up the battlefield and collecting the weapons and flags left behind by the Jiangdong army.

Thousands of prisoners knelt on both sides of the road, trembling with fear and at a loss.

"Congratulations to General Guan for his great victory over Zhou Yu and for dominating Jiangdong!"

Xiao He rode up on horseback in front, and from a distance he smiled and bowed to congratulate.

When Guan Yu saw that it was Xiao He, respect immediately appeared on his face.

"Military Advisor Bowen, this plan of yours to deceive the world is truly a stroke of genius!"

"If it weren't for your brilliant plan, my navy would still be blocked by the Jiangdong army at the Han River. How could we have descended upon Xiakou and defeated Zhou Yu?"

"From today on, no child in Jiangdong will dare cry at night after hearing your name, Xiao Lang!"

It can be seen that Guan Yu was sincerely impressed and gave Xiao He a series of praises, which was rare.

Xiao He rubbed his forehead lightly with his fingertips, thinking about how to say a few humble words without appearing arrogant or pretentious.

Just as he was planning this, Zhao Yun also returned on horseback.

Not only did he escort back more than a thousand prisoners with more than thirty cavalrymen, he also brought back a heavyweight prisoner - Cheng Pu.

Everyone was delighted.

"General Zilong, you caught a big fish."

"This Cheng Pu is the chief of the three elder ministers of the Sun family and the chief military commander of Jiangdong. His reputation and status are extraordinary."

"This news will be a critical blow to the morale of the Jiangdong army!"

"If Sun Quan heard this bad news, I'm afraid his jaw would drop."

Xiao He was also overjoyed and pointed out the significance of Zhao Yun's capture of Cheng Pu alive.

All the generals were ecstatic and praised Zhao Yun in various ways.

Even Guan Yu was smiling and cheering at this time.

However, Zhao Yun remained calm and attributed the credit to Guan Yu's divine troops descending from the sky and Xiao He's brilliant strategy.

"General Yunchang, Military Advisor Xiao, today's great victory is truly heartening!"

"I have prepared a celebration banquet at the county government office. Qi should drink with everyone and get drunk!"

Liu Qi, in a good mood, said with a big laugh.

All the generals laughed.

"It's not too late to postpone the celebration banquet. Although we have dealt a heavy blow to Zhou Yu's main force, Master Gongwei, don't forget that there are still 5,000 Jiangdong troops intact on the Han River, waiting for General Guan to deal with them."

Xiao He smiled and reminded him, raising his hand and pointing towards the Han River in the northwest.

Liu Qi and everyone else suddenly realized.

In the upper reaches of the Han River, there are two generals, Pan Zhang and Su Fei, commanding 5,000 Jiangdong navy, eagerly waiting to intercept Guan Yu who is heading south across the Han River.

At this time, Zhou Yu was defeated and Guan Yu's navy appeared in Xiakou, which was equivalent to blocking the 5,000 Jiangdong troops in the Han River.

"Military Advisor Bowen is absolutely right. It's too early to celebrate now."

"Upon hearing this, these 5,000 Jiangdong troops will burn their boats and cross the Yangtze River at all costs to break through."

"If we want to annihilate these 5,000 Jiangdong troops, our navy will have to fight a fierce battle!"

Guan Yu pointed out Xiao He's deep meaning, but there was no contempt in his words or expression.

Guan Yu was conceited, but not arrogant.

He naturally knew this, so the reason he was able to defeat Zhou Yu's 30,000-strong army was not because he was invincible in naval battles, but more because of Xiao He's clever plan, which caught Zhou Yu off guard.

If Zhou Yu was given enough time and his soldiers boarded the ships and formed up in battle array, the outcome would have been unpredictable.

Pan Zhang's Jiangdong army was different.

This is an organized navy, motivated by the belief in survival and led by Pan Zhang, a fierce general from Jiangdong who is proficient in naval warfare. How could it be easy to annihilate it?

Guan Yu obviously paid great attention to Pan Zhang and these 5,000 navy troops.

"Perhaps, with just a letter, without General Yunchang having to fight a single battle, the Lord can obtain this complete navy of 5,000 men?"

Xiao He's mouth corners slightly raised, and a meaningful smile appeared in his eyes.

...

Two days later.

West of Xiakou is the Han River.

Eight thousand naval soldiers of Liu's army and more than three hundred large and small warships were spread out on the surface of the Han River, forming an iron wall.

Guan Yu stood at the bow of the boat, holding his sword, with his eyes half-open, gazing far upstream.

The shadows of ships and the sails in the clouds slowly come into view.

The flag with the word "Pan" is clearly visible.

"Pan Zhang..."

Guan Yu silently recited the name, and suddenly an inexplicable feeling arose in his heart.

It was as if this person had some inexplicable connection with me.

"General Yunchang, judging by the enemy's current situation, Pan Zhang is determined to fight to the death and break through!"

"This battle will surely be a fierce one!"

Zhou Cang pointed at the Jiangdong army in front and said.

The Jiangdong army formed a cone-shaped formation, with the flagship at the front, and judging by its speed, it was still sailing downstream with full sails and oars.

This formation is obviously not intended to fight a positional battle, but to rely on the advantage of speed to force a gap.

Guan Yu looked at him with contempt, but snorted coldly:
"Pan Zhang wants to fight to the death, but our military advisor Bo Wen may not give him a chance!"

Zhou Cang was stunned. Not knowing the inside story, he obviously didn't understand the hidden meaning of Guan Yu's words.

Guan Yu said nothing more, his gaze passed through the rolling river and fell on the Jiangdong flagship with the "Pan" flag flying high.

Jiangdong Army, flagship bow.

Pan Zhang stood proudly with his sword in hand, looking into the distance at the Liu Jun navy blocking the way ahead, his eyes burning with disdain.

Just a day ago, he learned that the main force of Xiakou was ambushed and Zhou Yu was defeated and fled.

When he first heard the news, he was naturally shocked.

But he soon calmed down and immediately led 5,000 navy troops back south and rushed towards the Yangtze River.

As he expected, Guan Yu led Liu Jun's navy and lined up at the mouth of the river, intending to trap him to death in the Han River.

"Guan Yu, do you think that just because you managed to defeat Commander Zhou with a sneak attack, you can stop me, Pan Zhang?"

"Today, I, Pan Zhang, will teach you how to fight a real naval battle!"

Pan Zhang's face was burning with pride, and he waved his hand and shouted:
"Order the entire army, follow me, and charge out in one go—"

The bloody words were not spoken yet.

A long sword suddenly pierced into him from behind and burst out from his chest!

(End of this chapter)