131 Yue Jin Leads the Vanguard

Cao Cao’s military camp.

Cao Cao stood with eyes burning, gazing at the military map hung on the wall. Dawn had broken, and he was awaiting news from Cao Ren. Cao Ren was not merely a top general under Cao Cao’s command; he was also a kinsman from his own clan. Cao Ren had never once disappointed him, and Cao Cao trusted that he would not fail him this time either.

"My Lord, good news!" Yue Jin rushed into the tent, reporting, "My Lord, the right flank has been completely taken! We have now surrounded Ju Yi’s forces from three directions. This time, they have no wings to escape!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao’s eyes lit up. Military doctrine dictates that one should surround three sides and leave one open. Why leave one side open? It is to allow the enemy a path of retreat. If you surround all four sides, the enemy, seeing no hope for survival, will fight to the death. A cornered beast is dangerous; a total encirclement would cause heavy casualties to one's own troops. By leaving an opening, the enemy sees a glimmer of hope and will not fight with total desperation. Once they flee through that gap, they fall into the trap. When a defeat turns into a rout, it is like a mountain collapsing; one only needs to chase them down like hunting rabbits. At that point, capturing fleeing soldiers is far easier than catching rabbits.

Cao Cao stared intently at the map, calculating his next move. His primary goal was to devour Yuan Shao’s hundreds of thousands of troops, then press forward to seize all territory south of Ye City.

"Since the right flank has been breached, let us make it the main point of attack," Cao Cao commanded. "Yue Jin, I grant you fifty thousand more troops; hasten to reinforce the right flank! Tell Cao Ren: from this moment on, keep up the relentless assault until the Yuan army’s lines collapse entirely."

Yue Jin was one of the Five Elite Generals under Cao Cao. He was not tall or physically imposing, and his skin was dark. Yet, despite his stature, he was a daredevil on the battlefield. Known for his combat prowess, he was always the first into the fray—the quintessential vanguard for Cao’s army.

Yue Jin arrived to rendezvous with Cao Ren, relaying Cao Cao’s orders: attack without pause until the Yuan defensive line shattered. It was already afternoon when he joined Cao Ren.

"General Cao Ren, you have been fighting all day!" Yue Jin suggested. "Shall I lead my men to relieve yours so you can take a rest?" While phrased as a suggestion, it was effectively a request for duty. Since Cao Cao had sent him to support, he was eager to enter the fray. However, as Cao Ren was the commander of the right flank, Yue Jin had to defer to his authority.

Cao Ren nodded and bowed to Yue Jin. "In that case, I shall leave it to you, General Wenqian."

With permission granted, Yue Jin immediately led his troops into the battle. The engagement on the right flank had raged from the previous night through the day. Both sides were exhausted, but with the arrival of Yue Jin’s fresh troops, the scales of victory began to tip decisively in favor of Cao’s army. As Yue Jin’s forces entered, Cao Hong was withdrawn to regroup.

Once off the battlefield, Cao Hong angrily sought out his elder brother, Cao Ren. "Brother, I could have taken Ju Yi’s head in two more hours! Why did you pull me off now? The credit that was rightfully mine has been handed to Yue Jin for nothing!"

Cao Ren remained calm, chuckling. "Be honest with yourself. Even if I gave you four hours, could you truly have taken Ju Yi’s head?"

Could Cao Hong have done it? No, it was impossible. Although the Yuan army was in a dire situation, under Ju Yi’s iron command, they had not yet reached total collapse. The battle remained a stalemate; while they had breached the right flank, taking Ju Yi’s head within two hours was pure fantasy.

Seeing Cao Hong’s hesitation, Cao Ren stared at him steadily. Cao Hong’s face flushed as he defended himself, "If not two hours, then four. If not four, then eight. Regardless, we have the upper hand, and Ju Yi’s defeat is certain."

Cao Ren patted his brother on the shoulder. "Zilian, the men have been fighting for nearly a day and night. If we fought for four or eight more hours, you might hold, but could the men? I sent Wenqian in to fight the exhausted with the fresh. Furthermore, you and I are the Lord's brothers; if we insist on seizing every bit of credit, we will chill the hearts of our generals who do not share our name. Go and rest; when it is time for you to fight, I will surely let you."

It was no wonder Cao Cao favored Cao Ren; he possessed both strategic vision and statesmanship. Knowing he would not be sent back to replace Yue Jin, Cao Hong let his frustrations fade.

At the Yuan camp, a messenger arrived in a panic. "General, the Cao army has reinforced their right flank!"

Ju Yi’s brow furrowed. Cao Cao’s tactic was like a fighter repeatedly kicking an opponent’s injured leg. Since the right flank was the breach, Ju Yi realized it was now more critical than the front.

"Master Ju Shou," Ju Yi said, bowing to the strategist, "I must entrust the front lines to you. I must command the right flank immediately, or our entire army may collapse."

Ju Shou nodded. "Go, General. You may rest assured here. If Cao Cao has made the right flank his breakthrough point, then the front and left are surely feints. As long as the right flank holds, we will fulfill our five-day vow."

After bidding farewell, Ju Yi led his eight hundred "First Ascenders" toward the right flank.