Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Lu Xun personally led the navy to sail upstream to Fankou, dozens of miles northwest of Wuchang, only to find that there was not a single Wu soldier in the Fankou naval camp, but only dozens of dilapidated fishing boats that could only carry a few people.

Clearly, Sun Quan's naval fleet had withdrawn entirely from Fankou to the Xiakou area to the west.

It must be Xiakou! This is determined by geography, and Lu Xun himself wouldn't have any divine strategies. Just like how a campaign from Henan into Guanzhong would inevitably necessitate the capture of Tongguan.

If Sun Quan abandons Fankou, near Wuchang, and does not defend Xiakou, near Jiangxia, then the entire Yangtze River will become an easy route for Wei. Lu Xun's 50,000 naval troops can easily reach the southern end of Jiangling and join forces with Man Chong to attack and capture it.

This was a strategically vital location, fought over by military strategists. For decades, the Cao, Sun, and Liu families vied for control of Jiangxia. Going back further, the Sun family and Liu Biao also frequently clashed here.

Without hesitation, Lu Xun immediately ordered his men to garrison at Fankou and continue exploring upstream. He also personally wrote a military report in the cabin and ordered Wang Jun to send it to Wuchang immediately.

Lu Xun was not the only messenger sent to Wuchang.

In late January, General Xiahou Ru, leading 20,000 troops, advanced on Jiangxia, but was defeated by Quan Cong's army, suffering nearly 10,000 casualties, and was forced to retreat to Anlu.

Six armies advanced one after another, but his army suffered a complete defeat in less than a month. Although the disparity in troop strength was too great, defeat is defeat. When Zhang Wenyuan defended Hefei, why didn't he tell Emperor Wu that the disparity in troop strength was too great to hold the city?
Feeling ashamed and indignant, Xiahou Ru naturally sought to salvage the situation. When he learned that the main force of Chaisang would be advancing on Wuchang in early March, he had already sent men along the north bank of the Yangtze River to probe towards Chaisang. Finally, after the Wei army besieged Wuchang, Xiahou Ru's scouts encountered Cheng Xi's troops to the north.

As a result, news of the arrival of the Shu army, the retreat of Man Chong to Dangyang, and the Wu army's concentration of forces near Miankou were all sent to the outskirts of Wuchang.

Only at this point did the overall situation on the battlefield gradually become clear to the Wei emperor and his ministers.

Outside Wuchang city, in a military tent, Liu Ye solemnly reported to his superior:

"As mentioned above, the combined forces of Wu and Shu near Jiangling number as many as 100,000, and they could be sent to reinforce Wuchang and Xiakou at any time. We don't even know if the reinforcements have arrived. Wuchang is difficult to capture in the short term, and Sun Quan has at least 40,000 troops concentrated at Xiakou..."

“In that case, the Great Wei is facing about 140,000 troops in Jingzhou.” Cao Rui interrupted Liu Ye: “In warfare, one must be prudent in assessing the enemy’s strength. I will assume that the Wu and Shu armies will cooperate seamlessly without any conflict. I have 100,000 troops here, and the Manzhouli Army has more than 50,000 troops available for battle in the south. So the difference in troop strength is not that great.”

"What can be done, I will order you to do your utmost. If it cannot be done, I will not force the soldiers to do it out of greed for credit." Cao Rui slowly rose, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the tent: "What are your thoughts, gentlemen? Should we fight, or should we not fight?"

Since the campaign began on January 10th at Shouchun, the battles in Yangzhou have generally been fought with superior numbers and faster tactics. Even in the attacks on Ruxu and Wuhu, the Wei forces have consistently had the upper hand in terms of manpower and resources, putting overall pressure on the Wu forces. It wasn't until two months later that a balance of power finally emerged on the local battlefields.

"General!" Cao Rui called out Cao Zhen's name first.

Cao Zhen bowed slightly, said nothing, and personally went to the map area in the military tent. He replaced the Wuchang map with a map of the surrounding area from a pile of maps, hung it on the screen, and then looked at Cao Rui:

"Please begin with the geography."

"Please, General." Cao Rui nodded.

Cao Zhen took a few deep breaths, then slowly said, "Wuchang is an important town on the Yangtze River, but Xiakou is even more important than Wuchang..."

For the Great Wei, Wuchang was already a rare fortified city, surrounded by water on three sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Xiakou, on the other hand, was essentially an enhanced version of Wuchang.

The Han River, also known as the Mian River, flows into the Yangtze River at the Miankou point. The Han River flows from northwest to southeast, while the Yangtze River flows from southwest to northeast. The water system here naturally forms an inverted "人" (human) shape.

The area north of the river is called Miankou, and the area south of the river is called Xiakou. They are actually two adjacent places.

The Han River and the Yangtze River, shaped like the Chinese character "人" (ren, meaning person), divide the land into three parts.

North of the Sanchakou, on the left bank of the Han River and north of the Yangtze River, Liu Biao once built the "Queyue City" here. Huang Zu used this city to resist the brothers Sun Ce and Sun Quan for eight years.

West of the Sanchakou Pass, on the right bank of the Han River and north of the Yangtze River, Sun Quan once built Lushan City, which he used to confront Huang Zu. After Sun Quan separated Wuchang Commandery from Jiangxia Commandery, the land south of the Yangtze River belonged to Wuchang Commandery, and Lushan City north of the Yangtze River became the seat of Jiangxia Commandery under Wu.

To the east of the Sanchakou Pass, beside Huanghuji on the south bank of the Yangtze River, lies Xiakou City. Xiakou City was a new city built by Sun Quan east of Huanghuji during the third year of the Huangchu era when Cao Pi launched his three-pronged attack on Wu, in order to prevent Wen Ping from crossing the river and threatening Wu.

Besides these three cities, the most crucial point is that Xiakou is located on the northeastern edge of the Yunmeng Marsh, a region abundant with rivers and lakes. Apart from the Han River and the Yangtze River, almost half of the remaining land is covered by lakes…

This terrain is one that the Wei army is extremely bad at, without exception.

Cao Zhen calmly explained the terrain of Xiakou to everyone, and after finishing, he concluded:
"As I just said, the three cities of Queyue, Lushan, and Xiakou are in a tripartite balance, which cannot be taken quickly or attacked by force. The only feasible plan at present is to use the strength of the navy to quickly defeat the Wu army on the river, so that the three cities are separated and unable to support each other, and to block the enemy from coming to the rescue from Jiangling by going up the Yangtze River."

Cao Zhen bowed slightly to Cao Rui: "Your Majesty, this is the only way for Great Wei to take Wuchang!"

When Cao Zhen introduced the matter, apart from Liu Ye, the Deputy Privy Councilor, who remained calm, all the other cabinet ministers, generals, and ministers frowned in thought.

Unlike the others, Cao Rui smiled broadly. The others, puzzled, looked over.

Cao Rui chuckled a few times, then pointed at Liu Ye and said, "Minister Liu, what did I say to you before? Read aloud the last paragraph that Boyan wrote for me to all of you!"

"As you command." Liu Ye nodded in response, then unfolded the document and read aloud: "Your Majesty, I humbly submit this reply: The situation at Xiakou cannot be resolved without a decisive victory for the navy. I beseech Your Majesty to grant me permission to lead the navy as the vanguard, to defeat the Wu forces on the Yangtze and Mian rivers, to cut across the river, and to protect the main army in capturing all three cities of Xiakou!"

Upon hearing Liu Ye's words, everyone turned to look at Cao Zhen, who nodded and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, I share the same view as Lu Zhengdong. With an army of 100,000 men having marched so far, we should advance rather than retreat in the face of battle! I request that Your Majesty leave the army that is holding Wuchang behind and personally lead the main force to the mouth of the Yangtze River to watch Lu Zhengdong lead the navy to defeat the enemy!"

Cao Rui nodded, stood with his hands behind his back, tilted his head slightly, and said in a calm and resolute voice: "Tomorrow, all the armies will set out together, and I will observe the generals defeat the enemy at Xiakou!"

"We obey your decree!" everyone replied in unison. (End of Chapter)