[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-482":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1223241,1620,"Chapter 482: Resting Head on Knees to Sleep (Part 2)","overthrowing-han-chapter-482",482,"\u003Cp>As dusk was about to fall, a forest seven or eight li east of the Guandu main camp suddenly burst into flames!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this area had been the primary logging ground during the construction of the Guandu camp, plenty of dry timber and sun-scorched dead branches and leaves served as kindling for the fire. Of course, the main factors were the scorching weather and the forest's own flammability. In short, once the fire started, it immediately swept deeper into the woods with the force of a prairie blaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gongsun dog! Gongsun dog!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in the forest, Cao Cao, who had just managed to catch his breath, had not yet had time to lean against a tree and laugh a few times to steady his men's hearts, nor had he waited for the longed-for sunset, before he first saw the billowing smoke and fierce flames. He could not help but burst out cursing. \"Does he truly mean to exterminate us completely?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this loss of composure brought Cao Cao not the slightest benefit. In truth, the moment he finished cursing, he already regretted it, and even found his own behavior laughable. When a battle has reached this point, is there still room for tender sentiments?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when a battle has reached this point, as the Regional Commander, should he not be boosting morale and thinking of how to solve the problem? What meaning is there in howling here like a defeated cur?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is to be done?\" With this thought, Cao Cao immediately looked around at his attendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this glance only brought a fresh pang of bitterness. It turned out that Cao the Minister of Works, who held half the Central Plains and commanded hundreds of thousands of troops, now had only a little over a hundred riders left at his side. And what was even more fatal was that Xu Chu, the commander of his personal guard whom he relied on and trusted most, was not at his side now, his fate utterly unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, Cao Mengde dared not inquire into that fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord!\" Among the accompanying staff, Xu Si was a relatively high-ranking close minister. Hearing this, he immediately responded anxiously. \"The problem now is that we can neither stay in the forest — there is only a single small stream within, insufficient to resist the fire — nor can we rashly leave the forest, for once we exit, the open ground outside offers clear visibility, and we would likely be captured by the Yan army lying in wait!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is why I am asking you what is to be done!\" Cao Cao leaned against a tree and replied sternly. \"A great fire in a summer forest — a single gust of wind and it may sweep over us at any moment!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We must still leave!\" Xu Si was drenched in sweat, but his basic reasoning remained intact, and he quickly gave an answer. \"If we stay, we would be entrusting our lives to the will of Heaven. Perhaps we might survive, but if we die, our bodies will be charred like cinders, and we would not even be able to receive a proper burial. But if we go out, we might still fight with all our strength and hold our lives in our own hands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well said, Advisor Xu!\" Cao Cao, his mind a chaotic mess, let out a long breath, then immediately mounted his horse. Turning back to the accompanying riders, he spoke with effort: \"At this juncture, if I, Cao Cao, remain here, I entrust my life to the will of Heaven. But if I go out, I can entrust my life to all of you! Between Heaven and men, I, Cao Cao, place my faith in all of you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words, the remaining hundred-odd riders, who were already Cao Cao's most trusted men, were roused to action. Disregarding their exhaustion, they all mounted their horses once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at that very moment, another man suddenly stepped forward and blocked Cao Cao's path. It was another high-ranking advisor accompanying Cao Cao on this campaign — Wang Bi, an Attendant Officer of the General of Valiant Might's office!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that this man Wang Bi had followed Cao Cao from the very moment he first raised his troops. Moreover, he was diligent and hardworking, never shirking hardship or complaint. Cao Mengde had always compared him to Wang Xiu at Gongsun Xun's side, which showed the man's standing and the trust placed in him by Cao Cao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, this man was one of Cao Cao's true confidants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, although Cao Cao's resolve was already set, he still faced this man with earnest attention: \"What is your meaning, Zixing? The situation is perilous; we must leave the forest swiftly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please grant me your horse, Claw Yellow Flying Lightning. Grant me your golden helmet. Grant me your great banner. And grant me the greatcloak upon your person!\" Wang Bi bowed deeply, then, ignoring Cao Cao's stunned expression, directly stepped forward, forcibly dragged him from his horse, and began stripping the greatcloak and golden helmet from his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding riders were momentarily dumbfounded, then one after another came to their senses and, urged by Xu Si, stepped forward to assist Wang Bi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with such a subordinate, what could Cao Mengde say? And he was not a man given to false sentimentality; between him and Wang Bi, no such pretense was needed. In this situation, surviving and achieving final victory would be the best way to repay Wang Bi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord!\" After hastily donning the greatcloak and golden helmet and mounting Claw Yellow Flying Lightning, Wang Bi turned back and solemnly instructed: \"Your servant will go first, heading east. With the great banner on my person, I may possibly encounter our main force coming from behind. My lord, prioritize your own preservation. Wait a short while, and when the smoke and flames reach your back and can no longer be endured, then head south. At that time, observe the situation and decide whether to go east or west. Above all, I beg my lord to take every care!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, without waiting for the still-dazed Cao Cao to reply, he put on the golden helmet, which was clearly a little too small, and rode straight off east at full speed, taking roughly half the riders and Cao Cao's great banner with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Mengde remained where he was, wanting to speak but finding no words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short while later, as Wang Bi fled the forest, the sounds of shouting and killing arose almost instantly. Only then did Cao Cao, in a daze, mount his horse and, bending low, slowly head south with the remaining few dozen riders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reaching the edge of the forest, they indeed saw countless Yan cavalry and defeated Cao troops all rushing eastward. In truth, for these soldiers, it was not necessarily that they recognized Wang Bi's attire; the more important factor was that Cao Cao's great banner was over there!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be understood that since ancient times, banners have been a vital component of an army. For the vast majority of soldiers and even junior officers, they cannot possibly recognize the commander's face, nor can they identify who the next higher-ranking commander is in the chaos of battle. The banner is precisely an extension of the general himself. \"Slay the general and seize the banner\" — as the phrase implies, the merit of seizing a banner is ranked equal to slaying a general! For once the banner is lost, it means the corresponding general has, to some degree, lost his command capability!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, in the charge launched earlier by the Yan army, that White Horse banner had played an indispensable role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, this was also the fundamental reason why Cao Cao, when retreating and fleeing earlier, had insisted on bringing the great banner no matter what. It was also a key reason why Wang Bi's stratagem was so remarkably effective — the significance of the banner itself was simply too great! Even if they could not capture Cao Cao, seizing this banner would be enough, by a certain battlefield tradition and procedure, to declare a great victory in this battle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even so, even as countless troops all rushed eastward in pursuit, there was still one man on the battlefield who did not take it at face value. The Yan army's commander, Gongsun Xun, understood Cao Cao far too well. He dared not say that man was definitely not Cao Cao, but in his view, the probability that it was not Cao Cao was at least greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, with the fire now raging and the sky growing dark, the organizational structures of both armies had completely collapsed. Even Gongsun Xun could only control about a thousand White Horse Volunteers, so he hesitated slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord!\" Pang De asked cautiously. \"Should we go in pursuit?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait a moment.\" Gongsun Xun gazed at the forest, where smoke and flames raged fiercely, and raised a hand slightly in a gesture. \"Let us observe for now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what of this man?\" Pang De hesitated for a moment, then pointed to Xu Chu's corpse on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sever his head and hang it before your horse.\" Gongsun Xun did not hesitate in the slightest. \"To overawe the enemy troops!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aye!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pang De dismounted to sever the head as ordered. Ma Chao, standing nearby, seemed about to speak but stopped himself, ultimately not daring to say a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting a short while, Gongsun Xun watched as the fire line advanced with extreme speed. Under the billowing smoke, the soldiers around him showed no sign of stirring or bringing back reports, while the last rays of the setting sun behind them were fading away. In the end, he spurred his horse forward and personally led the White Horse Volunteers eastward in pursuit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he had also thought it through. Xu Chu had traded his life to buy Cao Cao a moment's respite, allowing the latter to successfully escape the pursuers' sight. And his own act of setting the forest ablaze could be considered the last effective measure. Now that darkness was falling, if Cao Cao truly intended to travel incognito or risk being burned or suffocated to death by staying in the forest, Gongsun Xun actually had no other recourse. He could only leave it to fate and rely on luck. It was better to head east and try to capture that Cao Mengde breaking out under the banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, at this moment, no one could say for certain whether that was the real Cao Mengde. If it was, and his own excessive suspicion led to outsmarting himself, would that not be a pity?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky finally darkened completely. Everywhere was chaos and turmoil, and the smoke and fire within the forest added an even greater sense of frenzy to the closing stage of this battle. Because the fight had ended as cavalry against cavalry, the battlefield had actually expanded to an unimaginable extent. Within a radius of over ten li, apart from the large force pursuing Cao Cao, Yan cavalry were everywhere in groups, hunting down fleeing Cao army riders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And many of the Cao army cavalry and routed soldiers had simply lost all will to fight. Some surrendered, some scattered and fled in all directions, showing no intention of resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, many Yan cavalrymen had severed heads hanging from their saddles or stuffed into their quivers, and very likely carried the corpses of their own fallen comrades on their horses' backs. Yet they still roamed the battlefield, seeking to gain more battle merits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was precisely under these conditions that Cao Cao, who had earlier taken advantage of Wang Bi's decoy to escape the forest just ahead of the smoke and fire, now cautiously made his way back from the southern edge of the battlefield and attempted to enter the Guandu main camp. This was a very correct choice, for before that fatal charge, he had clearly seen Shi Huan enter the camp with roughly two to three thousand cavalry. Now that darkness had fallen, the Yan army could no longer regroup to assault the camp. The permanent fortified camp, defended by several thousand soldiers and tens of thousands of laborers, had undoubtedly become a safe zone instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hurrying through the night, Cao Cao's party were all quick-witted elites. They first discarded all banners, then found some corpses left on the battlefield, severed their heads, and hung them before their horses. They then smeared foul blood over their armor to disguise themselves as Yan troops. Thus, they encountered no major trouble along the way — until they came face to face with a general leading seven or eight hundred riders and carrying a pair of halberds on his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Yan army general, Zhang Liao, initially thought nothing of it and merely asked casually as they met: \"Have you encountered Cao Cao?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reporting to the General,\" several of Cao Cao's staff who had lived in Hebei or Guanxi immediately pretended to be Yan army officers and stepped forward to answer Zhang Liao smoothly. \"It is said that after the forest caught fire, that scoundrel Cao Cao fled east! But we have heard that Lord Yan himself has also led troops in pursuit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the distant firelight, Zhang Liao nodded at these words. He merely mocked them a little for having so few heads and told them to exert themselves more, then thought nothing further of it. He brushed right past Cao Cao's party and continued his roving patrol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after they had traveled several hundred paces, while Cao Mengde and his men still dared not hastily speed up, Zhang Wenyuan was suddenly beset by growing suspicion. He reined in his horse, turned back, and asked with a frown:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That should have been a squad of fifty riders just now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally!\" Due to Zhang Liao's temperament, his personal guard answered casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why did a mere single squad have so many men with beards?! And why were so many of those beards and whiskers curled?!\" Zhang Liao sneered in reply. \"And why were so many of the horses' manes also curled?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers around him were all taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a case of Cao Cao being thorough in every respect but one. In this era, although facial hair was an aesthetic ideal and also a form of reverence for one's deceased parents, so a great many men grew beards, growing a beard was not the issue. The issue was that keeping a beard well-groomed, complete, and shapely was a privilege reserved for nobles and high-ranking individuals!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, Guan Yu's long beard, flowing and incomparably elegant, renowned throughout the land, earning him the title \"Lord of the Magnificent Beard,\" owed part of its splendor to Lady Gongsun. As early as over a decade ago, the Queen Dowager of Yan had sent Guan Yu a specially made large brocade pouch every year, intended for him to place his beard in while sleeping!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All to prevent mid-life beard loss, as the saying went!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for ordinary soldiers, especially in a basic unit at the squad-of-fifty level, it was rare to find even two or three men who had the inclination to care for their beards. How could it be that in a mere fifty men, there were no fewer than twenty or thirty who grew beards?! Not to mention that while hair could be hidden inside a helmet, beards, whiskers, and horses' manes had inevitably been singed and curled by the heat while dodging the fire earlier, making them conspicuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Zhang Liao's suspicions were aroused, he did not hesitate for a moment, but turned and gave chase. As for Cao Cao's party, seeing their pursuer suddenly turn around, how would they dare say more? They simply spurred their horses and fled!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhang Wenyuan's mind cleared, and he could not help but fly into a great rage. He shouted from a distance: \"Ahead must be key figures of the Cao army, disguised and trying to return to their camp! It may very well be Cao Cao himself! Remember this: kill without mercy any who grow beards!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao and his party ahead heard these words and instantly realized where the mistake lay. Others might have let it pass, but how could Cao Mengde care about such a thing? Direct and decisive, he actually drew his Yitian Sword while galloping on horseback, cut off the beard beneath his chin, then cast both sword and beard to the ground and continued racing onward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in the deep of night, the Yan army pursued relentlessly, and with their formation spread wide open, they simply loosed arrows in great volleys — men beside Cao Cao were struck and fell dead one after another!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Zhang Liao recalled an earlier impression and again raised his voice to shout to those around him: \"Cao Mengde is short of stature, his build like a monkey — pick out the short ones and shoot first!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold sweat streamed from Cao Mengde; he was utterly speechless. Worse still, he had switched to an inferior horse, and its speed was gradually failing — in his heart, he was nearly in despair!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just then, the great camp in the distance suddenly opened its gates, and roughly a thousand cavalry charged straight out. It was clearly Shi Huan, who had seen the situation from afar, guessed that Cao Cao must be in mortal danger, and rushed out to meet him regardless of the risk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A turn of fortune seemed at hand, but when Cao Cao looked back, he saw the men behind him pursuing relentlessly, with Wuhuan and Xiongnu riders bending bows and nocking arrows on horseback — he feared he would be dead before Shi Huan could reach him. Left with no choice, Cao Mengde suddenly gritted his teeth, and after crossing a small slope, he actually rolled straight off his horse and tumbled to the ground!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the pitch-black night, because of the distant fires set to burn the forest, the soldiers all carried no torches, and in their eagerness to chase the enemy, they would spur their horses to leap as they reached the slope... Not only did no one notice Cao Cao on the ground, but astonishingly, not a single horse trampled him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, with hooves thundering overhead, Cao Mengde lay prone beneath the slope and endured what was nearly the longest and most harrowing half-quarter-hour of his life!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that half-quarter-hour, the slightest misstep, and the lofty Excellency Cao might have been trampled to death by some random Yan army rider, with no one ever knowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half a quarter-hour later, the seven or eight hundred riders led by Zhang Liao clashed fiercely with Shi Huan's thousand cavalry southeast of the Cao army's Guandu main camp. Cao Cao finally glimpsed a golden opportunity — using a broken spear he picked up from the ground, he killed a lone Yan army rider, then skirted the battlefield and raced back toward the great camp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's Father!\" Perhaps because he had not spoken for so long, the moment Cao Ang, standing atop the camp gate tower, saw his father's figure racing toward him, his lips split and bled the instant he opened his mouth — clearly they had long been chafed raw, then dried and scabbed over. \"Open the gates at once!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zixiu, do not open the gates!\" Cao Cao called back from a distance. \"Lower a rope — I can climb up from the watchtower!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men in the camp dared not delay and immediately acted on his words, hauling Cao Cao up onto the gate tower. Father and son met; both were momentarily speechless, yet neither dared be negligent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zixiu, how many men are still in the camp?\" Cao Cao, slumped on the gate tower, cast aside his massive helmet, took a water skin straight from the waist of a bow-wielding commoner beside him, drank two mouthfuls, and immediately inquired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Ang stood bent at the waist atop the gate tower, facing his father directly. Hearing this question, he choked up once more, and only after a long while did he compose himself and answer: \"Reporting to Father, the twenty thousand commoners are all here... plus the two to three thousand cavalry Protector Shi just brought in — just over a thousand remain now. Together with the routed soldiers we gathered earlier, there are about four to five thousand remnant troops in the camp.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry are left?\" Hearing that final total of four to five thousand, Cao Cao's heart gave a jolt, and without pausing to drink, he quickly pressed further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"About two or three hundred...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao was utterly stunned into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Zihe and Wenlie both died in battle — I saw it with my own eyes!\" Cao Ang still dared not conceal anything, and at last could not hold back the tears streaming down his face. \"And according to reports from the retreating soldiers, General Chen died in battle, Prefect Lu cut his own throat... Prefect Zhu was reportedly knocked unconscious by his trusted guards and fled southwest — there may still be hope he survived... As for General Huang, he is in the camp right now, helping to reorganize the defeated troops and set up the camp's defenses!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao, his beard gone and his eyebrows and hair singed over a large patch, remained silent, but both hands trembled, spilling the water skin over his entire body. He had seen the terrible scene here earlier, but he never imagined it would reach the point of total annihilation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It truly was total annihilation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire Tiger and Leopard Cavalry plus four battalions of troops, totaling twenty-one thousand men — now only three or four thousand broken soldiers remained, and even they were likely useless! Of the six commanders, four were dead, and one's fate was unknown. If that was not total annihilation, what was?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even adding the more than ten thousand cavalry he himself had brought, only a little over a thousand were now in the camp, and who knew how many of the rest would survive? By that reckoning, his own relief force had also been utterly annihilated!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a single afternoon of battle, the Yan army had nearly wiped out as many as thirty thousand core troops of the Central Plains coalition, not to mention two strategic cavalry units among them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A defeat of this magnitude was enough to break bones and tear sinews!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Gongsun Xun had killed Cao Cao in this battle, he could have declared victory in the Central Plains war ahead of time; seizing the Guandu main camp would have meant gaining thirty percent of the winning chance. And now, even without any further bad news, he had already seized twenty-five percent of the odds of victory!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this was a battle of annihilation through and through — nearly thirty thousand troops, from commanders to soldiers, completely wiped out in one stroke!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this carnage showed no sign of stopping. Outside the great camp, countless Yan army riders still roamed and hunted everywhere under the glow of distant flames, while Xu Chu and Wang Bi had sent no word at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was no time to wait for word from Xu Chu and Wang Bi — something that left Cao Cao nearly numb was already upon him. Outside the camp gate, Zhang Liao fought only a few bouts before cutting down Shi Huan in front of the ranks, then drove the routed soldiers to assault the camp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let them circle around the camp...\" Cao Cao did not even rise, but gave the order seated on the gate tower. \"Have the commoners prepare — after three beats of the gong, if anyone is still before the gate, no matter who, shoot them all together!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, he thought again of his son's character and prepared to give him an extra warning — that without this measure, all those who had already died would have died in vain! Yet to Cao Mengde's surprise, Cao Zixiu, ordinarily so gentle-natured as to be almost womanishly soft-hearted, showed not a trace of hesitation, but rose and issued the order at once!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were crisp and decisive, as if he were a completely different person from usual!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao understood clearly in his heart: his son, through this great battle, had grown to some degree... But such growth — surely no one would ever wish for it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another moment, something even more disheartening came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is Cao Cao inside the camp?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liao approached the camp, shouting abuse. \"Why dare you not come to see me?! Earlier when we met on the road, there was a rider short of stature, with a huge helmet and a tiny head, like a monkey riding a horse, who even gave me a fawning smile — was that you?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, Zhang Wenyuan had long since learned the whole story from the captured Xu Si, an attendant beside Cao Cao. How could he not understand that Cao Cao had slipped right under his nose into the camp? He was naturally beside himself with rage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao sat with his head lowered behind the wooden palisade of the gate tower, neither rising nor answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cao Mengde!\" Zhang Liao reined in his horse and shouted again. \"Here is the head of your Protector Shi Huan! This man, to save you, forced his way out of the camp again even after he had already entered — such a loyal minister! If you show your face, I will throw the head back to you! Well? Do you dare show yourself?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camp remained utterly silent, only the dense sound of the commoners' arrows momentarily drowning out Zhang Liao — clearly, Zhang Wenyuan was not just running his mouth, but was actually trying to press close to the great camp with a mere few hundred troops, and had drawn a counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that's not enough, how about adding the head of your clansman Cao Chun?!\" Zhang Liao continued galloping outside the camp, clearly furious. \"So long as you show your face, I will deliver the heads of Cao Chun and Shi Huan both to you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Ang, however, rose indignantly, hand on his sword, and faced him from afar atop the gate tower: \"Zhang Liao! Return my uncle's head!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Liao laughed uproariously: \"I never thought the father would be as craven as a chicken, while the son has some heroic spirit... Come, come, is that Cao Zixiu? The one who should show his face and return the heads is your father! If you want Cao Chun's head, you must come out of the camp to fetch it! Do you dare? I am the man who killed two of your uncles and one of your clansmen!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a word, Cao Ang actually slid down the very suspension rope his father had used to ascend, descending straight from the gate tower!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao watched his son vanish behind the wooden palisade partition before him, still silent. Zhang Liao, for his part, was momentarily solemn. Both men simply let Cao Ang come outside the camp and walk straight up before Zhang Liao's horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Give them to me!\" Cao Ang was utterly disheveled, the blood and grime on his face dried and caked, like a wild ghost. He even stumbled and fell once along the way, yet stood before Zhang Liao's horse, head high and fearless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Give them to him!\" Zhang Wenyuan, standing by his horse, stared for a long moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, and was true to his word. \"Does a cur father also have a tiger son?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yan army riders beside him handed Cao Ang two leather pouches. Having received the pouches, Cao Ang turned to return to camp, but to his surprise, several captives nearby all fell to their knees, begging to be saved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Ang could not bear it in his heart and turned back to look at Zhang Liao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Wenyuan was straightforward enough: \"Let your father come over and let me have a look — see whether he really is that man with the huge helmet and tiny head... If he will just show his face on the gate tower, I will release them all! Otherwise, I will decimate them right here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Ang said not a word, but hugged the two leather pouches and returned to camp. Yet after being hauled up by rope onto the gate tower, he found Cao Cao still sitting motionless in the same spot, head lowered. Cao Zixiu dared not speak further, and could only set the two pouches down and sit in silence beside his father. Outside the camp gate, Zhang Liao continued shouting abuse, and even began killing men, but Cao Cao still acted as if he heard nothing. Only, during that time, he reached out several times, trying to push aside the leather pouches before him, but each time failed, and in the end could only let his hands fall in dejection!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another stretch of time, Zhang Liao had probably grown tired as well, and the sound of his cursing gradually faded. Yet this Yan army cavalry general, his bloodlust thoroughly roused today, still lingered outside the camp gate, refusing to leave, and instead kept gathering scattered troops — clearly hoping to muster more strength and achieve an extraordinary feat! This inevitably made the Cao troops in the camp somewhat restless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell them there is no need to fear!\" Cao Cao still said nothing; it was Cao Ang who spoke. \"Our great camp has over twenty thousand men, full supplies of grain and crossbows, ditches, ramparts, and towers all in place... As for the Yan army, the sky is already dark — they cannot gather many troops, and they are already utterly exhausted. There is no way they can assault the camp! Moreover, by the latter half of the night, our main army will surely have all arrived!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendants around him all understood, and immediately went to inspect the camp ramparts, relaying Cao Ang's words to calm the commoners and routed soldiers in the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Cao Cao, still sitting behind the wooden palisade partition atop the gate, merely nodded slightly, still without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so it went: Zhang Liao, though knowing Cao Cao might be just ahead, could never gain anything, yet was loath to leave; on the other side, Cao Cao gave not the slightest response, yet never rose to leave his place at this camp gate either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sides remained deadlocked for who knows how long, when suddenly a clamor arose outside the camp, and then a voice that at last made Cao Cao's expression change rang out: \"Meng De, you truly have a charmed life today! But with your army so utterly defeated, what meaning is there in your bitter struggle? Fight two more battles like this, and your oil will be spent and your lamp guttered out, will it not? Why not surrender early?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao remained silent... To contend for the realm, one must stake everything — Cao Mengde understood this principle perfectly. In truth, at this point, even for the sake of Xiahou Yuan, for the sake of Cao Chun and Shi Huan before him, he could not easily give up. How could mere words move him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So be it!\" After a pause, Gongsun Xun's voice came again from outside the camp gate. \"That Meng De is unwilling to meet me — I can understand. Here are the heads of Xu Zhongkang and Wang Zixing. I shall leave them before the camp. Xu Zhongkang's body lies at the burning crossroads from earlier, and Wang Zixing's body is fifteen li to the east. Meng De may send men to retrieve them and sew them together for burial. These two were both loyal and steadfast men — I hope you will honor them with proper rites... Only your command banner I shall take with me, to proclaim this great victory — that I cannot return to you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao finally stirred and turned his head, yet still could not rise to his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting another moment, seeing no movement within the camp, Gongsun Xun outside the camp finally gave the order to sound the bugle. The horn calls rang out one after another, echoing from all directions, instantly resounding across dozens of li. Then, from every quarter, the Youzhou riders, bearing their own wounded and dead, along with enemy heads and armor, some shouting \"Long live His Majesty,\" others giving long whistles in time with the horns, all withdrew northward... Before the camp, the sound of hoofbeats continued unbroken, circling the camp and retreating north together with the ceaseless bugle calls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, it seemed — perhaps — that the battle was finally coming to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Men from within the camp retrieved the leather pouches containing the heads of Wang Bi and Xu Chu. Yet Cao Mengde, facing the four leather pouches, still sat motionless, dazed and lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was not all. Barely half a shichen later, a sudden clamor rose outside the camp gate. Only then did Cao's army realize why Gongsun Xun had not attempted to storm the main camp but had instead withdrawn directly — it turned out that before Cao Cao's main force could arrive, his son-in-law Sun Ce had already led ten thousand troops on a forced night march from Yingchuan to reinforce them. Gongsun Xun's earlier withdrawal had clearly been because his scouts had learned of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, once Sun Ce entered the camp, he went up to the tower to pay his respects to his adoptive father and father-in-law. Cao Mengde still said not a word, sitting there motionless as if withered wood. And Sun Bofu did not know what to say either; moreover, upon suddenly hearing that Zhu Zhi's fate was unknown, that Huang Gai was wounded, and that his own nine thousand troops had been nearly wiped out, he too departed in haste, turning instead to comfort the wounded and search for Zhu Zhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By midnight, Cao's entire army was exhausted. Some soldiers even reported seeing the main body of the Yan army all massing northward, heading toward their temporary camp by the Wuchao Marsh to the north. With that, the whole army finally relaxed completely and began resting where they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was precisely at this moment that the four ungarrisoned small camps to the north of Cao's army suddenly burst into flame again! Then a young white-horse general calling himself Ma Mengqi of Xiliang rode around the camp once, killing outer sentries and Sun Ce's men who were searching for Zhu Zhi along the way, throwing the entire camp into chaos!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew perfectly well that this was just a small parting trick from Gongsun Xun... The four northern camps were already empty; he could have burned them whenever he left. Moreover, inside and outside this kind of permanent main camp, there were firebreak ditches, ample well-water reserves, and safe distances between the palisades to prevent the spread of fire. As long as someone handled things properly, the flames could never have reached the great camp to the south. But Gongsun Xun had deliberately waited until after withdrawing his army, then sent this Ma Mengqi with a small force to double back and set the fires — clearly intending to use this to sap the morale of Cao's army and blunt the edge of Sun Ce's reinforcements, leaving the Central Plains coalition forces utterly harassed and exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet knowing it was one thing; Cao's army and Sun Ce's troops could not help but be thrown into frantic disarray, their morale sinking yet again. Despite having nearly thirty thousand men in the main camp, they flailed about until the sky was nearly bright before finally extinguishing the fires completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also at this time that Cao Ren, Liu Ye, Huang Zhong, and the others finally arrived at Guandu with the main force of thirty thousand troops from the former Punandaying camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering the camp, Liu Ye nearly fainted when he learned of the deaths of Chen Dao and Lu Dai — that need not be elaborated. Huang Zhong's hair bristled with fury — that goes without saying. Cao Zixiao hurried to the south gate tower of the main camp, and when he saw the four leather pouches and the news of Cao Xiu's death, he too was struck dumb, unable to make a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zixiao, you've come!\" By now the sky was faintly brightening. Cao Cao, utterly disheveled, his eyes completely bloodshot, finally spoke. He waved his hand, gesturing for his brother to come to his side. \"I've put you through trouble — come here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Ren forced himself to remain composed, ordering his subordinates to take away the leather pouches and clean them up properly, and only then went to Cao Cao's side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sit!\" Cao Cao's voice was hoarse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Zixiao dared not delay. He hurriedly sat down cross-legged beside Cao Cao. Seeing this, Cao Mengde actually toppled over, his head falling onto Cao Ren's lap, and then let out a long sigh:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now that Zixiao is here, I can finally close my eyes and sleep!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, he began snoring like thunder. Cao Ren, cradling his elder brother's head, could not restrain his emotions and for a time wept uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The east gradually brightened. At that same moment, Ma Mengqi, who had successfully raided the camp with only a hundred riders, was on the verge of returning to the old Wuchao camp when he suddenly reined in his horse midway, looked around at his companions, and said with a hesitant expression: \"Have I forgotten something?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ninety-nine White Horse Volunteers who had volunteered to follow him all looked at one another in blank confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——— I am the dividing line of having forgotten something ———\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Having routed them decisively, Cao Cao personally brought ten thousand more riders, intending to exploit the chaos and charge the formation. The Grand Ancestor, seeing Cao's great banner from afar, personally led three thousand White Horse Volunteers to meet and charge them, routing them once more. Cao fled in panic; his forces scattered and broke apart, suffering continuous ambushes along the way. He abandoned his general's banner, his golden helm, and his treasured sword; he even cut off his beard and tumbled from his horse, barely entering the camp alone. Once inside, upon hearing that Cao Chun, Cao Xiu, Lu Dai, Chen Dao, Xu Chu, and Wang Bi had all died one after another, he was struck speechless with shock, sitting motionless atop the gate tower. During this time, Zhang Liao approached the camp and shouted curses; the Grand Ancestor led his men back to return the heads. Sun Ce arrived with a host of ten thousand to reinforce; Ma Chao burned the camp with a hundred riders — through all of this, he neither moved nor made a sound. When day broke and Cao Ren arrived with thirty thousand troops, Cao then pillowed his head on his knee and sighed: 'Now that Zixiao is here, I can sleep!' And so he slept for an entire day.\" — Dianlüe, Yan section, annotated by Pei Songzhi\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Alright, I really must kowtow and admit my fault!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",6617,"2026-06-04T19:42:52.587Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","d72a4bc1cf9750651dbc5c154b47ab4536ee13bacac16c2b2dadcd934505b60a","overthrowing-han-chapter-483","overthrowing-han-chapter-481",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]