Chapter 7 The Seventh Chapter Unpredictable

Xiahou Dun returned from a disastrous defeat that day and went to Xuchang to see Cao Cao. He bound himself to see him, and begged Cao Cao to execute him. Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun were related by the same clan, and half of his anger disappeared when he saw this. untie.Xiahou Dun said: "Zhuge Liang used his troops like a god, and Dun followed his plan, and returned in a big defeat." Cao Cao said: "Forgive this Zhuge Liang who is unknown and just a villager in Caoye. It is not a worry to win by luck."I decided to personally lead the army, take Jingzhou first, and then defeat Sun Quan in Jiangdong.

Cao Cao immediately ordered to mobilize 500,000 troops and divide them into five armies. The first army was led by Cao Ren and Cao Hong; the second army was led by Zhang Liao and Zhang He; Li Dian commanded; the fifth army was commanded by Cao Cao, and the strength of the five armies each reached 100,000. Xu Chu was also ordered to lead 3,000 elite cavalry to advance straight into Jingzhou as a vanguard. On the day when Cao Cao sent troops, Kong Rong, a well-known scholar who went to Xuchang and was attached to Cao Cao, dissuaded Cao Cao, saying that Liu Bei and Liu Biao were both relatives of the Han family and should not be conquered. Cao Cao refused to listen, and Kong Rong was expelled. How can the most benevolent teacher be undefeated?

Cao Cao learned that he thought that Kong Rong had made such an ominous remark before he left the army, and said angrily: "You curse me to be defeated, and I will destroy all your families first." As a result, Kong Rong, his second son, and more than a hundred people in his family were ordered by Cao Cao to be beheaded in the city to show the public as a warning. Cao Cao categorically ordered that the army set out, mighty and mighty, rushing to Jingzhou, and the world would not be shaken. The people of Jingzhou, fearing the cruelty of Cao Cao's bloody massacre of Xuzhou, were terrified and worried that a catastrophe was coming.

At this time, Liu Biao was in Xiangyang Field in Jingzhou, and his condition became serious.He felt that time was running out, and he was worried that Cao Cao would attack and no one in Jingzhou could defend him, so he sent people to Xinye and summoned Liu Bei to Xiangyang City. After hearing the news, Kong Ming advocated that Liu Bei go to Xiangyang City as soon as possible to seize the opportunity before Liu Biao died, so as to prevent Jingzhou from falling into the hands of the Cai clan. He and Zhao Zilong should be responsible for guarding Xinye to prevent Cao Cao's attack. Liu Bei didn't dare to hesitate anymore, and was escorted by Guan Gong and Zhang Fei to Xiangyang.

Liu Bei and others arrived at Liu Biao's office in Xiangyang. Liu Biao was lying on the sickbed, holding on to Liu Bei's hand and saying, "I am dying of illness, and I will die soon. Now I have to rely on my virtuous brother. My son is incompetent, and I am afraid that he will not be able to inherit the great cause of Jingzhou. After my death, my virtuous brother will help me if I can. If not, I will ask my virtuous brother to be the master of Jingzhou. Liu Bei was flustered and hurriedly said, "Liu Bei will do his best to support nephew Liu Qi as the new owner of Jingzhou, how dare he lead Jingzhou himself?"Don't worry, brother.

Before Liu Bei finished speaking, Cai Mao rushed forward, saying that Cao Cao, who commanded an army of 500,000 troops, had already rushed to Jingzhou, and Xinye was the first to bear the brunt. Liu Bei was asked to return to Xinye immediately to set up defenses. When Liu Biao heard this, his hands and feet trembled immediately. No sound. Seeing that the situation was critical, Liu Bei didn't dare to stay any longer, so he led Guan Gong and Zhang Fei back to Xinye overnight. Liu Biao was so frightened by the news of Cao Cao's invasion of Jingzhou that he spat out a mouthful of blood. Knowing that he was facing the last moment, he secretly wrote a will, making Liu Qi, the eldest son of Liu Beizuo, the new owner of Jingzhou;

Unexpectedly, every move of Liu Biao has been closely monitored by Mrs. Cai. When she learned of the content of Liu Biao's secret will, she couldn't help being furious, and ordered the inner door to be closed. Her younger brother Cai Mao and her confidant Zhang Yun were guarding it. No one was allowed to enter again. . Liu Qi received the report in Jiangxia and knew that his father was critically ill, so he hurried back to Xiangyang.But in front of the gate of the inner hall, Cai Mao led his troops to block him, and reprimanded him as his uncle: "The young master was ordered to town Jiangxia, and he has a heavy responsibility. How can he leave his post without authorization?"If Soochow takes the opportunity to attack, the son will make a big mistake!If you go in to see the lord, you will surely make the lord angry and aggravate his condition, and you are guilty of a serious crime.Come back to Jiangxia.

Liu Qi was cowardly and had no opinion, he had no choice but to cry outside the inner hall door, and then got on his horse and returned to Jiangxia. Liu Biao was on the sickbed, looking forward to Liu Qi's arrival, but he waited until midnight, but still did not see Liu Qi coming in.He knew in his heart that it must be someone from the Cai family who was obstructing him, but he couldn't even get out of bed at this time, and he didn't even have a single person by his side. Everything was controlled by Mrs. Cai's sister and brother, what else could he do?At five o'clock the next day, Liu Biao was anxious and in pain, and yelled three times, "I will die in peace."It passed away.

As soon as Liu Biao passed away, Cai Mao manipulated Mrs. Cai's son Liu Cong as the new lord of Jingzhou.The Cai clan divided the military power in Jingzhou, and Jingzhou actually fell into the hands of the Cai clan. Soon after Cao Cao's army approached Jingzhou, the two generals Cai Hao and Zhang Yun insisted that Jingzhou be dedicated to Cao Cao in order to preserve their own glory and wealth.Although some former officials of Liu Biao in Jingzhou objected, they were immediately killed by Cai Mao. Who else would dare to resist?So Cai Mao immediately ordered Liu Cong to write a letter of surrender and send someone to Cao Cao who had arrived in Wancheng.Cao Cao was naturally overjoyed, and promised that as long as Liu Cong surrendered, he would be named Jingzhou Shepherd.

Unexpectedly, Song Zhong, the sender sent by Cai Mao, was intercepted by Guan Gong on his way back. Knowing that Jingzhou had undergone shocking changes, he quickly brought Song Zhong to see Liu Bei. Liu Bei was surprised and hated when he learned everything, but he had no choice but to do so. Kong Ming said: Now we can only take the first step and lead troops to attack Xiangyang and occupy Jingzhou. The lord is the lord of Jingzhou. Liu Bei hesitated and said: But Liu Biao has made a will, making Liu Qi the new lord of Jingzhou, and I will capture his son and take his land at this time, everyone in the world will recognize Liu Bei as an ungrateful person!How can I do it?

Kongming couldn't help but sighed slightly, thinking: Jingzhou didn't take advantage of Liu Biao's urge to take it before, and he had lost the opportunity. Now that Cao Cao's army is suppressing the territory, it is useless to take it.He was a little irritable, and couldn't help saying: But if Cao Jun attacked, what should we do? Liu Bei sighed and said: "The matter has come to this, it's too late to regret, it's better to give up Xinye and retreat into Fancheng to hold on." While Kong Ming was meditating, spies reported that Cao Cao's army, with Xu Chu as the vanguard, and Cao Hong and Cao Ren commanding 100,000 troops, had approached Bowangpo, the frontier position in Xinye! Liu Bei couldn't help being shocked, and hurriedly said: Since Xinye is difficult to defend, it is better to retreat to the city immediately, and the soldiers and civilians go to Fancheng to hold on. When Zhang Fei heard this, he said anxiously: "It's easy for soldiers and horses to retreat, but if you take the people in the city and move slowly, you may be chased by Cao Jun halfway before reaching Fancheng. It's better to leave the people in the city and retreat quickly into Fancheng." Liu Bei said: "People in Xinye have been with me for many years, how can I abandon them all at once?"If so, I will lose the hearts of the people of the world. When Kong Ming heard this, he couldn't help nodding secretly, thinking: Liu Bei's concerns, although there are pedantic mistakes, but in his current situation, the only thing he can win and respect for himself is the advantage of harmony with others, and he really can't lose it.Otherwise, if Jingzhou is defeated, it will be difficult for Liu Bei to gain a foothold in the world!It seems that the only solution for now is to not care about winning or losing for the time being, but to win the support of the people of the world first. Kong Ming had made up his mind, he didn't hesitate any longer, and said resolutely: Xinye is indeed suitable to abandon rather than defend, but we can't give up easily, we must severely defeat Cao Jun's spirit in Xinye, so that our army can retreat calmly.The people in Xinye City should not be abandoned, it is better to let them retreat with me.This move has great risks and even caused heavy losses to our army, but in the end it can win the support of the people of the world and lay the foundation for future entrepreneurial and enterprising plans.Therefore, all the generals must understand the difficulties in my arrangement, and should not be attached to the temporary victory or defeat, but must focus on the long-term future.At this critical moment of life and death, Kong Ming intends to analyze in detail the strategic strategy on which his plans are based, in order to inspire the determination of the generals to fight. Since Zhang Fei's battle in Xinye, he has devoted himself to worshiping Kong Ming. Once he worships someone, he will follow him loyally to the death and never regret it. Therefore, although he was in a hurry just now, he advocated abandoning the people of Xinye in order to retreat lightly, but he listened to Kong Ming This statement, but can not help but sincerely convinced.As soon as Kong Ming finished speaking, he shouted loudly: "Sir, there is no need to say more!"Zhang Fei vowed to act according to his plan. Guan Gong also nodded with a smile at this time and said: "Sir, there is no need to hesitate, but there is an arrangement to dispatch, and we dare not refuse." Kong Ming smiled happily. He knew that the situation was critical and he could no longer hesitate, so he resolutely ordered and sent someone to the city to post a notice to the people in the city: no matter men, women, old or young, but those who are willing to follow Liu Xuande to retreat, immediately It's no mistake to set off this afternoon.Sun Qian was also sent to the Hanshui River to allocate some ships for the people in the city to escape and retreat, and then sent people to escort the family members of the officials in the city to Fancheng first, escorted by Mi Zhu. Kongming said to Guan Gong: Yun Chang led a thousand soldiers and horses to ambush in the upper reaches of the Baihe River. He must bring a cloth bag filled with sand and block the water of the Baihe River first; , release water to flood downstream; at the same time, follow the trend and kill the generals to meet the downstream army. Guan Gong led the order, without hesitation, stepped out quickly, led a thousand soldiers and horses, and went to the upper reaches of the Baihe River first according to the plan. Kongming said again: Yide took a thousand soldiers and horses and ambushed at the Boling Ferry of the Baihe River. The water here is the slowest, and Cao's army is flooded. Seeing that Kong Ming reused him, Zhang Fei was very happy. He shouted to Kong Ming: Don't worry, sir!Yide will kill Cao Jun like a ghost crying god.After saying that, he rushed out quickly and led his troops. Kongming said to Zhao Zilong again: Zilong led an army of three thousand and divided them into four teams. He led one team to lie down outside the east gate, and the other three teams were divided into three gates: west, south and north. Burning things, when Cao Jun enters the city, he will occupy the houses to rest, and after tomorrow evening, there will be strong winds.When the strong wind blows, the west, south and north gates are ordered to ambush and shoot rockets into the city.When the fire in the city is raging, it is easy to shout and cheer outside the city. Cao Jun will be guilty and timid, and flee in a hurry. You can leave a passage at the east gate that you guard personally. Army, join Guan and Zhang, and withdraw to Fancheng!Zilong, do you understand the gist of it?At the end of Kongming, he asked a question suddenly. Zhao Zilong knew very well that this was specially taught by his righteous brother how to use soldiers, he pondered for a moment, then smiled and said: "Zilong understands, this is the strategy of the military master to burn Xinye." After Zhao Zilong finished speaking, he turned around and rushed out to set up an ambush in the city, preparing to implement Kong Ming's plan to burn Xinye. Kongming also ordered two generals, Mi Fang and Liu Feng, to take 2,000 troops and horses, half of them holding red flags and half of them holding green flags, to station at Queweipo outside Xinye City, but they saw Cao Jun chasing them, the red flag army was on the left, and the green flag army was on the right. Cao Jun must be suspicious and dare not chase after them; the two of them can chase and kill the defeated soldiers when they see the fire in the city, and then go to the upper reaches of the Baihe River to meet them. Mi Fang and Liu Feng also led the order to go. Kongming's assignment was properly arranged, and he said to Liu Bei: "My lord, you can wait with me on the side of Quewei Mountain outside the city, so as to slow down the time for Cao's army to enter the city, and also make him upset, so that Zhao Zilong can make plans." Seeing that Kong Ming only left his junior sister Diaoxue by his side, Liu Bei couldn't help being a little worried, and said to Kong Ming, "Mr. If there is a mistake, our army will die. When Kong Ming heard this, he smiled calmly, but did not answer.Diaoxue beside him couldn't help giggling and said: General Liu, don't worry!If my elder brother didn't save the lives of the people in Xinye, and for General Liu's entrepreneurial plan, he would be alone!Even if Cao Jun has millions, what can he do. Liu Bei didn't know that Kong Ming's Tianji Wuwei, who was in charge of the Tianji Sect, was extremely miraculous. Even Zhao Zilong, who was shocked by him as a god general, once relied on Kong Ming's miraculous rescue! Therefore, when he heard Diaoxue's words, he thought Diaoxue was a girl's heart, just joking, but he knew that his troops were weak, and in order to defeat Cao's army and protect the people, Kong Ming had no choice but to arrange it regardless of his own safety. Liu Bei didn't say any more, and together with Kong Ming and Diaoxue, he withdrew from Xinye and climbed up the Quewei Mountain in the north of the city's suburbs to closely monitor the movement in the city and the north of the city. At this time, the 100,000 troops led by Cao Ren and Cao Hong had already approached the frontier position of Xinye.Ten miles ahead is the Quewei Mountain. If you follow the mountain, you can go straight to Xinye, and there is no danger to defend. The 3,000 vanguard cavalry in front, led by Cao Cao's tiger general Xu Chu, galloped all the way to Quewei Mountain.By noon, they had reached Quewei Slope. Mi Fang and Liu Feng, two generals who were ordered to ambush at Quewei Slope, ordered two thousand soldiers and horses, each with green and red flags, waving them in strange shapes. Because Xu Chu knew that Xiahou Dun had suffered a great loss from Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei's military adviser. Although he was brave, he did not dare to be careless, so he quickly ordered: "No further entry!"There must be ambushes ahead. Xu Chu led 3,000 elite riders and stopped. He rode back to the former army's camp alone on his own, and reported to the former army commander Cao Ren. Cao Ren's thoughts were more detailed than Xu Chu's. After a little thought, he judged: the enemy's army only saw the flag but not the soldiers.Forgive me that there is no ambush, General Xu can quickly enter Xinye, and I will respond later. Xu Chu then galloped back to Quewei Slope and led his troops to kill them in. When he arrived under the forest, he found that the enemy troops holding the green and red flags had disappeared.Slow down like this, the sky is almost evening and the sun is slanting westward. Xu Chu was anxious and angry. He was about to lead his troops into Xinye, when he heard someone blowing loudly on Quewei Mountain, resounding all over the field.He looked up and saw red flags all over the top of the mountain, surrounded by red flags, and there were two blue umbrellas, and the two below were Liu Bei and Kong Ming, who were sitting opposite each other drinking, as if they didn't pay much attention to Xu Chu. Xu Chu couldn't help being furious, so he ordered his soldiers to chase up the mountain. Wood and rocks were knocked down on the mountain, causing many casualties and making it impossible to move forward, so Xu Chu had to retreat down the mountain. It was already late at this time, and the four fields began to darken.Cao Ren's former army of 30,000 troops has advanced to Quewei Slope.Cao Ren saw that it was getting dark, so he ordered Xu Chu to go straight to Xinye and camp nearby to rest.Xu Chu led the order and left.Cao Hong then galloped up to the front army, and together with Cao Ren, he led a front army of 50,000 to Xinye. Cao Ren Cao Hong led his army to the foot of Xinye City, very smoothly, without any obstacles.Looking closer, I saw that the four gates of Xinye were opened, Cao Jun rushed in, and there was no one in the city. Cao Hong said to Cao Ren: Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang must be lonely and poor, and Jingzhou has surrendered to me. Liu Bei has no soldiers to use, so he had to flee with his people!Moreover, he brought many civilians with him, so his actions must be slow. Our army can camp in the city first, rest for one night, and catch up tomorrow.Although Cao Ren felt a little uneasy, he also boasted that he had 100,000 soldiers under his command, while Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang had three heads and six arms. How could he resist with only his 10,000 troops!Therefore, I also agree with Cao Hong's suggestion, first take a short rest in Xinye City and rest overnight.Moreover, the 3,000 vanguard led by Xu Chu did not know where they had advanced, and they were stationed in Xinye. It would be safer to attack again after joining up with Xu Chu. At this time, Cao's army was indeed exhausted, and when they received the order to camp in the city, they couldn't help being overjoyed, and they occupied the houses one after another, cooking fire to fill their stomachs.Cao Ren and Cao Hong also rested in the government office in Xinye City. At the beginning of the night, the weather suddenly changed, a strong wind blew, sand and rocks flew in the city, and the soldiers hid in their houses to avoid the wind. At this time, Zhao Zilong was lying in ambush outside the east gate of the city and saw the strong wind blowing up suddenly, he couldn't help sighing: Brother Yi knows astronomy and geography, even the wind can be predicted, he is really a peerless master. Without hesitation, Zhao Zilong ordered the soldiers in ambush at the south, north and west gates to shoot rockets into the city and ignite the sulfur and nitrate fire objects on the roofs of the houses in the city according to Kongming's deployment. Immediately, the rockets pierced the dark night sky, and shot towards the roofs of the houses in the city like lightning. At this time, in the government office of Xinye City, Cao Ren and Cao Hong were already falling asleep due to the fatigue of marching during the day, but the soldiers guarding the gate suddenly broke into the inner hall and reported that there was a fire in the city.Cao Ren said: "Don't panic, this must be a fire accidentally left by a soldier when cooking, just put it out quickly." While speaking, he received several more reports, which spread almost everywhere in the city.Only then was Cao Ren panicked, and when he hurriedly ordered his soldiers to mount their horses and rush out of Xinye, the entire city was already in flames. The fires at the south, west, and north gates were raging, and there was no way to escape. Cao Ren and Cao Hong were terrified, and hurriedly led their troops to rush left and right in the city, hoping to find a way out of the flames.When it was reported that there was no fire at the east gate of the city, Cao Ren and Cao Hong rushed to the east gate, and the soldiers behind also fled. Cao Ren and others led more than 10,000 fleeing Cao troops in the city, who had just escaped from the east gate.Suddenly there was a shout of killing from behind, and a heroic general led an army to cover up and kill Liu Bei's general Zhao Zilong from behind.Cao Ren and other generals were terrified, how dare they turn around and fight?Just run wildly out of the city.Zhao Zilong chased and killed thousands of Cao's troops for a while, and then suddenly retreated in the dark. When Cao Ren and Cao Hong led the remnant troops to flee, Mi Fang led another army to pursue and kill them for a while, and Cao's army fled even more panicked.At four o'clock, Liu Feng led his army to kill again, and part of Cao's army was wiped out again. Cao's army fled in the middle of the night. They were exhausted and most of the soldiers were exhausted.Soon, he ran to a river, which was the Baihe River on the outskirts of Xinye City. At this time, the river was not deep. No matter how many soldiers there were, they all went down to the river to drink water and feed their horses.The roar of people and the sound of horses resounded ten miles away. At this time, Guan Gong ambushed in the upper reaches of the Baihe River. According to Kongming's plan, he first filled the river with cloth bags of soil to block the water in the river.At this time, people suddenly heard people screaming and horses screaming in the lower reaches of the Baihe River. Guan Gong immediately ordered the soldiers to draw up the cloth bags, and the water rushed down the river. Most of Cao's army was drinking water in the lower reaches of the Baihe River. The torrent from the upper reaches suddenly rushed in, drowning Cao's soldiers and horses in the torrent, causing many casualties.Cao Ren escaped with all his might, leading his remnants to retreat to Bolingdu where the water was slow. And Zhang Fei led a thousand troops in ambush at Boling Ferry, and he was already impatient to wait. When he saw that Cao Jun had retreated here, he couldn't help laughing happily and said: "Kong Ming has no omissions, he penetrates the sky and the earth, he is really a genius in using soldiers."Without hesitation, he led his army out and shouted: "Cao Jun's thief, take your life quickly." No one in Cao's army dared to fight, and they fled in all directions. Zhang Fei chased and killed Cao Jun from the downstream to the upstream, and killed thousands of Cao Jun very happily. On the way, a fierce general suddenly arrived. It turned out to be Xu Chu, Cao Jun's vanguard.He led 3,000 fine cavalry, charging from left to right, but lost his way on the way. It was not until late at night that he found out that Cao Ren was burned in Xinye City, so he hurriedly led the army to rescue him.Zhang Fei was ready to kill, and he yelled at Xu Chu, "Come on!"Come!I will fight you for three hundred rounds first.Xu Chu and Zhang Fei fought for several rounds, but they didn't dare to fight, so they took the road and left. According to Kong Ming's plan, Zhang Fei did not chase after him. He went to Quewei Mountain first, joined Liu Bei and Kong Ming, and headed upstream along the Baihe River.Kongming then ordered to board the ship and sail towards Fancheng. In the Battle of Xinye, the 100,000 troops of Cao Ren and Cao Hong, Cao Cao's former army, were defeated. Cao Ren and Cao Hong packed up the remaining tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, stationed on the outskirts of Xinye City, and sent Cao Hong to report the fiasco of Xinye to Cao Cao. This is the second time Cao Jun has tasted Zhuge Liang's power after Xiahou Dun.When Cao Cao heard Cao Hong's report, he couldn't help being surprised and angry.Gritting his teeth, he said, "Who is this Zhuge Liang?"Using soldiers so poisonous?I vow to capture this man alive as a sacrifice to my soldiers who died in battle. At this time, Xu Chu also rushed to Cao Cao's camp of the Chinese army, and met Cao Cao. When talking about Zhuge Liang's military skills, Xu Churuo said, "I once saw Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei together on Quewei Mountain. His elegant demeanor reminds me of a young man back then. When Cao Cao heard this, he hurriedly said, "Who is that young man?" Xu Chudao: Back then Lü Bu captured Qingzhou, the lord, and was forced by Yuan Shao to the north. When he was in a very dangerous situation, it wasn't because he was helped by a young man who called himself Kong Ming, and finally defeated Shenyong with the ingenious strategy of not attacking or besieging but not attacking. Invincible Lu Bu?As for Zhuge Liang, he has the demeanor of the young hero Kong Ming. I wonder if Zhuge Liang is the Kong Ming of that year? When Cao Cao heard it, his expression couldn't help changing, and he felt regret, hatred, surprise and surprise in his heart. It was extremely complicated. After a while, he suddenly remembered that Xu Shu had praised Zhuge Liang before Xiahou Dun left his army. Obviously Xu Shu knew Zhuge Liang very well. The origin!He immediately said: "Hurry up!"Quickly ask Xu Shu to come in and see me. Xu Shu was called in, and Cao Cao didn't wait for him to pay homage, and immediately said, "Excuse me, Yuan Zhi!"Is Zhuge Liang the same as Kong Ming? Xu Shu was slightly taken aback, and said: "Zhuge Liang's name is Kongming. From this point of view, Zhuge Liang and Kongming are actually the same person. Why did the Prime Minister ask this question?" When Cao Cao heard this, he looked up to the sky and sighed: I have lost a world-renowned genius in vain!To be honest, I was helped by the young man Kong Ming in my early years and defeated Lu Bu. My great cause today is due to Kong Ming's contribution.It's a pity that he left without saying goodbye. I was sad for many days because of this!What I worry about about Liu Bei is that this person shows the world with benevolence and righteousness, and is very popular. I worry that if such a rare talent like Kong Ming is recruited by him, he will be like a tiger with wings added!Today is really unfortunate and I expected that Kong Ming is today's Zhuge Liang, and I will be restless because of this. Xu Shu remained silent, thinking: There must be an unspeakable cause and effect! Seeing Cao Cao sighing for Kong Ming, Xu Chu couldn't help shouting: Don't worry, my lord. Liu Bei and Kong Ming have fled to Fancheng. Fancheng is not far from Xinye. Can I sleep peacefully? Cao Cao sighed disapprovingly, and said: "Liu Bei has failed me. It is not a pity to kill him now, but Kong Ming has failed him. How can I bear to kill him?"Besides, how can such a rare talent be easily destroyed?It's not easy to teach people. Cao Hongdao: My lord, I don't want to kill Kong Ming. Now that our army is suppressing the border, Liu Bei knows that it will be difficult to defend Fancheng with only ten thousand troops. Why don't you send someone to surrender to Liu Bei, and look at Kong Ming's face to save the lives of the soldiers and civilians in the city? , and even made Liu Bei a high-ranking official Houjue, he must be tempted. When Cao Cao heard this, he nodded happily, and said to Xu Shu: I wanted to crush Fancheng with a large army, but in order to take care of the lives of the people in the city, I would like to recruit Liu Bei.The Duke can go to Fancheng and tell Liu Bei that if he is willing to surrender, all previous crimes will be forgiven, and he can be promoted to a noble to protect his glory and wealth.If he persists in his obsession, I will slaughter all the soldiers and civilians in the city, and step aside Fancheng!Would you like to go? Xu Shu's mother had been forced by Cao Cao to commit suicide and died. Xu Shu had sworn that she would never make a plan for Cao Cao in this life, but at this time she was worried about the lives of the people in Fancheng, so she agreed to go to Fancheng. When Xu Shu arrived in Fancheng, Liu Bei and Kong Ming met him in person, and the three of them recounted the old days with great emotion. Xu Shu said to Kong Ming: "Cao Cao has awakened. The young man who helped him defeat Lu Bu back then is Zhuge Liang who helped Liu Gong today!"Therefore, Cao Cao has the intention of recruiting you, Kong Ming. When Liu Bei heard this, he couldn't help being shocked and said: Cao Cao made me lose my Yuan Zhiyou that day, do you want me to lose my husband today?If you lose your husband, it will be like cutting off Liu Bei's lifeline, and Liu Bei will die from heaven. Kong Ming smiled calmly and said: "When I was young, the reason why I helped Cao Cao defeat Lu Bu was to use Cao Cao's power to save the lives of innocent people on Dongping Island. It was not for the sake of glory and wealth. This was the case back then, let alone today?"Cao Cao is cruel and arrogant, he is by no means a virtuous master, so how can I be recruited by him?Yuan Zhi wanted to be Liu Bei's lobbyist, but I'm afraid it would be a waste of time. When Liu Bei heard this, he put his hands on his forehead and murmured: "Mr. Mingzhi, it's like giving Liu Bei a chance to be born again!"God bless me. Xu Shu smiled and said: "I also know that Cao Cao sent me to persuade him to surrender. The purpose was to buy people's hearts because of Kong Minggong. Because Cao Cao knew that Kong Minggong would leave him that day, it was because of Cao Cao's crime of killing the people of Xuzhou. Xu Shu The reason why I came here was just to tell you something. Kongming said with a smile: "Brother Yuanzhi, what do you want to sue?" Xu Shu said: "Cao Cao has deployed 500,000 troops and is going to divide them into nine routes. First fill up the Baihe River and then attack Fancheng. Fancheng has no danger to use, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to defend."If Cao Cao captures Fancheng, he will kill and slaughter the soldiers and civilians of Fancheng. Therefore, Kong Minggong should make a perfect strategy.This is the purpose of my coming here, and I'm afraid I have to rush back after I finish speaking. Liu Bei hurriedly said: "Can't Yuan Zhi stay in Fancheng and help Liu Bei?" Xu Shu sighed and said: My mother committed suicide because of me, and I have held grudges all my life.If I don't return, Cao Cao will turn his anger on the people of Fancheng, and the killings will only increase, so Xu Shu has no choice but to return.I am in Cao Ying and my heart is in Han, and I swear not to make a plan for Cao.What's more, with the help of Wolong, Mr. Liu has defeated me by a lot, so why worry about the great cause?Xu Shu said goodbye. Xu Shu left Fancheng and returned to Cao Zhongjun's camp.Xu Shu came to see Cao Cao and said that Liu Bei had no intention of surrendering.Cao Cao was furious and ordered his army to attack Fancheng immediately.Cao's army of 500,000 men marched towards Fancheng in mighty force.The soldiers and civilians in Fancheng were terrified when they heard the news. Liu Bei asked Kongming about his plan, and Kongming said: "Fancheng is safe, the army and the people are terrified, and they have lost half their will. It is impossible to hold on."You can quickly abandon Fancheng, take the important town of Xiangyang in Jingzhou, and rectify the troops before we can fight again.Xiangyang is only fifty miles away from Fancheng, and it is the only defensive stronghold that Liu Bei can retreat to the fastest. To retreat to Xiangyang from Fancheng south, the first thing to do is to cross the Han River, so Kong Ming ordered to prepare more ships immediately.Then he announced to the people in the city: Cao Bing is approaching now, life and death are unpredictable, and the isolated city can no longer be guarded for a long time. If the people are willing to follow Liu Gong, please cross the river to Xiangyang immediately. At this time, in Fancheng, apart from the original residents, there were also a large number of people who had evacuated from Xinye. After hearing the notice, they all shouted in unison: "We will swear to die to follow Duke Liu Xuande." So nearly 100,000 people left the city on the same day, helping the old and the young, dragging men and women, and crossing the river one after another. At this time Liu Bei was already on the ferry, and seeing the plight of the people, he couldn't help crying loudly: "Because of Liu Bei alone, the people have suffered such a catastrophe, what face does Liu Bei have to live in the world?"After all, he wanted to throw himself into the river. At this time, the girl Diaoxue who was guarding Liu Bei lightly stretched her jade hand, and pulled Liu Bei, and said softly: "The phoenix is ​​bathed in fire and then reborn. It must go through hardships and hardships, but when it is reborn after a calamity, it will become a soaring phoenix." . Kong Ming also whispered beside him: Although the people are suffering, they are willing to do so because they are afraid of Cao's violence. Why should the Lord blame himself?Wouldn't it be the best comfort for the people to achieve great success in the future and create a peaceful and prosperous world for the people? Only then did Liu Bei turn his grief into strength, and said with emotion: As long as Liu Bei is alive, he will fight to save the world and the people from the fire and water!In order to repay Liu Bei's virtue that the people of the world attached to me. Liu Bei's boat sailed to the south bank of the Han River. Looking back, he saw that there were people who had not crossed, so he ordered Guan Gong to command the boat, return to the north bank, and sail across the river. Liu Bei arrived in Xiangyang with more than 100,000 soldiers and civilians.Liu Cong, Cai Mao, and Zhang Yun in Xiangyang City, because they had surrendered to Cao Cao, not only refused to accept them, but shot down random arrows, killing many accompanying people. Seeing that the situation was critical, Kongming said to Liu Bei: If you attack Xiangyang, you will be too weak at this time, and Cao Jun will come later, and you will not be able to stop it.The only plan for now is to go south quickly, capture Jiangling and gain a foothold, and then plan a big plan. Jiangling, an important town in Jingzhou in the south, is three hundred miles away from Xiangyang in the north. On the way, mountains and rivers are connected, and the road is difficult. Liu Bei's soldiers and horses protect tens of thousands of civilians. They only travel more than ten miles a day, and it takes more than twenty days to reach Jiangling. Generals Guan Gong, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun all said to Liu Bei: "Jiangling is an important place, and it is enough to refuse to defend it. Now, with tens of thousands of civilians, they only travel more than ten miles a day. When will they arrive at Jiangling?"If Cao Jun arrives, how can he resist the enemy?It's better to tell the people to move slowly, and our army to move quickly, and it is the best policy to take Jiangling first. Liu Bei sighed: If you want to achieve great things, you must first put the people first, so that the people will attach themselves to me, how can I abandon it?I swear to the death to follow my people. The generals were helpless, Zhang Fei said: "Kong Ming has a wonderful plan, so it's better to ask him first."If Kong Ming agrees, then my elder brother will obey. The generals then asked Kong Ming for instructions.Kong Ming pondered for a while, then sighed slightly and said: If you abandon the people and advance quickly, you can seize the opportunity and attack Jiangling, that is, you will have the opportunity of the right time.But what is gained is bound to be lost, so that people will lose harmony, and the people of the world will be chilled by our army.But the weather is not as good as the location, and the location is not as good as the harmony of people, so do you think that the lord should abandon the people and ignore it? Guan Gong and Zhao Zilong seemed to have realized something, and they fell silent.Zhang Fei was impatient, and shouted: "I don't know what the right time, place and people are!"But whatever the master says, Zhang Fei will obey him to the death. Kong Ming could not help but smile slightly, and said: The current plan is to give up the small and take the big, and use the temporary setbacks in exchange for future great achievements. At that moment, Kongming immediately ordered Yun Chang to lead five hundred troops to Jiangxia, and asked Liu Qi who was guarding Jiangxia for help.Zhao Zilong was in charge of protecting the young and old in the army, while the rest of the generals, Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Liu Feng, Zhou Cang, etc., were in charge of taking care of the common people. Kong Ming made proper arrangements, stayed with Liu Bei with his two daughters, Diaoxue and Sima Zhi, and escorted more than 100,000 people, all the way south, walking slowly, only walking more than ten miles a day.Cao Jun chased him at any time, and the situation was very dangerous.