It was already daybreak. Cheng Pu barely managed to get back to the city, but he vomited blood and fell off his horse. Everyone hurriedly carried him to the government house.
Cheng Pu was covered in blood. The doctor cut open his armor and clothes. He found many wounds on his body, especially a cut on his left rib, which was so deep that the bone was visible. He was also shot in the back, but they dared not remove the arrowhead.
Cheng Zi cried and fell to the side, and all the generals shed tears. Last time it was in Hefei, and this time it was in Shouchun. Huainan became the place where Jiangdong was defeated.
Huang Gai asked Lü Meng, "How did you know we were in danger and sent troops to rescue us?"
Lü Meng sighed, "Last night, all the generals left the city. I harassed Cao's army and returned, so I made preparations. But Cao's army remained motionless. I thought they were prepared, so I ordered people to beat drums and shout on the city walls to scare the defenders and send other people to support them. But I was still a step too late."
Huang Gai said with emotion: "We have finally saved Shouchun this time. You are both wise and brave. You can become a pillar of Jiangdong!"
Cheng Pu listened to everyone's discussion, then he opened his eyes and sighed, "I regret not listening to Ziming's words and causing trouble for you all!"
Huang Gai said hurriedly: "Victory and defeat are common in the military. Shouchun is still here, so Mr. Cheng doesn't need to worry about it. Just focus on recovering from your injuries."
Cheng Pu glanced at everyone and forced a smile, saying, "Since I followed the First Lord, I have fought in many battles for decades and finally established the Jiangdong Empire. This year I am over 60 and I have to die on the battlefield. I have no regrets in this life and you don't need to grieve."
Huang Gai shed tears and said, "I have known you for a long time and have been with you for a long time. We are as close as brothers. How can you talk about death before you accomplish your great cause? Be patient for now and I will send you to Jiangdong for treatment."
Cheng Pu shook his head helplessly, looked up to the sky and sighed: "I have failed the trust of the Marquis of Wu, and I feel ashamed. You should work hard for Jiangdong. My lord and I will protect you from the nine heavens."
Cheng Zi said: "Father, we still want to go back to Youzhou together and return home in glory."
"After I die, I can be buried in Qu'a and just look at my hometown from afar!" Cheng Pu patted Cheng Zi's arm, coughed a few times, and shouted, "Quick, go and invite Lu Zijing!"
After he finished speaking, he vomited blood and died. Cheng Zi burst into tears and all the generals mourned in silence.
But now is not the time to be sad, so he sent someone to invite Lu Su to take charge of the situation, treat the wounded, and deploy city defense.
In the afternoon, Lu Su rushed to Shouchun and ordered Cheng Zi to carry the coffin back to Jianye for funeral arrangements, encourage the generals, and stabilize the morale of the army.
In the battle last night, nearly half of the troops were lost. The scouts reported that Xiahou Dun used Sima Yi as his military advisor to set this trap. Thinking of Ma Teng's defeat in Chang'an, all the generals were frightened.
After hearing this, Lu Su did not blame anyone, but praised Lu Meng for his wit and proper deployment. Otherwise, not only would the entire army be wiped out, but Shouchun might not even be able to be saved.
Huang Gai nodded and said, "Cao's camp has another talented person like Sima Yi. The Central Plains is indeed full of talents. Fortunately, Jiangdong also has many outstanding people, such as Ziming. The future is promising."
Lü Meng sighed, "Strategies are like the vast ocean. I failed to see through Sima Yi's plan. It is just a theory. I need to think more."
Lu Su said: "Cao Cao has transferred Sima Yi to the army. I think he will not be able to stay in Xuzhou for long. Now the rainy season is coming, and Cao's army will retreat soon. We just need to be careful not to go out, and we will be safe."
This time, the generals no longer argued. Led by Huang Gai, they all recommended Lu Meng as the defending general and deployed troops. Lu Su returned to Hefei to build a waterway.
…
In Cao's army camp, Xiahou Dun and other generals celebrated their victory, but Sima Yi alone was unhappy.
Cao Hong toasted and said, "We won a great victory in one battle and wiped out more than 10,000 Wu troops. Why is Zhongda still so worried?"
Sima Yi sighed, "I should have taken advantage of the situation to capture Shouchun, but I didn't expect Lu Meng to see through my plan, send troops to rescue people first, and then defend the city. Jiangdong also has a hero!"
Cao Hong laughed and said, "This battle fully demonstrates the ability of the generals. Now that half of the defenders have been killed, it will be much easier to attack the city."
Sima Yi said, "Defending a city does not depend on the number of soldiers. Shouchun is strong and only 10,000 soldiers are needed to defend it for half a year. If it were Lu Meng who was defending the city, it would be extremely difficult to come up with any strategy."
Cao Hong patted him on the shoulder and said, "The Prime Minister often said that the situation on the battlefield changes rapidly. Although we missed a good opportunity today, we have defeated the Wu army and dampened their spirit. This is worth celebrating. There will be a day when we can capture the city and find another good opportunity."
Sima Yi sighed lightly and toasted with his generals to celebrate. He wanted to perform well in front of Cao Cao, but in the end he failed and was somewhat disappointed.
When Cao Cao heard in Xuzhou that the front army had won a great victory, beheaded more than 10,000 people, and General Cheng Pu was seriously wounded and died, his headache was immediately cured, and he personally went to the front camp to reward the three armies.
Just as they were preparing to discuss dividing the troops to capture other places in Huainan, it suddenly started to rain heavily. It continued for several days, and the camp became extremely damp, causing great depression.
Xun You said: "It has been raining for days, and it is the rainy season in Huainan. The soldiers are exhausted. Shouchun has been under siege for a long time and cannot be conquered. It is better to stop fighting for the time being, recuperate and wait until autumn to send troops again."
Cao Cao looked up to the sky and sighed, "The Wu army's morale has fallen. It is time to take advantage of the victory and advance. Unfortunately, the weather, the terrain, and the people are all favorable to Jiangdong. How lucky is Blue Eyes?"
He then ordered his troops to withdraw after the weather cleared. When he was preparing to rest, Sima Yi came to ask for a meeting.
Cao Cao asked with a smile: "Are you unwilling to retreat just like that?"
"That's right!" Sima Yi clasped his fists and said, "I think we can retreat to advance. The Prime Minister has already issued an order to move the camp. The Wu army will surely relax their vigilance. This is a good opportunity to capture Shouchun!"
Cao Cao frowned and said, "Lü Meng is an extremely cautious general. I'm afraid he won't have another chance."
Sima Yi said: "It is going to rain heavily. Although it will help the Wu army to stop my advance, it can also help me capture the city. Why not use water to attack?"
Cao Cao looked stern and asked, "You mean, digging the Huai River?"
Sima Yi nodded and said, "Prime Minister, your opinion is very good. Water and fire have always been merciless. When we defeated Lü Bu at Xiapi and opened the Yi and Si rivers, Lü Bu still surrendered. How much more so Lü Meng?"
"No!" Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "The reason why Xia Pi was flooded in the past was because there were many enemies around and the situation was urgent. The two rivers bypassed Xia Pi and flooded it nearby. Now the Huai River is far away from Shouchun. Once it breaks the dike, thousands of miles of land, tens of thousands of acres of fertile fields, and hundreds of thousands of people will all be gone. How can we stop it?"
Sima Yi clasped his fists and said, "Your Excellency is considerate of the people and is truly a benevolent ruler. However, if Huainan were to be annexed by Jiangdong, its people would become our enemies. If one gains, the other loses. Isn't this nurturing a tiger that will eventually become a disaster?"
Cao Cao paced back and forth with his hands behind his back for a long time before he sighed: "You know that once the Huai River is opened, we will lose the support of the people. Even if we take Shouchun, it will be difficult to take Huainan!"
Sima Yi smiled faintly and said, "Since Huainan cannot be used by me, why not destroy it? If we get the place, we can raise the people. If we get the land and relocate the people, we only need to show some favors, and they will be grateful."
I wanted to say that Cao Cao massacred everyone in Xuzhou, leaving no one alive, and even caused a rebellion in Yanzhou, but now the people of Xuzhou are still obedient and paying taxes, right
But when the words came to his lips, he still felt that it was not appropriate, so he just clasped his fists and said: "This concerns the safety of the Central Plains, please think twice, Prime Minister."
Cao Cao sat there and began to rub his brows again. He also thought of the war that year. Nine out of ten houses in the Central Plains were empty. He relocated people from Nanyang, Jizhou and other places, and after more than ten years of farming, things have only started to improve now.
If the Shouchun area were turned into a vast ocean, it would probably take three to five years for the area to recover.