Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3421 Success and Failure

Deep night.

Xiangyang City.

Pang Shanmin and Huang Zhong marched to Pangcheng... uh, outside Wancheng, preparing to launch a battle to capture the city.

At this time, Cao's scouts urgently reported to Cao Ren and also brought the news that Wen Pin had surrendered.

Cao Ren was greatly alarmed and quickly summoned all his generals to discuss the matter.

Upon hearing the news, all the generals were very angry and accused Pang Shanmin and Huang Zhong of breaking the rules. Since they had seen the angel, why didn't they stop and instead attacked Wancheng? Where would this put the emperor's face?

Kuai Liang stood aside with a blank expression on his face, but he was actually very happy in his heart.

It's his fault! Cao Ren ignored the advice and insisted on advancing to attack Guanzhong. The current predicament is entirely his own fault!
Of course, Kuai Liang would not consider the issue from Cao Cao's perspective. They were just Jingxiang gentry and would be Jingxiang gentry all their lives.

With the current military strength in Wancheng, there should be no problem in breaking out and withdrawing, but it is obvious that Cao Ren is unwilling to do so.

"Everyone! Everyone!" Cao Ren said in a deep voice, "How should we deal with the urgent situation in Wancheng now? !"

The crowd that was originally chattering suddenly became quiet.

Just like those students in class who hear the teacher is about to ask a question.

I can't, I don't understand, I don't know, don't ask me...

Kuai Liang was reciting the three no's and one farewell in his mind when he heard Cao Ren's voice, "Zi Rou, do you have any plan?"

Kuai Liang took a breath, silently said three times not to be angry, and then slowly said: "General, I have a good plan..."

Cao Ren coughed and said, "That's a good strategy."

Kuai Liang paused again, and then said in an even calmer voice: "Withdraw."

"Why?" Cao Ren asked.

"Guest general," Kuai Liang replied.

Cao Ren nodded, remained silent for a moment, and then asked Cai Mao, "Degui, do you have any countermeasures?"

Cai Mao was stunned for a moment, "General... do you need a car? I only have one car. If you need it, I will just have someone send it to you."

"Countermeasures! Countermeasures!" Cao Ren also suppressed his anger.

Who the hell wants your crappy car?!
Cai Mao seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief, "Ah, thank you for your tolerance, General... I am old now, not only am my hearing and eyesight blurred, but my legs and feet are also inconvenient. If I didn't have this car... Well, originally my family had several cars, but now... Oh, General, you are asking about this solution... Let me think about it, General, can you ask others first..."

Cao Ren squinted his eyes, smiled, and nodded.

They are all foxes, why are they pretending to be monsters?

Of Kuai Liang's three strategies, only the middle strategy is feasible.

Moreover, this strategy is conservative, and can even be said to be a relatively poor strategy, but it is indeed feasible and there is nothing wrong with it. Just like when Cao Ren questioned him, Kuai Liang's answer was just two words: "Guest General".

Pang Shanmin and Huang Zhong can only be regarded as guest generals of the cavalry, so it is impossible to use any imperial edict to restrain Pang Shanmin from attacking Wancheng...

Moreover, in the current situation, if the soldiers in Wancheng are not withdrawn back to Xiangyang, they will be attacked in vain and it will be difficult to fight back!

Because the guest general is also considered a cavalryman!

The emperor issued an imperial decree to mediate the fight between Fei Qian and Cao Cao, but before the decree was handed over to Fei Qian, Cao Ren took action first...

This will inevitably lead to Cao's army losing its moral stance.

They were already at a disadvantage in the battle, and if they lost the reputation of being righteous, they would be digging their own grave.

When Cao Ren summoned all the scholars from Jingxiang, he actually did not do so to ask for any specific countermeasures, but rather hoped that some of them would have some friendship with Pang Shanmin, especially Cai Mao.

But Cai Mao pretended to be stupid.

Withdrawal is certain, but how?

How can we retreat to ensure the safety of our troops to the greatest extent possible and avoid greater losses?
When Wancheng was in the hands of Pang Shanmin, it was a commercial and trading city, but when it came into the hands of Cao's army, it became a warehouse for picking up goods, and a place that only picked up goods but did not replenish them.

Cao Ren had no choice but to force Cai Mao to go to Wancheng immediately to meet Pangshan Minjun. He had to stop Pangshan Minjun from attacking Wancheng...

……

Night chaos.

Zhou Yu looked at the river.

The scenery, which was somewhat bright during the day, now becomes completely chaotic under the cover of night.

Although Zhou Yu comforted Jiang Qin, he was actually full of worries.

The original plan obviously failed.

The speed of change of the Sichuan-Shu navy was obviously far beyond Zhou Yu's understanding.

Zhou Yu even wondered if they were the same army.

But now, Zhou Yu had to use the backup plan...

Zhou Yu looked at the mountains and waters in the distance, thinking and planning.

"Captain..."

The guard behind Zhou Yu whispered, "The wind on the river is strong at night..."

Zhou Yu looked into the distance and said, "It's okay."

Is it really okay?

Not necessarily, but as long as we win this battle, what does it matter even if we die here?

He is waiting.

Waiting for a fire.

Either you turn into ashes in the fire, or you are reborn in the flames.

……

Zhou Yu set his sights on the ships from Sichuan and Shu, and Zhuge Liang also understood the importance of ships.

Without enough ships, it would be impossible to cross the mountains and attack the downstream areas of this great river. Without enough warships, it would be impossible to control the river, let alone transport enough soldiers and supplies, and of course it would be impossible to pose any threat to Jiangdong.

It’s like Liu Bei’s last battle in history.

Liu Bei, who had been biting on the hard bones all his life, finally broke his teeth. The reason was that Sichuan and Shu had no navy and could not control the river surface, while Jiangdong could use the navy to transport soldiers and materials. It was almost like fighting with one hand tied to Jiangdong. If Guan Yu's Jingzhou navy was still there at that time, then there would be Liu Bei and Zhang Fei on land, and Guan Yu on the water, then Jiangdong...

In this way, Sun Shiwan's historical backstabbing did indeed make him afraid.

Zhuge Liang considered that Zhou Yu might launch a surprise attack, especially to destroy the warships of Sichuan and Shu, so he placed all the ships inside the water fort and arranged heavy troops to guard them. The number of troops guarding the ships was even greater than the number of troops guarding the camp on the shore, which was enough to prove his importance to these ships.

Don't think that only the Hussars can launch night attacks.

Zhuge Liang felt that Zhou Yu was also good at sneak attacks.

Zhou Yu didn't know much about Zhuge Liang, but conversely, Zhuge Liang knew a lot about Zhou Yu.

Thanks to the powerful intelligence system of the General of Cavalry, Zhuge Liang had already obtained relevant information about Zhou Yu before the battle...

And this information is basically not confidential in Jiangdong.

For example, Zhou Yu’s life, family, ancestry, the process of his rise to power and military success, etc.

Of course, Zhou Yu not only represents himself, but also represents the interests of the Lujiang Zhou family.

However, the perceptive Zhuge Liang discovered some interesting issues when examining and studying Zhou Yu's life.

For example, the person that the Zhou family chose to rely on was not Sun Ce at the beginning, and the Sun family didn't even have a presence...

You should know that the Zhou family of Shu County, Lujiang County, is also a royal family of the imperial court and has a prominent status.

For example, Zhou Zhong followed the emperor, and perhaps because they saw that there was no future in following the emperor, the Zhou family looked for another way and chose Yuan Shu...

This has nothing to do with Zhou Yu's vision or anything, because it is very likely that it was not Zhou Yu's turn to speak in the Zhou family at that time.

After all, the two Yuans dominated the world at that time. If the two Yuans had joined forces, the Han Dynasty would most likely have changed its surname directly!

Therefore, from Zhou's perspective at that time, since the emperor was no longer in power, of course he had to turn to the Yuan family, which had the most "emperor-like aura". This was also normal, but it was a pity that he made the wrong bet.

However, in this process, Zhou Yu betrayed Liu Yao in the first battle.

Liu Yao was a relative of the Han royal family. If the Zhou family wanted to change sides, they would of course have to stab Liu Yao in the back.

The person who carried out the back-stabbing mission was Zhou Yu. He demonstrated outstanding military talent and successfully became the subsequent spokesperson of the Zhou family.

Zhou Yu can be said to have made the primary contribution to Sun Ce's successful crossing of the river and establishing himself in Jiangdong, but Zhou Shang, the prefect of Danyang, also made an indelible contribution.

However, Sun Ce was under Yuan Shu and was a guest general.

Guest generals can be considered a special product of an era when the loyalty and righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were still there, but the loyalty and righteousness of Confucius and Mencius were not as strong. When Confucianism reached its peak in the Song Dynasty, it was like "if the king orders his subjects to die, the subjects have to die." How could they be as "free to come and go" as the guest generals of the Three Kingdoms?
The two typical guest generals in the history of the Three Kingdoms are Lu Bu and Liu Bei.

Sun Ce is not even on the list.

When a person or a group leads an army to join another person or group, there are usually three situations. The first situation is to surrender all rights and unconditionally accept the other party's transformation. The final result is the separation of soldiers and generals, but their vested interests are usually respected. For example, Xu Chu and Lu Su in history.

The second situation is to retain the independence of the army, but be willing to accept constraints in other aspects. The final result is that a certain degree of independence can be guaranteed, but the power will be greatly reduced, just like Li Dian. The third situation is guest generals. Liu Bei had surrendered to various warlords many times, but his generals were always directly under Liu Bei, and no one could privately dispatch these people without Liu Bei's consent.

This was not without cost. Because Liu Bei wanted to maintain his independence, and the conditions he proposed were so harsh, he had to help Cao Cao and others to overcome the difficulties. Otherwise, Cao Cao and others were not fools, so why would they accept him?
So in order to portray Zhuge, Mr. Luo severely blackened Liu Bei. Liu Bei was able to turn the tables in the Three Kingdoms and rely on various lords, but still retain his independence. The most critical point is that Liu Bei often took on the most dangerous tasks of these lords. It is also because of similar reasons that although Liu Bei and others often lost battles, no one would doubt their military talents. When Liu Bei negotiated with Sun Quan of Jiangdong, it was not entirely because of Zhuge's verbal skills, but also because Liu Bei had earned his reputation...

Because the battles that Liu Bei and others fought were all tough ones. If it were someone else, they would have probably lost their teeth long ago.

Therefore, in the Three Kingdoms, no matter who Liu Bei joined, he always maintained his independent status. However, those who accepted Liu Bei's joining would feel that it was worth it. As long as they paid some money and food, they could get a free thug with outstanding ability. Why not?

Yuan Shu treated Sun Ce in the same way. He originally thought that it would be difficult for Sun Ce to defeat Liu Yao, and that it would be a thankless task that would result in the loss of troops and generals. However, he did not expect that Sun Ce would defeat Liu Yao so easily. This also led Yuan Shu to adopt a containment strategy against Sun Ce, and began to pick peaches and mix sand...

So, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce stabbed Yuan Shu in the back again.

Of course, when the order of the Han Dynasty collapsed, the original rules were first broken by the leaders in the upper halls and pavilions. In the case of destruction, it was undoubtedly a huge joke that the people below were required to obey what they had to predict three seconds in advance and to observe etiquette and rules.

Especially when the person who tells such a joke can get a promotion in the Han Dynasty, then betrayal becomes a skill, an ability, and a heroic deed that can be talked about and praised by others.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang concluded that Zhou Yu would definitely launch a surprise attack.

Coincidentally, Zhuge Liang was also preparing to launch a surprise attack on Zhou Yu...

However, Zhuge Liang forgot one thing.

He focused on Zhou Yu's character, but neglected how Zhou Yu defeated Liu Yao...

……

Jiang Qin is not a guest general.

He has tied everything he has deeply to the Sun family in exchange for those generous treatments.

If you take money from others, you have to work for them.

Even though he was injured and even though he had suffered defeat on the water during the day, Jiang Qin would still lead his soldiers to the shore in the middle of the night and quietly head towards the Sichuan Army's land camp.

The can of kerosene was lifted up, making some splashing sounds.

"According to the plan, go to the mound, set up traps first, then attack with rockets, and finally evacuate... Is everything clear?" Jiang Qin emphasized to his soldiers again.

Zhou Yu was good at water battles, not because he was born with some shining halo that flashed like a breathing light when he was on the water, but because of a lot of preliminary preparation.

Just like when Zhou Yu led Sun Ce to attack Liu Yao by water, the key to victory was not how brave and elite the soldiers under Zhou Yu and Sun Ce were, but that Zhou Yu had a deep understanding of the hydrology and geography of the Yangtze River at that time...

This time, it's the same.

The Jiangdong Army and the Sichuan Army were fighting against each other upstream and downstream, but there were not many places to accommodate the large army to camp.

Therefore, Zhou Yu easily deduced the probable location where the Sichuan-Shu army would set up camp and made some targeted plans.

For example, the mound that Jiang Qin was going to this time could be attacked by rockets at a high probability to a patch of grass behind the Sichuan camp...

That's right, not a direct shot at the camp.

There must be soldiers on duty within an arrow's distance around the camp. If we want to get close to the camp and shoot rockets into it, it will definitely alert the soldiers on duty.

This is also the fundamental reason why Jiang Qin and others are willing to come.

The Suicide Squad may be used once or twice, but if they are needed in every battle, then either the entire country cannot muster a decent army, or the generals leading the battle are utterly incompetent.

It's not a head-on fight, but just a mission to sneak up to the hill and then shoot some rockets. It's definitely not a matter of daring to die. You just need to be careful when sneaking over and not to be discovered.

……

On the other side, Zhuge Liang was also preparing for a night attack.

But unlike Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang did not send out any major generals.

It’s not because God was helping him, but because Zhuge Liang and his men were at the top.

If this advantage is not used well, it would be a waste...

Zhuge Liang's sneak attack method did not even require the deployment of many soldiers. Just a few low warships took advantage of the cover of night and quietly slid out of the water fort and went downstream.

……

Jiang Qin led his men, slowly moving forward in the shadows, half bent over.

This was undoubtedly a painful torture for the injured Jiang Qin.

But physical pain is not the most frustrating thing; mental pain is the most unbearable.

Will we be successful in this battle with the Sichuan Army?

Before Zhou Yu came, everyone thought that as long as Zhou Yu came, they would definitely win.

But now that Zhou Yu was here, Jiang Qin felt a little worried, especially after seeing Zhou Yu's physical condition...

……

The Sichuan navy on the other side seemed somewhat comfortable and relaxed.

Although they couldn't stand up straight in the cabin, they only needed to paddle and row the boat, half lying and half sitting, which was relatively comfortable.

The key is that they are in a good mood, whispering to each other in the cabin and telling a joke or two.

As for the pressure of the current war, there is some, but not much.

Because they knew that even if they died on the battlefield, their families would receive full pensions, and their families would be given priority when there were any good jobs in the county.

This is not just talk, but has been put into practice.

This is the first time in all these years for the Han Dynasty!
So, what's there to worry about?

Just follow Zhuge's instructions!

……

Jiang Qin led his men to the top of the hill, and in the distance the Sichuan Army camp was brightly lit.

On the top of the tall watchtower, a figure would occasionally sway, indicating that the soldiers on duty were looking around.

Arriving at the mound, Jiang Qin couldn't help but admire Zhou Yu's brilliant strategy.

Not far from the mound is a low-lying grassland.

In late autumn, the weather is dry and the grass and trees are withered and yellow.

If a fire breaks out, it could spread along the grassland all the way to the Sichuan camp!
Jiang Qin put his fingers into his mouth, stained them with saliva, and then stretched them into the air to test the speed and direction of the night wind...

The night wind is neither fast nor slow.

"Everything is ready..."

……

"Everything is ready..."

The same thing was said on the other side.

The gift Zhuge Liang prepared for the Jiangdong navy was also fire.

In fact, it has been used once in the previous battle.

The kerosene is put in cans and flows downstream in the direction of Jiangdong Water Fort. It will most likely crash into some facilities of Jiangdong Water Fort, and then the kerosene will spread. Then, some fires will be lit in the second batch of cans, so that the water flow can bring the gift of love and give the Jiangdong navy a warm embrace.

Simple and practical.

The only downside is that it's a bit wasteful.

After all, the jar is money, and so much kerosene floating down the river is also money.

However, for the Cavalry Corps, things that can be solved with money are basically not a big deal.

……

Sparks rose into the sky.

……

Hidden murderous intent flows downstream.

……

"Done?!"