Chapter 42: Cao Cao's Premonition

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In the middle of June, the second year of Jian'an, General Cao Xin, Marquis of Wei and Governor of Nanyang, led three thousand troops and stormed into Xinye. At Jinyang, Jianshui, and Yuyang, he routed thirty thousand Jingzhou soldiers, beheaded eighteen Jingzhou officers, including Han Song and Deng Xian, in battle, and within days captured Xinye and twelve neighboring counties. Most of Nanyang Commandery fell into Cao Xin's hands; Jingzhou’s northern gate was lost, and Xiangyang was thrown into a panic, alarms sounding three times a day.

By late June, before the Cao army had even secured their position in Xinye, Liu Biao of Jingzhou announced a muster of fifty thousand troops, vowing to defeat Cao Xin and retake Xinye. Jingzhou appointed General Wen Pin as the main commander, with Deputy General Cai He, Military Advisor Kuai Yue, and combined forces from Huyang’s Deng Ji and Rangcheng’s Zhang Xiu, totaling fifty thousand men. They advanced on Caiyang, Huyang, Zaoyang, and Rangcheng, besieging Xinye from three sides—east, south, and west—swearing to defeat Cao Xin, seize Xinye and Wancheng, and reclaim Nanyang.

The Xiangfan region was roiling with tension, and Xinye became the focus of the realm’s attention.

“That rascal Ziyu, what a headache he is!” In the governor’s yamen of Chen Commandery, Cao Cao rubbed his brow and cursed.

“Why do you say that, Chancellor?” asked Guo Jia, sitting cross-legged on a soft couch, peeling an orange from Huainan, his white scholar’s robe stained with spots.

Cao Cao lit his pipe and said, “Before leaving Xudu, I told him again and again to hold steady, not to take the offensive against Jingzhou. But look at him—he’s wiped out thirty thousand of their soldiers, seized Xinye too. Now Jingzhou has sent fifty thousand men; what is he supposed to use to stop them? If he can’t, I’m the one who’ll have to clean up his mess. Ziyu never listens, pays no heed to the bigger picture—it’s enough to drive me mad.”

Guo Jia laughed. “Chancellor, Jingzhou attacked Jinyang first; only then did the Sixth General move on Xinye. How is this his fault?” He broke off a section of orange and offered it to Xun You beside him, who, eyeing Guo Jia’s stained fingers, declined with a slight wave.

Cao Cao snorted. “My plan was to deal with Yuan Shu first—take Huainan and Huaibei, swallow up Xu and Yang, then turn to Jingzhou. But before we’d even started, Ziyu was already in a pitched battle with them. Can our logistics bear it? If he’s defeated, I’ll have to march back to Xudu to defend against Jingzhou. How is that not losing sight of the greater strategy?”

“Chancellor, the Sixth General is a master of war, both wise and brave. He may well hold Xinye,” Guo Jia said as he chewed his orange, smiling.

“Hahaha—cough!” Cao Cao choked on his smoke. “Mao Xiaoxian wrote to say all the troops I left are stationed at Wancheng, and Xinye has only six thousand men. Six thousand against fifty thousand? Does he think he’s Bai Qi, Han Xin, or Xiang Yu? Ha!”

“Chancellor, perhaps not. But the Sixth General recently led three thousand to rout thirty thousand under Deng Ji and Zhang Xiu—one against ten. Now he has six thousand; six thousand against fifty thousand, the advantage may still be his. Isn’t that so, Gongda?” Guo Jia nudged Xun You with his elbow.

Xun You, waving his small fan, nodded. “Chancellor, the Sixth General writes that he needs no reinforcements—not a single man. Perhaps he is certain of victory. You might simply wait and watch.”

Guo Jia nodded. Cao Cao glanced again at the letter: Cao Ziyu had insisted repeatedly—no reinforcements, not even one, as if sending aid were some kind of harm. That rascal.

Cao Cao shook his head. “I’ve had an ominous feeling lately.”

“What kind of feeling?” asked Guo Jia and Xun You with curiosity.

“That Ziyu is headed for a great defeat. He’s young, proud, scorns all heroes, and has recently tasted repeated victories. With his temperament, he’ll look down even more on Jingzhou’s army. Six thousand against fifty thousand—he’s likely to lose. If he’s beaten, and Jingzhou’s troops enter Wancheng and threaten Xudu, what should I do then?”

A hint of melancholy showed on Cao Cao’s face. Sometimes he longed for a corps of valiant generals and strategists like Zhang Liang and Xiao He, but such men could also be a nuisance. He glanced at Guo Jia, who was peeling another orange.

“Chancellor, do not worry!” Guo Jia clapped his hands, walked to the map, and gestured at the land before them.

“We have fourteen thousand troops at Wancheng—enough to hold the city. General Xiahou Yuan has ten thousand in Yingchuan, Prefect Cheng has another ten thousand in Ruyin, totaling thirty thousand. That’s more than enough to check Jingzhou. Moreover, Yuan Shu’s army in Chen is short on supplies, morale is low, and the rains have been heavy. In my estimation, Yuan Shu will retreat within three days. Once he’s gone and you return to Xudu, there’s nothing to fear from Jingzhou.”

Guo Jia smiled easily as he spoke, clapping his hands again.

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Xun You nodded slightly. Cao Cao frowned. “Yuan Shu has thirty thousand men in Chen. You think he’ll retreat on his own?”

“He definitely will,” Guo Jia answered, full of confidence.

“Report! Chancellor! Generals Yu Jin and Xu Huang send word: Last night Yuan Shu’s army retreated, and there’s not a single Yuan soldier north of the Huai River!” shouted Cao Xiu, the Assistant Commandant of Auxiliary Forces.

Cao Cao glanced at Guo Jia—were you in league with Yuan Shu? Guo Jia was momentarily taken aback, spreading his hands in innocent surprise. He’d only made a logical prediction, never expecting Yuan Shu to cooperate so promptly.

Cao Cao summoned Cao Xiu for details. Cao Xiu reported that Yuan Shu’s army, taking advantage of last night’s heavy rain, had crossed the Huai River and fled back to Shouchun. Their camp was empty, and they’d even left their supplies behind.

Guo Jia laughed, winking at Xun You, who curled his lips and fanned himself.

“Gongda, Fengxiao, with Yuan Shu in retreat, I’m considering pursuing him and attacking Shouchun. What do you think?”

Xun You bowed. “Chancellor, there has been continuous heavy rain in Huainan and Huaibei recently. The rivers are swollen, making movement difficult. Our army has only two months’ rations, and bringing more supplies would be arduous in the muddy roads. Besides, Liu Biao of Jingzhou has advanced into Nanyang, Zhang Yang of Henei and Yuan Shao of Hebei are stirring, and we cannot neglect Lü Bu in Xuzhou or Liu Bei in Xiaopei. I believe now is not the time to destroy Yuan Shu or conquer Yangzhou.”

“Chancellor, Lü Bu is using the rain as an excuse to rest his troops in Guangling; I suspect he harbors other intentions. Liu Bei in Xiaopei is colluding with Yuan Shao. We must be wary,” Guo Jia added with a bow.

Cao Cao gazed out at the torrential rain, taking a drag from his pipe.

——

“This heat is unbearable. Why are we fighting now?”

“Indeed, it’s all that traitor Cao’s fault. Why did he have to capture Xinye, dragging us into this mess?”

In distant Nanyang’s Zaoyang county office, several sentries, sweating profusely, grumbled as they stood guard.

“Blame General Deng. Two or three times our numbers, but still lost Xinye—shameful.”

“I heard it wasn’t his fault. The people of Nanyang rebelled during the battle and helped Cao’s forces defeat us.”

“Nonsense! I’m a Nanyang man myself. There was no such rebellion—it’s just rumors.”

“Oh, you’re from Nanyang? Sorry, brother.”

“All of you, enough chatter!” The guard captain barked, settling at the door with his sword at his side, just as General Wen Pin, Deputy General Cai He, Adviser Kuai Yue, former General of Pacifying the North Deng Ji, Commanders Shen Mi, Lou Fa, and Deng Long approached.

The guards straightened instantly.

“Adviser Kuai, we’ve been in Nanyang two days now, and there’s been no movement from Cao Xin in Xinye. What’s the meaning of this?” Wen Pin asked gruffly, seating himself and reaching for a cup of chilled tea.

Kuai Yue, fanning himself with a feather fan, replied, “According to our scouts, three days ago, Cao Xin’s two wives arrived in Xinye, and he personally drove his carriage to welcome them home. Since then, he hasn’t left his inner quarters; all affairs in Xinye have been handled by Registrar Li Yan, Chief Clerk Yi Ji, and Commanders like Zhang Baichi.”

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The others exchanged glances.

“What is Cao Xin doing in his inner quarters?” Wen Pin frowned.

Kuai Yue studied him and, seeing his earnest expression, laughed heartily, stroking his beard. “It’s said Cao Xin is utterly debauched; whenever he returns home, he often doesn’t leave his mansion for days. His residence in Xudu is opulent—carved railings, marble floors, hundreds of young women serving his pleasures, rivaling even King Zhou’s wine pools and meat forests.”

“Heh, I’ve heard the same,” Deputy General Cai He said, licking his lips. “Whenever Cao Ziyu travels and spots a pretty woman—married or not—he snatches her for his own pleasure.”

“Indeed, Cao the traitor is extravagant and wanton, cruel and depraved, shameless beyond compare,” Deng Ji said through clenched teeth.

Wen Pin frowned deeply. “Adviser Kuai, could this be a ruse? We’ve brought fifty thousand troops into Nanyang, less than two hundred li from Xinye, yet Cao Xin ignores everything and dallies with women? How could someone so incompetent win four battles in one day and rout thirty thousand under General Deng?”

Kuai Yue nodded as he fanned himself. “Wen General, you’re right. Cao Xin must not be underestimated. Yet our scouts heard him tell his officers: For the next three days, unless there’s an earthquake, flood, or Wancheng is besieged, don’t bother him. Chief Clerk Yi Ji tried multiple times to consult with him about the city’s defense but couldn’t get in.”

“We march with fifty thousand men to crush him, and he’s not even concerned?” Wen Pin’s brows knitted tighter.

Kuai Yue shook his head. “I cannot fathom Cao Ziyu’s intentions. Perhaps he’ll retreat, or hold out for reinforcements, or…” Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “It’s said Cao Xin is proud, looking down on all the heroes of the realm. Recently, he led three thousand to defeat our thirty thousand, capturing more than a dozen counties in Nanyang. His fame is unmatched. Could it be that he now underestimates our Jingzhou army and doesn’t regard our fifty thousand troops at all?”

Deng Ji nodded in agreement. “Adviser Kuai has a point. Cao the traitor once led a hundred cavalry to rout five thousand under Zhang Xiu in Wancheng, crushed over six thousand Jingzhou troops at the foot of Mt. Tongbai, and slew General Han Song in the midst of battle. Compared to Xiang Yu and Lü Bu, he is no less. Anyone would grow arrogant after such feats, and Cao the traitor is certainly no exception.”

Everyone nodded.

“Then let’s fight and see just how formidable Cao the traitor really is,” Cai He said, clenching his fists.

“No rush, no rush. Cao is fierce; we must proceed with caution,” Kuai Yue replied slowly.

“Report! A letter from the lord—delivered with utmost haste from four hundred li away!” came the shout of a courier outside.

Kuai Yue hurriedly took the letter, opened it, and his face darkened.

“Adviser Kuai, what is it?” Cai He asked.

Kuai Yue handed the letter to Wen Pin with a sigh. “Yuan Shu has retreated, and Cao Mengde is preparing to withdraw as well. If Cao Mengde returns to Xudu, Cao Xin in Xinye will have reinforcements. The lord orders us to take Xinye quickly. If we delay and Cao Mengde’s reinforcements arrive, we’ll lose Nanyang for good.”

Wen Pin read the letter, his frown deepening.

The next day, Jingzhou’s forces marched from Zaoyang—fifty thousand men advancing straight toward Xinye.

Meanwhile, the illustrious Master Cao in Xinye had not yet risen from bed.

——