Chapter 504: Unyielding in Final Fortitude, Not to Be Defied

A chance in war must not be taken lightly.

This was the cruel historical lesson left to all under Heaven by that brilliant showdown between Han Gaozu and the Chu Overlord.

Xiang Yu routed Liu Bang several times, sending him fleeing in utter defeat, and won victory in several decisive battles, yet he always fell just short of that final breath, time and again allowing Liu Bang, trapped in desperate straits, to rise again with the aid of Xiao He, Han Xin, Lu Ze, Zhang Liang, and others.

By contrast, Xiang Yu, merely once when his strength flagged and he negotiated peace with Liu Bang to divide the realm, had his true weakness glimpsed by Zhang Liang and the others, and was then encircled at Gaixia by Liu Bang, who tore up the agreement and led the nobles of the realm against him, ending with no face to see the elders of Jiangdong.

Therefore, after achieving victory simultaneously on both the Xiapi and Wuchao fronts, without even waiting for the outcome at Neihuang, Gongsun Xun no longer hesitated. Bearing the immense pressure of attrition, he immediately launched an all-out general assault. On the morning of the sixth day of the tenth month, after nearly three days and nights of fierce attack, he successfully breached the Central Plains Allied Army's main camp at Guandu and then initiated a grand strategic advance.

However, to call it an advance was something of an overstatement. In reality, with Liu Ye leading the remnants at Guandu to surrender, Cao Cao and Cao Ren each fleeing in panic with only a few thousand broken troops, and Lu Su, stationed nearby at Chenliu, decisively leading his Huainan forces south to Pengcheng upon grasping the situation, the Yan Army's advance faced virtually no real military pressure anymore... This advance was more akin to a strategic pursuit.

Not to mention elsewhere, at Guandu the various units were essentially split in two: one force pursued Cao Cao toward Yingchuan and Nanyang; the other pursued Cao Ren toward Chenliu and Chen Commandery, taking cities and seizing territory along the way as easily as eating and drinking.

With the war at this stage, and as the news of the three battles—Xuzhou, Wuchao, and Neihuang—spread thoroughly with the advance and retreat of both armies, all under Heaven had already come to a stark realization: in this war, Duke Yan had won after all!

But the one defeated was by no means Cao Cao alone, and what Duke Yan was about to gain was by no means merely Guandu, or Chen Commandery, or even the Central Plains.

"The matter is already perfectly clear!"

In Wancheng, Nanyang, this southern capital of the Great Han that had been peaceful for nearly a full year, an unprecedented chaos instantly erupted, for everyone knew that Gongsun Xun, in this campaign, aside from annexing the Central Plains, if there was even the slightest possibility, would certainly want to "invite His Majesty back to explain the situation"!

And for all those in Wancheng, could there possibly be any good outcome?

"The matter is already perfectly clear, and extremely urgent! Lord Cao is hurrying here, and Xun Wenruo has already led the noble houses of the Central Plains who are willing to serve the Han to Runan. Their intention is for us to move from the imperial hometown of Caiyang into Jiangxia, to carry on... Gentlemen, do you have any views?" On the so-called court, the Grand Commandant Yang Biao, who was speaking, looked as if he had aged more than ten years, his hair completely white, cowering and timid, utterly lacking his former spirit.

It must be said, this was not solely due to the blow of the cruel situation before him, nor merely from worry over the future of the Han house. To a large extent, it was the result of the toil he had endured over the past year, having truly shouldered the responsibility for the so-called rise and fall of the Han.

And it made sense. Nanyang might be a great commandery, and Lu Bu, whom the Han court-in-exile used to squeeze out Cao Cao and control half of Nanyang, was indeed a man fairly easy to placate. But with the war raging at the front, everything was prioritized for military needs, and the little court could basically only sustain itself at the bare minimum economic level. And that was not even the worst of it. The crux was that Yang Biao, as the foremost minister of the central government, also had to liaise among the three warlords, dancing on three eggs at once. Today he had to think of ways to placate Cao Cao, who was risking his life at the front; tomorrow he had to think of ways to persuade Liu Biao and his subordinates not to harbor defeatist tendencies; the day after, he had to go begging to Liu Bei in neighboring Runan, scrounging for funds for the Mid-Autumn sacrifices... And at the slightest sign of trouble at the front, he still had to soothe the frightened young Emperor!

Beyond all this, he had to do everything possible to maintain and expand the Han's influence.

But—and this is the crucial "but"—no matter how he maintained it, the situation deteriorated day by day, and finally arrived at this point today: Liu Bei, whose strength was formidable and whose territory seemed the most secure, had lost Xuzhou first, his lands now fully exposed to the Yan Army's blades; Cao Cao, leading an army of several hundred thousand, had also been defeated and could only flee in disarray here; Sun Ce, the loyal tiger general of Wu Commandery, was even more decisively dead, his head severed from his body; and Liu Biao had simply become ambiguous to an extremely dangerous degree.

At this moment, it was perhaps only Lu Bu and his small force of under ten thousand troops who could be relied upon. In fact, Lu Bu had just hurried back to Wancheng from Yingchuan with four thousand soldiers.

"What does Marquis Wen think?" In the midst of the silence, Yang Biao naturally looked toward Lu Fengxian.

"It is not that I distrust Cao Mengde or that Xun Wenruo," said Lu Bu, who had just withdrawn from Yingchuan and stood in full armor in the great hall of the former Nanyang Grand Administrator's residence, now the Emperor's audience hall, frowning slightly as he expressed a definite and unmistakable doubt. "But Jiangxia, of all places—how is that a place fit for the Son of Heaven? Right on the edge of the Yangtze River... if we truly go there, what will all under Heaven think of the court?"

These words were indeed reasonable... but the problem was, if not Jiangxia, where else could they go?

"But if not Jiangxia, where else can we go?" Deng Zhi, a native of Nanyang, the young Gentleman Attendant of the Yellow Gate, a descendant of the great Han founding minister Deng Yu, and now much trusted by the Emperor, pondered briefly and sighed with emotion. "The war has raged for over half a year, with countless dead. Now that things have come to this, will the Hebei side still let us off? Moreover, even if we could abandon our offices and seek the safety of commoners, would the Son of Heaven have any other fate in the hands of the rebel Yan? As matters stand, we can only follow Lord Cao and Xun Wenruo to Jiangxia."

At these words, the court, which had few people to begin with, seemed even more desolate.

The logic was that simple. At this juncture, unless the Han court-in-exile had the resolve for mutual destruction, it fundamentally had no choice but to flee south. And once fleeing south, going to the core territories of Liu Bei and Liu Biao would certainly be extremely dangerous. The only plan for now was to gather as much of the fleeing southern forces as possible, and under the Emperor's banner, establish a foothold at the intersection of the two families' territories—namely, the Jiangxia region.

There was never much to discuss in the first place. After a pause, as the young Emperor also let out a sigh, the matter was thus settled. Jing Ze and Deng Zhi were to be responsible for the relocation of the imperial regalia and palace guard; Yang Biao was to inventory the government stores; Lu Bu was to ready the army—all preparing to head south together as soon as Cao Cao arrived.

Leaving others aside for the moment, Lu Bu, having hurried back to his residence in Wancheng, found the more he thought about it, the more stifled he felt, and the more he thought, the harder it was to accept. This soon disturbed one person.

"What troubles my lord?" A finely dressed woman of about eighteen or nineteen years came swaying gracefully over. Seeing Lu Bu's frustration, her face also showed worry. She was none other than Lu Bu's wife, the eldest daughter of Yuan Shu.

As the saying goes, an old husband with a young wife naturally has weak knees. Besides, whatever else might be said of Lu Bu, he was always particular in his treatment of his wife, especially this wife, who, as a legitimate daughter of the Yuan clan and a relative of the Yang clan, made him cherish her all the more.

So Lu Fengxian, far from being angered by her words, forced a cheerful expression, hurriedly rose to receive her, and helped her sit down in the hall, offering a few words of comfort in return: "Madam, you need not worry. It is merely a matter of court business."

"Why must my lord deceive me?" Lady Yuan, having taken her seat, was not afraid. "Everyone outside says that Minister Cao has lost the war, and that everyone in Nanyang must move to Jiangxia... Is our family not going?"

Lu Bu sighed, growing ever more helpless: "I did not expect it to spread so quickly through the entire city!"

"So we really are going to Jiangxia?" Lady Yuan also furrowed her brow.

"Indeed." Lu Bu, helpless, could only be frank. "As things stand, there is no other way. We can only go to Jiangxia... Is Madam worried about the long and remote journey? Rest assured, I will personally escort you safely to Jiangxia."

"I know there is no other way." Lady Yuan shook her head repeatedly, but then suddenly recalled something, growing even more distressed. "My lord, do you think that when we return to Jiangxia this time, we can still live in the same residence where we were married? The one that belonged to Huang Zu?"

Lu Bu was slightly startled, then his expression fell.

"I thought as much." Lady Yuan immediately forced a smile at his reaction. "This time is not like before. Now, going to Jiangxia again, with the Son of Heaven, my uncle, and I hear Minister Cao all going, how could that original residence still be for us as a couple?"

Lu Bu smiled even more bitterly, the wrinkles on his brow seeming to tighten further: "Do you think I, your husband, am willing to go to Jiangxia? You must understand, I am a northerner. Nanyang, at least, is the heartland of the Central Plains, and I can still adapt. If it were not absolutely necessary, even if there were a grand mansion, how would I be willing to go to Jiangxia?"

"I feel the same way," Lady Yuan said, her own spirits sinking completely. "I grew up in the region between Ru, Ying, Wan, and Luo. How could I be willing to go south? And besides, since my lord returned from Luyang two months ago, my monthly cycle has not come for over a month. It may well be that I am with child. The thought of my children not knowing the sights and customs of the Central Plains in the future makes me feel it is all so unworthy."

As Lady Yuan lamented her sorrows, she did not notice that Lu Bu beside her was already stunned speechless... He was now nearing forty, yet had only one daughter, born of a previous union, in Chang'an. It was said that when she came of age this year, Gongsun Xun, who happened to be in Chang'an, had taken it upon himself to betroth her to Jia Xu's son, and she was already considered water spilled. Now, hearing that his wife might be pregnant, how could he not be overjoyed?

Yet, given the current situation, such joyous news only seemed to bring greater worry.

In the chaos of war, what if something happened on the road?

At this thought, Lu Fengxian first comforted her for a while, then inquired after her health. After he had somewhat collected himself, he could only grow increasingly indignant: "If there were even the slightest chance of a lasting peace and stability, why would I be willing to drag you through such hardship? How fine it would be for the family to live in stable wealth and honor!"

Hearing these words, Lady Yuan's expression and heart were both subtly stirred.

Lu Bu, with his sharp eyes, noticed at a glance and took the initiative to ask: "Does Madam have something to say?"

"It is not that I have any particular idea, but I happened to visit my father in the rear courtyard yesterday," Lady Yuan said cautiously. "They say even close kin should not meddle, and though Minister Cao and my uncle previously said my father was guilty and forbade him from taking even half a step out of the rear courtyard, now that the situation is so chaotic... could my lord take charge and use this opportunity to release my father?"

Lu Fengxian immediately rose and let out a scornful laugh: "Madam is absolutely right. At this point, even Minister Cao and the others cannot protect themselves. How can my father-in-law not be released? Let us go to the rear courtyard now and see him."

Lady Yuan finally allowed herself a slight smile, and seeing this, Lu Bu was instantly invigorated.

Leaving aside for the moment Lu Bu's visit to Yuan Shu and whatever dazzling sparks might fly between this son-in-law and father-in-law, let it be said that in these days, the Yan Army's advance was swift. Not only was Chenliu fully taken and Chen Commandery completely subdued, but even in Yingchuan, progress was rapid under the pincer attack of Xu Rong, who could no longer be restrained, and the reinforcements from Guandu.

Cao Mengde had originally wanted to wait briefly around Xu County for news, and incidentally gather some Yingchuan sons willing to follow him south. But Xu Rong, emerging from Huanyuan Pass with his eyes red from craving military glory, had reached an extreme—how could he allow Cao Cao any breathing room? After joining forces with Zhang Liao to breach Yangzhai, he barely paused before leading his troops south to attack Xu County.

Regarding this, Zhang Liao and the other main forces from Guandu naturally could not say much. It was only hard on Cao Cao, who, left with no choice, also had to make a non-stop dash, fleeing south in disarray, abandoning all of Yingchuan, and arriving at Luyang City, the northern gateway to Nanyang... Here, there were some fresh troops under Lu Bu's command who had withdrawn from the front lines, which allowed him to catch his breath slightly, but he dared not move rashly, fearing he could not shake off Xu Rong's cavalry.

And it was at this moment that Gongsun Xun, having personally relocated to Xu County, received letters from Lu Bu, Cai Mao, and many, many others.

Of course, this time these letters did not need to be consigned to the flames, for all of them had lowered their stance as much as possible, coming with genuine sincerity. And as matters stood, Gongsun Xun indeed wished to avoid unnecessary casualties and use diplomatic means to gain the greatest possible practical benefit.

"Cai Dejue (Cai Mao) says in his letter that I need not come in person. As long as I give my nod, he is willing, before the end of this year, to hand over all lands north of the Mian River, excluding Deng County, to Zhong Yuanchang from the Wuguan direction... What do the two military advisors say?" In the main hall of the Xu County government office, after reading one letter, Gongsun Xun tossed it directly to Lu Meng beside him, who hurriedly took it and passed it to Wang Xiang, seated below the hall, for filing.

"This should also be the limit of Liu Biao's concessions," Jia Xu concluded after a moment's thought. "Deng County is Xiangyang City's shield north of the Mian; he must keep this city to guard against a surprise attack on Xiangyang by you, my lord. And having Zhong Yuanchang take over, while urging you, my lord, not to come to Nanyang, clearly shows his fear of your grand army pressing down upon him. As for handing over Nanyang before year's end, yet not mentioning the Son of Heaven, it clearly implies he tacitly allows the Emperor to go to Jiangxia, does not intend any rebellious act against his duty as a subject, and will then transfer the territory..."

"Since he is so sincere, how should I respond?" Gongsun Xun asked with a wry smile. "Gongda!"

"That depends on Your Highness's next sequence of advance!" Xun You replied unhurriedly and calmly. "After this battle, the Central Plains region, north of the Huai River, will certainly be settled. Next, whether to first pin down Liu Xuande and take all of Jiangbei, or to first exert full effort to catch up with Cao Mengde and the Son of Heaven, will require some arrangement and division of forces. And if we look further ahead, along the ten thousand li of the Great River, from west to east—Yizhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou—which should be taken first, or should we simply take them all at once? This requires careful consideration... So whether to agree to Cai Dejue's proposal depends on whether Your Highness has the intention to pacify Jingzhou first and quickly. If not, then why not agree? If you do intend to march directly into Jingzhou, then naturally there is no need to pay him any heed! However, what exactly is Your Highness's plan? Not even half a moment's delay is permissible."

Gongsun Xun sat in the Grand Commandant's chair upon the dais, his hand on the broken blade at his waist, silent for a long time. Only after a long while did he speak solemnly under the expectant gazes of the full hall of staff and subordinates: "To be frank with Wenhe and Gongda, in the past Emperor Guangwu said, 'Man suffers from not knowing contentment; having pacified Long, he then looks toward Shu. Every time troops are dispatched, one's hair and temples turn white.' Warfare drags on, chaos never ceases, and the common people suffer. If I had the spare strength, I would naturally wish to pacify the realm without a moment's pause. But after Emperor Guangwu proclaimed himself emperor, he took six years to reclaim seven or eight-tenths of the realm, yet spent six more years in Long and Shu, losing many troops and officers before finally taking them and unifying the realm, and even then left behind the root of the Qiang rebellion in Longshang. Now, counting from the oath at Mount Chang after Dong Zhuo's rebellion, I too have taken seven or eight-tenths of the realm in six years. Therefore, though my heart desires to swallow ten thousand li like a tiger, I cannot help but worry that the last leg of a hundred-li journey is the hardest, and that a full-scale rash advance might meet setbacks at the Yangtze, instead delaying the pace of conquering the realm."

The expressions of the crowd varied, but none spoke.

"Thus, I intend to keep the advance and conquest continuous, but do not plan to achieve total victory in one final campaign... Qing and Xu have suffered disasters this year, and the Central Plains has been hollowed out by the war. For this campaign, I intend to first reach the edge of the Great River, then allow the Central Plains and Hebei to recuperate, shifting instead to using the forces of the Three Adjuncts and Liang-Zang, which have not been overworked, to jointly plot against Shu. Once Shu is taken, the navy can threaten South China along Wu Commandery and Kuaiji, and it would be best to persuade Shi Xie, Shi Weiyan, of Jiaozhou to surrender. In this way, taking Jingzhou and Yangzhou will be as simple as a ripe melon falling from the vine... Though this approach may delay the unification of the realm by a year or two, it absolutely eliminates any possibility of reversal, and allows us to respond with composure." At this point, Gongsun Xun looked around and asked solemnly, "What do you all think?"

"Your servant has one question," Jia Xu said after a moment's thought, being the first to respond. "If we divide our forces to pacify Shu, Wu, and the Jiang-Han region in sequence, will my lord still personally lead the troops?"

"The one who understands me is Wenhe indeed." Gongsun Xun laughed again. "This is precisely the problem... Now that I have taken seven or eight parts of the realm, though I do not intend to advance my title or rank further, I already possess the substance of the realm's sovereign. And as the realm's sovereign, overseeing the whole situation, even victory adds no further prestige, yet a single setback would shake the realm. That being so, why not dispatch great generals of the fronts to take Shu, Wu, and Jianghan in turn? Victory lets them advance on their own; defeat brings no setback to me... At worst, we simply change a general and try again."

"That being so, your servant deems it entirely proper." Jia Xu bowed in salute.

At once, the entire hall of advisors, sworn followers, and military officers, from Xun You on down, also rose one after another to bow in salute.

"Enough. Then send a reply to Cai Mao, telling him he must transfer Nanyang to Zhong Yuanchang before the twelfth month arrives!" Gongsun Xun clearly paid no mind to these formalities. While waving everyone to settle down, he took out another letter from the desk — precisely the missive sent by Lu Bu — shook his head for a moment, then tossed it over to Lu Meng at his side as he had done before. "There is one more matter. Lu Fengxian says that he was originally appointed Governor of Nanyang by the court's mandate, and afterward was merely a subject receiving orders from the Son of Heaven... He had no intention of opposing me, only feared I could not tolerate him, and therefore gathered troops at Luyang and Luhun Pass. Now, he has voluntarily abandoned half a commandery of Yingchuan and returned to Luyang as a gesture of sincerity, hoping to receive my pardon and continue as Governor of Nanyang. In this way, he will certainly escort the Son of Heaven to see me, so that lord and vassal may be reconciled."

"These are not words Lu Bu could produce," Jia Xu said, immediately speechless. "Someone must be instructing him."

"He hopes I can pardon his father-in-law, Yuan Shu." Gongsun Xun seemed to have thought of something amusing, momentarily unable to suppress his mirth.

Jia Wenhe grew even more speechless and simply fell silent... Come to think of it, his own second son had married Lu Bu's daughter, so Yuan Gonglu was actually his, Jia Wenhe's, elder by marriage!

"Can this matter truly succeed?" Xun You suddenly spoke up to ask. "Though he has a few thousand troops, most were locally conscripted in Nanyang, and half are still at Luyang. Moreover, Cao Mengde has also now withdrawn to Luyang. If we truly grant his request, given the conduct of this father-in-law and son-in-law pair, I fear it will only backfire and needlessly damage Your Highness's reputation..."

"Indeed. At this stage, the Son of Heaven's situation is hardly a concern anymore. Why complicate matters?" Jia Xu, having recovered his composure, also clearly expressed his stance.

Gongsun Xun nodded slightly, evidently in full agreement with his two strategists.

And that was precisely the problem. Setting aside Yuan Gonglu, whom everyone found repulsive, times had changed. Gongsun Xun would indeed like to see the young Son of Heaven, his prestige utterly ruined, and the petty court at Wancheng delivered to him, so he could "clarify the situation" and further erode what little lingering embers of the Han house remained. But the prerequisite was that nothing could go wrong, and certainly it must not backfire!

One must understand that in Nanyang now, setting aside Cai Mao, who could not possibly involve himself in this matter, with Cao Cao's entry leading his routed troops, the remaining military strength was essentially split in two. A smaller portion, four to five thousand men, was at Wancheng under Lu Bu's control; but the larger portion, seven to eight thousand men, was concentrated at Luyang, Nanyang's northernmost gateway, and it was precisely there that Cao Cao and two of Lu Bu's senior commanders were located.

In other words, if things truly erupted, even if Lu Bu appeared to have the advantage in strength at first glance, Gongsun Xun did not think this fellow could outplay Cao Cao.

Worse still, given Lu Bu's martial temperament and his father-in-law's utter recklessness, what if the turmoil ended up causing the young Son of Heaven to be lost entirely?

Times and circumstances being what they were, even if the Son of Heaven clearly and unmistakably died in a clash between Cao Cao and Lu Bu, the people of the realm would surely pin the blame on him, Gongsun Xun, wouldn't they?

And in truth, that was exactly how it would be. Lu Bu's letter had already been delivered — ironclad proof, was it not?!

At this moment, Gongsun Xun truly had no need for complications. The Son of Heaven could die, but there was no need for him to die! The Son of Heaven could be delivered to "clarify the situation," but fleeing south, departing the Han house's foundation, and incidentally attracting a batch of Han loyalists to be forgotten by the realm in Jiangxia — that was also quite suitable, was it not?

Had no one noticed that Gongsun Xun had not even contacted Jingze? Surely he had not simply forgotten?

"Then send a reply as well!" Gongsun Xun, having reached this conclusion, instructed Wang Xiang. "Tell Lu Fengxian... his father-in-law's crimes cannot be pardoned. And how can a subject use the Son of Heaven as a bargaining chip? Incidentally, mention Luyang, hint that Cao Cao controls the troops there, and that he cannot possibly succeed anyway."

The assembled men naturally had nothing to add.

And so, the broad outlines of affairs were settled. Over the following days, Gongsun Xun established his headquarters at Xuxian, dispatching various divisions to attack cities and seize territory, simply waiting for the Central Plains to fall entirely into his grasp. Moreover, after Taishi Ci led tens of thousands of reinforcements from Liaodong and Yingzhou to join Lou Gui's command, Lou Zibo's front also began to shoulder a great number of advance operations, making Gongsun Xun at Xuxian appear increasingly idle. He merely exchanged letters ceaselessly with Liu Biao, Cai Mao, and Lu Bu, as if playing a game.

However, nothing in this world proceeds entirely smoothly, especially given the state of communications in this era. Thus, merely a few days later, regardless of what was happening a thousand li away... right before Gongsun Xun's eyes in Nanyang, two unexpected incidents occurred.

First, Yongzhou Governor Zhong Yao, Zhong Yuanchang, unaware that Gongsun Xun and Cai Mao had reached a de facto agreement, seized the opportunity of the victory at the decisive battle of Guandu to lead five thousand troops directly out of Wuguan, catching all of Nanyang off guard... This was, of course, a good thing. It might well allow him to scoop up in one pot both Cao Cao, who had been unable to shake off his pursuers and could only hold out stubbornly at Luyang, and the petty court that had been forced to remain at Wancheng while waiting for Cao Cao.

But very soon, a second event ruined Gongsun Xun's perfect vision for Nanyang — Xu Rong, who had been relentlessly pressing Cao Cao at Luyang without letting up, upon hearing that Zhong Yao had marched out of Wuguan, likely sought to seize the credit. Unable to resist, he attempted to cross the Funiu Mountains via a minor trail to achieve a stunning success. Yet Cao Mengde had detected this in advance, and then joined forces with two capable commanders Lu Bu had left to hold Luyang — namely Wei Xu and Huang Yuan — to fight a brilliant ambush battle in the mountains west of Luyang.

The valley mouths ahead and behind were sealed, the center set ablaze, and then arrows rained down thickly. The Yan army, at this juncture, actually suffered a defeat?!

And one must understand, in this battle, Xu Rong's loss of troops and officers and his temporary rout aside, the crux was that Cao Mengde, through this battle, ultimately seized a gap, managed to shake off the large pursuing force behind him, break free of Luyang, and withdraw at his leisure. This practically declared that Zhong Yao's efforts with Cai Mao were to be in vain!

At this, Gongsun Xun was of course furious, but could only hurriedly order Cheng Pu to personally lead the central army, which was resting and reorganizing at Xuxian, to advance swiftly to Luyang — on one hand to rendezvous with Xu Rong's defeated troops, and on the other to combine forces and continue the pursuit.

Yet, just as Gongsun Xun was raging at Xuxian over Xu Rong, he absolutely could not have imagined what sort of event would befall Cao Cao, whom he believed destined to escape to safety.

"Setting aside military equipment for now, why does County Magistrate have no grain?" At noon on the sixteenth day of the tenth month, in the city of County Magistrate, the key town north of Wancheng, Cao Mengde, who had just withdrawn here with seven to eight thousand troops, asked Wei Xu and Huang Yuan in astonishment. "Is this not the logistical hub behind Luyang?"

Wei Xu and Huang Yuan merely looked at each other, evidently both somewhat baffled as well.

However, after briefly questioning the local officials, they still clarified the reason — Lu Bu had ordered everything taken away!

Moreover, Lu Fengxian seemed to have anticipated that Cao Mengde and his own subordinates would have misgivings, and had specifically left a letter here.

Cao Cao opened it personally and read it over. The three men each understood... It turned out that Lu Bu claimed in the letter that the reason for this was that Cai Mao, who controlled the southern half of Nanyang commandery, had an ambiguous attitude, with faint signs that he might directly offer half of Nanyang to Yongzhou Governor Zhong Yuanchang, who had already reached Danshui. The situation was critical. For this reason, the petty court at Wancheng had hastily departed south just two days earlier — right after Cao Cao had won that battle — and the grain and military equipment had been taken away by men sent at that time.

At this explanation, Cao Cao, though helpless, could only accept it with a bitter smile, for the ambiguity between Liu Biao and Gongsun Xun was plain to see, and such a scenario indeed seemed highly probable.

Only...

"Only, with the situation collapsing to this extent, what else can be done?" Cao Cao, exhausted from days of hard marching and further worn by his earlier great defeat, was already utterly bedraggled, and now even more helpless. "But Lu Fengxian is also a man who understands military affairs. Why could he not leave behind a little ration, so the army could keep up? He must know the pursuers are but two days' march behind, and the cavalry could likely catch up tomorrow!"

Hearing Cao Cao's words still carrying blame toward his own lord, Huang Yuan could not help but be displeased: "Lord Cao thinks too much. In such a situation, how could we possibly withdraw at leisure with the entire army? Besides, most of these troops were locally recruited in Nanyang; they could not truly follow us to Jiangxia anyway. Furthermore, my lord wrote very clearly in the letter: the Yan army, after the previous defeat, will surely be cautious. They may well have lost all thought of pursuit, intending only to seize Nanyang's territory... If Lord Cao has the heart to complain, he would do better to ride swiftly with us to Wancheng to reunite with my lord. He is still waiting for us there!"

Cao Cao did not commit himself, but merely turned to look again at Wei Xu, who had not spoken a word. The latter, though expressionless, immediately nodded: "That is all we can do. But you two may as well go ahead. I will remain here to disband the troops, and then we shall reunite at Wancheng."

Cao Cao looked at this man, then at Huang Yuan, who seemed unconcerned, and promptly nodded his agreement.

And so, Cao Mengde and Huang Qianjiu went ahead. The two men took only two to three hundred trusted armored soldiers. Moreover, because those several hundred cavalry had all been taken back to Wancheng by Lu Bu beforehand, they lacked horses and could only hastily requisition some army nags, even mules and donkeys, to make do, barely assembling a force of three hundred mounted men. Then they hurried south without pause, leaving only Wei Xu to cover the rear.

That afternoon, heading south out of the county seat of County Magistrate, following the Yushui River for no more than five li, Cao Cao suddenly reined in his horse and proposed, right there on the road, that they cross the river at an improvised point.

Huang Yuan found this utterly absurd and immediately questioned him from horseback: "What is the matter with Lord Cao today? Earlier outside County Magistrate there was a pontoon bridge, yet you did not cross. I thought you intended to cross at the bridge in Bowang territory, but now you want to cross through open country... Could it be that the previous great defeat at Guandu has caused Lord Cao to lose his wits?"

Cao Cao gave a scornful laugh, but given the dire circumstances, could only offer this blockhead a brief explanation: "Commandant Huang, let me ask you — why do you think Commandant Wei chose to remain behind to cover the rear?"

However foolish Huang Yuan might be, he was still a veteran officer and not so dense as to miss such a pointed implication. He frowned at once: "Lord Cao means that Commandant Wei intends to seize the chance to surrender? But he is my lord's brother-in-law..."

At these words, before Cao Cao could explain further, Huang Qianjiu stopped himself abruptly, evidently having realized the truth — it was precisely because of this that Wei Xu would surrender! For Lu Bu had two wives, and Wei Xu's sister was in Chang'an. There were even rumors that his niece had directly married Jia Xu's second son!

In fact, Wei Xu had long harbored some resentment precisely because Lu Bu had married a daughter of the Yuan clan.

Seeing that Huang Yuan had grasped the point, Cao Mengde paid him no further heed and simply crossed the river on his own... In truth, regarding today's events, Cao Cao had a great many things he could say; he simply could not be bothered.

For instance, the reason he had not exposed Wei Xu just now was truly out of fear that Huang Yuan was hot-tempered, and that Wei Xu, driven to desperation, would lash out. Then they would not even have time to flee before being caught in a confused mutiny and dying there. In that case, it was better to let Wei Xu remain behind at ease to surrender, which would also buy them time.

For another instance, regarding Lu Bu seizing all the military equipment and grain from County Magistrate ahead of them — truth be told, Cao Cao believed that Wancheng was in crisis, but was it truly so urgent that they had to cut off the frontline army's rations? Would it not have been better to bring more troops south?

Or rather, Cao Mengde had already harbored some suspicions at the time: this was Lu Bu and Yang Biao, worried that he would lead a large army south and easily seize control of the situation in Jiangxia, deliberately doing something so repulsive.

As for why Yang Biao was involved, rather than Lu Bu acting alone — it was because Cao Cao knew full well that a mere martial man like Lu Bu could never scheme to this extent. Someone with rich political experience must be instructing him.

Of course, Cao Mengde would absolutely never say such things to a martial man like Huang Yuan, who was utterly loyal to Lu Bu. Moreover, he was not worried about what might happen once they reached Jiangxia, because Xun Yu, who had already reached the border between Runan and Jiangxia, would surely have made preparations. Even Liu Bei would not sit idly by and let someone like Lu Bu control a strategic location like Jiangxia. When the time came, he, Cao Cao, would have ten thousand ways to easily take control of Jiangxia.

The situation was collapsing. To guard against the unexpected, Cao Mengde and Huang Qianjiu each fell silent and took advantage of the winter low-water season to cross the Yushui ahead of time at a wild ford, then continued south along the river's western bank...

Yet what they did not know was that this precaution of theirs was utterly meaningless. For even Wei Xu, who was preparing to surrender, was dumbfounded: he had just sent a messenger north toward Luyang to find the Yan army and offer his surrender and the city, yet not even half a shichen had passed before four to five hundred Yan cavalry, their unit structures in disarray, arrived from the north.

It was abundantly clear that this group of cavalry had not come because they had received Wei Xu's surrender document; they had set out even earlier, and had set out in extreme haste.

What was interesting, however, was that these cavalrymen seemed not at all surprised by Wei Xu waiting there. After their leader, an officer named Xu Xing, briefly inquired about Cao Cao's whereabouts, they continued galloping south at full speed to pursue Cao Cao... Throughout the entire process, they paid no attention whatsoever to Wei Xu or the county seat of County Magistrate.

Likely due to the superior quality of their horses, by dusk, Xu Xing and his pursuing force spotted Cao Cao and Huang Yuan's party across the river. Overjoyed for the moment, they too sought a wild shoal to cross the river on the spot, attempting to capture the two men.

In truth, Xu Xing could not help but be so stirred, for his troublesome clansman had just once again done something of that nature. In fact, had it not been for that, he, as the vanguard, would never have believed that utterly unbelievable letter received at Luyang the day before, and then directly mobilized a mere few hundred cavalry from disparate sources to risk pursuit all the way here.

And as it now appeared, his gamble had actually paid off!

On the other side, Cao Cao and Huang Yuan were both utterly dumbfounded. They could never have imagined that the pursuers would be so swift.

However, when faced with such a perilous situation, a man will make his own decision — let alone Cao Mengde and Huang Qianjiu, one a fierce hero of the Central Plains, the other a veteran general of the northern lands? Seeing Xu Xing personally leading troops across the river, the two exchanged a glance, yet did not flee. Instead, with Huang Yuan in front and Cao Cao behind, they led a mere two or three hundred armored riders mounted on nags, mules, and donkeys in a headlong counter-charge!

Pitiful Xu Xing had just come ashore and saw Cao Cao right before him, but caught utterly off guard, he was actually struck mid-crossing by the enemy — losing several dozen men in an instant.

Xu Zixin himself was shot by an arrow from Cao Cao, thrown from his horse, and his head struck a stone on the riverbank, killing him on the spot!

Pitiful — a veteran general under the Gongsun clan, of pure and proper roots and boundless prospects, threw his life away in vain just when the overall situation was about to be settled.

With Xu Xing suddenly dead in battle, the remaining Yan Army riders instantly hesitated on the eastern bank of the Yu River. Cao Cao and Huang Yuan both inwardly cried out at their narrow escape, then simply seized those several dozen fine horses of the Yan Army and continued fleeing south with all their might — at this point, there was nothing left but to keep fleeing.

What they did not realize, however, was that the Yan Army had only these few hundred rashly advancing riders here to begin with, and with their leader Xu Xing dead, the rest actually hesitated for a time and did not continue the pursuit… The reason was simple: they had not been assembled according to unit structure, but had been temporarily conscripted by Xu Xing in his special capacity as Army Major after he entered Luyang and obtained that unbelievable intelligence.

Among them were Xu Xing’s own unit, Xu Rong’s Guanxi cavalry, and the central army troops Cheng Pu had hurriedly brought from Xu County. Now that Xu Xing was dead, the two accompanying Company Commanders were at odds.

One Company Commander was Xu Xing’s subordinate. Taking the lead, he wanted to bring their commander’s body back at top speed to report. To this, the rest of Xu Xing’s subordinates and some of Xu Rong’s men naturally agreed. They also felt that, with their strength now diminished and this best opportunity already missed, further pursuit was pointless — they could no longer do anything to Cao Cao, who could perfectly well enter the Xiyue City ahead at his leisure that very night!

The other Company Commander, however, was basically an infantry officer on horseback — none other than Sima Yi, Sima Zhongda, who had just been restored to his original rank for his meritorious service as an envoy. He and some others had clearly seen Cao Cao himself and were loath to give up this achievement… Moreover, Sima Zhongda believed that only they themselves knew the pursuers amounted to just this many men; Cao Cao could not possibly know, and would only assume a large force of cavalry was tailing him. And having acquired several dozen fine horses, he would not fight again!

In fact, if pressed hard enough, Cao Mengde would not dare to take shelter in the Xiyue City or Xiyang Village ahead, for fear of being surrounded.

The two sides argued for a time, but in the end Sima Zhongda outmaneuvered them: “Think about it — your Major Xu pursued so hastily precisely because he craved this great achievement. If we retreat now, your Major will have died for nothing… On the contrary, if we pursue now, whoever captures Cao Cao will owe no small credit to Major Xu’s stratagem. Only thus can his spirit in heaven be comforted.”

This moral pressure left Xu Xing’s subordinates unable to refute him. And so, after some discussion, the men pushed Sima Zhongda forward as their leader and continued crossing the river to organize the pursuit.

And indeed, just as Sima Yi had guessed, when Cao Mengde and his men looked back and saw the dust never settling behind them, that very evening they truly did not dare enter Xiyue City to take shelter. The next morning, they likewise did not enter Xiyang Village. They merely exerted themselves to the utmost, traveling day and night without rest, heading straight for Wancheng.

But even so, Sima Yi’s party found the pursuit exceedingly difficult… because Cao Cao’s personal guards were utterly loyal and brave, and that Huang Yuan, clearly a veteran general of the northern lands, had extremely rich combat experience. By day it was manageable, but through the night, the enemy kept splitting off forces under the moonlight to block them, making it impossible for Sima Yi and his men to catch up.

In the end, by mid-morning of the second day, when they distantly saw the walls of Wancheng on the horizon, they had essentially lost all confidence of capturing Cao Cao — the reason was simple: they had penetrated too far alone, the banners bearing the character “Lü” on the walls of Wancheng were unmistakably clear, and the armor of the soldiers atop the walls gleamed dazzlingly.

Quite obviously, that man acknowledged by all as the Fierce Tiger of the Realm was waiting within the city with a sufficient force of troops to receive Cao Cao.

The north gate of Wancheng was tall and towering, entirely whitewashed — specially white-limed on the orders of the Son of Heaven after his arrival to display majesty, but the work had been halted by Cao Cao when he was driven here after only the north gate was done. For this reason it gradually came to be called the White Gate Tower, said to complement the White Gate Tower of Xiapi, the two renowned together in the world.

And there before the White Gate Tower, Cao Cao and Huang Yuan, leading a remnant of a mere few dozen riders, galloped to a spot not far below the gate tower and abruptly halted. Many horses simply collapsed and died on the spot. But by now no one cared, for Cao, Huang, and the others saw the city gate tightly shut, the soldiers’ armor gleaming on the wall, and even distantly glimpsed Lü Bu himself appearing atop the wall — they were already overjoyed beyond measure.

Correspondingly, Sima Yi and his men, equally exhausted to the point of death, could only halt their horses a hundred-odd paces beyond the city and face the scene in disappointment, while also momentarily anxious and fearful because some of their warhorses had collapsed… They already regretted having pursued this far; no one knew whether they could escape with Lü Bu before them.

“Fengxian, don’t just look — open the gate at once!” Cao Cao had taken a tumble when his horse collapsed, his face covered in dust, and drenched in sweat, he was already filthy and wretched beyond measure, yet he still appeared excited and cheerful. Once he caught his breath and saw Lü Bu poke his head out from the wall, he simply sat down on the ground and laughed aloud. “The pursuers are only a few hundred — open the city gate directly and let us in, no need to lower a basket!”

Lü Bu, atop the city wall, carefully scrutinized Cao Cao, then glanced at the distant Yan Army riders who dared not approach. He too gave a faint smile. First he turned and gave an order, having several hundred crossbowmen and archers step forward atop the wall to take up commanding positions and nock their bows and arrows. Then he hurriedly turned and descended from the wall… From the look of it, he seemed to intend to go down personally to receive Cao Mengde.

Seeing this, the Yan Army riders, who had originally been a hundred-odd paces away, under Sima Yi’s lead withdrew slightly further — clearly they were exceedingly wary of Lü Bu.

However, the interesting thing was that the city gate, which should have opened in a moment, did not open after that moment passed.

At first, Cao Cao and his men below the wall could still wait. But after a full quarter-hour, not only had the city gate not opened, but Lü Bu had also not reappeared atop the wall… At this, things became even more interesting.

Huang Yuan, in a sudden fury, directly cursed at his own subordinates on the wall, but from the wall came no explanation or response whatsoever. At the same time, Sima Yi’s heart stirred faintly — he clearly recalled the peculiarities of the matter itself when Xu Xing had ordered the pursuit earlier. A conjecture rising in his mind, he voluntarily advanced several dozen paces, still keeping a safe distance of a hundred-odd paces from the city wall, watching from afar.

As for Cao Mengde, he sat motionless before the gate arch, silent, merely wearing a faint smile and watching with keen interest that young face a hundred-odd paces away, which he still remembered.

Huang Yuan cursed for another spell, yet the wall remained utterly still — this defied all reason. And so even a rough man like Huang Qianjiu felt his heart flustered and panicked for a time, but he could only continue cursing without cease, having no other recourse… Meanwhile, as the north wind dried the sweat from his body, Cao Mengde calmly rose to his feet and walked directly toward Sima Yi and the Yan Army riders behind him. When the two sides were separated by a mere ten or twenty paces, Cao Mengde paid no heed to the bizarre scene behind him — where arrows suddenly shot from the wall and struck Huang Yuan dead below the gate tower — and finally stood firm in the middle of the main road outside the gate tower.

Thereupon, this Grand Minister of Works of the Great Han raised his head proudly before these Yan troops, who were so tense they were drawing their blades and retreating, and toward Sima Yi — who was panting heavily yet had gritted his teeth and not retreated half a step — he beckoned of his own accord, his smile as easy as ever:

“Come! I grant you a founding Marquis!”

————I am the dividing line of granting you a Marquis of Ten Battalion Commander————

“When Cao was defeated at Guandu, he fled nearly alone to Nanyang. Pursued by several hundred riders, he reached the walls of Wancheng and saw Lü Bu waiting atop the wall; the pursuers dared advance no further. Cao dismounted, laughed, and called for the gate to open. Lü also laughed and nodded, then descended from the wall and was seen no more. After a quarter-hour, the gate still would not open, and Lü likewise did not return. Cao then realized Lü would not admit him, and that he himself could not escape. He turned around, raised his head, and laughingly called to the pursuers: ‘Come, I grant you a Marquis of Ten Battalion Commander!’ The pursuers advanced and beheaded him; he was forty-two years of age. Some say that when the Grand Ancestor heard of this in Xu, it was as if his liver and gall were torn out, and the pain pierced his very heart.” — Dianlüe, Yan, annotated by Pei Songzhi

The poem says:

Have you not seen the north wind blow the river, darkening wind and wave, a thousand white horses frozen into one hue.

Have you not seen the troops of Qin and Yan hold the upper stream, A Man and A Xun both old in stratagem.

In that season, midsummer days grew short, the heroes vied to be first, none willing to lag.

They washed tassels and slew horses, shaking heaven and earth, blazing martial might unmatched since antiquity.

Yet now the war’s posture turns to children’s play, and I fear your name will henceforth fade.

Alas, the foe came at first so rashly, in one evening shattered, all affairs brought to naught.

Alas! One morning the Yellow Dragon soars from the White Tower — where shall old friends sing of the autumn left behind?

End of this volume.

PS: I actually had five thousand characters written before midnight yesterday. After thinking it over, I continued writing through the night, then spent half the day revising, and decided to post it all together today to keep things simple — this chapter isn’t suitable for splitting.

Also, happy third and fourth day of the Mid-Autumn Festival!

(End of this chapter)