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

Chapter 78 The promised time has arrived! Liu Bei: I ask Bo Wen to be my military advisor and help me revive the Han Dynasty!
Cao Pi hesitated.

At this critical moment, as a son, it is only natural for him to give the war horse to his father.

There is no way Cao Pi didn't understand this principle.

But Cao Pi thought of his elder brother Cao Ang.

When Cao Cao conquered Wancheng, he was greedy for women and forced Zhang Xiu's aunt Zou into marriage. This angered Zhang Xiu and he started a rebellion.

Cao's army was defeated and Cao Cao fled in panic. His eldest brother Cao Ang willingly gave his mount to Cao Cao, but he was caught up by the rebels because he had no horse and died under the swords.

Today's scene is so similar.

If he gave his mount to Cao Cao, he would have no horse to escape to. Wouldn't he follow in the footsteps of his elder brother Cao Ang and die in the chaos of the army?
Cao Pi was terrified.

At this moment of life and death, he obviously did not have the same awareness as his elder brother, and he hesitated between loyalty and filial piety and life and death.

Cao Cao, lying on the ground, saw Cao Pi's hesitation and a hint of disappointment appeared in his panic eyes.

This child is not as good as his elder brother after all...

He was disappointed, but as a father, he couldn't force his son to dismount and give himself the only hope of escape, right?
It is one thing if the son lets him have it, but it is another thing entirely if he takes the initiative to grab it.

Tiger poison doesn’t even eat seeds!
Cao Cao clenched his fists, caught in a dilemma.

Xu Chu had no time to persuade Cao Pi. He stepped forward, grabbed Cao Pi, and dragged him off his horse.

"Xu Chu, you—"

Cao Pi, who fell to the ground, turned pale with horror. He never expected that Xu Chu would commit such an act of insubordination and use such rude tactics to pull him off his horse.

He struggled to get up, glaring at Xu Chu, wanting an explanation.

Xu Chu, however, treated him as air, pushed Cao Pi away, helped Cao Cao up and forced him onto his warhorse.

By the time Cao Cao reacted, the man was already sitting on the horse.

"Zhongkang, you——"

Cao Cao was about to speak, but swallowed the words back.

What can I say, praise Xu Chu for his loyalty?
How would Cao Pi feel about this?
Blame Xu Chu for disobeying his superiors' orders and forcibly dragging the young master off his horse?

Xu Chu was willing to offend Cao Pi just to save you.

"Zhongkang, Zihuan, follow me closely!"

Cao Cao could only sigh inwardly, without making any statement, and whipped his horse to flee.

Xu Chu picked up his sword and ran after Cao Cao.

Cao Pi's eyes were filled with grievance and his heart was burning with resentment, but he had no choice but to follow.

He had just taken one step when his ankle hurt and he fell to the ground.

It turned out that he was pulled off his horse by Xu Chu without any preparation and accidentally twisted his ankle.

Not only was his horse stolen, but his foot was also sprained, which was really adding insult to injury!

Cao Pi was so frightened that he wanted to cry but had no tears. He subconsciously turned around and looked to the north.

Sudden.

His eyes were wide open, and a hint of surprise appeared in his desperate and helpless eyes.

"Father, those are our people, they are our people!"

Cao Pi struggled to get up and shouted in surprise, pointing at the soldiers in front of him.

Cao Cao hurriedly stopped his horse, looked back, and his face instantly twisted with endless ecstasy.

That army was approaching, and they indeed carried the flags of Cao's army.

A battle flag with the word "乐" (joy) on it is clearly visible.

"My lord, it's Le Jin's troops!"

Xu Chu's face was also filled with ecstasy, and he shouted excitedly.

Cao Cao and Cao Pi breathed a sigh of relief. The father and son, one fell on the horse's back, and the other slumped on the ground.

"If I had known it was our army, I wouldn't have hesitated and would have readily given the mount to my father."

"Now what? If I hesitate like this, won't Father think that I'm not as filial as my elder brother and become disappointed in me?"

Cao Pi secretly looked at Cao Cao, and a hint of regret flashed across his eyes, which were originally relieved.

In the blink of an eye, thousands of troops arrived.

When Le Jin learned that he had met Cao Cao, he hurriedly dismounted and came to pay his respects.

"Wen Qian, oh Wen Qian, I can hardly see you!"

Cao Cao helped Le Jin up and patted his shoulder with deep emotion.

Tears welled up in Le Jin's eyes, and he said with shame:

"Prime Minister, you shouldn't have volunteered to go north to quell the rebellion. If you hadn't taken ten thousand soldiers with you, our army wouldn't have been defeated by the big-eared bandits, and you wouldn't have suffered so much!"

Cao Cao smiled bitterly and waved his hand:
"I underestimated the big-eared thief and didn't realize the favorable weather and terrain of Jingzhou. That's why I was defeated by him, who used the power of the Han River to defeat him."

"The power of this flood is beyond human control. Even if you hadn't taken your ten thousand soldiers with you, I would still be defeated."

After experiencing two shocking events, Cao Cao's arrogance was finally cured, and he took the initiative to admit his mistake of underestimating the enemy.

Le Jin didn't know what to say and could only sigh.

"Wen Qian, I ordered you and Jia Wenhe to lead the army to quell the rebellion. Why are you here?"

After sighing, Cao Cao noticed something unusual.

Le Jin then told the whole story.

It turned out that after leaving the camp that day, the two led their troops northward day and night, and arrived in Xinye the next day.

Le Jin had planned to set off immediately, but Jia Xu asked Le Jin to postpone his journey north on the grounds of feeling unwell.

As a last resort, he had to stay in Xinye for another day.

It didn't matter that they stayed behind, as soon thousands of defeated soldiers fled from the direction of Fancheng to Xinye, bringing back the news of the army's defeat.

Jia Xu suggested that he lead his troops out of Xinye and head south, gathering the defeated troops along the way to welcome Cao Cao's northward advance.

Unexpectedly, I actually met Cao Cao and his son who were fleeing here.

"I see, Wen Qian, you and Wen He saved me and performed a great deed!"

Cao Cao suddenly understood and clapped his hands and praised Le Jin.

Cao Pi's eyes rolled slightly, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

"At this critical moment, Le Wenqian and Jia Wenhe happened to be staying in Xinye. Such a coincidence further proves that my father is blessed by heaven!"

Cao Pi seized the opportunity and took advantage of the situation to offer flattery.

Cao Cao's mouth curled up slightly, and it was obvious that he was quite pleased with his son's flattery.

But after a few frights, Cao Cao dared not show his pride anymore, and just whipped his whip:
"Let's go back to Xinye."

Le Jin led 5,000 soldiers and horses to escort Cao Cao to Xinye.

When the fleeing Cao troops heard that Cao Cao was still alive, they gathered in Xinye from all directions.

Within two days, tens of thousands of Cao's troops gathered together, and the remaining escaped soldiers were still coming to join them one after another.

With these tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, Cao Cao finally felt at ease.

...

At nightfall, inside the Xinye government office.

Cao Cao summoned his counselors and generals to discuss the next strategy.

Cheng Yu and the majority of people believed that they should leave tens of thousands of soldiers and a general to guard Xinye, while Cao Cao would lead the main force back to the north to recover.

"Prime Minister, Chong believes that Xinye is undefensible. The best strategy is for our entire army to withdraw northward to the Wancheng line."

Man Chong stood up and disagreed with everyone else.

Cao Cao frowned slightly and waved his hand, signaling Man Chong to state his reason for abandoning Xinye. "If Xinye were in our hands, our cavalry could march day and night, and within a day, we could drink from the Han River and launch a surprise attack on Fancheng."

"How could Liu Bei tolerate this constant sword hanging over his head, making him unable to sleep or eat, and unable to concentrate on marching south to attack and destroy Liu Cong?"

"So Chong predicts that Liu Bei will use the momentum of his victory at Fancheng to lead his main force in pursuit. He will seize Xinye at all costs and use it as a barrier to protect Xiangyang!"

At this point, Man Chong changed the subject:
"However, our army has just suffered a severe defeat. Not only is morale low, but all our food and fodder has fallen into the hands of Liu Bei. We are unable to maintain a large garrison in Xinye. At most, we can only leave around 10,000 men."

"In this way, Liu Bei has the upper hand in morale and manpower. How can Xinye City be defended?"

After explaining the pros and cons, Man Chong bowed and said seriously:
"Gu Chong thought that since Xinye couldn't be defended, there was no point in wasting soldiers and making unnecessary sacrifices. It would be better to abandon Xinye and shrink the defense line to Wancheng."

"Wancheng is very far from Xiangyang, and it's also close to the heart of our Xudu. With Liu Bei's current strength, he certainly wouldn't dare to get involved. He will only stop at Xinye!"

Cao Cao stood up and paced back and forth, pondering in silence.

The concerns raised by Man Chong, and the interests involved, are naturally not without reason.

However, if Xinye was abandoned, it would mean that all the cities captured in the southern expedition would be lost again, with not a single one left.

This was equivalent to announcing to the world that his southern expedition had ended in complete failure.

If they hold on to Xinye, they can at least gain something from the southern expedition, and they can also drive a nail under Liu Bei's nose, making him uncomfortable every day.

"If our army abandons Xinye, Liu Bei will be able to concentrate his efforts southward to nibble away at Jingzhou. If the big-eared thief takes Jingzhou, his power will be greatly strengthened, and it will be much easier for us to attack him in the future."

"Prime Minister, Xinye must not be abandoned!"

"I am willing to lead an army to guard Xinye and help the Prime Minister hold the sword hanging over Liu Bei's head!"

Cao Ren stood up to oppose Man Chong's proposal and volunteered to stay in the town.

This impassioned speech hit Cao Cao's mark.

"Zixiao's words make sense, Xinye must not be abandoned!"

Cao Cao nodded heavily and asked:

"Zixiao, I can only leave you 10,000 soldiers and horses. Do you have the confidence to defend Xinye?"

Cao Ren's face lit up with pride, and he snorted coldly:

"Prime Minister, you underestimate me, Cao Ren, by asking this question."

"That Huo Jun, with only 5,000 soldiers and horses, was able to withstand the siege of my 150,000-man army and defend Fancheng like an impregnable fortress."

"Does the Prime Minister think that Ren is not as good as Huo Jun, that unknown person?"

The last trace of worry in Cao Cao's eyes disappeared in an instant.

Who is Cao Ren?

The greatest general of the Cao clan!

In terms of seniority and status, he is slightly inferior to Xiahou Dun, but in terms of his ability to command troops, he is definitely the best among the Cao and Xiahou families.

Even among the generals of other surnames, there are probably only a few who can rival Cao Renpi.

My son is filial, can he be worse than your Liu Bei's Huo Jun?
"Okay, Zixiao, you guard Xinye, I'm relieved."

Cao Cao slapped the table and said happily:
"I will give you 10,000 soldiers and horses. You defend Xinye for me. Next year, I will lead my army south to join you. We will attack Jingzhou again and wipe out Liu Bei!"

Cao Ren accepted the order with great enthusiasm.

The plan was set. Thinking that Hou Yin was still causing chaos in Rang County, Cao Cao left Cao Ren to guard Xinye, while he led the main force back and put down Hou Yin's rebellion along the way.

Seeing that Cao Cao was determined to defend Xinye, Man Chong could no longer object.

But when he heard that Cao Cao was going to quell the rebellion himself, Man Chong couldn't help but bow again:

"Prime Minister, I have another request, but I'm not sure if I should say it or not."

Cao Cao, who had already stood up, had to sit down again and waved his hand to signal him to speak frankly.

"Hou Yin's rebellion is indeed a crime that deserves death, but now that our army has suffered a recent defeat, Nanyang will undoubtedly be shaken, and the people's hearts will become even more unstable."

"Chong believes that when the Prime Minister goes to quell the rebellion, he should focus on appeasement and not resort to killing lightly."

"Therefore, I ask the Prime Minister to only execute Hou Yin and other rebels, and never massacre Rang County again!"

Cao Cao's face gradually darkened.

Massacring rebellious cities was his usual method of punishing rebellion and deterring people. How could he make an exception this time?
Besides, the order to massacre the city has been issued. Are you, Man Chong, asking me to revoke it?
What's more, he was frustrated by the disastrous defeat at Fancheng, and needed to vent his anger by slaughtering people in Rang County!
"I know how to quell the rebellion. You don't need to worry about it, Bo Ning. You should stay in Xinye and help Zixiao defend the city."

Cao Cao neither agreed nor refused on the spot.

Man Chong understood that Cao Cao was still determined to massacre the city, but was afraid that he would dissuade him again, so he kept him in Xinye.

After sighing inwardly, Man Chong stopped talking and just silently accepted the order.

That same day, Cao Cao set out for the north overnight.

Cao Ren, together with Man Chong, led 10,000 soldiers and continued to stay in Xinye.

...

Chaoyang City is thirty miles south of Xinye.

Tens of thousands of Liu's soldiers were marching northwards, heading towards Chaoyang.

Along the way, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Xu Shu were still discussing how to quickly capture Chaoyang.

When the army rushed down, surprise appeared on the faces of the three people at the same time.

A flag with the word "Liu" on it was already hoisted high on the top of Chaoyang City.

Guan Ping and Xiao He had been stationed outside the city gate, waiting for them for a long time.

Liu Bei and his companions looked at each other with surprise on their faces, and hurriedly rode their horses forward to meet them.

"And meet the lord."

"Ping greets uncle."

Xiao He and Guan Ping dismounted and came forward with a smile.

Liu Bei jumped off his horse and helped the two men up, saying with surprise:

"Bowen, Tanzhi, how come you captured Chaoyang before us?"

Xiao He smiled but said nothing.

"This is all thanks to Bowen's brilliant plan. It was he who told his nephew to cross the Yu River..."

Guan Ping looked at Xiao He with admiration, and then led them to take the water route to set up an ambush south of Chaoyang, intercept Cao Cao, annihilate his 5,000 Tiger Guards, and kill Xiahou Shang... He told the whole story one by one.

Only then did the three of them suddenly realize.

"Brother Bowen is indeed very thoughtful. I forgot that our army can also pursue Cao Cao via the Yu River. How shameful!"

Xu Shu looked impressed and said self-deprecatingly.

Guan Yu also stroked his beautiful beard and praised:

"The Tiger Guards are Cao Cao's most elite division. Bo Wen's plan to have Tan Zhi annihilate them is simply another blow to Cao Cao, adding insult to injury!"

Liu Bei was filled with joy and was about to praise Xiao He when his eyes suddenly moved and he thought of something.

Liu Bei said nothing and pulled Xiao He up to the city wall. Then he ordered Chen Dao to prepare tables, incense burners, candlesticks and other items.

Xiao He looked confused and couldn't figure out what Liu Bei was up to.

Guan Yu and Xu Shu noticed something, looked at each other, smiled knowingly, but did not point it out.

Under Xiao He's suspicious gaze, Liu Bei burned incense and worshipped heaven and earth, muttering to himself for a long time.

At last.

Liu Bei held up a glass of wine and raised it with both hands in front of Xiao He.

"I have already made an agreement with you, Bowen, that if we defeat Cao Cao, I will appoint you as the Right Military Advisor!"

"Now that Cao Cao has been defeated, it's time to fulfill our promise!"

Liu Bei explained the reason and bowed deeply to Xiao He with a solemn expression:
"I hereby invite Bo Wen to be my military advisor, to help me defeat the Han traitors and revive the Han Dynasty!"

(End of this chapter)