Han Xiang

Chapter 603: Using the city as bait to catch Guan Yu

"What? Sun Quan's people? These rats! That's not right."

After scolding, Cao Ren turned around and asked, "How do I remember that seven or eight days ago, Lu Meng led his troops to besiege Fancheng? Why did he suddenly help Liu Bei again? Has Sun Quan formed an alliance with Liu Bei?"

"It's not Lü Meng who took the city in person, but Jiang Qin who came to me to ask for food before. I think this move was either Lü Meng's instruction or Sun Quan's personal order. I heard that Sun Quan even murdered his own brothers, what else can he not do? Come out? The general wants to remind Prime Minister Cao to worry."

Cai Mao didn't worry about who the mastermind was. In his eyes, Jiang Qin and Lu Meng were both Sun Quan's people, so he regarded everything as a whole.

Cao Ren also didn't like Sun Quan, but he knew that Cao Cao would not be gullible. At this time, asking Sun Quan to send troops to help in the battle was Cao Cao's assessment for Sun Quan.

After listening to Cai Mao's analysis, Cao Ren nodded in affirmation and asked curiously: "I remember that Jiang Qin is a general under Sun Quan. General Cai just said that he came to you to beg for food. What did you mean?"

"Ah"

Cai Mao snorted coldly and sent Lu Meng out without food. When he arrived in Xiangyang, he sent Jiang Qin to ask for food. After Chiang Yue refused, he found him. At the end of the words, he suddenly became excited and opened his eyes wide as if he had discovered the truth.

"I understand. Jiang Qin first went to Xiangyang to ask for food, and then came to Xinye to ask for it. He was planning the situation in advance to prepare for the capture of Xiangyang. Sun Quan, a shameless man, had colluded with Liu Bei for a long time. He had a relationship with Jingzhou that killed his father. Qiu, you shouldn’t trust this person easily!”

"Hiss" Cao Ren's eyes became sharp and he murmured to himself: "Is Sun Quan really surrendering or pretending to surrender? The purpose is to help Liu Bei capture Jingzhou? But what does he want?"

Cai Mao heard what he said next: "Of course it is the land of Tu Jingzhou. Sun Quan was driven out of Wu by Long Xiang. At this time, only the three counties of Jiangxia, Yuzhang, and Luling were left. He may have set his sights on Jingnan and formed an alliance. Liu Bei will definitely carve up Jingxiang."

"Jingnan? Partition?"

Cao Ren stroked his beard and muttered to himself, and then asked: "Sun Quan's mortal enemy should be Long Xiang. He doesn't want to find any way to recapture Jiangdong, but he comes to plot Jingzhou? Even if he gets it, can he hold it? By forming an alliance with Liu Bei, he is undoubtedly seeking the skin of a tiger. "

"Alas" Cai Mao sighed and said coldly: "Sun Quan is not Long Xiang's opponent, so he can only take advantage of the chaos to seize Jingxiang. As for whether he can defend it, I guess he didn't think much about it. The navy trained by Guan Yu can fight. If Sun Quan's naval force were to assist him again, the Prime Minister would be afraid of millions of people, but that would not be possible."

"General Cai, there is no need to say more. I will report this matter to the Prime Minister."

Cao Ren stretched out his hand to stop Cai Mao, and asked in a deep voice with empty eyes: "Xiangyang is the center of Jingzhou. Even if the city gate is opened for Jiang Qin, Guan Ping may not be able to control it easily. What happened to Governor Kuai and the general's family?"

"What the general said was true. When Kuai Yidu realized that something was wrong, he immediately mobilized the defenders for reinforcements. In the end, although Guan Ping was not blocked from entering the city, both the Cai and Kuai families successfully evacuated and were escorting the young master Liu Cong to Jiangling. If we go, they can only capture one city of Xiangyang, and the counties in Nanjun will not rebel."

Cai Mao's eyes were on fire at the end, obviously unwilling to lose Xiangyang.

Cao Ren pinched the root of the bridge of his nose, wondering about Cai Mao's purpose, and finally asked tentatively: "General Cai wants me to send troops to recapture Xiangyang?"

"Ah."

Cai Mao nodded and added: "Guan Ping's foothold is not stable at this time. If the general immediately sends troops to Xiangyang, Xiangyang will be lost and regained. Capturing Guan Ping can also threaten Guan Yu."

Capture Guan Ping and threaten Guan Yu?
While Cao Ren was thinking about it, an idea suddenly occurred to him. He stroked his beard and said with a playful smile: "What General Cai said is true. If Guan Ping is trapped or captured, how can Guan Yu not save him as a father? What an opportunity to surround him and rescue him." "

"General, do you agree? Please send troops to assemble at the junction of Tuishui and Bishui. I will send warships to help cross the river. Let's take back Xiangyang in one go."

Cai Mao didn't smile until now. He said in his heart that no matter whether it is Guan Yu or Sun Quan, there is only death if he goes against me. Meng De and I are very close, and he will definitely help his old friend.

After hearing this, Cao Ren was still smiling, but he gave an answer that Cai Hao didn't want to hear. "I agree to send troops, and I also need the assistance of General Cai's warships. However, instead of sending troops to Xiangyang, I will send troops directly to Fancheng."

"Fancheng?"

Cai Mao looked surprised, and suddenly felt that his brain was not enough, and then asked: "Guan Ping and Liu Qi should have gone to Xiangyang. There are not many defenders left in Fancheng. Why are you going to Fancheng at this time?"

Cao Ren was noncommittal. He pointed to the hanging map and asked Cai Mao: "Since General Cai said that none of the counties in Nanjun can support Liu Qi and Liu Bei, it means that Xiangyang is an isolated city. If I send troops to capture Fancheng on the other side, how about occupying it?" What do the soldiers in Xiangyang think? How do Guan Yu in Wancheng feel?"

"The meaning of the general."

"The Prime Minister asked me to use Guan Yu as bait to lead the troops from Guanzhong to Nanyang to defeat him, so he faced off patiently at Feishui. But now that the situation has changed, I will use Xiangyang as bait to catch Guan Yu again, regardless of whether he comes to rescue him by land or water. No one can get around Fancheng, Jiangbei."

After Cao Ren said this, he smiled knowingly. Cai Mao also understood the other party's intentions and stopped persuading him to recapture Xiangyang.

He thought that Long Xiang had used Hefei to create miracles and defended Huainan from multiple attacks, but he didn't believe that Guan Ping had such ability.

After discussing with Cai Mao, Cao Ren immediately promoted him to general.

Cao Ren ordered Xu Huang and Zhang Xiu to stay behind to supervise the three armies. If the defenders in Xi'e and Wancheng moved, they would lead their troops across the river to occupy the city and wait for an opportunity to pursue Guan Yu. He also ordered Lu Xiang to lead an army to assist Cai Mao. , blocking Guan Yu's navy from going to aid Xiangyang, while Cao Ren personally led a main force of [-] people to go south.

As the general issued the order, Cao's army on the east bank immediately moved.

Cao Ren made no secret of his maneuvers, hoping to put pressure on Guan Yu in Wancheng, but only Qiu Feng responded to his plans.

On the west bank of Feishui River, there was still not a single wanderer in sight.

The warships originally patrolling the river did not respond abnormally when Cao's camp was mobilized, and moved at a constant speed as usual.

Cao Ren mistakenly thought that Guan Yu was entrusted with power, but he did not know that the opponent had a telescope to rely on, and had already crushed his vision.

When the [-]-strong army approached Xinye, the defenders of Xi'e and Wancheng moved at the same time, while the warships docked at Feishui remained as before.

The Xiangyang navy had a limited number of warships and could not take Cao Cao's [-] troops directly to Fancheng, so they ferried them in Xinye to the west bank of Feishui River.

Cao Ren led his troops southward by land and successfully captured Chaoyang County on the way.

Cao Jun made a good start on the west bank of the Feishui River, adding a bit of heroism and spirit to Cao Ren.

After Cao Mao completed the ferry of Cao's army, he focused all his attention on the upper reaches of the Guishui River. He was worried that Guan Yu's navy would go south, but unexpectedly there was no trouble upstream, but the patrol boat found something unusual downstream.

There are two to three hundred warships, sailing north from Haodang. The main ship has a flag with the character "Lu", and the identity of the person coming is about to be revealed.

After Cai Mao got the information, he hit the deck railing with his palm and said angrily to Zhang Yun: "This guy Lu Meng is really here. Does he think we are all fools? He will never come back!"

(End of this chapter)