Chapter 128: The Battle of Jinche Township

"The Excellency has returned, the Excellency has returned."

The news quickly spread throughout Xudu, and the previously panicked situation immediately stabilized. It was not that everyone considered Cao Cao their backbone, but rather that these people were standard fence-sitters. When Yuan Shao’s influence was at its peak, they had all written letters to him, secretly pledging their allegiance. Now that Shen Chen was leading his troops north and Xudu’s defenses were severely depleted, these high-ranking officials and nobles mistakenly believed that Shen Chen was gaining the upper hand, and thus they began to reach out to him as well.

Now that Cao Cao had returned, everyone knew he was a ruthless man. The risk of causing trouble now was far too high, so these so-called aristocratic clans and nobles all quieted down, waiting to see how events would unfold. In short, while they were of no real use and only good for cheering from the sidelines, the rule remained the same: they would side with whoever was winning. At the very least, for now, they needed to wait for a definitive outcome.

Cao Cao galloped through the night to return to Xudu. Xun Yu, Xia Houyuan, and Li Dian immediately came to beg for his forgiveness. Outside the north gate of Xudu, the crowd saw a large cavalry force approaching from afar.

"Excellency!"

When Cao Cao reached them, Xun Yu, Xia Houyuan, Li Dian, Cao Hong, and the many other civil and military officials guarding Xudu stepped forward to kowtow and plead for mercy.

"Hmph."

Cao Cao nodded. For this return trip, he had brought only five thousand cavalry, leaving his major generals behind, with the exception of Guan Yu and Xu Chu, who followed him like bodyguards. At this moment, Guan Yu had just beheaded Yan Liang and achieved a great merit; only a few days prior, Cao Cao had submitted a memorial to Liu Xie to request honors for him, naming him the Marquis of Hanshou, and now, he was already back in Xudu.

After Cao Cao entered the city and saw the many officials, he merely nodded majestically, offering no reproach. He rode through the city streets in a high-profile manner, surveying his surroundings, before finally returning to the Excellency’s residence. His reason for doing so was naturally to pacify the public. Once he reached the entrance of the residence, he had Guan Yu and Xu Chu lead the riders to rest their exhausted bodies, and only after returning to the main hall did he fix a piercing gaze upon Cao Hong and ask, "Zilian, what on earth happened?"

Cao Hong, looking deeply ashamed, replied, "Elder brother, that day we learned that Shen Chen had bypassed Ye County in the middle of the night to head north toward Kunyang. The garrison commander of Kunyang, Liu Dai, also reported seeing thousands of torches moving north at midnight. I assumed he intended to raid Xudu..."

"Crack!"

Cao Cao kicked over a table and roared at Cao Hong, "You assumed he was coming to raid Xudu, so he actually would? With Wenruo and Miaocai in Xudu, you could have held out for several days at the very least! Could you not have sent scouts to investigate during the day? Why were you in such a hurry to leave? To fall for such a low-level feint of 'attacking in the east to strike in the west'—it is truly foolish!"

The many generals and Cao Cao’s confidants were filled with anxiety, not daring to let out a breath. Cao Cao glared at Cao Hong, his frustration stemming from the feeling that his kin was failing to live up to expectations. He was truly furious this time, for had he not dealt with Yan Liang and Wen Chou so quickly, and returned a few days later, Shen Chen would have truly reached the gates of Xudu. If he had then joined forces with Zhang Xiu, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The destruction of Xudu was a minor matter; the real issue was that once he lost control of Liu Xie, he would instantly become a target for everyone. By then, even if he defeated Yuan Shao, the current scene of Xudu as a gathering place for the world’s elite would vanish like smoke, and his prestige among the clans would plummet to the bottom. One must realize that from the mere tens of thousands of troops he held in Yanzhou to his current control over almost the entirety of Henan and even Xuzhou and Shandong, the golden signboard of Liu Xie had been indispensable. Cao Cao knew better than anyone what the outcome would be if he lost the support of the great clans.

Therefore, faced with Cao Hong’s dereliction of duty, he could not shield him. Cao Hong was not only stingy but also extremely resolute. Upon hearing Cao Cao’s words, he immediately said, "It is my fault. Please allow me, your cousin, to commit suicide to atone for my crimes." With that, he reached for the sword of a nearby guard.

Cao Cao rushed forward and kicked Cao Hong to the ground, saying, "You scoundrel! What use is your life to me? Keep your life and redeem yourself through service. I only hope you remember the lesson of today and never repeat it. Do you hear me?"

Cao Hong climbed up from the ground, his face full of shame, and replied, "I obey."

Seeing the lingering guilt on his face, Cao Cao’s anger subsided. After all, back in the early days at the Bian River, had Cao Hong not given him his horse, he would have been killed by Xu Rong long ago. Thus, he never truly intended to hold Cao Hong accountable. In this regard, Cao Cao acted better than Cao Pi; they were his own kin, after all. Had it been any other general, Cao Cao would certainly have had him executed, but Cao Hong, Cao Ren, Xia Houyuan, and Xia Hou Dun were the cornerstones of his rise, so that was out of the question.

Even the later "Five Elite Generals," with the exception of Yu Jin, basically never had the chance to command troops independently and were only fit to serve as deputies to the Cao and Xiahou families because Cao Cao trusted them more. Now that Cao Ren was dead, one of the four cornerstones of the Cao family was gone; how could Cao Cao be willing to let Cao Hong commit suicide over such a matter?

However, a show still had to be made. Cao Cao said, "I demote you to Colonel of Eagle Might, revoke your title, and you shall reflect on your mistakes."

"Yes."

Cao Hong lowered his head, submissive. He was already relieved to be alive; what else could he hope for?

After punishing Cao Hong, Cao Cao looked at Xun Yu and the others and asked, "Wenruo, Miaocai, what is the situation now?"

Xun Yu replied, "Shen Chen has stationed his troops at Linying. Yesterday, Li Dian led troops to attack him but was defeated by his schemes. This man is exploiting the emptiness of our rear; every time, he feigns an attack on Xudu to force us into a decisive battle. As Xudu currently lacks sufficient troops, it is difficult to engage him, and therefore..."

...

"I see." Cao Cao nodded and asked, "How many troops remain in the city?"

"Approximately twelve thousand men, though these were all temporarily conscripted. Among them, the elite soldiers number fewer than four thousand..." Xun Yu’s expression was troubled.

This was the awkwardness of Xudu. Because Cao Cao had concentrated his main forces along the lines of Guandu, Sili, Yanzhou, and Qingzhou to fight Yuan Shao, the rear was severely under-defended. Once the enemy broke through the defense lines of Cao Hong and Li Tong, Xudu would be in a very precarious position.

Cao Cao mused, "The value of an army lies in its quality, not its quantity. Four thousand are enough."

Xun Yu added, "The General Who Conquers the South sent a message yesterday; he has already arrived at Yanqiang. I have ordered him to provide support for Xudu from there."

"Oh?" Cao Cao frowned. "You called Li Tong back?"

Xun Yu smiled bitterly. "There was no other way. If we do not gather reinforcements quickly, Xudu truly risks being breached. Even if Sun Ce were to attack, we must first secure Xudu."

Cao Cao’s brow furrowed even deeper. In his view, this move by Xun Yu was akin to drinking poison to quench thirst. Li Tong had surrendered to Cao Cao with his own troops, and his strength was considerable—he had over ten thousand men—which was why he was able to guard Runan against Sun Ce, and why figures like Yuan Shao and Liu Biao had wanted to win him over. At the time, Cao Cao did not know if Li Tong was reliable, as he was of a different surname, and with most counties in Yuzhou having rebelled, who could guarantee that Li Tong wouldn't surrender?

Therefore, Cao Cao had two concerns about calling Li Tong back: first, he feared that Runan would be left empty, inviting a strike from Sun Ce; second, he feared Li Tong might betray him, which would be disastrous.

But things had reached a critical juncture. In history, Cao Cao was the kind of ruthless character who, having just accepted the surrender of Zhang Xiu—a man who had already betrayed him once—dared to station him on his right flank at Chenliu. He gritted his teeth and said, "I do not suspect those I employ, and I do not employ those I suspect. Since I trust Wenda, I have no reason to worry about him. Send a message ordering Li Tong to move north and rendezvous with me."

"I obey."

Xun Yu went off to attend to the matter. Cao Cao looked around and said, "Shen Chen is but a mere child. Relying on the emptiness of my rear, he thinks he can raid Xudu—it is truly wishful thinking. Now that I have returned, I shall capture this child myself. You may all leave. Li Dian, Cao Hong, Xia Houyuan, you are to lead the troops to guard Xudu. Allow me to first go to the palace to comfort the Emperor, and tomorrow, you shall march with me to Linying."

"We obey."

The generals, strategists, and officials retreated one after another.

After they left, Cao Cao forced himself to go to the palace to see Liu Xie. After a superficial display of consolation, he immediately returned to the Excellency’s residence to rest. A man is not made of iron. The distance from Guandu to Xudu was over ninety kilometers. They had traveled through the night, and for every hour of movement, the horses required two hours of rest. Moving at an average of ten kilometers per hour, both the horses and the soldiers were completely exhausted.

Therefore, it was unrealistic to lead an army out to battle right now. They needed at least one day of rest. Beyond the soldiers, the most important thing was that these warhorses needed to be fed with refined fodder; only after eating, drinking, and resting well could they march.

Thus, on the third day after Shen Chen had advanced to Linying, Cao Cao had finally finished his preparations. Li Tong had arrived at Xudu the previous day and merged his forces with Cao Cao’s, bringing the number of elite soldiers to nearly twenty thousand. They marched toward Linying in a majestic formation.

However, Shen Chen had long since planted eyes and ears in Xudu. Years ago, he had sent people to buy storefronts in Xudu, pretending to be merchants while acting as moles. They had secretly kept a few horses at a farm outside the city. As soon as Cao Cao entered the city, his men had gone to report it.

Upon learning that Cao Cao had arrived in person, Shen Chen had retreated to Xiangcheng the day before. He had not brought much grain, essentially only ten days' worth of dry rations per soldier. If Cao Cao besieged the city, he would either have to break out or plunder the people of Linying, so it was more practical to retreat early.

But how could Cao Cao let him off so easily?

Relieved that Li Tong had not defected, Cao Cao ordered Li Tong to hand over his command seal to Xia Houyuan, serving as Xia Houyuan’s deputy. Then, he led the cavalry himself, taking Guan Yu and Xu Chu, and galloped ahead to intercept Shen Chen before he could retreat from Xiangcheng to Kunyang.

Although he had only five thousand cavalry, and the cavalry of the Han Dynasty lacked stirrups, horseshoes, and high-backed saddles, the speed of cavalry was still too great. While infantry could form defensive lines to avoid being run down by cavalry, if they were delayed for too long, they would be caught once the Cao infantry arrived.

At this moment, Shen Chen was near Jinche Township, located about ten kilometers south of Xiangcheng and over twenty kilometers north of Kunyang. In later ages, this place would have a famous name—Pingdingshan City. However, he was not in the urban area of Pingdingshan, but in the Ziyun Mountain area to the east, which was the only mountainous region near Xiangcheng, with Kunyang to the south.

It was early summer, and after a light rain the previous two days, the weather was clear. After retreating, Shen Chen followed the official road south. On their right was the Ziyun Mountain range, and the road lay to the east of the mountains. The forests were lush, and at the foot of the hills, one could occasionally see a few households. Villages and fields were scattered everywhere, and in the distance, the plains were vast, with hills, mountains, forests, and rivers appearing in the mist.

The soldiers of Huangmenting brought up the rear, while Gan Ning’s troops marched in the front. Along the wide post road, the eight thousand men stretched out in two long lines, covering about two miles, moving toward the south in a slow, steady pace.

"Enemy attack!"

"Whistle! Whistle! Whistle! Whistle!"

At that moment, sharp whistle blasts pierced the wilderness. Several scouts on horseback were speeding toward the front to give warning. They were the scouts Shen Chen had arranged to stay at the very back of the formation. They did not need to go out to reconnoiter; they only needed to follow behind the troops, and the moment they discovered enemy activity, they would immediately gallop forward to catch up with Shen Chen’s column and sound the alarm.

In an instant, the whistles sounded one after another. Gan Ning’s soldiers were caught off guard, while the soldiers of Huangmenting, led by their respective officers, began to gather toward the plain on the right. Shen Chen issued his combat orders, and they moved into action immediately.