Chapter 90: Marching Out to Meet the Enemy

Cao Cao’s military encampment.

Cao Cao was so furious that he paced back and forth in the central command tent, while his mighty generals sat below him. Each one of them appeared utterly dejected, their heads hung low, looking for all the world like roosters beaten in a cockfight.

“I, Cao Mengde, am famed for having counselors as numerous as clouds and mighty warriors as plentiful as rain, yet today, I find my camp gates blocked by a mere young officer in white armor! It is enough to drive me mad with rage!” Cao Cao thundered.

After his outburst, none of the generals dared to speak. What could they say? Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Xiahou Yuan, and Xiahou Dun had all been defeated by Zhao Yun. If they were sent out to fight again, it would only result in further losses. The last time, by sheer luck, they had managed to escape with their lives. If they were sent again, who knew if they would return at all? Losing great generals before the battle had properly begun would render the fight pointless.

Just then, a voice rang out, “My lord, I, Yue Jin, request permission to fight!”

“Allow me to face that white-armored youth and exchange a few rounds!”

The speaker was Yue Jin, one of Cao Cao’s generals. Though not tall and with skin bronzed by the sun, Yue Jin was fierce and eager for battle. Seeing that no one else volunteered, he thought to himself that he would be the one to challenge the youth in white.

But in war, eagerness alone was not enough.

Cao Cao muttered inwardly—Yue Jin, challenge the white-armored youth? Best not! Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Yuan had all been bested by him. Yue Jin was no match for them, let alone for Zhao Yun. If he went out and lost again, it would be an even greater blow to morale. Better not to fight at all.

“Enough!” Cao Cao waved his hand. “Better not to fight than to fight and lose!”

His meaning was clear: Yue Jin was not a worthy opponent, and sending him out would be futile.

Yue Jin could not argue; he had never fought Zhao Yun, but he had sparred privately with Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Yuan—and he was inferior to all four. Since they had all lost to Zhao Yun, there was no way he would fare any better.

“My lord, perhaps I should go?” At this, Xu Chu stepped forward and volunteered.

Cao Cao considered. Of all his men, Xu Chu alone might hold his own against the white-armored youth. But then, Cao Cao thought again; he could not risk Xu Chu. If he sent Xu Chu, the enemy would likely send Zhang Fei, and if Zhang Fei and Xu Chu fought, the white-armored youth would still be there to issue a challenge. It would be a repeat of the humiliation from a few days prior.

“Enough, enough!” Cao Cao waved his hand. “Let them curse if they wish. Keep the ‘No Battle’ banner flying high! Without my orders, no one is to leave the camp and fight. Anyone who defies this command will be executed without mercy.”

Hearing this, all the generals present flushed crimson with shame. It is said that if the lord is insulted, his ministers should die of shame. To have their lord insulted so openly left them with no dignity.

“Report!”

At that moment, a messenger rushed into the tent, dropped to his knees, and reported, “My lord, General Su Ming has arrived!”

The moment Cao Cao heard that Su Ming had come, his furrowed brow instantly relaxed and a smile appeared on his face.

With a grand gesture, Cao Cao exclaimed, “Quick, invite him in—no, I will go in person to greet him.”

But before he could move, the tent flap was lifted and Su Ming entered with Taishi Ci and Qu’e at his side.

“Brother, you’re finally here!” Before Cao Cao could speak, Xu Chu burst out, “We’ve been holding back for days! Say no more, hurry and mount up—go and unseat that white-armored youth!”

No sooner had Xu Chu finished than Cao Cao barked, “Zhongkang, mind your tongue! My son is weary from travel and must not be pressed into battle at once. We have endured this long; what is a little longer? Rest today, recover your strength, and fight tomorrow.”

As Su Ming entered, he could already hear the taunts from outside. The insults were relentless—Cao Cao’s ancestors for eighteen generations were being maligned. Su Ming thought to himself that Cao Cao must have been suffering these days.

“No matter, I do not need to rest! Chancellor, assemble the troops and let us face them outside the city. Let me see who dares to be so bold on the field!” Su Ming declared.

Hearing this, Cao Cao could not help but think, “Only my son has the answer! With him here, all my worries are resolved.” A pity, though, that Su Ming refused to take the surname Cao or acknowledge his ancestry, insisting on his mother’s name. This would not do. Someday, I must ask Fengxiao to find a way to have him claim his rightful name.

After days of humiliation, with Su Ming’s arrival and willingness to fight, Cao Cao was only too eager. The time had come to vent his pent-up frustration.

Cao Cao mustered his troops and led the generals out—this was a full turnout, with all his commanders at his side. He thought, “Today, let them witness the might of my son.”

Outside the camp.

At that moment, the ones calling out challenges were Zhao Yun and Zhang He. Zhao Yun was not one for insults, so Yuan Shao had especially sent Zhang He to hurl invectives on his behalf. Aside from the shouting, the Yuan forces outside the camp were lounging around bare-chested, some even napping at the gates. It looked less like a battlefield than a summer retreat. Had there been mahjong or poker in those days, they’d surely have set up a game right at Cao Cao’s gate.

Just then, the gates of the Cao camp swung wide, and Cao Cao, flanked by his generals, strode out to face the enemy. The sight nearly made Cao Cao’s nose twist in anger. He stifled his indignation and barked at Zhang He and Zhao Yun, “Go quickly and inform Yuan Benchu and Liu Xuande to come before me! If you wish to contest might, let’s see it through to the end—be it ten battles or eighteen, I, Cao Mengde, will answer every challenge!”

Cao Cao had come out today to reclaim his honor from days past. With Su Ming at his side, his confidence soared. The ‘No Battle’ banner had hung long enough; the time for action had come. Seeing this sudden shift, Zhao Yun and Zhang He hurriedly sent word to their camp.

In Yuan Shao’s camp.

When Yuan Shao and Liu Bei heard that Cao Cao had come out to accept the challenge, they exchanged a look of surprise.

“Xuande, what gives Cao Ahman the courage to face us today?” Yuan Shao asked.

Though his own power was still modest, Liu Bei’s renown was great, and with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun as his generals, Yuan Shao showed him great respect.

Liu Bei pondered a moment but could not fathom why Cao Cao dared to issue a challenge today.

“Brother Benchu, since Cao Cao has come out, let us meet him in battle! With my fourth brother, the Dragon of Changshan, on our side, there is no one in Cao’s camp who can best him. Besides, my second and third brothers, Yunchang and Yide, have yet to take the field!” Liu Bei replied with confidence.

Yuan Shao agreed—what was there to fear from Cao Ahman with such warriors on their side?

And so, Yuan Shao called to Liu Bei, “Let us go to the front and meet Cao Ahman—today, we’ll crush his spirit once more.”

(End of chapter)