Chapter 161 What should I do if Xuande returns to Xuzhou? Have I become a sage? I have a general who can nail Cao Cao to death!
Cao Cao shuddered.

What Guo Jia said was by no means an alarmist statement.

According to his original strategy, he would first take over the Central Plains, then head north to fight a decisive battle with Yuan Shao, and then pacify the north.

As for the princes in the south, whether it is Liu Biao, Sun Ce, or Yuan Shu, just let them do whatever they want.

I will beat whoever stands out. The more you fight, the better. But don't unite to deal with me and delay my pacification of the north.

But the dramatic changes in the situation in the south are completely beyond his control.

Liu Bei first destroyed Zhang Ji and then Liu Biao, and now he has dealt a heavy blow to Sun Ce. The sudden rise of his new army was so fast that Sun Ce had no time to react, and it seemed that he would unify the south before his decisive battle with Yuan Shao.

Is this okay?

When Cao Cao thought about the decisive battle with Yuan Shao, with a huge monster squatting behind him who held the two states of Jing and Yang and could come north and stab him in the back at any time, he felt a chill down his spine.

"Feng Xiao's words make sense. Liu Bei's rise has been so rapid that it has gotten out of control."

"I can no longer sit on the mountain and watch tigers fight. I must take action myself and put Liu Bei, this fierce tiger, back into the iron cage!"

Cao Cao slammed his fist into the battlement, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

The strong aura of dominance and murderousness made Chen Deng, who was standing beside him, shudder and feel a little chill.

"Now that Xuzhou has been secured, there is no threat in the east. In Huainan, let Lu Bu and Yuan Shu bite each other. For the time being, there is no need to worry."

"Sikong can free up his hands and lead his troops westward to Xudu in the name of managing Guanzhong, but then suddenly send troops southward in large numbers and attack Ye County directly."

"Ye County is the gateway to Nanyang, and there are only more than 3,000 soldiers and horses. We don't need to use any strategies. We can just rely on our absolute military advantage to break through this city."

"Then the army will march south and attack Wancheng!"

"If Liu Bei leads his army to rescue Wancheng, we will defeat Liu Bei in Wancheng, then take over Wancheng and drink from the Han River."

"If Liu Bei doesn't come to rescue us, that would be even better. We will do our best to capture Wancheng and continue to march south to the Han River."

"In short, even if we cannot extinguish Liu Bei in this battle, our bottom line is to recapture Nanyang County and march to the Han River!"

"As long as we push the battle line to the Han River, Xiangyang will always be under the threat of our army. Liu Bei will have to station heavy troops in Xiangyang, and naturally he will be unable to go east to Jiangdong!"

Guo Jia talked incessantly, and in an instant, he had drawn up a feasible strategy for Cao Cao.

Cao Cao's thoughts were racing, and a blueprint emerged before his eyes.

After a moment's silence, Cao Cao patted the battlements and said happily:
"Okay, Fengxiao, this plan is very good!"

"According to your plan, the army will rest for a few days, then return west under the pretext of conquering Guanzhong, and the entire army will go straight to Ye County!"

The strategy was thus decided.

Cao Cao took another look at the direction where Lu Bu fled, turned around and left the city.

Chen Deng stayed on the top of the city wall, looking towards the direction of Jingzhou.

"I never thought that Lord Xuande, who died in desolation that day, would now dominate Jingzhou. Even a strong man like the Little Overlord would not be his opponent. He is poised to take control of the entire Yangtze River!"

"Could it be true, as the rumors say, that Xiao Jinglue is like Zhang Liang reincarnated, using his own wisdom to help Lord Xuande, the dragon in the pond, rise to the sky?"

"If one day Lord Xuande takes over Jingyang and marches north to attack Xuzhou, how should I face him?"

Chen Deng muttered to himself, and a complicated look gradually appeared in his eyes.

...

Yuzhang County, Zhangling City.

In the county government, a square-faced military officer was sitting high on the throne, flipping through Liu Bei's handwritten letter in his hand.

The general's hands were shaking slightly and his eyes were changing constantly, showing his inner excitement at the moment.

"Since we parted at the North Sea, my Lord has often thought of General Taishi, and he always feels very sorry for him."

"My Lord said that General Taishi is a man of unparalleled bravery and martial arts, and a rare hero in the world. It is a great regret that I cannot fight alongside you and help support the Han Dynasty."

"Now my lord has taken control of Jingzhou, and intends to destroy Sun Ce, capture Jiangdong, and compete for the Yangtze River. After that, he will go north to eliminate Yuan, Cao and other Han officials, and rebuild our great Han territory!"

"My lord knows that you are a man of great integrity, so I specially ordered Qian to come and meet you, inviting you to fight side by side, to help my lord destroy the thief Sun, and to support the Han Dynasty together!"

Sun Qian spoke in a solemn and clear voice, expressing Liu Bei's respect for him and his intention to recruit him.

Taishi Ci's heart was shocked, and the lofty ambitions that had been suppressed in his heart for a long time seemed to be ignited in an instant by Sun Qian's words.

"When I was in Beihai, I only knew that Lord Xuande was a chivalrous hero, but I never expected that he was such a wise leader with great talent and vision, and caring about his country."

"Ci actually passed by such a wise master. He is really blind, blind..."

Taishi Ci put down Liu Bei's handwritten letter, feeling full of emotion and somewhat ashamed.

Sun Qian smiled faintly, but said:

"My lord, he said that in these chaotic times, not only do the lords choose their subjects, but the subjects also choose their lords."

"Back then, the lord was only a county magistrate, so how could he be worthy of such a brave warrior as General Taishi? If it weren't for the assistance of military advisor Xiao, how could the lord be in the current situation?"

"My lord, he said that the past is over. General Taishi does not need to worry about it. It is not too late to fight with my lord and support the Han Dynasty together."

After hearing these words, Taishi Ci's shame was dispelled, and deep respect appeared on his face again.

"Lord Xuande is truly worthy of the title of wise leader, with his broad mind and bearing!"

Taishi Ci stood up solemnly and bowed to Sun Qian:
"Please ask Sun Gongshi to report to Lord Xuande that I, Taishi Ci, will never miss a truly benevolent and wise leader again this time."

"I wish to submit to Lord Xuande and gather my men immediately to attack Hulin from the north!"

When Sun Qian saw that Taishi Ci had been successfully persuaded to surrender, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and could not help but be impressed by Xiao Fang's insight into people's hearts.

Taishi Ci immediately set up a banquet and warmly entertained the envoy Sun Qian.

After a few drinks, Taishi Ci's smile faded slightly, but he reminded:
"Chaisang was originally an important town. After hearing that Sun Ce had captured the city, he forcibly conscripted more than 10,000 local men to reinforce Chaisang."

"Not only is the city of Chaisang strong and tall, it is said that several fortresses have been built along the upstream coast for protection, and there are sentries all over the area within ten miles outside the city."

"Even if Sun Ce lures the tiger away from the mountain for me, I think there must be at least 10,000 soldiers and horses left in Chaisang City. My lord wants to win a quick victory, but I'm afraid it may not be easy."

Sun Qian smiled, but said disapprovingly:

"Don't worry, Ziyi. The lord has the assistance of military advisor Xiao. Even if Sun Ce builds Chaisang into an iron wall, the military advisor will have ways to break it for the lord."

Sun Qian's words naturally revealed his absolute confidence in Xiao Fang.

Taishi Ci was shocked and looked surprised:

"In recent years, I have heard a lot of rumors about this military advisor Xiao. At first, some people said that he was extremely intelligent, and then they said that he was as smart as Zhang Liang reincarnated." "Now that the lord has defeated Sun Ce at Mount E, there are rumors that this military advisor Xiao is a contemporary strategist and that he was the one who saw through Sun Ce's plan."

"Is this Military Advisor Xiao really so amazing?"

An expression of admiration immediately emerged on Sun Qian's face, and he immediately described in vivid detail the battle at Mount E and how Xiao Fang saw through Zhou Yu's shocking plan.

Taishi Ci took a deep breath after hearing this and exclaimed:
"This Zhou Yu's strategy is indeed flawless and truly astonishing!"

"This military advisor Xiao was able to see through it. This kind of wisdom is really, really..."

Taishi Ci was at a loss for words and didn't know how to describe it for a moment.

After holding it in for a while, Taishi Ci let out a long breath and slammed the table and said:

"No wonder the lord was able to defeat Zhang Ji, destroy Liu Biao and defeat Sun Ce. It turns out that he had such a god-like person to assist him. It seems that the lord is truly destined to succeed!"

"Since we have a god like Military Advisor Xiao here, I have nothing to worry about. I will just send troops to Hulin and cooperate with Military Advisor Xiao's strategy!"

Taishi Ci no longer had any worries. After entertaining Sun Qian warmly, he immediately summoned troops from various counties and marched north to attack Hulin.

...

Seven days later, Xiakou.

In the mansion hall, Liu Bei also held a small banquet to welcome Sun Qian who returned safely.

"Ziyi and I have been friends for life and death, but I don't understand him as well as the military advisor."

"The military advisor's ability to see into people's hearts is truly unrivaled in the world."

Liu Bei looked at Taishi Ci's handwritten reply with joy on his face and couldn't help but express his admiration.

Xiao Fang smiled faintly, cupped his hands and said:
"Congratulations, my lord, for getting another great general who is an all-around great general who is proficient in infantry, cavalry, and water warfare!"

Liu Bei laughed and raised his glass happily:

"If it weren't for the military advisor, how could we have won a powerful general like Taishi Ziyi? The military advisor should drink this cup to the full!"

Old Liu was happy, so Xiao Fang didn't refuse and drank the whole cup in one gulp.

Liu Bei finished his glass of wine, and his heroic spirit gradually grew. He said:

"Military Advisor, this Taishi Ziyi has surrendered and is willing to lead his troops into Hulin. I think he will be able to drive Sun Ce away."

"The people of Jingnan and Jiangxia have been almost pacified. The talented people of Jingnan, such as Jiang Wan, whom you recommended, have all been employed according to their abilities."

"Shouldn't we also discuss how to march eastward, capture Chaisang, and kick open the door to Jiangdong?"

Xiao Fang was well prepared and was ready to offer his strategy.

Just then.

The personal guards rushed in and presented a silk book.

"My lord, a secret report has just been sent back from Xuzhou!"

"Lü Bu abandoned Xiapi and fled south to Huainan to seek refuge with Yuan Shu. Xuzhou had already been captured by Cao Cao."

"Cao Cao has led his main forces back westwards under the pretext of conquering Guanzhong!"

The heroic look on Liu Bei's face disappeared and his brows furrowed.

Cao Cao was a military genius and had won victory after victory since his eastern expedition to Xuzhou. It was expected that Lu Bu would lose Xuzhou.

The key point is that when Cao Cao was about to attack Chaisang and capture Jiangdong, he completed the occupation of Xuzhou.

This means that Cao Cao is now able to free up his hands and may be able to lead his troops south again.

"Now that the lord has completely taken control of Jingzhou and severely damaged Sun Ce, he is in a good position to take over Jiangdong and completely control the Yangtze River."

"With Cao Cao's vision, it is impossible for him not to see this trend, and he will definitely not allow the lord to unify half of Jiangnan and attack him from both the north and the south with Yuan Shao."

"I guess that Cao Cao will never sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight again this time. He will definitely march south to take Ye County directly and seize Nanyang at all costs, forcing the lord to return to the north and have no time to attack Jiangdong again!"

Zhuge Liang immediately figured out Cao Cao's real motive for leading his troops back west.

The atmosphere in the mansion immediately became tense.

"The garrison of Ye County is no more than 3,000 soldiers, and the Wancheng City guarded by General Wenchang has no more than 5,000 soldiers and horses."

"If Cao Cao arrives with his entire army, Ye County will be hard to defend. Once Ye County is lost, Wancheng will be in danger."

"My lord, it seems that we have to postpone our attack on Jiangdong and return to the north to stop Cao Cao in Ye County first."

Xu Shu further offered advice, advocating that Liu Bei lead the main force north to resist Cao.

The generals had their own opinions, and most of them agreed with Xu Shu's proposal.

After all, if Nanyang was lost, Cao Cao would have to drink from the Han River, and Xiangyang would be under unprecedented pressure.

Xiangyang is the heart of Jingzhou. How can there be a sharp sword hanging over it all the time?
"What does the military advisor think?"

Liu Bei was unsure of his lord for a moment and could only look at Xiao Fang.

Xiao Fang gently waved his feather fan and sneered:
"If Cao Cao leads his army south, his purpose is to force the lord to return north, so as to prevent the lord from conquering Jiangdong and completely controlling the Yangtze River."

"If the lord really returns north, wouldn't that be exactly what he wants?"

"Fang thought that we must not let Cao Cao lead us by the nose, delaying the opportunity to capture Jiangdong and giving Sun Ce a chance to recover his strength!"

Liu Bei was shocked and seemed to be thinking about something.

After a moment, he nodded and said:
"What the military advisor said is absolutely right. Cao Cao's move is to prevent me from conquering Jiangdong."

"But if Cao Cao comes with his entire army, I am afraid that Nanyang will be lost if I do not personally lead the main force north."

At this time, Lao Liu was in a dilemma.

Xiao Fang remained calm and bowed calmly:

"My Lord, don't worry. I will recommend someone to guard Ye County!"

"With this man's ability, he can hold back Cao Cao's army ten times larger with only three thousand soldiers and hold Ye County for half a year without any problem!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a burst of surprise in the hall.

Liu Bei was also surprised and said:

"I wonder who the military advisor recommended to be so capable?"

(End of this chapter)