Chapter 54: Want to Fight to the Bitter End? Then Crush His 150,000-Strong Army in a Single Battle!

Xiao He.

An unfamiliar name made its first appearance before Cao Cao and his ministers.

Another round of discussion broke out in the tent.

The men looked at each other, their eyes filled with utter bewilderment.

"Jingzhou is a land of outstanding people and abundant talents. Among the strategists, Kuai Yidu is the most renowned, hailed as the premier counselor of Jing-Xiang."

"As for Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, and others, though their fame may not match Kuai Yue's, they are nevertheless well-known figures of established reputation."

"As for this Xiao He mentioned by the Prime Minister, none of us have ever heard of his name," Liu Ye replied in a clear voice.

This response also voiced the thoughts of everyone present.

"Yet another unknown nobody..."

Cao Cao tossed the silk scroll onto the desk and asked again, "Could this Xiao He, much like that Zhuge Liang, merely be a rustic fellow from the countryside?"

Cheng Yu shook his head and countered, "Though Zhuge Liang tilled the fields in the countryside, he hails from the Zhuge clan of Langya, and his uncle Zhuge Xuan is considered a person of local distinction. I have heard that he even studied under the hermit Sima Hui."

"Though Zhuge Liang's fame was previously obscure, he is hardly a nobody."

"As for this Xiao He, Yu knows nothing of him whatsoever, as if he had materialized out of thin air."

The strategists nodded successively, deeply agreeing with Cheng Yu's words.

Cao Cao, however, scoffed with disdain and retorted dismissively, "If we follow your logic, Zhongde, this unknown nobody named Xiao Whatever-his-name-is managed to pierce through your strategy and enable Liu Bei to burn forty thousand bushels of Gu's grain?"

A distinct undertone of mockery laced Cao Cao's voice.

Cheng Yu, keeping his expression solemn, said gravely, "Although Xiao He lacks fame and his origins are obscure, the Prime Minister must not forget that Liu Bei possesses an exceptional eye for talent."

"If Xiao He lacked extraordinary abilities, how could Liu Bei without reason appoint an unknown nobody to the rank of military advisor?"

Cao Cao felt a slight jolt in his heart, and the scorn on his face faded by more than half.

*In this world, the only true heroes are you and I, My Lord.*

He had been the one to utter those very words.

Naturally, he acknowledged Liu Bei's keen discernment of people.

Guan Yu was merely a peddler, and Zhang Fei a butcher; yet these two fierce warriors capable of matching ten thousand men were both discovered through Liu Bei's discerning gaze.

Zhuge Liang, a figure who plowed the fields in obscurity and remained unknown to the world, had likewise been boldly recruited by Liu Bei.

The post of military advisor was no minor office; given Liu Bei's judgment, it was naturally impossible to entrust such a vital position to a mediocre person.

"Zhongde's words are reasonable. Even I must yield three points to the Big-Eared Thief's ability to recognize talent."

Guarded alertness returned to Cao Cao's eyes, and he issued his instructions: "Transmit my command: order the spies on the southern bank to investigate this Xiao He thoroughly. They must uncover his background down to the smallest detail!"

Cheng Yu acknowledged the order.

The matter of Xiao He was temporarily shelved. By now, Cao Cao had thoroughly regained his composure and was forced to confront the war at hand.

"My lords, how shall we proceed with this battle? I wish to hear your views."

Cao Cao picked up his tea bowl and swept his gaze across the strategists.

***

The strategists exchanged glances with one another. A tacit consensus seemed to have formed among them in their hearts, yet no one was willing to be the first to speak out.

"Prime Minister, if Chong may speak bluntly, Chong believes that withdrawing our forces and returning north is currently the ultimate strategy above all others."

In the end, Man Chong, who had always been known for his unyielding uprightness, was the first to step forward and offer direct counsel.

Cao Cao furrowed his brows slightly, his grip on the soup bowl tightening a fraction.

"Fancheng has stubbornly resisted our attacks for long, dealing a blow to our army's morale. In the battle of the Hanshui River, our naval forces were annihilated, dealing yet another blow to our morale."

"Now the grain stores of Deng County have been burned, and the morale and spirit of the officers and men of the three armies have suffered a further severe blow."

"Under such successive strikes to our morale, to continue grinding down our troops beneath the walls of a fortified city is clearly not a wise course of action."

"Furthermore, with the grain camp at Deng County reduced to ashes, our army has lost nearly half of its stored provisions. Relying solely on the grain stockpiled at Zhaoyang, we no longer have enough to sustain this endless stalemate with Liu Bei."

"Insufficient grain, shattered morale, and the inability to capture the city after prolonged fighting—these are the greatest taboos in military strategy."

"Therefore, Chong believes that we should pull back our banners and return north, waiting until next year when our troops are elite and our grain is plentiful to campaign against Jingzhou once more—that is the superior plan!"

Man Chong laid out the pros and cons clearly for Cao Cao, earnestly urging him to withdraw the troops.

With him taking the lead, strategists like Liu Ye no longer held back and chimed in to express their agreement.

Cao Cao's complexion, however, grew increasingly gloomy, and the tea bowl in his hand was squeezed ever tighter.

*Crash!*

The tea bowl smashed against the desk.

"Gu will never lead the army back to the north!"

Cao Cao suddenly let out a roar, resolute, domineering, and unyielding.

The men trembled, and the tent instantly fell into dead silence.

Man Chong and the other strategists caught a glimpse of Cao Cao's expression and instantly read his thoughts.

Between substance and face, their Prime Minister Cao had chosen face.

At the oath-taking ceremony in Xudu, proclaiming an army of eight hundred thousand marching south, Cao Cao had uttered grand boasts that within half a year he would trample Jingzhou flat, sweep across Jiangdong, crush the south like rotten wood, and unify the realm under heaven.

Now, not only were they blocked at Fancheng, but they had also suffered heavy losses at the hands of Liu Bei, only to slink back home in defeat and empty-handed.

Where would Cao Cao's prestige remain?

Where could he save face?

"I have only one thing to say, and you shall all remember it: this southern campaign will not end until Jingzhou is trampled flat and Liu Bei is wiped out. Gu will never call off the troops!"

Cao Cao's eagle-like eyes swept across the crowd, his words and expression brooking no dissent.

The strategists were sensible enough; none dared to raise objections.

Having reprimanded the assembly, Cao Cao's expression eased slightly.

"Did the Big-Eared Thief not merely burn forty thousand bushels of Gu's grain? Gu commands the entire North; how could I be thwarted by a mere forty thousand bushels of grain!"

Arrogance swept across Cao Cao's face as he flicked his sleeve and commanded:

"Quickly dispatch an order to Miaocai, commanding him to supervise the various prefectures in levying additional grain taxes and dispatch them immediately to the Jingzhou front lines to make up for the losses of the Deng County campaign!"

Hearing this, the strategists all changed color slightly. In their hearts, they felt Cao Cao's move was inappropriate, yet none dared to utter a sound.

"Prime Minister, the court has waged wars for consecutive years, and the burdens upon the people grow heavier by the day. Already, the court levied an extra grain tax once for this southern campaign against Jingzhou."

"If another levy is imposed now, I fear the common people will be unable to bear the burden and will spark a popular rebellion!"

In the end, Man Chong stepped forward once again to speak his mind impartially.

Cao Cao stirred slightly, falling silent.

Man Chong's warning had finally sounded a minor alarm bell within him.

***

Yet.

After weighing the matter for a long time, Cao Cao let out a sigh:

"To vanquish the two rebels Liu Bei and Sun Quan and recover Jiangdong is the grand strategy for unifying the realm; all sacrifices are worthwhile."

"For the sake of this grand national strategy, let the common people suffer a little longer."

Ultimately, Cao Cao rejected Man Chong's counsel.

Man Chong fell silent.

Everyone fell silent.

Arrogance reignited upon Cao Cao's face as he proudly declared:

"Gu commands the entire North, while what the Big-Eared Thief occupies is nothing more than a corner of Xiangyang and Fancheng."

"If the Big-Eared Thief wishes to wear us down, Gu shall wear him down to the end!"

"I should like to see who cracks first and sparks a popular rebellion among the people!"

...

Xiangyang Water Camp, Main Military Tent.

"Disregarding the heavy burdens borne by the people in the northern provinces, Cao Cao has once again forcibly levied grain taxes to supply his army's needs."

"At present, the grain forcibly extracted from Yu, Yan, Ji, and other provinces along the two rivers is being continuously transported to Cao's camp at Fancheng."

"According to existing intelligence, Cao Cao can forcibly levy at least over three hundred thousand bushels of grain this time."

Yi Ji knitted his brows tightly as he reported the latest intelligence piece by piece.

Inside the grand tent, dark clouds gradually gathered on Liu Bei's face, Xu Shu's brows were similarly locked in a frown, and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

Xiao He also felt a mild ache in his head.

He had originally thought that burning half of the Cao army's provisions would prompt Cao Cao to sensibly lead his troops back north, naturally dissolving the crisis at Xiangfan.

He had not expected Cao Cao to be so stubbornly unyielding, willing to risk triggering a civilian uprising just to forcefully levy and scavenge grain from the common people under his rule to make up for the losses of the Deng County skirmish.

Cao Cao was utterly determined to fight them to the bitter end at all costs.

"The grain remaining in Xiangyang is only enough to sustain us for two more months. Should Cao Cao resolve to outlast us, I fear that before rebellion brews in Cao Cao's rear, our own side will fall into chaos first."

"Bowen, Yuanzhi, we cannot simply sit here and await our doom."

Liu Bei stated the severity of the situation, casting his gaze toward the two strategists in search of a countermeasure.

Xu Shu's brows were tightly knitted as his thoughts raced, yet he could not immediately devise a plan to break the deadlock.

Xiao He, meanwhile, toyed with his tea bowl and casually sighed:

"It seems we have no choice but to fight a major, resounding victory and thoroughly crush Cao Cao's army of one hundred and fifty thousand."

This casual sigh, however, caused everyone in the tent to perk up instantly.

Liu Bei, Xu Shu, Guan Yu...

Gleeful gazes shot instantly and uniformly toward Xiao He.

Liu Bei was beside himself with joy, asking excitedly:

"Bowen, could it be that you already have a brilliant strategy to shatter Cao's army of one hundred and fifty thousand in one fell swoop?"