In the first year of Chuping, there was a great chaos in the Central Plains. Gongsun Du coveted the Central Plains and ordered Liu Yi to cross the sea to take over the counties of Donglai and appointed him as the governor of Yingzhou.
After Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao and pacified Hebei, he sent Zhang Liao to recover the coastal area of Qingzhou and expel Liu Yi. The Liaodong Army has always been resentful about this.
When he returned to Qingzhou this time, Liu Yi signed a military order to Gongsun Kang, vowing that he would never return home without taking Qingzhou. He vowed to carve out a place for his lord in the Central Plains before returning home in glory.
This time, they joined forces with Jiangdong to capture Qingzhou. The two armies attacked from the north and south. When they were about to take Qingzhou, they were blocked by Tian Yu in Beihai, making it difficult to advance for a while.
During the standoff, a scout came to report that Cheng Xi, the governor of Qingzhou, had attacked the Wu army and defeated the vanguard army, and was gathering troops to take revenge.
Liu Yi discussed with the military officer Gongsun Yang, "Cheng Xi started a war with the Eastern Wu first, and he obviously regarded it as a strong enemy and did not take us seriously. Now that Cao Wei is doomed, we should take the opportunity to advance and take Qingzhou."
Gongsun Yang said: "There is still Tian Yu guarding the city in Beihai. He is brave and good at fighting. He knows the art of war very well. The Xianbei and Wuhuan are no match for him. There is no need to risk sending troops. Now that Sun and Cao are fighting, one of them will definitely be injured. Why don't you sit on the mountain and watch the fight?"
Gongsun Yang was the nephew of Gongsun Du. He followed Gongsun Du around the Central Plains and was quite trusted. He also learned a lot of military tactics. When Gongsun Du pacified Liaodong and conquered Goguryeo, he made many suggestions and was promoted to military officer. After Gongsun Kang succeeded to the throne, he was appointed as the military chief and conquered the Central Plains together with Liu Yi.
"That's a very good idea!" Liu Yi suddenly came to his senses, ordered the troops to be withdrawn, reassured the people, and reported the battle in Qingzhou to Gongsun Kang.
Just as they were sending people to inquire about the war situation at the front, the garrison suddenly came to report that Zhou Yu had sent Liu Zheng to deliver a letter.
Gongsun Yang said, "If it was an ordinary letter, how could Liu Zheng deliver it in person? This must be Zhou Yu's request for the general to send troops to attack Beihai. The general only needs to pretend to be submissive and ask him to send troops with all his strength."
Liu Yi ordered his men to invite Liu Zheng in. The two parties had met each other in Liaodong before. They exchanged greetings. Liu Yi accepted Zhou Yu's letter and invited Liu Zheng into the hall to host a banquet.
Liu Yi clasped his fists and said, "I heard that the Wu army has won a great victory in Anqiu. Congratulations."
Liu Zheng laughed and said, "Cheng Xi only sent a small army to fight the enemy. He underestimated the Jiangdong people. This small victory is not worth mentioning."
Liu Yi smiled faintly, opened the letter and read it, then said: "Since my lord has made an agreement with the Marquis of Wu, how can I sit idly by while the Grand Commander fights Cheng Xi? Sir, don't worry, reply to the Commander Zhou, I will attack Beihai with all my strength."
Liu Zheng said, "The Grand Commander knew that the general valued loyalty and would send troops, so there was no need for a reply. Xiahou Dun has come all the way here, and has specially ordered me to come and help the general, so that we can break through Beihai and stabilize Qingzhou as soon as possible, so that we can face the enemy calmly."
Liu Yi's face darkened, and he said unhappily: "I have always known that you are quite brave and heroic, but we have our own strategies to deal with the Liaodong troops, so I dare not trouble you."
Liu Zhengyan said: "The Grand Commander also knows that you are a great general from Liaodong. You have been invincible in many years of conquest. However, the Central Plains is a land of outstanding people and talents, which is not comparable to Liaodong. I am afraid that I will be intimidated by Tian Yu's bravery and dare not act rashly. I volunteered to come and help."
"How dare you!" Liu Yi said coldly, "Does Commander Zhou really think I'm afraid of Tian Yu? If he can defeat Cheng Xi, I will definitely be able to capture Beihai."
Liu Zheng clasped his fists and said, "I have no intention of offending you. It is because the general was defeated by Zhang Liao that year, and Tian Yu's ability is no less than Zhang Wenyuan..."
Bang-
Liu Yi was furious, slammed the table and stood up, saying sternly: "Zhang Liao only attacked by surprise back then. If we were to fight head-on, I would not be afraid. This time I came to the Central Plains, I am going to fight this villain in Xuchang and avenge my previous humiliation."
Liu Zhengyan said, "So the general has such ambitions. I was too suspicious. But Governor Zhou and the general have agreed to share Qingzhou. If our army defeats Cheng Xi, but the general cannot capture Beihai, the Grand Governor will lead his troops to take it. Don't blame Governor Zhou for stealing the credit then."
Liu Yi laughed and said, "Don't worry, sir. I came to Qingzhou this time to respond to my lord's request to annex Hebei. Beihai is already in our pocket, so how can we not take it?"
Liu Zheng nodded and said, "Now that the two armies have formed an alliance, we should work together to defeat the enemy. What I just said was just a joke! You and I were quite friendly in Xiangping in the past. If the general is defeated by Tian Yu and cannot break the city, I will come to help first and will not embarrass the general."
Liu Yi said angrily, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. When Cheng Xi is defeated, if I cannot break the city, I am willing to hand over Beihai to you."
Liu Zheng clasped his fists and said, "General, you are indeed a famous general in Liaodong. I am really impressed by your courage. I would like to trouble Military Advisor Gongsun to bear witness to this."
"This... A battle between two armies is a major national event, how can it be played like this?" Gongsun Yang saw that Liu Yi was gambling with Liu Zheng, and hurriedly winked at him.
But Liu Yi turned a blind eye, and instead drew his sword to chop off one of the table legs, saying loudly: "A man's words are spoken and cannot be taken back. If I break this oath, I will be killed like this, and my body will be incomplete."
Liu Zheng hurriedly stopped Liu Yi and said, "I know that the general's words are as good as gold. How can I not believe them? In the future, to defeat Cao, I will still rely on the general's might."
Liu Yi laughed and invited Liu Zheng to join the table again. After several rounds of drinks, Liu Zheng took his leave and left because of the urgent military situation.
After Liu Zheng left, Gongsun Yang stamped his feet and said, "This must be Zhou Yu's way of provoking the general. The general has fallen into the trap!"
Liu Yi smiled coldly and said, "People say that Zhou Lang is very smart, but now I see that he is just like this. How can such a small trick be hidden from me?"
Gongsun Yang was puzzled and asked: "If that's the case, why did the general want to gamble with Liu Zheng just now?"
Liu Yi said: "The Qingzhou army has been fully dispatched, and Beihai only has a few thousand defenders. It will be easy for me to take it. Why not do him a favor?"
Gongsun Yang sighed, "Tian Yu is a veteran general who has fought many battles and knows how to advance and retreat. Attacking a city requires several times more soldiers and sufficient equipment. Now our army has come from afar. If he closes the city and defends it, what strategy should we use to capture the city?"
Liu Yi smiled and said, "Don't worry about the military affairs. I have my own countermeasures. I will lure Tian Yu out of the city and it will not be difficult to defeat them!"
Gongsun Yang frowned and said, "I'm afraid Tian Yu won't fall for it."
Liu Yi said unhappily, "We have come across the sea, spent a lot of money and food, and have great expectations from our lord. If we can't even take Beihai, how can we advance to Hebei? Even if Zhang Wenyuan is here, I can defeat him, let alone Tian Yu."
When Liu Zheng returned to report, Zhou Yu laughed and said, "Although Liu Yi has some strategies, he is also just a name. When I defeat Cheng Xi's troops and both he and Tian Yu are injured, it will be time to take Beihai."
Liu Zheng said worriedly, "Someone from Liaodong reported that Cao Pi sent someone to confer an honor on Gongsun Kang, making him the Lord of Liaodong, and ordering him to counterattack us. If the governor's move angers Liu Yi, it may cause trouble."
Zhou Yu said, "Don't worry, sir. If Cheng Xi and Tian Yu defend Beihai together and wait for Xiahou Dun's army to support them, I will cooperate sincerely with Liu Yi. Now that he has taken the initiative to send troops, it is tantamount to handing Qingzhou over to us. I think Liu Yi will not be a match for Tian Yu. Once the Liaodong army is severely damaged, I can take Qingzhou and fight Xiahou Dun calmly, gain a foothold in the Central Plains, and support the Marquis of Wu!"
Liu Zheng was puzzled and asked, "Xiahou Dun is a famous general of the Cao family. Wouldn't it be better for him to join forces with Liu Yi?"
Zhou Yu shook his head and said, "Teacher, you just said that Gongsun Kang's intentions are unpredictable, and we must be on guard against him. Now the main forces of Cao's army are in Guanzhong and the Central Plains. Xiahou Dun is a general who is often defeated. Why should we be afraid of him?"
While they were discussing, a scout came to report that Cheng Xi had mobilized 30,000 troops to seek revenge, and there were only a few thousand defenders left in Beihai, so Tian Yu was left to guard the city.
Zhou Yu was not worried but happy: "The best troops from Beihai are all out, Liu Yi will definitely attack the city with all his strength."