Chapter 149: Failing You

The superior strategy for the Kunyang campaign was what Shen Chen deemed the optimal strategic move at present.

Advancing, one could seize Yuzhou; retreating, one could secure Jingzhou.

At the very least, following the model of the Longzhong Plan, one could first divide the realm into three parts and then launch a Northern Expedition against the Central Plains.

Some might feel that since Shen Chen ate Liu Biao's food and drank his wine, attempting to usurp his family estate was somewhat immoral.

However, Shen Chen had never intended to usurp Liu Biao's family estate.

Liu Biao's lifespan was limited; once he died, could they simply watch as Liu Cong handed Jingzhou over to Cao Cao on a silver platter?

Thus, the core of the superior strategy for the Kunyang campaign was to buy some time for Yuan Shao, delaying Cao Cao's pacification of the North by a decade or more.

Once Liu Biao died a natural death, Liu Bei would be enabled to support Liu Qi in securing Jingzhou. After Liu Qi's premature death from illness, Liu Bei could smoothly take over.

Ultimately, it was not that Shen Chen wanted to seize Liu Biao's foundation, but rather that Liu Biao would soon die, Liu Cong was incompetent, and Liu Qi was fated to die young of illness.

What else could he do?

Could he possibly pledge loyalty and repay gratitude to a dead man?

In effect, this foundation would either end up like history, captured by fighting Cao Cao after Liu Cong surrendered Jingzhou, or taken over by Liu Bei after Liu Qi died of illness. There were only these two possibilities.

As for Liu Biao's character flaws, that was a completely separate matter.

From beginning to end, Shen Chen had never truly followed Liu Biao, nor had he ever acknowledged himself as one of his subordinate officials. Therefore, this in no way hindered him from pointing out Liu Biao's shortcomings.

Shen Chen certainly would not harbor any ambitious designs while Liu Biao was still alive. But after his death, Shen Chen simply would not allow Jingzhou to be surrendered by Liu Cong, and he would furthermore treat Liu Biao's descendants kindly.

Otherwise, if things truly proceeded as they did in history, with this foundation practically handed over to Cao Cao for free, followed by the necessity of fighting the Battle of Red Cliffs, the unpredictable variables of the future would simply be too numerous. It was far better to plan ahead early.

In mid-July, Guandu.

Not long after Shen Chen converged with Liu Bei and their second attack on Xuchang failed, Cao Cao received the news.

Ren Jun had forcefully repelled Shen Chen. Although Cao Hong had scattered Liu Bei's forces, both Liu Bei and Shen Chen's main armies had suffered no catastrophic losses and had safely retreated to Kunyang.

Upon learning of this, Cao Cao's mood grew exceptionally heavy. He slowly walked out of the encampment, alone with his horse, and proceeded leisurely to the western hill, gazing from afar at the Yuan Shao encampment under construction on the opposite bank of the Guandu River.

Yesterday, Yuan Shao's main force had finally arrived at Guandu and officially began constructing fortifications. Though the outer palisades had yet to be completed, the tents already stretched for dozens of miles, and banners blotted out the sun as if without end.

This spectacle dealt Cao Cao a profound shock. Yuan Shao's frontline forces outnumbered his own threefold, countless carts and horses arrived daily, and tens of thousands of men had begun digging trenches and building ramparts on the opposite bank.

Meanwhile, he possessed fewer than forty thousand men at Guandu, while the rest of his troops were scattered across Henan, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and other regions, and his rear guard had been heavily battered by Shen Chen.

The massive disparity in military strength caused Cao Cao to feel unprecedented pressure and tension. As he looked at the boundless, endless enemy encampment in the distance, a few drops of sweat unconsciously beaded on his forehead, reflecting his profoundly unsettled state of mind.

After a moment, Cao Cao let out a long sigh, gently wiped the sweat dripping down his cheek with his sleeve, and then stood with his hands clasped behind his back, casting a sorrowful gaze toward the distance once more to silently observe the enemy camp.

Alas, were it not for Yuan Benchu, I would have long since mobilized my main force southward to encircle and annihilate Shen Chen and Liu Bei, those mere itches of scabies.

Alas, it is a matter of circumstance and destiny.

Had his own main force not been pinned down at Guandu, how could those two petty scoundrels ever have been allowed to become a heartland affliction?

A trace of melancholy appeared on Cao Cao's face.

"My Lord."

At that very moment, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

Cao Cao immediately adjusted his composure, the confidence returning to his face as he gazed into the distance with apparent indifference, looking upon the surging host of over a hundred thousand Yuan soldiers as if they were mere blades of grass.

He could reveal his vulnerability alone when no one was around, but he could never let his subordinates see that even Cao Cao was capable of fear.

"My Lord."

The voice grew closer, and a short while later, it reached a spot not far behind him.

Cao Cao turned his head and saw Guo Jia and Xun You walking toward him.

Historically, he had gathered his five great strategists by this time: Xun Yu, Xun You, Guo Jia, Jia Xu, and Cheng Yu.

However, because Shen Chen had dissuaded Zhang Xiu from surrendering, Jia Xu was absent, leaving him one strategist short.

Furthermore, Xun Yu was holding down the fort in Xuzhou, Cheng Yu was stationed in Yanzhou's Zhengcheng, and other strategists such as Dong Zhao, Mao Jie, Zhong Yao, and Wang Lang were scattered about.

Yet these men were stationed elsewhere and were not core strategists, leaving only Xun You and Guo Jia by his side at present.

As the two men slowly approached, Cao Cao smiled with unruffled composure, asking, "Fengxiao, Gongda, what brings you here?"

"My Lord is of such refined leisure," Guo Jia said with a smile. "Are you observing the Yuan camp?"

"Yes."

Cao Cao nodded and said, "Though Yuan Shao is strong, in my eyes they are no better than a swarm of ants. Once I find a flaw, I will surely annihilate them in a single strike."

Guo Jia walked up behind him and said softly, "Naturally. However, My Lord still cannot afford to underestimate Shen Chen."

"You have heard about it as well?" Cao Cao asked.

"News has just arrived," Xun You replied. "This man has stationed his troops at Kunyang and attacked Xuchang twice. His intention is likely to wear down our rear-guard forces so that when we engage in a decisive battle with Yuan Shao's army, he can capture Xuchang in one fell swoop."

Shen Chen's strategic plan was not hard to guess. His repeated maneuvers along the fringes of Xuchang were overt threats to the city, but their true purpose was to bleed Cao Cao's rear-guard forces.

Originally, Cao Hong had eight thousand men distributed across Yexian, Kunyang, and Wuyang. Coupled with the forces of Xiahou Yuan, Li Dian, and Li Tong, the Cao army had thus far suffered casualties exceeding ten thousand men, leaving the rear severely depleted.

Although Shen Chen's own forces had suffered heavy losses as well, his elusive and unpredictable movements always allowed him to seize the initiative. With Cao Cao himself absent from the rear, Xiahou Yuan, Li Dian, and the others were completely helpless against Shen Chen, resulting in a string of defeats where they repeatedly exhausted their troops to little avail.

Currently, the forces stationed around Xuchang—including Cao Hong, Xiahou Yuan, Li Dian, Ren Jun, Han Hao, Li Tong, and others—amounted to fewer than twenty thousand men. Of these twenty thousand, nearly half belonged to Ren Jun and Han Hao's agricultural garrison troops. Once formal hostilities commenced and the new millet was harvested in September, Ren Jun would have to march north to transport grain and fodder.

By then, Xuchang would be utterly hollowed out, its total force dropping to around ten thousand. Should Liu Bei continue to rally the remnants of the Runan Yuan clan, gather scattered stragglers, and combine them with Shen Chen's forces, Xuchang would be in imminent peril.

"Indeed."

Cao Cao sighed, shook his head, and said, "I am already contemplating whether we should relocate the Emperor and his officials to Yuanling."

"You must not!"

Guo Jia and Xun You objected almost simultaneously.

"My Lord," Xun You said, "the matter of relocating the Emperor and the ministers carries a hundred harms and not a single benefit. First, Yuanling is too close to Guandu, and Yuan Shao will undoubtedly dispatch forces to raid and harass us. Second, if we relocate the capital hastily, the world will surely assume we are afraid of Shen Chen. The morale of the officials, the common people, and even the soldiers will be deeply shaken."

Guo Jia added, "Moreover, our army's grain reserves are all concentrated around Xuchang. Relocating the capital would be a massive logistical undertaking, and the grain supply would become extremely difficult to secure. If the September grain harvest is delayed due to the capital's relocation, the frontline forces will likely face the dire predicament of starving."

Where was Yuanling?

It lay northeast of Xinzheng and south of Zhongma, a mere thirty-odd kilometers from Guandu, roughly corresponding to the airport district of modern-day Zhengzhou.

In truth, it was not that Cao Cao lacked grain, but rather that his grain supplies could not be piled all in one place—much like how Yuan Shao stationed his troops at Guandu while keeping his grain stores thirty kilometers away at Wuchao.

At present, the bulk of his grain was stored in Xuchang, including the new wheat harvested this May and the aged grain provided by Liu Biao the year before last. The Guandu encampment currently held only enough provisions to sustain the army for two months, which meant that come September, he would face a severe grain shortage.

Yet Xuchang required grain as well. If they ignored the numerous common people and officials and shipped all the grain to Guandu, leaving Xuchang devoid of food, the residents around the city—including the agricultural colonists, the garrison troops, the common folk of Xuchang, and the civil and military officials—would inevitably revolt.

Consequently, Cao Cao's present predicament was excruciatingly difficult. He had to hold out until September for the new millet harvest, after which the rear would be able to transport grain forward to the front lines. Historically, it was Ren Jun who accomplished this vital mission.

Yet even though Ren Jun managed to complete a portion of the transport duties historically, he was still only able to deliver two months' worth of provisions. Due to Yuan Shao's omnipresent raids along the supply lines, transportation proved exceedingly difficult. When Xun You later sought out Cao Cao in October, Cao Cao himself admitted that his grain reserves would only last until the end of November.

This meant that if Cao Cao chose to relocate the capital, the grain reserves in Xuchang would likewise have to be hauled to Yuanling. By then, Yuan Shao had already begun a comprehensive containment campaign against Cao Cao, pushing his forces past Kaifeng and Weishi. It was only because Xuchang was too distant and dividing his forces inconveniently that Yuan Shao had refrained from sending troops there.

Once Cao Cao moved the Emperor and his ministers to Yuanling—a place so agonizingly close to Guandu—even the most foolish incarnation of Yuan Shao would dispatch a massive army to raid them. The ensuing danger would far surpass the threat posed by Shen Chen's raids on Xuchang. It could truly be described as a perilously high-stakes, fatal move!

Cao Cao sighed. "How could I not know this? Yet Shen Chen and Liu Bei, blind to the grand currents of the time, repeatedly pillage Xuchang, while I must guard against Yuan Shao here at Guandu and cannot command a personal campaign. The situation in the rear has already grown exceedingly perilous."

Guo Jia and Xun You exchanged glances, then stepped forward with smiles and said, "Do not fret, My Lord. After consulting with Gongda, I have devised a strategy that can relieve Your Lordship of any future worries."

"Oh?"

Cao Cao rejoiced and asked, "What is this brilliant plan?"

Guo Jia stepped forward and whispered into his ear: "It shall be done thus and thus."

Yet neither of them anticipated that upon hearing this strategy, Cao Cao would suddenly fall silent.

"My Lord?"

Seeing Cao Cao remain mute and unreadable, Xun You and Guo Jia asked in bewilderment, "Is there something wrong with this plan?"

Cao Cao shook his head. "The plan is... very good."

"Then—"

"Allow me to consider it further."

"This—"

The two men exchanged glances once more, utterly baffled. However, Cao Cao was a man of resolute will; if he chose to adopt a plan, he would do so without hesitation. Thus, they pressed no further, bowed, and withdrew.

After a long while, Cao Cao gazed up at the vault of heaven, his eyes wide, his gaze filled with nostalgia yet tinged with profound sorrow and grief.

He recalled the spring breeze of Qiao County from all those years ago.

Dendrobium, daylilies, wild roses, and mugwort vied with one another in colorful splendor.

Yet no matter how breathtaking the flowers were, none could rival the shy, blushing visage of that young maiden as the evening sun set.

That spring, the cousin who had known him since childhood sat inside a carriage, and amidst his own triumphant pride, the carriage slowly rolled into the Cao family estate.

Later on, unable to bear children of her own, his wife treated Cao Ang and Cao Shuo as if they were her very own flesh and blood, never once uttering a word of grievance.

When the Yellow Turban Rebellion and Dong Zhuo's rebellion broke out, it was his wife who continually encouraged him to serve his country. Even when he fled home from Luoyang in bedraggled defeat countless times, she never uttered a single complaint.

Alas, the death of Zixiu had ultimately driven a wedge between his wife and himself, causing them to drift steadily apart.

Throughout his life, no matter how many people he killed, he had never felt a shred of regret, nor did he feel he had wronged a single soul.

Only in the case of his wife—he had failed her once already.

And now.

He was about to fail her yet again.

Gazing at the rolling clouds in the sky, Cao Cao slowly let fall a stream of tears.

(End of this chapter)