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

Chapter 222: Only Xiao He can look down on the world, are you worthy? Ten years have passed, Xia Pi, I, Liu Bei, have finally returned!
The one who set up such a plan must be Xiao He!

That divine being once again predicted your son Cao Chong's prediction and ordered Liu Bei to deploy heavy troops, waiting for you to come and die.

If I don't escape now, am I waiting to die?

Cao Cao, who had suddenly woken up, naturally had his mental will collapsed and turned around and fled.

As soon as the king left, the morale of the 50,000 Wei troops collapsed and they all turned and fled.

At the gate of Chu camp.

Looking at the fleeing Wei army, Liu Bei felt filled with emotion.

"Cao Cao, even if your son is a child prodigy, he is still just a child in front of Gu Bowen..."

After a sigh, Liu Bei's eyes were filled with murderous intent. He drew his sword and pointed it at the defeated Cao army:
"All troops, go out and kill the bandits!"

"Whoever kills Cao will be granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households!"

Wuwuwu——

Inside the Chu camp, the sound of trumpets rose to the sky.

Inside the camp gate, Zhang Liao led eight hundred tiger soldiers, who flowed past Liu Bei like a torrent, and pierced into the Wei soldiers like an indestructible sword.

Kill, crush, knock over...

The eight hundred Tiger Guards, like a tiger among a flock of sheep, crushed the Wei army in an instant, causing them to scream and howl like ghosts.

Immediately afterwards, the 50,000 Northern Army soldiers lined up outside the camp rushed towards the Wei army like wild beasts out of a cage.

The killing begins.

The elite troops of the Northern Army were already superior to the Wei Army.

In the Battle of Sishui, the 100,000 Wei soldiers were no match for the 60,000 Northern Army soldiers.

What's more, today, the two armies have equal strength.

The Wei army was caught off guard and their morale collapsed into chaos.

The 50,000 Northern Army soldiers were like 50,000 tigers and wolves, wantonly killing 50,000 prey.

Rivers of blood!
At this time, Cao Cao was like a frightened bird, and he could only focus on fleeing.

When he looked back, he saw that his three armies had been killed and wounded, with countless people crying and howling.

"Why? Why do I lose again and again to that mat weaver and shoe seller?"

"My Chong'er is already the greatest child prodigy of all time. Even Guo Fengxiao would be impressed by his brilliant strategies and cunning tactics!"

"Why is my Chong'er still no match for Xiao He?"

"Why, why——"

Cao Cao gritted his teeth, his heart filled with endless grief and anger, and he hated it to the point of almost going crazy.

"Don't panic, Duke Wei. Xiaxiang City is just ahead. Let's retreat inside and gather our defeated soldiers to fight the big-eared thief once more!"

Xu Chu beside him pointed ahead and comforted him.

Cao Cao looked up and saw that the South Gate of Xiaxiang was a hundred steps away, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

at this time.

Behind him, the earth shook and a huge cloud of dust rolled in.

The fleeing Wei soldiers were cut down to the ground in large numbers like harvested wheat.

Under the banner of "Zhang".

Zhang Liao rode his horse and dragged his sword, leading eight hundred tiger guards and had already caught up with them.

"Whoever kills Cao will be granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households—"

"Whoever kills Cao will be granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households—"

The Hu Ben knights were running and killing the Wei soldiers who blocked their way while shouting loudly.

Cao Cao's face changed drastically, and the anger in his eyes turned into fear in an instant.

The traitor Zhang Liao arrived too quickly. If he forced his way into the city at this time, so many defeated soldiers would surely crowd together and block the city gate, trapping him at the gate and preventing him from entering.

When the cavalry attacks, won't he be unable to advance or retreat and fall into Zhang Liao's hands?
Cao Cao's eyes darted around, and he shouted urgently:
"It's too late to enter the city. The entire army should immediately bypass Xiaxiang and retreat towards Xiapi."

"Send a message to Cang Shu and the others to abandon Xiaxiang City immediately and retreat to Xiapi!"

Cao Cao immediately reined in his horse and galloped towards the east of Xiaxiang City.

Xu Chu couldn't understand why Cao Cao wanted to abandon the city, but he didn't dare to ask too much. He could only shout at the Tiger Guards and escort Cao Cao to the east.

At the top of the south gate of Xiaxiang.

Cao Chong, Xun You and other people who stayed behind were looking eagerly in the direction of the Chu camp, waiting for the outcome of this night attack.

The sound of killing could be heard, and the interwoven arrow nets in the sky were faintly visible.

They knew that a fierce night raid was underway.

Cao Chong stood with his hands behind his back, his face still childish. Although he tried his best to remain calm and composed, the anxiety between his brows was difficult to conceal.

This child prodigy of the Cao family had his plans discovered by Xiao He several times, but was outwitted by him himself, and finally began to waver in his own wisdom.

Although he didn't say anything about today's battle, he was actually very nervous in his heart, fearing that this plan would go wrong again.

If he miscalculates again and the Wei army suffers heavy losses, will the position of crown prince that Cao Cao promised him still count?
"Liu Bei went to such great lengths to send Gan Ning to attack our Qu County, precisely to force us to withdraw troops to support Tan County."

"Master Cang Shu's plan goes against the grain, and it's truly unpredictable."

"Although Xiao He is a master of foresight and prediction, he couldn't have predicted his plan this time."

"Perhaps, by now, the Duke of Wei has already led our army to capture the enemy camp, and the victory report is on the way back to the city."

As the saying goes, "Old ginger is wiser." Xun You could see the hidden worry in Cao Chong's heart, so he tried to comfort him in a tactful way.

Cao Chong felt Xun You's kindness, so he bowed to Xun You:

"Although Chong is somewhat clever, he is still young and ultimately cannot match Gongda's determination. I'm sorry to have made Gongda laugh."

"Whether it's politics or military strategy, Chong still has many things to learn from you, my senior. I hope you will be generous with your guidance in the future."

Xun You raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

I originally thought that this child prodigy of the Cao family was only extremely intelligent and had superior intelligence, but he was weak in social skills.

Cao Chong now looked so humble and eager to learn, and kept addressing him as "senior", which clearly showed that he was trying to win him over.

Xun You has now replaced Xun Yu and become the leader of the Xun family. Seeing that the future Crown Prince of Wei has condescended to win him over, he naturally couldn't wait to have the opportunity.

So Xun You pretended to be flattered and returned the greeting. He then praised Cao Chong highly, subtly hinting that Xun You was willing to get closer to him.

Cao Chong understood what he meant and immediately listed the contributions of the Xun family, praising Xun You as the pillar of the country. He said that both now and in the future, the Wei Dynasty still needed the strong support of the talented people of the Xun family.

We are all smart people, so there is no need to make things too clear, just be brief.

What Cao Chong meant was naturally that when he becomes the head of the family in the future, he will still make use of you, Xun You, and the Xun family.

After receiving Cao Chong's promise, Xun You secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly bowed:

"Please rest assured, my lord. Xun You and the Xun family, whether in the past, present or future, will serve the Duke of Wei and will go through fire and water for you. We will never refuse!"

Cao Chong was secretly delighted and hurriedly helped Xun You up, just about to praise and comfort him a few more times.

"Our army is back! Our army is back!"

A soldier's scream interrupted the tacit understanding between Cao Chong and Xun You.

The two thought that Cao Cao had returned in triumph, and they were both cheered up and turned to look outside the city.

Just one look and the two of them were shocked and the smiles on their faces froze instantly.

If there are troops returning, they will all be flying the flags of their own army.

However, the flags were tossed to and fro, and the soldiers were in a panic, looking like they were returning in defeat.

"What...what's going on?"

"Could it be that our army's surprise attack failed?"

Xun You gasped and looked at Cao Chong in astonishment.

The confidence and composure on Cao Chong's face was gone. Surprise and doubt gradually appeared in his wide eyes, and his clenched fists were shaking slightly.

In a blink of an eye, tens of thousands of defeated soldiers rushed in like stray dogs.

In the distance, dimly visible in the firelight, countless Chu troops were chasing after them like a tide! The truth was clear!
Not only did Cao Cao fail in the raid on the camp, he also suffered a heavy blow and a crushing defeat!

"Our army is twice as large as the enemy's. Even if the Chu army is elite, this battle shouldn't have turned out like this, right?"

"This, this, what on earth is going on?"

Cao Chong cried out in shock, his entire body enveloped in endless astonishment and confusion.

The child prodigy of the Cao family could no longer pretend to be calm and was completely confused.

Just as he was puzzled, the defeated soldiers who had originally fled to Xiaxiang began to escape from both sides.

Then, a rider rode his horse straight to the city and shouted:

"Listen up, everyone on the city walls! Our army has been badly defeated by the Chu army. The Duke of Wei orders you to quickly abandon Xiaxiang and retreat to Xiapi—"

There was an uproar on the city wall.

The Wei soldiers who were already panicking were suddenly terrified. They turned around and left the city, scrambling to flee towards the north gate.

Cao Chong stood there stiffly, as if his soul had been taken away, his eyes dull and dazed.

His strategy once again caused Cao Cao to suffer a crushing defeat!

Not only did the troops suffer heavy losses, but they couldn't even defend Xiaxiang City and were on the verge of abandoning the city and fleeing!

At this moment, Cao Chong was not only confused, but also felt a chill running down his spine.

He seemed to see that the position of the crown prince, which was clearly within his reach, was now moving away from him.

"Why? My plan is flawless, why do I keep failing?"

"What went wrong?"

Cao Chong clenched his fists so tightly that they crackled, and countless questions echoed in his mind.

Xun You sighed deeply and said with a bitter face:

"Master Cang Shu, I have a feeling that our army's defeat this time is related to Xiao He."

"But no matter what, our army's crushing defeat is inevitable."

"The situation is hopeless. Let's abandon the city and retreat north."

Xiao He!

When this name sounded, it was like a thunderbolt falling from the sky, striking Cao Chong on the head, causing him to tremble all over.

"Xiao He, Xiao He..."

Cao Chong repeated the name over and over again, his teeth clenched tighter and tighter, and his face gradually began to distort.

That expression was like a genius who thought he was at the top of a mountain, looking down on all the creatures in the world with a sense of superiority.

At this moment, he suddenly discovered that there were mountains beyond the mountains, and there were people standing higher than him, also looking down at him from a high vantage point.

Seeing that Cao Chong was in a trance and motionless, Xun You had no choice but to wink at the tiger guards on his left and right.

The Tiger Guards rushed forward and forcibly carried Cao Chong away from the top of the city wall.

Xun You took another look at the Chu army approaching outside the city, shook his head and sighed helplessly, then turned around and left the city sadly.

When the east was getting light and the sky was getting brighter, the Chu flag had already been raised on the top of Xiaxiang City.

The last barrier between Shangxia Pi and the north has thus changed hands.

Cao Cao abandoned the city and fled north, leading his remaining troops and defeated generals all the way back to Xia Pi.

After Liu Bei recaptured Xiaxiang, the army rested for less than two days before immediately heading north along the Si River and heading straight for Xia Pi.

In Donghai County, Gan Ning took advantage of the situation and advanced westward, heading straight for Tancheng.

Because the main force of the Wei army was gathered in the Xiaxiang line, the defenders of Tancheng had no more than a thousand county soldiers.

After learning that Cao Cao had suffered another crushing defeat, the governor of Donghai was horrified and chose to open the city and surrender.

Gan Ning captured Tan County, the capital of Donghai County, without bloodshed.

All the counties in Donghai Commandery surrendered accordingly.

Due to the change of hands of Donghai County, Langya in the north of Xuzhou and Xia Pi and Pengcheng in the south were cut off.

The people of Xuzhou were shocked.

...

Xia Pi, inside the main hall of the prefecture.

"In the Battle of Xiaxiang, our army lost nearly 20,000 soldiers, and the number of defeated soldiers who fled back to Xiapi was less than 30,000."

"Tancheng surrendered to Gan Ning without a fight, and all the counties of Donghai State surrendered upon seeing the situation. Qingzhou's grain route from Langya to the south has been cut off by the Chu army."

"Liu Bei's main force has already moved north from Xiaxiang. They will reach Xiapi City in two days at the latest..."

Xun You silently read out the "bad news" one after another.

All the ministers looked gloomy, shaking their heads and sighing.

Cao Cao's face was as gloomy as iron, the copper cup in his hand was clenched until it made a crackling sound, and his eyes were burning with resentment.

A hundred thousand troops!
Back then, he led an army of 100,000 from the east, marching southward in a mighty force to capture Xuyi.

Who could have imagined that in just less than two months, after two disastrous defeats, 70,000 soldiers were lost!
Such a heavy loss of troops was almost as great as the loss of Liu Bei's seven armies in the Battle of Fancheng.

The key point was that Liu Bei seized Donghai County and stabbed him in the back.

"Big Ear Thief~~"

Cao Cao became more and more angry. He raised the copper cup in his hand and wanted to throw it on the ground to vent his anger.

The cup was hanging in the air, but it didn't fall down.

After taking a few deep breaths, Cao Cao forced himself to suppress his anger and slowly put down the wine glass.

"The situation in Xuzhou has become so serious. Do you have any good strategies to deal with it? Tell us quickly."

Cao Cao weakly shouted at his advisers.

Cao Chong hesitated to speak and dared not say anything else.

The failure of the two plans caused Cao Cao to suffer heavy losses and seriously undermined his self-confidence.

Although he had a plan in mind, Cao Chong did not have the courage to advise Cao Cao again.

Xun You also lowered his head and remained silent.

"Jia Wenhe, what do you think I should do?"

Cao Cao looked displeased and stared at Jia Xu who was resting with his eyes closed.

After a few dry coughs, Jia Xu could only bow and say:

"I believe that with our current military strength, we can certainly defend Xia Pi. However, if the Duke of Wei personally defends Xia Pi, Liu Bei's army will approach the city and surround it from all sides. Wouldn't the Duke of Wei be trapped in a tight siege?"

"Duke Wei's life is tied to the country. How can he be trapped in an isolated city? It is too dangerous."

"Therefore, I suggest that the Duke of Wei lead 10,000 troops and immediately retreat westward along the Si River to Pengcheng, but leave behind a general with 20,000 troops to continue defending Xiapi."

"As long as Pengcheng is in our hands, our reinforcements will be able to flow into Xuzhou continuously."

"Once the reinforcements sent by the former general arrive and our army's strength is restored, the Duke of Wei can lead his troops back from Pengcheng to Xiapi and cooperate with the defenders to attack from both inside and outside. Perhaps we will have a chance to repel Liu Bei."

Jia Xu proudly offered a plan.

The core idea is actually one:
A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. We cannot sit in Xia Pi and wait for Liu Bei to come and besiege the city. We must run away first and find a safe place to hide!
Cao Cao glanced at Xun You and others to ask for their opinions, but no one said anything and tacitly agreed with Jia Xu's suggestion.

After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, Cao Cao forced himself to cheer up and snorted coldly:
"According to Wenhe's plan, I will let the big-eared thief run rampant for a few days, let him show off his power, and then surround Xia Pi with his troops."

"As soon as Yuan Rang's reinforcements arrive, I will rush back from Pengcheng. With the help of both inside and outside forces, I will kill him without a single mortal left!"

Cao Cao's harsh words were loud and clear, but he ran away with the bucket as fast as lightning.

That night, Cao Cao took his son and 10,000 of his Wei troops, including Xun You, Jia Xu, Le Jin, Zhang He, and others, and left Xia Pi, retreating to Pengcheng overnight.

Zang Ba, Yin Li and other Taishan army generals and more than 18,000 Xuzhou soldiers were left behind and ordered to defend Xia Pi.

It was summer then.

Liu Bei, the former governor of Xuzhou, finally returned to Xia Pi City after more than ten years.

(End of this chapter)