Tiger Guards

Chapter 414 The Discussion of the Gamble
Shortly after, Cao Cao led a thousand men on horseback, riding the fine steed Jueying.

Both sides' officials and soldiers held torches for illumination. Zhao Ji drove his chariot forward and looked down at Cao Cao from a high vantage point, finding it somewhat comical.

I heard that Cao Cao was short and stocky, but he couldn't be as big as the sweet potato in the Old Master Q comics.

No, he was even worse than a big sweet potato. Cao Cao was short and fat, and should have had a round or kind face. At least chubby people look more amiable.

Under the dense torchlight, Cao Cao had a cold face.

A thin person with a cold demeanor doesn't seem out of place; but Cao Cao had a flamboyant expression with a forced smile.

It could also be that the firelight was dim at night, or Zhao Ji himself had preconceived negative views; in any case, he had a very bad impression of Cao Cao.

Cao Cao couldn't help but raise his eyebrows to observe Zhao Ji. During the last battle of Chenliu, he had only seen Zhao Ji riding a horse from afar, and Zhao Ji was wearing a mask that day. None of the Cao army officers and soldiers who fled back had ever seen Zhao Ji's face.

Under the firelight tonight, Zhao Ji's face appeared cold and sinister in Cao Cao's eyes, like a hungry tiger ready to devour its prey.

Cao Cao reined in his horse and dismounted with agility. He bowed deeply to Zhao Ji, saying, "This humble general Cao Cao of Jiande greets the Grand Marshal."

At this moment, he dared not call himself the Governor of Yanzhou.

Zhao Ji looked at the heavily armored soldiers behind Cao Cao, who were carrying swords and halberds, and then his gaze fell on the top of Cao Cao's head: "I originally wanted to pursue your crime of hesitating and not advancing, but considering that you rushed here on my orders, I will let this matter go. The court has also sent Kong Wenju to preside over a banquet, and we can discuss the rest at the banquet."

"I will obey your command."

Cao Cao bowed again, then stretched out his arm and pointed to the thousand-strong armored guard behind him: "Reporting to the Grand Marshal, I have quite a few guards, and I don't know how to arrange them?"

“Since you are uneasy, take them with you. I also have a thousand chariots and riders.”

As Zhao Ji spoke, he raised his hand and waved. He then shook the reins, turned the chariot around on the spot, and more than twenty chariots and over a hundred riders escorted Zhao Ji away.

The original chariots and horses stood in a large horizontal formation, leaving a passage in the middle.

Cao Cao had no choice but to turn around, mount Jueying, and lead his personal cavalry to follow, passing through the ranks of chariots and cavalry on the left and right.

Behind them, the infantrymen in each squad carried torches, their steps heavy and firm. They all carried spears, halberds, and shields, with swords at their waists and bows and arrows on their backs.

These infantrymen were quite bold, and with the chariots and cavalry watching, they moved through in large columns.

Then the riders on both flanks also began to turn around, each turning back from their respective flanks.

Cao Cao did not dare to bring all his guards to the banquet, where a large bonfire was lit.

Wooden stakes were erected around the perimeter, and ropes were used to demarcate the area. People could only walk on the path planned between the two ropes.

Walking across the ropes at will would be severely punished if caught by patrolling military officers.

Cao Cao led over a hundred men into the banquet area. Most of them stayed by the campfire, while he could only lead a dozen or so men into the core curtained area.

When Kong Rong and Zhao Jian came to greet him, Cao Cao noticed that he didn't see Chen Ji or Ying Shao, and sensed something was wrong. He walked alongside Kong Rong and asked, "Lord Wenju, where is Ying Zhongyuan?"

"This morning, while I was giving a lecture in the palace, Ying Zhongyuan paid homage to the Emperor, wishing to request a pardon for the General."

Kong Rong smiled and said, "The Emperor is hesitant. I believe the General's fault lies in the slow advance, which has led some to mistakenly believe that the General is in league with the Yuan family. If the General leads his troops to Chen to participate in the suppression of the rebellion, such rumors will be dispelled on their own. Why then seek a pardon?"

"rational."

Cao Cao laughed heartily: "I was overthinking it. The Grand Marshal is renowned throughout the land and his sharpness is unmatched. I have to proceed with caution. I hope you will forgive my overconfidence, Wenju Gong."

"I wouldn't dare. I heard that the general was previously stationed at Juye Marsh to observe the battle situation in Xuzhou?"

"Yes, I am also worried that Yuan Shao will break through Xuzhou and then invade the territories of Yanzhou and Qingzhou. Therefore, I stationed my troops at Juye Marsh. If I could get a letter from Liu Bei, I would cross the border to rush to Xuzhou's aid. However, there is no imperial order or messenger from Liu Bei requesting aid, so I dare not cross the border without authorization."

Cao Cao explained, and Kong Rong found it quite reasonable. He couldn't help but think back to three years ago when he was still the Chancellor of Beihai.

After thinking for a moment, Kong Rong sighed and said, "The situation in the world changes every day, which is really overwhelming."

Cao Cao nodded in agreement. In just one year, he went from being the hegemon of the Central Plains, ruling over the two provinces of Yan and Yu, to becoming a vassal of Yuan Shao.

Now, forced by circumstances, they have no choice but to take risks.

He could choose not to come, but what awaited him was political death; followed by physical death under military attack.

Unless Yuan Shao can divide his forces into several routes to attack Taiyuan and Hanoi while simultaneously sending troops to rescue Cao Cao when Zhao Ji attacks him.

In that case, the two Yuans joined forces to rebel, and Yuan Shu had already taken the lead in establishing his own regime... The result was that Yuan Shu's situation was completely ruined, and Yuan Shao became a stepping stone.

Therefore, in terms of the internal struggles within the Yuan clan, Yuan Shao could not possibly help Yuan Shu take the fall; however, after Yuan Shu's defeat and death, Yuan Shao would also be indirectly weakened.

Between two evils, choose the lesser. Yuan Shao's current choice is a last resort after weighing the pros and cons.

While chatting casually, they entered the curtained area.

Zhao Ji, who was sitting in the main seat, also stood up and stretched out his arms: "Mr. Wenju and Mr. Shumao, please sit on the right. General Jiande may sit on the left."

Cao Cao agreed and obediently sat down on the left.

In the Han dynasty, the right side was considered the place of honor. If it were a military alliance meeting between the two sides, Cao Cao, as the guest, should have been seated on the right.

However, Kong Rong represented the imperial court, and Zhao Jian, who currently held the official title of Yilang, was also a court official. It was entirely reasonable for the two of them to sit together on the right, one in the first seat and the other in the second seat.

Cao Cao was merely a general with a miscellaneous title and a hereditary marquis, so it wasn't unreasonable to seat him first on the left. If Zhao Ji wanted to make things difficult, he could make Cao Cao stand, and he himself would have to stand tonight.

After everyone was seated, Cao Cao asked, "May I ask, Grand Marshal, how is the war in Chen?"

"I, together with the vanguard of the General, defeated Ji Ling's more than 30,000 men at Ruyang, capturing and killing more than half of them, and leaving less than 5,000 who fled to Xiangcheng."

Zhao Ji twirled the wine bowl in his hand: "Currently, there are over 20,000 rebel troops under Yuan Shu in Chen County, along with about 50,000 to 60,000 officials and civilians. My army, combined with Sun Ce's, numbers 100,000. Yuan Shu will have no chance of escape. Furthermore, Wei Yue is reorganizing his troops and will seize the opportunity to go to Xiangcheng to besiege Sun Xiang and Ji Ling. In this way, we can cut off Yuan Shu's last escape route."

Cao Cao was not surprised by this, because Yuan Shu's army had a flawed recruitment method. It could only fight when the wind was favorable, and the whole army would collapse when the wind was slightly unfavorable, making it difficult to pursue and annihilate.

Cao Cao then asked, "May I ask how the battle is going in Xuzhou?"

"Liu Xun led the generals of Chen to switch sides and joined forces with Liu Xuande to defeat Zhang Xun. The generals of Xuzhou are also joining forces to attack the rebels in Huainan. We should be able to get good news within ten days."

Zhao Ji leaned forward slightly to look at Cao Cao: "This is also why I ordered you to urge the general to come. If you don't come soon, how can you prove your innocence?"

"Yes, I will never forget the Grand Marshal's guidance and warning."

Cao Cao raised his cup and said, "I offer this humble wine to express my gratitude to the Grand Marshal for his protection."

Zhao Ji smiled and raised his cup in greeting. He also raised his cup and took a small sip. Cao Cao was not short of warriors, and they were a dozen steps apart. Zhao Ji dared not tilt his head back to drink.

He needed to keep Dian Wei and his men within his sight at all times to ensure his safety.

As Cao Cao poured himself a drink, Zhao Ji turned to look at Kong Rong on the other side: "Lord Wenju, Cao Jiande is late after all. What do you think should be done to punish him?"

Kong Rong hesitated for a moment, but still said, "The rebel Shu is trapped in Chen County and is in dire straits. If we cannot persuade him to surrender, General Jiande's troops can be sent to attack the city first, so that he can atone for his sins."

This was Cao Cao's bottom line; even if he launched a strong attack, he could only afford to lose a maximum of ten thousand men.

When soldiers are on the payroll, how can they avoid dying?
With over 10,000 people dead, letting him escape this crisis is a fair deal no matter how you look at it.

This was also Zhao Ji's previous plan, but he was afraid that things might change if he waited too long, and that Yuan Shu might not play by the rules and suddenly abandon the city and break out, giving Cao Cao a huge achievement for nothing.

Immediately, Zhao Ji looked at Cao Cao and asked, "What does General Jiande think of Wenju's suggestion?"

"I dare not. If the court issues any orders, I will lead my troops forward without hesitation, even at the cost of my life."

As Cao Cao spoke, he raised his full wine cup and looked at Kong Rong, raising his cup as well: "I ask Mr. Wenju to convey my message to the Emperor: I, Cao, have been paid by the Han dynasty for generations. In this time of national crisis, how could I possibly be afraid of death?"

"I will convey the general's thoughts to the emperor without missing a single word."

Kong Rong also raised his cup, and the two gestured to each other from afar before tilting their heads back in response.

As Cao Cao poured himself a cup of wine, Zhao Ji looked at Dian Wei and asked, "Is the hero standing behind you, General, holding a sword, Dian Wei of Chenliu?"

Dian Wei remained silent, his posture upright and his gaze unwavering.

Cao Cao put down his wine pot, cupped his hands, and replied, "Reporting to the Grand Marshal, it is indeed Dian Wei of Chenliu."

"Truly a brave man."

Zhao Ji took an empty cup, grabbed a wine pot to pour wine, and handed it to Han Shu behind him: "Give me some wine."

Han Shu slowly stepped forward, holding the wine cup with both hands, while Dian Wei glanced sideways at Cao Cao. Cao Cao smiled and said, "The Grand Marshal admires brave warriors; how can I refuse?"

"My lord, I am a guard; how can I drink alcohol while on duty?"

"This is a gift from the Grand Marshal; do not be presumptuous. Drink it quickly."

Dian Wei had no choice but to agree. He took the wine from Han Shu's hands, pursed his lips, tilted his head back, and drank it down in one gulp with a bold gesture.

Immediately, Zhao Ji said, "General Jiande knows that I admire brave warriors. Would you be willing to part with your beloved ones?"

Dian Wei immediately handed the empty wine cup to Han Shu, then turned his back to Zhao Ji, making his attitude very clear.

Zhao Ji then pointed to Zhou Tai, who was standing nearby, and said, "This is Zhou Tai, also known as Zhou Youping, from Jiujiang. He is also a fierce warrior. When I made a bet with Sun Bofu while hunting, he temporarily lost to me. In the future, Sun Bofu will find another bet and will have the opportunity to redeem Zhou Youping."

Zhou Tai stepped forward, bowed to Cao Cao in greeting, and then returned to his original position.

Cao Cao was in a dilemma, but how could he escape without paying a price?

He immediately asked, "So, according to the Grand Marshal, do you intend to emulate Sun Ce's actions and have a contest?"

“Well, my wager is one hundred fine horses. If I win, Dian Zhuangshi will be mine, and I will reward him with these one hundred fine horses as a reward. If I lose, these one hundred fine horses will be given to General Jiande. When attacking Chen County, we will attack all four gates at the same time, and we will never let General Jiande attack the city alone.”

The stakes weren't a hundred horses, but at least ten thousand lives of Cao Cao's soldiers.

If they didn't agree, Cao Cao's army would have to attack the city alone and fight Yuan Shu to the death. If they didn't die, their strength would be severely weakened and a mutiny would be imminent. Zhao Ji would never stop.

Cao Cao turned his head and could only see Dian Wei's back. He asked with difficulty, "I wonder how the Grand Marshal intends to gamble?"

"Let's bet on pitch-pot."

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "I won't bet on archery. I've heard that Dian Zhuangshi is skilled at throwing short spears and knives. Tonight, I'll compete with him in pitch-pot, and I can also throw short spears and knives. If I win, he'll serve me as he served General Jiande in the past. If I lose, our families' personal and public grudges will be settled."

Cao Cao raised his cup and pondered for a moment, then asked, "Lord Dian, what do you think?"

(End of this chapter)