117. Xu You Presents a Strategy

Cao Cao invited Xu You into the main military tent, ready to converse by candlelight through the night.

What would they discuss? Between these two old childhood friends, the topic was undoubtedly how to take down Yuan Shao. When two of these three friends—Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Xu You—joined forces, the one left out would inevitably meet a miserable fate.

Once inside the tent, Xu You did nothing but cast a surreptitious glance around. The oil in the lamp had already burned halfway down. The military maps were covered in circles and messy markings. Xu You realized that before his arrival, Cao Cao had likely been strategizing with Guo Jia and the others. That display of rushing out to welcome him barefoot was clearly a performance for his benefit.

With this in mind, Xu You took another covert look at the military maps. Among strategists, Xu You’s ability was at the top of the second tier, just shy of the first. He was, in essence, the gatekeeper of the first-tier strategists: if you were better than him, you were first-tier; if you were worse, you were second. From the maps, Xu You discerned that Cao Cao had just run through many tactical scenarios, but they all shared a common thread: Cao Cao was in a desperate hurry. And what did that suggest? It meant Cao Cao was out of grain.

Back when Xu You was with Yuan Shao, they had discussed tactics as well. After Tian Feng proposed the "attrition" strategy, Yuan Shao had prepared to drag the conflict out for two or three years. Little did they know, Cao Cao’s situation was far more dire than they had imagined. Forget two or three years; not even three months had passed, and Cao Cao was already running dry. With this vital piece of intelligence, the rest would be easy.

Feeling confident, Xu You smiled faintly and took the initiative to ask, "I wonder, Mengde, how much longer your grain supply will last?"

Cao Cao froze, his brows twitching. He thought to himself that this was a piercing question, and certainly not an easy one to answer.

After a moment of contemplation, Cao Cao stroked his beard and replied, "I dare not exaggerate, but I still have a year’s worth of grain."

Cao Cao was a man who could tell a lie without even blinking. Looking at his confident demeanor, one might truly believe him. This answer, however, shocked not only Xu You but also Su Ming, who was standing nearby. Su Ming thought to himself, "You really are a master of bluster! You have ten days of supplies, and you dare to claim a year?"

After hearing Cao Cao’s answer, Xu You remained silent, merely staring at him with wide eyes. His expression suggested, "Go on, keep bragging; I want to see how you follow that up."

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable under Xu You’s gaze and sensing he had perhaps overreached, Cao Cao laughed and amended his statement: "A year, that is if we include the supplies in the rear. If we speak only of the front lines, we can still hold out for three months."

As soon as the words left Cao Cao’s mouth, Xu You stood up and turned to leave. He headed toward the tent entrance, clearly intending to abandon the alliance.

With Xu You’s departure, Cao Cao panicked. The key to defeating Yuan Shao lay with this man; if he left, the battle would be impossible to win. Cao Cao grabbed Xu You’s arm and asked, "Ziyuan, why do you turn and leave without a word after entering my tent?"

Xu You raised an eyebrow and replied, "It is not that I, Xu Ziyuan, wish to leave, but that you, Cao Mengde, do not welcome me! I risked my life to come here in good faith, yet you deceive me time and again. Why? We strategists come to offer counsel, but we must know the true situation. You have repeatedly tried to hoodwink me. If I offer advice without knowing the reality, it would be reckless. Rather than wait for you to blame me for a defeat later, I would rather leave now and retire to the woods."

Xu You’s words were logical and irrefutable, leaving Cao Cao speechless. The small, swarthy face of Cao Cao flushed with shame.

"Ziyuan, grain is a matter of great importance; you must never let this leak out!" Cao Cao held Xu You’s hand and spoke from the heart. "I will not hide it from you, Ziyuan—my camp has only a few days of grain left. Even with strict rationing, we have at most ten days' worth."

Upon hearing this, Xu You nodded to himself. Ten days—that sounded about right. He smiled, reached into his robe, and produced a map, which he handed to Cao Cao.

"This is the topographical map of Wuchao. Mengde, you need only send a detachment of troops to bypass Guandu through the forest and head toward Wuchao. Once there, disguise your men as my family’s grain transport team, and you will be able to enter the depot. Yuan Benchu is a man of many schemes but little resolve; once the fire starts at Wuchao, he will inevitably panic. At that moment, you can strike and seize victory."

Xu You’s plan was identical to the one previously discussed by Guo Jia and Su Ming. The key was obtaining Xu You’s cooperation and this map.

As soon as Xu You finished speaking, Su Ming stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Prime Minister, let me go to Wuchao."

Going to Wuchao meant deep penetration behind enemy lines, and it was impossible to take a large force. To Cao Cao, this was an extremely dangerous mission, and as his son, he was reluctant to let Su Ming go. But Su Ming insisted. He was determined to participate in the Battle of Guandu to build his reputation, and he needed a feat that would demonstrate his prowess. In the main theater of war, with massive armies clashing, individual valor was hard to showcase. A surprise raid and the burning of enemy supplies was the easiest way to earn glory. Furthermore, Su Ming had more than just burning grain in mind. In short, his battlefield was not the front line.

"This..." Cao Cao began, intending to refuse.

Before he could finish, Su Ming bowed again, pleading, "I am the best choice for Wuchao. Prime Minister, with hundreds of thousands of troops facing each other on the front, the big picture is what matters. You cannot let personal feelings cloud your judgment."

Hearing this, Guo Jia nodded to himself, thinking that Young Master Su Ming was not only a formidable warrior and a strategist, but also a man of first-class character.

"My Lord," Guo Jia added, "Young Master Su Ming possesses the Phoenix-Winged Gilded Halberd and rides the Hulei Leopard; there is truly no one under heaven who can harm him."

After weighing the pros and cons, Cao Cao agreed that no one was better suited than Su Ming for the task.

"I will have Cao Hong lead three thousand Leopard Cavalry to accompany you," Cao Cao commanded.