Just as Cao Ren was about to commit suicide, Ma Zhong jumped out of the water, knocked him into the water, grabbed the belt of his robe and swam to the south bank.
At this moment, suddenly there was dust flying on the north bank, the sound of horse hooves, and a large group of Cao's troops rushed over, with the word "Xiahou" erected on the flag.
Seeing that it was reinforcements arriving, Ma Zhong realized that there was no hope of capturing Cao Ren alive, so he dragged him into the water, swam quickly back to the shore, and led his men to retreat.
It was Xiahou Dun who came. He led his troops across the bridge and dispersed the Wu army. At this time, he had no time to pursue the enemy, so he immediately sent people to look for Cao Ren along the river.
Cao Xiu on the other side of the river had been watching nervously and had already sent people into the water to rescue. Thousands of Cao's soldiers took action and pulled Cao Ren ashore, only to find that his face was dark blue and his breath was weak, so they hurried to find a military doctor to treat him.
Xiahou Dun's eyes were as big as a bell, and he was about to rush to Shouchun to seek revenge, but was persuaded by Cao Xiu. He returned to Xuzhou with the remaining troops and went to Pengcheng to meet Cao Cao.
Cao Cao received good news from the front and thought his plan had worked. He was preparing to go to Shouchun in person to fight Zhou Yu. However, before he set off, his defeated army returned. When he saw that Cao Ren was seriously injured, he screamed in anger, and his eyes went black and he lost consciousness.
The doctors tried hurriedly to treat Cao Cao, but all the slapping and acupuncture were ineffective. Cao Chun gritted his teeth, ordered someone to prepare medicine, and fed it to Cao Cao, and only then did he wake up.
Tasting the familiar flavor between his lips and teeth, Cao Cao frowned and asked, "Using Wushisan again?"
Cao Chun said helplessly: "The prime minister was unconscious just now, and the doctors were helpless. We had no choice but to do this."
"Alas!" Cao Cao sighed and fell into silence.
Although Wu Shi San can cure headaches and even has the effect of nourishing yin and tonifying yang, it makes Cao Cao feel weak after using it. He has been losing weight day by day in the past six months and often feels dizzy and blurred vision. Cao Cao loves and hates it.
But whenever his headache struck, other medicines were completely useless. He would rather roll around in bed in pain than use more.
He also suspected that Zuo Ci had ulterior motives, but young people like He Yan, Deng Yang, and Xiahou Xuan were safe and sound and full of energy. He could only sigh that he was old and weak and that the hero was no longer a hero.
Cao Chun said: "The loss of Huainan will endanger the Central Plains. We should take precautions early."
"How dare the blue-eyed boy covet the Central Plains?" Cao Cao came to his senses and gritted his teeth and said, "Zhou Lang and the boy have ruined my plan. Quickly mobilize the troops in Hebei. I will flatten Jiangdong and capture Xiao Qiao to avenge this hatred!"
Chen Jiao hurriedly advised: "The previous expedition to Jingzhou has caused unrest among the people in Hebei. We cannot send more troops now. I think Zhou Yu will return to Jiangdong to recuperate, and the other generals in Jiangdong will only defend. Guan Yu is in Nanyang, eyeing the Central Plains. We need to think about this matter carefully."
Hearing Guan Yu's name, Cao Cao immediately calmed down and asked, "What good ideas do you have?"
Cao Xiu said: "If we don't take back Shouchun, the Central Plains will be in turmoil. We can transfer troops from Xuzhou and Yanzhou. We should first see who Sun Quan sends to guard Huainan, and then make a decision."
Cao Cao thought for a moment, drew some troops from various places, prepared a total of 30,000 troops for war, and ordered Chen Jiao to send people to inquire about the news in Huainan.
Everyone withdrew, and he instructed Cao Chun: "My headache has come on, and it is inevitable that there will be mistakes in military affairs. Quickly transfer Sima Yi to the front of the army to serve."
Cao Chun was stunned: "The Prime Minister said before that we should be on guard against this person and not let him lead the troops. Why..."
Cao Cao said coldly: "To deal with the rats of Jiangdong, Sima Zhongda is the best candidate."
…
In Shouchun City, the Wu army was jubilant. After nearly ten years of fighting from Sun Ce to Sun Quan, they finally occupied Huainan, and Jiangdong has been stable since then.
Sun Quan followed Zhou Yu's advice, transferred Lu Su to the north, appointed him governor of Huainan, appointed Zhu Huan as governor of Guangling, and Lu Xun as military advisor, concentrating all efforts on defending Huainan.
When the convoy returned to Jianye, Sun Quan led the civil and military officials to personally welcome Zhou Yu. The people lined the streets to welcome them, beating drums and gongs. If it weren't for the commander-in-chief, Jiangdong would have been lost long ago.
Lifting the carriage curtain, Sun Quan saw Zhou Yu's pale face and blue lips. He quickly jumped onto the shaft and pushed him into the carriage: "General, you have made great contributions and worked hard for Jiangdong. You risked your life for Jiangdong. I will drive the carriage for you!"
Zhou Yu hurriedly said, "How dare I trouble you, lord? It would be a disgrace to me!"
Sun Quan sighed and said, "My elder brother was killed for this Huainan area, and Gongjin almost lost his life. This time, we lost the pillars of Jiangdong. This triumphant return will not only show our merits to the governor, but also comfort my elder brother's spirit in heaven!"
"Bofu..." Zhou Yu had a complicated expression and thought of Da Qiao's words. The joy of victory disappeared in an instant.
Sun Quan thought Zhou Yu missed Sun Ce again, so he comforted him, saying, "Now that Huainan is taken, I will dredge the Han Canal to connect the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers. The navy will be able to enter the Huaihe River from Chaohu Lake, Sheyang Lake, and the East China Sea. We can attack the enemy or defend ourselves. The prosperity of Jiangdong depends on the great victory of the commander-in-chief in Huainan!"
Zhou Yu collected his thoughts and nodded, saying, "Having lost Shouchun, Cao will not rest easy. Xuzhou is a battleground, so we should not rush to attack. We should train our troops and store grain, wait for Liu Qi to send out his troops, and then we can plot against the Central Plains."
Speaking of Liu Qi, Sun Quan frowned and sighed, "Liu Qi has taken Hanzhong and now has entered Shu. His power is already established. I am afraid that he will be unfavorable to Jiangdong in the future."
Zhou Yu didn't want to stay in Jianye for long, so he took the opportunity to say, "After paying my respects to the Queen Mother, I want to return to Chaisang to recuperate. I can rest and recuperate there, and also guard Jingzhou. If Liu Qi takes Yizhou, he will definitely take Guanzhong. If the time is right, it's OK to take Jingzhou!"
Sun Quan frowned and said, "Liu Qi and I just got married, how can I use the army?"
Zhou Yu's pale lips showed a cold smile: "Although Jiangdong has three rivers, it is conservative and not aggressive enough. Only by making Cao and Liu fight each other can the lord seize the opportunity to advance and expand his foundation. If one family dominates, it will definitely threaten Jiangdong! Since ancient times, the victors are the kings and the losers are the bandits. The lord does not seek Jingzhou. When Liu Qi goes down the river one day, will he care about the relationship of marriage?"
Sun Quan's eyes froze when he heard this, and after a while he slowly said, "Gong Jin is right."
Zhou Yu went to the city to rest for a while. The doctor rebandaged his wounds. He first went to the coffin to burn incense for Mrs. Wu, and then went to the mansion to attend a banquet and meet Mrs. Wu.
Upon hearing the good news from Huainan, the old lady was extremely happy, her complexion became rosy, and she praised Zhou Yu endlessly, and even wanted to treat his wounds herself.
Zhou Yu hurriedly said, "It's just a flesh wound, it's not worth mentioning. How dare I trouble the Queen Mother to do it myself? I'm afraid that my body will be broken and it will scare the Queen Mother."
Madam Wu smiled and said, "Gongjin, you may not know that I have been fond of playing with herbs since I was a child. I have read medical books and taught myself medicine. When the old general was injured in the battle, I treated him personally. I also healed Bofu's arrow wound. If he had not been so irritable and angry, causing the wound to burst, you two would not be able to work side by side..."
Seeing Mrs. Wu's expression turn sad, Zhou Yu's heart trembled, and his heart was surging like a raging river. Could it be that what Da Qiao said was not groundless
Seeing Zhou Yu's expression change slightly, Sun Quan hurriedly advised: "Don't mention the matter of elder brother. The Queen Mother is indeed quite accomplished in medicine. Although you and I are not of the same surname, we are as close as brothers. Gongjin, don't be so formal."
Madam Wu took out a porcelain bottle and said, "This is an ointment made from the bile of South China Sea whales and fish oil. It is most effective for wounds caused by metal. Apply it once every five days and the wound will heal in half a month."
Zhou Yu could not refuse the kindness, so he had to undress and let the old lady wipe the wound with medicinal wine. He felt a cool sensation on the wound, and the pain disappeared instantly. It was amazing that he could not feel the pain if he did not move.