Chapter 399

Chapter 399

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Final Volume: The Rise and Fall of Kingdoms, Unification of the World, Chapter 399: Each Showing Their Powers

Belonging to the book:


Can a Strategist Not Ascend the Throne?

Chapter 399: Each…

Even though Cao Cao had anticipated that with Man Chong’s decisive nature, upon receiving the message from Zao Zhi, he would surely make proper arrangements to rescue Cao Cao, Cao Ang, and Cao Hong’s forces, he never expected to hear such five arrangements from him.

“Since the Prefect is still under control, I had to make this decision first. If the Prefect finds this action inappropriate, Man Chong is willing to accept punishment.”

Before Man Chong could finish, Cao Cao raised his hand to signal, “No, you did very well!”

Couldn’t be better!

Time is the most precious thing.

Four hours have passed since the message was delivered. If Cao Cao returns to Puyang to mobilize troops, he might miss the best opportunity to assist the Suanzao camp.

If he escapes by preempting the situation but lets his son, brother, and close guards die because of it, Cao Cao could never forgive himself.

Although Man Chong’s initiative hasn’t yet proven its effectiveness, Cao Cao still felt his remarkable judgment and action in the face of crisis.

Especially his idea to cut off the connection between Chenliu and other noble families in central Yanzhou, securing the retreat path for Cao Ang and others, intercepting Yuan Shao’s possible northern invasion of Yanzhou, and his decisive suggestion for Lady Ding and Lady Bian to take charge of Puyang’s situation—all were reassuring.

He sighed, “Although I lost Chen Gongtai, I still have Man Boning!”

Similarly, he lost Zhang Miao as a friend but is not yet alone! No need to be so melancholic!

After some thought, he said, “I won’t return to Puyang. Have a subordinate take my token back to report safety.”

The defenders in Puyang have already been dispatched by Man Chong. Even if Cao Cao returns, he can only command a few hundred soldiers. Instead of making the trip, it’s better to leave them in Puyang for defense.

“Let’s cross the river!”

Cross the river?

This is no ordinary strategy.

But Man Chong knew Cao Cao wouldn’t make a wrong decision now.

Facing Zhang Miao’s death, Cao Cao remained calm, distinguishing power struggles, life-and-death battles, and old friendships. He wouldn’t act impulsively now.

Man Chong immediately responded, “I’ll prepare boats for crossing.”

“Also, bring a hundred soldiers from Baima County and the skilled archers you brought,” Cao Cao said with a sharp gaze. “We cross the river to Chaoge!”

Sili, Henei Commandery, Chaoge.

While Zhang He and Xin Pi coordinated to attack Mengjin from Henei, the former Henei Prefect Wang Kuang retreated from Huai County to Chaoge, fearing the war might affect him.

He had long wanted to quit being Prefect here, but Yuan Shao never appreciated Wang Kuang’s support against Qiao Yan, only assigning him to escort military provisions from Ye City to Huai County, never giving him a chance to relax.

But Wang Kuang never expected to suddenly receive a visit from Cao Cao, and when Cao Cao spoke, he doubted his ears.

“General of the Chariots and Cavalry, are you joking with me?” Wang Kuang asked incredulously. “Borrowing troops from me?”

What kind of joke is this?

Cao Cao, seemingly unaware of how strange his request was, continued calmly, “The situation in Chenliu has changed. Qiao Yanshu intends to pacify Yanzhou first after ascending the throne to assert his authority. Currently, Ji Province’s troops cannot be moved to prevent a breach in Youzhou’s defense. Taishan Commandery’s troops in Yanzhou also cannot be moved to guard against a mutiny in Xuzhou. Yu Province’s defense is self-explanatory. After much thought, I can only mobilize troops from Henei.”

“The battle at Mengjin is intense, but your soldiers are not on the front lines, making them perfect for use in these troubled times.”

“If the military situation weren’t truly urgent, how could I dare to entrust Yanzhou’s affairs to Chen Gongtai and Zhang Mengzhuo, and personally come here to ask for troops?”

Wang Kuang: “…”

This actually makes some sense.

If Yanzhou’s situation weren’t truly critical, why would Cao Cao, who never yields even to Yuan Shao, come to Sili Henei to borrow troops?

But this is no ordinary borrowing!

If Henei’s troops are to be mobilized, it can’t be done just because Cao Cao holds the title of General of the Chariots and Cavalry. The Emperor’s decree from Ye City is still needed.

Moreover, moving Henei’s troops to Yanzhou requires crossing the Yellow River, and Wang Kuang would have to provide more than just manpower.

Furthermore, if Chenliu’s defense against Qiao Yan’s troops at Hulao Pass is truly overwhelmed, who knows if Henei’s troops can make a difference. If borrowing troops leads to a defeat, who should bear the blame—Cao Cao or Wang Kuang?

Any of these reasons is enough for Wang Kuang to refuse Cao Cao’s request a hundred times.

But before he could explain, Cao Cao seemed to sense his hesitation and suddenly turned cold. “You don’t want to lend them?”

“Cao Mengde,” Wang Kuang replied with a bitter face, “it’s not that I don’t want to help, but your request is too sudden. I can’t make such a decision without authorization.”

Cao Cao pondered, “You’re right. Without the Emperor’s decree, mobilizing troops would be akin to rebellion.”

Wang Kuang: “If you understand my difficulty—what are you doing!”

Wang Kuang suddenly exclaimed as Cao Cao drew his side sword and placed it against his neck.

If he could talk to Liu Biao, they might find common ground.

The difference is that Qiao Yan moved Liu Biao’s Jing Province troops to Yang Province for show, while Cao Cao wants to move Wang Kuang’s Henei troops to Yanzhou to counter Yanzhou’s noble families!

This decision isn’t wrong.

Except for those directly under Cao Cao’s command, the county defenders in Yanzhou might conspire with Chen Gong to deliver a fatal blow. Henei’s troops, however, have no ties to Yanzhou.

Whether they can advance precisely under his command is uncertain, but at least they won’t betray him.

Thus, Cao Cao absolutely cannot allow Wang Kuang to refuse.

“Nothing personal, just hoping Prefect Wang understands my difficulty,” Cao Cao said with an aggressive expression, making Wang Kuang regret not refusing Cao Cao’s visit due to his title.

“I’ve sent a message to Ye City, hoping for military support. In your opinion, will Ye City lend troops or not?”

If it’s truly a life-and-death situation as Cao Cao described, Yuan Shao would personally lead troops to support Cao Cao. How could they refuse?

“If Yanzhou is defeated, and I flee north, and the Emperor learns you could have sent troops but refused, shouldn’t you share the blame?”

Wang Kuang angrily said, “Cao Mengde, this is unreasonable!”

Yanzhou is Yanzhou, Henei is Henei. If that’s the case, shouldn’t Zhang He’s failure at Mengjin also be blamed on him?

But his anger is useless against Cao Cao’s unwavering request. The pampered Wang Kuang was even grabbed by Cao Cao, who kept the sword at his neck while dragging him out.

Of course, Wang Kuang didn’t struggle, likely to avoid accidentally cutting his neck on the blade.

“Unreasonable? You’re mistaken. If you don’t believe Yanzhou’s situation is truly critical, I can even take you along to Yanzhou,” Cao Cao said without changing his expression, making Wang Kuang even more fearful. “This is good; at least your subordinates remain yours, and you can command them to help me repel the enemy.”

“Prefect Wang, what do you think?”

Wang Kuang thinks it’s not good!

But under Cao Cao’s pressure, he couldn’t see that the turmoil in Yanzhou wasn’t caused by Qiao Yan but by Yanzhou’s noble families led by Chen Gong. He only felt Cao Cao might truly be in a desperate situation, forcing him to act so aggressively.

Arguing with such a madman is futile; better to lend him the troops.

The Emperor’s decree from Ye City can come later.

At least his neck won’t have a blade against it.

As he was about to be dragged out, Wang Kuang quickly shouted, “I’ll give you the mobilization order! You don’t need to take me.”

Hearing this, Cao Cao finally released him, showing a “friendly” expression, and Wang Kuang sighed in relief.

Cao Cao patted his collar, “A desperate move, don’t blame me. We’ll be colleagues for many years; don’t hold this against me. Once I get the Emperor’s decree, I’ll send it to you.”

“…Whatever you say,” Wang Kuang was utterly helpless.

He was tyrannical to Henei’s people but met someone even more aggressive.

Thinking of Cao Cao’s past actions, Wang Kuang wasn’t surprised by his behavior.

Cao Cao might not have a notorious reputation like Yuan Shu, but he did threaten Xu Shao to get his Monthly Appraisal.

Better to send this troublemaker away.

Fortunately, whether due to urgency or not, Cao Cao didn’t scrutinize the 5,000 soldiers selected, as if only caring about their formal military records.

To expedite his departure, Wang Kuang even allocated provisions from Chaoge’s storehouse as a gift for Cao Cao’s campaign.

Cao Cao appeared calm but secretly laughed several times.

When he crossed the river with the additional troops and returned to Yanzhou, the sun was setting.

He ordered the troops to camp and march to Suanzao early the next morning.

“Pity, if these soldiers weren’t trained by someone like Wang Gongjie, I would have led them to stabilize Chenliu’s situation,” Cao Cao thought, feeling somewhat regretful.

But haste is useless now. Obtaining a force that can turn the tide is already a pleasant surprise; one can’t expect them to be as capable as his personal guards.

Man Chong comforted, “Rest is necessary. When Chenliu’s defenders are exhausted, it’s the perfect time to strike.”

Cao Cao asked, “Aren’t you curious why I risked the crime of deceiving the Emperor to bring Wang Gongjie’s troops to Yanzhou?”

Man Chong shook his head, “The crime of deceiving the Emperor depends on which Emperor. From your actions, I can see the answer.”

Cao Cao said no more.

This is the benefit of talking to a smart person.

Chen Gong and Yanzhou’s noble families’ targeting, and his self-rescue using the “Tuntian Colonel” title, answered two questions in his mind.

Has the Han Dynasty truly reached its twilight, beyond saving?

Perhaps.

The Later Han’s establishment relied heavily on scholar-official support, making it impossible to avoid the problems of rewarding officials and dividing land, leading to today’s situation—where scholar-official interests are slightly harmed, they immediately unite to strike back!

This isn’t something that can be changed by someone unifying the Han, and Cao Cao, not being a scholar-official, sees this clearly.

Should he still stand by the Ye City court?

Perhaps not.

When he handed the note to the farmer’s child, he thought of when he told Qiao Yan after defeating Dong Zhuo that he needed the Ye City court’s appointment to become the Dong Commandery Prefect, so he couldn’t join her expedition to Liangzhou.

If he could secure that position, not only could he achieve practical governance, but also accommodate Luoyang’s refugees. Why not?

Now, he no longer needs to rely on the so-called “legitimacy” to achieve his goals.

Public sentiment cannot be defied, and the Son of Heaven of Da Yong’s ambition to unify the world also shows a sweeping momentum.

Qiao Yan’s usurpation and rebellion against the Han are no longer…





Why didn’t he ride this wave of opportunity to make his stance clear?

The betrayal of the noble families in Yanzhou made him see the true faces of the various figures in this turbulent era, and it also made him realize that the ones who could truly provide him with long-term and stable support were the countless common people struggling to survive.

Since that was the case, he still needed to plan a way out for himself and the future of Yanzhou.

Turning to Chang’an was not a choice that needed to feel awkward to say out loud.

From a friendship that transcended age to a master-servant relationship, in this era where strength came first, it wasn’t hard for people to accept, and with Cao Cao’s broad-mindedness, he wouldn’t hold a grudge about it.

The only thing he felt a bit uneasy about was that he couldn’t be accepted as a stray dog driven out of Yanzhou by the noble families.

Fortunately, he still had two military achievements to make.

The first was this Yanzhou, where the noble families were banding together.

The noble families in Yang Province had been rightfully purged by Qiao Yan after Sun Ce’s death, but the noble families in Yanzhou were easier to deal with, as under the disputes of stance, there was no reason to spare the lives of famous scholars.

When this purge of rebels happened in Yanzhou, who could say it wasn’t a case of killing the chicken to scare the monkey?

And the second was the River North County garrison in front of him.

Wang Kuang was indeed not a man skilled in deploying troops, but as long as he and his soldiers existed, Zhang He and others in River North County would have a force to fall back on.

If they really wanted to go all out and reinforce Mengjin, imitating Qiao Yan’s strategy of luring the enemy on two fronts at Mengjin and Xiaopingjin, it wasn’t impossible to try.

But now Cao Cao had moved this army away, directly cutting off their possibility.

And if Qiao Yan wanted her troops to launch a counterattack from Luoyang towards the north of the great river, the situation in River North County would be far emptier than she imagined.

Poor Wang Kuang, after suffering such a sudden threat, would never be able to wait for the imperial edict from Ye City that he wanted to ensure the legality of this troop movement.

What he would probably get was Yuan Shao’s furious reprimand.

But Cao Cao had no extra sympathy for Wang Kuang at this moment.

He was only thinking about one thing: he didn’t know how Cao Ang and Cao Hong were doing.

It had been almost two days since he “abducted” Zhang Miao from Suanzao.

That meant there was only a little over a day left before the time he had promised to support Cao Ang and Cao Hong.

Cao Cao had no intention of sitting idly by, and of course, neither did Cao Ang and Cao Hong.

The moment they realized that Zhang Miao’s younger brother Zhang Chao and his strategist Zang Hong had noticed the unusual activity here, one of them started reinforcing the camp defenses, making the trenches and deer antler stakes originally set up to prevent Qiao Yan’s generals from attacking the camp even more secure, while the other began planning the camp’s material reserves.

Both of them clearly knew that they weren’t the type to pull off a risky move at this time.

So rather than trying to use the hostage Chen Gong for some special purpose, it was better to honestly follow Cao Cao’s instructions and hold the camp for a day.

A day wasn’t too long or too short, but it wasn’t an easy time for them to get through.

Originally, Cao Cao had fully believed that Zhang Miao, as the prefect of Chenliu, would provide them with support at any time, so both the food and weapon reserves in the camp were arranged for short-term use.

Under normal training conditions, this amount was more than enough, but when facing an enemy attack head-on, it was still a number that needed to be spent carefully.

“Cheer up!” Cao Hong, who clearly wanted to comfort himself, ended up comforting his nephew in this way, patting Cao Ang on the shoulder and saying it, which made Cao Ang quite speechless.

But the second half of Cao Hong’s words really had a heartening power, “Think about the situation in the Xuzhou battle. Zhou Gongjin could hold out under the attack from both sides until the arrival of two reinforcements. Our opponents are not as strong as Liu Bei, our soldiers are definitely not inferior to the Yang Province troops, and we even have a solid enough camp. So why should we admit defeat?”

When Zhang Chao, worried about his brother’s situation, launched his soldiers to attack the camp, he heard a rhythmic and激昂的鼓声.

In the midst of this drumming, Cao Cao’s garrison, which had just suffered a blow from the existence of a traitor in the camp, showed no sign that their commander was not in the camp, displaying a sharp and aggressive spirit.

A soldier who had fought close and was forced back immediately informed Zhang Chao, “It’s Cao Zilian! He’s personally baring his body and beating the drum!”

In the midst of the intense drumming, Zhang Chao’s generals didn’t even notice that the opposing soldiers hardly used real bows and arrows, but instead threw out rolling logs and flying stones.

It wasn’t until nightfall when Zang Hong brought Bian Rang from Junyi to discuss the situation that they realized something was wrong with today’s battle.

“Everyone says Cao Zilian is loyal and brave but lacks brains. Today, it’s clear that someone underestimated him because of his wealth, thinking he only had those fine horses to use,” Bian Rang said, looking at the camp across the way with its forest of torches. “Cao Zixiu has never fought independently without his father’s leadership before, so it’s not surprising that Meng Gao was somewhat unprepared for him.”

“These things they’re throwing out have really increased the difficulty of our cavalry breaking into the camp.”

The presence of large logs and rolling stones acted like obstacles, indeed hindering their cavalry’s advance.

Zhang Chao took a deep breath. The news brought back by the first batch of scouts before nightfall wasn’t good. They had rushed out in pursuit but hadn’t caught up with Cao Cao and Zhang Miao, even losing track of their whereabouts. Only two men returned to report, while the rest continued forward in pursuit.

Now they had suffered another setback at Cao Cao’s camp.

But now was not the time to blame Chen Gong for exposing his intentions in front of Cao Cao, nor to condemn his brother for being tricked away by Cao Cao for such a reason!

“In Wenli’s opinion, what should we do now?”

Bian Rang pointed at Zang Hong, “Let Ziyuan speak. I’ve been in the position of Jiujiang’s prefect for two years, but I know I can at most be a staff officer, not a prefect. Ziyuan knows more about military matters than I do, so I won’t try to show off.”

Bian Rang showed a bit of arrogance towards Cao Cao, even speaking disrespectfully of him, but towards fellow scholars, he didn’t seem impolite.

Zang Hong didn’t hesitate and said, “Their way of attacking reveals their weaknesses. The lack of supplies in the camp will greatly limit their ability to counterattack.”

Zhang Chao asked, “Ziyuan means we should directly storm the camp?”

“No,” Zang Hong shook his head, “If we really take a direct assault, there’s no guarantee that in a moment of desperation, Cao Zixiu might take Chen Gongtai and retreat towards Hulao Pass, which would draw in the Luoyang garrison, and we’d lose more than we gain.”

He explained, “We’ll press them to their supply limits for a day, then launch a strong attack.”

Pressing them to their supply limits, Cao Hong and Cao Ang, who had little experience in battle, might think that if they continued this way, they could hold out until reinforcements arrived, and even develop some vigilance against their side’s attack.

But this restrained attack could be amplified at any moment to a level where they had to fight with all their might. At that point, would they really have the chance to respond?

“This strong attack must be fast, at least before the news reaches Cao Cao’s other generals and they send support.”

So, it would be after tomorrow’s attack.

Zhang Chao slapped the table, “Good, we’ll do as Ziyuan says. I’ll handle tomorrow’s attack, and the final quick assault will be entrusted to Ziyuan!”

But they might have underestimated Cao Ang and the others’ resolve.

Who was Cao Ang? He was Cao Cao’s heir apparent.

From the moment Cao Cao didn’t take him along but left him here to share hardships with the soldiers, these soldiers, who had joined Cao Cao’s ranks because of his land reclamation policy, had already made a silent decision in their hearts: no matter what, they would stand with the young master until Cao Cao brought reinforcements!

And Cao Ang, after counting the arrows in the camp, decisively divided them into six portions.

One portion for the first day, two portions for the second day, and three portions for the third day.

He clearly saw that the exhaustion of manpower on the last day would have to rely on tools for counterattacks, even—

Using offense as defense.

When Zang Hong led his generals to launch an attack far exceeding any previous one on the camp, Cao Ang and Cao Hong exchanged a glance, and then everyone saw a column of cavalry charging out from the camp’s side gate, heading straight for Zang Hong’s troops.

In these two days, everyone had almost come to see Cao Hong as just the guy responsible for drumming encouragement, and thought he was really under strict orders from Cao Cao to stay in the camp. Who would have thought that when he wasn’t drumming, he spent almost every moment resting and sharpening his sword!

It was also at the moment Cao Hong, like a sharp blade, charged into the enemy ranks, that the density of arrows from Cao Ang’s camp suddenly increased several times, causing Zang Hong’s side, which should have had the advantage, to fall into chaos in the sudden attack.

In the chaos of the front ranks, Cao Hong had no intention of engaging in a prolonged fight. Leading his cavalry, he boldly cut a path through the enemy, heading straight for the gap in the front lines.

At that moment, the pause in the arrows and Cao Hong’s return formed an indescribable默契 in the fading daylight.

Cao Hong rode past the makeshift return path and, with Cao Ang’s support, slammed a heavy hammer onto the big drum in the camp.

Though the sun had set, this drumbeat seemed to ignite the remaining fighting spirit in the camp.

Cao Ang was young, Cao Hong was impulsive, but they could both strengthen their weaknesses for the sake of waiting for Cao Cao’s promised support.

This charge also caused Zang Hong’s offensive to momentarily stall.

“Too bad Zang Ziyuan is no pushover,” Cao Hong said, looking at the now somewhat blurry enemy figures outside, unable to help but grit his teeth. “In such a situation, he could still choose to personally lead the charge, showing that we’re at the end of our rope.”

“Under such an attack, it’s really hard to say if we can hold out tomorrow.”

Cao Ang said firmly, “We can! If they’re still in this relentless pursuit tomorrow, I’ll personally go out to fight them. I’ll show them that my father didn’t barely become the governor of Yanzhou because of their support. We, the Cao family, have the ability to stand firm in Yanzhou!”

“Good, with your words, I’ll risk my life to accompany you!” Cao Hong immediately replied.

“Hey, you two, do you really think I don’t exist?” Xu Chu, who had repeatedly defended the camp gate with his close combat skills, had just come down to rest when he heard the conversation between the uncle and nephew, and couldn’t help but interject.

This man, who had reached the limit of physical and mental exhaustion after the first day of defense, couldn’t help but laugh a few times as they looked at each other.

With this mutual trust and the spirit of sacrifice, they would definitely not give the outsiders any chance tonight.

As dawn approached, Zang Hong had no choice but to lead his troops back.

Cao Ang breathed a sigh of relief and, after telling his subordinates to wake him if there was any unusual movement, lay down on the ground and fell asleep.

But before he could rest for half a moment, he suddenly felt a bright light before his eyes, a vivid red that made him wake up with a start and jump to his feet.

Cao Ang instinctively looked north towards the source of the light and was shocked to see a half-burnt sky in the distance.

In his drowsy state, he almost thought it was the enemy launching a massive attack from the north, even using fire.

But the next moment he heard Cao Hong’s exclamation, “That’s Zhang Mengzhuo’s camp! Their main camp is on fire!”

Not the attacking ground outside their camp, but Zhang Miao’s real military camp.

For some reason, it seemed to be on fire!

In the sky that hadn’t yet brightened with the sun, this刺眼的颜色 in Cao Ang’s eyes was like good news.

He grabbed Cao Hong, who was about to go see what was happening, “Hold the camp! If it’s really our people, we’ll send troops then.”

But they could sit tight, while Zhang Chao couldn’t.

Zhang Miao hadn’t returned yet, and they hadn’t captured Cao Ang and Cao Hong yet. These were still acceptable losses, but if their main camp was in trouble, that would be a big problem!

Zang Hong, who had just been through a night of fierce fighting, wasn’t in a condition to move again. Zhang Chao immediately went with Bian Rang straight towards the burning camp.

But before they reached the fiercely burning camp, a troop suddenly charged out from the side.

Zhang Chao, sensing danger, quickly reined in his horse, but Bian Rang didn’t have time to react so quickly.

In the still dark night, Zhang Chao only saw a short and sturdy general leading the charge. In the close combat that followed, Bian Rang, a famous scholar from Chenliu, didn’t have time to make any move before his throat was cut by a knife.

He fell off his horse, completely silent.

But the wilderness suddenly echoed with a vast and mighty battle cry.

The target was Zhang Chao’s direction!