Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 172 Flooding Xiaopei, Liu Bei Has No Weak Generals Under His Command (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Xiao Peiwai.

Kong Rong's seemingly inept maneuvering led to the failure of Liu Bei's feint.

With Tao Qian's encouragement, the generals of Yanzhou and Xuzhou put aside their infighting and turned to fight against Liu Bei.

Seeing that their feint had failed, Zhao Yun and Lü Bu had no choice but to retreat to Xiaopei City for the time being.

now.

Xiaopei City had three battalions of Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, and Ma Chao, along with Cao Cao's remaining troops, totaling seven thousand men. In nearby Feng County, Xu Huang had a main camp of nine thousand men.

The generals of Yanzhou, Yuan Yi, Zhang Miao, Yuan Xu, Ying Shao, Qiao Mao, Zheng Sui, Kong Zhou, Bao Xin, and Li Zan, and the generals of Xuzhou, Tao Qian, Zang Ba, Zhou Gan, Yin De, Liu Kui, Ji Lian, and Yuan Zhong, led a total of 150,000 troops in sixteen routes.

At Tao Qian's suggestion.

The sixteen armies selected their best troops, choosing 80,000 elite soldiers divided into eight battalions, which surrounded Xiaopei completely, positioned in the southeast, northwest, and four corners.

At the same time, 30,000 weak soldiers were mobilized to dig deep canals in preparation for diverting water to flood the city.

Cao Cao's expression immediately changed: "Xiaopei can no longer be defended. We should go out of the city, choose a strategic location, and set up a camp to wait for an opportunity."

Lu Bu shook his head repeatedly: "No. My royal uncle said that Xiaopei cannot be lost."

Cao Cao was somewhat annoyed: "Times have changed. Originally, we could have used a feint to hold back the rebels until my uncle returned. Now, the feint has been seen through, and my uncle hasn't returned. If Tao Qian floods the city, we'll all be fish on the ground!"

Lu Bu said indignantly, "It's all that scoundrel Kong Rong's fault! Otherwise, how could the rebels have seen through the Imperial Uncle's feint?"

The reason why the rebels suddenly joined forces to attack Xiaopei had already been analyzed by everyone.

In his first battle, Lü Bu defeated more than 10,000 men of the generals of Yanzhou, including Kong Zhou, Zhang Miao, and Ying Shao. He then defeated more than 10,000 men of Kong Rong and Yuan Zhong.

With two thousand soldiers, they won two consecutive battles. Such power directly turned the internal conflicts of the rebel army into secondary conflicts.

When the rebels first besieged the city, Lü Bu also led his troops out of the city.

However, the rebel army this time consisted of elite troops, and Tao Qian, who had fought hard battles in Liangzhou, was also in charge of commanding them.

Even though Lü Bu's camp had many brave warriors, they were unable to defeat the rebel army outside the city. Instead, this only emboldened the rebels.

"We cannot abandon the city!"

Fa Zheng also agreed with Lü Bu's opinion.

"If we abandon the city, the rebels can hold Xiaopei and then establish fortified villages on all sides around Xiaopei as a pincer movement. Even if the Imperial Uncle returns, it will be difficult to defeat the rebels in a short time."

"Luoyang is a thousand miles away. If the Imperial Uncle suffers a prolonged defeat and is trapped in Xiaopei, there will surely be villains in Luoyang who cause trouble."

"Now that we have entered the city, what do we have to fear from the rebels flooding it? Even if we die in battle, we will not abandon the city!"

Ma Chao's eyes were also resolute: "I am in Xiaopei under the banner of my mentor. If I abandon the city and flee, the rebels will surely spread rumors that my mentor abandoned the city. If that happens, my mentor's prestige will be completely ruined! I will never abandon the city!"

To be Liu Bei's disciple was an honor, and this honor was more important than death.

Seeing that the two young men, Fa Zheng and Ma Chao, were determined to defend Xiaopei to the death, Cao Cao hesitated to speak.

Actually, neither side's considerations were fundamentally flawed.

Cao Cao believed that Xiaopei should not be defended to the death, but should instead temporarily avoid the enemy's sharp edge and wait for an opportunity. This was a sound military strategy.

However, Fazheng and Ma Chao insisted that Liu Bei should not avoid confrontation at this time.

Once the rebels temporarily retreat and hold their ground in the city, they can drag the war into a protracted battle.

This would severely damage Liu Bei's prestige.

Consider this: If Liu Bei couldn't achieve a quick victory even with all his elite troops, how could he possibly have the prestige to assist the Han Dynasty in stabilizing the people?
This has an extremely serious impact!
Cao Cao was not unaware of these principles, but his stance was based on the overall prestige of the Han Dynasty, not on Liu Bei's personal prestige.

As long as the rebels are ultimately defeated, the process is not important.

Cao Cao then turned his gaze to Zhao Yun.

As Liu Bei's sworn brother, Zhao Yun was usually taciturn, but in reality, he held the highest position.

When it comes to crucial decisions, Zhao Yun's words are more convincing than those of Lü Bu, Ma Chao, and Fa Zheng.

As he watched the moat approaching from outside the city, a hint of reluctance crossed Zhao Yun's usually composed face, but it quickly returned to its resolute expression.
"Cao Yanzhou, issue a proclamation that the rebel army is about to flood Xiaopei, and all the people and soldiers in the city should leave the city immediately. Although we can defend Xiaopei to the death, we should not endanger the people and soldiers in the city any further."

Upon hearing that Zhao Yun also wanted to defend to the death, Cao Cao sighed and stopped arguing.

Most of the troops in the city were Liu Bei's Lingyan Army. Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, Ma Chao, and Fa Zheng all said they had to defend it, so they had to defend it.

Upon learning that the rebels intended to flood Xiaopei, the people and residents of the city were immediately thrown into panic and quickly split into two groups.

One group wanted to leave the city to avoid disaster, while another group believed that leaving the city would make it easier to die.

Zhao Yun did not stop those who left the city; but for those who did not leave, he sent people to distribute money and food and relocate them to higher ground.

"It seems the bandits inside the city are determined to fight to the death."

Tao Qian coldly watched the people of Xiaopei hurrying out of the city. He not only did not stop them, but also took the initiative to appease them and told them to shout outside the city so that more people would also leave.

The reason for this behavior is that Tao Qian not only wants to win, but also wants fame.

After this battle, the people of Xiaopei will spread the word that "Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, is kind, benevolent and righteous, a true gentleman."

The biggest reason why Tao Qian was never able to defeat Gai Xun in Xiapi was that Gai Xun's reputation was stronger than Tao Qian's.

Even though Tao Qian eliminated the Yellow Turban threat in Xuzhou, the people of Xuzhou still looked down on him.

For example, renowned scholars such as Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong refused Tao Qian's offer of service, which made Tao Qian even more furious.

Now that he had the opportunity to make a name for himself, Tao Qian naturally wouldn't miss it.

Although Yuan Yi and others despised this action, believing that Tao Qian was doing something unnecessary, Tao Qian insisted on treating the people of Xiaopei well and even sent them to Pengcheng and Donghai to avoid disaster.

In Tao Qian's view, this was the key to winning the support of the people of Xuzhou, especially those of Xiapi, after expelling Gai Xun.

This move suited Zhao Yun's wishes perfectly, and both sides tacitly agreed to allow the people of Xiaopei to evacuate first.

After the people of Xiaopei evacuated, Tao Qian no longer held back and directly ordered the final ditch to be dug to flood the city.

Water and fire have always been merciless, and cannot be stopped by human power. Faced with water and fire attacks, even the most elite soldiers must bow down.

“Governor Tao’s military tactics are truly admirable.” Yuan Yi said with a complicated tone, “Zhao Yun and Lü Bu are both rare and outstanding generals. I never expected that under Governor Tao’s strategy, they could only be trapped in Xiaopei City and become two lambs to the slaughter.”

"You're too kind, Governor Yuan." Tao Qian suppressed his pride and spoke humbly: "If it weren't for Governor Yuan's help, the troops of the generals of Xuzhou alone would not have been able to contain these two fierce tigers."

Changing the subject, Tao Qian cautiously added, "Although I have trapped Zhao Yun and Lü Bu with a water strategy, Liu Bei still has troops stationed in Feng County, and there is still no news of the outcome of Liu Bei's battle with Yuan Shu. We cannot be careless."

Kong Zhou suggested, "In that case, why not take advantage of Liu Bei's absence and attack Feng County first? Liu Bei is planning a surprise attack on Yuan Shu, and the troops he left in Feng County are certainly not elite. Perhaps we can take advantage of their weakness to strike."

"Even if we cannot capture Feng County, we must keep Liu Bei outside of Feng County and prevent him from returning to Feng County to rest. In this way, Liu Bei's three armies will not be able to support each other and will surely be defeated."

"No!" Tao Qian shook his head: "I have already found out that the person Liu Bei left to guard Feng County is named Xu Huang. This man must be exceptionally capable to be entrusted with such an important task by Liu Bei and stationed in Feng County. We must not be careless."

Kong Zhou sneered: "Who is Xu Huang? I have never heard of a Xu Huang in my life."

"Zhao Yun and Lü Bu dared to swagger around with only two thousand soldiers, while Xu Huang, with more than two thousand soldiers in Feng County, only dared to defend the city. This shows that Xu Huang is far inferior to Zhao Yun and Lü Bu!"

"If we do not take it now, it will pose a great threat to us after Liu Bei returns to Feng County to rest and recuperate."

Zhang Miao also said, "Governor Tao, Xiaopei has already been flooded, and Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, and others can only exert 30% of their strength. If we were to use another 80,000 elite troops to besiege Xiaopei, it would be too cautious."

Ying Shao also said, "As the saying goes, there are no fixed formations in warfare, just as water has no fixed shape. Previously, our 80,000 elite troops besieged Xiaopei because Zhao Yun and Lü Bu were too brave to defeat. Now, the advantage is entirely in our hands, so why should we fear Zhao Yun and Lü Bu?"

“Yuan Shu has a large army, and it will take Liu Bei a long time to completely defeat him. If we seize this opportunity, we can take Xiaopei and Feng County in one fell swoop. Even if we cannot capture or kill Liu Bei in the end, Liu Bei will have lost more than half of his army, and his prestige will be ruined.”

Not only did the generals of Yanzhou echo this sentiment, but some of the generals of Xuzhou also joined in.

Tao Qian made only a slight move, yet it gave the generals of Yan and Xu an unprecedented advantage, and also made them arrogant.

After glancing at everyone, Tao Qian frowned: "How can you all be so certain that Liu Bei cannot quickly defeat Yuan Shu?"

Kong Zhou laughed loudly: "Yuan Shu was defeated in Guanzhong and was killed by Liu Bei, who cut off his beard and abandoned his robe. How can such hatred be tolerated? If I were Yuan Shu, I would definitely use a large army to trap Liu Bei to death in order to vent my hatred."

Ying Shao also laughed: "Liu Bei divided his troops into three places, and the troops that launched the surprise attack on Yuan Shu were only a few thousand men. Yuan Shu marched north and took with him more than two hundred thousand soldiers, civilians, and officials."

"Although there are few capable fighters, these more than 200,000 soldiers and civilians can provide Yuan Shu with heavy protection. Even if Liu Bei wants to win a quick battle, he still has to find Yuan Shu first."

All the generals laughed.

Even so, Tao Qian did not agree to divide his troops to attack Feng County, saying, "Xiaopei has Liu Bei's six thousand soldiers and Cao Cao, the governor of Yanzhou, who are far more important than Xu Huang."

"Since you all believe that Liu Bei cannot defeat Yuan Shu quickly, why not take advantage of the fact that Xiaopei is under attack and concentrate our forces to attack Xiaopei? As long as we eliminate these six thousand soldiers and Cao Cao, it will be enough to damage Liu Bei's prestige. There is no need to take any more risks."

Seeing that Tao Qian refused, Kong Zhou suggested, "To attack Xiaopei, we don't necessarily have to send our elite troops first. These 30,000 soldiers in the deep canals can also attack the city. We can send these 30,000 men first to deplete the arrows and stones in the city, and then send our elite troops to attack. We will surely be able to break through the city."

“If Governor Tao is unwilling to attack Feng County, how about I lead the troops to attack it myself? It’s a piece of cake to take down an unknown nobody. Once we take Feng County, Governor Tao will share the credit.”

Seeing that Kong Zhou was determined to attack Feng County, Tao Qian frowned even more and turned to look at Yuan Yi: "What is Governor Yuan's opinion?"

Yuan Yi laughed and said, "Prefect Tao is well-versed in military strategy, and I am ashamed to admit that I am not as good as him. I will listen to Prefect Tao."

Seeing that Yuan Yi gave up arguing, Tao Qian secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I know that the plan to attack Feng County is also a good strategy. However, since I have been entrusted with tactical command by you all, then listen to me."

"We will not attack Fengxian for now. Tonight, let the soldiers have a good meal, and tomorrow we will launch a full-scale attack on Xiaopei. With Xiaopei flooded, the enemy's morale will be greatly reduced. As long as we launch a continuous assault, their morale will surely collapse!"

Although he was dissatisfied, Kong Zhou did not speak again.

After all, Tao Qian's record speaks for itself; in just a few days, he trapped Zhao Yun and Lü Bu in Xiaopei.

On the other hand, Kong Zhou, despite being well-rested and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, was still defeated by Lü Bu. If it came to a debate about tactics, Kong Zhou would not be able to win against Tao Qian. Moreover, Tao Qian had already been very lenient with Kong Zhou.

In Feng County.

Upon learning that Tao Qian and his men were flooding the city, Zhang Zhang, Wu Ban, Zhou Cang, and others also came to Xu Huang to ask for his services.

“After the city is flooded, the rebels will surely launch a strong attack on Xiaopei. Commandant Xu, we must send troops to rescue Xiaopei immediately, otherwise if Xiaopei is lost, we will also be in danger. I am willing to request troops to go.” Wu Kuang’s son, Wu Ban, took the lead in requesting.

For this expedition, Wu Kuang was appointed as a captain of the Imperial Guard and remained in Luoyang, while Wu Ban accompanied the army on the expedition.

This was both to prevent Wu Kuang from being misled in Luoyang and to reassure him to serve: Look, I've already given your son a high position, what else could you possibly be dissatisfied with?

Zhang Zhang also volunteered, saying, "Captain Xu, I know you bear a heavy responsibility in guarding Feng County, but Xiaopei cannot be lost either. I am willing to lead an elite force to Xiaopei."

Zhou Cang and others also volunteered.

Reading can enlighten the mind. Ever since Liu Bei launched a nationwide literacy campaign, the intelligence of all his generals and soldiers has been greatly improved.

"What if we fail to defeat the enemy and Feng County is lost?" Xu Huang did not agree to anyone's request, but instead asked in return.

If Feng County were lost, Liu Bei would have difficulty obtaining supplies of money and provisions, which would have a significant impact on subsequent battles.

"If we cannot defeat the enemy, we are willing to accept military punishment!"

Seeing the crowd willing to face military law to save Xiaopei, Xu Huang ordered the newly drawn map of the rebel camp to be hung up.

Xu Huang's tone was firm: "According to the intelligence we have obtained so far, the rebels have three battalions in the Fengxian direction."

"The one in the very center is Kong Zhou's camp, the one on the left is Zhang Miao's camp, and the one on the right is Ying Shao's camp."

“Fengxian County is only ninety li from Kongzhou Camp. The weather has been clear and the stars and moon are bright recently, making it perfect for night travel.”

"Although we must save Xiaopei, Fengxian cannot be lost. Therefore, this time we are not saving Xiaopei, but rather preventing the rebels from launching a full-scale attack on Xiaopei."

"Tonight I will lead a hundred cavalrymen to raid the camp. You all just need to guard Feng County!"

Upon hearing that Xu Huang was only leading a hundred men, everyone was greatly alarmed.

"Captain Xu, we all know of your bravery. But isn't it too presumptuous to raid a camp with only a hundred men?" Wu Kuang urged urgently.

Zhang Zhang also said, "Captain Xu, a hundred men raiding a camp. I've never heard of such a thing before. Please think carefully!"

Xu Huang shook his head: "As I just said, this time it's not to rescue Xiaopei, but to deter the rebels from launching a full-scale attack on Xiaopei. The number of people sent is not important; what's important is to let the rebels know that I dare to raid their camp."

The others wanted to persuade him further, but Xu Huang stopped them: "Don't forget, everyone. The military order given to us by the Imperial Uncle is to guard the grain and supplies, not to support Xiaopei. We must not disrupt the Imperial Uncle's plan."

"If anyone disobeys military orders, don't blame me for being ruthless."

(End of this chapter)