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

Chapter 190, Cao Cao heads to Wuchao
Xun You and the others couldn't find anything wrong with it, but in the end, Guo Jia still couldn't help but remind them, "My lord, you can send a great general to Wuchao. Why go yourself?"

Cao Cao shook his head. "This matter is extremely important. It must succeed, not fail. I'll go myself."

That's the kind of boldness Cao Cao had; once he made a decision, he wouldn't change it.

Even if it meant risking his own life, Cao Cao didn't care!

Xun You was also somewhat worried, "My lord, Wuchao is behind enemy lines, so we must be extra careful to avoid revealing our whereabouts."

Cao Cao nodded. "Xu You will accompany me. He is familiar with the route. In addition, we have captured so many Yuan army armors. We can disguise ourselves as Yuan soldiers and rush to Wuchao at night."

Cao Cao was bold yet meticulous, and he thought things through very thoroughly. He was definitely not acting impulsively or recklessly.

"Should we inform His Majesty about this matter?"

Cao Cao shook his head. "No need. I'll be back soon."

In fact, Cao Cao also had his own plans; he wanted to give Liu Xie a surprise.

Since the start of the battle, Liu Xie's performance has been remarkable. He first ambushed Chunyu Qiong, then Lü Bu killed Yan Liang, Zhao Yun defeated Wen Chou, Liu Xie almost killed Yuan Shao, and he also treated countless wounded soldiers. With so many brilliant performances, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

If the raid on Wuchao succeeds, it will be enough to completely turn the tide of the war and give Cao Cao the initiative. Therefore, Cao Cao is looking forward to Liu Xie's reaction after his success.

Guo Jia observed Cao Cao for a while, and naturally guessed Cao Cao's thoughts, letting out a soft sigh.

It's unclear when exactly Cao Cao started challenging the emperor.

Cao Cao paid close attention to Liu Xie's every move, not missing a single detail. Whenever Liu Xie performed well, Cao Cao would be eager to show off and try to surpass Liu Xie.

Guo Jia couldn't pinpoint what was wrong with this kind of competition, but he felt that Cao Cao, by following the emperor's lead, was always lacking something, no matter how well he performed.

If it were the other way around, the emperor would follow Cao Cao's lead, and whoever controls the rhythm would control the initiative.

Cao Cao acted with exceptional decisiveness. That very night, he selected elite soldiers and took away Xu Chu, Dian Wei, and the strongest fighting force—the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry!

Xu You accompanied Cao Cao as a guide, but in reality, Cao Cao did not fully trust Xu You.

If he were kept by Cao Cao's side, Cao Cao could take his life at any time should something go wrong.

No matter who it was, Cao Cao would never fully trust them! He was inherently suspicious, a trait that accompanied him throughout his life.

Cao Cao deliberately bypassed the area where he was fighting Yuan Shao and crossed the river at a shallow ford far away.

With Xu You as their guide, everything went smoothly. Even when they encountered Yuan Jun's scouts on the way, they easily fooled them by pretending to be reinforcements heading to Wuchao.

In reality, Cao Cao's every move was constantly being reported to Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao gave Cao Cao the green light all the way.

In the middle of the night, Liu Bei came to see Yuan Shao and said, "My lord, Cao Cao is now less than ten miles away from Wuchao."

Yuan Shao looked at Liu Bei and nodded with great appreciation. He sighed, "I really want to go there myself and see what kind of expression Cao Cao will have when he discovers that he has fallen into a trap."

Liu Bei said, "Whether you go to Guandu or not, Cao Cao's fate is already sealed. Although you are eager to witness Cao Cao's defeat, for safety's sake, I think you should stay in Guandu."

Liu Bei clearly wanted to persuade Yuan Shao to go there in person, but he deliberately said the opposite of what he meant.

Yuan Shao waved his hand and laughed, "With such a meticulous plan, what danger could I possibly be in? Xuande, although your intentions are good, you are overthinking it."

After more than a month of recuperation, Yuan Shao's injuries had almost healed.

Yuan Shao remained silent for a while, lost in memories of the past. He and Cao Cao had grown up together and experienced many things together; their life trajectories had overlapped many times.

Together they assisted He Jin, together they eliminated the eunuchs, together they fought against Dong Zhuo, and together they established their own independent regimes... Now, the two have become enemies fighting to the death.

The thought that Cao Cao was about to be defeated by him and that he might never see him again made Yuan Shao hesitate about whether to go to Wuchao.

Yuan Shao did not order Cao Cao to be captured alive. In response to Cao Cao's attitude, Yuan Shao was unusually decisive.

"It would be best to capture him alive; if not, kill him on the spot." This was Yuan Shao's instruction to Zhang He before his departure.
Standing up, Yuan Shao gazed in the direction of Wuchao, his thoughts immediately drifting there.

"Xuande, in your opinion, when will the war begin?"

Without hesitation, Liu Bei replied, "As expected, tomorrow night! Cao Cao is crossing the Guandu River tonight to head to Wuchao. Even if he manages to reach it, he will need to rest properly. Therefore, he will definitely make his move tomorrow night."

Yuan Shao nodded. "Then, Xuande, do you think it's better for me to go to this battle or not?"

Yuan Shao looked over and stared intently at Liu Bei. He didn't doubt Liu Bei, but this matter was something Yuan Shao cared about a lot.

Liu Bei smiled and replied, "Actually, it's reasonable for you to go or not. If you don't go, as the commander-in-chief, you should stay in Guandu to control the overall situation. This would also show your full trust in Zhang He and the others, and they will certainly perform bravely and not disappoint you. But if you do go, you can finally settle things with Cao Cao. As an opponent, I feel that nothing is more satisfying than witnessing the enemy's defeat or death in front of you."

What in this world could be more satisfying than witnessing the enemy's defeat or death?

Yuan Shao became more and more excited as he listened. Finally, he made a decision, "Alright, in that case, you will accompany me to Guandu tomorrow so that we can witness Cao Cao's final glory!"

Liu Bei remained expressionless and nodded, "Yes!"

The fact that the imperial uncle treated him with such respect pleased Yuan Shao greatly. He even fantasized that after defeating Cao Cao, the world might still belong to the Yuan family!

The next day, Yuan Shao decided to set off. Just as the troops were about to assemble, Ju Shou rushed over in a panic.

Ju Shou asked anxiously, "My lord, where are you going?"

Yuan Shao replied, "Cao Cao is going to launch a surprise attack on Wuchao. I am going to Wuchao to see Cao Cao one last time."

Ju Shou hurriedly advised, "My lord, you are of noble status. You only need to entrust Zhang He with the task. Why put yourself in danger? You should stay in Guandu."

Ju Shou was upright and honest by nature, and had first-rate wisdom, but his emotional intelligence was a little lacking. He spoke too directly, which Yuan Shao disliked.

Yuan Shao's face darkened, and he scolded, "My plan is so meticulous, with 50,000 ambushes prepared, while Cao Cao only brought 5,000 men. What danger could there be? You are simply worrying unnecessarily."

Ju Shou insisted on dissuading him, saying, "Even if the plan is meticulous, our lord should remain at Guandu with his thousands of troops."

"Hmph, Cao Cao only led five thousand men and dared to launch a sneak attack on Wuchao. I have fifty thousand elite troops, but I don't dare to go and watch the battle in person. Ju Shou, you have a lot of nerve. I think you don't take me seriously at all."

Yuan Shao grew increasingly angry, and finally flung his sleeves, saying, "I originally intended to leave you at Guandu and let you take command of the three armies for me. Since you are not at ease, then come with me to Wuchao. I will leave the command here to Guo Tu."

"Huh?" Ju Shou was surprised that Yuan Shao was so incompetent. He hurriedly advised, "My lord, Guo Tu is timid and cowardly. If the situation changes, he will be unable to stabilize the people's hearts." Perhaps Guo Tu will run away faster than anyone else.

Yuan Shao ignored him and insisted on keeping Ju Shou by his side.

Guo Tu, on the other hand, was in high spirits and puffed out his chest. Looking at Ju Shou's back, Guo Tu gritted his teeth in hatred and thought to himself, "Ju Shou, it would be best if Cao Cao left you in Wuchao and never let you come back."

…………

Meanwhile, at noon, Guo Jia arrived at the camp of Prince Chen, hoping to see Liu Xie, but was told, "His Majesty is discussing matters and will not see anyone."

Guo Jia immediately became suspicious. He circled around Prince Chen's camp and noticed that there were significantly fewer guards.

Guo Jia suddenly had an ominous thought: the emperor must not be in the military camp!

Guo Jia forcibly led his men into Prince Chen's camp. Sure enough, apart from Prince Chen remaining there, many tents were empty, and most of the soldiers had quietly left.

When Guo Jia met with the Prince of Chen, he asked, "Prince Chen, what exactly happened? This concerns His Majesty's safety; it is no trivial matter."

Prince Chen glared at Guo Jia, then snorted, "Well said! Have you ever truly cared about His Majesty's safety?"

Xun You, who arrived shortly after, was startled. He leaned close to Guo Jia's ear and whispered, "Fengxiao, His Majesty wouldn't have secretly returned to Xuchang, would he?"

This has always been Xun You's biggest worry. With Cao Cao away, if the emperor suddenly leads his troops back to Xuchang, a mutiny is very likely to break out in Xuchang. Once the emperor takes control, the power of discourse will completely fall into his hands.

Guo Jia shook his head. "No, I believe His Majesty would not do that. We have not yet determined the victor between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. How could His Majesty turn against Cao Cao at this time?"

Despite saying this, Guo Jia was also somewhat worried. If the emperor really did this, things would become very complicated.

"King Chen, tell me quickly, where is His Majesty now?" Xun You rushed to King Chen almost frantically, urgently asking.

Prince Chen spat on the ground with disdain and sneered, "You're afraid His Majesty will run away, aren't you? Not that you're worried about His Majesty's safety."

But King Chen refused to say anything. Xun You and Guo Jia were both scholars, and they really had no way to deal with the stubborn King Chen.

Xun You had no choice but to tell Cao Ren about this.

Cao Ren didn't care whether King Chen was a member of the Han imperial family or not, and directly led his troops into King Chen's camp.

Cao Ren immediately gave the order, "Come on, take him down!"

Chen Wang's soldiers drew their weapons, and although they were outnumbered, none of them backed down or showed any fear.

Cao Ren glanced at the enemy with disdain. There were only a few hundred men left in Prince Chen's camp. Cao Ren drew his sword and ordered, "Take them all down!"

Guo Jia tried to stop it, but it was too late, and a conflict soon broke out between the two sides.

After over a hundred people had been killed or wounded on Chen Wang's side, Chen Wang waved his hand and said, "Stop!"

The battle then ceased. Prince Chen said to his men, “Remember, you are all His Majesty’s soldiers. There is no need for unnecessary sacrifices. They want to capture me, so let them. None of you are allowed to stop them anymore. I don’t believe they would dare to kill me.”

King Chen calmly walked towards Cao Ren, letting them bind him.

Guo Jia stared at the corpse on the ground, remaining silent for a long time.

How are we going to handle this?
They were willing to fight to get the emperor's whereabouts.

Cao Ren brought Prince Chen back to his camp and repeatedly pressed him for the emperor's whereabouts, but Prince Chen remained silent.

Enraged, Cao Ren had no choice but to torture the Prince of Chen.

When Guo Jia arrived, King Chen had already been beaten until his skin was torn and his body was covered in wounds, but King Chen still stubbornly stared at Cao Ren.

Prince Chen replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "A ruler is a ruler, and a subject is a subject. His Majesty did not instruct me to tell you where he went before he left, so I will never reveal it, even if it means my death!"

Guo Jia waved his hand and advised Cao Ren, "Zixiao, that's enough. Don't press him any further. Do you want to kill him?"

"But…"

Cao Ren stared anxiously. Cao Cao had gone to Wuchao, and now the emperor's whereabouts were unknown. Wasn't this just adding to the chaos?
Xun You was still uneasy and suggested sending a team of men to Xuchang to prevent the emperor from suddenly returning to Xuchang and causing a mutiny.

Cao Ren thought it made sense, so he did as instructed.

Cao Ang only learned later that Prince Chen had been arrested, and he was so angry that he went to find Cao Ren and questioned him fiercely.

Cao Ren couldn't explain it to him either. He didn't expect Cao Ang to be so protective of Prince Chen, so he had no choice but to release Prince Chen.

This matter became known to many people and caused quite a stir in the camp.

Guo Jia did his best to suppress the news. The word "emperor" became a taboo in the military camp, and no one was allowed to mention it anymore.

However, Guo Jia was very anxious. He really couldn't figure out where the emperor had gone.

It turned out that on the night Cao Cao left, Liu Xie also left with his men, only a little later than Cao Cao.

Liu Xie also went to Wuchao, but he was much slower than Cao Cao and kept his whereabouts hidden.

Cao Cao traveled smoothly with no obstacles, and although Liu Xie also had his soldiers change into Yuan Shao's army uniforms, he had to remain secretive.

Liu Xie asked Prince Chen to keep it a secret because if anyone knew that the emperor had gone to Wuchao, whether it was Yuan Shao's side or Cao Cao's side, it would cause chaos.

Cao Cao arrived at Wuchao just before dawn. As Liu Bei had expected, Cao Cao decided to rest and make his move the following night.

Wuchao has a relatively open terrain with no high mountains nearby, but there is a hill where Yuan's army camped. The camp was set up at the foot of the hill, and several arrow towers and sentry towers were built on the hill, so that the soldiers could have a good view and monitor the surrounding situation.

The haystacks and grain stacks could be seen from a distance, resembling a large, towering hill, and were very eye-catching.

Cao Cao was absolutely certain that Yuan Shao had indeed piled up all his grain supplies at Wuchao.

During the day, Cao Cao ordered his soldiers to rest in the dense forest. Everyone remained in wait, and each soldier carried dry rations and a water bag. When they were thirsty or hungry, Cao Cao, like everyone else, would eat a few bites of coarse bread and drink a few sips of cold water.

Cao Cao showed no signs of discomfort. On the contrary, Xu You was deeply moved to see Cao Cao so openly sharing weal and woe with his soldiers.

(End of this chapter)