Chapter 61: Reinforcements Arrive

Liu Xie had already put forward his ideas to Sun Ce and made his position clear where it was required. In essence, Liu Xie’s message was this: my efforts to make my presence felt here with you, to show my capabilities, are not meant to compete with you for anything, but simply to ensure a more comfortable life under your roof.

“Rest assured, Your Majesty,” Sun Ce replied, “regarding the matter of relocating the capital, I will draft the entire process and send it to you. In the eyes of the civil and military officials of Jiangdong, Your Majesty will certainly be the central figure in this move, not I. There is, however, one matter—our Jiangdong officials have barely any proper ranks to their names. I will prepare a list of appointments based on their positions in Jiangdong for Your Majesty to review, so that once you ascend the throne, you can bestow titles accordingly.”

“As for the official proclamation denouncing Cao Cao, that must be prepared as well. When the time comes, it should be announced to the realm without delay. As for Cao Cao’s fate, let the heavens decide.”

Liu Xie clearly cared little for such formalities; what truly concerned him was the outcome of the battle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.

Though he had escaped from Xuchang, he knew that Cao Cao and his many resourceful advisers would not sit idly by—they would seize any opportunity to save themselves. The reason Liu Xie had not demanded the immediate announcement of the capital’s relocation upon his arrival in Jiangdong was simple: if he had done so, Cao Cao would be crushed before he and Yuan Shao could even begin their struggle, and none of it would be his doing.

Not only would Yuan Shao quickly dominate the Central Plains, creating chaos impossible to contain, but the young men of Jiangdong would lose all respect for him as emperor.

Thus, though it seemed Liu Xie had given Cao Cao a chance to recover, in reality, he was creating an opportunity for the people of Jiangdong to get to know him. He was reluctant to give Cao Cao any breathing room, but in Jiangdong, everything required a process—even if that meant offering Cao Cao a sliver of hope.

This time, Sun Ce did not press Liu Xie further. Instead, he left hurriedly with Zhou Yu and Zhang Hong.

To prepare for so momentous an event as the emperor’s relocation in a single day was indeed rushed. Had Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu not been secretly preparing for this for some time, Sun Ce would never have dared to promise so short a deadline.

Liu Xie knew that in a day’s time, the already tumultuous Han dynasty would once again see its fate upended. The news of his move, coupled with the imperial edict denouncing Cao Cao, would travel across the Central Plains faster than the swiftest horsemen. What would follow, Liu Xie could not predict.

Almost at the same time, a guest of great interest, though arriving in an unassuming manner, appeared in Cao Cao's camp at Guandu. Dressed in a long robe and wide-brimmed hat, he revealed his identity only upon meeting Cao Cao himself—it was none other than Xu You.

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“I have long awaited you, Ziyuan! Ever since I received your letter the other day, you have been in my thoughts day and night. If I am to defeat Yuan Shao, I cannot do so without you!”

Cao Cao, upon seeing Xu You, gripped his hands tightly, his voice trembling with excitement.

This was no act—Cao Cao was speaking from the heart. In his letter, Xu You had boasted that the moment he arrived in Cao Cao’s camp, he would present Cao Cao with a great gift. Given the current circumstances, for Xu You to defect from Yuan Shao and bring with him such a promise, it was clear what this “gift” must be.

“Master Mengde, Yuan Shao is obstinate and only appoints his favorites. Though he may appear to have the upper hand in your clash, not only have I abandoned him, but so have Tian Feng, Ju Shou, and others—none of us will ever offer him counsel again. There is no need to wait, Master Mengde—strike at once!”

These were the first words Xu You spoke in the presence of Cao Cao and his most trusted strategists.

Upon hearing this, all present recognized Xu You as a man of singular character. Most advisers, having just switched allegiances, would hesitate to disparage their former master so openly, for who could say whether they might not change sides again in the future?

But Xu You cared little for such concerns. Not only did he begin by criticizing Yuan Shao, he immediately urged Cao Cao to annihilate him without delay.

“Ziyuan, there is one matter you may not be aware of…”

Among Cao Cao’s advisers were some who had known Xu You well in the past. Seeing Xu You making such bold claims, they wanted to remind him that Liu Xie had been taken by Jiangdong, but Cao Cao silenced them with a sharp look.

For a moment, no one knew whether Cao Cao distrusted Xu You, but all fell silent.

“Ziyuan, my army’s provisions can only last so long. Though we seem locked in stalemate with Yuan Shao, we have all been searching for a way to win quickly—the time is pressing! If you truly have a plan, I, on behalf of my tens of thousands of soldiers, offer you my gratitude in advance!”

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With that, Cao Cao performed a formal salute before Xu You.

Xu You, a man known for his vanity and unrestrained tongue, was well understood by Cao Cao. This gesture was more than courtesy—it gave Xu You the respect he craved. What came next would depend on how Xu You performed.

“Rest assured, Mengde. Now that I have come, I will offer you a plan that will shake the heavens. Gentlemen, come and see!”

With a flourish, Xu You tossed his hat to the ground and strode to the map of the Central Plains on the wall. It clearly marked the positions of Cao’s and Yuan Shao’s armies.

“Look here, Mengde. The numbers of your forces are clear on this map—far fewer than Yuan’s, several times fewer, in fact!”

Cao Cao nodded silently. Though he claimed to command vast armies, any discerning eye could see he was outnumbered by Yuan Shao. If his own troops were not so individually capable, Yuan Shao would have already driven him back to Yecheng.

“Your men, Mengde, are backed by Xuchang, yet still your supplies are barely sufficient. Yuan Shao’s army, several times your number, is even farther from Yecheng—how do you suppose their provisions are supplied? Have you ever considered striking at this point?”

Xu You’s question was no secret. In great battles, the larger the conflict, the more crucial the supply lines become in determining the outcome.

But upon hearing this, Cao Cao’s expression remained grave, and he shook his head slightly.

“Yuan Shao’s supply route is extremely well concealed, and the troops guarding it are well equipped. To launch a direct attack on their supplies would not be wise.”