Chapter 56: Vulnerable to Attack

Xu Huang, Cao Hong, and other northern generals had no understanding of Gan Ning and could offer no opinions.

However, the Jingzhou generals led by Zhang Yun immediately spoke out.

"Prime Minister, this Gan Ning is unruly and untamable by ordinary men. His heart has always been set on attacking Yizhou; what he says is entirely true!"

"Indeed, in the past even Liu Table could not subdue his ambition, let alone Liu Bei. How long has he even followed Liu Bei?"

"If Gan Ning comes over, half of Liu Bei's naval force will collapse! Liu Bei is bound to fail!"

……

Cao Cao nodded. True enough, ever since entering Jingzhou, every step had been victory, every step had been surrender.

Liu Cong had surrendered, southern Jingzhou had surrendered, Liu Zhang had dispatched troops to assist, Shi Xie had sent troops to hem in Liu Bei, and Ma Teng had already answered the summons, abandoning his army to take up official office in the capital.

Now, someone from Liu Bei’s camp was also coming to surrender—that was only natural.

The heavens had clearly signaled that it was time to pacify the realm!

"Very well. Once Gan Ning leads his men over, our army will seize the opportunity to advance and shatter Liu Bei in a single stroke!" Cao Cao issued the military order.

Xun You, Jia Xu, and the others found it somewhat suspicious that someone should surrender at such a juncture, yet they could find no flaws in Gan Ning's feigned surrender.

After all, Gan Ning was a man of Yizhou who had pledged allegiance to Liu Bei only very recently, and his mind was set solely on fighting his way back to Yizhou. He was notoriously untamed and had once been known as the Sackcloth Bandit; he hardly looked like a man possessed of loyalty and righteousness.

With the military order passed down, everyone began to eagerly await Gan Ning’s arrival.

That very night, Gan Ning’s emissary arrived once more to coordinate the date of surrender with the Cao army.

Naturally, Cao Cao agreed to every term.

……

In Liu Bei's camp.

"I have already agreed with Cao Cao to lead the fleet in surrender at dawn in the next few days. Kongming, Shiyuan, are you certain that an east wind will arise during these days?" Though his heart surged, Gan Ning also felt a mounting tension; his eyes burned with eager anticipation while his expression remained deeply solemn.

Liu Bei wore an equally heavy frown as he asked, "Will there truly be an east wind in these days?"

For days on end, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong had been observing the celestial phenomena. Fearing their own knowledge might be insufficient, the two had even consulted numerous local veteran farmers and fishermen.

The consensus among them was unanimous: an east wind would blow in the coming days!

"There will surely be an east wind!" Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong spoke in unison.

Yet, despite their confident assertions, now that the moment was upon them, a trace of hesitation flickered across their faces as well.

If there was no east wind, the effectiveness of the fire attack would be drastically reduced.

Only Zhao Shaojie remained utterly resolute, for they were following history to the letter. Aside from the absence of the men from Eastern Wu, everything else remained unchanged—surely the men of Eastern Wu did not carry their own private east wind with them!

While longing for the east wind, the men made their preparations.

Not only was Gan Ning going to stage a feigned surrender and launch a fire attack, but Liu Bei and the others were going to unleash fire as well.

The Cao army maintained multiple naval encampments in Wulin. After all, with such a vast host, they were garrisoned separately, and troops were stationed at several outlets leading out to the river.

On this day.

At the hour of dawn, a great wind suddenly swept in.

A fierce gale howled, shaking the military tents until they rattled violently.

Hearing the sound of the wind, Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, and the others were overcome with wild elation.

The men immediately rushed out of their tents, gathering spontaneously outside Liu Bei's command tent.

"Can we attack?" Liu Bei fixed his bright, gleaming eyes on the group, standing barefoot on the ground as he shouted the question.

"We can attack!"

"We can attack!"

……

Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Pang Tong, Zhang Fei, Gan Ning, and the others shouted in response, their voices shaking the air like thunder.

The surrounding gale whipped their robes into a flurry, yet Liu Bei and his men basked in it gladly, exchanging glances before bursting into hearty laughter.

As Liu Bei laughed and laughed, recalling past defeats and trials against Cao Cao, he finally beheld the dawn of victory; tears welled unbidden in his eyes.

This time, he would not lose!

Cao Cao wished to unite the realm and usurp the dynasty—he, Liu Bei, would never consent!

"All armies move out immediately, advance according to the established strategy!" Liu Bei commanded, his gaze turning sharp as he looked at Gan Ning. "The fate of the Han dynasty rests upon this single battle, Xingba; do not fail the Han!"

"How dare this subject not give his life?" Gan Ning’s face flushed red, his voice passionate and high-spirited. The wind had arrived, and all things were set.

Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, and the others were filled with boundless heroism, deeply moved.

Even Zhao Shaojie was stirred to the core, shouting aloud, "Let’s go! Crush them to death!"

The men immediately separated to make their final preparations.

The dozen or so flying warships and battle junks under Gan Ning’s command had already been packed with dried reeds and firewood. Not only that, but they had also been doused with oils and covered with heavy tapestries, while banners fluttered from their masts and numerous small skiffs were towed behind the large vessels.

At dawn, the army marched out of camp.

An even more exhilarating sight greeted them: the day was blanketed in a heavy fog. For men already brimming with confidence, this only heightened their exhilaration.

Liu Bei grasped Gan Ning's hand, shaking it with fervor: "Xingba, this battle will surely be won!"

Gan Ning gripped his hand tightly in return, calling out, "I shall not fail my lord!"

Amidst the eager, fervent gazes of all present, Gan Ning turned sharply, leaped aboard his vessel, and shouted, "Set sail for Cao's camp!"

Once Gan Ning’s main force had set out, Liu Bei and the others followed closely behind at a short distance.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and others each commanded a division, heading toward the other river exits. Where ships were lacking, they used bamboo rafts instead.

In the Cao camp.

The lookouts posted on watch caught a hazy glimpse of a fleet approaching from the opposite shore and immediately reported it to Cao Cao.

As the news spread, not only Cao Cao, but the entire Cao army was beside themselves with joy.

Countless soldiers stood upon their vessels, standing on tiptoe and craning their necks to gaze into the distance.

"The surrender has arrived!"

"Indeed! Once this Gan Ning surrenders, there will be no naval force left on the other side to fight us!"

……

While the foot soldiers rejoiced, Cao Cao, flushed with triumph, could not resist stepping out of his tent to inspect the scene. Sure enough, he could vaguely make out over a dozen ships approaching.

With a major battle underway, no ordinary fleet could traverse the river like this; it could only be Gan Ning arriving with his personal troops.

"Splendid! Splendid! With Gan Ning surrendered, what else does Liu Bei have to rely on? Just a Guan Yunchang?" Cao Cao laughed aloud.

……

Upon the river.

Gan Ning’s heart pounded fiercely, growing more and more agitated. The chance to carve out a name for himself and secure a place in history was right before his eyes.

Staring at the enemy camp on the opposite bank, his breathing grew increasingly rapid.

Suddenly, a subordinate came to report: "General, we are only two miles from the Cao army camp!"

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning immediately issued the order: "Ignite the ships, everyone board the skiffs!"

His subordinate shouted in assent: "Yes!"

The men promptly set fire to the flying warships and battle junks, scrambled onto the trailing skiffs, and severed the towlines, watching as the massive vessels burst into roaring, towering infernos and surged forward.

On the side of the Cao army.

The soldiers, who had been smiling and chatting merrily as they gazed into the distance, suddenly noticed that the dozen-odd ships had formed a single line and begun to glow with fire. The flames swelled rapidly, charging toward them like a dozen giant fireballs, plunging the camp into instant chaos.

"Oh no! It’s not a surrender—it’s a feigned surrender!"

A soldier shrieked in absolute terror, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Quick! Hurry, stop them! Don't let their fire ships reach our vessels!"

A squad leader barked out orders immediately.

"The wind is too strong, we can't stop them..."

His subordinates stared blankly at the unfolding spectacle, collapsing to the ground as they muttered in despair.