082. Cao Cao’s Sorrow

“Report!”

In the Chancellor's residence at Xuchang, Chancellor Cao was convening his civil and military officials in the council hall to discuss strategies for attacking Xuzhou. Suddenly, Cao Xiu, known as Wenlie, hurriedly entered the hall, his demeanor urgent.

The Chancellor and his advisors paused their discussion.

“Wenlie, what has happened?” Cao Cao asked, holding his pipe.

“Chancellor, three days ago, General Zhang Xun under Yuan Shu led thirty thousand troops to besiege Shouchun. Sixth Uncle was unable to withstand the assault and abandoned Shouchun.”

Puff—

Cao Cao exhaled smoke sharply through his nose.

“Shouchun is lost? How is that possible? Cao Ziyu has over ten thousand soldiers; how could he fail to defend Shouchun?”

“Has the Sixth General been defeated?”

Everyone in the council hall was greatly astonished. In their minds, Cao Xin and the Langya Army grew stronger when facing adversity, always victorious in battle. Since they emerged from Langya Mountain, they hadn't suffered a defeat—how could they lose to Yuan Shu and abandon Shouchun?

It was a shocking and novel piece of news.

“Hahaha—” Suddenly, Cao Hong burst into laughter, bracing his large barrel-like waist and calling out,

“Chancellor, you all overestimate Cao Ziyu. Previously, he fought under your command and won because of your guidance. Without you, he’s nothing. If you ask me, you are the greatest strategist in the realm, the finest general under heaven!”

“Yes, yes, the Chancellor is a master of warfare,” several civil and military officials echoed Cao Hong.

“Enough, let’s not dwell on that. The matter at hand is urgent.” Cao Cao waved his hand modestly and turned to Cao Xiu. “Wenlie, continue. Cao Ziyu had over ten thousand soldiers, with Yu Jin and Jia Xu assisting him. How could he lose Shouchun?”

“Chancellor, here is what happened.” Cao Xiu began to recount the battle for Shouchun: Yuan Shu sent thirty thousand troops to besiege the city, and local aristocrats opened a secret passage to let Yuan’s forces in, catching Cao’s army unprepared.

Cao Xin, unwilling to waste his troops inside the city, proactively withdrew his forces from Shouchun.

“Foolish!” Cao Cao cursed, his face dark. “I told him to raze the city, to resolve everything in one stroke, but he refused, insisting on some policy of appeasement. Now he’s been stabbed in the back—let’s see if he dares be soft-hearted again.”

“Haha, Little Six is a lustful man, and his heart is as soft as a woman’s. Chancellor, you shouldn’t have put him in charge of Huainan alone,” Cao Hong laughed.

Cao Cao shook his head and looked at his generals.

“Yuanrang, you’ve just returned from Huainan and know the situation well. I order you to lead five thousand troops to aid Cao Ziyu and retake Shouchun.”

“Yes, Chancellor!”

Xiahou Dun accepted the order with a salute.

“Yuanrang, when you see Ziyu, scold him thoroughly on my behalf. Tell him to keep a low profile, not to be arrogant, not to believe the praise of being a famous general. The world is vast—there are always greater people and higher places,” Cao Cao admonished eagerly.

“Yes, Chancellor, I will deliver your message,” Xiahou Dun replied, preparing to depart.

“Report! Great victory at Lujiang!”

A junior officer ran swiftly to the council hall, holding a dispatch and shouting,

“The Sixth General led the Langya cavalry to a great victory outside Liu’an, capturing over ten thousand enemies. Our forces have taken Lujiang Commandery!”

“How is that possible?!”

The officials were stunned, unable to believe it. The previous report said Cao Xin was defeated at Shouchun—how could he now win a major battle at Lujiang and capture the commandery, all within a day?

The news seemed too incredible.

Cao Xiu handed the victory report to the Chancellor.

Cao Cao read it: the report explained that Cao Xin’s withdrawal from Shouchun was a feigned defeat to deceive the enemy. After leaving Shouchun, he rushed with the Langya cavalry to Liu’an and attacked Lujiang’s forces from the rear, catching them off guard.

With attacks from both sides, Lujiang’s army was crushed.

Cao’s forces captured Qiao Rui, the prefect of Lujiang, and took over eight thousand prisoners, reclaiming most of Lujiang Commandery—a great victory!

“What a brilliant move, a feint to the east and strike to the west!”

“The Sixth General is formidable and fierce!”

“He truly is a general of renown!”

The civil and military officials all praised him after reading the report.

Cao Cao tugged at the corner of his mouth, trembling slightly with his pipe—he was feeling the pressure.

“Ha, Ziyu and Wenze coordinated well. Still, Ziyu lost Shouchun, which affects our plan to attack Xuzhou. Merits and faults offset each other—I will neither criticize nor praise him for now.”

Everyone was speechless. Exchanging Shouchun for Lujiang was clearly a great victory and a major achievement—how could merits and faults be equal? That was too stingy.

“Yuanrang, when you reach Lujiang, tell Cao Ziyu to quietly guard Lujiang and the counties of Huainan. No more battles, no disturbing neighboring commanderies. There’s no need to rush to retake Shouchun. I am about to attack Xuzhou and Lü Bu and will need large supplies. Everything will wait until Xuzhou and Lü Bu are pacified,” Cao Cao instructed Xiahou Dun.

“Yes, Chancellor!” Xiahou Dun accepted the command.

“Report!”

Before Xiahou Dun could leave, a scout arrived with another dispatch—an urgent four-hundred-li report.

This was a personal letter from Cao Xin. He wrote that after defeating Qiao Rui with the Langya cavalry, he gathered all Huainan troops, totaling seven thousand, and yesterday surrounded Shouchun once more.

And last night, he sent agents to burn Yuan’s supplies stored in the city, throwing the Yuan army into chaos.

Cao Xin relayed that he was confident Shouchun would be retaken within two days and told the Chancellor not to worry, not to send reinforcements—repeated three times for emphasis.

“Foolish!”

Cao Cao slammed the letter down and looked up at the scout.

“Yuan’s supplies are inside the city, heavily guarded. How did Cao Ziyu manage to burn them?”

“I didn’t ask! I heard it had something to do with wine,” the scout replied after thinking.

“Wine?”

Everyone was puzzled.

“Ha, a clever trick!” Guo Jia unhooked the wine gourd from his waist, poured some into a teacup, and lit it with the oil lamp in the hall.

Whoosh—

The wine caught fire.

“How can this be?”

“How does wine burn?”

Everyone cried out in amazement.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes, then burst into hearty laughter.

“Ziyu did well. He truly did not betray my trust. Wenlie, bring out my prized Cloud Treading Snow and deliver it to Cao Ziyu’s residence. Tell him it is his reward from me.”

“Chancellor, reconsider! That’s your favorite Cloud Treading Snow,” Cao Hong protested, grimacing.

That horse, Cloud Treading Snow, was bought for over ten thousand coins from a horse trader—a magnificent steed, jet black except for its four white hooves, not only strong and swift but striking in appearance.

Cao Hong had endured the pain of gifting it to the Chancellor to mend their relationship, but now the Chancellor wanted to give it to his rival, Cao Ziyu—a fate worse than death.

“Zilian, Ziyu is a war general and needs a good horse more than I do. Cloud Treading Snow is better suited for him. Wenlie, go!” Cao Cao said, suppressing his reluctance.

After Cao Xiu left, Cao Cao pressed his hand on the table, his gaze resolute as he looked at the assembled officials.

“I have decided: we march on Xuzhou at once, surround and exterminate Lü Bu. I swear not to return until Xuzhou is taken!”

“Yes, Chancellor!”

The assembly echoed their acceptance of the command.