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

Chapter 204: Anyone who stands in the way of the Han Dynasty will be killed, regardless of whether your surname is Cao or Liu! Liu Bei: I will be the only one who will support the Han Dynasty!
Sacrifice Zhang Zhao, Zhou Tai and other Jiangdong troops?
Cao Ren was shocked and asked anxiously, "Zi Yang, what do you mean by that?"

Liu Ye took a deep breath and said slowly:

"There are only two possible directions for our army to break out. One is to break out to the north, cross the Huai River, and head north to Longkang."

"The second way is to break out to the west and retreat to Yangquan."

"Then Xiao He can naturally predict that we will break out from these two directions, and Liu Bei will definitely station heavy troops to block us at the northwest gate."

"Whether our army moves north or west, as long as we are blocked by the enemy and cannot quickly break through the siege, Liu Bei's pursuing forces will arrive in an instant and annihilate our army from all sides."

"Gu Ye believes that if we want to successfully break out, we must find a way to divert one of the enemy forces. Only then can we take advantage of the opportunity to break out and shake off Liu Bei's pursuers in one fell swoop!"

Cao Ren stared at the map, pondering what Liu Ye said, and gradually seemed to understand.

“Zi Yang’s words are reasonable and justifiable.”

Cao Ren nodded slightly, but then said:

"Since you've thought of this, do you have a good plan to divert one of Liu Bei's encircling troops?"

As soon as he said this, Cao Ren recalled what Liu Ye had just said about sacrificing Sun Quan's old subordinates, and suddenly realized it.

"You mean to order Zhang Zhao and Zhou Tai to lead Sun Quan's former troops to break out from one side, luring Liu Bei's heavy troops to intercept us, while we take advantage of the situation and break out from the other side?"

Liu Ye sighed, looking somewhat helpless.

"Ye, this plan is also a last resort. If we cannot make sacrifices, all the soldiers in the city will die here."

"Most of the Huainan soldiers have already crossed the city and surrendered to Liu. Only the northern soldiers and several thousand of Sun's former followers remain in the army."

"If I had to choose who to sacrifice, it would only be..."

Before Liu Ye could finish his words, he let out another bitter sigh.

Cao Ren understood.

People have closeness and distance, and soldiers naturally have closeness and distance as well.

When it becomes necessary to sacrifice some soldiers, it is natural to preserve the legitimate soldiers from the north and sacrifice Sun Quan's old subordinates from Jiangdong.

This is human nature, there is nothing to say, anyone would do the same.

"Okay, let's do as you say. Let Zhang Zhao, Zhou Tai and the others be the bait!"

After Cao Ren understood Liu Ye's deep meaning, he made the decision without any hesitation.

Liu Ye secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued:
"In addition to sacrificing Sun Quan's former subordinates, Ye is also willing to feign surrender to Liu Bei in order to leak false information to him. This two-pronged approach will ensure that all of Liu Bei's most important troops are transferred to one side!"

Cao Ren was cheered up.

Liu Ye is a relative of the Han Dynasty. In terms of his origin, he is a registered member of the Liu royal family, which is much more legitimate than Liu Bei, a wild relative of the Han Dynasty.

It should be reasonable for a relative of the Han Dynasty and a fellow Liu family member to surrender and join Liu Bei, his fellow clan member, when the situation was hopeless. It would never make Liu Bei suspicious.

"Zi Yang, your plan of feigning surrender is truly brilliant. Liu Bei would never have thought of..."

Just as Cao Ren was about to clap his hands and cheer, his heart was shaken, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind:
Since Liu Ye and Liu Bei were both members of the Liu royal family, why couldn't he truly surrender to Liu Bei at this critical moment?
For Liu Ye, isn't it more attractive to join forces with his fellow clan members and support the Han Dynasty than to be loyal to Cao Cao and help the Cao family replace the Han Dynasty?
Cao Ren swallowed half of his words and looked at Liu Ye with a playful look.

"General Zhendong, there's no need to worry. Ye's family is all in Xudu. Why would he betray the Prime Minister without caring about their lives?"

"Moreover, Prime Minister Yu Ye has shown great kindness to me. Ye should be grateful and repay the favor. How could he be such an ungrateful person?"

"Furthermore, although Ye is a descendant of the Liu family, he knows that since ancient times, no country in the world has survived."

"The Han Dynasty has run its course, and the Prime Minister has taken over. This is in accordance with the will of heaven, the will of the people, and the general trend of the times!"

"Although Liu Bei has risen to prominence in the south of the Yangtze River, his rise is but a flash in the pan. He cannot defy fate."

"Although Ye's intelligence is limited, he understands the general trend of the world. Those who follow it will prosper, and those who go against it will perish. How could he do something so foolish as to defy fate?"

Liu Ye spoke eloquently and passionately, expressing his loyalty to Cao Cao.

In short, one sentence:

The Han Dynasty will surely perish, and the Cao family will surely rise. My surname, Liu Ye, is Liu, not Sha, so I know which side to bet on.

This heartfelt confession successfully dispelled Cao Ren's suspicion and concerns.

Cao Ren smiled happily and laughed out loud:
"Zi Yang, you worry too much. How could I, Cao Ren, ever doubt your loyalty to the Prime Minister and to our Cao family?"

"Go ahead and pretend to surrender to that big-eared thief. I, Cao Ren, entrust my life and the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers to you!"

Liu Ye bowed and said with emotion:

"General Zhendong, rest assured. I, Liu Ye, will never let you down, the Prime Minister, or the general!"

...

Two days later.

The flood has gradually receded, and the water level inside and outside the city has dropped below waist level.

On the high ground south of the city.

Liu Bei has summoned his generals to deploy the final attack on Shouchun City.

"Cao Ren drove out the entire city and lost the support of the Huainan people. All the Huainan soldiers in the city have already surrendered."

"I heard Cao Ren implemented the law of collective responsibility, attempting to suppress the soldiers' escape by killing them, but he still couldn't stop them. Now even the soldiers from the north have begun to flee."

"From this, we can judge that the morale of Cao's army in the city is on the verge of collapse, and several sections of the city wall to the west have been soaked to the point of collapse."

"I believe that by the day after tomorrow, at the latest, when the water level drops by half, we can attack the city from all sides and crush it with overwhelming force!"

Pang Tong pointed at the sand table and analyzed with confidence.

Zhang Fei and other generals were all excited and eager to be the first to reach the summit.

Liu Bei's eyes were also burning with heroism as he looked at Xiao He.

Xiao He smiled and said:

"Shouchun City is now a fortress made of paper. If we give it a light kick, it will surely collapse. I believe Cao Ren knows this better than we do."

"Cao Ren is not the type to sit and wait for death. I suspect he will pack up and flee before our army takes action..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the tent instantly became quiet.

Liu Bei's eyes turned slightly, and he asked hurriedly:
"Bo Wen, do you mean that Cao Ren might abandon Shouchun City and break out of the siege?"

Xiao He nodded slightly.

Liu Bei stared at the sand table, stroked his thin beard and nodded:
"Bo Wen's concerns are not without reason. Shouchun City is currently besieged from both inside and outside. From my understanding of Cao Ren, it's impossible for him not to see that the situation is hopeless."

"Well, it seems we need to make some arrangements to prevent them from abandoning the city and breaking out!"

As soon as Liu Bei finished speaking, Ding Feng sent someone to report that when he was leading a patrol boat to guard the south gate of Shouchun, he captured a man in black who escaped from the city.

That man was not an ordinary soldier. He claimed to be a servant of Liu Ye, and was ordered by his master to sneak out of the city to seek an audience on secret matters.

Liu Ye’s servant?
Liu Bei moved slightly, and a look of joy flashed in his eyes.

Liu Ye, a relative of Cao Cao who was born into the royal family of Liu but was willing to be Cao Cao's adviser, suddenly sent his family slave to see him at this critical moment?
There is no need to guess, this must be because he saw that Shouchun was in danger and wanted to switch sides with his fellow clan member.

Liu Bei was cheered up and immediately ordered the person to come in.

In a moment, the trusted servant knelt in front of the tent.

As expected.

The servant presented Liu Ye's handwritten letter, declaring that he would abandon his evil ways and submit to Liu Bei, his fellow clansman, and work with him to support the Han Dynasty.

Liu Bei took the letter and read it carefully, and was overjoyed.

It would be fine if others came to surrender, but Liu Ye’s surrender was of great significance.

He was not only Cao Cao's adviser, but also a member of the Han royal family, the Liu family.

If Liu Ye could surrender, in a sense, he would set an example for the Liu royal family in the world, which would prompt them to come back and help Liu Bei and support their Liu Han country!
"Your Lord Liu Ziyang, are you truly willing to surrender to our General?"

Liu Bei naturally felt close to his fellow clansmen, but Xiao He was not so easily deceived.

"My master said that he defected to Cao Cao because he mistakenly believed that Cao Cao was a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty and wanted to help him support the Liu family."

"Who would have thought that after Cao Cao destroyed the Yuan family, he would gradually reveal his intention to usurp the throne, and even condoned his son's murder of the emperor. His nature as a traitor and treacherous minister was clearly revealed."

"My master has seen Cao Cao's true face and has long wanted to abandon him and join the general, but he just hasn't found the right opportunity."

"Now he has finally waited for the opportunity, so he sent me out of the city at the risk of my life to show my loyalty to the general!" The black-clad servant said, bowing to the ground and pleading:

"My master begs the general to forgive his earlier mistake of surrendering to Cao Cao, considering our kinship. Give them a chance to make amends and help the general save the Liu family!"

This impassioned speech is well-reasoned, logical, and seems to have no loopholes.

Liu Bei obviously believed it.

The suspicion in Xiao He's eyes could never be dispelled.

After all, he was the one who had read the script.

Liu Ye said that he was determined to support the Han Dynasty, but he never did anything to support the Han Dynasty in his life. All he did was help Cao Cao clear the obstacles to usurping the Han Dynasty.

After all, Xun Yu opposed Cao Cao's title of Duke of Wei.

As for Liu Ye, from the time Cao Cao was crowned duke and king to the time Cao Pi abolished the Han Dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor, he never gave a shit and even participated in persuading Cao Pi to ascend the throne.

It would be a miracle if Xiao He could trust such a person who "knows the times" and has served the Cao Wei elders for three generations of the Cao family with loyalty.

"General, as a token of sincerity, my lord has a secret to share with you. It will help you capture Shouchun and annihilate Cao Ren's Huainan Army in one fell swoop!"

As he spoke, the black-clad servant handed over a secret letter.

These words surprised Liu Bei greatly, and he immediately asked Chen Dao to read them out.

In the letter, Liu Ye claimed that Yang Xiu had persuaded Cao Ren to abandon the city and break out with more than 20,000 Cao troops while Liu Bei had not yet attacked the city.

Cao Ren's original plan was to order Zhou Tai, Zhang Zhao and other Jiangdong surrendered officials to lead Sun Quan's old subordinates, pretending that the main force would break out from the north gate, pretending to cross the Huai River and escape to Longkang, in order to attract the main force of Liu's army.

At that time, Cao Ren led his direct troops from the north, broke out from the west gate, took advantage of the opportunity when Liu's troops in the west were withdrawn, and fought his way out in one fell swoop, fleeing westward to Yangquan.

"Just as you predicted, Bo Wen, Cao Ren really wants to escape!"

Liu Bei looked at Xiao He with joy.

Xiao He really saw through Cao Ren.

The Cao family's most powerful general was indeed afraid to live and die with Shouchun, and wanted to run away.

There are about 70,000 Liu troops besieging the city. If Cao Ren concentrates more than 20,000 Cao troops and breaks out before the water recedes, it will be difficult to block them if the direction of their breakout cannot be accurately determined.

Liu Ye's secret was just the right time to help.

This means that they already know the direction of Cao Ren's breakout, and can mobilize heavy troops to set up an ambush west of Shouchun and annihilate Cao Ren's army in one fell swoop!

After taking Shouchun, he destroyed 30,000 Cao troops and killed the Cao family's number one general!

When the news got back, Cao Cao would say that even if the sky hadn't fallen, it must have at least half collapsed!

"Liu Ziyang, is he truly surrendering to our general?"

"Is this secret also true?"

Xiao He still didn't believe it and waved the silk book in front of the black-clothed servant.

The black-clothed servant bowed and said generously:

"My master has sworn an oath by the Fei River. If he tells a lie, he will die a miserable death!"

My goodness, he even dared to make such a vicious oath. To a kind and righteous gentleman like Lao Liu, the damage would be quite great.

really.

Liu Bei no longer had any doubts on his face, and said solemnly:

"Zi Yang and I are both descendants of the Liu family. I believe he has a sincere heart to support the Han Dynasty."

"Go back to Shouchun now and tell Zi Yang that I, Liu Bei, look forward to the day when we can fight alongside him and support our country together!"

The servant felt relieved and immediately thanked him repeatedly before leaving with Liu Bei's reply.

After sending the servant away, Liu Bei looked at Xiao He excitedly:

"Bo Wen, since we know Cao Ren is planning to break out from the west gate, should we mobilize a large force, set up an ambush in the west, and annihilate Cao Ren's army in one fell swoop?"

Hearing this, Old Liu obviously believed Liu Ye's oath on the Fei River.

Xiao He was wondering how to convince Liu Bei not to trust Liu Ye just because they had the same surname Liu.

Just as he was about to speak, Ding Feng sent someone to report that a soldier had escaped from Yuecheng and brought a secret report on behalf of Yang Xiu.

Yang Xiu's secret report?

Liu Bei put away his excitement, took the secret report, and looked at it with Xiao He and others.

It didn't matter that he saw it, Liu Bei's face suddenly changed.

In a secret report, Yang Xiu said that Cao Ren had secretly summoned all the generals except Zhang Zhao and Zhou Tai, and announced that he would break out from the north gate tomorrow night, cross the Huai River and escape to Longkang!

"Bowen, this..."

Liu Bei looked at Xiao He with surprise and doubt.

Yang Xiu's secret report was completely opposite to the information revealed by Liu Ye.

The latter said that Cao Ren would break out from the west gate, while the former said that Cao Ren would break out from the north gate.

These two pieces of information are contradictory. Who should I believe?
Liu Bei was a little confused.

"General, don't you understand?"

"Yang Xiu is already on the verge of collapse. He has no other choice. How could he possibly leak false information to us?"

"If Yang Xiu's information is true, then Liu Ye's information is naturally false."

"This fellow general of the same clan speaks with great fanfare and righteousness, even swearing an oath at the Battle of Fei River. But in reality, he is feigning surrender to the general, hoping to lure our army away and help Cao Ren break out of the siege from the north gate."

Xiao He sneered and exposed Liu Ye's plot.

Liu Bei was startled and suddenly realized what was going on. He hurriedly looked over the two pieces of information again and again.

After a long time.

Liu Bei's face was burning with anger. He slammed Liu Ye's handwritten letter on the table and said angrily:

"This Liu Ye, he's a member of the Liu royal family, his origins are more upright than mine. I never thought that he would not only not want to support the Han Dynasty, but would even go so far as to break his oath to protect the Cao family!"

"How can he be worthy of being a relative of the Han Dynasty, how can he be worthy of being a descendant of the Liu family!"

Zhang Fei and other generals were all furious and deeply indignant at Liu Ye's shameful behavior.

Xiao He was neither angry nor surprised, he just sighed:

"There are countless Liu clan members in the world. Some, like Liu Yan and Liu Biao, only seek to carve out a territory. Others, like Liu Ye, betray their ancestors and only seek wealth and glory in the new dynasty of the Cao family."

"Those who truly want to turn the tide, support the country, and revive the Han Dynasty are rare."

"Compared to them, General, you are the outlier."

Liu Bei was shocked and suddenly understood, and fell silent.

The anger on his face gradually faded, and his mood gradually calmed down.

After a long while, Liu Bei shook his head and sighed:
"Well, everyone has their own aspirations, and we can't force them."

"If they don't want to support the Han Dynasty, then I, Liu Bei, will do it alone!"

Liu Bei was magnanimous, but that didn’t mean his other generals were also magnanimous.

Zhang Fei was furious and cursed angrily:

"Not only does Liu Ye not want to support the Han, but he even dares to swear an oath on the Fei River to deceive the general. He is truly despicable!"

"General, you are so generous that you can forgive him, but I cannot. I will tear him into pieces and make him die a miserable death!"

Liu Bei frowned, a hint of anger ignited on his face, and then he looked at Xiao He:

"Bowen, in your opinion, how should I respond?"

Xiao He's eyes were filled with murderous intent, he pointed his finger at the sand table and said coldly:
"What else can we do? Naturally, we should set up an ambush north of Shouchun and wait for Cao's army to come and kill us."

"Whether it's Cao Ren or Liu Ye, anyone who stands in the way of the great general's revival of the Han Dynasty will be utterly destroyed!"

(End of this chapter)