Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1265 The Central Plains War Situation is Intricate and Complex

On the walls of Xiangyang, Guan Yu clutched the seventh letter of distress sent by Han Xuan, his knuckles white from the force. The letter was crumpled repeatedly, its edges curled up like withered leaves, the handwriting messy and chaotic, the ink smudged in several places, showing that the writer was already in a state of utter confusion.

"My brother is trapped in Shu, and Jingnan is suffering such a calamity. How can I sit idly by?" Guan Yu's voice boomed like a bell, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade trembling slightly at his side, as if echoing his anger. He turned to Zhuge Liang, his gaze burning, "Strategist, I am willing to personally lead five thousand iron cavalry south, and I will surely drive these Jiangdong rats back to their homeland!"

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, but his brow remained furrowed: "Yun Chang, be a little more at ease. Zhang Liao is watching us like a tiger in the north. If we divide our forces now, and Yingchuan is lost, Xiangyang will be in grave danger!" He pointed to Yingchuan on the map, "This place is the shield of Xiangyang, even more critical than Changsha."

"But Han Xuan can't hold on much longer!" Guan Yu paced back and forth anxiously, the hem of his green robe sweeping across the city bricks, kicking up fine dust. "Are we just going to watch Jingnan fall into Zhou Yu's hands?"

The wind on the walls of Xiangyang carried a chill. Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu were discussing the map in hushed tones when suddenly hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent. A scout rushed in carrying a military report and knelt on one knee: "General! Sir! Urgent report from Yingchuan!"

Guan Yu raised an eyebrow, took the military report, unfolded it, and his face instantly darkened. Zhuge Liang leaned closer to read it and saw that it read: Zhang Liao has led his troops out from Hulao Pass and has already reached the gates of Xudu. He is attacking day and night, and Cao Cao's army, led by Yu Jin, is fighting desperately. The city's defenses are in grave danger!

“Zhang Liao is trying to undermine our defenses!” Zhuge Liang paused, his gaze falling on the location of Xudu on the map. “Xudu is the gateway to Yingchuan. If Zhang Liao breaks through it, the entire Yingchuan will be like a dragon with a broken spine, with no more protection. It will fall into the hands of Xiliang in less than half a month.”

Guan Yu gripped his Green Dragon Crescent Blade tightly and said in a deep voice, "Although Yu Jin is not a famous general, he is still quite resilient. How could he be so incompetent?"

“It’s not that Yu Jin is incompetent, it’s that Zhang Liao is too ruthless.” Zhuge Liang sighed. “This man has always been swift in his military tactics, as can be seen from the Battle of White Wolf Mountain back then. Now he is personally leading his elite troops to attack Xuchang, clearly intending to take advantage of the gap in Cao Cao’s main force in Runan and cut off Cao Cao’s retreat.”

Guan Yu looked south, his tone filled with resentment: "What about Jingnan? Han Xuan's pleas for help are coming one after another, and Changsha is about to collapse."

Zhuge Liang shook his head, pointing his finger between Xuchang and Runan: "Jingnan cannot be held. Look, Cao Cao is currently leading a large army to launch a fierce attack on Runan, and Prince Liu Feng is struggling to hold on there. Zhang Liao's attack on Xuchang may not be a bad thing—if it can force Cao Cao to return to Xuchang to save it, the pressure on Runan will be relieved, and Liu Feng can catch his breath."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly grave: "But if Cao Cao disregards the safety of Xuchang and insists on attacking Runan, Liu Feng probably won't be able to hold out for long. More importantly, if Zhang Liao really takes Xuchang, the entire Yingchuan region will fall, and our northern border of Xiangyang will be completely exposed to the Xiliang army, leaving us vulnerable from both sides."

Guan Yu remained silent. How could he not understand the gravity of the situation? Although Jingnan was important, it was far less strategically significant than Xuchang and Yingchuan. Once Yingchuan fell into the hands of Xiliang, Xiangyang would become an isolated city, unable to even guarantee its own safety, let alone send reinforcements elsewhere.

“Therefore,” Zhuge Liang looked up at Guan Yu, his gaze firm, “Jingnan can only be abandoned. Our top priority right now is to closely monitor the battles in Xuchang and Runan. If Cao Cao returns, we will take the opportunity to consolidate the defenses of Xiangyang; if Xuchang really falls, we must defend the northern border even more strictly and never allow the Xiliang army to take the opportunity to move south.”

The wind outside the tent picked up, whipping up withered leaves that rustled against the tent flap. Guan Yu gazed at Xuchang, marked by a red circle on the map, and slowly nodded. He knew Zhuge Liang was right; the current situation allowed no room for hesitation. Abandoning Jingnan to protect the north was the only option. But thinking of the soldiers fighting bitterly in Jingnan, a bitter feeling lingered in his heart, and his knuckles turned slightly white as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

Looking at the bleak autumn scenery outside the tent, Guan Yu said with a hint of helplessness, "We know nothing about the situation in Chengdu now. If you fail to achieve anything in Yizhou, and then look back at Jingzhou, we are now attacked from both sides—Jiangdong has occupied southern Jingzhou, and Xiliang is eyeing Yingchuan. What will we do then?"

He paused, his gaze falling on Runan, his brows furrowing even more: "Regardless of the outcome of the battle at Xuchang, Runan is likely to be difficult to defend. That brat Liu Feng... is ultimately not my brother's own son. In this critical moment, how could he be willing to fight to the death to defend the city? In my opinion, it would be better to quickly send a letter to my brother, informing him of this predicament both internally and externally. If Yizhou truly cannot be taken, then returning to defend Jingzhou is the sensible course of action."

At this point, his voice deepened: "Besides, A Dou has already been born. When my brother left Jingzhou, Lady Gan was still pregnant. Now that his own child has been born, he is far away in Chengdu and has not even seen him. Which is more important, the land of Yizhou or the foundation of Jingzhou that we built with our own hands? Send a letter to persuade him. If that doesn't work, returning to defend Jingzhou is the most important thing."

Zhuge Liang listened from the side, sighing inwardly. He knew, of course, that Guan Yu had always disliked Liu Feng. Years ago, when Liu Bei adopted Liu Feng as his son, Guan Yu bluntly said, "Brother, your wife is already pregnant; why raise another child?" Now that Lady Gan had given birth to A Dou, Guan Yu was even more dismissive of Liu Feng. Some time ago, when Runan requested aid, Guan Yu, upon receiving the letter, sternly rebuked him for "incompetence in defending the territory," frightening Liu Feng into remaining vigilant day and night on the city wall. Yet, this did not change Guan Yu's contempt for him.

However, it was not appropriate to say this directly, so Zhuge Liang could only say tactfully: "Yun Chang, although Liu Feng is not the lord's biological son, he is the lord's adopted son, so their status is ultimately different. We still need to see how things go about Runan."

Guan Yu waved his hand, clearly not taking his words to heart.

Seeing this, Zhuge Liang knew that further words would be useless, so he turned to the map and said, "The letter should be written to our lord, but the defense of Jingzhou cannot be compromised in the slightest. In my opinion, I should personally oversee Xiangyang and manage the grain and military supplies; Lord Yunchang can personally lead an army to reinforce Yingchuan."

He pointed his finger heavily at Yingchuan: "Regardless of the outcome of Xudu, Yingchuan must not be lost! If Yingchuan is lost, the Xiliang army can directly advance on Nanyang. At that time, Xiangyang will be wide open, and we will have no room for maneuver."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu's expression hardened. Although he was dissatisfied with Liu Feng, he knew the importance of Yingchuan and immediately nodded: "What you say is true, sir. If Yingchuan is lost, Nanyang will be in danger, and Xiangyang will also be in danger. I will muster my troops now and set off for Yingchuan tomorrow."

Zhuge Liang nodded: "That's very good. I will stabilize the rear in Xiangyang and procure provisions for Lord Yunchang. Let's split up and hold the northern border first."

The wind outside the tent swept past, carrying the chill of late autumn. Both men knew that this letter, once sent to Chengdu, would leave them wondering what Liu Bei would think. Furthermore, the battles in Yingchuan and Runan would threaten the safety of the entire Jingzhou. A greater storm was brewing before their eyes.

In his main tent at the front lines in Runan, Cao Cao was pondering a strategy to breach the city while gazing at a map when Yu Jin's plea for help from Xuchang struck him like a boulder thrown into still water, instantly shattering his usual composure. The candlelight on his desk flickered in the wind, reflecting his furrowed brow as he tapped his knuckles heavily on the place name of Runan.

Upon learning of Liu Bei's entry into Sichuan, he seized the opportunity to lead his army in a fierce attack on Runan—a crucial location connecting Jing and Yu provinces. Capturing this place would not only sever Liu Bei's left arm but also pave the way for future conquest of Jingzhou. However, he never expected that the defending general, Liu Feng, although an adopted son of Liu Bei and relatively unknown, would be quite tenacious in battle.

For months, Cao Cao's army had used every means of attack—ladders, tunnels—but Liu Feng remained as unyielding as a rock, leading his troops in a tenacious defense of the city walls. When their arrows ran out, they used rolling logs and stones; when their soldiers collapsed from exhaustion, he personally donned his armor and scaled the walls; he even sent small raiding parties under cover of night to harass Cao Cao's army, keeping them on edge every night. Although Runan Commandery was already in ruins, it remained firmly in Liu Feng's hands, gradually wearing down Cao Cao's patience.

"This brat is troublesome!" Cao Cao slammed the letter requesting aid onto the table, crumpling the edges of the paper. What alarmed him even more was the movement of the Xiliang army—Zhang Liao had suddenly marched on Xuchang, clearly taking advantage of his main force being bogged down in Runan to seize his stronghold!

He recalled the delicate balance he had previously maintained with Xiliang, and the marriage agreement between Cao Ang and Ma Yunlu. He had thought that this connection would at least allow Ma Chao to temporarily avoid a direct confrontation, but he hadn't expected the other party to be so resolute, completely disregarding this relationship. Xuchang was their base of operations, stockpiling grain and supplies, and housing the families of officials. Although Yu Jin was brave, his forces were weak; how could they withstand Zhang Liao's fierce attack?

A report came from outside the tent: "My lord, another urgent report has come from Xudu, saying that a breach has been blasted in the west city wall, and General Yu is leading his troops to block it!"

Cao Cao suddenly stood up, the sword at his waist clanging against his armor. He looked towards Runan, where the flags on the city walls were faintly visible in the twilight—Liu Feng's defensive line. Looking further north, the beacon fires of Xuchang seemed to be burning right before his eyes.

"Pass down the order," Cao Cao's voice was filled with suppressed anger, "suspend the attack on the city for now, leave a portion of the troops to contain Runan, and the main force will follow me back to reinforce Xuchang!"

The guards obeyed and left, leaving only the crackling of the candlelight in the tent. Cao Cao gazed at Xuchang, circled on the map, a ruthless glint in his eyes—Ma Chao dared to threaten his foundation; this debt would be settled sooner or later. But for now, he had to temporarily set aside the tough nut of Runan and return to secure his own stronghold.

The night wind blew through the tent flaps, carrying the stench of blood from the battlefield of Runan and the anxiety from the direction of Xuchang. Cao Cao knew that in this game, he had already been slowed down by Liu Feng and had been caught off guard by Ma Chao; the road ahead would only become more difficult.

Cao Cao copied the letter from Xuchang requesting aid and sent it by fast horse to Xuzhou, giving it to Cao Ang. The letter made no mention of his anxiety or the ruthlessness of the Xiliang army, only adding at the end: "You should take a closer look at Ma Chao's military tactics."

He wanted Cao Ang to decide for himself whether Ma Chao, whom Cao Ang had always respected, had actually launched a surprise attack on Xuchang at this crucial moment, completely disregarding the relationship between their families and Cao Ang's engagement to Ma Yunlu. Was this "trust" truly worthwhile?

In fact, Cao Cao's attitude towards Cao Ang had changed considerably during this period. Cao Ang had requested permission to fight several times in Xuzhou, but Cao Cao had suppressed his requests each time. The father and son had not seen each other for several months, and even their correspondence revealed a deliberate distance.

The generals in the army were all shrewd men, and they had already seen through the clues. The lord's indifference towards his eldest son and his growing favoritism towards his second son, Cao Pi, were becoming increasingly apparent. He even intentionally or unintentionally allowed Cao Pi to eavesdrop during meetings, which was clearly a signal that he was not very satisfied with Cao Ang and had already considered changing the heir apparent.

Cao Cao knew very well that the struggle for the throne was the most dangerous thing in history. If he didn't lay the groundwork early on and let his civil and military officials get used to his "distancing" from Cao Ang, how could those veteran generals who had followed him through thick and thin and the civil officials who had already decided that Cao Ang would be the future ruler easily agree if he really wanted to make Cao Pi his heir? At that time, he was afraid that it would cause an even bigger storm.

He gazed out the window, recalling Cao Ang's youthful days fighting alongside him. A complex emotion flickered across his brow, quickly replaced by a ruthless glint. How could someone destined for greatness be hindered by personal feelings? For the sake of the Cao family's legacy, what did this slight "estrangement," this bit of criticism matter?