104 War Game Simulation

Yuan Shao accepted Tian Feng’s advice, and the entire front line of Yuan’s army began to contract, tightening their defenses and avoiding direct confrontation with Cao Cao’s forces.

Yuan Shao still held the grain depot at Wuchao, ensuring a continuous and abundant supply of provisions.

A war of attrition!

As long as it dragged on, Yuan Shao could truly starve Cao Cao’s forces into submission.

Meanwhile, in Cao Cao’s camp, inside the central command tent, Cao Cao paced back and forth before the map, his mood sour these past days.

Yuan Shao’s forces had been steadily shrinking their defensive perimeter, refusing to sally forth regardless of provocations.

Now, it was clear Yuan Shao relied on his abundant supplies, refusing battle to wear down Cao Cao slowly but surely.

On Cao Cao’s side, provisions were running dangerously low, and even with the strictest rationing, the food would not last a month.

In recent days, Cao Cao had executed three quartermasters and supply officers for their failures to secure grain.

But beheading them did nothing—no matter how many heads were severed, it would not bring in food.

After pacing for a long while, Cao Cao turned to Guo Jia and asked, “Fengxiao, what has Su Ming been up to these days?”

Guo Jia pondered briefly before replying, “What is the young lord doing? Haven’t you noticed? He hasn’t left the camp and likely spends his days sleeping in his quarters.”

Cao Cao thought to himself, Su Ming was not a man to idle. To have taken Jiangxia with a mere three thousand troops was no small feat. With Yuan Shao avoiding battle, all the generals were restless as ants on a hot pan. Could Su Ming really be at ease?

Cao Cao did not believe Su Ming would simply snooze through these tense times.

The more Su Ming’s behavior defied reason, the more Cao Cao grew curious.

“Let’s go!” Cao Cao waved his hand and beckoned Guo Jia. “We’ll see what that boy has been doing these days.”

Guo Jia grumbled silently. “My lord, shouldn’t you be focusing on how to break Yuan’s army instead of worrying about Su Ming’s activities?”

But Cao Cao’s temper had been short lately, so Guo Jia kept quiet. If the lord wished to go, then so be it.

Together, Cao Cao and Guo Jia hurried toward Su Ming’s tent.

“Prime Minister!”

“Strategist!” The guards at the entrance saluted and prepared to notify Su Ming.

Cao Cao stopped them and said, “No need for announcements. I’m going in directly.”

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Once inside, Cao Cao’s expression changed immediately.

Su Ming and Taishi Ci were engrossed in simulating battle scenarios. Su Ming represented Cao’s forces, while Taishi Ci stood for Yuan’s.

At this moment, Taishi Ci’s forces were steadily retreating, now cornered around Ye City.

What fascinated Cao Cao most was the tool Su Ming used to simulate the battle.

Rather than a flat map, Su Ming employed a three-dimensional sand table that took up half the tent. He had commissioned several craftsmen to meticulously recreate the battlefield’s terrain in miniature.

The model was exquisitely detailed, far more vivid and tangible than any ordinary map.

“Oh!” Su Ming exclaimed. “Prime Minister, Strategist, what an unexpected visit!”

But Cao Cao and Guo Jia had no time for pleasantries; they focused intently on the sand table.

On the model, black flags representing Cao’s troops covered nearly the entire battlefield, while yellow flags of Yuan’s army clung stubbornly to a few fortresses around Ye City.

According to Su Ming’s simulation, victory for Cao’s forces was certain.

Yet Cao Cao and Guo Jia had been analyzing the very same scenario for days without finding a way to secure victory.

Guo Jia was a first-rate strategist, Cao Cao himself a rare military genius—could Su Ming really surpass them both?

At that moment, Guo Jia pointed to a spot on the sand table. “My lord, look here.”

His finger rested on the location of Yuan Shao’s Wuchao grain depot, now marked by a black flag.

Wuchao was the key.

Yuan Shao’s ability to hold out stemmed from the vast stores of grain there—enough to sustain his army for three years.

If Wuchao fell, Yuan’s forces would be cut off from supplies, leaving Yuan Shao with only two choices: fight a decisive battle or retreat.

Both options were disastrous for Yuan Shao.

A direct confrontation was exactly what Cao Cao desired; if Yuan Shao withdrew, Cao could ruthlessly crush the fleeing enemy.

In any case, defeat was certain for Yuan Shao.

But how to capture Wuchao?

The grain depot lay deep within Yuan’s territory, heavily guarded and difficult to reach.

Sending small units to infiltrate would be futile; even if they reached Wuchao, they could never seize it.

Besides high walls, the depot was defended by a garrison of 20,000 troops under Chunyu Qiong.

A few thousand infiltrators would be overwhelmed instantly.

“How did you capture Wuchao?” Cao Cao asked solemnly, pointing to the depot on the sand table.

Simulations were not made lightly.

If Su Ming’s model showed Wuchao falling, there must be a concrete, reliable method.

“I used three thousand leopard cavalry, hiding by day and striking by night, to approach Wuchao stealthily and seize the grain depot in one swift move,” Su Ming said seriously.

Before Su Ming finished, Cao Cao barked, “Nonsense! Battle simulations are no child’s play. How could three thousand leopard cavalry take Wuchao?”

“Simply relying on three thousand leopard cavalry—how could you possibly capture Wuchao?”

Su Ming glanced at a large piece of meat on the table—the lunch brought in but untouched as he and Taishi Ci focused on the simulation.

“Prime Minister, pick up that piece of meat!” Su Ming pointed to the chunk of mutton.

Cao Cao looked puzzled, unsure of Su Ming’s meaning.

Nonetheless, seeing Su Ming’s earnest expression, he lifted the meat.

As Cao Cao held the mutton, Su Ming said, “Alright, you may put it down now.”

Cao Cao was utterly perplexed. He thought, “Are you messing with me?”

Before he could react in anger, Su Ming continued, “Prime Minister, what do you have on your hands?”

Cao Cao looked down to see his hands slick with the oil from the meat.

“Oil?” Cao Cao asked hesitantly.

Su Ming nodded and pointed toward Wuchao’s direction.

“Wuchao’s grain can feed Yuan’s army for three years, but this battle will never last that long.”

“When you pick up that mutton, your hands become coated in its oil. With such abundant grain stored there, how could Yuan Shao’s officials not help themselves?”

“The grain at Wuchao is certainly vast, but if officials are skimming off as much as thirty percent, Yuan Shao would never notice.”

(End of chapter)