Chapter 63 Beyond Control

Ever since Cao Cao entered Jiangling, bad news had come in a continuous stream.

First, Gan Ning captured Yiling, seizing the crucial western node of the Yangtze River waterway and intercepting Liu Zhang's forces.

Next, Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang arrived outside the walls of Jiangling, constructing siege engines with the intent to take the city.

Then, Guan Yu captured Dangyang, severing the communication between Jiangling and Xiangyang, leaving Xiangyang's supplies and reinforcements unable to reach them.

To make matters worse, Liu Bel led troops to Jiangxia, attempting a flanking attack on Xiangyang.

Cao Cao could hardly believe that every single blow struck his most vulnerable points.

Historically, after returning to Xiangyang, Cao Cao still possessed tens of thousands of troops, leaving Xu Huang and Cao Ren to hold Jiangling together, Le Jin stationed at Xiangyang, and Man Chong stationed at Dangyang, while he himself departed first.

Yet now, following the calamity at Huarong Trail, Xu Huang, Le Jin, and Man Chong had all been captured.

By his side remained only the formidable general Xu Chu, the strategist Jia Xu, and a handful of civil officials primarily consisting of Chen Jiao and Chen Qun.

The remainder consisted of Cao Ren's personal retainers and the garrison troops left behind in Jiangling. Although numbering over twenty thousand, should Guan Yu cut off communication between Jiangling and Xiangyang, this place would become an isolated fortress, and indeed, capture seemed a distinct possibility.

He immediately ordered Cheng Yu, Yu Jin, Zhu Ling—who were retreating northward—and Li Tong of Runan to head south. But no sooner had this order been issued than an even more horrifying piece of news arrived.

An epidemic broke out in Runan among the reinforcements he had dispatched under Zhang Xi, rendering not only Zhang Xi's troops utterly combat-ineffective but also implicating the county levies summoned by Runan Commandery.

Having waited in vain for reinforcements, Hefei was abandoned by Jiang Ji.

Presently, Zhou Yu was driving his forces toward Shouchun, having dispatched Cheng Pu to divide his troops and conquer Dangtu.

This location was far too close to his ancestral home.

If Zhou Yu were to break into Qiao Commandery, he would truly become a laughingstock.

In Xuzhou, due to the massacres committed there years ago, the hearts of the people had remained unsettled; now, with a large army pressing in, the outcome was terribly unpredictable.

One disaster after another, event upon event, drove Cao Cao to the brink of madness.

To think that when he set out from Jiangling, the situation had appeared infinitely promising, yet now crises were erupting everywhere.

Though consumed by fury, Cao Cao understood the gravity of the situation and summoned Jia Xu for counsel: "Wenhe, what is your view on how we should handle the current predicament?"

Maintaining his usual respectful, meticulous, and earnest demeanor, Jia Xu lowered his voice and said, "The Prime Minister must return to Xuchang!"

Rebellions in the localities were something Cao Cao could manage; they could be beaten back, and he had been fighting battles his entire life. However, the problems within the imperial court were severe.

Those who had been suppressed by him yet harbored loyalty to the Han dynasty would undoubtedly mount a fierce backlash upon learning of his disastrous defeat at Wulin.

The central imperial court required his personal presence to overawe them.

In other words, he had no choice but to return.

"Can Jingzhou be preserved?" Cao Cao asked again.

Jia Xu lowered his head and maintained a silent response.

With a frozen gaze, Cao Cao said with bitter hatred, "Liu Bei must not be allowed to occupy Nanzhang County; otherwise, he will be uncontrollable!"

Cao Cao had already received news that Wuling and Lingling had surrendered to Liu Bei without bloodshed. However, the four commanderies of southern Jingzhou possessed mediocre geography, population, and material output; combined, they still fell short of Nanzhang County.

Nanzhang County held strategic geographical importance, abundant resources, and a massive population, making it ample territory to serve as a foundation for hegemony.

Cao Cao still harbored the notion of retaining Jiangling to force Liu Bei to cede and cower south of the Yangtze River.

Yet Jia Xu remained silent with lowered head.

With a sudden glare, Cao Cao felt an urge to reprimand him, but recalling Jia Xu's warnings before leaving Jiangling—and seeing the lingering scars on Jia Xu's face—he could not help but sigh, "Had I heeded Wenhe's words sooner, how could we have fallen into today's desperate plight!"

Jia Xu finally raised his head, looked at Cao Cao, and spoke in a low voice, "Jingzhou is merely a remote corner of land, and after this great battle, it is even more shattered and desolate. The Prime Minister firmly occupies the two fertile lands of Hebei and the Central Plains; your foundations remain completely undamaged."

"Ah, how could I not know this!" Cao Cao let out a long sigh.

Compared to the Central Plains and Hebei, the southern commanderies fell far short.

Yet he simply could not reconcile himself to it.

He could not accept losing to Liu Bei, a man who had repeatedly been his defeated foe.

The following day.

Prompted by Jia Xu's admonition, Cao Cao immediately led Jia Xu, Xu Chu, and a few thousand men to depart Jiangling, leaving Cao Ren to hold the city for as long as he possibly could.

Inside the city of Jiangling.

Cao Ren took command. He had no idea how long he could hold out, but he knew the longer the better, hoping perhaps that the city might even avoid falling altogether.

Yet the situation was far worse than in history. Historically, Jiangling was amply supplied with both troops and provisions; even so, it later required supplies and reinforcements dispatched from Xiangyang.

Now the situation was even graver. Provisions and resources for Jiangling had always been supplied by Xiangyang, but ever since Guan Yu entered Dangyang, all troops and grain supplies had been completely intercepted.

The remaining provisions and grain in Jiangling were only sufficient to hold out for half a month.

Cao Ren worried endlessly over grain. Originally, he had intended to lead troops to Yiling and crush Gan Ning—as he had done in history—but now he simply lacked the spare strength to do so.

"There are numerous wealthy clans within the city, and almost all of them harbor loyalty to Liu Bei. What if we levy grain from them?" Cao Ren looked toward Chen Jiao.

Chen Jiao did not reply; given Cao Ren's temperament, a grain levy would undoubtedly culminate in another massacre.

At that moment, a scout hurried in to report, "General, an arrow carrying a letter was shot into the city from outside."

Startled, Cao Ren cursed, "That brute Zhang Fei dares to attempt to persuade me to surrender! Who does he think he is!" So saying, he snatched the letter, unfolded it, and instantly knitted his brows.

The letter contained only a few short characters: Slaughter the city, and Cao Hong and the others will surely die!

After capturing Cao Hong and his men, Zhao Shaoji had also sent word to Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang, suggesting they could use Cao family members as leverage against Cao Ren to see if he might abandon the city voluntarily.

After all, historically, Cao Ren had indeed withdrawn of his own accord.

Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang had conferred, concluding that while Cao Ren would certainly not be frightened into abandoning the city, the fact that Cao Ren had previously massacred Jiangling could be used to pressure him.

Furious, Cao Ren tossed the letter to Chen Jiao: "Take a look! The rebel Liu is actually using Cao Xiu and the others to threaten our army! Those are my own kinsmen of the Cao family!"

Chen Jiao still remained silent.

Seeing that his goal of levying grain could not be achieved, Cao Ren grew even more enraged and declared with bitter hatred, "I am going out of the city!"

Only then did Chen Jiao speak up: "General, you must not!"

"What do you mean I must not! If I do not sally forth, Zhang Fei will surely look down upon me. Does he even deserve to look down upon me?" Cao Ren bellowed angrily. Ignoring Chen Jiao's remonstrance, he mustered his troops and marched out of the city.

Outside the city.

Zhuge Liang and Zhang Fei were in no rush to attack the city walls because their siege engines were still under construction.

Upon suddenly hearing that Cao Ren was sallying forth to do battle, both men beamed with joy.

They likewise mustered their troops to meet the enemy.

The two armies arrayed themselves in battle formation.

With Zhuge Liang acting as the commander, Zhang Fei naturally held great respect for scholars. Ever since Zhuge Liang had joined Liu Bei's ranks, he had devised numerous brilliant plans, possessed a flawless disposition, and gotten along exceptionally well with him; thus, Zhang Fei felt no grievance whatsoever under Zhuge Liang's command.

Observing the situation from afar, Cao Ren muttered to himself, "That man is neither Guan Yu nor Liu Bei; how is he able to command Zhang Fei?"

However, glancing left and right at Chen Jiao, Niu Jin, and the others, he extinguished any thoughts of asking them to help direct his tactics and resolved to charge the enemy lines himself.

The two battle arrays crashed into each other.

Zhang Fei fought like a god of slaughter; the moment he plunged into the enemy formation, his long spear danced through the air, and not a single opponent could withstand him for even a single exchange.

Dozens of men swarmed in to surround him, yet he shattered their encirclement completely!

Watching his own battle array rapidly descend into chaos, Cao Ren flew into a rage, bellowing at the top of his lungs, "Zhang Fei, you brute, do you dare cross spears with me in single combat!"

In the end, Cao Ren suffered a defeat, losing several hundred men before retreating back inside the city.