Chapter 95

In the world of "Lian Cheng Jue," Li Wuqing only had minor gains, earning a total of over 8,000 main god points. He spent 1,000 points to appraise the Wu Can Yi (Black Silkworm Garment).

In addition, he obtained the "Xue Dao Jing" (Blood Blade Scripture), a Blood Blade, the "Shen Zhao Jing" (Divine Illumination Scripture), two "Lian Cheng Jian Fa" (Lian Cheng Sword Techniques) manuals, a Blood Qi Pill, and some internal and external medicines.

After careful selection, he learned what he needed to and kept what he should. Only the Blood Blade, one "Lian Cheng Jian Fa" manual, and the Blood Qi Pill were left, which Li Wuqing listed in the trading area.

Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that some of the items he had previously listed had already been sold, earning him over 100,000 Chinese yuan.

For many wealthy people, over 100,000 Chinese yuan is not much, but Li Wuqing's material requirements were not high, and he was content with a modest fortune. This money was enough for him to use temporarily.

With his worries resolved, Li Wuqing rekindled his fighting spirit and went to the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" storyline.

...

On the 15th day of the 11th month of the 12th year of Jian'an, the weather was clear and calm. Cao Cao issued an order to hold a grand banquet on a large ship that night for all his generals.

In the evening, the moonlight was bright, making the Yangtze River look like a white ribbon. Cao Cao boarded the large ship, and the civil and military officials sat on either side.

At the bow of the ship, two rows of elite armored soldiers stood straight, their long spears pointing upwards, exuding a fierce and majestic aura.

Among the soldiers was Li Wuqing, who, after being disguised by the main god space, looked no different from an ordinary Cao army soldier. No one could detect any abnormality.

As a common soldier, Li Wuqing's behavior could not be out of line. He stood there, perfectly straight, without blinking.

The moonlit night made the landscape picturesque, and Cao Cao was in high spirits, chatting and laughing with the civil and military officials, drinking heartily.

At times, he would express his grand ambitions, vowing to conquer the south and unify the land, sharing prosperity with his subordinates. At other times, he would curse Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Liu Bei, and Zhuge Liang, calling them overambitious, like ants trying to shake Mount Tai. Then he would lament the passing of time, saying he was already 54 years old and that after defeating Dongwu, he would bring the two Qiaos to the Copper雀Tai to enjoy his twilight years.

After drinking, Cao Cao's true nature was fully revealed. Many people who read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" considered him a great hero, but today, Li Wuqing saw him and felt greatly disappointed.

Speaking of Cao Cao, one cannot ignore his famous saying: "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me," which shows his selfishness.

Besides being selfish, Cao Cao was also extremely cruel, with a black heart, and he had a penchant for loving others' wives.

While drinking and laughing, they suddenly heard crows cawing and flying south. Cao Cao then sang: "When wine is served, we sing, how long is life? Like morning dew, the days gone by are many... The moon is bright, the stars are few, the crows fly south, circling the trees, finding no branch to rest on..."

On the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, inspired by the prospect of defeating Sun and Liu and unifying the land, Cao Cao, in high spirits, composed this timeless "Short Song."

After Cao Cao finished singing, everyone joined in, laughing heartily. However, Yangzhou Inspector Liu Fu stood up and criticized Cao Cao's words as inauspicious, which made Cao Cao furious, and he speared Liu Fu to death.

The officials were shocked, and the banquet ended in discord.

Standing nearby, watching Cao Cao's actions, Li Wuqing thought that although he was a great hero who could establish the Wei kingdom, his cruelty was well-deserved.

The next day, after sobering up, Cao Cao deeply regretted his actions and had Liu Fu's son, Liu Xi, send his father's body home for a grand burial with the honors of a high official.

Li Wuqing privately believed that this was just to win the hearts of the people, a tactic used by rulers and leaders throughout history.

On the third day, the ships were chained together, forming a solid line, and the Battle of Red Cliffs was about to begin.

The northern navy looked well-organized, with clear flags and orderly movements. The ships, chained together, cut through the waves, as stable as land.

The northern soldiers, no longer seasick, wielded their weapons on the ships.

After watching the drills, Cao Cao was even more pleased, praising, "If it weren't for the will of heaven, how could Feng Chu have come up with the chain plan?"

Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, Huang Gai used the bitter flesh strategy, Kan Ze secretly submitted a false surrender letter, and Pang Tong cleverly devised the chain plan. One strategy led to another, and Cao Cao could not help but fall for it.

Cheng Yu was suspicious and said, "Chaining the ships is stable, but if the enemy uses fire, it will be hard to escape."

Cao Cao replied, "Using fire requires wind. Now it is mid-winter, and there is only a northwest wind, not a southeast wind. We are in the northwest, and the enemy is in the southeast. If they set fire, they will only burn themselves. If it were October, I would have been prepared."

All the generals said, "Prime Minister, your insight is profound."

When the army set out, Li Wuqing was still on Cao Cao's flagship. For two days, he followed orders meticulously, showing no abnormal behavior.

Li Wuqing came to this battlefield to protect Cao Cao's life. As for turning the tide and helping Cao Cao defeat Sun and Liu, it was not his mission, and he did not want to exert himself for no reward.

Moreover, even if Li Wuqing rushed up to tell Cao Cao that Zhuge Liang could summon a southeast wind to burn the camps, Cao Cao might not have believed him.

At this point, Cao Cao was already immersed in the mood of a great victory, believing that this battle would surely be won. His emotions were so intense and firm that he would not easily listen to others.

Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan led 20 ships and 500 elite soldiers to engage the Sun Wu navy. In the first battle, they were defeated, with Jiao Chu being killed by a spear from Han Dang, and Zhou Tai jumping over the ship and cutting Zhang Nan into the water.

During the battle, Li Wuqing indeed saw the traces of cultivators among the Wu army. Their fighting techniques were different from those of ordinary soldiers, with a strong martial arts aura.

These cultivators were extremely ruthless, showing no mercy to the northern navy, either to complete their tasks or to obtain treasure chests.

After a fierce battle, the northern army was routed, frantically turning their ships and fleeing. Wen Pin came to support them but was also driven back.

...

After the initial victory, the Sun-Liu allied forces did not become arrogant. They were actively preparing, building a platform called the Seven Star Altar on Nansheng Mountain, which was 30 feet high and had three levels.

Zhuge Liang had learned the art of summoning wind and rain from a performer and performed rituals on the platform to summon a strong southeast wind for three days and three nights.

That night, around the third watch, a strong southeast wind arose. Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, and Lu Su led their troops out. Huang Gai prepared 20 fast ships, with the bow studded with large nails, the interior filled with reeds, drenched in fish oil, and sprinkled with sulfur and nitrate, covered with green oilcloth, and adorned with green dragon flags.

Zhou Yu deployed his troops, first sending Gan Ning with Cai Zhong along the south bank, then pretending to be the Cao army to cross the river and attack Wulin, signaling with fire. He also ordered Taishi Ci and Lu Meng to lead troops to support Gan Ning, and Ling Tong, Dong Xi, and Pan Zhang to lead 3,000 troops each to cross the river and ambush.

...

Huang Gai wrote a letter to Cao Cao, saying he would cross the river to surrender that night. Cao Cao was waiting for Huang Gai's message. When the southeast wind arose, Cheng Yu said, "Today there is a southeast wind; please be on guard."

Cao Cao was unconcerned, laughing and saying, "At the winter solstice, the yang energy rises, and the southeast wind must come."

Even his trusted advisor's words were ignored, indicating that Cao Cao was destined to lose. Even if Li Wuqing had come to persuade him, he would not have been taken seriously.