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

Chapter 354 A Hundred-Mile Strategy Wins Over a Ten-Mile Plan

Mi Wei was not surprised, and only asked:

"What brings you here today, Master Xin?"

Sinpi asked rhetorically:

"I was captured by the general's men; I did not come here voluntarily."

Miwei shook his head:

“If Lord Xin were not of noble character, he could have killed himself long ago instead of waiting to be captured.”

Xin Pi paused slightly upon hearing this, took a sip from his cup, and said with a slight sneer:

"I told you so. With the general's wisdom and intelligence, why would he need me to give him pointers?"

Miwei shook his head again and said:

"It's still necessary. After all, even the wisest person can make a mistake. Only when wise people come together and cooperate sincerely can they truly be foolproof!"

"What a wonderful saying, 'Even the wisest man can make a mistake!'" Xinpi exclaimed, clapping his hands in praise.

It is said that those who are good at swimming drown, and those who are good at riding fall.

"The Wu people were skilled in naval warfare, so they were lax in their defenses during the high-water season. As a result, Zhu Ling and his men took advantage of the situation and attacked their heart."

"Cao Zilian was skilled in cavalry warfare but neglected his infantry. As a result, he could not win in cavalry battles and suffered a great defeat in infantry battles. Thus, once the cavalry battles were lost, the whole game was lost, and he was pursued and driven away by the general."

"On the contrary, the general's troops were well-trained and well-supplied, yet he remained cautious of the enemy's deep penetration, slowly wearing down the Wei army's supplies and morale, and finally winning with a strategy that was only a hundred miles away from the enemy's ten miles away."

"I am now increasingly convinced that Cao Zilian's defeat in this battle was not unjust!"

Hearing this familiar comment, Zhuge Qiao felt secretly pleased, but also asked curiously:

"Judging from what Master Xin said, you already believed that the Cao family was bound to lose this battle?"

Xinpi nodded calmly and said:
"Before I went south from Xuchang to meet Cao Zilian, I had already secretly moved my close family members."

"The reason I am still willing to go south is not only because I really don't want my reputation to be ruined after I die, but also because I am thinking of waiting and seeing."

As he spoke, Xinpi looked at Miwei again:
"General, you must have heard about how the Yuan family was defeated back then?"

Seeing that Mi Wei nodded, he continued:
"It is common knowledge that the Yuan family declined because Yuan Benchu ​​was outwardly lenient but inwardly suspicious, and prone to scheming but indecisive."

"But what truly destroyed the Yuan family's foundation was the infighting between the brothers Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang."

“If Cao Zilian had not returned to Hefei from Wancheng to see Jia Liangdao, I might have followed him across the river to the south to protect myself.”

"Then, after the world is settled, we will take the opportunity to persuade him to submit and become a vassal."

"If that's the case, I might really be able to serve as a minister alongside the general and all of you in the future."

"However, the Cao family's sons were ultimately much more magnanimous than the Yuan brothers."

"This gave me some hope, thinking that since there was no fear of internal strife, perhaps the Cao family could really survive this calamity?"

At this point, Xinpi let out a long sigh, as if he could no longer continue the story.

Zhuge Qiao then thoughtfully continued the poem for him:
"However, the Cao clan was not at odds with each other, but they could not suppress the fact that the generals and governors in the underground were each harboring their own selfish intentions."

"In the past, Cao Cao was powerful and wise, so he was able to keep his arrogant and fierce soldiers under his command in check."

"Cao Pi was not as good as his father, and he made many concessions in order to usurp the Han throne, so he was no longer able to control the situation."

"By the time of Cao Rui, the third generation, he tried to carry on the legacy of his ancestors, but due to the changing times, his strength had already waned."

Upon hearing this, Xin Pi couldn't help but glance at the Han official who was even younger than Mi Wei.

I thought to myself, how many talented people the Shu Han dynasty had!

It's astonishing that a young soldier serving alongside Mi Wei also possesses such insightful and far-sighted wisdom.

Not only will the Great Wei Dynasty not survive this current calamity, but future tribulations will likely follow one after another.

Feeling disheartened, but too lazy to put on any more pretense, he bluntly stated:
"With Cao Zilian bravely sacrificing himself before me, if I were to betray him now, I would surely become a disgrace."

"But since I have fought to the end and have a clear conscience, I really have no intention of dying for the Cao family."

"What I seek now is nothing more than to live in anonymity, return to my hometown, and spend the rest of my days in peace... I wonder if the general can grant me this favor?"

Mi Wei immediately nodded and said:
"I am the Governor of Yu Province of the Great Han Dynasty. Yingchuan Yangdi, the hometown of Xin Gong, is under my jurisdiction. I can make decisions for you."

“I think Lord Xin doesn’t need to hide his identity anymore. He can just say that he is in his hometown mourning his former master Cao Hong, and that he will move Cao Hong’s remains back to Qiao County when the opportunity arises. I think he will leave a good name for himself, both in this life and in the next.”

Xinpi did not feign gratitude and immediately bowed deeply in thanks.

Then he sat down and said:

"I will never be able to repay the kindness of the general in providing me with this meal and this life."

"On the eve of parting, I have only one word to offer as a token of my feelings."

Mi Wei bowed and said, "Please speak."

Xinpi coughed lightly and said with a slight solemnity:
"Beware of Sima Yi and Xu Shu."

"Both of them are capable of what others cannot and endure what others cannot endure. If they are not eliminated as soon as possible, they are enough to destroy the fate of a nation." After saying this, he ignored Mi Wei's slightly strange expression and took his leave.

……

Dongjun, Puyang.

Guanqiu Jian learned of Cao Hong's impending defeat and death at the foot of Yongqiu City, and his emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

Although he once again chose to heed advice and immediately withdrew his troops from Yongqiu.

But ultimately, he was unwilling to accept it.

We stopped in Waihuang halfway through the journey.

Only after confirming Cao Hong's death did they hastily flee north.

Fortunately, the Han army's current focus is on recapturing Runan Commandery and opening up the road to Huainan.

Therefore, he did not suffer much loss and could be considered to have escaped unscathed.

But what's the point of all this?

With Cao Hong and Wang Ling gone, the entire territory of Yuzhou will soon be occupied by Mi Wei.

If Yuzhou is lost, Yanzhou will find it difficult to survive on its own.

The same applies to Huainan.

In other words, Guanqiu Jian will soon be driven out of the area south of the Yellow River!
He was young but gained the emperor's trust and was appointed as a regional governor, overseeing the generals in the south on behalf of the court.

Who would have thought that in just one year, the situation would have deteriorated to this extent?
If I am defeated and return to Ye City, how will I face the Emperor?

Guanqiu Jian was filled with worry.

But they could only passively wait for news from all sides.

Especially intelligence from the Yangzhou direction.

Just as the first winter snow fell, he finally received some definite news.

First, there's the nearby battlefield of Yanzhou and Yuzhou.

With Cao Hong's army group being completely wiped out, and Guanqiu Jian's retreat to the north.

Without the need for a large-scale siege by the Han army, the Chenliu Kingdom of Wei surrendered directly to Miwei and became the Chenliu Commandery of the Han Dynasty.

This includes Yan County and Baima, which Guan Ping has already captured.

The entire eastern part of Yanzhou has fallen.

Furthermore, Yanzhou is a flatter, more suitable place for horse racing than Yuzhou.

It can be said that the sword of the Han army is already hanging over Guanqiu Jian's head.

What frustrated him even more was...

He had previously believed that Cangyuan City in Xiaohuang County was a key location for the Han army.

It has now been confirmed that it was indeed an important grain depot on the front lines of the Han army.

They have indeed stockpiled a considerable amount of food.

But it is by no means the only one.

This accounts for only about a quarter of the Han army's reserves.

Even if it had been successfully destroyed earlier, it wouldn't have been enough to achieve the decisive effect of Cao Cao's burning and destroying of Wuchao.

But thinking back on it this way...

The intelligence that Cangyuan City was an important grain depot for the Han army might have been deliberately spread by the Han army to distract him and prevent him from quickly joining forces with Cao Hong...

It can only be said that the Han army of today is no longer the impoverished army that used to traverse mountains and valleys on long-distance northern expeditions, resulting in a constant shortage of food.

In particular, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, in the past few years in Henan, were less about besieging Luoyang and more about enticing the city to surrender while simultaneously cultivating the land.

Although it delayed the time for recapturing Luoyang.

However, this also allowed the Han army to have relatively sufficient reserves in Henan.

This provided Miwei with ample preconditions to implement a strategy of exhausting and trapping the enemy.

Of course, there is not without good news.

After winter set in, it became easier for the Wei army to cross the river.

Thus, Jianye City, which had been besieged for nearly half a year, was finally breached by Zhu Ling and Zang Ba.

The Wu Kingdom was founded by four generations of rulers and established by two generations of people.

Finally, in the winter of that year, it was on the verge of extinction.

(End of this chapter)