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

Chapter 84: I'm not as good as Liu Bei? Xiao He: First eliminate the traitor, then strike hard at the Jiangdong rats!

Zhou Yu suddenly turned around, his eyes quickly fixed on the map, and he began to deduce quickly in his mind what Lu Su had said.

"How could Liu Bei defeat Cao Cao's army of 150,000?"

"Zijing, tell me again, how did Liu Bei defeat Cao Cao?"

There was a look of disbelief in Sun Quan's green eyes, and he shouted at Lu Su with a slightly agitated mood.

After all, the news that Lu Su brought back was too shocking.

It can even be said to be outrageous!

He commanded an army of 40,000 and had all the advantages, but he was defeated and humiliated by Zhang Liao, who had only 800 cavalrymen in Hefei.

How was Liu Bei able to defeat Cao Cao's 150,000-man army and force it to flee with his absolutely inferior forces?
This is unreasonable!
Lu Su then came to the map, gestured with his fingers, and recounted the entire Battle of Fancheng.

The doubt on Sun Quan's face gradually disappeared, his blue eyes were gradually filled with the word "disbelief", and his fists were quietly clenched.

This is the fact, he has no choice but to believe it.

Liu Bei not only defeated Cao Cao, but also defeated him severely!
"This doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense. I had a tenfold advantage in troops, yet I was defeated by Zhang Liao. Liu Bei clearly had far fewer troops than Cao Cao, so how could he have triumphed over the stronger and defeated Cao Cao?"

"I don't understand, how am I inferior to Liu Bei?"

Sun Quan's thoughts were in turmoil, and a deep confusion surged in his shocked eyes. The corners of his mouth even twitched slightly, revealing a hint of jealousy.

"By leveraging the power of nature to defeat Cao Cao, this strategy utilizes the advantages of time and place to its fullest, truly reaching the pinnacle of perfection!"

Zhou Yu pondered for a long time, then slapped the map and let out a sigh of admiration.

Then he turned around and looked at Lu Su:
"Zijing, are you sure that this plan to flood Cao's camp was really the work of Xiao He?"

Sun Quan suddenly came to his senses and looked anxiously at Lu Su.

Lu Su looked solemn and nodded heavily:
"It's absolutely true. This plan was indeed created by Xiao He."

Zhou Yu and Sun Quan took a deep breath at the same time and looked at each other with the same fear in their eyes.

"My lord, from the various strategies Xiao He has offered Liu Bei, I can now conclude that this man's wisdom and strategies are indeed extraordinary!"

"Although this person's origins are mysterious, I can now say with certainty that he is definitely not an ordinary hermit in the mountains!"

Zhou Yu gave his verdict with a serious and thoughtful tone, then bowed:

"Liu Bei first secured Zhuge Kongming, then this brilliant strategist, and now he has defeated Cao Cao's army of 150,000. Not only has he secured Xiangfan, but his prestige has also soared. He's like a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss, about to soar to the sky."

"If Liu Bei turns around, destroys Liu Cong, and swallows up Jingzhou, then the threat he poses to Jiangdong will even be greater than that of Cao Cao!"

"My lord, we must suppress Liu Bei's rise!"

"Please give the order, my lord. Zhun Yu will lead his army westward immediately to attack Xiakou and seize Jingzhou!"

Sun Quan shuddered, clenched his fists again, and a murderous intent ignited in his eyes for Zhou Yu.

Lu Su was surprised and said anxiously:

"My lord, Commander-in-Chief, we have an alliance with Liu Bei. If we suddenly break it and launch a surprise attack on Xiakou, wouldn't that be treason and a laughingstock for the world?"

Hearing the word "betrayal", Sun Quan's face darkened and a look of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

However, he was speechless in response to Lu Su's question. He could only cough dryly a few times and glanced at Zhou Yu.

"Zi Jing, this is a pedantic argument!"

"The reason we formed an alliance with Liu Bei was simply to fight against Cao Cao, our great enemy. We came together because of our own interests."

“People gather because of benefits, and naturally they disperse because of benefits.”

"Now that Cao Cao has retreated north, our common enemy has vanished. This so-called alliance will naturally dissolve."

"Jingzhou is Liu Biao's legacy. Liu Biao and the lord have a paternal grudge. The lord sent troops to seize Jingzhou to avenge his father. This is only natural and right. How can it be said that he is betraying his trust?"

Zhou Yu was a very eloquent talker, and he made a series of strange arguments to justify the attack on Xiakou.

Sun Quan glanced at Zhou Yu and secretly praised him for his quick thinking, which provided him with a plausible reason for the surprise attack on Xiakou.

Sun Quan straightened his back and said with great righteousness:
"Gongjin is absolutely right. My attack on Xiakou and seizure of Jingzhou was not a betrayal of the alliance, but a revenge for my late father. It is only natural!"

Looking at the righteous master and minister in front of him, Lu Su was speechless and didn't know how to refute.

After holding it in for a long time, Lu Su finally came to his senses.

After swallowing a mouthful of saliva, he had to change the subject:
"Even if your attack on Xiakou doesn't count as a betrayal, have you ever considered that a surprise attack on Xiakou would be tantamount to breaking off relations with Liu Xuande, and the two sides would be irreconcilable from then on?"

"Liu Xuande is determined to take Jingzhou. How could he tolerate us getting involved in Xiakou? He will definitely withdraw his troops south to fight a desperate battle with our lord."

"We fought each other to the death for Xiakou, but this gave Cao Cao the opportunity to recover and sit on the sidelines."

"Even if we capture Xiakou, it will be a bitter victory, with immeasurable losses in morale and food supplies. Wouldn't that just give Cao Cao an opportunity to exploit?"

"If Cao Cao seizes the opportunity and leads a million-strong army south again, Liu Bei and I will both be exhausted. How will we fight back?"

Lu Su still regarded Cao Cao as his number one enemy and clearly did not approve of the surprise attack on Xiakou.

Moreover, his words clearly showed that he was worried about whether the Jiangdong army could capture Xiakou.

After all, when he returned from Xiangyang and passed by Xiakou on the way, he saw with his own eyes the beacon towers built by Wei Yan along the river.

When your army attacked, the beacon tower immediately sounded the alarm, and the people in Xiakou City immediately prepared for battle.

In this way, a surprise attack will turn into a protracted siege.

If you fail to capture Xiakou within a few days, Liu Bei will certainly send troops to support you. Then, won't the two armies be locked in a stalemate at the gates of the city?
Sun Quan and Zhou Yu looked at each other, and the master and the minister smiled.

"Zijing, you worry too much. I will not give Liu Bei the opportunity to compete with me for Xiakou."

Sun Quan stroked his purple beard, a sneer curled up at the corner of his mouth:
"Gongjin and Lü Ziming had already devised a plan to cross the river in white clothes and launch a surprise attack on Xiakou."

"This plan can easily defeat Wei Yan's rat-like beacon tower plan, allowing our army to break through Xiakou City with lightning speed!"

As Sun Quan finished speaking, Zhou Yu sneered and said:
"If Xiakou City is quickly captured, our Jiangdong navy can quickly move north to the Han River, defeat Liu Bei's navy, cut off the Han River, and isolate Liu Bei's main force north of the Han River, preventing him from retreating to Xiangyang."

"Will Xiangyang City be ours by then? Liu Bei will have no choice but to watch us take it, unable to do anything about it?"

"As soon as Xiangyang City is captured, we will split our forces into two groups. One will march south from Xiangyang, while the other will advance westward along the Yangtze River. Together, we will attack Jiangling. Will Liu Cong and Cai Mao be trapped like turtles in a jar, waiting to die?"

"If Jiangling is taken, the four counties of southern Jing can be conquered by issuing an edict. Then Jingzhou will be yours in a day or two!"

Zhou Yu stopped pretending and simply displayed his grand strategy in one breath.

Then he looked at Lu Su with a slightly sarcastic smile and asked:
"Without any effort, my lord has destroyed the three Lius in just a few months, captured Jingzhou, taken control of the Yangtze River, and unified half of Jiangnan!"

"Not to mention that Cao Cao hasn't recovered yet, even if he has reorganized his forces and is coming with a million-strong army, what do we have to fear?"

Crossing the river in white clothes?

Lu Su's eyes flashed with surprise, and he hurriedly asked, "My lord, what does it mean to cross the river in white clothes?"

Zhou Yu calmly told Lu Su, Sun Quan's confidant, about the strategy proposed by Lu Meng.

Lu Su suddenly understood why the two of them were so confident about capturing Xiakou.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Su frowned.

"Although Lü Ziming's plan is brilliant, I think it has two flaws."

"First, while the two countries are at war, their merchants continue to exchange secrets. This is an ancient tacit understanding."

"Ziming's plan requires our troops to impersonate merchants, exploiting Liu's soldiers' lack of vigilance against merchants to destroy the beacon towers and launch a surprise attack on Xiakou. His tactics seem somewhat dishonorable, and I'm afraid we'll be slandered afterward."

Lu Su expressed the same concerns as Zhou Yu just now.

After a pause, he continued:

"Secondly, even if we take down the Xiakou beacon tower and our army arrives at the city unexpectedly, without the support of those inside the city, we might not be able to capture Xiakou quickly."

"This way, Liu Bei still has the opportunity to withdraw troops in time to reinforce, and the battle of Xiakou may still turn into a fierce battle."

Hearing Lu Su's concerns, Sun Quan and Zhou Yu smiled at each other again.

"Zijing, you are a good person in every way, except that you are too kind."

"You should be well aware of the principle of deception in war. In war, the only thing that matters is the outcome. Why bother about whether the process was glorious or not?"

Sun Quan easily dismissed Lu Su's first concern with the same reason.

"As for the internal support, Zijing, if you can think of it, how could I not think of it?"

Zhou Yu raised a little arrogance and sneered:

"Liu Biao died of illness, and the Three Lius split. Whether it was Liu Qi or Liu Bei, many of their generals were afraid and wanted to seek other ways out." "I have instructed Lü Ziming to offer a generous reward to one of Liu Bei's generals at Xiakou to act as an internal supporter."

"We will wait for our army to arrive suddenly, and when the defenders in the city are in a panic, this person will take advantage of the situation and launch an attack, using both internal and external forces to seize the gates and let our army into the city."

"Xiakou City can be taken in a snap of a finger!"

After hearing what Sun Quan and Zhou Yu said, Lu Su was completely speechless.

It was obvious that Sun Quan and Zhou Yu, the chief minister, had already carefully planned every detail of the capture of Xiakou while he was away.

Sun Quan's determination to break the alliance and stab Liu Bei in the back was clearly irreversible.

As a minister, if you still oppose at this point, then you don't understand how to be a minister.

Seeing that Lu Su was convinced, Zhou Yu bowed to Sun Quan and said:

"My lord, there is no time to lose. We must act immediately."

"I will rush back to Chaisang and lead the existing garrison to attack Xiakou. My lord, please return to Chaohu as soon as possible and send the follow-up army to follow."

"Within five days, Yu will send the victory report back to Jiangdong!"

Sun Quan was greatly encouraged and laughed heartily:
"Okay, I will return to Chaohu and order General Cheng to lead the army to Xiakou to meet you, Gongjin."

"I will be in Moling City, waiting for your beautiful Zhou Lang's victory news!"

...

When Zhou Yu was traveling by boat from Tongyang to Chaisang, Xiao He was also on his way to Xiakou on a fighting ship.

At dusk, the warships sailed into the Xiakou Water Camp.

"Fortunately, I'm not late..."

When he saw that Xiakou City was still there, Xiao He felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.

In order to conceal his identity and guard against spies from Jiangdong, Xiao He did not reveal his identity directly. Instead, he used Yi Ji's name to land in the city and headed straight for the county government.

When the lights were on, Xiao He was already in the main hall of the county government.

Liu Qi and Wei Yan only learned of Xiao He's arrival at this time, and they both rushed over.

"And meet Master Gong Wei!"

When Xiao He saw Liu Qi arriving, he stood up and walked forward to bow and greet him.

"Qi has long heard of Military Advisor Xiao's great name. The plan to flood Cao's camp with water in Fancheng was truly a stroke of genius!"

"I'm finally lucky enough to see you today. I'm so lucky. Ahem…"

It was obvious that Xiao He had admired Liu Qi for a long time, but he started coughing after just a few words.

Xiao He took a look at Liu Biao's eldest son and saw that he was thin, with a pale face and sunken eyes.

This is obviously a sign that the person is suffering from illness and will not live long.

“This is also a miserable person…”

Xiao He sighed inwardly.

Wei Yan also stepped forward to pay his respects, but he asked curiously:

"I heard that the military advisor assisted the lord in marching north to capture Xinye. Why would he suddenly come to Xiakou?"

The respect on Liu Qi's face turned into curiosity, and he was obviously quite puzzled by Xiao He's sudden visit.

"My lord has recaptured Xinye, and the war in the north is almost over."

"I'm rushing here because Sun Quan is about to break the alliance, and Zhou Yu will be sending troops to launch a surprise attack on Xiakou in the next few days!"

"Wenchang, Master Gongwei, quickly order the entire army to stand in formation and be ready to respond to the attack from the Jiangdong army at any time!"

Xiao He didn't have time to prepare, so he went straight to the point and stated his purpose.

This statement came out.

Liu Qi and Wei Yan's expressions suddenly changed, and they were both shocked.

"Military Advisor Xiao, how can you be so sure that Sun Quan would betray his loyalty and order Zhou Yu to launch a surprise attack within the next few days?"

Liu Qi had not personally experienced Xiao He's "divine foresight", so he was naturally surprised and suspicious at this moment.

"Well, it's a long story, let's talk about it later."

Xiao He couldn't explain too much and just brushed it off casually.

Then a strange look flashed in his eyes, and he sneered:
"The main force of the Jiangdong Army is still in Chaohu. The number of men Zhou Yu can use to launch a surprise attack on our Xiakou troops is no more than 10,000."

"We will set up an ambush at the water camp and wait for his troops to land halfway across the river. Then we will catch him off guard and give him a warning!"

Liu Qi still looked confused and had no idea what was going on.

Although Wei Yan couldn't understand why Xiao He was so sure that Sun Quan would betray the alliance and attack at this time, he had witnessed Xiao He's brilliant strategy.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand, just believe it!
"Yan understands. Yan will arrange it right away."

Wei Yan first accepted the order, then asked:
"Yan has built many beacon towers downstream. If Zhou Yu dares to lead his army to attack, our beacon towers will immediately warn Xiakou, and we will naturally be ready in advance."

"With Zhou Yu's cunning strategy, knowing I have beacon towers, why did he still dare to lead his army to launch a surprise attack?"

Xiao He smiled and said:

"Wen Chang, your beacon tower strategy is innovative, but it's not foolproof."

"If Zhou Yu uses the strategy of crossing the river in white clothes, how will you respond?"

Crossing the river in white clothes?

Wei Yan was stunned and failed to understand.

At this point, Xiao He naturally didn't need to be mysterious anymore, so he revealed all his speculations at once.

Wei Yan suddenly understood and couldn't help but take a deep breath and break out in a cold sweat.

"Yan thought that this beacon tower plan was flawless, but he didn't expect there would be such a big loophole!"

"Fortunately, the military advisor reminded me in time. Otherwise, Yan would have become complacent and lost Xiakou, which would have been a big mistake!"

Wei Yan was still frightened and bowed to Xiao He quickly.

Xiao He did not blame him, but just sighed:

"This plan of crossing the river in white clothes is nothing short of despicable and will inevitably be ridiculed. You, Wei Wenchang, are a hero and a righteous man. How could you have imagined that Lord Sun Quan and his ministers would resort to such unscrupulous means?"

"You failed to anticipate this plan. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

The guilt on Wei Yan's face faded a little.

After scolding the Jiangdong lord and his ministers for their despicable behavior, Wei Yan suddenly thought of something and said:

"Military Advisor Bo Wen, even if Sun Quan uses this strategy of crossing the river in white clothes to take down our beacon towers and unexpectedly reach Xiakou, without internal support and external coordination, it is not certain that he will be able to quickly capture Xiakou."

"With Zhou Yu's wisdom, would he not consider this?"

Internal response!

The two words "Wei Yan" made Xiao He's eyes light up.

Along the way, he thought for a long time, and always felt that there was something missing that had not been taken into consideration.

Wei Yan's words just helped him resolve the doubts in his heart.

"You're right. Zhou Yu must have planted an insider in Xiakou City!"

Xiao He's eyes flashed like lightning, and he shouted:
"Wen Chang, Master Gong Wei, quickly bring the list of officers and soldiers in Xiakou City."

Wei Yan and Liu Qi did not dare to delay and hurriedly brought out the list of all the generals under their command.

Xiao He looked through them one by one, his eyes sweeping over each name.

Sudden.

A half-familiar name caught my eye.

"It must be this guy!"

(End of this chapter)