Luoyang, Wei Palace.
Late at night, the moonlight streamed in like water from the west window and sprinkled on the blanket under the couch, plating the two pairs of shoes embroidered with gold threads with a silvery glow.
Cao Cao held the young beauty in his arms, rested his head on a soft cushion, and slept soundly. Judging from his expression in his sleep, he must have dreamed of something beautiful.
Suddenly, there were hurried footsteps outside the palace, and then there was an argument, which made Cao Cao subconsciously frown his eyebrows while he was sleeping.
Xu Zhu stood with his sword in hand, blocking Sima Yi who wanted to see Cao Cao, and said: "It is late at night, and your Majesty has fallen asleep and it is inconvenient to get up. Please wait a moment and wait until dawn to enter the palace."
Sima Yi held the scarf in his hand and said anxiously: "Huhou, there is an urgent military situation in Jingzhou. I hope that Huhou will come into the palace to wake up your majesty and ask Sima Yi to ask for a meeting about the urgent military situation in Xiangfan and the Seventh Army. If it comes, I'm going to report it at dawn, I'm afraid it will delay the military plane!"
Xu Chu glanced at the palace door behind him, with a hesitant look on his face, and asked, "I wonder what the military situation is?"
"Please Huhou Ping retreat!" Sima Yi said.
Xu Chu waved his hand to signal his left and right troops to step back and approach Sima Yi.
Sima Yi looked around, covered his mouth and muffled his voice, and said: "The Han River overflowed, and the seven armies commanded by Yu Jin and Yan Xing were trapped by the Han River. Guan Yu led his troops to take advantage of the situation, Yu Jin was captured, Yan Xing was beheaded, and three of the seven armies were Ten thousand people have been wiped out, and Fancheng is in danger!"
"this?"
Hearing this, Xu Chu's eyes widened instantly, his mouth opened slightly, and his expression was very shocked.
"Didn't Your Majesty ask Wen Ze to close the camp and not fight?" Xu Chu calmed down and said, "How could the Seven Armies be destroyed now?"
"It's a long story!"
Sima Yi looked at the silent palace in front of him and said anxiously: "Please also invite the Tiger Marquis to come into the palace and report the matter to His Majesty so as not to delay the military aircraft."
"good!"
"Please wait for me!"
Xu Chu quickly stepped into the hall with his sword in hand.
The palace was quiet, and Xu Chu's footsteps were particularly loud as he walked into the inner hall. After passing the maids who were keeping vigil, about five or six steps away from the dragon couch, Xu Chu stopped.
Across the curtain, Xu Chu coughed a few times and called softly: "Your Majesty, there is an urgent military situation in Xiangfan!"
"His Majesty!"
When Xu Chu woke him up, Cao Cao was sleepy and asked vaguely: "Is the person coming Zhongkang?"
"Exactly!"
Xu Chuwei said in a rough voice: "Your Majesty, your servant, Sima Yi, is asking for an audience outside the palace, and he has an urgent military report from Xiangfan!"
"What's the matter that needs to be reported late at night?"
The sound in the tent was weak, accompanied by the exclamations of concubines.
Xu Chu lowered his head, stared at the blanket spread on the ground, and said: "The Han River overflowed and flooded the camp of the Seventh Army. Guan Yu led the navy to take advantage of the situation, captured Yan Xing, and killed Yan Xing. Thirty thousand soldiers of the Seventh Army were wiped out, and Fancheng was destroyed. At stake!"
"What!"
When Xu Chu said these words, first there were figures in the tent, and then Cao Cao opened the curtain and lay down barefoot and in single clothes, with disheveled hair and an incredible look in his eyes.
"Zhongkang, where did this news come from?" Cao Cao calmed his mind and asked.
Xu Chu lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty Sima Yi has reported that he is already waiting outside the palace. It should not be a false report!"
Whether it was because he didn't wake up or because the seven armies were destroyed, Cao Cao staggered and almost fell to the ground.
"His Majesty!"
Seeing this, Xu Zhu stepped forward to support Cao Cao and said, "Shall we invite all the ministers to come to the palace to discuss matters?"
Cao Cao put his hand on Xu Chu's arm, took a deep breath and said, "We invite all the ministers and attendants to enter the palace!"
"promise!"
Xu Chu cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please take off your clothes, and I will order all the ministers to enter the palace."
After saying that, Xu Chu walked out of the palace, leaving Cao Cao alone.
Cao Cao suddenly became angry, threw the tea cup on the table to the ground, and cursed: "Trash, it's all trash!"
On the dragon bed, the concubine with a charming face, listening to the crackling sound, accompanied by Cao Cao's angry curses, hugged the quilt, trembling with fear.
Until the sound died out, the concubine Sun Ying slowly lay down, revealing her curvy figure, hugging the old Cao Cao from behind with her arms, and said softly: "Victory or defeat is a matter of a moment for the military, your majesty should calm down, take care of yourself, don't I’m so angry!”
Sun Ying, the daughter of Sun Fu and niece of Sun Quan. His beauty is extraordinary, and he has the appearance of a national beauty, but he is man-made and has a jealous temperament.
When Sun Quan saw Sun Ying when he was young, he immediately felt that she was extraordinary and loved her very much. When she grew up, Sun Ying became conceited and unwilling to marry anyone lightly.
When Sun Quan saw Sun Ying acting like this, he sent Sun Ying to Cao Cao's harem in order to promote the great cause of the Sun family. When Cao Cao saw Sun Ying, his old heart suddenly felt youthful, just like Sun Quan's words in the past.
Over the past few months, Sun Ying became more and more favored, and Cao Cao visited Sun Ying almost day and night. Cao Cao's behavior aroused the disgust of the concubines in the palace, but they did not dare to complain due to Cao Cao's authority.
As for Sun Quan's sister, Sun Shangxiang, she contracted typhoid fever after the Battle of Chrysostom. Due to Cao Cao's defeat, she was not treated in time and unfortunately died of the disease.
Sun Ying's soft persuasion, stroking her back with thin fingers, and her charming face seemed to have a different kind of magic power, gradually making Cao Cao less irritable and angry.
Cao Cao sighed sadly and said: "I have been fighting for more than thirty years, and I have always relied on Yu Jin because he was steady and obedient to orders. Unexpectedly, Yu Jin has ruined the elite of the seven armies and ruined Xiangfan's good situation."
Sun Ying hugged Cao Cao and used her warm heart to alleviate Cao Cao's anger and said: "I am a womanly woman and do not know the important matters of military affairs. However, I think that your majesty is wise and powerful, so he must have a way to deal with it!"
With that said, Sun Ying took off her robe and changed Cao Cao's clothes.
With Sun Ying's comfort, Cao Cao felt much better. However, when I think about the situation in Xiangfan, my head can't help but feel swollen, distressed by the difficulty of the situation.
After simply changing his clothes, Cao Cao went to the front hall, where he met with his ministers.
When they arrived at the front hall, Sima Yi was already waiting at the side table. When he saw Cao Cao coming, he stood up to greet him.
Cao Cao was not very interested. He only waved his hand to indicate that Sima Yi did not need to be polite, then sat on the couch and read the detailed military report recording the annihilation of the seven armies.
Seeing Cao Cao immersed in reading military reports and maps, Sima Yi looked at his nose and his heart, and did not dare to make a sound for fear of angering Cao Cao.
After a while, Cao Cao looked sad, sighed, and asked: "Guan Yu took advantage of the power of the Han River to force Jin and his seven armies to surrender. Now Fancheng is immersed in the Han River, and the troops under Guan Yu's tent are in full swing. Liu Bei We have also stationed a large army in the south of the Yangtze River, fearing that Xiangfan will not be owned by our great Wei!"
With that said, Cao Cao put down the letter and asked, "How about leaving Xiangfan now and retreating to Wancheng?"
In the past few years, almost everything went wrong for Cao Cao, not to mention the loss of general Xia Houyuan in Hanzhong. Later, during the Battle of Shouchun, a large-scale plague broke out, and the civil and military forces declined and gradually perished.
Today, two battles have been lost in Fancheng. First, Jingxiang was defeated, and then Yujin's Seventh Army was flooded. And this is only Guan Yu and Pang De's 40,000 men, and the main force of Liu Bei's army has not yet been dispatched. If the fight continues like this, given the current situation, Xiangfan is destined to be unable to be saved.
As he grew older and weaker, Cao Cao gradually lost the enterprising spirit of his early years.
"Your Majesty, this is impossible!"
Hearing this, Sima Yi straightened up and cupped his hands, saying: "Yu Jin, Yan Xing and others were flooded by the Han River. It was not the fault of the defeat, so it is difficult to judge the defeat of this battle. Although the soldiers of the Seventh Army were defeated by Guan Yu, to us In terms of the national strength of the Wei Dynasty, it is not enough to shake the foundation of the country."
"Today, Cao Cheqi and Zhu Xiangyang are guarding Fancheng and are surrounded by heavy siege. They will fight to the death and refuse to surrender. Your Majesty sincerely asks the six armies to Luoyang. If Your Majesty abandons Xiangfan, Guan Yu marches in with force. With the current situation in Jingxiang, Xinye , Wancheng will hardly be owned by Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty leads the troops to march south. If we advance, we can protect Xiangfan. If we retreat, we can defend Wancheng and contain the enemy's troops in Xiangfan. If we abandon Xiangfan and Liu Bei leads a heavy army to advance, the thieves will attack Xudu. This will be called a shock in the Central Plains!"
"In my opinion, autumn and winter are approaching, and the Han River is descending. Your Majesty will lead the troops to march south to find opportunities to defeat the enemy, which may relieve the danger of Xiangfan."
Listening to Sima Yi's words of pros and cons, Cao Cao was no longer troubled by the crisis in Xiangfan. He gradually got over the impact of the defeat of the Seventh Army and his mind returned to the clarity of his earlier years.
Xiangfan must not be abandoned, because the situation in Jingxiang is so corrupt that once Xiangfan is abandoned, Wancheng may not even be protected. If Wancheng is not protected, Xuchang will be exposed to the Southern Han's military front.
Losing an army of 30,000 men may be painful for Cao Wei, but it will not break his muscles and bones, leaving Cao Wei with no usable soldiers. Moreover, Cao Ren and Zhu Zhi were still holding on to the city. They moved the army south and used their troops appropriately. When the Han River retreated, they might not be able to resolve the crisis in Xiangfan.
Cao Cao stroked his beard and said nothing, thinking about a strategy to retreat from the enemy.
At the same time, the servants of Cao Wei's ministers gradually gathered in the palace, each sitting on the banquet, most of them looked serious. It was obvious that they all knew about Yu Jin's defeat and the annihilation of the seven armies.
After a long time, Cao Cao gradually gained something. He raised his head and looked around at everyone, and asked: "The heavy rain continued and the Han River flooded, causing the seven armies to be defeated by Guan Yu. Today, Guan Yu's army is in full swing, and Jingxiang has no troops to use. I want to march south to Fancheng." , what do you think?"
"It's not yet time to assemble the army. Your Majesty hastily deployed troops, fearing that it will be difficult for the army to assemble quickly. What can we do?" Chen Qun said.
"This is easy!"
Liu Ye stood up to answer and said: "There are more than 10,000 new soldiers in Beijing today. Your Majesty can send good generals to command the troops and horses to go south first to temporarily stabilize the situation in Jingxiang, and then mobilize troops and horses from all walks of life to increase the number. Your Majesty can observe the direction of Liu Bei's troops, and the case The troops of the Sixth Army will move forward."
"good!"
Cao Cao nodded slightly and said: "Instruct the right general Xu Huang to quickly move the new soldiers southward and join forces with all the troops along the way. The situation in Fancheng must be stabilized and Guan Yu must not be allowed to break the city."
After saying that, Cao Cao looked at Xu Huang who stood up to accept the order, and said: "When we go on an expedition today, the general is the commander-in-chief, not subordinate to the cavalry general."
"The only person who can be entrusted with important responsibilities in this dynasty is General Er!"
In order to save the soldier Cao Ren, Cao Cao finally sent additional troops south.
Xu Huang's face was calm, he raised his hands and said. "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, Huang will do his best to relieve the siege of Fancheng. I dare to ask Your Majesty, who is the governor assigned to the last general?"
Cao Cao's eyes moved on Zhao Yan and Sima Yi, and said: "Zhao Yan will be the governor, Sima Yi will join the army, and the two kings will go out with the general."
"No!" Zhao and Sima accepted the order and responded.
After a pause, Cao Cao looked at Jia Xu and asked, "Wen He, do you have any different opinions?"
Jia Xu stroked his beard and said: "Your majesty, Guan Yu is brave and can be called a famous general; Liu Bei is ambitious and is a hero. Now that Guan Yu is advancing with the power of victory, Liu Bei will definitely lead the army behind. I am afraid that General Gongming will not be enough." To retreat from Guan Yu, it might be better to mobilize the generals from Guanxi to march westward for reinforcements."
Cao Cao frowned slightly and said: "Liu Bei has appointed Zhang Fei, Gan Ning, Lu Xun and others to the west. He is now transferring the generals from Guanxi to advance westward. He is afraid that Guanzhong and Longyou may not have enough troops to defend against the enemy!"
Jia Xu pondered for a while and said: "Liu Bei used a cunning plan to conquer Shu, so many people in Shu were dissatisfied. He specially appointed Zhang, Gan, Lu and other old generals to govern Bashu, thinking that he would be in charge to stabilize the situation. Rumor has it that Gan Ning has been seriously ill for a long time. It’s difficult to treat someone who is sick and lying on the bed.”
"Because Liu Bei ordered Bashu to send troops, and he predicted it, the general will be Zhang Fei, and Lu Xun will stay in Yizhou. Although Zhang Fei is brave, he does not have the strategy of a general, and without Lu Xun's assistance, it will be difficult to achieve success. Check Zhang Fei's troop movements from time to time, Sending good generals to guard it will be enough to protect Kansai."
"good!"
Cao Cao nodded in agreement and said: "Zhang Fei is violent and ungrateful, which is rare for military morale. The road to Shu is thousands of miles long, and there are many corvees, so the soldiers and civilians will not be used by him. Now we can let Zhang He and Yang Qiu lead their troops to Wuguan, and the soldiers Arrive at Nanxiang and order Ma Chao to bring his troops together with all the armies in the Long region to guard Zhang Fei."
"promise!"
(End of chapter)
