The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 288 Cao Cao's cunning tactics, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang get hammered again (5th update)
As Liu Bei had predicted, Cao Cao launched a military campaign against Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan.

After dismissing Cao Cao's envoy, Yuan Shang invited Yuan Tan to garrison Liyang on the condition of 50,000 shi of grain.

Yuan Tan didn't act recklessly at this moment. If Cao Cao really destroyed Yuan Shang, Yuan Tan would be left with no one to rely on.

Therefore, after receiving the "Transfer Order" signed and sealed by Yuan Shang, Yuan Tan left Hua Yan, Wang Xiu and others to guard Pingyuan, and personally led Guo Tu, Xin Ping and more than 10,000 troops to garrison Liyang.

After Cao Cao learned the details, he sent Kong Rong, the Junior Steward, with imperial credentials to Shangdang, intending to use the imperial edict to appease Liu Bei and make him remain an observer.

At the same time, Cao Cao also mobilized his clan generals such as Cao Ren, Cao Chun, Cao Hong, Cao Xiu, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Yuan, as well as generals from other clans such as Yue Jin, Yu Jin, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and Zhang He. With Guo Jia as his military advisor, he gathered 10,000 elite troops, crossed the river, and headed straight for Liyang.

Upon hearing that Cao Cao was crossing the river to attack, Yuan Shang also led more than 10,000 troops to Liyang to help him.

Although Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang's combined forces numbered 30,000, most of them were newly recruited soldiers who lacked training and had never fought a major battle. In contrast, Cao Cao's elite force of 10,000 soldiers was battle-hardened, with many of his fierce warriors having followed Cao Cao in his campaigns since his time in Yanzhou.

In a head-on confrontation, there would be virtually no suspense!
Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang lacked generals like Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Yan Liang, and Wen Chou to boost the morale of their soldiers, and they also lacked strategists like Pang Tong who were skilled in military tactics and adept at setting ambushes in the field. Cao Cao was not like Xiahou Yuan, who relied on his martial prowess but lacked military strategy.

Liu Bei could use 4,000 new soldiers to fight Xiahou Yuan's 2,000 elite soldiers to a standstill. If Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang wanted to use twice as many new soldiers as Cao Cao to fight against Cao Cao's more than 10,000 elite soldiers in the open field, it would be like an old man hanging himself because he was tired of living.

But Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang actually did just that!

One relied on his martial prowess, and the other on his superior military strength. After a standoff of more than half a month, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang actually engaged Cao Cao in a direct battle at the foot of Liyang City.

The result was predictable: Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang's 30,000 troops were directly defeated by Cao Cao's 10,000 troops, and Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang fled back to Ye City in panic.

If it weren't for the extremely negative impact of Cao Cao's massacre of 70,000 surrendered soldiers, which led Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang's troops to choose death rather than surrender, Cao Cao could have wiped out Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang's main force in this battle alone.

Therefore, apart from the Yuan soldiers who were killed, the remaining 20,000-plus Yuan soldiers all followed Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang back to Ye City.

Cao Cao then led his troops in a relentless pursuit, chasing them all the way to the outskirts of Ye City.

Although Ye City was fortified and heavily fortified, both the generals from the Cao clan, such as Cao Ren and Cao Chun, and the generals from other clans, such as Zhang Liao and Xu Huang, all suggested taking advantage of the victory to attack Ye City.

But Cao Cao was not blinded by victory; instead, he was thinking about things in the long term.

A few days ago, Kong Rong, who was on his way to Zhuo County to deliver an imperial edict, arrived at Cao Cao's camp. He claimed that Liu Bei had accepted the imperial appointment and promised to defend the borders of the Han Dynasty and fight against the Hu. To show his determination to fight the Hu, Liu Bei even showed Kong Rong documents on troop movements and battle reports on fighting the Hu.

Furthermore, rumors began to circulate in the Ji and Yan regions that "Zhuojun is free from the suffering of war, the Left General is implementing a policy of land reclamation, allowing people to take any land and houses, and exempting them from taxes for three years." This forced Cao Cao to re-evaluate Liu Bei's intentions.

Furthermore, although Cao Cao defeated Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang in the Battle of Liyang, he encountered something he had never anticipated in his life. He thought that Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang could be defeated in one battle by gathering their troops in Liyang, but unexpectedly, apart from those who were wounded and unable to escape, not a single Yuan soldier was willing to lay down their arms and surrender!

This made Cao Cao sense danger. Given his current negative reputation among the soldiers in Hebei, if Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang died too quickly, wouldn't their soldiers immediately run off to join Liu Bei?

After painstakingly defeating Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, all their generals and soldiers went to serve Liu Bei.
The mere thought of such a possibility made Cao Cao so nauseous that he couldn't eat.

Thinking of this, a ruthless glint flashed through Cao Cao's mind again.

Guo Jia, observing Cao Cao's words and expressions, guessed his intentions and advised, "Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang are currently holding firm in Ye City. If we attack them quickly, they will unite to defend it; if we attack slowly, internal strife will surely break out in Ye City. It would be better to first pretend to march south to attack Liu Biao and wait for Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang to change their minds."

Cao Cao's gaze was deep. Guo Jia's strategy of "feigning a southern expedition and waiting for the situation to change" clearly touched on Cao Cao's inner worries. However, this delaying tactic caused an uproar among the generals in the tent.

Cao Hong, being the most impatient, retorted sharply: "Our army, riding high on the momentum of our great victory, is unstoppable. Now is the perfect time to seize Ye City in one fell swoop! How can we retreat after winning and waste time? When Yuan Shao hears of our 'southern expedition,' won't he laugh his head off and think I'm a coward?"

Xiahou Yuan also said, "Zilian's words make sense. Ye City is the foundation of the Yuan family. Now that Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang have just been defeated, the soldiers are demoralized, and the people in the city are in a state of panic. This is the best time to attack! If we delay, things will change. Moreover, our army has come here from afar. If we return empty-handed, we will only waste money and food and damage our morale!"

Xiahou Dun clasped his hands and replied, "My lord! This humble general requests to lead the charge! This humble general is willing to be the vanguard! Although Strategist Guo's strategy is excellent, it is time-consuming and wasteful. In my opinion, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, those wretches, have suffered a great defeat and are already terrified. Even if they have a strong city, they will not be able to stop our elite troops! If we wait for them to catch their breath and recover their morale, we will miss a good opportunity!"

"That's exactly right!" Yue Jin, known for his bravery and diligence, chimed in. "Our army is at its peak, what do we have to fear from Ye City? Those are just newly recruited and defeated soldiers, how can they possibly hold out? We should take advantage of their unstable foothold and seize the city in one fell swoop! If our army were to cross the Yellow River to the north, it would be a waste of time and effort, a complete reversal of priorities."

Even the usually composed Xu Huang frowned slightly, seemingly with doubt: "Strategist, while a slow and deliberate attack to wait for chaos to break out is certainly the best military strategy, the situation in Hebei is currently delicate. Liu Bei is eyeing Youzhou covetously, spreading rumors to win over the hearts of the people. If our army besieges Ye City for too long without success, or if our main force moves south, Liu Bei may take advantage of the situation and join forces with the remnants of the Yuan clan, making the situation in Hebei even more difficult. Delay could lead to unforeseen changes."

For a moment, Zhang Liao, Yu Jin, and others, though not speaking directly, all looked at Cao Cao, their faces showing both confusion and a desire for war.

Guo Jia stood beside Cao Cao, facing the almost unanimous questioning and inquiries from the generals, but remained silent and did not answer.

Unlike Xun Yu and Xun You, Guo Jia's advice was not based on the merits of the plan, but on Cao Cao's own thoughts; rather than offering advice, it was more like speaking for Cao Cao what he wanted to say but could not say.

Cao Cao remained silent, instead focusing intently on the map.

After a long silence, Cao Cao suddenly asked, "Is the wheat in the fields of Ye County almost ripe?"

The generals were stunned, wondering why Cao Cao suddenly asked about the wheat. Zhang He, who had lived in Hebei for a long time, said, "The wheat will not be ready until late April or early May, which is at least another month before it can be harvested."

Cao Cao's narrow eyes narrowed slightly. He said, "Issue my order: once the wheat is ripe next month, supervise the harvest. Release the captured and wounded soldiers of Yuan Shao, and tell them that I am not a man of indiscriminate killing. If the soldiers of Ye City are willing to surrender, I will treat them well. To show my sincerity, I will try to persuade them to surrender outside the city for a month. If the soldiers of Ye City still refuse to surrender after a month, I will not make things difficult for them. At that time, I will also make an agreement with Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang to fight again next year to reassure the soldiers of Ye City!"

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(End of this chapter)