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

Chapter 100: He's so angry he's even going to kill himself? Sun Quan: Liu Bei, you're going too far!
Cao Pi's legs went weak and he almost couldn't stand.

Cao Cao was really angry this time.

If he knew that the person who drove Xiao He away was his own son, he might really chop him to pieces in anger.

The key is to exterminate the three tribes!
Doesn't this mean that he is so cruel that he wants to kill himself?

Cao Pi was filled with panic and regret. He froze in place, trembling and not daring to move.

"Xiu, I will obey your orders. After returning to Xudu, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and find out who caused the Prime Minister to lose such a brilliant man."

Yang Xiu hurriedly accepted the order.

Cao Cao's anger had just subsided a little. He stood up and walked out of the hall, looking towards Jingzhou.

The expression on his face was still that of someone who valued money more than anything else and had just missed out on a rare treasure.

"Xiao He, Xiao He, since you originally planned to join me, why did you give up so easily?"

"Even if you were driven away by that blind idiot, you should still find a way to recommend yourself!"

"Why did you abandon me and go to join that big-eared thief..."

Cao Cao's thoughts were surging and he gritted his teeth secretly.

While Cao Cao was gritting his teeth, Cao Pi was filled with regret and self-blame.

"How could I have known that a madman was actually a genius, capable of single-handedly ruining my father's ambition to unify the world?"

"If I had known he was so capable, I would have kowtowed to him three times and nine times to invite him into the camp and recommend him to my father..."

Cao Pi glanced at Yang Xiu secretly again, and his regretful eyes were filled with deep worry.

Yang Xiu was Cao Zhi's man, and he was extremely smart and resourceful. It was possible that he could find out that the "culprit" who drove Xiao He away that day was Cao Pi.

If this is true, Cao Zhi would have had something on his hands and would have used it to make a big fuss.

If Cao Cao knew that it was him who drove Xiao He away, and Cao Zhi was fanning the flames, how would he cope?
"No, I can't just sit there and wait for death. I have to return to Xudu as soon as possible and discuss a countermeasure with Zhongda. He has always been resourceful and must have a foolproof plan..."

Cao Pi's thoughts raced, and his eyes gradually became determined.

The next day.

Cao Cao left Cao Ren to guard Wancheng, and he personally led the army back north.

The spies densely distributed in Nanyang quickly sent the news of Cao's army returning north to Fancheng.

...

Fancheng, inside the government hall.

Half a month later, Lu Su was summoned by Liu Bei for the second time and entered the palace.

This time, his face looked less guilty and more confident.

Although Liu Bei won great victories over Cao and Sun in succession and seemed to be in great glory, the territory he controlled was still limited to Xiangfan, and he had an ally named Liu Qi who could hardly protect himself.

For Liu Bei, the most urgent thing at the moment is to capture Jiangling, destroy Liu Qi and Cai Mao, and swallow up the entire Jingzhou.

With Cao Cao stationed in Wancheng, Liu Bei's main force never dared to act rashly, and it was even more impossible for him to go to war with him in Jiangdong without obtaining Jingzhou.

With this premise in mind, Lu Su is no longer in a hurry. At worst, he can just drag it out.

In the end, Liu Bei will not be able to hold on any longer and will choose to release Cheng Pu unconditionally in exchange for Jiangdong's deployment of troops against Hefei, so as to force Cao Cao to march east and eliminate the threat to northern Jing.

As for Cheng Pu's life, there is no need to worry at all.

Liu Bei was not Cao Cao. With his kind nature, he would not attack Cheng Pu with a sword or an axe out of impatience.

"He summoned me again after half a month. Most likely, Liu Xuande has come to his senses and is planning to release General Cheng unconditionally..."

So when one foot stepped over the threshold, Lu Su still had such an optimistic guess in his heart.

The host and the guest met and exchanged several polite greetings.

Lu Su glanced around and saw no sign of Cheng Pu, so he asked:

"Liu Yuzhou, I wonder where General Cheng is now. Didn't Liu Yuzhou invite him to meet Su?"

Liu Bei did not answer, but just picked up the tea bowl and glanced at Xiao He.

Xiao He smiled and said:

"Let's put General Cheng's matter aside for now. My master has a happy event that I must share with Zijing first."

As he spoke, he gave a look and Deng Ai, who was standing behind him, handed a piece of silk book to Lu Su.

Lu Su looked confused and took the silk book suspiciously.

After taking a quick look, Lu Su's expression suddenly changed. He looked up at Xiao He in astonishment.

"Military Advisor Xiao, this..."

Lu Su's hand holding the silk book was shaking, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.

"This is the secret report my spies just sent back, still fresh and hot. It says that Cao Cao has led all his troops back north. The sword hanging over my lord's head has been removed, and he can finally lead his troops south."

"Since the Sun and Liu families have reconciled, our good news is naturally good news for General Sun. Zijing, please send someone to Chaisang to announce the good news so that General Sun can be happy again."

Xiao He pointed out the contents of the book with a smile, and at the same time gave Sun Quan some serious advice.

"But General Sun, there's no need to worry. Cao Cao's march north this time is to prevent the generals in Guanzhong from leaving the pass to attack Xuzhou and Luoyang. The Huainan front is still undermanned."

"General Sun can still mobilize all the troops in Jiangdong, cross the river and attack Hefei again. With General Sun's mastery of military tactics and the bravery and skill of the Jiangdong soldiers, we will surely capture Hefei in one fell swoop and then pacify Huainan!"

Xu Shu followed closely behind and delivered another blow.

Lu Su tightly grasped the information in his hand, but questioned:

"Why did the generals in Guanzhong suddenly gather their forces and attack Xu and Luo at this critical moment?"

Obviously he was hoping for a lucky break and doubted the authenticity of the information.

Xu Shu smiled, looked at Xiao He and said:

"Since our two families have reconciled, there's no need to hide it. This is actually a rumor-mongering scheme by our military advisor, Bowen..."

Xu Shu immediately told Xiao He all his plans.

Lu Su took a deep breath and looked at Xiao He with a very complicated and trembling look.

Surprise, admiration, fear, and even terror... Lu Su's eyes were filled with countless meanings.

In the end, it turned into a helpless sigh.

"This man's vision is truly incredible. He even thought of dragging the generals in Guanzhong into the water. A mere rumor was enough to force Cao Cao to retreat north in panic."

"Liu Bei is truly blessed by fate to have this man!" "It seems his request is too high, and the lord has no choice but to agree. Alas..."

After sighing in his heart for a long time, Lu Su forced a smile on his face and said with a bow:

"So it was Military Advisor Xiao's brilliant plan. No wonder Cao Cao retreated north in panic."

"Nai Su would like to congratulate Liu Yuzhou. This battle against Cao finally ended in complete victory."

Liu Bei smiled and said calmly:

"Zi Jing, this is wrong. Since I have formed an alliance with Sun Zhongmou, it is natural for us to win the war against Cao together. I should celebrate with Sun Zhongmou."

Lu Su looked embarrassed. He knew that Liu Bei's words were sarcastic, but he had no choice but to accept it.

Next, Lu Su naturally lost all confidence and immediately said that he would immediately send someone back to Chaisang to "report the good news" to Sun Quan. At the same time, he requested Sun Quan to send the families of 9,000 Jiangdong soldiers to Jingzhou in exchange for Cheng Pu.

That night, a small boat sailed south along the river and headed straight for Chaisang.

...

Chaisang City, the county seat.

"Big-eared thief, how dare you be so arrogant and put forward such shameless conditions to me!"

"Lu Zijing, oh Lu Zijing, you should have rejected such a humiliating offer right then and there. Why bother asking me for permission?"

"How can I, Sun Quan, the dignified ruler of Jiangdong, be humiliated like this by this big-eared thief?"

In the palace hall, Sun Quan slammed Lu Su's memorial on the table, puffing his beard and glaring in anger.

Ling Tong, Xu Sheng and other generals were all like chickens with their blood pumped up. They all jumped up and cursed Liu Bei for going too far.

But despite the scolding, no one dared to persuade Sun Quan to reject Liu Bei's conditions.

Refusing means that he is reluctant to give up tens of thousands of people and has chosen to give up Cheng Pu.

If someone is held responsible for Cheng Pu’s death in the future, who would have the courage to take the blame?

Sun Quan glanced at the generals, hoping that someone would stand up and persuade him to give up the exchange of Cheng Pu.

Unfortunately, the generals cursed harshly, but no one responded to his wishes.

Sun Quan had no choice but to suppress his anger and weigh the pros and cons in his mind.

After a while, Sun Quan swallowed his saliva and waved his hand:
"Hurry and reply to Zi Jing, telling him to bargain with Liu Bei again. I can only meet half of his demands at best."

Sun Quan made a consideration.

Cheng Pu's life was worth at most the families of 5,000 surrendered soldiers. If it was more, he would rather give up Cheng Pu and bear the infamy of being heartless and disregarding the life and death of a veteran of three dynasties.

The words trailed off.

Lu Meng, who had been silent and deep in thought, suddenly spoke:

"My lord, I believe you might as well take advantage of Liu Bei's trick and agree to all of his conditions."

As soon as these words were spoken, Sun Quan's face suddenly changed.

If everyone agrees, that would mean 9,000 soldiers and their families, nearly 30,000 people.

Such a large population is not a small number even for Cao Cao, who has a wealthy family and a powerful economy, let alone him.

No matter how senior Cheng Pu is, how great his achievements are, or how famous he is, he is not worth this price!

You, Lu Meng, are my confidant who was promoted by me. How come you are still so confused and can't figure out my thoughts?
You are admonishing me so openly in front of everyone. How do you want me to respond?

Sun Quan frowned and his face suddenly became unhappy.

"My lord, I have something else I would like to present to you privately!"

However, Lu Meng changed the subject and made eye contact, suggesting to Sun Quan to dismiss his men.

Sun Quan hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed to his request and dismissed all the generals.

"Ziming, I naturally have to rescue General Cheng, but I'm not like Cao Cao, who controls the entire north. I only control a small corner of Jiangdong, and tens of thousands of people are no small number."

"I always thought that among all the generals, you were the one who understood me the most, but I never thought that you couldn't even understand my difficulties..."

When there was no one else around, Sun Quan opened his heart to Lu Meng and complained about his troubles.

A strange look flashed across Lu Meng's lips:
"How could Meng not know the Lord's difficulties? How could Meng let the Lord give away tens of thousands of people to the big-eared thieves for nothing?"

Sun Quan was stunned, his eyes blank.

"Now that Cao Cao has retreated north, Liu Bei's northern threat has been eliminated. He will surely withdraw and march south to capture Jiangling and swallow up Jingzhou."

"I imagine that Liu Cong, Cai Mao, and their ilk in Jiangling must be fearful at this moment. Furthermore, they were previously attacked by Guan Yu in Baqiu, which cut off the supply routes for Changsha and other southern Jing counties to the north. I imagine they must be in dire straits."

"My lord, you might as well openly ally with Liu Bei, but secretly conclude a secret agreement with Liu Cong. In exchange for Liu Cong ceding the three counties east of the Xiang River, Jiangxia, Changsha, and Guiyang, you promise to help him destroy Liu Bei and recapture Xiangyang."

"Then, my lord, you can invite Liu Cong to dispatch the Jiangling navy to attack Baqiu from upstream, thereby opening up a passage for the Xiang River to flow north."

"Liu Bei will not sit idly by and watch Baqiu fall. He will certainly mobilize his entire land and sea forces westward to Baqiu for a decisive battle with Liu Cong."

"When the two Lius are engaged in fierce fighting, my lord can break the alliance with Liu Bei and suddenly send his navy westward. Pass Xiakou without attacking, and head straight for Baqiu, giving Liu Bei's navy a fatal blow from behind!"

"Once Liu Bei's navy is destroyed and his water control is lost, what good will Xiakou City do even if it is strong?"

"By then, my lord, it would be easy for you to capture Xiakou and wipe out the previous shame in one fell swoop, wouldn't it?"

Lu Meng had a confident smile on his face, as if he had mastered a plan, and he explained his overall layout in a very eloquent manner.

Sun Quan's eyes gradually widened, and the resentment and helplessness on his face were replaced by endless ecstasy in an instant.

"I will secretly form an alliance with Liu Cong and use the Jiangling navy to divert the main land and sea forces of the Big Ear Bandits to Baqiu. Then, I will seize this opportunity to send troops back into Jingzhou and destroy Liu Bei's navy from both sides..."

"Brilliant! This plan is truly ingenious and beyond comprehension!"

Sun Quan clapped his hands in admiration, and praised with boundless joy:
"Ziming, your plan is no better than this, even if Han Xin were resurrected!"

The corners of Lu Meng's mouth curled up, and although he tried his best to restrain himself, he couldn't hide a hint of pride between his brows.

At this time.

After his ecstasy, Sun Quan suddenly stopped smiling:
"But that big-eared thief has learned from the previous incident of crossing the river in white clothes, so how could he not be on guard against me? If my army moves, Liu Bei will surely be alerted."

"If Liu Bei heard the news and promptly dispatched his troops eastward to intercept our army at Xiakou, wouldn't your plan fail?"

Lu Meng raised a sly look at the corner of his mouth, and sneered playfully:

"This is why Meng persuaded the Lord to agree to Liu Bei's exchange of 9,000 surrendered soldiers and their families for General Cheng."

Sun Quan was stunned.

(End of this chapter)