The Battle Calls Me
In the midst of the military council, Guo Jia arrived last of all.
He had clearly been drinking heavily somewhere beforehand. His face was flushed bright red, and his clothes were in utter disarray.
“My lord~ Fengxiao has arrived.”
Even so, he somehow pulled himself together in front of Cao Cao and prostrated himself neatly. Yet anyone could see the man was completely drunk, so the glances cast his way were far from friendly.
“Stinking of wine and perfume. Looks like he was having a grand time with the courtesans before rushing straight here, doesn’t it?”
Cheng Yu spoke with clear displeasure, twisting his beard between his fingers. Cao Cao, already seething with rage, fixed his gaze on Guo Jia as well.
“Guo Jia!”
“My lord… my ears still work perfectly. Please, give me paper, brush, and ink.”
“Can you even see straight while drunk? Why are you asking for writing tools in a place like this?”
“Just give them to me.”
Though he looked utterly intoxicated and on the verge of collapse, his request was firm. Cao Cao, still furious, nevertheless took the inkstone and brush from his own seat and handed them over.
Guo Jia accepted them with a dazed expression. His hands trembled as he gripped the brush and began sketching a map across the paper.
“The war has already begun. The distance from Xuchang to Qiao County is roughly four hundred li. Even if we set out immediately, Yuan Shu’s army will almost certainly reach Qiao County first and launch their attack.”
“!”
Guo Jia wrote the names—Xuchang, Qiao County, Chenliu, Shuchun—then connected them with flowing lines.
“Yuan Shu would never move alone like this. There must be someone working with him from behind the scenes~”
As Guo Jia continued drawing the layout of the cities, Cao Cao forgot his earlier anger. He leaned forward, eyes locked on the emerging map.
“My lord, if we rush a large army straight to Qiao County now, someone will definitely strike us from behind.”
“How can you be so certain…”
It was at that moment the interruption came.
“Urgent report! Urgent report!”
“What now?”
The news of Yuan Shu’s invasion was urgent enough, yet an even more dire message had arrived.
The messenger staggered forward, looking half-dead from exhaustion, and knelt before Cao Cao.
“I report to the Minister of Works! In the Henei region, remnants of the White Wave Bandits have gathered their forces. They are preparing to cross the Yellow River and strike Luoyang. Lord Cao De, the Commandant of Yan Province stationed in Luoyang, has rallied troops alongside his son Lord Cao Anmin to block them. However, it is only a matter of time before the enemy crosses the river.”
Crash!
Cao Cao kicked the table so hard it overturned, then roared at the ceiling.
“Ha… these insolent bastards… Yuan Shu in front and the White Wave Bandits behind, is that it? Who leads the White Wave?”
“I report! Yang Feng and Han Xian!”
The pieces clicked together instantly.
Xu Huang had surrendered to us last time, but Yang Feng and Han Xian had tried to seize the Emperor and enthrone him in Luoyang. They had been driven out by our forces and Cao Ang. Now they had regrouped in Henei and were descending once more.
“They came from Henei? Then what in the world is Governor Zhang Yang of Henei doing? Don’t tell me that bastard has colluded with both the White Wave and Yuan Shu?”
“The probability of that is very high.”
Even while drunk, Guo Jia read the board with terrifying accuracy. He handed the completed map to Cao Cao.
“In the end, if we proceed like this, we will need to split our forces. One army to block the White Wave Bandits in the north, another to rescue Qiao County and strike Yuan Shu himself.”
We would have to divide our troops while still holding the Emperor. Without hesitation, I spoke up.
“Uncle!”
“What is it, Ziyeol?”
“Uncle, if we must divide the army, I will go to rescue Qiao County. That place…”
“Yes. It is where your mother resides. And it is the hometown of every one of us!”
Cao Cao made the decision instantly.
“Xun Yu, organize the troops at once! I will head to Qiao County. As for rescuing Cao De in Henei…”
Cao Cao pointed directly at Cao Hong and Cao Ren.
“Zilian, Zixiao! Go and sweep those White Wave Bandits away so thoroughly they will never dare approach Luoyang again! Can you do it?”
“Yes, brother!”
“We will go crush those White Wave bastards to pieces!”
Yuan Shu would be dealt with by Cao Cao. The White Wave Bandits would be handled by Cao Hong and Cao Ren heading north.
“Xun You! Draft a memorial to present to His Majesty the Emperor immediately. Cheng Yu will serve as the army’s operations staff officer alongside me, so make your preparations.”
“Yes, my lord!”
Cao Cao finally cooled his head enough to organize the interception forces properly.
“Zisu!”
“Yes, Father.”
“While I am away on the battlefield, you and the Grand Tutor will remain in Xuchang. You understand what that means, don’t you?”
Cao Cao was now fully utilizing both his father and eldest son. In this situation where he held the Emperor, even if he left the capital, his father’s position as Grand Tutor of the Three Offices would keep the Emperor secure and allow Cao Cao to operate freely in the field.
“Aman, do not worry about the Grand Tutor or Zisu. I will remain here to oversee supplies for both armies.”
“Yes. Money!”
And so, deep in the night, we suddenly mobilized for a two-front operation.
The next day, Cao Cao presented his memorial to the Emperor and received orders to repel both the White Wave Bandits and Yuan Shu. He immediately organized an army of forty thousand and set out for Qiao County.
The party heading to Qiao County included Cao Cao himself, military advisor Cheng Yu, Commandant of Cavalry Cao Xiu—myself—Commandant of Cavalry Xu Huang, and Colonel Dian Wei.
With me, Xu Huang, and Dian Wei serving directly under Cao Cao, our camp possessed truly first-rate martial strength.
“Ziyeol.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“What are your thoughts on this upcoming battle?”
We had not yet reached Qiao County or encountered the enemy, but it seemed he wanted my assessment of the Yuan Shu army we would soon face. I answered without holding back.
“It is an extremely typical move for Yuan Shu.”
“In what way?”
I spoke of everything I had observed about the man so far.
“Yuan Shu has always possessed a greedy nature. He uses the prestige and wealth of the Yuan family as though he were already a king, bribes the surrounding warlords, constantly eyes the central plains with ambition, and delights in using others to eliminate his enemies.”
“Using others to kill for him…”
Cao Cao nodded.
“First he borrowed Tao Qian’s hand to target our Cao clan. Then, even when leading troops himself, his main force relied on Gongsun Zan in the north. And now he is using the White Wave Bandits to strike at Luoyang. Is that not the pattern?”
“Yuan Shu has always been that kind of man. He cannot step forward himself and always borrows another’s hand to get things done. A petty coward of a bastard who cannot act directly.”
“Exactly, Uncle.”
“The reason that scoundrel can rampage so freely is because he detained the former Grand Commandant Ma Rongsuk, stole the military authority axe that belonged to him, and arbitrarily raised troops while holding the rank of Left General. The traitor grows more arrogant by the day.”
Cao Cao seemed to share a great deal of old enmity with the man. He agreed passionately with my assessment and added his own thoughts.
“That fellow has always been obsessed with titles and status. He openly peddled the name of the Yuan family—four generations of Three Dukes. Even back when we moved against Dong Zhuo, once Yuan Shao became leader of the alliance, he fought tooth and nail to claim the deputy leader position for himself.”
“That story never fails to amaze me no matter how many times I hear it. When it came to striking down the realm’s greatest traitor, Dong Zhuo, wasn’t the only man who rose with true loyalty to the Han you, Uncle?”
Cao Cao gave a hearty laugh at my words, then spoke in a low voice.
“Besides me, there were two others who moved with pure loyalty to the imperial house. One was the late Sun Wentai. The other was the wise man who came down from You Province…”
It was then that the scout returned.
“My lord! My lord!”
Xu Huang, who had gone ahead to scout, urgently reported to Cao Cao.
“My lord, according to the messenger, Yuan Shu has already led a large army and surrounded Qiao County.”
“Has the assault begun?”
“It does not appear so. Following standard practice, they have merely surrounded the city and sent a letter urging surrender.”
It seemed Yuan Shu had at least begun with a formal demand for surrender rather than an immediate attack. Still, the man defending Qiao County was Cao Cao’s cousin and Cao Ren’s younger brother, Cao Chun. Inside those walls lay the heartland of the Cao and Xiahou clans—extremely strong ground.
“Double the marching speed! If anyone falls behind, cut off their heads without hesitation!”
“Yes, my lord!”
Xu Huang relayed the order at once, and the column surged forward. I cracked my whip and urged my horse to keep pace.
Under Cao Cao’s ruthless command—that any soldier who straggled would be executed on the spot—we advanced at ferocious speed. The infantry ran until they nearly dropped dead, yet we reached Qiao County a full day earlier than expected.
Fortunately, Yuan Shu had still not launched his attack. He continued to simply surround the city in the manner of an ultimatum.
“Uncle, there he is!”
“So the bastard still hasn’t attacked. I knew it.”
“He likely learned you were coming here and decided to wait for the White Wave Bandits to strike Luoyang first. He refuses to dirty his own hands and intends to let the bandits from Henei do the work.”
It was astonishing. This was a war he himself had started. He had created a two-front encirclement against Cao Cao’s forces, yet he still refused to commit fully. It perfectly matched what Cao Cao had said: a man of boundless greed who never steps forward himself but always prepares a strong backup.
In other words, the Yuan Shu army was nothing more than free military achievements and experience points for the Cao clan to farm!