rescued¡¡a¡¡great¡¡number£»¡¡and¡¡they¡¡continued¡¡fighting¡¡till¡¡evening¡¡when¡¡they¡¡withdrew¡¡and¡¡mustered¡¡their¡¡troops¡£¡¡Two¡¡manders£»¡¡Cheng¡¡Yin¡¡and¡¡Zhang¡¡Han£»¡¡were¡¡missing£»¡¡and¡¡a¡¡couple¡¡of¡¡hundred¡¡soldiers¡¡had¡¡been¡¡killed¡¡when¡¡they¡¡fell¡¡into¡¡the¡¡pits¡£
Ma¡¡Chao¡¡and¡¡Han¡¡Sui¡¡discussed¡¡what¡¡should¡¡next¡¡be¡¡done¡£
¡¨If¡¡we¡¡give¡¡the¡¡enemy¡¡time£»¡¡he¡¡will¡¡make¡¡himself¡¡strong¡¡on¡¡the¡¡north¡¡bank¡£¡¡I¡¡think¡¡we¡¡can¡¡do¡¡no¡¡better¡¡than¡¡to¡¡raid¡¡his¡¡camp¡¡tonight£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Ma¡¡Chao¡£
¡¨We¡¡must¡¡have¡¡a¡¡force¡¡and¡¡supports¡¡for¡¡it£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Han¡¡Sui¡£
So¡¡it¡¡was¡¡decided¡¡that¡¡Ma¡¡Chao¡¡should¡¡lead¡¡the¡¡striking¡¡force¡¡with¡¡Pang¡¡De¡¡and¡¡Ma¡¡Dai¡¡as¡¡supports¡£¡¡They¡¡would¡¡start¡¡at¡¡nightfall¡£
Now¡¡Cao¡¡Cao's¡¡troops¡¡were¡¡on¡¡the¡¡north¡¡bank¡¡of¡¡River¡¡Wei£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡gave¡¡his¡¡generals¡¡orders£»¡¡saying£»¡¡¡¨The¡¡rebels¡¡will¡¡try¡¡to¡¡surprise¡¡us¡¡as¡¡they¡¡are¡¡deceived¡¡by¡¡my¡¡not¡¡having¡¡set¡¡up¡¡stockades¡£¡¡You¡¡will¡¡place¡¡your¡¡soldiers¡¡in¡¡ambush¡£¡¡At¡¡the¡¡bomb¡¡signal£»¡¡you¡¡will¡¡rush¡¡out¡¡from¡¡four¡¡directions¡¡to¡¡capture¡¡them¡£¡¨
At¡¡nightfall¡¡Ma¡¡Chao¡¡sent¡¡out¡¡a¡¡small¡¡scouting¡¡party¡¡headed¡¡by¡¡Cheng¡¡Yi¡£¡¡Seeing¡¡nothing£»¡¡Cheng¡¡Yi¡¡penetrated¡¡deep¡¡into¡¡the¡¡enemy's¡¡lines¡£¡¡Presently£»¡¡a¡¡bomb¡¡was¡¡exploded¡£¡¡Out¡¡leapt¡¡the¡¡hidden¡¡troops£»¡¡and¡¡in¡¡a¡¡few¡¡moments¡¡the¡¡whole¡¡scouting¡¡party¡¡were¡¡killed¡£¡¡Cheng¡¡Yi¡¡was¡¡cut¡¡down¡¡by¡¡the¡¡blade¡¡of¡¡Xiahou¡¡Yuan¡£
But¡¡close¡¡at¡¡hand¡¡came¡¡the¡¡main¡¡army¡¡led¡¡by¡¡Ma¡¡Chao£»¡¡Ma¡¡Dai£»¡¡and¡¡Pang¡¡De¡¡that¡¡rushed¡¡into¡¡the¡¡ambush¡¡forces¡£
Wait¡¡for¡¡the¡¡foe¡¡all¡¡undismayed¡£
Place¡¡your¡¡men¡¡in¡¡ambuscade¡£
Generals¡¡striving¡¡to¡¡outvie
Are¡¡not¡¡beaten¡¡easily¡£
Who¡¡got¡¡the¡¡advantage¡¡will¡¡presently¡¡be¡¡told¡£
¡¡Main¡¡Next¡¡to¡¡Chapter¡¡59¡¡¡·¡·
¡¡¡¡¡¡Romance¡¡of¡¡Three¡¡Kingdoms¡¡¡¡¡by¡¡Luo¡¡Guanzhong¡¡¡¡¡Chapter¡¡59
¡¡Chapter¡¡59
Xu¡¡Chu¡¡Strips¡¡For¡¡A¡¡Fight¡¡With¡¡Ma¡¡Chao£»
Cao¡¡Cao¡¡Writes¡¡A¡¡Letter¡¡To¡¡Sow¡¡Dissension¡£
The¡¡fight¡¡narrated¡¡in¡¡the¡¡last¡¡chapter¡¡lasted¡¡till¡¡morn¡¡when¡¡each¡¡side¡¡drew¡¡off£»¡¡Ma¡¡Chao¡¡camping¡¡on¡¡the¡¡River¡¡Wei£»¡¡whence¡¡he¡¡kept¡¡up¡¡harassing¡¡attacks¡¡both¡¡day¡¡and¡¡night¡£¡¡Cao¡¡Cao£»¡¡also¡¡camped¡¡in¡¡the¡¡bed¡¡of¡¡the¡¡same¡¡river£»¡¡began¡¡to¡¡construct¡¡three¡¡floating¡¡bridges¡¡out¡¡of¡¡his¡¡rafts¡¡and¡¡boats¡¡so¡¡as¡¡to¡¡facilitate¡¡munication¡¡with¡¡the¡¡south¡¡bank¡£¡¡Cao¡¡Ren¡¡established¡¡a¡¡stockade¡¡near¡¡the¡¡camp£»¡¡which¡¡he¡¡barricaded¡¡with¡¡his¡¡carts¡¡and¡¡wagons¡£
Ma¡¡Chao¡¡determined¡¡to¡¡destroy¡¡this¡¡stockade£»¡¡so¡¡his¡¡troops¡¡collected¡¡straw¡¡and¡¡each¡¡man¡¡marched¡¡with¡¡a¡¡bundle¡¡and¡¡took¡¡fire¡¡with¡¡him¡£¡¡Han¡¡Sui's¡¡forces¡¡were¡¡to¡¡fight¡£¡¡While¡¡one¡¡party¡¡attacked£»¡¡the¡¡other¡¡party¡¡piled¡¡up¡¡the¡¡straw£»¡¡which¡¡they¡¡lit£»¡¡and¡¡soon¡¡there¡¡was¡¡a¡¡fierce¡¡fire¡¡all¡¡around¡£¡¡The¡¡defenders¡¡could¡¡do¡¡nothing¡¡against¡¡it£»¡¡so¡¡they¡¡abandoned¡¡the¡¡stockade¡¡and¡¡ran¡¡away¡£¡¡All¡¡the¡¡transport¡¡and¡¡bridges¡¡were¡¡destroyed¡£¡¡It¡¡was¡¡a¡¡great¡¡victory¡¡for¡¡the¡¡Xiliang¡¡army¡¡and¡¡gave¡¡them¡¡the¡¡mand¡¡of¡¡the¡¡River¡¡Wei¡£
Cao¡¡Cao¡¡was¡¡sad¡¡at¡¡the¡¡failure¡¡to¡¡make¡¡good¡¡his¡¡strong¡¡camp¡¡and¡¡fearful¡¡of¡¡his¡¡defenselessness¡£¡¡Then¡¡Xun¡¡You¡¡proposed¡¡a¡¡mud¡¡wall¡£¡¡So¡¡three¡¡thousand¡¡soldiers¡¡were¡¡set¡¡to¡¡build¡¡a¡¡mud¡¡rampart¡£¡¡The¡¡enemy¡¡seeing¡¡this¡¡harassed¡¡the¡¡workmen¡¡with¡¡perpetual¡¡attacks¡¡at¡¡different¡¡points¡¡so¡¡that¡¡the¡¡work¡¡went¡¡slowly¡£¡¡Beside£»¡¡the¡¡soil¡¡was¡¡very¡¡sandy£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡wall¡¡would¡¡not¡¡stand¡¡but¡¡collapsed¡¡as¡¡fast¡¡as¡¡it¡¡was¡¡built¡£¡¡Cao¡¡Cao¡¡felt¡¡helpless¡£
It¡¡was¡¡the¡¡ninth¡¡month¡¡of¡¡the¡¡sixteenth¡¡year¡¡of¡¡Rebuilt¡¡Tranquillity¡¡£¨AD¡¡211£©£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡fierce¡¡cold¡¡of¡¡winter¡¡was¡¡just¡¡ing¡¡on¡£¡¡Ominous¡¡clouds¡¡covered¡¡the¡¡sky¡¡day¡¡after¡¡day¡¡with¡¡never¡¡a¡¡break¡£¡¡One¡¡day¡¡as¡¡Cao¡¡Cao¡¡sat¡¡in¡¡his¡¡tent£»¡¡very¡¡disheartened£»¡¡a¡¡stranger¡¡was¡¡announced¡¡and¡¡was¡¡led¡¡in¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡an¡¡old¡¡man¡¡who¡¡said¡¡he¡¡had¡¡a¡¡suggestion¡¡to¡¡offer¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡tall£»¡¡as¡¡delicate¡¡as¡¡a¡¡crane¡¡and¡¡as¡¡refined¡¡as¡¡a¡¡pine¡¡tree¡£¡¡He¡¡gave¡¡his¡¡name¡¡as¡¡Lou¡¡Zibo¡¡and¡¡said¡¡he¡¡came¡¡from¡¡Jingzhao¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡a¡¡recluse¡¡and¡¡a¡¡Taoist£»¡¡his¡¡religious¡¡name¡¡being¡¡Plum¡Blossom¡¡Dreamer¡£
Cao¡¡Cao¡¡received¡¡him¡¡with¡¡great¡¡courtesy£»¡¡and¡¡presently¡¡the¡¡venerable¡¡one¡¡began£»¡¡saying£»¡¡¡¨O¡¡Prime¡¡Minister£»¡¡you¡¡have¡¡long¡¡been¡¡striving¡¡to¡¡make¡¡a¡¡camp¡¡on¡¡the¡¡river¡£¡¡Now¡¡is¡¡your¡¡opportunity¡£¡¡Why¡¡not¡¡begin£¿¡¨
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¡¨You¡¡are¡¡more¡¡than¡¡human£»¡¡O¡¡Prime¡¡Minister£»¡¡in¡¡the¡¡art¡¡of¡¡war£»¡¡and¡¡you¡¡surely¡¡know¡¡the¡¡times¡¡and¡¡seasons¡£¡¡It¡¡has¡¡been¡¡overcast¡¡for¡¡many¡¡days£»¡¡and¡¡these¡¡clouds¡¡foretell¡¡a¡¡north¡¡wind¡¡and¡¡intense¡¡cold¡£¡¡When¡¡the¡¡wind¡¡begins¡¡to¡¡blow£»¡¡you¡¡should¡¡hurry¡¡your¡¡army¡¡to¡¡carry¡¡up¡¡the¡¡earth¡¡and¡¡sprinkle¡¡it¡¡with¡¡water¡£¡¡By¡¡dawn¡¡your¡¡wall¡¡will¡¡be¡¡plete¡£¡¨
Cao¡¡Cao¡¡seized¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡suggestion¡£¡¡He¡¡offered¡¡his¡¡aged¡¡visitor¡¡a¡¡reward£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡venerable¡¡one¡¡would¡¡receive¡¡nothing¡£
That¡¡night¡¡the¡¡wind¡¡came¡¡down¡¡in¡¡full¡¡force¡£¡¡Every¡¡man¡¡possible¡¡was¡¡set¡¡to¡¡earth¡carrying¡¡and¡¡wetting¡£¡¡As¡¡they¡¡had¡¡no¡¡other¡¡means¡¡of¡¡carrying¡¡water£»¡¡they¡¡made¡¡stuff¡¡bags¡¡which¡¡they¡¡filled¡¡with¡¡water¡¡and¡¡let¡¡out¡¡the¡¡water¡¡over¡¡the¡¡earth¡£¡¡And¡¡so¡¡as¡¡they¡¡piled¡¡the¡¡earth£»¡¡they¡¡froze¡¡it¡¡solid¡¡with¡¡water£»¡¡and¡¡by¡¡dawn¡¡the¡¡wall¡¡was¡¡finished¡¡and¡¡stood¡¡firm¡£
When¡¡his¡¡scouts¡¡told¡¡Ma¡¡Chao¡¡that¡¡the¡¡enemy¡¡had¡¡built¡¡a¡¡wall£»¡¡he¡¡rode¡¡out¡¡and¡¡saw¡¡it¡£¡¡Ma¡¡Chao¡¡was¡¡greatly¡¡perplexed¡¡and¡¡began¡¡to¡¡suspect¡¡help¡¡from¡¡the¡¡gods¡£
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Thereupon¡¡Ma¡¡Chao¡¡rode¡¡out£»¡¡his¡¡spear¡¡set¡¡ready¡¡to¡¡thrust¡£
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¡¨Ma¡¡Chao¡¡is¡¡very¡¡bold£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡his¡¡master¡£¡¡¡¨Be¡¡careful£¡¡¨
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Ma¡¡Chao¡¡was¡¡very¡¡angry¡¡when¡¡he¡¡received¡¡the¡¡letter¡£
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