Chapter 153: The Battle of Shiting

"Your Majesty, I have a few words to say, and I humbly ask Your Majesty to give them your wise consideration." Lu Xun slightly bowed, speaking in a calm and composed tone. "As the Grand Marshal of Cao Wei, Cao Xiu has followed Cao Cao into battle and commanded the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry for nearly forty years. He has clashed with our Great Wu on many occasions. While he has achieved no sweeping victories, he can hardly be called incompetent."

Sun Quan's gaze flickered, and he nodded. As the commander of Cao Wei's southeastern front, Cao Xiu was indeed a formidable adversary. In the first year of Huanglong, Cao Xiu had just defeated Liu Bei, who had led a massive invasion. Because Cao Xiu refused to send a hostage, Cao Pi ordered him to lead Zhang Liao and more than twenty other generals to defeat Lü Fan at Dongpu. The year before last, he shattered Shen Zhi of Wancheng, causing the newly acquired Wancheng to fall back into enemy hands. During all these years serving as the commander-in-chief of Yangzhou's military affairs, although he had achieved no dazzling triumphs, Eastern Wu had likewise found no effective way to deal with him. To say that a man like this held such heavy responsibilities merely because of his lineage as a member of the Cao clan did not entirely accord with the truth.

"Knowing that he was walking into an ambush, Cao Xiu refused to retreat because he had something to rely upon. This time he has led an army of one hundred thousand, well-supplied and with elite troops. Even though his main force is surrounded, he still has the reinforcing armies of Jia Kui and Sima Yi on his rear flanks. Their total strength is no weaker than ours, and coupled with the advantage of their elite cavalry, if we engage them in a pitched battle, even with the majesty of Your Majesty's personal expedition, victory would certainly be ours, but our losses would inevitably be heavy. Even if we were to secure Jianghuai, how could we possibly hold it?"

Sun Quan sighed softly, already realizing his own rashness. The reasoning Lu Xun was laying out was not unknown to him; he had simply been blinded by the temptation of seizing the entire Jianghuai region, temporarily forgetting that although Jianghuai was fair, it was not something he could easily swallow. If he forced it down now, sooner or later he would be forced to spit it back up. Just as Zhu Huan had said, if they occupied Shouchun and threatened Xu and Luo, would not that brat Cao Rui fight them to the death?

"Furthermore, before our army set out on this expedition, Zhuge Liang had already been stationed in Hanzhong for over a year. His purpose in coming to Hanzhong is glaringly obvious. He intends to launch a northern expedition against the Central Plains and plot for Guanzhong." Lu Xun's voice rose. From beginning to end, he did not spare Zhu Huan a single glance; his eyes were fixed solely on Sun Quan. "By contacting our army and instigating Meng Da's defection, wasn't his very purpose to have us pin down Cao Wei's main force so that he could exploit an undefended opening?"

Sun Quan's emerald eyes narrowed, his expression growing even more solemn. He was well aware of Zhuge Liang's intentions, which was why he had delayed acting despite prior agreements. He had originally expected Zhuge Liang to lose his composure and launch an attack early in the year, forcing Cao Wei's main force to shift westward, which was why he had devised the scheme of using Zhou Fang to lure Cao Xiu. He had never imagined that Zhuge Liang would remain completely motionless in Hanzhong. This had left him like an arrow notched on a strung bow, forced to fly, constrained to act as the bait with a reluctant and unwilling heart.

If his calculations were correct, Zhuge Liang must have already launched his northern expedition by now. With Cao Wei's main force concentrated in the southeast, the northwestern theater would have at most thirty to fifty thousand troops. Zhuge Liang was seizing the opportunity of an empty land and was very likely to take all of Guanzhong.

Once Zhuge Liang secured the entirety of Guanzhong, while the pressure on Cao Wei would increase dramatically, it would not necessarily spell good news for Eastern Wu. True, Wu and Shu were currently allies. Yet alliances are always temporary; the day would inevitably come when we face each other for supremacy over the realm. If I were to pay a heavy price, the best I could hope for was occupying Jianghuai, with the most likely outcome being that we could not hold it at all. It would merely create a golden opportunity for Zhuge Liang, allowing him to easily take Guanzhong.

Was this worth it?

Currently, to completely annihilate Cao Xiu would not only be exceedingly difficult, but from a long-term perspective, it would be disadvantageous to the state of Wu. It would be far better to inflict a heavy blow on Cao Xiu at minimal cost, withdraw once we had gained our rightful share of the spoils, and let Cao Wei divert its energy to deal with Shu Han, rather than shouldering the full pressure of Cao Wei ourselves. When Cao Wei and Shu Han had battered each other to mutual exhaustion, I could sweep back in and reap the fisherman's profits.

To minimize losses and maximize gains, one had to attack Cao Xiu and inflict heavy damage upon him before Jia Kui and Sima Yi arrived, rather than trying to wipe him out entirely. Surround three sides and leave one open; by giving the enemy a way out, you prevent them from fighting to the death and thereby reduce your own casualties.

Such was the military strategy of Lu Xun.

Sun Quan understood this, but it was awkward for him to state it outright. Although this proposal had been put forward by Zhu Huan, it had won Sun Quan's approval, which was why Zhu Huan dared to repeat it to Lu Xun's face. If he were to flatly reject Zhu Huan now, given Zhu Huan's temperament, the general would undoubtedly fly into a rage and a rift would grow between them.

"Then, what is Boyan's meaning?" Sun Quan asked indifferently.

Helpless, Lu Xun realized that since Sun Quan was unwilling to play the villain, he would have to be the one to wear the black hat. On this military campaign, the Wu army totaled over one hundred thousand men. Excluding the twenty thousand imperial guards personally commanded by Sun Quan, the remaining ninety-odd thousand were split evenly—he, Zhu Huan, and Quan Cong each commanded thirty thousand. Although Zhu Huan held a subordinate rank, he was in reality on equal footing with Lu Xun as the main commander, a deployment that clearly revealed Sun Quan's underlying intentions.

"In my humble opinion, while the General Who Manifests Might displays admirable courage, from a long-term perspective, this strategy is thoroughly inappropriate."

As Lu Xun expected, Zhu Huan flew into a towering rage, stood up without even offering a parting courtesy, and strode off in a huff.

Sun Quan emitted a helpless chuckle. "Boyan, he is merely a rough-hewn soldier; pray do not take it to heart." He paused for a moment, then added, "I endorse your proposal; execute the campaign as you see fit."

With bitterness filling his mouth, Lu Xun bowed and accepted the command.

Having secured Sun Quan's consent, Lu Xun immediately issued orders for the various armies to advance rapidly, surrounding Cao Xiu before Jia Kui and Sima Yi could arrive. Resting while the enemy exhausted themselves, the Wu army outnumbered Cao Xiu two to one, and bolstered by the soaring morale brought by Sun Quan's personal expedition, their fighting spirit was overwhelming. Their vanguard swiftly shattered Cao Xiu's main force. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Cao Xiu fought while retreating all the way to the vicinity of Shiting. That very night, panic-stricken and demoralized, the Wei army suffered from a camp-wide chaos. Lu Xun instantly seized the opportunity, urging his troops to launch a fierce assault and routing Cao Xiu once again.

Stunned by successive heavy blows, Cao Xiu saw his grand ambitions dashed to the dust; possessing no further will to fight, he could only lead his remaining troops in a desperate retreat. Seeing the situation looking exceptionally favorable, Zhu Huan once again proposed dispatching troops to cut off Cao Xiu's escape route and annihilate him entirely. Realizing that Cao Xiu was left with no ability to strike back, Sun Quan felt his heart stirred as well. Without notifying Lu Xun, he ordered Zhu Huan to lead a large army and set up an ambush at Jiashi in Cao Xiu's rear.

Upon learning that Zhu Huan had abandoned his position and vanished, Lu Xun knew something was amiss. Feigning ignorance, he quietly slowed down the pace of pursuit. Seeing the Wu army decelerate, Cao Xiu also reduced his speed. It was only upon reaching Jia'an that he realized the sudden slowdown of the Wu forces had been intentional—his line of retreat had already been severed by the enemy.

With no path of survival left, Cao Xiu unexpectedly regained his composure. On one hand, he arranged for troops to smash through Zhu Huan's blockade; on the other, he dispatched messengers to summon reinforcements from Jia Kui. Jia Kui arrived even faster than hoped, personally entering the fray to launch a ferocious assault on Zhu Huan's positions. Driven mad by the desperation to carve out a path of escape, the Wei forces fought like demons. Despite paying a heavy price, Zhu Huan failed to stem the Wei pincer attack and could only watch helplessly as Jia Kui escorted Cao Xiu out of the Wu encirclement.

While Zhu Huan was locked in bitter combat, Lu Xun was calmly clearing the battlefield near the wagons. Intent solely on flight, Cao Xiu had discarded supply carts piled as high as mountains; the baggage wagons alone numbered over ten thousand, yielding a most bountiful harvest. Hearing that Zhu Huan had been shattered by Jia Kui and trapped within the Wei encirclement, Lu Xun once again gave the order to pursue, chasing them all the way to Jiashi to rout Cao Xiu once more and rescue Zhu Huan.

A disheveled and dirt-stained Zhu Huan gazed at the placid and unruffled Lu Xun. Filled with a burning hatred yet lacking any outlet for his fury, he was nevertheless forced to step forward and offer thanks to Lu Xun for saving his life. Lu Xun responded with polite yet lukewarm words, though his meaning was unmistakably clear: *See? I told you that strategy wouldn't work, yet you insisted on going your own way. You have no one else to blame.*

Seething with rage that threatened to burst his lungs, Zhu Huan knew he had been outmaneuvered by Lu Xun. He longed to heap curses upon him, but the pressing circumstances left him no choice. Who could blame anyone else when he had indeed suffered a defeat? Even Sun Quan could not speak up for him, leaving Zhu Huan to swallow his shattered teeth along with his swallowed pride.

Thus, the southeastern campaign concluded with a resounding victory for the Wu army.

...

In the imperial palace of Luoyang, within the Taiji Hall.

Emperor Cao Rui stood with his hands clasped behind his back just inside the threshold, gazing blankly into the distant sky. Sun Zi, the Gentleman-in-Attendance of the Palace Gate, stood cautiously behind him, holding a freshly delivered military report detailing Cao Xiu's campaign.

Sun Zi was intensely nervous. Although Cao Rui rarely flew into violent rages, having served by his side for many years, he knew the emperor's disposition all too well.

The calmer the exterior, the deeper the inner fury—and beneath it all lay a profound sense of disappointment and frustration.

This disappointment and frustration stemmed from two individuals: Xiahou Mao and Cao Xiu. Both men belonged to the Cao imperial clan, yet both had failed to live up to Cao Rui's expectations. Xiahou Mao had previously sworn with absolute certainty that he could hold Guanzhong, which was why Cao Rui had permitted Cao Cao's son Cao Zhen to recuperate in Luoyang while entrusting supreme command of the western theater to Xiahou Mao. He had not expected Xiahou Mao to defeat the invading Zhuge Liang; he merely hoped he could hold Longyou, or at the very least defend Guanzhong, digging in to await reinforcements while buying enough time for him to resolve the southeastern theater.

Subsequently, Xiahou Mao claimed that due to the defection of Wei Yan's son, Wei Ba, he had gained advance knowledge of Zhuge Liang's military deployments and made thorough preparations. On one hand, he was establishing agricultural colonies to stockpile grain; on the other, he was reinforcing city walls and preparing for defense. In short, holding out for a few months posed no problem. It was precisely because of this confidence that Cao Rui had approved Cao Xiu's plan, intending to recapture Lujiang in a single stroke, drive the men of Eastern Wu out of the Jianghuai region, and establish a stalemate across the river.

If all this had gone according to wish, not only would they have secured the Jianghuai territory and gained a favorable posture in the southeastern theater, but it would also have allowed Cao Xiu and Xiahou Mao to earn military merits. Setting Cao Xiu aside—since he was already the supreme commander in the southeast—Xiahou Mao was in a different position. Lacking any military achievements, his tenure as the commander of Guanzhong had always lacked legitimacy. In the eyes of many ministers, this appointment smacked of nepotism rather than the employment of talent based on merit, drawing considerable criticism behind his back. If Xiahou Mao could hold Guanzhong and Longyou for a few months until the main imperial guard forces withdrew from the southeast, he would secure meritorious service. Not only could he hold his post as Guanzhong commander with a clear conscience, but he could also continue to be promoted in the future.

For Cao Rui, allowing Xiahou Mao to earn military glory was a move with multiple benefits: it would silence complaints of nepotism, rebuild the military influence of the Xiahou clan within the armed forces, and balance the power of existing senior ministers—especially the outsider Sima Yi.

Unlike his grandfather Cao Cao, Cao Rui had always maintained a deep vigilance toward Sima Yi. Earlier in the year, when Sima Yi suffered defeat at Fangling, the reason Cao Rui refused to strip him of his post as General Who Cavalry-Guards was not out of reluctance, but because he felt the timing was wrong. Once Cao Xiu and even Xiahou Mao succeeded in defeating Zhuge Liang, would Sima Yi still fail to submit a memorial requesting resignation? His voluntary resignation would be far better than being stripped of his rank due to defeat.

Yet now, he was facing his gravest crisis. While the main imperial guard forces were deployed to the southeast, Zhuge Liang had suddenly struck into Longyou. Not only had this occurred more than a month earlier than his projected autumn offensive, but the direction was entirely contrary to what Xiahou Mao had predicted: it was Longyou, not Guanzhong. Just as he was convincing himself that the situation was not yet desperate, even worse news arrived: Wei Yan had marched out of the Ziwu Valley and dispatched troops to seize Tongguan, severing the connection between Luoyang and Guanzhong.

From that moment onward, all news from Guanzhong had ceased. Everything west of Tongguan seemed to have suddenly vanished from the map of Great Wei.

This shock surpassed even the fall of Chang'an and the occupation of Tongguan by the Shu Han forces.

The Ziwu Valley—hadn't everyone claimed that military movement through the Ziwu Valley was an absolute impossibility?