Chapter 10, The Great Talent for Ensuring the People's Welfare

Cao Cao sat upright in a high position, his eyes slightly squinted as he gazed at the civil and military officials below. His face bore no expression, yet from those half-closed eyes, there seemed to emanate a hint of inscrutable meaning, instilling a sense of awe towards his imposing presence.

It is strange; apart from Rencheng, there should be no other place experiencing warfare. However, it takes at least half a month for these five thousand troops to attack Rencheng, and it has only been five days... Where did this report of victory come from... Cao Cao hesitated for a moment, but at this moment, everyone present shared the same thought as him. On the side, Guo Jia and Xun Yu exchanged glances, seemingly unable to believe it themselves.

At this moment, Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, lay weakly on his bed, his face marked by illness and exhaustion, his gaze vacant and his breath labored. Meanwhile, his eldest son, Tao Shang, was sitting at his bedside, attentively caring for him.

Father, with your keen insight, I now understand the great talent of Brother Anmin today

As soon as the words were spoken, Guo Jia quickly retracted his smile, instead not speaking immediately. He looked at the middle-aged scholar beside him and nodded.

Everyone was taken aback, and Xiahou Dun was momentarily stunned. Suddenly, he saw a scout rider approaching rapidly from outside the door, and judging by the rider's demeanor, it seemed to be good news.

Suddenly, Guo Jia looked at him, and Xun Yu also nodded in understanding. He then cupped his hands towards Cao Cao and said solemnly: "My lord, the other day I discussed with Feng Xiao that this time Cao He and Tu Shu's uprising may have been instigated by later generations..."

Then... Gongsun Zan? Han Fu? Kong Rong?

The frail gaze shifted slightly, glancing at his son. Tao Qian let out a sigh and said: "This time... Zhang Kai has killed Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, and fled with the wealth. At this moment, Cao Cao must have... cough cough... already found out..."

At this moment, the scout had already dismounted and entered the council chamber, kneeling on one knee and clasping his hands towards Cao Cao, saying: "My lord, there is good news from the front."

The sentry was taken aback, and immediately did not dare to be ambiguous. He promptly took out a letter from his bosom, presented it with both hands, and respectfully said: "This is a letter that the eldest son wishes to present to the lord, please review it, my lord"

At this moment, upon hearing Cao Cao's words, Guo Jia couldn't help but smile knowingly. He then stepped forward and performed a bow, saying: "I dare not presume, but the young master is only seventeen years old. Although he has accompanied the lord in campaigns since his youth, he is still quite young and does not understand the essentials of military strategy. This time, although he has brought five thousand troops, without assistance, he is likely to return defeated... Furthermore..."

"Zhang Miao of Chenliu," said Xun and Guo in unison

At that moment, Cao Cao took the letter from the scout but did not open it immediately. As if lost in thought, he stroked his beard and suddenly turned to a scholar seated at the writing desk, saying: "Cheng Yu, you read it..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall erupted in exclamations of surprise. It was then that Cao Cao suddenly stood up from his seat and hurried over to the sentry, repeatedly asking, "Do you know how Cao Ang managed to break through?"

At this moment, the potter knew what his father was about to say; he truly wanted to offer comfort but did not know where to begin. He simply sat silently beside him.

Father, respectfully addressed. I, your son, lack great talent... At the beginning, I followed the usual formalities, primarily expressing gratitude to Cao Cao for the opportunity to lead troops. Of course, these are mere formalities, but as the conversation progressed, everyone became increasingly alarmed.

"What you say, my lord, is indeed reasonable; it is we who have spoken out of turn." Guo Jia and his companion initially intended to refute this, but having followed Cao Cao for many years and understanding his character well, they dared not say much at this moment. They were aware that as subjects, it was their duty to express their suggestions, unlike those stubborn scholars who would rather die in their counsel. Guo Jia and Xun Yu would never engage in actions that would undermine authority.

Cao Cao's eyes remained slightly squinted, his gaze falling upon the pale scholar, and he could not help but feel admiration in his heart. He then smiled and said: "Feng Xiaoxian, your thoughts are meticulous, often yielding astonishing words. Are you blaming me for allowing Cao Ang to lead the troops to attack Rencheng?"

At that moment, Cao Cao stroked his beard and immediately laughed, saying, "Feel free to speak without hesitation"

This is referred to by Cao Cao as the pale scholar Fengxiao, and it goes without saying that this is Cao Cao's foremost strategist, Guo Jia, known for his extraordinary talent.

At that moment, with a "Yes," the sentry loudly announced under the *map* that "The young master has captured Rencheng yesterday. The commander of Rencheng, Cao Mao, was killed, and the deputy commander, Cao Huan, has surrendered. The Cao army has achieved a great victory."

In thought, it seemed that there was a sense of urgency in his heart, prompting Cao Cao to hastily inquire.

Just as the council chamber fell into a moment of silence, Cao Cao suddenly burst into laughter, startling everyone awake.

"My lord, should we send reinforcements for the eldest son’s attack on Rencheng?" At this moment, among the military generals, Xiahou Dun stepped forward and spoke out.

What a clever scheme

Yanzhou Prefecture, Xuchang City Council Hall

Seeing Guo Jia and Xun Yu nodding in agreement, Cao Cao also concurred, saying: "Very well, although Ren Cheng is not a significant concern, it will still take some time to attack with five thousand men. You should take your troops to assist him."

The humble servant shall obey! Xiahou Dun's powerful body trembled, and he immediately accepted the order, preparing to turn and leave.

Xuzhou, Xiapi City

At this moment, Cao Cao was still unaware that Cao Song had already died in Xuzhou, while Tao Qian had long sought assistance from Yuan Shao, and the entire region of Xuzhou had surprisingly made preparations for battle in advance

I have no prior acquaintance with these three individuals, and moreover, they would not wish to offend a formidable adversary like Cao Cao because of me

Upon hearing this, the scholar known as Cheng Yu did not dare to be negligent. He hurriedly stepped forward to take the letter, opened the envelope, and began to read.

Elder brother Anmin proposed a strategy, allowing Ang to lead eight hundred cavalry to Rencheng. He instructed Ang to engage in dialogue with Cao Mao at the front lines, and subsequently ordered Ang to write a letter filled with ink to Cao Mao. Upon seeing our army's small numbers, Cao Huan began to harbor suspicions against Cao Mao, ultimately leading to a rift between them. This resulted in a mutiny in Rencheng, where Cao Huan personally beheaded Cao Mao, and Ang's contingent of five thousand soldiers suffered no casualties, incurring no loss of men or horses

Um... go to Beihai? Request assistance from the Beihai general Kong Rong?

No, although Kong Beihai is benevolent and commendable, he has few troops and limited generals. Even if he were to arrive, he would not be a match for Cao Cao

However, Tao Qian continued, panting, "I originally intended to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the arrival of Old Lord Cao in Xuzhou to forge a connection with the formidable Cao Cao. Yet, I did not expect to end up in this dire situation. Alas... Cao Cao has always been eager for Xuzhou, but is hindered by... cough cough... the lack of a justifiable cause for his campaign... cough cough cough. If this time Cao Cao comes with a large army to attack... what shall I do then... cough cough cough cough cough!" By the end of his words, he was seized by a violent coughing fit, appearing as if he were on the verge of death.

Report! Good news ahead!

Upon hearing the words of the Tao merchant, Tao Qian's feeble eyes suddenly sparkled with a glimmer of light, and a trace of hope flashed across his face as he quickly said

Upon hearing this, the entire hall was taken aback, and Cao Cao, even more perplexed, asked: "Who is it?"

At the banquet, seated at the head of the civil officials was a somewhat sickly scholar. At this moment, the pale scholar seemed to be deep in thought and was the first to speak, saying: "Your Majesty, regarding the rebellion in Rencheng, although it is a minor disturbance, I believe this matter is not as simple as it appears."

This person is indeed Xun Yu, also known as Xun Wenruo

At this moment, the camera shifts to the other side

After calming his breath slightly, Tao Qian lay back on the couch and weakly said, "Borrow troops? Who should I borrow them from?"

This method is feasible. In today's world, only Lord Yuan can ensure the peace of Xuzhou. Hurry, hurry, hurry... Quickly summon Mi Zhu to set out immediately. Tell him that if Lord Yuan agrees to send troops, I... will provide the Yuan army with fifty thousand guan in money and one hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder every year, unwavering until death!

Zhang Miao's face clearly showed a hint of surprise, but Cao Cao remained unfazed upon hearing this, quietly observing Guo Jia and Xun Yu, remaining silent for a long while

Then what about Father, Yuan Shao

Suddenly, at that moment, outside the conference hall, a hurried sound of footsteps accompanied by a loud shout suddenly emerged

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was left dumbfounded

Hahaha, Zhang Miao is an old friend of mine from my youth. When I escaped from Luoyang back then, Zhang Miao even took me in for a few days. He could not possibly do that.

"Father, do not act this way! Do not act this way!" Seeing the former's emotional agitation, Tao Shang's expression suddenly changed drastically. He hurriedly stepped forward to support Tao Qian, while reassuringly saying, "Father! The only course of action now is to borrow troops from various regions; apart from this, there is no other way to ensure the peace of Xuzhou..."

However, it is unknown how much time has passed when Guo Jia at the table is the first to regain his composure