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

Chapter 165, We Need to Quickly Replenish Our Troops
Yan Liang was utterly disdainful. Seeing this, he was not afraid at all. Instead, he laughed loudly, raised his broadsword high, and ordered, "Pass on my order to prepare to meet the enemy!"

Yan Liang, filled with heroic spirit, looked at Cao Cao's army formation and only wanted to kill them all.

The two sides are at war with each other, and the war is about to break out.

Cao Cao suddenly drew his Yitian Sword. A flash of cold light, and the sharp blade pointed straight to the sky. Just as Cao Cao was about to order his entire army to charge, suddenly, a strange change occurred.

A group of people suddenly appeared in the northwest corner, disorganized and extremely chaotic. Some were on horseback, while others were running on the ground, and people were shouting from time to time.

"Run! The pursuers are coming!"

"They've caught up."

"Lu Bu is truly formidable."

"Gan Ning is coming."

There were all sorts of shouts, but as they got a little closer, Cao Cao finally saw them clearly. "They're Yuan soldiers. Could they be the same people His Majesty led away earlier?"

"It should be them." Xiahou Yuan nodded, then asked in confusion, "Weren't they lured away by His Majesty? Why are they in such a sorry state? Could they have been defeated by His Majesty?"

Guo Jia leaned closer and said, "They weren't defeated, they were utterly crushed, otherwise they wouldn't be in such a sorry state!"

The fleeing Yuan soldiers drew closer, a chaotic scene. Some ran while looking back, their faces filled with terror, and some were even crying.

Yan Liang was truly stunned when he saw this scene.

Yan Liang thought to himself, "Chunyu Qiong and Guo Tu led a total of eight thousand men, so why did they suffer such a crushing defeat? Who exactly was responsible for their defeat?"

Yan Liang was completely bewildered, but soon he spotted Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong in the chaotic crowd.

Guo Tu was covered in dust and dirt, his hair disheveled. Chunyu Qiong was also disheveled, his armor askew, and his body covered in blood. It was unclear whether he was injured or had been splattered with someone else's blood.

These routed soldiers ran straight towards Yan Liang's troops, which quickly made Yan Liang uneasy. He tried to stop them, but it was too late.

These routed soldiers rushed over in disarray, as if they had suddenly seen their relatives, and immediately charged into Yan Liang's ranks, throwing the ranks into chaos. However, the speed of these routed soldiers did not decrease.

Guo Tu, in particular, kept whipping his horse and charged into Yan Liang's ranks, heading straight for Yan Liang's central position.

It seems that only by hiding behind Yan Liang can one truly become safe.

Now, these defeated soldiers have finally found their organization and can stick together for warmth. However, their sudden arrival has brought danger to Yan Liang.

Yan Liang's hard-won advantage, built up from several consecutive victories, was instantly wiped out by these routed soldiers!

The once orderly ranks were scattered and disorganized, and many of Yuan's soldiers were still in a daze, not understanding what was happening.

Upon seeing this, Cao Cao's eyes lit up. He drew his sword and decisively ordered, "All soldiers, kill them! Attack!"

Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Xiahou Yuan, and the others had all been holding back for a long time. Although they didn't know exactly what was going on, this opportunity was truly wonderful.

Immediately, everyone shouted in unison, "Kill!" and Cao's army surged towards Yuan's troops like a rolling tide.

In an instant, the sounds of battle shook the heavens, horses' hooves thundered, and drums beat deafeningly.

Cao Cao led the charge, urging his horse straight into Yan Liang's central army. Xu Huang and the others vied for the lead, each displaying courage and ferocity, like a pack of mad beasts.

Yan Liang's side was completely on the defensive, and his troops were thrown into chaos and quickly cut off and devoured by Cao Cao's army.

Swords and spears flashed everywhere, and the screams of Yuan soldiers filled the air, as if they had fallen into hell. A massacre unfolded without any suspense.

The battle situation changed in an instant, and the sounds of battle echoed through the sky.

On the battlefield, swords clashed, spears flew, figures were in disarray, and blood and flesh were everywhere.

Cao Cao brandished the Heaven-Slaying Sword, leading a group of men like an invincible sword, leaving chaos wherever they went.

They repeatedly and brutally cut Yan Liang's troops apart, throwing them into chaos. Yuan's soldiers were panicked and in complete disarray.

Zhang Liao brandished his broadsword, his face cold and stern. He raised his crescent blade again and again, slashing down mercilessly. The blade whistled as heads rolled to the ground.

The others also charged forward on horseback, fearlessly advancing.

When Liu Xie arrived with his men, Cao Cao had already gained the upper hand. Although Yan Liang was unwilling to accept it, he was unable to control the chaotic scene and could only be swept away by the others and retreat quickly.

Yan Liang gritted his teeth in hatred, feeling utterly disgusted with Chunyu Qiong and Guo Tu. If it weren't for the two of them, would the situation have turned out like this?
Liu Xie did not participate in the battle because Cao Cao's forces were more than sufficient. The scene of beating a drowning dog would not disappoint, not only for the well-trained Cao soldiers, but even for the Yellow Turban soldiers who had little combat experience.

When Guo Jia saw Liu Xie, he hurriedly greeted him with a smile. Although Guo Jia was also riding a horse, he never went into battle to fight.

"Your Majesty, we are truly grateful to you just now. If those defeated soldiers hadn't suddenly appeared, the situation wouldn't have turned out this way."

Liu Xie waved his hand, "Fengxiao, we are all on the same side, why be so polite? Our goal is the same, which is to defeat Yuan Shao and pacify the north as soon as possible."

Xun You glanced at Liu Xie, his brows furrowing slightly, a hint of worry on his face.

When the war broke out with Yuan Shao, unexpectedly, it was the emperor who took the lead. Although Cao Cao was leading his army in the battle, Liu Xie still overshadowed him.

Because without Liu Xie, Cao Cao would not have had such a favorable situation.

Xun You and Xun Yu were quite different. Xun Yu was fundamentally inclined towards the Han Dynasty. Although he served Cao Cao, Xun Yu did not want Cao Cao to usurp the throne.

In the Lingyan Pavilion, Liu Xie praised Xun Yu as the guardian of the Han Dynasty's reputation, saying that the real Xun Yu had principles.

Xun You was Xun Yu's nephew, but he was a few years older than Xun Yu. Like the other followers of Cao Cao, he hoped to make achievements and make the most of his talents.

Xun You was more eager to make a name for himself than Xun Yu. As for whether the world belonged to the Liu or Cao families, Xun You didn't particularly care.

Now that Liu Xie is gaining popularity, he will surely be quickly supported by the soldiers. Xun You believes that this will be very disadvantageous for Cao Cao. The battle lasted for a long time. Cao Cao forced Yan Liang to retreat more than ten miles, losing more than three thousand troops, before stopping the pursuit and leading his men back.

The siege of Baima was temporarily lifted, and Cao Cao brought Liu Xie to Baima City. He immediately held a banquet to celebrate the victory with his soldiers.

Cao Ang was sent to invite Liu Xie, but after Cao Ang went around, he found that Liu Xie was outside the city leading people to bury the bodies of the fallen soldiers.

Prince Chen, holding a booklet, approached Liu Xie and reported truthfully, "Your Majesty, the statistics have been compiled. More than 700 people have died on my side, while more than 1,000 have perished on Cao Sikong's side."

Although they had won the battle, Liu Xie did not smile. After a while, he sighed and said, "War is the cruelest thing. Whether you win or lose, many people will inevitably die."

Liu Xie glanced at Prince Chen and said, “Prince Chen, especially your side, you didn’t have many troops to begin with, only five thousand men. You lost more than seven hundred in this battle. You must replenish your forces as soon as possible.”

Cao Ang interjected, "Your Majesty, if there is a shortage of manpower, I can have my father transfer some over."

Prince Chen glanced at Cao Ang indifferently, but Liu Xie waved his hand and said, "Zixiu, I thank you for your kindness on behalf of Prince Chen. Don't worry, I have my own way."

Liu Xie understood that Cao Cao intended to weaken his power by sending troops this time.

With battles raging on one hand and reinforcements needed on the other, Chen Wang, Guan Yu, and the others were quite worried. After a while, Chen Gong glanced at Cao Ang, hesitated, as if afraid that Cao Ang would overhear him.

Liu Xie smiled and said to Chen Gong, "Gongtai, speak frankly. Zixiu is no outsider."

"Zixiu is no outsider either." Upon hearing this, Cao Ang felt as if he had found a kindred spirit, his eyes brightening with excitement.

Being recognized by the emperor and regarded as one of his own was the highest honor for Cao Ang.

Chen Gong glanced at Liu Xie with surprise, and seeing his smiling, calm and composed demeanor, he nodded.

Before Liu Xie arrived, he had already made up his mind that this time he would behave openly and honestly, not only to let Cao Cao see, but also to let the soldiers of the three armies see that he, as emperor, was by no means a figurehead!

Chen Gong said, "If we start a war with Yuan Shao, the war will last a long time. If we want to replenish our troops as soon as possible, there is only one way: to use surrendered soldiers to replenish our forces."

Zhao Yun thought for a moment and was a little worried. "But the surrendered soldiers are not in a stable mood. Their families are all in Hebei. It will be difficult for them to completely submit to us in a short period of time, let alone risk their lives for us."

Guan Yu also spoke up, saying, "Zilong is right. In the past, when recruiting surrendered soldiers, we not only had to carefully select the strongest men, but also had to train them for at least a few months before they could be used. Now, it is indeed inappropriate to directly let surrendered soldiers serve us."

Chen Gong, however, was confident and said, “Gentlemen, you must know that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Things are different now than before. We have no time to recruit new soldiers, let alone train them. We can only try our best to select surrendered soldiers to supplement our ranks. Otherwise, it won’t be long before King Chen’s forces are exhausted.”

Everyone knows that Liu Xie can only truly rely on the troops under Prince Chen.

Even if Cao Cao did provide some additional troops, they wouldn't be easy to use.

No matter how good something is given by someone else, it's never as good as something you have yourself!
Prince Chen was a member of the Han imperial family and was extremely loyal to Liu Xie. His troops were Liu Xie's own troops.

"Actually, we have an advantage in recruiting surrendered soldiers that no one else can match."

To reassure everyone, Chen Gong looked at Liu Xie and laughed loudly, "Because we have His Majesty by our side! If His Majesty personally persuades them, he will surely be able to influence these surrendered soldiers and make them willing to sincerely submit. Even capable and virtuous people cannot refuse His Majesty's recruitment, let alone these ordinary surrendered soldiers."

"This?" Liu Xie thought for a moment and nodded. "Gongtai, this is indeed a good idea. Let's do it this way. I'll just have to use my words. It's nothing."

"In that case, let Xingba and Yunchang select the surrendered soldiers first. Remember, they only need to select from the surrendered soldiers we have captured."

Liu Xie did not want to rely on Cao Cao; he wanted to rely on himself. He would capture the surrendered soldiers himself and select the best ones from among them. In this way, no one would say that he was taking advantage of Cao Cao, and Liu Xie would feel more accomplished.

People always have to fight for their dignity while they're alive, even emperors have to fight for their dignity!

"Zixiu, you should go back now and tell Lord Cao that I am too busy for the time being and will not be attending the banquet."

Liu Xie was indeed very busy, and time was of the essence. Seeing the cheers everywhere in the city and the aroma of wine wafting over, Liu Xie shook his head. Cao Cao could celebrate his victory in a grand manner, but he could not.

Chen Wang's side suffered over 700 casualties, plus the wounded, resulting in the loss of one-fifth of his forces, which was no small matter.

Gan Ning and Guan Yu immediately went to select surrendered soldiers. They had rich combat experience and knew very well what kind of soldiers were capable and daring, and what kind of soldiers were good soldiers.

Specialized tasks are more efficient.

Liu Xie then instructed Chen Gong, "Gongtai, go and make sure that our soldiers all get enough wine and meat."

"Your Majesty, are you worried?" Chen Gong asked, but then he understood.

Liu Xie looked worried. "Even if Cao Cao doesn't treat them badly, he's not the one distributing the food and drink. You should still go and check on them. The soldiers are risking their lives; we can't let them feel disheartened by their food."

Chen Gong nodded vigorously and left immediately.

Liu Xie's worries were not unfounded. Many people around Cao Cao were hostile to Prince Chen, and they all knew that Prince Chen was Liu Xie's man. How could they be friendly to him?
"Your Majesty, do you really think anyone would be so blatantly biased?" Zhao Yun asked after Chen Gong left.

"How could it not be? Zilong, wherever there are people, there will inevitably be disputes and intrigues."

Liu Xie pointed to Zhang Xiu in the distance, "Take Zhang Xiu for example. When he was first recruited, Cao Cao set him up as an example and showed him great enthusiasm. He also instructed his subordinates to treat him well. But what happened? Even if Cao Cao treated Chen Wang's soldiers well, would his subordinates necessarily follow his instructions?"

Sure enough, Chen Gong encountered Gan Ning's soldiers arguing with the officers distributing wine and meat halfway there.

"Why is it that others get so much, but we get so little? Isn't it supposed to be one jar of wine for five people? There are more than four thousand of us, and we only got a few dozen jars. One hundred people have to drink one jar of wine, and we only got a little over two hundred catties of mutton."

"What's all the fuss about? As long as there's food, that's enough. You really don't think you're part of the family."

The argument escalated, with both sides pushing, shoving, and hurling insults at each other. In the process, they accidentally knocked over a jar of wine. The officer yelled, "Go ahead and make a scene! Let me tell you, this broken jar is your responsibility. If you keep this up, I'll take back all the wine and meat I've given you."

Chen Gong approached and hurriedly shouted, "Stop it, all of you!"

The officer glanced at him and shrugged. "So it's Minister Chen. Brothers, stop."

(End of this chapter)