Three Kingdoms: The Peerless Strategist of Wei

Chapter 21: Break through Shouchun! Capture Yuan Shu alive!

"Ang'er, why did you come to Shouchun? Didn't I tell you—"

Cao Cao’s second half of the sentence was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back down.

Cao Ang could easily understand that Cao Cao was questioning him about why he hadn't stayed behind to protect Gu Cheng, but instead had followed the army to the front lines without permission.

"I have already deployed sufficient troops to garrison Xia Cai."

"The reason I disobeyed military orders and rushed to the front lines to see you, Father, is to lend you a hand and help us capture Shouchun City as soon as possible, so that we can rescue the people of Huainan from their suffering!"

Cao Ang explained his true intentions and purpose for coming here, word by word.

A glint of light flashed in Cao Cao's eyes. He suddenly remembered that Cao Ang had said before entering the tent that there was no need to flood Shouchun if he wanted to take it.

Could it be that his eldest son has also come up with some ingenious plan to breach the city?

Cao Cao immediately composed himself, his face darkening, and said with a hint of interest, "Ang'er, tell me, how can we quickly capture Shouchun without flooding it?"

All eyes instantly turned to Cao Ang, each person harboring deep suspicion.

They all believed that Cao Pi's strategy was the only way to quickly capture Shouchun.

Suddenly, the eldest son said he had another brilliant plan, which they naturally didn't believe at all.

"typical!"

Cao Ang raised his voice and uttered those two words with unwavering certainty.

"typical?"

The interest that Cao Cao had shown on his face vanished instantly at those two words.

The civil and military officials in Cao Cao's camp all looked disappointed.

"I thought it was some kind of brilliant plan, but it's just this..."

Cao Pi's lips curled into a slight smile, and a barely perceptible hint of contempt and disdain flashed in his eyes.

Xi Zhicai showed no disdain on his face, but slowly said, "Young Master's plan to build tunnels is feasible, but even if Yuan Shu is mediocre, he still knows some tricks of military operations. He must have already buried large jars around the city and sent people to listen to underground movements to prevent our army from digging tunnels into the city."

"Zhi Cai's words make sense."

Cao Cao nodded slightly and looked at Cao Ang, saying, "Zixiu, it is indeed commendable that you thought of digging tunnels to enter the city. It is clear that you have made great progress in military strategy recently. However, if you want to use this plan to take down Shouchun, you are underestimating Yuan Shu too much."

Cao Ang remained calm, as if he had expected everyone to reject his plan in this way.

He smiled slightly, then said in a calm tone, "Father, although Yuan Shu is on guard, as long as we can find a way to prevent him from noticing, that will be fine."

"Undetectable?"

Cao Cao turned to look at Xi Zhicai beside him, then looked at Cao Ang and said, "Zhicai, you should have heard what I just said clearly. Yuan Shu must have buried large jars under the city to listen in. As long as our army digs underground, he will definitely hear the noise. How can we let Yuan Shu not notice?"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

"Actually, this matter is not difficult to explain."

"Father only needed to allocate manpower, and after nightfall, every half hour, he would beat drums and gongs outside Shouchun City, pretending that he was going to attack the city overnight."

"As soon as the gongs and drums sound, our army will take the opportunity to dig tunnels. The sound of digging underground will be completely covered by the gongs and drums. Even if Yuan's army has large vats to listen, they will definitely not be able to hear anything unusual."

"After repeating this several times, Yuan Shu will surely think that our army is just trying to harass him in this way, making his troops in the city restless day and night. Gradually, he will stop paying attention and lower his guard."

"In this way, our army can secretly dig the tunnel all the way into Shouchun City without anyone noticing."

"At that time, a surprise force will sneak into the city through the tunnels, seize the city gates in one fell swoop, and then the main army will swarm in, making Shouchun City a piece of cake!"

Cao Ang exuded confidence and recited the plan that Gu Cheng had taught him verbatim.

Inside the tent, chaos erupted instantly.

All the strategists and generals were instantly invigorated, and their previous skeptical gazes turned into surprise and admiration.

Xi Zhicai said with a face full of joy, "Minister, your plan is truly a stroke of genius! It will surely deceive Yuan Shu's spies. I believe this plan is entirely feasible!"

"Zixiu's trick is too ingenious. Minister, I also think this plan is feasible."

Xiahou Yuan immediately changed his previous opinion, stood up and loudly echoed, fully supporting this plan.

"I never expected Ang'er to come up with such a brilliant plan!"

The gloom on Cao Cao's face had completely vanished. He stroked his long beard and laughed heartily, looking his eldest son up and down with eyes full of surprise.

Suddenly, Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly guessed seven or eight parts of the inside story.

Cao Ang bowed deeply to Cao Cao and said, "Father, if we use this plan to capture Shouchun, we will no longer need to flood the city, and you will not suffer the resentment and infamy of the people of Shouchun."

These words struck a chord with Cao Cao.

Back then, when he was on an eastern expedition to Xuzhou to avenge his father's death, he lost his mind due to the sudden grief of losing his father and committed the crime of massacring the people in Xuzhou.

After his anger subsided and he regained his senses, Cao Cao always felt a deep sense of guilt and regret about the incident.

It was precisely for this reason that Cao Pi had previously suggested flooding Shouchun, which made Cao Pi hesitate and have some reservations.

Now, Cao Ang's plan has swept away all the gloom and worries in his heart.

"good!"

Cao Cao slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and declared with delight, "Let's follow Zixiu's plan! We'll dig tunnels and break through Shouchun!"

"promise!"

The generals readily accepted the order, their fighting spirit burning brightly, their morale instantly soaring.

Cao Pi secretly frowned, his heart filled with indescribable bitterness and resentment. He glanced at Cao Ang with a very complicated expression in his eyes.

"I traveled a long way to present this plan, and I was about to make a great contribution and earn my father's respect, but my elder brother stole all the limelight."

"It's really strange. This plan of mine was devised by Sima Yi himself. My elder brother's wisdom and strategy are far inferior to Sima Yi's. How could he possibly come up with a more brilliant plan than this?"

Cao Pi was filled with doubt and pondered the matter over and over, but he could not figure out the key to it.

The military plan was thus settled, and the officials all took their leave to return to their camps and make preparations for breaching the city.

Cao Ang and the others prepared to take their leave, but Cao Cao called him back alone and kept him in the tent.

"Is there anything else you need, Father?"

Cao Ang bowed respectfully to Cao Cao and asked in a humble voice.

Cao Cao looked at him and asked with a smile, "Ang'er, tell me the truth, was this tunnel plan taught to you by your brother-in-law, Gu Cheng?"

Cao Ang was taken aback at first, then looked embarrassed and unconsciously raised his hand to scratch the back of his head.

As expected, no one knows a son better than his father. His father knew exactly how capable his son was and could tell at a glance that this plan was something he couldn't have come up with on his own.

"Father, please forgive my foolishness. This plan was certainly not my idea."

"However, I cannot tell my father who taught me this plan."

Cao Ang honestly admitted it, but he did not break the agreement he made with Gu Cheng.

"Why can't we say?" Cao Cao asked with a hint of curiosity on his face.

Cao Ang sighed with a wry smile and said, "Because that person said he was afraid that if Father knew that it was him who offered the idea, he would be fond of talent and insist on recruiting him into office. So he repeatedly told me not to reveal his name."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao immediately understood.

Cao Cao didn't even need Cao Ang to mention the name; he knew perfectly well that the one who could come up with this brilliant plan must be Gu Cheng.

Such an ingenious and unparalleled plan—who in the world could have come up with it except for his exceptionally capable son-in-law?

"Your brother-in-law is determined to be a hermit for life, it's really giving me a headache..."

Cao Cao shook his head helplessly, a look of mixed amusement and exasperation on his face.

Shouchun City, Imperial Palace.

"Cao Cao, you disgraceful eunuch, how dare you kill my beloved son!"

"I swear to Heaven, I will tear you to pieces and grind your bones to dust!"

Yuan Shu slammed his fist on the table in front of him like a madman, hysterically roaring and cursing.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. While we must avenge the Crown Prince, the most important thing right now is to defend Shouchun."

Yan Xiang looked distressed and quickly tried to persuade him.

Qiao Rui also chimed in, "If we can hold out for a month or two until Lü Bu and Sun Ce's armies arrive and completely disrupt the situation in Huainan, we can turn the tide."

Yuan Shu's raging anger gradually subsided.

After a long pause, he spoke in a low voice: "The traitor Cao has surrounded the city on all sides. Tell me, how do you plan to defend Shouchun?"

"The walls of Shouchun were tall and thick enough to withstand repeated bombardments from catapults."

"Although the city has few troops, it still has five thousand elite soldiers. If deployed properly, we can still put up a fight."

"Your Majesty should quickly use the wealth and provisions from the treasury to reward the army and boost morale. Only in this way can you stabilize the army's morale and inspire the soldiers to fight to the death to defend the city for Your Majesty."

Qiao Rui stepped forward, bowed, and spoke.

When Yuan Shu heard that money was to be taken from his own treasury, he felt as if he had been pricked by needles, experiencing wave after wave of heartache.

After hesitating for a long time, Yuan Shu finally said reluctantly, "Alright, I will take out ten million coins to reward the soldiers, that's all I can give."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Rui breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said, "If that's the case, Your Majesty, please rest assured, I have full confidence in defending Shouchun City for Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time.

Yan Xiang stepped forward again and warned, "The soil around Shouchun is loose. I am worried that Cao Cao might dig tunnels and sneak into the city. We must be on guard."

Qiao Rui smiled upon hearing this and said, "Minister Yan is overthinking it. I have already ordered that more than a hundred large vats be buried around the city, and that soldiers take turns listening day and night. If Cao Cao's army digs tunnels and there is even the slightest movement underground, we will definitely notice it."

"Okay, okay!"

Yuan Shu was finally relieved and praised him repeatedly, saying, "Qiao Qing, you are indeed thoughtful and have taken strict precautions. With you guarding the city for me, I can rest assured."

Yan Xiang, however, still looked worried and spoke again: "Even so, I am afraid that the legendary, unpredictable hermit behind Cao Cao might come up with some brilliant plan to break through the city. We can't guard against it at all."

Yuan Shu immediately snorted coldly, saying disdainfully, "Let alone whether such a person exists, even if he did, I don't believe he truly possesses extraordinary abilities to break through my impregnable Shouchun!"

Although Yan Xiang still had concerns, he couldn't think of any weaknesses in their defenses at the moment.

"Qiao Rui, your two daughters' colds should be cured by now. When will you send them to the palace?"

As soon as Yuan Shu relaxed, his lustful thoughts immediately resurfaced, and the heart-wrenching pain of losing his son was long forgotten.

Qiao Rui's brows furrowed instantly, and she felt a chill in her heart. She was risking her life to loyally defend the city for him, yet he was thinking about his daughter at this time. It was simply too absurd and excessive.

"Your Majesty, my daughters, they, they..."

Qiao Rui was caught in a dilemma, stammering and unsure of what excuse to use to get out of it.

Sudden.

Outside the palace, a deafening sound of drums and gongs suddenly erupted, like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Yuan Shu's expression changed drastically, and he shouted urgently, "It must be Cao Cao's army attacking the city! Quickly follow me to the city walls to defend against the enemy!"

He instantly forgot all about his concern for the two Qiaos, hurriedly got up, and headed straight for the city wall.

Qiao Rui secretly breathed a sigh of relief and immediately issued a stern order, commanding all Yuan troops to immediately take up positions at the north gate.

It was already night, and most of Yuan's soldiers had gone to sleep. They were awakened by the deafening drumbeats outside the city and, yawning and still sleepy, were urged to rush to the city wall.

Yuan Shu hurriedly climbed onto the city wall and looked out towards the outside of the city.

The night outside the city was as dark as ink, making it impossible to discern the true strength of Cao Cao's army, but the sounds of drums and gongs made his eardrums ache and his scalp tingle.

Yuan Shu's face showed a hint of disdain, and he sneered, "Cao Cao, you want to launch a night attack, huh? Go ahead and try if you dare!"

Yuan's army was on high alert, fully prepared for a desperate battle.

Cao's army beat their war drums for a full hour, but not a single soldier launched an attack.

Suddenly, the drumming and gonging stopped abruptly.

The area around Shouchun City returned to a deathly stillness.

Rubbing his ears, which were still ringing from the shockwave, Yuan Shu stared at the dark night outside the city, muttering in bewilderment, "Cao Cao, what on earth are you doing? Why aren't you attacking the city?"

They remained on guard for another quarter of an hour, but the area outside the city remained deathly silent.

Yuan Shu thought it was just a false alarm, so he breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the palace.

Just as Yuan Shu was about to go to bed after taking off his dragon robe, he removed it.

Suddenly, the earth-shaking sound of war drums rang in my ears once again.

"Your Majesty, the drums of Cao Cao's army at the West Gate are beating thunderously, indicating a possible attack on the city!"

The Imperial Guards rushed in in a panic, reporting the news in a stern voice.

"West Gate? Could it be that the attack just now was merely a feint, and Cao Cao's true target is West Gate?"

Yuan Shu snapped out of his daze, cursing as he put his armor back on and rushed hurriedly toward the west gate.

When they reached the top of the city wall, Qiao Rui, Yan Xiang, and others had already arrived.

Those Yuan soldiers who had just crawled back into bed were dragged out of bed again, still half asleep, and rushed to the city wall to re-form their ranks and stand ready for battle.

"Everyone, be on your guard! Give that traitor Cao a sound thrashing!"

Yuan Shu suddenly drew his sword from his waist and shouted loudly, boosting the morale of his soldiers.

Yuan's soldiers could only suppress their overwhelming drowsiness, desperately try to dispel sleepiness, and barely muster their energy to prepare for battle.

The war drums beat for nearly an hour, but Cao Cao's army still did not launch the slightest attack.

Suddenly, the drumming stopped again.

Meanwhile, the eastern sky was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn; it was almost daylight.

It was another false alarm.

Yuan's army was exhausted and sleepy, their faces filled with confusion and helplessness. No one knew what Cao's army was up to.