The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 372 Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong conspire to persuade Liu Bei to fight a decisive battle at Ye City (2nd update)
Although Cao Cao's words were all real threats, Liu Bei thought: As long as I seize Cao Cao's money and grain, even if it delays spring planting, there will be no famine. With Cao Cao's money and grain as military expenses, I can directly enjoy a three-year tax exemption!

Seeing that Liu Bei was determined not to yield, Cao Cao was also enraged: "Xuande, do you really want to fight me to the death here?"

However, the angrier Cao Cao became, the more determined Liu Bei was to detain Cao Cao, saying, "If you want to fight, then fight. Why should I be afraid of you?"

Left with no other option, Cao Cao had to retreat to Ye City.

Liu Bei refused to withdraw his troops, and Cao Cao found it difficult to transport all the looted money and grain back to Yanzhou; Cao Cao was also unwilling to give up the money and grain he had obtained, and he was betting that Liu Bei was also putting up a brave fight.

For a moment, the two sides were deadlocked again.

In fact, Liu Bei was indeed putting on a brave face.

Cao Cao seized a large amount of money and grain and stockpiled it in Ye City. If he really wanted to defend it at all costs, he could hold Ye City for a year without any problem. Liu Bei, on the other hand, did not have the money and grain to besiege Ye City for a year.

After a while, Liu Bei had no choice but to retreat when his supplies ran out. However, this was a lose-lose situation, no different from the decisive battle and stalemate with Liu Bei in Feixiang.

Before Cao Cao and his advisors could come up with a solution, Pang Tong offered Liu Bei a treacherous plan: "Dig a moat outside Ye City, forty li in circumference, two zhang deep and two zhang wide, and divert the Zhang River to flood the city."

Liu Bei was taken aback: "There are still a large number of innocent civilians in Ye City. If we divert the Zhang River to flood the city, I will lose the hearts of the people in Hebei."

Tian Feng was also startled by Pang Tong's wicked plan: "Absolutely not! If the Zhang River is diverted to flood the city, Cao Cao's grain and fodder stored in Ye City will also be submerged by the flood. At that time, Hebei will be filled with starving corpses. Such a wicked plan must not be carried out."

Xu Shu stared intently at Pang Tong without saying a word.

Based on Xu Shu's understanding of Pang Tong, although Pang Tong liked unconventional strategies, he also valued the people and soldiers. Such a vicious plan was not Pang Tong's style of military operations.

Pang Tong laughed and said, "Not so. The purpose of digging the moat is to divert the Zhang River. The Zhang River can be used to irrigate both the city and the fields. As long as our lord does not issue the final order to irrigate the city, how can we know whether our lord intends to irrigate the city or the fields? With spring planting approaching, it would be a real waste for the army and laborers to just waste time outside Ye City. It would be good to let everyone dig the moat to benefit spring planting."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Shu clapped his hands in praise: "General Pang's plan is brilliant. Cao Cao has always been suspicious, and he once flooded Xiapi. If he sees that our lord has sent people to dig moats outside the city, he will definitely think that our lord wants to divert the Zhang River to flood the city. If he doesn't want to follow in Lü Bu's footsteps, he will have no choice but to compromise with our lord!"

Tian Feng understood Pang Tong's intention at this moment, and his gaze towards Pang Tong became more admiring.

Seeing that Pang Tong didn't really intend to flood Ye City, Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "This move might arouse Cao Cao's suspicion, but it won't fool Cao Cao's advisors."

Pang Tong didn't seem to care: "It doesn't matter if we can't hide it. If I'm not mistaken, Kongming is already on his way to Ye City. Once Kongming arrives, there will be no need to use this feint anymore."

To launch a southern campaign against Cao Cao, Liu Bei staked almost all of his military and financial resources. If he could not gain enough benefits, he would still be a loser even if he defeated Cao Cao.

Pang Tong understood this, and so did Zhuge Liang.

Therefore, when Xiahou Yuan and others withdrew to Dongwuyang to prevent Zhuge Liang from marching south to Yanzhou, Zhuge Liang decisively sent only a small force to Dongwuyang to make a show of force, while secretly leading the main army to rush to Yecheng.

As Liu Bei dispatched soldiers and laborers to dig moats, feigning an attempt to flood the city with the Zhang River, Cao Cao, who was inside the city, indeed became suspicious.

If Liu Bei were to divert the Zhang River to flood the city, all the grain stored in Ye City would be wasted. Without grain, even the most fortified city would be nothing but an isolated fortress. "Liu Bei, you scoundrel, how dare you use such a wicked plan!"

Subconsciously, Cao Cao thought of Liu Bei, who was also present when Xiapi was flooded, and believed that Liu Bei was imitating his past actions.

“Given Liu Bei’s character, he would not use such a vicious scheme. He is likely employing a feint,” Xun You asserted solemnly. “If he is using a feint, he must have a scheme. Your Excellency should continue negotiating with Liu Bei.”

Cao Cao was also annoyed by Liu Bei's relentless pursuit: "I would like to negotiate with Liu Bei, but Liu Bei not only wants cities and people, but also my money and provisions. How can I give them to him?"

When it came to money and provisions, Xun You could not make the decision for Cao Cao, nor could he actually let Cao Cao send money and provisions to Liu Bei.

And who knows if Liu Bei, having obtained money and supplies, wouldn't continue his southward march to Yanzhou? War consumes money and supplies, and as long as there are money and supplies, one can keep advancing.

The generals below, including Cao Ren, could no longer contain their anger and volunteered to go out of the city to fight Liu Bei. This tactic of retreating again and again in order to save the overall situation made Cao Ren and his generals feel very frustrated.

"These are all pedantic words. Since our military strength is similar to Liu Bei's, let's fight Liu Bei to the death. As long as we defeat Liu Bei, the whole of Hebei will be within our grasp! Whether it is the former Yuan clan of Runan or Chen Deng of Xuzhou, they are just minor troubles. As long as Liu Biao and Sun Quan do not attack Xuchang, they are not a concern. If we retreat now, not only will the land of Hebei not belong to you, but Liu Biao and Sun Quan will also think that you are weak and easily bullied."

Cao Ren spoke vehemently, determined to fight.

Other generals, such as Cao Hong, Li Dian, and Zhang Liao, also volunteered for the battle.

Scholars like Jia Xu and Guo Jia, like Xun You, hoped that Cao Cao would exercise caution in his rule.

Taking the risk of instability in the rear to fight a decisive battle with Liu Bei, the consequences would be unimaginable if Liu Biao or Sun Quan launched a surprise attack on Xuchang.

To fight or not to fight, Cao Cao was once again faced with a dilemma.

Before Cao Cao could make up his mind, Zhuge Liang's arrival once again changed the situation between the two sides.

"I have already sent a messenger to Jiangdong, asking my elder brother Zhuge Jin to persuade Sun Quan to send troops to Xuchang; I have also sent a messenger to Kuai Qi in Xiangyang, asking him to persuade Liu Biao to send troops to Xuchang. My lord, you can go to Ye City and fight Cao Cao to the death, and do not let him return to Xuchang." Zhuge Liang made the final decision, directly pushing the struggle between Cao Cao and Liu Bei to the highest level.

Liu Bei was surprised: "Kongming has an elder brother in Jiangdong? How come I've never heard Kongming mention him?"

Without hesitation, Zhuge Liang replied, "I have always known that my elder brother has sought refuge in Jiangdong, but I did not know his exact location. It was only when I met Yuanlong in Xuzhou that I learned from him that Sun Quan had recruited my elder brother as his chief clerk."

Liu Bei hesitated: "But our army's supplies are inferior to Cao Cao's. If we engage in a decisive battle, we may not be able to sustain it. Although Shi Yuan has suggested flooding Ye City, I believe this would harm the people, so I am unwilling. Strategist, if you wish to fight Cao Cao to the death, do you have a good strategy to break through the city?"

Zhuge Liang's eyes were piercing: "There's no need to breach the city. We can build a camp south of Ye City to cut off Cao Cao's retreat. If Cao Cao doesn't want to be trapped in Ye City, he will have no choice but to come out of the city and fight our lord."

Turning to Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang asked with a questioning look in his eyes: "The plan to flood Ye City that Shi Yuan proposed must have also made Cao Cao suspicious and unable to make a decisive choice. I wonder if my guess is correct?"

Pang Tong laughed loudly: "It seems that Kongming and I have reached the same conclusion. In the world today, the only one who can be our lord's enemy is Cao Cao. The rest are mediocre and not worth worrying about. How can we let Cao Cao retreat so easily?"

(End of this chapter)