Chapter 118: A Vast Army at the Frontier—Retreat?? [Please Subscribe]

May, the third year of the Jian'an era.

Cao Cao issued an imperial decree to the entire realm, citing the suppression of rebels as his justification. He mobilized over twenty thousand infantry and cavalry, though he claimed a force of two hundred thousand. Leading his three armies in person, he marched directly toward Shouchun.

At the same time, he dispatched Xiahou Yuan and Li Dian with five thousand troops—falsely claiming a force of fifty thousand—to unite with the various generals of Mount Tai in the north and seize Xuzhou directly.

In an instant, all the warlords of the land turned their gaze toward these developments.

***

The Cao army marched with great haste. Emerging from the Chen State and entering the territory of Runan, the news finally reached Shouchun, prompting urgent dispatches to be sent out.

***

North of the Niuzhu River, Lu Su stared at the urgent intelligence from Shouchun, his brow furrowed in gloom. His greatest fear had come to pass. He had anticipated that Sun Ce would seek reinforcements after his string of defeats, but he had not expected Cao Cao to act with such decisiveness.

Cao Cao’s arrival meant that the Chu army would be forced to return to defend their homeland. The plan to annex the Danyang and Kuaiji commanderies, which had been proceeding without restraint, now had to be abandoned.

All previous efforts were in vain!

If Cao Cao pressed his attack, Chu Feng would be forced to return as well. After all, Chu Feng had taken the majority of their elite troops with him, leaving behind mostly raw recruits. How could they possibly stand against the battle-hardened Qingzhou veterans? Once Chu Feng retreated, Sun Ce would surely seize the entirety of Wu Commandery and reclaim his lost territory.

Lost in thought, Lu Su closed his eyes for a long moment. Finally, he picked up his brush and wrote several letters. He summoned his messengers immediately. One was sent to Lu Bu, urging him to strike at Cao Cao’s rear. One went to Liu Biao, informing him of the emptiness of Xuchang and encouraging an assault. A third went to Yuan Shao, detailing the pros and cons of the situation and suggesting that since a conflict with Cao Cao was inevitable, he should split his forces and march south early to force Cao Cao to withdraw.

The final two letters were sent to Ji Ling and Chu Feng, apprising them of the situation and urging them to lead their forces back to reinforce their positions.

As for himself, Lu Su ordered his generals to hold the camp and display as many of his banners as possible. He then took the remaining ships and a few thousand men to head north along the Chaohu water system. Since the Fei and Shi rivers had been dredged, his warships could reach the Huai River directly. Lu Su had to find a way to block Cao Cao north of the Huai; otherwise, if Cao Cao crossed the river, the people of Shouchun would surely suffer, for that man was notoriously brutal toward the subjects of rival warlords.

***

Summer, mid-May.

Lu Su led three thousand men to garrison the water fortress north of the Huai River, while Qiao Rui commanded five thousand to hold Shouchun, forming a pincer formation to support one another. However, with such limited forces, the effect was inevitably constrained.

As for Ji Ling, Zhang Xun, and Le Jiu, Zhang Xun was left to guard Wanling, the seat of Danyang Commandery, while Ji Ling and Le Jiu led five thousand men to reinforce Shouchun. Even so, their numbers remained insufficient. Excluding the garrisons at Niuzhu and Danyang, they had only Lu Su’s three thousand, Qiao Rui’s five thousand, and Ji Ling’s five thousand. More importantly, these ten thousand men were no match for the Cao army. The Qingzhou soldiers were veterans of constant warfare, whereas Yuan Shu’s troops—accustomed to his extravagant and decadent lifestyle—were undisciplined and had little time for proper training. In terms of combat prowess, they were simply incomparable.

***

Jingzhou, Xiangyang.

After hearing the messenger’s report, Liu Biao chuckled softly. "Someone, show the envoy out to rest!"

Turning to his advisors, Liu Biao asked, "Gentlemen, you have heard it yourselves. Cao Cao is marching on Shouchun, and Chu Feng wishes for me to send reinforcements. What is your take on this?"

"My Lord," Kuai Liang said, bowing low. "Chu Feng promised us cloth armor last year, yet he has only delivered a hundred pieces to date. Is this not a deliberate attempt to deceive us? Furthermore, Sun Ce has suffered repeated defeats. If we allow Chu Feng to occupy the six commanderies of Yang Province, where will his blades point next? At Cao Cao? Or at you, my Lord? If he intends to conquer Jingzhou, I ask you: who among us could stand against him? Would Jingzhou not change hands? In my humble opinion, we should not provide aid."

A murmur rippled through the civil and military officials, all in agreement with Kuai Liang. Chu Feng’s ambitions were vast; if he were to seize the six commanderies of Yang, the consequences would be dire. Would Jingzhou not be in grave danger?

Liu Biao raised an eyebrow. He knew full well that he only wished to remain safely on the sidelines. Chu Feng’s survival was of no concern to him; he feared that if he helped, Chu Feng would eventually turn his sights on him, leaving him with no place to hide.

"My Lord, I believe that while Cao Cao is occupied with this invasion, we should take the opportunity to seize Yuzhang. With Shouchun in crisis, the defenses of Yuzhang must be depleted," a fierce general suggested.

"No, that must not be done," Liu Biao immediately rejected. "Chu Feng and I are allies. Even if I cannot provide aid, how would the world view me, Liu Jingsheng, if I were to strike at his territory from behind?" He refused primarily because the general belonged to the Cai family. The Cais had been pushing to take Yuzhang for some time, clearly seeking to expand their own influence, which would only make Liu Biao more vulnerable.

"Send them three hundred crossbows and five hundred swords as a gesture of support," Liu Biao decided. "Tell them I am truly unable to do more. With Zhang Xian in Changsha showing signs of rebellion, I must focus on pacifying my own lands; I have no spare troops to march north." The mention of this issue brought a dull ache to his head. Zhang Xian held great prestige in Southern Jing, and with his rebellion, the rest of the region was responding in kind.

***

Wu Commandery, Piling City.

It had been some time since Sun Ce withdrew his forces. Chu Feng had only one thought: to dig in and wait for Ji Ling, Zhang Xun, and Lu Su to close the pincer. Once they finished consuming Danyang and Kuaiji, Wu Commandery would be an isolated city, unable to hold out, and he would possess the entirety of Yang Province. From there, he could build a fleet to strike at the Central Plains via the Huai River, or push into Jingzhou to seize its eight commanderies. Retreating, he could hold the natural barrier of the Yangtze River. This was the strategy he and Lu Su had devised together.

Suddenly, Liu Ye rushed in, shouting, "My Lord, disaster!"

Chu Feng’s brow tightened as he set down his scroll. "Ziyang, what has caused such alarm?"

"My Lord, a letter from Zijing. Cao Cao—Cao Cao has raised an army! He is leading tens of thousands of elites, and it will not be long before he reaches Shouchun." Liu Ye looked tense. They had discussed the possibility of a Cao Cao intervention, but Chu Feng had chosen to gamble in order to take Wu Commandery. He had not expected Cao Cao to move so quickly.

Chu Feng’s brows knitted together. While he was not entirely surprised, he felt a surge of irritation. That man had finally come, even though he should have been focused on Xuzhou.

"So he has come after all. What does Zijing suggest?" Chu Feng asked, his voice cold and irritable.

"Zijing says that Shouchun is undefended and the garrison consists mostly of new recruits. Since Cao Cao’s Qingzhou soldiers are elites and masters of siege warfare, he urges us to return," Liu Ye replied solemnly.

"Return?" Chu Feng raised an eyebrow. "What is your opinion?"

"My Lord, Shouchun is the foundation of your power. If it is lost, how can you speak of hegemony? I suggest we leave a top general to hold Qu'e while we return to reinforce Shouchun. Once Cao Cao’s forces retreat, we can resume our plans for Wu Commandery. This is the safest course of action!" Liu Ye pleaded.

"You also believe we should retreat?" Chu Feng frowned.

"My Lord, this is a matter of great importance. Shouchun cannot be lost." Seeing Chu Feng’s reluctance, Liu Ye urged him once more.

"Heh!" Chu Feng sneered with narrowed eyes.

How could he be satisfied with such a retreat? Moreover, if they withdrew, would the few thousand troops left behind be able to stop Sun Ce? Rather than retreating, it would be better to devise a trap and destroy them.