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

Chapter 162, Actively Choosing the Battlefield
Cao Ang rode up to Cao Cao and said loudly, "Father, His Majesty requests your presence."

Cao Cao was puzzled. "The Battle of Baima has begun, and Liu Yan has already sent an urgent message requesting reinforcements. Why has Your Majesty halted the march?"

Cao Cao snorted in dissatisfaction and had no choice but to lead his men to see Liu Xie.

When Cao Cao arrived, Liu Xie was on horseback, looking in their direction, clearly having been waiting for some time.

As Cao Cao drew closer, Liu Xie smiled and said, "Lord Cao, I have found two guides nearby. Would you be interested in accompanying me on horseback to take a look around?"

"Your Majesty, the battle has begun at the front, and we should rush to provide support immediately," Xun You reminded him.

Guo Jia stared intently at Liu Xie, convinced that Liu Xie must have a reason for stopping.

After a while, Guo Jia spoke up: "My lord, since the procession has stopped, let's let everyone rest for a bit and accompany His Majesty on horseback to relax."

Cao Cao nodded. "Alright, let's stop and rest for a while."

The group rode horses and accompanied Liu Xie around Guandu. The surrounding area was crisscrossed by rivers and waterways. They galloped on horseback, admiring the surrounding plants and trees. White and red horses ran alongside each other.

Along the way, picturesque meadows stretched out on one side, and dappled sunlight filtered through the trees, casting lush, verdant shadows on the distant mountains. Accompanied by the neighing of horses and the sounds of people, the whole world seemed to be in constant flux.

Although the scenery was beautiful, Cao Cao's mind had already wandered to Baima, and he had no interest in appreciating it. However, after a while, Cao Cao gradually realized Liu Xie's intentions based on his keen intuition.

Cao Cao was, after all, skilled in military affairs. In his later years, he even wrote "Mengde's New Book," in which he had memorized all kinds of terrains. He knew which tactics were suitable for which terrain and how to arrange his troops. Cao Cao had a plan in mind.

Finally, Liu Xie reined in the horses and stopped in the middle of the two lakes, taking a walk around the area to get a clearer and more intuitive impression of the area around Guandu.

Liu Xie dismounted and picked up a twig from the sand at his feet, drawing a simple map.

Cao Cao and the others dismounted one after another and curiously gathered around. Gradually, the crowd formed a circle, with everyone half-squatting on the ground.

Guo Jia glanced at it a few times and recognized it immediately; his memory was always astounding. "Your Majesty drew the terrain near Guandu."

Liu Xie nodded and said, "The area around Guandu is crisscrossed by rivers. To the north is the Guandu River, to the east is Zhongmou Marsh, and to the west is Putian Marsh. There are several rivers of varying sizes nearby. I think that if we can lure Yuan Shao here for a decisive battle in the future, it will be most advantageous for us."

Liu Xie's greatest advantage was his foresight; he possessed firsthand information.

In fact, many things would be thought of by Cao Cao and his ilk before long.

But Liu Xie was one step ahead of them, and one step faster!
Cao Cao carefully examined the terrain drawn by Liu Xie for a while and nodded. "Your Majesty is right. This place is indeed a very good place for a decisive battle. There are many crossings along the Yellow River. Yuan's troops can cross the river from any point. The battlefield is difficult to fix. I'm afraid we can only passively divide our troops and deal with them one by one."

Liu Xie said, "Lord Cao, my idea is that we can make arrangements here in advance, fix the battlefield in advance, and turn the passive into the active. Whether it is Baima or Yanjin, they are just forward positions. It would be best if we could hold them. If we cannot hold them, we will lure Yuan Shao to Guandu and fight him here!"

"There are many advantages to doing this. First, the supply line for grain and fodder is shortened by nearly half, which saves Xun Lingjun a lot of trouble and makes it easier to replenish grain and fodder in a timely manner. As for Yuan Shao, his battle line from Ye City to Guandu is not only extended, but he also has to cross the Yellow River and then many rivers and canals. It will be very difficult to replenish troops and grain and fodder. We are fighting on our own doorstep, so we will definitely be united and of one mind. Our soldiers will be in high spirits and have a strong fighting spirit. Once Yuan Shao is in a stalemate, his morale will be affected."

Guo Jia and the others nodded in agreement. Choosing a battlefield in advance was clearly very advantageous.

Cao Cao said, "Good, Your Majesty's foresight is exactly what I wanted."

Cao Cao immediately summoned Cao Ren to his side. He first roughly selected a place to set up camp and station troops, and then instructed: "Zixiao, you take three thousand men and stay here. Between these two large marshes, have the soldiers build earth mounds on the open spaces on both sides of the camp in advance, so that Yuan's troops can bypass them and launch a surprise attack from the gaps between the two sides in the future..."

As Cao Cao spoke, Cao Ren kept it in mind, while Guo Jia, Xun You, and others looked around again, adding anything that came to mind.

…………

Yuan Shao's army set off from Ye City and arrived at Liyang.

Although Ju Shou and Tian Feng both opposed the use of force, Yuan Shao insisted on sending troops.

On this day, Yuan Shao gathered everyone together, and Liu Bei's seat was even higher than that of the supervising officer Ju Shou, sitting first on Yuan Shao's left.

Guo Tu, Feng Ji, Xu You and others were puzzled. Liu Bei was just a guest minister who had fled to Hebei alone to seek refuge, yet he was treated with such respect. They couldn't understand it and could only assume that Yuan Shao was putting on a show for himself. After all, Liu Bei was a regional warlord and was also known as the Imperial Uncle!
Yuan Shao said, "Gentlemen, since Yan Liang set out with his troops, he first captured Liyang, and now he has formed an encirclement around Baima. We have just received news that Yan Liang is confident that he will break through Baima within a few days!"

Yuan Shao was in high spirits, his face beaming with joy, and he looked much younger than before. Seeing Tian Feng bow his head in silence, Yuan Shao quickly asked, "Yuan Hao, what do you think about the southward campaign?"

Tian Feng seemed to be lost in thought. Yuan Shao called him twice before Tian Feng raised his head. He looked worried and then glared resentfully at the chief clerk, Geng Bao.

Seeing Tian Feng's stern gaze, Geng Bao immediately realized something was wrong, and his face turned pale.

Tian Feng, who was always outspoken, did not answer Yuan Shao's question, but instead said angrily, "My lord, Geng Bao is a wicked man who intends to harm you. He should be severely punished. I beg you to make a wise judgment."

Yuan Shao said, "Yuan Hao, I asked about the matter of sending troops, so why is Geng Bao being brought up again? What is the reason for this?"

Tian Feng coldly watched as Geng Bao stood up. Geng Bao's heart pounded in fright, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Tian Feng said without any mercy, "My lord, last night Geng Bao came to my room specifically to discuss important matters. Unexpectedly, he intends to have you replace the current emperor and inherit the throne. Right now, you and Cao Cao are at the height of their battle, yet Geng Bao is rallying the ministers and attempting to incite you to declare yourself emperor. What is this if not plotting against you?"

When Tian Feng spoke, the expressions of the others varied, some were angry, and some were observing.

People like Ju Shou and Shen Pei, who were upright and outspoken, would get angry as soon as they heard it.

Ju Shou also spoke up, saying, "Geng Bao also came to me. He said that the Han Dynasty is in decline and there is no way to save it. The earth element should rise and the fire element should be extinguished. However, our lord is a descendant of four generations of high officials. This time, he is acting on behalf of Heaven to punish the rebels. He should uphold loyalty and righteousness, eliminate the traitors and restore the Han Dynasty. How can we allow such treacherous people to ruin our lord's reputation?"

Guo Tu and Feng Ji exchanged glances, each pondering their own thoughts.

In fact, Geng Bao had approached them privately. They did not object at the time, but they also did not express their opinion openly, intending to wait and see for a while before making a decision.

If the majority of people supported Yuan Shao's claim to the throne, Guo Tu and Feng Ji would naturally step forward and act as representatives urging him to ascend the throne.

They would never be the first to act when the situation was unclear.

Being a strategist requires not only the ability to offer advice and strategies, but also the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. In particular, one must not blindly choose sides; a wrong stance can easily cost one's life. Yuan Shao glanced at Geng Bao and frowned. In truth, Geng Bao's actions were entirely at Yuan Shao's behest.

Yuan Shao didn't take Cao Cao seriously at all. From the moment he decided to send troops, Yuan Shao's goal was not to defeat Cao Cao, but to completely eliminate Cao Cao and wipe out all of Cao Cao's forces in one fell swoop!
Yuan Shao had both the confidence and the capability.

Yuan Shao had long harbored the idea of ​​becoming emperor, and after receiving the imperial seal from Liu Bei, he became even more smug and his ambition intensified.

Yuan Shao was a few years older than Cao Cao, and he was about to reach the age of fifty. How much time did he have left to wait in his life?
Yuan Shao often felt that his energy was not what it used to be. He was really no longer young, and even when he was with his wives and concubines, he was powerless and had lost much of the fun.

Yuan Shao could not directly tell everyone the urgency he felt.

Therefore, he asked Geng Bao to investigate in advance and find out what everyone thought. Guo Tu, Feng Ji and others did not express any objection. Yuan Shao was very satisfied with the information Geng Bao gave back. However, he ran into Tian Feng, a troublemaker, who directly brought up the matter in public.

Immediately, Ju Shou and others condemned the actions, and even military generals like Zhang He and Gao Lan stood up to oppose them.

When Guo Tu and Feng Ji saw that Geng Bao had aroused public anger, they decisively changed their stance, from observing to jumping out and kicking Geng Bao hard.

Liu Bei watched silently. After a while, he glanced sideways at Yuan Shao and saw that Yuan Shao looked embarrassed and clearly troubled. Liu Bei then understood.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, though different in appearance, shared the same ambition.

Geng Bao was terrified. Everyone was blaming him, and he knew exactly what that meant.

Geng Bao hurriedly knelt on the ground, crawling on his knees to Yuan Shao's side, and cried out, "My lord, spare my life! Even if I had the greatest courage in the world, I would never dare to have such selfish thoughts..."

Yuan Shao was afraid that he would reveal the truth in public, so his face darkened. He slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, "How dare you, Geng Bao, bewitch people and incite such treasonous words!"

Geng Bao suddenly became the target of everyone's anger. Everyone's eyes were like murderous knives, staring straight at him.

Ju Shou said coldly, "My lord has never treated you unfairly. I never imagined that you would put my lord in such an unjust position."

Guo Tu pointed at Geng Bao and rebuked him in a shrill voice: "My lord is a Grand General appointed by the court. How can you do this? How can you face the Han Dynasty? How can you face the Emperor? How can you face the Grand General? You disloyal and unjust villain, my lord, if this man is not eliminated, the people will not be at peace. My lord is upholding righteousness by punishing the traitor, and it is only right that Geng Bao's head be used to sacrifice to the flag."

"Yes, kill him!" Chunyu Qiong muttered loudly.

"Kill him! Kill him!" Zhang He, Gao Lan, and the others shouted in unison.

Geng Bao was so frightened that his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, looking at Yuan Shao with hopeful eyes. "My lord, you know I'm innocent! My lord, save me! Spare my life!"

Yuan Shao quickly stopped him, abruptly standing up and saying, "Shut up! Don't talk nonsense! I'm here to right the wrongs and punish the traitors. How can I do such a disloyal and unjust thing? Come here! Where are the executioners? Take Geng Bao out and behead him!"

Yuan Shao's face was grim, filled with murderous intent.

Liu Bei watched quietly from the sidelines. It must be said that Yuan Shao's acting skills at this moment were quite good.

Suddenly, several axe-wielders rushed in and dragged Geng Bao out like a dead dog.

Before Geng Bao could even reveal the truth, his head was chopped off with a single blow!
Even after killing Geng Bao, Yuan Shao felt no relief. Looking at the assembled crowd, he was filled with dissatisfaction.

Tian Feng! Ju Shou!
These two men were like two nails, making Yuan Shao so angry and frustrated that he felt uncomfortable all over.

Tian Feng was soon imprisoned for obstructing Yuan Shao's advance.

However, Yuan Shao did not intend to give up his idea of ​​becoming emperor. He believed that as long as he defeated Cao Cao, more and more people would support him.

Yuan Shao then sent Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong to reinforce Yan Liang, urging them to capture Baima as soon as possible!

…………

Cao Cao marched north along the Yellow River, and Guo Jia handed him a letter.

"My lord, Yan Liang is launching a fierce attack on Baima. Liu Yan has sent another urgent report requesting reinforcements."

Cao Cao, still on horseback, took the letter, glanced at it quickly, and immediately stopped his troops to discuss countermeasures with Guo Jia, Xun You, and others.

Xun You said, “My lord, Yuan Shao’s army has not yet crossed the Yellow River. Yan Liang has come to the south bank alone. No matter how brave he is, he is not a threat. We can lure him away from the mountain and send two groups of troops to Baima. The first group will make a feint attack and then retreat to draw away some of Yan Liang’s troops. The second group will concentrate its elite forces to deal with Yan Liang. If we can kill Yan Liang, Yuan Shao’s troops on the south bank of the Yellow River will be leaderless and their morale will collapse instantly.”

Guo Jia was not a genius; he didn't always come up with amazing strategies. This time, it was Xun You who offered the advice.

Cao Cao nodded. "Yan Liang has 20,000 troops. If we can get him to divide his forces, that would be the best outcome."

Xun You pointed towards the rear army and said, "My lord, I recommend someone who will surely make Yan Liang fall into the trap."

"Are you talking about His Majesty?" Cao Cao and Guo Jia asked almost simultaneously.

Xun You nodded. "No one could have imagined that His Majesty would come to the front lines in person. As long as Yan Liang sees His Majesty, he will surely send people to pursue him, and he might even chase after him himself."

Using the emperor as bait to lure Yan Liang into dividing his forces, Cao Cao pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "The method is indeed feasible, but is it somewhat risky to do so?"

Guo Jia glanced at Cao Cao and thought to himself: It seems that Cao Cao, like me, is unwilling to let the emperor take risks.

Cao Cao's goal was to weaken Liu Xie, not to eliminate him.

Even if the plan was foolproof, Cao Cao was still somewhat worried about having Liu Xie personally act as bait.

Based on Cao Cao's instinctive reaction at the first moment, Guo Jia believed that Cao Cao still had a bottom line!

(End of this chapter)