Chapter 157 Meng De, pour another glass for Nai Gong!
Chapter 157: Meng De, pour another glass for Nai Gong!
Prime Minister's Mansion,
In Cao Mengde's bedroom,

The candle was lit and gradually became brighter.

The disheveled wife hid aside, Xu Chu and Cao Cao stared at each other...

"Zhongkang, what did you say?" Cao Mengde was in a trance.

Perhaps it was because the impact of the information just now was too strong that caused him to lose consciousness.

Xu Chu shouted, "My lord, there is a flood in Xiangfan, the Han River has burst its banks, Xiangyang and Fancheng have been breached, Cao Ren and Man Chong, Lü Chang and Yu Jin have all been captured alive!"

Xiangfan is gone?

Yu Jin, Man Chong, Lü Chang, and Cao Ren were all captured alive...

"No, it's impossible..." Cao Cao stood up tremblingly, his face was already pale.

What does it mean that so many main generals were captured alive?
This means that the army in Xiangfan has been completely wiped out!

There were as many as 60,000 defenders in the Xiangfan area, and they occupied two big cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng. How could they be destroyed so easily?

"Even if, even if the flood broke the dam, it wouldn't be this bad!" Cao Mengde suddenly remembered: "Where is Xu Huang?"

"The flood in Xiangfan will not reach Nanyang, so I have already ordered his 20,000 Nanyang soldiers to support Xiangfan!"

Xu Chu couldn't bear to speak: "Xu Huang's Nanyang headquarters of 20,000 soldiers are gone, and Xu Huang was captured by Zhao Zilong. Now Liu Zilie has entered Wancheng, and the entire Nanyang County has surrendered."

Boom~
At this moment, Cao Mengde felt like his head was about to explode.

You must know that it only takes 500 miles to reach Xuchang from Wancheng! !

"Xiangyang County, Zhangling County, and Nanyang County...all gone!"

"Cao Ren, Man Chong, Yu Jin, Lu Chang, and Xu Huang were all captured alive..."

"Eighty thousand troops!"

"I had a total of 80,000 troops stationed in Jingbei, and they are all gone! Even if it was 80,000 steamed buns, it would be impossible for Liu Wu to eat them all in such a short time!"

At this moment, Cao Mengde's heart was broken.

The three counties in northern Jing were captured, the 80,000-strong army was annihilated, and many generals were captured. This was equivalent to taking half of Cao Mengde's life!

Does Cao Cao still have soldiers?
Yes, there are more than 100,000...

But those soldiers were stationed in different places to guard against...

……

……

Even though it is late at night,

The lights in the Prime Minister's Mansion were bright.

Carriages arrived one after another and stopped outside the mansion. Many soldiers from Cao's camp entered.

In the lobby of the Prime Minister's Mansion!
The map was hung high up, and Cao Mengde looked very unhappy.
"Even though I have issued an imperial edict in the name of the emperor, summoning the governors of various states to lead troops to aid Xiangfan, distant water cannot quench nearby thirst, and it will not be able to come for the time being."

"I thought Xiangfan could hold out until the governors of various provinces led their troops to arrive, but unexpectedly, not only did we fail to hold Xiangfan, but we also lost Nanyang County..."

The words fell,

Xun Yu, Xun You, Jia Xu, Cheng Yu and many other counselors lowered their heads, all of them dejected and demoralized.

The impact of the Battle of Xiangfan was too great.

The losses in the Battle of Xiangfan were too great.

It was so big that they didn't dare to make any rash suggestions...

At this critical moment, it was still Xun Lingjun who stood up. Xun Yu said, "Nanyang has 27 counties, the largest county in the world. At its peak, the population of one county reached 2.5 million. Even though it has experienced many wars and suffered a great loss of population, it still has nearly a million people now."

"That is to say, after Liu Wu took over Nanyang, the population under his rule increased dramatically..."

"These are all taxes, population and manpower! More importantly, with the loss of Nanyang, Liu Wu's passage to the Central Plains has been completely opened up, and the strategic depth has been completely formed!"

"If Liu Wu wants to attack Xuchang in the future, he can send troops directly from Nanyang, which is only three or four hundred miles away..."

"And if the Prime Minister wants to attack Liu Wu, he must first take over the Nanyang Basin, then the important town of Xiangfan, then conquer Jiangling and Xiling in the north of the Yangtze River, and finally cross the river to attack Xiakou and Gong'an..."

"The offensive and defensive momentum is different!"

How clear Xun Yu's vision was, and how thorough his analysis was.

Liu Wu attacked Xiangfan and took Nanyang. After this battle, the overall situation in the world was changed.

The strategist Xun You said, "After the Battle of Xiangfan, we know that the Jingzhou navy that Liu Zilie obtained from Liu Bei is already very powerful."

"Before today, I still didn't know why Liu Wu insisted that the Prime Minister give him Hefei..."

"Hefei is a strategic location. The reason why we strictly guard Jiangdong is because we are afraid that the Jiangdong navy will go north."

"When the Prime Minister handed Hefei over to Liu Zilie, wasn't it also intended that Liu Wu block the northward movement of the Yangtze River for the Prime Minister?"

"It is only now clear that Liu Wu has big plans. One of his purposes for wanting Hefei is to block the Jiangdong navy from going north. Why does Liu Wu want to block the Jiangdong navy from going north? This is his second purpose. He wants to lead the navy north from Hefei..."

"At that time, Liu Zilie only had Xiling City, so we didn't dare to think about it..."

"But now it seems that Liu Wu's plan is far beyond our imagination. He has already made sufficient preparations. He is sure of Liu Bei and the Jingzhou navy in Liu Bei's hands..."

"His purpose in wanting Hefei is to seize this strategic location, and then have his Jingzhou navy replace the Jiangdong navy and march north from Hefei!"

This is,
At first!

Why did Liu Wu go to Hefei after capturing Cao Cao in Xiling City!

Hefei, which Sun Quan had fought for his entire life but failed to capture, was soon taken into his hands.

The Jiangdong navy belonged to Sun Quan.

The Jingzhou navy used to belong to Liu Biao. After Liu Jingsheng's death, the remnants of the Jingzhou navy were controlled by Liu Qi, and later led by Liu Bei, who also made great contributions in the Battle of Chibi...

After the Battle of Chibi, the incomplete remnants of the Jingzhou navy were completed under Liu Bei's leadership and had more than 20,000 combat soldiers.

The most crucial point is that Liu Wu participated a lot in the construction.

Why did Liu Wu go to Hefei?

Just because he is sure of the Jingzhou navy!
Although he occupied Hefei first and then seized Liu Bei's Jingzhou navy, it was actually because Liu Wu knew that the Jingzhou navy would be his sooner or later, so he occupied Hefei in advance!

The phone is here.

The counselors in the hall were silent and all of them looked pale.

Liu Zilie's ambitions and plans were far beyond their expectations...

I thought that since I had lost Nanyang and was defeated in the west by Liu Wu, Xuchang was in danger.
Who would have thought that the most dangerous place was Hefei in the east, where Liu Wu had secretly planned!
Unfortunately, both of these plans have already come to fruition...

Xun You continued, "After the Battle of Xiangfan, there is no place to go north. Liu Zilie will definitely let the navy return to Jingnan, but Hefei is still in his hands. He can station the Jingzhou navy in Chaohu Lake!"

“So when he goes east from Nanyang and directly takes Xuchang, the navy of Jingzhou can directly depart from Hefei and go north along the water of the Fei River…” Xun You said, tracing the water system map with his finger: “Go north along the water of the Fei River, press on Shouchun, and seize the road to enter the Huai River…”

"Then, we will take advantage of the tributaries of the Huai River, such as the Sishui River, the Woshui River, the Hongshui River, and the Rushui River, and march straight to Qingzhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and even to the Central Plains areas of Xuchang and Luoyang!!"

"It's what Jiangdong has always dreamed of..."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

Cao Mengde stood there in a daze, as if he had lost his mind.

The next moment, he felt dizzy, his head felt heavy, and his vision became increasingly darker.

Cao Cao subconsciously moved his feet to try to stop, but his legs and feet were completely out of control...

Then he fell down straight away.

"Prime Minister!"

"Prime Minister!"

"My Lord, what's wrong with you?!"

……

……

Xuchang Prison.

It is just the beginning of autumn and the summer heat has not yet dissipated.

The prison was damp, hot, and smelled terrible... In a cell,

On the thatched straw pile, Jian Yong was sleeping with his eyes closed.

However, because he was not used to the new environment and was severely beaten by Cao Mengde during the day, his body was covered with bruises and swellings, so Jian Yong slept very lightly.

He vaguely heard footsteps.
Then there was a sound of a lock being unlocked...

someone!

Someone is walking towards me step by step.

not good……

Could it be that the villain Cao was holding a grudge against me and didn't want to kill me in public, so he sent someone to secretly take my life at night?
shuh~
Jian Yong suddenly opened his eyes and saw a treacherous face that was full of smiles. He said to him in an almost flattering way, "Xianhe, are you awake?"

"Cao!"

"Cao, Cao...Cao thief!" Jian Yong subconsciously shrank back, with goose bumps all over his body...

"Xianhe, you humiliated me in front of the emperor in the hall. I was angry and hit you a few times. After all, I have to save my face!"

"Tonight I thought of you still in prison, and I couldn't sleep all night, tossing and turning. Everyone knows that I, Cao Mengde, love married women, but tonight even married women are not fragrant..."

"Alas! Look, I've come to see you after all."

Jian Yong almost laughed out loud when watching this scene. This villain Cao was so arrogant at first and respectful later. It was really laughable to think about it.

"My son Lie respects Xianhe as his uncle, so Xianhe and I are brothers."

"Xianhe, I admit that I was a little impulsive today. I shouldn't have hit you. I was wrong. I admit it. But Xianhe, you have to take care of my face in the future!"

"Somebody come!"

Immediately, three or five followers came forward with food boxes, which were full of delicious dishes, and were placed on the table one by one.

Another old man came forward with a medicine box and began to treat Jian Yong's injuries.

Cao Cao said: "This is the imperial physician in the palace..."

As soon as these words were spoken, Jian Yong, who had seen a lot of the world, actually felt flattered.

The imperial physician turned around and said, "Your Excellency, Lord Jian only has some superficial injuries. Even if he doesn't receive medical treatment, he will recover on his own in ten days or so."

Cao Cao clicked his tongue at Jian Yong and said, "Look, Xianhe, even though you humiliated me in front of the emperor, I still showed mercy and couldn't bear to hurt you!"

"It's not okay to let it heal on its own in ten days or so. Imperial Physician, treat Xianhe's injuries quickly. It would be best if everything is healed within three to five days. There can't be any scars!"

A cup of tea is enough,
The imperial physician has already left.

In the cell,
Jian Yong sat on the thatched roof with a calm and composed look.

He picked up the wine jug and poured himself a glass.

Cao Cao thought that Jian Yong would also pour himself a glass, however, Jian Yong did not do that. He just put down the wine jug.

Then, Jian Yong picked up the glass of wine that had just been poured for him and drank it all!

That's all, he just smiled and looked at Cao Cao: "Arrogant at first but respectful later, it makes me laugh when I think about it. If Prime Minister Cao can do this, we can know how badly Prime Minister Cao lost the Battle of Xiangfan..."

Jian Yong tapped the table with his fingertips.
"Meng De, pour another glass for Nai Gong."

……

……

Xuchang, a mansion somewhere.

There were layers of soldiers guarding outside the palace, and it was almost impossible to get in or out.

Rumble, rumble~
A carriage stopped outside the mansion and a figure slowly got off the carriage.

bass! ~
The sword is unsheathed,
Spears and lances are held together.

"who?!"

"Anyone who dares to trespass into the mansion will be killed without mercy!"

Step~
Step~
The figure did not stop walking, but took out a bamboo slip from his bosom and handed it to the leading captain: "Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi, on the order of Prime Minister Cao, has come to the palace to visit you, the prince."

The visitor was Liu Xuande's first military advisor, Xu Shu, also known as Xu Yuanzhi.

After Xu Shu was tricked into Cao's camp by Cheng Yu with a fake letter from Xu's mother, he remained silent and did not make any plans for Cao Mengde.

Even though Xu Shu saw through the plan of the Sun-Liu coalition before the Battle of Chibi, he just found an excuse and returned to Xuchang early in order to avoid being affected by the war.

He originally thought that he would never have any encounter with Uncle Liu again in this life, but he never expected to meet his old friend again today.

Thinking of the dramatic changes that had taken place in recent days, Xu Shu had a complicated expression. The Qilin child from Liu Huangshu's family was indeed extraordinary, but Liu Huangshu couldn't use him...

wow~
The head of the guards unfolded the bamboo slips and looked at the familiar handwriting and the bright red seal of the prime minister. He immediately became respectful and said, "It is indeed the prime minister's order. Mr. Yuanzhi, please come in!"

……

The afternoon sunlight slowly shines into the backyard of the mansion, illuminating the Green Dragon Crescent Blade that is glowing coldly and filled with murderous aura.

Guan Yu stared at the blade, which was like a pool of autumn water, in a daze.

Since he was captured on the river bank that day, Guan Yu has been guarded by elite troops sent by Cao Mengde. After entering Xuchang, although Cao Cao invited Guan Yu to move into his mansion, he still sent more than a hundred soldiers to surround Guan Yu's residence.

Whenever Cao Mengde was free, he would visit Guan Yu in person every few days, or send his trusted ministers to comfort him.

But Guan Yu was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah!" Guan Yu sighed softly. He reached out and slowly stroked the cold blade of the Qinglong Sword. There was no hesitation in his Danfeng eyes.

Back then, outside the city of Xuzhou, he had no choice but to surrender to Cao Cao in order to protect his two sisters-in-law.

Now that I am alone and have no worries, if I surrender to Cao Mengde again, what difference will there be between me and that traitor?
Didn’t he read Guan Yu’s “Spring and Autumn Annals” in vain?

Where does the Peach Garden Alliance that I made with my eldest brother and third brother?

Guan Erye's thoughts were surging, and he remembered the battle on the riverside that day...

With the third brother's martial arts, it shouldn't be a problem for him to protect the eldest brother and break out of the encirclement...

"General Guan, are you okay?!"

A slightly trembling voice interrupted Guan Yu's thoughts.

Where have I heard this voice before?

Guan Yu looked up in astonishment, and a familiar face entered Guan Yunchang's sight...

Xu Shu?

"Mr. Yuan, Mr. Yuanzhi? Mr. Yuanzhi!" Guan Yu was stunned, his eyes lit up with surprise. He stepped forward excitedly and grabbed Xu Shu's sleeve: "I never thought that I could meet you here!"

Guan Yu has always been very impressed with his elder brother's first military advisor.

When Xu Shu first arrived in Xinye, he helped his elder brother defeat Cao Ren and broke Cao's Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. In Guan Yu's opinion, his ability was almost as good as Zhuge Kongming.

unfortunately,

His mother was imprisoned by Cao Cao, so he had to leave his elder brother and go to Cao's camp. It was a pity for such a talented person.

Thinking of the past, Guan Yu couldn't help but sigh: "Although I am now a prisoner, I am very happy to see my old friend."

Xu Shu smiled bitterly and shook his head: "The situation in the world may change now. I wonder how many of my old friends will still be around."

Is the world situation going to change?

Guan Yu was stunned: "What does Yuanzhi mean?"

Xu Shu looked directly at Guan Yu and said, "Do you know what the situation is like in Xiangfan now?"

"Do you know that great changes are imminent in the Central Plains?"

"Do you know where Cao Mengde's trusted generals are?"

"Do you know that Xuchang is in imminent danger?!"

Xu Yuanzhi kept talking, but Guan Erye just shook his head: "I have been trapped by Cao Mengde for who knows how long. How can I know the changes in the world situation? Yuanzhi..."

Guan Yu suddenly stopped talking. He had been in Xuchang for at least more than a month. Why didn't Xu Yuanzhi come before, but came today?
"Mr. Yuanzhi..." Guan Erye's eyes were cold: "Could it be that you are here to see me on the orders of Cao Mengde?"

Xu Shu did not hide it: "Yes, it was Cao Mengde who asked me to come and see Yunchang..."

(End of this chapter)