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

Chapter 80: Let’s rehash some of Wolong’s old stories! In your eyes, Bowen, no one in the world has any secrets!

The military advisor has a plan!

Everyone was very familiar with Xiao He's expression change. They immediately perked up and listened attentively.

"Ahem, my lord, I want to ask you something."

"one thing?"

Liu Bei, who was originally waiting for a plan, was stunned.

After hesitating for a moment, Fang said, "I wonder what the military advisor wants to ask."

Xiao He raised his hand and pointed at Xinye, and asked:

"When my lord was not transferred from Xinye, did military advisor Kong Ming ever offer the plan to burn Xinye?"

This statement came out.

Xu Shu looked confused and puzzled.

Liu Bei and Guan Yu were suddenly awakened, looked at each other anxiously, and their faces changed drastically with horror.

"Uncle...Bowen, how do you know this?"

Liu Bei looked at Xiao He in disbelief, his voice trembling slightly.

Xiao He breathed a sigh of relief.

When Liu Bei asked this question, he knew that he had guessed right.

"My lord, there is no need to ask how you knew this."

Xiao He perfunctorily passed it over as usual, and said with a faint smile:
"If that's the case, then the lord should have planned this in advance and made arrangements in the city."

"It hasn't been long since the Lord was transferred from Xinye. If these plans are still there, perhaps we can set Xinye on fire!"

Xiao He didn't lay too much groundwork and directly stated the plan.

He borrowed the strategy that Zhuge Liang failed to implement and rehashed it to deal with Cao Ren!

Since there is a ready-made plan, why not use it?

Liu Bei's eyes were filled with surprise and ecstasy in an instant.

"My lord, what's this about burning Xinye and making advance arrangements? How come I don't understand what Advisor Bowen is saying?"

As an outsider, Xu Shu was still confused at this time.

Liu Bei suppressed his surprise and patiently explained to Xu Shu.

It turned out that when Zhuge Liang was guarding Xinye, he learned that Cao Cao had pacified the Wuhuan and returned to Yecheng. He guessed that Cao Cao would soon lead his troops south to attack Jingzhou, and persuaded Liu Bei to make preparations early.

At that time, Zhuge Liang's judgment was that with Cao Cao's army of hundreds of thousands marching south, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot if they only had tens of thousands of men and horses to hold on to Xinye.

Zhuge Liang planned that once Cao Cao went south, Liu Bei would lead the Xinye army and civilians to retreat south to Fancheng, with his back to Xiangyang, relying on Liu Biao and the entire Jingzhou as backup to stop Cao Cao.

However, Xinye City has been operated for many years, and we cannot just hand it over to Cao Cao without firing a shot.

Zhuge Liang then suggested that Liu Bei secretly purchase dozens of houses in Xinye City and hide large quantities of firewood, kerosene, saltpeter and other flammable materials.

At the same time, all the official warehouses that were prone to fire, such as granaries and hay yards, were moved closer to the city walls to make it easier for them to be burned by rockets from outside the city.

The plan at that time was to pretend to abandon Xinye and retreat south, and after Cao's army entered Xinye City, they would make a surprise attack and use the flammable materials hidden in the city to launch a fire attack, burning Xinye and severely damaging Cao's army.

Unfortunately, not long after all the arrangements were made, Liu Biao issued a transfer order and transferred Liu Bei to Fancheng.

Zhuge Liang had to change the plan and instead have Guan Yu lead the army north to Xinye, relocate the people south, and implement the plan of burning Xinye.

Unexpectedly, Xiao He's appearance changed everything.

The plan to burn Xinye was thus forgotten.

until today.

It was Xiao He's reminder that made Liu Bei, Guan Yu and others remember this matter.

"So that's how it is. Kong Ming is indeed a man of foresight. He is far superior to Shu."

Xu Shu was in a trance, sighing and lamenting.

Suddenly he thought of something and looked up at Xiao He:

"Kong Ming's plan is confidential. The lord must have deployed it in secret. Only a few people like General Yunchang knew about it. He never mentioned it to us before. How did you, Military Advisor Bowen, know about it?"

Xu Shu's startled question also expressed what everyone was thinking.

Such a secret, known only to heaven and earth, how did you, Xiao Bowen, know about it?

"Well, ahem..."

Xiao He started coughing dryly, thinking about how to prevaricate.

Before he could speak, Guan Yinping spoke first:

"Uncle, have you all forgotten? He is a very good fortune teller. He has figured out this secret. What's so surprising about it?"

This one word woke everyone up.

Liu Bei and several others looked at each other, and the surprise in their eyes quickly turned into a knowing smile.

He was able to predict Liu Biao's death from illness, Liu Cong's surrender to Cao Cao, and Sun Quan's dispatch of Lu Su as an envoy. He was also able to predict...

In Xiao He's eyes, there are no secrets about people and things in the world!

What's so surprising about figuring out Zhuge Liang's plan to burn Xinye?
Isn’t this Xiao He’s daily routine?

"Yinping is the girl who really understands Bowen. We almost forgot your ingenious tactics, Bowen."

Liu Bei suddenly came to his senses and sighed with a smile.

Guan Yu nodded slightly and said:

"My foolish brother remembers that our firewood and kerosene were hidden very well. Cao Cao had just occupied Xinye when he hurried south to Fancheng. He certainly wouldn't have searched the entire city thoroughly, so he probably didn't find those things."

"Brother, I think Military Advisor Bo Wen's plan is feasible."

Guan Ping also nodded repeatedly and said with a smile:

"After Cao Cao fled to Xinye, he forcibly relocated all the people in the city. The city was empty except for Cao's army."

"This will help us. We can burn Xinye without any worries about harming the people."

Listening to what everyone said, thinking and weighing Xiao He's strategy, Liu Bei looked towards Xinye again, his eyes gradually burning with determination to win.

"However, I still have some concerns."

"If our army wants to launch a fire attack, we must use rockets to attack the city, but rockets have a limited range. At most, they can only set fire to the granaries and haystacks near the city walls."

"Just setting fire to these places won't necessarily spread the fire to the entire city. If we can't set the entire city on fire, I'm afraid we won't be able to plunge Cao's army into chaos."

"After all, the commander of the army is Cao Ren, the Cao family's most powerful general."

Xu Shu calmed down and raised new concerns.

Liu Bei's expression changed slightly, and the look of determination that had originally been in his eyes faded a little due to Xu Shu's reminder.

"Bo Wen, Yuan Zhi's concerns are not without reason."

Liu Bei turned his gaze to Xiao He.

Xiao He had a headache.

Just when I figured out a plan to break the city, I immediately encountered a new problem. Being a military advisor is really hard...

Xiao He tapped his forehead lightly with his fingertips, his thoughts racing. He wondered if this plan had such a flaw, then how did Zhuge Liang succeed back then?
"My lord, didn't you leave any secret passages or hidden doors so you could send assassins to sneak into Xinye and set fire to the city?"

Xiao He thought about it and thought that this was the only way to set fire everywhere in Xinye City, so he asked casually.

Liu Bei shook his head.

Xiao He frowned, and a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.

Given Zhuge Liang's meticulousness and rigor, he should not have left such a loophole since he had planned to burn Xinye.

Otherwise, how could the burning of Xinye be successful that year?
Just as Xiao He was muttering, the sound of horse hooves echoed. Several riders, escorting a young scholar, ascended the hill. "My lord, this is the secretary under the command of Military Advisor Kong Ming. I'm here to see you, my lord, on orders from Military Advisor Kong Ming."

"General Zilong ordered me... us to escort Ma... Ma Shuzuo to see the Lord."

The knight, who was only twelve or thirteen years old that year, dismounted and reported to Liu Bei.

Although he stuttered, he was calm and composed, and exuded a maturity that was inconsistent with his age.

This young stuttering sergeant immediately attracted Xiao He's attention.

"Ma Su, the secretary to the military advisor Kong Ming, greets the lord."

The young scholar mounted his horse, walked forward calmly, saluted, and introduced himself.

"You must be Ma Jichang's younger brother, right? I've heard of your virtuous reputation a long time ago."

When Liu Bei met Ma Su, he first expressed his admiration and then asked him what brought him here.

"A few days after our lord defeated Cao Cao's army in Fancheng, military advisor Kong Ming took advantage of Cai Mao's retreat and devised a plan to help General Yide defeat his army."

"Now that the threat from the south has been resolved, Military Advisor Kong Ming has returned to Xiangyang to take charge of the situation, following orders from the Lord."

Upon hearing the good news from the south, Liu Bei was immediately delighted, and everyone around him was also excited.

Ma Su presented a letter and continued:

"When military advisor Kong Ming learned that the lord intended to recapture Xinye in one fell swoop, he ordered Su to bring this letter to the lord overnight."

"Military Advisor Kong Ming said that with Military Advisor Bo Wen and Cong Gong here with you, your lordship will surely be able to devise a plan to quickly capture Xinye. Perhaps what he wrote in the letter can help."

Liu Bei's eyes lit up, and he quickly took the letter from Ma Su's hand and couldn't wait to unfold it and read it carefully.

Everyone also widened their eyes and looked at Liu Bei with curiosity, wondering what was written in Zhuge Liang's letter.

As Liu Bei watched, he suddenly looked up at Xiao He.

"Military Advisor Bo Wen, you are truly a god!"

Liu Bei praised loudly, with a look of deep surprise and admiration on his face.

Xiao He was confused.

I don't know what Zhuge Liang wrote in this letter, but after reading it, why did Liu Bei inexplicably praise himself?
"Youchang, please read this letter from Military Advisor Kongming to Bowen and everyone else."

Liu Bei returned the letter to Ma Su with a smile.

Ma Su cleared his throat and began to read aloud.

Everyone's curious expressions turned into enlightenment, and the enlightenment turned into joy. Finally, the joy turned into amazement, and they all gathered at Xiao He.

In his letter, Zhuge Liang said that Liu Bei might consider burning Xinye.

Zhuge Liang also said that after he was transferred to Fancheng, he calculated the layout of Xinye, which might be useful in the future.

After thinking it over, he felt that there was a flaw in his plan, so he sent people back to Xinye to secretly dig a tunnel that connected the city with the outside world.

This was his own decision, and he originally wanted to report it to Liu Bei when he needed it.

Now that Liu Bei's army was approaching Xinye, Zhuge Liang ordered Ma Su to come and report the matter, and also attached the location of the tunnel entrance and exit.

"None of us knew that Military Advisor Kong Ming had secretly dug a tunnel to and from Xinye. How could you, Military Advisor Bo Wen, have known this?"

"Military Advisor Bo Wen, you truly are a god!"

Guan Yu looked at Xiao He with amazement and admiration.

For a moment, there were exclamations of admiration everywhere.

Xiao He also suddenly understood and finally realized why Liu Bei suddenly praised him just now.

It turned out that Zhuge Liang had actually dug such a tunnel, and I actually guessed it right by accident.

I knew it, how could Wolong's strategy leave such a big flaw?

"My lord, you are too kind. How could I possibly know the foresight and foresight of military advisor Kong Ming? To be honest, I was just guessing."

Xiao He felt a little embarrassed by everyone's praise and had to tell the truth.

Liu Bei and several others looked at each other, all smiling knowingly, their eyes full of meaning.

Military Advisor Bo Wen has supernatural powers and was able to calculate that Zhuge Liang had left a secret passage. Isn't this natural?

His self-deprecating denial was nothing more than deliberate modesty. He didn't want to show that he was also fully aware of Advisor Kong Ming's situation. He was giving Advisor Kong Ming face...

The same thought arose in everyone's mind.

Liu Bei then laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying:
"Bowen, we understand what you mean. If you say it's a guess, then so be it. Anyway, with this secret passage, your plan to burn Xinye will be foolproof!"

Xiao He looked a little helpless. Liu Bei just didn't believe him and he was telling the truth.

If you don’t believe it, then don’t believe it. As long as we can conquer Xinye, that’s fine.

Xiao Hesui did not explain any more and turned his gaze towards Xinye:
"Man Chong is quite clever. I'm afraid if we delay for a few more days, he'll figure it out."

"My lord, there is no time to lose. Let's start tonight."

Liu Bei agreed with this and immediately made plans to burn Xinye on this hill.

The most crucial part of this was to send a team of death-defying warriors to sneak into Xinye City and set it on fire, disrupting Cao's army with internal and external cooperation.

"This mission is quite risky. Only a brave and daring person can undertake it."

"Furthermore, this person must be extremely familiar with the terrain of Xinye City and be able to accurately locate the buildings where kerosene and firewood are stored."

Xu Shu selected a range of candidates for infiltration.

Liu Bei looked at all the generals except Guan Yu.

Without waiting for anyone to speak, Guan Ping, Zhou Cang, Fu Rong and other generals volunteered generously to take on this important task.

Looking at the generals who were vying to fight, Liu Bei showed a look of relief.

Considering that he had to be familiar with Xinye, Fu Rong and other generals who surrendered from Xiangyang would definitely not be suitable. The final candidates could only be Guan Ping, Zhou Cang and other "old subordinates".

Liu Bei raised his hand and was about to choose one of them.

"Lord!"

"I am also willing to take on this important responsibility!"

After hesitating for a long time, the stuttering young soldier suddenly plucked up the courage to ask for a fight.

Everyone was stunned at first, and then a smile flashed across their faces.

There was a hint of disapproval in that smile.

How can a mere sergeant like you handle such an important task?
What's more, you are still a boy of twelve or thirteen years old.

"You are so brave at such a young age. You are truly courageous!"

However, Liu Bei did not look down on it, but instead praised it with admiration.

Then he changed the subject and said:

"But you've heard what Yuanzhi said. Anyone who takes on this important task must be familiar with Xinye City and possess both courage and bravery."

"You are still young, so let someone else take on this task."

The stuttering sergeant did not flinch, but instead said loudly:

"I'm originally from Xinye. I only followed my mother to Deng County a few years ago to stay with relatives. I'm very familiar with Xinye City."

"For the past few months, I've been learning martial arts from General Zi... Zilong. I believe I can easily defeat five people alone."

"Besides, tunneling is most convenient with a short stature. Therefore, I believe that I am the most suitable person for this mission."

Although the stuttering sergeant spoke haltingly, his speech was clear and his reasons were sufficient.

After hearing what he said, Liu Bei felt that it made a lot of sense, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

The more Xiao He looked at this young man, the more he felt that he was different. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and he asked:
"Little brother, could you please tell me your name?"

(End of this chapter)