vstars Chapter 1023: A series of bad news and headaches
Chapter 1023: A series of bad news and headaches
Cao Cao led his army to set up camp in an open area. The soldiers were busy and orderly, yet everyone's expression was filled with worry. From dusk until late at night, no news of Xiahou Yuan arrived, and everyone's heart was hanging in the air, feeling uneasy.
Cao Cao sat in his tent, the light flickering. His gaze, often filled with anxiety and anticipation, gazed out into the darkness beyond. Time slipped slowly in silence, each moment a torture. He knew that Xiahou Yuan's mission to cover the rear was arduous and dangerous, and that Yan Liang and Wen Chou were exceptionally brave. He feared Xiahou Yuan was in great danger, but he still clung to a glimmer of hope, hoping for his safe return.
Finally, exhausted and overwhelmed, Cao Cao fell asleep, leaning against a chair in his tent. Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in the night. It was Xiahou Yuan. Covered in blood, he smiled as he slowly approached Cao Cao. Surprised and delighted, Cao Cao hurried forward, attempting to grasp Xiahou Yuan's hand, only to find his hand had passed through his body.
Xiahou Yuan looked at Cao Cao and said softly, "My lord, I have tried my best and can no longer follow you... Take care of yourself, and I hope you will take good care of your future achievements..." Cao Cao felt a sharp pain in his heart and shouted loudly, "Miaocai, you can't leave! I won't let you go!" However, Xiahou Yuan's figure gradually became blurred and finally disappeared into the darkness.
"Wonderful talent!" Cao Cao woke from his dream, sweating profusely. A splitting headache washed over him like a surging tide, a sudden onset of his migraine. He clutched his head tightly with both hands, groaning in agony. Guards outside the tent heard the noise and rushed in to investigate. Cao Cao's face was pale, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, and he was huddled in his chair, in agony.
"Quick, call the military doctor!" the guards shouted in panic. Soon, the military doctor arrived and rushed to treat Cao Cao. His brow furrowed, his expression solemn. While administering acupuncture to Cao Cao, the doctor soothed him, "My lord, be at ease. This illness requires careful nursing. Do not worry excessively, as this may worsen the condition." Cao Cao nodded slightly, enduring the pain, but his mind was still haunted by Xiahou Yuan's dream, and a sense of foreboding grew stronger.
With the help of a military doctor, Cao Cao's headache eased slightly. He leaned back on the couch, his gaze fixed on the tent ceiling. Past memories of his time with Xiahou Yuan kept resurfacing in his mind. He silently prayed that Xiahou Yuan was still safe, merely delayed by the battle and unable to send any news in time. However, this self-consolation felt futile in his heart. He knew that the hope of Xiahou Yuan's survival was fading with each passing night.
At noon the next day, under a blazing sun, Yan Liang and Wen Chou led Yuan Shao's army, a relentless force, chasing them like a torrent. Xiahou Dun, well prepared, led his troops in a fierce battle formation. He stared intently at the approaching Yuan troops, his expression heavy with worry for Xiahou Yuan's safety.
As Yuan's army drew closer, Xiahou Dun shouted, "Yan Liang, Wen Chou, where is my brother Xiahou Yuan now?"
Wen Chou sneered and waved his hand. The soldiers beside him held up Xiahou Yuan's helmet and weapons for display. Wen Chou shouted, "Xiahou Dun, your brother Xiahou Yuan has been killed by my eldest brother Yan Liang!"
When Xiahou Dun heard this, his eyes were filled with anger and he roared, "You bunch of villains, I will avenge Miao Cai!" However, Yuan's army was powerful, and the army behind Yan Liang and Wen Chou was surging like a tide. Xiahou Dun knew that he must not act impulsively at this moment. He suppressed his grief and commanded his soldiers to fight hard.
At that moment, Cao Cao, who was in the rear, heard the news of Xiahou Yuan's death and, despite being stopped by others, hurried to the front. Seeing Xiahou Yuan's familiar helmet and weapons, and Wen Chou's smug expression, he felt a sledgehammer strike his heart. He felt dizzy, and with a cry of pain, he fell from his horse, holding his head in his hands.
This sudden turn of events threw Cao's army into disarray, and the soldiers panicked. Seeing this, Yuan's army intensified their attack, their cries of battle shaking the very earth. Fortunately, Xiahou Dun fought with all his might. Wielding his spear like an enraged lion, he charged left and right through the Yuan army, halting their advance.
"Protect our lord!" Xiahou Dun shouted as he battled Yuan's army. His encouragement rallied the Cao army, fighting to the death and buying time for Cao Cao to retreat. Supported by the others, Cao Cao, suppressing his grief, mounted his horse and continued his flight with the army.
Along the way, Cao Cao wept bitterly, his mind replaying memories of his battles alongside Xiahou Yuan. Xiahou Yuan's loyalty and bravery seemed to be still before his eyes, yet now they were separated forever. Filled with remorse and grief, Cao Cao vowed to himself that he would never be a human being until he avenged his vengeance. Behind him, Yuan's army pursued him relentlessly, and the situation became increasingly unfavorable for Cao Cao's army.
Night, like a heavy black cloth, weighed heavily upon Cao Cao's army. They fled in panic, not even having time to pack up their tents, barely escaping Yuan Shao's pursuit. Finally finding a secluded spot, they hastily lit a bonfire. The flickering flames, faint in the darkness, brought a touch of comfort to the exhausted soldiers.
Xiahou Dun, nearly exhausted from the fighting, stumbled to Cao Cao's side. Cao Cao, now recovering from his earlier faint, was sitting around a campfire with Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, and others, supported by Xu Chu. The dancing flames illuminated their exhausted, worried faces.
Xiahou Dun slowly walked over to Cao Cao, plopped down on his knees, and burst into tears. Seeing this, Cao Cao's eyes instantly turned red. Xiahou Dun's voice trembled as he said, "My lord, Miaocai... he's gone just like that. I couldn't protect him..." As he spoke, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
Cao Cao suppressed his grief, slowly stood up, walked to Xiahou Dun, gently helped him up, reached out and stroked Xiahou Dun's back, and said in a choked voice: "Yuan Rang, don't blame yourself. I am also heartbroken about Miaocai's death. He died to cover the retreat of the army. For me, Cao Cao, and for all of us brothers, he died bravely and heroically..." As he spoke, Cao Cao could no longer suppress his inner grief, and tears burst out like a broken dam.
Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, and the others were moved by this scene, lowering their heads and sighing silently. Guo Jia said softly, "General Xiahou was a man of unparalleled loyalty and righteousness. His passing is a great loss to our army. My lord and General Yuan Rang must take care of their health and avoid excessive grief, as this will affect the morale of the troops."
Cao Cao nodded slightly, wiped his tears, and said, "Fengxiao is right, but Miaocai and I are like brothers. For many years, he has been with me in battles across the country, through life and death. Now that he has left suddenly, how can I not be heartbroken..." Cao Cao said, looking at Xiahou Dun again, his eyes filled with sadness and determination: "Yuan Rang, although Miaocai is gone, we must carry on his legacy. When we find the opportunity in the future, we will make Yuan Shao pay a heavy price for Miaocai!"
Xiahou Dun gritted his teeth, nodded fiercely, and said, "My lord, rest assured. From now on, I, Xiahou Dun, will only live for two things: one is to assist you in achieving great things, and the other is to avenge Miao Cai!"
Everyone sat around the campfire, falling into silence. Only the crackling of the fire was loud in the still night.
A long silence lingered among the crowd, as if time had frozen. Finally, Guo Jia broke the oppressive atmosphere and slowly spoke, "My lord, our army has suffered heavy casualties this time, and Dongjun has already fallen. Judging from the current situation, Chenliu may not be able to withstand Yuan Shao's attack. In my opinion, it would be better to order Chenliu's garrison commander, Cai Yang, to defend Chenliu to the death, while we return to Xudu for the time being. My lord, we have been on the expedition for over half a year, and there has been no military report from Xudu yet. I really don't know what the current situation is in Xudu."
Cao Cao's heart sank when he heard this, and a headache came over him like a tide. He rubbed his temple and reluctantly agreed, "Let's do as Feng Xiao said. After we reunite with Cai Yang, we'll make a long-term plan."
As they were talking, they saw a large army galloping towards them in the distance, a cloud of dust rising. It turned out to be the Chenliu garrison commander Cai Yang and his nephew Qin Qi, leading a large force to support them. Seeing this, Cao Cao felt a little relieved.
However, when Cai Yang arrived before Cao Cao on his swift horse, his expression was unusually grave. Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. As expected, Cai Yang clasped his fists and said, "My lord, something terrible has happened. I just learned that Xudu has fallen. I also heard that you were defeated in Dongjun, so I hurried to rescue you."
Cao Cao was struck by this, as if struck by a bolt from the blue. He staggered, nearly losing his balance. Xu Chu hurried forward to support him. Cao Cao's eyes widened in disbelief, asking, "How could Xudu be lost? Who was responsible?"
Cai Yang's face was bitter as he shook his head and said, "I haven't yet ascertained the specific circumstances, but I know it was a sudden change. Now that Xudu has fallen into the hands of others, our army is under attack from all sides. The situation is extremely critical, my lord!"
Upon hearing this news, everyone's faces were filled with panic. Guo Jia frowned, and after a moment's contemplation, he said, "My lord, the most urgent task is to stabilize the morale of the army as soon as possible, and then devise a good strategy. Although Chenliu is difficult to defend, it can serve as a buffer zone."
Cao Cao took a deep breath, suppressed his shock and anger, and said, "Feng Xiao is right. Cai Yang, you must immediately arrange for the soldiers to rest and strengthen the defenses of Chenliu. We must hold Chenliu to have a chance of turning the tide."
Cai Yang took the order and left. Cao Cao looked at his back with mixed feelings. The loss of Xudu dealt a heavy blow to his grand plan.
Xun Yu, upon seeing this, hurriedly stepped forward and offered his advice to Cao Cao: "My lord, Xudu is of paramount importance, of extraordinary significance. Not to mention the families of many of our officers and men are in Xudu, without it, we would be like a tree without roots, unable to survive. Our plan now is to first dispatch troops from Yanzhou to reinforce Chenliu and strengthen its defenses to resist any subsequent attacks from Yuan Shao. Meanwhile, while the enemy's foothold in Xudu is still unstable, we should immediately dispatch troops to recapture it. This will stabilize the situation and revive our army's morale."
Cao Cao felt his headache intensify upon hearing Xun Yu's words, as if thousands of steel needles were piercing his head. He frowned, clutching his head with both hands, his face thick with pain. Yet, even amidst the excruciating pain, he endured it, lost in thought.
The importance of Xudu is self-evident. It was the foundation he had painstakingly cultivated. Its loss not only unnerved his soldiers, but also threw his entire strategic plan into disarray. Reinforcing Chenliu from Yanzhou would certainly stabilize the defenses to a certain extent, but would splitting forces to recapture Xudu be successful? With the enemy's strength unknown, would a rash action lead to even greater danger? Furthermore, Yuan Shao's army was still lurking behind him. If he split his forces at this moment, could Yuan Shao seize the opportunity to attack? Could Chenliu be held?