Chapter 128: Stalemate in the Battle

In the era of the Three Kingdoms, when famous generals emerged in great numbers, Jiang Yiqu could hardly be considered a renowned commander. As a tactician, he was likely on par with figures like Pan Feng or Wu Anguo. Could he hold his own against Cao Ren? Certainly not; he lacked the requisite strength. However, Jiang Yiqu possessed one virtue: he was acutely aware of his own limitations.

Knowing his own capabilities, he understood that with his force of thirty thousand men, he was no match for Cao Ren. Consequently, he adopted a strategy of pure defense. Jiang Yiqu entrenched himself firmly within his camp, blocking the path of the right flank. Even if you were to place thirty thousand pigs in the way, it would take time to clear them out, let alone thirty thousand fully armed soldiers.

From the evening of the first day until noon the following day, Cao Ren had yet to break through Jiang Yiqu’s defensive line. Leading the assault on the right flank, Cao Ren felt deeply frustrated. With Ju Yi at the front and Gao Lan on the left—both celebrated generals under Yuan Shao—being stalled for so long by a "nobody" like Jiang Yiqu was humiliating.

Inside the main command tent, Cao Cao stood before a military map, studying the current situation. It had to be admitted that Cao Cao had underestimated his enemy in this campaign. Once Yuan Shao had fled, Cao Cao and his generals assumed the Yuan army was now a crumbling edifice. They believed that with a single push, they could shatter the enemy lines and perhaps even capture Yuan Shao himself. They never imagined that under Ju Yi’s command, these demoralized troops would prove to be such a tough nut to crack.

"Alas!" Cao Cao sighed heavily, his tone grave. "I fear the results of this battle will be limited."

Although Yuan Shao had escaped the Battle of Guandu, the gains Cao Cao could realistically secure were restricted. After careful analysis, Cao Cao realized that the best possible outcome would be to seize the parts of Jizhou south of Ye City, along with a small portion of Qingzhou. Youzhou lay behind Jizhou; without taking Ye City, Youzhou remained beyond his reach.

Yuan Shao was, after all, the greatest warlord in the land. Winning the Battle of Guandu was already a victory of the weak over the strong; to swallow Yuan Shao whole was simply unrealistic.

"My Lord, unless we can take Ye City and capture Yuan Shao alive, it is impractical to think we can conquer the entire North in one stroke," Guo Jia remarked, offering a word of consolation.

Cao Cao understood that one cannot grow fat on a single mouthful. Gazing intently at the map, he replied in a deep voice, "If I cannot gain the territory, then I shall seize his soldiers and officers. Once reorganized and integrated, they will become a formidable fighting force."

The troops Yuan Shao had deployed on the front lines were elite. If Cao Cao could claim them, his army would truly swell to a million. Meanwhile, news of Liu Bei’s flight had reached Cao Cao’s camp.

Guo Jia studied the map and addressed Cao Cao: "Ju Yi at the front and Gao Lan on the left are both formidable foes; breaking through those directions will be difficult. Our only hope lies in General Cao Ren breaking the right flank soon. The Yuan defensive line is interconnected; once a gap is opened in one area, the entire formation will surely fall into chaos."

Hearing this, Cao Cao immediately issued an order: "Send word to Cao Ren: at all costs, he must break through the right flank before daybreak tomorrow."

On the other side, Cao Ren was commanding his troops in the siege against Jiang Yiqu. Jiang Yiqu had only thirty thousand men, while Cao Ren commanded one hundred thousand—a true three-to-one advantage. The only mitigating factor was that Cao Ren was a commander known for his defensive prowess; he was skilled at holding ground rather than launching reckless assaults. By nature, he was cautious and prudent. Even with a hundred-thousand-strong force against thirty thousand, he did not press forward blindly but advanced slowly, gradually squeezing the space available to Jiang Yiqu’s forces. While slow, this method ensured his own casualties remained minimal.

One day and one night had passed. In another day and night, Cao Ren could have completely annihilated Jiang Yiqu’s forces with fewer than five thousand casualties. But while Cao Ren sought stability, Cao Cao demanded speed.

As Cao Ren directed the battle, a messenger arrived with the Prime Minister’s order: "General Cao Ren, the Prime Minister commands that you annihilate the forces of Jiang Yiqu on the right flank before dawn tomorrow. There must be no delay!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Ren’s expression darkened. If he followed these orders, his carefully paced rhythm would be disrupted. Yet, on the battlefield, a military order was like a falling mountain. As a cautious and rule-abiding man, he could never justify disobeying his superior. Gritting his teeth, he bowed to accept the command.

After the messenger left, Cao Ren summoned Cao Hong to deliberate. "Zilian, the Prime Minister has ordered us to annihilate Jiang Yiqu’s forces and break the right flank before daybreak tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Cao Hong immediately responded, "We should have fought this way long ago! Think about it, brother. The Xiahou brothers are attacking the left, and we are on the right. Since Liu Bei fled the right, the left is now the harder target. If the Xiahou brothers break the left first, what face will we have to show the Lord? Give me the order; I will lead a force to launch a fierce assault on the right. That Jiang Yiqu is a nobody with only thirty thousand men; a few hours of hard fighting and he will surely collapse."

Cao Cao’s subordinates were filled with a sea of civil officials and a rain of fierce warriors. The competition between the two main factions of Cao Cao’s family—the Xiahou and Cao clans—was particularly intense, which explained Cao Hong’s urgency to outshine the Xiahou brothers.

Cao Hong was not only Cao Ren’s deputy but also his kinsman, so there was nothing they could not discuss. While Cao Ren was not particularly obsessed with power struggles, he was uncompromising when it came to executing Cao Cao’s orders. Since the Prime Minister demanded the right flank be broken by dawn, it had to be done.

After a moment of reflection, Cao Ren said to Cao Hong, "In that case, the only option is a night raid on the Yuan camp."