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“Yuan Shu… dead?”
This guy, who once flaunted the Imperial Seal and thought he could declare himself emperor, just kicked the bucket like that?
As Qiao Yan processed the words on this secret letter, she felt a bit dazed.
But this note came from her own intel network, so it couldn’t be fake!
If even her pigeon-and-code messaging system had been infiltrated at this moment, she might as well pack it up and call it a day.
She handed the note to Guo Jia while quickly pondering the situation in Yu Province.
With the drought and locust plague wreaking havoc, Yuan Shu couldn’t manage the situation at all. In this scenario, someone with ambition like Cao Cao might indeed take action!
Ju Shou and Gao Shun had already demonstrated a rapid assault strategy against Yuan Shu.
At that time, Ju Shou had too few troops to just storm in; he had to lure Yuan Shu out of his shell by directly attacking Runan, achieving their goal of face-to-face confrontation.
Once Yuan Shu slipped away, he became harder to threaten further.
Luckily, Ju Shou had accomplished his goal of issuing a warning and reclaiming his dignity. Even if they couldn’t push further, retreating wasn’t a total loss for him.
But their initial step opened the door for another chance to swiftly breach his defenses!
And this time, Yuan Shu wouldn’t be so lucky.
No, it wasn’t just about luck.
The principle of “water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it” was especially clear in this disaster-stricken situation.
Yuan Shu, a sheltered noble, if he didn’t toss aside his arrogant attitude and care about the people’s lives during this life-or-death moment, he might hope that the powerful families in Runying would still back him. But how could he expect those people fighting for survival to continue serving him unconditionally?
This was the fate Yuan Shu had earned!
Qiao Yan wasn’t surprised by Yuan Shu’s ridiculous actions or his disputes with his brother leading him to this end; she was only surprised that—
It happened now!
And the one taking action was Cao Cao!
“A mutiny in the army, Yuan Shu is dead…” Guo Jia stared at this message in disbelief. “My lord, we underestimated Cao of Yanzhou.”
Earlier reports to Chang’an had shown that Cao Cao was hampered by the powerful families in Yanzhou.
That even included the situation when the disaster first arose this year!
This made it seem like he was struggling to keep his head above water.
But now, in just a few short months, he had the guts to take down the weakest neighbor, Yuan Shu, amidst a disaster—talk about guts!
“This is indeed the most suitable way for him to break the stalemate.” Qiao Yan had to admit; the reason Cao Cao emerged as a victor in North China in the original Three Kingdoms history was certainly justified; his decision now showcased his remarkable ruthless ambition!
“If there are disobedient voices in Yanzhou, extend your reach beyond Yanzhou to gather new support to balance the powerful families inside—well played!”
What a guy, Cao Mengde!
If Cao Cao could truly establish himself in Yu Province and recruit local scholars to counteract dissent within, this hasty offensive wouldn’t leave him in a bind but instead open up an entirely new scenario.
And all of this hinged on him solidifying his hold after seizing Yuan Shu’s territory.
Considering the situation at hand, as long as he deployed his generals wisely, it really wouldn’t be impossible!
Meanwhile, Yuan Shao in Ji Province and Qing Province was also facing disaster pressure, and even after Qiao Yan sent him a reminder with a feather fan, he still had to decide whether to dig deeper wells to manage the disaster further.
Holding territory in two provinces was already a hefty task for Yuan Shao, so there was no way he could plot to take Yanzhou while Cao Cao aimed for Yu Province.
If he did try such a thing, even claiming it was for family honor, it wouldn’t hold water.
Other than attracting trouble, there was no benefit.
Moreover, Qiao Yan speculated that Cao Cao’s actions likely had Yuan Shao’s approval.
Liu Bei was the closest to Yu Province from Xu Province.
This situation was also the easiest to manage.
As the appointed Governor of Xu Province by the Ye City court, Liu Bei’s top priority right now was to outshine Zhang Yi, who was also in Xu, rather than recklessly stretching his frontlines this far.
For defense in Xu Province, Cao Cao could easily retain Pei State as a buffer zone.
After Liu Bei took charge of Xu Province, this area, in fact, still belonged to him.
In light of Cao Cao’s decision to engage in conflict in Yu Province, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to snatch Pei State right now and upset Liu Bei.
What made more sense for him was to hold onto Chen County, Yingchuan County, and Runan County; after reaping enough benefits, he could still hand Pei State back to Liu Bei to govern.
But let’s not forget, Pei State was Cao Cao’s homeland, and Liu Bei was initially supplied troops by Cao Cao when he advanced on Pei State.
This might seem like a step back for Cao Cao, but he was dismantling a hidden danger while also forming an alliance against Yang Province.
So, the enemies left were only two.
One was Liu Biao of Jing Province.
The other was Qiao Yan, controlling the territories of Guanzhong, Bingzhou, and Liangzhou.
Liu Biao, today, remains a bit shortsighted, only focused on his small Jing Province patch.
In fact, if you scrutinized Jing Province, he hadn’t even fully brought the southern regions under his control yet.
Since most of his soldiers relied on support from Jing Province’s powerful families, his chances of moving north into Yu Province are slim to none.
As for Qiao Yan…
“From the perspectives of Feng Xiao and Wenruo, what’s the farthest extent of my control over Sili?”
Qiao Yan’s question made her intent quite clear.
Her deep strikes into Liangzhou and Guanzhong were fundamentally still manageable with controllable support and limited enemy numbers; this didn’t mean she could directly charge in and kick Cao Cao out of Yu Province.
Her accrued strength over the past two years didn’t lead her to misjudge the enemy situation.
Knowing about the upheaval in Yu Province ahead of time didn’t imply there were opportunities for a sneak attack.
Guo Jia replied, “Luoyang, eight passes.”
“Correct.” Xun Yu added, affirming Guo Jia’s judgment.
Though he hadn’t seen the message on that note personally, as Qiao Yan and Guo Jia spoke the contents, Xun Yu began analyzing the current situation.
The sudden shift in Yu Province, which previously belonged to the Chang’an court, was, of course, a loss for them, particularly concerning Yingchuan, where his family resided. Xun Yu couldn’t help but feel anxious about it.
But worrying was one thing; objectively assessing the situation was another.
The front line from Chang’an to Yu Province was simply too long, and Xun Yu would never advise Qiao Yan to fight this Yu Province counter-offensive.
To ensure Qiao Yan’s actual control didn’t become unwieldy, she could at most widen her border from Tong Pass to—
“Set the boundary at Hulao Pass.”
Xun Yu bowed respectfully to Qiao Yan, “Regarding the upheaval in Yu Province, whether the Grand Marshal seeks to reclaim it or not, we must show the world that the Chang’an court is not weak and easily dealt with. We should march to Luoyang at speed and control the eight passes. This way, we can reassert control over Luoyang to shelter the populace, including those who fled the drought to the Sili region and those coming from the disasters in Yu Province. Meanwhile, the proximity of Luoyang to Yanzhou can serve as an effective warning to Cao Cao.”
Guo Jia added, “Additionally, please request an edict from His Majesty, instructing Liu Jingsheng of Jing Province to reinforce troops in Nanyang. There’s no need for rash deployments, just create the appearance of an intention to march north into Runying.”
Qiao Yan accepted both suggestions and added, “There are also two other matters I will take care of.”
Though she didn’t specify what those tasks were at this moment, both Guo Jia and Xun Yu could see she had her plans all laid out in her mind.
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“Well, maybe for others, launching an expedition under such peculiar weather conditions seems almost impossible, especially considering the vast territory involved.”
But for Qiao Yan, making a groundbreaking move was no trouble at all.
Thanks to newly dug wells utilizing groundwater, getting through this year in the Three Provinces was no longer a far-off dream, but a tangible reality.
The millions of stone of grain stored in the granary of Chang’an not only served disaster relief but were also her ultimate insurance!
“Send a message to Zilong and have him immediately lead the army to transport supplies to Luoyang,” Qiao Yan instructed, handing her seal over to Guo Jia, adding, “Let Fengxiao enter the palace on behalf of the Grand Marshal to meet His Majesty and obtain the order for Liu Jingsheng to mobilize troops.”
They also needed the authority to act in the jurisdiction of the Henan Prefecture.
But with Sima Fang, the highest official in Henan, the difficulty was not too great overall.
Qiao Yan turned to Xun Yu and said, “Please, Wenruo, accompany me. We’re not going to Luoyang; we’ll head straight to Huanyuan Pass!”
Huanyuan Pass was the gateway between Sili and Yu Province; once they passed it, they would reach the Yingchuan territory of Yu Province.
Back when Dong Zhuo occupied Luoyang, he had stationed Fan Chou and Zhang Ji here.
This not only guarded Luoyang but was also a position from which troops could be launched into Yingchuan at any time.
As for why Xun Yu was brought along, his prominence in Yingchuan alone was reason enough.
Their journey out of Tong Pass was originally aimed at establishing a new settlement in Hongnong County with the Henan Prefecture, essentially planning to settle those refugees in military camps, and they weren’t short on soldiers for the journey.
Looking at the cavalry moving eastward, they didn’t seem to act like a response team frantically reacting to the chaos in Yu Province; they looked more like a swift relief force rushing to the rescue.
Having traveled nearly four hundred miles from Shan County to Huanyuan Pass, the majority of the cavalry had covered the distance at impressive speed, arriving three days after hearing of Yuan Shu’s death.
To her surprise, when she had the Grand Marshal’s flag raised at Huanyuan Pass, she received word from the garrison left by Sima Fang—
“Though Yuan Shu is dead, Yu Province hasn’t completely fallen into Cao Cao’s hands.”
“Yuan Yaoqing, the chief clerk of Yuan Shu in Yingchuan, was still in Yingchuan after the mutiny in Runan and was resisting Cao’s troops in Linying.”
Worried there might be misinformation for Qiao Yan, the soldiers continued, “We’re not entirely sure of the current situation, but we know from our scouts that Yuan Shu’s personal guards were still in a standoff with General Xiahou under Cao in Linying just a day ago.”
With a provincial governor in Yu Province, Sima Fang, as the adjacent head of Henan, naturally, they wouldn’t mess with each other’s business. However, now that Yuan Shu was dead, he could have taken action to offer assistance.
But facing an enemy like Cao Cao and given their weakened military, Sima Fang, aiming for stability, decided to stay behind at Huanyuan Pass, at most sending word towards Chang’an swiftly.
What Sima Fang didn’t expect was that just a day or two after sending news about Yu Province, Qiao Yan had… already arrived?
What kind of premonition is this!
And not only did she come quickly, but she also made decisions at lightning speed after hearing about the situation in Yu Province.
She wasn’t planning to stop at Huanyuan Pass.
Exchanging a glance with Xun Yu, seeing the acknowledgment in his eyes, Qiao Yan immediately ordered that half of the garrison at Huanyuan Pass join her reinforcements, rest for the night, and march to Linying the next day.
Lengthy ambitions aside, she really couldn’t take down Yu Province and find someone to replace Yuan Shu to guard this area.
With Cao Cao leading this battle, he would surely do whatever it takes to protect the victories he had already secured.
But that didn’t mean she had to hide in Huanyuan Pass and be a bystander!
Yuan Huan was all ears to Yuan Yao’s cries, his head nearly spinning.
He decided to leave the government office in Linying and take a look around the city walls. Noticing the approaching Cao troops, he sighed inwardly.
After checking the government storehouse, he found enough supplies for the city to last another half year, but his mood didn’t brighten at all.
The Lord’s death was the most devastating blow to any faction’s subordinates.
While Yuan Shu wasn’t a great ruler, he hadn’t wronged Yuan Huan, so after cursing Yuan Shu earlier, Yuan Huan still rushed to Yingchuan to clean up the mess left by the locust plague.
Little did Yuan Huan expect that barely a few days later, such a situation would arise in Yu Province.
Yuan Shu’s troops gathering in Pingyu had left his defenses on the border between Yanzhou and Yu Province utterly lax.
As Cao Cao moved under the pretext of dealing with the locust plague in Liang and Chen Liu, the garrison in Chen County hadn’t given him any additional attention.
How could Cao Cao, who was already planning to strike, miss this golden opportunity!
From Yu Province’s perspective, it seemed as if the enemy’s troops gathered in an instant, and by the time they realized something was wrong, it was already too late—Cao’s forces were advancing south, launching a full invasion.
This was a genuine offensive!
The troops Cao Cao mobilized for this battle numbered at least fifteen thousand, and if looking at their actual marching purpose, they aimed to take Runan from Yuan Shu. Given the stability in Yanzhou, this was the maximum force Cao Cao could deploy.
Such a massive force marching in made Yuan Shu’s soldiers, who were on the verge of running home to deal with the locusts, suddenly explode into chaos even before the Cao army surrounded the city.
Yuan Shu, panicking, was led out of his residence by his subordinates, only to bump right into Cao Ren’s fierce troops just outside the city.
In the dark of night, Yuan Shu and his men were quickly scattered by the enemy.
Back in the day, he could gallop around Luoyang; now, weighed down by his provincial lord title, he had expanded and was caught up in his escape, failing to fight back and instead being misidentified as an invader, he was killed on the spot by the panicking citizens.
On the other hand, Yuan Shu’s son, Yuan Yao, managed to slip away, having rushed out through another city gate with Yan Xiang and others, seeming to escape from the enemy’s grasp and made his way to Yingchuan to join Yuan Huan.
However, between Yingchuan and Runan, there was no real geographical barrier.
After all, “Runan, Yingchuan” was always referred to together.
Yuan Huan knew that even if he held Linying now, it couldn’t last long; he had to wait for reinforcements from inside Huanyuan Pass.
And those reinforcements were not from Sima Fang.
But just as he thought about this, he suddenly heard a subordinate sprinting towards him, shouting, “Chief Clerk! Reinforcements have arrived from the west!”
Reinforcements?
Yuan Huan quickly looked up, astonished.
He couldn’t believe that the self-preserving Sima Fang would suddenly change his mind and decide to send troops for assistance in such a short time.
Sending agents from Liu Biao was out of the question too.
It was impossible to dispatch troops from Jing Province in just five or six days.
As for the more distant and anticipated Guanzhong? Forget about it.
At this point, it was still unclear whether Qiao Yan even got wind of the unexpected happenings in Yu Province; how could he dare to expect them to arrive right now?
Then who were these reinforcements?
Hurrying to the western city wall of Linying with his subordinate, Yuan Huan could see a great cloud of dust in the distance, clearly a well-armed cavalry unit advancing rapidly toward them.
If they were coming from the north, Yuan Huan might still worry that it was Cao Cao’s forces coming from Chen Liu to double-encircle them, but from the west, the chances of that were greatly reduced.
There might really be reinforcements!
Yuan Huan’s heart raced.
As the dust cleared, the figures of galloping cavalry began to emerge.
Suddenly, he grabbed a nearby attendant and shouted, “Quick, tell me—is that flag over there showing a ‘Qiao’ character?!”
With the golden sunlight illuminating the rhythmic flapping of the flag, it appeared a bit blurred.
But Yuan Huan felt certain he wasn’t mistaken; that scarlet flag with white lettering—
It was clearly Qiao Yan’s standard!
