Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 185: Setting Off for Wancheng, Cao Yan's "Secret Ideas" Begin

Inside the Situ residence, the atmosphere was a mix of solemnity and excitement.

Cao Cao's civil and military officials gathered together, and even generals such as Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Bao Xin, who were in charge of guarding various commanderies and kingdoms, were present.

The newly recruited generals, such as Zhang Liao and Xu Huang, were all in high spirits and eager to prove themselves to Cao Cao, hoping to earn a bright future for themselves.

Meanwhile, the younger generation of the Cao family, Cao Ang, Cao Xiu, and Cao Anmin, were all eager to distinguish themselves in the upcoming war and bring glory to the Cao family.

Cao Yan stood first below Cao Cao, while Zhao Yun, Xiahou Lan, Chen Dao, and others stood in the ranks of military officers, their expressions quite calm.

They had already distinguished themselves in the previous operation to welcome the emperor, stealing the limelight. This time, Cao Cao would likely leave the opportunity to gain merit to others, so they wouldn't actively join in the fun.

If history had followed its original course, Zhang Xiu would have surrendered with his troops the moment Cao Cao's army arrived at the Yu River. This so-called war might never have even begun, ending peacefully.

Subsequently, Cao Cao angered Zhang Xiu by sleeping with Zhang Xiu's aunt, which led to Zhang Xiu's sudden rebellion.

The complacent Cao Cao suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Zhang Xiu, not only fleeing in disarray but also losing his capable general Dian Wei. Even more tragically, he also lost his eldest son Cao Ang, and his nephew Cao Anmin was not spared, severely weakening the Cao family.

This is the famous story of Lao Cao's "one cannon kills three sages".

Thinking of this, Cao Yan recalled the task of replacing Dian Wei's attribute.

[Quest: Blood Rage and Heartbreak]

【Mission Completion Conditions: 1. Dian Wei enters Wancheng with his loyal followers. Due to Zhang Xiu's scheme to make him drunk, he loses his double iron halberds and can only use a short sword to fight on foot and protect his lord in the encirclement. Dian Wei escorts his loyal followers out of the encirclement, but due to being weakened, he voluntarily stays behind to cover the retreat.】

2. You need to publicly proclaim: "Lord Dian, I have never regarded you as a sinner... Lay down your shackles, take up my shield instead of going to your death!"

3. No more than three bodyguards are allowed before the mission is completed; otherwise, it will be considered a failure.

[Quest Completion Rewards: 1 Purple Affix (Random), 1 Random Weapon Blueprint (Random)]

[Mission failed: The entry is fixed to "cannot be replaced".]

Cao Yan pulled out Dian Wei's mission, and looking at the mission requirements, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "This mission is clearly forcing me to step into Wancheng!"

But then he thought about it again, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "You can bring three bodyguards, but the mission doesn't say who you can't bring!"

"If we bring Zhao Yun along, we might be able to complete his stat upgrade quest at the same time (2. Zhao Yun single-handedly faces tens of thousands of enemy troops and completes a 'seven-in-seven-out' feat)?!"

Moreover, Cao Yan is no longer the weakling Cao Cao was.

Now that we have Dian Wei and Zhao Yun, if we can also borrow Xu Chu, and then carefully plan for Cao Cao, then going to Wancheng this time is not out of the question.

Driven by the mission reward, Cao Yan gritted his teeth and thought to himself, "Fortune favors the bold, let's do it!"

At this moment, everyone stood with their hands at their sides, waiting for Cao Cao to give the order. The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Cao Cao glanced at his civil and military officials, then slowly said, "The remnants of the Western Liang rebels are still harboring treacherous intentions. They dare to occupy Wancheng and are eyeing Xuchang covetously, threatening the safety of the Emperor!"

As soon as Cao Cao opened his mouth, he put a big accusation on Zhang Xiu.

Zhang Xiu had previously participated in the kidnapping of the emperor with his uncle Zhang Ji, and now he has stationed troops in Wancheng.

Wancheng is very close to Xuchang. The emperor had just moved the capital to Xuchang, and Zhang Xiu stationed troops nearby. His intentions inevitably aroused suspicion.

Cao Cao's words were reasonable and well-founded. No matter how Zhang Xiu tried to defend himself, under Cao Cao's influence, he was undoubtedly like mud falling into his crotch—even if he wasn't excrement, he was still considered excrement.

In fact, Zhang Xiu's army was stationed in Wancheng, which was a real thorn in Cao Cao's side, and he could not feel at ease until he was eliminated.

As Cao Cao finished speaking, the already quiet hall became even more silent.

Cao Cao continued his impassioned speech, listing Zhang Xiu's various heinous acts, his words filled with anger and dissatisfaction towards Zhang Xiu.

Finally, Cao Cao, with his hands behind his back, a solemn expression on his face, said in a low but firm voice: "Zhang Xiu's crimes are unforgivable, therefore I, the Minister of Works, have decided to personally lead an army of 50,000 to Wancheng to punish Zhang Xiu!"

Cao Cao's decision came as a surprise to everyone. They had expected him to send a capable general as the commander-in-chief, but instead, he decided to personally lead the army.

Now, the position of commander-in-chief is gone.

However, although the position of commander-in-chief is gone, positions such as vanguard and deputy commander are still open to competition.

With their established status and position, powerful figures like Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan naturally wouldn't stoop to vying for relatively low-ranking positions like vanguard or lieutenant general.

This is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for many newcomers and the younger generation of the Cao family.

“Minister Situ, I am willing to serve as the vanguard, clearing paths through mountains and building bridges over rivers for the army!” Cao Chun stepped forward first, his voice loud and clear, his words full of confidence.

Cao Chun was Cao Cao's cousin and Cao Ren's younger brother.

Over the years, he had been leading a group of cavalrymen on his own, fighting for Cao Cao in the east and west, and had made many military achievements.

However, the number of cavalry under his command never exceeded two thousand, and he almost always served as a deputy general alongside Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun, and others. He never led troops or took charge of a single force on his own.

Seeing his brothers Cao Yan and Cao Ren achieve great military exploits and become renowned generals, Cao Chun also longed to one day be like them, leading troops into battle and taking charge of his own cause.

Seeing Cao Chun win the first prize, Cao Xiu and Cao Ang were extremely anxious, but because of their lower seniority, they dared not step forward to compete with Cao Chun.

Newcomers like Zhang Liao and Xu Huang dared not compete with Cao Cao's cousin for this crucial vanguard position. After all, they were newcomers with limited influence within Cao Cao's camp, so they naturally had to be even more cautious.

Cao Cao was quite pleased to see Cao Chun volunteering for the mission.

Cao Cao was well aware of Cao Chun's abilities: he was both intelligent and brave, and had outstanding command skills.

Cao Cao nodded slightly and said, "Good! Zihe is both wise and brave, a model for the Cao family. You will serve as the vanguard this time!"

"This humble general thanks the Minister!" Cao Chun was surprised to receive Cao Cao's approval, and a slightly excited smile appeared on his face.

Cao Cao then said, "Cao Xiu and Li Dian, you will serve as the deputy generals of the vanguard general, assisting Cao Chun. The situation on the battlefield is complex and ever-changing, so you must be careful and cautious, and not be negligent in the slightest."

Cao Cao feared that Cao Chun lacked experience, so he specially sent Li Dian, who had already made many contributions and was mature and prudent, to assist him.

This also allowed Cao Xiu, who was new to the battlefield, to broaden his horizons.

Li Dian had performed exceptionally well in previous battles, demonstrating rich combat experience and a calm demeanor.

Cao Cao looked at Cao Chun and Cao Xiu and earnestly instructed them: "If you encounter any problems, consult General Zhaoyi (Li Dian) for advice."

Cao Chun and Cao Xiu understood Cao Cao's good intentions. They clasped their hands in a salute to Cao Cao and Li Dian and loudly replied, "Yes, sir!"

Typically, when a large army goes on an expedition, it will be divided into different teams such as the vanguard, left and right wings, and the central army.

Now that the vanguard position has been decided, the next step is to determine the positions of the left and right flank generals.

Zhang Liao and Xu Huang stepped forward almost simultaneously and said in unison, "Minister, this humble general is willing to serve as a lieutenant general in the army!"

Since surrendering to Cao Cao in Juancheng, Zhang Liao has always followed Cao Cao.

Zhang Liao was a highly skilled warrior, a brilliant strategist, and a loyal man, making him an invaluable general.

During this period of time, Cao Cao gained a deeper understanding of Zhang Liao's abilities and character, and developed a great fondness and appreciation for him.

Xu Huang displayed extraordinary courage and wisdom on his journey to protect the emperor. His performance not only won the approval of everyone, but also earned Cao Yan's high praise that he "had the style of Zhou Yafu".

Cao Cao therefore valued Xu Huang highly, considering him a trustworthy and important general.

Cao Cao agreed to their request to fight without hesitation, saying, "I appoint Zhang Liao as General Who Pacifies Bandits and Xu Huang as General Who Shakes Up Might, each leading the left and right flank armies!"

"Your subordinates obey!" Zhang Liao and Xu Huang clasped their fists in unison to accept the order.

(End of this chapter)