“Let me think it over carefully.”
Struggling to suppress the anger in his heart, Cao Cao shook his head and said,
“Zilian, go to Ye City at once and ask Brother Benchu to send troops to assist us.”
“…”
“My lord!” Cao Ren pursed his lips, his eyes reddening.
“Zilian has already fallen in battle.”
Cao Cao froze for a moment upon hearing this.
He waved his hand and said, “Then let Miaocai make the trip instead.”
“If Benchu is willing to send reinforcements, then we shall sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight, waiting for the right moment to act.”
“If Brother Benchu finds it difficult, then I will think of another solution.”
At present, he commanded no more than twenty thousand troops, with only a handful of capable generals.
Even the grain required to sustain his army was being supplied by Yuan Shao.
Without Yuan Shao’s support, Cao Cao had no way of participating in the war for Yan Province on his own.
Even if he somehow had enough grain, it would still be exceedingly difficult.
The political landscape of Yan Province had already undergone earth-shaking changes.
With only twenty thousand soldiers, he simply lacked the strength to control the province.
As for the office of Administrator of Dong Commandery— The current Cao Cao no longer thought much of it.
“This subordinate obeys!” Xiahou Yuan stepped forward, saluted respectfully, and quickly departed from the command tent.
“Zixiao.” Cao Cao turned toward Cao Ren.
“Have we determined how the Yellow Turban forces in Yan Province are deployed?”
“This general has failed in his duty.” Cao Ren answered bitterly.
“Every city and pass throughout the four northeastern commanderies of Yan Province is heavily guarded. Ordinary civilians may enter, but they are not allowed to leave.”
“Furthermore, Zhang Jing is exceedingly cunning.”
“All the people under his rule have been registered and recorded.”
“Soldiers and civilians live intermixed, while village elders, local headmen, and similar positions are all filled by Yellow Turban soldiers.”
“As for our scouts…After great difficulty, some managed to slip inside through remote paths.”
“Not only did they suffer heavy losses, but the information they brought back was extremely limited.”
“What a Zhang Yuheng!” A chill ran through Cao Cao’s heart, and his expression darkened.
“I underestimated him. And now that fool Yuan Shu is helping him as well.”
“Could it be that even Heaven’s will stands on his side?”
Zhang Jing’s methods reminded Cao Cao of one man:
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.
At first, Cao Cao had believed Zhang Jing’s suppression of the great clans and powerful families to be foolish.
Yet Zhang Jing’s subsequent actions left him astonished.
Namely, his decision to abandon the four southwestern commanderies.
That was something Cao Cao had never anticipated.
However, as events continued to unfold, Cao Cao increasingly felt that Zhang Jing’s decision had been a stroke of genius.
Yuan Shu’s latest move only highlighted Zhang Jing’s brilliance even further.
At present, Zhang Jing firmly controlled four commanderies.
Leaving aside the size of his army, the population under his rule likely approached three million.
Anyone seeking to invade would have to pay an enormous price.
Meanwhile, Zhang Jing could remain safely in his heartland, calmly dispatching troops wherever needed.
“This man absolutely cannot be allowed to live!” Thinking of all this, Cao Cao’s eyes filled with icy killing intent.
Then, as if remembering something, he said:
“Zixiao, since we cannot obtain intelligence from inside Yan Province, investigate grain movements throughout the various regions instead.”
“If my guess is correct, the Yellow Turbans must be suffering from a severe grain shortage.”
“If grain prices in any commandery or province have risen sharply, there is a good chance the Yellow Turbans are involved.”
“My lord!” Cao Ren’s expression changed dramatically.
“Had you not mentioned it, I would never have thought of it.”
“As for grain prices in other cities of Ji Province, I do not yet know. But within Neihuang City, grain prices are now practically changing every day.”
“At present, one shi of millet can sell for eight hundred coins in Neihuang.”
“Just a few months ago, the same amount cost only one hundred and fifty coins.”
“Such a thing has happened!?” Cao Cao’s expression immediately changed.
Fixing his gaze on Cao Ren, he ordered:
“Zixiao, after you leave, forget about Yan Province for the time being.”
“Send our agents out and trace the source of this surge in grain prices. If any merchant is found selling grain to the Yellow Turbans, I shall report the matter to Brother Benchu and have that merchant prosecuted for treason against the state!”
“This general obeys!” Upon hearing this, Cao Ren’s spirits lifted.
He respectfully cupped his fists and shouted his acknowledgment.
Inwardly, he thought that although he could not kill any Yellow Turbans at the moment, he would be more than happy if he could cause them some trouble.
“It was my oversight. I should have thought of this sooner.”
After Cao Ren departed, Cao Cao was filled with self-reproach.
He had known that the Yellow Turbans would face a grain shortage.
However, at the time, he was still recovering from severe injuries and had taken no action.
Now, all he could do was try his best to remedy the situation.
……………
Ji Province, Wei Commandery.
Yuan Shao had gathered his civil and military officials for a banquet at the Governor’s Residence.
After several rounds of wine and the dishes had been well enjoyed—
“Gentlemen!” Seated at the head of the hall, Yuan Shao looked down upon the assembled officials below.
Buoyed by wine and high spirits, he said:
“I assume all of you have read the proclamation issued by my foolish younger brother.”
“Brother Mengde of Neihuang has sent one of his retainers to request my assistance.”
“What do you think I should do?”
As Yuan Shao turned to serious matters, the hall fell silent.
Everyone directed their attention toward the main seat.
“Hahaha!” At that moment, a bold and hearty laugh echoed through the hall.
Immediately afterward, a man rose to his feet.
He stood roughly nine chi tall.
Upon his head rested a purple-gold triple-pronged crown.
He wore fearsome beast-faced chain armor, a lion-headed armored belt around his waist, and a crimson brocade cloak embroidered with a hundred flowers draped over his shoulders.
His appearance was heroic and imposing.
His lips seemed painted with vermilion, and his handsome features exuded an overwhelming aura of dominance.
As the man stood, the expressions among Yuan Shao’s officials varied greatly.
Some looked solemn.
Some fearful.
Some respectful.
Others contemptuous.
“Brother Benchu, this matter is simple!”
The man’s gaze swept across the hall with disdain, as though no one under heaven was worthy of his regard.
“Under my command are three thousand Wolf Cavalry who can smash through enemy camps as easily as reaching into a pocket.”
“I also possess eight hundred soldiers of the Camp of the Fallen, invincible wherever they go.”
“Give me twenty thousand infantry to command. And whether it is the Yellow Turban rebels in Yan Province or your foolish younger brother, I shall destroy them all and bring Yan Province under your rule!”
The speaker was none other than Lu Bu— the Han Dynasty’s General Who Inspires Martial Might and the Marquis of Wen— who had fought his way out of Chang’an.
The previous winter, like Cao Cao, he had entered Yuan Shao’s service as a guest commander.
Lu Bu’s declaration plunged not only Yuan Shao’s officials into silence but also caused a trace of wariness to flash through Yuan Shao’s eyes.
In Yuan Shao’s view, although uü Bu was undoubtedly exaggerating, his military strength was equally undeniable.
The Bing Province Wolf Cavalry and the Camp of the Fallen under his command were forces that even Yuan Shao coveted greatly.
The problem was that, in Yuan Shao’s eyes, Lu Bu was an ungrateful turncoat whose betrayal stat had long since been maxed out.
Especially since he was a repeat offender.
And people like Lu Bu were precisely the sort Yuan Shao feared most.
Four years earlier, one such ungrateful man had emerged from among the Yuan clan’s followers.
That individual had all but exterminated the Yuan family.
He had personally slaughtered both the clan patriarch and the designated heir.
As a result, Yuan Shao’s feelings on the matter were complicated.
He could hardly decide whether to laugh or cry.
Part of the reason he had accepted Lu Bu was the latter’s unquestionable martial prowess.
Another reason was that Lu Bu had, in a roundabout way, avenged the Yuan family.
Now, however, Lu Bu had yet to accomplish a single notable deed under him.
Yet he was already demanding command of twenty thousand troops.
To Yuan Shao, Lu Bu was dreaming.
At the same time, Yuan Shao’s determination to absorb Lu Bu’s forces into his own army only grew stronger.
The man was certainly brave.
But Yuan Shao simply could not bring himself to like him.
“My lord!” At that moment, another man rose to his feet.
He wore armor and possessed the broad shoulders and powerful build of a tiger or bear.
Cupping his fists toward Yuan Shao, he declared:
“As the saying goes, one does not use an ox-cleaving blade to kill a chicken.”
“I, Yan Liang, need only ten thousand troops. And I guarantee that I shall seize Yan Province for my lord!”
— The end of the Chapter–
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