One Hundred Twenty-Eight: A Hidden Meaning

The Cao Hong military camp was laid out in a fan shape, backed against the leeward side of a low hill. Less than five miles ahead flowed the Ji River, providing both a defensible position and a reliable water source. To prevent enemy surprise attacks, Cao Hong ordered his laborers to fell nearby trees and construct abatis, placing them a hundred paces in front of the camp.

The laborers' work was directed entirely by Cao Ang. From pitching tents to felling trees and building the abatis, everything was handled with meticulous order and strict discipline, clearly modeled after the encampment methods found in some military treatise. However, having only read two such books himself, Cao Hong could not identify the specific source of this method.

Once the camp was secured, Cao Ang immediately went to Cao Hong’s main tent to report. Unlike the spacious quarters they had enjoyed back in Suanzao, Cao Hong’s current tent was merely a triangular structure, slightly taller and larger than the standard issue. Triangular tents saved on timber, fabric, and effort; marching to war was not a camping holiday, and quarters were meant to be functional and simple.

Cao Hong was in the tent, wiping down his heavy cavalry spear. Over the past few days, the weapon had claimed countless enemy lives; the dried blood on the blade had turned black, and even after much scrubbing, it remained a dark, bruised red. It seemed unlikely it would ever return to its original sheen.

Cao Ang entered the tent, bowed, and said, "Uncle, the camp is complete. I have now set the laborers to gathering the weapons discarded by the enemy, as well as the arrows fired by the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and yourself."

In ancient warfare, supplies were paramount, especially arrows and weapons; one could never have too many. Even damaged items could be melted down and reforged. If the army didn't collect them, refugees or bandits would surely pick them up to use or sell. As Cao Cao was in the early stages of building his power, he could not afford such waste.

Cao Hong nodded upon hearing the report. "Understood. You have been running hard through these days of battle; you are tired. Get some rest."

Cao Ang replied excitedly, "I am not tired yet, Uncle! Besides, these past few days I have only been leading the laborers to wave flags and shout—I haven't seen any real fighting."

Cao Hong smiled. "To kill the enemy, one must first learn to command the troops. Once you have led the laborers on a few more campaigns, you will naturally have your chance to command soldiers."

Cao Ang nodded eagerly. "I understand your intentions, Uncle. It is just that watching you assess the situation these past few days, using the terrain to overcome the many with the few, and winning victory after victory, has truly stirred my spirit. Especially your tactics at Dongping against the ten thousand rebels, and your luring of the enemy into the valley at the border of Zhang County—your ability to split your forces and employ brilliant, unpredictable stratagems to drive the enemy to their own destruction was truly mysterious and masterful. Which military manual did you study for that?"

Cao Hong chuckled, realizing that Cao Ang’s primary study was the *Art of War of the Wei Prince*. He countered with a question: "Zixiu, was your encampment method these past few days taken from the *Art of War of the Wei Prince*?"

Cao Ang replied, "It was! The *Art of War of the Wei Prince* emphasizes strict discipline, stability as firm as Mount Tai, and overcoming motion with stillness. It lacks the unpredictable, shifting nature of your tactics."

Cao Hong said, "Different authors have different insights into military strategy. What I have been using these past few days is the *Art of War of Sun Bin*."

Cao Ang asked in surprise, "Uncle, you possess a copy of the *Art of War of Sun Bin*? That book was thought to have been lost long ago!"

Cao Hong smiled. "Juancheng County is the hometown of Sun Bin. His descendants, grateful for my restoration of their ancestral shrine, gifted it to me. It is currently at my estate. When we return to Juancheng, you may go to my residence to study it."

Cao Ang expressed his gratitude with great joy, but Cao Hong added, "However, I believe you should first continue to practice the strategies of the *Art of War of the Wei Prince* for a time, summarizing its strengths and weaknesses and gaining your own insights, before you look at Sun Bin. Greed for knowledge leads to poor digestion; what good is it to swallow books whole without learning to apply them? Moreover, the military philosophies of Sun Bin and Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, run in opposite directions. If you read both without understanding their nuances, you will likely find yourself in contradiction when it comes time to lead."

This logic was as simple as the fact that a football team cannot have two coaches. Cao Ang nodded, said he understood, and withdrew.

After Cao Ang left, Cao Hong continued to wipe his spear, sighing, "No matter the material or the craftsmanship, this spearhead is still far inferior to the Nameless Sword. Blood seeping beneath the surface after so much killing is a clear sign of uneven density. Still, it is sharp enough. It may be ugly, but it will have to do!"

He set it aside and was preparing to rest when Cao Xiu spoke from outside: "Uncle, are you resting?"

"Not yet. Come in, Wenlie."

Cao Xiu had gone out to scout in the morning and it was now evening. With his fine steed, he had easily circled the territory of Zhang County. Clad in black armor, Cao Xiu entered the tent, saluted, and said, "Uncle, the rebels have vanished from Zhang County. I took off my armor and infiltrated the town, finding nothing but starving refugees. The wealthy families were nowhere to be found. I learned that the tens of thousands of rebels stationed there were the very enemies we had been fighting along the way. They were followers of the Black Mountain bandit Yu Du; though there were thousands of them, they lacked unified command, which is why they marched separately and why we encountered them so frequently. Now that they know we are approaching Zhang County, the remnants left in the town have fled, knowing they are no match for us."

Cao Hong nodded. "So that is why. They deserved to be broken piece by piece. What of the defenses of Zhang County?"

Cao Xiu replied, "The moat has been filled in, the seven-foot walls have been breached in several places, and all four gates are destroyed. The defenses are effectively nonexistent."

Cao Hong sighed. "In that case, we cannot station troops there." He then recalled a concern and asked, "The prisoners we have captured these past few days all claim ignorance of the Qing and Xu Yellow Turbans' whereabouts, and don't even know that their commander is Yu Du—they only know their immediate leaders. While the enemy is scattered, it is difficult to track their movements. We have been in Dongping for some time now; I fear that if we continue forward, we will run into the main rebel force. If we were to suddenly encounter tens of thousands of them, my force of less than ten thousand would surely be overwhelmed."

Cao Xiu nodded. "Your concern is valid, Uncle. We could never defeat tens of thousands with our numbers. If they were to surround us in open terrain, we would be exhausted to death even if they just stood there and let us kill them. However, the Great Uncle’s order is for us to locate the enemy's main force. We have not yet fulfilled that order, so we cannot stop here."

Cao Hong thought for a moment and called to the guard outside: "Invite Master Ziyang here!"

The guard obeyed, and before long, Liu Ye was brought into the tent. Cao Hong explained his concerns and asked for his counsel.

Liu Ye pondered for a while before saying, "General Zilian, you have won consecutive victories since entering Dongping and have taken no prisoners. The news must have reached the rebel leaders by now. Yet, we have seen no sign of their main army. This suggests they have more important matters to attend to."

Cao Hong asked, "You mean they are pursuing Bow Xin, the Chancellor of Jibei, and Liu Dai, the Inspector of Yanzhou?"

Liu Ye smiled. "It must be so. General, you are but a vanguard under the Lord. Though you have won battles, you have only engaged minor, disorganized forces. By comparison, destroying the main forces of Bow Xin and Liu Dai is their priority. This means that as long as those two have not yet been defeated, you can safely retreat even if you do encounter the enemy's main body; they will certainly not pursue you relentlessly."

Cao Hong asked, "In that case, should I join forces with them?"

Liu Ye chuckled. "Not at all! The reason the Lord took up arms is because Chen Gong, the magistrate of Suanzao in Chenliu, agreed to write to Wan Qian, the Chancellor of Yanzhou, to welcome the Lord as the Inspector of Yanzhou. If Liu Dai does not die, even if the Lord were to replace him on the grounds of his military failures, would it not invite needless criticism?"

Cao Hong was struck with sudden realization. "So that was my elder brother's deeper meaning? He ordered me to find the main rebel force so I could see if Liu Dai was dead?"

Liu Ye smiled. "Why else would the orders be so brief?"

Cao Hong felt a secret admiration for Cao Cao’s cunning. Liu Dai was, after all, a member of the Han imperial clan and Cao Cao’s superior; to betray him like this and seize his position was quite literally "looting a burning house" and "kicking a man while he is down." A hero of chaos is a hero of chaos indeed. Cao Hong admitted he could not bring himself to be so devious. While his own training of the recruitment camp was bloody and cruel, it was at least overt slaughter; Cao Cao’s scheming was like the difference between a circus trick and a dark art—worlds apart.

Liu Ye said calmly, "Therefore, General, there is no need to rush to find the main enemy force. Simply station your troops in Zhang County, gather the refugees from the surrounding areas, and gather information. You will inevitably learn the whereabouts of the rebel main force and the status of Liu Dai and Bow Xin. Once you report this to the Lord, you will have fulfilled his command."

Cao Hong laughed. "Master, your wisdom is keen! Tomorrow, I shall occupy Zhang County, begin gathering intelligence, and send the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to scout the wilderness. Should we see the main rebel force, we will withdraw immediately; if we see small bands, we will engage and destroy them."

Liu Ye smiled. "That is the way of it."

Cao Hong then told Cao Xiu, "Wenlie, tomorrow your Tiger and Leopard Cavalry will lead the way, and we shall occupy Zhang County."

Cao Xiu agreed, "Understood!"

After the council concluded, Liu Ye and Cao Xiu withdrew. Cao Hong lay down on a mat of dry grass to rest. The next morning, he led his cavalry toward the town of Zhang County. They marched the entire way without encountering any rebels and reached the town safely.

Upon entering, Cao Hong discovered that the total number of starving refugees and commoners remaining was less than a thousand. It was virtually a dead city. Most of the houses had been destroyed, property looted, and the corpses of the elderly and children lay everywhere. Violently raped female corpses were also common. The only thing missing were the corpses of able-bodied men; the few survivors were mostly emaciated men, with no women, children, or elderly capable of fighting.

Clearly, the wealth and the able-bodied men had been carried off by the rebels. The women had been either ravished to death or kept in the ranks as tools for pleasure and reproduction. The scene was as tragic as it could possibly be.

Cao Hong sighed, ordering Cao Ang to direct the laborers to cremate the corpses and build temporary defensive works. He billeted his soldiers in the undamaged houses of the district where the government offices stood, and ordered Cao Xiu to scout outside the town, bringing back any refugees found for questioning.

After issuing his orders, Cao Hong finally entered a room to rest. He decided that he would stay there for a while.