Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3872 The Way Cannot Be Failed
Inside Sishui Pass, the side hall of the residence, which was temporarily used as an imperial palace, had its doors and windows tightly closed, and even the eunuchs and guards were dismissed outside the gate.

The candlelight flickered uneasily in the draft, casting the shadows of Cao Cao and Liu Xie, who sat facing each other, onto the wall, making them appear larger and smaller, indistinct and blurry.

Anyone who has played real-time strategy games knows that soldiers always retreat faster than they march normally...

What's interesting is that whether they're veterans or new recruits, their speed might differ when advancing, but when retreating, they're always scrambling to get ahead, with almost no difference between them—all it takes is pressing R...

Now, Samsung veteran Cao Mengde has retreated back to Sishui Pass.

Liu Xie's gaze was deep and unfathomable.

Cao Cao seemed to maintain his calm demeanor.

A beautiful woman looks even more beautiful under the lamplight.

It's like the red light in a pork shop in later generations.

The firelight was a warm yellow-red hue.

This color tone complements the skin tone, making people look rosy, warm, and approachable.

Red light can also make skin tone appear more even and healthy.

Whether it's human skin or pork.

But now, under the lamplight, is an old man…

Deep wrinkles cast deep shadows like ravines under the light, and the texture of the skin is given a wood-carving quality by the light, making it look heavy and weathered.

In the flickering candlelight, Cao Cao's cheekbones, brow ridges, and jawline became even more distinct...

Especially her deep-set eyes and her frosted temples...

Liu Xie suddenly realized that Cao Cao was getting old.

For a moment, neither Liu Xie nor Cao Cao spoke, remaining silent, each seemingly preoccupied with their own thoughts.

After a long silence, Liu Xie finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "Lord Cao...why has it come to this?"

This question carries a myriad of implications.

Perhaps the question is, why did the prime minister, who held immense power and commanded the emperor to subdue the disobedient, retreat to this isolated and perilous pass?
It's as if it's asking, why have we suffered repeated defeats, lost all our soldiers and generals, surrendered the Heluo region, and now even Gongxian cannot be defended?

Or perhaps it's asking, "How did the world come to this?"
Upon hearing Liu Xie's question, Cao Cao's graying beard twitched, but he did not answer immediately.

Cao Cao lowered his eyes slightly, looking at his hands resting on his knees.

His hands, which were once plump, strong, and elastic, are now just bones and a layer of withered skin, dry, rough, with prominent veins on the back of his hands.

These hands once held a spear and composed poems, and also reviewed mountains of official documents.

These hands, which once held the lives of millions in their hands, now seem to hold only helplessness and exhaustion after defeat.

After a long silence, Cao Cao raised his head, met the emperor's complex gaze, smiled calmly, and said, "Your Majesty's question... I have no answer. In strategic planning, decisive battle tactics, governing the army and the people, and even... even in terms of the favor of the times, I... am inferior to Fei Ziyuan."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xie was stunned.

Cao Cao's bluntness made Liu Xie feel somewhat uncomfortable, and he even seemed to lose his balance while sitting, shifting a couple of times.

This is……

It's a good thing Liu Xie doesn't play mobile games, otherwise he would have yelled, "Why can't I get a house while hanging in the fountain?"
Moreover, in Liu Xie's memory, Cao Cao had never so frankly admitted that he was "inferior to others".
Before Liu Xie could press for further questions, Cao Cao continued, his tone calm and steady, seemingly unconcerned about revealing the festering wounds beneath his splendid exterior: "My defeats are numerous… Now the accumulated problems are insurmountable, and I alone cannot hold them up. This victory or defeat is a battle between the old system of the Han Dynasty and the new laws of Fei Ziyuan."

Cao Cao slightly raised his head, the candlelight flickering in his eyes. "Your Majesty may know that when I first took command of Yan and Yu provinces and welcomed Your Majesty to Xuchang, I believed that to restore order, we only needed to eliminate treacherous officials, appoint virtuous and capable men, rectify officialdom, and replenish the granaries. Then the Han dynasty could be restored."

Cao Cao's lips twitched slightly, as if he were smiling. "However… I was wrong… The 'pure stream' officials, flaunting their integrity, readily launch attacks, which is of no use; though the scourge of the eunuchs has been eliminated, their poison remains; the dangers of the empress's relatives are a lesson not far off… I still believe that rebuilding the court and re-electing the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers will avert these evils… Ha! I never imagined that these Three Dukes and Nine Ministers would still be those in high positions who either engage in empty talk that harms the country or form cliques for personal gain; the local governors would still be regional warlords, their orders unable to extend beyond Xuchang…"

Liu Xie leaned forward slightly, gripping the armrests of the throne tightly.

He had never heard Cao Cao say these things before, nor had anyone analyzed them so frankly in front of him.

"His Majesty is surely aware of this in the court..." Cao Cao looked at Liu Xie with a half-smile, "Everyone has their own thoughts and intentions... When I was fighting against the General of Chariots and Cavalry in Heluo and Hedong, there must have been plenty of slanderous words against this old minister in the court..."

"This..." Liu Xie said somewhat awkwardly.

"Upon reaching the provinces," Cao Cao's voice was tinged with sarcasm and helplessness, "Yu Province and Ji Province are inhabited by powerful clans and fortified villages, with thousands of tenant farmers and hereditary households. They not only possess grain and soldiers, but also the legacy of Confucian classics and the influence of public opinion. When I wish to implement the military-agricultural colony system to allow the people to rest, they outwardly comply but inwardly resist, and their land grabbing intensifies. When I wish to select scholars from humble backgrounds to enrich the counties, they obstruct me based on their family background and reputation. How much do they despise talented scholars like Guo Jia? I have tried to suppress them with power, to win them over with benefits, or to use them as pawns... Initially effective, but in the long run, it's like adding fuel to the fire... I may seem to wield immense power, but in reality, I walk on thin ice, struggling to cope... I need to rely on them to stabilize the regions and supply them with money, grain, and soldiers, yet I must also be constantly on guard..."

Cao Cao sighed deeply, "Fei Ziyuan is different... He rose from the borderlands, free from such constraints. In Guanzhong, he dared to burn his boats, implementing the imperial examination system to eliminate class barriers, equalizing land distribution to suppress powerful clans, emphasizing practical matters over empty fame... Therefore, his military and political orders flowed smoothly and effortlessly... I am like someone repairing an old house, trying to remove the decay, but the consequences are far-reaching, moving one hair affects the whole body. Fei Ziyuan, on the other hand, demolishes and rebuilds, constructing a new tower... naturally, it is broad and smooth..."

Liu Xie listened intently, his heart churning with indescribable emotions.

Cao Cao never discussed these principles and struggles with him in depth.

What he saw was always Cao Cao's autocracy, the power struggles in the court, endless battle reports, and documents that required him to stamp them like a wooden statue.

Liu Xie suddenly felt a surge of intense sorrow and absurdity, and said in a hoarse voice, "Lord Cao... since you have such insight, why... why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Cao Cao looked at him silently, his gaze deep, and retorted, "Speak earlier? If I were in the Xuchang palace, before Your Majesty, and meticulously analyzed how the Three Dukes are useless, how the Nine Ministers hold their positions vagrants, how the powerful families corrupt the country, and how the 'pure officials' engage in empty talk… Your Majesty, would you listen? Would you dare to listen? And what could you possibly do?"

Liu Xie opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.

Yes, back then, I was terrified of the remnants of Dong Zhuo and relied on Cao Cao for protection, yet I felt the oppression of powerful ministers all the time. The court was full of Cao Cao's people, and I was like a delicate puppet.

If Cao Cao had actually said these things, he would probably have thought that powerful ministers were just looking for excuses to seize power, or that this was a new round of testing and control.

trust?

Was there ever any real trust between them?

Perhaps for a short time, but after a brief tremor, all that remains is sleeping separately, dreaming different dreams while sharing the same bed.

A longer silence fell over the hall, broken only by the occasional soft popping of candlelight.

The silence was suffocating, an insurmountable chasm between ruler and subject, or between prisoner and guard.

The Han Dynasty, its ruler and his subjects.

The emperor and the prime minister.

Only in the present moment can we truly feel the meaning of "sharing weal and woe".

This is true for most people: it's easy to share hardship, but extremely difficult to share wealth.

Just like the United States in later generations, it's easy to inflate the average income on paper, but when it comes to actually averaging it out with real money...

Want to eat fart!

Finally, Liu Xie, as if exhausted, asked in a somewhat unsteady voice, "Then...now...Fei Ziyuan's power is great, his army is already pointing towards the Sishui River...and he disobeys imperial orders, treating envoys as if they were nothing...what should we do?"

Cao Cao took a breath, suppressing some of the fatigue and emotion he had just shown, and sat up straight again, his eyes seemingly regaining their usual sharpness and calmness.

Cao Cao slowly said, "Disobeying the imperial edict is tantamount to usurpation! Your Majesty is the ruler of the land; even in temporary distress, your righteousness and authority remain!"

Cao Cao paused, then said, word by word: "I beseech Your Majesty to issue an edict, publicly announcing to the world, enumerating the Fei clan's arrogance and disloyalty, their coveting of the imperial throne! Call upon all loyal and righteous men of the land to rise up and defend the Emperor! All Han officials, whether prefectural or county officials, local heroes, or even righteous commoners from the mountains and fields, may obey this edict to punish the rebels! Let us unite to protect the state and restore the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Xie's eyes lit up at first, but then dimmed again after a moment.

Loyal to the Emperor?

In this day and age, how many people would still respond to this imperial edict from the emperor who was besieged in a besieged city?
Jizhou?
Qingzhou?

Xuzhou?

There may be some remaining forces, but they are in dire need of protection themselves, or they may be secretly observing, or even secretly colluding with the General of the Cavalry.

This edict is more like a desperate cry, a flag waving frantically, yet no one will truly respond.

But when Liu Xie looked into Cao Cao's eyes, he suddenly understood...

Now that things have come to this, perhaps...

There's only this one card left...

Just as Cao Cao was almost out of options, Liu Xie was also running out of space and time.

Whether or not a loyalist army can be summoned, it will at least create some moral trouble for Fei Qian. It can be considered a way to drape the crumbling Sishui Pass and the declining old Han Dynasty in a tragic yet orthodox guise…

A fig leaf.

"I...understand." Liu Xie's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. "Then I will do as Cao Cao says."

Cao Cao rose, bowed solemnly, and said, "Your subject obeys the decree. Your subject will protect Your Majesty even at the cost of my life!"

After the ceremony, Cao Cao rose, left the hall, and disappeared into the darkness outside the door.

Liu Xie sat alone in the empty hall, watching the flickering candlelight, and suddenly felt extremely cold. Even with braziers on either side of his feet, he was still shivering all over.

Cao Cao acknowledged his defeat, analyzed the root causes, and even revealed a rare hint of candor.

But in the end, they returned to where they started...

Just like this big man.

However, the enemy they face this time is stronger, more cunning, and more formidable than Dong Zhuo...

Is this final edict to support the emperor the last clarion call of the Han Dynasty, or a premature elegy?

Liu Xie didn't know.

All he knew was that he and Cao Cao, the ruler and minister who had been entangled for half their lives, had now been swept by the torrent of fate onto the same sinking reef, with nowhere to retreat.

……

……

In Gongxian County, there is a section of the city wall that collapsed during a previous war but has not been fully repaired.

The gap, exposed in the winter's setting sun, resembled a long-unhealed sore.

The broken bricks and stones were jagged and interlocked, and there seemed to be some bloodstains in the gaps.

The cold wind blew through the gap, making a hollow and mournful sound, as if the city was groaning in pain amidst the flames of war.

Such an obvious flaw could not possibly be ignored by Cao Hong upon his arrival.

Therefore, after Cao Hong returned to Gong County, his first task was to motivate his soldiers, using stone slabs, giant logs, sandbags, and any other miscellaneous items he could find.

This even included various materials salvaged from nearby abandoned houses, used to quickly seal and reinforce the breach.
Initially, Cao Hong even personally supervised the construction, planting several flags representing the elite of the central army on the scorched earth on both sides of the breach, to show that this was a matter of life and death.

He personally led his guards, patrolling back and forth on the busy and chaotic construction site, his face grim.

This scene is both absurd and cruel.

however……

The shadow of repeated defeats had already permeated the entire army.

The ordinary soldiers of Cao Cao's army were filled with dread, their faces etched with exhaustion and fear. They had joined the army simply to earn a living. Now, after repeated defeats, retreating to this dilapidated town, they felt even more hopeless, their annihilation imminent.

Repairing the city walls, a physically demanding and seemingly futile task, seemed particularly long and unbearable in the biting cold wind, making these ordinary Cao soldiers resist it from the bottom of their hearts.

The whistling of the whip and the officers' hoarse shouts could move them like puppets, but they could not instill a real sense of urgency or the will to risk one's life to protect the city into these cold, stiff bodies.

Once the spirit has been broken, how easy is it to rebuild it?

Thus, these ordinary Cao soldiers responsible for the labor were basically all cut from the same cloth, with sluggish movements and numb eyes. They moved stones with heavy, slow steps, filled sandbags perfunctorily, and rarely communicated with each other. Only when the sun set would they occasionally look up at the blood-red sky in the west, and then quickly lower their heads again, like oxen and horses working silently under the whip.

Even the elite soldiers in charge of the oversight would get so angry that they would keep whipping the workers, but the whips could only elicit suppressed groans of pain, and could not ignite the waning fighting spirit and morale.

You can beat the skin and flesh, but you can't shake off the lethargy and despair that permeates the cold air.

The repair work was slow and inefficient. The huge gap appeared to be filled with more and more debris, bulging and piling up, but in reality, the inside was loose and untamed, with the mud, sand, wood and stone not being compacted and pressed down...

Cao Hong himself, for a period of time at the beginning, was able to muster his spirits, keeping a stern face and watching from the side, scolding and even personally punishing a few slacking soldiers.

But soon, Cao Hong seemed to have no time to care anymore...

As more and more bad news comes in...

Perhaps the supplies were insufficient, or perhaps the weapons were damaged.

Either soldiers deserted, or a certain place fell to the enemy.

Cao Hong himself felt as if he had sat down in a quagmire full of excrement and urine, struggling to clean himself up, and thus had no mood or energy to keep a close watch on this section of the city wall every day.

Gradually, he appeared here less and less often, and later seemed to have completely given up direct management, leaving specific matters to his subordinate officers while he was busy dealing with other troubles that gave him even more headaches.

The few flags planted beside the breach fluttered helplessly in the cold wind, more like a forgotten, slightly ironic symbol.

Thus, the fatal breach in Gongxian County can be considered to have been "repaired".

But is it good or not?

Can the repaired structure withstand the attack?
No one bothered to examine it properly.

The captain in charge looked at the piles of debris that had been filled in, which barely blocked the view, so he turned a blind eye and reported the matter.

This situation reveals a kind of helpless and perfunctory absurdity.

Just like some cities in the United States, every year at a certain time, they always have to dig up, repair, and fill in some streets that look okay.

Year after year, they dug and filled in, filled in and dug in again.

What to repair?

Is it fixed?

As good as that.

It seems like there is something going on, but in reality, everyone knows it but keeps it to themselves.

It was under these circumstances that Gongxian welcomed the Flying Cavalry after they crossed the river.

When the veteran general Huang Zhong led the vanguard of the Flying Cavalry Army to the city of Gongxian, he climbed to a high point and carefully observed the city. He could tell at a glance that the repair work on the city was merely a facade.

Based on his years of experience, Huang Zhong was naturally able to judge the fragility and disorder inside from the outline of the messy pile and its lack of regular support.

Faced with this situation, Huang Zhong could have made his own decision and launched a fierce attack on the city. With his elite troops, he would have been very confident that he could break through the defenses and seize the credit for capturing the city...

The temptation is undeniable.

But Huang Zhong did not move.

Huang Zhong was an experienced hunter. He understood that the closer one got to the prey, the more cautious one needed to be.

In addition, Huang Zhong was not a greedy and reckless person. Considering that he was a guest general who joined the army later, although he was trusted and valued by General Fei Qian, he still needed to be careful and consider the overall situation, so as not to give others any reason to accuse him of being arrogant and domineering.

Huang Zhong dispatched scouts to investigate the surrounding area of ​​Gong County while suppressing the eager requests of his officers to engage in battle. He meticulously investigated the layout of Gong County's defenses, especially the details of the breach on the west side, as well as the state of Cao Cao's defenses. He then wrote a detailed military report, affixed his seal, and dispatched it by fast horse to the central command tent at the rear, where it was presented to Fei Qian.

No sooner had Huang Zhong sent the military report than another cavalry force led by Huang Cheng arrived in Gong County, echoing Huang Zhong's troops and forming a pincer movement against Gong County.

Huang Cheng and Huang Zhong shared the same surname. Although not blood relatives, they had served under General Huang for a long time, fought side by side many times, and had developed a close relationship. They were also familiar with each other's military styles. After Huang Cheng finished setting up camp, he learned that the dilapidated gap in the west wall of Gong County had been repaired so perfunctorily, leaving such an obvious and huge weakness. He was immediately filled with excitement and could hardly contain himself.

Huang Cheng paced back and forth in his military tent, his leather boots creaking on the wooden planks. He said to his trusted aide, "Hansheng is experienced and prudent, always seeking stability. Reporting to the lord first is the safest course of action. However…"

Huang Cheng traveled from Hedong to Hanoi, and then from Hanoi to Heluo. Seeing that other generals had all gained something while he remained empty-handed, his anxiety grew. "This is a divinely granted achievement! If we wait for the lord's official order, or for the other troops to gather at the city walls, the credit for breaching the city will be too conspicuous, and it might not be so easily secured for me!"

His words were straightforward, and his trusted confidants in the tent all agreed with him, nodding in agreement.

Today, the cavalry force is growing stronger and stronger, with many fierce generals under its command. Although there is no fierce fighting between the various units, there is always a hidden rivalry and competition.

Military merit is the most solid foundation for a military man's foothold in this system, and the source of promotion, glory, and status.

Gongxian County seems to be within easy reach, a great achievement that seems to be a freebie. How can we let it slip away and give it to others because of excessive caution?

However, Huang Cheng did not act on his own. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the opportunity was rare. So he personally led a small number of guards and rushed to the rear central army camp to see Fei Qian. He was willing to sign a military pledge to take Gong County as the main force!

(End of this chapter)