Chapter 35: Liu Bei, Your Schemes Are Hitting Me Right in the Face!

Cao Cao stood up abruptly and paced back and forth within the grand tent. The gathered advisors exchanged glances, whispering among themselves. Just as the discussion stalled, a Tiger Guard entered the tent and reported that Sun Qian, an envoy from Liu Bei, had crossed the river and was now outside the main camp, requesting an audience with Cao Cao.

Silence instantly descended upon the tent. A flash of suspicion crossed Cao Cao’s eyes. He had just annihilated Liu Bei’s naval forces and captured his general, and now, without delay, Liu Bei had sent an envoy across the river. What was Liu Bei’s intention? Was he coming here to flaunt his power? After a moment of contemplation, Cao Cao waved his hand and commanded, "Bring that Sun Qian into the tent."

The Tiger Guard withdrew. A moment later, the tent flap was lifted, and a familiar face stepped inside. "Sun Qian, Attendant to the Governor of Yu Province, pays his respects to Prime Minister Cao." Sun Qian was an old acquaintance of Cao Cao’s, so he felt no constraint, bowing with a composed and respectful demeanor.

Cao Cao’s eyes narrowed as he asked coldly, "Sun Qian, what does Liu Bei intend by sending you to see me? Could it be that he wishes to sue for peace and surrender?"

Sun Qian wanted to laugh. *My lord Liu Bei just captured your general Yu Jin, and now you expect me to come here and humbly beg for surrender? You really are quite arrogant to imagine such a thing.*

"The Prime Minister misunderstands; I am not here to offer a surrender," Sun Qian said, coughing lightly before continuing in a solemn tone, "I have been sent by the Governor of Yu Province to discuss with the Prime Minister the exchange of Yu Jin for the mother of Xu Yuanzhi."

At these words, an uproar broke out in the tent. Cao Cao’s half-closed eyes suddenly snapped open, and he glared fiercely at Xu Shu. Xu Shu, for his part, was visibly shaken; he looked at his old friend Sun Qian with an expression of pure disbelief. Sun Qian gave him a faint, reassuring nod. Xu Shu suddenly understood, his shock turning into pleasant surprise, and his heart swelled with emotion. Liu Bei had not forgotten him. Not only had he not forgotten him, he bore no grudge for his departure, and was even willing to trade the "rare commodity" of Yu Jin to bring him back. This display of loyalty warmed Xu Shu’s heart, and he found himself choked with emotion.

"Liu Bei—" After the initial shock, Cao Cao clenched his fists, his eyes burning with rage. To trade Yu Jin—a man who would not die for his cause and who clung to his life—for the brilliant strategist Xu Shu! The sound of Liu Bei’s calculation was so loud it could almost be heard across the Han River. Cao Cao was on the verge of a furious refusal.

"Prime Minister!" Cheng Yu interrupted in time, quickly saying, "Yu Jin is a veteran who has rendered great service, having followed you for twenty years. Since Liu Bei has proactively made this request, there is no harm in the Prime Minister showing a bit of leniency and exchanging him."

Cheng Yu gave a subtle signal while he spoke. Cao Cao suddenly understood, swallowing the angry words that had been on the tip of his tongue. What was Yu Jin’s standing? What was his reputation in the army? He was a veteran who had followed the Cao family for over a decade, through fire and blood. If Liu Bei killed him, that would be one thing, or holding him hostage might be acceptable, but now Liu Bei was proactively offering an exchange. If he refused, what would the soldiers think? What would his other veteran subordinates think? It would be a blow to their morale. Given this, how could Cao Cao, with Cheng Yu’s hint, fail to see the logic?

"Wen Ze has followed me for nearly twenty years; I naturally cannot abandon him. However..." Cao Cao shifted his tone, looking at Xu Shu, "Yuanzhi abandoned the darkness to seek the light, traveling a thousand miles to Xudu to join me. If I use him to trade for Wen Ze, how could I bear it?"

"Whether Yuanzhi is willing to be exchanged for Yu Jin is not something I can force; he must decide for himself." In Cao Cao’s eyes, there was even a flicker of anticipation. He hoped that Xu Shu would recognize the true state of the world, understand that Liu Bei would eventually be destroyed by him, and realize that returning to Liu Bei now was like jumping into a fire pit.

"I am grateful for the Prime Minister’s favor," Xu Shu replied without a moment’s hesitation, firmly declaring his intent, "but since Lord Xuande treats me as a man of great worth, I must repay him with the same. I am willing to go to Xiangyang so that the Prime Minister may have General Yu returned."

Cao Cao was disappointed—extremely disappointed. His lips twitched slightly, the veins on his forehead bulging, and for a moment, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

"Prime Minister, since Xu Yuanzhi is willing to be exchanged for Yu Jin to repay your kindness, you should grant his wish," Cheng Yu said, fearing Cao Cao might take drastic action. Cao Cao’s murderous intent was extinguished just in time. Suppressing his rage, he waved impatiently at Sun Qian. "Go back and tell Liu Bei that I agree to his request. I will send someone to Xuchang to bring Xu Yuanzhi’s mother here, and the exchange will take place once she arrives."

Sun Qian breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a look with Xu Shu, and took his leave.

Inside the tent, there was a deathly silence. The gazes of Cao Cao and the others felt like blades directed at Xu Shu. Xu Shu, knowing his place, realized he was no longer fit to remain in the tent for military council. He stepped forward calmly and said indifferently, "Prime Minister, it would not be appropriate for me to remain here for the council. I beg leave to retire."

Cao Cao looked at him with disgust, not even bothering to give him a straight look, and waved him away impatiently. Xu Shu turned and swept out of the tent.

"Liu Bei!" Cao Cao slammed his palm onto the table and gritted his teeth. "If I do not kill you, I swear I will not withdraw my troops from this southern campaign!" A sharp, domineering aura of slaughter filled the tent, causing everyone to tremble and remain silent.

Once Cao Cao had finished his threats, he had to return to reality. How could he kill Liu Bei? "Wenhe’s plan is sound, but do you have any ideas on how to lure Liu Bei across the river?" Cao Cao turned his focus back to Jia Xu’s strategy and scanned his advisors.

"In terms of military strength, there is a vast disparity between Liu Bei’s forces and ours. Given Liu Bei’s experience in warfare, he would never risk crossing the river," Liu Ye said, breaking the silence. "Unless the bait we offer is large enough to make Liu Bei weigh the pros and cons and decide to take the risk."

Cao Cao nodded slightly, signaling him to continue. "As for this bait..." Liu Ye coughed, clearly not having thought of one yet. Just as Cao Cao was beginning to frown, a flash of brilliance crossed Cheng Yu’s eyes, and he blurted out, "Provisions!"

Cao Cao turned abruptly, his gaze fixed on Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu stood up, his face showing complete confidence. "Nothing is more critical to an army than provisions. Only with provisions can we lure Liu Bei out!"

Cheng Yu stood before the map and pointed, "Prime Minister, look. Our provisions from Wancheng are transported to the front lines at Fancheng by both water and land. The water route goes south from Chaoyang via the Yu River, while the land route goes from Rangcheng to Deng County and then to the front-line camp. Deng County is not near the water and is close to Fancheng, so Liu Bei would never dare to raid it. However, Chaoyang is right on the Yu River, making it convenient for Liu Bei to move north by water, bypass our main camp, and launch a surprise attack to burn our stores. Chaoyang holds sixty percent of our provisions. If they are burned, it would be a devastating blow to our morale."

"Such a large bait is surely enough to lure Liu Bei to commit his main force and take the risk of a surprise attack, isn't it?" Cheng Yu said with a faint smile, laying out the entire plan.

The tent was abuzz. The advisors gathered around the map to discuss the plan. Cao Cao stared at the map, his gloomy face slowly breaking into a smile.

"Zhongde’s plan is indeed a brilliant way to lure the enemy. During the Battle of Guandu, the Prime Minister relied on burning Wuchao to crush Yuan Shao in one fell swoop." Liu Ye pointed out a flaw in Cheng Yu’s plan just as Cao Cao was about to approve it. "But at that time, the Prime Minister had the defection of Xu You, and it was only because of the secret information Xu You brought about the defenses and patrols at Wuchao that the Prime Minister dared to burn his boats and launch the raid. Liu Bei has no Xu You. Even if he has the desire to raid Chaoyang, I fear he lacks the courage to do so."

Cao Cao’s smile vanished, and he looked back at Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu’s mouth curled into a sly smile as he stroked his beard and chuckled, "Prime Minister, Xu Shu is Liu Bei’s Xu You."