Chapter 1435: Delaying Tactic

In the years that followed, the land of Jiangnan, under Zhuge Liang's careful governance, gradually radiated with vitality. The people lived and worked in peace and contentment; in the fields, the rice was golden, and in the market, merchants gathered—a scene of prosperity. However, behind this peace and prosperity, Zhuge Liang never relaxed his vigilance against Cao Cao.

One day, Zhuge Liang was reviewing documents in the study when a rush of footsteps suddenly broke the tranquility. A scout walked in hurriedly and knelt down. "Prime Minister, there is urgent military intelligence! Cao Cao's main army has gathered again, appearing to have the intention of invading the south!"

Zhuge Liang heard this, his brows furrowed. He put down the brush in his hand and said in a deep voice, "Cao Cao truly is unwilling to accept failure; what movements does he have this time?"

The scout said, "According to the report from the spies, Cao Cao has gathered more troops this time and has also united with some rebellious people from Dongwu, intending to attack from inside and outside to capture Jiangnan in one fell swoop."

Zhuge Liang sneered. "Hmph, Cao Cao is ambitious, but he doesn't look at whether this land of Jiangnan is something he can easily swallow. You go quickly to notify the generals to prepare for battle; this time, we must let Cao Cao know that Jiangnan is not a place where he can run wild."

The scout took the order and left, while Zhuge Liang stood up and walked to the window, looking at the lush trees outside, his heart filled with thoughts. He knew that this battle would be a major test for the land of Jiangnan and also a severe challenge to his wisdom and talent.

Several days later, the army of the land of Jiangnan was already fully prepared. Zhuge Liang stood on the high platform, looking at the high-spirited soldiers below, his voice firm and powerful. "Fellow soldiers, Cao Cao has come to attack again; this time, he brought more troops and also brought greater threats. However, we are not afraid! We have sturdy city walls, brave soldiers, and the conviction of justice. We will definitely defeat Cao Cao and defend our home!"

The soldiers raised their arms and shouted one after another: "Vow to defend Jiangnan! Vow to resist Cao Cao!" The sound resounded through the clouds, shaking the heavens and the earth.

Zhuge Liang nodded with satisfaction; he knew that in this battle, they had the confidence and determination to win. He turned to the warlords in the northwest like Ma Chao and Han Sui beside him. "Everyone, Cao Cao has come aggressively this time; we must join forces to resist the enemy. I hope we can work together to jointly welcome this challenge."

Ma Chao, Han Sui, and others expressed one after another that they were willing to fight side by side with Zhuge Liang to jointly resist Cao Cao. They knew that this battle not only concerned the survival of the land of Jiangnan but also concerned their own interests. Thus, they took the orders one after another and began to execute Zhuge Liang's plan.

Under Zhuge Liang's careful deployment, the army of the land of Jiangnan stood ready, waiting for the arrival of Cao Cao's main army. However, just at this time, an unexpected piece of news came again—Cao Cao sent an envoy to seek peace.

This news made Zhuge Liang and the generals feel surprised. They knew Cao Cao was always cunning and changeable; this act of seeking peace was very likely a delaying tactic. Thus, Zhuge Liang decided to first stabilize Cao Cao's envoy, scout out his true intentions, and then make plans.

When meeting Cao Cao's envoy, Zhuge Liang performed extremely calmly and wisely. He neither easily refused to seek peace nor easily agreed, but cleverly circled between the envoys, attempting to obtain more intelligence from them. After some negotiation, Zhuge Liang finally figured out Cao Cao's true intention in seeking peace. It turned out that although Cao Cao's military strength was powerful, he had come from afar, and grain supplies were difficult. Coupled with the complex terrain and developed water systems of the land of Jiangnan, his main army did not have the advantage fighting here. Therefore, he hoped to delay time through seeking peace so as to better prepare for the war.

After understanding Cao Cao's intention, Zhuge Liang had a plan in his heart. He decided to use the plan against the planner, utilizing Cao Cao's desire for peace to set up an ambush. He agreed to peace talks with Cao Cao on the surface, but in reality, he secretly mobilized troops and set up traps, preparing to give Cao Cao's main army a fatal blow when they were unprepared.

After the plan was set up, Zhuge Liang summoned the generals again for final deployment. He looked at everyone with a serious expression. "Fellow soldiers, this battle will be the key battle for us to resist Cao Cao. We must give our all and fight to the death to achieve victory!"

The generals expressed one after another that they were willing to follow Zhuge Liang to the death to jointly resist Cao Cao. They knew the importance of this battle and also understood the responsibility they shouldered. Thus, they took the orders one after another and began to execute Zhuge Liang's plan.

Under Zhuge Liang's careful deployment, the ambush battle proceeded exceptionally smoothly. When Cao Cao's main army entered the ambush circle, Zhuge Liang gave an order, and the troops hidden all around rushed out, giving Cao Cao's main army a fatal blow. For a time, swords flashed and shadows flickered on the battlefield, and blood flowed like a river.

Cao Cao's main army was caught off guard and suffered heavy losses. They fled in rout, attempting to escape from this terrifying battlefield. However, Zhuge Liang had already anticipated their actions; he sent troops to follow closely behind to pursue, vowing to thoroughly defeat Cao Cao's main army.

After an intense battle, Cao Cao's main army was finally thoroughly defeated. They left behind a large amount of weapons, grain, and supplies, fleeing in a sorry state. And the army of the land of Jiangnan achieved a brilliant victory; they cheered and celebrated this great victory.

After the battle, Zhuge Liang summoned all the soldiers for commendation and rewards. He personally awarded medals and rewards to those soldiers who fought bravely and made great achievements. At the same time, he also expressed deep mourning and respect for those soldiers who sacrificed in the battle.

At the commendation assembly, Zhuge Liang delivered an impassioned speech. "Fellow soldiers, you used your own courage and blood to write the brilliant chapter of the land of Jiangnan! Your heroism and sacrifice will forever be engraved on the monument of history! I feel proud and honored for you!"

His voice echoed in the venue, inspiring the heart of every soldier. They expressed one after another that they were willing to continue to follow Zhuge Liang to jointly guard the tranquility and prosperity of the land of Jiangnan.

This battle not only greatly boosted the morale of the army of the land of Jiangnan but also made the situation of the entire world undergo subtle changes. Cao Cao's failure made him temporarily give up the idea of attacking the land of Jiangnan, turning his gaze to other places instead. And the land of Jiangnan, under Zhuge Liang's leadership, gradually moved toward stability and prosperity.

In the days that followed, Zhuge Liang continued to push forward Liu Bei's benevolent governance, caring for the people, developing the economy, and strengthening national defense. He used his own wisdom and talent to govern the land of Jiangnan in an orderly manner, letting the people live and work in peace and contentment, and live a prosperous life.

At the same time, he also continued to maintain a close alliance relationship with the warlords in the northwest to jointly resist Cao Cao's threat. Under his leadership, the land of Jiangnan and the warlords in the northwest formed a powerful force against Cao, making Cao Cao not dare to offend easily.

However, although the land of Jiangnan was increasingly prosperous under Zhuge Liang's governance, the situation of the world was still turbulent. Cao Cao, although temporarily giving up the idea of attacking Jiangnan, did not give up his ambition to unify the world. He continuously accumulated strength in the north, preparing to invade the south again.

Facing such a situation, Zhuge Liang knew deeply that he could not be careless. He continued to strengthen the defensive strength of the land of Jiangnan, while actively seeking cooperation with other warlords to jointly resist Cao Cao's threat.

One day, Zhuge Liang was discussing the matter of resisting Cao with warlords like Ma Chao and Han Sui in the study. Suddenly, a rush of footsteps broke the tranquility of the study. A scout walked in hurriedly and knelt down. "Prime Minister, there is urgent military intelligence! Cao Cao's main army has gathered again, appearing to have the intention of invading the south!"

Zhuge Liang heard this, his brows furrowed. He put down the brush in his hand and said in a deep voice, "Cao Cao truly is unwilling to accept failure; what movements does he have this time?"

The scout said, "According to the report from the spies, Cao Cao has gathered more troops this time and has also united with some rebellious people from Dongwu, intending to attack from inside and outside to capture Jiangnan in one fell swoop."

Zhuge Liang sneered. "Hmph, Cao Cao is ambitious, but he doesn't look at whether this land of Jiangnan is something he can easily swallow. You go quickly to notify the generals to prepare for battle; this time, we must let Cao Cao know that Jiangnan is not a place where he can run wild."

The scout took the order and left, and the study fell into deep thought again. Ma Chao, Han Sui, and other warlords expressed one after another that they were willing to fight side by side with Zhuge Liang to jointly resist Cao Cao. They knew that this battle not only concerned the survival of the land of Jiangnan but also concerned their own interests.

Zhuge Liang nodded; he knew the importance of this battle. He turned to Ma Chao, Han Sui, and others. "Everyone, Cao Cao has come aggressively this time; we must join forces to resist the enemy. I hope we can work together to jointly welcome this challenge."

Ma Chao, Han Sui, and others expressed agreement one after another; they were willing to advance and retreat together with Zhuge Liang to jointly resist Cao Cao's threat. Thus, they began to discuss specific combat plans, preparing to welcome the coming great battle.

Under Zhuge Liang's careful deployment, the army of the land of Jiangnan stood ready again, waiting for the arrival of Cao Cao's main army. This time, they had more full preparations and firmer confidence. They knew that this battle would be a test of their courage and determination, and also a challenge to their wisdom and talent.

However, just at this time, an unexpected piece of news came again—Cao Cao sent an envoy to seek peace. This news made Zhuge Liang and the generals feel surprised and shocked. They knew Cao Cao was always cunning and changeable; this act of seeking peace was very likely a delaying tactic.

Thus, Zhuge Liang decided to first stabilize Cao Cao's envoy, scout out his true intentions, and then make plans. When meeting Cao Cao's envoy, Zhuge Liang performed extremely calmly and wisely. He neither easily refused to seek peace nor easily agreed, but cleverly circled between the envoys, attempting to obtain more intelligence from them.

After some negotiation, Zhuge Liang finally figured out Cao Cao's true intention in seeking peace. It turned out that although Cao Cao's military strength was powerful, he had come from afar, and grain supplies were difficult. Coupled with the complex terrain and developed water systems of the land of Jiangnan, his main army did not have the advantage fighting here. Therefore, he hoped to delay time through seeking peace so as to better prepare for the war. At the same time, he also wanted to take this opportunity to scout out the reality of the land of Jiangnan so as to formulate a more effective combat plan.

After understanding Cao Cao's intention, Zhuge Liang had a plan in his heart. He decided to use the plan against the planner, utilizing Cao Cao's desire for peace to set up a more clever ambush. He agreed to peace talks with Cao Cao on the surface, but in reality, he secretly mobilized troops and set up traps, preparing to give Cao Cao's main army a fatal blow when they were unprepared. At the same time, he also sent spies to sneak into Cao Cao's army to spread false intelligence to confuse Cao Cao's judgment. ===== CHAPTER 1436 =====