Luoyang, Wei Palace.

In the middle of the night, the moonlight flowed in through the west window like water, and sprinkled on the blankets under the bed, gilding the two pairs of shoes embroidered with gold silk with a layer of silver brilliance.

Cao Cao put his arms around the young beauty, and snored and slept soundly on the cushion of his headrest. Looking at the expression in his sleep, he must have dreamed of something beautiful.

Suddenly, there were hurried footsteps outside the hall, and then there was an argument, which made Cao Cao subconsciously frown in his sleep.

Xu Zhu stood with his sword in his hand, blocking Sima Yi, who wanted to see Cao Cao, and said, "In the middle of the night, Your Majesty has fallen asleep, and it is inconvenient to get up. Please retreat from the waiter and enter the palace in the morning. ”

Sima Yi held the towel in his hand, looked anxious, and said: "Huhou, there is an urgent military situation in Jingzhou, Wanghuhou enters the palace to wake up His Majesty, and Sima Yi asks to see him in the middle of the speech, about Xiangfan and the urgent military situation of the Seventh Army. If it is played until dawn, I am afraid that the military plane will be delayed! ”

Xu Chu looked at the door of the palace behind him, looked hesitant, and asked, "I don't know why the military situation?" ”

"Please Huhou retreat!" Sima Yi said.

Xu Chu waved his hand to signal the left and right departments to step back and come to Sima Yi.

Sima Yi looked left and right, covered his mouth and suppressed his voice, and said: "The Han water is overflowing, and the seven armies supervised by Yu Ban and Yan Xing are trapped by the Han water. Guan Yu led his troops to take advantage of the momentum, Yu Ban was captured, Yan Xing was beheaded, 30,000 people of the Seventh Army were annihilated, and Fancheng was in danger! ”

"This?"

Hearing this, Xu Chu's eyes widened instantly, his mouth opened slightly, and his expression was very shocked.

"Didn't Your Majesty let Wen Ze close the camp and not fight?" Xu Chu's mind eased and said, "How can the Seven Armies be wiped out today?" ”

"It's a long story!"

Sima Yi looked at the silent palace in front of him, and said anxiously: "Please also invite the Tiger Marquis to enter the palace and report this matter to Your Majesty, so as not to delay the military plane." ”

"Good!"

"There is a waiter waiting!"

Xu Chu pressed his sword and walked into the hall.

The deep palace was quiet, and Xu Chu's footsteps were exceptionally loud, and he walked into the inner hall. Passing through the maid of the night vigil, about five or six steps away from the dragon couch, Xu Chu stopped.

Through the curtain, Xu Chu coughed a few times and called softly: "Your Majesty, there is an urgent military situation in Xiangfan!" ”

"Your Majesty!"

Under Xu Chu's wake-up, Cao Cao was drowsy and asked vaguely, "Is it Zhongkang?" ”

"Exactly!"

Xu Chu raised his voice slightly and said, "Your Majesty, Sima Yi is asking to see you outside the palace, and his words are Xiangfan's urgent military situation!" ”

"What's the matter, you need to go up late at night?"

The voice in the tent was faint, accompanied by the exclamations of the concubines.

Xu Chu lowered his head, stared at the blanket spread on the ground, and said, "The Han water overflowed, flooding the camp of the Seventh Army. Guan Yu led the sailors to take advantage of the situation, captured the ban, beheaded Yan Xing, the 30,000 soldiers of the Seventh Army were annihilated, and Fancheng was in danger! ”

"What!"

Xu Chu's words came out, first there were many people in the tent, and then Cao Cao lifted the curtain, stayed barefoot and single-clothed, his hair was scattered, and his eyes revealed an incredible color.

"Zhongkang, where did this news come from?" Cao Cao steadied his mind and asked.

Xu Chu lowered his head and said: "Sima Yi in the service reported that he has been waiting outside the palace today, it should not be a false report!" ”

I don't know if he didn't wake up, or because of the annihilation of the Seventh Army, Cao Cao staggered and almost fell to the ground.

"Your Majesty!"

Seeing this, Xu Zhu stepped up to support Cao Cao and said, "Are you going to invite Zhu Qing into the palace today?" ”

Cao Cao put his hand on Xu Chu's arm, took a deep breath and said, "Recruit Zhuqing and his close attendants into the palace!" ”

"No!"

Xu Chu arched his hand and said: "Please Your Majesty be wide-dressed, and the ministers will order Zhuqing to enter the palace left and right." ”

After speaking, Xu Chu walked out of the hall, leaving Cao Cao alone.

Cao Cao's heart suddenly rose with anger, and he threw the tea cup on the desk to the ground, scolding: "Waste, it's all waste!" ”

On the dragon couch, the concubines with bewitching faces listened to the sound of crackling horns, accompanied by Cao Cao's angry scolding, holding the quilt, trembling and frightened.

Until the voice died out, the concubine Sun Ying slowly stayed, revealing her bumpy figure, her arms wrapped around the old Cao Cao from behind, and said softly: "Victory or defeat is a temporary matter for the soldiers, Your Majesty should still be angry, take care of your body, don't be angry!" ”

Sun Ying, the daughter of Sun Fu, and the niece of Sun Quanzhitang. His appearance is outstanding, he has the appearance of a country, but he is artificially scheming and has a jealous temperament.

When he was a child, Sun Quan saw Sun Ying and immediately felt that he was extraordinary and loved him very much. And after growing up, Sun Ying was pretentious and unwilling to marry others.

Sun Quan saw Sun Ying like this, and for the sake of the great cause of the Sun family, he sent Sun Ying to Cao Cao's harem. Cao Cao saw Sun Ying, and his old heart suddenly felt youthful, just like Sun Quan's words in the past.

Over the past few months, Sun Ying has become more and more favored, and Cao Cao has been fortunate to Sun Ying almost day and night. Cao Cao's behavior caused the concubines in the palace to be apprehensive, but because of Cao Cao's authority, they did not dare to complain.

As for Sun Quan's sister Sun Shangxiang, after the Battle of Chrysostom, she contracted typhoid fever, and because of Cao Cao's defeat, the treatment was not timely, and unfortunately she died of illness.

Sun Ying's soft-spoken persuasion, touching her back with her thin fingers, and her bewitching face, as if she had a changed magic, gradually made Cao Cao less irritable and angry.

Cao Cao sighed and said: "I have been fighting for more than 30 years, and I have always relied on it because of the ban and steadfast obedience. Unexpectedly, Yu Ban actually buried the elite of the Seventh Army and ruined the good situation of Xiangfan. ”

Sun Ying hugged Cao Cao, used her warm mind to alleviate Cao Cao's anger, and said: "The concubine is a woman and a villain, and she doesn't know important military affairs. However, the concubine thinks that His Majesty is wise and martial, and there must be a way to deal with it! ”

As she spoke, Sun Ying took off her robe and changed clothes for Cao Cao.

With Sun Ying's consolation, Cao Cao felt a lot better. However, when I thought of the situation in Xiangfan, my head couldn't help but swell, and I was distressed by the difficulty of the situation.

After a simple change of clothes, Cao Cao went to the front hall, where he met with the close attendants.

When people arrived at the front hall, Sima Yi was already waiting in the side seat, and when he saw Cao Cao coming, he got up to greet him.

Cao Cao was not in high spirits, so he only waved his hand to signal that Sima Yi did not need to be polite, so he sat down on the couch and read the detailed military report that recorded the destruction of the Seventh Army.

Seeing Cao Cao immersed himself in browsing military newspapers and maps, Sima Yi looked at his nose and nose, and did not dare to make a sound, for fear of angering Cao Cao.

After half a ring, Cao Cao's face was sad, he sighed, and asked, "Guan Yu took advantage of the momentum of the Han River to force the seven armies under the ban and his tent. Now Fancheng is immersed in the Han water, Guan Yu's troops are flourishing, Liu Bei is in the south of the Yangtze River, I am afraid that Xiangfan will be difficult for me to have all the Wei! ”

As he spoke, Cao Cao put down the letter and asked, "Now that you are in Xiangfan, how about surrendering Wancheng?" ”

In the past few years, Cao Cao has almost everything not going well, and he does not say that Hanzhong has lost the general Xiahou Yuan; Later, in the Battle of Shouchun, a large-scale plague broke out, and the civil and military withered and gradually died.

Now there have been two battles in Fancheng, at first Jingxiang was emptied, and then the Seventh Army was flooded. And this is only 40,000 people of Guan Yu and Pang De, and the main force of Liu Bei's army has not yet been dispatched. If this kind of fight continues, with the current situation, Xiangfan is destined to be unable to survive.

Old and decrepit, Cao Cao gradually lost the aggressiveness of his early years.

"Your Majesty, you can't do it!"

Hearing this, Sima Yi straightened his waist and arched his hand, and said: "Yu Ban, Yan Xing and others were flooded by the Han River, and it was not the fault of defeat, so it is difficult to discuss the defeat of this battle. Although the pawn of the Seventh Army was broken by Guan Yu, it was not enough to shake the foundation of the country in terms of the national strength of our Great Wei. ”

"Today, Cao Cheqi and Zhu Xiangyang are guarding Fancheng, living in the midst of heavy siege, fighting to the death without surrendering, and His Majesty Cheng is in Luoyang with the Sixth Army. If Your Majesty gives up Xiangfan, Guan Yu will advance with his troops, and with the current situation of Jingxiang, Xinye and Wancheng will hardly be owned by His Majesty. ”

"Your Majesty commands the army to the south, and if you advance, you can protect Xiangfan, and if you retreat, you can defend Wancheng and contain the enemy's soldiers and horses in Xiangfan. If you give up Xiangfan, Liu Bei leads heavy troops to advance, and when the thieves knock on Xu Du, it is said that the Central Plains is shocked! ”

"In the opinion of the ministers, autumn and winter are coming, the Han River is falling, Your Majesty will lead the army to the south, seek an opportunity to defeat the enemy, or solve the danger of Xiangfan."

Listening to Sima Yi's pros and cons, Cao Cao was no longer distressed by the Xiangfan crisis, and gradually walked out of the impact of the defeat of the Seventh Army, and his mind regained the clarity of the earlier years.

Xiangfan can't give up, with the erosion of the situation in Jingxiang, once Xiangfan is gone, I'm afraid that even Wancheng will not be protected. Wancheng is not protected, and Xuchang will be exposed to the troops of the Southern Han Dynasty.

The loss of 30,000 troops may be painful for Cao Wei, but it will not hurt his muscles and bones, leaving Cao Wei with no usable soldiers. And Cao Ren and Zhu Zhi were still holding the city, he sent the army south, and used the troops properly, when the Han River retreated, he might not be able to solve the Xiangfan crisis.

Cao Cao was silent, thinking about the strategy of retreating from the enemy.

At the same time, Cao Wei Zhuqing's attendants gradually gathered in the hall, each sitting on the seat, their expressions were mostly serious, obviously they all knew about the defeat of Yu Ban and the annihilation of the Seventh Army.

After a long time, Cao Cao gradually gained something, looked up at everyone, and asked: "The heavy rain continued and the Han River flooded, causing the Seventh Army to be broken by Guan Yu. Now Guan Yu's soldiers are in full swing, Jingxiang has no soldiers available, I want to conquer Fancheng in the south, what do you think? ”

"Now is the time to assemble the army, Your Majesty hastily uses troops, I am afraid that it will be difficult for the army to assemble quickly, what can I do?" Chen Qun said.

"It's easy!"

Liu Ye got up and replied, and said: "There are more than 10,000 new soldiers in Jingzhao today, and Your Majesty can send good generals to command soldiers and horses to take the lead in the south, temporarily stabilize the situation in Jingxiang, and then transfer troops and horses from all walks of life to increase them." His Majesty was considerable of Liu Bei's use of troops, and the soldiers and horses of the Sixth Army moved later. ”

"Good!"

Cao Cao bowed slightly, and said: "Order the right general Xu Huang to quickly move the new soldiers south, and combine all the soldiers and horses along the way, be sure to stabilize the situation in Fancheng, and never let Guan Yu break the city." ”

As he spoke, Cao Cao looked at Xu Huang, who got up to receive the order, and said: "When we go out today, the general is the commander-in-chief, and he is not subordinate to the general of the chariot cavalry." ”

"The only person who can be entrusted with important tasks in the DPRK today is the general's ear!"

In order to save the soldier Cao Ren, Cao Cao finally sent additional troops and horses south.

Xu Huang's face was calm, and he arched his hand. "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, Huang will do his best to relieve the siege of Fancheng. Dare to ask Your Majesty, who is the overseer of the last general? ”

Cao Cao's eyes moved on Zhao Yan and Sima Yi, and said: "Zhao Yan is the overseer, Sima Yi is the army, and the second monarch goes out with the general." ”

"No!" Zhao and Sima received the order and responded.

After a pause, Cao Cao looked at Jia Xu and asked, "Wenhe, do you have a different opinion?" ”

Jia Xu stroked his beard and said, "Your Majesty, Guan Yu is brave and sharp, and he can be described as a famous general; Liu Bei is a hero. Now Guan Yu is advancing with the power of victory, Liu Bei will definitely follow the army, and he is afraid that the Gongming generals are not enough to retreat Guan Yu, or it is better to transfer the generals of Guanxi to the west for reinforcements. ”

Cao Cao frowned slightly, and said: "Liu Bei will be in the west with Zhang Fei, Gan Ning, Lu Xun and others, and now the generals of Guanxi will be transferred to the west, and I am afraid that Guanzhong and Longyou will not have enough soldiers and horses to resist the enemy!" ”

Jia Xu groaned a little and said: "Liu Bei is cunning and scheming, so there are many Shu people who are not inferior, and the old generals such as Zhang, Gan, and Lu are specially appointed to govern Bashu, thinking that it is for the purpose of stabilizing the situation. It was rumored that Gan Ning had been seriously ill for a long time, lying on the bed, and it was difficult to treat things. ”

"Because Liu Bei ordered Bashu to send troops, the main generals must be Zhang Fei and Lu Xun to stay in Yizhou. Although Zhang Fei is brave, without the strategy of a general and the assistance of Lu Xun, it will be difficult to become a climate. When Zhang Fei sent troops, he sent good generals to protect Kansai. ”

"Good!"

Cao Cao nodded in agreement and said: "Zhang Fei is violent and unkind, and it is rare to have the heart of the army. Shu Road is thousands of miles, and there are many conscriptions that need to be issued, and the army and civilians will not be used by it. Now Zhang He and Yang Qiu can lead their troops and horses to Wuguan and go to Nanxiang; Ordered Ma Chao to bring his headquarters to the armies of Longdi and to control Zhang Fei. ”

"No!"

(End of chapter)