As dawn broke, a burst of laughter came from the camp of Cao Cao's army. Cao Cao put on his clothes and went out feeling refreshed.
Cheng Yuzheng came to inquire about the military situation. Seeing that Cao Cao was in high spirits, he asked, "Why is the Prime Minister laughing?"
Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled: "I laugh at Zuo Ci's incompetence and his deception, but he wakes up the dreamer with just one word."
Cheng Yu hurriedly asked: "Could it be that the Prime Minister has a plan to defeat the enemy?"
"Of course!" Cao Cao nodded slowly and walked towards the Chinese army's tent.
Behind the tent, two voluptuous women were quietly carried away by soldiers, lying on stretchers like dead fish.
When the two came to the tent, Cheng Yu said, "I wonder how the Prime Minister plans to use the troops?"
Cao Cao laughed and said: "It has been raining for days and the Baihe River has surged. Guan Yu's camp is right on the river bank. Isn't this God helping me?"
"That's it!" Cheng Yu suddenly realized, stroking his beard and smiling: "The Prime Minister uses water to plan, and I also have a fire plan to offer."
"Oh?" Cao Cao was slightly surprised and said with a smile, "Is it really a disaster?"
Cheng Yu said: "Today we conducted a detailed inspection of the enemy's food and grass. As Xun Gongda expected, Bowang City is small and there is no place to store food. Tens of thousands of soldiers' food and grass are transported from Wancheng, and they are transported every three days."
"Humph, Liu Qi is still a little immature after all!" Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard this, and said in a deep voice: "Don't you hear that the troops and horses have not moved, but the food and grass go first? The army is in front, but the food and grass are temporarily transferred. This is the size of the army. Taboo!"
Cheng Yu nodded and said: "The Jingzhou army can only transport food for three days each time. If it is set on fire and its food routes are destroyed, Liu Qi will be in chaos and retreat without fighting. Bowang will be at his fingertips."
Cao Cao stroked his beard and laughed and said: "It's ridiculous that Xu Shu doesn't know the art of war, Zhuge's villagers don't know how to use soldiers, and Liu Qi's attempt to rely on two Confucian students to cause trouble is simply a fool's dream."
As long as Bowang is captured and the army enters Nanyang, where the terrain is open, Cao's army can take advantage of its strength. With 300,000 soldiers and horses dispatched, who can stop it?
Cao Cao ordered people to send Xun You over and informed him of the information, saying: "Liu Qi uses the three battalions as an arm and a leg to help each other. Now Guan Yu's camp can be broken. What does Gongda think?"
Xun You pondered for a moment and said: "On the day when he is transporting food, he will first ambush and burn the food to shock the enemy's hearts, and then take the opportunity to break the camp outside the city. Liu Qi will retreat when he sees that the situation is over. The morale of the Jingzhou army is low, so he takes advantage of the situation to pursue and kill him. , chasing Wancheng with one drum, then Nanyang can be defeated, and taking Jingzhou is as easy as flipping the palm of your hand."
Cao Cao immediately mobilized his troops and ordered Le Jin to lead the troops to rob the grain. Han Hao went to the upper reaches of the Baihe River to store water and wait for the opportunity to dig the river channel.
Two days later, Cao Cao was waiting and watching in the camp when he suddenly called a horse to report. Le Jin succeeded and ambushed the grain transport soldiers at Bowangpo, burning more than 30 grain trucks.
Cao Cao was overjoyed and climbed to the top of the eastern mountain to take a look. He saw thick smoke rising into the sky and filling the sky in the mountains south of Bowang City. It seemed that the fire was definitely not small.
In Bowang City, a group of soldiers and horses were heading south, but it was too late to rescue them at this time.
"My plan has worked!" Cao Cao smiled coldly, came down from the mountain, and ordered someone to send a message to Han Hao. He was to prepare at the third watch tonight, and at the fourth watch he would dig rivers and release water to flood Guan Yu's camp.
For dinner that night, Cao Jun relaxed his appetite and ate as much as he could, adding a chicken drumstick to each person.
Cao Cao gathered the generals to discuss the matter and said: "Liu Qi, you have bullied me too much. The enemy will be defeated tonight. You must act according to the order and make no mistakes!"
"Promise!" All the generals agreed in unison. The news of today's food burning has spread throughout the camp, and the morale of the officers and soldiers of the three armies is high.
Cao Cao sent an order: "After the third watch, Cao Hong and Cao Xiu led their troops to ambush Yangshan. When they saw the soldiers and horses in Zhao Yun's camp, they sent out troops to rob the camp, burned the camp and retreated. Don't be reluctant to fight."
"Yes!" Cao and Hong went to prepare first.
Cao Cao also ordered Li Tong to lead three thousand troops. At the fourth watch, he saw that Guan Yu's camp was flooded. He raised fire and shouted as he approached, bluffing and not fighting.
He also told Xu Huang: "Gongming led five thousand troops to ambush in the west of Zhao Yun's camp. If he sees Guan Yu's camp being flooded, don't worry about him. If he sees Zhao Yun sending troops to rescue him, he will ambush him and I will send people to respond."
Xu Huang took the order and left. Cao Cao ordered the other generals to prepare their troops and act according to orders at the middle of the third watch. He wanted to personally command the battle.
It was summer, and at night the weather was cool, the moon was white, and the wind was clear. Cao's troops followed orders and left their camps.
Cao Cao was fully clothed, sitting in the tent with his sword in hand. The lights were all out, and only the stick of incense shone red. He waited until the red dot disappeared, then said in a deep voice: "Hold the lamp!"
Cao Chun came in with a fire from outside the tent. Cao Cao slowly got up, came out of the tent, mounted his horse, and led his troops slowly towards Bowang.
Half of the bright moon hung above his head, and Cao Cao was facing the cool night wind. The scouts in front suddenly frightened a flock of birds and turned into the deep mountains.
"The moon and stars are sparse, and the black magpie flies south..."
Cao Cao was moved by the scene and wanted to compose a poem, but he was concerned about military affairs, so he had to withdraw his thoughts and continue to move forward.
At about the fourth watch, Cao Jun also turned around the hillside and saw Bowang City lying across the road from a distance, like a monster crouching. There were torches on the city and the defenders were patrolling.
While looking at it, a little bit of white light suddenly lit up in the west direction of the city. From a distance, it looked like mercury pouring down the ground, spreading out and sparkling under the moonlight.
Cao Chun was surprised and said: "Prime Minister, look quickly, Guan Yu's camp is indeed flooded!"
Cao Cao twisted his beard and nodded slightly, vaguely seeing the figures of people. Although the river water spread and could not drown many people, the water was strong enough to paralyze the entire camp and make it impossible to use troops.
Then Li Tong was seen charging out of the ambush, holding up torches and shouting forward, preparing to attack the camp. Guan Yu's camp was in chaos.
At this time, the torches on the city were all bright, and everyone gathered towards the west city. The defenders also discovered the flood, but there was no movement at Zhao Yun's camp in the east.
Cao Cao frowned and said: "Zhao Yun is so calm and does not move his troops."
Xun You said: "We can send an army to the city and attack the city. Zhao Yun will come to rescue us."
"This is a great plan!" Cao Cao ordered Xiahou Dun to lead five thousand elite cavalry and rush to the city to bluff and attract Zhao Yun to rescue him.
The cavalry galloped out, approached the city and lit torches. A sea of fire formed outside Bowang City, and the shouts of killing shook the sky.
Zhang Fei went to the city to defend himself. When he saw Xiahou Dun's troops arriving, he cursed: "Xiahou Dun, you are walking at night with only one eye. How can you see clearly?"
Xiahou Dun was furious, pointed at Zhang Fei and shouted: "Zhang Heizi, come down if you can!"
Zhang Fei dared not leave the city at this time and shouted: "Come up if you have the ability!"
Xiahou Dun was furious and rushed forward with his troops to kill.
Zhang Fei yelled: "Shoot the arrow, shoot it hard, and blind his other eye!"
Arrows were raining down on the city, and it was hard to see clearly in the dark night. Xiahou Dun did not dare to approach. He was so angry that he could do nothing.
At this moment, the sound of fighting suddenly came from behind, and then a fire broke out in Zhao Yun's camp to the east, lighting up half of the sky.
Xiahou Dun raised his sword and shouted: "Zhang Fei, you have fallen into my prime minister's plan. Sooner or later I will chop off your black head."
Zhang Fei ignored the quarrel with Xiahou Dun and hurriedly sent people to report the news and ordered the soldiers to guard the city carefully.
"Zhang Heizi, how can you be considered a hero if you don't save him even if you die?" Xiahou Dun was very angry when he saw Zhang Fei was in a hurry.
