Chapter 67: Heaven Has Not Forsaken Me, Cao Mengde

Chunyu Qiong was considered a decent general under Yuan Shao, but a decent general in Yuan Shao’s camp was far from one under Cao Cao. If it had been only Yue Jin, Chunyu Qiong might not have been able to defeat him, but at least he could have escaped. With Yu Jin also in pursuit, however, he truly had no hope of breaking through.

War brings death, yet the slaughter of ordinary soldiers does little to boost morale. In this era, the heads of generals were extremely valuable. The growth of every great commander was marked by the countless heads of enemy officers. What was the simplest way to prove one’s own strength? Was it not to slay a formidable enemy general on the battlefield?

Less than half an hour later, this battle, which had raged since midnight, neared its end beneath the glow of a great fire consuming Yuan Shao’s supplies at the center of the camp. Cao Cao sat astride his horse at the forefront, with Xu Chu guarding his side. At his horse’s feet lay two severed heads, their expressions still frozen in the moment before death, though none now cared to study the looks on their faces.

The heads belonged to Chunyu Qiong and Jiang Qi, the latter having arrived as reinforcements. Jiang Qi had not anticipated that, after burning nearly all their supplies and baggage, Cao Cao’s army would show no intention of retreating. Instead, they had hunted him down as well.

By now, the battle had all but concluded.

“Lord Chancellor,” an officer reported, “apart from those slain, the enemy has scattered and fled. Their supplies and baggage are destroyed. Shall our army withdraw?”

“What are our losses?” Cao Cao asked.

“Lord Chancellor, we lost over two thousand cavalry in this action, killed more than ten thousand of the enemy, and slew over ten of their commanders. Yuan Shao’s supply officer Chunyu Qiong and the reinforcement leader Jiang Qi have both fallen to our blades!”

“Excellent! Clean the battlefield, bury our fallen soldiers, and then march back to Guandu. The scouts we sent out should be returning soon…”

Cao Cao’s force of five thousand cavalry had lost nearly half. His heart clenched at the thought; these were his elite troops. Yet he knew that by burning Yuan Shao’s supplies, he had made it nearly impossible for Yuan Shao’s army to continue fighting. As long as Cao Hong and Xun You could hold off Yuan Shao’s main force at Guandu, this ordeal would be over. Even without Emperor Xian, so long as he had Xuchang at his back, he could steadily press Yuan Shao and ultimately defeat him.

Just as Cao Cao began his march back, news from Guandu arrived.

“Lord Chancellor, just as you predicted: when Yuan Shao learned of our surprise attack on Wuchao, he dispatched his great generals Zhang He and Gao Lan with tens of thousands of men straight to Guandu. Luckily, General Cao Hong was well prepared, and with the defensive works we had constructed over the past months, he has held them off. The enemy is exhausted and without supplies—they can last no more than two days!”

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao finally released the breath he had been holding. The plan had worked!

While this message reached Cao Cao, it also reached Yuan Shao. Yet the same news was received very differently in the two camps.

“What? Chunyu Qiong and Jiang Qi are both dead? Didn’t Cao Cao have only five thousand cavalry? We had nearly twenty thousand men there! How could it have come to this? How could it be?”

Yuan Shao was nearly driven mad by the news. Losing the supplies was bad enough, but as long as Jiang Qi could drive Cao Cao back, their morale would have remained intact. Instead, not only had they failed to repel the enemy, but his own officers had lost their lives as well.

Guo Tu stood before Yuan Shao, cold sweat trickling down his face. This had been his plan. When Yuan Shao came to his senses, would he not suffer for it? After all, Ju Shou hadn’t spoken a word to Yuan Shao for days now. Who else could he blame? Guo Tu’s mind raced.

“What are we to do now? Our provisions are nearly gone. Have these months of effort all been wasted? Do you expect me to lead the army back to Ye now?”

Yuan Shao’s questions were directed at Guo Tu, who had devised the plan.

Guo Tu hunched his shoulders and stepped forward, wiping his brow with his sleeve—not to put on a show, but because he was truly terrified.

“Master, our only hope now is for Zhang He and Gao Lan to break through at Guandu. If they fail, with our supplies all burned by Cao Cao, we’ll have to retreat. But I believe Zhang He and Gao Lan are leading our finest troops from Hebei, and their numbers far surpass Cao Cao’s. This plan did exploit Cao Cao’s weakness. We still have a chance!”

By the end, Guo Tu’s eyes shone with excitement, as though he was proud of his quick thinking.

“Very well! As you say—send word: Zhang He and Gao Lan are not to return unless Guandu falls. If they disobey, they will be executed according to military law!”

Not a single advisor dared voice an objection as the order was given.

Ju Shou was among them. He watched as the messenger hurried away, his lips moving as if to speak, but no sound came out. Disappointment filled his gaze as he looked at Yuan Shao. Only now did Ju Shou finally understand why Tian Feng had refused to take part in this campaign—after so many years by Yuan Shao’s side, Tian Feng had already foreseen its outcome.

Watching Guo Tu’s relieved, smiling face once Yuan Shao left, Ju Shou longed to strike him down with his sword. But in the end, he did nothing. In his heart, Guo Tu was no longer worth the effort.

Cao Cao led his troops slowly toward Guandu, all the while gathering information about the ongoing battle and Yuan Shao’s movements. After an arduous journey that took far longer than usual, they were still about a dozen miles from the battlefield when a scout raced up to him, bringing someone along.

Cao Cao recognized the man as Cao Hong’s deputy.

“How fares Guandu?” Cao Cao asked without preamble.

“Lord Chancellor, Zhang He and Gao Lan attacked for several hours and suffered heavy casualties. Thanks to our defensive fortifications, Guandu stands firm! Today, Yuan Shao suddenly gave a death order—Zhang He and Gao Lan are forbidden to retreat. They attacked for another two or three hours, and again took great losses. Then, before the lines, Zhang He requested an audience with you, wishing to defect and submit!”

Cao Cao was stunned for a long moment.

Then he burst into laughter: “Ha ha ha! Heaven has not abandoned me, Cao Mengde!”