Rejuvenation of the Han Dynasty in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 371 God's Will Is So
Cao Cao ordered his soldiers to attack the city day and night, and personally supervised in front of the battle. It seemed that he completely vented his hatred and guilt on Shouchun. Only through killing could he feel at ease.

The Shouchun garrison defended for several days relying on the size of the city, but lacked the command of a general, and the soldiers fought on their own, somewhat flustered.

On this day, it was found that the number of arrows from the defenders was much lower than that of the previous few days. Xiahou Dun and others knew that there were not many defenders in the city, so their morale was greatly boosted.

Cao Cao also ordered the soldiers to suspend the attack on the city, and to have a good night's rest tonight, to recharge their batteries and prepare to break through the city with all their strength tomorrow, and to reward the soldiers in the camp to boost morale.

Unexpectedly, there was a sudden heavy rain that night. Cao Cao was awakened by the sound of the rain. It takes a lot of troops.

"Why is father so angry?" Cao Ang was patrolling, and when he heard Cao Cao yelling in the tent, he came in to visit.

Cao Cao sighed: "The city's defenses are insufficient, and it's time to attack the city with all our strength. I don't want the heavens to be unkind, and it rains heavily. The autumn rain in Huainan is endless. I'm afraid...why didn't your grandfather help me to take revenge?"

Cao Ang took off his coir raincoat, put on a brocade robe for Cao Cao, and said, "Such heavy rain will probably not stop for a few days. Shouchun is already in the palm of my hand. It is God's will, so father don't need to worry."

"God's will?" Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly, listening to the heavy rain on the tent, which was just like the irritability in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "Old thief Tao Qian, there are only withered bones in the grave. If the family feud is not avenged, your grandfather will be buried under the spring." How can we allow him to live a few more days if he is uneasy?"

Cao Ang frowned slightly, and said helplessly, "It's difficult to send troops in such weather. How can we break the city? The right time and place can't be changed by manpower. Father, please take care of your health."

Cao Cao sighed and said: "If you don't kill Tao Qian, it will be difficult to solve the grievances in my heart..."

"My lord!" At this moment, Cao Chun's voice sounded from outside. He was in charge of patrolling the outer camp, and clasped his fists when he entered the tent, "I'm afraid we won't be able to attack the city tomorrow, we have to move the camp first."

Cao Cao frowned and said, "Why?"

Cao Chun said, "There will be heavy rain in the sky, and the Huaihe River may rise. The camp here is low-lying. Once the Huaihe River breaks its embankment, the camp may be flooded."

"Oh?" Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly, stroked his beard and asked, "What happened to the Huai River bursting its embankment?"

Cao Chun replied: "According to what Jiang Jun said, the Huai River bursts its embankment like a big river flooding, and it happens from time to time in case of heavy rain. Chen Wen, the former governor of Yangzhou, ordered people to build Xinfeng Harbor in the north of the city to prevent flooding. Forecasts of natural disasters, it is still not easy to station troops here."

"Hmm..." Cao Cao pondered for a long time, but he waved his hands and said, "There is no need to move the camp for the time being. You immediately send people to monitor the banks of the Huai River. I have a reason."

Cao Chun took the order to go, and Cao Cao told Cao Ang: "Go and tell Yuan Rang and them that if the heavy rain does not stop for three days, they will order the army to pull out the camp and set up the camp, and send troops to Yinling immediately."

Cao Ang said anxiously: "Father, the soldiers in Shouchun City have lost their morale, there are no generals defending the city, and the army has no fighting spirit. It is time to break the city. Don't let the defenders regain their morale. Although there is heavy rain, I think I should try to attack. If you focus on Yinling, and the reinforcements arrive at Shouchun, and Yinling can’t be attacked again, wouldn’t it mean that you will be defeated by the enemy and return without success?”

"Hahaha, my son has learned the art of war in the past few years, and he also knows the strategy. I am very pleased for my father." Cao Cao suddenly laughed, patted Cao Ang on the shoulder, and said: "I have a clever plan, which is better than a hundred thousand troops. You just have to pass the order."

Cao Ang was puzzled, seeing that Cao Cao was about to go to bed and rest, he bowed out of the tent.

The sound of rain outside the tent was pouring, Cao Cao lay down with his clothes on, listening to the sound of raindrops on the tent, he murmured: "Such heavy rain, is it God's will?"

In order to take Yangzhou, he did not hesitate to let Cao Song die, paying such a high price, if he did not take the land of Huainan, the guilt and remorse in his heart would never be eliminated.

On the second day, the rain did not stop, and in the evening, Lu Kang sent troops to Hefei to report. When the troops arrived in Lu'an, they were stagnant due to the heavy rain. Sun Jian personally led the troops across the north of the river. go north.

The situation was becoming more and more unfavorable for Cao Jun, and the generals were anxious. Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong even pleaded for orders and did not hesitate to attack the city in the rain, but the rain was wet and slippery. Let alone shooting arrows, they could not climb the ladder.

Three days later, Cao Cao ordered his troops to withdraw. The generals were furious, but they had no choice but to wait for the rain to subside, and they pulled out their camp and headed northeast to Yinling.

When the soldiers and horses reached Tushan, Cao Cao suddenly sent an order for the whole army to stop, and camped on the flat ground on the mountain, and alone passed Xiahou Dun to the Chinese army for discussion.

Xiahou Dun wondered, "My lord, why are you stagnating?"

Cao Cao stroked the water stains on his beard with his fingers, and said with a sneer, "I am determined to take Shouchun and kill Tao Qian to avenge my father. How can I retreat so easily?"

Xiahou Dun was taken aback: "Since you want to take Shouchun, why did you retreat?"

Cao Cao turned his back and looked to the southwest, and said slowly: "Now that I take Shouchun, I don't need a single soldier. Yuan Rang immediately leads two thousand elite soldiers to Xinfeng to dig the Huai River..."

Cao Ang was wondering, when he saw what Cao Cao said, he was startled and said loudly, "Father, you must never do this. Wouldn't it be against the peace of heaven to do so? Shouchun will be flooded, and the people in the city will not be spared. What's the use of having an empty city?" ?”

"Hmph, I have already said that when the people of Shouchun help Tao Qian, they are enemies of the Cao family. What's the use of keeping him?" Cao Cao turned his head, looked at Cao Ang coldly, and said slowly, "Zixiu, don't you be kind?" If you are in charge of the army, you should break it! You said the day before yesterday that you would give up Shouchun, and it would be even more difficult to attack again. Now that Lu Kang and Sun Jian have sent reinforcements to the north, if you don’t take this opportunity to capture Shouchun and be escaped by Tao Qian, your grandfather’s revenge , there will never be a day of retribution!"

Xiahoudun knew that Cao Ang was too naive, and only relied on his passion to do things. He sneered and said: "Since ancient times, when the two armies are at war, how can there be compassion? It is extremely difficult, and countless soldiers will be killed or wounded, and those are all the lives of our tribe, so what is it compared to those defending soldiers in Shouchun?"

Cao Ang's lips moved, wanting to refute, but he didn't know what to say. He sighed and lowered his head. The siege battle also hurts human life. From Cao Cao's point of view, it is natural to protect Cao's army first.

After a moment of silence in the tent, Cao Cao said in a deep voice, "Yuan Rang, why don't you go quickly?"

"No!" Xiahoudun bowed to accept the order, and strode out of the camp.

Regardless of Cao Ang's worries, Cao Cao ordered: "Shouchun is flooded, and Tao Qian will surely flee from Shaopo to Lujiang River. You and Cao Hong will each take a thousand fine riders to the south, and lie in ambush along the main roads. Be sure to take the head of this old thief." Come."

"Obey!" Although Cao Ang was sincere in his heart, he was not an indecisive person, so he turned around and left the tent.

Cao Cao looked at the dense rain line outside the tent with his hands behind his back, narrowed his long and narrow eyes, and said slowly, "Your death is coming!"

(End of this chapter)