Chapter 88: Cao Cao Dies, the Moment for Unifying the World Has Arrived

——The situation has been completely reversed.

Cao Ren's defeat caused Cao Cao's entire defensive line to collapse.

Even the Runan battlefield has been affected.

Cao Cao had no choice but to retreat.

Now that Chen State is lost, Gu Chen can attack Jizhou to the north and Peng Cheng to the south, or even directly encircle Runan.

Any of these outcomes would be a loss Cao Cao cannot afford.

He must withdraw his troops.

Faced with this situation, Cao Cao went nearly white-haired overnight.

No one knew whether it was due to grief over Cao Ren's death, or because his dream, once growing ever more distant, had finally slipped beyond reach.

From this day forward.

Cao Cao never again regained his former vigor; an inexplicable air of decay settled over him.

All were helpless before this.

To any warlord, encountering Gu Chen as an enemy was an extreme misfortune.

What more could they say?

Jingzhou.

Gu Chen's victory in this battle had an enormous impact, fatally undermining the morale of Sun Ce's soldiers.

As Zhuge Liang once again shattered Zhou Yu's fire attack at Jiangling.

Sun Ce was forced once more to retreat back to Jiangdong.

The entire world's situation changed utterly after Gu Chen decisively defeated Cao Ren.

Cao Cao reestablished his defenses in Liang and Pei commanderies.

In truth, for Cao Cao,

his military strength remained no weaker than before; the true difficulty lay in the gaps within men's hearts and troop morale.

Gu Chen's reputation for invincibility had taken root deep in every mind.

Not just his enemies—even Cao Cao himself now harbored some fear of Gu Chen.

This was Cao Cao's most intractable problem.

Originally, Gu Yi had assumed Gu Chen would press forward with full force, seizing this opportunity to storm Peng Cheng and eliminate Cao Cao once and for all.

But Gu Chen showed no haste whatsoever.

He moved like a numb machine, determined to arrange every detail perfectly.

Gu Chen did not rush to attack.

Instead, he reorganized his three armies and used this time to stabilize the hearts of the people in Yingchuan and Chen State.

Only after completing all of this

did Gu Chen resume his advance, pushing onward from Chen State toward Liang State.

Though he still had many capable generals, Cao Cao, fearing total collapse of morale, could only come in person to defend.

By now, for Cao Cao,

his only tactic against Gu Chen was this—

To stall Gu Chen!

He was certain that, given the current situation, as long as Gu Chen failed to unify the world within his lifetime, the entire realm would fall into stalemate.

Then Gu, Cao, Sun, Liu—

Four powers would stand in balance.

And his Cao clan would still have hope of a comeback.

At this point, he had placed all his ambition upon his descendants; this was the only course Cao Cao could accept.

Fortunately, Gu Chen had consistently targeted the aristocratic clans.

This stance forced many clans to choose Cao Cao, offering him considerable aid.

But to truly stop Gu Chen? That remained a pipe dream.

In this battle,

Gu Chen was not acting alone.

His tactics were cautious, yet adapted to the shifting situation.

Lu Bu was now dead.

The troops he had stationed in Bingzhou to guard against Lu Bu could now be turned from defense to offense.

In the third month of the twelfth year of Jian'an;

——Zhang Liao led his army out of Jinyang to invade Bingzhou.

Simultaneously, Liu Bei launched an attack on Pei State from Runan.

Three forces moved in unison.

This was a fatal blow to Cao Cao at this moment.

Cao Cao could only dispatch his trusted generals and sons to defend.

But it was ultimately impossible to halt them.

Zhang Liao was manageable; though fiercely brave, he was defending, and defense naturally held the advantage.

Moreover, Cao Zhang's bravery rivaled Zhang Liao's.

But Gu Chen and Liu Bei's offensives were different.

The most critical point was—

Sun Ce is dead as well.

The successive defeats finally caused his grip over Jiangdong to gradually slip, and the appearance of the Jingzhou aristocratic clans in particular stirred much dissatisfaction among the Jiangdong clans themselves.

With so many conflicting interests at play,

Sun Ce met his end through assassination.

On his deathbed, he handed his seal and ribbon to his younger brother Sun Quan.

But even that was not enough to directly steady Jiangdong's now unbalanced situation.

Rebellions flared across Jiangdong, with internal strife ceaseless.

He could no longer intervene in the Central Plains campaign.

For Cao Cao, this was an absolutely fatal blow.

How could he possibly hold out against attacks from three directions under such circumstances?

The situation changed utterly!

In barely a month's time, Chen State was lost.

Even with Cao Cao there in person,

he could not hold the morale that had completely collapsed; the garrisons of many cities would surrender without a fight the moment they heard Gu Chen's army had arrived.

This was bound to affect Cao Cao's defense.

He killed many men, but still could not stem the decline.

Left with no choice, he could only retreat again and again.

He moved the capital once more to Kaiyang.

At the same time, he used the terrain to wage a war of attrition against Gu Chen.

April;

Pei State was also lost;

The internal turmoil in Jiangdong greatly eased the pressure on Liu Bei, allowing him to muster more elite troops to come.

—Guan Yu in particular.

He seemed to be nursing a grievance.

The generals of Jiangdong were all small fry in his eyes; he only wished to slay the enemy and earn merit on the open battlefield alongside his brothers.

Since arriving at Runan, he had cut through five passes and slain six generals.

He utterly shattered what was left of the Cao army's already nonexistent fighting spirit.

He helped Liu Bei seize Xiang County, the vital town of Pei State.

The entirety of Yuzhou fell.

Yanzhou and Yangzhou were cut off in succession by Gu Chen and Liu Bei, their spearheads aimed straight at Qingxu.

Bad news upon bad news kept arriving without cease.

It could not help but make Cao Cao's health steadily worse.

But he still persevered in mustering troops, defending the regions most important to him.

He ceded Yangzhou, where his roots were shallower, directly to Liu Bei.

He exerted every ounce of strength to hold back Gu Chen's offensive.

Yet the situation only grew more and more tense.

Cao Cao's decline was something anyone could feel.

And the wavering of hearts could never be reversed by mere strict defense!

Revolts broke out one after another across the realm.

Among them, there were even local strongmen taking the lead, eager to seize the moment to surrender to Gu Chen.

Especially in Jizhou.

Although Gu Chen had not personally gone to Jizhou, and the Julu Gu clan had never once stepped in,

the people of Jizhou still held expectations of the Gu clan far beyond what Cao Cao had imagined.

Though they did not know Zhang Liao by name, they knew whom he followed.

Although Gu Chen had never once invoked the name of the Julu Gu clan since first raising his banner,

he still bore the surname Gu!

That alone was a natural advantage with the people of Jizhou.

Especially in recent years, the institutions Gu Chen had set up across the various provinces had won the longing of countless hearts under heaven, none knew how many.

Cao Cao's situation was like a lone boat in towering waves, tottering on the brink.

Pressures from every side came crashing down like mountains collapsing, leaving him like a beast trapped in a thicket of thorns—every struggle tore his flesh on the sharp spines; in this desperate plight ringed by enemies, a single misstep would see him swallowed whole by the darkness.

And that day did not take long to arrive.

It came in the sixth month of the twelfth year of Jian'an.

Guo Jia, the trusted strategist Cao Cao relied on most, suddenly fell ill and died.

Like the last straw that broke the camel's back, it finally brought Cao Cao's body crashing down.

Peng Cheng, the Grand Tutor's residence.

The ministers' mood was utterly Serious; every face was full of worry, and some had even begun to weep.

At that moment, Cao Ang finally came rushing back.

"Father!!!"

He called out urgently, bursting straight into the inner hall, and saw Cao Cao lying on the bed with only a single breath left.

The next moment, he dropped straight to his knees.

"Father!!!"

Seeing Cao Cao now, Cao Ang was utterly stunned.

Tears streamed continuously from his eyes.

He simply could not accept that his father, once so vigorous and capable of accomplishing anything, had come to this end.

"Zixiu."

Cao Cao slowly opened his eyes, gazing at Cao Ang, struggling to sit up.

But he was far too weak now.

He could barely even rise.

Seeing this, Cao Ang felt even greater sorrow; he rushed forward to help Cao Cao sit up, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Why are you crying?"

Cao Cao smiled faintly, slowly reaching out to wipe the tears from the corners of Cao Ang's eyes: "Even Gu Gong, the Marquis Wencheng, Emperor Guangwu, and Emperor Ming have died."

"How much more so, then, am I, Cao Cao?"

His face showed no fear of death, only concern for the future and a faint sense of regret.

"Father!"

Cao Ang gripped Cao Cao's hand in return, his sorrow unchanged.

Cao Cao simply gazed at his eldest son.

His expression grew increasingly complex.

He took a deep breath, then spoke again: "Zixiu."

"You are my eldest son."

"I will have you inherit my position—do not blame your father."

Cao Cao's tone turned unexpectedly solemn, his eyes fixed tightly on Cao Ang.

"Father, rest assured."

Cao Ang did not hesitate for a moment; he immediately nodded: "I will never betray you—I will strive to seize our Cao clan's Mandate of Heaven. If I fail, I will at least protect our lineage!"

His voice was resolute and firm.

Cao Cao had already told him all this before.

The Cao clan had not reached this point with absolutely no escape.

After all, Cao Cao had never participated in the aristocratic ambush against Gu Xi, nor had he ever struck at the Julu Gu clan.

But now, he had no retreat left.

Yet the Cao clan's lineage still remained!

It would only mean abandoning all interests and forgetting every grudge.

Though he did not know whether this would truly help, it was the final arrangement Cao Cao could make for his descendants and his clan.

Hearing this, Cao Cao finally gave a slight nod.

He said nothing more.

Perhaps due to a final surge of vitality, he suddenly felt a faint return of strength.

Without uttering any idle words, Cao Cao slowly rose and walked toward the hall's entrance.

Before the astonished gazes of all present.

He ordered the proclamation of his long-decreed edict, formally entrusting his legacy to Cao Ang, and personally laid out his arrangements after death.

"Throughout my life, I roamed the land, endured countless battles, and ultimately forged a regional hegemony."

"Now my end draws near; many regrets remain, beyond recovery."

"."

Sobs rose continuously.

All the Cao clan descendants were filled with profound grief.

Yet Cao Cao showed not the slightest fear of death—even his funeral arrangements were spoken of casually.

Everyone listened with utmost seriousness.

His words gradually faded.

The hall slowly fell silent.

Cao Cao gazed at the sunlight outside the hall, as if suddenly making a decision.

Then, before the stunned eyes of all present,

Cao Cao walked straight out of the hall.

He had his steed brought, then, without regard for anything else, mounted and rode directly toward the city's outskirts.

"Father!"

Cao Ang and the civil and military officials were utterly bewildered.

They shouted after him, rushing to chase after him.

Cao Cao paid no heed, riding straight toward the city's edge until he halted atop a high slope beside the Si River.

—The setting sun glowed like blood.

He gazed at the rushing river before him; at the vast, bright world beyond.

Under the glow of the setting sun, all of it was strangely beautiful.

In that moment, countless memories flashed through his mind.

Everyone, before death, recalls their entire life.

Cao Cao had forgotten when his ambition first arose.

Perhaps it was from the day he heard of Gu Xi's death, or perhaps it was from defeating the once-invincible Yuan Shao and becoming the strongest warlord under heaven.

His earliest ideal had only been to become the Han Empire's General Who Conquers the West.

To sweep clean the bandits of the realm, and like the Three Lords of the Gu clan, lead the entire Han Empire to its peak, and lead his entire clan to its peak.

But everything today ran counter to those original aspirations.

Cao Cao could not help but think of a question, silently asking himself within his heart: do I regret it?

But almost instantly, he immediately shook his head.

What is there to regret?

Looking across the realm today, if the Gu clan had not existed, if Gu Chen had not appeared, which of the warlords under heaven could have stopped him?

Thinking of this—

He could not help but burst into great laughter.

Such achievements were more than enough for him to be proud!

At this moment, Cao Ang and the civil and military officials had also come galloping after him.

Watching Cao Cao beneath the setting sun, astride his warhorse, laughing boldly and loudly, everyone was stunned.

They silently knelt behind Cao Cao, unwilling to disturb him.

Cao Cao laughed just like that for a long while, his gaze always fixed on this bright, broad realm.

Time flowed slowly on.

He seemed to faintly sense something.

His laughter suddenly came to an abrupt halt, and immediately following was a great, full-throated roar:

"An old steed's bones may yet be spent — alas, the long night knows no dawn!"

Having spoken.

It was as if he had spent every ounce of strength in his body; his entire frame suddenly shuddered.

The dying sun grew ever dimmer.

The next moment, Cao Cao's entire body fell straight down from atop his warhorse.

"Father!!!"

——————

"Cao Cao, courtesy name Meng De, was a man of Qiao in Pei State.

From youth he was alert and shrewd, possessed of stratagems and cunning; though born into an official's house, his talent and bearing outshone all his peers.

He first followed Grand Tutor Gu Xi to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion, observed that the powerful clans of every province and commandery harbored ambitions of their own, and so secretly gathered his own retainers, biding his time in concealment.

Outwardly he showed deference to Yuan Shao, borrowing his name to seize Yanzhou, then allied with Liu Bei to strike together at the Yuan clan; in the Qinghe campaign Shao's army collapsed, and he thereby absorbed the lands of Ji and You.

Next he swallowed up Qing and Yu like a whale, glared at Yang and Xu like a tiger, held the Son of Heaven in his grasp and commanded the governors, his might shaking all within the seas.

Yet Heaven's mandate has its destined recipient; though a man be heroic and outstanding, he cannot go against it.

Gu Chen of Jizhou was, for Cao Cao, a formidable foe he had never once defeated in twenty years.

Yingchuan cost him his stratagem, Chen State blunted his edge, Huainan trapped his momentum — severing Cao Cao's heart's desire to unify the realm.

In the summer of the twelfth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao's chronic illness suddenly flared up, and he grew gravely ill at Peng Cheng.

At his final hour he rode his horse to the Si River, laughed aloud and said: 'An old steed's bones may yet be spent — alas, the long night knows no dawn!'

Having spoken these words, he passed away."

—Records of Heroes of Han's End: Chapter on Cao Cao

(End of this chapter)