Xu Chu brandished his sword to deflect the arrows that were shot at his vitals and was rushing forward when suddenly his mount neighed and, out of control, rushed under the bridge.
With a loud bang, Xu Chu and his horse fell into the Baihe River, splashing water several feet high. Under the morning sun, a faint rainbow appeared.
Cao Cao was shocked and quickly ordered his men to salvage the items. He did not bother to fight and ordered his troops to withdraw.
Huang Zhong led his troops forward and fired indiscriminately at Henei, killing countless Cao soldiers.
Seeing Cao's army retreat in an embarrassment, all the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. Huang Zhong put away his bow and returned. Everyone gave him a thumbs up, saying he was truly an archer.
Liu Qi shook his head and said, "I was waiting for Xu Chu to cross the bridge before I captured him, but General Huang shot too early!"
Huang Zhong stroked his beard and smiled, "I can't help myself when I get older!"
The generals couldn't help laughing again. Zhuge Liang suddenly blushed. Are these two people talking about the same thing
At this time, Kou Feng, who was in charge of inspection, came to report that Cao's army was digging the river embankment upstream and blocking the river, as if they wanted to cut off the Baihe River and then attack.
Liu Qi was about to send troops to stop them, but Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Don't worry, General. There will be heavy rain in three days. Cao's army will suffer the consequences of digging the river."
Liu Qi saw that the sky was cloudless, but a halo appeared around the sun without him noticing it. He realized that what Zhuge Liang said was true, so he ordered all camps to repair the ditches and prepare for rain.
After Xu Chu was rescued, Cao Cao personally followed him and directed the soldiers to do their best to treat him.
The three thousand armored soldiers had an outer layer of armor that could block bows and arrows. Xu Chu's armor was even thicker, so he was naturally invincible on horseback. But once he got off the horse, he needed help to take off his armor.
What would happen if this fell into the water
He sank directly to the bottom of the river. Although he avoided the arrows, Xu Chu was not a good swimmer and drank the water. By the time Cao's army suffered hundreds of casualties and pulled him ashore, he had already fainted.
Because he drank too much water, his stomach was bloated and the armor was stuck and couldn't be removed, so they had to hang him upside down with a rope and control the water to rescue him.
After struggling for more than half an hour, Xu Chu finally woke up slowly. His face was pale, his throat was swollen and sore, and he couldn't speak.
Cao Cao was relieved to see that he was safe and sound. He asked the doctor to take care of him and let him rest. He returned to the tent and asked, "Why did your mount get frightened suddenly?"
Xu Chu's mount was naturally also salvaged. Although the horse was dead, the armor could still be used. It was no easy task to forge a new one.
Cao Xiu reported: "My horse was shot in the eyes."
Cao Cao remembered the old general beside Liu Qi drawing his bow and arrow, and Xu Chu fell into the river. He stroked his beard and sighed, "Why are there so many extraordinary people under Liu Qi's command?"
Cheng Yu said: "Looking at Liu Qi's cunningness, he is far better than Liu Bei. He will definitely be a threat in the future and needs to be eliminated as soon as possible."
Cao Cao nodded and said, "Liu Bei was killed by Cai Mao before. I thought we had eliminated a strong enemy, but I didn't expect Liu Qi to be able to win people's hearts. Once he takes control of Jingzhou, he will be far more dangerous than Sun Quan. We should take advantage of this opportunity to wipe out Jiangnan in one fell swoop."
Cheng Yu offered advice, "Liu Qi has set up a defense line at Baihe, occupying the advantageous location. He has also appointed Zhuge Liang as his military advisor, and Xu Shu is willing to follow him. This man may not have gained his reputation in vain. The Prime Minister should not be careless."
Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled, "In the Battle of Bowang, I saw that these two men were just so-so in their use of troops. It was just that Xiahou Dun underestimated the enemy and was careless. There is no need to worry. Cao Hong will lead his troops to arrive soon. When Han Hao digs the canal and cuts off the water of Baihe River, we can rush to Wancheng in one go, capture Liu Qi alive, rescue the two generals, and Jingzhou will be easily within our grasp."
At dusk, Cao Hong's troops arrived. From Bowang to Wancheng, there were Cao's camps for dozens of miles. The momentum was so great that the whole of Nanyang was shaken.
Xun You arrived with the army and offered a suggestion: "Although we lost at Bowangpo, our army still has the upper hand. Now that the Prime Minister's troops have entered Nanyang, we can send people to spread rumors: saying that although Liu Qi won by chance, he was no match for the Prime Minister's might and was defeated and fled to Bowang City. Jingzhou will definitely be shaken. Sun Quan and Zhao Fan are watching from the sidelines. When they see Liu Qi lose power, they will raise troops."
Cao Cao nodded and said, "Gongda is right. Liu Qi's foundation is not stable. As long as he stirs up the people of Jingzhou, and with Sun Quan and Zhao Fan causing rebellion, how can he not be defeated?"
After dark, Han Hao returned to the camp to report that there was only one place in the upper reaches of the Baihe River that could be dug, but the terrain here was high in the west and low in the east, so the river could only flow eastward. There were camps all around, and once the Baihe River rose, there would be danger. Please think twice, Cao Cao.
Cao Cao thought Han Hao was slacking off, so he said coldly, "Go tomorrow with Zhai Yuan and add 3,000 soldiers. Once we cut off the river, we can cross it in one day. Why do we need to set up camp again?"
The next day, Cao Cao ordered each camp to build boats and rafts, and wait for the river to become shallow so that they could build a floating bridge and cross the river.
He also sent people to Nanyang and Jingzhou to spread rumors that Cao's army had besieged Wancheng, Liu Qi would be doomed, and Jingzhou would surely fall.
At this time, Liu Qi was also mobilizing troops. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and others led their troops to the scene, stationed along the river, and confronted Cao's army.
Although each of them had only 3,000 soldiers, the flags of these people erected on the river bank were a great deterrent, and Cao's army did not dare to think about crossing the river.
Suddenly in the afternoon the weather turned cloudy and the southeast wind grew stronger. Han Hao had already dug a river channel and diverted the river water to the foot of Bowang Slope, where it spread throughout the fields. Due to the weather change, he did not dare to block the river channel, so he came to ask for orders.
Cao Cao ordered his troops to intercept the river at night, and when the river dried up at dawn, they could then attack the other side in one fell swoop.
Xun You said: "If we cut off the Baihe River today, Liu Qi will surely find out, but he will do nothing. I expect he will wait until the army crosses the river, then release the water to flood us. We will need to send troops to guard the river."
Cao Cao smiled and said, "Don't worry, Gongda. I have already predicted it. I ordered Zhai Yuan to help Han Hao in order to prevent the enemy from destroying the river mouth."
After dark, the night wind grew stronger. Cao Cao played chess with Cheng Yu in the tent. Listening to the whistling wind, he smiled and said, "God is really helping me!"
Cheng Yu asked in confusion: "Why is the Prime Minister laughing?"
Cao Cao laughed and said, "I ordered us to cross the river and attack at dawn, in order to confuse the enemy. We should prepare at the third watch tonight and launch a surprise attack at the fourth watch. We don't need to attack the other side, but we can burn the boats and rafts. The southeast wind is strong now. If we set fire to the river, the thick smoke will go westward, and Liu Qi will be defeated without a fight!"
Cheng Yu suddenly realized and praised: "The Prime Minister's use of troops is indeed unpredictable. How can Xu Shu and his ilk resist?"
Cao Cao stroked his beard and said, "Warfare is a game of deception. When one is false, make him real; when one is real, make him false. I have studied military tactics and have used them for many years. How can I compare with those who are just learning halfway and have just started out? If I am defeated by Zhuge Liang, I would rather retire and live out the rest of my life farming, fishing and woodcutting."
Cheng Yu smiled and said, "I heard that the Prime Minister was reading by lamplight at night during his military service, writing the "New Book of Meng De". But he did not start writing this time when he went out to fight. Could it be that he has already finished the masterpiece?"
Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "I wrote this by combining ancient and modern experience with my military experience over the years, imitating the thirteen chapters of the Art of War. I am only leaving it for the younger generation to learn from. How dare I call it a masterpiece?"
Cheng Yu shook his head and said, "Prime Minister is too modest. Everyone in the world knows that you are a master at using troops, comparable to Sun Wu. You are also a great writer, surpassing the current celebrities. Your five-character poems set the trend of literature. Even the famous prime ministers in ancient times were not as knowledgeable as you!"
Cao Cao stroked his beard and laughed, saying: "If we meet a peaceful world, I will be like Confucius and Mencius..."
Snap Snap—
Before he finished speaking, he heard the sound of raindrops suddenly coming from the tent. Cao Cao's face changed drastically and he stood up suddenly.