After the defeat, Sun Quan came to Xiaoyao Jinkou again, but this time, the opponent seemed to have no intention of pursuing him.
However, it was precisely like this that Sun Quan felt a sense of powerlessness from his heart.
The wind was rustling and the water was cold. Sun Quan looked at the rushing water at the ferry. Thinking of the soldiers who were sleeping forever under the city of Hefei, he opened his mouth again and again, feeling sad but speechless.
——
Yes, Sun Quan was defeated.
This battle, which lasted from the end of October in the 14th year of Jian'an to the end of December in the dead of winter, was no less brutal than the ongoing Hanzhong War at the same time.
If the First Battle of Hanzhong was a battle motivated by interests, then Sun Quan's second Battle of Hefei was more persistent and profound than before.
This is a battle of revenge.
Sixty days - until the Battle of Hanzhong was coming to an end, Cao Cao, who was far away in Nanzheng City, received the military information from Hefei.
Learned the news of our own victory over Soochow.
Finally he breathed a sigh of relief.
That's right... Cao Cao, Xun You and Jiang Wan all knew about Sun Quan's attack on Hefei.
Long before Jiang Wan first arrived in Chang'an, at that fateful forum, the debate between Pang Degong and Jiang Wan had already revealed the reason.
A war, no matter how big or small, requires those in power to have a high-level vision and overview of the overall situation. Otherwise, focusing on one thing at the expense of the other, and tearing things apart to make up for the west will only make themselves weaker and more powerless.
Therefore, after learning about the debate between Pang Degong and Jiang Wan, Cao Cao specifically asked Yi Xiaotian for advice.
The result was a promise that Yi Xiaotian said that he would go to Xiangyang in person. What Cao Cao needed to do was to immediately assign Xun Lingjun to reinforce Zhang Liao in Shouchun in preparation for Sun Quan's sneak attack.
Sure enough, before the war in Xiangyang started, Sun Quan lost his temper and gathered a group of elite soldiers and went straight to Hefei to kill.
Little did they know that Zhang Liao and Wenpin had already been waiting for it - the Shouchun area, which had experienced a bumper harvest, had stocked up a large amount of grain and grass a few months ago. When Sun Quan took Wancheng with great momentum, he had no idea what Hefei had been waiting for him for a long time.
What meticulous preparations were made in these short few days.
but--
The fact that things have ended here does not mean that Sun Quan has no chance of winning.
Just as Yi Xiaotian told Cao Cao before leaving:
"In any case, we cannot ignore one problem - that is, the battle in Hanzhong will definitely empty out the savings of the North... The military rations that can be allocated to the Eastern Front can only be used to the greatest extent, rather than to the greatest extent.
——”
"Whether Sun Quan can really be defeated still depends on General Wenyuan's response. Please be prepared for the battle in Hanzhong and the tragic outcome of the northern defeat."
This is why even after staying in Nanzheng City for such a long time, Cao Cao would feel frightened every day when he recalled Yi Xiaotian's warning.
"It's quite easy to win——"
In the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month, when Hanzhong was covered with snow, being able to see such a military intelligence report was much more comfortable for Cao Cao than sitting in his room warming himself by the fire.
——
However, let’s draw our attention back to the Hefei battlefield.
What happened in these short two months - Sun Quan's nearly 100,000 troops were reduced to 70%, and the first battle wiped out the last savings of Jiangdong, so that later when someone swaggered down the river to Jiangdong,
His trip to Jiangdong was so smooth. This is what even a thousand years later, the Battle of Hefei is still talked about by scholars, a true classic.
——
On top of Wancheng, with hands behind one's back, one looks at the great swamp to the north - Chaohu Lake, with two tributaries extending to the northwest and southwest.
The river that flows from southwest to northeast through Shucheng, a small town south of Hefei, is a long river called Longshui.
The river flowing from the northwest through Hefei has complex tributaries. It was also the nightmare of the Soochow army before, and it naturally supplied water.
"Are there any spies from Cao Jun north of Longshan?"
Sun Quan suddenly spoke. If he hadn't seen a shadow similar to his own in the corner above the city gate behind him, the soldiers around him would have thought he was talking to him.
Click click click——
A handsome man with frost-white hair on his temples walked out of the shadows and replied with a slight smile:
"No, our army's spies reported yesterday that there was no trace of Cao's army north of Longshan - the team that had escaped from Wancheng had been captured by General Pan - Zhongmou... I am with you in this battle, you don't have to
Worrying too much.”
Sun Quan was breathing evenly, and the calm rise and fall of his chest also showed that Sun Quan was calm in his heart at this moment.
"Of course I wouldn't worry..."
Looking at the man next to him who was as close as a father and brother, Sun Quan felt extremely at ease.
"After eldest brother left, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here, Gong Jin... Just a few months ago, I thought Zhang Zhao would stand firmly on my side——"
Zhou Yu couldn't deny it, but he was an elegant and attentive person. He knew that Sun Quan had a lot of depression in his heart, so he comforted him softly at this moment:
"It was Bo Fu who entrusted you to me, how could I abandon you Zhong Mou?"
"Zijing and I, no matter what happens, will stand by your side - but you must not question this matter."
"of course not…"
Sun Quan smiled and shook his head, sighing that he was not blessed despite being blessed. He patted his face, cheered up, and resumed his usual monarch-like tone:
"Tomorrow morning, when we pass the Longshan Ancient Road, we will go directly to the south of Shishui to build a fortress without stopping, just as you said, Gongjin..."
Sun Quan clenched his fists tightly, his tone seemed calm, but in fact he was firm in his heart.
"We are working steadily this time and will never tolerate any arrogance!"
"That's natural!"
Zhou Yu patted Sun Quan on the back, the two looked at each other and laughed in unison.
For these two people, Hefei is already a must-win city——
——
Early the next morning, the 100,000-strong army that had rested in Wancheng quickly left the city to the north.
Their goal is naturally to climb over Longshan to the north of Wancheng, cross Longshu River, and go straight to the river bank south of Shishui - the mistakes Zhang Zhao made before, with Zhou Yu here, there is no need to worry about these problems anymore
What.
On the contrary, Zhou Yu, as a man known as a military genius, had an outstanding overall view that surpassed Jiangdong, as everyone debated at the waterside forum.
Zhou Yu, who had an overview of the overall situation, would not just focus on a short offensive route.
Guangling in the north had already been guarded by the navy led by the two fierce generals Dong Xi and He Qi. The city defense of Jianye and the blockade along the river were initially completed in just a few days.
But not only that -
In addition to the main force attacking Hefei from Jiangxia, Chaisang and Sang, Zhou Yu sent another army, led by General Guanbei Pi, Zhou Yu and Lu Fan, a Confucian general whom Sun Ce trusted greatly at that time, and led Zhu Zhi, Zhu Ran's uncle and nephew.
, led 10,000 troops, crossed the river overnight, and took the Hengjiang Ferry southwest of Jianye and west of Niuzhu Port, and in one fell swoop captured Liyang City and even the extensive territory near Juchao.
This move directly shattered the concerns that many conservatives in Soochow had previously had - that after the war began, Jianye would be besieged by Cao's armies from both the west and the north.
The light cavalry led by Lu Fan was extremely fast.
After taking Juchao, go down the river and easily capture the entire Ruxushui River Basin south of Dongguan.
Compared with Zhang Zhao's reckless attack before, the stupid behavior of Lonely Deep was much more comprehensive and detailed.
