Chapter 53: Cao Cao: Who on earth is this Xiao He?

All the military strategists and generals inside the tent wore expressions of shock.

Cheng Yu knitted his brows deeply and let out a helpless, heavy sigh.

With four hundred thousand *hu* of grain and forage burned to ashes, a military failure of such magnitude demanded a scapegoat.

The fact that Cao Cao refrained from punishing Yu Jin clearly meant he had no intention of making him take the blame.

Had this happened during the early days of Cao Cao's rise, given his magnanimity back then, he would have shouldered the blame himself and sincerely reflected upon the lessons learned.

Times, however, had changed.

Cao Cao's territory was no longer confined to a single corner of Yanzhou; he now controlled the entire northern realm, save for Guanzhong and Liangzhou.

His status had likewise shifted from the Governor of Yanzhou of yesteryear to his current position as the Prime Minister of the Great Han, wielding power that overshadowed the court and the world.

This transformation in status and strength had caused Cao Cao's confidence to swell immensely.

The most glaring evidence of this was his southern expedition against Jingzhou launched earlier in the year, right on the heels of pacifying Hebei, without even waiting half a year to rest and regroup, and before his naval forces could even complete their training, committing the full might of the state.

How could a bloated and self-confident Cao Cao possibly stomach bearing the blame for this military defeat?

That left only one person to carry the burden: you, Yu Jin.

Originally, out of consideration for your status as a veteran who helped found the enterprise, stripping you of your peerage, reducing you to a commoner, and sending you home to farm would have been the absolute limit of leniency.

Yet you, Yu Jin, lost your composure completely, choosing to confront Cao Cao at the height of his wrath by blurting out Liu Bei's "ultimatum" in public.

If Cao Cao did not kill you, whom else could he kill?

"Prime Minister—"

Yu Jin turned pale with fright, his eyes fixed on Cao Cao in utter disbelief.

Clearly, he now realized that the words he had just uttered were unmentionable, that he had wounded Cao Cao's dignity and thus brought a fatal disaster upon his own head.

Cao Cao averted his gaze, too disdainful to look at him, and merely cast a cold glare at Xu Chu, waving his hand impatiently.

Bound to obey Cao Cao's commands implicitly, Xu Chu could only let out a soft sigh and wave his hand to order the surrounding Tiger Guards into action.

A swarm of Tiger Guards rushed forward and swiftly subdued Yu Jin.

"Prime Minister, please show mercy."

"Although Yu Wenze is indeed guilty, he has after all followed the Prime Minister for more than a decade and shared hardships with you through thick and thin."

"I implore the Prime Minister to consider his foundational contributions, exercise leniency, and spare him the death penalty."

Unable to bear it any longer, Cheng Yu stepped forward to plead for Yu Jin's life.

Le Jin and other veteran commanders who had risen alongside Cao Cao in Yanzhou likewise stepped out of the ranks to intercede for Yu Jin.

After all, they shared decades of friendship and had faced life and death together on the battlefield.

Looking down on Yu Jin for his conduct was one thing; standing idly by while he was executed was entirely another.

"During the recent battle at the Han River, in order to save his skin, he knelt and surrendered to Guan Yu. In consideration of his past services, I already forgave him once."

"Yet he is utterly devoid of shame, and now attempts to surrender to that big-eared thief once more!"

"Furthermore, my four hundred thousand *hu* of grain and forage were entirely destroyed at his hands!"

"The crimes he has committed are so grave that even a hundred deaths would not suffice. If I do not execute him, how am I to face my hundreds of thousands of soldiers and officers?"

"If my rewards and punishments lack clarity, where will my authority and prestige stand?"

***

Cao Cao was consumed by fury, unleashing a torrent of angry rebukes upon those pleading for mercy.

Cheng Yu and the others were left utterly speechless, unable to utter a single retort.

Having cowed the assembly into silence, Cao Cao swept his sleeve and shouted:

"What are you waiting for? Drag him out at once and execute him immediately!"

Seeing that all pleas had failed, the Tiger Guards dared not delay any longer and hauled Yu Jin away.

At this moment, Yu Jin was utterly broken, his heart frozen and devoid of all hope.

With a long sigh, he forcefully wrenched himself free and, using his severed hand, bowed deeply to Cao Cao:

"Prime Minister, it is I who have failed you. My crime is unforgivable, and I am willing to submit to my execution!"

"Before I die, I have only two requests of the Prime Minister."

Cao Cao had originally intended to ignore him, but catching sight of Yu Jin's maimed hand, his heart tightened slightly, and he remained silent.

Recognizing this as tacit permission from Cao Cao, the surrounding guards refrained from dragging Yu Jin away by force.

"First, I beg the Prime Minister to remember our bond as lord and vassal and take care of my wife and children."

"Second, I earnestly request that the Prime Minister slay Liu Bei and Guan Yu to avenge me and wash away this shame, so that I may rest in peace beneath the nine springs."

Having voiced these two final requests, Yu Jin bowed deeply once more:

"In my view, compared to the past, Liu Bei has undergone a complete metamorphosis and is no longer the man he once was."

"I earnestly beseech the Prime Minister never to underestimate Liu Bei again."

Having uttered these final words, Yu Jin wept openly, turned around, and walked out of the tent.

Cao Cao raised his head to look at Yu Jin, watching his receding, crippled figure. He lifted his hand slightly, and for a fleeting second, he felt an urge to revoke the order.

Yet the words stuck in his throat and refused to emerge.

A ruler does not utter empty words!

If he went back on a decree of execution already given, where would his dignity and prestige remain?

Besides, that tiny shred of reluctance in his heart was not enough to overpower his wrath toward Yu Jin.

And so, Cao Cao remained silent, watching coldly as Yu Jin departed.

A short while later.

A Tiger Guard entered the tent carrying Yu Jin's severed head and presented it before Cao Cao's desk.

Cheng Yu and the others shook their heads inwardly, their eyes filled with regret.

Gazing upon Yu Jin's head and noting the expressions of pity and sighing among his men, Cao Cao suddenly felt a pang of regret sprout within his chest.

The anger on his face melted into helplessness as Cao Cao let out a bitter sigh:

"It is not that I am hard-hearted and devoid of sentiment, but that I truly have no other choice."

"With Yu Jin having committed such a heinous crime, if I failed to uphold military law strictly, would not everyone in the entire army follow his example hereafter?"

"An army where every man lacks the resolve to fight to the death—how does it differ from a mob of rabble?"

"Leading such a rabble, how am I to sweep away rebellious subjects like Liu Bei and Sun Quan, how am I to unify the realm and restore the Great Han?"

"How could I face the heavy trust placed in me by the Emperor, and how could I repay the expectations you all have placed in me?"

***

Cao Cao poured out his grievances to the gathering at great length, and at the most poignant moments, tears welled up in his eyes.

Gradually touched by his words, Cheng Yu and the others felt tears shimmering in their own eyes, and they hurriedly stepped forward one after another to express their deep understanding of Cao Cao's difficult position.

Only then did Cao Cao brush away his tears and issue an order to have Yu Jin's body sewn back together and given a proper burial with the full honors of a village marquis.

Then, raising a cup of wine, Cao Cao spoke with solemn gravity:

"Wenze, I shall care for your wife and daughter; rest in peace on your journey."

"As for Liu Bei's head, sooner or later I shall cut it off and offer it before your spirit to comfort your soul in the netherworld."

Having made this solemn pledge, Cao Cao poured the wine from his cup completely onto the ground.

Having performed these rites, Cao Cao finally returned to his seat at the head of the tent. After taking several deep breaths, he gradually regained his customary poise.

"Before his departure, Wenze reminded me that Liu Bei has undergone a total transformation, bearing no resemblance to his former self, and warned me never to underestimate him."

"What do you gentlemen make of Wenze's words?"

Re-introducing Yu Jin's dying words, Cao Cao wore an expression tinged with suspicion.

Or rather, deep down in his heart, he harbored the exact same feeling as Yu Jin.

"Prime Minister, truth be told, I have long felt that Liu Bei is vastly different from before."

"From his surprise attack on Xiangyang, to his deployment of Huo Jun to hold Fancheng, to Guan Yu shattering our naval forces, and now to his seeing through our stratagem and counter-attacking our grain camp at Deng County..."

"Connecting all these events together, I cannot help but surmise: aside from Zhuge Liang and the recently departed Xu Shu, could there be another strategist of extraordinary brilliance by Liu Bei's side, scheming and planning on his behalf?"

Cheng Yu finally voiced the suspicions he had been harboring before the entire assembly.

Strategists such as Liu Ye nodded in agreement, making it clear that these sharp minds had all shared the same intuition as Cheng Yu, only lacking the opportunity to articulate it.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly, stroking his thin beard as he mused aloud:

"What you say is not without reason. Yet if Liu Bei has indeed acquired a new strategist, this person's tactical acumen must be truly formidable."

"Throughout the lands of Jingzhou, what mastermind could possibly see through Cheng Zhongde's stratagem?"

Cheng Yu was struck dumb, unable to reply.

Discussions erupted instantly within the grand tent as the strategists wrung their brains, mentally screening every single famed scholar of note in Jingzhou.

Yet they were either men of hollow reputation or possessed limited intellect, falling short of the standard Cheng Yu had described.

After much debate back and forth, they failed to arrive at any concrete conclusion.

Just as everyone was guessing fruitlessly, Cheng Yu suddenly recalled something and fished a single sheet of intelligence out from a stack of silk memos.

"Prime Minister, many days ago, our spies stationed on the southern bank sent this intelligence report stating that Liu Bei had appointed a young scholar as an aide. Could this person be the one?"

With these words, Cheng Yu presented the silk scroll.

Cao Cao snatched it up eagerly, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Yet after taking a single glance, the curiosity on Cao Cao's face vanished, replaced by utter bewilderment as he blurted out:

"Who on earth is this Xiao He? Why have I never heard of such a figure in Jingzhou?"