rotk.net - Cheng Yu

Chapter 10 — Gathering Arms, Ma Teng Moves To Rescue The Emperor; Commanding A Force, Cao Cao Marches To Avenge His Father.

Cheng Yu; recommended by Xun Yu and brought into Cao Cao's brain trust in the same wave.

Chapter 11 — Liu Bei Rescues Kong Rong At Beihai; Lu Bu Defeats Cao Cao Near Puyang.

Left behind with Xun Yu when the vengeance army marched, he holds the three remaining counties - Juancheng, Fanxia, and Dongjun - against Lü Bu's storm.

Chapter 12 — Tao Qian Thrice Offers Xuzhou To Liu Bei; Cao Cao Retakes Yanzhou From Lu Bu.

Cheng Yu; advises Cao Cao on the Puyang ruse and the Yanzhou recovery.

Chapter 14 — Cao Cao Moves The Court To Xuchang; Lu Bu Leads A Night Raid Against Xuzhou.

Cheng Yu; advises on the Xuchang relocation.

Chapter 16 — In The Camp Gate, Lu Bu Shoots The Halberd; At River Yu, Cao Cao Suffers A Defeat.

Presses the same warning as Xun Yu - Liu Bei will never stay subordinate - and is answered with Guo Jia's logic: now is the time to win men, not kill them.

Chapter 19 — Cao Cao Makes Flood In Xiapi; Lu Bu Perishes At The White Gate Tower.

Cheng Yu; advises Cao Cao at the siege.

Chapter 20 — Cao Cao Organizes A Hunting Expedition In Xutian; Dong Cheng Receives A Secret Command In The Palace.

Urges Cao Cao to convert prestige into position - 'why not take the place of Chief of the Feudatory Princes?' - prompting the hunt staged to test the court's temper.

Chapter 21 — In A Plum Garden, Cao Cao Discusses Heroes; Using The Host's Forces, Guan Yu Takes Xuzhou.

Cheng Yu; warns Cao Cao not to release Liu Bei from Xuchang; ignored.

Chapter 22 — Yuan Shao And Cao Cao Both Take The Field; Guan Yu And Zhang Fei Captures Two Generals.

Cheng Yu; advises Cao Cao on the Guandu strategy.

Chapter 23 — Mi Heng Slips His Garment And Rails At Traitors; Ji Ping Pledges To Kill The Prime Minister.

Cheng Yu; with Cao Cao at court.

Chapter 24 — Cao Cao Murdered The Consort Dong; Liu Bei Flees To Yuan Shao.

Talks Cao Cao out of deposing the Emperor - civil war would follow - then argues against attacking Liu Bei with Yuan Shao at Guandu; overruled twice, he ends the chapter promising a scheme to entangle Guan Yu into Cao Cao's service.

Chapter 25 — Besieged In Tushan, Guan Yu Makes Three Conditions; Relieved At Baima, Cao Cao Beholds A Marvel.

Designs both traps: the false deserters and feigned defeats that strand Guan Yu on Tushan, and - when Cao Cao fears giving Guan Yu his parting service - the crueler one: let him kill Yuan Shao's champion, and Yuan Shao will kill Liu Bei, leaving Guan Yu nowhere to go.

Chapter 27 — The Man Of Beautiful Beard Rides On A Solitary Journey; Guan Yu Slays Six Generals Through Five Passes.

Cheng Yu; argues for pursuit; Cao Cao refuses.

Chapter 31 — Cao Cao Overcomes Yuan Shao In Cangting; Liu Bei Seeks Shelter With Liu Biao In Jingzhou.

Author of the 'Ten Ambushes' - lure Yuan Shao to the river where the army must fight or drown - that breaks Cangting; afterwards he talks Cao Cao out of attacking Liu Biao while Yuan Shao still lives, and homeward to refresh the troops for a spring campaign.

Chapter 32 — Jizhou Taken: Yuan Shang Strives; River Zhang Cut: Xun You Schemes.

The one dissenting voice on Yuan Tan's offer - 'he has been forced into this by his brother's pressure; put no trust in him.'

Chapter 33 — A Gallant Warrior, Cao Pi Marries Lady Zhen; An Expiring Star, Guo Jia Settles Liaodong.

Voices the next move once the north is won: 'it is time to settle the south' - the thought Cao Cao admits has long occupied him.

Chapter 36 — Shan Fu's Strategy: Fankou Is Captured; Xu Shu's Affection: Zhuge Liang Is Recommended.

Identifies Shan Fu as the fugitive avenger Xu Shu ('ten times cleverer' than himself), saves the inkstone-throwing Lady Xun from execution with pure calculation - dead she is a martyr, alive she is bait - then plays the false sworn-brother, trading letters until he can forge her hand. His counterfeit summons pulls Xu Shu out of Xinye.

Chapter 37 — Sima Hui Recommends A Scholar To Liu Bei; Liu Bei Pays Three Visits To The Sleeping Dragon Ridge.

Cheng Yu; with Cao Cao at Xuchang.

Chapter 48 — Banquet On The Great River, Cao Cao Sings A Song; Battle On Water, Northerners Fight With Chained Ships.

Looks at the chained fleet and says the one true thing in the northern camp: 'you should be prepared for an attack by fire' - and is laughed down with the winter-wind lecture.

Chapter 49 — On Seven-Star Altar, Zhuge Liang Sacrifices To The Winds; At Three Gorges, Zhou Yu Liberates The Fire.

Reads the fire fleet at a glance - grain ships would ride deep, 'but these are light and float easily' - the warning that comes one mile too late.

Chapter 50 — Zhuge Liang Foresees The Huarong Valley Episode; Guan Yu Lifts His Saber To Release Cao Cao.

Reads Guan Yu for his master at the fatal moment - 'haughty to the proud but kindly to the humble... remind him of your old kindness, and we shall escape this evil.' The one counsel of the whole campaign Cao Cao takes in time.

Chapter 56 — Cao Cao Feasts In The Bronze Bird Tower; Zhuge Liang Provokes Zhou Yu A Third Time.

Reads Hua Xin's mission at a glance and prescribes the counter-poison: make Zhou Yu Governor of Nanjun and Cheng Pu Governor of Jiangxia, keep Hua Xin at the capital - and the South Land's one prop will spend itself against Liu Bei. 'Friend Cheng Yu, you are a man after my own heart.'

Chapter 61 — In The River, Zhao Zilong Recovers Liu Shan; With One Letter, Sun Quan Repulses Cao Cao.

Cheng Yu; advises Cao Cao.

Chapter 92 — Zhao Zilong Slays Five Generals; Zhuge Liang Takes Three Cities.

Cheng Yu; named in passing - the old generation.