Three Kingdoms: The Peerless Strategist of Wei

Chapter 19: Young Master Gu, please consider the plight of the common people and grant me a plan to

Shouchun, the Golden Palace of the Imperial Palace.

An extremely luxurious and grand banquet is being held in an orderly manner in the hall.

Yuan Shu sat high on the dragon throne, completely drunk.

The civil and military officials sitting in the hall all looked worried.

"You all look so miserable. Is my imperial brew not fragrant enough?"

Yuan Shu, his face full of displeasure, questioned him sharply.

All the ministers in the hall felt a slight chill run down their spines.

Yan Xiang, a strategist under the emperor's command, finally couldn't help but bow and say, "Your Majesty, with Lü Bu and Sun Ce rebelling one after another, and the entire Huainan region suffering from a once-in-a-century drought, we have no mind for drinking and merrymaking under such circumstances of internal and external troubles."

"Yan Xiang, are you openly mocking me?!"

Yuan Shu understood the hidden meaning in his words, and his face immediately darkened.

Yan Xiang quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I would never dare to do that. I only implore you to prioritize the affairs of the nation."

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Along the Xuyi-Hefei line, our army is locked in a stalemate with the armies of Lü Bu and Sun Ce, and we are not yet to be feared."

"However, His Highness the Crown Prince only has two thousand troops under his command along the Xia Cai line. I dare to suggest that we send more reinforcements to assist in the defense."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qiao Rui, one of the generals under his command, bowed and offered his advice.

Yuan Shu sneered, "Do you all think that I am a foolish and incompetent ruler who only seeks pleasure and completely neglects the affairs of the country? You all underestimate your emperor!"

Yan Xiang and Qiao Rui were both taken aback, their eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"Those two traitors, Lü Bu and Sun Ce, will never risk their own troops to fight me to the death. Instead, they will let Cao Cao reap the benefits."

"As for Cao Cao, he is waiting for Lü Bu and Sun Ce to fight me to the death before he will personally lead his troops into battle."

"Therefore, my empire is as stable as Mount Tai and as secure as a rock!"

"What I need to do now is simply wait for Yuan Shao, that illegitimate son, to swallow up the entire Hebei region, and then march south to fight Cao Cao to the death."

"When that time comes, they will both be severely injured in their fight, and I will be able to reap the benefits."

Yuan Shu, his face full of arrogance and pride, launched into a long and eloquent speech about what he considered to be his brilliant strategy.

Yan Xiang and Qiao Rui exchanged a glance, momentarily at a loss for words.

Yuan Shu said smugly, "Now you all understand, right? The reason I drink and enjoy myself every day is because I have the entire situation under my control, and I don't need to worry about it at all!"

Qiao Rui lowered his head and remained silent.

Yan Xiang bowed and said, "Your Majesty's words are indeed reasonable, but I have recently heard that Cao Cao has recently gained the assistance of a reclusive master. This man is full of wisdom and resourcefulness, almost like a demon. If he were to offer Cao Cao some earth-shattering scheme, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"A hermit? And dare you say he's almost demonically intelligent?"

Yuan Shu's lips curled into a mocking smile as he sneered, "How many people in this world can be called strategists? Do you think I don't know? Cao Cao's forces are nothing more than Xun Yu, Xi Zhicai, and Cheng Yu. Where are there any extraordinary figures or reclusive masters? You, Yan Xiang, actually believe such baseless rumors!"

Yan Xiang was ridiculed in public, his face full of shame, and he lowered his head deeply, not daring to say another word.

Yuan Shu's gaze then fell on Qiao Rui, and he said with a smile, "Qiao Qing, I have heard that you have two daughters, both of whom possess unparalleled beauty that could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, and are collectively known as the Two Qiaos. Is this true?"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty does indeed have two daughters, but they are both of average appearance. The so-called 'Two Qiaos' is just something that is being spread wildly in the streets."

Whether her looks are mediocre or not, that is for me to judge personally.

Yuan Shu flicked his sleeves and said, "Go and summon the two of them to the palace now, so that I may see them for myself."

Qiao Rui's brows furrowed instantly, and a flash of anger crossed her eyes.

Yuan Shu's actions clearly showed that he coveted the beauty of his two daughters and wanted to take them into the palace as concubines!

"Your Majesty, my two daughters have recently caught a cold and are currently bedridden. I'm afraid they won't be able to come to the palace to see Your Majesty."

Qiao Rui was seething with anger, but dared not show it at all. She could only make up an excuse and hurriedly make excuses to avoid the situation.

Yuan Shu, however, smiled and said, "It's alright. I have plenty of patience and time. You can send them to the palace after they have recovered from their illnesses."

Qiao Rui was immediately caught in a dilemma, unsure of how to respond.

Just at this time.

A royal guard stumbled in, shouting, "Your Majesty, a large force of Cao Cao's army is rapidly approaching from the north of the city!"

The smug smile on Yuan Shu's face vanished instantly in terror.

He raised his hand and smashed the wine cup on the ground, then jumped up and shouted angrily, "How could Cao's army possibly be outside Shouchun City? Who dared to report false military intelligence? I will definitely take their head!"

"Cao Cao's army is indeed approaching in force outside the city. Judging from their size, there are at least tens of thousands of troops!" The Imperial Guard reported loudly, his voice trembling.

Yuan Shu's expression changed drastically. Without time to think further, he hurriedly got up and left the palace, rushing towards the city wall.

They climbed onto the city wall.

Yuan Shu looked up towards the outside of the city, his face instantly froze, and all color drained from his face.

On the open fields north of the city, there were indeed countless Cao army troops, sweeping in like a raging torrent.

"Why are so many Cao Cao's troops suddenly appearing outside Shouchun City? What's going on?"

Yuan Shu's voice was hoarse and dry, his eyes filled with panic and confusion.

Yan Xiang was the first to recover his senses and hurriedly shouted, "Your Majesty, could it be that Cao Cao led a light cavalry raid and captured Xia Cai City, thus enabling him to cross the Huai River and attack my Shouchun City?"

Yuan Shu's heart skipped a beat, but he still shook his head vigorously, saying, "Impossible! Cao Cao clearly intended to sit back and watch the tigers fight. How could he possibly launch a surprise attack on my Xia Cai city? Absolutely impossible!"

Just at this time.

Cao's army had already formed a battle formation north of Shouchun City.

With Dian Wei as his personal bodyguard, Cao Cao rode out into battle, standing tall and proud on the front lines outside Shouchun City.

"Cao Cao!"

Yuan Shu let out a fierce shout, his eyes wide open, his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets.

Cao Cao raised his whip and pointed it at the city wall, shouting sternly, "Yuan Shu, how dare you usurp the imperial title and declare yourself emperor! I am here today on the Emperor's decree to execute you, you traitor!"

"Cao Cao, Cao Cao~~"

Yuan Shu was both shocked and furious, so angry that he gritted his teeth and trembled all over.

Cao Cao turned his head and nodded slightly to Dian Wei.

Suddenly, something appeared in Dian Wei's hand. With a deafening roar, he hurled it forcefully towards Yuan Shu on the city wall.

This sudden turn of events startled Yuan Shu, who hurriedly staggered backward.

"Bang!"

The object crashed heavily onto the city wall and landed right at Yuan Shu's feet.

It was a blood-soaked human head.

It was the head of Crown Prince Yuan Yao!

"Yao'er—"

Yuan Shu's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he let out a heart-wrenching howl of grief and indignation.

The killing of Crown Prince Yuan Yao meant that Xia Cai City had completely fallen.

The soldiers of Yuan's army on both sides were all in a panic, and everyone's face showed shock.

"Listen up, you rebels on the city walls! I, Cao Cao, am acting on the Emperor's decree to punish the traitor Yuan Shu. Anyone who dares to aid and abet this evil will suffer the same fate as Yuan Yao!"

This bloody warning echoed repeatedly across the walls of Shouchun, terrifying the entire Yuan army.

After letting out a cold laugh, Cao Cao turned and rode away.

Yuan Shu suddenly came to his senses and shouted hysterically, "Fire arrows! Shoot the traitor Cao Cao to death!"

But Cao Cao had already ridden far away, completely out of the range of the arrows.

"How could this have happened? Cao Cao clearly intended to sit back and watch the tigers fight, so why did he suddenly launch a surprise attack on Xia Cai and kill my Yao'er?"

Yuan Shu held his son's head in both hands, shocked, angry, and bewildered, and cried out in grief and indignation.

Yan Xiang suddenly realized what was going on and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, it must have been that extraordinary hermit who devised this surprise attack plan for Cao Cao, catching the Crown Prince completely off guard!"

"That eccentric hermit again! It's that damned guy!"

"Once I find out who he really is, I will tear him and Cao Cao to pieces to avenge my Yao'er!"

Yuan Shu's furious roars echoed repeatedly across the empty city walls.

Outside Shouchun City.

Tens of thousands of Cao Cao's troops have begun to set up camp on the spot, preparing to completely besiege Shouchun City.

The main tent of Cao Cao's army.

Cao Cao stood in the tent with his hands behind his back, scrutinizing the defense map of Shouchun City in front of him, his face full of confident composure.

"Minister, now that our army is besieging Shouchun, once the news gets out, Yuan Shu's troops on both the north and south fronts will likely collapse in morale and crumble without a fight."

"In this way, the entire situation in Huainan will undergo a dramatic change."

"Sun Ce and Lü Bu will certainly be wary of Sikong taking Shouchun and controlling the entire Huainan region, and they will definitely mobilize a large army to fight for it."

"If our army fails to capture Shouchun after a prolonged siege, and the armies of Sun and Lü arrive simultaneously, the situation in Shouchun will become complicated and difficult to control."

Xi Zhicai, an advisor under his command, bowed and reminded him.

Cao Cao nodded slightly and said, "Zhi Cai's words make perfect sense. It seems we must take the initiative and capture Shouchun City as soon as possible."

Xi Zhicai sighed and said, "But Shouchun is an important town in Huainan with strong defenses. Yuan Shu has been hoarding grain and fodder in Huainan for years and has stored them all in the city. Moreover, there are four or five thousand soldiers stationed in the city. It will be no easy task for our army to break through this city quickly."

Clearly, the strategist in front of him, renowned for his wisdom and resourcefulness, couldn't come up with a good plan to break through the city in a short time.

Cao Cao frowned deeply, lost in thought.

"Sikong".

Xi Zhicai then spoke up again, suggesting, "Why don't we send someone back to Xuchang and ask Miss to subtly inquire with Young Master Gu whether he has a good strategy for breaching the city?"

"How I wish I could go on this journey, but my son-in-law just had to leave at this crucial juncture, and now I have no idea where he is."

Cao Cao spoke with a helpless expression.

Xi Zhicai was taken aback upon hearing this, and couldn't help but sigh, saying, "If that's the case, the next battle will be very difficult."

Xudu City, Sikong Mansion.

In the garden of the mansion, Cao Pi was carefully supporting his mother, Lady Bian, as they strolled and admired the flowers.

"Pi'er, last time when we went to fight Zhang Xiu, your father took you with him to train. Why didn't he take you with him this time when we're going to fight Yuan Shu?"

Madam Bian looked around to make sure no one was there, then lowered her voice and asked softly.

Cao Pi bowed and replied, "Father said that the front lines are too dangerous, and that weapons are indiscriminate, which is why he left me to guard Xuchang."

"Danger?"

Madam Bian snorted coldly and retorted, "Since it's dangerous, why did you take your elder brother to the front lines?"

"this……"

Cao Pi was speechless for a moment and had no way to answer.

Madam Bian sighed and said, "Your father is deliberately trying to make him distinguish himself in the army and establish his prestige there. He is clearly grooming him as his successor."

Cao Pi, oblivious to the underlying meaning in his mother's words, smiled and said, "Brother Zixiu is Father's eldest son, and it is only natural that he will inherit Father's legacy in the future."

"Why him—"

Madam Bian glared at him fiercely, her dissatisfaction almost bursting out.

The words were already on the tip of her tongue, but Madam Bian forcibly swallowed them back.

After clearing her throat to cover it up, Madam Bian asked calmly, "Wasn't your elder brother injured? How was he able to go to the front lines?"

"Brother's injuries have long since healed," Cao Pi replied.

"It's already better?"

Madam Bian's eyes were full of doubt as she said, "I heard that he was seriously injured back then, but he has fully recovered in just a few months."

Cao Pi nodded and said, "You have to admit that my elder brother is lucky. I heard that he was seriously injured and barely survived, but he met a miracle doctor in Ye County who not only pulled him back from the brink of death, but also healed him very quickly and soon after."

"That meddlesome miracle doctor..."

Madam Bian gritted her teeth and muttered to herself in a low voice.

"What is Mother saying?"

Cao Pi didn't hear her clearly, so he asked.

"It's nothing."

Madam Bian feigned composure and asked, "How is the fighting at the front?"

Cao Pi replied, "Father led a light cavalry raid on Xia Cai and won a great victory, killing Yuan Shu's eldest son, Yuan Yao. Now, he has besieged Shouchun City with a large army. However, Shouchun City is well-defended, and Father can only lead the army to besiege it for the time being. He cannot take the city in a short period of time."

Lady Bian sighed and said, "If you have the ability to help your father take Shouchun City and capture that traitor Yuan Shu alive, you will have performed a great feat. Your father will definitely look at you with new respect."

"Mother is joking. How could I possibly have such ability to win over Father?"

Just as Cao Pi was about to make a self-deprecating remark, his eyes suddenly flickered, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

He then said, "Speaking of Shouchun City, I just remembered something."

"Speak," Madam Bian said, flicking her sleeve.

"A few days ago, Sima Fang retired to his hometown. Because he had recommended my father in the past, my father specifically asked me to see him off before he left."

"When I went to see Sima Fang off, I chatted with his second son, Sima Yi, for a few minutes, and we happened to talk about the battle of Shouchun."

"Sima Yi is quite shrewd. He said that Shouchun is a fortified city with ample food supplies. If our army wants to take this city quickly, the only way is to flood it!"

Cao Pi recounted the whole story in detail.

"Shouchun will be flooded?"

Madam Bian shuddered, her eyes flickering, and a thought quickly formed in her mind.

He lowered his head and pondered for a long time.

Lady Bian said in a deep voice, "Pi'er, you must immediately go to the front lines with the grain delivery team to see your father. Present him with the plan to flood Shouchun and help him destroy Yuan Shu in one fell swoop!"

"Mother!"

Cao Pi's expression changed abruptly, and his eyes instantly filled with excitement, as he realized the deeper meaning behind his mother's words.

"Some things, if you fight for them, you still have a chance; if you don't fight for them, you definitely won't have a chance at all."

"Pi'er, don't let your mother down!"

Lady Bian stared intently at Cao Pi, her eyes filled with meaningful expectation.

Cao Pi took a while to come to his senses, sighed softly, bowed and said, "Since it is Mother's order, I will do as she commands!"

...