With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 192, The Oriole in the Crow's Nest
Chunyu Qiong laughed loudly, "Cao Cao, for the sake of our past friendship, as long as you surrender, I will not only spare your life, but I will also speak well of you to our lord."

Cao Cao stared at Chunyu Qiong with a sullen face. Chunyu Qiong was still smugly talking non-stop, spitting everywhere. Little did he know that Cao Cao was so angry that he was about to explode.

Cao Cao didn't take Chunyu Qiong seriously at all.

He believed that if Cao Cao wanted to leave, even two Chunyu Qiongs couldn't stop him.

However, Cao Cao thought further ahead. Since they had fallen into the trap, it was clear that the plan could not have been devised by an idiot like Chunyu Qiong. Cao Cao knew Chunyu Qiong too well.

Aside from his martial arts skills barely qualifying as second-rate, Chunyu Qiong was nothing but a good-for-nothing.

He could never have come up with such a brilliant plan.

Cao Cao was worried that the enemy was far more than just Chunyu Qiong's men, and he was unsure whether he could escape unscathed.

Cao Cao glanced at Chunyu Qiong with disdain and coldly reminded him, "You should listen to me and quickly make way for me. Out of respect for our past relationship, I might spare your life. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Chunyu Qiong laughed and said, "Cao Cao, did I hear that right? You were the one who fell into the trap, yet you're threatening me instead. Hahaha, I think you don't understand the situation at all."

Cao Cao's expression changed drastically. He pointed his long sword forward and shouted, "Kill! Charge!"

Chunyu Qiong also shouted loudly, "Block Cao Cao for me! We must not let him leave!"

Cao Cao didn't waste any more words and immediately started the killing.

Thousands of Cao soldiers surged forward like a torrent, and before Chunyu Qiong could even organize his formation, his troops were broken apart.

Chunyu Qiong gritted his teeth and tried his best to resist, attempting to stop Cao Cao. However, he didn't even consider the kind of people he was facing.

Soon, Chunyu Qiong's troops were routed. Facing the fierce attacks of Dian Wei and Xu Chu, Chunyu Qiong was soon bleeding. Seeing that Cao Cao was getting closer and closer to the gate and was about to break out, Chunyu Qiong quickly drew blood.

Just then, shouts of battle erupted from all directions, and people surged forward like a tidal wave. Directly ahead came several thousand cavalrymen, led by General Zhang He.

After Zhang He arrived with his men, the 50,000-strong army quickly formed a siege, surrounding Cao Cao from all sides without leaving any blind spots.

When Cao Cao saw Zhang He, his heart sank. It was exactly what he feared.

Zhang He personally led the main force and charged in through the gate without mercy, blocking Cao Cao's escape route.

Upon seeing reinforcements arrive, Chunyu Qiong was immediately invigorated and rode towards Zhang He without hesitation.

Dian Wei's short halberds had already been fired, and there was no time to retrieve them. Seeing that Chunyu Qiong had already run far away, Dian Wei, in a moment of desperation, didn't think twice and hurled his left-hand iron halberd straight at him.

The iron halberd spun rapidly in mid-air, and with a loud crack, it slammed solidly into Chunyu Qiong's back. Chunyu Qiong screamed and fell off his horse, with Dian Wei spurring his horse after him.

Chunyu Qiong had just gotten up from the ground when Dian Wei arrived.

"go to hell!"

Dian Wei raised his right hand high, and the iron halberd, wrapped in a strong wind, slammed down on Chunyu Qiong's head like Mount Tai pressing down.

Click!

The human skull, the hardest bone in the human body, was instantly smashed open by Dian Wei's iron halberd without any suspense.

Brain matter gushed out, splattering all over the ground.

Many of Yuan's soldiers were stunned by this sight, and the timid ones vomited uncontrollably on the spot.

Chunyu Qiong's death did not elicit much of a reaction from Zhang He.

Zhang He raised his spear and shouted, "Cao Cao is already surrounded and has no way to escape! Kill him!"

Fifty thousand Yuan soldiers surged forward like a tidal wave, relentlessly advancing with an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Pikemen, swordsmen and shieldmen, cavalry and archers—a wide variety of troops were deployed.

With 50,000 troops surrounding 5,000 of Cao Cao's troops, the sheer numerical advantage was overwhelming. Zhang He concentrated his cavalry around himself, on the south side.

Zhang He bravely took on the heavy responsibility, leading his cavalry to confront Cao Cao head-on!

The Yuan troops on the other three directions were all infantry, densely packed, layer upon layer, forming an impenetrable encirclement.

Gao Lan commanded from the north, Jiang Qi from the east, and Lü Kuang from the west.

It was surrounded on all sides, with no way out.

Zhang He engaged Cao Cao from the front, preventing Cao Cao's army from turning back, while Yuan Shao's troops on the other three sides rapidly advanced, continuously compressing the encirclement.

What cavalrymen fear most is not having enough distance to charge. Once they lose the space to run, their power is reduced by at least half.

This principle is simple and easy to understand.

Which is more threatening, a galloping warhorse or a warhorse standing still? Which has more impact?

Therefore, Zhang He immediately led his cavalry to charge forward and engaged in fierce combat with Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

Gao Lan, Jiang Qi, and others continued to advance, and the distance between them kept shrinking. Soon, Yuan Bing's archers began to show their power.

Whoosh whoosh!
Arrows are merciless. Once Cao Cao's army formation becomes slightly disordered and Cao Cao's soldiers are exposed to Yuan Shao's arrows, they will be mercilessly shot down.

Puff puff!
The sound of arrows piercing flesh rang out continuously.

People frequently fell off their horses, and even if they weren't shot dead on the spot, they could be knocked over and trampled by galloping warhorses at any time.

Zhang He brandished his spear and fought fiercely forward. Before long, Xu Chu attacked. After a dozen or so rounds, Zhang He decisively withdrew to avoid Xu Chu and instead focused on the overall advantage of the fight, rather than engaging Xu Chu in a one-on-one battle.

Zhang He's cavalry was not as strong as Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, but it was enough to hold them off.

Cao Cao led his men in a fierce charge against Zhang He's formation, attempting to break through from the front. However, Zhang He held firm and refused to retreat, maintaining his formation no matter how many men were killed or wounded.

The wounded and injured cavalrymen continued to regroup around Zhang He.

"Kill!" Cao Cao attempted to turn around and charge eastward towards Jiang Qi's direction.

The troops had just turned around when Zhang He caught up from behind and fiercely pursued Cao Cao's army.

Jiang Qi also roared, "Soldiers, shields, hold off the enemy!"

Tens of thousands of Yuan soldiers roared in unison, countless shields slammed into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. The shields were densely packed together, and behind them, countless more Yuan soldiers stood ready with swords and spears.

But Cao Cao was determined and continued his charge.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Many Tiger and Leopard Cavalrymen crashed into the shields, producing dull, thunderous sounds.

Puff puff!
Behind the shields, Yuan Jun mercilessly thrust out his spears, forcefully felling the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Others brandished steel sabers, viciously slashing at the horses' legs. Gao Lan and Lü Kuang quickly launched a pincer attack from both sides, cooperating with Zhang He to further tighten the encirclement.

Dian Wei's warhorse was quickly overturned by the enemy. Dian Wei roared and slammed his iron halberd into the shield. With a loud bang, the Yuan soldiers behind the shield let out a series of shrill screams. Their ears were ringing and their bodies were trembling.

Dian Wei stepped forward, raised his iron halberd, and smashed the brains of the Yuan soldier behind the shield.

Xiahou Yuan's warhorse was also injured, so he had to jump to the ground and stand beside Cao Cao, wielding his broadsword and fighting fiercely with the enemy.

With people swarming from all sides, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry's power was constantly weakened. This was Zhang He's brilliance; from the very beginning, he discovered Cao Cao's weakness.

When Cao Cao launched his surprise attack on Wuchao, he brought only cavalry, and what cavalrymen fear most is having no space to run.

Zhang He had an army of 50,000, which was enough to completely trap and kill Cao Cao.

The most crucial step was to hold off Cao Cao's cavalry from the very beginning and prevent them from charging forward.

Zhang He achieved this! No wonder he is one of the Four Pillars of Hebei!

"Kill! Soldiers, kill!"

Zhang He roared, calmly raised his spear, and thrust it forward fiercely. The spear moved like a whirlwind, bringing with it a spray of blood. In an instant, a Tiger and Leopard Cavalryman was knocked to the ground.

Gao Lan also engaged Cao Xiu in fierce combat, his spear flashing up and down, tightly entangled with Cao Xiu.

Cao Cao and his men knocked over countless enemy shields, but the enemy lines ahead remained densely packed, with countless shields.

Dian Wei, Xu Chu, and the others continued to advance, but it seemed like there was no end in sight. They were constantly met with numerous obstacles, and their warhorses were constantly getting injured and unable to run anymore.

Then came screams of agony as Cao Cao's soldiers were killed by the enemy. Cao Cao kept looking back, his heart filled with anxiety.

Charging eastward didn't mean the enemy only came from Jiang Qi and his men on the east; they also charged from the other three sides, frantically attacking Cao Cao from behind.

When Yuan Shao arrived, the two sides were already locked in close combat, fighting fiercely, their weapons intertwined, and everything was in complete chaos.

Although Cao Cao's army was outnumbered, its fighting strength was extremely formidable. Every Cao soldier could take at least a few Yuan soldiers down with him before he died.

Liu Bei and Ju Shou escorted Yuan Shao to the top of the earthen slope. By the light of the fire burning in the camp, they observed the development of the situation from their elevated position.

Yuan Shao quickly laughed excitedly, "This is truly heaven's help! Cao Cao is completely trapped! Haha, it seems that Wuchao is Cao Cao's burial ground!"

Ju Shou hadn't originally wanted to come to Wuchao, but seeing that Yuan Shao's plan had completely succeeded and Cao Cao was trapped, with all the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry losing their advantage in running, Ju Shou stroked his beard and his eyebrows relaxed in a smile.

Under the firelight, Liu Bei's face remained unchanged, calm and composed.

But Liu Bei was somewhat puzzled.

The plan to lure Cao Cao to Wuchao was entirely Liu Bei's doing, following Liu Xie's orders. As for what would happen next and what he should do, Liu Bei had no idea.

Where exactly is Liu Xie? Will he come to Wuchao?

Liu Bei was unaware of this.

Because Liu Bei and Liu Xie did not maintain constant contact, it was Guan Yu who relayed the Wuchao plan to Liu Bei on Liu Xie's behalf.

Unbeknownst to Liu Bei, at that very moment, after Yuan Shao appeared, a dark figure quietly disappeared behind the earthen mound.

Gan Ning hurried to Liu Xie's side and excitedly said, "Your Majesty, Yuan Shao has arrived!"

After Zhang He set out, Liu Xie's men also arrived at Wuchao. Now, they have circled around to the back of the earthen slope.

"Let's go and have a look!"

Liu Xie led Lü Bu, Zhao Yun, and several others to the top of the earthen slope, while the rest of the group remained in place.

Liu Xie's gaze swept across the battlefield several times, and the situation became clear at a glance. Before long, Yuan Shao's figure appeared in his sight.

Yuan Shao was easily recognizable, surrounded by a group of people, dressed in luxurious clothes, a plain white robe that stood out in the night.

"Your Majesty, Cao Cao is surrounded and in a very passive situation. What do you think... should we make a move?" Zhao Yun asked after observing for a while.

Liu Xie remained expressionless and did not answer, which Zhao Yun understood.

Lu Bu's eyes lit up, and he felt an indescribable sense of joy. Great! Even Cao Cao has his unlucky moments.

Chen Gong turned to look at Liu Xie and saw that Liu Xie was calmly watching the battle below without even frowning.

Comparing Lü Bu's reaction to Chen Gong's, Lü Bu excitedly smiled, almost wanting to clap and celebrate. Chen Gong had to admit that it was no wonder the emperor had once told him, "I am not Lü Bu!"

The difference between Liu Xie and Lü Bu was like heaven and earth.

In this campaign against Yuan Shao, Cao Cao planned to use Yuan Shao to weaken Liu Xie, and then in turn, use Liu Xie to weaken Yuan Shao, thereby reaping the benefits.

However, Chen Gong sneered inwardly, "Cao Mengde, you pride yourself on your intelligence, but you didn't expect that His Majesty's methods are also very sophisticated. You are using Yuan Shao, and His Majesty is also using Yuan Shao. You want to weaken His Majesty, and His Majesty is also using the same methods against you."

Politics is dark, bloody, and cruel!

The reason politics is considered dark is that no matter what you do, you can't openly tell your opponents your purpose.

For example, Cao Cao wanted to control Liu Xie, but he could never tell anyone, "I want to make the emperor an obedient puppet!"

Politics is said to be cruel and bloody because, in order to achieve their goals, no means are too cruel, and countless people will lose their lives.

Cao Cao dispatched his elite troops and a host of fierce generals, but Liu Xie remained remarkably calm.

Having spent so much time with Cao Cao, Liu Xie knew he couldn't afford to be sentimental.

Because opportunities are hard to come by!
Every time Liu Xie took action, he couldn't do it openly. From the moment he established Cao Cao as the most loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, he couldn't directly turn against Cao Cao.

To avoid turning against Cao Cao while simultaneously weakening him to create favorable conditions for controlling him in the future, required both brilliant strategy and a great deal of luck.

If Liu Xie acts immediately, Cao Cao might be grateful, but Liu Xie will then have to rack his brains to find other opportunities.

Killing Cheng Yu, killing Cao Hong, killing Cao Chun... In fact, every opportunity before was hard-won.

Since Cao Cao wanted to use Yuan Shao against him, Liu Xie could also use Yuan Shao against Cao Cao.

Liu Xie did all of this because he learned it from Cao Cao!

People were everywhere, Yuan's troops were densely packed, and the encirclement was complete. Cao Cao changed directions several times, but still had no hope of breaking out.

Cao Cao's army fought fiercely for a long time, and casualties were rapidly increasing, with many generals also suffering wounds.

(End of this chapter)