With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 302, The Wind Has Finally Changed

Liu Xie was also troubled, because someone had promptly reported to him everything that had happened, and the current situation was completely different from what he knew about the Battle of Red Cliffs.

Zhou Yu was indeed very capable, with one plan after another, but his opponent was Guo Jia.

If Zhou Yu knew that Guo Jia had seen through all his plans, he might sigh to the heavens, "Why did Guo Jia exist if Zhou Yu was born?"

Seeing that Liu Xie was lost in thought, standing by the river without saying a word for a long time, Zhao Yun couldn't help but walk over and ask, "Your Majesty, what are you thinking about?"

Liu Xie sighed, "Zilong, things are not quite as I expected. Originally, I hoped that Cao Cao would suffer a heavy blow so that I could take over everything. But now, Guo Jia has seen through Zhou Yu's plan, and I'm afraid that this battle in Jiangdong will be more dangerous than successful."

Zhao Yun replied, "Your Majesty, regardless of whether Jiangdong wins or loses, Cao Cao is destined to suffer heavy losses. As for whether Cao Cao can completely defeat Zhou Yu, it is too early to say."

In fact, Liu Xie had always acted as an observer in the course of this war. If he had intervened, he could have decided who would win.

For example, he could have Guo Jia see through Zhou Yu's plan and secretly had someone tell Zhou Yu.

If Zhou Yu could be taken seriously, the situation could definitely be salvaged. However, Liu Xie couldn't bear to do so, as it felt like helping an outsider to turn against his own people.

Liu Xie shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions, and said, "Forget it, I'll just continue to observe and see what happens in the end."

Even if Cao Cao was disobedient, he was still one of their own. If Guo Jia hadn't seen through Zhou Yu's plan, it wouldn't have mattered much; at worst, Zhou Yu would have won once.

But now that his plan has been exposed, Liu Xie is also looking forward to this different kind of Battle of Red Cliffs.

Regardless of the final outcome, the biggest beneficiary will definitely be oneself!

This is indisputable, because war inevitably involves casualties, and the casualties on both sides are destined to be in the tens of thousands or more.

At least 10,000 people will die, maybe 20,000, 30,000, or even more.

Liu Xie will sit back and watch the tigers fight; he will not suffer any losses.

"Your Majesty, look over there."

Zhao Yun suddenly pointed into the distance, and Liu Xie looked in the direction of the sound. A group of Cao soldiers was approaching from afar, and there were quite a few of them.

Although it was night, no one carried torches and they were acting very cautiously. Upon closer inspection, Liu Xie noticed that each of Cao Cao's soldiers was holding a scarecrow.

Liu Xie said, "It seems that these scarecrows are going to be put on the boat to act as decoys and deceive the Jiangdong soldiers."

Cao Cao ordered them to do these things at night, clearly not wanting to arouse Zhou Yu's suspicion. In addition, not only were many scarecrows brought in, but many warships that were originally connected were also dispersed and quietly moved to other places.

Cao Cao couldn't possibly let Zhou Yu burn all his warships; he just needed to make a symbolic gesture. How could he fight a war if they were all burned?
Cao Cao also redeployed a significant number of troops from the shore to distant locations, but the camp remained unchanged, with not a single tent moved.

The barracks were bustling with activity, with figures moving about. Yu Jin, Mao Jie, and others were all involved in command.

People kept shouting reminders: "No noise, no torches, be careful."

Liu Xie curiously entered the barracks and looked around. Soon, he encountered Guo Jia and Cao Cao.

Cao Cao did these things without intending to hide them from Liu Xie, and besides, he couldn't hide them even if he wanted to.

With Xun You alone constantly running to the emperor to report on Cao Cao, Liu Xie had no secrets from Cao Cao.

Liu Xie and the other two approached, and Guo Jia asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, in your opinion, what are our army's chances of victory?"

Guo Jia did not explain the battle plan, believing that the emperor was fully aware of every move being made here.

Liu Xie praised, "Fengxiao alone is worth 100,000 soldiers. Now it seems that Zhou Yu is no match for you."

Guo Jia remained calm, saying, "I dare not be arrogant. Underestimating the opponent will come at a price!"

When Guo Jia said this, he glanced at Cao Cao, seemingly unintentionally.

Cao Cao immediately understood that he had become so passive because he had underestimated Liu Xie.

Liu Xie didn't take it to heart, smiled, and said, "Now Zhou Yu's side is all set, just waiting for the right opportunity. The same is true for us. Once the wind changes, Zhou Yu will lead his army to attack."

As for the exact time when the wind direction would change, Guo Jia looked up at the sky and couldn't help but sigh; it was indeed difficult to predict.

Guo Jia is not Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang was proficient in astronomy, geography, astrology, and the Eight Trigrams; he was practically an all-rounder.

Cao Cao said, "But it's alright, Huang Gai will contact us and inform us in advance when Zhou Yu will make his move."

Guo Jia nodded and said, "Even if Huang Gai doesn't contact us, as long as we prepare in advance and pay close attention to changes in the wind direction, we don't need to worry about Zhou Yu suddenly attacking."

Liu Xie nodded. That's true. Zhou Yu's Jiangdong fleet can't possibly attack all at once. As long as we take precautions, there's nothing to worry about.

After chatting for a while, Liu Xie left, knowing that Cao Cao's side was destined to be very busy tonight.

Cao Cao stood there for a long time, watching Liu Xie's departing figure.

"My lord, whatever your thoughts are now, I advise you not to target His Majesty any further." Guo Jia's words suddenly jolted Cao Cao awake.

Cao Cao said, "I was just thinking, what would happen if we lured the Jiangdong troops ashore and let them attack Your Majesty's camp?"

Guo Jia stared at Cao Cao expressionlessly, without saying a word.

Just staring at him like that made Cao Cao feel uncomfortable.

After a while, Cao Cao smiled awkwardly, "Fengxiao, I was just thinking casually, it's not serious. How could I possibly do that?"

Guo Jia's expression remained unchanged, quite serious. He suddenly said, "My lord, do you think you still have a chance to make a mistake?"

With just that one sentence, Cao Cao seemed to freeze, remaining motionless for a long while. Guo Jia turned to look at the opposite bank of the river and sighed, "Actually, when I asked His Majesty about the outcome of our battle, I was testing His Majesty. Whether our army wins or loses this battle, the situation is not in our hands, but in His Majesty's hands!"

Guo Jia sighed, his back suddenly hunching as if a mountain was pressing down on it.

“My lord, we and Sun Quan are now pawns in His Majesty’s hands. His Majesty wants us to wear each other down, but what about us? Even if we know this is His Majesty’s arrangement, what can we do? Aren’t we still at His Majesty’s mercy?”

Cao Cao fell silent, and after a long while he sighed heavily, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.

“Fengxiao, you’re right. Even if I gather an army of 200,000, what can I do? Even if you gave me the greatest courage, I wouldn’t dare to go against His Majesty. In this game, Sun Quan and I are just pawns in His Majesty’s hands.”

"My lord, although His Majesty only brought 20,000 troops, I have already observed them. They are all elite soldiers drawn from various regions. Except for Zhang Liao, who was just subdued, Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, Taishi Ci, and Zhang He are all here. As for the soldiers around you, it is hard to say whether they will choose you or His Majesty in a critical moment. Therefore, my lord, please do not have any more thoughts of targeting His Majesty."

"In fact, His Majesty could have sent someone to tell Zhou Yu about our plan, but I believe he wouldn't do that. Although we and Sun Quan are both pawns in His Majesty's hands, there are still differences in our relationships. Sun Quan is an enemy, while we are at least on his side."

"I never imagined that Fengxiao would be so thoughtful," Cao Cao sighed again.

"Yes, if His Majesty tells Zhou Yu about our plan, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Guo Jia then advised, "My lord, as I have said, we can target anyone, because you are the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, a loyal minister whom His Majesty has personally appointed. Therefore, His Majesty can tolerate your mistakes to the greatest extent possible. However, there is a bottom line: you are a subject, and he is the ruler. You cannot target him again, not even once!"

Although Cao Cao was extremely resentful and unwilling, he also knew that Guo Jia was telling the truth and was doing it for his own good!

In the past, he targeted the emperor, and the emperor couldn't do anything about it. But now, the emperor has so many elite soldiers and generals around him; they are no mere decorations.

Now that the emperor has finally broken free of his shackles and is no longer a puppet, Liu Xie will never allow anyone to threaten his throne again!
Liu Xie returned to his main tent and summoned several advisors.

After everyone arrived, Liu Xie said, "Cao Cao has already begun preparations tonight. He is just waiting for the wind to change direction before the great battle breaks out."

Zhuge Liang sat there quietly, motionless, as if deep in thought.

Chen Gong was very proactive and spoke first, "Your Majesty, after this battle, it will be time for Your Majesty to take control of the overall situation, because it is obvious that both Cao Cao and Sun Quan's forces will be severely damaged after the battle."

Sima Yi sat in the back seat, his mind entirely focused on the emperor.

A few days ago, his brother Sima Lang also fell ill and almost contracted the plague. Fortunately, the emperor intervened in time and the illness was brought under control.

Jia Xu remained silent for a moment, then looked at Liu Xie and reminded him, "Your Majesty, since a great battle is imminent, our camp should be moved away as soon as possible, because we are currently too close to the shore."

Ju Shou agreed, saying, "Wenhe is right. After all, we only have 20,000 men. Although it is unlikely that Cao Cao and Zhou Yu will attack us, we cannot be careless. We should keep our distance so that we can give them room to fight to their hearts' content."

Cao Cao's forces now total 200,000, with 150,000 from the north and 50,000 from Jingzhou.

Zhou Yu's side had 60,000 men, of whom 50,000 were under his command and 10,000 were lent to Liu Bei.

Jia Xu's reminder to promptly and completely eliminate any potential dangers was approved by Ju Shou, Chen Gong, and others.

Liu Xie immediately summoned Lü Bu, Zhao Yun, and others, and ordered the troops to withdraw from the shore. Zhuge Liang, who had not spoken before, finally spoke.

"Your Majesty, if I am not mistaken, the wind direction will change in two days from 9 PM to 11 PM, with the northwest wind turning into a southeast wind, and the wind will continue for two days."

Zhuge Liang's ability to predict weather changes was so incredible that even Ju Shou and Chen Gong found it hard to believe.

Liu Xie also became interested and wanted to see if Zhuge Liang's prediction was accurate.

Zhuge Liang not only predicted the date, but also guessed the exact time.

On Zhou Yu's side, without Zhuge Liang, such an important helper, he was also unsure of what to do. Even the letters between Huang Gai and Cao Cao did not specify a time.

Zhou Yu didn't know when the wind would change direction.

Zhou Yu was very anxious. Every now and then, he would leave his command tent and go to the shore to check the wind direction. He would go there repeatedly. Lu Su reminded him that he could have his soldiers report to him, but Zhou Yu just couldn't wait.

On this day, Lu Su came to see Zhou Yu with a letter. As soon as they met, he handed the letter to Zhou Yu and said, "Gongjin, our lord has written again to inquire about how our preparations are going."

Zhou Yu's face was a little pale, his eyebrows were almost furrowed together, and he looked worried. "Tell the lord not to worry."

Lu Su sighed, "We have everything ready here, but we're just waiting for the right opportunity. But when will that opportunity finally arrive? Gongjin, the pressure on our lord is no less than yours or mine."

Lu Su's feelings for Sun Quan were extraordinary. He was grateful for Sun Quan's recognition and patronage. Although Lu Su was a scholar, his loyalty to Sun Quan was not lacking in courage.

Lu Su was willing to die for Sun Quan; his dedication and fierceness were second to none.

People can easily be deceived by Lu Su's honest and kind appearance, but deep down, Lu Su is a person who will not easily betray his master once he has chosen him.

Zhou Yu looked at Lu Su and was also moved.

Lu Su continued, "You saw it that day too. Almost half of the people in Jiangdong openly stood up and advised our lord to surrender. In the end, our lord listened to your advice and decided to resist Cao. It was not easy to make such a decision. Even if we win this battle, it will only give Jiangdong a temporary chance to breathe. If we lose, our lord's hegemony will be in vain."

Zhou Yu felt a sharp pain in his heart. He walked out of the tent once again and came to the riverbank. Standing on a high place, he stared at the river. He was so anxious.

Despite his anxiety, Zhou Yu did not lose control and did not vomit blood as depicted in the novel.

He firmly believed that the winds of change would eventually blow, but all the burdens rested on his shoulders, so Zhou Yu became somewhat anxious.

That day, he waited in vain again. On the night of the second day, just after 9 PM, Zhou Yu had just stepped out of the main tent when he was suddenly struck by a flag next to him.

Looking up, Zhou Yu was overjoyed. The wind direction had finally changed, and it was the southeast wind he had been longing for.

"Come here immediately and invite General Huang to discuss matters."

Zhou Yu hurriedly summoned Huang Gai and asked him to contact Cao Cao. Cao Cao, having noticed the change in the wind, appeared relaxed on the surface but secretly became even more vigilant!
(End of this chapter)