My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Chapter 177: The military might of Xudu! Xiao He: I have a bold idea, to snatch the emperor from Cao Cao!
Zhao Yun immediately issued an order.

A command flag was immediately raised on the hilltop, swaying in the wind.

At this time, in the mountains and forests on both sides of Bowangpo, generals Feng Xi, Fu Rong and others had already led more than 5,000 elite soldiers to ambush for a long time.

When they saw the first signal flag raised, all the generals became excited and were ready to go.

A quarter of an hour later, the three thousand baits led by Deng Ai hurriedly passed under the noses of the ambush troops.

Before long, Cao Ren's army of more than 14,000 soldiers came chasing after him.

The terrain between Wancheng and Bowangcheng was originally flat, but it narrows at Bowangpo.

There were too many Cao's soldiers and horses, and after entering the slope, it became crowded and the speed of advancement slowed down.

The time has come.

Xiao He put down the tea bowl, stood up, waved his hand and shouted:
"Raise the second flag and launch the fire attack!"

Zhao Yun immediately issued an order.

On the hill, the second command flag was quickly raised.

On the east side of the ramp, Feng Xi was the first to see the signal flag. He jumped up, drew his sword, and shouted:
"All troops, listen up! Light the grass ball immediately and push it down!"

"Crossbowmen, fire the rockets!"

As the order was given, Liu Jun's ambush troops, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, suddenly jumped up and appeared.

Dozens of balls made of firewood, straw and vines were immediately set on fire and pushed to the edge of the slope.

Immediately afterwards, rockets were ignited and aimed at Cao's army that was crowded and running wildly on the slope.

Roars were heard, and soldiers in groups of three or two pushed the fireballs down the slope.

More than a thousand rockets also took off into the sky.

Fireball rockets whizzed down from the sky to the ground and pounced on Cao's army at the bottom of the slope.

Down the slope.

Cao Ren, who was galloping on his horse, had now calmed down from his initial anger.

As the Cao family's top general, the changes in the surrounding terrain would surely alert him.

Such a narrow terrain, with the two wings at a high altitude, is perfect for setting an ambush.

Considering that Liu Bei was an experienced military officer, how could he rashly use a young boy to stop him? It would be too arrogant.

Moreover, the boy did not engage in a head-on confrontation, but "ran away" as soon as his army charged.

The more Cao Ren thought about it, the more suspicious he became, and he couldn't help but slow down his horse.

"General Zixiao, I feel something is amiss."

Zhu Ling chased after him from behind, pointing his gun at the ground and said:
"General Zixiao, look, why are there so many firewood scattered on this road? It seems like someone laid it there on purpose."

"Also, why does this slope smell like kerosene?"

"General Zixiao, something is wrong."

Cao's camp was full of veterans who had fought on many battles, and Zhu Ling also keenly sensed something was wrong at this moment.

Cao Ren's heart skipped a beat and he quickly reined in his horse.

After taking another look around the terrain, Cao Ren said anxiously:

"Your warning was spot on. That kid named Deng retreated without a fight, clearly intending to lure us into Bowangpo. There must be a trick going on here. Quickly spread the word—"

Before the order was uttered, a horn sounded on the hillside.

The next moment, flames suddenly broke out on the slopes on both sides.

Immediately afterwards, countless rockets came down like a rain of fire, covering the sky.

Then dozens of fireballs came rolling down from both wings with the force of a landslide.

The firelight illuminated Cao Ren's stunned and horrified face.

The most worrying thing happened.

He really fell into the trap!
That kid Deng Ai was indeed a bait, just to provoke him and lure him into Bowangpo.

Liu's army had already ambushed him on both wings, and had laid firewood and straw on the ground in advance, waiting for him to fall into the trap before launching a fire attack.

Ma Chao rushed to attack Bowang City, and Liu Jun's troops in Xinye surrounded Wancheng... All the arrangements were to pave the way for the burning of Bowangpo at this moment.

"Xiao He is far away in Jiangdong. Who on earth came up with this plan that made me, I..."

Cao Ren was so shocked that he was stunned and confused for a moment.

Beside him, Zhu Ling shouted in a trembling voice:
"General Zixiao, no matter who plotted this, our army has fallen into a trap. We must retreat immediately—"

Before he could finish his words, the rockets arrived.

Screams suddenly rang out.

Countless Cao's soldiers were caught off guard and were pinned to the ground by rockets.

The firewood sprinkled with kerosene on the ground burst into flames when it came into contact with the rocket.

A huge fireball followed, knocking down Cao's soldiers like paper, and knocking them over in piles, including people and horses.

Wherever the fireball passed, the firewood and grass on the ground were ignited in large areas.

In the blink of an eye, more than 14,000 Cao troops were divided into countless pieces by the fireball.

The entire Bowangpo Mountain was engulfed in flames, engulfing the divided Cao army in the raging flames.

Wailing, screaming, cries for help...

In an instant, the sound echoed throughout the valley.

The Cao army that was burned lay on the ground, rolling and wailing in pain, while the Cao army that was not burned threw away their weapons and armor and ran around like headless flies.

Cao's army was in chaos!

"General Zixiao, retreat north quickly! We can't get past Bowangpo, and we can't save Wancheng!"

"If we don't leave now, we will be wiped out here!"

Zhu Ling blocked the incoming rockets while shouting hoarsely.

Cao Ren looked around at the soldiers who were burned to the point of screaming and howling like ghosts. His fists were clenched, and his face was twisted with endless anger.

The Cao family’s number one general, with more than 14,000 elite Cao family soldiers!

But they didn't even have a chance to fight with the enemy, and they didn't even know who the commander of Liu's army was. They suffered a terrible defeat for no apparent reason!
Where is the face left...

The key point is that if he escapes, the morale of the army in Wancheng will be in chaos. How can Du Xi defend it with only more than 4,000 troops?
Wancheng will be lost!

If Wancheng is lost, the entire Nanyang will be taken by Liu Bei overnight!
At that time, all the barriers south of Xu Du would be lost, and it would be directly exposed to Liu Bei's army.

The capital is shaken, Henan is shaken, and the Central Plains will also be shaken.

Cao Cao will certainly give up taking Jiangdong and lead the main force back to Xudu. Liu Bei will not only secure his control of Jiangdong, but will also turn from defense to offense in Huainan!
His defeat would have a ripple effect on the entire world and would turn the situation in the world in favor of Liu Bei.

How will he explain this crime to Cao Cao?

Seeing Cao Ren's hesitation, Zhu Ling had no choice but to persuade him again:
"General Zixiao, who would have thought that Liu Bei, far away in Jiangdong, would set up such a trap thousands of miles away?"

"The situation is hopeless. General Zixiao's life is in great danger. You must protect your useful life and as many soldiers and horses as possible—"

Before Zhu Ling could finish his words of persuasion, a cold light flashed behind him like lightning.

A cold arrow came.

Zhu Ling instinctively turned his gun back to block.

But this arrow was as fast as lightning, faster than thunder, and far superior to ordinary arrows.

The arrow has already arrived before the spear is drawn.

"puff!"

Zhu Ling was hit in the face by an arrow.

"General Zixiao~~"

After a sad groan, Zhu Ling staggered and fell off his horse.

Cao Ren was horrified and looked up quickly. He saw a general in a white horse and silver robe standing proudly on the hillside, holding a large bow.

"Zhao...Zhao Yun?" Cao Ren exclaimed in shock again, his eyes filled with fear as if he had seen a ghost.

Isn’t Zhao Yun in Jiangdong, guarding Ruxu Fort with Liu Bei?
How could he appear in Bowangpo, thousands of miles away?
And shot Zhu Ling to death with one arrow?
In an instant, countless questions bombarded Cao Ren's head like thunder.

Zhao Yun, however, drew back his longbow, pointed his dragon-bone spear down the slope, and sternly said:
"All troops, listen to the order. All ambush troops, kill all Cao's troops—"

The trumpets sounded and the war drums roared.

Liu's army, which had abandoned the fire attack on both wings, rushed down the slope like a tide, carrying deafening killing shouts and covering the mountains and plains.

Zhao Yun kicked his horse's belly, galloped forward, and rushed towards Cao Ren with his spear in hand.

Cao Ren's mental will completely collapsed at this moment.

"Retreat, the entire army retreats north, retreat—"

With a shuddering cry, Cao Ren turned his horse around, abandoned Zhu Ling's body, and fled in panic.

Cao's army was like a frightened bird, shoving and pushing each other as they fled to the north under the scorching fire.

On the hillsides on both sides, Liu's army had already attacked and killed the panicked Cao army.

The killing begins...

As night fell, the sounds of killing gradually died down, and the fire at Bowangpo gradually died down.

Of Cao's 14,000 troops, thousands were burned to death, thousands were beheaded, and thousands surrendered. Cao Ren escaped with only less than 4,000 remaining soldiers.

Cao Ren, who had luckily escaped the disaster, did not dare to go north to Bowang City, so he had to flee eastward towards Wuyin with his remaining troops.

Xiao He then led the victorious troops south and returned to besiege Wancheng again.

In Wancheng, after hearing the news of Cao Ren's defeat, the morale of the Cao army was severely damaged and fell into panic.

The defending general Du Xi knew that Wancheng was difficult to defend, so he decisively abandoned the city and broke out while Xiao He's main force had not returned, and fled towards Wuyin.

The next afternoon, a flag with the word "Liu" was raised on the top of Wancheng City.

This Nanyang County seat, which served as a barrier to the south of Xudu, changed hands.

...

Two days later, Ma Chao led 10,000 soldiers from Liang Province and, after capturing Bowang, headed south to Wancheng to join the forces.

"I've long heard of Xiliang Jin Ma Chao's mighty reputation. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is truly well-deserved!"

Outside the north gate, Xiao He came forward with a smile and bowed to greet him.

The young general with a handsome face, riding a white horse and wearing silver armor, hurriedly dismounted and stepped forward to pay his respects.

"When Chao was in Guanzhong, I often heard Mr. Yuanzhi mention the ingenious strategies of Military Advisor Xiao. I had also heard many of his various brilliant plans and tactics before."

"Today, I am honored to witness the charisma of Military Advisor Xiao in person. I truly am honored beyond my lifetime!"

Ma Chao bowed to Xiao He with respect on his face.

When Xiao He heard Ma Chao's attitude, he guessed that Xu Shu must have praised himself in front of Ma Chao when he was on a diplomatic mission to Guanzhong.

"General Mengqi, your words are too kind. I dare not accept them."

Xiao He had no choice but to help Ma Chao up, and he couldn't help but be humble and self-deprecating.

Ma Chao turned around and waved to the man behind him:

"Little sister, haven't you been fascinated by Military Advisor Xiao for a long time? Why don't you come forward and pay your respects to him?"

Xiao He looked over and noticed that behind Ma Chao, there was a young female general also riding a white horse and wearing silver armor.

The female general was as bright and beautiful as Bu Lianshi, and as heroic as his wife Guan Yinping. Standing in front of people like this, she was truly an eye-catching sight.

"Yunlu pays homage to Military Advisor Xiao."

"I've long heard that Military Advisor Xiao is the reincarnation of Zhang Liang. This time, the plan of burning Bowang Slope and capturing Wancheng with clever tactics really opened Yunlu's eyes."

"Yunlu finally realized today that what Mr. Yuanzhi said was true."

Ma Yunlu stepped forward and saluted, his words expressing his admiration without concealing it.

It turned out that she was Ma Chao's sister. Judging from her speech and dress, she was also a heroine.

"Miss Ma, you're too kind. Yuanzhi always likes to exaggerate, so don't believe everything he says."

Xiao He just laughed it off and immediately invited Ma Chao and his sister into the city. He also ordered Wei Yan to take all the seized wine, meat, grain and rice to reward the Xiliang soldiers who came with them.

A quarter of an hour later, everyone had gathered in the county government, drinking and chatting happily, celebrating the success of their joint efforts to defeat Cao.

Everyone present was a generous person. After a few drinks, everyone felt less awkward and started to talk about anything.

"Military Advisor Bo Wen, now that Wancheng has fallen, the counties of Nanyang can be conquered with a single edict. Cao Ren and his fleeing troops number only a few thousand men, and are powerless to stop our advance north."

"Yan thinks, why don't we join forces with General Mengqi, seize the opportunity, march north, and capture Xudu in one fell swoop?"

Wei Yan raised his wine glass high and offered a plan with great enthusiasm.

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall was immediately in an uproar.

Ma Chao slammed the table and stood up, shouting excitedly:

"Military Advisor Xiao, General Wei is right!"

"Our two armies have over 20,000 soldiers combined. Wancheng is only 300 miles away from Xudu. Our cavalry can march day and night and reach the gates of Xudu in less than three days!"

"At that time, Xudu was in a state of panic. If I took advantage of the situation and launched a surprise attack, I might be able to capture it in one fell swoop!"

Wei Yan's confidence grew, he jumped up and said excitedly:

"Cao Cao's main forces are currently stationed at Ruxu Fort, and they have no time to turn back north. If we can capture Xudu, Yanyusi and other Central Plains states will be plunged into chaos!"

"Cao Cao's army of 200,000 men will surely lose its morale and be defeated without a fight."

"When the time comes, my lord, take advantage of the situation and march north. You will surely be unstoppable and invincible. In this way, the Central Plains can be conquered!"

The bold words spoken by the two men instantly ignited the atmosphere in the hall, and all the generals fell into excitement.

Even Xiao He's eyes became excited.

I have to say, Wei Yan is a very creative guy.

Back then, he was able to propose the plan of launching a surprise attack on Chang'an from Ziwu Valley, and now he has proposed the plan of directly taking Xu Du. They are indeed similar in nature.

Xiao He immediately asked for a map, his eyes moving rapidly between Wancheng and Xudu, thinking about the feasibility of this plan.

After a long time, the excitement in Xiao He's eyes subsided a little.

"Wen Chang's plan is indeed a brilliant move."

"However, although Cao Ren's army suffered a crushing defeat, Cao Cao still has tens of thousands of elite troops stationed in Xudu, including great generals like Xiahou Dun and advisors like Xun Yu."

"With the prestige and ability of these two, stabilizing the military and public sentiment in Xudu should be easy. Mengqi, you want to take advantage of the chaos to capture the city, but that may not be easy."

"Besides, even if the Nanyang counties were conquered by an edict, Ye County, Kunyang and other Yingchuan cities might not surrender. They would most likely choose to hold their ground and wait for reinforcements."

"If our army wants to take Xudu, we must fight quickly and decisively. We cannot get hung up on the gains and losses of a city or a place. We must bypass the city and head straight for Xudu."

"If we were to march deep into enemy territory alone and fail to capture Xudu quickly, wouldn't we be surrounded on all sides by the arrival of Cao's reinforcements from Yuzhou and Sizhou?"

Xiao He pointed at the map and pointed out the flaws in Wei Yan's plan one by one.

The excited emotions of the generals gradually calmed down.

Wei Yan thought for a long time, nodded and sighed:

"My military advisor is indeed a thoughtful person. This plan carries too many risks and is indeed ill-considered."

Ma Chao sat down, pounded his fist on the table, and said with an unwilling look:

"What a shame! If only we could capture Xudu, I would kill the entire Cao clan and avenge my father and his family."

It was obvious that Ma Chao was eager for revenge. He wished to flatten Xu Du, kill all the members of Cao's family, and avenge the three Ma Teng and his son who were killed by Cao Cao.

"Military Advisor Xiao, you are incredibly resourceful. Could it be that with such a great opportunity right before us, we really can't do anything?"

Ma Yunlu looked at Xiao He with bright eyes, obviously feeling unwilling.

Xiao He stared at the map, stood with his hands behind his back, and was lost in thought.

After a long time, his eyes moved and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

"We may not be able to capture Xudu, but we may still have a chance to rescue the emperor from Cao Cao and seize his golden signboard of using the emperor to control the princes!"

(End of this chapter)