Yuwen Xie led his troops to retreat in a panic. The fire broke out on a winter night and there was no water nearby. The Xianbei army was unwilling to put out the fire, so they had to abandon the camp and flee.
Xiahou Dun had no choice but to let the Xianbei army garrison in the left camp first. Although these Hu people were brave, they also had hot tempers. If they were not treated properly, they might cause a mutiny.
When it was daybreak, he sent people to urge Tian Yu to hurry up and deliver a batch of supplies first. Xiahou Dun personally commanded the attack on Linzi.
He ordered Zhong Jin and Zhong Shen to select 500 swordsmen and axemen each to lead the troops, and ordered the three armies to attack the city with all their might. Anyone who slacked off would be executed immediately.
…
In the cold winter, Pengcheng was decorated with lights and lanterns, and the military and civilians welcomed the arrival of Cao Cao, the King of Wei. For a time, the people were happy.
When Cao Cao went to the south of the Yangtze River again, he looked around and saw Cao Ren, Cao Xiu, Zang Ba and a group of young men lined up on both sides, filling up the government office, which looked like it was full of talented people.
Cao Ren clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty has been through a lot. Now that you have returned to the capital, you should rest and recuperate for a few months. I, your servants, can ensure that Xuzhou is safe."
"The world is not settled yet, and I am restless!" Cao Cao said with emotion: "I have never had a day off for state affairs."
Cao Hong said: "Your Majesty has worked tirelessly for the country, fighting in many battles to protect the country. You must all work together to eliminate the rebellion as soon as possible, so that you can enjoy wealth and prosperity and live out your life in peace."
"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison.
While they were discussing the war in Huainan, a spy suddenly came to report that Liu Qi had arrived in Hefei to command the civil and military officials of Jiangdong, recruiting soldiers and horses in preparation for the Northern Expedition. He also wrote a manifesto describing Cao Cao's past atrocities and calling on Xuzhou and the world to fight against him together.
After reading the letter, Cao Cao flew into a rage and slammed the table and shouted, "How dare you, a young boy, do this? I swear to destroy you!"
Chen Jiao advised: "Liu Qi is in charge of Jiangdong, and he is not comparable to Sun Quan. The war in Huainan is of great importance. Your Majesty should not rashly raise an army out of anger. You need to make long-term plans."
Cao Hong said angrily, "Liu Qi was lucky enough to win once in Nanyang, so he became so arrogant that he went to Huainan alone to fight the king. If he is not killed, he will not be able to establish his authority."
Cao Cao sneered, "Liu Qi is unaware of the situation! Jiangdong's internal troubles have not been resolved, but he has already come to Huainan to lead the troops. He must be eager to gain merit and prestige and win over the people. If I defeat him in front of the battle line, the people of Jiangdong will be in chaos and no one will submit. With Sun Fu and others to support us, this is a good opportunity to take Jiangdong!"
He immediately issued an order to mobilize all the troops in Xuzhou to go to Shouchun to fight Liu Qi again. This battle was not only to regain the south of the Yangtze River, but also to avenge the Battle of Nanyang.
When the army arrived at Xiacai and was about to reach Yangzhou, scouts suddenly came to report that Xiahou Dun's troops had suffered a setback at Mount Tai, and the vanguard was defeated. Cheng Xi was killed and Tang Zi defected.
Cao Cao was shocked and furious when he heard the news. He discussed with everyone, "Qingzhou has not been taken yet, and we are like a thorn in our side! I originally wanted to order Yuan Rang to take Qingzhou and then take Jiangnan in one fell swoop. Zhou Lang is indeed not to be underestimated. I am afraid Yuan Rang is not his match. Who can go and help him?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a man from his tent stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, I have been friends with Zhou Lang since childhood. I am willing to use my eloquence to go to Qingzhou and persuade him to surrender."
Cao Cao was overjoyed and asked hurriedly, "Are Ziyi and Zhou Gongjin close friends?"
It turned out that this person was none other than the famous scholar from Jiujiang. His surname was Jiang, his given name was Gan, and his courtesy name was Ziyi. He was known for his talent and eloquence, and was unrivaled between the Jiang and Huai regions. No one in the court could match him. When Cao Ren was guarding Shouchun, he admired his name and recommended him. Now he is a guest under his command.
Jiang Gan smiled confidently, twirling his beard and said, "Don't worry, my king. We will succeed if we can get to Qingzhou and enter the city to meet Zhou Lang."
Cao Cao asked, "I invited him with an imperial edict, but Zhou Gongjin refused to accept it. I wonder what Ziyi will bring with him?"
Jiang Gan laughed and said, "Zhou Lang is arrogant. If the Prime Minister uses an imperial edict to pressure him, he will definitely not accept it! I only need to bring my retainers with me, explain the benefits and disadvantages, and appeal to his emotions. I can ask Zhou Lang to bow and pay homage. A carriage is enough, and nothing else is needed."
"Zi Yi really understands the friendship of friendship!" Cao Cao suddenly realized that he had used the wrong approach. He immediately ordered people to prepare carriages and horses and prepare wine to see Jiang Gan off.
After Jiang Gan left, Cao Cao said, "Qingzhou has not been settled yet, so we cannot send troops first. However, Liu Qi is winning the hearts of the people in Huainan. This guy is very good at deceiving people. If it lasts for a long time, it may become a big problem. What good plans do you have?"
Xiahou Mao stepped out and said, "Liu Qi first took over Jiangdong, but instead of staying in Jianye, he used the remnants of Jiangdong's defeated army to resist the majesty of Your Majesty. He is eager to succeed, and seems to be bold. I have a plan. Maybe we don't need to use troops. We can ask the people of Jiangdong to lead Liu Qi to surrender."
Cao Cao asked anxiously, "What do you think, Zilin?"
Xiahou Mao offered a suggestion: "Sun Quan handed over the state affairs due to his mother's recent death. It should have been managed by the sons of the Sun family, but he entrusted it to Liu Qi. I think there must be some unavoidable reasons. You can first order people to spread rumors, saying that Liu Qi came to Jiangdong and conspired to kill Wu Guotai and hold Sun Quan hostage, to help Sun Fu and others gain momentum. Secretly send a man with good eloquence to Ganlu Temple to meet Sun Quan and ask him to surrender. All you need to do is write a blood letter and ask the old generals of Dongwu to capture and kill Liu Qi. Then it will be easy for the king to raise troops to take Jiangnan. If Liu Qi is really killed, all places in Jingzhou will be in danger."
"As long as I have Zilin and Jiang Gan, why should I worry about the instability in Jiangdong?" Cao Cao stroked his beard and laughed, looking around at everyone: "Who dares to go to Jiangdong?"
A young scholar stepped out, clasped his fists and said, "I am a humble man, but I am willing to meet Sun Zhongmou!"
Cao Cao looked and saw that it was Yang Xiu, the son of Taiwei Yang Biao. Yang Xiu was a quick-witted and eloquent man, well-educated and talented, and had a close relationship with Cao Zhi. Cao Cao had several conversations with him and he was able to answer Cao Zhi's questions in a short time. Cao Cao also asked him about military and national affairs and he was able to answer them fluently. Therefore, Cao Cao became suspicious.
When the army marched south this time, Cao Cao recruited him as his aide and brought him by his side. Firstly, he was afraid that he would give advice to Cao Zhi and cause internal strife. Secondly, he also wanted to prevent old ministers like Yang Biao from causing trouble in the court.
Seeing Yang Xiu's courage, Cao Cao suddenly felt a desire to find a talent. He asked with a smile, "What did Dezu say to impress Sun Quan?"
Yang Xiu replied, "Sun Quan was granted the title of Marquis of Wu and Governor of Yangzhou, but he gave it to Liu Qi without the permission of the court. This is disloyalty! The foundation of Jiangdong has been passed down for three generations. Sun Quan was entrusted by his father and brothers to maintain the foundation, but he handed it over to a person of a different surname. This is unfilial! Ignoring the people of Jiangdong is unkind, and abandoning his clan brothers to the war is unrighteous. Just these few things will surely make Sun Quan change his mind."
"Dezu is truly a great hero of the Yang family!" Cao Cao nodded repeatedly, then wrote a letter himself, ordering Yang Xiu to cross the river to meet Sun Quan.
While he was writing, Cao Chun came in holding a brocade box and reported: "Liu Qi sent someone to send a gift to congratulate the king on his achievement in conquering the Xianbei."
"Oh?" Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly, took the letter on the brocade box and read it first. He saw that they were all words of praise, but most of them attributed to the good fortune of the Han Dynasty and the wisdom of the emperor, and gently threw it aside.
He opened the brocade box again, and a refreshing fragrance filled his nose. His eyes immediately brightened. He took a deep breath and sighed, "I've heard for a long time that Mrs. Wu is an expert at making pineapple cakes. The civil and military officials in Jiangdong are proud to eat this cake. I've also envied it for a long time, but it's no longer a thing. I didn't expect that Madam Sun has inherited it. I'd like to try Madam's cooking skills, hehe..."
Seeing that the letter said that the pastry was made by Sun Shangxiang herself, Cao Cao's eyes showed a bit of ambiguity. He was about to take a piece and feed it to his mouth. Cao Chun hurriedly said, "My king, be careful, it's poisonous."