Beyond Jiangling lay a broad alluvial plain, with the misty expanse of Dongting Lake also in that direction. Past this plain was Changsha, with no natural defenses to hold.
Thus, Old Cao had stationed heavy forces here, blockading the riverbanks all the way from here to Yang Province along the Yangtze River. His purpose was to prevent Wang Yan's army from crossing the river in force and protect his rear.
Old Cao certainly could not defeat Wang Yan's navy. Those enormous warships, once they entered the river, made Cao Cao's naval vessels look like little skiffs. Of course, the navy's great warships could not make it this far in; traveling upstream was too exhausting. But even without those warships, Wang Yan still had vessels suited to coastal and inland-river navigation, and those were likewise far beyond anything Cao Cao's ships could match.
Old Cao had no answer for fighting aboard ships, but landing was no easy matter. That was precisely why he had massed troops along the riverbanks: he would never give Wang Yan an opportunity.
"Kongming, you have observed the situation across the river. How should we cross and attack?" Wang Yan asked casually, his hands clasped behind his back.
Zhuge Liang was not the least bit intimidated by the Grand General. Without hesitation, he said, "Cao Cao is taking a risky gamble. He will surely seek an opportunity to cross the Han River and throw our heartland into disorder. We can dispatch troops from Nanyang, cross the Han River to meet Cao's army, and attack Shu Land. Our troops are elite and our generals valiant; Cao's army will be hard-pressed to withstand us. Cao Cao will not dare abandon Shu Land and will surely send reinforcements. The forces across the river will then be insufficient, and Cao Cao