Uncle Emperor, I am really not Wolong Zhuge!

Chapter 223

Cao Cao lowered his head and looked at the map on the table. This tiny place, Xinye, seemed like an insult and a mockery!

If Zhuge Wende had not withdrawn his troops and civilians and handed over the city, I'm afraid it would have cost a heavy price to take it...

Xinye!
Newfield!

Unable to break through on the western front and suffering a total defeat on the eastern front, Cao Cao fell into deep thought. His original grand ambitions had become shaken after suffering a series of setbacks.

"My lord, the military order for tonight has not yet been determined, so I am here to ask for your help!"

When the tent door opened, the one-eyed general Xiahou Dun stepped in and stood behind Cao Cao with his head bowed.

“Useless…”

"It's just tasteless!"

Cao Cao didn't seem to hear what Xiahou Dun said, he was still lost in his own thoughts.

Looking at the plate of leftover chicken ribs from lunch on the table, I suddenly felt that the Xinye City in front of me was just like the ribs in the plate, with not much taken up and a lot left over.

"Here!"

Xiahou Dun also felt strange when he heard the word "chicken ribs", but the war had been going badly recently and he suffered repeated defeats. He also knew that his lord was furious and upset.

So he just agreed, without daring to ask any more questions, and then he retreated out of the tent and gave orders to the three armies.

"Pass on the Prime Minister's order. The password for the army tonight is the word 'chicken ribs'!"

The soldiers passed the message to each other, and the password "chicken ribs" gradually spread to all the camps.

……

In Cao Zhi's tent.

Cao Zhi was sitting in the tent, holding a thick ancient bamboo slip book in his hand. He was reading the book in the last rays of sunset before dusk, while waiting for Yang Xiu to return.

Half an hour ago, Jia Xu sent someone to say that he had important matters to discuss with Yang Xiu and asked him to go to the adviser's tent.

Yang Xiu assisted the third son Cao Zhi, and Sima Yi assisted the eldest son Cao Pi.

However, after arriving in Xinye, Sima Yi could enter the adviser's tent at will and participate in military affairs, and he became one of the five military strategists replacing Chen Qun.

However, Yang Xiu, who was also a member of the prince's entourage, was excluded and could only share the tent with Cao Zhi.

This made Yang Xiu, who was conceited about his talent, very angry, and he often cursed Prime Minister Cao's ancestors behind his back.

"When Jia Xu was in Xudu, he was very close to my brother. I'm afraid he didn't come to invite you with good intentions!"

Cao Zhi looked at Jia Xu's letter and felt quite worried.

But Yang Xiu didn't care at all, instead he laughed out loud: "Don't worry, sir!"

"I guess that the lord has not been doing well in the war since he went south, and has been repeatedly plotted against by Zhuge Wende. This time Jia Xu asked me to go, it must be because he encountered a difficult decision, so he had to ask me to go and make a decision for them!"

"Sir, please sit down. I'll be back soon! If we want to rise, we must make great achievements. Don't miss this good opportunity!"

After making some preparations, Yang Xiu stood up and headed towards the military advisor's tent.

About half an hour later, Cao Zhi became increasingly upset and had no interest in reading. He put the bamboo slips on the table, stood up and was about to go out of the tent to check on Yang Xiu's news.

call!
The tent door was opened and Yang Xiu's tall figure stepped in.

"Dezu, how is it?"

Cao Zhi was startled and asked hurriedly.

Yang Xiu shook his head and sighed, looking disappointed: "Originally, I was planning to join the Advisor's Office, offer advice and help Prime Minister Cao defeat Liu Bei and capture Zhuge Wende alive!"

"But I didn't expect that as soon as I arrived at the tent, I heard them talking about how the lord had been defeated in Hefei, and that Cao Ren and Xu Huang had both been defeated and fled back to Xudu."

Cao Zhi was so frightened that his face turned pale. He said in a trembling voice, "They are running away so fast. Once Hefei is lost, the troops from Jiangdong will be able to invade. If they join forces with Liu Bei's Jingzhou forces to attack our Wancheng barracks from the east and west, our situation will be over!" Cao Zhi only knew how to recite books of sages and compose poems. He had rarely seen a bloody battle. He took a step forward and tightly grasped Yang Xiu's wrist. He trembled slightly and said, "Dezu, you must think of a way to help my father!"

Yang Xiu hurriedly took Cao Zhi's arm and said, "Don't worry, sir. We shouldn't rush into this matter. We don't know what the lord means yet..."

While the two were talking, there were suddenly two knocks on the door, and then a one-eyed, rough and sturdy general lifted the curtain and came in.

"Third Young Master, today's password is 'chicken ribs', please remember it!"

Xiahou Dun came in person to convey Prime Minister Cao's military orders to Cao Zhi, and walked out while speaking.

"Wait, General Xiahou!"

Yang Xiu suddenly took two quick steps forward and caught up with Xiahou Dun: "Excuse me, General, who gave this order?"

Xiahou Dun was stunned for a moment, then said, "Need I tell you? Of course it was taught by Prime Minister Cao himself!"

Yang Xiu suddenly burst into laughter, and the pride in his chest suddenly surged again.

Xiahou Dun and Cao Zhi were both stunned, wondering why Yang Xiu suddenly laughed like that.

"General Xiahou, I think you don't need to go to other places to pass on the password. It's better to return to your own tent, pack your bags, and prepare to set off!"

Xiahou Dun was stunned, staring at Yang Xiu with wide eyes in surprise: "How did you know that we were going to set off? Where are we going?"

Cao Zhi also echoed in confusion and asked: "Yes! Dezu, where did you get this from?"

Yang Xiu had a smug look on his face. He stroked his beard and smiled as he said, "Prime Minister Cao's army's password tonight is 'chicken ribs'."

"Chicken ribs are meatless when eaten, but it's a pity to throw them away!"

"The Prime Minister has been fighting for more than a month since he went south, and lost many soldiers and generals, but he only got a small border county of Xinye!"

"But it's just such a small county. In my opinion, it was just a trick set up by Zhuge Wende in order to persuade Zhang Liao to surrender!"

"Otherwise, I'm afraid Prime Minister Cao won't even be able to take Xinye!"

"Isn't such a Xinye just like 'chicken ribs', which are useless to eat and a pity to throw away?"

He turned his head and looked at Xiahou Dun and Cao Zhi, with the corners of his mouth curled up, with a look of arrogance: "Now the Prime Minister has made no achievements on the western front and can hardly move forward. The eastern front has suffered heavy losses and a great defeat!"

"Plus, all the food and fodder were stolen or destroyed by Zhuge Wende, so it's hard to keep up with the supply. I think Prime Minister Cao is planning to abandon Xinye, this 'useless' place!"

Xiahou Dun nodded, and said in deep understanding: "That makes sense!"

"It makes sense!"

"Yang Dezu means that the Prime Minister is planning to abandon Xinye and return to Xuchang?"

Yang Xiu looked at Cao Zhi beside him and laughed, "What else could there be?"

Xiahou Dun agreed with this and bid farewell to Cao Zhi. Without announcing the password, he went straight back to his tent to pack his luggage.

Along the way, they met Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, Le Jin and others, and told them about this matter. After listening to it, everyone thought it made sense, so they went back to their homes, packed their luggage, and were ready to return to Xu Du at any time!
……

The night is dark.

Cao Cao wrapped himself tightly in a black cloak, held a wooden stick in his hand, opened the tent curtain, and stepped lightly out of the central military tent and into the military camp.

All I saw were soldiers and warriors coming and going in a hurry, each holding a bag in their hands, looking like they were setting up camp.

"Somebody come!"

"Here comes someone!"

Cao Cao knocked the ground with his wooden stick and shouted angrily.

(End of this chapter)