With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 101, Does His Majesty understand military strategy?

Suddenly, a large patch of black dots appeared on the ground in the distance. At first, they were not obvious, but in the blink of an eye, these black dots converged into a black line.

The black lines became more and more distinct and terrifying, and even the ground trembled.

When the guards at the city gate realized something was wrong, the cavalry had already closed in. No less than three thousand elite cavalrymen, like a rolling torrent, stirred up towering dust and carried an astonishing momentum, instantly making the city of Huyang boil over.

"No, enemy attack!"

"It's Cao's soldiers!"

Screams rose and fell, but it was too late!
Cao Cao led the charge, with Dian Wei on his left and Xu Chu on his right, followed by Xu Huang, Cao Ren, and others. Although they numbered only a few thousand, their momentum was no less than that of ten thousand men charging into battle.

Cao Cao's gaze was sharp as lightning, his face expressionless. As soon as he approached, he raised his Qinggang sword high and coldly uttered a single word.

"kill!"

At his command, Cao's army charged forward like tigers descending a mountain, their terrifying killing intent instantly enveloping Huyang City.

Cao Cao's choice of timing was extremely fatal; it was just as he was about to close the city gates.

At this time, the checks at the city gates are the laxest, yet the most people enter the city.

Just like students leaving school and factories closing up shop, the people who had been busy all day outside the city, as well as the merchants and vendors coming and going, all wanted to get back to the city as soon as possible, lest they be locked out of the city.

Cao's troops descended like a divine army, and chaos erupted at the city gate. Everyone scrambled and pushed forward, jostling and shoving each other. Shouts and cries mingled together, and someone's child was knocked to the ground, ignored by everyone.

The grain trucks were also crammed in, making things very difficult, and the more anxious people became, the more chaotic the scene became.

"Let me through, get out of my way."

"Don't block my way, I'll go first!"

Pushing and shoving, adults shouting, children crying, and even the guards were pushed back by the crowd.

A minor leader shouted at the top of his lungs, "Cao's troops are here! Cao's troops are here! Close the city gates immediately!"

Upon hearing that the city gates were to be closed, the scene became even more chaotic and completely out of control.

Cao Cao didn't care about any of that. He rushed forward and led his men to start a massacre. Whether they were guards or civilians trying to enter the city, Cao Cao showed no mercy.

With swift sword strokes, they felled several enemies in succession. Dian Wei and Xu Chu were unstoppable, roaring wildly. One wielded an iron halberd, and the other brandished a broadsword, killing people as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

When Dian Wei saw that the grain carts were in the way, he jumped off his horse and used his amazing strength to push the obstructing carts aside, so that the cavalry behind could enter the city smoothly.

When Deng Ji heard the report, he rushed to provide support, but he was too late. Before he could even get close to the city gate, Cao Cao's army charged in like wolves and tigers, leaving the city gate in a mess with corpses everywhere.

Deng Ji was completely terrified. In just a few rounds, Dian Wei smashed him off his horse with his iron halberd. Just as Dian Wei raised his halberd to perform a ritual to help him pass on, Cao Cao shouted, "Stop!"

Cao Cao dismounted and approached, while Cao Ren led his men to continue into the city to deal with the remaining forces.

Cao Cao personally helped Deng Ji up from the ground and kindly dusted the dust off his body.

Deng Ji was taken aback, completely bewildered, and asked, "Lord Cao, do you mean you won't kill me?"

Cao Cao actually wanted to kill him, but considering the bigger picture, even if it was a small trick by Liu Biao, secretly joining forces with Zhang Xiu, Cao Cao could not afford to fall out with Liu Biao.

It's not time to turn against each other yet.

Cao Cao then said in a friendly tone, "Liu Jingzhou is a renowned scholar, admired by all. I also have many old friends in Jingzhou, such as your naval commander Cai Mao, whom I have known for more than ten years, and Kuai Yue, whom I also worked with in He Jin's staff."

"When the Emperor was in distress, Liu Jingzhou helped in many ways, assisting in the repair of the palace in Luoyang and sending a lot of grain to comfort him. His loyalty is evident to Heaven and Earth. My purpose in coming to Nanyang this time is to target Zhang Xiu. I think Liu Jingzhou may have some misunderstanding. Therefore, I would like to trouble you to go back and tell Liu Jingzhou to rest assured and keep his position in Jingzhou. I have no ill intentions."

Deng Ji never dreamed that, despite falling into Cao Cao's hands and having his life and death entirely in Cao Cao's hands, Cao Cao would release him.

Having narrowly escaped death, Deng Ji was secretly delighted and quickly echoed, "Yes, Lord Cao is right, it's all a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!"

"Okay, let's go."

Just as Deng Ji was about to summon the soldiers in the city, Cao Cao shook his head and a cold smile appeared on his lips. "Deng Ji, I'm letting you leave because of Liu Biao's influence. You can't take anything from this city with you."

Deng Ji smiled awkwardly. Seeing that Dian Wei and the others around Cao Cao all had unfriendly expressions, he dared not linger and hurriedly left.

After Deng Ji left, Cao Cao laughed disdainfully, "The fact that Liu Biao values ​​such a person so highly shows that he is ignorant of military affairs and doesn't know how to use people. How could he be a match for me?"

Cao Cao led his men in a surprise attack on Huyang and won a great victory. When Zhang Xiu learned of this, he was filled with regret and missed the opportunity to attack Cao Cao from both sides.

Jia Xu disagreed, advising him to simply hold Wancheng, and that Cao Cao would eventually retreat if he failed to capture it after a prolonged siege.

Last time in Wancheng, he almost lost his life, and Cao Cao was filled with rage. He immediately led his men to launch a fierce attack on Wancheng, but to no avail. Every day, many wounded soldiers were carried down to the camp. Except for those with particularly serious injuries, Liu Xie helped treat them, while Lin Tong and others were perfectly capable of handling the minor wounds.

Unable to break through after a prolonged siege, Cao Cao considered retreating. On the day of the retreat, Cao Ang came to see Cao Cao and said, “Father, I think Zhang Xiu is very likely to pursue us. I am willing to cover the rear. Please grant me permission.”

"Alright, I agree. Be careful."

Cao Ang is making rapid progress and now often volunteers for orders, which makes Cao Cao very pleased.

Upon receiving the order, Cao Ang was overjoyed and immediately ran to see Liu Xie.

Upon meeting, Cao Ang eagerly asked, "Your Majesty, will Zhang Xiu really come to pursue us?"

Liu Xie nodded. "Yes, definitely. But we are prepared for the worst, and Zhang Xiu will surely be defeated."

After consulting with Liu Xie in detail, Cao Ang then hurriedly left with Xu Huang and Yue Jin.

After someone reported this to Cao Cao, Cao Cao simply smiled and said, "This reminds me of when I left Luoyang. Your Majesty reminded me that Yang Feng would send troops to pursue us. At the time, I thought Your Majesty was just taking a chance. It seems that Your Majesty also knows a little about military affairs."

The matter was quickly verified; Zhang Xiu indeed took the initiative to pursue, but was ambushed by Cao Ang halfway, resulting in the deaths and injuries of two thousand men.

Cao Cao rode his horse to Liu Xie's carriage, cupped his hands in praise, and said, "Your Majesty's guidance to Zixiu is now understood by your subject. It seems that Your Majesty is quite knowledgeable about military affairs."

Liu Xie humbly shook his head, "Lord Cao, you flatter me. To be honest, my knowledge is far inferior to yours. Even without my guidance, you could have predicted that Zhang Xiu would come to pursue us."

Cao Cao was very pleased with what he heard. "Your Majesty is too modest. May I ask, Your Majesty, who taught you the art of war?"

Liu Xie sighed, "Actually, no one taught me military strategy. I was forced to learn it all while fleeing from Chang'an and dodging pursuers. Cao Cao, Li Jue, and Guo Si were constantly chasing me, so I could only adapt to the situation and deal with them."

Liu Xie found a very good reason, and Cao Cao suddenly realized what was going on. He praised, "Your Majesty not only successfully escaped the pursuit of Li Jue and other bandits, but also comprehended the essence of military strategy. Your Majesty's talent is truly rare in the world."

It's quite rare to see Cao Cao flattering Liu Xie.

After exchanging pleasantries, Liu Xie lowered his voice and asked, "Lord Cao, do you think Zhang Xiu will continue his pursuit?"

Cao Cao pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Since he has already been defeated by Zixiu and his morale has been severely damaged, I believe that Zhang Xiu will give up and will not pursue him any further!"

Liu Xie shook his head. "If Zhang Xiu were to lead the pursuit alone, he would surely give up after being ambushed. But if Jia Xu were by his side, it would be a different story."

Upon hearing Jia Xu's name, Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat. He still felt lingering fear from the last time he marched on Wancheng, having almost lost his life.

If it was Jia Xu who advised Zhang Xiu, then it would indeed be difficult to predict.

Cao Cao hurriedly asked, "What does Your Majesty think of Jia Xu?"

"Regardless of this person's abilities, I hate him to the core!"

Liu Xie's expression suddenly changed; Cao Cao rarely saw him so serious.

Cao Cao wondered to himself, "Your Majesty, don't you think Jia Xu is very resourceful and talented? If such a talented person could submit to the court, we would have a great help to him."

Cao Cao greatly admired Jia Xu, and even though Jia Xu almost killed him, his love for talent remained unchanged.

Liu Xie gritted his teeth and said, "This man almost harmed Cao Cao and cut off one of my arms. How can I forgive him? Zixiu and Dian Wei also almost lost their lives in Wancheng. This is all thanks to Jia Xu."

Upon hearing these words, Cao Cao was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was somewhat moved.

Cao Cao nodded. “What Your Majesty says makes some sense. However, they are all serving their own masters. On the battlefield, enemies are enemies. But we can’t just kill all talented people because of our different stances, can we? I think we should try our best to recruit a great talent like Jia Xu and have him serve the court.”

However, Liu Xie's face remained gloomy, clearly unmoved by Cao Cao's persuasion.

The more this happened, the more gratified Cao Cao felt, believing that the emperor's magnanimity could never compare to his.

Next, Cao Cao called Guo Jia to his side and asked, "Fengxiao, do you think Zhang Xiu will continue to pursue?"

Guo Jia pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

Cao Cao asked, "Does Fengxiao think he won't pursue us anymore?"

Guo Jia shook his head again, "No, I can't see through Jia Xu, so I dare not make any guesses."

The fact that Guo Jia couldn't see through Jia Xu's abilities is enough to demonstrate that he is exceptionally capable, a rarity in the world.

Cao Cao gained no advantage in either of his two campaigns against Zhang Xiu. This was all thanks to Jia Xu!
After a while, Guo Jia said again, "My lord, to be on the safe side, since His Majesty thinks Zhang Xiu might still catch up, we should be more inclined to believe it!"

(End of this chapter)