Late Han Zhao Tang

In Xiakou, the Tang army camp was set up along the river, with naval vessels anchored within the camp.

Outside the water fortress, Cao Cao's army arrived by boat, constantly challenging Zhang Liao to battle and hurling insults at him.

"Zhang Liao is a cowardly and incompetent fool. Why don't you surrender at once!"

"You northern dogs, you've crossed my border! You deserve to die!"

"Zhang Liao, you scoundrel! Zhang Yu is stealing your wives and concubines in Chang'an! You dare not go out to fight now? Hurry back to your residence and catch him in the act!"

Cao Cao's soldiers kept insulting Zhang Liao's entire family, and sometimes even Zhang Yu, who was far away in Chang'an, was not spared. The insults were so vile that all who heard them were filled with indignation.

"Commander, the Cao army's language is so foul that I cannot bear it. I request permission to lead the troops into battle," Wang Wei said, bowing.

Zhang Liao's face darkened as he said, "This is Cao Cao's tactic to provoke us. No one may fight without my order."

Jia Xu reassured him, "A few days ago, Wen Ping inflicted a great defeat on Cao Ren, with Cao's army suffering over ten thousand casualties. Jingzhou is within reach, hence Cao Cao's eagerness for battle. Do not fall for Cao Cao's provocation tactics. My lords, please be patient for a while. Once Gao Shun breaks through Yidao, the three armies will converge at Xiakou, and we will be able to defeat Cao Cao in no time."

“We understand the words of the Protector General. But the language of Cao Cao’s army is so foul that we, as his subordinates, find it unbearable,” Wang Wei said, still unwilling to accept it.

"Just ignore them. In a few days, when they see that insults are useless, they won't come back!" Jia Xu said.

"promise!"

Wang Wei hesitated for a moment, then sighed and replied.

"Report!"

In the stillness of the tent, a servant suddenly entered.

"Cao Cao sent an envoy to pay respects to the commander-in-chief, and he is now outside the camp holding a white banner and requesting an audience!" the attendant reported.

Jia Xu frowned slightly and said, "Cao Cao has suddenly sent an envoy to visit us. I suspect he has something in mind. Commander, we should refuse to see him!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao grew increasingly displeased and said, "Since Cao Cao has sent an envoy to visit, he must have something important to discuss. Moreover, the envoy is well-versed in confidential matters. If we can get some information from him, wouldn't that be beneficial to our army?"

"Summon Cao's messenger to the tent!"

"promise!"

Seeing this, Jia Xu vaguely guessed Zhang Liao's thoughts. It was nothing more than that Jia Xu had interfered too much in the past, which made Zhang Liao unhappy. So Jia Xu kept silent to avoid causing conflict with Zhang Liao.

A short while later, Cao Cao's envoy, led by his attendants, arrived at the main tent and greeted Zhang Liao with clasped hands.

"What brings you here?" Zhang Liao asked coldly.

The messenger remained composed and respectfully said, "My prime minister, having heard of the commander-in-chief's illustrious reputation, specially ordered me to deliver this letter to the commander-in-chief, along with generous gifts."

As he spoke, the messenger first presented a letter, which he then presented in a carved wooden box.

Zhang Liao glanced at the wooden box, first opened the letter, and saw what Cao Cao had written on it.

"You are a great general of China, leading more than 100,000 elite troops from three provinces. Instead of thinking of fighting bravely and decisively, you are willing to defend the water fortress to the death and watch Generals Gao and Wen achieve merit, but you dare not fight Cao Cao. How is your behavior any different from that of women and children!"

Zhang Liao's expression changed abruptly, and he looked up at the envoy.

Then, Zhang Liao strode forward, opened the wooden box, and there was a beautifully embroidered woman's dress on it.

Zhang Liao gripped the handkerchief tightly in his hand, suppressing his anger, his tiger-like eyes revealing a murderous glint, and asked.

"Cao Cao sent you here, with no other words?"

Although the envoy was afraid, he remained neither humble nor arrogant and said, "The Prime Minister said that the Commander-in-Chief is a famous general of China. If he is not willing to be humiliated and lose face, then let us agree to a decisive battle on the river."

Zhang Liao was about to erupt in anger when Jia Xu suddenly said, "The tide is turning against us, and the world is destined to be unified. Your lord has been defeated in the Central Plains and is now in exile in the southeast. He will soon be a prisoner. Why don't you surrender quickly?"

"Ah!"

The envoy scoffed, “There are countless ways to unify the world, but I have never heard of anyone who can win without fighting. Moreover, my Prime Minister still has 100,000 elite troops, which is the foundation for us to contend with China. The commander-in-chief is content to guard the water fortress, deeply afraid of our army, and dares not go out to fight like a woman or child. How can he talk about unifying the southeast?”

These words enraged all the generals.

"Commander, this humble general requests permission to lead the troops into battle."

"Slay the envoy to consecrate the flag, then muster the troops and march out!"

The messenger's incessant chatter became unbearable for Zhang Liao, who then spoke sternly.

"Wait a minute!"

Seeing Jia Xu's words of advice, Zhang Liao angrily said, "I am the commander-in-chief of the army. Does the Protector General intend to prevent me from sending troops?"

"No!"

Jia Xu cupped his hands to Zhang Liao and said, "The envoy ventured deep into the tiger's den, knowing full well that provoking the tiger would mean certain death, yet he willingly accepted his fate. I deeply admire him. Therefore, I request that before you lead the troops out, you offer the envoy a banquet to encourage this valiant man, and then kill him as a sacrifice to the flag, so as not to give rise to gossip."

Jia Xu's words nearly left Zhang Liao dumbfounded. Instead of advising him against launching an attack, he was being advised to send the soldiers off before they were killed—what kind of tactic was this?
With that, Jia Xu turned to his left and right and said, "Prepare a banquet to send off the envoy!"

"allow!"

"promise!"

The envoy was detained and forced to leave. Zhang Liao frowned and asked, "What is the meaning of the Protector General's request?"

Jia Xu smiled faintly and said, "The commander-in-chief said beforehand that the envoy was there to inquire about Cao Cao's army. Wouldn't it be a pity not to ask him about it before the flag-raising ceremony?"

Zhang Liao looked suspicious and said, "Does Your Majesty intend to send troops into battle?"

"By order of His Majesty, I have been appointed Protector of the army. How could I not have the desire to fight and achieve merit?" Jia Xu said, "In terms of eagerness for battle, I am a step ahead of the commander."

Zhang Liao shook his head in disbelief and said, "When you advised me before, I saw no desire for battle, but rather a willingness to defend. So how can you say you are better than me?"

Jia Xu said, "May I ask the commander, when His Majesty attacked Yuan Shao, was he eager for victory?"

"So eager!"

"Then why has Your Majesty been locked in a stalemate with Yuan Shao for more than half a year?" "Therefore, it is not that I dare not fight, but that I intend to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop."

Jia Xu slowly said, "Since Your Majesty conquered Guanzhong, I have followed you closely. However, I am a strategist who devises plans, and I have little experience in leading troops into battle, so it is difficult for me to obtain the title of Duke. In this campaign to destroy Cao Cao, I have been longing day and night to defeat Cao Cao and establish a great achievement so that I can be granted a title and a temple to honor my ancestors!"

Zhang Liao gradually calmed down and said, "The Protector General's words are reasonable, but the recent actions of Cao Cao's army have aroused the indignation of all the soldiers and officers. If we go out to fight, we may well win."

Jia Xu said, "In the past, Emperor Guangwu besieged Kui Xiao at Xicheng. Because of the situation in the east, he had no choice but to entrust the great cause to Wu Han. Before leaving, he ordered Wu Han to disband the county troops to save military provisions. However, Wu Han did not listen to Emperor Guangwu's words and coveted the large number of soldiers and officers. He besieged the city for days. At that time, food was running out, the officers and soldiers were exhausted, and many deserted. When Gongsun Shu's army arrived, Wu Han was defeated and fled. Kui Xiao once again occupied Longyou."

"May I ask the Commander-in-Chief, how does His Majesty's military strategy compare to yours?"

Zhang Liao said, "I am not as good as Your Majesty!"

"good!"

"Wu Han's military strategy was inferior to that of Emperor Guangwu, hence the defeat and loss of Longxi. Now, the commanders' military strategies are inferior to Your Majesty's, so how can we not take Wu Han as a warning?"

"Or perhaps Wu Han attacked Shu, but ignored Emperor Guangwu's advice and was eager to use troops to defeat the enemy, and was initially defeated by Gongsun Shu."

Jia Xu said, "The commander-in-chief is renowned throughout China and bears the heavy responsibility of conquering the southeast. If he is defeated because he does not heed His Majesty's strategy, the commander-in-chief will at least lose his army and his title, and at worst be dismissed by His Majesty. Therefore, we must not fail to consider the dangers!"

"Commander-in-Chief, you are not without a way to win. With all your troops gathered at Xiakou, Cao Cao will surely be routed and flee. To defeat the enemy in one battle and spread your fame throughout the southeast would be an honor for you, Commander-in-Chief!"

Zhang Liao's mood was unpredictable. He was almost persuaded by Jia Xu and said, "The humiliation of Cao Cao sending women's clothing is truly unacceptable."

Jia Xu said, "Before his departure, His Majesty bestowed upon me the imperial insignia to restrain the commander-in-chief. However, I believed that the commander-in-chief possessed the composure of a great general, unperturbed by honor or disgrace, so I hid it in the military tent."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao's expression changed slightly, realizing the unspoken meaning behind Jia Xu's words.

After a long silence, Zhang Liao said, "I have ordered the troops to march, and I'm afraid the generals have already received the order. What should we do now?"

Jia Xu said, "I have the imperial insignia bestowed by His Majesty. When the commander-in-chief raises his tent to discuss military matters, I can use His Majesty's name to stop him."

"good!"

Zhang Liao sighed and said, "I have made a mistake in my consideration, and I am grateful for the correction from the Protector General. Let's abandon the plan to kill the envoy and send troops out. Let's hold a banquet to entertain him and then send him off with courtesy."

"The commander-in-chief is wise!"

That night, the messenger was spared and released by Zhang Liao to return to his camp.

Inside Cao Cao's army tent, Cao Cao sat on a couch, staring intently at the messenger.

"What did Zhang Liao say when he saw the women's clothing?" Liu Ye asked anxiously.

The envoy hesitated for a moment, then said, "As the Prime Minister predicted, Zhang Liao was furious, but he was stopped by Jia Xu. Jia Xu, holding the imperial insignia of the Tang Emperor, reiterated the Tang Emperor's long-held edict, ordering all tribes not to go to war."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ye sighed and flung his sleeves, his face filled with disappointment.

Everyone in the tent was dejected, shaking their heads and sighing.

Suppressing his disappointment, Cao Cao asked, "Is there anything else?"

The messenger asked, "Jia Xu inquired about the condition of my army's generals."

"How will you answer?" Cao Cao asked.

“I said the generals are full of fighting spirit!” the messenger said. “Jia Xu laughed loudly and said nothing more.”

Cao Cao paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Zhang Wenyuan is not a threat, but Jia Wenhe possesses the talent of a national hero."

"My lord?"

Seeing that Cao Cao was at a loss, Cao Xiu, full of fighting spirit, volunteered to fight, saying, "I am willing to lead my troops to attack the camp!"

Cao Cao waved his hand and sighed, "If Zhang Liao can tolerate this provocation, it will be difficult for the Tang people to send troops!"

"Prime Minister, with all the cities under siege, we cannot hold out for long. We must find a way to launch a swift attack!" Zhou Yu said.

Faced with Zhou Yu's urging, Cao Cao couldn't help but say, "I do wish for a swift victory, but the Tang people are refusing to send troops. Your feigned surrender is useless, and Ziyang's provocation tactic has failed. I have no other options!"

"Please forgive my intrusion!"

Zhou Yu sighed deeply and bowed to Cao Cao to take his leave.

The civil and military officials on either side looked at each other, not knowing what to do!
Cao Cao waved for everyone to leave and said, "Gentlemen, please step back for now. Allow me to reconsider."

"Yes!" the crowd responded.

Cao Hong kept turning back to look at Cao Cao, his eyes filled with worry.

"Take care, Prime Minister!"

Cao Cao rested his head on his hand in deep thought, racking his brains for a way to change the situation.

While Cao Cao was deep in thought in his tent, Zhou Yu came out of his tent, stood by the river, and looked at the lights of the Tang camp on the north bank, his expression full of indescribable worry.

"Gong Jin!"

Lu Su went to find Zhou Yu by lamplight.

"Zijing!"

"Now that the provocation tactic has failed, I wonder what Gongjin's plans are?" Lu Su asked.

Zhou Yu gazed into the distance and sighed, saying, "The situation is unfavorable; the enemy is in the advantage. Let's see what arrangements the Prime Minister will make."

Lu Su said worriedly, "I fear that our army will be defeated and our country will perish!"

Zhou Yu, with a solemn expression, said, "Defeat and the loss of a country are the shame of a true man. Now, I will simply die on the battlefield, wrapped in a horse's hide, to repay the kindness of my lord!"

Lu Su remained silent. Although he aspired to achieve great deeds, he was not as indifferent to life and death as Zhou Yu. If Cao Cao were defeated and his kingdom fell, he might defect to the Tang dynasty and strive for a high official position. (End of Chapter)