The Battle of Kuangting (2)
With his course of action settled, Yuan Shu soon marched out at the head of his army in person.
He entrusted a portion of his troops to Li Feng, a general he could depend on, leaving him to hold Nanyang Commandery at Wan, while Yuan Shu himself advanced on Yanzhou with Yue Jiu riding at the fore as his vanguard.
Yuan Shu summoned his officers and declared:
"From here on, the army advances in two divisions."
"And what exactly are we to do?"
The question came from Zhang Xun, the officer who could fairly be called the most favored of all Yuan Shu's generals. To this deferential inquiry, Yuan Shu stroked his beard and answered.
"Yue Jiu will lead the vanguard and take up position around Kuangting ahead of us, where he will clash head-on with that eunuch bitch."
Yuan Shu wore a contemptuous smirk that suited his face all too well.
"And while Yue Jiu and Cao Cao are locked together, the main body will swing wide around them. Striking from two directions at once, we will annihilate that eunuch bitch's army to the last man."
"Truly a masterful stratagem, my lord— the peerless hero of our age himself could devise nothing finer!"
"Hahahaha!"
At Zhang Xun's well-worn flattery, Yuan Shu burst into loud, self-satisfied laughter. Then he issued his orders to the officers gathered in the command tent.
"Well? What are you wretches standing around for? Move, and move according to my plan!"
"We obey your command!"
Zhang Xun bowed, slipped out of the tent, and relayed Yuan Shu's instructions to the messengers. With their orders in hand, Yue Jiu's vanguard split away from the main body and struck out for Kuangting first, while the main army under Yuan Shu slackened its pace, biding its time for the moment it could fall upon Cao Cao from both sides at once.
The third year of the Guangxi era.
It was in the year 192 that the collision between Cao Cao and Yuan Shu— the clash posterity would remember as the Battle of Kuangting— began.
Puyang County, Dong Commandery, Yanzhou.
"Yuanrang."
"Hm?"
The woman had, as always, moved her lodgings for a time to see to official business, and upon receiving a certain report, she called over the general standing nearest at hand.
"It seems Yuan Shu is marching on us with his army."
"...Where to?"
"Yanzhou."
"Anyone listening would think someone else was the one being invaded."
The silver-haired woman— Cao Cao— spoke of her own impending invasion with utter nonchalance.
Xiahou Dun asked what puzzled her.
"But why come to Yanzhou instead of Ye Province?"
"From where Yuan Shu stands, Yanzhou must look a far sweeter prize than Ye Province. With it in hand, he could put the squeeze on Benchu— Yuan Shao, that is— from above and below."
Yuan Shu's strike at Kuangting was, in truth, the most effective means of checking the alliance now binding Yuan Shao and Cao Cao together.
Tao Qian had lately thrown in his lot with the Yuan Shu–Gongsun Zan alliance, but unlike Gongsun Zan, he had little to show for it so far. If anything, every time he crossed from Xuzhou into Yanzhou he had been thrown back by Cao Ren, who guarded the approaches around Mount Tai, and sent scurrying into retreat.
If all went well, Yuan Shu would ride that momentum and swallow Ye Province whole. Should that come to pass, his power would swell to staggering proportions.
But should he lose this war, he stood to lose everything— which is precisely why Yuan Shu had gambled on a desperate move.
Not that she believed the fool had truly calculated this far ahead when he chose to attack her. At best, he had picked this fight on no better a pretext than her being an obstacle between himself and Ye Province.
"Word has it he took a crushing defeat trying to attack Liu Jingsheng— Liu Biao, that is. It seems the man still hasn't come to his senses."
"Good. It's been a while— time I stretched my limbs."
Xiahou Dun rolled her shoulders and worked her arms this way and that, her body already itching for a fight. Cao Cao glanced once at the sight, then rose to her feet, her waist-length silver hair swaying with the motion.
"Ready the army. While I have the chance, I'm going to smash that imbecile to pieces once and for all."
"Got it."
Xiahou Dun withdrew, and before long a woman appeared with hair of the very same pale blue as hers. The moment she laid eyes on Cao Cao, she dropped to one knee and bowed with scrupulous courtesy.
"I, Xiahou Miaocai, have come in answer to my lady's summons."
"Good."
Xiahou Yuan, courtesy name Miaocai. She was the general hailed as the Ghost Speed General for her peerless mobility and uncanny, lightning-swift surprise attacks— and just as often mocked as the Bare Earth General for her supposed lack of tactical depth.
Cao Cao studied the woman whose future reputation would split to polar extremes, then gave a small nod.
"This time, the vanguard is yours."
"Leave it to me. I will shatter Yuan Shu's army in a single stroke," said the short-haired woman— composed in tone, though in truth her temperament differed little from Xiahou Dun's.
Xiahou Dun put on a mischievous grin.
"You look pretty fired up. Excited because a chance at glory finally dropped in your lap?"
"I won't deny it."
When Xiahou Yuan answered in a bold, unashamed voice, Cao Cao, who had been watching nearby, tossed out a remark.
"Bravery suits you. Just don't let your study of the art of war fall by the wayside."
"I will engrave your counsel deep upon my heart, my lady."
Cao Cao regarded Xiahou Yuan as she bowed with quiet formality, then turned away.
"Then let us make our preparations."
"Right."
Cao Cao set off first, and Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan fell in behind her to serve at her side. The following day, her army readied, Cao Cao marched out in person— just as Yuan Shu had.
"How are Yuan Shu's forces moving?"
"He has divided his army in two, my lady! One column is bound for Kuangting, while the other holds near Guandu, keeping watch!"
Even while commanding the march, Cao Cao received an unbroken stream of reports from her scouts and spies.
"So he means to fight a grand, set-piece battle."
As she murmured this, a voice answered from beside her.
"Splitting the army in two like that, he clearly intends to strike from two separate directions at once."
"So you read it the same way."
An old man had taken his place at Cao Cao's side— a strategist who had entered her service back when Liu Dai, the former Inspector of Yanzhou, met his end at her hands.
Cheng Yu, courtesy name Zhongde. The gray-templed man, already past fifty— the age, as the saying goes, when one comes to know the will of Heaven— was now campaigning at her side, lending her his counsel.
Cao Cao nodded at his assessment, then fell to mulling something over for a moment.
"Hmm... Kuangting, is it..."
Then, abruptly, she chuckled.
"For that fool, it's not a half-bad plan— but apparently it never occurred to him that one careless step could see his columns chewed apart one at a time."
Against Yuan Shu's scheme, Cao Cao resolved to respond head-on.
"We will pitch our own camp at Kuangting."
"Yes, my lady!"
At her command, the staff officers around her snapped to with crisp, vigorous salutes. Cao Cao went on.
"We break his advance force before the main body arrives."
"Reporting! The vanguard under General Yue Jiu has clashed with Cao Cao's army at Kuangting!"
"Hahahaha! Everything unfolds just as I foresaw!"
Hearing the messenger's report, Yuan Shu laughed aloud for all to hear. With events running precisely according to his own design, he could hardly contain his delight.
"That bitch can flap and crawl all she likes— in the end she's nothing but a eunuch's bloodline!"
"As expected of our lord! Nothing escapes your lofty gaze!"
Yuan Shu's officers had eyes for nothing but heaping praise upon him.
"Excellent! Now the army moves! I shall personally show that eunuch bitch what I am made of!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Shortly after the order fell, the main army under Yuan Shu's banner began its slow advance. Some hours later, Yuan Shu— who had pushed the pace hard from horseback the whole way— arrived at Fengqiu and spoke.
"We must be nearing Kuangting now. All units, prepare for comba—?"
His voice broke off in bewilderment at the sight of the troops arrayed before his eyes.
Just then, a voice all too familiar to his ears drifted over.
"So you finally made it."
"Wh-who goes there!"
Startled by the voice that had come out of nowhere, Yuan Shu whipped around, scanning his surroundings.
"And here I thought you'd lost your way."
"C-Cao Cao!"
Staring at Cao Cao, who now stood revealed at the head of her own army, Yuan Shu could not conceal his shock.
"You're supposed to be fighting my vanguard— how in blazes are you standing here?!"
"Hm? Ahh. Is that what you're curious about?"
So saying, Cao Cao motioned to an aide, who hurled something toward Yuan Shu.
"......"
The object sailed through the air a moment, then dropped in the middle of the field and went tumbling end over end. The instant Yuan Shu realized that the thing was the head of Yue Jiu, who had led his vanguard, the color drained from his face.
Cao Cao said with a smile.
"That should serve as your answer."
"That worthless fool—!"
Realizing his plan had been torn apart, Yuan Shu's expression twisted with rage. Cao Cao spoke.
"Any more schemes left in that cunning little head of yours? The kind that never quite come off?"
"You eunuch bitch! Don't you dare crow over the loss of one measly detachment!"
As Yuan Shu roared and postured, his main army marched forward in immaculate step. Cao Cao's army, which had annihilated the vanguard in the blink of an eye, answered in kind and began to advance, ranks in perfect order.
Even with the two armies a hair's breadth from collision, Cao Cao's face remained the very picture of serenity.
"'Eunuch bitch,' is it? There's nothing on me to cut off in the first place. What in the world are you babbling about?"
"Silence!"
That damned woman— is she determined to needle me right up to the bitter end?!
Feeling the fury boiling up from his gut, Yuan Shu bellowed.
"I don't need a single one of your precious schemes to smash you flat! Entire army— CHAAARGE!"
"WAAAAAAAAAGH—!"
"Honestly, not one thing about that man has changed."
"Indeed— consistent to a fault, my lady."
Xiahou Dun said, sounding thoroughly exasperated, and Xiahou Yuan chimed in to meet her.
"Advance."
"Yes, my lady."
Seeing that Yuan Shu had no further interest in exchanging words, Cao Cao set her army moving as well. The soldiers surged forward with a roar, and before long the two armies collided head-on.