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

Chapter 102: I will seek justice for you! Cutting off the Yangtze River? What kind of fantastic plan is this?
Without even a single boat or ship, how can we stop the Jiangdong navy?

These words were like thunder exploding in the sky, and Liu Bei was startled when he heard them. He suddenly exchanged glances with Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu.

Even Zhuge Liang stopped waving his feather fan and looked at Xiao He with surprise.

If we don’t use a boat, what can we use?
Use infantry to stop the Jiangdong navy?

That’s a joke, the Yangtze River is so wide, can you stop it?
A series of questions instantly popped up in the minds of several people.

Zhuge Liang's eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and asked:
"Bo Wen, tell me quickly, how did you manage to stop the Jiangdong navy without using any boats?"

Xiao Heben was about to speak, but found that he couldn't explain it clearly with just words, so he picked up a branch and started drawing on the sand.

Liu Bei brought Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu with him, and the three of them squatted in a circle around Xiao He with their eyes wide open.

"My Lord, what He meant is that we can order Wenchang and his men to start overnight..."

While painting, Xiao He explained his method in detail.

Liu Bei began to gasp.

Xu Shu's eyes gradually widened.

The curiosity on Zhuge Liang's face turned into surprise in an instant.

"This is probably the way to make peace. My Lord, do you think it's feasible?"

Xiao He threw the branch on the ground and clapped his hands.

Liu Bei stared at the diagram on the ground, unable to make any comment for a moment, so he looked up at Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu.

"Military Advisor Bo Wen's plan is truly unprecedented. Since there are no precedents to learn from, I dare not make any rash comments!"

Xu Shu sucked in a breath of cold air, his voice trembling slightly.

Xiao He coughed lightly and thought to himself that of course you can't have any precedent for this strategy. The most recent example will be at least eighty years later.

"I know that your schemes, Bowen, are always unconventional and unexpected, but this one of yours is truly too outlandish!"

Zhuge Liang was also amazed, but his surprise was mixed with a strong sense of joy.

"However, the more imaginative the strategy is, the more difficult it will be for the enemy to defend against, and the more likely it will be a surprise victory."

"My lord, according to Liang's plan, Bowen's strategy is worth a try!"

Although Liu Bei was also surprised, he had complete faith in Xiao He. After hearing what Zhuge Liang said, he felt even more confident.

"Okay, then follow Bowen's plan and quickly order Wenchang to make preparations in secret."

Liu Bei no longer had any concerns and immediately made the decision.

Thus, the strategy of destroying Liu Cong in the west and defending against Sun Quan in the east was decided.

Liu Bei was inspired and ordered a banquet. While drinking fine wine, he discussed the specific details with his advisers.

"Bowen, I've known you for so long, but I've never asked you if you have a wife."

After three rounds of drinks, Liu Bei remembered the entrustment in Guan Yu's previous private letter, so he asked with a tentative smile.

Xiao He smiled and said self-deprecatingly:
"My Lord, I'm sorry to have made you laugh. I've been cultivating with my teacher in the mountains, so naturally I'm still single."

Single?

Liu Bei was stunned and didn't understand what he meant.

"My Lord, I suspect that Bowen's bachelor status probably means he has no intention of getting married."

Zhuge Liang's ability of association was far superior to Liu Bei's, and he immediately deduced the meaning of bachelor.

Liu Bei suddenly realized and was secretly delighted.

Guan Yu was worried that Xiao He had already married and was afraid that Guan Yinping would become his concubine. Now that Xiao He said that he was not married, didn't this just make Guan Yu feel at ease?

After a moment's deliberation, Liu Bei said earnestly:

"Bo Wen, as the saying goes, men should get married when they are old enough, and women should get married when they are old enough. You are not young anymore, it is time for you to get married and have children, and expand your Xiao family."

As he spoke, Liu Bei looked at his niece with a smile.

Guan Yinping's face suddenly turned slightly dizzy, and she immediately became nervous and quickly looked away.

Xiao He choked as the wine entered his throat.

Why did Liu Bei suddenly become concerned about his private life?

From the tone of her voice, she seems to be trying to be a matchmaker for him.

Xiao He's heart suddenly tightened.

Could it be that one of Liu Bei's senior officials wanted to marry his daughter or sister to him so that he could become related to the Right Military Advisor, so he privately asked Liu Bei to act as a matchmaker?

This is nothing. I am at the age to get married. It is a nice thing to have a caring wife who can warm my bed and take care of me.

The key point is whose sister or daughter Liu Bei is. I have never seen her, so it is hard to tell whether she is beautiful or ugly?
Although one should marry a virtuous woman and not just look at her appearance, she cannot be too ugly either. Even if she cannot be a peerless beauty, she should at least be of average appearance.

This woman who wanted Liu Bei to be a matchmaker was really unpleasant to his eyes. If he refused, he would offend his lord, but if he accepted, he would suffer.

It’s so difficult…

Xiao He's eyes flickered, and he suddenly had an idea.

So he put down his wine glass, changed his face into a generous expression, and replied solemnly:
"How can I care for my family if the Han Dynasty has not yet risen?"

Liu Bei had a lot of "matchmaker's words" in mind, but he was blocked by Xiao He's eight words.

As a descendant of the Liu family, he certainly remembered that Emperor Wu of Han also asked his beloved general Huo Qubing why he had not yet married and started a family.

Huo Qubing replied, "How can I return home if the Xiongnu are not yet defeated?"

Emperor Wu of Han then praised Huo Qubing highly.

Xiao He imitated Huo Qubing's answer, comparing his lord with the great emperor of all time like Emperor Wu of Han.

In this case, he could only imitate Emperor Wu of Han's response and could not bring himself to say the matchmaker's words.

Thinking of this, Liu Bei could only raise his glass and respond generously:
"How can I have a family when the Han Dynasty has not yet risen?"

"Bo Wen, since you have such ambition, why should we worry about not being able to wipe out the Han thieves and support our great Han country!"

"This glass of wine is for you, Bowen!"

Liu Bei raised his cup and drank it all.

Xiao He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly raised his glass and drank it all.

The master and his minister looked at each other and laughed heartily.

Guan Yinping, who was standing aside, had lost the blush on her face, her brows were slightly furrowed, and she bit her red lips with her pearly teeth.

"How can I start a family before the Han Dynasty rises?... Don't you remember the principle of building a family first and then establishing a career, you blockhead..."

...

Five days later.

Liu Bei led 20,000 infantrymen south from the Han River to Xiakou, where he met up with Liu Qi and Guan Yu.

At this time, Guan Ping had sent back an urgent report from the Ba army, saying that Cai Mao had led more than 25,000 Jingzhou navy and nearly 1,000 warships to the Baqiu River area.

On land, Liu Cong ordered Jin Xuan, the prefect of Wuling, Han Xuan, the prefect of Changsha, Zhao Fan, the prefect of Guiyang, and Liu Du, the prefect of Lingling, to gather tens of thousands of allied troops from various counties in southern Jing, march north along the east bank of the Xiang River, and approach Baqiu from land.

This time, Liu Cong, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue mobilized all available military forces and were determined to recapture Ba Qiu at all costs.

Liu Bei did not dare to delay. The next day after arriving at Xiakou, he met up with Guan Yu and led the army westward along the river by land and sea, heading to Baqiu to meet the coalition forces of Jingzhou.

At dusk, in the inner room of the county government.

In the dim room, a doctor with half-white hair and beard and a Taoist-like appearance was taking the pulse and examining Liu Qi who was lying on the couch.

Liu Bei stood beside the couch, looking at his haggard nephew with concern.

The doctor was Hua Tuo.

Not long ago, Hua Tuo traveled to the Xiangyang area. It happened that Liu Bei had met Hua Tuo once when he was the governor of Xuzhou, so the miracle doctor came to visit him.

Liu Bei then warmly invited Hua Tuo to stay in the army to treat the wounded.

Doctors are all kind-hearted, and they naturally sympathize with Liu Bei, the benevolent ruler. So they gladly agreed to Liu Bei's request and stayed in Xiangyang.

Liu Bei learned that Liu Qi had been ill for a long time and his health was deteriorating. When he went south this time, he brought Hua Tuo with him to treat Liu Qi.

After examining the patient for a long time, Hua Tuo shook his head and sighed.

Liu Bei hurriedly asked, "Divine Doctor Hua, how is Gong Wei's condition?"

Doctor Hua glanced at Liu Qi and seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Liu Qi propped himself up and sat up, saying:
"Is there any hope for my condition? Doctor Hua, please feel free to tell me. Qi is not someone who shy away from seeking medical treatment."

Hua Tuo sighed and bowed to the two of them:

"General Liu's illness is the result of years of fright and depression, coupled with his subsequent excessive drinking, which has damaged his lungs and internal organs. Forgive my limited medical skills, all I can do is slightly slow down General Liu's condition."

Hua Tuo's words hinted clearly that Liu Qi's illness was incurable and all he could do was to help him live a few more days.

Liu Qi seemed to have been mentally prepared for this result and was not too sad. He just smiled bitterly again.

The slander of stepmother Cai, the coldness and dislike of father Liu Biao, Cai Mao's constant targeting, and Kuai Yue's various calculations...

The cowardice and frustration he had endured over the past decade, as well as the immense psychological pressure of constant anxiety, had already exhausted him both physically and mentally.

To relieve his melancholy and panic, whenever he was alone, he could only drink to numb himself, but this only made things worse for his health.

If this continues, the disease will naturally become incurable.

Liu Bei was shocked and asked anxiously:
"Divine Doctor Hua, you have the ability to bring back the dead. Is Gong Wei's illness truly incurable?"

Hua Tuo looked apologetic, sighed, and shook his head. Liu Bei's hopes were dashed.

"Life and death are determined by fate. This is God's will. Uncle, please don't be sad."

Liu Qi, however, was very open-minded and could face the approaching death calmly.

"Gong Wei..."

Liu Bei patted him on the shoulder gently, wanting to say something to comfort him, but he didn't know what to say.

Liu Qi's expression calmed down, but hatred burned between his brows.

"Qi is not afraid of death, but only regrets that he cannot kill the two thieves Cai Mao and Kuai Yue with his own hands to relieve the hatred in his heart!"

"Qi only begs my uncle to place the heads of Cai and Kuai, the two thieves, before my nephew's spirit one day. That way, Qi can rest in peace in his grave!"

As he said this, Liu Qi forced himself to get off the bed and bowed deeply to Liu Bei.

"Gong Wei, get up quickly!"

Liu Bei hurriedly supported Liu Qi.

Looking at the sadness, anger and rage in Liu Qi's eyes, he could naturally understand the hatred in his nephew's heart.

In recent years, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue have been deliberate in order to support Liu Cong to ascend to the throne, and have used all means to suppress and attack Liu Qi.

He saw clearly the injustice and suffering Liu Qi endured, but he was powerless to do anything.

Now Liu Qi's earnest request is tantamount to a dying wish. For both public and private reasons, how could he not agree?

then.

Liu Bei took a deep breath and said seriously:

"Don't worry, Gongwei. I swear by Jiang that I will punish Cai and Kuai, the two thieves, and seek justice for you!"

Liu Qi's face showed some relief, and he bowed to Liu Bei again:
"Uncle has the assistance of two extraordinary men, Kong Ming and Bo Wen. Even Cao Cao and Sun Quan are no match for him, let alone the two thieves Cai and Kuai and my foolish brother."

"Qi will defend Xiakou for my uncle and wait for good news about my uncle's great victory in Baqiu!"

Liu Bei was cheered up and immediately bowed solemnly and left.

An army of more than 30,000 soldiers and sailors left Xiakou and advanced both by land and sea, heading up the Jiangxi River in a mighty force.

...

Jiangdong, Ruxuwu.

The warships carrying the families of 4,000 surrendered soldiers have entered the dock.

The 10,000-strong navy commanded by Ling Tong also returned south from Hefei last night and sailed into the dock.

Sun Quan, who had arrived secretly with the entourage, was now standing on the wall with his hands behind his back, looking far upstream.

A boat came from upstream and sailed into Ruxu Wharf.

Not long after, Cheng Pu, who had just recovered from his injuries, stepped into the dock and came to Sun Quan.

"General Demou, you are finally back safe and sound!"

Sun Quan came forward in ecstasy and supported Cheng Pu.

"My lord, I am old, I am old..."

Cheng Pu held Sun Quan's hand tightly, tears welling up in his eyes, and his face showed a complex expression of shame and gratitude.

Gratitude, of course, was due to Sun Quan's willingness to exchange tens of thousands of people for Liu Bei in exchange for his rescue.

He was ashamed of his defeat and capture. Not only did he lose face, but he also caused Sun Quan to ask for peace with Liu Bei and lost tens of thousands of people.

"I swear on my life that sooner or later I will lead my Jiangdong army to annihilate Jingzhou and personally behead Liu Bei to repay my lord's kindness!"

Cheng Pu held it in for a long time before finally spouting off a bunch of empty promises.

Sun Quan smiled mysteriously and said:

"It doesn't matter if it's early or late. I will march to Jingzhou right now to avenge you, old general!"

Cheng Pu was stunned.

Sun Quan stroked his purple beard and confessed all of Lu Meng's plans to Cheng Pu.

Ling Tong, who was standing by, suddenly understood why Sun Quan had secretly ordered Zhou Yu to lead 10,000 naval forces south to Ruxu Fort at night.

It turned out that this was Lu Meng's strategy.

His 10,000-man army will transfer to warships here, disguise themselves as the families of the 4,000 surrendered soldiers, hide from the eyes and ears of Liu's army, rush all the way across Xiakou, and go straight to the rear of Liu Bei's navy in Baqiu!

"Lü Ziming, is this plan really yours?"

Cheng Pu suddenly woke up and looked at Lu Meng with surprise.

Lu Meng smiled faintly and said self-deprecatingly:
"I'm sorry for making the old general laugh at me for this petty trick."

Cheng Pu suddenly burst into laughter, patted Lu Meng on the shoulder and praised him:
"Ziming, Ziming, I never thought that Jiangdong would have such a brilliant man like you. No wonder the Lord made an exception and promoted you. The Lord's ability to judge people is truly unmatched in the world!"

Cheng Pu has always had a very high vision, and now that he received such high praise from him, the corners of Lu Meng's mouth couldn't help but rise slightly.

The laughter suddenly stopped, and Cheng Pu bowed to Sun Quan generously:
"My lord, I will personally lead this special force and march across the long distance to Baqiu. I will destroy Liu Bei's navy and slay that scoundrel Guan Yu!"

Sun Quan was surprised and said hurriedly:

"Old General, you just returned to Jiangdong and your injuries haven't healed yet. Why don't you..."

Before Sun Quan could finish speaking, Cheng Pu suddenly knelt on the ground.

"In the Battle of Xiakou, I was defeated by Guan Yu. If I don't avenge this, how can I, Cheng Pu, have the dignity to stay in Jiangdong?"

"Although Pu's injuries have not healed, he is still capable of leading our army and defeating Guan Yu!"

"If my lord doesn't allow it, I will kneel and die here!"

Sun Quan understood.

Cheng Pu wanted to personally wash away the shame of his defeat and capture, in order to relieve the hatred in his heart and to rebuild his prestige among the generals in Jiangdong.

"Cheng Demou's prowess in naval warfare is well known. Although his injuries haven't healed yet, it shouldn't be a problem if he's just commanding the army. It might even help him achieve his goal of redeeming his previous humiliation..."

Sun Quan rolled his eyes a few times, then smiled generously:
"Well, General Demou, since you have such courage, how can I refuse you?"

"Ling Gongji, you will serve as General Cheng's deputy general. Quickly disguise yourself as civilians and march straight to Baqiu day and night!"

"I will follow up with Gongjin later, leading the main force!"

"You will defeat Guan Yu's navy, but I will personally razed Xiakou City!"

Cheng Pu was overjoyed and accepted the order with great enthusiasm.

At that moment, Cheng Pu, regardless of the fatigue of the journey, and Ling Tong led 10,000 navy soldiers disguised as civilians, left Ruxuwu at night and headed straight for Jingzhou.

...

Four days later, the Jiang area east of Xiakou.

Hundreds of warships were speeding westward up the river.

Cheng Pu stood at the bow of the boat, holding his sword, looking at the familiar scenery on both sides of the river, feeling more and more excited.

The fleet did not encounter any warships of Liu's army along the way, and the Liu army deployed on both sides of the strait did not seem to be in a panic.

Obviously, everyone in Liu's army thought that they were a fleet transporting the families of the remaining 4,000 surrendered soldiers, and they were not on guard against them at all.

"Old General, Xiakou City is just ahead!"

Ling Tong's reminder rang in his ears.

Cheng Pu looked up and saw the vague outline of a city on the north bank upstream.

Xiakou is near.

Cheng Pu clenched his sword handle tightly, and the humiliating experience of being captured in the Battle of Xiakou emerged in his mind.

A ball of anger burned in his heart, and he wished he could immediately massacre Xiakou in order to relieve the hatred in his heart.

After taking a deep breath, Cheng Pu suppressed his anger.

He knew very well that Xiakou was garrisoned by Wei Yan and five thousand elite soldiers. Even if he suddenly landed and attacked with his own ten thousand navy, it would be impossible for him to break through without internal support.

"Send the message. The army does not need to stop and continues to advance towards Baqiu. Leave Xiakou City to the lord to deal with!"

Cheng Pu looked calm and waved his hand to give orders.

Ling Tong then passed down the order.

As the signal flags waved, the ships continued to move westward up the river without slowing down.

Time flies, and the outline of Xiakou City has become clear.

It seemed that in another quarter of an hour, their fleet would be able to pass smoothly through the river area in front of Xiakou City.

Cheng Pu's eyes were slightly narrowed, and he was already thinking in his mind what tactics to use to defeat Guan Yu's navy when the Ba soldiers arrived.

Sudden.

Cheng Pu's eyes widened, and his old face was instantly twisted with endless horror.

That look seemed to have seen the most incredible scene in the world.

The Jiangdong soldiers around were all shocked and in an uproar.

A huge iron chain stretched across the two sides of the river, blocking their way!

(End of this chapter)