The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 263 Cao Cao: As long as Cao Ren holds on, everything will be alright.

Meanwhile, Lu Su, following Li Yi's advice, gave Guan Yu some pointers on how to conduct himself in society.

Guan Yu initially didn't believe it, until he was patrolling the camp at night when he overheard officials whispering:
"...Now that General Guan has changed into new clothes, we no longer need to put on this ascetic act."

The other person replied with a smile:
"It should have been done long ago! I've kept that tattered robe hidden for two years, and today I can finally discard it."

Amidst the howling north wind, Guan Yu stood alone at the gate of the camp.

He stroked his fur coat, stood in the wind, lost in thought.

He held fast to his deepest beliefs throughout his life, and only at this moment did he finally ask the question.

I'm too stubborn, always resisting the things I despise.

It now seems that there are indeed many things in this world that he doesn't know.

Guan Yu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

I can't figure it out, I just can't understand it.

This incident touched him, but Guan Yu was as proud as he was.

How could his beliefs be shaken because of this incident?
outside the account,

As Lu Su gazed at Guan Yu's figure, he knew in his heart that changing Yun Chang's shortcomings could not be accomplished overnight.

The most urgent task at present is to reconcile the conflict between the former general and the generals in Huainan.

Lu Su will not leave until the war is completely over.

Because as long as he, the Grand Tutor, is around, the conflict between the two sides will not escalate further.

Once the war is over, Guan Yu will return to Qingzhou.

Even if the two factions have some conflicts, so what?

Anyway, Lu Su's mission was already accomplished.

He was worthy of the King of Qi's trust and also lived up to the Prime Minister's expectations.

In the following days
Everyone prioritized the war effort and tacitly agreed not to mention Gan Ning's previous mistreatment of prisoners.

Guan Yu had previously promised to prioritize the battle of Runan.

This is the top strategic priority.

There is nothing more important now than defeating Cao Ren.

As for the rest...

No one knows how Guan Yu will handle this; they can only hope that this matter will be put behind them.

This includes a group of military generals from Huainan, such as Chen Deng, Gan Ning, and Jiang Qin, who all knew this in their hearts.

The seeds of conflict have been sown.

Whether it will take root and sprout in the future is anyone's guess.

……

Let me talk about two things.

Meanwhile, around the new city, white waves surged to the sky.

The water surged ever higher, and the city walls gradually crumbled.

Cao Ren, the commander-in-chief of the southern region of Cao Wei, had no choice but to organize men and women to carry soil and bricks to fill the gap.

Fortunately, the new city was a large city and was not destroyed by the flood like Yu Jin's Anyang.

Even so, Cao Ren and his generals were trapped inside the city.

They had no idea what the situation was like outside the city.

While Yu Jin was hoping that Cao Ren would come to his rescue, Cao Ren also longed for Yu Jin to come from Anyang to save him.
But that's just wishful thinking.

Anyang City's walls were made of rammed earth, and they would collapse if flooded.

Yu Jin is probably not much better off than I am now.

Cao Ren thought so.

Suddenly, a messenger arrived with news that Yu Jin's city of Anyang had been breached by Guan Yu using the Huai River.

The entire army of 30,000 was captured!
Upon hearing this, all of Cao Cao's generals were terrified.

Captured prisoners are far better than simply killing them.

Because often, even if the enemy surrenders voluntarily, you cannot accept their surrender.

Because you don't know if it's a real surrender or a fake one.

You will have to leave people to guard the area, but this will also disperse your forces.

Just like the French joke,
The French army could not stop the German army and was pushed back by them.

As a result, because so many French people surrendered to the German army, the German army accepted their surrender.

Instead, it slowed down their march.

Therefore, when two armies are at war, unless the enemy has been completely controlled, everyone should be killed.

Even if the enemy's morale is broken, they will not surrender during the battle; they will all turn and run.

Because they knew that running away offered a glimmer of hope, while not running meant certain death.

Therefore, the capture of 30,000 elite Wei troops was an extremely shocking achievement.

With these 30,000 prisoners, the State of Qi would have a high degree of initiative and flexibility in future peace negotiations.

Of course, its greatest effect.

It still deeply shocked the remaining Wei army that was still putting up a stubborn resistance.

Cao Ren's face turned deathly pale, and he slumped to the ground in despair.

The capture of the Seventh Army meant that Xincheng was now isolated and helpless.

It was impossible for Wei Gong to gather another 30,000-strong army in Hebei to come and rescue Xincheng.

Even if there are still people in Hebei, he has to keep them to guard against Liu Bei.

Cao Ren is now truly trapped like a turtle in a jar.

Everyone advised Cao Ren, saying:

"The crisis we face today is beyond human control."

"We should take advantage of the enemy's absence and flee by boat at night."

"Although the city has been lost, one can still be free."

"Otherwise, if Guan Yu were to arrive, we would all become prisoners like Yu Jin and his ilk."

Those who came to persuade Cao Ren were all high-ranking officials in the city.

This is a common problem among government personnel.

Once you get used to being a big shot, when you really encounter trouble, all you think about is how to survive.

This is how Yu Jin and others were.

When Guan Yu arrived, they had no time to run and could only surrender to save their lives.

The same applies to Cao Ren's side.

They all advised Cao Ren to take advantage of the fact that Guan Yu had not yet arrived and quickly escape by boat.

As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood.

Take steps back,
While everyone's desire to escape was driven by personal motives, strategically speaking, it was indeed for the greater good.

After all, the new city is currently isolated and helpless.

Cao Ren's garrison alone could not stop Guan Yu's army.

Not to mention that Guan Yu also had the Huai River as an aid, and Chen Yuanlong's Huainan naval forces as a supplement.

It was truly like a fish in water.

Lacking favorable timing, geographical advantage, and subsequent reinforcements.

Staying in the new city is tantamount to sitting and waiting to die, slowly waiting for death.

Cao Ren hesitated for a moment, unable to make a decision, and those around him all advised him:
"Guan Yu diverted the Huai River to flood Xincheng, leaving our army trapped in the isolated city, with the water reaching the battlements."

"How could it be alive?"

"After Yu Jin's seven armies were captured, the momentum of the southern expedition had already declined."

"At this time, Duke Wei must also be seeking peace negotiations."

"Now we should cherish our soldiers and not add to the emperor's worries."

"If we are captured by Guan Yu again, I fear Liu Bei will not only demand Hebei, but also Runan!"

"Please consider this carefully, General!"

To put it bluntly, when Yu Jin led his troops to surrender, it signaled the defeat of Cao Wei in the southern campaign.

The reason everyone is advising Cao Ren to leave is to preserve Wei's vital forces and elites.

Seeing the current results, Wei Gong will surely cut his losses and seek peace with Liu Bei.

Liu Bei now has not only 30,000 prisoners of Wei, but also a group of high-ranking generals such as Yu Jin.

If even we were captured by Guan Yu—

That was the first person from outside the royal family; the top three members of the royal family were all prisoners of the State of Qi.

Then Liu Bei would be even more likely to make exorbitant demands and ask for an outrageous price.

So our departure now is actually a guarantee that Duke Wei will not be blackmailed by the State of Qi in future negotiations!
The crowd earnestly advised Cao Ren.

Cao Ren glanced at the raging floodwaters outside the city, and saw his soldiers clinging to the eaves awaiting their deaths. Finally, he sighed deeply:

"...Alas, what you say is true."

"If we do not leave now, we will surely be captured by Guan Yu."

He then ordered his men to prepare boats, intending to abandon the city and flee.

Man Chong hurriedly stopped him, asking, "Where is the general going?"

Cao Ren replied, "The situation is hopeless. We should retreat to Yingchuan first and devise a better plan."

"The official statement is wrong!"

Man Chong stopped Cao Ren and earnestly advised him:
"Mountains and rivers arrive suddenly, how can they last long? They will retreat on their own within ten days."

"My army in Xincheng is still here, and the city is well-fortified. How could Guan Yu possibly conquer it in a matter of days?"

"If we abandon the city now, the land south of Yuzhou will no longer belong to the state!"

"I hope the general will hold this city firmly as a safeguard."

"Lord Wei must have a way to save us."

Man Chong was indeed a brave and resourceful general, and he pointed out the key point incisively.

Although our army is currently facing a major headwind, we cannot afford to let Guan Yu win a stunning battle and throw our own formation into disarray.

To put it bluntly, Guan Yu's capture of seven armies in one battle was due to taking advantage of the favorable weather conditions along the Huai River.

In addition, Yu Jin and others were negligent in their precautions and did not make preparations in advance, which led to such a shocking victory.

However, this does not mean that we would suffer the same fate if we fought Guan Yu.

The rainy season is over, and the floodwaters will recede soon.

Our new city is high and deep, with plenty of grain and fodder.

What's there to be afraid of?
If we abandon the city now, it would be tantamount to handing over the southern Henan region to the enemy.

In future negotiations, Wei Gong will only become more passive.

After listening to Man Chong's analysis, Cao Ren finally calmed down.

“…Boning is right.”

Cao Ren immediately ordered his men to retrieve the ships.

He then personally climbed the city wall to look down at the water below.

Sure enough, the water level was lower than it had been the previous two days; we just needed to wait a little longer.

The floodwaters will recede, and Guan Yu's Huainan navy will be unable to exert any advantage.

"……Um."

Cao Ren frowned and asked Man Chong again:

"If this continues, the flood will recede in less than ten days."

"Even so, with Yu Jin's seven armies captured, we have no reinforcements left."

"I fear that Lord Wei will be unable to send more reinforcements from Hebei."

"The crisis facing the new city is likely still difficult to resolve."

Man Chong then explained to Cao Ren in an orderly manner:
"The war is now at a stalemate, and both sides are exhausted and wounded."

"Peace negotiations are inevitable; it's just a matter of waiting for the right time."

"However, the State of Qi is in a great hurry to meet us."

"Oh?" Cao Ren raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"A barefoot man is not afraid of wearing shoes. Wei has already suffered a great defeat, so what is there to fear if it suffers another defeat?"

“Qi is eager to turn victory into profit, just like a merchant who wants to sell quickly.”

"Although Guan Yu captured Yu Jin's seven armies, the 30,000 surrendered soldiers consumed a thousand bushels of grain every day, which was a major problem for Qi's logistics."

"Therefore, Liu Bei's desire for peace is like parched seedlings longing for rain, more urgent than ours, and he will surely send an envoy to Wei first."

Man Chong's thinking was quite unique; he believed that the State of Wei had already been defeated.

The saying goes, "When you have a lot of lice, you don't have to worry about itching."

Continuing to lose won't make things much worse than they are now.

On the contrary, the State of Qi was eager to convert the fruits of victory into profit.

Especially the 30,000 prisoners of war whom Yu Jin fed with horses.

Although it was an important bargaining chip in the negotiations, it also became a logistical burden for the Qi state.

Liu Bei was eager to make peace as soon as possible and get rid of the burden of these 30,000 men.

Man Chong was also certain that the Qi state's high-ranking officials did not have the habit of massacring prisoners.

Liu Bei, the King of Qi, goes without saying.

Guan Yu, the commander-in-chief at the front, cared for his soldiers and would certainly not kill these prisoners.

As for Chancellor Li Yi, he has always believed in productivity and valued human resources.

He opposed any measure that would reduce the population.

Man Chong had grasped this point about the State of Qi and believed that the issue of the capture of the seven armies could be viewed dialectically.

It was undoubtedly a heavy blow to our army.

But for the State of Qi, wasn't it also a burden that was difficult to get rid of?
Liu Bei often said:

"If Cao Cao is hasty, I will be lenient; if Cao Cao is violent, I will be benevolent."

"Cao Cao is cunning, I am loyal. Only by opposing Cao Cao can things be accomplished."

Unlike Cao Cao, Liu Bei wouldn't label his prisoners as having "fake surrenders" and then bury them all alive.

However, directly recruiting them is also unrealistic.

Because the families of these surrendered soldiers were all in the state of Wei, especially the high-ranking officers.

Whether it's his parents, wife, or children, they are all in the country.

Surrendering not only means saying goodbye to your loved ones forever, but it could also kill your entire family.

After all, Cao Cao wasn't like Liu Bei, who might treat your family well if you surrendered.

Old Cao will definitely kill them all.

Of course, this method is quite normal.

How can you not leave hostages in the country? Otherwise, wouldn't you just flee the country at will?

Therefore, these 30,000 prisoners were difficult to deal with, and Liu Bei hoped to return them to Wei as soon as possible.

If the fighting continues, the State of Qi will not gain any advantage.

Man Chong believes that Liu Bei gritted his teeth and persisted in delaying negotiations.

I just wanted to see if I could take over the new city as well.

If we capture Xincheng, Cao Ren and his men will be captured again.

Then Cao Cao was really going to bleed people dry.

So as long as they persevere and withstand Guan Yu's offensive, they can buy time for Cao Cao.

Liu Bei would definitely propose peace talks first.

Cao Ren suddenly understood, and bowed to thank Man Chong:

"Without Bo Ning's teachings, I almost made a grave mistake!"

So he ordered someone to bring a white horse to the city and gathered all the generals together.

Then, pointing to the white horse, he swore an oath:
“I know that you are all thinking of abandoning the city and fleeing for your lives.”

"However, I have been ordered by Duke Wei to come and defend this city."

"How can we abandon it?"

"Anyone who dares to speak of abandoning the city again will be executed on the spot!"

After saying this, he ordered his men to kill the white horse.

The soldiers obeyed orders and pushed the white horse into the water, where it drowned.

Seeing this, all the generals and soldiers were moved by Cao Ren's determination and bowed, saying:

"General, you are so wise and righteous, we are willing to fight to the death for you!"

"Defend the city for the general and protect the new city!"

That's just how it is sometimes.
In a group, everyone may have their own agendas, but when faced with an extremely urgent situation, the leader only needs to step forward and raise their voice, and everyone will put aside their past grievances and unite as one.

On the contrary, internal conflicts are most severe when things are going very well.

Since victory means dividing the cake, uneven distribution inevitably leads to dissatisfaction among the crowd.

This is human nature.

Cao Ren was overjoyed to see that all his generals and soldiers had colluded with him.

He ordered several hundred crossbows to be set up on the city walls and commanded his soldiers to guard the city day and night without letting their guard down.

They also mobilized the elderly and children in the city to carry earth and stones to fill the city walls.

Within ten days, the floodwaters gradually receded.

Guan Yu had finally finished cleaning up the battlefield and settling the soldiers and civilians in.

He left a portion of his troops to guard Anyang, and led the remaining forces to conquer Xincheng.

After Guan Yu captured Yu Jin of Wei, his power and prestige shook the world, and everyone was terrified.

Today, taking advantage of the favorable situation, Guan Yu is also very pleased with himself.

First, he surrounded the new city on all four sides, and then personally led the troops to attack the city.

Guan Yu rode straight to the East Gate, immediately raised his whip, pointed, and asked:
"You rats, you've seen me arrive."

"If you don't surrender sooner, when will you?"

As they were talking, Cao Ren, on the enemy tower, saw that Guan Yu was only wearing a breastplate and a green robe that was slightly exposed.

He thought to himself, "Guan Yu is so arrogant, I should have had archers lying in ambush again."

"If we shoot him dead here, the situation on the battlefield will inevitably be reversed."

So he quickly summoned five hundred archers and they all fired their arrows at once.

Arrows rained down from the city walls.

Upon seeing this, Guan Yu quickly turned his horse and fled back to his own lines.

As he ran back, his right arm was hit by a stray arrow.

Guan Yu remained calm, held the arrow in his mouth, and pulled it out.

By the time Cao Ren led his army out of the city, Guan Yu had already returned to his camp.

Enraged, Cao Ren threw his bow handle to the ground and had no choice but to retreat back into the city.

We can't afford to be reckless right now.

Guan Yu retreated back to his camp, and all his generals came to visit him.

Guan Yu then said:

"A true man roams the world freely, what fear is there of swords, spears, axes, and arrows?"

"Today I was only hit by a stray arrow, how can I let it ruin the important affairs of my army?"

He then ordered Zhao Yun to lead his troops to attack Xincheng.

Chen Deng, standing to the side, offered his advice:

"Now that the floodwaters have receded, Cao Ren has not abandoned the city."

"When I observed the new city during the day, I saw that the city walls were heavily guarded and the soldiers and civilians were of one mind."

"This shows that Cao Ren had made full preparations and was waiting for our army to attack."

"It would be better to retreat to Xuzhou first and discuss this further."

There were two strategic objectives in digging up the Huai River.

The first method was to use the floodwaters as a battering ram to blast open the gates of Anyang.

It can be said that the first strategic goal has been successfully achieved.

Anyang City was destroyed, and Yu Jin's seven armies surrendered.

The second strategic objective was to use the Anyang campaign to intimidate Cao Ren's garrison at Xincheng.

Only Cao Ren and his men were frightened and abandoned the city.

Then the southern expeditionary force would be able to take Xincheng into its hands without lifting a finger.

The battle of Runan also marked a complete victory.

However, as of now, the second strategic goal has not been achieved.

Cao Ren was not scared away; instead, he built city defenses and united his generals.

They fought desperately to defend the city.

Since the objective had not been achieved, Chen Deng suggested that they first collect the immediate gains and then retreat to Xuzhou to discuss further matters.

Guan Yu was furious upon hearing this and shouted:

"I will take the new city right now."

"Once we take Xincheng, we should advance rapidly and head straight for Yingchuan."

"To annihilate the traitor Cao and secure the Han dynasty."

"Cao Ren is nothing but a guard dog; how could he possibly be my match?"

"If any of you dare to spread such misleading words and undermine the morale of our army again, you will be punished according to military law!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

To everyone's surprise, Guan Yu actually wanted to take advantage of this great victory to directly attack Cao Cao's Yingchuan.

That was Cao Cao's core territory, heavily guarded by troops.

It is already quite remarkable that we have achieved such results in Runan. The best course of action is to promptly consolidate our control over these territories.

Unexpectedly, Guan Yu wanted to eliminate Cao Cao in one fell swoop.

That's a bit of an exaggeration.

Even someone as bold as Chen Yuanlong felt that Guan Yu's idea was somewhat impractical.

He hurriedly advised:

"The general's divine might shakes the world."

"Although the Seven Armies have now surrendered to Yu Jin, our army is on a long expedition, and the supply route is far away, costing a thousand gold coins a day."

"In addition, there are 30,000 surrendered soldiers, whose daily food and provisions are being consumed in great quantities."

"Zhuge Liang has repeatedly issued orders over the past ten days: 'If Xincheng can be taken quickly, then take it; if not, retreat to Pei to alleviate the food shortage.'"

Logistics had always been in Zhuge Liang's hands, and he had reminded the soldiers at the front ten days earlier.

They said if the new city could be taken quickly, then it should be taken quickly; if it couldn't be taken quickly, then at least they should retreat back to Pei.

We need to reduce the pressure on logistics and transportation, otherwise we really won't be able to keep going.

Chen Deng produced the letter sent by Zhuge Liang to prove that the situation was true.

"Now that Xincheng is still in Cao Ren's hands, General, instead of thinking of a strategy to break through the city, you want to launch a distant expedition to Yingchuan. Isn't that abandoning what is near for what is far?"

"Although Cao Cao was defeated, his foundation remained solid."

"Yingchuan is their foundation, and they must defend it to the death."

"If our army ventures deep into enemy territory alone, we may repeat the same mistake Yuan Shao made at Guandu."

"Only the general can consider this carefully!"

Guan Yu was displeased upon hearing this and glared angrily, saying:

"Yuanlong is a man of great talent and ambition, why is he so timid and hesitant now?"

Have you not heard of Xiang Yu's "breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats" strategy?

"As long as our army advances swiftly, even if we are short of food, we can still conquer the land of Henan."

"At that time, my lord will be in the north, and together with Prime Minister Li, we will take the land of Hebei."

"With Henan and Hebei now recovered, the surrounding lords will naturally surrender at the mere sight of them."

"If the world is unified soon, the common people can live in peace and happiness."

"Isn't this a wonderful thing?"

After Guan Yu took command of Yu Jin's seven armies, he was in high spirits and full of pride.

They had been planning to take over the entire Henan province in one fell swoop.

Seeing that Chen Deng, as the General Who Conquers the South, was not cooperating with him, he rebuked him, saying:
"The King of Qi has appointed you as General Who Conquers the South, to oversee the military and political affairs of Huainan."

"Could it be that Yuanlong has lost his heroic spirit due to his long tenure in Huainan?"

Chen Deng bowed and said:

"The plan to ascend the mountain is not out of fear of battle, but is actually a strategic move for the entire army."

"In the past, when Han Xin fought a battle with his back to the river, he first secured the strategic pass of Jingxing."

"Now that the general has no strategic advantage to hold, if the supply lines are cut off, even if Sun Quan were to be resurrected, it would be difficult for him to continue!"

"Moreover, our army has achieved a great victory since the start of the battle."

"If we push Cao Cao too hard, he will surely fight with all his might."

"It won't be as good then."

The supervising officer, Lu Su, who was standing nearby, also chimed in with his advice:

"For now, we can focus on breaking through the new city. If we succeed, we can then consider further expansion."

Everyone agreed, thinking that they should deal with Cao Ren first.

After all, it's still far from over.

Following Lu Su's advice, Guan Yu ordered Zhao Yun to lead the troops to attack the city first.

Zhao Yun accepted the order and led his generals in a fierce attack on the new city.

Cao Ren defended the city, and arrows and stones rained down from the city walls.

Zhao Yunyun ordered his soldiers to carry earth to fill the trenches and build more than ten battering rams, attacking the city day and night.

Cao Ren, atop the city wall, personally wielded a bow and crossbow. Whenever he saw a battering ram approaching, he would shoot it with fire arrows.

Three carts were burned in succession, and corpses piled up everywhere.

Zhao Yun then began digging tunnels, intending to launch a surprise attack and infiltrate the city.

Cao Ren devised a method of listening in the jars within the city, observed their location, and then poured boiling water into them.

The screams of the soldiers digging the earth could be heard for miles.

When Zhao Yun saw that his two plans had failed, he was furious and on the fifth day, he personally donned heavy armor and went to seize the city.

Cao Ren personally donned armor, wielded a white blade, and went to the city walls to fight.

It should be noted that Cao Ren, as the commander-in-chief of a region, actually had to personally engage in close combat.

This demonstrates their determination to defend the city.

Moved by Cao Ren's words, the soldiers defending the city rallied their spirits and fought desperately.

Zhao Yun killed several Wei generals with his spear, while Gan Ning and the others also broke through the shield formation with their swords.

Cao Ren's armor was completely red, and his whole body was covered in blood, yet he still cried out:

"Now that we are in dire straits, why don't you fight to the death?"

The Wei soldiers then swarmed forward and fought desperately against the Qi soldiers.

By nightfall, they had finally repelled the Qi army's attack.

Both on and below the city walls, corpses littered the ground.

Zhao Yun returned to camp to inspect the troops, finding that he had lost more than two thousand men.

I couldn't help but sigh to the people on either side:
"Cao Zixiao is truly a fierce and powerful general!"

"No wonder Cao Cao relied on him as the mainstay of the South."

As the art of war says: "Strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will wane on the second attempt and be exhausted on the third."

"The opportunity has been lost before we can capture the city, so we should temporarily withdraw our offensive."

When the city wall was not captured this time, Zhao Yun knew that continuing to send his soldiers to attack would be futile.

They had no choice but to order men to surround Cao Ren first, and then discuss the matter further.

Zhao Yun also felt immense pressure. He had followed Li Yi in battle for a period of time and learned a lot of combat experience from him.

However, Cao Ren also had something to say.
Where was I before I came to Runan?
I used to live in Hebei!

What kind of people am I hitting?
I fought against the likes of Li Yi, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang!

Although he ultimately lost, Cao Ren was still able to hone his skills.

I learned a lot about the battle tactics commonly used by Qi generals.

By summarizing their experience, they managed to thwart several attacks by the Qi army.

Of course, Cao Ren had also come to his senses after these few days of fighting.

That means the Qi army's logistics must have really run into problems, otherwise they wouldn't have been in such a hurry to attack.

It was precisely because the Qi army was fighting so hastily that Cao Ren had the opportunity to withstand their offensive.

Two days later, Zhao Yun thought to himself that continuing to delay was not a solution.

He then ordered his soldiers to prepare siege ladders, intending to launch one last major attack.

The soldiers obeyed the order and worked through the night to build siege ladders and other siege equipment.

The next morning, a fierce wind blew, and all the ladders collapsed.

All the soldiers found it strange, and one of them said:
"Is the east wind not in our favor, but instead aiding the traitor Cao Cao?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun angrily rebuked:
"How can the timing of events compare to the harmony of the people?"

"Our army is here; we will surely take the new city."

He then personally beat the drum, the sound shaking the roof tiles and causing the city bricks to fall to dust.

The Qi soldiers rallied one last time and charged toward the new city.

……

The capital of the State of Wei was Ye.

Meanwhile, Guan Yu captured Yu Jin and beheaded Cheng He.

His fame spread far and wide, and the whole of China was astonished.

When the scouts reported this to Yedu, Cao Cao was greatly alarmed and exclaimed:
"I have known Yu Jin for twenty years, how could he betray me!"

Cao Cao also felt that Yu Jin should die in battle at Anyang, sacrificing himself for his country.

His lack of resistance made Cao Cao feel very embarrassed.

Because he was the Left General of Wei, the first person from outside the Wei clan to hold that position.

But right now, there is an even more troublesome problem for Cao Cao.

What should be done with Guan Yu's army?
Left with no other option, Cao Cao gathered his civil and military officials to discuss the matter.

"I have always known that Guan Yu is wise and brave beyond compare. Now that he occupies Huainan, he is like a tiger with wings."

"Yu Jin was captured, Cheng He was beheaded, and Cao Ren was trapped in Xincheng."

"The Wei army has suffered repeated setbacks. What if they lead their troops all the way to Yingchuan?"

"Yingchuan is my southern capital, and I cannot abandon it."

"I intend to cede all of Runan in exchange for Liu Bei withdrawing his troops."

What are your thoughts?

No!

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone immediately objected.

Upon closer inspection, everyone recognized him as Sima Yi, a court advisor.

Sima Yi admonished:
"Yu Jin and the others were drowned not because of the battle, but because Heaven was helping Guan Yu to win."

"Although the Seventh Army has been captured, Cao Ren's army is still resisting in Xincheng."

"The reason he did this was precisely to protect Runan for Duke Wei."

"Now we want to cede Runan to Qi in order to seek temporary peace."

"It is shameful for Yi to steal for the public good."

Registrar Jiang Ji also advised:
“Zhongda’s words are correct.”

"General Cao Ren is still resisting, and the Qi troops cannot take the initiative for the time being."

"This is absolutely not the time to seek peace."

"Moreover, Liu Bei had to support 30,000 prisoners of war, which greatly increased the logistical pressure."

"As long as we can hold Xincheng, Liu Bei will surely come to our country for peace talks before Wei Gong."

"That will be the time for negotiations."

"At this time, our country will not gain any advantage from peace talks."

Cao Cao agreed with his words and immediately ordered Li Tong, the governor of Runan, to go and support Cao Ren.

He ordered that no effort be spared in helping Cao Ren defend Xincheng.

We must hold on until Liu Bei can no longer hold on!
Li Tong received the order and led the troops of Runan from west of Runan eastward.

They were stationed in Xincai, ready to support Cao Ren at any time.

Cao Ren's confidence soared upon hearing of Li Tong's arrival.

Inform the generals that the Wei army will surely win this battle.

The battle quickly became a stalemate.

……

(End of this chapter)