The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 177 Each Has a Chance of Winning
In the eleventh month of winter in the third year of Huangchu (646 AD).

Emperor Cao Pi of Wei, believing that Sun Quan, the King of Wu, outwardly served Wei but inwardly harbored rebellious intentions, issued an edict ordering a southern expedition to the Jiangnan region.

An imperial edict was issued, appointing Cao Xiu as General Who Conquers the East, granting him the Yellow Axe, and placing him in charge of all military affairs in Yangzhou.

He also ordered General Zang Ba, the General Who Guards the East, to march south to Guangling in order to divide the enemy's forces.

The emperor also issued an edict ordering General Xiahou Shang to defend Wancheng against Guan Yu and not to start a war lightly.

"In short, only my Yangzhou route is the actual attack in this battle; the rest are all support routes."

Cao Xiu read the imperial edict and was immediately overjoyed.

He addressed Xue Qiao, the Yueqi Colonel in charge of summoning the cavalry:
“When my mother passed away, you were ordered by the Emperor to offer condolences and also helped me bury her. I am deeply grateful for this kindness.”

"Now that an unparalleled achievement is before us, Captain, are you willing to join me in taking it?"

Xue Qiao was overjoyed to hear this and thanked him.

As one of the five major schools of the Northern Army, he would hardly have the opportunity to make meritorious contributions unless the emperor personally led the expedition.

The current Cao Zhengdong is not only highly favored by the emperor, but is also a recognized valiant general of the imperial family.

Why not take advantage of such easy military achievements?

But when he thought of the word "military achievements," something else suddenly came to mind, and he blurted out:
"When I was traveling south from Luoyang and passing through Ancheng, Magistrate Jia asked me to convey a message to you, General, that you were traveling alone deep into enemy territory and that you should be wary of the enemy forces joining forces under the walls of Wancheng."

"If we are not certain of victory, why not let General Zhang Liao advance from Hefei to Ruxu Fortress?"

"The former general's might shakes the Jiangnan region; once his banner is raised, it may force the enemy to divide their forces."

Ancheng was the capital of Yuzhou.

The Prefect Jia was none other than Jia Kui, the Governor of Yuzhou.

Cao Xiu subconsciously frowned:
"In this campaign, I will win by using deception."

“I only reported to His Majesty before, and I did not discuss it with Jia Liangdao. How could he know that I would be going deep into enemy territory alone?”

Seeing Cao Xiu's displeased expression, Xue Qiao quickly said:

"This humble general has no idea what the general's plan was, and has absolutely not leaked any military secrets! Perhaps... it was Lord Jia who guessed it himself?"

Cao Xiu thought about it and felt that this was probably the truth.

After all, that person was a wise strategist recognized by the imperial court.

His expression softened, and he asked:

"Is there anything else to say about Jia Liangdao?"

Xue Qiao recalled for a moment and said:

"In addition, I would suggest that the general send out more scouts to prevent Guan Yu from coming down the river to rescue them."

“Sun Quan was not sincere in his dealings with Wei, and he still maintained close ties with the Western bandits.”

"If the two thieves try to help each other from the east and west, it may be disadvantageous."

“If things become urgent in the future, he is willing to send troops to help.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Xiu's expression completely improved, and he smiled smugly:

"It seems Jia Liangdao is merely guessing and is unaware of my scheme!"

"Very well, I'll reply to thank him for his kindness right away!"

Xue Qiao had thought that Cao Xiu would be wary of Jia Kui vying for credit, but seeing his attitude, he probably really had something to rely on.

Was Jia Kui indeed overthinking things?

Relieved, he became even more curious:

"The general just said that victory would be achieved through deception?"

Cao Xiu pointed to a large stack of bamboo slips on the table and said:
"Guess what this is?"

Xue Qiao shook her head and said she didn't know.

Cao Xiu, supporting his waist, laughed loudly:
"These are all surrender documents from Sun Quan's subordinates!"

so much!
Xue Qiao was speechless for a moment.

……

Wancheng.

Lu Xun returned from his patrol with Zhu Ran and gazed towards the northwest.

In the middle of the Wan Mountains, there is a solitary peak that stands tall, resembling a pillar reaching to the sky.

All the surrounding peaks, near and far, cannot compare, as if bowing down in submission.

Lu Xun was so captivated by the sight that he momentarily forgot to move forward.

Until Zhu Ran turned around and asked:
"Has Boyan sent Cao Xiu several letters of surrender?"

Lu Xun quickly composed himself and said:

"The five letters contained various claims, including that I was not successful in Jiangdong, that the local gentry secretly admired the north, and that the people of the mountains and Yue were mostly stubborn and foolish, and could be lured with benefits, etc."

"I even asked him for the title of General Who Guards the South, and he agreed on behalf of the Wei Emperor... Ha!"

Zhu Ran looked at Lu Xun, who had a confident expression, and hesitated to speak.

Lu Xun said:

"As the general's deputy, I will naturally do my utmost to assist you. If the general has any doubts, why not speak frankly to me?"

Zhu Ran then said:
"Yesterday I captured and killed two traitorous generals who attempted to defect to the north."

Lu Xun was slightly taken aback, and said:
"Because of our incompetence, Your Majesty has been looked down upon by heroes of the world since your narrow defeat to Liu Bei and Guan Yu two years ago."

"Now that the Cao family has launched a southern expedition, it is quite common for some of the generals and officers to be disloyal."

"Otherwise, how could Cao Xiu, with his intelligence and wisdom, have fallen for the trap so easily?"

"That's just how things were going to be."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ran's worry deepened:
"Precisely because of the current situation, I fear that a feigned surrender would lead to a real defeat... Boyan, are you truly confident?" Upon hearing this, Lu Xun composed himself and said:

"The outcome of this battle depends three-tenths on the terrain, three-tenths on the enemy general's underestimation of the enemy and recklessness, and the rest entirely on the general's ability to command troops."

"Now that the terrain is in our favor, and Cao Xiu is indeed acting rashly, does the general not trust Lu Xun, or does he not trust his own ability to command troops?"

Zhu Ran remained silent for a few breaths, then exhaled and said:

"To be honest, if I were to simply hold Wancheng, even if Cao Xiu had a large army and many generals, I would not be afraid."

"What I'm worried about now is, what if Cao Xiu changes his mind halfway through? Should we pursue him further?"

"If we pursue them, how much of your plan will be left?"

Lu Xun replied decisively, "Still ten points!"

Zhu Ran was puzzled.

Lu Xun said, "General, you worry about defeat before you think about victory. How can you not win if you use troops like this?"

Zhu Ran was stunned for a moment, then finally burst out laughing.

……

In the middle of the month, snow fell.

Cao Xiu led his troops south from Shouchun.

Along the way, he only sent messengers to Hefei, asking General Zhang Liao to send troops to Ruxu.

They then headed straight down to the eastern foothills of the Dabie Mountains without stopping.

When we reached Jiashi.

The grain official reported that many rivers in the rear were frozen, making it impossible to continue by boat, and that they had to switch to carts and horses.

Cao Xiu was not angry but pleased, and ordered the baggage to be put down and the army to begin a forced march.

He certainly had his reasons for doing so.

The carrying capacity of carriages and horses is certainly not as good as that of boats and ships.

But it depends on who you're comparing it to.

There are many horses in the north and many boats in the east of the Yangtze River.

During the same dry winter season, the latter obviously faces greater obstacles.

Moreover, precisely because the weather will get colder as time goes on, we should act swiftly and take control of Wancheng as soon as possible.

Not to mention, on the eastern foothills of the Dabie Mountains, from Jiashi to Wancheng, the road is basically flat all the way.

Perfect for galloping on horseback!

In short, over the course of several days, the Wei army made a lightly armed raid, passing through Guanche and Shiting.

Finally, on a clear day after a snowfall, we arrived at the northern suburbs of Wancheng.

then.

Cao Xiu then saw the heavily fortified city of Wan and its surrounding fortresses.

As for the Wu generals who originally claimed to surrender...

Not a single person came out of the city to meet them.

To be honest, Cao Xiu had anticipated this situation.

Even during their southward journey, they never neglected to have scouts explore the area.

However, it must be said that Cao Cao's large-scale scorched-earth policy in Huainan back then, although it served as a strategic defense against Sun Quan, was not the only one.

However, when it came to Cao Wei's southern expedition, it also hindered itself.

It can only be said that, most of the time, favorable timing, geographical advantages, and popular support are fair to both sides in a conflict.

Clearly, Cao Xiu had fallen for Lu Xun's trap.

But to the surprise of his subordinates, Cao Xiu did not panic.

They didn't even show any sign of shame or anger.

He simply ordered the scouts to intensify their reconnaissance and, once they confirmed that they still had a numerical advantage, immediately ordered all units to quickly set up camp, rest, and prepare for battle.

At the same time, letters were sent to urge the rear areas such as Shiting, Guache, and Jiashi to gather as many soldiers who had fallen behind during the raid as possible.

He even sent letters to Zhang Liao, Zang Ba, and Jia Kui, hoping for backup should anything happen.

They intend to change their strategy from a sneak attack to a full-scale assault.

Seeing this, the generals had nothing to say except to hurry up and prepare for battle.

……

"Cao Xiu was indeed reckless!"

"General, take advantage of the enemy's unstable foothold and order an advance!"

Upon hearing Lu Xun's reminder, Zhu Ran's doubts vanished.

He immediately ordered Deputy Commander Lu Xun to lead the left wing, General Quan Cong to lead the right wing, and himself to lead the central wing, advancing in three columns to launch a full-scale attack on Cao Cao's army.

Several days followed.

The two sides engaged in fierce fighting around the perimeter of Wancheng.

The Wei army, isolated and deep in enemy territory, was determined to press their advantage in one fell swoop.

Wu Jun, having rested and prepared, responded calmly with a well-founded strategy.

Ultimately, Cao Xiu retreated due to the exhaustion of his troops and the inability to manage logistics.

When they retreated to Shiting, Wu's various armies had already swarmed in.

For a time, Cao Xiu was caught between a rock and a hard place, and could only hastily repair his camp at Jiashi in preparation for the arrival of reinforcements.

(End of this chapter)