I knew this would happen while I was hesitating
"Then I shall see you when next we meet, my daughter, Cao Cao."
"Yes, Father. Travel safely. Once matters here are settled, I will escort you to Luoyang before long."
"Haha, very well. I shall look forward to that day."
Cao Cao had safely sent her father off to a residence secured deep within Yan Province.
As she gazed at the departing procession—her father's carriage accompanied by the figures of Yue Jin and Xiahou Yuan—a deep smile lingered at the corner of Cao Cao's lips.
And then.
"Well, then..."
The moment she turned her head, Cao Cao shed her smile, replacing it with cold fury.
An unmistakable, vivid rage burned in her eyes.
"Now I can settle the remaining debt with a clear mind."
"A well-justified course, my lord."
Although this resolved one immense worry, Cao Cao knew there was still unfinished business to attend to.
"Tao Qian... you bastard, how dare you pull a stunt like this... trying to lay a hand on my father..."
"It is a natural principle that debts of gratitude and vengeance must be repaid. That man Tao Qian must be made to pay for his crime without fail."
Even though her father's life had been saved, this incident stirred up by Tao Qian was absolutely unforgivable.
According to the statements of the captured prisoners, Zhang Kai had schemed to abduct Cao Song from the very beginning, acting under Tao Qian's direct orders.
This was no accident or mishap, but an event carried out according to a meticulous plan.
For Cao Cao, who had already been considering an eventual strike against Xu Province, this provided indisputable justification and a clear cause.
It was then.
"However, my lord, please do not be too hasty with this matter."
"Do you have some plan in mind?"
Having regained her composure, Cao Cao now listened to Xun Yu's words.
Seeing her lord return entirely to her usual self, Xun Yu smiled quietly to herself and spoke in a calm voice.
"Xu Province is a vast territory. Although our forces are superior to theirs, it remains a fact that we lack the strength to overrun it in a single stroke, and our military provisions are not plentiful. Moreover, it is highly likely that once we begin our assault on Xu Province, the lords of other regions will not sit idly by."
"Hmm... certainly..."
These were realities obscured from view when she had been consumed by blind rage.
Of course, if they advanced while resorting to plunder under the principle of 'local procurement,' the provisions issue could be roughly resolved. But since she had already erased any thought of harming the people from her mind, that was impossible.
Furthermore, if they rashly entered Xu Province and inadvertently provoked lords elsewhere—figures like Liu Yao or Lu Kang in Yang Province (Jiangdong)—the situation could spiral into something exceedingly complicated.
Yet even as she listened to these problems, Cao Cao was not particularly worried.
Because Xun Yu was the sort of person who always considered a solution whenever she pointed out an issue.
"So, what is your countermeasure?"
"First, we must cement the legitimacy of this affair with greater certainty. Inform the surrounding lords that Tao Qian attempted to abduct—no, to murder—Lord Cao Song, and that as his child, you are rightfully seeking vengeance. If we frame this not as a dispute between factions but as a personal grievance, we can effectively block outside intervention."
"I see. I understand what you mean."
"Furthermore, all this time Tao Qian has maintained a deliberately ambiguous stance, refusing to choose either side. Now, such a man has caused trouble through his own blunder..."
"Meaning even if he is in danger, there will be almost no one willing to extend a hand, certainly not to the point of risking war."
Of course, given enough time, someone might finish their calculations and decide to move. But on a battlefield where victory or defeat could be decided in days, being able to buy time of at least several weeks to months was a substantial advantage.
"That takes care of blocking the lords' intervention. What do you plan to do about the provisions problem?"
"At this time, there are two possible methods. The fastest and simplest is to request support from General-in-Chief Yuan Shu. Considering Ji Province's abundant economic power, he has ample capacity to supply our forces with provisions."
"It's true that wouldn't cause any major problems, but... it's not exactly a method I'm fond of."
"Of course, I am also well aware of that. Asking for General-in-Chief Yuan Shu's help further might disrupt your plan to win his heart, my lord. In that respect, I consider this method only as a secondary option at best."
"Oh-ho, you certainly know your stuff, Xun... Huh?"
It was true that Cao Cao intended to take Xu Province partly for revenge, but also to expand her power while simultaneously demonstrating her capability to Yuan Shu.
Having already received help in the matter of her father, borrowing Yuan Shu's hand again was not a welcome prospect... which was true, but.
"Ah... no. Wait a moment. What did you just say? I'm trying to win whose heart?"
"I said General-in-Chief Yuan Shu. Unless my conjecture was mistaken?"
"M-Mistaken... it isn't... but... h-how do you...?"
"It is something one can discern without great difficulty by observing Your Lordship's conduct from the side. Though I may not know other matters, whenever the conversation turns to the General-in-Chief, your complexion changes for an instant. Or you become subtly more proactive whenever something concerns that person..."
"Al... alright. Let's stop this talk."
Realizing in that moment that a strategist who sees right through you can be troublesome in unexpected ways,
Cao Cao worked hard to cool down her flushed expression, very unlike her usual self, and gave a small, dry cough.
"Ahem... ahem... In any case, the first stratagem is rejected. So what is the second?"
"Yes, the second method involves a somewhat more troublesome process compared to the first, and carries the risk of failure if luck is against us. However, because it allows for a swift, decisive conclusion, it has the advantage of placing less pressure on our provisions."
"Oh-ho."
Xun Yu continued with her plan.
Upon hearing it, a deep smile bloomed on Cao Cao's lips.
*
"What did you say? F-Failed?"
"My apologies, Inspector."
"General Zhang Kai has fallen in battle. It is said the remaining troops committed were either massacred or taken prisoner."
"No... how can this be? The soldiers Zhang Kai took alone numbered easily in the thousands. There is no reason they couldn't handle Cao Song's party of a mere few hundred."
"Could that wench Cao Cao not have hatched some scheme? Perhaps she went out to meet him in advance, suspecting someone might threaten her father..."
"Tch..."
The precise details were unknowable because every last soldier committed had been wiped out. What was certain, however, was that his confident scheme had ended in failure.
And this was tantamount to yanking the nose hairs of a tiger that had been licking its chops while eyeing Xu Province.
"What are we to do now? With things having come to this, that wench Cao Cao is bound to launch an invasion of Xu Province..."
Tao Qian's voice was full of anxiety.
To this, his subordinate and one of Xu Province's most renowned men of rank,
Chen Gui, offered his opinion in a grave tone.
"For now, how about requesting relief from Liu Yao, Inspector of Yang Province (Jiangdong)?"
"From Liu Yao? Do you think that man will actually help us?"
"Do they not say the enemy of my enemy is my friend? As you know, that man has accepted the title of Vassal King according to the will of the Emperor of Bing Province. He will not want the power of Cao Cao, who serves the Luoyang Emperor, to grow any larger than this."
"Hmm... that stands to reason. If our Xu Province falls, the next target is Yang Province; he won't be unaware of that..."
Getting entangled with an outside force was not a welcome prospect, but now that things had come to this, Tao Qian had no other choice.
Hurriedly following Chen Gui's counsel, Tao Qian requested support from Liu Yao.
However.
"G-Grave news! Cao Cao's great army is pouring into Xu Province!"
"Xiaopei is said to have fallen already. By now, the adjacent Pengcheng will likely have been overrun as well."
"Im... Impossible. Already?"
The news of Cao Cao's invasion arrived even before the messenger could return.
Faced with an offensive unfolding far more swiftly than anticipated, a look of bewilderment began to settle over Tao Qian's face.
"How in the world can they be moving this fast? To march an army here from Yan Province, they should need a good while longer at least."
Simply gathering the army, checking the supply lines, and preparing provisions alone should take several days.
Yet Cao Cao's forces, advancing as though mocking these expectations, were more than enough to disconcert not only Tao Qian but even Chen Gui.
"I misjudged the situation. I never imagined that Cao Cao would make such a reckless move."
"Reckless move?"
"Consider it. No matter how fast the advance, achieving this speed of march under normal circumstances is absolutely unreasonable. This clearly means they focused solely on the advance, with provisions kept to a bare minimum. Charging forward so rashly, what objective do you think those bastards aim for?"
"Hmm..."
It was not difficult for Tao Qian to realize, from Chen Gui's question, that the objective in question was his own head.
If Cao Cao could claim his head, she could not only avenge her father but also swallow Xu Province in one gulp.
Feeling the nape of his neck grow cold, Tao Qian stared at Chen Gui with trembling eyes.
"Wh... What should we do? Even so, we can't just sit here and take it, can we? At this rate, even holding out until Liu Yao's reinforcements arrive won't be easy..."
"First, concentrate as many troops as possible here in the provincial capital of Xu Province. Even so, since the enemy also came in haste, they likely could not have prepared well. If we manage to endure somehow, they too will tire, and when Liu Yao's forces arrive, we can then launch a pincer attack."
"Ah... understood. Then let us summon the soldiers at once."
Tao Qian wholly accepted Chen Gui's counsel.
Meanwhile, watching Tao Qian like this, Chen Gui sighed inwardly.
'I kept telling you all along to clearly pick a side... Dithering and wavering, and look what's become of you.'
All this time, Tao Qian's conduct had been to dither and waver, choosing neither Luoyang nor Bing Province.
With the division of the realm into two clearly visible, Chen Gui had predicted that this indecisive attitude would soon invite a great crisis. He had warned him repeatedly, yet Tao Qian never heeded his advice.
The result of this was the crisis now engulfing Tao Qian and Xu Province.
Lamenting a situation that could have been fixed with a trowel but now couldn't be stopped with a spade,
Chen Gui had no choice but to move to put out the most immediate fire first.