My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 278 Cao Cao Informs (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote)

Xun Yu glanced at Man Chong and Cheng Yu, a smile flashing across his gentle and refined face.

These two colleagues were not unaware of the hidden scheme; they simply chose not to reveal it.

Xun Yu's gaze fell on Guangling, where Man Chong and Cheng Yu had clearly been watching for a long time.

However, Xun Yu did not intend to say it. Since Man Chong and Cheng Yu did not intend to expose it, why should he take the lead?

Only Xi Lu waited until the other bigwigs had finished speaking before speaking in a low voice: "I am not talented, but I think that Lord Xuande's backup plan may be in Guangling."

"Oh?"

Cao Cao immediately became interested and encouraged him, "Hongyu, what brilliant ideas do you have? Please speak freely."

Encouraged by Cao Cao, Xi Lu mustered his courage and said, "As the General said before, there are 30,000 troops gathered in Guangling, and more than 20,000 troops can be mobilized at any time. Moreover, Lord Xuande's navy is also gathered in Guangling. In my humble opinion, Lord Xuande may take the waterway to bypass Shouchun and then launch a surprise attack on Hefei."

As he spoke, Xi Lu drew a route on the map with his hand.

Under Xi Lu's command, the Guangling Army could set off from Jiangdu, go upstream along the Yangtze River, pass Liyang without entering, take the Shishui waterway on the opposite bank of Chungu, then cross Chaohu Lake, enter Feishui, and head straight for Hefei City.

Although this waterway is long, it is very smooth and large ships can travel on it.

The Yangtze River waterway had always been controlled by Liu Bei's army, and even if Yuan Shu's army discovered it, it would be of no use.

Even the worst Liu Bei army could escape unscathed.

However, if Yuan Shu were caught off guard and Hefei were captured directly, Yuan Shu's situation would immediately become dangerous.

Hefei has always been an important town in the Jianghuai region. If Shouchun was the most important town in the Jianghuai region during the Eastern Han Dynasty, then Hefei was undoubtedly the second most important town.

Most of Lujiang could be transported to Shouchun via various waterways, but half of Jiujiang's supplies and personnel had to be transferred to Shouchun via Hefei.

In wartime, Hefei would not only be a southern barrier for Shouchun, but also the most important rear base for Shouchun should it encounter enemies from the north.

When facing the enemy in the south, Hefei fell, but Shouchun could still receive large-scale support from the northern cities via the Huai River.

However, when facing the northern enemy, once Hefei falls, Shouchun will not be able to hold out on its own.

This is one of the reasons why Shouchun is more important than Hefei. Moreover, Shouchun was once the capital of the Huainan Kingdom, and there was a royal palace in the city. No wonder Yuan Shu stayed in Shouchun and refused to move.

Moreover, Yuan Shu had always harbored the ambition to become emperor, and the palace in Shouchun perfectly fulfilled his desires.

If they want to go further in the future, the palace in Shouchun can be used as an imperial palace; at most, they can recruit laborers to expand it further.

Shouchun City has a large area, so there is no shortage of space for expansion. If it really doesn't have enough space, those residential houses can be demolished.

Ordinary people are as numerous as leeks; no matter how many you harvest, they can't keep up with their rapid growth.

This is Yuan Shu's truest thought.

Cao Cao nodded approvingly: "Xuande has made great progress. If it were him three or five years ago, he would probably have just followed the steps, taking Ruyin and Longkang one by one, and then joining forces at the walls of Shouchun. Now he has come up with a brilliant plan. It is truly remarkable that he has been so impressive since we last met him."

Xun Yu frowned slightly. Although Cao Cao praised Liu Bei, his words were condescending and showed a disdain for Liu Bei's military abilities.

It should be known that a general must never be arrogant or complacent. Cao Cao's arrogance is not a good sign.

Xi Lu, however, praised from the side, saying, "What the General says is very true. Although Lord Xuande has a brilliant plan, it cannot be hidden from your eyes."

"Hahaha……"

Cao Cao laughed and gave Xi Lu an approving look, but finally looked at Man Chong and said, "Bo Ning, I have been friends with Gong Lu for many years. If he is careless and is taken advantage of by Xuan De, I am afraid I will have no face to see my old friend again."

Man Chong nodded with a resolute expression: "General Zuo likes to use spies and has a lot of intelligence. I believe that these situations cannot be hidden from his discerning eyes."

Xun Yu frowned slightly. To be fair, Cao Cao's behavior of betraying people behind their backs did not suit his tastes.

But in the end, he only sighed inwardly and did not offer any advice.

After all, he was the lord he chose, so he should try his best to please him. If he constantly caused trouble for his lord and praised his lord's mortal enemy, wouldn't he just become some unnamed Hebei military supervisor?

Thus, the matter was settled, and Man Chong would naturally have someone pass the news to Yuan Shu.

Sure enough, in just five or six days, Yuan Shu received a report that Liu Bei might launch an attack from Guangling, bypass the Yangtze River, enter the Shishui River, cross Chaohu Lake, and launch a surprise attack on Hefei.

Historically, this road was the only route that King Wu of the Great Wei Dynasty took when he visited Hefei five times.

The fact that the King of Wu of the Great Wei Dynasty visited the site five times fully demonstrates the smoothness, convenience, and reliability of this road.

Yuan Shu has been in control of Jianghuai for four years now, and with his strategic vision, he is able to see the threat posed by Hefei.

Yuan Shu was both surprised and delighted. "You, Liu Bei, are so ruthless! You're trying to strike at my vitals!"

Yuan Shu was both shocked by Liu Bei's ruthlessness and delighted that he had been able to discover his opponent's killing move in advance.

"Send word to Hefei immediately: close the city gates, hold the city, and strengthen defenses. Also, order Sun Xiang and Zhou Yu to rush to Hefei's aid. After they rendezvous, leave... leave four thousand men in Hefei."

At this point, Yuan Shu suddenly paused, then got up and paced around the hall in thought.

After a moment, he continued, "Let Sun Xiang leave 4,000 men to guard Hefei, and lead the rest of his troops north to Shouchun with Zhou Yu."

Yuan Shu recalled that the troops he could draw upon from Lujiang were clearly much weaker than Sun's army.

Hefei is a strategic location, and we must leave a strong force to guard it to ensure peace of mind.

That's why it was specifically stated that Sun Xiang should leave someone to guard the area, while Zhou Yu's troops were all transferred to Shouchun.

It doesn't matter if our combat strength is a little weak; we're more than capable of defending the city.

If Zhou Yu's troops were left to guard Hefei, Yuan Shu felt he still wouldn't be able to feel at ease.

********
Liu Feng was in the eastern city, discussing military affairs with generals such as Lu Su, Liu Ye, and Taishi Ci.

Suddenly, I received an urgent military intelligence message.

Upon opening it, it turned out to be a secret letter sent by Zhou Yu.

In the secret letter, Zhou Yu informed Liu Feng that Yuan Shu had received confidential information that Liu Bei's army was going to launch a surprise attack on Hefei. Therefore, he planned to leave half of Sun Xiang's troops to reinforce Hefei, while the remaining troops would continue north.

Liu Feng was shocked to hear this, thinking that his side had leaked the information.

But after reading the letter again, he realized what had happened.

Yuan Shu received information that Liu Bei's army was going to launch a surprise attack on Hefei. Their main objective was to annihilate the northward reinforcements. If they could take Hefei, they would take it along the way; if not, they would head north directly.

When it comes to temporary strongholds, it is preferable to prioritize Chengdu-Deyang, which is easier to attack but harder to defend, rather than Hefei.

Therefore, the information was definitely not leaked by Liu Bei's side.

"Mr. Zijing, Mr. Ziyang, please take a look."

As Liu Feng spoke, he handed the letter in his hand to Lu Su and Liu Ye, then walked over to Taishi Ci and continued to discuss the route and various preparatory work with them.

After receiving the secret letter, Lu Su read it with Liu Ye.

After reading it, the two looked up with hesitant expressions.

After a moment, Liu Ye first denied it, saying, "Young Master, this was definitely not a leak from the General of the Cavalry's territory, otherwise Yuan Gonglu would never have allowed Gongjin and the others to continue north."

Lu Su nodded in agreement, but after stroking his beard and pondering for a moment, he speculated, "This seems more like a guess."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ye's eyes lit up, and he added, "What Zijing says is quite right! I also had a strange feeling when I read it before, but I couldn't find anything unusual. Now, after hearing your words, I think that some expert saw through part of our plan, but failed to guess the whole picture. This person informed Yuan Shu of this information, which led to the latter's strange order to strengthen the defense of Hefei, while still allowing Gongjin and the others to continue their northward march."

Liu Feng smiled and praised, "Mr. Ziyang is indeed exceptionally quick-witted, and Mr. Zijing can see through the problem at a glance. It is truly a blessing for my son and me to have the assistance of these two gentlemen."

Lu Su and Liu Ye quickly replied modestly, "Your Excellency is highly respected and virtuous. Your young lord is loyal to the emperor and loves the people. The prefectures and counties you govern are peaceful and prosperous, and virtuous men are devoted to you. It is truly our good fortune to serve Your Excellency in the southern campaign."

After exchanging pleasantries, Liu Feng decisively said, "In that case, let's continue with the original plan. We don't need to pay any attention to the troops in Hefei."

As he spoke, Liu Feng stroked his chin and offered a new idea: "Sun Xiang's troops now number only four thousand. If we gather together and annihilate them, we should be able to leave no survivors. In that case, do you all think that our army could use Gongjin's help to infiltrate Shouchun City?"

Liu Feng's suggestion immediately drew the attention of everyone present.

Simply put, this suggestion was far too audacious.

But there is still a certain chance of success.

Most importantly, if this plan succeeds, it could truly be the final word.

Even if we fail to capture Yuan Shu and he escapes, he won't be able to cause any real trouble. If we can capture Yuan Shu directly, we can easily pacify the two counties north of the Yangtze River with a single proclamation, and even have a say in Jiangdong.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Liu Feng nodded vigorously, indicating that he was serious about the idea.

So everyone gathered around the map and started whispering among themselves.

Taishi Ci spoke first: "If we follow the young master's plan, then the number of troops mixed in should not be too large, three or four thousand would be better."

Zhang Liao nodded in agreement, then said in an excited, trembling voice, "I am willing to personally lead the team and infiltrate the army to capture the gates of Shouchun for the young master."

Xu Huang glanced at Zhang Liao, then secretly glanced at Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang.

Sure enough, no sooner had Zhang Liao finished speaking than Pan Zhang jumped up: "I only need three thousand men. If I can't take the city gate, I'm willing to accept military law!"

Zhang Liao was stunned for a moment, his face turned cold, and he felt somewhat displeased.

Although you, Pan Zhang, are the young master's favorite general, I was personally invited by Lord Xuande.

Moreover, when I was invited to Xuzhou, the young master was present and expressed his opinion. Are you, Pan Zhang, trying to bully others by abusing your power?
I am not afraid of you.

Zhang Liao snorted coldly and said, "Young Master, I only need two thousand men! If it doesn't work, I'll accept military law!"

Pan Zhang became desperate and jumped up and down, shouting, "A thousand men! I only need a thousand men, and I'm willing to sign a military pledge!"

Zhang Liao was furious. "This brat is going to fight with the Emperor to the bitter end?"
“Eight hundred! Young Master, Liao only needs eight hundred men, and we are willing to sign a military pledge.”

Liu Feng smiled wryly and looked around the room. Xu Chu, Xu Huang, Zhou Tai, and Jiang Qin were all staring at him expectantly, while Xu Sheng was struggling with whether or not to join the bidding.

Even Taishi Ci, the commander-in-chief of the army, wanted to volunteer, but he was too sensible to give up his important command responsibilities.

The two brothers, Jia Kui and Jia Bin, were dumbfounded.

Jia Kui was eager to try, but although his martial arts skills were good, compared to the other martial artists present, he was still somewhat like a fish trying to swim.

As for Jia Bin, although he was skilled in archery and horsemanship and quite strong, he had long since surrendered to Taishi Ci, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang.

Lu Su and Liu Ye exchanged a smile. There were so many valiant generals in the army, yet they still bravely competed for the lead.

Both men were originally staunch believers that the Han Dynasty was dead and could not be revived.

But now, the two of them have already quietly become staunch believers in the theory of the Three Reigns of the Han Dynasty.

It's just that the one they were hoping to revive the Han dynasty was not in Luoyang.

"Little Lord!"

"Little Lord!"

Arguing wouldn't get to a conclusion, so a group of fierce and ruthless men surrounded Liu Feng.

Fortunately, Liu Feng's height kept increasing rapidly, otherwise he probably wouldn't have been able to stand out among this group of burly men.

"Gentlemen."

Liu Feng raised his hand to stop the generals from volunteering, then turned to Lu Su and Liu Ye and asked, "What are your thoughts on this, gentlemen?"

Lu Su and Liu Ye were both intelligent men; they knew that choosing either option at this point would be a mistake, so they naturally wouldn't fall into the trap.

"The young master has so many brave warriors under his command; whoever goes into battle will surely achieve success."

"With everyone working together and in high spirits, Ye congratulates the young master! Victory is assured in this battle!"

Liu Feng cursed the two sly foxes inwardly, but had no choice but to face the problem squarely.

Objectively speaking, it would be more reasonable to send Pan Zhang, since with limited troop strength, the only thing that can significantly improve the soldiers' combat effectiveness is equipment.

Pan Zhang had always been in command of the armored soldiers, so it was naturally the most appropriate thing for him to do it.

However, Zhang Liao's feelings also needed to be taken into consideration. He had always valued Pan Zhang highly and given him many opportunities to make contributions. This time, it was indeed time to consider other people.

Even if you can't hold a bowl of water perfectly level, you can't spill too much, otherwise you won't be able to convince the public.

In the end, Liu Feng made a decision: "Wen Yuan will be in charge of the coup. Zhong Kang, You Ping, and Gong Yi, each of you will lead five hundred men to assist General Wen Yuan."

Upon hearing Liu Feng's decision, Zhang Liao was overjoyed, and Xu Chu, Zhou Tai, and Jiang Qin were also delighted, never expecting to receive such good fortune.

Pan Zhang, however, stared in disbelief at Liu Feng.

Liu Feng shook his head at him instead, and ordered, "Wen Gui, allocate four hundred sets of armor from your troops and lend them to Wen Yuan and the others temporarily."

Zhou Yu needed to escort a large amount of military equipment and food supplies, so he was accompanied by many vehicles.

These vehicles were perfectly suited for concealing armored weapons.

Although Pan Zhang felt wronged, angry, and confused, he dared not disobey Liu Feng's orders and immediately nodded in response: "Yes, young master, I will handle it immediately upon returning."

After a brief moment of triumph, Zhang Liao calmed down.

He was starting to regret his impulsive actions. He feared he had offended Pan Zhang badly, and might even have offended Liu Feng as well.

Fortunately, when Zhang Liao glanced at Liu Feng, the latter looked normal and showed no displeasure, which made Zhang Liao secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, Zhang Liao had a flash of inspiration and took the initiative to speak up: "Young Master, seizing the gate is a major event. The more preparation we have, the greater our chances of success. In my opinion, it would be better to ask General Pan's troops for backup. In this way, our seizure of the gate can be guaranteed to be foolproof."

Liu Feng looked at Zhang Liao with some surprise, not only because Zhang Liao would actually take the initiative to back down and leave room for Pan Zhang, but also because what the other party said actually coincided with his own.

Since that was the case, Liu Feng readily accepted Zhang Liao's suggestion and ordered Pan Zhang, "Wen Gui, your troops will change into Sun Family Army uniforms and follow behind Gong Jin's troops. Once the city gates are captured, your troops can follow up to provide assistance."

Pan Zhang's expression improved, and he respectfully accepted the order.

Although he was still somewhat resentful that Zhang Liao had snatched food from his jaws, he dared not show the slightest disrespect to Liu Feng.

********
Five days after Zhou Yu set off, he arrived in Hefei. By then, Sun Xiang had already taken up residence in the city three days earlier.

The garrison in Hefei had already prepared empty barracks for Zhou Yu and his men. After entering the city, Zhou Yu handed over the trivial matters to his elder brother Zhou Dao and his son, while he himself, accompanied by his personal guards and carrying gifts, went to visit Sun Xiang's camp.

Sun Xiang had heard that Zhou Yu had entered the city, but she didn't expect him to come to visit her so soon. Judging from the time, it seemed like he was on a very fast-paced trip.

Sun Xiang thought for a moment, then went straight out of the tent to greet him at the camp gate.

Zhou Yu presented the gift, and after some polite exchanges, the atmosphere became much more relaxed during their subsequent conversation.

Zhou Yu stated his attitude and purpose, saying, "I have no other business here, but I wish to find General Sun to establish some rules before setting off tomorrow."

Sun Xiang nodded; he had already considered this matter.

After receiving Yuan Shu's order, he considered it carefully and decided to send two thousand men each from his own troops and Sun Ben's troops, making a total of four thousand men, to Hefei.

If it were up to Sun Xiang's own ideas, he would naturally leave his own troops behind and take Sun Ben's troops to Shouchun.

But after all, they are brothers. If they really do this, will they ever see each other again?

Therefore, Sun Xiang had already planned out the marching formations, but she didn't expect Zhou Yu to be so friendly and take the initiative to discuss it with her.

After all, once Sun Xiang divided his forces, he only had four thousand men left, while Zhou Yu had eight thousand men and six thousand able-bodied men. Regardless of their combat strength, they accounted for the majority of the troops.

"Commander Zhou is escorting a large amount of grain and military equipment, while my troops are traveling light. In that case, I suggest that Commander Zhou lead the army ahead, while I will follow five miles behind to bring up the rear. What does Commander Zhou think?"

Five li is a distance that can be covered in half a quarter of an hour by a forced march, and often it takes less than five li to meet up with the enemy, since the enemy also needs space to deploy their formation.

The five-mile distance also ensures that Sun Xiang has ample space and time to react, and at least her formation will not be disrupted by Zhou Yu's new recruits.

Sun Xiang's arrangement was very mature and thoughtful.

Most importantly, it suited Zhou Yu's wishes perfectly.

Seeing that Zhou Yu readily agreed, Sun Xiang was also very satisfied, thinking that Zhou Yu was a good person, and the atmosphere between the two became even more harmonious.

Afterwards, Sun Xiang even hosted a banquet for Zhou Yu.

Early the next morning, Zhou Yu led his troops to set off first, beginning their journey north.

After the Lujiang army set off, Sun Xiang led the remaining four thousand troops to follow.

Both armies have replenished their food and equipment in Hefei during this period, and are now fully equipped.

(End of this chapter)