[Light-screen]
[The phrase we're all familiar with—"If one must have a son, let him be like Sun Zhongmou"—actually traces its origin to a rather curious war.
Soushen Ji records an odd tale. At Ruxukou, there was once a sunken ship. When the river tide fell, its hull would emerge from the water. Local elders claimed it was "Lord Cao's ship."
One night, a fisherman tied his boat to the wreck and slept aboard. Half-asleep, he heard the sound of flutes and strings, and caught the scent of powder and perfume. In his dream, someone even shoved him and shouted a warning:
"Do not approach the court ladies!"
The next day, the fisherman asked the elders about it. They said, "That ship's been there a hundred years. Back then, it was used by Lord Cao to carry official courtesans."
So how did Cao Cao's ship sink here?
That brings us to the Battle of Ruxukou between Cao Cao and Sun Quan.
Starting from Hefei, a cultural stronghold of Jiangdong, traveling south by water leads to Chaohu Lake. The lake drains south through the Ruxu River into the Yangtze. The point where Chaohu enters the Ruxu River is called Ruxukou.
To train his navy, Cao Cao first went to great lengths to excavate Xuanwu Pool, simulating lake warfare.
Next, naval recruits trained on the Wo River in Qiao County, practicing inland river combat.
After that, the fleet moved down the Wo into the Huai River, transferred to Shouchun, and finally followed the Shi River to encamp at Hefei.
Sun Quan did not dare take this lightly. Feeling the pressure, he moved his capital again to Jianye, fortified Ruxu Mountain, built passes, and constructed the Ruxu Fort at the river mouth, preparing for battle.
As for the course and outcome of the Battle of Ruxukou, records from both Wei and Wu are surprisingly simple.
Wei records state:
In the winter of 212, Cao Cao marched out. In early 213 he reached Ruxukou, broke Sun Quan's western camp, captured the commander Gongsun Yang, withdrew in the third month, and by the fourth month was already back in Ye.
Wu records are even shorter:
Cao attacked Ruxukou. Sun Quan resisted for over a month. Cao Cao observed Sun Quan's army, praised its discipline, and withdrew.
And just like that, the Battle of Ruxukou ended.
But the real momentum of this story began after the fighting stopped.]
"So then Big Brother-in-Law got cocky," Zhang Fei said thoughtfully,
"and two years later turned into Ten-Thousand-Troops Bro?"
"That's a reasonable guess," Zhao Yun said after some thought.
"Judging from the records… Cao Cao's army gained something tactically, but strategically failed to break through."
"Sun Quan's losses were probably light," Zhao Yun continued,
"but he didn't score any decisive victory either."
"That makes perfect sense," Pang Tong nodded.
"Chaohu narrows at Ruxukou. Cao's numerical advantage couldn't be brought to bear. Jiangdong's elite navy only needed to choke the river. Cao's forces had no way forward."
Then Pang Tong frowned.
"If that's the case, this battle sounds utterly unremarkable. What's the big deal?"
"Don't tell me Cao Cao personally said, 'My son is Sun Quan,' before retreating?"
Zhuge Liang's fan fluttered faster.
"I disagree."
"The downfall of Cao Wei," he said calmly,
"came from internal causes."
"Sun Zhongmou may not equal Cao Cao in sheer martial brilliance," Zhuge Liang continued,
"but to unify Jiangdong and dominate the Huai and Yangtze while barely of age—his political skill rivals even Cao Pi and Cao Rui."
The discussion left Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, and Liu Ba completely lost.
"Why is Sun Quan called Ten-Thousand-Troops Bro?" Zhang Song asked.
"Because Jiangdong possessed ten thousand elite troops?" Fa Zheng guessed.
Zhang Fei chuckled.
"Half right."
Fa Zheng was baffled.
[Light-screen]
[The two sides deadlocked at Ruxukou for three months. Though Cao Cao broke one camp and captured a commander, his original goal—crushing Jiangdong—failed.
So for Jiangdong, this was a victory worth celebrating. And from a war summarized in a few lines, two famous stories emerged.
The first is the Romance-era tale of Gan Ning's hundred-rider night raid.
According to Wu Li, Cao Cao boasted an army of four hundred thousand. Sun Quan secretly ordered Gan Ning to raid the camp at night. Gan Ning led just over a hundred elite soldiers, quietly removed the deer-horn barricades, slipped inside, killed dozens, threw the camp into chaos, then withdrew and was rewarded.
Sun Quan praised him, saying:
"Cao Cao has Zhang Liao—so what? I have Gan Ning!"
The second story is today's real protagonist: everyone's model son, Sun Zhongmou.
Wu Li records that after Cao Cao attacked, Sun Quan repeatedly issued challenges. Cao Cao hung the "no battle" banner and refused to come out. So Sun Quan personally rowed a small boat to the Wei naval camp to "take in the scenery."
Cao Cao's eyesight was terrifyingly good. Despite it being night—and despite it being just a small boat—he recognized Sun Quan at once and ordered strict alert, forbidding arrows and crossbows from firing.
Sun Quan spent a full half hour drifting in front of the camp, rowing back and forth nearly three kilometers before leaving. Jiangdong's morale soared.
Seeing this, Cao Cao sighed and exclaimed:
"If one must have a son, let him be like Sun Zhongmou!
Liu Biao's sons are no better than pigs and dogs!"
Flush with pride, Sun Quan later sent Cao Cao a letter:
"Spring waters are rising. You should withdraw at once."
Attached was a small note. Cao Cao read it:
"If you do not die, I cannot rest."
Facing an army he claimed numbered four hundred thousand, Cao Cao told his attendants that Sun Quan would never deceive him—and obediently withdrew.
Setting aside the night raid, this second account is… questionable.
Cao Cao was the attacker, yet he refused battle. Was he copying the Chancellor and planting wheat on the spot?
Sun Quan was the defender, yet eagerly sought combat—was he trying to lose faster?
And then it becomes outright fantastical: Sun Quan sails straight into the camp, and Cao Cao forbids firing because he's afraid Sun Quan might die.
The treatment is so special it's as if Sun Quan were Cao Cao's illegitimate son.
Later, Wei Lue revised the story:
The "small boat" became a large one.
"Arrows forbidden" became "arrows fired freely."
In this version, Sun Quan's ship took arrows on one side, listed dangerously, so he ordered the ship turned so the other side could be filled with arrows as well—then sailed back safely.]
"General Gan was so fierce—almost like General Zhao," Zhang Song exclaimed.
For the people of Yi Province, Zhao Yun's hundred-rider charge was practically legend.
"Likely embellished," Fa Zheng said coolly.
After discussing it, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun agreed:
"The night raid is plausible," Zhang Fei said.
"Gan Xingba had monstrous courage. Look at the son to know the father—men of the Gan clan are capable of extraordinary acts."
Liu Bei nodded. Gan Gui had left him a deep impression as well.
"With only a hundred men," Zhao Yun concluded,
"catching Cao's camp unprepared, removing barricades, advancing silently—it's possible. And the recorded kills are only a dozen or so. A failed raid and retreat, nothing unusual."
But—
"Ten-Thousand-Troops Bro's Gan Ning could only raid camps," Zhang Fei sighed.
"Zhang Wenyuan of Cao's side broke ten thousand with eight hundred."
The Yi Province trio stared wide-eyed.
Eight hundred against ten thousand?
Were all outside generals this terrifying?
The other account made Liu Bei shake his head with a wry smile.
"If Cao Mengde were truly that naïve," he said,
"would we be in this position today?"
Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun nodded grimly. Changban had been real killing—nearly died there.
Pang Tong joked,
"My lord is Cao Cao's mortal enemy. Sun Quan seems more like his beloved son. How could they be compared?"
Liu Bei laughed, then sighed softly.
"Deposing the elder for the younger—Brother Jing sheng sowed his own disaster."
Pang Tong agreed.
"Kongming is right. Cao Wei's calamity was self-inflicted. Had his sons been like Sun Zhongmou, there would've been no Sima usurpation."
Zhang Fei snorted.
"What's the use of writing it so prettily?"
"Hefei. Submission. Broken promises. A joke for all ages."
"Oh, right," Zhang Fei added brightly.
"Brother, want to be Sun Polu?"
Liu Bei choked.
"…A-Dou is still young."
Watching the light-screen was a novel experience for Hou Junji.
"Gan Xingba's courage rivals our own," he commented.
No one objected—the Emperor's own battlefield record spoke for itself.
Li Shimin glanced over, unimpressed.
"A failed night raid. What's there to praise?"
As for Cao Cao's sigh, Li Shimin disagreed even more.
"He guarded Jiangdong his entire life," he said flatly.
"Not even equal to my Crown Prince."
Li Shimin remembered clearly—one hundred years of prosperity. Even with his foundations, eighty years required capable heirs.
Which meant his son and grandson had done well—only later did problems arise.
He felt rather pleased.
A peerless emperor myself.A peerless emperor myself.
A son who expands the realm.A son who expands the realm.
A grandson likely the same.
Cao Aman? Sun Zhongmou? Don't flatter yourselves.
If anyone's to sigh "If one must have a son…"—wait until the Late Tang.
Naturally, this drew a wave of flattery. Li Shimin laughed heartily.
Behind him, Yan Liben's brush flew—one pen was nowhere near enough.
Next time, perhaps he should bring disciples.
[Light-screen]
[Though Wu Li clearly beautifies Sun Quan, Cao Cao's sigh was understandable.
Sun Quan truly stopped him at Ruxukou.
That year, Cao Cao was nearing sixty and keenly felt age's weight.
Across from him stood thirty-two-year-old Sun Quan—dazzling by contrast.
Wanting such an heir was only natural.
After the disaster at Wancheng, succession had already become Cao Cao's heartache.
By Ruxukou, Cao Ang and Cao Chong were dead. The choice was between Cao Pi and Cao Zhi.
Before the battle, Cao Cao left twenty-one-year-old Cao Zhi to guard Ye—an open test. Cao Zhi failed it.
Officials reported: brilliant talent, but willful, fond of drink. Cao Cao was disappointed.
And Cao Pi? Twenty-six, idle, riding about. While Cao Cao trained the navy on the Wo River, Cao Pi wrote Rhapsody on the Wo instead.
So Cao Cao's praise of Sun Quan was also a warning to his own sons:
Learn from him. Don't become like Liu Biao's wastrels.
That's why Cao Pi later lost his head when Sun Quan submitted—throwing away unification with a few "The Emperor refuses."
After all, few can resist the temptation of someone else's child bowing before them.]