Chapter 398

Chapter 398: Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Kingly Ambitions, Unification of the World. Chapter 398: Cao Cao’s Escape.

“Master Fengxiao, should we not mobilize our troops now?” Seeing that Guo Jia had been gazing beyond the pass for a while, Xu Huang, who was with him, asked.

Guo Jia withdrew his gaze from beyond the pass and replied, “It is time to mobilize, but not just to mobilize.”

As he slowly walked towards the camp inside the pass, he said, “After all, His Majesty still wants me to play the villain.”

Xu Huang was somewhat confused by Guo Jia’s meaning.

Guo Jia, who had been preemptively appointed as the Governor of Yanzhou, seemed to have been entrusted with a significant responsibility by Qiao Yan, right?

However, Guo Jia clearly had no intention of explaining further to Xu Huang. He smiled and said, “You’ll understand once we enter Yanzhou.”

Chen Gong’s schemes might not have been so easily noticed by Guo Jia, but the movements of the Wang family from Shouzhang to Suiyang in Liang State did not escape the eyes of Qiao Yan’s spies, who had been keeping an eye on this group.

It was precisely because of the Qiao family’s decisions and unusual movements that the class struggle in the Yanzhou region clearly presented itself to Guo Jia, who was at Hulao Pass.

Who were these people really opposing?

They were not opposing Cao Cao!

They were clearly opposing His Majesty in Chang’an!

In this era of striving for advancement and widespread enlightenment, instead of leveraging the capital accumulated over generations to secure a favorable position, they sought to pull down those who had created this situation. This was the epitome of clinging to outdated ways.

Daring to challenge Cao Cao first was because they believed they could rally support here and, with the results of their battles, incite a wave of support from those who followed this path across the land.

However, His Majesty’s path to the throne, though only a little over a decade, was a classic example of accumulated strength leading to a sudden breakthrough. How could they possibly be given such an opportunity?

“Those who resist stubbornly will die!”

This was the final ultimatum given to them.

Since, under His Majesty’s rule, the noble families, influenced by the stances of Xun Yu, Chen Qun, and Yang Xiu, and intimidated by the military might of the Marquis, dared not react for the moment, but instead wanted to see what Yuan Shao could achieve in his decisive battle with His Majesty, hoping for a favorable opportunity, then let them see the fate of those who stubbornly stand on the foundation of the old era!

How could a campaign like attacking Yanzhou not result in casualties…

“Pass on my orders,” Guo Jia commanded, “Immediately send messengers out from Huanyuan Pass, instructing General Huang of Yingchuan to march north and directly enter Chenliu.”

Cao Cao was not one to sit idly by in the face of sudden changes in Yanzhou, and neither were his subordinates.

If the noble families in Yanzhou were making unusual moves, then Chenliu, where Cao Cao was currently located, would not be spared.

Although the news had not yet reached Guo Jia’s ears, it was likely that the area was not peaceful at the moment.

If Cao Cao wanted to suppress the situation, he would inevitably have to mobilize the garrison from Puyang to march south to Chenliu.

Once the conflict in northern Chenliu began, it would be the perfect time for them to fish in troubled waters!

Cao Cao’s scouts between Hulao Pass and Suanzao had not been withdrawn, which meant that if they wanted to get involved, it was not yet time to directly enter the battlefield. Therefore, Yingchuan, located south of Chenliu, was far more suitable for mobilizing troops than their current position at Hulao Pass.

Moreover, by taking this route, they had not yet broken the agreement of separate governance between Yingchuan and Runan, so even Cao Cao could not accuse His Majesty of any wrongdoing!

With Yuan Huan and Huang Zhong in Yingchuan, Guo Jia believed that his orders would not be misunderstood.

They could not afford any hesitation; they had to mobilize their troops as quickly as possible upon receiving the news!

“As for us,” he looked at Xu Huang’s eager expression and couldn’t help but feel that the Marquis had made the right decision back then by appointing him to lead the vanguard to change his detached mindset. “Once the news of the battle in Chenliu arrives, it will be our time to act!”

It would also be their time to enter Yanzhou!

With Man Chong’s plan of four simultaneous routes and Guo Jia’s order for Yingchuan to advance, from Hulao Pass in the west to Shouzhang in Dongping State in the east, from Dongwuyang in Dong Commandery in the north to Yingchuan in the south, the region was suddenly enveloped in a tense atmosphere of impending conflict as spring returned to the land.

Once a spark was lit in any of these areas, the dispute involving three or four factions would erupt into the first explosion since the establishment of the Da Yong Dynasty.

However, Zhang Miao, who was caught in this turbulent situation, was the second-largest armed force in Yanzhou after Cao Cao, yet he was completely unaware of the movements of these four factions. At this moment, all he was doing was “escorting” Cao Cao north to Ye City with a hundred or so men.

After a night’s rest, he ordered his soldiers to cook the rice they had bought the previous day, not paying much attention to Cao Cao’s slightly late rise.

Only after Cao Cao got up did he have someone follow his every step.

Cao Cao’s various arguments had successfully confused Zhang Miao’s judgment, leaving only this one bit of persistence—

If Cao Cao’s subordinates came to his aid, he would first take him hostage to prevent him from escaping their control, ensuring that all their preparations would not be in vain.

This act of surveillance, in Zhang Miao’s view, was a bottom-line measure that did not harm their friendship, but Cao Cao saw it clearly.

However, he did not show any sign of it, merely straightening his robes, looking more and more like he was heading to Ye City to meet the Son of Heaven.

After the impulsive decision made in a drunken state, he returned to his previous demeanor of strategic planning, making Zhang Miao feel somewhat uneasy when their eyes met, and inevitably feeling a bit guilty.

Fortunately, after breakfast, he only heard Cao Cao say, “I understand Mengzhuo’s concerns. Since I have come to prove my innocence, it is only right that I arrange this journey more carefully to put Mengzhuo at ease.”

“I…”

Zhang Miao had just started to speak when Cao Cao raised his hand, “This is a time of conflict between two states. It is only right for you to be cautious. It will not harm our brotherly bond or our family ties. If I were to go to Puyang now, even if I had no such intention, it would inevitably make you suspicious. It would be better to head north from here to Baima, cross the river, and enter Ji Province’s Liyang. What do you think?”

Zhang Miao: “That is naturally good, but Mengde…”

If Chen Gong were here, he might think that the more cautious the arrangement, the more suspicious Cao Cao’s actions seemed, but Zhang Miao, being here, would not think so much. He only felt that he had pushed Cao Cao into a very difficult situation.

Cao Cao interrupted him, “No need to say more. If Yanzhou cannot unite against external threats, it will eventually become a target for Qiao Yeshu’s schemes. I only hope that after this journey, Mengzhuo and I can have no more misunderstandings and fight side by side.”

This “no more misunderstandings” was undoubtedly Cao Cao’s sincere hope, but the signs of differing paths and incompatible strategies were already apparent. How could there still be an opportunity for them to cooperate again?

Heading north to Baima was both to dispel Zhang Miao’s last bit of doubt and to avoid the pursuing troops behind.

And if Puyang City had already received the news, with Man Chong’s intelligence, he would not misjudge Cao Cao’s movements.

There were many places suitable for ambushes and abandoned fortresses along the way from Weixiang to Baima, which would surely aid in his rescue.

Even if that failed, the reduced vigilance from heading towards Baima would surely play a role in his escape.








“Let’s go, the sky is already bright. If we don’t leave now, we won’t make it to Ye City by tomorrow noon.”

Cao Cao spurred his horse and led the way north, with the guards and Zhang Miao following closely behind.

After traveling for a couple of hours, they were not too far from Baima. Thinking about the smooth journey so far, the few doubts in Zhang Miao’s mind had evaporated under the sun.

He even listened with interest as Cao Cao spoke about how, after the Dong Zhuo rebellion, he had taken control of Dong Commandery in Yanzhou. At that time, he was short on both manpower and money, something Zhang Miao, who had also participated in the Suanzao Alliance, should be well aware of.

It’s no wonder that in such difficult circumstances, he chose to rob the rich to help the poor, looting the fortresses in Puyang, Baima, and Dongwuyang, extracting the hidden able-bodied men and resources.

“Back then, Qiao Yeshu did something similar to gain the trust of the Yellow Turban Commanders, making the local tyrants harder to deceive. Fortunately, I still had the position of Dong Commandery Prefect, which I had requested from the court,” Cao Cao chuckled, with an air of righteous banditry. “Of course, some of the looting is not something to be spoken of openly. We just called it… surrendering and reorganizing. If it weren’t for that, the Xu family of Qiao County and the Li family of Juye would have surely fought with me first.”

Hearing this, Zhang Miao also laughed, “You’re using the methods of the tyrants against the tyrants.”

“People in the same class know best what the other is thinking,” Cao Cao waved his hand dismissively.

There seemed to be a hint of something more in his words, but when Zhang Miao looked at Cao Cao, he saw that the man wasn’t questioning or challenging him but had already turned his gaze to a fortress they happened to pass by.

In fact, when they were just a short distance away, Cao Cao dismounted from his horse.

He walked at a pace that allowed him to observe the details of the place, reminiscing about the past, and continued his conversation with Zhang Miao.

“This thing is actually a good way to preserve property and lives during real warfare. A few days ago, when I was looking towards Hulao Pass, I even thought that if there were a few more of these along the way from Hulao Pass to Suanzao, serving as bridgehead outposts, I could guarantee to keep Qiao Yeshu’s forces at bay.”

“But for the interior of Yanzhou, this is something hard to control,” Cao Cao touched the wall and said, “Look, these once sturdy fortresses have turned into such overgrown ruins.”

Years of neglect had allowed the withered grass to grow unchecked, but due to the recent drought, the weeds couldn’t grow too tall, making the place even more desolate.

The only trace of past human activity was a wooden pole on the fortress’s city wall, with a cloth strip that was neither black nor white.

“Did they hang that when they surrendered?” Zhang Miao guessed, seeing Cao Cao smile as he looked at it.

Cao Cao laughed, “Of course. But let’s not talk about these old stories. There’s nothing to boast about. We need to look forward.”

“Let’s go, no need to look at the rest. We should hurry on our way.”

Seeing that Cao Cao had already turned his gaze away from the fortress and was heading back to his horse, Zhang Miao also looked away.

Ahead was a smooth official road, and after walking for a little over half an hour, they would reach the river crossing outpost that Cao Cao had mentioned.

However, just as Cao Cao was about to continue forward, there was a sudden movement from the fortress’s city wall, which should have been deserted for a long time, and a large wicker basket fell without delay.

Caught off guard by this scene, Zhang Miao had no time to react before he saw Cao Cao grab the basket, crouch down, and hide beneath it.

The large basket perfectly covered a person, and the height from which it fell wasn’t enough to knock someone out, making Cao Cao’s evasive move seem incredibly smooth.

Even without any prior communication, his actions at this moment were remarkably coordinated.

Zhang Miao’s face changed.

The wicker basket was much tighter than usual, almost like armor made of vines.

If it appeared on the battlefield, it could serve as a shield in times of need.

He had heard Cao Cao boast about its dual use but never expected to see it here.

The appearance of this object and Cao Cao’s quick reaction at this moment had already made Zhang Miao doubt its origin.

It couldn’t possibly be something left behind here; it was clearly thrown by someone deliberately to help Cao Cao escape!

But by the time he realized this, even the white cloth could have been a signal from Cao Cao’s subordinates, making it all useless.

In the initiative that the other side had already seized, the following changes happened in an instant.

Just as Zhang Miao was about to order his men to dismount and uncover the wicker basket, not even caring about Cao Cao’s life, and just kick it open with a horse’s hoof, hundreds of arrows suddenly shot from the fortress’s city wall, heading straight for his direction.

In the instant coverage of the arrow strike, the only safe place was under Cao Cao’s wicker basket!

Not only because of the basket’s protection but also because Cao Cao’s position was at the base of the fortress wall, somewhat of a dead angle for shooting.

And the soldiers led by Man Chong on the city wall were almost all skilled shooters he had intentionally selected, all deliberately avoiding Cao Cao’s position.

At most, a few stray arrows would sweep over the wicker basket, unable to break through its defense.

But Zhang Miao was not so lucky.

The arrow strikes on the warhorses had already caused these otherwise obedient horses to flee away from the fortress.

The death of the cavalry on the horses only made the situation more out of control.

As he reined in his horse to turn back, an arrow, shot by who knows whom, precisely pierced through Zhang Miao’s head at this moment, knocking him off his horse, and with the following arrows, turned him into a sieve.

If Zhang Miao were still alive, these soldiers might have been able to make some proper adjustments under his command. Even if not many could escape, they could at least try to drag Cao Cao down with them, rather than letting him be increasingly secured under the falling wicker baskets from the city wall.

That was a layer of protection that didn’t need to worry about being accidentally injured.

Although when Cao Cao was helped out of the wicker basket by Man Chong, he couldn’t help but touch the top of his head where he had been hit hard, showing a sense of relief after surviving the ordeal.

“Bo Ning, it’s a good thing you didn’t throw down a shield, or else my head isn’t made of iron.”

Cao Cao’s gaze turned to Zhang Miao’s corpse, and for a moment, melancholy and sorrow filled his expression. But thinking about the current situation in Yanzhou, he quickly forced himself to harden his heart.

This was not the time to mourn the death of an old friend.

If he hadn’t made a quick decision and his subordinates hadn’t been so sharp, he would have been the one to die! “Tell me everything about the situation after you received the message.”

Now that he was free, it was time to launch a full counterattack!