Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

With three routes advancing, Cao Zhen was in the south, while General Bei Yan, leading 5,000 cavalry, became the de facto vanguard of the southern army.

Although they were called cavalry, they actually performed the duties of mounted infantry, and were more mobile than ordinary infantry. They cleared roads, found camps and water sources, and conducted reconnaissance and guard duty ahead... But the thing that Bei Yan, a general from Liaodong, did most often was to take soil to pave roads and cut down trees to build bridges.

The closer one gets to Wuchang, the more densely packed the rivers and lakes become. The Wu Kingdom was renowned for its waterways, but the official roads along the river were poorly maintained, with sections washed away and destroyed by rain everywhere.

When Bei Yan led his cavalry to charge the Wu army outpost again, about fifty li from Wuchang, the camp was finally inhabited. Indeed, Bei Yan had already eliminated more than ten uninhabited Wu army outposts along the way, and when a thick column of black smoke rose from the Wu army outpost located on the hill, Bei Yan knew that Wuchang would soon learn of the arrival of this large army.

Wu Bing hurriedly lit the beacon fires, then scattered and fled into the nearby mountains. Bei Yan did not send cavalry to pursue them, but instead ordered his men to guard the area carefully. He then personally led his guards to the rear army to speak with General Cao Zhen, who was only a dozen miles away.

"Reporting to the General, that is all I have to say. Wuchang must know of our arrival by now." Bei Yan reported to Cao Zhen's horse: "Please instruct the General on how our troops should proceed."

Cao Zhen nodded: "You can go back now. Be careful. You don't need to worry about anything else. Just continue at this pace tomorrow."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Bei Yan clasped his hands in response.

Wang Ji, the Minister of War, watched Bei Yan's departing figure and stroked his beard, saying, "General, Sun Quan is cowardly. Bei Yan's troops have already captured fourteen unmanned outposts, and this is the fifteenth. Wu soldiers are only fifty li away from Wuchang. The Wu army can be described as extremely cowardly."

“This is also what I’m worried about.” Cao Zhen sighed softly. “If Sun Quan is willing to fight, there are more than 20,000 troops here. Even if Sun Quan sends 50,000 troops to block us, I will not be afraid in the slightest. But if he avoids battle, then he will be guarding Wuchang City. Boyan once told me in detail that Wuchang City is as strong as Stone City. It is nearly three miles from east to west and more than one mile from north to south. It is bordered by the Yangtze River and the Mian River and is protected by lakes and mountains. It is surrounded by lakes, rivers and mountains. It is by no means an easy place to attack.”

“Yes, Gu Yong, who surrendered in Jiangning, also revealed the terrain of Wuchang.” Wang Ji’s expression was equally solemn: “Wuchang City was built on the Shoushan Highlands. The city walls were built on the highlands to the north and northeast of the city, without any moats. The remaining areas were each surrounded by city walls and deep moats. General, the city is surrounded by mountains to the west, rivers to the north, lakes to the south, and rivers to the east… The Great Wei has never encountered a city like this before. The methods used to attack Ruxu and Wuhu are no longer applicable.”

“It’s not just useless.” Cao Zhen shook his head: “A city like this can only be besieged. But if the siege goes on for a long time, things can change. If we attack here for another six months, we may have to retreat. I have carefully examined the terrain of Wuchang. It is even more difficult to attack than Jiangling back then. It is by no means an easy task.”

"Bo Yu".

"Your subordinate is here." Wang Ji bowed from his horse.

Cao Zhen said, "I'll trouble you to go to the back and personally meet His Majesty to ask him what his intentions are."

"What is the General's opinion? I will report back to Your Majesty," Wang Ji asked in return.

Cao Zhen replied without hesitation: "We should surround them if necessary, but we can transfer more ordinary troops from Yangzhou. There's no need for the Wuwei Army to besiege them."

"Your subordinate understands." Wang Ji responded and left.

Wang Ji hurriedly arrived at the emperor's army camp and reported the matter and Cao Zhen's opinion. Cao Rui, however, did not seem surprised.

"With a fortified city like Wuchang, it would be strange not to hold it and abandon it," Cao Rui said calmly. "If he wants to wear me down, then I will use the power of the entire realm to wear him down. At worst, I will drain all the remaining grain from Wu. What can he do then?"

Liu Ye bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Using force to suppress is indeed the proper way of military strategy. However..." Cao Rui glanced at Liu Ye but did not speak. Liu Ye then stopped being coy, saying, "However, Wuchang is just a city. If Sun Quan defends it to the death, then the Great Wei can easily use its navy to attack elsewhere, leaving only Wuchang for him. Although Sun Quan is foolish, there are some reasonable people among his subordinates."

"Sun Quan's top priority right now is to find an opportunity on the river to defeat the Wei navy! The current situation in Jiangling is unknown to the imperial entourage, and they have no idea whether Wu has reinforced its troops. We should order Lu Boyan to take the initiative to advance to Fankou and other places, annihilate the Wu navy, and destroy their ships, and then we can discuss other matters!"

Cao Rui nodded slightly, then looked at Wang Ji: "Does Minister Wang have any objections?"

Wang Ji said, "We rely entirely on the strength of the navy. I beg Your Majesty to advise General Lu on how to deploy troops prudently."

"No need, I trust him." Cao Rui waved his hand. "If I were to issue an edict to remind Boyan, it would only confuse him. Just have Liu Shumi issue a military order in the name of the Privy Council, and have Boyan sweep through Fankou in the next two days!"

"Your subject obeys the decree." Liu Ye immediately bowed and accepted.

The army is now only fifty li from Wuchang. Today, the army stopped near the small Wu army camp that Bei Yan had initially found, and after one night, it continued westward.

It's close to Wuchang, and the roads are relatively better.

Before noon, Bei Yan's five thousand cavalrymen advanced like the wind from the southeast to the outskirts of Wuchang. When Bei Yan, who was in the vanguard, saw the terrain around Wuchang with his own eyes, he couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

Yes, there are also marshes in Liaodong, and I have seen vast stretches of lakes and marshes before. But Wuchang's geographical location is simply too cramped, completely surrounded by rivers and lakes, leaving no room for attack outside the city! To besiege the city, one must block the two main land routes to the east and southwest of the city, and then send naval forces to patrol the river to prevent reinforcements from coming by water. It is truly a complex and systematic project.

Bei Yan immediately reported this to Cao Zhen, requesting further decision-making. He also dispatched scouts to further explore the terrain and roads.

The Wu soldiers guarding the city were also uneasy when they saw the imposing Wei cavalry coming from the east.

Of course it's uneasy!

After the smoke signals from the east reached the city yesterday, the city's garrison immediately sent a message to Xiakou in the rear.

Sun Quan, Quan Cong, Sun Huan and others changed their defense plans again and again. The original plan to have Sun Huan as the main general and lead 10,000 men to defend Wuchang was rejected. Sun Quan was temporarily unable to transfer troops back from Jiangling, so he had to maximize the strength of his navy to ensure that the navy's combat power could overwhelm the Wei army.

This was the only way out that Sun Quan and his associates could find for themselves.

As for Wuchang City... Wuchang City was entrusted to Sun Quan's cousin, a member of the imperial clan, and the General of Weiyuan, Sun Lin, to garrison. Sun Lin led three thousand soldiers to guard the city, and the remaining twenty thousand conscripted laborers helped him defend the city.

Sun Quan also abandoned Fankou, and his entire army retreated westward to Xiakou, a location he had cultivated for many years and which had a better geographical advantage. (End of this chapter)