Taishi Ci fell into a coma, and Zhou Tai was also injured and unable to fight anymore, so Zhou Yu ordered someone to send him back to Jiangdong to recuperate.
Before they knew it, it was dark, the water fort was reduced to ashes, and the riverside was pitch black. Zhou Yu ordered Lu Meng to patrol the camp and deploy defenses, and discuss countermeasures with Lu Su and others.
Lu Su said: "Our army is good at fighting on water, and Cao's army has too many cavalry, so it is not suitable for land fighting. It is better to retreat to the south of the Yangtze River and wait for Liu Qi's reinforcements to arrive, and then discuss how to defeat Cao."
Zhou Yu snorted coldly, "I have defeated Cao Cao, why do I need help from others? Regardless of whether Jingzhou sends troops or not, distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. If we withdraw our troops now, how can we face the elders of Jiangdong?"
Lu Su frowned and said, "Now that the general is injured and the troops are weakened, I am afraid that we will not be able to advance."
Zhou Yu has always been competitive and, like Sun Ce, is a person who cares a lot about face. If he wins a big victory, he might be able to persuade him to retreat, but after this defeat, he will never be willing to retreat.
Zhou Yu frowned and thought for a moment, then looked at Lu Xun who was standing in the crowd, called the two of them into the tent, and discussed, "What good plan does Bo Yan have?"
During Lu Xun's tenure as the commander of the Haichang Military Farm, he was deeply loved by the people. Later, he took the initiative to ask for orders to pacify the Shanyue tribe in Kuaiji. Sun Quan was very satisfied with Lu Xun's performance and prepared to marry him.
Although he was engaged to Sun Ce's daughter and was about to become the son-in-law of the Sun family, he was always low-key and humble. If it were not for his outstanding appearance, he would be easily overlooked.
Zhou Yu initially thought that Sun Quan was using this weak scholar to resolve the old feud between the two families and to further appease the Jiangdong family. However, when he followed the army on this expedition, he discovered that this man had hidden strategies.
Lu Xun said, "Cao's army is strong, while Wu has few soldiers. I don't think we can compete with them. We should temporarily station troops and defend along the river, forming two lines of defense: if Cao's army comes, we will retreat to the water. If Cao's army doesn't come, we will wait for an opportunity to move. Cao Cao will retreat within a few months. If the timing is right, we may be able to capture Huainan in one fell swoop."
"Oh?" Zhou Yu raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, "Is Boyan waiting for the plum rain season?"
"That's one reason!" Lu Xun nodded and said, "Secondly, Cao's army has hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Huainan, and the transportation of food and grass over thousands of miles is very expensive. Even if the Central Plains is rich and can supply it in time, once Guanzhong changes drastically, Cao Cao will have to retreat."
"Guanzhong?" Zhou Yu's eyes were slightly stern, and he said slowly: "Could it be that Ma Teng raised an army?"
Lu Xun said, "Liu Qi was oppressed by the Cai family and endured it for several years. He waited until Liu Bei arrived in Jingzhou and took advantage of the situation to rise up. This man must have planned before he acted. Why does he need to personally supervise the battle at Wuguan? He is not strong enough to get involved in Guanzhong. I think he must be secretly in contact with Ma Teng to seize Chang'an."
"So that's how it is!" Zhou Yu's eyes gleamed, and he murmured, "Liu Qi, little boy, is he really that scheming?"
Lu Xun pursed his lips and did not answer. Ever since Lu Kang died in battle at Lujiang, the Lu family had fallen on hard times in Jiangdong and had been trying to survive by keeping a low profile.
He raised Lu Ji and understood that a person who is good at forbearance must have a purpose for every step he takes and will never act rashly.
Lu Su said: "Bo Yan's plan is the most sound. First, we should establish ourselves in an invincible position, wait for the enemy to become disorderly, and then we can defeat them when the opportunity arises."
Zhou Yu took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "Order Huang Gai and Jiang Qin to lead the navy to patrol the river. Boyan no longer needs to lead the troops. He will stay with me and assist in military affairs."
"Yes, sir!" Lu Xun was promoted directly from a captain to a military officer beside Zhou Yu, but his face was still calm and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.
Lu Su stroked his beard and looked at this humble young man, feeling secretly happy. Jiangdong had another rising talent, and Zhou Yu was supporting him. So what was the point of worrying about the Dragon and the Phoenix
…
Cao's army won a great victory. They abandoned the river bank and retreated to the Ruxu Water Fort, setting up camps for dozens of miles with their backs to Chaohu Lake. On land, everyone felt much more at ease.
In the central army tent, Cao Cao held a banquet to celebrate the victory. Spies in the front brought news that Taishi Ci was seriously injured and unconscious, and generals such as Zhou Tai were also seriously injured. They all returned to Jiangdong to recuperate. The morale of the Wu army was low.
Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled, "Zhou Lang of Jiangzuo is famous all over the world, but in my opinion, he is no more than this."
"What a great idea, Prime Minister!" The generals praised one after another. As long as they didn't have to fight a naval battle, they were still full of confidence.
Xun You smiled and said, "Before, Wenyuan fought at Xiaoyaojin, and now the Prime Minister burned Ruxu Harbor. The Wu army lost two battles, and the Jiangdong nobles will be panicked and persuade Sun Quan to seek peace."
The Prime Minister sneered and said, "Bi Yan'er was indecisive and killed my envoy. How can I let him off easily?"
Xiahou Dun clasped his fists and said, "What the Prime Minister said is absolutely right. Dongwu first attacked Lujiang, and the old accounts have not been settled. Now they are colluding with Liu Qi to plot evil. If we don't punish them, how can we establish our authority?"
Xun You said: "The Prime Minister has obeyed the imperial edict to suppress the rebellion. With his banner pointing south, he has won great victories. This battle will greatly boost the military's prestige. If Zhou Yu is captured, Jiangdong will be shaken, and Sun Quan will be surprised and surrender. Then we can achieve great success!"
Le Jin asked for the order and said, "I am willing to lead the elite troops to destroy the Wu camp."
Everyone was discussing how to defeat Wu when suddenly an attendant rushed into the tent and reported, "Prime Minister, urgent news from Chang'an!"
"Oh?" Cao Cao raised his eyebrows, motioned for the messenger to come in, and frowned, "Could it be that Liu Qi has won another small victory and is overestimating his own capabilities and wants to take Guanzhong?"
Xun You's expression suddenly became serious: "With the strength of Jingzhou, it is not enough to control Guanzhong. I am afraid there will be other changes."
A man covered in dust came into the tent and presented a letter: "Ma Teng and his son rebelled and have already captured Chang'an. Governor Zhong retreated to Tongguan and urgently needs support."
"Asshole!" Cao Cao slammed the table and stood up, his eyes full of murderous intent, and said in a deep voice: "Ma Teng, old villain, how dare you pretend to obey and secretly disobey, deceiving the emperor?"
Everyone was shocked. Guanzhong was in chaos and Chang'an had fallen. Once the Western Liang army broke out of Tongguan, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Where is Cao Hong?" Cao Cao took a deep breath, opened the letter and read it, his eyes narrowed and his face gloomy.
This battle not only resulted in the loss of troops and Chang'an, but also the death of Zhang Ji, his most trusted man, causing heavy losses.
Xun You stroked his beard and pondered, "Liu Qi lured the Chang'an defenders to move out, and Ma Teng took advantage of the opportunity to attack. These two may have colluded secretly. Thanks to the Prime Minister's foresight, he built Tongguan to prevent the rebellion in Xiliang, otherwise the consequences would be unpredictable."
Cao Cao sat down slowly and sighed, "It really came true as Jia Wenhe said."
Liu Fu, the governor of Yangzhou, said: "There is great chaos in Guanzhong, and Liu Qi is rising in Nanyang. This will surely cause a stir in the Central Plains. The Prime Minister should go to Tongguan as soon as possible to take charge of the matter."
Cao Cao frowned and said, "We have defeated Zhou Yu greatly. Now is the time to intimidate Jiangdong. If we withdraw our troops now, won't all our efforts go to waste?"
Xun You said: "Ma Teng is brave but not wise, so he is not a concern. I think Cao Hong has already retreated to Tongguan, and with Xu Huang as his assistant, he is safe. We only need to send someone with good strategy and decision-making to help, and defeating the bandits will be a piece of cake."
Cao Cao sighed, "It's a pity that Cheng Demou is dead. Who else can advise on military affairs?"
Xun You thought of the battle in Nanyang and felt uncomfortable. He said, "For now, I have no choice but to trouble Doctor Jia to go to Guanzhong in person."
Cao Cao's eyes sparkled. After a moment's hesitation, he finally made up his mind and issued an order: "Order the literary official Sima Yi to join Cao Hong's army and set off to Tongguan to help him at night. There must be no mistakes."
Xiahou Dun was stunned: "Prime Minister, Sima Yi is just a scholar, how can we entrust the important affairs of Guanzhong to him? I think it would be better to send Man Chong or Dong Zhao."
Cao Cao's eyes were slightly stern, and he said with emotion: "This man is a rising star, and I'm afraid that other people of his generation will not be able to match him."