Chapter 494: A Golden Goblet Should Weep at Parting's Sorrow

That night, Gongsun Xun returned to the rear tent in camp and sat blankly for a long time. He first tried to write a private letter to Lu Fan, but halfway through he found it too hypocritical and tore it up, then instead hand-wrote a military order. But before he could send it, he immediately received a report that Deng Dang, who had gone to execute the double-agent stratagem, had returned.

And just after privately receiving Deng Dang in the rear tent and hearing his report, Gongsun Xun felt his mind go blank for a moment, and a rush of absurdity surged into his head: "Huang Gongfu wants to be an inside agent and surrender, and he sent you back here?"

"Yes!" Deng Dang bowed his head to the ground and said. "General Huang told me he knew I had come back under false surrender, but he didn't care, because when a great tree is about to fall, he naturally has his own plans..."

"So you admitted it?" Gongsun Xun immediately demanded sharply.

"No!" Deng Dang raised his head, drenched in sweat — today's experience had truly exhausted him mentally and physically. "I never admitted it from start to finish, but General Huang directly had his trusted guards bind me, disguised me as an envoy, and under cover of night sent me straight over from the forward camp."

Gongsun Xun found it increasingly absurd: "So he also told you he would persuade Cao Cao and Sun Ce to use either Xu Rong's advance on Yangzhai or our army's grain convoy passing through Wuchao to set an ambush, and that in fact he would turn his troops on the spot at that moment to help our army achieve a great victory and decide this battle?!"

"Correct!"

"And as to whether it's intercepting grain at Wuchao or setting an ambush at Yangzhai, he'll give me an answer in three days?"

"Correct!"

"Do you think he is feigning surrender... or..." Gongsun Xun couldn't help but ask the man involved for his opinion.

"I don't even know if I myself am feigning surrender anymore," Deng Dang said, utterly confused and full of helplessness. "I am just a fighting man... At first I came to feign surrender on Prefect Zhu's orders, but in fact, because I was trapped in a deadly situation, I harbored thoughts of truly surrendering; later, thanks to Your Highness and Military Advisor Jia looking after me, although they knew my little scheme, they kept me on without holding past grudges and even sent me back, so I could protect my family on one hand and act as a spy on the other; but when I got to General Huang's place, I showed not the slightest flaw, and my comrades in camp all spoke up for me, yet he insisted I was carrying out a double-agent plot, but instead of killing me, he made me his messenger to connect him with Your Highness..."

This fellow kept saying "I" this and "I" that, and Gongsun Xun grew muddled listening to him, so he waved repeatedly, signaling him to withdraw for now, then immediately sent someone to summon Jia Xu... the latter being the true orchestrator of this double-agent stratagem.

Jia Xu was hastily summoned, and upon hearing the gist of it, did not speak in haste, but merely stood there lost in thought.

Gongsun Xun watched him for a long while and finally pressed him: "What is Wenhe thinking? It's just the two of us here — what can't be said?"

"I am thinking, back when I was at Tongguan, did I count as Your Highness's spy or not?" Jia Xu's expression was as calm as ever as he cupped his hands and replied. "And Cheng Zhongde — though criticizing colleagues is a great taboo, I am truly curious: back when Your Highness fought Yuan Shao to the death in Hebei, did he count as Your Highness's spy or not?"

Gongsun Xun burst out laughing.

Truly, Jia Xu's answer was wonderfully apt, because he pointed out the real issue — that in reality, especially in chaotic situations, obsessively investigating a person's identity is inherently meaningless; what matters is whether that person is useful, or whether they can play a role.

After all, this is not a children's war game, nor chess or cards, where this piece is red and that piece is black, this card is a dragon and that card is a rat... In reality, a person's identity is inherently ambiguous and changes at any moment with the shifting situation.

If things were truly as clear-cut as in a game, either this or that, then after Gongsun Xun entered Tongguan, why did none of the many officials in the Sanfu commanderies and counties under Dong Zhuo's control resist? And why, after Gongsun Xun took control of Sanfu, did he replace all those so-called Sanfu officials who had not resisted and had even assisted him?

Which camp did these people actually belong to?

One must understand that human nature itself is complex and ambiguous. This thing called identity and stance is not meaningless, but in this chaotic age, it is not something absolute.

If back then Gongsun Xun had not campaigned against Dong Zhuo and fought his way to Tongguan, then Jia Xu, who shared a tacit understanding with Gongsun Xun, could not have been Gongsun Xun's man — but once he arrived, he was! By the same logic, back when Gongsun Xun had not yet defeated Yuan Shao at Liangqi and Jieqiao, Cheng Yu was naturally a loyal pillar of Yanzhou under Yuan Benchu... It could well be said that if Yuan Shao had defeated Gongsun Xun and obtained those letters between Cheng Yu and Gongsun Xun, given his lenient nature, he would have burned the letters as a gesture to reassure people's hearts.

There was even Chen Gui of Xuzhou — when Tao Qian abdicated, everyone thought he was Gongsun Xun's man, but he ultimately chose Liu Bei. And after becoming Governor of Xuzhou under Liu Bei, on one hand he served diligently and worked earnestly, yet on the other hand he had his son send a letter of greeting to Yexia... Of course, this time when Guan Yu raided Xiapi, the Chen father and son were not used at all, so naturally they received the treatment of those who surrendered after defeat, and the earlier letter lost its meaning.

Returning to the matter at hand, after Jia Xu's reminder, Gongsun Xun immediately realized that from the perspective of a superior, or from his perspective as military commander, obsessing over whether Huang Gai was feigning surrender was actually forcing himself into a dead end... A person who truly wants to surrender could be used by Cao Cao; a person feigning surrender could also be exploited in turn. Judging the matter based on some narrow impression of Huang Gai was utterly meaningless.

If one truly cannot discern this man's stance, then just prepare an extra contingency for the worst-case scenario — why waste time on questions of identity?

But the problem was, what exactly was the worst-case scenario regarding Huang Gai's surrender? Was it merely feigned surrender?

"Hard to say," Jia Xu continued, cupping his hands. "Huang Gongfu's posture this time is indeed somewhat strange. If it's a true surrender, that's one thing, but if it's feigned, he doesn't seem to care much whether he's seen through or not. It's a bit like..."

"A bit like being utterly reckless," Gongsun Xun said with a sneer. "As if he doesn't care whether we believe him or not."

"Exactly. And such a posture can only mean two things," Jia Wenhe still stood there with cupped hands and said. "One, Huang Gongfu is just a barbarian from Lingling, a crude warrior..."

"That's impossible," Gongsun Xun immediately cut him off. "Although Huang Gongfu comes from a remote place, orphaned young and poor, he is descended from a famous lineage... He is of the same clan as Huang Zu and Huang Wan, all descendants of the renowned minister Huang Xiang, a branch of the Jiangxia Huang clan in Lingling... Moreover, he had great ambition from a young age. It's said he carried firewood on his back while studying as a child, then bound his hair and became a minor official, and at the capping age was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt. When the realm fell into chaos and he saw the Grand Administrator of Changsha, Sun Jian, crossing borders to suppress bandits, he felt Sun Wentai was a hero, so he abandoned his post to follow him. Such a man clearly has the bearing of a famous minister — how could he be a mere crude warrior?"

"Then it can only be the second," Jia Xu replied calmly after hearing Gongsun Xun's account. "This man must have some scheme, and a very great one at that, and he does not care whether he is exposed!"

"You mean Cao Cao wants to use this opportunity for a decisive battle to the death?" Gongsun Xun immediately grew solemn. "That at this stage, whether Huang Gongfu feigns surrender or truly surrenders, it's all just a trigger, so the man has long since resolved to throw himself into death and does not care about his own outcome?"

"It could also be that he wants us to mistakenly think exactly that — to deceive the heavens and cross the sea, to secretly pass through Chencang!" Jia Wenhe said earnestly.

The corner of Gongsun Xun's mouth curled slightly upward: "Where is Chencang?"

Jia Xu couldn't help but laugh too: "Who cares where Chencang is? Wasn't Your Highness thorough enough in your thinking yesterday? Besides, the two military orders my lord issued after returning to camp at noon today were already overly cautious. So even if he pulls a Han Xin emerging from Chencang or taking the plank road, what meaning does it have?"

Gongsun Xun slowly nodded, completely at ease, but then suddenly looked up and asked: "There is one more matter — has Wenhe heard of it?"

"I just heard — Chancellor Lu's eldest son died in battle?" Jia Xu seemed slightly hesitant. "Is Your Highness referring to this?"

"Exactly this," Gongsun Xun answered casually, then lowered his head again to glance at the military order he had already written in his hand. "How do you think I should handle it?"

Jia Xu was clearly somewhat embarrassed: "Such a matter is a private affair between Your Highness and Chancellor Lu — how could I presume to comment? However, I imagine that given Chancellor Lu's unwavering loyalty, he will certainly not make things difficult for Your Highness."

"I think so too," Gongsun Xun said, and as he spoke, he handed over the military order in his hand. "But with the war like this, casualties are heavy. As the master of the people of Hebei, acting on behalf of the military and civil administration of eleven provinces, I cannot fail to show some gesture... As the saying goes, be strict with those close and lenient with those far. Wenhe, I intend to send some sons of ministers to the front lines to serve in the army, to demonstrate the resolve for this battle. What do you think?"

"My eldest son, Jia Mu, is at Hulao Pass... he is just right to be deployed to the front," Jia Xu took the military order, not yet having time to read it, and quickly responded.

"Jia Mu is at Hulao Pass supervising civilian laborers in his capacity as Magistrate of Chenggao — that already counts as being deployed!" Gongsun Xun immediately waved him off. "Why add this extra measure? I am talking about some people who are clearly at the front but do nothing... Go deliver my order!"

Jia Xu sensed something was off, but the matter was sensitive, so he could only leave the tent in a daze. And when he took this military order to the central army tent, which was actually only a few dozen paces away, he glanced at the order in his hand and was instantly struck with shock and dread.

Not only that, this sense of shock and dread spread almost instantly along with the military order to all the central army staff and sworn followers.

Under the candlelight, Qian Zhao, styled Zijing, who was on duty there, had always been known for his steadiness, and Jia Wenhe was known for his wisdom and composure. But now, as the two looked at each other, their faces both turned pale, at a loss for words — it turned out that the content of Gongsun Xun's military order was very simple: it ordered Gongsun Ding and the Baima attendant students Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Wang Can, and others to arrive at Guandu within two days and be assigned to the forward army.

In all fairness, if this order had been issued in court, Jia Xu, Qian Zhao, and even Pang De, Wang Xiang, Yang Jun, and the other senior officials currently in the tent should all have remonstrated to the death to block it. But at this very moment, it was extremely difficult to refute... because there were too many taboos involved. Gongsun Xun's resolve, Lu Fan's grief over losing his son, the irreversibility of wartime military orders in the system — all of these left these men with no choice but to watch as this military order completed its circuit through the central army tent according to procedure, and was then sent out overnight by feathered riders, leaving a group of people standing dumbfounded in the tent.

It was only at this moment that everyone suddenly realized just what kind of resolve was contained in the words Gongsun Xun had spoken that evening in the wounded soldiers' camp!

And so, two days later, Gongsun Ding, who had spent several months washing warhorses at Baima, hurriedly arrived at Guandu and was bewilderedly sent by his own father to the Guandu front lines. That same evening, on the other side of Guandu, Cao Mengde also welcomed a crucially important close junior.

Indeed, this person was none other than Sun Ce, Sun Bofu, whom Gongsun Xun had jokingly called the Little Overlord of Jiangdong! After receiving the letter personally delivered by Cao Ang, he did not hesitate at all, directly followed the letter's instructions, readied ten thousand troops, and then hurried over. And as requested in the letter, he stationed his troops at Zhongmu behind him, then together with Cao Zixiu rode through the night, traveling alone and stealthily straight into Cao Cao's tent.

"Honored Foster Father!"

When Sun Bofu arrived at the central army tent and saw there were no idle personnel around, he knew Cao Cao had long been prepared, so he no longer concealed anything, but strode boldly into the tent in full armor with his sword at his side. "I have already read the letter, and Zixiu has also roughly told me some of the situation... Forgive my bluntness, but if matters have reached this point and Foster Father still has a way to win, please tell me immediately. Otherwise, I might as well take the opportunity to head south and return to Wu Commandery!"

"Bofu!"

Now, Cao Mengde, waiting in full battle gear in the central army tent, had long been prepared. At this moment, only Liu Ye and Cao Ren, one civil and one military, two key figures, stood waiting at his sides. Hearing Sun Ce speak so bluntly, he knew there was no need for pretense, and so he directly told him face to face: "I intend to send you on a surprise raid against Yecheng!"

At these words, from Sun Ce and Cao Ang, who had just entered, to Liu Ye and Cao Ren, who had been waiting for a long time, everyone lost their composure and then found the idea utterly absurd.

Sun Ce even laughed out loud and simply turned to leave, only stopped by Cao Ang grabbing hold of him.

Liu Ziyang had no choice but to brace himself and ask on behalf of the men in the tent: "May I ask, Minister of Works Cao, how could Yexia be taken so easily?"

"First, Yexia is currently undefended!" Cao Cao unhurriedly rose, supporting himself on the Qinggang Sword, and strode imposingly toward the open space in the tent. "Second..."

"Foster Father, hold on," Sun Ce, having waited for Cao Cao to finish only half a sentence, turned back with a cold laugh.

"No!" At that very moment, Deputy Commander Liu Ye, who had just questioned Cao Cao, suddenly had a flash of understanding and then turned to support Cao Cao. "It is just as Minister of Works Cao says — Yexia is undefended! General Sun, think about it: at this moment, Xuzhou has been taken, Guandu is taut with tension, and Gongsun Xun's intent to settle the overall situation can no longer be concealed. So what will he do?"

Without waiting for Sun Ce to answer, Liu Ye clapped his hands and answered himself: "Hebei certainly has surplus strength in the rear, but with the decisive battle imminent, what is the point of keeping those forces? And if he commits forces now, there is no reason not to send them to Guandu and Xuzhou!"

Sun Ce thought for a moment, then actually nodded in agreement, and took the opportunity to turn around… because the reasoning was still very simple. With Xuzhou breaking through like this and the standoff at Guandu reaching its limit, Gongsun Xun had no reason to hold back his strength any longer, and those reserve forces had no reason not to be thrown into the vicinity of the Guandu battlefield and the Xuzhou front.

In that light, Cao Cao’s stratagem was actually comparable to Guan Yu’s raid on Xiapi — both were about striking when the enemy’s strength was concentrated elsewhere, exploiting the gap to drive straight at the vital heart.

“No need to speculate. Our army received confirmed intelligence earlier: after the Xuzhou affair, Gongsun Wenqi immediately dispatched Yingzhou troops and Liaodong troops to Xuzhou; meanwhile, Xu Rong from Guanxi will also lead ten thousand Guanxi horse and foot to reinforce Luoyang, then choose the moment to either reinforce Guandu or attack Yangzhai; Baima will also immediately send another massive shipment of military supplies to support Guandu… and here at Guandu, a great battle is imminent within days!” Cao Cao spoke calmly, looking around at those beside him. “In other words, the situation right now is like two men fighting. If Hebei is a strong man, then Xuzhou and Guandu are like Hebei’s two clenched fists. And when both fists are clenched, his chest is naturally exposed. We, as the weaker side taking the beating, must seize the time — on one hand, rise up and take the opponent’s fists head-on, and on the other, drive a blade straight in, just to seek a sliver of survival!”

Everyone pondered this, but Sun Ce suddenly laughed again: “So then, I, this young man, am that blade? But forgive my bluntness — if we compare Hebei to a strong man, can a mere ten thousand troops really count as a blade? One thrust of this blade would only scratch a layer of Hebei’s skin, wouldn’t it?”

“Of course it’s not just ten thousand troops…” Cao Cao answered gravely.

“If we split off a large force from Guandu, I’m afraid we couldn’t hide it from the Yan army right in front of us,” Cao Ren couldn’t help interjecting.

“Naturally we cannot send a large army from Guandu. However, I have long hidden considerable troops elsewhere.” Cao Cao’s expression was as composed as ever, clearly long prepared. “A full twenty thousand and more. Combined with Bofu’s ten thousand troops, that makes exactly thirty thousand fresh soldiers.”

“Even with troops, it may not be possible to conceal them,” Sun Ce said, his heart stirring slightly. He paced forward to face his foster father, yet still shook his head repeatedly. “Foster Father, from the Central Plains heartland to Yecheng is well over five hundred li. Thirty thousand troops marching five hundred li, with so many Yan troops along the way — how could they not be detected? And the Yan army has many cavalry. If they are detected, thirty thousand fresh soldiers would simply meet their end annihilated in the open wilderness!”

“My troops are hidden right under Gongsun Xun’s nose,” Cao Cao said, still composed. “From the Central Plains heartland, strung all the way to the banks of the Great River… If you advance from there, not only can you assemble the troops at leisure, you can also evade the Yan army’s sight and reach the Great River directly!”

Sun Ce and his cousin Cao Ang were both dumbfounded, but Liu Ye seemed to have thought of something, momentarily finding it hard to believe.

But Cao Mengde had already revealed the answer: “Cao Hong at Boxian, Gao Gan at Dingtao, Zhang Chao at Juyang, Li Jin at Lihu, Yue Jin at Puyang… what do you think of these five men?”

“Either renowned generals of the age, or reliable veteran commanders,” Sun Ce answered through gritted teeth. “But…”

“And what of these five cities?” Cao Cao pressed on.

“All are great and famous cities of the Central Plains, and they form a line from south to north, straight to a crossing on the Great River.” Sun Ce found it increasingly unbelievable. “Foster Father, in your earlier difficulties, you kept them all and never moved them — was it actually for this day? I thought some among them had turned disloyal, so that Foster Father could not even maneuver this defense line…”

“Exactly to make the world think so. I won’t hide it from you — to deceive Gongsun Wenqi, I even had Gao Gan, Zhang Chao, and Li Jin each write letters pledging loyalty to Guandu, pretending neutrality,” Cao Cao said with a cold laugh. “However, Gao Gan, because of Yuan Shao, has always harbored hatred for Gongsun Wenqi. After his clansman Gao Rou surrendered and was executed by the decimation lottery, he hates the Gongsun clan to the marrow. As for Zhang Chao, though he bears a grudge against me, he is loyal to the Han throne and has absolutely no second heart. As for Li Jin, you may not trust him, but I know he is a man of integrity. Since he is my subordinate, he will never betray me! To outsiders, these three have long seemed half-hearted. Only Yue Jin, with five thousand elite troops, biting down on the great city of Puyang, Yuan Rang controlling the great marshes, and Zilian holding firm at Boxian, keeps them unable to move, and thus they have survived…”

Sun Ce lost his composure even more: “So then, if I advance behind these five great cities, skirting Heze, Leize, and Juyeze, I could actually lead thirty thousand troops at leisure right to the walls of Puyang?”

“As long as Bofu is fast enough!” Cao Cao said frankly. “It will naturally be so.”

Around them, Cao Ren and Cao Ang were already dumbstruck, and Liu Ye was also bent over his calculations. Sun Ce, head lowered and hand resting on the Ancient Ingot Blade, paced several circles inside the tent, then shook his head repeatedly, countering almost as if struggling: “It still won’t work! May I ask, Foster Father, how do we cross the Great River?! The Great River to Yecheng is like armor to the heart behind the chest… Thirty thousand troops, even if they suddenly reach Puyang, how can they quickly succeed in crossing the river? Why not, I say, gather the troops at Puyang and then try to take Baima? If Baima can be taken…”

“How many days would you need to take Baima?”

Cao Cao cut him off coldly. “Gao Suqing is a renowned general of the age, especially adept at bitter defensive battles. Gongsun Wenqi put him in command of ten thousand troops to hold Baima, yet never lets him go out to fight — what is the purpose? To cover advances and retreats, nothing more! In other words, just as I have not used you until now, and now use you for this matter, it is actually because I regard you as the most battle-worthy and most reliable man, specially kept for use here! Gao Suqing is likewise the most battle-worthy and most reliable man in Gongsun Wenqi’s eyes, which is why he was given this assignment… If you cannot crush Gao Suqing in two days, do you believe Xu Huang and Zhang He’s reinforcements will not turn around and hem you in by the riverbank?!”

“But what about crossing the river?!” Sun Ce laughed helplessly, spreading his hands in retort. In his loss of composure, he had long ceased to treat the other as his foster father. “Our thirty thousand troops, crossing north over the river — how long would it take to build pontoon bridges and cross the Great River? By then, not to mention Gao Suqing would have long detected the movement and circled back to the north bank, I fear Xu Huang would already be charging in from behind!”

“I have left ready-made pontoon bridges at Puyang,” Cao Cao answered calmly. “Hundreds of boats linked by iron chains, deployed in sequence — in an instant they can form several pontoon bridges! Enough for your thirty thousand men to cross entirely in one night! So, the Great River may be an obstacle, but it is an obstacle for the Yan army!”

At this point, Cao Cao paused briefly, then added one more line: “This is also a method I learned from Gongsun Wenqi when we put down the Yellow Turbans!”

Sun Ce again felt that sense of absurdity he had experienced upon first entering the tent, yet he could not help staring at his foster father and asking earnestly: “Iron-chained boats sufficient for thirty thousand men to cross in one night — how long has Foster Father been secretly preparing this?”

“About less than three years.”

Sun Bofu was instantly silenced, and the tent fell into wordless stillness.

“What is there to be astonished about?” Cao Cao said calmly. “Ever since Gongsun Wenqi destroyed Yuan Shao and moved his headquarters to Yecheng, and I gained the territory of Yanzhou, I already foresaw this day. So from that time, I began secretly collecting boats, stringing them with iron chains, but never displayed them outwardly. I simply stored them well, preserved in the dry warehouses of the Puyang city crossing, and had my most trusted Wenqian serve as Grand Administrator of Dongjun, with special jurisdiction over Puyang… In truth, wasn’t Liu Xuande’s early intervention in the Xuzhou navy the same thing? Wasn’t our joint collection of warhorses the same? It’s just that neither of us expected we would need to use these preparations so soon.”

The tent remained silent.

“Bofu, you will set out immediately. Travel along the south bank of the Sui River, with banners furled and silence imposed, heading straight east. General Huang Hansheng will also set out together, but he will only take three thousand troops under his own banner, marching east along the Bian River, feigning as troops reinforcing Xuzhou.” Cao Cao stood there, gathering his focus, and spoke slowly. “This way, no one will detect you…”

“When you reach Suiyang, cross the river to Boxian. There, Zilian will certainly have already intercepted General Huang according to my orders. Show them the military orders and the tiger tally, take the two of them, combine your forces, and turn northward…”

“At that time, with Heze, Leize, and Juyeze shielding you on the east, and great cities like Boxian, Dingtao, Lihu, and Juyang screening you on the west, you will advance swiftly while rendezvousing with Gao Gan, Zhang Chao, Li Jin, and the others…”

“Time it precisely. Enter Puyang after nightfall. When you see Yue Wenqian, he will immediately bring out the boats hidden at the Puyang crossing. The iron-chained boats will form bridges, and you will cross the river at once that very night!”

“You are the Regional Commander, Wenqian is the deputy commander, plus Li Tuizhi, Zilian, Huang Hansheng, Zhang Menggao, and Gao Yuancai — seven armies in total, thirty thousand men. If you succeed in crossing the river, you will be no more than one hundred sixty li from Yexia, with only Neihuang in between, which is nine times out of ten an empty city. Take three days’ dry rations and drive straight north… The only concern at that point is Gao Suqing alone. Whether you split off troops to block Baima Crossing, or set an ambush midway, or ignore him entirely — I leave that to you… All I want is for you to take Yexia!”

“If Yexia is taken…” Liu Ye murmured to himself.

“If Yexia is taken, we cannot expect to reverse the entire situation with that, but it will be enough to make Gongsun Wenqi lose his strength, to have no more power to advance. Negotiating peace will always be an option!” Cao Cao said solemnly, hand on his sword. “However, on this journey into Hebei, if you cannot establish a foothold, the entire army will inevitably be annihilated… Therefore, I must ask once more — Bofu, you brat, do you dare go or not?”

“What if I dare?” Sun Ce, who had been pacing and listening carefully to Cao Cao’s exposition, also stopped, hand on his sword, facing him, the corner of his mouth slightly curling. “And what if I don’t?”

“If you dare, I will pour a cup of wine for you here, and send Zixiu to carry your banner. You drink it, and go at once!” Cao Cao stood erect, utterly motionless. “If you don’t dare, I ask you to stay here and help Zixiu guard the main camp — I will go to Hebei myself!”

Cao Ang, hearing this, wanted to step forward, but was grabbed and held back by Cao Ren.

Sun Ce, upon hearing this, first let out a scoff, then twisted his armored body, pacing left and right before Cao Cao. One hand gripped the hilt of the Ancient Ingot Blade tightly, while from every angle he stared fixedly into his foster father’s eyes.

It must be said, Sun Bofu inherited his father’s tall, powerful build. As he stared at his foster father now, he naturally looked down from a height, with the glare of a hawk and the gaze of a wolf. Yet somehow, Cao Mengde, standing opposite him with head raised and utterly motionless, also had an air of looking down from above, like a tiger or leopard standing erect.

The two men — at once father and son, uncle and nephew, and father-in-law and son-in-law — faced each other in this posture, one moving and one still, for a long time, until Sun Ce finally broke it.

Sun Bofu glanced back at Cao Ang, the somewhat ferocious smile on his face fading slightly, then turned back, raised an eyebrow, and faced his foster father:

“My lord, how is your military discipline so lax? As the Regional Commander, you actually have good wine hidden away?”

Cao Cao, hand on the Blue Steel Sword, laughed aloud with head raised, his voice shaking the army tent.

On the nineteenth day of the ninth month, the very evening after Huang Zhong, under orders, led three thousand troops east to support the eastern front, Gongsun Xun met Deng Dang, who had gone and returned for the second time, and received from him the intelligence Huang Gai had sent as agreed… Just as he had said, the man had persuaded Cao Cao and would go to Yangzhai to set an ambush and attack Xu Rong.

Gongsun Xun, with a broad stroke of his brush, sent Deng Dang rolling back to Huang Gai’s side, but with orders for Huang Gai to change the plan and raid Wuchao instead, because he suddenly did not want to take the long detour to Yangzhai anymore… Too far, too tiring!

Wuchao would do just fine.

—————I am a dividing line that is nothing at all—————

“The chill wind sharpens the autumn season; the judicial officer proclaims the detailed punishments.

Our lord sets forth in due season, martial and mighty, marching south on campaign.

Galloping freely across the broad wilds, troops arrayed upon the low wetlands.

The campaigning soldiers yearn for their kin — who among them can lack such tender feelings?

Clutching their lapels, leaning on the catapult carts, they gaze longingly, thinking of Yecheng.

Pity those soldiers of the southern army, sighing deeply at the wild geese’s cries.

Sun and moon find no settled place — what man can obtain lasting peace?

Men of old followed the Duke of Zhou, and once they marched, it was three full years.

But now our divinely martial host, in a mere month, shall swiftly bring peace.

Casting aside the kindness of kin and friends, we pour out our strength, exhausting our loyal devotion.

I fear I am of no use as a single soldier, to repay the sincerity of my unearned sustenance.

Day and night I discipline my nature, my thoughts of departing like a drawn, tangled cord.”

"I shall grasp the feathered arrow and lead the ascent; how dare I heed the sound of the gong?" — *On Military Service, Poem Three*. Yan. Wang Can

(End of Chapter)